A/N : A small something revolving around Hermione's first pregnancy.
Disclaimer : I do not own Harry Potter.
The first time she feels the baby kicks, she's alone. She smiles as a bittersweet thug encircles her heart.
Settled on the couch, fire glazing in the fireplace, she's reading yet another baby book when it happens. She's engraving the pleasant warmth of that November evenings in her memory, a sense of maternal pride building up from the depths of her womb. She also panics. The life she's caring becomes more real every day.
She's been doing that a lot lately too. Over thinking. Analyzing. Trying to take a look at the bigger picture. She is this close from pinning the information she has been collecting from books and the Internet, on the walls of the living room. Just to be sure. When do babies start teething, sleeping rhythms, formula, sun protection, uterine musical stimulation, not to forget informations about wild magic and anything else there is to know about children in the wizarding world...Although she cannot confess it, she is sometimes scared this child will inherit her mind, and that too many stimulations would be too overwhelming for her.
Some days she is also worried that she's turning her pregnancy into a another mission planning, like she used to do so many years ago.
Other days she jokes about it and is relieved that these are the things that have been bothering her mind for the past months...and not a life threatening and impossible situation.
Later that night, as she is lying in bed, sleep slowly coming, she feels the tiny life in the secure protection of her womb move again.
Although this time, she is not alone. Ron's body is warm against her back. She can feel his breath on the nape of her neck, deep and peaceful. His lips softly brushing the skin between her shoulder blades. The light pressure of his hand on her rounded belly and her hand on his allows their wedding rings to connect. The whole moment does an odd thing to her heart, she can't even begin to describe it.
As she did earlier, she smiles, a feeling of pure joy warming up her insides.
He can't feel their daughter yet, but she knows that – according to page 215 of "What to expect when you're expecting" – he will soon, and she's glad.