October 2000
Ernie climbed out of bed and steadied himself with the bedside table. His knee was stiff and he was tired, he had been at St. Mungo’s too late the night before. He took a small step forward and grabbed the cane he hated to use to get to the bathroom.
After a long shower and a comb through his fine blonde hair, Ernie headed to the kitchen. He made a breakfast of crispy bacon and scrambled eggs along with a strong cup of tea to wake up with.
The front door opened and closed as Ernie put his dishes in the sink after he was done eating his breakfast. He charmed them to wash as a pair of arms wrapped around his stomach.
“Morning Love,” said Rose as she let go of him and walked around to his side, setting the Daily Prophet down on the counter. “Another early morning?”
“I have an appointment at eight,” Ernie told her as he turned to face her. She was dressed in her running clothes and covered in a thin layer of sweat, but she was beautiful, even if she was smelly. Ernie leaned down and kissed her, he loved her the same way he loved her in the War, passionately and all consuming.
“I have some time around one if you want to meet for lunch,” said Rose, still slightly breathless as Ernie started walking towards the front door.
“Okay,” said Ernie, turning to smile at her as he walked out the door. He slowly walked down the two flights of stairs to get to the sidewalk below. They didn’t live very far from St. Mungo’s which worked very well for them. They both enjoyed the walk from their flat to the hospital, but on days where one of them were running late, just as Ernie was today, they could sneak down the side ally and apparate there.
~`~
Ernie enjoyed his job, he loved being a Healer and bringing new life into the world. His father had done the same, as had his grandfather, and great-grandfather. The MacMillan’s could trace their family line back over nine generations, with about six of them being Healers.
They, along with the Parkinson and Malfoy families, were frequent donors to St. Mungo’s. It was something that Ernie prided himself in, being able to keep up the family’s name and presence at St. Mungo’s.
Ernie was the wealthiest of his friends, Hannah had grown up hungry and poor with her family’s reputation in the mud; Susan was born of a high standing, even if her mother was a Muggle, but Bones were Bones; and while Justin had come from Muggle money, had been on the list for Eton, he didn’t come from the type who gave charitable donations or even generational wealth.
But none of it ever stopped Ernie from being friends with Hannah, Susan, and Justin, it didn’t stop him from being close to Audrey Phillips, Megan Jones, or Wayne Hopkins. His family’s name, their wealth didn’t change him like it did the Slytherins.
Ernie walked through the halls of St. Mungo’s towards his office. He could feel the eyes of patients, their families, and his coworkers following him. When he was younger, the same eyes would follow after him as his father led him through the halls, now he was watched because of his limp.
~`~
His first appointment of the day was Katie Wood and her husband Oliver. Katie had to be at the Prophet offices by nine most mornings, while Oliver had morning practices that also started at nine. Ernie didn’t usually take appointments until at least nine-thirty, just so he could have a morning if he had a late night.
But he always made an exception for former Dumbledore’s Army and Order of the Phoenix members. Oliver and Katie both fell into those categories.
“Hello,” said Ernie as he walked into the exam room, where Katie had already hauled herself up onto the exam table. “How are we feeling today Katie?”
“Tired,” said Katie, before letting out a huge yawn. “Evan kept us up most of the night.”
“He should be sleeping through the night now though,” said Ernie as he got right to work with taking Katie’s blood pressure. “Or was it something else?”
“He doesn’t want to sleep in his bed,” answered Oliver, from where he stood on Katie’s other side. “He’d rather sleep in our bed.”
“Has he been sleeping with the two of you for a while?” asked Ernie as he went down by Katie’s feet to check her ankles for swelling.
“Yes, but only since we got the new bed,” said Katie as Ernie put his hands on the side of Katie’s stomach.
“Give him one of your pillows, or switch out his pillowcases,” Ernie told them, “it’s what my mother always did.”
“I’ll do that when I get home tonight,” said Katie with a smile and Ernie felt himself perk up a bit. “I don’t know why we didn’t think of that, it’s so smart.”
“You know for these two now,” said Ernie as he patted Katie’s stomach and felt one of the twins kick against his hand.
“That we do,” said Oliver as he leaned down and kissed Katie’s forehead.
~`~
Ernie’s office was a bit sparse, he had his desk with his large desktop calendar which he used to keep track of his appointments and his patients due dates. He had a corkboard which he kept pictures of all of the babies that he delivered or helped delivered. Behind his desk were pictures of him with his parents and friends, and his St. Mungo’s certifications.
He had two picture frames on his desk, one was of him and Rose back when they started dating. Rose had been fifteen and Ernie sixteen, back when the war had been in its early stages, back when their lives were simpler. The other picture was of all the Hufflepuffs in his year, Hannah Abbott, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Audrey Phillips, Susan Bones, Wayne Hopkins, Megan Jones, LeeAnne Wells, Stephan Cornfoot, Zacharias Smith, and himself.
That had been taken after their OWLs, when their lives had been simpler.
Ernie sat behind his desk and wrote down his notes from Katie’s appointment. He had been worried with her being pregnant with twins, she was his first patient to have twins.
He was surprised that he hadn’t had a patient pregnant with twins yet, while he had helped Healer Dobbins with a few of his twin deliveries.
Ernie made himself a cup of tea on the little hotplate that Rose had got for him and went back over his notes. He sipped his tea and felt himself relax in his seat, he had always been studious, and there was something about reading and learning that calmed him.
~`~
“Hello,” said Ernie as he walked into the exam room, Padma sat on the exam table with her five week old son in her arms. Theodore Nott stood beside her, his hands in the pockets of the suit he was wearing that seemed too grand for a Healer’s visit.
“Ernie,” said Padma, turning to smile at him. “How are you today?”
“I’m well,” said Ernie, checking his notes on baby Devansh. “How’s the little guy today?”
Devansh, Padma and Theodore’s son, looked up at Ernie, or maybe just the sound of his voice. He was still too young to completely focus on anyone.
“He had a good night, only up a few times for feedings, and he’s been very active this morning,” said Padma, as she handed over Devansh to Ernie.
Ernie set down his clipboard and took Devansh, checking his face and eyes, he looked at his mouth and checked his ears. Devansh responded just as he was supposed to and even broke out in a grin that Ernie knew was gas, but still warmed his heart.
“How have you been feeling Padma?” asked Ernie as he gave her Devansh back.
“Tired, but that’s normal isn’t it?” asked Padma, taking Devansh, “I try to sleep when he does, but it doesn’t always work out like that.”
“Are you still doing the diet I recommended?” asked Ernie, as he picked up his clipboard and made a few notes.
“Yes,” said Padma, sounding quite annoyed, “is there a chance I can go back to my normal diet?”
“I would slowly start adding in things, if you go cold turkey it could make you sick and that would upset Devansh,” Ernie told her, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Theodore roll his eyes.
“Oh thank Merlin,” said Padma with a smile as she jumped off the exam table.
“Any more questions?” asked Ernie as he looked between Padma and Theodore.
“I don’t have any,” said Theodore as he went to the door, “Padma?”
Ernie couldn’t help but take note of Theodore’s tone. It put him on edge, just like back when they were in school, something about Theodore commanded power. Something about Theodore Nott always put him edge.
“I’m good Theo,” said Padma as she handed him Devansh and picked up her purse from one of the chairs by the door. “Thank you for seeing us Ernie.”
She wrapped her arm in Theodore’s and smiled up at him as they left. Ernie could see Theodore’s posture relax as they walked together down the hall, and it made Ernie feel better.
He didn’t know enough about Theodore or Padma to be able to judge them in their lives now, but they were not a pair he ever expected to see together.
~`~
Rose is his moon.
He used to think of her as cold, as shining in the nighttime sky, as high above and far away from him.
They met on the train at the start of his second year, she was a first year. She crashed into their compartment, the one that Ernie, Hannah, Justin, and Susan decided to share together. Others came through, sharing stories of their summers, sharing pleasantries, sharing candy and sweets.
Rose crashed into the door and didn’t leave, she was wary and scared and had more questions than any of them could answer. She was a bit fiery and even more loud, and she’s the third born in her family of eight.
She’s the only witch in her family.
Ernie was always fascinated by large families, he knew the Weasley’s, but Rose’s family has one more on them. Rose has four sisters and three brothers, Ernie has no siblings, and hearing Rose talk about her family almost hurt.
Rose lived in Glasgow too.
During the summers, she would take him into the Muggle world. She took him to movie theaters, to arcades, and to her parent’s corner shop. She got him a job in her parent’s shop, they spent the summers stocking shelves and listening to the radio and checking out customers while heavily flirting.
They started dating when he was sixteen and she was fifteen.
It was in the time before his OWLs and her exams and after the DA was uprooted by Umbridge. It’s both the happiest time of Ernie’s Hogwarts life and his most stressful.
Rose became his moon in that time.
But it was different this time, she was warm and always there, she followed after him everywhere he went, she was there for him to fall on.
After the war, he moved in with her family. Sharing a tiny bedroom with her younger brothers and working in the shop and starting his internship at St. Mungo’s, waiting for Rose to come back from Hogwarts, come back to him.
They lived with her family until his internship was over. Then they moved into their current flat, small and quiet and not like the home they had left with her family.
~`~
“My parents want us to come to dinner on Saturday,” Rose told him from her spot in his lap. “We’re also invited to stay the night, as long as you sleep in Rory and Ryan’s room.”
Ernie sighed, even though he lived in the twin’s bedroom for over a year, the thought of going back scared him. They were now in their early teens and he remembered what he was like when he was thirteen.
“I would like to go, but I’ll sleep on the couch if your parents don’t mind,” Ernie told her as he rested his head on her shoulder.
“Rory and Ryan miss you hanging out with them all the time,” said Rose and Ernie closed his eyes so as to not roll them. “They’re not very close to Rohan.”
“I love that your brothers think of me as a brother, but the eight year age difference is a bit difficult to get through,” said Ernie, which they both knew. Rohan was six years older than Rose, making him twelve years older than the twins.
“I know the culture difference is a bit hard too,” said Rose, as she grabbed his hand and played with his fingers.
“I’ll do it,” said Ernie, turning his head to kiss her cheek. “If it makes you happy, then it’ll make me happy.”
Rose smiled and Ernie returned the gesture. “You know my family loves you, and it’ll make it easier when you propose.”
Rose was right, and Ernie knew this after watching Rose’s older sister Raegan’s husband be shunned from the family. Rose’s family was a bit old fashioned and expected for any of their daughter’s future husbands to ask for permission before proposing.
Ernie still hadn’t asked them to marry Rose, but he wasn’t worried, all of Rose’s family loved him.
Her three younger sisters used to paint his nails, practice their makeup on him, and when he had grown his hair out back during the war, had practice braiding and doing his hair. Ernie didn’t have any siblings, but being a part of Rose’s family made him long for siblings of his own.
“Rose,” said Ernie, as she stopped playing with his fingers. “Let’s get married.”
Rose sighed, “I would love too, but I don’t think were ready.”
“We’re already living in sin,” said Ernie with a chuckle, “if your parents are to be believed.”
“Maybe we should go to church again,” said Rose with a laugh. “I don’t think Easter was enough.”
“Granted,” said Ernie as Rose got off his lap and with a wave of her wand cleaned up the wrappers of their lunch. “It was my first time ever going.”
Rose smiled and Ernie watched as she walked out the door. Every day with her made him better and made him stronger.
~`~
May 1998
“Lightning has struck.”
Ernie sat up from his makeshift bed to look up at the Hog’s Head door as it slammed close. Then the coin in his pocket burned red hot.
“Lightning has struck.”
Ernie looked at Justin, Hannah, and Susan who were eating their dinner rations. Hannah had snuck down to the kitchens for food two days ago, now they were back to Aberforth’s rations. Susan had just come back from her Order mission a few hours ago with a new scar and a new story that she wouldn’t ever tell them. Justin had spent his day teaching their hidden first and second years shield charms and stinging hexes.
“Lightning has struck.”
Ernie heard the whispers, the screams, the cries over the last seven, eight, nine months. He felt the pain, the horror, the fear just as much as any of the first years, second years, and all the other students he walked the halls with every day. Ernie wanted them to be true, that Harry Potter was going to come and save them all. But he knew that rumors and whispers weren’t always true, weren’t always right.
But then lightning did strike.
The war, the battle would end after this. The battle, this Battle of Hogwarts, would be their end, it would be their final battle.
Lightning struck, and they would either be hit, or striking with it.
Ernie walked out with the others, he faced Snape with the rest of the school, and he fought in the battle. He watched his friends, his comrades in arms, his mentors rise and fall in front of him.
He watched the lightning strike.
~`~
January 2005
“Okay Pansy, remember to take deep breaths, it’ll help you focus,” Ernie instructed, and he was quite happy that her legs were being held back as he was sure she would kick him in the face.
“I am breathing,” shrieked Pansy as a contraction overcame her and she screamed loudly.
Ernie was quite used to being yelled at by women, they all hated him while in labor, but loved him when he gave them all the answers before and afterwards. All of his patients were the same, they were all head strong in their own way, all brave, all selfish, all happy, all of them in and out of love.
He loved and cared for each and every one of them, for their partners, their children both old and new. Ernie was enchanted by all of them, both old and new to him.
Baby A, was a little girl, another girl for Pansy and Gregory. Six minutes later, came Baby B, a boy for them to love and fight over.
Mira and Jacob.
Ernie loved each and every new life he helped bring into the world. Mira and Jacob would be no different, both of them would grow to be happy in themselves.
Ernie did his work, helping Pansy grow comfortable with her two new babies. He couldn’t quite imagine having twins, having to juggle so much.
“Congratulations,” whispered Ernie as he shook Gregory’s hand, and smiled down at Pansy in her bed. “To your new children.”
“Thank you,” said Pansy, not looking at him, “for bringing them to us.”
Ernie smiled and left, walking out the door to the small room and letting the family grow accustom to each other.
~`~
Ernie felt his knee start to lock up as he walked up the steps to his and Rose’s flat. He sat down tiredly and stared down at his hands, at the words craved into his skin, I must not tell lies.
The war left its marks on all of them, Ernie with his cursed knee, Hannah with her depression, Justin with his shattered shoulder, and Susan with her silence.
Ernie remembered the Battle of Hogwarts and that Dark, Dark Year.
Ernie would never forget living in the Room of Requirement. He would never be able to forget the screams from the dungeons, the cries of first years shivering in their beds, the sadness craved into the faces of his friends.
Justin screaming as he clutched his shoulder. Hannah and Susan standing back to back crying as they defended Hogwarts together. Watching Stephan fall, seeing Wayne’s body with all the other dead, watching Megan drop as the green light hit her.
Ernie covered the words with his other hand, before pulling himself to his feet and climbing the remaining stairs. He opened the door to his flat, and was hit by noise.
Rose was in the tiny kitchen, surrounded by boxes. In her arms was a small boy with light curly hair, a smattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks, and chubby legs and arms.
“You’re late,” said Rose as he walked into the kitchen, following the sound of the radio and their son’s babbling.
“Mira and Jacob Goyle are to blame,” said Ernie as he walked up to her. He took their son, Carson, from her arms and leaned forward to kiss her. He pressed his hand to the baby bump on her stomach as their daughter kicked at his hand. “I’m sorry.”
“I made coffee,” said Rose, and he knew that he was forgiven.
“My only appointment is at one,” Ernie told her as he put Carson in his booster seat at the table. “I think after breakfast I’m going to sleep until twelve thirty.”
“Will you be able to get Carson from my parents today, or should I have Rory or Ryan drop him off?” asked Rose, and Ernie looked down at his watch.
“If everything goes right for once, then yeah,” said Ernie smiling at her as she set down a plate in front of him. “But how rarely does that happen?”
Rose slowly sat down beside him, holding her stomach as she lowered herself into her seat. They were excited to have another baby, and Carson was excited to have a little sister.
“Never,” said Rose with a small smile, and Ernie leaned over to kiss her cheek.
~`~
Ernie couldn’t sleep for more than four hours at a time. Four hours was the shift that they would use to patrol the halls, keep watch over the common rooms, to sleep in the middle of the night.
He fell asleep at six in the morning, just after Carson and Rose left. He found himself wide awake less than four hours later and knew that he should get up and get back to work. He needed to check in with Mira, Jacob, and Pansy, and get ready for his afternoon appointment. If today went as it should, then he be back home by two thirty with Carson in hand.
They needed to finish packing anyways.
Ernie didn’t like to throw his money around, but he wanted to give Rose and their children a beautiful home. The house they were moving to was smaller than the manor he grew up in. It still had six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a large kitchen, two dining rooms, and a large and very beautiful garden. Rose was excited to move in, she wanted their children to have their own bedrooms, something she never got to have herself.
Carson was currently sleeping in the living room in a cot, something that was going to change in their new house. Ernie thought that his son deserved better, deserved a real bed, a real bedroom, a real home.
Ernie spent his childhood sleeping in the second biggest bedroom in his parent’s manor. Back then, when he would sneak Rose in through the window, through the kitchen, through the empty halls, it felt small. But the truth was, that Ernie didn’t know what small was. Sharing a dorm with Justin, Zacharias, Stephan, and Wayne was small, living in a one bedroom flat with Rose and Carson was almost claustrophobic.
Adding in Rose’s growing stomach and Carson’s growing body, their flat was getting to the bursting point.
It still wasn’t as bad as living in the Room of Requirement. All of them curled up around one another, pressed close to each other in hopes of not losing one another.
They had snuck in Justin, put him in Hannah’s trunk on the train and took him out long after the feast. Justin never went to class that year, but he wrote every essay and read every assignment, he still got top marks though never once stepped into a classroom.
Neville was the first one to go to the Room of Requirement, but it didn’t take long for him to get a friend.
Susan had followed after Justin and they rarely saw her after, she spied for both the DA and for the Order. Susan had ties to the Order, her family had died for the Order and she was ready to follow after them.
Hannah went next, looking for peace, looking for justice, looking for a connection.
Ernie went quickly after, it was safer together, they watched each other’s backs. They found each other and held on tight.
They slept on the floor, a pile of limbs, all missing each other and not knowing what was coming next.
~`~
“Hello,” said Ernie as he knocked on the door to Pansy’s room. “May I come in?”
“Yes,” called Gregory quietly.
Ernie walked into the room, and found Pansy asleep with her oldest daughter, Samantha, cuddled up against her chest. Gregory was holding one of the twins in his large arms. Ernie was still shocked by how gentle both Pansy and Gregory were with their children, though Ernie knew that having children did change people.
It was just that Ernie had been on the wrong side of Pansy’s sneers and vicious words, and Gregory’s fists and cruel curses. Ernie had a scar on his forearm that came from Gregory’s wand, but Ernie knew he wouldn’t be able to do his job if he kept grudges.
“How is everyone doing?” asked Ernie, as he went to one of the bassinets. He looked down at baby Jacob who was asleep, he was so small as all newborns were.
“Good,” grunted Gregory; Ernie had become used to Gregory’s quiet one word answers. “They’ve been sleeping since you left.”
“That’s good,” said Ernie, turning away from Jacob to look over at Gregory and Mira.
“I hope so,” mumbled Gregory, “Sam didn’t sleep this much.”
“They’ve gone through a big change, being born takes a lot out of energy,” Ernie told him, as he walked towards the door. “My son Carson slept quite a bit after he was born, its different for each child. I’ll come back before I leave for the day, but if you need me I’ll be in my office until two today.”
“Okay,” mumbled Gregory, looking back down at his daughter. “Will do.”
~`~
Ernie’s office had more pictures now.
Pictures of Carson; him and Rose on their wedding day; the ultrasound of their daughter; pictures of him with Justin, Hannah, and Susan.
There were more pictures of babies on his corkboard too. He could see Samantha Goyle up on the board, he would need to get one of Jacob and Mira. He felt like old Ollivander some days, being able to quote names and dates of all the babies he brought into the world.
His office also had quite a few toys covering the floor. All of them were Carson’s, each and every one of them well loved.
Ernie sat down at his desk and felt his knee lock up again, but he ignored it while he shuffled and sorted the notes and paperwork on his desk. He looked down at his calendar, he only had one appointment and it was for Hermione Weasley.
Hermione was due in about five weeks, and Ernie was sure that she was counting down the days, minutes, seconds until she got to meet her daughter. Ernie had stopped trying to get her to focus on her due date after her third appointment, he knew that her daughter would come whenever she decided to.
Ernie sighed and turned in his seat, less than a year ago he had helped Angelina Weasley and Ginny Potter give birth to their children, the twins Freddie and Roxanne, and a little boy James. He had feeling that he was going to see more Weasley-Potter children soon, and he didn’t mean just Hermione and Ron’s daughter.
It had been weird to Ernie to see his former classmates, friends, and housemates as patients of his. He knew that it was a part of growing up, watching the people he had known by name become his patients and friends.
Ernie sighed and sat back in his chair, looking at the photos on his desk and the corkboard. Soon, he would have more to add, more memories, more faces, more stories.
~`~
“Hello,” said Ernie as he opened the door to the exam room. He saw that Hermione was already sitting on the exam table with her husband Ron sitting next to her.
“Hi Ernie,” said Hermione as Ron climbed down from the table. “How are you today?”
“A bit tired, I had an early delivery this morning, but enough of me, how are you feeling?” asked Ernie as he started to take Hermione’s blood pressure.
“We’ve been putting the finishing touches on the nursery, and I’ve repacked my hospital bag,” said Hermione and Ernie heard Ron chuckle to himself.
“This is the fifth time she’s repacked it,” said Ron and Hermione rolled her eyes.
“We only have five weeks left,” said Hermione as she put a hand to her stomach.
“It’s better to be prepared,” said Ernie, receiving a grin from Hermione. “Rose never packed for Carson and that screwed us over a little bit.”
“Lucky that you can just pop back home real quick,” said Ron as he took Hermione’s hand.
Ernie smiled as the baby began kicking Hermione’s stomach. “Do the two of you have any names picked out yet?”
“Not quite yet,” said Hermione, smiling up at Ron, “but we’ve been able to lower our list.”
“Sounds like the pair of you have a better idea than Rose and I,” Ernie told them, as he turned to his clipboard.
“The two of you have more time though,” said Ron, as he helped Hermione down from the table.
“That we do,” said Ernie as he opened the door for the pair of them, “Hermione we’ll plan for the same time next week, owl me if anything changes.”
“Will do,” said Hermione and Ernie smiled as the pair of them left.
~`~
May 1998
Ernie kissed Rose for the first time in months, he had missed her with all of his heart, but she was here now. She was in his arms, kissing his face, crying and laughing as she held him. He was laying on the floor, his leg bandaged up and tied to a board.
He was in pain, but with Rose here he could feel his pain dulling away.
Rose kissed his forehead and he felt her tears fall on his face.
“You could’ve died Ernest,” whispered Rose, using his full name for the first time in their relationship.
“You could’ve died,” Ernie countered with a small smile. She giggled as she rubbed at her eyes, she was still crying, but Ernie felt his heart grow lighter.
“I didn’t though,” whispered Rose, as she sat back and put a hand on his splint. “I didn’t even get a scratch, you might lose your leg Ernie.”
It was true, he probably was going to lose his leg, but Rose would be at his side through it all. He reached out a hand to her and laced her fingers in his own. She smiled as he brought her hand to his lips.
“I love you Rosie,” whispered Ernie, “I want to be with you from every day until the end of time. I would marry you right here, right now if that’s what you wanted. I want you to have everything you ever wanted, and I want to be by your side through it all.”
Rose smiled down at him and leaned forward to kiss him. “We’re not getting married right now, Ernie.”
“I tried,” Ernie told her, returning her smile.
“You did,” she agreed with another tearful giggle.
~`~
December 2010
Ernie reached out to wrap his arms around Rose, pulling her close to him. He tucked his head into her hair, as she sighed holding his hands in her own.
“Ernie,” whispered Rose, turning around in his arms. “I’m late.”
“It’s only five Rose,” mumbled Ernie, as Rose pushed his hair out of his eyes.
“I’m five days late, Ernie,” said Rose annoyed, “I think were pregnant again.”
Ernie looked at her, feeling himself start to wake up with her words. They had decided a month ago to try for another baby, it had taken them four months to get pregnant with Maggie, and six months for William, Carson had been a surprise for them, but this was even more of a surprise.
During the war, he never thought that he would see Rose again, let alone see himself married with children. Rose had stayed behind and guarded her family from Death Eaters and Snatchers.
None of them expected a sixteen year old girl with pigtails, seven siblings, and an arsenal of curses and aerosol guns. None of them expected Rose Zeller.
“Do you want to wait?” asked Ernie, because Rose always wanted to wait until her morning sickness came.
“It’s Christmas in two days,” said Rose, which both of them knew wasn’t a real answer. “I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”
Ernie nodded and felt Rose cuddled up against him, he laid on his back, but he was too awake now. He had quite a bit of work to do before the holiday and only today to do it, Rose would be home with the kids for the day and he would be tomorrow. They were already in enough of a mess with their three, adding in one more was asking for trouble.
But Ernie liked a bit trouble and mayhem, it was just how their family worked.
~`~
“Hello,” said Ernie as he closed the door to the exam room behind him. “How are we doing today Padma?”
Padma was already laying down, she had her daughter, Anamika, sitting on her legs, while her sons, Devansh and Hajari, stood on either side of her. “Hello Healer MacMillan,” said Padma, causing all three of her children’s heads to whip around and look at Ernie, “how are you today?”
“I’m very well,” said Ernie as he smiled at each of the children and tried to remember if he had any candy stashed in the top door. “Christmas is just right around the corner.”
“That’s great to hear,” said Padma, shooting him a large smile, “we are also all doing well.”
“Are we going to see the baby?” asked Hajari as Ernie walked over to the ultrasound machine.
“We should,” said Ernie as he tapped the machine with his wand, turning it on. He then walked over to Padma, pulling the machine behind him, Padma pulled her shirt up over her stomach with a bit of difficulty.
“Devansh take your sister,” said Padma and Anamika crawled over Padma to her oldest brother.
Ernie helped Padma sit up a bit and get properly adjusted. Just as Ernie was about to start, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” called Ernie, as the door opened. Theodore Nott, Padma’s husband slipped in and walked over to Padma and his children. He picked up Anamika in his arms and stood beside Padma.
Ernie got started, pressing the tip of his wand to Padma’s stomach. On the screen appeared the baby, Ernie knew they were having a baby girl, but Padma and Theodore asked him not to tell them.
“Baby!” yelled Anamika and Ernie smiled, he also loved to see the baby’s pop up on the screen.
“That’s your new little sibling,” Ernie heard Theodore whisper to Anamika. “They’ll be here really soon.”
“About two and half months,” Ernie told them getting wide eyes from the boys and a clap from Anamika.
“That’s so long though,” said Devansh walking closer to the screen. “Why not now?”
Ernie double tapped Padma’s stomach a few times, taking pictures of the baby. He watched as Theodore reached out to hold Padma’s hand, shifting Anamika into his other arm.
“Because the baby needs to get a little bit bigger before they come to us,” said Theodore, winking at his oldest son. “The baby will be here before you know it.”
Ernie smiled and thought about his family, about the possibility of it getting bigger, having one more baby. He knew that Rose wanted their family to get bigger, even though she moaned about having so many siblings. She loved seeing all of their children play together, just as she did growing up.
He hoped that she was pregnant again.
~`~
Ernie walked in through the kitchen door, feeling tired and soar and stiff all at the same time. But he wouldn’t give this up to be back on stone floor of the Room of Requirement. He would never give up his aches and pains for fears and worries.
“Hello my Love,” said Rose as she walked into the kitchen with William on her hip. “How was your day?”
“Long,” said Ernie as he took William from her, while she took off his travel cloak. “The Nott children get bigger every time I see them.”
“That’s what children do Ernie,” said Rose with a small giggle, “they grow.”
Ernie knew this, it was his specialty after all. But he remembered watching children curled up on stone floors, crying and screaming for mercy. He watched the Creevey brothers hold onto each other while sleeping on the floor. He watched first years huddle up in the hallways, trying to become small, trying to be unnoticed.
He knew that children grew, they got bigger, but he also knew that not all children made it to adulthood.
“I know,” said Ernie, as he blew a raspberry into his youngest son’s neck, causing him to shriek with laughter. “It’s a good thing to see.”
He put his hand on Rose’s stomach and felt her put a hand over his. They shared a look, and he knew that she was ready.
~`~
May 1998
Ernie sat beside Justin, he still had his leg in a splint, but Justin had his whole left shoulder wrapped up. Justin’s whole left shoulder was shattered, but they were waiting for a Healer to be free for the both of them.
“When we start training at St. Mungo’s,” started Justin, and Ernie immediately tuned him out. Justin was one of his closest best friends, but Ernie had heard this spiel so many times.
“Susan’s taking the Auror’s offer,” said Ernie, interrupting Justin in the middle of his fantasy.
“Why? Why would she do that, all the Gryffindors’ are going to do that and she doesn’t care for them,” said Justin, trying to get up off the floor.
“Because she wants to take after her aunt,” Ernie told him, as a Healer ran passed them.
“My dad wanted me to be a lawyer like him,” said Justin, as he finally gave up trying to get off the floor. “Also wanted me to go to Eton like him.”
“That didn’t exactly work out,” said Ernie with a smile and a shared laugh. “For the better though.”
“For the better,” repeated Justin, returning Ernie’s smile.
~`~
August 2015
Ernie tapped his fingers on his desk, all of his paperwork was done for now. He had no patients who were close to giving birth, a shock to him. He didn’t even have another appointment for another two hours.
Ernie left his office and walked down the hall to his favorite view in the whole hospital. He liked to stand outside the big window in front of the nursery and watch the newborn babies sleep. There were currently only twelve newborns on the other side of the window, but watching them always warmed his heart.
“Hello Healer MacMillan,” said little Molly Weasley as she looked up at him from her wheelchair and under her cover of sweaters and blankets. Ernie knew her parents, her mother not only once a patient, but also his old housemate, old friend. “How are you today?”
“I’m very well,” Ernie told her as one of the Junior Healer’s waved to him. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired,” mumbled Molly, as she looked back into the window. Molly looked a lot like her mother Audrey, but the Weasley traits seemed to cover it up.
“Is Healer Finch-Fletchley still taking good care of you?” asked Ernie, already knowing that Justin would never let anything hurt her.
Molly and her twin sister, Lucy, were two of his babies, and Ernie would be lying if he wasn’t always curious about who his babies grew up to be. He did have a fondness for Molly and Lucy though, rainbow babies were always special.
“Yeah,” mumbled Molly and he could see that she was starting to fall asleep in her chair.
Ernie smiled as he grabbed the handles of her chair and began pushing her to the elevator doors. Molly needed to go back to her room, and he couldn’t stand in one place anymore.
~`~
Ernie walked through the children’s ward, feeling out of place. Rose worked up on this floor, but he rarely visited her up here. Usually his days were so busy they only met up for lunch if he had the time.
Rose and Justin were standing just outside the elevators when Ernie pushed Molly out onto the ward.
“Ernie?” said Rose, looking from him to Molly, “what are you doing up here?”
“I found Molly watching the newborns,” Ernie told her, “she fell asleep and I thought I would bring her back up here.”
“She loves to watch the babies,” said Justin, as he smiled down at Molly. “Usually Lucy or Audrey go with her.”
“She finds it peaceful,” said Rose and Ernie could understand that.
Ernie looked down at Molly, then back up at Rose and Justin. “Which room is hers?”
“I’ll take her,” offered Justin, “I need to speak to Audrey anyways. Ernie, it was good to see you.”
Ernie smiled and shook Justin’s hand, wondering when they got so formal. Back at Hogwarts, they would’ve laughed themselves silly for doing something like that. Justin was William’s godfather, but Ernie couldn’t deny that they had started to grow apart over the years, ever since they choose different paths at St. Mungo’s.
“Thank you for bringing her back up here,” said Rose, as she took his hand and squeezed it softly. “They just let some of the kids wander around all over and I don’t understand it.”
Ernie looked at her, “probably because they just want her to be comfortable.”
Rose nodded and Ernie leaned down and kissed her cheek before turning on his heels and leaving.
~`~
May 1998
Ernie limped over to the Hufflepuff table, his leg was stiff and his knee felt like it was on fire. But he was walking now and he would be able to keep his leg. He knew that Rose would still be worried, but he would be okay and that was all that mattered.
Ernie sat down beside Hannah and across from Susan and Justin. “He’s walking again!” yelled Hannah with a giggle.
“My knee feels like it’s on fire, but it’ll pass in a few days,” Ernie told them, as he started to make himself a plate of food. He hadn’t eaten since the night before, and it was now late morning.
“That’s not too bad,” said Susan as she touched the bandage on her arm, “at least you won’t have a scar.”
“At least you have proof that you fought,” said Ernie as he felt his knee throb. He did have the scars from their underground rebel work, scars from detentions and punishments forced upon him by the Carrows.
“You have plenty of proof,” said Hannah, who had been able to slip out of all of her detentions and punishments. She had no scars on her skin, on her body at all. “You did plenty during the war.”
Ernie took a bite of his food, and felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He had been silly to worry about such a small detail like a scar.
There was work to be done anyways.
~`~
May 2020
Ernie held Rose’s hand as they walked up to Hogwarts. It was a beautiful day, the sun shining and not a cloud in sight. It reminded Ernie of the day after the Battle, it had been bright and beautiful the day that they buried the dead and said goodbye.
“Mummy, Daddy, hurry up!” yelled Emmaline as she ran back over to them and pulled on Ernie’s hand. “I want to see Carson, Maggie, and William!”
“We will Emma,” said Rose as she took Emmaline’s other hand, “but you know that Daddy can’t run like a little kid anymore.”
Ernie frowned, and looked down at his knee. He had been hit by a curse that immobilized his whole leg. The Healers had been able to isolate the curse into his knee, and it caused him to walk with a limp since.
He had been lucky though, he had been an inch away from losing his whole leg. If the curse had hit any higher, he would’ve lost the whole limb.
“How about a piggyback ride?” asked Ernie, and he could hear Rose sigh as he bent down to let Emmaline climb up his back.
They were slow going, but Emmaline was happier as they walked up the path to the castle.
“You didn’t have to do that Ernie,” whispered Rose as they walked into the Great Hall. It was louder than Ernie could ever remember it being, but there were more students now than when he went to school. All of the children who were born during the first war and who had survived pass the second war now had big families.
Ernie could see the faces of the children he helped bring into the world, some of them already graduated and returning for the memorial just like him and Rose, while others were with their parents, running up and down the tables.
“Mum! Dad!” called Carson, waving them over to the Ravenclaw table, where he was sitting between Sasha Thomas and his best friend Evander Smith.
Carson stood up as they walked over, Rose holding Emmaline’s hand as they walked over to keep her from running off.
“Hello dear,” said Rose as she hugged Carson, then hugged Evander who was a staple in their home during the summer as much as Carson or any of their children were.
“Hello Healer Zeller, Healer MacMillan,” said Evander smiling up at both of them.
Ernie quite liked Evander, he was a smart kid who had been friends with Carson since they started preschool.
“Hello Evander, hello Miss Sasha,” said Ernie, smiling at both of the kids.
Sasha was one of his babies, one of the children he brought into the world. He had been so happy for Parvati and Dean when they came to visit him, their son Naveen had been one of his first babies that he delivered on his own.
“Hi!” said Sasha waving to them before going back to her breakfast.
“Where are Maggie and William?” asked Rose as Emmaline climbed up into Evander’s lap. She knew him as an older brother just as much as Carson and William.
“At their own tables,” said Carson, checking his watch, “we agreed to meet up in front of the Great Hall at nine thirty.”
Ernie checked his own watch, while Carson’s had been a seventeenth birthday present, Ernie’s had been a wedding anniversary gift from Rose’s parents. His seventeenth birthday watch had been destroyed on a dungeons raid during the war.
“It’s almost time,” said Ernie, turning to look at the double door entrance of the Great Hall. He could see Maggie’s trademark red hair already. “Maggie’s already over there.”
It took only a little prodding from Ernie and Rose to get Emmaline, Carson, and Evander to follow after them to the double doors.
“Maggie! William!” yelled Emmaline from Evander’s arms, as she reached for her older siblings.
Rose hugged and kissed both Maggie and William before letting Emmaline get her hugs in. Ernie stood to the side as he watched his family greet one another. There was still apart of him that was surprised that he had family, that he had survived to be able to have a family.
Rose came to his side and tucked herself under his arm, smiling at their children and their friends.
Today was the day to remember their loss, their loved ones, and their friends. Ernie still woke up in the middle of the night seeing Wayne, Megan, and Stephan’s haunted, empty eyes, laying in the same Great Hall they were standing in now.
~`~
Ernie stared at his oldest son as he rattled off facts about Terry Boot. Ernie remembered Terry, he had been smart and energetic and quick witted, he ran through the halls baiting at the Carrows, baiting at Snape.
Carson would grow to be older than Terry. Carson would never go to sleep hungry, he would never sleep on a cold stone floor, he would never have to fight for his life in the walls of his school. Carson would never know Terry’s last year of school, of life.
“Ernie,” whispered Rose, squeezing his hand and looking up at him. “It’s okay.”
Ernie watched Terry get hit with a green light and watched him fall forward onto the ground. He had watched the light leave Terry’s eyes in an instance, bright and alive, then empty and gone.
“He doesn’t know, Ernie,” whispered Rose, squeezing his hand so tight that he was sure she would break it.
His children would never know the horrors he faced in the war. How could they when he never told them, never wanted them to know? His children would grow up and go to Hogwarts and never have to face a war that his parents helped create.
It was part of the reason why his own children never knew his parents, they were MacMillan’s in name, but not in ideals.
His mother was a Parkinson, a Slytherin, while his father, the MacMillan, was a Ravenclaw, who let his wife’s ideals take over. Ernie had learned the hard way that Slytherins weren’t the only ones with snakes and skulls on their arms.
“I never told him,” Ernie told her quietly, “I should’ve told him before he left in September.”
“We can tell him when he gets home,” whispered Rose, letting go of his hand, “you don’t have to do this on your own.”
Ernie nodded and leaned down to kiss her cheek, he was surrounded by his children, the ones he made, and the ones he helped bring into the world.
Twenty-two years after the war, Ernie finally felt himself heal.