AN: Written for Quidditch League Round 7 – Potions Class

Prompts:

Write about Calming Drought or its effects.

9. (closing sentence) That was for certain.

11. (word) special

12. (poem) 'Risk' by Anais Nin

Hermione sighed as she went through the cupboards; two bottles. That was all the calming draught they had left in the house. She would definitely have to make more before she told Fred she was pregnant. Hopefully he'd have gotten over it by now and wouldn't be as panicky the second time around, but Hermione wouldn't have bet any money on it.

As she grabbed her coat, ready to go into Diagon Alley to buy the missing ingredients, Hermione thought about when she found out she was pregnant with her first child.

"Okay, Hermione, just relax. This should only take a minute."

Hermione lay back on the bed she was currently occupying in St. Mungos and watched as the midwife retrieved a couple of potions from a cupboard. Hermione assumed they were to sex the baby should she wish.

The midwife returned and after a reassuring pat on the arm she started waving her wand in intricate patterns over Hermione's stomach. It felt like it took forever, and Hermione was just about to ask if something was wrong when the midwife stopped with a smile on her face.

"Congratulations, you're pregnant and the baby is nice and healthy!" she beamed at Hermione, would you like to know the sex now?"

"Could we wait a few minutes, please? My husband is on his way and I would really like him to be here so we find out together," Hermione asked, wondering where Fred was as he should have finished work half on hour ago.

"Of course, I have another patient to check up on but just let Jenny on reception know when he arrives and she will let me know."

"Thank you," Hermione smiled.

It was fifteen minutes later than Fred finally came into the room looking rather shaken, with George behind him holding a giant balloon saying 'It's a baby!' in sparkling letters on either side and Ginny trailing in the back.

"George," Hermione said with a grin, "you are aware that you're supposed to give the balloon when I actually give birth, right? You have another eight months to wait!"

George looked a little upset, but played it off in the usual Weasley Twin fashion as Hermione turned to look at her husband.

"Fred?" Hermione asked, "Are you okay?"

"I… I just…" he mumbled before Ginny cut in.

"I think he had a panic attack, probably just nervous about becoming a parent. I'll go and ask for a calming draught for him."

"Thanks, Gin," Hermione smiled at the witch.

Hermione let out a small laugh as she threw floo powder into the fireplace. Fred had gotten so panicked at work after she'd called him George had to get Ginny to help calm him down.

"Diagon Alley" Hermione said as she stepped into the green flames.

As Hermione arrived in Diagon Alley she felt a little nauseous, reminding her of the first time Fred has woken up to her throwing up from morning sickness.

Hermione felt awful, she almost didn't make it to the toilet before she started puking her guts up. It wasn't the first time she'd been woken with morning sickness, but this was definitely the worst.

"Hermione?" she heard a groggy voice behind her. She was about to turn to let Fred know she was okay when she was hit with another bout of vomiting.

"Hermione, is everything okay? What's wrong?" Fred asked in a hurried tone.

"I'm fine, Fred, it's jus…" Hermione was cut off by the need to vomit.

"It's obviously not fine, Hermione! You're throwing up. Something must be wrong. We need to take you to a hospital!"

"No, Fred. I'm fi…"

"Don't you dare say you're fine. You're not. You're shaking and throwing up. I'm going to talk to someone at St. Mungos!"

Fred started to leave, but Hermione managed to get to her feet.

"Fred, please. You don't need to. It's happened before, it's just m…"

"It's happened before? Why didn't you tell me? Now I'm definitely talking to someone!" Fred turned and practically ran out of the door, almost tripping over his own feet in his haste. Hermione, who was feeling much better now, followed him and managed to catch up just as he reached the fireplace.

"Fred, please. It's just morning sick…"

"No, Hermione, there's something wrong. Please let me talk to someone!"

Hermione sighed and went to retrieve a calming draught from the kitchen. After the incident at the hospital she'd decided to keep a couple in, just in case it happened again. She emptied it into a glass of orange juice and returned to the living room where Fred was.

"Okay, Fred, I'll make you a deal. Sit down, have a drink and if you still feel this way in ten minutes then we can go to the hospital. Okay?"

"But…"

"No 'but's Fred, it's that or not at all!"

"Okay, fine. But I don't like it…" Fred told her, but took the offered orange juice from her hand and started drinking.

It started to work almost instantly, and Hermione smiled as she saw Fred calm down.

Hermione made her way through Diagon Alley towards the Apothecary. After the war it had been a nightmare to go shopping here and she had needed everything delivered to her, but as the years past it started to return to normal and she was able to walk through the street with only a few "Hello"s and the occasional child, and very rarely adult, asking for her autograph.

It was rather busy in the Apothecary, and Hermione has to sit for ten minutes before she was able to be served. If she thought being Hermione Granger was going to get her special treatment in the Apothecary, she was wrong. While she was sat she started reminiscing about her last pregnancy again, and how panicked Fred got any time she left the house.

"Honey, it's work; I have to go," Hermione told her husband as she tried to leave the house.

"But it could be dangerous! Why do they have to send you out into the field? Don't they know you're pregnant?"

"Of course they know; I'm seven months pregnant so the bump isn't exactly hidden!"

"But what if the baby gets hurt?"

"She won't! I'm only going to check on the living conditions of a house elf!"

"Yes, but it's the Malfoy house elf. What if he does something to harm you?" Fred half screamed at her. She really was getting fed up of this; he'd tried to stop her from going shopping the week before.

"Fred, darling, even Draco isn't so low as to harm a pregnant woman. Are you forgetting he works in the office next to me, we're actually civil now."

"I'd still rather you didn't go. What if he accidentally hurt you? What if you're bending down to check something and fall on your belly? What if you go into labour while you're there? I am not having my baby born in Draco bloody Malfoy's house!" Fred told her, his words getting more and more rushed as he spoke.

"Honey, please. I don't have time to give you a calming potion, but you need one. There's one in the cupboard; drink it! And even if there were a chance for me to get hurt, this is a big deal for me. I can't remain how I am. I tried a new technique a couple of years ago, it was a risk I need to take and if I don't follow through I'm going to remain in the same place I am now. I need this to blossom if I'm ever to get my plans further within the Ministry!"

"Hermione, I don't need a calming potion. You don't need to take this risk. Someone else can go for you!"

Hermione sighed and marched her way into the kitchen. She grabbed a calming draught from the cupboard and returned, making him drink it all.

"Now, while you calm down I am going to go to work!" Hermione half shouted before leaving a flummoxed Fred sat gaping at her from the sofa.

That memory made her laugh out loud, earning her a few strange looks from the other patrons in the shop. She was finally served by a balding wizard and returned home to start making her potion. As she did, she thought about her favourite memory from her last pregnancy; actually having Scarlet. The only downside to it, was that Fred had gotten so panicked that something was going to happen he'd fainted before they'd been able to get him a calming draught.

Hermione smiled as she thought about what was to come. It would be an interesting pregnancy, that was for certain.

Words: 1,453.

AN: I know this wasn't my best work, I was just incredibly uninspired for it and had to bash something out at the last minute (again)

I promise I will try better with my next fic!

In other news, I'm going on holiday tomorrow! In about 12 hours I think. I'm going to Tenerife with my best friend and his family for a week. It's the first proper holiday I've been on without my family (I'm not counting school trips to France) and I'm both excited and nervous. I'll let you all know how it was when I get back, and if you want to see any pictures (because I'm going to take a lot, photography is my third passion after acting and writing) then I'll be putting some on my instagram and twitter. It's clockworkned for both if you want to follow me and keep updated :)

Thanks for reading

Ned xoxo