Across the Universe

Across the Universe

"Can't one of you do something for her?!" Harry yelled urgently, "you're wizards, and you can't do anything to save her?" He hastily wiped as his eyes as tears began to well up.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Potter. We're doing all we can."

"WELL, IT'S NOT ENOUGH!" he screamed, punching a wall. He grasped his hand in pain, he didn't need any thing else to deal with, not now--- and then it was fine. Back to normal. "You can do that. But you can't save my wife," stated Harry in simple disbelief.

"Mr. Potter, this is a rare occurrence; it's only happened once before, with your former mentor, actually... but we've never been able to invent a spell to prevent this from happening, or to cure the person it is happening to."

"W--what, you mean Dumbledore...?" What the hell. Dumbledore died of birth complications? That was news.

"Yes. His mother died in giving birth to him---we've theorized it was his immense blood magic; his mother's body was too weak to handle it." Oh, well. That made more sense. But---did that mean..?

"So...are you saying that Jaina is going to---" Harry swallowed, "Jaina's going to be as powerful as Dumbledore?"

"More or less, yes," replied the Healer with a small smile.

"But...that still doesn't solve the problem of Hermione..."

"Yes, well you best go talk to her now. Make use of the time you do have with her."

Harry nodded and walked out of Healer Tyro's office and into the maternity ward. He saw Hermione sitting on a bed, hand on her stomach, her face showing the pain she was going through.

"Harry," she said without opening her eyes. They had grown close enough---fallen in love enough to almost read each other's minds. To be able to sense each other come into a room without even looking up. To know what the other was going to say before they said it. "Harry. I know."

"No, no you don't know, Hermione! And you're going to leave me here all alone and I'm going to have to raise a child more powerful than Dumbledore on my own, and I...I just can't do it! I can't do it without you. I can't live without you."

"Yes, you can. And you will. You have to. For yourself, and for our child. Harry---look at me," she reached out and brushed his face gently with her hand, tilting his head up to look her in the eyes. "Harry. I do not want you to stop living just because I do---I need you to live. If not for Jaina, then for me. And you can do it. I know you can."

"H-how can you remain so calm? Hermione, you're going to die. And I'm... I'm not. I was the one supposed to die. I'm the one who looked death straight in the eye dozens of times, and come out alive. My chances should've dried up by now! You haven't--- having a baby isn't supposed to be dangerous! You were supposed to be safe---I was supposed to keep you safe!"

"Harry. You did keep me safe. And what's happening to me---isn't your fault. It isn't Jaina's fault. It isn't anyone's fault. It's just something that happened, and you're going to deal with it like you deal with everything else. You're strong---you will go forward, you'll keep living, and you'll be a wonderful father. I know it---and I think you know it, too."

***

"Aughhh, Harry!" she screeched as another contraction came.

"Owww, Hermione you're going to break my hand," he smiled at her reassuringly, "Just a bit more.."

"There you go, Hermione...I think one more push will do it..." And it did. The screaming of a newborn child rang through the room, and both Harry and Hermione were beaming. The Healer muttered a quick spell, and set the crying child in her mother's arms.

Tears shone in Hermione's eyes. Life was too cruel---here was her perfect, beautiful baby girl...and she'd only be with her for a few moments. Her daughter would never know her; she'd never get to see Jaina walk, to hear her first words; she'd never get to teach her how to read...

Harry squeezed Hermione's hand gently, "She's so beautiful....Hermione, we made her. We brought her into this world!"

"Well, actually, I did most of that," Hermione said with a smirk. She had to be calm. Had to be brave.

***

Jaina Madeline Potter was born on September 4^th, 2002, at 6:26pm.

Hermione Jane Granger-Potter died on September 5^th, 2003 at 7:55pm. She had had a year. And that was enough.