48 Still more babies.
Ginny walked down from their bedroom to the drawing room. It was September fifteenth, her due date, but the healers had given her potions to keep her from going into labor early, and she was just starting to have contractions, not 'real labor is starting' contractions but just the tightening that some called practice contractions.
Monica was still too small, but with care there was a good chance she could survive. And the healers said the baby just couldn't stay in her womb much longer.
Breakfast was brought up to her, and her laptop and some material for her Quidditch column was there from last night. She felt like a large lorry at the moment. She wasn't on bed rest, but she was supposed to be very careful about where she went, and how.
The babies had started to be born. She had a partial list, mostly of family.
Bellatrix Malfoy had been born first, September twenty-eight. Astoria had apparently named the baby, filing out all the proper paperwork. Once all the parchments had been filled in and filed with the Ministry it was very difficult to change a child's name, especially for anyone but the parent. So she was Bellatrix Malfoy, actually Bellatrix Lestrange Malfoy, although Ginny knew that Rose, Scorpius and Narcissa were going try and ignore the middle name.
Ginny didn't know exactly what had transpired over the week after Bella was born, but it must have been very tense. Within the week Astoria had moved back to her parents' house, which was a relief to the rest of the members of the household. Astoria never formally relinquished custody of Bella, however, which made the child's situation rather awkward.
It took well over a week for Rose to get comfortable nursing both babies. Hermione had told Ginny that the first few days with both babies were pretty rough, but things were better now. Rose was determined to be the primary caregiver of both babies, although she gratefully accepted all the help she was offered, including help from great-grandmother Molly as well as from her mother-in-law Narcissa.
Luna and Rolf had triplets, two girls, Igraine and Morgause, and a boy, Lancelot, September third. All the babies were healthy. Luna had told Ginny that nursing three babies was easily twice as hard as nursing two. With potions and some household help she was able to do it, but she wasn't going to be leaving the house for some weeks.
Hanna had a boy, Brandon Ian, just yesterday.
Ginny was just getting comfortable when she received a call on her mobile from Genevieve Swan, the Matron at Hogwarts.
"Hello, Ginny. Can you still travel? Could you come to Hogwarts? It is about Lily, and I think you would want to be here. She is not sick, exactly, but we need to talk to you. I've already contacted Harry."
"Yes," Ginny responded. She had traveled to St. Mungo's, and using the Closet network she could rather easily get to Hogwarts. "Please have the Closet open. I will be there in about half an hour."
Ginny arose, used the loo, something you seemed to always be doing this late in her pregnancy, and then she and Mitzi slowly made their way down to the Closet that they had installed in the kitchen and took it to Hogwarts.
The Hogwarts Closet was guarded, and only opened when needed. It was on the main floor, and Ginny slowly climbed the stairs to the infirmary. Waiting just outside the door to the infirmary were Harry and Minerva McGonagall. The three entered the infirmary together.
Sitting on a bed was Lily, looking worried. Standing next to her, looking just as worried, was Billy Lionheart. Donna Lionheart was there, standing next to her son.
There was a transparent bottle with a clear potion, and Ginny thought she knew what that was.
"She's pregnant," Ginny sighed. "That's the only reason both families would be called like this."
"It's not the first time in your family history, Ginny," McGonagall observed.
"That's not a particularly helpful comment at this time, Minerva," Ginny snapped.
"It's not Billy's fault," said Lily, in a panic. "I'm the one who suggested we take a shower together and I'm the one who took off my bathing costume and then I took off Billy's and then I had the spells except I never found the contraceptive spell but I always forget something and I really messed up this time but now that I'm pregnant can Billy and I sleep together because I really love him and what can happen, I mean I can't get pregnant because I'm already pregnant…"
"LILY!" said Harry and Ginny and Bill Jr. and Donna at the same time. McGonagall was laughing.
"You've got a randy one there, Harry, Ginny," McGonagall laughed. "At least she has not been promiscuous. She has been lusting after Bill Jr.'s body since maybe her first year."
"Are they a good match?" asked Harry.
"We've done the spells for compatibility" Minerva explained. "I've also been watching them. Bill Jr. comes as close as anybody to being able to control Lily, and they are compatible."
"What do you want to do, Bill?" asked Harry.
"Marry Lily and raise our child," Billy responded. "I still would like to play for the Cannons."
Donna thought, "I kind of figured that they would get married. I was worried that we would have a baby on the way before Lily graduated from school."
"You became pregnant in August," Ginny guessed. "Those two days that were so hot, and you disappeared after the family Quidditch games and a little swimming."
"You knew?" Lily asked, her face and bearing showing a little shame and much amazement.
"No," Ginny reflected, "but looking back at it it's easy to see."
"What are our options for Lily at Hogwarts, Minerva, now that she is pregnant?" asked Harry.
"It's not the first time we have dealt with this," said Minerva McGonagall. "Not with the ages of the students we have at the school. If Lily was a seventh year, and we were further along in the year, we would not do much of anything. Lots of babies have been born less than nine months after their parents left Hogwarts. When you have a sixth year who comes to school already pregnant it's a lot more awkward."
Minerva looked at Lily. "What do you want to do, Lily?"
"I want to be with Bill," Lily replied, looking hopefully at Bill.
"You cannot stay here unless you are a student," Minerva told Lily, "and you are just hanging on as a student as it is. Do you think you could get all your assignments handed in, on time? Do you think you could really study for a few months? Because if you cannot you are going to have to leave school."
"Crap," Lily muttered. "Bollox. Boggarts. I knew this would be a bad day. Billy, could I just live with you? I would rather live with you than stay at Hogwarts."
Bill looked at the parents. Then he told Lily, "I will marry you, and we will make it work. I wanted to marry you anyway, and was planning on asking you, maybe next summer."
"I can live with Billy and help you with the Quidditch column, mum," Lily pled.
Ginny and Harry looked at each other, and with the subtle nods that old married couples have agreed.
"Get your things, Lily," Ginny told her daughter.
"I do have room for her in my apartment in Chudley Billy announced.
"I'm going to call Hermione, so these two can be married before they are living together," Ginny told everyone.
"Hello, Hermione."
...
"Lily is pregnant, and will be moving in with Billy Lionheart. We would like them married first, if possible."
...
"Billy is seventeen, so he is an adult. Donna is here, though. Harry and I are both here, and we will agree, so legally we are fine.
...
"We will have dinner together at Grimmauld Place, just the immediate family, then, and get them married after."
Ginny turned to the other people. "Well, that is arranged."
"It doesn't sound like it is going to be much of a wedding," Lily muttered.
Ginny folded her arms, glared at Lily, and snapped, "Do you want to stay in school, so we can arrange something over Christmas?"
"No," Lily sniffed, looking between her mother and Billy.
"Well then, you are getting married tonight," Ginny insisted.
"Yes, mother," Lilly agreed.
"I should get home," Ginny sighed.
"I will help Lily move," Donna volunteered.
"I really ought to get back to the Cannons," Billy apologized. "I only have one key to the apartment, so you should duplicate this one." He handed the key to his mother.
Harry waved good bye and Billy left.
"I will take you home before going back to work," Harry told his wife.
Lily showed up at Grimmauld Place about four. She found her mother just getting up from a nap.
"How come nobody is yelling at me?" Lily asked.
"What good would that do?" an exasperated Ginny responded, raising her hands into the air.
"Do you think I could ask Rose to help me arrange the apartment?" Lily wondered.
"She is taking care of two babies now, but you could ask her," Ginny told her daughter.
"May I borrow your mobile?" Lily asked.
"You need to buy a mobile," Ginny grumbled, frowning, as she handed her mobile to Lily.
"Billy says we don't have that much money, so I have to be careful," Lily looked down at her feet. "I've never really had to worry about money."
"Well, now you do," Ginny snapped. "Do you still want to help me with the Quidditch column? I have a feeling I am going to need the help when the babies are born."
"Can I get paid for helping you with the Quidditch column?" Lily rushed to confirm. "Billy says we could use the money, that I should get a job."
"It is probably the best job you can get right now," Ginny told Lily. "I will hire you, starting right away."
About six-thirty everyone showed up for dinner. Billy came with James, Erica and little Snitch. Harry and Ginny were there with Minerva, and Ron and Hermione joined in. Donna Lionheart was there, leading a very confused Bill Lionheart Sr.
When they sat down Erica told Lily, "We have a breakfast meeting tomorrow morning. If you come you need to help with the breakfast."
"I'm not very domestic," Lily admitted.
"Well, you are going to learn," Erica retorted, folding her arms and staring at Lily. "I could use the help."
Lily looked around the table, to a great many grins. This being a grown up wasn't going quite as she expected.
Everybody gathered around the dining room table after dinner, and Hermione brought out the wedding contract. It was filled in, with a couple of signatures to be filled in after the ceremony.
The group moved into the living room/library next to the dining room.
"Do I get a wedding dress?" Lily wondered, looking hopefully at her mother.
"You could have brought one of the dresses you wore to dances," Ginny snapped. "Did you remember to bring a change of clothes?"
"I forgot," Lily admitted in a small voice.
"You can get a formal portrait later," Donna suggested.
The wedding ceremony was short, and everybody left a little after nine.
When Ginny and Harry were alone Harry wondered, "Did you really need to arrange such a rushed marriage for Lily?"
"I'm not giving that selfish little witch the satisfaction of some big wedding," Ginny growled. "We are not making life easy for them either. I've tried very hard not to spoil her, but she has lived way too comfortable a life. She wanted to be a grown up, so she can be a grown up!"
"No help, then?" Harry wondered.
"I expect we will help them eventually, and she will certainly receive help with child care and teaching her child, or children, but I'm not about to reward her NOW!"
"I will remember that," Harry replied. He had usually been a little more patient with Lily's antics than Ginny.
"Why didn't you get Lily birth control potions?" Harry wondered.
"I didn't want to give her permission to have sex before marriage," Ginny replied. "Even though the girls were pregnant, Albus and Cleo, Rose and Scorpius, waited until the formal betrothal contracts were signed, and would have waited until they were married. I know that I was too eager and didn't want to wait before we were married, but I think that I am very happy you made us wait."
"And you wanted our children to wait?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Ginny admitted. "I understand that Christians are expected to wait. It's not quite the same for Magi, I guess. At least I don't know of any of our immediate family who have been promiscuous. If we have a sex before marriage, it is only with the person we eventually marry."
"One of the reasons I am Christian is because of the moral code," Harry replied. "Albus and I agree that it helps to keep us humble, helps us to be good."
Saturday Morning Harry and Ginny learned that Bill and Fleur had a boy, Jean-Paul, Percy and Audrey had a boy, Arthur, and that Dominique and Francois had a boy Pierre, in France.
She didn't see Lily, but she did hear from Donna that Erica had been giving Lily 'domestic' lessons, basic cooking and cleaning and the like.
Sunday Lily and Billy were at the normal gathering at the New Burrow. There were a few muted congratulations for Lily and Billy, but no one said much.
Monday morning the eighteenth Ginny had a feeling that she was going to go into real labor soon.
Lily showed up about nine-thirty. "James had a breakfast meeting, and I had to help Erica," she told her mother. "James and Erica have a nice, large apartment."
"That is the owner's apartment," Ginny replied. "James doesn't actually own the Cannons, but he is the public face of them. He has also been working on putting the new team together for over a year."
"When do we get a honeymoon?" Lily wondered.
"Not until Quidditch season is over," Ginny scoffed.
Lily frowned, and looked sad.
"How do you like being a grownup?" Ginny wondered.
"Well, I get to sleep with Billy, and," Lily blushed, "before we go to sleep … that's really nice. But the rest is just, it isn't what I expected."
"I guess not. Here is your work tablet," Ginny announced, and showed Lily how to log her work hours, how to draft a story, how to read stories their stringers had drafted, and other things she needed to know. Lily had done some writing and editing for Ginny that summer, so some of what Ginny explained was review.
"Here are a list of players you should try to talk to," Ginny told Lily, as she handed her daughter a list of a dozen players. "I have notes on how to get in touch with them, but not all of them will answer a mobile, and some you just have to pin down by visiting their teams. Call me on the mobile this afternoon to see where I am and how I am doing."
"Are you going to have the babies today?" Lily wondered.
"This week, that is for sure, and probably early in the week," Ginny replied. The last contraction was not hard, but it felt like real labor. When Lily left Ginny took the Closet to St. Mungo's.
Ginny was between contractions late the same afternoon when her mobile rang. She saw that it was a new mobile, registered to Lily Luna Lionheart. "Ginny Potter," she answered.
"Where are you?" Lily wondered. "You are not at home."
"I am at St. Mungo's," Ginny told her daughter. "Your father is with me. You can come over here."
Ginny terminated the call. She looked at Harry. "Life is going to get a whole lot more complicated, isn't it," she mused.
"Between Lily and two more children?" Harry questioned. "Why would that be a problem?"
"Says he who can leave for work," Ginny scoffed. "We can afford plenty of help, but there are things that only a mother can do."
"I am doing my best to be available," Harry reconfirmed. He had tried to free up his schedule, and had told Ginny what he was trying to do.
Lily showed up. "Are you in labor?" She asked her mother.
"Yes," Ginny answered. "Did you get any interviews?"
"A couple, but it is not easy," Lily replied. She proceeded to show her mother what she had written, between her mother's labor pains.
"We will work on a column this week," Ginny told her daughter when they were finished. "You had better get home to your husband."
"Yes, mother," Lily replied.
Shortly after Lily left Ginny was examined, and the midwitch told her, "It will not be long now, Ginny."
A short time later Gregory Godric was born. He was seven pounds two ounces (3.25 kg), a good size baby. Shortly after Gregory was born, Monica was. She was just under four pounds, and was a floppy baby. Gregory was put on Ginny's breast just after Monica was born, while the healers examined the little baby. She seemed to be having a hard time breathing, so they gave her some oxygen, which seemed to help.
Monica was put on Ginny's other breast, where she sucked so lightly that Ginny was not sure she was getting anything. "She isn't sucking very hard," Ginny told one of the healers.
The healer waved her wand in concern, and then touched Ginny's breast. Colostrum, the pre-milk that feeds the baby for the first few days, started to flow. The healer kept a close eye and wand on Monica.
"I've never had a problem nursing," Ginny told the healer. "Monica isn't very strong, is she?"
"No, she is not. You may need a healer with you to help with the baby for each feeding for a while," the healer suggested.
"Is she all right otherwise?" Ginny wondered.
"She seems to be able to see and hear, but she is not very responsive," the concerned witch replied. "I don't think we are going to know how well she can function for some time.
"Meanwhile, I want you to stay here with the baby for a while. She needs to be close to the healers' full time. We are going to get you a private room next to the nursery, and for right now you will have a healer with you all the time."
Ginny looked at the two babies, one almost twice as big and vigorous, the other tiny and obviously not strong. She reached for Harry, held on to him, and started to bawl. Finally, she stopped, looked at Harry, and said, "It's just a lot to process. We will take care of her, and … that is the problem. I don't know what we will be able to do for her."
"We will do the best we can," Harry replied. "That is all anyone can hope to do."
It was Friday morning, November third. Lily had appeared at St. Mungo's as usual at about nine-thirty. "The same people are going to be covering all the Quidditch games tomorrow, mum," Lily told her mother. "I have two people covering both the Cannons and the Harpies, just in case I have to cover them or another game." She sighed. "It is tough that just when your husband has a day off you have to make sure the scores are correct and the game results are in. I am glad that we can delay the next column and you and I can write about it later in the week."
"You have been doing an excellent job, Lily, despite way too much complaining," Ginny told her daughter. "I could not have kept the column and reporting going without your help. Thank you."
"Are you still going to need help?" Lily wondered. "I guess you are. Monica Jane isn't healthy, is she?"
"I am going to have to have more help than I anticipated after the twins were born," Ginny confirmed. "Monica is finally nursing well enough, so we can go home today, but I may be tied down with her for several more months."
Ginny looked at the little baby. "Or years," she said under her breath. Six weeks in Gregory was significantly bigger and stronger. Monica was too, but she wasn't as active as a normal newborn. The healers couldn't tell Ginny what was wrong exactly, except that Monica was just very slow to develop.
Harry needed to sleep through at least one of the feedings. "I'm going to need a lot of help with these two," Ginny told Harry that evening. "Especially Monica Jane. So we are just going to accept that I cannot always have you help me in the middle of the night."
"We will make it," Harry replied. "I love you and all the children. This will not last forever."
Ginny looked at Monica, and how slowly she was growing. She wasn't really sure that taking care of Monica was not going to take the rest of her life. No one could give her any answers about when or if the baby would grow up.
It was a little early to go to bed Friday night, but Ginny was exhausted. Exhausted but wanting to finally make love for the first time since the babies were born. "I need you tonight," she told Harry.
Afterwards they put on night clothes. Mitzi had arranged for two of the Elves to take turns changing the babies and giving them to Ginny every three hours, because Monica really did need to eat that often to keep gaining weight, and it didn't make any sense not to have Gregory eat at the same time.
Saturday night Lily came over with the day's Quidditch scores, Billy accompanying her just to spend time with her. They went up to the office at Grimmauld Place and together Ginny and Lily put together the report on the Quidditch games for the Sunday Prophet.
"I'm proud of you," Billy remarked, looking at the column they were getting ready to send.
"I am too, Lily," Ginny confirmed. "I couldn't continue to do this without help, and you have written some excellent parts of the column."
"It is better than school, but it is still work," Lily remarked. "I'm glad I am doing this instead of doing other things, though." Lily sighed, and felt down to her womb. "There are some really good things about being a grown up, but it is a lot of work, and I do miss just being with my friends and not having to do anything."
"You have been spending some time at the New Burrow with all the little children, and some of the mothers," Ginny observed.
"Yes, and that's nice, and talking to the other witches is nice, but I'm one of the grownups now," Lily sighed. "I guess that's what I wanted, so I shouldn't complain, but I don't know. It is just different."
"Then don't complain, but just try to enjoy this part of your life," Ginny told her daughter. Ginny stood up to hug her daughter.
Lily went into her mother's arms, and started to bawl. "My midwife says that one of the reasons I am crying sometimes is because I'm pregnant, and my hormones are going wild."
"I love you, Lily Luna," Bill told his wife. "I'm glad we are married, even if it would have been better to have waited."
Lily took Bill's hand, hugged him hard, and then together then went down to the kitchen, and took the Floo to their apartment.
The next Sunday Molly had as many of the family as she could over, all except Hugo and Ivana Romanoff, who were at Hogwarts. Well, and Bob Hudson, poor Lily's husband, who was in Asia. Poor Lily, who's baby had miscarried.
Molly looked at all the little people in the family. Fred II's Barack and Ginny's Minerva were the big kids. Born in two-thousand and seventeen, they were six. Roxanne Longbottom's son Wilkie and Molly Hudson's Kyle were four. Roxanne's daughter Irma was two, as were Fred's Issa and Molly Hudson's Scarlet.
Teddy's first, Juana, was five, Maria was two, and Javier and Rosario were one. Molly didn't know how to count twelve year old Fernando, who was spending part of every weekday in therapy, and who had to be watched all the time. He wasn't a biological child, but she had done everything she could to love him. He was just a very troubled, mean, child. Then you had Venus, Teddy and Victoire's first, who was one, well fifteen months, which was important because she was significantly older than the next batch.
Then you had the children born to the Hogwarts students, James son James Jr. or Snitch, Al's Adam, and Rose's Elanor, plus Al and Cleo had been given Morgana and Rose had all but adopted Bellatrix, or Bella.
And the last batch of grandchildren, Bill's Jean-Paul, Percy's Arthur, George's Sally, and Ginny's Gregory and Monica.
And finally the great-grandchildren born the same time, Fred's Joshua and Roxanne's Benjamin.
Eleven that were not even six months old.
Molly liked babies, but eleven under six months? Twenty-three six and under? It was too many even for her. She and Victoire would have jumpers for all of them, but she was grateful for Victoire's help, and for the magic that helped with the easy parts of knitting.
She was also grateful for the money that purchased all that yarn. Somehow people in the family brought over food as well, and the farm supplied her with an abundance of produce. They were not poor. Molly didn't believe how many Galleons there were in Gringotts. Plus, Bill had insisted that they take a share in the ownership of some of the companies, something she really didn't understand. Assets, liabilities and net worth? Revenue and expenses, gross and net profit? She read the reports, but they didn't seem real, unlike seeing Galleons.
The only presents she was going to be giving were the jumpers, partly because it was just too hard to shop for so many little people.
"I'm glad you could finally make it back here to have a Sunday with us commoners," Ginny greeted Al and Cleo as they appeared, Cleo with Morgana, Al with Adam.
"I cannot believe how busy we are," Cleo replied. "I'm not involved in the governing, but so many people, adults as well as children, want to see me. Plus, Al and I are involved in developing and understanding spells and charms, and understanding other types of magic and magical things. And I want to keep up with my music."
Cleo looked around. They were some of the last to arrive, and everyone was starting to sit down.
"There are a LOT of babies, of little ones, grandmum," a wide eyed Cleo observed.
"Eleven under six months, twenty-three six and under," Molly told Cleo.
"Maybe I shouldn't have worn that dress," Cleo muttered.
"Every child is precious, but maybe it was too many too soon," Molly confirmed.
"I'm not pregnant, not yet!" Cleo announced. "I thought I wanted a baby every year, but I need to wean these two first."
"I think I am the only one having a baby next year," Lily suggested.
"I pretty sure Victoire is pregnant too," Molly let the table know. "Just." Victoire had told Molly earlier in the week that she was pregnant, and Molly could see that Victoire was sharing the news with the others at their table.
Tuesday they were working on a Quidditch column when Lily asked, "When did you and dad first, you know, do it?"
"Do what?" Ginny asked, guessing what Lily was asking but wanting to make sure.
"Sex?" Lily squeaked.
"There is way more to sex than just intercourse," Ginny replied. "The first time we were intimate, however, was on our wedding night. That, or with us Magi when we are formally betrothed, not just engaged but have made it formal with signatures and all with a wedding scheduled, is what you ought to do."
"You didn't want to before?" Lily wondered.
"Oh, I wanted to!" Ginny exclaimed. "Your father and I were sleeping in the same bedroom and taking care of Teddy, and it was extremely hard to wait. Harry and I didn't realize that since we were formally betrothed we could, but we waited."
"But both Albus and Cleo, Rose and Scorpius did it before they were married?" Lily wondered.
"They did not do it before they came back from Hogwarts!" Ginny insisted. "They waited until they were formally betrothed, and even then it was only because we insisted. We were worried that Jezebel may have tried to do something to marry Cleo and Scorpius, and after the two couples were formally betrothed and had consummated the relationship she couldn't do anything about it."
"James didn't wait, though," Lily muttered.
"I guess not," Ginny sighed. "I'm proud of Albus and Cleo, Rose and Scorpius for waiting."
"I didn't exactly make you proud by getting pregnant the way I did, though," Lily frowned, looking sorry.
"Well there is nothing you can do about the past," Ginny replied. "Just be the best wife and mother you can be now."
Lily sighed, "Yes, mum."
2023