Hello again! Apologies for the delay on this one. I found I kept rewriting the start of this chapter. Initially I couldn't get it to go where I wanted it to, but finally when I found my groove, it took off. I hope you like this next installment!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

The Unexpected Baby

Chapter Twenty-Five: Going to Hogwarts

Hermione sighed loudly and slapped a folder onto her desk. She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her hands over her swollen stomach. The baby was starting to get more active now, and currently he was kicking at the area around her naval. She felt her eyes droop as she rubbed and almost didn't hear Kelly come into the room.

"Healer Granger?" Kelly asked quizzically, looking at the half sleeping Healer. When Hermione didn't answer she spoke again.

"Hermione?"

Hermione's eye snapped open and she sat forward again, looking disheveled and more than a little exhausted. She was mostly on desk duty now, but even this was starting to take its tole on her. She ran her hands through her partially wavy hair and stared at Kelly expectantly.

"Healer Cummings is here to see you, is it alright to let him come in?" the other woman asked her, giving her a look that resembled sympathy.

"Sure, yeah, let him in. I'm surprised he's even asking you and not barging in," Hermione said with a light chuckle. Kelly winked at her and then left the office.

Hermione reached into her handbag and pulled out a small container of crackers, raw vegetables and hummus. Charlie had prepared it for her to keep her energy levels up throughout the day, and currently she was ravenous with hunger as well as being overtired.

"Hermione!" Healer Cummings exclaimed as he strode into her office, his chest puffed up and proud like a strutting peacock.

"Sam!" she said back with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

"I have some excellent news for you," Healer Cummings said brightly as he threw himself down into the chair in front of her. Hermione cocked an eyebrow as him as she dipped a carrot into her hummus.

"I've talked to the Senior Healing Consultants, and the Mid-Healers and I've managed to get you early maternity leave, if you want it," he told her, grinning from ear to ear, his white teeth glinting in the light.

Hermione's hand stopped half way to her open mouth. She stared at Healer Cummings, mouth dangling, for several moments before her brain kicked into gear and she lowered the hummus covered carrot. The general noise of the hospital filtered into the room and Healer Cummings leaned forward in his chair eagerly.

"What?" she finally whispered.

"I know it wasn't my place to do this, however I know you'd written a letter to the Senior Consultants regarding this matter. I was in Healer Marks office dropping off a research paper and I spotted your letter lying on the floor beside his desk," the Healer started to explain, and when Hermione opened her mouth to interject he held up a hand, causing her to pause and sit back in her chair.

"I'm sorry but I couldn't help but pick it up when I saw that it was your handwriting. It looked like it had been crumpled up, walked on, or something. When I realised you were asking for early maternity, I made it my mission to ensure that the old windbags gave it to you."

Hermione listened intently. Initially she'd been furious at Healer Cummings poking his nose into her business like this, however the logical part of her brain was telling her that what he had done was a good thing. If her letter hand been on the floor of Healer Marks office, how seriously had he taken her request? They had told her to stick to desk duty for now, but they hadn't given her any indication if she was going to get early leave.

"I got talking to the Seniors and told them how it would be of great benefit to let you have early maternity. It would allow you to rest up before the baby, which would ensure you're in good health that would last throughout your maternity. If you were pushed too much in here it would have negative effects on you and could result in poor health that lasted throughout your maternity and would make you reluctant to come back," Healer Cummings finished as he tried to guess Hermione's feelings towards the situation.

Hermione was quiet and this made the other Healer very nervous. He knew he'd been taking a risk, sticking his nose into business that wasn't his. However, he had seen how tough Hermione was getting it on a daily basis in the hospital, and knew that she wouldn't push too hard for early maternity, because of her loyalty to her patients.

"Why did you do this for me Sam?" she asked quietly, keeping her emotions close to her chest.

"I know how hard this job is. It's not easy going for a normal Healer, let alone on that is pregnant. You've stuck it out well so far, but you and I both know it's only going to get worse as you come close to your due date. If you go on leave now then you will get to enjoy Christmas, and rest up," Healer Cummings explained, trying to get her to understand why he had done what he had done.

Hermione chewed her lip. This was a huge invasion of her professional privacy, but as Healer Cummings had explained why he had gone the to Senior Healers to help her out, she realised that he was only concerned for her health and wellbeing. There was no malice behind what he had done, and in doing this she could leave the hospital today.

"You're the best Healer in here Hermione, and personally I count you as a good friend. It has been hard for me to see you pushed to limits that you shouldn't have to go to in your condition. Please don't think I mean you any harm by this, in fact I mean the opposite," Healer Cummings told her kindly. Hermione smiled a little and sat forward in her chair.

"Thank you. I have to say this is not what I expected when you walked into my office, but the more I think about it, the more I am grateful. You've looked out for me since I started this job and I count you as a good friend too. Now come here and give me a hug before I get the hell out of here!"

Charlie was rummaging around aimlessly in the kitchen cupboard, in a world of his own, when he heard Hermione enter the flat. In his shock he knocked over a container of flour and swore loudly. His thoughts lately had been whirling around in his head like he had unleashed a tornado in there. Fred and George had immediately released him from his duties at the joke shop, with a handsome severance package, when he had informed them of his interview.

"Charlie?" she called from the front door.

"Hermione? What are you doing home?" he shouted from the kitchen. He quickly vanished the mess and went to greet her.

"I was officially given early maternity leave," the tired looking witch told him as she hugged him tightly.

"Really? Hermione that's brilliant news!" Charlie exclaimed as he hugged her back and kissed her on the top of the head. She chuckled into his chest and then yawned loudly.

"Why don't you go and have a nap?"

Hermione continued to hold him close and rubbed her face on his chest. The feel of his cashmere jumper against her face was glorious and he smelled like cinnamon and cloves. She murmured something into his jumper and knew he couldn't understand her. He pulled away slightly and looked down at her.

"No, I'm alright, I think I just need some lunch and cuddles," she reiterated. Charlie gave a hearty laugh and then guided her towards the kitchen where they made lunch together.

Once they had finished eating they lay on the sofa and Charlie cuddled Hermione as per her request. She lay with her head on his chest and her stomach resting on his in as comfortable a way as possible. Charlie chuckled every so often when he felt a light kick from the baby. It was certainly a lot more active these days and Hermione had told him that it was important to count the kicks. So far, since they had lay down on the sofa, that had been three. He ran his fingers through her hair, grazing her scalp lightly, and rested his other hand on top of hers, which was also resting on his chest.

"Charlie?" Hermione murmured. He turned his head and planted a light kiss on her head.

"Do you want me to come with you to your interview next week?"

Charlie tensed, and Hermione felt the tightening of his muscles under her head. She looked up at him and he had turned a pale shade of green. She pushed herself up to look at him better and then placed a hand on his cheek.

"Breathe Charlie," she said calmly, stroking his cheek.

Charlie took a couple of deep breaths and grinned at her weakly. The thought of the interview for the Care of Magical Creatures job terrified him. He knew he could do the job, but he was useless in interviews. The pressure of the situation made his stomach churn and his palms sweat. He feared saying the wrong thing, or not saying the right thing. It made him feel like a hive of bees was buzzing in his head, and a raging Hungarian Horntail was going to war with his stomach.

"You don't have to," he said weakly.

"I think I have to. I might need to give you emergency medial attention before and after. Also, I would love to visit Hogwarts again," she said gently as she continued to stroke his cheek.

"Don't worry," she added, "Now that I'm on maternity leave I can help you prepare for the interview."

The day finally came for Charlie's interview at Hogwarts and it found the expectant pair sitting at the kitchen table in The Burrow, eating a hearty breakfast of pancakes and bacon. Hermione was tucking in to her second helping of bacon as Charlie pushed a half-eaten pancake around his plate.

"Charlie you need to try and eat a little bit more," Hermione encouraged as she poured some maple syrup over her pancakes. Charlie grimaced at the plate and cut himself a small piece.

He put the piece of pancake into his mouth and barely tasted it. His nerves were a wreck and being in his parent's house wasn't helping. Their fireplace was still linked up to Hogwarts from years previous, and it was the only way Hermione could travel.

"Come now dear it will be alright," Molly said cheerfully from the stove. She had just prepared fresh tea and was now levitating to the table.

"It's just a conversation," Arthur said as he glanced through the Daily Prophet. Charlie grimaced again and slowly chewed his small piece of pancake.

Hermione finished her breakfast and took a couple of sips of tea. She looked at Charlie, who was no closer to finishing his breakfast than he had been fifteen minutes ago. She gave him a small smile and then got up from her seat. He looked up at her and turned a new shade of green she hadn't seen before.

"We need to go," she said as she fixed her maternity dress so it was sitting properly.

Charlie stood up slowly from the table and looked down at his own clothes. He was wearing a new set of robes that made him look like a Professor. He'd wanted to wear clothes he thought were appropriate for a Care of Magical Creatures Professor, but Hermione had advised him against it, and to just wear something comfortable but professional.

Hermione took his hand and walked him towards the fireplace. She gave him an encouraging smile and he grabbed a handful of floo powder. He threw it into the fireplace and was momentarily transfixed by the green flames. A small cough from Hermione brought him back to reality and they both stepped into the fire. At 30 weeks pregnant Hermione now needed to be accompanied while travelling and the floo network was able to accommodate her. As Charlie wrapped an arm around her waist she smiled up at him and gave him a reassuring bump with her hip.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Charlie stated firmly and the green flames licked up around them.

Hermione and Charlie landed with a gentle bump inside Hogwarts. The journey had been slower than normal due to the modified travel for Hermione, but they had made it safely without any incident. As Hermione brushed off her clothing, she couldn't help but give the baby a quick prod. He moved subtly and Hermione let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding.

"Mr. Weasley, Healer Granger, so nice to see you both," said a familiar voice.

Hermione looked to her left and spotted Professor McGonagall sitting behind her desk, smiling at them as she held a large quill in one hand. She'd been working on something and was now pushing it to the side and getting up from her seat to come and greet the pair. She wore her usual crooked hat and square glasses, and her black robes were form fitting and modest, making her look every bit the headmistress.

"Professor, it is so good to see you again," Hermione said warmly as she embraced her former Transfiguration Professor.

"You can call me Minerva you know," the older witch said with a light chuckle. Hermione blushed slightly and looked quickly at Charlie who looked as white as a sheet.

"Oh Professor I don't think I could, it feels disrespectful," Hermione said as Professor McGonagall helped her out of her travelling cloak.

"Potter said the exact same thing," the headmistress said pointedly, eyeing Hermione over her square spectacles. "Might I add my congratulations," she added, looking purposefully at Hermione's bump.

"Thank you," Hermione said airily as she rubbed a hand quickly over her stomach.

All of a sudden it felt surreal being in Hogwarts and expecting a child. The last time she was within these walls she'd been a teenager just about to begin her next big adventure out in the real world. Now she was an expectant mother and one of St. Mungo's most talented Healers.

A strange noise came from beside her. She quickly looked to Charlie, who was making a noise like a balloon that was leaking air. She noted his pale complexion and went and grabbed his hand quickly. She squeezed it and whispered something soothing under her breath to try and get Charlie out of his miniature freak out.

"Good to see you Professor," he managed to choke out after a few moments. His insides were squirming so badly he felt like he was going to vomit.

"And you Charlie. I know you're here for an interview but as you already know you're a tad early. If you don't mind I need to finish up this letter to the ministry and then we can get down to brass tax. Could you return in thirty minutes? You are free to roam the castle of course," Professor McGonagall said as she took Charlie's travel cloak from Hermione, who'd coaxed him out of it.

Charlie gave a sharp nod and turned mechanically on the spot and made for the door to the office. Hermione stayed put for just a moment longer. She had been looking at the portraits of the previous headmasters and had been startled when she'd caught the bright blue, twinkling eyes of Professor Dumbledore. She gulped back the raw emotions that were clawing at her throat and smiled at him. He smiled back at her and nodded his head in what seemed like approval and then went back to innocently inspecting the hem of his robes.

Hermione was in heaven. As she and Charlie walked the halls of the castle together she couldn't help but revel in nostalgia. Her time at Hogwarts had been truly magical, no pun intended. Sure, she had gotten into her fair share of hot-spots with Harry and Ron, and they'd been in real danger multiple times, but she wouldn't have changed her experience even if she could.

"I can't do this," Charlie muttered quickly as they wandered down the Charms corridor.

"You can. You're meant for this Charlie. You've taken care of dragons. The Care of Magical Creatures job is a cake walk compared to that," Hermione said gently as she tightened her grip on his hand. He squeezed back but still looked a horrible shade of ash.

"You know this is the first time we have ever walked the halls of Hogwarts together," she said slyly, trying to take his mind off his impending interview.

Charlie thought about this for a moment and then turned to look at her. His complexion had cleared slightly, and a wicked twinkle had crept into his eye. Hermione felt her heart flutter and a heat travel all through her body.

"You're right, I'd just left Hogwarts when you started. Wow I really did get myself a younger woman," he said saucily as he ran a hand through his hair roguishly. Hermione swatted him on the arm and giggled.

"The Quidditch Captain caught with the bookworm? What would the Gryffindor common room have to say about that?" Hermione said scandalously, holding her hand up to cover her mouth. She could have sworn Charlie had growled as he pulled her into a hug.

The bell rang over head and the couple broke apart just as the doors to the classrooms opened. Students started to stream out and Hermione and Charlie found themselves swept up in the crowd. They were led to the entrance hall, which had been beautifully decorated for Christmas. Hermione felt her breath catch in her throat as she took in the tall, ornately adorned Christmas trees.

"Why if it isn't Hermione Granger, and Charlie Weasley!" said another familiar voice.

Hermione turned to see Nearly Headless Nick floating towards them. Several students shuddered as he passed through them and Hermione chuckled.

"Hello Nick, long time no see," she said with a grin as the ghost stopped in front of them.

"Good to see you Nick," Charlie said cheerfully, his complexion completely back to normal.

The ghost beamed at them as his head wobbled precariously on its concealing ruff. Other ghosts were wandering the entrance hall, but none of them paid them, or anyone else, much attention.

"It has been a long time Charlie m'boy. Are you still playing Quidditch?" the ghost asked keenly.

"I only play for fun now Nick. I passed up being a professional to go and take care of dragons," Charlie explained with a broad grin. Nick shook his head in dismay, causing it to wobble violently on its ruff. Long ago Hermione had found it distressing to see Nick's unusual injury, but now she was more than able to handle it.

"What a shame. I've never seen a better Seeker, other than Potter of course. I can only imagine what the pair of you would have been like on the pitch together. One subbing for the other, we would have been unstoppable," Nick said mournfully. He pulled a long face that made him look like he was in pain, but then opened his eyes wide and stared at Charlie.

"You said you went to work with dragons? You must be here for the Care of Magical Creatures position! Oh wonderful! I have to tell the Bloody Baron. He will be so envious that we have a legendary Gryffindor Quidditch captain back in our ranks," and with that said, Nearly Headless Nick floated off with a vigour Hermione hadn't seen in him since he had been unpetrified back in her second year.

"That was nice," she said cheerfully as she turned to look at Charlie again. She balked at the look on his face. It was like Nick had slapped him with his ghostly hand. Wincing, she placed an arm around his waist and ushered him back to Professor McGonagall's office.

Once there, she knocked on the door and heard the call to enter the room. She pushed the door open and helped Charlie into the room by pushing him in the small of his back. She had given him a pep talk in front of the gargoyle statue and had performed a charm on him that would settle his churning stomach. Unfortunately, she couldn't do anything to stop the nerves he was feeling completely, well she could have, but she felt like that would have been cheating. She was a strong believer in that if you weren't even slightly nervous for something like an interview, did you even care? She had been a ball of nerves and tension when she had interviewed for the Healing Consultant job.

"Please feel free to continue roaming the castle Hermione," Professor McGonagall said as she handed Hermione her travel cloak.

"If you do go outside please be careful as it is cold and there has been a lot of black ice. If you go outside you have my permission to seek out a free professor, or prefect to accompany you."

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said gratefully. She gave Charlie a squeeze on the shoulder and she looked up at her. He gave her a watery smile and she winked at him.

As she left the office she crossed her fingers as he heard Professor McGonagall say, "Now Mr. Weasley let's get down to business. Why do you want to be the Care of Magical Creatures Professor?"

A/N: There you have it? Thoughts? Let me know in a review. And as always apologies for any spelling or grammatical errors.