George drummed his fingers on the table, nervously waiting for any sign of Harry, Ron or Hermione to tell them more about Padma. It was still early true, especially as those present in the school would have slept by two AM at the earliest, but that did not stop him from becoming anxious that his brother and two friends might have disappeared as well.
Would they have though? It was true that this unknown dark force seemed to be targeting him and Padma. Would they go as far as hurting his brother? Surely Harry Potter himself had to be at risk. George shuddered to thinkYou-Know-Who could be behind him all. He knew that You-Know-Who had risen again, after all. The Entrance to the Great Hall opened. It was not Harry, Ron orHermione. George sighed in sheer relief and the person he was facing did as well.
You first, Padma said, sitting down at the table. What happened last night?
*
You thought it was a joke? asked George choking on his breakfast. How could you ever think that I could joke about something like that?
How indeed? asked Padma wryly, thinking about the time George had sent Harry a toilet seat as a get-well present. But did you really make Hermione almost cry? she continued, awed.
Yeah, I can tell you , it would have made that mascara run like anything...
So are they going to be pissed off with you or apologetic that they sent me to bed? Padma continued.
George shrugged. They better get down here soon. I'm getting sick to death of waiting for them.
What do you reckon we really did last night? asked Padma.
Harry, Ron and Hermione entered just as George was cursing their tardiness. Hermione caught sight of George and Padma and whispered something to Harry and Ron. Harry burst out laughing.
I don't want to know, answered George groaning.
said Ron seating himself down at the table. What do you know? My dear brother and Padma!
Padma and George exchanged wary looks.
Um guys, said George awkwardly, I can't really remember what happened last night...
Ron spat out the apple juice that was in his mouth. What none of it? asked Harry, astonished. George shook his head firmly. Harry and Ron looked at Padma. Don't you remember either?
After a quick but painful kick under the table from George, Padma replied Hermione looked baffled - a seldom occurence. You didn't have that many Bacardi Wheezers last night... she said slowly.
How many did I have? asked Padma, shocked at herself. (She did not drink as a rule and a single Wheezer would have made her sick with coughing. )
Only about two, muttered Hermione. Maybe you two need to see Madam Pomfrey.
George clapped his hand to his forehead. No we don't, we just need to know what happened last night!
But if you can't remember - then maybe you have some form of amnesia. Don't know what could have brought it on though.
Will you just tell us what happened? demanded Padma.
Harry and Ron looked at Hermione. She guessed at what they were thinking. Why me? replied Ron, satisfied with his reasoning. Hermione adjusted her robes.
Well I can tell you up to a point. We arrived about half seven, all of us. The band was playing. Then we started dancing and... She trailed off.
Padma gulped. She had a funny feeling she knew what was coming. Go on, encouraged George, who had evidently not caught on. Then what happened?
Well you two - um - well... Padma closed her eyes and prepared the worst.
You started kissing.
*
Padma, standing in the Library, fiddled with her hair, distractedly, as random ideas kept flying in and out of her head. They had not told Harry, Ron or Hermione what had really happened to them both. They had been too distracted by what Harry, Ron and Hermione claimed had taken place. Could it really have happened? Or was the question would it have happened if they had been together? Was that why they had been separated, to prevent it? Perhaps the most important question of all was how George felt about it. He had blushed and his mouth had kept opening and closing, to the effect that he had looked like a mutant red fish, so it was obvious that he showed some emotion. More to the point, how did she feel about it? At the beginning of the year she would have been over the moon, but now - now was different.
She shook her head. There were more important issues to be addressed. She took a thick book off one of the shelves.
*
Dear Fred, George began. He paused and chewed on his quill. He did not know quite how to phrase what had happened to him since Fred had left Hogwarts. Why was he even writing a letter to Fred anyway? His brother had not believed him about Halloween: why should he believe him now? They had made peace before Fred had left, but it had been grudgingly done. Both brothers were stubborn - it was a Weasley trait. However, George usually said he was sorry, even when he was not and had no reason to be. This is not going to be one of those times, George thought resolutely. Thinking thus, he screwed up the parchment he was writing on and went down to the library where Harry and Ron were playing chess.
That thing - with Padma - as far as you're concerned it never happened, right? I mean, she's nice and everything, but no. No, I would never go out with her.
Harry and Ron shrugged. George left, relief flowing through his bones. Perhaps it was lucky that he did not notice the crouched figure concealing itself in the Restricted Section. it muttered holding back the tears.
*
Push, darling, encouraged her husband. She shot him evil looks and continued taking deep breaths.In Ward 7, Doctor Jones sighed and prepared to remove the head. Not surprisingly it had tiny red hair like the other three children that Doctor Jones had delivered for this particularly family. Doctor Jones sighed as the baby's legs appeared: it was another boy. It's a boy, he announced.
The woman looked disappointed. It looked like Doctor Jones would be delivering for the family in another nine months. The nurse washed the blood off the shrieking baby and handed him to the mother. You were going to call her Frieda, weren't you? asked Doctor Jones wryly. He took off his plastic gloves and threw them away. Or Gina, from Georgina, replied the mother softly.
Can I? asked the father. He held his arms out and the child was given to him. He had been there every time and still the feeling of fatherhood never felt fresher than it did at that moment in time. Let's stick with Frieda, shall we? How about Frederick?
The patient shook her head.
Fred, I like that -
A piercing scream came from the patient. I - can - feel - contractions! she exclaimed. Doctor Jones shook his head. There had been no extra fetus on the scan: she was not supposed to have twins. Nevertheless, he put on a fresh pair of gloves and examined the patient. Good God... This can't be happening, he muttered. Never in all my time... He changed tack. Nurse, we're going again!
The husband stood back, aghast. I never knew you were going to have twins!
Inbetween his wife's deep breaths he made out Nether did I! Doctor Jones did not bother going through the routine again: the mother knew what she was doing - it was her fifth time. The red hair appeared, and the body, and now the legs...
It's a boy, announced Jones. Molly shook her head. I was never supposed to have...
It doesn't matter now, said Arthur. What did you say you wanted to call her? Georgina? George will do fine.
Later when the cleaners were washing the sheets, they discovered a strange green symbol on the sheets of the bed in Ward 7. A snake was protuding out of the jaw of a large skull.
*
He looked at his watch and adjusted his tie. Two hours, surely it must be over by now? Then he heard a groan of pain and winced. It was not custom for men to be present at these ceremonies. It was enough that he was missing an important lecture for this: waiting outside a Gineacology ward.
You can come in now, Professor, said a Nurse. He straightened his posture and entered. His wife was holding their child in her arms. It's a girl, she said quietly. His face fell. I know you wanted a boy - I know you wanted to name it after yourself - but we can try again.
he muttered and took the girl - his daughter - in his arms. She can still be named after me, can she not? he whispered rocking her gently.
His wife looked doubtful. What's the female version of your name? she asked. He could not answer her because at that moment his wife clutched her stomach and called for a doctor. Doctor Ross sauntered back in. You're probably experiencing afterpains... he began casually, but stopped abruptly once he saw his patient's condition. he cried calling for the Nurse. We have a case of twins!
asked the husband. We were informed that -
I don't care what you were informed, said Doctor Ross as he prepared for the delivery. Can't you see that your wife has gone into labour again?
The husband toyed with the idea. Perhaps he would be blessed with a son, now? In his excitement, he forgot that men were not supposed to be present at such ceremonies and held on to his wife's hand, encouraging her.
The labour did not take long: it was over within a few minutes. said Doctor Ross as Becky cut them umbillocal cord. You have a healthy girl?
A girl? asked the husband incredulously. Another one?'
replied Doctor Ross, bemused. It does happen. In fact, in this case, you have identical daughters.
Two daughters? One was going to be hard enough to bring up - but two?
You were saying? asked Priyanka, who seemed over the moon about having given birth to two daughters.
The eldest is to be named Parvati, after me, replied Parvez. What do you wish to call the second?
Priyanka thought briefly back to her Hogwarts days when she had encountered a large black labrador who had somehow communicated to her that his name was Padfoot.
she breathed.
Later, once Doctor Ross and the four Patils had left the ward; Becky found an interesting emerald symbol on the sheets where Priyanka had given birth. A snake was protuding out of the jaw of a large skull.