April 3rd 2006 PT1

After two days of keeping a constant vigil at the bedside of their unconscious son, Hermione and Charlie were absolutely exhausted, both emotionally and physically. Hermione had been so shocked at how small and vulnerable the usually excitable little boy had been when she had first seen him and although she had got used to it since then, it just seemed wrong for him to be so still and quiet.

Thankfully, the healers had been in this morning to run some diagnostic spells on his head, to see if the bruising had improved after their healing spells, and had informed them that he would be able to wake up today with no problems. They were just waiting for the head healer to sign off on it and then they would be able to talk to their son again.

"I can't wait to get home," Charlie groaned as he shifted in his chair and Hermione looked up from her book, "these chairs are insanely uncomfortable."

"You could Transfigure it?" She offered and he snorted.

"I tried! Theres some sort of charm preventing it." He sighed and Hermione shrugged, turning back to her reading.

"I'm never letting him climb a tree again." He huffed and Hermione rolled her eyes as she closed her book and put it on the table over Arty's bed.

"Good luck with that," she sighed, "why don't you go to the Burrow and update them?"

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" He laughed and Hermione shrugged.

"You're very irritating when you're bored," she chuckled, "besides, your mum and dad will want to be here when he wakes up."

"Fine," he huffed, standing up and stretching before bending over to give her a kiss on the forehead, "send a patronus when they're ready to wake him, yeah?"

"Of course. Now go away." She grinned and he laughed as he left to go and tell his parents the news.

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At almost five o'clock, the healers came to see Hermione and told her that they were just about ready to wake Arty up, and that she should get Charlie back so that he was here when their son woke up. She thanked them and immediately sent a patronus to the Burrow.

Charlie arrived, smiling happily and obviously having showered as he smelled like his dad, meaning that he had used Arthur's soap to shower at the Burrow. Hermione sent him a glare, jealous of his cleanliness, considering she hadn't showered in three days. Freshening charms can only go so far, after all.

"Mum and dad said it was best not to crowd him straight away," Charlie told her when she looked behind him, expecting to seem them, "I kind of want him all to ourselves for a while, too."

"I know what you mean," Hermione smiled, "I just want to hear his voice again. My life hasn't been this quiet since before he was born."

They watched as the healer tipped a potion into Arty's mouth and then used her wand to make him swallow before leaving the room, waiting outside incase there was anything Arty needed. Charlie and Hermione each took one side of the bed and held one of their sons hands, waiting for him to blink his eyes open or do, well, anything really.

Hermione gasped as she saw his eyeballs move behind their lids and slowly she was able to see his beautiful blue eyes, slowly opening and focusing on his dad. Charlie grinned as he looked down on Arty and Hermione saw him squeeze the little boys hand.

"Daddy?" Arty whispered and Charlie nodded.

"Hello buddy." he croaked and Arty turned his head to Hermione, who felt tears come to her eyes as he blinked up at her.

"Hello, my little love," Hermione rasped around the lump in her throat, "how are you feeling?"

"I'm ok," he nodded, "why are you crying?"

"Because you've been very sick sweetheart and I've missed you, because you've been asleep for a little while." Hermione said, wiping her face.

"I have?" Arty gasped and Hermione nodded, turning to look at Charlie, surprised to see him frowning.

"Charlie? What's wrong?" Hermione asked and he shook his head as he looked up at her.

"Something's not right," he murmured, "he's not looking at you right, it's worrying me."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, also frowning now and Charlie turned to Arty.

"I'll be back in a minute, buddy."

Arty nodded and Charlie took Hermione's hand, pulling her to the other end of the room where Arty wouldn't overhear them talking. He pulled Hermione into a hug and she confusedly pulled away, looking up into his eyes.

"Charlie, what are you thinking?" She asked quietly and he shook his head, sighing heavily.

"Don't freak out, alright?" Charlie whispered and Hermione frowned, getting really worried now, "he's looking at you like he doesn't recognise you."

"What?" Hermione gasped, "how can you tell?"

"I don't know, Hermione, there was something missing in his eyes when he looked at you just now. I can't place it, but he didn't call you mummy, either." He murmured and Hermione felt her body begin to shake as she backed away from him and walked slowly to the bed.

"Arty, my little love, who am I, sweetheart?" She asked and Charlie could hear the pleading tone in her voice, it broke his heart.

"I don't know. Are you friends with my daddy?" He asked and he heard the breath catch in Hermione's throat as her hand slapped over her mouth. He reached out for her but before he could get to her, she turned and ran from the room and Arty frowned at him, "daddy, why is that lady upset?"

"Because she loves you very much, buddy," he lied, his voice croaky and raw in his throat, "daddy will be back in just a second, ok?"

Arty nodded and Charlie left the room, running down the hallway to look for Hermione in each of the rooms, but she was nowhere to be found. He clutched his hair and tugged on it with both hands, feeling his heart ache for her. This wasn't fair, for him to be the parent that their son remembered when Hermione was the one who raised him.

"This will destroy her." He muttered to himself, hearing footsteps approach and turning to see if it was Hermione and sighing when it was the healer.

"Is everything ok, Mr Weasley?" She asked and he scoffed.

"No, everything is not ok. My son doesn't remember his own mother!" He snapped and she nodded.

"We expected some amnesia, but we weren't sure of the extent until he woke up. We can administer the correct potion now that we can find out what he remembers." She told him and he gawped at her.

"Did you even think to mention this to us?! My girlfriend has just fled the hospital thinking the son she raised on her own doesn't know who she is and now you tell me that all you need to do is give him a damn potion?!" He shouted and the woman took a step back.

"Mr Weasley…"

"No! You get in there and make him remember. I'll... I'll be back."