Pregnant by Possession [Harmione]

Like a Muggle

Hermione Granger

December 3rd 1998

4 Weeks Pregnant

Hermione shook her hand hurriedly, to try to get the cramp out. Madam Pomfrey stared at her bemusedly.

"You do know Miss Granger, there won't be a test on this information? And I do have some pamphlets and books for you to read."

Hermione nodded not looking up from the parchment as she scribbled all the information down. "I just don't want to forget anything. I need to talk to Harry about some of this too."

Pomfrey gave a soft smile at that. "Of course, my dear. I'm glad to see he will be so involved as a father."

Hermione briefly glanced up to give a wry smile, thinking of Harry's abrupt marriage demand. "I don't think I have to worry about his involvement."

She glanced at the stack of books Pomfrey had provided, noting their titles. "Which one of these covers the runic tattooing?"

"Oh I don't have one of those on hand actually, I'm writing to a colleague in France about it, most witches do not consider those to be an option."

Hermione thought about the information Pomfrey had provided, the tattoos really seemed to be only a benefit. "Why wouldn't they?"

"Mainly due to physical and social constraints, the ritual tattooing can be a bit arduous and painful. Then once completed its irreversible. There used to be a lot more runic tattooing done in the magical community in the 1600s but from the early 1700s to present there's been a ... negative view of the magic. Even now it has a close association with Dark magic. What's the first thing you think of when you consider a magical mark?"

Hermione's mind instantly provided the image of Lucius Malfoy sticking out his arm to call Voldemort. "I see what you mean."

Pomfrey continued her explanation. "Even among muggles tattooing has taken on negative connotations- so many especially, in Britain no longer use that kind of magic. Favoring shorter spells or charms. Runic tattooing remined a bit more popular in France, which is why I'm reaching out to colleagues there for some reference material. If that was something you were interested in having done, you would likely have to travel to France or even the Netherlands depending on the complexity. Experienced practitioners of runic tattoo magic are very rare and specialized."

Hermione nodded thinking about the upcoming winter break, if after more research it was something she wanted to pursue that would be the perfect time to get it done.

"Now, I saved this topic for last, because it's extremely important."

Hermione's quill raised expectantly as she stared at Pomfrey waiting for her to speak.

"You might have noticed its rare to see a pregnant witch up and about. During later pregnancy as the baby grows, our magic weakens briefly. There is some speculation this is a natural evolution to keep accidental magical bursts from harming the baby. However, once you reach the final trimester, it will be difficult to cast even basic spells- cleaning, cosmetic, and physical comfort spells will be very difficult. More complex magic – defensive, offensive and transportation spells will be impossible. Portkey travel will induce extreme illness and nausea. As such you will be very vulnerable during this period of time almost like a muggle."

Hermione's eyes were wide, her mouth half open as the quill dripped ink onto the paper. "What! Why did I not know this before! Why is this not taught!"

Madam Pomfrey gave a small chuckle. "We don't have any obstetrics courses, Miss Granger."

Hermione sat back completely shocked by the information that she was about to essentially become a muggle in just a few months. Fear bubbled inside her, and she wrapped her arms around herself. She still brought her wand everywhere with her and had nightmares about the war, the idea of being defenseless and pregnant was extremely daunting.