Tenderness
A/N: I found this in my WIPs folder and fell in love with the idea again so I finished it. I hope you enjoy!
The sparks flew as curses and hexes fired. The air literally crackled with magic. One of the Aurors screamed and fell. Without thinking, Harry darted into the crossfire to where Auror Davidson, had fallen. Feeling a spell break through his shield, and realizing how vulnerable he was, Harry put up the strongest shield he could conjure, picked up Davidson and ran outside of the Anti-Apparition barrier the Aurors had out over the house. Just as he turned to Apparate to St. Mungos, a spell broke through the shield and several spells hit Harry and Davidson. The last thing Harry saw as he succumbed to the pain was the shocked look on the face of the healer in the Emergency Apparition Area.
Ginny had been putting lunch away when Hermione's Patronus came into the kitchen. "Ginny, Ron just sent his Patronus. Harry took an Auror to St. Mungos in the middle of a raid and hasn't returned. He's worried something happened. I'll meet you there."
Ginny fought down the panic. Nothing was certain yet. Harry could have just been held up, explaining what had happened to help the other Auror, he could just be delayed.
She went into the living room where Jamie was napping in the bassinet. She hated to Apparate with him, he was so little, but as much as she tried to tell herself everything was fine, every fiber in her being told her it wasn't. Harry always returned to raids as quickly as possible if he needed to leave. The fact that he hadn't returned said everything.
Something was wrong.
"I'm sorry love." She whispered holding Jamie close to her chest. "It'll be over quick." Grabbing her wand and Jamie's bag, Ginny turned and Apparated to St. Mungos.
Jamie woke crying from the quick but uncomfortable journey, but the fact that a healer came directly to her told Ginny that she'd made the right call.
"Mrs. Potter, we've been waiting. Mrs. Weasley is with your husband waiting for you. If you'll follow me please."
Ginny didn't trust herself to answer; she just nodded and followed, mechanically trying to calm Jamie with his pacifier.
When they entered a room, there were two beds and healers everywhere. Hermione stood against the wall near the bed on the right and Ginny went straight to her.
"What's going on?" She asked as Hermione enveloped her and Jamie in a hug.
"Apparently, Harry and the other Auror apparated into the emergency area and collapsed. Harry was hit by at least three stunning spells and several other hexes they're trying to identify and treat. He's actually in better shape than the other Auror."
Ginny took a deep calming breath. This wasn't the first time Harry had ended up in the hospital - and probably wouldn't be the last - but it was the first time he'd ended up in the hospital since Jamie had been born.
Everything was different this time.
Jamie seemed to sense the panic rising in her and clung to her as his crying increased.
"Ginny," Hermione said quietly, "Jamie can tell something is wrong. You have to calm down so he will too."
Ginny bit back the retort on her lips. It was easy for Hermione to say she needed to calm down, her husband was currently safe filling out reports. She didn't have to make the call of whether or not to Apparate with her two-month-old child. If anything Hermione's comment made it harder for her to calm down. Jamie's crying didn't lessen either.
Then the door burst open and a woman with beautiful brown hair came to an abrupt halt, two teenage boys standing directly behind her, their hair the same chestnut brown.
"Sam?" She looked at the other bed and Ginny ached for her. She knew exactly what the woman was feeling.
"Mum," the taller boy put his hand on her arm and she turned, noticing Ginny and the crying Jamie.
She took three long strides and suddenly wrapped Ginny and Jamie in a hug. She didn't speak, just held them, and the two women cried together. As Ginny cried, Jamie slowly subsided in his crying. Getting some of her emotion out seemed to be enough for him and finally, he fell back asleep.
It was only then that the woman let go.
"I'm Heidi Davidson," she smiled as she wiped some of the tears from her eyes.
"Ginny Potter," she shifted Jamie in her arms, "and my son Jamie."
Heidi smiled down at the now sleeping baby before turning to her boys, "This is Eric, and here's Anthony, Sam's partner told us your husband pulled him out."
Ginny nodded, not sure she could trust herself to speak yet. Hermione left with Ron after he came to assure Ginny and Heidi that the rest of the raid team had caught everyone.
It took another hour before the Healers had Harry stabilized, and Auror Davidson was another thirty minutes after that. Finally, both families sat quietly in the room. Ginny slumped in the hard chair, keeping Jamie pulled close against her.
"Is Jamie your first baby?" Heidi's voice sounded behind her.
Ginny nodded. She'd been married to Harry long enough that she'd come to terms with the concept that she could end up a widow, but now it was different. It was one thing for her to be widowed; it was another for her son to lose his father.
"Eric was six months old the first time Sam got hurt on the job after we were parents," Heidi sat in the seat next to her. "It's different."
"Yeah," Ginny's voice cracked. "Jamie's two months old."
Heidi's hand found hers and gave it a squeeze. "The same way that you came to terms with the possibility of being a widow, you'll come to terms with the possibility that your children may only get to know their father through you."
Ginny felt the lump in her throat rising higher.
"But I know who you are Ginny," Heidi smiled at her, "and you were willing to die in a war at sixteen. You married a man who takes it on himself to save the world. And you're strong enough to do this."
"I don't know," Ginny whispered, clinging to her son.
"You wouldn't have made it this far if you weren't."
Ginny took a deep breath, trying to stay the tears when Eric and Anthony appeared behind their mum.
"Can I hold Jamie?" Eric asked.
Ginny felt a jolt go through her but Heidi gave her a reassuring smile. Slowly she handed her whole world to this young man with chestnut hair and soft hazel eyes.
"Hey buddy," Eric smiled down at the sleeping baby, "my brother and I just wanted to say thank you. Your dad made sure ours could come home to us today. You're a lucky kid to have a dad like that."
Eric handed Jamie back to Ginny as tears streamed down her face. Yes, Harry was battered and broken, but he was battered and broken in exchange for another family being whole. Ginny found comfort in that it hadn't been lost on Eric and Anthony.
"Harry?" A streak of blue hair came bolting to the bed in front of Ginny followed by long black hair and black eyes that Ginny had long since learned were full of immense love and fierce loyalty.
"I'm sorry Ginny; I came as quickly as I could." Andromeda came to stand with her. They'd been on the continent visiting one of Ted's brothers who lived and worked in Germany.
Ginny pulled Teddy to her, taking comfort in having him close.
"Ginny, what happened to Harry? What's wrong?" Teddy asked looking up with tears in his eyes.
"Teddy," Ginny smiled through her tears, "this is Eric and Anthony." She pointed to the Davidson boys. "Harry saved their dad, their dad is still here and he'll get to go home with them."
Teddy looked at the boys, the tips of his blue hair turning their same brown color. "Harry's my godfather. My dad didn't come home from the war."
Anthony knelt down in front of Teddy, "You're lucky to have Harry then, I'm really glad my dad can come home."
Teddy's lower lip wavered and Ginny reached for him, but Teddy threw himself at Anthony and burst into tears. Anthony pulled the little boy close and let him cry.
"Harry's going to be alright, Teddy," Ginny reassured him; handing Jamie off to Andromeda's outstretched arms and pulling Teddy from Anthony's arms.
"Ted?" Harry's voice was hoarse.
Ginny's breath hitched and she spun around to her husband.
"Harry!" Teddy cried throwing himself up onto the bed before Ginny could catch him.
Harry let out an oof but stopped Ginny from pulling Teddy from him.
"How's Sam?" He croaked as he stroked Teddy's hair.
"He'll have a long recovery but he'll be fine." Heidi stood from her seat next to Ginny, offering it to Andromeda. "Thank you, Harry, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you."
Harry sighed in relief, "You're welcome."
The Davidson's left the little family to themselves, Harry reaching for Ginny's hand, Andromeda's hand resting on his leg, Teddy curled up next Harry on the bed. Jamie sleeping soundly on the bed. There wasn't need for words, they'd talk when he was well.
Jamie stirred and Teddy wriggled over closer to him. "It's ok, Jamie," Teddy cooed. "Harry's ok, we're all going to be ok."
Ginny caught Harry's eye and they shared a small smile. Teddy was right, they were going to be alright. And as she thought back on her conversation with Heidi, she knew that no matter what happened in the future, she and her boys would be alright.