Well…this is a quick update because I've had a bit of spare time on my hands! The chapter is a little short, so sorry about that!
Disclaimer: Nope, most definitely don't own Harry Potter
You're going places, Hermione
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Chapter Ten: The birth
"That wasn't that bad, was it?" Hermione implored Harry as they exited the Great Hall, "I mean, I know it wasn't easy but compared to the other exams we've had…"
Harry sped up a little and walked ahead, which irritated her immediately. She had complained to him enough for him to know that pregnant women couldn't run!
"Harry! Harry stop! I can't…you know that! Slow down!" She shouted. Harry sighed and froze in his tracks.
"Don't talk to me about the exams okay?" He snapped, "I still have one left and unlike you I'm stressed as anything!"
"Oh, think you're unique do you?" Hermione wondered, "Well I'm going to inform you that I am quite stressed out and I have three exams left, so it'll do you good not to jump down my throat because I'm in the same boat as you."
"Fine, but do you have to talk about it?" He muttered.
"Well yes, I do. It helps me to calm…"
Hermione trailed off as Ron ambled over looking utterly forlorn. She glanced at Harry saying; "I'll see you later."
"What?" Harry frowned and then spotted Ron too, "Oh, right. Fine then."
Harry didn't like how things had turned out between his two best friends. He didn't doubt for a moment that they still liked each other but it didn't seem to matter because they didn't sit down and talk. He knew if they did that it would solve most of their problems, but he wasn't going to push.
"What's the matter Ron?" Harry asked, noting the bitter look on Ron's face as he gazed after Hermione's retreating figure.
"I just failed that exam," Ron moaned, "I've failed them all so far, I just know it!"
"I'm right there with you mate," Harry grinned, "But cheer up, there's only one left-"
Hermione wobbled away, the sound of Harry's voice comforting Ron growing increasingly distant. She didn't know why she ran at the sight of Ron. She supposed she was scared. Scared that she would break down if their eyes met and beg him to take her back, because she loved him. But she was more afraid that he might reject her; so she stayed silent and never met his gaze.
Hermione smiled thankfully as she stepped inside the warm common room. It may be warm outside but the inside the stone castle walls it was always cold.
"Hermione!" Ginny spotted her and hurried over, "How did you go?"
"Why aren't you in class?" Hermione demanded.
"I have a cold." Ginny replied with a sniff.
Her friend gave her an appraising look.
"Well okay I don't," Ginny grinned, "But I had to hand in an assignment today that I hadn't finished so I'm just taking the day off to finish it."
Hermione snorted in disgust and sat herself down in front of the Gryffindor fireplace. Ginny joined her.
"I love you during exams, you're like a ray of sunshine."
"Sorry," Hermione mumbled, "I'm just stressed out. I've still got Arithmancy and Transfiguration to get through. Plus Ancient Runes which I'm sure I'm going to…AH!"
She jumped and placed both hands on her invisible stomach.
"What? What is it? Is it the baby? Is it okay? Did your water break?"
Hermione sighed in relief and relaxed back into the seat.
"It's nothing," She said consolingly, "It just kicked, that's all."
"Wow." Ginny said softly, groping for Hermione's stomach. It took her a few moments to find it because a Concealment Charm had hid the pregnancy entirely from sight.
"Is the baby kicking now?" Ginny wondered, somewhat hysterically as she moved her hands over her friend's stomach.
"Yes, just there, no! Move your hand a bit to the left, up, up, UP Ginny-"
"What the ruddy hell are you two doing?"
Ginny and Hermione froze and slowly Ginny pulled her hands back into her lap.
"Hey Dean." She said sweetly.
Dean raised an eyebrow, "Hey yourself. What are you doing? Waving your hands over her lap like that? I dunno what to make of it."
"There's nothing to make of it, dear," Ginny stood up," Come on, do you need some help studying for any exams?"
"No, I'm fine-" Dean suddenly grinned, "Oh. Yeah, alright then."
Ginny wiggled her fingers at Hermione in farewell as she followed Dean up the staircase towards the boys' dormitories. As they disappeared from sight the baby kicked again. Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes; she knew exactly what 'studying' between a couple meant.
* * *
"Fifteen more minutes." The supervising Wizard shouted around the Great Hall.
Hermione bit her bottom lip, her heart beating fast as she observed her Ancient Runes exam paper. She certainly hadn't gone into enough detail about Oswald Bottombloom's views on Anglo Saxon Art and the last question on her exam was troubling.
"Describe the multiple interpretations of the mound and stones of Newgrange…" She muttered under her breath, "What on earth?"
"Ten more minutes."
Hermione felt like she might cry. She couldn't concentrate, her back was sore and she had been experiencing cramps for the last ten minutes. It was the baby's fault, she thought unfairly. She had been tossing and turning all night because of it, unable to sleep because she was so uncomfortable. And to think, she still had another month to go, exactly to the day. Being eight months pregnant was no joy, especially of late. Her bloody bladder needed to be emptied much too often for her liking.
Suddenly something popped into Hermione's head. Eight months…to the day…
The mound and stones of Newgrange formed a calendar! The oldest one is history. She placed her quill to the parchment and began scribbling away furiously.
"Finish up now, there's only a few minutes left -"
Hermione started writing faster, she just had one sentence to add and her answer would be complete.
"The mound and stones of Newgrange is a mysterious wonder of the world that precedes even the Stonehenge-" She stopped and dropped her quill on the desk, her eyes widening.
Hermione glanced down and flushed immediately.
"Oh Merlin," She gasped, "I've wet myself during exams."
But a sharp pain made her eyes widen even more so that she somewhat resembled a deer caught in the headlights.
"MERLIN!" She yelled in pain, "I'M GOING INTO LABOUR DURING EXAMS!"
"I beg your pardon miss!" The supervisor snapped, "There is still a little over a minute left before this exam is over!"
Hermione clenched her teeth and glared at him while a few students turned around to observe them.
"I'm. Having. A. Baby." She managed to ground out.
"Ho!" The supervisor now laughed, "That's a new one! You don't even look a little pregnant. What is it really? Stress?"
"I'll give you stress if you don't get me some help!" Hermione bellowed. The rest of the Ancient Runes students had abandoned their exams and had their eyes glued on Hermione.
"Well the exam is over now miss, you don't need to worry," The supervisor shook his head, "There's no need to make a scene."
Hermione didn't know what to do, so she removed her wand form her robe pocket and waved it over her stomach, revealing what she desperately wanted to keep hidden.
All those around her gasped and the supervisor gaped.
"Get me help!" Hermione demanded, clutching her stomach in pain. No one moved and all of a sudden the Hall filled with whispers.
"Ohmigod! She's-"
"Hermione Granger? Pregnant?"
"How would she-"
"I can't believe this-"
"But it's Hermione Granger!"
"Yes it is Hermione Granger," Hermione said, sounding fathomable, "And she needs help!"
At the tone of her voice the supervisor rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her before he practically dragged her from the hall.
"What is this?" Professor McGonagall inquired as she met them outside the Great Hall doors. She cast a perplexed look at her whimpering student and then turned to the exam supervisor.
"She's going into labour!" His face was white, "In exams!"
"Labour?" McGonagall laughed sharply, "No she is not. I have had Miss Granger present in my class all year and she has shown no sign at all of being pregnant. It must be a Augmentation Hex or something of the sort."
Hermione had tears in her eyes as she looked in the face of her Head of House.
"I'm sorry Professor," She said, grimacing, "But I am."
McGonagall pursed her lips and the colour slowly drained from her face, "Very well then. Come with me."
* * *
"Oh! OH! Hermione!" Ginny hurried into the Hospital Wing and immediately made her way over to her friend, "I came the moment I heard! How are you?"
"AaaagggGGHHH!" Hermione screamed, "Make it stop!"
"I wish I could," Ginny's face was stricken, "It's okay. It'll be alright."
"How can you say that?" Hermione moaned, "You aren't the one giving birth!"
Ginny bit her bottom lip and turned around to observe the conversation in the corner of the room between McGonagall and Madam Pompfrey.
"I haven't seen her once for a check up!" Madam Pompfrey said sharply, "Merlin knows what could have happened to her or the child! Merlin knows!"
"I understand Poppy, but it's too late to consider that. Do you have the equipment for a procedure like this?" McGonagall wondered.
"I do," Madam Pompfrey shook her head, "This is horrible! There hasn't been a teenage birth here in nearly fifteen years! What's to become of these children?"
McGonagall could only shake her head and shrug.
"Will someone do something?" Ginny demanded of them. The two older women turned around and hurried over.
"How is it dear?" Madam Pompfrey asked Hermione, her tone gentle.
"I feel like my insides are being ripped apart by lots of tiny people with pitchforks," Hermione growled, "And I want to die!"
"Very good, very good…" Mumbled Madam Pompfrey as she scurried away.
McGonagall frowned, "I wonder Miss Granger how this has come about-"
"Hermione!" Ron and Harry both ran into the Hospital Wing hurriedly and somehow managed to fall over each other.
Ron jumped up first, "I just heard-"
"-are you alright?" Harry finished as he too jumped up.
Hermione wondered how people could be so stupid. Why was everyone asking her if she was alright? Of course she wasn't! There were tiny people with pitchforks inside her!
She went to reply and instead only managed to scream in pain.
Ron's face was white, "Oh…er…um…"
"Maybe we should sit away?" Harry said as he gulped. Hermione screamed again and her friends placed themselves on some seats down the other end of the room.
Madam Pompfrey had returned and was holding a goblet to Hermione's lips.
"You're too young dear," She said, "You're too you for this. Here, drink up. It'll stop the pain but you're going to feel exceptionally drowsy…"
Hermione drank from the goblet and thankfully felt the pain subside. The faces around her blurred and she couldn't distinguish who was who.
"Alright…Push!" A voice commanded. Hermione blinked sleepily but obeyed, not really knowing what she was doing.
Over the next few hours, Ginny couldn't decide what had made her more anxious. Her friend screaming in pain or her friend lying back looking much too comfortable to be giving birth. Ginny took Hermione's hand in hers and shared a worried look with Ron on the other side of the room.
"Alright," Madam Pompfrey said encouragingly, "Alright, good girl! There we go…it's out! Oh…it's a boy!"
Ginny gazed across at her brother again and smiled slightly at the lopsided grin that was forming on his face. Ginny watched as the baby was wrapped in a small white blanket and then given to McGonagall to hold. The Professor looked horrified for a moment before her expression softened as she gazed down at the tiny figure.
"Okay dear, just a little bit further," Madam Pompfrey commanded as she turned back to Hermione, "Push! Push!"
"What?" Ginny's head snapped around to gape at the nurse, "Isn't she done yet?"
"There's another one! Come on dear! Push!"
"Twins?" Ginny uttered aloud. Everyone else was just as surprised.
"Oh, she's falling into unconsciousness. The Potion was too strong!" Madam Pompfrey said worriedly, "Come on and push girl! For Merlin's sake! There you go…would you look at that? This one's a girl."
She took a few steps back and wrapped a small baby in a blanket just as she had previously done before she handed it over to Ginny. Hermione let out a little sigh and closed her eyes, refraining from opening them again.
"Oh Ron," Ginny gushed as her brother returned to their end of the room, "She's absolutely beautiful. And look! Red hair! They both have red hair!"
"I suppose I wouldn't be wrong in suggesting you were the father Mister Weasley?" McGonagall wondered sternly, interrupting what could have been a glorious moment.
"Yeah I am." Said Ron distractedly as he took his son in his arms.
"I hope you understand the seriousness of the predicament you have found yourself in?" She continued, "I'm not sure if you are aware of it but Miss Granger had won herself a scholarship to the University of Sister Salem in America and-"
"What do you mean 'had'?" Ginny wondered, trying to stop the lecture.
"I mean 'had' as in past tense Miss Weasley, exactly as I mean it to be stated."
"No," Harry piped up; "She's still going to Sister Salem."
McGonagall was glaring, "Unless you are unaware Mister Potter, and I doubt you are, Miss Granger has two infants to care for which is why she cannot-"
"She's not caring for them," Ron said softly, "I am."
"You?"
The teacher couldn't have looked more surprised in Ginny's opinion.
"Yes me," Ron looked up, "It's all planned Professor McGonagall. My mother's waiting for me to owl her if she's needed and she says she'll come immediately. Everything's been set up at my home. It's all arranged."
McGonagall didn't know what to say so she asked "And what of Miss Granger?"
Ron couldn't help scowling, "Miss Granger is going to go to Sister Salem, and I'm going to go home with my kids as soon as possible."
"Surely she's going to see the infants?" McGonagall exclaimed, looking between all three students.
Harry and Ginny remained quiet and Ron spoke again.
"No she isn't. She wouldn't want to," His ears had turned red, "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go and owl my mother. Gin, Harry, can you look after these two please?"
He handed his newborn son over to Harry who took him without hesitation and watched with restrained emotion as his best friend walked steadily out of the room.
"Maybe she can see them," Ginny whispered hopefully, "If she wakes up before Ron leaves."
"I doubt that dear," Madam Pompfrey said from the side, "The Potion I gave her will leave her in a deep sleep for the next three or four days. It had to be strong, to stop all of the pain."
Ginny looked down at her niece and over at her nephew before finally her gaze lingered on Hermione's sleeping figure. Her bottom lip trembled.
"Oh it's so unfair, if only she hadn't cast that stupid spell!"
The adults in the room exchanged glances and pretended not to hear. They were still ultimately shocked about the surprise pregnancy, birth and arrangements that had been made by Mister Weasley, who himself was a child. Both women excused themselves; McGonagall to inform Dumbledore about the recent proceedings and Madam Pompfrey to a corner of the room where she could keep an eye on the newborn infants and mix up some ailments for the young mother.
"Maybe," Said Harry slowly, "Maybe it's for the best."
"Of course it isn't you dunderhead!" Ginny snapped.
"No, no listen Ginny! The spell won't let her love them right? And they won't love her back. So there wouldn't be any point at all in showing her…or telling her really."
"Telling her what?" Ginny asked pointedly, "What are you trying to say?"
"Don't tell her she had twins."
Ginny gasped, "Harry Potter! I cannot believe I ever liked you! How can you even suggest that!"
"Because," Harry frowned at her, "What's the point? It will only complicate things. Think about it. See how much one kid complicated things? Imagine how much two kids would!"
Ginny remained silent as she contemplated what he had said. There were faults in it, most definitely, but there was also much merit.
"I must be as stupid as you," She said harshly, "Because I'm going to agree, even if it is terribly unfair to Hermione."
Harry scowled at her comment, "Don't be like that. You know Hermione wouldn't care."
"You don't know that!" Ginny shouted loyally, regretting it immediately as both babies began to cry. Madam Pompfrey made her way over and took the infants from them.
"I'll take them, you two go off to bed," She told them, "It's been a trying afternoon for everyone and I'm the expert where care is concerned. So go on, off with you now!"
Ginny nodded while Harry exited the Hospital Wing in somewhat of an irritated hurry.
Ginny went to follow but something stopped her and she traced her steps back to her friend's bed.
"Hermione," She said softly, grabbing her hand as she had done earlier, "Hi. You did good you know. You have two beautiful kids. I'm so sorry you won't get to see them, or know them. I'll…I'll see you when you wake up. We'll catch the train back together alright?"
Ginny left after that, unable to stop herself from crying. But she didn't really mind. Instead she hoped that she was crying tears that Hermione might have cried as well, had she been fit too. Who knew really, maybe things would change.
~~!!!~~
A/N: Did anyone see twins coming? I'm still trying to surprise you guys!
For everyone who seems a little worried about how Ron and Hermione are acting…don't worry! They're meant to be together!
Thanks so so so so much to everyone who reviewed! It's awesome!
NEXT: THE AFTERMATH