Hermione sighed in frustration as she struggled to fit into yet another dress. So far this morning she had tried three different dresses and all of them were too tight on her. As she pulled off the dress she was wearing and went in search of another one, Hermione wondered how long the Queen would remain in denial about what was wrong with her.
It had been three days since Hermione had guessed what was wrong with the Queen but so far her royal counterpart had been too stubborn to admit she was expecting a child. Several times Hermione had caught fleeting glimpses of the Queen realising what was wrong but before the thoughts had a chance to fully form she pushed them away and distracted herself with something else. The Queen's refusal to admit her condition was really starting to annoy Hermione, she hadn't felt this annoyed at the Queen's actions since early in the story when she had pushed Draco away.
Finally finding a dress that fit her okay, Hermione stood in front of the mirror and took a good look at herself. Slowly her hands came to rest on her stomach as she finally admitted to herself the reason she was feeling so run down lately and the reason for her ill-fitting clothes, she was pregnant. At the admission Hermione wanted to praise the Queen for finally acknowledging the situation, but obviously she couldn't. Instead she stopped thinking and let herself be immersed back in with the Queen's thoughts and feelings, something that hadn't been happening much lately as she had been too frustrated with the Queen to blend into her properly.
"What am I going to do?" Hermione whispered to herself, still cradling her stomach.
Turning away from the mirror Hermione left her chambers and made her way into the garden, she was hoping the fresh air would help her think. Obviously she knew the first thing she needed to do was to get the pregnancy confirmed, while she was fairly certain she was expecting a child she still needed to be sure. The problem with that however, was that Hermione didn't want to go and see the court physician. She didn't want to risk the King finding out about her condition and she knew if she went to the court physician she couldn't guarantee her privacy.
Hermione knew the local midwife could confirm her pregnancy and keep it private so she was leaning towards paying her a visit. The problem was the midwife lived in the village located just outside the citadel, somewhere she wasn't allowed to go without an escort. Until she had her condition confirmed she didn't want to confide in Draco and asking another knight to escort her was out of the question, again she didn't want the King getting wind of what she was up to.
The natural solution would be to have Ginny help her sneak out of the castle but Hermione also didn't want to confide in her friend. While Hermione knew if she swore Ginny to secrecy her maid wouldn't tell anyone, she couldn't risk the redhead accidentally letting anything slip to the King. Hermione wasn't sure if Ginny's relationship with the King was a one where they talked to each other but she wasn't about to risk it by telling her friend what was going on.
Realising she had no-one to ask for help, Hermione decided she would have to sneak off to the village herself. With a bit of planning she was sure she could manage it just fine, all she had to do was wait for an afternoon when Draco was busy with the knights and she could send Ginny away, claiming to be feeling tired. Hermione ran through Draco's schedule in her head and realised the following day fit her plans perfectly, she knew Draco was planning an extra training session for the following afternoon as he had been complaining that recently the knights were becoming slack and letting their fighting skills wither.
With a plan to confirm her pregnancy in mind, Hermione decided she would wait until the following day before she began thinking about what to do next. Until she was certain of her condition she didn't want to have to think about the problems it would cause to her life. At the minute Hermione had no idea what she was going to do and she wasn't looking forward to when she had to deal with the problem.
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The following afternoon Hermione managed to get rid of Ginny practically as soon as she had finished picking at her lunch. Hermione had told Ginny she was going to rest for the afternoon and the redhead disappeared with a spring in her step when Hermione had given her the rest of the day off. Hermione had given Ginny the entire day off as first of all she wasn't sure how long she would be, and secondly when she did return she fully expected to have some serious thinking to do.
Once Ginny was safely out of the way Hermione dug out a dark blue cloak that she had never worn since arriving in Slytherin and put it on. She had deliberately picked a cloak that wouldn't be instantly recognisable as hers, hopefully if anyone did spot her sneaking around they wouldn't think she was the Queen. Satisfied that if she kept her head down she wouldn't be recognised, Hermione slipped out of her chambers.
As she manoeuvred the passageways in the castle without being spotted, Hermione was grateful for the times Draco had showed her the best way to move around undetected. Thanks to Draco's sneaky tips, Hermione found herself exiting the castle by a side door without anyone seeing her. Still being careful to keep her head lowered, in case anyone in the castle looked out, Hermione hurried along the path that led to the nearby village.
The village was a ten minute walk and Hermione managed it without bumping into anyone. The couple of people she had passed had just smiled and wished her a good afternoon, not realising she was their Queen. It was only once she arrived on the outskirts of the village that Hermione was confronted with a problem, she didn't know where the local midwife lived. For a while Hermione debated whether to approach anyone and ask for directions, on the one hand she didn't want to be recognised but on the other she needed help to find her way.
After finally plucking up the courage to approach a man running a nearby stall, Hermione found herself heading in the direction of the midwife's cottage. The man who she had asked for directions had barely glanced at Hermione as he pointed her in the right direction. Hermione soon arrived at the cottage belonging to the midwife and summoning all her courage she knocked on the door.
When the door opened Hermione was greeted by the sight of Poppy Pomfrey, who she knew as the school nurse back in Hogwarts. Still keeping her head down Hermione asked if she could enter the house. Clearly puzzled by her guest's strange behaviour the midwife opened the door and unknowingly let the Queen enter her cottage.
"What can I do for you, dear?" Poppy asked.
Hermione made sure the door was firmly closed before she removed her hood, revealing who she was. The older woman gasped at the sight and immediately curtsied and apologised for not greeting the Queen in an appropriate manner.
"That's quite alright, you didn't know who I was." Hermione said, brushing off the other woman's concerns. "Before I tell you why I'm here, I would like your reassurance that nothing that is discussed this afternoon is broadcast. I expect strict confidentiality."
"Of course, You Majesty. I never discuss anything regarding the women I look after." The Midwife said.
"Good." Hermione nodded, breathing easier now she had decided she could trust the woman in front of her. "I think I'm pregnant. I want you to confirm it, please."
"Of course, take a seat." The midwife said. "May I ask why you didn't just consult the court physician?" She asked as she began sorting her supplies.
"The court physician is a man and I don't really know him. With something this personal, I would rather talk to a woman." Hermione said in explanation. While her main reasons for not consulting the court physician were regarding her privacy and his loyalty to the King, she was still uncomfortable with the prospect of speaking about such a delicate issue with a man.
"I completely understand." Poppy smiled at Hermione. "Some things are best kept between us women."
"Exactly." Hermione replied, pleased that the midwife had believed her reasons for visiting her as quickly.
"If you would remove your cloak, loosen your dress and hop onto the bed, I can get a look at you, My Lady." Poppy said, gesturing to the nearby bed.
Hermione removed her cloak and loosed her dress before sitting down on the small bed. The midwife then came over to her and as she examined her she asked her a few questions about her health. After ten minutes or so of careful examination and seemingly endless questions about her health the midwife told Hermione she could re-fasten her dress.
"Am I pregnant?" Hermione asked.
"I can't be a hundred per cent positive, but I would say so." Poppy nodded. "Some physicians do tests to confirm it, but in my experience a woman's body is the best form of telling whether a child is imminent. From everything you've told me and from what I've seen, I would say you can expect the patter of tiny feet in a few months' time."
"Thank you." Hermione said sombrely. Even though she was practically positive she was pregnant, it still made a difference hearing someone else confirm it. "Is there anything else I should know? Is there anything I should be doing or anything I shouldn't?"
"Not really." Poppy shook her head. "Obviously you should make sure you're eating healthily and eating enough. I know sometimes you don't feel like eating much but do try your best. I can't think of anything you shouldn't be doing, just make sure you don't tire yourself out. If you have any more questions or need anything throughout your pregnancy, feel free to come and see me. As I've said before, anything we discuss in entirely confidential."
"Thank you." Hermione smiled at the kind woman as she fastened her cloak and pulled her hood back up. "I'd very much appreciate it if this news stayed between us, I don't want any gossip surrounding my condition."
"Of course." The midwife nodded. "It's entirely your business when you inform people."
Hermione pulled a bag of gold coins from her cloak pocket and handed them to the midwife. "That's for you. I appreciate all you've done for me and the fact you're not a gossip."
"Anytime, My Lady." Poppy said, curtsying again.
After saying a final goodbye to the midwife, Hermione slipped back into the street and quickly made her way back to the castle. Like her trip to the village her trip back to the castle passed without incident and before she knew it she was back in her chambers. Stripping off the cloak and placing it back into the back of her wardrobe, Hermione removed her shoes and curled up in the chair in front of the fire.
Staring into the flames Hermione debated what she was going to do. She had a few vague ideas what she was going to do but one thing was for certain, she couldn't remain living in Slytherin. Hermione knew that no matter what happened she couldn't stay now she was expecting a baby. Even if for some bizarre reason the King didn't want to end their marriage she didn't want to stay and raise a child with a man who wasn't the father and who she didn't even love. In an ideal world Hermione would love to raise the baby with Draco, but she wasn't sure if that could ever happen. However, if there was even the slightest chance she could be with Draco, Hermione was sure she would think of it as she mulled over her options and what her future held.