Author's Note: I do not own the Harry Potter or Supernatural characters, they belong to Kripke and Rowling. The only one I own is baby girl Winchester.

Chapter Inspiration: Tragedy + Time by Rise Against

Chapter 22

Hermione took a deep breath, then another before answering him. "Yes Dean, I forgive you. Where does that leave us though?"

Dean thought for a moment about her question. After dealing with an angry Sam, and an even angrier Bobby for the last month and a half, he was ready to make a decision that nobody ever thought he'd make willingly. "If you give me a second chance to make things right, I think it's time to retire from actively hunting." He admitted.

"Really? You're all of the sudden okay with stopping hunting? What changed?" Hermione asked curiously, lowering herself so she could at least sit on the steps, despite the falling snow.

Dean lowered himself to sit, but kept some space between them. "A lot has changed. The last month and a half was like living in a nightmare. It forced a perspective change from being hunter first, to father first, to partner first. I told you about the question Sam had asked me once, but after I sent you away, he and Bobby told me that by doing what I'd done, I'd become my father."

"So, you're telling me you don't feel the same about hunting?" Hermione asked gently, her voice was curious, but lacked any judgement or suspicion.

"I feel differently about hunting now. I probably will get the urge to do it from time to time, but it doesn't fit me anymore. If that makes any sense." Dean replied, trying his best to explain to Hermione the difference time had made.

"Makes sense to me. At some point, we all have to grow up, and reassess our priorities. It sounds like you've been doing some soul searching." Hermione commented.

"You make me sound like a chick flick." Dean joked, shooting her a half smile.

She laughed softly, enjoying being back to their old banter interspersed with heavy conversation. "Admit it, you like it." She teased right back.

"Nope, not admitting to anything, sweetheart." He replied, resisting the urge to touch her. It surprised him when she scooted herself across the small space between them and rested her head on his shoulder.

"This is your last chance Winchester; don't you dare push me away again." Hermione told him, her voice holding a warning.

"I don't plan on it." He replied, his throat becoming uncomfortable with emotion again. He allowed his head to relax so his cheek pressed against her head.

"What time is it?" Hermione asked around a yawn.

Looking at his watch, Dean cringed at the time. "It's just past three in the morning."

"Lovely. I don't suppose I could get some food and a place to crash?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"You don't even have to ask." Dean replied. When Hermione made no immediate motion to get up, Dean lifted his head to look at her.

"Before we go back in there, I just want you to know something." She said softly, not removing her head from his shoulder.

"Okay." Dean replied gently, mentally encouraging her to go on.

"Even if you don't feel the same, I meant what I yelled at you earlier. You know, about having fallen in love with you." Hermione told him calmly. "You don't have to love me to be involved though."

"Hermione…" Dean started to interject, but she stopped him.

"You don't have to say anything, Dean. I'm okay with you not saying anything right now. I just wanted you to know. Full disclosure and all." Hermione said, finally lifting her head and sliding away from him. Reaching out, she grabbed the rail to help herself to stand. Dean however, seeing her struggle, raised himself to help. Taking her hand and elbow, he got her back upright. "Thank you." She said, bringing the hand that had been gripping the railing behind her to rub her lower back again.

"Are you okay? You keep rubbing your back." Dean asked, he didn't like her being in any kind of pain.

"I'm fine, just a bit of lower back pain. Comes from being nearly as big as Bobby's house." Hermione joked.

Dean rolled his eyes at her description of her size. "If you need anything, you tell someone." He instructed.

"Yes sir." Hermione mock saluted him with a wink.

Dean swallowed the hormones she activated with her words. It wouldn't do to be in that state, in a moment such as this. "Let's get you fed and to bed, momma." Dean replied.

Together they walked back into Bobby's house, walking towards the kitchen where Sam and Bobby were sitting at the table, coffee in front of them. They shot glares at Dean, something Hermione noticed.

"You don't have to glare at him." Hermione admonished, hands going to her hips. Dean whipped around to see Bobby and Sam with now sheepish looks on their faces.

"Hermione, it's good to see you again, but this idjit here…" Bobby started to explain before she cut him off.

"While it's good to see you too Bobby, everything's fine now. We talked it all out, and while we have a long way to go until everything's back to the way it was between us, we're going to try." Hermione explained. "He's even made a decision I think you'll be proud of him for."

Both Bobby and Sam looked to Dean for an explanation. With a sigh, Dean moved so that he was standing behind Hermione, his hands on her shoulders. "I've decided to move to England and quit hunting." He said quickly.

At first, Bobby and Sam looked shocked. Both Dean and Hermione had to stifle a giggle at Sam's slack-jawed look, and Bobby's eyes so wide his eyebrows were hiding in what was left of his hairline. Sam was the first to recover.

"It's about time!" Sam replied, getting up from the table so he could slap Dean on the shoulder in a congratulatory gesture. "I've been telling him for months he should do just that, but no, he had to go and make himself miserable." Sam addressed Hermione in a joking manner.

She smiled gently at the younger Winchester. "His heart was in the right place, and he's on the road to fixing his mistakes."

"That's good. If you ever need him whipped back into shape, you let us know!" Sam offered with a wink.

"I may take you up on that." Hermione joked back. Dean just rolled his eyes in good humor.

Bobby who, until that moment had been silent, cleared his throat, getting the attention of the young people bantering back and forth. He rose from his chair and moved so he was standing directly in front of Hermione and Dean. He pulled Hermione from Dean's hands, and into a firm hug.

"You are a compassionate woman, and he's going to need that. He's going to make mistakes now and then, just love him through them." He whispered in her ear.

"I will." Hermione whispered back.

Bobby released her and did the same to Dean, something that pleasantly surprised Hermione and Sam.

"You look after your girls, you hear me? No, you don't deserve her, so try your best to not screw this up. Again." Bobby whispered to him.

"I promise Bobby, I'll look after them. Until I die." Dean replied, getting the closest he'd ever gotten to expressing his love for Hermione and his daughter out loud.

Dean and his father figure broke their hug, and Dean of course, shattered the moment. "Okay, can we get her some food now so she can get some rest?"

Everyone laughed, and the men went to work gathering up some edible food for her to eat. Hermione tried to insist that she handle getting food, but Dean forced her into a chair at the table, and instructed her not to move. She stifled giggles watching 3 grown men trip over themselves to fuss over her like mother hens. Though, she doubted they'd appreciate being compared to such. Bobby made sure to provide her with the largest glass he owned, filled to the brim with water, and both Sam and Dean worked together to put together a BLT sandwich. Once she had food in front of her, she thanked them and dug in.

Once she started eating, Bobby and Sam went back to bed, leaving the parents-to-be alone in the kitchen. Neither spoke, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. Dean was speculating what his life was going to be like without hunting, and even though he was fine with it, he couldn't help but feel a slight, nostalgic tug on his heartstrings. He thought back on the last month and accepted that hunting was no longer his calling, not if it meant being without his girls, as he'd come to think of them. Suddenly, a realization dawned on him.

"Shouldn't you be having some kind of baby gift exchange thing, or something? What do you women call them?" Dean struggled.

"You mean a baby shower?" Hermione asked, after swallowing a bite of her sandwich.

"Huh?" Dean was confused. "I'm not asking if you give a baby a shower."

If Hermione could double over, she would have been with how hard she was laughing. Dean was feeling rather indignant with her reaction. "I'm serious!"

"Oh, I know, but you're too funny!" Hermione exclaimed. "The baby gift exchange thing you were asking about is called a baby shower. It's where people come and bring gifts for the baby."

"Oh. Well how was I supposed to know?" Dean asked indignantly.

"I suppose you wouldn't, would you?" Hermione asked, her laughter gradually subsiding. "To answer your question though, yes, I did have one. Minerva hosted it a couple of weeks ago."

"Oh." Dean replied.

"Yeah, Minerva, Ginny, and Hannah all helped me set up a nursery for her too." Hermione gently told Dean.

"Really?" Dean asked, feeling increasingly shittier. He felt like everyone had done something for his daughter but him. It wasn't a comfortable feeling.

"Yeah, it's really pretty. You'll like it." Hermione replied, oblivious to the depressing turn Dean's thoughts had taken.

"I'm sure I will." Dean replied, clearing his throat. He decided he'd go out tomorrow, or rather later today, and get his daughter something. Noticing Hermione's plate and glass were empty, he picked up both and dropped them in Bobby's sink. He then held his hand out to help Hermione up. "You sleep upstairs, I'm going to crash on the couch." He offered.

"Okay, if you're sure?" Hermione asked.

"I'm sure. Get some good sleep, sweetheart." Dean assured, squeezing her hand gently.

She rewarded him with a kind, but sleepy smile. Before she left the kitchen, she stretched up to kiss him on the cheek. Dean smiled once she'd left the room, he was happier than he had been while she was gone. Once he heard her shut the bedroom door, he went to the living room to see Sam sprawled out on the couch, snoring away. With a sigh, Dean contented himself with the recliner, and fell into a fitful doze.

Hermione was used to being uncomfortable all the time because of her size. What she wasn't used to, was being this uncomfortable though. Her back hurt worse than ever, her hips were now hurting, and the front of her distended stomach felt uncomfortable. She shifted carefully so she could rest on her right side, instead of the left. When that didn't ease any of the pain she was experiencing, she sighed and looked at the alarm clock. It was nearing 11 a. m.

With a groan, she sat up, propping pillows so she could rest her back. No dice, in fact, she almost felt worse. She dropped her head back to the wall behind her and groaned again. Figuring maybe some movement would help, she got out of bed, and began to pace. Initially it helped the ache fade a bit, but after sitting back on the bed again, it started right back up again. Hermione gave a frustrated growl and balled her hands into fists, the sleeves of her sweater protecting her palms from her fingernails. She stood to pace again, but this time, she felt the sensation as if something liquid were running down her leg. With dread, she lifted a leg to inspect her jeans, and there indeed was a wet trail running down the inseam.

"DEAN!" She yelled.

There was a crash from below her, followed by multiple sounds of pounding boots. Bobby was first into the room, having slept in the bedroom across the hall, followed by a frantic looking Dean.

"What's going on?" He asked, hurriedly rushing around Bobby to her side.

"I need to get to a hospital." Hermione replied calmly. "Your daughter has decided she wants to be born today."

Dean's eyes went wide with the news. Unfortunately, any coherent thought went out the window at the same time. He looked to Bobby, who was looking rather amused at his alarm.

"Dean, get her to the Impala and get your asses down to Sioux Falls General. Sam and I will be right behind you guys." Bobby said, taking control of the situation.

"Okay, right." Dean replied with a nod. He wrapped one arm around Hermione's back, and took one of her hands in his as he guided her gently out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and out to the Impala. Settling her in the backseat, he jumped behind the wheel, and sped out of the driveway.