She was alone in the room sitting on the procedure table with her hands under her thigh. Stark. Clinical. Everything around her was sterile.
A knock on the door. The doctor enters.
"Hi!" she smiled brightly. "I'm doctor McDonald. I'll be performing your IUI today. It looks like we have a good count! Nearly 75 million with 80 percent motile. Fantastic numbers!"
Hermione tried her best to put a smile on her face despite the anxiety and fear that gripped her body. "Good. That's good."
"Do you have any questions before we begin?"
"Yeah, one actually. Um….can my husband actually be the one to do it? I really don't fancy the idea of being knocked up by a doctor."
"Oh of course! Is he here, or do we need to wait for him?"
"He's out in the waiting room. Draco, his name is Draco."
"Alright love, back in a tic" and the woman exited the room.
This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. They weren't supposed to have to get pregnant in the doctor's office. With their first child, it had been a fluke thing. They had been together for only a few weeks. He was the best accident that had happened to either one of them.
According to the doctors, it shouldn't have happened. Hermione had a condition which prevented ovulation without medical intervention. You can't get pregnant if you don't ovulate.
They had tried everything. Herbs, potions, muggle pills. This time it was injections. Injections and an IUI, a muggle procedure to insert Draco's sperm directly into her uterus. It was painful, both emotionally and physically.
The nurse returned with Draco.
"Alright love, skooch down to the edge of the table and part your knees."
It was humiliating.
As she lay there with her legs spread open and her bits exposed for the world to see, she chanced a glance at her husband. He looked like just like she felt….like he was going to be sick.
"Cold touch." Hermione felt a hand on her leg and then freezing cold on her bits. Cold touch didn't quite seem to cover it.
"Now some pressure." No. Not pressure. Pain.
"And now we're going to insert the catheter." More pain. More pain. Is this over yet?
"Ok daddy, come on over here and let's do this."
"What do I do?" He sounded terrified. A bit like first year actually. His voice was shaking.
"Just press this little button right here, love. That's it. Simple, pimple."
"It won't hurt her right?" That was his primary concern. Her pain. He never ever wanted her to be in pain.
"Draco, I'll be fine. Promise. Women do this every day and they're 100 percent perfect."
The woman began counting, "1….2….3" Dear God. It burned. Bad. Fire. A tear ran down her cheek. Fuck. Best hide that or Draco would stop. That would be even worse.
She began reciting Golpalott's Law to herself and calculating various antidotes for distraction. Before she knew it, they were alone and he was holding her hand as she lay on the table for the required 10 minutes. Tears still streaming down her face.