Intro Note: Whew, the sequel is finally here! Thank you once again to everyone who read and favorited "Shelves and Surprises for Christmas" and also the nightmare scene on my tumblr xD I hope you enjoy the first chapter!

- 1 -

Showers and Nightmares

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Hermione Granger-Potter tried to escape the late July sun by sitting underneath the shade of an oak tree. She fanned her face with a wide-brimmed hat, but it didn't create much of a breeze. Hermione tossed it down with a sigh and got a hair elastic out of her bag to pull her now frizzy curls into a bun.

Luna Lovegood walked over to say hello. Her orange paisley maxi dress gave her the appearance of a bohemian muggle. "Hi Luna," Hermione said, attempting to smile through her discomfort.

"You don't look at all well," her friend said with concern. "Is the heat getting to you?"

"Yes. I used to be able to tolerate high temperatures, but it's unbearable for me now."

Luna took a handkerchief out of her small purse and used the Aguamenti charm to wet it. "Here you are, Hermione. Use that to cool your face."

She thanked the younger girl. They talked for a few more minutes until Luna abruptly announced that there was something she needed to do. "I'll be right back!"

Hermione closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her husband was approaching with a mini-version of himself at his side. Six-year-old Teddy Lupin always transformed his features into Harry's whenever they were together. Teddy gave Hermione a dish of strawberry sherbet. She used her free hand to ruffle his untidy black hair. "Thank you, Teddy." The ice-cream tasted heavenly and a blissful smile stole over her lips.

Harry bent down to kiss her forehead. "Darling, you're so warm! We're going inside once you've finished eating."

It didn't take long to polish it off. Hermione placed the empty dish on the small metal table beside her. She tried to rise from the lawn chair at the precise moment when the baby kicked her. "Oh!"

"What's the matter?" Harry asked in a panicked tone. "Are you going into labor?"

"No, Harry. She kicked me is all."

"Can I feel?" Teddy asked.

Hermione nodded and the boy put his hand on her round stomach. The baby moved again and Teddy's features flickered slightly, revealing Remus' kind smile. "Hello there, Lily Rose. I'm going to be your big brother."

Harry helped his wife up, rubbing the small of her back where the pain was. Luna met them as they headed towards the house. She was carrying a yellow daisy chain, which she slipped over Hermione's neck. "Daisies represent motherhood and yellow is for happiness," Luna said in her soft, dream-like voice.

Hermione kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Luna."

Four-year-old Victoire Weasley tugged on Luna's flowy dress. "Can you make me a flower crown please?" she asked sweetly.

"Sure I can. Shall we go and pick them out now?"

The little girl nodded her silvery-blonde head and took Luna's outstretched hand. Teddy said goodbye to his godparents before dashing off after Victoire. It was clear to Hermione that he was already infatuated with her.

The inside of the Burrow was decorated with fragrant bouquets of white lilies and pink roses. Hagrid sat on an enlarged armchair, talking with Professor McGonagall. She made room for the couple to sit down beside her on the sofa and then summoned two glasses of iced tea. Hermione held the icy glass against her flushed cheeks before taking a sip.

"When is the baby due again?" Professor McGonagall inquired.

Hermione was starting to feel better. "Towards the end of August."

"And are yeh naming Ron as godfather?" Hagrid asked.

"Yes and Luna will be godmother," Harry replied.

Some people might find it strange for Hermione's ex-boyfriend to be the godfather of her child with another man, but their breakup was a mutual decision. Hermione had been visiting Grimmauld Place over the Christmas holidays in 1998 when a stupid row had broken out between them. She straightforwardly told him that it wasn't going to work and for once, he agreed with her. Hermione knew their separation from each other had helped them to see things more clearly. Ron and Harry hadn't returned to Hogwarts for their 7th year.

Ron popped his head into the room. "There you are! Ready to start the shower then?"

"Yes, I think so." She had more energy now and was excited to open gifts.

Hermione's parents were in attendance of course, along with the whole Weasley clan (except for Ginny, who was in Japan for a Quidditch friendly). Other guests included Neville and Hannah Longbottom, Ron's girlfriend Maggie, Dean Thomas, Mr. Lovegood, Andromeda Tonks, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Lily Rose was given so many lovely things that the Potters wouldn't have to buy anything else.

Hermione chatted with Angelina Johnson-Weasley on the couch afterwards. Little Fred was sitting on his mother's lap, watching Hermione with big brown eyes. He started to fuss after a while, so George raised him high into the air to simulate flying. The baby laughed gleefully, looking just like his father and uncle.

*.*.*

They ate dinner underneath a billowing white tent set up in the garden. Luna asked Harry and Hermione about the nursery decorations. "Well neither of us have any artistic talent, so I'll be putting up some wallpaper," Harry replied. "We want something imaginative for Lily Rose to look at."

"I can paint something if you'd like. I did my own room at home and it was quite fun."

Harry suddenly remembered the portraits of himself, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Neville that she had painted on her ceiling.

"I could help too," Dean added from across the table. "I took some art classes at university."

The Potters enthusiastically agreed to the suggestion.

*.*.*

Harry helped his wife into the tub when they arrived home an hour later. Hermione gave a contented sigh and murmured, "the water feels so nice on my back." Instead of reading to Hermione as he usually did, Harry washed her hair and talked about the party.

"You know what I overheard today?" he asked, massaging the shampoo into her scalp.

"Hmm?"

"Charlie inviting the Lovegoods to the dragon sanctuary in Romania."

"Really? Did they agree to go?"

"Yes. To be honest, I think Charlie may like Luna."

She gave a little laugh. "Haven't I been saying for years that they'd make a good couple?"

"I know, but I always thought it was ridiculous because of their age difference. And, well, Luna is rather peculiar – in the best way of course – although not everyone can appreciate her unique qualities. She'll need an unconventional boyfriend to be happy."

"Charlie is unconventional," Hermione added. "He's adventurous like Luna and he loves magical creatures. They'd have fun together."

"Yes, I can see that now," Harry conceded. "You were right as usual."

Once Hermione was safely out of the tub, Harry wrapped her in a periwinkle bathrobe and combed the tangles out of her hair. Back in their bedroom, Hermione pulled a sleeveless nightgown over her head. She complained about being ungainly and bloated, but Harry thought her body was absolutely beautiful. His heart did a cartwheel when she turned to him and smiled. In three strides, he was kissing Hermione's lips, feeling the press of her stomach against his as he embraced her.

She ran her fingers along his neck. "Harry, you make me so happy."

*.*.*

Hermione bolted upright in the four-poster bed. Her cotton nightgown was soaked with sweat and her heart was racing as she took in some deep, steadying breaths.

Harry stirred underneath the sheet. "Mione, you okay?" he asked sleepily. Bright moonlight was shining into their bedroom and she could see the concerned expression on his face.

"I'm fine. I just had a nightmare."

He rubbed her belly. "Another one about the war?"

She shook her head. "It wasn't a memory, but something else."

Harry removed his hand and sat up. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, reaching for his glasses on the bedside table.

"We were living completely separate lives," she said in a trembling voice. "You had married Ginny and I was Ron's wife."

He slipped his arm around her back and Hermione leaned against him as hot tears coursed down her cheeks.

"I think I was a ghost because I was observing everything from above. Our older selves were at Platform 9 and ¾ and I kept yelling this is wrong, but no one could hear me." Her next few words were thick with emotion. "It's like I didn't even exist! I was forced to watch that charade play out in front of me."

Harry held her as she cried, murmuring soothing words. Hermione calmed down after a minute and blew her nose into a tissue before finishing the rest of the story. "I had a son called 'Hugo' of all things."

She felt the vibration of his laugh. "What a terrible name."

"Yes, it really is, but you referred to your son as 'Albus Severus,' which isn't much better."

"You're right, it's even worse. Poor bloke would be teased mercilessly by his classmates," he joked. "You certainly have a wild imagination to come up with all of this."

She hesitated. "Harry, there was a little girl named Lily who had red hair like your mum." She chewed her bottom lip nervously. "I suppose it seems fitting in a way."

"Perhaps in a novel, but not in real life." He put his hand on her belly. "Besides, Lily Rose deserves to have her own identity, don't you think?"

Hermione looked up to meet his eyes. "Of course I do."

The baby gave a hard kick and both of them laughed. "See, she agrees. Our daughter is going to be absolutely brilliant, Hermione."

She gave him a little smile. "I'm relieved that it was only a nightmare."

"Me too, love," he said, leaning in for a kiss.

The baby continued to move about and Hermione knew that sleeping was now out of the question. "I think Lily Rose is hungry."

Harry chuckled. "Come on then – I'll make the two of you some cinnamon toast."

*.*.*

"Hermione, did someone say something to upset you?" he asked hesitantly. "Is that why you had a nightmare?"

She met his from eyes across the kitchen table. "No, nothing like that. I was thinking today about how different my life would be if Ron and I had stayed together. And with Ginny not being at the shower… yes, she had an excuse to miss it, but I keep seeing the look on her face when we told her about the baby."

Harry recalled it as well: a mixture of shock, hurt, and anger. It was only for a second and then Ginny had given them a smile along with her congratulations. But they both knew she hadn't really meant it at the time. Harry thought back to his conversation with Hermione afterwards.

"Why did she react that way? Ginny's engaged... she seems happy and in love, so why is she upset?"

"Ginny used to talk about having a family with you when we were kids – that was her dream. I suppose she resents me a bit."

Harry had broken things off with Ginny two months after the Battle of Hogwarts. They had grown apart, which she was well aware of, but she hadn't wanted to let him go. Their goodbye was rather ugly. Harry had been incapable of handling it any better because of his depression. The muggles had a name for it: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Everyone who had lived through the battle suffered from it to varying degrees, but it had been crippling for Harry. That was the darkest time of my life, he thought sadly.

Hermione brought him back to the present moment when she spoke again. "I know I shouldn't let these things bother me. I blame my hormones for making me so emotional."

Harry flashed her a grin. "Hermione, you've always been emotional."

She smiled, nudging his leg with her foot playfully. "No, but it's worse now. I cry more often and sometimes for no reason at all. That nightmare was terrifying though. Not being able to make my own decision made me feel so helpless." She paused. "Ron and Ginny are good people – they're just not good for us."

"I know, darling – you don't have to convince me of that." He reached across the table to take her hand. "I'm glad that all of us have been able to stay friends. It might be a little awkward with Ginny sometimes, but we're alright for the most part. And she'll definitely stop by as soon as she gets back from Japan. Don't worry yourself over it anymore, okay?"

Hermione nodded. Instead of going back upstairs, they curled up together on the living room couch. Harry pointed the fan on them as he read The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter aloud. The Grangers had given them the whole illustrated set.

"Harry, you're going to be reading to our daughter in only a month," she commented as he closed the cover.

Hardly any time at all. It was almost difficult to believe.

"I wonder if she'll like my reading voice."

"I'm sure she already does. It may be a bit muffled in there, but she hears us speak. That's what all the baby books say."

Harry bent low over her belly. "Lily Rose, can you hear me? Your mummy and daddy can't wait to meet you." He kissed their daughter through Hermione's nightgown. "We love you, sweetheart."

And then Hermione was crying on him again, but this time, they were tears of joy.

*.*.*

Dean and Luna stopped by on the weekend to begin sketching for the nursery mural. It took them nearly a week to complete, but what they created far surpassed their expectations.

Underneath a pink sky was a stylized castle surrounded by whimsical trees, mushrooms, flowers, and forest animals. A rabbit stood on its hind legs, holding a white lily and a red rose between its paws. As for magical creatures, there was a majestic unicorn with a golden foal, a phoenix flying towards the cotton-candy clouds, a few scurrying gnomes, beautiful fairies with gossamer wings, and a woolly looking animal with a bent horn that Luna insisted was the fabled Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

They even included Harry and Hermione's Patronus forms: a stag on the edge of a blue lake and an otter swimming inside. Their owl, Fidella, was perched on a flowering tree branch nearby. She was looking down at Crookshanks, who was sitting on top of a large mushroom. The last personal touch was a portrait of Harry and Hermione holding a dark-haired baby.

"It's fantastic," Harry said in wonderment. "Absolutely brilliant job."

Hermione threw her arms around Dean and Luna. "I adore it, thank you! Lily Rose is going to love what you've done."

The Potters spent the next week getting the nursery ready. Hermione arranged the baby books and stuffed toys on the white shelf, while Harry assembled the furniture. Crookshanks immediately jumped inside the crib, settling down on the pale purple blanket that Mrs. Weasley had knitted. The silk butterfly mobile from the Grangers was suspended high enough overhead to prevent the cat from attacking it.

Hermione sank into the squashy armchair near the window. She was holding the handmade owl that Ginny had brought over a few days before. Hermione rubbed her cheek against the soft fleece. The plant from the Longbottoms gave off a soothing blue glow as the sun went down. Within minutes, a low hum was issuing from the trumpet-like flowers. The sound reminded Hermione of gentle waves and she felt herself being lulled to sleep. Just a few more weeks, she thought with a contented smile as she imagined seeing her daughter's face.

Closing Note: I toyed with the idea of having a prequel to show what happened with Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione, but I couldn't bring myself to write breakup drama or PTSD angst. So instead I just had them remembering back to those moments. I'll mention more on how Harry and Hermione became a couple as the story progresses!

Reviews are like sweets for writers, so please leave me a comment :3