A/N: Hello, this week is going to be minimal updates. I didn't get much done this weekend because….. my Goddaughter came into the world! So, it's a short chapter. Because this Auntie has been back and forth to the hospital and running on very little sleep (my niece is the one who gave birth).
She was who I was working as a doula for, and it was a complete honor to be given the privilege to attend her birth. Oh, my heart.
So, in honor of her birth. I give you, the birth of James Potter.
James Potter
It had been almost six weeks since Hermione had left Romania. Today was Halloween, and she had plans with Harry, Ron, and Ginny to go to Godric's Hollow. Even with Ginny's due date coming and going a few days ago, she had insisted that they not miss their Halloween tradition. For the last ten years, they had made a point to come and honor Harry's parents together.
Hermione splashed some water on her face inspecting her appearance. For the last week or so, Hermione had noticed that she was feeling a bit run down and hadn't been able to eat very much. Hermione was not going to let this keep her from being there on such a hard day for her best friend.
Putting on a bit of makeup to hide the dark circles under her eyes, Hermione did a once over on her appearance and decided she looked as good as ever. Throwing a handful of floo powder into her fireplace, Hermione called out "Grimmauld Place" and stepped into the green flames.
"Hello?" Hermione called as she stepped out of the fireplace and into the kitchen. Ron was sitting at the kitchen table with Harry, they both were sipping on what looked like a fire whiskey.
"Hey, Mione" was all her raven-haired friend mumbled. She quickly came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders giving him a tight hug.
"Fire whiskey?" Ron asked lifting the bottle that he and Harry had been drinking from.
"Just a small one, thanks." Hermione knew that it might not be the best idea to have a drink with how tired she was, but it would be needed to help get through this day. "Where's Ginny?" The very pregnant red-head was missing from the kitchen.
"Oh, she went to lay down to take a nap before we go. Trust me, you're going to want to let her sleep." Harry laughed at the thought of his feisty wife.
When Ginny's due date had come and gone, she had hit Harry with a nasty Bat-Bogey Hex causing him to have a nose bleed for an entire afternoon. Since then, Harry had made a point to avoid Ginny unless she explicitly asked for him.
"How's she feeling?" Hermione went to take a sip of her fire whiskey, but the smell made her stomach roll. Not wanting to offend the boys, Hermione pretended to take a sip. When they weren't looking, she vanished the remaining liquid in her glass. Instead, she opted for a cup of coffee, and was much happier with the caffeine to drink.
"Pregnant? I'm not sure. She banished me to the couch two nights ago and I've only seen her walking up and down the stairs or coming to get food. I don't think we'll be having any more kids, I survived Voldemort, but a pregnant Ginny Potter is much more terrifying." Harry tossed back the rest of his fire whiskey and poured himself another glass.
"Speaking of pregnant" Ron gave a small smirk towards his friends.
"Oh my gosh, congratulations Ron!" Hermione set her cup down and rushed over to pull Ron into a hug.
"Congrats, mate." Harry stood up and clapped Ron on the back.
"We just found out, haven't even been to see a healer yet. I just wanted you guys to know. You know, wild. Me, going to be a dad." Ron looked down into his drink dropping his head a bit, but a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"HERMIONE!" The moment was interrupted by the call of the formidable and terrifying witch that was not presently with them.
"That's my que, I'll be back down with her. We're taking the knight bus, right?" Hermione confirmed before walking out of the kitchen.
"Yeah, we'll be leaving in just a few. Don't want to apparate with Ginny so far along." Harry responded.
With a nod, Hermione left her boys to sit and discuss their impending fatherhoods.
Hermione walked towards the staircase that led up to the bedrooms, when she slipped on something on the bottom step, causing her to fall flat on her back.
Rubbing the back of her head, Hermione looked up and could see Ginny sitting on the stairs panting and red faced.
"Ginny, are you alright?" Hermione asked in alarm as she saw her friend grunting and throwing her head back letting out a deep moan.
"I think my water broke." Ginny said through gritted teeth, snapping her head forward to look at Hermione.
"Merlin Ginny, let me go grab Harry." Hermione stood to retreat back towards the kitchen, but felt her leg sting as a jinx hit her before she could move.
"Hermione Jean Granger, you are going to stay put and you are going to get this thing out of me, NOW." Ginny roared at Hermione causing her to stop dead in her tracks.
Not wanting to argue with the birthing witch anymore Hermione quickly summoned towels and a cleaning spell to rid the floor of Ginny's amniotic fluid.
Hermione climbed up the stairs and was met with the sight of a crowning head of black hair, at the same time Ginny let out a loud yell and the door beneath them burst open with a crash.
"Gin, I can see the top of baby's head. There's so much hair, do you want to feel?" Hermione asked her laboring friend.
"POTTER, I'LL KILL YOU!" Ginny yelled looking over Hermione as Hermione pulled Ginny's hand to help her feel her baby.
Ginny broke into sobs as another contraction came and she gave another push, bringing the baby's head out. The scrunched up little face was swollen and eyes were closed with a squished nose. The most beautiful baby Hermione had ever seen.
"Okay Gin, next contraction, you're going to push out the shoulders." Ginny looked down at Hermione nodding her head. Taking a breath, Ginny gave one final push, letting the baby fall into Hermione's waiting arms.
"It's a boy." Hermione announced to her friend, lifting the baby to lay on his mother's chest.
Hermione was pushed aside as a midwife healer came up the stairs, quickly followed by Harry.
"Good job mum, a perfectly healthy boy." The midwife was checking over Ginny and the baby, Harry had maneuvered his way around the crowd and had settled himself behind Ginny and their new baby.
"Now, let's get the three of you upstairs and into bed to rest and finish delivering the after birth." The midwife and Harry helped Ginny to stand, and make their way to the landing that housed the master bedroom.
"Blimey, did she really just have a baby on the staircase?" Ron asked coming up behind Hermione. Twisting around to face her best friend, Hermione let out a laugh.
"Are you really surprised that Ginny wouldn't tell anyone she's in labor until the baby is just about out?" Hermione questioned him; her body was starting to shake from the aftershock of the incident.
"Right, well I guess I ought to let mum know. Actually," looking up the stairs where the new family was peacefully resting, "I think I'll give them a few days before we unleash grandmother Molly on them. Padma is going to flip. See ya later, Mione." Ron ducked into the kitchen.
Finally, alone, Hermione collapsed into one of the arm chairs that was sitting in the hall. Sweet Morgana, she could use a drink after that. After a few moments of just sitting, Hermione collected herself and walked into the kitchen. She made herself an Irish coffee, a drink that she knew Harry enjoyed more often than not on a Saturday morning.
After finishing her drink and feeling much more relaxed, Hermione spotted the items that Harry and Ron had left in the kitchen that they were planning on taking to the grave yard in Godric's Hollow. Ron had brought a small phoenix and Harry had a wreath that was entirely red and gold for Gryffindor. Hermione pulled out the small lion that she had brought to leave for them and set the three pieces together on the table.
She transfigured the pieces so that now the lion sat on the bottom of the wreath and watched as the phoenix soared back and forth at the top of the wreath. Hermione wrote a short note and left it in the kitchen, letting Harry know that she still was going to visit his parents today and to let her know if they needed anything.
With a crack, Hermione disapparated and found herself swaying on her feet when she landed with a small sway of her body. Hermione promptly turned and vomited into the hedges that were outside the gates of the cemetery in Godric's Hollow.
Hermione ran her hands through her hair brushing it back out of her face. Maybe drinking before noon was no longer a good idea at twenty-nine. Sitting down, Hermione took a few deep breaths to help settle herself.
Once she felt that she was no longer dizzy, Hermione hoisted herself up and made her way back to where she knew the two headstones laid. There was a slight overgrowth of vines and other weeds, so Hermione used a flick of her wand to clear it away.
She set the wreath between the headstones, and lightly ran her fingers over the tops.
"He's a dad now, just today actually. I caught your grandson as he entered the world. Right on the staircase in Grimmauld Place. You would be so proud of the man he's become. He's incredible in everything, his career, his marriage, his friendships. I just know he's going to be an extraordinary father also. How I wish things had been different. I wish you would have gotten to watch him grow. I promise, I'll keep watching out for him. Thank you for giving me my brother."
Hermione knelt down in front of the headstones and just sat with them. She wasn't sure how long she was there; she was brought from her thoughts when a warm hand settled on her shoulder. Wiping the tear stains from her eyes, she looked up to find the familiar green eyes.
"Hey."
"Hey, I didn't think you'd leave Ginny and the baby today?" Hermione stood up, brushing the dirt from her jeans.
"Yeah, Ginny told me to leave her and little James alone and to come see my parents." Harry explained throwing his arm around her shoulders.
"You named him James, oh that's wonderful Harry. They'd be so proud of you." She nodded her head towards his parent's final resting place.
"James Sirius Potter, Ginny agreed, it's the perfect name for him. I think they'd like him." Harry leaned his head so that it was resting on her.
"I know they would. I'm sorry they aren't here for another major life event." Wrapping her arms around his waist, Hermione buried her face into his chest and began to sob.
"Mione, it's okay. Well, it's not, but it's okay. You don't need to cry." Harry began to fumble over his words as he rubbed her back attempting to consul her.
"I know, it's just not fair." Hermione wailed into his chest. She could taste the salt from her tears as they fell down her face. "They shouldn't have had to die."
"I know, as much as I miss them and wish they had been with me growing up, and at my graduation from Auror training, and at my wedding, and now at my son's birth; I'm still glad at how my life turned out." Harry gave her another tight hug. "Come on."
Harry took her hand and led her away from the cemetery, they walked over to The Potter Cottage, to honor where Harry's life began and where Voldemort had decided to set Harry on the path of being The Chosen One.
They stood arm in arm until they felt the chill and had to cast a warming charm. Even after all this time, they both still occasionally slipped into the muggle way and forgot to preform basic magic for their own comfort.
They began to make their way towards the apparition point, when Harry started clearing his throat, bringing Hermione's attention back to him.
"Harry, why don't you just say what you're wanting to say?" Hermione prompted nudging his side.
"You know, I kept forgetting to ask since you got back, and I'm assuming that you'll say yes, but I don't want to just a assume on something this important."
"Harry, it would be easier if you just asked." Hermione tried again, rolling her eyes. After almost twenty years of being friends, Harry had nothing to get nervous about when speaking to her.
"Would you, well, you know, be James's Godmother?" Harry finally asked. If his face hadn't already been pink from the October chill, Hermione was sure it would have been from a flush.
"Are you serious? Harry, yes, it would be my absolute honor to be his Godmother!" Hermione could feel the tears spilling out of the corners of her eyes.
Throwing her arms around Harry, they had stopped right at the apparition point.
"I'm going to ask Ron to be his Godfather, Ginny agreed that there's no one better than the two of you to be his Godparents." Harry said with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Using the back of her hand, Hermione tried to wipe away the tears that refused to stop falling.
"Well, I guess I should probably get back to Ginny and James now. I'm glad you still came out here to see my parents, thanks Hermione." Harry had started running his hand nervously through his hair, just like he had since the day she met him.
Throwing her arms around him again, Hermione wished Harry good luck and more congratulations. With one last smile at Hermione, Harry pulled out his wand and with a crack was gone.
Hermione stood looking at the spot where her best friend had just been standing and felt the sobs burst from her chest. Hermione had gotten to help her Godson come into the world, she felt a more intense love for the tiny person than she had ever known possible, but she still sobbed.
Once she was able to collect herself, Hermione apparated back to her flat. She headed into her kitchen and set about boiling some water so that she could have a cuppa. With a smile, Hermione finally allowed herself to feel the joy that came with a new baby coming into the world.
Even on sad and hard days, there is still joy to be found.