Legal disclaimer: The following characters belong to J.K. Rowling, and this story derives from her original works, storylines, and world. Please do not sue me, I can barely pay tuition.

Content warning: N/A

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House: Hufflepuff

Year: Second year

Category: Drabble, Second round

Prompt: [Action] Having a muggle medical exam as a witch/wizard

Word Count: 716

Shutterbug

"These scare the hell out of me," Ron informed her, eyeing the assortment of metal instruments and unknown bits and bobs around the room.

"Luckily, nobody's asking you to let them anywhere near your genitals," Hermione pointed out.

"Thank bloody goodness. You too could avoid all this by going to St Mungo's," Ron said while starting at the stirrups, horrified. He wasn't sure anything had scared him more since Slytherin's locket. "They've got the best midwives in England, that's where Mum got her training. I know it's your choice, but…"

"That it is," Hermione cut. "And I know they scare you, but I chose a Muggle doctor."

"Inexplicably," Ron muttered to himself. The first criticism he'd had of Muggle doctors was that they found it appropriate to actually cut people. This was still at the top of what had now become a very long list. A list that was incredibly relevant and terrifying when it was in such close proximity to your wife and your unborn child, he might add. A very long list that he was keeping to himself, as he sat next to her and absent-mindedly ran circles with his thumb against the palm of her hand.

"Hello," a woman in pale blue clothes said, poking her head into the room. "Sorry we're running a bit behind today, Mrs. Granger-Weasley, but we're here now!"

For all intents and purposes, Ron tuned out while this so-called ultrasound tech took over. He hadn't the faintest idea what the thing hanging around her neck was. The blue things in her pocket were pens, but then he got confused all over again because the chair she sat on, next to Hermione, had wheels of all things. He successfully identified a computer, but that also scared him. Then it got stranger, she spread some kind of balm over Hermione, and all over the ends of these two round things that were connected to the computer with… strings? Tubes? He should have taken Muggle studies. If he'd known this was going to happen, he would have, honestly.

'Act normal, act normal, act normal,' he repeated like a mantra.

"Ron, look at the screen," Hermione said gently. When he did look up towards the computer, his jaw dropped. The screen was a sea of greys and whites with a few blobby specs that stood out more than others and…

"Merlin's beard," Ron gasped.

"There they are," the tech said brightly. She repositioned one of the round things and Ron was about to shout that nobody should move anything lest the image disappeared, but it just changed the tiniest bit.

"That's a baby," Ron said.

The tech laughed, and Hermione squeezed his hand, unable to tear her eyes from the picture.

"That's our baby," she corrected him—and Ron didn't mind. Something caught in his throat, as a matter of fact.

"It is pretty amazing technology," the Muggle lady said. "So there's a foot over here… the head is over here… Oh, there's an arm. Do you see it?"

"Yes," Hermione said, a little breathlessly.

"Everything looks good here," the tech said just as happily. "Shall I get you copies of the sonogram to bring home?"

"We can bring pictures home?" Ron blurted out.

The tech laughed again, taking his shock as a new father's amazement. Which it was, albeit layered with many, many layers of confusion and wonder.

Once she'd left the room, Hermione turned her head to face him, grinning. Smugly, he might add.

"We can go to St. Mungo's next time if you want," she offered.

"That's not fair. You knew I was going to cry…"

Hermione smiled. "Let's call it muggleborn perks. I suppose I could have given you a warning, but you should know by now that I'm full of surprises."

"That I do."

"And I won't let you forget it."

"Don't worry about that, we've got photographic evidence now," Ron said. At which Hermione laughed. He leaned over to kiss her forehead, and she grabbed his hand.

"Remember this," she said. "When we're raising this baby, sometimes there's going to be a Muggle thing to do and a wizard thing to do."

"I don't know how you think I'll ever forget this," Ron said. "Also, we're going to have to buy a camera on our way home."