Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any other recognizable work.

Twelve

"As you know there are many things healers worry about when a witch- or wizard- is impacted by a cruciatus curse. Of course it's painful as I'm sure you're well aware, but there are also long term after effects. Now are you well aware of how the cruciatus curse works?"

Hermione nodded, aware of Malfoy standing tensely near her head as the healer poked and prodded her abdomen much like her muggle Midwife had. "It affects pain receptors in the body."

"Yes, right, right," The man pulled out his wand and began running it over her abdomen, "It's still unclear as to why there are such lasting effects but it's been known to cause problems in witches and wizards who survive it such as mental incapacitation, short and long term memory loss and something I believe what muggles would call dementia. It wasn't until recently that we began to see a bigger picture as well. Not only does it affect the brain but it also affects the body. Recently it's been seen that survivors experience joint pains and loss of mobility, incontinence, and infertility. There haven't been many cases on younger people as well, not many people would willingly use it on a child. However one concern the healing community has is that in a case such as yours that the effects might linger in your body and thus pass along to your unborn child."

Hermione felt her breath catch in her throat and she felt as though she might vomit as the man continued to work his magic over her.

"However, in your case it looks like your pregnancy and your fetus are progressing well. I don't see any cause for concern but I would like to follow up with you after delivery if not before. Mister Malfoy tells me you wish to see a muggle healer." Hermione could merely nod. "I don't see that as a problem so long as you follow up with a magical healer."

Hermione watched in silence as the man packed up his things and bid Malfoy good evening before he disappeared from the room.

"Granger?" Malfoy asked as he came back to her side. His face was one of worry and it wasn't until her vision started to blur that she realized she was crying. "Granger, what's wrong?"

She wanted to answer him but her tears wouldn't stop and she continued to feel them cascade down her cheeks.

The man sighed as he kneeled down in front of where she sat, looking into her eyes, "Hermione, please tell me what's wrong."

She looked at him then, really seeing him. The emotion in his eyes was nothing but concern and she realized how stupid she probably looked to him as she forced herself to take a few deep breaths and calm down before she spoke. "I'm such an idiot," she finally said. "A stupid, bloody idiot."

She was completely unprepared as Malfoy, still kneeling in front of her let out a laugh. She grimaced. "I'm sorry," he spoke, trying to quell his laughter, "It's just stupid and idiot are two words I would never use when speaking of you."

She shook her head, "I am though. Godric, I can't believe… the baby could have been hurt inside of me and I wouldn't have even known about it. I should have went to a healer straight away, I should have just swallowed my pride- but I didn't because i'm an idiot. And anything that happened would have been my fault."

"Hermione," the man said, his hands reaching out to grasp her shoulders gently, "You are the smartest witch I know. I know we don't… we don't know each other well but I know enough about you to know that you wouldn't have hurt our baby on purpose."

She looked at him curiously then, studying the lines on his face that showed he had lived and she nodded. "I'm sorry-"

"No," he said firmly but quietly. "No apologizing."

She nodded, looking down to her hands before she met his gaze once more. He was still holding onto her shoulders and she realized only then that she was leaning towards him. She shook herself as she pulled back and he let his hands drop just as a knock sounded on the door.

"Come in," Malfoy called as he moved away and Hermione swiped at her eyes once more.

"I just came to say that I have to get going," Astoria said from the doorway, looking between the two. "I'll- I'll owl you tomorrow about the plans?"

Malfoy took in a breath and nodded, "Right. Fine."

Hermione saw the witch nod once as she pursed her lips before she disappeared and Hermione stood up, "I should go find Charlie."

Malfoy nodded but said nothing more as she walked towards the doors they had entered through. It wasn't until she was almost there that he called out to her and she turned.

"Do you- would you like to have dinner? To get to know one another better?"

Hermione studied his face as he stood, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders rigid as he waited for an answer. He looked for all the world like a man who didn't care but there was something, just there. She nodded, "I would like that."

"I'll owl you," he said, the corner of his lips turning up.

As she found Charlie, waving away his questioning glance as they headed out of the manor, she realized she too was smiling.

They agreed to meet at a quaint little cafe near the ministry. It was easy enough to find but out of the way enough in muggle London that no one would question why Hermione Granger was meeting Draco Malfoy for lunch.

She took extra care that morning as she got ready making sure she looked her best. Her stomach preceded her now and though she knew people were already talking she knew it was only going to get worse. She wasn't sure why she wore her best dress that morning or why she took the extra time to try and tame her hair- failing miserably anyway- but she definitely wasn't doing it for Malfoy's benefit.

Or so she told herself.

Not that it much mattered anyway. By the time her lunch rolled around she had already dribbled tea on her dress and had lost a battle with an ink pot, resulting in a rather large blue stain on her wrist, and her hair had returned to its original riotous state.

She was in a huff as she arrived at the cafe and was glad that Malfoy had been able to arrive early, giving them a pleasant seat in the crowded shop.

"Sorry I'm late," she said with a sigh, "It's been… a morning."

Malfoy eyed her speculatively.

"Long story," she said and she set her bag down, reaching out to grab a menu from under his arm.

She heard his sharp intake of breath and her brow furrowed as his hand shot out and grabbed hold of her hand, sending that searing heat through her once more as his fingers explored her skin.

"Who did this to you?" he asked, his voice tight.

"What?" she asked dumbly as her brain worked to catch up, "Oh, no it's nothing it's-"

"It's not nothing it looks like someone threw you around-"

"It's ink, not a bruise," she snapped, pulling her arm from his grasp, "I was too caught up in getting the ink I spilled from my papers that I let this sit too long, it stained my skin before I could scorgio it off."

She met his doubtful gaze head on before he finally relented.

It was only after he looked down, rubbing a spot on his own arm that it hit her, "Who did it to you?"

He ignored her.

"Draco-" she said softly and he finally met her eyes, "Who did it to you?"

"Surely you've met my father," he said tightly.

"Draco-"

"No," he said sternly, "I don't want your pity."

She reached out then, and she would tell herself later that it was the hormones that overcame her, as she grasped his hand in hers, "I don't pity you Draco. Not in the slightest. I am sorry that he hurt you but… I don't pity you."

She let his hand go then and dropped it, looking down at the menu in her hand instead of at him and once the waitress arrived she placed her order.

"Do you," Draco started, "Have you thought of names?"

Hermione nodded, "I have but nothing has seemed to stick."

"My mother said she had several picked out for me and it was my grandmother that helped decide upon one in the end. Perhaps your mother could help you-"

Hermione pursed her lips, "My mother and father no longer speak with me," she finally admitted quietly as she looked down to the fabric tablecloth and a loose thread on the end.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said after a pause and when she looked back up to meet his eyes she was surprised to find she felt that he meant it. "Do you mind if I ask why?"

Hermione paused, swallowing thickly, before she nodded, "During the war I knew that I was a target. Of course I was, how could I not be? But I- I thought that my parents might be as well. So I modified their memories of me and sent them to Australia. I thought- I thought I was protecting them but they didn't see it as such."

She jumped as she felt Draco's hand touch hers upon the table and she looked up to meet his eyes, "You did the right thing Granger."

She smiled despite herself as the waitress reappeared with their food and set them down in front of them. She slid Hermione's caesar salad onto the table with little fanfare but Draco's sandwich was slid in front of him slowly, as though she were trying to hold off the inevitable. Hermione raised a brow but Draco never took his eyes from hers- completely ignoring the waitress until she took off in a huff and the two tucked into their meals.

It was quiet save for the sound of their eating and the sounds of the others around them. Hermione realized it was the first time- without the help of inebriation, that they had been civil with each other. It gave her hope for the future and the future of their child- no matter how small.

By the time she made it back to work, she realized how far behind she had gotten and she dove right in trying to salvage what was left of her reputation in the ministry.

Two weeks passed in a hurry as time seemed to both speed up and slow down and Hermione wondered if it was the pregnancy playing with her mind or if someone had used a time turner once too many times.

She spent her time at work or at home as she cleaned out her office for a nursery and- with help from Harry and Ginny as well as Charlie, got ready for her impending arrival. With the exception of her lunch dates with Charlie she hardly got out anymore. Her feet hurt and her back ached more and more with every passing day.

It wasn't until Ginny and Luna arrived at her flat one Saturday and dragged her out into the sunshine of Diagon alley that she realized she had missed it. Which was how she found herself book shopping with Charlie the next day.

"I had no idea you had so many published works," Hermione said as she picked up yet another book penned by her present company.

The man laughed, "It's not something I go around touting about."

"Oh you mean like this?" Hermione asked with wide eyes as she picked up a book authored by none other than his younger brother.

"Saving the Boy Who Lived" she read aloud and then scoffed as she placed it back on the shelf. "You know, you'd think he'd get tired of the attention it brings sooner or later."

Charlie huffed and shook his head as he moved on to the other rows of books just as Hermione felt a rather large kick. She groaned as she bent forward, resting her hand on the shelving of books beside her as she waited for her breath to return.

"Are you alright 'Mione?" Charlie asked, moving back to her side quickly.

The baby kicked again and she gasped once more as she placed a hand on her belly, "Just kicking."

Charlie reached out, his hand hovering over her belly, "May I?"

She nodded once, still winded, and the man knelt down, "Now, you listen here, your mother and I are trying to shop for books which is serious business. If you can't settle down and behave you won't be getting any ice cream later."

Hermione laughed at that, shaking her head just as another kick resounded right on Charlie's palm. He looked up at her in wonder, "Was that?"

"Yup," she grimaced, "Already throwing tantrums."

"Oh, so definitely like his father," the man laughed and the baby kicked once more where his hand rested before finally settling down. "You're a strong little one."

Hermione nodded, "Getting stronger."

The pair left then, Hermione's bladder lending to their exit and also their growing hunger, and they found themselves getting both a sandwich and an ice cream before Hermione found her way back to her flat for the evening, exhausted from her outing and in the mood for nothing more than a relaxing night in bed. And that's exactly what she did.

The next morning dawned bright and early and Hermione readied herself for work and her midwife appointment later. She penned a quick letter to Draco to remind him of the time of her appointment before she hurried on her way. It wasn't until she got to the office that she realized anything was amiss.

The eyes were on her as soon as she stepped foot inside the ministry, the hushed whispers as she passed by enough to clue her in as she made her way through the security and up to her office, determined to figure out the cause for the atmosphere.

She had only just made it to her floor when Carmella stopped her, a painfully sweet saccharine smile on her face, "Oh Hermione dear, It's so good to see you're still able to work. You know, a bunch of us up in (division name) were wondering if you could share your secrets with us."

"What secrets?" Hermione asked exasperatedly as she continued walking, the witch falling into step beside her.

"Well, how you managed to snag two Weasley's of course."

"I didn't-"

"Well, we know it was only natural for you to shag Ronald after your history and all but to also bag Charlie Weasley, most eligible wizard bachelor in England, well that's a feat all itself."

Hermione turned to witch, her jaw slack, "What in the name of Merlin's y-fronts are you talking about?"

The witch rolled her eyes but reached into the stack of papers in her hands to pull out the glossy magazine, handing it to her, "Well this of course."

She took the offered magazine that currently held her face on the front page and she felt her stomach plummet. To anyone else it would have looked like a lovely picture between a man and a woman as Charlie was knelt down in front of her, his hand pressed to her abdomen and a smile on both of their faces. The headline, however, left much to be desired:

Witch Expecting; but which Weasley's is it?
Find out which Weasley our sources say Hermione Granger is engaged to. Details of their torrid love affair and wedding inside!

"So, is it Ronald's or is it Charlie's? Personally I'm hoping for Ron but only because, well have you seen his brother?" the woman moaned and Hermione shook her head.

"I have to go, do you mind if I keep this?" She didn't wait for a response however as she hurried to her office and slammed the door shut behind her, ignoring the witch's calls from behind her.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit," she swore as she crossed round her desk and tossed the magazine onto the desk, trying to think of what to do.

She paced, her stomach in knots, before she finally gave up and threw herself down into her chair, resting her forehead in her hands as she tried to make her mind work. The knock on the door that sounded moments later nearly toppled her over and she squeaked as she straightened up and moved to the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me 'Mione!" Harry called and Hermione sighed in relief as she used her wand to let down her wards and invited him quickly inside. "Are you alright?"

"No, I mean, I didn't want to tell the public like this…"

Harry gave her a quizzical look, "Hermione, I'm going to put this as nicely as possible there is no way you would have been able to hide it much longer."

Hermione felt affronted at first but as the child inside of her kicked and she reached down to press a reassuring hand against the swell of her stomach she realized he was right.

"Ugh, I know it's just- well, I didn't want to drag the Weasley's into this," she finally said, moving back to her desk to sit down.

Harry shook his head, "Charlie sent me the memo this morning," he explained. "He wanted to come check on you himself but-"

"But that would have made it worse," she sighed, "I do appreciate it-"

Harry nodded, "So is there- I mean is there something going on between you and Charlie? Not that I mind at all but-"

"No," she said firmly, moving to stand up, "We're friends is all."

Harry looked at her skeptically.

"What?"

He shook his head as he reached over to move the magazine in front of her, "I believe you Hermione but this-" he pointed at the picture on the front cover, "This looks like it's more than just friends."

She groaned but nodded, "I know."

The man smiled at her before he shrugged, "Well at least you don't have to make an announcement now. That was a nightmare," he shuddered and Hermione remembered when he and Ginny had first announced their own pregnancy and the thousands of letters they had received in congratulations. It had been so bad it had nearly overrun their little cottage.

"Thank Merlin for small mercies," she laughed before bidding him goodbye and getting on with her day.