Hermione tried to control her breathing as she stared at the tiny glowing bundle of magic hovering over her abdomen. It wouldn't do to have a panic attack, especially not after this revelation.
How had she let this happen? How did she not realize until now that she was pregnant? This was going to complicate everything she had planned for her life. Hermione had just started making a name for herself in the Ministry in the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Just last week she had been instrumental in getting a bill passed to give werewolves more rights; including Wolfsbane at a reduced or free price if necessary, an entire section of land in Scotland they could all go to transform safely, and the right to be employed. She did not have time for a baby!
It was then that a thought occurred to her, causing her gasp. "I'm going to have to tell Draco." Saying it out loud made it seem more frightening. She had no idea how he would react. They had spent a night together after celebrating Harry's ascension to Head Auror two months previously and had never brought it up again. What had been a genuine friendship– that had the possibility of turning into something more– had crashed and burned after a night of throwing back shots of firewhisky and at least two entire bottles of fairy wine.
The next morning, in the harsh light of day, Hermione had woken up to a headache and an empty bed. No note left, nothing to indicate he had even been there except for a pair of cufflinks on her night stand with the Malfoy crest embossed on them. She had avoided him since then. She made excuses to not be at events she knew he would be at and only attend gatherings with their friends after she had been told he wouldn't be there.
As Hermione sat on her bed staring off into space, a Patronus soared into the room. A majestic stag stood in front of her, opening its mouth, her best friend's voice came out.
"Are you alright? We had a meeting scheduled to go over the new regulations for werewolves an hour ago."
When the message ended the stag disappeared and Hermione jumped to her feet and started throwing clothes on at random. Grabbing her wand, she sent off a quick Patronus of her own apologizing to Harry and informing him she would be in the office in ten minutes. As she headed out of her room, her eyes lingered on the jewelry box she had sitting on her dresser where she had kept Dracos cufflinks ever since. With a sigh, she grabbed her bag and disappeared.
Hermione spent the day in a fog, going through the motions of working but not actually retaining anything that she read nor was spoken to her. Shortly before five o'clock, Hermione penned a quick note to her personal healer to request an appointment as soon as possible. If she was spotted in St. Mungos, especially with any of the OB healers, she would be in the Prophet before she could even leave the building. She hoped her personal healer could help her, or at least point her in the direction of a discreet healer for her pregnancy.
A knock to the frame of her door startled her out of her thoughts. Hermione looked up to see Harry leaned against her doorway, Auror robes hanging open and dragon-hide boots scuffing the floor of her office.
"Everything alright?" Harry asked her when she waved him inside. "It's not like you to forget meetings." He started to prop his feet on her desk until he noticed her raised eyebrow. "Sorry, habit."
Hermione huffed as she quickly rolled up her letter and sealed it, placing it in her out box where it puffed away. "I was just feeling a bit sick and lost track of time. I'm going to see my healer soon before you start spouting your nonsense about taking care of myself." She told him as she rolled her eyes. "Can we reschedule for sometime later this week? I only have one other meeting on Thursday other than that I'm free." She was talking quickly, she knew she was but she wasnt ready to tell Harry what was really going on.
Harry looked at her with a suspicious gaze. "Are you sure that's it?" At Hermione's quick nod, he gave her one last sharp look before he nodded at her. "Let's plan for Friday first thing. If you have something come up just let me know. Luna asked me to invite you for dinner tonight. She said she wanted to see you."
Hermione tried to bite back the groan that was coming, judging by Harrys sharp look, she had not succeeded. She would never be able to keep anything from Luna.
She probably already knows somehow.
"What time?" Hermione asked, knowing she wouldn't be able to get out of it.
Harry stood with a stretch. "We'll see you at seven. No need to bring anything, I'm going to grab some takeaway. Luna told me this morning before I left that she wanted you to come over tonight specifically." Hermione waved him out the door, trying to hide the shock on her face, and let her head fall to her desk. Luna had an uncanny knack for knowing things before anyone else. She knew before anyone else that Ron and Pansy were expecting a few years back, she knew that Charlie was planning to move back to Britain. Luna always knew.
The next two hours dragged on and Hermione was half convinced the Unspeakables down in the DoM had somehow managed to slow time down. At a quarter to seven, just as she was gathering her work to leave, a note popped into her inbox. Her healer had an opening the next morning at eight and it was hers. Relief and fear were warring inside Hermione's head at the thought of the appointment. She grabbed her planner and penciled in the appointment, knowing it would be sent to her assistant who would know to field any notes or impromptu visitors to her office the next morning. Locking her office door, she headed to the lifts.
The door slid open just moments after calling for it, revealing the one person she desperately wanted to avoid for a few more days at least, Draco Malfoy. His eyes widened slightly as he noticed her standing there staring at him in shock before his mask of indifference slid back over his face. "Heading home, Granger?"
Hermione took a deep breath before she stepped into the lift. Giving him a curt nod, she stood at the very front, facing the door. "Heading to Harry and Luna's for dinner actually."
Draco chuckled. "Well, it seems like your days of avoiding everywhere I am are finally over. Potter invited me to dinner as well, he said Luna insisted I come." Hermione whipped around to look at him. He was leaning against the wall of the lift, arms crossed giving her a penetrating stare. "You ready to tell me why you've been avoiding me for so long?"
Hermjone turned back around, trying to calm the blush that was creeping up her neck. "It's not been that long." She could feel him, he had moved closer, his chest just barely touching her back.
"Two months, four days, nine hours." Draco whispered, his hand was on her hip and he twisted her around until she faced him. "I don't know what I did that night to cause you to ignore me all this time."
Hermione's heart was hammering hard against her chest as she tried to control her breathing. "I, uh, I, wait… What do you mean you don't know what you did? Are you kidding me?" She turned her back to him right as the lift doors opened to the Atrium. She was out the door and halfway to the bank of public Floos when he finally caught up to her.
Grabbing her arm, he pulled her to the side. "What are you talking about, Granger? I've been trying to figure out what I did and how to make it up to you since then!" Draco glanced around to make sure no one was trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. "I've tried to send you owls, I've asked Potter what's going on with you. You avoid me as often as you can. I don't know what I did."
Hermione pulled away from him, not caring that she was crying or probably overreacting. "You know exactly what you did, Draco Malfoy. Dumb isn't a good look on you." She turned and jumped into the nearest empty Floo and was gone in a swirl of green flames. As soon as she was ejected into the Potter's sitting room, thin arms were wrapping themselves around her shoulders as she cried.
"It's alright, Hermione, it's just the hormones. Let's go upstairs for a bit." Hermione just nodded as she let Luna lead her upstairs, vaguely hearing the Floo roar once again. "We'll work it all out tonight, don't worry."
Hermione laid on Harry and Luna's bed, her head resting on her friend's lap as she continued to cry– even though she wasn't certain just what she was crying for anymore. As her crying fell into sniffles, she sat up and looked at Luna who smiled at her serenely. "Feel better?"
Hermione nodded and took the handkerchief Luna was holding out for her. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me." She dabbed at her eyes as Luna continued to just look at her. "How did you figure it out? I just figured it out this morning."
Luna gave a tinkling little laugh and patted Hermione's hand like one might a small child. "Oh a few days ago, I could tell something was different." Hermione had known Luna long enough to know that was all the answer she was going to get. "It'll be alright Hermione. Just give him a chance to explain, he cares more for you than you or he realizes."
With that, Luna stood and walked out of the room, pulling the door part way closed as she went. Hermione could hear Luna and Harry speaking in low voices but couldn't make out what they were saying. A few moments passed and the door opened as Harry walked in and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Feeling sick this morning huh?" Harry gave her a look that said he saw through all of her shite. "You could have told me you know, I wouldn't have judged you or whatever."
Hermione sighed, sitting up and leaning against Harry's side. "I just figured it out this morning. I don't know what to say to him, Harry. We spent one night together and the next morning he was just gone! He didn't leave a note and he said he sent owls but I have that stupid block on my mail so I didn't get them." She felt a few spare tears roll down her cheeks, thankful she seemed to have stopped with the hysterical crying she had subjected Luna too.
Harry sighed and patted her knee. "I think you need to talk to him, 'Mione. Hear him out." Harry stood to leave. "He's right outside, I haven't told him but you need to."
Hermione sighed. "Send him in. I assume this is why Luna asked us both to come to dinner?"
"Yeah" Harry said with a laugh. "It probably is. Any requests for dinner?"
She wiped her eyes and blew out a deep breath. "Pizza? That sounds amazing." She smiled slightly as Harry laughed.
Hermione pushed the palm of her hands into her eyes to stop herself from crying again as she heard the door close. Raising her head she found Draco leaned up against the door. His hair was disheveled like he had been running his fingers through it, the top two buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned and his tie was long gone.
"So I guess we should talk then," He stated, looking around the room. "The morning after we spent the night together when I woke up, I panicked. I had been trying to figure out for months how to ask you out without looking like a prat then I fucked it all up by sleeping with you. I didn't want you to think I just wanted a quick shag. So I panicked and left. I regretted it as soon as I got to my flat. I tried to Apparate back but your wards wouldn't let me, all the owls I sent you came back without being delivered. You started avoiding me. I realised I royally fucked up my shot. I know I should have tried harder but it hurt and I didn't want to be hurt so I tried to move on." While speaking, Draco had started walking towards her until he was standing directly in front of her. "I haven't been able to get you outta my head."
"I have owl post blocked because of hate mail I receive thanks to Rita Skeeter's lies," she explained. Hermione took a deep breath before looking up into the steel grey eyes of Draco Malfoy. "I'm pregnant."
Draco's mouth dropped open and he swayed on the spot. "I'm sorry, you're what now?"
"Pregnant. With child, knocked up, I have a bun in the oven, I'm up the duff. I don't know how to be any clearer, Draco." Hermione said with a slight huff and crossed her arms. "It's yours, in case that wasn't clear."
He fell to his knees and pulled her arms until he could grab her hands. "How long have you known?"
She peeked up at him. "Just since this morning, I have an appointment with my healer in the morning."
Draco pulled her forward and wrapped his arms around her. "Can I come? Please? If I havent lost my shot can I take you to dinner as well?"
Hermione smiled into his shoulder. "I think we've both been a bit daft the last couple months. Clean slate? We can start over."
Draco hugged her tighter and kissed the top of her head. "Well, not completely over, we have a new addition."
"Yes, yes we do."