Hermione sat at her desk in the Department of Mysteries, absently twirling her pen around in her hand. She had been halfway through her most recent report detailing the steady increase in the power within her magical core when she realised Draco would be arriving soon to escort her to the doctor. This week - like the last - had passed by in a blur. Why was it that time flew when you were dreading what was to come?
Ron hadn't tried to make contact with her since she'd last spoken to him, and she honestly wasn't sure how she felt about that. Surely if he loved her he would have done something by now? At least reached out to her? Slouching back in her chair, Hermione was disrupted from her meandering thoughts by a knock at the door. Assuming it was Draco, Hermione picked up her wand and opened the door, surprised to see Harry's smiling face.
"Harry!" Hermione squealed with joy as she leapt up from the chair, launching herself into his waiting arms. "When did you get back?"
"Last night," Harry replied through his laughter, squeezing Hermione extra tight as she clung to him. "How are you? It feels like it's been forever!"
Feeling Hermione sag a little in his arms, Harry watched as the beaming smile slid right off his friend's face. "What?" Harry asked, puzzled as Hermione pulled away from him and sat on the edge of her desk.
"Have you seen Ron?" Hermione asked quietly, her fingers gripping the solid wood beneath her. Seeing Harry made her realise that very soon everyone she cared about was going to know about her night with Draco.
"No, not yet. Well, I've seen him, but we all had an Auror meeting. He's coming for dinner tonight, didn't he tell you?" Harry questioned as Hermione's nose scrunched up, her eyes squeezing shut momentarily. "We invited you both," his eyebrows quirking up in confusion as Hermione shook her head.
"I need to talk to you, Harry, but I can't right now. Just promise me - whatever Ron says - you'll hear me out, yeah?" She could feel the tears pricking behind her eyes, but she would not let them fall.
Harry stepped toward his friend and gently pulled her into a hug. "Why can't you tell me now?" he asked, holding Hermione tighter when she shook her head fiercely.
"I'm about to go out with…" Hermione's sentence was interrupted by another knock on her partially open door as Draco's face peered around the corner, "Draco," she finished in relief, waving him forward.
"Hey, Potter," Draco greeted him casually, accepting his offered hand and shaking it as he spoke. "Heard you did a decent job on that last mission."
"Ha!" Harry laughed, letting Hermione go. "I take it you heard about the Tempest Jinx? Those new recruits are always so...excitable. You would think I didn't have a reputation for being 'The Chosen One'!"
Hermione giggled slightly as she pulled her coat on, shaking her hair out from its collar. "Harry," she called, interrupting whatever joke they were about to make. "I mean it. Once you've spoken to Ron, you have to hear me out. Promise me?"
Noticing the way Hermione had focused on him, reminding him of the look she got when was trying to stop him from doing something stupid, Harry turned to give her his full attention. "Always," Harry promised, extending his pinky out to Hermione, smiling as she linked her own with his. "Owl me a time and place and I'll be there."
"Thank you," Hermione said gratefully before turning to face Draco, registering the slight look of confusion upon his face at their pinky promise. "We've got to get moving or we'll be late."
Draco nodded and headed toward the door. "Sorry, Harry. I'll see you soon."
"Yeah, you will," Harry shouted as Hermione and Draco disappeared down the empty corridor. "It's been ages since I kicked your ass on the Quidditch pitch!"
Whipping his head round to shout a witty retort back at Harry, Draco caught sight of Hermione's anxious expression. Whilst it was good to have a friendship with Harry, right now Hermione needed him, and he was determined to be there for her. Together, they walked along in comfortable silence, almost making it to the Atrium before trouble came their way.
A tall red-headed figure was weaving his way through the busy Atrium toward them, and Hermione let out an involuntary squeak, alerting Draco to Ron's presence. Following Hermione's gaze and reading the expression on Ron's face, Draco quickly placed himself in front of Hermione, shoving Ron into a conveniently empty office with Hermione following close behind.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Ferret!?" Ron raged as he stumbled into the room whilst Draco calmly cast a silencing charm on the door. "Shagging my wife and then waltzing through the Ministry with her!"
Draco glanced quickly at Hermione, her eyes round as galleons, before he spoke, his voice low and deadly. "Hermione and I frequently walk through the Ministry together. If you wanted to know what was going on in her life, you could try being there for her."
Hermione inched forward slowly, her shoes making no noise on the carpet so she could discreetly reach out and hook her finger around one of Draco's, imploring him to keep his cool as his words hung in the air around them. Peeking through her lashes at Ron's rigid frame, she breathed a sigh of relief - his gaze was firmly fixed on Draco and her movement had gone unnoticed.
Ron spluttered incoherently as his face grew red with rage. This was the man who had slept with his wife. The one who had bullied her for years and now may have gotten her pregnant! And he was telling him how to treat her? "What the hell do you know about it!?" he shouted, moving forward so he was nose to nose with Draco.
Feigning a calm and control that he didn't have, Draco met Ron's gaze dead on. "Enough," was all he said before stepping away and turning to Hermione, wrapping his arm reassuringly around her waist with a squeeze. "Come on, we're going to be late."
Keeping one eye on Ron as he stood there fuming, Draco moved carefully, his firm grip reassuring Hermione as he gently guided her out the door first, keeping his body between her and Ron. They quickly walked in silence through the Ministry and out onto the crowded Muggle streets, both eager to put as much space between them and Ron as possible.
Together, they weaved through the steady stream of people, Hermione's feet leading them on autopilot to the doctor's in silence as her mind reeled at Ron's reaction. How could he think it was acceptable for him to behave in such a way? If it wasn't for Draco, who still hadn't loosened his hold on her waist, she would be going through this alone. Although Hermione pondered to herself, maybe without Draco she wouldn't be in this mess.
Bringing them to a stop a little while later outside a classy Victorian townhouse in Chelsea, Hermione looked at Draco. "I'm scared, Draco," she admitted quietly, her eyes moving to fixate on a crack in the pavement. "I don't know what they do to verify pregnancy, I haven't prepared myself for this. If things had been different…"
"It's ok, I'm sure what you're feeling is only natural," Draco replied calmly, moving a loose curl back behind Hermione's ear. "We'll just see what happens."
Nodding, Hermione stepped out of Draco's arm and took his hand, climbing the steps before pushing the glossy black door open and stepping into the sleek reception area. "Welcome!" the receptionist greeted them happily. "May I take your name?"
"Yes, of course," Hermione replied politely, her nerves making her blood pulse through her body. "I'm Hermione Granger. I have an appointment with Dr Matthews at three-thirty."
"Please take a seat," the receptionist said calmly, tapping Hermione's name into her computer. "He'll be out shortly."
"Thank you," Hermione replied, turning away to sit on the edge of one of the posh sofas scattered around the room.
"Relax, Hermione," Draco said, sitting down next to her whilst her leg bounced up and down. He was still getting comfortable when the door in front of them opened and a middle-aged man called out Hermione's name, causing her to jump.
Heart hammering, Hermione stood quickly, yanking Draco up with her to walk into the smiling man's clinical office.
"Take a seat," Dr Matthews said, gesturing to the two chairs before his desk as he closed the door and took his seat. "What can I do for you today?"
Hermione squirmed in her seat and glanced up at Draco, his aura of calm giving her the courage to utter her next words. "I think I'm pregnant," Hermione said, proud of how her voice didn't waver.
"Mhmm," Dr Matthews replied staring at Hermione through his glasses. "What brings you to that conclusion? Have you done a home pregnancy test?"
"No," Hermione replied hastily, thinking of the box that currently sat still sealed on the counter in her bathroom. Every night she had sat looking at it, willing herself to take the goddamn test but unable to take those few measly steps across the room and actually do it. "My um, period, is late," Hermione answered, embarrassed as she realised what she had just said in front of Draco. Why did I think it was a good idea to bring him here?
"Right, ok then," Dr Matthews replied easily, his hands resting on his desk as he moved to stand. "There is a simple test for that, Miss Granger. If you would, please, just pop behind that curtain and take off your undergarments, then cover yourself up with the blanket. I'll come round in a moment and perform the ultrasound."
Hermione stood on weak legs, finding amusement in the look of surprise on Draco's face before moving around him to follow the doctor's orders. As Draco made to follow her, Hermione reached out and gently squeezed his shoulder, shaking her head at him. This particular part she had to do alone.
A few minutes later, after a somewhat uncomfortable examination, Hermione found herself once again sitting next to Draco. She was grateful that she had been able to cast a quick Scourgify on herself following the examination, it made her feel slightly more human. As they nervously waited for Dr Matthews to give them the results, Hermione gripped Draco's hand tightly.
Spinning around in his chair, Dr Matthews observed them both for a moment before placing a small piece of paper on his desk. Having lost the feeling in his hand, Draco gently grazed his thumb across Hermione's knuckles, attempting to relax them both as they leaned forward. "It's a little hazy, but there is definitely something there," Dr Matthews said calmly as the air rushed out of Hermione's lungs.
Realising after a few moments of silence that Hermione wasn't going to reply, Draco spoke, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "What does that mean? She's pregnant? Are you able to give us a date?"
"Yes, Miss Granger is pregnant, and unfortunately no, I can't give an accurate date yet," Dr Matthews continued, pointing to the scan in front of them where Draco could see the tiniest grey circle in a field of black and white. "Given the fuzziness of the picture, I would say you are in the very early stages of pregnancy. Most of the time on these scans, the embryo doesn't even show up until five and a half weeks. If you would like we can book you in for another scan in a couple of weeks?"
There they were, those words she had been so afraid of hearing: she was pregnant, actually pregnant. Having it confirmed by her Muggle doctor made it so much more real. It wasn't some rogue magical signature, a side effect of the cave. There was a real-life growing inside her. What was she going to do? She wasn't ready for this. And what was the doctor going on about, a couple of weeks? How could she live for the next couple of weeks not knowing whose child she carried!? If she had known the doctor couldn't be any more accurate than the test she had ignored at home, she wouldn't have dragged Draco down here in the first place.
Next thing she knew, Hermione's vision was pierced by blinding sunlight as she found herself out on the street. Whilst she had been wrapped up in her head, Draco had finished the conversation with the doctor and taken her outside.
"Hermione," Draco said tenderly, pulling her lip from between her teeth with his thumb. "I know that wasn't what you wanted to hear, but I have a private Healer waiting at my cottage if you want to go see her."
Another Healer? Hermione pondered. If she was being honest, she was sick of them. She just wanted to go home. The examination today had been uncomfortable, to say the least. Bloody Doctor sticking things where they didn't need to go. But, on the other hand, they still weren't any closer to knowing who sired her child. What if Draco's Healer could do that? The promise of knowledge sparked in her brain, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to see another Healer.
Draco shifted nervously from one foot to another as Hermione focused on him and only him. It was one of those looks where Draco was sure she could see into his soul. After they had gone their separate ways last weekend, Draco had arranged the appointment, wanting to have a backup just in case the Muggle way let them down. If he had gotten Hermione pregnant, he was adamant to do everything he could for her. When he had spoken to the Healer, he had asked for her to be available straight after the Muggle doctor appointment and paid extra for her to meet them at his cottage, so Hermione could have privacy. Hoping he hadn't overstepped the mark, Draco waited patiently for Hermione's response.
Relief flooded him when a few moments later Hermione nodded slowly and wrapped her arms around him. Needing no further encouragement, Draco embraced her, and quick as a flash, they were gone from London and arriving in the quiet countryside of Wiltshire.
They walked quietly through the garden, blooming with spring flowers, towards Draco's quaint cottage. With the Manor burnt to the ground, Draco had tried living in the city, hoping the hustle and bustle would help keep him busy and on the road to recovery. However, it wasn't long before he found himself pining for the quiet countryside he grew up in, seeking a calmer life for himself.
Draco smiled as he recalled casually mentioning to Hermione in the early days of their friendship that he longed to live in the country again. He'd been surprised she had turned up the next day with ten different Muggle properties for him to view, knowing he would have never looked there himself. Within a month, Draco had found his perfect little sanctuary and moved in quickly, ever grateful to Hermione for helping him.
Stepping into Draco's bright living room, Hermione felt at ease, the country air having refreshed her senses. On his grey Chesterfield sofa, which dominated the room, there was a pleasant-looking woman sat waiting for them. As she stood to greet them, Draco promptly moved forward. "Healer Bradstone, this is Hermione Granger-Weasley. Hermione, this is Healer Bradstone."
"Nice to meet you, Mrs Granger-Weasley," Healer Bradstone said warmly, shaking Hermione's hand.
"Please, call me Hermione," Hermione said, smiling at the Healer. Her bright blue eyes regarded her warmly, making Hermione feel at ease in this woman's presence.
"So," Healer Bradstone began, pulling out her notes with an air of efficiency that Hermione admired. "I understand from my conversation with Mr Malfoy that during a routine health scan at work, the results showed a pregnancy. I've been able to look at your notes from the Ministry, and that does seem to be the case, but I understand you would like a second opinion?"
"More like a third opinion. We've just seen my Muggle doctor," Hermione replied, wondering how much detail she should go into. "We'd like a date too, if possible?"
"Not a problem," Healer Bradstone replied confidently. For the first time in weeks, Hermione felt like she might get some answers. Healer Bradstone turned to Draco, asking, "Where would you like me to do this? I only need a small amount of space, but ideally, Hermione should be lying down."
"I'm fine on the sofa if that's suitable?" Hermione said quickly. The one place Hermione hadn't been was Draco's bedroom and the thought of going up there for a scan seemed far too intimate.
"Works for me," Healer Bradstone said simply. "Mr Malfoy?"
"Whatever Hermione wants," Draco replied instantly. He had been watching Hermione carefully since their arrival and noticed the tension in her shoulders was just starting to disappear but returned when Healer Bradstone suggested the bedroom. Understanding this was difficult for Hermione, Draco wanted to do whatever made her comfortable, plus this way he was still in the room.
Sending Draco a thankful smile, Hermione moved hesitantly to the sofa as Healer Bradstone handed her a potion. "What is this?" Hermione questioned, looking at the shocking pink liquid in the vial.
"This will help to accurately date the pregnancy," Healer Bradstone explained happily. "Once you've taken that, I will perform my diagnostics, and an apparition, if you like, will hover just above your stomach, like a Muggle scan. This potion makes it clearer to see, therefore helping me date the conception accurately."
Hermione shrugged out of her cardigan, draping it over the back of the sofa before she turned to look back at Healer Bradstone who was quietly appraising her.
"Do you have any more questions?" Healer Bradstone asked, her eyes flitting between Draco's stoic expression and Hermione's fidgeting as she toed off her shoes.
Draco moved closer to Hermione and the Healer and silently shook his head, watching as Hermione's brow furrowed whilst she chewed on her lip. Slowly but surely, butterflies were starting to dance in his stomach, reminding him that he could soon find out he was going to become a father. Swallowing hard, Draco gripped the back of the sofa and waited.
A thousand questions seemed to barrage Hermione's mind, but not one of them was appropriate for now. What if I don't want to keep the baby? Gods, that's a horrible thought. But I can choose. But what do I choose? Shaking her head, Hermione popped the cork off the potion and swallowed it down in one, pleasantly surprised when it tasted like strawberries.
"Brilliant," Healer Bradstone said enthusiastically. "Now if you'd like to lie back and make yourself comfortable, I can begin."
Draco flashed her a quick, reassuring smile as she laid back on the couch, her hand fishing for one of Draco's plump pillows to put under her head. As Hermione's eyes darted around the room, they came to rest on Draco. He was standing close enough for Hermione to hold his hand if she wanted but far enough away to not be invading her space. For the second time that day, Hermione was extremely grateful for Draco's presence.
Healer Bradstone perched on the edge of Draco's coffee table and gently pulled up Hermione's top, baring her stomach for them to see. Draco leaned forward, fascinated as the Healer did her work. There were so many complicated wand movements making the air around Hermione shimmer in different colours, he had trouble understanding which movement created which colour.
Draco glanced down at Hermione's face and studied her, the ever-present anxiety written into the wrinkles of her forehead as her fingers traced the grooves in the back of his sofa. Lost in his study of her expression, it took Draco a moment to realise Hermione's warm brown eyes were staring at him. Embarrassed, Draco ran his hand through his blonde locks, about to stick his tongue out at Hermione when Healer Bradstone stopped her ministrations and an image hovered over Hermione's stomach.
"There you are, Hermione, your baby," Healer Bradstone said softly as Draco folded his body over the back of the sofa, transfixed.
What had been a hazy black and grey image in the Muggle doctor's office was now a defined golden apparition. Healer Bradstone closed the curtains in the room with a quick flick of her wand, making it shine brightly through the gloom. "You see here?" she asked, pointing to an area of pale gold circled by a solid gold line. "That is the gestational sac, and in here," the Healer continued, pointing to a smaller golden circle within the larger one, "is the yolk sac, which is where your embryo lives. You see this tiny circle linking the two here, that's your baby. Now, watch it carefully."
Hermione gasped softly as that little gold dot fluttered before her eyes. "Is that a heartbeat?" Hermione asked, her voice breaking on the last word as Draco reached out and grabbed Hermione's hand. Magic is amazing, Hermione thought as she watched the flickering dot.
Smiling at the look of awe of both of their faces, Healer Bradstone spoke softly. "Yes, that's the heartbeat."
Sweet Merlin, Draco thought as he stared hard at the image, watching the steady flicker of the heartbeat. There really was a baby inside Hermione, one that he had potentially put there. Was he ready for this? Could he be someone's father given the example he had grown up with? What if he failed? Wait...What if it wasn't his? Could he stand by and let Hermione go back to Ron? No, there was no way he could do that. Even if it wasn't his kid, he couldn't watch Hermione go back to Ron.
"And the date?" Draco asked gruffly, trying to clear the lump lodged in his throat, knowing that this could be the moment of truth.
"It's still very early. I would estimate between three and five weeks based on the size of the sac and strength of the heartbeat. If we make another appointment in four weeks, I'll be able to give you an accurate date as the fetus will be either seven or nine weeks," Healer Bradstone informed the stunned pair. "Do you have any further questions?"
Disappointed that they still couldn't get a date but feeling better having the pregnancy confirmed - again - Hermione looked at Draco, his intense grey eyes staring into hers, echoing her disappointment. "How can we find out the paternity?" she asked apprehensively.
"There is a test which can be carried out between ten and twelve weeks. If you did it in line with your twelve-week scan, you could also find out the sex," Healer Bradstone responded promptly, waving her wand to reopen the curtains and dismiss the image.
Pulling her top back down, Hermione was reassured by Healer Bradstone's efficiency. Hermione smiled at her and said, "Thank you, you've been really helpful."
"That's what I'm here for," Healer Bradstone spoke kindly. "Unless there is anything else, Hermione, Mr Malfoy, I'll leave you to the rest of your afternoon."
"I'll see you out," Draco spoke smoothly, squeezing Hermione's shoulder before he followed Healer Bradstone to the door.
Sitting on Draco's sofa, listening to his calm voice as he joked with Healer Bradstone as she left, Hermione thought it was strange that in the middle of all this, she could feel so at ease in his home. If Professor Trelawney had predicted at school that Hermione would be sitting here, at the age of twenty-two, in Draco Malfoy's home, calmly discussing the possibility of having his baby, Hermione would have walked herself off the Astronomy tower.
Now, however, Hermione smiled whenever Draco walked into the room. Every day Draco worked hard to ensure he was still moving forward positively, never giving up on the prospect of a better life for himself. Only Hermione knew of the true horrors Draco experienced in Azkaban and the depths of the therapy he had pushed himself through for a year after his sixth-month incarceration. Something like that took true dedication, and Hermione admired Draco every day for his efforts.
"So then, Granger," Draco asked as he strolled into the room with two steaming mugs of tea, placing them down on the table before sitting next to her and taking her hand once again. "What do we do now?"
"We wait, Draco," Hermione replied, rubbing her thumb across his knuckles. "We wait until this little flicker is big enough to give us a date - and a dad."
A/N: I hope that update was worth the wait! I'm really enjoying writing this and I hope you're enjoying reading it. As always, many thanks to the supreme Alpha reader tectonictigress who helped me when I first had the idea and read all seventeen of the chapters I'd pre-written and many thanks to my new Alpha TriDogMum for giving everything a fresh set of eyes :D Now I'm back moving on this fic you'll have some more regular updates :)