Okay, this is one of those chapters that you're going to love (hopefully) and yet really, really hate. And I guess you might feel both those emotions about me by the end of it as well. Oh and Draco is slightly OOC but by the end you'll totally understand why. It's a big read so concentrate...see ya at the bottom. x
Hermione was in the kitchen cleaning up her breakfast things. She hadn't heard from Draco or Harry at all and it had seemed a long night because she kept waking up, her mind racing. She'd spent some of the time lying in her bed trying to decipher the mix up of thoughts and emotions in her head. The only conclusion she could come to was that this was all a big mess and she was making it worse because she reluctantly began to admit that she was beginning to like Draco. Not all the time and sometimes not that much but any feelings towards him other than pure hatred were amazing. When he had been ill she had felt guilt and panic but she would have felt that about anyone in Draco's situation. But she had also felt something else, a feeling of dread and of wanting to help him at all costs. A feeling that if something happened to him, she wouldn't know what to do. What was the illness that Draco had? Was it a Malfoy thing? What if it was hereditary, could it affect their baby? She really needed some answers but she knew she would have to be patient.
"Hermione." Draco's voice made her jump and she almost dropped the glass she was holding. "Sorry," he said. She turned to face him.
"Oh my god! You scared me to death! People have to stop apparating into here!" Hermione put her hand to her chest and took a deep breath.
"Sorry, again," Draco said.
"Are you okay?" Hermione heard herself ask and wondered what was the matter with her. Why was that her first question? Why wasn't she asking if they'd found the murderers or if anyone else had been hurt?
"Yes, I'm totally fine now," Draco answered naturally and he didn't seem to notice that her first question was about him. "Dog tired but fine. We might have a lead on who's being doing this but everything is on hold for now until we confirm it."
"No-one else has been hurt?"
"No. Everyone is under guard..." Draco smirked. "Except one certain Mrs Malfoy who was too stubborn and pig headed to accept help..."
"Well it would have been pointless because no-one has been here." Hermione shrugged. "Do you want something to eat?"
"Yes...no...I will in a while," Draco stuttered over his words and she stared at him. She'd never heard him stutter before. He twisted his lips his face serious. "Hermione, we need to talk. Let's go and sit down."
Hermione frowned because if anyone told you to sit down it never meant you were about to hear good news. Unless you were telling your partner you were pregnant. She stopped in her tracks.
"Oh! I have to tell you something," she said.
"Tell me later, I need to speak to you first."
"No. I did the test, to see if I'm pregnant."
Draco turned and looked at her. "Merlin!" he looked pale. "Let's make this as difficult as possible eh?" he said, almost to himself.
"What? What do you mean?"
"Nothing. Go on tell me," Draco's eyes had softened and his voice was quiet. Hermione sat opposite him on her sofa and shook her head.
"I'm not pregnant."
Draco's face showed a plethora of emotions before he shut it off again. "Never mind. We still have time."
Hermione nodded. "What did you need to talk to me about?" Her mouth was dry because she was nervous, what did he want to talk about? Was he going to explain about his illness? He'd already refused to do that but what else could it be?
Draco sat on the sofa, his arms resting on his legs, his hands clasped together. He looked up at her from under his lashes and she couldn't take her eyes off him. He had a way about him that was mesmerizing. He started speaking and his voice was still quiet and calm but Hermione could hear her heart beating in her own ears.
"About a year ago, I was in a fight, with some other Aurors against some suspected death eaters. I was hit by a spell and that's about as much as I remember for about three months. They thought it was Avada Kadavra because I was so ill but obviously it couldn't have been because no-one can survive Avada Kadavra..." Draco paused and gave a little grin. "Well, no-one except Potter of course." Draco lifted his fringe. "Last time I checked I hadn't got a lightning scar so I guess it wasn't the killing curse."
Hermione smiled at his joke, pleased that he was explaining it to her. He continued.
"They didn't even know if it was a combination of curses I'd been hit with. One of them may have been Avada Kadavra but because it was combined with another it didn't work properly. So that's why they sent me abroad to stay at a special healer's hospital where they specialize in unusual curses. I think the Ministry wanted my story kept quiet as well because it's not good publicity for them that one of their Aurors had been injured and they didn't know how to cure him." Draco leant back against the sofa and sighed. "So, I woke up in a foreign hospital, feeling awful and they still couldn't tell me what had happened to me. They tried every tracing spell they knew, they did hundreds of tests on me and they even interviewed everyone who was there. And that was when they decided to drag Potter in..."
Hermione interrupted him immediately. "Harry? What do you mean?"
"Well he's survived Avada Kadavra hadn't he? So they wanted to see if there were any similarities and any clues that may help me."
Hermione held her hands up. "Wait! Are you telling me Harry knew all about this? He knew you'd been ill and why you were sent away?"
"Yes and Weasley. They were both there when it happened," Draco nodded and Hermione gaped at him.
"But they didn't say anything! Not a word! Even when they told me you were back, they said nothing!" Hermione was suddenly distracted from Draco's story because she couldn't believe that Harry and Ron had managed to keep this a secret from her.
"That's because their professionals and they were asked not to."
Hermione barely registered that he had just complimented his former enemies because she was still getting over the shock of Harry and Ron not telling her. "I thought they told me everything!" she said.
"Yeh, well maybe you don't know everything after all," Draco said.
"I'm sorry, I've interrupted you. Please go on," Hermione pushed her thoughts about Harry and Ron to the back of her head.
"So, they compared me to Potter and searched for a connection but again there was nothing. They're still working on it now but I think we'll never know," Draco continued.
"Were you unwell all that time?" Hermione asked, recalling how he had looked a few hours ago.
"No, I'm coming to that. While I was really ill, they thought I was going to die so they contacted a few experts to see if anyone could help. One of the people they asked was a healer called Decour, Claude Decour. He has spent his life dealing with unusual cases and he suggested using a special potion on me. They have to get permission to use this potion and it can only be used in extreme circumstances."
"Why? Is that what is in the bottle?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, that's what is in the bottle," Draco nodded. "And it is very precious because it was made centuries ago by a Wizard called Bodwin. He spent his life making new potions and this one is called Elixir ta k'ull - Elixer of All. It basically cures all illness."
"Wow! How have I not heard of this?"
"It's kept a secret or everyone would want some," Draco said. "And they can't all have it because it's running out. Bodwin made four caskets of it and we're down to the last few bottles."
"Why can't they make more?"
"They've been trying. For two centuries but no-one has been able to duplicate it. Every renowned, clever and ancient wizard, including Dumbledore has tried but they have all failed. Unless someone manages to do this soon, then it will be gone forever."
"How long before it runs out?" Hermione's face had changed to fear.
"Oh, a while. They think they could make it last another ten years," Draco said.
"And if they haven't managed to duplicate it then, what happens to you?" Hermione asked this quietly, her eyes on his face.
"That isn't the problem," Draco said. He looked down at his hands again and Hermione watched him anxiously. She had this horrible feeling of dread in her stomach. He looked up again. "The Elixir usually cures the illness totally. That's why it has lasted so long. One drop and the patient is cured."
"It hasn't cured you." Hermione didn't phrase this as a question because it wasn't one. It was a statement.
"No and it won't cure me. All it is doing is managing to control the symptoms," Draco closed his eyes for a minute the expression on his face terrifying Hermione. "And it's losing its effectiveness. They told me it would, someone else has taken it like I have had to and eventually it had no affect on him at all. It gradually became less and less useful at controlling the symptoms and that is what is happening to me. It's only recently that I've had to take it so often and if I don't the consequences are far more drastic and more urgent than even a few months ago."
"You're scaring me," Hermione's voice was just above a whisper.
Draco bit his lip and seemed to square his shoulders. "Within a few months the potion will be of no use to me at all..." Hermione felt the room spin, not quite believing what he was telling her. "It just has to keep working until you're pregnant because it's unlikely I'll actually see our baby."
"What do you mean?" she asked because she didn't want to admit that she knew what he meant. He couldn't mean that!
"If they don't find a cure then within a year I'll be dead."
Hermione thought she might be sick as a wave of nausea hit her. She crumpled onto the sofa, her head in her hands. She might have only just become re-aquainted with Draco but their lives had become intertwined so quickly that she could hardly imagine that she hadn't seen him for years. And she knew that she definitely didn't want him to die! And then there was the baby! Draco might never see his own child, their child! And she would be bringing the child up alone.
"I thought I should tell you, partly because of you seeing me when I was ill earlier but also because the consequences of this will now affect you more than anyone else. I didn't tell you at first because although I might not be here for much longer but I can't bear the thought of magic being gone forever. I can't think about our child not being a wizard! But things have changed. Not only will you be bringing a child up alone, you are now under a death threat and all because of what we are doing. I thought you should have the opportunity to change your mind now that you know all the facts. If you want to cancel this whole arrangement then we can. We can just tell the Ministry that we can't conceive." Draco stopped speaking and looked over at her but Hermione was hunched over, her hands twisting together.
"I don't care about that! Draco you've just told me you're dying!"
"I know, sorry."
"Sorry! What a bloody stupid thing to say!" she was becoming hysterical but she couldn't help it. "That's what you meant isn't it? You said I just had to be brave and then it would all be over quickly! You meant our marriage, this arrangement...didn't you?" Draco nodded and opened his mouth to speak but she spoke first. "You said it like I'd be happy...relieved? How could you think that I could possibly think this was good news? Maybe it's me who's the monster if I give you that impression! I'd rather be married to you for the rest of my life than you die!"
Draco actually looked tearful as he looked at her and she could see him shaking. "I know that! At least I hoped you didn't actually want me to die, although you have threatened to murder me yourself a few times." He gave a small smile but Hermione wasn't in the mood to joke. "I've been debating about telling you and after what happened earlier and you were asking me questions I just panicked." He shrugged. "I think I'm handling it okay and then suddenly I'm not and that's when I start being defensive..."
"I don't care about that either," Hermione's voice was weak, her whole body deflated.
"I know it's a shock and I should have told you straight away but I can't handle it myself half the time..." Draco stopped talking and watched Hermione. She had her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking. She sat like this for a full minute before she looked up.
"Well, you may be trying to accept it but I won't!" she said, her face red. "I don't believe there's not a cure, I won't believe there isn't one. In a year's time you will be sleep deprived and changing nappies. Our baby is going to have a daddy and that's the end of it."
Sorry!- that's all I have to say...
oh and reviews would be great but please don't shout at me...