A/N: Thanks Bri892 for prereading / editing
Chapter 14: The Potter's have a Baby
Harry leaped out of his seat, knocking his chair over. "It's time. Where do I go? Home or the hospital? Did she remember her bag? Do I need to call Molly and Arthur?"
Hermione said, "Come on Harry, we'll go home first and see if she's there."
Ron picked up the chair and threw some galleons on the table. "I'll let the family know and meet you at St. Mungo's."
Hermione side-along apparated Harry into his living room. He started heading to the stairs and then turned back towards the hallway. "Ginny, Ginny! Are you here?"
Ginny called back from the basement kitchen, "Down here, Harry."
Laughing at the flustered father to be; Hermione headed up stairs to the master bedroom and grabbed the baby bag and Ginny's overnight bag. Returning to the living room, she waited for them to be ready.
Harry dragged a struggling Ginny into the room. "But I'm still hungry," she cried and she shoved more of her peanut butter and nutella sandwich into her mouth.
"We need to get to the hospital now!" Harry shouted.
Hermione handed him the bags and pushed him towards the fireplace. She hugged Ginny "Let me know when the baby is born and when you are ready to receive visitors."
She looked on as they flooed away. She wondered how her birthing experience had gone. Was Snape nervous? Did everyone gather in the infirmary? Did they watch her deliver Sabrina while she was sleeping?
Overwhelmed by feelings of sadness, Hermione found herself still sitting in the living room of Grimmauld Place an hour later. The sun filled windows dimmed as the afternoon wore on.
Pulling herself together, Hermione stood up and flooed back home. Funny, the concept of home. It was no longer her parent's home or her old apartment but with Sabrina and Snape in the dungeons of Hogwarts.
~~~~O-O~~~~
Early the next morning, an owl brought an announcement: the Potter heir, James Arthur, had been born at eight pounds, six ounces. Mom and Baby were healthy and ready to receive a few visitors.
"Do you think it's acceptable for me to bring Sabrina to St Mungo's?" Hermione asked Snape over breakfast.
He glanced up from his journal and took a sip of his tea, "I believe a short visit would be acceptable. I imagine you will want to spend more time with Potter and Miss Weasley. If you want to bring her back, I am able to care for her as I only have morning classes. If you return her before my morning classes are complete; Poppy can watch her."
"Really Severus, they are married and just had a baby. You can call them the Potter's." Hermione smiled at the grimace that passed across his face. "I'll just stop in for a bit this first day and visit with them longer when they are settled at home."
Severus stood up and requested they wait for a moment. He returned a minute later with a small item in his hand. "I wanted to give you this bracelet. Filius finished it last night. It's tied to Sabrina's magic and will alert you if you are needed."
He handed her the delicate silver bracelet as Sabrina pulled at both of them, "I wanna see, wanna see. Mummy, let me see it."
Hermione was taken aback by the gift and lovingly stroked the bracelet. "Oh Severus!"
"I had requested another leather cuff like mine but Filius said this would be more appropriate for you."
She showed the bracelet to Sabrina before requesting Snape's assistance in clasping it around her wrist.
Hermione wanted to hug him but one look at his stiff stance and she reconsidered. Reaching out and patting his arm, she said, "Thank you, Severus! I really appreciate this. I will drop by Filius' office this afternoon and thank him as well. "
With a small smile on his face, Severus returned to his seat and resumed reading.
After a careful review of rules for the hospital and new baby, Hermione and Sabrina were off to meet baby James. After checking in with reception, they headed up the magical lift to the fourth floor, Spell Damage and Maternity Ward.
~~~~O-O~~~~
Harry greeted them as the lift doors opened; Sabrina jumping into his arms.
"Oh Mione, he's so small." Harry exclaimed, as he ushered her into the room.
Laying in Ginny's arms, James Arthur Potter, turned his head towards the sound of their arrival.
"He's so alert and has a full head of dark red hair." Harry boasted.
The morning passed with Weasley clan passing the newborn around with Sabrina and Hermione (being honorary Weasley's) getting their fair share.
"How are you feeling, Ginny?" Hermione asked when the room had emptied except for Baby James.
"Sore, tired, excited, thrilled, exhausted." Ginny smiled.
A healer came in to check both mother and child. Hermione was about to excuse herself when she was stopped by him.
"Don't you recognize me, Hermione?" he asked her.
"Oliver?"
Oliver Wood pulled her into a tight hug, "I am so pleased to see you up and about."
"You are a healer?"
Ginny jumped in, "Oh Yes, and he's the best! He's been voted as Top Healer by Witch Weekly."
"You can't play Quidditch all your life, you know." He smiled down at Ginny and the baby. "Let's start with this future seeker."
Hermione watched as Oliver checked over James and Ginny with great care and pronounced them perfect. He was still slim with short cropped brown hair. He had gotten taller and his shoulder were broader than she remembered.
"Ginny, you can head home tomorrow morning. And Hermione, it was truly lovely to see you. I hope we can catch up soon." Oliver hugged Hermione again, her cheeks brushed against the stubble along his jaw.
Ginny put James in the bassinet next to her bed and called her over. "Oh my, Mione. That was so hot."
"Hot? Really? How old are you? Hot…" Hermione mumbled and turned so Ginny could not see the blush that had crept on to her cheeks.
"Well, I thought he liked you; he wanted to kiss you." Ginny smiled knowingly.
They sat together on the bed, gossiping about the professional athlete turned healer, when Harry and Sabrina returned from the tea room.
"Sabrina, can you say your goodbyes? Ginny and James need to take a nap." She stood and stretched her legs.
After hugging and kissing everyone, she held Sabrina's hand as they left. Hermione wondered if she would be able to see Oliver Wood again without waiting for another friend to have a baby.
~~~~O-O~~~~