Almost Three Years and One Month Earlier

13 Sep. 1300 (1 p.m.) HST

Hermione took in a breath as she looked over the question on the paper attached to the clipboard. She pulled the gold band up to the top knuckle and twirled it there. She looked around the quaint waiting room before returning to the clipboard on her lap.

Marital Status: Single, Married, Divorced. Surely she couldn't categorize herself as being "Married"; she and Draco took care of that three months ago. She gulped; "Divorced" had such a negative connotation to it. She blew out a breath and hesitantly checked the box next to the word "Single."

She filled out the form that all patients on their initial doctor's visit filled out. She could now sympathize with what her students always faced at the beginning of the school year having to fill out information cards for all their teachers and the school.

She gave the form one last glance before finding the signature line. She signed it with her usual Hermione J. Granger, but hesitated. She sighed before standing up to hand the clipboard back to the receptionist.

The receptionist smiled back at her and handed back Hermione's medical insurance card that she had just finished photocopying for the office's records. "Doctor Yoshikawa will be right with you, Hermione."

Hermione thanked the receptionist before taking her seat. She picked up a magazine from the rack and began to peruse the pages. Normally she would have toughed out whatever illness she had come down with. But the icky feeling had lingered for quite a while. She even threw up several mornings during the past week.

She couldn't afford to miss a day of work at her new school. So she took her new housemate's advice and went to see the doctor. She had flipped open her medical insurance handbook and she settled on a Dr. Joselito Yoshikawa, M.D. General Practitioner.

"Ms. Granger," the short nurse nodded at the new patient. Hermione smiled back at her. "We're just going to take some preliminary vitals before the doctor sees you."

Hermione stepped onto the scale. The nurse called out some numbers as she punched them into her palm device. "Sixty eight inches. One hundred fifty five pounds."

Hermione hastily placed her shoes back on and followed the nurse into a small room to take more vitals. "So how are you feeling this afternoon, Ms. Granger?"

"Under the weather, for the past couple of weeks it seems," Hermione said as the nurse quickly read her temperature and blood pressure. The veteran nurse nodded her head.

"Your temperature is fine. Blood pressure is more-or-less normal," the nurse smiled at her. "So how do you like Hawai'i so far?"

"Is it that obvious?" Hermione laughed as she tried to weaken her British accent. The nurse smiled. "I love it here. The people have been really nice.

"I just started my new teaching position last month," Hermione shrugged. "It's been a whirlwind having to adapt; fairly different from London, this place is."

The nurse smiled. "Well, I hope you enjoy your stay here. The teaching corps always needs new blood."

Hermione nodded as she followed the nurse to the nearest examination room. "Dr. Yoshikawa, this is Hermione Granger," the veteran nurse said as the older man extended his hand out to greet the newcomer.

"Have a seat, Hermione," the wizened doctor said as he accepted the patient's file.

Hermione sat gingerly atop the medical bed. She waited as he looked over her file before placing it on the small computer table next to the bed.

"Okay let's have a listen," he said as he placed the stethoscope on her back and then on her chest. "Your breathing is normal. What do you think ails you today?"

"I haven't been able to keep food down for the past week," she said as he watched him nod.

"Why don't you lay back down, Hermione," the doctor suggested as he was going to check her abdomen. He hesitated for a moment then nodded catching a glimpse of her left ring finger. He pressed down gently on her abdomen and her oblique muscles on both sides asking her questions on whether or not the pressure hurt.

He nodded as she said no. "Go ahead and sit up, Hermione," he said as he turned toward his computer screen. "When was your last period?"

"Huh?" Hermione was a little surprised, even blushing at the question.

"Menstrual cycle?" he asked as he looked at her.

"Uh, I don't know," she said looking down at the date on her digital watch. She looked back up. "It's been a pretty stressful three months.

"I guess the beginning of June?" she said looking a bit embarrassed.

He nodded his head. "Why don't you follow me," he said as he smiled at her before exiting the exam room. She wondered if she had done something wrong as she followed him out of the doctor's office into the hall. Had she not followed the correct American protocol for a doctor's visit?

Dr. Yoshikawa led her down a short hallway and entered the second office door. He nodded at the receptionist, "Is she in?"

"Hey, Dr. Yoshikawa," the receptionist greeted him and nodded at his guest. "Yeah, Karen's in her office. Go right in."

The older gentleman nodded for Hermione to follow him into the office. Dr. Karen Alisto stood up from her desk as she shook the old man's hand.

"Quiet day today," her old colleague said as she nodded. "Karen I'd like you to meet a new patient of mine. This is Hermione Granger, transplant from the British Isles, if I can pinpoint your accent correctly."

Hermione nodded as she shook the older female doctor's hand as well. The old man continued as Dr. Alisto waved them to sit down on the couches in her office as she joined them.

"Hermione's been suffering from morning sickness," Dr. Yoshikawa said. Hermione's eyes nearly popped out of her sockets. "I think you might be of better help than I would be."

He squeezed Hermione's hand before standing up. He nodded at the two females before he exited the room.

"Well, Hermione," the female doctor smiled at her new charge. "I'm guessing you're a first time mother."

All Hermione did was nod. She gulped. The veteran obstetrician/ gynecologist hid a smile.

"Well, we'll do some preliminary tests, of course," Dr. Alisto said calmly. "Blood test to see how far along you are."

"Are you sure about this?" Hermione finally was able to say.

Dr. Alisto canted her head but smiled through it. "I'm guessing this was an unexpected pregnancy."

Hermione gulped. A tear escaped the corner of her eye. Dr. Alisto grabbed a couple of facial tissues from the box.

"My husband and I aren't together anymore," Hermione said as she wiped her cheek.

"Depending on how far along you are," the older woman started, "There are things we can do."

"I'm keeping the child," Hermione said without hesitation.

Dr. Alisto, a mother herself, nodded. She smiled as she helped the young mother up, "Then I guess we should start with those tests then."

O-O-O

13 Sep. 1900 (7 p.m.) HST

"Hey, you all right?" the young English teacher asked as he entered her bedroom. He took a seat next to her on her bed as he watched her nod her head, holding the fourteen inch wand in her hand loosely.

She looked at him and gave him a weak smile. He hugged her. She leaned into the embrace.

"You want to tell me what's going on?" he finally asked as he pushed her away gently.

"I'm pregnant," she said looking into his brown eyes.

He canted an eyebrow. "It wasn't me, was it?" he joked.

She laughed. He joined in. When they finally settled down, Hermione took a deep breath.

"I've been sitting here for two hours since I got back from the doctor's office," she said.

"Trying to work out a plan?" he asked. She laughed. "How far along are you?"

"Thirteen weeks," she said.

"Are you going to . . ." he began.

"I'm keeping the baby," she said expectantly.

He just nodded, "The single mother route. Are you going to inform your husband?"

"Dra . . . Malfoy?" she laughed, cynically. She continued in a small voice. "I doubt he'd want anything to do with the child. We broke up for a reason, Jon."

"He's the child's father," the pragmatic English teacher began. "Don't you think he deserves to know?"

She gulped. She looked her new friend in the eye. "We chose to go our separate ways months ago."

"So what's with the wand then?" he asked smiling gently at her.

"I don't know," she said. "Part of me wants to send him a messenger Patronus with the news. Then there's the practical side of me that advised me otherwise."

"You think he wouldn't take the news well?" the Pure-blood Squib asked.

"We've been on opposite sides of the spectrum since we were eleven, Jon," she said looking down at her wand. She took a deep breath.

He studied her face. "You have feelings for him?"

She gulped. She shrugged her shoulders. "You can't keep someone if they don't want to be with you," she said as her eyes started to water. "I care enough for him not to force him into something he doesn't want. Relationships based on obligation never work out."

Jon nodded his head. Hermione rolled her eyes at him, "I'll tell him eventually."

"When?" the young man asked, smiling, "After the kid graduates from high school?"

"Do you really have to be the angel and the devil on my shoulders, right now?" Hermione asked.

Jon laughed as he put his palms up in surrender. "Hey, we'll need to find a good babysitter after your maternity leave is up."

She laughed at him. They both stood up. "This is crazy isn't it?" she asked, looking at him.

He laughed. "Hey, we'll both get through it. But if I end up having to feed the child in the wee hours of the morning, there will be hell to pay," he said as he smiled at her. "I don't think my mammary glands will work properly."

She playfully punched him in the arm. She placed her wand back into the drawer of her nightstand, catching sight of the frame that housed her Hogwarts graduating class picture. She sighed.

"I'm hungry," the tall, dark, and handsome gay Squib said to his housemate.

"What's for dinner?" she asked.

"Good question. I was hoping you would know," he smiled at her as he led her to the kitchen.

"You are incorrigible," she said as she pulled out the bag of fundraiser lau lau from the freezer ready to steam on the stove top.

11


A.N. Thanks for reading. There's about 4 chapters left! R/R!