The Start of Our Lives
Summary: After a drunken one night stand, bushy-haired bookworm Hermione Granger finds out that she is pregnant to none other than Master of Apathy Draco Malfoy. They begin their lives as teenage parents and learn to live together and maybe even eventually fall in love? Read & Review.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Let's just keep reviewing, I want as many as I can possibly get before the story ends. Love you awwlllll
Chapter Twenty-Two: Are You the One That I've Been Waiting For?
Hermione was lying in bed holding Mira in her arms. She couldn't stop staring at her tiny, perfect face and even as the two stared at each other, Hermione couldn't stop a few tears forming. How could she possibly raise someone as beautiful as this baby?
"Hey Mira," Hermione whispered. "I'm your mama. Can you say mama?"
The baby blinked in response.
The door opened and in walked Harry and Ron. They were both dishevelled and had rumpled hair.
"Hey, what are you guys still doing here?" Hermione asked as Mira yawned. Harry smiled at stroked one of her tiny fingers.
"We didn't want to leave just yet. It's Saturday anyways. We thought you could use some company."
Hermione smiled at her best friends. "Well, pull up a chair and we can talk."
They obliged and smiled at her.
"We've had a long year, huh?" Ron said, grinning. It was true. Ron especially remembered the heartache that came with Hermione rejecting his proposal for marriage, or kissing her for the first time and her choosing Draco pretty much the next day over him… But now he could finally look at Hermione without wishing that she were his.
Hermione sighed and nodded, looking down at Mira. "You can say that again."
"So," Harry began. "What's it like giving birth."
Hermione grimaced and shuddered. "Horrible. Never happening again. And ugh…I still look pregnant!"
It was true. Her stomach was just a little bit smaller than it had been four hours ago when Mira was still inside her.
"Yeah well, it will go away," Harry shrugged. "So what are you doing this summer?"
"Um, I don't know. Guess stay at home and look after Mira."
"What's going to happen with Draco?" Ron asked curiously. "He's got no home to go to, does he?"
Hermione paused, biting her lip. "Well…we talked about him living at my house for the summer."
Ron stiffened but didn't say anything. Harry glanced at him before turning to Hermione. "Geez, you living with Malfoy."
"Well I already do so I guess it won't be that different."
Harry laughed suddenly, making Mira give a quiet little sigh. "Imagine Malfoy in a Muggle household."
Hermione snickered at the mental image of explaining to Draco how a television worked.
At that moment Mira began to whimper. Harry and Ron looked startled.
"Why is she making that noise?" Ron asked sounding a little frightened. Hermione chuckled at his reaction.
"It's ok, she's just probably hungry," Hermione smiled. "I need to call the Healer."
Five seconds later, Healer Gregory walked in smiling.
"Everything ok?"
Mira let out a wail. Ron jumped to his feet. Healer Gregory raised an eyebrow in his direction. "Little Mira's hungry," she observed.
"Yep. So do I start breastfeeding now?"
Ron's eyes widened.
The Healer shook her head. "Your milk won't come in for a few days as it takes a while for your body to produce mature milk."
Hermione nodded her head and let out a sigh of relief. "Ok good. So we just bottle-feed her for a couple of days?"
"That's right, unless you want to keep bottle-feeding?"
Hermione shrugged. "I think I'll do breastfeeding. It's healthy and makes you lose weight faster, right?"
"That's right. Ok, how about you wrap her up in her blankets tighter," the Healer instructed. "Newborns like to be swaddled. Take the blanket off and just leave the sheet on."
Hermione nodded and unwrapped the pink blanket off of Mira and pulled the white sheet tighter over Mira's little chest.
"When am I allowed to go home?" Hermione asked excitedly. She couldn't wait to show Mira her bedroom at Hogwarts.
"Tomorrow. We just need to do a few things for Mira- weigh her, measure her. Get the birth certificate ready. General stuff. I'll go get her milk."
The Healer entered quickly as Mira started crying.
"Oh shit," Hermione gasped. "What the hell do I do?"
Harry and Ron looked at each other, eyes wide.
"Run for it!"
And the two of them scrambled out of the room.
Luckily the Healer returned minutes later with the bottle in her hand.
"Aw, we better get some food into her."
Mira latched onto the bottle straight away and her crying ceased immediately.
"How cute is that?" Hermione asked herself as the Healer exited the room again. Mira had her eyes closed and was sucking intently on the nipple of the bottle.
"You're already four hours old Mira," Hermione whispered to her daughter. "Where did the time go?"
xox
Draco was up on the fifth floor in the gift shop. He had just had tea with Blaise, who didn't feel like going back to Hogwarts just yet.
"I never got around to telling you," Blaise said as Draco browsed the baby clothing. "About a month ago, Pansy Parkinson made a Love Potion, intent on giving it to you but she accidentally gave it to Crabbe instead."
Draco stared at Blaise, his eyes wide open in shock before bursting into laughter.
"She gave a Love Potion to C-Cr-Crabbe!"
He was bent double, slapping his knees, tears in his eyes. "That is the funniest thing I've ever heard!"
Blaise smirked. "Serves her right. She's a downright ugly bitch."
Draco straightened up, wiping his eyes. "Can't believe I ever had sex with her."
Blaise chuckled. "Imagine if you had gotten her pregnant."
Draco stuck his tongue out, grimacing. "Fuck. But she wouldn't have kept it, she's too selfish."
He paused. He had just spotted a tiny dress that looked as though it would only fit a doll. It was yellow with a white trim. He had to admit, it was pretty adorable.
"I'm going to buy this for Mira," he said, holding it up. Blaise arched an eyebrow.
"I know you're kid is small but she can't be that small."
Draco smiled. "Yeah, she'll grow out of it in like a week but I don't care. How cute is it?"
Blaise's eyebrow rised further up his forehead.
"Please don't use that voice ever again man."
Draco ended buying the yellow dress and a pair of knitted white booties, along with a bouquet of flowers for Hermione. He ignored Blaise's arrogant smirk. He was in too good a mood to let anyone ruin it for him.
When he got back to the room, both Hermione and Mira were fast asleep. He smiled, put the bag with the dress and booties in it on a chair, the bouquet of white roses and purple lilies on Hermione's bedside table and bent over the hospital crib that Mira was in.
"Hey beautiful," he whispered. "God Mira, you're just so cute." He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, walked over to the longue and fell asleep.
Three hours later, Hermione woke up, disoriented. She looked groggily around the room, taking in her surroundings. Where was she?
She looked to her right and saw the isolette and sighed.
"I have a baby…"
Draco suddenly shifted in his sleep. "I don't need a straitjacket mum!"
Hermione stared at him as he jerked awake.
"Huh? Wh-what? Where am I?" He sat up sleepily, rubbing his head.
"The hospital," Hermione relayed.
"Oh. That's right."
He got to his feet, remembering that he had bought Mira a gift. Hermione spotted the flowers on the bedside table.
"Aw Draco, are they for me?"
"Yeah, they are." He kissed her on the cheek before taking the dress out of the bag. Hermione drew in a sharp breath.
"That is adorable! Did you buy that?" She squealed excitedly, taking it out of his hands and examining it. Draco shrugged, embarrassed.
"Along with these."
Hermione gasped at the miniscule knitted booties. "That is just too cute."
Luckily Draco didn't have to reply because Mira started whimpering in her isolette.
"Can you get her for me?"
Draco picked up the little girl and handed her to her mother.
"Hey Mira, did you sleep ok?" Hermione asked her in a gentle voice while Draco rubbed the baby's back.
Draco shook his head, smiling. "Can you believe that we're actually parents?"
Hermione shook her head. "Feels like a dream. She's too beautiful to be mine."
Draco looked up at her. "Don't say that. She looks so much like you."
"Poor girl," Hermione joked. The laughter ceased at the look on Draco's face. "I was kidding!"
They were silent for a few moments. Draco stared at Hermione's face. God she was so beautiful. He truly regretted being mean to her the four years they had known each other before Hermione had gotten pregnant. Now he loved her more than anything in the world.
"Hermione," he began.
She looked up at him.
"I know Draco. I know."
xox
"Are you ready to go home, little girl?" Draco asked Mira as Hermione buttoned up the pink footie pajamas that Mrs Weasley had knitted for her.
"I bet she's soo excited." Hermione said as she wrapped her daughter up in her pink blanket. Hermione picked Mira up and cradled her tiny head against her shoulder.
It was June fifth and they had been discharged from the hospital that morning. It also happened to be Draco's sixteenth birthday. Draco had forgotten that it was his birthday as the birth of Mira had driven it out of his mind. Besides, he didn't expect any presents.
Draco gathered up the remaining balloons and flowers that had been brought in over the last day. "Are we ready?" he enquired.
"Sure am," Hermione smiled as she slung her overnight bag over her shoulder. "You're gonna get to see your room, Mira," Hermione whispered to the sleeping baby in her arms. "You're gonna get to see Hogwarts. It's the best place in the world. It's where I met you daddy."
Draco smiled at this as Hermione continued to tell Mira about how amazing her father was. Draco privately disagreed with her- Hermione was more amazing then he could ever be- but thought it best not to argue.
When they arrived back to Hogwarts, it seemed as though everyone was in the Great Hall for dinner. Hermione looked up at Draco.
"Reckon we should have dinner or go show Mira her room?"
Draco smirked down at his girlfriend. "I think we both know the answer to that."
Hermione was practically skipping, she was so excited to get back to their place. Mira was finally home.
"Aw, congratulations!" The two ladies in the portrait squealed when Hermione and Draco arrived.
"Thank you!" Hermione beamed as they passed through. Draco lit the lights and they dumped all their stuff in the living room, continuing down the darkened hallway.
Draco opened up the door to Mira's bedroom.
"Look Mira," Hermione whispered as Mira blearily opened her eyes. She knew that newborns couldn't really see properly but even so Hermione wanted this moment to be special. "This is your bedroom. Daddy and your Uncle Ron and Uncle Harry decorated it. And so did Uncle Neville, and Uncle Dean and Uncle Seamus…"
"And Uncle Blaise," Draco reminded, smirking.
"And Auntie Ginny and Auntie Pavarti and Auntie Angelina and Auntie Lavender and Auntie Katie and-"
"Hermione, I don't think she cares," Draco pointed out as Mira fell back asleep.
Hermione smiled down at her daughter. "She's apparently a good sleeper."
"Let's put her to bed."
Hermione bent over the wooden oak crib and placed Mira in it.
"Goodnight, Sunshine," she whispered, stroking her downy hair.
Hermione didn't move but stood almost rooted to the spot, staring down at the peacefully sleeping baby. Draco moved to wrap his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder.
"Love you," he mumbled.
"Love you too," she replied. She turned around so that she could wrap her arms around his neck and hug him tightly.
Four hours later, after Hermione and Draco had climbed into bed and promptly fell asleep, they heard the distant sound of a baby crying. Draco groaned and kept his eyes shut. Hermione buried her face in her pillow.
"You get her," Hermione mumbled. Draco kicked her. "Oi!"
"I need my sleep, woman."
Hermione sat up in bed, reached over to her bedside, picked up the thick heavy book on it and whacked him over the head with it.
"Ouch!" He yelled. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"
"Please go and get Mira. I just gave birth two days ago. I'm exhausted."
Draco mumbled something about giving her a real reason to be exhausted but swept the covers off and walked groggily off to the wailing baby.
Ten minutes later he returned to the bedroom, having just fed her and climbed back into bed.
Three hours later, Hermione snapped awake, hearing Mira's screams. She gasped as she looked over at Draco, snoring lightly and wondered how long Mira had been crying. She rushed out of the room and down the hall and found the baby wailing at the top of her tiny lungs. She wasn't wrapped in any of her blankets and Hermione imagined that she was probably cold.
"Oh sweetie," she crooned as she picked her up and cradled her against her shoulder. She quickly cleaned and changed her and the baby seemed to calm down. Hermione wanted to hold her a little bit longer but exhaustion was sweeping over her.
Mira woke up again only an hour later. Hermione almost cried out. "Your turn."
Draco returned with Mira in his arms, moving the bassinette that stayed in the corner of her room right next to the bed. "I'm not getting out of bed again," he said to Hermione's questioning look.
When Hermione woke up that morning, she couldn't remember where she was or why she was sore all over. Then she turned around and saw the bassinette. Draco wasn't in bed so she crawled over to his side, expecting to see her baby. The bassinette was empty.
She rushed over to Mira's bedroom and found that her crib was empty as well. Panicking, she was about to run out into the living room but heard a small splash in the bathroom. Thinking the worse, she burst in to find Draco leaning over the bathtub.
"What are you doing?"
He looked around at her. "Giving Mira a bath. I figured she needed one."
Hermione laughed and bent down next to him. He was holding Mira up in one arm, a wet washcloth in the other.
"Look at her little nose," Hermione sighed, tapping it and laughing cutely. "Looks like she's got yours."
"She has your lips," Draco commented.
"Of course you would notice the lips," Hermione teased.
"Shut up Granger," he sneered playfully. Hermione shoved him gently because he was holding Mira. "Alright, time to get her out."
Hermione handed over one of the fluffy towels as Draco picked her up out of the bath. Hermione swiftly wrapped her up tightly and hugged her to her chest, kissing her forehead.
xox
When Draco lined up for Transfiguration the next morning, the class surrounded him, asking questions about the baby. He announced that it was a girl, they had named her Mira Gracelyn Malfoy and that she was very healthy.
"Congratulations!" Hannah Abbott squealed.
"Give Hermione my best," Justin Finch-Fletchely said.
"Oh, can we go visit her?" Pavarti Patil sighed.
Draco didn't get a chance to reply because Professor McGonagall had just arrived. As everyone filed in, she held Draco back.
"Mr. Malfoy," she said, her hand on his shoulder. "Congratulations. I heard that she's very beautiful.
Draco nodded and smiled. "Yes, she is. Much like her mother."
He spent the entire day accepting various students and teachers congratulations and catching up on schoolwork but he only was half concentrating as he wondered exactly what Hermione and Mira were up to. When he got back to their place, he found Hermione standing in the kitchen bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.
"What's wrong?" He asked cautiously as he noticed she had her fingers crossed in her mouth.
"Oh Draco," she cried. "I can't believe it. "We forgot your birthday yesterday!"
Draco felt a small shock when he realized that he had spent his sixteenth birthday taking his daughter home from the hospital and spending the entire night up with her. And he realized that he wouldn't have had it any other way.
"I'm so sorry," Hermione continued on the verge of tears. "How can I ever make it up to you? You deserve a present! Should I rush down to Hogsmeade or…?"
Draco smiled softly and hugged Hermione to his chest. "You don't need to get me something from Hogwarts when you've just given me the best gift in the world."
"Still, I should make you a cake."
"No Hermione," Draco said fiercely. "I don't know how much I can stress this but you making me a better person this year is enough. I don't need presents. I used to be a selfish asshole and now I can proudly shout out my love to you to the world. That's enough for me, it should be enough for you."
"You were an asshole," Hermione agreed.
"I'm serious Hermione. You're an angel."
Hermione sniffed and wiped her nose on her wrist.
"No, I'm not."
"You've been here for me when no one else has cared."
"You're the father of my baby Draco. Of course I'm here for you. You're my best friend."
"But…" Draco trailed off, tears forming in his eyes, which Hermione didn't notice. "I've done so many bad things."
Hermione bowed her head and nodded. "You've done a few, that's true. But that's all in the past now. It's time to move on. You've done so many good things as well."
"What have I done?" His voice broke and Hermione looked up startled and stared with a shock that fixed her to the spot when she realized that Draco Malfoy was crying, really crying. "All I've done is hurt everybody I know. I know I've hurt you."
"Draco…" Hermione didn't know what to say.
"You saved me from a life of emptiness, of being nothing, of not realizing how worthless I was, and I don't know how I can every repay you."
There were no words. The hug and the kiss that they shared was enough.
Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger knew that the life that laid ahead for them was bound to be as tumultuous as the year they had just experienced. But as long as they had each other, and their daughter, they felt as though they could conquer anything.
A/N: Well that's it. That's the whole story! Thank you so, so, so much to everyone who has reviewed/favourited/alerted etc this story, means so much. I will most likely write a sequel that will relate more towards HBP as it's my favourite book. But if I do write it, don't expect it to be up anytime soon. Like maybe in April- I have to do some serious study when I go back to school.
Again, I would love it if everyone reading this could review it as I want as many as possible. Thanks for enjoying this story. I loved writing it.
Much love xoxo