June 5
From her office, Hermione straightened her lecture notes and watched the students file into the classroom. They took their seats, arranged their books and papers on their desks, and chatted about their famous new professor. At precisely ten a.m. she strolled (or waddled, she thought) to the front of the classroom. All chatter ceased at her appearance.
"Good morning. In case any of you don't know, I'm Hermione Potter, your instructor for this course. I'm pleased to see you here, as it shows that you're interested in getting a head start on your studies ahead of your first year compatriots starting in September."
She looked around the room of expectant faces and counted six pregnant witches out of a class numbering 24. Ordinarily, one wouldn't find six pregnancies in a group of 18 to19 year olds.
"This has nothing to do with the class, but I'm curious. How many of you were using the Every Witch brand?" she asked.
All six of the pregnant witches raised their hands.
"Moving on….as this is a ninety minute lecture period all of you, pregnant or not, may bring snacks and drinks, because I'll be doing the same. Just remember to pick up after yourself, my days of community service have already been served," she said dryly.
The class as a whole snickered. "I knew she'd be like this! Wicked!" a student whispered to another.
"I will do my best to present an engaging course of instruction, and I expect honest effort in return. I welcome comments, questions, and discussion during the course, so feel free to speak up. With that, turn to page seven in your texts and we'll jump right into the controlled chaos known as the Wizengamot, the foundation organization for law and order in our world…"
Ninety minutes later, she stood at the door, giving each student a thin piece of parchment, half the weight of regular parchment and cheaper to make. It was a newer type slowly gaining acceptance throughout the magical world, and was now the standard at Gringotts and Hogwarts, and Hermione loved it.
"Have it filled out by next week's class! This is also the parchment that will be used for assignments!" she called out to the throng filing from the room.
When she arrived home after the conclusion of classes, she herbed some chicken cutlets and set them in the oven to bake. She grabbed a container of yoghurt from the icebox and went to her office to take care of school paperwork while the chicken baked.
Crooks heard his mistress in her study and went to investigate. She was asleep in her chair, a paper still clutched in her hand, and a spoon was in the cup of yoghurt on the desk. Not a kneazle to waste food, or one that neglected watch-care of his human, he hopped to the desk to lap at the yogurt. When he was halfway through the cup, he heard the door open and took in the familiar scent of his mistress' mate, and another scent that made his fur rise from ruff to tail. He jumped from the desk and crouched in front of Hermione's chair, growling and kneading his claws into the carpet. Harry appeared in the doorway with a pretty Irish Setter at his side. She wagged her tail merrily at the sight of the cat, heedless of Crook's aggressive posture.
"Come on Crooks, she lives here now, you have to get along. You don't want to upset Hermione, do you?" he asked.
He stood in front of her chair and sighed as she softly snored. She was tiring herself out like this more and more it seemed, and the chair couldn't have been a comfortable place to sleep. She couldn't have taken her work to a couch in the library? He pushed the fringe from her forehead and gently rubbed her upper arms to waken her slowly and gradually. The dog furiously thumping her tail on the floor as Crooks approached to conduct a closer inspection of the interloper.
Hermione slowly opened her eyes, saw him, and smiled. "Supper's cooking."
"It smells good."
"Love, why is there a dog in here?"
"I'd like you to meet Arwen, a one year old Irish Setter."
He patted his thigh for her to come closer. She did, sniffed both of them, and rested her head on Hermione's thigh. She chuckled and petted her. "We had an Irish Setter when I was a little girl."
"I saw an advert in the paper this morning about her. The family is moving and where they're going, they can't take her. It was either a home or a shelter," he said.
"Well, I'm glad you did, she's very sweet. We're going to be good friends, aren't we Arwen?" she said.
"The family was also huge Lord of the Rings fans. Their home was practically a Middle Earth shrine, hence the name," he said.
August 5
Harry watched her wince as she slowly sat down for breakfast.
"Just the juice, I'm not that hungry," she said.
"Are you sure you should be going in?" he asked.
"Today are the final exams for my classes. I told the dean I'll start maternity leave as soon as the last student turns in his or her exam," she said.
She watched the last student leave after turning in his exam and winced when a sharp pain radiated from her lower back to her abdomen. The pains had been happening all morning, ranging from mild to painful, as was the current one. Just a couple of more weeks. She tossed a quill aside and rose to summon her cloak from the cloak rack and was hit with the worst pain yet, one that made her bend over and lean on the desk for support. She panted and groaned, waiting for the pain to subside.
A student jogged back into the classroom. "Professor, I forgot…are you all right?" he asked.
"Just help me to a floo, Mr…." she gasped.
He dashed to her desk and helped her to her chair. "Strickland, madame. The chair rolls, so we'll be there in no time," he said and propelled her toward the University Commons floo.
Ordinarily, the scene might have looked like a university prank. It wasn't the first time students were seen rolling about the school in chairs. There was a queue for the floo.
"Of course," Hermione mumbled when she saw the queue and gasped when another pain hit.
"Oi, move aside! The professor needs to get to hospital!" Mr. Strickland called out.
Wayne's shift was over and he was leaving St. Mungo's when Hermione arrived by the main floo, strangely enough in a rolling desk chair propelled by a young wizard. Of course, our Hermione would arrive no other way! She was panting and holding her abdomen. He hurried to her and relieved the young wizard of his burden.
"I'm a Healer, I've got it from here," Wayne said.
"Good luck professor," Mr. Strickland said and patted her shoulder awkwardly.
Hermione was relieved to see Wayne, but was too breathless to say a thing at the moment. "I'll get you to the obstetrics ward. Your healer is Luke Fletcher, isn't he?"
She nodded and gripped the arms of the chair.
"Has Harry been notified?" he asked as they entered the lift.
The pain finally subsided enough for her to take a breath and speak. "Not yet, this really bad pain started in my lecture hall about ten minutes ago."
"And a student rolled you here," he chuckled and the lift stopped. "Anyway, you're probably in labor."
The lift doors opened and he propelled her to the Witches Care ward reception desk. "This is Hermione Potter. Please contact Healer Fletcher immediately, and get a nurse here with a proper wheelchair," Wayne requested and turned to Hermione, who was looking pained and panicked. "I'll let Harry know that you've been brought in. Don't worry, you'll be fine. Women have babies every day," he said kindly.
3:30 p.m.
Hermione moaned through another contraction. Luke strolled into the delivery room and cast a series of diagnostic spells.
"It looks as if baby Potter is ready to make her appearance," he said kindly and patted her shoulder.
She panted and looked around the room, not really hearing the words of encouragement and comfort her mother and Ginny were giving her. Where the hell is Harry?! She fisted the bed sheet and closed her eyes to try and focus.
"Are you sure she's all right?" Grace asked, wondering if Hermione was coherent or not.
"She's perfectly fine, neither she nor the baby is in distress," Luke said.
Hermione snorted in derision as another contraction hit. "Then what the fuck do you call this? A walk in the park?!" she shrieked.
Okay, that's coherent enough, Grace mused.
The door flew open and Harry burst in, almost hitting the nurse with the door.
An hour later
"…nine, ten, big breath, now push!" Luke urged.
She was sure she could push no more. This was harder than she thought, harder than all the books described. Ginny was right, it was like pushing something the size of a watermelon out of an opening the size of a lemon.
"Come on love, you're doing great," Harry said and wiped her face with a cool cloth, wincing at another pained moan and muted scream.
"Wonderful, she's crowning!" Luke called out.
The crowd that had gathered in the waiting room snickered at "shut up Harry!" and the stream of swearing that followed.
"Good heavens, I never knew she knew those words," Grace commented.
Ron and Ginny grinned at each other conspiratorially. We knew. As polite and well-spoken as Hermione was, she could swear well enough to put a sailor's monkey to shame.
With a muted screech and a push that she thought might cause an embolism, Luke announced that her shoulders were out. The wail of a baby was heard, then Harry's gasp. He stared at the squirming, squalling baby in Luke's hands.
"Congratulations," Luke said warmly and laid the baby gently in the bassinette.
He tended to Hermione while Harry watched the nurse tend to the baby, answering questions for the birth certificate.
"Have you decided on a name for her?" the nurse asked, smiling at the awestruck expression on Harry's face.
He looked back at Hermione, who was trembling, pale, and smiling weakly while talking to Luke.
"Madeline Christina Potter," Harry said and signed the parchment under his daughter's name.
When the baby was cleaned and swaddled, the nurse placed her Harry's arms. He felt like a new man when her little fist wrapped around his finger. Hermione watched the scene and fell in love with him all over again at the look of absolute awe and love on his face. He gazed at her and brought the baby bedside.
"Look what we made," he said softly and placed the baby in her arms.
An orderly came into the room. "Are you ready to be moved? I don't mean to rush you, Mrs. Potter, but this ward needs to be prepared for the next delivery."
"I thought this ward was expanded," Harry said.
"It is expanded, and every delivery room is being used today," the exasperated orderly said.
They looked at Hermione, who was now asleep from the pain relief draught. Harry took the sleeping baby curled up on her chest, where even in sleep, Hermione was cuddling her.
The delivery room doors opened, and Harry emerged first with a tiny pink bundle in his arms. Everyone gathered around to admire the new arrival. "I'd like everyone to meet Madeline Christina Potter."
Molly smiled at the sight of Evie talking softly to little Maddy, as they were already calling her. She remembered how she felt when she held her first grandchild for the first time, so she could identify the love and wonder Evie must be feeling. Luke came into the ward and greeted everyone before he waved his Medi-wand over Hermione and spoke to Harry.
"I'd like her to stay an extra day for observation," he said.
"Should we be worried?" Evie asked.
"Her blood pressure isn't quite what I'd like it to be. I'm giving her more blood replenishment droughts than I would normally give post-partum, and until her blood pressure is normal, it's best for her to be under medical supervision."
"Of course," Harry said. "How long will she sleep?"
"Every person reacts differently to the pain relief treatments. Her body will wake when it's ready, but in answer to your question Mrs. Granger, no, there's no reason to worry. She was already tired from the pregnancy, and childbirth is the most exhaustive experience a woman can endure, so rest is the best remedy."
Her eyelids fluttered as she came into awareness. For the first few seconds, she was confused as to where she was and what was going on. She squinted against the dim light in the room to focus and heard soft talking from the corner of the room by the window. Harry was standing there with the baby, reciting a tale about Gryffins flying in the moonlight.
"I've never heard that one," she said.
He turned around and sat down next to the bed. Maddy was sleepily sucking on her fist, comfortable in her dad's arms.
"The nurse said she's hungry, so we were about to get her a bottle," he said.
A soft nock was heard and a nurse came in with a bottle. "Good, you're awake. Will you be needing this?" she asked, holding up the bottle.
"Only if I'm pants at nursing," Hermione said.
"It usually takes a few tries for the baby to latch on, but I'm sure you'll do fine," the nurse said and adjusted the bed for her to sit up. Harry gave her the baby and she cuddled with her.
"If you need assistance, we have a superb team of midwives on call for advice. I believe Molly Weasley is one of them," she said kindly and left the room to give her some privacy.
