The wards let her know that her husband had arrived by Floo in the next room, but she was way too cozy and drowsy to get up. She had been about to fall asleep, but she listened to him move about their apartment -- he set his briefcase in his office, hung up his coat on the hook by the front door, kicked off his shoes, and padded into their en suite bathroom. She heard the water run and then heard him brush his teeth. Bless his heart, he was trying so hard to be quiet.
In the dark she watched him cross the room to join her in bed. She knew he was wearing the burgundy-colored pajamas she had given him on his last birthday, with "PW" embroidered over the pocket. Noiselessly he drew back the comforter, just enough to slip behind her, and then reached an arm over her to draw her close. His hand stilled.
"Hermione," he whispered, a note of excitement in his voice, "what is this?" His hand traveled from her belly to her round breasts.
Suddenly Hermione was wide awake. A smile had spread across her face, and she couldn't hold it back. With a mumbled "Lumos," a bedside lamp clicked on and they sat up in bed. Hermione took Percy's hand and brought it back to her growing belly. Percy's eyes were the biggest she had ever seen them.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked excitedly. "How on earth did you manage it -- no one in my family spilled the beans. Especially my mother!"
Hermione's eyes gleamed mischievously. "Well, let's just say I threatened practically everyone with hexes and promised to let George and Ron curse anybody who told with untested tricks from their joke shop."
Percy hadn't yet been able to tear his gaze away from his wife. She covered his hand with her own, and underneath their unborn baby kicked. They shared the same look of awe on their faces.
Percy wandlessly turned off the lamp and they snuggled back down. He curled protectively around his wife, his fingers spread as wide as they could over her belly.
"How far along are you?" he asked.
"Six months," Hermione grinned, waiting for him to do the math.
There was a pause, and Percy figured it out in no time. "That was right before--"
"Uh huh."
"All the wine--"
"Uh huh."
"My last night." Laughing, he cuddled her close. "If I'd had any idea what was waiting for me at the end of that very long work trip..."
His voice trailed off as he realized his darling wife had fallen asleep. He brushed her hair over her shoulder and kissed her neck. "I hope our daughter has hair just like yours," he murmured into the nighttime silence.