Disclaimer: I am a Harry/Hermione shipper. Ergo I am not JKR and do not own the anything Harry Potter related...except the dirty things I'm gonna make them do!
A/N: I've been a huge fan of Portkey for years and was recently recommended as an author so here is my first fic. I was planning to hold back and post this as a one-shot but I've suffering severe writer's block with a particular plot piece at the moment and I know from previous experience that getting reviews can give you a spring in your step so I'm trusting all of you to shower me with your praise and criticisms...please!
I solemnly swear that I am up to no good...
***
With a smile on her face, Hermione Potter left St Mungo's Hospital and headed back towards the Ministry buildings. Not even the thought of all the paperwork littering her desk could put a dampener on her happiness.
She was pregnant. Though she had suspected as such for the last few days - the increasingly frequent morning bouts of nausea leading her to realize it had been several weeks since her last period - she had only just had it confirmed. Just in time to share the news with her beloved husband when he returned this evening from an overseas mission for the Auror Department.
She and Harry had only been married a year, but she knew how badly he wanted to start a family - they had even talked about it the night before he left for the mission.
And he would be an amazing father. Her smile grew wider as she imagined what their future children would be like, wondering if they'd inherit their mother's brains and their father's love of Quidditch. She pictured Harry taking them out on his Firebolt and herself reading them bedtime stories from Beedle the Bard. She pictured them growing up, going off to Hogwarts and getting Sorted into Gryffindor. And the first of the next generation of the Potter family was now growing inside her, her eleven week old unborn son or daughter.
Eleven weeks. She'd been so busy with work over the past couple of months that she hadn't noticed the disruption to her monthly cycle. Even so, heavy workload or not, she loved her job working for the Department of Mysteries and she'd miss it when she took maternity leave.
She couldn't wait to see Harry, not just so she could tell him about the baby, but also because she missed him like crazy when he went away. She hated eating alone and sleeping alone - so used to telling him about her day over dinner and being held in his arms at night. And the regular letters he sent via owl just weren't enough. He was her soulmate - she loved him with every fibre of her being and when he wasn't around, she felt incomplete.
Thinking back to all the years they were friends before they fell in love, she'd never imagined they'd end up together. When they'd been at school, it had been her and Ron and Harry and Ginny, but as is often the case with first love, those relationships didn't last.
Ron had gone into professional Quidditch after the war ended and for a while it had looked as though he would be a huge star, until a nasty back injury midway through his second season forced him to retire. The abrupt end to his career left him depressed and particularly bitter towards his girlfriend - at the time Hermione had just been promoted to senior assistant to the head of her department. Their relationship had become more and more strained and had eventually ended when one lunchtime, Hermione unexpectedly came home to the flat they shared and caught him kissing Luna Lovegood in the kitchen.
Of course she had been angry, but time and the relationship she'd later begun with Harry had helped cool her ire and restored her friendship with both Ron and Luna. Ron was now working as an assistant coach for the Chudley Cannons and he and Luna were engaged.
Ginny had also gone into professional Quidditch after doing her final year at Hogwarts, joining the Holyhead Harpies as a Chaser. But after only two seasons, the Philadelphia Phoenixes offered her a transfer along with a large pay increase, which meant moving to the States. Harry, who'd begun Auror training after Voldemort's defeat (his experiences in the war making up for his not having taken his NEWT exams) hadn't wanted her to go - it was clear he was more interested in settling down than gallivanting around the world - but Ginny had accepted the offer and it had been the end of their relationship. As with her and Ron, Harry and Ginny were still friends and Ginny was now captain of the Phoenixes. In the last owl she'd received from Ginny, her friend had been gushing about the latest American Quidditch player she was dating.
After splitting with their respective partners, she and Harry had begun spending much of their spare time together, resuming the close friendship they'd begun to neglect in favour of their individual relationships. Of course it hadn't taken long for the rebound rumours to start circulating, which she and Harry found amusing, until one night after attending a Ministry party together, they'd shared an unexpected kiss.
After being friends for so many years, neither had ever considered their relationship could be anything but platonic - until that kiss - which had seemed to awaken feelings in them both that they had never before felt or been aware of feeling. The old saying `just good friends' had no longer been applicable - no matter how much they'd tried to ignore the feelings, the briefest look or slightest touch had made them instantly alive. The truth was that both had wondered if the kiss and the resultant feelings were not just a case of unresolved sexual tension brought on by their close friendship, a friendship which would undoubtedly be ruined once their lust was expended.
In an effort to quell the feelings, they'd drastically cut down the time they spent together - only seeing each other at work and during Sunday lunches at The Burrow - making sure they were never alone together for fear they would give into their feelings.
One day, Hermione had been looking for a file in the Ministry archives when Harry had entered with the same intention. Conversation between them had been stilted but the fire in Harry's eyes had ignited her body and their subsequent kiss had been inevitable. She remembered clearly how he'd pushed her up against the shelves as his mouth ravished hers, only to pull back when the door opened and another employee entered. They'd remained in the same position, hidden behind the shelves, their breathing shallow, their hearts thudding and Harry's hard-on pressing into her stomach.
When the other employee left, she'd looked at Harry and had been unable to keep herself from giggling at the pained look on his face, prompting him to laugh for a moment before his expression grew serious again. He'd frowned and looked as if he'd been about to say something and then he'd stopped and brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear.
"You're beautiful," he'd murmured, so soft she might have missed it and then pulling away completely he'd picked up his file and left the room.
He'd turned up at her flat that same evening. She'd been clad only in shorts and a thin camisole and about to open a bottle of wine, definitely not expecting him to be at the door. She'd hesitantly invited him in and offered him some wine, but before she could turn to get another glass out of the cupboard, he'd pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
Her clothes had been discarded in moments and his had followed. If she hadn't directed him to her bedroom, they might have made love on the kitchen table. Finally giving into their feelings had been amazing and afterwards as they'd lain together, he'd at last voiced the truth of how he felt.
"I love you," he'd said, his green eyes meeting her brown ones and she'd known he meant it.
It was impossible for her not to return the sentiment. She'd been unable to continue ignoring the way she felt. It had been the happiest moment of her life - up until then at least. For years they had loved each other as friends - the same way they both loved their other friends - but this love they had unexpectedly discovered was different and special and theirs alone.
The news of their relationship had been received with both surprise and joy - it was clear to their families and friends how happy they were together. Within three months, she'd moved into his flat and six months later they were engaged. They'd married at Godric's Hollow - after having so many negative memories of the place, Harry had wanted to make some positive ones.
After the wedding, they'd again visited his parents' graves and a lump had formed in Hermione's throat when he introduced her to them as his wife and told them how much he loved her and how he knew they'd approve.
That had been a year ago and now they were going to have a baby.
Having finally reached her office, Hermione sat down at her desk, smiling at the picture of her and Harry on their wedding day. A moment later, the door opened and a young witch from the mail room came in.
"Mrs Potter, this owl just arrived for you."
She accepted the folded piece of parchment and the witch left. She smiled when she saw Harry's handwriting on the front. Unfolding it, she read the note her husband had sent her.
Mione
The mission has been a success and I'll be home tonight as planned. I have to stop by the office to file the paperwork and speak with Kingsley, so I'll be there around eight. Missing you and can't wait to see you.
Harry
She glanced at her Muggle wristwatch. It was 3 o'clock. Harry would be home in five hours. If she left the office at half five, she could stop off at a Muggle supermarket on her way home and pick up something for dinner.
Knowing if she didn't get back to work, she'd never make it out by half five, Hermione picked up one of the files on the left hand side of her desk and settled back to read through it, while every so often jotting down notes on the sheet of parchment in front of her.
***
Mischief managed!
So what did you think? I know its kinda short but as already mentioned I was planning on a long one-shot so the chapters are going to be relatively short. Anyways, I'm going to shamelessly beg for reviews again...pretty please with Firewhiskey for everyone!
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