Standing in the center of her store, Hermione took a second just to breathe. For the first time, in a long time, she felt at peace. Out of her husband's rigid control and the circle of despair he'd kept her locked in. She could do what she wanted now.
"Do you.. should I leave?" Harry looked hesitant and worried, fingers rubbing the back of his messy head . It was a typical Harry gesture and she grinned, shaking her head.
"No, that's alright. Do you... do you know any good divorce lawyers?" She asked softly. Wizarding marriages were sealed in blood, often impossible to break . It would take a powerful lawyer to argue her case.
"You don't just want a separation? It's a lot easier and-"
"No. No, I don't want to have anything to do with him. " She shook her head firmly and Harry nodded.
"I understand. I'll look into it... In the mean time, I'm not so sure about you staying here. Didn't you tell me something about a nice bed upstairs? "
"Yes. It's old but its insanely comfortable. But I'm not too sure about climbing all the way-"
"Oh, you leave that to me, love." He gave her a one armed hug, moving quickly up the stairs while she grinned stupidly at the little pet name he'd used.
Three hours later, he'd managed to section off a part of the cafe into a makeshift nursery space, complete with a magically carved mural of the little mermaid and another one of Roger Rabbit. The medium sized room next to the nursery now held the bed, a chest of draws and a small bookshelf, filled with her favorite books. Harry ran the tip of his fingers over the spines of each book and then looked at her in surprise.
"None on parenting?" He raised an eyebrow in question.
"No...I just... I didn't find the time to ..." She shrugged, fingers stirring some sugar into the steaming mug of coffee she'd brewed up.
Truth was, all the books she'd read seemed to focus on sharing the pregnancy with your husband. On making sure the child grew up with his father right from the time he or she was in her womb and the mere thought of it had spun uncomfortable emotions in her. So she'd stopped reading.
"In that case, we should go shopping tomorrow. How does that sound?" He smiled, moving to settle back in the couch, reaching gratefully for the mug. She nodded, hesitating for a second before settling next to him. There was enough space between them to keep her comfortable , yet her heart began hammering away in its cavity.
Harry was the epitome of comfort. Of home and satisfaction. He reminded her of freshly mown grass and the fresh scent of her favorite books. Antique furniture that gained value with age and the silence that followed a thunderstorm, something like a reminder that no matter what horrible thing she had to face, he'd stay the same.
Her best friend.
Her only friend.
And of course, only a friend.
She could feel something tug at her heartstrings, something that felt like disappointment and it must have translated to her face, because he straightened at once, fingers moving to her knees.
"Hey, you okay?" He asked , concern flooding his features and she sat there stunned, as warmth radiated from where his fingers rested on her soft skirt, the pressure of his touch and the heat of his body easily permeating the soft fabric and flooding her body.
It practically zinged through her, moving up and outwards, making the tips of her finger tingle. The touch was oddly familiar, something she remembered from some forgotten life and she blinked in shock at the foreign sensation. And then , without warning, she felt it.
A kick.
Jumping, she stared down at her tummy in shock.
"I..it..I ..." She blubbered, words failing her as she tried to get some of her thoughts out. They were filling her up in quick succession, making her lose track of what she was thinking , where she was..who she was.
Harry looked panicked.
"Are you alright, its it the baby... what, Mione?!" He moved closer, fingers moving to her shoulder and she just stared at him, at his beloved fresh face, untouched by the years and still looking so childishly concerned. Just like all those times in their childhood, when he'd been afraid of her getting hurt.
Unable to form words, she shook her head in denial and picked up his palm, moving it to the curve of her belly.
The reaction was instantaneous.
Her baby gave a solid kick, the vibrations singing through her body and translating to his skin.
"Oh, My god! He's...the baby's... he's moving..." He looked awestruck and ...reverent. Like he was watching something that was holy. Something no one could earn the right to see or feel.
"He is.. isn't he?" Hermione whispered, awed by the feeling inside her and by the look on his face. She moved her fingers off his hand but his hand stayed in place, thumb rubbing circles on her tummy . She could feel her hormones going haywire. She wasn't supposed to feel all this. So much. Too much.
And then he lowered his head, lips brushing the curve of her belly.
Her breasts tingled without warning and before she could be properly disgusted with herself for making his gesture seem sexual, she felt something soak the front of her dress.
"Oh." She looked at herself stupidly, watching the stain spread over her chest. It took her a second to recognize that she was leaking.
Harry looked like he'd been hit over the head.
Embarrassed and face flaming in shame, she scrambled for her coat, draped casually on the couch, pulling it up in front of her.
"That's... you're... isn't it.. isn't it too early to...?" He was trying hard to look at her face and nowhere lower, the tips of his ears red .
Hermione swallowed the embarrassment flooding her and shook her head. Oh, God this was incredibly embarassing. Clearly , the heavens were against her. It took her two tries to get back on her feet , trying to ignore Harry as he moved to help her.
"It's alright... I just need to ... " And that made her stop. None of the clothes in the store fit her anymore. She needed to change out of her clothes and there weren't any at hand. Frustrated, she felt the tell tale wetness on her cheek, mirrored by another spurt of milk , staining her dress further.
She felt miserable, just a second away from breaking down and sobbing.
Strong fingers curled on her shoulder, tugging her gently.
"Hey. Hermione... hey... look at me."
It took a mammoth effort to do it, her face red and splotchy from the tears. Harry looked mildly amused as he used his thumb to brush her tears.
"Know what this reminds me of?" He asked softly, guiding her back to the couch. She bit her lip, looking away. She couldn't think of anything more humiliating than leaking breast milk in front of her best friend. It was just not done. Like it wasn't bad enough on its own, subjecting Harry to something like that?! What right did she have ?
"Back during the Horcrux hunt? Remember I was looking for the first aid kit and stumbled into your tampons? And being the curious git that I am, I just had to ask what they were for.."
Hermione felt her face flame again as the memory flooded her. Okay, yeah, that had been embarrassing.
"Oh, God I remember the look on your face. You looked like you wanted to run and hide. And I bet if we were anywhere else, you would have run off too. But I'm going to tell you the same thing I did then. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's just a sign that you're a woman. A healthy beautiful woman, who is going to be a healthy beautiful mother. You don't have anything to be ashamed of. Got that?" He said softly , patting her on the cheek.
She took a deep breath, shuddering on the exhale.
"Okay." She smiled weakly through the tears. Harry grinned and stood up.
"Now, you stay put while I go get you something pretty to change into. You want to take a shower?" He asked softly, fingers moving up from her shoulders to tangle in her soft hair. She could feel her body tingling and she moved away, nodding a little.
"I ... I need to get..."
"Okay. Anything else you want me to get while I'm out?" He smiled reassuringly and she shook her head.
She waited till he was out of the door before sinking back against the couch and getting her feelings in control, trying to get rid of the awful feeling of deja vu.
This wasn't good.
She was falling for him again.
And this time there was no one to break her fall.
Harry felt like the world's worst asshole.
He was sitting in the waiting chair at one of the maternity Stores in Diagon alley. After calmly explaining what had happened, he'd been ushered inside a room and told to wait, while the lady went about picking stuff that Hermione might need to deal with the changes in her body.
And while he waited, he couldn't help but think of what had happened.
For one fleeting , infinite moment he'd felt like a father.
Like it was his daughter in there. His child, growing in a womb, responding to his touch and recognizing the person it had been formed from.
It had certainly felt that way.
And then she'd... she'd...
Liquid heat pooled in his stomach at the thought.
He loved kids. Had always loved them. Had wanted a dozen. One of the things Ginny had hated about him. She'd been reluctant to have more than one, insisting that it would ruin her figure but Harry couldn't think of anything sexier than a well endowed, rounded woman.
Someone who looked soft and comfy, warm and gentle.
Hermione looked that way, now. She was still slim, but her breasts were skating the edge between just enough and a bit too much . Her hips flared just a bit too wide to accomadate the extra load and he loved the S curve of her thin waist , small and dainty like a hourglass.
But she was still pretty early , wasn't she? Five months, according to her. Was it normal for her to be lactating so soon?
Worried, he reached for his phone, dialling Neville quickly.
"Harry? That you?" He sounded genuinely surprised to hear from him. Not surprising. He hadn't called him in months.
"Hey, Nev. I was wondering if... remember when Luna was Pregnant?" He asked nervously, still unsure how to phrase his worry.
"Oh, God.. that.. that's not something I'll be forgetting anytime soon." Neville shuddered audibly and Harry winced in sympathy. Luna had a difficult pregnancy, rife with complications. She probably wouldn't have pulled thorough if Neville hadn't been the awesome obstetrician that he was.
"Well, did she... I mean is it normal for women to start lactating when their still pregnant?" He blurted out.
"Ginny's pregnant?" Neville sounded stunned. It took Harry a second to even remember who Ginny was.
"What.. no! It's Hermione. Which reminds me, can we come see you tomorrow? For a check up?"
"Sure. that's fine. Luna is just on her way to the cafe right now. How many weeks along is she?"
Harry blinked. Five months, so that would be-
"Around twenty weeks. Give or take?"
"Oh, well it's pretty normal. Just get one of them pre maternity kits for her. In case it makes her uncomfortable you know. And , really dude, why are you doing this? Where's that deadbeat husband of hers?"
"Ronald? He isn't in the picture anymore." Harry said shortly, the mere thought of his once best friend now giving him a headache.
"Good for her. Skirt-chasing bastard. Can you believe he hit on Luna? When Hermione was right across the room, nonetheless. Poor Mione... Must've been terrible for her. !"
Harry felt his fist clench. Someday Ron's face was going to be intimately acquainted with it.
"Yes, it was. I need to go now."
"Sure ... Harry?"
"Yeah."
"Take good care of her, she's a goddess. " Neville said softly, fondness coating his tone.
Harry smiled.
"That she is."
Hermione took a few extra minutes to shower and wash her hair. Clearly, she needed to be more familiar with the changes in her body. She pressed her hand to her stomach every now and then, waiting for movement. But it didn't come.
She wondered if the baby had perhaps responded to Harry and not her. Was that possible? Did they get attached to people touching them? Kissing them?
"Oh, God, Mione , get a grip." She laughed, reaching for a few dollops of shampoo. As she massaged it into her scalp, she frowned, pulling her fingers out. She could feel the phantom feeling of Harry's touch there. And it was wrong. So wrong.
She had to get her head on straight. Not confuse her feelings with what was real. Harry loved Ginevra. Everyone knew that. And sometimes, she'd resented the red haired girl for tossing it all aside , but deep down she knew she couldn't blame her.
Ginny loved her freedom, her mixed bloodline giving her a love for the wild side, as wild as the red of her hair. Harry had wanted family and kids and Ginny. It didn't work that way.
But then, things seldom worked the way you wanted them to, and she was a living breathing example there. Twenty four years old and not a single dream fulfilled. No husband, no desired career and no dreams left to call her own.
Just this baby.
And Harry.
When Harry got back to the store, Hermione was still in her new room, the door locked. A few customers sat across the scattered tables and he caught sight of Luna in the cash counter.
"Harry!" She smiled, waving cheerfully.
"Hey? You're here early ." He said , surprised. It was still on the early side of morning and most of the patrons looked sleep deprived, clearly looking for their morning fix of caffeine.
"Oh, Mione always like getting an early start. And what about you? How come the great Mr. Potter is out doing baby stuff?" Her eyes twinkled knowingly and he rolled his eyes.
"Just helping a friend , sweetheart, don't let your imagination run wild." He bumped her nose lightly with a closed fist. Ducking her head in defense, she laughed , eyes flitting to the door on her right. Hermione was peering out of a crack on the door.
"Harry? " She looked scrubbed clean and fresh, face sparkling with that special glow that pregnant woman seemed to carry around.
Harry waved the bags in his hand.
"Here you go. Why don't you help her out?" He deposited the bags in Luna's hand, shooing her away and taking her place behind the counter. He's always wanted to run those cash register thingies.
Draco leaned back against the wall, glancing around the room, trying to decide if the mess was normal Harry mess or dragged against his will Harry mess. Blaise was rummaging in the bedroom and he was trying not to panic.
"Why isn't the guy picking his phone?" Blaise yelled irritably, his voice carrying over to where Draco stood. That was new. They could always reach each other on their private phones. It was one of the staples in their field of work, where you couldn't actually afford stupid mistakes.
Was Harry in trouble?
Somehow he doubted it.
Harry had been the best on field. Even after the entire Order had been disbanded, he'd still retained his skills , as evidenced by the countless scams he'd managed to pull off. Although a lot had hinged on Draco and Blaise throwing the authorities off his scent. But Harry had done all of that purely for the of the money he managed to swindle, he paid back.
And he usually targeted people who'd made it using illegal means anyway.
Not that two wrongs made a right or anything, but still.
But Theodore Nott wasn't just some guy looking for a criminal. He was a murderer. A monster. Someone who never forgot and never years he'd used every loophole in the law to evade capture.
And Harry had managed to outwit him at his own game, using the same loopholes to tie him up in knots, finally landing him in jail.
But now the bastard was out , like a shark sniffing for blood. And Harry was the target.
"I know why he isn't picking up..." Blaise came out of the room, a small black cellphone held in his hand.
"He must be using the other one." Draco rolled his eyes, reaching for his own.
The phone rang just as Hermione emerged from the room, dressed in one of the soft blue sweaters he'd bought. He took a second to smile at her and mouth " gorgeous " , watching her blush , before picking up.
"Hello?"
"Where on earth are you, you stupid prat?" Draco's snarl filled his ears and made his head throb.
"Out. What do you want?" He asked quietly, wondering if he'd gotten into some spot as always.
"Theodore Nott's out."
Harry blinked in shock, something like adrenaline coursing through his veins. Finally.
He tried not to show his pleasure at the news, injecting surprise into his tone instead.
"How on earth did that happen?" He said, cursing.
"Some bullshit technicality... Harry, we've got to get you to a safe house or-"
Harry tried not to roll his eyes as Draco began rambling about protection and guards and wards .
"I'll meet you in an hour." He said quickly, hanging up.
He wanted to meet Theodore Nott on his own terms. He wanted to make that bastard suffer for...
"Is everything , okay Harry?" Hermione said softly, fingers touching his elbow in concern and he lost track of his thoughts. Instead a new worry began seeping into his mind.
"Mione, I can't... I might not be able to meet you for a while." He couldn't risk that. If Nott got a wind that he was meeting someone, least of all a girl ...Like the last time he might...Fear and apprehension slammed into him and he took a step back from her.
The tracker on him was blood bound. Right now, Nott might know he was here. With Hermione.
"I need to go." He said softly, shaking his head.
He stepped out, ready to leave, but changed his mind, stepping back in to put on a few protective charms.
Best not to take any undue risks.
Ignoring her surprised queries, he moved out, apparating away to Draco's Manor.
A/n :- Sry for the late update... Reviews are love. :) Will update daily...