Life's too short, but the end is long -- April 2017

It was mere hours after Addison died.  I was in the waiting area of St. Mungo's expecting Draco Malfoy to show up at any moment.  I had sent him an owl telling him that something happened... obviously it was after everything was finished.  I was still covered in blood from what they did to Addison.  I stared at the floor and that was when I heard quick footsteps coming down the corridor.  I looked up and saw Draco coming towards me.  I had not told him exactly what was going on. 

He looked a bit frantic and I took a deep breath.  "Addison... she didn't make it," I said to him quietly.  I took another breath and continued.  "But you have a beautiful baby girl."

To get an owl from Dean Black was odd enough... and it was horrible when he said something happened with Addison.  My thought automatically went to the baby -- yes, Addie was on my mind, too, but the baby?  I already lost one child eleven years ago and that still felt like yesterday.  I found Dean in the waiting area and rushed over to him.  It broke my heart to hear that Addison had passed.  I could not believe it, though, they were able to save the baby -- and it was a girl? 

"Dean..." I said, unsure of what to say to him.  "I am so sorry."  I knew that he and Addison were starting to make amends like Pansy and I were -- Addie had told me during one of the appointments she had with a Healer to check the health of the baby.  She had even mentioned having hope that they might at least end things on good terms rather than bad like the way things had been for them.

I had no idea how I felt about any of it.  I swallowed and nodded at Malfoy.  I was not sure if I could even speak of it. "Follow me," I said to him, leading the way towards the nursery area where his little girl was.  I showed him which baby was his.  "Little Girl Logan is what they're calling her for now."  I caught my reflection in the glass separating us from the babies and realized how ghastly I looked.  I was still bloody and my chest still stung beneath the bandage that Aunt Chloe put on my chest; it had been created by Dark Magic so they could not just magic it away.  

I looked over at Malfoy and could see happiness mixed with pain.  "She'll be okay... she's already a fighter -- like her mother," I assured him.  I knew that the baby was a couple of months early and so they had to be careful with her -- Lucy went through this with Leo.  I took a deep breath and ran a hand through my grimy hair.  "I will leave you be... I just - er - wanted you to be aware of what happened... especially with her."  I was close to my breaking point; it felt as though all of my therapy that I went through since my procedure was going away.  I was not supposed to change into my animgus form, but I did.  It was the only way that I had a chance to save Addison and her baby.  Because of my disability, I could not save them both in time... How was I going to tell my kids?  I realized that, that thought alone froze me in my tracks.  I hoped that Constantine did not See it.  I had a feeling that if he had, they would already be there at St. Mungo's even though they were at school.

I felt as though I were shaking and I looked down at my hands; though they were steady, the blood on them unnerved me.  I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Malfoy there.

When Dean went to walk away but stopped, seeming to be glued to the spot, I went over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.  "Dean... you need to sit down or something before you go and try to talk to them," I said to him quietly.  I knew his mind was on his children.  I directed him to a bench that was in the corridor.  "You've been looked at?" I had a feeling that he was not in any shape to be looking after himself.  He had just gotten through some surgery and whatnot -- I could tell that he was hurting because of the way that he moved.  Dean should not have had to go through any of what he did today.

I was surprised that I let myself be led to a bench by Malfoy.  I was more surprised by the fact that he seemed genuinely concerned.  A lot has changed in a matter of a small amount of time.  "Yeah, Chloe helped us," I answered.  "This is just residue..."  I felt like a complete failure.  How could I not have saved her?  It was Addison.  I should have been able to save her.