A/N: YAY! I got this chapter done in a little over a month. Things are going well for me right now, so I haven't had much excuse to not be writing. I am working as a nanny, so I write during naptime. I already have half of chapter 25 done so we shall see how long that take for me to finish.
Chapter 24
As the door to the hospital swung closed, Hermione opened her eyes to look at Severus who was watching her as well.
"What do we need to talk about? I thought we had figured everything out for the moment." She said, trying to sit up. She was feeling a little better now, but she knew that if she moved too fast it would begin again. Severus moved forward to help her, moving the pillow under her better to help keep her propped up.
"Well, technically we have, but there is now the issue of where we will begin on your theory and how much will be expected in the lessons. Do we keep with the homework that I usually assign, or will everything be a verbal essay? I don't want you working yourself too hard, but at the same time I do want you to complete your potions requirements so that you can graduate with your friends." Severus said, sitting back in his chair. He folded his hands in his lap as he watched Hermione and waited for a reply.
"I don't know. At the moment, I would be happy enough to just continue with the essays on paper, but after a while I don't know how this baby will affect me physically. I need to do some research on pregnancy and then we can go from there. My question at the moment is what was that orb? I mean, I know what isn't supposed to be because of the baby, but why did it split? Does that mean the baby will have 2 different special powers? Will we have more then one baby? Will the baby have 2 personalities? What about 2 different destinies?" Hermione would have continued on this topic, but the nurse entered the hospital wing. She was carrying a pouch that Hermione assumed contained the potion she needed. She really hoped so as morning sickness wasn't a fun thing to experience at all. A moment later, her suspicions were confirmed when Madam Pomphry handed the case to Severus and pulled one small bottle from it.
"Now, you can only take 2 drops per day. It should help with the nausea and any dizziness that might occur. If you ever feel that something isn't right, or you begin bleeding in any way, come straight to me." The nurse said turning to Hermione and handing her the purple potion. She nodded and took the prescribed dose from the bottle. This container might have held a weeks' worth of doses, it was so small. Hermione waited for a moment to allow the potion to take effect and when it did, she felt so much better. Looking up, she smiled at the two watching her. Madam Pomphry immediately nodded and walked away to reenter her office, closing the door.
"Are you hungry? Would you like to go back to the great hall to get some food?" Severus asked, standing to help Hermione rise from the bed. He didn't drop her hand as they began walking out of the hospital wing.
"No. I'm not hungry, at the moment. Are you alright? You didn't get to finish eating either." She asked, fully aware of the fact they were walking down the corridor holding hands. The students who were in the hall were watching them and talking, about them she knew, but Hermione couldn't care less. They gotten comfortable abut their new situation recently. Even with the turn of events; the baby. Severus shook his head in reply to her question.
"I am alright. No need to worry about me. We need to get our supplies for the day." Severus reminded her. Classes would be starting very soon, and they really couldn't be late, so they hurried back to their rooms and gathered what they would need. It only took 5 minutes to accomplish this and they were heading to class immediately after. Their first few classes went without a hitch, with Hermione being protected from stray spells in DaDa and Charms. Lunch time arrived, and she admitted that she was starving, so they dropped off their books and supplies near the door of their rooms and walked to the great hall. They both sat at the Gryffindor table in a partially isolated section. Hermione's friends were no where to be seen, but she knew that Ron would be dragging them to lunch soon. Hermione reached for the chicken legs and then some of the corn to load her plate. She began eating as she watch Severus load up his own plate. They ate in silence for a few minutes, then both turned when they heard the doors to the great hall open and Ron's loud voice reverberating around the large room. Harry and Draco were holding hands as they walked in which made Hermione smile and shake her head. Ginny was the first to spot the couple sitting at the Gryffindor table. Hermione waved, and the group walked over to sit. Ginny and Neville sat across from Hermione and Severus with Neville looking fearfully at his ex-professor. Draco sat next to Harry, who had placed himself on Hermione left.
Ron sat next to this sister but didn't seem to be paying attention to anyone else even though he had been talking upon entering the room. He was staring behind the bond mates at something that really had his attention. Turning, Hermione noticed Luna sitting alone at the end of her table as usual, but today she seemed sad. It had been a few weeks since she had spoken to Hermione about her feeling for a certain red head and it seemed that nothing had happened. Her aura pulsed with her loneliness and Hermione turned back to look at Ron.
"You still haven't asked her out? You should really get…" She wasn't even able to finish her sentence as Ron stood and walked over to the Ravenclaw table. He had obviously just gotten his courage up. Or maybe he just didn't want to hear Hermione berate him for making their friend sad. The group sat and waited to see what would unfold.
RON'S POV
His heart was beating so fast and loud that he could swear everyone else could hear it as he made his way over to the Ravenclaw table and to the girl he liked; Luna. When that had happened was still a mystery to him, but he was glad it was Luna and not anyone else. She was so beautiful with her shiny blonde hair and big blue eyes. She may be strange, but everyone had their own personality and Ron didn't mind the crazy way she acted. He was finally standing in front of Luna, who hadn't even looked up. Taking a moment to think, he rounded the table so that he was standing behind her and then he tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped and turned quickly. Immediate recognition flared in her eyes and she smiled, tilting her head to one side as she usually did.
"Good evening, Ron." She said and patted the seat next to her in invitation. He accepted the offer, sitting down and taking a deep breath.
"Good evening, Luna. You look sad today, what's wrong?" He asked, stalling for more time.
"Nothing to worry about. I am just thinking a little too much about something." Luna said, dreamily then looked over at their friends at the other table. Seeing that they were watching, she waved receiving waves in response. "Why aren't you over with the others?" She inquired, turning to look back at Ron.
"I will be, but I needed to ask you something." Luna just stared at him expectantly. "I wanted to tell you that… I really… umm… I like you… a lot. And I was wondering if you would…. Be my girlfriend?" He said haltingly. He heard more then saw the sharp intake of breath she took as he admitted his feelings for her. He could see in her eyes that she was excited, yet she didn't immediately reply to his question. She sat looking at him, clearly not sure as to how to take this new development. "If you don't want to, I understand." Ron said quickly and started to stand up. Luna reached out and grabbed his wrist just as quickly, making him turn to look at her in question. Luna pulled him back down before she spoke.
"Why the change of mind all of a sudden? I know you didn't like me yesterday when we hung out in Gryffindor tower, so what happened to change that?" She said, not letting go of his hand. He looked startled and began shaking his head.
"That's not true. If I'm honest with you, I've liked you since before I even knew who you were. I actually first saw you in my 3rd year, but I wasn't sure about anything that year, so I didn't try to talk to you. You are the most beautiful girl that I have even seen and that is why I haven't said anything. I don't deserve you and I know that, but I would like to work on being worthy of you. Will you give me the chance to?" He answered as best he could. He barely finished his answer to her question when he was unable to speak due to her lips being on his. He froze at the first contact, but then relaxed into the kiss. He was happy with this new development. The kiss only lasted a second, but it felt like hours. When they pulled away from each other, they were both smiling.
"Is that a yes?" Ron asked, hopefully. Luna nodded, giggling. "Would you like to come over and sit with me?" He gestured to the Gryffindor table where all their other friends watched. Severus and Draco were obviously not interested as they were eating with their backs to the new couple. Luna nodded and stood with Ron, pushing her plate away. Ron held out a hand to her and she placed her own in it. They walked over to their friends holding hands, which felt odd to Luna. She was so happy that Ron had asked her out and then he really seemed to like her. She just hoped her happiness could last. Ron sat down and pulled her down with him, almost making her trip on the edge of the bench. She righted herself easily enough and sat down, facing Hermione, Severus, Draco, and Harry.
Hermione's POV
Hermione watched as Luna surprised Ron by kissing him and she smiled when both of their aura indicated they were now a couple. She was so happy that Ron had finally gotten up the nerve to ask the girl he loved to be his girlfriend. She hoped they would be happy for years to come. Ron pointed at them and Luna smiled and nodded. As they walked over, Hermione was thinking she was done with those two. Luna had asked for her help in giving Ron a push in her direction and she had done that with the globe. She watched as Luna almost tripped on the edge of the bench due to Ron pulling her down to sit next to him.
"Be careful, Ron. You almost pulled the girl off her feet." Hermione warned. Ron looked over at Luna to be sure he hadn't hurt her, but she just smiled dreamily at him.
"I'm alright." Was all she said before reaching to fill her new plate with food. "Hermione, did you go to the hospital, like I told you to several weeks ago?" she asked then took a bite of her mashed potatoes. Before Hermione could answer, Severus spoke up.
"You told Hermione to see the nurse? When exactly?"
"The day I interrupted you two to ask about… Ron. When I went to leave, I was told by my friends that you were… well, I believe you now know, so that answers my question." Luna said. Ron stopped eating to glance at his new girlfriend.
"You asked Hermione about me?" He asked, not having expected this.
Luna nodded keeping her eyes on her food. "Yes. I have liked you for a while but was afraid you didn't feel anything but disgust for me. So, I went to ask Hermione to see if she could help me get closer to you. It turns out that she did want I asked her to do." She answered and then looked at him tentatively. "I hope you're not mad", She added softly.
Ron immediately shook his head, "No. I couldn't be mad at you for wanting the same thing that I did. I'm glad Hermione showed me that orb of hers when she did. I'm sorry that it took me so long to get up the nerve to ask you out." He said smiling at his new girlfriend. Luna smiled back at him and then went back to eating.
The rest of lunch went by without any more developments. The friends talked about normal things such as quidditch and classes and family. Harry even poked fun at Hermione for having been bonded with their "old potions" professor. They all just laughed it off, while Hermione pushed Harry off the bench seat. Once they were done with lunch, Hermione and Severus walked up to Professor Lupin's classroom for their meeting. They arrived a few minutes before 12:30, but Hermione didn't think Lupin would mind them being a little early. Knocking, Hermione turned to Severus.
"I don't know if he wanted to talk to only me or if he wanted you to join us, he didn't say." Hermione stated just before the door opened. Turning, Hermione saw Lupin standing in the doorway with a small smile, but not his usual happy smile, which made Hermione a little nervous about the coming talk.
"Come on in, you two. There is something that you need to know about your baby." Remus said, waving the couple into his classroom and then leading them into his private quarters. There was tea waiting on the coffee table as they settled into their seats. Hermione and Severus sat on the couch while Remus settled into the old green armchair that he apparently preferred.
"So, what's going on? What did you want to tell us about our baby? Is there something wrong?" Hermione said beginning to get worried when Remus didn't immediately start talking. Severus placed his hand on her back to calm her down, but it didn't work until he began a slow caress up and down her back.
"Nothing is wrong, per say. I just want to let you know that there isn't just one new scent coming off you. At first, I thought this other new scent was Severus, but recently I have realized this isn't the case." He went silent for a moment to let this information be absorbed.
"What does that mean exactly? I mean, I think I understand what you are trying to tell me, but I just want to be sure about it." Hermione said slowly, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees and clasp her hands together under her chin.
"Well, I can only assume that the extra scents mean that there is more then one baby growing inside you." Remus stated plainly, then smiled when Hermione sat back into the couch in astonishment. It took several minutes of silence before this fact hit her, but as she was absorbing it, Severus immediately dropped his hand from her back in shock.
"Twins? My family is only known for having one child each generation. There's no way." Severus was shaking his head when he noticed Remus also shaking his head. "What?"
"Not twins. Now, I might be wrong, but I believe there are four." Remus said, knowing this would stun them both. It had stunned him when he had realized what he had been sensing all this time. He has known about Hermione being pregnant for at least 2 weeks but hadn't said anything until they had known about the baby for themselves. The revelation about the quads hadn't hit him until the meeting today so he was still in shock as well, but not as much as the couple in front of him. To get pregnant with one baby at 17 was a hard thing to handle but to have four children to raise right after graduation was a much larger deal. He knew it would take a lot of time to get used to the information, but Hermione was smart enough to figure out a way to deal with it. The room was silent for over 10 minutes before Hermione finally spoke.
"Wow. Okay. We can deal with this." She let out a heavy sign and placed her hand on her mostly flat stomach. "It just means that we will be a little busier then we would have been before." She looked over at Severus who still had a shocked expression on his face. "Severus, are you okay?" Hermine inquired, reaching out to touch the hand that was on his lap. As soon as she made contact, he looked at her and gave her a tentative smile. Nodding at her, he glanced at Remus.
"Thank you for telling us this. It will give us time to prepare for the… new additions to our… new family. Also, this means we will have to tell your friends and Draco about the babies sooner then planned. We might have a couple months before they start to notice, but it can't be more then 2 months." Severus said before rising to his feet and pulling Hermione up beside him. Nodding a good bye to Remus, he pulled Hermione to the door. Hermione glanced back to smile and wave at the man who had just informed them of the biggest change of their lives so far. Leaving the living room and then the empty classroom, they walked back to their rooms to get their supplies for the rest of their classes that day.
Classes went by without problems or any new discoveries that day. The pair didn't speak about the babies all day because they didn't want anyone to over hear them. As soon as dinner was done, and they had made it to their rooms, they both sat on the couch next to each other.
Severus watched Hermione for a moment before he began to speak. "What are you thinking?" She looked at him blankly. "I mean, how are you taking the news about us having so many babies all at one time? I am a little overwhelmed, but I know that we can do this." He said so that she knew how he was taking it.
"Well, I'm not sure it's quite sunk in yet. I mean, I just found out that I'm pregnant in the first place and now it's not just one but four. Remus could be wrong as he said, but he always seems to know things that no one else does." She answered his question and then paused. Placing her hand on her stomach, she smiled, "I think, I'm excited about having these babies. It may not have been a planned thing, but," She looked up to smile at Severus, "I would never change this outcome."
"I'm happy to hear that. As to the subject of telling people about the babies, I say we wait as long as possible. I'm really not sure how long that will be, but probably, at the latest, 3 months away." Severus said reaching out to place his own hand over hers resting on her stomach. They stayed like that until bed time.
That night, they fell asleep cuddled against the other with smiles on their faces. This was the first night they slept without waking up in a compromising position the next morning.
A/N: I hope you like the new chapter! I know that it's a very large improbability that they would have 4 babies at one time, but there are the rare times this happens. Remember it's a magical world where anything can happen. Any suggestions for names for these children?
Questions I leave you with:
Will anyone notice Hermione is getting bigger?
Are there anymore surprises in store for the couple?
Why haven't they been feeling the pull to kiss each other recently?
Will Hermione have any more symptoms of pregnancy?
