Lily Potter and the Birth of Harry

raven_phyre

Rating: PG
Genres: Drama, Romance
Relationships: Lily & James
Book: Lily & James, Books 1 - 5
Published: 05/11/2004
Last Updated: 08/11/2004
Status: in_progress

This is a short two part story taken from my interpretation of Lily's pregnancy and birth experience from a third person point of view. It is deeply emotional and romantic, but still a tale guys should read too. It is meant to break free of societal norms. I don't expect everyone to like it, but please read and review. This story is a year prior to the start of the first book. Lily is pregnant with Harry and Molly Weasley is pregnant with Ron(Hary and Ron are the same age)Chapter 2 is Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's birth experience with Ron. Chapter two is lighter and more funny than the first chapter.

Chapters

1. Harry Potter and the birth of Harry

1. Harry Potter and the birth of Harry

I do not own these characters. Quote is from the quotegarden website(a friend to all students in a literature or writing class).

J.K. Rowling handles many topics that we’d rather not discuss in a different light:

Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it. ~J.K. Rowling, "The Parting of the Ways," Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, 2000, spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore

Not everybody will like my interpretation, but I can't come to any other conclusion. Molly Weasley hates Muggle medicine and has had 7 children. Therefore they were born at home without any sort of medical attendant, and this is considered the normal wizarding way. In some parts of Europe homebirth is still considered normal (such as in the Netherlands). From what I’ve heard in the UK homebirth is not as unheard of as it is in the US, but unfortunately it is still not a fully supported choice most of the time. Hopefully I won’t offend anybody because I don‘t mean to. Please feel free to speak your mind if you have any comments about this story.

To clarify: this story is before any of the books. Lily is pregnant with Harry and Molly Weasley is pregnant with Ron(as they are in the same year at school they are the same age). I may write a chapter for the Weasleys in this but that depends on what my reviewers want to see.

I also have a story going for Draco and Ginny and that needs a chapter. After that I'm going off this romance kick and writing something time travel, AU, parallel universe. Something not like these stories

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Lily Potter and the Birth of Harry

Lily Potter was sitting at her best friend’s kitchen table having tea with Molly Weasley who was sitting several inches from the table because of her huge pregnant belly. Lily was expecting too, but she was much thinner and looked more like she stuck a basketball up her dress. Molly chattered happily while Lily sat there looking distracted. Finally she asked, “Is something the matter, dear?” Lily sighed and said, “Well, I got a letter from my sister Petunia today. I had written and told her I was pregnant and how happy I am to be doing the birth in the comfort of my own home with no distractions and no crazy chemicals. She says I’d best get myself to a doctor and have the baby in the hospital or I’ll die a horrible painful death.”

Lily broke down in tears. Molly got up and put her arm around Lilly and said, “There, there, now Lily. It’s alright. You’re very healthy and if on the very odd chance something did happen a healer would be there in an instant. Muggle women have problems because their stupid physicians want to control nature. Arthur had to visit one of their maternity wards once when a witch was taken there accidentally and she had cursed one of their machines to spit paper at the nurse every time she tried to go near it. Did I ever tell you the story of Bill’s birth?” “No, I don’t believe so”, Lily replied with a sniffle.

“Fred, George, stop that!” Molly yelled to the two toddlers who were happily banging on pots and pans on the other side of the room. “Well,” she began finally deciding to ignore the clanging. “Arthur was so worried about me or maybe just worried about what curses I might come up with that he decided he would put me under a sleeping spell for the labor and birth so I wouldn’t have to feel anything. He never bothered to ask me what I thought about that idea. The time came and I thought I was handling it quite well. I was just sitting in my rocking chair with my knitting on my lap and he hit me with it. He must have carried me to bed because that‘s where I woke up. I was a bit lighter then. Anyway, Arthur must have paced the entire three days I was asleep his eyes were so bloodshot the day Bill was finally born. He later told me he had summoned a healer because he was afraid something was wrong. The healer told him I’d be awake if it was really time. When Arthur told her I was under a sleeping spell she just laughed and told him to wake me up and then Disapparated still laughing. Waking up to full force labor pains was quite a shock, but Bill was born fifteen minutes later so there wasn’t really much to it. It was a couple weeks before I even spoke to Arthur because I was so mad at him for putting the spell on me. He apologized profusely, but it still took some time to forgive him. Once I sorted my feelings out I started warming up to him again. Since then we’ve just let birth happen like all the other witches before me have. I won’t lie; it does hurt, but it’s a joy like you’ll never know”

Lily looked up at Molly and smiled, “I wouldn’t have guessed Arthur would do such a thing.” Molly said quietly, “You’d be surprised what Arthur would do when circumstances press him.” Lily finished her tea in quiet contemplation then got up and pushed in her chair. “Thanks, Molly. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Molly smiled and said, “I’ll see you, Lily. Try not to worry.” “I’ll try,” she replied weakly.

She threw away the letter from Petunia and tried very hard to look forward to the upcoming birth of her baby, but dread still loomed over her. As the weeks went on Lily got bigger as well as a bit uncomfortable. She could hardly stand the thought of being pregnant longer, but she still didn’t want to see how it would end. Finally the thing she was dreading happened.

She woke up in the darkest hours of the night; she was having labor pains no doubt about it. She tried not to wake up her husband, James; but she winced and he awoke with a start. “Honey, are you ok?” James asked. “I think I‘m in labor.” She replied in a whisper. James threw his arms around her and cried, “Oh, Lily honey, that’s wonderful!”

“It is?,” wondered Lily aloud.

James glowed at her, “Of course it is; we are finally going to see our baby!” “Oh yes, then I guess it is wonderful!” Lily had almost forgotten what she was feeling this way for. James piped in with a little nervousness in his voice, “Should I run a bath, get you something to eat, help you to your favorite chair in the living room?” Lily answered with a bit of confusion in her voice, “What, eat? Well maybe a milkshake, strawberry please. A bath? At this time of night?” James shook his head, “Don’t muggle men take care of their wives at all?”

Lily closed her eyes for a few seconds and then replied, “In the muggle world doctors, nurses, and sometimes midwives care for women in childbirth.” “Midwives? That’s dark ages stuff. I‘ll be right back.“ Lily laid down for a moment, but shot back up with a contraction. James came back in seconds with a frothy glass smelling of strawberries and cream. Lily took it gratefully.

James flipped his wand toward the bathroom and said, “Ok, the bath is running. Come on, it will help you relax.” As the tiredness of waking up in the middle of the night caught up with her she let James lead her into the bathroom. The tub looked somehow much bigger than it did yesterday.

Lily smiled at James and he kissed her then picked her up and sat her in the tub. She immediately started to relax. James sat at the side of the tub. He held up his wand and said “Accio milkshake.” He caught the milkshake and handed it to Lily who promptly finished it. Between the water and the back and belly rubs James was giving her, Lily was feeling only a slight twinge every few minutes.

Some hours later she started crying and moaning in pain. She breathed heavily, “I don’t think I can do this any longer.” James smiled at her, “You are doing it.” Her moans suddenly turned into small grunting noises. James yelled, “Yes, Honey! You’re doing it! You’re pushing!” Through panting breaths she asked, “Aren‘t you supposed to be counting?“ James thought she must be delirious, “Huh? Counting what?” Lily snapped, “Never mind!” Then seconds later with an earth shattering “OOOOOOOH” from Lily the baby was born into the water.

James picked up the tiny baby who started crying immediately. “Hello, Harry”, he said softly to the baby. Lily reached up and took the baby and stared at him with the deepest of love in her eyes. When they started to feel chilly James picked up Lily and Harry and put them in the bed. They all took a well earned nap as the new day dawned without their notice.