Love Again | Fred Weasley

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RUNNING DOWN the St. Mungo's hall, Maja felt her breath fighting back. She felt sharp pains in her stomach as she found her father, laying almost lifeless. Maja hated crying in front of her father. He was one to joke, to find a brighter side to every situation. But there was no brighter side to his condition. His wounds were starting to heal, but were obviously untreated and looked almost infected. Even with his eyes now open and his mouth brokenly smiling at his daughter, every inch of Paulo Siphone's body was hurt.

Tears stung in Maja's eyes, as she tried to stop the tears from coming out. "If you cry, I'll end up crying. I don't look pretty when I cry." Her father began quietly as Maja walked over to the seat next to him. Maja couldn't do anything but let out a breath at his joke, before she weakly smiled with tears falling down her cheek.

"What happened, Papa? Who would do this to you?" Maja stroked his hand. Paulo remained silent for a moment before responding softly.

"I don't know. Whoever did this, didn't want me remembering it. All I can remember is waking up here."

It didn't make sense to Maja that her father was attacked. He was nothing short of a sweet man, who never had any enemies. She was upset, a deep feeling of sadness in her chest, at the idea of her father not making it. He would survive, but there was a chance that he wouldn't have.

"Oh my." Carmen Siphone ran in, now staring at her husband. She gasped and flew her hand to her mouth, before silently crying. Her husband was the last person she argued with, the last person she yelled at. And now he laid on a hospital bed, numb due to the magic healing he was under. She hated the idea that their argument could have been the last time she talked to him, and the guilt made her stomach ache in pain. Carmen couldn't do anything but look at him directly, as his lips quivered at the sight of her.

Maja ran to her mother and collided the two into a hug. Now everyone was crying, especially Paulo. He hated making people sad, and his injuries had now broken the hearts of the two people he loved most. Maja moved her mother towards the chair she once sat in, and now sat at the edge of her fathers hospital bed. Carmen began breaking down in apologies.

"How could I be so stupid?" She sniffled. "You left because of me and I didn't go after you. I'm so, so sorry Paulo. Please, please forgive me." It now sunk in to Mrs. Siphone that she had gone weeks without seeing her husband, and that all the hurt and pain from their argument wilted in her body. Carmen never apologized, so the suddenness came as a shock to Maja.

"It's okay, my love. I forgive you. You did what you thought was right. I just want us to talk things through next time." Paulo tried his best to smile, before turning forward to face his daughter. "And you, why didn't you tell me about the soul-sucking, bloody creepy dementors roaming outside Hogwarts!" He laughed.

"Well, I thought you already knew." Maja now turned to her mother. "You didn't tell him about the dementors? Mum!"

It was now Carmen's turn to slightly breathe out. "We can definitely have this talk later. Now, what happened to you, dear? How did you end up like this? I don't understand what could have happened."

Paulo tried his hardest to think through what got him to be in St. Mungos, but he couldn't remember much. "Only small things come to mind really." He strained. "I remember talking to Arthur, our fight, meeting little Weasley, and...bleeding out for a while." Maja's breath hitched, tears trying to fight their way out. Carmen widely gasped, before lowering her head onto Paulo's hand.

"I know right? Little Weasley, what a legend!" Paulo joked, to which Carmen lightly pushed his shoulder and he winced. Carmen rose her head, alarmed, but Paulo simply smiled and pulled her into a kiss, like no time had passed.