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Ch. 21 A Glimmer of Hope For Hermione
Hermione awoke the next morning in the hospital wing. Draco was lying on the bed, his head in her lap, asleep. Ron and Harry were both in separate chairs, sprawled out trying to get comfy, also asleep. A plastic tube with a needle was attached to her arm. She looked around her. Sun was peaking out from the window and Madame Pomfrey could be seen tending to the patient next to Hermione.
She tried sitting up, but was hit with a wave of nausea. Draco felt her stir and picked his head up from her lap.
"Honey, are you okay?"
"Draco, what happened?"
"You fainted last night in the Gryffindor common room. I carried you up to the hospital wing, and Madame Pomfrey said you were dehydrated and lacking nutrients. Your blood pressure was sky high and she was afraid you were going to have a stroke. Oh honey, if I had known that proposing to you was going to put this much stress on you, I would have waited until after the baby was born. I-"
"Ah, Ms. Granger, you're awake! Good. How are you feeling this morning?"
"Nauseated," Hermione growled.
"Well, that's to be expected. My dear, you have not been taking very good care of yourself. I understand that these are stressful times for you right now, but you cannot keep punishing your body or your baby. Why, if you keep this up, she's going to-"
"She?" Draco perked.
"Well, I'm not so sure that it really is a girl, I was just merely using a pronoun."
By this time, Ron and Harry were beginning to stir.
"Well, good morning sleepy heads. I think you both should be very thankful I let you stay in here last night with your friend."
"Thank you Madame Pomfrey," the boys answered groggily in unison.
"You're welcome. Now, as I was saying. Hermione, you have go to-"
"Could we find out the sex of the baby right now? She interrupted.
"Will you let me finish young lady!?"
"Yes ma'am," Hermione answered sheepishly.
"Now, for the last time, Ms. Granger, if you do begin taking better care of yourself your going to have a very difficult pregnancy. You could go into labor early, your child may have birth defects, or you could even lose it. Now, I hate to do this, but in order for you to deliver this baby happy and healthy, I'm going to require you come up to see me twice a week to have your blood pressure checked, a vitamin shot and you will receive a calming potion to soothe you into sleep. Until I am satisfied that you can take care of yourself, you will do this until the child is born. Do you understand me?"
"Yes ma'am." Hermione almost felt relieved. At least she was being cared for. At least her baby would be healthy.
"Now, did I hear something about wanting to know the sex of the baby?"
"Can you do that, Madame Pomfrey?" Harry asked, more awake this time.
"I most certainly can." She scooted out of the room momentarily.
"At least you'll be taken care of," Ron quipped. Hermione threw her head back on the pillow, partly relieved, partly exasperated. How was she going to explain her sudden frequent appearances in the hospital wing? Draco picked up her hand and kissed it gently.
"We'll work everything else, honey, I promise," he whispered.
Madame Pomfrey returned with a telescope the shape of a computer mouse. She walked over to Hermione.
"Lift up your shirt a bit, dearie," she requested. After squirting a bit of clear gel onto Hermione's belly, she applied the telescope to her stomach.
"Ooh, that tickles a bit!" she giggled.
"That's not hurting her, is it?" Draco asked nervously.
"No, Mr. Malfoy. I wouldn't use it if it did." She smiled at the father-to-be. "A ha!"
"What?" Draco jumped. He held on to Hermione's hand tightly.
"Kids, you're going to be having a girl."
"A girl??" Hermione eyes welled up.
"Yes ma'am. Would you all like to see?"
"Hell yea we would!" Ron spoke happily. Madame Pomfrey plugged the telescope into a monitor and immediately a baby appeared on the screen.
"She's so beautiful," Harry caught himself saying. Hermione's eyes began to well up.
"Draco, we're going to have a girl."
"Yea, we are honey." A paternal look swept Draco's face. He looked at the baby, and then Hermione and kissed her forehead.
"Everything's going to be okay," Hermione whispered.
"Yea, it is." * * * *
Hermione sat in her room later that evening, catching up on school work. She missed the days classes; Madame Pomfrey explained to her teachers the reason for her absence. A knock on her door interrupted her homework.
"Come in," she called out. In walked Ron, Harry, Draco, and to her great surprise, Hermione and Ron's mother came in behind.
"Mom!" She jumped out of bed and ran to her mom. "What are you doing here?"
"I received a call from Mrs. Weasley this afternoon saying that you were having difficulties and more or less demanded I come and speak with you."
"How did she know that something was up." She eyed Harry and Ron. "Guys.."
Harry blurted. "After Draco showed us the letter from your father we went and called Ron's mom to see if she could do anything. And then last night you fainted and we called your mom to tell her what's been happening with you. We told her about the accident, how you've been reacting, all the stress you've been under, and we begged and begged for her to reconsider any decision she made until she came in saw you," she spilled out, very quickly.
Hermione looked at her mom, and then Mrs. Weasley, tears again welling up in her eyes. Mrs. Granger looked upon her daughter and her heart broke. She was very pale, very tired looking. It was obvious Hermione had been working very hard.
"Your father and Mr. Weasley are downstairs talking to the headmaster right now. We're going to try and work out something that will make everyone happy."
Hermione allowed the tears to spill over her eyes and ran to Harry and Ron. "Thank you guys. And thank you Mrs. Weasely." She hugged Ron's mom and then her own. Draco looked on with a sad smile on his face. "Mom, I would like you to meet my fiancé, Draco Malfoy."
"Mrs. Granger, it is good to finally meet you." He reached out to shake her hand, but instead she gathered Draco in her arms.
"You're going to be a fine young man for our little Hermione." By this time, she too was in tears as she hugged her soon to be son-in-law.
In the doorway suddenly appeared Professor Dumbledore, Mr. Granger, and Mr. Weasley.
"Hermione, my dear," the headmaster began, "suffice to say I am very shocked by this recent news bestowed upon my ears. I truly wish you had come to me much much earlier about your condition and we would have worked something out. I have come to a decision, and you may either accept its terms or deny it. Perhaps it would be best if you took your N.E.W.T.s earlier than the other students here at Hogwarts. You can take them with in the next two weeks, and then you may use the rest of your time to study for your classes only and make other necessary preparations. I surely-"
"I'll do it!" Hermione jumped. "Oh Professor Dumbledore thank you so much!" Again, Hermione began to cry. Soon, everyone in the room was crying, including Draco.
"Now Hermione," her father began, "you do understand that you are still financially responsible for your child, and for finding a job, and for-"
Hermione's mom stepped in. "Oh hush it Granger. We're going to be grandparents. We can help them out a little bit." Her face lit up like a light bulb.
Hermione jumped up and hugged both her parents. "I love you guys so much. Thank you thank you thank you! I promise you we will pay you back as soon as we can."
"I know, sweetheart."
Ch. 21 A Glimmer of Hope For Hermione
Hermione awoke the next morning in the hospital wing. Draco was lying on the bed, his head in her lap, asleep. Ron and Harry were both in separate chairs, sprawled out trying to get comfy, also asleep. A plastic tube with a needle was attached to her arm. She looked around her. Sun was peaking out from the window and Madame Pomfrey could be seen tending to the patient next to Hermione.
She tried sitting up, but was hit with a wave of nausea. Draco felt her stir and picked his head up from her lap.
"Honey, are you okay?"
"Draco, what happened?"
"You fainted last night in the Gryffindor common room. I carried you up to the hospital wing, and Madame Pomfrey said you were dehydrated and lacking nutrients. Your blood pressure was sky high and she was afraid you were going to have a stroke. Oh honey, if I had known that proposing to you was going to put this much stress on you, I would have waited until after the baby was born. I-"
"Ah, Ms. Granger, you're awake! Good. How are you feeling this morning?"
"Nauseated," Hermione growled.
"Well, that's to be expected. My dear, you have not been taking very good care of yourself. I understand that these are stressful times for you right now, but you cannot keep punishing your body or your baby. Why, if you keep this up, she's going to-"
"She?" Draco perked.
"Well, I'm not so sure that it really is a girl, I was just merely using a pronoun."
By this time, Ron and Harry were beginning to stir.
"Well, good morning sleepy heads. I think you both should be very thankful I let you stay in here last night with your friend."
"Thank you Madame Pomfrey," the boys answered groggily in unison.
"You're welcome. Now, as I was saying. Hermione, you have go to-"
"Could we find out the sex of the baby right now? She interrupted.
"Will you let me finish young lady!?"
"Yes ma'am," Hermione answered sheepishly.
"Now, for the last time, Ms. Granger, if you do begin taking better care of yourself your going to have a very difficult pregnancy. You could go into labor early, your child may have birth defects, or you could even lose it. Now, I hate to do this, but in order for you to deliver this baby happy and healthy, I'm going to require you come up to see me twice a week to have your blood pressure checked, a vitamin shot and you will receive a calming potion to soothe you into sleep. Until I am satisfied that you can take care of yourself, you will do this until the child is born. Do you understand me?"
"Yes ma'am." Hermione almost felt relieved. At least she was being cared for. At least her baby would be healthy.
"Now, did I hear something about wanting to know the sex of the baby?"
"Can you do that, Madame Pomfrey?" Harry asked, more awake this time.
"I most certainly can." She scooted out of the room momentarily.
"At least you'll be taken care of," Ron quipped. Hermione threw her head back on the pillow, partly relieved, partly exasperated. How was she going to explain her sudden frequent appearances in the hospital wing? Draco picked up her hand and kissed it gently.
"We'll work everything else, honey, I promise," he whispered.
Madame Pomfrey returned with a telescope the shape of a computer mouse. She walked over to Hermione.
"Lift up your shirt a bit, dearie," she requested. After squirting a bit of clear gel onto Hermione's belly, she applied the telescope to her stomach.
"Ooh, that tickles a bit!" she giggled.
"That's not hurting her, is it?" Draco asked nervously.
"No, Mr. Malfoy. I wouldn't use it if it did." She smiled at the father-to-be. "A ha!"
"What?" Draco jumped. He held on to Hermione's hand tightly.
"Kids, you're going to be having a girl."
"A girl??" Hermione eyes welled up.
"Yes ma'am. Would you all like to see?"
"Hell yea we would!" Ron spoke happily. Madame Pomfrey plugged the telescope into a monitor and immediately a baby appeared on the screen.
"She's so beautiful," Harry caught himself saying. Hermione's eyes began to well up.
"Draco, we're going to have a girl."
"Yea, we are honey." A paternal look swept Draco's face. He looked at the baby, and then Hermione and kissed her forehead.
"Everything's going to be okay," Hermione whispered.
"Yea, it is." * * * *
Hermione sat in her room later that evening, catching up on school work. She missed the days classes; Madame Pomfrey explained to her teachers the reason for her absence. A knock on her door interrupted her homework.
"Come in," she called out. In walked Ron, Harry, Draco, and to her great surprise, Hermione and Ron's mother came in behind.
"Mom!" She jumped out of bed and ran to her mom. "What are you doing here?"
"I received a call from Mrs. Weasley this afternoon saying that you were having difficulties and more or less demanded I come and speak with you."
"How did she know that something was up." She eyed Harry and Ron. "Guys.."
Harry blurted. "After Draco showed us the letter from your father we went and called Ron's mom to see if she could do anything. And then last night you fainted and we called your mom to tell her what's been happening with you. We told her about the accident, how you've been reacting, all the stress you've been under, and we begged and begged for her to reconsider any decision she made until she came in saw you," she spilled out, very quickly.
Hermione looked at her mom, and then Mrs. Weasley, tears again welling up in her eyes. Mrs. Granger looked upon her daughter and her heart broke. She was very pale, very tired looking. It was obvious Hermione had been working very hard.
"Your father and Mr. Weasley are downstairs talking to the headmaster right now. We're going to try and work out something that will make everyone happy."
Hermione allowed the tears to spill over her eyes and ran to Harry and Ron. "Thank you guys. And thank you Mrs. Weasely." She hugged Ron's mom and then her own. Draco looked on with a sad smile on his face. "Mom, I would like you to meet my fiancé, Draco Malfoy."
"Mrs. Granger, it is good to finally meet you." He reached out to shake her hand, but instead she gathered Draco in her arms.
"You're going to be a fine young man for our little Hermione." By this time, she too was in tears as she hugged her soon to be son-in-law.
In the doorway suddenly appeared Professor Dumbledore, Mr. Granger, and Mr. Weasley.
"Hermione, my dear," the headmaster began, "suffice to say I am very shocked by this recent news bestowed upon my ears. I truly wish you had come to me much much earlier about your condition and we would have worked something out. I have come to a decision, and you may either accept its terms or deny it. Perhaps it would be best if you took your N.E.W.T.s earlier than the other students here at Hogwarts. You can take them with in the next two weeks, and then you may use the rest of your time to study for your classes only and make other necessary preparations. I surely-"
"I'll do it!" Hermione jumped. "Oh Professor Dumbledore thank you so much!" Again, Hermione began to cry. Soon, everyone in the room was crying, including Draco.
"Now Hermione," her father began, "you do understand that you are still financially responsible for your child, and for finding a job, and for-"
Hermione's mom stepped in. "Oh hush it Granger. We're going to be grandparents. We can help them out a little bit." Her face lit up like a light bulb.
Hermione jumped up and hugged both her parents. "I love you guys so much. Thank you thank you thank you! I promise you we will pay you back as soon as we can."
"I know, sweetheart."