CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Summary: With the War finally won and a rapid decline in the wizarding population, drastic measures are taken in a bid to save Wizarding Britain with the introduction of a new Marriage Law. Under the law, Hermione is forced to marry at eighteen or face being exiled from the Wizarding World. She must learn to deal with her past and look forward to her future with rising Quidditch Star, Oliver Wood. Rated M for a reason.
Disclaimer: All original characters and canon events belong to J.K. Rowling. Non-canon events and characters are my own. I am not making any profit from posting this fanfic. Characters are likely to be OOC.
Page count: 15
Puddlemere United Stadium – Wednesday 5th May 1999
Hermione was now twenty-eight weeks pregnant and her stomach had grown in size considerably. Currently, she was at the stadium, enjoying her lunch break as she tucked into her sandwich, comfortably perched on the chair that had been brought from her office by Thompson.
As she finished chewing the food in her mouth, she raised her sandwich with the intention of taking another bite when she paused, her sandwich dropping to the paper plate in her hand and she rose to her feet as quickly as she was able.
"What is it?" Pallie asked quickly, his concern mirrored by the others.
It always touched her how much they cared for her and the babies, even if they were annoying and overly protective on occasion. They often scolded her and gave her disapproving expressions if she was on her feet for more than an hour, or if they believed she was starving herself when she skipped lunch, no matter how much she explained she wasn't hungry because she'd been picking at food all morning in her office.
Not answering his question, Hermione reached out for Oliver's hand, slipping it under her t-shirt and pressing it against her stomach, a confused expression marring his feature before he felt it. A strong thump against his hand. His eyes widening and staring at her stomach in awe, he felt it again.
"What is it?" Pallie repeated.
Oliver laughed. "The twins are kicking," he exclaimed joyfully.
"WHAT?!" Was chorused, being followed by barging and shoving as they all scrambled over to her. Oliver was pushed aside and one by one, each member of the team took turns feeling the babies kicking, Oliver struggling between annoyance and amusement.
~000~000~000~
Puddlemere United Stadium – Saturday 17th July 1999
The game season was underway and they were playing the fifth match of the season against Lancashire. They had won their previous matches, keeping their record intact and they held the record for most games won consecutively, something the bosses were ecstatic with, promising a big bonus if they kept it up.
They were ahead by only ten points when Thompson was on the chase, racing after the snitch with the other team's Seeker by his side... And then the crowd erupted into cheers as his fingers closed around the little winged golden ball, winning them the match.
As the team did their victory laps, waving to the audience, she, Leo and Coach Burton celebrated in the coach's box, and when Quaffle's barking grew more insistent, they turned to him.
"What's up with him?" Coach asked.
"I don't..." Hermione trailed off, her eyes opening wide.
"What's wrong?"
"My water just broke," she whispered, her eyes lowering to the ground, seeing the puddle on the floor and her partially wet shoes.
When a pain spiked through her unexpectedly, she cried out and almost fell to her knees, Coach Burton leaping into action and helping to support her weight and keep her upright. As Leo hovered by in concern and fear, Coach Burton drew his wand, muttering a Periculum, sending red sparks into the air. In response, the referee of the match approached, hovering by the railing.
"Her waters have broken, we need a Healer now," Coach Burton explained quickly, the referee's eyes widening in surprise before he nodded furiously, flying away towards the commentator's box so one might be called.
"A HEALER IS NEEDED IN PUDDLEMERE'S COACH BOX; JUNIOR COACH HERMIONE WOOD'S WATERS HAVE BROKEN! I REPEAT, A HEALER IS NEEDED URGENTLY! JUNIOR COACH HERMIONE WOOD'S WATERS HAVE BROKEN! OLIVER WOOD, YOU'RE GOING TO BE A FATHER INCREDIBLY SOON. HOW'S THAT FOR CELEBRATING A VICTORY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN?"
The cheering and boos of the audience quickly fell silent, eyes darting towards the coach's box despite nothing being able to be seen.
Oliver felt himself freezing, his grip tightening on his broom, the breath being knocked from him, barely registering when his teammates surrounded him.
"Wood, move it!" Snapped Thompson, reaching out to smack him upside the back of the head. "She needs you!"
Being brought back to reality, his teammates parted for him, creating a pathway so he might fly down to the coach's box without obstacle. When he reached it, he threw himself from his broom before he'd even properly slowed to a stop or lowered to the ground, his broom clattering against the ground forgotten as he rushed to Hermione, coming up on her other side and helping to support her. His heart pounded in his chest, his blood rushing to his head and thumping in his ears, his vision blurring and his mouth doing dry as he watched Hermione's pained expression, a cry falling from her lips.
"Yer timing is impeccable, Sparrow," commented Oliver.
She gave a breathless laugh, her hand gripping his arm tightly. "At least it wasn't during the match. Imagine the spectacle."
A Healer arrived moments later, being followed by his parents and the twins arriving from the family box, his teammates also touching down on the ground, dismounting their brooms and looking to Hermione in concern but keeping their distance, as to not get in the way.
"What can we do?" George asked, breathing heavily after his haste to reach them.
"Go to the apartment and get the baby bag," answered Hermione, giving a long, drawn-out breath as she tried to manage the pain. "And someone needs to inform everyone, especially Charlie, it'll take him longer to get here."
"A've got tha'," said Oliver, drawing his wand with his free hand, his mind filling with thoughts of his soon-to-be newborn babies. "Expecto Patronum!" The cheetah burst from the tip of his wand, standing to attention and waiting patiently to be given instructions. "Hermione's waters have broken. Meet us at St. Mungo's," he instructed, sending the cheetah to deliver the message.
"We'll floo Charlie from the apartment, it'll be quicker than a Patronus," said Fred, looking at Hermione worriedly.
"We need to get you to the hospital, Mrs. Wood," said the Healer, pocketing his wand, having finished casting the diagnostic charms. "It is safe to use the floo, but it will be uncomfortable," he warned.
~000~000~000~
St Mungo's
It had been nine hours since Hermione had been brought into the hospital. The Weasleys, Woods, Potters, the team and Katie were all in the waiting room and thankfully, it was a large room allowing everyone to fit in.
"What's taking so long?" Fred asked, pacing irritably.
"It shouldn't be taking this long," George grumbled, pacing in the opposite direction. Everyone shared amused glances; anyone would think the twins were the father and not Oliver with the way they were acting.
"It's her first child birth. Her body needs to be ready for her to give birth to the twins," Mrs. Weasley explained. "Fleur was in labour for six hours," she reminded and all eyes turned to Fleur who was sat next to Bill whilst Charlie was holding a six-month-old Victorie, cooing down at her.
"It iz true, it waz very tiring and Cherie haz to do it twice," Fleur added.
"A was in labour fer twenty hours with Oliver, he was a stubborn one," Mrs. Wood remarked.
The twins looked horrified at the reveal and as they made the decision to leave in search of someone who might be able to give them an update on what was happening, Oliver burst into the room.
~000~000~000~
Oliver was sat partially behind Hermione on the bed supporting her and he was holding her hand as she cried and leaned against him.
"You're almost there, Mrs. Wood," said her midwife encouragingly.
"I can't," Hermione cried, shaking her head and she gripped Oliver's hand tighter. He winced but didn't complain.
"Ye can," he argued softly. "Ye defeated Voldemort an' ye made Malloy dress as a fairy princess fer a victory interview. Ye got Skeeter arrested an' ye made Bishop laugh so hard he fell aff his broom. Ye broke into Gringotts, wrote seven books an' built a whole orphanage. Ye can bring our babies into this world. Anno ye can. There's naw one stronger than ye. There's an entire room filled af people waiting tae meet them. Hell, a just want tae know their gender."
She gave a laugh-cry.
"Mrs. Wood, push!"
"Ye can do this," Oliver assured her.
Taking a breath, Hermione pushed as hard as she was physically capable of, crying out before she collapsed back into Oliver.
"I want Fred and George," she sobbed. "Get Fred and George!"
"Mrs. Wood, we can't have anyone but the father in here," the midwife intervened.
Hermione glared murderously at her through the pain.
"I don't give a flying fuck. I want Fred and George NOW!" Her voice rose until she was shouting.
Oliver was quick to leave the room without a second glance to the midwife; he was more afraid of his wife. His highly terrifying wife. Hurrying down the corridor, he burst through the doors of the waiting room, startling those inside and they stood to attention at the sight of him.
"Well?" Was chorused in question.
"She's hasn't given birth yet, she wants Fred and George."
"She does?" The twins asked in surprise.
"Aye, she cannae do it withoot ye, she's adamant ye be in there with her."
Not waiting for their response, he spun on his heel and hurried back to the delivery room, knowing the twins were following him.
"Why does she want the twins in there?" Harry asked, sounding hurt.
"They've been with her every step of the way, from the end of the war up till now. They've done everything together and they rely on each other. She is a part of them and they a part of her," Mrs. Weasley explained.
"Mia?" Fred and George questioned, skidding to a stop in the doorway, their chests rising and falling with their fast breathing.
She looked to them, being clad in a hospital gown, her hair spilling down her back and stuck to her forehead and the back of her neck with sweat, her eyes welling with tears, her skin tinted pink and her knuckles white from the tight grip on the bedding.
"I can't do this without you," she cried, the twins quickly darting over to her, taking seats on either side of her and offering their hands, something she took without thought.
"Mrs. Wood, I..."
"Shut up," Hermione growled, interrupting the midwife. The twins would've laughed if she weren't squeezing their hands so tightly.
She sighed, "Very well, we're almost there. Two, three pushes at maximum."
Oliver moved to stand at the foot of the bed, his face paling dangerously, a sickly expression crossing his face as Hermione gave another push.
"Don't you dare faint!" Hermione snapped.
"If he does, permission to hold it over him for the rest of his life?"
"Shut up, Fred! Or get out!"
"Hey, you wanted us here," he argued.
"Get out!"
He grumbled before releasing her hand, standing to leave. She reached out, her hand tightly encircling his wrist and dragging him back.
"Sit down! Don't you dare leave me!"
He blinked slowly and George sniggered.
"You told me to..."
"I'm in labour, I'm in pain, I don't mean anything I say, you idiot!" She hissed.
He cleared his throat and took her hand once more, hiding his wince when her grip tightened when she gave another push.
"I swear, Oliver, if you faint, I'm divorcing you!"
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Retract your claws," winced George.
"Shut up, I'm the one pushing a human being out of my vagina, not you!" She growled, deliberately tightening her grip.
"Abuse! Abuse! She's abusing me!"
"What about the abuse that happening to my vagina!" She snapped, glaring at him. "Oliver, get over here!"
He visibly swallowed, struggling to take his eyes from her as the midwife rolled her eyes and nudged Oliver with her elbow. Giving his head a shake, he was quick to climb onto the bed behind her, allowing her to lean back against him for support and he brushed her hair out of her face and massaged at her shoulders.
"This is it, one final, big push," said the midwife.
Hermione prepared herself before a cry left her, squeezing the twins' hands so tight they swore she broke something. Exhausted, she slumped against Oliver, her eyes dropping as a cry sounded in the room. Turning her head, she saw the midwife cleaning the newborn and wrapping it in a blue blanket.
"It's a boy," the midwife smiled, Hermione releasing a sob and Oliver a laugh, happy tears blurring his vision.
"Told ye," he said against her ear.
The newborn was placed into Hermione's arms and they all looked down at the little boy, a thick head of light brown hair like his father and luckily he didn't appear to have inherited Hermione's unruly curls. His complexion was pale with a slight pink tint to it, he had Oliver's long lashes and when he opened his eyes for the first time, he Hermione's chocolate brown eyes.
"He's a handsome little fella," Fred commented, smiling down at the little bundle.
"That he is, Fred, just like his Uncles," George agreed.
"I'm the handsomest."
"Oi, we're identical, you cheeky sod!"
Hermione chuckled at them, staring down at her son lovingly as she leaned back into Oliver, feeling his lips pressed against her neck.
"Am proud af ye."
Hermione peered at him over her shoulder, seeing his overjoyed expression and the tear leaking from the corner of his eyes, something he didn't bother hiding.
"We did this," she said quietly.
"We did, our tiny miracle."
Hermione gasped. "Miracles," she corrected, her breathing changing as pain spiked through her once more.
The newborn was taken from her and passed to a Healer so all checks might be carried out, ensuring the health of the little boy.
"You have to do this one more time, Mrs. Wood."
"I don't want to," Hermione shook her head.
"The second child is usually easier to deliver," she offered.
Groaning, Hermione clutched at the twins' hands and Oliver rubbed circles on her back and massaged her shoulders.
"HOW THE HELL DID YOUR MOTHER DO THIS SEVEN TIMES?" Hermione screamed as she gave another push.
"How did our dad do this seven times?" Fred winced for his hand, but the look Hermione gave him had him wanting to back away and run and hide in Serbia. George laughed at Fred and then swiftly looked away when Hermione turned to him with the same expression.
"This hurts more than the Cruciatus Curse," Hermione panted, falling back against Oliver. "Trust me, I know what that feels like, but bloody hell, this could be a form of torture... Create a spell that allows someone to feel the pain of giving birth and all secrets will be spilt."
"One more, Mrs. Wood, just one more push and then you can rest," encouraged the midwife.
Hermione sobbed in annoyance and pain and she gave one last push before falling back against Oliver, a second cry sounding in the room. The newborn was tended to, cleaned and wrapped in a blanket.
"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Wood, you have beautiful twin boys," the midwife spoke.
Sniffling, the newborns were placed into Hermione's arms and she stared down at them through blurry vision in adoration. They were identical with their mother's eyes and their father's hair colour and long eyelashes.
"Told ye," Oliver gloated quietly, his eyes locked lovingly on his sons over Hermione's shoulder.
"Shut up," she muttered but it held no malice.
Oliver shifted until he was sat beside Hermione's and George sat further down the bed to allow Oliver space. Oliver took one of his crying sons from Hermione, holding him for the first time before they swapped, them later being handed off to Fred and George who stared at the babies in their arms in awe.
"You did brilliant, Mia," George praised in a whisper.
"In our world, you don't have sex... Ever. But we're willing to admit it just this once for giving us such handsome twin nephews," Fred continued and Hermione and Oliver laughed at him.
Almost half an hour passed and after the placenta had been birthed and Hermione had been tended to by both the midwife and Healer, the twins were sent to collect the others, Hermione and Oliver believing they'd waited long enough. She was exhausted but she didn't wish to miss their reactions to seeing the twins for the first time, and neither did she wish to have them wait and come back the following day, not when they'd been waiting at the hospital for eleven hours.
Fred and George pushed the waiting room doors open and stepped inside with identical beaming smiles. They all jumped to their feet, looking to them expectantly.
"WELL?!" They snapped.
"She did it," George said proudly.
"Twin boys," Fred revealed with a smile.
They heard several groans and cheers and they looked to see people pulling out galleons and handing them to others. Fred and George shook their heads amusedly; usually, they would've been in on the baby pool, hell, they would have instigated it. But they decided they were quite attached to their lives and pregnant Hermione was not someone to mess with. The regular hormone-free Hermione was terrifying in her own right, the pregnancy just made her more unpredictable.
"She'll kill you if she learns that you placed a bet on the gender of the twins," Fred pointed out, sniggering at the expressions of fear that crossed their faces when they realised he was right.
"She's ready for you, but remember, she's exhausted," warned George. "I don't think it was difficult in the sense that there were complications, but rather, that she's drained and she's obviously never experienced it before. She's had to go through it twice in one go, so be mindful."
Ensuring Leo was at the front of the crowd, Fred and George led the way to the delivery room, stepping into the sight of Hermione and Oliver staring adoringly at the babies in their arms. All the women had tears in their eyes and the men wide grins.
"Everyone," began Hermione with a tired but happy smile. "We would like to introduce to you, Isaac George."
"An' Kayden Fred," Oliver finished, seeing the twins' surprised expressions.
"I have brothers," said Leo, looking to the babies in their arms in wonder.
Smiling, Oliver gestured for him to approach with a tip of his head and he did so, climbing up onto the bed beside Hermione, being told to be careful not to hurt her. Carefully, she placed Isaac into his arms and folded her own around Leo, aiding him in holding the tiny baby.
"He's so tiny," Leo muttered in disbelief.
"He weighs seven and a half pounds, whilst Kayden weighs seven pounds and ten ounces," she responded. "They didn't feel tiny," she grumbled, the women sniggering at her.
Isaac was soon taken from him and he held Kayden before the twins were given to his Grandmothers, followed by his Grandfathers, followed by his Aunts and Uncles and then the team.
"They're beautiful, Dear, you did a wonderful job," Mrs. Weasley sniffled, looking to Hermione proudly.
Eventually, they were all asked to leave by a member of staff and those that remained were the Woods, the twins and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Despite Hermione and the twins being in complete health, they'd been informed that they had to stay in the hospital for a week so that the twins could be monitored. At this news, Hermione's panic surfaced.
"It's okay, Dear," Mrs. Weasley soothed. "I had to stay for a week when I had Fred and George. It's just procedure. Twins are rare within the magical world. Isaac and Kayden are the sixth set of twins to be born in the last fifty years. The Healers just wish to observe them and compare cases so they might update their records and research."
"That's all?" Hermione checked, looking at the Healer.
"That is all, Mrs. Wood," she confirmed. "Isaac and Kayden are extremely healthy, oddly, more so than usual."
Everyone shared a look at that statement; of course, the twins would be the healthiest babies the Healers had ever seen. Their mother was a natural healer.
"We just want to observe them and compare their levels of core magic to other cases that we have on record. It is no secret that you are a powerful witch, but research shows that twins are powerful and have strong core magic. Isaac and Kayden are also the first set of Half-blooded twins that have been seen in the last two hundred years. We want to see how them being Half-blooded and with parentage and powerful magic such as you and your husband, will affect their magic. There is nothing to worry about. You will be given a private room, for yourself and the twins and your husband may stay, if he wishes."
"Thank ye," Oliver said and the Healer smiled before taking her leave.
"It's late and I know from experience that you're exhausted," Mrs. Weasley chuckled. "We better get going for the night but we'll be back in the morning."
Saying their goodbyes, she pressed a kiss to Leo's forehead and hugged him tightly with Oliver doing the same before they all took their leave.
"We'll go to the apartment and get some things for Oliver," said Fred before following the others out of the room.
As silence surrounded them, Hermione and Oliver stared down at the babies that had found their way back into their arms.
"Thank ye," Oliver spoke softly.
"For what?" Hermione questioned, lifting her gaze to him.
"Fer saving mae."
"You saved me first," she responded, her voice softening.
He smiled and shook his head. "Naw, from the minute a saw ye fall flat on yer face ye saved mae. Ye changed me life. If a hadn't had laid eyes on ye, me life would've gone in a completely different direction. A'd be training all day an' drinking an' having one night stands ev'ry night. But ye saved mae. Ye gave mae a reason tae live life tae the fullest; ye took me attention away from Quidditch an' put it tae good use. Ye gave mae love, a home, a fury, fishy and feathery family, followed by parents, brothers and sisters-in-law. Then ye gave mae a son, an' followed it with twin sons. An' at such a young age, tae. Yer've made mae realise tha' life truly cannae be lived unless yer've love an' family. A love ye, Hermione, with ev'rything a have in mae. Ev'ry time a see ye smile, or hear ye laugh, it shocks mae tae realise tha' am the one ye married, tha' ye were destined tae be in me life. A jus' wanna run doon the street shouting hoo much a love ye an' tha' yere me wife, jus' so tha' ev'ryone knows."
Hermione gave a sniffle, a tear leaking down her cheek.
"You saved me, too. You gave me a home, a family and a Quidditch team. You stopped my nightmares from plaguing me and now I can sleep peacefully. You made me want to live and love and never give up on life. You've fuelled my passion for cooking, literature, pranking and being a coach for a professional Quidditch team. You embraced my muggle heritage and brought it out in me further. All my life, I've had people ridicule me for something that wasn't my fault, but you practically turned your apartment into muggle utopia just so I'd be comfortable. Without you, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I wouldn't have achieved everything I have done. The orphanage, my books, the team, my job, our children. It was all because of you, inspiring me to be better and to make a difference in the world. It's all because of you. I love you, Oliver Charles Wood, with everything I have in me and everything I don't," she said passionately.
His eyes shining brightly, he lowered his head, pressing a kiss to her mouth, and that was the moment Isaac chose to start crying.
"And it begins," Hermione remarked. Oliver laughed.
"A wouldn't have it any other way," he promised.
"You do know sex will be off the table for a while, right?"
"Well, the way a see it, we won't be getting much sleep anyway, so we may as well put our time tae good use. So, sex will be on the table," he disagreed. She laughed at him. "We'll jus' put up Silencing Charms an' those baby monitors will handle the rest," he grinned.
~000~000~000~
There was a knock on the door and Coach Burton appeared in the doorway. He'd been kind enough to stay with Quaffle and try to and keep him calm; he'd been very protective over Hermione when they'd tried to get her into the floo.
Stepping into the room, he had a duffle bag in hand and he gave Hermione and Oliver a rare smile.
"Fred and George have picked up the owls and Quaffle and taken them to the Weasley's. They told me to tell you that Leo was staying at the Burrow and Charlie has gone back to Romania, but he was going to swap his shifts so he could spend the next few weeks here and be around the twins. They gave me some things to bring for Oliver," he spoke.
"Would you like to hold them?" Hermione asked. Coach Burton couldn't refuse and he moved to sit on the chair by the bed, Oliver placing Isaac and Kayden into his arms.
"Wow! You did well, Junior," he remarked softly in a tone no one had heard from him before. "You, too, Oliver, I suppose," he added as an afterthought. "You did good."
Hermione and Oliver shared a glance, both noting that he'd referred to Oliver by his given name. Twice.
"And their names?"
"Isaac George is on the left and Kayden Fred is on the right," Hermione answered, seeing his mouth tug into a smile.
"Welcome to the team, boys," he muttered softly. "I expect you to be as brilliantly talented as your mother. Oh, and your father, of course," he added and they chuckled at him. "Puddlemere's going to be your favourite and you will, of course, be on the team. Maybe Chasers?" Lifting his eyes, he looked to Hermione. "I've spoken to the bosses and you have three month's maternity leave, and you will be paid your full pay rate, I made sure of it. But with September and October being the rest period, it's technically five months in total. Afterwards, you may bring the twins to work with you. I know they won't affect your judgement and it'll keep the team in line. All you have to do is not allow them to hold them and they'll do anything you tell them to." They snorted because they knew it was true. "Anyway, you'll be getting a promotion soon."
"What do you mean?" Hermione tipped her head, confused.
"I've been coaching for fourteen years, nine years of that I've been with Puddlemere. My contract's up in a year's time, after that, I won't be renewing it and I'll be retiring. You'll take over as Coach and you'll do a wonderful job, better than I ever did," he said confidently.
"What?" Oliver and Hermione chorused.
"You... You... You can't retire..." Hermione spluttered.
"It's time, Junior," he offered a small smile, his eyes crinkling. "From the moment I met you, I knew you'd be great for the team. You were highly instrumental in Puddlemere winning the league last year. The team respect you and they've changed; they're more mature, they work harder, they listen and that's all because of you. You've not only improved the winning statistics, but you've changed the players, and only someone truly special can do that. A year ago they wouldn't have given a toss that a Quidditch wife was pregnant or had given birth. They beat your brothers here!"
Hermione and Oliver shared a chuckle. He was right' they'd beaten everyone to the hospital with the exception of the twins and Woods, of course. Rather than celebrating their victory and partying, they'd stayed in the waiting room with the others. All eleven hours of it.
"You'll be the best Coach Puddlemere has ever seen, greater than I ever was. I've been training you to take over from me and I'm confident you're more than ready. I wanted to retire after this season but the bosses wouldn't let me out of my contract early, so I'm here for one more year and then me and the wife are going to do some travelling. Even though you're busy being a mother, I know you can handle the responsibility and if anyone can do it, it's you. So after this season, I will be stepping back and allowing you to take the reins. I'll be in the background and mentoring you when you need it and then after the game season, you'll officially be the Head Coach of Puddlemere."
"Does anyone else know?" Oliver asked, surprised with the news. If he was honest, he thought Coach Burton would die before he retired. Quidditch was his life, always had been. Before becoming a Coach, he'd been a Chaser on three separate professional teams before an injury took him off the pitch for good.
"No. The team will be told after the season is over and the press during the start of the next game season. But that doesn't matter, next year, for all intents and purposes, Junior will be in charge. I'm just there for appearance sake."
~000~000~000~
St. Mungo's – Thursday 22nd July 1999
Hermione and the twins had been at the hospital for five days, and with the aid of potions, Hermione was thankful that was healed. What usually would've taken weeks in the Muggle World, took only four days in the Wizarding World, and with the exception of a few stretch marks, she was glad her stomach had lost its swelling and was almost back to the way it had been before.
Those new marks didn't bother Hermione; she knew that she'd gotten them from bringing her children into the world and they were the product of something good and Oliver couldn't agree anymore, stating that he "couldn't wait tae get her home so he could pay attention tae her new marks" which caused her to hit him with a pillow as he laughed at her.
Puddlemere had a match against the Montrose Magpies that day, which meant Oliver was at the Puddlemere Stadium. She'd listened to the match on the wizarding wireless and she hadn't been able to stop herself from cheering upon the announcement of Thompson catching the snitch, winning the match for Puddlemere.
That had been an hour and a half ago, and taking into account the victory laps, the short interaction and congratulations with the opposing team, the victory interview and photoshoot and the showering in the locker room, she knew that Oliver wouldn't be much longer before he arrived.
She thought back on the last five days as she stared down at her sleeping sons with a smile on her face. Everything had been wonderful. They were visited every day and gifts were always brought and handed to her. The twins were currently wearing Puddlemere jerseys, having amassed a total of twenty so far from the team. They were a gift from the team and they had given the twins twenty so far. The jerseys they were currently sporting had 'Isaac, Puddlemere United Twin, 1' and 'Kayden, Puddlemere United Twin, 2', scrawled across the back.
Three days after the birth, the Woods and the Weasleys had been harassed for interviews, photos and conferences and it was putting stress on Hermione. So, she and Oliver had photos taken of them, Leo and the twins and they sent them to every newspaper and magazine company before releasing an official statement through the club's PR department, revealing the gender of the twins, their chosen names and their health status, and things had since calmed.
Looking up at the sound of footsteps, she smiled at Leo when he entered the room, moving to climb up onto the bed to sit beside her, his eyes darting to his little brothers with the same expression of awe that he always seemed to sport when he looked at them.
"Hi, Mum," he greeted. "Dad sent me ahead, said he would be here soon, he had to talk to Coach about something first."
Almost thirty minutes later, Hermione sent Leo to the cafeteria so he might choose something for a snack, and when he left, Oliver stepped into the room. Hermione beamed at him, climbing from the hospital bed and moving to greet him. When she reached him, she folded her arms around him and reached up on her tiptoes, pressing a kiss to his mouth.
"Are you okay?" She asked, drawing back from him and looking to him in concern when he didn't respond to her as he usually did.
"Am fine, jus' tired."
"I imagine you are," she nodded in understanding, "You played amazingly today. Were you hit by that bludger? Do you need me to heal you? Do you want me to give you a massage? Are you hungry?" Hermione asked worriedly, her mouthing tugging into a frown when he rejected her offer of a massage.
When was the last time he'd done that? She thought, eyeing him in concern as he stared down at their twin sons. He reached for Isaac, lifting him from the hospital supplied crib and holding him awkwardly.
"Which one's he again?" Oliver checked.
"Isaac," she replied slowly. "You should know that; not only do the jerseys have their names on the back, they're wearing their bracelets, inscribed with their names, remember?"
Hermione and Oliver had had silver cuff bracelets made for the twins, both being stamped with the Wood crest and with either 'Isaac George' or 'Kayden Fred' engraved on the silver. The bracelets would magically grow along with the twins, and they were fitted with protective charms that would deflect most common spells, charms and hexes. Hermione could easily tell her sons apart given that she had an eye for detail, and the bracelets would help others to identify the twins. Despite that, Oliver had yet to confuse the twins.
"A remember... A was jus' testing ye, making sure ye dinnae ferget," he said, setting Isaac into his cot once more.
"Are you sure you're okay? Did the bludger hit you in the head?" She questioned, taking his face in her hands, turning it from side to side, searching for injuries. "Just let me heal you in case."
"We're in a hospital, if a needed healing a'd ask a Healer. Am sure they could do a better job than ye."
Hermione tipped her head, her brows furrowing. What the hell's he on about? Was he trying to be funny?
"Am fine, honestly, jus' tired. It's been a long day," he added quickly.
She opened her mouth to press the matter further but was distracted from doing so when Leo returned from the cafeteria, a tray being carried in his hands and laden with food.
"Hey, Dad, I got your favourite sandwich," Leo grinned, pulling himself up onto the bed and setting the tray down.
"Bacon an' chicken?" He perked up.
Hermione and Leo looked to each other, sharing a confused glance.
"No," Leo said slowly, giving his head a shake. "Turkey and stuffing, I'm sure that's your favourite, I didn't get it wrong, did I?" He asked, looking disappointed.
"Turkey an' stuffing, af course, it is," Oliver replied, giving a strained smile. "A was jus' messing with ye."
Looking relieved, Leo shrugged it off before handing Oliver the wrapped sandwich, then giving Hermione hers and he ate his own. As they worked on eating their food, Hermione barely took her eyes from Oliver, concerned that he'd taken a knock to the head during the match and that he couldn't remember doing so. Memory loss was common among Quidditch players.
When Kayden woke crying, she covered herself with a blanket and reached for him, hiding him beneath the blanket as she breastfed him, she squinted her eyes, being sure she'd seen a spot of colour rising on Oliver's cheeks as he suddenly found the flood more interesting. After burping Kayden, she tended to Isaac, feeding and burping him before setting him in his crib, the newborns soon falling asleep.
"I'm just going to use the bathroom, I'll be back in a moment," said Hermione, climbing from the bed and walking into her en-suite bathroom.
The hospital had indeed been kind to her and given her a private room to stay in, but she assumed it was because of her and Oliver's celebrity status. In her room, she had a hospital bed which had been transfigured into a double so Oliver could stay with her. She had been given two baby cribs for the twins and her room also had a white couch and coffee table in, as well as a bathroom with a sink, toilet, shower and mirror.
After washing her hands, she dried them on a hand towel and stepped back into the room, pausing at seeing that not only was it empty, but it had been trashed. The tray of leftover food had been knocked off the bed and littered the floor, the coffee table had been blasted to pieces and the mattress was half hanging off the bed.
Leo, Oliver and the twins were nowhere in sight.
Feeling an uncomfortable twisting in her stomach and fear gripping her heart, she darted out of the room, ploughing into the hard chest of her husband.
"What's wrong, Sparrow?" He questioned, looking down at her in concern.
"Where are the boys?"
"They're with ye," he replied, his brow furrowing.
"No," she shook her head vigorously. "I left you with them whilst I went to the bathroom and I when I came out they were gone," she said, her voice rising in panic.
"A've been at the stadium, a've only jus' got here."
"No, you were just here. You ate dinner with us!"
"Sparrow, a've only jus' got here," he assured her. "A sent Leo ahead 'coz Coach wanted tae talk tae mae aboot our next match."
Hermione's head spun, her breath catching in her throat.
His hands settled on her upper arms and he gently pushed her aside, peering into the room to see the trashed appearance.
His eyes darted to Hermione.
"A wisnae here. It wisnae mae."