I woke up the next morning at about 10 am. The bed was empty except for me. Teddy was always an early riser. I could smell the bacon frying downstairs and I knew that he was making breakfast. I hauled myself out of bed, my mouth watering

I was on the stairs when I felt the first contraction. It was short and not too painful, but it surprised me and I let out a small yelp.

"Vic?" I heard Teddy shout from the kitchen. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" I responded.

I couldn't actually be in labor, I told myself. It had to just be that false labor thing that I had read about in Aunt Hermione's book. I wasn't due for two weeks.

I felt another contraction while sitting at the breakfast table.

"Ouch," I murmured, grimacing slightly.

Teddy glanced up from his newspaper. "Are you sure you're okay, Vic?"

I bit my lip nervously. "I might be in labor," I mumbled.

He jumped up from his seat. "What!"

His slightly hysterical expression made me freak out more than I already was.

"But you're not due for two weeks!" he exclaimed.

"I know that!" I shouted back. "That's why I think it's just those Braxton Hicks contraction things."

Teddy's face scrunched up in confusion. "What the hell are backstone hickies?"

"Braxton Hicks," I corrected. "They're false contractions."

"Well how do you know the difference between them and the real thing?"

I tried to remember what Aunt Hermione's book said on the matter. "I think that if the contractions start getting stronger, longer, and closer together, they're real."

I desperately wished that this wasn't happening when my parents were out of town. I wasn't even completely sure where they were. I just knew it had something to do with my dad's job.

I needed my mummy.

"So, we just wait?" asked Teddy.

I shrugged. "I guess so."

So I lay down on the couch and prayed that the contractions stayed irregular. Irregular meant false labor and I couldn't be in labor. Not now. Not two weeks early.

Of course, my luck seems to be nonexistent because as the hours passed the contractions became more painful and of course regular.

Ouch! There was another one.

"How long ago was the last one?" asked Teddy.

"About ten minutes ago," I replied.

"When are you supposed to go the hospital?"

"When they're about five minutes apart and last for about a minute each."

Teddy looked half crazed. He kept running his hands through his hair, which was sticking up in all directions and his eyes kept darting back and forth between me and the clock. "Maybe you should go now. I want you to get there on time. I can't deliver a baby."

"You're not supposed to go to the hospital too early," I told him calmly. I paused. "Teddy will you go into town and find Colin? He should be at the store right now."

Teddy's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"I told him that he can be there when the baby's born. And I was just thinking that he's probably the only way that we can get to the hospital. I can't apparate while I'm in labor and he has a car."

"I can't leave you alone."

"I'm fine!" I snapped. "Go!"

Fifteen minutes later, they were back.

Teddy rushed straight into the room. "Are you alright? Are your contractions any closer together?"

"I'm fine, Teddy. The contractions are the same as before."

I glanced past him to where Colin was hovering in the doorway.

"Hey, Colin," I said. "Don't be a stranger."

He bit his lip and walked over to me slowly. Teddy glared at him and took a step back, crossing his arms and staring him down.

"Hey, Vic," said Colin. "How are you?"

"Oh, just marvelous," I replied. "Going into labor is like a freaking picnic on the beach."

"Don't be a bitch, Vic," said Colin, grinning slightly. "It's not very attractive."

"If you get to be an arsehole, then I get to be a bitch," I told him.

He shrugged. "Fair enough."

Teddy cleared his throat loudly. "So Colin, what do you do for a living?"

Colin turned around. "Er, nothing. I mean, I work at the store part time."

"And that's how you plan to support the baby? With a crappy part-time job?"

Collin frowned. "I'm still in school, mate. You can't really expect me to have a full-time career."

"When do you graduate?"

"In a few months."

They were both glaring at each other, arms crossed. Neither seemed to notice that I was experiencing another contraction. It was really just my luck that on the day I went into labor, my parents were nowhere to be found and I was stuck with my two incompetent ex-boyfriends, who were arguing like five-year-olds.

"Are you going to university?"

"Nah," replied Colin. "That's not really for me."

Teddy gave him the most condescending look I'd ever seen him give anybody. "So what exactly do you plan to do with your life?"

"Well, I've always planned on eventually being somewhat successful in the music industry…"

Teddy rolled his eyes.

"… but until that happens, I'll probably continue working at the store full-time. The owner told me that he'll make me manager after I graduate because I'm his best worker. He even told me that when he dies he'll probably leave the store to me because he's got no living relatives and I'm like a grandson to him."

"I see," said Teddy.

"What about you?" asked Colin. "Are you at university right now?"

Teddy froze for a second. Obviously he wasn't. Wizards didn't have universities. But it wasn't like he could tell Colin that.

"Er, yes. Yes I am."

"Which one?"

Teddy looked like a deer caught in the headlights. I could tell that he didn't know the names of many muggle universities.

"Oxford," he finally replied. It was obviously the only university he'd ever heard of.

Even Colin looked impressed by this. "Really? What are you studying?"

Teddy gave a nervous little laugh. "Well…I mean…What aren't I studying?"

Colin looked confused. "What?"

"You know…A little bit of everything, I guess."

Teddy's a bad liar.

"So you're undecided?"

"Yes," replied Teddy, looking relieved. "Undecided. That's me."

"And you're judging me for not having a definite life plan?"

"Argh!" I shouted as another contraction hit. I clutched the side of the couch, my knuckles turning white. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

They both turned towards me, as if they suddenly remembered I existed.

Colin practically elbowed Teddy out of the way and knelt down beside me. "Are you okay, Vic?"

I shook my head, unable to speak. I grabbed his outstretched hand and squeezed as hard as I could, my fingernails digging into his flesh. He winced slightly, but didn't try to let go.

When the pain finally ended, I turned to Teddy. "You need to tell my parents that I'm in labor."

"How?"

"How about a phone?" asked Colin with an isn't-it-obvious-look on his face.

"They don't have a phone," I responded

"Seriously?"

"A Patronus is the only thing that will get there fast enough," I told Teddy.

Colin looked extremely confused. "A what?"

Teddy's eyes widened. "But what about him?" he asked, gesturing towards Colin.

"He's going to have to find out at some point, isn't he? I'm one. The baby's going to be one."

"The baby's going to be what? What are you?" asked Colin loudly. His eyes widened. "Holy shit! Are you in a cult? Is that why you can't have phones or other electronics? Because I don't really think I'm okay with our kid being part of a cult."

"Colin, shut up. I'm not in a cult."

"Then what are you?"

I took a deep breath. "I'm a witch."

Colin eyebrows shot up. "You're Wiccan?"

"What the hell is 'Wiccan'? I'm a witch."

He laughed nervously. "You're kind of freaking me out, Vic."

"I'm a witch. Teddy's a wizard. Our baby is going to be a witch. I have a wand. I can do magic spells and make potions."

"You're insane."

"Teddy, send my parents your Patronus," I told him, ignoring the look Colin was giving me.

He hesitated, but then he pulled out his wand. "Expecto Patronum!" he shouted. The silvery animal came shooting out.

As I watched Teddy give it the message, I felt another contraction. I grabbed Colin's hand again. I expected him to pull away. He looked so freaked out. He was staring at Teddy's Patronus, mouth hanging open. He tensed up when I touched him. He thought I was a crazy person. But he glanced down at my stomach. At his baby. And he didn't let go.

The Patronus was gone and Teddy turned to see Colin's reaction. The room was dead silent. Colin opened his mouth. Then shut it. Then opened it again.

"What was that?" he finally managed to get out.

"My Patronus," replied Teddy. "Basically my spirit guardian. It drives off dark creatures and can be used as a means of communication. A Patronus takes the form of an animal that reflects the caster somehow."

"What animal was yours? I couldn't tell."

"A werewolf."

"A werewolf?" he laughed. "So they don't have to be real animals?"

"Werewolves are real," replied Teddy. "My dad was one. That's why my Patronus takes that form. My dad died in the Battle of Hogwarts when I was a baby, fighting Lord Voldemort, the darkest wizard of all time, and his followers. My mum died as well."

Teddy made a strange noise. "You're both crazy. You expect me to believe all this? That witches and wizards are real?" He turned to me. "Vic, do you really believe all this? That his dad was a werewolf. Don't you see how crazy this all is?"

"Of course I believe all this. It's true. Even the werewolf part. My dad was attacked by a werewolf once. The same one that turned Teddy's dad. But my dad didn't become one because Greyback wasn't transformed at the time. It's where he got his scars though."

Colin shook his head, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Teddy," I said. "Change your appearance."

Teddy nodded. "I'm a Metamorphmagus," he told Colin. "It means I can change my appearance at will. It's a very rare ability."

Suddenly Teddy's hair was no longer brown. It was blond. It was red. Green. Blue. Purple. Grey. Then he was completely bald.

He shrunk down until he was five feet tall. Then grew until he was seven feet tall.

He opened his mouth and there were no teeth in there. Then there were.

His nose was small. Then large. Then it was a pig snout. A bird's beak.

Colin stood frozen in one spot.

Teddy grinned slightly. Then he made his hair black. His eyes green. His skin pale.

Standing right in front of Colin was a nearly exact clone of himself. He gave a shout and leapt back.

Teddy returned to his original form, still grinning. "Do you believe us now?"

Colin nodded slowly. He lifted his finger and pointed past Teddy. "Patronus." His voice was quivering.

Teddy turned. It was my dad's Patronus. It began to speak in my dad's voice. "Go to the hospital," it said. "Your mother and I will meet you there."

"Okay, Colin," I said. "You're going to need to drive us."

He nodded, still looking stunned.

"Obviously we can't get all the way to St. Mungo's in time, so we'll just have to go the nearest muggle hospital."

"Muggle?" asked Colin.

"It's a non-magic person," I replied. "Like you."

"Oh," he said. "Right."

I held out my arms. "Both of you, come help me up. I have a baby inside me that wants out. It isn't going to wait around for you guys."

They led me out to Colin's car and helped me get situated in the back seat. Then Colin got in the driver's seat and Teddy got in the passenger's seat.

"Ready?" asked Colin.

Of course not, I wanted to reply. But instead I said, "Let's do this."

He started the car and began to drive.

I lay in the backseat and stared up at both of them. This wasn't how I used to envision the trip to the hospital to give birth when I was younger. In my imagination, I was at least 25-years-old and accompanied by my loving husband. I wasn't 18 and accompanied by my two exes.

Life sure is full of surprises.

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