Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my ideas. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Author's Note: I truly feel like I have been writing this story forever, but kind of in a good way. It's not done yet! thank you to everyone who keeps reviewing and keeps reading and has stuck with me through it - i love you all! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! xx
Chapter Twenty-Five: The Waiting Game
Marley looked up as her mother made her way back into the waiting room with Teddy by her side. She could tell by the tired looks on both of their faces that there had been no change with Leo. Her heart sank slightly in her chest and she looked at James, who leaned in and kissed her cheek.
She hated this. She hated not being able to do anything for Meredith. She wanted to help her, support her - but she didn't know how. She wasn't sure if there was anything anyone could do, apart from Leo waking up, that is.
"Anything?" Harry called out.
Both Hermione and Teddy shook their heads. Draco was immediately on his feet, taking Hermione's hands in his and guiding her back over to his seat. Teddy sat down next to Theodore across from them all, staring at the ground. Marley looked back at James who was watching Teddy in concern.
"Go. I'll be fine." she whispered.
James looked at her and nodded gratefully, kissing her lips softly before getting up and sitting beside Teddy.
"It's the condition that Daphne had." Hermione told them all. "They caught it earlier than her, though. So now... all we can do is wait for him to wake up."
"That's it? We just have to wait?" Marley asked, turning to face her mother.
Hermione nodded, wiping tears from her eyes. Marley could see just how worn down her mother was feeling. She had been constantly crying over the last couple of days - and Marley didn't blame her. Marley had been doing her fair share of crying as well. She reached out and grabbed Hermione's hand, squeezing it tightly.
"Oh darling." Hermione whispered.
Draco sat down in James' former seat and wrapped his arm around Marley, reaching across and grabbing Hermione's other hand, resting it on Marley's lap. She felt herself relax ever-so slightly with her parents there. She looked up at James who had his hand on Teddy's shoulder. He was already looking at her, and she could tell just by the look in his eyes that he was trying not to cry. Teddy was James' hero - just as Meredith was her's. She knew that seeing Teddy in the amount of pain he was clearly in had to be killing James.
"Mr. Weasley?"
Marley looked up, finding a different Mediwitch standing in the entrance to the waiting room. Ron was on his feet, walking over to her, his eyes on the floor. Marley felt her heart clench immediately at the sight of him. After listening to Meredith speak about him, she knew that she shouldn't be angry - but she couldn't help it.
"Wait." Ginny called out.
Marley watched as Ginny made her way to Ron. She turned back and looked at Hermione, who just nodded slowly at her.
"I'd like to come with you." Ginny said, her voice shaking.
Marley watched as Ron's eyes filled with tears before Ginny flung her arms around him, holding on tight. Although she could feel the anger inside herself, Marley tried to imagine herself in Ginny's situation. What if it had been Jasper or Scorpius who had done those terrible things? Or even Meredith or Lyra?
Marley didn't even want to think about that. She looked back at James who was staring over his shoulder at his mother with a strange expression on his face. She got up and walked over to him, crouching down in front of his seat.
"Hey." she whispered.
He turned back to look at her and she rubbed his cheek with her thumb.
"Don't worry about that now." Marley said softly. "We can figure out all that stuff later."
James smiled softly at her and leaned forward to kiss her forehead before pulling Marley into his arms and sitting her on his lap, holding her close. Marley closed her eyes and rested herself against him.
"I love you, M&M." he whispered in her ear.
Marley felt her heart swell thrillingly at his words and she smiled. "I love you, too."
. . .
James knew this was bad.
He could tell by the expression on everyone's face that nobody was saying what they were all thinking.
If Leo didn't make it out of this… what the hell would happen to Meredith? How would she survive losing him on top of Ava? Of course, James knew that Meredith was more than strong enough to deal with anything life threw at her, but would she really want to?
He sighed and tightened his arms around Marley's small waist and buried his face into her her chest. He felt her hands stroke his hair from her spot on his lap and he tried to take a deep breath. He wanted to be strong for her - for everyone - but he was worried. He had seen the look on Meredith's face when she had heard the news about Leo in the first place…
It wasn't something he was easily going to forget.
He felt Teddy shift next to him and he lifted his head to look. Teddy was shaking, his eyes pointed at the floor, shining brightly with unshed tears. He hated seeing his brother - he did consider him his brother - in so much pain.
"Ted, it's alright to be upset." he whispered.
Teddy tore his eyes away from the ground to look at James and Marley, shaking his head. Marley reached out and grabbed one of Teddy's shaking hands, holding it on her lap. James placed his own on top and looked at his brother again, finding him merely shaking his head.
"It's not. I need to be strong for her." Teddy said darkly. "She's gone through so much shit and it's bloody unfair. I mean, she was dealt a shit hand right from the start with Ron. We were both dealt a shit hand, only things got better for me and things got worse for her. It's not fair."
James' heart clenched painfully at Teddy's words. He knew that Teddy was thinking about the first few years of his life - the death of his parents and then the death the his grandmother. James remembered when he was quite young that Teddy had been very moody, letting his Metamorphmagus abilities run wild when he was upset. James had learned to pick out his brother's mood by his hair colour at the age of two.
But once Teddy had started Hogwarts, things got a little bit better.
He couldn't remember a moment in his brother's life when he hadn't been with Meredith and Victoire. Of course, now he loved Victoire in a different way than he loved Meredith. Meredith was like his sister, and this was killing him, James knew.
"But she's made it this far, and she'll make it through this, no matter what happens." James said.
Teddy let out a sigh and rose to his feet, beginning to pace. "I just wish I could do something. I mean, she's in there right now with him, sobbing her eyes out with Astoria and all I can do is watch. And Leo's my mate, too and he's just…"
James didn't say anything only exchanging a look with Marley who was listening as intently to Teddy as James was himself.
"I keep picturing the look on Leo's face when Ava was born." Teddy sighed, stopping his pacing to look at James and Marley with tears finally streaming down his face. "I swear, I've never seen someone look so happy in my life. Meredith was crying, but of course as beautiful as ever, holding… holding their g-g-girl in her arms and Leo was just staring at the two of them in awe. He told me later when they were both asleep that he'd never expected to get that lucky in his life. That the two of them were all he would ever need in his entire life."
James opened his mouth to speak but immediately closed it again. What could he possibly even say that would make this even a tad better? Teddy was shaking hugely now, his feet still on the floor as he clenched his hands in fists. His hair - that had been brown, as it was most days - turned a bright red, something that James hadn't seen in a long while.
"Teddy, hey." he heard his father say.
Harry was on his feet, approaching Teddy and placing a hand on his shoulder. Teddy flinched under his touch, but Harry kept his hand there.
"I know it's hard to see him like this, and I know it's hard to see her in this much pain, but there isn't anything you can do that's more than what you're already doing." Harry said. "You're there for them. You're here for them. That's all any of us can do. We can just be there and offer support."
James thought of the similarities between his father and Marley's mother and Teddy and Meredith. He could tell that his father was thinking of that as well, just by the look in his eyes. Suddenly, Teddy was hugging Harry tightly, tighter than James was sure he had in a long time.
"It's alright, son. It's alright." Harry whispered, hugging him back.
Marley snuggled herself closer to James and he wrapped his arms back around her waist, pulling his eyes away from Harry and Teddy to look at her. He brought one hand up to her cheek and touched it gently.
"He'll be alright, James." Marley whispered, nodding her head in Teddy's direction.
"And so will Meredith." he whispered back.
She kissed him softly, letting their lips linger together and he sighed when they pulled away, pulling her in for a hug. For the briefest moment, he tried to imagine what he would do if he were in Meredith's position and Marley - the person he loved most in the world - was in the hospital.
Just the thought made him panic.
He cleared his head and focused on hugging her, the love of his life, tight in his arms.
. . .
"You should go see her. You haven't been in yet." Hermione whispered.
Draco let out a sigh, nodding his head knowingly. He hadn't been in to see Leo yet. Hospitals never brought great memories for him. No matter what, he always thought about seeing Hermione lying beaten up in a bed, as well as spending nights here with Meredith after they had found her on the Hogwarts Express.
Still, he knew that he needed to push that aside and be there for his daughter.
"Astoria could use you, too." she whispered, leaning close and kissing his cheek. "And she could probably use Theodore, as well."
Draco's eyes fell on Theo who had yet to move from his chair. He was staring at the floor, his face pale and his knuckles white from squeezing his hands into fists so tightly. He knew that Hermione was right. Astoria needed Theo more than she had ever needed him before, and Leo needed him, too - despite whether they were close or not. Leo needed all the support he could get.
"Right, okay." he whispered.
He looked at Hermione, who's eyes were wide and tired. He leaned in and kissed her temple before she turned her head to look at him. He touched her cheek, forcing out a soft smile as she blinked at him. Before he could say anything, she was kissing him.
"You be alright while I'm in there?" he whispered once they pulled away.
She nodded, kissing him once more. "I'll be fine. Go check on our girl."
Draco nodded, standing up and walking over to Theo. On the way, he placed a hand on Teddy's shoulder, who was still standing in the middle of the waiting room, crying into Harry's shoulder. He paused, looking at Harry and his misty eyes. Draco nodded supportingly at his friend, and he nodded back.
"Nott?" Draco called cautiously.
The two really had hardly spoken throughout this whole ordeal - when Astoria had been brought back into his life. Draco couldn't even remember having a lengthy conversation with him throughout their entire time during Hogwarts. He did know, however, that he had had a similar experience with his parents also being involved in the Dark Arts.
"Theo." he said again.
This time, Theodore looked up at him, his eyes devoid of any emotion. Draco knew that he was hiding it - he was hiding it all. He motioned for Theo to stand up, sighing when he didn't.
"Come on." Draco said.
Theo shook his head, staring back at the ground. Draco sighed and placed a hand on Theo's shoulder, causing the man to look back up at him.
"Astoria needs you, okay? I know she does." Draco said. "She needs you more than ever now."
Theo was silent for a minute, just staring at Draco. Draco just stared right back, trying to hold off his own shakes. If Theo refused again, Draco really didn't know what he would do. He was working hard to keep himself together, as he knew that it would be hard to see Meredith as upset as she was.
Slowly, Theo nodded, getting to his feet. Draco nodded and the two men began walking in the direction of Theo's room, neither one saying a word the entire way. Theo paused outside the door, his hand on the knob, when they reached Leo's room. Draco took a deep breath as he heard the unmistakeable sounds of his daughter's sobs from the other side. Suddenly, Theo turned to him.
"I might not have been in his life as long as Astoria, but… I love him. I really do." Theo muttered, his eyes not meeting Draco's.
Draco reached up and touched his shoulder again, nodding at him. Draco knew that there was nothing he could say to comfort Theo in that moment - there was nothing that could do. When your child was hurting, there was nothing that could take away the pain or fear from not being able to do anything to help them.
Theo opened the door, and the two walked in. Draco took in the sight of Astoria and Meredith, each holding a very pale Leo's hand. Meredith was sobbing in choked up pants, her head resting on the side of the bed. She didn't look up when they stepped in, so Draco made his way around to her, slowly.
Astoria looked up at Theo and Draco watched as Theo pulled her tightly into his arms. He could tell by the look on Astoria's face that she had been waiting for him. She let out a deep breath and hugged him tightly as Draco crouched down next to Meredith.
"Meredith, pumpkin." he whispered.
She lifted her head up to look at him, her eyes wide as she shook her head. Her dark makeup had stained her cheeks, and Draco immediately wished that he could take away all of her pain for himself.
"Daddy…" she said, her voice breaking.
A lump grew in Draco's throat as he pulled Meredith into his arms. She wrapped one arm tight around him, burying her face against his chest and continuing to cry. He knew that her other hand still held Leo's. He reached up and began to pet her hair, just like he had done when she was a kid.
"It's alright, darling. It's alright." Draco whispered, holding his daughter close.
They sat together for a long time until Meredith broke free and wiped her eyes before looking back at Leo. She let out a deep breath and sat on the side of the bed, bringing Leo's motionless hand to her lips. Draco stood up, stepping back and watching her daughter. As she stared at Leo, he saw the love in her eyes - the pure, unconditional love. The kind of love he had with Hermione. The kind of love he knew that everyone had to experience in their lives. The kind of love of that was the real thing.
"It's like Daphne all over again." Astoria whispered.
Draco let in a shaky breath as he stepped forward and took Meredith's other hand, telling himself not to stare at Astoria and Theo. He didn't want to invade their moment together, but it was hard not to while they were in the room.
"It's not, Tor. It's not." Theo said softly. "It's nothing like that, okay? Leo's going to get through this."
"He's right." Draco heard himself say.
He looked up at Astoria and Theo, having found them broke apart to stare back at him. He looked down at his daughter, finding her tearful eyes staring up at him. He could see the vulnerability and pure hurt in each and everyone of the people in the room - and he felt it in himself as well. Leo didn't deserve this - he didn't deserve it in the slightest.
"Astoria…" Draco sighed. "I know it's hard as hell, but you've got to have hope, okay? You really, really do. That's all that will get you through."
He thought back to Meredith, when she had been missing. He remembered how his hope - and Hermione - were the only things that had gotten him through that time of his life. Without hope, everything was lost.
"You know… you actually knew about Leo before this." Astoria whispered.
Draco raised his eyebrows at her. "Sorry, what?"
She nodded tearfully at him. "You and I were at a pub somewhere… you'd drank too much - as you had a tendency to do back then - and I got word that Daphne had had a son…"
Draco searched through his mind, trying to locate a memory similar to that. It felt like so long ago when he had been with Astoria. His heart had never been in it, and it had been at the request of his mother. His heart and his mind had always been with Hermione.
"All you said was 'brilliant', or something - before taking another drink." Astoria said with a shrug. "I left to go see her, and I'm sure you didn't even notice."
Draco blushed, letting out a sigh. "I'm not proud of that time in my life."
She smiled softly at him - as big of a smile as he was sure she could manage - before walking around the bed and pulling him into a sudden and unexpected hug. He sighed again, hugging her softly for a moment before they both stepped back.
"Well, you've got a million reasons to be proud of your life now." she whispered. "This girl right here - and everyone else in your life. Just like I've got… I've got Leo to be proud of."
And with that, both Meredith and Astoria were in sobs again.
. . .
Hermione tapped her foot anxiously on the ground. She hated sitting there and doing absolutely nothing. Yet, she knew that there was nothing she could do. She didn't want her mind to wander too far - because there were too many dark places for it to go, and she needed to stay hopeful. She could not lose hope.
She watched Harry and Teddy break away from their long hug before Harry ushered him into a seat two over from Hermione and taking the one beside her. She looked at Teddy, watching him lean forward and wipe his eyes - his hair still a brilliant red. She remembered very well when Meredith and Teddy had first become good friends - when his hair and facial expressions had changed incredibly often, especially when he was upset.
"Is my hair still whatever colour it is?" Teddy murmured, looking up at Harry and Hermione.
Hermione smiled softly, nodding her head. "It's red."
Teddy groaned, rolling his eyes before changing it back to it's usual state of dark brown.
"You know, your mother often preferred her's to be pink." Harry offered kindly.
Hermione's heart clenched up at the mention of Tonks - just as it did when anyone who had perished in the War was mentioned. Harry reached out and took Hermione's hand, allowing her to squeeze it softly before holding it on his lap.
"So you've told me." Teddy said, his voice low.
Still, at the mention of his mother, Teddy's eyes held a certain kind of wonderment. They always had when Harry, Hermione and Ginny had recounted stories about Remus and Tonks to him while he had been growing up.
"I think it was your Dad's favourite once he got used to it. Probably what got him in the end." Harry said, a sad smile on his lips.
"She was beautiful, wasn't she?" Teddy asked. "Beautiful in her own, unique way. My Mum, I mean."
"She was, Ted." Hermione said, thinking of Tonks and her unique features. "Beautiful in such an unconventional way that you couldn't imagine her any other way. She had the power to make herself look like anything, but she stayed the way she was and that's what was beautiful about her in a way."
"It's not fair." Teddy whispered.
Harry and Hermione exchanged a look. Teddy had not said anything much about his parents in a long while, and they both knew that Teddy had to be hurting greatly to mention them, let alone speak of the level of unfairness of which their deaths had been.
"My parents never got the chance to truly be parents, and… neither did Meredith or Leo." Teddy said, his voice hoarse. "I mean, in different ways, obviously, but -"
His voice broke and he sniffled. Harry looked at Hermione, telling her with his eyes that he didn't know what to say. Hermione really didn't either, but wanted to try her damnedest anyways. But, before either one of them could speak, Teddy continued.
"I just wonder if they'd be proud of me. Be proud of the person I've become. I never feel like I can do enough in shitty times like this, you know? I just want to help Mer, and help Leo and… I can't do anything." he exclaimed, his voice escalating as he got more and more worked up.
"Of course they're proud of you, Teddy." Hermione said, leaning over Harry to look at him. "How could they not be? You've turned out absolutely brilliantly. You've done incredibly things for my daughter, and I will be forever thankful for that. I don't know what would have happened if she hadn't had you in her life - these last few years especially. I know that you just being here for her means everything."
Teddy nodded slowly, and she knew that he was thinking. She looked at Harry who immediately leaned in and kissed her forehead. She nodded at him as he clutched her hand tightly.
"When I think of my parents, I think of them, obviously. Of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks." Teddy started, his voice shaking. "But sometimes the first people that pop into my head are Ginny and you, Harry."
Hermione watched Harry's eyes water just as hers did the same. The few times that Teddy had referred to Harry and Ginny as his father and mother over the years had been incredibly intense moments.
"There's nothing wrong with that, Teddy." Harry whispered. "I recognize that you are my godson, and that you are your parents' son. But, I still think of you as my own. You are my son in every way that counts."
Before anything more was said, Ginny and Ron appeared in the doorway to the waiting room. Hermione felt her chest tighten up as she made eye contact with Ron. He looked incredibly awkward, standing there as his eyes looked down at the ground to avoid hers. She looked at Harry, finding him staring at the two siblings, a faraway look in his eyes.
"What the hell are we supposed to do, Hermione?" Harry whispered, his voice hardly audible.
Hermione shook her head. She just kept staring at Ron. He looked back up at her and she closed her eyes, allowing herself for just a moment to think about her wedding day that wasn't. She could remember standing in her dress so incredibly vividly. She could remember fleeing from the Burrow in tears and running into Draco at the Leaky Cauldron.
Draco.
He appeared behind Ginny and Ron, immediately stepping in front of them with their daughter. His arm was wrapped tight around Meredith's shoulder in a protective manner. Hermione watched Ron's eyes widen immediately at the sight of Meredith and he took a few steps backwards, crashing into Astoria and Theo who said nothing and moved past him.
Before anyone could move any further or say anything, a loud chime filled the room, followed by a cheerful female voice.
"To all patients, staff and visitors, St. Mungo's wishes you a very Happy New Year!"
Hermione's eyes fell on the clock on the wall, realizing that it was indeed midnight. She dropped Harry's hand as she stood up, walking over to Draco and Meredith. Instantly, Draco pressed his lips to hers for a brief second before pulling her close in his arms, along with Meredith.
"Happy New Year, angel." Draco whispered. "Happy Birthday, my other angel."
Hermione pulled back and looked at Meredith. She just shook her head, staring down at her feet and stepping out of Draco and Hermione's embrace. She crossed her arms and Hermione watched as she visibly shook.
"What's going on?" Hermione whispered to Draco.
"They're taking him down somewhere for more tests. They said they'll let us know when he's back in his room." Draco explained.
Hermione watched as Teddy stood from his seat and went to Meredith, wrapping an arm around her and ushering her back over to the chairs. The two sat down and Meredith rested her head on Teddy's shoulder, tears softly falling from her eyes. She thought about this exact moment 21 years ago, when she had been bringing Meredith to the world. Harry had been right by her side. She looked to him, finding him already looking at her with a small, slightly saddened smile on his lips. She returned it before allowing her head to turn to Ron's direction - he had been there not even an hour after Meredith's birth.
His face was extremely red as he stared at the ground. Ginny was still by his side, though her gaze was fixed upon Teddy as her hand rested on her stomach. Hermione turned to Draco, kissing his cheek softly.
"Give me a minute?" she whispered.
He nodded, kissing her forehead before she began to walk towards Harry. He met her in the middle and placed a hand on her arm, giving her a comforting squeeze. She took a deep breath and cocked her head to the side.
"He's not going to be gone from our lives, is he?" Hermione said, her voice coming out roughly.
Harry opened his mouth and closed it, shaking his head. She watched as his eyes fell over to Ginny, who was still watching Teddy with concern. He looked back at Hermione, shrugging his shoulders.
"I don't know how he can be. I mean… maybe from your life, yeah. Yeah, he could be. But from mine? I mean… he's her brother, Hermione. I can't ask her to give that up." Harry whispered, his voice sounding defeated.
Hermione shook her head. "You are a part of my life, Harry. So is Ginny."
Silence fell over them as they shared an understanding look. Ron wasn't going to go anywhere anytime soon - but that didn't mean that anything had changed. Hermione linked her arm in Harry's and headed over towards Ginny and Ron. Ron looked up in surprise, almost taking a step back from them as Harry pulled Ginny into his arms, kissing her temple.
"How was the appointment?" Harry asked.
Ron's eyes widened at Harry addressing him directly. "It was okay. I get the results from a few tests in a few days."
"Is that normal?" Harry asked.
"Yeah. It's like this every time. I come in, do the rests, go home and wait." he explained with a shrug.
"Promise to owl me once you get the results?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah, 'course." Ron said.
Silence fell over the group again. Hermione could hear Meredith's sniffles, muffled by Teddy's shoulder. She could hear Astoria's uneven breathing, as well as Theo's small attempts to soothe her. She could hear James and Marley whispering quietly to one another, though not enough to actually make out any words. She felt Draco come up behind her, placing a hand on the small of her back.
"Alright?" Draco asked.
She could hear the protectiveness in his voice and placed a hand on his chest, nodding her head. He stared down at her, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear before bending his head and kissing her lips quickly.
"I can't believe she's 21." Hermione whispered.
Draco smiled softly at her, shaking his head. "God, me neither."
"It feels like five minutes ago that we were here, when she was first born." Harry added.
Hermione turned to look at him with slight tears in her eyes, nodding her head. Draco's hands locked around her waist and she leaned back against him, feeling him press a kiss to her shoulder. She knew that he still hated the fact that he hadn't been there for the birth of Meredith - or the first few years of her life. Of course, they had all dealt with it long ago, but it was still a sore subject with Draco.
"Yeah." Ron said.
All eyes shot up at him, and Hermione watched as his face turned even redder. She was sure that he hadn't even realized he had said it. Draco's grip tightened around her and she took in a deep breath.
"It does, though. I can't believe how long ago it really was." Hermione decided to say, her voice gentle.
Ron caught her eye and she attempted a feeble smile at him as he nodded gratefully. Her stomach twisted and she looked back down - she really didn't know what she was doing. She didn't know how to do anything involving Ron.
"I… I think I'm gonna go back to the Burrow." Ron said. "See Mum. Check on the kids."
Ginny stepped forward and pulled Ron into a tight hug. Hermione could see in Ron's stance just how much it meant to him. He hugged his sister tightly and Hermione turned around to look at Draco, touching his cheek.
"Let's go sit with our daughter, okay?" she whispered.
Draco nodded at her, pressing his lips to her forehead. For a moment, Hermione closed her eyes. Allowing herself to take a moment to breathe and process just all the things that had happened that night. She was still teary-eyed, as she had been for the last few days - or longer. She hugged Draco and felt him soothingly rub her back.
Pulling away, she grabbed his hand and turned her head to Ron. "See you."
Ron's eyes widened at her as he nodded. Before he could say anything else, Hermione and Draco began to walk over to Meredith and Teddy, one sitting down on either side of them. Hermione didn't necessarily know if she would see Ron again - she was almost certain that it was inevitable however - but she realized in that moment that she couldn't dwell on it.
Not any longer.
If she wanted to put everything behind her, she had to let go. She had to let go and be there for her daughter when she truly needed her most. She reached around Teddy over to Meredith and touched her shoulder. She looked up at Hermione with reddened eyes that broke Hermione's heart.
"Whatever you need, darling… we're here." Hermione whispered.
Draco wrapped his arm around Meredith, who was still leaning into Teddy. Hermione grabbed Teddy's hand, as well as one of Meredith's and leaned close to kiss both of their foreheads. She knew there was nothing to say anymore.
All they could do was wait.