Love protection (book 1: to be loved)

Our turn (part 1)

Abby POV: 

The waiting room of the St. Mungo's ward was bright but sober, with walls painted in soothing shades of beige and pastel green. Large windows let in natural light, illuminating the space which, despite the bustle, remained calm. A few witches and wizards, also waiting for their appointments, were chatting in hushed tones or reading enchanted magazines. Posters hung on the walls reminding young parents of the magical safety measures. There was a gentle hum in the air, a mixture of hushed conversation and the whirring of cleaning brooms.

Abby swayed gently in her chair, glancing at Samuel, who was absent— mindedly leafing through an old edition of The Wizard Prophet. The wait was beginning to get tiresome.

— How was your day?' she asked, breaking the silence to pass the time.

Samuel closed the magazine, smiling.

— It was short. I sold the water— green suit for a wedding. It reminded me of ours.

Abby smiled back, her thoughts taking her back to their own ceremony. She could almost feel the gentle breeze of that day, the laughter of their loved ones echoing around them.

— Look at us, now parents— to— be,' he said, meeting her eyes.

— Yes, miracle baby,' she replied, shaking her head, a sparkle of emotion in her eyes. Are we still on for finding out the sex today?

— Yes, we are! I can't wait, whatever it is.

She looked down, lightly caressing her barely rounded belly. Then, in a breath, she admitted:

— I want a girl, a bit more.

Samuel raised an amused eyebrow.

— Really? Why a girl?

— I don't know... something to do with passing on.

A gentle smile appeared on Samuel's lips, but before he could reply, a soft, professional voice interrupted them.

— Madam and Sir, it's your turn.

They stood up, Abby taking a moment to steady herself before following the medicomage into the examination room. Once inside, after the usual examinations, Samuel gently helped her to lie down on the examination table, the smile still present on his face.

— You can see a bit now,' she murmured, touching her stomach tenderly.

Their child was growing inside her, and the idea of finally seeing him, even through a spell, filled her with joy. The medicomage approached, her wand in hand.

— This will only take a moment. Are you ready?

Abby nodded, Samuel squeezing her hand with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. The spell was cast, and a cold shiver ran through Abby's belly as a clear image formed. Her womb, the placenta and, finally, their baby were all in focus, the spell making visible what was going on inside.

She still couldn't get used to the sight, and it gave her a chill when she saw it like that. She concentrated on the baby. Her eyes fixed on the little form moving gently. It was real. Their baby. Samuel squeezed her hand a little tighter, leaning over to kiss her forehead.

— Everything's fine,' announced the doctor after a moment, scanning the different areas. The heart, the growth, everything's perfect. Abby breathed a sigh of relief.

— Would you like to know the sex?' asked the doctor with a wry smile.

— Yes,' Samuel said without hesitation, his enthusiasm palpable.

— Congratulations, it's a girl!

Abby brought her hands to her mouth, a light laugh escaping her lips. She turned her head towards Samuel, who also seemed stunned with happiness.

— A girl,' he murmured, looking at her tenderly.

Their hands came together again, tighter this time, as if they never wanted to let go, both overcome by emotion and the promise of this new life to come.

Once out of the examination room, Samuel, who hadn't let go of Abby's hand since the announcement, turned to her, his eyes shining with excitement.

— I want to tell Astoria,' he said with a mischievous smile.

Abby raised an eyebrow, amused by his impatience.

— She's working! We'll see them tonight.

— It'll only take a few minutes, and if she's on a date, we'll leave.

— Okay,' she smiled, giving in to her husband's infectious enthusiasm.

They headed for the psychiatric ward, where Astoria worked as a therapist. Samuel, as impatient as ever, reported to the infirmary in the central office, where a nurse was taking notes behind her counter.

— Samuel Greengrass, I'd like to speak to my sister. It's not urgent, but I was wondering if she's free.

The witch quickly checked her schedule before looking up.

— She's not in a meeting at the moment.

— Thank you very much!

They walked down the corridor, Samuel walking at a brisk pace, almost excited. Abby let herself be carried along, sharing his enthusiasm. When they reached Astoria's slightly ajar office door, Samuel knocked gently and pushed open the door. Astoria looked up from her desk and smiled, obviously surprised to see them.

— What are you doing here? The appointment, yes.

— I couldn't wait,' Samuel admitted with a mischievous smile. We know the sex.

He kept up the suspense, crossing his arms, a glint of playfulness in his eyes.

— Well?' asked Astoria impatiently.

— A girl!' he finally announced.

Astoria burst into joy, standing up to congratulate them. She took her brother in her arms before hugging Abby warmly.

— Just as we wanted,' said Samuel, his eyes sparkling with emotion.

Abby smiled softly at the 'I', becoming 'we' for sex. She looked down at her belly. A girl. Perhaps that would make the name search a little easier, even if it wasn't easy.

— She's perfectly well,' she said with a smile.

— And how are you feeling?' asked Astoria, scrutinising Abby carefully.

— Fantastic.

— We'll celebrate the news tonight,' replied Astoria. Are you going to tell Draco or shall I keep it a secret?

— We'll tell him,' smiled Samuel. I wanted to start with you.

— I really appreciate it,' she said, touched.

— We'll leave you to it,' added Abby. See you tonight anyway.

— See you tonight!

They parted on this happy note, Abby and Samuel going their separate ways.