CW: Pregnancy


In all the excitement of her own rather busy Beltane, Hermione had entirely forgotten about what else was going on. She was abruptly reminded by an owl unceremoniously dumping a newspaper onto her breakfast, flattening her pastry and splattering the back of it with egg.

"Thanks, then," Hermione muttered, wiping off the paper before turning her attention to the headline.

INCREDIBLE MIRACLE OF RITUAL MAGIC!
Two witches conceive a child together!

By Rita Skeeter

There was a photo of Jade and Milan together, standing proudly in front of a podium, and Milan's slight pregnancy bump was showing through her robe. Both figures shifted and grinned up at Hermione, it being a wizarding photo, and Milan's hands kept lightly running over her belly, as if disbelieving it was actually there. Both girls kept exchanging deep, meaningful looks of love and pride with each other, and Hermione felt an odd sort of emotion well up inside of her throat, tickling, and something that made her eyes burn as well.

Turning away from the photo, Hermione focused on the article itself.


INCREDIBLE MIRACLE OF RITUAL MAGIC!
Two witches conceive a child together!

By Rita Skeeter

Two young women have done the impossible: conceived a magical child together. Jade Rince and Milan Bexley, both seventh years at Hogwarts, reported to Saint Mungo's yesterday with worries the pregnant Bexley had injured her baby in a fall. The healer confirmed the pregnancy was fine and going well, but when it came to record-keeping, the healer was shocked at the reported paternity: none other than the friend accompanying Miss Bexley, Jade Rince.

Multiple healers were summoned to repeat the parentage confirmation spells, but all the results were the same: Milan Bexley was the mother of the child, while Jade Rince, a woman, was the father.

"It made no sense," one healer told the Prophet, under condition on anonymity. "We were all stunned and confused on what to do, and the two girls just sat there proudly, holding hands."

A supervising Healer was finally summoned, who thought to ask the pertinent question of how this came to be. Rince revealed that they had conceived together purposefully in a powerful fertility ritual, and that Bexley was carrying the resulting child.

"Bugger off," Jacqueline Heath, attending senior Healer, told our reporter. "Patients' medical history is none of your blasted business unless they want to tell you themselves."

The story leaked quickly, and Rince and Bexley were willing to speak to the press and answer questions in the lobby of Saint Mungo's, confirming that Bexley was indeed pregnant with Rince's child.

"We live surrounded by magic that can reshape the fabric of reality," Rince told the press. "Who am I to acquiesce to nature's demands that I cannot have an heir with the woman that I love?"

Bexley was more forthcoming with details on the ritual itself.

"A powerful coven at Hogwarts custom-crafted a ritual for us to help us conceive," she told reporters. "It involved turning one of Jade's eggs into seed, to make the child both of ours."

This revolutionary ritual, never before reported, opens the doors to a new, intriguing possibility. If women can conceive together with ritual magic, it could allow pureblood women who love women to pass on their titles and lines to children without the need of a husband.

Indeed, Rince was defiant and proud on the podium as she defended her love.

"I needed an heir for the Rince line, and I have one, now," she declared. "The fact I am a woman who loves women has no bearing on anything so long as I fulfill my familial obligations. My mother will be thrilled to have a grandchild, and my father will have the heir he wants."

One reporter inquired further about the capabilities of the fertility ritual.

"I don't think [the ritual] would help two men have a child because they wouldn't have a womb for the child to grow in, but you'd have to ask the coven to be sure," said Bexley. "They could certainly help other couples who are barren, especially heterosexual ones. I imagine that'd be much more straightforward and simpler than our ritual."

Reporters cried out for the name and contact information of the great coven who had managed this feat, but Rince and Bexley were tight-lipped on providing a name or contact information.

"Granger didn't tell me what they decided to name their coven, if they've named it at all, yet," Rince said. "You'd have to ask her. But I'll let you know once they decide if they want to remain confidential or not."

CONTINUED ON BABY, A4
FOR MORE ON FERTILITY RITUAL MAGIC, SEE COVEN, A5


By the time Hermione had finished reading the story, Blaise was shaking with laughter next to her, having read the story over her shoulder. Hermione wasn't sure if she should be amused or upset, but when she looked up, Jade was walking towards her with a wide grin on her face, and Hermione found she couldn't be mad.

"What if I had wanted to remain confidential?" Hermione said to her, laughing. "Fat lot of good hiding our coven that remark would have done!"

Jade grinned, eyes sparkling. "Whoops."

Hermione shook her head, laughing, before looking up at Jade.

"Everything went well, then?" she asked. "Everything okay?"

"It's perfect," Jade said, pleased. "Milan's doing well, the baby's healthy, and they were able to detect a magical core. Couldn't be better, really."

Hermione realized she had no idea what gestational stage a baby grew a magical core in. And was it a core or a container they were detecting? Could Healers know a baby was a squib before it was born?

"That's fantastic," Blaise was telling Jade. "Heard from your father yet?"

"The story just broke, so no," Jade said, smirking. "But I imagine I'll be getting a rather long letter later tonight."

"A long one, or a loud one," Blaise quipped, and Jade grinned.

"I'm glad it all went as planned," Hermione told Jade. "You deserve happiness."

Jade's eyes softened, and she grew more serious.

"I'll get to stay with Milan, now," Jade said. Her eyes held Hermione's steadily. "That means the world to me, Granger. And it's all because of you. Don't think I'll forget it."

"It's not all because of me," Hermione protested, but Jade waved her comment away.

"It is. Anyway," Jade said, her eyes sparkling. "I'm intending on proposing to Milan at Graduation. If I get valedictorian, I get to make a speech. Do you think that'll be dramatic enough to be memorable?"

Hermione laughed.

"Don't you have to give her a courting token first?" she teased. "If she's going to be the mother of your heir, and you're doing the whole pureblood thing, I'm pretty sure a courting indicator comes before bright betrothal jewelry."

Jade's eyes grew huge.

"Morgana's tits, I forgot," she breathed. "Milan always talks about muggle weddings and dramatic proposals, so I thought she'd like—but if we're doing this and staying in the Rince line, she'll need—Circe, I hope no one's said anything to her; if they think I've dishonored her by giving her a bastard—"

"Do you have any jewelry you can give her?" Blaise said, glancing at Hermione. "If you make sure she's wearing something now…"

"I might." Jade swore profusely. "Sorry, Granger, I've got to go—"

She rushed from the Great Hall. Hermione glanced up to see Milan watching after her worriedly, from where she was conducting her own question and answer session over at the Ravenclaw table. Her eyes met Hermione's, concerned, and Hermione shook her head and shrugged slightly. Momentarily appeased, Milan turned back to her peers who were quizzing her insistently, and Hermione returned to the destroyed eggs on her breakfast plate.

"That article's about as positive as I think we could have gotten," Blaise said, pleased. "It's always a toss-up, with the Prophet."

An old memory floated up in Hermione's mind, one from a year ago, and she glanced back at the article's byline.

"This reporter, Rita Skeeter," she said, quiet. "I met her. I think… I think she had a personal interest in the story."

Blaise raised an eyebrow.

"Like, she's into ritual magic or covens?" he asked. "Or she's into women?"

"The latter," Hermione said. "A long time ago, with Jade… there was an indication…"

Hermione had promised Jade that she wouldn't spread the secret language of bowing, or whatever other the secret signals wizarding lesbians did to identify each other in the wild, but she hadn't forgotten – Jade's curt bow, and how Rita Skeeter's eyes had gleamed at the prefect at the end of her interview, when she'd bowed back in return.

Blaise looked surprised, then shrugged.

"Who knows?" he said. He grinned. "This could be a good thing, then, right? If women can have children together now, maybe they'll start getting married all over the place. It could become commonplace in wizarding society." His eyes danced, and he lowered his voice. "Your French lover could court you properly, then," he teased.

"Blaise!" Hermione objected, eyes flying around to see who had overheard. Everyone was engaged in other conversations, though, and Blaise merely laughed.

"You're fun to fluster," he told her, eyes sparkling. "Your face turns the most lovely shade of red."

Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes, to Blaise's laughter. Only Blaise would try to flirt with her by talking about another romantic interest, and only Blaise would be able to make it work.


Hermione hadn't been expecting to see Snape that day, as she didn't have Potions, but Snape sent word at dinner to meet him in the classroom at 7pm. When she arrived, the rest of her coven was there as well, all holding small scrolls.

"I hope we're not in trouble," Harry said, anxious. "My homework has been piling up, and I don't have time to do detention, really."

"We didn't do anything against the rules," Susan argued. "He's our coven sponsor, right? He probably just wants to hear about what we did. Record it for posterity, you know."

"He just wants to cheat," Luna said, shrugging. "Don't worry."

Harry shot Luna a look, but Luna only smiled.

"A guess," she said. "Not a vision. But we'll see."

Soon, Snape opened the door. He looked down at them all for a long moment, saying nothing, before he stepped aside to let them in with a sigh.

"Well?" he said, already sounding very exasperated. "Come in."

Hermione and the others sat at the front two tables on the left side of the classroom, bunched together, not knowing where they were supposed to sit. Snape shut the door and moved to the front of the classroom in front of them. He leaned back on his desk with folded arms, regarding them coolly.

"Would one of you like to explain," he said, in very dry tones, "why it is I learned about you all achieving a great magical breakthrough through the Prophet?"

Hermione and the others exchanged a wary glance.

"We didn't know if the pregnancy was going to stick," Susan offered. "Milan only just got through the first trimester, the danger zone. We didn't want to announce something and then have her have a miscarriage."

"There are ways, Miss Bones, of informing your coven sponsor of your activities without announcing it to the world." Snape's voice was cutting.

"They wanted to keep it private," Harry objected. "I mean, they were making a baby. It was a very private thing."

"That five strangers also attended?" Snape was having none of it. "Try again."

Hermione took a deep breath.

"We weren't sure." She said, looking down. "We didn't know if it was going to work—"

"Miss Bones already said that—"

"—and I didn't want you to know about it if we failed," she finished. She bit her lip. "I didn't want anyone to tell you unless we knew it'd worked."

Snape paused.

"Miss Granger," he said finally, weighing his words. "Are you aware that mistakes and failure are generally a part of life?"

"Of course I know that," Hermione snapped. "We made a horrible mistake once with this fertility ritual business – Jade got pregnant instead of Milan, and we had to swap the baby over – so it's not like I'm oblivious. I just didn't want you to know if—"

"Hermione craves your approval," Luna said simply, looking up at Snape. "She didn't want you to be disappointed in her."

Hermione's hand flew to her mouth, and she looked at Luna, horrified. Blaise and Harry stared at Luna, who shrugged.

"What?" she said. "That's the truth, isn't it?"

Hermione buried her face in her robes, while Blaise began hissing at Luna about what information was or was not appropriate to share.

"He's her Head of House?" Susan was whispering to Harry. "It's not that odd, really. I want Professor Sprout to think well of me…"

"Well." Snape's voice was wry, as if trying to hide his amusement. "As your coven sponsor, I do insist on at least knowing what all this ritual and its sundry details entailed."

Blaise stood up and went to the chalkboard to draw out the circles they'd used, allowing Hermione to continue hiding her face in embarrassment and shame. Luna shifted to be closer to her, and when no one was looking, Hermione peeked out to shoot a venomous look at Luna.

"Why would you say that?" she hissed.

Luna blinked at her. "Because it's true."

"He didn't need to know that!"

"Didn't he?" Luna hummed. "Would you rather he think you arrogant and overconfident? Or would you rather he think of you as human?"

Hermione fell silent, and Luna gave her a ghost of a smile.

"It's okay to want approval, Hermione," Luna told her. "You want your parents to be proud of you. Why would you want any differently from the teachers who you respect and value?"

Hermione bit her lip.

"I feel like it's childish," she admitted. Her voice was quiet, hidden in the discussion Susan and Blaise were having with Snape about the circle orientation and design. "Adults don't want approval from each other. They're just confident and make choices on their own."

Luna's lips quirked.

"Do they?" she asked. "Or are they just better at hiding what they want?"

Hermione considered. "…I don't know."

"Maybe it's a mix of both," Luna said. She tilted her head. "I don't think anybody truly manages to not care what people think of them." She paused. "Not even me."

Harry had joined the conversation now with Blaise and Snape, explaining about the runes mistake, and Hermione managed to draw her head from her arms to help explain. Snape raised his eyebrows, but he listened as Hermione explained about the conflict from the secondary meanings of the runes they'd used and the corresponding reversal they'd needed for the follow-up baby-stealing ritual they'd co-opted.

"Well," Snape said, after all the discussion was done. He looked them over, eyebrows raised. "You've certainly been busy, haven't you?"

Blaise snorted. "You don't know the half of it, sir."

Hermione did her best to suppress a smile.

"Still." Snape regarded them. "This is a breakthrough magical achievement. I would be unsurprised if news of this were published in a journal internationally. You should all be proud."

Harry looked astonished, at Snape telling him he should be proud, and Snape smirked.

"I am proud of you," he told them. He looked them over, eyes soft for a moment, before they glittered. "100 points to each of you."

"100 points!" Harry was astonished, then incredulous. "You've never given me points once!"

"Perhaps you should endeavor to do better and earn points more often, then, Mister Potter," Snape said dryly, but Harry's infectious excitement was too joyous to ignore.

"Snape gave me points!" he said, grinning. "Me! The Weasley Twins will never believe this."

"Yes. Well." Snape looked strained, like he already regretted his choice.

"Hermione led the coven," Luna said, out of nowhere. "She came up with the whole idea, and she's the one who made sure we carried it out."

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"She did indeed," Snape said to Luna. "A further 50 points to Miss Granger for excellent leadership."

Hermione was astonished. "Sir?"

"But next time you decide to do a groundbreaking ritual, I expect to be informed beforehand," Snape stressed. "Do you understand?"

Luna paused. "What about rituals that aren't groundbreaking?"

"Tell me," Snape said curtly. "If nothing else, I can help ensure you fools don't kill yourselves, summoning mass murderers or bleeding out on altars by accident."

Harry grinned sheepishly, and Susan smiled, eyes twinkling behind her glasses.


As they left the classroom, Harry was practically skipping.

"I can't believe Snape gave me points," he said. "Me! Points! He hates me!"

"I can," Blaise said, smirking. "He had to give you points, if he wanted to give points to any of us."

"Yeah, well he didn't have to give us points, did he?" said Harry. "He could have just not."

"But it's like Luna said, isn't it?" Blaise said slyly. "He wanted to cheat."

Harry looked over sideways at Blaise. "Cheat?"

"Think about what just happened," Blaise said, eyes gleaming. "We all got points. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw all got 100 points, so those effectively cancel out, don't they? Whereas Slytherin got 100 points—"

"—and then another 150," Harry breathed. His mouth hung open. "He did it because there's two of you. So he could give you extra." He shook his head. "Oh, he's sneaky."

"He's the Head of Slytherin." Blaise spread his hands, grinning. "What did you expect?"

"To not get points, honestly. But at least it makes sense now…" Harry frowned.

"It's your fault he had to do it in the first place, Harry," Luna pointed out. She smiled. "Your Quidditch points put Gryffindor in the lead, remember?"

Harry's eyes lit up.

"They did," he said. "So in order to make sure Gryffindor didn't win the House Cup, he had to figure out a way to give Slytherin a load of points without it looking massively unfair—"

"We did do a revolutionary ritual that's never been done before," Hermione said, lips quirking. "I wouldn't say giving us loads of points for that is unfair."

"Yeah, but he only did it so Slytherin could win, didn't he?"

"Does his motive really matter?" Blaise said, smirking. "What he did makes sense – he's our coven sponsor, so he's the most appropriate person to give us the points."

Harry rolled his eyes, muttering to himself, and Luna stepped up next to him, smiling.

"Let's get up to our Towers, Harry," she said. She touched his arm lightly. "You have the Quidditch Cup, anyway. Surely that's more important to you?"

"Yeah…" Harry sighed. "It's just the premise of the thing, really…"

They split up, heading to different common rooms, Blaise and Hermione walking deeper into the dungeons. Hermione was smiling to herself, and Blaise also seemed pleased that Slytherin was now poised to win the House Cup again.

"D'you think he's going to give Jade and Milan points too?" Blaise quipped, amused. "Then dock Milan points for being scandalously pregnant while still in school?"

Hermione laughed. "I wouldn't be surprised."