Disclaimer: Not mine.
A/N: Hey y'all, thanks sooooo much for the reviews! Just to clear up something- Tonks and Severus didn't have sex after the party- just a good snog is all. Looking back, I realise I kinda implied otherwise, so sorry about that. I don't believe in sex on the first date- I don't believe in sex before marriage, but that's just my opinion/belief, so whatever. Anyways, here's the last chapter. I want to thank everyone who's stuck with me from the beginning, and hope you'll stick with me in the future. My next story (yes, I've got one started, but not posted) will be a Harry-centric fic. No specific pairing as of yet, but I'm leaning toward a Slytherin. So, check it out when I start posting it, okay? Now, without further ado, the final installment.
Love Means Never Having to Time-Travel
Chapter Eighteen: In Which The Story Ends
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"We'll be together till the end. And there will be an end. We know it's inevitable.
But it will be a natural end and the teardrop, a tear of joy cried by you or me, while looking back and recalling the beautiful moments we shared"
OooO
"Hey Fred!"
"Hey Mya," Fred looked down from where he was flying lazily amongst a group of first years. "Don't you have a class now?"
"Yes, but something came up," she called out to him, motioning for him to fly down.
"What?" He lazily began to descend.
"The babies," she began, wincing slightly. "Want to make an appearance."
"Huh?"
"I…am…in…labour," she stated slowly and clearly.
"Oh!" Fred let go of the broom in his excitement and fell twenty feet to the hard ground. As it was only mid-April, there was very little grass to cushion his fall.
"Fred?" Hermione walked over and nudged him with her foot, as she couldn't bend over, being so very pregnant. He didn't move. She cast a quick diagnostic spell and saw he had just knocked himself out and would have a sprained wrist, but other than that was fine. "Oh great, an unconscious husband, just what I need!"
"Professor Weasley?" Mirabelle Lawson, one of the first year Hufflepuffs walked over. "Is Coach Weasley okay?"
"He's knocked himself out I'm afraid," Hermione smiled at the first year as the contraction passed. She raised her voice. "Class dismissed!"
There were cheers from the first years at the idea of being able to have a free class period, no matter how much they liked the class and teacher. They put the brooms back in the broomshed, and then grabbed their things and made their way to the castle. Hermione looked at the incline that led to the castle and sighed. She hated walking uphill; it was difficult to lean forward with the huge stomach she had. Giving her husband's form one last glance, she started walking. Once at the castle doors, she took a few minutes to catch her breath, wincing as another contraction came over her. They were about ten minutes apart now, and she knew she should be getting to St. Mungos. Entering the castle, she slowly made her way to the dungeons.
"Severus," she called as she walked into his classroom without knocking.
"Hermione," he paused in his teaching to glare at her. "I'm in the middle of a class."
"Yes, well, I'm in the middle of labour here, and my husband is unconscious in the middle of the quidditch pitch!" Hermione all but screamed at him. "Class is dismissed. Your slimy bastard of a professor is going to escort me to the hospital right now…aren't you Severus?"
"Of course Hermione," he replied calmly. After all, everyone knew you didn't mess with Hermione when she was pregnant. "Class dismissed. Two foot essay on how you would have completed this potion, it's effects, and it's applications in society. Due next class."
"Now, can we go please?" Hermione tapped her foot impatiently.
"Yes, just let me call Albus," Severus refrained from rolling his eyes as he threw some floo powder in the fireplace. "Albus Dumbledore!"
"Yes Severus?" His head popped up.
"I'm escorting Hermione to St. Mungos. She's in labor and Fred's unconscious on the quidditch pitch. So send someone to revive him, and then bring him over. And if you'll also notify Ginny, and the rest of the family please? And Tonks as well."
"Of course Severus," Albus nodded, and disappeared with another pop.
"Come along then Mya," Severus reverted back to the old nickname as he threw in another handful of floo powder and stepped in with her, both shouting out, "St. Mungos!"
"Welcome to St. Mungos-" the welcome witch started, but Severus cut her off with a death glare as he rushed Hermione to the elevator and up to the labour and delivery ward.
"Severus, that was rude!" Hermione snapped at him as the elevator doors closed.
"Well excuse me, you're in labour and I was kind of focused on that," he snapped back, and instantly regretted it when she burst into tears.
"You don't have to be so mean!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he was quick to apologise; anything to stop her crying. He hated when women cried or got upset. "I promise I'll apologise to her later!"
"Really?" Hermione's tears turned to sniffles as the elevator doors opened. "You'll even give her an apology gift if I tell you to?"
"Yes, I'll give her a fruit-basket or flowers or something," he assured her as he led her out. Seeing a nurse behind the desk, he got her attention. "She's in labour, get a mediwizard!"
"Of course. Now, how far apart are contractions?" The nurse turned to Hermione as she moved them to a nearby room.
"Down to about seven minutes apart, and getting quicker all the time it feels like," Hermione was starting to practice the breathing she had been taught.
"Lovely," the nurse smiled as she helped Hermione onto a bed, transfiguring her robes into a hospital gown.
"Not bloody lovely," Hermione hissed through her teeth as another contraction hit. She squeezed Severus' hand tightly.
"C'mon now dad, buck up," the nurse teased Severus. "She's only going to squeeze harder."
"I'm not the father," he glared at her, which sent her scuttling out of the room with a whimper.
"Severus…"
"Yes I know, another fruit-basket," he hurried to assure her as he freed his hand from her iron grip. Lucky for him, Ginny burst into the room just then, Molly not far behind. With them there to distract Hermione, he quickly moved out of the room and down the hall to where the floo was to greet the others as they arrived. Harry and Ron were next, with George not far behind them. Arthur was next, along with Tonks.
"Hey love," she greeted him with a kiss. They were still dating, and still quite happy together, as odd as that was to some. "She okay?"
"She's in labour, if you consider that okay," he snorted. "I think she'd be better in her husband were here though."
"What?"
"Apparently, Fred was in the middle of flying, and when she told him, he fell off his broom in his excitement and knocked himself unconscious," Severus rolled his eyes with a sigh.
"Guess you might get a head start on fulfilling your godfatherly duties, huh?" Tonks couldn't resist teasing him.
"Apparently not," he smirked as the fire came to life, Albus helping a stumbling Fred out.
"Where is she?" Fred looked around frantically.
"Just this way Fred," Severus discreetly cast a calming charm on Fred as he walked towards him and took him by the elbow, walking him down to Hermione's room. The rest of her friends and family were not waiting outside, in the small sitting area conveniently across from her room.
"FRED!" Hermione's yell could be heard from the hall as Severus shoved him through the door. "Finally!"
"Sorry love," Fred apologised as he rushed to her side. "How are you doing?"
"How…does…it…look…like…I'm…DOING?" she nearly broke his hand as another contraction ripped through her. That was the good thing about magical pregnancies; labour was much shorter than muggle pregnancies.
"Sorry I asked," Fred muttered under his breath, and Hermione shot him a glare as the Mediwitch came into the room, closing the door behind her, blocking all sound from the room.
"Poor Fred," Ron laughed.
"It's a rite of passage for all fathers," Molly smiled at her younger son. "Practically, anyways. It's always painful to deliver a child, the natural way. But in the first seconds when that child's placed on your chest, you forget every bit of pain, so overwhelmed with love you are for that tiny human being you created."
"Wow mum, that's poetic," George, as well as the rest of the men, looked awed by her touching words.
"Well, thank you," she reached over and squeezed his hand. "I have had plenty of experience."
"Is she in a lot of pain then? How long will it be?" Tonks asked, which for some reason amused everyone.
"Eager to be a mum Tonks?" Remus chuckled.
"Maybe someday, if Sevvie ever gets around to asking me," she kissed Severus on the cheek to let him know she was playing around.
"Give it another year or two," he replied, eyebrows raised in amusement as he tightened his arms around her waist, as she was sitting on his lap. "Then, perhaps, we'll talk about marriage."
"You're kidding?"
"Have you known me to kid?"
"No," she gave him a real kiss this time, smiling happily, then turned back to Molly. "So, answers?"
"Yes, she'll be in pain if she wants to birth them naturally. She can opt for a pain-numbing charm, but that can sometimes have affects on the baby and make it a bit sluggish. It'll also extend the length of time she's in labor, as she won't be able to feel whether or not she's pushing with her muscles and all. So it's a good deal more pain, but less time. And I don't think it'll be too much longer as her contractions were only a couple minutes apart when Ginny and I had to leave. So anytime now I suppose. It also just depends on the babies, and whether or not they're situated right."
"Oh," Tonks nodded, mulling that over, before turning to Severus. "You want kids?"
"Not particularly," he shrugged slightly. "I think I'll be content with being Godfather, and a teacher."
"Oh good," she sighed in relief. "Cause I don't think I want any either."
"One more reason in favour of marriage," he smirked.
"Now really, you two would make wonderful parents," Molly chided, but was stopped from continuing further as the door to Hermione's room opened.
"Everyone, meet Felicity Helen Weasley," a bright-eyed Fred emerged, and everyone was soon clustered around him.
"Oh she's beautiful Fred," Molly breathed as she looked upon her first grandchild.
"She looks a bit runty to me," Ron wriggled his nose as he looked at his niece, and promptly received a smack from Ginny.
"Babies don't come out perfectly clean," Ginny sighed in irritation. "She adorable Fred. And luckily, she doesn't look a bit like you."
"Oy!" Fred chuckled good naturedly at the jibe. "She's got my nose. And her eyes were blue when she had 'em open."
"Most babies are born having blue eyes," Molly informed him kindly. "So don't get your hopes up that they'll stay that way."
"Nope, they're a dark blue. Definitely my eyes," Fred shook his head. "Healer said so."
"Well that's lovely than," Moll smiled.
"Severus," Fred jerked his head, motioning for the others to clear back a bit so he could walk over to where Severus and Tonks were standing. "Say hello to your God-daughter."
"I don't know how to hold a baby," he protested, even as Fred was laying the baby girl in his arms.
"It's just like riding a bike, you never forget," Fred called over his shoulder as he walked back into Hermione's room.
"Sure, except I've never held a baby before," he said, nervously looking at the pink-wrapped bundle in his arms.
"There's nothing to it Severus," Molly was immediately at his side. "All you have to do is support her head and neck in the crook of your elbow, with your arm underneath her. Your other arm is going to come around front along her side, holding her securely against your chest."
"Thank you," Severus murmured gratefully as he did as she directed.
"And this is Benjamin Arthur Weasley," Fred announced a second time as he walked back out, a blue-wrapped bundle in his arm. "Here ya go Harry. This'll be good practice for when you're a dad."
"Yeah," Harry grinned, taking the baby and holding him just as he had heard Molly tell Severus to.
"He's cute," Ginny peered over Harry's shoulder at Benjamin.
"You did good little bro," Bill clapped Fred on the back.
"Hey, all the credit goes to my wife," Fred beamed. "Healer Montgomery says you can go in, just make sure you're not too loud."
"Hey princess," Charlie greeted as they quietly filed in and circled the bed.
"Oh please, stop with the silly nickname," Hermione gave a tired grin. "Especially when I look anything but."
"You look beautiful, as always," Severus kissed her forehead, carefully placing Felicity in the crook of her right arm as Harry did the same with Benjamin in her left arm.
"Sweet talker," Hermione kissed his cheek.
"How are you feeling, my dear?" Albus' question broke the silence that had settled over the group as they watched Hermione and the babies.
"Good, I got a pain potion once Ben was out," Hermione smiled, then yawned. "Though I'm quite sleepy too. I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Molly patted her hand. "It's to be expected after that. We'll leave you two alone."
"We'll be by Hogwarts in a few days," Arthur beamed at his daughter-in-law. "Give you a chance to settle in and recuperate a bit before overwhelming you again."
"Thanks," Hermione yawned again. "Love you all."
"You too," they all chimed simultaneously, and shared grins as they filed out, leaving Fred, Hermione and the babies in peace.
"You're incredible, you know that," Fred said softly as he stroked the soft, brown, downy fuzz on Benjamin's head.
"You helped too," she smiled tiredly at him, a good degree of awe showing in her eyes as she looked back down at Benjamin and Felicity. "Look Fred…our children."
"They're gorgeous," he nodded, feeling his eyes tearing up slightly.
"And hopefully they'll be just like you," she grinned. "Except not so troublesome as you and George were."
"No. I want them to be gorgeous…and intelligent…and funny…and brave…just like their mother," he accented each compliment with a kiss.
"I love you."
"I love you more."
"Forever," she nodded, her eyes closing.
"And even longer," he said softly, kissing her once more.
OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooO The End OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooOooO
A/N: Well, that's it- the end! I had soooo much fun writing this, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. This chapter was shorter, but it was really more of an epilogue than anything else. THERE WILL BE NO SEQUEL- so don't ask :-D I like this quite where it ended. Though yes, it might be fun to someday write a bit more about the children growing up, and Harry/Ginny, and Tonks/Severus and all. But I've got another story I've started- a Harry centric fic, so I'll be working on that. Anyways, I want to give one last thank you to everyone who has reviewed; I'd name you all, but that'd take up half a page! And as a preemptive measure, I want to say thank you to everyone who's going to review this chapter- I always appreciate each and every review y'all leave!