After Everything (Dramione)

Chapter 7

A/N: I don't know much about giving birth apart from what I've read and seen on TV. Please forgive me if I get any details wrong.

Chapter 7.

Hermione held Ginny's hand as she lay on the soft hospital bed in St Mungos. Ginny was panting, sweat pouring down her face.

"Ok, Ginny, I need you to push for me now," said the kind-faced healer.

Ginny screamed and sank her nails into Hermione's hand. Hermione barely noticed; all her concern was focused on Ginny. She noticed Harry wince as Ginny screamed again. His face was deathly pale at the sight of his wife in pain.

"Ginny sweetheart, I can see the baby's head." Ginny smiled through her tears at the thought of her baby, but her smile soon turned to a scream as her body shook in pain. Hermione closed her eyes.

A few minutes later, the screams had subsided, so Hermione opened her eyes. Ginny was sitting up, with Harry's arms wrapped around her shoulders. The healer came over to Ginny with her baby, wrapped in a soft, white blanket. Hermione stood back, giving the couple a little privacy as they gazed at their newborn child.

"It's a boy." The Healer told them and Hermione saw Harry smile at Ginny.

"James." He breathed and Ginny leant and kissed the little boy on the forehead.

They were a perfect family. Hermione felt almost sad watching them, knowing she almost had this. She could have had babies of her own with Ron, little ginger babies with freckles. But that could never happen now. She couldn't imagine herself ever getting married or having babies now.

A single tear fell silently down her face, which Ginny misread as a tear of joy. She invited Hermione over to see little James and Hermione brushed away her tear, thinking about how selfish she was being. She should be congratulating Ginny and Harry, not wallowing in her own self pity.

James was gorgeous. He had little plump cheeks and chubby fingers. His eyes were the exact shade of green as Harry's, and his nose was exactly the same shape. It was clear that James would be a mini Harry. Hermione kissed both Harry and Ginny on the cheek, before kissing James on the cheek.

"I'm just going to get a coffee in the cafe on the top floor. I'll be back in a bit." Hermione wanted to give them some time alone. Ginny understood her subtle hint and whispered a small, "thank you" as Hermione left the room.

She quickly reached the top floor where she entered the cafe. It was large, and filled with round, midnight blue tables surrounded by squashy leather armchairs. Hermione couldn't help but be reminded slightly of Professor Trelawney's classroom at Hogwarts. She ordered a cappuccino from the spotty youth at the counter and found a small table in the corner with only two seats.

"Hermione? Is that you?"

She turned to see Draco Malfoy standing behind her, holding a butterbeer. Her heart fluttered and she felt the blood in her face creep forward to her cheeks.

"Draco! What are you doing here?"

"I-I umm, my mother took a, um, fall and she's being treated for a, um, break."

Hermione noticed he looked nervous and something told her he wasn't quite telling the truth.

"Oh I am sorry. Please, come and join me."

He sat down opposite her, reached across and brushed a strand of hair from her face. She felt her face heat up even more.

"You look adorable when you blush," he told her with a crooked half smile that made her lose all concentration and spill coffee down her shirt.

He quickly grabbed a few napkins from a nearby table and started dabbing the front of her top. She raised her eyebrows at him and he realised what he was doing and, with a sheepish grin, handed the napkins to Hermione, so she could finish mopping herself up.

"What brings you to St Mungo's Hermione?"

"Ginny and Harry have just had their baby. I came up here to give them some time with him."

"I didn't know they were having a baby. What've they named him?"

Hermione thought Draco was being very casual about talking about his old enemy. Maybe he really did want to put all differences aside.

"James. After..."

"...Harry's father." He finished my sentence, "Of course."

Hermione looked into Draco's beautiful grey eyes and, leaning across the table, kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Really Hermione? That's all I'm going to get?" He gave her a flirtatious look that made her insides flutter before sliding onto the seat next to her and attaching his mouth to hers. Hermione didn't know how long they sat there kissing, but she pulled away when Draco's hand slipped up her coffee stained top.

"Draco, we are in a hospital! There are people here who can see us!"

"Does that mean you don't object to us going a bit further alone?"

"You know what I mean." She gave him a scathing look which only faded away as Draco gave her a puppy dog look.

"Shush little puppy dog. That will come later. We only expressed our love for each other earlier today."

"Please don't call me a 'little puppy dog', Hermione. It's quite insulting to my manliness."

"I'm sorry. I really must go and see Harry and Ginny now."

"Can I come with you?"