Chapter 14.
The Weasley's and Granger's alike sat together in the family room within the department, watching the nurses milling by and anxiously awaiting any news that may be brought to them about their precious Hermione. Hermione, admitted to the hospital under her own name, had so far been in the majors department with the medics assigned to her care. Very few people in the room had any clue as to what may have happened but those who did chewed guiltily on their own thoughts terrified that they were right in thinking that this was a complication to her pregnancy. Those that did not sat in terrified silence wondering what awful malady had befallen her.
For the entire family to be sitting in silence the way they were was almost unheard of and this was something that had happened only a few times within their lifetimes. At last, Kaylee came back into the room and faced them all. Speaking over each other, they all asked after Hermione and wanted to know she was safe. Kaylee asked them to be quiet and explained that Hermione was a little weak and had lost some blood but was otherwise okay. When asked about what had happened she simply asked everyone to let her gather her thoughts. She made them sit down and after a few minutes of silence, she told them that Hermione would need them all. In her doctors voice she spoke to the Granger's first, telling her mum and dad in French that their daughter had miscarried a baby, not waiting for them to fully react before she turned and told the Weasley's the same thing. This time the reaction was palatably shocking, possibly because they all realised what this had meant. Sympathy, guilt, shock and anger were rife in the air whilst everyone tried to make sense of the tragedy that had befallen one of their own.
She was allowed only two visitors at the time and so her parents went to her first, after which she asked to see the twins. She did not let anyone else come in to see her stating that she would be home later. Most noticeably, she specifically asked not to see Charlie. However, he ignored the request and went to her anyway. " Why?" was all he asked of her.
"I'm sorry" was all she thought to answer. "Why?," he asked again though this time the meaning had changed, not knowing that she had had no intention of telling him that she was pregnant having exercised her right to choose. She should not be feeling as bad as this, she did not want to keep the baby but still her heart felt like it was being pulled apart and guilt for her child, for Charlie and for herself had caught up with her and tears flowed freely. For the first time in weeks she allowed him to hold her unreservedly soaking in the comfort that she should not have been allowing him to give her as this was partially her fault. This time it was he who apologised sincerely and told her it would all be okay.
They left the hospital in stunned disbelief, all going back to Kaylee and Mia's flat as it was closest to the hospital. It was only then that the full story was told between the two families and grief poured between them. The adults acknowledged after a long contemplative period that perhaps it had been for the best but did not know what to tell both children that would be affected by this loss.
No one knew just what effect this would have on Hermione or Charlie but only time would tell.
The families dispersed waiting for Hermione or Charlie to return never knowing that neither would return home, they both chose to go somewhere where they felt safe, Charlie to Hagrid's hut and Hermione surprisingly to Snape's potions lab. He would not allow her to be distracted by stupidity, he would make her face her feelings and allow her to grieve in peace. She found him working on the potion that had precipitated the events that had led to this horrific event. He looked at her and for the first time in her life she heard the man say he was sorry, he held her while she cried and left her feeling better about the fact that even if she had terminated the bay she was allowed to feel bad for the loss of her child. Hours passed and this time she had pulled herself together, enquiring about the state of the potion, exclaiming in disbelief when he told her that it was not working as well as they had hoped. He explained to her that he would have to sit down with her and Charlie to figure it out.
When she hesitated, he reminded her of what was at stake, and finally snarled that any personal feeling must be out aside in order for peace to prevail and a safe place for her future children would not be created if she could not grow up enough to work things out with the man she loved.