Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Harry Potter. All rights go to the talented J.K Rowling. I do not own the Gilmore Girls either, so please do not sue me.
Authors Note: This story is a work in progress. Also, I was looking over the story when I realised something very important...I have not thanked anyone for their reviews. Big big apology for that. Without all those who review my story, I wouldn't have the motivation to keep writing. An especially big shot out to jessirose85 and Heidi191976 – every time I post a chapter, your reviews are always in my inbox not long after.
So enough of my babbling. On with the story.
CHAPTER TEN
(((((((Friday October 11th 1997)))))
Classes had finished for the day and Hermione was heading back to her rooms. As Heads, Draco and Hermione were lucky enough to have their own dormitories. Hermione was grateful for this. The last few weeks of her pregnancy had made her frustrated and snarky. She didn't want to inflict that on anyone...well except Draco because he played a big part in putting her in this situation.
Walking as fast as she could, Hermione made it back to the Head rooms, looking forward to a nice hot bath. She was feeling very bloated and her Braxton Hicks were always there, reminding her of the fact, she still hadn't given birth.
The bath was very refreshing, unfortunately it didn't help much, as she now had a pain that started in her back and moved across to her abdomen. A little jolt of excitement went through her as she wondered whether or not she was suffering contractions...maybe she was finally in labour.
Taking a seat in the overstuffed armchair that resided in the Heads common room, Hermione settled back with one of her pregnancy books, reading the chapter on labour and delivery. According to the book, she was probably in the early stages of labour. The first stage could last for up to three days.
Oh god, I hope not. Hermione thought to herself after she read this bit. If that was the case, she wouldn't tell anyone until her water broke or the contractions became too much. She didn't fancy spending the next few days in the Hospital Wing with Madame Pomfrey hovering over her.
The portrait opened and Draco stepped in, followed by Professor Snape. "Hello Miss Granger." Professor Snape greeted her and her heartbeat sped up at the sound of his voice.
"Hello Professor." She replied with a smile. "What brings you up here?"
Draco answered for him. "Mum asked him to check up on you." He said looking sullen. "She didn't trust anything I told her."
Hermione laughed at this, glad she had a little something to distract from the long hours of labour that were awaiting her. Narcissa was writing to her constantly, checking up on her, wanting to know if her grandchild had started to make an appearance yet. Hermione was happy to have someone who'd been through this, to talk to.
"Well I'm fine, still no baby." She told Professor Snape with a shrug, feeling a little disappointed.
Severus simply nodded, a bit at lost for words. A situation he recently found himself in whenever he was in Hermione's presence.
"I shall inform Narcissa." Severus said.
Hermione smiled at him, hiding her disappointment. She wished he would come and see her because he cared for her, not because he had been asked to by an old friend.
There was a silence between the trio after that, which was broken when Severus cleared his throat. "I best go and send an owl to Narcissa to inform her that there is still no sign of the baby." He said and Hermione nodded.
"Sure Uncle Sev." Draco said.
With a nod, Severus turned and exited the Head common room; unaware that Hermione was watching him longingly he left. However, Draco didn't miss it and he smiled, as he realised Hermione had some feelings for his godfather. They would make a good couple. He thought to himself.
Hermione glanced back down at her book once Severus had left the common room, hoping Draco hadn't caught her staring at his godfather.
Draco cleared his throat to gain Hermione's attention and she looked at him. "Do you need anything?" he asked her, deciding to wait until after the baby was born to attempt any matchmaking.
Hermione shook her head, shifting slightly in her chair to ease the pain of the contractions she was really starting to feel. Draco surveyed her for a minute. "Alright, well I'm heading down to dinner." He told her.
"See you later then." Hermione said to him, as he turned and headed out of the Common Room. Once he was gone, she let out a sigh of relief and winced in pain, as she attempted to sooth the pain in her back by rubbing it. Maybe it was time for another hot bath.
((((((((((((Saturday October 12th 1997))))))))))))
'Ok, I'm definitely in labour' Hermione thought to herself as she glanced at the clock on her bedside table. She did not have the best night sleep. It was interrupted by the contractions which were coming closer together and getting more intense. Around 2am she had starting counting them. They were now about fifteen minutes apart now and on a pain scale of one to ten, the pain was about a six.
Her alarm, which was set for 7am went off. Hermione frowned at the annoying object. It was Saturday, why had she set the alarm for so early? The clock kept ringing. At any other time, Hermione would have calmly turned the alarm clock off, however she was in labour and hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep, so leaning over as much as she could in her condition Hermione grabbed the alarm clock and threw it at the wall, effectively ending the annoying noise.
With a sigh, Hermione decided she might as well get up and head down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Since it was a Saturday and with no Hogsmeade visit scheduled, most students would still be in bed. Hermione smiled, knowing it meant she wouldn't have to talk with many people.
After several attempts, she managed to get up and off the bed, before heading to the bathroom to start her day.
(((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))
Just as Hermione had predicted, the Great Hall was almost empty, most students and even some of the staff were still in bed. Only a few people were eating breakfast at 7 on a Saturday morning. Hermione made her way over to the Gryffindor table and sat down, helping herself to the food there.
"Hi Mione." A cheerful voice said from beside her.
Hermione looked up and found a smiling Ginny standing beside her in her Gryffindor Quidditch uniform. Hermione went to return her smile, however she was hit with a contraction and she was sure the smile came across as more of a grimace then anything.
"Morning Ginny." She said as Ginny slid into the place beside her. "Quidditch Training?"
The red head nodded. "Yeh, I thought I would get some breakfast first." She answered, reaching forward to grab a piece of toast. "What are you doing down here so early?"
Hermione took a sip from the goblet of pumpkin juice in her hand before answering. "I couldn't sleep." Was all she said, knowing that Ginny would probably freak and insist she go to Madam Pomfrey if she were aware that Hermione was in labour.
"Junior giving you a hard time?" Ginny asked with a smile.
Hermione returned it. "You could say that." She answered truthfully, rubbing her stomach.
Ginny reached over to rub her extremely pregnant friend's belly, when Hermione stifled a slight cry and grabbed her bump in pain. The red haired girl jumped, pulling her hand away like she had been stung.
"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked feeling panicked.
Hermione let a breath, as she straightened up and glanced quickly at her watch. "Ten minutes." She murmured under her breath.
Ginny stared at her. "Ten minutes what? Hermione, what's going on?" she demanded.
Hermione glanced up at her friend and sighed. "Ginny, I'm in labour."
Her friends blue eyes widened in shock and Ginny jumped up out of her seat."Oh...oh Merlin? What do we do?" she said, freaking out, just Hermione predicted she would do.
"Is there a problem?"
Oh crap. Hermione thought to herself. There goes breakfast.
"Professor McGonagall, Hermione's in labour." Ginny informed their Head of House.
Professor McGonagall looked at the Head Girl. "Miss Granger, is this true?" She asked calmly.
Hermione nodded. "Yes Professor. I am in labour." She answered; glad to see that someone beside her wasn't going to lose their head over this.
"How far along are your contractions?"
"About ten minutes Professor."
Professor McGonagall nodded. "It's probably best to go see Madame Pomfrey, just to make sure everything is alright."
"Can I finish breakfast first?" Hermione asked, "I am starving."
The Gryffindor Head of House considered her charges request. "I suppose you will need all the strength you can get." She said.
Hermione smiled at her, before filing up her bowl with porridge. Her pregnancy book told her to eat light foods to give her energy Ginny just stared at her in shock. "What?" Hermione asked her mouth full of food.
"How can you stay so calm?" she asked.
Hermione just shrugged, continuing with her breakfast. Professor McGonagall smiled. "I will go and eat my own breakfast, let me know when you are ready to go to the Hospital Wing."
Hermione nodded and Professor McGonagall continued her walk to the Head Table.
(((((((((((((_)))))))))))))))
Ten minutes later, Hermione was no longer able to think about food. Her contractions had gotten worse and were almost eight minutes apart.
"I think it's time to go to Hospital Wing." She whispered to Ginny who nodded and went to get Professor McGonagall.
Her head of house bustled over and along with Ginny helped the pregnant Head Girl to the Hospital Wing. Hermione was very grateful that there weren't many people around to see her in a moment of weakness.
"How far apart are you contractions now?" Professor McGonagall asked her, as they paused while Hermione suffered another contraction.
"About eight minutes." She answered.
"And your water hasn't broken yet?"
Hermione shook her head. "I know I still have a while to go." She said with a sigh as the three women continued their slow walk to the Hospital Wing.
"Do you want me to go and get Draco?" Ginny asked. Hermione shook her head.
"You should be getting to Quidditch Practise." She told her.
Ginny shook her head. "Harry won't mind if I'm late." She told her friend.
"Don't worry about it Miss Weasley, I will inform Mr Malfoy." Professor McGonagall said. "You go along to practise."
Ginny hesitated for a moment. "Go on Gin, it will be a while before the baby finally comes." Hermione said and with a sigh Ginny agreed and headed off to the Quidditch Pitch.
Professor McGonagall and Hermione arrived at the Hospital Wing, where Madame Pomfrey immediately ushered Hermione into a private room and began checking all her vitals.
"Well Hermione." Poppy said, once she had finished her check up. "You're still in the first stage of labour. After your waters break and your contractions are about five minutes apart, you'll move into the second stage of labour."
"How long will that be?"
Poppy shrugged. "It depends on you really. It's different for every woman."
Hermione sighed and sat back. Poppy patted her shoulder sympathetically.
"Would you like me to get Mr Malfoy for you?" Professor McGonagall asked.
Hermione shook her head. "No, let him sleep a little longer. He'd be no use to me anyway. Absolutely useless first thing in the morning." She said with a slight smile.
Both of the older women returned the smile. "Is there anything you would like me to get?"
Hermione thought about it. "Could you possibly get me my Transfiguration and Arithmacy homework from my dorm?" she asked. "It will keep me occupied for a while."
Professor McGonagall nodded, before leaving the Hospital Wing, while Poppy went back into the main wing to help a student who from the sounds of it had transformed his hand into a pineapple.
((((((((()))))))))))))
Time passed by slowly. Ginny returned from Quidditch Practise and Draco had been to see her, before she sent him off to get some food for the both of them. Now it was 2pm and the three of them were sitting down eating a late lunch...well Ginny and Draco were sitting, Hermione was jogging in place, hoping to speed her labour up. Her contractions were now six minutes apart; however her waters had yet to break.
"Are you sure you don't want me to call mum?" Draco asked, watching her with a slightly amused look on his face.
Hermione shook her head. "Wait until my waters break." She said, stopping her jogging as another contraction hit. Ginny checked her watch.
"That's five minutes." She said, before turning back to her lunch. Ginny had calmed down during Quidditch practise and was now back to her rational self, which was a good thing as Draco had taken to slipping up, letting his calm and collected Malfoy mask drop away to show that the nervous and panicky teen father-to-be that he was.
"How long until your waters break?" Draco asked.
Hermione shrugged as Poppy came in to check on Hermione's condition. "It should have broken by now, if your contractions are five minutes apart." She said. "Come on, up on the bed. I want to see if you've started dilating yet."
Hermione shuffled over towards the bed, when her waters choose that moment to break, leaving a puddle of fluid at her feet. "That's a good." Poppy told her, before helping Hermione up on the bed.
(((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))
Ginny and Draco left the room while Poppy checked to see if Hermione had started dilating....she had. Draco took this opportunity to Floo his parents that Hermione was in labour.
More time passed by as Narcissa and Lucius arrived. Lucius and Draco went to join Severus to celebrate Draco's forthcoming fatherhood with a cigar and some fine brandy. Narcissa and Ginny stayed by Hermione's side. The contractions had gotten worse and Hermione was now confined to her bed because of the pain.
Every hour Poppy would come in to check Hermione progress which was moving along steadily. McGonagall and Dumbledore popped by occasionally.
"Why is this taking so long?" Hermione groaned. She was kneeling on her hands and knees on the bed, which was helping with the pain in her back. Her hair had been tied into a braid by Narcissa. She was hot and sweaty with little bits of hair sticking out.
"Mum told me that woman giving birth to their first child always have a long labour because of the unused birth passage." Ginny told her.
"Goody for Mum." Hermione muttered under her breath. Luckily Ginny didn't hear her, although Narcissa did and she had to hide a smile. "Draco better be sober when he gets back. I'm making him watch actual birth."
"Lucius and Severus won't let him have too much to drink." Narcissa assured her.
Hermione didn't reply to this as another contraction hit.
(((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))
The moment finally arrived, it was time to push. Everyone bar Poppy, Draco and (naturally) Hermione had cleared out of the room.
"Alright Hermione, I want you to push on the next contraction." Poppy instructed.
"You're doing great Mia." Draco said from beside her, grimacing as she squeezed his hand so hard he was sure it would break.
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Hermione screamed as the contraction hit and she pushed with all she was worth.
At 9:01pm on October 12th 1997, the child of Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy entered the world, to be greeted by her father's cry of "Dammit, I lost."
((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))
A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I updated, but I just haven't really been inspired. It took me months to finish this chapter.
Also I would just like to say that I have never given birth before, so any information I got was out of 'The Complete Idiots Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth' Second Edition by Michele Isaacs Gliksman, M.D and Theresa Foy DiGeronimo.
Oh, and should I continue with the aftermath of the birth or can I skip into the future.
Lastly, I still haven't decided on a name. So it's up to my readers to decide. The names I have are:
Arianna Narcissa
Lorelei Narcissa
Mikaela Jasmyne
Please read and review.
Cheers,
Tate4eva