Done for Fabranger NaNoWriMo and as a request by an anon on tumblr. Warning: death in the Fabranger family. I don't own Glee. I don't own Harry Potter.
"Hey, baby, have you gotten a chance to put up that fencing? I saw Merlin digging yesterday again?"
"Hrm?" Quinn looked up from her newspaper. "Oh yeah, I picked up the wire yesterday - was planning on doing that after breakfast." The blonde smiled, leaning sideways in her chair to wrap her arm around Hermione's waist as the brunette passed.
Hermione laughed, falling into Quinn's lap. She twisted a little to place a kiss on the blonde's lip before pulling back and smiling brightly.
"By the way, where's Mer?"
"I let him out earlier - he's running around in the back," Quinn grinned.
The backyard was the main reason both Quinn and Hermione loved the house. It was large enough for Merlin to have enough space to run around. And both Hermione and Quinn were able to start a small vegetable garden, which was proving to be their new Sunday outing.
"How about before you work on the fence, the three of us go for a walk?" The brunette smiled, leaning back as Quinn nuzzled up behind her.
"That sounds perfect," Quinn smiled, getting up from her seat and lifting Hermione up in a tight squeeze.
"Quinn!" Hermione laughed, gently hitting the blonde on the shoulders, "put me down!"
"No," Quinn smirked, adjusting her grip on the brunette so Hermione was partially slung over her shoulder.
"You neanderthal, put me down," Hermione continued to laughed, hitting the blonde's back.
Quinn didn't respond as she headed out to the backyard. "Here boy!" she whistled while Hermione struggled her legs against Quinn's grip, giggling.
"Do you see him?" Quinn asked after a couple minutes when Merlin didn't come.
Hermione sighed, "He probably got out again," she chuckled. "That's why I wanted you to get that fence in."
Quinn rolled her eyes and headed towards the side gate, Hermione still in her arms. As she unlocked the gate she started whistling again, calling for the pug, "Merlin!" The two of them heard a yap coming from the front yard in response as the gate swung open.
"Told you so," Hermione smirked.
Quinn was about to tickle Hermione's sides in retribution when their laughter halted at the sounds that would later haunt both their dreams: a loud honk, the screeching of tires and a high pitched yelp that seemed to echo into the street.
Both their hearts stopped. Quinn immediately put Hermione down and the two of them ran down the driveway to the street. Hermione's hand went to her mouth as a sob escaped her lips. Tears blurred Quinn's vision as she ran towards the red Fiat. Neither of them even registered the man's apologies and explanations.
"It's okay, boy, you're going to be okay," Quinn could feel her cheeks getting wet as she looked down. Merlin was whimpering, his breathing labored. There were scrapes on his paws and on his head. "You're going to be fine. We'll get you to the vet and you'll be fine."
Five minutes later, Hermione was situated in the back of the car with Merlin who was whimpering. "Shh, Mer," the brunette's voice cracked as she gently scratched behind the pug's ears. Quinn caught Hermione's eyes as she glanced in the rear view mirror. "He'll be fine, 'Mione," the blonde choked before pulling out of the drive way.
"There's nothing more we can do. And he's in a lot of pain."
Hermione let out a small sob.
"No," Quinn shook her head, her lips pulled inwards. She'd pulled up her walls as soon as they stepped through the veterinary hospital, not willing to break again. "No, there has to be something."
"Sweetie, he's in pain," Hermione's voice cracked as she placed her hand on the blonde's shoulder.
"No!" Quinn yelled, shrugging the brunette away. "There has to be something. He's - We - I can't," the blonde had been composed for the last two hours, as they waited in that damn hallway.
"Dr. Fabray." That damn voice. How many times had she used that tone when talking to a patient's family. That soothing calming and understanding voice, "I know this is difficult."
"No," Quinn shook her head again, her voice just above a whisper, closing her eyes tightly.
Hermione was openly crying as she wrapped her arms around Quinn, burying her head in the blonde's shoulder, "Come on, baby. Let's go say goodbye."
"I can't," the tears started falling again as the blonde moved away from her wife to sit down on one of the seats in the hallway, her shoulders shaking.
"I'll give you a moment," Dr. Fitch said to Hermione, squeezing her shoulder gently before leaving.
Hermione gave the man a sad teary smile before turning back to Quinn who had her head in her hands. She moved to sit next to her wife, her arms moving around the other woman. "Please."
Quinn shook her head again, a hiccup escaping her lips as she fought back the tears. "I won't."
"I can't do this without you," Hermione mumbled into Quinn's shoulder. "Please don't make me do this alone."
Quinn's whole body shook with a sob when she saw Merlin laying on the table, breathing labored. He looked at them through pleading eyes. She couldn't watch and she fisted at Hermione's shirt and buried her head against the other woman's shoulder as she let the tears fall uncontrollably. Hermione wrapped one arm tightly around Quinn's waist. Tears were falling from her own eyes as she gave a final nod to the doctor, reached out to scratch Merlin under the chin one last time and watched as his eyes slowly closed into a peaceful sleep.
Hermione drove on the way home - Merlin's body in the back seat wrapped in a blanket. Quinn was silent in the passenger seat, looking out the window as tears continued to streak her cheeks.
All Hermione could think was how they were going to tell the kids and all Quinn could think about was how she should have put that fence up the week before when Hermione had initially asked.
Okay that was just painful to write, my apologies.