Chapter Text
Heidi hurried down the dimly lit corridors making a mental note to request better lighting. Now that there was a semi-permanent human guest they had to make sure the Fortress was comfortable for her. Humans needed light, warmth, and food.
She wrinkled her nose making sure not to breath. She did not want to smell the take-out food she had picked up for Hermione. She really hoped Hermione would be okay with Italian food. Heidi vaguely remembered some women had difficult tastes and odd culinary preferences during pregnancy. Then she came to a hard stop in front of a heavily carved door and knocked.
“Come in.”
The vampire turned the knob and stepped over the threshold ignoring the small frisson running up her spine. Heidi was becoming more or less used to small static shock. Chelsea and Jane were playing some board game with Hermione. Little square tiles with letters. Scrabble. The board itself were covered with Italian words.
“I’ve got food,” Heidi announced holding up a plastic bag. “Lasagna and Greek salad with mineral water.”
Hermione stood up with unexpected energy and hurried towards Heidi to relieve her of the bag. Then she went back to a chair next to an end-table and removed the Styrofoam containers and cracked open the mineral water. The three vampires watched holding their breath as the witch ate quickly but neatly between sips of water. When she was done the containers went back into the bag and she murmured something that made the smells vanish. Then she stood up and walked towards the fireplace. She opened the carved box resting upon the mantle and removed a vial of golden fluid and a second of red liquid. She drank both in quick succession. Seeing their curious looks she explained.
“Blood Replenishing potion and vampire venom. It’s more efficient than drinking blood and I need the venom to stabilize their growth,” she said patting her tummy. The dark green material was stretched tightly over her belly. She sighed and did something that made the cloth flare and fall into deeper folds. “I can’t keep expanding my clothes,” she muttered.
“We can pick up maternity clothes for you,” Chelsea offered. “Or you can order them online and have them delivered.”
Hermione smiled as she put away the empty vials and then returned back to the Scrabble game. “That would be lovely,” she confessed sitting down. “I didn’t dare to go shopping in the enclaves, in case someone found out. And I don’t know much about maternity clothes.”
“Let us worry about that,” Heidi suggested. “We’ll buy different sizes and styles for you to try. Once we know what you like we can order that.”
“Do you need a doctor?” Jane asked hesitantly. “Pregnant women go to the hospitals for check-ups. At least they do in the TV shows and books,” she added hastily when Chelsea and Heidi stared at her.
“I do,” Hermione admitted. “But I haven’t found one. I couldn’t go to a Healer because they’d know the father was a vampire. And a Muggle doctor would know something was off because the babies are growing too quickly.”
Chelsea snuck a sideways look at Jane before screwing up her courage to speak. “Carlisle Cullen is a doctor.”
Hermione’s smile faded and she shook her head. “I can’t,” she murmured.
Jane glared at Chelsea who subsided. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” the tiny blonde vampire announced.
Hermione laughed. “Thank you sweetie. Now who wants to continue with the game? Or would you prefer to try something new?”
“Something new,” was the chorused response.