Something Magical This Way Comes
"Why do you people have to make everything in some kind of disgusting location?" Harry asked as he pointed his wand down the dark sewer tunnel.
"Well, we used to meet in my father's mansion until you brought the law down on us," Draco said.
"Oh god what is that?"
"I would suggest you don't let you mind wander too far on this Potter."
"Never mind, I'm not asking any more questions."
"So, Potter, how's your life? How's the ginger?"
"Would you please stop referring to any redheaded person you meet as gingers."
"But they are gingers."
"You really are just a simple creature."
"Well, isn't that just the pot calling the kettle black?"
"Oh, I'm not simple!"
"Right... in our fifth year you couldn't grasp the idea that, 'hey, Umbridge keeps throwing me in detention because I keep yelling about her stupid little comments that I know aren't true'. Did it ever occur to you to keep your mouth shut?"
"She wasn't telling the truth!"
"So? When did you ever tell the truth? On your way to saving the world, how many people did you lie to? Have you ever heard of the greater good, Potter?"
"Don't talk to me about the greater good, Malfoy, you were on the side of Voldemort."
"And I was mistaken, I was sixteen and I was scared. Are you really going to hold that against me?"
"Yes!"
"Fine, then maybe my help isn't appreciated here, anymore."
Harry bit his lower lip.
"Fine, I'm sorry," he said.
"Was that so hard, Potter?" Draco said.
"You're really trying to be a better person now aren't you?"
"I'm trying to be myself as opposed to what I was before. The way I was living before, it's not much fun, Potter. I'd like to be able to go into the street without getting spit on."
"I thought that you believed in Voldemort's message."
"I think that those who are muggle born are mudbloods but there is a long distance from my wanting to put them into camps or murder them or what have you. I was young and stupid, just like you're old and stupid now."
"Watch it."
"I'm joining the winning team, aren't I? I'm not going to be sorry about my beliefs, I'm just not going to act on them."
"Okay..."
"Now let's be quiet and hope they haven't apparated out of here."
"Hermione, can't we please, please, please go to St. Mungo's?" Ron begged as they helped Hermione's six month pregnant mother into the car.
"No, I don't trust any place that doesn't believe in stitches," Hermione said.
"But Muggle hospitals are so backwards, they don't know anything about medicine!"
"Excuse me, Ron?" Mrs. Granger said.
"No offense, ma'am," Ron said quickly.
"My full title is Dr. Granger and I trust Dr. Smith implicitly. His brother helped deliver Hermione."
"He was also my pediatrician before he vanished one day," Hermione said.
"Still..." Ron said. "I mean, I'm assuming that she'll come out a witch like Hermione, she would have to learn about our world eventually."
"Ron, your concern is truly appreciated but didn't you tell me, Hermione that the full name of that hospital is St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries?" Mr. Granger asked him.
"Yes..." Ron said.
"Well, it would seem that my wife doesn't have any magical maladies or injuries so there's no reason to go there. Besides, we don't know if our latest little one is going to be a witch. There certainly wasn't any evidence of it before we had Hermione. Secondly, Ron, we're going to raise her that even if she doesn't have any magical powers, she will at least not be afraid of witches and wizards seeing how the future might turn out. I mean, Hermione's grandchildren will have to deal with the magic world being a natural part of their lives won't they? Just think about how important building relations between the Muggle world and the magic world is going to be when they finally meet!"
There was a moment of silence as Ron took in what he was saying.
"Wait, what?" Ron said.
"I hadn't planned on telling him that, dad," Hermione said.
"Telling me what?"
"Based on my calculations and population growth, as long as wizards keep marrying and breeding the way they are now... in a few generations, the muggle world will have no other option than to recognize the wizarding world as being factual."
"You mean that our population will get so big that we'll be unable to be ignored?"
"Pretty much. Now, we're going to be late."
They entered the doctor's office on the first floor and saw a bored red headed girl sitting at the desk, looking bored. The phone rang and she picked it up.
"The doctor's office, I mean... Dr. Smith's office how can I help you? I'm sorry we're not taking any new patients. We're very backed up, straight through to Christmas, why don't you give me a call then, maybe I can help you then. You're bleeding, are ya? Why don't you call 999? Cheers, see you later," the receptionist said.
"Hello, Amy, good to see you again, is the doctor in?" Mrs. Granger said.
"Hello!" Dr. Smith said opening his door wide and walking out with a jubilant smile on his face.
Dr. Smith was all corduroy and khaki and long wavy dirty blonde hair. And one other feature that Ron couldn't get past.
"He's wearing a bow tie, have you ever seen a doctor wearing a bow tie?" Ron whispered.
"Drop it, the last one liked leather jackets, who cares, he's the best," Hermione said.
"Come in, come in, my favorite dentists, so fantastic to see you," he said issuing them into the room. "Now let's check on that danish we have in the oven."
The secretary came into the room, carrying a plate with cups of tea on it.
"I brought some tea and I thought that maybe our guests would like some buns with their tea, y'know some BUNS, doctor?" she said.
"Right, yes, thank you, but first let's check on that danish. If you would just lie back here and lift up your shirt, Mrs. Granger. Very good," Dr. Smith said.
He turned the screen that she could see it as he ran the instrument over her stomach.
"Everything's coming along perfectly fine," Dr. Smith said and his voice began to take on a much more reverential tone. "I think yes, at this point, we could tell the sex of the child. Would you like to know that?"
"Yes, please," Mrs. Granger said. "As long as it's alright with you honey."
"Sure, it will give us a head start on naming the little one," Mr. Granger said.
"As far as I can tell, you will have a lovely baby girl," Dr. Smith said. "Now, the rest of you! Into the waiting room, we have some private tests to take care of!"
While they were waiting, Hermione called Harry.
"Any luck?" she asked them.
"None whatsoever, they must have abandoned that place weeks ago," Harry said. "We'll fine them soon enough."
"I can't get into a shower soon enough," Draco said.
"Would you please be quiet for half a minute?"
"Thank Draco for his help in all of this," Hermione said.
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Just do it. Put me on speaker phone, I want to hear you say it."
"Why are you torturing me like this?"
"I'm not torturing you, I'm trying to show my gratitude."
"Fine."
Harry hit the button.
"You say it," he said.
"Fine," Hermione crackled out of the phone. "Draco, thank you very much for helping us with this search."
Draco stared at the phone, his eyes going wide.
"Um, it's no problem... Hermione," he said.
"In fact, the baby shower will be in a few months would you and Pansy like to come to that?" Hermione asked.
"Do I have to come? Can't I send Pansy, I mean that's not necessarily something that men go to, do they?"
"You don't have to come if you don't want to, I just thought it would be nice to offer. My mum would like you around for tea one of these days."
"That sounds lovely..."
"Thank you."
Harry hung up the phone.
"She's got her claws in you now, she won't take no for an answer much longer," Harry said.
"Great," Draco replied.
It was about thirty minutes later and Mrs. Granger emerged from the back room with Dr. Smith. He saw them off with a smile and a wave then walked back into his office.
"Ah, another happy patient," Dr. Smith said.
"Our only patient," his secretary said.
"Yes, but she is very important you see, or at least what she's carrying in her stomach is."
"Important to history and all that?"
"Yes."
"Then why are we getting involved?"
"We're not... I'm just making sure that everything's going to go right on the medical end. Everything else they'll have to take care of."
"They will though, won't they? I mean, it's history?"
"History for these nine months is very much in flux. It could change if someone were to push or pull on it. Kind of like an old ratty sweater, you don't have to pull the string but if someone does, bye bye sweater."
Meanwhile, a group of figures watched Harry and Draco from the rooftops.
"So, he has turned traitor against us, then we shall do him in turn," one of the figures said.
"All hail the dark lord!" they chanted to themselves.
The special guests will only appear briefly in one or two of the next chapters. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out who they are.