Months passed, and staying true to her word, Hermione managed to visit Druella from time to time, despite the disapproval of Irma Black. In this way, she was able to be with her friend in this troubling time for her, letting her vent about her awful mother-in-law and lending her a shoulder to cry on when she needed it.
Cygnus was always there as well, but he never said much. He just sat in the corner of the room and twiddled his thumbs in awkward silence. She had tried to help him along by involving him in their conversations, but it just didn't seem to help matters. Honestly, she wondered if she was fighting a losing battle with him. Would he ever learn to show more interest and affection towards his wife and child?
Finally the day came for Druella to give birth. They received a letter from Cygnus' Mother late in the evening on May 10th, informing him that Druella had gone into labor not long ago as well as demanding that he be present for the birth. Much to Hermione's surprise, Irma also requested her presence as well. She hadn't thought that the woman would want someone like her near her precious pureblood grandchild, but she wasn't about to object.
They immediately dropped what they were doing and hurried up to the Headmaster's office at once to use his Floo Network, only pausing long enough to quickly inform Tom of where she was going and kiss him goodbye.
No sooner had they arrived at Black Manor, then Irma was pulling them out by their arms and dragging them upstairs to Druella's bedroom.
Cygnus, of course, started panicking, fighting to get free from his mother's grasp. "You don't expect me to go in there and help, do you?" he asked. "I mean… I can't… I'm not a woman!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. Well spotted, Einstein.
Irma seemed just as impressed by her son's remark. "Of course not, you foolish boy! You'll be waiting in the drawing room along with the rest of the family"
Druella had explained the pureblood traditions surrounding childbirth. When it came time for a new baby to be born, the entire family would gather together for the occasion. Yet another tradition dictated that all pureblood children were to be born at home, rather than at St. Mungo's, to ensure legitimacy or something like that.
Stopping in front of Druella's door, Irma briefly released her hold on Hermione just long enough to open the door before shoving her inside and slamming the door closed behind her.
Druella's bedroom was quite beautiful, not to mention considerably less dark and dreary than the rest of the house. For starters, the walls were a light pink shade, Druella's favorite color, and the curtains were actually open, letting in some sunshine for once. There were vases containing pretty pink buttercups and peonies littered across the room, adding an extra bit of cheer as well. It was clear to see that Druella had decorated the room to her own tastes. At least she had been allowed that much.
"Hermione! You made it!"
Laying in her plush queen-size bed, with her head propped up by use of several pillows, was Druella. Her long blonde hair had been braided so as to keep it out of her face. Without delay, Hermione went to her side, sitting down on the edge of the bed as she leaned down to give her a hug.
"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked. "Are you in too much pain?"
She shook her head. "Not too much yet. The contractions are still mild and well spread apart."
Despite this, Hermione could see that Druella was worried. Her face was pale, and her hands were trembling. It was to be expected. After all, she was about to give birth. Childbirth was a troublesome time, even for a witch. Sure, there wasn't much chance of the mother or child dying in the process, as magic could be used to prevent such outcomes, but that didn't change the fact that it was still scary.
"I'm not so scared about the birth itself, but more so about what it'll be like afterwards. Cygnus will still be in school, meaning that I'll have to take care of the baby mostly on my own," she explained. "I don't think Cygnus cares all that much. He does his best to keep me safe from his mother, but I can tell that there's no love. What kind of life will our baby live, knowing that it's parents don't love each other?"
Hermione completely understood Druella's fears, having similar fears herself concerning the baby's life.
"Boys can definitely be difficult to understand at times. I suppose that some simply find it easier to show affection than others. In a way, it makes sense for Cygnus to be the way he is. How can someone like him show affection when no one has ever shown him affection before? I doubt his parents ever showed him any."
Druella was quiet for a few moments, as she seemed to be considering it. However, she was soon interrupted as a contraction hit her just then.
Hermione did her best to keep her friend calm and distracted in between contractions, obliging her friend by discussing the latest fashions with her, even though she cared little for the topic. It put Druella in a more positive mindset to think about all the nice form-fitting clothes she would be able to wear again once she wasn't pregnant anymore. Many times over the course of her visits she had complained of how unflattering her maternity clothes were, insisting that they made her look even more like an Erumpent.
A couple hours in, a healer from St. Mungo's showed up to examine Druella and make sure everything was going well. She left soon after, promising to return in a few more hours when she was closer to giving birth. This frustrated Druella who was eager to get it over and done with.
The next six hours seemed to drag on at a snail's pace. The two girls did everything they could think of to pass the time. They played numerous games of wizards chess and Hermione even introduced her to a few muggle games that she had played as a child, such as Tic-Tac-Toe and Go Fish. They swore never to let Irma find out.
Having read somewhere that it could help speed up the labor process, she suggested that Druella try walking around the room for a while. There was plenty enough room for her to do so. Needless to say, Druella was more than willing to try it, leaning on Hermione for support as she walked in circles.
"Do you know if it's a girl or boy?"
Druella shook her head. "Another one of the Black's many traditions, I'm afraid. We're not allowed to find out the gender until the baby is born."
The contractions slowly but surely got stronger and closer together, until they were so close that Druella hardly got a break in between. Helping her back into bed, she left the room briefly to go and find Irma.
She found her, in the drawing room across the hall, along with almost every other member of the Black Family and Druella's parents. She couldn't help but feel a bit sad about the fact that Alphard wasn't allowed to be there. He had always cared for his younger brother, watching out for him back when they were both at Hogwarts. There was no doubt that he would have liked to be able to see his niece come into the world. She would have to write him a letter later, telling him all about it. Maybe she could even get her hands on a photo to send him.
Everyone went quiet all of a sudden when she entered the room.
"I'm sorry for disturbing you, but I think it's time," Hermione told them.
At that, every female in the room stood from their seats and proceeded to follow her back to Druella's bedroom. While the married women argued over who the baby would resemble more and who the baby would be named after, Cassiopeia, who was considered an old maid for being twenty-nine and unmarried, went to fetch the healer.
Rolling her eyes at the bickering women, Hermione returned to Druella's side. Their arguing was not helping Druella at all. If anything it was just stressing her out.
"W-Would you p-please hold my hand?" Druella asked, looking up at her with pleading eyes.
Hermione nodded her head as she took hold of her right hand. "Of course. I promise I won't let go until it's over."
Druella managed to give her a small appreciative smile.
Cassiopeia soon returned with the healer, who went straight to work. Pulling the blanket back from over Druella's legs, along with her silk nightgown, the healer positioned her legs so that they were appropriately spread out.
"Alright, Mrs. Black, I'm going to need you to start pushing now."
Nodding her head, Druella began pushing at the healer's instruction, clamping down with an iron grip on Hermione's hand. It hurt a bit, but Hermione did her best to ignore it, knowing that Druella was in a lot more pain than she was.
Though she kept her gaze on Druella for the most part, she couldn't help but glance back at the rest of the women in the room to see what they were doing. They were watching the scene unfold like vultures, as if they were ready to swoop in and steal the baby as soon as it was born. Hermione made a silent vow to herself, as well as to Druella, that she wouldn't let them hold the baby before Druella even got the chance. She'd stun the crazy witches if she had to.
It was a frightening scene to be sure. Hermione had never witnessed someone giving birth before, so she was a bit unnerved by it. She had never given the thought of having children herself much thought, but with the way she was feeling about it right now, she swore that it would be years before she even considered it properly.
Remarkably enough, the birth itself didn't take nearly as long as the labor did. The baby was born within the hour, letting out it's first piercing cry. Druella relaxed her grip a bit as he collapsed back against her pillows in exhaustion, breathing heavily. However her eyes were wide with alertness, searching for the first sight of her newborn baby.
"It's a girl!" cried the healer.
The room was filled with mixed reactions towards that news. Some people were pleased by this, while others were considerably less so. Irma was one of the ones who was less than pleased. Hermione couldn't help but smile at the frustrated expression on her face. She had clearly been hoping for a grandson.
Too bad for you, Irma, Hermione thought. You're going to have to wait for a grandson from Walburga.
Fortunately, this worked in their favor, as she suddenly wasn't so eager to grab the baby.
Casting a scouring charm on the baby to clean it up, the healer then swaddled her in a soft white blanket and handed it over to Druella, who eagerly reached out to take her, despite the fact that her arms were shaking.
Hermione leaned over to get a better look. The baby was so tiny and fragile looking that it seemed as though she might break if someone were to hold her even the slightest bit wrong. She was adorable, there was no doubt about it. Hermione noticed that the baby already had a full head of dark hair, which she had clearly gotten from her father.
"She's beautiful, Druella," Hermione complimented her. "You have a beautiful daughter."
Druella nodded, on the verge of tears. "She is… She really is…"
As soon as she had finished cleaning Druella up, the Healer took her leave, followed shortly after by Irma who went to go and tell the men the news and get Cygnus. Another tradition in the Black Family stated that it was the father who got to name the children, male or female. Hermione thought that this tradition was particularly unfair. Druella had gone through all that pain and she didn't even get to name her own daughter? She had to bite her own tongue to keep herself from voicing her outrage.
One by one the women of the Black Family lined up to see the baby and give their best wishes before leaving as well. Walburga did so as well, though she didn't seem too happy about it, going so far as to glare at the baby with a look of pure loathing. Clearly she was going to be a great Aunt.
For a short while, the three of them were left in peace to just stare at the baby. Hermione carefully reached out a finger to stroke her squishy red cheek. The baby squirmed a bit, it's face scrunching up a bit at the sensation of being touched, but she soon settled without so much as a peep.
Their attention was then pulled away from the baby as they heard the door open. Turning around Hermione saw Cygnus standing there. He didn't move at first, even after Hermione had gotten up from the side of the bed and moved to give him a chance. He just stood there, looking more scared and uncertain than she had ever seen him before.
"Do you… Would you like to come meet your daughter?" Druella asked hesitantly after a while.
He nodded his head with a gulp as he slowly began to approach the bed. His eyes widened considerably as he laid eyes on her, but they quickly softened, a bit of a smile tugging at his lips. His feelings for his wife may have been unknown, but his feelings towards his new daughter were plain to see her. He loved her.
"She needs a name."
They discussed it for a bit, and much to Hermione's pleasure, Cygnus asked for Druella's opinion on the matter. The Black Family had a long standing tradition of naming their children after stars and constellations, so that narrowed down the list they had to choose from. They both immediately shot down the idea of naming their daughter Irma after her grandmother. One Irma was more than enough.
"What about Bellatrix?" Hermione suggested. "It's a star in the constellation of Orion."
"Bellatrix Black… I like it."
Looking at her now, it was hard to imagine that this tiny adorable baby could one day grow up to be such a dark witch, but she tried not to think about it.
"Now we just have to choose the godparents."
"Actually, I think I already know who I want to be the Godmother," Druella said. "I was hoping that you might take that role, Hermione."
This definitely surprised her. "Me? You want me to be Bellatrix's Godmother?"
Druella nodded her head. "It only seems right. After all, you've done more to care for me and Bellatrix than everyone else in this house combined."
"I agree with that," Cygnus said. "And for the Godfather, I was thinking either Tom or Abraxas. However, if Hermione is the Godmother, I think it would make more sense for Tom to be the Godfather."
Hermione's head was spinning at the idea. She didn't know what to say. A part of her thought it might be a bad idea, as she didn't particularly want to get too involved with the Black Family, though she supposed it couldn't be helped, being friends with Druella and Cygnus and all. On the other hand, perhaps it would be for the best. It would give her a chance to play a substantial role in Bellatrix's upbringing and maybe teach her not to hate Muggles.
"Well, if you're sure, then I'd be honored to be her godmother."
