CHAPTER NINE:

Hermione's POV:

"Molly invited you and Alice to lunch on Sunday." Rosalie told me as a greeting, as she arrived to pick up Teddy.

It had been sixteen days since the wedding, and today was the first day that Rosalie had allowed me to take Teddy to visit Leah again. "Mama!" squealed the excitable toddler, stumbling towards her the best he could, at twelve months old. He gave up walking around three meters away, and crawled the last stretch. Rosalie scooped him up and showered him with kisses. She then sniffed him.

"You remembered to shower him," she nods in approval.
"Surely the wolves can't smell that bad." I said, doubtfully. Rosalie snorted.

"Oh you have no idea." She replied, before turning back to Teddy and cooing at him. "Did you have fun today, my little man?"

"Yesh!" Teddy nodded, bouncing in her arms, before sticking his bottom lip out. "Mished mama." Rosalie smiled and kissed his blue hair.

"And mama missed her little man," she cooed, before turning back to me. "We're meeting at the Burrow at six o'clock. Molly already made Portkeys for Emmett and I." She stated, before turning and leaving, walking back over to her shiny red Mercedes.

I sighed before yelling out, "I love you Teddy!" then shutting the front door. "She obviously still hasn't forgiven me." I mumble under my breath, before making my way to the study.

Alice wasn't due home for another couple of hours, so I decided to finish reading the book I'd started the other day.

A few hours later I huffed in frustration and slammed shut my copy of 'A Theory of Magic: The Mechanics behind the Mysterious, Alchemy Edition'. Every bloody book I'd read was proving to be exceptionally unhelpful and I was finding myself thinking longingly of the Hogwarts library.

Closing my eyes, I could picture it, the dark bookshelves- tall enough that you would have to be Grawp's size to reach the highest shelves... the ancient, yellowing pages of the more precious tomes... rows upon rows of stacks, enough to get lost in for hours... and the rope barrier marking the entrance to the Restricted Section.

The Library had been my place in Hogwarts. I went there a lot in my early years for peace and quiet, and later, when the War began and people started dying, I went there to fall apart, to cry alone when I could no longer fight the fear and horror.

Tears pricked my eyes now as a wave of longing and hopelessness washed over me. The library would never be a sanctuary to me again, just like Hogwarts would never be my home again. Not after everything that had happened there. Not after Dumbledore's death, the nights of researching Horcruxes and magic so evil my stomach rolled, not after the halls haunted me of those who had fallen... and not after I had taken lives.

Pushing those thoughts from my mind, I moved the stack of books away from me. Proven theory was going to be no help- here I was dealing with magic and knowledge the Department of Mysteries would usually cover, the deeper aspects of sorcery that go far beyond just incantations accompanied with a swish and a flick. This was magic along the same lines as Lily Potter's sacrifice. Magic that defied all its own laws. Magic which tied in with things such as ley lines, the power of the solstices, souls, blood, emotions. In other words magic as murky, woolly and unpredictable as Divination.

Magic that would make me live forever so I could always stand by the side of the woman, the vampire, I loved. The vampire who was prancing into my study, a huge smile on her face. "I got a promotion!" she sings, and I give her a smile.

"Congratulations treasure!" Her happy expression falters slightly. "What's wrong? You look sad." She says. I sigh.

"Just one of those bad days, Alice." She nods, and then scoops me up into her arms, ignoring my shocked spluttering, and blurs us into the living room, dumping me on the couch.

"We're watching a movie to cheer you up," she pronounces, zipping over to grab a handful and tossing them on the couch beside me, "choose one while I get the champagne."

"Which you can't drink." I remind her.
"You're the one who needs to get buzzed."
"Vodka will get me buzzed quicker." I counter, and she gives me an indignant look.
"We're celebrating! Humans drink champagne to celebrate! It's simple logic!"
"We've been invited to lunch at the Weasleys tomorrow." I inform her, and she scowls at me. "Oh you're cruel."
"What?" I ask, "you have to meet the family at some point- I've met yours."

"But it's... it's... it's different!" she protests, "you met them as Bella's sister! I'm meeting them as your vampire wife, who most of them have only met once, and who was responsible for putting your life in jeopardy- again!"

"Alice, none of them consider going up against a couple of vampires jeopardy." I tell her. Alice scowls harder as the opening credits roll.

"Well that's just insulting!" -

Alice was nibbling her bottom lip and picking delicately at the hem of her turtleneck. She looked beautiful and stylish, and I wrapped an arm around her waist. "Stop worrying." I told her, "it's just the Weasleys. Oh, and Harry, Fleur, Ginny, Emmett and Rosalie are all going to be here too."

Rosalie and Emmett have been unofficially adopted by the Weasleys as Teddy's parents these past two and a half months, and Rosalie has formed a friendship with Molly and Fleur, the three of them bonding over their love of children.

"But... it's like meeting the family!" Alice protests. "It's scary! What if they don't like me? I don't want them not to like me! I can't See them, so I don't know what's going to happen, and I don't like not knowing!" I wait until her mini-panicked-rant is over, before touching a hand to her cheek.

"Take a deep breath." I instruct her, "and calm down. Everything's going to be fine." Alice gives me a look that clearly states she doesn't believe a word I just said, then takes a deep breath and nods.

"Okay. Let's do this." I roll my eyes, thread my fingers through hers, and tug her after me, as I walk over to the door, not bothering to knock before opening it and stepping inside.

Fleur is the first to greet us. "'ermione! Alice! Eet eez so lovely to see you!" she exclaims.

"Hermione's here?" Harry's head pokes out of the dining room, and he grins, seeing me. "Hey love, hey Alice! Long time, no see!"

"You saw us yesterday." I laugh, giving him an affectionate look, before turning to Alice and giving her a supportive smile. "You're doing great." I tell her, softly, and she sticks out her bottom lip in a way that makes me want to lean forwards and bite it.

"Hermione! Alice! Welcome, welcome, welcome!" Molly gushes, rushing over and interrupting my dirty thoughts, pulling us into her arms. "Come, sit, sit! Dinner's just about to be served," she chats, and we follow her into the dining room, sitting down on two of the very scarce free chairs.

Everyone is here- Arthur, Percy, Audrey, Charlie, Charlie's current boyfriend, a large muscled, exotic looking foreign wizard called Dumitru, Bill, Fleur, Luna, Neville, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Ron's new girlfriend Romilda Vane, and even George, sitting quietly and looking thin but healthier then the last time I saw him, at my wedding.

Rosalie and Emmett are sitting over by Charlie, Rosalie bouncing Teddy on her knee, cooing at him, while Emmett listens to Charlie's stories about the dragons in Romania.

Alice watches entranced as the extravagant feast Mrs. Weasley has whipped up soars overhead, the dishes coming to rest on the table. "So, have you talked to Bella since the wedding?" Audrey asks us, in her quiet, sweet voice.

"No, they're a touch on the... busy side." Alice winces and pulls a face. "Not exactly something I ever wanted to see." Audrey's face goes pink.

"So, how's married life treating you?" Molly gushes to me. Ginny wiggles her eyebrows suggestively, behind her mother's back, and I have to fight not to blush as I realize her interpretation of her mother's innocent enough question.

"It's wonderful, Molly." I smile, and Alice nods beside me, her hand still holding mine tightly under the table. Ginny pretends to fan herself with her hand, pulling the sort of expression on her face that one usually sees during intercourse.

Ginny isn't quick enough to wipe the expression off her face before Molly turns around, and her mother lets out a scandalized gasp. "Ginevra Molly Weasley!" She just about shrieks. A panicked expression appears on Ginny's face, and she quickly blurts out,

"I'm pregnant!"

Her words had the desired effect of distracting her mother- they also caused everyone else at the table to stop talking, and turn to gape at her. And at Harry, whose face had gone a suspicious shade of red. "It's a boy." Ginny adds with a weak smile. "Surprise!" Chaos proceeds to erupt

"My baby girl's all grown up!" Molly exclaims, then she bursts into tears, a massive smile on her face, throwing her arms around Ginny. Beside her, Arthur's beaming, even as he makes several suspicious noises that sound like sniffing.

"Harry, you dog!" Charlie grins, thumping Harry on the back. "High five, man!" "You're high fiving the guy who knocked up our sister?" Splutters Ron. Charlie shrugs. "Eh, details. I'm going to have a nephew."

"Charles Weasley, you absolute scoundrel!" Molly sniffs, reaching over Ginny's shoulder to whack the back of her second oldest son's head.

"When did you find out?" I ask Ginny.

"Two days ago," Ginny admitted, quietly, so her mum couldn't hear, "I realized that I'd missed a visit from Auntie Flow, and a bit over a month ago Harry and I got, well, completely plastered and had sex without doing any contraceptive charms. A few spells later, and I learned that I've got a five week old son."

I shake my head, even as I smile. "Congratulations, Ginny. You're going to be a fantastic mum." Ginny looks nervous.

"God, I hope so!" She sighs, and I roll my eyes. "Don't be daft, you're going to be wonderful." "I'm glad one of us has faith." Ginny retorts, dryly. -

A little while later, after everyone's finished crowding around Ginny, congratulating her, I'm approached by Ron's new girlfriend. "So... hi Romilda," I smile, slightly uncomfortably, at the girl. Appearance wise, Romilda doesn't look like she's changed much since Hogwarts- she still has the same large, dark eyes, long curly black hair and prominent chin. But the air of arrogance she once carried around herself like a cloak was long gone, the fame-obsessed child she had once been now a thing of the past.

Romilda had fought in the Battle of Hogwarts, and a long silver scar down the left side of her face was proof of that. She had an air of seriousness about her, that hadn't been there before, and the tiredness in her eyes, despite her cheerful manner, that we all carried.

She was looking pretty tonight, dressed in close fitting bag pants made of brilliant blue Matelassé and tied at the waist with a red silk rope, and a white V-neck sweater that clung to her curves.

"Hi Hermione," she greeted me, cheerfully, "I didn't realize you were a lesbian. If I had, I'd probably have tried hooking up with you too, back when I was trying to snag Harry or Ron." I couldn't help my surprised laugh- Romilda's extreme boldness obviously hadn't diminished in the slightest. "Don't worry," she smiled, her face open and honest, "I'm over the whole fame-whore thing now. I mean, me getting together with Ron was a complete accident- we both ended up getting pissed in the same bar, and I woke up in his bed the next morning with basically no memory of the night before," she then leaned towards me, a cheeky grin on her face, "we've barely left the bedroom since."

Another bubble of laughter escapes me, and I take a good long look at the cheerful looking young woman. She raises an eyebrow at my blunt perusal. "You into threesomes, Hermione?" she teased.

"I think you and Ron will be good for each other," I smile, and Romilda grins. "So I get your stamp of approval?"

"Consider yourself stamped." I nod. Ron makes his way over to Romilda's side, and throws his arm around her waist.

"Hi Hermione," he greets me, before turning to face his girlfriend, "having fun, Milly?" he asks, before planting a sloppy looking kiss on her cheek.

"Oh I am!" she giggles, before spinning and planting her lips on his. Having seen enough, I make my way over to the kitchen to see if Mrs. Weasley needs any help with the dishes. I pause in the doorway, seeing the Weasley matriarch completely absorbed in whatever Rosalie's saying, both of them leaning against the kitchen counter. Rosalie is cuddling Teddy in her arms, and both women are smiling.

Feeling a smile on my own face, I step backwards, leaving the two to it. I find Alice out the back, examining the gnomes with a bemused expression on her face. "Every time I think I'm getting used to your world, something appears to knock me off kilter." She says, thoughtfully.

"Every time I think I'm getting used to this world, something appears to knock me off kilter." I smile, leaning up against her. She wraps her arm around me, and I return the gesture, holding her in my arms.

"It actually feels like everything might be alright. That we might finally be getting our happily ever after." I tell her, and her emerald eyes glow.

"I love you, my dear heart." She says, and I bend my head down to kiss her, only to be interrupted by Rosalie blurring out the door, up to us, an expression of worry clear on her beautiful face. I feel myself pale.

"What's wrong?" I ask, urgently. My eyes sweep around, "did something happen to Teddy?" I gasp, realizing the small toddler isn't in her arms.

"Molly's holding him," Rosalie says, shaking her head, "Teddy's fine. It's Bella." I make a strangled sound, and Alice actually has to support me as my legs go shaky, barely able to support me.

"What happened?" I croak, barely able to get the words out passed the lump in my throat.

"She's pregnant. With Edward's baby." My legs turn completely to jelly, and now Alice is forced to hold up my entire weight. "She just rang me- Edward is packing, getting ready to bring them home. He wants to get the baby out of her, apparently... apparently it's dangerous. It's growing too quickly, and he thinks it could kill her. She rang me because- well, because she wants to keep the baby. Whether it kills her or not."

My heart thuds unstably in my chest, and Alice holds me tight as my magic starts crackling around me.

She wants to keep the baby whether it kills her or not.