Charlie kept their home deliberately quiet for the last few months of Lyra's pregnancy. The Weasleys had been shocked at how much Lyra had snapped, that day in June – while their own experiences had been traumatic they had, to a point, forgotten how much Lyra, and Ron and Hermione, had experienced – especially over the last year of Lyra's school career. That Lyra had spent a year working to defeat Voldemort, living in woods and valleys and bushes, with every second of every day spent being alert to possible aggressors – it had changed her, and they had forgotten how much.

So the Weasleys were a lot more aware after that day where Lyra had run away from the Burrow. More aware of how loud noises startled Lyra. More aware of how she tensed up. More aware of the way she tended to position herself in a room – No twenty one year old should be used to guarding their back and watching the entrance and escape routes, but Lyra was.

Their efforts paid off, and it worked. Lyra didn't suffer any more trauma for the remainder of her pregnancy.

July was hot though, hotter even than June had been, and she was starting to struggle in a different sense. As she became heavily pregnant, with the summer heat smothering her, Lyra preferred once again to spend her time with Fleur, Victoire, and the cool sea outside their cottage.

Charlie was spending his time split between Romania and Holyhead still, and in the evenings while he was at home he and Lyra would curl up together, either in their own home, in the gardens, or at Grimmauld Place or the Burrow. But Charlie also had to work in Romania for three weeks every two months and while Lyra had previously been able to accompany him for that time and work on behalf of the Ministry of Magic, she was too uncomfortable to travel far – especially with the restrictions on travel she had been following.

"Lyra?" Asked Hermione one afternoon in late July, "how are you, at the moment… really, I mean?" Lyra turned, and looked at her friend, and sighed.

"I'm uncomfortable" she said, after a considering silence, "I'm so hot, all the time – my babies are making it hard to sleep anyway but its worse in this heat. Thank Merlin for Kreacher's cooling charms! Barely any of my clothes fit any more, although Molly has shown me some charms to stretch them a bit, but even my muggle clothes are struggling." Here Lyra paused, and her hand gently stroked her stomach. "I'm scared", she eventually added, "I'm really scared. What if I won't be a good mother?"

Hermione's eyebrows rose incredulously "who said you wouldn't be a good mother? Why wouldn't you be one?"

A sad smile crossed Lyra's face tremulously before she spoke.

"…Because I've never had one" she explained – and held up her hand to interrupt Hermione's retorts of yes you didand what about your aunt? – "I don't really remember my mum, apart from very faint memories – and Aunt Petunia can't be compared to any faint mother figure I could have. No Hermione, I'd never have used her as an example to look up to – I've never told you how bad it was, and can't tell you now – but that's what I'm scared of. What if I end up like her and ruin my babies like Aunt Petunia ruined me and Dudley?"

Her voice had trailed off to be quiet but unwaveringly strong, and Hermione merely nodded quickly.

"The only person I could have is Molly – and I only had her from after I turned twelve. What if I can't look after babies?" she whispered the last bit as if she was appalled at herself for finally voicing her thoughts out loud.

Hermione finally gathered her resolve to be the best friend that she hadn't been for the majority of Lyra's pregnancy and spoke firmly to calm her friend.

"Lyra – have you ever thought about that as you don't want to end up like your aunt, the mere fact that you already know that shows you are going to be an amazing mummy to your babies. That you are going to be fantastic and brilliant at it. Besides, nobody knows what to do when they have their first baby, everyone learns on the job. And don't forget, you have got Charlie to help you, and Molly, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Bill and Fleur – they'll all help you as much as you need. Even the rest of us – we'll try our hardest. So don't worry about that."

"But I think you need to tell Charlie you're scared. You've got to, he won't be able to support you properly if you don't."

Hermione paused here, and smiled at Lyra who was already smiling a bit stronger herself.

"Lyra?" Hermione asked again, sensing it was the right time to change the conversation, "How does maternity care work here? I know roughly what it is like for muggles, but what about for us?"

Lyra waved Hermione over to sit on the sofa beside her, and to save herself getting up, she summoned her file from its place on the bookshelf to show Hermione.

"Every witch gives birth either at St Raymond's or at home. St Raymond's is in Whitechapel and it's the only maternity hospital in the country for us. My first appointment to register my pregnancy I went with Fleur and Victoire, and since then I have gone with them or Charlie – Fleur was a pretty good cover to get in and out before the Daily Prophet found out! I use the same midwitch healer as Fleur, Madam Dixon – and unless there is an emergency or strange circumstances each witch has the same healer for the duration of the pregnancy and birth. Madam Dixon is lovely and knows I need everything kept more confidential than normal. I've seen her a few times now and she has checked the babies are doing well. Charlie and I have decided that we are going to deliver at hospital – it will be safer as they're our first babies and they're twins."

Hermione nodded. "Do you know what you're having?"

Lyra smiled.

"Yes, but only Charlie and I know. Nobody else. We want something to be a surprise for when the babies arrive!"

AN – As always, I am incredibly sorry for the delay in this chapter. Last year, around the time the last chapter was published, something happened within my circle of friends that meant I was unable to write anything happy about babies until only recently.

I do not know when the next chapter will be written – all I can say is that this story is so near the end now and it will never be abandoned.