Chapter 37

Lyn was trying to arrange pictures on a sky blue wall. She waved her wand and moved a few of the framed art works into different positions. She sat back to consider the pictures and with a smile secured them to the wall with another wave of her wand. Over the last two weeks Harry and Lyn had moved into their new home. It was situated not far from where Ron and Hermione lived, which was also not far from the Burrow. The landscape was of lush fields and small hills. The air was clean and Lyn had spent a considerable time decorating her small new dwelling to make it feel like home. The first few days in the chair had been hard for Lyn. It was an adjustment to be sure. However, because the chair was constructed by wizards it had some magic of its own. She was able to easily maneuver it, and raise it up and down as needed to reach things. To Lily's delight, it could go quite fast as well. The new pain potions were helping her manage her pain, which in turn helped her mood to improve. The move had been fairly fast since they only took a few things with them from Grimmauld place. Lyn loved the bright new house. She had made all the walls soft and calming colors of blue, lavender, green and cream. Lily had requested a princess pink for her room. The house was colorful and airy. It was a single story cottage. They had decided against stairs since it would complicate things for Lyn.

Harry walked through the back door holding a giggly and rather dirty Lily. "I think this little girl is in need of a bath!"

Lyn laughed, "Indeed. Did you have fun planting flowers with daddy?"

"I dig dirt!" Lily exclaimed.

"Yes, I see that. Was it fun?"

"I plant fowers and…and they perdy." Lily said with a wide and proud grin.

"I am sure they are lovely Lily. I will go look at them in a minute. I think you need a bath though." Lyn said as Harry set the girl in his mother's lap. Lyn suppressed a grimace at the added weight to her thighs. She bit her lip and looked up at Harry with a small smile. Harry gave her a questioning look and Lyn was tempted to nod that she was alright, but thought about her promise to let him know if she was hurting. Lyn clenched her jaw and drew her eye brows together to indicate her discomfort. Harry immediately recognized the look on Lyn's face as he watched her try to take a deep breath to calm her tense body. Quickly, he grabbed his daughter from his wife's lap and said, "Lily run to your room and put your dirty clothes in your laundry basket, I'll be there in a moment to help you with a bath."

"But I want ride with mama." Lily whined.

"Not right now sweetheart," Lyn said. "You need to get cleaned up."

"I don't want to!" Lily protested

"Lily…" Harry said in a stern voice.

Lyn took a different approach. "Maybe if you're a good girl daddy will put bubbles in your bath!"

Lily jumped up and down saying, "Yeah, I want bubbles! Bubbles dada?"

Harry smiled at his wife and said, "Alright, but you better get those dirty clothes off real fast!"

"I run!" Lily took off down the hall with glee.

"I'll be there in just a minute," Harry called after her. He then turned to Lyn and said with a concerned voice, "What can I do?"

Lyn shifted uncomfortably in her chair, "I just…her extra weight…I'm just soar."

Harry shook his head, "I don't buy it. Come on, it's alright. Do you need a cooling charm?" Harry gently put his hand on her thigh and could feel the heat even through her jeans. "When did you last take your pain potion?"

Lyn sighed, "I'm alright. I can't take my next pain potion for two hours. But I think I will take you up on that cooling charm. My legs feel like they are baking."

Harry immediately took his wand and out waved it over her legs. He saw Lyn's body relax and she shifted in her chair again. "Better?" he asked.

"Much, thank you dear." Lyn said. "That should be enough to help me make it until the next dose of pain meds." She unconsciously shifted again, as if trying to find a comfortable way to sit.

Harry eyed her and asked, "Are you sure you're alright? You keep readjusting."

Lyn rolled her eyes, "I'm fine. My hips are just getting soar from sitting in the same position all day. I'm fine, really. You better get going or your daughter is going to have a meltdown."

From down the hall they heard Lily's high, excited voice yell, "Daddy! I ready for bubbles!"

Harry smirked, bent to kiss his wife and hurried down the hall to clean up his daughter. Lyn was incredibly thankful that Harry was able to take some time off of work to spend with her and Lily. She just couldn't keep up with everything by herself. She stayed very active and was amazed by all that she was able to accomplish but by the afternoon she was worn out and in need of rest. Lyn knew quite well that the soreness in her hips was not entirely due to her sitting in her chair all day. It was another reminder that she was fighting the clock and her body was failing her. She moved her chair near the couch and slowly hoisted herself out of it and onto the couch. She laid down and stretched out her limbs. The pain in her hips eased a bit and she let her heavy eyelids close.

When Harry discovered Lyn asleep on the couch he decided to take Lily over to play with Johnny for a bit so that Lyn could rest. He then began making dinner. When two hours had gone by Harry went to wake up Lyn, knowing it was time for her to take her potion again. He bent down next to her and noticed that her brow was furrowed and she was shaking slightly. Putting his hand on her shoulder, Harry gently shook her. "Lyn? Lyn, you need to wake up. I have your pain potion." She gave him a shallow moan but didn't open her eyes. "Lyn, wake up honey," Harry said again.

Lyn's eyes fluttered open and her face grimaced back at him. Her small, sleepy voice reached his ears, "Harry?"

"I'm here." Harry said stroking the hair back from her face. He watched her swallow and then try to sit up. As she moved she let out a cry of pain that made Harry's heart skip a beat. He quickly pushed her gently back down and then moved his hand to her leg. She flinched at his touch. Again, his hand could feel the heat radiating from her upper leg. He quickly performed another cooling charm and saw Lyn breathe deeply. "I have your pain potion. Can you sit up?" Harry asked her with concern.

Lyn shook her head yes and began to lift her upper body. Harry moved to help her and felt her body tremble with the effort. She let out a soft groan. "You alright?" Harry asked. She looked pale.

"Yes, I'm just stiff." Lyn said as she held out her hand for the potion. Harry handed it to her and she quickly drank it down. Harry sat with her until he saw her relax and then helped her into her chair. "I think I will contact Dr. Stevens about adding another dosage of pain potion for you." Harry commented.

"No, I'm fine. I just-" Lyn argued.

"You're in pain Lyn and I won't watch you suffer when we can help you." Harry interrupted.

Lyn sighed, "Alright, I just hate the taste of that stuff."

Harry gave her a sly grin. "I am on my way to pick up Lily from Hermione and Ron's, then we can eat dinner."

Lyn gave him a sad smile. "I'm sorry I'm so useless. I feel like you are doing everything around here."

Harry knelt down and took her face between his hands. "You listen to me. All I am doing is taking care of my family. Any self-respecting husband would do that. You do a lot around here. It doesn't hurt for me to help out. It doesn't make me think any less of you. I just want to make sure you are taking care of yourself." He found her lips and kissed her passionately. When they broke apart she said playfully, "That was rather convincing. I think those kisses are an unfair advantage. They muddle my brain."

"It's my secret weapon," Harry smiled. "Now, would you like to join me for a little stroll to retrieve our daughter?"

"I think I would. I could use some fresh air." Lyn said.

Over the next two weeks Harry helplessly watched as Lyn's condition worsened. She could not sit in her chair for more than a couple of hours at a time before the pain forced her to lay down. She was taking three pain potions a day now but the relief was not as lasting as Harry had hoped for. An hour before she could take the next pain potion proved to be the worst. Harry often found his wife curled into a ball, shaking uncontrollably, her skin hot, and her brow sweaty. It became a quiet routine for Harry to perform the cooling charm on Lyn every two hours, even at night. Neither one of them was getting the sleep they needed. Lyn found it hard to get comfortable and Harry was too worried, or often found himself woken by the sheer heat radiating off of his wife's skin. He was growing more concerned by the day. Lyn was a good sport about it all and never complained. She put on her smile and did the best she could. During the hard hours of the day Harry and Lyn made sure Lily had some place to go or a project to distract her from witnessing the worst of it. One of the more concerning things for Harry was that Lyn was not eating enough. These last couple of weeks Lyn had complained of stomach trouble and a constant feeling of nausea. Several times a day Lyn found herself in the bathroom, unable to keep down what little she had attempted to consume. Dr. Stevens had come by to assess the situation and had determined that the curse was moving into her abdomen and that her unsettled stomach was probably her body's reaction to it. When Harry expressed his concern about her losing weight, the doctor had proscribed a nourishing draught. There was some comfort that even if Lyn was not getting nutrients from food, at least she was getting vitamins and necessary nutrients from the draught.

Harry returned from Ron's house to find Lyn lying on the couch with Lily lying next to her. Both his girls were asleep. Lily had her favorite blanket which had been lovingly draped over her small body and was cradled in the crook of her mother's arm. The child's messy curls matched those of her mother. With their eyes closed the two looked very much alike. Harry looked at the scene with a sigh of contentment but also with a pull of sadness. A messy pile of children's books littered the floor near the couch. Apparently Lyn had been reading, what seemed to be quite a few books, to their daughter before they had decided it was nap time. Not wanting to disturb their slumber, Harry moved to the small kitchen and began making dinner. A short time later, Lily joined him. "Hi dada! I wake now!" Her little voice squeaked out as she rubbed sleep out of her eyes.

"Did you have a good nap with mama?" Harry asked her.

"Yeah! We read lots of stowies." Lily said smiling and hugging her father's leg.

"Is mama still sleeping?" Harry asked as he picked her up to hug her properly.

"No, she wake up," Lily said against her dads shoulder. "She coming."

Harry put the little girl down and hurried to help Lyn. As he entered the living room he found Lyn sitting up with a yawn. Her face met his and she gave him a warm smile. He moved to sit down next her and whispered, "Alright my love?"

In a quiet voice she said, "Yes. Can you help me to my chair?"

Harry was relieved that she was not in much pain and quickly scooped her up and placed her gently in her chair. "Well, then," Lyn said, "I think we should go make dinner now."

"Dada start it," Lily said.

"Oh, he did? Did he?" Lyn said shrewdly. "Well, how about we girls go help out then."

Lily jumped up happily, "I wear apron?"

"Yes, my dear, you can put on your apron." Lyn replied. Harry followed his bouncing daughter to the kitchen and was followed by Lyn.

"How about if Daddy makes the spaghetti and you and me make cookies?" Lyn suggested.

"Yeah! Cookies!" Lily said excitedly.

Harry and Lyn both giggled at their daughters enthusiasm. As the family moved about the kitchen Lyn couldn't resist pinching Harry on the butt. He jumped and she laughed and shrugged her shoulders playfully. Harry kissed her and then threw a noodle at her. Lyn and Lily laughed. "Daddy silly!" Lily squealed. Lyn threw a bit of flour back at him, which then gave Lily the idea to throw a bit as well. The little family had a splendid time together and the kitchen smelled of slightly burnt spaghetti sauce and freshly baked cookies. The floor and counters had a generous dusting of flour on them, as did Lily, who was currently licking the cookie dough off of one of the spoons. Lyn was dumping dishes into the sink and said smiling, "Well, we certainly know how to make a mess."

"Don't worry about it. I'll clean it after dinner. It's time to eat." Harry declared.

As the family gathered around the small table Lyn said, "Thank you Harry for making dinner."

"Of course. Besides, I can't wait to eat those cookies you guys made." Harry said.

"I helped!" Lily said proudly.

"I know you did. You're such a big girl now." Harry declared.

As the dinner progressed Harry was not fooled by the way Lyn was pushing her food around her plate. She had barely had two bites. Looking at her closely he could see her eyes tiring and her cheeks had lost their color. When they were done eating, Harry declared, "Alright, you two, go play a game or read a book together while I clean up this mess."

"I want cookie." Lily said.

"Let me clean up a bit and then we can have cookies. I promise. Now, go play." Harry said.

"Alright." Lily said with just a touch of disappointment, and began to make her way to the other room.

Harry turned to Lyn. "Alright love?"

Lyn could see the concern in her husband's emerald eyes. Sighing she said, "Yes, I'm fine. Just tired."

"You didn't eat much." Harry tried to keep the accusing tone out of his voice.

"Sorry…I just…I'm not feeling up to it right now." Lyn said apologetically as she shifted in her chair.

Harry bent and kissed her head softly. "That's alright. Maybe some toast later then."

Lyn nodded and looking up at him said sincerely, "Thank you Harry. I really don't know what I'd do without you." She shifted again and Harry noticed her hand push on her lower abdomen. Lyn noticed his questioning look and said, "Just soar. It's alright. I better go see what Lily is up to."

"Love you." Harry said as he ran his fingers in her thick hair and pulled her lips to his. As he pulled away he was glad to see that Lyn was smiling brightly at him.

"Love you too." Lyn made her way to the other room to check on Lily.

Lily was playing with her dolls and Lyn took up a position near her, picked up a book, and began to read. A sudden pain assaulted Lyn's abdomen and she gasped; her hand pressing on her stomach. As suddenly as it had come, it was gone again and Lyn took a deep breath. She looked to Lily and was glad the little girl had not noticed anything amiss. Lyn settled back in her chair and again began to read. A few minutes later another sharp, slicing pain ripped through her lower abdomen. Lyn let out a small cry and hunched over in her chair. She felt like she had been stabbed by a knife. She tried to concentrate on breathing, the pain lessened a bit and she opened her eyes to see the face of her daughter looking back at her.

"Mama?" Lily's voice was concerned.

"It's alright," Lyn choked out.

"Mama hurt?" Lily asked in a scared voice.

Lyn bit her lip as the pain again shot through her and threatened to make her black out. When it let up Lyn said breathless, "Get daddy." She heard her daughters quick and tiny steps run away from her. Another wave of searing pain gripped her and she felt her body topple out of her chair and onto the floor. She let out a small cry. She bit back the full scream that was trying to burst from her lips. She didn't want to scare Lily.

Harry was just finishing up in the kitchen when his daughter came running in. "Dada, Mama hurt!" The little girls panicked voice shot through Harry and he immediately bolted to the living room. What met his eyes made his heart stop. Lyn was lying in a heap on the floor, her knees pulled up and her arms encircling her abdomen. Her face was scrunched up in agony and her body was shaking. Harry quickly dropped to the floor and tried to take Lyn in his arms. What was happening? It was still three hours until her next pain potion. The pain shouldn't be this bad. "Lyn?"

Lyn willed herself to open her eyes and look at him as the pain ebbed a bit. She breathed out softly, "Lily…"

Harry knew immediately that she didn't want her to see this. Harry responded, "Yes, hold on!" He jumped to his feet and performing the Patronus charm sent his Stag to fetch Ron and Hermione. He then turned to his daughter. "It's alright honey. Mama just needs to see the doctor. I want you to go with Hermione and Ron alright? Can you do that for me?" The little girl nodded her head bravely. Harry embraced her and gave her quick kiss. Ron and Hermione were there in seconds. At the sight of Lyn in agony on the floor before them they both gasped. Hermione instinctively clutched Lily to her, began comforting her, and led her away.

Lyn couldn't keep back a strangled cry as her abdomen felt like it was being stabbed by a hot poker. She curled up as if trying to escape the pain. She suddenly felt very weak and light headed. There was a warmth spreading between her legs.

"What can we do?" Ron asked.

"Just take care of Lily. I need to get Lyn to St. Mungos." Harry quickly knelt again next to his wife. She was extremely pale.

"Harry," Lyn's voice was softer then a whisper and came in weak gasps, "Something's… wrong….bleeding…" Lyn couldn't finish her thought, as darkness consumed her.

Harry was shocked when Lyn's body suddenly went limp in his arms. "Lyn!" He shook her slightly but there was no response. He was panicked now. Ron knelt beside him. Harry moved his arms underneath her. She was alarmingly thin as his fingers felt her ribs threw her shirt. As he began to shift her weight Ron let out a gasp, "Harry…"

Harry followed Ron's gaze to the floor beneath his wife. A pool of crimson dirtied the floor. As Harry shifted his arms to lift Lyn up, his forearm made contact with her blood stained pants. His heart was pounding. She was losing a lot of blood. He had no idea what was going on. All he knew was that he needed to get her help. He quickly went to the fireplace. "Ron!" He commanded. Ron quickly moved to throw Floo powder into the hearth and Harry stepped through to St. Mungos. "Help! I need help! My wife..."

A Healer quickly came to him with a gurney. "Lay her down. What happened?"

Harry clutched Lyn to him protectively, "I don't know. She collapsed in pain. She's been cursed but…I need to see Dr. Stevens, he knows about her case."

"Alright, I'll be sure to alert him. Right now we need to stop the bleeding. Lay her down."

Harry was reluctant to let go of her. He gently laid her unconscious body on the gurney. Her face was ashen. She didn't move. He bent down and was relieved to feel her breath slide across his cheek. "Please, hold on my love."

The Healer quickly rolled Lyn down the hallway and through a door. When Harry went to follow another Healer blocked his path. "Wait here."

"But-" Harry protested. He felt like his legs were going to give out.

"Just wait. We'll take good care of her." The Healer said and disappeared behind the door. Harry collapsed into a nearby chair. As hot tears slid down his face, he bent down and buried his head in his hands.

** Long chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed. Please send me a review! I want to know what you think. Thanks!