Author's Note: Hi everyone, right on time, as promised. I've had a bit of a medical set back and have some things which need to be adressed. That being said, The next chapter won't be up until Wed, Aug. 31. I need a little extra time to work on it. Thanks to my beta, Arnel, who makes me smile. The idea of The Groves came from her amazing story, "For the Love of Family", which if you aren't reading, I highly suggest you do. Thanks for reading and for taking time to review. MNF
Chapter 3:
July 31, 1981
"So, this is permanent? They just gave him up?" Lily asked as she continued to ice the lion birthday cake for Harry. Anwen and Alice were in the kitchen with her, prepping other foods for the joint birthday party Harry and Neville would be having in a short while. Neville's cake - a dragon, since his father read to him about them every night - was sitting ready on the nearby table. They were waiting for the Weasley crew to arrive.
"It's not like they came in the floo, tossed the boy at me and left. We'd spent days discussing it with Sirius's Mum and Louise. It was truly the only sensible option left," Anwen sighed. Little Draco had ended up living with Anwen, Sirius and Bastien after the extended Black family had begun to torment the Tonks's while he was living with them.
"Are you up to this?" Lily asked her best friend. Anwen just shrugged. Caring for a fourteen month old and a seven month old would be daunting for any mother, one who was still healing from near fatal wounds and a mere eighteen years old herself seemed an overwhelming prospect.
"You know we're all here to help, right?" Alice enquired.
"I know, it's just..." Anwen shook her head, "It wasn't safe for Andi and Ted to stay in England any more. Dora's life had been threatened. After their house was burned down..."
"Anwen, none of us are against the decision," Alice interceded, "it's just surprising."
"If they'd been able to take him from Britain, I'm sure they would have kept him, but he has to stay here, since Narcissa is still his legal parent. It wasn't safe to stay, even for as long as it will take to process the paperwork to let him leave the UK," Anwen explained. "The Black's left dead birds and cats by the front door, burned down the shed in the garden and then finally set fire to the house. Andromeda and Ted Disapparated just before the heating tank exploded. When they arrive at Grimmauld that night, I could see it in her face. As much as Andi wanted to care for Draco, her daughter was her priority."
"What are you going to do? Are you leaving France?" Alice asked, very surprised.
"For the time being, we're living in the little London house. It's plenty large enough for the four of us. We're holding onto the Quimper home, it's a great weekend getaway, and should things become difficult, we can go there. We've filed the paperwork to take him out of the country, just to make our lives easier, even if we remain in London," she replied.
"You're not afraid the Black's are going to come after you and Sirius?" the redhead asked the young mother.
"They won't," she answered. "Sirius is the head of the family. His mother signed all legal and financial responsibilities over to him. Given the way Sirius's grandfathers had arranged things when Walburga and Orion wed, she had the control, since Orion had passed so young. She's relinquished it to Sirius, and there isn't a darn thing anyone can do about it. Have a falling out with him, they're liable to lose their monthly stipends. The brilliant financial plan they created has bit them in the arse."
"So that's it? You're Mum to him?" Alice asked, sounding perplexed.
"Essentially," Anwen answered. Lily didn't think she'd ever seen her friend look so sad, at least not while she wasn't fighting with Sirius or ill. Now wasn't the time, but she was determined to speak with her about it, soon.
"Well, this cake is ready and nearly everything else for this party is done. We just need the Weasley clan and we can get started," Lily announced, dropping her spatula into the icing bowl and levitating it to the sink. "I hope my father is lighting the grill, James blew the last one up. Honestly, all he had to do was drop one small spark into the bowl, not blast the damned thing," she mumbled and the other women laughed.
The party was a success, the four one-year olds were now toddling around the garden, taking turns riding on Padfoot's back and playing with the new husky puppy Remus had gotten for Harry. Padfoot wasn't happy with the little grey puppy nipping at his feet or ears, and had more than once corrected the little dogs behavior. The big black dog would lumber behind a grown up's legs to distract the excitable puppy.
Padfoot was wise enough to stay away from Lily, seeing how irritated she was at him for buying Harry a training broom. She was in no mood to help him, and had put the little husky on his back, the puppy's sharp nails digging into the older dogs back. He received the message a broom wasn't an appropriate gift, regardless of how excited Harry was. The broom only flew about eighteen inches off the ground, but it was the principle of it for his Mum. She believed Harry shouldn't be flying at his age. He could get hurt.
The older Weasley boys were flying with James and Alice, both having been on the house team when in school. Frank and Remus were deep in conversation on the far side of the garden. Everyone suspected it was regarding what Frank had discovered about Eva's disappearance and her possible location. The four men would be leaving after the one year anniversary celebrations of the Great Battle, taking place over the next few days. They had until August twenty-sixth before they were required to return so Remus could be safely on the Manor grounds for the next full moon. Frank and James had both taken a family leave for the time they'd be gone. With as hard as they'd worked over the last year, their bosses quickly agreed. While the guys were gone, Lily, Alice and Anwen would be staying at Potter Manor, together.
Arthur had taken Bastien from Anwen and was walking him around the perimeter of the garden, showing him the different flowers, trees, birds and bugs. Anwen had stretched out on a chaise, and looked as if she was ready to nod off. It was only half past six. Lily sidled up next to her and sat down in the chair next to her.
"Okay, spill," Lily demanded.
"Lily, nothing's wrong. I told you earlier," Anwen answered.
"I'm not buying it. Anwen, you look like you went ten rounds with a mountain troll. Please, tell me what's going on," Lily asked again and Anwen looked at her friend with something very troubling in her eyes.
Anwen started: "It's just -"
"Girls, I don't think I'm going to make it another three weeks," Molly told them as she sat down on the other side of Anwen with a thump. "This is it. I refuse to have another baby, girl or not. I'm too old for this nonsense." Anwen pointed her hand at a small stone on the patio floor and transfigured it into a soft pouf for Molly's feet. The pregnant woman sighed as she set her feet up on it.
The moment was past, Lily could see whatever it was which troubled her friend, Anwen wasn't going to share it now.
"Molly, you're not old," Lily corrected her. "But I don't blame you, seven children is a large family."
"Humph," Molly uttered, "you have no idea. The twins are like six of Bill, Charlie or Percy."
"You don't include Ron in that number?" Anwen asked.
"Heavens no," she answered with a slight laugh. "With his magic as strong as it is, I never know what's going to happen with him. Honestly, if I'd had Ronny first, I might have stopped right then and there!" The other two laughed with her. Ron was exceptionally powerful in his magic, as they'd all been witness too. The band of boys - Ron, Draco, Neville and Harry - seemed to be quite talented and early bloomers in their ability to summon objects or have things occur which they desired. Even though they couldn't speak, the mothers wondered if they were somehow teaching each other about magic, already.
"Draco surprised us the other day when he, somehow, transported himself from the loo on the first floor, down to the playroom on the ground floor. Sirius was rather shocked to find him there, stark naked and slightly dripping on the rug. We already knew he hated baths, but this was a rather dramatic demonstration of just how much." Anwen explained. "He's also stollen Bastien's bottle by summoning it when we put it down to burp Bastien."
Lily and Molly laughed at the antics of the boys. Anwen sighed and closed her eyes.
"You look quite peeked, dear," Molly said, putting her hand over Anwen's. "Aren't you getting any sleep?"
"Some, but between Bastien needing to be fed and Draco having nightmares about the fire, it never feels like quite enough," she confessed. "Thank the Lord I'm young." Lily suspected this might be what had Anwen looking so unhappy earlier. In another year or so, the boys would be able to occupy each other and be doing similar things. Right now, however, they were too far apart for it to be helpful. Sirius and James had been busy at the Ministry nearly every day now, working with other members of the Council of Thirteen to make the needed adjustments to Wizarding laws and ordinances so they could take the month off to help Remus.
"How are you girls going to cope with all your husbands gone for a month?" Molly asked, watching Arthur reprimand the twins for something. She'd never tell them, but she was thankful Arthur hadn't been asked to go with the rest to find Eva.
"We're all going to stay here," Lily explained. "Strength in numbers and all that. My Mum and Dad are coming to help some days, as are Alice's parents."
"My Ma and sister are taking the train up as well. Liddy wants to see the boys before she goes back to school in Bristol," Anwen said with a yawn.
"That's it," Lily said with a slight chuckle. "Upstairs, right now, Anwen. Take a nap in the room you and Sirius use. There are plenty of us to watch your boys."
"Lil, I'm fine. We're going to have to leave in less than an hour anyway, to get Bas home for his bath and bottle," Anwen protested.
"Anwen, I can bathe and feed your baby while James and Sirius play with Harry and Draco. You need a nap, you're going to fall asleep right there, but if you do you're back and shoulders are going to get sore from how you're positioned," Lily directed and the youngest of the mothers agreed with her friend before Disapparating to the second floor bedroom. She was asleep before she knew it.
"Oh, Molly, she's absolutely beautiful," Lily purred as she looked down at the little red-headed baby in her friends arms. "What a sweet little thing. And those eyes, there so observant."
"She's an absolute angel, Lily," Molly explained. "Almost never cries, sleeps for four or five hours at a stretch, and she's only two weeks old."
"What are you planning to call her? Ginevra or something else?" Alice enquired.
"We've settled on Ginny, although Ron calls her 'sis'. He sounds like a little snake when he wants to see her, repeating it over and over, 'sis,sis,sis,sis' until I let him see her. The boys are very good with her, all protective of her already," Molly explained.
"I can't imagine when she gets older and the boys start coming around," Alice added, "my brother was awful when Frank started courting me. He threatened him EVERY time he came over to see me during the summer between our sixth and seventh years. That poor little girl isn't going to have a boy look at her without one of those big brothers of hers staring him down."
"I would expect no less," Molly said calmly. "Just like Fabian and Gideon did for me."
"Speaking of your brothers, how are they?" Lily asked.
Molly sighed as she shifted little Ginny around, carefully, as not to wake her up. She desperately needed to confide in someone who might understand. She was also thankful Anwen wasn't here, not because she didn't wish to speak to the young witch, but didn't want to make her uncomfortable with the discussion.
"Well, on the positive note, Gideon has returned to work. He's irritated he's on desk duty still, nearly a year later, but I have to remind him how badly injured he was. He only just learned to walk again. He's not happy with how he's simply doing paperwork, but it could be so much worse, at least he's at work. He's living in the flat he and Fabian shared, theoretically, but he's usually here for meals," Molly explained as nicely as she could.
"Molly, if that's the positive, what's the negative?" Alice asked, almost afraid of her answer. Molly sighed loudly enough so her sweet infant shifted in her arms, nearly awakening. The three adults watched carefully as she settled herself again and went back to sleep. When she was certain Ginny was asleep, Molly continued her tale.
"Fabian has discontinued going to therapy. He refuses to do anything for himself here, even though he has full use of his arms. He just lays in his room and stares out the window. The Healers had me discontinue the Pepper-Up potion due to over use," she explained.
"Oh, Molly, how frustrating that must be," Lily commiserated.
"He's just a shell of the brother I knew growing up," the elder woman continued her tale. "I just don't know how long I can keep this up. I have seven children, and to take care of him full time..." she broke down, awakening her daughter. Alice took the crying baby while Lily comforted her friend.
Alice summoned a nappy from the pile on the low shelf in the loo and spread a blanket and changed Ginny quickly, while Lily let Molly cry it out. She remembered how those first days after Harry had been born felt. She was exhausted from giving birth, she needed to be concerned for the health of four of her friends and wasn't enjoying the media attention she was receiving. She wasn't at all surprised Molly had cracked while she and Alice were visiting. Once Molly had calmed her tears, Lily summoned the tea pot from the kitchen, still full with the special chamomile and rose hip tea she'd created for her friend, and poured her another cup, charming it back to drinking temperature.
"Drink," Lily commanded, "the tea is something I created just after Harry was born. It will settle you, while also staving off headaches, calming your digestion and reducing swelling and tenderness. All things I'm quite certain you're feeling right now." Molly obeyed her friend's directive, and did enjoy the way the warm liquid felt on her tongue and as it slithered down her throat.
"It tastes wonderful," Molly commented before another large sip.
"That's the cardamom and elder flower," Lily explained. "The slightly bitter aftertaste is from the dandelion leaf. There's plenty more in the tin I brought you, and I can make another tin whenever you need it."
"She gave me some last summer," Alice added, now up and pacing with the awake baby. "The nice thing is none of it will affect your milk. If anything, it helped little Neville relax as well."
"Maybe I need to feed it to the twins," Molly quipped and all three laughed.
"I know this is hard to talk about, but have you considered putting Fabian in a rehabilitation hospital?" Lily asked. "I know they've built one not far from here. The Groves, I think it's called?" Molly sighed again.
"Arthur and I have discussed it, however, Gideon is absolutely opposed to the idea. He believes our family should care for Fabian. I want to care for my brother, but my life is so full already..." she explained.
"He's not doing the work of caring for him, is he?" Alice asked and Molly shook her head. "Well, while it might be his opinion, but it seems to me, you and Arthur should do what's best for your whole family."
"In my head, I know you're right," Molly acquiesced, "but it's so much harder in practice. I would really like to tour, but Arthur is always so busy and then we'd need someone to mind the children -"
"I'll watch your children while you go," Alice offered, and Molly looked surprised.
"If you want to visit, I'd be more than happy to go with you," Lily interrupted her, making Molly more flabbergasted. "I know Sirius was over looking at their memory care rehabilitation for his mother. He was impressed, as was James, who went with him."
"Has she gotten that bad? I thought she looked good at Harry's birthday celebration," Molly asked.
"She was having a good day, which is why she was at the party," Lily answered. "Most days, however, she doesn't know where she is. Last week Louise brought her over to see the boys, and Walburga was screaming at Anwen, calling her some horrible names due to her blood status. Sirius decided against moving his mother from Grimmauld Place, but rather hired a team of medi-witches to provide care."
"I wish we had the funds to have some help around here," Molly muttered almost too softly to be heard. Both Alice and Lily were ready to speak up, offering her the money, but Molly could see it in their faces, and wouldn't allow it. She instead continued, never giving her friends an opportunity to offer their assistance, which she would have had to politely decline. "Perhaps it would be best to go and visit. You're sure it's not going to be a problem to take the time away from Harry, especially since James is still away." Lily and Alice both chuckled at the comment.
"Molly, we have more help than we know what to do with," Alice explained. "My Mum and Dad are over on Mondays and Thursdays, Augusta is here on Tuesdays and Saturdays, Dr. and Mrs. Evans cover Wednesday and Friday and on Sundays Minerva comes down from Hogwarts and goes to church with us and then stays for supper." Molly looked quite surprised at this, secretly wishing she had as much assistance.
"Oh, and we can't forget how Sirius ordered Kreacher to cook our evening meal for us everyday, and Anwen's mother and sister have been here for the last week. Honestly, we can take time away to help you look at The Groves," Lily explained and Molly nodded. They agreed on a time and place and Lily fire-called the facility to set up the appointment.
As the women were preparing to leave, a whoosh from the Floo surprised Molly. She stood and looked into the kitchen, surprised to find the Black's house-elf levitating several pots, tureens and serving dishes into the room.
"W-w-w-hat's this all about?" Molly stammered.
"Dinner for several nights," Alice stated. "We're capable of cooking, so Anwen had Kreacher do your cooking instead."
"Oh, girls, you have no idea how much this means to me," Molly cried, going to embrace each of them for their helpfulness.
The four men were lounging on the beach on the Florida coast. They were sitting under a palm tree which overlooked the ocean, it's water a pure, clear, brilliant aqua blue. They were staying at an exclusive wizarding resort, one which provided watercraft to their patrons who wanted to do deep sea diving. This group had used the boats to follow leads out into the islands south of their location.
They'd been able to track Eva and her mother as far as America, but then lost their trail in Miami. Two days remained before the full moon, and Remus was anxious to get back to Scotland and be settled before he felt any changes. They'd booked an international Portkey for the morning. James, Frank and Sirius weren't sure what they'd say to their wives when they returned, seeing how they'd spent a week in the tropical climate and were going back looking far less pasty than when they'd left. The only saving grace for them was it was summer in the UK. If they'd spent a week in the heat in the dead of winter, they knew they'd be in far worse shape.
"Aren't you hot, Sirius?" Frank asked. Sirius was wearing his jeans on the beach in the near one hundred degree weather.
"Why yes I am, Frank," he deadpanned back. "I am not, however, overheated as I charmed myself. I refuse to look as ridiculous as the three of you." In order to 'blend' more with the locals. Especially important, since they often followed leads into Muggle neighborhoods. To facilitate their disguises, the other three had purchased pale colored shirts in various shades of 'sherbet' as Sirius mocked. James and Frank were wearing linen shorts while Remus wore long pants in the same fabrics. Sirius wore his jeans, tee-shirts and riding boots. "I do not wear short pants."
"Even as a boy?" Frank asked.
"No."
"What about to bed?" Frank continued. The other three laughed.
"He sleeps in the nude," Remus answered with a slight shudder. "Even while we were at school. The only exception seemed to be when Anwen was home when they were younger and they shared a bed."
Frank shook his head at the dark-haired wizard with the cocky smirk on his face.
"Good thing those guys at the pub the other night didn't know that," he teased. "They might have followed you to our hotel if they did." Sirius turned a deep shade of scarlet. The others laughed.
"It would have been polite to share with a bloke we were going to a gay bar before we went," Sirius chastised.
"Where would the fun in that have been?" James enquired, between chortles.
"Hmmph," Sirius muttered under his breath. "You didn't spend the night having your bum pawed at." The others laughed harder. Apparently Sirius was not only a girl magnet, he was a guy one as well.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready to go home to my wife. She sounded quite rattled on the mirror the other night," the brunt of their joke changed the subject.
"I agree, I'm ready to be home," James concurred. "Lily said Anwen's been having trouble getting Bas to sleep. He's cutting teeth or something. It's too bad Mum Evans had to go home, I know she was helping Anwen with your two."
"Tomorrow, gents, we will be with the ones we love," Frank agreed.
"Not all of us," Remus mumbled. James walked over to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder. "We will find her, I promise. Let me work some of my contacts when we get back. We know they headed south from here. Someone must know where they went."
The guys Portkey left the Miami International Portkey station at ten-twenty local time and arrived in London at three-twenty-three local time. It wasn't a very soft landing, the four friends needing to hold onto each other, lest they tumble over, as they ran into turbulence somewhere over the Atlantic ocean. The London station was crowded and they discovered the Floo network was down for maintenance, which surprised both James and Frank. General repairs and upkeep were done on Sunday mornings between two and three. For the Floo's to be closed on a Tuesday morning was suspicious.
"This is odd, and a tad worrisome," Frank stated. "Tell Alice I'll be there shortly, definitely in time for supper, but I want to go over to the office, check to make sure everything is on the up and up with this closure." The Marauders nodded in understanding.
"If you hadn't, I would have," James stated. "We'll all be at the Manor. Alice will understand. See you in a while?"
"Definitely," the Auror stated before handing Remus his rucksack and walking out the doors of what appeared to be a closed clothing shop to Muggles passing by.
"I believe Apparating will get us home quicker," James suggest and the others agreed. The passed through the crowds of people either preparing to leave or awaiting friends or family who were arriving through the gates. The Disapparation points had long lines, but they were moving quickly and in no time the gents were on their platforms and leaving the busy terminal.
They arrived on the back patio, where Lily and Alice were playing with their boys. Lily rose to greet James, kissing him passionately. Harry and Neville toddled over to see the men who'd returned. Harry nearly as excited to see Sirius as he was his own dad.
"Where's Frank?" Alice enquired.
"The Floo network was down, supposedly for maintenance. He went over to the Ministry to check on things," Remus explained. "He'll be here for supper."
"Was he even in the country for five minutes before he went back to work?" she asked, a slight laugh in her voice.
"No," Remus said with a shake of his head. Alice shrugged and lifted her son, who leaned over and kissed Remus on the cheek. Sirius looked around the garden and was surprised to find Anwen wasn't with them.
"Lils, where's my girl? I thought she'd be waiting for me," he asked, a little hurt his wife wasn't with her friends.
"Sirius, she's upstairs, probably asleep. She was up most of the night with the boys. Bas is cutting teeth and Draco ate three crayons and had quite the tummy ache last night," Lily explained. Sirius turned and was headed for the door when Lily stopped him.
"I need to talk with you before you go up there," she told him, pulling him toward the door to the kitchen. When they were inside, Lily checked to make sure Anwen wasn't on the first floor and then began speaking.
"Sirius, there was an incident about a week ago I need to tell you about," she started. "Anwen lost her footing on the stairs, none of us are quite sure what happened, it was late at night, and we were upstairs in our bedrooms. I heard her when she fell. She said she missed a step, but I was looking at her right leg and it was horribly swollen and some of the scars looked so raw and painful. Alice and her Ma and I tried to get her to see her Healer, but she said it was nothing and refused to go."
"I swear, she's more stubborn than a hippogriff," Sirius complained. "I'll work on getting her to go to St. Mungo's. She's supposed to be getting a different brace for her leg next month. I wonder if she's ready for it?"
"I don't know, but I think she's in more pain than she'll tell anyone," Lily confessed and Sirius closed his eyes and ground his teeth together from the tension in his jaw. His wife had always been a slip of a woman, but she wasn't ever weak. The injuries she suffered in the Great Battle were the most serious, she nearly didn't survive them. He had to make her understand she needed to care for herself and not just worry about the rest of the family. Sirius pulled his hands through his hair, freeing it from the small leather cording he'd tied it back for the journey home. Stuffing the strap into his pocket, he started up the stairs.
When he reached the bedroom he and Anwen shared, he paused, listening for noise on the other side of the double doors. The room had been Mr. and Mrs. Potter's bedroom when he was a child. James and Lily shared the suite across the hall, James unable to be comfortable in his parents bedroom. They'd insisted Sirius and Anwen use it, and for the number of times they'd slept in the room over the years, the couple - and everyone else - thought of it as their room. Anwen and Lily had recently redecorated it, removing the metallic silver and turquoise butterfly wallpaper and replacing it with deep purple walls and white linens.
Careful to be quiet, Sirius opened the door and was awed by the sight he found. His wife was propped up in the middle of the bed, her back and head supported by several pillows with her chestnut hair spread around her head like a fan. Her blouse was mostly unbuttoned on the top, and her bra was pushed aside so little Bas could sleep directly on her chest, skin on skin. She was nearly sitting up, so little Bas was upright as well. Anwen's left hand was under his bum, holding him to her.
Laying next to her was little Draco, his head resting on her thigh, right hand bunching up her skirt in his fist, the thumb of his left hand in his mouth. Anwen had her right hand resting on his back. There were days he was humbled by how she mothered their children. This moment was beyond any of those. He never knew his heart could hold this much love, not only for her, but for their children. He didn't know love like this existed when he was a child. Having it now made him appreciate it and his wife all the more.
Quietly he toed off his boots, closed the door and slid onto the bed next to his wife, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and laying his head down on the pillows next to hers. The movement caused her to awaken.
"Go back to sleep, little one, I'm home," he whispered before he kissed her cheek. Anwen hummed contentedly and turned her head to him, her eyelids half opening.
"I missed you so much," she whispered. "My heart hurt while you were away." There was an honesty to the words she spoke in her state of near waking which deeply affected him.
"I'm here," he promised her. "I will always take care off you, my love. You and our boys are the world to me now."
Anwen hummed again, shifting so her head was lying on his shoulder now. "Kiss me?"
"As if you have to ask," he muttered before he gently, but passionately, let her know how much she loved him.
"How does it feel?" Healer Róis Quirk asked Anwen as she tentatively stepped on her new-braced leg. Anwen thought for a minute.
"Um, fine, I guess," she answered. This wasn't quite the response her healer wanted to hear. The new brace gave the young witch more flexibility as it bent at the knee. Eventually, when her leg was stronger and the muscle built back up, she'd be able to walk without any bracing. This was the final step in her very long road back from it being crushed during the battle.
"You don't sound so sure," the Healer responded. "Anwen, I can't help you if you aren't honest with me." Anwen sighed, Sirius watching the whole exchange.
"Um, well, I..." Anwen hesitated.
"Sweetheart, what is it?" Sirius prompted her, and she took a few more hesitant steps, her jaw clenched. She took another step and felt her right leg buckle under her. Grabbing for the examination table, she was able to keep herself upright. Sirius immediately stood and went to her side, helping her stand.
"Anwen, does this happen often?" Healer Quirk asked quickly, flipping through pages of parchment.
"Not really," she evasively answered.
"That's not true," Sirius corrected. "You fell down the stairs a few weeks ago, while I was away." Anwen glared at him.
"Lily has a big mouth," she mumbled.
"Anwen, honestly, what's happening?" The Healer prodded.
"Fine, the truth is I can't feel my leg half the time. I'll be walking and all the sudden it's like it's not there. I'm terrified when I'm carrying the boys I'll drop one of them. At least in the old brace, when my knee buckled I knew I couldn't fall because it was rigid. I'm scared of what could happen now." The words tumbled from her, surprising both parities in the room with her.
"How long has this been going on?" Her Healer wanted to know.
"Love, why didn't you tell me?"
Anwen looked at them both, unsure what to say. Her eyes darted between them, and they watched as her emotions overtook her.
"What do you want me to say? The body I could push to the limits, make move in ways which created lines of grace is failing me? You want me to tell you I feel betrayed and weak and useless? Do you want to hear I'm frightened because I don't know what could happen next? I just...I thought if I ignored it, maybe it would get better; but it's not." Fat tears began to flow down her face which she hid with her hands.
"Anwen, your body went through a horrible ordeal last year. None of us thought you'd ever walk again," the Healer explained. "You are stronger and more persistent than most of the patients I've ever treated. We'll figure out what's going on and then how to treat it, okay?" Anwen nodded against her husbands chest.
"Love, why didn't you tell me?" Sirius whispered to her while rubbing her back.
"I didn't want you to be worried." Sirius took her face between his hands.
"Look at me," he demanded in a soft voice. "You and our boys are my life now. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is more important. When you're worried, you lay it on me. I will always be here to lean on." Anwen nodded again.
"Okay then, let's get you up on this table and figure out what's going on with those legs," Healer Quirk instructed and Anwen followed her directions.
