"Mumma?"

"What Billy?" Molly asked, she was resting in her rocking chair, knitting, when Bill toddled over to her.

"C'n I feel the baby?"

"Of course you can, Billy." Molly replied, taking Bill's tiny hands in her own and placing them on her rounded belly where the baby had kicked last. After a few moments, Bill looked up at his mother with a look of pure delight as he felt the kick. After giving him a kiss on the forehead, Bill scampered off, presumably to play. Molly was nearing the end of her pregnancy and was fully ready for the baby to arrive. Arthur had started paternity leave the day before, and Molly hoped that the baby would be born within the next few days.

"Molly?"

"What is it Arthur?" She questioned as her husband came into the family room from the kitchen.
"Shouldn't we have started potty training Bill already?"

"No. I planned on starting after his second birthday. Why?"

"Just wondered. How are you feeling?"

"Miserable. I hope this baby comes soon."

"So do I, Mol." Arthur walked around so he was behind her chair and placed his hands on her shoulders, beginning to rub gently.

"That's wonderful, dear." Molly sighed contentedly, closing her eyes and enjoying the massage.

"Would you like your back and feet rubbed too?"

"If you would, darling."

"Of course. Come lay down on the couch, and I'll gladly do it, my love." Molly got up and waddled over to the couch, and Arthur helped her lay down. She rested her feet in his lap, and he began applying pressure to her swollen ankles and feet.

"Arthur, have you thought of any other names besides Charlie for the baby?"

"No. Charlie is fine. Why?"

"No reason. Just wondered if you had any other names picked out."

"Nope. I named Bill, so you can name this one. As you picked out Charlie, Charlie it is." Molly smiled at her husband, and she felt the baby give a tremendous kick.

"Are you all right, Mol?" Arthur asked, hearing her let out a startled noise.

"No. My water just broke."

"Mol, can you hold on for a few minutes while I take Bill to my mum's like we planned?"

"Hurry up, Arthur, I can't wait forever." Molly managed, right before a contraction took her breath away. Arthur leaped up from the sofa, grabbed Bill from his room, and all but jumped into the floo, just managing to grab a handful of floo powder on the way. Arthur came back into the family room just in time to hear Molly let out a stream of curses.

"Molly, are you going to scream at me this time?" Arthur asked cautiously as he took her hand, leading her into the fireplace.

"I don't know yet." She replied as the maternity ward of St. Mungo's came into view.

Arthur quickly checked her in at the receptionist's desk and helped her out of her wet things and into a hospital gown once they were in the labor and delivery room. Healer Sedgewick came in just as Arthur began walking her around the room, his face scrunching up in pain as Molly squeezed his hand.

"Mrs. Weasley, I know I didn't give you an exact due date, but this baby is early."

"How do you know that?" Arthur asked, as Molly let go of his hand for a brief second.

"I had a due date to give your wife, but at her request I didn't give it to her. This baby is early."

"How early?" Molly questioned, clutching Arthur's hand again.

"Three days. This guy was due December fifteenth."

"Grand. See I told you this one was going to be trouble, Arthur. At least Bill was late." Molly said, right before a stronger contraction caused her to double up in pain. Healer Sedgewick quickly checked Molly's progress and told her that this shouldn't last more than six or seven hours. He left them alone, telling them to alert him if they had any problems and that he would check in on them in another hour or so.

"ARTHUR WEASLEY, I HATE YOU!"

"Molly, dear, please don't scream at me, it's not my fault you're in pain."

"YES IT IS! THIS IS YOUR BABY ISN'T IT?"

"If you say so, dearest." Arthur replied kissing her forehead and stroking her hair as he walked with her around the room. To Arthur's relief, she grew silent after only a couple of insults, and they walked in silence until Molly told him to help her lay down, that she was beginning to become tired.

"Arthur, will you go find me some ice?" Molly asked quietly, throwing Arthur a little off guard.

"Yes, is there anything else you would like?"

"Something cold for my forehead." Arthur left the room, and found a medi-witch who supplied him with a cup of crushed ice and a cold compress for Molly. When he got back to the room, Molly was howling in pain.

"Here you are Mol." Arthur said, putting the cold face flannel on Molly's forehead and helping her eat some ice.

"Thank you, Arthur. How long have we been here?"

"About five hours. You're doing wonderful Mol."

"I'm just ready for this to be over. Healer Sedgewick said to alert him when my contractions are about two minutes apart."

"How far apart are they now?" It took Molly a couple of minutes to answer, as a particularly strong contraction wracked her body.

"About two and a half to three minutes." Arthur nodded and held out both of his hands for Molly to take, which she gratefully accepted, needing something to squeeze. An hour later, Arthur went to find Healer Sedgewick, Molly's contractions were becoming more intense and they were extremely close together.

"Mr. Weasley, why aren't you with your wife?"

"Her contractions are about a minute and a half to two minutes apart." Arthur dutifully reported, ignoring the question, and Healer Sedgewick followed him to Molly's room.

"Mrs. Weasley, next contraction I want you to push." Healer Sedgewick said as he pushed Molly's feet up on the bed so her knees were bent. Molly nodded and over the next hour, Molly doubled up in pain.

"All right Mrs. Weasley, I can see his head. Go ahead and push." Healer Sedgewick said, as another contraction hit her. "That's it, Mrs. Weasley, we're nearly there." Arthur could only smile at his wife as she continued to squeeze his hands and he was sure at least one of his fingers were broken.

"Congratulations. Another boy. Would you like to cut the cord Mr. Weasley"
Arthur gently kissed his wife's forehead and walked over to the newborn, and cut the cord. Healer Sedgewick cleaned the baby off and handed him to Molly.

"Arthur, look, he's almost exactly like Bill was." Arthur leaned over the baby, who was wiggling in his mother's arms, repeatedly kicking off the blanket he was wrapped in.

"Molly, you're the most wonderful woman in the world, you know that?"

"Yes."

"You're also the most beautiful."

"Arthur you can stop the flattery. I know I must look a fright."

"Nonsense. You look adorable and ravishing."
Molly rolled her eyes, but it warmed her heart to know that she was beautiful in Arthur's eyes, even after seven hours of labor. Molly handed Charlie to his dad and Arthur kissed his forehead.