Here's is Chapter Eight. I think it's sort of funny, but there's a little more George conflict in this one as well. Fluffy in the next chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter Eight Defensive

Ella returned to Hogwarts after the holidays and George spoke to his mother. Their daily lives went on in much the same way they normally had. January passed as did February and in the March one night when Ella was at George's, Bill's Patronus zoomed into their living room.

"Ron and Hermione's baby is on the way," it said and then was gone.

"Should we go to the hospital?" Ella asked.

"The hospital?" George shook his head. "No, we'll need to the Burrow." He stood and went into the bedroom.

Ella followed him and watched him pull his clothes on. "Why the Burrow? Won't Ron and Hermione be at St. Mungo's?" Ella looked at him puzzled.

"No. Actually Mum has delivered all of her grandchildren at the Burrow." George took her hand and pulled her out of the apartment. Ella was flabbergasted.

They apparated and George continued to pull Ella along the path to the Burrow. They entered through the kitchen and went into the living room where everyone was sitting. There was an extra man with the family who Ella supposed was Hermione's father. There were no women in the room.

"Where's Ron?" Ella asked George after they had greeted everyone.

"What do you mean?" George looked at her curiously. "He's upstairs with Hermione of course. Where else would he be?"

Ella was shocked. "Down here waiting."

George shook his head. "HE's with his wife." He looked at her as though she were a complete stranger. "Completely unrefined, I know." His tone was sarcastic and biting toward her.

Ella ignored him and sat on a couch next to Bill and Percy. She had been around the Weasley family quite a bit since Christmas and there was a blossoming familiarity between them and her. James came over and climbed unsteadily onto her lap and began talking of his latest on the toy broomstick he had received for his birthday.

The children had taken a particular liking to Ella. To them she was kind and approachable. She wouldn't hesitate to crawl around the floor with them if they asked her to play and she read as many books as they could sit and listen to.

There were footsteps coming down the steps and Ella looked up expecting to see a new bundle. However, it was an empty handed Audrey. When she spotted Ella she seemed to have forgotten what she had come downstairs for.

"Ella! What are you doing? You should have come right upstairs!" Audrey exclaimed. She and Percy were terribly alike.

"For what?" Ella paled just thinking of what was going on upstairs.

"To help of course!" Audrey disappeared into the bathroom and retrieved a stack of towels.

"I'm alright down here waiting. I wouldn't want to intrude on something so private," Ella protested weakly.

Audrey snatched her hand and drug her up the stairs. As they neared the occupied bedroom Ella could hear moans of pain and an occasional yelp or scream. Ella started to pull against Audrey; every fiber of her being was telling her that she did not want to see what was behind the bedroom door.

Audrey pushed the door open and jerked Ella through the door. "Oh Ella dear, there you are!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. She was bustling around the room cheerfully.

Ella was afraid to look at Hermione. She had never been present for the birth of a baby. She knew it was painful and embarrassing. Some of her friends from school had had children, but there had been no friends, or even husbands, in the delivery room and all of the babies had been born at a hospital with certified Healers using special magic and potions to alleviate the pain of the mothers.

When she did look at Hermione she saw a pain ridden mess. She had on an old Chudley Cannons t-shirt of Ron's, her bushy hair was sweat soaked and plastered to her face, which was flushed from the heat and pain. Ron was sitting on the edge of the bed pressing a cool washcloth to Hermione's forehead.

"You know this is the last time you will ever touch me, don't you?" Hermione asked him dangerously.

Ron looked frightened, but all of the women laughed.

"Oh dear, you don't mean that," an older woman who looked exactly like Hermione said.

Mrs. Weasley positioned herself at the foot of the bed and examined Hermione. "Dear, it's time to bring this little one into the world."

"Stop all the fluffy nonsense, Molly! I just want it out!" Hermione screamed into a wave of pain.

Ron took her hand and whispered encouraging words to his distressed wife.

"This is all your fault! You did this to me!" Hermione yelled at him.

"Hermione, yelling at Ronald is not going to get that baby out," Mrs. Weasley said sternly. "I need you to focus and push when you feel the urge."

Hermione took the instructions and nodded gamely. She quit yelling at Ron and for the next forty-five minutes she seemed to be trying to break his hand instead. There was screaming the likes of which Ella had never heard when the baby was crowning.

"Bring me those hot towels!" Mrs. Weasley gestured over her shoulder. Ella looked around, but everyone was busy doing something else to prepare for the baby's arrival.

Ella grabbed the hot, wet towels out of a tub of water and hesitantly walked to the bed. Mrs. Weasley took the towels from her and Hermione from the relief they brought her. "Just the shoulders now, dear."

Ella had not intended to get so close to the bed. It was like a terrible accident that she couldn't look away from. There was so much blood and other unidentifiable bodily fluids.

"What are you looking at?" Hermione demanded angrily.

Ella could only shake her head and back away. Moments later, with one last terrible scream, the baby was born.

"It's a girl!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, handing the baby to Fleur and Audrey so they could clean it off. Hermione's mother was stroking her daughter's hair.

The vicious Hermione had slumped into Ron's chest and become a sobbing mess. The baby was handed to her. "Rose," she murmured softly. Ron was tearing up looking down at his new daughter in her wife's arms.

"Well done on your first time!" Ginny said, coming over to Ella.

"Can I go downstairs?" Ella was feeling a little light headed and dizzy after everything she had seen and heard.

Ginny laughed. "Yeah. We'll all go down." The women left, leaving Ron and Hermione with their daughter and mothers.

Ella collapsed onto a couch and James tried to scramble back onto her lap. "Ella doesn't look too good, little man." Charlie pulled the toddler onto his own lap.

"You didn't enjoy the miracle of childbirth?" Bill asked, laughing at her pale face.

A while later Ron brought Rose downstairs and the bundle was passed around. When she was taken back upstairs to be fed George stood to leave.

"I think we're going to go," George gave his goodbyes.

"Don't have nightmares, Ella!" Bill called just as she flooed back to George's loft.

When they got there Ella began packing up her weekend things even though it was only Friday night. George had been cold to her when they arrived at the Burrow and every since and she didn't want to stick around if he was in one of his moods.

"What are you doing?" He asked roughly, coming into the bedroom.

"I'm going to stay at the school this weekend," Ella replied calmly.

"Why?" George asked. "You haven't spent a weekend at the school since November."

Ella zipped her bag and straightened up. "That's because I haven't wanted to, but then again you've never treated me as rudely as you did today."

"I would have been rude if you didn't act like you're so much better than my family and I," George said.

"Excuse me?" Ella put her hands on her hips. "I have never given off that air."

"You did today!" He accused.

"I had never been in a situation like that," Ella defended herself. "It was strange to me, but I wasn't above it!" She was nearly shouting. His words hurt because even though she had been uncomfortable she had helped his family in that God forsaken bedroom. "I saw things today that no one should ever have to see! All for your family!"

George stared at her for a moment and then burst out laughing. He was doubled over, clutching his middle and fighting for breath.

Ella stood indignantly with her hands still on her hips. She didn't quite see the humor in her angry speech. When George realized she wasn't laughing along with him he straightened and walked to her. He put his hands on her shoulders.

"I should have realized you would be uncomfortable in that situation." He kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry Ella."

"It was scary," she mumbled, wrapping her arms around his middle.

"So no kids for you?" George asked, pulling her to the bed.

"Not like that." Ella slipped her shoes off and changed into pajamas. She watched George strip out of his clothes, stranding before her in his boxers.

"Love, that's just about the only way." He slipped into bed and pulled the covers to his chin. "You shouldn't think you're exempt," he said peeking over the quilts at her.

"Exempt from what exactly?" Ella asked curiously, crawling to the head of the bed.

"Baby fever. I've seen Ginny and all of my sister-in-laws get it." He smiled as she burrowed into his side.

Ella scoffed. "And I assume you want a whole houseful of kids?"

"Not a whole houseful. Just half a houseful." George grinned.

Ella laughed and pinched his side. They lay in silence for a while, but George, as usual, couldn't be quiet for long.

"So I take it you're not going back to Hogwarts tonight?" He asked.

Ella yawned. "Not tonight."

So seriously you guys have no idea how happy you make me with reviews! One review can make my whole day! So please, make my day! I hope you loved it! Like I said look forward to some fluff next chapter!

Happy reading,

Avonmora