Birth of the Foal

"Herm-o-ninny, I vant to speak vith you," said Krum, sounding like he was just failing his GCSE English.

"Oh yes?" said Hermione. Then she noticed Krum's shirt was untucked. "Hang on." She stood up and tucked in Krum's shirt for him and then brushed the dust off his lapels. "There, isn't that better?" Then she realised what she was doing. "Sorry…" Her pregnant belly was pressed against him. Her maternal instincts had been getting the better of her again.

"Pregnant vomen are hot."

"Really?" Hermione's eyes were wide.

"You are obviously special. I vant to go to the Yule Ball vith you. I never felt this vay about another girl."

Hermione's brows drew together. "Viktor… are you sure… would you want me to be your girlfriend? I don't even like Quidditch all that much. I like the library better."

But because Rowling forgot to give a reason, Hermione was Krum's dream girl whatever the circumstances, and in this timeline, her pregnancy naturally made her more alluring.

On the way back to the common room, Neville Longbottom approached her.

"Hi Neville," said Hermione smiling at him.

"Hermione, I…" he blushed.

She put a hand on his arm. "Is everything alright?"

"Hermione, I was going to ask you to the ball," he said quickly. "You've always been so kind, helping me out in Potions and everything…" he tailed off awkwardly.

Hermione felt really sorry for him. "I – I'm sorry Neville. I can't go with you. I've already accepted an invitation to go with someone else." She put her arms around him, anticipating that he needed comfort. "Hang in there, dear. It's just a ball…"


00O00

Back in the common room Ron yelled at her. "Oy – Hermione – you count as a girl. Barely. I haven't managed to find anyone, so I'll condescend to going with you to this ball thing. A big sacrifice for me, I know."

"I can't," said Hermione.

"Oh come on, we're going to look really stupid if we haven't got partners," said Ron.

"I can't because I'm going with someone else," said Hermione blushing.

"No you're not. You just said that to get rid of Neville."

Hermione glared at him. "Did I? Just because it took you this long to realise I'm a girl, doesn't mean no one else has."

"Alright, I know you're a girl, however sad and obnoxious you are," said Ron. "Will you come now?"

"I've already told you. I'm going with someone else," snapped Hermione.

While the others had a furious snowball fight in the grounds, Hermione got herself ready for the Ball. She had picked out a special, blue maternity dress made of silk and used a lot of sleakeasy hair potion so that she could fix her hair into an elegant bun. When she arrived in the entrance hall, Krum took her by the arm and led her into the hall.

Harry was with a curly haired Hufflepuff girl, having had the sense to take the first one who asked him this time, instead of messing about. "Doesn't Hermione look radiant tonight," he observed. "She has a real glow in her cheeks."

"Yes, that's the pregnancy," said the girl.

Ron hadn't managed to find a partner. Neither had Crabbe or Goyle. Hermione was glad to see that Neville at least was going with Ginny. At least he was not without a partner. Ron was not pleased to see Hermione with Krum. He shook his fist and bared his teeth at them. Classy, that Ron. Viktor wanted to talk to Hermione a lot about Durmstrang. It turned out that it had only four floors, and even though it was in the far north, the fires were only lit for magical reasons. Weird. That was just so impractical.


00O00

Ron was waiting to confront her in the Common Room. "How could you fraternise with the enemy. He's competing against Harry – against Hogwarts! And he's already knocked you up, you slut."

Hermione felt herself growing angry. "He did nothing of the kind. I've been pregnant since last June. And if you don't like it, you should ask me out to a ball immediately and not as a last resort."

"Completely missing the point," said Ron gaping.

"No, I don't think she is," said Harry.

"Well watch," said Ron evilly, "I'm going to burn my figurine of Krum. It sort of acts like its alive, so I get to kill something alive. You'll find an arm under your bed tomorrow."


00O00

When it came to the time of the Second Task, Hermione had to be put into an enchanted sleep before being placed in the lake. She only consented after being assured that no harm would come to her or her foal. After that, she didn't really remember much until Krum dragged her out of the water. He was just getting rid of his shark head. The winter sunshine caused her to blink. The water was freezing cold, but it didn't bother her as much as she thought it would. She did find the taunts she received about being the thing Viktor Krum would miss most to be exasperating. Presumably they would include the strangeness of their being a pair in the first place.

In March it was finally time for Hermione to give birth. Harry had to escort her to the hospital wing. "Back again, Mr Potter?" Said Madam Pomfrey. "Actually, I like having you here." She brightened. "The bed by the window is vacant this time."

"Actually it's Hermione who's back," said Harry. Hermione had a very large maternity dress today. She gasped and strained as she pushed, with Madame Pomfrey encouraging her. Harry looked sort of awkward, but what was he supposed to do?

Hermione hissed and puffed like a birthing housecat. Then Krum came in. He noticed Harry standing by Hermione. "I vant to know vot there is between you and Herm – o – ninny," he said sternly.

"Nothing," said Harry.

"Nothing? Really?" said Hermione as she gasped and puffed.

"We're friends," said Harry, "but she's not my girlfriend." Well that was perfectly true. Harry stood aside and allowed Krum to stand by Hermione.

Hermione screamed as she pushed and her foal came out. She gathered it up in her arms. It was a little yellow foal, the four little legs all a tangle. The legs didn't seem to really have hooves. The ends of the legs were soft and rounded. The eyes were closed and the face was round with a snubbed nose and wide mouth. It had a little tuft of pink hair on its head. It opened its mouth and began to bleat in a high pitched whine. "It's a filly – or a girl – whichever you want to say," said Madame Pomfrey.

The foal opened her eyes. They looked really large in her weird little face. Almost too large. Bigger than Bambi eyes. Such big, brown eyes staring inquisitively up at her. Like Hermione's own. She began to feel a warm, soft protective feeling well up in her. All her apprehensions and regrets were forgotten. She clasped the foal to her breast and she immediately began to suckle, her little cheeks bulging as she swallowed. "Oh… my little one…" said Hermione weakly. "How have I waited this long for you?"

Krum was looking at the little foal with distaste, but Hermione didn't care. Harry was peering at the foal as well, and his expression was hard to read. Hermione looked up at Harry. "My little Ashleigh," she said.


00O00

Hermione had to abandon her studies and live in a suite of unused classrooms (one of many sets of unused classrooms at Hogwarts when you remember how small the number of students in Harry's year are and how big the castle is - think how many empty rooms there must be). Looking after Ashleigh, or Ash as Hermione preferred to call her, was hard work. Feeding her, helping her to walk, shovelling away her manure and most importantly, teaching her to read and talk. Hermione was delighted with her progress. In just two months, she could read and speak. Magicorns obviously grew quickly, like horse foals did, only with human intelligence. One morning in May, Hermione was delighted to see her foal now had brown spots all over her body and face, like a giraffe. No longer was she just plain yellow, now she was beautifully spotted. Hermione had always thought spotted animals were the prettiest. With magicorns, it was obviously like with dalmatians - the spots only appeared after a few weeks. Ash was her own - her own beautiful little daughter. Her precious creature. Her heart almost breaking apart with joy, Hermione scooped Ash up in her arms and kissed her and kissed her. Ash gave her little whinnying squeal, and nuzzled Hermione's neck. "Hugs! Hugs!" She bleated in her whinnying little voice.

Harry came to visit her later that day. He was the only one who did. Krum and Ron certainly never visited, and it wasn't as though Hermione had any other friends besides Harry.

Ash was cantering around the room. "'lo Harry," she squealed, cantering up to him. She gazed up at him with wide, dark eyes.

"Oh, hello, Ash," said Harry looking down at her and seeing her spotted pelt. "You look different today."

"Isn't she the most beautiful thing you ever saw?" said Hermione, feeling tears of happiness in her eyes.

"Definitely," said Harry. "Here." He knelt down and held out a sugar lump to Ash in the palm of his hand.

"Tanks," said Ash, gobbling the sugar down and getting slobber on Harry's hand.

"In the Third Task, I've got to get through a maze of traps," said Harry. "I suppose it'll be like when we got through the traps and puzzles around the Philosopher's Stone."

"Right up your street," said Hermione smiling. "Of course, you'll still need help."

"I wanna help," squeaked Ash.

"That's nice," said Harry, ruffling her pink hair.

"I do," said Ash, pouting. "Mummy loves you most. I know it."

Harry looked a little embarrassed. He never was good at expressing emotions. Not really surprising, given he was raised by the horrible Dursleys.

"She does," said Ash, her big brown eyes wide in her spotted little face. "She says that Krum has no time for single mums or mares, and Ron is mean."

"Ash…" said Hermione, embarrassed.

Ash cantered around Harry with astonishing speed. "Lemme help, lemme help, huh?"

"That's up to your mummy," said Harry firmly.

"Well whoever put your name in the goblet must be feeling pretty stupid by now," said Hermione. "They've failed twice, and they've only got one last chance to hurt you…" Hermione paused. "I – I think this is where they're going to do their worst."

Ash nuzzled Harry's leg. "Don't be stoopid and die, 'cos Mummy says that'd just kill her." She cocked her head inquisitively at Harry. "What did Mummy mean? How'd it just kill her?"

"I mean it'd break my heart, Ash" said Hermione. "You and Harry are all I have left to love – and all I have left to lose. Viktor was false. Ron is a jerk. I've had to drop out of school, so there goes my studies out of the window. I'm estranged from my Mum and Dad – I spend less time with them than Harry does with the Dursleys. I couldn't possibly love either of you more. Losing either of you would be more than I could bear..."

At that moment, the door was kicked aside, and a dark shadow fell across the room.