The next day, a Wednesday, Hermione sat in her office at the Ministry, reading the high priority document her assistant, Victoria Frobisher, had given her first thing that morning.
It was an official request made by the HélèneLabs, the Potions company responsible for the monthly brewing and distribution of the Wolfsbane Potion that the Ministry – more specifically Hermione's Department – gave for any lycanthrope that requested it, free of charge.
That company, a subsidiary of Malfoy Enterprises (and named after Lucius Malfoy's grandmother), was requesting her help to ensure speedy approval and regulation of the new Wolfsbane formula they had developed.
Hermione snorted at that. They had developed.
Draco and Hermione herself had worked together to improve Snape's version of the Wolfsbane Potion that he used to prepare for Remus Lupin; their new adjustments to the recipe made the lycanthrope need only three daily doses of the Potion instead of seven, lowering costs and more than doubling the number of people they could provide the free life-saving potion to.
She spent a few minutes staring at the bottom of the document, her finger touching the place where Draco had put his signature.
Stop being pathetic! She suddenly admonished herself, adding that document to an envelope with her own written request reinforcing the need for special attention to that Potion.
"Vicky?" she called her assistant.
"Yes, Miss Granger?" asked the young witch, walking into the office and approaching her desk.
"Send this to Miss Parkinson at the Health and Potions Regulation Office, please. Tell her it's really important and her boss should read it before the day is over."
"Right away." Victoria replied before taking the envelope and leaving.
Less than a minute later, Hermione heard some soft knocks on her door.
"Mione?"
"Hi, Harry." She smiled up at him. "Isn't it too early for lunch?"
"Yes." Harry walked into her office, not even trying to hide his concern. "I just came to see how you're feeling today."
"I'm fine, Harry, and I have an appointment later today for a check up – as promised."
"Good. Will you tell me if you're sick?"
"Of course." She replied, his worry almost making her want to tell him she wasn't sick, just pregnant.
With Draco Malfoy's kid.
And that Draco had claimed to love her for four years but was marrying another woman in five months because Hermione lacked the right blood-status to be Lady Malfoy.
Yes, she could tell her friend all of that. NOT.
Unless she wanted Harry – recently promoted Head of Aurors – to storm the Malfoy Enterprises offices and kill Draco, or send him to Azkaban.
Neither things would be easy for her to explain to her child in the future.
So she kept quiet and let Harry know she felt well enough to join him for lunch later.
That evening, Hermione opened the door of her home after her appointment at a muggle hospital and went straight to the kitchen to make some tea, finding herself between laughter and desperation.
Twins.
She was having two babies.
A boy and a girl.
She laughed, happiness and nervousness mixing up and causing her to feel like she would lose her mind.
Of course Draco Malfoy couldn't just have one kid – he had to go and make two at once!
She was fucked.
If she thought hiding one kid would be difficult – hiding two would be impossible!
I'd better start looking up properties to buy in another country. Maybe France? She thought, but quickly dismissed it: No, the Malfoys are from France, they certainly have relatives there. So perhaps... America? Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.
Hermione knew she would certainly have to give up her dream of becoming Minister of Magic, but she still could get a good job at the American wizarding government.
As she thought of her future, the water in the kettle reached perfect temperature and she poured it into her mug with the tea bag, adding sugar next.
Two babies. She mused between sips of chamomile.
Then a floo-call had her fireplace flaring up with green flames.
"Hermione?" asked the voice from the flames.
"Hey, Ginny." She replied, walking to the sofa in front of the hearth with her tea.
"Can I go through?" her friend asked.
"Sure."
And in a minute Ginny Weasley was standing in her living room.
"No parties tonight?" Hermione asked, knowing her friend had become something of party girl after her Hogwarts years.
"Well, there is one but..." Ginny grimaced, throwing herself onto the couch beside Hermione. "I have a problem."
And I have three; a blond one, and two others probably just as blond as the first. Hermione thought, but didn't say any of it out loud. "What's wrong?" she asked instead.
Ginny sighed before saying: "I may be falling for someone that I think you know better than me. At least a little."
"Who? I thought your crush on Harry had already ended." Hermione asked, sipping her tea.
"And it has, fully." Ginny said with certainty. "I might be liking someone that you kind of became close to during our last year at Hogwarts." she sounded suddenly nervous. "We've met a couple of times at parties in the last two weeks and... well, we shagged and now I'm kind of finding it hard to not think about this person..."
Hermione felt her stomach drop, could Ginny mean... could she be talking about...
"Is it... Malfoy?" she asked, holding her breath as she waited for an answer.
"What?" Ginny sat up quickly, making a disgusted face. "No! Not the ferret!" she faked a shiver. "Gross."
Hermione chuckled, relieved. "Is it Blaise then?"
"No... It's not a man... it's Pans. Pansy."
Hermione looked at her for a moment and smirked, "You shagged Pansy Parkinson?"
"Yes! A couple of times." Ginny smiled broadly. "And I might be in love."
"Oh, Ginny." Hermione chuckled. "Pans is not relationship material – her words, not mine. And I do pity her spouse if she ever settles down."
"But she's amazing, Mi!" gushed Ginny. "She is funny, smart, cool and she can shag like..." She rolled her eyes as if in the throes of passion to illustrate. "You have no idea! Holy fuck!"
Hermione looked at her friend with a smile, "TMI, Gin. I was going to say I agreed, she is an amazing witch, but then you took it too far. I get it: you're in love."
"Yes! Do you have her floo contact?" she eagerly asked.
"I don't, sorry. But I see her at the Ministry all the time. I can talk to her about you..."
"Yes! Please! Do it! Tomorrow? Can you do it tomorrow?" Ginny spoke fast in her eagerness. "I haven't seen her in four days and I just... damn, I'm addicted to that girl's tongue!"
"Jeez, Ginny. I said I got it!" Hermione made a face.
"Thank you for not judging me, Mi!" she gave her a kiss on the cheek and seemed to finally noticed something was off with her friend. "Is everything alright with you? You seem... strange."
Hermione sighed, putting her tea mug on the coffee table. "If I tell you a secret, can you keep it from your family and the others?"
Ginny frowned. "As long as you're not about to tell me you're dying... sure."
"I'm not dying." Hermione smiled. "I'm pregnant."
Ginny sucked in a breath and predictably asked: "Who's the father?"
"A one-night stand." Hermione lied.
But Ginny slowly shook her head. "No, he's not. I know you've been dating someone for the past two years at least."
That took Hermione by surprise and she looked at her friend with hesitancy.
"I don't know who he is." Ginny added. "And you don't have to tell me his name. But... does he know about it?"
"No." Hermione decided not to deny she had had someone. "We broke up a month ago."
"Why?"
"Well... he was jealous, didn't like to see me dancing with Charlie." Hermione quickly came up with a reason.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Men are so stupid, I'm glad I don't play for your team." She took her friend's hands in hers. "Are you keeping it?"
"Yes. And I won't go after the father. I don't think he'd like to know. So I'll take care of them on my own."
Ginny nodded. "Alright. As this child's godmother, I say we keep them secret for as long as possible and then-"
"Children." Hermione interrupted her, smiling at the godmother comment. "I'm expecting twins."
Ginny let out a low whistle. "You don't do things half-way, do you Granger?"
Hermione laughed. "It's not like I planned for this, Gin! I was in shock when the doctor told me... but now... I'm happy, I love them." She touched her lower belly affectionately.
Ginny tilted her head, "What about your 'career first' speech?"
"Well," Hermione let out a breath, "I've realized I want a family more than anything... my parents have recovered their memories, as you know, but they are still upset with me..." and, as usual whenever she talked about her parents, tears blurred her vision. "They fear I'll use magic on them again..."
Ginny sat closer and pulled her into a hug. "It's alright, Mi. I'll help you, you're not alone."
"Thanks, Ginny."
"Now... I know pregnancy brain is a thing. I've seen Fleur put her socks to dry in the fridge more than once, so write down that you can't forget to mention my name to Pans tomorrow."
Hermione laughed, "I won't. Thanks for not judging me either."
"That's what sisters are for, Mi." she added, tightening the hug.
Ginny stayed the night at Hermione's.
They ordered some food from Hogsmead Village's pizza-place, The Round Table, watched a movie and talked until Hermione couldn't keep her eyes open anymore; then they fell asleep on Hermione's large bed.
In the next morning, Hermione was careful to leave the bed without waking her friend up, knowing Ginny only had to be at the Holyhead Harpies' Quidditch Stadium to practice in the afternoon.
As soon as she arrived at the Ministry, Hermione saw a tall brunette entering the elevator and waited no time to talk to her.
"Hey, Pans."
"Hi, Mi! How're you today?" the beautiful brunette replied with a smile.
"Fine, very busy. Listen, I heard that you and a certain friend of mine have met recently, and more than once."
Pansy's smiled broadened, "Oh, yes, we sure have. I'm honestly hoping to meet her again next weekend."
"So is she. She actually asked me to make sure you know that she'd really like to see you again."
"Excellent! I'll send her an owl. Thanks, Hermione." Pansy winked at her before leaving the elevator as it had reached her floor.
Hermione greeted Vicky with a Good morning and entered her office, immediately starting to work on the pile of documents already on her desk.
But she was taken by surprise when, a couple of hours later, Ginny walked into her office.
"Hi, Gin! I have some great news, I-" but Hermione stopped, noticing her friend's concerned expression. "What happened? Is someone hurt?"
"Hermione." Started Ginny as she closed the door and cast a silencing spell in the room. "I decided to take a bath this morning, and I used your bathtub because it's huge and I love it."
"Alright." Hermione said, confused by her friend's going there to discuss her bath preferences in such a serious tone.
"There I was, soaking away," Ginny continued. "enjoying the bubbles and the jets... when my eyes fell on this." she sat on a chair in front of Hermione's desk and took something out of her pocket, "Your hairbrush... there's white-blond hair in your hairbrush."
Hermione stared at said brush resting on her desk and tried not to look alarmed.
"And I know," continued Ginny. "A lot of men have blond hair... however, as I was making some breakfast, my eyes caught sight of something sparkly under the sofa." And then she put a small golden cufflink on the table, its detailed M above the words Sanctimonia Vincet Semper not leaving any doubts who that belonged to.
Hermione looked at her friend for a few seconds, her bottom lip being held hostage between her teeth in a clear sign of nervousness, then she finally decided she had to say something:
"Ginny, listen, what happened was-"
"Hey. Stop." the redhead interrupted her. "I don't care what happened, nor why you kept this a secret, you don't owe me anything, Hermione. Hell, I just asked you to mention my name to Slytherin Princess Parkinson because I want into her knickers again!" she paused, "Am I upset you have been doing the ferret – THE FERRET, Hermione! – and never told me anything? Yes, I am furious!"
"I'm sorry, Ginny. We kept it secret because it made our lives easier. No media, no drama." She quickly explained.
Ginny slowly nodded, "Yeah, I get it." But she suddenly stopped and her eyes widened: "Wait. The ferret is getting married in five months!" She gasped. "Did he DUMP YOU when you told him about my godchildren?" she was nearly shouting.
Hermione didn't know if she laughed or calmed her friend down. "No, Ginny. He doesn't know. I broke up with him the day his engagement was announced. And I only learned about the pregnancy three days ago. So I never told him."
"How long did you two date?"
Hermione braced herself as she answered, knowing her friend would get furious: "Four years and six months."
"FOUR YEARS?!" Ginny shouted. "And you never told me?" she sounded hurt.
"We just didn't want anyone to know... we had a good thing and people would judge..."
Ginny suddenly frowned, "If what you had was good... then why didn't he ask you to marry him?"
"Why do you think?" Hermione arched an eyebrow at her friend, letting her reach that conclusion herself.
And the redhead exploded: "I WILL KILL THAT LITTLE PREJUDICED FUCKER! WE'RE HAVING FERRET FOR DINNER TONIGHT!"
Hermione laughed, finding that too funny not to, "No! Ginny, listen to me: I was – and I still am – furious and hurt but... I have more important things to think about right now. I don't think it's safe for the Malfoys to learn about my babies."
"Your babies!" Ginny suddenly exclaimed as if she had just realized something: "Holy fuck! The babies!" Her voice filling up with worry, "If the Malfoys find out you are carrying not just one, but two babies..." she inhaled sharply. "Hermione, do you have any idea how rare twins are in a Sacred Twenty-Eight family?"
Hermione frowned at that information. "The Weasleys are still on the Sacred List and your mother had twins and her brothers were twins as well."
But Ginny's agitation didn't get any smaller as she explained: "Not all of them were cursed! My grandfather's family has always accepted muggleborns. And my father's family broke the curse two centuries ago. But the Malfoys..." Ginny inhaled sharply again, her blue eyes widening. "And Blacks! Holy shit, Hermione. Malfoy is the last male heir of TWO Sacred Twenty-eight bloodlines! You truly don't do things half-way, girl!"
Hermione seemed to begin to understand her friend's worry. The Malfoys still held on to their prejudiced traditions, and she was a muggleborn carrying two heirs of two ancient bloodlines – neither known for producing twins.
"What do you want me to do, Ginny?" she whispered. "I did think about quitting my job and moving to America..." her heart was pounding, fear starting to make her queasy.
"No. You're not moving away! I want to see my godchildren grow!"
"What do you suggest then?"
Right then there were knocks on the door, silencing both witches.
Hermione cleared her throat before unlocking the door and saying: "Come in."
"Hey, Mi, I forgot to mention when I saw you before-" Pansy Parkinson walked into her office and stopped as she saw Ginny there. A slow sensual smile forming on her red painted lips. "Hello, Red." She winked at Ginny.
"Hi, Pans." Ginny returned the lascivious smile.
"Hermione here mentioned you would be interested in going out again." Pansy stopped in front of Ginny's chair and leaned down towards her, her face very close to the other woman's, her cleavage at Ginny's eye-level.
"Yes. I'd love to." Ginny breathlessly replied.
Pansy moved closer to her, touching their lips slowly, her tongue parting Ginny's lips as the kiss turned heated.
Hermione quickly realized if she didn't stop them, they'd be fucking in her office in no time.
"OY! Stop that! I'm still here!" she exclaimed.
Pansy broke the kiss and turned to look at Hermione but her eyes caught sight of the items on her desk and she frowned, "Why is Draco's cufflink on your desk?"
Hermione opened her mouth but nothing came to her.
Ginny also stumbled to find an explanation.
Pansy didn't need to hear anything else to understand: "It was you!" she exclaimed in awe, looking at Hermione. "You were Draco's secret paramour!"
Hermione opened her mouth to reply but they heard:
"Well," a man said from the door, making the three witches look up to find Blaise Zabini standing there. "We can't say it's a surprise, Pans."
Hermione's nerves and hormones took the best of her right then and she ran to her private bathroom, giving her breakfast to the toilet Gods.
The only things she heard over the sound of her own retching was a door being slammed and Pansy exclaiming: "Are you kidding me?"
Five minutes later, Hermione walked out of the bathroom hoping to find her office empty but there were three people sitting on the couch by the opposite wall, discussing something in hushed tones.
They fell silent when she appeared.
"I told them." Blurted Ginny.
And Hermione froze looking from Pansy to Blaise and noticing their angry expressions.
"Look," Hermione said, feeling the need to defend herself, "I didn't do this on purpose!"
Pansy frowned, "You think we're mad at you?"
Blaise quickly stood up and walked to her, "Hermione, I have no idea what you saw in Draco, but I'd be honoured to take your hand in marriage if you'll have me."
Hermione blinked at him, shocked. "We barely know each other. What are you talking about?" But before he could reply, one word he'd said resonated within her: honour – one of the Scared Families' values.
But Zabini wasn't a family of the Sacred Twenty-Eight.
"What are you talking about, Blaise?" she needed some explanation.
"I am-," he looked at Pansy and she stood up, walking towards them. "We are appalled at Draco's actions, Hermione."
"I can't believe he still values blood-status after everything we went through! Hell, after everything his family went through!" Pansy was furious.
"Well," Hermione spoke with a weak smile. "I fucked him for four years and a half and honestly thought he was over that. But there you have it."
"I meant it, Hermione." Said Blaise. "I think you're a brilliant witch; Ginny briefly told us about your ambition to become Minister of Magic, and I would gladly stay by your side and support you and the children you are carrying, I'll care for them as if they were my own. What Draco did to you is worse than disrespectful – it's disgraceful."
Hermione felt dizzy by all that unexpected support and sat down on the sofa, thinking of his more than generous offer; but she needed more information: "You speak of honour and respect, those are Sacred Ones values. But your family isn't one of the Twenty-Eight."
Blaise smiled sitting beside her, "We used to be on the List. But around the same time the Potters were expelled, so were we. My ancestors kept the good values and tossed the bullshit aside."
"Good to hear that." Hermione smiled.
"I mean it, Hermione." Blaise repeated. "Just say the word and I'll marry you."
"Blaise, with all due respect." Hermione sighed, quickly weighing the pros and cons of accepting his proposal and finding one not-so-small problem as she realized her kids with Blaise (if they hypothetically had them) would have beautiful caramel-coloured skin, dark brown or black hair and either green or honey eyes. "The thing is there's a huge probability of these babies being born pale blond and grey-eyed... how would you explain that to your family?"
"They would accept you and the little ones with open arms and hearts, Hermione – no explanation needed. But if you'd rather move to the U.S., I own a home on Fire Island, in the State of New York."
"Move to the U.S?" They suddenly heard a voice as the door opened.
Hermione looked from the three people in the room to the friendly face of Charlie Weasley at the door in disbelief, "None of you locked the door?" Hermione asked, feeling a headache starting.
"We... forgot." Whispered Ginny.
"Clearly." Hermione muttered.
"What's going on here?" Charlie asked, walking into the office and locking the door behind him.
"Nothing." Said Pansy. "We are just having an inter-departments meeting."
Charlie looked from Hermione (Head of the Magical Creatures' Rights Department), to Pansy (senior assistant of the Head of the Health and Potions Regulation Office), to Blaise (Head of the International Relations Department), until his eyes fell on Ginny. "And my sister is here to give your departments the latest Quidditch stats?"
The four of them grimaced.
"Hermione is marrying me." Blaise suddenly said, holding her hand.
She looked at him with wide eyes – Wasn't he listening to what she was saying? – and then she stared at Charlie.
"Sure, Blaise." the redhead laughed. "Now you'll tell me you've been dating in secret for years!"
"Hermione is pregnant and I'm doing what is right!" added Blaise.
"Oh, God." Hermione groaned.
Charlie looked at her in complete shock: "You're pregnant?"
"Yes." She didn't deny, letting out a breath and saying firmly: "Fuck it, I am not going to hide this pregnancy! I've been trying to do so for less than two days and look at how well that's going!"
"So you're pregnant and Zabini is the father?" Asked Charlie, trying to understand that.
"No. Draco Malfoy is." Hermione replied. "I dated him for four years."
Charlie was taken aback by that and thought she was certainly joking. But one look around the room and the lack of mirth in the other people's faces told him all he needed to know. "Holy shit, you mean it! You're having that git's baby!"
"Babies. Plural." corrected Ginny.
"Fuck, Granger!" exclaimed Charlie. "And since Zabini is offering to marry you, I believe the blond git isn't."
"He's marrying a Greengrass girl." Said Pansy.
"A Greengrass- Wait." Charlie froze. "Is that because of-?"
"Blood-status? Yes." Finished Pansy.
Charlie fisted his hands, visibly trying to contain his anger, "If I see that pointy-faced git..." he growled low, and suddenly started pacing the room.
Hermione looked down at where her right hand still rested in Blaise's and sighed; what a mess her life had become.
"You can't do anything against Draco, Charlie." she warned her agitated friend. "He doesn't know about the babies."
"And what about you, Hermione?" Charlie shouted, stopping abruptly and looking at her. "Doesn't he know he was sticking his dick in you for the past four years either? Babies or no babies, what he did to YOU was beyond disrespectful – it was disgusting!" Then Charlie frowned, looking at her lap where her hand rested in Blaise's, and then he said: "Marry me."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "For fuck's sake if I get another proposal today, I'll obliviate all of you!"
"No, listen to me!" continued Charlie. "We've know each other for years. It's a more believable story than you marrying Zabini, whom you barely know!"
"Charlie, neither you nor Blaise resemble Draco in any way!" Hermione nearly shouted in frustration. "No one will believe these kids are yours!"
"So you'll give up your dreams to become Minister of Magic and move to a different country, alone with twins, just because the babies might be blond?" asked Ginny, looking at her in anger.
Hermione hesitated; the picture she had just painted sounded awful; she'd be alone in a different country with her new-borns, no friends, no familiar places or faces.
"Fuck. Alright." Hermione closed her eyes, thinking. Then she opened her eyes and looked at Blaise: "Thank you for your most generous offer, Blaise, but... Charlie is right: we barely know each other, it wouldn't be easy to convince people we have a love story together." next she looked at the tall redheaded man in the room: "Charlie, do you mean it? You'd marry me?"
"Yes." he nodded. "Right away. No sex required – ever. No offense, but I'm not into pussy. I like dick – however, I'd never get anywhere close to Malfoy's, not even if my life depended on it."
Hermione and the others chuckled.
"So," Pansy asked, looking at them, "You'll tell people you guys had a drunk-fuck?"
"Yes." confirmed Hermione. "That's a good explanation."
Charlie nodded, "We were so shitfaced, you thought I was blond and I thought you were a man."
After a moment of silence, all five of them burst out in laughter.
Once all of her friends left, Hermione felt blessed to have such an amazing support – even from two people whose loyalties had never laid with her before.
If she had to marry Charlie to be able to fulfil her dreams – well, there were certainly worse things than that.
And being that it was Charlie who she was to marry, if that made a certain blond man lose his mind with jealousy, it would be just an added bonus.