The Witness and the Wife-Chapter 38-All Together Again
By Miss Marmalade Fever
Not everyone took Bellatrix's advice, however. A few of the lesser Death Eaters held their hands in the air immediately. The majority apparated away as quick as lightning. Those others who remained were either unconscious, like Lucius Malfoy, still putting up a vicious fight, or standing stoically, like Severus Snape. Ron and Ginny panted for a few brief moments, wands still at the ready.
"Well done, Mr. Potter." Harry's head swiveled to Snape, who was actually clapping rather boredly.
"Severus!" Bellatrix wailed. "Cease your blasphemy this very instant!"
Ron knocked out a Death Eater who had started creeping slowly toward Ginny. "Blasphemy, my good woman?" Snape asked. "I think you would benefit from a new dictionary." Snape chuckled darkly as the doors to the lift sprang open, a number of Order members making a sudden and belated appearance.
Bill Weasley came charging in, a spell on the tip of his tongue. It dwindled away and turned into a swear word. "What the… What happened?" he asked, as McGonagall strode past him, only to gasp at the sight of the tea table, and just who exactly it was who lay with arms outstretched against it.
Harry answered. "I killed him." A simple explanation seemed the best.
Tonks let go of a long whistle before vaulting to take out the last few loitering Death Eaters. Snape still stood with arms crossed, looking as if he was merely watching a very boring sorting ceremony. Lupin approached him warily, wand arm stretched toward him, but still Snape made no move to flee.
"I think," Ginny said, sinking to the floor and nursing her broken wrist, "there may still be poison victims in the rooms down the hall. Harry nodded and threw the bezoar to Bill, who continued to aid the victims.
Down the hall, Lucius stirred, and Tonks quickly aimed her wand toward him. A sudden thought occurred to Harry. "I wonder," he said loudly, "if Mr. Malfoy is aware that he is, today, a grandfather." Lucius sat up and stared.
"My son is dead," he replied, a flush overshadowing his heavy sunburn.
"He is not," Snape corrected, taking sudden interest in the turn of conversation.
"Did Hermione have the baby?" Tonks asked, grinning despite the situation.
"She was about to when we left," Harry answered.
"Herm…" Lucius trailed off, as if wracking his brain. "The Mud… muggleborn?" he corrected swiftly, as Tonks changed the position of her wand on him.
Harry nodded. "Your granddaughter might be arriving into the world as we speak."
Lucius' ears pricked up. "A girl?" he repeated. He began to laugh almost maniacally. "Impossible!" Snape, too, looked apprehensive.
"She's a lozenge baby," Ginny added smugly.
Lucius became suddenly very still. Snape's eyes swiveled to look at Ginny. "But that would mean…" Malfoy said, "that she would be…"
"A squib," Snape said faintly. "Unless, of course, the Veela blood and muggle blood were to have a combined reaction and cancel out the affects of the lozenge." A look of utter triumph washed over his face. "Of course… why I didn't think of it before, I'll never know," he said softly.
"What are you babbling on about?" Harry asked, moving his wand to aim at Snape.
Snape straightened and looked Harry directly in the eye. "I am, Potter, the inventor of the Pregnancy Lozenge."
Throughout the conversation, McGonagall had been looking increasingly confused. "Do you mean to say that young Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger are not only alive but having a baby together as well?"
"That, Minerva, is exactly what we are saying," Snape answered. "The two have been in Witness Protection Program, if I am not mistaken." He turned to Harry for confirmation.
"How did you know?" he asked.
Snape rolled his eyes. "Mr. Malfoy, rather, the young Mr. Malfoy, told me that he and Miss Granger eloped, and he led me to believe that it was because she was pregnant. Now that I am aware of the Pregnancy Lozenge's play in this, I think I can safely assume that it was used to help keep them under cover. Am I correct?" Harry nodded in confusion. "Besides," Snape continued, "I also became aware of his appearance at a Death-Eaters Anonymous meeting. It is not quite so anonymous if you're the one in charge," he added. At this revelation, Harry's mouth fell open. "The fish look is unbecoming, Mr. Potter. I would abandon it post-haste."
0
Harry, Ron, and Ginny were given leave to go by McGonagall. The professor told them that because they were planning to go straight to the other hospital, that she could find no objections, even if Muggle medicine was not exactly state-of-the-art. Harry paused briefly to tell Snape that Fidget seemed like a pleasant sort of girl, to which Snape merely nodded.
They left Mungo's and managed to catch a taxi back to the hospital Hermione was staying at. By this point, all three of them were exhausted and slept on the way there. The fact that Voldemort was gone, once and for all, only barely settled into their brains. It would be awhile before they were each able to breathe easily once more.
The cab pulled to a stop and Harry drowsily paid with what little muggle money he had left. They entered the hospital, and before they could begin toward Hermione's room, were quickly stopped by a nurse who said that they each needed immediate attention.
One sling, fourteen stitches, and an ice pack later, they were finally admitted into Hermione's room. They found Hermione fast asleep, and Malfoy no where to be found.
"Maybe we should check the maternity ward?" Ron suggested in a whisper, fearful of waking his sleeping friend. He was still feeling some sort of doubt about Hermione's state, having never really made up with her after Christmas' proposal fell through. They walked in the direction that a nurse pointed them in, and there found the tall blond leaning up against the glass. He nodded at them as they approached.
"Which one is she?" Ginny asked. No sooner had she said this than she easily picked out Madelyn from the bunch. The wee baby had her eyes open, and was looking straight at her father. Ginny gasped. "She's absolutely stunning."
"I know," Malfoy answered. He didn't sound arrogant but simply proud. A warm glow radiated off of him. Harry turned to look back at the baby, who, in turn, look over at him.
"Congratulations," he said sincerely.
Malfoy didn't answer, but he smiled slightly. Ron continued to be quiet for a long moment, just staring at the newborn. It felt foolish, suddenly, to have spent so many long months feeling resentful toward a child who was completely innocent, and who now gave off an aura of wisdom and good.
"I killed Voldemort," Harry said at last.
Malfoy looked up, startled. "Really?" he asked.
Harry nodded. "I guess this means that you and Hermione will be able to come back into the public eye. You can even get married, if you're still planning to."
Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "I can assure you I have every intention."
"I might add," Harry said slowly, "that it seems that Snape was not on the side I previously believed. He didn't say so… but I've a feeling Dumbledore might have agreed to let Snape kill him in your stead." Malfoy didn't reply. "And according to him, Madelyn might well have some magical ability after all."
Malfoy, rather than jumping for joy, simply smirked. "I can't say I'm surprised."
Harry frowned. "Why's that?"
Malfoy turned, looking smug. "Because, not even an hour ago, Maddie there twitched her nose and a teddy bear came floating into her crib." He paused. "Maybe we should have named her Tabitha Madelyn, rather than the other way around."
Before Harry could say anything, Hermione came marching down the hallway, a happy smile on her face. Malfoy turned. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"
Hermione laughed. "And miss this?" She beamed and gathered her friends into a tight hug, forcing Ginny to groan from her injured wrist. She moved to stand within her fiancé's arms. Together they stood in one long line, staring at the new baby and the future.
A.N.: Well, folks, just an epilogue left! I'm sorry it took so long. I actually wrote this chapter in a single sitting. Round six at the DLA has started and nominations are happily accepted. Go to my profile for links.