The next Tuesday Hermione had lunch with Ginny. They met up in the Three Broomsticks and asked for a table in the back to give them some privacy. Both of them had learned the lesson that things said in public locations had the nasty habit of finding their way to the gossip-columns of the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly.
Ginny was in a foul mood, Hermione could tell. She had a frown on her face and a scowl in her eyes. Even though Ginny wasn't showing any kind of a bump yet, she complained that none of her old pants fit her properly anymore. She grumbled about having to wear old jeans that hardly fit and having to buy new clothes, even if she had no idea how long those would last her.
She had told her trainers for the Harpies and as happy as they were for her and Harry, Ginny wasn't in the line-up for her team any longer. Which also did not help her mood. Ginny loved to fly and playing Quidditch had been a part of her life since she was old enough to sit on a broom. Being benched was the worst thing that had ever happened to her, or so she said. Hermione was tactful enough not to bring up Ginny's first year at Hogwarts when she was possessed by the spirit of Lord Voldemort and was forced to open the Chamber of Secrets from which Harry had then had to save her.
She had been given the position of assistant trainer under the pretence of grooming her for the trainers position in a year or two. It was a ruse to keep the public at bay until Harry and Ginny made a public announcement.
Ginny just kept complaining. She was nauseated a lot, her food tasted bad and she couldn't even have a glass of wine with her best friend. Even though said best friend wasn't even having wine.
When Ginny started a rant about Harry's dirty socks next to the hamper, Hermione had had enough.
'Gin', she started. 'I get this is hard on you, but you have to think about the positive things here. You're', she looked round and although no one was near them, she whispered the next words, 'having a baby. That's amazing'.
Ginny scoffed at which she looked appalled. 'Did I just scoff…about my baby?' She placed a hand on her belly, her eyes filling up with tears.
'Oh, honey it's okay', Hermione muttered as she scooted closer to Ginny and hugged the now crying girl.
'No, it's not', Ginny said. 'This is awful. I feel awful and mean and nasty and horrible. I was driving you away wasn't I? Harry has been so distant lately and I know it's because of me. I just can't help it…', she sobbed before breaking down in complete tears.
Hermione did her best to comfort Ginny. She held the crying woman close and stroked her hair while uttering shushing noises. In the end Ginny balled up the napkin Hermione had handed her and apologised for making a scene.
'Don't be silly', Hermione assured her. 'It's fine, don't worry about it'.
Ginny still looked depressed and unsure while silent tears dripped down her face. She made a small hiccupping sound before drinking some water.
'I have an idea', Hermione said perking up. 'Wait here'. She got up and went over to the bar to pay and sent a note to work. She explained she wasn't feeling to good and she wouldn't return to work that afternoon.
Upon returning to the table she found Ginny to have calmed down enough to take her outside. Hermione took Ginny's arm and apparated them both to the little village she had grown up in. Walking amongst muggles never seized to amaze Ginny, but today she had little patience with it.
'What are we doing here Hermione?', she exclaimed for the third time since the apparition.
Hermione however ignored her friend and lead the way through the suburb, passed quaint houses and modest gardens, until they came to a small house made of red bricks with a rose-garden.
On the window of what would have been a sitting room, was a large sticker that read: The happy belly, midwives practice.
'What are we doing here?', Ginny asked Hermione as they made their way up the two steps to the front door.
'You'll see', Hermione whispered. 'Just nod along with anything I say. These are the women that helped deliver me when I was a baby. They won't recognize me but I know who they are. They can work some incredible magic, but you'll have to let me do the talking'.
'Is it dangerous?'
Hermione shook her head. 'I would never put you in harm's way Gin. Besides Harry would hunt me down and curse me to bits if I tried'.
Ginny giggled and followed Hermione inside.
The midwives practice had a large open wait room with a long table above witch a string of twine was hung. Along it were several cards with baby-names. There was a fireplace though it was cold at the moment. One side of the room was taken up by a pair of enormous doors which would lead, so Hermione presumed, to the treatment room. Several large and comfy looking chairs stood around the table and Hermione and Ginny settled themselves while they waited for someone to come check up on them.
'What are these?', Ginny whispered despite herself. She was intrigued by the cards that hung over the table.
'They're cards muggles sent out when their baby is born. It has the name and weight and birthday of the baby on them', Hermione explained and she took one from the lot. It was pink and decorated with flowers and butterflies. Evangeline, it read in curly golden letters.
'That is so cute', Ginny squealed and she got back to her feet to inspect the other cards. Hermione let her. Ginny had forgotten about her bad mood, the disappointments of the team and how Harry hadn't picked up his dirty socks.
The doors opened and a plump woman with blond curls tied in a messy ponytail came in the waiting room. She looked questioningly at Hermione and Ginny through her square spectacles and for a moment Hermione was remined of professor McGonagall. But the woman then smiled broadly and stepped towards them.
'Hello my dears, what can I do for you?'
'Hello, I called earlier this morning', Hermione said as she got to her feet. 'Lisa said you could squeeze us in for a quick ultrasound and an appointment?'
The woman blinked rather owlish. 'Did she?'
Hermione and Ginny nodded. 'You see my friend had a terrible midwife. Cold and mean and she said that there was no need for an ultrasound if Ginny here was feeling well enough'.
'I don't know who your midwife was darling, but you'll need to report her', the blond woman said sternly. 'Regardless, Lisa never said…'.
'She promised us though', Hermione pressed on.
The woman looked at Hermione and Ginny with a bit of doubt in her eyes. But the desperate look on the girls faces made her smile again. Or maybe it was the smudged mascara in the corner of Ginny's eyes, along with traces of a red nose that made it clear she had been crying not too long ago. 'Oh alright', she said. 'I'm on my lunchbreak anyway and I don't have any appointments scheduled for another hour or so. Come on in'.
Hermione and Ginny thanked her and followed her into the treatment room. There was a sizable desk with more comfy chairs, a bed with paper lining and some big screen standing at the foot of it. On the desk some candles were burning, giving of a sweet scent. The room felt just as cosy as the waiting room had done.
The woman set herself down behind her desk and indicated that Hermione and Ginny took the other chairs.
'Normally I get a husband and wife. Not that I complain, but you said she's your friend? Where is your husband dear?'
'At work', Ginny murmured.
The woman nodded. 'Well, I'm Daisy May and I run this practice with my co-workers Alice and Lisa. I'll have to ask you some questions and fill out some forms and then we can take a look-see'.
She started by asking Ginny a whole bunch of questions like how many weeks she had been pregnant and when she was due. Had she been eating the right things and exercising well enough?
When Daisy May was satisfied, she excused herself for a moment to visit the loo after which she wanted to perform an ultrasound to look at the baby. Ginny turned to Hermione, visibly confused.
'What is she going to do? Look at the baby, how? What is an ultrasound?'
'What do you think it is?', Hermione asked curiously.
'I don't know! Will she sing a song or something? Why is the sound she'll make ultra?'
Hermione smiled. 'Just wait and see'.
Ginny grumbled but there was no time for a discussion because Daisy May had returned. She asked Ginny to lay on the table and expose her belly. With a small tube she squeezed some gel on Ginny's bare skin and moved a special looking device.
The big screen popped on and amidst the greys and whites there was a tiny human form. Ginny's eyes were like saucers.
'Is that my baby?', she whispered.
Daisy May nodded.
'It's so small', Ginny muttered and she grabbed Hermione's hand. 'Is this safe?'
Daisy May chuckled. 'Perfectly. This way we can see your baby has ten little fingers and ten little toes. And just look at that cute nose'.
Ginny started crying and Hermione knew this had been a good idea. She was enjoying the little human on the screen almost as much as Ginny was doing. Holding her best friends hand and seeing her baby was so special, Hermione was glad she had had this stroke of brilliance.
'Say Ginny?', Daisy May asked as she moved the device around a bit. 'Do you know if there are…ehmm…is there a history of special births in your family?'
'What do you mean?', Ginny asked, almost scared again.
'Well…like, twins for example?'
'I have a pair of twin older brothers', Ginny said. 'Why?', she then added suspiciously.
'Because I think your baby will have a brother or sister', Daisy May answered. She hit some keys on the machine she was operating and showed them there were in fact two little foetuses.
Ginny and Hermione's mouths fell open. 'Twins?', Hermione asked shocked. Ginny was apparently unable to say anything. She just gazed at the screen.
'Well in this stage there's no way of making that mistake', Daisy May said, a bit nervously. 'There is baby A and that's baby B'.
Ginny smiled as she watched the screen. 'Just like Fred and George', she sighed. Hermione was glad her friend wasn't scared or upset, but rather seemed elated. 'Twins', she murmured.
After the ultrasound Ginny was asked if she wanted any prints. Disbelieve on her face Ginny nodded and was handed over a dozen prints with her babies from a few different angles.
Before they knew it, the appointment was over and Hermione and Ginny were standing outside again. Ginny was still staring at the pictures in disbelief.
'Good idea?', Hermione nudged Ginny in the ribs.
'Yeah', Ginny muttered as she stroked her almost flat belly dreamily. 'Yeah this was perfect'.
Hermione grinned and took her friend for tea before they both apparated home.
The next morning at work only Draco gave Hermione a hard time for not being there the previous day. She apologized but wondered why she bothered to do so. It wasn't like she cared about what he thought of her, she was trying to make sure she found his flaws so she could un-like him. Of course, it wouldn't hurt if he stared to not like her as well.
Jeffry came down to see her around lunchtime, asking how she was feeling and if she wanted to go for a walk. They could eat in the parc near the ministry. Hermione agreed to this with excitement. Draco had been impossible to work with the entire day.
When she came back, she almost wished she hadn't left. Draco had spread books and papers all over the long table. He was trying to compare the different symbols to try and find something that matched up.
Hermione hid a smile behind her hand, while at the same time she tried to keep the exasperation from her eyes. It had been the first thing she had done when she found the books. However, there was no harm in letting Draco go over them again. After all, there was a chance he found something she missed.
She knocked on her own office door and walked in. Draco looked at her, slightly dishevelled, and grinned apologetically. He ran his hand through his hair and tried to pile some papers.
'I just wanted to know what you were working with. See if it would give us any more clues'.
Hermione nodded. 'I understand. See these pages here? The language used almost seems a derivative of the one used in two of the other books'.
She grabbed two dark green books from a different pile and showed him. 'I can work this out, it just needs time. These are some ancient runes most used in Africa. The book you're holding provides almost the same runes, but they're slightly different. It could mean the book is from a region close to where the green books come from. Or that it's written before or after this one. Languages change all the time'.
'That would mean either of those has to be at least a hundred years older than the other', Draco pointed out. 'Languages change, that's true, but they don't change that fast'.
Hermione nodded. 'But the books are in equally good states. It would mean that either the books are very well preserved, or they're the same age'.
'Or they're copies', Draco said, a look of comprehension on his face.
Hermione smiled. 'That's true! If they are recent copies it would mean that the originals are somewhere out there! We could send out a notice to other ministries and ask for their help'.
'I have some friends in the book world and some collectors that could know a thing or two about this', Draco said, enthusiasm in his voice. 'I'll owl them now and see what I can find out'.
He jumped to his feet and left the office. Hermione smiled as she watched him leave. It was precious to see how excited and happy Draco got when he was working. He was so different from the way he was in school. Hermione wouldn't recognize him if she didn't know he was the same man.
For a moment she allowed herself to dream about her schooldays and how different they could have been if Draco had been the nice and civil person he was today. Then she shook her head and snapped out of it.
Draco had been a jerk and had done everything in his power to make her feel insecure, to establish his own superiority. "And poisonous toadstools don't change their spots", she mused
Grabbing a pile of translations, she started working on translating either the green books or the one Draco had been working on.