Baby, Baby…
The next few weeks flew by for the students at Hogwarts. Ron made it through his first Muggle dance with Samantha and even though her friends didn't know he was a wizard yet, they seemed to think he was a very funny, very perfect bloke for Samantha.
He had picked up the engagement ring but took Hermione's advice and had it locked securely in his trunk waiting for the right moment. He didn't know that his friends were planning a party for his 18th birthday. Since his birthday fell during the week, they managed to get permission for Samantha to visit for the weekend and it was Harry's job to keep Ron entertained on the Quidditch Pitch while Hermione used her magic to bring her cousin to the school.
Draco and Ginny were still exploring their relationship and rumor was that they were an item. Since the one night she spent with him, it had not happened again, but she had been able to get some quality time with him at Hogsmeade and a few walks that they were able to take through the two feet of snow outside. Ginny was perfectly happy at the slow progress that her relationship was taking…he was studying hard as were her other 7th year friends for NEWTs and each house had a Quidditch match in February to prepare for and were now preparing for their matches at the end of March.
Ginny did find out a bit about Draco's mysterious appointments. He had only told her he was doing something his father would have never approved of; his mother saying that it was probably making Lucius so angry he would fight his way back to life just to kill them both. Intrigued, Ginny had shared this with Hermione and they only thing they could come up with is that it had to do with something GOOD.
Harry and Hermione were owling back and forth with her parents about wedding plans and Hermione had taken it upon herself to come up with a travel itinerary for their honeymoon to America. Draco actually surprised them all with a list of sights he asked his mother to send (that she enjoyed visiting) and passed it along to Ginny to give to Harry.
Harry had become the unofficial host of the Friday Night Chess Matches against Slytherin and Gryffindor and had actually played against Draco the night Ron was with Samantha; he had lost but not by much and everyone had thought it was one of the best matches yet. Harry remembered seeing the gleam in Snape's eye when Draco took his King but Harry managed to move his mind to Snape's possible retirement…which apparently was the rumor still going around, along with Sunnyvale leaving.
A note had been delivered the day before to Ron and Ginny saying that Katharine was in the hospital on bed rest; the twins weren't due for another five weeks and she was starting to have labor pains.
Ron was still holding out hope that his nieces would be born on his birthday, March 1st, but as that Tuesday came and went it looked as if that wasn't going to happen. But, on Thursday, March 3rd, four weeks and five days before the babies were due, in came Pig, with all the other owls, actually managing to drop a letter in front of Ginny and swooping off without knocking another owl off course.
Ginny tore it open, scattering paper everywhere and read it aloud to her brother, across the table from her that morning at breakfast.
"Katharine is in labor and the babies should arrive sometime this afternoon if all goes well. She's at St. Mungo's and I have already cleared it with Professor McGonagall for you two to floo over whenever you can; JUST DO NOT SKIP YOUR CLASSES!
Love, mum and dad"
Ginny grinned and looked at her brother.
"How can she say to not skip our classes? I'm going now; I want to be there for this!"
"Well, tell me when she has them because this is something I don't want to see. The end result is fine, but I don't need to see Katharine pushing out two babies." Ron shuddered and grabbed his sister's uneaten toast of the table. Ginny happened to look up at the head table and saw McGonagall looking at her. In silent communication, Ginny held up the letter and with a slight nod of her head to Ginny, she turned back to whatever conversation she was having with Hagrid.
"I'm leaving now. I'll let you know; your classes are done after lunch Ron, why don't you just come then?" Ginny asked and Ron said he would think about it, still squeamish that he might see something he shouldn't.
Ginny stood up and grabbed her bag to return it to her room. Saying goodbye and leaving to a chorus of people wishing her sister in law luck she walked quickly out of the room, re-reading the note she just received. Dashing up to her room she dropped off her books, changed out of her school uniform and threw on some jeans and a light purple shirt, some trainers, threw her robes over her shoulder and headed back down to the deserted Common Room, towards the fireplace.
"Draco!" Ginny collided with him as she was running and couldn't stop in time. His hands came to her arms and steadied her. "What are you doing here?"
"I am guessing by the way you are running around that you are about to be an Aunt?"
"Yes, and I get to miss class. What are you doing here…don't you have class?" Ginny repeated, feeling him take her hand.
"I do, but I thought you might need someone to help keep the excitement to a bearable level." Ginny tilted her head to the side. Was he offering to go with her? She just then noticed that he was dressed casually and his robe was draped over his arm.
"You are offering to miss your classes and come with me? We'll probably just end up sitting and staring at a wall."
Draco smiled. "So, we can do things to pass the time," he saw her blush and look down, remembering this past weekend having a grand old time in a deserted classroom.
"It would be great if you came; it would mean a lot to me. Ron is afraid he will see something, even though he won't be in the room, he is still freaked out." Ginny let go of his hand and put on her robe. "Are you SURE you want to miss classes for my sister in law?"
He leaned over and brushed his lips over hers. "For YOU," he whispered and Ginny felt a chill go up her spine. "Also, you can finally see what my mysterious appointments are all about."
"Hmmm…really?" Ginny headed towards the fireplace to floo to the hospital. "Can't wait to see what you have up your sleeve this time," and with that they left Hogwarts and entered St. Mungo's.
---------------------------
It wasn't until dinner time that an OWL flew in and dropped a letter on Ron's lap; he saw it was a regular postal owl and realized it must be from Ginny. Harry, Hermione, Neville and Luna gathered around him as he opened it.
"Uncle Ron,
Your presence is requested by your nieces Jillian Katharine and Cassandra Lauren; born today at 4:10 and 4:24 pm. All are doing well, so please come and bring everyone! Charlie wants to show off his little girls!
Your favorite sister, Ginny"
Ron felt someone place a kiss on his cheek and people clapping him on the shoulder and shaking his hands.
"Let's go! I'm too excited to eat!" Hermione said and managed to get Ron up and moving; in a matter of 15 minutes, Harry, Ron and Hermione got permission from McGonagall and floo'd to the hospital, where Ginny was pacing up and down a few floors up, waiting for them.
She launched herself at Ron, excitedly telling him how cute the babies were, how small and in the same breath how she finally figured out what Draco had been up too.
Hermione grabbed Ginny's arm and pulled her back as the boys headed up the hall to the labor and delivery area.
"What was it?" Hermione asked.
"Apparently, after his father died his mother said she always wanted to donate money to the hospital and have a wing opened in their name. She told him she couldn't have anymore children for some reason after him, so there is an entire new wing that opened two weeks ago for babies that require special care. He said that he was moving his mother's money around from Wizarding bank to Muggle Bank, getting the best rates, returns or something like that. He couldn't say anything until everything was ok'd by the Ministry and it was. So, the babies will be in there, after this afternoon, having been early and it's gorgeous. You will love it Hermione!" Ginny gushed, but Hermione was still stuck on what Draco had done. It would explain his absence in Potions class and in DADA, but she was still floored that the Malfoy's did something good and useful.
"Ginny, I am having a hard time wrapping my head around this…," she began, but Ron was stopped up ahead, talking to his mother who was standing in front of a window. The girls quickly caught up to her and saw what they were looking at.
Two, very small sleeping babies near the front, the tags on the bassinette saying Baby Girl Weasley A and Baby Girl Weasley B. Hermione stood and stared, along with Ginny, Ron and Harry.
"Babies are that SMALL?" Harry asked, not having really seen newborns before.
"They're twins so they are smaller, but generally they all look like that." Hermione said her eyes taking in the three other babies, all boys spread throughout the Nursery.
"Katharine did great." Molly said quietly, holding Ron's arm. "Charlie too, and Ginny was even there."
"You were?" Hermione and Ron asked at the same time. Ginny nodded and pushed her hair back.
"It was the most brilliant thing I have ever seen," Ginny could feel the tears of joy threatening to spill. "I just can't explain…," she started again then went quiet and shook her head. Hermione placed an arm around her shoulders and gave her a hug.
"Well, congratulations Uncle Ron," Harry said quietly, turning from the girls.
"Yea, thanks. We were THAT small?" Ron asked shaking his head in amazement as his brother came into view with a healer. They waved to Charlie who waved back and smiled, looking very tired but very happy. Molly nodded and smiled, then turned towards Arthur coming down the hall.
"Ron you were the biggest, but Fred and George were the same size as these little ones."
Ginny saw that Charlie and the healer were getting ready to take the babies back to Katharine, and beckoned for her friends to follow them around the corner to her room.
"Are you sure we aren't going to bother her?" Harry asked, feeling Hermione slip her hand through his.
"No, she is so excited and Charlie wanted you all to see them. Their friends from work are coming tomorrow. Just family today." Ginny waved to Draco coming down the hall and he caught up with them, handing Ginny a coffee.
"So, this is why you weren't in DADA," Harry reasoned and Draco nodded, blowing on his coffee.
"Someone had to keep her," he nodded at Ginny, "in line. She was bouncing off the walls."
"I am excited!" Ginny protested and Draco agreed with her. "Come on, come in with me," she laid a hand on his arm.
"You go ahead, I'll wait," he offered. Molly tutted and agreed with Ginny, before moving across the hall to talk to her husband.
"No, they won't mind. You waited all day, time to see the end result!" Ginny said firmly and saw Draco's eyes move to Ron as if seeking permission. They stopped outside her door, hearing other babies cry and the murmur of people talking. Ron jerked his head toward the door and opened it for everyone, walking in after everyone filed past him.
Katharine beamed at them and received hugs and congratulations from the trio, but no sooner had everyone found a seat then Charlie came wheeling the babies in and placing them next to the bed.
"Wash your hands, if you plan on holding them," Charlie warned and Hermione was the first one to the sink, dragging Harry behind her as he protested he didn't need to hold them.
"Yea, you do. They need to know their Uncle Harry," Charlie said as Harry shook his hand. Hermione went over and gently picked up who she told was Cassandra and she sat down in the rocking chair Harry held still for her as he wondered how she was going to take this whole experience and willed her not to cry. However when he saw Hermione bend down and brush a kiss across Cassandra's forehead, his heart felt like a hand was squeezing it and his chest became tight. He rested a hand on Hermione's shoulder, and took quiet, deep breaths.
Hermione found the tiny pink hand and gently placed her finger in it, feeling the small fingers wrap immediately around and holding tight. Cassandra moved and stretched a bit, nuzzling her head deeper into the blanket then quieted, eyes squeezed tightly shut and her perfect mouth slightly open.
"She is beautiful; they both are." Hermione smiled up at Katharine who was helping Charlie change the first of many dirty diapers to come. Ron and Draco were washing their hands at the insistence of Charlie and couldn't bring themselves to watch the diaper being changed. Hermione glanced up at Harry who was looking intently at the baby and now having crouched down beside Hermione, his face was level with Cassandra's.
"You can touch her, you know," Hermione said softly and saw him nod. Tentatively he reached out and stroked her cheek with the back of his knuckle, causing her to turn towards him opening her mouth, then proceeded to yawn hugely, making a small happy noise at the end, oblivious to her sister's crying on the bed. Hermione watched as Harry placed his hand on her head as if judging the size of her by the palm of his hand and then he slid it back and found Hermione's, squeezing her hand. He was strangely quiet and Hermione felt a lump in her throat as she realized what he was thinking; that he was remembering what might have been.
"Here," Hermione stood up and motioned him into the rocker.
"Hold her."
She stood in front of him so no one would see the look only she saw on Harry's face. He wordlessly sat down and she showed him how to hold his arms, supporting her head and laid her down in his arms, feeling him bring her against his chest. She crouched down in front of him so she was on her knees, on the hard floor and laid a hand on his knee, watching him move her hat to the side to check out her hair.
"Red hair," he whispered half to himself, half to Hermione and she smiled as Cassandra pushed her feet against the blanket and stretched, freeing both arms from the blanket, then relaxing, one hand curling around her mouth, the other above her head. Gently, Hermione pulled the tiny arm down and set her hand on Harry's with Cassandra's between them.
Neither one was aware that the others were watching them. Ginny had managed to get Ron to sit next to Katharine and hold Jillian who was awake and staring up at Ron. Katharine smiled at Charlie, thinking that Harry and Hermione were sharing a special moment, thinking about their future family. But Ginny and Ron knew what was going through their heads and they looked at each other- Ginny giving her brother a sad little smile then his attention was diverted by Jillian stretching and pushing against the blanket she was swaddled in.
Ginny met Draco's gaze from near the sink and she got up and walked over to him, feeling excited and sad all at the same time. Draco laid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him wondering why she got quiet all of a sudden. As she rested her head on his chest, only vaguely aware that this was the first time she had been this intimate with him in public, his gaze rested on Harry and Hermione in the corner, under the window.
Hermione reached up and touched Harry's face and he finally peeled his gaze away from the sleeping baby and looked at her, tears in his eyes and his voice failing him for a moment. The pain was real, but so was the happiness that his best friend now had an addition to their family; he saw how Hermione had known exactly how to pick her up, hold her and the look that came across her face as her finger was trapped inside Cassandra's incredibly tiny fingers. Closing his eyes and resting his forehead against Hermione's he took a deep breath and whispered he needed to take a walk. Nodding her understanding she took Cassandra carefully from him, and made her way towards Ginny who turned around in Draco's embrace.
"Harry needs to walk," was all Hermione said and swiftly Ginny took Cassandra, nodding and watched them walk
quietly out of the room. Ginny blinked back tears thinking of what her friends had gone through and at this perfect
little face in her arms. Turning towards Draco she nodded to his arms which were crossed on his chest.
"You should hold her," Ginny whispered, not trusting her voice. He was about to protest when he caught the same look in her eyes as in Hermione's. Briefly wondering what was going on, he held out his arms like she told him to and she placed her into them, watching him shift her carefully until they were both comfortable. Ginny glanced at her brother who had handed a fussy Jillian back to Charlie. He was sitting in the rocker recently vacated by Harry and was staring out the window, an unreadable expression on his face. Charlie and Katharine seemed oblivious to the mood that swept down, then slowly moved away from Ron and Ginny. Ginny said that Hermione was showing Harry the new wing the Malfoy money had built, as an excuse for them to be alone.
Ginny turned back towards Draco who was staring at her and her hazel eyes locked with his.
"You never told me they would be so small," he said softly, breaking his gaze and looking down at Cassandra who was now awake and looking intently at him.
"You never asked." Ginny smiled and leaned over to get a look at her niece's eyes. They were deep, deep blue and had the almond shape of Katharine's side of the family. "Most babies are born with blue eyes, did you know that?" Ginny ran a hand over Cassandra's head, who opened her mouth and turned towards the sound of Ginny's voice.
"No, I didn't," his voice sounded odd and Ginny looked up at him, seeing the typical neutral expression on his face, but he was looking down at her with a glint in his icy blue eyes that seemed to represent that her was absorbing everything around him; said and not said.
"What?" she asked quietly and he shook his head, jumping a bit as Cassandra let out a squeak. Ginny let out a small laugh and took her from him, handing her to Charlie who said it was probably feeding time.
"I'm leaving!" Ron jumped up, hearing that. Katharine laughed, then clutched her stomach wincing.
"They will be bottle fed, Ron…don't worry." Katharine giggled at the look on his face, then turned towards the door as Fred and George came piling in. After a few handshakes, hellos and goodbyes, Ron, Ginny and Draco made their way out of the room and into the hall.
"I'll see if I can find them," Ron said quietly to Ginny who nodded, then received a hug from her mum and
dad again, before they followed Fred and George into the room.
Ginny's eyes sought out Draco who was leaning against the wall watching her with that intense stare, starting to make her feel nervous. He hadn't said anything pretty much the entire time he was holding Cassandra and she was wondering if he discovered some part of him that didn't like babies. Letting his hands drop from the rail they were holding behind him, he held out his hand, which she came over and took, needing some strength. Ginny, feeling her energy fade away quickly, let him lead her back to the waiting room where they could see Harry holding Hermione in his lap and Ron sitting next to him, obviously conversing about something. Draco steered Ginny towards the opposite corner to a sofa where they sat down, holding hands, not saying anything at all.
Across the room, Hermione kissed Harry's cheek and clamored off his lap, feeling like he was coming back to himself again.
"Sure you're going to be alright?" Ron asked Harry, concerned about how quiet he had become. Not being able to help it, Harry let out a big sigh.
"Yea, I'm fine. I never really thought of what…of what…," he looked to Hermione for help.
"I don't think he realized that there was a tiny human being at the end of the road we started out on."
She met Ron's eyes and he reached over and took her hand, squeezed it lightly then let go.
"Me neither, really," he admitted, then lapsed into silence.
"I like how they have red hair."
Harry actually smiled. "Another set of Weasley twins for Hogwarts; Filch better watch out."
Hermione let out a laugh, echoing off the walls and the three started trading stories back and forth remembering Fred and George's antics years ago. Hermione looked across the room seeing Ginny leaning against Draco, her eyes closed and Draco looking at Hermione.
Even though he was looking right at her, his face was unreadable and she got the strangest sensation that he was reading her mind…a thought and a feeling of sympathy firmly attached to the image of him streaked to the front of her thoughts.
Realizing what had just happened, she flushed and looked down uncomfortably, wondering why he had never guessed before now.
She glanced up at him again, saw him looking down at Ginny asleep on his shoulder then back up, catching her eyes again; she gave him a small smile, somehow knowing, somehow FEELING that him knowing about her and Harry's baby that never made it this far, would stay with him and not be shared.