Birth (Fred/Hermione, PG) (original) (raw)

[	Tags	|	100quills, drabble, fred/hermione, oneshot, post-dh	]
[	Feeling	|	creative	]
[	Listening	|	Sinatra	]

Title: Birth
Author: Me
Rating: PG
Prompt Set: (e.g. 100.4) 50.3
Prompt: 008 Birth
Word Count: 680

“FRED WEASLEY, I AM NEVER HAVING SEX WITH YOU AGAIN!”

The man in question winced and covered his ears as his wife’s roar echoed down the hall. He raised his eyebrows at a passing healer, who smiled awkwardly. Hurrying in the opposite direction, Fred came out into the hospital waiting room and made a beeline for the nearest open fireplace in the far wall. He slid in front of the witch also heading for it, and ignored her glare, throwing Floo powder into the fire. Kneeling down, he stuck his head and proclaimed loudly, “The Burrow!”

The world spun and then he was looking out at a large group of people huddled anxiously in front of him. He smiled around at them. His family, along with Harry, Luna and Neville looked expectantly back, and he rewarded them instantly. “It’s happening!”

Pulling his head out of the fire, he moved out of the way and waited as they all Apparated before him. He let his mother take the lead, though in the face of her excitement over the arrival of her first grandchild, he couldn’t have done anything else.

“She’s in there,” he said, pointing out Room 13b. He’d come to know it very well, having spent most of the past two days either inside it while Hermione squeezed his hand to the breaking point, or running back and forth fetching things.

Hermione took one look at the group filing in and screamed, “OUT!”

Suddenly Fred found himself standing alone and turned hastily to exit. “Not you, idiot!” Hermione gritted out. “Get over here and hold my hand!”

He obeyed . “Push!” The healer exhorted, spreading Hermione’s legs even wider. “Push! You can do it!”

“Merlin’s saggy left testicle!” Hermione bellowed, straining, and Fred bit back a laugh.

“Almost there! Come on, Mrs. Granger!”

“Don’t call me Mrs. Granger! I’m single from this moment on! No more children! No more husband! What possessed me?!”

Fred patted her hand and she responded by clenching her fist so tightly around his fingers that his vision went momentarily black.

When the pain subsided, the first thing he saw was the baby in the healer’s arms. With a flick of her wand she cleaned the infant off, and placed him in Hermione’s arms. Fred found quite suddenly that he couldn’t breathe, and all pain was forgotten as he leaned over to gently touch this strange, impossible creature who stared back at him with bright blue eyes.

“What should we name it?” he asked breathlessly.

Hermione gazed down at the child-their child, though somehow he couldn’t quite believe it-and smiled. “It’s a he, not an it. Really, Fred.”

He laughed quietly, kissing her cheek and she turned, smiling up at him, her eyelids drooping.

“You ought to sleep,” he said. “Two days of labor is a long time.”

“Good thing this is the only time I’ll be doing it,” she said darkly, and burst out laughing when she saw his face. “I’m joking! If they’re all as sweet as this little guy, of course I want more.” She looked fondly down at their baby, then added, almost as an afterthought, “I do seem to remember a certain hex though…I’m not sure quite how it works, but I think if the caster is in pain, it gives the victim an equal amount of pain..”

“Although if you don’t want to have any more children that’s fine with me!” Fred said quickly.

She smiled sweetly, though the wicked gleam in her eye was vaguely unsettling. His sense of humor was influencing her far too much, he decided.

“Should I let in the others?” he asked, and she nodded. He went to the door and opened it, and had to step aside rather quickly as his mum came barreling in. She stopped dead when she saw the infant, tears welling up. “Oh, isn’t he wonderful?“ she cooed, the rest of the group crowding round the bed.

“He really is,” Hermione said, and over the heads of their friends her eyes caught Fred’s and they smiled happily at one another.