300+ followers! Wow! Thank you so much! I can't describe how much it means to me. This story has become very important to me and it is so gratifying to know that so many people are enjoying it. Thank you to each and every one of you and I hope that you enjoy this latest installment. See you at the bottom! ~fan
Hermione sat up with a start, staring around wildly as she tried to get her bearings. All that her disoriented eyes could register was a blur of stark white marred only by a brief flash of white that was a few shades blonder… "Draco!?" Hermione gasped clinging to the hand that she had only just become aware of that was gripping her arm, its thumb rubbing soothing circles. She held on as though her life depended on it, needing the stability and the comfort that her husband offered desperately.
"Shh, shh, you're okay. Everything's okay. You're okay. Everything's okay," Draco whispered over and over in a soothing mantra that slowly lulled Hermione into a state of relaxation, her shoulders sinking back into the pillows until,
"THE BABY! IS THE BABY OKAY?" She bolted to a sitting position once more, panic seizing her like a vice. Her hands instinctively flew to her stomach and her terror was only momentarily assuaged by the knowledge that there was still a defined bump where her stomach had once been flat.
"The baby is okay," Madame Pomfrey said in her no nonsense way as she appeared at Hermione's side with a beaker in hand. "Fortunately for you, no harm was done. But I should warn you, Ms. Granger…err, Mrs. Malfoy, that if you don't start to take better care of yourself, things might turn out differently."
"I understand, thank you," Hermione whispered.
Madame Pomfrey's face broke into a kind smile. Patting Hermione on the shoulder, she said, "You're a smart girl. I know that you'll figure it out. Now drink this and then get some rest. I want you to stay the night and if all goes well, you can leave in the morning."
After the mediwitch had left them to tend to another patient, Hermione turned to Draco and, without meeting his gaze, quietly said, "Could you go now please?"
"What?" Draco asked, entirely confused.
"I said, could you go now please," Hermione said more firmly.
"But why? What's wrong Love?" There was no denying that Draco's tone was now tinged with hurt.
"I just want to be alone for a while okay! Is that so hard to understand? I don't want you here, I feel like you're smothering me!" Hermione burst out.
"Hermione—" Draco began softly.
"Go! Just—just go!" Without another word, Hermione turned away from him onto her side. After a few moments, she heard him get up and leave. Only then did she allow herself to sob.
xxxxx
The next morning, after a final checkup from Madame Pomfrey, Hermione was free to leave the hospital wing. When she stepped out from behind the examination curtain she was greeted by Ginny and Parvati who both rushed over to give her a big hug. "We were so worried about you!" Ginny cried. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine thanks Gin. No permanent damage," Hermione replied trying her very best to sound cheerful.
"More importantly, how's the baby?" Parvati interjected.
"The baby is fine," Hermione snapped. "Why wouldn't it be?" She quickened her pace as she said this to try and put some distance between them so as not see the look that she was certain her two friends were exchanging. It then dawned on her that someone was missing.
"Where's Draco?" she asked. "Why didn't he come to pick me up? Does he have class now?"
"No," Ginny began carefully. "He simply suggested that we come to get you. He seemed to think that you would prefer that."
"Is everything okay between you two?" Parvati asked bravely, though she looked nervous when Hermione began to speak as though dreading her reaction.
"I'm not sure," was all Hermione said.
xxxxx
Hermione excused herself as soon as the three friends got back to the pod. While she loved her friends, she really wanted to be alone. Her wish was not to come true however, for when she opened the door she was greeted by the sight of Draco lounging on their bed, book in hand. His eyes did not once leave the pages even when she walked in and dropped her bag loudly onto the floor. Hermione, who had moments before wanted nothing more than silence was now wishing desperately for him to say something, anything. When she couldn't take it any longer, she burst out with, "Um, HELLO! I'm back!"
"I'm not blind," Draco bit back.
"Well were you just going to keep sitting there ignoring me?" Hermione replied rather rudely.
"As I recall, a certain someone made it very clear that they didn't want to have anything to do with me at the moment."
"Oh come on, you're twisting my words!" Hermione shouted. "I was in a very bad place and I just needed to be alone—"
"And you don't think I was in a bad place as well?" Draco cut her off. "My wife—my pregnant wife collapsed out of nowhere. Don't you think I was a bit stressed out as well?!"
Hermione abruptly burst into tears. She knew that his words held a lot of truth. She had been thinking only of herself. She had let those damn pregnancy hormones get the best of her, making her act like a great self-absorbed tosser. She needed to do better. On many counts.
"How am I ever going to do this Draco? The baby's months from being born and already I'm failing as a mother! I almost killed our child, how can you bear to be in the same room as me, let alone to look at me? I'd have hexed me a thousand times by now!" She was sobbing now, great heaving sobs wracking her entire body.
"So this is why you haven't been able to look me in the eye?" Draco asked quietly.
Hermione merely sobbed more loudly in response.
"Listen to me, Hermione," Draco's voice was surprisingly firm, causing her to look up and meet his gaze in shock. "I'm not even a tad bit angry at you. Worried and sad yes. But not angry. I know that never in a million years would you purposely jeopardize the life of our child, or its well-being, in any way. I understand how difficult this must all be, how terrified you must feel. I'm scared out of my skin and I'm not even the one carrying the kid in my body! This has all moved so quickly, and we never could have been adequately prepared. The one part of all of this that upsets me is that you didn't come to me. What have I done wrong? I've tried my very hardest to make you feel like you can come to me with anything. Why didn't you talk to me about how you were feeling? I would have done anything I could to help you!"
All that Hermione could do was run over and gather him into a hug. Clinging to his shoulders, she wept, "I know I can. I'm so sorry Draco. I behaved like an idiot."
"And no one blames you, okay? This much stress would get the better of anyone. Which is why you need me. I'm not angry, I just want you to understand. We're in this together. In sickness and in health. Until death do us part."
Reaching up and kissing him, Hermione added with a smile, "And maybe even then some."
Smiling down at her, Draco replied, "And maybe even then some." The two just gazed at each other for a moment, staring into each other's eyes. Hermione could feel the stress draining from her like water down a drain. He really was the best thing that ever could have happened to her.
"So," Draco began. "I was thinking of ways that I could help, and I thought, maybe I could come up with a few name suggestions."
"Oh?" Hermione asked, trying her best to sound neutral instead of apprehensive. She could tell that she hadn't fooled Draco who gave her his raised-eyebrow smirk that he had never quite managed to shed.
"Want to hear my favourite?" Draco asked her innocently.
"Of course…" Hermione replied.
"Saint."
"Saint?" Hermione asked, taken aback completely.
"Yes. I figured we could make the first name Saint and the middle name could be Potter…" Draco trailed off mischievously, sniggering at the look on her face.
"You're hilarious Draco Malfoy." Hermione said. Grabbing a pillow, she continued. "Completely. (smack) Totally. (smack) Hilarious. (smack)"
Grabbing her (gently) he tossed her lightly onto the bed and began to tickle her. As she squealed in laughter, the tickling quickly turned to kissing and the squeals to sighs.
"Feel better?" Draco asked from his spot at her neck.
"Much. Thank you so much Draco. I love you."
"I love you more, Hermione Malfoy."
Sorry, but things couldn't just keep sailing smoothly! Even Hermione Jean Granger (Malfoy) isn't that strong! But I like fights because then they get to make up I'm considering skipping a few months ahead….maybe to a birth…not sure yet, I sometimes just let my fingers type and see where they take me…but suggestions are always super helpful and welcome so review review review!