The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story.
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Bill was called back to Egypt and was scheduled to leave on Tuesday. As they were leaving the Burrow he suggested they met Monday for lunch. Hermione cringed internally, she volunteered on Mondays. But after a moments reflection she realized even volunteers were entitled to lunch breaks and she agreed. As she was getting ready for bed later she realized that she hadn't told anyone about her 'job'. For some reason she wasn't ready to share that yet.
The Leaky Cauldron was too public so Bill had suggested a smaller restaurant located at the opposite end of the alley. The place was deserted when Bill arrived and quickly found an empty both at the rear to wait for Hermione. The menus were stuck between the alt and pepper shakers and Bill had already decided on the shepherd's pie.
Hermione was flustered when she entered. The morning had been chaotic in the children's ward. The healer in charge had remarked that the worst days were Monday and Friday and judging by the morning she had endured Hermione was inclined to agree.
Bill waved her over and Hermione smiled in response.
"Busy morning?" Bill asked to break the ice.
Hermione was arranging herself on the bench seat and looked up. "Very. What are you having?"
"Shepherd's pie." Bill answered as the waitress handed him glasses, one for him and one for Hermione.
Hermione paused for a second and with a mock horrified look she gasped. "You, a Weasley, are going to someone else's shepherd's pie! What if Molly found out," her voice lowered and she leaned across the table to finish her sentence, "you cheated on her?" Hermione's eyes were twinkling with mischief.
"Ha Ha very funny, I happen to like shepherd's pie and don't even think of blackmailing me. Mum understands a man has got to eat."
"Believe me I have been at the dinner table at your house when Molly served shepherd's pie. I was amazed I survived with my limbs intact. It was as if a pack of wild dogs had been set loose at the table." Hermione smiled as she looked down at her menu.
She studied her options and once she had decided she looked up only to realize that Bill had been studying her.
"What? Do I have something on my face?" Hermione's hand began unconsciously brushing her cheeks.
"No, you're fine I was just wondering is all." Bill seemed pensive when he spoke.
"Wondering about what?" Hermione glanced over to the waitress who was patiently waiting to take their order. "I would like the soup and salad please." Hermione put the menu back and folded her hands in her lap as she waited for Bill to order.
"I'll have the same. Thank you…oh and a couple of butterbeers please." Bill smiled at the waitress as she made note of their request. He did not turn to face Hermione until the waitress was out of earshot.
As he placed his menu back between the salt and pepper shakers he answered. "I was just wondering what it will be like to have our little one squeezed in at the table at the Burrow and if they will be like me and love shepherd's pie or more like you and consider the options."
The world stopped for Hermione. For over a week she had carefully not thought about the future. The idea of being pregnant had been in the back of her mind flitting in and out through out the day. However being pregnant never progressed into the whole dirty nappies, visiting the grandparents thing.
Hermione didn't reply but rather folded and refolded her napkin.
Bill broke the silence. "I don't think it does either of us any good to think that 'this task' will fail. I mean I want to succeed. I know it, the baby, will change our lives for ever but I have come to terms with that and actually I am looking forward to it." His hand had reached out and stopped Hermione's fidgeting. "We will be fine. It will be fine."
Bill realized when she looked up at him she was crying. Her voice was hoarse when she spoke. "I know we will be fine. I'm just scared…everyone I truly loved, my parents, Ron they have died…I don't think I can take another loss."
Bill softly rubbed the back of her hand, pressing down gently between the knuckles trying to knead out the tension she was holding. "I refuse to think like that. I, of all people, know exactly what you are feeling but Hermione we can't. We have to …what is the word I trying to say…perserve? no embrace? no fight yeah that is it fight to be happy. Fight the sadness, fight the fear, fight for a happy ever after."
Hermione smiled and wiped her eyes. "Right then I…we will focus on a happy ever after with a red headed baby who loves shepherd's pie."
"See it is not that hard." Bill was grinning.
Once lunch was over and as they were leaving the restaurant Bill pulled to the side away from the street traffic and people.
Keeping his voice low he held her hand as he spoke. "Have you done the charm yet?"
Hermione took a deep breath and with a sad little smile answered. "No, honestly I don't want to know if I am not pregnant. I figure I'll know soon enough. Either I will get my period or I won't. I'd rather wait."
Bill looked worried. "What if you're not how will I know if I am across the world?"
Hermione smiled. "Egypt is not that far away. Besides, there has to be away for you to get messages when you are on assignment."
Bill leaned against the building's brick wall. "Right, that might work, I will tell Morpheus, the goblin liaison in London to expect a message from you. Just a yes or no and sign it. It will get to me almost instantly. Of course it would mean bring it to Gringott's."
Hermione nodded. "Morpheus, yes or no, and my name to Gringott's, I can do that."
Bill sighed and pushing off the wall he wrapped Hermione's arm around his hand and together they walked back down the alley.
Hermione's week was just as exhausting as the one before but she loved every minute of it. The quite nature of Wednesdays suited her. On Wednesdays she wasn't needed to help with incoming panicky children so it allowed her time to visit the newborn nursery. The healer's quickly put her to work rocking fussy infant. She helped calm them while their exhausted mothers tried to sleep. Hermione spend entire morning rocking a set of newborn twins who had given their mother a particularly rough time.
Hermione finally got the two little girls asleep just as it was time for her lunch break. She dashed to the hospital's tea room for a quick bite. The tables were full and Hermione stood at the side of the room for a few minutes waiting for a vacant seat. Just as a table opened up she quickly walked over to sit down only to find that a healer had beaten her there.
"Why don't you join me? It is a small table but we can share." The male healer seemed familiar.
Hermione hesitated but hunger won and she put her lunch down. "Thank you…"
The healer laughed, "I am glad I am so memorable, Healer Corcoran."
"Of course, I m so sorry, you always seem to be helping me. First the clinic, then volunteering, and now helping me stave off starvation." Hermione's laughter filled their tiny area of the room.
"So how is the volunteering?" Healer Corcoran asked before he took a large bite out of his sandwich.
Hermione tossed her salad slightly and stabbed a large piece of tomato before she answered. "It is exhausting and I love it. Just this morning, I was rocking a set of very fussy newborns. They finally quieted down in time for me to run here for a bite. It may not change the world but it has changed mine."
Healer Corcoran laughed, "Then is has changed the world granted a small part but significant part."
Hermione blushed and sought to change the topic. "In what department do you work?"
Healer Corcoran began to describe his research and lunch flew by.
The afternoon was much busier than the morning. The number of newborns brought into the nursery made Hermione wonder what exactly had happened nine months ago. Had there been a freak blizzard and everyone was housebound for days?
The twins were fussy again and the healers had their hand full, so Hermione spent hours gently rocking the girls and softly singing every lullaby she could remember. The head Healer made a point of stopping in her duties and thanking Hermione. Apparently, the twins' mother had suffered a great blood loss and the potions the healers were using to store her to health kept her unconscious.
Hermione offered to stay until the girls settled down for the night. As she rocked them she wondered if it was possible that the babies some how sensed that their mum was sick.
The night shift came on before Hermione was able to get the twins quite. Her arms felt like lead and as she waited for the elevator all she could think about was soaking in a hot bathtub. The elevator doors opened in front of her and there was Healer Corcoran.
"You are still here?" He asked.
"It was a crazy afternoon!" She entered the elevator and she continued as they descended, "Do you remember what happened nine months ago? I can't but apparently what ever it was caused a mini-population explosion today." Hermione laughed.
"I might have to research that theory." Healer Corcoran said as the elevator doors opened on the lobby level. "Well I hope you have a restful evening."
Hermione nodded as they both headed toward the main entrance doors. "I plan on a hot bath and a good book."
Healer Corcoran turned the left toward once they were out of the doors and Hermione turned right to head home.
They exchanged "Good nights" and Hermione closed her eyes and was in her flat.
The rest of the week was slightly less stressful for Hermione, the twins' mum recovered and the new family went home. Hermione said a small prayer that if she was pregnant it was a singleton.
At her lunch break on Wednesday of the following week that Hermione saw Healer Corcoran again. This time she invited him to join her at a recently vacated table. They talked about general things neither getting too personal. It was as she stood up to leave when Hermione felt the first twinge.
She excused herself and went to the loo. She knew the twinge, it had been happening every month for years. She tried to be brave and quickly went to back to the children's ward and explained that, unfortunately, she would have to leave early. Hermione stopped by the bank to find Morpheus before going home.
In a hot, dusty, crowded storeroom near the Valley of the Kings, Bill Weasley received a message from Morpheus.
No.
Hermione.
When I was growing up I had an elderly, childless aunt who volunteered at a children's home. She would spend her volunteer time rocking the babies. Her eyes would light up when talked about it.