text: The Pain of Not Knowing – Matthew A. Weber
  January 31, 2019 Matthew
  Original Source Emma Watson by Gravija-Sunrise. on Deviant Art
  Warnings: 1000 word prompt challenge, angst
  Summary: This is based off my own prompt in the prompt bank a few months back: "Hermione at home worrying about Harry who is late coming home after an Auror mission."
  Author's Note: I need something to get me back into writing as the cold air has sapped all of my motivation for my longer pieces. So I'm writing this. And maybe a few other 1000 word prompt challenges.
  Hermione stared despondently at the Grandfather clock that graced the far wall of their flat. The clock was a family heirloom that Hermione's parents had given her and Harry as a wedding present. Hermione loved the clock most days.
  This was not one of those days. It seemed no matter what, the clock was going to continue to mock her.
  Harry was supposed to be home by now, but he was late. This wasn't at all an unusual occurrence. They both had demanding jobs that sometimes made them work long hours. Usually, she didn't panic when Harry was running late as she knew that there was likely a mundane explanation.
  But not today. At lunch today she had gotten a note from her husband explaining that they had gotten a lead on the location of the remaining Death Eaters. She knew that finding and removing the stain of Voldemort's Death Eaters was the reason why Harry worked so hard, and she was happy that they might finally be nearing the end.
  But she was also nervous. The last time Harry had gone up against a Death Eater, he had almost died. That had been shortly before their wedding and had caused all sorts of problems. Hermione had freaked out, broke up with him – explaining that she couldn't possibly marry someone who kept stupidly throwing themselves in front of curses for other people – and moved to France for three days. Harry had eventually found her and promised that he would be more careful and that he would try to reign in his 'saving people thing.'
  Now he was off again on another dangerous mission, and he was late. Each minute that ticked by on her beloved clock caused Hermione pain. What if he didn't come home? What if he…what if he…
  She couldn't help thinking about all the things that could go wrong. It hurt her soul to think that she might never see Harry again. He was the love of her life, and she couldn't imagine a world without him.
  If he died, it would be the end of her world. Especially now. He couldn't do this to her now, not when she had something that she had been keeping from him, something that he needed to know. Hermione had been waiting for the prefect moment, hoping that it would be a really nice surprise.
  The clock's minute hand moved again, simultaneously too fast for Hermione and too slow. She glared at it as if it were responsible for her husband's tardiness.
  Each minute that passed by made her more and more anxious until she couldn't take the damn clock any more. Hermione stood up and started to pace back and forth in the small living room of their flat. There wasn't a lot of room. They had been saving up for a home of their own, each wanting that big investment to be of their own making instead of coming from Harry's inheritances. They were close and now that…well now their time was running out and they would need to find something bigger very soon.
  Just thinking about her condition made her more anxious. Hermione knew that she couldn't do this on her own. Even if she wasn't knocked up, she would need Harry. She would always need him.
  Another half hour passed. Hermione's hair got bushier as her magic responded to her agitated state. She was just about to forget waiting and floo the Auror office to see if Harry had checked in when she heard the floo activate.
  Hermione spun around and looked at the man who had stepped out of their fireplace. The first thing she noticed was the black eye that graced his handsome face. He was also bleeding from several scratches on his cheeks and near his lips. Her gaze didn't make it further before she launched herself at her husband, wrapping him up in a tight hug.
  She felt his arms wrap around her, but she also felt how he had flinched away from her.
  She pulled back a bit. "Harry…"
  "I'm okay, love. Just a few scratches and a bruised rib."
  Hermione closed her eyes and hugged him again, this time more gently. He was home. Her Harry was home and he was okay. Well, maybe not okay, but he was alive and walking around, and she couldn't ask for more.
  She gloried for a few minutes in being in his arms once more. Hermione wasn't even ashamed of the tears that were flowing down her face, though she would definitely blame them on hormones if Harry asked about them.
  "I'm okay, love, I'm okay. I'm sorry it took so long."
  "Oh, Harry, I was so worried."
  Harry just hugged her tighter. "I wouldn't leave you."
  Hermione gave a watery laugh. "Oh, I know you wouldn't. I scare you way too much. You, mister, don't get to die until I tell you to. And that won't be for a long time. After all, you've got to help me raise our baby. I refuse to do this on my own."
  "B-baby?"
  "Oh, oops?"
  "Oops? You're pregnant?" Harry asked, a shocked expression on his battered face.
  Hermione just nodded nervously. She hadn't exactly been planning on blurting out her secret like that, but it was out there now.
  Slowly Harry grinned and wrapped her up tighter. He spun her around, causing her to giggle madly. "Harry put me down before you hurt yourself even more!"
  "Nonsense, Hermione! I'm going to be a dad! Woo Hoo!" Harry all but shouted as he put her down and did a little victory dance right there in front of her, causing her to laugh.
  The anxiety of the hours spent waiting for him slowly faded as she watched her husband dance around like a madman. Hermione knew that they were going to be just fine. Their life was going to be amazing together. No one was going to take that away from them now.
  1000 word challengeangstauror harry potterchallengefanfictionharry potterharry potter fanfictionharry potter/hermione grangerhermione grangerhhrpost warpregnancy
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  I really liked the way you wrote Hermione's internal dialogue, it was really cute and funny how you had Hermione blurt out her secret and Harry's reaction to it 🙂