Disclaimer: I own nothing.
There was an almost immaculate sheen to the house as it basked in the morning light. For the visiting witch sitting atop the couch, it was the exact opposite of what her home looked like at the moment.
"Your house looks like a museum."
Hermione looked up from her task and narrowed her eyes in annoyance towards the woman she considered her best friend. She surveyed her surroundings for a moment and bit her lip a little at the fact that her house was a bit tidier than usual.
"It's called clean; it would look familiar to you if you bothered to tidy up your own home every now and again." Hermione grumbled, unable to keep an annoyed look on her face as she heard the light and genuine laughter floating through the house. The noise came from the small strawberry blonde that had taken up residence next to Hermione's rather swollen feet.
"We love it that way, don't we mummy?" The smiling little girl looked over at her beaming mother who nodded in response.
"Yes, Calista but we wouldn't want to label it 'messy.' What does daddy call it?" Luna looked pointedly over at Hermione who had resumed her wandless guiding of the mop throughout the kitchen. The older witch only snorted in response, earning another grin from her two guests. Luna leaned towards her daughter as much as she could before whispering rather loudly and conspiratorially.
"A creativity chamber." The mother and daughter duo laughed quietly, watching knowingly as Hermione's grouchy glare eventually warmed.
The Weasley-Lovegood abode was definitely a "creativity chamber." Where Hermione's home was neat, organized and comfortably muggle, Luna's was riddled with clutter, overstuffed and oversized couches and practically breathed the same strange magic that Luna did. The quirky residence was the absolute love child of the Burrow and Luna's childhood home. Hermione looked around once more and wrinkled her nose in dislike. The usually cozy and comfortable home looked almost institutional after the cleaning frenzy she'd been in. Luna pat her hand knowingly and with a flick of her wand, banished the mop and bucket that had been working tirelessly on the sparkling clean maple wood floors.
Hermione sighed, feeling suddenly tired and unsure of herself for what felt like the millionth time since she woke up. Without really meaning to, her hand went to her rather swollen belly and she rubbed it gently. Even though she had been aptly warned, it still shocked her every time she felt a buzz of magic flow through her from the unborn baby. She smiled at the response and looked over at Luna who seemed to be doing the same thing to her own rather large belly that rivaled her own.
"Have you heard what the bets are like now?" Hermione asked, rolling her eyes at the small grin on the blonde's face.
"Oh, there's money on everything now. I caught Calista giving her Uncle George a bit of seer's advice for a shiny gold galleon." Hermione grinned as her god daughter laughed merrily at her feet, avoiding the knowing look on her mother's face.
"That was mighty Slytherin of you, Cali." Hermione called out, unable to really bend over to see her.
"Uncle George said I told him exactly when I was coming because I turned his hair pink." Calista informed her in a rather matter-of-fact tone.
Both witches shook their heads as the story was rather true. George had come up to Luna for "the right vibe" before he placed his bet on Calista's birth date and when he mentioned the date he had in mind his hair suddenly turned pink, much to his amusement. It was a story that he liked telling Calista often and one that Luna enjoyed hearing grow into a taller tale each time it was retold.
"Last I heard, the house was shaking and the lights flickered as well." Hermione whispered to Luna, who only smiled as they watched the five year old entertain herself happily. The girl resembled Luna in almost every way with the exception of the lightest color of Weasley red hair and the exact eyes as her father. Hermione found herself sometimes stunned by the blue eyes that looked up at her and wondered how Luna coped with them starring at her day by day.
"It's actually much easier than you think." Luna told her dreamily, watching as Calista played. Hermione looked over at the gray eyed blonde and shook her head.
"I'll never really get used to that." Hermione told her truthfully.
For years, the brunette would ask her friend how she knew the things that she knew, never truly accepting the fact that Luna was just magically inclined in ways that Hermione wasn't. It wasn't until much later in their friendship that Hermione finally accepted that there were things in magic that would never be explained fully.
"There are so many things that she does that are pure Ronald Weasley that sometimes it feels like a little part of him stays with me when he leaves. Some days are much harder than others but I attribute those days to wrackspurts finding ways into the house." Luna told her airily.
Hermione sighed tiredly, happy for her friend but unable to shake the feeling of loneliness that settled over her like a thick fog. Until nine months ago, she was perfectly at ease with the job that she, Ron and Harry shared. The trio had worked tirelessly chasing after dark wizards together, falling into the roles they were expected to play since the war had ended. Their unit had eventually been assigned only the most dangerous dark witches and wizards around the country, sometimes taking them away from the safety of their homes and the love of their families for months without contact due to heavy case sensitivity.
With Luna having gotten pregnant so young, Ron kept the job as a way to make sure they were provided for properly. Most families and most businesses were still rebuilding their lives even six years after the war was over. It was only two years ago that significant amounts of people began returning to the United Kingdom as the fear of an residual death eater violence had finally been abated. With the Ministry becoming a greater, truer and stronger government under Kingsley's tireless efforts, things were looking up as the months passed.
It had been into their third year, when they tracked down Antonin Dolohov, that Ron had to rush back upon an emergency summons from Luna (Calista had gotten the children's version of Dragon Pox) leaving Hermione and Harry completely alone together for the first time since Ron left them in the tent. With Ron unable to meet with them until the mission was over, the two had grown naturally close to one another and eventually became lovers. It had come as a blow to Ginny, Harry's on again off again girlfriend, when they came back months later and he was no longer interested in rekindling that fire. The two best friends kept their affairs quiet as the years passed, both content with keeping things as they were and then...
They got a little too passionate upon their return home nine months ago and forgot protection.
Everything changed, and quickly. Hermione was no longer allowed to be on the taskforce since she was pregnant and Harry was needed as they had finally caught up to the brothers LeStrange, the last of the dark lord's inner circle.
She remembered the mixed look of sheer joy and disbelief on his face when he finally understood what she was saying through her nervous sobbing. He had lifted her into her arms and held her tightly against him and kissed every inch of her face as he told her he loved her.
She and Luna were both four and a half months along when the MLE Head informed Harry and Ron that they would be sent out of the country until the LeStrange's were arrested. It wasn't until the first night after they left that Hermione truly appreciated how strong Luna had been all those years that they were gone for months at a time. The two witches had grown ridiculously close in the four and a half months that Ron and Harry had been gone and although it couldn't replace the camaraderie that had grown between the trio after years of being so close knit, it had blossomed into the first true friendship she had ever had with another woman.
"Aunt Mione is just dreaming about kissing Uncle Harry."
At the sound hearing Harry's name, Hermione pulled herself out of her thoughts, blushing appropriately at the fact that both Calista and Luna were watching her with their curious wide eyes. Her hand went to her stomach once more and she smiled.
"Your mum is right. I just want to kiss Uncle Harry all day long!" Hermione told her playfully, reaching out and tickling her goddaughter. The girl squealed and ran away from her aunt, yelling aloud about how gross the older witch was, earning a head shake from both her mother and godmother.
"She really is like Ron in so many ways." Hermione commented affectionately, earning a hum of agreement from the blonde woman next to her. She looked around the house, wrinkling her nose once more at the look of it.
"It does look like a museum, doesn't it?" She said, suddenly unhappy with the way it looked. She imagined Harry trying to get comfortable in a house that certainly didn't look like home and it made her feel horribly grouchy at the image she was building in her head. It hadn't occurred to her until Harry had left that she quite enjoyed the messiness he brought with him whenever he stayed at her house and she felt herself missing the simple touches of him laying his quidditch boots at the door or his cloak always missing the coat hook.
"I'm sure that Harry won't mind. He'll probably be too busy mooning over you." Luna told her kindly, earning a look of disgust from the five year old that just happened to pop her head back in the room.
"Personally, I can't get Ron to keep his hands off of me once Calista falls asleep from all the excitement." She added happily, Hermione rolled her eyes but kept the smile on her face. She knew for a fact that Ron was very much in love with Luna and had caught them sneaking into every private nook and cranny that they could possibly get into once he came home.
"I'm sure you're just as guilty when it comes to having your hands all over him-" She stopped herself and groaned a bit as the pain in her back grew a bit uncomfortable. Luna waddled into a better sitting position and placed her hand on Hermione's shoulder comfortingly.
"Alright there?" She asked carefully, earning an uncomfortable look accompanied by a nod.
"I think so."
The two sat quietly as Hermione sorted out the pains she was feeling until she finally turned to Luna with a nod, signaling that it had passed. She took a few deep and slow breaths while Luna looked over her curiously as if going through a sort of mental checklist and her eyes went over the older witch. Hermione shook her head, smiling at her best friend as she waved her hand in front of her in a swiping motion saying 'no'.
"Really, Luna, I'm fine. It's been a sporadic pain, really. This baby isn't coming out until her father is home." She told her firmly, trying to assure the woman next to her. Just as she said the words, she felt something akin to her first accidental magic as a burst of energy flown out of her so quickly and easily that she weren't able to control it. Out of no where, Harry's old cloak appeared on the coat hanger by the light switch, swaying as if it were just thrown there.
Hermione's eyes widened while a small smile graced Luna's face.
"I seem to remember my own burst of magic right before Calista was born, Ronald's manticore boots flew right into the cake at the baby shower. A bit of a shock to all of us." She paused for a moment and chuckled as Hermione's look of surprise seemed to have gotten even greater than before.
"Then again, Weasleys are never as subtle as Potters."
"ARRRRRGGHHH!"
Both pregnant witches jumped a bit as Calista came in atop the shoulders of George Weasley. Both redheads looking pleased with themselves at the reaction they were afforded. George's face quickly went flat when he saw Hermione's expression and pulled Calista off of him gently, much to the girl's dismay.
"We didn't scare the baby out of you, did we?" George asked playfully, smiling as Luna chuckled happily while Hermione only rolled her eyes.
"If that were possible, you would've scared your sons straight out of Angelina just by the sight of your face." Hermione told him in a sarcastically sweet voice that made his smile grow. It had only been since his twin sons Frederick and Graham had been born that he had become the old George that everyone knew.
"I think I like you even better when you're insulting me. We should've gave it a go, Hermione. It's a pity my ickle brother turned you off to any of the Weasley brood." He laughed as Luna sent a gentle stinging hex to his bum and rubbed the offended spot with a happy grin on his face as both pregnant women started laughing along with him.
"There will be no insulting of the ickle little brother while his unborn baby is still in this belly." Luna told him, rubbing her stomach with a far off look that told Hermione that she too was day dreaming about having her other half home right now. George watched her for a moment, amused with the dreamy look on her face, before turning to Hermione with a serious look on his face.
"We have some business to discuss, Granger." He told her, narrowing his eyes as he summoned a chair to sit on.
"Oh?" Hermione asked curiously, her eyebrow raised.
"Oh, indeed. It has come to my attention that you have not given birth yet."
If it were at all possible, she would have sworn that her eyebrows disappeared all together at how high they were raised. Her mouth opened a couple times, ready to say something and stopping herself. Putting her hands on her belly and cocking her head to the side tried to look at him seriously.
"What would give anyone that impression?"
"There's no need for lip. I thought you'd ought to know that I've predicted ever birth of the Weasley family correctly since Victoire and Calista were born. That's six years of always being right and it's awfully tiring work." George told her, flicking his wand and changing Calista's hair color to pink momentarily. Hermione and Luna both gave him looks of mock sympathy, grinning at one another.
"However! You and my favorite Chosen One are fickle. If your monster of delight is a Potter, it will be born on the day I see fit, thus saving the day…" He paused for a second, nodding his head excitedly to show that he believed that to be the best choice.
"Or and this is not to offend the lovely pregnant Granger, but if your bundle of messiness is a Granger…well…" He shook his head at Calista who was listening in earnest while Hermione crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at the wizard.
"Well, what?" She asked him, the lingering tone in her voice telling him to be careful in his choice of words.
"Well, I'm afraid that if your baby is a Granger then it will be sure to avoid the day of my choosing all together in an effort to teach me a lesson against gambling." He told her, sounding put out by the prospect of such a child.
Hermione could only shake her head, an amused smirk on her face. Just as she was about to say something in return, she winced and placed a hand on her lower part of her stomach, forcing herself to take slow breaths until the pain dissipated. George's eyes widened much like Luna's had when it happened a few minutes prior and the playful demeanor that he had arrived with disappeared into that of a suddenly worried wizard.
"Should I call Angelina?" George asked gently, looking more at Luna than at Hermione. He had been thankful that his wife were a certified mediwitch by the time they had the twins and had been able to ease the prankster through the labor and the birth by knowing exactly what was going on. He couldn't help but feel the early onset of panic slip through him as he watched Hermione open her mouth once more to speak when she hissed out in pain again.
"George, I think it might be best if you did." Luna told him calmly, ignoring Hermione's fervent head shake.
"Do you think she might have the baby today?" George asked, taking a page out of Luna's book and ignoring Hermione all together. Immediately after he said the words, Hermione felt as if another ball of energy was growing within her and felt it release out of her finger tips. The watched as a silvery light, reminiscent of a Patronus shot towards George and wrapped around him, causing his limp hair to fly upwards and a turn green.
The inhabitants of the room stared at George while he looked at them very much surprised. The tall mischief maker leaned over to the side and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror for a moment before nodding his head and sighing, a small smirk that reminded Hermione of their Hogwarts days played on his face. Calista climbed up the sofa next to him and inspected his hair with a grin, giggling over the strange coloring of it. Meanwhile Luna did her best not to laugh at the shocked look on Hermione's face as she alternated stares at George and her belly.
"Mummy, Auntie Mione is wetting herself!"
It was almost in slow motion that George, Luna and Hermione looked down on the loveseat and saw the small pool of water trickling around her. The brunette witch gaped at the sight, wanting nothing more than to cry while Luna pat her on the shoulder gently and pushed herself off the couch as gracefully as one could with a beach ball attached to her stomach.
"My water…"
Just as she was about to finish her sentence, George ducked out of the way as a blur of black flew towards him and nearly took out his head. A loud crash was heard along with the sound of wood being broken and sure enough a pair of familiar looking boots had crashed into the wall behind George. The two distressed Gryffindors were horribly concerned with the pair of boots currently taking residence in the wall while Luna made a noise of pure joy as she rubbed her belly.
"Well, that's quite interesting, isn't it?"
There just wasn't enough room in St. Mungo's for all those concerned over the two very pregnant women in the maternity ward. It was a jungle of redheads as nearly every Weasley had arrived, each ready to fret over the women who laid side by side in the large birthing suite.
"Are you sure you wouldn't like a room to yourself?" The nurse whispered to Hermione.
The brunette shook her head with a small but strained smile as Molly Weasley narrowed her eyes at the nurse threateningly at the prospect of sending them away. The woman seemed to have caught on to the glare she was receiving and quickly went about her business before shuffling out of the almost crowded room.
"Try not to kill anyone with that death glare, mum." George joked. The matriarch's expression turned to one of feigned innocence as she moved over to her surrogate daughter and pat her hand gently.
"Don't worry, dear, I've been through this my share of times. It's not as scary as it seems." She assured her warmly. Hermione squeezed her hand as a contraction hit her rather harshly and grit her teeth until the feeling subsided. She looked over at Luna and nearly went into a jealous fit as the blonde seemed to be completely at ease, laughing with Calista happily. Molly gave a small pat to her hand once more and shook her head.
"Luna's a different breed of woman." Molly told her affectionately, winking at her. Luna smiled at them gently, closing her eyes and calmly squeezing onto a nervous Xenophilious' hand.
"Any word from my parents, Molly?" Hermione asked, shifting uncomfortably on the bed.
As her due date wasn't supposed for another two weeks, she had assured Jasper and Adele Granger that they were safe to go to their annual dental conference in Paris. The fact that neither Harry nor her parents were sitting next to her made her want to cry suddenly and she could feel the pressure of stress riddle her body angrily.
"Since Bill and Fleur are still visiting her parents this weekend, they apparated over to the hotel your parents are staying at. Once she gets in touch with them, she and Bill will bring them straight over." Arthur assured her, hoping to ease the strain she was placing on herself. It seemed to work momentarily as everyone suddenly felt a calm air around them as Hermione's magic seemed to calm down.
She wondered for a moment where Harry was right now and whether or not the emergency ministry communication had gotten to him yet. She wondered if he and Ron were fighting the LeStranges, defending the peace they had so sacrificed for; the peace for their two unborn children that were currently trying to be born at the same time. A swell of pride filled her as she thought of Harry fighting the good fight for their baby, soon followed by the dread of thinking he might be hurt doing so. The endless rollercoaster of hormones messing with her emotions was making her dizzy and tense.
"Ms. Granger." She looked up to see the nurse looking at her with a disapproving glare as little sparks began releasing from her wand next to her.
"You need to relax. You aren't doing any good adding more stress to yourself in your condition." The woman told her tersely, accruing a number of annoyed glares from her many supporters in the birthing suite.
"I'm sure you don't need to take that tone, Miss." Hermione nearly cried out a sound of relief as a short curly haired woman made a beeline for her.
"Mum! Dad!" She felt a tear slip as her parent's swallowed her up in a hug. Her mother pressed her forehead against her and she closed her eyes in relief as she felt Jasper Granger's hand slip over her bushy head of hair comfortingly. It was amazing what the simple touch of one's parent can do when you need their comfort and the sudden image of comforting a little boy or girl with emerald eyes filled her with warmth. As Fleur and Bill arrived in the doorway Hermione mouthed a "thank you" to them, mentally reminding herself that she was going to pay them back somehow for bringing her parents in so quickly.
"What have the doctors said, darling?" Her mother asked, immediately going into mother mode as she set down her purse and began checking her head and fixing her pillow.
"Last I was checked, I was six centimeters. The healer said that magical births are different with a muggleborn's first child because my magic is fighting to transfer to the baby. They said that's why I've been..." She paused and her parents looked at her expectantly while the other's in the room turned their heads away to hide their smiles.
"Sparking." She finished lamely, watching the frown that filled her father's usually calm features. Adele Granger raised an eyebrow for a moment before a smirk broke out on her face and she cupped her daughter's face affectionately.
"It just means that he's coming to us with a bang, that's all." The older woman told her warmly, smiling. Just as Hermione were about to say something, she gasped and squeezed onto her mother's hand, gritting her teeth as a contraction rolled through her body. In the corner of her eye she could see Luna seemed to be doing the same to her very nervous father. She closed her eyes and imagined the first time Harry kissed her, calming her breathing as the minute and half long contraction slipped away.
"I think it's time we head out to the waiting room." Arthur announced as both women finally came down for their contractions, both looking rather uncomfortable. The group of gingers began filing out of the room while Molly hung back to wait for an unsure looking Calista that stared at her mother in a sort of confusion. The usually confident and strong girl looked horribly lost as she stood in the sea of adults, staring at the already tired looking faces of her favorite aunt and her mother.
"Sweetheart, mummy will be fine." Molly told her gently, wrapping her arms around the little strawberry blonde. Luna gave both a thankful smile and gently rolled over to her side, sticking her head outward and rubbing her nose against her daughters.
"Count the Nargles outside and keep guard for me and the baby." She whispered, reaching out and wiping a tear from the child's eye.
"I wish Daddy was here." Calista mumbled, wiggling out of her grandmother's grasp and throwing her arms around her mother's neck. Luna ran her hair through her daughters short silky hair, whispering words of comfort when she was interrupted.
"You ought to be careful what you wish for, princess."
In the doorway to the suite was a rather worn looking Ronald Weasley still in his Auror uniform, smiling at them. It seemed as if Luna and Calista had yet to realize that he was really standing there, as they both stared at him with their wide eyes before breaking out into smiles that nearly split Molly Weasley's heart into pieces. Hermione watched enviously as her best friend took three long strides before scooping up his daughter in his arms and clutched her tightly to him with one arm while his free hand slipped easily through Luna's silvery blonde hair. With ease, he bent down on his knee, still holding onto Calista as he did so and pressed his face to his wife's forehead. It was one of the few times that Luna, the independent, airy and odd Ravenclaw looked as if she actually depended on someone else for a moment and to Hermione it was beautiful. As she tore her eyes away from the reunion, they found their way over to the doorway where she swore she actually felt her heart slip into her stomach as no one was standing there.
"I can't believe that you're both in here together." Ron finally broke out, his voice raw and shaky from what Hermione knew to be from his attempt not to cry at seeing his family. Calista was still clinging to him with her head in his neck and if it were possible, Luna looked even more at peace than she had before. He slipped away from Luna and truly looked over at Hermione for the first time since he walked into the room, grinning at the fact that her neck was outstretched, trying to look at the doorway for Harry.
"Hello Ronald." He mocked, getting her attention. Hermione smiled at him genuinely and he stepped over to her with his freehand gently touched her swollen stomach.
"This is going to be Ronald Jr., right?" He asked, dropping down again and letting Hermione embrace him as tightly as she could. He chuckled in their embrace and looked over at Luna who merely watched them with a smile on her face.
"Alright, alright. My wife is going to get jealous if you don't stop clutching on me while SHE'S giving birth to Ron Jr."
Hermione laughed, wiping a happy tear from her eyes as they released one another.
"I thought Auntie Mione was having Ron Jr., Daddy." Calista finally said, her voice overflowing with sheer happiness. The entire room chuckled as he playfully shushed the small child, resulting in a squeal of laughter.
"If I ask them both, then maybe one of them will actually listen." He told her in a conspiratorial whisper. Hermione shot a look over at Luna who looked at her quite seriously for a moment as she shook her head just enough for Hermione to see that there was no shot for any child to be named after Ron tonight.
The noises of the happy group surrounded her as her eyes went back towards the empty doorway. While she was ridiculously relieved that her best friend had made it home safely, the worry began to sink in as her baby's father was still absent. She winced as a sharp pain hit her suddenly and she felt horribly unable to control her magic as her hands went to her abdomen. She could hear a subtle dinging noise over her head and the sounds of her mother telling someone to get her healer. It was like nothing she had ever felt before, it was as if energy was flying through her so uncontrollably that she was going to explode. A strangled noise came out of her throat and she could barely hear the sound of Calista yelling out in fright and being carried out of the room by Molly and Arthur.
Eyes closed shut and teeth ground down, she tried her best to imagine Harry.
She pictured his hair over his eyes, his smile, the lines on his face when he concentrated, his goofy morning smile. Trying her best to remember her breathing techniques, she did her best to imagine his voice telling her that everything was alright. Her eyes opened carefully and she saw the looks of worry in the room. Angelina seemed to come out of nowhere, her wand immediately going to work over her as she motioned wordlessly where the pain was coming from. She looked over at Ron, who looked an equal degree of lost and worried as he watched Angelina bark out orders to the nurses around them.
She just wanted Harry.
"Set up Miss. Lovegood in another room."
Hermione's head snapped in Luna's direction as she heard that. What if she injured Ron and Luna's baby? How was she going to do this without Luna? Luna, who had been her closest friend and companion for nearly five months. The blonde gave her a confident nod and a typical smile as she was slowly wheeled out of the room, trying to convey silently that it would be alright. Ron paused as he watched his wife get rolled out and even though she felt ready to pass out from the feeling in her abdomen, she nodded to Ron that he needed to follow the woman out. The redhead's features appeared to grow even more worried as Hermione groaned loudly, sweat beginning to bead down her temples. A pain hit her body once more and she nearly cried in relief as it finally subsided.
"You're doing wonderfully, Hermione." Angelina assured her, running an intricate pattern over her stomach as she spoke.
"Is the baby alright? What's wrong?" Hermione asked, gripping onto her mother's hand so tightly that she thought she was going to break it.
"The baby is fine-" The mother-to-be's shoulders dropped in relief at the sound and she tried her best to smile at her former classmate.
"As you know, because you're a muggleborn witch, your magic isn't accustomed to being carried on to another person so it's fighting the spread that is required in order to be passed on. All magic gets passed onto children, it depends later on in life whether or not it takes, which is why there are squibs or muggleborn siblings that never acquired magical powers."
Hermione nodded carefully, the intake of knowledge distracting her from her current throbbing pain.
"If it's a common occurrence, why is she in so much pain? Isn't there something you can give her?" Jasper Granger asked almost angrily, annoyed with the prospect that such a common problem had no treatment. Angelina shook her head, looking solemn as she spoke.
"We've already given you a sedative, any more could harm the birthing process. The problem is that Hermione's level of magic is higher than most witches, pureblood or not. Mix in the fact that this baby is half of Harry Potter, the last of the Potter bloodline…" She trailed off and looked down at Hermione with a mixture of curiosity and pity that made the younger witch truly understand what she was trying to say.
"Basically my magic and Harry's magic are having a royal battle in my stomach while my baby is simply trying to be born." Hermione grunted, feeling the rolling tightness before a regular contraction hit. Angelina waited patiently, monitoring Hermione's vitals until she the feeling passed.
"Is what she said true?" Adele asked, looking at her daughter worriedly as she stroked her sweat soaked hair.
"More or less." Angelina admitted calmly, running the pattern over her stomach once more and furrowing her brow over the feedback she was getting. A few flicks to her wand and she sighed, taking a deep breath.
"It looks like we're going to be delivering a bit earlier than we anticipated, Hermione." Angelina told her carefully. Hermione's eyes grew wide and she shook her head fervently as she took in the news.
"I am not having this baby without Harry. He needs to be here." She announced. Her hands went to her stomach as if she were trying to protect the unborn baby from the people around her.
"Hermione, you have to calm down. Your magic is volatile and could potentially harm someone without meaning to. I know you want Harry to be here but-" Angelina was soon cut off as sparks flew around the room almost the same way as a richochetting bullet.
"Mr and Mrs. Granger, we're going to have to ask you to move to the waiting room-"
"I'm not going to leave my daughter alone-"
"It's not safe for you to be here unprotected."
While the Grangers fought with Angelina, Hermione closed her eyes and willed herself not to cry, failing miserably. Ever major event in her life started and involved Harry Potter. Not the famous one people read in the papers, but the one that sat on the train with taped glasses, the boy-who-hated-charms-homework and the man who made love to her and kissed the corners of her mouth as she fell asleep. She had never left his side, never went into battle without him and she certainly wasn't going to let him not show up during the most important battle of her life.
She cringed and gave out a strangled yell as the pain hit her once more and could feel the objects in the room shaking even as the nursing staff began warding the room as to keep her magic contained in the area. She could hear a sort of frenzy outside and although she couldn't care less if she were the cause, she wondered what was going on outside. Sparks darted around the room once more and she let out another sob like noise as the pain intensified.
"Hermione."
Her head shot up and for an instant that seemed frozen in time, she stared at the man in the doorway. He was panting and leaning on the frame of the door for support, sweat beading down his neck and his robes were in such disarray that it looked almost as if he'd had to duel his way in. He pushed his glasses up to look at her properly and as he smiled, she felt almost as if the ball of energy within her had turned from being painful to being a warm buzz of magic as it had hours ago at the house.
"Hermione."
He said her name as he took strides over to her, the others stepping back without words and watching the exchange silently. It was as if they crashed into each other. The feeling of his face against hers and her hands holding onto him tightly until her nails dug into him, unwilling to let go. The smell of him set her in a daze as the instant familiarity warmed her and he found himself burying his face in her already messy head of hair.
"You're here."
"I'm here."
The nurse shook her head, a smile on her face, as the last group of redheads finally moved away from the glass leaving only a lone man with a little girl next to him. The object of the groups affections was sleeping peacefully among the other newborns. It was the pale, baby boy named Lysander Weasley that they had come to see. The little blonde boy was the calmest of all the newborns and she was envious that his mother had such a smooth birth.
Her eyes travelled over to the boy two rows over and she smiled a little to herself.
As she grew caught up in her thoughts, the woman that would take over her shift crept in next to her.
"Is the gossip true? Is it them?" The younger witch asked, craning her neck to see the babies.
"It's true." The older nurse answered calmly. The woman next to her sucked in a breath and dramatically put a hand to her chest.
"I can't believe I missed it. The first sons of THE Golden Trio are here tonight, born on the same day. I can't believe it."
"Yes, well, it was all rather exciting. Granger nearly blew up the wing with her magical bursts. Apparently Potter had apparated all the way from America with Weasley and when it was time to take the floo, he was so nervous that he yelled out Samungo instead and ended up in some sort of pub in Wales without any floo powder to get back. He broke the anti apparition wards to inside the building by forcing his way in. Granger went rather loony until he arrived, but the moment he came in…well…" The nurse sighed wistfully as she thought of the rather romantic reunion that she had witnessed while trying to set up wards in the Granger's birthing room. Her younger colleague looked at her expectantly, eyes wide and hanging on to her every word.
"Well? Well, what?" She practically yelled, growing red as she was shushed so she wouldn't wake the babies. The older woman only sighed once more and with a smile on her face, waved at the little girl staring into the room at the little boys before leaving her colleague thirsting for more gossip.
"Is being a big sister hard?"
George grinned and nudged her gently as he bent lower to look at his rather pink nephew sleeping.
"I don't know. I've never been a big sister." He answered smartly, earning a small giggle from the girl next to him. Sighing tiredly, the girl wrapped her arms around her tall uncle's neck and rested her head as he lifted her up with ease, still staring at the small bundles that barely moved in their bassinets.
"Are they twins? Like you and my other Uncle George?" The girl asked innocently, oblivious to the how stiff her uncle got for a moment before shaking it off.
"They weren't born from the same mum so, no, they aren't twins like me and your ugly Uncle Fred." Callista's brow furrowed for a moment and she shook her head.
"You look the same. So if he's ugly, your ugly too. Mummy says it's not nice to say ugly though." She informed him, earning a smile in return. They stood quietly, staring at the two boys a little long before Callista looked over at her Uncle once more.
"It's more than being born from the same mummy, Uncle George. You were made to be Uncle Fred's twin and he was made to be yours. I think Lysander and James were made to be twins, you'll see." She told him lightly, smiling as the baby yawned. George stared at her for a long time, unsure of what to say as the little girl's words hit him like a ton of bricks. He felt a strong clap on his shoulder and turned to see a tired looking Ron standing next to him. Instantly, Callista reached out for her father and George handed her over with ease, smiling as the small girl wrapped herself around his little brother's neck.
"That's my Princess." Ron murmured into her hair as he kissed her head.
The two brother's stared at the two boys together and George watched as Ron reached out his hand to the glass and touched it gently.
"Not so much of an ickle Ronniekins anymore." George told him, smiling. Ron raised an eyebrow for a moment and let out quiet laugh, shaking his head.
"I never said that and you'll pay if you tell anyone." George warned him playfully as he walked away. Just as he had gotten around the corner to meet Angelina in her office, he felt a tug on his robes. He turned to see Callista standing there, rubbing her eyes but looking up at him expectantly. He grinned cheekily and ruffled her hair a bit before answering her unspoken question.
"Don't worry. You're my partner, 50-50. I'll ask your mum to spend the day with you once I collect the money from the pool." He assured her, sending her back in the direction she came. He shook his head and grinned, thinking for a moment that she was more like a mini Fred mixed with Luna's airy qualities. He remembered the stern look on her face as she told him a month ago how the day would turn out and was still in a bit of disbelief that she had been right.
He whistled a happy tune, thinking of how delighted his best friend and brother would have been knowing that he won every bet because "loony" lovegoods daughter was the coolest niece in the world…even if she was half Ron's.
Calista smiled as she saw her Daddy waiting patiently for her and ran straight into his arms. She squeezed him tightly once more and he carried her back to where her mother was sleeping.
"What did he say when you told him his hair was still green, love?" Her father asked, laughing.
Calista grinned and shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing."
Harry rocked quietly back and forth on the rocking chair as his Hermione took a well deserved sleep. He looked down at the baby, amazed at the tiny bundle that slept in his arms as if he were born simply to fill the space that he now took up. The newborn baby alright had a patch of raven colored hair on his head and although he hadn't opened his eyes much, Harry hoped and prayed that they were the same as Hermione's.
"You look perfect like that, Mr. Potter."
He looked up to see the eyes he had just been imagining staring up at him warmly. He reached out and laid his hand against her cheek, running his thumb over her skin gently and smiled as she closed her eyes to his touch. He had yearned for the feel of her skin while he was gone and now he finally understood what Ron had told him about the need to touch her now that he was in the room with her after so long.
"I'm sorry I was so late, love." He told her genuinely, feeling his heart drop a little at the idea of not being there when the baby had been born.
"You'll have to make it up to us." She told him playfully, her voice sounding a bit raw from her yelling earlier. He laughed and shook his head, getting up carefully and placing his sleeping son in his bassinet as gently as possible before making his way back to her bedside. Leaning over, he kissed her, enjoying the softness of her lips as if he hadn't felt them in years rather than months. His fingers shook a little as he played with the item in his pocket and as they move away from one another, he pulled it out and lifted it to her sights.
"Will this make up for it?" He asked nervously. The ring was simple and the diamond set in it wasn't anything a witch like Pansy Parkinson would have accepted. But for the brunette witch resting in bed, it was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever seen.
"It was my mother's apparently, and I just think we should-" His eyebrows raised as she pulled him in for another kiss, one much more passionate and hungry than the soft one they shared earlier. As they broke a part, the two tried not to laugh too loud as Harry wiped the happy tears off of Hermione's face.
"I'll accept this…as long as you promise not be late for our wedding."
"I promise."
A/N: Alright, alright, it's a fluffy mess, but I don't care. I had promised an update on Stuck On You, but because I'm not satisfied with the flow of the chapter I'm not going to post it yet. To make up for the lack of H/HR lovin'…I decided to pull something out of my Harry Potter vault and give it to my readers as a peace offering. This is a one-shot, although I do have other side chapters from Harry and Ron's point of view and even an "after" chapter. I wasn't sure if anyone wanted to read all the other pieces but if someone does, just let me know and I'll post it.
I PROMISE an update for Stuck On You by Friday at the latest but I do hope you enjoyed this fluff in the meantime. Thank you – Lyss.