Fandom: Harry Potter

Pairing: Hermione/Ginny

Rating: G (I know, uncharacteristic of me, but there you are...)

Warnings:  Not so much...yet

Word Count: 3576

Author’s Notes: This is a continuation of my story, A Dragon’s Tale.  You might want to read that first, but I’ll do my best to explain as I go. And besides, I just love butchering English pre-history. 

Disclaimer: Most of these characters belong to J.K. Rowling. Some are mine while others belong to all of us.  With apologies to T. H. White and Sir Thomas Malory.

Summary: “Oh my yes,” laughed Ginny.  “You’ll love this Roxie!  It’s a story of two Princesses who went looking for a Wizard and a would be King.  It’s a tale of bloody battles and sword fights and Magic!  But the best part, the really best part, is that they had a friend who was a talking Dragon!”

Comments are appreciated...

A Dragon’s Tale II

In Search of Merlin

Chapter One

by

Redbeargrl

With the last flick of her wand, Hermione stepped back to admire her work, almost colliding with Ginny who had slipped up behind her. The recently fallen snow squeaked in protest as her boots broke through the hard crust causing her to stumble a bit, only to be held up within Ginny’s strong arms.

“Steady on old girl,” laughed Ginny in the late afternoon light.  “It won’t do to have you falling on your arse in your condition!  Not to mention having a wet bum is not much fun at all.” 

Hermione laughed as she nodded in agreement.  “Sorry Gin.  I just feel like such a great cow about now.  My back aches all the time, my feet hurt and my tits are killing me with all of this swelling.  How did your Mum ever do this seven times?”

“As Mum used to say,” said Ginny as she examined the fairy lights they had just finished arranging on the outside of the Burrow, “Princess or cow...it all takes nine months.”  She leaned in over Hermione’s protruding belly while trying to keep her own out of the way and gave her wife a quick peck on the cheek.  “There,” she pronounced in a satisfied tone, “I reckon that’s done it!  Ready?”

Hermione grunted while she tried to support the small of her back with her hand.  “Absolutely,” she giggled.  “Let’s light them up!  Together?”

“Always together!” affirmed Ginny as she hugged her very pregnant wife. “Always and forever!”

They stood side by side and pointed their wands at the house. “Ready! Steady! Go!” they shouted together as they flicked the lights into life.  They both inhaled sharply at the sight as thousands of tiny lights twinkled in the dim afternoon light; every eve, every window and doorway was outlined in all the colors of the rainbow as the lights twinkled and flashed merrily.

“I love doing this!” proclaimed Ginny. “Now it feels like Christmas!” She snuggled up closer to Hermione,her head on Hermione’s shoulder and her hand resting on her own very pregnant belly.  “Just think Mione,” she said softly, “next year at this time we’ll have our own kids to share this with us!”

“Right!” agreed Hermione.  “And with any luck we can teach them to do it eventually, and then we won’t have to stand out here in the snow all alone freezing our tits off!”  She turned her head down to capture Ginny’s warm soft lips in a kiss which was immediately interrupted by the popping sounds of Apparition and the delighted squeals of young children coming from behind them.

“Ah-Ha!” laughed George as he embraced them both. “It’s good to know that some Weasley traditions never change!  Ginny and her love of fairly lights and finding you two snogging at every opportunity!  Happy Christmas you two!”

The next few minutes were a blur of activity as the girls greeted George and Angelina, along with their children Fred and Roxanne.  Little Fred was at that age where outward signs of affection, especially when accompanied by hugs and kisses, were an embarrassment, but little Roxanne loved her two “Aunties” and had no problem what so ever in demonstrating the fact. 

“Freddie,” said Ginny, “why don’t you go run inside and tell everyone the lights are done eh?”

“My name,” he said solemnly, as only a nine year old can, “is Fred!” He planted his feet wide apart and set his jaw in a manner that reminded Ginny of herself at that age. 

“Very well then Master Fred,” laughed Ginny, “would you mind terribly?”

Fred nodded and ran off to the house on his errand while Roxanne stayed between the girls holding hands with her favorite Aunties.  Angelina sighed and rolled her eyes as she started off in pursuit of her son.

“I’d better go with him,” she quipped, “little bugger is liable to get into Arthur’s grog or his presents without anyone being the wiser!”

Ginny turned back to her brother with a wicked grin.  “You certainly named him correctly George,” she laughed.  “He’s getting more like his namesake every day.”

George laughed but they all saw the brief flash of pain cross his face; after all of these years there wasn’t a day gone past that he didn’t feel the overwhelming sadness on the loss of his twin.  “Only two more years until we can ship him off to Hogwarts,” he said with a rueful smile.  “Somehow I feel a bit sorry for McGonagall when that happens.”  He shook his head and his natural good natured smile reappeared. “So then, are we the last to arrive?”

“For tonight, yeah,” laughed Ginny. “Ron and Harry can’t be here until tomorrow because of some business they have going on at the Ministry.  Charlie sent word that he’d be here as soon as he could.  Percy and Audrey and Bill and Fleur have been here since this morning. 

“Ah,” laughed George.  “So the house is...”

“Total bedlam as usual,” Ginny finished his sentence for him.  “Fleur has been helping Mum in the kitchen all day while Audrey is playing nanny.  Both Mione and I volunteered to help Mum, but Fleur wouldn’t have it.  She says we have to take it easy in, erm, our advance’ condition,” she said in a perfect imitation of Fleur’s heavily accented English. 

George laughed heartily.  “Well,” he mused, “that’s what you get for being the last ones to have kids.”  He kissed each girl on the cheek and turned towards the house, the two huge boxes of gaily wrapped presents still hovering in the air in front of him.  “I’ll just go and put these under the tree then,” he said, “and hurry the whole herd out here before you two freeze!”  He looked down at his only daughter who was alternately pressing her ear against each pregnant belly. “Roxanne,” he queried, “do you want to come inside for a bit?”

Her tiny face looked up at him with enormous dark eyes and a very solemn look for an eight year old.  “Not right now Da.  I’m talking to the babies.” 

George flinched a bit at the certainty of her statement and then shrugged.  “Sybill Trelawney is going to have a ball with this one,” he muttered.  “Very well, you stay with Auntie Gin and Mione and I’ll be back shortly.”

Hermione regarded the serious look on the little girls’ face and tried not to laugh. “And what did they say Roxanne?” she asked with a warm smile.  

Before Roxanne could form a reply, the entire Weasley clan boiled from the front door to admire the lights and continue on with their Christmas traditions.  Arthur, wearing an enormous Father Christmas hat, levitated a huge tray on which were placed cups of his famous Christmas grog.  Judging by the ruddy pink glow in his cheeks and the twinkle in his eyes, he had taken his time making it and had tested it many times to be sure he got it just right.  Molly emerged just behind him balancing an enormous tray of scrumptious looking Christmas cakes and biscuits with one hand while sipping her grog with the other.  Molly was happiest when surrounded by her huge and boisterous family and she smiled and laughed along with everybody else.  Fleur was the only one who seemed...upset.

“Oh sheet!” she cried snatching at the cups of grog held by Hermione and Ginny.  “Ze alcohol ees not good for ze babies! I have told you zis before, but non!  You will not listen to me! And what are you doing out ‘ere anyway?  You will freeze ze babies!”

Ginny growled as she dodged Fleur’s grasp.  “Lighten up Fleur!  It’s Christmas after all.  One little drink isn’t going to do any damage!”

“Yeah,” giggled Hermione as she took a swig from her cup, “and besides Fleur, this stuff is great at warming you up.  Nobody makes grog like this but Arthur!  Right Dad?” she asked giving her blushing father in law a wet kiss on his cheek.  

“It will be all right Fleur,” said Arthur, “I made theirs especially light considering their, erm, condition.”  He handed Fleur a cup from the rear of the tray.  “Here you go Fleur, I made this one just for you!”

Fleur took the proffered cup, sniffing at it suspiciously as if she expected some sort of trick, but after she sniffed her face lit up with a beaming smile.  She took a long slow drink, savoring the warmth that spread from her mouth to her cold feet.  “O Papa!  You have used ze Delacour brandy zat I gave you last year!  Zees is wonderful!”

Ginny sipped at her drink and made a wry face.  “Not fair!” she pouted to Hermione.  “Just when I need warming up the most, Dad decides to make ours light!”

Hermione nodded and sighed. “Well, it’s for the best I suppose.  After all, we don’t want to upset the babies now do we.”

Arthur held his cup aloft.  “Happy Christmas everyone,” he cried.  “A very happy Christmas to us all!”

The family settled in to the task at hand which consisted mostly of admiring the fairy lights and getting ever so slightly pissed all the while trying not to be hit by snowballs being thrown by the kids.  Soon the cold was enough to drive everyone back inside as Molly called that dinner was ready and they began to file back inside to the warmth of the Burrow.  

Ginny and Hermione stood together for a last moment in the on coming darkness before going back inside, enjoying the spectacle of the twinkling lights and each other’s company. They knew it would be the last few quiet moments they could share for the rest of the evening, for as rowdy as the evening would be, it would be worse tomorrow, Christmas Day, what with the presents and the endless squeals of delighted children.  Finally they turned back towards the house only to find Roxanne waiting patiently for them just within the doorway.

“The babies said,” she pronounced with a smile, “that they want to be born now.”  With that, she smiled again and returned to the living room, plopping down on the floor to play with her numerous cousins and siblings like any normal eight year old.

“Well, what do you think of that?” asked Ginny.  “Sometimes that child spooks me!”

Hermione grunted. “Let’s hope she’s just having us on Gin.  After all, our Healer says we have a few weeks left.”

Ginny nodded as she helped Hermione with her coat and boots and scarves.  “Yeah,” she said. “Lets get some dinner.  I’m starved!”

“When aren’t you!” laughed Hermione.

+++++

Hermione settled into her favorite overstuffed chair by the fire, her plate of food untouched in her lap. Christmas Eve dinner at the Burrow was usually an informal affair commonly served buffet style.  The big dinner tomorrow night would be more formal, but that would have to wait until Charlie arrived for he was the best at creating Wizarding Space which allowed the dinning room to be expanded to accommodate the many family members and guests. So for tonight, everybody piled their plates with Molly’s delicious offerings and sat or stood wherever they could, all the while laughing and talking in the way of close families over the Holidays.  It was, all together, an experience that Hermione had come to know and love in this most magical of homes; the one place in her life that was unchanged since her days as a student at Hogwarts.

Her job at the Ministry paid very well and with Ginny playing professional Quidditch with the Holyhead Harpies for the last six years, they were actually quite well off financially.  When she and Ginny bought their home not far from here just last year, she had made the suggestion to Molly that perhaps the Christmas festivities be moved to their home since it was so much bigger, but Molly wasn’t having any of it.  

“Christmas without the Burrow?” she gasped. “It just wouldn’t be the same now would it!” she laughed.  “This house has been our home for some forty odd years now and seen the birth of our seven children Hermione,” she said to her daughter in law, “not to mention several weddings and a funeral or two.  But this is our home Hermione, and while I quite thank you for the offer, the Burrow and I will manage for quite a bit longer to be the center of this family.  Perhaps, in the far future when I’m too old to cook...then we’ll talk about this again,” she laughed, her blue eyes sparkling merrily.  It was the last time Hermione ever brought the subject up. 

“I know I sound like an old daft woman,” Molly continued as she hugged her girls to her breast, “but until you have children of your own...” she stopped, realizing what she had just said.  “Oh my, please forgive me,” she begged.  “You two know how much I love you but sometimes I do so wish for more grand children, but with you and Ginny and then Ron and Harry being coupled...”

“I know Mum,” said Ginny as she hugged her mother. “I know.  Mione and I have talked about this much over the last year and we do want children.  But...”

Hermione nodded in agreement.  “We’ll find a way Gin.  There has to be a way, there just has to be!”

Hermione opened her eyes as her quite moment of reverie was broken by the sound of Ginny’s gusty laughter from the kitchen.  She winced slightly as the baby kicked her in the kidney as she set her untouched plate on the small table by her chair.  She could see Ginny standing in the kitchen, laughing and shoveling food in her mouth all at the same time.  Hermione felt a bit jealous.

If I just look at food, she thought, I gain two stone!  And look at Gin.  She’s as pregnant as I am and she looks five stone lighter!  She sighed and laughed to herself as she thought that perhaps since Ginny was a trained athlete while she worked at a desk all day that that was the difference.  

She saw Ginny wave to her and then start towards her with two plates piled high with pudding.  Hermione felt slightly nauseous at the thought of food and opened her mouth to tell Ginny not to bring the plate when two things happened simultaneously that would change their lives forever.

As she started to speak a powerful contraction rolled though her body.  She doubled over grasping her belly and slowly slid to the floor.  At the same moment Ginny let loose a howl, dropping the plates and fell to her knees just a few feet from Hermione.  

“Mama!” screamed one of the younger children.  “Auntie Hermione made pee-pee in her pants!”

She looked up to see Ginny clutching her belly, her face contorted in pain and the crotch of her training pants as soaked as her own.  She felt a tiny hand stroking her back and turned to see little Roxanne kneeling next to her.  “Told you so,” she said seriously.

The next few minutes neither Ginny nor Hermione ever did remember clearly.  There was a great deal of yelling, the sound of children crying and people rushing about willy-nilly.  Then the strong commanding voice of Molly could be heard above everything else.  

“Arthur!  Their water has broken!  Take Ginny upstairs to our room!  I’ve got Hermione! Everyone else...back off!  Bill!  Send for their Healer!  Fleur!  With us if you please!”

+++++

Hermione awoke to a head full of soft sounds and dim lights.  As her eyes fluttered open, she saw the kind and familiar face of Sondra, their personal Healer, pulling a long white gown over her as Molly rearranged the sheets to cover them.  She tried to speak but found her mouth dry as a desert.  Somebody passed a glass of water to her and she drank from it gratefully.  “Gin?” she croaked out.  “Is Gin all right?”

She felt a hand grasp hers and turned to see the smiling face of her wife laying next to her.  “I’m fine Mione.  We’re both just fine!”

A cool cloth washed over her face and her vision improved immeasurably. Fleur’s beaming face smiled down at her. “The babies?” Hermione asked nervously.

“You’re both doing fine Mione,” came the reassuring voice of Sondra.  It seems your children think it’s time to be born.  A bit early but not enough to worry about.  Everybody seems healthy enough.”

“Soon?” asked Ginny in a sleepy voice.

Fleur’s throaty laugh filled the room.  “Zee babies come when zay are ready cheri,” she laughed, “very seldom do zay come when you are ready!”

“It’s gong to be many hours yet Ginny,” pronounced Sondra.  “Neither one of you has dilated near enough yet.  I reckon we have many hours of waiting yet.”

Hermione looked down at the long white gown she had been dressed in, and turning her head saw that Ginny was wearing one identical to hers.

“Birthing gowns,” said Molly happily. “I made them and was going to give them to you as presents tomorrow, but it seems they will be put to use a bit sooner than was anticipated!”  She smiled down at the girls and turned towards the door.  “I’m sure everybody will want an update so I’ll just pop out and let everybody know what’s what.  You two need your rest!”

“Mum, no,” said Ginny.  “It’s all right.  Sondra says it’s going to be a long wait so why don’t you just let everybody in.  I think I can speak for Hermione when I say that right now, we’d feel better with our whole family around us.”

Hermione nodded enthusiastically.  “Oh yes please Mum,” she said.  “We promise to say something if we want privacy before the babies come.”

Molly didn’t look convinced.  “Well, I don’t know...” she started.

“It sounds like a good idea to me Molly,” said Sondra.  “It’s best if these two stay awake as much as possible.  We may have to get them up and walk them around a bit but certainly company wouldn’t be a bad thing.  It’s going to be a long evening.”

A few minutes later the small bedroom was crammed with the happy faces of most of the adults, the younger children having decided that staying downstairs and playing Exploding Snap and Gobstones a more interesting way to pass the time.  Except for Roxanne. She had wiggled herself up onto the large bed, settling in between Hermione and Ginny and was currently looking very pleased with herself.

Chairs were quickly conjured and Molly decided that if the party were to continue in their bedroom then everybody must be fed and was soon levitating huge platters of sandwiches from the kitchen.  Arthur sat on the bed next to his only daughter and passed out more of his famous Christmas grog, none of which he let the girls have no matter how much they pleaded.

“Oh very well then,” pouted Hermione.  “Now that everybody is here, what are we going to do while we wait?”

Suggestions flew from all corners of the room but it was Roxanne’s tiny voice that drowned them all.  “Tell us a story!” she pleaded.

Hermione laughed and nodded.  “Good idea Roxanne,” she laughed, “and I know just the story you all want to hear but have been too embarrassed to ask...just how did we get in this erm,...condition!”

“Is it a good story?” asked the little girl as she snuggled in closer between them.

“Oh my yes,” laughed Ginny.  “You’ll love this Roxie!  It’s a story of two Princesses who went looking for a Wizard and a would be King.  It’s a tale of bloody battles and sword fights and Magic!  But the best part, the really best part, is that they had a friend who was a talking Dragon!”

Little Roxanne’s eyes were so wide with anticipation Hermione thought for a moment that they my burst from her beaming face. “Really?” she asked breathlessly.

“Really!” nodded Hermione as she settled back into the plump feather pillows beneath her head.  “Let’s see now, how to start this?  Oh, I know!” she grinned.

“Once upon a time, a very long time ago mind, lived two Princesses who loved each other very, very much....” 

To be continued....