Author's Note: Hey! Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter, this one I am a little less sure about because I'm not completely used to writing about angst but this is based on the true story of my wonderful cousin! Combined with Chocolate Frog Card Challenge and Hogwarts Assignments.

Month 2 (first check-up): You're four months along now and you decide to see a Healer to make sure everything is going well. What do they tell you? (Choose one)

COMPLICATIONS: It's too early to tell, but it seems something might be amiss. Your Healer wants to keep a close eye on you and see you regularly. Of course, you agree. Write an angsty story that has a hopeful ending, but not necessarily a happy one.

Card: (Silver) Dymphna Furmage - Write about someone's worst fear

Assignment: DADA - Write about a character going through a painful experience but fighting through it. Mental and physical.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognise!


Torment

The mental torment of the moment was far worse than the brief flash of pain had been, of course in the moment the agony had been crippling. Rose had been unable to stop the cry that was torn from her lips and the bowl of chips she had been carrying back to her comfy chair slipped forgotten from her fingers as she clasped her swollen belly.

Scorpius had been there in seconds but even then the pain had stopped. It was over so quickly that without the physical reaction she might have even imagined it, but the wide frantic eyes of her husband told her everything she needed to know.

Mushed potato and broken china lay forgotten on the floor as Scorpius rushed around quickly packing a hospital bag before ushering her to 's but Rose found she fell into a daze. One hand rested gently, protectively on her stomach as she allowed herself to be guided, first by her husband and then by the healers, to a private room. Though the lights were on there was certainly no one home.

She was vaguely aware of the people around her. Scorpius kept talking to her and his tone, soft and soothing, did actually help slightly but she took nothing in. She felt the healers taking blood samples and the spike of magic in the room as they scanned her but all of her thoughts centred around the fragile little life she was trying to nurture.

How could she have already failed at being a mother? She had a solemn duty to her unborn child to always love and protect it and already she had failed. Every fear, every worry she had entertained since learning that this baby was on the way was suddenly coming true. It was like a lump in her throat, knowing that perhaps the worst had already happened. Rose squeezed her eyes shut, blocking out the last murmurs of the real world and tried to focus inside herself. Searching for something, anything.

"Please," she whispered.

"Mr Malfoy, Mrs Malfoy."

It was the first sound that had managed to force itself through the haze of panic that had enveloped her. Perhaps it was the authority in her tone but as soon as the healer addressed the room Rose sat up straighter, her eyes flew open and she gripped Scorpius's hand tightly.

The woman was young with big hair and sharp eyes but there was a softness to them that came with years of dealing with scared people. She clutched a clipboard in one hand but Rose could see any of the writing.

"I want to put you at ease right away Mrs Malfoy," she started with a gentle voice. "The pain you experienced is a perfectly normal side effect of your expanding womb, it has simply hit a nerve in your spine causing the connecting nerves to spasm."

"Oh thank merlin," Scorpius mumbled allowing his whole body to slump forward in the chair.

"It is likely to happen again but please don't hesitate to come in and see us if you experience any more pains. Better safe than sorry."

Rose nodded furiously, her hand still scrunched in the skin of her stomach. A feeling of dread hovered in her heart as she realised that the woman wasn't done yet. To her credit, she hesitated as if it pained her to have to be the bearer of bad news, but Rose found it a little difficult to sympathise.

"On that note, I do have some other news. There was something made visible on the scans we took that suggests a potential cist development in the brain area. I want to assure you though that it is too early to know fully, it could simply be a blip or it may not develop in the brain at all but also that up to a certain depth it is completely operational."

Rose was silent, digesting the information presented to her. She could feel the desire to break down welling up inside of her but she clamped down on it. Panicking now would help nothing.

"Doctor, what does that even mean?" Scorpius asked, vocalising the question that Rose hadn't found the words to utter.

The young healer offered a tired but genuine smile. "It means, Mr Malfoy, that there is still a lot of hope."


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Much Love, MaryandMerlin x