As The Weeks Go By

The weeks went by incredibly slow for Hermione, and Draco was starting to feel worse and worse about the fact that she wasn't allowed to go down to the Great Hall to eat some days. The nurse turned out to be very strict about what she could and couldn't do. Hermione was starting to go crazy. It had been 4 weeks, and she had read all 20 books that Draco had brought her, and she couldn't stand it anymore. She wanted out, and she wanted out now.

"What can we do? The Healer is a stickler for rules and will not let Hermione out of her bed?" Draco was talking to Harry and Ginny about something the three of them could do for her to put her in better spirits.

"Isn't this supposed to be making it better for her, so she isn't as stressed out with everything?" Harry had been over to see Hermione every day, and in his opinion, it was just making it worse. Ginny had to talk him out of seeing the Healer every day about it. 

"Well, let's throw her a party. A baby shower," Ginny huffed like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "We could even invite your mom Draco,"

"That would be nice," Draco sighed. Could they put this all together before the babies actually got here?  It had already been 4 weeks, and the Healer talked about they could come anytime now.

"Should we try and do this before or after our N.E.W.T.s?" Harry looked at me and shrugged.

"I feel like we are going to do it soon; otherwise, they might be here before we have it all together." Draco looked at his wife's best friends. They were so good to her, and they would truly never know how grateful he was that she had them in a time like this.

"Well, I will send letters to her friends and my mother and such. Draco, if you could send one to your mother, that would be helpful. Harry, I'm going to need you to coordinate with the elves to see if they could arrange something for us to eat. And then all we have to do is make sure that this all happens by Friday this week so that we can be sure that we have it before the babies are born. I know it seems like a lot with everything that is going on, but Hermione really needs this, so I am not letting anyone argue with me, and that includes the two of you." Ginny glared at the two boys, both of whom knew that she was not messing around with this. 

"I think we will be able to pull it off. The only problem is how are we going to do this without her finding out. I mean, we are going to have to have the party in our apartment because she can't leave." Draco stated the obvious, and Harry and Ginny admittedly were both stumped by this statement. 

"Well, Hermione won't care if there are decorations or not, and we can surprise her with everyone. If we just put the food in the kitchen, will she really ever know? I mean until she comes out of her room."

Ginny looked at Harry, surprised he had figured out a solution to the problem they were having so easily. "I think all of this will do. Now let's get to it so that I could maybe actually study at some point in the near future. 

Draco, Ginny, and Harry worked tirelessly getting all of the plans together to throw Hermione a party. She was so restless at night and bored during the day. Draco was starting to worry that it was not a good idea to have so many people in the apartment. He wasn't so sure that all of this was going to upset her. He wanted to talk to Ginny about it again today, but it was already Thursday night, and all of their friends were already excited about it. 

"Hermione?" Draco was standing in the doorway watching Hermione, who had a frown on her face. She seemed to be in a sort of trance-like state. It was happening more and more often as the days passed by, and he was getting worried, "Hermione?"

She looked up, and the frown lessened into a neutral expression. "Yes?"

"Ginny asked if it would be okay if she came over tomorrow and you two spent some time together?"

"That would be nice. It could be nice to have some girl time." For the first in what Draco thought was weeks, Hermione smiled. He was happy. 

"Can I ask you something else?" 

"Of course, dear, anything?" Hermione gave him a slight smile.

"You have been looking like something has been bothering you for hours. Can I help with something?" 

"It's nothing." That same frown appeared.

"See, that doesn't look at nothing." Draco was worried that if they held secrets back from one another, everything would get messed up, and this wouldn't last. And he didn't want an unhappy marriage. He wanted what he had with Hermione now.

"I just look gross." She said it barely above a whisper.

Draco was astounded. Hermione was so beautiful. He thought about it all the time. How incredibly lucky he was. How she was so smart and funny in an understated way, and she was gorgeous. How could she think that?

"Hermione, you are the exact opposite of gross. You are so beautiful. I love you."

"You have to say that."

"No, I want to say it because I mean it, and I should say it more. You are the most incredible thing that has ever happened to me, and you and those three tiny babies mean more to me than I will ever be able to put into words." Draco sat down on the bed and held Hermione in her tight. He wanted her to know that he would do anything for her. 

"Thank you, Draco." 

The next day Ginny came over with all of her makeup. She wasn't sure yet how she would convince Hermione to have her makeup done and get dressed without getting at least slightly suspicious. 

"Hey Gin, I am so excited we are doing this. I feel like we haven't talked in weeks. I miss girl time. I suppose that we are not going to get a lot of it when the babies get here."

"Sure we are; I am only one call away if you need help, and if our children are not friends, that would be some crime. 

Hermione laughed a bit and didn't even mind as Ginny put makeup all around her eyes and found her a lovely dress to wear. "Thank you, Gin. This really has been nice."

"This is not even the best part." Ginny grinned and helped Hermione onto her feet. 

"What do you mean?" Hermione had no idea what the ginger-haired girl had planned, and she was worried. As much as she hated being cooped up in her room for the past weeks, she was sure that the Healer would find out about any rule-breaking. Plus, she was sure the babies would be born soon, and she didn't want to risk anything happening to them.

"I thought because of having been stuck up here for so long; you might like some company. Harry, Draco, and I have thrown you a baby shower. And it is happening right now out there, so you cannot say no." Ginny grinned and took Hermione's arm.

"Really?"

"Of course, you need to be able to see some of your friends, plus McGonagall has even allowed my mother and Cissy to join us. It will be perfect. Plus, you shouldn't refuse presents."

"How am I ever going to thank you enough."  Ginny laughed at Hermione's statement and walked her out of the door. Many of Hermione's friends from school were in her living room, and even some she had met during the war. She was glad they were here, and if her best friends and husband had done this to improve her mood, it surely had. 

"Thank you all so much for coming; I really mean it. I am so glad to see all of you."

Hermione walked around the room and thanked people personally, and tears came to her eyes every once and awhile. When she got to Mrs. Weasley, she stopped and chatted a bit about children and having multiple at one time. It put Hermione's mind at ease to know that Mrs. Weasley had started out knowing nothing, and she was definitely one of the most amazing mothers Hermione had ever met. 

"Draco, how did you do all of this, with exams coming up no less." 

"I told you. I would do anything." Draco kissed her forehead lightly, and she leaned into his body. She had become quite big. Out of all of the girls here that were apart of the law, she showed the most. Many of them were not even pregnant yet, though many had to have meetings with the council already. 

Hermione and Draco opened their gifts from everyone, and Hermione gawked at all of the adorable baby clothes that she received. She was so happy. Now she just needed to keep these babies in for as long as possible to make sure that they were healthy. Monday, she would be having another appointment with her Healer, and it was a possibility that they would be moving her to St. Mungo's, which she didn't want to think about right now. 

She wanted to be wherever Draco was; that is where she felt safe. This was the one thing that she was not as confident in as perhaps exams and other areas of magic, and she knew this was the most important thing she would do. Raise a family, raise good children. Who loved everyone and stood up for their friends. That is what she wanted now.