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Author: Grandma Kate Story: The Early Years Rating: Everyone Setting: Pre-OotP Status: Completed Reviews: 5 Words: 16,838
The Harry Potter Universe belongs to J. K. Rowling. I’m just borrowing the characters for a while. This is for pleasure only, no profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended. "Molly, are you there?" The voice and head of Mary Margaret Carroll, St Mungo's Home Delivery Midwife, appeared in the fireplace of the Burrow. Four month old Ronnie, who was lying on his tummy on a hand knit blue blanket in front of the fireplace, gurgled and gooed as he lifted his head and arched his back to see this interesting development. Molly got up from the comfy armchair she had been sitting in with her feet up on a ottoman and leaned down by the fireplace. "Hello Mary Margaret. I didn't expect you for another hour so. Ronnie hasn't had his morning feeding and nap yet. Do I have the wrong time?" "No. Molly, I just wanted to know if you would let me bring one of my Mums-to-be along and have you give her a few tips on breastfeeding and general baby care. It's her first and she can't imagine how you manage it all with "Terrible Two" twins and an almost five year old. She's due around the end of the month" "Ah, the first one. That's the easy one, but you don't know it so you worry more about him or her than all the others to come." Molly smiled as she remembered Bill as a baby. "Of course, bring her along. The twins and Percy are over at the Diggory's playing with Cedric. Bless his Mum! She takes them every Monday. Bill and Charlie went in to work with Arthur but he'll floo with them to the Diggory's for lunch and they'll carry Fred and George home. I thought it would give us a quieter four month check-up." "Good thinking!" laughed Mary Margaret. "Lilly Potter and I will come by floo around ten. Ta Ta." Then she disappeared in a puff of green smoke. "Lily Potter?" Molly mumbled to herself. "I wonder if she's the redhead married to young James Potter? Arthur has mentioned that she works at the Ministry. I didn't know she was about to give birth. I think Alice Longbottom is also due the end of the month." Making a note to herself to remember to ask Arthur about his two co-workers, Molly hoped that she would be able to reassure the soon to be new Mum. "Well, Ronnie my love," she said as she bent over to pick him up, "I know it's a bit early but I've never known you to refuse a feeding. You can kip a bit before Mary Margaret comes to give you a check-up." Molly then turned on the Wizarding Wireless and settled back into the chair with her baby to nurse him and listen to today's chapter of Days of Destiny. "Oh, Fiona. When will you learn that Lord Lyle is never to be trusted?" she murmured as Ronnie began sucking loudly. About an hour later, Ronnie was snoring quietly on the blanket and Molly had hung her apron on a peg behind the door. The kettle was boiling while she levitated a plate with scones on it to the low table by the couch. She was ready for her visitors. Just then, Mary Margaret stepped smoothly out of the fireplace and held her arms out to assist the young woman who followed her. "Careful, Lily. Don't want you to take a tumble," she said to the auburn haired young woman following her with some difficulty. "Take my arm. Easy does it." Lily took the midwife's arm, glanced around the lounge, and smiled at Molly. Molly held her hand out in greeting. "Welcome to the Burrow. I'm Molly Weasley and I think you know my husband, Arthur. He works at the Ministry." "Of course, you're the mother of the six lads that Arthur is so proud of," replied Lily. " I had already gone on leave when your youngest was born but I heard about his red fuzz. A true Weasley! Ah, that must be him, sleeping like an angel." " I thought we might be able to chat a bit and have a little something to keep up our strength before Ronnie wakes up again," said Molly, indicating the teapot and plate of scones. "Mary Margaret, how about a cuppa? Lily, do you take sugar and milk?" The visitors settled in for a bite to eat. Mary Margaret asked some questions about Ronnie's eating and sleeping habits and was assured by Molly that he had the Prewett tendency to be ready to eat anytime and would fall asleep as soon as he was satisfied. "He seems to be gaining well and sleeps through the night but he was already good size when he was born, nearly nine pounds. He didn't leave the womb as eagerly as Fred and George. I'm sure you remember they all but popped out on All Fools' Day, a whole month early, more than two years ago. They've been on the go since then," Molly sighed. "Thank goodness our neighbor loves to have them over one morning a week for a little play group with her Cedric. He's her one and only. Percy goes along some mornings or stays in his room reading." "How do you manage with six young boys all by yourself?" asked Lily. "I suppose the two older boys help some but with twins..." "Arthur is a saint," replied Molly without hesitation. "He helps with everything. Bill and Charlie watch out for the twins. Thank Merlin, those two still go down for a long nap in the afternoon so I have time to home school my three big boys. And Ronnie is an angel baby. Eat and sleep, eat and sleep." "I hope my new little one acts that way. My sister and I were picky eaters but James seems to enjoy his food. Maybe he or she will be all Potter and serious about food." Lily laughed. Ronnie woke up when he heard Lily laughing and held his arms up. Molly swooped down and picked him up while he inspected the two new people in his world. Mary Margaret examined him with her wand and made him laugh when it tickled. "He's gaining weight and is alert and interested in what is happening around him," said Mary Margaret with a smile. "May I hold him a bit?" asked Lily. Molly put Ronnie in her arms. He grabbed Lily's hair and tried to put it in his mouth. Then he gave a jump as he got a good hard kick in the side. "Oh dear, I guess the mighty kicker wants to play. Maybe you had better take him back before my little chorus girl kicks him again. They will be at Hogwarts in the same year so we can tease them a bit about how early they played together." "Why do you call your baby 'chorus girl'? Do you think she is going to be a singer in a group? Do you know for sure she's a girl?" asked Molly, nonstop. "Oh, I'd love to have a girl. " "James assumes that he has fathered a son, so I call the baby chorus girl to tease him. Chorus girls dance in musical shows in the Muggle theater. I call the baby that because he or she is such a high kicker." Lilly smiled as she explained to Molly. "I have a hunch that really there's a boy in here." "Have you decided on a name yet?" asked Molly. "I fancy romantic Italian names for girls, like Seraphina or Giovanna or Ginevra." "James gets to pick the name for a boy but I get to name her if she's a girl. My family always uses names of flowers and I'd like to name her after my Mum. So she'd be Rose." "Rosetta in Italian, but Rose Potter sounds very nice. I'll just go change Ronnie's nappy and be right back," said Molly. "He'll want to eat again so you can see a bit of how I feed him. Each baby is a bit different. You have to let them find their own way of nursing" "Oh Mary Margaret, this was such a good idea," said Lily. " I'd like to come back after the baby comes and see all the Weasley boys." "Lily, I am sure that can be arranged. Maybe you and James and the baby could come on a weekend so the men could have a chance to share experiences." "Here we are, back and ready to eat again," said Molly, settling into her comfy chair and putting her feet up. " For successful breastfeeding, you need a comfortable chair to sit in with something to put your feet up on. It's also nice to have a table next to it so you can drink some pumpkin juice or water. New Mums need lots of fluid." Molly settled into her chair and adjusted her blouse. "Some people like to use a pillow under the baby at first but I still have enough extra pounds that my lap will do. As soon as he gets near my breast, the rooting and sucking reflex takes over. You might have to stroke his lips the first time or so but they catch on fast." Ronnie immediately began nursing loudly. "Does it hurt?" Lily asked with a frown. "How about teeth? Do they bite?" "Babies don't have teeth for a while. And if they bite, you pull them away from your breast for a few minutes. They want to eat so they catch on pretty quick. And you can cast numbing charms on your breasts, too." " I don't know that one, but I guess I should learn it before I need it," said Lily with a sigh. She watched Molly feed Ronnie for a while, obviously wondering whether she could do that half as well. "Point your wand at the breast you want numbed and say 'Planto pectus torpeo," answered Molly, hoping that Lily would be successful at breastfeeding. Lily practiced the charm and tried pinching her breast. "It works! And "Finite incantatem" stops it. Good." Lily beamed at Molly and said "I can't thank you enough for showing me how you nurse Ronnie. I don't know anyone with the experience you have. I hope our children will be friends." Molly felt tears forming in her eyes as she answered. "Oh Lily, I'd love for Ronnie and your little one to be friends, even before they start Hogwarts. If it isn't a chorus girl named Rose, what will James call him?" "He fancies the name ‘Harry’. Harry James Potter, a good strong name for someone with strong legs and sharp elbows." "We'd better get Lily back home and let you have a bit of a rest before the older boys show up. Thank you for having us. I'll see you again in a couple of months," said Mary Margaret. "Thank you for letting me visit and for the spell I'll need soon enough. I feel more confident now," said Lily, heading for the fireplace. "I'll be in touch after the chorus girl comes." Molly smiled at Ronnie and said, “I like the Mummy of your new friend. I wonder if your friend will be Rose or Harry Potter.” _______________ A/N This story started from my thinking about “the missing 24 hours”. St Margarets, Dogstar, Songbird, and Amamama read this in early versions on Live Journal and made helpful suggestions. My Beta, Trelawney2213 has been patient and kind with this first time fan fic author.
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