Memories of a Headmistress: Michelle

britt

Rating: G
Genres: Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 5
Published: 26/04/2007
Last Updated: 26/04/2007
Status: completed

Hard times are upon the wizarding world, but on this day, Hermione can't help but see the beauty of it.

Chapters

1. Michelle

1. Michelle

A/N: Wow, it's been a long time since I did a story. Haven't been too inspired, but this one I actually had played out on my board, but it went so fast I felt it deserved its own story. Like always, I don't own Harry Potter or the characters inside the universe. The most I own is the concept for the story, and Anya Lupin is a friend's so no suing the poor college student.

March 31st, 2007

The day had started out like any other. I had been on bed rest for two weeks now and I had been going stir-crazy. Harry wouldn't let me have any of my paperwork for fear that I would stress myself out. So, I'd been confined to the bed only allowed up for bathroom breaks. I had decided that this was definitely the worst part of being pregnant. I was only 3 weeks away from my due date and I was feeling anxious. I was ready to be able to hold my child in my arms. Part of me still feared for the life of this child considering what had happened to James over a year and a half ago.

However, I got an inkling that something was going to happen when in the midst of my reading in the mid-morning, Harry rushed in. That, in itself, was strange because he'd made it a habit to be near my bedside the last two weeks only leaving when I was asleep to get more work from his office. I knew he was getting things ready for his transition into his new job as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement over being Chief Auror. He informed me that Albus Dumbledore, the Minister of Magic for the last four years, needed to speak with me.

Harry seemed a bit upset, because he didn't want Albus to disturb me. When Albus arrived a few minutes after Harry he had such a serious look on his face. I knew that this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation. Recently, I'd been hearing reports that some fanatic group was trying to expose the wizarding world in the name of unification. Yet, I knew nothing further than what was printed in the Daily Prophet since Harry was adamant I didn't worry.

For the next half hour, Albus with Harry discussed the true extent of the damage already done: the Ministry exposed, Diagon Alley filled with muggles and sightings of muggles nearing Hogwarts itself. It truly was a dire situation. After the explanation, I started feeling a slight pinch of pain near my midsection, but I passed it off as fake contractions since I was around the time they hit. When we actually began discussing the issue and how to solve it, I noticed the feeling getting stronger until it got to the point that both Harry and Albus noticed my discomfort.

“Don't worry about it, it's nothing to fret about. It's just those fake contractions the healers warned us would happen.”

“Are you sure? We could discuss this at another time m'dear.” Albus was always so polite.

“Yes, I'm fine, no need to worry. The fate of the wizarding world is a bit more important than Braxton Hicks syndrome.” I assured them both.

Both men continued to look worried but we continued on. I may have been putting on a brave face, but as the discussions continued, I felt myself getting increasingly worried. Then a particularly painful burst hit me. The men looked at me concerned because I let out a particularly loud breath as I tried to contain the pain.

“Like I said, nothing to worry about, it's normal.” However, no sooner had I spoken when I felt a rush of liquid soak the sheets and me. I was a little shocked, but then I felt the tingle go down my spine and I knew the wards around Hogwarts had fallen. “Okay, now you can worry. I believe my water just broke.”

Harry panicked for a moment, and Albus did too. But eventually, he got his wits back and calmed Harry down by giving him the task to get certain supplies while Albus left to go find my deputy headmistress, Anya Lupin, and inform her and other senior members of the staff about what could possibly occur now that I was in labor and there were no wards protecting the school. That was the one bad thing about having wards tied to the magic of a pregnant witch. When her magic went wonky, so did the wards.

Within minutes, my friend arrived. Apparently, I'd just been ignoring that I'd been in labor all day since I had such a high pain tolerance due to my experiences in the war. So I was too far gone to be moved and it wouldn't be safe if the worst were to occur. So, I would have to deliver in my bed, which meant that it was good that Anya was a trained mediwitch.

The next several hours were boring and painful. My sheets and clothing had been changed and pillows propped up behind me. For the most part, I just talked and controlled my breathing for the ever increasing pace and intensity of the contractions. Now that the event bringing my child into the world was underway, I was ready for it to be over with. Afterall, this wasn't a walk in the park despite that I'd been through similar pains before. I had tried to read a book as I waited, but with contractions being so frequent, I could never concentrate and actually read.

Finally, Anya said the words I'd been waiting to hear all day.

“Alright, I think it's about time for you to be able to push. Then you'll have the little Potter to hold in your arms.”

Harry, who'd been getting me anything I wanted climbed into the bed with me to give me extra leverage to push. Holding his hands tightly, I prepared for the next contraction and then pushed with all my might when it came.

“Doing good Hermione. I can almost see the head.”

When the next contraction came, I pushed hard again, wanting this to be over with. Part of me did hope that I didn't hurt Harry's hands from the intensity of my grip on them.

“Oh, there's the head. One more good push Hermione and you'll have your baby. You can do it.”

I figured it must have been an average peptalk line to women because my only concern was getting it out of me, not that I was tired, despite that I was. My adrenaline was pumping overtime with the excitement of finally having a child. On the next contraction, I actually screamed out loud with the effort and intensity of the pain.

And then I heard it, the most beautiful sound in the world- the first cries of my child as the rest of the body had slid out with that last tremendous push. I felt a light breeze of magic pass through me as I collapsed against Harry's chest almost as if announcing to the world that the next generation of Potters had just arrived. I was too tired to really care about what it was.

Anya worked to clean up the child, disposing of the umbilical cord and wrapping the baby up securely before handing her to me.

“Congratulations, you two. You have a beautiful baby girl.” Anya smiled down at us as Harry watched from over my shoulder to get a look at our daughter. I didn't pay much attention to what else Anya did, but I assumed she was taking care of the placenta that was sure to follow my daughter.

I leaned my head back and kissed Harry before whispering, “Look what we made Harry. Have you ever seen something this beautiful before?”

I started to nod off, but not before feeling Harry's arms come up around me to supplement my arms. “Never in my life. Thank you Hermione, for everything. I love you and our daughter..”

“Michelle Rose Potter.”

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