Ooh, wasn't expecting to write this chapter so quickly! Hope you enjoy it :)

Hermione lowered herself onto the sofa, propping her feet up on the coffee table, a glass of water clutched in her hands. She wanted more than anything to have a dose of caffeine but she had been advised not to so close to her due date.

She checked her watch. Ginny would be arriving in half an hour. In the meantime, Hermione thought, she may as well have another look through the Children's Book of Names that Ron had picked up from the Muggle bookshop she liked in London.

They had been unable to agree on a name for the baby. They had lots of possibilities, including Donna, Joseph, Abigail, Sophia and Matthew, but none of them had seemed right. Hermione thumbed through the large book, frustrated when nothing jumped out at her. Sighing, she through the book aside and picked up a Muggle novel she had been reading.

The rest of the family couldn't understand why Hermione read so much. It wasn't in the nature of a Weasley to be interested in reading. They preferred a more active lifestyle. They're childhood afternoons were spent outdoors playing Quidditch or de-gnoming the garden, not curled up in an armchair with a book. The truth was, Hermione sought refuge in the books she read. That was why she liked fantasies and novels set in make-believe worlds. Ron laughed at her for reading children's books from time to time, but Hermione didn't care. She could lose herself in a book – she could be taken to a world without any problems, where everything was okay. That was what she did now. She let the pain and stress of her last few days of pregnancy leave her body as she absorbed herself in her book, taking in every word.

All to soon, however, she came crashing back to reality. When the doorbell rang, Hermione made no effort to get up. She sat for a second, finished the paragraph she was reading and slipped her bookmark back inside the book. She stood up slowly, stretching all her muscles, and made her way to the front door.

"Ginny," She smiled, stepping back to allow her best friend to get through.

"You look like hell," Ginny said bluntly, walking into the sitting room.

"Thanks," Hermione smiled wryly. She watched as Ginny conjured a rug and put James down, then took Albus out of the sling strapped to her body. Ginny collapsed onto the sofa, still holding Albus in her arms.

Hermione had great admiration for her sister-in-law. She didn't understand how Ginny was capable of juggling a career and two young children. Admittedly, her hours were fewer than those Hermione currently worked, but she had still managed to write several articles since the birth of Albus just under four weeks ago.

"How are you?" Hermione asked.

"Knackered," Ginny told her truthfully. "Guessing you are too?"

Hermione nodded. "This baby is nocturnal, I swear. Absolutely still during the day, but when it comes to night time, it's doing somersaults."

Ginny flashed a sympathetic smile. "James was like that."

Hermione lost herself in thought for a moment, before remembering her manners and offering Ginny a drink.

Minutes later, the two witches sat in silence, sipping their drinks and watching James roll around on the rug, gnawing Snuffles, the toy dog.

"So," Ginny said, easing a dummy into Albus' mouth. "Tomorrow's the big day, then?"

Hermione nodded, a nervous smile on her face.

"Mind you," Ginny added, "James was over two weeks past his due date, I wouldn't expect too much tomorrow."

"Great," Hermione rolled her eyes. "I just want this bit over with now."

"How's Hermione?" George asked as soon as Ron apparated to the shop.

"Not good," Ron sighed. "Eight days late and counting. It's a nightmare."

George frowned. "What did the Healer say at St. Mungo's yesterday?"

"Nothing," Ron worried his lip between his teeth. "They said there's nothing they can do until it reaches ten days. I just feel awful, Hermione's so uncomfortable and I'm here whilst she's stuck at home."

"You can go home," George told him. "I've said you don't have to be here. I've got Kenny and Melissa here."

"I know," Ron said, grabbing a file from the shelf under the till. "But you know what Hermione's like. She insists she's fine, she refuses to let me stay with her... She doesn't know I heard her last night. She was up all night again, shifting around, going downstairs to get drinks... She can't get any sleep. She's always hot as well, she's put so many cooling charms on our house – it's bloody freezing!"

"Been there, mate," George empathised. "You have to dig out the woollies. It was July when Fred was born, it was awful."

Ron stood for a moment, contemplating going home. He shook his head, reminding himself that Harry had promised to sit with Hermione today – it was his day off – and that Hermione would be fine. He sat at the desk in the back and began making his way through the paperwork he had to complete by the end of the week.

Harry rang the doorbell to Ron and Hermione's house, feeling apprehensive. Ron had recounted numerous stories of Hermione's moods as of late, and Harry knew only too well how it felt to be on the wrong side of her temper. As he watched her shadow approach the front door, he vowed to be as polite to her as he could, in the hope he wouldn't cross her.

"Harry," Hermione nodded curtly.

Harry groaned internally. It didn't sound good. Hermione stepped back to allow him to step over the threshold, gripping Albus tightly.

"Is James with Ginny?" Hermione asked politely, leading Harry into the living room.

"Yeah," Harry nodded, rubbing Albus' back. "He's just gone down for a nap, so she's hoping she can get an article written this afternoon. She might have come round otherwise."

"Don't worry about it," Hermione said, propping her feet up. "She needs to get her work done sometime, doesn't she?"

"Have you though about what you're going to do about work once the baby's born?" Harry asked, helping himself to a biscuit from the plate on the coffee table.

Hermione frowned. "I'm not sure, really. I've taken the six months leave. I guess I'll just see how time consuming looking after a baby is and see from there how much I can take on, work-wise. I know I'll have to cut down on some of it, of course..."

"Can't see you quitting completely," Harry grinned. "I can't even see you retiring."

"I'm not that bad," Hermione chuckled.

"Oh, you are," Harry smirked, lifting Albus into the air in an attempt to amuse his son.

Ron didn't know how long he sat there, trawling through the pages. As he moved into the front of the shop he stumbled over a box of Skiving Snackboxes. Cursing, he dusted himself off and began picking up the papers that he had dropped as fell and were now littered all over the floor.

Having gathered them all together, Ron stood up and walked past the fireplace, just as Harry fell out of it.

"Harry!" Ron growled as the papers fell from his hands amidst his shock. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"

"Sorry," Harry gasped. "Look, you've got to come –"

"What?"

"You need to come home. Now."

"Why?"

"What's going on?" George asked, pushing back the curtain leading to the front of the shop.

"Ron needs to take the rest of the day off," Harry informed him.

"Why?" Ron asked again.

"Oh bloody hell, Ron, don't be so thick!" George exclaimed.

"What is going on?" Ron demanded.

"It's Hermione, Ron. The baby's coming now."

As I said, school starts tomorrow so the next chapter might take a while - last chapter of this story. Thanks for reading!