Winds of Desire

Love At First Sight

A crack of thunder rattles the whole bedroom. It's raining again? Hermione wonders, blinking her just now opened eyes toward the window seeing the countryside swaying in the wind and rain blurring the window. The usual nausea comes over her when she stands up too fast and she vomits in the toilet. And as usual the wave ends right after she relieves herself.

Harry must have gone to work because it is just Ginny and James in the house besides Hermione. Ginny is passed out on the couch with James in her arms. He must have woke Ginny up too early for her liking this morning, that's the thing about babies and Hermione should enjoy her sleep when she has it. About three weeks has passed since she last went to the manor and spent time with Draco since Hermione has picked up quite a few extra shifts at the Ministry to save money for the baby. Ron has even stopped texting her and she hasn't seen him in over three weeks either. This kind of makes Hermione a little sad but she doesn't want to admit it to herself.

Maybe he is over her now for good. But surely he isn't this easily, even though they had a screaming argument the last time they saw each other. Luckily she is starting to come to an agreement with herself, she can still love Ron but hate him for his actions, and be completely in love with Malfoy and not feel guilty about it.

A week ago Hermione made a doctor's appointment at a Muggle OB/GYN office in downtown London and today is the day she is to go. Of course it has to be raining.

Draco has no idea what this place is or what goes on there but he agreed to go because Hermione had told him that he would see their baby on a screen, and this was enough to make him go, he tried not to think about the Muggle prospect of it even though Hermione has been helping him be more open to stuff such as this.

Lucius was never really there for Narcissa when she was pregnant with Draco so he really wants to show Hermione and prove to himself that he really is not anything like his father.

This had been one of his fears in the past, he has always been somewhat afraid that he would turn out just like Lucius. Luckily now he realizes he is nothing like him and has turned out to be a good man so far even though he did agree to join the Death Eaters, but he never really wanted to.

It is three in the afternoon when the couple departs off to the city, and Draco is a bit more nervous by the hour to be introduced to such a different environment.

He has never stepped foot in a Muggle territory before except to watch the Death Eaters kill because all his life it was basically 100% prohibited to be around or interact with any Muggles.

Instead of apparating like usual because they didn't want to get any unwanted attention, they catch a bus. Hermione giggles at Malfoy as he looks at the people on the bus and all the passengers getting on.

"It's so odd to think that not one of the people besides us on the bus know how to perform a single spell," Draco whispers to Hermione, smirking at a couple that sits across the aisle from them looking at a map of London.

She snorts in laughter. "Actually, it's quite common. I grew up like that if you forgot. And how do you know they aren't a witch and wizard? You can't tell just by looking at a person." She tells him and he smiles back, embarrassed that he had said that and afraid he might have offended her.

The bus ride is a good forty five minutes long and Draco has begun to get bored. "I never sat so long in my life," he complains to her, feeling antsy.

"Oh Draco, seriously? That's barbaric," Hermione barks, getting kind of irritated with him rolling her eyes and looking out at the passing vehicles.

She is quite relieved when the bus pulls into an area with many medical Muggle businesses because Draco had started talking foul about the Muggle's clothing and ways that they talk and it is getting on her nerves. Even if he doesn't admit it, he still did have a bit of his old ways in him too and not just his mum, he is still so much better than he ever was in the past so she forgives him for this.

"OB/GYN? What does that mean anyway?" Draco asks.

Hermione sighs, "Obstetrics, it's a baby doctor." She feels like she is back in Hogwarts answering dumb questions her classmates had no idea about the answer to.

"Oh," Draco simply says as they walk into an office where there are all kinds of pregnant Muggles and even some babies around. Draco walks straight to the seat looking wildly around at the other people as Hermione walks to the receptionist who is an attractive woman in her mid-twenties with blue eyes and bouncy blonde hair.

Hermione finishes registering and sits to wait next to Draco. "I'm nervous to see the baby, but excited!" Hermione confides in Draco, taking in all the excited couples around them, feeling that way too.

Draco is too much in awe of the different things around him to acknowledge what she just said.

A friendly nurse with auburn curls comes out while looking at a clip-board in front of her, barely acknowledging them as she calls, "Hermione Granger!" When they rise and walk toward her, she motions for them to follow her and they did so.

They arrive into a room with a sonogram machine after the nurse takes Hermione's height and weight. "Dr. Reek will be in shortly!" The nurse exclaims after taking Hermione's blood pressure.

"Wow, this stuff is all so interesting, they can actually see babies on here!" Draco asks, pointing at the machine.

"Yes," answers Hermione with a smile. She finds it kind of adorable he is learning all these new things.

The doctor knocks, comes in, and asks Hermione a lot of questions about her health history and if she has ever been pregnant before. Hermione answers them as Draco looks on, shocked by all this still.

He wonders why the "doctor" dresses like this but decides he better not say a thing because he knows Hermione would be embarrassed.

Then the doctor picks up a big probe off of the sonogram machine and tells Hermione to lift her shirt up to reveal her tummy, which is already a little bloated looking with a tiny bump. The doctor applies some gel on her and starts to scan for the baby.... Then they saw their little one...

"Baby is ten weeks along it looks like from my measurements, and heartbeat is strong at 156 beats per minute. Congratulations to you both the baby is healthy," he tells them. He then puts away the probe and tells Hermione she can sit up. "You will see me again in a month and please call if there are any complications or questions. You may go by the front desk to make your appointment; it was nice meeting you both."

Hermione's eyes welled up with happy tears, she is so happy everything was going so well! Seeing the baby makes it so real for her, she really is going to be a mum!

Draco's face lights up when he sees his child for the first time. "Blimey, that's my baby, my child... oh my god..." He says as the doctor leaves the room, looking as though he may have been about to cry.

The doctor gives Hermione pictures of the baby and after a quick few last questions they leave her room in smiles and Draco grabs her hand as they leave the doctor's office.

Hermione is so annoyed with the way Draco acted earlier that she decides that they will apparate after all. So after avoiding some people standing around, they go behind the building and apparate to the manor.

Hermione is so shocked about seeing her baby and so happy, she can barely contain her excitement and wants to show the world the photographs of the baby inside her.

Draco even took out the pictures in front of his mum. "This is your grandchild," Draco says proudly revealing the picture to Narcissa.

Narcissa can't help but smile, "Oh how precious!" She even hugs Hermione and this shocks her a bit.

Hermione then says goodbye to Draco and apparates to the Burrow where she knew Ginny is today with her mum, and she fears her presence for too long may upset Narcissa's upbeat mood anyway.

It was still raining when she arrives and knocks on the door.

Ron answers still in his Ministry robes, he must have just got home since he started back at work today after his suspension from using the Cruciatus Curse on Draco, and Hermione's heart sank. She wishes he wasn't here right now.

"Hey Hermione, come in," he mumbles quietly without really looking at her.

Ginny and Molly are sitting in the living room talking with tea in their hands before they both look up and greet Hermione.

"You look excited! What's up?" Ginny asks. Hermione cautiously looks at Ron.

"Don't worry I won't say anything or interrupt." He says as he walks into the living room and sits down as well.

Taking this as her queue she pulled out her ultrasound pictures, "I got my baby looked at today, I am about ten weeks!"

"Oh, how precious! Let me see!" Molly bursts, enthusiastically coming over to get a look.

"Oh 'Mione!" Ginny squeals, jumping up and down as she peers at the tiny square pictures as well. You can already see a tiny human forming.

They all hear a door slam all of a sudden as Ron leaves the house and is now sitting on the steps of the front porch.

This causes Hermione to stop celebrating. "Mrs. Weasley, I just don't know what to do or how to act around him!" Hermione confesses to her frowning.

"Oh honey, he is going to stay like that for a while no matter how you act. But he has to realize that he doesn't have you because of his mistake," Molly says gravely, hugging Hermione.

"He knows this should be our child, and that we should be happy, and about to be getting married still!" Hermione says starting to cry. "And I would have rather it been him than Malfoy any day just three months ago! But he broke my heart and I can never fully forgive him for what he did! And I know everything happens for a reason, and that's why this happened between us and I am with Draco! And I'm not doing it just to hurt Ron! I'm sorry I have been holding this in so long and haven't talked to anyone fully about it. I do still love Ron, but I am in love with Draco more and we are having a child together now. I wish I could just fix Ron's wounds but it's impossible! He can't fix mine either! He did the unforgiveable act in a relationship, he cheated on me!" Molly keeps on holding onto Hermione as she cries, she hates this was such a happy day and then Ron had to go on and ruin it for her.

Ron hears the whole thing with the window being open, he holds back angry tears. He doesn't hide his feelings like he used to, these were too hard to hide and he knew every word Hermione said is true.

He is starting to realize now that Hermione now belongs to another man because of his actions alone. Slowly he's accepting it even though he refuses to. His heart is broken, but it is because of what he did and not Hermione. She deserves a man who treats her right, and Draco has been treating her right. He treated her right too until just recently when he got stupid and cheated on her.

Ron wants to make everything okay again, and so did Hermione but this was a hard task to uphold. Hermione is pregnant with no other than Draco Malfoy's baby... This is a fact he totally can't stand... The same sleek blonde-haired scrawny boy back in Hogwarts that they hated from Slytherin who taunted them almost every day has his Hermione pregnant and possibly has her heart now. Ron can never be on friendly terms with Draco, no matter if every member of his family was. He has done too much damage in his life.

Hermione is done pouring her heart out to Ginny and Molly and just sits grim-faced on the living room couch now. Thinking about everything, how happy she is with Draco but honestly did miss Ron some, the baby she loves so much already in her womb, and what she wants to do in her life but now has to wait because of the baby. She decides she will continue to work at the Ministry. Luckily her department is a very long way away from Ron's and she never has to see him there or Lavender for that matter.

Ron comes back in the house and sits on the couch next to Hermione to her amazement. Suddenly, he is hugging her.

"I miss being with you Hermione, but even more I miss our friendship," He says with his blue eyes searching her for her response.

"Me as well, I miss our friendship..." Hermione whispers, kind of edging away from him but still looking into his eyes. The familiar cologne of Ron's wafted into her nose, she misses it. She misses his crazy sense of humor. She misses being his best friend. But she can no longer be his lover no matter how bad he wants her to be again.

"I will do my best to support you because I love you and I want to be friends again," Ron says to her.

"Thank you," Is all she manages to get out. Ron then kisses her on the cheek and then walks upstairs.

Hermione looks toward Molly and Ginny.

"Well, erm, that was nice of him!" Ginny awkwardly says, both her and her mother has open mouths at what they just saw.

"This is a mess," Hermione confesses to them.

Ron lays in his bed thinking about Hermione and how he just couldn't seem to stop being depressed. So depressed he feels there was no meaning in life anymore. He doesn't like this feeling and wants someone to love him again.

Maybe it is time to give it a try with Emily Riker again? She is a nice girl even though she was rude to Hermione, and she did stay there with him until he told her to get out.

But then Lavender popped in his head again as she did even when he was happily with Hermione but fought. He had told her to piss off after Hermione left, but something in him missed her. After all she is beautiful despite the marks on her face from Fenrir Greyback.

Her ringlets have now relaxed more and her blonde hair is shinier than it was back in Hogwarts. Her blue eyes still were bright as ever like the sky. She can never ever replace Hermione but she is someone he always really was attracted to and went for. He thought about just settling with her because it is the best thing for him to be away from the thoughts of Hermione for a while. But can his and Hermione's friendship be mended if he is with Lavender, the girl he cheated on her with?

He doesn't really care anymore but something has to make him feel better.