One Night

At the beginning of one seemingly endless night at St Mungos lives will be altered in ways that no one dreamed would be possible. It all starts with an emergency, the kind of emergency that only Harry Potter could cause. Drarry.

Part Two

Swearing blindly Draco ran forward in a blind panic, lowering Hermione back into the armchair while casting several diagnostic spells on her which told him that she had gone into labour.

Several more flashes of light and explosions erupted from the corridor. Trying to figure out what to do first Draco ran back to the only door in and out of the room and cast several locking charms, effectively sealing them inside. If anyone one got through the wards, which would be tricky enough then they'd still have almost no chance of defeating the complex locking charm. Draco wouldn't be able to afford any distractions but the problem was he would also need a little bit of help.

Ron of course would be useless as his bones were still re-growing and he had no use over his limbs. Harry on the other hand would be in a great deal of pain if he woke up now even with the pain reliving potion but he was Draco's only option. The golden trio were his responsibility.

Once he was sure that no one would get through the door Draco went to Harry's bedside and started to alter the potion lines. He switched dreamless sleep for pepper-up, the only safe way he knew to counter act the effects of the sleeping potion.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked through pained gasps as Draco began to transfigure various items into things they would need including a third bed so that Hermione could lie down.

"I'm going to need some help," Draco told her, "I can't deliver this baby on my own. Ron still doesn't have any useable bones so it has to be Harry."

"But it'll hurt him to wake up!" She gasped as another contraction wracked through her body making her scream out in discomfort. "He isn't finished healing."

"Look at me Hermione," Draco said going to her and kneeling before her, forcing her to look at him. "I can't deliver this baby on my own and I can't let anyone else into this room. Trust me when I tell you that I'll be able to heal Harry again but I won't forgive myself if something happens to this baby or to you," He said sternly as he helped her over to the newly transfigured bed and lay her down.

"Thank you," She said before another contraction pain took over. Draco was a little concerned with how close together they were coming and how fast the labour was progressing. Though he didn't have much time to ponder this as he heard stirrings coming from Harry's bed. Reassuring Hermione that he'd be right back Draco rushed over to Harry whose eyes were open and his breathing was heavy and pained.

"How do you feel?" Draco asked, checking over Harry's vitals and noticing that the pain spike was still much too high.

"Like someone is torturing me with the cruciatus curse," He replied with a raspy voice. Draco frowned, checking that Harry's pain potion was delivering the right dosage – which it was.

"Harry, I need you to listen to me very carefully, can you do that?" Draco asked as Hermione whimpered across the room and the sounds of a battle raged in the corridor. Harry nodded, clearly terrified. "You've been badly injured and are currently in St Mungos. You shouldn't have been woken up so soon but something's gone wrong here. There is a fight going on outside with the Auror's and I'm suspecting a few rogue Auror's. Hermione has just gone into labour and I need you to help me deliver her baby."

Harry blinked as this information sunk in and he attempted to sit up. "I have to help fight," He said with determination, "It'll be what's expected of me."

"You're in no fit state!" Draco said firmly, "There is no way I'm letting you out of this room Harry Potter."

Harry looked at Draco in shock, never having heard him speak like that before. "You don't understand," Harry started to say but Draco shook his head, telling him that he was in no mood to be disagreed with.

"What I understand is that there are plenty of Auror's out there to fight, you are still badly hurt and are only awake right now because I need you to help me deliver Ron and Hermione's baby, now get a grip!" Draco said rather forcefully and Harry nodded dumbly.

Hobbling on his injured leg and winching with the pain it caused him Harry managed to stagger over to Hermione with Draco's help. She let out an agonising cry as they reached her. On route Harry had cast a worried glance to Ron and began to ask if he was okay. Draco only nodded as he was far too busy working on Hermione and making her comfortable to give Harry a full run down of Ron's condition.

"How can I help?" Harry asked feeling completely overwhelmed and in a great deal of pain which he was doing his best to suppress. Though the one thing that didn't bother him was being almost completely undressed apart from his boxer shorts.

"I'm going to focus on Hermione and the medical side of things, keeping her and the baby alive and healthy. I need you to focus on everything else, keep talking to her, it's almost time for her to start pushing and I can't do that as well. I have to keep running several tests all at once to make sure they're both doing okay, a job usually done by three healers, not one," Draco explained, "Which is why you'll need to take over the physical process of actually delivering the child."

"You want me to what?" Harry asked, his eyes wide in shock as he tried to determine if Draco was serious or not. Harry had never delivered a baby in his life, in fact getting that close to a girls downstairs was horrifying to him, especially when that girl was Hermione.

Draco, taking Harry by surprise, grabbed a hold of him and placed a kiss on his lips before pulling away and giving him a stern glare, "Just do it you daft buggar," he said as Hermione screamed again. Mutely Harry nodded and they got to work, the Gryffindor male supressing the pain that raged through his body and his mind half focused on the feeling of the blondes lips on his own. "Focus Harry," Draco said, snapping him out of his daydream and wondering if that had really just happened.

"Right," Harry said as he disappeared all of Hermione's clothing from the waist down before covering her up with a sheet. If he wasn't already gay then what he saw over the next half an hour would have put him off women for life.

Watching a tiny human being pushed out of a hole far too small was not something that Harry ever wanted to witness again and it made him very thankful for the fact that he was a man. He had the uttermost respect for his best friend as he held the tiny baby girl in his arms, Hermione dozing peacefully as Draco healed her.

"Hi Rose," harry cooed at the infant as he rocked her tenderly in his arms. Draco watched Harry fondly as he finished up with Hermione. Transfiguring a crib for little Rose Weasley he watched as Harry settled the sleeping baby down.

"Let me check you over," Draco said, moving Harry back over to his bed and sitting him down. The Gryffindor male had been so wrapped up in Hermione and Rose that he had been able to put the pain in his body to the back of his mind but now it hit him like a raging hippogriff stomping all over him. "I should really put you back into a dreamless sleep," The healer said as he checked Harry's vitals and saw that the pain was off the scales. He couldn't understand how Harry hadn't passed out from it already but he was Harry Potter after all.

"Don't," Harry pleaded, he didn't want to be put back to sleep, not when something he had wanted for five years was so close to being within his grasp.

"How much pain are you in?"

"It's bearable," Harry lied and Draco raised an amused eyebrow.

"You said that it felt like you were being crucio'd when you woke up, you're trying to tell me that it's just gone away?" harry nodded unconvincingly.

"You tell me the truth Harry potter or I'll …"

"You'll what?" Harry challenged.

"I'll never kiss you again," Draco said with an amused smirk when Harry's jaw dropped.

"You wouldn't …"

"Try me," Draco challenged.

"Fine," Harry said in a huff, "It hurts a lot more than when I first woke up," He begrudgingly admitted which initiated a smug smile from Draco who then leaned forward, closing the distance between them, placing a soft kiss upon Harry's lips.

"See, that wasn't so hard now was it?" He asked smiling sweetly at Harry who just glared at him.

"I feel guilty about this," Harry said suddenly, taking Draco by surprise.

"About us?" Draco questioned, "You aren't seeing someone else are you because I can't be the other man Harry, not with you-" Draco's panicked rambling was cut off by a desperate chaste kiss that held the power to immediately silence him.

"Not about us you prat, about my friends out there, fighting when I'm sat here with you." Harry clarified, he looked over at Ron who was still unconscious and unaware that he was now the father of a beautiful baby girl. He then looked to Hermione who slept soundly and their daughter beside her, so perfect in her innocence. His heart bled to see Ron so damaged, but at least he would live, Harry couldn't say the same for those he cared about fighting in the corridors of St Mungos right now.

"Your place isn't out t here Harry, you don't have to be there hero anymore. You did your job, you gave your life, rose from the dead and killed Voldemort. You then spent five years tracking down and detaining dark wizards, putting your life on line. You've more than your fair share, you can sit this one out." Draco argued heatedly, "I swear to Merlin that if you try and go out of that door I'll put you to sleep again faster than you can figure out my locking charms!"

"I'm not going anywhere," harry said at the distraught words tumbling from the Slytherin's lips.

"It's taken us five damn years Harry, I refuse to lose you now."

"You know, you're cute when you're upset," Harry said with a sweet smile, Draco only glared at the Gryffindor who chuckled.

"Just lie down and let me do my job and take care of you," Draco said clearly in a huff, something Harry found to be adorable. "And don't call me cute, I'm not cute, handsome yes but I am in no way cute."

"You're a little cute," Harry teased as Draco forced him to lie back on the bed, waving his wand and casting a few diagnostic spells, trying to discover the source of the pain Harry was in. What he found was not good news.

"Something isn't right," He said sadly, "You're in too much pain, this isn't like any curse I've ever seen Harry, I'm already giving you the highest dose of pain reliving potion I can and it's barely touching the surface of it."

"What does that mean?" Harry asked suddenly feeling very concerned at the panicked look on Draco's face.

"You're dying, whatever curse you were hit with is darker magic than I thought was possible. It looks like every nerve ending in your body is firing negatively. I'm going to have to put back to sleep, I don't have any other choice, it'll keep you alive longer, this type of pain over long periods is enough to drive anyone out of their mind. I won't be able to help you if I don't do this," Draco said with tears in his eyes.

"What aren't you telling me?" Harry asked looking Draco in the eye and silently pleading with him to tell the truth no matter what it cost him.

"If you go back to sleep now and I can't found a way to save you then you won't wake up again," Draco said, tears pouring from his eyes.

Harry fell silent for a moment, considering and digesting this new information. Finally he nodded, resigned and resolute. "Draco, I need you to listen to me," Harry said trying to keep his voice steady but the pain was already reaching an intolerable level, even for him. Draco nodded to show that he was listening. "If I don't make it through this, tell Ron and Hermione that I was ready, tell them that I will always love them no matter what and to take care of their beautiful little girl. You'll need to tell them how I lived long enough to help bring her into this world. She needs to be shown that this world can be beautiful and not just filled with death, pain and uncertainty."

"I'll tell them," Draco said, unable to stop the tears that fell endlessly down pale cheeks. Harry took Draco's hand, smiling softly at him.

"We should have been so much more than this Dray, I'm so sorry that it took so long for us to get here. I've loved you for so long and I've never had the courage to say or do anything about it. In know that no matter what you'll fight to save me until my last breath and nothing I say will change that but please love, if you do fail, for whatever reason, it was not your fault. It was my time to go. You have to let me go and know that I will always love you."

Draco was only crying harder now as Harry drew him closer, kissing him passionately, desperately, with five years of emotion pouring out between them. With shaking hands Draco reapplied the dreamless sleep potion and watched, his heart breaking as Harry drifted back to sleep. Leaning forward, Draco placed a tender kiss to Harry's forehead where his scar was still visible.

"I'm never going to let you go," Draco whispered softly to him, "Never."

In the space of a single hour the two of them had brought a new life into the world, they'd fallen in love, they'd argued and said their goodbyes. It was a lifetime of love and devotion that made Draco more determined than ever to try and save Harry, no matter what the cost.

He had to get to his office across the hall, he had access to the floo network in there and that's what he needed. There was someone who knew more about dark curses than anyone not in Azkaban. Someone that he could trust. If anyone could help harry then she would be the one.

The trouble was that a battle still raged outside in the corridors and to get to his floo he would have to go right through it while also leaving the door to Harry's room unlocked so that he'd be able to get back inside in a hurt. Of course the wards were still in place but they weren't infallible. He just had to trust that they'd be enough and get back as quickly as he was able.

Draco looked to Ron, Hermione and then to Rose, he couldn't help but feel a little selfish for leaving them so vulnerable, it went against everything he had learnt as he had trained towards becoming a healer. He wasn't supposed to sacrifice the many to save just one but this was Harry Potter, normal rules didn't apply to him, he had to try and save him.

"Hermione," He whispered quietly, not wanting to wake Rose and draw unwanted attention to their room when he was about to leave it so unprotected. "I'm sorry, I know how tired you must be but I need you to stay awake for me. Harry is dying, to save him I need to get something from my office but that means I have to leave," Draco said in a rush. Hermione nodded sleepily, seeming to understand what he was saying.

"Save him," She said softly, looking over to her sleeping infant and unconscious husband. "I'll watch over them."

Draco nodded and placed a kiss on her cheek, thankful that she understood, he didn't want to have to tell her the painful goodbye that Harry had trusted to him. "I'll be right back," He said and she nodded looking determined as she reached for her wand.

It was still very much a battle ground throughout the emergency ward at St Mungos and Draco had to remind himself that these were the people who had attacked Harry, the reason why he was slowly dying. Through the small circular window in the door he could see his office, not five meters away. However even running he wasn't sure that he would make it unscathed as flashes of green and red light streaked ominously through the air.

Taking the first step he checked the wards, which still held strong and then he removed the complex locking charms. Taking a deep breath he turned to Hermione who mouthed, "Good luck," he nodded and opened the door a crack, wand at the read, looking for signs of friend or foe.

"Gatesby," Draco hissed, trying to get the lay of the land.

"Dead," An Irish voice responded, wherever Seamus was Draco couldn't see him. "How's Harry, can he fight?"

"I tried to wake him but he's dying, I need something from my office if I have any chance of saving him," Draco said quietly as several flashes of purple light were shot in Seamus' direction.

"Where's your office?" The Irish wizard grunted as he deflected the curses and sent a few of his own back.

"Just across the hall, can you cause a distraction so I can get there?"

"No problem, just be ready Malfoy," Seamus hissed, still not trusting the Slytherin or his motives completely.

"Give me twenty minutes and then cause a distraction so I can get back to him," Draco said.

"Alright," Seamus grunted, "Get ready Malfoy," Draco took a deep breath as Seamus threw something up into the air and fired an orange spark at it.

Whatever it was exploded, sending lightning white flashes of light and thick black smoke towards the enemy. Taking his opportunity Draco ran. He felt the sting of a curse as it graved over his arm and he felt the warm wetness of blood but he kept going, diving into his office and found himself confronted by a witch, dressed all in black. She was clearly not an Auror.

Draco pointed his wand at her defensively. She was injured but the clock was ticking, he didn't have time to question her or to help her either. Stunning her before she had the chance to do anything to him, locking the door to his office so that he wouldn't be disturbed and then moving to his desk, rummaging for the floo powder he kept there.

Grabbing a fist full of powder and ignoring the pain in his arm he flung it into the fireplace watching as a green flame erupted in front of him. Kneeling down he stuck his head into the flame and thought about his mother. She was the only one that he could trust. She had saved harry once before, he had high hopes that she would help to do it again.

In his panic he had forgotten how early it was, he appeared in the fireplace in his mother's bedroom at the manor where a house elf was serving her tea.

"Mother," Draco said urgently, "I need your help, it's of vital importance that you come with me right now."

"Draco dear, what is the matter, can I not dress first?" She asked, taken aback by the abrupt tone her son had taken with her. The house elf had already fetched a cover robe for her to put on as Narcissa climbed out of bed.

"No, Harry's dying and I think you can help me save him, please hurry. Come to my office at St Mungos as fast as you can. Time is against us." With those final words he pulled his head from the fire and scurried back so that she'd have room to join him. While he waited he checked the time, realising he had ten minutes before Seamus created another diversion for him to get back.

Narcissa stepped out of the fireplace a few moments later looking harassed. "Do you harbour any ill will towards Harry?" Draco asked quickly.

"Darling, you're bleeding," She said, trying to inspect her sons injury but he wrenched his limb from her grasp.

"Answer the question mother," Draco demanded harshly, Narcissa bristled at the tone her son used with her.

"No, I harbour no ill will against Harry Potter, why?"

"Because the wards won't let you near him if you do and I didn't want to leave you in the middle of a battle ground if the wards refused you entrance," Draco said taking a hold of her forearm and dragging her to the door, which he unlocked with a wave of his wand. "Keep your head down, keep moving and don't let go of me," Draco instructed as he opened the door and caught Seamus' eye.

The Irish wizard was ready and nodded to show that he had seen. With a final stunning spell Draco watched as Seamus released several of what looked to be cockroaches, which scurried towards the attackers, multiplying as they went.

"Ready," Draco said to his mother who nodded uncertainly as she watched several hexes and jinxes fly through the air. The little black cockroach things suddenly exploded, ejecting thick purple smoke and squirting luminous yellow liquid which seemed to burn on contact. Pulling his mother along with him Draco ran, keeping hunched over as they moved. He heard Narcissa scream behind him and when he turned to see why he saw that some of the yellow liquid had landed on her neck.

Draco just kept pulling her along, flinging her into the door first. "Finnegan, do you need anything?" Draco asked as a bit of wall exploded by his head making him duck to avoid the shards of plaster.

"Harry!" The Irish wizard said, "Fix him!" Draco nodded and disappeared into Harry's room where he found his mother, hands raised in the air in surrender as Hermione had her wand trained directly on her.

"Easy Hermione," Draco said, "She's here to help."

Hermione lowered her wand but only slightly, Rose was in the crook of her arm, sleeping peacefully, unaware of the danger surrounding her. Draco, knowing that Hermione, though still on guard, would not attack, turned back to the door and set about dealing themselves inside.

"Let me see your neck," Draco insisted, turning to his mother. He winched when he saw the angry red blisters that were oozing with green puss. Summoning a soothing balm from the cabinet against the wall he applied a thick layer to her injury.

"Please let me tend to your arm my dragon," She said, once again attempting to take a look at his arm but Draco resisted.

"Harry first," He insisted and Narcissa scowled.

"You won't be any use to Harry injured Draco, now let me heal you," She scolded him. Sighing he finally conceded defeat and allowed her to check his still bleeding arm.

"Draco, I didn't know your mother was a healer," Hermione said, astonished.

"Before Draco was born that was my profession," She drawled, "My son followed in my footsteps," She said proudly.

Finally Hermione had stowed her wand away, "How does it look?" Draco asked.

"The wound is strange, dark magic, it doesn't' seem to want to heal, you are lucky the curse only grazed you."

"It sounds like the same curse that Harry took full on," Draco said tensing as his mother began to seal the injury shut, the burning feeling was immense.

"Mmm," Narcissa said thoughtfully, "I've not seen magic this dark in a long while," She mused as a bandage sprouted from the end of her wand and wound itself around Draco's would tightly to ensure it remained sealed.

"Can you fix it?" Draco asked in a panic, remembering Harry's painful goodbye.

"Draco, you need to understand that this curse is designed to kill slowly and painfully. If you don't die from the blood loss first then the pain takes over, it's almost worst to be saved from dying from blood loss. It goes after your entire body, attacking every nerve in your body. If untreated the curse spreads to your blood and then your organs, shutting them down one by one, leaving the brain and heart until last. You were only grazed by the spell, I can heal you and stop the curse latching on to your body but if Harry took a full hit it might not be as easy to save his life. From the looks of it the curse has already latched on to him pretty firmly," She warned.

"I'm not giving up on him," Draco said stiffly, "I love him mum, I need to be able to save him, I can't let him go, I'm not ready to lose him."

"Dragon, you have to come to terms with the fact that no matter how hard we try or how hard he fights that it might already be too late for him. You may not have a choice but to let him go dear one."

"I'm not giving up on him mother," Draco told her, "If he lets go then so do I," He said seriously, needing Narcissa to understand exactly how much he meant what he was saying. "Mine and Harry's fates are tied, if he can't be saved then neither can I."

Narcissa looked ashen faced at this, Draco was all she had left. "We had better set to work then," She said determined.