What I Always Wanted
Chapter 27: Welcome To The World
Harry raced over to the cot in the dank cell where Hermione was sitting; relief began coursing through his body as he saw no outward signs of injury. As gently as his haste allowed he cupped his wife's face in his palms and asked.
"Hermione, love, are you alright? Did they hurt you?"
Hermione's eyes fluttered in the direction of the cot beside her own and opened her mouth as though to speak, instead of the familiar tone of voice he had expected to hear a gasp of pain settled over his eyes. Harry watched in horror as Hermione grasped her side and doubled over. Harry wrapped his arms around her and cried.
"Hermione what's wrong?"
Breathlessly she replied.
"We have to get to St. Mungos… the baby…the baby's coming… the baby's coming now!"
Harry looked down at Hermione in something like a trance, confusion etched all over his face. He stood there for what felt like hours but was no more than a few seconds attempting to absorb the words that had come out of Hermione's mouth. Slowly, Harry blinked and looking back down at Hermione asked.
"The baby… coming now… are you sure?"
Hermione's eyes; which she'd screwed shut against the pain, fluttered open. She eyed Harry narrowly and answered back through gritted teeth.
"Either… I'm… having…this… baby… or… I'm… hatching… a… hippogriff!
Hermione's pronouncement that the baby was on its way had struck both Harry and Ron momentarily dumb. They were each so preoccupied with their own thoughts that they hadn't noticed Isolde coming round. As she sat up on the edge of the cot where she'd been dumped following her bid for freedom Isolde clutched the side of her and bit back a wave of nausea. She took several deep breaths to steady herself before opening her eyes again and looking around. Her gaze fell on the prostrate form of Leah Penneford, her sister Lyra was kneeling beside her body rocking back and forth, eyes blank, face expressionless. Lyra had suffered a severe trauma. Isolde had seen the signs often enough in her work at muggle hospitals. She sat staring at the two sisters and wondered exactly what had happened to cause this turn of events. Isolde was abruptly pulled from her speculations about her captors by an all too familiar sound. Turning her gaze to the left she saw Hermione hunched over and breathing in gasping pants. Shaking her head again to steady herself, Isolde rose to her feet and called out to her friend in a stern authoritative voice.
"Hermione!"
At the unfamiliar sound of Isolde's voice Harry, Ron, Will and Tonks, who'd just made their way into the cellar, looked around shocked to see Isolde on her feet and moving purposefully towards them. To the contrary, Hermione's face glowed with an expression of relief.
"Isolde, thank Merlin you're alright! I was so worried that you'd been seriously hurt…ummmm."
Hermione's sentence ended suddenly as she shut her eyes and ground out a moan. Isolde, who had come to a stop just beside Harry, dropped down in front of Hermione grasped her hand and in that stern authoritative voice commanded.
"Hermione I need you to listen to me, you've got to calm down, getting yourself all riled up is not good for you or the baby."
Isolde paused and waited for Hermione to show some sign that she understood, Hermione nodded her head in reply and Isolde continued.
"Alright, I need you to close your eyes and take a deep breath from your diaphragm."
She placed her hand on the place she was indicating and applied a little pressure. Hermione shut her eyes and complied. Isolde nodded and had Hermione to repeat the process two additional times before she seemed satisfied that Hermione was sufficiently calm. That done she said
"Hermione I need to check and see how far you've progressed, I want you to keep breathing like I showed you and lie back so I can have a look."
Before Hermione could respond Harry stepped in.
"And just what in the name of Merlin do you plan on having a look at?"
Hermione reached out and grabbed Harry's hand.
"Harry its fine, Isolde is an obstetrician."
"A what?"
Hermione looked round at Ron surprise clouding her expression she had completely forgotten he was there. Isolde provided Ron with an answer to his question.
"It's the muggle equivalent of a maternity healer… now if the pair of you have wasted enough time can we move on."
Hermione squeezed Harry's hand as another moan erupted. Harry turned and watched as Hermione grimaced in obvious discomfort. He turned back to Isolde and nodded his consent. As Isolde turned back to attend to Hermione she realized that she was not in a sterile environment. Before she could have a look she needed to make the surroundings as safe as possible for Hermione and the baby, her eyes drifted to the Penneford sisters and Ben's lifeless body at the foot of the stairs, she then raised her gaze to Will and Tonks and said.
"Clear the room, we'll need a bit of privacy…"
Isolde hardly had the words out of her mouth before Will was barking orders to his fellow Horntails. Isolde watched as two aurors stepped forward and removed the Penneford, one covering then levitating Leah's body out of the room while the other seized Lyra by the arms, lifted her from the ground and maneuvered her out of the cell and up the stairs. Once the area had been cleared Will turned back to Isolde and asked.
"Anything else ma'am?"
Isolde held up her hands and nodding her head to indicate the entire room said.
"A sterilization charm."
Will nodded and performed the requested charm on Isolde while Ron and Tonks sterilized the rest of the area. Isolde turned and speaking to Hermione and Harry said.
"Alright, then let's have a look shall we."
Isolde directed Harry and Ron to assist Hermione in lying back; she then placed one hand under Hermione's distended abdomen as the other disappeared beneath Hermione's skirt. Several times there was a sharp in take of breath from Hermione as a certain spot was prodded. Isolde cursed under her breath. Hearing the edge in her tone Hermione exclaimed.
"Isolde what's wrong!"
Isolde stood up and shook her head.
"Nothing's wrong Hermione but we need to get you to St. Mungos as quickly as possible unless this is the first glimpse of the world you want your baby to have."
Hermione's eyes widened in shock as she shakily replied.
"Its really happening then, I'm actually in labor… I'm about to have a baby!"
Ron stared at Hermione perplexedly.
"Didn't you just tell us not more than five minutes ago that you were in labor… of course you're about to have a baby!"
Ron's words heralded a wave of panic from Hermione.
"But… but… it can't be time… it's too soon. Nothings ready! The nursery's not been finished, and Harry hasn't taken leave from work and… and… I'm not due for another two, three weeks at least!"
Isolde moved from the foot of the cot on which Hermione was lying to the middle where she took a seat at Hermione's side. She then clasped one of Hermione's hands in both of hers and began to speak.
"Hermione you're panicking, what did we say about you getting yourself all worked up?"
"That it's not good for the baby."
Hermione's voice was higher than usual when she spoke. Isolde nodded then continued.
"There's no timetable for these things, when the little one wants out, its out they come whether mum is ready or not and considering what you've just been through and all that bloody pacing of yours it's a wonder you haven't gone into labor sooner. Now I just want you to concentrate on breathing like I showed you and leave everything else to me."
Hermione nodded her head and muttered alright and Isolde sprang into action, marshalling everyone to their duties. Ron and Tonks were sent ahead to alert St. Mungos to the fact that they were coming and to fetch Hermione's personal healer, Harry was, naturally given the task of apparating Hermione while Isolde went side along with Will.
When they arrived at the hospital it was complete chaos. It seemed that a Daily Prophet reporter had been in the sitting area of the hospital waiting for his photographer's camera to be remove from a rather delicate region to which it had been hexed when the initial wave of injuries from the raid at Pickerington Manor and overheard some of the injured professing their innocence in the kidnapping of Hermione Potter. By the time Ron and Tonks arrived said reporter had contacted the Prophet and had another photographer sent over. This being such a choice story every reporter and photographer headed to St. Mungos hoping to be the one to get a glimpse of the Potters. Thus, when Harry, Hermione, Will and Isolde arrived it was to a wall of aurors fighting back what appeared to be every reporter and photographer in the wizarding world. The foursome where surrounded by nine of the Horntails who hastily pushed and elbowed them onto the maternity ward and into a private birthing room that had been prepared especially for the occasion and where Paige was waiting for them. Upon entering the room Harry rushed toward the bed that had been prepared for Hermione as he made his way across the room Harry threw his head back in the direction they had just come.
"Paige what in bloody hell was all of that?"
Paige answered in an agitated voice.
"Somehow the Prophet got wind of Hermione being kidnapped and having gone into labor and now every reporter from every wizarding publication in the whole of Europe is camped out in the lobby!"
Laying Hermione down as gently as possible on the bed Harry turned to Will and instructed.
"Will, get out there and send off that bloody mob, do whatever you have to do but get rid of them!"
Will turned and exited the room without a word. Paige looked to Harry and asked.
"How is she?"
Hermione answered Paige's query.
"She feels like she's being ripped apart at the moment… unnnh!"
As Hermione grunted in pain Harry glanced around the room looking for Meagan O'Halleran, Hermione's healer, instead he saw a sallow faced male healer staring back at him quite awe struck. Turning to Paige he asked.
"Where's Healer O'Halleran?"
As an after thought he added.
"And Ron and Tonks, where are they I thought they'd have been waiting for us?"
Paige answered from a bent position as she had her wand out and was examining Hermione.
"Ron has gone to fetch Molly and Arthur and Tonks went for Helen and Robert. Meagan is off in Sheffield attending to a birth there, she'll get back as soon as she can but in the meantime you'll have to make do with Healer Ashburn and me."
Hermione turned to look at the man standing off by the windows. He looked as if he had no more idea of what to do than she did. Upon seeing him she turned back to face Harry and shaking her head vehemently said.
"No, not him… if we can't have Meagan, I want Isolde."
At the sound of her name Isolde looked up for the first time since entering the room. Paige looked up from her examination of Hermione and stared at the other woman. Sensing what Paige must be thinking Hermione spoke again.
"Isolde does this everyday as a muggle she knows all about this sort of thing and I'd feel far more comfortable if it were the two of you looking after me than someone I don't know."
Before Paige could respond Isolde interjected.
"Hermione I'm an obstetrician not a healer. I wouldn't know where to begin with a magical birth, if something went wrong…"
Hermione butted in.
"That's what Paige is going to be here for she'll do the wand waving while you look after getting the baby here safe and sound."
Isolde stood staring at Hermione uncertain of what to do or say.
"I'm not sure that you're thinking clearly right now Hermione. Perhaps you ought to listen to your healer and allow someone who's qualified to handle the situation."
Hermione shook her head stubbornly, wincing slightly as another contraction rolled over her. Seeing that she was wasting precious time arguing with the stubborn brunette Isolde took a step towards the bed and said.
"Let's get on with it then."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The waiting area of the St. Mungos maternity was packed to capacity with a sea of red. Thirty or so men and women in scarlet robes sat or stood in the tiny waiting room alongside the nine brilliantly crimson haired Weasley's and their spouses, Robert and Helen Granger and Agamemnous Melbourne. All were waiting for news of what was happening down the hall in the birthing room where Harry and Hermione were installed along with Paige and Isolde. The only sound in the room were the cries and words of the occupants from the birthing room. Isolde's voice could often be heard telling Hermione to "bear down and push". This was closely followed by Harry's voice offering an array of supportive and encouraging words. These were in turn immediately followed by an increasingly colorful flow of insults and profanity from Hermione directed towards Harry. Fred and George's favorite to date had been when she'd called him the illegitimate spawn of a mountain troll and threatened to send his bloody bollocks the way of Voldemort if he ever came near her again. And then suddenly they air was rent by the sound of a baby's cry. Everyone held their breath and waited to get the official news. It seemed that it took forever for the door to the birthing room to open and for someone to emerge. Paige hurried down the hall to the assemblage was gathered, smiling wider than anyone had ever seen her. The Grangers jumped to their feet and meet her halfway, Robert asked quickly.
"Is Hermione alright?"
Helen added in a query of her own.
"And the baby, how is the baby?"
Paige answered Robert's query first.
"Hermione is perfectly fine, a bit exhausted, but fine."
Robert sighed in relief. Molly, who had edged closer reiterated Helen's question.
"The baby Paige… the baby!"
Paige's smile returned as she answered.
"Fine as well, perfectly healthy and without a doubt the two most beautiful babies I've ever seen!"
"Two, did you say two?"
Paige looked at Ron, who had asked the question and nodded.
"Yes, twins, a boy and a girl!"
Ron shook his head as a grin erupted across his face as exclaimed.
"Bloody hell twins!"
-->