Date: December 24, 2006

Chapter 25: Connection

Hermione sat staring at the incubator for the umpteenth time that week.

Twelve days after Rose had been born, Hermione still wasn't allowed to hold her daughter. 'Like they know what they're talking about,' Hermione had huffed to Ron one night. 'A girl needs her mother.'

And now, on Christmas Eve, mother and daughter were still in the hospital. Rose for obvious reasons, but Hermione wasn't allowed to leave because her uterus was still bleeding slightly. Hermione couldn't help thinking that if she could just hold her daughter, they would both get better.

'Hermione?' She turned to look at Ron, who was standing in the doorway. 'What're you thinking?'

'I'm thinking that I want to hold my daughter,' Hermione replied, turning her attention back to the incubator.

'Love, you know what the Healers said - ' Ron started, but Hermione cut him off.

'Screw the Healers,' she said, getting up. Before Ron could say a word, she had reached into the incubator and gently lifted her baby out. Rose gurgled and shifted in her mother's arms. Then she opened her eyes, something she hadn't ever done before. Ron and Hermione gasped. 'Get the Healer!' Hermione cried, and Ron ran out. Hermione rocked her baby gently, and Rose gazed up at her in wonder. Her eyes were soft brown, like Hermione's.

'What's happened?' Healer Smith asked, hurrying into the room.

'She opened her eyes,' Hermione replied softly, still rocking Rose.

'Mrs Weasley, I told you not to take her out of the incubator,' the Healer reprimanded. She cut off Hermione's protest. 'But it seems as though she's faring better with you. So you can take her out, but not for long intervals.' The Healer smiled at the baby and left. Hermione sat down, kissing her daughter's nose. Ron came over and pulled up a chair next to her.

'Don't say 'I told you so' please,' he said, stroking Rose's hair, and Hermione laughed. The parents sat with their daughter for a while longer and then put her back in the incubator.

Every day for the next week Ron and Hermione would take Rose out and hold and talk to her. Rose got strong enough to breastfeed, and soon she could go home. Ron and Hermione flooed home. Rose blew a bubble and gazed up at her parents.

'Look at us,' Ron said. 'We're a family.'

A/N: And I'm done! Wow, I finished a story in three days! I think I deserve a teeny tiny reward for that, don't I? Perhaps sweets? A review? Oh, maybe a nice vase of flowers. Thanks for sticking with me!

~PuffPower

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~PuffPower