CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Summary: Sent to Volterra in order to negotiate terms of an alliance to end the war, Hermione's life is turned upside down as she is brought into the world of the Volturi, better known as the Vampire Kings. There she is made a part of a new kind of family and a most trusted member of the guard, whether she likes it or not, and surprisingly, she does. Rated M for language, violence and sexual content.
Disclaimer: I do not own canon events and characters, they belong to J.K Rowling and Stephenie Myers. I am not making a profit from writing and posting this fanfic. As for the descriptions of appearances for the Twilight characters, all my research is based on the books and not the movies, but I may have changed a few things regarding Alec's height and age.
Page count: 14
Monday 21st December 1998
"Are you certain you wish to do this?"
"Yes, I am, they need to know and I've kept it from them long enough," Hermione replied.
"But you don't know how they will react."
"No, but I'm prepared for all potential outcomes, and I won't allow any harm to come to me or our babies," she promised, her hand smoothing over her large stomach as she sat in front of the dancing flames in the fireplace.
Three months passed surprisingly quickly and in that time, not only had her horrendous symptoms long since disappeared, but her stomach had grown larger than she'd thought possible. Her pregnancy hadn't shown any signs of accelerating and both she and the babies were as healthy as they could possibly be, but that was all down to Snape force-feeding her pre-natal potions and her vampires taking good care of her, ensuring that she didn't push herself too hard.
As the months went by and the further into her pregnancy she got, the more protective the others became of her, and she wished she could say Alec and Demetri were the worst but in reality, it was actually Jane and Marcus, both of them refusing to leave her side no matter of their duties and other responsibilities. Not even when ordered to by Aro, not even when she snapped at them irritably and surprisingly, not even when she'd accidentally set their robes on fire in a moment of her magic going haywire. She knew vampires were highly fearful of fire and for good reason, it being one of the few things that could actually destroy them, and still, they'd just shrugged off their robes, put out the flames and continued following after her as if it had never happened. Hermione didn't know if she should be annoyed, touched or appreciative of their clear protectiveness of her and the babies.
And the further into her pregnancy she got, the harder it became to hide it from the rest of the Coven and the vampires that inhabited the castle. She was now at the point where even her robes and cloak couldn't hide her large stomach and as a result, she barely left her rooms, not unless a path had been cleared first and the only places she was allowed to visit were her rooms, the chamber and her library. Everything had been so much easier when she'd been able to apparate but for safety's sake, Snape had put her on an apparition ban as soon as she'd entered her fourth month of pregnancy.
As much as she hated him for it, she couldn't actually find it in herself to hate him, knowing he'd done it as a precaution to prevent both herself and the babies from getting injured. And she had to give it to the man, he spent night and day brewing her potions, carrying out experiments and scouring her library for more information that pertained to her pregnancy. Now that they knew it had occurred before, although, with different factors involved, they'd been searching for other possible cases throughout history. So far, they hadn't found anything.
He hated being disturbed and he often locked himself away in her lab or in his rooms and it wasn't often to see him walking about the castle, not unless he was heading to her rooms in order to carry out her medical checks which he was still adamant about doing several times a day, despite the fact he learned nothing new and the results of the tests were always the same and hadn't changed since they'd discovered her pregnancy. The few times that he was seen out of his rooms, he could be seen quietly walking the halls with Jane.
No one actually knew if she'd told him about the bond they shared as they were both very private people, and neither of them showed any changes in their behaviour either, not like Alec and Demetri had. Alec had asked his sister several times about her relationship with Snape and each time he returned to their rooms with a scowl on his face and rubbing at his head or arm. As such, those in the know never dared to bring up the subject with either of them and they'd decided that they'd wait for Jane to come clean. Hermione secretly hoped that there was something going on between Jane and Snape, because Merlin knew they both deserved to experience happiness, especially after all they had been through. And if they did have a relationship, it would mean Snape would most likely stay in Volterra for good.
Hermione knew the Lords weren't opposed to the idea, them all having grown used to his presence in the castle and Hermione wouldn't mind him staying either as it would be nice to have another magical practitioner nearby, especially one she could discuss magical theories with and even duel against when she wanted to test out new duelling techniques or battle spells.
The Lords also saw that Snape was valuable, not only for his knowledgeable mind but due to his experience within the potions sector and they'd already asked her if she thought he'd be a good replacement for her, as of right now, her Potions Mastery had been put on hold and she had no plans of continuing it until after the babies were born and she was sure they were perfectly healthy. As it was, the Lords were already in the process of purchasing a property within the Italian wizarding town of Casale Marittimo. As for as she was aware, the finalising of the paperwork was due to be completed by the end of the week and they could soon have contractors in to remodel the building, decorators in to add the finishes touches and then the business could be underway.
The only problem being, they actually needed a licensed Potions Master with an impressive résumé under their belt and that could be trusted, not only to run the business and build a cliental list but to keep it a secret that it was actually owned by vampires, at least for the time being. And that's where Snape came in. The Lords were just waiting until she gave birth and they knew the babies were healthy, before broaching the subject with Snape. Luckily for them, Snape estimated Hermione would give birth anytime within the next two weeks and as a result, everyone was on edge waiting for it to happen.
"Hermione, I don't feel comfortable with this."
Hermione looked up to her frowning husband. "I know, but I also know you don't particularly care for my friends and you're biased."
"I don't hate all of them," he protested.
Hermione snorted. "No, just Ronald, and I get it, he's hard to get along with so I don't expect you to. But he would nerve hurt me."
"He has, several times," he knowingly.
"He would never hurt me physically and Harry will be here, too. I've no doubt that he is going to be just as surprised as we all were, but nothing will stop him from ensuring my safety, not even going into a state of shock. You and Alec will be outside the door and will be able to hear should anything happen and I need you."
Demetri sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I really don't approve of this," he said.
"I know," she said softly. "But I appreciate you allowing me to do this. They know something's not right. They've been suspicious for months, especially since I've had to tell them I can't visit for Christmas as I promised. That's why I'm bringing them here for the day. This is where I'm most comfortable and where I'm safe. I know that neither you, Alec or the others will allow anyone to harm us."
"Never," he promised, moving over to her when she held her hands out, needing help to stand from the couch.
"Have you seen my slippers?"
"Which ones?" He questioned, an amused smile pulling at her mouth.
Since Marcus had learned that Hermione not only struggled to put on shoes but that her feet and ankles would often swell up, he'd purchased more pairs of slippers than one person could possibly use in a lifetime and as such, Hermione had several pairs stashed in several rooms of the castle, mainly her rooms, her library and even a pair in the chamber room.
"The padded, fluffy grey ones," she answered.
"In the bathroom," he nodded and within the blink of an eye, he'd collected her slippers and put them on the ground, keeping hold of her hands as she slipped them on her feet.
"Much better," she said to herself before releasing his hands and pulling her cardigan firmly around herself.
Now that winter had officially taken over, the weather had cooled considerably and as a result, the castle was always freezing and she'd taken to wearing Warming Charms, thick cardigans and her cloak. The fireplace in her rooms more often than not had flames dancing and during the night Alec or Demetri would continuously add more firewood to ensure it didn't go out. It had also started snowing a few days prior and whilst Hermione loved to watch it from the window, she hated being out in it, it being far too cold for both her and Teddy.
She turned towards the door and a smile lit her face when Alec stepped inside with Teddy being perched on his hip and as he closed the door behind him, he made noises in response to Teddy's babbling. The day he'd made his first babbling noise Hermione had burst into tears and she'd never seen Alec and Demetri so proud, that was until, he started crawling a month prior and ever since, there was no stopping him. Hermione knew that given a little time, Teddy would soon be speaking his first words and he'd soon be taking his first steps, too, and once that happened, the castle would never be the same again, especially when the twins were born and they grew to do the same.
At now being seven-months-old, Teddy was as happy and healthy as ever. He was crawling, babbling, had long since started eating solid foods and his need for a bottle lessened and he was even sleeping longer through the night, not that it affected her as Alec and Demetri tended to him before she ever had a chance to wake. The best thing about having children with vampires; she would never have a sleepless night, something she was certain all parents would wish for.
"Where did you find him this time?" Demetri asked amused.
"Felix had him in the lounge, watching children's cartoons. Apparently, they'd been there all morning as Felix stole him from Jane and he's been hiding out since," he replied and they snorted at him.
"Soon enough there will be enough children for everyone, so no more fighting," Hermione said.
"They will still fight," Demetri argued in amusement.
"How are you feeling?" Alec asked her, bending to put Teddy on the ground and watching as he soon crawled away from them and straight over to the three no-longer kittens that came to greet him.
"A little tired but otherwise fine," she answered.
"Maybe you should rest for a while," he suggested.
She smiled at him. "I will once Harry and Ron have been. They deserve to know and I've kept this from them long enough."
"I don't approve of this," he responded.
"You and me both," Demetri muttered beneath his breath and Hermione smacked at his arm, sending him a look of warning.
"As I told Demetri, I will be perfectly safe. Not only will you both be stood outside the door and my magic will instinctively protect me should it need to, but Harry won't let anything harm me, no matter his state of surprise. It's instinct for us to protect each other and despite having been away from each other for so long, those instincts are a product of the war and the challenges we faced together, and we will always have them no matter the distance between us."
Alec sighed and brushed his hair out of his face. "I still don't like it but they'll be here soon. I heard that Felix was sent as an escort and to collect them as they were spotted approaching the castle. They'll be searched before being brought here."
"How long ago was this?" She asked but as she did, a knock on the door sounded and knowing who was on the other side, she suddenly grew anxious.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she smoothed out her cardigan and pulled it firmly around herself. Looking to her vampires, she nodded and they both headed for the door despite not looking pleased about leaving her alone. She turned towards the fireplace and put her back to the door and she soon heard the familiar voices of her best friends.
"Hermione! What the hell's going on? Why were we searched and threatened with death?" Ron said, not sounding pleased. "What are you hiding? We know something's going on!"
"Hello, Ronald, I've missed you, too," she snarked. "And you're right, there is something that's happened to me and as a result, Felix and the others are rather protective of me. This is why I haven't been able to come to London for Christmas, despite the fact I did promise to visit. Rather, it was much safer and easier to bring you here so I might explain everything."
"Hermione, why aren't you looking at us? Will you please turn around, you're making me nervous?" Harry spoke up, sounding a lot calmer than Ron, but also worried.
"First, I need you to drink the Calming Draughts that are on the bedside table. It's just a precaution, I don't want either of you losing your temper as Alec and Demetri won't stand for my being insulted or put in harm's way. They've always been protective of me but now they are more so than ever and with good reason. My situation is delicate."
"Situation?"
"Please, just take the Calming Draught. I'm already anxious and I don't wish to keep this from you any longer than I already have."
She heard Ron muttering beneath his breath and it soon stopped when she heard Harry's hand connecting with the back of Ron's head. Footsteps sounded as they crossed the room and they both drank down the potions, of which were double their usual potency, it having been Snape's one condition should she wish for him to brew them for her.
"There, now tell us," Ron grouched.
Taking a deep breath, Hermione slowly turned to face them, seeing that they looked no different to when she'd seen them all those months ago at her wedding. Their eyes scanned her for injuries as usual and she rolled her eyes, but then they soon saw her rather large stomach and their eyes widened and they stumbled backwards, Harry catching himself and Ron falling into the bedside table behind him.
"What the..."
"Surprise," she said, a guilty look crossing her face and the silence and stares that met her had her biting her lip and fiddling with the buttons on her cardigan nervously.
"I don't understand," Harry muttered.
"I know it's all very hard to process, trust me, we've all been through this, but I'm pregnant."
"But... How?" Harry spluttered.
"Well... We're not entirely sure, to be honest, but I am. We discovered I was pregnant a couple of days after the wedding, and whilst I should've only been three weeks along, I was actually nine. Since then, my pregnancy's developed at a normal rate and from what Snape can tell, I'm due to deliver in the next couple of weeks."
"Snape?" Harry blinked, his eyes darting between her face and her stomach.
"He's been here for months, helping me. He's my personal healer and midwife. It took us a few weeks but we discovered that this has happened before. A witch was raped by a vampire and gave birth to a child two weeks after. Whilst we believe my pregnancy is different due to my magic and my being a Sorceress, it protecting both me and the babies, we believe the children will be human-vampire hybrids and Snape's determined they already have growing magical signatures."
"Babies?"
"Twins," she smiled softly, her hand coming up to smooth over her stomach. "A boy and a girl, Alec's the biological father."
"I need a drink," Harry muttered.
Hermione smiled knowingly before a bottle of fire whiskey and a tumbler appeared before him. Blinking, he reached for the bottle and didn't bother with the tumbler, instead just removing the lid and taking a large swig from it.
"Alright," he breathed out. "That is a lot of information to take in at once and I certainly didn't expect to come here and discover this is the secret you've been keeping from us."
"I know," she said softly, her eyes darting over to the other side of the room to check on Teddy before moving back to him.
"You said this has happened before?"
"Yes, we have a source."
"What happened to the witch? When was this? What about the kid?"
"Unfortunately, the witch's body and her magic weren't strong enough to handle the accelerated pregnancy and the baby almost killed her. A werewolf pack found her after the attack and took her in, helping her through the pregnancy. When she gave birth she was injected with werewolf venom to keep her alive long enough for the full moon to make an appearance and she was changed. The child is a hybrid, though apparently more vampire than human. It can survive on both food and human blood and it went through an accelerated development, being a fully grown adult after seven years of birth. We're not sure when this happened. Our source said he can smell that my babies are perfectly balanced within their human and vampire natures and with my raising them, will be completely harmless. He also believes they won't have accelerated development and will instead grow as normal. Snape's been carrying out experiments but hasn't been able to determine anything new, now we have to wait until after I give birth. With both my magic and power and Alec having a gift, it's possible the babies might have one, too, but we can't be sure yet. For the time being, all that matters is that both myself and the babies are completely healthy and I'm very well taken care of, to the point where I can barely sneeze without someone checking me for injuries."
Harry let out a snort and took another swig from the fire whiskey bottle, his eyes fixed on her stomach.
"I get why you had us take the Calming Draught," he said, and Hermione's eyes darted over to Ron, noting that he'd been far too quiet.
He just stood there, half leaning against the bedside table and half leaning against the wall, his mouth parted, his eyes wide and trained on her stomach. One hand gripped his wand and the other gripped onto the edge of the bedside table and his face was ashen whilst his cheeks and the tips of his ears were bright red. He was both furious and surprised.
"Ronald?" She spoke softly yet he didn't answer, didn't even move. She let out a sigh. "Alec, Demetri," she called and the door opened to reveal her husbands, their eyes immediately locking on Ron distrustfully. "Will you please take Ronald to my training room, I feel he needs to let off some steam. Please hurry before he snaps out of his shock."
Within the blink of an eye, both Ron and Alec were gone from view and Demetri sent Harry a look of warning before stepping back out of the room and closing the door behind him.
"You did the right thing," Harry assured her. "He would've lost his temper despite the Calming Draught in his system. It's best he gets it all out before speaking with you."
Hermione nodded and moved to the couch, taking a seat and Harry looked amused at the way she'd had to position herself to get comfortable. Slowly crossing the room, he took a seat beside her and took another swig from the fire whiskey bottle before he suddenly started coughing and she frowned, reaching over to pat him on the back.
"Merlin! Is that..." He trailed off, his eyes being firmly locked on the crawling baby as he crossed the room over to Hermione and the three no-longer kittens were following beside him protectively.
"Yes, it is, your Godson," she smiled.
"He's so big," he muttered.
"He's seven months now, he's crawling, eating sold foods and he doesn't stop babbling. Soon enough he'll be running about the place and shouting from the rafters, and he'll have his siblings to do it with. He'll be almost eight months older than the twins but they'll grow up together."
"Three children under the age of one, I don't envy you," he said and she chuckled.
"It won't be so bad; I have an amazing support system with Felix, Lord Marcus and Jane, not to mention Alec and Demetri. I know they'll take the night shifts so I'll never have a sleepless night."
"Every parent's dream, I'm sure," he said. "Hermione, why's his hair blue?"
"It's been like that for the last week and it more than surprised us all when we first saw it. Every now and then it flashes blonde but otherwise, it's remained blue. I think that's going to be his colour, just how bubblegum pink was Tonks'."
"Let's just hope he's not as clumsy as her," he said amused.
She laughed, "I don't think it's possible for anyone to be as clumsy as she was," Hermione said, a sad smile pulling at her mouth before she shook her head. "You'll have to do it, I can't bend down, or even see over my stomach for that matter."
He chuckled and leaned down to pick Teddy up once he was close enough and he set the babbling child on his lap.
"He looks so much like them," Harry mused.
"He does," she agreed.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Harry asked her, his eyes moving over to the door and then back to her.
"Perfect," she answered honestly. "I've never been happier. We both know that I'm a Sorceress, that it's my purpose to change the world, to better it. My falling pregnant was a very surprising bit of news but I've come to think of it as a blessing in disguise. What if my purpose in life is to bring these babies into the world so they may better it?"
"That could be possible," he nodded. "Merlin knows that any child you have will be a powerful brain box, maybe even more so that it's going to be a human-vampire hybrid."
"I just hope Ron sees it the same way," she sighed.
"I don't think he's taking the news well, his lack of speech more than proves that as we've never known him to be quiet. I suspect he'll be angry and he'll vent and shout and argue, but he'll soon come to terms with it, much like he did your leaving and learning of your wedding. Just give him time to process it and accept it. And while this is a lot to take in, I understand why you kept it from us and I'm glad you decided to tell us the truth. This is a major and thought to be impossible change in your life and you're sharing it with us when you could've just kept quiet and we'd have been none the wiser."
"We're family, Harry, I've never been able to keep things from you for long," she said softly.
He snorted. "That's true; I knew something was up when you sent your first letter after the wedding."
"You've always been able to see right through me," she smiled.
"I don't think I've seen you this happy," he commented.
"I've never felt this happy," she responded. "Alec and Demetri have been truly amazing throughout all of this. I can't possibly be any worse than I've already been and yet their behaviour towards me hasn't changed. Not even when I shout at them during my mood swings or when my magic flares up and sets the furniture on fire. They hardly even bat an eyelash, being so used to it."
"I imagine they aren't taking anything for granted," he replied, putting the fire whiskey down on the table and shifting Teddy in his lap to get more comfortable.
"Our little miracles," she said quietly, smoothing her hand over her stomach once more.
"What's the plan? Are you telling the others?"
"I've written them all a letter each, but I was hoping you'd explain it to them first, try and soften the blow a little. Once the babies are born and we're sure of their health and safety, I'll invite you all back for a visit and to introduce you to the twins. Of course, this needs to remain a secret; we don't want this getting out so everyone must be sworn to secrecy beforehand. Kingsley has been invited for a meeting with the Lords in a few weeks time, to not only discuss the progress made with the laws and their reintegration into society but to be told about the babies, too. I'll be upping the security around the castle as soon as my magic's settled down and I'm no longer a walking time bomb. I can't wait for them to be born; I'm kind of over the whole being a whale thing now."
He snorted at her. "You look fine."
"You're only saying that because you're afraid of me," she quipped.
"Only a little," he admitted and she laughed.
A knock on the door sounded and it opened with Demetri stepping inside.
"Your friend has fallen unconscious but does not appear to be injured," he said.
Hermione sighed and nodded.
"That's my cue to leave and get him home. Give him a little time and he'll come around, hopefully before we're invited back once the babies are born," Harry said.
Hermione was unable to hide the sadness on her face at him having to leave but there was nothing she could do about it. Her life was in Volterra and Harry's was in London. She took Teddy from him and he reached over, hugging her as best he could and pressing a kiss to her cheek.
"I want to be kept in the loop."
"Of course, and as soon as I'm able to I'll let you know when the twins are born and we'll arrange a date and time for a visit. Please explain to the others that I apologise for being unable to visit for Christmas, and I've already sent off your gifts, they should be arriving sometime tomorrow along with their letters but I've had them sent to you first."
"We'll see each other soon enough," he smiled. "And I'll make sure they know everything they need to and that they're sworn to secrecy. Good luck, I've a feeling you're going to need it."
He stood from the couch and headed for the door.
"He is with Alec, Felix will take you to him," Demetri said.
Harry's eyes darted to the large vampire that stepped into view and Hermione laughed when Felix sent her a wink and Demetri scowled at him, before stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.
"See, everything went fine," Hermione said as he crossed the room and over to her, sitting down on the couch beside her and taking Teddy from her.
"He passed out," he said.
"At least he didn't lose his temper in my presence," she responded. "What's the damage to my training room?"
"There is no damage. From what Alec observed he didn't even raise his wand. He merely stood in the middle of the room, staring at the wall before he fainted."
"He's really not taking this well," she sighed, "I'll expect a howler or two once he comes around and until he fully processes it. But I'd rather this than him losing his temper. It's why Snape brewed the Calming Draught double its usual potency. Ron's always had a short fuse but I've never seen him react this way before and I just hope I don't lose him over this."
Looking to the door when it opened, Alec stepped inside.
"The Lords are waiting and the Coven has been gathered in the chamber room," he informed them.
"Well, we get this over with and I can have a nap," she said, Demetri helping her to stand with Teddy perched on his hip.
Now that she was expected to go into labour any time within the next two weeks, the Lords had decided it was finally time to alert the Coven members to her pregnancy as soon there would be two additional babies being seen around the castle. Those that were working out their punishments at Volterra couldn't be trusted with the knowledge but it didn't really matter as they never interacted with the Coven and they were always on the other side of the castle, far away from her and her family.
They made the journey as quickly as they could and as soon as they entered, all eyes darted to them as they stepped into the room, Demetri and Alec helping to hide her large stomach with their bodies.
"This evening, you have all been called as we feel it is time that you are made aware of the changes that are coming in a matter of weeks," Aro began and despite Hermione not being able to hear the mutters, she did see the Guard and Coven members looking to each other in confusion and curiosity. "Our, dear Hermione, has once again proven herself a gem that must be protected. She has done something that was thought to be impossible. She is bringing life to the Coven."
He held his hand out expectantly and everyone blinked in surprise when Jane stepped forward and moved over to her, helping her up the dais so she wouldn't fall. Once Hermione placed her hand in Aro's, Jane moved back down the steps until she was standing next to Alec and Demetri.
Turning around to face the Coven members and Guard, the sound of buzzing filled her ears and her eyes could barely keep up with the movement of the vampires turning to each other and looking between her, Aro and her stomach. Aro silenced them all with a single glance and they settled down despite their confusion and surprise.
"You should be aware of the human wizard that has been here at Volterra these past months. He is a trusted friend of Hermione and the reason he is here is to ensure both the health and safety of Hermione and the life forms she is carrying. Since our discovery of her pregnancy, we have confirmed that Alec is the biological father, no matter how impossible we know it to be. We have confirmed that Hermione is carrying twins, a boy and a girl and Severus Snape has determined that these children are not only showing signs of having a growing magical signature, but are also carrying both human and vampire DNA. From the research and experiments that have been conducted and as of right now, we are of the belief that the children will be hybrids. We have little information and unfortunately, we will not know anything more until after Hermione has given birth and more tests can be carried out. We are informing you of this news, as not only do you have a right to know of the changes that are coming, but also as Hermione is expected to give birth within the next two weeks and we wish for all of you to be prepared should she go into labour unexpectedly and find herself without an escort or guard, no matter how unlikely that may be."
Aro turned his eyes to her and Hermione lifted her own from the ground, feeling anxious and uncomfortable with the number of eyes on her.
"You look tired, My Dear," he commented.
"I have had a lack of energy as of late," she replied.
"That is understandable; you may retire for the evening."
"Thank you, My Lord," she said, bowing her head and removing her hand from his and walking down the dais with the help of Alec who came to meet her.
As she, Alec and Demetri left out of the chamber, Aro's voice sounded behind them.
"I understand that you have questions and now is the time to voice them..."
~000~000~000~
Thursday 31st December 1998
Christmas at Volterra had been much like Christmas at Hogwarts; the majority of the castle being decorated with beautiful garlands and tinsel, holly and lights and lanterns. And Hermione never thought she'd see a tree like the ones at Hogwarts again but she'd been wrong. The trees in the chamber room and the ballroom had been unlike anything she'd ever seen and she'd spent quite a bit of time just staring at them and admiring their beauty.
She'd had a peaceful Christmas and despite missing her friends back in England, it was one of the best Christmases she'd had. Not only was it Teddy's first Christmas, but it was her first Christmas with her husbands.
On Christmas Eve, the Lords had thrown a massive ball and in attendance were more people than were actually able to fit in the room. She'd decided not to attend, preferring to just hide away in her rooms and the Lords hadn't been offended, knowing that not only was she exhausted and expected to give birth rather soon, but they didn't want news of her pregnancy getting out to those that weren't in the Coven. As such, both Alec and Demetri decided to stay with her despite her assuring them they didn't have to and she spent her Christmas Eve watching the little family of cats playing with a babbling and laughing Teddy and snuggled in her bed with her husbands each taking it in turns to read to her with the fire dancing in the fireplace and snow floating past her windows.
Christmas morning she'd woken to a large pile of presents and breakfast waiting for her. She didn't leave her rooms all day but she did receive visits from Jane, Felix and the Lords, wishing her a happy Christmas and exchanging gifts.
Demetri had done as promised all those months ago and he'd bought her an entire wardrobe of dresses, and not one was the same. She'd never seen so many colours and styles in a single room and she knew that she'd have to alter her wardrobe to fit all her new dresses. Alec had gifted her books, some of her favourites and some she'd never heard of, and not only had he given her books, but he'd given her first editions and the majority of them were signed by the authors, too. And between them both, they'd ordered a selection of new furniture ready for when the babies arrived, as well as new clothing.
From Felix, she'd received a selection of her favourite muggle candies and at that, she realised that Felix was a lot more observant than she gave him credit for. Jane had gifted her a rather simple and plain necklace, but to Hermione, it was priceless because Alec had confirmed it had once belonged to their birth mother. She's burst into tears and Jane had left not long after, much to the amusement of her brother.
Hermione's gifts from the Lord had also had tears welling in her eyes. Not only had they had new Volturi robes and a cloak made for her, still being maroon and gold in colour, but they'd had much smaller robes and cloaks made, too, perfect for fitting both Teddy and the soon to be newborn babies. Even Alec and Demetri had been surprised.
But what was more surprising was their gift to all three of them, and they'd certainly not seen it coming. The Lords had gifted them their own living space. Her rooms and Alec and Demetri's old rooms were to be remodelled into one large suite, combining all three, and with the aid of their vampire abilities as well as Snape's magic, they'd gotten the whole project done in a matter of days.
Now it was New Year's Eve and whilst the Lords were throwing yet another ball to celebrate, Hermione was comfortably sat in her own little home, putting the finishing touches on the blanket she'd been knitting for her son, having already finished the one she'd made for her daughter. She sat in front of the flames, humming to herself as she watched the snow fall gently and she sat in her rocking chair.
Her eyes darted about her new home and a smile pulled at her face, feeling far too happy than any one person had a right to be. Where her old rooms had once held a bedroom, bathroom and nursery, her new suite was much bigger and much better suited to her and her growing family.
She'd kept the bedroom and the furnishings the same, only now she had a room that was solely used as a walk-in closet, not only housing her clothing but Alec's and Demetri's, too. Now, her bathroom was gone and had been converted into a large kitchen and dining area, something Hermione had fallen in love with immediately. She no longer had to rely on others to bring her food as she could now make herself something whenever she was hungry or she just felt like cooking, and it would be easier with an extra three humans that needed feeding, too.
Teddy's room had been converted into her bathroom and not only did she keep her bathtub, but a shower had been installed, too. As much as she loved her baths, sometimes she just wanted to be able to hop in the shower, get washed and be out within ten minutes, especially when it was summer and far too warm to be messing about with a hot bath.
Alec's and Demetri's rooms had been connected to hers with a hallway and walls had either been knocked out or had doors put in so it all felt like it was one large living space, and their rooms had been converted into a bedroom and nursery for Teddy, as well as one each for the twins. For the time being, they would share but once they grew older they'd need their own privacy and space to be their own individuals. She'd seen how it affected Fred and George when people just assumed that they liked the same things or had the same personality and feelings because they were seen together more often than not, and she didn't want that to happen to her babies.
There was also a fourth bedroom as a spare and just as a precaution should she be able to have another child with Demetri and they'd need another room. When Demetri had seen it, he'd been just as happy as she was and he barely left her side for the rest of the day, and he barely kept his hands to himself either. In addition to the children's bedrooms, there was also a playroom which was already filled with toys that had already been bought for Teddy, and it connected to all four bedrooms. But once the children were old enough and no longer took interest in it, she planned to have it converted into a living room, even if she did have to wait a good few years before it happened. The final room of her suite was a second bathroom for her children to share between them, though as they grew, Hermione knew they'd probably use hers, too.
Reaching for her wand, Hermione cast the final protection and safety charms over the blue knitted blanket before smiling to herself. Putting it aside, she struggled to stand from her chair but managed to do so, before she headed to Teddy's new nursery. He'd not long since had his bottle and knowing it was getting late, she wanted to check on him before she headed to bed herself.
She was on her own that night, having spent a few hours convincing her husbands to attend the New Years Eve ball. They'd done nothing but focus their attention on her for the last seven months and Hermione wanted them to have some fun and enjoy themselves with their friends and Coven. They'd put up a fight but ultimately she'd won. They promised they'd be back after an hour but they'd been gone for nearly three, something Hermione was happy with as they deserved to have some fun and not have to worry about her.
After seeing that Teddy was fine and she readjusted his blanket, she headed back to her bedroom wanting to ready for bed. Collecting a cotton nightgown along the way, she changed out of her clothes before crossing over to her bed.
Only she didn't make it.
She cried out when a pain like she'd felt before shot through her and her knees buckled, heading for the ground but she managed to catch herself, leaning against the couch for support. A second pain shot through her before she'd even recovered from the first one and she cried out, gripping onto the back of the couch tightly.
Feeling a sudden wetness splash against her bare feet, she looked down to the ground, seeing the puddle on the floor.
Her waters had broke.