Chapter 19: Ron's Birthday

A/N: Just a short little chapter before another quite long one = ) enjoy

The morning of Ron's birthday had finally arrived and there was a hug surprise party planned in the Head dorm later that night. Ginny and Harry had been in charge of the invitations. Hermione had spoken to Professor McGonagall and had gotten permission to invite Ron's brother and their significant others, as well as several of their old friends who had already graduated. They sent invited out to: Seamus Finnegan, Lavender Brown, Pavarti Patil, Padma Goldstein, Anthony Goldstein, George Weasley, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Oliver Wood, Percy Weasley, Penelope Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Bill Weasley, Fleur Weasley, Gabrielle Delacour, Hannah Abbott, Justin Finch-Fetchley, Dean Thomas, Julia Clearwater, Ernie Macmillan, and of course the seven teens planning it.

It would be Hermione's job to keep him distracted. She had is all planned: she was going to ask him to go flying, so she could get over her fear of heights, and so she could go with him more often; they could work out for hours, she as even willing to offer sex in the afternoon if she couldn't get him distracted him enough. When they arrived for breakfast, it seemed like it was going to be a typical morning; then the owl post came. Hermione recognized the owl she bought for her parents: Blackie.

'Mione come quickly to the hospital down the street from our practice. Mum's in labor, it's going to happen any time. She says bring Ron as well.

Love,

Dad

Ps. Don't get into trouble.'

"Ooh," she squealed.

"What is it Mione?" Ron asked as he gathered his breakfast at the Gryffindor table.

"My mum's having the babies," she cried. "Eat your breakfast while I go to talk to Professor McGonagall about going." She scurried off to the staff table so she could talk to the stern looking Headmistress.

"Miss Granger," she greeted the bushy haired 19 year old. "What do I owe this early morning pleasure to?"

"My mum is having my baby sisters," Hermione said. "Is there any way Ron and I can go now?"

"Mister Weasley?"

"My, mum really likes him, and wants him to be there," Hermione explained.

"Well, I'll owl Aberforth and you can floo to Hogsmeade. You can apparate from there."

"Oh, thank you so much!" the younger witch said brightly.

"Just owl me when you are returning," she reminded her.

"Oh that won't be necessary," Hermione assured. "We have to be back here for the surprise party for Ron at seven."

"Your sisters are to be born on his birthday?" Professor McGonagall mused. "That's got to be an ego boost for him."

"It hasn't really sunk in yet," Hermione shrugged.

"Alright then. May I borrow your owl?" she asked as she transfigured two of her utensils into a quill and parchment.

"Of course," Hermione replied. She whistled distinctly and called Blackie to her as Professor McGonagall wrote a quick note to Aberforth, warning him of the two teens impending arrival.

Hermione returned to the table to get a bite to eat. Ron had the bright idea of packing some food for later. They headed back to the Head Dorm to pack a few things; a couple of transfigured things for the babies. The couple worked their way back to Professor McGonagall's office, so they could use her fireplace. They floo'd to the Hogs Head Inn and greeted Aberforth Dumbledore and his wife Patricia.

"Thanks for letting us floo in for the day, we'll be back before seven," Hermione whispered the last part into the old man's ear as she hugged him.

"Alright," he murmured back. The two teens walked out of his shop and apparated into her parents private office in their practice. Hermione left the office and they made their way down to the hospital. They headed directly to the reception desk.

"Emma Granger?" Hermione asked, out of breath from their rush.

"You family?" the nurse said, not looking up from her paperwork.

"Betty, it's me, Hermione," she urged. The woman looked up and looked the teenager over.

"Goodness girl, I haven't seen you in years," the nurse beamed. "How you been?"

"Just fine, away at school and all," Hermione said.

"Who's your friend?" the young nurse eyed Ron up.

"This is my boyfriend, Ron," Hermione explained. "We met at school."

"That's wonderful," she praised. "Your mum is up on floor four, Maternity. Room423"

"Thanks Betty," Hermione said. She grabbed Ron's hand and they headed over to the lifts. It took them up to the fourth floor. She all but ran out of the lift and found room 423. Ron caught up to her as she opened the door.

"Mum!" she cried. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm trying to push two objects roughly the size of bowling balls through a ten centimeter opening. How do you think I'm feeling?" she yelled exasperatedly.

"She's been like this for a few hours now, since four in the morning," Richard Granger said, feeding his wife more ice chips. Hermione stood next to her mum and cooed words of encouragement. Ron went over and shook Richard's hand.

"How are you holding up?" Ron asked a rather frazzled Richard.

"I almost forgot what this was like," Richard said, running his fingers through his hair. "I was your age when we had Hermione."

"You were 18 when you had her?" Ron asked, clearly surprised.

"Yes, which is why I want you two to be really careful," Richard said. "I don't want Hermione to end up like that, you either."

"Well, we're care-," Ron trailed off, mentally slapping himself for revealing the fact that he had slept with Hermione, and to her father no less. "Er, sorry."

"I understand," Richard said, patting him on the shoulder. "I figured that you two would after how many months?"

"Um, 9 months, a bit more actually," Ron quickly calculated.

"I just don't want you guys to have kids too young," Richard said. "We never really go to do all we wanted to do before we had Hermione, and it was a lot of work getting our practice started so young."

"I would really like for Hermione to become my wife someday, but I know we both wish to be established in our careers first."

"That's excellent thinking young man. I wish we could have really thought things out like you two have when Emma and I were young. Not that we'd change anything for it now, but we just want to help the two of you make more informed decisions."

"Thank you, Richard. It makes me feel better that you support us," Ron said gratefully.

"Are you being safe?" he asked seriously.

"Yeah," Ron assured him.

"How? I mean I know about our contraception, but do you have something different?"

"Yeah, actually there's a charm that we use," Ron explained. "It's wandless magic and you just put your hand on the girl's stomach and think the incantation."

"How do you know that it worked?" Richard asked.

"It makes your stomach feel warm," Hermione piped in. Secretly she had overheard their conversation and was thoroughly relieved that her father was perfectly fine with his only daughter, as of right now, was having sex with a man that he had only met three times before.

"She's kinda scary how she can do that," Ron said. "She even can do this thing where she could be inside my mind; looking at everything I am thinking about."

"Really?" Richard asked, looking fairly eager to hear more about this.

"Well she hasn't done this to me yet, with the exception of her putting images into my head to make me laugh and such."

"Well, that's certainly interesting," Richard mused.

"AHHH!" Emma screamed as a contraction hit. TheOBcame in and checked her progress.

"Mrs. Granger, you're ten centimeters and ready to push," the doctor informed her. Richard took up his position next to his wife and held her hand as she pushed. The doctor, Dr. Brown, moved Emma into position and began telling her to push.

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Okay stop. Deep breaths," Dr. Brown said.

She was squeezing Richard's hand so hard that you heard a loud crack as one of the bones broke and was pushed out of place. "The head is crowning, would you like to see?"

"Sure," Richard said, cradling his now broken hand. He saw the blood, which didn't faze him, but once he saw where the head was positioned he promptly fainted. Being a dentist didn't really help in this kind of situation. Ron's keeper reflexes kicked in and he dove forward to catch Richard before he hit the ground. He carefully laid the man on the ground for the nurses to tend to him now. Ron then did the only thing he could think of doing, he went over to Emma's bedside and held her hand. Ron's hands were large and not easily damaged.

Hermione watched and cheered on her mum, also watching Ron, and how well he was handling this situation. He was amazing; it seemed very natural to him, though he hadn't been there for the birth of his other siblings. You would think that Bill would be more adept to this sort of thing. He coached Emma through the birth of both of the twins.

"Meet Tabitha Michelle and Rachael Rose," Emma said to Richard after he was allowed to be back into the room. He had gotten his hand fixed right away and given some pain medication, but it didn't really help all that much. He had a cast on his hand. Emma was sitting in the bed with a baby in each arm.

"I am so sorry honey," Richard said. "What happened?" He took Tabitha from Emma.

"You fainted Dad," Hermione explained. "Ron caught you. Once the nurses took over for you, he helped mum. Held her hand and everything."

"I have no idea of how I could possibly thank you," Richard said.

"You allowing me to date your daughter is thanks enough," Ron said wisely.

Hermione took Rachael from her mother and began cooing softly to her new-born sister. Emma decided that she would take a quick nap while she was free from the babies for a moment. "How's your hand?" Hermione asked.

"Just fractured," Richard shrugged. "I'm just lucky it's my left hand, I can still run the practice." He tried to shift the baby because of his hand but found it extremely difficult. "Ron, would you mind holding Tabitha real quick?"

"I… Er… I don't really know how," Ron stammered.

"Just look at Hermione, and I'll help, it's just my hand hurts," Richard reassured him.

"Alright then," Ron conceded. Richard moved his arms from around the newborn, allowing Ron to cradle the child in his arms. Compared to Ron, who had grown another inch over the past few months to top out at 6'5", Tabitha looked extremely small. She was already small because she was a twin.

"She's beautiful," Ron murmured. "Awesome birthday present." And he gently kissed the top of the faint blond hair on the baby's head.

They spent several hours at the hospital, visiting and catching up on their lives since Christmas. Hermione looked up at the clock finally and saw that is said6:30. "Uh, Mum, Dad, we have to get back to the school."

"Of course dear," Emma said. "Come by and visit some time."

"I will," she assured her parents. She hugged them goodbye and kissed her new sisters on their foreheads. Ron shook Richards hand, hugged Emma, and kissed the babies as well. They walked hand in hand back to the dentist office. They apparated back to Hogsmeade. They popped into the Hogs Head Inn to tell Aberforth that they were going to walk back up the castle. Hermione had to keep him away from her rooms for twenty minutes. It was a fifteen minute walk back to the castle and she would give him a five minute birthday snog outside the rooms.

"You were absolutely amazing today," Hermione praised.

"It's just everything that my dad taught me," Ron shrugged.

"He would be proud if he were there today," Hermione noted.

"Thank you," Ron said, grabbing her hand.

"What for?"

"For staying with me for all these years, through all of the shite I've put you through," Ron said. "Oh," Hermione said in surprise. She hadn't really thought of it like that before.

"Come on, you deserve a nice long snog for all you've done today," Hermione teased. Ron growled deeply in his throat, and pulled her closer to him, stopping their progress. He kissed her hard, keeping her pressed flush against his chest. She returned the kiss with equal fervor."

"Let's get out of the cold," Hermione suggested, breaking the kiss.

"You want a ride?" Ron asked.

"What?"

"A piggy-back ride," Ron said "I always used to give'em to Ginny when we were growing up."

"Uh, sure," Hermione consented nervously. "You sure you can keep me up for that long?"

"You weight like100 pounds, and I can bench like300 pounds, I think I can carry you up to the castle."

"Fine," she huffed and jumped up on his back. The feel of his back against her chest was amazing, the hardness against the soft. He carried her all the way up the stairs and dropped her just outside the Head Dorm door. Ron pushed her against the wall and began to kiss her with great fervor. She kissed back, but knew she had to get him inside and soon. "Come inside," she managed to pant out between kisses. Ron said the password and walked in, still attached at the lips with Hermione.

"Surprise!" everyone yelled when the door opened. Then they all sniggered when they saw what was going on. The couple broke apart and Ron blushed.

"You said 'get him here by any means necessary'," Hermione reminded them pointedly. They chuckled.

"Er, thanks everyone," Ron said sheepishly. Molly was sniggering while looking down at her feet and shaking her head. All of his brother, with the exception of Percy, were smiling and giving him the thumbs up. Percy just stood there looking appalled at such public displays of affection. People started to mingle again and Ron hugged Hermione. "Thank you so much. Now this is the perfect birthday."

"Keep up this good boy act, and you might get a repeat of Valentines Day," she murmured into his hear as she kissed his cheek.

"I'll try," Ron whispered before patting her bottom and running into his mom. The party lasted well into the night with Ron recounting to his parents about the birth; talking Quidditch with his former teammates; and, well out of earshot of Hermione, he talked about his love life with his brothers.

"So?" Charlie prompted.

"I really don't think we need to discuss our brother's love life," Percy retorted.

"Well, since Penny's not pregnant, maybe we should be discussing yours," Bill said cheerily.

"We're satisfied with out love life," Percy snapped. "Plus she's on birth control potion."

"You know that doesn't work. Damn the Weasley fertility," Bill said smugly. "Fleur was on the Muggle pill, the potion, and we did the charm fairly often."

"Oh shit!" Ron said. "And I told her dad that we were being safe."

"You told her father?" Charlie snorted. "Way to go."

Ron had to explain the events of earlier that day. All of his older brothers, especially Bill, listened win rapt awe about the birth of Hermione's sisters. "So, were you nervous?" Bill asked.

"Yes and no," Ron said. "I mean yeah, because she was giving birth, and she broke her husband's hand, but no because I just had this gut feeling that everything was going to be okay in the end."

"Brilliant," Bill breathed. "You are so talking to Fleur for me about this."

"Fine," Ron huffed. Fleur spoke so fast sometimes that she just spoke straight French. Bill had learned the language so he could communicate with her family when the need arose. Ron had only learned a handful of phrases from Hermione and Fleur herself.

Hermione drug Ron upstairs after the last guest left and threw him down on the bed. "I have to say, you've been a really good boy."

"Really?" Ron asked slyly.

"You want your present now?"

Ron nodded. Hermione flicked her wand and all of her clothes disappeared. She stood there in a red bra and panty set with her skin covered in edible gold paint. Ron decided that this gift needed to last all night long.