Chapter 20
The floo activated as Fleur came back from her doctors appointment. Hermione stood up and came to her. "Fleur! It's so good to see you. You look wonderful. How are things with the baby?"
Fleur grabbed her into a hug. "Ermione! My little sister. How have you been?"
Hermione put her hand on her belly. "Oh, moving along I guess. Poppy has been great, but I need a good doctor. How about yours? Do you think she will take me on as a patient?"
"I don't see why not. I will give you her name, she's at St Mungos. You need to get in to her right away. It's been too long already, and you don't want anything to appen to the baby."
Hermione had a million questions, but not ones she would be comfortable asking in front of George. "I promise I will make an appointment as soon as I can. Uh.. George showed me the nursery. It's lovely." Hermione was leading Fleur that way hoping George would stay put. Instead, he wanted to tag along. Hermione had to stop him. "Oh George, You don't want to hear a lot of baby talk and ladies things. We'll be right back."
George turned about three shades of red. "Oh, nope. Not interested. I'll just stay here then?"
Hermione smiled and was grateful he took the hint. The two of them toddled off to talk. When they got settled comfortably in the room Hermione had a million questions. "I hope you don't mind if I pick your brain a bit. I'm feeling quite at a loss with my little bundle of joy. You've almost made it to the finish. Do you mind if I ask you…?"
Fleur smiled and nodded. "What do you want to know Ermione?"
Hermione was shy to ask such personal questions and hesitated a bit. "Are you afraid Fleur?"
Fleur was startled by that question. "Afraid? Of what?"
"Oh Fleur. I'm afraid of everything. I don't know what to do. All the changes my body is going through. I have to stop to pee all the time. My feet swell up. I get these weird cravings. What if I never feel normal again? I'm afraid I will be a bad mum and do everything wrong. I'm afraid Severus…isn't interested in me anymore. You know what I mean? We haven't… that is, he hasn't really… Oh Merlin…" Hermione looked away quickly.
"You mean you haven't had sex since he found out?"
Hermione was a bit shocked she was so honest. "Well, Yes. Except for our wedding night. He is very loving and supportive, but he treats me like I was made of glass. He loves me. I know he loves me, but I can't seem to make him understand that I need more than a quick peck on the forehead. He doesn't think I'm sexy anymore! What am I going to do?"
Fleur hugged the young woman and brushed her tears from her face. "Ermione. You must remember this is his first child as well. He doesn't know what to do either. Have you spoken to him about how you feel?"
Hermione hung her head and answered. "No. I've tried to drop a few hints, but he doesn't understand."
"Mon Dieu. Ermione you must talk to him. Tell him what you are feeling." Fleur's face went soft and wistful. "Bill was the same way when I told 'im. 'E wanted me to stay in bed and rest all the time. I told 'im to relax and make love to me or I was going to tie 'im down and do it myself!" She tittered and laughed remembering, a soft smile of understanding on her face. "Take Severus with you to your doctor's appointment. Ask questions. Make 'im ask questions. I promise you the doctor has heard them all. After I did that, Bill felt better, and I got lucky." Hermione could just see Bills face, like a scared rabbit. "As for the rest little sister. Remember your body is working very hard at making a human being. If it wants corned beef and ice cream at three am, give it corned beef. And you are going to be a wonderful mum and you know it. All it takes is love."
Hermione sighed deeply and hugged Fleur. "Thank you big sister. I feel so much better now."
They came out of the nursery and Hermione headed for the floo. She hugged Arthur and George and said goodbye. Arthur wanted her to stay until Ginny came back, but Hermione said she needed to get back. Fleur only grinned and kissed her cheeks, handing her a piece of parchment with her doctors name on it. "Don't put it off!" Hermione smiled and nodded and was gone.
oopOqoo
Hermione had just finished packing the last of their things into boxes when Severus came in. He looked tired and worn. "You're home!" Hermione ran to him and hugged him as if her life depended on it. "I missed you so much. Two weeks felt like forever. How did it go?"
He released her only to capture her lips in a crushing kiss. "I missed you too, both of you." His hand went to her belly and rubbed. His child, their child, would be like her mother, beautiful and brilliant.
"I think he missed you too."
"I think she did."
His face grew serious. "You should sit." He bent down and picked her up amid her protests. Then sat her down on the overstuffed chair, kneeling before her, his cheek to her belly. She seemed to have doubled in size since he saw her last. The childlike wonder that spread on his face was like none she had ever seen on him. He put his hands gently around her and kissed his little miracle. "Don't fret, daddy's home."
Hermione smiled and shook her head at him. "Come and have some tea." The warming charm on the pot of tea made it the perfect temperature and he moaned in pleasure as it passed his lips. "There's no place like home." He could say that now as he relaxed in the chair. The word meant so much more to him than it ever had before. Home, meant love and peace and happiness. No longer was it just a place to recover or a stopover between pain and possible death. Everything he loved was in this room, and if the room changed, it didn't matter, because wherever Hermione was, was home.
Hermione was near vibrating. "So? How did it go? Did you manage to get anyone to come?"
Severus smiled his Cheshire grin and made her wait as he looked up over the cup. "Of course I did. What do you take me for?"
Hermione squealed in happiness. "Who?! And when are they coming? I have the tournament all set up for next week. They should be here to meet the parents and the new headmaster is going to be here this afternoon. There's still so much to do. I hope he's not an ass like Lucius. If the DME minister picked him out, he should be decent. I like her. You will too. She's an insufferable know it all."
He let her babble a while longer while he finished his tea. When she finally ran out of steam, he pulled a piece of parchment from his pocket and handed it to her. "They will be here Saturday next. All of them. I suppose the new headmaster will want to interview them, but if he doesn't like them he'll have to go on the road to get others himself. Now if you don't mind, I intend to take a nap. It's been a long two weeks. Will you join me?" He put his cup on the table and rose, his hand extended for her.
The fire in his eyes drew her like a magnet. All thought of the list of things she had to accomplish that day was gone. Only the mesmerizing gaze of the man she loved. The man she wanted so desperately.
He took her hand and they came to the bed. She pulled the coverlet off and the sheet down. When she turned around he still had his boxers and t-shirt on. He got under the sheet and sighed in pleasure. Home. Hermione realized he was really going to sleep. She was torn between tears of frustration and tears of acceptance. They both fell down her cheeks in the same way.
"I thought you were going to join me?" He looked over at her wet face confused. "Hermione love, come here, what's wrong?"
He held out his arms to her and she filled them instantly, putting her head on his chest. "I love you so much Sev. I missed you. I need you." Hermione's hand crept up under his shirt slowly to feel his warm skin and grip his shoulder blade.
Her face tilted to him and he couldn't resist kissing her pink lips passionately. "Sweetheart, I missed you in my arms every night. The smell of your hair, our morning kisses, the warmth of you in my bed. I didn't sleep, couldn't without you there. I'm exhausted." His hands pulled her shirt away to feel the deliciously soft skin of her back. Her core tightened and she kissed him back with all the passion and need in her body.
Suddenly their clothes were gone in a nonverbal spell and her hands reached for his cock, caressing it gently. He groaned and pulled away. "Darling, as much as I love you, I have to get some sleep first, okay?"
Hermione nodded in sad compliance and lay next to him quietly. She could always use a nap and if truth were told she hadn't slept well either. They were both out in moments.
