Chapter Twenty-Nine: Spreading the News!

Ron grabbed some floo powder when he got in to the matrons office and threw it in to the fire, he stepped in to it 'the Burrow!' He shouted and was whipped out of sight.

When he stepped out he could hear his parents in the living room 'MUM, DAD!' He shouted excitedly running in to the room, they were both sitting in chairs reading the paper in their pyjamas, they looked up at him, and Ron smiled widely 'I'm a dad!' He said.

The noise he'd been making had woken up Fred and George who had been staying there, they Apparated in to the room 'what's all the commotion about?' George said yawning widely.

'Hermione had the baby very early this morning!' Ron answered.

'Really? What time?' Fred asked.

'About 1am, she's eight pound three…' Ron said.

'She? You mean?' Mrs Weasley said sounding excited.

'Yeah I do… IT'S A GIRL!' Ron almost yelled in excitement.

His mother, brothers and father all wrapped their arms around him.

When they broke apart Ron said, 'and Ginny delivered her.'

'Really, how come?' Fred asked.

'Well we were told it was a false alarm at first so we went back to the common room, Hermione fell asleep but woke up when her water broke. It was to late to go to the hospital wing and both Harry and I were freaking out so Ginny took charge… then bingo two pushes later and Ginny was cutting the chord and wrapping her up, she did so well.'

'This is wonderful, what did you and Hermione name her?' Mrs Weasley asked with tears in her eyes.

'Isabella Ginervera-Mae' Ron told them.

'What does she look like?' Fred asked.

'She's the most beautiful baby I've ever seen, I'm not just saying that either, come and see for yourself. Don't worry about getting changed just come' Ron said.

He couldn't convince any one to stay in their pyjamas so he sat down in the kitchen anxiously waiting for his family to get ready. Half an hour later everyone lined up in front of the fire.

Ron went first, Hermione was sitting up in bed after a shower and a change of clothes, Ginny was sitting in a chair beside the bed and Harry was standing beside her, the baby was asleep wrapped in a pink blanket in her mothers arms, Ginny and Hermione were talking avidly.

'Hi hon' Ron said kissing Hermione 'sorry it took so long, I couldn't convince them not to get changed,' he added as his mother emerged from the office.

'Hello dears, oh congratulations' Mrs Weasley said seeing Hermione in the bed with the pink bundle, she hastened to the bedside, she looked down at her granddaughter 'she's beautiful, could I hold her?' she asked her daughter-in-law.

'Sure you can' Hermione said handing the baby to Mrs Weasley.

'I hear that you delivered this little angel,' Mrs Weasley said to her daughter.

Ginny nodded.

'Well good on you,' George said.

Mr Weasley, Fred and George all held Isabella. They stayed for a while before they had to leave for work. Mrs Weasley also left with the men; Madam Pomfrey came over to the foursome at about eight o'clock.

'I know this is a joyous occasion but Mrs Weasley and the baby need rest and you have classes and breakfast to get to, go on, scoot' the matron said.

Ginny groaned but got up all the same.

'Can't I stay? I mean they are my…' Ron started.

Pomfrey cut him off 'I didn't mean you Mr Weasley, of course you may stay,' she said.

'We'll be back after dinner, is that ok?' Harry said.

'Of course, but for now you have to go' the matron replied.

Harry and Ginny changed before going down to breakfast. They had a lesson off together after the morning break, Ginny wanted to go back up to the hospital wing but Harry talked her in to sneaking in to Hogsmeade to buy a present for Ron, Hermione and Isabella.

They got under the invisibility cloak to walk out the gates, once they were a fair way away from the school they pulled it off and Harry stowed it in his bag. They went in to the flower shop first and picked out a large bunch of colourful flowers and a balloon that had ITS A GIRL! Written on it, they also chose a pink teddy, next they went to Honeydukes to buy Ron a box of chocolate frogs and Hermione a block of her favourite chocolate. After that they went in to a tiny gift shop and found a cute baby book that they brought along with a card and headed back up to the school. It was harder to move under the invisibility cloak with the flowers and balloon but somehow they managed to make it back to Harry's bedroom without to much hassle, they placed their purchases on the bed.

'Right, after dinner we'll come up here and get all this stuff then go back to the hospital wing, yeah,' Harry said.

'Let's write in the card and book now so that we don't have to later on' Ginny said.

So in the card they wrote dear Ron and Hermione, Congratulations on the birth of your beautiful daughter Isabella Ginervera-Mae. With lots of love from (uncle) Harry and (aunty) Ginny. In the book they wrote for you to fill with all of your wonderful memories, we love you all love from Harry and Ginny. Once they'd done that it was time to go to their next lessons, they kissed and hurried away.

At lunch Harry went to speak to Hagrid 'You've heard about Hermione?' he asked him.

Hagrid smiled 'Yeah, Ron let me know, its great init? He said. 'I haven' had the chance to go see 'em yet, classes all day, after dinner I'm going to go inta Hogsmeade 'n' buy 'em some flowers an' that.' He added.

'Yeah it is great, Ginny and I are going to go back up there after dinner too. I'll probably see you then' Harry replied

'See you Harry' Hagrid replied.

Transfiguration was strange without Ron and Hermione. Professor McGonagal was oddly distracted throughout the whole class.

'What's with McGonagal?' Neville leaned in to ask Harry.

'I don't know, it could have something to do with Hermione having the baby this morning, I think she's worried about them,' Harry replied.

Several girls turned around to look at them 'so she was pregnant then?' Lavender Brown said.

'Uhhh… yeah… I thought that everyone knew, I mean it was pretty obvious' Harry retorted sarcastically.

'We thought that maybe she'd just gained a lot of weight' Lavender replied, she sounded slightly disappointed, she was jealous about Ron and Hermione still.

'That looked like normal weight gain to you?' Neville said to her.

'You knew did you?' Lavender sounded mad now.

'Yeah… I'm pretty good friends with them, I was at their wedding' Neville replied.

'Who's wedding?' Lavender demanded though she knew perfectly well who's wedding it was.

'Ron and Hermione's' Harry replied rolling his eyes 'surely you noticed the rings and that teachers were calling Hermione Mrs Weasley instead of Miss Granger' he added.

'So it's Ron's baby then?' Lavender said.

'For goodness sake Lavender, who else's would it be, there is nothing scandalous about it so don't even bother starting a rumour, we all know that he dumped you for her, get over it already' Harry said getting annoyed now.

'I wasn't trying to get anything, what is it a boy or a girl?' She asked sounding hurt.

'A girl, not that it's any of your business' Harry replied with a note of finality in his voice.

Lavender and the other girls whipped back around to the front, Lavender looked hurt and rejected. 'Great that's just what they need right now' Harry thought to himself, he turned back to Neville 'You did know she'd had the baby didn't you?' Harry asked him.

Neville nodded and smiled 'Yeah, Ron told me this morning, I've already sent them up a card and some flowers but I can't see them until tomorrow because I have to help Professor Sprout tonight' he replied.

Straight after dinner Harry and Ginny collected their gifts and headed to the hospital wing. Hermione was sitting in a chair, Ron was sitting on the bed and Sirius was sitting in another chair holding the baby, talking to her in a soft, calming voice. The space around Hermione's bed was covered with flowers, cards, chocolates and baby things; the foot of the bed had three balloons tied to it.

'It doesn't look like you need these but anyway,' Harry said handing Hermione the balloon and flowers and hugging his friend.

'Or these' Ginny said handing Ron the chocolate frogs and Hermione the block of chocolate.

'Thanks guys' Hermione said.

'Ahhh… but that is not all, here,' Ginny said handing over the teddy and the wrapped up book.

'Oh wow, this is Izzy's first teddy, people have sent flowers, chocolates and clothes but no one has sent a teddy' Hermione said placing the teddy in to the bassinet beside her 'what's this?' she asked picking up the book.

'How about you open it and find out?' Ginny replied sitting down next to her brother.

Hermione ripped the package open 'guys, wow I love it, Ron come here and have a look' Ron walked over to his wife, kneeling down beside her chair. They flicked through the pages.

'Thanks you two, this is great' Ron said.

'Ron, could you get me a quill and some ink I want to start filling this in right now' Hermione said.

Ron got the quill and ink and they filled in the first page, all about Isabella's birth details, how much she weighed, eye colour, her parents etc. Harry, Ginny and Sirius talked with Ron and Hermione for a while. Hagrid dropped in with some flowers and another teddy at about seven o'clock and stayed for about half an hour. At about eight Sirius left, Harry and Ginny went to bed at nine thirty.