Forbidden Fantasies (Darkest Desire Book 2)

34. To Make Amends

After leaving my parents house behind, there was little else for me to do but head over to St. Mungo's to meet up with Henry. After all, if my pregnancy was progressing as fast as my accelerated growth had been as a child, I'd be pretty far along now.

Which, in turn, meant I had to reconsider my options.

Henry was waiting for me at the entrance to the Wizarding hospital, a smile curving his lips as he watched me approach. I knew he was totally taken by the medical condition I presented, his entire attention devoted to the matter at hand. He'd always been like that, driven and motivated once he found a cause worth his time. It could almost become like an obsession to him, which meant I'd have to look out for him to make sure he didn't go overboard with the whole thing this time around. But I needed his medical expertise on the matter, and I trusted him, which was the important part.

He was dressed in a long brown overcoat, under which he wore a white long-sleeved shirt and light breeches, a maroon old-fashioned vest completing the ensemble. His dark hair was in disarray, as if he'd repeatedly ran his hands through it, relief at seeing me shining in his brown eyes. He was carrying a small briefcase, and even now I could appreciate how handsome he looked. I'd had bit of a crush on him when we first met, but I'd kept my distance. After two centuries I'd become terrified of letting people in, knowing I'd end up seeing them grow old and die while I remained the same. And then I'd met Dominic and he'd thrown my entire world in disarray, making me question everything I thought I knew. I fell, and I fell hard. And I payed dearly for it.

"Aurora.... Good to see you could make it" he said as he smiled, but he was unable to conceal the hint of concern in his eyes. He'd reached out to take my hand in his, and I appreciated the kind gesture. Henry had always been a good friend to me. I just hoped that the current situation wouldn't give him any ideas as to our relationship. I needed a friend, someone I could rely on regarding my condition, nothing more.

"Of course. We have an appointment at 1 I believe...." I said with a reassuring smile "A Healer called Pelletier, if I'm not mistaken?"

"Yes, yes, I believe so" Henry said, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze "And you said Albus arranged for the meeting? Does he know this Pelletier man personally?"

"I think so. Albus said we could trust him, and that he'd helped out the Order on previous occasions" I told Henry with a shrug "That's good enough for me"

Henry nodded, and together we headed inside the hospital. I'd been here on a few occasions, but never for any personal reasons. Now that I was the one seeking medical attention, it felt different to walk through the white, clinical hallways. Long winding corridors with doors that revealed many patients in their bed, afflicted by one ailment or another. It was all so strange. I'd always been in perfect health, except for the time when I'd found out about my aversion to silver, as well as the time I'd been poisoned not two years ago. Over the course of my long life I'd seen the Wizarding world adapt and adjust to the technological and medicinal advancements of this time, and I'd seen the rise of a structured Wizard society here in London. St. Mungo was just one of the many developments I'd watched come into existence over the course of many decades, the result of much-needed medical care and magic finding a way to coexist in today's society.

Henry had inquired as to the Healer's whereabouts, and he led me through the hospital while trying to distract me by asking me about life at Hogwarts. He seemed infinitely amused by the fact that I'd had had to pretend to be a student for the past couple of years, and wanted to know how I'd managed to survive going back to school after nearly a century of living my life in the outside world without any hindrance from anything but the occasional reminder to check in with the people I cared about.