Thank you for your patience and welcome back. Here we are at chapter 24 of The Unexpected Baby. This chapter was a little harder for me simply because I hit a wall of writers block. I got through it and I hope I've managed to write another entertaining chapter. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
The Unexpected Baby
Chapter Twenty-Four: 28 Week Check Up
"Harry thank you again for coming in to talk to our first and fifth years," thanked Professor McGonagall as she watched the highly trained Auror from her desk.
Harry Potter looked out from the window of the Headmistresses office and smiled dreamily at the Quidditch pitch beyond. Being in Hogwarts again had made him feel very nostalgic for the place, regardless of all the horrible things that had happened to him within and without its walls. Hogwarts had been the first place he had truly been able to call home, and for that he would always hold it in high regard.
"It was my pleasure Professor," he said wistfully as he turned to look at the stern headmistress. She looked the same as always, albeit for the deeper lines of age on her sharp face.
"Please Harry, you may call me Minerva," she told him as she indicated to the seat opposite her.
Harry glanced at the portraits of the previous heads of the school. They were all pretending to sleep in their frames, as usual, even the magnificent portrait of Professor Albus Dumbledore. Harry felt his throat tighten slightly as he watched the snoozing figure of Dumbledore. He half expected it to crack open an eye and look at him, but he remained silent, and let Harry continue his conversation with the current head of the school.
"Even after all this time Professor, I can't. It feels strange," he said with a chuckle as he sat in the slightly hard, and uncomfortable chair.
Minerva quirked an eyebrow at him and folded her hands in front of her on the table. She had always had a soft spot for Harry, ever since she'd held him in her arms the night his parents had died. He'd grown into such a brilliant wizard and he was someone to be admired. She was glad he had agreed to talk to the current students of the school, he was sure to inspire them.
"Fine, then I shall call you Potter if it so pleases you," she said with a dry laugh. Harry laughed with her and crossed his legs, trying to get slightly more comfortable in the chair.
"I've heard a rumour recently," Harry began, trying to entice some response from the older witch. The professor was silent, her face impassive, so he continued.
"Your current Care of Magical Creatures professor might not be fit for the job," he finished coolly.
"And you heard this rumour where?" Minerva asked plainly, keeping her hands folded in front of her.
"I'm an Auror Professor, I hear a lot of things."
Minerva sighed heavily and sat back in her chair. She rubbed her right temple with her finger tips and stared at Harry. She didn't mind him knowing this particular rumour, but she just wasn't keen on other members of the ministry knowing that any member of her staff was suffering in their job. They had been keeping a close eye on Hogwarts for years now, and she didn't want another repeat of the Umbridge situation.
"Well your Ministry ears have heard correct. Professor Armstrong is struggling with his health. Ever since Hagrid took a step back and started to spend more time with Olympe in France, he started struggling with the work load and his health took a turn for the worse. He will be taking early retirement at Christmas," she explained to the talented Auror. Harry nodded his head sympathetically and folded his arms.
"That's sad to hear, I'd heard only good things about him from Hagrid," he muttered. Minerva agreed with him and then paused for a moment.
"Why is this of interest to you Potter?" Minerva asked questioningly. Was Harry up to something?
Harry shrugged his shoulders as nonchalantly as he could and tried his hardest to keep a poker face. Professor McGonagall could always read him like a book, and no matter how much training he received for his job, she always seemed to be able to break through. Today was no different.
"You have a recommendation for the post I assume?" she asked, giving him a knowing smirk. Harry lost his composure immediately. How could he not be subtle around this woman? He was highly trained to deal with the darkest of wizards and had defeated the darkest wizard of all time. Yet this one witch could break through him like it was nothing.
"I do," he replied. He hoped he sounded casual, like he was just trying to have a conversation with her. He knew he was failing in that respect.
"And?" she asked pointedly.
"Charlie Weasley is back in the country," he replied calmly as he inspected his nails closely.
It seemed that Minerva McGonagall was a master of the poker face, because Harry couldn't read her reaction to this information whatsoever.
"What did she say?" Charlie asked as Harry changed his son into a clean onesie for bed.
"She didn't say anything," Harry told him honestly. James gurgled sleepily at his father and blinked at him slowly. Harry chuckled at his son and kissed one of his little hands.
"Nothing?" Charlie asked disbelievingly.
"She said absolutely nothing. That woman is harder to read than an enchanted book from the department of mysteries," Harry said as he lifted James up into his arms. He held his son close and started to bounce him gently.
Charlie sighed heavily and slumped against the changing table in the nursery. It was late at night and he needed to get back to Hermione, but he couldn't wait to hear how Harry's meeting with Professor McGonagall had went. His nerves had been frayed with excitement since hearing about the potential for an open position in Hogwarts as the Care of Magical Creatures Professor. It was all he could think about besides Hermione and the baby.
"She knows you're back in the country. She knows what you specialise in, she put you on that path herself. I would just try and not think about it now," Harry told his brother-in-law quietly as baby James started to doze off on his shoulder.
Charlie snorted mutely as Harry started to walk around the nursery. He sighed heavily and then thanked Harry for all of his help. He left the father and son in the nursery and went down into the living area where his sister had fallen asleep on the sofa. He smiled at her and decided not to wake her. After he'd covered her with a blanket he moved to the kitchen and then apparated back to the flat.
"Hey," Hermione said sleepily from their own sofa. Charlie grinned at her and went to sit own beside her. She had been reading a book and clearly had been falling asleep.
"Hi," he whispered, cupping her cheek in one of his hands.
Hermione smiled drowsily and yawned widely. She was extremely tired but had wanted to wait up until Charlie had arrived back home. The cats were snoozing in their climbing tree and she was wrapped in a blanket. She had been reading a journal about cellular abnormalities in people who frequently used Polyjuice Potion, but found the jargon made her eyes droop. She stretched and sat up.
"What did Harry tell you?" she asked, stifling another yawn with the back of her hand.
"Apparently McGonagall is harder to read than an enchanted book from the department of mysteries," Charlie replied gloomily. His shoulders were heavy with worry, so Hermione pulled him into a hug.
"At least she knows you're back in the country. Knowing that one of Gryffindor's legendary Quidditch players, and a quality Dragonologist will have definitely piqued her interest," she mumbled into his neck. She felt him shudder underneath her and smirked to herself.
"I'm a Dragonologist am I?" Charlie chuckled as she ran a hand up and down his back.
"Your proper title sounds better than Dragon Keeper for interview purposes," Hermione managed to mumble out after she gave another huge yawn.
Charlie stood and held out a hand for her to take. He pulled her up from the sofa and ushered her towards the bedroom. As Hermione shuffled along Charlie guided her with a hand on the small of her back. His other free hand rested on her stomach and he rubbed gently. Hermione felt the kick just under Charlie's hand and beamed up at him as he looked down at her stomach in awe.
"Call me what you want, as long as our little dragon has a dad with a cool job, I'm happy."
Hermione dangled her feet off the edge of the bed as she and Charlie waited for the Mid-Healer to arrive. She was in for her 28 week check-up and she was exhausted. She was normally exhausted at night when going to bed, but she would wake up a couple of hours later and find it hard to drop off again. She'd found herself getting up and making herself herbal tea and sitting and reading a book until she felt the need to sleep again.
"Every two weeks from now on then?" Charlie asked as he examined baby photographs on the wall of the room.
"Yeah, from now until I give birth," Hermione confirmed as she watched him looking at the images.
Every so often Charlie would give the faintest of smiles at one of the images and it made her heart flutter. He was embracing being a father so much, and she knew that he couldn't wait until he got to meet his son.
"Thought of any more names?" she asked him casually. Charlie turned and gave her a thoughtful stare.
"Maybe…have you?" he asked cautiously. He recalled their last baby names conversation and was wary of telling her his name choices at the moment.
"I have," she said dreamily, rubbing her stomach.
"What were you thinking?" Charlie asked lightly as he moved to the bed to perch next to her.
Hermione thought for a moment, taking her time with the names. She rolled them around in her mind for a while before finally revealing the ones she liked.
"Magnus, Archer and Dexter," she rhymed off innocently, "What were you thinking?"
"I was thinking either Thomas or Jerry," he stated. Hermione's laugh was so sudden she choked on it and Charlie had to rub her back.
"Are you okay?" he asked in a worried tone. Hermione nodded her head and gasped for air.
Tears streamed down her face as she continued to laugh at Charlie's particular name choices. Charlie suddenly frowned and realised why she had choked. He folded his arms and pursed his lips a little, reminiscent of his mother.
"What is wrong with Tom and Jerry?"
Hermione's laughter doubled and soon she got a stitch in her side. Charlie sat in a huffy silence next to her and waited for her to calm down. Hermione wiped at her eyes and clutched her side, and once she had gotten herself under some control, she finally looked at him.
"I'm sorry, but you can't name our children Tom and Jerry," she said as authoritatively as she could, whilst trying to hold back another wave of laughter.
"And why not?" he asked grumpily, sounding more and more like a petulant child. Hermione looked at him sympathetically. She had to understand that not every witch and wizard would find what Charlie had just said funny. They weren't all experts on muggle culture.
"Tom and Jerry are the names of a cartoon cat and mouse that constantly try to kill each other. I used to watch it on TV when I was a child," she explained gently, trying desperately to keep herself calm. She realised that her outburst had hurt his feelings.
"You can't name our children after a cartoon cat and mouse," she added, placing a hand on his knee and rubbing slightly. Charlie quirked an eyebrow at her.
"We're going to have more than one child?" he asked innocently, staring deeply into her eyes.
Hermione gaped at him and then felt a flush bloom on her cheeks. She hadn't realised what she had said and how it must have sounded. She was captured by his eyes and felt the heat in her face spread to her neck and chest. Did he want to have more children with her? Did she want to have more children with him? In her inner eye Hermione got the fleeting glance of Charlie and two red headed, curly haired children playing in a field while she sat nearby on a blanket preparing a picnic. Charlie had their son on his shoulders and the other child, of whose gender Hermione was uncertain, was running after them. They were laughing and having fun and it made her heart swell.
"I like Archer," Charlie whispered, his face inches from hers.
Hermione felt herself lean in and her lips connect with his. It was a light brush, but the feeling was there. She wanted to stay in this moment forever. She felt him tuck some of her hair behind her ear as they continued to kiss. A tingle went down her spine and she shivered. The noise of the handle being pushed on the door broke them apart.
Later that evening Hermione and Charlie were snuggled up on the sofa under a blanket reading books when a tap came at the window. A very smart, handsome barn owl was perched at the window and was waiting patiently to be let in. Charlie got up from his seat and opened the window to let the bird inside. It hopped onto the cat climbing tree, startling Socks who darted off into the bedroom, and held out its leg.
"Oh Merlin!" Hermione gasped as she caught the emblem on the envelope.
"A letter from Hogwarts," Charlie said in a loud whisper. It was almost as if he were terrified of scaring the owl away, and thus loosing the letter.
"Take it," Hermione squeaked, kneeling up on the sofa for a better look.
Charlie reached out a shaking hand and untied the letter from the owl. He conjured a small bowl of water and some treats for the owl and once it had ate and drank its fill, it flew out of the window and off towards the quickly darkening horizon.
Charlie stared at the text written on the front of the letter:
Mr. Charles Weasley
Flat 19, Upper Hampton Street
Tower Hill
London
He instantly recognised the handwriting as that of Minerva McGonagall. He'd seen enough of that handwriting when he was at Hogwarts, especially that year he'd done poorly in Transfiguration. His hands continued to shake and he stood rooted to the ground. Shadow, who had been sleeping behind the sofa, now curled his way around Charlie's legs.
"Charlie," Hermione said softly.
Charlie could hear her, but his mind couldn't process what was going on. He knew Harry had spoken to the headmistress recently, but he hadn't expected anything to happen after having spoken to Harry. McGonagall really was a hard person to read. He opened the letter and read it out loud.
Dear Mr. Weasley,
I have recently been informed by Mr. Potter that you have returned to England on a permanent basis. I would formally like to welcome you back, but must express my condolences and regret at you leaving the Romanian Dragon reserve. You were such a good example to use when instructing students on which OWLs and NEWTs to opt into.
That being said, I am delighted to have you back at this particular time. It is not every day a legend of the Gryffindor Quidditch team is within my grasp.
I do write to you with a purpose, not just to welcome you back to the country. As I'm sure you are aware, the current Care of Magical Creatures professor is retiring at the end of this term. I now find myself without anyone to take on the post, what with Hagrid spending most of his time in France these days.
I would like to invite you to Hogwarts to interview for the position. Due to rules and regulations I cannot simply give you the job, so there will be other applicants to the position. You are the only one however that is being headhunted.
The interview will take place 2 weeks from today at 3:30pm in the headmistress's office.
I look forward to seeing you then.
Best Regards,
Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
The room was silent as Charlie finished reading the letter aloud. Even though nothing was making any noise, Hermione could hear a ringing in her ears. Charlie had been invited to interview at Hogwarts. Her heart hammered into her chest and her palms grew slick with sweat. Charlie looked at her, his mouth open in astonishment. His grip slackened and the letter fluttered to the floor. Shadow pawed at it as Charlie bounded over to the sofa and enveloped Hermione in a huge hug.
"YES!" Charlie exclaimed as he pulled Hermione into the hug. Her stomach pressed against them and the baby started to kick. They both laughed and hugged each other tightly.
"This is brilliant Charlie! McGonagall practically told you the job is yours! All you have to do is pass the mandatory interview and you're in!" Hermione said into Charlie's neck.
Suddenly he went motionless, still gripping on to Hermione's jumper. Hermione stopped her laughing and frowned. She pulled away and grimaced at the look of abject horror on the other wizard's face. He had gone deathly pale, so pale in fact, he almost looked grey.
"Charlie? Are you okay?" she asked steadily, her Healer instincts kicking in.
Charlie gaped at her, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. He tried to communicate with her but he couldn't. He had lost his voice and his mind was grinding together like two cogs in a clock that were just slightly out of line with each other. Hermione asked him something again, but a buzzing noise in his ears muffled the sound of her voice. Suddenly his mouth filled with saliva and he knew what was going to happen.
"Charlie?" Hermione called as he ran to the bathroom.
Hermione winced at the sound of Charlie throwing up. She had assumed that nothing terrified Charlie Weasley. Working with dragons was bound to toughen you up. Yet it was the thought of a simple interview that made him run for the nearest bathroom.
A/N: There you have it! I hope you liked it. Let me know your thoughts in a review :)