Expecting the Unexpected
“I’m here!” yelled Hermione, as she came waddling through the door of 100 Penny Lane.
“We’re in the kitchen!” Ginny yelled back.
“Put the trunk by the stairs,” Hermione told Michael.
“Do you, uh... Do you know if Harry’s in?” he asked, looking nervous.
“I doubt it. He’s probably at the Ministry. Why?”
“Uh, nothing, just wondering.”
“Hello!” exclaimed Ginny merrily, as Michael and Hermione joined her in the kitchen. The triplets were sitting on their rocker chairs on top of the table. When Ginny saw Hermione’s face, however, she gasped.
“Yes, I know. I’m blowing up,” said Hermione.
“I don’t recall ever seeing you this swollen,” said Ginny.
“My doctor said I would be fine.” Hermione’s easy tone did not match her expression. She looked worried.
“How are you?” Michael asked Ginny.
“Good,” she replied. “I just fed these three.”
“Hello, sweethearts!” gushed Hermione, kissing the three four-month-olds’ chubby cheeks.
“They’ve grown so much since I last saw them!” said Michael.
“Yes, I know,” responded Ginny curtly. “So... Er... What have you two been up to?”
“Oh, we’re going to start moving in furniture when Michael comes back. We finished painting the nursery this weekend,” said Hermione proudly.
“We?” retorted Michael, laughing. “I finished painting while you criticized my work.”
“Yes, well, I cooked,” said Hermione.
“Thanks for taking Hermione to her doctor’s appointment last week,” Michael told Ginny. “I had a previous arrangement and I couldn’t make it.”
I bet you did, thought Ginny.
“And for letting her stay here while I’m in Paris,” finished Michael.
“No problem,” Ginny replied. “It’s the least I could do after Hermione has been so helpful these last few months.”
“Ginny, you ended up taking care of me,” said Hermione, laughing.
“Oh, shut up,” said Ginny, smiling.
“Well, I better go.” Michael looked fidgety, glancing at his watch. “The Portkey I scheduled is leaving in about an hour.”
“Good luck,” said Hermione, giving her husband a kiss.
“Take care of yourself,” said Michael. “I’ll be back in no time.”
“Harry,” said Ginny anxiously, “what if something happened and they couldn’t reach us?”
“Ginny,” responded Harry patiently, “the babies are fine. Arthur and Molly know what they’re doing.”
“Still,” she insisted. “Things can go wrong.”
This was their first time out alone after Ginny had given birth. Harry managed to convince her to go out so they could have a nice quiet supper without distractions, but there was nothing that could keep Ginny from thinking that the triplets had been involved in some kind of freak accident.
After finishing their date, the Potters decided to walk back home. They lived fairly close to The Leaky Cauldron, and Harry thought a nice short walk would help Ginny unwind.
The streets were relatively calm, just a few people making their way in and out of the pub, and upon arriving at the crosswalk, there was only one couple waiting for the “walk” signal.
The woman, a tall blonde woman with toothpick-like legs, had her arm tightly intertwined with her date’s. Ginny couldn’t see the man, but she could tell he was enjoying all the things the blonde was whispering to his ear.
Harry and Ginny stood awkwardly not really wanting to hear anything the couple was saying. The man looked familiar, but Ginny had no idea of where she had seen him. It wasn’t until she saw his face that she felt her stomach flip over in dismay.
Of course he looked familiar. It was Michael.
Ginny looked at Harry and he, too, was staring at Michael, outraged.
A few seconds went by, and just when Ginny started to tug Harry’s shirt so they would go the other way, Michael realized he was standing next to his wife’s best friends.
Putting on a bright smile, he exclaimed, “Harry! Ginny! What a coincidence!”
“Hello,” said Harry slowly, trying to suppress his anger.
“Where are you guys headed?” asked Michael, acting matter-of-factly.
“Home.”
“I hope you had a nice evening. Oh, I’m sorry,” said Michael, as if he had suddenly realized he was with the woman in the very tight dress. “This is my friend, Patricia Walters. We’ve been friends since we were eight years old.”
Patricia nodded stiffly.
“We’re just about to grab a few drinks to catch up. She just came back from France and we haven’t had a proper... chat. Hermione was going to join us, of course, but she was too tired to come. It’s a shame because I know she would’ve wanted to see you.”
Ginny was glaring at him.
You should be ashamed of yourself, she thought with disgust.
“Are you alright?”
“Right,” snarled Harry. “Well, we have to go, but please tell Hermione we said ‘hello’.”
“I will. It’s such bad luck that she decided to desert us tonight. I told her she should come! She was so tired.” Michael was clearly trying to imply that Hermione had full knowledge of his evening out with Patricia and had even encouraged it. “Well, it was nice seeing you.”
As they walked away, Harry and Ginny felt terrible for their friend. She was back home, alone and pregnant, while her husband went out for drinks”and who knows what else.
“No one can know, Harry,” said Ginny suddenly.
“Ginny, he’s probably cheating on her. I won’t allow it!”
“Then find a way to stop it without her finding out,” said Ginny. “If you tell her... She’s six months pregnant, Harry. If you tell her, she won’t survive it.”
“Ginevra, I’m talking to you!” exclaimed Hermione. “What on Earth are you thinking about?”
“Nothing important,” she said, realizing she was distracted again.
“You look... preoccupied,” Hermione said suspiciously.
“Oh, please... What were you saying earlier?”
“I asked, what are we going to do today?”
“You are staying put,” said Ginny, getting up from the sofa and taking the tea set back to the kitchen. “I don’t want you walking around the house.”
“You’re taking this out on me because Harry did this to you,” said Hermione.
“Hermione, you can’t even see your ankles!” exclaimed Ginny. “You are swollen!”
“Fine,” said Hermione reluctantly. “I can’t believe I’ll be stuck in the sofa for a week.”
“Better believe it now,” said Ginny, giggling. Suddenly she turned serious. “Listen, I need to talk to you.”
“What about?”
“Um, Ron is coming over this afternoon. You don’t mind, do you?”
“It’s your house, Ginny. I can’t tell you who you can have over and who you cannot.”
“I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable,” said Ginny.
“I’ll be fine.” There was a tone of annoyance in Hermione’s voice. “Ron and I have moved on.”
“Alright, then,” said Ginny.
Ron was at the front door by four.
He knocked on the door twice, and waited outside for a couple of minutes. He wasn’t expecting that a very pregnant Hermione would open the door.
“Hello, Ron,” she said, her voice as soft as always.
“H-Hello,” he said slowly.
“You’re not the first one that’s been surprised by my appearance, you know.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stare, or anything”I mean, I wasn’t staring, but””
“Come in,” said Hermione, “Ginny’s upstairs with the babies.”
“Thanks,” said Ron awkwardly, starting to go up the stairs.
Hermione closed the door and started to go up the stairs as well, although very slowly and with much difficulty, since her seven-month-old pregnant stomach didn’t allow her to do any better.
“Do you need help?” asked Ron, noticing Hermione’s struggle as he was halfway up the stairs.
“You go up,” Hermione answered, breathless. “I’ll be fine.”
“No,” said Ron, turning and going down the stairs. “I’ll help you.”
“Please Ron, I’m really okay,” she pleaded.
“Don’t be so bloody proud,” he replied. He gave her his arm so he could wrap hers around it to gain support. She looked at him with hesitation and grabbed the arm tightly. Hermione let go as soon as they got to the second floor landing.
“Thank you,” said Hermione. “Ginny’s in the nursery.”
“Where are you going?” asked Ron.
“I think I’ll go to my room to unpack,” said Hermione.
“Unpack?” said Ron. “What? Are you moving in?”
“No, Ron. Michael is going to Paris for a week and I’m staying with Harry and Ginny until he comes back.”
“Oh,” said Ron. “Right.”
“I’ll see you around,” said Hermione, walking into her room.
Ron saw Hermione close the door of the guestroom and felt something tugging at his heart, yet he quickly dismissed it.
“Ginny?”
“Oh, you’re here,” said Ginny, putting Becky in her crib. “Let yourself in?”
“Hermione opened the door,” he said sourly.
Ginny bit her lip.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered. “I forgot to tell you, and then I Floo-called you and you weren’t home.”
“Yes, well, you and I need to have a talk,” said Ron.
I hate this, thought Hermione. I absolutely hate it.
She was thinking, of course, about the horrible awkwardness between her and Ron. She was sure it would go away. But when?
And why do I have to pee again? she thought furiously. I have to pee every bloody five minutes!
She stopped unpacking and walked out of the room. She was going to open the door to the bathroom when she clearly heard her name from across the hall, from the triplets’ room. Against her better judgement, she walked over to the door and stood there quietly, eavesdropping.
“Just because we’re no longer together it doesn’t mean that I don’t care about her anymore, Ginny!” she heard Ron say.
“Ron,” said Ginny in a patient voice, “she is seven months pregnant. Why don’t you get that in through your head before telling me what to do?”
Ron remained quiet.
“He’s just so...” Ron sighed. “Hermione lets him get away with everything. That’s not like her. Why can’t she recognize that he’s a pile of””
“Ron, don’t.”
“He’s sleeping around!”
“You don’t know that! Shut up or she’ll hear you,” Ginny whispered angrily.
Just then, one of the babies started crying.
Hermione felt a steely cold creep up her spine.
They were discussing her... her marriage. They were practically saying what a failure she was. And how Michael was... How he was”No, she wouldn’t even think about it. She wouldn’t think about it because it was not true.
She slowly walked into the bathroom and as soon as she was done, she went to her room to lie down.
“No, Ron! I’m not having this conversation with you anymore!” Ginny hissed.
“I can’t believe that you, of all people, are going to let Michael get away with””
“I told you to shut up, Ron! She’s staying right across the hall! And I think you should stop discussing Hermione’s marriage with Harry.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ron, don’t think I don’t know where you’re getting ideas from.”
“They are not ideas! These are the facts, and she will find out sooner or later!”
“Ron!”
“Okay! Fine,” said Ron. “I have to go, anyway. I’m meeting Claudia for dinner.”
“Say ‘hello’ for me,” Ginny told her brother.
“Do you... Do you think I should say goodbye?” asked Ron.
“I... I don’t see how that could be a problem,” said Ginny, sighing. “I honestly think that maybe it’s one of those little things that can... Oh, I don’t know, help dissolve that awkward feeling between you two. Come on; I haven’t checked on her in a long time.”
Ginny knocked softly on the door of the guestroom. When Hermione didn’t answer, she opened the door and peeked inside.
“Hermione...”
“Is she sleeping?” asked Ron.
Ginny brought her index finger to her lips to tell Ron to stay quiet. She kept her eye on Hermione, who had her back to the door, and saw how just for a second her body shook with what seemed like a sob. Ginny hurried into the room.
“Hermione? Hermione, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” croaked Hermione, in a voice very unlike her own. “I just feel tired.”
Ginny noticed how her friend was breathing with difficulty, and her fists were grabbing the pillow as if she was going to fall off a cliff. Her face was red and still swollen, and there were tears streaking down.
She touched Hermione’s face with the back of her hand and she was terrified when she realized she had a fever.
“Hermione,” she said calmly, “what are you feeling?”
“I just need to lie down for a bit,” Hermione responded.
“Tell me, Hermione. I need to know.”
Hermione flinched suddenly and grabbed the pillows even tighter.
“Oh God,” said Ginny, losing her grip on the situation. “Where does it hurt?”
“My lower back, mostly,” said Hermione, as two more tears escaped her eyes. “Ginny, I’m scared.”
“We have to take you to the hospital,” said Ginny, unable to hide the anguished expression on her face. “We have to take you now. Ron, I need you to stay here with the babies. Harry should be home any minute.”
“I’ll stay,” said Ron quickly. “Do you need me to get you anything?”
“I need to get my things,” said Hermione faintly. “I can’t leave without my things.”
“No, Hermione,” said Ginny firmly. “There’s no time for that. I’ll come later and get some things for you. Ron, I need you to help her to stand up. I’ll go get her purse.”
Ron hurried over to Hermione’s side, and she put her arm around his neck. With his right hand he supported her back and with his left hand he supported her free arm. Once she was standing, Hermione continued breathing harder, and within seconds, she vomited all over Ron.
“I’m so sorry,” she sobbed, fresh tears coming to her eyes. “I’m really sorry...”
“No, please,” said Ron, “don’t worry. I can clean that later. Are you alright?”
“My stomach hurts,” she continued, sobbing.
“Okay, I found it!” she exclaimed as she ran into the room. “Oh, Ron...”
“Forget about me,” he said. “She said she’s feeling a lot of pain in her stomach.”
“Ginny,” said Hermione, clutching her chest anxiously. She was hyperventilating. “I can’t do this. Ginny, something’s wrong. I-I can’t breathe...”
“Hermione,” said Ginny, “calm down. I need you to calm down. Everything is going to be alright but we have to apparate. Otherwise, we won’t get there on time.”
“On time for what?” asked Ron, looking alarmed.
Ginny shook her head. “Don’t,” she mouthed, mortified.
“Ginny! She can’t apparate!”
“Breathe in and breathe out,” Ginny was telling Hermione. “That’s it... Slowly... Look at me. You have to calm down because if you don’t you are only going to get worse. We’re going to get you help now, but you have to calm down.”
“Ginny, you can’t be serious,” said Ron.
“It’s not that far away!” exclaimed Ginny. “We’ll use side-along apparition. Hermione, can you do it?”
Hermione nodded weakly.
“Alright, hold on tight. Ron, please take care of the babies and please tell Harry what happened. He’ll know where to go.”
In a matter of seconds, Ginny and Hermione were standing in front of St. Mary’s Hospital.
Ginny tried to hurry Hermione through the doors of the Accident & Emergency department. She walked up to the girl behind the counter and looked at her anxiously.
“My friend here is pregnant and she needs help,” she blurted out.
“Well, please fill out this form for me,” said the girl calmly.
“It’s an emergency!” cried Ginny.
“We can’t take care of your friend if you don’t fill out the form.”
“If you don’t get her help right now I’m going to start screaming!” Ginny almost yelled.
“Let’s just sit down, Ginny,” said Hermione. “I can’t stand much longer.”
The girl looked at Hermione and her eyes were opened wide in realization.
“You’re... Oh my God...”
“Hermione, you need help as soon as possible!” exclaimed Ginny.
“Hang on,” said the girl, picking up the phone.
“Do you want me to help you put on that gown?” asked Ginny, as soon as the nurse had left her and Hermione alone. Hermione was lying on a bed in a secluded corner of the A&E department.
Hermione nodded.
Ginny helped her sit up a bit and pulled her dress up. She tied the flimsy hospital gown behind Hermione’s back and helped her friend lie down again, covering her with the warm blankets the nurse had brought.
“She said your doctor would be here soon,” said Ginny softly. “Can I get you anything?”
Hermione shook her head miserably and suddenly flinched.
“Just breathe,” said Ginny in soothing tones. “You’re having contractions.”
A sob suddenly escaped Hermione’s lips.
“It’s okay.” Ginny was about to cry herself. “Just keep calm.”
“I don’t know what’s wrong,” said Hermione through her tears. “Something went wrong and I don’t know what happened. Something’s wrong, Ginny...”
“Shh...” said Ginny, trying to keep her calm. “I know... I know.”
“Is everything alright?” asked a tall, young nurse, opening the curtain that gave Hermione privacy as she walked over to her side.
“I think she’s having contractions,” said Ginny. “Do you know how much longer we’ll have to wait for the doctor?”
“He’ll be here shortly,” said the nurse rudely. “Meanwhile, we need to observe her and the baby, so I’ll attach these monitors to her stomach.”
Ginny held Hermione’s hand as the nurse hooked up the devices to her friend’s stomach. After a few minutes, the nurse started looking a bit vexed.
“Miss Granger, I don’t think I can find a heartbeat,” she said.
Hermione’s face looked as white as Nearly Headless Nick’s. Ginny’s heart was pounding against her ribcage.
“No... No, that can’t be right,” said Hermione frantically, tears swimming in her eyes. “You have to try again...”
“I’m terribly sorry...” said the nurse coldly.
“Hello!” said Ryan cheerfully, who appeared from behind the curtain accompanied by an older, seemingly wiser nurse. When he saw Hermione, his expression changed completely. “What’s going on here?”
“I can’t find a heartbeat,” the young nurse explained.
“That’s because you’re doing it wrong!” exclaimed the other nurse, incredulously. She told her co-worker to move over and started fiddling with Hermione’s monitor. Soon after, the sound of the baby’s heartbeat filled the room.
Ryan let out a sigh and looked severely at the young nurse.
“I’ll deal with you later,” he told her. “For now, just get out.”
Ginny was caressing Hermione’s hair in an attempt to relax her, but she thought there was little she could do.
“Okay, Hermione,” said Ryan. “What’s been going on?”
“I started feeling an ache on my stomach,” sniffed Hermione, “and then I started cramping... I just think something went wrong, Ryan...”
“When I went into the room she looked as if she was in a lot of pain,” Ginny added, “and then when she stood up she... well, she got sick, and then started hyperventilating.”
“Alright,” said Ryan, reading something on Hermione’s medical chart. “Let me take a look at you.”
After Ryan examined her, he went to the nurse’s station for a moment. When he came back, Hermione was waiting impatiently for his diagnosis.
“I have to hospitalize you, Hermione,” he said. “You’re already having contractions and on top of that your blood pressure is very high. Also... Well, the baby’s heart rate worries me.”
“But... but that can’t be,” said Hermione, wide-eyed.
“These things happen,” said Ryan. “For now, I’m going to prescribe an anti-anxiety drug””
“No,” said Hermione firmly. “I’m not taking that. No drugs.”
“As your doctor, I have to insist,” said Ryan. “It’s important if we don’t want to put the baby in serious distress, and I don’t want you having anymore anxiety attacks. I need you to relax. I know you’re nervous, but you must relax. I’m also prescribing something that will hopefully prevent labour from progressing.”
“Okay,” said Hermione quietly.
“Alright,” said Ryan. “I’m sending you to the Lindo Wing’s Maternity Unit.”
Ron was pacing the entrance hall of 100 Penny Lane, waiting for Harry’s arrival. Approximately an hour or more had gone by since Ginny left with Hermione and he still had no news. He was worried sick as he thought about Ginny and how she mentioned they would have to make it to the hospital “on time.”
“I’m home!” Harry yelled, as he opened the front door. When he saw Ron standing there, he froze.
“What happened to you?” he asked, as he tried very hard not to laugh, looking at Ron’s stained robes. “Merlin... What’s that smell? Did you feed Henry again? And have you never heard of the Scourgifying charm, Ron?”
“Harry, Ginny had to take Hermione to the hospital,” said Ron hurriedly. “She’s really sick.”
All the laughter that had been bubbling inside Harry quickly dissipated.
“Ginny told me you’d know where to go,” said Ron.
“St. Mary’s...” muttered Harry. “I have to change into Muggle clothes.”
As Harry ran up the stairs, Ron followed.
“You have to call Molly,” Harry said, taking a random shirt out of a drawer. “You need help with the babies. Did they leave a long time ago?”
“About an hour,” said Ron.
“And they haven’t sent news yet?” said Harry. “That’s not good. Um, I’ll send news when I get there.”
And without another word, Harry disapparated.
Sitting in a snug rocking chair next to Hermione’s bed, Ginny felt her eyelids flicker. They had transferred Hermione to a private suite in the south wing of the hospital, and Hermione had fallen asleep, partly because of exhaustion and partly because of her medications. To prevent herself from falling asleep, Ginny stood up and went out of the room, in search for some coffee or tea.
As she wondered the halls of the Lindo Wing, Ginny saw excited couples walking out with their babies, or the occasional grandmother coming in to see their new grandchild, or maybe even... Harry? Harry!
Ginny practically ran towards her husband as soon as she saw him.
“How is she?” Harry asked anxiously as his wife hugged him.
“She’s not good, Harry,” said Ginny, her eyes starting to glisten.
“What do you mean ‘she’s not good’?” said Harry.
“She’s very anxious,” Ginny explained. “Her doctor told me she had a panic attack. And her blood pressure is very high, and that may mean that... t-the baby...”
She didn’t even finish her sentence. Her voice broke.
“I thought she was having a miscarriage, Harry,” Ginny said softly. “It was horrible.”
“Shh...” whispered Harry to her ear, trying to soothe her. “It’ll be fine.”
“Come,” said Ginny. “Let’s go to the room.”
“Have you tried calling Michael?” Harry asked his wife as he followed her into the room.
“No... Hermione has a... a telephone, but I didn’t know how to use it,” she said, closing the door.
“Let me see if I can reach Ron first,” said Harry, grabbing Hermione’s Blackberry from the nightstand.
“Shouldn’t we call Michael first?” said Ginny.
“What can I say? I’m a little biased.”
“Ron, why don’t you take a shower?” Molly suggested as she finished changing Henry’s nappy. Baby Ron was crying in his uncle’s arms. “Hand me little Ronnie.”
Ron handed his nephew over to his mother.
“She’ll be fine,” Molly told her son, looking at him softly, with sympathy in her eyes.
“Harry said he would let us know how she was,” said Ron quietly.
“Well, they don’t have a... a fellytone here, do they?” asked Molly.
“It’s in the kitchen,” replied Ron. “You know what? I’ll go sit next to it in case it rings...”
“Ron, please...”
“I’ll see you downstairs.”
The phone rang as Ron entered the kitchen.
“Hello? Harry?” His voice was urgent.
“The doctor decided to hospitalize her, Ron. She’ll be staying here until her condition stabilizes.”
“What does that mean? Is she okay?”
“We... We don’t know yet.”
“What do you mean””
“Look, I’ll call when I know something else, alright? Are the babies alright?”
“Yes. Mum’s here.”
“Okay. Thanks, Ron.”
“Just let me know as soon as you know something else.”
“I will.”
“Everything’s alright,” said Harry. “Molly’s there.”
“Oh, good.”
“Let’s call Michael now.”
“Harry... Behave,” said Ginny.
“It doesn’t ring. I just get a recording,” said Harry, irritated.
“Well, try again, then.”
After trying several times, Harry began to get frustrated.
“Why don’t we call Beth? She must know where he’s staying,” suggested Ginny.
“Alright,” sighed Harry. “Her, I can deal with.”
“Hello?” came a voice into the line. “Hermione? Is that you?”
“Er, no... Is this Beth?”
“Yes it is,” said Beth, taken aback. “Who am I speaking to?”
“It’s Harry. Harry Potter.”
“Oh, Harry! I didn’t recognize your voice! Sorry I haven’t been over to visit lately... I’ve just arrived from Bedford with John and the kids... I’ve been planning Charlotte’s christening and it’s been busy, busy, busy!” said Beth hectically.
“Yes, I can imagine...” Harry said as soon as Beth gave him a chance. “Listen, we have a bit of a situation in our hands.”
“Oh, God... It’s Hermione, isn’t it? Is she alright?” Beth joyous tone was replaced by a sombre, serious voice.
“Ginny and I are in the hospital right now. There have been some complications...”
“Alright, I’ll be over there soon. I’ll leave the children with John and the nanny. St. Mary’s, right?”
“Yes.”
“Has the doctor seen her?”
“Yes, he did. Ginny said he seemed... worried.”
There was a moment of silence on the line, as Harry felt Beth getting panicked.
“I’ll see you soon,” she said.
Within a few minutes, Beth was in the hospital.
“Have you called Michael yet?”
“We tried,” said Ginny. “The call won’t go through.”
“Fuck,” Beth hissed. “Where the hell is he now?”
“Hermione, we have to perform an emergency caesarean.”
The words Hermione feared hearing the most were uttered by her doctor around midnight, hours after her admission to St. Mary’s Hospital.
“But I’m... I’m not ready! It’s not time yet!”
“If we don’t do it... Hermione, you can die. You can both die.”
“Ryan... I’m only thirty three weeks along... Please... It’s too early,” Hermione begged. “It’s too soon. I’m not ready for this. Michael’s not even here... I can’t do it...”
“We can give the baby the help it needs if we take you to the operating room right now””
“But what if the baby doesn’t make it! What happens then? Ginny, please tell him...”
Ginny looked at Ryan hopelessly, not knowing what to say or what to do. Beth, who was sitting in a corner of the room, stood up and tried to convince Hermione.
“Michael is on his way,” said Beth, not having the heart to tell her sister-in-law that Michael was nowhere to be found, not even after leaving several urgent messages for him at the hotel, on his Blackberry, even in Liam’s phone, in the hopes he might know how to reach him.
“But why?” Hermione kept asking. “Why can’t we wait?”
Ryan just kept repeating some speech about Hermione’s dangerous blood pressure, and weak contractions...
Weak contractions? Hermione wanted to shout. Let’s put you through this and see how weak they are.
“Hermione, I’m not going to have this discussion with you anymore,” said Ryan. “I’m sending the nurse and the anaesthesiologist to prep you for surgery. I’m not losing a patient over this argument.”
Ryan exited the room and Hermione just cried on Ginny’s shoulder. Beth went after the doctor.
“Ryan,” she said, almost crying herself. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“If I don’t do this, they’ll both die, Beth,” said Ryan. “Her blood pressure is abnormally high, and the baby is not getting enough oxygen. I know she’s scared. I know she is. But there is no other way to do this.”
“Fine,” said Beth breathlessly. “Do whatever you have to do. Just take care of her.”
“Of course I will.”
Back in the room, Ginny was sitting next to a much calmer Hermione when Beth came in.
“I’ll go in with her,” said Ginny, softly patting Hermione’s hand.
“Perfect,” said Beth.
“They... They said I would be conscious during the surgery.” Hermione was trembling.
“Yes, but you’ll be fine,” said Beth. “Ginny will be with you all the time.”
“Where’s Michael?” Hermione asked Beth once more.
“He’s on his way.”
“Are you... Are you telling me the truth?” Hermione really didn’t know if she wanted Beth to answer.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Beth said, laughing nervously.
“Because he’s your brother... and you think I can’t handle the truth.”
Beth was surprised by Hermione’s words. She was also hurt, but what hurt her was that Hermione probably knew what Michael had been up to lately, what Beth wanted to protect her from.
“Hermione, I’m being completely honest. Stop fussing over this. I talked to him and he told me he’ll be here soon.”
“But why couldn’t I talk to him?”
Suddenly, Beth’s Blackberry started vibrating in her hand. Her heart leapt as she saw Liam’s name on the little screen.
“Oh, thank God!” she muttered under her breath.
“What is it?” asked Ginny.
“I’ve got to take this phone call,” Beth explained. “It’s John. I’ll go into the loo so the nurses won’t see me. I’m not supposed to use this in here.”
Beth shut the bathroom door behind her and pressed one of the Blackberry’s buttons.
“Where the fuck is he, Liam?” she whispered, enraged. “I want a fucking phone number. Now!”
“What the hell is going on?” Liam’s voice came down the line. “I have about a million missed calls from you!”
“Hermione’s in the hospital, that’s what’s going on!”
“Oh, Christ... Look, I’ll try to reach Michael.”
“Don’t give me that crap, Liam. Don’t give me that bloody crap! I’ll reach him myself, and when I do, I’ll murder him!”
In all his years knowing Michael and Beth, Liam had never, ever, heard his best friend’s little sister talk like this.
“I’ll try to reach him, just calm down, for Merlin’s sake!”
“You have five fucking minutes, Liam! Five!”
“Is Hermione alright?”
There was silence. Beth sighed.
“She is in very bad shape.” Beth’s voice broke unexpectedly. “They’re going to take her to the operating room in a few minutes, and I can’t find Michael anywhere!”
Liam remained silent as Beth cried silently.
“If I can’t find him, I’ll call you in five minutes.”
Beth heard the line go dead and she reclined against the wall. Small sobs were shaking her body, sobs that she had been holding in all night, for Hermione’s sake.
Then the Blackberry vibrated again.
Michael, appeared on the screen.
“Where have you been?” Beth’s voice had a menacing tone; it was low and restrained.
“I went out,” replied Michael, knowing what was ahead of him.
“I have been trying to reach you for hours.” Her voice was shaking, her sobs still making her body tremble.
“How is she?”
“Her blood pressure won’t go down,” Beth started explaining, “and the baby is not getting enough oxygen. They are about to take her into the operating room. Michael, you have to get here as soon as possible. She doesn’t stop asking for you, and I told her you were already on the way, but she won’t calm down.”
“Er, fine, I’ll apparate.”
“No! You won’t be able to concentrate and then you’ll get splinched and I can’t handle a splinched man and a pregnant woman in labour all at the same time!” Beth finished with a huge sob.
“Alright, Beth, I think that the one who needs to calm down right now is you.”
“Beth?” Ginny knocked on the door. “Are you okay?”
“I’ll be out in a minute,” Beth shouted. “Just get a Portkey, Michael. Pay anything. Just get here soon.”
“I’m on my way now. Are you alone with her?”
“No, I’m with Ginny. Harry left a while ago to help Mrs. Weasley with the children. Something about his brother-in-law having to leave...”
“Have you called Mum and Dad?”
“Yes. Mum said to keep her updated, but if something happened after midnight to please hold the news until at least 8 a.m.”
“Of course... How could I expect anything more from her?”
“To be honest,” said Beth, “it’s better this way. Imagine what it would be like to have her breathing down my neck right now...”
“Yeah... Beth, would you put Hermione on the phone?”
“But I told her you were already on the way!” Beth repeated.
“If you don’t put her on the phone now””
“What? You’re going to call Mum and Dad? You’re not in a position to threaten me, Michael.”
“If you don’t put her on the phone now, I won’t get a chance to talk to her before she goes into surgery.”
“Oh,” said Beth.
“Please.”
“Hang on.” She instinctively reached for her back pocket, where she had kept her wand most of the time during her Hogwarts’ years, since she wanted to conceal the redness in her face. Then she remembered she didn’t have a back pocket, that her wand was in her purse”which was on Hermione’s nightstand”and that anyways, it had been years since she had actually put her wand in her pocket.
Resigned, Beth opened the door slowly. She made sure there were no nurses or doctors in the room and then walked over to Hermione’s side.
“Michael’s on the phone. He wants to talk to you.”
Hermione wasn’t sure if she was hallucinating. She looked at Beth dubiously as she took the phone.
“Hello?”
“Oh, darling... How are you feeling?”
“I’m... I’m about to have a caesarean, Michael,” she said, her voice stilted.
“I know. I promise I’ll be there soon. I’m waiting for a Portkey. Hermione... Everything will be fine.”
“Where have you been?”
“I went out for a few drinks... I don’t know what happened to the bloody phone.”
“When are you getting here?”
“I’ll be there very soon, sweetheart.”
“Alright.”
“I love you, Hermione,” Michael said softly, sounding regretful.
“I... I do, too.”
“Hermione, can you feel that?”
“No,” she said, as firmly as she could.
Ryan was about to “cut her up,” as Ginny had said. (She could not believe Muggles resorted to these “archaic techniques.”) Given Hermione’s condition, this was a high-risk procedure, and the room was filled with doctors and nurses; everyone was ready to act should something go wrong. There were at least five obstetricians, two paediatricians, and three nurses.
Hermione lay on the operating table, and Ginny sat next to her. As the procedure took place, she kept trying to come up with stories to distract her.
“Oh, the other day Angelina came by with the kids. They were in London visiting Fred at the store. Merlin... they have so much energy! I got exhausted just by looking at them run around the place.” She was whispering conspiratorially, as if she were saying something inappropriate about her niece and nephews and one of the doctors or nurses there would tell Angelina. “I have no idea how she copes.”
Hermione gave Ginny a feeble smile.
“Are you feeling okay?” Ginny asked her.
She just nodded slowly.
“Want to tell me something? I don’t want to bore you.”
“I’m happy to listen,” Hermione whispered weakly.
After a while, Ginny started noticing how Hermione’s eyes started to flicker.
“I’m tired,” she said.
“Is she supposed to be falling asleep?” Ginny asked the nurse that was standing next to Hermione.
“No,” the nurse replied, looking surprised. Ginny saw as she glanced uneasily at the doctor, but she couldn’t see his expression.
“Hermione, are you with me?” Ryan said.
“Mhmm,” was Hermione’s weak reply.
“Okay, here we go,” said Ryan.
After a moment, he said, “It’s a girl, Hermione. You have a daughter.”
“She not crying,” whispered Hermione, looking at Ginny vacantly. “She’s not...”
Ginny realized that the paediatricians hurried to assist the baby, accompanied by one of the nurses. The baby was still not crying.
“She’s losing too much blood, Dr. Martin,” Ginny heard one of the doctors mutter.
“She’s... I want...” Hermione’s words were incoherent.
“Hermione?” Ginny didn’t know what to do.
“Try to keep her awake,” said Ryan.
“What’s going on?” Ginny asked the nurse closest to her. She was nervous, and fear rapidly started to grow inside her. Everything was happening very fast and she didn’t know what to do. The nurse seemed at a loss for words.
“You need to keep her alert,” the nurse replied. Ginny thought the nurse had just said that because she didn’t know what else to say, but she tried to follow the instructions.
“Hermione, look at me,” Ginny insisted. “Come on, Hermione; tell me about the baby’s new room.”
But Hermione closed her eyes as the machines around her started beeping frantically and the remaining doctors in the room gathered around her and swiftly started to work.