Minerva's POV

Minerva, Severus and Healer Knits walked in silence through the hospital until they reached the double doors that lead into the mind ward. Then Healer Knits turned to Severus, an apologetic look on her face.

'I'm afraid that only one visitor is allowed in at once since it's not officially visiting hours. Would you mind waiting while we fetch Miss Laverstock?' Severus shook his head and exchanged a look with Minerva.

'I need to find Remus at any rate.'

'Be gentle Severus, I imagine that he's feeling pretty awful with himself,' Minerva said quietly.

'Of course.' Severus's lip curled a little and he turned and swept away down the corridor. He rounded a corner and disappeared from view.

'She's still in the same room, Minerva,' Healer Knits said, tapping her wand once on the doors. They swung open silently and she led Minerva through and down the deserted corridor beyond. Once they had rounded the corner and were outside Tansy's room, she hesitated and turned to Minerva.

'I just wanted to warn you that she might look a bit different.' Minerva felt her heart jolt slightly at the other woman's words. 'Last night we had to give her a feeding tube. It can be a bit of a shock to see someone you care about like that, so I wanted to warn you.'

'A feeding tube?' Minerva repeated, appalled. 'I know how underweight she is and Poppy was certainly extremely concerned but I didn't realise how serious it was.'

'Try not to worry, Minerva,' Healer Knits replied, 'Miss Laverstock actually asked us to give her the tube. She told us that she felt too anxious to eat but she was also pretty adamant that she didn't want to get ill…' the Healer shrugged, '…otherwise, we would probably have given it another few days. She was getting pretty critical though.' Healer Knits looked Minerva in the eye. 'I know you must be very concerned about her right now, Minerva, but I just wanted to say this: Miss Laverstock is really trying to get well; she's asking for help and she's made some pretty good steps towards recovery already. It's just such a vast improvement on how she used to be.' Minerva nodded, but it was hard for her to believe the other witch's words.

'I doubt that you can see the changes as they happen so gradually and maybe I shouldn't be comparing her to how she was three years ago but…' Healer Knits hesitated, searching for the right words. '…she has a very very long way to go but she's got the right mindset. We have to believe that she will get well again or she will never believe it herself.' With that she gave Minerva a warm smile and pushed open the door, muttering a charm under her breath that made the air across the doorway spark slightly as Minerva approached.

Still trying to process what the other woman had said, Minerva followed her through into the room beyond. Tansy was lying on the bed. She was curled into a foetal position but she unwrapped herself slightly and looked up as she heard their approaching footsteps and her face lit up. She pushed herself up off the bed and then threw herself towards Minerva only for her legs to give way as they failed to take her weight. She crashed to the floor before either Minerva or Healer Knits could prevent it.

Minerva made a sharp move towards her daughter but Healer Knits, twenty years her junior got there first.

'Miss Laverstock, are you okay?' Healer Knits rushed forwards and bent over Tansy, who was struggling to push herself up. 'Can I help you up?' Tansy nodded and allowed the Healer to help her up and settle her back on the bed.

'Tansy, are you okay?'

Minerva hobbled slowly forwards. Tansy shook her tangled hair out of her face and looked at her adoptive mother, her eyes alight with hope. For the first time Minerva saw her daughter clearly and fought to keep her face from betraying the emotions she felt – Tansy looked awful; there were dark bruise-like shadows under her eyes and her face was pinched and white. A thin, flesh coloured feeding tube had been threaded up one of nostrils, one end taped across her cheek. She seemed to be dressed in oversized pajamas that Minerva didn't recognise which made her seem smaller and more fragile than ever.

'Did you hurt yourself, Miss Laverstock?' Healer Knits asked, clearly concerned. When Tansy shrugged, she waved her wand over the girl. 'Another bruise or two to add to the others.'

'It's…' Tansy stuttered to a halt and then tried again. 'It's so good to see you…' She smiled up at Minerva, her eyes brimming.

'It's wonderful to see you to, Tansy.' Minerva caught her own rising emotion and held it in check.

'Is Hope okay?' Tansy asked, looking beseechingly at Minerva.

'Hope is doing brilliantly, Tansy. She's with Mr and Mrs Weasley. You'll see her later.' Minerva forced herself to remain calm.

'Later…?' Tansy asked, clearly confused.

'You're going home Miss Laverstock.' Healer Knits said softly.

'I'm… I'm going home?' Minerva saw Tansy's beaming smile before it crumpled and the girl burst into tears. 'I'm… I'm sorry…' Tansy lowered her face into her hands.

Minerva crossed the small distance between them and sank down on the bed beside her daughter. Then she wrapped her arms around the girl, pulling her into a tight hug. She marvelled at how small and fragile she felt.

'Happy tears I hope, Miss Laverstock.' Healer Knits said, smiling gently and handing Tansy a paper handkerchief. She waited until the girl had got a hold on herself a little before she spoke again. 'You're still a patient here on the mind ward, Miss Laverstock but you will be having your treatment on an outpatient basis.' Tansy gave the Healer a watery smile, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

'I'm going to remove the feeding tube now. Is that okay?' Tansy nodded and dabbed at her eyes. 'Take a deep breath in for me now. One… two… three… there…' Minerva felt Tansy quiver slightly in her arms as the Healer used her wand to vanish the tube. 'Have another tissue to clean yourself up a bit. Your nose is running.'

'Th- thank you.' Tansy said and sniffed hugely. She took a tissue off the Healer and used it to wipe at her face. Then she leaned in to Minerva and returned her hug.

'Shall I find you something else to wear?' Healer Knits asked, flicking her wand at Tansy's bag which flew up from the floor and settled itself on the chair beside the bed. It was still full, the contents barely touched – clearly Tansy hadn't bothered to unpack it. 'You can't go home in your pajamas, lovely as they are!' She teased lightly.

'I...' Tansy gestured to her borrowed pajamas, a faint pinkish tinge appearing on her cheeks. 'These aren't mine… they gave them to me during the night after…' She trailed off, her face flushing even more.

'It doesn't matter, Tansy.' Minerva said quickly, guessing what had happened. Healer Knits nodded and handed Tansy underwear, leggings and a long-sleeved top.

'Miss Laverstock, with the cocktail of sedatives and sleeping potions we gave you last night, it's more than understandable, don't worry about it.'

'I didn't wake up in time,' Tansy said, in a small voice, sliding her legs off the bed and standing up shakily. She took the bundle of clothes and made her way very slowly into the adjoining bathroom, closing the door behind her.

'Madam Pomfrey will need to see her as soon as she can, this afternoon if possible.' Healer Knits said quietly, once the door was shut. She flicked her wand and a sheath of parchment appeared out of thin air which she handed to Minerva. 'Here's a copy of her medical notes and a list of the treatments and potions she's had since she got here.'

Minerva nodded and tucked the documents into an inside pocket of her cloak. Then she stood up, glancing around the room in case they were leaving anything behind. Apart from a moving photograph of Hope on the small table, there was nothing else – Tansy seemed to have made no effort at all to make the room seem like her own.

'Thank you for everything you've done for her, Healer Knits.'

'I don't feel as though I particularly deserve your thanks, Minerva but it's appreciated nonetheless.' Healer Knits replied honestly. 'Keep a particular eye on her for the next twenty-four hours; she has some strong stuff swimming around her bloodstream right now so she might be a bit woozy and disorientated. I would recommend checking on her on an hourly basis.'

'Should she stay in the hospital wing?' Minerva asked anxiously.

'No, that probably isn't necessary but it is really important that she starts eating more regularly. Her body is just too weak to fight everything that's being thrown at it right now – her magic reserves are still low and I clearly got the dosage of her calming potion and sedative slightly wrong last night which is why she is so lethargic today. I'm sorry about that – her tolerance to the drugs is so high it makes it hard to calculate the right dosage.' Healer Knits said, looking slightly uncomfortable.

'I believe Madam Pomfrey has had the same problem in the past.' Minerva said quickly, trying to put the other woman at ease. It wasn't as though she had forgiven her for the lapses in Tansy's care only that she truly believed that Healer Knits wanted what was best for her daughter and Merlin, she was aware that Tansy had always been a problematic patient when it came to calming potions and sleeping draughts.

'Anyway, I'll be in touch tomorrow morning with a plan for her outpatient care. Don't worry, she's a priority so I will reschedule some of my other duties if necessary.' Minerva nodded and thanked her.

Tansy reappeared in the bathroom doorway. She had put on the clothes and she had also attempted to tie back her hair.

'I'm… I'm feeling a bit dizzy.' She swayed where she stood and grasped hold of the doorframe, her face white.

'You got up a bit fast.' Healer Knits said, crossing over to her and waving her wand over the young witch. She frowned at the result. 'Your magical reserves are still lower than I would like which is probably why you're feeling so tired, Miss Laverstock.' She extended her arm towards the girl and then stopped abruptly. 'Is it okay if I help you?' She waited for Tansy to nod before she stepped forwards and put her arm around her waist. Minerva hobbled forwards, flicking her wand at Tansy's bag and bewitching it to be feather light so that she could carry it easily.

'I'll take you out to the corridor.' Healer Knits said, walking slowly over to the door, still supporting most of Tansy's weight.

Minerva nodded and picked up her stick. She hoped that either Severus or Remus would be waiting for them because her knees were playing up massively today and she didn't think she'd be able to support Tansy for very long. They would have to apparate to the Burrow and get the Floo back to the castle from there because there was no way that Tansy would make it up the long castle drive.

'Healer Knits…?' Tansy faltered and Minerva saw her glancing up and down the empty corridor.

'Yes Miss Laverstock?'

'Can I say goodbye to Fred?' Minerva felt confused for a moment and then a warm feeling of happiness started creeping through her and she smiled to herself.

'I'm sorry, Miss Laverstock. He's currently in a session but I'll pass on the message during my shift tomorrow. Also…' She hesitated for a few seconds. '…perhaps this is a breach of patient confidentiality but I'm sure that Mr Weasley won't mind me telling you. He's made significant progress in the last few days, so much so that he'll most likely be allowed on a home visit next weekend. Perhaps you'll see him then?'

Minerva saw Tansy's hopeful smile. She realised that they would probably be seeing rather more of Fred Weasley in the future.

Tansy's POV

Tansy couldn't believe that she was actually getting out of the hospital. Still half convinced that she was simply having a vivid dream, she leaned heavily against Healer Knits as they walked slowly down the corridor. She felt exhausted and slightly lightheaded and the dizziness seemed to be assaulting her in waves. Even so, she couldn't wait to see her daughter again. She tried to push her legs to move faster but they didn't respond and she had to be content with the flobberworm pace they were currently maintaining.

When they reached the double doors at the end of the corridor and walked through into the main hospital drag, she was surprised to see Professor Snape walking up the corridor towards them. When he reached them, he said something to Minerva in a low voice that Tansy couldn't hear properly.

'…gone home… will come over later... exhausted…' Minerva's reply was even lower and Tansy didn't catch any of it.

'Well, I leave you here,' Healer Knits said, 'I'll see you soon, Miss Laverstock.' Tansy nodded and opened her mouth to thank the Healer but at that moment two HITs and a patient sporting an elephant trunk complete with tusks turned into their corridor.

'It's okay,' Healer Knits said, feeling Tansy recoil slightly. She waited for the trio to pass before she slipped her arm out from behind Tansy's waist but remained holding on to her, seemingly concerned that Tansy would fall over if she let go completely. 'Professor Snape, I think we need you. Would you mind…?' She nodded towards Tansy.

Snape crossed over to them but didn't immediately take Healer Knits's place.

'How are you, Miss Laverstock?' His tone was mild. Tansy nodded in reply, feeling slightly wrongfooted. Then another wave of dizziness hit her and she felt herself pitching sideways until Healer Knits pulled her gently up again. 'You look like you need a hand?' He waited for her to nod before he approached and wrapped one arm securely around Tansy's back.

'Thank you, Professor Snape,' Healer Knits said, letting go of Tansy and turning back to the ward. 'I'll be in touch tomorrow, Minerva, and I'll see you soon Miss Laverstock.' With that, she walked back through the double doors into the mind ward.

'Thank you, Professor,' Tansy mumbled.

'We're going to apparate to the Burrow, Tansy; Hope's there anyway and we'll be able to Floo back to school from there.' Minerva said, starting to walk slowly down the corridor. Tansy tried to get her legs to follow her but they responded too slowly to her mental commands and she pitched forwards.

'Careful, Miss Laverstock.' She heard Snape say softly and she felt his arm tightening around her waist. Tansy resigned herself to letting him take most of her weight but half way down the corridor the dizziness became so bad that she had to shut her eyes against the nausea. Her knees buckled slightly.

'What's wrong, Miss Laverstock?' When Snape didn't get an answer, he turned to Minerva.

'A combination of magical exhaustion, and the wrong combination of calming potions and sedatives.' Minerva said resignedly. 'Healer Knits also mentioned that you haven't been eating properly, Tansy.' Tansy opened her eyes and nodded sheepishly.

'I… I… I can't eat when…' She began haltingly, but stopped trying to explain as another group of people came into view.

'It's okay, I understand, Tansy,' Minerva said. Tansy felt her feet leave the ground as Snape lifted her into his arms. She closed her eyes again and concentrated on breathing slowly and evenly, which helped her to swallow down the nausea. Although she's slept nearly all morning, she seemed to be having trouble staying awake and she felt herself sliding into unconsciousness as he carried her down the stairs.

A blast of cold air hit brought her back to her senses and she opened her eyes, surprised to find that they were standing in the front garden of the Burrow. The front door opened as they approached it and Molly Weasley rushed out, her expression a mixture of concern and happiness.

'Oh Minerva, Severus, I hadn't heard the news! It's so good that you can take her back to school. You'll have to tell me everything! Oh, my word but it's good to see her again although she does look poorly. Come in out of the cold. Hope's waiting inside!' She ushered them through the front door, still talking nineteen to the dozen and getting in their way slightly so that Snape had to sidestep awkwardly around her.

'Come into the living room, you can put her down here, Severus.' Snape nodded and looked down at Tansy, He caught her eye and seemed surprised to see that she was awake.

'Are you okay, Miss Laverstock?' He questioned softly as he lowered her onto the sofa and helped her to sit up. Tansy nodded and leaned her head against the back of the sofa.

'Th- thank you, Professor.' There was so much noise and bustle that she was sure he had missed her words but he nodded.

'Anytime, Miss Laverstock.' He backed away as Mr Weasley entered, carrying Hope.

'Oh, you're awake Tansy,' Mr Weasley approached the sofa. Hope, seeing her mother reached out a chubby hand towards her and made a discontented noise. Tansy tried to get up but felt Minerva's hand on her shoulder, pushing her back into the sofa. For the second time in half an hour, she felt herself starting to cry uncontrollably as her daughter was placed in her arms and she hid her face in Hope's auburn curls, embarrassed by the tears that she couldn't seem to control.

'It's okay, Tansy,' Minerva said softly, 'we all understand how much you've missed her.'

'She's been so good, Tansy.' Mrs Weasley said, smiling down at the baby in Tansy's arms. 'She's also finally started supporting her own head a bit more, haven't you missy?' She withdrew a hanky from her pocket and used it to wipe at the tears on Tansy's cheeks.

'Can I get you anything? Tea? Hot chocolate?'

'I'm sorry but we can't stay, Molly. The students are back later on today and…' Tansy let Minerva's explanations fade into the background as she hugged Hope.

'I love you so much,' the words were as soft as an intake of breath but it didn't matter – they were too important not to say out loud. Hope gurgled and wrapped her fist in Tansy's hair and Tansy smiled through her tears, finally believing that she was actually free from the hospital and going home.

Sorry a bit of a non-chapter but at least Tansy and Hope are reunited! Thank you for my reviews. There will be some more action soon with Legilimancy and the trial coming up. Also I'm planning some moments with Fred as they rekindle their relationship.