Summary: The Granger-Potters spend their night at St Mungo's. Here's why.

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COMPLETE

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It was a difficult job trying to put Lily and Rose to sleep tonight. The twins were hell-bent on staying up until their daddy, who was away on an Auror mission, came home. Hermione finally resorted to reading from their favourite book, Matilda.

It was ten o' clock when Hermione kissed her daughters on their foreheads and crept softly out of their bedroom. She was just about to change out of her work robes when the translucent blue horse galloped to a halt in front of her.

Noah's Patronus.

The horse opened its mouth and said in the Junior Auror's voice, "Madam Granger-Potter, Auror Potter is at St Mungo's. Please come immediately."

Hermione froze. Harry was at St Mungo's? Was he hurt? Worse yet, was he -

No. Don't think about that.

Hermione only half saw the Patronus disintegrate into the air before she bounded towards the fireplace. She grabbed a handful of Floo powder from the pot on the mantle, threw it into the fire and called out Ron's name.

The flames turned a brilliant green, and Ron's face appeared among them.

"'Lo, Hermione!" he said cheerfully.

"Harry's at St. Mungo's," Hermione blurted out. Ron's eyes widened. "What? Is he OK?"

"I don't know," Hermione said in a choked voice, dropping to her knees in front of the fire. "I'm going to St Mungo's. Could you please watch over Lily and Rose for a while? I'm sorry - it's so late and you have your own family to - "

"Hermione, your family is mine as well. I'll be there in a minute. You go."

Hermione heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Ron," she said, watching his face vanish. She hurriedly clasped the front of her cloak, before Apparating with a crack.

People stared with raised eyebrows as Hermione ran through the corridors of St Mungo's. She could care less, though.

She stopped in front of Ward 702, where, as the receptionist had told, Harry was. Before she could enter, however, she was met with a young witch in clean white robes.

"Ah, Madam Granger-Potter," she said, giving a small smile. "Auror Potter is right in here, first bed. Healer Bonham's in charge."

Hermione nodded, before she wrenched open the door.

Oh, Harry.

There he lay, his eyes shut tight, one arm resting limply on his chest, a thin, yet angry gash right across his forehead, right beside the infamous scar. Without waiting for anyone, Hermione dashed towards him, sitting down on an armchair beside the bed and taking his un-bandaged right hand in hers.

"Oh, love," she whispered, tears threatening to pour out of her eyes.

"Madam Granger-Potter!"

It was Healer Bonham.

"What happened to him?" Hermione said, almost a half-sob.

"Hit with multiple curses at once. It's a surprise he hasn't broken any limbs."

Hermione gasped. Healer Bonham cast a sympathetic look at Harry, before turning to Hermione, who was waiting for more response with bated breath.

"He's stable. Anyone else would've succumbed, of course, but apparently Auror Potter has a stronger will power than normal people. He'll be fit as a fiddle in no time."

Healer Bonham gave Hermione a comforting smile, but she had already turned towards her husband. She touched his cheek lightly, taking comfort in the roughness of it. His beard had grown in the two weeks he'd been away from home.

Hermione leaned forward to brush her lips against Harry's cheek, but then froze when she distinctly felt him stir.

"Er-my-nee…" he mumbled, his head turning towards her before his eyes opened. He took one look at her and his face split into a tired, crooked smile.

"Hi, love," he croaked, and brought up his right hand to cup the side of her face gently.

Hermione let out a strangled sob, covering his hand with hers. "What happened to you?" she asked, wiping her cheek with her other hand.

"The idiots got me. They had just knocked Jeffrey out and he was bleeding and I was distracted…" he trailed off.

"I'm so glad you're OK," Hermione whispered, bringing his hand to her mouth to kiss his knuckles, before holding it tight in her own.

Harry looked at her, his eyes giving away the sheer amount of love he felt for her. "So am I, love," he smiled at her, squeezing her fingers.

"How're you feeling?" Hermione asked, reaching out with her other hand to tenderly touch a small bruise on his chin.

Harry pretended to think. "Hm, if you'd asked an hour or two ago, I'd probably have said like I'd been run over by the Hogwarts Express. But not anymore, except for the occasional tingling from my blasted forehead."

"Good," Hermione said, leaning forward to kiss his lips. "Don't you dare scare me like that again."

Harry grinned into the kiss. "I won't. Promise. And I'm sorry."

Hermione was just about to kiss him again, when Healer Bonham entered the room, so quietly they barely heard her come in. She gave Hermione a kind smile, before walking over to Harry's other side.

"Nice to see you awake, Auror Potter," she said, placing a jar of some ointment near the headboard and ticking away at a piece of parchment on her clipboard.

"How's that forehead?" she asked then, gently touching the raised skin around the wound.

"It's tingling every now and then, but the pain is gone," Harry replied.

"That's nice to hear," said Healer Bonham, turning her attention back to her parchment.

"Madam Granger-Potter," she asked Hermione, "Would you put this ointment on Auror Potter's forehead, please? It's going to sting a bit, by the way."

"Sure," Hermione said, reaching over to take the jar. Healer Bonham left the two of them alone.

Hermione dipped her finger in the bluish substance, before leaning forward to dab it over the gash. Harry winced a little when the ointment touched his skin, but relaxed when Hermione pressed a comforting kiss to the tip of his nose.

"I've missed you," he mumbled, closing his eyes at her touch.

"Better now?" Hermione asked five minutes later, putting away the jar when she was done. Harry grinned at her, before his fingers dived into her curls and he pulled her face to him for a kiss.

"Mm…much better," he murmured when he let go of her. Hermione smacked him on the chest lightly, although she was grinning stupidly, her face flushed. Harry chuckled, then yawned a little.

"Do you want to sleep now, love?" Hermione asked tenderly.

Harry shook his head. "Are Lily and Rose going to come?" he asked, his voice laced with longing.

"I don't know," Hermione said, looking at the door. "They're with Ron. They were sleeping when I got Noah's message."

Almost immediately, they heard shuffling outside the room. Healer Bonham poked her head out of the door.

"You've got guests, Mr and Mrs Granger-Potter," she said with a smile.

"DADDY! MUMMY!"

Hermione laughed as the pair of bushy-haired missiles threw themselves at her. She caught them in her arms. She pressed kisses to their cheeks before they turned their attention to Harry.

"Daddy!" cried Rose, and Harry cupped her cheek lovingly. "Are you hurt?" asked Lily, her curious green eyes scanning Harry's forehead and arms.

"Just a little, Tiger-Lily," Harry said. "Those bad wizards are very clever at hiding, you see."

"That's what Mummy said," whispered Rose as she ran her thumb over Harry's bruised fingers.

"And Mummy was right, as always," Harry smiled, looking at his wife, who was watching the three of them fondly. "But don't worry, sweethearts, I'll be up and about in no time and then we can all go to The Burrow to play Quidditch with Uncle Ron and Auntie Ginny and eat Nana Molly's yummy puddings!"

"Yes!" The twins shouted, their eyes shining with delight. Hermione laughed.

"Where's Uncle Ron, by the way?" she asked.

"He dropped us here and went to fetch Nat and Auntie Luna," said Lily. "He said they're going to come see you in the morning, Daddy."

"Ah, I've missed them as well." Harry said then. "What else did I miss?"

"Daddy, Daddy," squealed Rose, "d'you know Mummy's got - "

"Rosie!"

Lily gave her sister a stern look. "You do remember what we planned, don't you?"

"Oopsie," Rose grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Lily."

"What is it?" asked Harry, looking from Rose to Lily and back. "I want to know as well."

"You'll know when it's time," said Lily solemnly, crossing her arms across her chest. Harry grinned at her, she looked so much like Hermione at the moment.

"Love, you'll tell me what it is, won't you?" Harry asked Hermione.

"You'll know when it's time," his wife repeated Lily's words. Harry pouted at his girls in mock-hurt, which elicited giggles from the three of them.

"Oh, and Daddy," gushed Lily, effectively changing the point of discussion. "Auntie Luna took Nat, Teddy, Rosie and me to the zoo last week. There was a Hippogriff, a big orange one - "

" - with black eyes, and Auntie Luna told us to bow before it and oh, Daddy, it bowed right back!" Rose finished, slightly out of breath.

"Is that so?" asked Harry curiously. Lily and Rose nodded eagerly. Harry was suddenly overcome with affection and he pulled them to her to kiss their cheeks.

"I'm glad you had fun, flowers," he said. "I've missed you three so much. I'm not going to leave again."

"You better not," Rose admonished. "We aren't going to come see you if you get hurt again."

Harry and Hermione laughed at her. Hermione hugged Rose to her.

"Oh, Rosie," Harry stroked his daughter's curly head, chuckling some.

And then the twins launched into a detailed description of the day Mummy had taken them with her to work, and how Lily had defeated Uncle Ron at chess (with help from Auntie Luna and Uncle Bill, of course. Harry pretended to wipe happy tears when he heard that story.)

Lily and Rose hardly looked like they had been woken up in the middle of their sleep, and it was only at four in the morning that their incessant yawns made Hermione expand Harry's bed. At Healer Bonham's approval, Lily and Rose snuggled into either side of their father, while Hermione fell asleep in her armchair, one gripping Harry's tightly.

Harry was home, and their little family was complete.

I wanted to post a Fable for Mother's Day as well, but I never got the time. Sigh. Anyway, Harry's home! Hopefully we'll have Lily and Rose reveal their surprise to him next chapter, unless I get another idea. Also, kudos to you if you guessed what Rosie almost blurted out in the story (which is their surprise).

See you soon! And don't forget to Scourgify your hands! :D

- Miranda