Written By PBMAXCA
She counted to ten.
"Jesus," she breathed out as she kept counting.
In her excitement over the big day, she'd gotten to the house before Ron and Gabrielle had left for the court appointment. It had been great to be able to wish them luck and to pack up the little backpack for the baby, but as she'd been warned over and over again by everyone who had gathered with her, court appointments could take a long time.
The outcome would be worth it though. They'd just gotten back from Romania the week before, so it wasn't a shock that they would be parents, but after today her name would be changed officially in England to have both Ron and Gabrielle's last names as well as claiming her a British citizen. She would be a part of the both of them.
It had taken a lot for them to become elligible to adopt in the first place. Romanian authorities were old fashioned and the idea of granting an adoption to a couple not from Romania would normally have taken a full vote in their version of supreme court for it to go through.
The final adoption they figured out while on this last trip to get the baby was only granted due to the fact that Ron had poured millions of dollars into the Romanian wizarding program with hours of help from Hermione herself, forming a wizarding school in the country, it was almost as if they were giving him a child instead of the credit for the program.
It had been two hours now and up until then she'd managed to pace the house, nibble on finger foods that Ron▓s mother had been prepping when she'd gotten there that morning and finally help put up decorations. When she finally peaked out the window to see what was going on outside the house moving the heavier drapes out of the way she found a half dozen owls perched on the houses around them. They all were carrying packages and mail, but they didn▓t seem to be too eagar to deliver them.
⌠Maybe they▓re waiting for the baby to get home.■
She watched three owls milling around and looking at the corner of the house. The others were perched farther back or on the other side of the street, with only a long view of the front yard and door.
Finally she moved away from the window and went towards the kitchen. ⌠I don▓t understand why this can▓t go faster.■
"Hermione. You're so bad." A laugh came from behind her. "I think you▓re right about them waiting for the baby to get here."
Hermione watched Ron▓s mother again fiddling with the Welcome Home sign.
⌠I always thought Ron was joking around when he told me that you had no patience." She made a face as she came down off the chair she was standing on to move across the room and pick up a carrot to munch on.
She turned her head to the side and looked at the sign that was strung up across the dining room entrance. "Is that the same sign from last week?"
Stacey nodded. "Is it cheap that I'm recycling it like that?"
"No," Hermione said quickly. Even though Ron was loaded since his career had been going so well, not everyone in his life was.
"I'm sure they'll be surprised when they get home to see it."
Ron and Gabrielle hadn't really planned any kind of a party for the whole name changing process. The entire family hadn▓t even shown up. Fred & George had been busy working on getting things set for the Christmas season, Bill had been away on business, and Ron▓s father had only shown up that morning after he▓d gotten deeply engrossed in Reality Television, curious at why Muggles might sit and watch eachother▓s lives in such a strange way.
They'd all had a little get together earlier in the week when they'd gotten back from their two week stay in Romania and their front door seemed to have welcomed a million visitors since, but this one was special. This was a family thing and Hermione had been honored to be invited to be a part of that.
For a long time she'd thought that her chances of being a part of Ron's life had been ruined. She wasn't totally at fault for all the drama that had passed between them, but she'd learned in the last few months just how strong Ron's and Gabrielle's love really was. During the divorce she stayed with them and when it was time to get her own place Gabrielle helped her negotiate a great deal on a house that was just up the PCH from where Ron's beach house was. All in all, the drama had brought them closer.
A knock at the door sounded and Hermione went towards the door. Before she could open it herself, Harry Potter stepped through the door with an older looking man.
⌠Harry?■ she said not expecting to see him in the doorway.
The two of them hugged hard, having not seen each other in a few years now.
⌠Sirius Black?■ she said when she realized that he wasn▓t alone.
⌠I don▓t deny it,■ he said very quietly.
⌠It▓s so good to see you both,■ she said with a big smile.
⌠We didn▓t miss anything, did we?■ Harry asked.
⌠Not at all.■
Suddenly she heard sqwaking outside and turned to find the SUV pulling into the driveway. The gate closed behind them, but as it closed the owls who had been waiting pushed themselves off their perches. The noise got louder as soon as Ron was out of the car door. He held the baby on his hip and pressed her cheek against his chest so she wouldn't get scared. Gabrielle brought the baby bag with her, ignoring the nosie.
Letters and packages began to stream through the fireplace and the mailslot. They seemed to find their own way to the pile of presents that were already in the front room.
"How'd it go?" she asked as soon as the door was opened.
"Perfect." Gabrielle said with a smile, coming through the door first. She dropped the baby bag down on the floor inside the door and immediately moved to hug Harry, say hello to Sirius and Ron▓s mother.
As he came through the door Ron held the baby out to her and spoke in a cartoon voice. "Hi Aunt Hermione. My name is Sarina Weasley and I love you past the moon and the stars."
"You are too much Mr. Weasley." She suddenly felt tears in her eyes. She took the baby into her arms and hugged her. "Your daddy is soo silly."
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