The Serpent and the Lioness

Chapter 2

She looked like sleeping beauty. Albus balanced himself on a toy truck to better see over the edge of the tiny bed. Where had she come from? Why didn't Mommy say she had come?

Albus puffed out his cheeks. Mommy had looked very tired when Uncle George had dropped him off before he had to go to work. He liked spending time with Uncle George he let him do anything! He had the best toys too. He had actually chased one of his newest toys into the study when he found her.

The tiny bewitched mouse was somewhere under the bed he peered over now, forgotten in his pursuit of seeing who the pretty lady on the bed was. She looked like the girl in the picture on the mantle in the living room. Except she wasn't smiling. She wasn't waving happily.

Albus leaned up a bit more, she looked sad. Even in sleep, he tilted his head and reached forward lightly touching her face. The little boy gasped when her face twitched. He pulled his hand back and smiled brightly at her waiting for her to open her eyes and see him.

"Albus!"

Albus squeaked, startled by his mother's harsh whisper and lost his precarious balance on his tip toes. He instinctually grabbed onto the bed linens and tumbled sideways onto the floor with a loud thump. A growing wail leaving his throat from the shock of the fall.

Ginny rushed over, guilty for causing her son's fall. She quickly scooped him up bouncing and shushing him. His wailing quickly died away as he wasn't actually injured. Ginny looked at Hermione who had begun to stir to the noise.

Albus sniffled and shifted in his mother's hold, "She need a prince mama...?"

Ginny gave him a puzzled look, "Why would she need a prince?" Her attention was divided between them as she leaned down to pull the blanket back over. She was currently wearing a hospital shirt but it had shifted when Albus pulled the blanket exposing the very top of the scar on her chest.

Ginny shifted Albus so he wouldn't see the mark before replacing the blanket back up to cover it. No easy task with a growing toddler on her hip. Before he could reply Hermione's head turned towards them. Ginny carefully lowered to the edge of the bed settling Ablus on her lap.

"Mmmm?" Hermione raised her good arm up to her face, rubbing weakly at her eyes. When she finally blinked them open she had a lazy smile on her lips.

"Is it just me or are first years getting smaller?" Her words were barely a whisper and heavily slurred but her face held a weak smile.

Ginny let out a soft snort while Albus leaned out of his mom's lap, the little boy gasped when deep honey eyes fluttered open. He was the prince! He had broken the spell!

"Hello!" Albus beamed wiggling to get closer but Ginny kept him from putting any weight on Hermione.

"Hello..." Her voice was stronger, soft and kind, it reminded him of strawberry chocolate.

"I'm Albus, but you can calls me Prince! What's your name?"

Hermione chuckled faintly at the bright child. She took a slow breath carefully adjusting her head to see him better. "I'm Hermione."

"Her...my...knee..." Albus tried out her name slowly before throwing her a very familiar crooked smile, "You Princess." He pointed to her matter of factly and puffed up his chest, "I prince."