Out of Time

Baby, Oh Baby

Hermione was a mum. She couldn't believe that She had grown and birthed a person. A small person but an entire person. She looked own at her daughter, still tired from the crazy birth and belly full. The day had happened so fast.

Hermione had felt contractions and thought nothing of them. She got them from time to time and they stopped soon after they started. They were irregular and not painful. False labor, the mediwitch had told her at the last check up. 

She felt the first pang after Tom had left for work. Hermione had started her leave a week before her due date. She was sure she did not want to have this baby at the Ministry. She had kissed Tom goodbye and started on her way to the nursery to once again straighten all of the baby clothes and double check everything. 

The first pain was short, slightly uncomfortable. She winced, but continued on her now daily routine. The second was about 15 minutes later, it lasted slightly longer but wasn't painful at all. She sighed at the continued 'false labor' and finished the nursery.  

An hour later as she read, a sharp pain moved from her back to her belly button. It hurt. Then was gone just as fast. She waited a full 20 minutes and given up hope, when another one shot thru her. This was good. Maybe it was true  labor starting. She looked at the book she had been reading. 20 minutes between was a start, but nothing to worry over. 

She decided to help things along and walked up and down the halls. She looked at her small gold watch and timed each one she had. when they were 10 minutes apart for an entire hour, she decided to contact her husband. 

She moved to the floo and made the call. Tom was calm and controlled. When she ended the call, she stepped back and waited. After only a few minutes he stepped through.

"Tom, it's happening. She's coming." Hermione felt the panic start when she said the words out loud.

He pulled her to him and hugged her. "It's fine, I sent a letter to the midwife and she will be here shortly. You are going to be fine. She will be fine. Have you decided on the name yet?"

She smiled at his attempt to distract her. They made their way to their bedroom. She had cast an impervious charm on the sheets and  readied herself for this. 

The midwife had gone over the plan with them beforehand several times until Hermione knew it verbatim. Hermione called for their house elf to get everything else she had ready in the baby's room. 

Within minutes the midwife was there. She had Hermione lay on the bed and get comfortable. She checked to see how far along she was. Hermione saw the slight look of surprise on the woman's face.

"How far apart are your contractions?"

"Six minutes." 

the hmph sound the woman let out made Hermione nervous.

The witch pulled Tom to the side and spoke low enough that she couldn't hear. Another contraction and Hermione felt like she'd wet herself. 

"Um, I think my water just broke."

Tom turned and looked slightly panicked. She didn't like the look on him.

The midwife moved to her side and vanished the mess she had made. "That's fine dear, you just relax, and you baby will be here soon."

Tom stood to the side and just looked at her, his face blank.

Another contraction hit. It tore a whimper from her throat, the sound pulled Tom to her side. 

"That was a lot faster than the last one." she said to whomever was listening.

It seemed just seconds after, another one started. It continued on for almost an hour, before she started to push. She hated this part the most. Finally, her daughter came into the world. The midwife cleaned her airways and Tom cut the cord. 

The woman cleaned up her baby and moved to Hermione's side.

"It's best for the first minutes for skin to skin contact. If you are uncomfortable you can put her under your top."

Hermione didn't care, she pulled her top off and reached for her baby. The midwife put her baby on her chest. 

"If you want you can try to feed her, it will help too."

Hermione did. Her daughter latched on and Hermione fell in love with the squirming baby. The Midwife waved her wand a few times, helping heal any trauma and cleaning the massive amounts of fluids. Hermione's eye were on her baby.

Tom was standing to the side watching the entire thing with the blank look again.  Hermione put her hand out and gestured for him to join them. Tom slid into the bed next to her, looking down on the baby.

Hermione turned to look at him, "She's perfect."

He smiled. "She's small."

Hermione laughed. "She'll get bigger."

He reached up to touch the black curls on her head. Hermione watched as he took in the sight of their baby. A baby she was terrified of having. Now she was terrified of losing. 

"What are we going to name her?"

"Lucinda Merope Riddle."

Tom seemed surprised, but nodded at the name.

Hermione smiled. She brushed the cheek of her sleeping baby, "My little Lucy."

The baby had released her breast and slept soundly against her. The midwife had brought a blanket over and tucked it around the still naked baby. 

"A few more minutes, then we will want to get a nappie on her."

Hermione nodded, a wave of fatigue washing over her. "You can do that now, I am suddenly very tired."

The woman smiled and lifted the still sleeping baby. Hermione adjusted herself in the bed and watched half-asleep as Tom followed them. The woman diapered and dressed the small baby and wrapped her in the blanket again. 

Hermione dozed off as Tom was walking back towards her, holding their baby. She woke a few hours later to a whimpering sound. She moved her head slightly to see Tom asleep on his side of the bed and their daughter fussing between them. 

The room was dark, though she could see the light around the edge of the curtain. She sat up and picked up her daughter. It sounded so weird to think or say. She checked the nappie and cast a wandless accio to get a fresh one from the pile on the table. 

She cleaned up Lucy and started to feed her again. She knew it was not full milk yet but the books said this was important, the clear fluid. Lucy seemed happy enough. Hermione watched as her baby ate, making small sounds as she did. 

She touched the small fingers on her daughter's hands and knew she would do anything for her. Hermione knew in that moment she and Tom had a lot of work to do to make the world perfect for her.