DISCLAIMER: As an American citizen, I have many rights. However, I do not have the right to own Harry Potter.
Chapter 11: Baby, Oh Baby!
The night shift in the emergency ward of St. Mungo's was passing achingly slowly, and Hermione almost hoped that someone would come in with a serious injury just so she would have something to do. Things rarely happened after the sun went down at the hospital, as there hadn't been an attack made by Death Eaters in years and consequently not as many people were hurt. Of course there was the occasional duel that had to be dealt with, but those injuries were usually so minor that the patient needed no more than a quick healing spell and they were on their way.
So, more often than not, Hermione was left to her own devices, which usually consisted of sitting in a chair and looking at year old magazines, trying not to think about her personal life. That was why she liked being busy… it gave her an opportunity to forget that she had a mountain of issues to deal with. But at that exact moment, Hermione was finding it very difficult to not think about her problems.
The appointment with the therapist that morning had been eventful to say the least, and Hermione had to admit that the things Draco said had stabbed at her like knives. She didn't know why they had, since she hated him and everything, but when he said that he wouldn't wait forever, it had felt like she had been ripped in two. But how could she forgive him? It didn't seem possible that he wouldn't have slept with Ginny willingly… for Christ's sake he was a man and quite obviously bigger and more powerful than her! One would think that he would be able to use his strength to get away before the potion took hold.
Then again… she had never had a love potion used on her and she couldn't be sure of the exact effects, but she had read enough to know that they weren't immediate. He could have had time to get away. Couldn't he? If she could only get into his mind and see what he had been thinking! He probably wouldn't allow his memories to be seen, and he defiantly wouldn't take a truth serum. That would make it too easy for her to find out the truth about him.
And nothing in Hermione's life was ever easy.
Shouting could be heard from the door, and Hermione turned quickly to see what the commotion was. To her shock, Harry Potter rushed through the door covered in blood, his wife in his arms. A frantic look was etched on his face as he ran to Hermione and shouted, "Hermione! Ginny's losing the baby!"
A fleeting thought ran through Hermione's head as she took in Ginny, who was gripping her stomach and breathing in short puffs of air, her teeth gritted. She almost hoped that Ginny would lose the baby, just to put her in her place, to show her that she was not the wonderful person she thought she was… "Hermione!" Harry shouted again.
She shook her head and said quickly, "Set her on the bed, I'll get the doctor." She ran and got the healer on call, a man named Geronn, who thankfully happened to deal with babies and children. Then, once they got to where Ginny was, the healer instructed Hermione to take Harry from the room. He refused profusely, but when Healer Geronn snapped that he needed to help Ginny and that Harry was not helping him concentrate, he practically ran to the waiting room.
It was the same waiting room they had been in the last time Ginny had had trouble with the child, but then it didn't feel as if anything was very serious. Now, the air seemed to have heaviness about it, almost as if the atmosphere knew something bad was going to happen. Maybe it was the fact that this time Harry was covered in blood – Ginny's blood – as he sunk down into the uncomfortable plastic chairs that made it bad. Maybe it was the tears Harry Potter tried to hide as they fell down his cheeks that were wiped away, leaving red streaks on them.
Or maybe it was the fact that Hermione had a terrible feeling that what was happening to Ginny was her fault. She had been the one to slap her at Ron's wedding. She had been the one to punch Ginny in the eye and make her fall to the ground. She had been the reason why Ginny had ended up in the hospital in the first place.
No, no, it wasn't her fault. Women had been having babies for thousands of years, and had much more stress and physical pain than Ginny had. There were a million reasons why she could be losing the baby. It wasn't her fault. It couldn't be.
"Harry," she said softly, looking at the man in front of her. He didn't acknowledge her, merely sniffled. "Harry," she said again, putting her hand on his shoulder, "the doctor will do everything in his power to help Ginny and your baby survive. I promise you that." She paused and looked in the direction of the room Ginny was in, praying that they would both survive, for Harry's sake as much as hers. "Sometimes these things happen, Harry, and there is no way of knowing when and who it will happen to…" She trailed off, thinking of the child growing within her, suddenly petrified about the fact that what was happening to Ginny could very well happen to her.
The thought was nearly paralyzing. She dropped her hand from Harry's shoulder, saying, "I should get back and help Healer Geronn. I promise you, Harry, we will do everything possible to make sure both of them are alright." As she hurried away, she heard Harry begin to sob.
She closed the door behind her when she got back to the room. The healer had removed most of Ginny's bloody clothes, and was feeling her stomach. Hermione could see the muscles of her abdomen tighten as a contraction came, and Ginny moaned quietly. "The child has got to come out," the healer muttered to himself. Hermione busied herself by checking Ginny's vitals.
"Too soon," Ginny whimpered.
"Ginny, this baby needs to come out or you and the baby could both die!" Geronn exclaimed, rummaging around in a cabinet for what Hermione could only assume was anesthesia. When he found it, he said, "Nurse, I need you to get Healer Peters from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. This child is going to need serious help. Quickly!"
Hermione hurried out of the room, catching only a little of what Ginny said. "But this is the only way to be with him…" Hermione shook her head. Ginny Potter must be delusional in her pain. Of course Harry was going to be with her, they were married after all. Why wouldn't he want to be with her just because the baby was born prematurely?
Minutes later, Hermione was back with Healer Peters, a middle aged woman with large green eyes. Healer Geronn had already given Ginny the anesthesia, and she was painfully pale as she lay there covered only by a sheet. By the looks of the tools on the table, they were going to perform an emergency C-section. Funny, Hermione thought for a moment, that with all the advantages of magic, the medical profession still relied on Muggle techniques to have children. From another cabinet in the room, Hermione took three surgical masks and hats, as well as protective gowns to keep blood off their scrubs.
Then, she took her wand and sanitized both doctor's hands before helping them into their coverings and supplying them with rubber gloves. She did the same for herself, and after checking Ginny's vitals again, she nodded towards the doctors and they began.
She looked away as they cut Ginny's stomach open, not able to bear the sight of it. She had never had an aversion to blood and gore before, but with the way her stomach was churning she wasn't sure she could handle it. So, instead, she kept checking the vitals, and handing the doctors which tools they needed, completely ignoring the red that she could see from the corner of her eyes.
"My God! She is a mess!" Healer Peters commented. Hermione heard slurping sound of the suction device as it cleared away Ginny's blood. "I've never seen anything like this!"
Hermione felt an inkling to look at what the experienced doctor was even surprised about, but she avoided it like the plague. Healer Geronn remained quiet, focusing on the baby he was trying to pull out. Hermione couldn't resist looking when she heard a heartbreaking cry, unmistakably a baby's. "A girl," Healer Peters said, severing the umbilical cord and hurrying to a tiny bed and beginning to work on the child.
Hermione smiled, thankful that the child was alive, and told Ginny, "You have a daughter, and she is beautiful!" She checked her vitals again and noticed her blood pressure was dropping. She went to address the doctor just in time for a stream of crimson come like a fountain from Ginny's abdomen.
"She's hemorrhaging!"
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Draco Malfoy told himself and told himself that he was not going to go to Hermione's house ever again. Ever. He was going to be a man and give her the privacy she wanted. He would quell the urge to stalk her mercilessly, no matter how much danger she was in. He had made it clear that morning that he was not going to take things for much longer. Marriage or no marriage, unequaled passion or not, he was going to get on with his life.
And if Hermione didn't want to be part of his life anymore, fine. If she did, well, that would be fine too. All he knew was that he couldn't allow her to keep walking all over him; it would be his demise.
But it still didn't explain why he was hiding behind one of the massive trees in his wife's yard, taking an occasional peek towards the house to make sure the lights were still on and there was movement in the house. He supposed he couldn't help himself… no matter how mad at her he was he was still drawn to her like a magnet. He had to know that she was alright.
He didn't like the idea of Hermione being alone in such a large house when there was a murderer on the loose. As stubborn as she was, Draco knew that Hermione knew Chev was a very bad man. But the fact that she was completely ignorant of the possibility of him breaking into her home scared Draco to bits. Hermione and Lucas were his family. His own flesh and blood resided in the house he was staring at, and Draco felt an almost primal instinct to protect what was his. Even if the ones he was trying to protect didn't appreciate it.
Draco took a deep breath of the cool night air and let it out slowly, trying to calm his nerves.
Hermione.
He could still remember that first night with her, when they had abandoned their differences and focused only on each other and the passion that they had found. He had known in that moment that what he had heard was true – that love and hate were almost the same thing – and the ferocity they had felt against each other exploded in what Draco could only describe as fireworks. The first time she kissed him, he had known that she was the one he wanted to be with forever, bloodlines be damned.
Lucius hadn't been too happy when he found out about them, and Draco had a hard time talking him out of writing him from the will. In the end, he saw that it would be for the good of the family for Draco to marry Hermione, a muggle born and best friend to the most famous wizard in the world. Draco hadn't given a damn about the family. Hell, he would've given up magic if it meant that he could be with her!
Hermione was stubborn; there was no doubt about it. He had known it all through school, and knew it even more when they were married. They fought constantly – mostly about stupid things – and on more than one occasion Draco had been forced to sleep on the couch, but as monstrous as Hermione was when she was angry, she turned into an angel when she wasn't. She was overwhelmingly supportive of his choices and she was willing to sacrifice everything for him. She was a goddess.
But that goddess wanted nothing to do with Draco anymore. She was letting her hatred for him consume her, much as he had when they were in school. If only he could make her see that he was still the same man he had been when he married her four years earlier. How?
Draco glanced towards the house once more. He had tried to be nice. He had tried letting her figure things out on her own. He had even tried to be assertive, almost mean. Having done nearly everything in his power, Draco was at a loss as to what to do next. He was convinced that the therapy wasn't going to work; the more they talked about their problems, the worse they got. Arguing with her wouldn't help; it pushed her farther away. And he was not about to seduce her, although he had to admit that the idea was more and more appealing every day.
Draco Malfoy felt helpless.
Maybe he would try to talk some sense into her again, he thought as he straightened his clothes, rumpled from hiding behind the tree. Trying was better than doing nothing, after all.
He squared his shoulders and walked towards the house, trying to come up with things to say. How would she react to seeing him after what he said that morning? Probably hex him into next week, that's what she'd do. Regardless, Draco was willing to risk that. He walked past the spot where he had taken advantage of Hermione the day before and rang the doorbell. He could still feel her lips on his, taste them, and smell her skin. He wanted that back.
The door opened, revealing Luna Lovegood, or he supposed now Luna Weasley. She smiled deliriously, saying, "Draco Malfoy! How nice to see you! Do come in."
Draco attempted to smirk, but it came as a grimace. Luna was a very odd duck, to say the least, and Draco found it hard to be around her; she was always saying things that worried him. He followed her into the neat house, taking in the simple decorations. In the living room, he saw that the mantle of the fireplace was covered with photos, both muggle and magical.
Draco looked at each and every one of them with fascination, taking in all the years he missed. In the middle of all of them, there was a picture of himself and Hermione on their wedding day, kissing in the sunset. He cleared his throat – no use getting emotional here. Another picture, a muggle one, was of Hermione, Potter, and Weasley – obviously still in school, judging by the uniforms – cheesy grins on their faces. The next picture was of Hermione, sumptuously pregnant, showing her profile to the camera, smiling faintly. Draco's breath caught in his throat as he looked at his wife, radiating with her heavily distended abdomen. She looked so beautiful that he could hardly stand it.
He turned his eyes away from that picture, only to be greeted with another. Hermione lay in a hospital bed looking exhausted but blissful, holding a small bundle in her arms – Lucas. It hardly seemed possible that his son had been that small at one time. Draco's eyes stung and became blurry. He had missed so much; the birth of his only child, his first words, his first steps. He had denied Lucas the possibility of having siblings – and he knew Hermione had wanted more children – by not being there. It wasn't his fault, he knew, but he felt that he could have done more to get back to his family sooner and he knew Hermione felt that too.
Inconspicuously wiping his eyes, Draco looked at the other pictures, mostly of Luke's doings; his birthdays and the like. As he stared at one of Hermione and Luke sitting in a swing, he asked Luna, "Is Hermione here?"
"No," Luna replied, "She had to work at the hospital tonight. I'm watching Lucas and James for Hermione and the Potters. Hermione didn't mention that you would be coming to watch Luke."
A faint smile played on his lips as he said, "No, I suppose she didn't." He turned to Luna, who was playing with her turnip earrings. "I can take it from here, if you like. I'm sure you want to get home to Wea- I mean Ron."
Luna smiled at him, nodding her head. "Yes, it would be nice to get home. Ron has a terrible infestation of wrackspurts, you see, and I was hoping to cure him of it. I'll take James with me."
What in the hell was a wrackspurt? Draco wondered, that woman just kept getting stranger. "Very well," Draco said, attempting to smile at Luna, "have fun with your wacksputs."
Luna laughed an airy laugh and picked up James, who was asleep on the couch and walked to the fireplace, waving, and then flooing to her house. When the flames died away, Draco sighed and looked around the place. It really was a nice house, he thought as he went from room to room, and he didn't think he'd mind it much if he had to live here. A person could get used to a place like this.
He walked up the stairs quietly so he wouldn't wake up Lucas if he was asleep. At the top of the stairs, he opened the door to his left. It was Hermione's room, he knew, because he could see her wedding ring glittering in the light of the moon on her bedside table. He knew he should stay out of her room completely, but he had to see it. Her bed was covered in a cream colored blanket, and Draco couldn't resist lying down on it. The bed smelled like her, jasmine and something he had never been able to figure out, and he breathed it in.
He stopped when he heard crying from another room, and realized that it was Luke. He hurried to the room he had heard him, pushing open the door that had only been half shut and crouching by his son's small bed. The poor child must have been having a bad dream, Draco thought, and it did things to his heart that he still couldn't quite understand. "Sh," he soothed, brushing the hair away from Luke's forehead, "You're alright now, I'm here."
Lucas opened his eyes, which had been squeezed tightly shut and looked at Draco with his teary little eyes. "Daddy?" he asked in a small voice.
"Yes, son, it's me," Draco said, his voice thick. The miniature version of himself threw his arms around Draco's neck and held on tightly. Stunned, it took Draco a minute to remember what to do, and he wrapped his own arms around the small child, holding him close, feeling Lucas shake. "What's the matter?" he asked quietly.
"Luke had a bad dream," he sobbed, "A scary man was in my room hiding under my bed."
Draco held the boy tighter, trying to sooth him. "Would you like me to check the bed for you?"
"Uh-huh," Luke said, quieter.
Draco resisted the urge to smile at his son as he said, "Alright, let's look." Setting him on the floor, Draco crouched down even more, getting out his wand and looking under the bed. "Nope, nothing under here," he commented. "Shall I check the closet?" Luke nodded, and grabbed one of Draco's fingers as they walked to the closet door, opening it. "Nothing here either, I'm afraid."
"Can I sleep in Momma's bed?" Luke asked, gripping Draco's finger tighter, as if he was afraid he would say no.
"Of course," Draco said, picking up his son and going back to Hermione's room. Once under the covers, Lucas fell to sleep almost instantly. Draco watched him for a time before lying on the bed beside him, a protective hand on his small shoulder.
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A/N: Whew! That was a long one. I hope you all liked it! Next we will find out what happens to Ginny, and what Hermione does when she finds Draco in her bed!
Thanks for reviewing: FlowerChild67, Darkness holds me tightly, ALovelyKiller, ELC19, lrmorena, snapeluna, vampiregurl, OBluvr13 You guys are awesome!
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