Harry’s face was chalk white. He looked as though he might pass out.
“Are “ are you sure it’s contractions?” He asked, anxiously. “It “ it could just be a stomach ache “ or maybe “ ”
“HARRY WHAT ELSE COULD IT BE?” Hermione suddenly burst out loudly, causing some of the guests to look around in surprise. Hermione lowered her voice slightly.
“Harry, she’s seven months pregnant. Some women give birth a couple months early. The baby will be a little premature but “ Ginny?”
Ginny tightened her hands that were clasped around her stomach and had let out an agonizing shriek. She hadn’t felt pain like this since she’d had Lisle. Some of the guests were looking slightly alarmed and nobody could deny the sudden tension that surrounded the drink table.
“Get “ mum!” Ginny gasped, her forehead covered with beads of sweat. “Now! I “ can’t “ get “ up! It’s “ too painful!”
Ron didn’t need telling twice. He stumbled up and sprinted off, zigzagging through chairs here and there. Harry grasped onto Ginny’s hand and squeezed it tight. Ginny managed to smile weakly.
“We’ll get you to St. Mungo’s as soon as we can,” Harry said, as calmly as he could. “I “ wow, can you believe number two is on the way?”
Ginny looked at Harry’s face and could see the excitement hidden in it, under all the anxiety. She grinned through clenched teeth.
“I know,” she gasped. “It’s wonderful “ oww!”
She clasped her hands tighter over her belly. Harry looked stricken, but was soon nearly run over by an anxious Molly, Fred, George and Arthur, who was holding Lisle’s hand.
“Mummy!” Lisle ran over to her mother and stretched a small hand over Ginny’s stomach. “What’s happening? Is the baby kicking very hard?”
“Well it feels like it is,” Ginny answered, screwing her face up in pain. Molly kneeled down beside Ginny and felt her pulse. She looked concerned and placed a hand on Ginny’s stomach as well (Ginny felt like she was at a petting zoo). She kept it on for a few seconds and then turned to Arthur.
“Arthur, she’s in labour, send a memo to St. Mungo’s immediately,” Molly said, hurriedly. She then turned to Ginny as Arthur sped off. “Ginny dear, you and Harry come with me and Arthur. As soon as St. Mungo’s have been alerted, they’ll send a mediwitch here and they’ll bring an emergency Portkey.”
Ginny nodded, but Hermione looked up suddenly.
“I’m coming as well,” she said immediately.
“No, dear you stay here, this is your wedding,” Molly replied. “If Ginny really is giving birth, we’ll alert you and everyone else so you can come as well, but for now it’s best that only a few of us go.”
Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed it and nodded. Then she took Ginny’s hand and squeezed it.
“Ginny, I want to come along, you know that but “ ”
Ginny raised a hand up to shush Hermione. “Hermione, don’t worry about me,” she said confidently. “Harry will keep me company. You enjoy your wedding night.”
Hermione nodded. Ron bent down to give Ginny a hug. “We’ll look after Lisle for you,” he added, taking Lisle’s hand. “Come on sweetie.”
Lisle looked at Ginny, her face rather serious.
“Lisa, stay here with Coralie and everyone else. I’ll be back later, I promise,” Ginny said, kissing her forehead. Lisle nodded, and Ginny smiled.
“That’s my girl.”
“Molly! Ginny!”
Arthur was running up to them, his face rather flushed. “I’ve “ just informed St. Mungos,” he said, panting a little. “They’ve sent us the Portkey, and they’ve also said wait five minutes from when the contractions began. If she’s having false ones, they’ll go away, but if not…”
His voice tailed away, but everyone knew just what he meant.
“It’s “ been “ five “ minutes already,” Ginny huffed, clenching her teeth tightly. The pain was only worsening as another contraction began. “They’re “ not “ going “ away!”
Harry nodded his head briskly. A little more colour had returned to his cheeks now.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” he asked Arthur. “Where’s the Portkey?”
Arthur held out his hand. In it was a broken, muggle thermometer.
“That’s the Portkey?” Ginny asked.
“Yes,” Arthur replied, looking at his watch. “Right “ Molly, Harry and Ginny, all put a finger on it. In fifteen seconds, the Portkey will transport us. Everyone ready?”
The four all placed a finger on the broken thermometer and waited. Ginny’s heart pounded. The thought that she might soon be giving birth was all she could think of. Trying her best to stay calm, she gritted her teeth while the pain squeezed at her belly again.
“…Three, two, one…”
Ginny felt the familiar sensation of something jolting just above her navel. She caught a last glimpse of Hermione, Ron, Lisle and the others waving goodbye before they disappeared from her view.
“Ginny? Food’s on the table!”
“Coming, Mum!”
Ginny glanced in the mirror again, briefly. She could barely even waddle down the stairs now; she was already nine months pregnant. The baby was due soon anytime that week, the mediwitch had told her. Ginny had never felt more tense and scared in her life. The fact that she had a baby on the way was terrifying…but she had never felt more excited in her life.
And now, today, after not seeing Harry in nearly nine months, he was coming to dinner. Today. At the Burrow.
Ginny had graduated Hogwarts and passed her N.E.W.Ts well. Her parents were proud of her, and she was staying with them until the baby was born and she found a job. The students at Hogwarts knew all about her pregnancy, it was hard not to after a few months, but they had been surprisingly supportive. Half of the school knew about her and Harry’s relationship when she had been in the fifth year, so they had been nice to Ginny about it. Ginny felt so blessed and lucky to have such supportive friends and family.
She had not seen Harry since the day after she’d told him she was pregnant. He’d left the very next day, at the airport, to fly to Albania, the rumoured whereabouts of where Voldemort was hiding, and Ginny hadn’t been able to see him since.
Ron and Hermione were coming today as well. Ginny hadn’t seen them either, in nearly nine months, as they had gone with Harry to search for Horcruxes and Voldemort. They had sent owls, and Harry had asked her how she was in his letters, and how the pregnancy was coming, but Ginny felt like screaming in frustration every time she received a letter from Harry. She spent so much energy on trying to forget him and move on with her life, because she knew he wouldn’t come back to her and admit his passionate love for her. Every letter made it worse. It only underlined the fact that they had drifted apart in so many different ways, and for so many different, complicated reasons until Ginny felt like collapsing under the weight of it all, because she was still madly and desperately in love with him.
Nothing she could do would change that. He’d told her he loved her, but what difference did it make? Of course he would say that to her after one night of what had seemed like magic and fate, especially if she was vulnerable, young and pregnant. It seemed practically unreal now, the actual thought of him saying that seemed too good to be true and life didn’t work like that. Ginny had discovered that a long time ago.
“GINNY! I know you’re nine months pregnant, but that doesn’t prevent you from eating supper, does it?”
Ginny grinned, in spite of herself. “Coming, Mum!” she shouted down the stairs, and with one final glance in the mirror (to check her hair wasn’t being weird) she waddled down the stairs, the large baby bump forcing her to do so in a very duck-like fashion.
She reached the kitchen and glanced around. Hermione and Ron were sitting at the table, looking rather worn out from their flight, but Ginny grinned and fled towards them.
“Hermione! Ron!”
Hermione shrieked. “Ginny!” she hugged her as best as she could trying not to squash her belly. Ron hugged her as well, grinning widely.
“You’re so much bigger!” cried Hermione. “Last time we saw you, you weren’t showing at all and now…”
Ginny smiled. “Where’s Harry?” she asked.
Hermione and Ron exchanged looks of significance, and Hermione placed a hand on Ginny’s forearm gently.
“Ginny, I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice sympathetic, “but Harry couldn’t make it tonight. He’s got Auror training and they made him stay in later than us because he had extra work to catch up on.”
Ginny nodded, trying to hide her disappointment as she sat glumly at the table. She knew how important Harry’s career was to him; he, Ron and Hermione had been training in Albania as well as hunting Voldemort, and now they had returned to work here for the Ministry.
“I get it,” she said, as everyone else sat down to eat. “It’s okay, Hermione, I know it’s awkward for him.”
“It’s not like that “ ” Hermione began, but Ginny clasped her stomach in pain, gritting her teeth.
“Ginny?” Ron looked concernedly at his little sister, who was looking irritated.
“That’s like the second time now!” Ginny said, holding her stomach. “I got this sharp pain upstairs right before you called me down, Mum!”
Molly looked tense all of a sudden. “Oh Ginny, why didn’t you say so?” she moaned, jumping up. “It has to be contractions, Healer Green said “ ”
But all of a sudden, something wet trickled down Ginny’s leg. She peered at the puddle on the floor, amazed.
“My “ my water just broke!” she gasped. Molly shook her head.
“Right “ we’re getting you to the hospital immediately! The baby is on the way!”
“Excuse me “ we’ve got a seven-month-pregnant woman in labour, which floor is that for?”
Molly was standing with a sweaty, pale faced Ginny, with Harry and Arthur standing beside her. The blonde welcomewitch looked highly bored as she pointed to the doors.
“Third floor has a ward for patients going into labour, second left you get to when you reach it,” she said, barely batting an eyelid. “Next!”
“Come on, Ginny,” said Molly briskly, as Ginny staggered along, supported by Harry and Arthur. They reached the doors and entered the magically powered lifts. There was one man in the lift, with a teaspoon protruding from his ear. He looked very flustered.
Harry, Ginny, Arthur and Molly waited patiently while the lift reached Floor Two, and the man with a teaspoon in his ear exited the lift. A few seconds later the doors opened again and they all got out on Floor Three.
“Right,” Molly commanded. “Down here.”
They followed her down the corridor until they reached the door to the maternity unit. A young mediwizard was at the door, with a clipboard in his hand. He glanced at Ginny.
“What is her condition?” he asked, looking at her up and down.
“She’s seven months pregnant and she was dancing at a wedding when she started having contractions,” Molly replied. “We sent a memo about five or ten minutes ago “ ”
“Ah, Mrs. Potter,” he said, glancing at his clipboard. “Yes, right this way, please. Healer Smith is waiting, I believe.”
He led them to a room and showed them inside. There was a white hospital bed and a desk and chair next to it. The Healer, a blonde-haired witch in her mid-forties looked at Ginny.
“Please,” she gestured to the bed, which Ginny lay down on, her eyes darting around slightly nervously.
“All right, Mrs. Potter,” she said, checking her clipboard. “I hear you are seven months pregnant, and you’ve started having contractions?”
Ginny nodded, clutching her bump.
“They haven’t stopped?”
Ginny shook her head. “I waited five minutes, like the Healers said, but they didn’t go away.”
Smith nodded, not looking up from her clipboard. “Alright, Mrs. Potter, I’m going to just check you quickly. If your water has not yet broken, it means your baby may not be on the way quite yet, but I’m going to check anyway.”
Ginny nodded while the Healer murmured few spells, tapping Ginny’s stomach lightly with her wand. She took out a wizard’s stethoscope and listened first to Ginny’s heartbeat, then placed it on her stomach.
Ginny waited patiently, along with Harry, Molly and Arthur who were looking a little less flustered now. Smith took her time examining Ginny until she pulled the stethoscope out of her ears and noted something on her clipboard, as if writing a conclusion.
“Okay, Mrs. Potter, it seems you and your baby are in perfect health,” she said, looking up and smiling for the first time. “The contractions you have been experiencing are merely a false alarm, but it was a good idea to come into hospital. If they happen again, I shouldn’t worry if I were you, it happens to a lot of women, but only come if they continue for more than last time. Then you should alert St. Mungo’s immediately. If it happens repetitively, just take a few deep breaths, and in the meantime, try not to do too much vigorous exercise, which is probably what triggered these contractions to start.”
Ginny looked up at Harry, and then at the Healer. “So “ so I’m not going to give birth tonight?”
The Healer shook her head. “I highly doubt it. You may go back home tonight, but try not to bend over too far or reach too high for something, and if you do some sort of sport or running, I would advise you to leave it for a while, and mainly focus on resting and sitting a lot.”
Ginny nodded, but Harry looked odd. “But “ but what if she is in labour? Can’t you just “ ”
“I’m sorry Mr. Potter, but according to the results to my tests I have found no signs of labour at the moment,” Smith said.
“Harry, she’s right,” Ginny concluded. “It was all the dancing. I do need a little rest now, but I’d prefer it if we just went back to the Burrow.”
Harry nodded. “Alright.”
“There,” Smith said, smiling. “If anything else funny starts happening, come here again and we’ll check you over. You shouldn’t be due for another two months, but better safe than sorry.”
Ginny, Molly and Harry made their way to the door, Arthur holding it open for them, looking a little less pale, but slightly disconcerted all the same.
“Thank you,” Smith said, as they walked into the corridor. “I hope you have a nice evening. Goodnight.”
They bid her goodnight and made their way back to the mediwizard. Ginny felt relieved, in a sense.
I’m not having the baby tonight, she thought That’ll be news for the others. All this fuss over nothing, really.
Ginny grinned at the thought of Lisle’s expression when she told her she would have to wait another two months to see her little sister. She laughed to herself.
“What’s up?” Harry asked her.
“Oh nothing,” Ginny confided. “It’s just “ won’t Lisle be upset that she’ll have to wait another two months for her little sister to arrive?”
Harry grinned. “Oh I’m sure she’ll be fine,” he said, reassuringly. “She’s got her Uncle Ron, hasn’t she?”
“I suppose you’re right,” Ginny said, as they all piled into one fireplace, “and now her Aunt Hermione.”
“The Burrow!” Arthur shouted, throwing a handful of Floo powder in the coals. Ginny reached for Harry’s hand and squeezed it while the green flames roared up. They got once last glimpse of the bustling busyness of St. Mungo’s before the glittering green flames consumed them.
A/N: Hope you liked that! Please, feel free to leave a review ^^. I’m sorry this chappie was so short, hopefully the next chapter will be a little more interesting and longer.
Oh and there’s another thing I wanted to mention (it should hopefully be a little fun for you guys!). I’m having trouble on thinking of a name for the new baby in the story, so I decided to let you lot decide! Contact me if you have any good names, and I’ll decide on which in the best one, and put it up. ^_^ Thanks! (Over 100 reviews! You lot are fabulous!)
Oh and another thing, if Chapter Seven takes a little longer to update, please be patient, I'm trying to work on another fanfic, as I've had two new plot bunnies for two stories. Ideally, I wanted to write them after I'd finished "the new surprise", but I dunno how much longer it will go on for, so I thought I might start writing another fic as well. So if it's taking a little longer to update, don't worry, I haven't abandoned this story, I'm just working on another! ^^