Teddy ran into her the moment she walked into the great hall, "Aunt Mini, you're having a baby?" he asked excitedly.
Hermione laughed and looked at Remus, who just grinned and mouthed 'Sirius'. Shrugging at him, she looked back at the boy attached to her hips, "I am, little wolf."
"You don't look pregnant," he stated as he leaned back.
"Not yet, but soon," she guided him towards the table, "my belly should start to appear in a few weeks, it's still early."
Taking her seat, Hermione smiled at Remus, "Good morning."
Severus wasn't at the table yet, and Hermione was grateful. Her words the night before were slightly embarrassing, and when she woke up, she couldn't fathom why she'd said them—other than they were the truth. Suppressing a groan, Hermione forced herself to smile.
"What's on the agenda for today, little wolf?"
"Nothing," he responded unhappily, pushing his food around his plate. "Dad has to grade papers."
Hermione chuckled, "Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me? Provided daddy says it's okay." Remus nodded over his shoulder with a wink. "We can go to Honeydukes, Zonko's, and the bookstore."
"Really?" Hermione nodded, "Dad, can I? Please?"
"I don't know," Remus smirked, "will you be good for you, Aunt Mini?" Teddy nodded vigorously. "She's pregnant, so you can't let her carry the bags, and she shouldn't pick you up either."
"I'm pregnant, not incapable," Hermione mumbled, but Teddy waved his tiny hand, "I know! Uncle Pads told me I had to be more careful with her." Hermione scoffed. "I'll carry our bags!"
"Then I don't see why not," Remus chuckled. "But finish your breakfast."
Teddy immediately started on his omelet with renewed vigor, and Remus smirked at Hermione. She tucked into her own breakfast, and Teddy waited patiently for her to finish without asking if it was time to go yet. Hermione barely noticed, though. She was wondering where Severus was. He didn't normally miss meals. It was probably because of the things I said, she thought. Downing the remainder of her pumpkin juice, she turned to Teddy.
"Ready love? We just need to go to my rooms so I can get my scarf. You need one, too."
Teddy leapt from his seat and raced ahead of her stopping only as he reached the portrait to her rooms. It wasn't much longer before they were properly dressed and on the path to Hogsmeade. The young boy dragged her throughout the village from shop to shop, and they were soon laden with bags that Hermione had to shrink and put in her pocket as Teddy was unable to carry them all.
They'd just left Honeybukes when Hermione had to pull him off to the side to keep him from stealing from the bag.
"Don't you dare," she laughed, crouching before him, "not until you've had lunch. Shall we go back to my rooms and see what we can cook up?"
"Can I have one sugar quill?" he grinned, giving her his best puppy dog eyes.
"One," Hermione laughed.
Extracting one from their goodie bag Hermione noticed a dark figure exiting the Three Broomsticks across the street. It was Severus and he had a woman on his arm, the sight made Hermione slightly nauseous.
Draco stepped out behind them with Scorpius on his hip as Hermione was giving the quill to Teddy. He noticed her and pointed her out to Scorpius as she smiled and waved. Draco beaconed her closer, but when she stood and made to take a step forward, the woman on Severus's arm pulled him into a kiss.
Involuntarily taking a step back, her eyes widening slightly.
Draco saw her surprise and frowned, but after following her gaze and getting over the initial shock himself, he sent a worried look in Hermione's direction. But she was already walking away with Teddy.
Hermione worked to keep her composure as she took Teddy back to Hogwarts, and when they reached her chambers, she tried to focus on their lunch experiment while doing her best to ignore the pain in her chest. At least now she knew why he hadn't been at breakfast. Shaking herself she leaned across the counter and giggled as Teddy gobbled their concoction eagerly. When he was full, he occupied himself with exploding snap while she lounged on the couch and finished her book, looking over at him sporadically.
Closing the tome, she summoned Dotty.
"Mistress Mia, Mister Teddy, how are you, young one?" The elf smiled and approached the boy.
"I am well, thank you," he responded, perfectly well-mannered. Would you like to play?" Dotty nodded eagerly and sat opposite him. Hermione grinned and watched them for a while until Dotty got up and turned back to Hermione.
"Can you take this back to Severus's rooms for me? Please make sure it goes back in its place."
"Would Mistress like Dotty to get her another?"
"No, thank you." She smiled kindly at the house elf and tried to rub the odd spot on her chest. She wanted to think it felt akin to heartbreak, but that was silly. She and Severus weren't engaged in a relationship where she could get heartbroken.
Sad. She decided she would call it sadness because her silly mind had imagined more out of the wedding. Yes, that's what she would call it.
Dotty frowned, "Does your chest hurt, Mistress?"
Hermione smirked, lying smoothly, "Heartburn."
"Can Dotty get Mistress anything?"
"No, thank you," Hermione smiled and dropped her hand, letting it rest in her lap.
Dotty disapperated with her master's book and sent it to its place on the bookshelf, careful not to disturb her master and his guests. Unfortunately, she wasn't as successful as she'd hoped and had to resist the urge to pull at her ears when Mister Draco addressed her.
"Dotty! Have you seen Mia today?"
Turning, the elf nodded, "She's in her rooms with Mister Teddy. They just made lunch." She looked displeased with the idea of them making their own lunch and Severus bit back a chuckle.
"Is she alright?" Draco left the small table and came to crouch in front of the small elf. "She looked a bit sick when I saw her earlier."
Dotty nodded again, one corner of her lips lifting in a half smile. "Dotty thinks Mistress is sad, she says her chest hurts but says her heart's burnt. But she is resting and reading while Mister Teddy plays. Mistress asked Dotty to return Master Severus's book for her."
"Does she want another?" Severus spoke.
But Dotty shook her head, making him frown, "Dotty asked but she said no."
Severus's frown deepened when Draco cursed before thanking Dotty. Turning back to the table, he picked up his tea, "Mia was in Hogsmeade today." Realization touched Severus's eyes, "She got a good eyeful of Miss Mara trying to shove her tongue down your throat but I'm afraid she was gone before seeing you push the woman away."
"She was upset?"
Draco grunted, "You're a genius, Severus, but sometimes you're a bit thick."
Back in her rooms Hermione had just said goodbye to Teddy and sent him through the floo with his spoils when Dotty reappeared, spooking her slightly.
"Mistress Mia, can I get you anything? You look like you're hurting."
"Oh, Dotty, thank you, but no. I'm alright. A bit tired but otherwise alright, nothing a nap can't fix. Thank you for returning that book for me."
"Mister Draco asked for you."
"They were there?"
"Yes."
Hermione nodded. "I think I'm going to lie down for a bit. Would you mind making me potato soup for dinner tonight?" she touched her flat stomach absently, "I find myself craving it."
Dotty's demeanor changed completely from worried to excited. "Of course, Mistress Mia! You sleep for baby and Dotty will make Mistress and baby her soup!" She disapperated with a soft 'pop' making Hermione chuckle.
In her room, Hermione peeled off the rest of her clothes and pulled on a pair of leggings and one of her old tattered sweaters. It was perfect for crawling into bed or being lazy for a day. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow, only to wake up suddenly, swallowing a scream as she tore herself from the bed, falling as her feet tangled in the sheets.
"Mia?" Hermione heard in her sleep-induced haze.
"Drake?" she called. "I'm in here."
There was a shuffle of footsteps, and she was trying to stand when her bedroom door shot open. "Mia! What happened?" he interrogated, coming to her side.
Hermione groaned, "Nightmare and an attempt at a quick getaway." She rubbed her hip as she stood, tossing the sheets onto the bed. "What are you doing here?"
"I brought Scorp to see you. Dotty said you weren't feeling well."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "So where is my little serpent?" she walked towards the door, wincing as she applied pressure to her hip. "Bugger all," she rubbed it and started towards the bathroom instead.
"With Severus," he answered as she disappeared behind the door, "You're coming back with me for dinner."
Hermione choked on the potion she'd just taken, "What?"
"You're having dinner in Severus's chambers with us. Come on."
Hermione almost whined, "Dotty's making me potato soup."
"You can have it still. Don't make excuses."
Groaning Hermione wiggled her hip and found the discomfort gone, re-entering her room she saw Draco's smirk. "You look too smug," she grumbled walking past him towards her closet, "I need to change."
A hand gripped her, "You look fine." He was already dragging her from the room. "Neither of us mind, you look beautiful in anything."
Hermione scoffed but let him pull her into the fire. She smiled immediately, seeing Scorpius wobbling around the coffee table with Dotty in front of him. "Little serpent," she cooed, walking over to him, careful not to look at the man in his chair. Hermione curled onto the floor and let Dotty guide Scorpius to her. When he was within arms' reach, Dotty let him go, and he took two unsteady steps into her arms.
"Mi!"
"Hello, my love," she replied, nuzzling into his neck, making him giggle.
Dotty smiled watching them, "Dotty get dinner. Mistress still want her soup?"
"Please," she breathed, and Dotty was gone with a huge smile.
Meanwhile, Draco came sauntering from behind her and draped himself gracelessly on the couch. "So, Mia, how are you feeling today?"
"Exhausted," she said with a smile as she balanced Scorpius on his feet before her.
"You still have your nightmares?"
She groaned and looked at him, "They come and go. Did you call out for me more than the one time?"
"Yes."
"Then I think you're the one who woke me," she shrugged when he looked guilty, "It would have happened either way. At least you woke me before it got too bad." Dotty appeared then with soup for everyone, and Scorpius moved to grab her spoon. "Do daddy and Sev not feed you love?" Severus snorted, and Draco scoffed, "Don't worry, Aunt Mini will take care of you."
As she was setting him on her lap, Draco countered, "He just ate Granger."
She barked out a laugh, "So he eats like his father then. Always hungry despite his small frame." She offered a small spoonful to Scorpius, who gobbled it up quickly, making her laugh again, "Yes, definitely like his father." Taking her own bite, she moaned at the taste.
"When was the last time you ate Mia?"
"This afternoon," she waved off his concern, giving Scorpius another bite, "but I have been craving this for days and am finally giving in." She took another bite, "And by Circe, it's amazing." She frowned and looked at the two men eating from their own bowls and chuckled, "You didn't have to eat it too, though."
Draco laughed, "This is a wonderful craving. What brought you to Hogsmeade this morning?" he questioned.
Hermione's hand stilled momentarily as she moved to take another bite for Scorpius, and Severus frowned.
"Shopping. I brought Teddy with me for company, and I knew Remus needed some time to himself with the upcoming moon."
"Did you get everything you needed?"
"Mostly," she shrugged, "I got most of what I needed immediately, but I wasn't able to get my entire Christmas list. I'll need to go into Diagon Alley and muggle London for those. But," she groaned suddenly, "I feel like I'm going to meet resistance on that. Everyone is already starting to baby me."
"You're pregnant, Mia. Do you blame them?"
"Exactly, Drake. I'm pregnant, but that doesn't mean I'm incapable of doing things on my own. Sirius and Remus already had Teddy thinking he needed to carry our bags from today and that I wasn't allowed to hold him. Even though just yesterday, I was being swung around between everyone, including Teddy."
Severus spoke up, "And you were even more exhausted than you are now. I had to carry you to your chambers."
Hermione scoffed, finally looking at him, "You did not have to; I was more than capable; you chose to." Scorpius pulled at her arm, and she laughed, giving him another bite.
"We all care, Mia, especially after Rose," Hermione winced, her hand coming to rest on her flat stomach, "You should get used to it because it will only get worse. Even I will cater to you, just wait until you start to show!"
Hermione snapped her head to look at him, eyes wide, "You better not, Draco. I don't want everyone treating me differently because I lost Rose."
"You almost lost this one.."
"She won't lose this one," Severus said, and Hermione looked at him, the certainty in his voice making her eyes water. "My potions will ensure she doesn't lose it. They're making her stronger with every dose." A small smile appeared on her lips when he looked back at her. "You won't lose it, Hermione."
Taking a deep breath, she nodded and dropped his gaze, returning to her dinner.
"Still, Mia, we all worry about you. I remember," Hermione looked at Scorpius, "what it was like after. You retracted into yourself. Scorpius was the only reason I think you left the house some days. Hell, Mia, you didn't speak for close to two months, or at least I didn't hear you speak until I walked in on you signing to Scorp. Harry said it was like-"
"Don't.." she whispered, trying to cut him off, but he plowed through.
"Like when you were recovering from the Manor."
Hermione shook her head, "Harry shouldn't have said that."
"Was he wrong?"
"No.." she sighed. Unable to look at either man, she vanished her finished dinner and tried to focus on Scorpius, pulling him on his feet so he could wobble around the coffee table. She pulled her feet under her so she was sitting on her haunches, ready to spring and catch him at a moment's notice, "But that was different. I was able to lose myself in the war. When it was done, I helped the healers," she glanced at Severus, "I went back for you," his eyes widened a fraction, and she dropped them again, "and then there were the funerals. When it was all over and when I could finally think about what happened to me, I had to help with Teddy, and he helped things get better."
She sighed, rolling her neck. "I lost part of myself that night in the Manor, and it took months to retrieve her once I got to think about it. I lost Rose and with her another part of myself, it felt exactly like it did when I woke up in the cottage after the Manor, shaking and unable to lift my arm. Except I had to face it immediately, and I didn't want to. But Harry had no right to say that, and neither do you, for that matter, Drake."
"I worry."
"You refused to let me help you when Astoria passed. Harry has been fighting my help since he was eleven. Ronald...Ron refused to even acknowledge his problems so it was useless to try and help. We all fight help, even when our loved ones worry."
"And yet you still worried and demanded to help like the stubborn Gryffindor Princess we all know you are. You stayed in the Manor for three days with Scorpius while I locked myself away in my office and mother was sick. Then you picked my worthless arse up and got me sober for my son. You taught me how to care for him and raise him. Despite, might I add, that you were working through your own issues with being in the Manor." His grey eyes bore into hers, her eyes glazing over at the memory, "As for Harry, you've been taking care of him since you were twelve, despite his protests, and you know damned well while he refused you, you forced him to accept your help after the war, again while dealing with your own issues." Hermione looked away, "So you know damned well your loved ones aren't going to stop worrying and fighting to help you."
"Fine," she bit out. "But stop making what I did seem special. I did what I needed to for you, Scorpius," he fell into her lap, and she chuckled, "Harry, Teddy, Sirius, Remus...everyone." Scorpius began to curl into her lap so she got up carefully and walked into Severus's kitchen. Both men followed her watching her as she extracted ingredients from his cabinets with Scorpius dozing on her chest.
"You're the one who saved me?"
Hermione turned to Severus, her eyebrows raised, "You didn't know?" He shook his head. "I put a stasis charm on you after you gave Harry your memories. When the battle was over, I brought you to the healers and explained what happened-"
"She even helped produce the anti-venom," Draco cut in with a wicked smile making Hermione roll her eyes as she turned back to the cabinets.
"I did that too," she admitted. "But that's all."
"'That's all'?" Gently, he reached for her arm, turning her to face him. "I'm alive because of you." Hermione shrugged but frowned, seeing his eyes fog as if thinking about something. "Why did you save me when you still thought I was a traitor?"
Her golden eyes met his obsidian ones, "I'd seen enough people die that night, and I'd just heard you beg and try to implore your master to listen to you. I listened to Nagini strike you over and over and heard the gargle of your blood as you tried to breathe. I thought you were a traitor, but you were also a man I once respected a great deal. No one deserved to die that way, and if I could stop it, I was going to. Harry called it an impulse, but it was an 'impulse' I was grateful for once we both saw your memories.."
Her eyes dropped to the sleeping toddler on her chest and she conjured a bassinet near the island.
It was quiet for a while. She started sorting the ingredients, summoning measuring cups from the drawers. Suddenly, she chuckled and rolled her head to look between the two men. "Why the heavy? Always with the heavy." She turned back to the cabinets, searching for bowls. "Can't we ever talk about something happy?" Severus stepped around her and pulled the bowls out from their hiding spot. "Thank you."
Draco laughed, elbows on the counter watching her movements, "You're right, Mia. Whose Christmas gifts did you get?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," she chuckled. "Is your mother going to hold her annual Christmas ball this year?"
"Gods, I hope not," he groaned, making her laugh, "If she does, you know you have to come."
Her laughter died, "I do not.."
"Oh yes, and you know it. Mother loves seeing you and, for some reason, is still hung up on the idea of you and I."
"Really?" she bobbed her head to look at him. "She knows I'm pregnant, right?"
Draco grinned, "And she's very excited."
Hermione groaned playfully before sharing a smirk with Severus. His eyes looked lighter and it made her want to smile wider but when she remembered that morning her chest hurt again and she returned to her cookies. She mixed them together without magic, her wand tossed on the counter near the men as they watched her.
"So is Molly."
"Have you thought of names yet?"
Hermione shook her head. "Not really. Anything I come up with I instantly discard for some reason or another."
"None have struck your fancy?"
"Well, I like Eileen," she smiled into the flour absently, "In Irish, it means-"
Severus spoke over her, "Light."
Slowly, she lifted her gaze to meet his eyes, her brows lightly furrowed, but she smiled, "Yes. How did you know that?"
"It was my mother's name," he replied smoothly.
"Oh...I didn't know," a blush touched her cheeks. "Right now, it's one of the only names I like for a girl."
"It's a girl?" Draco asked, suddenly excited.
But Hermione only shrugged, "I don't know, but I envision a girl when I think about it." Cracking in eggs one at a time, she crinkled her nose, making Severus smirk, "Anytime I think of a boy, I see a miniature Ron, and I can only hope to avoid that."
Holding her breath, she vanished the eggshells and cringed, quickly mixing the eggs into the dough before allowing herself to breathe.
"The baby will be part Weasley," Hermione growled as she turned on the oven.
"Like you have to remind me," she grumbled. Turning back to them, she kept her eyes down as she worked on the batter.
"So..." Draco drawled out, "Eileen, what?"
Hermione chuckled, "Eileen is just a possibility, Drake." Dropping dollops of cookie dough onto the cookie sheet, she absently grabbed a spoon and scooped up some before leaning on the counter and concentrating on the space between the two men. "I like Lyra too."
"A constellation? Really, Granger?"
"Oh, shut up," she snarled playfully. He reached his finger into the bowl and she swatted it away.
"Oi!"
"You have to wait until they're out of the oven," she pointed her spoon at him. He looked down at her spoon with an eyebrow arched high, "I made it and I am the pregnant one."
The three continued talking about names, Severus and Hermione sharing a lot of looks at the absurd names Draco kept supplying her with until the oven beeped suddenly and she took out the finished cookies before replacing the tray with another. Turning around she grinned seeing Severus freeze, hands hovering over the fresh cookies. She shook her head and wandlessly sent them to a plate she summoned from another cabinet. Severus smirked at her as she handed him a cookie before passing one to Draco in turn.
"You two are helpless," she giggled.
"Are you getting excited about the baby?" Severus inquired giving them a break from baby name brainstorming.
But Hermione just shrugged and bit her lip, "Kind of." His brows furrowed, and she dropped her eyes, picking up her own cookie. "It's hard to get excited about it."
"Why?"
She let out a sad chuckle, "We agreed to talk about happy things."
"You should be happy about a baby Mia," Draco spoke up.
Setting down her cookie, she hopped up onto the counter beside the oven and ran a hand through her curls.
"I..ugh.." she closed her eyes," I'm alone...It's hard to get excited knowing I'll be alone through everything. I always imagined experiencing it with someone."
Her head fell back on the cabinets with a thump.
"But you practically raised two boys already," he said it in a soft baritone with a hint of amusement.
Her eyes opened and she met Severus's eyes with a smirk, "Kind of," but her smirk fell as her hand fell on her flat stomach, "but this one is mine. At least Teddy and Scorpius will grow up knowing they had mothers who loved them, they just couldn't be there for them. But mine," she frowned, "will grow up knowing their father didn't want them."
Leaping off the counter she pulled out the last tray of cookies, once more sending them to the plate with the others. With another wave of her wand the kitchen was cleaning itself.
"Hermione," she looked up and found Severus staring into her. "You're not alone, and even without a father, your child will be loved. It won't be left wanting." Tears pricked her eyes as she listened to him. When they began to fall, she held her breath as he reached over and wiped the tears as they fell. "You know everyone will help you."
She stiffened at his words, "I don't need help.."
"We covered this earlier. Sometimes you have to accept help from those who worry and love you."
His hand dropped suddenly from her cheek as he paled slightly. Hermione felt her heart drop at his reaction to his own words and sent a sad smile to Draco before straightening out her shirt.
"I think I should go. I'm exhausted, and that cookie made me a bit nauseous."
"Would you like a potion?" Severus asked, suddenly coming out of his stupor.
But Hermione shook her head and gave him a small smile. "It's nothing some sleep can't fix. I think going out today was a mistake after yesterday's excitement." She rubbed her chest absently.
Draco frowned, "Does your chest hurt Mia?"
"Just a bit of heartburn," she leaned over the counter and kissed them each on the cheek. Good night, gentlemen. Thank you for inviting me to dinner and letting me use your kitchen." She stopped in front of the bassinet and bent over to trace the line of Scorpius's cheek. "Sleep well, my little serpent."