Hermione's flat
"I think the wine tastes a bit funny, don't you?" Hermione asked, putting her wine glass down on the table again. They were at home, enjoying a small dinner after work, the Wednesday after game night.

Draco looked at his wine glass, then at Hermione. He shook his head. "It tastes normal to me. But you chose it for dinner..."

"I know, that's what irritates me. I usually like that wine..."

"Want something else then? Some water?"

She nodded, and watched him get up to fetch her some water. "I felt rather weird the last couple of days now. Slightly more tired than usual-"

"You fell asleep almost right away last night when we lay on the sofa to watch the film. I didn't dare to move..."

"I'm sorry about that. I really wanted to see it. I was just so tired, and you're so comfortable."

"I didn't mind actually. Was a bit like when we started dating. We always seemed to end up in a similar position a lot of times..."

She smiled. "I remember those times, though they kind of seem half a lifetime ago. You used to bring the wine and I would cook something, and then we would talk."

"Like your mother said we should."

"Was a good advice."

He nodded. "I'm glad we told your parents, I don't think we would've survived without them."

She yawned. "Sorry. Still tired."

"Want to call it a night?"

"It's not even nine yet!"

"You look like you could use it, though," he replied, slightly concerned now. She hadn't had a tough day at work and they had spent most evenings since game night at home, enjoying some alone time, while giving their friend a form of silent treatment. "Let me do the cleaning, and you make yourself ready for bed, then we can continue talking in bed..."

"Do I get a head massage out of it?"

"If it helps you relax..."

The next morning, Hermione felt slightly nauseous when she woke up to get ready for work. She didn't feel like throwing up, but it did upset her senses.

"You okay? You look a bit pale..." Draco came into the kitchen where she was already sipping some camomile tea from her mug. It was their usual routine that she would get up first to use the bathroom because he always needed a bit longer to get up.

"Feeling a bit queasy, is all."

"Your cycle starting, maybe?"

She shook her head, then took another sip of tea from her mug. "Should have had that a couple of days ago, but still waiting for it."

"Want to stay home? I could let Flaherty know that you don't feel well enough for work today..."

"No, it's probably nothing. Might have caught some bug or so. Just can you get your coffee at work? The smell irritates me this morning."

Then Draco somewhat realised what the symptoms might mean. "I don't think you have a bug, love. Let me cast a small spell, I might have an idea." He fetched his wand from the nightstand, where he always put it when at her flat.

"What do you mean?"

"Just let me check, then I'll explain." He returned to the kitchen, then waited for her approval to continue— he was going to point a wand at her after all.

She nodded, sipping from her mug, and then watched him cast the spell that produced a small bluish light above her. That was when realisation hit her as well. "Merlin's beard! No, no, no. That can't be! We've always been careful!"

Draco somewhat expected that reaction, and he knew better than to stop her right know; she had to run through the possibilities before he could calm her down, something her mother told him, because she had always been like that to some extent.

"...we haven't even talked about having children yet... I mean, I know you want quite a few, a-and I would like a couple as well, or at least a girl."

There, that was the point he could react to. "A girl?" he asked, gently taking the mug out of her hands, and then took her in his arms, before her panic would take over.

She nodded, then took a deep breath, his embrace calming her down again. "I'm sorry. It's just a bit of a shock."

"I know. But it's nothing we can't handle, okay?" He let his hands run up and down her back and breathed in deeply as well.

She nodded again. "I thought we had a bit more time before we'd start having them. I just can't understand how it could happen... And how come you're so calm?"

"I'm just as shocked, you know? But you were already panicking, and when you start that..." He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'll let Flaherty know that you don't feel well enough for work, okay?"

"Thanks." She sighed. "You're going?"

He shook his head. "I don't think I would be able to concentrate at work, knowing that you might panic again-"

"I won't!"

"I know, but I still won't be able to concentrate, with Potter in the same room and not being able to tell him anything."

"J-just how did that happen? We've always been careful, always used the Contraception Spell at one point..." She sighed, then rubbed her head.

"No need to go through that now, okay? Finish your tea, I'll contact work meanwhile." He slowly opened his arms again, sensing that she was calmed down again to a more normal level, at least as normal as you can get when you just learned that you're expecting. He made sure that she was sitting at the small kitchen table, as she was still rather pale, before leaving the room. Thankfully, it didn't take him long to dispatch the owl with the notes that they would be staying home, both not feeling too well. For a moment, he considered contacting her mother, but decided against it until they also knew the whole story.

"Thanks for staying calm," she said when he came back into the kitchen, her cheeks having regained some of their colour again. "I think you'd be a good dad..."

"Wait until you see me freak out during birth," he joked, hoping to cheer her up a bit, then breathed in deeply. No, he can't panic today, he'll panic as soon as the others know and can look after Hermione for a moment. "We're not alone in this, you know? As soon as the others know, they will be queuing up to support you, okay?"

She nodded, and smiled. "True."

"But first we could use the day off to actually talk about us having children... Is ice cream still something you like?"

"Aren't you going to freak out?"

"I'll freak out later, I promise, just so you can watch me," he replied with what he hoped to be an affirmative smile.

She yawned. "I think I'll go back to bed. Can we go to St. Mungo's later and afterwards have ice cream? I just want to be sure..."

"Course. Whatever helps."