Chapter 5
"And Baby Makes Two"
The group stood off to the right of Hermione's Bed. They were in a two bedroom. Behind them was a young woman cooing to her new born, flowers and balloons festively strewn about. Looking like a gift shop had been opened at her end of the room, making Hermione's naked tabletop barren of cards, flowers, and balloons look more than just a little depressing.
Next to the other occupants bed a young man seemed to be taking a power nap. "Pathetic isn't he?" The woman said to Hermione nodding towards what was presumably her husband.
"14 hours of labor, no drugs and I feel like I couldn't sleep if you drugged me, and him out before the first feeding." She sighed dramatically.
At that moment their nurse arrived with tiny cart floating beside her, inside was a small pink bundle. The nurse who was named Janet, a very large black woman of an undeterminable age, and an American accent who had taken to Hermione when the young girl had come in alone, and when she found out that Hermione would be by herself. After her shift had ended, she had stayed. A labor coach, substitute mother figure and slave driver all rolled in to one.
"Ok sweetie, I think your Mommy wants to count all your fingers and toes. She's new at this Angel, so I want you to take it easy on her." She said lifting the baby in her strong arms, and transferred her to Hermione's waiting embrace. They sat talking as Janet showed her the right way to hold, feed, and change her baby.
"So sugar, don't you have anyone to help you out, or do you gotta do this all on your own?" Janet asked sympathetically, "cause it's a hard row to hoe, believe me I did it after my James died, had to take care of my little Jimmy. He was only 5 at the time, it's a lot of work." Because her kind face held no intent for gossip, Hermione answered her honestly.
"Well, I have my parents. But they are Non-magical and still live a very active life, so they will adore us visiting, but adore us more still when we are leaving." She said with a touch of wry humor.
"How about the baby's father?" Janet asked after much consideration.
Biting her lip, Hermione answered her with a half-truth. "I lost her father in the fight with Voldemort. The boy I loved died the night Harry Potter did." Well she thought to herself, Ron was never the same after Harry died, well for that matter nobody she knew was ever the same after that day.
"Well we've had quite a lot of pre-war He-who-must-not-be-named babies this month, and from what the midwives have been telling us we are preparing for a whole lot of post-war ones too. I say it's just what the wizarding world need, babies are good at helping you forget your troubles. People who wanted to show their love one last time before the big battle, and then the ones who wanted to celebrate his downfall."
By that time Hermione had finished unbundling the baby and Ron could see Jillian for the first time. Severus walked to stand directly behind Hermione so he could look into Jillian's tiny face.
She was no bigger than a baby doll, with fat cheeks and the brightest red hair that seemed to be sticking up on end. In fact observed Severus Jillian's face seemed to be only a few shades lighter than her hair, giving her the over all appearance of a large tomato. Her mouth was puckered and you could see the cry before the ear piercing scream came out.
Severus who was standing behind Hermione didn't see her face, but the others saw the expression of fear and frustration that marked it. Then to Ron's amazement, cool, sensible, grace-under-pressure Hermione, joined her baby in the loud wailing.
The other occupants of the room stared at her in alarm, as fast acting Janet pulled her into a gentle hug. "Don't worry sugar, that would be your hormones talking. Hormones are hell on the witches' body. First they go all woonky when you become women, then every month, and then when your pregnant…then you have menopause to look forward to. I'm at that stage now…and I feel like my magic is leaking out of my ears. It does get better, I promise you, it does."
"I took me a half an hour to find my wand yesterday. Although I don't know why I even bothered to look for it, I can't even transform anything anymore…I don't know how I'm going to survive on my own with my magic all dried up." Hermione said still sniffling. "When I finally found it…well I'd put it in the pantry of all places...the pantry! Your right about too many hormones in my body; it's probably a good thing my powers are clogged up, or I might accidentally fry someone." She stopped to wipe her eyes and blow her running nose. "But what if I do that to her? What if…I put her in the pantry!" She said waving a hand at the wailing baby. "What if I can't do this? How will I know what she wants? What if…if…I forget to feed her? What if I get busy in the library and forget and leave her somewhere? What if my magic goes berserk and I hurt her!"
Janet sensing a meltdown on its way intervened quickly. "Don't worry Sweetie, We get this a lot, all the women do, and you get over it…when you start to breastfed, it will help…I promise. I'll get you off on the right foot before I let them release you. And in the meantime I think I'll be taking Little Miss Jillian back with me to the nursery. Sleep is what you need, a nice dreamless sleep, I think. Come to Janet little Miss Jillian." She said taking the baby and swaddling her back in the blanket.
The memories were coming faster now, as Severus barked out directions to the pensive.
"College…"
They saw Hermione as she hired Dobby as a nanny, and turn him in to more then a house elf, he became a member of her family. In turn Dobby had become devoted to both Hermione and "Baby Jilly".
They saw her receive a time turner with permission from the Ministry. Watched as she made the hard choice to just get just one degree, and dropped her other course. They watched in awe when she completed her two-year college course in little under one year.
They saw the day she received her job offer from Hogwarts.
And then some watched with delight at the first time Severus and Hermione has seen each other since the leaving feast.
