A/N: Thank you for all of your reviews and messages. For reference, the last chapter took place right before this, in October 1966.
Trigger Warning: Pregnancy loss. Please take care of yourselves.
For the disclaimer, please see the prologue.
Chapter Sixty-Five: October 1966, Pt. II
The funny thing about hospitals, Minerva decided, is that time usually slowed down, despite the hustle and bustle of the medical staff.
It had taken them four trips, but they had finally Apparated everyone to St. Mungo's.
Albus, being who he was, had managed to procure an entire wing of the fourth floor. It was sealed off to anyone but the family and the various Medi-Witches and Wizards, who were running back and forth between rooms.
Lucy and Callum were together in one room, both under observation. While the medical staff didn't believe them to be in any real danger, no one could identify the spell that Katrina had used to knock them out. Given that they were in and out of consciousness, everyone agreed it was better to keep them under a watchful Healer's eye. Until they could keep themselves awake, they weren't allowed any visitors.
Aoife seemed to be fine, but she was still stuck in an examination room, waiting for a spare Healer to finish with her cousins so that her hip could be cleared.
Dalton, Athena, and Iolanthe needed all the attention they could get.
Athena and Iolanthe's stomachs were both bleeding profusely. The Healers didn't yet know the specifics, but they had tried to explain the basics to Minerva and Albus. The vivid details had made Minerva's stomach turn, so she had uncharacteristically tuned out their explanation.
She had understood the gist, anyway: her daughter-in-law and niece had suffered catastrophic injuries, which had put their survival—and the survival of their babies—in doubt.
Dalton's injuries were proving to be more befuddling for the medical staff. The Healers had quickly righted his leg–and, therefore, Athena's—but they couldn't heal his stomach. Minerva, Albus, Ro, and Poppy all knew that was a result of his bond with Athena, but didn't quite know how to explain that to the confused Healers. They all stayed silent, opting for a miracle instead.
Poppy, as an uninjured party with sufficient training, was running back and forth between patients, trying to help where she could. That left Minerva, Albus, Charlus, and Ro to wait together outside.
They'd been waiting silently for two hours when Charlus suddenly burst into angry tears.
"Why won't they let me in?" Charlus shouted at no one in particular. "I want to see Iolanthe."
"They want to minimize the number of people in the room," Ro supplied. She knew a fair bit about hospitals after living with Poppy for so long. "They want to ensure there aren't any distractions."
"I wouldn't be a distraction! I'm her husband!" Charlus yelled, wiping at his face. "And that's my baby they're worried about!"
As Ro tried to soothe Charlus, Albus stood and walked over to the window at the end of the hall.
Sighing, Minerva followed him. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder, smiling tightly as he put his own on top of hers.
"I should have let you kill her years ago," Albus whispered. He looked at Minerva's reflection in the window. "If I had let you kill Katrina during the war, then Aidan would still be alive, and none of this would have happened. Our children would be fine, and we wouldn't be in a hospital right now, waiting helplessly for good news. Or any news."
"Al, you were protecting me. Please don't blame yourself. Besides," Minerva continued, "any number of enemies could have come after our family. Riddle has a large circle of friends—you know that just as well as I do. Had it not been Katrina, another one of Riddle's henchmen would have accompanied him tonight."
Albus turned to face her, desperation evident in his eyes. "But I planned this outing. This was my fault. I was too cavalier about our safety. We should have all just gone to the Manor and had a nice party at home." He hung his head in shame. "I shouldn't have wanted this. I shouldn't have felt like I could be happy."
"No, do not take this on yourself. We are all adults, and we all made the choice to go out tonight. This is not your burden to bear." Minerva took his face in her hands. "Listen to me, Albus. This is not your fault. You are still worthy of love, and I still love you. This isn't a punishment you deserve simply because you dared to be loved."
"Thank you," Albus choked out. "I don't know that I'll feel blameless for a long time, but thank you for understanding."
Minerva pulled him into a hug. She needed it just as much as he did, if not more. "We'll get through this, but only if we're together. I need you to be present with me, and not wallow in self-deprecation right now, all right?"
"Min—"
"I know this is scary, and I know Riddle is still out there," Minerva said, her voice wobbling for the first time since arriving at St. Mungo's, "but I just killed someone for the first time, and while I know she deserved it, I still feel terrible, and I'm worried about our children. I need you, Al, not the shadow your self-flagellation creates. I need you, my love."
"I'm here. I'm here," Albus murmured into her hair. He felt her cling to his shirt as she started to cry. "Breathe, my dear."
They had a nice, quiet moment that was eventually interrupted by Ro saying, "I'm sorry, and I know I'm probably still drunk, but who the hell are you?"
Minerva turned in Albus' arms, wiped her eyes, and found one of her former students standing cautiously at the door to their sectioned wing.
"Um, hi, Madam Hooch," Miss Prewett said uncertainly. She caught sight of Minerva in Albus' arms, and her eyes widened considerably. "Professor McGonagall!"
The girl was related to Lavinia Prewett, but for the life of her, Minerva couldn't remember how.
"Hello, Miss Prewett," Minerva said. She withdrew herself from Albus' embrace. "It's nice to see you, but I'm afraid this wing is closed for the time being."
"I know. That's why I'm here," Miss Prewett replied. She looked cautiously at Ro before taking another step into the wing. "I'm looking for Aoife McGonagall. Without insulting your memory, I'm Alice Prewett. I don't know how much you know, but—"
"Oh, you're Aoife's Alice," Minerva deduced. "You've been dating for quite a while, haven't you?"
"About eighteen months," Alice said, blushing. "I am terribly sorry to intrude—Aoife said there was a family gathering tonight—but I work in the Janus Thickey ward on this floor. I was just finishing my shift when I saw that Aoife had been brought in as a patient." She bit her lip. "Is she all right? I'll leave you all alone, I promise, but I won't sleep unless I know what happened."
Despite the situation, Minerva smiled. Alice Prewett had been a quiet and studious student. If she recalled correctly, Minerva believed that Aoife had stopped pulling pranks and turned into her shyer self once the two girls had become friends. Now that she knew, Minerva could instantly see why Alice and Aoife were together. "Come here, Alice. You're more than welcome to wait with us."
"Thank you," Alice sighed, clearly relieved. "And don't worry—I know that your family is quite private. I won't tell anyone about anything."
"Thank Merlin," Ro muttered over the top of her coffee cup.
"We appreciate that," Albus said. He stepped forward and extended his hand. "I'm sure we've met before, but please, call me Albus."
"That'll take some getting used to, but thanks, Albus," Alice laughed. She turned to Minerva. "Professor—"
"Minerva, please."
"Minerva," Alice tried, "what happened to Aoife?"
"Oh, I suppose I did forget to answer that question," Minerva replied, chastising herself. "We all went out for my birthday, and, well, we were ambushed. Aoife should be relatively unscathed. A curse caught her hip, but it didn't seem to cause her too much enduring pain. She twisted her ankle, too—I did what I could to fix it, but it's probably best if a qualified Healer looks at it."
"Do you know the type of curse? Or how long we'll be waiting?" Alice asked.
Minerva shook her head. "No, I don't know the curse. Unfortunately, the rest of our family wasn't as lucky as Aoife, so she'll most likely be waiting a while for a Healer."
"Would anyone object to me treating her?" Alice looked at the family. "I know that it's usually frowned upon to treat one's own partner, and I'm better with long-term afflictions, but if her injuries are relatively straightforward, then I can sort her out."
"That would be wonderful," Minerva answered honestly. "I'd rather she be out here, waiting with us."
"If you can ease her pain in any way, please do so," Albus added. He pointed at a door on the far right of the hallway. "She's in there."
"Thank you," Alice said gratefully, running off. "Oh, and, happy birthday, Minerva."
Albus hugged Minerva from behind and whispered, "I like her."
Minerva laughed. "Yes, I think I do, too."
"She's great for Aoife, too!" Charlus chimed in. "I've only met her once or twice, but Alice makes Aoife more comfortable to be herself. They're a great pair."
"At least that's one bit of happy news," Ro said.
A few minutes later, Aoife exited her room, Alice's arm looped around her waist. "Hi, everyone."
"Oh, hon," Minerva breathed. She felt herself beginning to cry again. "You're all right?"
"Thanks to Alice," Aoife said, breathing heavily with the effort it took for her to walk.
"I stitched her hip up, no problem. It was a nasty curse, but nothing life-threatening, thank goodness," Alice informed everyone. "You did a great job on her ankle, Minerva. I barely had to course correct."
"I'll be sore for a couple of days, but I'm fine," Aoife said. Her face faltered as she looked at the row of chairs. "Is no one else out yet?"
Minerva shook her head. "No, not yet."
"But..." Aoife hesitated. "No bad news, right?"
"Correct," Charlus confirmed. "Come here, little sis." He held his arms open, and Aoife and Charlus fell into each other's arms, laughing. "I'm so glad you're okay."
Aoife blushed. "Thanks, Charlus."
"Can we get you anything?" Ro asked. "Do you want water or something?"
"No, thank you. I just want good news." With Charlus and Alice's help, Aoife sat down between them.
Minerva looked at Albus. "And so the wait begins again."
"Perhaps, but at least we know Aoife is healthy." Albus clutched Minerva's hand. "Let's sit, and hopefully, we receive good news at some point."
A half an hour later, Callum emerged from his room, pushed in a wheelchair by Poppy.
"Cal," Minerva sighed. She felt her chest lighten considerably.
"Now, Callum is not to leave this wheelchair," Poppy said firmly. "I mean it. His vitals are good, and he's been fully awake for about an hour. He was able to give us more details about the spell Katrina hit him with, and while his body is exhausted, he's out of danger."
"Geez, Poppy, I can talk," Callum joked, his voice hoarse.
"Dad," Aoife whispered, and she burst into tears.
Poppy, sensing what was needed, wheeled Callum over to his daughter.
"Hush, I'm all right," Callum soothed. He awkwardly patted Aoife's hair as she leaned into his arms over the side of the wheelchair. "With any luck, your mother should be too."
"But Iolanthe!" Aoife wailed. Seeing her father safe had caused something to finally break within her.
"Iolanthe?" Callum pushed his daughter away. "Poppy, I thought Lucy was the only other person injured!"
"I never said that," Poppy said, gently but firmly. "I wasn't going to tell you anything else until I knew you were all right."
"And now?" Callum demanded.
"Aoife had a twisted ankle and a cursed hip, but she's fine now," Poppy responded, starting with the most straightforward case. "Dalton's stomach is injured, and Iolanthe and Athena are also suffering from stomach issues and blood loss, although their injuries are much more severe."
"Stomach injuries? But they're pregnant!" Callum looked to his sister. "Min, what is she saying?"
"The Healers are working to save all four of them," Minerva revealed as kindly as she could. "We don't know more, Cal. I wish I had better news. Truly, I do."
"Speaking of which, Poppy, is there an update on Athena?" Albus begged. "Anything you can tell us?"
"Any information on Iolanthe would be very helpful, as well," Minerva added. She was worried about her son, but she knew, unfortunately, that Dalton would not be healed until they could help Athena.
If they could help her.
Poppy looked between them all, almost helplessly. She knew what was happening on the other side of the doors, and was more than capable of delivering the news in a professional manner, but she loved these children—for that's what they were to her, children—and their parents.
"Poppy...?" Albus trailed off, and Poppy saw him clutch onto Minerva's hand again. His knuckles went white with the effort.
Poppy sighed. "No one is out of the woods. Iolanthe was struck with a slashing curse near her ribs. We placed her in an induced coma so we could try to heal the broken ribs. She has also lost a significant amount of blood, which isn't good for herself or the baby. The Healers believe—and I agree—that Iolanthe will have a much better chance of healing if we can safely deliver the baby. In her condition, we can remove the baby surgically without waking her up, but it's riskier than if she were awake. Ideally, we can get her into a stable enough condition to wake her up, and get the baby out.
"Funnily enough," Poppy snorted, "we've discovered that Iolanthe was actually further along in her pregnancy than we had thought. She is twenty-seven weeks, not twenty-four."
"Stupid French Healers," Ro muttered, earning a smack on the shoulder from Aoife.
"What does that mean?" Callum asked, his voice anxious.
"It means that if we can get the baby out, both Iolanthe and the baby have a good chance of making it through this relatively unscathed. The baby will need to be in an incubator for quite a while, but barring any other complications, everything should be fine."
Charlus looked at Poppy intently. "When will we know?"
"Soon, I should think. We're going to try to stabilize her one more time, and if we're successful, then you'll be a father within the next couple of hours."
Charlus' eyes grew wide at that.
Minerva could feel Albus' growing anxiety pound through their bond, and it was giving her quite the stomachache. "Poppy," she said softly, "what about Athena and Dalton?"
The look in Poppy's eyes told her everything she needed to know.
Albus began to cry again, and burrowed himself into Minerva's shoulder. Despite her own, quieter tears, Minerva Transfigured two of the chairs into a long couch, and managed to sink herself and Albus into it. In an uncharacteristic show of weakness, Albus lay across Minerva's lap, his head facing her stomach and his hands clenching her dress.
Minerva inclined her head at Poppy, and Poppy knelt in front of them.
"How bad is it, Poppy?" Minerva asked quietly. She mindlessly stroked Albus' hair.
"While Iolanthe was struck across the ribs, the curse struck Athena directly in her uterus." Poppy sucked in a breath. "It resulted in a uterine rupture. Do either of you know what it means?"
"No," Albus whispered. He looked up at Minerva. "Do you?"
Minerva sighed. "I know it can be catastrophic for mother and child. Based on your overall demeanour, I'm presuming that's the case."
Poppy nodded sadly. "The Healers are trying to do the same thing for Athena as they are for Iolanthe: wake her up so we can deliver the baby. I'm sorry to tell you that the baby most likely will not survive long past birth. He has suffered from acute oxygen deprivation, which means he hasn't had enough oxygen to his brain. I'm also sorry to say that the Healers have tried everything, including stasis charms, but they're only delaying the inevitable, unfortunately. Nothing appears to be working as a permanent fix."
"He," Minerva repeated, sobbing. "A grandson."
"I thought the babe was healthy," Albus murmured. "And Athena was further along than Iolanthe, pregnancy-wise."
"All that's true, but the curse struck them in two different places," Poppy explained. "It won't balm your souls to hear this, but it's just very, very bad luck."
"How do we wake Athena for the delivery?" Minerva asked. "And how does this affect Dalton?"
"As you both know from your own bond," Poppy said quietly, "Dalton is affected, just to a lesser degree. Currently, he is losing not an insignificant amount of blood, but we're managing. Dalton's not doing well, per se, but he's not in any significant danger." She hesitated. "The only way he doesn't improve is if Athena's condition stays the same, or worsens."
"So, what do we do?" Albus inquired. His voice was emotionless. "Just sit here and hope you can wake her up? And when you do that, we'll have a grandson who will most likely die in minutes? Then we have to hope you can fix our children?"
"Wait," Minerva interrupted, stopping Poppy before she could answer. "Is it possible to save the baby?"
"It's possible, Min, but the chances are not high." Poppy's eyes widened. After thirty years, she knew how her friend's mind worked. "You're asking me if a choice would have to be made. Between the baby and Athena."
Albus lifted himself off Minerva's lap and stared at his partner, horrified. "You can't be serious."
"I need to know what we're dealing with here, Albus," Minerva stated firmly.
"Surely, if there's a choice to be made, Dalton should be the one to make it," Albus protested.
Poppy shook her head. "He's in no state to be making that kind of choice. He may be losing less blood than Athena, but Dalton is still asleep, and I'm not going to wake him up prematurely. I can't imagine he'd be of sound mind even if he did wake; his decision wouldn't hold weight with any Healer worth her salt."
"Is this a possibility?" Minerva repeated blankly. "That we'll have to choose between the two?"
"Yes," Poppy said slowly, "but if and only if the baby is in a state with a high chance of survival."
Minerva let out a ragged breath. "What would you expect us to do?"
"I can give you the medical picture," Poppy answered, her voice heartbreakingly gentle, "but if the time comes where the two of you need to make a decision, that's yours to make."
"Athena would want to save the baby," Minerva said.
"Dalton would want us to save Athena," Albus countered. He faltered. "Wouldn't he?"
"And if we don't save Athena, we most likely lose both Athena and Dalton." Minerva choked on her own tears. "Good God."
"Like I said, it's only a possibility. Please don't give it any more thought than is necessary." Poppy patted Albus' shoulder. "Will you be all right if I go back in? I want to see for myself how they're doing."
Minerva nodded. "Thank you, Poppy."
She watched as Poppy whispered something to Ro, and then frowned when Ro made her way over to the couch.
"What is it, Ro?" Minerva asked, wary.
"Poppy brought it to my attention that it's the middle of the night," Ro started, "and Filius was only supposed to be responsible for the wards until the morning. I don't think you two will be getting out of here tonight—and even if you do, I can't imagine you'll be in a state to be responsible for the school.
"Would it be all right with you if I go and tell Filius what has happened? I'm sure he'll understand if he needs to be Acting Head for a few days." Ro looked at them. "I'll do whatever makes this easier for you two."
"Oh, Merlin, I hadn't given any thought to the school," Albus admitted. "That would be wonderful. Thank you, Ro."
"Do either of you want me to bring anything back?" Ro asked. "I hope I'm not overstepping, but I presume some of your stuff is in Min's quarters, Albus."
"Perhaps a bag with some clothes," Minerva answered quietly. "We both have outfits in my wardrobe."
"I'll be back." Ro smiled. She kissed Minerva's cheek and after a moment of brief hesitation, kissed Albus', too.
Ro had only been gone a few minutes when Poppy ran back into the hallway.
"Min!" Poppy shouted.
Minerva's chest prickled with alarm. "What is it?"
"Against all odds," Poppy said, her eyes shining, "Dalton is awake. I don't know how he did it, or how he's fighting, but the blood loss has slowed significantly—"
Minerva pushed Albus off her lap, ran past Poppy, and straight into Dalton's room. The sight of the various machines would have terrified her if not for the fact that Dalton's green eyes met hers.
"Darling," Minerva sobbed, her voice breaking. She walked to her son and cupped his cheek. "How are you feeling?"
"Terrible," Dalton rasped. "Like I've lost a lot of blood."
Minerva chuckled sadly. "That would be because you have lost a lot of blood. Oh, darling, you're so pale."
Truth be told, he looked ashen, but she wasn't going to tell him that.
"Min," Poppy said breathlessly as she entered the room with Albus, "that was a bit uncalled for. We were right behind you."
"It's wonderful to see you awake, my boy," Albus said, meaning every word. "You had us worried there."
"I am worried," Dalton responded firmly. "Before she got you, Poppy told me that Athena and the baby are in danger? And that she doesn't understand how I just magically stopped leaking blood?"
"I have an answer," Albus said softly. He nodded in the direction of the back corner, where his phoenix had appeared. "Fawkes must have helped."
"Oh, thank you, Fawkes," Minerva cried. She looked at Poppy. "Does this mean Fawkes can help Athena?"
Fawkes trilled sadly and flew to Albus' shoulder. The bird seemed to shake its head before flying away.
"I believe Fawkes was trying to tell us that he was able to fix Dalton's injury because it's secondary, caused by their bond," Albus mused. "I wonder what the medical explanation for that is; Fawkes can normally heal primary injuries."
"Albus," Minerva snapped, "now is not the time for medical research."
"I know why," Dalton said. "We've been doing research into bonds for the Unspeakables. I can tell you more later."
"Dalton," Poppy interjected, needing desperately to return to the topic at hand, "Athena and your baby are in critical danger. We're at the point where we can wake Athena up to deliver—"
"Really?" Albus asked hopefully.
"Yes," Poppy answered. "But Dalton, you need to know that the Healers can most likely only save one of them. I'm sorry to tell you this, and I'm sorry to do so bluntly, but we're on a timeline here. Since you appear to be of sound mind—against all odds, mind you—I need you to make a decision."
"What are their chances? Individually, I mean?" Dalton asked quietly. The little colour left on his skin quickly faded.
"For Athena? I'd say around seventy percent, so long as the delivery goes well," Poppy said. "For the baby, current prognostics would have me guess about ten percent. If the delivery goes well, that could change it to thirty percent."
Dalton's eyes widened. "Poppy, that sounds like there are a lot of what-ifs."
"There are," Poppy confessed. "I'm so sorry."
"Mama," Dalton said quietly, looking at Minerva, "what do I do?"
Minerva's heart broke. "Oh, darling, I—"
"You were right, Albus," Dalton interrupted. "We weren't ready for a baby. We took too many risks, and we should never have left the house. We should have changed our career plans, and we should have—"
"No," Albus said firmly. He stepped forward to take Dalton's hand. "Listen to me, my boy. You and Athena would have been brilliant parents. Much better than I ever could hope to be, and I was a lot older than you when I became a father. This is not your fault. It is the fault of a deranged woman and her leader—not yours."
Minerva knew the timing was odd, but she felt a flare of attraction in her belly as she watched Albus parent her son. He may have only been repeating a version of what she had told him earlier, but now, Minerva had hope that Albus had believed her.
This was not their fault, any of it.
"Poppy?" Dalton sniffled. "If the chances are that much better for Athena, save Athena. If the baby's chances increase dramatically once the delivery's over, save the baby." He exhaled. "I think that's what Athena would do, if the situation were reversed."
"Okay, I'll let the Healers know," Poppy said.
"Wait, Poppy?" Dalton asked again. "Is there any way I can be in the room? If the baby is alive, even for a few minutes, I want to be there. And if Athena is awake, I want our family to be together."
Minerva released a sob.
"I'll see what I can do," Poppy promised. "I may be able to move Iolanthe in here, and move you into the big room."
"How is Iolanthe?" Minerva asked. She felt slightly guilty for forgetting, however briefly, about her niece.
Poppy grinned. "Better. Much better. We're prepping her for delivery."
"Good." Minerva sighed, relieved. "And Lucy?"
"No change, I'm afraid." Poppy shook her head. "I'll go and speak with the Healers about changing rooms."
Poppy left, and Dalton turned to Minerva. "Did I make the right choice?"
"I don't know that there is a right choice, not in this situation," Minerva responded softly.
"If you two are comfortable, would you both come with me into the other room?" Dalton asked.
"I'm sorry, Dalton, but I don't know that I can watch them operate on Athena," Albus answered honestly. "If there's good news, or you want us to meet the baby, I'll happily come back, but..."
"I feel the same way. But I love you so, so much, my darling." Minerva kissed her son's forehead and then took Albus' hand, not noticing how Dalton's eyebrows shot up. "We'd best get out of the way. Good luck."
On their way out, they passed Iolanthe in her bed, who was conscious and able to smile at them. "Hi, you two."
"Mira," Minerva said happily, clutching her niece's hand.
"How painful will labour be?" Iolanthe asked, chuckling.
"It'll hurt, but I doubt it will be much worse than what you've already gone through." Minerva kissed Iolanthe's hand and released it. "All the best, dear."
Moments later, after Albus and Minerva had sat down, they watched nervously as Dalton was wheeled into Athena's room.
Albus lifted their intercepted hands and kissed Minerva's palm. "I'm happy Dalton is better."
"Me too," Minerva whispered. She clutched at her stomach with her free hand. "God, I feel sick."
They watched as Charlus ran by and darted into Iolanthe's new room.
"He seems nervous," Albus muttered, chuckling. "I can't say I blame him, though."
Minerva opened her mouth to respond, but hesitated upon hearing screams. "Do I want to know who that is?"
Albus responded by pulling her in closer and resting his head on hers.
After an undetermined amount of time during which Minerva felt like her world had fallen apart, Poppy emerged from Athena and Dalton's hospital room. Her eyes were red, and she appeared to be crying.
"Poppy?" Albus asked, alarmed.
"Athena is all right," Poppy croaked. Her throat hurt from all of the talking and crying she had put it through over the past few hours. "She'll need to stay here for a few days, and she'll have limited mobility for the next few weeks, but Athena is fine. Which means," Poppy added, allowing a slight smile to creep across her face, "Dalton is fine. Dalton is perfect, to be truthful."
"Thank Merlin," Albus breathed. "And the baby?"
Poppy bit her lip. "He isn't long for this world, unfortunately. That's why I'm here—Dalton and Athena have had some time with him, and they'd like you to meet him, before..."
Minerva's heart sank as she stood up. "Well, we can't deny them that. Come, Albus."
Albus followed Minerva, clutching her hand tightly, as they allowed Poppy to lead them into the room. The sight that greeted them nearly broke Albus' heart.
Dalton and Athena were sharing an enlarged bed. While Dalton looked much healthier than he had before, Athena appeared gaunt. A small bundle was perched on Athena's chest.
"Oh, my angel," Albus whispered.
Athena did her best to smile. When she answered, her voice was gravelly. "You haven't called me that in a while."
"Come here," Dalton said, motioning for them to approach the bed. "You should hold him."
Minerva walked to Athena and, with Dalton's help, gently held her grandson. She felt a sob build in her throat, but she wanted to keep as calm as she could in front of Athena and Dalton, so she swallowed it as best as she could.
"He's beautiful," Minerva said softly. His eyes were bright green, like her own, and he had a small tuft of light red hair on his head. Minerva could feel his tiny body struggling to take a deep breath, and she knew in that instant, she would give her life if it would keep the little babe alive.
"Does he have a name?" Albus asked. He stood behind Minerva and extended one hand, running his long fingers over the baby's palm.
"Yes," Athena responded. Tears fell down her face and wet her dress. "We've kept with family tradition. Well," she sniffled, "sort of. He has a lot of names, I mean."
Dalton gently took Athena's hand and looked at their parents. "We've had this decided for a while. Aidan Fionnlagh Albus Scrimgeour."
Minerva closed her eyes against the new onslaught of tears. Aidan.
"You didn't have to name him after me," Albus rasped, emotional in his own right.
"Of course we did. Hold him," Dalton said, nodding at his son.
Albus looked shocked. "No, he's too small. Min has him well in hand."
"Dad." Despite its hoarseness, Athena's voice was firm. "Hold him while you can."
Minerva coaxed Albus into taking Aidan. "There you go, my love."
It had been a long time since Albus had held a baby, and even with Athena, the action hadn't come to him naturally. "Am I doing this correctly?" he asked Minerva quietly.
"Yes," Minerva responded, smiling gently. "You're doing perfectly."
At that moment, a Healer came over. "If you'd like, we can take a photograph. It would be a nice keepsake for you. I heard this is your first grandchild," she added, smiling kindly.
"Are you two all right with that?" Minerva asked. As much as she wanted the photograph, she didn't want to make this loss any harder on Athena and Dalton.
"Of course," Dalton responded. "We had some taken with him."
Minerva and Albus allowed the Healer to take a few photos, and after the Healer had promised to send the photos to Hogwarts via owl, Minerva determined it would be best to give Aidan back to his parents.
"Thank you so much for allowing us to come in here and spend this time with him," Minerva said gently. She withdrew Aidan from Albus' arms and placed him in Athena's again. "That was very generous of you."
"You deserve it," Athena whispered. Her eyes never left her son. "Would you two be all right if it were only Dalton and I here now? While we wait for—for the end?"
"Of course, my angel," Albus murmured again. He kissed the top of his daughter's head. "I love you."
Athena merely nodded as Minerva and Albus left the room.
As soon as the door had shut behind them, Minerva started sobbing. She stumbled, and Albus caught her, enveloping her in his arms as he did his best to keep them both afloat.
The following week had been one of the worst weeks of Minerva's life. She had taken her classes back on the following Wednesday; despite not feeling up to it, she didn't feel right imposing on Filius' kind nature any more than they already had. Filius was still acting as Head, with Minerva as his Deputy. Albus had stayed at the Manor, where Athena and Dalton had relocated after their stay in the hospital. Albus had refused to leave his daughter's side, and Poppy allowed Athena to go home as long as she had constant supervision.
While she was happy Albus could stay with their children, Minerva had to admit that she missed the comfort Albus' presence brought her.
Instead, Minerva tried to focus on the positives. Physically, Dalton and Athena were healing well. Athena was bound to a wheelchair for the time being, but considering the extent of her injuries, she was quite lucky.
Of course, she—and Dalton—didn't feel very lucky at all.
On an hourly basis, Albus had written to Minerva, keeping her apprised of everything happening at the Manor. Through Albus, she knew that Athena had fallen into an understandable depression. The bereaved parents had decided to hold a funeral for little Aidan that upcoming weekend, and that was the only subject that Athena would discuss.
The usual suspects were all invited to the funeral, but Iolanthe and Charlus had decided to make their excuses. They were still at the hospital. Their new daughter, Esmé Lucille Potter, was perfectly healthy, but still in an incubator. Iolanthe had confided in her aunt that while she would have gone to the funeral and left Charlus at the hospital, she didn't want Athena to feel obligated to ask how her baby was doing.
Minerva was grateful for her niece's thoughtfulness.
Lucy, much like Athena, would be in a wheelchair, but she was determined to attend. Whatever spell Katrina had hit Lucy with had struck her across the knees, ensuring Lucy was moving slowly for the time being. Callum was right as rain again, thankfully, and through Albus, Minerva knew that Dalton was speaking with his uncle regularly.
She hoped that her brother could help her son.
On the morning of Aidan's funeral, Albus, Athena, and Dalton Flooed to Minerva's quarters before heading to the ceremony. Dalton wanted to go together, and Athena didn't have much of an opinion. Albus told Minerva that Athena was much like she was after the elder Aidan had passed away, and that notion scared Minerva.
While it had been heartbreaking to lose Aidan, Minerva couldn't imagine what she would have done if she had lost Dalton.
"Hello, darlings," Minerva greeted them gently as they came tumbling through the Floo. She kissed Dalton and Athena's cheeks. "I'm sorry I haven't been around more this week."
"You have classes to teach, Ma. We've had Albus—and I'm very thankful for him," Dalton said. He shot his father-in-law a grateful look. "He's been a blessing."
"I'm happy to help," Albus responded modestly, but Minerva knew the thought meant a lot to him.
"I'm so glad, darling." Minerva gestured at her sitting room. "Do we have some time to sit before we go?"
Dalton looked at Athena, and when she didn't respond, he faltered. "I think so, yes. Actually," he turned to Albus, "Albus, would you be all right if I spoke to Ma for a moment?"
"Of course." Albus nodded and took control of Athena's wheelchair, wheeling her over to the window.
"Sit, Dalton," Minerva said. She Summoned water for them. "What do you need to speak with me about?"
"I wanted to explain to you how Fawkes was able to heal me, but not Athena and...and Aidan," Dalton answered, his voice catching. "I told Albus while we were at the Manor. I thought he deserved an explanation."
"Perhaps, but you don't need to tell me. Not today, darling," Minerva said quickly. "There's absolutely no need. Albus can tell me later."
"No, I want to." Dalton looked at his mother firmly. "As I said, we're doing research in soul bonds at work. As you know, phoenix tears don't work on every injury. They can ameliorate most, but—"
"It's harder for them to heal two people at the same time," Minerva finished gently. "Which I'm sure played a part in Fawkes' inability to heal Athena and Aidan simultaneously."
"Yes, you're right," Dalton continued, "and I know you're also aware that when a bonded person is injured, the other person in the bond is injured at a fraction of the original injury. Phoenixes, as you said, can only heal one person at a time, and in the instances of soul bonds, they inexplicably almost always heal the secondarily injured person."
Despite the situation, Minerva felt her scholarly interests take over. "How much interest do the Unspeakables have in soul bonds nowadays? How many soul bonded people are there, anyway?"
"I haven't given your name away, Ma, don't worry," Dalton said hurriedly. "And Athena and I haven't said anything about us. But the department put out some covert feelers, and there have been a few responses."
"And these people are willing to be injured?" Minerva inquired, an eyebrow raising. "And hope that a phoenix may cure them?"
"They're compensated heavily by the Ministry, Ma," Dalton sighed, rolling his eyes. "They're allowed to make that decision."
"Yes, I suppose that's true," Minerva mused. "At any rate, I'm happy you're doing research, and not out on the field as much."
"And you, Ma?" Dalton asked. "Are you happy?"
Minerva found herself rather startled by the question.
"What do you mean, darling?"
"I know it was hard for you when Athena and I left school. I want to know if you're happy."
"Well, obviously life isn't ideal at the moment," Minerva said, as kindly as she could. "But I have you and Athena, and a wonderful family with good friends. I appreciate the concern, but I'm happy, Dalton."
Her son looked at her shrewdly as she reached for her glass of water.
"You know, Ma," Dalton said cautiously after a moment, "I'm not mad that you're dating Albus."
Minerva spat out her water.
"Or, well, whatever it is you're doing with him," Dalton added hastily. "I'm happy for you."
"How did you find out?" Minerva asked. She spelled the water off of her robes. "Did Athena tell you?"
"No, Athena confirmed it when I asked," Dalton responded, amused. "She said you both thought I'd react poorly."
"To be fair, you and Albus weren't on the best of terms at the time," Minerva pointed out. "Besides, you had enough going on in your life to worry about."
"You were probably right to keep it from me," Dalton agreed. "I was at my wit's end."
"And now?"
"I'm not faring much better at the moment, for obvious reasons," he admitted, "but I saw the way you and Albus interacted at the hospital. It was easy to see that you were in love. Then, I asked Aoife and Alice if they'd seen anything in the waiting area, and Alice told me you were locked in some sort of embrace." Dalton shuddered. "I didn't need to know that much, but that pretty much confirmed my suspicions. So, I asked Athena."
"It's nice not to hide it from you anymore," Minerva said softly. "I hate hiding things from you."
"Do I need to lecture Albus on anything?" Dalton asked, a grin spreading across his face. "Keep his hands to himself, treat you well, and all that?"
"No," Minerva sighed wearily, "no, you do not. I don't know what you're planning, Dalton Fionnlagh, but certainly that particular conversation can be avoided."
"Come on, Ma. After everything, I deserve a bit of fun, don't I?" Dalton bit his lip. "Ma, please. I need something to make me laugh."
Minerva had to admit that it would add some much-needed comedy to her day, so she said, "All right, then. Let's go and talk to him."
Dalton's eyes turned into saucers. "Seriously? You're letting me?"
"As you said, we need some laughs today," Minerva said, rising. She raised an eyebrow. "I can change my mind, if you no longer think the conversation would be appropriate."
"Oh, it's appropriate, all right!" Dalton bounced off his seat and practically ran to where Athena and Albus were talking. "Albus!"
"Yes, my boy?" Albus asked, turning around.
"May I ask why you felt the need to sleep with my mother after my wedding?"
Minerva shouted, "Dalton!" as Albus turned furiously red.
"Um...er—my dear?" Albus looked at Minerva for help. "What's going on?"
"I'd like to know that myself," Minerva responded crisply. "Dalton, I said you could tease Albus, not me." She rounded on Athena, careful to keep her tone light. "So you spilled that particular detail, did you?"
Athena managed a slight smile. "It makes the whole thing funnier, Min. Surely you know that."
"Sooooo," Dalton continued, very much trying not to laugh, "Albus, what do you have to say for yourself? You think you can shag my mother and get away with it?"
"Oh, Merlin," Minerva groaned.
"I expect you to treat my mother with full respect, Albus," Dalton said firmly. "You'd better treat her like the brilliant, kind person she is. If you so much as annoy her, I'll be here, ready to annoy you."
Albus blinked, clearly confused. "I'm not planning on annoying Minerva, Dalton."
"Good." Dalton nodded decisively. "Treat my mother well, and we won't have any issues, Albus."
Albus turned to Minerva. "Did you tell him I was treating you improperly?"
"No. I thought we could all use the laugh, but I didn't expect him to come after me," Minerva said, quirking a brow. "You're treating me very well, Al."
"I'm very glad to hear that indeed." As if to prove it, Albus rose and swept Minerva into a kiss.
"Albus, I did not need to see that." Dalton rolled his eyes.
"Can we leave now?" Athena asked, cutting in. "I appreciate the laughs, and I know that's how you handle grief, but I..." She trailed off and closed her eyes. "I would like nothing more than for today to be over."
"Of course," Albus apologized. "I'm sorry; we forgot ourselves."
Athena waved her hand dismissively. "It's no problem, but I would like to go." She turned to Dalton and started to cry. "Can we go? Please?"
"Yes," Dalton murmured. He took hold of her wheelchair. "Let's go. Ma, Albus—we'll meet you there."
Minerva and Albus silently gathered their things. Watching Dalton and Athena Floo away, Minerva looked at Albus. "Al?"
"Mhmm?" Albus slipped his cloak on. "What is it, my dear?"
"I missed you," Minerva confessed. "I love my job, but being here, away from the three of you, I've felt useless. And I must admit that I think I made things worse by allowing Dalton to try to lighten the mood."
Albus held out his arms and sighed as Minerva fell into his embrace. "Callum was going to tell you this today, but I might as well tell you now: he has taken time off to help Lucy as she gets back on her feet. He and Lucy are going to stay at the Manor with Dalton and Athena—help to take care of them."
"That's kind of them," Minerva muttered appreciatively.
Albus nodded. "It is. The best part is it means I can come home. We can be together, and we can grieve together. We can still visit the children outside of class hours, of course, but this way, you're not alone."
"Al, if the children need you more, I want you to be with them," Minerva protested.
"My dear, your brother and sister-in-law will be able to take care of them," Albus said. "I know you, and I have a feeling that you've pushed your grief aside so you could focus on work."
"I had to," Minerva whispered. She felt tears blur her vision. "I haven't been sleeping without you, and I've felt useless, and I'm constantly worried about Dalton and Athena, and—"
"And you're grieving," Albus interrupted gently. "We lost a grandchild, Min. You're supposed to be sad—don't hold it in."
"What about you?" Minerva asked softly as she clung to his robes. "How are you?"
"Oh, I fully expect that I'll be a mess when we return today," Albus said, a wry smile on his face. "But, my dear, I hope we're messes together. There's no need to maintain a façade—not for anyone in our family, and certainly not for me."
"I know," Minerva whispered. "I know, Al."
"As long as you do," Albus responded firmly. He released Minerva and ran his hands down the length of her arms. "Now, shall we go?"
They headed to the fireplace, and Minerva looked at Albus in surprise as he kept hold of her hand. "Al?"
"I'm not hiding anymore," Albus declared, shaking his head. "Not around our family."
Minerva held his hand a little more tightly as they entered the fireplace.