The War left many grieving, those who would never get the chance to tell their loved ones that they loved them one last time. Iris Brown was one of them, her twin sister ripped away from her at just 18, she never got the chance to do the things with...
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Iris Weasley had found the last 5 months to pass so much quicker than she had expected them to. Sure she knew there was no such thing as time standing still nor slowing down, that was not how the universe worked. However, she hoped that this time would take longer, so she had more time to be prepared. But alas, time only seemed to go faster and faster and she felt more and more unprepared.
She knew that there was no such thing as being fully prepared to bring a baby into the world, and with two it was harder. But that didn't stop the lack of control Iris felt she had and the desire she had to have more control over the situation. Things were not as perfect as she wanted them to be and it frustrated her more than anything else. It was why just days before she was due to give birth that Iris was in the room they had dedicated for the twins, shuffling things about, once again, until they were in the place she thought she wanted them to be in. She had only done this all a day or so beforehand, the last time her brain had told her that things were not correct, that they needed to be moved about. She had been pottering about in the room for about two hours on her own, moving sections of clothing around, supplies from one corner to another. She was folding and refolding items until she felt as though they were correct. Obsessively organising until she was too exhausted to do any more.
"Iris?" George's voice rung out, and this was when she knew that she had been in the room reorganising for most if not the entire day. For he seemed to have returned from the shop, which he had left for early that morning.
"Oh, you're home. Is that the time?" She turned slowly to look at him, in her hands a small onesie that she just could not fold correctly, no matter how many times she had tried.
"Is that the time?" He mimicked back a look on his face she had become to know increasingly well in the last few weeks. "You've been at this all day again. I assure you that we are as prepared as we possibly can be." He tried to soothe, even though she knew that he didn't believe the words he was telling her.
"There's something just not right in here." Iris tried to excuse her actions, knowing that they were going to have very little effect. But she was still determined to try.
"Come on gorgeous, we have had so many people check that we have what we really need. We're only going to know what we're missing when they are here." George moved the small distance across the room to take the onesie from Iris' hands. He gently placed it down on the pile which she had left on the changing table. Before taking her hands into his own.
"I know George I do. I just there's something in the back of my brain that's trying to alarm me."
"You're going to be a great mum Iris, we're ready." George affirmed to her their eyes locked as Iris looked to see whether there was any hint of him not believing his words. But she found none. And therefore, she allowed herself to believe in what he was saying, even if it was just for a little while.
"We are so not ready." George's voice bounced around the hospital room the pair were currently inside of. Iris herself was on top of the hospital bed, her forehead beaded with sweat as the effects of labour took over.
"If you are going to be of no help George Fabian Weasley you can go elsewhere and wait." She snapped her eyes focused on her husband who was pacing around the room. "You're making me dizzy with all this pacing." she grumbled. George immediately stopped pacing as he turned to properly look at Iris. His face immediately warped from the anxious look he had been sporting from the moment she had pissed herself when her waters broke. Iris wasn't sure she was able to read exactly what emotion he was portraying through his face at this moment but it put some sort of ease into her knowing he was a little more focused on what was going on in the room.
"I'm sorry Rizzo." He stopped by her side going to take her hand. The pair shared eye contact as they waited for the midwife to return to the room. George moved a stray curl which had escaped from the pile Iris had thrown it in upon the top of her head and he gave her what he hoped looked like a confident smile. But he was aware it probably wasn't helping too much as a voice in the back of his head reminded him constantly what was at stake in this moment in time. He tried not to focus too much on it, but he was aware that anxiety was there.
"It's okay Georgie." Iris replied before letting out a whine of pain as another contraction hit her. She did not want to be screaming or shouting out. She didn't want to possibly be an inconvenience to anyone else around her. She just wanted her babies.
"You're doing so well." George told her as the midwife came back into the room. He did not know her name, he was sure he would learn it over the hours to come but he turned his attention back to his wife quickly.
"You're about 6cm dilated now Iris, shouldn't be much longer before we get this show on the road. The babies' heartbeats sound good." George squeezed Iris' hand at these words knowing that they had much longer to go.
"That's it Iris keep pushing, you're doing so well." The voice of the midwife spoke a few hours later. Iris was finally at the stage of pushing. On what was possibly going to turn into the longest night of her life at this stage. She couldn't really hear what anyone was telling her, not the midwife at her feet or George at her side. All she could think of was getting these babies out and then going to sleep. She deserved a big nap after all of this.
The only sound she heard was the shrill cries of a baby, as she relaxed back into the bed. She knew that she was only halfway there in that moment in time, she was supposed to have two children. But she could feel the exhaustion overcoming her. Her body was trying to fight the instinct that Iris could feel to push and get her second baby out.
Iris, you need to stay awake, or we could lose baby 2." The midwife tried to encourage Iris to stay awake. Iris could hear her, but she did not want to push nor did the words have any real effect. And therefore, the midwife turned to George for help. He should know the best way to get through to his wife and George had an idea. And idea he knew that Iris would hate him for but one he had a strong suspicion would work. Therefore, he turned to look at Iris, he moved closer knowing that he had one baby in the corner of the room but another he had still yet to see.
"Iris listen to me. Okay." He paused knowing his next words were not going to be nice but they were essential. "We only have one baby at the moment. And that baby could lose their twin before they've even met them. We already failed ours let's not fail them." Iris' eyes shot open at his words and her look was a little bit on the murderous side. But it worked as she soon enough regained focus on the task ahead. George knew it was not the end all if she could not deliver baby number two, an emergency c-section could be organised.
But 25 minutes afterwards Iris gave birth to their second child.
"I am so thankful to have you in my life." He kissed her forehead before heading back down to look at their two children.
Iris soon seemed to have a little more energy in her body, upon realising that she had successfully given birth to her children. And it was suddenly all she could think about was meeting them both. A notion which was obvious to both the midwife and her husband who each brought a baby over to meet their mother. George came up first the small bundle in his arms and a bright smile on his face. The man had a small inkling of just who he was carrying, the pair had briefly discussed some names but he knew it would be a decision made then and there.
"Meet baby number one, our son." He passed the little bundle over before taking the second baby from the midwife to hold for himself, the smile never leaving his face.
"Hello Fred." Iris cooed at the little boy her hands moving to reach the little tuff of ginger hair he was sporting, knowing he was quite a bit paler than her own skin colour but not caring.
"Therefore, this is our daughter little Roxanne." George commented as he moved closer so Iris could hold the pair of them at the same time. The two shared a look as they looked on at the family they now had.
