Nine Months
A/N: PLEASE READ! So, er… *coughs* hi, everyone. I know, I know, it's been a *long* time. I know I must have lost a few readers, and the ones that are still around must be wondering if I'm dead, or something… well, as you can see, I'm obviously not dead. Just… delayed. For one, I'm a slow writer, as most of you know, and for the other, well… these past six months have been some of the hardest in years. Real life has been kicking me hard, and although I'm way better now (otherwise I wouldn't have been able to update), I've been seeing a shrink for 4 months now. So I apologize-even more so because, well, I'm going to take long with the next chapter too. As you know, it's the last one, the birth one, and *that* is going to be tough because, well, I've never been pregnant before, hehe. So there's a lot of research for me to do. 'Sides, I'm going to the States for the entire summer, and my internet connection will be limited, so… Anyway. A few warnings about this chapter-it's one of my favorites so far, but it's COMPLETELY different from the ones before, and you'll soon know why. There's another A/N at the end where I explain more about it, because I don't want to spoil to you before you read it, so please read it! And so, without further ado, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Love you!
Month 8-October
"Harry? You awake?"
Muffled babbling.
"Harry?"
Grunt.
"What?"
Groan.
"Harry!"
"No."
No what?"
"No, I'm not awake…"
"Yes, you are!"
"No, I'm not…"
"Yet you're talking to me."
Snort.
"Because you woke me."
"Well… you're awake now."
Whimper.
"Hermione? The last time you woke me up at this hour I ended up attacked by a Succubus and had to give up the pumpkin pie and my clothing to convince her to let me go, er… 'unharmed'. You're not making me go back there, are you?"
"No! I just… I just wanted to talk…"
"At two in the morning?"
Guilt.
"I'm sorry, Harry, I just… go back to sleep…"
Yawn.
"No, it's fine, I'm up now."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, it's okay… so, what's bothering you?"
"Can't sleep… baby's pressing against my bladder and I've been to the bathroom three times already… the toilet and I are old acquaintances by now."
Chuckle.
"And my back's killing me. I would have thought carrying a bunch of books around would get me trained up for the added weight of a baby, but it only seems to have made it worse."
Smile.
"It's only a few more weeks, love…"
"I know, I know… oh, Harry! I know I've been complaining a lot, but that's just the lack of sleep talking. I am so happy… I can't wait to hold him in my arms, you know?"
"Yeah, I feel the same way… have I… told you lately how much I love you for doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"This. The lack of sleep. The back pain, and swollen ankles. Only to bear my baby. It just… it's… thank you…"
"Oh, Harry…"
Sniff.
"Yeah, well… just so you know, I'd fight off Succubi for you every night."
Throaty laugh.
"Thank you, darling, but you don't have to worry about that anymore. I'm well past the weird cravings."
Relieved sigh.
"Thank Merlin for that."
Giggling.
Sigh.
Pause.
"Okay, sit up."
"What?"
"Sit up for a second, and off with the pillows. I'm getting behind you."
Excited squeal.
"Are you giving me a massage?"
Laughter.
"Yeah, I am. It was part of the marriage contract, right? In sickness and in health, and in unlimited massages."
Bed creaking.
"Should I turn on the lights?"
"Nah, it's okay. There's enough moonlight filtering through the window."
Sigh.
"I wonder how Remus is doing…"
"I'm sure he's fine, Harry… he's been doing this for years, hasn't he? Besides, Tonks is with him."
"But still, it must be really frustrating for them. Tilt your chin forward, love…"
"I know it must be. Ohhh, do that again!"
Chuckle.
"There?"
"A little lower…"
Moan.
"Oh, right there… yes…"
Purring.
"Merlin, you're tense…"
"Yeah, well…you don't do this often enough."
Accusatory tone.
Chuckle.
"Sorry. I'll try to remedy that as soon as possible. After all, the book did say massages were crucial for our communication."
"Mmmm… so you have been reading those books I gave you."
"Well, of course I have! What did you think I was doing with them, lighting a bonfire? I want to be as informed as possible. Honestly!"
"Okay, okay, sorry… so, what else have you learned?"
"Weeell… I learned that the baby's eyes are blue, and they will likely change after she's born. Her lungs are already developed, so if she were to come earlier, she'd survive, no problem. Oh, and her magic is in sync with yours. Every spell you cast is stronger, and so is your inner magical defense, though you are still vulnerable to curses and hexes, and unforgivables will of course be fatal."
"Wow, I'm impressed. You can read. If only I could get you to read Hogwarts: A History…"
"Never."
"Hmph. Well, you're slacking off your duties, darling. Any chance you can get my feet now?"
"Of course. Anything for you, sweetheart."
Rustling of sheets.
"Anything for me? Oh, that feels good…"
Contented sigh.
"Of course, my love. You only deserve the best."
"Harry. I already sleep in your bed willingly, so why are you still charming me?"
Playful tone.
"Because I'm earning myself points."
Amusement.
"Points? For what?"
"For when you're in the delivery room screaming bloody murder at me and decide you never want me to touch you again."
Breathless laughter.
"Oh, Harry! I would never not want you to touch me!"
"Yeah, well… you remember that, then."
"Right."
Sigh.
Pause.
Bed squeaking. Lips brushing against skin.
"You hear, that, sweetheart? Mummy cannot swear me off sex now. She promised."
Giggling.
"What are you doing? That tickles."
"I'm talking to my baby, what does it look like?"
"Harry? You're talking to his butt."
"Oh. I knew that."
Eye roll.
"So much for reading. Come up here, you."
"Mmmm…"
"Mmm…"
Smacking of lips.
"That was nice…"
Dreamy sigh.
"Yes, it was…"
"Here, lean back against me. Let me hold you a second."
"Mmm…"
Sigh.
"So…"
"So…"
"Our anniversary is in four days…"
Sigh.
"I know…"
"Two years…
"Yeah…"
Pause.
"Now, that's what I call Gryffindor bravery."
Smack.
"Ow! That hurt!"
"Dolt."
"But you love me anyway."
"I think your ego is swelling faster than my stomach."
"Hey! I resent that!"
"Yeah, yeah, stop pouting, you big baby."
"Well you hit me!"
Snort.
"You're such a drama queen, Harry. That barely even hurt."
"It's not your arm that's all bruised and sore, though."
Giggling.
"Honestly, Harry, you're worse than Ron. Maybe I should have married him instead."
Gasp.
"Why, you little witch!"
Squeal.
Laughter.
"Harry! Stop!"
"You want me to stop tickling you? Is that it?"
"Yes! Stop, Harry, stop!"
Laughter.
Gasping for breath.
Momentary pause.
"Take it back."
"No!"
More squealing.
"Harry!"
"Take it back!"
"Ok! Ok! I'm sorry!"
Pause.
"What's that?"
Snort.
"I take back what I said about Ron."
"Good. And?"
Innocent look.
"And what?"
"Hermione!"
Whining.
Laughter.
"Ok, ok. And I'm deliriously happy to be your wife, and I'd never trade you for anything in the world."
A gentle look.
"Neither would I…"
A smile.
Sigh.
"So, what do you want to do on Saturday, then?"
Cheshire grin.
"Well, I know who I want to do at any rate."
Spluttering.
"Hermione!"
Smirk.
"What? Honestly, Harry, we've been married two years, and shagging for three. Plus, we're alone. I don't know why you're so surprised."
Chuckle.
"On the contrary, Mrs. Potter. You never cease to surprise me."
Smile.
"Well, I'm glad then. Oh!"
"What?"
"The baby kicked. He's been doing that a lot. There! He kicked again. Goodness, he's strong. Here, feel."
"Mmm… we've got one hell of a Quidditch player here."
Eye roll.
"You keep saying that. He might just have inherited his mother's strength. I can pull one hell of a punch and I don't need Quidditch for that."
Glare.
"She will be a great seeker, just like her daddy."
"Uh huh. Sure. Right. If I let him anywhere near a broomstick."
Muttering.
"What's that, honey?"
"Nothing, dear."
"I don't know why you keep insisting on a girl. Clearly, it's a boy."
"Oh, clearly?"
"Crystal."
"And how do you know this?"
Smirk.
"Mother's intuition, of course."
Snort.
"So tell me something."
"Mmm...?"
"What are you going to do when 'father's intuition' beats out your boy, and my little Seeker-ette is born?"
Scoff.
"Right, Harry...trust me, it's a boy. I can feel it."
"You sound just like Trelawney."
"Heaven forbid!"
"Fine then, but when my girl comes out of there, I get massages for a month!"
"Deal!"
Chuckling.
"What?"
"It's going to be nice getting massages for a month...I never get any as it is."
Smack.
"Ow!"
"You're such a git!"
"But you love me for it!"
Grunt.
Grin.
"So...when my boy is born, what should we do about his room?"
"One word: Quidditch."
"Honestly, Harry, you're so predictable."
"Thanks, darling, I love you too."
Giggle.
"Anyway, if it's a girl, which by the way it won't be, we could get those little glow stars-you know, the ones you stick to the ceiling and it looks like the night sky and they're really very pretty. I used to have those in my room."
Amusement.
"But why would you do that when you can just bewitch the ceiling like they did in the Great Hall?"
Silence.
Squeal.
"Oh, my! You're absolutely right! I can't believe I didn't think of it before. We have so many possibilities with magic! We must start right away. I mean, we have the crib and the clothes, but the walls are still that dull white color-"
"Sweetheart…"
Gasp.
"We have to get him some more stuffed toys! The magic kind! Luna told me last week there are some adorable hippogriffs that actually fly circles around you-and dragons! They roar and spit multi-coloured sparks-"
"Honey…"
"-I'll look up stores, and arrange them by location, price range, and merchandise. We can make a game plan...color-coded, of course. And a list! With a color-code matching that of the plan. Then we can go to stores, according to the list of things we need and-"
"Hermione-"
"-sort everything out as we go-"
"Hermione!"
Startled look.
"What?"
"You're doing it again."
"Doing what?"
Sigh.
"Never mind. Listen...we can't really do too much with the room yet. We're not positive on the sex yet."
"But mother's intuition-"
"Doesn't necessarily mean it's a girl for sure."
Sigh.
"Fine then. But tomorrow morning we're starting on that list!"
"But..."
"We'll do the room in gender-neutral colors! Like yellow... oh! Pastel green!"
Sigh.
"What?"
"I've unleashed a monster."
Smack.
"Ow! You keep doing that!"
Glare.
"Well, you keep being a git."
"But you..."
"Yeah, yeah...I love you for it. Blah, blah, blah."
Laughter.
Silence.
"You know what I was thinking about?"
"Color coding?"
Giggle.
"No. About my old house. I was just remembering my room...the way it used to be before I grew up and realized that pink wasn't my favorite color, and instead it reminded me of mindless bimbos that wouldn't stop giggling."
Throat being cleared.
"Uh, honey, you just giggled."
Rustling.
"Hey!"
Teasing.
"A-ha! I caught you're hand before you hit me!"
Glare.
"Seriously...it was the same way until I was about 8. Soft pinks and pastels, and pictures of Winnie The Pooh all over the place. I suspect my mum thought that if she started me early, looking at his pictures everywhere, I'd grow up to be a big fan. Little did she know, it annoyed me to no end."
Chuckling.
"Aw...I can just picture little Hermione, wearing a pink dress and pig-tails, playing with her little stuffed teddy-bear."
Glare.
"What's with you tonight?"
Laughter.
"I'm just happy, is all."
Silence.
"My first room was dark and dingy."
Rustling.
"Harry…"
"They let me stay in the guest room after first year because I threatened to use magic on them, but all I really remember before that is sleeping in the cupboard under the stairs. I don't remember where I slept when I was a baby, and I never asked, but Dudley used to tell me there lived a monster, and I was so scared of going in… then one day when I was four Dudley locked me in there on purpose and started jumping on the steps to scare me-I was so frightened. So I started screaming and banging on the door for him to let me out but he wouldn't… and my aunt and uncle rushed down the stairs thinking something had happened to Dudley, but when they saw it was just me uncle Vernon started yelling at me to shut up, and he said that I would stay there until I learned to behave. I cried myself to sleep that night sitting up against the door. And then the next day uncle Vernon dragged this tiny bed in there and told me I was to sleep there from that day on."
"Harry…"
"That's my real first memory."
"Oh, Harry...I hate it that your horrible relatives made you live in that cupboard. I just wish I could get back at them somehow!"
"Hermione, it's ok…"
Anger.
"No, it's not ok! Those people are monsters, Harry. No one deserves to be treated like that, and least of all you! You are a wonderful human being, Harry James, and everyone should treat you as such!"
Silence.
"You know what would make me feel better?"
"What?"
"If we could brightly decorate my beautiful, baby girl's room with a Quidditch theme!"
Smack.
"Ow!"
Whine.
"Hermione!"
"How dare you use your horrible childhood as a joke, Harry!"
"Sheesh! I was just trying to make light of an awkward situation, no need to get your knickers in a twist!"
Glare.
"That's it... I'm not putting out."
Gasp.
"You can't! You promised!"
"Well, you're being a git!"
"Do I really need to repeat myself?"
Frustrated.
"With Circe as my witness, Harry James Potter, if you say that bloody phrase one more time, I will take your broomstick and shove it down the food disposal!
Horror.
"I really hope you're talking about my Firebolt!"
"Argh!"
Smack.
"Ow! Hmph. If you're going to hit me please do it somewhere else 'cause that place is getting sore."
Laughter.
"Oh, shush."
A moment of quiet.
"Are you afraid?"
"Of what?"
"This… becoming a mum. We've always talked about me and my insecurities as a father, but what about you? Aren't you scared?"
A gentle look.
"Of course I'm scared, darling. A child is a huge responsibility, but…"
A caress.
"I'm with you, Harry… of all the times I've had a reason to be scared, there's never been a moment when I wasn't completely sure it was going to be alright in the end because I was with you. And as long as we're together, there's nothing we can't do. So why should it be any different now?"
Chuckle.
"I suppose you're right. Thank you, Hermione."
A kiss.
"Do you realize what we've done here, Harry?"
"What's that?"
"It's just... we created life, Harry… isn't that a wonderful thought?"
Smirk.
"It's bloody brilliant, yes."
"Harry!
"What? It is!"
Eye roll.
"No, seriously, I think it's brilliant. The, uh, final manifestation of our love. A piece of you, a piece of me…"
Grin.
"Yeah. And it's a rather nice piece of you, if you ask me."
Squeeze.
Squeak.
"Hermione!"
"Yes?"
Laughter.
"Goodness, you're randy tonight. I must say, it's a nice change from all the smacking earlier."
"Oh, there can still be smacking involved..."
Loud guffaw.
"Hermione! Is this the real reason you woke me?"
"Damn, you found me out."
Chuckle.
"Well, control yourself, woman. We can't be doing that just right now."
Whine.
"Oh, stop that. We can't. I want to, but we can't."
"Well, there are a whole lot of other things we can do instead, like-"
"Hermione!"
"What? I was going to say, like talk about baby names. I don't know what you were talking about."
Snort.
"Yeah, right."
Pause.
"So baby names, huh?"
"Well, we can't just keep calling him 'Baby', can we?"
"It's a she."
"Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that."
"Hmph."
"So… I was wondering…"
"Yes?"
"Do you… want to name the baby after your parents?"
Surprise.
"What?"
"Yeah, I was thinking, you know, that maybe it would be a nice way to honor their memory, and-what's that look for?"
"What look? There was no look."
"Harry…"
"I just don't think it's a good idea, is all."
Silence.
"I'm sorry, Harry, I didn't mean to upset you, I just thought…"
"What? Oh, no, no, sweetheart, you didn't upset me. It's just…as much as I love you for thinking about them, I want our baby to have their own name. It's bad enough that he has to live with my last name weighing him down…"
Squeeze.
"Hey, being a Potter is my favorite thing to be…"
Smile.
A kiss.
"I hope she feels the same way…"
"Of course he will. Besides, he'll love you too much to care. I bet you're going to spoil him rotten."
"I have a right. Anyway, back to baby names."
"Right. We have to think very carefully about this-it's only what he's going to be called his entire life!"
"Yeah, well, assuming it is a he anyway. Let's agree not to give him a wizarding name, alright? We don't want to scar our child for life. I mean, with names like Cornelius, Severus and Argus, it's no wonder they turned out like they did!"
Laughter.
"Right. Though I know some good wizards with names that are just as bad-I mean, just imagine naming him after our best friend."
Chuckle.
"C'mon, 'Ronald' isn't such a bad name."
"I was talking about 'Bilius' though."
"Goodness, no!!!"
Giggling.
"Poor Ron. Though I really shouldn't talk."
"What's wrong with 'Hermione'? I rather think it's a beautiful name."
Smile.
"You would. I mean, yeah, it's unique and I like it, but it's really annoying when people keep getting it wrong."
Snigger.
"I hear you, Her-my-o-ninny!"
"Ugh. Don't remind me."
"Do you prefer 'Hermy', perhaps?"
Scoff.
"Oh, please."
Laughter.
"Oh, come on, admit it. That's why you fell in love with me. You were tired of blokes getting your name wrong all the time!"
Snort.
"Yeah, right. That's as preposterous as saying we were meant to be together because we share the same initials. Honestly!"
Silence.
"You're right! We do have the same initials!"
A dry look.
"Well spotted, Potter."
"Let's give her the same initials, too!"
Gape.
"You're not serious!"
A grin.
"You are?!"
"Harry Junior!"
A loud guffaw.
"Ha-rry!"
"Harrison, er… Jack! Heath Jensen? Horace Jeremiah!"
Giggle.
"Are you trying to scar our child for life?"
"Hugh Jordan, Heston John, Hermes Joshua…"
"I don't think so, darling."
"Oh, I know! A Shakespearean name! Hamlet Julius!"
Shriek.
"Harry James Potter! You will not condemn our son to social scorn!"
"Oh, come on!"
Mock pout.
"No."
"Spoilsport."
Eyeroll.
"Honestly. It might have actually been a good idea, if 'H' names for boys weren't all so horrid."
"Hey!"
"Except for 'Harry', of course."
"As if girl 'H' names were so hot."
Snort.
"Of course they are. 'Helen' is a beautiful name. So are 'Haley', and 'Heather', and 'Hazel'-"
"And 'Hestia', 'Hilda', 'Helga', 'Harriet', 'Henrietta'-"
"Ew! Definitely not!"
"See?"
Glare.
"Well, it just proves my point, then! No 'HJ' names for the baby."
More pouting.
"What's wrong with 'J' names? Loads of 'J' names are perfectly fine."
Sigh.
"They are!"
"Okay let's compromise."
"How?"
"How about… a name between the H and the J? It's close, so it's still meaningful, right?"
Pause.
"Hermione… you're brilliant, did you know that?"
Smug grin.
"Of course."
Chuckle.
"So what letter is that?"
Laughter.
"Harry!"
"Sorry, sorry. Hmm… I don't know many 'I' names that I like, though…"
A whisper.
"How about… 'Ian', for a boy?"
Pause.
"Ian…"
And in a stronger voice.
"Ian. I like it…"
Smile.
"I rather like it, as well. Very much, indeed…"
A hug.
"And for a girl?"
"Well… there's 'Ianthe'… 'Ilana'… 'Inara'… but…"
Grimace.
"No… they don't sound right to me…"
Sigh.
"Yeah, I know what you mean."
"I… don't much like Irene, either… but… I'm rather fond of 'Isabel'…"
A smile.
"Yes… I think it's lovely, darling…"
A kiss.
A contented sigh.
"'Isabel Potter'. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"
Giggle.
"It does. But don't go getting your hopes up, Harry. It's going to be 'Ian Potter' and you know it!"
Snort.
"Yes, honey, whatever you say."
"Can you imagine what it'll be like when he or she goes off to Hogwarts? And starts dating…gets a life of her own?"
A choking sound.
"Gahh! Shush! I don't want to hear about my little girl… dating."
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
"It is a bad thing. Blokes have only one thing in their minds and that's sex. "
"Harry, you're a man."
"Yes, well, you know, that's all I think about, too."
Laughter.
"And you say I'm randy."
"You are. Not that it bothers me, of course. As long as I benefit form it. Anyway, back to the… dating. She's not doing that until she's 40!"
Amusement
"And you were giving *my* dad a hard time."
"Yeah, well, Ted didn't know me well enough. He didn't know just how perfect I was for you, but look at us now-tight as can be."
"Harry. Dad nearly had you skinned for disappearing on me last month, remember?"
"Yeah, well… ahem. Right. Well, anyway."
Laughter.
"You're hopeless, Harry."
A kiss.
"You're going to be such a great father…"
A smile.
"You think so?"
"I know so. And I bet you're going to spoil him rotten."
"I have a right. And it's a she."
Eyeroll.
"Why are you so sure it's a girl?"
"Why are you so sure it's a boy?"
"Woman instinct, Harry."
Snort.
"What? It's true!"
"Yeah, sure."
"Wanna bet on it?"
"Sure. Just don't chicken out when I actually win. Sooo, what do I get if I win?"
A Cheshire grin.
Whispering.
"Ohhh, Naughty Hermione. I love Naughty Hermione."
A raised eyebrow.
"I would hope you'd love the other Hermiones as well."
"Oh, I do. But they can be a bit too bossy at times. Then again, so can Naughty Hermione-OW!"
"Hmph.You are SO not getting any now."
Snort.
"You know what? I don't need any sex promises from you. I can get that anyway. Besides, It'll be enough just to tell you I was right and you were wrong."
Laughter.
"Yeah, right! You said it, Harry, all you think about is sex."
"Yeah, well, there are other ways."
"Oh really. Enlighten me."
"Sure, if you want to."
Pause.
Moan.
"Ow!"
"Harry!"
"I thought you were going to stop hitting me!"
"Well, you haven't stopped being a git. Honestly-Harry, what are you doing?"
"I'm touching my daughter."
"Oh."
Pause.
A gentle voice.
"You really think it's a girl?"
A smile.
"Yeah…"
"How do you know?"
"I just do."
"Oh."
Pause.
"What do you think she'll look like?"
"Well… I hope she has your eyes."
"I hope she has your smile."
Smile.
"My smile? What's so special about my smile?"
"You tell me! I've been wondering for years! Wench."
Snort.
"Look who's talking, Mr. I-can-get-away-with-anything-by-grinning-and-melting-Miss-goody-two-shoes-into-a-pile-of-goo."
Grin.
"I'm good, aren't I?"
"Yes… you are."
"I hope she looks like you."
"Why?"
"Because if she's even half as beautiful as her mom then I'll be the luckiest bloke alive."
Laughter.
"How flattering."
"What, you don't believe me?"
"I'm not beautiful."
"You are."
"I look like a beached whale."
"You're the most beautiful woman in the world."
Sniff.
"You forgot the entire universe…"
Grin.
"Now, don't get too cocky, dear."
A kiss.
Fumbling.
A breathless moan.
"What're you doing?"
"I'm touching you."
"Well, that much is obvious."
A sultry tone.
"You want me to stop?"
"Don't you dare. It feels way too good for you to stop…"
Moan.
Giggling.
"Now who's getting cocky?"
Chortle.
"Hermione!"
to be continued…
A/N # 2: PLEASE READ!!! SERIOUSLY! I know this chapter is very different from the other ones, and I admit I'm a bit nervous about your opinion. There's absolutely no description here, and lots of dialogue, which I'd never done before, but I really like how it turned out. It was inspired half by a story by the wonderful Danielerin, who has sadly stopped writing-she's awesome, in case you haven't read her stuff. The 'sounds' that can be found between the dialogues were more or less inspired by a great Slam Dunk Fanfiction, "The girl that time loved". The idea is that, since they're sitting in the dark, you can't really see what's going on-and if you could somehow get into their bedroom, all you would be able to do is hear. Of course, there's some things that you wouldn't really hear (like smiles, and pouts, and such) but I think they were necessary for the story to flow. Also, I know the Draco thing was left hanging, and I apologize, especially because I have to admit it won't be resolved in this fanfiction. I'm sorry, but this is mostly a romance, and I don't want to turn it into a action packed story, at least not while Hermione is so close to giving birth, hehe. But don't you worry, because I'm delighted to announce there is a sequel in the works, that will deal with that and so much more! It may take a while to come out, but I hope you will stick with me to find out what happens! I've also been working with some new stories, which I think you guys will find interesting. Please check my livejournal if you have questions, comments or if you just want to get to know me better-I love making new friends. My username is favo_de_mel, and feel free to add me if you like. I'd like to thank my wonderful beta and friend, Aida, for all her awesome help-she did more than you could think. Love you all!