Brave [2]

Chapter 96

December 2008

It's one of the few moments of quiet I get. Being a mother of three is no easy feat, and it's even more difficult when you're heavily pregnant. It helps that I don't have to go to Hogwarts, although my worry only increases for the students every passing day. How were the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s? What about the Seventh Years I didn't say goodbye to? How many of the First Years are stressing about studies?

Being a professor seems to be a full time job, even on maternity leave. Guess I have more than three and a half kids after all.

I watch Fred out of the corner of my eye as he enters the room, studying him over my book as he tugs his shirt off to switch it for a cleaner one, then when he notices my eyes on him he smirks before whirling around to face me. I grin in response. "How many was it this time?" I challenge.

"She got to thirty in two minutes," he replies easily. He has a habit with Georgina – push ups, and she ends up joining him to see how many they can do together. The twins usually just end up lying down on Fred's back, but they're only five.

That's when Fred suddenly yawns exaggeratedly and lies down on the bed, head on my lap, and he shifts a little to gently tug my shirt up and kiss my boat of a stomach. I laugh a little, running a hand through his hair after putting my book down. "They're going to come in, you know," I warn quietly. "We don't ever get this much quiet at once."

"Then I'm making the most of the time with my wife while I can," he retorts smoothly, then kisses my stomach again. "Isn't that right?" The baby gives a hard kick in retaliation, which he takes as assent while I take it as discomfort. But at least he's excited.

There's laughter outside, then suddenly the door slings open and the kids rush in, the twins screaming before hiding under the blanket as Georgina roars, chasing them before lying down on the lump of blanket, making them giggle. 

Fred laughs, then pulls my shirt down before grabbing Georgina, much to her surprise, slinging her over his shoulder. "Okay, kids, let's go! Who wants to watch a Disney movie?"

"ME!" Reggie yells, then he's already running out of the room with Marlene on his tail to go pick it. I laugh, and when Georgina's set back on the ground she frowns before coming over to me.

"Mama, why is your stomach so big? Does that mean you're obese?"

I give Fred an amused look, although I'm surprised she hasn't noticed it before. I mean, sure I wear loose clothes, but she tends to notice a lot of details at six and a half. Or maybe she just wasn't paying attention to me. Fred crouches beside her. "Guess what, Goergie? Mama's got a baby in her tummy."

"WHAT?!" That's when she jumps to her feet in shock, rushing over to me and staring at my stomach, calling, "IT'S OKAY, BABY!! WE'RE GOING TO SAVE YOU!! DON'T DROWN!!"

I purse my lips, trying not to laugh, but Fred's openly collapsed on the bed in amusement. "No, it's okay, the baby's meant to be there, honey. And then my tummy gets bigger as the baby gets bigger, like Reggie and Marls."

"WHAT?! THERE ARE TWO DOWN THERE?!"

"No," Fred chuckles. "Don't worry, we checked. It's an example. Like you were there too, once."

"WHAT?!" Then, "Was it sticky?"

Fred glances at me, not quite sure how to reply. "Uh... I don't know."

"Neither do I," she shrugs. "How did the baby get there?"

"...It just happened," I reply, at a loss of what else to say.

"Like magic?"

"...Sure, sweetie." Fred turns to me, mouthing in a panic, She's six!

"How does it come out?" she questions, intrigued.