Dedicated to E.
oOo
Hermione and Ron Weasley had dealt with surprises. They had been thrown into impossible, desparate situations, and had learned to keep their wits about them. Even so, nothing had ever happened quite like this.
Hermione and Ron thought they knew what was important, and they thought they knew what they wanted in life, but they found themselves faced with a permanent and unpredictable change of plans. A third child.
Everything about this child was unexpected. She was born in April five years after Hugo and seven years after Rose, when they were both old enough to spend weekdays at the little Weasley primary school taught by Grandma Molly and Percy's wife, Aunt Audrey, and Ron and Hermione had thought to devote themselves more fully to their careers. Born small with relaxed, floppy arms and legs, the healers had looked surprised and said this was something that usually only happened to muggles.
Of course, every baby was sweet, and this one was even cuter, her baby features accentuated and her cry soft and infrequent. She had lovely grey eyes and a Hermione-brown whisp of hair, but she was obviously different and they were terrified by what that might mean later in life, for a witch. They named her Emilia Minerva.
It usually only happened to muggles. Hermione sent Ron to the nearest muggle bookstore, and then another, and another until he found books about Down Syndrome.
"The twenty-first chromosome is duplicated, causing abnormalities such as a small nose, short stature and short fingers, speech impediment and mental disability..." Hermione read aloud.
"The twenty-first Christmas whatsome?"
"I don't know Ron. These x-shaped things, see the picture, apparently we have these to carry genetic information in our cells."
"Prison cells? Or do you mean those teletablets you talk to your parents on?"
"No, not cell phones. Just cells. They are in our bodies."
"In muggle's bodies you mean."
"No Ron, in ours too. Oh, I'm sure my parents will understand all this. They're coming on Tuesday, we can talk about chromosomes then. Let's look at the chapter on education."
"Well, she messes her diaper just like other babies, don't you Emilittlia?"
From what they gathered, Emilia would have difficulty learning. She might not even be able to read fluently, and academic superiority was out of the picture. Hermione kept telling herself it wasn't important, but deep down her heart was breaking for her daughter.
She would be less physically coordinated than average. While Ron took the older kids over to practice flying with Harry's and George's families, he wondered if he would ever be able to teach Emilia to fly.
On September first Ron and Hermione went to wave goodbye to their niece Victoire and as-good-as-nephew Teddy Lupin. Emilia was four months old. Most babies would be strong enough to hold their heads upright, but Emilia's muscles were weaker, so she still lay supported in her pram as they strolled through King's Cross Station.
It was an exciting day for the Hogwarts students. Hermione and Ron wished they could celebrate it without the aching doubts—would Emilia be able to go to Hogwarts?
On the platform Emilia was cuddled by all the extended family. Teddy and Victoire, having visited often during the summer and acted as extra miniature parents to her, had trouble letting Emilia go.
"Baby Emmie, will you be crawling when we see you again at Christmas?" Teddy grinned at her and popped out a pair of hairy elf ears, which made Emilia laugh. "Just don't go too fast for your mum and dad, right EmmieEmmie?" He touched her nose, then hugged Harry, promised to be good at Hogwarts and send lots of owls, and ran off to join his friend Desmond Wood, who was juggling dirigible plums.
"I will miss you so much! Christmas is too long away." Murmured Victoire, rocking Emilia in her arms. Emilia said "aay" with a smile and the tear that had started to gather in Victoire's eye was gone.
"Oh look at your smile! You always make me happy, ma petite, and Christmas isn't so far is it? I love you!" Victoire passed Emilia back to Hermione, hugged her, Ron, Rose and Hugo, and then went to her own family before boarding the train.
The students waved merrily out the windows, and the train blew steam, whistled, and moved away.
Ron and Hermione pushed the pram back out into the busy muggle station, talking to Hugo and Rose about Hogwarts. They shushed abruptly when a muggle woman in a purple dress stopped them to look, delighted, at their baby.
"She is adorable! So beautiful! What is her name?"
"Thanks," Hermione answered "her name is Emilia."
"I recognize that extra cuteness in her eyes," said the woman, "I have a daughter with Down Syndrome. She is almost twenty now, but she looked just like this. Hi sweet girl! Haha, look at that smile."
"Yeah, she has a great smile." Agreed Ron.
"You have a daughter with Down Syndrome?" Hermione asked, and the woman must have heard the hint of plea in her voice.
"Yes, she is wonderful; there have been some challenges but we have been so blessed to have her. You know...I'm sure my Jenny would love to meet Emilia. Here, I'm Julia McClure—" She shook their hands.
"Hermione Weasley"
"Ron Weasley. Nice to meet you. This is Rose and Hugo."
"Hi muggle lady!" Piped Hugo cheerily. Rose gasped. "Hugo! The interactual statue of secrecy!"
Ron quickly spoke over his children, "It would be great to meet your daughter!"
Julia McClure just smiled at Hugo and Rose, and said, "We live in Sutton. Would you come visit?"
"Yes!" Answered Hermione.
Julia rummaged in her purse. "I know I have a pen here somewhere, I'll write my number for you."
Ron almost offered her his quill, then remembered muggles didn't use quills. He was glad that Hermione kept a cell teletalker so they could use Julia's number to call her.
Julia found a pen and scribbled numbers on a ticket stub while saying, "Come to dinner, we can talk about school, I will tell you who the best therapists are...do you live in London?"
"No, we're...outside London...but we work in London. Not farther than an hour's travel to Sutton. We don't know anyone else with Down Syndrome, so we would really appreciate meeting Jenny. We will give you a call when we get home!"
"I will look forward to— Oh my, look at that! I have never seen such a friendly bird!" Exclaimed Julia.
A finch that had gotten in to the station had hopped up onto the edge of Emilia's pram. She waved a little hand and burbled happily at it, and it chirped in return.
"Shoo," said Ron
"Don't, Dad!" appealed Rose.
Ron flapped his hand at the finch, but instead of flying away it hopped down onto Emilia's blanket. It looked at her so intently, Julia was not the only muggle taking notice now. A few teletablet cameras snapped pictures of the adorable baby and bird, now cooing in unison.
Ron laughed nervously.
Hermione looked on. "It certainly seems to like Emmie." she commented with curiosity.
The finch calmly let Emilia grasp its tail, and continued to chirp prettily.
"No, Emmie, who knows where that bird has been!" moaned Ron, and then he frowned with a sudden misgiving, "or if it is even a bir—a normal bird, I mean what kind of bird...?"
"It's a common chaffinch," said Julia, "but you're right, it mightn't be very clean. I'm amazed it is letting her grab it! Maybe it is someone's escaped pet?"
As Julia said this Hermione was reaching into the pram and getting the finch out of Emilia's grasp, getting pecked in the process, and at last the little bird flew away from Hermione indignantly.
With a final promise to call Julia McClure, the Weasleys left the station.