Chapter 3
Magical Immunity

24 November 2002
the Burrow
Ottery St. Catchpole

"Hermione, come on now," was the first thing Hermione noticed followed shortly by something damp being pressed gently to her face and forehead. The very next thing she noticed is that she had absolutely no idea where she was. She slowly blinked her eyes open with a confused expression and noticed Molly Weasley hovering just at the edge of her peripheral. Her confusion only doubled until she scanned the room she currently occupied and her gaze caught the owner of the room standing anxiously against the door.

Ginny's room?

Suddenly everything flooded to the forefront of her mind. She, Hermione Granger, who not only managed to escape a severely abusive relationship which ended in a situation that was literally his life or hers, was approximately three months pregnant with the bastard's child. The young witch forced herself to take a deep breath to calm herself and to suppress the bile that was attempting to make its way up, exhaling sharply as her ribs protested. Finally, she brought her gaze to the woman who'd been her surrogate mother for nearly nine years.

Molly's expression told her everything she needed to know. Yes, she knew the horrors that the last year had held for Hermione. Yes, she'd seen the injuries and was concerned about both her physical and mental health. And most importantly, no, she wasn't going to press for answers to her questions. At least, she wouldn't just yet. Hermione sat herself up slowly, with the aid of the elder witch, before sighing heavily and raising her gaze once more.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, I know you were wanting to keep this to yourself as much as possible but with everything…I mean, I'm only in my first year of my apprenticeship…I was just worried and scared for you," Ginny said, moving forward from her spot at the door, her tone trembling as she stumbled through her apology.

Hermione shook her head slowly, "It's fine, Ginny, really. The boys…?"

"Are sitting on the landing of the stairs trying to figure out what's going on. I haven't told them anything," Ginny promised.

A breath of relief escaped Hermione and she nodded a bit more certainly, "Good. Good, thank you, Ginny."

"Did you still want Ginny to heal what she can, Hermione?" Molly asked, kindly.

"If you're willing to, I'd greatly appreciate it," Hermione said, turning her reply towards the younger girl. "I understand if you'd rather not, I know there's a lot to do."

"No, I can do it," Ginny insisted.

"Alright, I'll leave you two be, and send the boys off for the night," Molly nodded. "Though, Hermione, in the morning we're going to talk and get you taken care of, alright?"

Though it was stated as a question, Hermione knew better than take it as such. Molly Weasley was giving her the night to start to come to terms with the sudden turn of events, but come morning she'd have to truly face the music. With a soft good night to the girls, Molly made her exit from the room where they could hear her voice scolding Harry and Ron to get back to bed. After a few long, almost awkward, moments, Hermione pulled her attention back from the door to rest on her friend who looked decidedly unsure of how to proceed.

Hermione shifted herself to where she sat on the edge of the bed, her feet on the floor, and sighed. "Come on, Gin, let's get me patched up and get some sleep okay?"

"Are you sure you want me to? I already messed up once," the girl said miserably.

"How do you figure that?"

"I went and got Mum didn't I? I caused you a panic attack that made you pass out to begin with, didn't I?"

"Ginny…You went and got your mum because you aren't used to dealing with that situation. I'm not mad at you for it. I'm not upset with you in the least," Hermione smiled gently. "As for the other bit, you didn't cause me to pass out. It's just another hurdle that the gods decided I needed to have in my path and apparently chose Daniel to deliver the hurdle and you to deliver the bad news. I'm not particularly fond of the idea of taking it out on the messenger."

Ginny smiled weakly and nodded, moving forward with renewed confidence. "Alright then, let's get you fixed up. Though I'm only going to do what I feel comfortable taking care of, 'Mione. You've got a lot of damage that's been done to you and I don't feel right fixing something and risking making something else worse."

Hermione nodded in agreement and rose from her spot on the bed to stand in the center of the small bedroom, giving Ginny the necessary room to work. While the younger witch worked, Hermione allowed her mind to wander. Since she'd gotten back to London, she'd denied herself any opportunity of thought that might lead to self-pity. She had made a point to remain as active as possible throughout the day to avoid times when her mind might wander off and to ensure that when she laid down to go to sleep, she would be able to do so. Even in those times, however, the nightmares didn't play by her rules, but then again, they weren't conscious thought either.

Later that night, once the younger witch's breathing even out and sleep took over, Hermione lay awake thinking over the current turn her life had taken. It seemed she was barely allowed enough time to make it over one hurdle before another was thrown in front of her. She felt the unbidden tears begin to flow and tried to wipe them harshly away, she would not let him win, not now. But it seemed the ache of life wasn't going to go away and leave her be that easily. Glancing over at the sleeping witch in the other bed, Hermione rolled away onto her side and let them fall freely. A startled, shaky gasp escaped her as the mattress next to her with another's weight. The not-sleeping Ginny gave her a sad but reassuring smile and hugged her friend, holding her until she had cried herself to sleep before falling herself.

25 November 2002
the Burrow
Ottery St. Catchpole

Hermione woke to the sun shining brightly into the room, feeling oddly rested all things considered. She glanced to her friend who'd provided her with comfort in her pain and the strength to steer away the nightmares. It only barely escaped her attention that she still practically clung to the girl. The redhead stifled a yawn and gave a sleepy smile, "Mornin'"

"Morning Gin," Hermione replied quietly.

"How are you feeling, considering everything?"

"Scared. Worried," She said after a few moments of contemplation. "But at the same time, there's relief and anxious as well."

Ginny tilted her head slightly in a curious expression, "Scared and worried I can understand..."

"Relief that he or she doesn't have to be subjected to the man that their father was, the type of man he was. Anxious…well, I'm anxious at the idea of being a mother," Hermione explained.

The redhead looked slightly relieved at the other's statement and it was Hermione's turn to look curious and confused. Ginny shifted awkwardly and averted her gaze as she spoke, "Merlin, I didn't want to be the one to have to tell you this but the reason I'm relieved that you've at least mostly accepted this is that…the Wizarding world…the Wizarding world is different than the Muggle one, 'Mione. Abortion is an offense only a few notches below the Unforgivables in this culture. In some instances, I suppose I can understand it being frowned upon, but it's not just frowned upon in some instances."

Hermione frowned slightly, taking what she'd just been told and then shrugged and shook her head, "As much as this is a bad time, I don't think I could bring myself to that even if it were an option. Though considering the shape that I was in last night, I can understand why you'd be reluctant to tell me."

Ginny nodded, again in relief that she hadn't hurt the woman more than she already had been, and gave a weak smile. "I was thinking, though, with your injuries it's probably a better idea to go to St. Mungo's sooner rather than later."

"I was thinking that too," Hermione agreed. "I was debating on whether I wanted to get it over with before or after the talk with your Mum."

"I think I could work and get you seen early this morning," Ginny said, thoughtfully. "Maybe Mum will come with us and then the three of us can have a girl's day in Diagon Alley?"

"That sounds like a great idea."

"And it would work on two sides of things, it would get you taken care of as well as out and about for a little while, but it would also give you time to get your mind figured out before the boys decide to start pestering you with questions," Ginny grinned.

"I do believe I like the way you think, Ginny Weasley," Hermione stated with a laugh. The girls' conversation was interrupted by a sharp rap at the bedroom door and Molly Weasley's voice came through the wood.

"Are you girls up? Breakfast is ready."

The two witches gracefully untangled themselves and moved to the door. Ginny ushered her mother briefly into the room and explained the plan they had come up with. Molly's gaze rested curiously on Hermione before she nodded slowly in agreement. "I think that sounds like a marvelous idea girls. Would you like to invite Luna and the others, or just us for now?"

"We can invite them, perhaps have them meet us for lunch somewhere after we've finished at St. Mungo's?" Hermione suggested, inwardly pleased at the idea of seeing some of her old friends again.

Molly nodded with a smile before turning back to the door, "Well come along and get some breakfast in you then we can get around to leave."

The girls obediently followed the matriarch to the kitchen and Hermione felt herself being pulled into a seat between Ron and Harry and gave them both a warm smile in return.

It was definitely good to be home.

"Morning 'Mione," Harry greeted, Ron doing the same but for once, it seemed, finishing the food in his mouth before doing so. Conversation was light that morning and neither of her two friends mentioned anything about the previous night, though Hermione knew it was only a matter of time when she saw the brief flash of disappointment cross Harry's expression when the topic of the "girls' day" came up. Hermione offered him a small smile as she finished her food and rose to go get showered and changed for the day ahead of her. She felt her smile soften when he caught her hand and squeeze gently before turning back to his own food.

Once securely behind the locked door of the bathroom, Hermione exhaled heavily and glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Quickly, she undressed and stood to examine herself closely in the mirror. She was pregnant, yet…she didn't see it and didn't really feel it. Granted, before she had been closed off in that house and then her flat in London, she had known a few Muggle women who'd been completely healthy and not known until the fourth or fifth month. She remembered thinking it odd when she'd heard it. How does your body change so much without you noticing it? She'd asked herself that many of times and never quite came to an answer that made sense to her. Yet there she was, Ginny had said three months along, and she hadn't noticed a thing.

Or maybe she had noticed and simply contributed the changes she noticed with the changes that had occurred in her immediate history. Hermione frowned at her reflection in curious confusion before starting the water—very hot as was her usual preference—and climbing into the shower where her thoughts followed her. She closed her eyes under the spray of hot water and smiled gently at the image of a little girl with curly brown hair and big doe-eyes, as the thought passed through her mind, her hand rested on her lower belly. With a deep breath and an inward promise to let this start a new, and better, chapter in her life, Hermione quickly finished her shower and shut off the water. With a quick flick of her wand she passed a drying spell over herself then a smoothing on over her hair to tame what bushiness hadn't grown out. Another smile crossed her expression as she noticed just how easily she was getting re-adjusted to having her wand back.

Of course, it was then that she had realized that she hadn't remembered to retrieve her clothing from Ginny's bedroom before her shower. Rolling her eyes at her own forgetfulness, Hermione wrapped a towel snuggly around her body and opened the door just enough to peak out and ensure the landing was empty. Relieved, she slipped from the bathroom and had just made it to the door when she'd heard Harry's voice calling her name from the top of the stairs. She squeaked in surprise and squeezed herself into the room before peaking her head back out to him, rosy blush staining her cheeks at having been caught. "Yes, Harry?"

"I was just making sure you were alright, from last night I mean," he said softly as he approached the partially closed door.

"Oh yes, I'm fine. I promise I'll explain it all to you later but right now, I'd rather like to get dressed," She said, her nervousness coloring her voice as heavily as the blush stained her cheeks.

"Oh, right right, sorry," he stammered, color rising to his own face, his hand reaching back to scratch at the back of his neck as he was known to do when confronted with nerves or embarrassment. "Um…I know you are all going out for the girl's day and all, but when you get back?"

"Yes, Harry. We'll talk. Later," Hermione said with an amused roll of her eyes. When he nodded and took a backwards step, Hermione pulled her head back into the room and closed the door behind her. She was half dressed when the door opened, her quick glance revealed it to be Ginny who had apparently had the same lack of forethought as she had had. With a small smile to the other witch, Hermione quickly finished dressing and pulled her hair into a single, thick braid set just off center so it would settle easily forward over her shoulder. She sat on the bed and glanced up at Ginny as she put her shoes on, "So what all is on the plan for today?"

"First, obviously, get you in to see the Healers. Depending on how long that takes either we'll walk around a bit, maybe do some window shopping for things for the baby or we'll go on and meet up with the others for lunch," Ginny said. Hermione noted that the younger witch sounded as though she would be quite pleased at the prospect of looking at things for the baby as much if not more than the latter notion. Ginny sat on the bed across from Hermione and studied her before speaking again. "The Healer we, well you, will be talking to is Healer Catherine Kristov. She is extremely personable while keeping everything professional and she's damned good at her job. I didn't tell her who you were when I spoke to her but I did tell her some of your story. She came from a similar story prior to coming to work at St. Mungo's. She's agreed to do this visit entirely off the books. The only thing that will have to be paid for is if any potions or specific treatments are required as an "aftercare" type of thing."

Hermione blinked in surprise and nodded slowly in understanding, her mind going over the information that was given to her. "What all do you think this visit is going to consist of, Gin?"

"It's hard to say, really," Ginny said quietly. "Like I said last night, you've got some pretty extensive injuries there, 'Mione. It could be as simple as her finding one major thing that will help everything else to heal better and at a more rapid pace. Or it very well could turn out to be something she's going to go through, step-by-step, and heal everything individually. Mind you, if the second scenario or something similar is the case, that isn't even counting what may or may not be needed separately or in conjunction with the prenatal care. We're really not going to know exactly what's going to happen until she sees you. What I can tell you is that it's likely to begin with a more thorough diagnostic charm that I was able to do last night that way she can gauge everything and decide where and how to start. Once she's through with the charm, she'll be able to lay out for you the way the rest of the visit should go. At the very end of the visit you'll schedule any follow-up appointments, including and especially your prenatal visit. She'll prescribe any treatments she deems necessary."

"This is just so strange, surreal, maybe is a better word for it," Hermione said, staring blankly at her folded hands. She shook her head sharply to bring herself back into focus then sighed as she rose to her feet, offering a hand to Ginny for the same, "I suppose we ought to get going, no need to make the good doctor wait needlessly."

Within an hour, the three witches stood in the lobby of St. Mungo's and Hermione felt her nerves near getting the better of her and she exhaled heavily, hands pressed against her ribs as she did so to ease the pain of the action. The woman who approached the trio slightly reminded her of Luna Lovegood. The woman was tall, at least she was much taller than Hermione's own 5'3" frame, yet she was willowy thin with fair skin, warm yet aloof blue eyes, blond hair of indiscernible length as it was pulled up into a neat bun at the base of the woman's head. Hermione stood back as the woman gave Ginny a warm hug before the blue gaze turned to rest on her. The woman's eyes widened in recognition and she started to speak before glancing to Ginny in curiosity. After a moment the woman gathered herself once more and spoke to the three women with, Hermione noted, an accent she was not quite familiar with enough to place, "I'm Healer Catherine, please, let's go to my office where we might speak a little more freely."

Hermione obediently followed the Healer with Molly and Ginny shortly behind her. Rather than focusing on her nerves, Hermione turned her attention to the witch just in front of her. Ginny had mentioned that this woman had a similar experience as her own, yet her smile was warm and friendly. She seemed not at all bitter with the cards that were dealt her way. Hermione nodded inwardly. If this woman could do it, there was absolutely no reason that she could not come out of the whole ordeal a better, happier person. With that thought, her nerves settled, even if only slightly.

Once all four witches were in the office, Catherine closed the door gently and took her seat on the stool nearest the desk. She studied Hermione for a moment before sighing, "Ginny, if you are to ask this type of thing of me again, I would appreciate that you at very least inform me as to whom I am agreeing to see. Not, Miss Granger," Catherine said, turning her gaze on the brunette, "that I have any personal negativity toward you, however, had Healer Ginny told me whom I would be meeting with, I would have better understood the need for discretion and had this visit at a separate location as to avoid a—conflict of interest, I believe would be the best term."

"It's fine, Healer Catherine, really it is," Hermione said, earnestly. "I'm simply very thankful that you're willing to do this at all. At leastwise without taking the entire visit to the Prophet the moment we leave your office."

The Healer nodded, though it was more of an elegant bowing of her head, before rising to her feet, motioning for Hermione to do the same. When the younger witch complied, Catherine withdrew her wand from her sleeve and transfigured Hermione's clothes into a simple medical gown. The elder woman slowly moved in a circle around her, the Healers wand drawing intricate patterns in the air. Just barely over twenty minutes later, the Healer stepped back from Hermione and moved to her desk. Gently, she tapped her wand against a stack of parchment and immediately it began to fill with words that Catherine read as they appeared, her eyebrows climbing up her forehead the more she read.

Finally, Catherine settled the parchment back onto her desk and turned her serious gaze back to Hermione, "I must be honest, Miss Granger, it is short of a miracle that both your child and you are still alive and relatively well."

Hermione stared at the woman in shock, glancing sideways to Ginny and Molly, both who looked as stunned as she felt. "What do you mean?"

"Given the extent of damage that your body, not to mention your mind, has undergone, the amount of energy your body is consistently consuming in its attempts to heal you, coupled with the simple fact that your body is also consuming energy that should be used in healing your injuries is being used to sustain an additional life," Catherine shook her head. "Miss Granger, many of the women who come to see me after a traumatic experience such as yours, they come to see me due to either a miscarriage or a failed attempt to terminate the pregnancy with which their mind just cannot come to terms. Fortunately for you, it would seem that neither your mind nor body give up easily."

The woman cleared her throat softly before rising to her feet once again and approaching the young mother-to-be, speaking in a quiet, soothing voice, "Now, I will need to heal the most extensive of your injuries today, this will lessen the amount of energy your body has to direct away from the child. The lesser of your injuries, I believe are better healed on their own through your own natural magic. Healing these minor things will actually help your child's growth in that it will be receiving stronger, active magic rather than idle, passive magic. This is not to say that you should regularly hurt yourself in order to strengthen your child, rather, when you have something minor, such as a paper cut, it is better to allow it to heal on its own."

Hermione tilted her head in thought at the things the woman was saying, nodding in understanding. It was definitely information that she would be looking more into and researching once she got the chance to do so. She bounced all the new information around in her mind as Catherine went to work with healing charms, examining differences that she had heard from talking to other pregnant women over the years. It was a rather different concept than what Hermione herself had really thought of before. Though it did make sense that, much like building a body's immune system which would strengthen an individual's health and lessen the chances of some serious illnesses, building a child's magical "immune system" through something as basic as the magic that was in her blood, flowing through her and the child…well it actually did make a good bit of sense to Hermione.

"Alright, Miss Granger, I believe we are finished with the healing aspect of this visit," Catherine said softly nearly an hour and a half later. "You might be slightly uncomfortable for a few days until your body readjusts to not being injured. Most people will liken the discomfort to dull aches in the areas which have been recently healed. If you find yourself having these aches, I recommend a very small amount of pain potion diluted in either tea or pumpkin juice. I highly advise against taking too large or undiluted doses as it is possible for the child to become addicted to the potion even while within the womb. Since we are on the subject, I would like to run a charm over the child, similar to the diagnostic one I used earlier on you. I do not suspect the child has any injuries, no need to fret, Miss Granger," the witch stated when she saw the young witches eyes widen in worry; "I simply wish to give you a more accurate idea as to where you are in your pregnancy. That will allow you to plan on future prenatal visits as well as prepare everything that must be done prior to birth."

With a sigh in relief and a quick nod, Hermione watched the woman's wand make more intricate designs, this time just over her abdomen. She felt her nerves rise again at the prospect of what she might be told. Taking a slow, deep breath, she glanced to Ginny and Molly who had been noticeably silent for the entire visit. Both women gave her encouraging smiles that she couldn't help but to return. Finally, after what seemed like another hour though in reality was only around fifteen minutes, Catherine moved once again to her desk, tapping her wand against a fresh piece of parchment. Again words spilled out of her wand tip, filling the parchment completely. Catherine sat behind her desk studying the words for a few minutes prior to looking back up at Hermione. With a small smile, she flicked her wand, returning the medical gown back to the original clothes that she had worn in and motioned for her to take a seat.

As soon as the younger witch was seated, the healer began to speak once more, "You currently seem to be at the end of your sixteenth week, Miss Granger. The child is growing normally though and is very healthy. Since your body is now healed of the extensive injuries, I suspect you will start to notice more of the changes that occur with your body from here on out. Have you any questions at this time?"

"I'm still quite confused as to how I'm three and a half months pregnant and didn't manage to notice a thing, even after Ginny had told me, should I not have, I don't know, noticed something different with me?"

"Had you been wholly healthy both physically and mentally, I'd have been fairly surprised had you not noticed at least a few subtle changes in your body. However, considering that you had not had your cycle in six, nearly seven months, in your condition there was hardly any way for you to notice that was different. You had lost a fairly large amount of weight and had only just started to regain it when, had you been at full health, you'd have begun noticing extra weight rather than weight coming back. So yes and no, to your question Miss Granger," Catherine explained carefully.

Hermione nodded, accepting the logic that the other woman stated. "Alright, aside from the diluted pain potion for the aches, is there anything else that you would recommend?"

"Yes," Catherine said, pulling out a sheet of parchment and then a quill from her drawer, writing as she spoke. "As you are about to begin your sixteenth week, I would recommend that you return for your next prenatal visit in four weeks. That will bring us to your twentieth week and the halfway mark of your pregnancy. Also, taking the prenatal vitamin supplement is highly advised for your baby's nutritional needs; however, it is not required. Finally, you have passed the first trimester of your pregnancy, so the riskiest part of the pregnancy has passed. I would recommend that you keep a steady exercise routine, even if it is little more than a nice walk a few times a week. This will make both your delivery and your recovery easier on you. Again, it is not required, however, it is highly recommended."

Hermione smiled graciously and nodded, "Thank you, Healer Catherine, for taking time for me today as well as explaining things as you went along. I really do appreciate it."

"You are very welcome," Catherine replied with a warm smile. She handed Hermione the piece of parchment she had been writing on, "Here is the information that we just spoke on, also, Ginny knows how to reach me if you have a question that she cannot answer for you."

Hermione accepted the parchment with a soft "thank you", folding it neatly and putting it into her pocket before turning to the other two witches in the room, "Ready to go?"

They stood as she approached, both women offering their farewells to the Healer, before retreating back through the lobby and into the cool outdoor air. Hermione shivered and wrapped herself more snuggly into her coat. "So what now?"

"Well, we only have about a half an hour before we have to meet the others for lunch. Would you just like to go there and maybe get tea or something while we wait for them?" Ginny offered.

"Oh my, I didn't realize it had taken that long I suppose," Hermione tilted her head, "would you mind horribly if we went to the bookstore first? I would like to get a few books on the things Healer Catherine spoke about and a few other related books before the other girls get here, if that's alright?"

"That sounds like a plan to me," Ginny shrugged.

Later that night, Hermione found herself back at her own flat, unwilling, just yet anyway, to tell Harry or Ron of the previous night's or that morning's revelations. She would, in time, just not quite yet. She curled up on her couch with her favorite fuzzy blanket and one of the new books she'd bought earlier that day. She couldn't help but find it absolutely astounding, and a little intimidating if she was to be honest, all the changes that had been happening within her own body without her even realizing it.

She set the book down on the table and leaned back against the couch with a sigh. It was one of the many times when she really noticed how much she missed Crookshanks. That cat had been a solace, so to speak, when things were rough. Maybe come morning, she would make her way down to Diagon Alley and see if any new familiar would catch her heart. At very least finding a new familiar would make the time spent at her flat seem less lonely. With another soft sigh, Hermione lifted her book from the table and began reading once more, though this time, it was only about ten minutes before she had read herself to sleep.

*****Author's Note*****:I just wanted to, I guess point out a few train of thoughts here. I don't plan on rushing this story through, this chapter might go a little slow, but the information will carry on into later chapters. Oh, also, Miss Hermione is definitely not out of the woods yet. Anyway, please read and review. Tell me what you think. If you've got a few ideas that you think would work in here, please let me know. I'm always open to ideas . Other than that, I will be trying to get the next chapter out as soon as I can! Thanks for reading!