Hermione Granger hummed happily to herself as she headed towards the staff canteen on her break. Hermione was a Healer at St Mungo's, and she was carrying some literature on specialising in a specific area of magical medicine to look over during her break. Even though Hermione was still a junior Healer and had actually only been fully qualified for just over a year, she was confident she was clever enough to specialise in one area. Besides, it might be nice to work in the same area of the hospital, rather than all over it as she did at the moment.
When Hermione entered the staff canteen, she spotted Juliette, one of the witches she'd done her healer training alongside, so grabbing a sandwich and a drink she went to join her friend. Juliette was actually a year younger than Hermione, since Hermione had gone back to Hogwarts after the war to take her N.E.W.T.S. Juliette had attended Beauxbatons, rather than Hogwarts, as her parents had been working in France when she'd started school. However, Juliette had chosen to do her medical training, and work in England as her parents had returned to their home town after she'd graduated from Beauxbatons.
"You're not taking more exams, are you?" Juliette chuckled as Hermione dropped her leaflets onto the table and slid into the seat beside her.
"Not yet," Hermione replied with a smile. "But I am thinking of looking into specialising."
"What area?" Juliette asked as she flicked through Hermione's leaflets.
"I'm not sure yet, maybe paediatrics," Hermione answered. "I was up on paediatrics last month and I really enjoyed it. I loved spending the day with the children."
"It sounds to me as though you're getting broody," Juliette laughed. "Maybe you just want a baby. Not that I can blame you on that score, you and Draco would have gorgeous kids."
"We're not really ready for kids yet," Hermione replied with a smile.
"And that tends to be when children come along," Juliette said wisely as she got to her feet. "Anyway, I've got to get back to work. See you later, Hermione."
"Bye," Hermione said, watching her friend exit the canteen.
Turning back to her leaflets, Hermione tried to concentrate on her idea to specialise, but all she could think about was what Juliette had just said. Instead of thoughts of picking a specialist area, the only thing in Hermione's head were images of a blond, grey eyed baby. Maybe her friend was right, and she was getting broody. Although she also stood by her insistence that it was too soon for her and Draco to be having children. They'd only been together for two years, and even though they'd just moved in together, Hermione thought children were still a decent way in the future for the couple.
Hermione and Draco had first re-met a little over two years ago, in the small wizarding village where Hermione lived. Initially after leaving school, Hermione had rented a flat in central wizarding London, but after her nasty break up with Ron, she'd used the money she'd received from the Ministry for her part in helping to bring down Voldemort and bought a small cottage in a quiet wizarding village a few miles from London. Hermione had been living in the village for nearly a year when she'd literally bumped into Draco in the small grocers in the centre of the village. The collision had caused Hermione to drop all her shopping, and Draco had kindly picked it up for her and offered to buy her a drink to make amends. Since they'd put the past behind them directly after the war, Hermione had taken him up on his offer and they'd had a very nice drink together in the local pub.
As it turned out, Draco had just bought one of the new, luxurious three story houses over the other side of the village, so the pair were practically neighbours. After a few weeks living in the same village, they kept running into each other, so Draco asked Hermione out for another drink. Having a drink together soon became a habit, and drinks soon turned to proper dates. When things had started, Hermione had honestly just thought that they would end up as friends, she didn't expect to totally fall for the blond wizard who used to taunt her when she was at school. But fall for him she did, and two years later, she was head over heels for Draco, and he felt the same about her.
A few weeks ago, Hermione had moved into Draco's house, after months of pleading from the blond wizard. Hermione had wanted to be sure of things before she moved in with Draco, and even though she very much saw their future together, she hadn't sold her cottage. Instead she'd rented it out, but she'd already decided that she would look into selling it as long as things continued to run smoothly with her relationship with Draco. Not that Hermione really foresaw any problems in that department, because even though they were very different in some respects, they made a very compatible couple. One thing Hermione knew for certain was that she was much better suited with Draco then she'd ever been with Ron.
Smiling at thoughts of her boyfriend, Hermione decided to take the leaflets home with her and discuss things with Draco. Unlike Ron, who'd only ever wanted to talk about his own career as an Auror, Draco was interested in her work and she knew he would listen to her as she debated training to become a specialist. Draco would also offer his own opinions, but at the end of the day, he would support whatever she decided to do. It was her life and her career, and Draco respected that.
Finishing off her sandwich and coffee, Hermione gathered her leaflets to leave when the doors to the cafeteria flew open and Juliette burst in. Hermione looked up in surprise as her friend's dramatic entrance, but her surprise turned to dread when Juliette rushed over to her.
"Hermione, you need to come with me," Juliette said. "Draco's just been brought in."
"What happened?" Hermione asked, abandoning her leaflets and rushing towards the canteen doors.
"He was stabbed," Juliette replied.
"Stabbed?" Hermione repeated with a frown. Injuries like stabbing were rare in the wizarding world as most people used magic to hurt one another. "How the hell did that happen?"
"I don't know the complete story, I came to find you," Juliette answered. "But from what I could gather, he tried to stop a mugger in Diagon Alley and got stabbed for his trouble."
Despite the worry she felt, Hermione couldn't help but be proud of Draco. There was a time when he would have just turned away and not bothered to help when someone else was in trouble, but that was a long time ago and he was now a very different person to the selfish boy she'd went to school with. The war had completely changed him, and he was now a good man, who would always do what he could to help others.
Juliette rushed Hermione down to the emergency department, where Draco had been admitted. Rushing into the room he was being treated in, Hermione gasped when she set eyes on her boyfriend. The light blue shirt he was wearing was drenched with blood, and she could see a gaping hole in his side where the shirt had been pulled away from the injury. Draco himself was also a lot paler than usual, and even from across the room, Hermione could see how much pain he was in.
"Healer Granger, come over here and help," Healer Jackson, one of the senior Healers in the hospital called before turning to Juliette. "Healer Kay, go and make sure someone is covering Healer Granger's normal shift, she'll be staying here with me."
While Juliette hurried off to make sure Hermione's workload was covered, Hermione hurried over to her boyfriend's side. As well as Healer Jackson, there were a couple of Medi-Witches working on Draco.
"Hey," Draco said with a grimace as Healer Jackson removed his shirt completely and checked out his injury.
"Hey," Hermione replied, dropping a kiss to her boyfriend's head. "What the hell were you playing at?"
"I was just eager to see you," Draco joked.
"I'd rather see you all in one piece," Hermione answered with a sigh. "Does it hurt?"
"Like hell," Draco admitted.
Turning to one of the Medi-Witches, Hermione ordered some pain relief for Draco, before turning to Healer Jackson. "How is it?"
"I want to do a scan, but I think we've been very lucky," Healer Jackson answered. "Once you've given Mr Malfoy his pain relief, keep him still while I scan him."
Hermione nodded as she turned back in time to take the pain relief from one of the Medi-Witches. Giving Draco the potion, she waited a few minutes until it began to take hold, before ordering her boyfriend to remain still. While Hermione made sure Draco didn't move, Healer Jackson began a magical scan of the stab wound. The scan produced an image of Draco's insides in the air beside Healer Jackson, and with magic he was able to check for internal damage without having to cut Draco open.
"I was right, we've been very lucky," Healer Jackson announced. "The blade missed all your vital organs, Mr Malfoy. It does look likes it's nicked a rib, so that will likely be sore for a few days, but it will heal in its own time."
"What now?" Draco asked.
"Now we close and clean the wound, replace the blood you've lost, and bandage you up to prevent a re-breaking of the wound," Healer Jackson answered. "With the help of pain relief, you should be able to go home this evening. Although you will have to take it easy for a few days. I would suggest a couple of day's bed rest."
"Don't worry, I'll make sure he rests," Hermione reassured the older Healer. She actually had some holidays owing, and given the fact she was always the first to help out if people needed time off, Hermione was confident she could take a few days off to properly look after Draco.
"Now, this might be a bit uncomfortable, Mr Malfoy," Healer Jackson said as he prepared to clean and heal the stab wound.
"I can cope," Draco replied.
The next ten minutes were very uncomfortable for Draco as Hermione and Healer Jackson, cleaned Draco's wound and magically bound his skin back together. One of the Medi-Witches then washed the blood from Draco's torso and wrapped a preventive bandage around his waist. Healer Jackson then administered a blood replenishing potion, which would replace the blood he'd lost due to his stabbing.
"I want Mr Malfoy moving up to the recovery ward," Healer Jackson said to one of the Medi-Witches. "Healer Granger, you can keep an eye on him to make sure the blood replenishing potion is working. I also want you to sort out his pain medication. I'll be up to see him in a few hours, and we can talk about discharging him then."
While Healer Jackson headed off to deal with his other patients, Hermione oversaw Draco's transfer to the ward. The ward Draco had been moved to, was specifically for people who had passed through the emergency department, and were recovering from whatever they'd been treated for. Patients on the recovery ward rarely stayed on the ward long, they were either discharged after an hour or two or moved to one of the other wards designed for patients who needed longer term treatment.
While Draco was being settled in his room, Hermione sorted his pain relief prescriptions. She also thought about contacting his parents, but since he was hoping to be discharged that evening, Draco had asked her to hold off on letting his parents know he was in hospital. Hermione knew the news would only panic Narcissa, and both she and Lucius would rush to St Mungo's, and there was really nothing they could do. It really wouldn't make much difference if Hermione contacted them once Draco was at home, and they could then visit him at home.
It only took Hermione half an hour to sort everything for Draco, arrange some holidays and to check the rest of her shift was covered. She then returned to Draco's room, to find her boyfriend lying in bed, glaring hatefully at the white shift style shirt one of the Medi-Witches had put him in.
"Have you seen this thing?" Draco complained. "It's hideous."
"It's not very flattering, I agree," Hermione said, with a slight smirk. She'd never seen Draco wearing anything that wasn't the highest quality, and it was rather amusing to see his reaction to the basic hospital wear on offer at St. Mungo's.
"Can I take it off?" Draco asked.
"No, your shirt was completely ruined," Hermione replied. "Not only was it covered in blood, but it was torn where the knife went through it."
"Damn, I liked that shirt," Draco grumbled.
"I'll buy you another," Hermione offered. "I'm just pleased the shirt was the only thing that was ruined. I was so worried when Juliette said you'd been stabbed."
"It'll take more than some little hooligan with a knife to get rid of me," Draco answered. "If I survived The Dark Lord, I can survive anything."
"I'd rather not put that to the test," Hermione whispered as she perched on the bed beside Draco. "I'm really proud of you trying to stop a mugging, but I would rather you didn't put yourself in danger. I don't want to lose you, Draco."
"I'm not going anywhere," Draco vowed as he took hold of Hermione's hand. "You're stuck with me, Granger."
"Good, I've become rather attached to you," Hermione replied with a weak smile.
"You don't need to worry about me, I'm fine," Draco said confidently as he tried to sit further up and was promptly pushed back down by his girlfriend.
"Will you stop moving and lie back down," Hermione ordered sternly. "You need rest."
"I'm telling you, I'm fine," Draco protested, rolling his eyes at his girlfriend.
"And I'm telling you, you're not. You've just been stabbed, and you're lucky you didn't need any major treatment. I'm the Healer and I'm telling you to lie down and rest," Hermione retorted.
"You're so bossy, Granger," Draco replied with a wicked grin. "I love it when you're bossy," He whispered seductively.
Hermione laughed lightly as she leant forward and rested her forehead against Draco's, her lips inches from his. "You're going to be under my control for the next few days, and something tells me you're going to be a difficult patient that needs a firm hand. I'm sure you'll see plenty of my bossy side."
"I can't wait," Draco replied, before he closed the small gap between their lips.
Despite Draco's injuries and the fact he needed to rest, Hermione couldn't help but kiss her boyfriend back. She didn't even object when his hand moved to her thigh, and slid under her skirt. It was only when she felt Draco's fingers reach the edge of her lacy knickers that she pulled back, deciding it was best to stop things before they got too far.
"Later," She promised with a small smile.
"I'll look forward to it," Draco replied, smiling back at his girlfriend.
For a moment, the couple were in their own little world, but then someone cleared their throat in the doorway, and when Hermione whirled round she found herself looking at her two former best friends. It had never occurred to her that someone from the Ministry would want to speak to Draco about what had happened, but even if it had, she wouldn't have thought Harry and Ron would have been the Aurors sent to deal with it. Now it looked like it was time for Hermione to finally face her past.