The following morning was a blur of activity as the final two departing families readied their children for the trip back to their respective homes. Harry used the opportunity to floo in to work and use some of his vacation days that he'd been saving for a special trip. Hermione needed him more than the office did and there was no way he was going to let work come before his family.
They had slept more effectively after Hermione had divulged her secret to the select few people they considered most important in their lives and her energy levels seemed to be returning to normal. Harry, however, had alternating dreams of happiness and loss as his worries and his reassurances concerning his wife's conditions fought for control of his mind. He was looking forward to the following week so he could restore his reserves as well.
Due to the rush of preparing to leave, the traditional pancake breakfast was postponed for a simpler feast of toast, jams, fruit, and cereal. Lily was mildly disappointed but her previous encounter with the monkey-shaped pancake and her new fuzzy friend more than made up for missing out on her favorite 'Gramma Molly treat.'
"You let us know the instant you find out!" Molly said sternly as she engulfed Hermione in motherly affection.
Hermione glanced at Lily then Percy and smiled softly. "Be careful, the children don't know yet." She whispered into her ear. "As soon as we find out, you'll be the first to know." She added reassuringly.
Molly turned to Harry and afforded him the same attention she offered her daughter-in-law and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't be away so long this time." She said with a sad smile on her face. "I miss you three."
"I promise we'll be by more often, Mum." Harry said with a smile. "Take care of yourself." He commanded playfully. She laughed and turned to Lily while Harry and Hermione said goodbye to Ron and his family.
"If you need anything, Hermione, anything at all, let us know." Ron whispered into her hair as they hugged.
Hermione held back her tears and smiled at her best friend. "Thanks, Ron." She said in a trembling voice and turned to Luna before she lost control of herself. Luna held her gently and rubbed her back, whispering something in her ear that made Hermione laugh.
Harry pulled Ron into a quick hug and smiled as his wife wiped the tears from her eyes. It was good of Luna to make it look like she was crying from laughter. He thought with a smile. He hugged Luna gently. "Thanks for that." He whispered to her quietly.
They pulled apart and the children hugged and kissed their respective aunts and uncles goodbye. Percy hugged Lily awkwardly and pulled away before she could suffocate him with one of her bone-crushing hugs she seemed to save specifically for him. With their luggage in hand and everyone safely packed into the car, the Potter family slowly drove through Ottery St. Catchpole, tracing their path over the back roads until they were firmly on their way home.
The drive was blissfully uneventful and they were pulling into their driveway before it registered that they had returned after a three day holiday. The post had piled in the entranceway and Harry stooped to retrieve the bundle of bills, solicitations, and other bits of muggle correspondence. Lily was quickly up the stairs to her bedroom where she introduced her new friend to the ones she'd already made and the sound of her giggles and laughter caused her parents to smile.
Knowing his wife's independence, Harry decided it was best to allow her to dictate when she needed help around the house, within reason. Hermione was pregnant and with the stress of her current condition settling in, he wasn't about to let her tax herself.
Luggage was quickly stowed, dirty laundry was in the washer, and tea was started before Hermione had made her appearance from the bathroom.
"What's all this?" She asked with a smile.
"I thought a bit of magic would help speed things up a bit." Harry said with a kiss to her cheek. "I know we decided to refrain from using household charms but I thought it would be nice if all we had to worry about was dinner and spending time together with a movie."
Hermione wrapped her arms around him from behind and hugged him tightly to her. "They just don't make men like you, Harry." She whispered into his back.
"Of course they do." Harry said with a smile. He turned in her arms and bent to kiss her tenderly on the lips. "Why don't you get Lily ready for tea, it should be done in a few minutes."
"Mmm, mine is right here." She said languidly as a content smile spread across her lips.
"You've read my mind, Love." He said with a grin and kissed her again. When they finally pulled apart it was to a tugging of Harry's pants by their daughter. He smiled at Lily and lifted her to his hip where she could hug her mother and father easily.
Hermione seemed to not want to let go of her small family but the smell of burning food quickly separated the trio. "Oh, I'm sorry about tea, Harry!" She said apologetically as she turned off the stove. The fish he had been frying had turned into several pieces of charcoal and Harry rushed to the windows to air the house.
"Don't worry, Love." He said with a smile as he hurried into the sitting room. "We've got more." He shouted as the windows were opened to create a cross breeze. He appeared in the kitchen to a seated Lily and Hermione discarding the ruined meat. He shook his head and kissed her cheek before retrieving more from the refrigerator. After taking the cleaned pan from his wife and starting over, he leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Don't apologize for moments like that ..."
Hermione smiled at him and took sat in her usual seat next to her daughter. Lily had her stuffed monkey in her lap as she read from her big sister book. "Big sisters are important, Link." She said with an air of nobility about her. "Little brothers and sisters look up to big sisters. I hope that I have a little brother that would be really, very nice."
Harry glanced over at her and let out a soft chuckle in response to the look on Hermione's face. Ten years ago he couldn't fathom being a parent, let alone married to his best friend. As he listened to his daughter explain the responsibilities of being a big sister to Link the stuffed monkey and the subsequent laughs of his wife, the seriousness of Hermione's possible disease struck him. He looked to his wife and a longing like he'd never felt filled his heart. He turned back to preparing the fish as thoughts of losing her streamed through his mind like the Hogwarts Express though the countryside.
He couldn't picture his life without her. He began to crave her touch, her kisses, and her arms around him. She was everything to him and nothing, nobody, could ever replace her. He looked down as the flipper he was using slipped from his trembling fingers and clattered on the floor. He didn't realize just how much he was being affected by the news and he struggled with himself to maintain control. She needed him to be strong for her and Lily needed him to be there if something were to happen. He looked back and flashed an apologetic smile before scooping the cooking instrument from the floor and giving it a good cleaning in the sink.
"Who wants mash with their fish?" He asked as happily as he could muster and he was relieved that neither of them seemed to notice how shaken he'd just been. Lily raised her hand and smiled at the question then laughed when her mother did the same.
After a few moments of plating their evening meal, Harry joined the two most important people in his life for tea.
"What movie do we watch tonight?" Hermione asked with a smile. "Do you want to choose, Lily?"
"I can choose the movie?" She asked with bright eyes. "Any one I want?"
Harry laughed. "You can watch any movie you like that is right for your age, remember our talk."
"I remember, Daddy." She said with a slight frown. "I wanna watch a cartoon!" She said with renewed glee.
"You can pick out your movie after we're finished eating." Hermione said with a smile. "If you finish your greens, we'll have popcorn!"
"Popcorn?!" Lily looked excited until she looked at the spoonful of broccoli that was sitting untouched on her plate. She looked warily at her parents and picked up her fork. Harry watched as she was obviously debating between popcorn or no popcorn and hid his smile when she gulped and quickly ate the green, little trees with a grimace.
"It looks like we'll be having popcorn tonight." Hermione said with a laugh as Lily quickly drank her juice to offset the flavor of her vegetables.
The three of them finished what they could on their plates and Harry began washing the dishes. "Go ahead and pick the movie, Lily." He said with a smile. "We'll know if you didn't get one from the cartoon section ..."
Lily galloped out of the room with Link in tow and Hermione busied herself with the popcorn preparation. They were soon sitting on the couch with Lily between them holding a bowl of deliciously buttery popcorn in her lap.
The opening title showed that Lily had, indeed, chosen a Walt Disney film for them to watch and the opening scenes of Bambi displayed on their television screen.
"I haven't seen this one." Harry said with a smile as he placed his arm around Lily's shoulders.
"I haven't either, Daddy." Lily said absently as she let herself become absorbed in the moving blotches of color on the screen.
Hermione looked nervously at the two of them and cleared her throat. "Isn't there another movie you'd rather watch?" She asked tentatively. Harry looked over to her worried face and raised an eyebrow.
"This is a children's film, what could go wrong, Love?" He had just finished the question when he heard a gunshot from the speakers. He looked nervously at the screen then to Lily who had started to cry.
"Bambi's Mummy ..." She whimpered as she hugged Link to her chest and buried her face into the soft monkey's fur.
Harry hugged Lily gently and looked pleadingly to Hermione. "This is just a cartoon, Sweets." He whispered to her softly. "It isn't real."
"Daddy, Bambi doesn't have a Mummy anymore ..." She whimpered into his chest. Harry's heart broke at how it affected his little girl and he kissed the top of her head.
"How about we watch something else?" He thought over the movies they had and the ones that kept coming to mind had similar circumstances. He looked to Hermione and picked Lily up as he stood. "I have a better idea, let's read a story instead." Lily nodded her head and continued to cling to her father. "Why don't you join us, Love?" He said with a tender smile.
Hermione turned off the television and video player with a sigh. She joined Harry and Lily at the bottom of the stairs and the three of them dressed in their pajamas before climbing into Harry and Hermione's bed. Harry had retrieved a well worn, green covered book and cracked it open to the first page when they were all settled.
"There was once a tall oak tree that a little boy visited ..." He started slowly. The Giving Tree was a sure-fire way to cheer Lily up and though it took longer than normal, the story brought a smile to her face as Harry changed his voice for the different roles.
Lily was soon sound asleep between her yawning parents and they decided it was best to let her sleep where she was. Harry leaned down and kissed her goodnight followed by his wife. "I hope telling her tomorrow won't be too traumatic ..." Harry whispered quietly. "Of all the movies ... I didn't know what happened in that film ..."
"I should have said something earlier." Hermione whispered in reply. "I was thinking about tomorrow and it was too late."
Harry looked into Hermione's terrified eyes and cupped her cheek with a tender touch. "It will be fine." He said adamantly. "You will be fine, we will be fine."
Hermione nodded and pulled his hand to her lips. She kissed it sweetly as she ran her hand down his arm to cup his face. They came together in a lingering kiss before laying their heads on their respective pillows and slowly drifted off to sleep.
For the first time he could remember, Harry was terrified the next day was starting. Hermione was still sound asleep, cradling Lily in her arms. Lily was cradling her stuffed toy in hers and Harry was lying on his side watching the two of them as they slumbered. He wiped away a few stray tears that had managed to well enough to streak to the side of his face and he reached out to sweep a stray hair from his wife's face.
She seemed so content that it ripped his heart out of his chest to think what today might bring to his small family. Yet again, fate had somehow interceded and threatened to take another person he loved away from him. The thought of not having her in his life drifted through his mind again and he couldn't begin to comprehend how to deal with the loss.
His eyes were rooted on Hermione's face and for a long time, he couldn't blink. He was afraid that if he closed his eyes, he'd see her funeral again then wake up to find her missing from his life. That very dream had caused him to wake and the thought of returning to it brought a sense of dread that he couldn't suppress.
Lily fidgeted in her sleep and kicked him in the stomach but it didn't hurt. He smiled lovingly at his daughter and tried to find a way to tell her the news without disturbing her. Lily's reaction to Bambi was more than enough of a foreshadowing if she were to lose her mother. The little girl would be devastated to say the least.
Harry leaned in and kissed both of his girls on the forehead before pulling back to watch them sleep once again. He jumped slightly when Hermione's hand caught his arm as he pulled away.
"Get some sleep, Harry." She said groggily.
"I can't." He admitted quietly. "Dreams and worries are running rampant right now."
She kissed his hand then guided it to her other where she laced her fingers with his. "You said that everything will be fine and it will be." She whispered over the breathing of their daughter. "Get some sleep, I'm not going anywhere, I promise."
Harry sighed and nodded. "I'll try, Love." He whispered to her. She had already fallen back asleep but wouldn't let go of his hand. He smiled slightly and watched them sleep for a bit longer before he succumbed to slumber once again.
The alarm saved Harry from having to see Hermione in the coffin again and he reached over to sluggishly turn it off. His wife and daughter were still sound asleep next to him to his relief and he stretched before waking them for the day.
Hermione was the first to open her eyes and one look into the blood-shot, worry filled orbs told Harry that Hermione hadn't slept well either. He smiled supportively and kissed her lips gently before he rolled out of bed and opened the curtains. The sky was obscured with dark, heavyset clouds that looked like they were ready to burst forth into a deluge at any moment. There was the peculiar smell of ozone in the air that reminded Harry of the storm he played in during third year before the dementors streamed onto the pitch.
He looked at the woman who slid her arm around his waist as she snuggled into his side and looked out the window into the near light of dawn.
"So it begins." She said wistfully as a lone tear streaked down her rosy cheek. Harry kissed her temple and squeezed her gently to him. He stopped before straightening to breathe in the scent that was lingering from her still sleepy form and without another thought wrapped is other arm around her protectively.
"Everything will turn out fine, Love." He said adamantly. "We'll get through this."
Hermione returned his embrace almost desperately and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He felt a warm wetness on his exposed skin and rocked her gently as she wept.
"I love you, Harry." She said after a moment. "Always know that."
"Don't you talk like you won't have the chance to tell me, Hermione." Harry said sternly. He stepped back enough to look at her and tilted her face to his. "Don't you dare give up and think this is the end."
The lost look in her eyes caught him off guard and he felt his own resolve begin to fail. He steeled his nerves and brought his wife into a passionate kiss that surprised the both of them. Her hands slid around his neck and tangled themselves in his hair as he tightened his embrace around her waist.
They didn't know how long they were feverishly kissing one another in a desperate attempt to show one another that they weren't going to give up. The alarm went off a second time and caused them to break apart to turn it off. Lily sat up sleepily and yawned as Hermione sat on the edge of the bed.
"What time is it, Mummy?" She asked in a very quiet voice. She looked around the room with her eyes half open and stretched as Harry joined them on the bed.
"It's time to get up and get ready for the day, Sweets." Harry said with a smile. "Why don't you and Mummy take a shower and I'll make your breakfast?"
Hermione smiled as Lily nodded and crawled over to her. "Why don't we put Link in your room first?"
Lily frowned then nodded after a moment of thought and cradled her toy in her arms after she slid from the bed. She half-stumbled out the door and disappeared into her room.
"Everything will be fine, Love." Harry reminded Hermione as the stood from the bed and she fell into his arms. She sighed miserably and nodded before kissing him gently. "I love you too." He whispered against her lips while she lingered for a few, scant moments.
Hermione stepped back and gave him a small smile before following after Lily, leaving Harry alone to start on breakfast. It didn't take long to finish the cooking and the plated food was set at the table as a now dressed Hermione and Lily entered the kitchen. They ate in silence and Harry left to shower after he'd finished.
He was in the shower not more than a few minutes when the door opened and Hermione stepped inside. She sat on the toilet and cleared her throat. "I don't know if I can tell her." She said quietly. "After last night ..."
"We'll have to tell her eventually, Love." Harry said from beneath the spray of hot water. "I guess we could wait until after the doctor's appointment ... until after we find out for sure ..."
"She knows you're home from work and I flooed in just a few minutes ago." Hermione sighed. "We're going to St. Mungo's in an hour, Harry ..."
Harry turned off the water and pulled a fresh towel from the rack and wrapped it around him as he stepped onto the carpet. "We'll tell her together before we go." He said quietly and laid a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "We need to tell her, Love."
Hermione nodded and got to her feet. She looked at Harry and a slight smile flickered on her lips when she saw the state of his hair. He laughed and dried off before pulling her into a tender hug. "We'll tell her together, we'll see this through, and we'll live long enough to see our grandchildren's children." He whispered into her ear.
She held back a sob and hugged him in return. "They just don't make men like you anymore, Harry."
"Let's hope not." He said with a grin. "I don't think Snape could have handled two of me ..."
Hermione snorted out a laugh and slapped him playfully on the chest. "Don't make me laugh like that!" She said with a smile.
"Why not? If anything it makes me love you more." He said with a quick kiss to her nose.
She smiled and the look of love in her eyes was something that he'd missed these past few days. He knew that what was about to happen was going to be one of the hardest talks he'd have to have with his daughter.
They kissed once more and Hermione left him to finish getting ready for the day. They had plenty of time before they had to leave with the ability to apparate and after Harry was dressed, he and Hermione led their daughter into the living room.
"Honey, Daddy and I have to talk to you about something important." Hermione said quietly.
"That's right, Sweets." Harry added quietly. "We need you to help us by listening, ok?"
Lily nodded and looked at the serious expressions on her parents faces. After a moment of awkward silence she cleared her throat. "Is this about Mummy being sick?" She asked innocently.
Harry and Hermione exchanged surprised and concerned looks before turning to their daughter. "You know about this?" Harry asked tentatively as he took her hands in his. "Where did you hear this?"
"I've seen Mummy cry a lot before we went to Gramma Molly's." She admitted. "I looked at one of the books she was reading. I'm sorry I didn't ask permission." Lily said with a fearful tinge to her voice. It seemed as if she was about to be punished.
"Oh, Honey." Hermione said as she got to her knees and drew her daughter into a motherly hug. "It's ok, you're not in trouble." She whispered to Lily. She pulled back and looked into the tearful eyes of her daughter. "Did you understand what you read?"
Lily nodded then shook her head. "I knew some of the words." She said quietly. "Are you going to be ok, Mummy?"
Hermione stifled a sob and Harry wrapped an arm around her for support. "Lily ... Sweets ..." Harry stammered. "We don't know yet. We are going to see a doctor today so we can find out. Things are very complicated right now."
Lily nodded slightly and hugged Hermione around the neck. "Don't worry, Mummy, Daddy and I will help you get better." She whispered to her mother.
Hermione caught her up in a tight hug, followed by Harry pulling the both of them into one of his own. They sat in the middle of the sitting room in the supportive embrace for some time as Hermione kissed her daughter and husband, whispering, "Thank you," over and over.
The apparition point of St. Mungo's issued another soft pop as Harry, Hermione, and Lily appeared. They made their way to the front desk and after a few moments in line were directed to wait until they were called.
Lily refused to release her mother's hand and held firmly on to Harry's with her other. The minutes passed by slowly until a woman with shoulder length auburn hair walked up to them. She smiled at Lily and looked to Harry and Hermione.
"Are you ready?" She asked quietly.
Hermione nodded slowly and stood to leave but Harry held her back. "Susan, would it be possible if we all came along?" He asked tentatively. The healer turned and sighed at the look of desperation in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Harry, but you can't be present during the examination." She replied sadly. "It shouldn't be too long and we'll know for sure."
Harry nodded and without a word hugged Hermione to him. "We'll be right here, everything will be fine, Love." He whispered into her hair. "We both love you very much."
"I love you too." She whimpered. After a few moments, she cleared her throat and determination filled her eyes. She knelt and hugged Lily tightly to her and kissed her forehead. "I'll be right back, Lily, I love you. Be good for Daddy." She said quietly. Lily nodded silently and let her mother stand before hugging Harry's leg.
Harry rubbed her back and looked to his wife one more time before she had to leave and kissed her sweetly on the lips. "We'll be waiting for you, Love." Hermione smiled reassuringly and left with Susan.
Harry was sitting in the waiting room with a sleeping Lily cradled in his lap when Hermione returned a few hours later. She was favoring her left arm as she sat down beside him.
"How'd it go? How are you?" He shot off rapidly as he examined her quickly. He took her hand and resolved to be strong regardless of the answer she gave him.
Hermione sighed and looked into his eyes. "They've taken a sample and are running the tests now." She announced serenely. "Susan said it won't be long ..."
As soon as Hermione mentioned their friend and healer's name, Susan walked into the waiting area. Harry and Hermione looked up to her unreadable face as she looked over the results of the tests.
"How bad is it?" Hermione asked quietly. Her hand began to tremble and Harry realized that it was his, not hers that was shaking. He squeezed her hand tighter and closed his eyes in anticipation.
"You have a milk filled cyst, Hermione." Susan said with a smile. "We can have it drained in a few minutes. There was no trace of malignant tumors anywhere."
Harry's eyes flew open as he turned to his wife. Tears were streaking down her face and a wide smile was firmly set in her delicate features. She turned to her husband and they pulled each other into as tight a hug as they could. They didn't realize when they'd started kissing but as soon as they'd started, they couldn't stop and many whispered vows of love were shared between them.
With a sigh of profound relief, Hermione followed Susan from the waiting area for the second time that day and Harry woke Lily shortly afterwards.
"How's Mummy?" She asked groggily while Harry helped her to sit up.
"Mummy is going to be fine." Harry said with a wide smile and tears running down his cheeks. "She's going to be alright."
Lily's face brightened considerably as her father's words righted themselves in her head and she hugged him around the neck tightly as tears rolled down her cheeks.