I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and wish everyone a happy and prosperous Lunar New Year!
-0-0-0-
Extended Family
Chapter 146 – A Day in St. Mungo's
Takes place after chapter 103.
The incessant sound of the alarm clock woke her up. She blinked slowly, mind sluggish and body even more so. She finally woke up enough to recognize why she woke up, the cursed alarm clock, and she groaned. The clock finally stopped when she touched it, reluctant to move but forcing herself to. Getting out of bed was even more difficult due to the fact that someone was trying to keep her in it by lying on her legs.
"Bailey, come on baby," Samantha sighed when Bailey complained with doggy huffs. "I gotta get up. Get daddy, go on."
Thomas grunted when Bailey flopped over him and he blinked slowly as he woke too. "Thanks for that," he said, voice muffled by Bailey's head and fur.
"You're welcome," Samantha smiled, yawning slightly as she got out of bed. "You did it to me yesterday."
"It was pretty funny," he agreed, petting Bailey as she wriggled on him.
Eventually they managed to get out of bed and do their morning routines. The usual ablutions and morning care, changing clothes, getting things ready, feeding Bailey and themselves. It was definitely a quieter household without Katie and Lyla there and even though they had moved out for years now, it still felt like it was only yesterday that the morning routine involved the sisters yelling and making noise.
"How does your day look?" Samantha asked as she finished packing her medical bag.
"Lots of meetings," Thomas sighed, filling his and her thermoses with tea. "I have a sneaking suspicion the client is going to want to change something, again."
"Ugh," she groaned in sympathy. "Good thing he's paying by the hour."
"I'm going to enjoy giving him the bill," Thomas chuckled. "How about you? Lots of patients today?"
"So so, but who knows." She kissed him goodbye and did the same for Bailey before leaving via Floo. The swirl of magic dragged her through the network and she came out neatly on the other side, landing on her feet. St. Mungo's, the biggest magical hospital in the United Kingdom, was never completely quiet and the sounds of the place hit her in full force as it always did. Only now, she was more used to it. A wave of the wand removed the ash and the soot as she stomped her feet on the grate and walked off with some amount of energy.
She arrived at her shared office and she put her bag down and changed into her medi-magical robes, tying her long hair up. The communication stone the hospital used for the staff was slipped into a pocket and she patted the others to make sure her other usual equipment was ready. After a fortifying gulp of tea, she walked to the main desk in the Pediatrics Department. "Morning Trudy."
"Morning Healer Bell," Trudy said, smiling up at her. "How are you?"
"I'm well thank you. How are you feeling?"
Trudy patted her abdomen. "Pretty well too, thank you. The little stranger is finally letting me sleep without using my bladder as a kick bag."
Samantha laughed. "I don't miss that."
"Lie to me and tell me it gets better," Trudy said with a tone that was half-mocking and half-pleading.
"It does and it doesn't, and that's not a lie."
"Thanks," Trudy said flatly and she and Samantha laughed. "Here's the first patient. It's one of your favorites."
Samantha groaned when she saw the name. "Again?! I swear, his parents need to ward their greenhouse so he can't get in there and try to eat everything."
"'But it's so cute when he helps'," Trudy said in a high falsetto.
"Hey, that impression is getting better," Samantha laughed as she walked off.
-0-
"What did he eat this time?"
"Three tentacula leaves, a pricklepod, and a root from what looks like a burrowing creeper," Samantha sighed. "It was trying to burrow into his intestines."
The other healer, Renfrew, shuddered. "Good Merlin. How'd you stop that?"
"A lot of water, something to make him vomit, and his mother holding the bucket," Samantha said baldly. "And after showing her what the tendril was actively doing to her son's insides, I think she's finally going to stop him from eating random things."
"One can only hope," Renfrew sighed. "Sorry to make your day worse, but I could use your second opinion."
Samantha took the offered chart and her countenance soured as she looked at the results from the diagnostic charms. "Accident?"
"So he says," he snorted with evident disbelief.
"I'm not buying it," Samantha said grimly.
"Neither am I," Renfrew said. "But had to get a second opinion."
"I'll come with you," Samantha offered.
"Thanks," Renfrew said gratefully.
-0-
"You okay?" Trudy asked sympathetically.
"Not really," Samantha said honestly. She rubbed her head wearily. "Not a good situation."
"I figured when security was called," Trudy said sadly. "And it's being passed up through the line to the new Ministry department."
"That's some comfort," Samantha snorted. "Not much, but some."
"Like you said, every little, right?"
Samantha smiled a little. "Did I say that?"
"Once or twice," Trudy said. "Want me to order you something for lunch or get it for you from the cafeteria?"
"No thank you. I'm just going to sit in my office for a while. Appreciate it though." Samantha walked back to her office and grumbled when two memos in the form of paper airplanes hovered above her desk. She sat down heavily and opened them, reading them with a darkening mood. With a snort of disgust she threw them to one side of her desk and sat there brooding slightly.
She looked up at the door when it knocked. She knew it was not her office mate, she usually opened the door as she knocked. "Yes?" she called out.
"I know you're not feeling too great, but would you like to have a lunch visitor?" Trudy opened the door a little and peeked in. She smiled at Samantha. "I think you're going to want to accept it."
Samantha trusted the head nurse and assistant for the department and while she was tempted to refuse, she knew Trudy would not lead her astray. "If you say so," Samantha said a little begrudgingly. However, she heard a sound that immediately changed her mood and she rose eagerly as the door opened fully, revealing her lunch visitor. "Baby!"
"Gramma!" Dahlia reached her arms out and she giggled happily when Samantha crossed over eagerly and took her from Harry. "Hi!"
"Hi Dally!" Samantha cooed and kissed her granddaughter on the cheeks, making the small girl squeal happily and kiss her back messily. "Oh I needed to see you today!" She reached out with her other arm and pulled Harry close, kissing him too. "And my lovely son, hello!"
"Hi SamaMum," Harry said warmly. "You're not too busy are you? We were going to just drop lunch off for you and MumAndi after a quick visit."
"No, stay, I need it," Samantha said, mouthing a thank you to a delighted Trudy and closing the door. "Been a rough morning. I need a pick me up."
"Dally's a great pick me up when you pick her up," Harry smiled. "I asked her what she wanted to do today and she wanted to see you two and invite you over for dinner."
"You want us to come to dinner?!" Samantha mock gasped and smiled at Dahlia in her arms.
"Yes!" Dahlia shouted. "It's gramma dinner day!"
"We're having pies for dinner and she knows it's your favorite," Harry explained.
"Oh, you are too sweet," Samantha said, hugging Dahlia tightly and enjoying it when Dahlia replied tenfold. "Yes, we'll come to dinner. I'll tell Grampa to bring Bailey."
"Baiey!" Dahlia cheered.
Samantha sat down, snuggling Dahlia close and smiled when Harry unpacked the basket he had brought. "Thank you so much. This is so sweet of you two."
"Dahlia did all the work of course," Harry chuckled as he unwrapped a sandwich and poured out a bowl of soup. "Are you okay?" he asked, looking at her.
"Bad case this morning," Samantha said lightly but Harry understood. "No one gave you two trouble coming back here, right?"
"After what MumAndi said to the guard last time? Not at all," Harry laughed, making Samantha and Dahlia laugh too. "But Trudy is great too. She's so nice to us."
"Also because you bring her food too, all the nurses and assistants love you," Samantha said warmly.
The door opened with a crash and Andromeda appeared looking positively irate. She had overrobes on top of her healer robes and they were splattered with blood. "Sami, I swear to the powers above and below that I am actually going to murder that fat fu-oh my goodness!" She clapped a hand to her mouth when she realized who else was inside.
"What happened?!" Harry gasped while Samantha roared with laughter but had her hands over Dahlia's ears.
"Nana!" Dahlia shouted, arms open and out and unbothered by Samantha covering her ears.
"Dahlia my love!" Andromeda shucked off the overrobes and cast numerous cleaning and sterilizing charms over herself before she eagerly picked up her granddaughter. "How did you know Nana needed you today?!" She kissed the girl numerous times, making her squeal with laughter and delight.
"Oh and always lovely to see you too," Andromeda added, kissing Harry, "of course."
"Of course," he repeated with a smile. "What happened? Are you okay?"
"Oh that?" She made a rude gesture out of Dahlia's line of sight at the pile of robes in the hamper in the corner. "Do not worry. The blood was not mine."
"Did…did you make the blood come out of the person you were talking about?" Harry asked weakly.
"No, he did. He knows that he cannot eat dragon meat because it has a rather debilitating effect on his health. As in, he starts bleeding internally," Andromeda growled. "But of course, he is a large man-baby who has no one to tell him no save for me and he came in with stomach pains because he gave himself an ulcer from eating said dragon meat, as well as rupturing his throat lining."
"Oh no," Samantha groaned. "Isn't this the third time this month?"
"Yes," Andromeda said flatly.
"Holy carp," Harry said, eyes wide. "Dragon meat can do that?"
"A certain type can and it's basically a ruinous allergic reaction but of course he thinks it tastes the best so he cannot stop himself," Andromeda sighed.
"What did you tell him this time?" Samantha asked, smiling.
"That since he wants to leave his mortal coil behind so much, I would happily do it for the fraction of the cost that he spends on dragon meat," Andromeda said, making Samantha and Harry laugh. "And I would do it in a much less painful fashion." Dahlia laughed too because her father and grandmothers were and not from what Andromeda said.
"And what did he say to that?" Harry asked with horrid curiosity.
"I will let you know when he stops wailing like said man-baby," Andromeda groaned. "He started sobbing dramatically and I left because I would not tolerate it."
"I hope you don't get in trouble," Harry said worriedly.
She patted him on the cheek. "I will not. I am the only healer here that will see him and he is not nearly as important as he thinks he is. But bless you for worrying. What brings you two by, and that is not a complaint at all."
"Dally wanted to eat lunch with her grandmothers," Harry smiled, watching his daughter wiggle happily in Andromeda's arms. "And invite you to dinner."
"We will of course come," Andromeda smiled. She sat down too. "This looks wonderful, thank you love."
They ate together, chatting happily and Dahlia was passed from lap to lap without reservation. A paper airplane memo came into the office for Andromeda and she looked at it and snorted before writing a curt reply and sending it out. The paper crane flew gracefully out of the office.
"Complaint?" Samantha grinned. "From our dragon eater?"
"Indeed. He is informing me he wants to bring me up on legal charges."
"For what?!" Harry nearly shouted.
"I do not know nor care. I told him that any further communication will be through my solicitor." Andromeda smiled when the memo returned and the paper airplane shook nervously. She read the reply and snorted even more richly.
"Isn't Uncle Ted your solicitor?" Harry asked.
"He is," Andromeda said smugly.
"I bet he's recanting now," Samantha snickered.
"Oh yes, but I will let him wait for my reply," Andromeda sniffed.
Lunch ended reluctantly and the two grandmothers hugged and kissed their granddaughter goodbye as well as the one they called son. "Thank you for coming," Andromeda said warmly.
"We needed it," Samantha nodded.
"Glad we did too," Harry said. "We'll see them later, flower. Last kiss and hug." After one last hug and kiss apiece, Dahlia waved brightly as she and Harry left the office.
"I love that boy," Samantha said gustily.
"Very much so," Andromeda agreed. "Well, back to it I suppose."
"At least we're in a better mood," Samantha said wryly.
-0-
The rest of the day passed swiftly, something Samantha was deeply grateful for. The rest of her patients were routine yearly exams that went smoothly and well and save for a walk-in emergency where a boy had managed to inflate himself with his father's wand, nothing truly serious happened.
That is until there was an impromptu department meeting at the end of the day that made her groan. She had been gathering her things before being told and she fished her mirror out. "Thomas Bell," she sighed. After a moment the mirror's surface shimmered and Thomas appeared within.
"Last minute meeting?" he asked sympathetically, seeing her expression.
"You guessed it," Samantha sighed. "Oh, you had no plans for dinner right?"
"Uhm you, so maybe?" Thomas said with a chuckle.
She smiled. "Dally came by for lunch and it's Gramma dinner night."
"Aww, so we're heading to Harry's and Katie's then?" Thomas asked eagerly. "Sounds good to me. Want me to head over first with Bailey?"
"Please. I'll meet you there. Hopefully the meeting doesn't last too long," Samantha said. "Love you!"
Unfortunately, the meeting was dragging on. What had started as a policy announcement became a grievance between two other medi-magicals and it was becoming a whole ordeal. Samantha tried to keep her expression placid and polite but she was starting to grind her teeth from listening to the endless sniping.
"Excuse me." Andromeda appeared at the door and she gave the head of the meeting a cool look. "I need Healer Bell for an emergency consult. She will not be returning."
The head gulped at Andromeda's expression and waved Samantha out.
"What's the emergency?" Samantha asked as she left the meeting room.
"I am hungry and if I must wait any longer from spending time with my boy, my daughter-in-law, and my granddaughter, heads will roll," Andromeda said simply.
"That does sound like an emergency," Samantha smiled. "Thanks Andi."
"Of course," Andromeda smiled. "You have done the same for me."
-0-
"Would you like more?" Harry asked.
Samantha beamed at him. "I really shouldn't, but yes I would. Thank you." She happily took another piece of ham and chicken pie from him and dug into it with enthusiasm. "Thanks again for coming earlier and the invite."
Dinner was loud and loving. Dahlia adored the attention of course and was currently feeding Bailey and Hedwig while eating with them. The adults had loved watching while talking about their day, enjoying the warmth and comradery. Katie was currently involved in a discussion about the current state of Chasing with Ted and Thomas while Andromeda was trying to wipe Dahlia's face clean, what little she could do after Bailey licked her.
"No problem. Everything okay?" he asked.
She sighed a little. "Just a bad state. Had to call in the authorities."
"Ah, well, hopefully things turn out better," he said sympathetically. "You're involved, so I'm sure it will."
She felt warm by his belief in her. "Thank you, love." She hugged him. "Some days are easier, some days are harder, as you know."
"Yeah, but like you said, it always gets better eventually." He smiled as he watched Dahlia toddling off, shrieking with laughter as she was chased by Bailey, Hedwig, and Andromeda.
"It really does," Samantha said lovingly, enjoying the sights and sounds just as much as he did.
-0-0-0-
Penguin Lord0029 - She's the best owl to ever owl.
LifeIsAGreatAdventure - Thank you for reading, glad you still enjoy.
odonellzoo99 - No, he got ruined instead. I have no idea where this chapter came from. I think I thought of the title inexplicably and just had to see what happened with it if I just started writing and it came out wonderfully.
Ghostwriter - Thank you.
poka - Right? He sealed his own fate. Provoke Hedwig at your own risk, especially if Harry gets involved.
dhaynes9942 - Praise her with great praise.
alix33 - Oh the inspector got his comeupopance in spades as you saw.
WhatHaveIDiscovered - I love Hedwig centric chapters too and while it's hard to write a character without dialogue sometimes, somehow she makes it easy. Thank you, glad you are still enjoying.
TheSphynx - I don't know if she'll ever go true evil or full evil. It's a lot of work and we know how she feels about effort. Unless it's funny.
Ebonpurlight - I'm glad I could help and that you enjoyed.
choquain - She is most amazing.