A/N As always thank you Maria.
Twins.
He hadn't been expecting that. Not that he minded, but then he wasn't the one to ask. He had not been the one to endure the discomfort of labor for twice as long as a single birth would have required.
Cradling one of the infants, he watched their sleeping mother. In her slumber, her expression was again that of a carefree young girl. Temporarily, it was unmarred by the worry and sadness that had plagued her these past few months, nor by the pain that had served to usher these two miracles into the world.
The young mother began to stir, waking despite her exhaustion. Poppy managed to tear her gaze away from the infant she was holding just long enough to check on her patient.
Seeing those dark chocolate eyes open and the face again assume a look of sadness, Albus patted her hand reassuringly. "I'm so proud of you. Poppy tells me you were such a brave young lady."
Her dark chocolate eyes were cast downward. "They are still here? I thought..."
Albus nodded. "I wanted to talk to you again myself. I needed to be sure that you were certain of your decision. If you aren't, it isn't too late to change your mind."
She shook her head. "I didn't tell anyone I was pregnant, except my father. Other than the trip here, ever since I started...showing, I haven't left the house. I was too embarrassed. I told all of my friends that I was spending the summer away on holiday. This way, no one ever needs to know."
Albus tried to look understanding. "No doubt, this is an awkward situation for you. I would like to tell you that what matters most is what we think about ourselves, not what others think about us. However, though I have never been one myself, it is my understanding that as a young girl, things are not always so simplistic."
"My father doesn't want me to keep the baby - babies. When I told him I was pregnant, he told me I was a disgrace to our family's name. If I wanted to keep the baby, he said I have to get married or else I would be on my own. I can't expect any help from him."
"And the boy in question?"
"I won't say who because I don't want to marry him. I mean, he is nice and all, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life with him. It was just supposed to be...we didn't mean for this to happen."
Everything she said to him, she stated so matter-of-factly. Albus still wasn't sure that this was what she wanted. It was such a difficult situation. "You don't have to do this if you do not want to. If you wish to keep your babies, we can find a way to make it work. I cannot promise things will not be difficult, but you are not without alternatives."
Poppy was still hovering nearby. Eventually she intruded into the silence between them. "I know you said no before, dear, but are you sure you wouldn't like to hold one of the babies before they go?"
Albus kept hold of the infant in his arms. It was Poppy who offered over the one she held. The girl just stared at the pink faced baby for a long time. It wasn't until Poppy finally gave up and began to pull away that she reached for her daughter.
"I wish my mother was here."
Her father was here. As planned, he had brought his daughter to the castle when her time had drawn close. He was still here, waiting to take his daughter home, though he was well aware it would be at least another day before Madam Pomfrey would release her. The girl's mother, however, had died some years ago.
Her tears finally began to fall. One landed on the baby. Gently brushing it away, she went straight to the crux of the problem. "I didn't think I would be able to take care of one baby by myself, how could I ever manage with two?"
Yet another worry suddenly occurred to her. "What if the couple you found doesn't want both? We didn't know that there would be two! We didn't tell them! What if they only want one? I don't want them to be separated."
She was making herself needlessly upset. Albus sought to allay her concerns. "The couple I have found to adopt your baby have been wanting a baby for a very long time. They couldn't have one of their own. I can promise you, they will be delighted. To them, a second child would seem an extra blessing, something to help make up for all the years without."
"Tell me about them, the people who want my babies."
Albus took a moment to judge how much he could tell her to calm her fears without giving away the identity of the couple.
"They are good people. Not perfect in everyway, they have flaws, but they try very hard. They have been married for twenty years. Very happily married, very much in love with one another, yet for the last fifteen years, they have felt that there was something missing.
They have a lovely home, but it seems overly large with just two people. There isn't anyone to track mud inside or leave smudged fingerprints everywhere. Their house is full of expensive, very important, very fragile things because they have no one to go about breaking them by playing Quidditch inside the house despite being repeatedly told not to. And they would very much like to have someone to do all those things.
They already have the nursery ready. It has been waiting, empty, for a very long time now. They both work, but the woman plans to take a leave of absence until the children are old enough to go to school. They aren't outrageously wealthy or anything, but they are more than well enough off to afford to do that."
She smiled. It was only a very slight smile, but it was something. She looked down at the baby in her arms again. "It sounds like she – they will be very happy there. I think I'm ready now."
Before accepting the still sleeping baby from her, Albus leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. "Thank you, Miss Patil."
Now cradling two infants, Albus set off for his office where a port key was awaiting them. As he was exiting the Hospital Wing, he heard Mr. Patil calling out to him.
"Professor Dumbledore, I wanted to thank you for all that you've done for –"
Very reluctantly, Albus turned. Patil's words trailed off as he noticed Albus' remarkable burden. Seeing not one, but two swaddlings, he wondered aloud. "Twins?"
Albus held the bundles closer as he nodded.
"I – I had no idea." Patil edged closer to try to see something more than blanket. "They look so tiny. It's been so long, I had forgotten how small newborns are."
Seeing the look in Patil's eyes, Albus wanted very much to whisk his bundles away. "You need not thank me, Mr. Patil. We must be going now. The parents are waiting."
"Just a moment more, please. Can I hold one? Just for a moment?"
Albus wanted to say no, but it was already too late; Patil had his hands out. Even before the other man spoke, just seeing the look in his eyes as he ran a finger along his sleeping granddaughter's cheek, Albus knew he was too late.
"We really need to be going."
"Merlin's beard, what an arse I've been! What is the point in trying to save family honor if you have to part with family to do it?"
Still holding the baby, Patil headed into the Hospital Wing. It took Albus a few minutes to bring himself to take the other baby back inside.
"Oh honey, we can do whatever you want. You don't have to give up the babies. Now if this is what you want, then that's fine, but you don't have to do this."
The baby that Albus was holding woke. She didn't cry and her eyes remained closed, but she wrapped her little fist round one of his fingers.
Miss Patil looked to him. "What about those people? I mean, I already promised them and you said they have been waiting so long..."
It took a long time for him to look away from the baby and respond to Miss Patil's question. "It is very thoughtful of you to think of them, but now is a time to think about yourself and your girls."
Miss Patil began to cry again. "I want to keep them. I do want to keep them."
Albus nodded and after one last look, he handed the infant in his arms to her mother. That done, he exited quietly, leaving the newly expanded Patil family to the time and privacy they needed.
Twins.
He hadn't been expecting that. Not that he minded, but then he wasn't the one to ask. He had not been the one to endure the discomfort of labor for twice as long as a single birth would have required.
Cradling one of the infants, he watched their sleeping mother. In her slumber, her expression was again that of a carefree young girl. Temporarily, it was unmarred by the worry and sadness that had plagued her these past few months, nor by the pain that had served to usher these two miracles into the world.
The young mother began to stir, waking despite her exhaustion. Poppy managed to tear her gaze away from the infant she was holding just long enough to check on her patient.
Seeing those dark chocolate eyes open and the face again assume a look of sadness, Albus patted her hand reassuringly. "I'm so proud of you. Poppy tells me you were such a brave young lady."
Her dark chocolate eyes were cast downward. "They are still here? I thought..."
Albus nodded. "I wanted to talk to you again myself. I needed to be sure that you were certain of your decision. If you aren't, it isn't too late to change your mind."
She shook her head. "I didn't tell anyone I was pregnant, except my father. Other than the trip here, ever since I started...showing, I haven't left the house. I was too embarrassed. I told all of my friends that I was spending the summer away on holiday. This way, no one ever needs to know."
Albus tried to look understanding. "No doubt, this is an awkward situation for you. I would like to tell you that what matters most is what we think about ourselves, not what others think about us. However, though I have never been one myself, it is my understanding that as a young girl, things are not always so simplistic."
"My father doesn't want me to keep the baby - babies. When I told him I was pregnant, he told me I was a disgrace to our family's name. If I wanted to keep the baby, he said I have to get married or else I would be on my own. I can't expect any help from him."
"And the boy in question?"
"I won't say who because I don't want to marry him. I mean, he is nice and all, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life with him. It was just supposed to be...we didn't mean for this to happen."
Everything she said to him, she stated so matter-of-factly. Albus still wasn't sure that this was what she wanted. It was such a difficult situation. "You don't have to do this if you do not want to. If you wish to keep your babies, we can find a way to make it work. I cannot promise things will not be difficult, but you are not without alternatives."
Poppy was still hovering nearby. Eventually she intruded into the silence between them. "I know you said no before, dear, but are you sure you wouldn't like to hold one of the babies before they go?"
Albus kept hold of the infant in his arms. It was Poppy who offered over the one she held. The girl just stared at the pink faced baby for a long time. It wasn't until Poppy finally gave up and began to pull away that she reached for her daughter.
"I wish my mother was here."
Her father was here. As planned, he had brought his daughter to the castle when her time had drawn close. He was still here, waiting to take his daughter home, though he was well aware it would be at least another day before Madam Pomfrey would release her. The girl's mother, however, had died some years ago.
Her tears finally began to fall. One landed on the baby. Gently brushing it away, she went straight to the crux of the problem. "I didn't think I would be able to take care of one baby by myself, how could I ever manage with two?"
Yet another worry suddenly occurred to her. "What if the couple you found doesn't want both? We didn't know that there would be two! We didn't tell them! What if they only want one? I don't want them to be separated."
She was making herself needlessly upset. Albus sought to allay her concerns. "The couple I have found to adopt your baby have been wanting a baby for a very long time. They couldn't have one of their own. I can promise you, they will be delighted. To them, a second child would seem an extra blessing, something to help make up for all the years without."
"Tell me about them, the people who want my babies."
Albus took a moment to judge how much he could tell her to calm her fears without giving away the identity of the couple.
"They are good people. Not perfect in everyway, they have flaws, but they try very hard. They have been married for twenty years. Very happily married, very much in love with one another, yet for the last fifteen years, they have felt that there was something missing.
They have a lovely home, but it seems overly large with just two people. There isn't anyone to track mud inside or leave smudged fingerprints everywhere. Their house is full of expensive, very important, very fragile things because they have no one to go about breaking them by playing Quidditch inside the house despite being repeatedly told not to. And they would very much like to have someone to do all those things.
They already have the nursery ready. It has been waiting, empty, for a very long time now. They both work, but the woman plans to take a leave of absence until the children are old enough to go to school. They aren't outrageously wealthy or anything, but they are more than well enough off to afford to do that."
She smiled. It was only a very slight smile, but it was something. She looked down at the baby in her arms again. "It sounds like she – they will be very happy there. I think I'm ready now."
Before accepting the still sleeping baby from her, Albus leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. "Thank you, Miss Patil."
Now cradling two infants, Albus set off for his office where a port key was awaiting them. As he was exiting the Hospital Wing, he heard Mr. Patil calling out to him.
"Professor Dumbledore, I wanted to thank you for all that you've done for –"
Very reluctantly, Albus turned. Patil's words trailed off as he noticed Albus' remarkable burden. Seeing not one, but two swaddlings, he wondered aloud. "Twins?"
Albus held the bundles closer as he nodded.
"I – I had no idea." Patil edged closer to try to see something more than blanket. "They look so tiny. It's been so long, I had forgotten how small newborns are."
Seeing the look in Patil's eyes, Albus wanted very much to whisk his bundles away. "You need not thank me, Mr. Patil. We must be going now. The parents are waiting."
"Just a moment more, please. Can I hold one? Just for a moment?"
Albus wanted to say no, but it was already too late; Patil had his hands out. Even before the other man spoke, just seeing the look in his eyes as he ran a finger along his sleeping granddaughter's cheek, Albus knew he was too late.
"We really need to be going."
"Merlin's beard, what an arse I've been! What is the point in trying to save family honor if you have to part with family to do it?"
Still holding the baby, Patil headed into the Hospital Wing. It took Albus a few minutes to bring himself to take the other baby back inside.
"Oh honey, we can do whatever you want. You don't have to give up the babies. Now if this is what you want, then that's fine, but you don't have to do this."
The baby that Albus was holding woke. She didn't cry and her eyes remained closed, but she wrapped her little fist round one of his fingers.
Miss Patil looked to him. "What about those people? I mean, I already promised them and you said they have been waiting so long..."
It took a long time for him to look away from the baby and respond to Miss Patil's question. "It is very thoughtful of you to think of them, but now is a time to think about yourself and your girls."
Miss Patil began to cry again. "I want to keep them. I do want to keep them."
Albus nodded and after one last look, he handed the infant in his arms to her mother. That done, he exited quietly, leaving the newly expanded Patil family to the time and privacy they needed.