The Mating Game

Chapter Twenty-One

At last

July 12, 2010

(six years later)

Feeling again the familiar tightening of her uterus, Hermione sighed and massaged her swollen abdomen. Like all of her labors, this one was progressing slowly. After pronouncing her in "early active labor", Madam Pomfrey had gone off to the infirmary for a while to check on Jason Weasley, who was still in bed after an encounter with the Whomping Willow. Hermione was now alone with her husband; she felt much more relaxed now that Poppy had stopped fussing over her.

"Can I get you anything, love? Water, perhaps?"

"Water would be fine, thanks." She heaved her bulk out of the chair and began pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace.

"Do you ever regret not casting that charm? You know, we can still do it." Severus was walking alongside her now with a glass of water in his hand. She snatched it from him and drained it in one gulp.

"Ahhh. You never realize how dehydrated you are until you start drinking. Damn summer pregnancies. Twice as bad this time."

Severus pretended that she hadn’t just ignored him. "You realize, of course, that had we cast the charm, we would have known that we were having twins several months earlier."

"I like my gifts to be surprises, you know."

"Hmmm. I generally do, too, but I think the suspense is going to kill me this time." Severus had always been somewhat agitated during Hermione’s labors, but he seemed unusually anxious this time.

She stopped, suddenly, grabbed his arms tightly, and leaned forward on him. "Ooooh! Ahhhhh!"

"You’re shivering, Hermione. Transition already?" Severus waited until the contraction had passed to summon Peggy, who went swiftly to fetch Madam Pomfrey. No sooner had he finished then his wife was gripped with another fierce contraction.

"Arrrrgh! Why did I ever agree to this? I’m going to give you a vasectomy tomorrow, Mister Snape!" she wailed.

As the contraction waned, she collapsed into his arms. "Hold on, love," he whispered. "It will all be over soon."

"Easy to say when you’re not the one delivering the baby," said Hermione, panting. Another contraction hit with full force, and she gripped her husband’s arms with such intensity that he let out a muffled yelp of pain.

"OOOOOOH!"

Severus had learned to recognize that sound. "Hermione, are you pushing already? Hold on, Madam Pomfrey will be here any moment now!"

"I can’t…OOOOH! … help it! This baby…OOOH!… really wants out of here."

She leaned against his chest again, limp and exhausted. "I can’t hold back, Severus. He’s coming out fast. I’m not going to be pushing for half an hour this time. If Pomfrey doesn’t get here in time you’ll just have to…AAAAAH! deliver the baby…MMMMM! Oh no, Severus…ARRRGH! Get down there, now!"

Hermione paused, panting, as her body took a brief respite from its efforts. "I can feel him, he’s crowning."

Severus helped her to squat down on the floor. "Hold on to the chair, love. I can’t support you if I’m to catch the baby."

The familiar pressure began returning and Hermione pushed with all her might. Less than a minute later, she heard a loud wail as the baby’s head emerged.

"I’ve got him, Hermione…I’ve got…her! It’s a girl!" Severus was behind her, holding on to her with one arm and cradling the kicking, screaming baby in the other. "Isn’t she beautiful?"

To a casual observer, the red, wrinkled, squalling baby would no doubt have appeared quite ugly. But to Hermione, the little girl was indeed the most beautiful creature in the world.

"Peggy!" said Severus hoarsely. "Bring warm blankets! Hurry!"

"Here, sir, here! Wrap little one up quickly!" squealed Peggy enthusiastically. "Little miss mustn’t catch cold."

A frantic knocking at the door heralded the arrival of Madam Pomfrey. Severus motioned for Peggy to answer it, and seconds later the mediwitch swept into the room.

"Oh, my, I ran as fast as I could, but it wasn’t fast enough! No matter. We have to get you to bed, Hermione. You’ll be delivering the placenta for this one shortly, and then the other baby will probably be making an appearance."

"Shouldn’t I be walking around to help the other baby out?" whimpered Hermione feebly.

"No, ducks. Only if there’s trouble getting him to engage in the pelvis. You’re already worn out. Severus, help me move her to the bed."

"Do you have a good hold on our daughter?" Severus purred in his wife’s ear. When she nodded, he lifted her up gently and carried her and his daughter–still attached by the umbilical cord to her mother–to the bedroom.

"Urrgh," said Hermione irritably. "No sooner do I get to relax then the contractions start up again."

Madam Pomfrey had fetched a glass of water. "Drink. You’re dehydrated and you still have a considerable amount of work to do."

Five minutes later, Hermione was hit once again with the incredible urge to push. "ARRGH! I thought you said that OOOOH! …the placenta was supposed to come first!"

"Usually it does for twins. Not always, though." Poppy quickly clamped the first umbilical cord and had Severus cut it so that the first baby could be set to the side more easily.

The second baby took longer to appear. When, at last, the slippery body emerged and was placed in Hermione’s arms, it was obvious why. She was a good two inches longer than her twin and a full three pounds heavier.

"Two girls," whispered Hermione in awe. "I think I’m in shock."

"Me too," said Severus quietly as he cradled the smaller of the two twins in his arms. "It’s a good shock, though."

After Madam Pomfrey had delivered the placentas she helped Hermione into a fresh nightgown and had Peggy put clean sheets on the bed. "Now lie down and rest. Make sure you eat something right away; I bet your blood sugar level is terribly low."

"Yes, yes, what is Missus wanting to eat? Peggy will run to the kitchens and get it right away!"

"Red meat," said Hermione happily. "I feel absolutely carnivorous. A roast beef sandwich sounds perfect. Extra large, with horseradish."

Severus reappeared at her bedside. "I took the liberty of sending for the boys. They always love to watch the newborn examination."

A few minutes later the door burst open. Three boys, ages ten, eight, and four, charged in at full speed; a fourth stood back, watching timidly from the doorway.

"Come in, Leo, you’re family too," croaked Hermione, who seemed to be losing her voice.

The boy, tall and skinny with auburn hair and amazingly blue eyes, tiptoed in and peeked cautiously over the shoulders of his friends, who were all cooing and giggling at the babies. "More boys, Professor Snape? Or did you manage a girl this time?"

"I believe I managed two girls, Mr. Dumbledore," said Severus in a dignified manner.

"Hooray! Sisters!" yelled Theo, spinning round and round in excitement. Will and Edmund began whooping and hollering too, dancing in glee. Even Leo hopped about excitedly, grinning madly. One of the babies, startled by the noise, began to wail.

Not for the first time, Hermione was grateful that she had married the Bane of the Classroom; only a man of his imposing personality could keep a handle on the gang of raucous boys he had sired.

"Children!" he said in his fabled stage whisper. "Those who are not quiet and attentive will be escorted from the room and will not be allowed to assist in the newborn examination!"

Immediately the noise stopped; the boys gathered at the foot of the bed, where they helped Madam Pomfrey weigh, measure, and count fingers and toes.

"Do they have names, ma’am?" Leo inquired politely.

Hermione looked at Severus and sighed. "They came a little earlier than we expected. I’m afraid we only have boys’ names picked out right now. We’ll have the naming ceremony first thing tomorrow morning," she said. "Now I think I need a bit of peace and quiet, if you don’t mind."

Hours later, after Severus had tucked his three sons into bed and then assisted Hermione in settling the girls off to sleep, he joined her in bed. "I propose that we each name one of the girls," he said.

"By ‘propose’, do you mean that you won’t have it any other way?"

"You know me too well, love," he smirked. "May I name the little one?"

"All right. Do you already have a name picked out?"

"I do. She will be Lucy, meaning light, because I think she will be the light of my life."

"What about me? Aren’t I supposed to be the light in your life?" snapped Hermione teasingly.

"Would you rather that I name you Lucy, then?" They both shook with silent giggles, desperate not to wake the babies.

"And Lucy’s sister? What will she be named?" Severus asked quietly.

Hermione paused. "I think…I think I will name her Dorothy. Because she reminds me that there’s no place like home."

"There really is no place like Hogwarts, is there?"

She punched him playfully on the shoulder. "You silly goose, I didn’t mean Hogwarts. I meant that–well, there’s an old Muggle saying, ‘Home is where the heart is.’ My home is here." She put her arms around him. "My home is with you."

Severus drew her close. "And my home will never be anywhere but with you."

He crushed her body roughly against his and kissed her passionately. When, at last, they broke apart, gasping for breath, Hermione’s eyes were shining with tears.

"What is it, love?" her husband asked as he gently brushed a tear from her cheek.

"It’s just…oh, I love you so much, did you know that? It’s like you’re a part of me." She sniffled and rubbed her eyes. "Am I babbling? Maybe it’s just these stupid postpartum hormones getting to me."

He pulled her to him gently and nuzzled the top of her head. "No, you’re not babbling. I know exactly what you’re talking about. I think I would die if I ever lost you."

Hermione’s mind swam back to her younger years, remembering the frustration she’d felt at being forced to marry Severus, the irritation she’d harbored for so many months before finally giving herself to him. Back then, she’d often considered what she’d done a "noble sacrifice", giving up her dreams and her happiness for the good of the Wizarding World. She’d been so wrapped up in herself that she’d completely missed out on what should have been several wonderful months of newlywed bliss.

Luckily she hadn’t wasted too much time. Nor had she given up her dreams, though they had changed somewhat over the years. Surely that was to be expected.

She had a degree, a part-time job that she loved, and five wonderful children. What more could a woman want? Well, maybe a husband who was loving and intelligent and a great lover…and she had that too. What luck, she thought.

As she drifted in the gray area between wakefulness and sleep, a thought struck her and she giggled out loud. Perhaps it hadn’t been luck after all.

"What’s so funny?" Severus mumbled, rousing from his slumber.

"Long live Arithmancy," she mumbled drowsily. Then she drifted off to sleep.

Fin.