There was a beach. A beach with sand so light, it appeared almost white. And there was water; water that lapped around her ankles as she walked slowly along it's edge. The sky was bright and clear, and the weather, warm.

Where am I?

Hermione heard voices, and she wanted to turn around but found she couldn't. In the space of several seconds the sky darkened, became ominous. Lighting streaked across it. The voice grew louder. It sounded like Scabior calling her name.

Hermione!

She moved to look behind her, but it was like turning in molasses. As she came around she saw him. Standing in the water, being dragged out to sea by the waves. In his arms, a baby. The baby struggled with him, opened it's mouth and let out a shriek-

Hermione jolted awake. Sweat dripped from her brow as she heard a loud crack of thunder. Then she heard it. A crying baby.

She jumped from the bed, noticing a bassinet on her left.

A baby lay inside.

Her baby.

Their baby.

She crept over to the side of the small bassinet, almost afraid of what she would find. The baby was early…would it survive? Was it ok?

She slowly looked over the edge and saw the most beautiful baby she had ever seen in her life. The instinct took over and she immediately scooped it up, into her arms and gently rocked it. A few moments later, the baby had quieted. She moved back to the edge of her hospital bed, sitting on the edge and gave the baby her index finger. Five tiny fingers latched onto her much larger finger.

Hermione felt an outpouring of love she had never felt before that was so all-encompassing she knew she might never feel something that perfect again. The baby nestled itself closer to her as it settled.

"Sssh," she said quietly, reassuring the infant.

It was then that she noticed the baby wore a tiny knitted hat on its head.

A pink hat.

"You-you're a little girl?", she asked, almost expecting the tiny child to respond.

A girl. A baby girl.

Hermione felt tears dot her eyes. How wonderful.

"I'll call you Rose. That's your name. Rose."

She leaned into the baby.

"What do you think of 'Rose'?"

The baby held her finger still and yawned, her tiny newborn eyes darting around the room as babies often do.

"I love you forever, Rose. Mummy always loves you."

Just then the door to her room creaked open. A mediwitch entered, smiling at Hermione who beamed back at her.

"Miss Granger, I'm Dorothy. But everyone here calls me 'Dot'. I'm here to help you with any questions you might have."

Hermione smiled at the woman. She was in her fifties perhaps. She spoke with a hint of Scottish lilt. Streaks of grey flecked her otherwise raven hair. She had kind eyes and she liked her immediately.

"Hello, Dot. Thank you. But you must call me Hermione."

She lifted Rose gently in her arms.

"This is Rose."

Dot walked closer over to the baby and cooed at her.

"Well aren't you the most precious little girl I've ever seen!"

Dot walked back over to where she had laid a clipboard, and picked it up.

"You've answered the first question which was the baby name."

Rose pulled at Hermione's finger gently. Hermione brought it closer and Rose tried to suckle it.

"Oh, she's hungry Hermione! She's a little fighter this one. What wee a feisty girl."

Hermione realized, a little embarrassedly, what the baby was looking for.

"A word of advice - touch the breast just above her top lip and she should latch on for you."

"Thank you so much, Dot. I appreciate it."

"I can leave you alone now; this is such an amazing time to bond with your new babe."

Hermione looked at the woman.

"Do you have children?"

Dot let out a little laugh and stood, heading towards the door of the room.

"I have five! Can you believe it! We were very blessed."

Hermione looked down at the baby and began to fidget with the top of her hospital gown.

"I'll check in on you two later," Dot said before closing the door softly behind her.

Hermione shifted Rose to her other arm as she tried to undo the ties to the hospital gown. As she struggled with it she suddenly heard the door to her room bang open and saw a bright flash of white light that not only momentarily blinded her, but startled Rose, who started crying immediately.

"Did you get it?," Hermione heard and through the cloud of photography smoke saw Rita Skeeter standing beside her, photographer in tow.

Hermione snatched up the neck of her gown and held Rose closely to her.

"Get out of my room!," she yelled at the insolent reporter.

"No harm done, Hermione Granger! The entire Wizarding World has been waiting for this moment, I'm sure!"

She perched herself at the edge of Hermione's bed and summoned her pad and quill.

"Now, would you say that, as a single mum, you will be having to work three times as much as the average Hogwarts student?"

"What?! I-," Hermione looked around for some help. She heard voices in the corridor as she looked for someone to flag down. "Help me, please! Someone!"

The questions came rapid fire then, as poor Rose cried and Hermione held her closely, protectively.

"Are you planning to return to Hogwarts?"

"This Snatcher…are you an item?"

"What is going to happen to the baby if not?"

"How was he able to kidnap you from Hogwarts-"

Just then several personnel from St. Mungo's arrived.

"Miss Skeeter you will leave immediately!"

"I am allowed to pursue breaking stories!"

"Not here you aren't!"

Hermione watched the back and forth between the hospital team and the reporter as if it was a tennis match, as she gently rocked Rose and tried to comfort her.

Another giant flash went off, and Hermione pulled rose into her, covering her with her body.

"It's alright Rosie," she said calmly to the baby. "Mummy's got you."

"Out of this room! Or we will remove you by force!"

"Alright, alright, no need to shout!"

Rita turned back towards Hermione.

"Owl me with your answers!"

"Out!"

The door closed. Healer White, a younger woman approached Hermione.

"We are so sorry Miss Granger! We had no idea she was in here! None of us saw her at all-"

Hermione dismissed her with a wave. "It's fine, really. I know you didn't. She really is such a nuisance," she began, looking over the edge of the bed to make sure the door was closed and locked. Just then she felt a tug at her abdomen. The pain was intense and she jerked while holding Rose.

"Miss Granger-"

Hermione was doubled over at the waist, still holding tightly to Rose.

"I-I had a sharp pain in my…lower stomach area?," she said leaning back as she breathed slowly through her nose. It had passed.

"Oh, Miss Granger-"

"Hermione," she said, a little weakly.

"Hermione, there were some…complications in your delivery."

"Oh?," she said, cocking her eyebrow.

"Yes, you had passed out and the baby would't come. We had to retrieve the baby through incision."

Rose started crying again and Hermione hushed her gently, while pulling at the edge of her gown to try and peer down.

"It may be a bit shocking - It'll heal with minimal scarring though," Healer White continued.

Hermione could see the angry red edges of a large incision in the lowest part of her abdomen. It stretched neatly from hip to hip.

She gasped and the baby squalled more loudly.

"There really wasn't another way…," the Healer said, her voice drifting off.

Hermione shook her head. Today had been…a lot.

"Yes, of course. I am just grateful for my healthy baby."

The Healer moved back towards the door.

"We're going to double security efforts for you. We've also sent an owl to Hogwarts, to tell them of the good news."

Hermione smiled weakly as Rose continued crying. She rocked her.

"Thank you. I-I'm going to try and feed her. Would you mind terribly checking in a bit later on us?"

"Not at all. If you need anything ring the buzzer on your right. Dot will be right in."

"Thank you."

And with that Healer White had gone.

Hermione pulled at the neck of her hospital gown once more. She was so annoyed that her picture had been stolen by the same woman who had also insinuated her of latching on to Harry Potter.

Finally, she was able to pull one side of the gown to her waist.

Her left breast exposed to the cool air, the nipple pebbled.

"Come on Rose, we'll have to learn this together."

She rubbed her breast gently above Rose's top lip. Almost immediately the baby's hands jolted to her breast and her mouth found the nipple and began to suckle. Hermione felt an odd feeling, and a sensation of pressure and she worried she was not doing this correctly. All of a sudden, the sensation of pressure gave way to one of relief and Rose began making tiny noises in the back of her throat as she sucked away contentedly. Hermione felt a tingling, warm sensation and such a moment of pure joy and love as she cradled the tiny baby in her arms.

"Mummy will never let anything happen to you Rosie. Mummy loves you."

Rose suckled on and Hermione stared in awe and wonder at the tiny bundle of joy in her arms.