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Having been through it once before, Percy figured that pregnancy would be easy the second time around. He was wrong. So very wrong.
When he was pregnant with the twins, it was only he and Oliver. But now there’s also two very energetic toddlers that will manage to cause endless mischief if you take your eyes off of them for even a second. He’s only two months along, but he’s already finding himself exhausted almost all the time, something that didn’t happen until his third trimester before. As he nearly trips over a toy, he silently curses both his husband and his own desire to have a large family. He’s just glad that Oliver’s Quidditch season will be over in a few days, so that he’ll be around more to help with the terrible twosome.
*****
Once Percy reaches three months pregnant, he remembers just how miserable morning sickness is. He’d been starting to hope that he’d avoided it altogether this time, but once it started it was even worse than last time. At least Oliver isn’t as worried this time – or maybe he just doesn’t have the time to worry while keeping the terrible twosome out of trouble. Or at least as much as anyone can. And Oliver chasing them though out the house means that Percy is able to be sick in peace.
*****
At four months pregnant, they find out that the baby is a boy. Fabian is elated to be gaining a little brother, while Gwen throws the hissy fit to end all hissy fits. She wanted a little sister and getting a stinky little brother instead just simply isn’t acceptable to her. Percy and Oliver try everything they can think of to placate her, but none of it works. They finally enlist Ginny to convince Gwen that being the only girl in a family full of boys is the best thing ever. Percy’s pretty sure his sister is lying through her teeth, but Gwen buys it and she stop shrieking over how it’s not fair every few hours. At least for now.
*****
At five months, Percy feels his son kick for the first time. It’s comforting and a reminder that all this is worth it, and he’s also glad that he gets to feel it few weeks before everyone else. He hopes that the novelty of everyone touching his stomach to feel the baby kick has worn with this being his second pregnancy, but he’s also realistic. Obviously he’s fine with Oliver feeling the baby kick, and he’ll be okay with Gwen and Fabian doing it to, it’s just everyone else.
And sure enough at family dinner a few Sundays later, he practically gets manhandled by everyone so that they can feel the baby kick. At least until his sister-in-law loudly reminds everyone that Percy isn’t some zoo attraction. Percy’s never been more grateful to Tonks, even if it means that Arthur rambles on about zoos the entire rest of the day.
*****
At six months, Percy realizes that he can no longer pass himself off and someone that’s just a bit overweight, which means he can no longer go to Muggle London without casting a number of charms on himself. He knows from last time how exhausting that is, so he’s happy to just let Oliver handle all of those errands. Oliver’s not quite as happy about that, but it’s better than getting undue attention because one of Percy’s charms didn’t hold up long enough.
*****
During his seventh month, Percy reaches the point at work where he wishes that he could just lock himself in his office all day and not see anyone at all. Almost every conversation begins with half a dozen questions about his pregnancy and an offer to help relieve some of this workload, as though they think pregnancy has made him less than capable.
Kingsley is the one exception. He doesn’t ask unnecessary questions, trusting that Percy will tell him if there’s a problem, and still gives him just as much, though potentially more important, work, expecting him to get it done on time. Percy finds it refreshing and wishes more people would act like the Minister. He can’t help but wonder if the change in the type of work he’s doing, is Kingsley’s subtle way of grooming Percy to be his replacement, something Percy is definitely not ready to handle, but he decides that he’ll worry about that later.
*****
When he eight months pregnant, there is actually a day that he does lock him in his office he’s such an emotional wreck. It isn’t until Kingsley threatens to owl Oliver that he actually unlocks the door, but he still declares that he’s not leaving his office. The Minister laughs and assures Percy that he sometimes feels the same way, even if it is for different reasons.
That night at home Oliver gently tries to suggest that maybe Percy scale back his workload only for Percy to snap at his husband and tell him to stop acting like the wankers at work. Oliver raises an eyebrow and simply says that he’ll never have a desk job and doesn’t know how Percy does it.
*****
Finally Percy reaches the end of his pregnancy, or least what is supposed to be the end. Unlike the twins, who were born a little early, this baby is in no rush and Percy’s two weeks past due. He finds himself glad that he won the battle to continue to work up until the day he gives birth, as routine is the only thing keeping him sane. Of course that also means that he goes into labor at work, which he assumes will be the topic of office gossip for weeks, not that he actually cares at that moment.
Oliver arrives at St. Mungo’s shortly after Percy, having taken the twins to the Burrow first. Percy passes the time by hurling every insult he can think of at Oliver, as it takes his mind off the pain he’s in. Finally, after several agonizing hours, Percy is able to hold his son in his arms. As he hands baby Camden to Oliver, he knows that every moment was worth it and he’ll gladly do it again for their next child.