Title: Nine Long Months
Author: a muggle named Caity
Words: 2, 385
Disclaimer: You know the drill… so I don't have to repeat it for you.
A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry it took a while for me to update, I've been a little busy. I'm happy; I got 26 reviews for the second chapter (thanks to all who did review) and I have 653 reads, that means a lot!! But, it also disappoints me because in the first chapter, I got 1261 reads and 33 reviews. Was my second chapter that bad? Ok, in this chapter, we finally get to see Ron!! And you'll learn something that you might not have expected. Read and review when finished!!
***
Chapter: Unexpected
"What?" Hermione asked her Healer, a wide smile spreading from ear to ear.
"You're pregnant!" Healer Madley repeated excitedly.
"I am!?" Hermione shrieked enthusiastically.
All it took was one nod from the Healer before Hermione jumped off the examination table, screamed out of sheer joy and enveloped her husband in a bone-crushing hug.
"Harry, we're pregnant again! I love you so much!" she exclaimed, giving him a warm, passionate kiss.
"I can't believe we're pregnant again, let's just hope it lasts this time." Harry said in-between planting little kisses over her face.
Healer Madley stood back as he watched the young couple successfully. This was one of the things he loved most about his job; making people happy. He could remember back to a time many years ago when he and his wife were expecting. That was one of the happiest times in his life and he hoped this young couple would be able to experience it as well; full-term.
He watched the man and woman before him exchange loving glances and kisses for a few minutes before making himself present.
"I'll get to the even greater news when you two finish with your intidimacy," At that, Harry and Hermione broke apart, blushing wildly.
The Healer laughed good-naturedly before continuing, "anyway, Mr. and Mrs. Potter, remember a few months ago when you first came to me with your problem?"
Harry and Hermione nodded.
"Well, remember when I said that you could end up with more than one child?"
Hermione's eyes widened. "Yeah."
"Well…." Their Healer trailed off, smiling, hoping they'd get the hint.
"Are we going to have more than one child?" Harry asked, gaping at the Healer.
Healer Madley nodded.
"Oh my God 'Mione! We're going to have more than one child!" Harry shouted. He couldn't even begin to express how happy he was at that particular moment. All he could do was grab Hermione and spin her around happily. The couple both laughed and cried like school children.
As soon as Hermione's feet hit the white, marble floor, she eagerly asked, "How many more? Are we having twins?" Hermione very much desired having triplets, but the fact that she was indeed pregnant again; she could care less if it was two kids or fifty kids.
"No, you're not having twins." replied the Healer, chuckling silently to himself.
"Triplets?" Hermione asked, hoping this to be the limit.
Healer Madley shook his head no.
Harry's eyes began to widen as well. "Quads?"
The Healer shook his head once again.
Harry's eyes were practically bugging out of his sockets by now. "Quints?"
Healer Madley slowly nodded yes.
At this news, Harry fainted. Hermione caught him before he hit the hard, cold floor. 'Men.' she thought, inwardly rolling her eyes. Hermione couldn't believe how lucky she was. Here she was, praying to have multiple children; she had really had her heart set on triplets, but quints were even better. And she actually got her prayer answered.
She, and with some much needed help from the Healer, was placing Harry in a chair next to tall examination table, when he began to stir.
As he opened his eyes, he immediately took in the sight of his wife and their Healer looking worriedly back to at him.
"What happened?" He asked, holding his head as he sat up straight in his chair.
"You fainted. Are you alright?" Hermione asked, amusement evident in her tone.
"Yeah, I just had the weirdest dream though. Healer Madley said we were having quints." He laughed, but stopped when no one joined in.
"Harry…" Hermione began cautiously, "we are having quints."
Harry stared open-mouthed at his wife, "We're having quints?"
Hermione genuinely smiled, holding back her tears of utter joy, "Yeah," she continued shaking her head up and down. "We are really having five babies."
Before Hermione had any indication of what was happening, Harry pulled her into a large hug and then screamed, "I'm gonna be a father!! We're having quints!"
Harry let go of his very surprised wife, dashed across the room and hugged their Healer tightly. Hermione watched bemusedly as Harry's hand turned the knob on the door handle and threw it open, sprinting out of the room at breakneck speed, screaming "I'm going to be a father! I'm having quints!" to anyone he met as he ran down the corridors.
Healer Madley calmly turned to face Hermione. "Well, be back in two weeks for your usual check-up."
'Isn't he surprised at what Harry just did?' she thought curiously to herself.
Almost as if reading her mind, her Healer smiled and said, "This happens quite often, nothing unusual."
"Oh, I should have expected as much." She and Healer Madley laughed.
"Take good care now. Remember, any sign of miscarriage and let me know right away."
Hermione nodded. She waved good-bye and started down the corridor, chuckling as she chased after her husband, totally unaware that she had been being watched the entire time.
***
"Harry do you have the food ready?" Hermione asked, checking to make sure their house was completely spotless.
"Yeah, but like it matters, Ron will just eat it all anyway." Harry chuckled, setting the plates and silverware on their kitchen table.
Their best friend Ron Weasley and his wife, Luna, were coming over for lunch. They hadn't seen them in a while; Luna having only delivered their triplets four months ago. Then, with them having twins that are only two and a half years old, they had a lot on their hands. So Harry and Hermione thought it would be good for them to all get together.
"Ok, the house is clean and the food is ready; everything's ready."
Just then, the doorbell rang and Hermione ran forward quickly to answer it.
"Hey!" In the doorway stood Ron and two of his children; his twin daughters, Catherine and Charlotte.
"Hi Hermione!" Ron said, stepping into their modest home and giving her a hug.
"Hi girls!" Hermione greeted the little girls warmly.
"Aunt Hermione!" they both said simultaneously, each stepping up to give their "aunt" a hug.
"You girls are getting so big and so cute!" Hermione gushed.
"Thank," Catherine began.
"You!" Charlotte finished.
"Oh Ron, they so polite for such little girls, but I think they take after their Uncles Fred and George." Hermione joked.
"Yeah, well… at least they are polite when they do it." Ron laughed, beaming at his well-mannered daughters.
"Gee, I wonder where they learned that?" said a sarcastic voice from the stairs.
"Sod off Harry," Ron shot back good-naturedly, coming forward to share a manly hug with his best friend.
"So," Harry began, looking around Ron, "where's Luna? Isn't she coming?"
"No, she had a deadline tonight and she wasn't even close to being finished," replied the redhead sadly.
"Wait, she just got off of maternity leave and the Quibbler already has a deadline for her?" Hermione asked, completely surprised.
Ron looked downcast. "Yeah, I swear we are going to go broke. I can't work right now, not with Brandon, Brian, and Brady to look after and we can't keep paying for someone to watch them."
"Ron, well we could loan you some money," Harry offered, looking sadly at his best friend of the past 12 years.
"Nah, we have to work it out on our own, but thanks anyway guys." Ron graciously thanked his friends. He truly felt lucky to have such great friends.
"Anyway, we're here to catch up a bit and have fun, so let's get off this topic," Harry stated. Ron gave him a grateful look.
They spent their lunch talking about their Hogwarts days, how their lives were so far, and how their marriages were. When they came upon the subject of how Ron's boys were, he suddenly remembered something Luna had told him earlier.
"Hey girls," Ron addressed his daughters, "why don't you guys go and watch the telly, I know you like watching it whenever we come over."
Both of the girl's eyes lightened up at that. "We can!! Can we pa-wease Uncle Harry?"
"Sure, knock yourselves out!" the three adults chuckled as the twins practically raced out of the room and could be heard fighting over who got the remote first.
"They are such sweet, adorable kids, and they are so smart for their age!" Hermione praised.
"And speaking of kids… how about you guys? Any luck?" Ron filtered in.
Harry and Hermione shared a bemused glance. "Yeah, we've had some luck…."
"Some good luck." Hermione continued where Harry trailed off.
"Great, so are you pregnant Hermione?" Ron asked his friend hopefully. He knew how much they wanted children; Harry especially. It just didn't seem fair that that was one of the things Harry had always dreamed about having, and his dreams seemed to be falling apart. Then Hermione would always blame the whole thing on herself and cry because she couldn't give him the one thing he wanted. And he hated seeing his friends that way; he really hoped that they would one day become pregnant and stay pregnant until delivery.
"Well?" Ron questioned the couple impatiently after a couple minutes of silence.
Hermione talked first. "Yes Ron, we are pregnant…." she trailed off as Ron jumped out of his chair and gave her a fierce hug.
"I'm so happy for you guys!" Ron couldn't contain his happiness for them, they had gotten another chance and he hoped they would come through with it.
"Ron…" Harry began cautiously, "we are really, really, really, really," Harry blow out a breath, "really pregnant."
"Huh?" Ron said stupidly, obviously not getting the point.
Hermione giggled. "Harry and I are having quints Ron."
Ron's eyes grew to the size off saucers, "You mean," he gulped, "as in five children? At one time?"
"That's generally how it works," Harry smirked.
"Well," Ron began, his expression unreadable, "CONGRATULATIONS!" he shouted happily.
"You're happy for us?" Hermione asked, looking relieved.
"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" Ron asked, slightly confused.
"Well," Harry said, "Hermione has miscarried quite a few times."
"Just look at it this way. You have another chance at a family and this time, if you come out successful, you will be gaining quite a bit." Ron told them matter-of-factly.
"That's a nice way of seeing it Ron." Hermione looked thoughtfully at him.
"Yeah well…." Ron murmured, trying to look superior.
"But," Harry interjected sadly, "it's a lot to lose if we, once again, miscarry." Harry slumped in his chair, looking defeated.
Ro pulled up a chair in front of him, while Hermione moved to sit on her husband's lap. "You know mate, I have a feeling that this one will work out."
"You sure?" Harry asked, trying to have faith in what his longtime friend was saying.
"Yeah, I do," Ron assured him.
***
A short, stubby-looking man walked through the cold, dark corridors in silence, slowly approaching his master's door. Upon arriving at the tall, cold, metal door, he stated the password ("power") and stepped briefly over the threshold.
Entering the room, he noticed it was unusually dark. Unknown to him if he was alone or not he called out to his master, "Milord, are you here?"
"Yes, you idiot I'm always here," came a cold, menacing voice from in front of him. "Did you bring any good news for me Wormtail?"
"Yes milord, I think you'll find it quite interesting." the man named Wormtail replied nervously.
"Then get on with it!" the dark-hooded figure before him spoke viciously.
"Yes milord, it's about Harry Potter." Wormtail hoped that this bit of news would please his new master.
"Go on," the dark figure encouraged, his voice softening, but still menacing.
"He and his mudblood wife are pregnant again, milord." Before Wormtail could react, he dropped to the floor, withering in pain from the effects of the Cruciatus curse.
"That's what you've been giving me for the last three years! I need something valuable about Potter, not something that the filthy mudblood can't achieve!" the dark cloaked figure raised his wand to lift the curse from his servant, but was very agitated with the news he brought, every single time.
"Milord," Wormtail began again, rubbing his leg; that of which he fell on. "Potter and the mudblood are pregnant with five children."
This seemed to please his master, for he turned around quickly, an interested look on his cold, pale face. "Five?"
"Yes milord," Wormtail quickly replied.
"This you shall be rewarded for finding out Wormtail."
"Thank you milord, thank you," Wormtail gratefully crawled over to his master and kissed the hems of his robes, thankful that his master was pleased with the news, as he himself had hoped he'd be.
"This is very valuable, very valuable indeed." For the first time in six years, Severus Snape smiled.
***
A/N: Hello everyone!! I'm so sorry that I haven't updated anytime I said I would; I've been really busy. I'm going back to school a week from Monday, on August 15th, and I've been trying to get my school stuff ready and my friend just got back from the east coast, so I had to spend some time with her. Also, I found this chapter a little tricky to write. Like, I didn't know what to have them talk to Ron about, so that took a little while to get down on paper. Anyway, this time I can't promise when I'll update next (I'll probably end up breaking the promise), so all I can say is that it'll be soon!!
I'm glad if you guys like my story so far!! Please leave me a review, the more reviews, the more motivated I am to getting the next chapters done.