Draco's Angels

Altered Plans

Hermione smiled down at her large stomach, feeling movement from within. She was so happy that her throat felt blocked. For the last several weeks, Ginny had been over nearly every day. They never ran out of things to talk about. Hermione was finally settled in to her new place and the nursery was finally finished.

The white crib sat along the wall across from the door, with its side along the wall to the left. A small white changing table was attached to the right side of the crib. The pads on both the bed and changing table were a floral pattern of red, pink and white. Along the right wall was a large wardrobe with six drawers on the bottom and closet doors on the top. Where the left wall met the wall that the door was on there was a sliding rocker with a small bookshelf on its left. The left wall had a pink stripe in the center with diamond flowers hanging in the pink and the grey walls were accented by the white flower mobile above the crib. On the far wall to the right of the changing table sat a small toy box. All of the furniture matched with the white wood and pink accent. Above the pink stripe on the left wall, in an elegant script, was the name Leslie, as the name had already been decided upon. Ginny had really surprised Hermione with this perfect nursery.

Hermione sighed and left the nursery. She picked up her notebook with the list of potential employers on it. She planned to get a job a few months after the baby was born, just to give her something to do and accomplish. She didn't need money, being a war heroine had put enough money into her account at Gringotts and she had pulled out a good amount before running away. Her account at the muggle bank was still open from when she came back in the summers so she put her savings in there. Hermione frowned down at the list.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. She went to look through the peephole. Of course. There stood Ginny, smiling widely and bouncing up and down. Hermione smiled to herself and pulled open the door. Half a second later, Ginny had already pushed her way in.

"Guess what!" Ginny giggled and walked into the sitting room, plopping down on the couch.

Hermione sat down facing her and smiled, "What?"

"I said guess!" Ginny frowned at the brunette's answer and grabbed her hands.

"Harry's been faking it this whole time and he was really just Ron pulling a prank on you."

"You're not even trying!"

"It was still a guess." She shrugged.

"I'm pregnant!" Ginny smiled and her mouth went from ear to ear.

Hermione sat silently and she felt her heart jump into her throat. "R-really?" she murmured. "Thats wonderful!"

"I am so excited! Our babies can play together, since they'll be less than a year apart and all. This will be absolutely amazing! I don't know much since I'm only about two months along." Ginny spoke so fast that it was hard for Hermione to keep up with her. "Also," Ginny pulled out a bag, "I brought some gifts!" She dumped out the bag onto the coffee table and started to grab items and show them to Hermione.

First, there was an adorable baby outfit with cargo pants, a matching shirt and bandana, and a cardigan. Next was a dress with a floral skirt. After, she pulled out a pink and white polka dotted sundress with a cute matching hat. There was also a set of animal themed onesies, and many other cute clothes for Leslie. There were several fleece button-up sleep and play one-pieces. Along with those, there were some overall sets and a small swimming suit with a matching cover-up. Many socks and booties were assorted among the clothes. There were burp cloths and a pacifier clip. An adorable hooded towel was one of the last things to be pulled out. Next there was a 4-piece outfit to take her home from the hospital in. The last item was a strawberry costume, for halloween, since Leslie was due in February she'd be old enough to go out.

"Oh Ginny, you went shopping again, didn't you?" Hermione hugged her friend and they went to the nursery to hang up the new clothes. This had to be the sixth time that Ginny had gone on a shopping spree for Leslie. The first time it was only gender neutral clothes, the second furniture, the third toys and necessities, the fourth and sixth were baby girl clothes and the fifth was clothes for when Leslie was older. Hermione didn't want to go out shopping anyway and Ginny enjoyed it.

"Anyway," Ginny began, hanging a shirt, "it was so hard to keep the news from you, but Harry made me to be sure. Honestly, we negotiated that I could tell you now. If I am doing my math correctly, they'll be 6 months apart..." Hermione tuned her out as she folded clothing to put into the drawers.

Hermione was about eight months along now, and she was more than ready to see her beautiful baby girl after only six months of knowing that she was expecting. It seemed like these past 8 months had flown and she was to the point where she's so done with it all. She loved being pregnant, really she did, but these past 2 or 3 months had really given her a headache. Actually, more than just a headache. Her back hurt, her feet were swollen, she couldn't breathe, she felt as big as a house. And while she knew it was all part of late pregnancy and the joy of it all, she was ready to just have her little Leslie in her arms. She felt part celebrity with all the attention and coddling, part expert from all the classes and preparations she'd done, part vegetable with the pregnancy brain, and part feeding trough to the CEO hanging out in her uterus.

As she fantasized about her beautiful baby girl seeing the world for the first time, she felt a strange feeling. It was like a cramp, but a bit worse and there was no way that she could even be on her period anyway so it just made no sense. Since it wasn't extreme, she continued to fold the clothes before she and Ginny went back into the sitting room to chat. A little over an hour later, she felt it again. Hermione continued to feel this strange feeling throughout their very long conversation.

"I want to go shopping when Leslie grows out of her bed so that we can completely re-do her room!" Ginny was practically bursting with excitement.

"I wish that you wouldn't spend all of this money on me! I don't feel very comfortable with it."

"Oh okay, so you don't like any of my gifts now? I can take them all back if you'd like."

"No that's not what I meant at all, I-"

"It sure sounded like that was what you meant. I don't know why I can't simply go shopping without you getting your knickers in a twist about it!"

"Ginny, you're overreacting about this." Hermione had had this conversation with Ginny many times, but it had never gone in this direction.

"I am NOT overreacting about anything, Hermione!"

"Please stop yelling, I-" Suddenly, she felt a slight popping sensation and a light trickle of water. Her mind automatically connected the strange cramps together as contractions.

Ginny's entire demeanor changed in a split second. "Is it-?"

"Ginny, it's time." Hermione whispered and Ginny stood to take her to the hospital.