The maternity ward of St. Mungo's was a recently constructed addition on the hospital's seventh level. While most witches opted for traditional home births, Muggle influence had increased the popularity of hospital births in recent years. Harry, no doubt, had championed for Ginny to swing for a birthing suite with a private waiting room.
The blare of the magical intercom aggravated Hermione's throbbing headache, and the harsh lights seared her tired eyes. She had only been apart from Tom- Voldemort- for a few minutes, and the discomfort was already growing.
After making several wrong turns through the maternity ward's winding hallways, Hermione found the Potters' room. Before she could raised her hand to knock, Hermionew froze at the sound of a high-pitched, nasal voice barely audible through the door.
She could have recognized that voice anywhere.
"Sonorus," Hermione cast.
"Ronald! Take this quiz," said Celine. "It says my love style is a unicorn heart. I want to see if we're compatible."
"You'll believe anything if Witch Weekly prints it, won't you, love?" Ron chuckled.
Hermione swore under her breath. It hadn't occurred to her that Ron and Celine would be here.
Hermione imagined sitting in the waiting room with them all night. Celine would send sly looks while giggling and whispering in Ronald's ear, kissing him just to spite her.
"How's the baby coming?" she heard Ron say.
"Gin's doing great, she could be ready to push in the next few hours. Molly's sent me on a hunt for ice chips- it's got to be coconut, for the baby's sake." Harry mimicked.
A chorus of familiar laughter erupted in the room.
"Think he'll have the Weasley hair like his brother?" another voice- maybe Fred- said.
"Be surprised if he didn't," said Harry.
"Good thing he's got both Weasley and Potter pedigrees," said Ron. "Ginger hair and dirty blood? The little git wouldn't stand a chance."
The group laughed again- Celine's haughty giggle rang out above the fray.
"Come help me find the ice chips, will you, Ron?"
Hermione heard their footsteps approach the door. Panicked, she ducked into a supply closet across the hall.
Through the gap in the door, she watched her childhood best friends walk away laughing, unaware that Hermione's world had been shattered into pieces.
Forty-five minutes later, Hermione was still sitting on the floor of the supply closet. She had cast a very weak Lumos, giving her just enough light to read the book she had stored in her magically extended coat pocket. Focusing on the abstruse, complicated spellwork in Magia was the only thing stopping Hermione from breaking down.
Ron's words echoed in her mind. Dirty blood. Dirty blood. Dirty blood.
And Harry had laughed.
Did she even know these people anymore? Harry's mother had been Muggle-born. She had given her life for the cause. How could he laugh so callously?
Hermione's fingers instinctively reached for the raised scar on her forearm.
She swallowed her nausea and continued to read.
Hermione already knew soul bonds were volatile. When she killed Voldemort, there was a decent chance her soul would be flung out into the ether. But according to the old book, there could be a way around it.
The spell- suflet stabil- was a complex bit of magic. It was a highly advanced incantation, its difficulty exceeding even that of the Patronus charm. But if Hermione could cast it successfully, it could tether her soul to the material plane, saving her from death- or worse.
According to Hermione's mental calculation, she had less than a week left until the final stages of brewing to practice the wand movements and intentions.
A chorus of laughter and gushing congratulations brought Hermione out of her plotting.
"Ginny needs to rest, but you lot are more than welcome to visit tomorrow," she heard Harry say.
Hermione watched through the crack in the door as they embraced Harry in a blur of ginger hair.
When she was confident the Weasleys had left, Hermione stepped out of the closet. She smiled sheepishly at a young, blonde Healer who spotted her.
Hermione knocked on the door to the Potters' suite.
Harry opened the door, beaming, and enveloped Hermione in one of his signature bear hugs.
"Hermione, come in. He's absolutely beautiful."
She sighed. It had been a while since she had felt such a gesture of comfort from anyone.
"I'm sorry it's so late. I came as soon as I could."
Harry stepped aside to let her in to the recovery room.
Ginny held a light blue blanketed bundle, glowing with beauty despite the drab hospital robes. She gazed down at the new baby with a look of pure love and wonderment.
Hermione's eyes flickered over to Molly, who had squeezed her plump frame into a rickety chair in the corner. The older witch didn't bother to greet her, pointedly averting her eyes back down at her copy of Witch Weekly.
"Hi, Gin. How are you feeling?" Hermione said.
Ginny looked up, seeming surprised to see Hermione. The redhead's eyes flickered over to Harry. Her smile was genuine, but laced with discomfort.
"Wonderful, thank you, 'Mione. The birth went right according to plan."
Hermione then noticed the her reflection mirror on the other side of the room.
Her skin was sallow and pale, stretched thin over jutting cheekbones. Her white blouse was sweat-drenched and clung to her gaunt form. Hermione quickly ran a hand through her matted curls in a futile attempt to look more presentable.
"Can I hold him?" she asked.
Ginny smiled and nodded, yet drew the baby closer towards her.
"Of course. Make sure you support his head."
Ginny reluctantly held out her newborn, and Hermione gingerly took him in her arms.
She gazed down at little Albus' face, pink and swollen in his first few hours of life. The baby already had thick black hair just like Harry's, peeking out of his blue cap.
Albus opened his green eyes, and Hermione was transfixed. She felt some strange connection to this child, but she couldn't quite place it.
As if recognizing it too, Albus began to cry.
"Oh," Hermione said.
"Here, let me hold him," Harry said a little too forcefully, taking the baby from Hermione's arms.
"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered.
"No worries. Babies can be finicky," said Harry with an apologetic grin.
He handed the baby back to Ginny. Albus quieted quickly in his mother's arms.
"I'm feeling a bit tired," Ginny said, giving Harry a pointed look.
Hermione smiled, realizing she was no longer welcome.
"Best wishes, Harry and Ginny. He's beautiful," she said.
Molly's disapproving eyes followed Hermione as she left the room.
Thank you for the kind reviews! This chapter is a bit short but more is coming soon.