Contractions
Hermione Granger-Weasley had had a normal, and fairly uneventful pregnancy. Ron Weasley, her husband of two years, however, thought differently. He was suffering from extreme sleep deprevation, due to his constant 4 a.m. trips to fetch Hermione Ice Mice, Crackers, Or on one occasion, tobassco sauce. Another hard hitting problem, ISD, also known as Ice Cream Seperation Disorder. Ah yes, this was hitting him hard. Hermione, being the normal pregnant lady she was, craved ice cream ALL the time. Ron, being the wonderful husband he was, surely wouldn't deprive her of this, though, his constant leaving the house for an hour or so to go to the Ice Cream parlor down the street did invite Hermione to accuse him of hundreds of infedilaties, all of which he disproved. Though, There was one problem that Ron was facing during this pregnancy that bugged him most of all. One problem that had him going stark-raving mad. He was suffering extreme sex divestiture. This of course put a hamper on everything in his life. But, Ron loved his wife, and wouldn't do anything to make her uncomfortable, especially in the delicate condition she was in.
"Ronald Weasley, where HAVE you been!" Hermione screamed at her husband upon him entering the house. He had been gone for almost an hour, and she could have gone into labor at any second! It was past her due date, after all. One day to be exact. She found this very rude.
"Honey, Im sorry, You just looked so peaceful when you were sleeping, I didn't want to wake you." Ron said, lying. He had been out getting some Ice- cream at the Parlor in Diagon Alley. He would have told her the truth, but he didn't want her to burst into another fit of tears, calling herself a pig, and other choice names for eating all the ice cream and not asking Ron if he wanted any.
"Don't give me that Ronald, I know you're lying to me! You were out with another woman weren't you! Am I not pretty enough now that I'm huge? Do you not love me anymore because I weigh more than the refridgerator! Is that what it is? Well fine. If thats how it is I'll pack up my things right now! I'm moving into your parents house!" Hermione fumed. She had been very easily upset lately. Especially today. She was a whole day past her due date.
"Mione, You know none of that's true!" Ron said, almost helplessly. His words fell on deaf ears, however, as Hermione had already began 'running' up the stairs. Ron decided to wait until she at least got the satisfaction of slamming the door before he ran up after her to apologize for being gone so long, and make everything better. However, he never did hear a door slam. Very scared, and very worried, Ron ran as fast as he could up the stairs and down the hall, towards their bed room, to find his wife, on the floor, crying.
"Hermione, whats wrong?" Ron said, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders. She put her face in his shoulders, as sobs wracked her body. "I'm s-so sorry R-r-ron..." "Hey, shh, what do you have to be sorry for, Mione?" Ron questioned. "I've been so snappy lately. Im just so sorry Ron... I mean, the baby is overdue. I know it's only one day, but it's eating away at me, I've never been late for anything in my life!" Hermione replied, obviously very flustered. "Hey, it's alright. Listen, my mom told me this once, when Fleur and Bill were going through the same thing. Your body knows what it's doing. Perhaps, the baby just isn't ready to come out. Just be patient, 'Mione, everything will fall into place in time."
After hearing this statement Hermione got unusually quiet. Upon noticing this, Ron took a sideways glance at his very pregnant wife. She had an uncharacterisic gleam in her eye.
"Ron," She said seductively ", let's induce labor." Ron looked around nervously, as though he expected Fred and Geroge to jump out at any moment and start laughing hysterically. "Are you sure about that, Hermione? Are you sure it would be okay, you know, comfortable for you?" He said after a moment. Hermione responded with a push backwards onto the floor, and a rough kiss.
Ron, pleasantly exhausted, and happier, feeling more fufilled than he had in a month captured a fleeting look at the clock. 12: 15 was what it read. "I love you Hermione." Was the last thing he said to the form of his sleeping wife, before he drifted into a peaceful slumber himself, not knowing that the next time he awoke, his life would be changed forever.
"Ron, Ron, wake up..." Hermione whispered into his ear. She was fully aware that it was 1:30 a.m. on a Tuesday night, but by the way she was feeling, Ron wouldn't be going to work tomorrow. Or the next day for that matter. "Wake up." She repeated, shoving him hard in the shoulders. "What?" He mumbled. "Ron, wake up! Come on, I have to talk to you!" A loud snort was the only thing she got in return.
These sort of responses would have disheartened many woman, but not Hermione. She knew had known Ron far too long to not know how to wake him. She got up, and walked her 40 week and 2 days pregnant self, and crawled into bed so that she was looking at him him face to face. "Ron, make love to me." She said, with absolutely no tone in her voice. This didn't work, which meant Hermione would have to turn towards drastic measures.
"Oh my goodness Ron, someone has stolen all of our food!" Upon hearing this, Ron immidiately sat up, looking around stupidly. "Wh- what?" He said, obviously still half asleep. Hermione, sick of waiting to tell him the good news. She slapped him hard across the face. He fell back, obviously starteled by the sudden blow.
"Bloody hell, what was that for! No man deserves to be slapped at 1:30 in the bloody a.m." Ron yelled. "Don't yell at me Ronald. And move your hand to the left a little." Ron, just wanting to get back to sleep, complied to her demand. He felt an odd warm wet spot on Hermiones side of the bed.
"Thank you very much for alerting me that you wet the bed Hermione, but couldn't this have waited until morning?" Said Ron, obviously very put out. "Ronald! I didn't wet the bed. My water broke!" Hermione squealed. Going into father mode, Ron jumped out of the bed as though his ass were on fire, and immiediately starting running around the room, frantically trying to put on pants, and pack the suit case, and floo the hospital, all at the same time.
"Ron, calm down, the contractions aren't even steady yet. Just sit down, we've got plenty of time." Stated Hermione, in an unusually motherly tone.
Ron looked around for a few seconds before realization shone in his eyes. "MERLINS BEARD, YOU'RE HAVING CONTRACTIONS." He scrame as he ran to her side. "Is there anything I can get you, anything at all? Wait, what'd the Healer say? Oh yeah, Breathe Hermione, Breath! Would you like some ice-chips? Boiled water? Anything?" Ron said all in one breath. Hermione looked slightly aggitated. "Ron, I can assure you, I'm fine. I can still tolerate the contrations, don't worry. Please calm down, for my sake. Let's just talk." Hermione stated.
Not wanting to upset his wife, he complied. "Do you remember the first time you tried to signal to me that you were pregnant? How you were openly knitting that single little yellow bootie?" Ron questioned. Hermione nodded. "Well, I didn't get the hint the first time, because I thought you were knitting it for one of our friends whom you had told me was pregnant, but I didn't hear because I wasn't listening...," Ron admitted dejectedly. ", so I ignored it. I did realize, however, a few days later when I found the bootie in the pocket of my favorite pants that it was our bootie. A bootie all for us. I was so happy that day, Hermione. Do you remember the yellow roses I brought home for you?" Ron stated, reminicing about that day, nine months ago. Hermione, through gritted teeth, smiled. The contractions were obviously getting harder to cope with.
When the current contraction had subsided, Ron decided it was time for him to start timing the contractions. "Tell me when the next one starts, okay Mione?" Ron said. "Alright," Hermione replied, "Do you remember when we told your parents?" Hermione asked. Ron turned bright red at the memory.
Flashback
"Mum...Dad?" Ron said, uneasily. "Yes son?" Arthur Weasley, replied, seeming quite distracted. He was busy doing something or other with his plug collection. "Can you guys sit down for a second? Hermione and I have something very important to tell you." Ron said, agitation showing in his voice. "Why yes dear, certainly." Responded Molly Weasley. She made her way to the couch next to the loveseat her son and daughter-in-law, dragging Arthur all the way. "Now, what did you need, Ron?" Molly asked, eagerly. Hermione stood, and walked over to the couch where Mr. and Mrs. Weasley now sat and and handed them a bright yellow envelope, without saying one word.
Molly started opening the envelope, eyeing her son and his wife suspiciously the whole time. Inside was a card. The only thing on the front of the card was a rainbow. Mrs. Weasley opened the card very slowly, as though she were afraid something large, and mean was going to jump out and eat her the very second all the words were visible. But there were no words. Just a large picture of a rattle. Arthur looked confused, but one glance at his wifes dazed expression made every thing click. "I'm going to be a grandfater!" He screamed jubilantly.
Hearing the words 'grandfather', Fred and George immiediately ran down stairs to see what was going on. There stood their little brother, being embraced by their dad. Realization shone in their eyes as twin evil grins spread across their faces.
"Ickle Ronniekins had sex, Ickle Ronniekins had sex!" Fred and George ran into the room chanting. "Bugger off you two, what I do is my business!" Shouted Ron, his face turning redder than his hair. Upon realized the fact that her son did infact have to have sex to concieve the child, Mrs. Weasley bombarded Ron and Hermione with questions.
"Oh Merlin, Ronald, you had sex?" "Was this baby planned?" "Neither of you have HIV do you?" "Do you need a retest?" "You are keeping it, right?"
End Flashback
"Yes, I remember th- Ahhh..." Hermione gritted her teeth as another contraction came along. "They're getting closer Hermione, About 6 minutes apart, and 40 seconds long. I think it's almost show time." "Ron I dont think I can do this, it's starting to hurt." Hermione said, while starting to cry. Ron knew all too well what this meant. You couldn't live with a mother of seven kids without knowing a little about pregnancy. Negative thoughts and disbelief in yourself can only mean one thing... Transition!
"Hermione, you aren't going to believe this, but youre in transition!" Ron stated. Hermione didn't respond, she was busy trying to focus on the contraction she was having. "You can do this Hermione!" Ron coached as he floo'd his mom, Molly Weasley.
"Hello Dear, How are you? Hows Hermione?" Molly said in her usual, motherly tone. "Well, mum," Ron said, an edge of excitement in his voice, "Shes in transition already! Can you believe it?" "Oh dear! Really? I'll be right over!"
Molly Weasley had been enlisted early in the pregnancy to deliver the baby. She was one of the only witches Hermione knew that supported her wish to have a muggle birth instead of a magical one. Molly, of course, knew how to deliver the muggle way, as Percy was born so quickly, she didn't have time to get to St. Mungos.
As soon as Molly arrived she was giving orders. "Ron, get towels and hot water." "Hermione, Dear, lay on these plastic sheets, you wouldn't want to get your beatiful carpet all messed up." "Ron! Get over here! It's almost time!" And finally, "Push! Push Hermione! Push!"
This was it. In a matter of minutes Ron would be a father. Hermione would be a mother. Their lives would be changed forever.
Hermione was pushing. She was pushing for all she was worth. Finally, the head began to crown. "Oh god, I can feel the head coming down!" Hermione screamed with joy. She now knew what the term "Ring of fire" meant. "Can you see it mum? Ron, can you see it?" She asked. "Yes, Yes I can! Now, one more really good push and the head will be born" Molly yelled. So she gave it another push, and indeed the head was born. But something wasn't right. Molly felt around the babies neck. The umbillical cord was there, and was very tightly wound.
"Hermione, You HAVE to push! The umbillical cord is around the babies neck! It will asphyxiate if we dont get the rest of the body out! Don't worry about tearing, just PUSH!" Molly said very quickly. And so, without even waiting for a contraction, Hermione pushed. She could feel a tear forming, but it didn't matter, she had to save her baby. She clenched her teeth and gave it one last hard push. The baby was born.
Molly quickly unwrapped the cord, and Ron started rubbing its chest to get it to breath. "Come on bean, breathe, you can do it!" And the baby started crying. This made Hermione cry. She was so proud of herself. "Let me see my baby!" She called out. So, Ron lifted his brand new child and put it onto Hermione's chest. No one had thought yet to look at the gender, so Hermione took this task upon herself. Ron, realizing what his wife was doing, asked, is it a boy or a girl?
Hermione proceeded to put a very tiny pink stocking cap that Molly had knit onto her head and said proudly, "Girl."
After weighing and measuring the baby, making Hermione and Ron some dinner, and saying her goodbyes, Molly left. She figured the new parents needed time to bond with their latest addition to the family.
"Im so pround of you Hermione." Ron stated happily. "Thank you Ron. I'm tired. Let's take the baby, and go to sleep, Okay?" Hermione said, stifilling a yawn. "Okay." He replied, and they headed up to their bedroom. Knowing, that in the morning they would start their new life together. One as a family. They would not only live life for each other, but for their child too. And this made Hermione and Ron the happiest people in the world.
-End
A/N: Hey everyone! This was a oneshot, I hope you liked it. I plan on starting another story soon, so keep a lookout for that. Review? Oh, and just incase anyone wanted to know, here are the babies stats.
Name: Libby Casilyn Weasley Weight: 8 lb 5 oz Length: 19 inches Head circumfrence: 15 inches Eyes: Blue Hair: Red Mum wants her to be: A Healer Dad wants her to be: A professional quidditch star!