Summer Writing Series Challenge (July 13)
Challenge: Harry/Hermione deal with the media discussing their relationship
Title: The Walls Come Crumbling Down
Word Count: 1,018
"She's going to be OK?!" Harry's eyes flew open at the news Susan had just given him and he stood bolt, upright with Lily clutching at his neck to keep from falling. He had the letter he'd just received clutched in his free hand subconsciously.
"It was a tough fight like I said," Susan replied with a smile, "but she was able to get here before losing too much blood."
"The babies..." Harry said tenuously, "they're premature..."
"They're both fine," Susan assured him as she guided the relieved man down the corridor to his wife's room. "They were premature, yes, but everything is fine. They are currently undergoing some testing to make sure their blood levels are at safe levels, but are otherwise perfectly healthy for being born a month early."
Harry turned into the room that Hermione was in and tears fell down his cheeks at the sight of his wife lying in the bed. She looked to him with tired eyes and smiled feebly at her husband and oldest daughter.
"Mummy!" Lily squealed as Harry let her down. The little girl raced to her mother's side and wrapped her arms around her, crying happily that she was alright.
"My little angel," Hermione whispered tiredly and smiled widely when Harry kissed her full on the lips. "Hi," she whispered when Harry pulled away. He left a hand on her arm and refused to let her go.
"Hi," Harry smiled back, tears streaking down his cheeks. "How are you feeling, Love?"
"Better," she admitted softly as her eyes went dark, "Harry, it..."
"Shh, I know," Harry said quietly, motioning towards Lily. "It's going to be difficult to prove but we have someone in custody..."
"A mean man in black robes hurt Gramma Molly, Mummy," Lily whimpered from her mother's chest. "He hit Percy on the head when he tried to help me run from the mean man but the Ghoul in the attic saved us then Daddy came after the fire started!"
"What?" Hermione asked weakly, bewildered at the news.
"The Burrow is gone, Love," Harry said sadly. "Molly and Percy are here for treatment both of them were unconscious..." Harry wiped at a fresh batch of tears that bubbled to his eyes angrily. "Theodore Nott, of all people..."
Hermione's eyes fluttered closed as her brows knit in thought. She struggled to open them again but Harry gently caressed her cheek and whispered, "Sleep, Love, we'll be here when you wake up..." She nodded almost imperceptibly and Harry disentangled their daughter from his wife. "Let her sleep, Sweets," he whispered as Lily transferred her hug to Harry.
"Is Mummy gonna be alright?" She asked with a quiver to her voice.
"She will be," Harry said quietly. "Mummy needs to sleep so let's go say hi to the new members of our family..."
Within moments, Harry was standing at a large, plate-glass window that overlooked several cribs, each decorated in pink or blue. He pointed to two cribs, one of each color, and smiled. "There's your new brother and sister, Sweets," he whispered with a wide smile at her bright face.
"I have a little brother and a little sister?" Lily asked as she started jumping up and down with excitement.
"It looks like you do," Harry said with a wide smile growing on his face. "Why don't we go see how Gramma Molly and Percy are doing?"
Lily nodded, waving goodbye to her little brother and sister before taking her father's hand. They got the room numbers they needed and were soon smiling at a groggy Percy.
"Wha happened?" He asked with a slur. Lily hugged him carefully around the neck, being sure to avoid the white bandages wrapped around his head. "Lily, geroff!"
"Thank you for helping Lily, Percy," Harry said with a smile, placing his large hand on Percy's shoulder. "If you hadn't gotten her away from that man..."
"I wasn't gonna let him hurt Lily," Percy said with a blush then looked concernedly at Harry. "How's Gramma?"
"We were just about to go see her," Harry said with a smile. "Get some rest and we'll stop by with news, ok?"
Percy nodded, feeling more tired than he let on and Harry walked out the door with his daughter in tow. A few moments later, Lily was clinging to her Grandmother's neck crying in relief.
"Harry, how's Percy?" She asked concernedly, wrapping Lily in a bone-crushing hug.
"He's fine," Harry said with a smile, receiving his own hug from the woman. "Was there just the one?"
Molly shook her head. "There were three, I got two of them but the other snuck up behind me..."
"The Burrow is gone, Mum," Harry said softly, still caught in her hug. "It burned to the ground... The last one is with Moody."
The tears came swiftly to Molly's eyes at the news and she nodded silently. The three of them held each other for some time before a knock came at the door.
"Harry, a word please?" Remus requested with concern laced in his voice. Harry looked to him with curiosity and followed his friend into the hall.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked after they shut the door to his adopted mother's room.
"I came as soon as I found out," Lupin said gravely. "You're a wanted man, Harry," he announced as the color drained from Harry Potter's face.
"What?" Harry asked taken aback. Remus handed him an advanced issue of the Daily Prophet. "This hasn't hit the shelves yet..."
"We got a tip from one of our plants and they got the paper to us as quickly as they could. This is going to hit the newsstands tomorrow morning..."
Harry unrolled the paper and felt his legs give out as soon as he read the headline.
Apparently, Harry Potter, the man who saved us from You-Know-Who has turned a new leaf, not content with the destruction of the former Dark Lord. Witnesses have spotted Mr. Potter at a crime scene tampering with evidence connected with the attempted murder of his wife of seven years, Hermione Granger.