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Chapter 36: Not my child!

Arthur saw Molly crumple to the floor in slow motion. He tried to run to her, save her from hitting the floor, but his feet seemed stuck to the ground. From an immeasurable distant he heard Minerva's scream of shock. He couldn't spare a moment's thought for her. All his attention was fixed on the love of his life. Molly lay sprawled on the floor, ghostly white and unconscious.

Seeing her like that broke his heart. A scream formed in his throat and bubbled up, breaking free in an anguished plea full of pain and devastation.

"Molly! No!"

At last he was able to move again and rushed to her side. There he dropped to the ground and gathered his wife's limb body into his arms. Molly didn't react to him, no words were uttered, she didn't even flinch in pain. Arthur's heart broke into tiny, razor-sharp pieces, tearing his soul apart. Helplessly he shook Molly.

"Please", he begged.

Still no reaction. Sobs made his shoulders tremble and his head fell onto Molly's chest. Arthur buried his face in the crook of Molly's shoulder and neck, sobbing his heart out. He was convinced that he had lost his wife and their unborn child.

"Oh, Molly", he whispered only audible for her.

Soft arms encircled his shoulders and heaved him off Molly. Turning around angrily to snap at whoever it was, he saw the teary eyes of Minerva. She stroked his cheek and tried to muster a smile.

"We have to get her to St. Mungo's", she said, trying to ward off panic with logic.

Albus knelt down on Molly's other side and placed two fingers onto the side of her neck and her steadily beating pulse. Suddenly, though, it faltered and Albus nearly fainted before it set in again. With strong arms he easily lifted Molly off the floor and carried her swiftly to the door.

"Minerva, I'll see you and Arthur in St. Mungo's", Albus commanded over his shoulder.

Hastening through the crowd in the Ball Room, Albus barrelled his way past dancing couples and astonished dignitaries. He didn't spare them a single glaze or muttered excuse. In record time he reached the Atrium since soon everyone stepped out of his way.

The Minister stood near one of the exists and just stared at his young friend in the arms of Albus Dumbledore.

"What happened?" he stuttered out, shocked to the core.

Albus brushed past him, almost rudely in his haste to get Molly to St. Mungo's. He glanced back over his shoulder, hissing his reply.

"Ask Mr. Prewett."

Before the Minister could ask any further questions, Albus had rounded a corner and run to the nearest fireplace. With a bit of wandless magic he summoned a handful of floo-powder and threw it into the flames. Instantly the fire turned green and shot up. Without hesitation he stepped into the flames and called out:

"St. Mungo's!!!"

Immediately he felt the rush of the flames and the whirling around which always occurred when travelling via floo-network. Albus tried desperately to hold Molly still in his arms and buffet the worst thrashes and turbulences.

Soon he arrived at the hospital and, still swaying alarmingly, he stepped out, hurrying over to the reception desk. He skidded to a halt and immediately addressed the witch at the desk.

"Emergency! Molly Weasley, 17 years old, 21 weeks pregnant, was hit by an unknown spell, unconscious, heart rate and pulse irregular!"

Albus rattled up all the facts, fighting his own panic and worries. What if she lost the child? What if she died? What if she could never again have children? What if ... ? What if ... ? A thousand questions ran through his mind, causing him to curse his analytical mind.

The witch didn't satisfy his expectations since she didn't jump up and into action immediately. Instead she just looked up, unmoved and calm, and jabbed her finger in the direction of the stairs.

"Fourth Floor, Spell Damage, ask for Healer Barneby."

Resisting the urge to give that insufferable witch a piece of his mind, Albus ran past her desk and towards the stairs. Taking two at a time, he rushed up to the fourth floor, arriving thoroughly winded. He leaned against the nearby wall for a second, trying to catch his breath and calming his wildly beating heart.

Suddenly a healer hastened towards Albus and instantly took charge. He lifted Molly carefully out of Albus' arms and carried her gently to a nearby cubicle.

"I'm Healer Barneby. The welcomedesk informed me of your coming. So what do we have here?" he muttered, without really addressing Albus but rather waving his wand over Molly and casting a few diagnostic spells.

"Molly Weasley, 17 years old, 21 weeks pregnant, was hit by an unknown spell, unconscious, heart rate and pulse irregular", repeated Albus as if on autopilot.

"I see, I see", mumbled the Healer, still concentrating more on Molly than on Albus and the information spilling forth from him.

He cast a charm that allowed him and Albus to see the imprint of the baby reflected on the top of the girl's stomach. Before he ended the incantation though, he suddenly rounded on Albus and eyed him sceptically.

"Are you related to the patient?" he asked in a colder voice than before.

Albus stared at him for a long moment. He couldn't be serious! Weren't there some more important matters ... ummm ... like Molly and her baby? Albus was more frustrated now and heaved a deep breath to launch a very serious speech.

"No, but her real parents are ..." he strated and was cut off by the healer.

"Then I have to ask you to leave", he said matter-of-factly. "Only relatives are allowed in."

Albus couldn't believe his ears. Again he wanted to pick a fight with the man and stay with Molly ...

"Where is she?!? Where is my wife?!?"

The almost feral scream of Arthur reached his ears at the same time he and drawn breath and slowly Albus let it out again. Now he could calmly go out, knowing that Arthur would be there with his wife and take care of everything. He stepped out of the cubicle and waved Arthur and Minerva over to him.

"Arthur! She is in here. The healer just started the tests", he called across the corridor.

Arthur corrected his direction and hastened towards Albus and his wife.

"Is she still unconscious?" he asked deeply worried.

Albus just nodded and stepped aside to let Arthur into the cubicle. Outside he hugged his wife, who looked pale and worn out. Her eyes were full with tears, threatening to fall, and fear for her young friend. Without hesitation she stepped into his wide open arms and embraced him with a strength he had never experienced before.

"She'll be fine", he whispered, trying to not only calm his wife but his own worries as well.

Minerva just nodded and fought the tears which were threatening to choke her. Silently she prayed to God on her friend's behalf.

"Please, God, let her be fine and the baby too!"

Inside the cubicle Arthur had made a beeline to Molly's side and hugged his still unconscious wife to his strong chest. He would fight for her even if it was the last thing he did. No matter what happened he would love her with all his heart.

"You are her husband?" asked the healer incredulously.

Arthur just nodded, not sparing the healer a second glance.

"She doesn't look old enough ..."

"IT DOESN'T MATTER!!! WILL YOU JUST MAKE SURE THAT BOTH MY WIFE AND MY CHILD ARE FINE?!?" roared Arthur, losing his composure and venting his anger over Mr. Prewett on the unfortunate healer.

Healer Barneby swallowed hard and nodded hastily, bending over Molly and resuming his work. Quickly he cast the spell, allowing him and Arthur to see the baby. Suddenly though Barneby's concentration was broken and the spell dissolved again. Molly had stirred and slowly came back to consciousness.

Moaning slightly from the almost unbearable pain in her torso, Molly fluttered her eyes open and instantly noticed Arthur looming over her. Her eyes filled with tears as her memory kicked in and presented her with the last events.

"A-Arth-ur", she breathed. "W-Where am I? ... The baby?"

Arthur tried to reassure her and smiled lovingly down on her and tightening his embrace around her, drawing a faint gasp from Molly. Immediately he relaxed his arm muscles again and looked down bashfully and apologetically.

"Sorry ... you're in St. Mungo's. They do everything they can. We're not yet sure about the baby, though", he said truthfully, knowing that Molly would never forgive him if he lied to her.

Tearfully Molly nodded and took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

"W-Where a-are Min-Minerva and Albus? I want Mina here", she whispered.

Arthur felt a bit taken aback but suddenly understanding flashed across his face. He nodded and made a move towards the door but was stopped short by Molly holding on to his hand. Frightened she stared at him, a silent plea on her lips. 'Don't leave me!' cried her heart and mind together but her lips were unable to form the words. They didn't have to since Arthur seemed to understand.

"Mina, Albus, come in here!" he called out, stepping close to his wife once again and wrapping his arms around her.

Molly sank gratefully against his chest and breathed in his intoxicating scent. She felt some of her fears and anxiety slip away. Her family was with her. Now she could face the daunting news of the healer.

Again, and hopefully for the last time, the healer raised his wand and cast the spell to form a reflection of the inside of Molly's womb on the top of her stomach. Soon the images formed over the background of her beautiful dress.

The healer was all business now and quickly scanned the picture before him, analysing it and drawing conclusions. Finally he extinguished the spell and turned gravelly to Molly and Arthur, ignoring for now Minerva and Albus.

"I have a good and a bad news. I try to break them to you gently", he said and paused, waiting for Molly's nod. Then he started again: "First of all you were pregnant with twins."

Molly started to sob now and Arthur's arms wrapped more tightly around her. Minerva leaned over her friend and stroked her cheek lovingly, her own eyes overflowing with tears. Albus, on the other hand, swallowed convulsively and nodded towards the healer to go on.

"The one twin was a girl and she lay on the front of your womb. The curse that was fired at you hit her and ... I'm sorry, but it ... killed her."

Molly sobbed harder at that, burying her face into Arthur's chest and clinging to him as if he could somehow turn back time. Minerva's own tears fell down onto Molly's soft red curls and she cried silently for Molly. Arthur's eyes, though, her full of hate and anger. He swore then and there that he would kill his father-in-law the same way that man had just killed his little baby girl.

"Not my baby! Not my child!" wailed Molly, heartbroken and unable to in her grief.

She had felt the babies' kicks and movements. Over the last four month she had formed an unbreakable bond to them and now one of her little ones was gone forever, before it even saw the light of the outside world.

The healer swallowed hard and fought his own emotions. It was always hard to tell relatives of the demise of loved ones. But he had mentioned good news also. He clung to that.

"Your other twin is a little boy and he is alive and doing well apart from a slight shock over the curse and the loss of his twin. You will have to be very careful for the remainder of your pregnancy. I would recommend you stay here overnight for observation. In the next hours you will probably start bleeding and your body will reject the body of the dead twin. We will be monitoring you closely to ensure that the other twin is doing fine and your body isn't rejecting him too." For a moment the healer paused then moved slowly to the door. "I will leave you alone now and let the news sink in. Your room should be ready in a moment."

As soon as the healer left, Albus relaxed his rigid posture and leaned over Molly as well. Softly he placed his large and with the long spindly fingers over her abdomen.

"You have to be strong now, Molly, for the sake of your unborn son" he said softly, not without sympathy and love.

Minerva rubbed small circles into Molly's back and gently kissed the nape of her neck.

"I cann understand how you feel ... really I can ... the thought of losing Kathy is unbearable. But please, honey, try to think of the surviving twin. You will be a wonderful mother to him and someday he will have a sister."

Arthur was grateful that Albus and Minerva were here. He himself didn't know what to say. The devastation in his wife was robbing him of all rational thought and left him devoid of emotions other than uncontrollable anger. He wanted to rip Mr. Prewett apart the same way he had ripped their family apart before they really were one and his wife's heart.