Born at Last

It was Monday, and Hermione was frowning in a bed at St. Mungos. Much to her disdain, she was staying here for the rest of her term. She couldn't even go back and pack her things. She had argued with the Healer for more than an hour before her Healer came in and set her straight. She wanted to be in the same place as Draco, and this was not even close. She hated it and didn't understand why they couldn't be any more understanding. All of these young people were being forced to marry and have children. If they actually ended up with someone they liked or loved and were having children, why couldn't they be a little more lenient? All she wanted was to go and pack some of her things and see her husband. 

"Hello dear," Draco walked through the doorway and walked straight up to his wife, kissing her on the head. 

"How did you manage to leave Hogwarts?"

"Do you really think that McGonagall wouldn't let me come?"

Hermione nodded and then complained about how her Healer was even more strict here than he was in their home.

"This will all be over soon, dear, and then we will have three beautiful children to look after," Draco took the bag he had been carrying off the floor and went through the contents with Hermione. She was pleased with the books that he had brought her, and the work as well. She was even surprised most of the clothes that he had packed for her were the ones she would have chosen. 

"Ginny helped me with the clothes," Draco chuckled as if he were reading her mind, "I will come and visit you every day after supper, and if I can sneak away during lunch as well. But I don't care what time it is; if those babies are being born, I want to know."

"I will have someone personally come get you if I have to throw a complete fit about it. I am even willing to pull my Potter card out just this once." Hermione joked, and the two talked for about an hour before another Healer came in and told Draco he would have to leave.

It was lonely for Hermione when he left, and she buried herself in work before she drifted off into sleep. Dreaming about the life they were going to make for themselves once their three children had arrived. She was so excited she didn't even wake up to the pains that were beginning. 

Hermione woke up in a terrible mood. She had never wet the bed, even as a child. She was about to call in the Healer when one walked in. Her smiled dropped into a thin line. 

"Dear, why didn't you call us earlier. We would have had the head Healer in to examine you."

"What?"

"Your water has broken; aren't you feeling any pain?"

Just as the Healer asked Hermione, she felt pain, and she frowned. "Well, it looks like you are going to be having some babies today."

Hermione gulped and looked up to the Healer; a terrified looked in her eyes. "Don't worry, Mrs. Granger; I am going to call for him right now." The Healer gave an encouraging smile and walked right back out of the room. Hermione had calmed down slightly and was trying to focus on her breathing. She knew this was going to be a long day. 

Hermione's Healer came in, along with the Head Healer and two other women she had not been introduced to. She was uncomfortable with everyone in the room, and she was feeling more pain as the minutes went on. She didn't want to do this without Draco, and it had been around 30 minutes, and he still wasn't here. 

"Ma'am, where is my husband?" Hermione looked at the older woman with watery eyes, and the woman smiled gently at her. 

"He was just taken out of class, I imagine. I sent someone there to fetch him. It shouldn't be long now. Not to worry, you are going to be wonderful. Now, as soon as he gets here, we will be taking you back, and you'll get settled in. It looks as though you may have a long night ahead."

"A long night? It is the daytime still, and these pains I'm feeling are frequent." 

"Yes, that may be so, but you are only 3 centimeters, dilated dear. Don't worry. We will be there through the entire thing. Nothing to be afraid of." 

"Hermione?" Draco had whipped open the door and practically levitated to her side. He moved so quickly. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, so far, Mr. Malfoy. Your wife is doing brilliantly." The Head Healer relayed the information she had just given Hermione to Draco Hermione frowned; all the while. She was perfectly capable of remembering information and passing it along. 

Just as promised, Hermione was moved, and she stayed in that new room for what seemed like an eternity. She was alright. First, she and Draco talked and played cards for a time, but where her 10th hour of labor hit, she couldn't take it anymore. 

"Draco, I can't do it." She kept repeating it over and over to him in a whisper. 

"Hermione Jean Granger. You have to stop." Draco frowned at his wife.

"What?" Since the beginning of the term and a little before, Draco had not said a mean thing to Hermione.

"You can literally do anything. You made a complex potion your second year, were part of a secret society that went up against death eaters in your 5th year. You went on the run and stayed in hiding, and helped defeat him at the age of 17. Not to mention you punched me in the face, and you survived torture. You can most definitely do this!" Draco kissed his wife's head and then squeezed her hand. If she was half as scared as he was, he understood why she thought she couldn't do this. While she thought she couldn't have these babies, Draco didn't know if he would be able to be the kind of father he wanted to be. 

"Draco," Hermione looked him deep in the eye. She knew what he was thinking; she almost always did these days, "You are going to be a great father."

After a few minutes in silence, the Healer came in and examined Hermione again. "Well, dear, it looks like you are just about ready. Care to meet these darling babies?"

"Really?" Hermione let out a breath that she didn't know that she was holding. 

"Are you ready, Hermione? Is there anything you need right now?" Draco felt a tear form in his eyes, and he smiled. He was finally going to have his family. 

"Draco, I really want Ginny." Hermione thought that he was going to be upset. She didn't know why she had this sudden urge for Ginny to be here. She just needed her. 

"I thought you might say that. She is in the waiting room; I'll go and get her and bring her in here alright. Don't have these babies without us." Draco kissed her head, and they both let out a laugh, and he ran out of the room and down the hall. 

"Gin?" He was running into the waiting room. He was suddenly exhausted and imagined that Hermione must be feeling terrible.

"Draco, what's wrong. They won't tell us anything." Ginny and Harry stood up, and soon as they spotted him coming into the room. 

"She is fine. She wants you." Harry looked confused, and Ginny smiled. 

"Really? Why?"

"No idea, but the babies and coming, and when I asked her what she wanted, she asked for you, so let's hurry." Draco started to lead the way and stopped when he sensed that Ginny wasn't following him. "What's wrong?"

"Are you sure she wants me? I am positive that she wants her mother."

"Well, we cannot really give that to her, so please come on." Draco was confused as to why she wasn't coming to her friends' aid. 

"Right." Ginny shook her head and started following Draco back to Hermione's room.

"What took the two of you so long?" Hermione was dripping sweat, and she looked like she was in a lot of pain."

"It's my fault, sweetheart; I got lost."

"Lost! At a time like this, both of you get up here and help me." Hermione started screaming, and the Head Healer gave her all kinds of directions, and Draco and Ginny rushed up to either side of Hermione and held her hands. 

Time froze for the three when they suddenly heard crying. 

"Congratulations! Baby A, a boy."  the baby was passed to another Healer, and she started walking away with him.

"What! Where are you going with my baby?" Hermione was looking all around the room for Scorpius.

"Don't worry, Hermione, we are just cleaning him up a bit so when his brother and sister get here, he'll be nice and clean for them." The woman didn't miss a beat and started giving Hermione instructions again. Draco felt Hermione's hand squeezing around his, but his eyes and ears were focused on the little bundle that was laying a cot a few meters away. He wanted so badly to go over them and pick him up and tell him that he would always be safe, but he knew that Hermione needed him right now.

Once again, there was crying, and another Healer came forth and took baby Ara away to be cleaned up. This time Draco noticed that there cots a strange glow around them. 

He was about to ask about it when the Healers pushed him and Ginny out of the way. This brought him back to focus on his wife. 

So many things were going on in front of him he didn't understand. But he felt his heart sink when they started levitating Hermione out of the room.

"What's going on? Where are you taking her? Wait! What's happening?" Draco was trying to stop every Healer as they ran out of the room, but all seemed focused on what they were doing.

"Draco," Ginny took his hand and pulled back into the room, "Hyperion is a breach, and she started to hemorrhage, or I'm not sure what that means, but they have to get him out quickly. She is going to be okay."

"I need to be with her." Draco hadn't cried in a very long time, but right then, at this moment, he sank onto the floor, and he felt the tears running down his face.

"Draco, she is going to be fine. She has been through worse, plus don't you want to meet your children?" Ginny took his hand and helped him up, and led him over to the two cots that were glowing. 

"Why are there cots glowing?"

"Well, they are still little. They were born early. They are in there; it keeps them warm."

"They are so little Ginny." Draco felt a smile creep up onto his face. He helped make these tiny little things. They were so beautiful, so perfect. 

Scorpius looked just like Draco already. He already had platinum blonde hair, and his facial features even resembled Draco. He couldn't believe it. How could someone he had just met mean the world to him already? He loved him so much. Then he looked at his baby girl, and He couldn't help but smile. She was perfect, and she would be the most beautiful girl he was ever going to meet. Her hair was blonde too, like her brothers', and everything else reminded him of Hermione. She had just been born, and her thick head of hair was curling out of control, and when she opened her eyes and looked at him, it was looking into Hermione's honey brown ones. The big brown orbs that were staring at him made him start to tear up again. That was all it took. He knew at that moment she was going to get anything she ever wanted and more.

"Are they beautiful?" Draco whipped around at the sound of that voice. 

"Hermione." Draco ran to her bed that they were levitating back in.

"Are they?"

"They are perfect." He kissed her hard on the lips and then on the forehead, "Don't ever scare me like that again."

"Would you like to meet your son, sir?" The Healer handed Hyperion over to Draco, and he looked down at his youngest. He was the only one without blonde hair, but he blinked at his father just as his sister had done. They were silver blue just like he had. 

"They are all so different, yet everyone will know who their parents are." Draco smiled at his wife. They were parents, finally.