Hermione

"Hermione, wake up," an urgent voice said, shaking her shoulders on the border of violently.

She wasn't exactly in a deep sleep, so whoever was waking her didn't have to keep it up for long. She opened her eyes almost instantly, moaned sleepily, and stretched her arms out of their curled up state. "What?" she mumbled.

"Ginny's having the baby." She could tell that it was Harry, as he had the same worried tone, same as when James and Albus were born. She thought that he'd settle down after two kids, but she was proven wrong as he adjusted his glasses and wiped a bead of sweat off of his brow.

"Must be a father thing," she mumbled again.

"What?" Harry asked, knitting his eyebrows in confusion, but fidgeting nervously.

She shook her head. "Never mind, I'll be out in just a second."

Nodding her lifelong friend turned and left, allowing her to get up out of bed--no matter how slow her pregnancy made it--and get dressed with bleary eyes, making her way to the living room where Ginny was sitting down, breathing heavily.

"I may be heavily pregnant, but I still have my hormonal temper," she grunted. "How slow could you possibly be, Herms?"

She laughed half-heartedly. "Yeah, sorry. Let's just go, okay? Are the kids coming?"

Harry nodded, and Hermione took Rose's hand, watching as her daughter grabbed her grabbed Albus' hand, and he held his brother's. They'd be gaining a younger sister today, and Hermione couldn't be happier for them.

With a rough apparating experience, they finally arrived at St. Mungo's. When they walked in, Harry called out, "My wife's having the baby!" and several healers ran forward, taking her away on a rolling bed, wheeling her into a delivery room. Hermione, exhausted, fell back into a chair, planning to wait it out.

"How are you doing?"

She jumped and put her hand to her plump stomach. Turning, she saw Draco staring down at her. "Bloody hell, Malfoy! At least give a pregnant woman a warning!"

He took the seat next to her, folding his hands uncomfortably. "Can we talk about that later? I came to see you, I heard from...someone that Potter's wife is having her baby."

She looked at him suspiciously. "Who told you that?"

He ducked his head, looking more and more like his younger self. "I've been listening...around."

Hermione was unconvinced. "Yeah, okay, Malfoy." She smirked. "Stalking me now?"

He laughed and scratched the back of his head nervously. "No, of course not. I just...had to see you. Without upsetting your husband, of course."

Hermione flashed him her ringless left hand. "Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore."

He stared at it, disbelieving. "What happened?"

Hermione looked over at the three kids who were talking amongst themselves and then over to Harry. She wasn't quite ready for Rose to know the real reason they were taking a 'vacation' from her dad.

"Hey, you three," she said in an attempt at cheerfulness, "how about you go settle down Harry?"

James and Albus stood up immediately, laughing at the seemingly ridiculous behavior he'd seemed to adopt since they took Ginny in. Rose, however, looked at her mother, then at Draco and back again, and smiled a toothy grin. "I'm not that thick, you know, Mum. Have a good talk," she said cheekily and waved goodbye.

Draco looked stunned. "You've got quite the clever little girl."

Hermione giggled. "Yeah, it surprises me how much I've rubbed of on her."

Draco looked back at her hand. "Tell me. What happened?"

"I guess it didn't work out. I was planning to leave him anyway, even after having the second child. He deserves someone who's not conflicted by past memories."

He looked at her guiltily. "I'm sorry for making it harder."

"No," she responded quickly, "you made it easier. As a matter of fact, you reminded me of what I was leaving, what I still had with you, and what I wanted--want, I should say--to keep." She took his hand in hers and smiled. "I will never love Ron like I will you."

He seemed shocked at her words. "You left him that easily? With no repercussions? Don't you think that he'll come after me? After all, you're carrying one of his children."

She smiled at him, still tired. "There will be repercussions, I know. But I'm willing to take care of them."

"So, are we..." Draco raised his eyebrows in question.

"Not exactly," Hermione said, "but the only thing that's in the way is Rose. She's only ever known Ron as her dad, and I have to tell her about everything. Us, our past, and what really is going on with Ron. She deserves to know."

Draco nodded and squeezed her hand. "I'll stay with you through all of it, you don't have worry about me leaving you."

Hermione smiled gratefully. "I love knowing that." She snuggled up next to her Hogwarts beau, rubbing her stomach absentmindedly. She wondered how Ginny was doing, but then again, it had only been a half hour since they'd gotten there. Who knew how long it would be until they would receive news.

They all waited there, Hermione, Draco, Harry, Rose, James, and Albus, wondering and hoping. Harry had resorted to sitting down and bouncing his knee nervously, while the kids followed suit, yet they were more calm about the matter, trying to cheer him up. Rose looked over at the two adults, and she grinned. "I was right!" She exclaimed softly, throwing her small pudgy arms in the air.

Draco chuckled. "You're smart," he commented, nodding his head in acknowledgement.

Rose's grin turned into a beam, ear to ear. "I may just be a kid, but I think I know lovebirds when I see them."

Hermione let out a small smile. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yeah, Mr. Malfoy over here is totally googly-eyed over you, Mum." Turning to Draco, "You do know that you're getting the whole package, right? With Mum comes two kids. Me, and my sibling."

Draco smiled. "I know, I'm prepared."

Rose leaned to Hermione's ear. "He's a keeper," she said, and her mother blushed.

It surprised her how quickly shed accustomed to being away from Ron. Or, suggesting that she was in fact rather perceptive, she could probably sense that there was something more going on, something behind the scenes. How on earth had she been so lucky to have such an understanding daughter?

"Any immediate family to Ginny Weasley?" A Healer had come out and stood with her hands clasped professionally in front of her. Her wiry brown hair was pulled back in an extremely messy ponytail, but she didn't seem to be bothered by it.

Harry and the two older kids followed the lady into the delivery room, and the other three waited patiently, hoping that everything had gone well. Sooner rather than later, the same Healer came out and ushered them forward. Draco didn't follow them, and Hermione looked back at him, confused. "You can come in, Ginny will be okay with it."

"It's your brother-in-law that I'm worried about," he said, "but that's okay. I'll be waiting here when you return."

"It'll only take a second," she said, hurrying to the delivery room.

"What's her name?" She asked after a few minutes.

Harry smiled through tears and said, "Lily. Lily Luna Potter."

She was pleasantly surprised that he would name his daughter after his mother, though it shouldn't have after he named his oldest son after his father.

They spent only a half hour more, and then Hermione took the kids and prepared to leave. Draco turned away from a Healer and smiled. "What'd they name it?"

"Lily Luna," Hermione replied, taking Draco's hand as he offered it. "What were you talking about?"

He shrugged. "Nothing, just making conversation."

Hermione nodded. "Okay."

They apparated quickly back to the Potter house and settled down, letting the kids play around with each other. Draco left, promising he'd be back soon.

Hermione sat down in a chair and pulled out a book. She needed some comfort, and not from people.