A/N. Loved the thoughtful reviews. All the questions keep me on my toes :)
I did have to change one minor thing in Chapter 12 - as I intend this story to closely be as canon as I can tolerate and am basing a lot of it on some of JKR's post DH interviews, I made a mistake in pairing up Neville with Susan. Thanks to mlui for pointing that out. I did mean for him to be married to the Leaky Cauldron's landlady - Hannah Abbott.
Here's the next installment - first Jessie and a flashback, then Hermione and the Professor - fishing and talking about the Hallows.
Hope you enjoy.
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Chapter 14 - Three Women and a Baby
Jessie was mentally and physically spent. Warren let go of her mind so she could have full control of her senses moments after he took over but only when she reassured him she was going to do as he asked.
The impulse to leave and 'save' herself was immediately quelled by logic and reason. She was almost certain Warren had set up enough wards to keep the place secure and the chances of her getting past that were slim to none. Besides, she couldn't leave Hermione with him.
Still pissed at the man as she sat and partook of the local food brought in by an acquaintance of his, there was currently a silent truce between them. She'd eventually repay him for what he had done earlier but to his credit the pressure he put on her had paid off. Having not much choice she focused her energies on the task at hand. It had taken hours but there was noticeable improvement in Hermione's condition.
Treatment-wise she opted for simplicity and stuck to basics. Whether it was by her frequent cleansing spells or just time, many of the injurious residual curses she had detected within Hermione's body were now trivial in amount. Hermione's color had improved and her pulse stronger. Her brain activity had spiked up and stayed alert at levels that even exceeded normal awake patterns and Jessie could feel Hermione fighting for her life. This determination had always been one of the many things that Jessie admired about her.
Beep..beep…beep…beep…
"What's happening?!" Warren asked her anxiously.
"It's the breathing machine. She's fighting it. She's trying to breathe on her own."
Jessie got up and walked over to her bedside, adjusting the machine setting to assist so Hermione wouldn't have to fight it. This was hopeful. She stepped back as a couple of nuns came and assessed their patient.
A memory of Hermione being a patient in a Muggle hospital suddenly came to her…the day Hugo was born.
"I still don't think this is a good idea," Jessie told Hermione her concern about what her friend was choosing to do.
Hermione was clad in a flowery patient gown waddling the length of the birthing room at the St. Agnes Hospital Maternity ward, her right hand supporting her back, her left on her thirty six week pregnant belly, wearing the strain of sleep deprivation on her face. She was in her eighteenth hour of labor but still in high spirits.
"Thousands of mothers have given birth and will give birth in this hospital. My mother delivered me in this hospital. If it's good enough for them it's good enough for me," she rambled and would have had more to say if she wasn't so breathless.
"Muggles Mums ages ago didn't know any better. Hours of suffering to bring a baby into the world? This is downright barbaric and so passé. Why don't you just take the birthing potion and be over with it in an hour?"
"I've always wanted to deliver naturally and I didn't get the chance with Rosie. And even if I wanted to, you know why I can't...umpfff..."
Hermione stopped walking, held on to the nearby bed railing as she bent over, bit her lower lip and winced with the fresh wave of contraction. Jessie's face scrounged up with her. She got up from the visitor's chair and rubbed Hermione's back, coaching her through her breathing as the Lamaze classes taught them, doubting very much that it helped.
Witches had it easy. The birthing potion was taken at the very beginning of labour and it made the whole process quick and painless. However, to use it one had to be in a magical hospital just in case of complications and Hermione did not want to be in a Magical hospital. Although as a couple she and Ron were less newsworthy than Harry and Ginny, she could not risk the attention or the circus that would erupt if her baby looked nothing like her or Ron.
"Well if you can't have the birthing potion, for the love of God, take the Muggle drugs!" she pleaded.
Jessie had to say something. She couldn't take this unnecessary suffering anymore and she was only a spectator. That and her facial muscles were sore from sympathy labour.
Hermione waved her off as the pain eased and she continued her pacing. She had not said it out loud and would never admit to it but Jessie suspected that her friend preferred the process to hurt; the more it hurt the better.
"Are you punishing yourself for the sinful act that brought you here?" Jessie accused Hermione. "It's not going to make you feel better about it, you know."
"Shut the fuck up, Sister Jessica," Hermione growled dismissively as another contraction prevented her from fully defending her incomprehensible choice.
"Watch the language, Mum," Jessie chastised in jest hoping she'd lighten up and kept in mind to keep the Catholic in her suppressed for the remainder of the day.
A few minutes later it was evident that the contractions were more frequent and more painful. Hermione's nurse came, examined her and did some tests. Good news. It was finally time to push. The staff obstetrician and a pediatrician joined them and they set Hermione up on the bed.
As they were doing that, Jessie took her phone out and speed dialed a number, hoping Hermione wouldn't notice. She should have told Hermione that she was going to do this but deep down she was a coward and knew a less pre-occupied Hermione would try and prevent it.
"It's time," she spoke to the woman who answered and hung up.
"Who were you calling?" Hermione asked suspiciously, almost delirious from the ordeal she was going through, but sadly not delirious enough.
Jessie didn't have to answer for Hermione was already shaking her head, angry. The Auror could always read her like a book.
"No...I don't want her here! Call her ba...umpfff!"
Saved by another contraction. Jessie was where she was supposed to be, at the head of the bed gritting her teeth as Hermione shared the pain, crushing her hand with a death grip.
The Muggles had Hermione draped and in position. The doctor was in between Hermione's legs looking and poking in and around the area. The sight grossed her out. The books certainly glossed that part over. Sure he was a doctor but still there was something disturbing about being so exposed to a complete stranger. Of course, Hermione was in so much pain she didn't really care.
"Tell her I don't want her here," Hermione managed to say while recovering from that last one.
"She hates you. I don't think she gives a hoot about what you want," Jessie told Hermione what she already knew, "And I did tell her she's insane but she still wants to be here."
The doctor said over Hermione's belly, "We're ready and you're ready. At the next contraction I want you to push just like we talked about."
Hermione gave him a curt nod before turning slightly into Jessie's direction and barked, "Call her back. She only thinks she wants to be here. She obviously hasn't thought this through."
Actually, Ginny had for Jessie had spent time playing the scene out for her when she asked to be informed.
Jessie explained, "She wants to see his baby."
Why Ginny did was beyond her and she gave up trying to figure that out. She did, however, understand what her two friends were trying to accomplish by not telling Harry. She disagreed, said her piece but had enough respect for the both of them that she was not going to meddle.
"She wants to see his baby?!" Hermione repeated with incredulity, her grip on Jessie's hand starting to tighten again and her face beginning to contort, "Tell her you'll send her a fucking picture! Hmmmpppp!!!"
The brunette took a big breath in and pushed down, lifting her shoulders up as she did, the determination on her face mixed with the now familiar pained expression.
"That was good," her doctor encouraged some half a minute later as Hermione let go and relaxed, catching her breath, "Do the same thing the next time."
His patient nodded.
"Easy for him to say," Jessie retorted so only Hermione could hear, "He hasn't lost the feeling in his fingers."
Hermione chuckled and closed her eyes, concentrating on her breathing, Ginny's impending arrival no longer a priority. On cue Ginny came in through the door. The sight must have been a shock for she froze just as she stepped into the room.
The nurse, thinking Ginny was family and not knowing any differently, announced her presence, "Look who's here to help you out, hon."
Hermione opened her tired eyes and fleetingly met Ginny's stoic stare. The room just got a bit colder. The helpful assistant led Ginny to the empty space opposite Jessie at the head of the bed and got her to hold Hermione's other hand, which she let go of as soon as the nurse left. There was really no time to feel their awkwardness as Hermione clenched Jessie's hand in another death grip.
"Push, Hermione! Push!" the doctor urged.
"Hmmpppp!!!"
Hermione did and repeated this a few more times over the next several minutes, keeping her eyes shut in between pushes. After some time, unbeknownst to Hermione, her doctor, the nurse and the pediatrician were starting to worry about how her baby was doing. Jessie glanced at Ginny who remained unconcerned where she stood, her eyes transfixed on the beeping screen showing the baby's heartbeat.
"It's very close, Hermione," her doctor gave her an update, "I can see its head when you bear down. I know you're tired but just one more big push."
Hermione opened her eyes and looked at him teary eyed, for the first time showing eroded confidence, "I don't think I can. I've tried and I can't."
"I'm sure you have one more in you," Jessie tried to give her a boost.
She didn't reply but did try again. Still nothing.
Hermione shook her head, "It's too hard. I can't...it hurts too much..."
Jessie heard her doctor tell the nurse to call the operating room. They were going to cut her up.
Unexpectedly, Ginny leaned in closer so Hermione had no choice but to look at her. The red head spoke to her husband's erstwhile mistress for the first time in months, her tone as detached as the appearance on her face was but neither could mask the hurt in her eyes.
"You're having his child. Just think of him and how much you love him. Think of how you couldn't say no when he came to you, not even when you knew it was wrong and would destroy all that you both cared about. Think of how good he made you feel while betraying me. You stabbed me in the back for him. Surely you can do this for him.
"And you can't hurt as much as I'm hurting right now so stop whining and get it done. I really don't want to be here longer than I have to be."
Ginny wielded the biting words sharply and there was no mistaking it got to Hermione, the injury reflexively riling her up. Jessie saw Hermione's expression change from one of doubt to match that of Ginny's - pain and anger.
With the next wave of contraction, fuelled by what Ginny said to her, Hermione bore down with everything she had. Jessie saw Ginny grab Hermione's other hand and position herself to support Hermione from behind as the latter pushed.
Soon enough Hermione let out a primitive yawp which was immediately followed by her baby's first cry. A wave of relief came over the room.
The doctor cut the umbilical cord and showed them her still crying, blood-covered infant, "You have a beautiful boy, Hermione. Congratulations."
Hermione touched her son's cheek lightly. For a brief time the child stopped crying, opened his eyes and looked around before wailing again as he was taken away to be looked after. Hermione was openly crying. Ginny had tears in her eyes too but not for the same reason.
Ginny eased Hermione down on her back. There was silence between the three of them as the St. Agnes team finished up and left Harry's son snug in his Mum's arms.
Then it was just them. Three women and a baby; a baby with messy black hair and green eyes.
Jessie couldn't help but state the obvious, "He looks just like his father."
"Yes, he does," Ginny replied as if it was a most unfortunate thing.
In a way it was because it complicated things so much more than they wanted.
"I don't suppose either of you has a blood relative who has black hair and green eyes?"
So it wasn't funny.
Ginny turned to Hermione, "I've said it before. You should tell him, now more than ever."
Hermione had eyes only for the baby in her arms.
"Get out, please," she asked Ginny calmly.
Ginny complied.
"We need a moment," Hermione told her too.
From the doorway Jessie glanced back, the sight uncomfortably tugging at her heartstrings.
Under dimmed lights Hermione closed her eyes as she planted a lengthy kiss on her son's head and sobbed silently.
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The rowboat was about nine feet long, four feet wide and, judging from the chipped white paint and the water at their feet, was way past its prime. Her rescuer, Professor Albus Dumbledore, had on robes of brilliant colors but had traded his wizard's hat for a fisherman's one. In his hand was an oft used chrome fishing rod at the end of which was attractive lure he had just cast off the left side.
He followed the bait to where it landed, reeled the line back in and, finding nothing tugging at its end, did it all over again. Maybe she should have taken him up on his offer of a spare rod. Much like Quidditch, her tolerance for watching someone fish depended on who the fisher was.
Truthfully Hermione didn't have time to do this. She had to get back and was hoping the Professor could point her in the right direction or maybe even take her back to where she wanted to be. She thought of a few ways to interrupt without sounding rude but couldn't come up with one she was happy with. All of it made her feel like an ungrateful bitch. Besides, surely there was a point in her crossing paths with the Professor again other than having wet and cold feet.
"Um, Professor, the boat is leaking," she finally brought the matter of the deepening waters to the wizard who seemed oblivious to it.
"Oh dear," he sounded as if he had just realized it, "I've been meaning to fix that."
With the wave of his hand the waters disappeared and a thin crack at the bottom repaired itself. But as soon as that happened the boat sprang another leak, causing the professor to blush, a bit embarrassed.
"Being old the boat is inherently leaky and in need of constant attention."
"It seems like you could use a less leaky boat."
As Professor Dumbledore fixed the second hole he replied, "True. I could also get a bigger and more seaworthy vessel while I'm at it, have the latest technological and magical enhancements on board to help me catch larger fish and anchor where I know I'll have the best catch. But then, where's the fun in that?"
"You like fishing under adversity."
"I don't seek them out if that's what you mean by 'like'. Adversities naturally happen and we deal with them as they arise. But if you notice, one generally has more appreciation for things that don't come so easily. In this case adversity makes the catch even more gratifying."
"Or frustrating, if the fish don't bite at all."
Of course, they weren't really talking about fishing anymore.
With a wistful grin on his face he replied his sights still following the end of his line, "When I was younger I got frustrated a lot. I'd like to think that with experience and skill I'm better at it compared to when I started but we all have good and bad days. I do find it less frustrating now that I fish mostly just to fish, not that there's anything wrong with fishing for the fish."
They fell into a momentary silence as she pondered what kind of an angler she was. In her forty years she guessed she had been mostly the other type, the one who fished for the fish. There were always goals to reach, laws to be changed, systems to be set up, and mostly they had to be worth her while. Her satisfaction had always depended on her success at achieving them.
That was the case even with Rose and Hugo although she couldn't imagine any parent not wanting the best for their kids and not having a thought about what that might look like. On hindsight maybe it was partly why she gave up on her marriage too quickly; it just got too hard, the consequences on Rose and Hugo too costly, that whatever little upside there was to stay together wasn't worth it.
The only time she was not fishing for fish was the time she was with Harry, when she lived for the moment, when there were no goals or expectations to be met, when it was just them, they just were and it was enough.
She finally mustered enough courage to speak up, "I'm sorry to interrupt Professor but I need to get back."
There was silence. She wondered if she had said it too softly that he didn't hear. She was about to repeat it when he asked her a question.
"Why are you here, Miss Granger?"
"I don't know why I'm here. I just am and not that I 'm not happy to see you; I don't want to be here because I have to be somewhere else. I was hoping you could help me."
"How can I help you? I'm dead and you're still alive," he pointed out to her, his voice questioning her and pushing her to figure it out.
She hesitated, "The Hallows."
Professor Dumbledore replied, "I was beginning to wonder if you would even broach the matter."
He set his rod down and sat in front of her, the boat rocking slightly as he did. Hermione had the professor's full attention now and she wasted no time getting to the point.
"Did you ever consider destroying them?"
"When I defeated Grindelwald and held the Elder wand for the first time I impulsively tried to break it. You attempted this in many ways yourself and you know it's virtually indestructible."
"All three Hallows are."
He nodded.
"I figured as much but see, the cloak wasn't mine to even endeavor to destroy and the stone was a sentimental favourite."
Although she was sure it wasn't the old wizard's intention she felt a bit guilty about what she tried to do to Harry's cloak. Of the three it was the one she was most reluctant to get rid of, also for sentimental reasons, but theoretically the one that should have been the easiest. It was not a bad thing she was unsuccessful.
"Professor, right after Voldemort died, why didn't you tell Harry to keep the wand?"
Professor Dumbledore reminded her, "If you remember, it was Harry's choice. He didn't want the Elder wand which ironically made him the perfect master for it. What I could have and probably should have done was warn you three of the dangers of someone else re-uniting the Hallows and using it for evil."
"It would have been nice if you did," she quipped. "Why didn't you?"
Hermione recalled being so upset at the Professor's sin of omission a long time ago but having dealt with the Hallows for more that fifteen years it was old news to her. She was no longer angry and hadn't been since she realized there was no point in dwelling on the what-ifs. The question was more a mere curiosity now.
"I just couldn't do that to Harry. I thought that with the prophecy and his destiny with Tom Riddle he had been through enough grief to last several lifetimes. I wasn't about to burden him with protecting the Hallows."
She nodded, understanding. After all, it was for the same reason she didn't ask Harry to be part of POTH.
"And besides, evil had just been defeated," the Professor added, "The wizarding world was celebrating. I didn't want to be a party pooper."
"But you enchanted the book you gave me," she said evenly, referring to the copy of the Tales of Beedle the Bard he bequeathed her, "You just couldn't help yourself, could you?"
The professor cracked a smile, "I admit, as much as I hoped it would never be a problem, I couldn't pass in peace without knowing that someone responsible would keep an eye out for the Hallows. Now, was I mistaken to assume you wouldn't mind being the secret's steward?"
Hermione couldn't imagine anyone else being able to accomplish what had to be done but she did need some validation for her own peace of mind.
"No you weren't. Do you regret choosing me?"
"I have to admit what you did with it was a bit unorthodox," the professor replied too kindly. "Or perhaps I should say 'novel'. I have no regrets. Did you find the other stories in it useful?"
"Yes. But it seems like we're losing and we're running out of time."
"Don't give up hope. You're not dead yet and the remaining members of the POTH will not let you down."
It would have been over a long time ago had she used the Hallows and she had thought about doing so many times.
"Did you ever second guess yourself?"
"About?"
"You had two of them at any one point. Why didn't you borrow Harry's cloak and go after Voldemort and the Horcruxes? Why leave that whole thing up to chance that a bunch of teenagers would figure out the Hallows in time and just at the right time?"
"I had faith that all things would eventually turn out for the good."
Hermione had no such faith.
"Many died and it could have ended really horribly. Voldemort could have killed Harry."
"Miss Granger, I know the despite history you still put little stock in prophecies. Never being a firm believer of divination myself it took a long time for me to accept that Harry was the One who had to do it. I was tempted many times but I would have failed to rid the world of Voldemort even with possession of all three Hallows."
"But how could you have been so sure of that. You never even tried."
"I didn't deserve to be the Master of Death," Professor Dumbledore said emphatically, "You of all people should understand. You had all three and gave them up."
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A/N. I had this funny scene in mind when I began writing about Hugo's birth but it turned out quite serious. I hope having it from a neutral POV conveyed both Ginny's and Hermione's emotions adequately.
The talk about the Hallows was my attempt at explaining why the Professor acted the way he did. This chapter should also give you more ideas about the POTH and why Hermione put it together.
Up next … probably the chapter before I put the present on hold and go back to the past…it's about time Harry wondered where Jessie was and I'm thinking Hugo will attempt an escape from the Pitch with the help of some school friends :)