Trigger warning / TW: problems involving babies / birth! If this is something that bothers you, skip towards the end. You will be updated in the next chapter with a short summary.

Hi everyone!

It's nearing the end of my Spring break and lo and behold - I managed to make another update! Couldn't make you worry about Nicky too long...

Thanks for all the kind words, comments and likes over the last week! It has made my day. Be wary though - I will be incredibly busy for the next few months, so I might not update for a month or two...

This chapter was beta'ed by the lovely BananaCarrot5 on Discord!

Love,

Flora

Chapter 44: How Ron Weasley faced the thing he actually feared most in this world.

'The sword is meant to be in my vault at Gringott's, how did you get it? What did you and your friends take from MY VAULT?'

'Not anything… Please… I didn't take anything…'

A wail, a distant sob, a fleeting feeling of panic – she wasn't there, was she?

'I don't believe it…'

A blinding, searing hot pain – then a bloodcurdling scream, one that seemed to stop all time and space – not any voice, her own voice…

No. No. A voice, clear as glass, broke through. It was like a switch went off in her head as she heard herself utter a Scourgify, then an Accio.

'You'll be alright,' she said, as calmly as she could. Her hands shook frantically as she rummaged through the satchel with emergency potions the Healers had given Nicky. 'I'm here, I'm here Nick…'

'The b-blue,' Nicky whimpered. Hermione uncorked it and helped her down it, Nicky's bloodstained hands grasping her like a lifeline…

'It'll stop the bleeding,' she heard herself say, 'but we need to get to St Mungo's… Let's get you up, let's get-…'

The hospital halls were clean and sterile. Not even the portraits on the walls dared to utter their usual nonsense as they were ushered to the magical maternity ward, which was located on the second floor.

'You'll be fine,' Hermione heard herself repeat, holding tightly unto Nicky's hand, as she was magically levitated by two Healers. 'You'll be fine…'

'You're with me,' Nicky replied, feverishly. 'You're with me.'

Hermione had been staring blankly at the wall when she recognized their footsteps. Ron came in first – his face a shade of pale that she had only seen once before. Once.

'She's in there,' Hermione gestured, 'I wasn't allowed in, but-…'

Ron didn't respond and turned around, storming through the door. Now two people were left standing next to her – Harry and Ginny. Ginny held tight onto Harry's hand.

'Tell us,' Harry said, his voice croaked.

She described what had happened. Harry nodded – Ginny seemed to pinch Harry so tightly his fingers became white.

'They're trying spells on her right now to stop the labour.'

'How far along is she again?' Harry asked, trembling.

'26 weeks.'

'26…' Harry repeated the number, tasting it on his lips. 'That's way too early, isn't it?'

'She's not even in her third trimester yet,' Hermione said.

'So… So if the labour can't be stopped…'

Harry didn't dare to finish his sentence. Ginny shook her head and let go of Harry's hand.

'No, we're in the magical world. They have spells that can guarantee for a baby to survive outside of the womb. If they are viable, they'll manage. They must manage.'

She started pacing across the room. Harry walked towards Hermione and enveloped her in a tight embrace. Hermione didn't know she needed the contact so badly until she felt him wrapped around her. He smelled of beer and smoke and the aftershave he put on after showering.

'You acted so fast, love…'

'I hope it was enough…'

She didn't even notice Harry called her that for the first time. He kissed her forehead and she grasped unto his T-shirt. She didn't know how long they held each other, she only knew that she needed it desperately to remain sane.

'We… We need you inside.'

Ron's voice brought them out of their trance.

The three of them followed him inside the room. Nicky lay in the bed, her arms strapped to multiple fluids, spells glowing on her body. She looked dreadful, but she was alive. Her eyelids fluttered as a sign of acknowledgement. A stern Healer looked at them coming in.

'You're sure you want to do this before we go on with the procedure?' he asked, before any of them could utter a word.

'Positive, sir,' Ron said. The Healer nodded, said that he would come back in 15 minutes, and left the room.

'We called you in because we have a favour to ask,' Ron started, as he grasped Nicky's hand. 'The labour can't be stopped. The placenta is damaged and we need to get the girls tonight.'

'Girls?' Ginny asked and Ron nodded.

'Yes. The procedure is quite simple and will most likely guarantee the baby's to live. They'll be kept in an artificial womb for the next few weeks, the Healers are already preparing for that. It's just… Nicky is weak. We're not sure if her body can handle it. We're not sure…'

Ron halted as Nicky reached out to him.

'You're with me,' she said, her voice barely audible.

Ron gasped and fought hardest to keep his composure. Then he turned to Hermione, with determination in his eyes.

'We-… Nicky and I talked about this. We want to get married before the girls would be here. It is said magical marriage ties magical cores together – she might… be stronger, if…'

Hermione felt herself stagger, but then she nodded. She wanted to tell Ron that factually, that statement was based on old wife's tales and fantasy, that there was no evidence supporting the theory of merging cores – quite the opposite – but when she saw Ron's face, obviously she couldn't utter those words.

'As an officiate for the Magical Law Department , I'm allowed to marry you. I've just… Well, I've never done it, but I guess…'

'You're allowed to marry people?' Harry asked dumbfounded.

'Yes,' Hermione nodded. 'Officially, I am. But usually, they send over someone with more experience, someone who has at least read up on it-…'

'You'll have to do it now,' Ron said, briskly, holding tightly onto Nicky. He stared at her face. 'There's no time. Please.'

Hermione hesitated for a second – the Department of Law employee in her saying that they should pick someone else, anyone else, for this, but then she heard Nicky too.

'Please.'

Her frail voice was almost begging. Her eyes, big and bright, stared right into hers and Hermione nodded.

'Of course. I just need to remember… Yes. I just need to whip up a document and both of you will need a witness.'

Both Nicky and Ron looked to Harry who nodded.

'Two separate witnesses,' Hermione said. 'One for the groom, one for the bride. A prevention method for arranged marriages.'

'Gin?' Ron asked. Ginny had been speechless for the whole conversation, her strong façade almost crumbling, but she nodded.

'Yes, of course.'

Hermione didn't know how she managed – she just knew that, with faltering hands, she did. Ron still wore his Stag Do jersey, Nicky wore her hospital gown, as Hermione read the official words she'd had to remember all those years ago, in training.

'Do you, Ronald Bilius Weasley, take Nicky Grace Littleton to be your lawfully wedded wife…'

'I do,' Ron spoke, clasping Nicky's hand tightly.

'Do you, Nicky Grace Littleton, take Ronald Bilius Weasley to be your lawfully wedded husband…'

'I do,' Nicky said, smiling through her pain, and she sniffed.

Hermione focused her magic and drafted a document in the air. Her eyes flashed across the page and then she let out a relieved sigh. She had succeeded.

'You both need to tap the parchment,' she said.

Both Ron and Nicky tapped them with their wands – Nicky needed some assistance from Ron. Their names immediately appeared on the contract, in golden, hueing letters.

'Do you, Ginevra Molly Weasley, state that you bear witness to this marriage and that this marriage is made out of love?'

'I do,' Ginny said, as she tapped the contract and her name was magically added to the "Witness"-box.

'Do you, Harry James Potter, state that you bear witness to this marriage and that this marriage is made out of love?'

'I do,' Harry stated, also tapping the document, his eyes resting reassuringly on his friends.

Four names were now written on the document – two golden and glowing, two black and matt.

'Then, by the power invested in me by our Ministry of Magic, I declare you bonded for life,' Hermione spoke as she waved her wand; the document was rolled up and sealed and a string of silvery stars erupted out of the tip of her wand, circling Ron and Nicky.

There was a silence and then a sigh and stifled sob.

'I guess that worked?' Ron asked, looking at Hermione. She sniffed as she saw her friend start smiling – a smile that honestly didn't even compare to the one he had on his face this afternoon.

'I guess too, mate. Congratulations, the both of you.'

Harry rubbed Nicky's arm as she looked at him, still sobbing, overwhelmed by pain and love. Ron kissed his wife, softly and tenderly, and he wiped away the tears that were streaming steadily down her face now. Realization of the seriousness of the situation hit him again as he watched her closely.

'I love you,' he said. 'I had a whole damn speech that's at home tucked in my tux but I just, I don't remember the words and stuff…'

Nicky nodded.

'That's okay. You can read it to me as soon as I get home.'

'When we get home,' Ron repeated, kissing her temple. 'All four of us. When our family comes home.'

Hermione now saw that Ron was crying as well. She rubbed her hand on his back and he looked at her – intensely and immensely grateful. He pulled her in for a hug.

'Thank you, thank you so much…'

Hermione knew he wanted to say more, but normally-so-talkative Ron was speechless. She just held him for a while, as Ginny rested her head on Ron's shoulder. Harry talked quietly with Nicky, reassuring her about something Hermione wasn't aware of. A knock on the door broke them out of their bubble.

'We need to proceed,' the Healer said. They all nodded. Ron asked Ginny to floo home to The Burrow to alert both the families.

'And… Can you… I mean…'

'We'll stay,' Harry said, firmly. 'We will be in the waiting room all night, waiting for news. Don't worry. We'll be very close by.'

As they closed the door behind them and came into the waiting room, there was a silence. The sterile, white room smelled awfully clean – it wasn't so different from the Muggle hospitals Hermione knew, and she was reminded of the time she'd had to say goodbye to her grandfather, and that reminded her of death. She shuddered. Harry didn't pick up on this – instead he started pacing, back and forth, as Ginny had done not that long ago.

'It wasn't supposed to be like this,' he said, angrily. 'We would have his stag night right now, their wedding tomorrow… It's unfair. It's just so ridiculously unfair.'

Hermione nodded as she sat down.

'Why us? Can't we get a fucking break? We've fought a bloody war, we have lost so many people, there has been so much pointless pain already…'

Harry's pace was angry and frantic and he looked scary.

'Ron's lost a brother – he does not deserve this, he just does not-… For Merlin's sake!'

Harry accidentally bumped into a chair and out of sheer frustration he kicked it – it flew across the room, coming down with a loud *CRASH*.

'Harry!' Hermione said, shocked. 'Calm down!'

'I'm not calming down!' he shouted. 'I have all the reasons to be mad, Hermione!'

'I'm not saying that you don't have a reason. I get it! I get it, Harry.'

'Then why tell me-…'

'Because you're kicking chairs-…'

'So what, if I'm-…'

'We don't just kick everything that's in our way!'

'Well, I can't kick life in the face, can I? Believe me – I would have!'

Harry looked mad, but then Hermione realized, it wasn't just mad. It was mostly sad. His eyes were utterly devastated and she felt herself calm down.

'It's okay,' she said, her tone now low and calm. 'Come here.'

'I don't want to,' Harry replied immediately, childishly.

Aside from a raised, sarcastic eyebrow, Hermione didn't change her stance – she stood across the room, her arms slightly open. It didn't take long for Harry to walk over to her.

'I'm sorry,' he whispered. Hermione just kissed his chest as he embraced her.

'It's okay.'

He waved his wand and the chair floated to its original place. He sat next to her. She noticed he crossed the back of his legs and rested his elbows on top of his knees, burying his head in his hands. She felt exactly the same.

'Do you think it happened because of today?'

Harry's voice was soft but clear.

'I don't know,' Hermione replied honestly.

'It's just… If it was us, if it was the party that triggered this…'

'She wanted to come herself, Harry,' she said. 'And she has been having these contractions for a few days now. She had them checked. And the… the big pains started when she mentioned the wedding and her sister. Not you and the match, she was stressed about other things.'

'But still… She came all the way to the pub while she should have been resting…'

Hermione nodded and rested her head against Harry's shoulder.

'I feel awful too.'

The emotions crept up on her and before she knew it, she was weeping. He allowed her to cry, cradling her against him, kissing her tears away.

'I am so proud of you,' he said. 'So proud. My wonderful, quick-thinking, brilliant girlfriend.'

It didn't help her stop crying, but she did feel a little better, clutching to his frame.

Time passed. Harry made them tea. She felt her eyes shut close and when she opened them again, she noticed that Harry had transfigured the waiting chairs to a comfortable couch, and he had tucked her in under a conjured blanket. Her head was resting on a pillow on his lap, and he was reading Witches Weekly.

'Heard anything from them?' was the first thing out of her mouth. Harry shook his head, apparently engrossed in an article.

'That's… an interesting choice for a read.'

'Finished both The Quibbler and The Daily Prophet already,' he replied. 'There was nothing else left and I was bored.'

Hermione looked at the front and she blinked twice when she noticed her own brown eyes were staring back at her, accompanied by Harry's green ones. The picture they had given to The Quibbler was printed on the front of this magazine as well, alongside a headline that read: "HARRY AND HERMIONE: 10 REASONS WHY THEY ARE COUPLE GOALS."

'Haven't read that one,' Harry replied, without batting an eye. 'Can't stomach it right now.'

She nodded.

'Crazy to think people want to read about our lives and our relationship like that.'

'The Wizarding World doesn't know how unfriendly I am to chairs when I'm angry,' he mumbled. 'This article is utter nonsense as well. "7 WAYS TO CHARM YOUR CRUSH." I didn't know what a crush was, at first. Sounded kind of painful.'

Hermione chuckled.

'Well, how do you charm your crush?'

'Want me to read it out loud or abbreviate it for you?'

'The second.'

'Treat them as a human being,' Harry stated. '"Listen sincerely to their stories", "give them gifts", "shower them in compliments"… Merlin, even teenage Ron would have figured these out.'

'What would I have figured out?'

They both looked up at Ron, who was leaning against the doorpost. He looked dishevelled and knackered, but above all, he looked happy.

'Ron! Merlin, how did it-…'

'Good,' he said, tiredly. 'The beginning was hectic, but they got the hang of it quickly, and Nicky was an absolute star. She fought and fought and we managed to get them both out safely.'

'The babies are born?' Hermione squealed. 'Oh my God! So-…'

'Nicky wants to see you before they put her into a magically induced sleep,' Ron said. 'She'll be kept sleeping for a day to gain strength. They expected it to be a lot longer, but her magic was strong. It's probably our marriage. The Healers think it gave her the extra strength she needed. And, you know, our two girls can't wait to see you too...'

Ron quickly sent a Patronus to the Burrow as he ushered them into the room. Nicky sat on the bed, looking pale and exhausted, but in both her hands she held two little bundles that were encased in a golden, glowing bubble. The look on her face was one of absolute joy and, even though the hardship was still visible in her face, she looked tons better than before the birth.

'Hey you guys,' she said, smiling. 'Meet our little girls!'

Harry and Hermione both got a floating orb in their arms. The babies inside were tiny – way too tiny – but they were alive and breathing. Hermione felt love shoot trough her body as she let her hands glide over the golden surface. The baby responded with a slight movement and Hermione felt incredibly connected to the little one, even though it wasn't her baby.

'The one you're holding is the strongest,' Nicky explained to Harry. 'She came out first and she's the biggest of the two. Hermione's holding our little one. She needed the most spells and she will probably have to be kept in the incantation for a longer period than her big sister.'

'They are beautiful,' Hermione heard herself say, as she focused on the little baby. Her eyes were bulging, her hands and feet so incredibly tiny, but she was perfect.

Harry cleared his throat, clearly as moved as she was. Ron stood by him, looking over his shoulder.

'Have you named them already?' Harry asked. 'Or hadn't you decided on names yet?'

'We had,' Ron now said, as he looked to Nicky with a glint in his eye. 'But we decided to make some last minute changes. The one you are holding is called Harper Joselyn Weasley.'

'Joselyn is the name of your mother, right?' Harry said to Nicky.

'Yes,' she replied. 'And the name Harper is based on the name of her godfather.'

Harry looked quizzically to Ron, but Hermione let out a gasp.

'She's named after you, Harry! Oh, Ron, that's beautiful-…'

'And you, Hermione, are holding Minny Molly Weasley. After her grandmother and her godmother, without whom, she would not have been here.'

It took a second for her to comprehend, but then Hermione recognized the pet name her father had always given her. Ron and Nicky had named their baby after her. Ron, the boy she had hated, then loved, then loved even more and then grew apart from, had given her the greatest honour she had ever imagined. She felt herself start to cry for the umpteenth time that evening. This time, however, it was from an overwhelming feeling of happiness as they stood in that tiny hospital room together.

'Oh Ron,' she sobbed, and Harry laughed through his own tears, moved over to her with Harper in his arms, and kissed her forehead.

They would be alright. They would be more than alright.