Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, the amazing J.K. Rowling does, so don't sue.
A/N: Ever since I came across Portkey.org I've wanted to post my stories, and I just got my acceptance e-mail, so I really wanna thank James and Nappa for giving me the opportunity to do so… This story was inspired by the birth of my baby brother back in October, and though it's a sister story to another one I'm writing (which by what I understand about the rules I'm not allowed to post here) it can be read on its own… the idea is to write a chapter for each month of Hermione's pregnancy, and I'll try to update as soon as I can (meaning, as soon as my teachers stop giving me ridiculous amounts of homework). This is not the only story I have, and I'll upload some tomorrow, but the ones I can't upload can be found at Fanfiction.net, if you're interested!
Nine Months
Month 1-March
It was in a foul mood that Harry entered the house that evening, throwing his cloak unceremoniously on the floor as he shut the door closed with his foot; it had been a dreadful day at work, and he wanted nothing more than to drop in bed and sleep for a week straight without interruption.
He'd led a mission where everyting had gone wrong and he'd had to spend the greatest part of the afternoon yelling at his work team at Auror Headquarters for their stupidity.
"I'm home!" he called tiredly and, receiving no answer, he proceeded on into the living room where he froze dead on his tracks; the lights were toned down to an almost darkness, with the only source of light coming from a few candles floating above his head. The furniture was misteriously gone, also, leaving a single table-set for two-right at the centre of it; soft music played magically at the background and Harry took this all in with awe and confusion.
"Do you like it?", a voice said from behind him, making him jump.
He turned around to face the speaker and his jaw dropped at the sight of his wife; Hermione was standing there with a smile on her face, looking absolutely stunning in a strap-less red gown that showed off her lovely curves and her hair was carefully arranged, the soft locks falling in brown waves down her back.
Harry gulped down the lump in his throat, suddenly feeling very hot. "Hermione?"
She answered him with a smile that made his knees go weak, followed by a life altering kiss that left him panting for breath.
He blinked confusedly and she grinned up at him, pressed tightly against him with her hands locked together behind his neck. "Welcome home, Harry..."
Harry felt a twinge of warmth and he smiled tenderly down at her, his bad mood already feeling a million miles away. She had the ability of doing that to him.
"What's all this?" he asked softly, indicating their surroundings with his head. "Are we celebrating something?"
Hermione's eyes twinkled with gentle good humour as she desintricated herself from him and started pulling him by the hand towards the table.
"Well," she began nonchalantly, "tonight's a special night, and it called for a special setting."
Harry chuckled. "So misterious... you know, this reminds me of the time I proposed... except for the nervous splutter, of course."
"Shush, you were adorable," she answered, walking Harry to a chair, which she pulled out for him to sit.
"My, how gentlemanly," he joked and she blew a raspberry at him and sat on her own chair; he looked curiously at her. "What are we having?"
"Some italian pasta whatchamacallit," Hermione said, smiling. "I borrowed the recipe from Ginny and I couldn't even pronounce the title."
They chatted about everything and anything as they ate, from work to Ron and Luna's baby-which was due sometime in August-and by the time they were finished Harry was feeling completely relaxed.
"Thank you, love," he said, smiling at her across the table, "this was exactly what I needed..."
She grinned back at him and got up, walking towards him and offering him a hand. "Yeah, well, night's not over yet..."
"There's more?" he said but allowed her to pull him out of the room anyway. "Hermione?"
"I have a surprise for you." she said simply and left it at that.
He followed her into their bedroom, and was surprised to find a new acquisition to it; a large, rich, dark maroon tapestry hung on the wall next to their bed, showing an endless family tree that began back in 1500 and ended with his and Hermione's names, linked together by an embroidered golden thread. Large words at the very top read:
The Noble And Most Ancient House Of Potter
"Pas Toujours 'Pur'"* (And damn proud of it)
Harry, in awe, reached out to trace the names of his ancestors with a trembling hand, pausing to touch his parents's names before sitting down hard on the bed and looking up at Hermione; he remembered seeing a tapestry very similar to this one, during the summer preceeding their fifth year, seven years before at Sirius's house in Grimmauld Place.
He hadn't thought she'd remember it.
"Where did you get this?" he asked, smiling sadly at her.
Hermione, who had been silently watching her husband looking longinly at his family's tree, moved over to sit on his lap, lacing her arms around his neck, to which he responded immediately by holding her tightly about the waist.
She gave him a lop-sided smile before pecking him softly on the lips and raising her chin proudly.
"I researched it, of course."
Harry laughed, leaning forward to kiss her again.
"Of course..." a third kiss ensued, after which they were both smiling brightly, "Thank you..."
Hermione grinned, her face glowing with excitement. "There's something else."
Harry gawked at her. "There's more?"
Hermione nodded, looking serious again. Or trying to, at least.
"Harry... I wanted to have the tree as a present for you because it's time for us to contribute to the family line."
Harry's eyebrows shot up and he looked confusedly at her. "What do you mean?"
"Weeell," she began in a teasing tone, "basically, it means that a few months from now we'll be adding a new name to the House of Potter."
Hermione watched with amusement the emotions play on her husband's face: shock, anxiousness and joy, finally settling in a mixure of incredulity and excitement.
"You mean that..."
She broke out into an utterly disarming grin and she began nodding emphatically. "We're having a baby!"
Harry started laughing loudly, and he crushed her tightly to him in a hug.
"That's the best news I've ever had in my entire life!!! Oh, I love you so much..." he took her face in his hands and gave her a long, sweet kiss that left her glowing with glee. "Do you know how I feel about you?" he asked her tenderly, "You make me so damned happy... I didn't think it was possible to feel this much happiness until I met you..."
Hermione smiled, then pretended to consider this.
"Well," she began, "that's not entirely true, actually; I seem to recall a lot of dark feelings towards me when we met, both from you and Ron. Something along the lines of 'bossy' and 'annoying', I believe."
"Oh, you!" he exclaimed, turning to throw her on the bed and proceeded to tickle her mercilessly.
"Hey!" she managed between fits of giggles, "Watch out for the pregnant lady!"
He reacted immediately by removing himself completely off her and looking guiltily down at her. "I'm... I'm sorry, I... I've never been... married to a pregnant woman before."
Hermione smiled sweetly at him.
"Well, I've never been pregnant before, either, but we'll learn together. Yet... you don't have to be too careful, Mr. Potter..." she said with a pointed grin that he matched with one of his own; he kissed her thoroughly and passionately following a path with his lips that began on her mouth and ended on her-still-flat tummy, which he nuzzled, his heart feeling giddy at the thought of their child sleeping within her.
"Hello, little one..." he whispered sweetly which brought a smile to Hermione's lips, "Daddy is going to love you so much..." he looked back up at his wife "and how I love you, Hermione, how I love you..."
And then he leaned to kiss her again.
* French for 'Not always pure'
To be continued...
A/N: This story was inspired by two great stories, 'Cool Mornings' by Steffanie Florez (a beautiful Ranma/Akane fanfiction) and a Candy Candy novel, 'Reencounter in the Vortex' (amazing read), without which I'd never have gotten this out, since I've never been pregnant myself… forgive me if some parts are so similar… I just find them too beautiful to change…