Part II

After Draco visited their son, he made the walk to Hermione's room. It felt like the longest walk of his life. But he made it anyway. He needed to see her.

The blinds were still drawn when he finally made it to her door. He hesitated for a long time. Did he really want to see her like that? Hooked up to machines and unable to answer him? He didn't want to remember her like this, but he needed to see her. He needed to talk to her, even if she couldn't answer him, but she could hear him—he hoped. He took s deep breath and put his hand on the handle and opened the door.

The room was bright and white. It was a large room that could hold two or three patients. As his eyes took in the room, they finally landed on her. A machine was hooked through her nose and another was hooked to her index finger. Other than that, she looked completely normal. And Draco couldn't be happier.

With three strides he was from the door to the side of her bed. He just stood there and looked at her bushy brown hair that still wasn't tamed after all these years. But he liked it like that, all wild and curly. Her face was serene. Draco held up a shaky hand and gently placed it on her cheek. He barely touched it as he made his way down her face.

His hand trailed down her chin and then stopped. It just hovered there not knowing what else to do. He sat down in the chair next to her bed. He continued to stare at her. It was unfair. They were just laughing and talking mere hours ago. They were just fine and then…everything went to rot. It wasn't fair.

Draco scooted to the end of his chair and placed his hand on her forearm. He lightly traced circles upon it.

"Hermione, I don't know if you can hear me right now, but I hope you can. I feel like I just got you and already things are going to hell. I refuse to think that anything bad will happen, well worse than they already are. I love you and I love Caelum already. I told you I would win. You didn't believe me, but I told you. I told you every first born Malfoy is a male," Draco smile as he felt the tears well up in his eyes. "But that's what I love about you. You're so bloody headstrong and you believe in yourself so much. I always envied that when we were in school, always. And that's what made me love you. You never gave up on me no matter how much I pushed you away. You came right back. It pissed me off, yeah, but I'm glad you came back. I'm forever grateful. And I think this is my chance to do the same. I will never give up on you. I will always come back for you. Mother's here. So are Potter, Weasley, and Looney. I know how much you hate me calling her that, but I'll do anything that will make you yell at me again. I miss it. I miss you. Caelum needs his mum. He's beautiful, Granger. He has your eyes, your beautiful eyes, but of course he looks like me. So come back to me, no us. Come back to us, Granger. We need you. Caelum needs you. I need you. Be the strong and confident woman I know you are and wake up," Draco finished as his voice cracked and the tears started to freely fall from his eyes.

He stood up and kissed Hermione on the cheek, both eyelids, on the forehead, and then briefly on the lips. As he straightened up, he looked down at his wife before he headed back to the people waiting on him.

Three days have passed and Draco had come to take Caelum home. He had been at the hospital day after day visiting his son and his wife. He couldn't part with either one of them. Her friends also came to visit almost every day as well.

He had hated those people so much during his school days, but now they were people he needed to lean on. It was a strange turn of events. But he was grateful for them all. He knew that Hermione would be as well. He had let them all see Caelum as well. They instantly loved him. Potter would make little statements about how much he looked like Draco, but other than that he was taken with the little boy.

Before Draco left for the day, he wanted to visit Hermione. With Caelum securely in his arms, he opened the door and walked over to his usual chair.

"I'm back again, Granger. I can never stay away for too long. I wanted you to finally meet our son. I've been talking about him nonstop and I can finally let you meet him. If only you'd open those eyes I'm so found of so you can see him for yourself. He's so healthy and beautiful. I know you'd love him as soon as you lay your eyes on him. I can't stay long. I just wanted to stop by and show you him, hoping you'd open your eyes for us. I'll be back tomorrow. I love you," Draco said as he stood and kissed her face before turning and leaving.

And that's how it went; day by day Draco would visit Hermione and talk to her. He'd tell her about what was going on with Caelum, his mother, her friends, and him. Each time he would coax her to wake up and open her eyes, but to no avail. When he had to leave, he would kiss her like he had the first day he had to leave her and go home to their son.

Three years went by and Draco visited the hospital every single day. He continued his routine. His hope for her to wake up slowly dwindling. He would bring Caelum sometimes, but most of the time it was just him. Her friends and his mother would stop by. Draco hated that her parents weren't there to see her. They were still in Australia with their memories modified. He knew where they were at, but she was the only one that could undo their charm. She never got to go see them because of the war and recovery from the Crucio curse. She soon became pregnant after that. It had been a mess. She promised that as soon as the baby was born she was going to go to them and hopefully reverse the spell. But if she never woke up again, her parents would forever be lost and never know about their amazing daughter and their grandson.

When Draco was about to leave, a nurse came in.

"Mr. Malfoy, may I speak to you?" She asked.

He nodded and headed outside of the room.

"I would like to talk to you about your wife's state of health."

Fear gripped him with that one sentence. "Go on."

"Her brain is slowly starting to shut down. She's suffered 30% of damage already. If she continues to go down this path, she'll be completely brain dead in a year. And the options you have are to let her go or keep her on the machines until her brain completely shuts down."

Draco looked at the nurse, wide-eyed and fearful. Let her go? Let her go? The little detail rattling around his brain, echoing from every surface. If he didn't let her go, she'd be dead in a year. She'd be gone either way. Draco felt the sting of tears as well as nauseous feeling in the pit of his stomach. He felt his knees buckle.

"Mr. Malfoy! You need to sit down," the nurse said as she ran to grab a chair.

I'm fine. I need to go home."

"But we need an answ—"

Draco cut her off. "Let me think about it!" He said as he turned and walked away from her to the best of his legs' ability.

When Draco came through the floo to the Manor, he immediately collapsed into a chair. His breathing was ragged and his forehead was clammy. He felt like he was dying.

"Draco? Draco, what's wrong?" He heard his mother call him.

He opened his mouth, but shut it again. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't talk. He felt like his throat and tongue were both swollen.

"Draco?" His mother tried again as she knelt in front of him.

He shook his head over and over again as tears slid down his face. He couldn't let her go.

"What's wrong, darling?"

"They want m-me to make a d-decision," he sputtered out.

"About what?" Narcissa said soothingly.

"About t-taking her off of life support or just letting her di-die," he said quietly as more tears spilled from his eyes.

"What? Why?"

"Her b-brain is starting to s-s-shut down."

"Oh no. I'm so sorry, Draco," Narcissa said as she hugged him. Draco didn't return the hug. He just sat there and felt numb.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," he said sounding like a small child again.

"Think about it for a bit. If you need help, you should talk to her friends about it. That might help you decide."

"Maybe."

They lapsed into silence.

"Where's Caelum?"

"He's taking a nap right now."

"Thank you for everything, mother," Draco told her as he finally hugged her back.

"Anything for the three of you. You're my family and I would do anything for you."

Draco sat back and stood from his seat. He gave his mum one last look before he walked to the room that his son usually slept in when he stayed over. Draco opened the door and walked over to the bed. His blond hair that was starting to turn a darker shade of blond was lying on his stomach with his fingers curled under his head.

Draco sat on the bed and stroked his soft hair. By the third stroke, the tears returned. He would never get to know his mum the way everyone else got to. He would hear stories about her and read about her in books, but he would never get to know Hermione. Draco lay down next to him and curled around him. He had a lot to think about, but for the moment he would lay down and cherish his son.

It was the day he had to make his decision. He had talked to everyone about it and it was the only option.

"Mr. Malfoy," the nurse greeted him.

He gave her a nod of his head. "I've decided."

"Oh. And?"

"I'm going to take her off of life support." The decision still made his chest burn.

"Very well. We'll take her off tonight and it depends how long it will take for her to go."

Draco gave her another nod of his head. "May I go stay with her?"

"Yes. If you want others to come and say their goodbyes, this would be the time."

"Thank you," he said as he walked into the room.

Draco moved automatically to the chair and sat down. He took her hand and rubbed the back of it with the pad of his thumb.

"I don't blame you. I can't blame you. I don't want to do this. I want you back, but I can't always get what I want. I've known that for a long time now and that's because of you. You've always been such a feisty thing since the moment I've met you. You were lovely too, no matter how much I teased you, you were always lovely. And you're still lovely. I love you and I will be here the whole time. I'm never going to leave your side."

Hours later, several nurses came in to take her off of her support. Draco watched with bated breath as they did it. Draco continued to rub her hand with his thumb. Her friends had come in a few hours ago to say their goodbyes. Draco left the room so that they could have some privacy with her. He knew that if he stayed in there it would tear him apart.

He was losing her minute by minute as he held her hand. It was surreal watching someone you love die. It always felt like you never had enough time with them. The whole time Draco did not cry. He had cried enough over the last few years. Draco knew this was the right choice. It had been the hardest decision of his life, but he would do anything to help her. And instead of letting her die on her own hooked to machines and him being selfish, he'd let her go.

But she would never leave him. She would always be there with him everywhere he went, especially when he looked at Caelum's eyes. She'd still be alive even when he couldn't physically see or talk to her anymore.

Hermione lasted three days on her own. Draco knew she was a fighter. She knew she would hang on for as long as she could. And he kept his promise. He stayed by her side when she took her last breath.

"I love you," he told her as he kissed her like the first day in the hospital. "And thank you for changing my life."

Author's Note: And done! It took me a long time to finish this. I hope you liked it.