A/N - sorry it's taken a bit longer to update but this chapter has just grown and grown to the point that it's now two chapters. Warning, Ginny's not very nice and I know it's a bit of a stretch that Kingsley is still the Minister but - eh, what can you do? Thank you for your lovely reviews, they do mean a lot. Hope you enjoy this. Cheers!!
Chapter 3
It had been a long day, long day. Hermione wearily rubbed her temples as she made her way to the door, wondering who would take the trouble to knock instead of just flooing.
In the background, she heard Hugo laughing with the tinkle of Lily's giggle intertwined - the sound making her cringe at what she would find when she went back into the kitchen.
I wish Harry was here, she thought with a tired sigh.
But Harry wasn't there, he was with Ron on this big case and both of them had been gone for over a week.
With Hugo and Lily still easily distracted from their studies by the ending of summer, the absence of her fellow caregiver, the constant pang of loss regarding Rosie being at Hogwarts (both she and Al had got into Gryffindor, much to her relief) and the werewolf project hitting an unforeseen snag, Hermione was exhausted.
With another deep sigh, she opened the door.
"Teddy?" she said, surprised at seeing the familiar face, "what're you doing here? Why didn't you floo?"
As soon as she asked, however, she knew the answer - Ted was in his Auror robes, his expression sombre and he hadn't flooed. Something was wrong.
"Hermione, there's been an attack…"
His words confirmed her fears as she began to process the phrase that she had hoped she'd never, ever hear.
"Is he still alive?" she asked immediately, her voice shaking slightly.
"Yes," Ted answered solemnly, "they both are…"
"Both?" Hermione cried, feeling her legs buckle, "oh God, Harry!"
"You need to get to St Mungo's," Ted continued, "I'll look after Hugo and Lily."
She didn't say anything as she quickly grabbed her bag and headed back into the kitchen, frantically thinking of what she would tell the children.
Hugo and Lily had given up on their studies and instead were playing hangman on a bit of parchment. They both gave a yelp of joy when they saw Teddy, but it was soon tapered once they noticed his expression.
"What is it, mum?" Hugo asked seriously, and his resemblance to Ron hitting Hermione hard.
"I need to go out for a while," she said quickly, "and Ted's here to stay with you. I want you two to be good for him, okay?"
"Why do you need to go?" Hugo pressed, starting to panic, "we've got school work to do!"
"Hugo," Hermione started, not too sure how much she should say but finally deciding he had the right to know, "your dad's been hurt so I need you to be brave for me, stay here and be good for Teddy. I'll tell you more as soon as I know, I promise."
"Is…is he alright?"
"I don't know, sweetie," she smiled hesitantly, before drawing him into a hug, "I'll let you know as soon as I can. It's going to be fine."
She let her son hug her for a moment longer, knowing that he needed her reassurance. When she stood to go, she gave the trio a small wave and then said clearly "St Mungo's" into the green flames
As soon as she stepped out of the floo at the hospital, a young Auror strode to her side and started guiding her towards one of the stairwells leading upstairs. She ignored all the interested stares and only vaguely got the urge to correct her escort that she wasn't, in fact, Mrs Weasley but Doctor Granger as it seemed rather petty.
She followed the Auror in silence as she continued to process the situation. She hadn't really listened to Ron when he told her where the mission was, only remembering that they were going to the Brecon Beacons and they were going to be gone for about three weeks. Who they were going after and why Harry had to be involved, she couldn't recall.
The Auror paused in front of a non-descript door and indicated she was to enter. Taking a calming breath, she stepped into the dimly lit room that had two beds and about ten people hovering around them.
Kingsley Shacklebolt saw her first and made his way towards her, his calm face showing an inkling of concern. She tried to look past him at the figures on the bed, only seeing the red hair of one and the black hair of the other, both surrounded by various medical workers.
"Hermione," he said, his deep voice surprisingly gentle, "good to see you again. I just wish it was in better circumstances…"
"This must be bad if the Minister of Magic is here," Hermione joked feebly.
"I'm here as a friend," Kingsley stated before adding, "I had hoped I would be able to finish my reign as Minister without ever having to see either of these young men in this condition..."
"What happened?" she cut in, "what's wrong with them?"
"The story is unclear at this stage," Kingsley explained, "the mission was not thought to be dangerous, more a surveillance arrangement…"
"Then why was Harry involved?"
"My understanding is that he requested the assignment…"
"Who were they watching?"
"Ivan Lestrange…"
"Bellatrix's son?"
"Yes."
Hermione thought for a moment, her mind going over all the possible scenarios but nothing seemed to fit. It didn't make sense. Then, with a shudder, she remembered why she was there and all thoughts of how and why disappeared.
"What's wrong with them?" she asked again, determined for an answer.
"I'll get Healer Littlewood to update you," Kingsley answered, then indicated to a small, balding man who came over to them in short, precise steps.
"Doctor Granger," the healer started, and already Hermione liked the man, "we have good news with regards to your husband. His injuries are superficial with his bruises and broken bones healing as we speak. We expect him to regain consciousness within the next hour, my fellow healers having deciphered the more dangerous curse and are now rectifying it."
"That is good news," Hermione smiled gratefully, "and Harry?"
"Mr Potter is more complex," Healer Littlewood frowned and Hermione's fears returned tenfold, "the injuries sustained in the fall…"
"Fall?"
"Harry was found at the bottom of a rocky incline," Kingsley put in.
"Oh, God."
"Yes, well," the healer continued, "his injuries are quite substantial and added with the barrage of curses he seems to have been hit with, his healing process will take longer, I'm afraid."
"Where's Ginny?" she asked, once more looking past the people in front of her and onto the two in the beds.
"She, Arthur and Molly were notified the same time you were," Kingsley told her, "we expect them shortly."
Hermione nodded absently, wanting desperately to get closer, to touch them and confirm that they were, in fact, still alive. The healer seemed to sense her need.
"Would you like to sit with your husband?" he asked gently.
"Yes, yes, please," Hermione answered then made her way to the space between the two beds.
She looked at Ron first, his red hair and freckles so prominent against his pale skin. She remembered seeing him like this before, after being poisoned in their sixth year at Hogwarts, and the same sense of affection flowed through her. She picked up his cold hand, the one with the wedding band that shone so brightly on it, and kissed it softly.
She then turned to the other bed and she was sure her heart stopped beating. Harry lay deathly still, bruises and scratches scattered over his face and arms. His glasses had been removed and his head shaven so they could see some of the wounds on his skull. It sounded like every breath was a mission, a rattling, wheezing sound coming from him every time his chest rose and fell.
Ron's hand was forgotten and she went to Harry's side, her tears unable to be held back. The room was pretty much empty now, only Kingsley and Healer Littlewood remaining, but it didn't matter. She lay her hand on his forehead, as if checking for a fever, then ran a finger gently down the side of his battered face.
"Oh, my baby!"
Hermione looked up to see Mrs Weasley charge into the room and make her way to Ron's side. Hermione turned reluctantly from Harry and instead went to her husband, watching her mother-in-law fuss over her son.
"They say he's going to be alright," she said it what she hoped was a confident voice but it was like she hadn't been heard. She looked over the prone body of her husband and found Mr Weasley looking back at her, a strange look on his face. Slightly disconcerted, Hermione quickly glanced away from him and focused instead on his wife.
Mrs Weasley was firing questions at Healer Littlewood but not really listening to the answers and it was only after he mentioned that Harry was in a worse state that she acknowledged that her other 'son' was also in the room.
"Where's Ginny?" she asked briskly, "why hasn't she been notified?"
"She has Molly," Kingsley replied politely, "my people were told that she had to finish some business at the paper…."
"Business at the paper?" she exclaimed, furious, "business at the paper! She should be here, by her husband's side! That girl needs to sort out her priorities…"
"Molly, dear," Mr Weasley started, readying himself to calm her down.
"No, Arthur, this time she's gone too far," Mrs Weasley proclaimed, heading for the door, "that blasted paper has taken over her life! She needs to be taught once and for all that her family comes first not some bloody job!"
With that she was gone, leaving the room in comparative silence. It was then that Kingsley excused himself, saying he needed to get back to work and when the healer also departed, wanting to join the team that was trying to fix Harry, Hermione was left alone with her father-in-law.
They both stood over the now moving body of Ron, watching as he began to twitch and mutter. Neither spoke, but Hermione lay her hand on his shoulder, wanting him to know that she was there. When he groaned out "Luna", she froze before nervously glancing at Mr Weasley, who in turn kept looking at his son. After a moment, where Ron's mumblings were the only sound heard, Mr Weasley spoke.
"When you first visited us, all those years ago," he said softly, "I could see how much my son wanted to show you how he cared but it seemed you only had eyes for Harry…"
"Arthur…" Hermione cut in, her heart beating wildly as she tried to anticipate where the conversation was heading.
"…and I really couldn't understand why Ron followed you with such longing," he continued, ignoring her interruption, "as it seemed obvious to me that you and he were never rightly matched. I always thought you would end up with Harry."
He looked at her then, and Hermione could see in his eyes that he knew - he knew that she didn't love his son the way she loved his son's best friend. He knew from the moment he had seen the three of them together over twenty five years before hand. And better than that, he wasn't judging her. He understood.
"My wife said that I was wrong," he stated, his voice still soft, "and when we heard that Harry and Ginny were together, she said that proved it, so I kept quiet and watched. And I can tell you, what I've seen over the years has saddened me beyond belief."
"I'm so sorry," Hermione whispered, her hand still resting on the shoulder of her husband, tears filling her eyes.
"It's not too late, my dear," Arthur Weasley told her gently, and she looked back up at him sadly, "why don't you go and sit with Harry so he isn't alone. I can stay with Ron until Molly and Ginny come back."
Hermione just nodded, not trusting her voice. She looked down at Ron, her and Harry's names joining in the jumble of words that he was muttering incoherently, and felt the concern that one felt for a best friend, not a lover. Absently wiping away the few stray tears that had escaped down her cheeks, she turned from him and went to Harry's bedside.
His hand was raw, grazes exposing flesh through his skin. She held it gently as she watched his still face, willing for some sign of life other than the rasp of his breaths. Her mind was in turmoil, her emotions were so intense, so exposed that she wasn't sure how or if she would be able to hide what she was feeling.
She sat in silence, Ron's mumblings the only sound disturbing her, as Hermione tried to get her thoughts in order. All reflection, however, was shattered the moment Molly and Ginny stormed into the room, a more sedate Healer Littlewood and his small team in the Weasley womens' wake.
"See, I told you Hermione would be looking after him," Ginny scoffed, her perfectly plucked brows pulled into a frown, "there was no rush, mother!"
"Hermione should not have to look after your husband, young lady," Mrs Weasley scolded, making her way to Ron's bed, "she already looks after your children! Why you even decided to have children if you weren't prepared to raise them, I don't know!"
"Molly, I don't think this is the time or place," Mr Weasley spoke up, his tone hard and stopping both his wife and daughter from saying anything further, though both desperately wanting to.
Hermione had stood and moved away from Harry as soon as the others had entered the room, allowing the small team of healers to discuss whatever new strategy they had come up with while at the same time doing more tests. She was watching them with interest, only looking away when Ginny spoke.
"Is anyone actually going to tell me what's wrong with Harry or am I to guess," the red head sniped impatiently and Hermione saw Healer Littlewood bristle slightly. She sighed at Ginny's attitude but expected nothing else.
"We now know Mr Potter was struck with two curses at the same time, their intertwining causing some concern," the senior healer explained while his colleagues continued their tests behind him, "added to the injuries sustained from his fall, I'm afraid things are rather dire."
"Dire?" Ginny repeated, no longer bristling but now looking rather scared, "Harry may die?"
"Well, we are doing everything in our power to prevent that," Healer Littlewood stated matter-of-factly.
"I…I thought it was something minor," Ginny stammered, sinking down into a near-by chair, "something easily fixed…"
"These injuries are anything but minor," the healer informed her curtly before turning his attention to Ron, "ah, I see Mr Weasley is at least making progress."
Harry may die, Harry may die, Harry may die!
Hermione's mind screamed with anguish as the thought of losing Harry threatened to overcome her. She hastily wiped away the tears that kept rolling down her face, willing herself not to break down, and turned to Ron and his parents with what she hoped was appropriate concern.
"My son will be okay?" Mrs Weasley asked nervously.
"Yes, yes," Healer Littlewood replied with a smile, "I expect him to be awake soon and after a night of care, will be able to go home tomorrow."
"Someone needs to tell the children," Mr Weasley said quietly and Hermione looked at him with horror - she had forgotten all about Hugo and her promise to him!
"Who is looking after Lily?" Ginny asked, once more terse.
"Teddy…Teddy's with them," Hermione said, starting to panic, "I need to tell Hugo…"
"You stay here, Hermione," Mr Weasley instructed kindly, "I'll go and sort it all out. Perhaps Hugo and Rose could visit a bit later?"
"Yes, yes - that will be fine," Hermione answered absently, "thank you Arthur."
"Ginny? How would you like to…"
"Well, of course the children should see their father," Ginny interrupted, "especially if Hugo and Rose will be here. You can't tell one lot without the other lot out finding out."
Mr Weasley just nodded at his daughter and left, Healer Littlewood and his team going with him. Hermione closed her eyes as a sudden weariness hit her, the emotions of the last hour taking its toll. She collapsed into the waiting chair and rubbed her face with a shaking, cold hand.
The room was silent bar Ron's mutterings, the random words he uttered filling the awkward silence between the three Weasley women. It was a few moments before Hermione felt like she could once more look at her husband, glancing at the worried face of her mother-in-law as she did so.
It was then he decided to wake, his eyes snapping open with little warning and startling the two women watching him.
"Ronald!" Mrs Weasley cried, gripping her son's hand tightly. Ron's eyes moved to his mother and then over to Hermione, who was watching him with a sense of relief.
"Where am I?" he asked briskly.
"You're at St Mungo's," Hermione explained, "you've been in a…"
"Is Harry here?" Ron interrupted.
"Er…yes," Hermione answered uncertainly, concerned by the hardness in Ron's voice, "he's just here…"
"Get me out."
"What?"
"Get me out of this room," Ron repeated, glancing angrily at the group of healers that had come in and started to check him out, "I don't want to be in the same room as him!"
"Ron, dear," Mrs Weasley started but was quickly cut off.
"Leave it mum," Ron snapped, "I don't care. Just remove me from this bloody room!"
Hermione stood back as the healers and mediwitches hastily wheeled the now stoney Ron down the hallway and to a room of his own. She gave a parting look at the still body of Harry before she followed, Ginny watching her with a scowl.
Mrs Weasley went with her son in silence while the turmoil that had been occupying Hermione's mind from the moment Teddy showed up on her doorstep increased ten-fold. Ron had woken up furious and all his anger seemed to be directed at Harry - what had taken place at this stakeout? What had gone wrong?
She entered his room and made her way to where they had placed the bed, ready to be by his side once more, stopping when Ron sat up and glared at her.
"I want you to leave as well," he spat and Hermione felt the colour leave her face.
"Ron, what's going…"
"Don't Hermione," Ron cut in once more, "I can't deal with you right now. Just go."
Frantically, she tried to process what was going on. Obviously, something had happened between Harry and Ron, something which has left Harry fighting for his life and Ron hating his once best friend. His animosity towards her made it quite obvious to Hermione what has caused the rift.
Ron had found out about her and Harry.
As this thought hit her, her panic disappeared and a sense of survival took its place. Ron was angry, but they had two children to think about and at the moment, Rose and Hugo were scared and worried about their injured father.
"I don't know what happened between you and Harry," Hermione stated, ignoring the glare from her husband, "but I do know that we have two children terrified about the fact their father is in hospital. Therefore I ask that when I bring them here, you put aside whatever angst you are going through and act like a decent human being…"
"You're telling me how to act…?"
"Whatever has gone on, we can discuss later," she cut in defiantly, "right now you need to grow up and be strong for your children."
"Don't you even care about how I am?" he growled, "how I'm feeling?"
"Considering your ability to snipe and snarl, I thought that you must have been cured."
With that, she turned on her heel and walked out of the room.
She came back a couple of hours later with the children, standing back and watching Ron assure them that he was alright while she pretended everything was fine.
He was released the following day and came home to the smiles of all. His homecoming was celebrated with a family dinner and Rose staying at home one more night before returning to Hogwarts.
Later, as Hermione sat in her study nursing a cold cup of tea, wondering how Harry was, Rose came and sat down on the empty armchair opposite her. The two looked at each other for a moment, the crackling of the fire the only noise.
"What's going on, mum?" Rose asked after a while, "why is dad so angry?"
"He and Uncle Harry had a fight, I think," Hermione explained softly; Rose nodded in understanding.
"Is Uncle Harry going to be alright?"
"We…we don't know yet," Hermione managed to choke out, her eyes automatically filling with tears which she tried desperately to blink away.
"Is that why you're so sad?"
Hermione looked down at her half filled cup and nodded, not wanting to speak.
"Why won't dad let you visit Uncle Harry?"
"Because…" your father thinks Uncle Harry and I are having an affair. Hermione couldn't bring herself to admit that to her daughter, so instead let the sentence hang in the darkening room.
Rose was quiet for a moment, not phased by Hermione's ineloquence in the slightest and instead was thinking hard.
"I'd like to see Albus before I go back to Hogwarts," Rosie said after a while, "and see Uncle Harry. Are you able to take me there? Daddy doesn't need to know if you don't want to tell him."
"I think Albus would appreciate your visit," Hermione replied quietly, "we'll pop in tomorrow before I take you back to school."
"Thanks mum," Rose smiled, getting up from her seat and hugging her mother, "don't worry. I'm sure everything will turn out fine."
Hermione waited until the door closed before she let her first tears fall. By the time a silencing charm was cast, the sobs that were now wracking her body filled the empty study with their desolate sound.
When Hermione and Rose entered Harry's room the following day, it was to see James and Albus sitting on either side of their father, both looking up as they entered, neither looking that surprised of their visit.
"Where's Aunt Ginny and Lily?" Rose asked, going to Albus in purposeful strides while Hermione walked towards Harry's bed more slowly.
"Lil's home with granddad and grandma," Albus explained, standing to meet Rose, "mum had to answer an urgent owl."
"How is he?" Hermione breathed, her eyes never leaving Harry.
"No change," James replied, "but the healers are still hopeful he'll…"
Hermione looked up at James when his voice broke and saw the pain and anguish on his young face. The perfect meld of both Harry and Ginny, James's brown eyes filled with tears. Gone was the happy go lucky boy who she saw off on the train only a couple of months ago. She glanced over to Albus, who looked so much like his father it hurt. He, too, had tears in his eyes but he, like his brother, was trying desperately hard not to spill them.
She went to James and put a comforting arm around his shoulders in a way that let him know if he needed more support, she would give it. Rose had taken Albus's hand and together they stood side by side, looking down at the still Harry, her tears running down her face.
"How are you two doing?" Hermione asked, softly.
"He can't die, Aunt Hermione," Albus cried, "he just can't!"
"I've known your dad for a very long time," Hermione told them, pretending she hadn't seen Albus embarrassedly wipe away a few stray tears, "and seen him come through more scrapes than you can ever imagine. He's a fighter and as long as he know he has something to fight for, he'll try his very best to come back to us. We just need to keep the faith."
"Do you have faith?" James asked her, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I have to believe he'll come back," she replied, her own tears coming, "I have to."
James turned into her then, burying his face into her shoulder as he sobbed, Hermione engulfing him in a hug that he desperately wanted. She looked at Harry, her tears falling into James's hair, and saw no sign of life. His scrapes and bruises were almost gone as was the rattling sound whenever he breathed, but there was no mistaking that life had not yet returned.
She thought of all the times over the years she had seen him unconscious or hurt and how every time had been so heart-wrenching. He had been a boy then, and she a confused, unsure girl thinking that her fear was because he was her best friend and nothing more. Now she realised it was because, even then, she had loved him.
"I…I need to go to the toilet," James suddenly blurted out, pulling away from Hermione and hiding his face embarrassedly, ashamed for crying in front of his aunt. She let him go with little fuss then looked over at Albus and Rose, in time to see them exchange significant looks.
"I think we should go and find Aunt Ginny," Rose stated as she started to pull Albus towards the door, only glancing at her mother, "will you be alright here for a bit mum?"
"Oh, no," Hermione said quickly, painfully aware of what Rose was trying to do, "I can go and find Ginny. You two stay…"
"Actually, Aunt Hermione," Albus said from the door, "I would really like it if you talked to dad. I reckon he might come back if you asked him to."
Hermione was going to protest again but Rose and Albus didn't give her a chance, leaving her alone with Harry before she could open her mouth. Sighing, she sat down next to his bed, taking his hand in hers and tenderly ran her free hand down the side of his face.
"Hello Harry," she whispered, "just so you know, you've got a couple of great kids there. James and Albus are becoming real little men, though I think Albus is spending too much time with Rosie - they seem to be able to talk to each other without actually speaking. Like we used to do…"
She paused as her voice cracked, swiping away her tears with the back of her hand.
"These past few days have been terrible," she continued sadly, "Ron…Ron is angry with you and…and me. I think this is it, I think we won't be able to recover from whatever it is this time. It's like he really…ha…hates us."
Once more her sorrow overtook her has she broke down, fighting for control.
"You have to come back," she sobbed, "you have to come back, Harry. Your children need their father! And I need you! I can't go on…please, come back to me!"
She lent over and kissed his forehead, her hand running over the stubble of re-growing hair that covered his scalp.
"I love you, Harry," she whispered to him, her tears wetting his face, "I love you so much."
She could hear loud voices in the corridor outside the quiet room and she knew that Rose was letting her know they were returning. She kissed Harry once more before standing and stepping away from him, just as Ginny stormed into the room.
Rose returned to Hogwarts with extra sadness as Hermione hugged her daughter at the school's gates like she would never let go. She stood and watched Rose walk up the long driveway until she could no longer see her, and then with a heavy heart, she apparated home.
As soon as she stepped through the door, she knew something was wrong - the jumble of bags at the doorway didn't ease her anxiety.
"Ron?" she called out, first looking in the living room then the kitchen, finding both empty, "Ron!" she called out again, making her way up the stairs and finally hearing him. She went to their bedroom to see him shoving his clothes into a bag, "what's going on?" she asked him, "where's Hugo?"
"Hugo's with mum and dad," he said, not looking at her, "where have you been?"
"Taking Rose to Hogwarts," she replied, frowning, "you know that…"
"Don't lie to me," he snarled.
"What?"
"We've been together for nearly nineteen years, Hermione," he growled, finally looking at her, "so don't lie to me! I know you've been to see him! I know you've been to St Mungo's!"
"Rose wanted to see Harry and Albus before she went back to school," Hermione snapped, "and Harry is my friend…our friend! He may die, Ron!"
"If he does, good riddance!"
"How can you say that?" she yelled at him, her anger pulsing through her veins, "how dare you say that!"
"How long have you been sleeping with him?" he demanded, turning to her with such fury, she took a step back, "how long have you and he been shagging, huh? Just a few months? A few years? Or perhaps you've been going at it since day one?"
"What?" Hermione stammered, totally lost for words.
"Oh come on, don't deny it!" Ron snorted vehemently, "he pretty much as admitted it!"
"Harry…Harry told you we were sleeping together?"
"No," he hissed, striding over to where she was standing, towering over her, "but he had the gall to ask me if I was having an affair with Luna, asked me if I was sleeping around behind your back! And when I said I wasn't, I asked him if he was sleeping with my wife! He denied it, of course, but I could see the lie in his eyes. That bastard looked me right in the face and lied to me!"
"He didn't lie!" she exclaimed, "honestly, Ron - what's wrong with you? After everything we've been through, how could you not trust us?"
"Trust you?" he growled, "do you think I'm stupid? Oh, yes, actually, you do!"
"Ron…"
"Right in front of our faces! Him giving up being an Auror to look after the kids - what a load of shit! It was so he could be with you! That you two could have little shag sessions while the kids slept down the hall…"
The sound of her hand connecting with his face reverberated through the room as they both glared at each other with equal venom.
"Don't you dare Ronald Weasley," she hissed, "don't you dare imply that the welfare of our children wasn't paramount! Harry and I have never had sex, ever! And to think we would…"
"Do you love him?" he interrupted, his hand caressing his cheek.
"Of course I do, he's my best friend!"
"Do you love him more than you love me?"
"Ron…" Hermione started, knowing she couldn't lie, not now. She saw tears form in his eyes as he realised what she wasn't able to tell him.
"I'm going home," he muttered, grabbed his bag then pushed past her and out the door. Hermione couldn't move, she just stood there in shock. It wasn't until she heard the front door slam, that she collapsed to her knees and sobbed.