Author's note: To anyone who has been or knows someone else that has been in a similar situation, one where you do not know if the mother and/or child are going to survive, my heart goes out to you/them. I have never been in that situation, so I hope that I do not insult you/them while still being able to capture the emotion. I hope you enjoy this chapter...well as much as you can enjoy something that gave me quite a few feels while writing! Once again, thank you for reading my story! If you like it, leave me a comment. I promise it works to motivate me to write more often! Also, if it hurt even a little bit, leave me a comment about that too! I love hearing from you guys! (You will probably see a lot more of this author's note. I have not changed it, nor do I think that I will, at least not until after we are through the sad parts) ~alohomora addy
Chapter 14
Scorpius regretted everything he'd said as soon as he walked away. He wanted to go back and apologize but he couldn't bring himself to do so. Instead, he made his way back to Rose. He'd given Ron and Hermione enough time with her. Being apart was not something he wanted to do, not when he could potentially lose her.
Coming up to the corner closest to Rose's room, he heard his parents' voices. He stopped, out of sight, and watched the situation between their parents unfold on baited breath.
"Gra-Hermione!" Draco called, getting her attention. His back was to Scorpius so he gauged their interaction by Hermione's reaction.
"Draco, Astoria!" Hermione gasped. She glanced behind to make sure that Ron hadn't followed her out. Thankfully, he still sat where she'd left him, Rose's hand in his, tears staining his face. "Let's go over here and I will fill you in on Rose's condition." The last thing she wanted was to have Draco and Ron get into a confrontation when tensions were already so high.
"Rose is unconscious," Hermione began.
"Oh dear! Is she going to be okay? How is the baby?" Astoria was frantic, tears already beginning to fall.
"Astoria, love, let her get a word in. I'm sure she will not leave anything out if we allow her to tell us." Draco put his arm around his wife and met Hermione's eyes, waiting as patiently as the situation allowed.
"Thank you, Draco. Rose…" Hermione paused, momentarily unable to continue. She took a deep breath before trying again. "Rose got splinched when she apparated home tonight, leading to premature labor. The Healers are doing everything they can to stop it, to stop Rose from delivering prematurely. If they cannot stop her labor, if things go farther than magic extends, both of them will be in danger. We could lose both of them tonight." Hermione's brave front crumbled.
Without speaking, Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione, trying to comfort her. In that moment, all of the past between Hermione and Draco fell away. They were both parents, both terrified of the outcome of such a terrible situation, both wishing they could take their child's place.
"Th-thank you, Draco," Hermione whispered, pulling back after she gathered herself. "I am sorry. It is a very difficult time, as you understand. But I have confidence that my nephew, Louis, will do everything possible to stop the labor and save the baby."
"No," Draco spoke strongly, shaking his head.
"Dear?" Astoria questioned, peering at him with tear filled eyes. "Are you alright?"
"No… If things keep going, if they can't stop her labor, they have to save Rose. Our son would not be able to live without her. The death of a child is never easy, we know that all too well. But Rose means too much to all of us to let her life go in place of their child. If it comes down to a decision, Rose's life or the baby's, please promise me that they will choose Rose."
Ron, who had just emerged from Rose's room, was completely and utterly shocked. Never in a million years would he have expected something like that to come out of Draco Malfoy's mouth. It painted him a different light. Clearing his throat, he moved to Hermione's side. "Thank you for saying that, Malf-" He swallowed before continuing. "Draco. It means a lot that you care about our daughter. I wish I had felt the same when I found out that your son and our daughter were going to be parents. I am not proud of that moment. If I could take it back, I would. I would in a heartbeat."
"We believe you, Ron," Astoria murmured, squeezing his shoulder gently.
"We cannot hold your first thoughts against you," Draco added. "Especially after everything that happened, everything I did when I was younger. But I assure you, Ron, Scorpius is not me. We did our best raising him, as any other parent does, but I paid special attention to making him better than I was. He is not me."
"You raised him right," Ron agreed. "We can tell how much he loves Rose and the b-. We wouldn't have it any other way." Ron held back his emotions as best he could. He was grateful for Hermione's hand squeezing his own. "Rose is in good hands with your boy, is what I mean. He loves her. I suspect he would do anything for her. And it is clear that you both love her as well.
"We do!" Astoria assured them. "Rose is a delight! You raised a fine young woman! We are happy that Scorpius and her have found each other. They seem like they were meant to be."
"Well it would be just like Rose to fall in love with my one and only enemy's son, no offense."
"And it would be just like Scorpius to have a thing for a Weasley," Draco added in a teasing voice. A small amount of the tension surrounding them lifted and they felt as if they could breathe better.
"Most of our family is waiting in the visitor room down the corridor. I am sure there is room for two more. No sense in waiting off alone somewhere." Hermione was not sure how wise it was to invite these two into a very Weasley-packed visitor room, but she couldn't let them wait and worry by themselves.
"And we've got a direct line to the Healer in charge. Louis has to tell us what is going on, I'm his favorite uncle." Ron puffed out his chest slightly, proud.
"We wouldn't want to impose," Astoria met Draco's eyes, attempting to gauge how the invitation sat with him.
"Nonsense. If any of them open their traps, they'll have me to deal with, end of story. So it's settled then?" Ron wasn't going to take no for an answer on the matter. They were joining them in the visitor room, whether they wanted to or not.
"Do come," Hermione added, meeting their eyes. "We are all playing the waiting game now. No telling when word will arrive. Best to wait with the people that love her and all want her to be okay."
Draco and Astoria shared another look before Draco spoke again, "If you think your family will be okay with it, then I think that is the best place for us to be."
Astonished, Scorpius watched as his parents set off after Rose's parents. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined this happening. If only such a terrible situation had not cause rifts to be slowly mended.
Sighing, he reentered Rose's room.
"You won't believe what I just witnessed," Scorpius murmured, sitting next to Rose's cot. She was still unconscious, but he'd read somewhere that people could hear what was said to them while they were unconscious. He wasn't sure if it was true, but it gave a false sense of hope that everything was going to be okay. Taking her hand in his, he spoke, "Our parents were getting along. They were actually getting along, Rose. No shouting match, no duel in the corridor, no blood seeping out of orifices. Do you understand how big that is? You gotta wake up, Rosie. Wake up and tell them how proud you are that they are getting along so well."
The only noises he was met with were her soft breathing and their son's strong heartbeat. Minutes passed, those quiet noises screaming in his ears. His eyes were on the hand he held, studying every freckle, every scar, every mark on her skin. He wondered where each came from.
When he could take no more, he laid his head on her chest, his steady tears dampening her blouse. "Please don't…Please don't die, Rose. I promise to be the best husband, the best father, the best man you could ever wish for if you pull through this. I can't live without you, Rosie. I love you with everything that I am. So please, please stay alive. Stay alive for me, but most of all stay alive for everyone who loves you. Because we don't want to see what a world without you looks like."
His sniffles continued for what seemed like long minutes. He pleaded, no sound coming from his moving lips. He didn't want to lose their son either, but he agreed with his father. If only one of them could live, if the choice was given to him and him alone, he would always choose Rose. Exhausted, Scorpius cried himself into a very restless slumber.
A short while later, he was roused by the sound of someone moving about Rose's room. "Louis?" he questioned sleepily. "Any word?"
Louis hadn't expected Scorpius to wake up. In fact, he was trying to be as quiet as possible as not to wake him. A permanent frown was on his face as he checked the progression of Rose's labor. When Scorpius called his name, he nearly jumped.
He didn't want to tell him. He did not want to say the words, to break Scorpius's heart. As he chewed on them, trying to figure out how to tell this man that a premature delivery was becoming a real possibility with each ticking second, Scorpius blew up at him.
"TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON! That is Rose lying there. My Rose. My son. I deserve to know what is going on!" He didn't know how was standing and how his wand was now in his hand, pointed straight at Louis's face. All he knew was that he was sick of the waiting. He needed answers, and he needed them now
"Whoa, calm down, Scorpius." Louis's arms went up defensively. "Put the wand down and I will tell you. I promise." He waited as Scorpius slumped back in his chair before continuing. "We are reaching the point of no return. If Rose's labor does not cease within the hour, we will have to go in and remove the baby. It is coming down to the wire, her life or his. And I won't lie…waiting is risky. The procedure is harder to do past a certain point and usually ends catastrophically. This is the only way we can save her, Scorpius."
Scorpius's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. He'd been expecting this, expecting that their son would have to be born early. But he never wanted it to happen. He'd wished it wouldn't. "What are his chances of survival, Louis?"
Louis swallowed hard, feeling the pinpricks of unshed tears behind his eyes. "I'm afraid they are not very good."
Scorpius nodded, knowing as much. He had a difficult decision to make. He could trust the Healers, wait until the hour was up to see if by, some great miracle, Rose's labor did stop. And if it didn't, risk her life in the emergency procedure. Or he could have them go ahead with it now, giving her a greater change to survive, but possibly sacrificing their son in the process.
Many thoughts flooded his mind as Louis finished writing his reports on her. As he turned to walk out the door, Scorpius came to a decision.
"Deliver the baby. Now. Don't put Rose's life at more risk than it already is."
Time ceased to mean anything in the very Weasley-packed visitor room as they awaited news of Rose's condition. Family members cycled in and out, all too full of emotion to sit still in such a crowded room.
Still, Scorpius was met with quite a horde when he'd finally managed to stumble into the room. His disheveled look brought concern especially to Atoria, Hermione, and Albus, who rushed to his side.
"Scorpius? What's wrong mate?" Albus couldn't voice his real question, fearing the worst. There was no way that his favorite cousin, his best friend apart from Kaydee and Scorpius could be gone. No, he was jumping to conclusions. There had to be another explanation for why Scorpius looked as if he had just witnessed Voldemort returning from the dead (again) and killing a bunch of small animals.
"I-I have a son," Scorpius whispered, before collapsing against Albus, heavy sobs wracking his body.
Albus struggled to catch him, hold his crying frame. James and Hugo jumped from their seats and the three men managed to get him into the chair that Lily had just jumped out of. No one said anything for long moments. A cacophony of quiet sniffles and Scorpius's sobs filled the space. He slowly let up, slowly moved his eyes from the floor to meet those closest to him.
"Is Rose…?" Hermione couldn't manage to finish her question. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears and she hoped that he would not say what she feared.
"R-Rose is okay. The procedure was a success. She's all healed up, but she's still unconscious. Louis believes that since her body is no longer undergoing the stress of premature labor, she should wake up soon."
"How is the baby?" Molly asked from her seat next to him. She'd pulled him in for a comforting hug the moment he'd been placed there and had not yet let him go.
More tears fell as Scorpius pictured their tiny infant son. He took a deep, jagged breath. "The baby is hanging on, but just barely. He is so tiny, Grams. He's too tiny. They wouldn't let me hold him because he has to be in a special air sac charm because his lungs are so tiny. They don't know if he will make it through the night. They don't even know if he will hold on long enough for Rose to wake up. How do I tell her that her son was born entirely too early? How do I tell her that he might die before she even wakes up? How do I do this?"
More sobs coursed through Scorpius. He didn't understand what he'd done to deserve a life like this. Was it the lie he'd told Rose back when they were teenagers, the one that led her to hate him until recently? Was he paying for some horrible past life?
In the midst of his sobs, his father bent down to hug him. If all of the things that had happened before weren't clue enough, a hug from his father was enough to show him just how bad the situation was. He let himself be comforted, gathering his emotions until he felt strong enough to stand.
"Rose should be back at her room by now, if anyone would like to see her. I am going to go be with my son for a while. He doesn't need to be alone right now. I would prefer if Rose were not alone either, but she is okay. The baby is not. And I cannot be in two places at once.
"We'll go sit with her, Scorpius," Hermione offered.
"Yes, go remind our grandson that he is loved and that his mum would be with him if she could. We've got our daughter under control."