Sweat dolloped on Millicent's brow, her face screwed up in an unbecoming scowl of pain, tension and frustration. Her legs were splayed spread eagle in the air and her mediwitch was begging her not to push. Millicent couldn't help herself. She felt what she had read was called the "ring of fire". There was so much pressure she wanted to push the causatory object out of her. All she wanted was to hear a melodic cry and to stare down at beauty wrapped up perfectly in a plush, pink blanket.
Theo squeezed her hand reassuringly and she looked up at him. He was the picture of cool indifference, an expression she could see through instantly. His face had a slight twitch to it, as if he was trying to not show how he truly felt. Millicent knew he was nervous as hell, just like her, but he was being strong enough for the both of them. It made her fall even more in love with him than she already was.
"I love you Millicent. You've got this. She's on her way. Just listen to the healer and mediwitch. They want you to pace yourself so you don't wear yourself out. Breathe Love, Breathe." He cajoled, stroking her hair as he leaned to whisper in her ear.
A smile graced her lips as a particularly painful contraction subsided and she nodded. The mediwitch's voice flushed into her ears and she stopped pushing. Air filled her lungs as she inhaled deeply and exhaled hard. The next moment she was bearing down again.
"Excellent work Millicent! Baby's head is out. If you can push the shoulders out the rest of Baby should just sort of flop out. Are you ready?" She asked, looking up at the tired pregnant woman.
Millicent nodded, putting every ounce of strength she had into it. The mediwitch made a pleased sound that was soon replaced by a squelching sound. Millicent tried to look down and caught Theo trying to sneak a peek also. In the next instant a loud wail of unhappiness reverberated through the small delivery room.
"Great job Mom! She's here, and she already sounds every bit a spoiled princess. She is NOT happy about being out of her warm little alcove," the healer chuckled, placing the blood and vernix covered baby onto Millicent's stomach.
"Oh Mill, she is beautiful. Look at that dark brown hair." Theo brought her knuckles to his lips and brushed them against his mouth gently.
"Would you like to cut the cord Dad?" The Healer asked, motioning Theo forward.
He moved, slightly reluctant to leave his lady by her lonesome but Millicent waved him on. Next he followed the Healer's directions and cut the umbilical cord. The mediwitch scooped up the tiny little girl and whisked her away to take her vitals. A second mediwitch came over to assist and clean the little one up.
After ten or so minutes, the mediwitch presented to Theo and Millicent their daughter, snuggled into a warm pink blanket. The little creature yawned and moved her tiny fingers. Millicent stole a glance at Theo and she knew he was positively enamoured. His little girl would never want for one morsel, that much was decided. Daddy would provide her even the most outlandish of her whims. Her heart swelled at her fiancè, staring down at their little bundle of sweetness.
"Welcome to the world Theadora Valentina Nott, we are so happy to finally meet you," Theo murmurred, wiping a tear from his cheek.
Their joy and solace were short lived because Millicent was wracked with body splitting pain next. She felt as though she needed the bathroom, so she handed Theadora to Theo and stood unassisted.
The mediwitches rushed to her side and tried to encourage her back to bed but Millicent felt she had to go. The mediwitch who had coached her through birth was at her side instantly. When the duo entered the small square shaped room, Millicent let out an agonizing cry. Her knees bowed and she howled again. Hurried footsteps moved in her direction and Theo watched her in terror.
The mediwitch squatted so she could see what was going on and she audibly gasped. Theo's look of concern grew as Millicent continued to scream and sob. Tears spilled down her cheeks and as he watched the woman he loved bear down.
"There's another head. You're having another baby Millicent. Keep bearing down, you can do it," the mediwitch cheered excitedly as she placed her hand on the back of the baby's head gently.
"Another Baby?" Theo was flabbergasted.
"Holy Slytherin's sack, this hurts worse than the last," Millicent muttered gruffly.
"Come on Millie, push, push, push. Good girl Millicent, take a deep breath and bear down…. Excellent. The good thing about this birthing position is gravity works in your favor," she chuckled jubilantly as the rest of the baby slithered out of it's mother.
"It's another precious girl Mom. She's just as gorgeous as her big sister. Dad, can you go get me another blanket? Thank you." The mediwitch smiled up at Millicent and began to guide her back to the bed.
Millicent felt as if she would collapse if she took another step, but she had to get to her bed for her girls. She wanted to hold them and name the second little angel.
When she hit the bed with her knees she fell forward gently. Theo brought the mediwitch a blanket and she prompted him to cut the cord of his second daughter. He did joyously. The mediwitch scooped the little girl up in her arms and took her away to clean her up.
Next she brought the small girl to her mother in a cosy looking purple blanket. Millicent stared down at her younger daughter and a smile lit up her features.
"They're beautiful, just like you Love," Theo mentioned offhandedly.
Millicent's smile grew.
"You're biased," she replied.
Theo sat beside her on the bed and placed Theadora beside her little sister.
"Of course I'm biased. Look at my three beautiful girls, three striking raven haired beauties." He pushed Millicent's hair to the side at kissed her neck softly.
"So what should we name her?" Millicent asked, gesturing to the little girl in her arms.
"Thalia? Theresa? Something that compliments Theadora," he suggested as he watched her watch their daughters.
"Thessaly Sandra Nott," Millicent whispered suddenly.
Theo barely heard her but he smiled.
"Theadora and Thessaly, Daddy's little girls. I love it Millie. You did beautifully." He hugged her close to him as they continued to watch their daughters sleep.
After the girls' first feeding, Millicent grew tired as well and Theo took both children from her so she could get some rest. He sat in a rocking chair beside Millicent's bed, taking in the beauty of his twin daughters. Millicent had mentioned they looked like him, but when he looked at them he saw two spitting images of their mother. They had her curls, her eye shape, with his nose and her full lips.
When Millicent finally woke up a few hours later, her mother was standing in the doorway to her room, gawking at the two little bundles of beauty.
"Twins?"
"Yes Mum, twins. Their names are Theadora and Thessaly," Millicent announced, handing Theadora to her mother and Thessaly to her father.
"Double congrats are in order then?" Came a familiar aristocratic drawl from the door.
Theo smiled as Draco entered the small room. He walked over to Millicent's mum and admired Theadora over her shoulder.
"They both look just like you Mill. Theo, you had better stay up to snuff on your Unforgivables. You're going to need them when these little ones start to date," Draco mentioned as Millicent's mum handed her over to the proud uncle.
They had company flow in and out, while Healers periodically checked on both girls and mum. It wasn't long before a Healer came in and told them they could leave the next day. Millicent was thankful for that.
She knew they had to go out and buy a second of everything they had bought while preparing for Theadora's arrival, and she didn't feel like putting it off for long.
The rest of their night went as smoothly as could be managed when you were dealing with twins. They worked together as a team; each parent tackling one twin. Theo seemed to be surprisingly in tune with Millicent's needs and she couldn't decide if it was the result of a spell or if he really just knew her that well. But it baffled her, even if she was thankful for his understanding.
The next morning, they were released and they flooed home at half past noon. As if by magic, both twins began to hungry fuss the moment they crossed the threshold into the flat. Theo took the girls while Millicent grew comfortable on the sofa and handed them to her when she was sufficiently comfortable.
The one thing they had discovered during their first night of parenthood was that the twins were pretty well in sync on everything. When Theadora peed, Thessaly pooed. When one drank a few ounces of milk, the other twin spit up.
It was exhausting but Millicent was constantly reminded how every sleep deprived hour was worth it. She had two beautiful daughters with the man she loved, and he was a rockstar at this whole dad thing.
As their day drew to an end, Millicent collapsed into the sofa alone, and rested her head back against the top of it. Theo followed her into it moments later.
"Here." He handed her a purple mug filled to the brim with hot chocolate.
"How did you know?" She asked.
"Whenever you get stressed or overwhelmed, you drink hot cocoa to bring your world back from the shambles. You always have." He nodded as she tipped the mug to drink some of the warm liquid.
"You are the best man in the world," she replied, laying her head on his shoulder.
"I am what i am because you are the best woman in the world," he answered.
He kissed the top of her head and then laid his head on hers.
"I am so thankful I found you," she muttered.
He couldn't hide his smile.
"I wasn't exactly hiding Mil. We've known eachother since we were in diapers," he replied, pulling her into him.
"I know, but I found the real Theo," she continued, looking down at their hands, now sitting atop each other.
"The real Theo?" He was puzzled by her description.
"The Theo that existed under that pureblood playboy personality that you, Blaise and Draco tried to pass yourselves off as. You acted as if you believe beauty is only skin deep, but you lot were a bunch of brooding Hamlets of poetry and romance," she explained.
He couldn't help his laughter.
"Wow, you really do have us pegged," he smiled.
"Well, not yet, but if that's something you'd like to explore…" she trailed off as she felt his body quake with laughs.
"Never!" He replied exuberantly. She joined im his laughter.
"I love you Theo," she whispered, snaking their fingers together.
"I love you too Millicent. Thank you by the way," he replied, looking into the dying fire.
"For?"
"For making me a father."
"My pleasure."
