A/N I got the idea from this story from listening to Imelda May - Kentish Town Waltz.
Disclaimer for the whole of this story - I do not own this story nor do I own any of the character unfortunately the great JKR does :)
"I have a two pm appointment with Healer Matthews" The young red headed witch glances through the window hatchet at the intruder before glancing at something to the side of her.
"Your name" she asks with a dead panned expression.
"Hermione, Hermione Granger"
"Ah yes, please take a seat Miss Granger. Healer Matthews will be with you momentarily"
With a nod of her head Hermione turned to find a seat within the waiting area. White walls, Why in Merlin's name do hospitals have white walls? It doesn't matter what hospital be it muggle or magical they all seem to have white walls. Makes the whole hospital trip be more subdued if truth be told.
Hermione quickly found a seat between an elderly lady with her arm in a clear fabric sling and a toddler with his finger up his little nose. She smiled politely at both of the two magical citizens before lowering herself cautiously into the only available seat.
"I have a toy dragon stuck up my nose" Hermione swivelled her head around -so fast she thought for sure she had done some nerve damage- to see in fact the child seemed to have something large lodged up his nose.
"Oscar here preformed his first bit of accidental magic, he made his nostrils expand in size making it easier for said toy to be lodged so quickly up there, of course child's magic doesn't last longer than a few minutes, so his nostril shrunk back in size easily trapping the blooming thing before either me or his Father could get to him" his mother explained both sounding frustrated and proud of his mischievous doings.
"Miss Granger Healer Matthews will see you now in room 208" The woman announced over the intercom.
Picking her bag up from the marble white floor she made her way towards the designated room.
"You should just be able to go straight in deary" An elderly Healer advised as she walked past a hesitant looking Hermione.
Entering the quaint room she sat down in one of the two chairs already provided adjacent to each other. Looking around the office it made her think back to Umbridge's rein at Hogwarts. The office she was currently sitting in reminded her of the very same office the Witch of Wizengamot occupied; apart from this woman had an obsession with birds. Squawking budgies to be exact, different sizes and colours of the damned bird surrounded paintings, parchments and plates filling up the room from top to bottom on each of the four walls, they seemed to adding fuel to the fire of what was her on going migraine with their silly noise.
"Settle down" A voice softly cooed at the animals as a tall, plump; jolly woman entered the room from a side door on the left hand wall.
"Hello, I am Healer Matthews" She began as she sat down in the high backed chair across from Hermione's, the chair groaned and squeaked in protest at the weight being plummeted into its small wooden frame.
"What seems to be the problem ... Miss Granger?" The healer checked the diary in front of her for a name, pleasantly surprised to see a war hero sat in front of her.
"I have a case of the stomach flu that doesn't seem to be going away" Healer Matthews lowered her glasses to the edge of her nose in disbelief. Being a lady of the tender age of 55 Healer Andrea Matthews knew a case of the stomach flu when she saw one –this was not-.
"Miss Granger you do not look like a person suffering with the annual stomach bug, nor do you look like a person who is sick at all"
"But, but I am. Every morning and evening I can't keep anything down … not even a sickness remedy potion" Hermione softly protested, what did she think she would gain by lying over something so trivial?.
"I see, have you taken a pregnancy test, a precaution of course?" Hermione's face fell at the realisation of the possibility of another being growing inside of her abdomen.
"But ... but" Panic etched the young witches face rather quickly.
"It is something we just need to rule off my dear, now we just need a simple prick of blood" Hermione's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
"Can you just not perform a charm or something?" Hermione remembered Ginny waving a wand around Tonk's tummy and saying a strange spell when she fell pregnant with Teddy. The healer shook her head with a sympathetic smile set in place.
"I am afraid all charm work has been suspended from the Hospital for this morning my dear, we have to do things by the muggle way I am afraid, now there is no need to be scared of a bit of blood. Roll your cloak sleeve up a little please"
Hermione mumbled incoherently on how blood didn't make her feel nervous or sick, she complied anyhow and rolled her long sleeved travelling cloak up to her elbow. Healer Matthews, with expertise precision withdrew blood from Hermione's arm and waved the vial off to the testing labs.
"All done, the results shall be back within half an hour if you would like to go for a coffee in the canteen it's just down the hall and to the left. Maybe a bit of sugar will calm those nerves of yours my dear"
Without saying a word she picked her coat and bag up and made her way to the canteen following the fresh scent of coffee, willing her little legs to go a little faster as the scent became overbearing. Having woken a little later than planned she wasn't able to make her morning coffee cup never mind be able to taste the heavenly goodness.
It was there she met him, met him for the first time since the 'incident' had occurred a few months prior.
"You sick Granger?" He asked as he sat in front of her with a cup also in his long slender pale hands.
"Sort of ... I don't know ... I am hoping my Healer can figure it out for me" Hermione groaned slightly, she didn't want to explain what it was she was here for... well not until she knew what was going on with her body first.
He gave a gentle nod and swigged back his hot coffee.
"Look, I might need to come around to your place later if everything goes wrong here. I need to tell you something"
Frowning in confusion he let it slip and nodded his head slowly, He knew Hermione wouldn't willingly come to his Manor unless it was serious. Merlin when they had sex it was always in her apartment, in all honestly he had missed their educational banter with her being the only person –apart from Severus- he felt he could hold a decent conversation with, but that path faltered quickly after the war as it did with Severus.
"I finish my shift now but can you come before 3.30pm? Me and the missus are having tea with Mother to discuss our future plans"
Hermione already knew Draco didn't want to be tied down to Astoria Greengrass, she had been his stalker from the very moment their parents introduced them when they were both in nappies, but could she tie him down with a similar commitment? Okay so marriage and a baby might not be the same but the both held the same long time commitment one must have to achieve maximum goals.
"Okay, I will be over after I have finished here" With a final nod of their heads towards each other they left to go their separate ways.
Hermione sat once again in the holding room waiting for her name to be called out for a second time that day. Draco had everything going for him, a well-paid job, a Manor and Family for him to fall back on and a loving girl by his side. What did she have? Ronald had broken up with her nearly a year to the day to be back with a bint, she was in a dead end job she hated and the only Family that would consider talking to her was Harry, Ginny, Andromeda and Severus.
Ronald and Lavender Weasley had reunited last winter and got married the following summer. Of course Hermione wasn't invited to the wedding. Oh no why would the jealous ex-girlfriend be invited to a wedding? This she could understand but Hermione and Ron had been friends since first year at Hogwarts didn't that count for anything? Obviously not so. Especially when Lavender was easily won over by the Weasley Family and soon after she continued to spread viscous rumours about Hermione to everyone and anyone that would listen. It was like being in high school all over again.
"Hermione Granger to room 208" A now male voice announced over the intercom informing Hermione that the Healer was ready to see her.
"Come back in Miss Granger" Healer Matthews stayed put in her chair and watched Hermione nervously enter back into the room, The petite witch closed the door silently and lowered herself back down into the oak wooden chair, she stared at the healer whom was sat across from her. Her eyes filled with understanding and compassion. Hermione knew instantly what the results were to be.
"The results have come back …" The rest of the one sided conversation seemed like a blur. Hermione sat straight in the rather uncomfortable chair listening to what the healer had to say. Hermione watched the woman's lips as she explained how far along Hermione was, her lips were moving but she couldn't hear a sound it was almost like an outer body experience. This wasn't happening to her … it couldn't happen to her, she silently wished for the Healer to be wrong, for the test results to have been mixed up somehow or for Ron and Harry to jump out of the cupboard and shout 'Bazinga'.
A little joke the trio shared from watching a muggle TV program. Oh my word … Ron and Harry, what would they have to say about this? She was meant to be the sensible one out of the so called 'Golden Trio', and then there was the Snape's her adoptive family. Family, she didn't even know where her Parents where, she could have really done with her Mummy at that particular moment to tell her everything was going to be okay and to stroke her brown curls like she used to.
That was all it took for the tears to come streaming down her face and she willingly let them, this was the release she so needed. The release of a build-up of emotions from the last year or so. Could she do this? Such a big responsibility for a kid fresh out of school, the 'incident' had been one of a drunken slumber and wasn't meant for anything everlasting, how was she meant to tell HIM and his family? Oh my, she did know how to choose them.
"There are always other ways Miss Granger, we can discuss these fully now or …"
Hermione glanced down at the 'Is keeping a baby the right choice for you?' leaflets before her icy gaze settled on the woman in front of her.
"You cannot seriously suggest I get rid of the baby, Merlin help me"
Hermione hissed as she abruptly left the medical office not listening to Healer Matthew's pleas for her to slow down and to go back into that horrible room. The automatic doors of St Mungo's Hospital automatically swung open -as she became within the motion sensor range- letting the cold and harsh January snow fly into the lobby area like a blizzard. Pulling her parka hood over her head and shoving her hands into her worn coat pockets she walked towards the apparition point.
Hermione was set on letting Draco Malfoy know he was about to become a Father.