Chapter Text

Chapter One

~ July 31st, 2008 ~

Hermione couldn’t believe she still fit into the dress. Well, ‘fit’ was a relative word. She’d had to expand the chest and even then, she was practically popping out. The short pink dress was printed with little red roses. The cut of the v-neck had been cute when she first bought it, but now that her breasts had grown during her pregnancy with Hugo, it was practically indecent. 

She kind of liked it.

Hermione had a fondness for soft colours and floral prints, but coupled with a seductive cut of her neckline, Hermione was in love. She was certain that this would be more than enough to get her ex going. 

She sat down on her bed with a conjured mirror before her while she fixed her hair. 

Hugo crawled towards her from the middle of the bed. “Mama!” 

He was only ten months old and already so big. He was going to be ridiculously tall like Ron, she was sure.

“Hey, baby.” 

She pulled her son into her lap and was unsurprised when he tugged at her dress. Hermione undid the top couple of buttons, pushed the fabric aside, and let her son nurse while she did her hair. 

Hermione braided two locks and tied them together at the back of her head. The rest of her chocolate curls cascaded down her back. She double-checked her makeup, making sure it was just enough.

Ron claimed he didn’t like heavy make-up, but he always eyed the girls with red lips and mascara-made lashes. Hermione preferred a little lipgloss and dabbed a bit across her plump pink lips. It was beneath her to dress up in the hopes of seducing her ex-boyfriend, but she knew from previous trysts that it made it easier. 

Hermione wasn’t proud of herself, but she was still a young woman and she had needs and those needs had grown extremely pressing over the last several weeks.

It wasn’t like bringing a man home to her flat where she shared a bedroom with her son was an option. She didn’t want a parade of men dancing through her and Hugo’s life, so dating wasn’t really a topic on her mind in general. 

Ron was the simple solution. He was always up for sex and they’d done it enough times that he could at least get her off. It was an easier solution than picking up some stranger at a bar, an option that didn’t much appeal to Hermione.

It wasn’t without its complications. Ron often asked her to marry him, for example, which Hermione knew was a desire born out of his mother’s incessant badgering. Hermione had stopped going to the Burrow after Hugo hit ten weeks. Molly tended to make snide comments about the fact that Hermione refused to marry her son. The Weasley matriarch had only held Hugo a handful of times and always lamented the fact that Hermione hadn’t named the first grandson Fabian Gideon Weasley – after her late brothers. 

Hermione refused to be upset about the fact that she had named her son after her late father. Her parents had been gone for less than two years when she gave birth to Hugo. She missed them every day and naming her son in their honour was not something she was going to argue about. 

The easiest way to deal with Molly Weasley was to simply walk away and pretend like she wasn’t talking. If Hugo went to the Burrow, it was with his father and Hermione was fine with that.

She finished nursing her son and cast a spell to stop any further leaking late into the night. While it didn’t bother her – she dealt with it all the time – it grossed Ron out. She just wanted sex tonight. She didn’t have it in her to handle a fight, something both she and Ron were prone to do. One of the many reasons she’d broken up with him in the first place.

Hermione picked up her purse and the baby bag before heading out of her flat with Hugo on her hip. Rosmerta had promised to watch him for Hermione. The older witch was a godsend, truly. When Hermione had moved into the tiny flat on the outskirts of Hogsmeade a year and a half ago, she’d never imagined she’d find such a warm friendship with the bar owner.

Hugo babbled cheerfully as they made the short walk to the Three Broomsticks. He had his stuffed cat in his hands, a little black thing that he tended to wave around before stuffing the ear in his mouth. 

Hermione smiled at her son. She liked to think he even looked like her father. He had her dad’s light brown curls and big brown eyes. Hermione’s hair was a lot darker, a trait she’d picked up from her Indian mother. 

While Hugo Granger had been an Englishman, born and bred, Helena Granger had been a mix of French and Indian. Helena's parents had immigrated to France when she was a little girl and they'd died not long later. Hermione was a product of Helena and Hugo, fluent in both French and English. Helena had lost any Hindi she’d once known and had relearned aspects of it when Hermione had begun to study it in school with the Patil twins as her tutors. 

Hermione resolved to make sure her son knew his heritage and was just as proud of their multicultural background as she was of it. She spoke to him in both French and English, the way her parents had done for her. One day, when Hugo was older, she’d start to teach him little words in Hindi too.

The door jingled as she stepped into the Leaky Cauldron. It was quiet inside, as it normally was when it wasn’t a Hogsmeade weekend. Despite the school just beside it, it was an incredibly quiet village, save for the odd Hogsmeade weekends. 

“Hermione!” Rosmerta greeted her with a bright smile. She stepped around the bar and turned her beautiful smile to Hugo who raised his arms to her. “Hello, lovey,” she said as she pulled him into her arms. She pressed a smacking kiss to the side of his chubby cheek.

“Thanks again for this. Here,” Hermione handed over a velvet pouch she pulled from her purse.

“Hermione…”

“Take it, Rose. I won’t hear any arguments about it.” She raised her eyebrows at the older witch. “Besides, it’s not for you. Remus needs these.”

Rosmerta sighed and nodded. She took the pouch filled with bottles of Wolfsbane potion. They were extremely expensive to buy but easily affordable to make. Hermione had all the ingredients on hand on the regular. The only issue with the potion was that the entire process of making it was exceedingly difficult. Nothing that Hermione Granger couldn’t handle, though.

“Thanks, love. I’ll pass on your hugs and kisses to Remus.” 

Rosmerta tilted her head as she smiled. She was a truly stunning witch, Hermione couldn’t help but think. She was well into her fifties and didn’t look a day over thirty. Her curly red hair was as bright and vibrant as Hermione had always remembered it being. In all the years that Hermione had known the witch, she didn’t think the older woman had aged a day.

“Has the DoM sent him off on another mission?” 

Rosmerta nodded with a roll of her eyes. “They work him to the bone. If they didn’t pay so good, I’d tell him to quit.”

Hermione grinned and shook her head. “Remus would never.”

Before Hermione had stepped down after she got pregnant, she’d worked with Remus in the Department of Mysteries. He loved his job, that much, she knew. It was also how she’d found out about his condition as a werewolf. 

They’d worked together for a short while on testing products that might mitigate the werewolf effects even stronger than the Wolfsbane potion did. They hadn’t found anything before she was forced to step down – the Department of Mysteries was an exceedingly difficult job and a pregnant witch’s magic was too unstable to work in the department beyond a basic file clerk position – and Hermione doubted there had been much success since. From what Remus had told her, they had him on something new now.

“You look hot,” Rosmerta said with a wink and a little smirk.

Hermione huffed a laugh as she looked away. “Thanks.”

The witch pursed her plump lips at Hermione and added, “Hoping to get laid?”

Hermione wrinkled her nose. “Not in front of the baby, please?”

Rosmerta fought back a smile and nodded with exaggeration. “Right, he might get jealous that you’re sharing his favourite bits with someone else.”

Hermione laughed and stepped away. “Alright, I’m leaving. Ron says he wants to see Hugo tonight.” She handed Rosmerta the baby bag. “So, I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“Sounds good. Happy to keep the pooper longer if you want to bag an actually decent lay?” She winked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. It was no secret that Rosmerta hated Ron. Remus always got a little snarl on his face when her ex was brought up too. 

“Goodbye, Rose. Bye, baby.” 

She pressed kisses to Hugo’s cheek. He giggled with delight. 

Hermione shot them a parting wave before heading back outside. She looked out across the green landscape with Hogwarts high in the distance. The sun glinted from behind one of the towering spires. 

She wondered if the teachers were still there. She knew some of the professors chose to live at the school year-round. Some taught summer programs and others simply loved Hogwarts too much to leave.

Was Neville there?

Hermione's heart twisted in her chest. She looked away from the castle as thoughts of her best friend swarmed her mind. They hadn't spoken in years. He'd just disappeared after school ended. She tried to send him letters, but his silence had made it abundantly clear that he had no intentions of continuing their friendship.

She'd still had hope up until two years ago when he had up and married Hannah Abbott. Not that there was anything wrong with Hannah, she had been an incredible girl and her recent death still shocked Hermione when she thought about it. It was more so the fact that Neville hadn't told her. 

No owl. Nothing. 

She'd sent an owl when she was pregnant. When Hugo was born. Pictures too. He hadn’t responded.

Hermione took in a deep, shuddering breath. She had told herself ages ago she wouldn't let Neville upset her anymore. She shook her head and any thoughts of him away. 

Tonight was going to be a good night. Everyone else and all of Hermione’s other problems be damned. 

Hermione disapparated on the spot.

~ * ~

~ August 1st, 2008 ~

She didn’t want to drink anything at first. Hermione hadn’t had a proper drink since before she was pregnant. A single shot and she’d likely be pissed. So, she hadn’t been planning on drinking.

How she’d gotten from that to where she was, currently straddling Harry Potter’s lap with his hands on her arse and his tongue in her mouth, she wasn’t entirely sure. She certainly wasn’t complaining. 

Ron hadn’t shown up, the jerk. He hadn’t even sent an owl. Hermione was already three drinks in when midnight had passed. Then Harry Potter of all people had stumbled up to the bar, absolutely pissed, and claimed to be the birthday boy. There had been some silly innuendo about her giving him a birthday present and next thing she knew, they’d flooed to his flat and he’d pulled her down onto the couch on top of him.

Harry’s strong hands curled around her arse. He squeezed her behind and ground her hips into the bulge in his trousers. Hermione moaned into his mouth. The feel of his strong shoulders under her hands was so insanely erotic. 

She loved how masculine he felt. Ron wall all tall and lanky. Harry was built.  

He smelled like magic. She hadn’t even realised someone could smell like magic, let alone taste like it. But Harry Potter did -- like wind and sage. The taste of him on her tongue was electric. She wanted to drown herself in him.

They hadn’t seen each other since Hogwarts had ended. They’d been Head Boy and Girl together in their final year. She remembered him being responsible and clever – ridiculously handsome too, even for a Slytherin.

His calloused fingers tangled in her curls and tightened ever so slightly. She pressed her breasts into his hard chest. She felt so small in his hands. He pulled her head back with his grip in her hair, breaking their kiss as he did. He stared into her eyes for a breathless moment.

“Take your dress off.”

Hermione’s core clenched in response to his deep, raspy voice. Her mind raced even as her body felt sluggish and slow. Without a second thought, fingers went to the buttons that lined her dress as she scrambled to follow his order. 

His other hand squeezed her hip. “Slowly.”

Hermione’s cheeks warmed. Ron didn’t boss her around in bed. No one bossed her around in general. The thought of it had always been kind of appealing, but she didn’t trust Ron enough to give him that amount of control in anything, much less their sex life. 

Under normal circumstances, Hermione probably wouldn’t give Harry Potter that privilege either. But she was right pissed and the sound of his deep voice telling her what to do was too attractive to resist. 

His bright green eyes watched her from behind his large, circular glasses. He took in every inch of her flesh as it was slowly bared to him. Her dress gaped as she made her way down her torso. Hermione slowly peeled the thin fabric back and let it fall to the floor, leaving her in only a pair of nude lace panties.

It was quite possibly the most erotic moment of Hermione’s entire life. The way Harry stared at her, it was like he was staring straight into her soul. Her knickers were completely drenched. She’d been feeling so needy for days – weeks – now and suddenly it was all coming to a head. It was just too much. Her nipples were aching for attention. Her core was already twitching in anticipation. 

His calloused fingers touched her stomach and she sucked in a sharp breath. Harry’s hand slowly traced up her sternum to her left breast. He felt the weight of it in the palm of his hand. His thumb brushed her oversensitive nipple.

Hermione gasped and leaned into his touch.

“You’re so fucking pretty,” he slurred, just as drunk as she was. 

Hermione moaned. Her head dropped back and her eyes fell shut as she ground into his erection. God, she needed more than that. She needed him inside of her – filling her – spilling inside of her. Her fingers curled into his shoulders desperately.

Harry pressed a hand to her back and slowly guided her forward. She leaned into him and felt his lips and the stubble on his face as it brushed against her soft skin. 

Hermione moaned again. She pushed closer to him and tugged at his clothes.

Harry grabbed her hands to stop her. He looked up and Hermione felt her breath catch in her throat when his eyes met her own. 

“Please,” she whispered desperately.

He smirked and Hermione almost melted into a puddle. 

“Say it again.” 

His breath ghosted across her face. She could smell the muggle scotch he’d been drinking that night.

Hermione licked her lips. Her cheeks, already warm from the alcohol, grew warmer. 

“Please?” she asked again in a little voice. She batted her lashes. 

Harry growled with pleasure. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist and lifted her up as he stood. He swayed before he caught his balance. Hermione locked her ankles behind his back and tangled her fingers in his messy black hair. She licked and kissed the crook of his neck as he stumbled towards a space she desperately hoped had a bed. 

His fingers curled around the flesh of her thigh. Hermione bucked into him, completely unashamed at her wanton state. Perhaps she’d be more horrified at her actions and her desire to have Harry Potter do whatever he wanted with her if she were less drunk, but as it was, Hermione was all too eager.

Her back hit the bed before she even realised he was dropping her. The room spun for a moment before her vision was filled with Harry’s face. Their eyes met for a moment before his lips touched hers. Hermione melted into his embrace with a soft moan. 

His fingers hooked into the side of her knickers and his lips left hers as he slowly dragged the lace away. Hermione lifted her hips to accommodate him. He tossed them aside.

He shrugged off his shirt and toed off his shoes at the same time. He was beautiful. His broad shoulders and lithe figure were well-defined. Quidditch in his youth had clearly done this man well. Dark hair covered his chest and ran down the line of his abdomen, disappearing into his trousers. 

The bed dipped as Harry climbed over her again. She almost missed it as he softly said, “I never want to forget this.”

He kissed her then and Hermione was immediately consumed by his smell and taste once more. The feel of his hard chest against her over-sensitive nipples was enough to have her moaning for more. She slipped her hands between their bodies to his belt. Harry nipped at her neck.

“God, yes,” she gasped with delight.

“That a compliment?” he murmured into her neck as he kissed and licked at the little love bite. “Oh, shit .”

Hermione’s smile was wide as she tightened her grip on his cock. Merlin, the feel of him in her hands was so good. She could hardly wait to feel him inside of her. She stroked him slowly, a victorious little smile on her face as she watched how quickly her attention was ruining his cool, drunken facade. 

He began pushing his trousers down and mumbling about silly bloody clothes . Hermione laughed and stopped stroking him long enough to help divest him of the rest of his clothes. She slid to the centre of the bed and smiled when he followed. Harry leaned back against the pillows beside her and Hermione curled into his side. He kissed her strongly, as if he’d never desired anything more in his life. 

Her leg slipped between his knees and her hand tangled in his hair. His stubble scratched at her delicate skin and she imagined the way it would feel scratching at even more sensitive parts of her. 

Hermione turned and gently pressed down on Harry’s shoulder so he was leaning back more fully against the pillows. She shot him a sultry smile as she leaned over him. Slowly, she crawled backward so that she was level with his erect cock. 

“Birthday Boy, you said, right?” 

She flipped her dark curls over to one side and smirked with every ounce of seductive allure that she could muster while half-pissed to the moon.

Harry nodded and took a deep breath. 

Hermione curled her fingers around the base of his cock and ran her tongue to the top. Harry’s hands curled into fists as he watched her – entranced. She licked him again and again, concentrating on his head, and revelled in the way his breath hitched when she flicked her tongue just so.

Hermione wrapped her other hand around his cock above the other before taking the whole head into her mouth. She looked up at him as she swirled her tongue around the tip. 

“Oh, fuck ,” he swore. 

His body jerked and his hips bucked wildly. Hermione pressed a hand against his stomach to stop herself from being thrown off. 

She released him but kept her one hand at the base of his cock. Harry let loose a high, keening moan that had her body tingling. 

“Like that, Birthday Boy?”

He nodded and his arms flexed as he forced himself not to just grab her. She smirked and returned her attention to his cock. His eyes fluttered shut and his breath hitched. Hermione watched him, moaning around his cock with pleasure as she slowly took more of him into her mouth. 

He wasn’t average, which was what she was used to with Ron and her one other previous lover. It had seemed mostly exciting when she first wrapped her fingers around him, but now that she was actively blowing him, Hermione was beginning to realise how much of a hassle this was going to be if it went on too long. 

Normally, she’d be able to keep at it for a long time, but Hermione was a little annoyed with herself when she had to pull back and give her jaw a break. 

She pouted up at him and in her drunken state, didn’t even think about saying, “Your cock is massive.”

Harry chuckled and his fingers tightened in her curls. She wasn’t sure when they’d gotten tangled in her hair again. 

“Like it?”

Her pout deepened. “No. I’m normally very good at this.”

“No complaints from the Birthday Boy,” he returned with a smirk. He wrapped his other hand around her wrist and tugged her towards him. “Come here, ‘Mione.”

Hermione’s insides flipped at the silly nickname. She hated nicknames, but coming out of Harry’s mouth it sounded ridiculously attractive. 

She straddled his lap again and with all their clothes gone, it felt incredible. Skin to skin had her body humming and fireworks shooting off through her veins. His taste of magic was on her tongue again and she couldn’t help but moan. 

Harry’s strong arms tightened around her waist. He twisted and Hermione huffed as she found herself on her back. His lips and tongue on her neck, slowly trailing down towards her breasts, distracted her from forming a response to his actions. His teeth barely touched her nipple and she let out a cry of pleasure and pain. He did the same to the other as he palmed her breast with his hand. The rough pads of his fingers pressed into the soft, sensitive flesh.

Hermione’s pleasure skyrocketed. Merlin, she couldn’t remember the last time a man was touching her breasts. She quickly banished thoughts of her son as they arose in her mind. 

Hermione curled her fingers around Harry’s shoulders. He slunk down her body until his face was at her core and her breath hitched.

God, she could distinctly remember the last time someone had gone down on her, even in her drunken state. It was the first and last time it had ever happened. Ron had never done it for her and she was certain he never would. 

She looked down at Harry and met his questioning gaze. She eagerly spread her legs for him and the smirk he sent her was sinful. It should be illegal to look that fucking sexy. 

He lifted her leg over his shoulder and descended upon her core like a goddamn expert. Hermione cried out and her back arched. He wasn’t soft and gentle – her only previous experience with this. He sucked on her clit harshly and it was so much better than the soft, hesitant touches she’d been expecting. 

His fingers dipped into her sopping centre and she clenched around them reflexively. She imagined his thick, hard cock inside of her instead of those fingers just as he sucked on her clit and Hermione came with a shout. 

Her face was hot with the combination of alcohol and her orgasm. She felt the sweat dotting her forehead and curling her hair. Her chest rose and fell quickly as she tried to calm her suddenly racing heart. 

Well, she thought glumly, guess that’s the night over. Just as the thought entered her mind, Harry’s face leaned over hers and kissed her hotly. He lifted her leg over his hip and fitted his weight into the cradle of her hips.

She rested her hands on his shoulders. 

“I can suck you off again,” she blurted. 

She knew from experience she wouldn’t come again. While having him inside of her would be pleasurable, she wouldn’t orgasm and that would cause a fight. It always caused a fight. Hermione had wanted a good time and she got that, she didn’t want to fight – they always fought.

“No,” he said and Hermione blinked in surprise when she looked up and saw Harry’s face. 

Her hazy mind had her thinking she was with her ex. But she wasn’t with her argumentative ex-boyfriend and Harry wasn’t going to get mad at the drop of a hat -- or at least she hoped not. 

“I want to fuck you,” he continued.

Hermione was surprised at the way her body tightened with excitement at his words. The thought of him inside of her, filling her, coming inside her – it had her feeling like she was burning up. She’d never been so fucking aroused right after an orgasm in her life.

“Please,” she whispered breathlessly and Harry groaned. 

His hand waved out towards the bedside and she looked, realising he was searching for his wand.

Hermione held out her hand and cast, “ Accio wand!” 

Her wand flew into the room and smacked into her hand. She quickly cast the contraception charm and tossed the wand onto the bedside table.

She turned back to Harry expectantly. He kissed her neck and twisted his hips, sliding the length of his cock along her entrance. Hermione’s fingers were shaking where they pressed into his shoulders. She moaned loudly and pushed her chest up against him. He bent his head and she felt him against her entrance. She held her breath in anticipation. Her eyes widened as he slowly stretched her.

“Oh god. Oh fuck.” 

Her eyes squeezed shut at the pressure. She gasped as he filled her. He didn’t have a monstrously large cock, but Merlin it felt like it went on for days. 

“Wow,” he breathed, eyes wide. He pressed his glasses up as they slipped down his nose. “Shit that’s- you feel so fucking good, ‘Mione.”

Hermione wrapped her legs around his waist. She impatiently ground into him with a needy whine. 

“More,” she pleaded desperately. “More, please .”

“Yes,” Harry hissed as he thrust his hips, “anything, baby.” 

He moved slowly and she was sure it was because he didn’t want to hurt her, but it didn’t hurt at all. She wanted more. She needed more.

“Faster,” she demanded. 

Harry immediately complied. The bedframe thudded against the wall with the power of his thrusts. The sound grew to a quick staccato.

Hermione arched her back as an electric feeling began to grow within her once more. The force of it felt like a thunderstorm in comparison to the orgasm she’d had earlier. Her nails bit into Harry’s shoulders. Her body throbbed. Her mind blurred.

“Oh god, yes. Please,” she mumbled, delirious. “Please – come inside me. Oh, please.”

Harry moaned and gasped. The sound of the bed hitting the wall barely masked the sound of flesh meeting flesh as he continued to thrust into her.

Hermione gasped suddenly and squeezed her eyes shut. She screamed as she came. Harry shouted and she felt him release inside of her. Her cry turned into a high, keening moan. The world was spinning around her and all she could see was Harry’s face and his bright green eyes. All she could think was that she wanted to do that again.

Harry smiled as he let out a breathless laugh and Hermione smiled too.

Chapter Text

Chapter Two

~ August 1st, 2008 ~

Hermione’s entire body ached. Her head pounded and her mouth felt dry and scratchy. God, what had she done to herself? Her body felt laden with lead as she raised a hand to her forehead. It had been so long since she’d drank alcohol -- let alone gotten pissed. She didn’t miss the way her stomach was roiling or her head was pounding. 

She blinked up at a white ceiling above her. Her brows slowly drew together. Her flat had a cream-coloured ceiling. Her head turned to the side and her breath left her in a short gasp.

This wasn’t her flat. 

Hermione shot up and the room spun around her. Her eyes squeezed shut as she groaned. She held out her hand and whispered under her breath. Her wand flew into her hand from the bedside table where she hadn’t noticed it. She wordlessly cast a sobering charm on herself and the alcohol siphoned out of her bloodstream at the same time that the feeling of being submerged in ice-cold water settled over her body. Hermione shivered furiously for ten seconds until the side effects of the spell faded away. 

She opened her eyes once more, now sober. Her throat was still raw and dry. Her headache hadn’t faded but she could feel the alcohol was gone from her system. She could think clearly once again and she knew for certain she wasn’t in her flat back in Hogsmeade. 

Merlin, where was she? What had happened?

Ron hadn’t shown up, she remembered. Hermione recalled the anger and frustration she’d felt at Ron’s no-show. She felt it again, burning beneath her breastbone. Ron was such a prick.

But that wasn’t the current problem. The current problem was that she was naked in a stranger’s bed. 

She’d gone home with someone? It was so unlike her. Hermione had only ever been with two men her whole life and one of those incidents had been a massive mistake -- her eyes flickered to the sleeping male to her left and amended that statement to two massive mistakes and three men. 

A long, muscled body lay to her left and stretched out on his stomach. A messy head of black hair was half-hidden under a pillow. Grey silk sheets dipped low on his back. He was naked. 

Hermione’s heart thudded in her chest. She felt like she was going to be sick and she couldn’t blame it on a hangover anymore. Her eyes flickered around the room and froze on the dresser sitting opposite the end of the bed. 

There was a glass box sitting on the dresser with a golden snitch fluttering around inside. She knew that box. It used to sit on the edge of the Head Boy’s desk in the Heads’ Office. Hermione had been Head Girl, herself. She had seen that glass box almost every day of her seventh year.

Hermione swallowed painfully with her dry throat. She looked back towards her bedmate with the full knowledge of who he was now. A hazy memory of bright green eyes and a charming smile came to her.

Hermione jumped out of the bed. She took the bedsheet with her and unintentionally revealed his naked body. Hermione swallowed her squeal and tossed the bed sheet over him to cover his bare arse. 

Merlin’s balls, she’d slept with Harry Potter . Hermione crossed her arms over her bare breasts. How had this happened? She wasn’t a girl that went home with blokes in pubs. She had a son! 

Oh, Hugo, she thought with realization.

Hermione’s eyes darted around the room. She found a clock and bit back a groan. She needed to get back to The Three Broomsticks. 

Her eyes scanned the bedroom floor. It was clean, but that wasn’t a surprise. Harry had been meticulously clean when they’d shared an office in their seventh year. She didn’t see her dress or shoes from last night -- or her knickers, she mentally added.

Without so much as a glance in Harry’s direction, Hermione headed out of the bedroom. In the hallway, she found one shoe and picked it up. She was still searching for the other and her dress when she made it to the living room. She made a sound of triumph when she spotted her outfit from the night before.

Hermione raced forward and picked up the pink fabric. A strangled noise sounded across the room as she stood up. Hermione froze. Her head turned in the direction of the noise and found none other than Cormac McLaggen standing shirtless in the flat’s kitchen with a forgotten mug of coffee in his hand. 

Hermione felt her face burn.

She was naked in front of Cormac-bloody-McLaggen. Kill me now, she thought. Without a word, she waved her wand. Her other shoe flew into her hands.

“Am I dreaming?” a voice asked that didn’t belong to the stunned blond in front of her.

Hermione glanced over her shoulder and spotted Blaise Zabini exiting the hallway she’d just come out of. His wide brown eyes were stuck on her arse. Hermione turned on the spot and disapparated away.

Cormac stared at the spot she’d disappeared from. He blinked once – twice. He shook his head. 

Blaise entered the living room. He pointed at Cormac. “Did you fuck Granger?” 

Cormac quickly shook his head. His eyes met the other man’s own. 

“I wish I fucking had, though.” 

He pointed at Blaise. Blaise shook his head. They turned to look down the hall. The only other person that lived in the flat was Harry. They immediately headed towards their flatmate’s room. 

Blaise loudly burst through the door. 

“Oi!” he shouted and Harry stirred. Blaise kicked the bed. “Get up, you git!”

Harry groaned and rolled over on his bed. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. “What?”

“Did you fuck Granger?”

“What?”

“Granger,” Blaise reiterated. “You know, big eyes, bigger hair.”

“Massive tits,” Cormac put in.

Blaise turned to the Gryffindor. “Has she always had those?”

The blond took a sip of his coffee as he considered the question. “Nah, don’t think so. Heard she had a kid. Clearly did her well.”

Blaise made a sound of agreement. “I’ll say. Fuckin’ gorgeous arse.”

“Oi!” Harry shouted. He’d donned his wide round-frame glasses as they spoke. “Shut up.”

Blaise smirked at him. “Still got a thing for her?”

Harry glared. “I never had a thing for Granger.”

The dark-skinned wizard raised his brows. “Never? Not even last night?” He shook his head. “Poor Granger.” 

Harry glared at him.

Cormac took another sip of his coffee. He nodded at Harry. “Will you finally stop sleeping with girls that look like her, now that you’ve bagged the real thing?”

Harry’s emerald eyes flashed with fury. His wand flew into his hand and both wizards scattered from his room amidst peels of laughter. 

“Fuckin’ arseholes,” he muttered. 

He fell back against the silk sheets of his bed and closed his eyes. Flashes of last night played through his mind. Hermione’s sweet little smiles. The wickedness in her eyes as she took him into her mouth. Merlin, her curls had been so soft between his fingers. She’d tasted better than he’d ever dreamed. The memory of being inside her would likely be enough to power a thousand Patronus charms for years to come. 

He groaned and ran his hands down his face. Clearly, he’d not gotten the vixen witch out of his head. He was twenty-eight. He was a certified healer, the Deputy Head of the Emergency Response Department, and a grown-bloody-man. He should not still be fantasizing about this girl. He knew why he was, but it didn’t make it easier. 

He had to grow the hell up. Granger was off-limits. She was with Weasley, last he knew. They had a kid, for Merlin’s sake. One little dalliance with Harry wasn't enough to upturn her entire life.

It had been lovely though, he thought. A single night full of playfulness and passion the way he’d always imagined it to be. But she’d been his in his fantasies. And in his dreams, she’d always been there when he woke up. That would have been the cherry on top. 

Harry turned his head and glanced at the clock on his bedside table. He had to get up. His parents were expecting him for dinner and they’d likely want him sober, showered, and alert. 

Harry pulled himself out of bed with a pained groan. It had been lovely, he reaffirmed, but it couldn’t be anything more than it was. 

~ * ~

“I’m so sorry!” Hermione gasped out as she entered Rosmerta’s flat above the Three Broomsticks. 

Hugo cried out in delight when he saw her. He toddled over to her with his hands raised.

“It’s fine,” Rosmerta responded, “he was an angel.”

Hermione picked her son up as he babbled the word ‘mama’ over and over again. She pressed a kiss to the top of his head of curly brown hair. 

“You’re my hero, honestly. Thank you, Rose.”

The older witch smiled. “Tea?”

Hermione glanced down at her son. She’d rushed home from Harry’s flat and changed quickly into a spring dress, but she still needed to shower. She glanced around the flat and determined that as long as Remus and his impeccable nose were still out of the country on business, she’d be safe. 

“I already took care of breakfast for Hugo,” Rosmerta stated as she headed into the kitchen. Hermione followed. “Have a seat, love, we don’t open the pub downstairs for another few hours.”

Hermione found a chair at the little circular table in the kitchen with Hugo in her lap. She watched Rosmerta bustle around the kitchen making pancakes for her. They were her favourite breakfast food, a fact Rosmerta knew well.

“Have fun last night?” Rosmerta teased.

Hermione’s entire face burned hot. “ Rose .”

The older witch laughed. She tossed her bright red curls over her shoulder and shot Hermione a smirk with her full red lips. 

“I’m just teasing, love. You’re young and beautiful, you deserve to have some fun. Even if it is with that git.”

Hermione rolled her eyes even as she smiled. Privately, she agreed that Ron was a git. He was short-tempered and easily made jealous. He’d been envious of her for her successful career as an Unspeakable and then later resented her when she refused to marry him.

They’d broken up before she even realized she was pregnant. It hadn’t changed Hermione’s decision to leave him. Broken up, she and Ron were much better off. They worked well in small doses. They rarely fought anymore and it never escalated to the point of fury like it had when they dated. 

It wasn’t perfect and Ron was far from the best boyfriend, but he was a good dad. Good when he was there, at least. He wasn’t a perfect human being, but she wasn’t about to keep him from his son because she didn’t like dating him.

There was also the law, which was certainly on Ron’s side. He, as a pure-blood, had the power and ability to take Hugo away from her once he reached a certain magical development. Currently, he was satisfied with her raising Hugo without him. Hermione suspected that was mostly because it allowed him to sleep with other witches. Eventually, she knew his half-arsed questions for her to marry him would grow more serious and then she’d have to find a new way out of that problem. 

Rosmerta placed a plate of pancakes on the table for her and a bowl of o-shaped cereal. 

Hermione thanked her as she twisted Hugo around on her lap. “Here you go, handsome.” 

She held up the bowl and Hugo picked up one in each hand. Hermione poured syrup over her pancakes and tucked into her breakfast while her son munched on his snack.

“Did you read the paper?” Rosmerta asked as she moved back to the stove.

Hermione frowned around a mouthful of pancakes. She chewed and swallowed before saying, “No? Did something happen?”

“Apparently, we’re an endangered species,” she quipped.  Rosmerta nodded to a copy of The Daily Prophet on the table. 

Hermione set aside her fork and reached for the paper. “ Magical Britain’s Declining Population: the Ministry Creates a Baby Program! ” Hermione read aloud. She made a face and began to read the accompanying article.

According to the article, Magical Britain’s population had started declining after the end of the Blood War. After Tom Riddle had been defeated by Albus Dumbledore, there had been fewer and fewer births in the magical community. Classes at Hogwarts used to be on average at least 150 students a year, with the highest being a record of 324 in 1899. 

Hermione blinked widely at that information. Her own graduation class had been barely fifty students. The knowledge that it should have been three times that was startling. 

“So, what? They’re going to make us have babies?” She wrinkled her nose as she skimmed the article.

“The government can’t make you have sex,” a deep voice corrected. 

Hermione looked up and her eyes widened when she saw Remus enter the kitchen.

“Remus!” She’d thought he was still away for work. “When did you get home?” 

“Very early this morning. How are you, love?” 

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He paused and Hermione tensed. Remus Lupin was good friends with the Potter family. Hermione was certain he was able to recognize Harry’s familiar scent on her.

Remus leaned back and raised an eyebrow at her. Hermione felt her face burn hot. She cuddled Hugo closer and cleared her throat.

“Oh, stop it,” Rosmerta said. “Don’t give her that look, Remus. A girl has gotta scratch that itch somehow.”

“Rose!” Hermione gasped.

The older witch laughed loudly. Remus shot his wife a loving smile. He joined her by the stove and wrapped his arms around her from behind. A kiss was pressed to Rosmerta’s neck.

They were a beautiful couple, Hermione couldn’t help thinking. While Rosmerta was a decade older than Remus, she looked nearly fifteen years younger than him. She had a timeless beauty to her that hadn’t faded a bit in contrast to Remus who had aged heavily under the strain of his werewolf curse.

Whenever Hermione saw the loving tenderness between the two of them, she couldn’t help but feel her stomach roll with jealousy. They reminded her of her parents and how much Hugo and Helena had loved each other. 

Remus took the seat across from her and fixed himself a cup of tea. 

“The ministry has set up a program to help encourage people to have more children. They’re calling it the Baby Boon Program. They’re offering jobs, higher salaries, and bonuses to wedded couples that sign up and have more or already have any children.”

Hermione watched Hugo pick up more cereal from the bowl on the table. “So, it’s not enforced?”

He shook his head. “They can’t do that. There is another program, the Magical Matches Unit,” he rolled his eyes, “which is for single magicals.” 

He smiled up at Rosmerta as she set a stack of pancakes before him. They shared a kiss.

Hermione eyed the newspaper article. “That one involves marriage, it says?”

Rosmerta conjured another chair and sat between them with a cup of tea in hand. She crossed her legs and nodded once as she sipped her tea. 

“The Wizarding World doesn’t like babies born out of wedlock,” Rosmerta told her.

Hermione scoffed. It was a fact that she knew all too well.

Rosmerta laughed. “They can’t produce a law that supports single parenthood. The other Wizarding communities would be in a riot about it.”

Remus swallowed his mouthful of pancakes. “I suspect they’ll both be rather popular. Families will take whatever support they can get when it comes to money. As you know, it’s not cheap raising a family.”

Hermione could certainly attest to that. She’d been forced to step down from the DoM after she got pregnant. The job was too dangerous to continue when she was pregnant and she’d gone on to work from home as a spell creator. It was a hard job, but highly lucrative. She was saving the majority of what she made to buy a house in Hogsmeade. It was surprisingly expensive considering how rundown the community looked from the outside.

“And the Magical Matches Unit is being run out of the defunct Magical Matches Department ,” Remus continued.

“What’s that?”

Rosmerta waved her hand. “Oh, it’s an old department in the ministry. It was used when arranged marriages were still very popular. They have a fantastic track record, actually. They were very popular before arranged marriages went by the wayside.”

Hermione wrinkled her nose again and Remus laughed. 

“It sounds silly,” he agreed, “but they are very good at what they do. They measure matches under several different criteria. Personality, magical power, potential, and even magical compatibility. I’m sure they’ve added other criteria to the list.”

“And, of course,” Rosmerta added, “it helps that everyone who participates actually wants to be there.”

“There is that.”

“Well,” Hermione said at length, “I certainly won’t be.” 

She stood and hiked Hugo up on her hip. 

“Thank you for breakfast, but I think I ought to be getting home soon. I’ve got a lot of work to get through today.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard, love.” Rosmerta stood and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

Hermione turned to Remus and he raised an eyebrow at her. “Tell Harry I say hi,” he said, a smirk on his scarred face. 

She blushed again. Hermione quickly disappeared through the door, hearing Rosmerta say, “Wait, what?” as she made her escape. She did not want to have a conversation with them about her sexual escapade with Harry Potter.

Hermione headed down to the main floor of The Three Broomsticks and left out the backdoor that Remus and Rosmerta had given her private access to. She stepped out into the sunny summer’s day and slowly made her way to her flat on the far side of Hogsmeade. 

She wondered if Remus would go to Harry for answers since she had refused to talk about it. She cringed at the very thought of it. Would he tell Remus about it? Hermione valiantly fought not to blush. 

She could still feel his breath against her neck as he bent her over the second time. His hands had been so strong as they grasped her hips. The way he’d simply move her into whatever position he wanted her in. The way he’d so readily agreed to her straddling him the third time. 

Ron always fussed like a child when Hermione wanted something new or different – even if it was just a different position for sex. It was the same thing every time with him. It worked, but it never changed. Last night had been everything she’d been starving for since she started having sex.

Maybe she could owl him?

Before Hermione could entertain the thought further, she was pulled up short at the sight of the man before her doorway. Ron was waiting for her. She scowled at the sight of her ex.

“Ronald,” she snapped.

He looked up and even the glower on her face wasn’t enough to diminish his excited smile. 

“Hey! Where were you?”

“Dadada!” Hugo babbled as he reached a hand out for his father. 

Ron eagerly accepted his son while Hermione opened the door to her flat.

“I was having breakfast with Rosmerta and Remus.”

Ron made a face but didn’t comment. They’d gotten into enough fights about her friendship with the Lupins for him to know to leave it alone. 

Hermione entered her little flat and let Ron in after her. It was a tiny one-bedroom with one bath. The majority of the space was filled with stacks of books and baby toys. Hugo’s crib was tucked into Hermione’s bedroom against the wall just beyond the end of her bed. It was a tight fit and was getting smaller the bigger that Hugo got, but it was better than staying with Ron in their old place.

“Did you hear about the baby thing?”

Hermione rolled her eyes. She filled the kettle and set it to boil on the stovetop. 

“It’s silly.”

“It’s brilliant!” 

Ron set Hugo down and joined her in the little kitchen. Hugo toddled off to one of his toys by the loveseat under the window. 

“And you can register babies that are under a year old.”

“What are you talking about?” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“I registered Hugo under the law. We can get money and better salaries and I’ll get a promotion!” 

Hermione tensed. 

“You did what ? Ron! You can’t just register Hugo for things without consulting me!”

Ron’s smile dropped and his mouth twisted into a snarl. “Why’re you so upset? This is good news. I won’t be a Field Auror anymore. I can be a detective or maybe a commander of a squad!”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “That won’t happen, Ronald. You don’t have the qualifications for that sort of position and you know it.” 

His face turned red at her words. “Well, you better hope I do. Since you’re Hugo’s mother and that makes you my future wife.”

Hermione’s eyes widened. “ What ?”

A smug smile spread across his face. “Yeah, registering Hugo means we both get pulled into it as well. We’re finally getting married.”

Her hands curled into fists. It took everything in her not to smack the smirk off his face. 

“How could you possibly sign me up for this program without my consent?”

He shrugged. “Hugo is a Weasley. You might hate pure-bloods but there are definitely benefits to being one.”

Hermione felt something snap inside of her. She had never been so furious with Ron before. 

“Get out,” she snapped.

“What?”

“Get out!” 

She pushed him towards the front door. Hugo began crying. 

“I can’t even look at you. You absolute bastard .”

“Oi!”

“Get out!”

She slammed the door in his face. She heard his muffled shouts from the other side and threw up a ward that she knew he’d never be able to get through. Hermione turned and scooped up her crying baby.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Come here.” 

She sat down on the cushy loveseat and settled him in her lap. He tugged at her dress and Hermione pulled aside the fabric without any hesitation. She settled Hugo against her breast.

She couldn’t believe it. Ron had actually done that? She couldn’t be required to marry him for real. Remus and Rosmerta’s comments about the Wizarding World’s distaste for single parents came to mind. 

Hermione’s stomach twisted.

Oh God, she thought. Oh, no. She had to track down every scrap of information on these new programs that she could find and hope to hell that it wasn’t true.

~ * ~

~ August 14th, 2008 ~

“Harry!” a little voice squealed with delight.

Harry smiled brightly at the sight of his youngest sister racing down the hall towards him. Daisy was such an uncoordinated little girl. Every time she ran, Harry was certain she was going to fall right over. It didn’t help that their father loved to dress her in pretty dresses filled with ribbons and frills.

“Princess,” he greeted warmly. 

He scooped her up into his arms and tossed her into the air before catching her again. Daisy squealed with glee. She cuddled into his chest. 

“How are you, darling?”

“Very good, mummy and I are gardening today!”

“That’s good,” he laughed. 

He pressed a loving kiss to the little girl’s head of curly black hair. He walked with her in his arms even though she was almost ten now. He headed towards the kitchen where he saw his mother was either brewing potions or making lunch. It was a toss-up between the two on any given day. He pressed a kiss to his mother’s cheek in greeting and she hummed before absently waving him away. Her eyes never left her cauldron.

He passed through the stone archway and into the informal dining space to the left. Sirius was sitting with his two other sisters, Delilah and Ivy. 

“So, this is where the party is.”

Delilah and Ivy spun around in their chairs, wide smiles on their faces. “Harry!” they cried out happily. Harry placed Daisy in a chair next to the elder two sisters before he pressed a kiss to the tops of their heads each. 

“And how are you two today?”

“Fantastic!” Delilah, the eldest of the three girls at fifteen years old, announced. “Uncle Padfoot bought me a new broom!”

“That’s brilliant. And how about you, Poison Ivy?”

Ivy stuck out her tongue at him. “I don’t want to go visit Aunt Tuney tomorrow, she’s a mean old bag.” 

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. 

“Ivy!” Lily’s voice scolded from the kitchen.

Ivy -- thirteen and the most obstinate Potter to ever live -- scowled in her mother’s direction. “It’s true !”

“Yeah,” Harry agreed quietly, “but you don’t need to say it so loudly. What mum doesn’t know won’t get you in trouble.” 

He winked at his fellow Slytherin and she smirked back at him.

Lily smacked the back of his head as she entered the room. “Don’t teach your sisters to misbehave.”

Harry shot her a look. “That’s what big brothers are for. That and beating up no-good boyfriends.”

"Or girlfriends!" Ivy protested.

Harry laughed and shook his head. "I'm not beating up a girl for you."

Ivy narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't duel a girl for my honour? I thought you loved me?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I love you enough to not warn the girl off before you undoubtedly ruin her life by breaking her heart."

Ivy sniffed and turned away. "I suppose that's good enough."

Lily sighed heavily. "You had to encourage her to Slytherin house," she whispered.

Harry laughed. "Oh, mum, you're mad if you thought she was going to end up anywhere else."

Sirius leaned back in his chair. “Give him a break, Lils. He’s going to need it.”

Harry shot his uncle a look. He turned back to his mother. “Something wrong?”

Lily raised her eyebrows. “Your father wants to speak with you in his office.”

He swallowed. “How much trouble am I in?”

Lily smirked at her son. "Why? Did you break a law?"

"Not any that can be traced back to me."

Lily laughed. She rested her hands on his shoulders and kissed his cheek. 

“You’re never in trouble, love. Just go and speak with your father.” She stared into his emerald eyes, so much more vibrant than hers had ever been. “You knew this was coming eventually.”

Harry sighed. He did. He’d honestly been dreading it. 

“I guess I might as well get it over with.” 

She shot him a sympathetic smile that didn’t make him feel any better about what he was walking into. 

He left his family in the kitchen and made his way back to the grand entrance of Tetwell Estate. It was the Ancestral Home of the House of Potter and had been since well before even the formation of the Ministry of Magic. They owned Tetwell Town, the magical village that was a short broom ride from the property. It was a part of a long magical history that Harry was heir to. 

Despite his age, Harry had not taken up any of his duties as heir to the House of Potter. James had always hated how quickly he’d been forced to take on the responsibilities of the Head of House himself. He told Harry once he graduated that he wanted his son to live his post-Hogwarts years without the concerns that being a magical heir would bring.

But that time had come to an end, he knew. Harry was twenty-eight now. He’d left Hogwarts to work with the International Confederation of Wizards. He’d been afforded elite dueling training and they had paid for him to get his mastery in healing as well. He’d had a successful career in the ICW as a Field Medic and Hit Wizard for several years following his training.

When Harry had returned to England at twenty-five, he’d immediately found a position in the Emergency Ward at St. Mungos, a department that was being head-up by his father. Then, only a year ago, he’d been poached by the DMLE to join the Emergency Response Team as their Deputy Head. He oversaw a team of low-level Emergency Response Aurors. They all had training in healing and worked as a unit when there were natural disasters, magical incidents, and any other emergency that tended to crop up from time to time.

Harry stopped in front of the door to his father’s office on the second floor. He didn’t want to enter. He didn’t mind the thought of taking up his role as heir, which is what his father would undoubtedly request of him. He’d been preparing for it his entire life. One day he would lead the House of Potter, like many great men before him. It was an honour he was prepared for. That wasn't the part that was making him sick to his stomach.

Harry knocked on the door. 

“Come in!” his father’s voice called from within. 

Harry entered and closed the door behind him. 

“Harry,” James greeted warmly. He smiled at his son as he poured himself a drink from the sidebar in the corner. “Scotch?”

“Sure.” 

He’d need a drink. His father handed him the tumbler and he nodded in thanks.

“Let’s have a seat.” 

Instead of sitting on the couch before the fireplace, like usual, he sat behind his desk. This wasn’t a casual meeting. Harry took his seat across the desk from his father and sipped on the amber drink. He needed something stronger. 

“Do I need to do a whole speech?” James asked as he raised a thick, dark eyebrow.

Harry sighed as his shoulders hunched. “Probably not.”

They sipped their drinks in silence. They looked a lot alike, Harry knew. All of the Potter children had inherited their magical family’s genetics. Family magic was powerful and had a strong effect on children. But as the only son, Harry looked more like his father than the girls. They shared the same wild black hair, sharp jawline, and broad shoulders. He was also a hopeless romantic, just like James had always been.

When Harry had been given time off after school, it wasn’t just to build a career. The Potter family had the unique ability to find and know who their magical match was -- their soulmate. Harry was the first Potter in six generations not to have identified their magical match while in school.

Harry had known from the start that his father was expecting him to come back to England with a soulmate in hand. It hadn’t happened and so Harry was given more time.

Time was up for the Potter heir. He had to take on his duties, find a wife, and begin his path toward one day leading the Potter family. It was antiquated, but so was much about the Wizarding World. The only regret either Potter felt was the fact that Harry wouldn’t be able to marry his magical soulmate.

James pulled out a wooden box with the Potter crest engraved on top and set it on his desk. 

“Your inheritance.” 

Harry downed the rest of his drink. He set the tumbler on the desk. 

Most of his peers had long since taken on their roles as heirs, as he was about to do. He was the only one that hadn’t and he was also one of the few that hadn’t gotten married yet. But that had been an issue since he turned twenty-one. It was a stupid bloody rule in the Pure-blood Codex, which still applied to him despite the fact that he wasn’t a pure-blood. 

Really, it was just one of the rules of the ancient houses within the Wizengamot that made it still apply to the Potter family. At one point, they’d all been pure-bloods, but there were less than even the Sacred Twenty-Eight that were still pure-bloods now. Since the end of the Blood War in the 80s, the ancient families and Sacred Twenty-Eight were all called Old Families. The only main difference between them and other magical households was that the Old Families had family magic.

Due to Harry’s status as the heir to an Old Family, he was expected to wed and produce the next Potter heir before he turned thirty. It was to ensure the continuation of the family line. Most magicals could avoid the rule by getting married before they turned twenty-one. It was an out that provided a longer amount of time for the couple to produce an heir. But Harry had missed the twenty-one-year-old deadline. He was twenty-eight now and he had to get married sooner rather than later.

“You don’t seem excited.”

Harry shook his head. “I’m honoured. You know I am. I’m just…” He made a face. “I’m not looking forward to being the last single bloke at all these social gatherings.”

James cleared his throat. “Yeah, about that…” 

Harry looked up at him with wide eyes. 

“How do you feel about the Magical Matches Unit?”

Harry made a face. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

James shrugged. “Your mother and I would never force you to do anything. But you’re my only male heir and you need to have a kid by thirty. We’re running out of time.”

“Two years isn’t awful.”

James tilted his head. “Not if there are complications and there can be, as you well know. Magical babies aren’t exactly easy to conceive. While our family does have a history of accidental pregnancies,” James looked away while Harry smirked, it wasn’t a secret that only Delilah had been planned, “that doesn’t mean we’re gifted with fertility magic like the Weasleys.”

Harry sighed. 

The mention of the Weasleys had Harry thinking about Hermione and her sweet smell of tulips. He wished she hadn’t just run off. He had almost owled her a million times, but it felt wrong. She had a kid. She had a life. She likely didn’t want to complicate it any further with a one-night stand.

She was off-limits. She always would be. It was something he’d thought he’d come to terms with over the years but their dalliance had shattered any defenses he had in place. He’d tried to get over her, he really had. Despite his efforts, he dreamt about her at night and if he closed his eyes, he could taste her on his tongue. No one held a candle to Hermione. No one ever would.

“We have to be prepared,” James continued, completely unaware of the direction of his son’s train of thought. “Anything could happen and I don’t want you to be punished because you waited too long to get married and have kids.”

Harry made a pained face. “You can understand why I’m reluctant to just marry some stranger.”

“The Magical Matches Unit has an amazing track record. I know it’s scary, but…”

Harry nodded. “Time to grow up, I guess?”

James shot his son a sad smile. “We can wait it out a bit longer,” he suggested weakly. “We don’t have to do this right away.” 

Harry shook his head. James hesitated before nodding, accepting his son’s acquiescence. 

“We’ll find you a good witch.”

His son grimaced and looked away. 

James raised an eyebrow. “Or a wizard? I hear it'll be legal in the New Year.”

Harry sighed. “Give me the bloody box.” 

James slid the box across his desk. Harry flipped it open. Nestled inside were two rings. The first was a thick band with Celtic designs. It was his heir ring. The second was a raw pink diamond ring set in gold -- for his wife. The stone was mined from an entirely magical island that had been in the Potter family for centuries -- long before they’d even been called Potters. 

Harry plucked the heir ring from the bed of red fabric and unceremoniously slipped it onto his left pointer finger. A warm glow of magic surrounded him for a moment as the Potter family magic settled around him more firmly than ever before. 

James smiled proudly at his son. “Let’s get started, shall we?”

Chapter Text

Chapter Three

~ August 27th, 2008 ~

Hermione stood from the healer’s exam table. She turned to the female healer who’d just examined her and waited patiently as the woman took notes in a manilla folder. Hugo babbled from his place on a playmat on the floor. He had a teething ring in his mouth, the end of which made rattling sounds as he shook it. 

“Alright,” the healer said when she closed the file. “All done here. You and your son can go on back to the ministry. Here,” she handed Hermione a parchment, “show this to the secretary on the fourth floor and she’ll send you to the correct waiting room.” 

Hermione thanked the healer and tucked the parchment into her little white purse. She shouldered the bag and stepped down from the exam table. Hugo looked up at her expectantly as she headed towards him.

“Come on, baby. Time to go.”

 She picked her son up and waved her wand. His playmat folded up into a little square, which she pocketed in her purse. Hermione left the exam room with her son on her hip.

She couldn’t believe she was actually doing this. The fact that there was no way out of the circumstances Ron had pushed her into was infuriating. All of this for some stupid promotion and galleons? How dare he just manipulate her life to his whims? 

Hermione had researched night and day for three weeks. Nothing. She hadn’t been able to find any way out of it. By registering Hugo for the program, Ron had registered them both as well. Her only vindication had been that they were not registered as a married couple. They both had to undergo the medical exams and various other magical and personality tests that were being done by applicants for the Magical Matches Unit.

They’d been assured it was protocol and that regardless of the names on their match list, they would marry each other since they were both in the program. It was infuriating because Hermione was fairly certain that she and Ron weren't all that compatible at all.

Ron was satisfied, that was for certain. He was getting everything he’d ever wanted. He’d been nagging her to marry him since before they had Hugo. It was just ridiculous. She was being pushed into a fate that she wanted no part of.

At least Hugo would see his father more. That was the only bright side to the situation that Hermione could think of.

Hermione, so lost in her furious rant about her circumstances, didn’t see the person turning the corner as she made her way to the hospital’s floo. 

“Oh!” she cried out as she bumped into the much taller person. Hugo let out a squeal around his teething ring. “I’m so sorry!” 

She raised her hand to secure Hugo on her hip and looked down quickly to make sure he was okay. She kissed his curly head.

“Hermione.”

Hermione looked up and blinked widely at the two men standing before her. One was Theo Nott, her old classmate from school. He’d been a Ravenclaw and the two had often paired up on assignments together. He had grown taller in the years since they graduated. He still had his impossibly sharp cheekbones and brown eyes. His dark brown hair was artfully tousled in a style that she’d seen a lot of men sporting recently.

“Theo, hello.”

Standing in front of Theo and the one that she’d bumped into was a man of equal height as her schoolmate. He had a head of entirely white hair with a matching, neatly groomed beard. He wore a three-piece suit and had a distinguished air about him that Hermione immediately noted. There was something about him that was familiar but she couldn’t quite place why or how.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t even see you.”

The older man stared at her for a long, silent moment. Hermione shuffled her feet. Still, the older man didn’t speak. She turned to Theo uneasily.

Theo cleared his throat. “Hermione, this is my father, Lord Nott. Father, this is Hermione Granger. She was the Head Girl in my year group.”

Lord Nott finally came out of his silent stance. He held a hand out for her and she took it. Instead of shaking her hand, he turned it over and gently kissed the back of her knuckles. Hermione’s eyes widened and if Theo’s furrowed brow was any indication, this was not a usual greeting for Lord Nott.

“A pleasure, Ms. Granger,” he said. His voice was low and posh. The sound of it stirred something inside of her – a mixture of pain and nolstagia. 

Hermione slipped her fingers from his grasp. 

“Lord Nott,” she greeted in a small voice. 

Hugo reached out for Lord Nott with a happy squeal. Hermione held the baby closer so he wouldn’t topple out of her grasp. 

“Cute kid,” Theo said.

She shot him a tight smile. “Thanks. Uhm… it was good seeing you, but I should probably get going. Come on, Hugo.” 

She nodded farewell at them both. 

“Hugo?” Lord Nott questioned, clearly not ready for the conversation to end. 

Hermione stepped back from the direction she’d attempted to go to escape the awkward encounter. 

“Uh, yes.” She tipped her head to the side. “I named him after my father.”

A strange look passed over Lord Nott’s face. Hermione’s eyes flickered to Theo again.

“I hope you’re doing well,” her old classmate said when another silence descended upon them. “A hospital isn’t the best place to see an old friend.”

Hermione shot him a genuine smile. “I’m fine, thank you. Just… just a check-up.”

“Are you back with the Department of Mysteries, then?” Theo asked. 

“You’re an Unspeakable?” Lord Nott asked, having apparently collected himself once more.

Hermione smiled politely and shook her head. “Not anymore. I was, but I left when I got pregnant. I’m a Freelance Spells Master now.”

Both Notts looked suitably impressed by that. 

“You create new spells?” Lord Nott confirmed and she nodded. “That’s impressive. When did you get your license?" 

“While I was an Intern Unspeakable.”

Lord Nott blinked widely. Hermione blushed. She knew it was impressive. Being an Unspeakable was not an easy job and to intern as one whilst also getting a mastery was a high accomplishment.

“Why are you only freelance? Surely companies across the Wizarding World would be eager to work with such a bright and powerful witch as yourself.” 

Theo shot his father a look.

Hermione shifted on her feet and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She cleared her throat as she hiked Hugo up higher on her hip. The little boy kept reaching for Theo and Lord Nott as he babbled.

“Be that as it may, the Wizarding World is widely run by the ‘who you know’ process and I don’t know anyone, really.”

“Well, now you know me,” Lord Nott stated simply. 

She tilted her head. “I beg your pardon?”

Lord Nott pulled out a business card. “I know some people that would be happy to have a smart witch like yourself in their employ. Owl me and I’ll set something up.”

“Oh, no. Lord Nott, I couldn’t possibly-”

“-I insist.”

She took the card. “Thank you, I will- I will think about it.”

He nodded once before turning to Theo. “Well, we should get you to your healer, Theodore. We have an appointment to keep with the Magical Match Unit.”

Theo grimaced and Hermione didn’t blame him. As far as she knew, Theo was gay. Hermione had spent the last three weeks reading the rules involved in the new programs and she knew for a fact that it wasn’t being used to match up homosexual couples.

She raised an eyebrow. “Really?” 

Both Notts turned to her and she blushed. 

“I just mean… really?”

He shot her a tense grin. “As the Nott heir, I am bound to marry and produce an heir of my own.”

“It’s a privilege,” his father interjected sharply.

Theo looked down at his feet. “Of course.”

Hermione bit her tongue on a number of things she wanted to say. Hugo squealed happily in her arms as he reached out for the Notts again. Hermione chuckled and stepped back with a hand on her son’s stomach to keep him from falling out of her grasp.

“Well, I should probably go. He normally isn’t this energetic and if I don’t get him back by noon, he’ll miss his nap and be a nightmare.” 

She smiled at Theo and hoped that he could see how much she felt for him. She didn’t want to be roped up in this law any more than he did. 

“Good luck with everything. Owl me?”

He nodded quickly and she knew he wouldn’t. She resolved to owl him first. 

“It was nice to meet you, Lord Nott.”

Lord Nott smiled and nodded once. “And you, Ms. Granger. I look forward to hearing from you.”

She smiled politely and they stepped aside. Hugo turned in her arms and waved his hand at them as she walked away.

~ * ~

~ August 30th, 2008 ~

“Shh… baby, it’s okay.” 

Hermione paced out front of the Three Broomsticks while Hugo cried. She jiggled him in one arm while she searched for his pacifier with the other. He didn’t use it often anymore, but Hermione found it still calmed him significantly when he was upset.

“Finally!” she exclaimed when she found the little case with Hugo’s white pacifier inside. 

She flipped the case open and popped the soother in his mouth. He continued to cry, his cheeks a bright pink colour. 

“Okay. Okay,” she said soothingly. 

She sat down on the bench outside the restaurant and cuddled the boy into her chest. She rubbed his back and pressed a kiss to his head as she sent a wave of maternal magic to him. Hugo relaxed into her embrace with a little pout on his chubby face. 

“Shhh… it’s okay, sweetie. That doggie was really scary, wasn’t it?”

Hugo turned and pressed his face into her chest.

Hermione cuddled her son closer as she rocked from side to side. “Mr. Hagrid really needs to keep his pets on leashes,” she told her son. “It’s okay. The doggie is gone now.” 

She stopped rocking and checked on Hugo. His cheeks were still pink, but his tears had finally stopped falling. She wiped his wet cheeks. 

“Ready now, sweetheart?”

He pressed his face back into her chest.

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes, but I’m going to pout.’ Come on, sweetie.” 

She stood and lifted her purse back to her shoulder.

Inside The Three Broomsticks was dark and cool, a nice relief from the summer heat. It was also pretty empty, which didn’t surprise Hermione. Rosmerta greeted her with a smile and a wink from behind the counter where she was busy cleaning up. Hermione spotted a head of dark hair and smiled brightly with a little wave. 

Theo stood as she made her way towards him. “Hermione.”

“Hello!” She touched his shoulder and pressed a kiss to the air beside his cheek. “Good to see you again, Theo.”

She sat down in the seat across from him and settled Hugo in her lap. Theo fixed his waistcoat and sat down as well.

He gestured to the high chair at the end of the table. “I asked Rosmerta for a chair for Hugo. I assumed you would bring him along.”

“Thanks, but he’s fine, he’s a little fussy right now. Hagrid was out walking his dog and scared him.”

“The three-headed one?”

Hermione leaned forward. “I’m sorry, he has a three-headed dog?”

Theo laughed. “You never heard about that rumour?” 

She shook her head. 

“Who knows if it’s true? He certainly has a liking for interesting creatures.”

“An understatement.” 

He chuckled and Hermione smiled. 

“I’m glad I owled you.”

Theo returned her smile hesitantly. “Me too. Have you… Have you owled my father?”

Hermione tried to keep the uncomfortable expression off of her face. “Uhm… Not yet.”

“Look, I know he was a bit weird…” 

She looked away. It had been uncomfortable, to say the least.

Theo leaned forward earnestly.  “But my father doesn’t just give handouts. He’s a ruthless lawyer known the world over and he doesn’t play nice, even to family. If he’s offering to help you, I would take it. He means it, he wouldn’t say anything otherwise.”

“But why ? I’m just some girl. Does he even know who I am?”

“A little? I mean, I’m sure I had mentioned you when I was in school. We worked together fairly often and you were Head Girl.” He tilted his head. “You were also the bleeding smartest person I’d ever met, so that probably got put in there somewhere.”

She blushed and huffed at his words. “Oh, please.”

“It’s true. You’ve always been brilliant. It’s a shame Weasley knocked you up.”

Hermione’s lips pressed into a tight line at the same time that Theo’s eyes widened at his own words. 

“I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that,” she snapped.

“No, no. I’m sorry. That came out wrong.”

She leaned back in her chair and cuddled her son to her chest. “I love my son.”

“I know you do. It’s clear that you do, Hermione. I’m sorry. I only meant in the way that it’s stopped you from working as an Unspeakable.” 

She didn’t say anything and his shoulders slouched. 

“I’m sorry,” he reiterated. “I didn’t mean any offence.”

She looked down at her son. He blinked sleepily, clearly ready for an early nap despite the time. 

“Let’s order tea?”

He breathed a sigh of relief. “Right. Yes. Let’s do that.” 

She told him what she wanted and he headed up to the bar to order it from Rosmerta. 

“You okay, sweetie?” she asked Hugo. 

She ran her fingers through his curls and along his cheeks. It gently stirred him from falling asleep. 

“All done with this?” 

She took the pacifier and hesitated. He didn’t cry and she put it away. 

“How about a toy? Your bunny?”

From her purse, she pulled out Hugo’s favourite toy, a plushie bunny. Hugo babbled happily at the sight of it and immediately stuffed one of the bunny’s ears in his mouth. By the time Theo returned with lunch, Hugo was bouncing happily in the high chair.

“Well, he looks better.”

“I think that toy has magic in it or something. He goes crazy for it.” She poured herself a cup of tea from the pot he’d ordered and stirred some sugar into it. “Thanks for this. Lunch was a good idea.”

“No problem,” Theo said as he stared at Hugo. “You know, he doesn’t look anything like a Weasley.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Oh, I’m well aware.” 

She decided to bite her tongue on the fact that Molly had accused her of infidelity a few times. It was ironic since Ron had been the one cheating on their relationship. 

“He looks just like I did as a baby and apparently I looked just like my dad.”

“Huh.”

She looked up from her sandwich. “What?”

“That’s just normally how magical genetics work.”

Hermione scoffed. “Please, it’s also how muggle genetics work.”

“Really?”

“Of course.” 

Theo shrugged. “Learn something new every day.”

They continued to eat their lunch and catch up. It had been a long time since Hermione had gone out for tea and a chat with anyone that wasn’t her son or the Lupins. It was nice and she was glad that Theo had agreed to it.

She had Hugo at her breast under a baby blanket later while she sipped her second cup of tea. 

“You know no one will care if you don’t cover up,” Theo said as he gestured to where she was nursing Hugo. “Nursing is integral to the magical connection between a mother and child.”

Hermione looked down and shrugged. “I know, the magical world is far more accepting of breastfeeding than the muggle one. But that doesn’t stop people from trying to get a look.” 

She stared pointedly at a man who was staring directly at her breasts, covered by the blanket.

Theo turned and glared. “Oi!”

The stranger jumped and turned away with a grumble.

“What a fucking creep.”

Hermione laughed. “My hero.” She eyed him as he glared at the stranger’s back, still annoyed on her behalf. “So, why’d you do it?” 

Theo turned back to her with a raised eyebrow. 

“Apply for the Magical Matches Unit,” she clarified.

Theo cleared his throat and looked away. “I’m the heir to the House of Nott,” he explained, “and that means I need to produce the next generation of Notts. It's not like my father can. And besides, there are a lot of rules involved in old magical houses. One of them is that I get married and have a kid before I’m thirty.”

“That’s silly.”

He shrugged. “The rule was made, originally, to stop men from running off and being bachelors as long as they liked. The Wizarding World doesn’t like single…” He looked up at her and cleared his throat. “Uhm.”

“Single mothers,” Hermione finished with a wave of her hand. “Yes, yes, I know. I’m a harlot, I’m shameful, how dare I? Continue?”

Theo laughed at her immediate dismissal. “Right. Well, it was sort of like the programs they’ve put in place to encourage more children. The magical world really is quite small. Old magical families have special magical connections that can take generations to foster. If we just let those magical connections die, we lose a lot of our heritage and our understanding of different types of magic.”

Hermione made a face. It sounded like bullocks to her. 

He leaned forward to continue. “Let’s put it this way. Each old magical family has different abilities. The Rosiers, for example, are Metamorphagi. Their family died out in the fifties. Then, not long later a man came out of the woodworks with the same ability named Ted Tonks. Turns out, he was related to the Rosiers through an old forgotten squib. He had their family ability and their family magic still in him. He and his children are now the continuation of that family magic and that ability.”

“Well, when you put it that way,” Hermione reluctantly allowed. “Would those magical gifts disappear?”

“They’d certainly show up less frequently. As it is, there are a number of magical families and traits that have been lost in the last twenty-five years.” He shrugged. “Muggle-borns are more common now, but they don’t have those gifts and it would be generations before their magic grows strong enough to create a family legacy.”

“So, you’re doing it for your family?” 

Theo nodded and shrugged. 

“Even though it would be… awful?”

He made a face. “If I could marry whoever I wanted, it’d still be a problem. The Nott family rules claim the heir needs to be genetically related from birth. I can’t blood adopt a child.” He shrugged. “It’s not like I can marry someone… of my preference, anyway.”

“Last I heard, they were working on that.”

“I won’t hold my breath.”

Hermione’s heart sank for him. “I’m sorry. Marrying someone you don’t want anything to do with is… awful.”

Theo stared at her for a long moment. She looked away, unable to take his piercing gaze.

When Hugo was finished nursing, she set him back in the high chair and fixed her dress. 

Theo cleared his throat. “How are things with you and the-”

-Theo’s voice trailed off, clearly distracted by something behind her.

Hermione turned and her eyes widened when she saw the tall, chubby form of Neville Longbottom. She hadn’t seen him in a while. He’d worked as a professor at Hogwarts while Professor Sprout was on leave, but she hadn’t seen him around Hogsmeade since then. Certainly not for her. Their relationship had less exploded so much as disappeared as if it had never existed.

She missed him. He’d been her best friend at Hogwarts and then – nothing.

Hermione pursed her lips. She pointed at Hugo as she stood. “Watch him,” she told Theo.

“Watch - what - Hermione!”

She headed quickly to the bar where Neville was standing, waiting for his order. 

“Nev!”  she greeted brightly.

Neville turned and his eyes visibly widened when he saw Hermione standing before him. 

“Oh! Hi.”

“How are you? It’s been ages since we talked. I… I owled you and sent a card when…” 

She faltered, uncertain how to broach the topic of him losing his wife. Hannah Abbott had been a bright, cheerful witch. Hermione hadn’t been overly close with her, but she’d known the other girl to be kind and selfless. 

“Thanks.” He glanced towards the bar in search of Rosmerta with his order.

“So… how are you?”

Neville raised his eyebrows. “I mean, I’m a widower, so what do you think?” He turned to face the bar.

Hermione’s face burned. “No, of course. I didn’t mean to imply-”

“-Thanks,” he said to Rosmerta when she arrived with his bagged order. “Have a good one, Rose.”

“You as well, love.” 

He headed right past Hermione. 

“ Neville ,” Hermione scolded in a motherly tone of voice she had not used on him since they were sixteen.

It did the trick and Neville immediately froze. His shoulders tensed. 

“I don’t know what I did to upset you so much. I tried to owl you. I tried to see you.”

He turned, his brows furrowed. “No, you didn’t.”

“Of course, I did! I sent you an owl every week! Just like summer break. I finally… I finally stopped after a year. It was obvious you didn’t want to remain friends.”

“ I didn’t?” He scoffed. “You’re the one who started dating the school bully.”

“I did not -”

“-Oh, please.” He shook his head. “I don’t even want to start. I don’t think you want to have this discussion here or now, alright, Hermione?”

“No,” she immediately snapped, “not alright. You never even so much as look in my direction, if this is the only time we will have to talk about it then we’ll damn well talk about it now.”

Neville glared at her and she could see the way he ground his teeth together, the same way he always did when he was angry. 

“Fine. You want to talk? Let’s talk.” He stepped forward and leaned down as he hissed out, “You fucking abandoned me. You were my best friend, Hermione. I fucking loved you, alright?”

Her eyes widened.

“No- no, not like that. You were… you were the only family I had,” he whispered and she could see the tears in his eyes. 

Hermione bit her lip to stop herself from crying at the sadness written across her best friend’s face. 

“And you just ran off with the arsehole who’d spent the last six years bullying us.”

“I didn’t know what I was doing,” she admitted hoarsely and it was the first time she’d ever admitted it to anyone. “I’d just lost my parents, Nev. You of all people know how hard that is.” 

His shoulders sank at her words. 

“I just needed to feel like I wasn’t alone and Ron… I don’t know, he and his family did that for me. I was… I was a fucking mess. I still am.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Why didn’t you return my letters? I mean, I eventually came to my senses. I tried to talk to you and fix things.”

“I never got any letters.”

She frowned up at him. “I sent them every week.”

He shook his head. “They never made it to me. I would have owled you back, Hermione. Or maybe I wouldn’t have, I don’t know.” 

She swallowed down her tears at that comment. 

“After what happened in our sixth year? I didn’t want anything to do with your git of a boyfriend.”

Hermione’s face burned. Sixth year. God that felt like ages ago. Ron had found out one of the seventh-year Gryffindor boys was gay and had gone into a homophobic tirade. Neville had been absolutely petrified that someone would find out he was bisexual. He already had to share a room with his bully, he didn’t want to make it worse. It had almost come out too. Merlin, Neville had been an absolute wreck. 

It was memories like that which really made Hermione question what the hell she’d thought she was doing with Ron in the first place. It had been his family, she knew. The Weasleys were a big, welcoming family. She hadn’t felt so alone when she was surrounded by them.

It hadn’t lasted. While the twins and Bill still liked her well enough, the others were annoyed or distant after Hermione and Ron didn’t get married. The family she’d found had only been temporary and Hermione was left alone again. Except for Hugo. Hugo was all she really had, which was why she was going to marry Ron. For Hugo.

Hermione cleared her throat and drew back her shoulders. “Yes, well, I can’t blame you for that. He’s awful.” 

She rubbed her face and made sure that no tears had slipped through. 

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I could ever be more sorry for how things went down. I don’t even… honestly, I don’t even really remember much of that year. I was… I was somewhere else.”

He nodded slowly. “I get it. It fucking sucks, but I get it.” Neville scratched the back of his head and sent his brown hair into disarray. “I’m sorry too. I should have done something more. I mean… I knew it wasn’t right. I was just… I was scared.”

She nodded. “Can I owl you?”

Neville hesitated for a long moment.

Hermione continued in a rush, “I know you have a son. Just about Hugo’s age right? We could have a playdate? For the boys?”

Neville looked over and caught sight of Hugo sitting happily in his highchair next to Theo Nott who was watching their conversation with avid interest. 

Neville sighed and nodded. “Yeah, yeah, for the boys.”

“Okay. Okay, I’ll do that.” 

He raised the bag in his hand and nodded towards the door. “My godbrother is waiting so I…”

“No, no, go. I- I have to get back as well.” She shot him a small smile. “It was good seeing you, Nev.”

“You too, Hermione.” 

She sighed as he left. 

"You alright, love?" Rosmerta asked gently.

Hermione swallowed down the rest of her tears and nodded. She shot Rosmerta a weak smile. "I will be, thanks."

“Well, that was dramatic,” Theo drawled from her side. She turned and was amused to see he was awkwardly holding Hugo. “Was that planned for my amusement?”

Hermione shook her head and huffed with vague amusement. 

“Shut up.” 

She plucked Hugo from Theo’s embrace and was even more amused when the baby reached out for the wizard. Theo shot the toddler a fondly confused look.

“It was a conversation I should have had ages ago.”

“What brought it on now?”

She shrugged. “I’m tired of not being in control of my own life.” She thought about that for a moment and said, “You know what? I think I will owl your father.” 

Theo raised his eyebrows. 

“I deserve to make more for what I do and if your father can help me work for someone who will let that happen, what’s the harm?”

He grinned. “I’ll let him know.”

~ * ~

~ September 1st, 2008 ~

Hermione nervously clutched her work portfolio to her chest. She was sitting in a cushy waiting room of a skyscraper in muggle London on what felt like the hundredth floor. Malfoy Corporation was the last place that she’d assumed Lord Nott would send her. They didn’t exactly have a strong reputation for working well with muggle-borns. She had been surprised to learn they were even located in the muggle world.

Last she’d heard, Lucius Malfoy was in early retirement and shipping his family off around the world on vacation after vacation. She wasn’t sure who was running Malfoy Corporation anymore, but she desperately hoped it wasn’t someone she knew from school.

Not Draco. Anyone but Draco. Surely, he’d be on those family trips too?

It wasn’t that Draco Malfoy and she didn’t get along. They didn’t, but it had hardly ever affected her much. No, the issue was that she’d shagged Draco Malfoy. It had happened shortly after her and Ron’s first breakup when she’d found out he’d been cheating on her. She’d gone off with the sole intention of hurting her ex and she’d found her revenge in the arms of a blond-haired git. 

Malfoy had been an arse afterward. He was always an arse, but it had been so much worse than usual after she shagged him. It was as if she’d lost all his respect. She was no longer the smart, bossy witch who could beat him any day of the week. Now she was just another witch who’d sucked him off. 

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was fine. Everything was going to be fine.

“You don’t need to be nervous,” a low voice told her.

She opened her eyes and looked over at Lord Nott. She hadn’t expected him to come with her. At first, it had been embarrassing, like asking your father to take you to a job interview. But she was glad he was there. His presence was oddly calming. 

“I can’t remember the last time I interviewed for something,” she whispered back. 

His mouth twitched into a small smile. “You’re smart and self-possessed. You will do well.”

He sounded so sure. Hermione nodded, taking comfort in his words.

Someone entered the waiting room from the direction of the lift. Hermione looked over and her eyes widened when she spotted the tall, lean form of Harry Potter. He caught her gaze and she fought not to blush like a schoolgirl. 

She raised her fingers in a shy wave. Harry winked and took a seat on one of the long white couches far across the waiting room.

Hermione stared at him for a moment, wondering if she should go over there. She hadn’t spoken with him in a month. Not since their one-night stand. Merlin, had it been a good one-night stand. She had wanted it to be more than that, but Ron had gone on and ruined any hope of that, hadn’t he? 

Hermione looked away and missed the way Harry’s gaze darted to her. 

The secretary before the office looked up and gestured to her. “Mr. Malfoy will see you now, Miss Granger.”

Hermione felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach. Malfoy? Of course it was Malfoy. Fucking Malfoy .

Reluctantly, she rose with her portfolio and headed for the office. She glanced over her shoulder, first at Lord Nott and then at Harry. She turned and headed into Draco Malfoy’s office.

The room was like the waiting room, filled with white colours and accents of glass and metal. It was nothing like the Wizarding World’s usual decor. But for some reason, it made sense to Hermione that the Malfoy’s would decorate their buildings in such a modern style. 

At the centre of the room was the tall, thin figure of none other than Draco Malfoy. He looked the same as he had a few years ago. Tall, pale, and incredibly blond. Honestly, she didn’t really see what so many others did. He was heralded as one of the most handsome bachelors in Magical Britain, but all she saw when she looked at him was a rather pointy face and mean spirit. 

“Close the door behind you,” he ordered as he poured himself a drink.

She bit her tongue on the comment that it was barely noon and did as he asked. The metal door clinked shut. 

Draco gestured to a white sofa across from a cushy modern armchair. “Have a seat, Granger.” 

“Thank you for meeting with me,” she greeted as she took her seat on the sofa.

Draco leaned back in the chair across from her like a king upon his throne. He took a sip from his tumbler. 

“Well, how could I resist when Lord Nott was making such a request on your behalf?"? 

He raised his eyebrow at her.

Hermione wasn’t sure why she felt embarrassed at his comment. She pushed past the burning of her cheeks and opened her portfolio. 

“I have my resume here. I’ve included a list of the spells I’ve patented in the last two years since I started work as a Freelance Spells Master. You can see that it’s almost double-”

“-I don’t need to look at that,” Draco drawled. He tipped his head in her direction. “You’re brilliant, Granger, everyone knows that. Especially brilliant in the sack, but I suspect fewer people know that.”

Hermione's entire face burned. “I- I beg your pardon?”

Draco leaned forward and took another long sip of scotch. A smirk slithered across his face. 

“I’m curious, what did you think you were going to get from me when you fucked me?”

Hermione’s jaw snapped shut. “That is completely inappropriate.”

He rolled his eyes. “Answer the question.”

“No!”

He tilted his head, a filthy little smirk on his face. “Answer the question or you won’t get the job.”

She scoffed and slammed her portfolio closed. “I don’t need your stupid bloody job, Malfoy.”

He sat back in his seat again as he rolled his eyes. “Clearly. I mean, I’m sure you’re not hard up on cash if you’re fucking Lord Nott.”

Hermione’s mind stuttered to a halt. “ What?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Do you expect me to believe that’s not what’s happening? I know Lord Nott, Granger. He doesn’t help witches for no reason. So, either you’re sucking his knob or you’re sucking Theo’s. Either way, they’re lucky bastards because you are downright fucking glorious at it.” He winked. “Always knew there was a better use for that mouth of yours.”

Hermione was vibrating with fury. It took everything in her not to punch him in his stupidly smug face. 

She took a deep breath and stood. “You’re disgusting,” she spat.

Hermione whirled around and headed for the door.

“Oh, come on! Granger!” 

He went after her as she headed for the door. 

“Don’t leave. You know you’ve got the job.” 

Hermione threw the door open. She stormed out of the office and into the lobby. 

“Granger!”

He grabbed her arm and Hermione was so full of fury and embarrassment that it was all the excuse she needed to whirl back around and punch him in the face. 

“Damn it!” she yelled as her fist exploded in pain.

“Fuck! You crazy bint!” 

Before anyone could move, Harry Potter appeared. He charged forward like a bull and slammed Draco back against the wall. 

“Get the fuck off of me, Potter!”

“Did you just grab her?” Harry demanded as magic poured off of him in waves of fury. 

“Get off!” Draco growled. “What the fuck do you care? She sucking your cock too?”

Harry pulled Draco forward by his lapels and slammed him back against the wall. Hermione jumped at the sound of Draco’s head connecting with the wall.

Harry leaned forward and hissed, “What did you just say to me?”

“She’s just a fucking mudblood.”

The room stilled. Hermione’s jaw clenched and she looked down at the pristine marble floors. Tears pooled in her eyes despite her best efforts to keep them at bay.

The sound of a solid thump filled the air and Hermione looked up in time to see Draco’s head whip to the side from the force of Harry’s punch. 

“Don’t you ever fucking say that word in my or her presence ever again. Do you fucking understand me, Malfoy?” 

He jerked the other wizard by his collar when he didn’t respond. 

“Yeah, fuck. Yeah.”

“Good.” Harry finally released Draco and stepped back. He fixed his three-piece suit. “Oh, and Malfoy? Consider your company’s arrangement with the Emergency Response Department null and void. Have fun telling daddy how that happened.” 

Harry turned and headed towards Hermione, leaving behind a pale, bruised, and bloody Draco Malfoy. The blond wizard’s eyes were wide with horror. 

“Malfoy,” Lord Nott addressed in a cutting voice. Draco tensed dramatically, “a word.”

Harry reached Hermione and pressed a hand to her back. “Let’s go.” 

“But-” she looked over her shoulder to see Lord Nott storming into Draco’s office.

“-He’ll be fine,” Harry said through clenched teeth. 

Hermione glanced at him warily. They reached the lifts and Harry pressed the call button. She looked down at her right hand. It was shaking uncontrollably. 

“Don’t move it,” he instructed and she looked up. 

He met her gaze and she was surprised to see that his eyes were just as emerald as her drunken memory had led her to believe. 

“I’ll check it when we’re downstairs.”

“Okay,” she responded, at a loss for words. 

She knew more than most about healing magic, just enough to know that healing oneself tended to lead to more severe injuries.

“Are you familiar with healing magic?”

Harry’s lips quirked. “A little, yeah.”

The lift dinged and they headed inside. Harry pressed for the ground floor and they waited until they were deposited back into the main lobby. He pressed a hand to her back and gently guided her towards the exit.

“It’s starting to hurt,” she told him.

“Okay, sit down here.” 

He gestured to the concrete blocks outside the building. The neat rectangular shapes lined either side of the building’s entrance and encased the flowers on the modest lawn. 

Hermione sat down on the warm stone and set her portfolio beside her. She held her now throbbing hand out to Harry. He bent down in front of her, completely uncaring of his nice suit, and gently took her hand into both of his. He turned the hand this way and that, simply examining it before he drew his wand.

“You didn’t have to punch him,” she said into the silence.

Harry glanced up at her. “My mum’s a muggle-born, you know. I really, really did.” 

“Lady Lily Potter, right?” 

He nodded. 

“She wrote that recent paper on nightshade’s uses in healing potions.”

Harry grinned up at her. “You read that?”

She shrugged. “I read just about everything I can get my hands on. She’s a good writer too. I prefer her charms papers though.”

He hummed as he cast another spell. “I’ll be sure to tell her that. She’d be honoured to know she has the approval of another bookworm.” 

Hermione smiled despite herself. “I’m sure she gets enough praise from Remus.”

Harry looked up at her with a curious tilt of his head. “You know Remus?”

Hermione blinked. Had Remus not spoken to Harry after she had her one-night stand with the younger wizard? She both was and wasn’t surprised. Remus wasn’t one for idle gossip, but he also enjoyed teasing his friends. She’d really thought he’d have made a joke about it when he saw Harry next.

“We worked together in the DoM,” she explained. “And I’m close with Rose. He’s watching Hugo right now, actually.”

An expression Hermione couldn’t quite decipher crossed Harry’s face. 

“Your son?”

She nodded. “He’ll be 12 months in October.”

A smile touched his lips. “Congrats.” 

Hermione smiled back and the moment stretched as if timeless. All her fears about her future fell away in the face of Harry’s warm smile and kind eyes. She wanted him to hold her again, to wrap his strong arms around her and make her feel safe. She’d never found such comfort in another person’s embrace before. 

“How badly is she hurt?” Lord Nott asked, out of breath, as he rushed towards them.

Harry and Hermione quickly looked over at the older wizard. Harry cleared his throat and cast a charm on Hermione’s hand. 

“How’s that?”

“Can’t feel a thing,” she confirmed.

He nodded and stood. 

“It’s a minor break,” he told Lord Nott. “I can apparate her to the hospital so she doesn’t aggravate the injury by doing it herself and they can take care of her there. It won’t take too long to fix.”

“The Emergency Room?” Lord Nott confirmed as he picked up Hermione’s portfolio. 

Harry nodded. 

“I’ll follow you.”

Harry hesitated. He turned to Hermione who shrugged and nodded. Lord Nott looked pained and she didn’t want to upset him by making him think she blamed him for this whole incident. There was only one person at fault and it was most certainly the foul-mouthed Draco Malfoy.

Harry wrapped an arm around Hermione’s waist and pulled her in close. Her chest gently pressed against his and she held her breath. She looked up into his bright emerald eyes just before they disapparated.

From the apparition point in the Emergency Room, Harry led her and Lord Nott to an empty patient bed further into the ward. The Emergency Room looked rather similar to that of any hospital. Beds lined the walls, most of them filled with witches and wizards. Healers and nurses moved around the ward like a beehive. 

Harry looked around as Hermione sat down on the bed with an anxious Lord Nott at the end.

“Nurse Calvin?” Harry called as a male nurse passed by. 

The dark-skinned man came to a stop and nodded at Harry.

“Healer Potter? Are you back at St. Mungos?” 

Hermione’s head shot up. Harry was a healer? Why was that so attractive? She curled her fingers to stop the dampness she suddenly felt between her legs. Pain shot through her hand, breaking through the magical numbing charm.

She screamed in pain. Harry and Nurse Calvin jumped to her side. Harry uncurled her fingers. She looked down at her hand which was shaking violently. 

“Don’t move. You broke the charm I placed. Just stay very still. Nurse Calvin, get me a pain relief potion and a low dose of Skele-gro.”

Nurse Calvin hesitated. “Are you back with St. Mungos?”

Harry sighed. “Can you get me a healer to tend to Miss Granger? Quickly .” 

Calvin nodded and rushed off. Before he could get very far, a healer appeared with a remarkable resemblance to Harry.

“Harry?” the man who could only be Lord James Potter questioned. “What’s this?” 

He stepped closer and Hermione was struck with the realization that Lord Potter was a healer too. She knew a lot about Harry’s mother, who was incredibly popular in the charms and potions scholarly community. But Hermione had no idea that Lord Potter was a healer, let alone the head of a department. His white healer’s robe had the St. Mungo’s logo on the breast with a little golden circle around it, which signified his higher position.

Harry stepped aside as James came forward to examine Hermione’s hand. 

“Minor break on her index metacarpal,” Harry explained. “She broke through the pain relief charm I cast, she needs a potion.”

Healer Potter frowned at Hermione's still-shaking hand. “Did the pain relief charm not work?”

“It did, but perhaps it fell during apparition? It’s happened before.”

James tilted his head in acknowledgment. “Unlikely though.” He looked up at Hermione. “Are you in any immediate pain?”

“It’s sort of just a dull ache now. I moved it and it really hurt.”

“Right, don’t move it then,” he quipped and Hermione grinned feebly. “You’re not in any immediate danger or excessive pain, so I can’t cast any pain relief charms on you without you answering some necessary questions first, alright?”

She nodded, but was confused. “Harry did.”

“Healer Potter,” James paused, “Healer Harry Potter is with the ERD. He has the ability to heal someone on site. St. Mungos has rules and regulations in place to keep you and ourselves safe. Alright?” 

She nodded again. 

“What’s your name, Miss? Do you have any health concerns or medical issues?”

“Hermione Granger,” she supplied. “I have a file with the hospital from when I was pregnant.”

James raised a hand to catch the attention of a passing nurse. “Nurse Lydia, could you get me a file for Mrs. Hermione Granger, please?” 

The nurse nodded and rushed off. James finally caught sight of Lord Nott at the end of the bed. 

“Lord Nott? Can I help you too?”

“I’ll be covering the healing expenses,” he immediately supplied.

Hermione’s eyes widened. She turned to the wizard, ignoring the now dull throb in her hand. 

“You don’t have to do that.” 

Healing expenses in the magical world were high, she knew from experience. If Ron hadn't been so openly distrusting of muggle doctors, she would have certainly leaned on the healthcare she was eligible for in the muggle world during her pregnancy. 

“This is my fault, I’ll take care of it.”

Healer Potter nodded and thanked the nurse when she returned with Hermione’s file. “Nurse Lydia, could you take Lord Nott to the Welcome Witch and help set him up with paying for Mrs. Granger’s fees? Thank you.”

Lord Nott followed the nurse away. James looked down at Hermione’s folder. 

“You gave birth ten months ago?” 

Hermione nodded. 

“Are you still breastfeeding?”

She glanced at Harry but the only interest on his face seemed to be professional. 

She cleared her throat. “Yes.”

“Alright, well that will cause an issue for the Skele-gro. Are you pregnant?”

Hermione raised her eyebrows. “Unlikely,” she scoffed. 

She was on the potion and the last time she’d had sex was with Harry. She’d been on the contraceptive potion since before she got pregnant with Hugo. Since giving birth, she’d brewed her own potions, rather than risk another faulty batch.

“Well, the best alternative method to repair that broken bone is with a spell and I can’t cast that sort of thing without knowing for sure if you’re pregnant or not – there could be complications. Do you consent to an exam?”

She nodded and shrugged.

“Perfect.” Healer Potter turned and raised his eyebrows at his son. “You’re not a healer here anymore, Harry. I’m going to have to ask you to leave for this.”

Harry grinned and raised his hands. “Noted.” He turned to Hermione and nodded farewell. “I’ll leave you in my father’s capable hands.” He winked. “Good seeing you, Hermione.”

She blushed and smiled back. “You too, Harry.” 

She watched him walk away and internally sighed. That man’s arse was too fine.

Healer Potter cleared his throat. Hermione’s eyes snapped to him and found an amused look on the older man’s face. Her face turned a deep shade of red. Merlin, being caught staring at a man’s arse by his father was not a situation she ever thought she’d be in. 

“Ready?” he asked, his amusement evident. 

Hermione nodded, unable to speak past her embarrassment. James waved his wand and a blue curtain appeared around Hermione’s bed. The rest of the Emergency Wing fell away as the noise became muffled behind a privacy spell.

“Lie back, please, Mrs. Granger.” 

“It’s Miss, actually,” she corrected as she followed his instruction, slowly to not jostle her hand. She would only be ‘Miss Granger’ for another few weeks and she wasn’t about to let go of it a minute before she had to.

“Sorry about that. Miss, it is.” 

He waved his wand and began casting.

She waited patiently, her eyes on the ceiling, while he went through his magical exam. Her mind was full of images of Harry’s bright emerald eyes and his charming smile. God, he was so pretty. 

“Well, it looks like we’ll need to call for Healer Andolan to heal you.”

Hermione shot up to her elbow, eyes wide. “What? Why?” 

Healer Andolan had been her healer during her pregnancy with Hugo. He was a maternity healer, the type of healer that only infants and pregnant witches ever went to see. 

Healer Potter raised his eyebrows. “Congratulations, Miss Granger, you’re pregnant.”

“You’ve got to be fucking with me.”

James coughed into the back of his hand to smother an unprofessional laugh. “I can honestly say, I’m not.”

She sat all the way up. “That’s not possible! I’m on the potion.”

Healer Potter frowned. “Well, I’m not sure what to tell you, Miss Granger. The chances of you getting pregnant while on the potion is-”

“-Zero!”

He tilted his head. “Perhaps you bought a faulty batch?”

She glared. “I make it myself and I can assure you, it’s not faulty.”

He shrugged. “I’m not sure what to tell you, Miss Granger. The only other way you could have gotten pregnant with a contraceptive potion in your system is if you’d also ingested a fertility potion. Since that is highly unlikely, my guess is that it was a “magical trick of fate” as some like to call it.”

Hermione huffed a short, humourless laugh. Her eyes watered. What a fucking mess.

“Are you alright?”

She looked away and nodded quickly. “I’m fine.” 

“I’m going to go get Healer Andolan to fix your hand, he’s on shift today, I believe.” 

He left with the privacy curtain and spells still intact.

Hermione felt her eyes fill with tears. She raised her left hand to her mouth, her right one still throbbing with pain in her lap. Oh god. Oh hell, this could not be happening. She could not be pregnant. What the hell was she going to tell Ron? He would know it wasn’t his kid. They hadn’t had sex in months and she wasn’t about to jump his bones now.

But she had to marry him. Did that mean she was going to have to seduce him and tell him she got pregnant right away? She’d have to lie about all her appointments and tell him she wasn’t as far along as she was. 

“Fuck!” she shouted. 

Her tears fell. Why was her life constantly a fucking mess? Why couldn’t anything go right?

She sat there in her hospital bed, tears streaming down her cheeks, and desperately wished she could just go home and crawl into her parents’ embrace. She vividly remembered the comfort she felt when her father would hug her. The smell of him and the feeling of love and protection that it invoked. She missed him. She missed her mum. She missed the way the world was when they were still in it.

Chapter Text

Chapter Four

~ September 2nd, 2008 ~

Harry heard the pitter-patter of feet just seconds before his door was thrown open.

“Harry! Harry! Harry!” the ten-year-old Daisy cried as she raced into the room. She jumped up onto his bed and bounced on the mattress.

Harry groaned as he rolled onto his back. Moving back home was an adjustment. It was protocol though, since he had taken on his role as heir. Once he was married, he would likely be out of the house again. Perhaps not right away, but once his wife was pregnant or his father declared him done with his studies on the Potter family -- whichever happened first.

The studies weren’t difficult. Much of it was review from when he was a child. The rest was hands-on experience with taking care of Tetwell -- the town they owned -- as well as several other businesses and properties. While Harry knew the theory surrounding it, he’d never done any of it himself. 

“Har- ry ,” Daisy whined.

“I’m up! I’m up!”

“Can you make me pancakes?” she immediately requested. 

The little girl had been taking massive advantage of having her big brother at home. 

“Alright, where’s my wand. You want to be a pancake?”

Daisy giggled loudly. “No! I want to eat pancakes, silly.”

Harry settled his large circular frames on his nose as he sat up. “Me, silly? You’re the one who doesn’t want to be a pancake.”

“Pancakes! Pancakes! Pancakes!” she cheered.

Harry sighed and nodded. “Alright, alright. Pancakes it is. Head downstairs, I’ll be down in five.”

“Yes!” Daisy bounced off the bed and raced out of his room.

Harry sighed again then yawned. “It’s barely six. How is she so bleeding energetic?” 

He dragged himself out of bed, already dreading his day. While he enjoyed his work, he didn’t fancy the stress of dealing with his impending nuptials. 

He’d been starting to ease himself into it. He’d sent off a few letters of inquiry and had tea with a few witches. He’d even caught himself smiling at Daphne Greengrass when they’d had lunch together. 

And then he’d seen Hermione again. God, she’d looked radiant with her hair flying about her as she stormed out of Draco’s office. She was always gorgeous when she was angry. Not that he ever deliberately tried to make her angry. He didn’t have a death wish. But she was beautiful in her fury, she was always beautiful.

He remembered that moment they’d shared outside Malfoy Corporation. The sun had been shining flecks of gold through her irises and tinting her hair with a reddish hue. She was so fucking beautiful and perfect. It hurt to think about how much he wanted her. 

Just that sight of her had been enough to destroy whatever progress he’d made since his birthday. He’d felt like he was actually getting somewhere, but it was just a lie. He was stuck. He was completely stuck on this witch and not a single part of him wanted to move on. He wouldn’t ever move on from her. 

They were magical matches. It was a fact. He knew it with every fibre of his being. 

He sighed as he buttoned up his shirt. A flick of his fingers and a whisper had his tie knotting itself. He headed downstairs to make his little sister her promised pancakes.

It was getting to the point that Harry was starting to think he should just marry the first girl that offered. Someone other than Daphne though. While Daphne’s father had offered them a contract, it was filled with caveats because of Harry’s status as a half-blood . Most magical families felt it was rude and antiquated, but the old ones didn’t care.

Maybe he could marry Susan Bones? She wasn’t high on his list from the Magical Matches Unit and she was pretty and nice. She didn’t come from an old family, but that certainly wasn’t a requirement of any sort for him. 

There was also Ginny Weasley. She had been more than eager to talk with him after her name had shown up on his list of magical matches. Ginny was beautiful, certainly, but her job was less desirous. Ginny was a quidditch player during the season and had even done some work as a magical model. That was the sort of attention Harry didn’t like or want. It was also rather dangerous and chaotic. He needed to get married and have a kid within two years. He didn’t want a wife that clearly had no desire to do that.

But Ginny didn’t seem overly vapid like Romilda Vane, so that was a bonus. There was something about her though. Honestly, it was probably the fact that she was a Weasley. The idea of marrying into that family and having his children related to Hermione’s child but not hers was… sickening. 

But of all his options, Ginny was the only one who seemed to want to genuinely be with him and that had to count for something.

“Alright!” he announced as he entered the kitchen. “Who’s ready for pancakes?”

Daisy cheered excitedly. 

“Count me in as well,” Remus stated from his seat at the kitchen table. 

Sirius and James were both next to him, half asleep on the table after a long night out wrestling with Moony.

“Tall stack of bacon?”

“Your mother raised you right,” Remus responded emphatically. 

Harry grinned. He slapped his hand against the table loudly. James and Sirius jumped. 

“Oi! Get to bed, you lazy gits.”

James groaned and dragged himself to his feet. 

Sirius pouted. “Rude. And you used to be my favourite.” He dragged himself up after James.

Harry shrugged. “Guess mum and dad have to have another kid to be your favourite.”

James scoffed. “You’re the next one having a kid. Leave me out of it.”

Harry rolled his eyes. James and Sirius trudged out of the kitchen and off to their beds to sleep off their long night.

Daisy jumped up from the table as well. “I’m going to go play. Call me when there’s pancakes, please?”

“Sure thing, Princess.” 

She smiled brightly and raced off to the playroom. 

Harry turned to Remus. “Coffee?”

“Yes, please.” 

The tall wizard pulled himself to his feet and followed Harry further into the kitchen. He sat at the bar while Harry set up the French Press. A flick of his wand had the pancake batter mixing itself and a pan heating up on the stovetop. 

“How have you been?”

Harry shrugged as he poured the first pancake into the pan. “Waking up with panic attacks and wondering if I shouldn’t just quit my job and run back to the ICW where things were simpler. Nothing new.”

Remus snorted. “Right. I take it that means you’re excited to be getting married.”

Harry pointed the spatula at his pseudo-uncle. “I will burn your pancakes,” he stated boldly and Remus laughed.

The werewolf raised his hands in surrender. “I’m just trying to get a read on how you’re doing. You haven’t spoken to your father about it and I think he’s worried. You know… your situation isn’t exactly typical.”

Harry flipped a pancake in one pan and stirred the bacon around a bit in the other. 

“And what situation would that be?” he asked tightly.

Remus sighed. “It’s not a bad thing,” he reasoned. “There could be any number of reasons that you never met your magical match. A lot of magical kids didn’t make it during the war.”

“Right.” 

Harry had heard the same from his parents. He knew the whole speech. 

“Daisy!” he called.

He set a plate on the table for her. She skipped into the room and got settled at the other end of the big kitchen. Harry continued flipping and stacking pancakes. When a tall stack had been made for Remus, he set it on a plate before the werewolf with an equally tall stack of bacon and a cup of coffee. He made a smaller portion for himself and stood at the other side of the counter from Remus as he began to dress his breakfast with butter and syrup.

“If I tell you something,” Harry began in a quiet voice so that Daisy wouldn’t overhear, “will you promise not to tell my parents?”

Remus looked up with raised eyebrows. Harry hadn’t asked his uncle that question since he was a teenager and had shakenly confessed he was scared his parents would love him less after they had his first sister. 

“Unless it’s life-threatening. You know the rule.”

Harry nodded. He pushed his uneaten breakfast aside and leaned forward on the counter. 

“I did meet my magical match in school.”

Remus’ eyes widened. “You did?”

He nodded. Harry took a deep breath. His eyes fell shut as he pictured Hermione in her school uniform and her hand in the air.

“She was… fuck, Moony, she was perfect. I wanted to be her friend and then maybe ask her out. I didn’t want to just… dive into it. You know? Mum said it was intense falling for Dad. He was prepared for the magic of finding a soulmate but Mum wasn’t and I didn’t want to do that to her.”

Remus nodded. “What happened?”

He shrugged. “She went out with someone else. I… I never stood a chance after that. I’m not going to break her up from her boyfriend. I’m not that kind of guy.”

“You never told her?”

Harry laughed humorlessly. “What? Tell the girl I barely know outside of classes and prefect duties that we’re meant for each other? ‘I can’t prove it, but trust me it’s true .’” 

He shot his uncle a look and Remus reluctantly nodded. 

“Alright, fair point.”

Harry looked down at the stone countertop. 

“Who is it?”

He released a long breath. “Hermione.”

Remus sucked in a sharp breath. “Hermione Granger.” 

Harry nodded. 

“Fuck, Harry.”

“Yeah.”

Remus shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

Harry tried to smile, but it only came out as a painful grimace. 

“Yeah, well,” he stood up straight and ran a hand through his messy hair, “what’s done is done.”

“Is it?” Remus tilted his head as he looked at Harry pointedly. “You did sleep with her on your birthday.”

Harry’s face burned. “She told you about that?”

Remus shook his head. “I smelt you on her. And sex. Wasn’t hard to figure out.”

Harry coughed into his hand to cover his embarrassment at that particular statement. “Right. Well. It was just one time. We were both drunk. It… it’s never gonna happen again.”

Remus leaned forward. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

~ * ~

~ September 6th, 2008 ~

Hermione gently stroked her fingers through Hugo's long, soft curls. She stared down at his little face at her breast as they lay together in bed. Her tears had come and gone for what felt like the millionth time. She hadn’t been able to stop crying since the news she’d received at St. Mungos. 

Hermione didn’t know what she was going to do. Abortion wasn’t an option. In normal cases? Certainly. But aborting a magical child could unintentionally sever her magical connection to Hugo. For something like that to happen to him before he even turned one, he could die. His magical core wasn’t developed enough to properly manage itself. His magic depended on hers and if she suddenly cut it off, it could have fatal consequences. 

If she and Ron were living together, Hugo would have had a better shot. But as it was, Ron was rarely around. Hugo’s magical bond with his father was weak, at best. All Hugo had was her and all she had was him.

She wasn’t going to risk her son’s life. She had to find another way out of this. But for the life of her, she couldn’t think of anything. 

Hermione looked across the bed to her bedside table. A stack of parchments sat there from the ministry. The Magical Matches Unit had sent over all the documents she needed as well as her list of magical matches. It was almost like a spit in the eye that Harry Potter was the first name on the list. She hadn’t realised he had joined the program. Was he that compatible because she was pregnant with his child? Would they have always matched like that?

How had all this even happened, she wondered. She wasn’t reckless about sex. Even when she’d gone home with Harry, she’d had her potion taken already and they had cast the spell. It really should have been impossible. 

She gently stroked her thumb across Hugo’s cheek. She hadn’t planned to get pregnant with Hugo either. Her brows slowly drew together. One accidental pregnancy was possible, but two? What were the chances? It was especially odd considering how meticulous Hermione was about taking her potions.

She remembered the look on Ron’s face when she told him she was pregnant. He had been overjoyed -- odd considering they were broken up. It had been messy too. He’d asked her to marry him and she’d said no. He’d thrown a fit of epic proportions following that. 

Hermione remembered the look on his face when she’d come home from Harry’s flat. That smug smile. He’d worn that smile the day she told him she was pregnant. He’d been wearing it before she told him.

Hermione sucked in a sharp breath of air.

Merlin’s fucking balls.

The second that Hugo was finished nursing, she practically leaped out of bed. She fixed her sun dress and lifted the toddler into her arms. She barely had the wherewithal to grab a baby bag before she was apparating to her old flat in Diagon Alley. 

The front door opened for her with ease. She’d told Ron ages ago to sign a new lease, one without her name on it. For once, she was grateful that he was a lazy git about such matters. 

The flat was the same as always, if a bit more messy. The air smelled stale and it was hot, as if he’d forgotten to reapply the air cooling charms that month. He probably had. Hermione rolled her eyes and closed the door behind her. Ron would be at work right now, she knew. She would be in and out, leaving him none the wiser. 

Hermione’s eyes slowly scanned the messy apartment. He’d replaced the couch she’d taken with her with a ghastly orange thing. All his Chudley Cannons posters that she’d always refused to let him have up were plastered haphazardly across the walls. 

Hermione headed down the hall to the bedroom where things weren’t much better in terms of decoration or cleanliness. She set Hugo on the unmade bed before ducking down to check under the frame. Ron wasn’t an overly inspired hider. She had always known he kept his porn under the bed in a little box. She’d left it there and it wasn’t until she’d gone deep cleaning one day that she’d discovered a second box with various odds and ends from his sexual encounters with other women.

It was there that she found a new box. Hermione pulled it out and stared down at the little shoe box. God, how she hoped it was more discarded bras and panties. 

Inside the box, she found potions. Bottles and bottles of them. Some were empty, others were still full. She lifted one of the pretty pink potions up and slowly unstoppered the top. She took a small whiff and felt her stomach churn as the sickly sweet scent of orange blossoms filled her nose. 

Fertility potions.

That fucking bastard drugged her.

Hermione’s hands shook around the potion bottle. It took everything in her not to throw it across the room like a petulant child. She stoppered the bottle and replaced it back into the box from whence it came. As she was putting it away, her fingers brushed against a folded piece of parchment.

Hermione pulled the parchment out and opened it. It was a letter from Mrs. Weasley. In it, she explained how to use the potions. Hermione’s blood slowly began to boil. They had been working together to get her pregnant. Now? Recently? But Molly hated her, Hermione thought in confusion.

She flipped the letter over but there wasn’t any more on the back. Why would Molly do that now? Perhaps they were from when she got pregnant with Hugo? Fertility potions had a long shelf life, after all. She couldn’t imagine Molly encouraging Ron to knock Hermione up again . The idea seemed ridiculous. 

Hugo let out a happy cry as he crawled towards her on the bed. “Mamamama,” he mumbled. 

“Hi, baby.” She picked him up under his arms and settled him in her lap. He shuffled around restlessly before wandlessly summoning a sweater across the room to chew on. Hermione pulled it away, certain that it was weeks dirty.

Hermione glanced up at the clock. She had to go. He needed to go down for a nap and she needed to get the hell out of Ron’s flat.

“Just two more minutes, baby,” she told Hugo as she waved her wand. 

She conjured a box that was an exact replica of Ron’s other one. She filled it with duplicated potions and a letter from his mother. The copied box went under the bed and she took the real box with her. 

“ Alright, my love ,” she told her son in French as he began to fuss. “ We’re going now. Let’s go, darling .” 

She hefted Hugo up on her left hip and held the box against her right one. 

“ Let’s get you down for your nap and then I can figure out how I’m going to kill your daddy .” She said it with a bright, cheerful tone as she smiled at Hugo. 

He smiled back, oblivious to the meaning of her words.

~ * ~

~ September 8th, 2008 ~

Lord Nott’s office was in Diagon Alley in the same office building that housed a number of different affluent magical lawyers. The waiting room was comfortable with cushy armchairs and navy blue walls. It was similar to all businesses along the Alley, with a medieval touch to the decor. It was completely unlike the ultra-modern world of the last waiting room Hermione had been in at Malfoy Corporation and she was infinitely grateful for that fact. 

Hugo sat in her lap with a leg on either side of her thighs as he chewed on the teething ring in his hands. He made little noises as he did, which garnered a lot of adoring smiles from the receptionist. 

Remus and Rose were both busy that day and her appointment had been rather last minute. She’d owled Lord Nott not long after she’d made her discovery about the fertility potions. He was a lawyer after all and he’d told her he was indebted to her after the catastrophe of her interview with Malfoy. She wrinkled her nose at the thought of the blond ponce and the extremely formal letter of apology he’d sent her the other day.

“Miss Granger?” the receptionist called. 

Hermione looked up. 

“Lord Nott will see you in his office now. Down the hall on the left.”

“Thank you,” she responded with a polite smile. 

She picked Hugo up and shouldered her purse, careful not to jostle it too much. She had Ron’s box of potions in there to show to Lord Nott. Hermione wasn’t an expert in magical law, but she hoped to Merlin he could help her out of the mess she’d found herself in. 

Down the hall, Hermione turned left and met an open door. The golden placard on the door read ‘Solicitor and Barrister, Lord Theodore Nott Sr.’ 

Merlin, she thought, what a mouthful.

Hermione ducked her head inside. “Lord Nott?” She smiled when he looked up from his desk. “Hello.”

“Ms. Granger,” he greeted formally as he stood. His polite smile widened into a genuine grin when he saw her son. “And little Hugo.” 

He came around his desk and closed the door behind her. His office was spacious but felt smaller for the walls of books on each side of the room. The back wall was all windows with sheer curtains and the natural light from Diagon Alley.

“I couldn’t get a sitter, I hope it’s alright.” 

“I’m more than happy to have you both,” he told her and Hermione was a little thrown with how genuine he sounded. 

She raised her purse. “I have a playpen I can set up for him.” She nodded to a space of open wood flooring before one of the standing bookcases. “Is here alright?”

“Certainly.”

Hermione set Hugo down and pulled the playpen from her purse to set it up in the open space she’d indicated. A wave of her wand had it assembled in a matter of seconds, but that was also all it took for Hugo to beeline it to Lord Nott. The little toddler tugged on the wizard’s trousers and raised his hands in little grabbing motions, hoping to be held. 

Hermione almost laughed outright at the startled expression on Lord Nott’s face. His surprise faded rather quickly though and he obligingly picked the baby up. Hugo snuggled into the man’s robes, spreading slobber across his ridiculously expensive clothing. Lord Nott didn’t look all that upset about it. 

“Pen’s ready,” she told him. 

Lord Nott smiled and nodded. He gently placed the baby within. Hugo bounced as he clung to the edge of the playpen and babbled happily. 

“He’s beautiful,” Lord Nott told her.

Hermione smiled. “Yes, he is.”

“Can I get you something to drink? Tea? Water?”

“A water would be lovely, actually.”

“Have a seat.” 

He gestured to the cushioned chair on the opposite end of his desk. It was right beside the playpen she’d set up and Hermione took her seat. Lord Nott conjured a goblet of water for her and levitated it to her side as he sat in his chair across from her. 

“Now, before we begin, I just wanted to reiterate how sorry I am for how things went last week.”

“Lord Nott-”

“-I’ve spoken with both Draco and his father. I can assure you, things will be handled on that front. He won’t go unpunished.”

Hermione wanted to make a comment about how justice for her was hardly justice for all the muggle-borns who were treated poorly or the women who were subjected to such degrading comments by superiors who thought they could get away with it. 

She swallowed these comments and said, “Thank you.”

Lord Nott nodded in acknowledgment. “How can I help you today?”

“I have… legal matters. I need some help. Possibly a solicitor.” 

A moment of hesitancy flashed across his face before it disappeared. Hermione wondered if he wanted to help her, but would be unwilling to represent her. 

“You could point me in the direction of another solicitor, if you’re too busy with cases? I understand you’re very high in demand.”

It was an understatement. Lord Nott was an incredibly affluent lawyer and he was well known all across the magical world. The fact that he was offering her free legal advice was akin to winning the lottery. 

“Tell me what the problem is,” he answered, “and I’ll see what I can do.”

Not a guarantee that it would be him who would be helping, but she would take what she could get. 

“My ex-boyfriend signed my son up for the new Baby Boom Act.”

“Your ex?”

She nodded. “Hugo’s father?” 

His eyes widened. 

“I’m not married,” she continued even though she was fairly certain he’d just figured that out.

“Oh.”

“I hope that’s not a problem?”

He shook his head. “Not at all, I just… I hadn’t realised.” He waved his hand. “Go on. You don’t want Hugo in the program?”

“Well, I suppose I wouldn’t care either way. But only married couples and their children qualified. I’ve been forced to apply for the Magical Matches Unit and get married to him, which I most certainly don’t want to do.”

Lord Nott nodded slowly. He picked up a quill and wrote down a few notes. “Who is Hugo’s father?”

“Ronald Weasley.”

Lord Nott looked up. “A Weasley?”

She winced. “Yes.”

He set his quill down. “That complicates things, you understand?”

She drew in a deep breath through her nose. “Because he’s a pure-blood.”

He tilted his head in acknowledgment. “He has ruling care over your son.” Lord Nott ran a hand across his short white beard as he thought. “Do you have the paperwork from the Magical Matches Unit you were given?”

Hermione quickly pulled out a file from her purse. She opened it and found the documents they’d given her. She slid it across the desk.

Lord Nott donned a pair of reading glasses and looked at the parchments. He hummed and nodded. “Yes, see, they’ve worded it differently, but the same rules apply to you as they do all the others.”

“Meaning?”

“You don’t have to marry Weasley, you just have to marry someone who also applied to the Magical Matches Unit.”

Hermione leaned forward. “What? Where does it say that?”

He turned the parchment. “Here,” he said as he pointed. “It claims that rules applying to applicable marriage prospects are further detailed in subset b.”

“Yes, which clearly states I am going to be matched with Ron, which I was.”

“Yes, but you were given other names on the list as well, correct?” 

She nodded in confusion. 

“The subset b refers to subset b of the main contract of rules and regulations. This,” he waved her document, “is only a part of the main contract and it applies only to those who are getting married so that their children qualify.”

“So there’s a bigger contract that has even more rules I don’t know about?”

He shrugged. “Essentially. Your ex will have been given the main contract.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course.” 

Hermione shook her head and tucked her wild curls behind her ears. She leaned forward. 

“Let me get this straight. I don’t need to marry Ron?”

He shook his head. “Not according to the rules, no.”

Hermione laughed. She raised her hands to her mouth as tears sprang to her eyes. 

“Oh my god, I could cry. I think I am going to cry.” The tears fell in an instant and she entirely blamed her hormones for it. “Oh god, I’m so sorry.”

Lord Nott cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. He conjured a handkerchief for her. Hermione took it and wiped her tears away. 

“You’re not out of the woods yet, Miss Granger. You do realise you are required to get married in general, regardless of if it’s to Mr. Weasley or not?”

Hermione wiped her cheeks with the conjured cloth. 

“What?” 

Her mind raced for a moment as she processed his words and what he had said only a few moments earlier. Hugo being signed up for the program meant both she and Ron were required to be married -- it just didn't have to be to each other. Both of them still needed to get married though.

“Oh.” She looked down at her lap and the list of magical matches that she’d been given. “I suppose that won’t be difficult.”

“No?”

Hermione felt her face redden. “I’m- uhm… I’m pregnant,” she revealed weakly, “and the father is on my list.” 

She looked up at Lord Nott who was looking more and more baffled every time she opened her mouth. 

“Which brings me to my next problem. I have evidence that Ron potioned me with fertility potions.”

“But the baby you’re pregnant with isn’t his?” 

She shook her head. Lord Nott raised a hand to his chin as he thought that over. 

“It’s illegal,” he informed her slowly, “to potion someone with fertility potions without their consent. It’s considered worse than love potions. Love potions wear off after a time – even if the psychological ramifications are ongoing – but this sort of thing can’t ever be undone without great risk to one’s magic and magic is something the Wizengamot will always hold in the highest regard.”

She nodded. “I was just hoping to use it as evidence so we couldn’t get married.”

“No, you don’t need that.” He leaned forward. “But you could use it as evidence to keep Hugo.”

Hermione raised an eyebrow. “Keep?”

“Weasley is a pure-blood. He has controlling custody of your son. If you choose to marry someone, as you seem to want, there will be repercussions. I doubt your ex will take this lying down. He might exercise his control over Hugo and take the child. But you could use your evidence to take that control away.”

Hermione blinked widely. She honestly hadn’t even thought about losing Hugo. While the idea that Ron would take their son had crossed her mind in the past, she’d been so preoccupied with the marriage and the fertility potions that she hadn’t thought about the fact that she might lose Hugo – not like that, at least.

"Ron has never implied that he wants to take Hugo away."

"Well, I imagine you've always done what he wanted."

"He wanted me to marry him."

Lord Nott shrugged. "And now he's manipulated the situation so you thought that you must. When you outsmart him, he might retaliate. Perhaps he won't at all, but it's better to plan for all eventualities. One of those is that he might take your son. That is a very real possibility that you need to be aware might happen."

Her eyes teared as her emotions overwhelmed her once more.  “I can’t lose Hugo,” she cried. “He’s everything to me.”

“You have a good shot at keeping him,” he assured her and she felt a wave of calming magic settle over her. 

Her tears subsided with a shuddering breath. 

“Weasley broke the law and it helps that although Hugo is his firstborn son, Weasley isn’t the heir to the Weasley family magic.”

“That helps?”

Lord Nott nodded. “It means Hugo isn’t the heir to Weasley magic either. We’ll argue that Hugo isn’t… necessary to the Weasley family. That he shouldn’t be with his father, who so clearly disabuses magic.” 

Hermione nodded along with his train of thought. 

“Are you still breastfeeding?”

Hermione’s head spun with the sudden change in topic. “I- uh- yes?”

“That’s good, it’s illegal to separate a child from their mother if the child is still nursing. Don’t wean him off just yet. You can keep him with you during the trial that way.”

Hermione nodded. That was no trouble. A month ago, Hugo had begun nursing again in earnest. Now she knew it was because she was pregnant and producing more magic than she had been before. He clearly loved it because she couldn’t get him to stop now. 

“So, you’ll represent me? I mean, I can’t pay you your normal rate. But I would be willing to pay you back in full over time-”

-Lord Nott looked down as he sighed. Hermione trailed off. 

“I can’t represent you in the Wizengamot.”

She played with the conjured handkerchief in her hands. It took everything in her to keep her tears at bay. 

“Why not?” When he didn’t reply, she asked, “Because I’m a… mudblood?”

“Don’t ever say that!” he snapped. 

Hermione jumped, eyes wide. Lord Nott glared at her. Hugo tensed to her right and both adults glanced over at him. The little boy stared back with wide eyes. Lord Nott slowly relaxed and the tension dissipated from the room. Hugo made a happy sound and turned back to his toy. 

Hermione looked across the desk at the lawyer. His white brows were drawn together in anger despite his relaxed posture. 

“It has nothing to do with blood status,” he told her in a calm voice. “Yours is less of a concern than you would think.”

She frowned at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Lord Nott sighed heavily. He folded his reading glasses and set them aside. 

“My wife,” he told her, “died many years ago.” He picked up a frame on his desk and stared at it for a long time. “She was the most beautiful, most compassionate woman I’d ever known. Elizabeth.” 

He looked up at her then and Hermione couldn’t help but feel he wasn’t really seeing her. 

“You look just like her,” he whispered.

Hermione’s frown deepened. “Do I?” she asked politely. 

Before she could think much more on that fact, Lord Nott handed over the frame he was holding. The picture within was of a young, beautiful witch with wild curls and fine features. Hermione sucked in a sharp breath. The resemblance was uncanny . 

“Oh my god.”

“Our son was a squib,” Lord Nott told her. 

She looked up, eyes wide. 

“It was during the war and it was dangerous. I went to school with the Dark Lord Voldemort.” 

Hermione slowly shook her head. She’d read about Tom Riddle in her history books. Albus Dumbledore had died killing the other man back in the 80s. 

“We had to hide Hugo or Tom would have done something to him.”

Hermione’s breath caught. “H- Hugo?”

“Our son,” he said with a nod. “Elizabeth hid him away. She died not long later and the secret of where she hid our son died with her.”

“How did she…?”

“Heartbreak,” he whispered as he looked down at his desk. “Her heart couldn’t bear losing our son. He was everything to her.”

Hermione looked down at the smiling magical portrait. A tear dropped to the glass unbidden. 

“I think I’ll die too,” she whispered, “if I lose Hugo.”

“That won’t happen.” 

Lord Nott’s voice was rough with unshed tears. He held out his hand and she returned his picture to him. He cleared his throat as he set it on the desk. 

“But you understand what I’m trying to tell you, don’t you?” 

She stared at him for a long moment and didn’t say anything. He had her father’s eyes, she realized. The same brown eyes Theo, her classmate, also had. The same eyes that her son had. 

“I’m your grandfather,” he told her when she still didn’t speak.

It made sense. He had clearly recognized Elizabeth in her at the hospital. That’s why he was so nice. Hermione looked down as she frowned. She wasn’t sure what to make of that revelation.

“I had planned to tell you,” he continued. “Obviously, that’s a paltry thing to say when the deed is already done now. But it didn’t feel like something to just spring on you. I had wanted to wait a little. Perhaps find a more… appropriate time to do it.”

Hermione looked up at him. “If you’re my grandfather, why won’t you represent me?”

His brown eyes were soft as they stared at her sad face. “Because I’m not allowed to represent my own family before the Wizengamot.” He stared straight into her own brown eyes -- just like his own. “But we will find someone to fight for your case.”

She nodded. It felt like the world was slowly being turned on its head. She had a family. She had a family . She’d never had a grandfather before. Her mother was an orphan and her father’s muggle parents had passed away when he was only just eighteen. And Theo – was he her uncle? She shook her head before she could go down that rabbit hole.

“Do you really think I can keep Hugo?”

He leaned forward earnestly. “I will fight tooth and nail so that you do.” 

A smile touched her lips. 

“Now, let’s talk about this marriage, yes?” 

She nodded. 

“You’re certain you want nothing to do with Weasley?” She opened her mouth but he raised his hand. “I only ask because I don’t want complications later. Search yourself and be sure that you would be happy never speaking to him again.”

She opened her mouth immediately but hesitated. “I don’t want to completely bar him from seeing Hugo. He is Hugo’s father, after all. But for me, personally, I don’t want anything to do with him beyond that.”

Lord Nott nodded. “Alright. So, our current goal will be to make sure you marry someone else. The other man? Who is he? Are you willing to marry him?”

She blushed. The thought of marrying Harry was a ridiculously appealing one. The night they’d spent together had been fun and electric. She’d never had an experience like it. She’d never been around someone and gotten so lost in the moment. Hermione had blamed the alcohol in her system until she saw him again at Malfoy Corporation. She’d gotten lost in his eyes again that day and she was aware now that she was likely to do so again in the future.

“Well, I… I’m not in love with him but if I need to marry someone in the program, I think it’d be rather complicated if I didn’t marry the one who was also the father to my… second child.” 

Lord Nott nodded once in agreement.  

“It’s uhm… Harry Potter.”

She watched her grandfather draw in a deep, slow breath. “He’s the heir to the Potter family magic.”

“... yes?”

“You have to marry him,” he decided. He tipped his head in her direction. “You’re carrying the next heir to the Potter family. That’s a big deal. Does he know?” 

She shook her head. 

“You need to tell him,” he stated with finality, “as soon as possible.”

“What if he doesn’t want to get married?”

“He will. It’s a matter of family obligation.” 

Hermione swallowed the twinge of hurt that comment caused. He would marry her because of duty -- for the baby. It had nothing to do with her, essentially. As terrible as that was, it was still better than a man who’d drugged her not once, but possibly even twice. 

“I can contact the Potter family-”

“-No!” She cleared her throat. “No. I can talk to Harry myself. It’d probably be a lot better coming from me, regardless.”

“If you’re sure?” He sounded like he thought his contacting Lord Potter was a better way to go about it and Hermione tried not to cringe. 

“I am. Thank you though.”

He nodded. “When does Weasley expect you to marry him?”

“In about two weeks,” she responded weakly, her shoulders rising to her ears slightly. “I’ve been trying to work it out myself.”

“Understandable, but regrettable. We’ll have to move quickly. Speak with Potter as soon as possible,” he reiterated.

“I will, I promise.”

“Good. Now, you said you had proof of what Weasley had done to you?”

Hermione nodded as she reached into her purse and pulled out the shoe box. She placed it on his desk. 

“This was under his bed in the flat we used to share. My name is still on the lease, so I just walked in and found it. I’m not sure how old they are, but I suspect he used them on me to get me pregnant with Hugo and kept them.”

Lord Nott frowned at that. He opened the box and slowly looked through each item. “He won’t miss this?”

“I made duplicates of everything. Ron won’t be able to tell.”

He nodded. “Good.” 

He opened the letter and donned his reading glasses once more as he read it. 

“Mrs. Weasley wrote this.” The way he said it made it sound far more important than she’d originally thought.

“Yes?”

“This implicates the Head of the House of Weasley’s wife in a criminal offence. This is…” He slowly shook his head. “This is going to be one hell of a case.”

Hermione frowned. She didn’t care about that. 

“Will it negatively affect the case?”

“It shouldn’t,” he said with a shake of his head, “but it might make things more dramatic if word gets out that you’re a Nott.”

“Will it?”

He shrugged. “Eventually. Things have a way of coming to light eventually. It might be easier to fight this case if people know you’re a Nott right away, regardless. But that’s not something we should reveal until after you’re married to Potter.”

“If he agrees to marry me.”

“He will.”

Merlin, she hoped so.

Chapter Text

Chapter Five

~ September 12th, 2008 ~

Harry flipped through the finished paperwork for the donation from Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. Most departments in the Ministry of Magic ran off of donations from outside magical corporations and businesses. It provided the ministry with a necessary added income and gave the businesses involved a massive tax break. Bigger departments were highly coveted by bigger companies. The bigger the department, the bigger the donation that can be given, which meant a far larger tax break as well. 

After Harry had denied Malfoy Corporation's scheduled donation, the spot had opened up to many new businesses. He, as the Deputy Head of the Emergency Response Department, had been flooded with requests from various companies. He felt rather like the prize cow at the slaughterhouse. Everyone wanted a piece of him. It made sense, since the ER Department had a budget that was comparable to the Auror Department. 

He’d decided to go with the Weasleys twins. While he rather hated their younger brother for obvious reasons, he had always been amiable with the twins. He’d been supportive of their venture into building their own joke shop and the meagre monetary support he’d lent them when he first came of age had resulted in a flourishing business. 

This was a good opportunity for them. The ministry had recently raised the taxes on non-essential services and he knew it was going to hit the Weasleys hard. The tax break would counter that nicely. 

There was a knock at his door. He looked up as his receptionist ducked her head inside. "You have a visitor, Healer Potter."

"My next appointment isn't for another thirty minutes."

"This isn't your four o'clock. It's Miss Weasley?"

Harry fought not to sigh. He didn’t like unscheduled appointments. Harry set aside what he was working on and tucked it into his drawer.

“Send her in, Alice,” he said with a wave.

Alice nodded and her little head of straight black hair disappeared. Ginny entered only seconds later. She strolled in all long legs and flowing red hair. There was something about the glint of her hair and the tilt of her chin that always made Harry think of his mother. He swallowed down the queasy feeling in his stomach. 

Susan was engaged to Colin Creevey, he’d learned the day before. Daphne was still an option, but the contract attached to her was less than desirable. The only other compatible name still on his list was Ginny Weasley. He knew he could marry anyone in the program, but marrying someone on his list meant he at least had a shot at happiness with them. Ginny was starting to look like his only option and it was making him feel sick with anxiety. 

“Healer Potter,” she greeted him with a little smile and a flip of her hair.

He smiled tightly. “Miss Weasley.”

Ginny came around his desk despite his annoyed face and perched herself up on the edge. She leaned back and crossed her legs. Her short skirt showed off her long, pale legs. She was beautiful, it was simply a fact.

But she wasn’t Hermione and that was just the start of the reasons why he didn’t want her.

Harry leaned back in his chair and turned his head to look over at her. “What can I do for you?”

“You can buy me dinner,” she responded with a flirtatious touch to her voice. 

Harry looked away. “I’ll likely be working late tonight.”

“Oh, come on.” 

She leaned forward and Harry found himself about as attracted to her as he did any woman that wasn't Hermione. Which was to say, there was very little interest at all. And with Ginny, the attraction was less than most girls. It wasn’t her fault. He just couldn’t stand the fact that her brother had fucked his witch.

“Work can wait for tonight,” she goaded. 

Harry remained unmoved. She sighed and leaned back. 

“You know, I am trying.” 

He looked up at the tone of her voice. It was different. The sexual undertone had disappeared and her playfulness was put aside. When he looked up at her, she looked more real than she had since they first started talking a few weeks back. 

“I’m here because I don’t want to be miserable. We could be good together, don’t you think?”

Harry tilted his head. The Magical Matches Unit certainly thought so and they were never wrong. 

“I suppose we don’t really know anything about each other.”

“So, let’s get to know each other. I mean, the ministry thinks we’re good enough for each other for marriage. Let’s see what they see in us and then we can talk about the rest of it.” 

She smiled and Harry fought down a feeling of unease. 

“Dinner?”  She slipped off his desk, clearly thinking she’d won the argument and that sliver of normalcy he’d seen in her disappeared once more. “Seven? I’ll meet you at the Leaky.” 

At a loss for anything else to say he simply shrugged and nodded. He could get through a single dinner. In a few days, he’d be given his third list of magical matches. They changed every few weeks depending on who was in or out of the program. Ginny had been on it for two lists running so far. He was sure she’d be on it again but Merlin did he hope the other options would be better.

“Seven,” he agreed tightly.

Ginny smiled brightly. She whirled around and strode from the office with a bounce in her step. The door closed behind her with a sound of finality.

God, he needed a drink after that. Maybe several. 

Harry ran a hand down the side of his face. He didn’t want to marry Ginny Weasley. He didn’t want to marry Daphne Greengrass either.  

Harry swore under his breath. He just had to wait it out until he could see what his options were in a few days.

He stood and grabbed his jacket from the hanger by the door. He needed to get the hell out of here before he continued his downward spiral of marriage misery.

Harry opened the door as he shrugged his jacket on. “Alice? I’m heading out-” 

-He froze at the sight of the woman sitting in the waiting chair outside his office. 

Hermione Granger. 

Harry nearly swallowed his tongue at the sight of her. He hadn’t seen her since he left her in his father’s hands at St. Mungos. 

It had taken everything in him not to ask after her when he’d seen his father that night. James hadn’t said a thing and Harry had honestly been too scared to bring it up. He didn’t want his father to find out Hermione was his magical match and get involved. His father meant well, but he tended to get a bit wild when magical matches were involved. He’d almost sent an owl over to the Diggory’s last year when Delilah had realised her match was Maggie Diggory, a girl two years younger than her in Hufflepuff. 

Harry had convinced the man to wait until the ministry had at least passed the new law allowing homosexual relationships in Wizarding Britain. Harry had a sneaking suspicion that the law was going through so quickly with his father’s added influence.

“Hermione?”

She smiled softly at him. “Hi. I have an appointment,” she gestured to him, “but I can reschedule.”

“What?” He looked down at himself and remembered he was leaving. “No, no! It’s fine.”

She stood and he couldn’t help but admire how pretty she looked in her little pink dress. Her tanned legs looked long beneath the short cut of the skirt. He vividly remembered how perfect those legs had felt when they’d been wrapped around his waist. 

God, he was a fool for this girl.

“I can come back tomorrow,” Hermione was saying. “I don’t want to make you work late.”

“How about tea?” He nodded towards the lift. “I was going to grab a cuppa. Join me?”

Her cheeks tinged pink and he couldn’t help but think she was lovely. “I’d like that.”

Harry nodded at his assistant. “Head home whenever you’re ready, Alice. See you tomorrow.”

“Have a good night, Healer Potter.” 

Harry pressed a hand to Hermione’s back and led her towards the lift. He racked his brain, trying to remember if he had known that it was Hermione that had scheduled an appointment with his department. Why had she scheduled an appointment with him? She didn’t work for the ministry and ministry officials were primarily who he met with. 

Harry barely contained his curiosity as they left the Ministry of Magic and exited out onto the muggle London street. Hermione looked up at him expectantly.

“There’s a place down this way,” he suggested. 

She nodded and he led her towards the pub he normally went to for a lunch out. Harry led her to a booth and sat across from her. 

His heart hammered in his chest. He couldn’t believe he was actually here, right across from her. She was just sitting there with the plastic-covered menu in her hands, looking it over with that serious look on her face she had whenever she read over anything. She was a vision. 

Hermione looked up with an embarrassed little smile. “I know you probably meant just a drink, but I’m starved. Would you mind if I ordered a burger?”

A grin stretched across his face. “I could eat.”

Her smile turned pleased and she looked back at her menu. He studied her while she read. She looked good. She always looked good. Her dark curls fell down around her shoulders in long ringlets. Her fringe was clipped back on either side by two little clips with flowers on them. 

Hermione looked up at him with her big brown eyes and smiled brightly. She set her menu down. 

“I’m set on the burger. It sounds delicious.”

“The burger here is fantastic.”

“Do you come here often?” she asked with a little tilt to her head.

He nodded. “It’s my go-to place when I want to eat out.” 

The waitress arrived then and took their orders. He ordered a pint with his burger and Hermione got a lemonade.

“So,” he began after she left, “you scheduled an appointment with the Deputy Head of the Emergency Response Department?” 

Hermione looked away. “I- uh, I scheduled an appointment with you .”

Harry tried not to show how pleased that statement made him. “What can I do for you?” he asked in a low voice and smiled at the flush that appeared across Hermione’s cheeks. 

“I- uhm…” She released a short breath and her shoulders slouched. “I have a lot to say and I want you to wait and listen and- and not make any decisions until I’ve fully laid everything out. It’s important to make an informed decision. Especially when there are so many factors involved and I don’t want you to think I have any serious expectations. I mean, I obviously have some, but I’m an adult and it’s not like I can’t figure it out myself. It’s just that this really is the best-”

“-Hermione?” he asked before she could really start rambling.

She looked up at him with her doe eyes and glossed lips. “I’m pregnant.”

Harry’s eyes widened. He stared at her for a long moment and wondered if he was dreaming. Was this real? Was this actually happening?

“Please don’t be mad,” Hermione whispered.

He shook his head. “What-?”

“-I was on the potion, I swear. And- and we did the spell.”

He blinked quickly to keep up with her frantic ramblings. “How would you get pregnant if you were on the potion?”

“Ron dosed me with fertility potions.”

Harry felt the small bubble of happiness in his chest pop. Ron. Right. Of course it was Ron’s. Harry ran a hand through his messy black hair. 

“Right. Okay. I’m not sure how I can help here. Did you need a lawyer or-”

“-The baby’s yours,” she confirmed firmly. “I didn’t sleep with him.”

Harry felt his heart leap in his chest. It took everything in him not to break into a laugh and the sudden remembrance that he was already enlisted in the Magical Match Program certainly killed his joy once more.

“Well, this is… complicated. I’ve registered with the Magical Matches Program. I can only marry someone else in the program.”

“I am in the program.”

Wait, Harry thought, what? That wasn’t possible. If Hermione were in the program, she would have been on his list. They were actual magical matches. It was basically impossible that she wouldn’t be on his list. Why wasn’t she on his list? Was it recent? He was about to get his next list of matches. Was she going to be on it?

“Ron signed Hugo up for the benefits program,” Hermione explained. “But that requires the parents to be married – though, I suppose, not specifically to each other. I was forced to sign up and Ron requested that we get married. I have less than two weeks before we’re supposed to sign a contract.”

Harry didn’t know what to say. Was she only telling him about the pregnancy because she needed a way out of a marriage with Ron? It was a possibility. While he was mildly put out, he wasn’t a man to look a gift horse in the mouth. The situation was a bit more complicated than just that, though.

“Have you spoken to a lawyer about this?” he asked tentatively. 

He didn’t know if she knew about her connection to Lord Nott yet and he didn’t want to be the one to burst that bubble. 

“I saw Lord Nott about it. He’s acquiring a lawyer for me.”

He tilted his head. “He’s not representing you himself?”

Hermione fiddled with her fingers. “Apparently – well, it turns out – you see-”

“-You’re related.”

She looked up at him with wide eyes. “You knew?”

Harry nodded. “The Head of House can feel when a member of their family is hurt or in danger. When you broke your hand, Lord Nott immediately knew without having to ask. He looked like he was in pain too.” He shrugged. “It was just a hunch.” 

She let out a short breath. “Well, you are right. My father was Lord Nott’s firstborn son. He was a squib and memory charmed before being placed with a muggle family.”

Harry frowned as he considered that. That was a far closer familial relation than he’d been expecting. It was strange that Lord Nott hadn’t kept tabs on his son. In most families, the Head of House did that since the generation following the squib was so often magical.

“That makes it illegal, you know,” he said instead of voicing his other train of thought, “what Ron did to you. It’s illegal to use fertility potions on a half-blood or pure-blood without consent.”

Hermione nodded. “Right, but taking him to trial will take longer than the two weeks that I have. Lord Nott and I agreed the best solution is to make sure I don’t marry Ron at all. I have to marry someone in the program and it’s best to start with my list of magical matches and you… you are at the top of the list. And I’m-” she gestured to her stomach, “-pregnant with your baby.”

Hermione swallowed visibly and met Harry’s gaze seriously. “I understand this is a lot,” she continued, “but I felt that it made the most sense to come to you first. Regardless of what you decide, I want you to be involved in the child’s life as much as you like and-”

“-I want to marry you.”

Hermione froze. She stared at him with wide eyes. “Really?” she whispered. Her eyes teared. “For the baby?” she continued in a trembling voice.

Harry looked down at the wooden table. It wasn’t for the baby – well, not entirely for the baby – but should he really tell her that? He couldn’t tell what she was feeling, only that she was emotional about his decision. Was she happy? Disappointed? 

He took a deep breath and met her teary-eyed gaze once more. “At the risk of looking like a complete idiot… I- I’ve been head over heels for you since we were at Hogwarts together.”

Hermione’s mouth twisted. “Is that a joke?”

“Not even a little bit,” he breathed. “While the drama surrounding the circumstances isn’t ideal, I do need to get married as well. I like you, we work well together – proven through our years as prefects together and our time as Heads in our seventh year. We also work well together in more… intimate circumstances.” 

Hermione blushed prettily at that and he couldn’t help but smile. 

“And, we’re having a baby,” he finished, still feeling like he was dreaming.

“So… so, we’ll get married?”

He nodded. “We’ll get married. Sooner is probably better. We can have a small, private ceremony with family this weekend and then a bigger one later on. Did you want to do it before you start showing?”

She shook her head. “That’s not necessary.”

He shrugged. “I’ve always wanted a nice wedding. But if you don’t, that’s fine. I won’t make you do something that makes you uncomfortable. Lord Nott will likely expect it of us though. My own parents as well.”

“Oh, well…” She looked up as she fiddled with her fingers. “I suppose I wouldn’t… hate it.” 

She shot him a tentative smile. Harry returned it with a wide one of his own. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. 

“There’s also the issue of my son? I’d like to keep custody of him. Lord – my grandfather – is going to help me build a case – for the worst case scenario. Ideally, it’ll be unnecessary but- well, either way, Hugo will remain in my care.”

Harry thought that over. He wasn’t surprised by her position. From what Remus had told him recently, Hermione was an incredibly loving mother. It made sense that she wanted to keep custody of her son. Actually managing that though, wasn’t going to be simple.

“Custody will be harder to get than suing Ron for potions abuse,” he told her.

She nodded. “I’m aware. But right now, I’m still nursing Hugo, so he can’t take him away when we get married. I hope that’s not a problem for you?”

He frowned in confusion. “What’s not a problem?”

“Having- having Hugo around.”

He smiled and shook his head. “Not at all. I love kids. I almost became a children’s healer, actually.”

Hermione took a deep breath, one he could see was of a great amount of relief. “Good. That’s good.”

The waitress arrived with their food and the two dug into their dinners. They talked more about the plans Hermione had already made with her grandfather. Harry told her he would have called on the Potter family lawyer to help, but he had passed away recently. Hermione wasn’t very bothered by his lack of ability to help.

“I looked up his history before I went to him,” she told him. “Lord Nott – my grandfather – is an incredibly accomplished lawyer.”

Harry nodded. “His name strikes fear into the hearts of many solicitors and barristers alike. His son is making a name for himself as well.”

She nodded as she swallowed her bite of food. “In criminal law, right? We haven’t spoken since I learned everything, but last I checked he was a prosecutor.”

Harry nodded and sipped his beer. “I think so. He put away Ernie Hemsway last year. It was a big deal.” 

Hemsway had been a pure-blood wizard found abusing half-blood and muggle-born magicals in his basement. He was some sort of psychopathic serial killer, a rare thing to find in the magical world. The case had made international news and the lawyer Hemsway had made it look like the man was going to get away with it. Theo had done a remarkable job in the case and put the man away for life.

They changed the subject soon after and continued talking as they ate their dinners. Harry ordered another beer and Hermione had a cup of herbal tea. The hours whiled away and Harry could honestly say that he didn’t notice.

“Hugo does this little thing now,” Hermione was telling him, “where he blows me kisses.”

“He blows you kisses ?” Harry repeated with a smile on his face.

“It’s the cutest thing,” she agreed. 

Their plates had been cleared away hours ago and Harry’s second beer had been taken too. They’d ordered a slice of chocolate cake to share with their evening teas.

“He’s gotten so big,” Hermione continued. “It makes me sad when I think about it.”

“He’s got a long way to go,” he assured her. “He’s still just a baby.”

“Did you work with kids at all in your healer training?”

Harry shook his head as he swallowed a forkful of cake. “No, I went to the ICW and got my healing mastery while I became a Hit Wizard. I worked as a field medic for them before I came back to England. Then I worked with the Emergency Ward at St. Mungos under my father for a bit before I transferred over to training and deployment with the ministry.”

“The Emergency Response Department, right?” She waved her fork as she spoke.

He nodded. “It’s a separate division of Aurors that respond to magical and non magical emergencies like fires, storms, and magical accidents. I train the Aurors in the basic healing they need and organise relief teams. I’m always on call for specific level emergencies and can get called in for others. There’s a bunch of boring management things involved as well.”

“Aren’t you also an Auror?”

“Technically,” he said with a nod, “but I don’t do Auror field work or anything like that. I do have the ability to arrest and detain, but that comes mostly from my credentials as a Hit Wizard. Any magical at my level is required to be a Hit Witch or Wizard and my specific position also requires me to be a healer.” 

He pointed at her with his fork. “But I do have experience with babies. I have three younger sisters. The youngest, Daisy, is now ten.” He smiled at the thought of his little sisters. “You should meet my family, actually. Would you be free for dinner tomorrow? You should bring Hugo and your grandfather.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Lord Nott too?”

Harry tipped his head to the side. “He is your family.”

She made a face. “He feels like a stranger.”

“The more time you spend with him, the less it will feel like that. The family magic will help develop the bond between you all.” 

Hermione didn’t look convinced and Harry grinned. 

“It sounds weird to call him grandfather now, but it’s also very new. Give it a few weeks. The more time you spend with him, the faster it will feel like normal for all of you.”

“Well, I don’t expect I’ll spend much time with him at all if I’m about to be marrying into your family at the end of the week.”

He nodded. “Yes, but it sounds like he’s going to be quite involved in the case regarding Hugo’s custody, so there is that.”

“I suppose.”

“It’s going to be okay,” he told her with calm, confident assurance.

Hermione’s shoulders slowly released the small tension they were holding. She smiled softly at him.

“Thanks. I’m just…” She shook her head. “The idea of losing my baby is just… I can’t even imagine.”

“You won’t,” he told her. “I’d find a way to put Weasley in jail first.”

Hermione’s eyes widened and a smile teased the edges of her lips. “Dare I ask how you’d go about that?”

He shrugged. “Honestly? I’d probably ask the Weasley twins to help me. They’re rather estranged from their family. Mrs. Weasley didn’t take to them dating Lee Jordan.”

Hermione’s eyes widened and she nodded slowly. “Understatement of the century. I can still hear her horrified screeching.” Hermione shook her head. “I suppose, since you’re still friends with them, that sort of thing doesn’t bother you?”

He shook his head. “Muggle-born mum, remember?” 

She nodded even though polyamorous relationships weren’t exactly the norm in the muggle world. Though, that really hadn’t really been what Harry was referring to, she knew. It was the homosexual aspect of the triad relationship that had put Mrs. Weasley into a furious tizzy. 

Harry shrugged. “Love is love.”

“I completely agree.”

“And you’re really close with Nev, so I know you don’t care.”

Hermione blinked widely at him. “Yes… I didn’t realise you were friends with Neville?”

Harry grinned at her. “Nev’s my godbrother. We grew up together.”

Hermione looked shocked and he chuckled.

“We kept it quiet at school. We didn’t care about house rivalries, but others did and Nev was a sadly easy target.”

Hermione looked down at her tea with an uncomfortable expression on her face. He assumed she knew he was referring to her ex. Ron had taken the Gryffindor versus Slytherin rivalry very seriously. Harry had mostly stayed out of it, but he had heard about all the silly battles that had gone down between Weasley and Malfoy.

A thought occurred to him.

“Can I ask you something?” 

She looked up at him and nodded. 

“What did Malfoy say to get under your skin so quickly?”

Hermione blushed and looked away. “I hardly think it matters.”

“Probably not, I was just curious.”

Hermione stirred her tea and for a moment, Harry didn’t think she was going to respond. 

She looked up and said, “Ron cheated on me.”

His eyes widened and she waved her hand.

“It was a long time ago. I was stupid and decided to forgive him. I thought it was a one off – it wasn’t.” She shook her head at herself. “We broke up for a short time after I first found out and I was just so angry. I wanted to get back at him. So I…” 

She gestured and her cheeks turned red. Harry leaned forward, eyes wide.

“You slept with Draco Malfoy?”

Hermione’s blush deepend. “It’s not my proudest moment.”

“I’m not judging you.”

And he wasn’t. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t slept with people he didn’t have feelings for. If Harry were being honest with himself, Hermione was probably the only person he’d slept with he did have feelings for. 

She sighed. “It was just a hard time. And I was really upset. It’s not really an excuse, but there we have it.” She shrugged. “He said some things during the interview.”

Harry felt his body tense. His eyes narrowed. “He propositioned you?”

“What?” She made a face. “No. He asked…” She shook her head. “He implied I was sleeping with one of the Notts.”

He stared at her, aware that there was something else she wasn’t telling him. He bit his tongue, not willing to pressure her about it if it was making her uncomfortable. He made a face as he thought about the awful things Malfoy could have and likely had said. They’d shared a dorm for seven years, he knew how crude the other man could be about witches, let alone muggle-borns.

“He was only average.”

Harry looked up, eyes wide. “What?”

She shrugged. “You needn’t look so upset. I’m not about to run off to Malfoy for another somewhat average lay.”

Harry snorted. “That’s not- I mean, I’m happy to hear it, but I wasn’t thinking that.” He eyed her, the obvious question sitting in the air between them. “How was I-?”

“-Fantastic.”

Harry smiled widely. “Yeah?”

She blushed and nodded.

“I wanted to owl you after my birthday,” he revealed.

A small smile spread across her lips. “I would have owled you first,” she admitted and Harry wanted to punch the air. 

“I don’t think your owl could beat mine in a race.”

She laughed. “We’ll have to race them. For science.”

Her eyes twinkled and her lips curled into a devious little smirk that was far too sexy for his blood pressure. She was radiant. He wanted to pull her into his arms and bury his face in her curls. He wanted to live in the ever-present scent of tulips that surrounded her. 

“We should have sex again.” 

Her eyes widened at his statement.

Harry leaned forward, his eyes smouldering as he said, “We were drunk last time. Who knows what it’ll be like sober? We need to test it out – for science.”

The waitress arrived before Hermione could respond. He wondered what her response would have been. From the twinkle in her eyes and the smile on her lips, Harry was rather positive he was going to get a yes out of her.

He asked for the check and the waitress disappeared once more.

“It’s late,” she told him and he fought not to sigh, “and I have to pick Hugo up. Rose and Remus have kept him longer than I said I’d be gone. I don’t want to worry them. I haven’t- I haven’t told them about everything that’s happening yet.”

“You haven’t? You’re close though, you said.”

She nodded. “I never would have been able to handle motherhood without them. It’s not a single person activity. It takes a lot and they have given endless support to me and Hugo. They’re- the closest thing I thought Hugo would get to grandparents for a long time.”

Harry smiled sadly. “And look at him now. Loads of family. More than he’ll ever know what to do with.”

She smiled and brushed her unshed tears away. “You’re right. It’ll be good for him.”

“Do you want to tell them what’s happening? Rose and Remus?”

“Not tonight.” She glanced at her watch and so did he. It wasn’t all that late at all, but for a baby, it was probably just about bedtime. “But now that I have a solution to the Ron dilemma, I can. I didn’t want Remus to kill Ron,” she joked.

Harry bit back the comment that Remus definitely would kill Ron if he thought it was what Hermione wanted. And knowing Remus, the man would never get caught. They would probably never even find Ron’s body. Sirius and James would help him. Probably his mum too, if Harry thought about it. Harry would help too.

“I should head out,” Hermione said.

He nodded and pulled out his wallet. “That’s fine.”

“Oh, let me-”

“-Hermione, at least let me pretend I took you out on a date?”

She laughed and set her purse aside. “That’s fair, I suppose. Did you…” She hesitated. “You could come meet Hugo, if you like?”

Harry looked up from where he’d set a collection of bills on the table. His eyes widened at her request. She wanted him to meet her son? He was honoured. While she might be about to start a custody battle for Hugo, it wasn’t as if she really had to allow Harry to be very involved in the boy’s life at all. A lot of people would have probably wanted distance between Harry and the baby until later. 

Hermione, on the other hand, looked desperate and hopeful. “I mean, you don’t have to and I-”

“-There’s no other place I’d rather be.”

It was the right thing to say if Hermione’s pleasantly surprised expression was anything to go by.

Once the bill was paid, he got out of the booth and held out a hand to help Hermione up next. He pressed a hand to her back and led her through the now crowded pub and out into muggle London. 

“There’s an apparition point just over here,” he told her.

Hermione nodded and allowed him to guide her to the magically hidden alley. 

“Hogsmeade, right?”

“Hugo will be at The Three Broomsticks,” she confirmed. “There’s a door round back we can take up to the flat.”

Harry nodded. He knew the door, having been to Remus’ and Rose’s home several times over the years. He wrapped his arms around Hermione as he pulled her in to apparate. Her scent of tulips wafted up around him and he savoured the smell – the feel of her in his arms. Her arms locked behind his back and he turned on the spot.

Hermione stumbled and groaned when they landed. Harry steadied her and kept her from toppling over.

“Alright?”

“Yeah,” she replied weakly. She stepped back and he kept a hand on her arm, worried about how pale she looked. “Apparating just gets a whole lot worse when you’re pregnant.”

Harry felt his stomach swoop. In all the talking, it’d completely slipped his mind. She was pregnant . He was going to be a dad. He quickly did the calculations in his head. She’d be just about five or six weeks now. Nausea would be kicking in about now.

“Have you been taking your potions?”

Hermione nodded as the colour slowly returned to her face. “My healer wrote me the prescriptions after… after you brought me to St. Mungos.”

He blinked in realisation. That was when she’d found out she was pregnant. Almost two weeks ago, he thought and swallowed down his annoyance. She had likely been an absolute wreck about it. He didn’t really have much room to be a little upset about not knowing sooner. She had enough things to worry about. And really, how could he be upset with how things were ending up?

He was going to marry Hermione Granger. They were going to have a baby. 

He was fairly certain now that this was all a dream. He never wanted to wake up.

“This way,” she said, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Hermione led him through the backdoor and up the private stairwell to the flat above the bar. The Lupins’ home was cosy and filled with the numerous books that Remus had brought along with him. It wasn’t a massive space, taking up only half of the second floor, the rest utilised for storage for the bar below. But it was comfortable and more than enough room for Rosmerta and Remus. 

Hermione entered the flat with a light knock on the door. She peeked her head inside and the sound of crying released into the hallway.

“Awe, baby,” she soothed as she opened the door wider.

Harry followed her inside and closed the door behind them. Remus was pacing in the kitchen with a crying baby in his arms.

“I’m so sorry,” Hermione told the baby. “I know I’m a little late.”

She kissed the crying baby’s cheek and he immediately quieted down a little.

Hermione looked up at Remus. “Thank you so much. I’m sorry I’m late.”

“It’s fine. I think you’re just in time for bed, really.”

“His things?”

“Bedroom.”

She disappeared deeper into the flat. Remus looked over at him and raised an amused eyebrow.

“Did you two run into each other outside?”

“We had dinner,” Harry told his uncle with a sly grin.

Remus raised an eyebrow as he grinned back. “Oh? I thought it was a one-off?”

Remus bounced Hugo as he started to fuss louder again. Harry joined his uncle and ducked his head to say hello to the baby. Hugo’s brown eyes immediately caught on Harry. He reached out for him with a cry of distress.

Harry took the baby, a little surprised at the infant’s desire to be in his arms. He thought about it as he bounced the baby and realised it made sense. Hermione was pregnant with his kid. Her baby was a Potter and so she would be generating low levels of Potter magic because of it. Harry couldn’t feel it himself, but Hugo was young enough that his magic would be sensitive enough to do so. Harry’s magic probably felt comforting to the baby because he also recognized it in his mum.

“Harry,” Remus said and Harry's head snapped up at the admonishing tone of his uncle's voice. The werewolf was giving him a hard look. “You're in the program.”

“I- yes?”

“Hermione isn't. And asking her to join it could force her to lose custody of Hugo. I'm not sure what game you think you're playing, but it isn't going to end well for Hermione or her baby. I suggest you reevaluate.”

Harry blinked once as he processed his uncle's words. Hermione had said that Remus and Rosemerta were like grandparents to Hugo, he hadn't realised that the two might be like parents to Hermione. He was surprised at his uncle choosing Hermione over him. Mostly, he was pleased. He felt warm inside to know that Remus and Rosemerta loved her so dearly. It was the least of what Hermione deserved.

“I'm not playing games,” he assured the older man gently. “I promise you. In the morning, everything will be explained. Trust me, Moony.”

Remus’ brows drew together but he nodded once, tightly. 

Hermione returned and smiled with happy surprise when she found Hugo in Harry’s arms. Her smile froze when she reached them and her eyes darted back and forth between the two wizards.

“Everything alright here?”

Harry raised his eyebrows at Remus. The werewolf tilted his head.

“You'll be by in the morning for breakfast?” Remus asked but it came out more like an expectation. 

Hermione didn't even blink. “Of course. Usual time?”

“Sounds good, love.” Remus pressed a kiss to the top of her head and then kissed Hugo’s cheek. He raised an eyebrow at Harry. “I'll see you soon.”

“No doubt about it,” Harry returned easily.

Hugo made a noise of distress as he rubbed his eyes. 

“Don’t worry,” Hermione soothed, “we’re going home now. I think I have everything.”

“I’ll owl you whatever I find thrown under the couches,” Remus told her.

Hermione smiled. “Thank you again. See you in the morning.” Hermione turned back to Hugo. “ Come on, baby. Let’s go home ,” she said in French.

Harry grinned at the sound of it. He remembered her whispering to herself in French as she worked in the Heads Office during their seventh year. He’d been so curious and had started to learn it so that he could hear what she was saying, desperately hoping in his teenage mind that it was about how fanciable she found him.

It was about schoolwork, of course. But learning French had served him well when he worked in the ICW. He’d gone from a beginner to an intermediate by the end of his career. He wasn’t fluent, by any means, but he liked to think he’d be able to keep up if she wanted to bring their child up with French alongside English.

“Night, Remus,” he bid as he followed Hermione back downstairs. 

Remus’ farewell followed them back out into the early night. 

The sun was already set, but that had more to do with the time of year than any general late hour.

“Dare I ask what that was about?” 

Harry hummed. “Remus knows I'm in the program and that I can only marry someone else in the program.”

“Ah. Wait. Was he giving you the shovel talk?”

“Pretty much.”

“He's your uncle!” Hermione laughed.

“Yeah, sure. But he loves you like a daughter.”

Hermione smiled gently and looked away. They continued on in silence. Hugo cooed and snuggled closer to Harry.

“He likes you,” Hermione told him happily.

Harry grinned at the baby before turning his smile on her. “I can’t blame him. I’m pretty great.”

She laughed. “And so modest.”

“It’s one of my best qualities,” he quipped, “and I have plenty of them.”

She shook her head at him. Hugo began to fuss and squirm again as they made it back to her building at the edge of Hogsmeade. Hermione led them up to the third floor and immediately stopped at the sight that greeted them.

Ron Weasley was waiting on her doorstep.

“Ron?”

He turned and his eyes widened at the sight of Harry standing there beside his ex and holding his son. Harry didn’t blame him. He’d probably be stunned too, in the other man’s shoes. 

“What’s going on here?” he demanded more than asked.

The ginger’s shoulders drew back and he sniffed as if looking down his pointed nose to Harry. Harry kept his expression carefully neutral. He knew from experience that Weasley had a short temper. Even the barest hint of humour or annoyance on Harry’s part was liable to set the other man off.

 “What’re you doing here?” Hermione asked instead of answering.

Weasley made a face like he smelled something bad. His eyes flickered away from Harry and focused on Hermione. “Mum wanted you and Hugo to stay at the Burrow for the next night or two. We’ve got a lot of planning to do.”

“The Burrow ?” Hermione responded, her shock betrayed by her voice. “I haven’t been there in months. Why on earth would I stay there?”

“To help with the wedding!” Weasley responded, irritated. He glared past her to Harry. “So, you can fuck off then, alright?”

“Ronald!” Hermione snapped. “I’ve told you not to swear in front of Hugo.”

Weasley rolled his eyes and huffed loudly. He opened his mouth to respond, but Hermione cut him off.

“I’m not going to the Burrow. You can’t just come here and take me away to a place I’ve hardly been welcomed.”

“Mum’s welcoming!” Weasley argued.

Hermione scoffed loudly. Harry looked down to cover his amusement. 

“Please, your mother hates me.”

“Well, she’s happy now, so will you just-”

“-No. Go home, Ronald.”

Weasley’s brows furrowed. “Did you not want to plan the wedding? Isn’t that what girls like? All the frills and flowers?” He sighed and waved a hand at her. “I should have known you wouldn’t like any of that pretty stuff. You never really cared about appearances until well after school.”

Hermione stepped forward. “You mean I didn’t care how I looked while I was grieving for my parents? Honestly, Ronald, how insensitive can you be?”

Weasley narrowed his eyes and his cheeks flushed red. His eyes shifted to Harry just behind Hermione where he was still holding Hugo. 

“Alright, I think that’s enough of a show.” He stepped forward and gestured for Harry to give him Hugo. “Hand over the kid and get out of here, Potter.”

Harry didn’t move. He turned to Hermione to see what she wanted him to do.

“Harry was invited, you were not. I think you should be leaving, Ronald.”

“Invited?” Weasley snarled. His face turned an even darker shade of red before he roared, “What? You’re fucking him?”

Hugo cowered into Harry’s chest and began to cry.

“Alright,” Harry soothed.

He stepped back and gently jiggled Hugo as he murmured quietly. The baby clutched his jacket as he continued to cry. Harry looked over the baby’s shoulder at the couple that had dissolved into an all-out shouting match. 

“We’re getting married!” Weasley shouted.

“Over my dead bloody body you absolute slime-ball !”

“Fine, then! Give me my son. I’m taking him home.”

“No, you bloody well are not!”

Harry turned away and continued to soothe Hugo. On a whim and not really sure if it’d work, Harry sent a tendril of Potter magic to the baby. Hugo gasped wetly and turned big brown eyes on Harry. He blinked widely before curling into the older wizard’s chest with a soft sigh. Harry continued to gently sway back and forth, shushing softly as he blanketed the baby in soothing Potter magic.

“Mama,” Hugo whimpered.

“Mama’s right here,” Hermione said. 

She held out her hands and Hugo immediately stretched towards her. Hermione sighed as she snuggled her baby to her chest. She pressed a soft kiss to his head. 

“Oh, you poor thing, you’re going to be so tired by the time you get in bed, aren’t you?”

Harry looked around to make sure that Weasley was gone. “What did you say to get him to leave?”

She shrugged. “I told him that I’m breastfeeding and if he took Hugo, his mother would kill him for me.” She looked up at him with a devious little grin that did bad things to Harry’s blood pressure. “As much as Mrs. Weasley and I do not get along, she’s fiercely protective of anyone she considers a Weasley.”

Harry nodded. “And if Weasley forcibly took Hugo while you and he still had a strong magical link, he would severely hurt Hugo’s magic.”

“Exactly,” she responded triumphantly.

“That doesn’t mean he won’t come back with his father and order you to go to the Burrow with Hugo. Disobeying would also hurt Hugo’s magic.”

Hermione's triumph fell away in a flash and Harry felt bad for doing that. “Is that true?”

He nodded. “But they can’t do that if they can’t find you. Fancy a stay at Tetwell?”

“What’s Tetwell?”

“The Potter family estate. I’m staying there with my family while I take on more responsibilities as my father’s heir. There’s more than enough room for you and Hugo.”

Hermione swayed Hugo gently while she considered that. “I don’t want to be a burden?”

He shrugged and nodded. “I can take you to Lord Nott instead, if you’d rather?”

The face Hermione made at that suggestion showed how little she liked that idea.

“I know you'd rather go back to the Lupins, but something tells me Ron would find you there. And I would prefer you being closer, if it’s all the same.”

Hermione and Hugo stared up at him together with matching brown eyes. Hugo had his mother's dark curls and long eyelashes. They were beautiful and Harry couldn’t help but imagine that their baby would look the same. 

Their baby . The thought sent a thrill through his body. 

“I wouldn’t mind visiting Tetwell,” she agreed softly. “As long as you’re certain I won’t be a burden?”

He smiled warmly. “Absolutely, positive.” He gestured to her door. “Did you want to pack a few things?”

She nodded and he followed her into the apartment. The second Harry passed over the threshold, he frowned. An odd tingle of magic passed over him. It wasn’t her security wards, which she had lowered when he entered. This was something separate.

Hermione went around the tiny apartment, baby on one hip and wand in hand as she quickly pulled together a bag. 

Harry turned and eyed the door frame as he tried to pick apart what magic was lingering on the home. There was a picture on the wall beside the door. Harry stepped closer and recognised the adolescent face of Hermione standing with her parents. 

Hugo Granger stood tall and proud with dark hair and dark eyes. He looked just like his father, Lord Ted Nott, and even like Theo as well. Helena Granger was a short, curvy woman with dark skin and curly brown hair. She was stunning as she stood with her small family, all three of them smiling widely.

Harry picked the picture off the wall and something immediately fell to the floor with a little clink . The final ward he’d felt fell around them.

“What was that?” Hermione asked, purse in hand and ready to go.

“A ward,” Harry responded as he knelt down. 

He grabbed what had fallen from behind the hanging picture. It was a small circle, the size of a coin and made of copper. It was pressed flatter than wizarding money and looked similar to something out of an ancient magical society.

“It was tied to this coin. Spells need a conductor like this sometimes.”

“To make it continuous,” Hermione explained and Harry looked up, suddenly remembering that she was a spell creator . “The disk acts as a conductor to ensure the spell remains in place unless the conductor is disturbed.” She shook her head. “I didn’t put that there.”

Harry turned it over in his hand before pocketing it. “We’ll take a closer look at Tetwell, let’s get Hugo in bed before we pass the point of no return.”

Hermione smiled. “Appreciated.”

He held out a hand and couldn’t help but feel incredibly pleased when she stepped into his embrace. He gave a small warning before turning and apparating them to his family home.

Chapter Text

Chapter Six

~ September 12th, 2008 ~

“This is the parlour room,” Harry explained as he showed Hermione to a room already warm from a roaring fire. The couches were soft leather and the walls painted dark blue. “Through the doors on the left is my bedroom. To the right is yours.” He turned to her and shrugged. “Tetwell Estate was designed for when couples still kept separate bedrooms.”

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him. “You do realise this isn’t an estate, it's a castle , right?”

“I mean, it’s a small one?”

Hermione huffed a short laugh. She turned to the double doors on the right and Harry quickly opened them for her. The bedroom on the other side was done up in soft colours, decorated with flowered curtains and a large, soft bed. He’d had it redesigned in sixth year, after he’d gotten to know Hermione and learned that she was his magical match. He’d designed it specifically for her and having her there now, standing amidst the room he’d once imagined her staying in over a school break was surreal.

“It’s beautiful,” she said, voice soft.

“I’m glad you like it.”

She handed him Hugo and opened up her little beaded purse. With a quick wave of her wand, a crib appeared from the depths of the purse and grew to size. It was placed against the wall beside the doors that led back into the parlour.

“We do have a nursery, if you like?”

Hermione shook her head. “I’d feel more comfortable with him close by.”

“Of course.” 

“ Come on, darling. It’s past your bedtime now, ” she soothed to the baby in French. 

Hermione took Hugo back and sat down on a low cushioned bench at the end of the bed. 

“Mama,” Hugo whined.

She gently bounced him in her arms as she got him settled at her breast. “ I know ,” she crooned softly. “ It’s okay, my love. Everything’s okay now. ”

Harry sat beside her as she began to nurse her son.

“I’m sorry,” she said into the sudden stillness of the room, “about Ronald and the fight.”

“I’m happy I was there. I don’t like the thought of you facing his temper alone.”

She rolled her eyes, a hint of amusement in the twitch of her lips. “I can handle Ronald’s temper. He could never handle mine .”

Harry’s mouth stretched into a small grin. “Duly noted.”

“Thank you, though,” she added after a moment. “For staying when you saw him and… for not getting involved in the fight.”

“Like I said, I’m happy I was there. I’ll stand by you as long as you want me there.”

Hermione’s eyes teared as she shook her head. “I don’t know what I want. Ron was just… I had to do everything on my own when I got pregnant with Hugo. It was terrifying. It was- thinking about how I’m pregnant again now, I just… I’m scared.” She turned to him with watery brown eyes and flushed pink cheeks. “I don’t know you,” she whispered. “Not really. Not the way I should, considering the circumstances.”

Harry nodded slowly. “I understand. And I imagine that me simply telling you I’m not going anywhere isn’t going to be enough.” He leaned forward and gently cupped her cheek with his hand. “But I promise to try to show you with my actions how devoted to this I am. To you, to Hugo, and to our baby too.”

Hermione surprised him when she grabbed his tie and tugged him forward for a kiss. He didn’t hesitate to reciprocate. She pulled away a second later, far too soon for Harry’s liking but he held back. He licked his lips and savoured the tingle of her magic on his tongue.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Harry smiled softly. His eyes traced her features. She truly was the most beautiful witch he’d ever seen. Every time he saw her, she defied his memory. The thought of her was nothing in comparison to the reality of having her there in front of him, only a hair's breadth away. 

Harry leaned in slightly and when Hermione did the same, he could barely control his excitement. His lips barely brushed her own again when his signet ring warmed. Harry pulled back with a sigh.

“What’s wrong?”

Harry raised his left hand and looked at the Potter heir ring on his pointer finger. “My father is calling me.” He looked up at her. “Will you be okay for a few minutes?”

“Of course, you need to go. Is he far?”

He shook his head. “Just in his study. Do you need anything before I go? I can grab a changing table or-”

“-I have everything I need.”

She hesitated and Harry raised an eyebrow. He ignored the second warming on his ring. His father rarely called him a second time and never so quickly after the first. 

“But?” Harry pressed.

“Do you think I could owl my… grandfather when you get back? I’d like to tell him what’s happened with Ron. Ron doesn’t know I’ve figured a way out of things but I don’t really want to risk it.”

Harry’s chest tightened with worry. He nodded. “That’s a good plan, I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll be in the parlour once Hugo’s down.”

Harry nodded again before jumping up and heading out into the hallway. His ring warmed for a third time and Harry twisted it nervously. He rushed to his father’s study and didn’t bother to knock on the door as he entered.

“Dad? What’s- Miss Weasley?”

“Harry!” Ginny exclaimed. 

She raced across the room and threw herself into his arms. Harry stiffened. He shot a confused look over her shoulder to his parents, neither of which looked very impressed with him. What the hell was going-

“-The dinner,” he remembered suddenly. 

Ginny pulled back but kept her hands on his arms. She met his gaze with obvious concern. “You didn’t show up and I was worried, since you really aren’t known for just disappearing. I thought…” She blushed and smiled in a self-pitying way. “Well, honestly, I thought maybe you had cold feet after the implications of our dinner-”

“-There were no implications,” he cut her off.

“Harry,” his mother interjected with a warning tone. 

He swallowed and stepped back until he was out of Ginny’s reach. “I’m sorry I worried you, Miss Weasley, but something came up that took precedence,” he lied easily. “Of course, I should have owled you. I apologise.”

“It’s fine, Harry,” she stepped forward and touched his arm again. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Harry wrapped his hand around her wrist and gently pulled it off his arm before letting go. “It’s Healer Potter,” he reminded her and watched as her cheeks flushed red.

His mother was glaring at him, shaking her head at his attitude. He didn’t care. It was entirely inappropriate for Ginny to just come to his home and tell his parents he was missing . 

“I appreciate your concern, Miss Weasley, but next time I’d rather you owl my department rather than come to my family home and worry my parents.”

Ginny’s blush darkened. She drew her shoulders back as she valiantly tried to save face. “Sorry– Healer Potter. I did really think it was cold feet-”

“-We agreed to have dinner,” Harry cut her off. He was not entertaining any of her fanciful thoughts. “I don’t appreciate you trying to turn that into more than it is, especially in front of my parents. There was no implication that I was going to marry you and implying there was in front of my parents won’t get you a proposal.”

His mother dropped her face into her hands while his father outright glared at him.

“I’m sorry,” he said to the room at large, “but I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings here.” He turned to Ginny and stared directly into her eyes. “I have made my decision, Miss Weasley, and I’m not going to marry you.”

Ginny blinked quickly. She looked down at her hands. “Right. Sorry.” She cleared her throat. “I should go.”

“Mum, will you see her out?”

Lily shot him a look. “Honestly, Harry,” she scolded as she headed to Ginny’s side. 

She wrapped a comforting arm around the witch who was beginning to quietly cry. Harry looked away with a twinge of regret. He hadn’t wanted to make her cry . 

“Come on, dear.”

The door snicked shut behind them and Harry turned to face his furious father.

“Do you want to explain before or after I start?” James asked.

Harry didn’t have time to respond before James began ranting.

“You’ve got be fucking with me! How many times do I have to tell you, this is your future . This is your life . I understand you don’t want to get married but-”

Harry unbuttoned his jacket and tossed it over the end of the couch as his father continued his rant. He went and poured three glasses of scotch and handed one off to his father even as he continued his tirade.

“-I mean, honestly, could you have been any ruder? Witches talk, you know!” James took the glass. “Thank you,” he said before continuing. “No one wants to marry a bloke who’s so callous and rude. When did you become so callous? Who taught you that?”

Harry sat back in his armchair with a sigh and sipped his scotch. He watched his father idly until his mother returned. She closed the door behind her and joined Harry.

“Scotch for you,” he told her in a low voice, so as to not disturb his father’s rant.

“Thanks, love.” She picked it up before grabbing a seat at the end of the couch closest to him. She leaned towards him and whispered, “How long has he been going?”

“Since you left.”

“I’m sorry,” James interrupted, “am I bothering you two? Would you like a charcuterie to go with your drinks?”

Lily brightened. “That’d be lovely.”

James gestured wildly at Harry. “You can’t condone this behaviour.”

“Oh, not at all. But he’s also not a little boy and if he wants to make his own life more difficult, that’s his decision.”

James tipped his head back. “Argh!”

“In other news,” Harry cut in, “I’m getting married.”

His parents’ heads whipped around to him. Harry sipped his scotch and grinned at them.

James looked less than pleased. “You signed a contract without me? Harry? What the hell did you agree to?”

“No contract, well, I’m sure there will be a very in-depth one later.” Especially considering Lord Nott was going to be involved.

“Right, I’m sorry. I thought we were working this out together? All of us?" James gestured, almost spilling his drink as he did. "Who is this witch?”

Harry looked down at his glass as a smile touched his face. He could barely contain his excitement as he met his father’s eyes and said, “My magical match.”

His mother gasped. “Harry!” she exclaimed. She nearly dropped her glass in her haste to set it down before rushing to his chair and pulling him into her embrace.

Harry laughed and wrapped his free arm around her waist. She kissed the top of his head.

“You found her?” his father confirmed. James sat down at the edge of the coffee table, happiness and no small amount of wonder on his face. “After all this time?”

Harry squirmed in his seat. “I always knew who she was. She was just with someone else.”

“Oh, Harry,” his mother soothed. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his head again before pulling back. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

“It’s alright, mum. It’s worked out now, hasn’t it?”

“She’s agreed to marry you?” James confirmed.

Harry nodded. “She’s also in the program. Her ex signed their son up and it means she’s got to get married. He tried to manipulate her into thinking that meant she could only marry him .”

James’ eyes narrowed. “Where do you come in?”

Harry released a long breath. “She’s pregnant with my child.”

James’ eyes widened. Lily raised a hand to her heart.

“You’re sure it’s yours?” his father pressed.

Harry nodded. “She’s exuding Potter magic.”

“How far along is she?”

“About five weeks.”

James eyed Harry curiously. “Her name?”

“Hermione Granger.”

James didn’t look surprised. Lily, on the other hand, made a small gasp of shock. 

She grabbed her son’s shoulder. “Please, tell me you aren’t joking.”

Harry’s brows drew together. “Why would I be joking?”

“Hermione Granger is brilliant!” Lily exclaimed. “She’s a magical prodigy. Have you read her papers? Her last one on-”

“-Lils,” James sighed.

“As if you don’t also think she’s brilliant. Remus loves her – practically wants to adopt her.”

“What I think is she’s in a very serious situation, pregnant with Harry’s child whilst also already having had the son of a wizard from an important magical family. I don’t think Ron Weasley is going to politely bow out of this fight.”

Lily’s eyes widened. “Weasley?” She shot her son with an annoyed look. “So, you decided to go and make an already difficult situation worse by making his only sister cry?”

Harry scowled. “I didn’t mean to make her cry. And no,” he snapped, turning back to his father, “I don’t think Weasley is going to be all that polite about any of this. But he wasn’t being too polite in the first place when he drugged her with fertility potions.”

That shut his parents up for a moment. Finally, James asked, “Do you have proof of this?”

“Me? No. But it’s Hermione, so I suspect so. Her grandfather is handling the case.”

James titled his head. “Lord Nott?”

Harry raised an eyebrow. “How’d you know that?”

“The only other reasons Lord Nott would pay for a random witch’s medical bills were if she were his illegitimate daughter or mistress. Clearly, she isn’t his mistress, so…” He shrugged.

Harry scowled at the thought and ran a hand down his face. “Please, don’t ever mention that in front of Hermione. Draco Malfoy already said as much to her face. She’s really not handling the secretly not a muggle-born thing well, I don’t think.”

Lily nodded. “I’d probably have a mental breakdown. You spend your whole life fighting the system, proving you’re not just good enough to be here but possibly even better . If I found out I wasn’t a muggle-born, I’m not sure I’d be able to face it, honestly.”

James reached over and took his wife’s hand with a soft smile. “You would. You’d face it brilliantly.”

Lily smiled back lovingly.

Harry couldn’t help but watch his parents, warmth and love shining in his chest. He wanted to one day have his own children watch on, while he stared lovingly into his wife’s eyes. He was going to get that chance now. The reality of it crashed over him and he sucked in a breath. 

He was going to marry Hermione Granger. His hands were shaking. He fought down the tears that threatened to overwhelm him.

“How long do we have before she has to get married?”

Harry took a deep breath to collect himself. He looked up. “Less than two weeks. We said we’d do a handfasting this weekend, but I think we should do it tonight.”

Lily frowned and shifted in her seat on the armrest of his chair. “Why? What’s happened?”

“Miss Weasley was here,” James guessed. “One Weasley is trying to marry you and the other is trying to marry Hermione.”

Lily nodded. “I’ll grab Pandora tomorrow. The two of us will do some espionage at the ministry.”

“I’ll ask Sirius to dig around as well. He’ll claim it’s for a client or something.”

Harry nodded. “Hermione wants to owl Lord Nott, so we might as well call him here too.”

His parents raised their eyebrows at him. “Is she here now ?” his father wanted to know.

Harry tried not to cower back in his chair like a naughty schoolboy. “Yes? And Hugo, her son.”

“That would have been nice to know,” James drawled.

“Weasley was on her doorstep when we got there. They got into a big fight.”

Lily turned to James. “Can the Weasleys push the wedding date up?”

He shook his head. “Not in the middle of the night, no. But once the ministry opens up, with their family’s standing, and the fact that one of his brothers is a well-respected ministerial worker? Probably.” James stood with a sigh and headed to his desk. “I’m owling Lord Nott now. We need to have a contract assembled as quickly as possible. I’ll have Sirius come and represent our family for the contract discussions.” He paused and hummed. “I wonder if we can have Lord Nott become our new family solicitor? He’s ruthless,” James finished with delight.

Harry rubbed his eyes. “Great. We should also owl Remus and Rose, come to think of it. I think she'd appreciate their support. But, I'm pretty sure they have no idea what's going on.” 

“About the baby?”

“About any of it. I saw Remus earlier. He has no idea Hermione has been entered into the program.”

James sighed and rubbed his forehead. “I don't want to be the messenger,” he whined. “Remus always kills the messenger.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “ I'll go get Remus. Cowards,” she hissed at her husband and son as she moved to leave.

“Love you, Lils.”

“Thanks, mum!”

“Oh, wait!” Harry called after her before she could leave. “Can you take a look at this too?” He handed her the coin he’d found at Hermione’s flat. “It was being used as a conductor at Hermione’s flat, but she’s never seen it. I think Weasley put it there and I want to know what it does.”

Lily nodded and took the coin. “I’ll take a look. We’ll hand it off to Lord Nott when he gets here, if it’s relevant to the Weasleys.” Lily turned and made her exit.

James clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Harry, congratulations.”

He couldn’t help but smile at his father’s words. “Thank you.”

“You’re going to be an incredible father and probably husband, just don’t be an arse.”

Harry grinned. “I’ll just do the opposite of what you do with mum.”

“ Oi .”

~ * ~

~ September 12th, 2008 ~

Hermione stared down at Hugo's sleepy face at her breast. His eyes were closed and he was definitely asleep. She should transfer him to the crib, but the very thought of letting go of him after her fight with Ron was too much. 

Her eyes teared as she remembered the cry Hugo had made when Ron had tried to take their son. Her baby. 

She thought about the plans she and her grandfather had laid. All the various options they would have to consider if plan A or B fell through. She didn't like the idea of having her and Harry blood adopt Hugo, but she would do it if it came to that. The Weasleys could sue for it, but Lord Nott had waved it away, claiming he'd happily pay the fines. 

Her reluctance came from the all-encompassing aspects of the spell. Hugo would look different. His magic would be different. The version of her son in her arms wouldn't exist anymore and the very idea of it broke her heart. He was too young to make a decision about it himself. She'd be basically forcing him into being someone else.

Lord Nott had tried to explain it wasn't quite like that, but it felt like it to Hermione. She didn't want to do it, not unless they had to.

A knock came at the door before opening. Hermione's head shot up and her eyes widened when she saw Rose's familiar face.

“Rose!” Hermione exclaimed in a loud whisper. 

Rose smiled lovingly. She entered and Remus came in behind her. Hermione gently pulled herself free from Hugo and fixed her top. Remus gestured and Hermione handed the baby over with a flash of unease, still upset about everything that had happened earlier. Her unease all but disappeared with the way Remus gently cradled the baby in his arms. He pressed a loving kiss to Hugo's head before placing him in the crib. 

Rose took Hermione's hand and the three went into the parlour room. Remus closed the door behind himself and turned to Hermione. He and Rose raised their eyebrows.

“You're in so much trouble,” Rose scolded her gently.

Hermione cringed. “I'm sorry.”

“You should have told us."

“I didn't want Remus to kill Ron.”

“I wouldn't have gotten caught,” Remus responded darkly.

Hermione laughed. “I'm aware. That wasn't why I didn't want you to do it. He's still Hugo's father and as shitty of a partner as he is, he's a good dad.”

“Good?” Remus gestured. “He's never even around.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Fine. Half decent. He's not bad .”

“Hermione.”

“He hadn't done anything to warrant killing,” she finished.

“I beg to differ,” Remus scoffed.

“Rose,” she sighed, hoping the older witch would take her side in the face of Remus’ obstinance. 

Rose wrapped her hands around Hermione’s upper arms as she stared seriously into the younger witch’s eyes. “We just want you safe. Happy. And healthy. We love you so much. You and Hugo both.”

Hermione nodded quickly as she fought down her tears. “I know.”

Rose gently stroked a lock of curls back from Hermione’s face. “Please, don't hide things from us.”

“I'm pregnant,” Hermione blurted out.

Remus’ head shot up. Rose blinked. “What?”

“Relax, it's Harry's.”

Remus rubbed his face tiredly. “And how do you feel about this?” he asked, voice weary.

“Terrified. I didn't exactly have a lot of support the last time around. Hugo is still so young. I mean, we're getting married but-”

“-What the fuck?” Remus exclaimed. He closed his eyes and raised his hand. “Sorry. Excuse my language.” He took a breath and stared at her. “What the fuck?”

Hermione frowned. “What did you think was happening?”

“All Lily told us was that Ron showed up and that he'd had you entered into the Magical Matches Program against your will. You fought about it and now you're here.”

Hermione raised her eyebrows. “Oh. Uhm.” Harry had been gone a while so it made sense that he told his parents what was happening. Hermione wasn’t sure how she felt about not being included in that conversation. “That happened a few weeks ago,” she explained lamely.

“Hermione…” Remus sighed.

“I'm sorry! I just…” She gestured as she began to ramble. “I was trying to find a way out of it. And then I realised I was pregnant and the baby belonged to someone else and I sort of spiralled.”

“I knew something was wrong,” Rose sighed. “I just thought you'd fought with Ron about the usual, though. I should have pressed it.”

“It's not your fault. I'm an adult. I chose not to tell you and I'm sorry. You two have been there for me when- when no one else was,” she finished as she began to cry. 

Rose pulled her into a warm hug. 

Hermione rested her head on the other witch’s shoulder. “I'm just- my head is spinning. So much is happening.”

“Your head is spinning?” Remus teased. “A minute ago you had a one-off with Harry and now you're getting married. Can we get a bit more of an outline about how this all came about?”

“How long have you two been together?” Rose added.

Hermione blinked and her cheeks burned as she pulled back. She rubbed the tears on her cheeks away. “Uhm. We're not? It was just a… I mean I would have owled him. But… Ron showed up and sort of derailed things by putting us into the Matches Program. But I have to marry someone in the program and Harry does too and I'm having his baby.” She gestured.

Remus raised his eyebrows. “You're having the Potter heir.”

“Well, yes,” she replied lamely. “There's a lot of reasons.”

“What about wanting to? Do you want to marry him?”

“If it means not marrying Ron-”

Remus waved his hand. “-Take Ron out of the equation.”

“I can't. He's there. He always will be.”

And it was true. He was the father of her son, for better or for worse. The only way out of that would be to blood adopt Hugo. It was still on the table, but she didn’t want to do it. Not because she wanted to keep Ron in her life, but to keep Hugo in her life the way he had come into it. Making a choice like that should be Hugo’s , not her own.

Remus sighed. “Hermione, don't rush into something just to run away from something else.”

“I have to marry someone in the program. It would be ridiculous to marry someone that wasn't Harry. I'm having his baby.”

Rose shook her head. “That wasn't enough reason to marry Ron.”

“Ron and I had massive issues. Look, I'm not saying I'm not scared. I am. I think this has a very high likelihood of going bad fast, but… I'm also not alone. I know that if Harry and I don't get along, Remus and you will protect me. My- my grandfather will too.”

Remus raised his eyebrow. “Your grandfather?”

She nodded. “Lord Nott. I met him recently and he was… odd. Very kind and reaching out a lot. Theo, his son and my friend, encouraged me to take the help. I eventually went to him for legal advice about all of this. As it turns out, he was reaching out because he's my grandfather. Surprise?”

Remus raised his fingers to his forehead as he released a long, heavy sigh. 

She winced visibly. “I'm sorry. I'm happy you're here though.”

“There is no place we'd rather be, love.” Rosemerta pulled Hermione into her arms again. “Come on, Harry told us to bring you to the library when you were ready.”

“He owled you?”

“Lily apparated over. It’s faster.” Remus headed for the door and opened it for them. “Come on. Place a spell on Hugo's crib and we can go see how the negotiations are going.”

“Negotiations?” she asked even as she moved to do as Remus said. When she was finished placing a simple alert charm over Hugo's bed, she joined them in the hallway.

“You're a Nott marrying into the Potter family,” Remus explained as they headed through Tetwell Estate. “Moreover, you're marrying the heir. You're going to be the Lady of the House one day. You're already carrying the heir. It's not going to be a simple marriage contract.”

Hermione frowned. She felt a little overwhelmed when Remus put it like that. “We don't need a contract.”

“All marriages are contracts,” Rose told her.

Hermione supposed that was true. “It's not going to be terribly antiquated though, will it?”

Remus shrugged. “James’ and Lily's wasn't. But your grandfather is very traditional, I've heard. I'm sure he has a dowry set aside for your own person.”

“Like… To give to the Potters?” She wrinkled her nose.

Remus grinned at her. “No, wizarding dowries are for the wife. It's to ensure you have your own money and don't remain dependent on your partner. It's also a standard way of passing down heirlooms.”

“Oh.” 

That didn't sound too bad. She wondered if her grandfather had anything that belonged to her father. Or perhaps even her late grandmother that she looked so much like.

They reached the library to find a small congregation of people sitting together around the fireplace. Harry and his father were sitting side by side, looking closer to brothers than they did father and son.

Sirius Black was lounging in an armchair, a glass of whiskey in his hand. Ted Nott was sitting in the armchair opposite, hunched over a long parchment like a commander at war giving final death orders. Theo was standing to the side at a desk with Lily Potter and Neville Longbottom.

“Neville?” 

Everyone looked over. Hermione felt her face flush as everyone turned to her. Everyone in this room knew she had a one-night stand with Harry Potter on his birthday and got pregnant. She was related to two of the people in this room and Harry related to the others.

Hermione cleared her throat even as her blush deepened. She headed across the room to Neville, Lily, and Theo.

Neville shifted on his feet. “Hey.”

“How are you?” Theo asked seriously as his eyes flickered across her.

“I’m fine.”

“Harry said you and Weasley fought.”

She shook her head. “It was just verbal. We both have nasty tempers. We usually keep it away from Hugo. He was distressed.”

“He’s alright?” Theo asked.

She smiled, thinking of the horror on his face when she’d dumped Hugo into his lap weeks ago and now he was asking after the baby. “He’s sleeping.”

“Did you have everything you needed for him?” Lily asked.

Hermione turned to the witch and swallowed. She was a huge fan of Lily Potter and her numerous charms papers. She and her husband had done incredible work for muggle-born rights in the Wizarding World since they got married.

“I- yes, thank you. It’s a lovely room.”

Lily grinned. “Harry will be happy to hear you like it.”

Hermione tilted her head at that response. 

“Lils,” James called from where the others were sitting, “we need your input.”

“Coming!” Lily gently touched Hermione’s arm. “We’re happy to have you here with us, Hermione. We’ll have tea tomorrow. I desperately want to discuss your latest paper.”

“Oh.” Hermione blinked widely. “I’d be honoured.”

Lily’s smile widened. She was an utterly stunning witch. Tall and beautiful, she towered over Hermione. She had long, soft orange hair and bright green eyes that her son had clearly inherited. She had a gentleness about her that was accentuated by the softness of her magical aura. It was rare to so clearly feel a magical aura around a person. It was normally the sign of a very powerful magical. It didn’t surprise Hermione at all to learn that muggle-born witch Lily Potter was extremely powerful.

Lily squeezed her arm once and then practically glided over to the others. Theo touched her shoulder in support before following her.

Hermione turned to Neville with wide eyes. “She’s like an angel,” she whispered.

Neville’s amused grin widened. “I think Harry will be upset if you start crushing on his mum.”

“Start?”

Neville covered his mouth as he snorted in amusement. 

Hermione grinned softly. “What’re you doing here?” she asked and hoped it didn’t sound as accusatory as it felt. 

Neville shifted on his feet again. He always did it when he was nervous. He gestured to a set of two comfy-looking armchairs by a large arched window. 

Hermione took a seat and turned to Neville expectantly. He still hadn't responded to a single letter she'd sent him since they spoke at the pub weeks ago. She was mad at him. Before, it had been her own fault. Now, she felt he at least had to admit he was being a git.

Neville cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders. “I'm going to be representing you against your ex.”

Hermione stared at him. “Are you?”

“Theo asked me to.”

Hermione stared at him. “You couldn’t have sent an owl?”

Neville sighed. “I did.” He pulled something from his pocket and held it out to her. It was the coin from her flat. “Auntie Lils looked at it. She called it a conductor?”

“Yes,” Hermione responded quietly as she took the coin. “It’s used to hold a spell for a continuous amount of time. It only falls when the conductor is removed.” She looked up at Neville expectantly.

“It's a mail ward,” Neville explained gently. “It's designed to stop all outgoing and incoming mail from selected recipients.” Neville shrugged. “I’m not surprised that Ron didn’t consider me good company. He takes offence to my dislike of quidditch.”

“And you take offence to him being a braggart and a bully.”

“Well, yes.”

Hermione’s lips wobbled as she tried to hold herself together. She stared down at the coin, forced to reevaluate all of her previously conceived opinions about her ex. The fertility potions had been a shock and betrayal. Baby trapping her in the hopes she’d marry him was ghastly, but she could at least rationalise it alongside what she knew of his extremely traditional upbringing. It was a huge breach of consent to her, but it wouldn't have been taught similarly to him. But this coin was different. This level of control and manipulation was abusive . It wasn’t a word she’d previously thought to attribute to her ex.

“Are you okay?” Neville asked, voice hushed.

Hermione shook her head. “How could I be so stupid?” she whispered back, fully aware that if she spoke any louder she would cry. 

“You’re not stupid,” Neville immediately responded, anger in his voice. “Hermione, you are a lot of things but you are not stupid. You were depressed. You lost everything and I wasn’t there for you. I- I should have stuck by you regardless.”

Hermione shook her head. “My mistakes are not your fault.” She raised the coin. “I am smart enough to figure this out.”

“How? He isolated you. We stopped talking before you even left Hogwarts.”

“I know,” she responded quietly.

“Hermione, you needed me. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have abandoned you.”

She sighed and shook her head again. “I get it. If you'd turned around and dated Pansy Parkinson, I probably wouldn't stick around too long either.”

Neville huffed loudly. “Merlin, I'd rather eat a blastended-skrewt.”

Hermione laughed. “Same.” She sniffed and brushed a tear away. “Is there anyone else affected by this charm? Anyone else I’ve been barred from?”

Neville shook his head and shrugged. “I don’t know how to figure that out. Auntie Lils and I only figured out it was affecting me because my letters never made it to you or yours to me.”

Hermione turned the coin over in her hands. “Can I keep this? Or do you need it for the case?”

“Auntie Lils wrote up the report on it already. It should be fine. Just don’t use it as a conductor until the trial is over.”

She shook her head. “I won’t.” She looked up from the coin again. “Why do you think he did it? We already weren’t talking.”

Neville shrugged. “From what Lord Nott has explained to us about the note from Mrs. Weasley, it's entirely possible Ron didn't do it – or at the very least, didn't know what it would do.”

Hermione blinked. “Oh.”

Neville was implying that Mrs. Weasley had him do this. She did this. Would Ron put a magical coin in her house without even asking what it would do? She wasn't sure and that was such a gutting realisation. She didn't know what he would have done. And even if he had done the bare minimum to ask what it did, would he have ever been able to tell if it was the truth or not? No. The answer to that was unequivocally a no.

“Did Mrs. Weasley ever talk about me?” Neville asked.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. “Uhm, no? Not that I can recall? Ron would get annoyed when I talked about you though. Or when I got upset about you for not responding to me. Why?”

“I just wondered if it was because…” He tilted his head.

Because he was bisexual.

Hermione shook her head. “They don’t know. And I never would have told them, Neville. I think it was just because we were friends. You were my support system.”

“Now Remus and Rose are,” Neville said. He glanced over to where the werewolf and his wife were sitting with the others. Hermione looked over too and immediately caught Harry’s eye. He looked concerned. She gave him a wobbly smile.

“I wonder why they aren’t in it?”

Hermione turned back to him. “What?”

“You owl with them, right? There have never been issues?”

“Uhm, no. But we live down the street from one another. It would have probably been much more noticeable.” She tilted her head. “And I don’t think Mrs. Weasley even knows how close I am with them. Ron knows they babysit sometimes. He might just think we’re friends.”

“Not family.”

She nodded.

Neville hummed. “Interesting. Okay. Good to know. Ah, here comes your overprotective baby daddy.”

Hermione blushed and glanced towards Harry who was heading across the study. “Shut up,” she hissed.

“I think he might fancy you,” Neville teased.

Hermione poked his arm. Neville stood with a laugh. He clapped Harry on the shoulder as they traded places.

“Alright?” Harry asked, green eyes flickering across her form as he took the seat his godbrother just vacated.

Hermione nodded. “Feeling a little low about myself,” she admitted as she raised the coin in explanation. “But otherwise… fine.” She looked up at him. “We’re getting married tonight, aren’t we?”

He nodded. “Ginny Weasley was here earlier. That’s why my father called me.”

Hermione frowned. “I… am confused. Why was Ginny here?”

“I agreed to have dinner with her before you showed up.”

Hermione’s eyebrows raised. She looked out the window. “Oh.”

“You weren’t on my list,” he gently explained. “I would have contacted you immediately if-”

“-Harry, you don’t need to lie. I get it. I’m having your heir . It’s a big deal-”

“-No. I mean, yes, it is. I won’t lie. But I also wasn’t lying when I told you I wanted you. I do.”

Hermione’s cheeks turned pink. She glanced at the others. She knew Remus could hear them with his canine hearing. She also knew James Potter and Sirius Black were registered as animagus and could undoubtedly hear them too. 

Hermione swallowed and tucked her curls behind her ears in a nervous gesture. “Harry-”

“-Nothing about this is exactly ideal. I get that. I understand you’re worried and frankly, so am I. We don’t know each other as well as either of us would like. But we’re going to be okay, Hermione. I can’t tell you why, I can’t tell you how – not yet… but we will be okay.”

Hermione stared at him. “If you tell me you’re psychic , the wedding is off.”

Harry smiled widely. He shook his head. “Magical families have gifts, ours is not considered to be the Sight.”

“Considered?” Hermione pressed.

Harry looked over at the others. Hermione followed his line of sight and saw James Potter give his son a flat look. Harry shrugged. James rolled his eyes and waved his hand before turning back to the others.

“Harry?”

He turned back to her. “Potters have the ability to know who their magical match is.”

Hermione blinked slowly. “You’re serious.”

He grinned and shrugged.

“And you think we are-”

“-I know. I’ve known since we were teenagers.”

Hermione’s brows drew together. She leaned forward. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because you are a person and you are able to make your own choices. And you don’t strike me as the type of person to enjoy learning that anything about your life might be predetermined.”

“I’m not,” she immediately agreed. She frowned. “Sorry, I just… I just learned the only long-term relationship I’ve ever had was riddled with manipulation and lies. I’m… not sure I can believe you.”

“I know. I’m not offended.”

She raised her eyebrows.

“I’m upset,” he admitted. “But it’s more on your behalf. I’m not offended.” He shrugged. “I’m pretty sure you won’t believe in this magic even ten years from now.”

“I probably won’t,” she admitted. “That’s why you think we’ll work out?”

“It’s why I know we will. Magical Matches are a lot less rare than you’d think. That’s why the Magical Match Program is being so well received. It’s about magical resonance. Magical compatibility, if you will. That can be measured and quantified nowadays.”

“But things like that can be skewed by a number of-” Hermione narrowed her eyes “-you said I wasn’t on your list.”

He shook his head. “No, but I assume that’s because Ron registered you after I received my list.”

“He registered me on your birthday," she corrected.

Harry shook his head. “What? No. That-” he turned in his chair to face the others. “Oi!”

Their hushed conversation cut off as heads turned in their direction.

“Does Hermione being registered through Hugo negate her from being made a part of the general matching process?” he asked the room of mostly lawyers.

Ted Nott sat back in his seat. “No. She would have received a list the same as anyone else.”

“I did,” Hermione stated. “Harry was on it.”

Harry's head whipped around to her. “I was?”

“Lad?” James asked.

Harry stood and held out a hand for Hermione. She took it and he led her back over to the others. She took a seat on the couch between Rose and Remus. Harry leaned his hands on the back of the couch.

“Hermione was never on any of my lists. That’s suspicious, isn’t it?”

“ Harry ,” James warned.

Harry shrugged unrepentantly. “This is important.”

“Be that as it may, it’s not information that can go to court.”

Ted and Theo glanced between James and Harry curiously. “Something we’re missing?” Ted asked.

James turned to Ted, mouth twisted in distaste. “Are you agreeing to become our family solicitor?”

“I am,” Ted intoned.

“Potters have the ability to know who their magical match is.”

“Most old families do,” Ted stated.

“They have ways of figuring it out,” James agreed. “Potters know . Love at first sight. We know. We always know exactly who it is.”

Ted’s head tilted. Theo’s eyes widened. “That’s… powerful,” Theo said.

“Yes, and a family secret . One we don’t want getting out,” James stressed as he levelled each of the Notts with a heavy look, Hermione included.

“It’s about magical compatibility, right?” Hermione asked. “The whole magical match thing?”

“It’s more intrinsic than that,” James explained. “But for the ministry, yes. That’s what it boils down to.”

“Then why wasn’t I on Harry’s list?” she asked.

“Maybe you’re not his match,” Ted stated.

“She is,” Harry snapped.

Ted raised an eyebrow at Harry and didn’t say anything.

“But I am pregnant,” Hermione said into the silence that followed. “I am pregnant with Harry’s baby. I have been through this whole process. If I’m generating Potter magic from the baby, then I should be at the top of Harry’s list. Right? Or am I generating Nott magic?”

Ted shook his head. “You are a Nott. The baby is a Potter. Potter magic has the sneaky ability to always win out during pregnancies conceived out of wedlock.”

Hermione raised her eyebrows. She looked behind her at Harry. “Is that a magical trait?”

“More of a quirk,” he admitted. “It’s because we’re prone to accidental pregnancies.”

“Yes, thank you,” James groused. 

Harry grinned and shrugged.

Sirius sat forward as he considered Harry and Hermione. “Little witch is right though. You should have been on Harry’s list. I’m not sure that helps us with custody or even the lawsuit against the Weasleys for the baby trapping. But it does imply there’s more going on here and Harry is involved in it.”

Ted nodded to Neville. “See if you can get a hold of those lists. The ministry should have them on file. They might help with your case.”

“What are they after?” Theo wondered aloud.

Remus raised an eyebrow at him. “After?”

Theo shrugged. “They've gone so far as to knock Hermione up and then trick her into thinking she had to marry Weasley, all this on top of separating her from her friends.”

Sirius shrugged. “All signs of a stereotypical abusive partner.”

Theo tilted his head. “And trying to get his sister to marry Harry? That’s a part of it? What do the both of them have that the Weasleys could possibly want?”

“I mean,” Hermione began weakly, “everyone knows the Weasleys have money problems. But I don’t make nearly as much money after getting pregnant. And Ron was very clear that he just wanted me to be a simple housewife after we married. It was one of the main reasons I told him no.”

Lily shook her head. “I don’t know if Ginny Weasley is really that involved. Or Harry, actually. They didn’t know Harry and Hermione had been together, right?”

Harry and Hermione shared a look. Harry shrugged. “We were both fairly drunk. Blaise and Cormac knew I slept with her. I mean, it wasn’t exactly a secret.”

“No,” Hermione said. “Ginny was surprised when she saw me at your office. I told her I had questions for you about a paper I was working on. She didn’t ask more about it and she didn’t look suspicious or upset at seeing me.”

Lily gestured to Hermione from her perch on the arm of James’ chair. “I don’t think Ginny is involved in this. She was genuinely distraught when she left earlier.”

“She was here?” Ted demanded.

Harry rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. “She wants to marry me. We’re in the program. I agree with mum, it’s not related. Ginny has always had a crush on me.”

“And you never pursued that?” Ted asked, disbelieving. “A young, attractive witch? Throwing herself at you?”

Harry glared at him. “No,” he snapped. “I took offence to the fact that her brother was fucking the witch of my dreams.”

Hermione bit her lip as her cheeks turned rosy. She turned and pressed her face into Remus’ arm. Remus’ body shook with quiet snickers.

“Is there a point to this line of questioning?” Harry continued, irately.

Lord Nott stared at Harry as he said, “Just want to ensure you aren’t more involved than you’re letting on.”

“Fuck you, Nott.”

“Alright!” James interrupted, hands raised for peace. “Harry. Settle. Ted, there isn’t much I can promise you about my idiot son, but I can promise you that he is as romantically faithful as any Slytherin.”

Ted tilted his head. “Well then, we need to figure out what the Weasleys are after.” He turned to Neville. “We don’t want any surprises with this. We aren’t risking them taking Hugo away.”

Neville nodded. “I’ll look into the Magical Matches Department. And while you lot move forward, make sure you’re aware of any Weasleys in and around your business.”

“What about we talk to the twins?” Harry asked. 

“The Weasley twins are estranged,” James responded.

“Yes, but that’s mostly from their parents. They’re still in touch with a few of their older siblings. It might be worth it to see if they’ve heard anything about what’s going on or know about anything that might have brought this about.”

Neville nodded. “I’ll go talk to them tomorrow.”

Theo looked up. “I’ll go with you.”

Neville agreed before making his goodbyes. He stopped by Hermione last and they shared a sad look.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

He shook his head. “ You have nothing to be sorry for.” He squeezed her arm. “I’ll be back tomorrow and I’ll bring Frank.”

Hermione nodded. “Thank you.”

Neville pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Have fun,” he whispered with a little smirk at her and Harry.

Harry laughed while Hermione scowled, cheeks red. “Everyone can hear you,” she hissed and valiantly ignored the way Sirius and Remus were chuckling.

“I’ll walk you out,” Lily offered. She and Neville left together.

James gestured for Harry to take a seat. “Come one then. We’re discussing your marriage, after all.”

Hermione couldn’t help but feel nervous. She didn’t know much of anything about marriage contracts. Rose took her hand and squeezed it in support. Hermione released a nervous breath. She felt infinitely better knowing she had Rose and Remus on either side of her.

She nodded at James and her grandfather. “Let’s get started.”