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Hermione finished her exams one day before Remus. So why he was locked within the Great Hall she took advantage of the sun filled lawns of the Hogwarts grounds and found a spot by the lake, secluded from the view of those but who chose to peer around the great willow tree. Severus sat with her as she dipped her bare feet into the edge of the cool lake.
If you asked her what they had been talking about after the fact she would not have been able to tell you. They were just talking, about nothing and everything at the same time.
The sun was fully settled in a high arc by the time a shadow passed over them signaling Remus' appearance from behind their shielding willow. With only the smallest of scowls Severus left them behind, Remus taking his spot beside their witch.
It wasn't long before he had moved closer. He took off his shoes as his toes joined hers in the small lapping of the waters edge.
She leaned against his chest as his hands cradled her, absently tracing smooth circles over her stomach as he recounted his last exam to her.
"What are you doing for the holidays?" he asked after the subject of exams was thoroughly exhausted.
Hermione frowned slightly, although he couldn't see it. The causal tone in which the question was asked did nothing to distract from the looming doom of the 'holidays'. Never before in her life had she hated the concept of 'holidays' as much as she currently did, which was saying something for Hermione Granger, school-and-book-lover-extraordinaire.
The truth was Dumbledore had invited her to accompany him to London for the summer. Her 'parents' that resided in Oxford had invited her, along with the Headmaster, to their manor for the beginning of the summer. Dumbledore had expressed exuberant interest in visiting the many Muggle landsites he had not yet explored.
Hermione had graciously accepted the invitation half on the knowledge that it would help with her 'cover' and half on her reluctance to spend her entire holidays in the castle as was her other option - to stay at Hogwarts.
Surprisingly Remus was happy with the idea of Hermione being so close to London. He explained that he had already been invited to the Potters' for the second week of the break and that they were sure to be frequenting Diagon Alley.
So with Dumbledore's acquiesce Hermione made plans with Remus to meet and it was only with the damper of a maximum two weeks apart that they sat the too-quick train ride back to Kings-Cross Station.
Hermione was surprised that Dumbledore had wanted to catch the Hogwarts Express to London and was sure he was doing so only for her benefit. It was only when he boarded the train and actually skipped off towards the driving cart so that he could 'witness the fun first hand' that she doubted this reasoning.
The train station was no place for a romantic goodbye but between the hurried bustling of the rejoined parents and students Remus and Hermione managed a small impassioned kiss that would leave their lips tingling with the loss of their partner for hours to come.
Dumbledore appeared at her side as the crowds parted to reveal an equally as old looking man searching for Remus.
"Two weeks!" she reminded him unnecessarily.
"Two weeks," he affirmed with no small measure of reluctance as he allowed the increasing distance between them to draw their interlocked fingers apart.
Hermione felt as if a very part of her was being taken away and although she knew that she would get it back (two weeks - only two weeks) she could not placate her protesting heart as if it really was being split, Remus taking his share and denying her rest until it was returned and him by her side, the way it should be.
oOo
Odette and Philippe were really some of the nicest people Hermione had ever met. It was clear right from her polite and quirky persona down to the spangled robes that she wore that Odette was Dumbledore's relative, although she looked to young to be his daughter. If she had hazarded a guess she would have though Odette to be around forty. Philippe was a little older and, as she learnt, worked in the muggle world. His straight navy suit and thin tie worked a brilliant contrast with Odette's choice of robes (one unusual set of bright purple with inlaid golden bells that jingled as she walked). As she learnt, Philippe had been born to a half-blood mother whom thoroughly embraced her muggle heritage. Attending a muggle school until his magical education, he had chosen to return to work within the non-magical side of life, restricting his magic to his home life and 'sometimes to refill my coffee if Gen is out of the office' he would joke.
The first week Hermione spent at the manor was thoroughly filled with exploration of their magnificent home and grounds, followed by her overjoyed discovery of their library.
Odette didn't work during the summer and so spent her time with Hermione, teaching her some of the household magical charms that Hermione had seen so many times performed by Mrs Weasley but never had been specifically taught due to her own muggle-style home life. She was thrilled to discover that they the couple did not keep a house-elf, due to Odette's complete abhorrence of the elf's treatment by the magical community and went on to account her idea of S.P.E.W. to which Odette was thoroughly impressed by.
Dumbledore would accompany Philippe to the office during the days Hermione spent with Odette and after their first day apart they met at dinner, Hermione displaying the soufflé she had made all by herself (and magic) with helpful the instruction of Odette and Dumbledore with the stapler he had obtained form Philippe's desk. 'No wonder he is such good friends with Arthur,' Hermione thought as she couldn't help but laugh at his amazement with the simple piece of stationary.
Her days were so filled at first that it wasn't until she was banished to her room for sleep, 'No more books, young lady, off to bed' Odette would scold at around quarter to midnight, that the acute loneliness and ache would grasp her heart and hold her breath as she would long for Remus to hold her whilst she slept.
The result was so detrimental to her sleep that she would feel physically sick as she woke in the mornings.
The days wore on in no increasing kindness, if anything Hermione's condition was worsening.
By the weekend it was too much for Hermione to leave the house.
The quartet had planned an outing for Philippe and Dumbledore's relief from the office and had planned a day's trip to the country. Hermione had helped Odette herself with the preparation of a picnic basket full of wonderful food only the day previous and in her sorrow for ruining their day urged them to go on without her, deterring their offerings of doting and chicken-soup-fetching with lies of a 'it's only a stomach bug' that fitted with her nausea that morning.
Odette would not hear of leaving her alone but instead urged the men to take their fishing gear instead and head out to the place they had planned.
"If Hermione feels better later we will apparate over with the picnic," Odette assured the men.
Dumbledore and Philippe left with little more coercion, only too eager to 'enjoy a spot of fishing'. Hermione would have laughed at their phrasing if she was not fearful that the remaining of contents of her stomach might bubble up with it.
"Come on," Odette directed. "I think I mug of green tea is in order."
Ten minutes later Odette and Hermione sat at the kitchen bench with each a cup of steaming tea in front of them. Hermione wrapped her hands around the warm porcelain and inhaled the fresh scent of the leaves as her headache gently receded to almost non-existence.
"Thankyou," she smiled at the young, female version of Dumbledore across from her.
"You're welcome, my dear," Odette returned bringing her cup up to her lips to take a sip from her own.
"Does Albus know?" Odette inquired almost absently as she returned her cup to the bench, running her finger over the rim.
"Know?" Hermione wondered if she had missed a part of their conversation, drifting off like the swirls of steam that traced through the air above her teacup.
"About the baby?" Odette prompted to a still confused looking Hermione.
"You are pregnant... aren't you?" Odette clarified when comprehension still escaped the younger witch.
"Pr-Pregnant?" Hermione spluttered through her tea.
"Oh - sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. It's just - well you have been looking a little peaky each morning... I just assumed you knew."
It took a moment for Hermione to realize that Odette was not apologizing for her assumption of Hermione's 'pregnancy' but rather the unknowing distribution of the fact.
"I'm sorry, but you're mistaken. I can't possibly be pregnant." Hermione replied confidently.
"Are you sure," Odette replied raising an eyebrow suggestively that made Hermione blush.
"Well - well not like that I mean. But -" Hermione flustered over her words. "Everyone knows that it's impossible to get pregnant at Hogwarts. The contraceptive wards even stretch onto the grounds, it would absolutely impossible to -"
"Contraceptive wards?" Odette interrupted.
"Yes, it's all in Hogwarts a History, in the section that talks about the security wards. It says, quite explicitly that the contraceptive wards cover the entire castle inlaid into the very protection spells that the castle is so famous for. It was actually quite a controversial event and almost didn't happen after one of the board members had a spit about it, I believe it was ..." Lucius Malfoy.
Oh shit.
"Well I don't know about all of that," Odette considered Hermione's words, "but I've never heard of contraceptive wards before. Quite an ingenious concept nonetheless but ..."
Odette's voice trailed off and Hermione couldn't tell whether it was because she had stopped talking or if it was due to the deafening pounding in that now occupied her ears.
Lucius Malfoy. Appointed school governor in 1979.
The year was 1976.
Shitshitshitshitshitshitshit...fuck.
"If - If I was pregnant? Um... how could we check?" Hermione's eyes darted around the room as if she was only missing something that she couldn't see and if she could find it then it would all just fall in to place, and everything would be right again ... she couldn't be pregnant. Surely!
"There are spells that will tell you, but I'm afraid I don't make much of a mediwitch. Muggle devices work just fine though. Should we walk to the pharmacy?"
Three hours, five bottles of water and 18 pregnancy tests later Odette and Hermione sat in the middle of the bathroom as 18 little plastic strips shone their pink panels around the room.
"The father?" Odette asked the silent room, as the pair considered the plastic strips, one of them in particular trying to stare them down, make those strips change their minds.
Hermione smiled. Her first real post-baby realization smile. "I love him," she sighed.
"Albus will help, if that's what you're worried about?" Odette turned to face Hermione; she knew the strips weren't going to change their minds. "You can still finish school. It's happened before."
"Mm," Hermione agreed non-committaly. "I think ... I think I need to speak to the father first. I mean - of course I'll tell Albus and I - well I hope I'll be able to continue with school... I just really need to see Remus first. Do you think you could not tell him till then?"
"Of course," Odette agreed. "As long as you're going to see this Remus soon, I hope?"
Hermione bit her lower lip, chewing it between her teeth.
"We agreed to meet in a week from now - but now ... I don't think I can wait that long! Could I perhaps borrow your owl?"
"Of course you may. I'll go fetch Felix now."
Odette got up from the floor, her robes jingling as she did so and left the younger of the two to watch the little pink strips.
I'm pregnant.
I'm pregnant.
I'm pregnant!
Hermione beamed. She didn't want to think of school or how this could affect her in any negative way, all she could possibly consider in that moment was the small life she carried within her. Remus'. Her's. A baby.
She was pregnant to the man she loved. The man she loved and whom loved her back. She really was starting her own life, her own family ... She was pregnant and she couldn't wait to tell him.
oOo
It had been two days since she had found out. Just two days and every single moment was pure bliss and pure agony at the same time as she waited upon Remus' reply to her 'urgent need to meet'. He had agreed to meet her the day following his letter's return which brought her now to Diagon Alley.
They agreed to meet at nine, thinking the Alley would be a little less busy at such an early time and hence make it easier to find each other. They had obviously misjudged the popular shopping location as the street was swamped with people even in the early hour of the day.
Hermione waited, dressed in a sleeveless white sundress holding the adorning silver bag , outside of the Quidditch supply shop as she tried to peer over the heads of the moving crowd.
Her fingers tingled uncomfortably and so she switched her bag to her other hand as she continued her impatient search.
Her fingers still complained of an invisible force but she ignored it as she finally spotted a muddy black dog weaving between people's legs and dirtying the hems of their robes.
Excitement rushed through her as her gaze swept past the dog searching for those familiar deep blue eyes.
The dog spotted her first and gave a large bark, head pointed in her direction. It had the desired effect as the sandy blond head of Remus Lupin turned to see the dog's find.
It was an indistinguishable moment when their eyes connected that Hermione also felt an impossibly harsh grip take her wrist and she was wrenched painfully forward as the world spun around her.
When she opened her eyes next it was not to see within the own dark oceans of her mate's but the pale blue hues that accompanied a very familiar red hair ... and a room that she had left, all too long ago.