Fire and the Dragon

A/N: This is not the last chapter, one more and then the epilogue. Thank you so much for reading and the wonderful reviews. Yup, gotta love the sure-win labor inducing semen plus nipple stimulation. Time for some fun now.















Ch. 22 New Additions



It was a familiar scene as Severus carried Hermione through the hospital. Only this time it was a muggle hospital and he was carrying an extremely conscious Hermione.



“Put me down, Severus. I can walk, you know.” She kept telling him.



Severus didn’t hear her as he dashed up the stairs to the labor and delivery ward. Two young women were sitting at the reception/information desk. Severus finally put Hermione down but did not relinquish his hold on her waist.



She was flustered and in pain. “Why didn’t you just take the elevator, Severus? Ugh.” She bent over as another contraction shot through her body. Severus, momentarily not worried about what and ‘elevator’ was, scooped her up into his arms again.



He was growing impatient; the women obviously did not see him. “Excuse me!” he shouted, effectively making the two turn around. “Yes?” the one with blonde hair asked him impatiently.



Severus used his height to his full advantage as he spoke. “Ms. Hermione Granger is in labor. She is approximately one month early. If it would not be too much..trouble..to page Dr. Elder.” The girls visibly recoiled from the intimidating man.



The blonde one spoke again, “I’m sorry, sir. Dr. Elder is in America for a conference. His associate is on call, however. If you could please fill out these forms for your wife, we will get you taken care of.”



Hermione watched the scene with trepidation; oh these girls did not know who they were talking to. Severus pushed the papers into the floor with extreme irritation.



“Listen, woman, this young lady needs medical attention. It is not her fault that the bloody doctor was irresponsible enough to leave the country. You will find her a room, then she will consider filling out your damn paperwork.”



The brunette picked up a contraption and summoned someone to help Hermione to a room. The pain was almost unbearable. She would prefer the cruciatus curse to this. Finally, she was in a bed.



Straps crossing her stomach monitored the baby’s heartbeat. Severus was amazed at all the machines in the room. Surely they were not all necessary, witches had babies all the time without these contraptions.



A knock on the door caused both of them to look up. A young woman walked in carrying a clipboard. “Hello, Ms. Granger, I am Dr. Greene. What is going on missy?”



Severus was appalled. “Surely,” he began, “you must be joking. You are not going to be delivering this child. You can not possibly be any older than Hermione. How much experience can you have, really?”



The young doctor simply smiled at Severus and replied, “I have delivered over 500 babies, not counting the 4 I delivered this morning. I assure you, sir, I am capable, but if you would both like someone a bit ‘older’ it can be arranged.”



Hermione cringed; she liked the young doctor’s mannerisms. “No, please stay with me.” She pleaded, her eyes on Severus, willing him to understand. He sighed in defeat and uncrossed his arms, “Very well. Whatever you wish.”



The doctor approached Hermione, “Let’s see how far along you are, shall we?” She reached under the paper gown and placed her fingers inside Hermione’s vagina. Both she and Severus flinched noticeably.



The doctor looked at the wall as she examined Hermione. “Well, Ms. Granger. You are about 5 cm dilated already, about a zero station, and roughly 75% effaced.” Hermione nodded, her reading had informed her what the measurements meant.



Severus, on the other hand, was completely in the dark. “Excuse me?” he said sneering, “Would you mind going through that again?” He hated to be the only one in the room without knowledge of a situation.



“It means,” Dr. Greene laughed, “that her cervix is halfway opened, the baby is at her pelvic juncture, and her cervical tissue is thinned out almost completely.” Severus waved her off, satisfied.



Another strong contraction gripped Hermione and she screamed in pain. Severus knew that a little pain was involved in childbirth, but this sounded like the girl was dying. The doctor looked on with little concern.



“Now, what are your plans for pain management? Are you going to attempt a natural birth?” Hermione quickly cut across her, “I don’t think so…epidural…please.” She was panting as yet another contraction was starting.



The doctor left to fetch the anesthesiologist. Severus took Hermione’s hand in an attempt to comfort her. “Is there anything I can do?” he asked when she had calmed down once again.



“I’m ok, but could you please get Harry and Ginny? They both wanted to wait and be here when she is born.” Severus huffed, of all the things she needed. He assured her that it would be done and left the room.



He sent his patronus to the Potter’s with the message that Hermione was in labor and requested their presence. It was mere moments later that they both appeared in front of him, excitement evident in their demeanors.



The Potter’s waited in a designated room while Severus went back to Hermione, a smug smile plastered across his face as the nurse had told Harry to stay put.



He entered the room to find Hermione sitting on the edge of the bed, a new doctor doing something with her back. Hermione saw the questioning look in his face and explained, “They are going to give me an epidural to stop the pain.”



Curious as to what was being done to the poor girl, he walked around to get a better view. An orange substance was smeared all over her lower back. The doctor told Hermione to remain still and she would feel a slight pinch and pulled out an extremely large needle.



Severus eyed the sharp object with amazed horror. “You are not going to stick that into her back, are you?” The doctor nodded his head, “Yes, directly into her spine. It blocks the pain signal from reaching the brain.” He explained.



Not usually a queasy man, Severus needed to sit down for a moment before he lost his control, and his dinner. Hermione screamed out in pain again, this time nearly rupturing every eardrum in the vicinity.



Dr. Greene entered again and requested to check Hermione before continuing with the epidural. “Oh dear.” She said during the exam.



“What’s wrong?” both Hermione and Severus exclaimed at once. The doctor removed her hand and looked at them. “I am afraid, Ms. Granger, that you are fully dilated and ready to push. It is too late for the epidural. That window closed quickly.”



Hermione was in tears, push the thing out and feel it all..she didn’t think so! “So open the window again, please!!!” Severus felt so helpless. All these incompetent doctors were no better than the dunderheads at St. Mungo’s.



Dr. Greene was putting on her protective apron and mask as the nurses helped Hermione put her legs up close to her chest. “Ok now, on the next contraction I want you to push way down in your bum, kind of like having a bowel movement.”



That alone was enough to scare Hermione; she would die if she pooped on the delivery table. And where the hell did the bottom of the bed go? The doctor calling on her to get ready to push grabbed her attention.



A contraction started and she pushed with all her might. It hurt so badly, she shrieked at the top of her lungs. “Ok Dad, why don’t you get on the bed behind mom to help her push?”



Severus looked at Hermione with uncertainty before agreeing. Another contraction started and she pushed again. “Alright, I can see the head, now PUSH HERMIONE PUSH!”



Out in the waiting area, Harry heard the screams of Hermione fill the hospital wing. He jumped up and ran to her room, hand on the wand inside his pocket. Damn doctors were killing her.



He opened her door and came face to face with the bottom side of Hermione, a baby’s head beginning to protrude from her privates. Hermione glanced up in time to see him, “GET OUT HARRY! GET OUT!!!” Harry took one last look at the bloody sight and passed out cold in the floor.



While the nurse was tending to Harry, who was still out cold, Hermione was getting close to delivery. With a huge push and lots of pain and screams, the head came out. The doctor suctioned out the nose and mouth and the room was filled with infant’s cries.



“Ok, Hermione, one last push and we will have a baby. Come on, now. PUSH?” Hermione pushed with any energy she had left. Severus was helping her hold her knees up.



It felt like a great weight being freed from her body as the entirety of the child came out. “It’s a girl!” cried the doctor. Hermione began to cry tears of pure bliss. She looked up at Severus who, she was amazed to see, was also a bit misty eyed.



Never in his life had Severus witnessed something so pure and magical. A new life had just entered the world. He barely registered the doctor asking him if he would like to cut the cord.



He got off the bed, went to the doctor’s side and carefully cut the place she had indicated. He looked at the baby girl. She was beautiful. Tiny hands and feet, he noticed deep blue eyes when she opened them, and on top of her head was a mop of wet, wavy brown hair. He smiled when the child gripped his fingers.



He turned around to go back to Hermione. He apparently had a degree in the art of bad timing. He turned just in time to see a flood of blood and tissue come out projectile-like into the plastic bag.



Hermione was allowing the doctors to mend her while she watched Severus interact with their daughter..wait, ‘their’ daughter..where did that come from? She was relieved that the child did not currently have noticeable red hair.



She felt a small contraction and knew that the placenta was about to come out. She lay back and felt the flood of icky. She snapped her eyes open as she heard a loud ‘THUNK’ and saw Severus hit the floor.



Her mouth was wide open, sides twitching into a smile. Never in a billion years would anyone believe that Severus Snape had fainted in the delivery room. “Nurse,” called the doctor. “Get some salts in here to get these men off the floor, please.”



About an hour later, after both being cleaned, Hermione was feeding her newborn baby. Severus was sitting beside her, head bandaged. Every so often she would giggle in his general direction.



Severus scowled, “Mention this to anyone, Ms. Granger, and you will regret it.” He purred in her ear. He was still in awe of how the girl was still awake, he had never witnessed someone lose so much blood and survive.



The baby finished nursing and Hermione went to burp her. Severus rubbed the dark hair on her tiny head. “She is beautiful, Hermione. Have you decided on a name?”



Hermione smiled down at her child, “Persephone…Persephone Anne Granger.”