Ch. 39 & 40 have been posted. If you haven't read ch. 39, be sure to read it first before reading on

40 Weeks

The journey to the De Haven Medical Center was smooth, to both Harry and Hermione's relief.

They didn't forget anything. They checked in at the desk and entered an exam room for the preliminary examination.

Sirius remained in the lobby. He was going to wait until Hermione was admitted to a room so he could update her parents. Then, he will head back to Grimmauld Place to wait for the news that Ruby had arrived.

Hermione was dressed in a hospital gown and grateful that she did pack her slippers. It was the only form of comfort she had at the moment.

Harry helped her onto the hospital bed. She laid on her side and moaned.

"Hello, Ms. Granger, Auror Potter," Sara Rhys, the delivery specialist walked in. "Let's see how we're doing, shall we?"

According to Rhys, Hermione was six cm dilated and ready to be admitted. Harry told her how often and how strong her contractions and asked whether or not Hermione could receive something for the pain.

"I'll alert Madam Owen, once she sees you, she'll put in the order for some pain reliever." She smiled up at Hermione. "Everything is looking great, Ms. Granger. Let's get ready to have a baby."

Hermione and Harry were astounded by her enthusiasm.

Rhys pulled up a wheelchair and Harry helped Hermione sit down. Rhys led them down the corridor and into another wing that had a separate nurse's station.

A nurse stood from the desk and walked over to a darkened room. She neared the doorway and the lights flicked on automatically.

"Here we are," Rhys stepped inside. "Get yourselves comfortable. I'll be alerting Madam Owen and she should be here momentarily."

The delivery room was spacious, with the hospital bed in the middle, a door on the other end of the room, showed a small bathroom and there was a large window with a table and set of chairs in front of it.

Harry pushed Hermione to the large window. He set the bags on top of the table. "I'm going to go get Sirius. I'll be right back."

She nodded, barely registering what he was saying. She grasped her belly and breathed harshly through another wave of pain.

A few minutes or maybe more passed when Harry returned with Sirius in tow.

The marauder peppered the top of her head with kisses. "Hermione, I'll see you later, alright? Do you need anything?"

She shook her head. "Will you just let my parents know?"

"I will love, don't worry. Crookshanks and I will wait for news at Grimmauld Place."

She gripped his hand. "Thank you."

"Anything, love." He walked to Harry and pulled him to his chest. "I love you. I'll see you later." He leaned back and grasped the side of Harry's face. "It's okay to cry, you know."

Harry let out a nervous laugh. "I won't be holding back."

"She's going through a lot of pain, Harry," Sirius whispered, "and it'll probably get worse. Just be there for her."

Harry nodded. They hugged again. Once, Sirius left the room, a quiet stillness settled over the room.

"Harry," Hermione breathed out, "help me."

He hurried over and grasped her arms, helping her to her feet. "What do you want to do?"

"Walk me to the bed."

He walked beside her as she shuffled to the bed. She braced herself over the bed and bent over, groaning in pain.

"Knock, knock." Madam Owen stepped into the room. "May we come in?"

Hermione nodded, not moving from her bent position.

Madam Owen walked further into the room with Rhys and another specialist. She smiled at them. "Alright, you're six cm dilated, been laboring for about five hours, and your water is not broken."

"That's right," Harry said.

"Rhys told me you want a pain reliever and I've already called for the specialist who handles that. If you're familiar with the muggle epidural, it's like that, but not as invasive."

"I feel like I'm going to throw up," Hermione uttered.

Rhys hurried to her and held out a bag. Hermione dry heaved and slowly stood upright.

"That's normal, Ms. Granger," Rhys assured.

Hermione breathed deeply and whined under her breath.

"Alright, let's get you up on the bed and prepped for the pain reliever."

Harry and Rhys helped her up on the bed so that she was sitting facing the door. Rhys walked around the bed and opened up the back of her hospital gown.

A knock sounded from the door. A stout, dark-haired, dark-skinned man waved at them. "Mr. Finley at your service." He rolled a small cart into the room. Behind him, walked a younger woman, but older than Harry and Hermione. Her dirty blonde hair was up in a bun. "Don't mind, Leah, she's observing."

He rolled his cart on the other side of the bed where he could access her back. "Hello, Ms. Granger. Has anyone explained what I'm about to do?"

She shook her head. She grabbed Harry's hand and squeezed.

"Alright, well it's similar to a muggle epidural without the needle. I'll be placing an ointment on your lower back." He opened a jar and with his gloved hands began to stir the concoction. "I will then draw some runes onto your spine. At intervals of fifteen to twenty minutes, the runes will activate the ointment and pain should be relieved for a while. If the pain is too much we can use more powerful pain-relieving potions, but that sometimes leaves our patients rather loopy."

He began spreading the ointment on her back. "There's also the option of a muggle epidural. We'll remove this, wait half an hour and try that instead."

He wrote the runes onto her spine with ease. "That's it. You should be feeling some relief in a few minutes." He set the jar back on the cart and removed his gloves. "All the best you two." He wheeled his car back out of the room and left, the assistant trailed after him.

"Alright, Ms. Granger, you get good and comfortable while we wait." Madam Owen, Rhys, and the nurse walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind them.

Harry did up her gown and helped her lay down. He pulled up a chair and sat down beside the bed.

She breathed deeply. "This is probably the worst I've ever felt."

Harry sniffled. He brought his arm onto the side of the bed and held her hand.

"I'm tired, Harry."

He kissed the back of her hand. "I know. Rest."

"Is there room?" She shifted, "can you lay with me?"

He kissed her hand again. "I'd love to."

He came around the side of the bed and carefully settled behind her. She reached out for his hand and wrapped it around her.

Hermione was able to rest, relatively pain-free, just aching, for four hours before she had a surge of energy and began walking around her room.

"I wonder if the food tastes good," Harry commented, skimming over the menu one of the hospital staff left for them. It was nearing 5:30 in the morning and it was almost time to order breakfast.

"Bloody hell, I hope so." Hermione made her tenth round around the room when she stilted to a stop at the end of her bed. She felt a popping sensation.

Harry looked up. "What are you doing?"

While he spoke a gush of liquid fell from her, coating her legs and feet. "Oh, my slippers," she cried.

"What happened?"

She tried to look over her shoulder. "My water broke."

"What?" He repeated louder, getting to his feet.

"My water broke, Harry. My water broke!"

He yelped and ran for the door, jumping over the pooling liquid. He wrenched open the door and shouted at the nurses at the nurse station. Two rushed into the room to help clean up the mess.

Madam Owen arrived a few minutes later. She clapped her hands together. "Sounds like it's almost time. Let me check how much you've dilated and we'll move on from there."

Hermione was back on her bed, legs spread wide as Madam Owen examined her. Harry came to her side and held her hand.

"I feel no cervix," Madam Owen said, "and the head is right here. Alright, Hermione. I'll come back in an hour to check on you and we'll see then if we're ready to have this baby."

Hermione only nodded.

"Wait, so the baby is not coming now?" Harry asked. The nurses moved around the bed, wiping up the liquid, and rushed out of the room with the soiled towels.

"Not yet, Harry. She needs to move a little further down before we begin. Hermione, if you feel the urge to push alert us right away."

"Okay," she breathed out.

Madam Owen left the room.

She turned to Harry, he looked pale and his jaw tensed. She dropped her head against her pillow. "Harry, tell Ruby to come already."

Harry fell into the chair beside the bed and grasped her hand. "Ruby," he spoke softly, "mummy and I are getting very impatient."

Hermione slowly turned onto her side. "Harry," she said softly, "at the end of the day, we'll be parents."

He grinned. He leaned forward and kissed her hard.

For the next hour, Harry held Hermione's hand or rubbed her shoulders, caressed the side of her face. He spoke softly, reliving some memories from school and planning out loud what they should do for the holidays.

He took the small stuffed rabbit he had secreted into Ruby's hospital bag and played with it over Hermione's belly, singing and talking to Ruby.

At 6:30, Madam Owen returned and after examining Hermione again, proudly announced it was time to have a baby.

The medical team went into battle mode - or birth mode. Carts were rolled in. One carried the instruments Madam Owen, the specialists, and nurses were going to use, another carried the items needed to clean up baby and Hermione, and set aside by the window was the bassinet.

Harry took his position beside Hermione, her hand firmly clasped in his.

Madam Owen slipped on a gown and secured her gloves. "You're crowning Hermione."

One of the nurses and Rhys took positions at Hermione's legs, helping her keep them wide.

Hermione squeezed his hand tightly as she felt a painful wave course through her.

"Breathe, breathe, breathe, Hermione," Madam Owen instructed, "you got this. I feel the head. Now, we're going to push, push, push."

Hermione groaned in pain. Bloody hell she's never felt anything like this before. It was this enormous pressure that she needed to push out, but was taking too long, prolonging her discomfort and pain.

"Harry," she cried.

He leaned over her and peppered kisses over her face. "You're doing great, Mai. She's almost here."

Tears rolled down her face and she couldn't tell if they were hers or Harry's. Maybe it was both of them.

"The head is almost out, Hermione. Push, push, push."

She pulled Harry closer, grasping his shoulders as she braced herself to push more.

"Almost there!"

She pushed again and fell against the bed as Madam Owen announced that the head had come out.

"Alright, Hermione, few more and she'll slip right on out."

Harry settled back beside the bed. Their hands still tightly clasped.

She pushed and cried out, begging, praying that this was it.

She felt a strange movement between her legs and all too suddenly a squirmy thing covered in red appeared before her.

"Oh my god," she breathed.

"Here she is!"

The nurse moved Hermione's hospital gown from her chest as Rhys wiped away the blood from the baby.

Madam Owen placed Ruby on Hermione's chest. "Beautiful, just beautiful."

Harry had stepped back to give the medical team some room. But he looked at the little form who was crying her lungs out - he was overwhelmed, completely, and utterly overwhelmed.

"Harry?"

He took one look at Hermione and breathed back a sob.

She reached out and caressed his cheek, wiping away his tears. Her own tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Harry," Madam Owen called, "would you like to cut the umbilical cord?"

# # #

Hermione smiled and laid her head on her hands. Harry sat in the stiff hospital chair, their newborn baby in his arms.

He traced a finger over the curve of her cheek and rested his hand on her head full of dark hair. He took a deep breath. "You're so beautiful."

He couldn't keep his hands still. He caressed her head, pinching the soft strands of dark brown hair between his fingers.

He dragged his finger down her forehead to the tip of her nose. He felt their shoulder and followed the length of her little arm to her small hand.

"It was so hard, watching your mum in so much pain," he tipped his forehead against theirs. "All that pain, all those months." He took a deep breath. "And here you are. I can't believe you're really here."

"I can," Hermione said softly.

Harry lurched. He smiled at her, but his mouth was in a straight line, wavering as if he was trying not to cry.

He stood and settled himself on the side of her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," she caressed their baby's head. "We made a beautiful baby," she teased.

"Beautiful, you're beautiful. Hermione, I -" He let out a shaky breath. "You're amazing."

Hermione chuckled. She set her hand on his forearm. "I love you."

Tears rolled down Harry's cheeks. "I love you," he said softly, "merlin, why am I crying?"

"Because you're happy," she sat up slowly, leaning carefully against her pillow.

"I don't know if I've ever been this happy." Harry held Ruby's hand over his face, guiding her fingers over his cheek.

"Knock, knock," Sirius poked his head into the room. "Can the grandparents come in?"

Harry and Hermione shared a look. He bit back a smile.

"Come on in, Sirius." Hermione adjusted herself.

Sirius walked in and held the door open for Hermione's parents to walk in. Mrs. Granger immediately went to her daughter's side. "Sweetheart, how are you?"

"I'm fine, mum. Just tired and sore." She squeezed her mum's hand. "Mum, dad, Sirius. There's someone we want you to meet."

Harry stood. "Meet the newest member of the Potter family."

Sirius, Nicole, and Howard immediately flocked around Harry, cooing over their granddaughter.

"She's beautiful," Nicole murmured.

"Look at all that hair," Howard commented.

"Look at her little hands," Sirius squeaked.

Slowly, Ruby made her way around the room, being held by each grandparent.

When Sirius's turn was over, he walked up to Harry and hugged him. "How are you?"

"Tired."

"And wonder-mama?" Sirius kissed Hermione on the cheek.

She laughed lightly. "Sore and glad it's over. I just want to go home."

Nicole came up to Hermione. She pushed some hair out of her face. "You'll be home soon, sweetheart. All three of you."

2 Weeks

Hermione sat in her rocking chair, feet up on a plush ottoman, and slowly rocked the chair back and forth.

Ruby stared up at her as she fed. Or at least, she thought her baby was looking at her. She could be possibly dazed by all the milk.

She traced her finger over the curve of her cheek, relishing in the softness.

Harry walked into the room silently, taking up the spot on the other side of the rocking chair, where he could see Ruby and Hermione unobstructed.

Ruby's eyes had fluttered closed, but her mouth still worked over Hermione's nipple.

"A year ago, did you ever think," he said softly, "that we'd be here?"

She licked her lips. "A year ago, I thought you'd gone mental because you asked me to have sex with you."

"Completely mental," he hovered over her.

"Completely." She set her free hand on his chin and guided him to her lips.