Chapter 20! Oh my goodness, I never thought I would be loved so much I'd make it 20 chapters! It blows my mind, thank you all so much! I love your reviews, I really do. They brighten my day, honestly. Thanks again to all who reviewed, you've really inspired me and I might be dead from tiredness right now, but here's the next chapter and I know you all want to read it so I'll shut up now. I would like to say one more thing, though: I was asked in a review if I was British(you know who you are-thanks again for reviewing!). I am sorry to say that I am not, but if my writing makes you think that, that is the biggest compliment you can give me. OK, I'll stop now!
Disclaimer: I have not yet acquired the rights to Harry Potter...yet was the key word. No, just kidding, it's not mine and it never will be.
Chapter 20: A New Weasley
March and April pass quickly. Kenmare becomes rainy and cloudy 95% of the time. When there is a rare sunny, day, I'm always out walking with Lily and Connor. My twins are a little over two months old now, and getting bigger by the day. They've begun to support their necks a little more. When I prop them up on the couch, their little heads don't just flop back onto the pillows. Instead, they hold their heads up and look around at the room. It never fails to amaze them.
On the first day of May, we had another rare sunny day, and I took the twins out for a rather long walk: We'd been stuck inside for nearly two weeks. Now, I love our cottage, but one does get claustrophobic when stuck in a house for too long. Thank goodness I had Mrs. Hexe to keep me sane. Anyways, I'd just returned from a walk and was debating whether to bathe Lily and Connor now, or wait until after dinner that evening. As it turns out, I never got the choice.
A loud banging and frantic ringing of the doorbell made us all jump. Connor stares at the door in amazement, whereas Lily shrinks from it and looks scared. Not only have their bodies been developing, but their personalities, too. Lily is very shy and sweet. She has a habit of knowing when I need a comforting baby hug, or when I'm annoyed. Connor, on the other hand, is a loud little guy. He babbles all day and he just loves to play. He's much more active, and I decide he's got to have some Weasley in him. Anyways, back to the door. I yank it open before Lily can start crying.
"She's in labor! The baby's coming! We've got to go!" Hermione shrieks. I freeze for a moment, my brain processing the shattering of my afternoon. Then I'm in action.
"Go get Mrs. Hexe and explain that Fleur's in labor. I asked her a week or two ago if she'd watch the twins when this time came, and she said yes. Tell her we'll be back in two or so days and instructions will be on the counter," I call, already getting Connor and Lily out of their carseats and down the hall. I point my wand at my quill, where it begins to write, as I rush around the room, dictating to it. When I finish I summon my overnight bag.
"Accio," I mutter, and catch it as it comes shooting down the stairs. The doorbell rings yet again, and I hear crying from the living room. Oh, Lily, for heavens' sake! "It's open!" I yell over my shoulder, already on my way to the babies. Sure enough, Lily's crying, but when I pick her up to cuddle her, she nestles into my shirt. Oh, geez. She has such bad timing.
"Ginny?" comes Mrs. Hexe's voice. She and Hermione enter the room as I sit on the couch.
"Hello, Mrs. Hexe. Thanks for coming on such short notice. I left directions on the counter for you. Hermione, please go and get Luna. I have to nurse Lily and then we can go." Hermione nods and shoots out the door again.
"Please give my congratulations to your family," Mrs. Hexe requests, still reading the direction sheet.
"Thanks," I reply. "I will. How's Rosie?" I ask. Her daughter is due in June.
"Still pregnant," Mrs. Hexe laughs. "She's getting bigger every day. She's very anxious to meet her little boy, and rather annoyed that she still has two months to go." We laugh together. I remember my own labor, and how grateful I was that it was short.
"Well, let us know when he arrives. We'd love to see pictures!" I tell her. She nods.
"Of course!" She is about to add more, but then Lily stops nursing and I return my attention to her. Not a moment later, the front door opens,
"Ginny? Is Lily done? We're ready to go!" Hermione calls.
"Be right there!" I yell back. I kiss Lily on the forehead and turn the burping duties over to Mrs. Hexe. I bend over Connor and kiss his forehead as well. "If you need anything, Mrs. Hexe, just take it. Thanks again." I kiss her cheek, too, and then run down the hall to meet with Luna and Hermione. I grab their hands and get swept away in a world of darkness.
We arrive in an alleyway somewhere in London. We're at the far end, so no Muggle stands a chance of spotting us. Hermione hands me my bag and leads the way out of the narrow side street. When we emerge onto the main road, I pause to take in my surroundings. We're standing next to an old, abandoned department store called Purge & Dowse's. In the window is a dummy in desperate need of repair. I frown, staring at it. Why is that so familiar? And then I remember-that's the entrance to St. Mungo's! In the time it takes me to draw this conclusion, Hermione's already whispering to dummy, which nods.
"Alright, ladies, in you go," Hermione announces. I step towards the glass. This is my least favorite part. But I take a deep breath and go right through the glass, emerging on the other side in a well-lit waiting room. It is actually quite empty for once. As a matter of fact, the only occupants are a wheezing old man and a group of redheads, none of whom have noticed me yet. I decide to make an entrance.
"Well now, don't you all look familiar," I say loudly, dropping my bag with a boom. Eight heads swivel towards me.
"GINNY!" someone yells, and I laugh and hold out my arms.
"Hey everybody, I'm back!" And I get mobbed by my family. Literally. Mum gets there first, and she hugs me so tight I can barely breathe. Then Dad, and Charlie, Fiona, Percy(who shakes my hand), George, Angelina & Skylar, and Ron. They all are overly excited to see me. I hug each of them. It's been only about two or so months, but I've still missed them more than I can say.
"Well, little sis, we've all missed you! Bout time you got here, too. Fleur's been here nearly four hours already," Ron says, rolling his eyes. Mum raps him on the shoulder.
"Don't do that, young man. It can take quite a long time to have the child-" I don't hear anymore, as I'm suddenly swept up in another hug.
"Hello, beautiful," Harry whispers in my ear. My arms come up around his back before I can stop them. To be honest, I really don't want to stop them. I nestle my head in his chest and lose myself in the safety and security that only comes with Harry's arms. Mmmm...
I hear the family fall silent behind me, but I ignore them. I'm not ready to let go yet. It's only when I hear the door to the wards open that Harry and I break apart. It's Bill.
"I am NEVER getting her pregnant again," he replies at all of our looks. "Oh, hey Ginny! How are you?" He hurries forward to hug me as everyone else laughs.
"What's she gone and done now?" Ron asks. I can tell from the tone of his voice that it's been a long day for Bill, and Ron finds it amusing.
"Kicked me out. She wants Ginny in there, for some reason. And you, Hermione. Something about advice." I turn and meet Hermione's gaze. Both of us are shocked, and for a moment I wonder: Does she know? But one look at Hermione confirms she's told no one. There's a short silence.
"Alright then. I guess we should go...don't want to keep her waiting," I say awkwardly. Hermione nods and we follow Bill to room 642.
"Careful," he warns us, but I know he's only half-joking. And having gone through labor myself, I don't laugh. It's a long and hard process. Hermione and I enter the room.
Fleur is at the other end, laying on a hospital bed. Her beautiful face is contorted with pain, and covered with a sheen of sweat. She's clutching her huge belly, breathing hard and fast. I wince in sympathy for her. It hurts.
"Zere you two are! I 'ave been asking for you for nearly two hours! Eet is about time!" she shrieks, clutching her stomach again.
"Oh, Fleur, it's OK," I sympathize, hurrying to her bedside.
"No, eet is not! Your brother eez never touching me again! I will not go through zis again!" she yells. I want to yell right back, but I restrain myself. That will only make things worse.
"What is it you wanted to tell us, Fleur?" Hermione asks, hurrying forward to do damage control.
"Never have children! Zey may be wonderful, but zis is not! Do not be seduced by your husbands! Zey are evil creatures!" She yells in pain as another contraction comes. I'm amazed.
"Fleur, can't you push yet?" I ask before I can stop myself.
"No! I am only two and a 'alf centemeeters dilated!" Oh, dear. We're in for the long haul with her. Maybe it's just genetics, but I don't remember my labor being this bad! At that moment, Bill pokes his head in.
"Um, your parents just arrived, dear."
"Don't you 'dear' me! Send my mother in! And you stay out!" she yells right back at him. He holds up his hands in a gesture of surrender and backs out again.
"We'll just go, Fleur. Good luck," Hermione says, jumping to her feet. I follow suit, and the two of us leave with Fleur's cries echoing after us down the hallway.
"Wow. I can't believe that," I say, shaking my head.
"Were you that bad?" Hermione asks me in an undertone. I shake my head.
"No. I went in the day before, but it was a relatively short labor. I was lucky," I admit. "And I never had the temper problems she does. Worst thing I ever did was break a table. With my wand," I add hastily as Hermione gapes at me. We slip by Fleur's parents and back into the waiting room. The entire family looks up.
"We'll be here awhile," I announce, and everyone laughs appreciatively. I sit next to Luna, then join in the conversation, anxious to absorb all I can. I never want to leave.
I was right. We were there all night. Fleur still hadn't entered the pushing stage when we all woke up at 6 that morning. I was elected to go get coffee, so I left to look for the nearest shop.
I found a place called Dose Espresso about a half a block from the hospital. The only problem was they only served soy lattes. But it was 6:30 in the morning and the other coffee shop was half a mile away. So I decided people would just have to deal with soy lattes. They really weren't that bad, after all.
"I brought coffee!" I announced upon returning to St. Mungo's. The staff had graciously let us stay in the lobby overnight. I suspected this had something to do with Fleur screaming that we all had to stay. Whatever the case, we'd been allowed to stay overnight.
"Oh, good," Mum says as I hold out the cardboard containers. I'm about to tell my family they're soy, but I decide to let them find that out the hard way.
"Come and get it," I say, setting the containers down and picking up my own. There is a general scramble as everybody grabs one. But before we take a drink, Dad stands.
"I'd like to propose a toast," he says, but before he gets any further, Bill comes rushing out.
"She's finally ten centimeters! She's going to push! Baby should be here soon!" he yells before turning and running back through the door. There's a shocked silence before Dad finishes.
"Here's to my second granddaughter being here before noon!" he finishes, and we all burst into appreciative laughs. All but me, that is. I smile with the rest, but underneath that, I'm crying. Bill and Fleur's baby is not his second granddaughter. Lily is. And he has his first grandson, too. But he doesn't know. And in that moment, the overwhelming consequences of everything I've done overwhelm me. I can't believe I left. Why? Why? Why?
Maybe I should just tell everyone. I could come back, life a life with my family...I open my mouth, but not before everyone has taken a nice big gulp of their soy latte. And then spit it right back out.
"GAH! Ginny, what kind of coffee is this?" Angelina gasps, her face twisted with disgust. I can't help myself. I burst out laughing at the looks on everyone's faces.
"Soy," I finally choke out. "That was all they had." The family stares at me. There's an awkward silence as I try to control my giggles. Then Harry speaks.
"Best soy latte ever!" he declares, and this time the whole family starts to laugh. I shoot him a thankful glance. He winks at me, and I blush, looking down again. The family settles down to finish as much of my soy lattes as they can, and then to have breakfast, purchased by Harry and Ron from the tea floor upstairs. George, Harry, Ron and I start a game of Exploding Snap while Luna and Angelina watch and Hermione reads. Mum and Dad are talking to Fleur's parents, who have just arrived from the hotel overnight.
Our game of Exploding Snap is really heating up when it happens. The door flies open and Bill comes rushing out, his face flushed, hair messy, and a smile as big as the sun. We all freeze where we are and turn to look at him.
"She's here! Her name is Victoire Rene Weasley, named for the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, and she was born about five minutes ago!" he announces grandly. There's a moment of silence, then we explode.
"Oh, Bill, congratulations!" Hermione, Luna and I squeal.
"Nice job, mate," Harry says, slapping him on the back.
"When do I get to meet my granddaughter?" Mum demands. Dad simply hugs Bill tight. He's getting hugged and slapped on the back and congratulated all around. He assures us we can see her in a few minutes, when mother and baby have been checked over. He seems in a state of severe bliss as he goes back through the door.
"Victoire Rene," I repeat to Hermione. "That's pretty." She nods.
"I like Lily Rose better," Hermione whispers to me. I smile. I like my daughter's name better, too, but then again, I might be just a little bit biased. Just a little bit.
Harry and Ron are still standing near the doorway. Both have big, goofy smiles on their faces and are talking about Victoire as though she's the most amazing thing in the world. I wonder to myself if Harry would feel different if he knew he had children of his own. I'm beginning to think that maybe he should know about them. But there are cons...the press, for one, and I don't want him to be worried...
My head starts to pound and I place that thought firmly aside. I'll have a talk with Luna when I get home. Right now I need to focus on meeting my niece and goddaughter.
"Alright, you guys can come back now!" Bill announces. We all leap to our feet and follow him down the hall.
"About time, dear, I was getting worried," Mum says, sounding relieved. Bill just smiles at her. We go back to the room where Fleur is.
"Fleur, love, they're here," Bill calls through the door.
"Send zem in," she replies, and we file through the door. Fleur is sitting on the bed, but relaxed this time, leaning on the pillows contentedly. Her beauty is once again very prominent. In her arms is a small bundle of pink blankets. She smiles at all of us and holds out her arms.
"Hello. Come meet ze newest Weasley," she announces proudly. I'm the first to step forward, closely followed by Mum. I peek in at the blankets.
A baby girl is lying there. She's fast asleep, but I can already tell she has her mother's beauty. Her face is round and perfect, her cheeks a rosy pink. Her skin is already starting to turn a soft, creamy white. She has a thin layer of silvery-blond hair covering her forehead. And she's absolutely beautiful.
"Oh, Fleur," I gasp, and feel the family come to surround me. They all gasp and oooh and aaah. Personally, although I'm very impressed and I know she'll be beautiful, I still think my Lily is prettier. But once again, I guess I am a bit biased. Suddenly, the baby opens her eyes. Everyone gasps. She has Bill's bright brown eyes. They look just like mine.
"Can I hold her?" Mum asks anxiously. Fleur smiles, and the newest Weasley is passed from person to person. I enjoy my time holding her, and I'm so excited to finally have her join our family. And for just a moment, as I pass Victoire to Harry, it feels as though all is well.
That was really long! I hadn't expected it to be quite that long, though I'm sure you all liked that. Please don't kill me for not letting Harry know! Hang in there, K? Just stick with me. I've got some surprises up my sleeve...haha. Want more? Leave me a review! :)