Albus Severus Potter: Birth Story (Discontinued)

The Birth Of A Rose

"Oh!" Hermione felt it. The most ruthless and treacherous pain that consumed the entirety of her body. Everything seemed to have a mutual cramp. The usually quick-thinking woman took a few moments before she realised what was happening. The baby was on its way.

"Ron!" Hermione managed to let out. Her voice was hoarsely weak. "Ron, Ron,"

"Huh?" Ron was still in and out of sleep. Hermione felt the sweat began to form on her forehead. She needed him now more than ever.

"Ron!" That was all she could let out.

"Yes!" Ron's body flailed wildly as she moved about from under the bedsheets. "It's happening! It's happening! Oh, Merlin it's happening," He added the last sentence almost as though it were an afterthought. As much as he was expecting this day and this moment to occur, it didn't feel real. It already felt like an out of body experience and he had only been experiencing it for a matter of seconds.

"We have to go," Hermione was forcing her words out more and more. She too was overwhelmed. There weren't too many situations where she couldn't read her way through it. Pregnancy was one of the exceptions. Nothing could truly prepare her for what she was experiencing.

"We have to go?" Ron practically asked her. Then he scoffed, standing up looking down at his wife, who was in immense pain. "Yes, yes we have to go,"

With haste, Ron grabbed his wand off the bedside table and reached under the bed to grab their prepared bag. He guided a struggling Hermione down the stairs and placed her on the couch opposite the fireplace.

"We have everything?" Hermione croaked.

"Bag, wand, ourselves, yes," Ron used his fingers to recall the three things they needed. "Let's go,"

"We're here!" Ron exclaimed once they appeared in the pregnancy ward of St. Mungo's. "We're here, she's ready to have the baby!"

Healers were upon them in an instant. Hermione blinked furiously as she adapted to the new situation. Bright lights shone down on her eyes. All she felt was her husband's side, before she was heaved onto a hospital bed.

"We're heading to your delivery room," A healer by the name of Francessa informed them. "You're a week early, but all the necessary prep to the room has been completed,"

"If you wouldn't mind letting go of her," Wendy-Lee, another healer, asked Ron softly. He was still hanging onto Hermione's hand, as though it was his life cord. "We'll only be slowed down,"

Ron obeyed.

"Who is it?" Padma appeared a moment later. She spotted Ron's distinctive hair in an instant. "Oh, Ron, perfect. They've just gone ahead with Hermione if you follow me . . . "

Padma and Ron hurried down to the corridor to see the end of Hermione's bed being pushed into their room.

"Hermione," said Padma brightly. "I'll help you now, we'll just change you into something more accessible,"

Wendy-Lee helped Hermione with her clothes.

"Wow, it's all happened quite quickly," Padma was muttering incantations under her breath, her wand pointed towards Hermione. "I expect it shall only be two hours, minimum although, nothing too----"

"Two hours?" Ron whispered weakly.

"If you want, you can leave, for the time being, Ron," Padma told him. "Contact the necessities, we haven't got started yet,"

"Do," Hermione added. "Let them all know, please," Hermione knew the possibility of Ron being infuriating was almost a certainty. She loved him, but in situations like this, he was unwanted.

"Yeah," Ron stumbled out of the room. He suddenly felt as though he had drunk gallons of firewhiskey. "No problem, I- I'll just go over here,

***

"Good morning, good morning," Ginny chanted to herself as she leaned over her son's cot. "How are you, Jamie? Good, are you good?"

James merely blurted unusual noises.

Ginny arched her eyebrow at him. "Hmm, that's what I thought. Come on then, Daddy and Teddy are waiting for us,"

"Hurry up you two!" Harry yelled up the stairs. "It'll be Christmas before you---- Ron?"

"Harry!" Ron's face was redder than ever before. He was panting. Saying Harry's name took an inordinate amount of effort from him. Harry knew it could only mean one thing.

"Is she here?" Harry asked him, as Teddy looked up at his uncle with big excited eyes.

"Who?" said Ron absently, before rolling his eyes. "No, no not yet I---"

"Wait, so what is it you came here for?" Harry almost wanted to laugh at him. However, upon thinking back to lying in a pool of blood for James' birth, he decided against it. He had previously learned the struggle of being a first-time father. Heck, he was still learning with every day that passed. He still wasn't sure how he'd deal with his second son, who was right around the corner.

"Just let everyone know," said Ron slowly. A million thoughts seemingly danced around in his mind. He nodded at Harry. "I'm going to let mum and dad know, then Hermione's parents, but I thought the Godparents would like to know first," With a turn of his heel, he vanished again, leaving the Potters alone again.

At that very moment, Ginny appeared with James in her arms, at the top of the staircase. She looked down at Harry in confusion.

"Ok I'm fairly sure it wasn't Teddy who used that voice," said Ginny confusedly, her finger in James' mouth, a risk she was only willing to take when her mother's intuition told her her son wouldn't bite (she was often wrong). "Was someone else here?"

"Ron," Harry confirmed. "Hermione's having the baby,"

Ginny let out a squeal. "We're cancelling everything! Let's go!"

***

"Push for five more seconds, Hermione! One. Two. Three. Four. Five!"

"Five," Hermione wasn't sure if anyone could hear her. All she knew that the pain she was experiencing was unrivalled to anything she had felt in many years. But she was willing to push. As much as it hurt her, she would be healed in an instant as soon as she had her baby in her arms.

"Hermione, you're doing great," Padma was standing above her, her eyes flickering from Hermione to Ron, who was stood off to the side in utter horror. Upon Hermione let out another wail, her eyes reverted to Hermione, remaining on her fixedly. "One more big push now,"

Screaming emitted from Hermione's lungs. Tears were on the verge of dropping out of Ron's eyes.

But the scream or cry that followed next wasn't from either of them.

A tiny wail told them that the baby had arrived.

Hermione's face flooded with relief, apprehension and delight. After a few minutes of allowing Padma to go through the necessary procedures, Hermione was more than happy to have Rose and Ron on either side of her,

"You're sure that's what you want to call her?" Ron asked Hermione softly.

Hermione gave him a short nod. She was certain. "It just feels right,"

"Rose Weasley it is," announced Ron to the room, consisting of a smiling Padma, Francessca and Wendy-Lee.

"Rose Granger, mind," Hermione chided him.

"I'll settle at Rose Weasley-Granger," countered Ron.

"Rose Granger-Weasley it is!"

Some things never changed.