Chapter 1: To Feel
"Enjoying ourselves, are we?" Hermione questioned, looking down upon her wife with a smile, before licking the remaining chocolate ice cream away and digging her spoon into the bowl again. Minerva mentally shook her head and sighed with happiness. It would have been quite soon in the eyes of others. Minerva had just barely gotten through the series of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, having been seriously ill and later having had to be taken to St. Mungo's after a while, because her body just hadn't appeared able or powerful enough to continue with it all anymore. It had been only barely, but when the chemotherapy and radiation therapy had discontinued, Minerva slowly but surely had gotten more like herself again. There of course was a chance for relapse, but after four months of chemotherapy and two of radiation therapy, the nurses at St. Mungo's, and Poppy herself had diagnosed Minerva cancer free. Minerva often described the therapies as possibly worse than the cancer itself – hideous, even – but another two months had already resulted in Minerva feeling much like herself again. Her cheeks had become fuller like before, and she generally had put on a bit of weight again.
That's why about two months after Minerva had finally gotten the 'all healthy', Hermione had asked Minerva to marry her. She certainly had been taken aback, but had eventually said yes. It had been quite funny to see the wonderful Professor McGonagall stammer.
While the therapies had lasted of course Minerva hadn't felt much like being intimate, even though she had needed the cuddles and hugging more than ever. That night, when the decision to get married had been made, the couple had made love again for the very first time in over half a year. Both women had gotten married secretly the week after, just under the two of them.
"Mmm," Minerva replied, shaking her head slowly and rubbing it into Hermione's swollen belly. She was now about six months along, and if you felt very carefully, you could begin to feel the acrobatics of the little one growing in there. Of course it was commonly known that magical babies often moved earlier on than non-magical. If Minerva thus laid her ear against Hermione's bare tummy, like now, she could actually hear him or her and sometimes even feel something move against her cheek. She very much enjoyed doing that, and Hermione thus enjoyed it as well.
The decision to have a child had come soon after their marriage. The very same night, even. Minerva had somehow gotten to their conversation of months earlier again and had asked Hermione if the next was going to be having children. Hermione had just gazed at her somewhat dazed and had asked if she wanted to actually have them. Minerva had just returned the question, until in the end Hermione had uttered she would love to have children with her, but then again she totally got it if Minerva didn't and all of that.
Minerva sighed. "Well, it is obvious that even though witches don't age like other women and thus are longer fertile, I'm too old to carry any. I, however, wouldn't consider myself too old to raise them." Hermione's mouth had fallen open at that in near shock. Minerva had sighed once again. "There's indeed a chance for relapse, but during my illness I have realized more than ever that what's worth to fight for. You have strengthened my belief that together there's nothing we can't do. We should go for our dreams. If that's having a child, then… why not? We can do it together. I would love to have a little Hermione, or maybe a little wizard."
Tears had coursed down Hermione's face. "Really?" At Minerva's sincere nod, Hermione had fallen into her embrace, nodding eagerly. "Yes. Yes." Minerva had uncharacteristically chuckled, and then suddenly Hermione had parted from her again and had eyed her with that very famous insecure look. "Minerva… are you quite sure? I mean, you haven't really gotten to be yourself again. You…"
"Sweetie. We'll have another nine months until the baby's actually there, too. And we'll have to be very lucky to begin with as well."
At that, Hermione's smile had become wider, and happy lights had gone on in her eyes. "You're right, but… how?" Hermione had questioned. Minerva had only quirked her eyebrow at her wife, wondering if she really didn't have an idea, considering she had gotten married to an Animagus, who was on top a master and teacher in Transfiguration. She had waited a couple of minutes, until Hermione's mouth had fallen open in a near perfect o. Wickedness had soon overtaken, though. Hermione had sensually straddled her wife, huskily whispering, "So in that case how would you feel about beginning to try right now then?"
Minerva had chuckled, leaning up to kiss her wife passionately. And oh, had both of them tried for a baby that night…
And a month later, it appeared that their tries had been successful, when Hermione woke up about five every morning to vomit… She and Minerva just counted themselves lucky that was no longer the case now, even though… other manifestations had announced themselves. You merely had to remind yourself of the bowl of chocolate ice cream Hermione almost continually carried about their loft in the middle of London.