Chapter 7
Andy eventually gave permission for Delphini to attend their family gathering. It definately had much to do with Teddy's hopeful eyes when Ginny swinged by to ask her, and the pressure she received from both Harry and Ron: it seemed like the letter Hermione wrote him and Harry long ago, asking them to help her with her daughter's struggles, finally was paying of. But she'd lie if she didn't admit she was curious as well: she wanted to see the kid that made her grandson defy her and her sister... well... a completely different person.
Bella was now in Saint Mango's and it seemed she wasn't getting out before the holidays. Hermione spent all day by her side, holding her hand, exept from her few visits to Luna and Ginny's house to see her kid. They didn't let Delphi go see her mother, and she didn't really ask, knowing Bella was lost for the time to her mental illness. "But she'll be ok by the next school holidays, right mum?" She asked Hermione with big eyes. The woman hugged her and reassured her everything was going to be ok by then. Ginny had left the room to wipe her eyes while Luna observed them from the window, crying.
"Are you missing your mom?" she asked in a sweet voice a couple days later.
"Yeah. I... She can't control it. But I sometimes hate her for it." the kid admitted, looking at her floor.
"You know, I lost my mom when I was a little younger than you." Luna smiled.
"Really?"
"Yeah. She was an excellent witch, but she loved experimenting. Once, one of her spells went terribly wrong. I was eight."
She sighed and looked at the kids face.
"I used to be... so angry at her. I was sorry I had lost her but I spent so many years thinking that, if she was a little more careful or not too risky..."
She took a deep breath and smiled, happily. Her smile impressed Delphini, who was staring at her with open eyes.
"But she was my mom. And, at the same time, a human being. She made mistakes and was unlucky sometimes. But she gave me a lot. A lot of love, and smiles, and happiness, and life lessons. And she loved me and did her best for me. So I choose to love her back and remember her in a positive light. It never does good to duell on sadness. You always should search for the light."
Delphi stared in awe. She suddenly jumped up and hugged Luna. "Thank you." She wishpered. "For everything."
She run out' the women's apartment was in Diagon Alley, and their kids had permission to go outside and shop if they wished. "You're welcome." Luna replied to the air, with a grin on her face.
In the hospital, on Christmas morning, Bella was sleeping next to her wife. She had a fit earlier in the day and the medical stuff stuffed her with potions, predicting shed wake up in a couple of hours. She hadn't yet, so Hermione leaned back on her chair, exhausted' she hadn't lied in a bed for days.
"Mione?" Bella's weak voice woke her up. "What happened?"
"Shush, you're fine. I'm here."
"Where's Delphi?" the older witch asked the same question she asked her every time she woke up, which was three to seven times a day.
"In Ginny and Lisa's house. It's the Christmas holidays."
"Why isn't she here?"
Hermione sighed. "I don't want her to see you like that. We'll arrange for you to meet within the school year. For now I'll keep her away, until you feel better."
Bella started crying' soft, pathetic weeps escaped her mouth, breaking her wife's heart. "Dont cry, my love. You'll feel better soon. You know that's how it goes: you'll get better eventually, like every time before."
"What if I don't?" Bella murmured. "What if I stay like this forever? Won't I ever see her again? Will you always keep her away from me?"
"But you won't, you know you won't."
"What if i do?"
Hermione forced a reassuring smile. "You won't stay like that. You'll get better soon. But, hypothetically, if you did stay like this, I'd bring her here. Ok?"
"Yeah."
Hermione crawled up the hospital bed and wrapped her arms around her partner, kissing her softly on the forehead. Bella sung into those arms, with her head on Hermione's chest, hearing her heartbeat. And, a few hours later Bella fell asleep in the same pose, for the first time without meds in the last few weeks.
