Rosie and I
Age 5 months
The baby cooed in it's wooden cradle. The hand rocked it, face out of sight under a shall. The hands were the slender hands of a woman, yet they were calloused and rough to the touch. The baby looked up at her and saw her smile. The baby girl smiled a toothless grin back and the hand stopped the craddle.
Hermione picked the baby girl up. Her daughter nuzzled her chest, like a cub does their mother affectionatly.
"Go to sleep, my little one. Go to sleep, my little one. Go to sleep, my little one. And sleep until the morning. And sleep until the morning," she sang the song disjointedly as she held her child.
Hermione softly layed her daughter back down, making absolute sure she was going to sleep.
Tomorrow was another day. And Hogwarts made it an even harder day.
x-x-x-x-x
Flashback
Hermione laughed as Ron put an arm around her. Harry had tripped over Malfoy who'd fallen himself. Peeves had tied the laces of each boys shoes together as they passed each other, passing insults to each other verbally. Eigth year was even more interesting. Even if it is only open to those who missed a year of school because of Voldemort, many people were in the year.
Ron kissed her cheek as Harry and Draco cursed Peeves. Harry had managed to find his wand. With a flick, he cut the laces of Malfoy's shoe off and got up to run, until Draco seized his foot and made Harry's face make contact with the floor. Bloody hell, it was hilarious. Hermione had felt slightly sorry for the platinum blonde boy. Ever since Voldemort's untimely death, he'd been alone in the world. His father was in Azkaban and his mother was away and would be until the next year. The poor Slytherin boy was truly alone.
The bell went and the majority of students shuffled off to lessons. Harry, in the act of bitch slapping the Malfoy boy, let go of his old nemesis and ran off. The bell signified dinner. The eigth year had a bell telling them in their tower when dinner was on. Ron kissed Hermione again and walked off with his best friend and his sister to dinner. Hermione sighed and, as soon as Ron was gone, kneeled beside Draco.
"Are you okay, Draco?" she asked the boy, who was red in the face.
"I... piss off, Granger," Draco growled, almost telling her.
Hermione smiled softly and took his hand. She pulled his arm around her shoulders and helped him up.
"Why do you and Harry insist on fighting? You're friends now, for God's sakes!" Hermione sighed, exasperated.
"I think it started as friendly wrestling that became a bit serious," Draco answered.
"And the mention that I was your potions partner didn't start anything in the first place?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrow.
The eigth year common room was big and roomy. The colours of each house were scattered around carelessly, giving off a homey vibe. A mini library was set up in the corner, books floating from shelf to shelf, sorting themselves after use. Another corner was a kitchen of sorts. A floating kettle was boiling itself and cups were washing themselves in a small porceline sink. Sofas and chairs were scattered around the room in clusters.
"Look, Harry took it the wrong way," Draco shrugged. It was strange. Saying his name instead of his surname after so long.
"Harry's the equivolent of a pregnant woman at the moment. Ever since George visited last month, he's been an emotional timebomb," Hermione laughed.
Draco saw the joke but didn't laugh.
"Mother's away because she's pregnant," he confessed quietly.
"Oh..." Hermione bit her lip.
Draco's shoulders began heaving up and down. His face was away from hers. Was the self-proclaimed great Draco Malfoy crying? Hermione thought.
Draco sniffed and Hermione took his arm from around her shoulder. She tried to walk away, leave him to let it all out. And she would have... if not for Draco's hand gripping hers. She was surprised when he looked up, face filled with tears. She just stood there, unmoving, statuesque in many ways. Draco stepped and embraced her, hugging her feircely.
"Draco," she murmered, hugging him back. The poor boy...
Now, you'd think Hermione'd have more sense than to hug the Slytherin, being loyal to her boyfriend. But even if she was a loyal girlfriend, she wouldn't have let what happened next take place.
Draco let go of her and took her face in his hands. He leaned down and kissed Hermione...
x-x-x-x-x
Age 2
Rosie was such an adorable little toddler that it broke Hermione's heart to see her everyday. Her daughter was perfect. Smart and beautiful, just like her father. Hermione smiled everytime Rosie gave her a grin.
Her daughter was just so perfect...
Rose Sienna Granger was holding a colourful wooden block in her small, deinty hands. She inspected it before putting it down on the floor and picking another one up. She placed this block next to it, then another nxt to that , making three in a row. She picked up another and put it on top. Soon she made a pyramid out of blocks.
Hermione smiled at her child.
Rosie looked up at her mother with bright grey eyes. Her father's eyes. The rest of her features resembled Hermione. Her hair was ringlets of gold and brown and she was deinty and always had an expression of thought on her small face.
x-x-x-x-x
Flashback
Draco lay beside Hermione in bed. Hermione was in tears. What have I done? she thought desperatly.
"Sh," Draco softened, wiping her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. He kissed her forehead. "Ron won't find out, Sweet. Because we didn't do anything."
Draco stared at her with bright grey eyes. He was her first. She would remember this for the rest of her life. The room Draco had to himself as one of the only Slytherin boys that came back to study the last year at Hogwarts again. The room was filled with silver and green. From his carpet to his lampshade. A banner of a serpent glared down from over the bed.
Hermione looked away from Draco. She loved Ron. So why did you let Draco sleep with you? Because. Because of what? Because Draco was in control. Ron's going to find out, you know. Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! This will haunt you, Hermione. Shut up, Brain. I don't want to hear any of this!
Draco turned from Hermione and climbed out of bed, changing slowly. Hermione found herself staring at the blonde boy. She watched as he reverse-strip-teased her. Finally, when he had his robes on, he turned and kissed her forehead.
I told you so.
x-x-x-x-x
Age 5
The little five year old smiled for the camera. Rosie loved having her picture taken.
"Will you send Daddy my picture?" she had asked one day, over dinner.
Hermione almost choked on her fork. She looked at her daughter and sighed softly. She reached forward and stroked her hair. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Daddy doesn't know about us. Daddy hasn't seen Mummy for a long time."
Rosie had given up on the questions. She loved the moving pictures her mother took of her. And the Muggle pictures. Grandma Jean loved her grand-daughter fiercly, spoiling her rotten when they were able to meet.
Grandma was there too. She was in the picture, looking so happy, so fragile. Hermione swallowed, trying not to break down and cry. Her mother was her world away from Rosie. She no longer went to Diagon Alley for groceries unless she really needed to. She was afraid of seeing him...
Oh, how she missed him. His breathe on her skin, his voice, the way he held onto her.
She wished Rosie knew him.
x-x-x-x-x
Flashback
Hermione sat next to Ron on the sofa in front of the fireplace. His arm around her, he kissed her hair. She sat, thinking, speculating, calculating.
"Ronald? How do you think I'd act if you told me you slept with someone else?" she asked out of the blue.
"Why?" Ron asked, tilting his head in curiosity.
"I don't know. I was just thinking about us. I was wondering how you think I'd react," Hermione covered her original thoughts up with lying dirt.
"Well... I don't think you'd be very happy about it. I mean, I'm your boyfriend. You'd probably try to convince me I've done something stupid and then ignore me until I did something to smooth it all out again," Ron said after a while.
Hermione smiled and nuzzled his neck. He knew her so well. She wished she knew how he would react if he ever found out.
x-x-x-x-x
Age 7
Hermione let Rosie play with the Muggle kids from time to time. One of them was magic too. A Muggle-born and a Half-blood. Hermione let out a sigh and strolled out into the soft sunlight.
"Hello, Hermione," a voice spoke. She jumped. A voice that was so familiar. A voice she thought she wouldn't hear for a while. She turned, smiling.
"Harry! How are you?" she asked, hugging the raven haired man.
"I'm fine. You?" Harry asked, smiling at his old friend. "None of us have seen you in eight years. Nealry nine."
Hermione hesitated, "Oh... I've been busy."
At this point Rosie came running over to her mother, crying her grey eyes out. Her nose was running and her pretty face was scrunched up and her hands were outstretched for comfort.
"Mummy!" she bawled. "Mummy, I fell over."
"Oh, Rose. What am I to do with you?" Hermione's smile slowly disappeared. She inspected her daughter. Her knee had a cut but, other than that, she was fine. The cut was only small. It was the size of Hermione's little fingernail.
"Your daughter?" Harry asked, blinking in surprise.
"Yes. This is Rosie. She'll be eight in a few months," Hermione gulped.
"Does Ron know?" Harry had to ask.
Hermione's eyes darkened. "No. Rose isn't his daughter, Harry."
Harry smiled. "She's a beautiful girl. You should bring her over to Potter House some time. It's just as beautiful as you designed."
Hermione remembered fondly of designing a house for Harry and Ginny. It had been on the back of a napkin in The Hogs Head. Such a simple design yet Harry and Ginny loved it. The last remaining Dumbledore had seen it too. And so had Ron.
"Where is it?" Hermione asked. She looked back to her home. From the outside, it looked like a fairytale cottage, on the inside, it had enough space to rival the TARDIS from Doctor Who.
"It's in Godrics Hollow. Ginny thought of it. Of coarse, she was seven months pregnant with our son, James,"
Hermione wasn't surprised to hear about Harry's firstborn son being named James. She'd guessed that much when they were in fifth year. It became apparent in sixth year when Ginny and Harry went out.
"I might just do that. Would you like to come in? Have a cup of coffee? Tea?" Hermione offered, picking her daughter up.
x-x-x-x-x
Flashback
Ron looked at Hermione. "Are you serious? Why?"
"Because, Ron... I'm just not feeling that..." Hermione searched for the right word, "spark."
Ron looked flustered. "I can change! I can be a better boyfriend! I'll do anything, Hermione. I love you."
"And I love you, too, Ron but not in that way anymore," Hermione spoke clearly, unfazed. Or so it looked. Hermione was tearing herself apart inside. She loved Ron. She'd never loved anyone so much... but she couldn't stay with him. Not after what she had done. "Let's just be friends."
Ron looked down.
"Please, Ron. Please. Don't do this to me," she pleaded.
"Talk about the kettle calling the pot black,"Ron muttered. He held out a hand with a sad sigh. Hermione, holding her breathe, took it and shook his hand.
That was one of the hardest things she had ever done.
x-x-x-x-x
Age 8
Rosie and James were brilliant friends. Hermione and Harry watched as they ran around a spacious garden. Ginny was inside, talking to her mother and three oldest brothers. Percy was still as quiet as when Voldemort had died, the death of his younger brother still haunting him. Bill was there, and Charlie. Fluer was upstairs, nursing the newborn daughter that Bill had given her. They were so happy.
"Ron will be here soon. What are you going to tell him?" Harry asked.
"That when I left, I found someone new. Harry, you can't tell anyone who her father is," Hermione warned. "You just can't. If that ever happens, I'll be the one to tell."
Harry nodded and turned back to his son. "I can't wait for James to go Hogwarts," he changed the subject. "I just know he'll enjoy it almost as much as we did."
"What, in between attacks from Voldemort or visits from long, lost godfathers? I think he'll have a good time. It's too bad that Rose won't be in his year. He'll be in the year below, won't he?" Hermione asked. This was so strange.
"Yes. James will be in the year below her," Harry nodded.
Ron came from the house. He saw Hermione and rushed to hug her.
"Where you been, 'Mione?" he asked as he squeezed her. "We all missed you!"
"It's good to see you, too, Ronald," Hermione laughed. "Now, if you please, let go so I can breath!"
Ron let go of her and inspected Hermione's face.
"You've had it rough. Draco'll be here soon. His little sister is almost nine," Ron informed her.
"Correction, my half-wit friend," the posh voice of Draco Malfoy poured through. "Draco Malfoy is here."
Hermione caught herself from fainting. Not now, Hermione. He musn't know.
"Hello, Draco," she smiled at him.
Draco smiled back. He looked so much more manly. His features were more defined and his hair was short. He wore a black and grey suit with emerald tie pins and cufflinks.
"Why hello, Hermione," Draco nodded. A girl stood behind him. She was a miniature version of Narcissa. Blonde with dark eyes and the fashion sense to match. "This is my sister, Ilithyia."
x-x-x-x-x
Flashback
Hermione entered the Headmistress' office. Professor McGonagall sat, looking up at Hermione. Portraits were everywhere. Here, there, everywhere.
"Professor?" she said, voice shaking. "I'm... sorry to talk to you so soon after dinner but..."
"Yes, Miss Granger," McGonagall asked. Hermione started to cry. McGonagall was at the girl's side at once. "Oh, Miss Granger, what is the matter?"
"Professor... I'm late," Hermione sobbed.
"Late? What do you mean by that, Miss Granger?" McGonagall asked, suspicious and confused.
"My-my-my period, Professor," Hermione cried.
"You think you're...? Well, Miss Granger. We'll get you down to the Hospital Wing and get you tested," Professor McGonagall assured the weeping girl.
x-x-x-x-x
Age 9
The party was wonderful. Harry had offered to hold it. Well, rather he insisted. Hermione hadn't been able to say no. Harry had already started to plan it. Ginny had baked a cake. It was a big white spongecake with the words 'Happy Birthday, Rosie!' written on it in hot pink icing.
Rosie was dressed in a red dress that her Uncle Ronnie had bought her. Ron had taken to her like a duck to water. He did with all children. James was just as spoiled. Ron had plenty of money. He worked as the new Head of Misuse if Muggle Artifacts Department in the Ministry. He'd been promoted just after Harry was named Head of the Auror Department and 'Ministy's Sexiest Man' in Witch Weekly.
Draco was in the Misuse of Magic department, still working under Mafalda Hopkirk. Draco had taken to Rosie too, just not in the same way. Hermione had numerously talking to Rosie who would sit and listen to him like she knew. Draco contributed to her Gringotts account twice. "Pocket money for Uncle Draco's favorite girl."
Draco came and stood beside Hermione. "Too bad her father's not here."
Hermione almost jumped in shock. "Wh-what?" she stammered.
"Who is her father anyway, Hermione?" Draco asked, he gazed at her.
Hermione looked down. "He's, er, he's..."
"Rosie is my daughter, isn't she," Draco said. It was a statement, not a question. Hermione looked at him. Draco had known?
"How did you...?" she asked.
"She has a Malfoy's eyes. She has some blonde in her hair that matches my mother's shade," Draco went on. "And her age calculates. She is nine today. Ten years ago, you were in Hogwarts. Nine years and nine months ago, you were in my bed."
"Draco," Hermione warned.
"It's okay. Ron isn't as good at math as I am," Draco told her.
Moments passed silently, like prisoners in line for the electric chair.
"Was it difficult?"
"What?" Hermione asked.
"Was it difficult? Having a child so young," Draco repeated.
"At times, I went to sleep crying. My father died when I gave him back his memories. He was in hospital for three hours while doctors tried to save him," Hermione told them. "Just before he died, he told me to take half of his money and give it to my mother. The rest was mine to have with Rosie. He died watching my baby girl laughing at something he said."
Draco hugged Hermione. She stood there, still and numb. The father of her child made it so impossible to ignore Rosie. Rosie was just like him. She loved attention, she was pretty and she was smart.
x-x-x-x-x
Flashback
Hermione watched as the potion in her hands turned a rose colour. She started to cry again. Madam Pomfrey smiled at Hermione.
"Congratulations, Miss Granger. You're pregnant," she beamed. It'd been a long time since she was on the maternity ward of St. Mungo's. Or an older student became pregnant (it had been a case of male pregnancy!) at Hogwarts. That was the last time Fred and George messed around with out of date potions. George had an elephant trunk. Fred had become pregnant. Both had the effects taken away by Madam Pomfrey, to the boys' relief.
Hermione put the potion down and put a hand to her stomach. A life was growing inside her and she had nothing to go on. No studies, no books. She was defenceless. And yet, she loved the baby inside her with a fierce passion. It was hers and no one elses. Not even Draco could take away the child.
But she couldn't stay at Hogwarts. When she started to show, she would leave. She didn't know where she would go but couldn't stay. Not with Draco and Ron. Draco couldn't know. Ron would eventually. Harry would always be welcome.
x-x-x-x-x
Age 10
"Mum, Daddy's at the gate! Mum!" Rosie yelled as she ran to meet her father. Draco smiled.
"Hey, darling. How's my favorite daughter?" Draco asked, ruffling Rose's blonde hair. Her hair was becoming lighter. In the space of a year and two months, her brunette had turned golden and her golden to platinum. Hermione wore her apron as she potted around the kitchen.
"Hello, Hermione," Draco greeted when he walked in. He kissed her cheek.
Hermione blushed, "Draco!"
"What? Shouldn't I pay attention to my future wife?" Draco asked.
"Draco, you haven't even asked me yet," Hermione laughed. She turned to face him properly. He was wearing that grin she loved.
"Well then. Hermione Granger, will you marry me?" Draco asked.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Hermione chuckled.
"A ring?" Draco tried.
"No. I should have said someone," Hermione nodded towards Rosie who stood behind them silently fake wretching.
"Oh," Draco rolled his eyes and turned to his daughter. "Do you think Mum should marry me?"
Rosie looked from her mother to her father to the cookies on the counter. "Only if I get a cookie."
Cunning little girl, Draco thought. He smiled and reached for one. Hermione slapped his hand away and took a peice of kitchen roll from the roll on the wall. she took a cookie and wrapped it up before giving it to Rose.
"Thank you, Mum," Rose smiled and ran off before her mother could change her mind and take the cookie back. "Say yes!"
"I think that was your answer," Draco smiled softly.
x-x-x-x-x
Flashback
Hermione was in pain. It came from lower down. The nurse told her to breathe but Hermione was tired. Exhausted, she pushed. She had been in labour for hours. When would her baby come out! She was screaming. Hermione panted, and sweated and cursed. Mentally, she cursed Draco. Why? Why did he have to ruin her?
"I can see the head, Miss Granger," a nuse told her calmly. "Just a little longer and you'll have a baby in your arms."
Hermione had mewed. Her baby was coming out, her baby was going to be in the world and living. Her baby.
Hermione pushed again, screaming in agony. She was crying so hard her face felt numb and she couldn't open her eyes. She'd declined drugs. She was too scared for her baby to use them. A soothing potion had wore off hours ago and no spells made the pain go away.
"One last push! Give it all you got," the nurse uged, almost excited at the birth. A first time nurse became obvious amongst the hospital staff after an hour. She had been with Hermione since her arrival.
Hermione yelled out a swear and pushed again. Her baby was out. Her baby was crying. Her baby.
"It's a girl, Miss Granger," the nurse clapped excitedly. The midwife gev the wrapped baby to Hermione and Hermione, sweating and still in pain, cried tears of joy and relief. She laughed softly and hugged her baby close.
"Miss Granger? What are you calling your baby girl?" the nurse asked.
"What's your name?" Hermione asked the nurse.
"Rose, Miss Granger," the nurse answered.
"Rose Sienna Granger," Hermione smiled, still sweating, crying and mentally cursing Malfoy.
x-x-x-x-x
Age 11
Draco held his wife close. Thir daughter was waving from the Hogwarts train. They walked along the platform with the train, waviing.
Hermione felt tears stingng her eyes. She waited until the train was out of sight to wipe away a tear that had fallen down her cheek. She held her stomach close. This time, she'd tell Draco. This one will be loved just as much as Rosie. She wanted Draco to be there at the birth of this one.
"Draco?" Hermione sobbed softly.
"Yes?" Draco held her waist.
"Draco. I'm pregnant, Draco," Hermione told him.
Draco stood still. He let it sink in, a smile spreading over his face. "Really? That's great!"
x-x-x-x-x
A/N: Well... I had to get one of those baby stories of my chest. So what do you all think? I might do a sequel about Rosie. Read and review please! ;P
Shannon