Chapter 6
The house was quiet. The only sounds that came from the sitting room were the soft crackling of the fireplace and the turning of book pages. Draco sighed, and closed his book with a loud thump. "I'm bored," he declared."We're not picking her up," Hermione replied, not looking up from the book she was trying to read. "I know we both want to, but we have to have a little self-control."
He slumped back into the cushions and sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "But I'm bored."
Realizing she wouldn't get too far, she closed her book and slid it onto the coffee table. "Pouting will give you wrinkles, Draco," she teased, laughing when he muttered something about Malfoys never getting wrinkles. "Okay, so you're bored, which means you won't be leaving me alone any time soon. So let's do something."
"Like what?" he mumbled.
Hermione thought for a minute. What did single people in their early 20's who were child-free do with their time? "I could eat," she finally decided. "Let's go to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. We'll eat and have a drink and maybe spend five minutes not worrying about Gem."
Pushing himself off the couch, Draco made his way to the stairs to get ready. "Well, are you coming?" he asked impatiently when he returned to see her sitting on the couch still.
It was hours later when they returned home. Hermione was clutching her stomach as she laughed at what Draco had been saying. They had had a rather pleasant evening, and both were surprised that they could converse without mentioning Gemma. Her laughter stopped when she bumped into Draco's back just as he reached the front gate.
"What's wrong?" she asked, panic infiltrating her voice. Draco merely jerked his head to the visitor stationed on the front porch. "Ron? What are you doing here?"
Ron lumbered down the three steps until he stood before them. His hands were jammed into his pockets and his freckled face was pale. Worry widened his bright blue eyes. "It's Gemma. I don't know the details, but Mum's taken her to St. Mungo's," he said quickly, wanting the bad news to be over.
Hermione gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Draco reached back for her free hand and pulled her close before familiar sensation of Apparition took over her senses. As soon as their feet hit the floor, they ran through the halls until they reached the pediatric ward. Hermione was the first one to spot Mrs. Weasley.
"What happened?" she asked breathlessly, stopping as Mrs. Weasley stood. The older woman pulled her into a tight hug, before letting go and giving Draco the same treatment.
"She had a fever, and it wasn't going down. When you didn't answer my floo call, I sent Ron over to your house to tell you," Mrs. Weasley explained as her face reddened and her already bloodshot eyes produced more tears. "Oh, Hermione, I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," Draco replied, hoping to assuage her guilt. Both women stared with wide eyes at him, as if wondering who he was and what he had done with Draco Malfoy. But he didn't care. "Has a Healer told you anything yet?"
Sadly, Molly shook her head. "Is there anything I can get you?" she asked, ever the comforting mother. Hermione dropped down onto a chair and shook her head.
"No, we're fine," Draco replied. "Thank you, really, Mrs. Weasley."
She pulled him into a tight hug. "I'll leave you two be. Let me know what the healers say, will you dear?"
"Of course," he told her. Mrs. Weasley hugged Hermione once more. When she was gone, Draco took the seat beside Hermione and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "She'll be fine. Mrs. Weasley said it's just a fever. Kids get fevers all the time."
Hermione sniffled and buried her head in Draco's chest. "But what if it isn't just a fever?" she asked, sobs wracking her small frame. "We shouldn't have left her."
"She would have gotten sick with us, too," Draco pointed out, rubbing her arm. "Mrs. Weasley knew exactly what to do with her. Probably was less panicked than we would have been."
Before Hermione could respond, a Healer approached them. "Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger, she's going to be alright." Draco and Hermione both sighed in audible relief. "We'd like to keep Gemma overnight for observation, but she should be cleared to go home in the morning."
"What was wrong?" Draco asked as Hermione sniffled once more.
"Your standard flu," the Healer replied, sounding just the slightest bit upset that it wasn't something more challenging. "Molly Weasley said she tried to get the fever down herself, but nothing worked."
"But you were able to?" Hermione asked, knitting together her eyebrows. The Healer nodded, giving her a kind smile. "Can we see her?" Once more, he nodded and led them to a small, private room. Gemma had been placed in a crib that she was trying to climb out of as she cried. Draco reached her first and pulled her out of her little prison.
"Oh, Mr. Malfoy, I really don't think you should-," he began but was cut off by Draco.
"My family has donated enough money to this hospital," he spat out. "I will hold my child when I want." She began to calm down slightly the longer Draco held her. He took a seat on the small loveseat and beckoned Hermione over. She sat beside him and rested her head against his shoulder as her hand stroked Gemma's curls.
"Do you think we could stay with her tonight?" Hermione asked in a small voice as Gemma drifted off to sleep in Draco's arms.
The blonde nodded. "As I said, the Malfoys have donated plenty of galleons. We'll be staying."
There was a pain in her neck and a heavy weight against her waist when Hermione awoke the next morning. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and turned her head to the right, towards a still sleeping Draco. Somehow they had managed to fit side-by-side, albeit tightly, on the small loveseat that faced the crib. She turned her head back to Gemma and watched her sleep.
Beside her, Draco began to stir and his arm tightened around her. He sighed once and coughed. "Morning," he whispered hoarsely, peering down at her. "How's she doing?"
"Sleeping like a baby," Hermione replied, smiling up at him. She wondered if he would ever let her go. And then the thought popped into her mind that she didn't really want him to let go. She felt safe in his arms, less alone than she had felt in months.
Hermione was pulled from her thoughts as Draco's face seemed to near. She could feel his breath on her face, see his lips just inches from her own. His eyes fluttered closed first, hers second.
And then Gemma let out a piercing cry. It startled both, causing Hermione to fall to the floor. "Ow," she winced. Draco stood, bent down and offered her a hand to pull her up. When she was on her feet again, he went over and lifted Gemma out of the crib. He felt her forehead and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Feels normal to me," he declared, kissing Gemma's round and rosy cheek.
The door opened and in walked Padma Patil. "Hello, I'm Healer Patil," she introduced herself as she stared down at the chart that was open in her hands.
"Didn't we go to school together?" Draco asked, studying the former Ravenclaw.
She finally looked up, her face alighting with recognition. "Merlin, who would have ever thought that Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger would be together," she exclaimed, hugging Hermione tightly.
Hermione release a nervous chuckle. "Oh, no, we're not..." she began.
"According to her records, Gemma here is the daughter of Pansy Parkinson," Padma stated, studying the file once more. "Do either of you know who the father is? Unless, it's you, Draco. Is it?"
"Not biologically," he replied, holding Gemma closer. Gemma reached up a hand and covered his mouth before declaring that he was, in fact, her father in the way only a fourteen month old could. "Is something wrong?" he inquired when the other adults stopped laughing.
Padma shook her head. "It's just good to know these things in case something comes up in the future," she explained. "But for now, you can take her home. I'll give you a potion to give her twice a day to make sure the infection stays away." She left the room briefly to get the potion. Hermione and Draco stood in silence. They both wondered the same thing - who was really her father? Padma returned minutes later and handed a vial to Hermione. "It was good to see you again. Hermione, we'll have to catch up sometime soon."
"Let's go home," Draco said when the door closed again.
It was late and Hermione couldn't sleep. Her mind kept wandering to Gemma. Then it drifted to the almost kiss she and Draco had almost shared. Sighing, she pushed back the blankets and made her way to the nursery.
"Great minds think alike," she heard Draco say when she entered. "I couldn't sleep. I kept worrying that she'd get sick again or something."
"Me too."
He patted the seat next to him, silently asking her to join him. Hermione moved over to the small loveseat and sat down beside him. "Is that the only thing on your mind?" he asked.
"Yes," she lied. They sat in the silent comfort of the nursery, watching Gemma and avoiding eye contact.
Draco sighed and tried to make himself more comfortable. It was too small for him to really go anywhere, especially with someone sitting beside him. He sighed again and caught Hermione's eye.
"It pulls out, you know," she said quietly.
He stood and smiled. "Help me with this?" he asked. Hermione nodded and started pulling off the cushions so they could pull out the bed. He grabbed a set of sheets from the linen closet in the hall and together they made up the bed.
"Looks like you're set. Sleep well," she whispered, taking one last glance at the sleeping girl.
"Where are you going?" he asked, his eyebrows pulling together in confusion.
"Bed?" she replied with a small laugh. She watched as he climbed under the blankets and once more patted the spot beside him.
"You know you won't be able to sleep unless you're near her," he replied. When she hesitated, he added, "I promise I won't do anything inappropriate."
Hermione relented and settled in beside him. Draco rolled onto his side to face her. "We almost kissed today," he murmured, tucking a curl behind her ear.
"Draco," she said as a warning. "We're friends. Let's not let anything mess that up."
"Kissing you would mess that up?" he wondered, letting his hand drift down her cheek.
She closed her eyes and sighed. "It could."
"Sometimes change is a good thing. Looks at us, look at how much we've changed," he urged. "You're the best friend I've got. We've been able to put aside so much for Gemmy's sake. I like being around you. I like sitting down to dinner with you and talking to you. Pansy said she hoped you would be able to help me to put the past where it belongs, and you have. I'm sorry for everything I've done to you over the years, really, truly sorry." His hand fell to the space between them.
Hermione focused solely on his eyes. There was a look of longing in the steely gray orbs, and in that moment she made up her mind. Her hand rested against his cheek, the thumb stroking the stubbled skin beneath. She pulled in a deep breath before pressing her lips hesitantly to his.
