In Her Mind
by: PrimaVeraDream
(a/n) Hey! I've been working on this story along with the ones I've recently put for a long time. Sorry for being late! I know the title sucks but the story will not make you disappointed. (I hope it doesn't.)
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, do you think I'll be here? It's by JK Rowling!
"Draco?" Hermione asked as she leaned her head on his shoulder and him stroking her swollen stomach in front of the fireplace.
"Hm?" Draco sighed in content.
"Promise me that you'll stay with me forever?"
"I promise." Hermione turned Draco's head towards her.
"No, look at me in the eye and say it."
"I. Promise." he enunciated sincerely. Though there is some doubt in him.
Present:
"Where are you, Draco?"
"I'm here, darling! In the living room!"
"Come and help me take care of Emma!"
"What happened? Did she pooped again?" he asked as he entered the bedroom.
"Yep. Help me get a new diaper. It's in the top drawer." Draco went and retrieved the diaper.
"Peek-a-boo! I see you! Who's the one who made a mess? Is it you?" cooed Draco.
"Draco!" whined Hermione. "Stop fooling around and help me change her diaper!"
"Alright, alright. There, all done. Now, let's get some breakfast." he lifted Emma up and put her in the high chair.
"I'll get the breakfast ready." she turned around and started to prepare some oatmeal and baby food. "Breakfast's ready!" she turned back around but there was no one. The whole room was white and Hermione was sitting on a bed. "Draco? Emma? Where are you guys?"
Outside the observation window:
"Guys, Hermione's talking to herself again." Ginny said.
"Hermione's been like that ever since Emma's born." sighed Harry.
"She probably still thinks that Malfoy's alive." Ron voiced.
"Damn you, Malfoy, damn you!" Harry cried while he punched the wall. "It's your fault that Hermione's become like this!"
"Calm down, Harry! You can't change the past! It's no use." soothed Ron.
"Emma only has us now. We've got to take care of her." Ginny, too, soothed. Harry calmed himself down.
"You guys are right. Emma only has us now. We can't be like this. We're adults. We have to be there for Emma."
"Are you ready to leave?" asked Ron.
"Yeah."
Back in the room:
Hermione sounded scared and worried. Where was she? Where's Draco and Emma? Why is everything white? Suddenly, there's a knock at the door. Seconds later, a healer came in.
"Ah. This is the first time I see you awake. All the other times when I performed the check-ups, you were asleep." Hermione pulled up her knees and her whole body seems to shake with terror. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you. Do you know where you are?"
"N-no."
"You're in St. Mungo's."
"W-why?"
"You have suffered from severe trauma. Do you know what happened?"
"N-no. W-what happened?"
"After your friends have told you of your husband's death, you went into labor. At first, you were taken to the maternity ward. During the operation, you kept mumbling about your husband and became delirious. Remember Emma?" Hermione nodded her head. "After you gave birth to her, you fell into a comatose state. We observed you from outside. It was only a week ago that you've woke up." the healer looked at Hermione to see if she comprehended what she have just said.
"What do you mean my husband's dead? He can't be dead! He can't! He promised!" Hermione cried hysterically. Her tears stained her pure white hospital gown. She held her hands to her head. Suddenly, she looked up and held the healer out by her arms. Hermione's shaking and squeezing the healer at the same time. "You're lying, right? You're lying! Where's Draco? Is he out there?" she pointed towards the door to her room. "He's out there, isn't he? Hurry, let him in! Never mind. I'll do it myself." Hermione threw the healer on the bed and rushed to the door, but the healer whispered a spell before she got to it. Hermione fell to the ground with a thump. The healer levitated her to the bed.
"I'm putting you to sleep until you've become stabilize." once again she whispered a spell and Hermione's eyes blacked out. Once again, she has slipped into her fantasy world.
"Wake up, Hermione! Wake up! Emma's hungry!" there's someone shaking her. She slowly open her eyes and the first thing she sees is her gorgeous husband.
"Draco!" she wrapped her arms around him and cried into his neck.
"What's wrong, honey?" Draco said with concern in his voice.
"I've just had a horrible dream where you're dead!"
"Don't worry! I'm here now, aren't I? It's alright now. It's alright." Draco whispered the comforting words to Hermione. A loud baby's cry filled up the room. "Hear that? That's the cry of our hungry daughter. Now, let's feed her before the neighbors complain about the sound. Dry up your tears. We can't let Emma see you like this, or she'll think that I'm bullying you."
"Yeah, let's." Hermione smiled as she dried up her tears. Draco helped her up and brought her to Emma's room.
"Look! Emma smiled her first smile! Quick, get the camera!" yelled out Ginny. Harry passed her the camera while Ron was eating by their side. "Aw! How cute!"
"Everything Emma does is cute to you. Yesterday, you even took a picture of her poop! Why would you take a picture of someone's poop? What's so special about her poop?"
"You won't ever understand the heart of a mother. Just like you don't understand Mum."
"I kiss her everyday and bought her gifts!"
"So?"
"So?! Doesn't that means I love her?"
"Love comes from the bottom of your heart."
"It does!"
"You know what? I'm not talking about this anymore. Talking to you is like talking to a pig." Ginny walked away with Emma in her arms while holding a camera.
"Hey! Get back here, you!"
"Give it up, Ron. You know Ginny's not gonna listen to you." sighed Harry, bored having seen their bickering a thousand of times. "Ginny's right. We, men, would never understand the heart of a mother. Or a woman. They're a complicated species." Ron has a confused expression on his face. "See? I knew you wouldn't understand." Harry walks away too, leaving Ron alone in the room.
"A complicated species?" Ron said to the air. "What's a species?"
Hermione entered the room with Draco behind her. "Emma? Sweetie? Are you hungry? Mum's here to feed you." She went and picked Emma up. Hermione started breast-feeding her on a chair by the side. After finishing, she gave Emma to Draco to burp her while she button up her top. "Is she asleep yet?"
"Yeah." Draco wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "Thanks for giving me Emma." He kissed her behind the ear. Hermione leaned into Draco.
"Remember the dream I told you about that you were dead?"
"Yeah."
"It was so terrifying. In the dream, I woke up in St. Mungo's. A healer came in and told me you're dead and I went into labor after. Then she put me to sleep and when I woke up, I'm here. I'm so scared, Draco. What if you really died? What would happen to Emma and I?" Hermione started to get emotional.
"Shh... I'm here. I'm here. I will always be with you and Emma." Draco wrapped his arms tighter." The vision in Hermione's eyes are getting blurry. The weight and strength on her waist decreased. She wiped the tears from her eyes away.
"Draco!" Hermione yelled in the sound proof room. The apparition of Draco appeared before her.
"I'm sorry, Hermione. I couldn't live out my promise to you."
"No! Don't say that! You're here. Don't go!"
"I have to go. Until we meet again. Tell Emma that I will love her forever." Draco faded away. Hermione opened her eyes and sat up abruptly. Tears dripped down her cheeks, not very different from earlier. Coincidentally, the healer from earlier showed up.
"I hope you are much calmer than before."
"Tell Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Ginny Weasley to come here this instant with Emma."
"What?"
"Please. I beg of you."
Ring. Ring. Ring. "Hello?" Ginny listened.
"Who is it?" asked Ron. Harry's head poked out from the kitchen.
"We'll be right there!" Ginny hanged up.
"Who is it?" Ron asked again.
"St. Mungo's. They say that Hermione requested to see us with Emma."
"What are we waiting for? Let's go." Harry said, stopping his cooking in the kitchen.
Later at St. Mungo's:
"Hermione?" Ron shyly said as he came in.
"Where's Emma?"
"Ginny has her. She's coming. Just getting some food from the cafeteria. How are you doing?" Ron stepped up to hug her. Hermione hugged him back.
"I'm managing. How are you guys?"
"We're doing great. Emma was very obedient."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed as she walked through the door. "Look who's here?"
"Emma! Come to mummy!" she extended out her arms, ready to receive Emma. "My, you have grown! The first time I saw you, you were just as big as a box of tissue. Let mummy give you lots of kisses." Smooch. Smooch. Smooch.
"What did you want us for?" asked Harry.
"I want you to continued to take care of Emma."
"Of course! We're gonna take care of her until you get better."
"I don't think I'm going to get better."
"What do you mean?"
"Promise me you'll take care of her forever first."
"I promise."
"That's what Draco said, but he broke it." her eyes teared up but she quickly wipe it off her face.
"Huh?"
"Nevermind. I know you guys will not break your promise." Hermione looked down at Emma one last time. "Grow big and strong, little one. Don't be like me, small and weak." she whispered gently. "Take her, Ginny." she took out her hidden wand. Ron recognized that wand.
"Wha- How'd you get my wand?" Ron said confusingly.
"When we were hugging."
"What are you doing, Hermione?!" Ginny panicked.
"I'm going to where Draco is. To yell at him for breaking his promise to me."
"Draco? But he's dea- No. No! Don't do it, Hermione!" They started to reach out to grab the wand out of her hands.
"Don't come any closer, or I'll do it even quicker." They paused in their steps.
"Who's gonna take care of Emma and watch her grow up?"
"You guys will."
"No we won't. We're gonna give her up for adoption. You have to be with her for her every step." Harry begged.
"I know you won't. I can watch her from where I am with Draco together. Take care of her. Goodbye." then she muttered the last spell she'll ever cast. There lies Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of her year, lifeless on her hospital bed with her best friends surrounding her, and her precious girl. The room was filled with sniffles from Ginny, Ron, and Harry. Emma, in Ginny's arms, was crying the loudest. They didn't know what she was crying for, but they assumed that it was because her mummy had gone off to a better place to be with her daddy.
In an unknown land:
"Hermione? What are you doing here?" Hermione was standing by a big golden gate, waiting for Draco to stroll pass. Her pure white dress made her seem like an angel.
"I came here to lecture you about breaking promises." she smiled.
"What about Emma?"
"She's in good hands." Draco took her by her hands.
"I won't ever break a promise ever again."
"You better not or else." they shared a kiss in the middle.
4 years later:
"Congratulations Harry, Ginny!" cried out Neville.
"Thanks!"
"Don't forget to have a baby and make me his or her's godfather!" yelled Dean.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Harry laughed. He felt a little tug on his pants and looked down.
"Uncle Harry, when will I get to wear a pretty dress like Aunt Ginny?" asked little Emma.
"When you get married, sweetie." answered Ginny.
"When I marry you, I will have you wear the prettiest dress ever. Even prettier than this one." Johnny Finnigan, the son of Seamus Finnigan, who is a little older than Emma, said. Emma giggled.
"Yay! Did you hear that? I'm getting married too!"
"Oh no you don't, young lady. No-" Harry started to say, but Ginny interrupted.
"Of course, honey. I'm happy for you. Now, run off and play with your 'husband'."
"Ginny! What are you doing?"
"Oh, hush. It's just kids playing around."
Somewhere sat Hermione and Draco on a bench. They were peacefully looking down on the joyous celebration.
"Look at our little girl." Hermione said to Draco.
"She's grown so big now."
"I see that she has a suitor of her own."
"If Potter doesn't make sure that Finnigan's son won't get anywhere near my little girl, I will go down there and beat him up myself."
"I'm sure he will." Hermione and Draco continued to look over them until they reunited.
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