Chocolate Frog Card: (Silver) Merope Gaunt: Challenge: Write about Merope, either before or during her pregnancy with Tom Riddle.

Gringotts: Hermione/Merope [Hermione - Pairings]

Ultimate Hermione Pairing Challenge: Hermione/Merope Gaunt

February Event: 4. having a bubble bath (action) [5 points]

Word Count: 408

Merope groaned, drawing Hermione's attention away from her book and onto the heavily pregnant woman. It took a moment for Hermione to register the sounds and possible situation before she threw her book to the side and started panicking.

"Hermione," Merope moaned, watching the witch bustle around the room. "I'm not in labour."

Hermione paused, her body half crouched as she reached for her bag.

"What?" she asked, tilting her head to look at Merope. "So you're not pregnant?"

"No," Merope chuckled, rubbing her back as she eased herself up and out of her chair. It was her favourite because it did wonders for her back but she just wasn't feeling it today. "I just have a back ache."

She watched the tension ease out of Hermione. "Oh. Well, nothing a nice warm bath won't fix. I'll even add those lavender scented bubbles that you love so much."

"I only love them because they remind me of you." A light blush graced Hermione's cheeks. Merope loved getting the other woman flustered; Hermione seemed to have no idea how to handle any positive and romantic attention that was aimed in her direction.

"Right. Bath. I'll start getting that running." Merope chuckled as her girlfriend fled the room. She heard the taps start and the sound of running water a few minutes later. Merope rubbed her portruding stomach before entering the small bathroom. She removed her clothes and clambered into the full bath, grabbing onto the rail and Hermione's arm for support as she lowered herself into the warm water.

"Aren't you going to join me?" she asked once she'd settled herself and Hermione was crouching next to her.

"With you being so close to your due date and with back pains being experienced?" Hermione gaped at her. "No." Merope pouted but Hermione merely chuckled.

"Once little Tom is with us, then we'll consider it."

Merope smiled, thankful that the witch before her was able to accept her son and her previous actions. She knew it was wrong for her to drug a muggle to be in love with her, but Hermione hadn't cared. Well, not too much.

A sharp pain that was different to everything out she'd experienced before brought her out of her musings and startled Hermione who had been in the process of washing her hair.

"What? Is everything okay?"

Merope inhaled sharply before turning to Hermione.

"We may be sharing this bath sooner than you thought."