Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!
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At first it had amused Draco, intrigued him even, to imagine caring for his darling through one of the most difficult and unpredictable transformations she would ever undergo.
Instead, as the months dragged on, his fascination with Hermione's pregnancy turned into hundreds of whispering, fearful anxieties and unbearable guilt.
She bloomed with the life Draco had placed deep inside her womb.
Her long, amber hair shone with the same brilliance that illuminated her fair face as her body expanded, from her hips to her breasts and belly.
Regardless, Draco had much less time to drool over his beautiful mate than he had anticipated.
A single flash of discomfort in Hermione's eyes set his alpha instincts on edge and instantly, he hovered over her, eager to help, insistent on protecting.
Weekly visits from the midwife brought with them new, uncharted fears and newspaper columns worth of worries about his mate and his pup.
Was it true that muggleborns witches were more susceptible to postpartum hemorrhage?
Would he remember the emergency healing spell if he woke in the middle of the night to find Hermione suffering a heart problem brought on by her condition?
Knowing that they had the house to themselves eased Hermione's nerves, but watching Draco in those last few weeks never failed to increase her anxiety.
Late one afternoon, as she sat in bed, with a book in one hand and the other resting on top of her heavy belly, she scowled as she glanced over and caught her alpha gazing at her in silent horror.
"Would you please stop it, Malfoy?" Hermione snapped before she turned back to her book.
"Sorry…." Draco murmurred as he looked away.
It bothered Hermione that he chose to obey her wishes in an attempt to make her happy instead of snapping back with a witty remark.
The small amount of upset she felt quickly turned to irritation and before she knew it, her mouth opened as words flew out.
"You do realize I'm not going to spontaneously explode, don't you?" She snapped.
"You're getting big enough to make the possibility more realistic." Draco retorted as an impish grin spread across his handsome face.
Hermione made a noise of frustration as she reached out with her hand and used her book to slap the side of his shoulder as they both laughed.
"I do wish you wouldn't treat me so differently." She sighed as their play ended and their laughter quieted, "I'm still here, Draco, you don't have to be afraid of me."
"I'm not afraid of you." He scoffed.
"Whenever I look at you now, you have this expression like you're terrified!" Hermione chuckled, "Don't try to excuse it, I've seen it often enough."
"I'm not terrified of you." Draco replied as he reached over, took one of her hands and held it to his lips, "I'm terrified of failing you."
"Of failing me?" Hermione frowned.
"Suppose I'm not the person you need during the birth." Draco frowned, "Suppose I'm rubbish at support and-"
"-Draco." Hermione interrupted him with a warm smile as she pressed a finger over his lips.
Draco frowned as he waited for her to go on.
"You're going to do just fine." Hermione nodded.
"We all will." Draco said as he teasingly nipped her finger and released her hand to let his own splay across her belly.
No more than ten seconds of silence passed before he asked for the thousandth time that day, "Can I get you anything? Something to eat? Something to drink?"
"You're always offering to get me things, Draco." Hermione chuckled, "I have a wand, I can send for something myself if I need it that badly."
He frowned until she reached out, cupped his face, and admitted with a soft smile, "...I appreciate the concern, though."
Draco closed his eyes for a split second as he turned and kissed the center of her palm while she laughed, "You're going to be absolutely mental when the time comes!"
"No, I'm going to be beside you for every contraction." He promised as he gently clutched Hermiome's hand in his.
The two lovers shared an exchange of genuine affection as Draco leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.
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Later that afternoon, Draco sat beside his darling while Reigna gently performed her weekly exam.
Hermione laid still and let her healthcare practitioner complete her work while Draco watched with a frown as the magical woman slowly passed her wand over his lover's heavy belly.
"How is she doing?" Draco blurted out before he could stop himself.
"A moment more, Mr. Malfoy, please." Reigna sharply replied.
Hermione glanced over at him with a smile and slipped her hand into his.
She had hoped her silent gesture would reassure her worried mate, but as Draco gave her fingers a squeeze and kept his attention fixated on the midwife's actions, Hermione tried not to laugh.
It made her feel loved to know that her Draco was so very worried.
Another moment passed until the midwife's painless exam concluded.
"Everything looks fine for mother and baby." Reigna nodded at the couple while she pocketed her wand, "We are getting a bit close so I would advise against any distant trips, or other excursions of the sort. Laboring mothers don't apparate well."
"She rarely leaves her nest most days." Draco answered, "I'll see to it that we don't venture from the house."
"A stroll through the gardens or something of the sort may do her some good, Mr. Malfoy." Reigna nodded, "She doesn't need to be held captive."
Draco and Hermione exchanged smug glances.
At each visit, Draco had slyly removed Hermione's bonds to not cause the outsider alarm.
"I have another set of pamphlets that I'll leave for you." Reigna said as she cleared her throat and removed several pieces of literature from the inside of her jacket.
"We'll be certain to read over them." Draco nodded, "Are there any more lessons you plan on giving us before the birth? The ones we completed last week seemed to be helpful."
A serious frown of admiration graced Hermione's face while she gazed at Draco.
There was no mocking undertone in his voice, no haughty arrogance as he questioned the midwife, his focus was solely on learning all that he could to be as prepared as possible for what was to come.
Hermione had to resist the urge to weep at the fact that her alpha was intent on protecting her and their baby.
Her attempt to hide her emotions failed.
As Draco glanced over and saw a single tear roll down her cheek, his concentrated expression hastily shifted into one of utmost concern.
"Love?! What's the matter?! What's wrong?! Are you hurting?" He asked quickly as he reached out and placed his hand on Hermione's face.
Before she had a chance to respond, he turned to look at the midwife and shouted, "Do something! She's in pain!"
"I'm fine!" Hermione insisted as the midwife blinked at her.
A tense silence settled over the room as Hermione sniffed and wiped her eyes while she shook her head in embarrassment, "I'm not in pain, I'm fine. Sorry……..I just started thinking and I got a bit weepy, that's all."
"Emotions run rampant at a time like this." The midwife said with a reassuring smile as she nodded at her patient, "...And the hormones don't help, either! Try to rest as much as you can, but if you'd like to be active, you're welcome to, as long as you feel up to it. It may hasten the birth, just know that."
"What activities can she do?" Draco frowned.
"Whatever I feel like doing! You heard her!" Hermione laughed.
"She's right, Mr. Malfoy." The midwife nodded at Draco, "From gardening to lovemaking, whatever she feels like doing should be just fine……As long as she takes a break to rest every now and then…..Oh, and mind she doesn't lift anything terribly heavy, that includes any draining enchantments. Magical exertion is the same as physical exertion at this stage."
Draco had barely nodded before the midwife pulled out her wand and apprated away, leaving him to turn and scowl at Hermione in a huff.
"Oh, what is it now?" Hermione sighed, "What's gotten you so angry?"
"You're in no state to do anything at all!" Draco snapped, "What she said was rubbish! We should hire another midwife immediately! I don't trust her to-"
"-We don't have much time to shop around now, do we?" Hermione laughed, "She's taken good care of me this far. I don't know what's gotten into you! One of my cousins tended her garden the day her baby was born, Draco, and she's perfectly fine. I'm not dying!"
"That's absolutely barbaric!" He hissed, visibly upset at the proof Hermione had offered of her own capability.
Eager to calm him, but not entirely certain how, she chose the route of a well-laid trap.
"Oh…….Won't you come here?" She pouted, "I….I….."
"What's the matter?" Draco frowned.
"I feel as if I'll cry again." She said as she used a hand to wiper away her feigned tears, "Sorry, I….I just need you, if that's alright."
Draco's anxious anger left as concern clouded his face.
With obedience that could only be elicited by his pregnant mate, Draco slipped off his shoes, stood up, and joined Hermione in her nest.
She reached for him until her hands cupped his face.
Once her lips touched his, her victory was assured.
The two of them sank into her nest, comforted by the warm feeling of each other and the soothing knowledge that they would soon be a family of three.