It was a good life, Ellie Potter often told herself. She had a husband she loved dearly. They shared a beautiful home in the village where he had grown up, surrounded by a lively garden to which Ellie devoted much of her time. Her husband's job, working as an Auror for the Ministry of Magic, was more dangerous than she would have liked, but these days there were not nearly as many Dark witches and wizards to contend with as there had been fifteen years before, when Ellie and Joe had been newlyweds. It was a peaceful life, and she was content.
The only thing missing was a child.
The early years of their marriage had been filled with a monthly round of hope followed by disappointment, but now, almost eighteen years later, she had resigned herself to childlessness. She was past forty now, and her husband nearing fifty. They never even talked about it anymore.
It was a hot summer. At first, Ellie thought it was only the heat getting to her, making her feel tired and run-down. The bloating in her belly and tenderness of her breasts, she wrote off to her monthlies, coming on a week or two later than usual.
But that did not seem quite right. After four decades living in her body, she knew it well. This was something new. The menopause, she realised. She made an appointment with a healer to find out what other changes she could expect, and if she shed a few tears over the passing of her limited fertility, well, there was no shame in that.
When the healer showed her the test results, she shook her head. "That can't be right. You must have mixed mine up with someone else's."
"There's no mistake, Mrs Potter," said the healer. "Shall I schedule you an appointment with a midwife for next month to see how you're coming along?"
Feeling dazed, and not knowing what else to do, she nodded.
Ellie barely noticed the trip home. She spent the afternoon sitting on the sofa, worrying a handkerchief between her dark hands and thinking, It can't be, and, Why now?
When green flames crackled into life in the fireplace and her husband spun out onto the hearth rug, Ellie leapt to her feet, but she did not go to him.
"Ellie?" he said, taking in the look on her face and the rumpled handkerchief clenched between her fists.
"Joe -" she said helplessly. "Joe, I -"
The keen-eyed Auror whom she loved so well looked her over from head to foot, puzzlement creasing his brow. She had seen that look on his face many times before as he sorted through clues and mysteries. Figure it out, she begged him silently. I won't believe it until you say it.
Joe Potter's blue eyes widened. His jaw dropped and his brows shot up into his disordered hairline. In two strides, he was with her, enveloping her in a bear hug.
"I'm going to be a dad!" he said, delighted.