Lines of Communication
Chapter 21
Twenty minutes later, the healer ushered Draco into the Urgent Care ward. Hermione was sitting on a bed looking none the worse for wear, no bleeding, no cuts, no bruises in sight.
"She's fine," the healer said. "It was a good thing you brought her here. That Muggle hospital would have treated her all right, but she would have been there for hours being poked and prodded, waiting for tests and who knows what else happens at those hospitals. It was a slight concussion, nothing more. We treated her painlessly in minutes."
"I guess we should have taken the floo after all," Hermione said.
"There now, none of that. You're fine now, that's what matters," he said and kissed her forehead.
"There's also a matter of pregnancy," the healer said. "I've talked to a healer from the Obstetrics ward, they can see you now if you'd like."
In Obstetrics, an hour later
"Well, Madame Malfoy, congratulations. According to calculations, you are just over a week along and in tip-top shape. I estimate your due date the second week of September, so the baby should be a nice birthday present," the healer said kindly. "Would you like to know the sex?"
Hermione and Draco looked at each other, grinned and nodded. "Yes," they said in unison.
"Very well, it's a boy," he said.
Hermione's eyes shone with happiness at the thought of an adorable, precious baby who looked like his dad. At that moment, Draco knew that he would be a better man, a better father than Lucius ever was. There would be no darkness in his child's life, and the witch of his dreams loved him, warts and all. Now he knew the look in Blaise's and Potter's eyes when they looked at their families.
"...love, are you all right?" Hermione asked. She was patting his hand and looking at his face carefully.
"Never better," he said.
The healer made her next monthly appointment, gave her a prescription for prenatal droughts from the St. Mungo's apothecary, and some informative booklets. "There are a number of good books for pregnant witches, and I recommend talking to friends of yours who have had children, going to the source so to speak," he said. "Again, you have my congratulations, see you next month."
They took the hospital community floo home. Narcissa was in the parlor, beside herself with worry. All she heard earlier was a quick ring from Draco telling her that Hermione was unconscious in the Urgent Care Ward after an accident. When Hermione and Draco came through the floo, she quickly rose from the sofa and hugged both of them.
"I'm so glad you're all right!" she exclaimed.
"Thank Daddy, he was the one that suggested I go to St. Mungo's," Hermione said. "I'm a bit tired, but I feel fine."
"We have good news, she's pregnant," Draco said proudly.
"That's wonderful!" Narcissa gushed and embraced the two again. "Finally, after so much...this home will have life and laughter once more."
"And it's a boy," Hermione said.
She swept them into another hug and ushered Hermione to bed, reminding her to get as much rest as she felt like. She left the bedroom to write letters to all her friends to herald the pending arrival of her grandson. Draco stayed with Hermione until she fell asleep and left to ring the Grangers to let them know she was doing fine.
Hermione awoke and went downstairs to get a bite to eat, finding her parents in the dining room with Narcissa and Draco. Her mum jumped from her seat and drowned Hermione with hugs and exclamations of "finally..my girl..finally." Her Dad hugged her and led her to chair.
"You'll see pumpkin, motherhood is such a blessing," Rachel said.
"I'll try and keep that in mind during the next bout of morning sickness," Hermione said. Draco patted the seat next to him for her to sit.
"Oh, Missus Potty called," Draco said. "She said to call her back as soon as you woke and not a minute later."
"Well, I dunno about Missus Potty, but Ginny can be dramatic," Hermione said. "Come on, be nice, they are. They're happy for us."
"Sorry, old habits and all," he said and kissed her hand. "I'm happy for us too."
"Who's Missus Potty?" Rachel asked.
"It's what Draco will no longer call one of my best friends," Hermione said. "Now, what's for dinner?"
That Saturday, Draco came with her for her weekly lunch date at the Weasleys'. They were just as excited for her as the parents were. When the excited furor died down, Molly's eyes were on Ron and Lavender. He was the last Weasley and trio member not to have children.
"What is it? A contest?" he asked. He pulled Lavender close. "We'll have kids when we're good and ready, no sooner, got it?" He frowned at his mum for upsetting Lavender then grinned at Hermione. "Didn't waste any time, did you? At any rate, we're happy for you."
Draco reluctantly gave Ron credit for standing up to the sometimes overbearing Weasley matriarch. His mum could be overbearing, but was much more subtle about it. After dinner, the wives grouped together and chatted, the husbands the same. None of them had taken such an far-away, exotic honeymoon like Hermione and Draco had, so the women attentively listened to Hermione's story of Tahiti.
"Sounds so romantic, except for the drowning part," Lavender said.
"When do you go back to work?" Ginny asked.
"On the third," Hermione said.
"What does Draco think of you working?" Lavender asked.
"He admits that he would love for me to stay home, put my feet up and eat bon-bons all day, but he also knows that I enjoy my work, and that I'm good at what I do."
"Thought of any names yet?" Ginny asked. "We did, but look how that turned out. He-- we were, getting ready for a little boy and out pops little Hermione."
"No, we're still getting our brains wrapped around the fact that I'm pregnant, but Narcissa has some in mind," Hermione said. "However, we're determined to stay away from constellations and long-dead Roman nobles."
Draco saw the group of women huddled together, talking and lauging.
"Get used to it. When a group of married women get together like that, it's usually to talk about their husbands," Ron said to Draco.
"Yeah, tomorrow Beth will want to know why we didn't go away somewhere all romantic and exotic," George said.
"So, you think you're ready?" Harry asked. "Hermione's a handful."
"Yeah, I know, and I love it," Draco said. "I don't know how you two passed her over, but I'm glad you did."
"Passed her over?" Ron asked.
"You've been friends with her all these years, didn't you see how smart and pretty she is?" Draco asked, winking at Hermione across the room. She giggled and waved back.
"Yeah, we know she's bloody brilliant and very pretty, but I never thought about anything romantic with her, that would have been like...being with your sister," Harry said.
"We tried, but it didn't work out," Ron said. "Neither of us were very good at kissing, I don't think," he mused.
"You're joking, right? Hermione, not good at snogging?" Draco asked, looking at him as if he'd grown another head. That was the craziest thing he'd ever heard; kissing Hermione was one of the great joys in his life. Harry saw Draco gazing at Hermione and had a pretty good idea what he was thinking. Hermione was good at pretty much, well...everything. He'd seen them together and was pretty sure Hermione was no slouch when it came to romance. It just took the right man to bring it out. Ron shuddered when he thought back to that disastrous night of Hermione's birthday in the Room of Requirement. That awkward, brief snogging session convinced Ron that they were indeed better off friends. To this day, he wasn't quite sure why Hermione was so mad he got with Lavender, but evidently it all worked out in the end. Everyone was happily married.
That night, Draco was awoken from a dead sleep when two warm arms wrapped around him from behind and a pair of plump breasts pressed against his back. A pair of soft, warm lips nibbled on his ear and whispered, "I want you" while stroking his blooming erection.
"Is that right?" he asked and turned over.
She snapped her fingers and a candle on the bedside table lit and continued kissing his neck, working her way along his jaw and coming to his mouth. He simply couldn't believe Weasley thought her a less than adequate kisser.
"Get on top," he urged and gently pulled her on top of his hips. She mounted him and sighed when she lowered herself on him.
"Feels good," she moaned and started rocking. She looked down to where their bodies joined, closed her eyes and rocked more vigorously, letting her head fall back in ecstasy.
"Yes woman, ride me," he encouraged and thrust his hips up.
She whimpered in pleasure, called his name and brought her own hands to her breasts. Draco almost came then and there at the sight.
"Allow me," he said and caressed her breasts as they swayed and bounced from her motions. She leaned forward, supported herself on his chest and opened her eyes. They were red. Another candle on the table lit and the table shook slightly. Her fingers dug into his chest as she rode enthusiastically, calling out his name and whispering incoherently. He took hold of her hips and pulled her down to him, now calling out her name when their bodies slapped together. She grew quiet, shuddered and leaned back when her climax overtook her, the table and dressing mirror by the wall now shuddering. Her magic, now amplified by her elemental power, was electric and caused the reaction in the immediate environment. It was amazing. He sat up and swiftly swept her under him, not missing a stroke and pumped into her, reaching for his own release.
"Look at us," he said, causing her to indeed look down and lift her hips.
"Yes," she gasped as another orgasm overtook her, Draco following seconds after.
"We're so good at this," he said, placing kisses along her face and neck.
January 3, 2004
Hermione returned to work, told her friends all about the honeymoon and informed them that she was pregnant.
"Oh good! We can have a baby shower!" Erica said.
"That's months from now, I'm only about two weeks along," Hermione said.
The department supervisor called a meeting and announced some new minor policies and procedures the Ministry instituted for the new year and took Hermione to his office when the meeting was over.
"Are you aware of this department's policy regarding pregnancy?" he asked.
"Am I going to be sacked?" she asked.
He chuckled. "No, of course not. I wouldn't let that happen. As with most of the other divisions, Ministry rules state that pregnant witches are prohibited from working with-"
"I can't be a first responder while pregnant, can I," she stated.
"Always the smart one, that's correct. Would you really want to?" he asked kindly. "The birth rate here in Britain has been on the rise the past five years or so, and the Ministry would like to keep it that way; modifying the duties of our expectant mothers is one way to do that. Sacking smart, successful witches for bringing new life into the world simply isn't called for. You're too important to this department for that."
"So what will I be doing?" she asked.
"Nothing will change all that much, you just won't be charging out as a first responder," he said. "You'll still be doing investigations and everything else you normally would do, plus an idea I have. I would like you to be on the training team for new responders, I believe your assistant has expressed an interest?"
"I've only been here for four and a half years, trainers usually have been here over a decade," she said. "Are you sure I'm qualified for that?"
He patted her hand. "Why don't you let me be the judge of that."
Hermione was quiet and ate less at dinner that night.
"How was work?" Draco asked.
She shrugged in response.
"That bad?"
"They've taken me off first responder duties," she said. "Some policy about pregnant witches."
"Sounds smart to me," he said.
"It's best for the baby," she admitted.
"But you're still disappointed, that's to be expected," Narcissa said.
"I still get to do investigations, and they're letting me train new responders," she said.
"Well then, they get to learn from the best, don't they?" he asked and passed her a dish of ice cream, covered with warm chocolate syrup.