Second Chances

On a ward of St Mungo’s hospital a small group of people crowded around a waiting area. Some standing, others slumped in a doze. The only one talking was one woman speaking in a continuous flow of words that occasionally made some sense and most of the time didn’t. That woman was Molly Weasley. The rest of the group had learned to block her out and Ginny shifted uncomfortably in her chair trying to stop her back aching.

“How long has it been?” She asked, turning to her father.

“Hum? Oh, about six hours I think. Anyone for a game of exploding snap?” There were a few sounds of ascent and he pulled a deck out of Molly’s enormous bag and began to deal. Suddenly the sound of one voice broke the relative quiet of the waiting area,

“My God Barty Crouch, if you tell me to breath through the pain one more time I will send your testicles into the next ward and the rest of you won’t be going with them!”

Ginny looked around the group, “She’s in the final stage then.”

In a small private room Hermione sat with Barty behind her, his arms under hers and linked around her, resting gently on her enlarged stomach, he was holding her up while he she was bearing down.

“You’re nearly there,” The red-faced Midwife said, refusing to look up in case she received one of Hermione’s threats. “A few good pushes and your baby will be out.”

“Come on,” Barty whispered into her ear, kissing her neck, “You can do this.”

“Don’t tell me I can do this! I don’t have a choice do I?” She cried out as another contraction hit, “Oh God it hurts.”

“I know baby,” he cooed in her ear, “Push through it, come on.”

Hermione lifted herself a little with her legs and pushed down, feeling as though she were about to turn inside out. She cried out as she felt the baby shift down and suddenly the pressure and pain lifted as she felt the baby come out.

“It’s a girl,” The midwife said, smiling as she held a small pink and blotchy baby up for them to see. Clipping the cord she put the baby against Hermione’s chest as she cradled it gently. She stared down at her child, suddenly forgetting the pain and her tiredness.

“Look what we did,” she whispered, turning her face to Barty.

“Look what you did you amazing woman.” He whispered back kissing her cheek.

“We need to clean you up now Mrs Crouch, do you want to stay sir or…?”

“No,” Hermione replied, watching as they moved her baby to a crib nearby to clean her up and dress her, “You got tell the others. They’ll want to know.”

“I’ll be right back,” He said, kissing her again, “I love you.”

“Love you too,” She replied sleepily, her gaze drifting back to her baby.

Barty walked from the delivery room down the corridor, a stupidly happy smirk on his face. He suddenly stopped, making a porter going the other way stop too, “I’m a father,” He said, grabbing the porter and hugging him, “I’m a father!”

“That’s great news sir,” the porter replied, a little taken aback.

Barty set off at a run down the corridor, shouting back up, “I’m a father!”

The porter shook his head, he saw it everyday here but it still made him smile.

A short while later Hermione was dozing in her bed one hand in the crib beside her, holding her baby’s hand, when Barty walked in. He slowly moved to the bed, leaning in and kissing her, “Hey superwoman. Tired?”

“Tired doesn’t begin to cover how I feel right now,” She said, opening her eyes and watching as he moved to the other side of the bed and looked in on their daughter. “What’re we going to name her?”

“Hum?” He asked, sliding his index finger into his daughters tiny hand, “She’s gripping my finger, she’s holding it really tightly.”

Hermione looked up to see an almost childish happiness lighting up his face, she lazily smiled back, “Hold her, you still haven’t held your daughter yet.”

“I don’t know if I-”

“Just support her head, trust me, you’ll be a natural at this.”

Slowly he slipped his hand under her head and the other twisted around to lift her gently, after a little hesitancy he had his daughter in his arms, he moved to the bed and sat down beside Hermione, “She’s beautiful,” he whispered, “Just like her mother.”

Hermione laughed, “Flattery will get you nowhere Mr Crouch.” She sat up a little more, gently running a finger down her daughters nose, “You didn’t answer my question, what are we going to name her?”

“Do you remember when you gave me that muggle names book and told me to stop suggesting names that made the baby sound like a cross between a bull frog and a mountain?” He asked.

“Yeah,” Hermione replied, hesitantly.

“There was one name, in the girls section, that really caught my attention.” He took a deep breath and looked down at their daughter. “How does Gabriella sound? Maybe Ella for short.”

“I don’t know,” Hermione replied, her voice turning playful, she looked over Barty’s shoulder to their daughters face and rubbed her stomach gently, “What do you think of Gabriella? Do you feel like a Gabriella?”

Slowly, with a little struggle, their daughter opened her eyes. Hermione laughed, “That’s a yes I think,” she kissed Barty’s cheek, “And look she has your eyes.”

“Hopefully that’s the only thing of mine she gets, you, my darling, are everything she could want to be.”

“Like I said, flattery with get you everywhere,” she giggled kissing him.

“I thought you said-”

He was cut off by a knock on the door. Slowly he looked at Hermione who shrugged her shoulders and nodded, “Come in.” he called.

Little did he realise exactly what those words let in. The doors opened and a flow of people came through, all carrying something over the top or fruit-like. Molly Weasley was at the forefront, beaming.

“Is this the little angel?” She asked, looking at the bundle in Barty’s arms.

“Nah,” He replied with a smirk, “This is one we nicked from next door, God only knows where ours went.”

Hermione smacked him in the leg, and indicated with her hands that he was to hand her the baby. Slowly they made the exchange until Hermione sat back in her bed and looked around the now full room, “Everyone?” She said, waiting till all eyes were on her, “Can I introduce the first of many Crouch babies,” she saw Barty arch an eyebrow at that but chose to ignore him, “Gabriella Crouch.”

She could practically feel the intake of breath that went around the room before the babble broke out. Barty sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulder, “The first of many?”

“Yeah,” She said, looking down at Ella, “She was worth every second of that, what was it? Ten hours?”

“Six,” he clarified, kissing her lips, “I’ve been meaning to keep telling you how amazing I think you are right now.”

“Sorry about saying I’d hex your testicles into the next ward, I was a little stressed.”

“Don’t be sorry,” he said, brushing his nose over hers, “I was chatting the Matron before, she says that a lot of women don’t just threaten to do it, the next ward usually ends up with a couple of testicles appearing in midair at least once a day. Sometimes they only get as far as the waiting room.”

Hermione laughed, “Good to know I’m not the only woman who turns into a fire breathing dragon during labour.”

“Not by a long shot,” Molly said as she appeared by her side, “Arthur can tell you as much, you should see the scar he has from when I gave birth to the twins.”

Hermione turned to look at Barty, “Do you think we could leave the twins till a little later in our family building?”

“I’ll try,” He said, smiling at her.

Suddenly the room descended into total silence, everyone appeared to stand up a little straighter. Slowly people moved to the side leaving Hermione and Barty a clear view to the door.

“Harry?” Hermione asked, sitting up and looking at the man in the doorway. He looked like Harry but was more tanned and wore different clothes. He had various charm beads on his wrists and one around his neck.

“They told me to come straight in,” He said, looking around before he looked back at Hermione, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.”

He began to back out of the room, “Harry,” Hermione called after him, “Don’t go. Come in.”

He hesitated for a moment before he cautiously entered. Hermione could feel Barty tensing behind her and she turned, giving him the eye before she looked back at Harry, “There’s someone we want you to meet.” She turned her arms to hold her daughters head up, “This is Gabriella, our daughter.”

“She’s beautiful,” Harry said, quietly. He stared at her for a moment longer before he appeared to snap himself back, “I’ll leave, come back another time.”

“Alright,” Hermione said quietly, “Promise?”

“Yeah,” He said, offering her a small smile. He looked to Barty and nodded his head, “Barty.”

“Harry,” Barty returned.

As Harry left the room Hermione could see Ginny fidgeting beside her father, Hermione sighed, “Don’t just stand there you stupid girl, go after him.”

Ginny looked at Hermione then her father before she took off out the door and after Harry. Hermione felt Molly’s gaze on her and turned to meet her eyes, she blew a breath out, “You know you were dying to say the exact same thing.”

Molly’s face remained blank for a moment before a smile crossed it, “True.”

Authors Note; and now I bow out. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed me. I love hearing what people think and thier story ideas. Cheers guys xxx