Chapter 25
An Unexpected New Symptom
Author's Note: Time to answer a question from a reader:
Q: Will you write only to the birth or up to Rose to 1 year old?
A: Haven't decided that how many chapters I'll have. I know I'll at least have a few after the birth. We'll see what happens.
(Hermione's PoV – April 24nd, 2006 – Hermione's Pregnancy: End of 36 Weeks)
Dear Rose,
Date: April 24nd, 2006 – 3:15 A.M.
I hope I don't make any mistakes in my writing during this letter. I'm trying to write it as quietly as I can. It is three-fifteen in the morning, and I am wide awake. It's really strange! It is in the middle of the night, and it feels like I just drank a cup of coffee! I guess my so-called 'pregnancy insomnia is back. Ugh.
Your father is currently sound asleep (and snoring by the way; if he ever tells you he doesn't snore, he's lying!) a few feet behind me as I sit at the desk. I hope he doesn't wake up, because I promised last time this happened to me that I'd wake him up too if it ever happened again.
But I know your father needs his sleep. He has seven days now before he takes a holiday for a couple months to prepare for you and take care of both of us. He's been so busy these days because he is trying to get some additional work in before he takes his leave. In fact he's been so busy that he didn't come with me to my doctor's appointment yesterday.
For the first time in my pregnancy, other than the day I visited the Healer to confirm my suspicions that I was pregnant with you, I went to the hospital alone. It was kind of scary to be honest. I walked right past the room where I'll be when I give birth to you. That was probably one of the strangest experiences of my whole pregnancy so far. Just to get a preview of the room I'll be spending quite a bit of time in on that day.
The doctor said there is now less than a month to go before you are born. I'm definitely feeling it right now. According to the check-up you are six pounds in weight, and you'll add on a couple more pounds or so before you're out of me. You're also very close to the final height you'll be before you are born. In fact, I think you are already taller than me when I was born! If this keeps up, you're going to be taller than me before your seventh year of Hogwarts! Of course, by then, I'll probably be shrinking a couple of inches. That is strange to think about too.
Both of us are healthy as a hippogriff, which is a very good thing. Though I still feel the symptoms. A new symptom has found its way into my life: my memory is fuzzy these days. For example, I remember taking the Knight Bus home from the hospital yesterday, but the ride seemed a lot shorter than it was. Like parts of the journey home are missing from my memory. The doctor said that might happen, but I was hoping he was wrong. Because that is a very scary thing for me to go through. I've always had a great memory. It is because of my memory that I did so well during my years at Hogwarts. And now, at this very moment, it seems to be going away. The doctor said this symptom will stop before too long... or did he say I'd have to go through this for a while even after I give birth to you? Now I can't even remember that. Ugh.
Okay, I'm going to try to get back to sleep...
Date: Same day, 5:00 A.M.
Well, that didn't work very well. I tried to get back to sleep, but woke up an hour later. I did a few breathing practices, thinking they would wear me out, but it didn't work. I also tried to do a few leg exercises, which my mid-wife suggested I do to help ease the birthing process. That didn't help either.
Also, I discovered yet another new symptom, and I'm sure my Muggle doctor would never have been able to warn me about this one. I should start at the beginning first. Usually, if I find I need to ease my mind, I go into your room and sit in rocking chair. I stare at my new handiwork: the clouds and sun I painted, and I find it helps me go back to sleep.
Unfortunately I seem to have forgotten to tell this to your father, because apparently he seems to think I'm spending too much time in your bedroom at the moment. Or at least that is what I think is going through his mind, because he hasn't said a word about it. He didn't need to, though. He found another way to say it: he locked me out your bedroom! I'd hex him for that one, but unfortunately that is where my new symptom comes into the picture.
A few minutes ago, as I tried to unlock your bedroom door with a simple spell, I found that I couldn't. I think my magic has temporarily stopped working. I'm almost sure this is another pregnancy symptom. I hope it is... none of my sisters-in-law, nor my mother-in-law, nor any of the books I read warned me about this one. When your father wakes up, I'm going to have him Floo-speak St. Mungo's and see if this is a common symptom. Or maybe I should wait to ask the mid-wife. But what if she doesn't know? She's always said the Healers do know more than her about these things. I just know your father is going to have a fit about this. I won't be surprised if he stays home from work.
Uh-oh. Speaking of your father, I hear him waking up. I'll write another letter soon!
Love,
Mum
Hermione hastily closed the diary and stuffed it back in the desk. She stood up to get into bed, and found that Ron was sitting up and staring at her.
"What are you doing up already?" he asked, as Hermione laid back down against her pillow.
"I – er – woke up early," Hermione said.
"Hermione," Ron said, "You're lying. For one, your side of the bed isn't warm like it usually is for a few minutes after you've just gotten up. And also... it is a little after five in the morning. The last time you were up this early was when -"
"Okay, fine!" Hermione said, giving an annoyed sigh, "My insomnia is back. Happy?"
"Not really," Ron said. "You were supposed to wake me up if this ever happens again."
"I was writing to Rose," Hermione said, "I thought that would help me. Besides, it isn't the only new symptom I have to worry about."
"What's wrong?" Ron asked. "What new symptom? Did Dr. Sterling warn you about it?"
"No," Hermione said, "He probably couldn't warn me about it."
"What is it?" Ron asked.
Hermione sighed and picked up her wand from the bedside table.
"Accio Quill," she said, pointing her wand at the desk across the room.
Hermione watched Ron, as he stared at the desk. When the quill didn't float over to Hermione, Ron looked back at her.
"Er..." Ron said, his mouth open rather wide, "What's –?"
"My magic has left me... temporarily, I hope," Hermione said.
"How long have you known?" Ron said.
"Since a few minutes ago," Hermione said, "when I tried to open the door you locked."
"Huh?" Ron asked.
"You locked our daughter's bedroom door!" Hermione said, "How could you?"
"Oh, yeah... right," Ron said, "I was going to tell you that. Honest."
"Right," Hermione scoffed, "Well, I tried to unlock it, and I couldn't."
"What should we do?" Ron asked.
"I was hoping you could talk to a Healer at St. Mungo's via Floo-speak for me," Hermione said, "See if it is a common symptom. Though, I don't think this ever happened to Ginny, Fleur, Angelina or your Mum, has it?"
"No," Ron said, shaking his head, "They would have mentioned it."
"Right," Hermione said, "I guess I could ask Christine."
"Floo-speak to a Healer would be faster than a letter to Christine," Ron said.
"A letter?" Hermione said. "Christine's coming over today."
"When?" Ron asked.
"Um... when you go to work?" Hermione asked.
Ron raised an eyebrow.
"Hermione," he said, "It's Saturday."
Hermione narrowed her eyes at Ron.
"No, it's not," Hermione said, "It's –"
Hermione turned her head and looked at the desk. Then she remembered she couldn't summon her diary which had the calender in it.
"Wait, it's Saturday?" she asked, looking back at Ron.
"Um... yeah," Ron said. "Your doctor's appointment was Friday. Yesterday?"
"Oh, bloody hell," Hermione said, "You're right."
"Hermione, are you okay?" Ron asked.
"Yeah," Hermione said, "It's just my memory these days... not so great."
"Another symptom?" Ron asked.
Hermione nodded. Ron sighed and leaned toward Hermione and put an arm around her. Hermione felt tears in her eyes.
"I expected some stuff to happen during the last month of my pregnancy," Hermione said, "But – the return of my insomnia, as well as memory loss and the fact that I can't do magic right now? I didn't expect this."
"It'll be fine, Hermione," Ron said, wiping a tear from Hermione's cheek.
"I hope so," Hermione said.
"Hey," Ron said. "If it will ease your mind, I'll go to the fireplace and contact St. Mungo's for you right now. I'll ask about your magic."
"Will you?" Hermione asked.
"Only if you promise to try and get some more sleep," Ron said.
"I promise I'll try," Hermione said. "Right now it seems like I have three cups of coffee going through me."
"And you don't?" Ron asked, with a smirk.
"Of course not!" Hermione said, narrowing her eyes.
"Just asking," Ron said.
Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron grinned and leaned toward Hermione and kissed her softly.
"I'll be right back," he said.
Hermione smiled and nodded. Ron stood up and walked out of the bedroom. Hermione carefully stood back up and walked over to the desk, then pulled out her diary. She went to the calender and found that it was, indeed, Saturday. She sighed and went back to the letter she was writing, then picked up her quill and started writing again.
P.S. It is Saturday. Your father figured out I thought it was Friday, and now he is worried about me. I just know he's going to be a pain in my backside about this whole thing. I was right, by the way. He did lock me out of your bedroom, without telling me. I still haven't finished interrogating him about that. I'm just too worried about my magic right now. I tried to summon this quill I'm using, and it didn't come over to me. I wish I knew what was happening to me. I'll write to you again soon. Hopefully the next letter will be a lot more cheerful than this one.
Hermione sighed audibly as she closed the diary. She put it back in the desk and climbed carefully into bed. She laid down against the pillow, but still felt as wide awake as ever. Above the bed, the ceiling fan was rotating in a circle, though Hermione couldn't remember her or Ron ever turning it on. Her eyesight caught one of the blades, and she tried to keep looking at it, as it went around.
"Hermione?" Ron asked.
"Hmm?" Hermione muttered, keeping her concentration on the fan.
"I just got finished talking to a Healer at St. Mungo's," Ron said. "And I have some good news and bad news."
Hermione's eyes bolted from the fan and she looked at Ron.
"Bad news isn't a good thing, Ronald," Hermione said.
"That's rather obvious," Ron said, rolling his eyes.
"What's the news?" Hermione said, "Good news first?"
Ron climbed back into bed and put his arm around Hermione.
"You were correct," he said, "Temporarily losing your magic is a known symptom during pregnancy in witches."
"That's not exactly good news, Ron," Hermione said.
"Well, it is better than the bad," Ron said.
"And that is?" Hermione asked.
"While it isn't exactly a common symptom for all witches," Ron said. "It is extremely common in pregnant Muggle-born witches. Also..."
"What, Ronald?" Hermione asked, "Also what?"
"Also," Ron said, "there is a chance you might not get your magic back until after Rose is born."
"Did they give you a percentage?" Hermione asked.
"It is a fifty-fifty chance," Ron said. "That's all they could give me."
"Wonderful," Hermione said, sarcastically.
"Their best advice," Ron said, "Is to test your magic two-to-three times a day. So... perhaps when Rose is awake, and you feel her kicking and stuff, you can try then."
"Good advice," Hermione said, "One problem though."
"Oh?" Ron asked.
"Dr. Sterling said I won't be feeling Rose kicking too much these days," Hermione said, "She's close to her newborn stage now, which means she's already starting to go into a deep sleep phase, where she'll only wake up a couple times a day. I'll still feel Rose when she's a wake, but now there will be less kicking and more squirming, as she starts to head, little by little closer to the er – birthing canal, as the doctor so nicely put it. I don't have to do those counting-to-ten things anymore. Because I probably won't get that far before she goes back to sleep. Also, there's one more thing."
"Oh?" Ron asked again.
"My appointments are now once a week," Hermione said. "I have another appointment next week."
"You didn't tell me about this last night?" Ron asked.
"I might have – er – temporarily forgotten," Hermione said.
"Right, your memory," Ron said, nodding, "Or lack there of."
"Mmhmm," Hermione said, "Ugh. Do I really have to go back to sleep? I'm wide awake."
"I can think of something that might help you get back to sleep," Ron said, grinning.
"Oh really?" Hermione asked, "And that would be?"
Ron chuckled softly, then leaned toward Hermione and kissed her softly.
"It seems I'm not the only one energetic this morning," Hermione said, her voice muffled against his lips.
"Nope," Ron said.
Hermione grinned and returned his kiss, licking his lips and parting them with her tongue.
-
(Ron's PoV)
Ron's rather intimate idea seemed to work. When he woke back up three hours later, Hermione was still asleep in his arms. Ron smiled and softly kissed Hermione's neck.
"Mmm, I'm not awake yet, Ron," Hermione muttered. "You wore me out. Thank you for that, by the way. Nice idea."
Ron chuckled softly, his lips muffled against Hermione's shoulder.
"You're welcome," Ron said. "You can stay asleep if you want. Unless you're hungry?"
"Not yet," Hermione said, "I'm still sleepy."
"Then it can wait," Ron said.
"Mmm, 'kay," Hermione said, "Love you."
"I love you too, beautiful," Ron said.
Ron kissed her on the cheek. Hermione just sighed in content, which she usually did when she was falling asleep. Ron smiled and gently moved his arm from under Hermione and sat up. He put on some robes and walked out of the bedroom, then headed over to Rose's bedroom.
"Alohomora," he whispered.
Ron opened the door and walked into it. As Hermione had discovered, Ron had locked her out of the room, but there was a very good reason why. Even though Hermione had offered that she would do most of the decorating in Rose's bedroom, Ron had taken a bit of the task into his own hands.
Over the past couple of weeks, ever since he had started working on the flower garden, more roses, all in colors of red, yellow and white had appeared on the hedges near the house. He had picked these roses, but had not told Hermione about them. Instead, he decided to use them. He had laid these roses on the windowsill in Rose's bedroom, and the petals began to dry. He then put them in a few books (which Hermione hadn't discovered were missing just yet) in order to press the petals.
Finally, that morning, the rose petals were ready for Ron to finish up the rest of his surprise to Hermione. He opened the books and pointed his wand at the petals. The petals flew up into the air and over toward the wall above Rose's crib. A couple of minutes later, Ron's work was finished. The flower petals were pasted along the wall, via Permanent Sticking Charm and other charms to aide in the protection of the roses, to form the word ROSE. The R and E were red-rose petals, the O was white rose petals, and the S was colored in yellow rose petals.
Ron admired his handiwork for a minute, then headed out of the room. As soon as he did, he found Hermione walking down the hallway.
"I thought you were making breakfast," Hermione said.
"I thought you were going back to sleep," Ron said.
"I was," Hermione said, "Then I –"
She sighed.
"Fine, you caught me," Hermione said, "I only said I was sleepy, because I wanted to try to go back into Rose's room without you knowing."
"Were you now?" Ron asked.
"Yes," Hermione said, "You can't keep me out of our daughter's room, you know. I like it in there."
Ron smiled and took Hermione's hand.
"Come on," Ron said.
"Where?" Hermione said.
"I'm going to take you into Rose's room," Ron said.
Hermione raised her eyebrows and Ron led her into Rose's bedroom. He looked at Hermione's face, and her expression glowed in surprise as she saw what was over Rose's crib.
"This is why I locked you out of this room," Ron said, "I just finished this up a few moments ago."
"Oh, it is beautiful, Ron!" Hermione said, grinning.
"You like it?" Ron asked.
"I love it!" Hermione said.
She put her arms around Ron, and kissed him softly.
"Are you still mad at me for locking you out of here?" Ron asked.
"No," Hermione said. "Definitely not."
"Good," Ron said, "Are you hungry?"
"Yeah," Hermione said.
"Okay," Ron said, "You can sit in here for a while if you want. I'll go fix something."
Ron kissed her on the forehead, and Hermione walked over to the rocking chair and sat down. Ron walked toward the door, and when he walked out, he turned back toward Hermione and looked at her. She had the most adorable grin on her face as she massaged her belly.
"I can't wait for you to see what Ron made you," he heard Hermione whisper to her stomach, "You're going to love it."
Ron chuckled softly and headed toward the kitchen.
-
Decided to end the chapter there. Hope you liked it! Might get another chapter up today. Don't know yet.