Sitting in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, Hermione checked her watch to see how much longer the journey home would be. It was the end of term and the students were heading home for the summer, and while Hermione wanted to make the most of spending time with her friends as she wouldn't see them for a few months, she was getting tired and just wanted to be settled in at the Malfoys.
Hiding her pregnancy had been a lot simpler than Hermione had anticipated. Madam Pomfrey had cast concealment charms on her and her naturally baggy clothing also helped conceal her pregnancy. Luckily Hermione had suffered from no morning sickness and on a whole her pregnancy had run smoothly. However she was now over six months pregnant and hiding her condition was starting to take it's toll on her, all Hermione wanted was to spend some quality, relaxing time with Draco as they prepared to welcome their child into the world.
Hermione was just disappointed that her parents had refused to come round and accept that she was having a baby. Hermione had tried writing to her parents since the meeting in Dumbledore's office, but they made it clear that unless she was prepared to terminate her pregnancy they wanted nothing to do with her. In the end Hermione had arranged for Dumbledore to sort someone to go and get her stuff from home and she hadn't exchanged correspondence with her parents for weeks.
"Hermione?" Harry waved his hand in front of Hermione's face, bringing the brunette witch out of her thoughts.
"Sorry, I was miles away," Hermione said. "What did I miss?"
"Do you want anything from the sweet trolley?" Harry asked. "It's heading this way."
"I'm okay," Hermione replied. "I just need to use the bathroom."
"Again?" Ron questioned as Hermione got to her feet. "You've been three times since we left Hogsmeade."
"Thanks for keeping check and sharing that with everyone Ronald," Hermione muttered, rolling her eyes at her friend.
Ginny elbowed her brother in the ribs as Hermione left the compartment. "Honestly Ron, sometimes you're a right idiot."
"What I've done now?" Ron asked in bewilderment as he rubbed his side.
"I don't think you're supposed to mention how often girls go to the bathroom," Harry told his friends.
"I was just pointing out how unusual it was," Ron said, not understanding the problem. "She doesn't normally use the bathroom so often on a trip on the Hogwarts Express."
"Maybe she's having a few issues," Ginny hissed. "Just don't mention stuff like this in future."
"Issues?" Ron frowned. "What sort of issues?"
"Feminine issues," Ginny suggested, knowing that would shut Ron up once and for all.
Sure enough that was enough to shut Ron up, and he swiftly changed the subject to the sweet trolley that was rapidly making it's way towards them. By the time Hermione came back from the bathroom the trolley had been and her friends had stocked up on sweets and treats. Ron had also totally forgotten about his earlier remarks about Hermione's bathroom habits, and he never mentioned the reason she'd been gone.
"So what are your plans for the summer, Hermione?" Ginny asked. "Are you and your parents going on holiday this year?"
"I don't really know until I get home and speak to them," Hermione replied. She felt bad for lying to her friends, but she knew it was the only way. Hopefully once Dumbledore and the Order had dealt with Voldemort, Hermione could tell her friends about what was going on in her life.
"I would love to go away on holiday," Ron sighed wistfully. "Not that's it very likely, given our family's position within the Order."
"At least we'll be fully involved this year," Harry said to his friend. Dumbledore had promised that both Harry and Ron could officially join the Order over the summer, once Harry had turned seventeen at the end of July. "So far we've been sitting on the side-lines, only hearing bits and pieces through Sirius, at least now we're joining the action."
"It's alright for some," Ginny complained. "I'm still stuck out of the loop. No-one will let me help."
"You can help when you're seventeen," Ron told his disappointed sister. "We've had to wait, and Harry's the bloody chosen one. If they wouldn't let us know what was going on, they're not going to involve you."
"It's still unfair," Ginny pouted. When Harry and Ron joined the Order she would be left completely on her own as she knew both boys would immediately make sure they saw some action.
"Are you coming to stay sometime over the summer?" Ron asked Hermione. "You could also officially join the Order as well. Surely Dumbledore made the same offer to you."
"He did," Hermione replied. In fact she, Draco and Narcissa had officially joined the Order a few months ago.
"So will we be seeing you this summer?" Harry asked. "Dumbledore promised me that I could be at the Order's Headquarters within a few weeks of the holidays. All I have to do is return to the Dursleys for a few weeks to keep his protection spell on me in place so it doesn't break before my birthday. Then once I'm seventeen, I'll be with the Order anyway so I'll be safe."
"I don't know if you'll be seeing me, I guess I'll have to wait and see how my parents are feeling," Hermione answered. She knew that Harry and Ron understood how difficult her parents could be so it would be fairly easy to tell them that they were being stubborn and refusing to let her visit over the holidays.
"I hope you can come and visit," Ron said, looking disappointed that he might not see his friend until September.
Hermione muttered an agreement before swiftly changing the subject and asking if anyone fancied a game of exploding snap. Luckily the change of topic worked perfectly and as the four Gryffindors settled down to play card games, no more mention was made about the summer, much to Hermione's relief. Even though keeping her friends in the dark was the safest option, she still felt bad when she had to lie to them. Most of the past few months hadn't involved actual lying, but now she was having to tell a few tales just to answer some simple questions.
The rest of the journey passed fairly swiftly and Hermione was thrilled when they pulled into King's Cross Station. Several hours sitting on a cramped train was starting to take it's toll on her and she was dying to stretch her legs properly. Grabbing her trunk, which Dumbledore had charmed to be lightweight, Hermione followed her friends off the train.
"Hey, what's Tonks doing here?" Harry asked, pointing to where Nymphadora Tonks was standing chatting to Molly.
Tonks, alongside Remus Lupin, had been brought into things by Dumbledore to offer Hermione and the baby extra protection. Both Tonks and Lupin had visited Narcissa's house and added extra security wards, and they would be around until it was safe for people to know Hermione and Draco were together and had a child. Hermione was quite relieved by Dumbledore's choice of Order members to bring into things as she liked and trusted both Tonks and Lupin, and it would be nice to have some familiar faces around as she tried to adjust to everything that was happening.
"She's here for me," Hermione told her friends. "Did I forget to mention it? My parents are away at a dental conference, and Dumbledore didn't want me to be alone so he arranged for Tonks to come and pick me up and stay with me until my parents return."
"Why didn't he just arrange for you to come and stay with us?" Ron questioned. He didn't see anything unusual in Dumbledore not wanting Hermione to be alone as the world was a dangerous place with Voldemort running around and as a muggleborn and close friend to Harry, Hermione was definitely someone that could be targeted.
"It's only until later tonight," Hermione replied. "It's easier for Tonks to come to my house then for me to trail all the way to the Burrow for a few hours."
"I guess that does make sense," Harry said. "Just make sure you write regularly to let us know you're okay," He warned his friend.
"I will, don't worry," Hermione replied as the group reached Molly and Tonks.
While Molly fussed over Ron, Ginny and Harry, Tonks immediately grabbed Hermione's trunk from her hands. As Tonks greeted Hermione's friends, Hermione's attention drifted across to the platform to where she spotted her boyfriend approaching his parents. As usual both Lucius and Narcissa were present to meet their son from the Hogwarts Express and if you didn't know otherwise you would think they were a really close family. Lucius made a big show of greeting Draco, and all the time he had his arm wrapped securely around Narcissa's waist.
"We should be off," Molly announced. "Hermione, you know you're always welcome any time over the summer."
"I know," Hermione smiled at the older witch. "Thank you."
"Harry, are you okay getting back into the muggle world?" Molly checked. She would much rather take Harry straight home with her, but Dumbledore had explained about why Harry needed to spend a few weeks each summer at his aunt and uncle's house.
"He can come with us," Tonks offered. "We'll make sure he gets to the Dursleys safely."
"Oh joy," Harry muttered, rolling his eyes at the thought of returning to Privet Drive. The only consolation was that he was only ever there for a few weeks these days, and once he finished school next year he didn't have to return there again.
Saying goodbye to the Weasleys, Tonks led the way towards the barrier that led up to the muggle world. Before she crossed the barrier Hermione caught one last glimpse of Draco, who was preparing to apparate to the Manor with his parents. The couple shared a brief smile before Draco and his parents vanished into thin air and Hermione passed through the barrier into the muggle world.
Once in the muggle world the trio quickly located the Dursleys, who had reluctantly came to pick Harry up from the train station. Leaving Harry in the care of his relatives, Tonks made a point of telling Harry to write if he had any problems. The entire Order knew how the Dursleys used to treat Harry, and every time any of them came into contact with the muggle family they always made it clear that Harry now had a support network and people who genuinely cared for him and would be at his side the instant he needed help. The constant reminder of the support Harry had in the wizarding world kept the Dursleys in line and while Harry didn't enjoy spending time with his family at least they no longer abused him and treated him like dirt.
With Harry sorted, Tonks led the way out of King's Cross Station and into a nearby alley. Once there she pulled out a purse from her cloak and told Hermione to grab hold of both her hand and the purse.
"Sorry it's a portkey, but it's not safe for you to apparate in your condition," Tonks told the young witch. "And remember to keep tight hold of me, I'll steady you and make sure your landing is a smooth one."
Hermione nodded in understanding as the purse began to glow. Seconds later she and Tonks were sucked into the whirling vortex a portkey seemed to create. Hermione let go of the portkey when Tonks gestured for her to do so but she kept tight hold of the older witch's hand, until they landed safely on an immaculate lawn.
"Thanks Tonks," Hermione smiled. "If it wasn't for you, I would have ended up flat on my face."
"We couldn't have that. We have to keep you and that baby safe," Tonks grinned. "And speaking of safety, here we are. Your new home."
Hermione looked up at the large house in which they landed in front of. Even though Draco had mentioned the house he and Narcissa lived in was a decent size, she hadn't expected anything as grand. The house was a three story affair and even from the outside Hermione could tell it housed plenty of rooms.
"Let's get you inside," Tonks said, leading the way up to the front door. "Remus is already here, and he's sorting out dinner."
"Will you be staying until Draco and Narcissa return?" Hermione asked as Tonks opened the front door and led the way into a welcoming front hall.
"Yes, you'll not be left alone Hermione, don't worry," Tonks reassured the young witch as she placed her trunk down on the floor. "Tipsy," she suddenly called, startling Hermione.
Hermione was even more startled when a house elf popped up in front of her and Tonks asked her to take Hermione's trunk upstairs. Hermione didn't approve of the use of house elves, and she watched with a frown as Tipsy picked up her trunk and disappeared with a small pop.
"Tipsy is the only elf in residence," Tonks told Hermione, spotting the look of disapproval on the younger witch's face. "She belongs to the Black family and is Narcissa's personal elf. I assure you Narcissa treats her with the utmost respect and Tipsy isn't mistreated in any way. She loves Narcissa and lives to serve her, and Narcissa loves Tipsy in return and treats her like family."
"I guess I just didn't expect to see any elves," Hermione said. "Especially not a one who looks so happy. I can still remember the stories Harry told me about Dobby, and how he'd been mistreated by Lucius."
"As you're well aware, Narcissa isn't anything like Lucius," Tonks replied.
"No, she isn't," Hermione replied, thinking about everything Narcissa had done for her and how supportive she'd been.
"Come on, let's go and get you fed," Tonks said, taking hold of Hermione's hand and leading her to the dining room. "Narcissa wasn't sure how long she and Draco would be as they always have dinner at the Manor before returning here. Hopefully they'll be back before Madam Pomfrey arrives."
"Why's Madam Pomfrey coming?" Hermione asked, trying to study her surroundings as Tonks led the way to the dining room.
"She needs to remove the concealment charm on you," Tonks explained. "We don't need to disguise your pregnancy now. Plus she'll be making arrangements for further visits."
It had already been decided that Hermione wouldn't be going to a hospital to have the baby. Madam Pomfrey had taken care of everything so far in her pregnancy and she was fully qualified to deliver the baby when it was due. Narcissa and Tonks had also both promised to be present when she gave birth so they could support Hermione and assist Madam Pomfrey.
"It'll be strange to see the bump," Hermione remarked. With the concealment charm she'd only really seen her bump when Madam Pomfrey was examining her and checking everything was okay. Of course she could feel the baby when she placed her hand on her stomach, and she was acutely aware of the other changes her body was going through.
When Hermione and Tonks arrived at the dining room they found Remus already waiting for them with the food on the table. Remus greeted Hermione with a hug and the trio settled down to eat. Once they'd finished their meal, Tonks and Remus gave Hermione a quick tour of the ground floor before they settled in the living room.
"Is all my stuff here?" Hermione asked.
"It's all upstairs," Remus replied. "I think Narcissa has left it in the boxes for you to unpack."
"I think she was unsure of where to unpack your things," Tonks added. "She wasn't sure if you would be sharing with Draco or if you would prefer a room of your own."
Hermione would really prefer to share a room with Draco, but she knew the decision wasn't just down to her. She didn't want to just impose herself of Draco, if she shared his room she wanted it to be because that's what he wanted as well.
Not comfortable with talking about Hermione and Draco's sleeping arrangements, Remus swiftly changed the topic to school and what Hermione had been doing. Half an hour later Hermione was still talking to Remus about Hogwarts when the floo network lit up and Draco stepped from the flames, followed closely by Narcissa.
While Narcissa exchanged pleasantries with Tonks and Remus and checked everything was okay, Hermione stood up to greet Draco. Despite the presence of three adults in the room, Draco greeted Hermione with a searing kiss that left her breathless.
"I'm so pleased you're here," Draco admitted. In the last few months the couple hadn't managed to spend too much time together as most of their spare time had been taken up with planning everything to do with the pregnancy and what would happen after that.
"I'm pleased I'm here too," Hermione said, snuggling into her boyfriend. "I'm looking forward to being normal and not having to hide."
The couple's reunion was interrupted by a knocking on the front door, which Remus went off to answer. When he returned, he was accompanied by Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore.
"It's good to see things seem to be running to plan," Dumbledore remarked, pleased to find everyone safe at the house. "We haven't had any problems, have we?"
"Everything was fine," Narcissa replied. "Things ran the same way as they always do, Lucius and I picked up Draco from the station and we had dinner together before leaving."
"Let's just hope things continue to run as smoothly," Dumbledore smiled. "Now shall we get on, I'm sure Miss Granger's eager to lose her concealment charm."
"I am," Hermione said as Madam Pomfrey pulled out her wand and approached her.
Ten minutes later Hermione's baby bump was visible for all to see, and the reality of the situation was beginning to sink in for Hermione and Draco as discussions got underway about how the rest of the summer would run. It was decided that Madam Pomfrey would visit every week, but she could be contacted at any time of day or night if there was an emergency. It was also revealed that Tonks and Remus were staying at a smaller house on the property, so they could be there in an instant if they were needed.
After a couple of hours discussing how things were going to work, Hermione started to yawn and feel tired. Draco immediately spotted his girlfriend's fatigue and suggested they head off to bed. Narcissa told Hermione that her boxes of belongings were in the spare room, but if she wanted to move into Draco's room she had no issue with it. After all she was already pregnant so it wasn't as if they had to worry about any accidents happening in that respect.
"Do you want to move into my room?" Draco asked Hermione as he led the way upstairs.
"Only if you want me there," Hermione replied.
"Of course I want you there," Draco reassured Hermione. "I've been waiting for this moment for months. You have no idea how much I've been longing to curl up with you in my bed."
"That sounds like heaven," Hermione said. "I can't wait to get into bed, I'm so tired."
Leading the way into his bedroom, Draco pointed out the adjoining bathroom and asked his girlfriend if there was anything she needed from her things in the spare room. Spotting her trunk in Draco's room, Hermione shook her head as she pulled her toiletries bag from it.
"What about night wear?" Draco questioned.
"I was thinking I might just sleep in one of your t-shirts," Hermione smiled. While she may not have been up for indulging in anything sexual that night, she still liked the idea of sleeping in Draco's clothes.
Liking the idea, Draco quickly found Hermione a green t-shirt and handed it to his girlfriend as she headed into the bathroom. When she re-entered the bathroom, Hermione was wearing the t-shirt and Draco grinned appreciatively at her. Even with her bump, which wasn't actually too big, she was still the most beautiful witch he'd ever laid eyes on. When Draco told Hermione that she merely laughed at him and told him to go and get ready for bed. When Draco returned from using the bathroom, wearing just a pair of grey pyjama bottoms, Hermione was already snuggled into bed and was practically asleep. Crawling into bed beside his girlfriend, Draco wrapped his arms around her as the pair drifted off to sleep.
A/N – I'm so pleased so many people seem to be looking forward to reading this story. I forgot to mention it in my note on the first chapter, so I just thought I ought to point out that this will not be one of my usual lighthearted fluffy stories. It's a pretty serious story, and there's plenty of drama and heartache ahead. I hope people still read it and enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying writing it.