HP Life after Hogwarts
Chapter 4
Patience
--
Harry deals with the fallout of Hermione being suck on bed and I do mean fallout.
--
The evening of August 26th 2005
Harry crawled out of his and Hermione's rooms gasping in pain and sopping wet from having a pitcher of ice tea poured over his head. "Three times…not once, not twice, but three times..."
Wills, having just returned from his honeymoon with Rory, was on his way to check on Hermione. "What's wrong are you all right?! Is Ducky in labor?!" He reached down and pulled him roughly up to his feet.
"I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon, because I'm gonna kill you for that." Harry sent him flying down the corridor with a single thought, landing Wills on his bum. His energy spent, he collapsed on the hallway floor.
"Wills? What's going on?" Henry ran up the stairs finding his brother sprawled on the second floor landing.
"Baby brother is in extremes for some reason, but he's not saying why." Wills saw that Harry wasn't panicking, so he knew that Hermione must have done this to him and wasn't in labor.
"Wills, can't you see the signs." Henry remembered the signs from last December. "Ducky, AK'd him."
"No wonder he sent me flying on my ass." Wills whistled low under his breath. "He must be in extreme pain."
"Three times, not once, or twice as has been her routine for the passed twenty-six days, but three times in a row." Harry moaned. "I'm not gonna survive at this rate."
James and Logan were already coming up to collect him, after Max felt that Hermione had once again gone and used the dark curse. "How bad did she work him over this time?"
"Three times and I didn't do anything, but bring her the dinner tray that she asked for. She screeched at me to get out, threw the tray at me, and then shot me in the leg with AK."
"Buddy, you should have run." Logan winced in sympathetic pain.
"I told her to at least drink her ice tea and prenatal potion. She threw the potion in my face, hit me in the arm with AK, followed that with a shot of AK to my chest, and then poured the pitcher of ice tea over my head. I crawled out here to safety after that..." Harry passed out cold.
"That brings the running AK total to 40 so far. This time I think she meant to really hurt him." Logan growled. "Three in a row is pretty intentional to me."
"No Logan, she's uncomfortable as all get out, grouchy as hell, and needs to vent her frustration out on Harry." James picked him up and carried him downstairs. "After all, to her it was he who got her into the condition that she's in, so it's his fault in her eyes."
"So are the triplets on schedule?" Wills changed the subject.
"They're in the proper position and are about five or six pounds each." Lily was showing Rory and Dromi the latest 4D images of the babies and glanced up to look at James and the others. "Try having fifteen or eighteen pounds sitting on your bladder or feet kicking your rib cage, and such. Then imagine how each five or six pound baby is going to enter the world and you would be grouchy, scared, and frustrated too."
"They're perfect," Wills stared in awe at the images on the computer screen.
"They look crowded to me..." Henry studied the screen then hastily added. "And perfect of course."
"That was taken yesterday. It looks like the twenty-eighth will be their entrance into the world and yes Henry it's very crowded in there." Lily motioned for James to set down their son. "Set him down on the couch. I'll see to him in a minute."
"Honey, she got him three times. The snaps and video will have to wait." James told her after he set Harry down on the couch.
"Three times in the chest?!" Lily immediately focused on their son.
"By the gods, that's 40 times in less than a month!" Max eyed Harry's unconscious form in disbelief.
"This time it was on the leg, the arm, and finally the chest." Logan rolled his eyes when the intercom activated and Hermione's guilty voice filtered into the Common Room. "Here we go again with the 'sorry I knocked you flat on your ass' apology."
"Did I really hurt him this time?" Hermione whimpered.
"He's going to be fine, sore in three places, but fine." Lily used a form of Wizarding smelling salts to rouse him.
Harry's eyes shot open and he wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Mum, that stuff is vile." He tried to sit up, only to yelp in pain.
"She's gonna kill me at this rate..."
Then he glanced over at the table and saw the pictures on the computer screen. "Aren't they perfect little miracles?" All pain vanished from his mind, as he gazed at the images of his girls.
"Hello!" Hermione growled. "Answer me! Did I hurt him really badly this time?"
:I'm fine angel, just a little bruised.: Harry used their link to reassure her.
"Not this time Ducky, but bloody good try." Wills used the intercom to answer her question.
"William! Are all four of you home already?" Hermione was overjoyed to hear her cousin's voice.
"That we are baby sister and with one day to spare. Would you fancy some company?" Wills answered back.
"I'd love to see Rory and Dromi...no offense, but you're male and I would hurt you right now. It's lovely to have all of you back though." She both growled out and then happily chimed her reply.
"We'll keep Harry company then." Wills did not intend to be her next AK target.
"Be right there, baby sis. We have loads to chat about. The girls look smashing by the way." Rory stood next to Wills.
"Come on up and bring the laptop up with you." Hermione was growling again. "Tell Harry to go riding with the boys, his hovering is bothering me."
"Harry! Good you're free of Little Miss Grouch. We've got Quidditch practice for the game tomorrow and Wood wishes to know if you can pull yourself away from hover mode for a while." Draco, Ginny, and Ron walked into the manor dressed for practice.
"She just AK'd him three times, so get him outside to the pitch." Logan answered for him.
"Bloody hell! That's like 40 times so far, she's gonna do him in at this rate." Ron's mouth dropped open.
"Imagine what she'll do to him come midnight on the twenty-eighth or the eve before." Draco dreaded the thought of what Hermione was gonna do to him when she was actually in labor.
Harry was now in his Puddlemere United team uniform. "Actually, I'd rather not...It's strange having Wood bossing me around again and he wasn't sore at all about Draco being the new Keeper. I think he just loves managing and coaching the team."
"All of you are free to watch us practice, that is unless you and Henry wish to check on the horses." Draco was relieved that Harry was going to finally give Hermione her space.
"Let's go and for the love of magic don't tell Hermione where I am...lie say that I'm riding Wicked or Buckbeak." Harry gave his sister's a desperate look.
"We've got your back, baby brother, so go have some down time for a while." Rory and Dromi hugged him.
Everyone but William made a beeline out the back doors.
"Did he just say Quidditch?" Hermione snarled over the intercom.
"No... He's, um, going to try to ride Wicked bareback." Rory answered hastily.
"William! If he gets broken, I am going to tear you in half!" Hermione vowed.
"Wicked adores him...you have a nice chat." Wills headed out after the others.
"Harry James?" Hermione growled.
"Sorry honey. He just left with the boys. I'll send Winky up with a snack that you three can munch on, while you catch each other up." Lily easily covered for her son.
"I'm miserably uncomfortable, my back hurts, and I'm having Braxton Hicks contractions more frequently now." Hermione whimpered.
"Oh baby, you're in prelabor, it's no wonder that you tried to hurt Harry. I'll send Rory up with a potion. Those can last for a day or more before actual labor begins." Lily tamped down the urge to go fetch her son.
"Anytime is fine with me. They aren't as active either. Mum was in labor with me for twelve hours and had prelabor pains for two days, so odds are they aren't in a hurry to be born." Hermione groaned.
"First babies can take awhile...the girls are on their way up." Lily decided to send Ferria to Lucy with an update on Hermione's condition.
"I'm glad that you're here with me." Hermione sighed. "Mum and Daddy are in New York at their conference."
"I wouldn't be anywhere else." Lily also needed to e-mail or phone Katherine and Alex, so they could head home and be here for their daughter.
"Mum, just isn't the hovering type, but she loves the twins and I very much." Hermione wasn't surprised that they had gone to New York. The twins were camping with the Channing's, Finnigan's, and Ami Chang. Mattie and Paddy were happily settled in their cottage on the lake, so Lazy Meadows was empty at the moment.
"I know that, sweetie. Kathy is my best friend; it's how she and Alex were raised. Now enjoy your chat." Lily could hear Rory and Dromi entering the master suite.
"You're the best, Mum." Hermione ended the intercom chat.
--
"What's with the grandstands?" Harry was not pleased with what he was seeing, it resembled the World Cup and the celebration last summer.
"Our home games are here at in Godric's Hollow. It's gonna be a sell out crowd with all of you now playing on the team." Wood explained. "You look like hell by the way..." He focused on Harry's appearance. "What did she go and do now?"
"You would look like hell too if someone shot you three times with AK twenty, no that's not right, ten minutes ago." Logan, Puddlemere's other new Chaser, rolled his eyes at Oliver.
"Damn! That's 40 times now isn't it?" Oliver stared at Harry in disbelief. "Should you be walking around?"
"I'm becoming immune to it." Harry growled. "Hermione is due in less than two days. This constitutes stress and Lucy said no stress." He pointed at the stands.
"No worries, Harry, the pitch is far enough away from the manor so as not to bother Hermione. Besides, the spectator's apparate or use Portkeys to get here." Oliver explained.
Harry grabbed Oliver by his Quidditch robes and snarled. "You had better be right or Lucy and the girls will be visiting you in St. Mungo's."
"I told you that this was a bad idea." Lucy walked over to the two of them. "Lily just sent me Ferria. Hermione is in prelabor, it might be the twenty-seventh and not the twenty-eighth."
Harry fainted right there on the grass of his pitch.
"Oh frazzle! He didn't know that did he." She giggled.
"So, that's why he got AK'd three times, she's in prelabor." Ginny bit down on her lower lip.
"It just got real for, baby brother." Wills chuckled.
"Diapers are looming in his near future." Henry agreed.
"He knows this already! Are we sure that it's not shock or a reaction from being AK'd three times?" Logan knelt next to Harry. "He's still out of it."
James and Max having stopped to check on Buckbeak and Goldie, who was currently expecting her own little one, finally arrived at the pitch.
"What the hell happened to him now?!" James rushed over to see to his son.
"He fainted as soon as Luce mentioned that Mum sent Ferria to her with word that Hermione's in prelabor." Draco heard the sound of a horse and the shriek of an eagle. "Unreal, it looks like Beaky and Wicked are worried about him."
"So he fainted." James frowned.
"Do those two like each other?" Oliver eyed Beaky and Wicked who were only 20ft apart from each other.
"Beaky doesn't mind the horses and Wicked is fascinated by Beaky. Now if either of them thinks that one of you did this to Harry, well, it won't be pretty." James arched a brow at them.
Wicked walked over to check on Harry, the colt nudged him with his hoof, but he didn't move.
Beaky walked over to Harry and everyone bowed. The hippogriff bowed back, but focused on his master. He bent his head down to nudge Harry and received a groan from Harry for his actions, because he had nudged Harry's sore arm.
Wicked bent down to nudge his ball cap with his nose.
"Bite that and we won't be friends anymore." Harry opened one eye to glare at Wicked.
Beaky nudged him again with his head.
"I'm okay, boy. You see life as I know it is about to change in a day or less and it hit me hard. It shocked me that Hermione didn't bother to tell me that she's in prelabor, which all but explains why she hit me with AK ten minutes ago." Harry sat up. "How did you get out?" He eyed the colt.
"He jumped the fence is what he did. Emma and I were helping Tom, Manny, and Paddy with the horses and he jumped the fence." Daniel came running over to them. "What's up? Did she get him again?"
"Three times in a row." Logan nodded.
"Unreal, that makes it 40 times so far. Emma is taking Star out for a run and I was going to take Brat here for his." Daniel patted Wicked's flank.
"That's fine with me, I'm sure that Wills won't mind either." Harry vaulted back to his feet. "We're about to have practice."
"I'll take Beaky for a ride." Wills got on Beaky and frowned at Wicked. "So he's a jumper as well...he'd make a great steeplechaser."
"Goldie is an expectant mama, but she needs her exercise, and it also looks like she's curious about Harry." Henry grinned at Goldie. She was staring at them from the edge of the Pitch. "Looking spectacular there girl." He called to the Griff.
Goldie's eyes lit up when she spotted Henry and Wills. She eagerly went to greet him.
"So how's our Mama doing?" Henry ran his hands over her.
"Blissfully happy and spoiled rotten, Paddy dotes on her and Beaky." Harry grinned. "She wishes to go for a flight, so go ahead take her for one."
Henry got on Goldie and off they went. "Have a good practice!"
Beaky and Wills were off as well. "Daniel, take him for his run. Emma is still over at the barn waiting for you."
Daniel got on Wicked and off they went.
"Dad, go check on Hermione, she's..." Harry started to say something and James stopped him.
"She's fine. Your sisters and mother are watching over her. She's at the point of not wanting you to hover around her. You need to focus on practice and leave her be for now." James gave his son some sound advice.
"Have a good practice. I'm off to check on Hermione." Lucy kissed Oliver then strode off towards the manor.
Casey and Chase Landry, Puddlemere's Beaters had just arrived. "Sorry for being late. Is Harry all right?" The blonde haired, six foot three, blue-eyed, twenty-two year old twins frowned.
"Yeah, he's fine. Now let's get up there and get some work done!" Oliver growled.
"Aye-Aye skipper," The twins grinned and mounted their brooms.
"Yeah, let's get to it." Logan, Draco, Ginny, and Ron all mounted their own brooms.
Harry also mounted his broom. "Keep my mind off Hermione and the babies."
They all shot up into the sky. Oliver released the bludgers, threw them the Quaffle, released the snitch, and practice was a go.
--
Hermione needed air, so she got up and stepped out onto the terrace. "I'm too restless and my back hurts."
"Five minutes then it's back to bed." Lucy ordered.
"Would you fancy some tea, baby sister?" Dromi asked.
"Or I could get you a sandwich." Rory offered.
"What's going on at the pitch?" Hermione could just barely make out the shapes of people riding brooms.
"Nothing for you to concern yourself about," Lucy had checked her over; she was well on her way to having the triplets.
"Puddlemere uses the pitch for practice and home games. I know that they happen to have a home game tomorrow. Are they practicing for it?" Hermione heard Harry's laughter echoing from the direction of the pitch.
"Look, both of you will need clear minds, especially Harry when he links with you. So, Harry playing Quiddich is exactly what he needs right now." Rory spoke up.
"You hit him three times with Avada Kedavra and a total of 40 times so far this month. He needs time to himself for a few hours. You did order him to go off with the boys." Dromi frowned.
"That is unless you don't wish him to take three-quarters of the pain of giving birth away when the girls finally decide that it's time." Lucy arched a brow at her.
"Fine, he can have his precious Quidditch and play for the team, since he will be only yards away. I just don't relish endless hours of labor." Hermione sat on the lounge on the terrace and stared off at the pitch.
Harry zoomed over to her with the snitch in his hand. "Is it time?!" His voice cracked.
"No not yet. Believe me. I will let you know when, now go back to practice." Hermione rolled her eyes at him.
"I know that you're in prelabor. Stop snarling at me or natural the birth of our daughters it will be. Especially, if you hit me with AK or any spells again, is that clear Hermione Anne?" Harry was sick of being snarled at and targeted by her.
"Natural?" Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.
"I'll coach you breathing wise, rub your back, and such. I'll not however share or take away any of the pain. Is that clear enough for you Annie?" Harry glared back.
"Crystal clear," Hermione backed down. "Now go back to your practice while I try to relax on the terrace. That is if the girls will allow me to do so."
Harry sighed in defeat. "I love you lioness, very soon you will be holding our girls in your arms, and this will all have been worth every discomfort." He risked getting off his broom to take her into his arms and kiss her.
"I love you, flyboy. Now go back to practice before Oliver has a coronary." She kissed him back.
"All I do is catch the snitch. It's the others who get snarled at." Harry cuddled her close.
"Attention Harry James! Stop snogging with Hermione and get your ass back to the pitch!" Sonorus amplified Oliver's voice.
Hermione touched her forehead to his own and sighed. "Ignore him. After all, you already caught the snitch."
"True, but unfortunately he's like a rash that refuses to heal. I'll be back in a bit. Try to rest out here for a while." He kissed her once more before getting back on his broom.
"Very well, but only for another hour then you're all mine." Hermione pouted.
"Oh, I'll be back sooner than that." Harry assured her then headed back to the pitch.
"In Oliver's eyes team practice means the whole team, even if Harry can catch the snitch in record time." Lucy sat on the lounge.
"Yes, I know that Lucy, but at the moment I need him more than Wood." She hugged a pillow to her middle. "I know that I'm putting up a brave front, but I'm scared out of my mind that something is going to go wrong." She whimpered.
"The girls are all right where they need to be and in glorious health. You're in top form as well. It's only natural for you to be scared; after all you've never done this before." Lucy reached over to squeeze her hand. "I was the same way with my two."
"We're here for you, baby sister." Rory and Dromi knelt in front of her.
"I know but..." Hermione burst into tears.
Harry was there in an instant. "Hold this for me, Rory, my angel needs me." He handed her the snitch, then hopped off his broom, and onto the terrace. "Broom to your case," He growled and the broom zoomed into the other room.
"Is Oliver still breathing?" Lucy smirked.
"He's gonna have a black eye, but he'll live." Harry scooped Hermione up into his arms and carried her back to bed. "I've got you love. It's going to be okay... I promise." He crooned softly.
"I'm scared," She sobbed against his shoulder.
"That makes two of us." He chuckled when she stared at him in surprise. "Yeah, Annie, I am just as scared about this as you are. This is uncharted territory for both of us."
"Hold me." She whimpered.
Harry instantly changed from Quidditch robes to his nightly wear of sweats. "I'm here, baby. I'll be brave for the both of us." He got into bed and gathered her into his arms.
"We'll be downstairs if you need us." Lucy, Rory, and Dromi left the room.
"He's so good with her." Lucy's sigh could be heard just outside their doors since they kept them open just a crack.
"I know. I hope that Wills is that way when it's my turn to go through this." Rory sighed.
"I have no doubt that our guys will be wonderful, but it's lovely to know that baby brother is such a sweetie towards her." Dromi sighed closing the doors to the rooms.
--
Chapter 5
It's time
--
I do not claim any of JKR's characters only that I love being able to create my own kind of mischief with her beloved characters. I do not claim any other things that are owned by other companies that I may mention once and a while in the stories...Although the original characters and ideas are mine and I loved creating them. So please review if you wish but try not to flame me too badly.
--
Cindra 2004-2008