A/N: TRIGGER WARNING: Preterm Labor Just a FYI.
Getting onto my computer the last few days has been, well. Just not happening. Hence, nothing gets edited, nothing new gets written, Ect. Ect. Ect.
ANYWAY, it's almost October that means I have to come up with some costumes for my kids. My 17-month-old looks like he could be a baby Draco Malfoy, (white blonde hair and grey eyes) so that's what I intend to make him. However, my 4-year-old has darker blonde hair and grey eyes. So, I'm stuck on what I could make him. My 12-year-old daughter wants to be a pink cow.
I did want to make them all the gen one starter pokemon, but the oldest is refusing. Last year I made my daughter a panda keeper and dressed her brothers up as pandas.
There's a joke behind the choice of last year's costumes. My middle child was 2 when we found out I was pregnant with my youngest. When we showed him the first trimester sonogram, with confidence he told me "That's a baby panda."
Thus, my youngest gaining the nickname of panda. And oh boy does it fit. When he was born he was 11 pounds and such a fat little thing that he looked like a panda. Then as he's gotten older, he reminds me of the videos of the panda keepers being trolled by their pandas.
It really got me over the summer, we grabbed McDonalds and they toy was the TY beanie babies. We got a panda and the birthday was April 20. It shouldn't be hard to figure out my son's birthday now.
Hm, I always wanted a baby moon, but just never took one because I was working too much leading up to my kids' births. Hm.
The Baby Moon
"Hermione? What are you doing in there? Our portkey is set to leave in at noon." Charlie was calling from the other side of the bathroom door.
Hermione didn't have the time or energy to pay attention to what he was saying. She was too busy studying her naked body.
Her thirty-three-week pregnant body. It had somehow morphed into this disgusting blob that she saw in the mirror before her. The skin of her stomach was stretched so tight that it was painful to look at. Her hips had widened and her breast were so large now, that if she didn't dare attempt to go without a bra.
Pre-pregnancy, Hermione only wore a bra when she worked out. Her breasts had been perky and a bra wasn't a necessity in her under garments. Now? If she went without a bra and her shirt rubbed against her nipples she was going to be in pain. They were so large and swollen that with every step they took they would jiggle.
She had swollen feet and ankles, so much so that she didn't fit into any of her shoes. She'd gone out the week before and had to buy new shoes to fit her feet. Hermione collected two main things in life. Books and shoes, and now her shoe collection had been made worthless to her.
Worthless feet, ruining her shoes. Hermione wasn't even going to start on the body hair that had sprung up along her belly. Turning away from her full-length mirror, Hermione dropped her face into her hands and began to sob uncontrollably.
"Hermione? Love? Hermione, why are you crying?" Charlie was on the other side of the door, again, calling out for her.
"I'm hideous, you just go on the trip without me. I'm staying right here." Hermione wailed into her hands.
There was a slight bang, indicating that Charlie had finally gotten through the wards that Hermione had set around the bathroom before she had entered to check her appearance. She knew that her body changing wasn't a bad thing, but it didn't make it any less hard to accept.
She was still crying into her hands when Charlie's arms wrapped around her shaking frame. Charlie's hands were holding her close and rubbing on her back, trying to calm her.
"You silly witch, you're not hideous. You're perfect. Everything that's happening is because you're growing not one, but two new humans inside you." Charlie was murmuring against the top of her head. Trying to say the right things without causing more tears to erupt from Hermione's swollen red eyes.
"I've never had issues with my body before, and now, I don't even want to look at myself. Charlie, this isn't fair. I hate my body and I hate the way it looks." Hermione tried looking up into Charlie's face with her swollen eyes, but it was hard to see through her lashes that still held onto unshed tears.
"I know love, I know. We do have a long weekend planned, but if you don't feel up to going, we can always just stay home and just be together. Neither of our parents are planning on seeing us this weekend, so it really would just be the two of us." One of Charlie's hands was stroking her jaw line, trying to comfort her and brush away the tears that refused to stop streaming down her face.
"Okay, okay. Let's go. We do have a portkey to catch. Help me find a dress. There's no way I'm going to try to put pants on today." Hermione said with an exaggerated sigh as she swayed out of the bathroom and into her closet.
After trying on four different dresses and having another meltdown over not being able to wear any of her cute shoes, Hermione was finally ready to leave for their baby moon.
A baby moon, as she had to explain to Charlie, is a short vacation for parents who are expecting. It is a one last get away before the arrival of their little one, or in their case, ones. It can be any sort of trip, but really the entire point is just so that the parents can connect with each other and prepare to have to split their attentions.
Charlie had been told that it didn't have to be something big. They lived in a little flat in London, Hermione had expressed that she'd be fine with doing anything relatively close. Charlie had decided that Paris was close enough to England and if there were any complications that they'd be able to get back to St. Mungo's with little trouble.
Off they went, to the city of romance.
"Charlie, have you ever been to Paris?" Hermione asked once they'd landed in Furstemberg Square.
"I've only been here for work, never just to visit. A few years ago, we had to help with a group who was protesting some legislation that was going to make it legal for private owners to breed dragons and sell to private parties. There weren't going to be any restrictions on how many dragons an individual could own, so it would have quickly gotten out of hand."
"Oh, Charlie, that would have been awful. It would have affected England as well. I wonder why I've never heard of this?" Hermione wondered out loud.
"It happened in 1993, so just a bit before your time at the ministry." Charlie answered her question with a small chuckle to himself.
"Oh, that's right. You're old. You were making waves in the real world the whole while I was in school." Hermione poked at his sides, causing Charlie to let out a real booming laugh.
"Yes, well, I'd only just graduated Hogwarts the spring before you lot started. Don't go acting like I'm that much older than you." Charlie wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist and led her towards the hotel that they were going to be staying at.
Hermione felt at ease and content as they swiftly, or at least as swiftly as Hermione could move in her current state, and entered the hotel.
Charlie, ever full of surprises, spoke in fluent French to the receptionist. It didn't take long for the bell hop to be directed to where Hermione stood with their luggage.
The bags they had brought were gathered and swept away to their room.
"Charlie Weasley, where in the world did you learn to speak fluent French?" Hermione asked as soon as he was close enough to her again.
"You have met my sister-in-law, correct? Bill and I actually are very close, I've spent a lot of time with Fleur and also with visiting her family when they're in town. At some point, it just became easier to learn French instead of always having to try and figure out what her mother was saying. Mrs. Delacour is a feisty woman."
Hermione was shaking her head as Charlie lead them towards the elevator in the lobby. Hermione finally was able to take in the hotel that they were staying in. White marble floors with a grand glittering chandelier in the center of the room.
The walls were made of glass, allowing all the sunlight into the lobby. The gold accents everywhere made the hotel feel much too rich for just a weekend baby moon.
"Charlie, how much did this trip cost?" Hermione asked once they were situated in the elevator by themselves. They didn't have to push a button to go to the room they were in. Instead, the elevator was activated by the wave of Charlie's wand.
"This is the first vacation I've ever taken like this. If I want to spoil the mother of my children, then I'll spoil the mother of my children." Charlie murmured into Hermione's hair.
When the elevator stopped and the doors opened Hermione's jaw dropped open. If she had thought the lobby was grand, the room was even more so.
The tall ceilings made the room feel so much larger than it really was. The doors that opened to the balcony were just glass, but the view was as if it were a picture of the Eiffel Tower. The room had a chrisom velvet chaise lounge, and a plush sofa in front of an impressive fire place.
"Charlie, are you planning on us even leaving this room?" Hermione asked as she turned in his arms to face him.
"My love, I will stay in this room with you for the entire weekend if that's what you want. However, if you require more stimulating activities, I do have a list. This is for you to relax and get ready to bring these babies into the world." Charlie said as he rubbed a strong hand over her rounded belly.
"I want to go to the art museum. I haven't been in years. Oh, there's also this great bookstore that my parents used to take me to every time we came to Paris on holiday. Oh, Oh! Charlie, there's this café that I came to right after the war and it was phenomenal! We could also picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower, but then again, the view from the room it might not be necessary, unless –" Hermione's ramblings were cut off by Charlie lifting his hand and placing it against her lips.
"Hermione, I love you, and I'll happily follow you wherever you want to go this weekend."
With a nod Hermione felt her lips pulling against Charlie's palm.
"Now, I want you to go find the bathroom and see why I chose this hotel." Charlie took Hermione's hand and began to pull her towards the large doors off the sitting room.
This room was just as magnificent as the room they had just been in. The king-sized bed, another fireplace, and another view of the Eiffel Tower out the large bay window. There was another tall set of doors in this room, and Hermione had to assume that was the way to the bathroom.
Hermione opened the doors and stepped inside. The bathtub in rivaled the one in the prefect's bathroom at Hogwarts.
There were soft glowing lights at the bottom of the tub, and more taps than she would ever be able to use for different baths in just the one weekend.
"What are you thinking?" Charlie asked from the doorway.
Hermione hadn't even realized that she'd walked all the way into the bathroom and was currently running her hands over the bath. She certainly hadn't realized that she'd also began filling the tub with the water at the perfect temperature.
"I'm thinking I'd like this bath to be in our flat. Unfortunately, I don't think our flat would fit this bath." Hermione said with a sigh.
Charlie began pulling at the hem of the jumper that he was wearing as he began to stalk towards Hermione. Once it was free from the trousers he was wearing, he pulled the jumper over his head and tossed it to the side.
The red hair and freckle covered chest seemed to even broader than it was the last time she'd laid eyes on it. Surely, he hadn't gotten more muscular. Hermione watched as his hands slowly worked with the belt buckle at the top of his jeans, without warning, a deep moan exited her lips.
Licking his lips, Charlie moved forward into the bathroom continuing to slowly removing his clothes. "What do you want to do, Hermione?"
"I want you to fuck me." Hermione murmured.
With a flick of his wand, Charlie had Hermione's bound and above her head. Her legs were spread and she was unable to move.
"Oh" was all Hermione could breathe as he drew closer.
Another flick of his wand, and all of Hermione's clothes were vanished.
Charlie stood now stood in front of Hermione, using one long finger, he made a trail down her chest, over her round belly, and finally stopping at his wet slit.
"You're ready for me, are you? Do you like it when I take control and boss you around?" Charlie's smoldering eyes were ripping her apart.
Hermione's voice had stopped working, the only thing she could muster was a nod. Gulping, Hermione attempted to shut her jaw, but it just dropped back open when Charlie ran a finger into her center.
"I want to feel you falling apart all over my face. Do you think you can manage that?" Charlie asked as he lowered himself to his knees.
Without waiting for an answer, Charlie lowered his head, sucking her clit into his mouth, causing Hermione to call out. Charlie's finger curved inside her, hitting the sensitive spot inside her, making her body shake.
Without stopping his thrusts, Charlie growled, "Are you already getting close? Are you going to fall apart so easily for me, witch?"
Taking her clit back into his mouth, Charlie lapped his tongue on the sensitive bud. Hermione's body began to tremor as she felt her climax building.
Charlie, sensing that Hermione wasn't going to last much longer, looked up at her through his thick lashes. "I want you to cum on my face, Hermione. I need you to just let go."
Charlie replaced his mouth onto her clit and continued his work on the bud while his fingers were relentless inside her. One more breath, and Hermione felt her fall.
Her body shook with her orgasm as she released everything, she had in her onto Charlie's willing and waiting mouth.
This was already looking to be by far the best trip to Paris.
Too Early
Hermione was rushing around her office when her planner began to vibrate.
34-week appointment, St. Mungo's, 11am was shining in blue above the small book to let her know that she needed to get going if she were to make it in time. Instead of leaving, Hermione snatched up a quill and a piece of parchment and jotted down a note saying that she needed to reschedule and tossed it into the floo for the receptionist of the maternity ward.
What was happening that would cause complete chaos that Hermione wouldn't be able to step away for a twenty-minute appointment?
A few things actually, that all happened at the same time.
First, the Hebridean egg had begun to hatch. That wouldn't typically be an issue that she would need to be involved in. However, they had not been able to locate a surrogate mother to step in. Hermione was in a rush to find a female Hebridean who had maternal intuition. The bond wouldn't be as strong and the hatchling might not survive if Hermione wasn't able to find a mother before the egg finished hatching.
A second thing that was happening, Forrest and Jenny had gotten into a tiff. Apparently, just like men, male dragons were keyed into how to utterly annoy their partners. Hermione couldn't blame Forrest too much though; Jenny had been extra moody the past week. She'd even gone as far as to set the tip of his tail on fire.
The third and final thing that had happened, Amos had gotten sick with dragon pox and had to be rushed to St. Mungo's that morning. Due to his age, it was a potentially fatal condition. This promptly put Rolf as the department head, thus forcing Hermione to take on overseeing the entirety of the sanctuary.
"Hermione, I think I found a surrogate for the hatchling!" Hermione's assistant, Ben, came running into her office holding up a scroll.
"Brilliant, where?" Hermione asked her head snapping up from the documents that she had just been going over.
"The MacFusty clan, they just had a mother lose her hatchling last night. They said she's been attacking anything that gets too close though, so we'll have to be careful. It's going to need more than a standard team to be able to subdue her." Ben was explaining.
"Damn, wait, what if we take the egg to her? It's not ideal to move an egg that's trying to hatch, but it would be easier and use less personal. Let me just…" Hermione pulled another piece of parchment and scratched out a note to send with Ben.
"Here, we usually don't release eggs, but honestly the MacFusty clan is going to have the best recourses to caring for this egg at the moment and I can't take on another two dragons if I can help it. Here's all the paperwork if they agree that they'll need to sign. Once they've signed it, it'll appear back on my desk, so no need for you to wait for it.
"Once they've agreed, ask them to adjust their wards so that Charlie can apparate the egg. I don't trust anyone else with this. Go Ben, shoo, why are you still standing here?" Hermione waved her hands, sending the boy sprinting from the room.
Grabbing the cup of coffee off her desk, Hermione took a big gulp, and tossed her head back. Exhaustion was starting to grab hold, but she couldn't just settle into it. Not now.
Summoning her patronus, the silver otter appeared before her swimming in the air. "Charlie Weasley, the MacFusty clan is going to take the Hebridean egg, I need you to take care of the transport. I love you, come see me when you can."
Hermione stood up, trying to stretch out the back pain that she had been feeling all morning. She had just enough time to cast a quick charm so she had a heating pad on her lower back before Ben was back in her office.
"Ms. Granger, an underground breeder had been discovered. There's between three to five eggs currently at the sight. They're going to need a whole team and the Auror department's involvement." Ben was saying handing out another scroll towards Hermione.
Taking it from his hand, she saw the rushed note from one of their informants. "Fuck, of course. Okay, Ben, I need you to gather the three retrieval teams, I'll get ahold of the Auror department and get them here."
The pain in Hermione's back broke through the warming charm, forcing Hermione to stop walking and lean against the mantel so that she could rock her hips and moan through the pain. After a minute, the pain ended, and Hermione was able to get back to sending a patronus to Harry.
"Harry Potter. Harry, I'm going to need a team of Aurors for an underground breeder asap. We just got a tip, so if you could please secure a warrant, I'm sending the tip through the floo." Hermione's otter snapped into action and swam off out her wall.
Another wave of back pain hit Hermione, causing her to gasp with pain and bend forward gripping her desk. "Not today, not fucking today." Hermione took a few deep breaths and waved her wand to set another warming charm on her back.
"Hermione? What are you doing?" Hermione hadn't even heard the chime of her floo activating. Harry was standing in full Auror gear in front of her. "It's been ten minutes and I still haven't gotten the tip to secure the warrant and that's not like you to delay. Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine, here take the tip and go get that warrant. WHAT NOW BEN?!" Hermione thundered as her assistant came rushing back into her office and another wave of back pain was coming over her.
"Rita Skeeter is here Ms. Granger. She heard Amos is in the hospital and wanting to know what the public can expect to happen to the sanctuary now that you are the only one in charge." Ben's body was shaking as he told her.
Conjuring a glass jar, Hermione hurled it towards her assistant. "GIVE HER THE JAR AND TELL HER TO GET THE HELL OUT OF MY SANCTUARY! WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING TO MY BACK!" Hermione yelled as Ben rushed from the room and another wave of pain erupted across her lower back.
"Hermione, I think we need to get you to St. Mungo's." Harry stepped closer to Hermione with his hands up.
"HARRY JAMES POTTER I KNOW YOU AREN'T STANDING IN MY OFFICE NOT GETTING THAT WARRANT!" Hermione bellowed towards her friend. With wide eyes, Harry grabbed a handful of floo powder and disappeared into the fireplace.
Not able to sit, Hermione flicked her wand and lengthened the legs of her desk so that she was able to stand and continue to shift through the documents. She had managed to get through two more before her floo activated and a Ginny Potter stepped through.
"Get your ass in the floo, Hermione. We're going to St. Mungo's, now." Ginny said with a stern tone.
"Ginny, I can't leave and I already sent to reschedule my appointment today. Everything's fine just, FUCK" Hermione let out a gasp as another wave of back pain rippled through her.
"Where the fuck is Rolf or Charlie? Either can handle the office shit, but you've got to leave now. You're in labor Hermione, trust me, I can tell." Ginny had her hands on her hips and was giving off her very best Molly Weasley commanding tone.
"I'm not in labor, Gin. I'm only thirsty-four weeks. Amos just got rushed to St. Mungo's this morning because of Dragon Pox, so Rolf had taken over for him and Charlie is helping with an egg hatching." Ginny had already produced her horse patronus and sent a message that Hermione had missed.
Another wave of back pain hit Hermione, causing her to cry out in pain. Ginny appeared behind her pressing her thumbs into Hermione's back, giving some relief to the pain.
"Hermione, we're leaving. Now. Rolf will be here in a second." Ginny had taken Hermione's arm and was leading her towards the fireplace when the green flames came to life and Ginny brought Hermione into the maternity ward at St. Mungo's.
"Ms. Granger? I thought we were rescheduling your appointment?" The receptionist said as they stepped into the lobby.
"Hermione's in preterm labor, she needs to be seen, now." Ginny snapped at the girl as another wave of back pain overtook Hermione causing her to double over.
There was a rush of movement that Hermione couldn't recall later what happened. She was whisked away from the lobby and put her into a private room. The healers quickly filed into the room hovering over Hermione, casting diagnostics and charms to slow and stop her labor.
Hermione didn't even remember the point that she'd fallen asleep, if it was on her own or if it had been magically induced. All she knew was darkness, no dreams, no sense of anything happening to her, only darkness.
So, it was surprising to her when she could finally hear familiar voices through her haze, but she couldn't place who they were.
"Yes, well she is just going to have to be done working. After this you think, she would argue to continue to work." An older female voice was saying.
"Mum, she's not going to just do nothing for another four to six weeks. That's just not Hermione. The best we can expect from her is to slow down." A male voice rumbled through the haze.
"I want her to come home with me and Jack. There's no reason that she should be alone. I know if she's left by herself, she'll overdo it and we'll just end up standing right here again. Or worse, we could lose her or a baby or all three. I won't stand for it, she will understand." A soothing, but fierce female voice was arguing back.
"Charlie, you might just have to cut back on work too." The first female voice was now saying.
"I won't be able to until Amos is back, especially with losing Hermione, we're running as thin as possible. I've even contacted Vlad to see if he could spare anyone to come and help. He's sending Casey, but she's just not as familiar with our sanctuary as we'll need."
Hermione could not longer fight the haze, and slipped back into the darkness to float again.
The combination of a bright light and the sound of her name had Hermione slowly blinking. Hermione was still trying to get a sense of where she was and why she was laying down. Had something happened? Yes, and had her mother and Molly Weasley been there? No, she didn't remember their faces, only their voices.
No, Harry was there. Why had she been with Harry? Did something happen with James? Searching her memories, Hermione couldn't place James. Ginny was there though, so where was James? And Charlie, Charlie wasn't there. So, she had been with Harry and Ginny, but not James.
"Hermione, Hermione can you come back to us dear? Hermione, I need you to wake up now." An unfamiliar voice was calling out to her.
But why? Why did Hermione need to wake up? Her body hurt and her head felt heavy, wouldn't it just be easier to let her sleep.
"Hermione, love, I need you to come back to me. Please baby, please wake up." She knew that voice. That voice made her feel safe, loved, and secure.
"Hermione, it's time to wake up." The unfamiliar voice said again. That voice needed to go away, she wanted the warm and deep voice to call her back from her sleep.
"I love you, please wake up." Charlie.
"Charlie" was that her voice that just croaked?
"Hermione, oh thank Godric. Baby, please open your eyes." Charlie asked, so Hermione had to try for him.
The lights were too bright and caused her to squint, Blinking helped, Hermione could see a red haze above her. She felt a warm hand hold her jaw and rub soothing circles under her ears.
"Where, where am I?" Hermione asked as Charlie's features began to come into focus.
"You're at St. Mungo's. You went into labor on Friday, the healers had to stop your contractions and they were able to. Everyone's fine, both babies are fine, you're fine."
"Friday? What day is it now?" Hermione asked. The events from the day came rushing back to her. Friday had been a disaster of a day.
"It's Sunday morning." Charlie had moved his hands so that he was now softly massaging Hermione's face.
"Oh gods, Charlie what happened with the egg? The breeder, did Harry get the warrant? What about Forrest? Is he okay or is Jenny still attacking him? Merlin, did I really give Ben a jar to give to Rita Skeeter?" Hermione was attempting to sit up, but Charlie pushed on her shoulders to keep her laying down.
"The egg had just finished hatching when I got Ginny's patronus, perfectly healthy little hatchling and a very happy mother Hebridean. The breeder has been arrested; we were able to get one healthy Longhorn egg and have sent it to Romania for Emerald to mother. Forrest and Jenny will be fine, turned out she was nesting, so soon we'll have a little Fireball. And yes, Rita Skeeter was given a jar by Ben and she left the sanctuary, though that has a whole assortment of other questions that I'll be asking you later." Charlie ticked off every question that she had given him.
"And our babies, they're fine?" Hermione asked, looking up at Charlie the tears now forming in the corners of her eyes.
"Yes, our babies are fine. You gave us all a scare. Hermione, why didn't you tell me you were in pain? Love, you can't just push through. When you need me, you have to tell me." Charlie said playing with one of her loose curls while keeping eye contact. "I thought I was going to lose all three of you."
"I know, I'm sorry. How is Amos?" Hermione knew what Charlie was going to ask, she could see it in his eyes.
"He's still in St. Mungo's, he'll probably be in here for another week. Hermione, you're being put on bedrest, you aren't going back to work."
"Charlie Weasley, you will not keep me from working. I'll slow down, but I will not let the sanctuary suffer." Hermione said with a firm voice, but she knew that laying flat on her back she probably didn't look very intimidating.
"Ms. Granger, hello I'm Healer Clearwater. As Mr. Weasley had said, we cannot permit you to go back to work, it's still a bit early for these babies to come." Hermione hadn't even noticed the healer who was hovering on her other side.
"Healer Clearwater, is there anyway that I can continue to work and keep my babies safe?" Hermione asked the tall auburn-haired woman.
"If you're able to do work from your bed in your home, then I suppose you could continue to work. However, I will have to insist that you cut your responsibilities to low or no stress." The healer continued to explain.
"I run a dragon sanctuary, I'm not sure that there are many things that will fall into that category." Hermione explained with a sagging jaw.
"Well, that's alright. Because you need to have a much smaller workload anyway. Mr. Weasley, I'll get all this in writing, but I trust that there are people who are willing to stay with Ms. Granger during the day to ensure that she will follow these orders?"
"Yes, no need to worry, we'll ensure that Hermione follows whatever orders you give us." Charlie had turned away from Hermione so that he could address the healer.
"Very well, we'll just have to monitor Ms. Granger for a while longer, but we should be able to send you home this evening." With a nod to each of them, Healer Clearwater swept away from Hermione's beside and out the door.
"Our mothers are not coming to babysit me." With a deep laugh Charlie just shook his head with a booming laugh. Hermione realized that this was going to be a very long four to six weeks.