Her head was on fire and blood continued to trickle down her head as she hunched over, clutching her stomach as another wave of contractions hit. Hermione let out a wail as the pain in her lower back intensified. "No no no.." she cried, wishing with all her might that she could stop her labor. It was early, three weeks too early.
Downstairs the hearth of the fireplace blazed with green flames as Karen arrived. "Hermione, It's mum!" She called out as she placed her handbag on the table. Hermoine's eyes went wide, her heart pounding rapidly.
"MUM! MUM, PLEASE HELP ME!" she yelled, thanking the heavens above that her mother had arrived. At the sound of her daughter in distress, Karen raced up the staircase in a hurry. She arrived at the threshold of the master bedroom, and placed her hand on the side of the threshold; her heart dropping to the pit of her stomach as her breath hitched in her throat. Her daughter, her smart, stubborn heavily pregnant only daughter was lying on the floor with her head against the bed table as blood trickled down her face and lying in a pool of water.
"Oh, my heavens!" Karen shrieked as she rushed to her daughter. Tears cascaded down her face at the sight of her daughter. "Hermione what happened! Are you badly hurt? Should I floo Harry?"
"Mum, please just calm down," Hermione told her through labored breaths. "M-my wand. On t-the dresser. Grab it." Karen nodded her head without further instruction. She snatched the wand from its spot and strode quickly over to her daughter, who let out another agonizing wail. Hermione took the wand from her mother, and pointed at the spot on her head, muttering a spell. Within seconds the bleeding had stopped and disappeared from her face. "Mum, help me please." Karen knelt down to her daughter's level and placed Hermione's arm around her neck as an arm went around her waist. Lifting with her knees with such force she was able to pull Hermione to her feet.
"My baby, my poor baby," Karen mumbled softly as she placed her hands on both sides of her daughter's face. Hermione's face contorted as another ripple of waves shot through her lower abdomen.
"Sweet heavens this hurts!" She cried.
"What do you need me to do?" Karen asked, her voice full of concern.
"Hold on to me. I can't make it down the stairs." Without another word, Hermione willed all the power she had and apparated the two of them to . These babies were coming, whether Hermione liked it or not. As soon as they arrived in the Labor and Delivery ward of 's, Hermione leaned against the wall as her mother fetched her a wheelchair and helped her sit... "Easy does it, baby," she told her before calling out to the Healers around her. "SOMEONE HELP MY DAUGHTER! SHE'S THIRTY-THREE WEEKS PREGNANT WITH TWINS AND IS IN LABOR!"
"Get me a room ready stat!" A blonde male healer barked at a few of the MediWitches and Wizards. "What's your name, dear?" he asked as he took control of her wheelchair, and hurriedly pushed her through the halls.
"Hermione. Hermione Potter. P-please someone has to contact Harry! He's stuck in a meeting at the Ministry."
"Well get ahold of your husband. Don't you worry Mrs. Potter you're in good hands."
"Someone needs to check her head for a concussion too! She fell and hit her head against her bed table." Karen informed them before her eyes flickered over to her daughter who was in a constant amount of pain.
"This fucking hurts so bad, Mum." she cried as she grasped hold of her mother's hand.
"I know it does baby. Just remember, take easy and slow breaths. You won't be doing your babies any good by adding more stress. Repeat after me, Hee-hee-hoo. Hee-hee-hoo." Hermione nodded her head and repeated the breathing exercises as her mother instructed. She felt her body becoming more relaxed with each exercise, her heart rate began to slow. Her mother was right, she couldn't freak out and put her body through more stress. Her babies depended on her and she'd be damned if she would let any more harm come to them.
The Head Healer pushed Hermione into a room, much bigger than the exam rooms she had been in during her visits with Healer Moore. The air in the room was cold, and there were many more machines in here than Hermione had seen in the pediatrics ward.
A team of MediWitches helped Hermione transfer from the wheelchair and onto the bed. Karen watched from the side as they hooked Hermione and the babies up to monitors. 'Please, please let my grandbabies be alright.'
Harry let out a yawn, as he listened to Head Auror Thomas ramble on and on about the use of protocols and how much they were a necessity to help from letting the criminals roam free due to slip-ups caused by the moronic imbeciles they had just let go from the department for a lack of fucking common sense. Harry already knew about the protocols and followed them down to the t. He'd been sitting in this meeting for forty-five minutes trying not to doze off. While trying to pay attention to what was being said in the meeting, he couldn't help but let his mind wander to Hermione and their unborn babies. He'd already had a quick word with Thomas before the meeting about taking the next three weeks off to help Hermione with anything she needed since she was on bedrest, along with taking off the next two months after the babies were born. Thomas told him to take care of his family, "Family comes first and foremost, no matter what line of work you're in."
Suddenly the door burst open, with a worried looking Auror clutching a note in hand. Displeased with the interruption of his important yet rather dull meeting, Thomas narrowed his coal-like eyes and barked, " Davis! What is the meaning of this! You know damn well to never burst in on one of my meetings unless this was a pressing emergency!"
"I'm sorry sir," Davis replied as he caught his breath. "I can assure you this is rather an emergency."
"Out with it, Davis. What is it?" Davis averted his eyes from Thomas and looked directly at Harry. Every eye rested upon the young Auror, a lump forming in the base of his throat as his heart skipped a beat. "Harry, it's your wife. She took a fall and is in preterm labor. She's in the Labor and Delivery ward as we speak."
Harry ran as fast as his legs could carry him as soon as he apparated into the Hospital. He bumped into several people, muttering apologies as he picked up his pace. He didn't dare look behind him as his only train of thought rested on his wife... His poor wife who was in utter hell. He should have blown off the meeting like he wanted. Fuck, this wasn't how his children were supposed to come into the world.
Once he reached the reception desk, Harry slammed down his hands and asked worriedly, "Hermione Potter, my wife. Which room is she?" The MediWitch looked through her quickly and read him the information. "Room B2. Just through those double doors, and around the corner to the left. It will be the second door down."
"Right, B2. Double doors, left, second door. Thank you." He took off, following the directions he was given. 'Please please please let Hermione be okay. Let no harm come to my babies.' Within seconds he rounded the corner and came upon the second door. He grasped hold of the knob and quickly turned it, and bolted into the room. His heart ached. His wife was cursing, screaming obscenities at the MediWitches as she hunched forward and clutched hold of her stomach. "Where the fucking hell is my husband! When I see that bastard I'm going to hex his penis off!"
Harry couldn't help but feel a bit scared of his wife at that moment while a small laugh surpassed his lips. "I'm here. 'Mione I'm right here love." He reassured her, as he came up beside her and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.
"Harry! Thank goodness you're here." Karen exclaimed as she continued to blot her daughter's face with a wet rag.
"We were wondering when you were going to make it here, Daddy." Kelli teased as she settled on her roller chair as the MediWizard placed gloves on her hands.
"Hermione, I'm going to go contact your father and update him. Harry, come with me please." Harry nodded his head and followed behind his mother-in-law. "How is she?"
"In pain as you can see clearly. She refused any form of drugs, wanting to have children naturally. Your healers did a quick scan and couldn't see any form of concussion." Karen informed him.
"And the babies?" Harry asked weakly, afraid of what she would tell him.
"They're perfectly fine. The MediWitches did a once over with their wands and checked on the fetal monitors per my insistence. That fall she took could have been a lot worse and she's in hell about it. Blaming herself for even getting out of the ruddy bed all because she was bored. She was scared to death that she put her babies in harms way."
"I shouldn't have left her alone. I should have waited until you were there with her before I left." Karen held up her hand, signaling him to stop talking. " You couldn't have known. You and I both know how stubborn my daughter is and the only thing that matters to her at this moment is that you're here with her to help. I need to phone Roger and let him know, is there anyone I can get ahold of for you?"
"The Weasleys please." Karen smiled at him and nodded her head before placing a quick kiss on his cheek. "Now, go help out your wife. We'll have babies here before you know it." Once his mother-in-law exited the room, Harry stood next to Hermione once more and grasped hold of her hand. "How are you feeling love? Anything I can do?"
Hermione turned her head in his direction and glowered at him. "How am I doing? How the ruddy hell do you think I'm doing? I'm about to push out not just one but TWO babies the size of a fucking watermelon out of my vagina!" She growled, her teeth clenching together. Harry winced and turned his head in the direction of Healer Moore.
"Any change in her dilation?"
"She's about Six centimeters now, she still has a bit more time left to go." Kelli informed him, as she pulled off her gloves and spoke directly to Hermione. " I'm afraid you have a bit more time to wait, these babies are going to want to make their grand entrance on their terms. I'll come back in about an hour to see if there's any change.
"But my babies, you're sure they are fine?" Hermione sobbed.
"I promise you, Hermione. Your babies are doing just fine, by some miracle they have no signs of distress." Hermione nodded her head and uttered a small, weak 'Thank you' as she sat back against the bed. She continued to sob silently, turning her head into Harry's shoulder as he soothed her, rubbing small circles on her arm.
Over the course of the next five hours, there was no sign of change. She was still dilated at six centimeters and losing all hope that the babies would ever come out. The waiting room of St. Mungo's Labor and Delivery Ward was nothing but a sea of red, intermixed with blonde and brunettes. Ron, Luna, Draco, and Ginny had gotten sitters for their children while they joined their family in the waiting room. Roger paced back and forth while Karen sipped on a cup of coffee and talked with Molly, Arthur, and Andromeda about their own childbirth experiences while Geoge sat on the floor with now four-year-old Teddy, doing his best to distract the young boy. Once the six-hour mark hit, Harry pushed open the doors to inform them on the latest news.
"How is she doing, Son?" Roger asked, his voice full of concern. All eyes rested upon Harry, each face full of curiosity and hope.
"She's about as you'd expect. She's in intense pain, her contractions are two minutes apart and she finally went from six centimeters to eight, so the Healers are thinking it shouldn't be more than three hours until the first of the twins makes their arrival." He told them as he rubbed the base of his neck. No sooner did he utter those words did the double doors burst open. Harry quickly turned his body around, his eyes fixated on the young, male MediWzard.
"Mr. Potter, it's time." Harry's eyes widened, his heart pacing rapidly. He quickly turned to Karen and held out his hand to her. "Hermione wants you in there." Karen's heart filled with immense joy. She took her son-in-law by the hand and together they joined Hermoine in the delivery room, both at each of her side while Healer Moore was perched between her legs.
"Alright Hermione, when I tell you I need you to push hard for me okay?" Hermione nodded, clutching Harry's hand as another wave swept over her. "On my count. One, two three, Push!" Hermione let out an agonizing cry, feeling as if her vagina was being ripped apart as she pushed as hard as she could. "Fuck this hurts!"
"I know it does sweetheart, you got this." her mother told her, rubbing the middle of her back.
"Great job Hermione. Nearly there. On my count again, ready one, two, three, Push!" Once more Hermione's screams filled the room. Beads of sweat trickled down her face as she grasped tightly onto Harry and her mother's hands. "Hermione love, you're hurting me just a tad." Harry mentioned as his knuckles turned ghost white.
"I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK! YOU DON'T GET TO TELL ME SHITE ABOUT PAIN UNTIL YOU'RE THE ONE PUSHING A BABY OUT OF YOU, POTTER!" Hermione belted as she hunched over, her eyes blazing with fire.
"I can see a head! You're so close! Just one more quick push before your first baby is out!" Kelli exclaimed.
"Really? Harry, can you see our baby's head?" She asked through her tears.
"Yes baby, I see the head. Just one more go and our first little Potter will be here. You can do this!" Hermione inhaled deeply, hunched over once again as she gave the biggest push of her life. A small wail was filled within the room as Hermione collapsed against the bed, her eyes searching for her newborn child. "It's a boy!"
"A boy?" Hermione cried happily, as Healer Moore held him high in her arms for his parents and grandmother to see. "Would you like to cut the cord, daddy?" Kelli asked the newfound father, holding him closer for Harry to have better access. Harry nodded his head, his hand shaking as he pulled his wand from its holster. "Diffindo." In one swift move, the cord fell off his son, who was covered in red goo. Hermione watched as Healer Moore handed him off to a MediWitch, worries filling her mind as she watched her walk off with her son.
"Wh-where is she taking him?"
"She's just taking him to get cleaned up love. They are going to check his weight and make sure he's perfect." Karen reassured her as she blotted her daughter's head with a rag.
"She's right, Hermione. Afterall, we still have to get baby two out. Ready mummy?" Kelli asked as she nestled between Hermione's legs once more. Hermione sat up, clutching hold of her husband and mother once more as she prepared to go through this fucking torture once more.
"Alright, baby two should come out easily. Ready? One, two, three, PUSH!" Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and pushed with all her might before collapsing back against the bed. "I can't do this, I can't."
"Yes you can, Hermione. Just one more push and your baby will be here."
"You got this baby," Harry told her as he placed a chaste kiss on her lips. Hermione was weak, her body draining as she tried to gather up the strength to push out her next baby. 'Come on Potter, find that Gryffindor courage and do this! Your baby is counting on you!' Hermione sighed and hunched over for what hoped to be the last time.
"Ready, One, Two, Three. PUSH!" And push she did. Hermione let out an ear-piercing scream and gave it her all. Another small wail filled the air, this one lighter than their son's. Hermione stayed hunched over, her eyes falling on the small babe covered in reddish, pink goo. "Congratulations mummy and daddy, it's a girl." Hermione's heart soared high. Both of their babies had made their entrance into the world. A boy and a girl. Harry reached over and cut the cord off his daughter in a quick, swift motion.
"One of each!" Karen said excitedly as she clapped her hands together. "I'm so proud of you pumpkin. You did remarkably." Karen leaned over and placed a kiss upon her daughter's cheek. "I'm going to give the two of you some privacy and alert the others!" Once Karen exited the delivery room, Harry sat beside his wife and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "We did it, love. We're parents."
"Yes, we are." She smiled, resting her head against him as she fluttered her eyes shut. About ten minutes later, Kelli and the two MediWitches walked in, both carrying the new Potters in their arms. "Hermione, wake up love. The babies are here." Hermione's head shot up and quickly rubbed the sleep from her eyes. The babies were placed in their parent's arms, both of whom were sound asleep. Harry looked down at his son, who unfortunately had inherited his unruly hair. However, his hair color resembled Hermione's, as did much of his features.
"Hello, son. I'm your daddy." Upon hearing those words, the little babe opened his eyes and stared at his father. Harry's eyes widened in surprise. "He has my father's eyes," Harry spoke softly, gazing into his son's hazel orbs.
"She looks just like you. Hair and all." Hermione cooed as she carefully smoothed her daughter's jet black hair.
"Any names yet for the babies? Kelli asked, as she levitated both the babies birth certificates and quills high in the air. Harry and Hermione looked at one another, both signaling a nod before Harry spoke up first. "Conner James Potter."
"Conner James Potter." Kelli repeated as the quill moved with her lips. "Born at eight fifteen this evening on the Twenty-Eighth of March, weighing Five pounds, six ounces." She grabbed hold of the quill and signed her name at the bottom. "And the girl?"
"Catherine Lily Potter," Hermione announced proudly, never taking her eyes off her daughter.
"Catherine Lily Potter. Born at eight twenty this evening on the Twenty-Eighth of March, weighing Five pounds, Zero ounces." Kelli declared before signing the birth certificate. She tapped each of the certificates with her wand, creating a duplicate of each; one copy for the parents, and another for the hospital's records. "I want you both to know how honored I am to be your Healer. This last year was quite the journey and I couldn't have asked for better patients. The both of you are going to make amazing parents. I hope that if the opportunity should arise again in the future, you will consider having me assist you once more."
"Absolutely," Hermione told her, a warm smile resting on her face. "Thank you so much, for everything."
"You've been a wonderful help this last year, a blessing to our family. We couldn't have asked for anyone better to deliver our babies. You've become family." Tears formed in Kelli's eyes at the touching sentiment. Never in her five years as a Healer had she grown close to a family as she had the Potters. "Well thank you. I shall leave you two to rest and bond with your little ones. It looks as if their feeding time is coming up soon. I would like to do a follow up with you in about two weeks, Hermione, just to see how your body and magic handled the birth."
"Two weeks, I'll be there." Kelli waved goodbye and exited the room, looking forward to her next adventure with the Potter family. After the first round of feeding with the twins, Harry and Hermione let their friends and family meet the newest additions to the Potter household. So much love filled the air as everyone cooed over the babies.
Molly promised to throw a welcome home party for the babies as soon as they were released from the hospital. Teddy was over the moon at his sibling's arrival. His eyes full of awe as he sat upon the bed with Hermione, both of his index fingers clutched in their tiny hands. Ron had made the mistake of mentioning Catherine dating one of his sons in the future, earning a smack against the back of his head while Harry muttered, "Over my fucking dead body." Not long after everyone exited the room did Hermione drift off to sleep, while Harry sat in the room and watched as his wife and twins slept peacefully. There was a quiet knock on the door that broke Harry out of his trance, causing him to stand up from his spot and walk towards the door.
He looked out the small window, surprised to see Kingsley standing on the other side of the door. Harry quietly opened the door and stepped into the Hall, shutting the door behind him. "Minister, to what do I owe this visit?"
"I heard that Hermione went into early labor and delivered the twins. I just wanted to make sure they were alright."
"They are perfect, healthy as ever," Harry replied as his arms crossed his chest. He knew there was a more pressing matter than the birth of his twins that would bring him all the way to St. Mungos. "Not to be rude Minister, but why would you come all the way down here for?"
"Well I was curious about your wife and twins as I said. Also, there was something important that I thought you should hear from me rather than in the next morning's paper."
"What is it?" Harry asked, his brow slightly raised.
"As of tomorrow morning, The Marriage Law is henceforth being revoked." Harry's mouth stood agape, his eyes widened in surprise. "It's what?"
"I was able to gather enough evidence that our growth in the Wizarding world has greatly increased. No longer are we in the need to force this law on anyone else. Your children will never have to face something like this again, I swear to you."
"What about the twenty people who were cast out? Surely there is something you can do for them?"
"I will do my very best to see to that matter. It may take some time just as this has, but I give you my word once more. Anyway, I thought you should be the first to hear. Give Hermione my congratulation's will you?" Kingsley asked before turning on his heels, his purple robes flowing behind him.
"Kingsley!" Harry called out, his arms falling to his sides. The elder wizard stopped in his tracks and turned his head in Harry's direction. "Yes?"
"Thank you," Harry replied warmly. A half-smile appeared in the corner of Kingley's mouth as he nodded his head and went on his way. Harry grasped hold of the doorknob, and returned to his wife and children. For the first time in Harry's life, he truly had everything he ever wanted.