AN: Thank you so much for the kind words of encouragement and I don't mean for just the reviews. Y'all have been there with me through some pretty tough times during the writing of this story and I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

With her gracious permission, I'm borrowing asouldream's concept of "Incidental Magic" as seen in her story "Tomorrow Too" which BTW is one of my favorites. You go girl!

Sorry for the delay. Had a wee accident at work and tore the rotator cuff in my shoulder. Cracked a vertebra in my neck as well. Doctor said limited use of left arm, soooo... typing with one hand is a slow pain in the ass process! Mom always said, "Anything worth doing, is worth doing right." That's what I get for being the dutiful daughter and always listening to my mother. ;D

THE TIES THAT BIND

Chapter 33

ENTER MICHAEL & MICHAELA

The next morning...

"I kissed a girl and I liked it!"

In the early morning hours of the 12th of May a mobile phone rudely interrupted the peaceful slumbers of one very pregnant Hermione McGonagall and her worry weary wife.

"I kissed a girl and I liked it!"

A deep growl resounded from a misshapen lump buried under tartan blankets and silken sheets. A pale, elegant hand emerged from under the pile and scrabbled along the bedside table for the alarm clock.

On the opposite side of the bed, chocolate eyes blinked open in outrage as the few moments of rest she'd been able to capture were unceremoniously halted by a ringtone that Dawn had talked her into. A young woman who would soon find her skinny arse hexed!

"I kissed a girl and I liked it!"

"G'ddammit!"

The alarm clock went sailing across the bedchamber and shattered against the grey, soot darkened stones of the cold fireplace.

"It's your phone dear not the clock." Hermione calmly whispered to the moving lump under the blankets.

The lump moved again. Jerkily at first, finally the same hand that had hurled the clock, pulled the forest green and ivory tartan print material from the mass of ebony hair covering a rising head, "Mmmmpht GGgghrrr".

Not sure exactly what that meant, Hermione smirked as she mused that her wife bore an uncanny resemblance to a certain wizard she'd met in London. His name had been rather odd...

Cousinitt or something like that.

"I kissed a girl and I liked it!"

Rolling her eyes, Hermione wandlessly summoned Minerva's mobile phone and answered it by saying, "Do you bloody well know what time it is?" She pushed her own wickedly mussed mane out of her face as her wife sat up blearily blinking away the cobwebs.

The caller must've paused, because Hermione demanded, "Who is this?"

Gathering her wits about her, Minerva McGonagall reached for the dark green phone currently clutched in a white knuckle grip by her very irritated, and very hormonal wife.

"Hello?" She deeply trilled in a false posh accent.

Dark green eyes narrowed and a frown appeared as the caller asked for one of her professors. Harry Potter to be specific. Minerva pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it, aghast at the audacity of the caller.

"Who is this?" The posh accent disappearing and an irritated Scottish brogue emerging.

As the caller identified himself, elegant eyebrows knit together in the blackest frown Hermione had ever seen.

George Weasley.

It figures.

"Mr Weasley if you value your hairless knobblies I suggest you send an owl for Mr. Potter and do not EVER call this number again."

George must've questioned her knowledge of his private anatomy because Minerva's face turned an interesting shade of puce. Abruptly she ended the call.

"I am going to hex him within an inch of his life!"

The Headmistress turned to see her wife shaking her head, a resigned expression decorating her lovely face. "Love?"

Hermione grinned ruefully, "Guess this is part and parcel in belonging to an extended family."

Snorting, Minerva grumbled, "Could we not just go back to the way it used to be?"

She placed her phone on the bedside table and turned back to her young wife. Reaching out a gentle hand, she lightly caressed the side of Hermione's face. Tracing the smooth, dove-like softness of her wife's cheek. Her eyes reflecting the care and concern she was feeling for her sweet love. Taking in Hermione's greatly enlarged tummy, her larger than normal breasts, the creamy skin of her neck, pouty full lips that were quirked in a small smirk and finally tired chocolate eyes that gazed back at her with such devotion.

"Get any sleep at all?"

The young mother-to-be shrugged, "Well between the somersaults your cubs insist upon performing, me having to go to the loo every half hour, and you deciding in the middle of the night that you'd like a bit of cream..." There was a wicked gleam in her eye as she remembered a tiny tap on her shoulder and a whispered, "Tabby wants a bit of cream."

The several hours that followed were quite pleasurable to be sure.

"... and now an odd phone call from George, I guess I can safely say that "No" I did not get an iota of sleep." She could see a remorseful expression pooling in liquid emerald eyes.

"I'm sorry Kitten."

Reaching out, Hermione stroked her wife's cheek, her fingers gliding over the milky skin of her long neck, her collar bone and down to rest just above her heart, "Don't you ever apologize for wanting me. I love you Tabby." Deep brown eyes glistened with her sincerity.

At that moment Hermione's phone began ringing. Frowning, the young woman again wandlessly summoned the device from the bureau.

Minerva raised an eyebrow at her wife's continued use of wandless magic. Hermione's power was growing steadily. She wasn't sure if it was because of their bonding or something else. She DID know that her own magic had become even more powerful since they were wed.

She was pulled from her thoughts as Hermione hormonally screeched, "George you dolt! Where else would I be except right beside my wife and NO! I do not know where Harry is!"

Sometimes the Weasley men could be a wee bit thick.

Hermione sat up, the blankets falling to her waist revealing largely rounded breasts that caused a peculiar sensation in the older witch's nether regions, made her mouth water and her pupils darken. The young woman's normally ample mammary glands were made even more generous due to her pregnancy. Lushly engorged with milk, the Headmistress grinned at the thought of seeing her wife nurse the babies for the first time.

"What do you mean they're missing? Missing? As in gone?"

Immediately Minerva was on alert. Due to her animagus senses, she could easily overhear the conversation. She'd had to force herself to not listen at times. But this was NOT one of those times. She could hear George telling Hermione that Harry and Ginny had gone missing and Molly was frantic.

Of course she was.

Hermione sighed as she remembered a visit from the young red head about a week ago at the clinic. With a twinkle, the healer remembered the day that Minerva had escorted her wife to Hogsmeade so that the young witch could attend to some paperwork. Ginny Weasley had appeared with a worried expression on her face and Hermione had promptly taken her into one of the examining rooms.

Both young women had emerged an hour later wearing elated grins. When the older witch queried, Hermione would not impart any information though. She'd claimed doctor-patient confidentiality with a "Mona Lisa" smile decorating her lovely face.

Minerva was brought back to the present by Hermione's voice saying, "I think they're o.k. George. Maybe they just went off to have some alone time."

The Headmistress could hear suspicion in George's voice as he questioned whether the young witch knew more than what she was telling. She herself, had a sneaking suspicion that this much was so.

"Whether I have information or not is moot. I cannot say due to my oath as a healer. Just believe what I say that they're o.k. and I'm sure this will be resolved very soon." She ended the call and placed her phone on the bedside table next to her. The young woman turned back to see her wife with a quizzical expression on her lovely face.

Shaking her head, Hermione replied, "I can't tell you."

Minerva nodded, "I do understand my dear. I believe you know that something is definitely going on though."

Grudgingly the young woman nodded slightly.

Minerva smiled in triumph and continued, "Mr. Potter came to me three days ago and requested some time off. He said he needed to take Ginevra away for some quiet time."

Hermione patted her suddenly restless tummy and asked, "Where did they go?"

"Las Vegas."

Quiet time? In Vegas? Oy!


In a beautifully appointed flat not far from the ministry a mobile phone rang causing a momentary twitch among the sheets of the king sized bed that snugly held two people.

As the device rang again, a silver spiked head rose up and peered about the darkened room. Yellow hawk-like eyes blinked the sleep induced fog away as thin silver eyebrows drew together in an annoyed frown, "Wha?"

The third ring caused another head to peek up. Mocha colored eyes blearily focussing on the spiked head beside her, "Wha?"

The fourth ring caused the spiked woman to throw back the blankets and growl, "Bugger whomever that is!" The woman rose from the bed revealing athletic, muscular features. Smooth pale skin. Well-defined toned arms led to a naked torso. Full and nicely rounded breasts capped with pale pink nipples which quickly hardened in the slightly chill morning air. Tight abdominal muscles trailing south to slightly flared hips and still more soft silver hair curling at the apex of powerful thighs. Long legs stomped over to the mirrored vanity where the offending phone still continued to happily tinkle out it's tone.

"That is THE gayest sound I have ever heard." Rolanda Hooch grumbled as she picked up the mobile phone.

Jean Granger snickered as she sat up modestly pulling the sheets around her own nakedness and saying, "You should hear Dumbledore's. Dawn programmed in "Dancing Queen" from the soundtrack to "Mamma Mia!"

Hooch snorted, "It figures." She handed the still ringing phone to her lover and added, "That girl has way too much time on her hands."

Shaking off the laughter as mussed, shoulder length sandy brown hair fell into her eyes, Jean answered the phone, "'ello?"

There was a moment of silence as Jean listened, then she frowned, "Dammit George Weasley I am NOT going to make Hermione tell you where Harry and Ginny are!"

Hooch cocked her head to the side, "Whut?"

Jean shook her head, "Apparently Harry and Ginny have taken off for points unknown." She watched as Rolanda's yellow eyes darkened to a deep golden hue that signified that the flying instructor was thinking naughty thoughts. Raising a curious eyebrow the dark eyed woman asked, "Whut?"

Hooch grinned as she climbed back into bed and under the blankets saying, "I have some unknown points of your's in mind."

Jean began to squirm as she felt her lover's mouth envelop her left nipple, "Ooohh Ro...Mmmmmm." The rest of her sounds were abruptly squelched as firm lips fastened over her own.

George Weasley looked up at his mother. Surprise and shock clearly showing in his crystal blue eyes as he realized that Jean and Rolanda hadn't closed the connection on the phone. He could hear their enthusiastic lovemaking in full clarity! A furious blush raced across his face coloring him a deep scarlet.

Taking a gulp of air, he addressed his mother, "Um they don't know where they are either." Closing the phone, he stiffly marched out of the kitchen.


It was shortly after eleven in the morning when Hermione found herself sitting at the desk in her study. The spacious room in her and her wife's quarters sported an octagonal shaped floor to ceiling window that allowed the young witch a spectacular view of the rear courtyard, grounds and the Black Lake.

For the past half hour or so, she'd been trying to focus on her attempts to come up with a potion to ease late trimester side effects. Specifically the annoying need to visit the loo every half hour!

Her attempts at the present time were in vain it seemed. The young woman found it increasingly difficult to concentrate. She felt an uneasy restlessness about her. More than once in the last few minutes, she'd awkwardly risen from her seat and waddled over to the window. Gazing out at...

Nothing in particular.

Annoyed with herself, she'd snorted and stepped back to her desk. Her hands drifting down to her lower back to ease the ache that had developed. An exasperated sigh followed as the young mother-to-be had settled back into her chair.

Picking up her quill she began writing again.

"Yoo Hooo?" Came a sound from her floo.

Without looking up, Hermione answered, "Who is it?"

"It's Molly dear. May I floo in?"

Hermione had asked Minerva to install a small private floo in her study so she wouldn't need to bother the Headmistress whenever she needed to go to the clinic.

The shrewd older witch had agreed only if Hermione swore an oath that she would not sneak away on her own without informing her wife.

Not that Minerva would allow her errant young wife ANYWHERE alone these days.

Pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration, Hermione growled, "If you must."

A moment later the Weasley matriarch stepped into Hermione's private study. The red haired woman paused to glance about at her surroundings. She'd never been in this room before. A large polished African Ebony desk dominated the expansive room. Plush forest green rugs covered a gleaming black walnut plank floor.

A huge bookcase made of the same ebony as the desk covered an entire wall. The floo was situated opposite.

The gigantic window pulled Molly's gaze almost hypnotically. Her crystal blue eyes, so like her son's, widened with surprised awe at the incredible view.

"This is lovely."

Hermione shook her head with a sigh, "What do you need Molly?" There was a tiny hint of irritation in the young healer's voice. Something Molly Weasley picked up on immediately.

"Are you alright dear?" She cocked her head to the side and used her Prewitt magic to look at the young woman's aura. A bright yellow glow with swirls of orange surrounded the chestnut maned witch.

Mouth falling open, Molly exclaimed, "Are you feeling well?" If she was interpreting the colors correctly, then she needed to get the young woman to the hospital wing very soon!

Hermione once again rose from her seat and lumbered to the window. Running her hands down to the small of her back, she grumbled, "My back hurts, I'm restless. I feel... odd."

Grinning Molly replied, "It's no wonder."

Hermione turned to the older woman, a questioning look burning in her dark eyes, "What do you mean?"

Chuckling Molly answered, "You're the doctor. Don't you recognize the early signs of labour?"

"Whut!"

Laughing, Molly nodded, "Your aura is orange and yellow."

Snorting, Hermione replied, "Here I thought you were here to try and get me to tell you where Ginny and Harry are." She proceeded to waddle her way aimlessly around the office missing the guilty expression on Molly's face, "I'm not due for two weeks."

Another laugh followed with Molly commenting, "These are McGonagall children. Patience is not something they'll have in abundance. They want out. Now!"

She waved her hand in the young witch's general direction and stated, "Oh little elf? Are you there?"

Instantly Doodleberry materialized beside his young mistress.

Hermione's chocolate eyes glowed with affection for the sweet, loyal little creature.

Great golden eyes blinked up at Molly as a tiny, high pitched voice squeaked, "Yes Madams Weasley?"

Molly knelt down to address the tiny creature. An action that caused Hermione to grin despite the sharp pain that suddenly ripped through her lower back, "Yeeow!"

Both the red haired woman and the elf immediately focussed on the younger woman. Blue and golden eyes widened as Hermione yelped, "Hey!" She looked down to see fluid pooling around her ankles, her maternity robes sporting a suspicious wetness around her groin area.

"Oh shit."


It was the lunch hour at Hogwarts. The students were busily consuming enormous mounds of food and drink like the voracious horde that they were. The teachers were not much better. Each was hungrily devouring every delectable morsel they could grab. Muted conversation, interspersed with crunching, munching and slurping were the sounds of the hour.

Sitting at the end of the teacher's table in a gigantic chair, Hagrid gnawed on what appeared to be the entire back leg of a cow. Although considering the blackened stripes, it could've well been a zebra.

Next to him, Dumbledore made short work of his dish of sugary sweet baby back ribs. The older wizard didn't seem to mind that most of the sauce ended up in his beard rather than in his mouth.

Poppy Pomfrey eyed the elder wizard gently chiding him about his cholesterol as she daintily picked at her salad.

Next to her Filius crunched on his carrot sticks with a sullen expression on his wizened features. Pomona had told him that he was getting a bit of a paunch. He thought that rather rich coming from her round self. Of course like all clueless husbands, he'd said as such to her and was now relegated to the sofa in their sitting room.

At the center of the head table sat the Headmistress gazing out at the massive feeding frenzy with a sardonic raised eyebrow. She'd been eyeing Mr. Richards from Syltherin and Mr. Philpot from Gryffindor conduct a covert tater tot missile war for the last few minutes. Evidently Mr. Philpot had scored a direct hit because Mr. Richards was glaring at the young man with a look of fiercesome rage. The young Slytherin was in the process of levitating a large bowl of tapioca pudding.

Minerva snorted as she realized what the young man was planning. It would be quite spectacular.

And rather messy.

Spying Peeves doing cartwheels in the ceiling beams, she whispered his name. The poltergeist was so connected to the castle and it's goings on that he could hear the Headmistress no matter where she was if she called on him. In fact, they'd developed quite the relationship when Umbridge roamed the halls. He stopped his cavorting and gazed at Minerva curiously.

"Mr. Richards requires your unique assistance." The older witch pitched her voice so only he could hear her.

The poltergeist gazed down at the Slytherin table and saw what his Headmistress had seen. With an evil cackle, he whizzed down quick as lightening and grabbed the large bowl of pudding. Twirling it in the air above the hapless young man's head, Peeves sang out...

"Rodney Richards had an evil whim! Messed with the puddin', now it's all o'er him!"

With that, the poltergeist promptly dumped the pudding on Mr. Richards' head. Laughter echoed throughout the Great Hall as the red faced young man angrily stomped out. Gobs of sweet, pearly goo leaving a gooey trail in his angry wake.

Mr. Philpot sat back in his seat with a self satisfied smirk. That is until he found himself blind sided with Hagrid's partially eaten animal leg.

"Hey!"

"Ewwww!"

"That thar's me lunch that is!"

Minerva sniggered behind her hand at Peeve's shenanigans. After all, what's good for one is good for the other. Her musings were interrupted by Rolanda poking her shoulder, "You put him up to that!"

The Headmistress arched an eyebrow, "Indeed."

Rolanda shook her head and looked at the empty seat beside her, "Where's Harry?"

Minerva never had the opportunity to answer as Hermione's elf, Doodleberry suddenly appeared in the main aisle between the tables and squeaked at the top of his tiny lungs, "Lady Miss's water breaks!"

Pandemonium ensued as the Headmistress abruptly stood and launched herself up and over the large head table. She morphed into her cat form in mid air causing exclamations to ring out...

"Whoa kewell!"

"Look at the Headmistress!"

"She's a cat?"

"Wait up Minerva!"

The silver striped tabby was having none of it as she raced up the center aisle, her claws scrabbling on the stone floor of the Great Hall. She passed Doodleberry in a flash of fur, the latter grinning as he snapped his claws and disappeared.

Rolanda Hooch swore loudly as she barked her knee on the edge of the great table. She looked up just as a silver striped tail disappeared out of the doors at the front of the cavernous room.

"Dammit why couldn't I be an animagus?"

Poppy snickered as she stood and sedately glided after Minerva, "You'd probably end up as a baboon or something!"

Nearby students hearing this broke out into hysterical giggles.

The flying instructor cuffed one young Ravenclaw in the back of the head as she hurried by muttering, "Your animagus form would probably be a dung beetle or some such shite eater!" The dark eyed young man grinned as his seat mates laughed.

Rolanda broke into a run, her leather boots sliding a bit on the smooth surface of the flagstone that covered the castle floors. At full tilt she scrambled out of the doors and out of sight. The next thing anyone heard was the metallic clanging sound of a body colliding with a suit of armour.

Rolling her hazel eyes, Poppy muttered, "More like a bull in a china shop."

Dumbledore smiled excitedly. The babies were coming! He then realized that with a witch of Hermione's power, he needed to make sure the castle was secure. He also realized that he'd better warn Corny and Rosmerta as well.

Filius apparently had the same idea as he said, "We'd better see to the arrangements."

Hearing this, the rest of the staff rose and quickly exited intent on making sure they battened down the hatches.

Hurricane Hermione was about to erupt.


Ron and Dawn were snuggled together on the sofa at the burrow when a garbled squawking erupted from the floo.

"H'mioneshavin'th'babies!"

It sounded like Molly... kind of.

Dawn cocked her head at her boyfriend, "What was that?"

Ron puzzled through the phrase for a moment, then stood up too fast for Dawn to react and promptly dumped her onto the floor.

"Jeeze Ron!"

"Sorry Love." He helped her up, wincing as she punched him in the arm.

"Com'ondammit!" Another screech erupted.

That definitely sounded like the Weasley matriarch.

Blue eyes widened as Ron finally realized what was going on, "Blimey! Hermione's having the babies!"

The slim young woman standing beside him yelped, "Oy! Let's go!"

She ran to the floo followed closely by the tall, red haired man, "We gotta get mum!" The youngest Granger exclaimed as she felt Ron's strong arm wrap around her waist. Ron tossed some powder into the fireplace watching as it flared up with a green light and stated, "McGonagall Flat."

Dawn yelled, "Geronimo!" as they jumped in and disappeared.


As Rolanda Hooch scrambled through the castle on her way to the hospital wing, Poppy Pomfrey calmly walked out of the Great Hall and over to a red and blue tapestry hanging by the main entrance. An amused grin creasing her sedate face as Dumbledore rushed passed in a flutter of silver hair and day-glo orange robes.

The Mediwitch snickered as she heard the elderly wizard muttering something about telling Corny to shut down the taffy vats.

Tapping the ages old woven fabric that depicted a large red cross in the center of a cobalt blue field with her wand, a hidden set of stairs appeared.

Down through the centuries, the mediwitches and wizards of Hogwarts had placed these special tapestries in several strategic locations throughout the castle. Charmed to allow the designated medical professional swift access to any part of the enormous castle should a medical need occur.

As it often does where teenagers and magic exist side by side.

Poppy stepped onto the staircase and immediately it whisked her up to the level where the hospital wing was located. When she opened the doors leading to her domain, she found Hermione standing just inside, leaning heavily against the wall. A look of deep pain etching across her beautiful features. Instantly Poppy placed a supporting arm around the young woman and said in a soothing voice, "I'm here dear. Let's get you settled. Alright?"

Hermione nodded and allowed the older woman to slowly guide her by the neat rows of cots. Their crisp white linens gleaming in the light streaming through the windows from the noon day sun. The young witch took halting steps, her trembling hands again rubbing the small of her back where most of her pain seemed to have settled.

As they moved towards a private area in the back of the ward, Poppy waved her wand and Hermione's robes transfigured into a comfortable gown. The young healer looked down at herself, then reached to the back of her new garment.

Poppy's eyes crinkled with humour as she noticed her patient feeling around for the ubiquitous rear opening that seemed to decorate all hospital gowns. "I took a page from your book and changed my gowns to allow the patient a wee bit more dignity."

Chocolate eyes reflected gratitude.

As the two women entered the room the mediwitch had especially prepared for just this occasion, a noise at the doors gave them pause.

A thumping sound followed by a pained yowl, then a cursed, "Bugger!"

The doors opened with a whoosh and the Headmistress strode in. A handkerchief grasped in her elegant hand as she gingerly dabbed at her bloodied nose.

Poppy snickered and whispered in Hermione's ear, "She has never been able to time her transformations perfectly enough to morph back into human form in time enough to open the doors and not crash into them."

In spite of her growing pain, Hermione threw her head back and howled with laughed.

That magical, musical sound caused Minerva's head to shoot up and her eyes to sparkle.

In spite of the bloody nose.

The tall witch rapidly made her way to where her wife was standing, her dark robes billowing in a very "Snape-like" fashion. "Are you alright?"

Sighing, Hermione pulled her wand out and waved it over Minerva's fast bruising nose, "Episkey!" Immediately the bleeding stopped.

Poppy reached out a steady hand and grasped the younger witch's wand, "Ah, ah, ah... You know you're not supposed to be using magic at this point." She placed the wand on the bedside table next to the larger, comfortable looking bed that had been set up just for the birth of Headmistress' children.

Next, the mediwitch waved her own wand over Minerva's nose and whispered a spell. She nodded in satisfaction as the bruising quickly disappeared. "It will be tender for a few days." She grinned and added, "You really need to work on your timing."

A dark frown was her answer, followed by a puzzled, "Why can she not use magic?"

Hermione was the one to answer. As Poppy and Minerva assisted, she slowly eased herself onto the soft mattress of the bed. A look of grateful satisfaction plainly seen on her pained features. Looking into her wife's curious green eyes, she stated, "Because of the explosive nature of wizarding child birth, the use of magic is frowned upon because a mother-to-be can be quite uncontrolled in the throes of painful contractions." She smiled ruefully and added, "Just wait and see."

Poppy nodded and said, "That reminds me, I need to vanish the rest of the breakables." She finished tucking Hermione under the sheets, then turned on her heel and walked out, closing the door behind her.

Minerva could hear her friend whispering various spells as the mediwitch battened down the proverbial hatches in preparation for the upcoming chaos of a double magical child birth. The older witch gazed down at her mate. Her dark green eyes clouding a bit with unshed tears.

Hermione's own chocolate gaze fastened on the taller woman, "T'will be alright."

A single tear escaped and slid down a high cheekbone, "I am *sniff* supposed to be saying that to you."

Wordlessly Hermione held out open her arms in invitation. An invitation that the Headmistress immediately accepted by dropping to her knees beside the bed and enveloping her wife in a warm, loving embrace.

"I love you." Was whispered at the same time, causing small smiles on two adoring faces.


"Labour? As in labour having the baby labour?" Jean gasped into her mobile phone.

On the other end, Dawn replied, "Yes mum. It's the real deal." She looked over to where Molly was eyeing her and her phone. With a snarky grin, she added, "It's Molly's fault."

The red haired woman in question opened her mouth to object, then closed it abruptly as Poppy breezed in and began vanishing all the breakable objects she could find. Instead, she rose from her seat and began helping.

"What are you doing?" Dawn queried, leaving her mother on the other end to ask, "Whut?"

Molly smiled and answered, "With a witch as powerful as Hermione, you need to prepare for uncontrolled bursts of magic."

Mocha eyes widened, "Why is that?"

Poppy turned to explain, "A magical child birth can be a very violent thing if one is unprepared. Especially as Molly says with a witch as powerful as your sister. During the extreme pain of giving birth, a witch looses control of her magic and it channels in all sorts of unpredictable ways."

Molly vanished several glass bottles and remembering her own seven bouts of labour said with a knowing smile, "Mostly in breakable ways."

Poppy frowned and added, "Again with a witch like Hermione, the very foundations of buildings are at risk as well."

There was a gasp on the other end of the phone, then Jean Granger could be heard saying, "Tell Ro to come get me. I still can't use the floo thing correctly."

That much was true. For Jean Granger, the one time she tried to floo alone, had pulled a Potter-style escapade and ended up in some seedy corner of Knock-Turn Alley.

It was her blood curdling screeches that sent some of the shadier characters fleeing for their lives. That and the extremely pissed off yellow eyed witch that came screaming in on her Firebolt with her wand waving wildly.

Dawn smiled, "I'll tell her to come get you." With that, she closed the connection. Remembering what Poppy had said about the power of her sister's magic, she flipped open the phone again and called Susan Bones. She wanted her to tell Corny and Rosmerta to beware. Not realising that word had already begun to spread and shield charms were frantically being placed all around the buildings of the tiny village.


Minerva sat on the edge of the bed watching as another powerful contraction ripped through her wife's body. Hermione's face was red and her body drenched in perspiration. Her beautiful mane was plastered to the sides of her head and those warm chocolate eyes were glazed with pain.

She conjured a cool cloth to wipe the young witch's forehead, "I wish I could help you." She whispered as pain-filled dark eyes once again opened and gazed steadily into concerned emerald.

Small fists unclenched themselves from around the sweat soaked sheets and a shaking hand reached out. A larger hand clasped the smaller in a gentle grip.

"I love you."


Jean Granger stepped away from Rolanda Hooch and impatiently brushed the soot from her travelling cloak, "Where are they?" She fastened intense dark eyes on Molly Weasley.

The red haired woman pointed to the back of the hospital wing, "Poppy has set up a special room for them."

"Can I see her?"

Molly smiled, "I don't see why not. Just remember to duck."

Jean's eyebrows raised in surprise, "Huh?"

At that moment a nearby window blew out with a spectacular crash.

"Uhhh."

Hooch stepped close and waved her wand in a figure eight pattern while mumbling something under her breath. Jean immediately felt something closing in around her. She looked to her lover for an explanation.

"It's a shield charm. If something comes at you, it'll just bounce off."

"Oh... Uh o.k. then..." She nodded at her lover, shot a pensive smile at her youngest child and took off in a full sprint towards the back of the hospital wing.

"Wow, I didn't know mum could move like that!" Dawn exclaimed as she watched Jean dodge a flying hospital cot.

Hooch grinned, "You have no idea."

Dawn placed her hand, palm up, in Hooch's face saying, "I'm not hearing this!" And walked away.


Pomona Sprout patiently moved about Greenhouse 4. She was instructing her fifth years in the proper re-potting of Dragon's Eye Ferns. These particular plants were large willowy ferns that had eyes at the tips of their fronds. She was directing her students how to accomplish their task without poking out an eye when the greenhouse right next to the one they were in exploded in a spectacular display of red fire and golden lightening. The heat was so intense that the shards of glass melted into crystal lumps before hitting the ground.

"Stay calm! I placed a shield charm around us earlier!" The herbology professor bellowed as she watched her students dive under the work table. She flinched slightly as she heard the slapping sound of crystals, wood bits and pieces of assorted plants clattering against the ceiling and walls of her greenhouse.

"All this means is that the Headmistress will have to provide me with another greenhouse." She rubbed her hands together greedily and added, "Equipped with all the latest gadgets!"

Reassured, her students tittered as they rose from their refuge and began working again on their assigned task.

"Thank you Hermione." Pomona whispered as she gazed out at the carnage that was once Greenhouse 3.


Rosmerta grinned as patrons at the Three Broomsticks began taking bets on how many glasses Hermione would take out before the babies were born. Rita was sitting at the bar in her usual place. Her quick quotes quill furiously scribbling down names and numbers as galleons were passed forward and placed in a large jar on top the polished surface of the bar.

"Now remember! Half this money goes into replacing the glassware!" The owner screamed above the din.

The door to the pub opened and the tall form of Cornelius Honeyduke strolled in. He had just finished securing the taffy vats and was interested in all the activity he'd noticed at Rosmerta's place.

"What's going on?" His voice boomed out. American accent standing out like a sore thumb in the pub.

One of the patrons yelled over to him, "Takin' bets on how many glasses Dr. McGonagall is going to take out during child birth!"

Grinning, the tall bald American rubbed his hands together, "What's the record?"

Rita looked up from her ledger and answered, "14... When Teddy Lupin was born." A sad smile swept through the pub as it's patrons remembered the quiet werewolf and his mate, the irrepressible Nymphadora Tonks.

The momentary sadness quickly evaporated as Rosmerta began setting beer mugs up on the bar with a loud clinking sound. Nothing spoiled business faster than sad thoughts. She needed to get their attention. She glanced at her partner and noticed that Rita shot her a knowing wink.

Corny smiled and dug into the pockets of his purple satin trousers. Pulling out some money, he strode over to Rita, "Count me in. I say 20 mugs for sure!"

Rita dropped her glasses to the tip of her nose and eyed his trousers, "Those drawers just scream 'poofter'."

The tall American's chocolate eyes crinkled in amusement as he replied, "Not so. Dumbles has a pair of lemon yellow ones with pink and purple butterflys that are much worse." He handed her the money as the patrons began to tease him about his bet of 20 mugs.

"That's too many!"

"She won't do that!"

Corny accepted a butterbeer from Rosmerta and turned to face the group, "You have no idea how powerful Hermione McGonagall truly is. That witch is amazing!" He took a swig of his drink, thin eyebrow raised in challenge.

Rita frowned as she looked closer at him. Her mouth dropped open as she realized something and said with her usual tactful diplomacy, "Your eyebrows are drawn on."

It was true. Cornelius Honeyduke didn't have any eyebrows. He nodded in acknowledgement.

Using her long middle finger, Rita Skeeter pushed her glasses back to perch at the top of her nose, "Do tell?"

The big man pulled out a stool beside the reporter and replied, "I don't have any body hair at all."

The bleach blonde's mouth fell open, "Whut!"

Nodding the large man took another drink and stated cryptically, "Never pull taffy when you're naked."

A large crash boomed out, startling the entire pub. It sounded far off though. A voice abruptly squawked through Rosmerta's floo, "She took out Greenhouse 3!" The squeaky voice sounded suspiciously like Filius Flitwick announcing military maneuvers.

Rita grinned and yelled, "Pay up Rosie!" Rita had bet that the first real destruction would be one of the greenhouses at the school.

The bar owner reached into the deep pockets of her robe and pulled out several galleons, "How did you figure that?"

Rita shot her partner her own version of a toothy "Cheshire Cat" grin and said nothing.

With another series of crashes, the group flinched as windows were randomly blown out of some of the buildings down the street.

"Whups! She got the clinic!"

"And Aberforth's place... Ohh he doesn't look too happy."

"Uh oh, Corny... she got the shop."

Corny raised his mug in the direction of the castle, "Bravo Hermione!"

There was another series of crashes and Rosmerta watched as the glasses on the bar exploded one by one. Other full ones at various tables also exploded showering her patrons with cold ale and butterbeer.

"Oy!"

"Hey!"

"Bloody pregnant witches!"

The last comment got the wizard a stinging cuff to the back of his head by his irate wife.

Meanwhile, Rita was counting off the mugs as they exploded, "12.. 13... 14..15!"

After a momentary pause another small burst of destruction caused more damage.

"16, 17... uh 18, 19 and 20! Yeah Corny you nailed it!"


"Aiiieeeeeeee!" Hermione wailed as another wave of pain wracked her body.

Minerva yowled in sympathy, desperate to help her wife in any way she could. As the contraction eased, the Headmistress maneuvered her body so that she was sitting on the bed behind her wife with Hermione resting against her chest.

"I love you Tabby." Came a strained whisper.

Tears slid down high cheekbones as Minerva gently wiped sweat from her love's forehead, "I love you too my Kitten." The older witch was desperate to help her wife through this ordeal in any way she could.

Poppy Pomfrey stood at the foot of the bed. She carefully eased Hermione's feet into the stirrups she'd pulled out from a storage space near the young witch's small feet. Next she pushed the hospital gown up to reveal the young healer's birth swollen sex. There was a good deal of birthing fluid to be seen, so the mediwitch waved her wand and carefully cleaned the area. Normally she would use another spell to efficiently shave the area as well, but the mediwitch smiled as she saw that Hermione had already taken care of that little detail.

Or perhaps Minerva had?

Stepping between Hermione's raised legs, the older witch studied the swiftly dilating birth opening. Her greying hair stood straight on end from an earlier shot of Hermione's incidental magic. Her nurse's cap now rested quietly in the roof rafters.

"How much longer?"

The mediwitch turned her gaze to Jean, noting that her sandy brown hair was also standing straight up, "She's dilating quickly. I don't think it will be much longer." With a sweet smile, she added, "Those little ones want out!"

Hearing this, Minerva's arms tightened around her wife's trembling body. She could feel Hermione tensing as another contraction began to ravage the young woman. Closing her eyes, she focussed inward. Towards that pulse of reassuring magic that connected her to her young mate.

During the ordeal at Camlaan, Minerva had finally learned how to access that bit of magic. Now she was using it to link to her wife even further. The older woman wanted so much to ease the agony her wife was feeling that she began using their bonding to slowly pull Hermione's pain into herself.

She could feel a niggling ache begin in her lower back.

It was several minutes later that Hermione began to sense what Minerva was doing. Chocolate eyes snapped open, "Tabby you can't do that!"

Poppy frowned as she observed the two.

Jean shot Minerva a puzzled expression, "What are you doing?" She could see beads of sweat forming over the older witch's upper lip and across her proud brow.

Hermione dove into their bonding, trying to force her mate out of their link but it was too late.

"You can't do that! Your body is not prepared!" She gasped feeling the strong body behind her stiffen and arch as her pain abruptly transferred into the Headmistress.

A deep, hair raising yowl escaped thin lips as Minerva McGonagall convulsed.


Another painful scream assaulted the ears of the small group gathered near Poppy's office. The pitch and tone was different from what they'd heard earlier. Then they realized that the person screaming was not Hermione.

It was Minerva.

"What the..." Molly gasped as painful magic pierced the nerve endings of the group.

"Yikes!" Dawn squealed dancing about like a flamenco dancer. "What the hell?"

Ron shook his head trying to clear the stars that suddenly appeared in his eyes.

Hooch staggered to one side, "God! That wasn't 'Mione..." Her yellow eyes narrowed as she stared down between what was left of the neat cots to the area where she knew the McGonagalls were.

Molly ran a trembling hand through her thick, dark red hair. That was child birth pain but somehow not connected to Hermione. It was from Minerva. She could sense the difference.

There was a frantic scrabbling at the door, then it swung open and Dumbledore rushed in with Harry and Ginny close behind. The trio had taken several steps into the medical ward when, without warning, they were knocked off their feet by a powerful wave of magic that crashed into them like the ocean crashing against the shore.

"Bugger!" Albus yelped as he slowly rose to one knee. Dawn rushed to his side and began helping him up. Grinning, the elderly wizard quipped, "This is becoming a habit with us young lady."

Another agonized yowl echoed throughout the ward causing the hairs to rise on the backs of everyone's necks.

Albus frowned, "That's Minerva!"


Poppy that finally realized what Minerva was doing. Eyes wide, she barked, "No! Stop it! You cannot handle this! Hermione's body has had nine months to prepare. Your's has not!" The mediwitch frantically waved her wand at the Headmistress trying to break the link but to no avail.

Their bonding was stronger.

Jean reached for her daughter only to have her hand flung back by an invisible force, "Hey!"

For better or worse, Minerva McGonagall was bound and determined to protect her wife from harm. Even from the pain of child birth and no one was going to interfere. Not even her mother. This was something she could do.

Even if it killed her.

Hermione feebly tried pulling out of the bonding. She tried using her magic, but each time she tried... another brick flew out of the walls of the castle.

This time, the heavy masonry blew out of the side of the Astronomy Tower and landed with a mighty sploosh in the Black Lake.

The young witch gasped as she tried to split her focus between bearing down for delivery and pulling away from Minerva. She gave a powerful heave letting out a side splitting scream as the pain once again ripped through her body.

Emerald eyes snapped open as the Headmistress felt a pulling sensation inside her soul. She realized that Hermione was trying to push her away from the pain. That the young woman was taking it back. She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. Focussing once more on easing away her wife's agony, she poured her powerful will into snatching at the bonding and pulling the pain of the birth of their children into herself.

Hermione couldn't fight her wife's forceful will. She understood why Minerva was doing this and loved her even more for doing it. The doctor in her however screamed in outrage, "Your body isn't prepared for this!" She hissed between the waves that were assaulting her.

Suddenly Minerva stiffened as the most excruciating agony she had ever felt raced through her body. She felt like she was being ripped in half as her eyes rolled back in her head.

Hermione felt all of this through the eternal binding connection that fused her soul to that of her wife. Tears rolled from glazed chocolate eyes.

Great sobs burst from Jean Granger as she realized there was nothing she could do to help her baby. Nothing she could do to save the most amazing witch she'd ever met. And nothing she could do to assist the mediwitch who was now fighting a battle to not only make sure the heirs to the McGonagall legacy made it into the world unharmed but to keep the Headmistress from killing herself in the process.

Let alone assisting the young woman who was actually giving birth!

Another wave of destructive magic blasted through the aged halls of the ancient castle. Supports groaned as architecture twisted, floors rippled causing young bodies to slip and fall, the great English Oak doors of the main entrance exploded outward and all the windows on the north side of the castle melted as the most powerful witch in the world collapsed.

"Tabby!" Hermione wailed as she felt the ripping in her heart.

Poppy waved her wand desperately over the still form of her dear friend, "She's not breathing!"

"Noooooooo!"


-to be continued

AN: Cliffhanger? Who me? Ain't I a stinka? (Gotta love Bugs Bunny)