The lobby at St. Mungo's was as quiet as I had ever seen it, and the Welcome Witch seemed bored as she waved me towards the double doors at the end of the room, barely looking up from the pages she was flipping of Witch Weekly. Once I was through to the Artefact Accidents ward, though, and headed for the emergency area, I was stopped by a healer. "Miss, you can't go back there," he said, tucking a clipboard under his arm.
"I'm here for a patient. Arthur Weasley? I'm told he's here." Ron thought something his dad had uncovered during a raid had been cursed. Arthur had gone back to the Ministry after the war, but as the new head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office. It was rare for him to be out in the field anymore.
"He is, but Mr. Weasley is in no state for visitors. He's in very critical condition."
"Well, you see, I'm not really here for Arthur. I mean I am, but one of his sons asked me to come." I tried to look over the healer's shoulder but I could see no sign of any telltale red hair.
"I'm sorry, miss. Family only in the emergency ward."
I scowled at him and stood up as straight as I could, squaring my shoulders. Using my notoriety in the wizarding world to my benefit wasn't something I did often, but desperate times and all. "I'm very close to the family. Perhaps you don't recognize me, I'm-"
"I know who you are, Miss Granger, but as I said, the emergency ward is only accessible for family of admitted patients." The healer was scowling back at me now, and I was ready to argue with him when a voice came from behind me. "She is family." I whirled around to see Bill walking towards us, holding two lime green mugs of tea. I felt myself deflate with relief. Bill nodded his head towards the emergency ward doors, and I followed him, the healer glaring after us but making no further arguments.
"Thank you, Bill," I told him sincerely as we walked. The emergency wing was a labyrinth of hallways, and there were healers everywhere. He shrugged one shoulder, stoic. "It's true. But you're welcome."
We finally turned a corner into a tiny cluster of chairs that looked to be a waiting area of sorts. One of just many, it seemed, each only big enough for one family at a time. For privacy, I suppose. Of course, the Weasleys were no ordinary sized family, and four chairs wasn't nearly enough space. If they were all here, which I realized of course they probably were not. Fleur was the only adult in the waiting area, with Victoire sleeping across her lap. I could just barely see the bump of her second pregnancy past the little girl's blonde head. But Molly was surely here somewhere, and obviously Ron was. "Where's your brother?" He didn't have to ask which one, just pointed down the hallway, further into the maze.
The crowd of healers and visitors thinned as I walked, and I finally came to an empty ward at the end of the main hall. I pushed the door open just a crack, and there was Ron. He was sitting on the floor, his long legs stretched out in front of him reaching almost to the opposite wall, and his head was tilted back to the wall behind him. At first I thought he might have been asleep, but then he turned at the sound of my footsteps. He looked exhausted, even though it was just past eight, and I wondered how long they had been here before he'd called.
I sat down beside him on the floor and reached over to put a comforting hand on his leg. Neither of us spoke. There wasn't anything to say, and we hadn't relied solely on words to communicate for a long time anyway.
Finally, Ron said softly, "You didn't have to come." But he put a freckled hand on top of mine on his thigh, undermining his statement.
I turned my hand over and curled my fingers around his. "Of course I did." I leaned my head against his shoulder, and neither of us spoke again for a long while.
It must have been nearly an hour before anyone disturbed our somber hiding spot. Bill poked his head in. "Charlie's on his way," he told us. Ron didn't seem surprised by this news, just nodded his head to acknowledge it before his oldest brother disappeared again. Oh God. I knew this was not good, but Charlie coming solidified the absolute worst. The Weasley siblings were fairly scattered by now, with Ginny spending most of the year in Holyhead or traveling with the team, and Percy back at Hogwarts teaching Transfiguration. But aside from Charlie, they were at least all still in Britain, and could easily get here or to the Burrow by Floo or apparition. International portkeys required a bit more planning and paperwork, as I well knew. I squeezed Ron's hand a little tighter.
It was well after midnight when a different healer pushed his way into the empty ward. The look on his face did not give me any confidence that what he had come to deliver was good news. Ron scrambled to his feet, pulling me with him. The healer took a deep breath as if to speak and then seemed to change his mind, merely shaking his head. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Weasley." I felt Ron tense beside me. My whole body felt numb. This couldn't be happening. Not to them. Not again. "We were able to slow the spread of the curse, but not enough. It only delayed the inevitable, I'm afraid." He dropped the professional formalities then. "Arthur was a good man, Ron. I'm truly sorry." He put a hand on Ron's shoulder briefly before turning to leave us alone again in the ward.
Ron still hadn't moved. My eyes were stinging with tears I refused to cry. I was here for him; my grief could wait. "What can I do?" I asked him, knowing full well the answer was absolutely nothing. He finally let go of my hand to rub the back of his neck. "Take Victoire home," he said at last. "Fleur, too, if she's inclined to go. She's been too sick to handle travel alone this pregnancy." I nodded. I didn't ask if he meant the Burrow or their actual home at Shell Cottage. He would mean the Burrow. They wouldn't split up.
"And for you?"
He sighed. "I don't know yet."
"Do you want me to come back after I take them home?" He shook his head. "I don't think we'll be long. But there are things to take care of here." He started for the end of the hall but only took a couple of steps before he turned around. "Hermione, I..." I put my hand on his arm. "I know."
The Burrow was quiet of course when we Flooed in. Fleur took Victoire straight up to Bill's old room and didn't return. I wandered into the kitchen and started opening cabinets in search of a teapot. What was there to do in a time of crisis other than to make tea, after all.
I cast a warming charm on the teapot for the others and took a mug to the living room. Something on the floor caught my eye and I stopped to look. "Merlin," I breathed. Arthur's hand from the clock. The same thing had happened to Fred's. Other than Charlie's (traveling), and Fleur and Victoire's (home), the rest of the hands were still pointed at hospital. I set the hand onto the nearby table and started the long climb upstairs towards the attic.