Disclaimer: Not mine.

Sequel to Finding Home

or

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety-Jig.

Chapter 7

Hermione hurried back to the Leaky Cauldron and once again set out to Muggle London. Her chest hurt and her throat felt like a balloon that was about to explode although she kept swallowing to get rid of the obstruction and sought to even out her breathing. She kept seeing the smirk on Jennifer's face and the way that Severus had bent to put his head closer to her mouth as she had whispered to him. Fuck, she thought. Fuck, Fuck, Fuck.

She blinked her eyes several times to stop the tears that stung her lids and headed down to the taxi rank. Opening the door to the first in line, she slid onto the back seat and gave the address.

"Sorry Missy, roads around Paddington are shut down, bomb scare again. Want to get as close as you can or what?"

"Yes," she leaned forward to hear him better. "It's this side of the station. I can walk the rest of the way"

"Nothing to worry about I'm sure. Shut down three times last week it was," he shook his head sadly. "Crazy times we live in Missy, crazy times."

Hermione leaned back and watched the Cauldron slide past her window as the taxi picked up speed. Feeling her concerns and worries slip away, she leaned her head against the side window and watched the pavement as it moved beside the car. She smiled as she remembered being a child, riding in the back of her father's car doing the same.

Looking up as the taxi slowed, she saw Trafalgar Square and the pigeons flocking around the last of the summer tourists. How her parents hated the summer in London, full of stale air, heat and traffic. She wondered if the bookshops she used to visit were still in the side streets and on impulse reached up and pounded on the glass separating her from the driver.

"Here," she said in a rush. "Let me out here. I will get the rest of the way myself."

"You sure Missy?" He manoeuvred to the curb and stopped to let her out.

"Yes," she laughed as she shoved the fare plus hefty tip at him. "I grew up around here, I am fine."

"Okay then," he said sheepishly. "Don't look like you're from around here."

"I've been gone a while," she said as she stepped out. "Thanks."

After the taxi pulled away, she hurried toward the square, crossing it amidst the birds and made a left on the closest side street. A sharp pain caught her by surprise, making it impossible to suck air into her lungs and sending radiating cramps clear around to her back. Resting her hand against the building next to her, she took a breath feeling the pain gradually subside. Her free hand held her belly, as she looked down the street suddenly unsure of what to do.

She didn't think she was in labour. It was still too early by more than a month, yet the pain resembled the labour she had experienced with Elaine. Straightening up unsteadily she put her hand on the small of her back searching for her wand in her waistband ready to send a patronus to Severus. Then she saw it in her mind as she had tossed it to the bed after transfiguring her clothes that morning.

Leaning back against the building she thought furiously of what to do. She knew there was no way she could walk to St. Mungo's and could not very well step into a Muggle taxi and expect them to find it. Diagon was by far closer, but still too far to walk and no taxi was in sight. She clenched her teeth as another contraction washed over her, sagging slightly and gasping at the suddenness.

"Mame?" an elderly man stopped in front of her. "Looks like you could use a little help."

"Please, could you just make a phone call for me? My parents own Granger's Dental Practice, it's in Kensington," she grimaced and squeezed her eyes shut. "Please just tell them I am here."

"You stay right here honey, there's a booth right on the next corner. Just you sit down if you need to."

"Thank you, it's too early. I am sure it's just…." She leaned forward as another pain hit her and she felt something warm and wet run down her legs. "Oh gods, please hurry."

He took off his jacket and dropped it on the ground, then lowered her onto it before taking off at a slow run to the next corner. Hermione felt tears sting her eyes. She thought of Severus and how angry they had been with one another. She wanted him now. She concentrated on breathing and rubbed small circles on her stomach, waiting for the man to return.

"No answer," the elderly man said huffing back. "One of those answering machines picked up and said closed until next week due to a vacation. Honey, I called an ambulance. This baby isn't going to wait. Is there anyone else I can call?"

"Their home number. It's in the book," she reached for his hand. "Please, I have to wait for them, you don't understand."

"Honey, I understand you need help and…" he stopped as he saw her lean forward again and squeeze her eyes closed. "Another one?"

She nodded as she panted waiting for the pain to pass.

"Honey, my wife had five, and I can tell you this one isn't waiting. Now you just don't worry. They will bring you a phone at the hospital and take care of you just fine."

"No," she struggled to her feet. "I have to get back, please…. I can't stay here. I have to…"

"Here they come. Can you hear them?"

"Please, no. I have to go. I can't have him here. I have to get back, it's too dangerous," she pleaded with him. "A taxi, if you can just get me a ….oh my gods…"

He caught her as she doubled over and fell into him. Waving to the ambulance that had just turned the corner he was relieved to hand his newly found charge over to the paramedics.

Hermione was lifted and found herself strapped flat onto a gurney. They slid her into the ambulance as another contraction hit her and she felt the urge to push. Her jeans and trainers were cut off as a contraction that seemed to last forever took her breath, leaving her panting, taking shallow breaths and raising up on her elbows to bear down.

"NO!" the paramedic's voice came to her in a haze. "Don't push. Not yet."

"I have to," she grunted, sweat pouring off her. "He's ready."

"No." He looked up at her face and smiled. "Honey, I know it's hard but just hold off. He is in the wrong position. That's why it went so fast. You just hold off pushing."

Cautious about what he might hear the paramedic thumbed the volume dial down on the side of the handheld device as he ran a jelly covered probe over her belly searching for the baby's heartbeat, hiding his frown as best he could when he found it and the display read 185.

Catching his colleague's eye in the rear view mirror, he nodded, "St Mary's in Paddington, make it fast. We have a problem here."

He slipped a pressure cuff on her arm, fixing the stethoscope into his ears with one hand as he felt for the pulse point with the other. Watching closely he looked at her face trying to judge her pain. He then pumped up the cuff and listened carefully not taking his eye off the mercury indicator.

"What's your name honey?"

"I am not your honey," she spat.

"Any allergies?"

"Strawberries," she winced as she felt the next contraction hit her.

"Is this your first?"

She shook her head furiously and pushed him away from her. "I've got to go home. I won't have it here, if I can't push I need to go home."

"Not right now," he chuckled. "We need you to help us here, do you understand?"

She concentrated on breathing, puffing out air with her cheeks full, glaring at him.

"Alright luv, listen to what I am telling you. This baby wants out and it wants out now, but it can't make it without some help. You need to work with me here. Okay?"

Hearing no response and closely watching her reactions, he kept going.

"The baby isn't doing so well right now and we need to get you to the folks that can help. We are taking you to St. Mary's, they know we are on the way and will be waiting. Do you understand?"

She nodded suddenly fearful and tried to sit up.

"Good, now I have some questions I need answered before we get there. Can you help me?"

"I want to go home," she cried, "let me go home. I don't want to have it here."

"I don't think that's an option."

"My healer says there are things they can do, things that you can't."

"Your midwife?"

"Fuck your midwife you idiot, I want my healer," she snarled.

The paramedic frowned, "You don't have a midwife? Who have you been seeing?"

"My healer, and my husband take care of me," she squeezed her eyes shut as yet another contraction gripped her and the ambulance pulled out into traffic. "You arse! Take me home."

.

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.

.

Severus arrived home in time for dinner. Elaine heard the front door and came running at him throwing herself into his legs and demanding he pick her up.

"Elaine," he frowned and picked her up. "You should not run in the house."

"Run, trot, run," she giggled. "To market, to market, a gallop a trot."

"I see you and your Mum have been playing more pat-a-cake." He put her back on the floor while he hung up his robes on the hook.

"Go tell Mum that Daddy is home."

"Mum to market, to market, she go gallop a trot."

"Mum's at the market?" he scowled down at her. "Millie!"

"Yes Master?"

"Elaine is under the impression that her mother is at the market."

"She left this morning Master," Millie looked at the floor nervously kicking her toes into the hard wooden planks of flooring.

"The markets are closed."

"Yes Master," Mille looked anxiously at Elaine.

Waving her spindly hand, Millie transfigured a pen, not unlike the one Severus had used on Elaine in the past, and levitated it over her head. Jerking her head to the bedroom she indicated for Severus to follow her.

"On the bed sir," Millie looked at him with large eyes. "She left her wand."

Severus looked at the wand narrowing his eyes then walked to the closet and threw the doors open. Seeing nothing that he could discern missing he scowled.

"Did she pack anything?" He tried to keep his voice flat as he replayed their earlier conversation in his mind.

"No sirs," Millie twisted her fingers into the pillowcase she wore. "She left early sir, she not come back. Not all day."

Severus clenched his fists and fought to hold his temper. She had been gone all day with not a word, no worry about her daughter and no thought as to resting in bed as he had told her. His meeting with the healer had not gone well and now he was furious with her.

"Surely she said something as to her whereabouts." He glowered down at the small creature. "Surely you knew she was leaving, she must have said something."

"She was mad Master, she smashed plates and left in a hurry, wearing Muggle clothes," Millie stepped back, gulping down her fear, her eyes growing large.

Severus felt his stomach fall. He sat down heavily on the side of the bed and continued to sweep the room with his eyes. She must have left some note, some message. Even in anger, he knew she would want to have the last word. He again replayed their conversation in his mind and saw her eyes flash when she told him to return to his whore, that she no longer cared, and then she had walked away.

"Daddy?" Elaine peeked around the doorframe. "Daddy? You eat home? No go away, okay?"

Severus looked at her and saw Hermione looking at him open and unable to hide her feelings. He saw her smirk and wide smile, her liquid eyes and the way she would chew on her lip when she was worried.

"Daddy?" Elaine ran in and climbed up on the bed to reach his eye level. "You sick Daddy? Do your tummy hurt?"

"No Button," he smirked as he gave her a hug burying his face in her hair. "Daddy is being foolish."

"Mum said you fool too," she grinned, nodding her head vigorously.

"Oh, she did?" He started to grin then held her away from him frowning. "How did you get out of the pen?"

She puckered up her mouth getting ready to blow a great puff of air into his face as Severus slapped his hand over her mouth.

"You know better," he muttered putting her down on the floor. "Millie, feed her dinner. I have to do something."

He watched as Mille herded Elaine out of the room knowing that he had indeed been a fool to think she would leave. Hermione would never entrust Elaine to an Elf for more than an hour, and would never consider running away without her. The last time she had gone to her parents she had returned to take Elaine with her and forced Millie to stay behind after only a few minutes.

Going down on his knees in front of the floo, he called for the Grangers only to hear silence. Shite, he thought as he rose to apparate to them instead. If Hermione were visiting them, she would be angry that he was checking up on her, but he needed to know she was safe. Striding to the back yard to hide any sound from Elaine he quickly arrived in the Granger's back yard and walked around to the front of the house where he pounded on the door of the darkened house. He waited an acceptable time, and then pounded again, losing his temper and cursing.

"Young man," the woman on the steps at the next door yelled over to him. "No point waking the dead with all that racket. They are gone, won't be back until Sunday."

"Gone where? When did they leave?" he snarled at her.

"Didn't ask where. I just collect the mail for them."

"How long … did they leave today?"

"Last week, now you come back next week and they will be back but until that time stop that pounding," she scolded him and went back into her house.

Severus strode to the back yard, apparating as soon as he got there. Arriving in Diagon Alley he hurried to the shop hoping he had somehow missed her and she would be waiting or him, irritated that he had forgotten a date. As he approached the shop, he could tell by the dark front window that she was not there.

He stopped looking at the dark window and for the first time wondered how she spent her days. Other than their home and Elaine he had no idea of her interests. The last thing he knew that brought her any measure of comfort was the Hogwarts Library. Thinking that she could have very well forgotten the time when surrounded by her beloved books he headed up to Scotland.