"We're going to need all the help we can get."
Remus stood tall at the head of the dusty table stationed in the dimly-lit room of 12 Grimmauld Place. His fingers tightly latched onto the back of the chair he was standing behind.
"And where do you ex...
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The time between first stepping into the fireplace at Grimmauld Place and exiting in the atrium of St. Mungos was only two minutes. For Charlie, it felt like hours. His palms were sweaty, and his skin was a deathly pale shade of white. Was this the end for his father? Charlie never had to deal with something so serious like this in Romania.
Sure, his friends had gotten hurt, as did he, but there was never an instance that Charlie felt like he was going to lose someone he loved.
"Healer Corden?"
Maggie Simon, one of the bright and bubbly young receptionists at St. Mungos stood up from behind her desk with wide eyes. The brunette glanced between Adelaide and Charlie with a confused look on her face.
"You're not supposed to be working today! It's your birthday!"
Adelaide forced a smile. She liked Maggie. The girl was a complete sweetheart – but right now the last thing she wanted to do was think about something happy like celebrating her birthday.
Adelaide tightened her grip on Charlie's elbow, tugging him along with her as she walked up to Maggie and the front desk.
"Maggie, hi." Adelaide sighed softly, "Have you heard any word about an Arthur Weasley?"
Charlie felt numb – he had almost missed the fact that it was Adelaide's birthday. He had been so shell-shocked about his father's attack that he did not realize that it had already passed the midnight hour.
"A new patient?"
Adelaide nodded. She stood in silence as she watched Maggie flick her wand through the stack of enchanted book that sat front and center of the desk. After a moment or two, Adelaide turned to look up at Charlie. She slipped her hand down and laced her fingers with his so she could give him a tight, reassuring squeeze.
"He's going to be ok, Charlie. Maggie here is going to tell us what floor he's on and I'm going to help work on him...whatever needs to be done."
Charlie's trance broke momentarily, his eyes tearing away from the wall he had been staring blankly at. Forcing a weak smile, Charlie gave Adelaide's hand a squeeze in return. He wanted to speak up and thank her for jumping straight into action for him and his father, but he knew if he opened his mouth words may not be the first thing to escape. Charlie was fighting tears and the sobs that were trying to work their way out of his throat. He had never been this scared before.
"Arthur Weasley, here we go." Maggie finally spoke up, clearing her throat as she had noticed Adelaide and Charlie were looking at one another in silence and not at her. "He's with Healer Conrad Becker on the sixth floor."
Adelaide thanked Maggie quickly, rushing towards the staircase with Charlie in tow. She held tightly onto his hand and rushed up each floor. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of their heavy breaths and their shoes hitting the concrete stairs as they ran.
