Ch 45 Babies, Babies and More Babies
Monday morning June nineteenth was a sunny day at Hogwarts, but the weather forecast was for a large low pressure system moving in. Muggle weather forecasts were much better than magical ones, with their satellite view of the earth and their computerized forecasts. Hogwarts did have access to Muggle weather forecasts via the internet. And the forecast was for an extremely low low pressure system to move over Hogwarts Tuesday.
Madams Pomfrey and Swan called the maternity departments in both St. Mungo's and one in France, because severe low pressure could trigger the onset of labor. "We have a couple of our witches who have started to drop," Genevieve Swan remarked.
"Right in the middle of exams," Poppy Pomfrey muttered. "I've already told the examiners that both the fathers and the mothers are to be excused from exams if the mothers are in labor. We have some mothers of the witches that want to be here as well. It is going to be crazy."
As they were talking Erica Potter waddled in, James holding her hand and looking very concerned.
"Your mother says they have to be a lot closer than an hour apart before the baby is born," James told his wife, looking apologetically at the matrons.
"But they hurt, they are long and hard and they hurt," Erica protested. "I've had them all night, and, well, they don't exactly hurt but they are more like hard exercise, and they are at least an hour apart but when they start they wake me up and I've been having them all night."
"She's mad at me because I've slept right through some of them," James admitted, looked exasperated that she hadn't woken him up, expecting him to just 'know'.
"Let's examine you and see how you are doing," Genevieve told the young witch. Erica climbed into the bed, which was changed into a birthing bed, and she was examined.
"Well, you are dilated to one centimeter, so labor has definitely started," Madam Swan noted. "We will have a midwitch here mid-morning, and I will have her examine you."
"How long will this take?" Erica asked. "I'm bloody awkward and starting to get tired. Just when I've gotten back to sleep one of them starts again."
"First baby, and the labor has just started," the madam thought. "Sometimes it takes hours. Just be patient."
Erica growled at James, who looked a little ashamed and a little lost.
"Should we tell the family?" James asked.
"I'm NOT having the whole Weasley clan mulling around outside my door!" Genevieve insisted. "It is acceptable to have one parent here. Do you want to contact your mother?"
"I don't want to act like a baby who needs her mother," Erica snapped. She stiffened as another contraction started. Genevieve felt Erica's womb, and nodded, "They are labor pains.
"I would like to point out that as much as we all want James here, he has never had a baby. Your mother has been through this four times, and in all honesty if all of you witches decide to give birth over the next twenty-four hours we could use the help."
James handed Erica his mobile, and she called her mother. "Hello, mum. It's Erica. I'm in labor, and the madams say you could come, if you want to, just you, no one else, and I don't exactly need you but I've never done this and, and, it is taking forever!"
Donna Lionheart giggled. "Do you want me to tell the Potters?"
"Yes, but they only want one family member here, and if the Potter and Weasley clan come that's like dozens of people."
"I will call Ginny, and then I will be there."
Donna hung up the phone (why did some people call it hanging up a phone? She terminated the call.) Then she called Ginny. "Hello, Ginny. Erica called, and she is in labor."
"Should I call the family?" Ginny asked.
"Only to tell them to stay away, Ginny. Genevieve doesn't want a mob outside the infirmary, just one additional family member."
"There are a few of us," Ginny reflected.
"Your mum has to set three big tables when the whole clan gathers!" Donna protested.
"There are QUITE a few of us," Ginny conceded with a laugh. "Let me know how things are going."
"I will," Donna agreed.
A couple of hours later two midwitches showed up. By this time three other pregnant witches had also arrived, and the weather had become threatening. The Muggle telly was broadcasting warnings about the storm, and the low displayed on the screen was forecasted to move right over Hogwarts.
After examining the other pregnant witches one of the midwitches examined Erica. She showed the two Hogwarts matrons Erica's vagina, commenting on how dilated she wasn't. James watched from Erica's head as the three witches looked at his wife's bottom and consulted.
"Mum said there is not much modesty in this giving birth," Erica whispered to James. "I'm glad they are all witches."
The midwitch told the young couple, "Erica has just started to dilate. She is not really at a centimeter yet, close but not there. Rest as much as you can. I think we have a long way to go."
"Is everything all right?" Erica wondered. "I will have this baby today, won't I?"
"Everything is just fine," the gray haired lady responded. "I cannot guarantee that the baby will be born before midnight, but I am almost sure we will have a baby sometimes in the next thirty-six hours."
"MOTHER! JAMES!" Erica yelled, horrified at the thought that this labor could take hours and hours.
"It is usually better, easier on the mother and the labor goes better, if you walk or stand instead of spending most of your labor in bed," the midwife told Erica.
Erica was awkwardly walking near the entrance of the infirmary when Patricia and Charles Koizumi walked in.
"Are you in labor too?" Erica asked.
"I knew when the first one hit this morning that these were not practice contractions," Patricia replied. "They are every fifteen to twenty minutes, and they are hard! You?"
"Every hour or so since last night," Erica grumbled, "and they are not getting any closer together or harder."
Patricia was examined, and half an hour later was out walking. "I'm over halfway there, and labor is going reasonably fast," Patricia informed Erica and James. She stopped and held on to Charles, obviously having another reasonably hard contraction.
"What are you going to do next year?" Erica asked when Patricia's contraction had stopped.
"Live in the married students' housing, so Charles can finish and graduate," Patricia replied. "I think I am going to do more babysitting than anything else, but Hogwarts does have a business class for the older students, and I will probably take that. Charles family has remodeled and expanded the three apartment buildings they own, and purchased another one that needs a lot of work. I plan on working in the office when Charles graduates, as he goes through Auror training. We are going to live in a flat in the apartment building where his father and grandparents live."
Charles sister Cloe, accompanied by a wizard that they thought was a Ravenclaw in Cloe's class, peeked in the infirmary, and when she saw Patricia the two stepped inside.
"How is it going?" Cloe asked.
"The midwitch said I would probably have the baby this afternoon," Patricia replied. "There are already a couple of babies, and she said that there were going to be a lot of babies born over the next twenty-four hours."
As Patricia was speaking another pregnant witch appeared, accompanied by her husband and an older witch, perhaps her mother.
"Is grandmother Koizumi going to come?" Cloe asked.
"I think they are trying to get in touch with her now," Patricia replied. "I'm only allowed one family member in addition to ... Oh! Oh!"
Patricia held on to Charles tightly as she had what was obviously a hard contraction. Liquid ran down her legs, and you could see that she was beginning to become shaky. "Help!" Charles yelled.
Madam Pomfrey was there promptly. "I think we need to levitate you to a bed, young lady," she said as she waved her wand to first clean up the mess, and then levitate Patricia to a bed. Charles followed the two witches. A curtain was drawn around the bed, and from the sudden silence Erica and James knew a muffalato spell had been cast.
Donna called Ginny. "Don't count on a baby today, Ginny. This baby is taking his time."
Ginny replied, "I will tell the family, so they won't get worried if they don't hear anything today. How is Erica holding up?"
"She has never been the most patient, but she doesn't have much of a choice, Ginny. Mostly she is tired because she didn't get any good sleep last night and has not been able to sleep today either."
"Good practice for when the baby comes and wants to nurse every two or three hours," Ginny responded. "Most of what I remember for the first few weeks of all of the babies is being tired.
How is James doing?"
"He is a little tired, a little nervous, and mostly just doing what he can to support Erica, Ginny."
"Tell them both I love them, Donna."
"Ginny sends her love," Donna told the young couple.
Erica glared at a large clock on the wall. "This baby better not be this slow once he's born!" she exclaimed.
"Take a nap, James," Donna told her son-in-law about seven in the evening. "I will wake you up tonight when I cannot stay awake. Erica is making progress, but if one of us doesn't sleep both of us may fall asleep just when she needs someone."
"Kay," a tired James replied.
"I'm way past my bedtime, James," Donna told James, shaking him. "It is one in the morning. You need to take the next shift."
"How is Erica?" James wondered.
"She is actually doing great, despite falling asleep between contractions. They are getting closer together and harder."
James sat next to Erica, who was sleeping. Suddenly she awoke, saying, "Oh! Oh!"
A midwitch James did not recognize came in, felt Erica's baby bump, waved her wand over it, and then said, "Mother and baby are doing fine. Are you the father?"
James nodded, still just waking up.
"The next time you have a contraction push," the midwitch announced. "A few hard pushes and we should have this baby out."
Erica grabbed James hand hard enough he thought she was trying to crush it, and muttered, "MMMMMMMM OH! MMMMMM!"
"Good progress!" the midwitch announced. "Breath!"
Erica took a few deep breaths, and again began to push. Two more pushes and the baby was out.
Madam Pomfrey was there to take the baby. She handed him to James and waved her wand over him, doing a brief exam and suctioning off some of the mess. Anyone who says newborn babies are beautiful hasn't seen one the first moments after birth, although most of them clean up quickly. Little James took a good look at his father and began to scream.
"Good lungs," madam Pomfrey giggled. "That is a good sign, James. See those mouth motions. He's hungry."
They put little James on Erica's breast. He rooted around and latched on. Erica drifted in and out of sleep as the baby nursed. By five-thirty everyone in the family was sleeping.
Donna Lionheart stumbled into the area where the James Potter family was sleeping about eight. She was a little surprised to find that the baby had been born while she slept, but she was still a little short of sleep. Little James was stirring, and Donna looked at him, not wanting to wake the sleeping family any sooner than necessary. Finally, the baby let out a wail, and Donna changed him to the baby's increasing wails. By this time an exhausted Erica was awake. Donna put the baby on Erica's breast, and the baby got down to the serious business of feeding.
Erica gasped. "It's like he is trying to suck my insides out! "she told her mother.
"There is nothing tentative about James Jr., that's for sure," Donna remarked.
"I need a good night's sleep," Erica yawned.
"You will not get one for a little while," Donna told her daughter with a smirk. "Newborns want to be fed every few hours."
Little James had settled down, and was patting her breast while he fed.
James kissed his wife. "I'm proud of you, Erica, mother. You were great. It took a long time for little James to be born, and you were just great! I love you, I love you both."
Erica began to cry. "He's just beautiful, James. We ... I ... It was all worth it. He's just beautiful."
"Hello, Ginny."
"Hello, Donna. Any news?"
"Little James was born about five this morning. A nice size baby, a little over seven pounds. He seems to be feeding well. Everybody is healthy, although exhausted."
"That's to be expected. I'll tell the family."
Ginny Potter bustled into the infirmary of Hogwarts right after lunch. Donna Lionheart was still there, wide awake although a little tired. James was lovingly holding and gazing at his son. Erica was sleeping.
"We are taking the family to the flat at the Cannons," Ginny announced. "I understand that James and Erica have NEWTS to finish, but I have arranged for the tests to be given at the Cannons in July."
"Is the flat ready for them?" Donna wondered.
"Rose and I have communicated with Erica on how to remodel and arrange the flat," Ginny responded. "James doesn't care. Erica does. She has definite ideas about how she wants her home to look. There is more decorating to do, but the flat is ready for them to move in."
Ginny and Donna accompanied James to their Hogwarts room, shrunk and took everything of theirs, and took the possessions to the new flat. Everything left at Potter's New Burrow had already been moved. There was a fair amount of putting away and arranging left to do, but by three they were ready to move the new little family.
A tired Erica woke up to the sounds of James. "He doesn't want his nappy changed before he eats, but the matrons say I should change him anyway," James explained as he gave an irritated baby to his mother.
Little James latched on and eventually relaxed. Erica took a few deep breaths and tried, reasonably successfully, to relax as well. "Mum says that I should view the times I am nursing the baby as times to relax, and not worry about anything else." She looked lovingly at little James. "They give you potions to help with the nursing, and to make it more pleasant."
"When you and little James are done we are going over to your flat at the Cannons," Ginny told Erica. "Everything is moved, although there is a fair amount of putting things away left to do. There are also a pair of Elves there, that will be working for the Cannons, that will help for the first few days."
Erica stayed awake for the move, but three hours later, after little James next feeding, she went to bed in their new flat. James, Erica, and James Junior were home.
Friday afternoon June twenty-third Cleo told Albus, "The baby is due tomorrow."
"Babies come when they come, not on our schedule," Albus replied. "The Fagan's Rachael was born Wednesday, but Ginny Wang Rios hasn't dropped yet. All the children who were born at Hogwarts when that low pressure system moved through were born Monday except James, and he was born Tuesday."
"Adam is going to be born tomorrow," Cleo insisted. "My real labor has started, and I just know he will be born tomorrow."
Albus knew better than to argue with Cleo when she pronounced something like this. She was almost always right.
"Good morning, Albus," Cleo said, shaking her husband awake. "We need to go to the hospital."
"What time is it?" a bleary eyed Albus responded.
"Five-thirty, but my last two contractions were only fifteen minutes apart, and we need to go," a slightly panicky Cleo replied.
Albus threw on some clothes and looked as Cleo tried to walk. The baby had dropped, and Cleo was having a hard time. "It is a half hour walk to the hospital," he remarked. Cleo took a few steps. "You are never going to make it," he observed, seeing how slowly and awkwardly Cleo was walking. Albus thought a moment, and transformed a chair into a wheel chair. Cleo sat down and immediately started doing something with a wand.
"My water just broke," Cleo exclaimed.
Albus took the wheelchair out into the hall outside their suite, charmed a platform for him to ride on, and quickly transported them to the hospital. "Maternity ward," he told the Magi at the reception area.
"Albus and Cleo Peverell?" the wizard at the desk asked.
Albus nodded yes.
The couple was promptly escorted up to the maternity ward, where Cleo was directed to a birthing bed. She stood by the side of the bed working through what was obviously a massive contraction, before being helped into the bed.
A midwitch had bustled into the room, and she examined Cleo. "How long have you been in labor, Mrs. Peverell?" she wondered.
"Since last night, well, yesterday afternoon, but they didn't get hard until like an hour ago," Cleo told the midwitch. "I can feel the baby in the birth canal now, though. I feel like I ought to start pushing."
"Didn't get here any too soon, eh?" the midwitch smiled. "I agree. It is time to push."
Within fifteen minutes Adam Peverell was born.
Some women seem to be able to give birth, and a short time later walk out of the hospital as if they had just had a minor outpatient procedure. Cleo was one of these annoying woman. Albus did take her back to the castle in the wheelchair, accompanied by Elf guards who were upset that they had not been called when Cleo and Albus went to the hospital. Cleo reluctantly put up with being wheeled home.
The Elf Arwen Lothlorien announced that she and her mate Elrond were there to take care of the Peverell family, and from then on in addition to Elf guards they had Elf personal assistants as well as the Fagans as helpers. It would have been very annoying, except that it really did help them accomplish more.
"My parents, along with Galadriel and Thorin, are very involved in changing the status of the Elves," Arwen explained. "Our family has to take care of the Crown Princess and Crown Prince, per very old documents and spells. Everything is changing, though."
"We are not trying to lord it over anyone," Albus told the Elf couple. "We do appreciate the help, and want to follow protocol unless there is a good reason not to."
"You are already a good deal less pretentions than the last rulers of the valley," Arwen told Al and Cleo.
"A Mafalda Weasley is here to see you, Cleo," Arwen announced the following Monday, the twenty-sixth. Cleo was sitting in a small living room, a small cot with Adam in it by her side. She had just spent an hour talking to a couple teachers about a couple of charms that they were having a hard time teaching. Cleo did have a couple of suggestions.
"Do you want to see this Mafalda?" Arwen wondered.
Cleo answered, "She was a Hogwarts classmate. I think she had her baby. Is the baby with her?"
"Yes, she is," Arwen replied.
"It couldn't hurt to see her, I guess. Let her in," Cleo told Arwen, wondering what this was about.
Mafalda Weasley came in, two guards accompanying her, carrying a small baby. "This is Morgana, Cleo," Mafalada said without preamble. "There is no place in Great Britain for babies born out of wedlock, Cleo. It's your fault, and your country, princess Cleo, so you can take Morgana." Mafalada handed the little baby to Cleo, turned on her heels, and marched out.
"Stop her!" Cleo yelled.
The two guards grabbed Mafalda and brought her back to face Cleo."
"You cannot just abandon a baby!" Cleo pled.
"I didn't want a baby, and wish I had aborted the blasted thing. I just waited too long to. And, you have no idea what my life is like. You are the one so enamored of children. Take her!"
Arwen said, "I have a parchment and pen. Write that you are giving up custody of the baby."
Mafalda wrote down, "I am giving Morgana to Cleo. Mafalda Weasley."
She then left.
The baby started to cry, and began to make the mouth motions that indicated that she was hungry, so Cleo put the baby on her breast. It wasn't long before Adam was awake, and Cleo found herself nursing two babies.
Using the mind to mind communication that was so unique to Albus and Cleo, Cleo said, 'I need to see you as soon as you are free.'
Albus acknowledged Cleo, and about half an hour later Albus came into the living room.
"Mafalda Weasley just came in and gave me Morgana," Cleo told Albus, pointing to the second baby in a second cot. "She didn't ask me. She just said that there is no place in Great Britain for babies born out of wedlock, that it is my fault, then she handed me the baby and she left."
"Oh," Albus replied. He looked at the little baby, scratched his head and beard, and said again, "Oh."
Cleo put her hands on her hips. "Well, that's not the most helpful thing you've ever said."
"I guess not," Albus admitted. "What do we do now?"
"She was hungry so I fed her, but it is awkward, and it will probably take a day or so before I'm making enough milk for both of them," Cleo replied. "It's not like we can just give her back. If Mafalda doesn't want her it is better for her to be somewhere else."
"We had better see what the legal situation is," Albus thought. "I wonder if there is a domestic affairs department, like the one Mrs. Brown Blackburn runs, in Switzerland. I will have Richard Fagan find out for us."
"I'm going to see if one of the midwitches can give me some help figuring out how to nurse two babies," Cleo told Albus.
Cleo called for a healer, who gave her potions to increase her milk supply, although 'both babies nursing every two hours will increase your milk supply very quickly.' She also gave Cleo a lotion to put on her nipples to keep them from getting too sore.
"How am I going to sleep it I have to nurse the babies every couple of hours?" Cleo wondered.
"That's going to be a problem," the healer admitted. "You are going to be very short of sleep for a few days. Maybe for a few weeks."
"Hello, Mum," Albus said as he called his mother. "I just wanted you to know that Mafalda Weasley has just given us her baby Morgana. Cleo is nursing two babies."
"You cannot just give a baby away, I don't think," Ginny proposed.
"I think Mafalda just did," Albus replied, "although the legal situation is not too settled."
"Harry and I need to get over there to see Adam," Ginny replied. "It is not that hard to go over by Floo. But two babies? Why did she give her daughter to you? Are you going to keep her? Just what is going on?"
"We are trying to figure out what is going on," Albus replied. "Apparently Mafaldal believes that England is quite hostile to children born out of wedlock, but we have no idea what the laws and traditions are here. It's not like we can just put her away, so Cleo is going to take care of both babies until we can figure out what to do."
"Take care of Cleo, Albus," Ginny admonished.
"Yes, mum," Albus replied.
Richard and Annabella Fagan were in the office they shared in the castle. Richard was answering some letters, and Annabella was lying down on a sofa that was in the room, looking like she was sleeping. Their baby Rachael was in a cot next to the sofa.
"How are you doing?" Albus asked.
"Apparently I sleep like a log, so when the Rachael has to nurse in the middle of the night Annabella has to get up, change her, nurse her, change her again, and try to get back to sleep. Annabella is seriously short of sleep."
"I understand that is rather common for the first few weeks," Albus replied. "She shouldn't feel that she needs to do anything for a few weeks."
"She does, with the ICWW coming up, but she is only doing the minimum. How are you doing?"
"I'm as busy as I can be with the ICWW and everything else, but we have just been handed a little problem," Albus replied. "Mafalda just gave her baby, Morgana, to Cleo. It is not like she asked or anything. She just handed the baby to Cleo and walked out. She wrote out this," Albus indicated, showing Richard the one sentence parchment, "but I'm not sure how legal and proper it is."
"Oh," Richard replied, shaking his head. "What are you going to do?"
"Cleo is going to take care of Morgana until we figure it out," Albus replied. "It's not like you can just leave her somewhere until we figure this out. Could you see if there is a domestic affairs department or some other department here that handles situations like this. I guess we need to tell the Domestic Affairs department in England as well."
"I will take care of it," Richard replied. "It is going on top of my pile of things to do."
Tuesday Morning Albus had a breakfast meeting with Cleo, Ginny and Jesus Wang Rios, and Richard and Annabella Fagan, along with the three babies, of course.
"I think we are going to be reasonably ready for the ICWW," Jesus announced. "We have set up places behind the Chief Mugwump and her staff, where we can sit. There is a room right behind that for private meetings, or for mothers and babies to nap.
"Hermione Granger-Weasley is going to be Chief Mugwump this year.
"It would be helpful if Ginny delivered before the start of the ICWW, but we don't have much control over that. Midwitches really want to have babies come when they want to come if at all possible."
Ginny muttered under her breath, like she was more than ready to deliver any time.
"My meetings for the ICWW are also going well," Albus relayed. "We have one little problem not connected to the ICWW."
"One named Morgana?" Richard guessed.
"Did you find out anything about her legal position?" Albus wondered.
"The Swiss valley is a little like Israel for the Jews. Any Magi is welcome, and being born out of wedlock, or of mixed parentage, or other things that may be a problem some places, are not a problem here. With infants or small children everything is easy if you have the permission of their parents to be here. Making her available for adoption would involve her mother signing documents giving her up."
Cleo volunteered, "Mafalda just handed Morgana over to me and left. I have no idea where she went. We did get a parchment where she said she was giving Morgana to me, but it is not like it is an official document or anything."
Richard responded, "The document is better than nothing, but it is nothing like a formal document.
"They don't know in England, where Mafalda is either," Richard let the group know. "As long as Mafalda handed Morgana over to Cleo and she accepted, no one is going to question the arrangement. Anything else becomes difficult."
"I don't want to say I don't want Morgana, and make her feel unwanted," Cleo reflected. "It is just that I know magical infants do not come up for adoption very often, and I don't want to deny some poor family the chance to have a baby when we have one available."
"Until we can find Mafalda it is going to be hard to place her anywhere else, from what I understand," Richard replied. "I did ask, and there is not a family here in Switzerland looking for a child to adopt. It seems that ever since Cleo first came to Switzerland any witch who wanted to become pregnant has been able to."
"That's wonderful! "Cleo exclaimed. Cleo looked at the two babies in the two little cots next to her. "I guess I've become mother to two babies. I've always wanted to be a mother, but ..."
"Be careful what you wish for," Ginny reflected.
"I'm a little more sympathetic towards Mafalda," Richard volunteered. "She can be an unpleasant person, but I talked to the matrons at Hogwarts, and she did have a good reason for not revealing Morgana's father. Apparently the father has a serious girlfriend, and it was a total accident that Mafalda and he were touching when the spell hit. She is protecting that couple by not saying anything else.
"Her family situation is not good, either. Her father is an accountant that is in a Muggle prison for fraud. He is either a squib or a Muggle. They are not sure if her mother helped her father cheat with magic, but she was not caught. Her mother is bitter over everything, and Mafalda and her mother do not get along. I gather that Mafalda would not have been welcome back into the family home after she graduated from Hogwarts, even without a baby, and certainly not with one."
The group went on to ICWW issues.
Tuesday evening Harry and Ginny came over just after dinner to see Albus, Cleo, and the babies.
Ginny sat down, and Cleo handed Morgana to her. The baby sleepily opened her eyes and looked at Ginny, before closing them again. Ginny held Morgana as the baby went back to sleep. Meanwhile Albus had handed Adam to Harry, and Harry looked at his grandson, smiling at him. Adam didn't smile, but he did focus on Harry for a brief while, before he too became sleepy.
"It is nap time," Cleo told her in-laws.
"How is taking care of two babies going?" Ginny wondered.
"I have plenty of help, so it really isn't too bad," Cleo replied. "I do love it, although it is hard to get a good night sleep. I'm feeding the babies every two to three hours."
"Are the laws and traditions about babies born out of wedlock different in Switzerland?" Harry wondered.
"Very different," Albus confirmed. "Switzerland has been somewhat of a refuge for Magi who might not be accepted elsewhere, and that includes children born out of wedlock. Our only problem is that to legally offer Morgana up for adoption we need her mother's permission, and Mafalda has disappeared. There is no indication of foul play, but no one seems to know where she is. And she did write a brief note giving Morgana to Cleo, but that is not sufficient for an adoption.
"Meanwhile Cleo is just taking care of Morgana. I understand that the laws here for children being taken care of are similar to laws about common law marriages here. After a certain number of years, you can ask for and receive documentation showing that the child is a member of your family, just by virtue of acting as a parent.
"If Mafalda wants her back at some point the situation becomes more complicated, but basically Mafalda has abandon her child. That is really sad, but at least we can love her like she was our child, and if she stays with us she will be our child."
"It is not like you don't have other things to do." Ginny remarked.
"It is not like witches who have to go back to work without any help," Cleo replied.
"It would be nice to take more time off, but with the ICWW coming we really don't have any choice," Albus added. "I'm glad you came over to see us before the ICWW, though."
"How is Erica doing with little James?" Cleo wanted to know.
Ginny smiled. "She is doing fine. I'm helping a little, and her mother is over there almost every day helping. James is basically a good baby, but he wants to nurse all the time and is active for a newborn. James senior is helping when he can, but the Cannons are adsorbing almost all of his time, so it is good there is other help."
"Have you heard anything more from Rose?" Cleo asked.
"No," Ginny responded. "I am sure we will hear when she goes into labor, but the last I heard she was still pregnant."
"What about the other witches?" Cleo wondered.
"From what I understand every witch who was due and was at Hogwarts gave birth over thirty-six hours, with James Jr. the last one born," Ginny replied. "That is all that I know."
The Potters visited with Albus, Cleo and the babies for another hour or so before leaving for England.
It was Thursday afternoon, June 29, and Ginny Wang Rios had not had her baby yet. As she arose from still another meeting about the upcoming ICWW Cleo noticed that the baby had definitely dropped. "I see the baby is dropping," Cleo told Ginny.
"How do you know when they are not just practice contractions?" Ginny wondered. "They are getting a little harder and closer together."
"By the time they are very regular, even if they are not real hard, half an hour apart more or less, I would go to the hospital. Or if your water breaks, or if you have a real hard one," Cleo advised. "Don't worry about going too soon."
Ginny turned to Jesus. "I'm going to go to the hospital and have a midwitch check me," she told him. "I'm not sure if I am in real labor yet, but it wouldn't hurt to check."
Friday morning Albus awoke. There was a text message in his magical/muggle mobile, from Jesus. Ginny may not have been in real labor last night, but she is now. Not sure how long this will take.
Albus showed Cleo the text message.
Five in the afternoon, after their meetings, Albus and Cleo headed over to the hospital to check on Ginny and Jesus. Jesus came out of a room and wondered, "Just how long does this take?"
"It took almost two days for Erica, my brother James' wife," Albus replied.
"The midwitch says the baby should be born sometime tonight, but they cannot tell us when," Jesus grumbled.
Just then Ginny called out, "Jesus!"
"Go!" Albus told his friend. Jesus rushed back into the room.
Saturday morning Albus showed Cleo the text message time stamped 11:45. Jacob Isaias just arrived. Mother and baby are fine.
Saturday morning Rose and Scorpius were awake and dressed. Rose sat down on their bed and told her husband, "I'd like to go to St. Mungo's and see a midwitch."
"Has labor started?" an excited Scorpius wondered.
"I'm not totally sure," Rose replied. "They are not hard, Not too hard, that is. They did wake me up a couple of times last night, though."
Rose was lying on the bed, being examined by the midwitch, when one of the contractions started. The midwitch felt the large bump as Rose felt the tightening, not too hard but harder than the practice contractions she had been experiencing the last weeks.
"Real labor has started, Rose," the healer told Rose. "We are in the early stages, and there is no way we can tell how long it will take, but I would not leave St. Mungo's if I was you.
"I will let Albus know that we will not be at the opening ball tonight," Scorpius told Rose. He took out his magical/Muggle mobile and typed, "Rose in labor. Will not be at the opening ball, but when we come there will be three of us."
Albus typed back, "Jacob Isaias Wang Rios was born just before midnight last night. Good luck and God Bless."
Mid-morning Scorpius looked at Rose and remarked, "It is rather boring, just waiting for another contraction."
"Can you please get me something to read?" Rose replied. She gave Scorpius the name of a book she was reading, and told him where it was. So Scorpius retrieved some reading material for both of them.
When he was home he saw Narcissa, and asked his grandmother, "Do you want to come with me to St. Mungo's?"
"Ask Rose," Narcissa replied. "I will be as much help as I can be when they come home. When I had Draco no one but the healers were with you."
"Do you want my grandmother to come?" Scorpius wondered when he was back at St. Mungo's. "She will be as much help as she can be when we go home, but she doesn't want to come here unless you want her."
"You and I can do this," Rose replied. "If grandmother wants to come she can relay messages to the rest of the family, though."
So Scorpius told his grandmother to come, and she waited with them, although she did indicate that she didn't need to be in the room when the baby was born. Meanwhile, Scorpius and Rose divided their time between walking and talking and, when they were sitting down, reading.
"You are sure you don't want your mother here?" Scorpius asked late Saturday afternoon.
"She knows too much, she will share too much, and she will just make me nervous," Rose replied. "I can do this. Thank you for being here, though. The contractions are getting harder, and I know why they call it labor. It is work!"
"Anything I can do to help?" Scorpius wondered.
"Pressure on my back like the midwitch showed us," Rose replied. "Another one is starting. Breath, Rose, breath like they told you."
Rose gave Scorpius a look that indicated that this contraction was work!
The text message, sent to a number of people, read, 'Elanor Granger-Malfoy was born 2:30 AM on 7/2/23. Baby is healthy. Father is tired and mother is very tired.'
2022