Ch 41 Venus Lupin

All the Potter and Granger-Weasley children, and their guests, headed over to the New Burrow right after breakfast the Monday after the ICWW.

Victoire watched as the youngsters came into the kitchen, as another contraction started. The midwitch had told her that they were not real contractions yet, but they sure felt real to her. Her body was really doing something to get her ready for labor and delivery, and it was real work, even if they were only practice contractions.

"Are you in labor?" Cleo wondered, looking at the expression on Victoire's face and noticing how she was holding her body.

"The midwitch tells me that it is not real labor yet, but it sure feels real to me," Victoire complained. "The baby is more or less in position, but she hasn't dropped yet."

Victoire was carrying the baby high.

"A little hard to breathe?" Ginny wondered.

Victoire nodded.

"Don't worry," Ginny scoffed. "The baby will drop, and you will be able to breath. You just will have a hard time walking. At least you are not quite as short as I am. My last month I told Harry if I got any bigger my boobs would bump up against my chin."

Victoire looked down at where the baby bump was pressing up against her breasts and laughed. She then frowned. "Loo," she remarked as she headed to the loo.

"Victoire is just in that 'I'll do anything to get this baby out' stage," Molly remarked. "I was so big with the twins I thought it was going to take a lorry to move me from place to place." Molly looked at Cleo. I know of a witch about as big as you, Cleo. She had eight and a half pound twins, seventeen pounds of baby. (3.85 kg each, 7.7 kg)"

"Was she huge?" Cleo wondered.

"Amazingly enough, no," Molly replied, shaking her head. "I'm just glad it wasn't me, though. The twins were big enough!

"Venus is a good size baby, and this is Victoire's first, so she has some real hard work ahead."

Just then James Potter came into the kitchen. "Albus," he exclaimed, "We need another seeker. Scorpius, you too. We are a little short on players."

"Who do you have?" Albus wondered.

"The Lionhearts, of course, just the two oldest. The younger ones are not interested in Quidditch, for some strange reason. Hamilton Jordan, his brother Hudson, and Gideon Prewett. Olivia Wood's parents let her come over today, but I'm not sure how long she can stay. We may just run drills. Too many of the cousins are working, and I haven't been able to get any other players."

Albus and Scorpius left to fly with James, just as Victoire returned.

Rose folded her arms and rolled her eyes at Scorpius's departure. "He's not that good a flyer," she remarked.

"Do they ever ask you to fly, Rose?" Victoire wondered.

Rose frowned, and shook her head 'no.' "Dad and Uncle Harry made sure I know how to fly, in case I have to, but I don't like to."

Victoire looked at Cleo. "Do you fly?"

"I know how, but I get distracted," Cleo admitted. "Albus says I'm kind of dangerous on a broom. So, I mostly don't fly, except with Albus. We ride on his broom sometimes, but he steers, and I just look."

Teddy came into the kitchen, holding Maria. He put the toddler down, and she rapidly crawled over to great-grandmother Molly. Molly summoned a large wooden spoon and handed it to Maria. The toddler put it in her mouth, banged it on the floor, then crawled over to the kitchen table, where she proceeded to stand and bang the spoon first against a chair and then against a table leg.

"Still walking the baby out?" he asked his wife, while keeping an amused eye on his daughter.

"Grandmum says I will know when these contractions become real contractions, but they seem very real to me," an obviously frustrated Victoire explained.

Teddy turned to Cleo, saying, "Cleo, there are suspicious people around the property. I do not want you to stray too close to the edge of the property, and make sure Dis is close to you all the time."

Like most Elf guards, Discould be so unobtrusive she all but disappeared, but she indicated that she would stay close to Cleo.

"I'm going to tell Albus and Scorpius as well," Teddy indicated as he headed out of the kitchen.

"I think I am going to practice my music," Cleo remarked as she headed out the kitchen. "I will set up my keyboard in the living room, so I don't bother anyone."

"Nobody is that concerned about me," Rose suggested as she sat at the kitchen table, a glum look on her face. "Once in a while I feel like the fourth person in a trio."

"I felt like that often," Ginny commiserated. "Your father and mother were Harry's best friends all through Hogwarts, and I was just Ron's little sister. Even after we were married, they shared, still share, some things I will never be part of."

"Are you jealous, Aunt Ginny?" Rose wondered.

"Maybe I was, at one time," Ginny confessed. "Not anymore. We all do such different things now, and I am the one Harry comes home to. If you and Scorpius stay together you will build a life quite independent of Al and Cleo."

Rose decided this was a good time to play with the Maria, and she spent a good part of the day chasing the very active toddler.

The four friends spent Tuesday and Wednesday in the Grimmauld Place area. Albus and Cleo spent some time practicing with their band. Rose and Scorpius spent time trying to track down some of the earliest history of Magi in Great Britain, finding information in some very old manuscripts and even a few scrolls that Rose's mother had somehow acquired over the last few months.

Thursday morning, they were back at the New Burrow. Victoire was still pacing, but Teddy was with her, looking quite concerned. A midwitch was just coming into the room from somewhere else in the house. Ginny, who had accompanied all of the children who were staying at twelve and thirteen Grimmauld place, commented, "She has dropped."

It was rather obvious that the baby bump was lower down than it was on Monday. Victoire walk was very funny, like her legs were not quite as firmly attached.

"Are you going to have this baby standing up?" Ginny kidded.

The midwitch laughed. "All the midwives know of the idiot mother who had her second standing up in their drawing room."

"Should I call Harry?" Ginny joked back. "He did a good job catching Albus."

"No thank you, Mrs. 'I'm not going to St. Mungo's' Potter."

You could see Victoire having another contraction.

"Breathe, Victoire," the midwitch told her patient. "Once this contraction is done, we are going to check you again."

"I think my water just broke," Victoria whispered, looking down at the fluid running down her legs. Victoire looked around the room, horrified and embarrassed.

The midwitch did some quick wand work to clean up the messy fluid. "Let's go up to your bedroom, Victoire," she then told the uncomfortable witch. "I think it is time to call Fleur, Molly."

Once Victoire, Teddy and the midwitch were upstairs Molly took out her magical/muggle mobile and called Fleur.

"Victoire's water just broke, and the midwitch suggested that it was time for you to come."

…

"She is fine. She has been in real labor most of the night, so she is tired, but she is a young healthy witch."

…

"I will send Bill up to the bedroom when he gets here."

Molly looked at the rest of the people in the kitchen. "I'm going to wait for Fleur and Bill. Victoire is not going to want a big crowd in the room when she gives birth, so I'm just going to stay down here and take care of anyone who wants to wait around.

"It could still be quite a while before Venus is born."

"I'm seeing a sport's agent to talk about which Quidditch players are trying to change teams, or negotiate new contracts," Ginny remarked. "I will be back later this afternoon."

"I found a couple of old books hidden behind other ones in the Malfoy library," Scorpius told Rose. "I hid them in my luggage, maybe a little too well, and just found them." Scorpius unshrunk the two very old and fragile volumes.

"This house is probably going to be busy," Molly told Scorpius and Rose. "Why don't you use the kitchen in Potter's New Burrow to look at those books."

"Yes, grandmum," Rose replied, and the two young Magi left for the house next door.

"May we go out and fly?" James asked, looking at Lily and Hugo.

"Do not go close to the edge of the property, or too high or low," Molly replied, as she waved them off.

"Where is Maria?" Cleo wondered.

"Molly Hudson is taking care of her," Molly replied. "Molly H will be bringing the two girls, Maria Lupin and Scarlet Hudson, over here later. I don't know if their son Kyle will be with them or with Audrey."

Just then Fleur came bustling into the kitchen.

"How is she?" Fleur wondered.

"Well," Molly replied, "Her water broke in front of the whole Grimmauld Place contingent, which was probably a little embarrassing. She started real labor last night, and the midwitch came after midnight. She has been up most of the morning, from what she and Teddy said, pacing, so she's rather tired. You know, the usual. I was up early to see her and the midwitch talking, and then I had the midwitch take a brief nap."

"Veela have easy and, usually, predictable labors and delivery, but Victoire is no Veela," Fleur commented. "If she really wants many children she had better become used to this part."

"They are upstairs in their bedroom," Molly pointed. "I doubt if she will be back down here until after Venus is born."

Fleur headed out of the kitchen to go up to see her daughter.

Molly looked at Cleo. "I think we will allow people to make sandwiches for lunch."

"Did witches invent the sand-witch?" Cleo wondered. "And why are they sand witches. What does sand have to do with them?"

"They are named after the Earl of Sandwich, and I don't think the name has anything to do with witches, or sand," Molly replied. "It i H, not W I T C H."

"I have a couple of catfish, and I want to turn them into a fish spread for the sandwiches. By themselves they are rather unappealing fish, but with a few transformations and some spices we can turn them into a rather delicious spread."

Albus watched in amazement as Cleo and grandmum Molly transformed the fish over and over, added spices, and tasted. When finished the dish was delightful, spicy without being overpowering.

They then took a chicken and cooked it, and then transformed it into luncheon meat, so there were no bones, nothing left to throw out. They did add a few spices in the cooking, but the end result was a platter of sandwich size slices of chicken.

Rose and Scorpius wandered into the kitchen a little before lunch.

"Is Venus born yet?" Rose wondered.

"Not yet," Molly replied.

Bill Weasley arrived at the New Burrow just in time for lunch. He ran upstairs and was soon down with Fleur.

"Teddy told us he would let us know if the baby decides to come," Bill told the gathering as he and Fleur made sandwiches.

James, Lily and Hugo tromped into the kitchen.

"Is the baby born yet?" Lily wanted to know.

"Not yet," Fleur replied. "She will be born this afternoon."

Just then Teddy's wolf Patronus appeared. "Victoire wants you, Fleur," the silver beast announced. "It is time for her to push."

Fleur elegantly pushed the rest of her sandwich into her mouth (only Fleur could elegantly stuff anything into her mouth) and rushed upstairs.

Rose looked at her Uncle Bill. "How can Aunt Fleur do that?" she wondered. "When the boys stuff their mouths it is sure not elegant! Has she ever not looked elegant?"

Bill shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "Veela magic. It is rather amazing at times." Bill then headed upstairs.

James and Hugo filled their plates with more sandwiches. Albus did as well.

"Do teen-age boys always eat that much?" Rose wondered.

"Almost always," Molly replied. "I could never fill your father up. He was always hungry."

"I think he is still always hungry," Rose wryly commented, "but he is also always on a diet. He has to watch what he eats to keep from getting fatter."

Molly performed some sort of charm to keep the food on the counter from drying out or spoiling.

Ron arrived, scarfed a couple of sandwiches, and left with Hugo for the store. James, Albus and Lily went into the living room to look over who James was going to try and recruit for the Cannons if they were able to buy it.

Rose and Scorpius went back to Potter's New Burrow to continue to look over the books.

Molly (Weasley) Hudson wandered in, pushing a double stroller with Maria and her Scarlet in it. She let the two toddlers out. Scarlet wobbly walked over to her great-grandmother, and a crawling Maria followed.

"Do we have a baby yet?" young Molly wondered.

"Any time," Molly replied. "Victoire was pushing, so the baby may be here, but they haven't announced it yet." She looked at the rather large clock that had been modified and expanded as the family grew. On the inside were herself and Arthur, and her children. Next to the children were their spouses, and outside of that the clock had been expanded to hold all the grandchildren. The clock had been expanded still again as grandchildren had started to marry and great-grandchildren had started to come. A name had just appeared on the clock, Venus Weasley.

Bill came into the kitchen. "She is here," he announced. "She rather loudly proclaimed her presence. She is over eight pounds, and quite wiggly. She is not a little baby."

"I guess not!" young Molly exclaimed. "Kyle was over six pounds and I though he was huge."

"Kyle was actually a nice size for a first baby," the older Molly let her granddaughter know. "You were lucky to have two nice modest sized babies."

"When can we see her?" Cleo wondered.

"They are both sleeping," Bill replied. "So is Teddy. He was up all night with Victoire. They may be up for dinner tonight."

The midwitch left after announcing, "Mother and baby are perfectly healthy."

That evening Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione and Bill and Fleur stayed for dinner. Just before dinner Victoire came downstairs with Teddy at her side. Grandmother Fleur carried her first grandchild. There was a cot next to the table, and the sleeping baby was gently deposited there.

Maria was in a highchair between Bill and Cleo. As soon as the meal started Venus woke up and decided that it was her mealtime as well. Victoire put Venus on her breast, and Maria looked at the baby and started to fuss.

Bill tried to give Maria a bottle, which she only reluctantly took. By her facial expressions you could tell that Maria was not fond of someone else taking her place at her mother's breasts.

"Maria is not eager to grow up," Victoire admitted. "I'm going to have two babies for a while."

"You will have plenty of family to help," Molly announced.

"Thank you," Victoire replied.

Tuesday July twenty-eight Teddy sat in bed watching Victoire nurse little Venus, just two weeks old. Maria had weaned shortly before Victoire had given birth, but seeing Venus nurse Maria wanted Victoire's breasts occasionally as well. Maria started to fuss, and Teddy went next door to the nursery, changed Maria, and brought Maria into their bed.

Teddy did not know how Victoire did it, but she seemed to love it. Watching her nurse made Teddy feel both fantastically paternal, wanting to protect these most precious women in his life, and really turned on as well. A nursing mother was very erotic, in a funny paternal way. Teddy wanted his mother and father to see their grandchildren, and his grandfather Tonks. The graveyard was the best he could do, but he did want to take Venus there.

Victoire loved having a baby at her breasts. Two babies at times. Managing her milk supply was going to be complicated, but she really did not mind. Somehow even expressing milk, which some witches found annoying, seemed a pleasure to her. Between the magical/Muggle equipment that made it easy, and she guessed the spells and potions that enhanced her pleasure, everything to do with nursing was to her a great joy.

Venus went back to sleep after nursing, and Teddy put her in the little cot next to their bed. Maria tried to stay awake, but Teddy walked back and forth with her, and soon Maria was asleep in her own larger cot.

"I want to take Venus to see the graves of her grandparents," Teddy suggested. "Maria too."

"Come here, Teddy, snuggle up against me," Victoire cooed. Ted came over and pushed his body against Victoire's body. "I think we should go, too," she agreed. "I think seeing your parents' graves with me that first time was the first time you realized what dead was."

"I think it may have been the first time I cried for my parents, Toire," Teddy reflected.

"It was not stupid then, and it's not stupid now," Victoire insisted. "It's what we do! It is one little way to say thank you to your parents for sacrificing everything to make our world a better place."

"I want to take Venus and Maria to Godric's Hollow to introduce them to my parents," Teddy told Harry on the secure telephone line.

"I will come over, and we can figure out how to do this," Harry replied. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement did have a good magical map of Godric's Hollow. Harry looked carefully at the map and could not see any known evil people. At the moment no one was at the church or graveyard.

Out of an abundance of caution Harry assigned two Aurors and two other DMLE officers to quietly go to guard Teddy, and then told Teddy that he had a half an hour where he could leave the New Burrow, Apparate to the graveyard, and when he was finished Apparate right back.

"I'm back," Teddy announced, standing in front of his parents' graves. "You are grandparents now. I married Victoire, just like we talked about. I do not want to tempt fate, so I will not ask Albus for the Resurrection Stone, but I am so very grateful for you coming to me when I was so cursed.

"Thank you for your blessings on Victoire and me. Venus is our first, a beautiful daughter. I expect you know about Maria as well. I'm not proud of what I had to do to stay alive on that islandbut thank you for forgiving me when you came to heal us.

"We brought Maria as well. My marvelous wife is going to be mother to her as well. I feel so blessed to have a wife as wonderful as Victoire."

"I plan on seeing you back here often enough," Victoire beamed. "Thank you for Teddy. Please keep watching out for us."

Teddy turned to Victoire and, with Venus between them, Maria on one hip, gently hugged his bride. "I still feel a little stupid talking to a couple of gravestones."

"It is NOT stupid, Teddy," Victoire insisted, crying for her Teddy, who would never know his parents, not this side of the grave. "It was NEVER stupid. It is just the best we can do."

Teddy and Victoire thought they heard a "Thank you."

"Not stupid, Teddy. Not stupid," Victoire said again, as Teddy and Victoire cried for the grandparents neither Venus nor Maria would never know.

Remus and Tonks hugged, tears streaming down, the love that the tears symbolized strengthening Teddy and Victoire, and because there is no sorrow in Heaven we can say that the tears were tears of joy. Mostly of joy, we think.

2021