The next day, Hermione was pacing up and down the street in front of Purge and Dowse, a muggle store that had been "closed for refurbishing" since as long as the oldest Londoner could remember.
[i]Do I do this? Do I not? Oh, I don't know. Bloody hell this is hard. Draco's ready, I'm not. I just don't have to tell him…[/i].
Upside down and backwards for the last couple of days, Hermione had opted not to tell Draco about the pregnancy she was currently experiencing. This had been the result of her exterior breaking down one night which resulted in a lot of cuddling from her husband, which was followed by a night of love making which landed her here, standing alone in front of the disguised St. Mungo's, trying to decide if she was going to visit a friend of hers that was a healer and could potentially help her out in this situation.
Finally, before she could change her mind and go home to sit around and get fat for the next nine months, Hermione checked to make sure there were no muggles and stepped up to the store front window pane in front of the out of style mannequin.
"Hello, how do you do?" she asked, not looking at the dressed up statue as she pushed herself through the now portal-like window. Just inside the wizarding hospital, many witches and wizards were running around as Peeves had when she had been a student at Hogwarts, and the air was noticeably cooler.
In an attempt not to look too lost or confused, Hermione walked up to the wizarding version of a reception desk and waited until an older witch addressed her.
"Hi," Hermione said sweetly. "I was wondering if Poppy Pomfrey was available right now." Hermione sounded so fake, she thought for sure she was going to choke on it.
"Well, actually, what do you need her for today, love?" the older witch questioned in a friendly way, which prodded Hermione to think on her feet since there was no way she was admitting that she was pregnant to any more people than she already had to.
"Right now I was hoping she could just talk." The nurse nodded her head in an "I'm-following-you" kind of way and flicked through a stack of papers until she apparently found the one she was looking for.
"You're in luck, dear. She's got the next hour free. If you go up the first set of stairs, you come to, make a left at the top of them and then continue until you see her door on the left hand side you'll find her. Room number four-seventy-six, and it'll also have her name on it," the witch said in a comforting voice, and then laid her lightly wrinkled hand on top of one of Hermione's that she had left resting on the top of the desk.
Stunned for a moment at how soft the woman's hand really was, Hermione gaped at it for a moment before jerking it away.
"Yes, thank you," she said in a lightly squeaky voice before turning away and briskly walking to distance to the stairs until she was out of sight so she could let out a large breath of air. After losing so many friends, Hermione wasn't exactly comfortable with physical touching from strangers for the reason that physical contact seemed to be the first step into becoming acquainted with someone.
In no time at all Hermione found the office of the only person she could talk to in this situation, and knocked on the door quickly. The last thing she needed was for someone to recognize her and report to her husband where she had been while he was at work.
Just as the door opened, Hermione slipped inside startling Poppy Pomfrey a little at the intrusion.
"Poppy Pomfrey?" Hermione asked, more out of politeness than anything else. As the now aged healer starred at Hermione with a sense of familiarity, she also nodded her head in answer to the young witch's first question.
"Hermione Granger!" Poppy finally exclaimed and she sat in her chair. "Yes, I distinctly remember you now. Always coming into the hospital wing at Hogwarts because of those two boys, Harry and Ron. Yes, always getting hurt those two were." Hermione blushed a small amount at the mention of Ronald Weasley. Their fling during school hadn't ended well after the Weasley family lost Fred during the battle.
"Err, well yes, that would be me, except I'm Malfoy now; Hermione Malfoy," she stuttered, forgetting about the reputation Draco had had in school until she saw Poppy's eyes widen.
"Really now dear? That's very unexpected! I suppose he must have changed a whole lot since I last seen him for such a bright young witch to marry into that family!" Poppy exclaimed, clapping her hands together once in surprise. "What can I help you with now, dear?"
It took Hermione a minute before she finally looked the woman in the eye.
"Well, actually, I have a bit of a problem," she said, placing her hand on her lower abdomen. "And I didn't know where else to go, and then I remembered you and how you helped out all of those girls while we were still in school…" she trailed off, hoping Poppy would fill in the silence, but for a moment she just starred at Hermione stunned.
"Well," she finally said. " I would have thought that you of all people would have had more sense than to get pregnant while still young, but yes. Let's see, I can help you. I really can. I have an hour. I'm guessing you've talked to your husband about this?"
"Yes," Hermione lied automatically, and held her breath until Poppy smiled and stood up.
"Then, if you would come with me, we can get this done and over with," she said, taking the shaking Hermione by the hand and leading her down the hall to a sterile smelling room with white walls and gleaming medical instruments. At first sight of the room, Hermione felt her head empty of all oxygen as she slumped against the wall she had been standing near and withering to the floor in a graceful and soft fashion thanks to Poppy's magic.
