Author's Chapter Notes:

Hello, all!

Well, firstly, I'd like to thank the lovely Ari/Royari for her quick and wonderful help with this chapter!

Also, some parts in this chapter were at the suggestion of opti and Lost_Robin at the MNFF forums, so thank you!

Anyway, I'd like to tell you all that this story was complete around two months ago, so yes, updates will be fairly quick. I have decided to submit a new chapter every Wednesday and Sunday. There are eight chapters in total. Oh, and this story was written for a challenge on MNFF. I chose the prompt about marital problems and decided to write about Ronmione. So you can pretty much guess how this story will go. :) And, has anyone noticed the shiny new cover? I made it in like 5 minutes lol.

I hope everyone enjoys chapter 2! :)

LITTLE ANGEL WINGS

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2. Hugo is Sick Again

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Ron, Hermione, and Rose were sick two days after Hugo's fever attack. Harry informed them that very day that he, Ginny, and the kids had come down with the same thing that had affected Albus a week ago. The Potters and Weasleys had all had dinner together the night that Albus had fallen sick, so their best guess was that the fish had been a little off. Hermione got less worried about Hugo once everyone was better, and life resumed as usual.

Ron was slightly smug about having been right that there was nothing seriously wrong with Hugo. Obviously, he'd only had a minor bug, which had vanished after about two days of trouble. Hermione was not particularly pleased with this attitude, Ron knew but, to be fair, she could be too finicky sometimes. It wouldn't be advisable to run to the hospital every time Hugo ran a fever, would it?

"No, Ron," said Hermione when he voiced these thoughts out to her while leaving for work one day. "But it does help to be on your feet."

"Come on, Hermione. At this rate, Hugo is going to be a hypochondriac when he grows up."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Ron. "No, he isn't. Don't exaggerate."

"Well, it's the truth."

"Well,"she said hotly, "I just thought he was sick enough for it."

"He wasn't really, though, was he?"

"All right, Ron, you win," she sighed. Then she smiled faintly. "You'll be home for dinner, right?"

"Of course," he said, leaning over to kiss her lips. She turned away and he got her cheek instead. "Bye," he said, a little disappointed.

"Bye, Ron," she said, noticing this and pecking his lips anyway.

Ron came back from work that evening, only to be welcomed by a slightly agitated Hermione. As he entered his home, he found Albus running about, chased around the house by Rose and James. There was no sign of Harry or Ginny in the living room though.

"Ginny is in Rosie and Hugo's room," said Hermione in reply to his unasked question.

"Oh," said Ron. "Why are you low?"

"Hugo's sick again," said Hermione, her voice breaking a little. "I-Ron, I don't know…"

Ron put an arm around her. "What's wrong?"

"He has a fever. Again. The nanny informed me a while ago and I took the rest of the evening off from work."

"Come on, Hermione, it-"

"It's his third bout of fever this month, Ron!" she said, interrupting him. "I have asked Ginny to take care of Rosie while we take Hugo to the hospital. She's going to stay until we get home, and then Harry will join us all for dinner. Let's go get him checked up in the meantime."

"For a fever?!"said Ron. "Why are you making this an issue?"

"Because it isn't just the fever!" said Hermione, biting her lip. She sighed and buried her face in her hands for a moment before looking at Ron with an expression that suggested that she was about to cry.

Ron frowned. "Is anything else wrong?"

"It's just his mood…" she replied, sighing again. "He's been crying a lot lately. He's refusing to eat properly. He gets tired of playing so soon. He sleeps so much… I think something's really, really wrong!"

"Yeah, he just got sick a few days ago, and so did we, for that matter. I still haven't got my appetite back, and I'm tired, too. So are you-and Rosie and everyone else. Why is it only Hugo who's bothering you? We're all experiencing the same thing- except, he's cranky because he can't express himself that well yet. You're being a little paranoid, Hermione."

"He's walking strangely, too," Hermione said finally, as though she were saving this for the last.

"Yeah," said Ron. "Well, I hate to break this to you, Hermione, but Hugo is two. He's supposed to toddle and waddle."

"It's as if he's in physical pain while he walks," Hermione insisted, choosing to ignore Ron's remark. "I know how he normally walks, Ron, and this is not it. He asks me to pick him up most of the time."

Ron sighed. "Fine. We'll take him to St Mungo's. I still think it will be nothing, though."

"And I'm hoping you're right," said Hermione as they walked to Rose and Hugo's room. Ginny was there. She sat on Rose's bed as Hugo rested in her arms, sniffling quietly. Lily was in Hugo's cot and she seemed to be enjoying his toys.

"Hey, Ginny," said Ron, smiling at her wanly, and she smiled back at him before he knelt down to face Hugo.

"Are you not feeling well, kiddo?"

Hugo sniffled again, his blue eyes getting wet. Ginny chuckled at this. "You should know better than to ask him such a question, Ron. He's yourson."

"What do you mean?" asked Ron as Hermione scooped up Lily from the cot and put her on the bed, then took Hugo from Ginny's arms so she could change his nappy.

"Well, Mum told me you liked attention," said Ginny. "So whenever Fred and George tormented you with their pranks, Dad would come to soothe you. You'd take one look at him and start crying, and when he would pick you up you'd cry harder, for a longer time just so Dad would hold you longer."

"I didn't do that!" said Ron, glaring at his sister, and he knew that his ears were going red.

"Yes, you did."

"You wouldn't know. You're just bluffing!"

"Mum told me about this, Ron, I just said so," said Ginny, rolling her eyes.

"Ron?" called Hermione from beside the cot. "Could you come see this?"

He got up from Rose's bed and went over to Hermione. She was pointing at Hugo. "Can you see that?"

"Yeah," said Ron. "It's Hugo."

She was in no mood for a joke, but in all seriousness, Ron couldn't see anything.

"Look closer," said Hermione. "His skin!"

Ron bent over and squinted at his son's pale skin. It seemed to have tiny, red spots on it. "Freckles?" he said unsurely, knowing full well that they weren't freckles.

"We're taking him to the A&E," said Hermione, lifting Hugo up from the cot as he started to wail at the top of his voice. "I don't care what you say. He's sick and he needs attention."

Hugo definitely wasn't happy when he saw the hospital. In his mind, St Mungo's was the place for just one thing: his vaccinations. Thankfully, wizarding vaccines weren't like the Muggle ones (needles sounded ghastly to Ron). They were, in fact, just potions. Unfortunately, the potions tasted ghastly, and Hugo didn't like them any better than he would have liked needles.

A Trainee Healer attended to Hugo as soon as they arrived in the A&E, and Ron waited beside Hermione, with an arm around her. He wasn't too worried himself, but he wanted to comfort her because she seemed quite anxious. The Healer checked up Hugo, asked Hermione about the symptoms, and left to bring in one of his seniors. Two minutes later, Terry Boot was walking towards them, accompanied by the Trainee. He smiled when he saw Ron and Hermione.

"Hello Ron, Hermione! I'll just take a look at the little guy and get back to you, okay?"

Ron smiled back at him and nodded as the latter went up to Hugo and took his temperature and pulse and checked the spots on his skin. He gently pulled up Hugo's little t-shirt, instructed him to bend his knees, and felt around the child's abdomen. After a while, he discarded his gloves, took out his pad, and came up to Ron and Hermione. "What symptoms has he been experiencing of late?"

"He's been feverish thrice this month," said Hermione, while Ron kept quiet and decided to let her do the explaining. "On one of those occasions the fever was accompanied by vomiting."

"Anything else?"

"Well," said Hermione, "I'm not sure if the rest count as symptoms… He's been very cranky and he keeps crying for things, but he was never like that until he started getting sick. He also walks a little strangely."

"How so?"

"I don't know… it's like it hurts him to walk. He wants me or Ron to lift him all the time."

Terry nodded as he made notes on his pad. Ron squeezed Hermione's shoulder as Terry stared at his notes silently. "Hmm," he began, looking at Hugo once and then back at his notes. "It's a good thing you brought him here, actually."

At this, Hermione gave Ron an I-told-you-so glance, which he decided to ignore, given that he was starting to get worried too. "Is it anything serious?" Hermione asked Terry quietly. "Will Hugo be okay?"

"Well… I'm not sure, but whatever it is, it doesn't look good," Terry cautioned. "Hugo has an enlarged liver and spleen. This information and the symptoms you've described to me could point to a number of diseases, so we'll have to run some tests."

"Tests?"

"Yes, but for now, we will just take a blood sample. I think we should determine an initial diagnosis to avoid putting Hugo through any more tests than necessary."

"Okay," said Hermione. "Are you going to do the blood test just now?"

"Yes," replied Terry. "I'm afraid that is necessary."

"Wait," said Ron suddenly, frowning and letting go of Hermione. "You're not using that awful Blood-Letting Charm, are you?"

"Ron!" said Hermione, grasping his arm. "I've read up about that Charm. It's not dangerous."

"Oh, no, no," said Terry, looking at Hermione. "Actually, he's right. I understand there is quite a conflict regarding the Charm. We will use needles, if that's what you want."

"No, that's not necessary-" Hermione began, but Ron interrupted her.

"We'll just talk about it and let you know, Terry."

"There's no need for that!" said Hermione, looking cross, but Ron shook his head.

"There is."

"Okay, I'll leave you two to discuss the matter," said Terry. "I'll be back in five minutes, okay?"

He left Ron and Hermione with Hugo, who seemed to be comfortable on the bed. Ron looked at his son. "We can't let them use that Charm on him, Hermione."

"Really, Ron, what's wrong with it? It's going to hurt him just as much with a needle."

"It's not that!" said Ron, sitting down on Hugo's bed and looking up at Hermione, who stood with her arms folded. "That Charm's practically Dark Magic!"

"That's not true! It's Ministry approved. The spell has undergone several tests to make sure it's effective, that there are very strict regulations regarding who can use the spell. And Healers are not allowed to use it until and unless they've got a licence for it, which is only given after careful assessment of the Healer, so if Terry is offering to do it, I'm sure he's an expert with it. The spell hasn't been shown to have any lingering effects, either."

"Yeah, that's all good, Hermione, but Ministry approval doesn't make it regular magic. It is Dark. I'll still maintain that."

Hermione sighed and sat down on the other side of the bed. "Ron, we have to be practical."

"That's exactly what I'm saying. Do you want Hugo to have experienced Dark Magic at such a young age?"

"Oh, come on!" said Hermione, looking frustrated. "His blood has to be tested and that Charm is completely reliable. Don't create a scene over this now."

"I'm not creating a scene!" said Ron, getting angry at her. "I'm just saying-"

"No, Ron, this is not Dark Magic. Hugo isn't even going to remember it for too long. Now can we let Terry do it?"

Ron looked over at Hugo, who was watching his parents fight with tears threatening to fill up his eyes. He ran a hand through his son's red hair. "Fine."

Terry came back in a couple of minutes and took a stool, seating himself beside Hugo as Ron stood up from the bed and Hermione walked over to his side. "The Charm, then?" Terry asked, removing a syringe and a needle from his robe pocket and placing them on the bedside table just in case.

"The Charm," Hermione told him. She took one look at Ron's distressed face and took his hand in hers, but he freed himself and folded his arms, tapping his feet impatiently. She looked at him sadly and stood beside him as Terry tied a tourniquet on Hugo's arm and rubbed antiseptic on the pit of Hugo's elbow.

Terry muttered something under his breath and touched the wand to the spot and Hugo let out a loud cry as Terry placed a small collecting vial to the spot, which was now leaking blood. Hugo took one look at the blood and started to cry in earnest.

"Oh, no, no, baby," said Hermione, getting down on her knees and taking Hugo's small hand in hers. "It's all right… Don't cry…"

Tears were streaming out of Hugo's eyes and wetting his pillow as Terry finished filling up the vial and started working on closing the puncture he had made.

"Dada!" Hugo said, raising his blue eyes to Ron.

Ron knelt beside him and stroked his son's hair gently. "I'm right here, kiddo. It's over now."

"That's done, then," said Terry, standing up and pocketing the vial with Hugo's blood as the child continued to cry.

"Can we take him home?" Hermione asked the Healer.

"Of course," he replied. He scribbled something on his prescription pad, tore it off, and handed it to Hermione. "Just give him this potion for his fever. And he's fine. Just a little alarmed, I'm guessing. Get him a treat and he'll forget about it in a jiffy," said Terry, winking at Hermione and Ron before exiting the cubicle.

Ron immediately stood up and scooped Hugo into his arms. Hermione came to Ron's side and once again took Hugo's chubby hand in hers, kissing it a good number of times. "It's over, sweetie. Shall we get you a Chocolate Frog before taking you home?"

Hugo looked away from her and buried his head into Ron's shoulder as the latter patted his small back. "Let's go straight home." Hugo whimpered and rested his cheek on Ron's shoulder, and Hermione walked beside them, still holding Hugo's hand. They didn't talk until they reached home.

Hugo was asleep by the time they entered their house. Harry and Ginny were in the living room, talking in low voices, while Albus, James, and Lily all slept on the couch. "Hi!" whispered Ginny when she saw them.

Harry smiled at them, got up from his place, and walked to them, followed by Ginny. "What did the Healer say?" he whispered to Ron.

"They took his blood sample," replied Ron. "We'll know the results tomorrow, I think."

"I hope everything's okay," said Ginny as Hermione took Hugo from Ron's arms.

"Did Rosie eat?" Hermione asked Ginny.

"Yes," replied the latter. "She's asleep inside."

"Thanks, Ginny," said Hermione, smiling wanly at her. "Could you hold Hugo while I get his food from the kitchen?"

"Sure," said Ginny, holding out her arms.

Ron frowned at his wife. "You're waking him up?"

"He has to eat," Hermione replied, shrugging at him as she handed Hugo over to Ginny.

"Why don't you just let him sleep?"

"Because if I do that, Ron, he will be hungry in the middle of the night. Plus, it's not good to sleep in an empty stomach."

"He's not well, Hermione."

"Really?" she said, putting her hands on her hips. "Who was the one who insisted he wascompletely fine?"

"Well, he's not now," said Ron.

"That doesn't mean I'm going to let him go to sleep hungry."

"What if he throws up?"

"Then it comes out!" snapped Hermione. "Honestly, Ron, I won't force feed him if he's feeling nauseous. But it's been nearly a week since he was last sick, so I don't think we'll have to worry."

"You-"

"Okay!" interrupted Harry. "Stop bickering! You two are starting to drive me and Ginny up the wall now."

"Well, she started it!" said Ron accusatorily. "She seems to think the Blood-Letting Charm isn't Dark Magic!"

"It isn't!" said Hermione. "Harry, tell him it isn't!"

"Harry knows it's Dark Magic," said Ron before Harry could reply.

"For heaven's sake, Ron, it's over! Will you let it go?" Hermione walked out of the room before Ron could say anything else and went into the kitchen. She came back with a bowl of pureed carrots for Hugo, and she set the bowl on the table, before taking him from Ginny and waking him up.

Hugo didn't like being woken. He wailed again, and his wails caused Albus, James, and Lily to wake up. James was fully energised after that and did not waste any time in tormenting Albus, who ran into Harry's arms, screaming.

Ron and Hermione remained angry at each other. Despite Harry and Ginny's attempts to get them to talk, they were merely icy and scarily cordial to each other by the time Hugo, Albus, and James were asleep again. Finally, after some forced, awkward conversation over dinner, Harry and Ginny made their excuses and left. That night, Ron and Hermione slept as far away from each on the bed other as possible, determined not to get close.

The next morning, Ron was jerked awake by Hermione at what seemed like the crack of dawn, but it took him only a couple of seconds to realise that, though he had laid down on the bed early enough, it had taken him a long time to fall asleep. He groaned and changed sides, drifting off to sleep again.

"RON!"

"Hmm?" He opened a tired eye to see Hermione kneeling beside him on the bed, looking extremely anxious. "Lemme sleeb, 'Ermione."

"Ron, wake up. Hugo's test results have come."

"Huh?" He was awake at once. He sat up on the bed, rubbing his eyes. "Wha' doez it saaa-" He yawned. "-aay?"

Hermione looked like she would cry as she handed him the scroll of parchment. He realised at once that it was bad news. He unfurled the scroll and opened it, skipping all the technical stuff and going right to the bottom, where the interpretation was written in clear, bold letters.

ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKAEMIA

Ron did not know what the first two words signified, but he sure knew what the third one did. And he looked right up at Hermione, who was sobbing, and pulled her into a tight hug as the horrible news sank in.

Hugo had blood cancer.

Chapter End Notes:

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