This story is inspired by real events in my family
Miracle
" Happy birthday!" Everyone around Hermione sang, as she looked at the cake where 31 candles were lit.
" Make a wish " said Ginny carrying little Albus.
She closed her eyes and blew out the candles, hoping for the one thing she wanted most in the world.
p*
One the very next day Hermione went to see the doctor at Saint Mungo's.
"Please Miss Granger enter, we have something important to discuss." Said the old Healer. The witch sat, feeling a bit nervous.
"What's wrong? Is everything ok with my blood test?"
The healer looked at her and barely smiled.
"The test is normal you are healthy, however your reproductive case is something that bothers me," He explained. "When you came to me you've ask if your reproductive system is normal?"
"Yes..." Slowly, Hermione nodded. "That was the main reason I came."
"Your eggs are limited and if you want to start a family you need to hurry; every year the eggs will reduce and it will be complicated to conceive a baby."
"But I am only 31 years old " Replied the witch, confused by what the healer was saying. " I know women who gave birth at 40..."
"Yes, that's true but you have to understand that every woman is born with a certain number of eggs and unfortunately yours are limited." Explained the healer, his tone kind. "My advice is to start working on that..."
"How much time do I have?" She cut him off.
"Few more years I'm afraid." He said. "After that you won't be able to do it in normal way, you and your partner will need to come in hospital and we can discuss your options then."
Hermione fell silent for a moment and then tried to smile.
"I understand doctor, thank you!"
p*
Hermione was working late, she needed a distraction from the bad news the healer told her the other day. How was she supposed to conceive a baby when she had been single for almost 3 years? Her past relationships had been complete disasters- she and Ron had split a few months after the Battle of Hogwarts realising they were better off friends than lovers, and the two wizards after him cheated on her so she had decided to take a break from men and to focus on her career and it had been working beautifully- she was now a Head of the Department with 30 people under her watch. She had been able to afford herself a nice house in wizarding London and still had savings. A knock on the office door interrupt her thinking.
"Yes"?
The door opened and a platinum blond head appeared.
"Granger may I come in?"
Hermione looked at the clock it was almost 9 p.m.
"Malfoy?" She was a bit surprised. "Why are you here? It's late- aren't you late for dinner with your girlfriend or something?"
"She left..never mind." He added when the witch opened her mouth. "Listen: I finished the project you gave us last week so you may want to take a look?"
Draco passed her the large folder and smirked.
"You already finished it?!" Hermione took the folder, surprised. "But the time limit was one month; I was thinking you and Blaise would need more time..."
"Blaise is sick so I decided to finish it by myself.'' Malfoy told her.
" Am I suppose to be impressed?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Well not impressed, but I was hoping you would appreciate my hard work here so I can get the promotion and move to Paris." Draco smirked again. "I can make you impressed with something else."
Hermione rolled her eyes. She was sick of his sexual innuendos he had been making for so long.
"I will take a look at your work tomorrow." The brunette told him seriously. "You are free to go home."
"Really boss? Is there anything I can do for you? A cup of tea, a massage, I can feed your cat or..."
'To make me a baby.' A little wicked voice sounded in her head and she blushed at the thought.
" What is that? My fearless and strong boss is blushing?!" Draco came closer to her desk, a wicked glint in his eyes. "Do I make you uncomfortable?"
Hermione shook her head and rose from her sit to put some papers in the closet behind her desk.
"This is ridiculous." She said under her breath. "You are not making me uncomfortable..." When she turned he was right behind her, and she locked gazes with him. "... At all..."
Draco gently touched her still-red cheek and looked deep in her hazel eyes. "Yeah?"
She flinched of his fingers and tried to avoid his grey irises but suddenly she looked up at him once again.
"In fact there is something you can do for me..." She told him simply.
His lips were inches from hers and he could feel her sweet breath "Name it..."
"Close the door when you leave." Hermione told him firmly.
Draco stepped back, looking disappointed.
"As you wish, boss!"
'What a shameless womanizer! No wonder his girlfriend left him!' Hermione thought.
Since day one, he was hitting on her, but as attracted she was to him, she knew he was messing around with a lot of witches. While she was looking for the true love, numerous girls passed his sheets. Draco Malfoy was persona non grata for her!
p*
Next week was a though one , the news about Ron becoming a father for the first time made her happy, but at the same time sad. After that Luna and Neville announced they were expecting their 3rd child, and she got invitation for her secretary's wedding. Everyone around her was happy and moving on with their lives , making weddings and babies and she was single, childless and very lonely.
The time was passing and, according to her healer, she didn't have much time to conceive naturally.
Drinking her tea one Friday night alone in her living room, Hermione remembered a conversation with her mother a while ago when she explained how her aunt had a unlucky love life but wanted a child so badly she slept with a stranger, got pregnant intentionally and raised the baby by herself, never looking for the biological father. After some time she got married with someone else and was very happy.
"Is that desperate or smart?" Hermione was thinking out loud and sipped from the hot lemon tea. Unexpectedly her phone rang. "Hello?"
"Miss Hermione? It's me, Tahmina..." Tahmina was one of Hermione's employees. She was young and very beautiful, but she sounded very upset as her voice carried through the phone.
" Tahmina? What's wrong? Are you crying?"
" Yes... I... just.. it's complicated. May I come over? I have no one to call?"
"Are you in danger, what's wrong?" Hermione got worried.
" Not in danger, but I am in kind of trouble..." Her voice broke. "May I come?"
" Of course you can come, let me tell you the address..."
Few minutes after she hung up, the black haired Tahmina Rain was drinking tea in Hermione's living room, her eyes were red; she was very upset.
" I'm so sorry to disturb you, Miss Granger, but I had no one- the things are complicated... you see ... I had an affair. I mean not an affair because I am single but I am a mistress to someone and..."
"Wait ... what?!" Hermione never expected that. "I'm trying to not be judgmental but... Tahmina, when you mess with someone who is married nothing good will come out of it, you know that right?"
"Its Blaise Zabini."
Hermione dropped the teapot and hurried to fix the mess.
"Oh I'm sorry, I never intended to shock you, Miss Granger!" Tahmina apologised, wiping her tears away.
"I remember telling each of you that you need to separate work and personal life and never to involve me as the Head of the Department... but... Blaise...Blaise is married. His son just turned 4 years old. Pansy told me she wanted to quit her job to be a mother and they are trying to have more children and of course I let her go... Tahmina I'm sorry you are upset but can you imagine if Blaise leaves his family for..."
"No. He will not leave them and I feel bad for Mrs Zabini but I fell for him and now..."
"Tahmina you are young and very beautiful and I'm sure you will find someone who will love you the way you deserve and you will be happy with him but you need to back off from Blaise." Hermione stated sternly.
Tahmina's eyes watered again. "I was trying to forget him and to end the affair but then... then... " She looked at her boss and her voice came out as a whisper. "Then I found out I am expecting a baby."
Hermione fell silent for a moment.
"I told him today and he ... He made me understand that he will never leave his family for some 22 year old tramp. He told me to get rid of the baby... "
In Hermione mind the word "baby" was repeating like a broken record over and over again.
"What should I do, Miss Granger? Should I keep it? I love Blaise so much but he wants nothing to do with me and I know that it's because I am a muggleborn." Said Tahmina but Hermione was still silent. "Please say something!" Tahmina finally begged.
"Tahmina, no one can tell you what to do; this is your life and your body, you need to decide what you want in life. Not me or someone else." Hermione told her kindly. "I'm sorry for this situation but it's only up to you!"
"Well I don't want to be a single mother and to work in one place with him and... I can't handle this.. I need to move somewhere, to get away and think... And I was wondering about that project in Paris?"
Hermione shook her head.
"I already told Malfoy and Seamus Finnigan that I am sending them there. They worked so hard..." She explained and put her arm on Tahmina shoulder. "Take a few days off and decide what you want, I promise to support you and to help you if you need anything!" The crying girl hugged her boss.
After a while she thanked her and left the house, leaving Hermione with her thoughts.
How was it fair that someone who didn't even want children got pregnant by accident, yet she was so desperate for a child, but was quickly running out of time.
After the weekend, Hermione received a party invitation from Malfoy. He and Seamus wanted to celebrate their promotion and move to Paris so they invited all of their co workers and some friends. The party would take place in the Grand Hotel Moriarty; a very luxurious setting so Hermione and Ginny were out hunting for new dresses.
"This red dress look so hot on you, Mione!" The redhead told her in the dressing room. "But some of the guests think you are hot anyway..."
" What are you talking about, almost all of them are married or in a relationship." Laughed Hermione, looking in the mirror.
"Exactly: they are married, not dead." Ginny winked. " But I was talking about some one who's single now... yes that's right: the ferret can't take his eyes of you every time you are in a same room!"
"That's not true , you are imagining things. He can have any witch-" Started Hermione, but the ginger cut her off.
"And yet, he wants you! I can't forget the last Ministry Christmas Gala; the black dress... He was stripping you with his eyes, and he got so irritated when Antony Goldshtain invited you to dance a few times in a row , only a blind person can't see his jealousy over every man you've been talking to!"
"Ginny, please stop!" Hermione shook her head. "Me and Malfoy?! This will never work out. Besides, he is leaving Great Britain in 3 days, his contract there is for 5 years..."
"I know but it's funny to look at his miserable face when you are talking to other guys... speaking of that, do you have a date?"
" I don't need a date , I'm good I promise " She replied mysteriously, confusing her friend. "Now , hand me the blue dress I want to try it."
p*
The party was gorgeous , the music was nice, the drinks were strong and people were having fun. Hermione was surrounded by couples and was the only one without a date. She didn't know if that was a coincidence but Malfoy was single at the party too. She was avoiding him very well until...
"Hey Granger, going somewhere?"
They met at the elevator.
"I was going to Harry and Ginny's room to bring her phone..."
"Potter has a room in here?" Wondered Draco.
"Yes they wanted one night for themselves, Molly is staying with the kids... why I am explaining this? Please move so I can give Ginny her phone!"
"As you wish..." He stepped back and she entered the elevator but he followed her. "Which floor?"
"17..." Said Hermione.
"What a coincidence... I am on 17th as well."
"Why you are going to your room, the party is still on?" She smiled. The walls of the elevator were mirrors, so she could see his face and the angles of his body everywhere.
"I prefer more private parties'' He winked at her. Hermione held off a shudder.
"So I guess some one is waiting for you there?"
His grey eyes were looking at her as if he was very hungry and she was the delicious meal.
" I will miss this Granger: you and me stuck in the elevator."
" What?''
In that moment the elevator stopped and the lights went out.
"Lumos." She whispered. "Malfoy what are you doing?"
But instead of responding he cupped her cheek and kissed her passionately.
Slap! She smacked him across his face and dropped her wand.
"How dare you?!''
"How long you will pretend? Admit it! You want this just as much as I do!"
"You are crazy." Hermione told him angrily.
"And you are lying to me! Tell me your true feelings. Just for once, forget that you are the boss and I am the employee. So you have the guts to stand before the Dark Lord but not to stand before me and be honest. I must tell I am disappointed Granger...very disapp-"
Hermione pulled his black tie and kissed him. That wasn't passion, it wasn't fire, it wasn't lust- it was something different. It was strong magic and she couldn't explain it.
The next thing she saw was his luxury room and she felt the silk sheets under her naked body. He was kissing every inch of her and she didn't want him to stop... ever!
" Dear Draco,
last night was wonderful and I will always remember it! I wish you good luck in Paris- I am sure you will do an amazing job! I wish you to find happiness and true love there! "
H.G.
That was the letter Draco found the next day on the night stand. From the words Hermione wrote he could understand that she wanted nothing further to do with him. He angrily crushed the note in his fist. Why was she so stubborn? Last night was amazing but that clearly meant nothing to her.
Someone knocked on the door.
"Hey sexy ass." It was Blaise.
He crashed on the bad looking messy and tired.
"My head will explode, remind me not to drink ever again!"
Draco didn't respond, he was still upset over Hermione's stupid letter.
"Care for a coffee or something?" Asked Blaise but his friend was silent. "Hey mate... are you ok? I saw you entering the elevator with the sexy shmexy boss last night... did you tell her goodbye properly?" Blaise wriggled his eyebrows a few times.
"No, she was going to see the Potter's... listen , let's order something here. I am not in the mood to see people, my head will explode too. You are right; that green liquor was strong as hell!"
p*
Memories- it's all we have when time is passing and people we care about are gone. But Hermione had something more than a memory of that passionate night in Grand Hotel Moriarty - she was looking at the pink cloud in front of her, a result of the charm she had just performed on herself.
"A girl," She whispered.
The feeling was strange to her, she couldn't explain it - she felt happy, surprised, excited and little bit scared . She put her hand on her belly trying to feel the baby.
"Is this a blessing or a curse? I'm pregnant... really pregnant.. I am not alone... I am going to be a mother ... It's Draco' s..." she was thinking and bit her lip. "He is in Paris now, doing his own business, after that letter I left him, he never responded... and why would he? He- he finally got what he wanted - my naked body and I finally got what I wanted - a baby... I guess we are even now... everybody wins and no one got hurt. My mother's aunt was brilliant woman after all - Why let a man ruin her life and make her miserable, when she can have a baby and be happy and grateful?"
Hermione was petting her belly gently and started to make plans about the baby, her eyes was watering when she tried to imagine the first hug and kiss when she saw her for the first time and her sweet voice.
"Mammy" Her daughter would call her. She could not believe that a precious little girl would run after her saying "Mammy, mammy, I love you."
"I love you too my baby... I already love you more than anything."