Ride or Die

Epilogue: The City

Epilogue: The City

. . . . . . . .

Four Years Later

. . . . . . . .

The day of

9:00 a.m.

"Okay," Hermione exhaled, exuding something she hoped was positivity. "So. Who can tell me about Mrs Figg? Dr Creevey," she beckoned, nodding to him. "How about you?"

Dennis gave her a skittish nod in return, turning to the newly-installed desktop computer beside the hospital bed. "Arabella Figg, sixty-four," he began, clearing his throat. "Presented late last night with some pain in her right knee after a fall down the stairs."

"My cats," Arabella lamented to Hermione. "I should really put bells on them."

"Well, they are a shifty breed," Hermione offered soothingly, and Arabella gave her a weak smile.

"Mrs Figg underwent ACL repair after a similar fall four years ago," Dennis continued, scanning her chart, "and by the sound of it, there may be a problem with continuing instability in the ligament, so - "

"Dr Granger," a nurse interrupted, calling from the doorframe. "I'm so sorry to interrupt, but there's someone here asking for you specifically - she's rather hysterical," she added with a grimace. "A Mrs Knox, I believe? Or Nott? But I didn- "

"Oh my god," Hermione said frantically, her heart suddenly pounding as she shoved her clipboard into the hands of an intern she'd yet to memorize the name of. "Is she okay?" she demanded, hurrying into the corridor as the nurse followed doggedly behind her. "She's eight weeks pregnant," Hermione added nervously, hurrying around the corner as the nurse pointed down the hall. "Please be sure to note that in her chart - "

"Yes, yes, of course," the nurse assured her, scurrying after her and gesturing to a door down on the left. "She's just in here, Doctor - "

"Fleur," Hermione burst out, practically throwing herself through the doorframe before stopping abruptly, holding her hand to her chest. "Fleur, what happened?"

"Oh, god, finally," Fleur sighed, turning over her shoulder and hopping with some difficulty onto the exam table. "Do you know I've been waiting here for over twenty entire minutes?"

"Hey, Granger," Theo added, saluting her from the corner of the room with a grin. "Good morning."

It took a moment; and then -

"Oh my god," Hermione exhaled sharply, trying to calm her thudding pulse. "I thought you were dying!" she half-shouted. "I'm a trauma surgeon, Fleur, they only call me when people are close to bleeding out - "

"Well, then I don't see why you're so upset," Fleur sniffed, gesturing to herself. "I'm obviously fine."

"Fleur," Hermione barked, "for the actual sake of - "

"So," Theo drawled, rising to his feet and throwing his arm around her shoulder. "How've you been, Granger?" He gave her one of his most dazzling, least comforting grins. "What's new?"

"Theo," Hermione groaned, rubbing her forehead. "I just saw you yesterday."

"Yeah, well," he conceded, shrugging. "Forgive me for asking, then - "

"What is this?" Hermione demanded, glaring between him and his wife. "Who are you here to see?"

"Oh, I'm supposed to be seeing some OBGYN," Fleur told her, looking sulky. "But I don't see the point, really, when you're obviously right here, and you can very clearly handle something as mundane as a pregnancy, so - "