Teddy was quiet as they left the cinema. "So, the movie was pretty good, yeah?" asked Harry, who had quite enjoyed it himself.

"Yeah, I guess," said Teddy, unenthusiastically.

"Want to grab some dinner? What do you feel like?" asked Harry, taking the boy's hand.

Teddy shrugged. "I'm not hungry. Can we go home, Harry?" he asked.

"You okay, Teddy?" asked Harry.

The boy nodded, but yawned. Harry wondered if the international travel might be catching up with Teddy, so he picked him up. "I'm a bit tired myself. How about an early night?" he asked.

Teddy nodded.

Harry thought he might have forgotten about Ginny, but he hadn't. "Can we go see Ginny in the morning, Harry?" he asked.

"Sure, Teddy," assured Harry. He walked to the Apparition point still carrying Teddy. The little boy hardly spoke, and Harry actually thought he might have fallen asleep, but as soon as they were back at Grimmauld Place, he wriggled to be put down.

Despite it being late in the afternoon, Harry got Teddy to take a bath, then left him in his room to go and prepare some tea. Teddy again denied being hungry, but Harry told him he needed to eat something. They agreed on a light tea of crumpets and soup.

While the soup was warming up, Harry went to get Teddy, but found him asleep on his bed. Sighing, he tucked the boy under the covers and went back to the kitchen and his solitary meal.

When he was done, he sat back, nursing a Butterbeer. His mind again wandered to Ginny, and what she could possibly have to show him. He wondered if he could persuade her to have lunch with him and Teddy the next day.

He secured the house, deciding to go and have a shower and have an early night himself. He peeked into Teddy's room, but the boy was laying facing away from him, still sound asleep. Harry left him to it and went for a shower.

/*/*/*/*

Ginny clocked off her shift, threw her cloak around her shoulders, and Flooed to her apartment. She changed into some casual clothes, poured herself a wine then decided to think about dinner. She found a container filled with casserole, courtesy of her mother; it smelled delicious. There was fresh home-made bread in the breadbox, so Ginny cut some and buttered it. She sat on her comfy sofa, turned the wireless on and listened to the last of the Harpies vs Wasps match.

At that exact moment, Harry stumbled out of the Floo at St Mungo's, a limp Teddy in his arms.

" HELP ME!" he cried.

/*/*/*/*

Ginny arrived at St Mungo's next morning and began her shift. She noticed pandemonium around one of the rooms. " Hey, what's going on?" she asked one of the other healers, gesturing to the packed room.

" A little boy, four, was brought in late last night, suspected dragon pox. His temp is off the charts, and none of the potions seem to be working," said Mark, the healer. He grabbed a chart and went into a nearby room.

Ginny felt a pang of sympathy. As she checked the board, where all waiting patients were listed, she realised, for the time being, there were no patients waiting. She picked up one of her healer journals and began to read when she heard his voice.

" Please, can I just see him? He's all the family I have left."

Ginny heard the desperation in the man's voice; it seemed strangely familiar. She despaired for the parents of ill children; it was so hard feeling helpless when their child felt so bad. It was one of the reasons Ginny had planned to specialise in children's healing, before she found her calling in obstetrics.

" Please sir, wait outside. We're doing all we can to help your son." Ginny recognised the tones of the lead healer from last night, Anne. She was gentle but firm.

Ginny decided to use her free time to help this man. She could try and calm him down, or offer to call anyone who could come and support him in this trying time.

The man stumbled slightly as the door to the room shut. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. He turned around, looking left, then right, for what, Ginny didn't know. All she knew was that this man was in torment at the thought of his ill son.

" Sir, maybe I can – Harry?" she gasped, after touching his arm and making him swing around.

" Ginny?" He quickly took note of her healer robes. " You work here?"

Ginny nodded, glancing at the door. " Is that...Teddy in there?" Her heart sank at the thought.

He nodded miserably. "I should be in there with him," he half whispered.

Ginny grabbed his hand and led him to a nearby seat, and practically forced him into it. " Tell me what's going on?" she demanded.

Harry ran his hands through his hair again. " I don't know. He was fine yesterday morning, we went to Gringotts, went to the Ministry, and then the cinema. He was quiet when we left the cinema, we, erm, we were planning to come and visit you, actually." He flushed slightly.

Ginny smiled softly. " Kingsley gave you my message?"

Harry nodded. " We, er, Teddy was really keen to see you, but after the movie he just wanted to go home. He didn't feel like anything for dinner, but I suggested soup and crumpets. He fell asleep before it was ready and I didn't have the heart to wake him. I checked on him about an hour later, and he was burning up. I picked him up and brought him straight here."

" When was the last time he ate?" asked Ginny, thinking quickly.

"He had an ice-cream at Fortescue's before lunch, then a soft drink at the movies," said Harry. " I already told them that," he said, gesturing to the closed door. He stood and paced nervously. " I should be in there with him."

"The healers are with him, Harry. He's in the best possible care right now. Is there anyone I can call to come and be with you?" she asked.

Harry shook his head, unable to take his eyes off the door. " No, it's just me and Teddy. His grandmother died a few months ago, from dragon pox. Do you really think it's possible Teddy could have it, all these months after she died?" he asked.

Ginny was saved from answering as the door opened and a nurse and a healer came out. The nurse went one way, but the healer came over to Harry.

" How is he?" demanded Harry.

" The same," said the healer gravely. " It's definitely a strain of dragon pox, but for the moment we're trying to get his temperature down. Nothing we're giving him is working at the moment. His immune system is weakened, and it's not responding to the potions."

" But you'll heal him, won't you? You have to," said Harry, in desperation. His voice broke. " He's only four."

" I know. We're doing all we can. We've called in our top paediatric consultant," reassured the healer. "I just wanted you to know. I need to go back in there now."

" If he wakes, will you tell him Harry is here," said Harry. The healer nodded and went back to Teddy's room.

" Oh, Merlin," gasped Harry, sinking back to the chair. " Not Teddy. Please, not Teddy." He covered his face with his hands and his shoulders shook.

Ginny put her arms around him and held him. No-one should be alone at this frightening time.

/*/*/*/*

It had been the longest night of his life. He didn't know how many cups of coffee he drank, or how many times he walked down the hall and back. He managed to sneak a peek at Teddy as the healers went in and out, but seeing his pale, sweaty little face was heartbreaking for him. He was used to seeing cheeky grins, his little face lighting up when he saw Harry. Now, there was nothing.

Harry hated feeling useless, and he had the feeling he was missing something vital. He went over and over the last few days, of their days in America, of their arrival in England. Had he contracted the disease from someone else, or had it lay dormant all this time. And why weren't the damn potions working?

He'd seen so many nurses and healers go in and out of Teddy's room, but none of the seemed able to help him. He had the lead healer in there, now they were waiting for the top children's consultant. Meanwhile, Teddy wasn't getting any better. He'd heard the words coma and fever, and it scared the hell out of him. To those healers, Teddy was just another patient, but to Harry, Teddy was his world. Why didn't they understand that and heal him already? What more could Harry do to make them heal Teddy?

He thought quickly, and turned to Ginny. " Ginny, please tell them," he indicated the door where Teddy lay so scarily still, " if it's a matter of money, they can have anything they want. I want the best healers working on him, the best equipment, and if they need money for that, I've got it. They only need to ask. I'll do whatever I need to for Teddy."

" Oh Harry, it's not that. Look, why don't I go and speak with Anne, she was the lead healer when you brought him in last night," suggested Ginny, thanking Merlin it had been a quiet shift so far, and she'd been able to be by Harry's side for most of it, so far.

Harry nodded. " You'll tell them what I said?"

Ginny nodded, and went inside. It was the first time she'd seen the small boy since the Remembrance Day ceremony. He looked so small and helpless. She turned to Anne, who looked completely spent.

" How is he?" asked Ginny.

" The same. I don't understand why the potions aren't working. His temperature has barely dropped since he was first admitted," sighed Anne. " I'm at a loss."

" We've called in Basil Longthorne to consult," admitted Emma, the lead healer for this mornings shift.

" Is there anything else that can be done? Harry is anxious for some positive news," said Ginny.

Emma shrugged. "We've got the best people possible on his son's case. Just keep reminding him to think about the past few days, in case he's missed anything, and I mean, anything, no matter how inconsequential he thinks it may be. Any tiny detail may be the one thing we need," she affirmed.

Anne nodded wearily. " I'm going to bunk down in the staff room for a bit. Wake me when Basil gets here, would you?"

Emma nodded and Anne left. Emma looked at Ginny. " I need to be out there, overseeing the rest of the team. Do you want to spend the rest of the shift looking after the boy."

" Teddy," corrected Ginny. She hesitated. "Can Harry come in and sit with him, at least till Healer Longthorne arrives. He's got no-one to sit with him, and I think the unknown is scaring him," she said.

Emma considered it and nodded. " Very well. Monitor his obs every ten minutes and notify me of any change immediately," she ordered.

Ginny took her place near Teddy's side, and watched Emma leave. Moments later, Harry came in, hurrying to Teddy's other side. " My precious boy," he whispered, picking up the limp hand.

Ginny completed her observations of Teddy, and recorded them on his chart. " Harry, I'm going to go and get some water and towels to give Teddy a sponge bath. It will make him feel nice and fresh. Would you like to help me?" She knew it was important for the family to feel as though they were helping their child.

Harry nodded, his gaze never leaving Teddy's face. Ginny came around to his side and patted him on the shoulder. " I'll be back in a minute. If you notice any change while I'm gone, ring this bell, and a healer will come running," she ordered, placing the bell in easy reach. Harry nodded again without looking away.

Ginny hurried out to the laundry room, quickly half filling a bowl with lukewarm water. She knew this was usually the nurse's job, but she was the healer looking after Teddy now, and it would be good to let Harry be helpful. She ordered him a sandwich and juice, then grabbed two towels and prepared to return to Teddy's room.

" Hey, heard you're looking after the dragon pox kid," said Mark, who was also working the early shift today. " How's he doing? His temp down yet?"

Ginny shook her head. " I don't understand why, though?" she said.

" Strange," agreed Mark. " Still, at least we're not working tonight. It's a full moon, and you know what that means."

Ginny grinned at him. " All the crazies will be out." It was a well known fact that, even in the Muggle world, hospitals were busier than normal on a full moon night.

Ginny went into Teddy's room, her mind still thinking about Mark's words. Why were they bothering her? She wasn't working tonight, although she was pretty sure she'd end up staying right here with Harry, working or not. So what did it matter that it was a full moon?

Harry looked up as she entered, watching as she placed the bowl of warm water and towels on a stand. Harry confidently took the flannel from her and wiped the boys face and neck, and behind his ears. " He's usually ticklish when I wash him under his neck," said Harry sadly.

Ginny lifted the boy's gown and Harry deftly washed the boys underarms and chest, before moving down to his tummy. He made quick work of Teddy's lower body, and Ginny put him in clean gown. She handed Harry a brush.

He slowly brushed the boy's brown hair. " It's strange seeing his hair so normal. When he's happy, he likes it to be turquoise. His mum liked to have pink hair when she was happy."

" I remember," murmured Ginny, although that strange feeling was with her again. She watched Harry brushing his hair, brown like Remus's. Hmm, Tonks...Remus...

Ginny gasped. Harry spun around. " What is it?" he asked, quickly looking back at Teddy.

" I-I think I've got it," she said.

" Got what?" asked Harry.

" Why the potions aren't working. Wait, I'll be right back."

" Ginny!" cried Harry, as she hurried out the door.

He looked back down at Teddy, only this time, there was a whisper of hope.