"Your son has leukaemia," the healer informed a couple holding hands a few feet away from him.
"Leukaemia? What is it?" the wife asked.
"It's a type of cancer, Mrs Scamander, that affects his blood cells."
"Lorcan was born in early in June, so he's a Gemini. Isn't he, Rolf?" Luna Scamander seemed lost and confused. Their son's healer invited them into his office, which was a first since Lorcan got sick. They had always talked in the examination room. About procedures, tests, prognoses. The change of setting itself gave her a notion of solemnity now, but the healer's sudden talk about zodiac signs didn't seem particularly relevant. Or grievous.
"Of course, Luna. But I think this is a different meaning of 'cancer'. Right, Healer Ketteridge?"
"It's a disease. Rare for us, but common amongst Muggles. It's terminal for both if left untreated. Deadly, I mean," he added.
Luna felt blind panic rising in her chest. It squeezed and constrained, fogging her mind until only a single thought remained. Her son was dying, and the healer didn't want to talk about it in front of him. She would do anything, anything, to help Lorcan.
"Fortunately, it can be cured," Healer Ketteridge said.
Luna looked at Rolf and squeezed his hands, silent understanding passing between them.
"We agree to the treatment."
"I'm glad to hear that, but you should first hear what the treatment might entail."
"You just said that our son would die if we didn't treat him. There's no doubt that we want him treated. Even if it's unpleasant or costs a fortune, we want him treated."
"I fully agree with my wife." Rolf patted her hand. "Tell us what the problem is so that we can explain it to Lorcan. He has to know, but for us the choice is clear."
"There isn't enough magic left in him, so we can't treat him magically."
"But he can see Nargles," Luna protested, recalling the first instance Lorcan had exhibited magic. "Do you remember, Rolf, how happy he was on his first Christmas when he chewed on mistletoe? He was playing with Nargles. He's magical. He was even admitted to St Mungo's right after that for stomach pain. He underwent magical treatment then."
"Yes. Well. But he also summoned his toys and turned the toilet into a fountain a few times. There are other things too, Luna, aren't there?"
"Yes. Plenty."
Healer Ketteridge cleared his throat. "This might be surprising for you, but it's possible for a magical child to lose magic in the early years."
"That doesn't seem likely at all." Luna shook her head. People thought her delusional for believing in non-existent creatures. They were right a tiny bit, especially in her childhood, she'd admit, but overall, she was a naturalist just like Rolf. And turning a magical being, a child, into someone non-magical seemed way out of realm of possibility for her.
"We've several documented cases. Nevertheless, the sudden magical loss malady combined in case of your son with leukaemia poses serious problems since it eliminates the option of magical treatment."
"But you said there was a solution." Luna held on to the thread of hope that Healer Ketteridge mentioned earlier. There must be hope for Lorcan.
"Muggles use a set of procedures that might cure him."
There. He admitted it again. Hope. Luna sat at the edge of her seat while Rolf leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Can you explain?"
"Blood cells are created inside of bones, in the bone marrow. To cure the disease, we'd have to take the bone marrow out of your son and replace it with new marrow."
The Scamanders flinched and looked at each other.
"As we said, we agree to the treatment." Rolf reached for Luna. She nodded.
"The question is what the replacement would be. Lorcan has a twin brother, doesn't he? "
"Yes. Lysander and Lorcan are twins."
"Then we might need to operate on both your children. We could use Lysander's tissue for Lorcan."
"Bone marrow is a tissue?" Luna asked, the hope expanding in her chest.
"It is."
"The umbilical blood, Rolf. Hermione said that blood from umbilical cords of our babies could be turned to tissue that could save their lives. This is such a case, isn't it?" She had known it was right to trust Hermione and Lavender and let their company freeze umbilical blood of her children instead of discarding it as witches always did. She had just known it.
He opened his mouth and then closed it without a sound. He stood up and walked around the table. He pulled a book with soft cover from a shelf, casting a Searching Spell on it. Opening it on a glowing page, he read.
"Here." He jabbed his finger into the page.
Luna took hold of the book. It was paper, not parchment, distinctly Muggle, crisp with spotless pages. Luna thought this might have been the first time it had been opened. She was glad that their healer at least had it in his collection.
"Here it says that Muggles can grow bone marrow cells from cells in the umbilical blood. And here," the healer skimmed a few pages ahead, "it says it is even better than the transplantation. Yes, fewer problems later in life. Yes, compatibility. Yes, immune reactions. This looks good. Your son will have a much better chance to recuperate with tissues grown from his umbilical blood cells."
Rolf hugged Luna, the tears in his eyes matching her own.
"He'll live, Rolfie. Our baby will live," Luna whispered.
"The Magical Activity Archive," Severus said without looking up.
"What?" Hermione stopped in her tracks. "How did you know it was me?"
"Footstep pattern." He continued to write.
"Oh. Interesting. Nevertheless, I wanted to talk to you about something else."
"I said, go and check the Magical Activity Archive to see about loss of magic."
"What are you on about?" Hermione approached his desk and placed her hands in his line of vision.
Severus looked up from his work, multiple lines forming around his eyes. "If you're coming in to dump another case on me, forget it."
"I'm not, in fact."
"No?" He placed his quill in its holder.
"No."
"A proposition then?" He sat back.
"Leave off, Severus. We've been going on with this banter for years. And it's not as if anything ever came of it."
"It could."
"It could?" That was a change. She wanted to believe him, but held back. "You're pulling my leg again."
"Not this time. But I do require an evening off to be able to invite you out."
"An evening off?"
"You might not be familiar with the term, but I seem to recall from my teaching career that there, in fact, exist concepts like evenings off, or occasionally even a weekend off."
"I do know of the concept."
"But?" Severus raised his eyebrows.
Hermione inhaled and snapped her mouth shut after a moment, remembering all the instances when she'd seen him ward his office door in the evenings. She would then grab the first paper she saw on her desk and run after him. For a consultation, of course. It was always about a professional consultation that couldn't wait until morning. Or so she convinced herself. "You're right. I work too much, and I'm guilty as charged in forcing you to put in long hours too. I didn't know you might want time off for me." She sighed. "I tried to keep you here with me."
"As you say. You've been much easier to work with than for."
"It's not my fault that they always promote Harry Potter's friends."
"No. But you accept it every time."
"What would you expect? That I'd decline?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"As a Gryffindor, I'd expect you to be noble and self-righteous."
"Then you might perhaps realise that I've outgrown my Gryffindor box."
"Indeed."
"Really?" Hermione lit up with a hopeful expression.
"That wasn't meant as a compliment."
"But it was, Severus, don't you see? You said that you liked me."
"Did I, now?"
Her mobile rang.
"Oh, Severus. I'm sorry, but I have to take this. It's Lavender, and we've got our first case at the Life Bank. I was just coming in to tell you."
He waved her off.
"Hi, Lavender. Yes, Luna called me already. I was wrapping something up with Severus here. Yes, I know. I'll hurry. Okay, okay. Don't fret. I'm on my way there right now."
She turned back to him, holding her phone in both hands close to her chest.
"Severus." A plea in her eyes.
Disappointment in his.
"Luna's son needs his umbilical blood. He's very sick," she tried to explain. "I have to."
"Go. It's your business to run."
"Really? Just like that you're fine with me leaving?"
Hermione edged towards the door, knowing that she should leave, both wishing and fearing he would stop her.
"Yes."
"You won't change your mind tomorrow?"
"I won't. Go."
"Okay. See you then."
Hermione was almost down the hall when Severus came after her.
"Hermione?"
She turned. "Severus?" she said, hoping that he had come to kiss her good-bye.
He paused.
"Good luck," he said and lifted corners of his mouth in an attempt to smile.
"I'll be back," she said and was gone.