Disclaimer: Not mine.

Sequel to Finding Home

or

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety-Jig.

Chapter 10

Doctor Cunningham flipped the chart open and quickly read down the page, scanning the test results and comments made by the shift nurses.

"Ok, start her on cefotaxime for the infection and keep her on the diclofenac and co-drydramol for pain. Has psychiatry seen her yet?" He looked up at the shift midwife impatiently.

"Saw her for less than fifteen minutes and gave her what they are calling a conditional all clear. I wouldn't trust her with that baby myself and I sure wouldn't trust the so called husband that has yet to show his face."

"Her tox screen was clear?" He frowned and flipped through the chart again. "Ok, find the delivering Registrar and get a write up. If he agrees call in Social Services, see what they can do."

"How long can we get away with holding her?"

"Maybe a couple of days. If the infection doesn't settle down we may not have to worry, she won't be going anywhere." He snapped the folder shut. "Keep me in the loop. I don't like surprises."

The duty midwife took the folder from him and continued on her rounds, taking vital signs and recording the results. When she reached Hermione's room, she sighed as she pulled the door open.

"It's about time." Hermione struggled to sit up. "I want to go to the nursery."

"You Missy will stay in that bed."

"I have to see him. I don't see why he isn't in here with me."

"Honey, he is on monitors, feeding tubes, I.V 's not to mention he is still having other problems. He is better off where he is."

"Listen, you don't know my husband, but when he finds out what is going on here I would suggest you hide. Because when he is done with, you will be picking your teeth out of your arse. Now take me to him!" Hermione wrestled with the cot sides and tried to sit up, but the stitches stabbed and burned viciously causing her to blanch and take shallow breaths.

"Don't try to do that just yet luv. You'll do yourself more harm than good and we don't want to have to restrain you again. It will go faster if you settle down you know. We'll get you some pain-killers later and have you up and about more soon enough."

"Please?" she began crying. "I have to be with him. He may do something, something he won't mean to do. With all those tubes and things someone has to watch him every minute, every second, not just when the buzzers go off."

The midwife raised her eyebrow, stuck her pen in her mouth chewing on the end and considered the new mother's request. Something was off. Something she could not put her finger on. She also knew that the baby would fare better with human touch and contact.

"If I get you in there you have to promise to shut your mouth and stop acting the fool."

"I am …" Hermione clamped her lips together and vigorously nodded her head.

"You will not be left alone with him. If the NICU nurse has to step out, you step out at well."

Again, she saw the woman nod.

"I'll send in a chair to take you," the midwife sighed. "Guess we can try against my better judgement."

"I'll be …" Hermione's eyes filled with tears. "I can't, I just can't stand not seeing him."

"This isn't about you. It's about that baby in there. If I didn't think he may respond to you I wouldn't let you near him. If you have a brain in that head you best use it because that baby in there won't be going home with you until you do."

"I don't understand, I just don't understand why everyone would think I could hurt him," she tried to speak and hold back her tears, managing to sound like a petulant child.

"Well, let's see," the midwife glanced at the door knowing full well that she was overstepping her bounds speaking to a patient this way. "You didn't get antenatal care, you let your jerk of a husband, or whatever he is, knock you around and brow beat you into thinking you could deliver this one at home… no don't interrupt…. I don't give a fuck what the tox screen says, he gave you something and the way you were crying for his 'potion' when they brought you in shows you still want it. If I had my way that baby in there would be taken away from you today… but for now he needs you and you are going to go in there and pretend that you are a decent mother. You got that?"

Hermione nodded, unable to answer. She would not be allowed to touch him if she did. Her heart beat so hard in her chest that the blood rushed to her ears and tried to block out the horrid words. Wiping the back of her hand across her eyes, she could only nod and lower her head. My gods, she thought, if they take him how would they ever find him again. Without magic to trace him, he would be lost.

She waited until the health care assistant brought the wheel chair and lowered the cot sides. She then handed her a pillow and told her to hold it over the incision and support it as she helped her stand. Settling her in the wheel chair, she transferred the IV apparatus to the drip stand on the back of the chair and slipped a blanket over her knees.

"Just don't you worry luv, but any funny business and I'll bring you straight back," she started to push her to the door. "Behave yourself and we'll get on just fine. Have you up there in no time."

She reached back to close the door behind them and frowned at the barn owl pecking at the window. Making a metal note to call maintenance she pushed her down the hall. Several years back she remembered owls building nests in the air units sitting on the roof. She didn't want to spend another summer with them keeping the patients up at night.

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Severus waited until he saw the owl returning. He lifted his arm and whistled softly, calling the owl to rest on his arm. Seeing the same missive he had attached, he pushed the owl away and angrily started down the tower. The owl circled his head only to come back to his shoulder, landing on him again and began to peck at his ear.

"Blast it." He raised his arm and batted the bird away.

Frowning, he shoved his hands in his pockets and watched the ground as he strode back to the castle, his black robes billowing in his wake. Ignoring the owl still hooting and circling his head he thought of what else he could do. He had reached a dead end. Either she was refusing his owls, or whoever had taken her had found a secure place.

"Fessor," he raised his head and saw Hagrid lumbering to him. "Fessor, what seem's ta be wrong with my Gidget?"

"Gidget. What is a gidget?" he snarled at the oaf.

"Not a what, who…" Lifting his arm and hooting to the owl, Severus watched the bird descend onto the half giant's shoulder and peck at his cheek.

"Where you been my little girl?" he cooed as he stroked her back with his large finger.

"She delivered, or rather attempted to deliver a note for me," Severus turned on his heel. "Perhaps I should try better trained owls."

"Nah, she trained up right smart she did," Hagrid frowned and scratched his beard. "She couldn't get where she needed."

Severus stopped and turned back to the massive groundskeeper. "How would you know that?"

"If'n she ca-not find the wizard she goes straight back ya know," Hagrid again stroked the bird. "She knows where the wizard is, she just ca-not get there. You need to try again."

Severus groped in his pocket for the small package and retied it, giving the recipient's name and watched it fly off for the second time.

"Hermione?" Hagrid lifted his massive head and watched the owl hug the ground, its wings beating a rhythm as it climbed over the lake and then the mountain on the far side. "Cor, she was there when Gidget was a hatchling. Helped train her up she did."

Severus swallowed hard hearing the sadness in the half-giant's voice. Slowly turning back to the gate, he hesitated and then stopped.

"Do you think she will come back Hagrid? You seem to have known her longer than I."

"Hermione would never leave the little one. That I know. And she would leave you only so long as it took you to go after her. Once she sets her hat she's a loyal one she is."

"I am trying Hagrid, I am trying."

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The humming, beeping, and other sounds in the neonatal unit sickened Hermione. She wanted to lay him in Poppy's arms. She thought she could stand never seeing him again if she just knew he was safe, healthy and loved.

Her right hand lay on his chest feeling the rise and fall of his shallow breaths. She counted with the machine that counted for the nursing staff and wanted to scream that it was inaccurate, it did not register when his chest started to raise then stopped before completion. Pressing two fingers gently against his ribcage she could signal his body to once again work.

Late into the afternoon, she felt a heaviness in her eyes and fought to keep them open, to keep her hand over his heart. Bringing her hand out of the incubator, she kissed her fingertips, and transferred the moisture from her lips to his. Suddenly she felt a shimmer run through her, a gentle ripple as like a stone thrown in a still pond.

Lifting her head to peer into his face she gasped as he began to change to a healthy pink. Her hand remained frozen, resting on his lips as she closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind, knowing that it was her magic flowing into him. Tears flowed down her face as she smiled and cried at the same time.

"What the fuck?" A hand grabbed her shoulder roughly and pulled her back, extracting her hand as it did. "You're trying to smother him?"

Her chair was snapped back quickly as the staff rushed over to the incubator.

"She had her hand over his mouth," the duty nurse looked up to see the monitors begin to flash. "Shite, get her out of here, he's crashing."

"No," Hermione struggled. "It's the electricity, it won't work near him. Get him away from anything electrical, hurry."

"Get her the fuck out of here! Call security and put her someplace, anyplace but here."

Hermione saw the door open and the care assistant hurry in to push her out. Ignoring the IV in her arm, Hermione tried to push her away and sought anything she could pick up and throw. Stepping behind the chair, the care assistant grabbed the handles and jerked the chair hard enough to snap her head forward and back.

"Now listen here," she leaned down to her ear. "I warned you. Now you will sit in your room quietly."

"Please, take me back," she sobbed, as she propelled her down the hall causing heads to turn to watch her. "You don't understand. He cannot be near electricity now. It can take his magic away. He is too fragile right now, and it's not fully seated in him. Please."

"Magic?" she rolled her eyes and pushed the door open with her arse, pulling her in backwards. "You are one crazy cow, you know that?"

"No, please…."

"No, you listen. You did it this time. Just sit here and wait. I am sure you can expect some company very soon. As soon as they know how badly you hurt him you can be sure the police will be looking into it."

She sat and watched as she left the room and then saw the doorknob turn again, knowing that she was locked in. Concentrating on trying to get out of the chair her head snapped up at the familiar tapping at the window.

Wheeling herself to the window she saw the tiny brown barn owl cock its head at her. She sucked in an agonised breath as she picked up the wastebasket, and holding it in both hands, she smashed it against the glass sending the owl flying and shards of glass showering over the sill and floor.

"Gidget!" she called frantically. "Hurry, Gidget. There's my good girl, my beautiful beautiful girl."

She laughed as the bird landed on her lap and held up its leg to her, waiting while she removed the missive with shaking hands.

Hermione opened the parchment seeing a golden coin slip into her lap. Looking at the parchment she smiled.

Hermione;

Please. Just say home.

Severus.

Hermione picked up the coin as the door behind her opened, and holding it tightly to her chest, she whispered "Home". She immediately felt the familiar squeeze of apparation as the port key took her away.