Not soon after their baby shower, Hermoine hit her third trimester and was hormonal as hell. Not only was her stomach swollen but her feet and ankles were too thanks to the extra fluid retention and the thirty-five pounds of extra weight she had put on over the course of her pregnancy.
"I look like a wooly mammoth, a big fat ugly woolly mammoth!" Hermione cried as she glanced over herself in the mirror, her hands covering her face as she wept.
"'Mione, I've told you countless times you're beautiful! Look at you, you're absolutely stunning." Harry reassured her, but seeing his wife send daggers his way through their bedroom mirror, he certainly hadn't helped her.
"You're fucking kidding me right? I look as if I've swallowed ten nifflers!"
"Baby, you're pregnant with twins! I'd be more concerned about how you look if you didn't look like this."
"Oh, so you're agreeing that I look like a mammoth!" Harry wanted to shove his foot in his mouth. 'Nice going Potter'. "Hermione, that's not what I meant and you know it. Now if we don't get going now, we are going to miss our seven month check-up with Kelli. And I know just how much you hate being late to anything."
"You're right, let's go." Hermione huffed as she grabbed her handbag and waddled into the living room. Harry sighed deeply, coming to the conclusion that this trimester was by far his least favorite.
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Once they checked in for their appointment at the front desk of the Witches and Baby Ward of the hospital, Caroline, a MediWitch called Hermione's name back to do a routine check-up. They handed her a small, clear plastic cup and instructed her to pee in it in order for them to check for any signs of protein in her urine, along with sugar and any signs of infection. Hermione thought this part of the check-up routine was disgusting but she knew it was to make sure she and her unborn babies were safe.
When finished Hermione walked into the small, square room and placed her cup with the initials HP on top of the counter next to the MediWitch.Caroline smiled fondly at her and placed her cup next to the others. "If you'd follow me out in the hall Mrs. Potter so I can check your weight." Hermione nodded politely and followed the young witch. She slipped off her flats and stood on the scale, watching as the numbers had gone up five pounds from her last visit two weeks beforehand.
"One hundred and sixty pounds," Caroline noted, using her quill and parchment.
'Just announce it for the whole world to know how fat I am why don't you.' Hermione bitterly thought as she slipped her flats back on her feet and followed Caroline back into the small, square room.
"Sit here please." Hermione nodded her head once more and held out her arm for Caroline to check her blood pressure. As Caroline wrapped the blood pressure cuff around Hermione's arm, she shut her eyes and exhaled deeply; blowing away any negative thoughts so her MediWitch could get a proper reading.
"One hundred and twenty over eighty. Excellent job, Mrs. Potter." Caroline smiled as she jotted down the results. "You can go back and take your seat with your husband dear. I'll come and fetch you once Healer Moore is ready for you. Your test results should also be with her before your examination with her ends."
"Thank you, Caroline." Hermione replied, nodding courtly and made her way back to the waiting area.
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"So how are we feeling today, Hermione?" Kelli asked as Hermione lay back against the bed and pulled back her paper gown.
"Horrible. I've peed at least five times before breakfast, then another two times before coming to this appointment. My feet and ankles are swollen to hell and I can barely make it up a flight of stairs without my breathes becoming short! Not to mention the twins like to have kicking competitions on who can kick mummy the hardest"
"Ah, so pretty well then eh?" Kelli winked at her. "Don't be so hard on yourself dear. The third trimester is the most uncomfortable and irritable for the majority of women. It also takes its toll on the husbands too from what I've heard."
"I'll say," Harry grumbled under his breath. Hermione quickly turned her head in his direction. "What was that love?"
"I said I wouldn't have you any other way." He told her cheekily and placed a kiss atop her head.
"Thought so."
"So are we ready to see how these babies of yours are doing this week?" Kelli asked as she placed the cold, blue gel atop Hermione's abdomen.
"More than ever," Hermoine replied as Harry placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and nodded his head in agreement. Kelli smiled warmingly at them as she turned on the ultrasound machine with a flick of her wrist. The three listened as the machine hummed, the once-solid black screen now coming into focus. Kelli moved the tool over Hermione's abdomen, humming to herself as she searched for the babies and their heartbeats.
"Hello, little babe." Kelli cooed as she used her wand, tapping on the screen to have a look at Baby A. All the bitterness of Hermione's weight and swollen limbs were cast aside as she took a look at her baby on the screen. "Oh, Harry look. Our little baby is sucking their thumb!" Hermione cried excitedly, her heartwarming at the sight.
"I'd say he or she is quite comfortable, wouldn't you?" Harry remarked, smiling lovingly as he squeezed his wife's shoulder.
"I'd say Baby A is very comfortable. Heart rate looks good at 130 beats per minute and seems to be measuring at Five pounds six ounces. A healthy little Potter you have here." Kelli assured them before moving her tool over on Baby B. "How are we doing today little one?" No sooner did Kelli move her tool over the baby, did it kick at her. "My oh my, you're a feisty little one aren't you?" She laughed, tapping on the screen to take a snapshot of the wee babe.
"Takes after you already, huh love?" Hermione teased as she looked up at her husband.
"I told you, a football player." Harry winked, earning a slight smack on the arm from Hermione.
"Alright, Baby B's heart rate is 135 beats per minute and from the looks of it measuring a little bit smaller than Baby A at Five pounds." Kelli watched as the parents-to- be wore looks of worry on their faces.
"Is that alright?"
"Is the baby okay?" Both parents spoke in unison, their voices full of concern.
"Hey, easy easy." She told the parents, gesturing with her hands for them to calm down. "It is perfectly normal for one twin to be smaller than the other, I've seen it countless times in my five years as a Healer." Harry and Hermione both blew a breath of hot air at Kelli's words. "Now Hermione, it's time for the uncomfortable part I'm afraid." She told her patient as she pushed back the machine, and sat on her rolling chair. "I need you to scoot your bottom down closer towards me and place your legs in the stirrups so I can check your cervix."
Hermione nodded her head and did as she was instructed. She laid her back against the bed once more and placed the heels of her feet against the stirrups and spread her legs wide. Kelli placed her hands in blue latex gloves and placed a finger inside Hermione's cervix. Hermione bit down on her bottom lip, feeling a small amount of uncomfortable pressure as she felt Kelli's finger move within her.
"Perfect as always. You seem to be at two centimeters dilated but that's normal. I've seen patients stay at two centimeters for weeks until the time came for their babies to be delivered." Kelli told them as she pulled off her medical gloves and tossed them in the trash before washing her hands. "You can sit up now, dear."
"How were her test results?"Harry asked as he helped his wife sit upright. Kelli smiled and picked up the manila folder that contained Hermione's test results.
"She passed with flying colors. No protein in her urine, her blood pressure is fabulous, her weight is where it should be." She replied, as her eyes scanned her documents. "I see you're signed up for your childbirth class at the end of the week?"
"Yes," Hermione nodded happily. "I've also taken the liberty to pre-register with the hospital, picked our birthing plan, who I want in there for the birth, picked the pediatrician, and have our hospital bag together."
Kelli couldn't help but laugh at how prepared Hermione was. "I should have known. Now, I should warn you there is a possibility of you feeling Braxton Hicks contractions. I urge you not to worry about coming to the hospital unless you are in extreme distress and your contractions are two minutes apart from one another. These false contractions may be mild at first and you may feel your abdomen tightening. These will be irregular and tend to go away if you move or change positions, unlike true labor pains which get more regular as time goes on and won't go away until you have your babies."
Kelli reached behind her and handed her a pamphlet on Braxton Hicks Contractions and how to differentiate between false and true labor contractions.
"Thank you Kelli," Harry said as he helped Hermione get to her feet.
"Not a worry, Harry. Also, I encourage lots of bed rest, you're still considered high risk and I'd like for those babies of yours to incubate just three weeks longer if possible. Also, here are the pictures of your babies I had the liberty of taking for you today." She told them as she handed the photographs to Harry.
"Thank you, I'll make sure she takes it easy, Kelli." Harry reassured her.
"Perfect. I'm entrusting you to take care of my favorite patient." Kelli winked as she grasped hold of the doorknob. "Make sure to book an appointment with me for next week." And without another word, Healer Moore left them and checked on her other patients.
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It was about one in the afternoon when Harry and Hermione arrived home via Floo Network. Instead of making Hermione waddle up a flight of stairs, he pulled her close to him as he wrapped an arm around her waist and apparated them to their bedroom. Hermione sat on the bed and kicked off her flaps. Her aching feet were swollen to hell and her breath was short.
"Feeling alright, love?" Harry asked as he sat beside her, and massaged her feet.
"Mmm.. much better now." She murmured as his hands worked miracles on her feet.
"Anything I can get for you? Water? Fruit bowl?"
"Yes please." She replied, a slight rumble in her stomach indicating she was in need of an afternoon snack.
"Sit tight, 'Mione. I'll be back in a few moments." He told her as he leaned over and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. Hermione watched as he exited their bedroom, and gently rubbed her swollen stomach.
"You babies have the best daddy in the world, you know that?" She spoke softly as she leaned her head against the headboard, continuously rubbing small circles around her stomach as she shut her eyes and hummed You Are My Sunshine. About ten minutes later, Harry entered the bedroom with her glass of water and fruit bowl in hand, yet Hermione could tell something was off by his demeanor.
"What is it? What's wrong?" She asked abruptly, trying to quickly sit up on the bed.
"Easy love. Nothing is wrong, I've just been called into a mandatory meeting at work. I've already floo-ed your mum to see if she can keep you company while I'm at the meeting. She'll be here in about five minutes." He told her as he placed her glass of water on the bedside table and handed her the bowl of fruit.
"Thank you." She told him graciously before scooping up a spoonful of mixed berries and placing the spoon in her mouth.
"Anything for you dear. Now, remember you need to stay in bed. If you need anything call your mum." Harry remarked as he grabbed his navy blue Auror robes from the closet. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you."
"I love you too." She told him with a smile before watching as he disappeared with a pop.
Hermione sat alone in the silence of their home as she finished eating her fruit. She looked around the room, bored out of her fucking mind as she sat in their queen-sized bed. She blew out a puff of air and decided she would read until her mum arrived. As she reached over for her wand, she noticed it wasn't on her bedside table and instead rested on her dresser a mere five feet from her.
"Shite." She grumbled as she rolled her eyes. Great, now she would have to move off the bed. She bit down on her bottom lip, hoping Harry wouldn't be too pissed at her for going five feet from her bed to retrieve her wand. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right?
With her mind made up, Hermione carefully scooted off the bed and began to stand up.
"There we go, not so bad huh?" she asked her babies as she patted her stomach. As she went to take a step, her foot caught hold of the corner of the blanket that hung off the bed, causing Hermione to take a slip and hit her head on the bedside table
. A searing pain burned through her skull, the feeling of hot liquid cascaded down the side of her head. Hermione could hardly move, her head was pounding severely and her heart was beating rapidly. As she tried to sit up, she felt a wave of intense pain in her lower back before it made its way to her groin.
A loud cry left Hermione's lips as she doubled over in pain, her hand planted firmly against her stomach. "No.. no this can't be happening.." She spoke aloud, letting out another loud cry as another contraction hit her once more. As her second contraction hit, she felt a pool of wetness in her knickers along with soaking into her carpet. 'What have I done?'