Always- a Hinny / Romione fanfic

Chapter Sixty

"He will need to be kept here for about a week," the healer who was squeezing Ginny's shaking hand's voice was reassuring, but it didn't stop her from sobbing. "But we can easily remove the cancer with a series of spells and daily potions."

How had they not seen it coming? He had always had a little trouble breathing, coughed a lot whenever James challenged him to a race, or quidditch, but he seemed so healthy.

Meanwhile, Hermione tried to soothe a sobbing Rose, who still had Albus's thick, red blood on her mermaid pajamas. She was still crying uncontrollably, almost five hours after the whole ordeal.

Ron had his head in one of his hands, shaking and white, the other clasped around Rose's tiny fingers. She was in quite a state.

She kept whispering, "Albus died mommy," and Hermione kept stroking her daughter's thick curly hair, almost singing, like a lullaby "He's not dead...the healers made him all better..."

But as she did so, she got flashes of the whole night, every time she blinked, like it was all plastered onto her eyelids.

"Ron, oh my G-" Hermione threw up in her mouth. Albus was coughing, Rose was screaming, and Ron was standing, shocked, like a statue. Hermione ran forward, pushed her shrieking daughter into Ron's arms, and scooped Albus up, getting blood all over her nightclothes.

"Albus, can you hear me?!" She shouted frantically. Her nephew nodded. He looked so helpless and thin, lying there in her arms.

"Ron, quickly, go tell Harry and Ginny, I'm going to take them to St. Mungos!" Ron's hand was over his mouth, but he nodded, disapparating with a crack.

Hermione fought her tears down, grabbing her daughters hand. Rose was still screaming, confused and scared.

"This will be uncomfortable. But it's the fastest way, and I don't know if he can use floo powder like this," Rose nodded at her mother's words, and Albus wiped his chin.

Hermione took a breath, and vanished on the spot.

Before long, the small Weasley family had fallen asleep in the waiting room.
***

Albus woke later, without the faintest idea what was going on. Surrounding him seemed to be, his entire family. Not just his mommy, who was holding his favorite stuffed animal and daddy, who had a box of sweets, who were hovering over him, but also his grandma, who was carrying a newly knit sweater; his grandpa, who had a bunch of balloons that seemed to shine from the inside.

There were also his favorite aunt and uncle, Ron and Hermione, and Rose, who was jumping around and shouting something Albus couldn't make out. There was his brother, who, it seemed to be, was arguing with Teddy and one of his cousins, Molly. This surprised Albus, because she didn't talk much.

Even louder arguing though, was heard from the corner by Dominique and Victorie, while Aunt Fleur tried to shush them, and scolded Uncle Bill for not helping. Albus could also hear his Uncle George and Aunt Angelina yelling at Fred for bringing him a dozen frogs as a 'get well' present.

Albus smiled. His family was here.

"He's awake!" Shouted his mum, and immediately, the entire room silenced. Albus blinked.

"Mommy?" He asked weakly. "Am I sick?"

Ginny's eyes clotted with tears. She patted her son's hand.

"No. No. You're better now. You're okay," Albus hadn't ever seen his mum cry, but here she was, breaking down in tears right in front of him.

"Mommy, if I'm better, why are you crying?"

Ginny laughed, tears splashing down her cheeks.

"You scared me baby. Okay? Don't do that ever again. Okay?"

Albus smiled sleepily.

"Okay."
***

The following three weeks were stressful. Ginny could never take her eyes off of her youngest son, and Harry never wanted to leave for work in fear of what would happen while he was gone.

Not to mention, September 1st was drawing nearer and nearer, which meant Teddy going off to Hogwarts. It was frightening for Ginny, Harry and Teddy.

With every waking moment, Teddy's hands shook, his forehead sweat, and he dreaded going to sleep because it meant he was one day closer to leaving. Leaving his family, the closest thing to parents he had, leaving James and Albus, who he counted as brothers. Leaving Victorie.

But all the same, when September came, he dragged himself out of bed. What would people think of his hair? How would he hide his dragon? Where would he be sorted? A million thoughts ran through his head. He barely could taste the slightly burnt eggs Ginny had cooked for breakfast, he could barely hear Harry persuading James to get dressed, could barely even enjoy the rare ride to downtown London in their new car, that Harry had insisted on getting since their family was growing.

As Harry pulled into kings cross station, Teddy debated in his mind whether he should just sit in the car and refuse to get out, but, fully aware that his hair was turning red, he swung his lead-filled legs out of the door and numbly loaded his things into his trolley.

"Do you got everything?" Ginny asked, face a little flushed. She was gripping Albus's hand, and kept looking back at him as though afraid he was going to disapparate into thin air. However, he was smiling happily and nibbling on a chocolate frog.

Teddy nodded solemnly. Ginny's eyes creased together, grabbing his shoulder.

"Hey! Are you okay?"

Teddy bit his lip. He didn't want to give Harry and Ginny anything more to worry about, but he didn't want to say "I'm fine." another time.

Teddy breathed in through his nose, closed his eyes. Nodded.

"Yeah. I'm just nervous."

Ginny gave her godson a knowing and understanding smile.

"It'll be okay. Everyone's nervous their first day," Harry told Teddy. "You have nothing to worry about."

Teddy nodded. Harry squeezed his shoulder, and nodded towards the brick wall between barriers nine and ten. A huge wave of memories suddenly hit Harry hard, as though he had actually smashed into the brick wall, but he forced it down as he and Teddy materialized on platform 9 3/4.

The air was thick with foggy steam, clouding the Potter family's vision of happy students, some tearfully bidding goodbye to parents and other family, some joyfully rejoining with friends.

They were late, and the train whistle blew shrilly once. It was the two minute warning before the train took off.

Harry pulled Teddy in for a hug. Teddy closed his eyes tight, not wanting to leave to an unknown place.

"You'll be home for Christmas okay? It'll be here before you know it! Don't worry, Hogwarts was one of the best places in my life. You'll have a great time. Don't forget, Hagrid wants to meet you for tea on Friday,"

Ginny, rushing, Albus and James streaming behind her, clutching to her hands. She kissed Teddy on both cheeks, as Harry began to load Teddy's trunk onto the train.

The train blew again. Teddy put one foot onto the step, clutching the door rail with one trembling, pale hand. The train started to move, slowly, gears churning and thumping eternally slowly, like his heart.

It was all happening so fast. He was leaving, to somewhere he had never been, somewhere where he didn't know what would happen. He closed his eyes as the train sped up, until the wind on his face was too much to stand anymore.
***

Heyyy sorry I haven't updated I feel so terrible it's just a lot of stuff has happened lately. So. Yeah.

❤️❤️❤️