Pain

A/N: I want to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews! Keep them coming; I love each and every one. :) I realize many of you are thinking, "Where the hell is Snape?" Let me assure you, Snape will arrive shortly, and his thoughts about the war and what happened that night at Avery Manor on his birthday will be addressed. Thanks to my beta, karelia, who works so hard to get these chapters out for you all to read. Also, I want to thank Braye for her cheerleading. Last, but not least, to a real sweetheart who read this story ages ago and gave me her impressions and thoughts WAY before anyone else saw it, Shellsnapeluver. Enjoy and PLEASE REVIEW!

***

"AARRUUGGHHHH!" Hermione screamed. "This fucking hurts!"

Hermione's labor began two days after her due date. She had woken up at four in the morning moaning in pain. Augusta and Luna readied her by walking her around the little annex where she lived.

By nine o'clock, Hermione was crying as the two witches held onto each of her arms, keeping her upright and walking. Neville watched in horror as his Gran ordered him to watch.

"You'll remember this, Neville!" she had chided to him as Hermione moaned through each contraction. "Childbirth is not for the weak. You and Luna remember that when you get married. Sex is all grand and wonderful in the moment, but be careless just once, and you'll have to pay the fiddler!"

"I can't do this," Hermione wailed as she started to sink onto the floor. "Let me lie down!"

Neville was feeling decidedly ill as he watched Hermione writhe and cry as each contraction passed. Soon, she was sleeping after each contraction and would wake up crying and screaming as another came. Neville continued to watch, horrified at the look of anguish on Hermione's face. He wondered how women could do this. He thought of Molly Weasley and his stomach lurched. How could she allow herself to go through this kind of torture? Well, at least Luna will have a child of our own to love and be a mum to, and she didn't have to suffer to get her. He thought of Hermione as she continued to cry and moan. How much would she suffer! How will she be able to walk away from her baby after so much pain? He realized then that Luna was right. Hermione would come back to claim her when she was older and in a better position to care for her. Either that or Snape will suss it out. Nothing ever gets by that thrice-damned wizard! he swore to himself.

Augusta set her mouth in a firm line and nodded sharply to Luna. Luna sat up against the headboard and let Hermione rest against her. She was dripping with sweat and crying for her mother.

"Forget your mother, Hermione," Augusta voice pierced through her cries and pleas. "You are the mother, and you have to remain in control. Self-control, discipline, and hard work will get you through! Now you need to focus and when the time comes, make each contraction count!"

Neville decided to make himself useful by bringing strong coffee for his Gran and Luna as Hermione struggled through her labor. "I'll get you some coffee, Gran," he whispered before dashing down the stairs.

What the hell is wrong with me? he thought. I fought in a war! I've seen bodies broken in pieces, gaping wounds in my friends' bodies as they screamed before dying. Why can't I face this? It must be the unfairness of it. Hermione didn't conceive Alice out of love. It was a cruel and brutal act that hurt her and now she has to suffer even more pain. Snape should be the one screaming in agony, not her!

He came up the stairs and heard his Gran talking Hermione through another contraction.

"You are doing well, Hermione," Augusta assured her. "It's happening fast. Alice is eager to come into the world!"

***

"I can't believe this," Hermione groaned as another contraction washed over her. "It hurts like nothing I could fucking imagine! AAAAAHHHHHHH!"

It continued on for another hour. Hermione was tired. "Why is this taking so goddamn long?" Her voice was hoarse. She collapsed back onto Luna who kept a cool cloth on her forehead and wiped the hot sweat that drenched them both.

"First-time babies are notoriously slow, Hermione. Your body hasn't done this before; it takes longer. But you've been at it for seven straight hours with a lot of good contractions. Now get up, and walk around. It will help get the baby to drop," the older witch advised.

"Or let's have her sit on the toilet, that should really help with the gravity," Luna suggested.

"Excellent idea, Luna," Augusta said as she mopped her forehead.

Hermione was dizzy and ill. "I'm going to throw up," said as her body began to shake uncontrollably.

Augusta gave her a pan to retch in. The force of her vomiting made Hermione scream in excruciating pain.

"Oh, shit!" Hermione cursed. "I wet myself!"

Augusta laughed heartily as she shooed Neville out of the room in order to change her. When Neville came back, Hermione was in a new nightshirt and her legs were exposed and spread apart widely.

"W-Why a-am I s-s-so c-cold?" Hermione said as she shook terribly.

Luna wrapped a blanket around Hermione's trembling shoulders. "It's transition, Hermione," Luna explained. "It won't be long now, and then you can rest."

Hermione's eyes grew large, and she pushed herself upright on the bed. "I have to push, I have to push!" she shouted. She didn't wait for Augusta to check her; she bore down and pushed.

"Wait!" shouted the older witch as she placed her hands on both of Hermione's exposed thighs. "Do you want to tear yourself into ribbons? Let me see what's going on."

***

Hermione moaned piteously and looked at Neville. The pain in her light chocolate eyes terrified him. He had never seen her in so much agony or fear. Not even during the war or even after her escape from the dungeon where she had been held captive. She had carried on with her normal single-mindedness that had always steered her as long as he had known her. Seeing her like this was tearing his heart apart. He swore he would never let Luna conceive. Never. He would sterilize himself before putting her through such horrific pain and terror.

"Superb!" Augusta said. "Now, each time the contractions come, I want you to push as hard as you can until I say stop. Luna, Neville grab her under her knees and hold them back."

Neville pushed all his disgust out of his mind and, with everything he had, grasped onto Hermione's leg. There was a lot of urine, shit, and blood, but there was a bulge protruding out from her.

"Okay," Hermione gasped as she felt the next wave come over her. She bore down, and Augusta said, "It's the head! She's coming! Give me one more push, Hermione," she urged her.

***

Hermione weakly pushed again and again. She thought it would never end, and she would die like this...and Snape would never know...

Hermione would remember for the rest of her life how she felt the moment Alice Hermione was born. A great pain had seized her terribly, and she had sincerely thought she was dying. Then a gigantic wave of pressure had washed over her, and the pain just stopped. She had fallen back into Luna's arms, and then had slipped into sweet unconsciousness.

When she woke, Augusta was by her side in an old rocker. The old witch smiled at her and said as she continued to knit, "You did well enough, Hermione, once you got your head about you. You had a healthy, baby girl. She was around a little over eight pounds...a good size babe. She has fair skin and curly dark hair, but not black. Her nose is small and pert like yours, and her eyes are dark. We'll have to see if they remain dark like Severus'."

Hermione thought it was so strange that her baby girl was not even here in the room. Also, how Mrs. Longbottom called Alice's father "Severus" and not "father," but then she remembered that she had already given her away. Her eyes smarted with prickling tears.

"You will be very emotional for a while. Just remember it's your hormones fluctuating. Go ahead and cry if you need to. Makes no sense at all to hold it all back. You have to realize the depth of the reality here."

"I want to see her," Hermione rasped. "I can't just walk away and not know her face."

Augusta kept rocking. "In a while, Hermione. Now you need to sleep some more. Your body is healing," she said softly.

Hermione was extremely tired, and felt the urge to sleep again. She sighed and pulled the covers tighter around her.

"W-Why is my chest bound?" she asked. She was awake now and scared. What had they done to her?

Augusta handed Hermione a cup. "Drink it down, Hermione. It's a calming draught and a sleeping potion. Luna and I bound your breasts to stop your milk from coming in," she explained.

A shrill wail came up the stairs to Hermione's ears. "She needs me," she called piteously as she cried. "I need her," she whispered as sleep overcame her.