Weasley Additions
"Are we late? Has the baby come yet?" Bill asked, one arm gently guiding his wife to a chair, while he held Victoire's hand tightly with the other.
"No," said Percy, wringing his hands, watching rather anxiously as Fleur sat slowly down and then placed her folded hands on her swollen stomach gently. "They threw me out." he added, gloomily.
Bill sat down beside Fleur, and lifted Victoire onto his lap. "Is Audrey alone in there?" Percy shook his head. "Mum's with her," he said. "And George and Angelina went upstairs to get something to drink. Where's the rest?"
"Dad, Ron and Hermione are on their way," said Bill, in his calm, assured manner. "And Harry and Ginny've gone to pick up Andromeda and Teddy."
As Percy digested this, Victoire, who'd been unusually silent ever since they had arrived, perked up. "Daddy, is Teddy coming?" she asked, twisting around to look at him.
Bill smiled as he tucked a thick strand of blond hair behind her ear. "He's on his way."
George and Angelina entered, just as Victoire demanded of her mother to make her hair "nice, cos Teddy's coming."
George laughed. "Competition already, huh, Billy boy?"
He ruffled Victoire's hair, immediately earning a firm reproach from that young damsel. He laughed again and went to sit next to Percy, who was growing more worried by the second.
"I say, Fleur," Percy said somewhat guiltily, as Fleur rubbed her stomach. "You shouldn't have troubled yourself."
"Eet is no trouble at all." she answered, smiling. "After all, thees leetle one," she cradled her bulging stomach tenderly, "seems to be taking 'er own sweet time. Maybe spending time in a 'ospital may bring 'er out soon."
"How do you know it's a girl?" asked George interestedly.
"I don't know," Fleur replied. "Eet's just a feeleeng I 'ave."
"Mr Weasley?" asked a young assistant Healer. Percy leapt up. "Yes, me. I'm Mr Weasley."
"Mrs Weasley sent me, sir. Please come this way."
George, serious for once, patted Percy's arm reassuringly, and Percy strode after the assistant Healer.
Just then Ron and Hermione walked in, followed closely by Ginny and Andromeda Tonks.
Victoire, who'd jumped down from her father's lap, in order to greet Teddy, now retreated into the little gap between her parents' chairs, when she realised that he hadn't come with them. "Where's Teddy?" she asked Ginny, who had bent down to her level.
"Say hello first, ma cherie," admonished her mother. Victoire said "hello," in a slightly subdued tone and buried her face in Bill's chest. Everybody laughed, and Ginny rose gracefully, going over to greet Fleur. Bill rubbed Victoire's back in slow circles, and listened to Ron and Hermione's goodnatured bickering about the gender of Percy and Audrey's baby.
"Where is Teddy?" George asked, seeing that Victoire was not going to come out of hiding.
"Dad took him and Harry to see the Muggle fireworks outside." said Ginny, placing her hand on Fleur's stomach. "Ooh, I can feel Little Baby Weasley!"
"Muggle fireworks?" George exclaimed, outraged. "Why show Teddy Muggle fireworks, when he can watch Weasleys' Wizard Whiz fireworks, whenever he wants?"
Angelina nudged him sharply. "Because he's seen yours a million times, and because he probably wants to see Muggle fireworks!"
Victoire allowed her father to lift her back onto his lap, but refused to look up. Bill patted her gently on the back and turned to greet Mrs Tonks, who had sat down beside him.
"Hello, Victoire," said Mrs Tonks solemnly.
"Hello, Grandma Andromeda," came the muffled, slightly tearful reply.
"What's the matter, dear?"
"Teddy hasn't come yet." Victoire said.
"Shall we go downstairs and look for Teddy?" Mrs Tonks asked her.
Instantly, Victoire's face emerged, slightly tearstained but radiant. She slid off Bill's lap and gripped Mrs Tonks's hand with her own tiny one. Fleur, exchanging glances with Bill was just about to suggest that Bill go with Victoire so that Mrs Tonks may rest a while, when into the waiting room walked Mr Weasley, Harry, and Teddy.
"Here is our long awaited hero." whispered George to Angelina as Teddy, ignoring everybody else, walked straight over to Victoire and took her hand.
Fleur slipped her hand into Bill's. He looked at her in some alarm, and saw that her eyes were full of tears. "Eet's nothing." she assured him. "I'm just 'appy."
The door opened again. Percy strode into the room, a bundle in his arms, his face glowing with dazed happiness. Behind him was his mother, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Arthur, oh Arthur!" she exclaimed, as Mr Weasley hugged her. "We're grandparents again!"
"Is it a girl or a boy?" asked George.
"How's Audrey?" asked Hermione.
"Audrey is fine, very tired though," Percy beamed around at everyone. "It's a girl, and we want to name her Molly, after Mum!" he announced. Mrs Weasley let out a penetrating squeal and made to throw herself on her third son.
Bill, anticipating this, reached his brother first and took the newborn out of his arms before Percy was quite smothered in that enormous, maternal embrace.
Mr Weasley yelled something about eggnog and dashed out of the room while Ginny, wiping her eyes, quickly scribbled a letter to Charlie.
Ron and Hermione kissed; Mrs Tonks pulled Teddy and Victoire down to her lap and held them there, while George and Harry executed a clumsy victory dance; and Angelina stood next to Bill, cooing at little Molly. But Fleur sat still.
"Are you alright?" asked Bill, shouting to make himself heard above the din.
"No." she shouted back. "I theenk the baby's coming."