"HARRY JAMES POTTER, YOU BLOODY BASTARD! YOU BETTER RUN FAR, FAR AWAY BECAUSE WHEN I'M DONE HERE I WILL FIND YOU AND I WILL MAKE YOU SUFFER!"
Hermione didn't think she had ever seen Harry look quite so terrified, not even when he was facing Voldemort and a horde of Death Eaters.
"AND WHAT'S MORE, POTTER, YOU ARE SLEEPING ON THE COUCH FOR THE REST OF YOUR BLOODY LIFE. WHICH MIGHT NOT BE LONG BECAUSE I AM GOING TO KILL YOU FOR DOING THIS TO ME!"
"Don't worry, dearie," the nurse said kindly. "It's just the pain speaking. She doesn't mean it."
"OH YES I DO!"
Ginny had been in labor for nearly seventeen hours now, and was fearsome even with her legs straddled and in a cheerful yellow hospital gown adorned with quacking ducks. Her fiery hair was damp and matted, her face pale and sweaty, and her Weasley temper boiling. Hermione sat by her sat, holding her hand. Harry was pacing back and forth, his face an unnatural green color. In the waiting room of St. Mungo's maternity ward sat Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, George and Angelina, Bill and Fleur, Charlie, Neville Longbottom, Luna and Rolf, Teddy Lupin and his grandmother, and Ron and Lavender Brown, who were currently back "on".
"Can't you give her something?" Harry asked desperately. "A potion or something?"
The nurse, a plump woman with a kind face, shook her head. "We have already given her a mild pain draught, but too many potions during pregnancy and labor could have adverse effects on the child. We will give her another pain draught when she is a bit more dilated."
"COULD YOU LOT PLEASE NOT SPEAK OF ME AS THOUGH I AM NOT RIGHT FUCKING HERE?" Ginny snarled, gripping Hermione's hand painfully. Hermione winced.
A Healer wearing bright purple scrubs that had frolicking bunnies on them entered the room, smiling cheerfully around at everyone. "Alright Mrs. Potter, how are we doing?"
"HOW ARE WE DOING? WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'WE'? I'M THE ONE DOING ALL THE BLOODY WORK, AREN'T I, AND I AM DOING JUST FINE! SPECTACULAR! HOW DO YOU THINK I'M DOING, YOU LOUT? HARRY, I WANT A LESS ANNOYING HEALER! NOW!"
Harry looked apologetically at the Healer who just smiled brightly, unfazed. "Nurse, how many?"
"Eight," the nurse replied. The Healer beamed.
"Excellent, excellent. Only a few more to go, Mrs. Potter, and then the real fun begins!"
Ginny looked as though she was about to get up and brutally strangle the Healer. Hermione cleared her throat.
"So, Ginny…"
Ginny shot her a poisonous look, and Hermione wilted back a bit.
"Erm, have you chosen any…um, names?"
"No," Ginny said sarcastically. "I figured we'd just call it 'hey, you!'"
Hermione bit her lip.
"James for a boy," Harry jumped in, "And Lily for a girl."
Hermione smiled. "Oh, I could have guessed. How sweet."
Ginny growled. "Hermione, you are here to distract me! SO DISTRACT ME!"
"Oh," Hermione said, thinking fast. "Right. Erm, so…." Her mind was blank.
Ginny snarled.
"I went on a date with Blaise Zabini and I was supposed to meet…oh, no! I was supposed to meet Draco Malfoy at my flat last night!"
Stunned silence followed her words.
"You went on a date?" Ginny said incredulously.
"With a Slytherin?" Harry asked.
"Erm, yes," Hermione replied.
"And you were supposed to meet DRACO MALFOY at your flat?" Ginny stared at her.
Hermione nodded weakly.
Ginny's eyes lit up. "Wait! Was one of them responsible for the flowers?"
Hermione nodded again.
"Which one?" asked Harry, adjusting his glasses.
"Malfoy."
"Draco Malfoy sent you a passage from a muggle book and an entire flower shop?" Ginny repeated incredulously. "The Draco Malfoy?"
She nodded yet again.
"Why?"
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know."
Ginny frowned, brushing a tangle of hair away. "There's really no reason for him to randomly start showing interest in you…unless there's more to the story?" She eyed her shrewdly.
"Well," Hermione said hesitantly, "I'm not sure now is really the time or place…"
"Did something happen?" Harry put his hand on her shoulder in concern.
"It wasn't really…"
"Mrs. Potter," the Healer interrupted, "you are fully dilated. I'm going to need you to start to push."
Ginny waved him away impatiently.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Mrs. Potter!"
Hermione frowned. "I guess I was just embarrassed. I mean, why would two of the best-looking Slytherins suddenly want me, Hermione Granger, Gryffindor muggleborn?"
"MRS. POTTER!" The Healer was turning and alarming shade of red.
"I BLOODY WELL HEARD YOU!" Ginny roared. "CAN YOU NOT SEE I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING! YOU CAN FUCKING WAIT, YOU CRAZY OLD FRAUD!"
Hermione stared at her. "Ginny, maybe you should push…we can talk about this later."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "What is everyone's fascination with pushing?"
"Mrs. Potter," the Healer implored. "Please. It's time!"
"Oh, all right," Ginny grumbled, her face scrunched up as she strained. "Don't…"she puffed between pushes, "Think…that…this…conversation…is…over!"
Hermione shook her head, her brown curls flying. She tried to stare pointedly at Ginny's face and not at what was happening a bit lower. The acrid smell of blood filled the room, and she swallowed down her nausea.
"Almost there!" the Healer shouted happily.
"That?" she heard Harry ask faintly. "That's it? That…thing?"
"That's the head," the nurse said.
Harry made a sound of wonderment.
"One more push!"
Ginny grunted, her face the same shade as her hair, and a moment later the sound of hoarse crying filled the air.
"It's a boy!" the Healer shouted.
"A boy!" Harry repeated. "Hear that, darling, a boy!"
The Healer turned to Harry, the bloody and squalling infant in his arms. "Would you like to cut the cord, Mr. Potter?"
Harry nodded, his emerald eyes shining. He drew his wand a performed a mild severing charm.
Ginny strained forward. "I want to see him!"
"Let me clean him up a bit," the nurse replied, carrying the child off to the side. Harry ran out of the room, his scrubs flapping behind him.
"A BOY!" they heard him yelling. "IT'S A BOY!"
Hermione smiled fondly at Ginny, tears in her eyes. "Congratulations."
Ginny beamed. "You'll be godmother, won't you?"
"Of course."
"Here you are," the nurse returned, carrying the baby, who was now bundled in a soft blue blanket. "8 lbs, 6 ounces. Do you have a name?"
"James Sirius Potter," Ginny murmured, staring into her baby's face raptly.
"He's gorgeous," Hermione whispered, running her thumb along the child's red face.
"Isn't he?" Ginny breathed, tears falling from her brown eyes. "Looks just like Harry."
The doors to the operating room opened and everyone poured in. Mrs. Weasley sobbed hysterically over the baby while Mr. Weasley clapped Harry on the back. Angelina, Luna, Fleur and Lavender gathered around the new mother, cooing. George passed out cigars and Ron hugged Harry.
Little Teddy bounced up and down, trying to see over the horde of women surrounding Ginny. "Is that my almost-brother? Can I see him, too? Can I?"
Hermione smiled tiredly. She hadn't slept in nearly a day. She stood up and stretched, working the kinks out of her back. She walked over to Harry.
"Congratulations," she told him warmly, embracing him. "He's gorgeous. Your dad and Sirius would be proud."
Harry nodded, his eyes bright with emotion. "Thanks, 'Mione."
"I'm heading home now, to sleep for a bit. I'll be back tomorrow to help get them home, alright?"
"You go," Harry said, smiling at her. "Get some rest."
Hermione made her rounds around the room, saying her goodbyes to everyone before leaving St. Mungo's. The air was crisp and cool and smelled of rain. She breathed in deeply, clearing out the chemical smell of hospitals from her nose before Apparating to her flat. She landed on her front stoop and drew her wand to unlock and unward her door. As she was opening it, though, something caught her eye.
A few feet away from her lay a bouquet of wilted, soggy flowers. She walked over and picked them up.
Malfoy.
Guilt swamped her. She bit her lip, staring at the flowers.
She would have to apologize and explain things. Should she write a letter? She shook her head decisively. No, she ought to go there in person. She swallowed hard. Go back to Malfoy manor? She stared at the once-gorgeous flowers in her hand. She could do it. She was strong enough. It was unbearably rude of her to leave Malfoy waiting and then not even send a note explaining why she wasn't there. She owed him an explanation, at least. After she escorted Ginny, Harry, and James to home tomorrow, she would head over to Malfoy Manor. She hoped it was the right choice.
Her decision made, she went inside, the faded flowers hanging loosely from her hand.