Delighted To Love You: A Dramione Story

Part 1: Chapter 8

Draco and Hermione's library had been inundated with aurors and Draco was not happy about it in the slightest. But the alternative was his very pregnant wife traipsing down to the ministry in the middle of the night and that was absolutely out of the question. Despite Hermione's best efforts to hide it from him, he knew she was in labor. He should feel offended that she thought so little of him; He had been an excellent healer before they had gotten married and obviously knew the signs of a woman in labor. He knew from experience with her, that forcing her would only serve to agitate her so he remained quiet. He was silently counting the time between her contractions based on when she would close her eyes forcefully and grip the arms of her chair.

"Hermione are you okay?" Harry asked, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

Draco rolled his eyes and looked out the window at the sunrise. It had taken St. Potter about five hours to notice something was amiss with his so-called sister.

"I'm fine. Just keep working," she managed to choke out, with a forced smile.

Harry looked like he wanted to push the issue more but changed his mind. He nodded skeptically and went back to the file he had been reading. Hermione's breaths were coming out in short puffs and she grabbed Draco's hand, squeezing it as a tear rolled down her cheek. Draco leaned down and whispered in Hermione's ear. "How about I call for the midwife and Ginny?"

She whimpered in pain and nodded, allowing him to help her up from the chair. Harry looked up and saw the face that Hermione was making and finally realized what was happening.

"Blimey Hermione! Are you in labor? Why didn't you say anything? Pack it up boys! We're heading to the ministry." He started toward them to help Draco assist her.

"No!" Hermione shrieked causing everyone in the room to pause and stare at her. "You will stay--ow, ow, ow-- right here and keep me--shit ow!-- updated."

"Hermione--" Harry started.

"Harry James Potter shut up and do as I say!" she snapped and waddled toward the door with a smirking Draco guiding her. "And I don't know what you're smiling for! Don't you see I'm in pain?!"

Once Draco helped her into the bed and left the room to call for Ginny and the midwife, Hermione dropped the pretense that she was not in pain. She cast a silencing charm on the herself and groaned in agony. The contractions were very close together and if the midwife didn't arrive quickly, Hermione was going to have the baby without her.

She felt a tremendous pressure in her lower body and tried to call for Draco before remembering the silencing charm. She reached for her wand on the nightstand but accidentally knocked it onto the floor, swearing internally as another contraction hit. The baby was coming and there was nothing Hermione could do to stop it. She leaned back against the headboard and started to push, reasoning that the midwife would arrive any moment to help her.

Meanwhile, Draco was downstairs waiting for Ginny and the midwife. Ginny had responded to his patronus with a patronus of her own, saying that she would be there after dropping her kids with her mother. She arrived a few minutes later with a wide smile.

"Good morning Draco! Ready for this?"

Draco snorted. "Is anyone ever ready?"

"Good point. Is Harry still here?"

"Yeah. He tried leaving but Hermione insisted that he and the other aurors stay here so that she can keep up with their progress."

Ginny laughed. "Typical Hermione. Where is the midwife?"

Draco shrugged and checked his watch. "Not sure. She should be here by now though; I contacted her before you."

Ginny went into the kitchen to prepare a few things to aid the midwife, Susana and Draco stayed by the fireplace waiting for her. After about twenty minutes, he received a patronus message from Susana saying that she was too ill to come and the other midwife on call was already delivering another baby.