Lucius waited in the alley impatiently, obscured by the shadows. His contact had told him that Cho Chang usually took lunch at 11:30 so that she could be back by her noon appointments. He watched the door to St. Mungo's vigilantly looking for the Asian girl. His fingers twirled his wand in his right hand, waiting to be used.
A couple walked through the doors and a wizard with sandy blond hair came out as well. He was about to looked elsewhere when he saw black hair behind the blond wizard and soon he could see the witch clearly. She was a petite girl and was wearing dark blue healer robes as she walked out across the street towards him. She must have been thinking about something since it didn't look like she was particularly paying attention to where she was going. As she started to pass the alley, Lucius called out quietly.
"Cho Chang." He whispered, barely loud enough so that she could hear it.
Cho stopped quickly and looked around, trying to find the voice. Her eyebrows knit in confusion as she didn't she didn't see anyone.
"Cho Chang." Lucius whispered a little louder and he saw the girl look down the alleyway.
Carefully she took a step forward, her eyes darting around. "Who's there?" She asked, hearing her voice echo off the walls. She took one more step forward, coming into the building's shadow and then looked hesitant. She decided that this wasn't the best idea and turned around quickly.
As soon as he saw her start to turn, Lucius stepped forward. "Petrificus Totalus." He said quietly, his arm stretched in front of him. His spell hit his mark as Cho suddenly stopped and stood very still.
Quickly, he grabbed her, pulling her farther into the shadows. She looked at him with wide eyes and he could see the fear in them. "Fear not, I am not here to hurt you." Lucius said quietly to the girl as he grabbed her by the arm. "In fact, I'm afraid I'm in need of your assistance."
Quickly, he turned on the spot and apparated straight into his study. He threw her down on to his couch and appraised her. Her eyes were still frightened but she was stiff as a board. Quickly he bent down and ripped a couple of hairs off her head. He saw her eyes wince at the slight pain and then recover. He walked over to his desk and reached into his drawer, pulling out a bottle full of a thick brown potion.
Cho watched everything, her mind trying to figure out what was going on. She knew that it was polyjuice potion in his hand but couldn't figure out why he would want to be her. She thought about what Lucius Malfoy could possibly be interested in. Hermione! She thought quickly! That was her next patient. Her eyes narrowed as she realized what she was being used for.
Lucius looked at the potion disgustingly. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." He mumbled to himself. He then looked at Cho whose eyes had changed from frightened to curious. "Well, I see that I'm going to have to obliviate you when I get back. You're far too observant." He said to her.
He threw her hairs into the potion and watched as the potion turn to a dark purple color and bubbled. He walked over to her holding the bottle and explained. "You see, your next patient is of some interest to me."
He looked at the potion and quickly drank the contents of it, grimacing at that taste. Suddenly, he could feel himself shrinking and watched as the skin on his hand became tan and his hair became darker and longer. His clothes had become too large for him and he walked over to a closet where he pulled out dark blue healer robes. He quickly put them on and stood back in front of her.
Cho's eyes widened a she looked at the carbon copy of herself. The girl, well man, looked exactly like her. She saw her doppelganger smirk which looked unnatural on her face and she felt her stomach clench.
"Now, I have something I need to take care of. I'm afraid your next patient's previous diagnosis is going to be true after all." Lucius said in Cho's voice. "If you will excuse me." And with that he apparated away.
**************
Hermione paced around the library, nervous about her appointment. She didn't know what Cho could possibly tell her. Maybe she was healed. Maybe the previous diagnosis was wrong. Maybe they mixed up her test results with someone else's. Maybe they wouldn't need to separate. Maybe…
"Would you please just sit down already? You remind me of our wedding day." Draco drawled from his seat by the fireplace.
Hermione smirked. "Are you saying that you were pacing nervously on our wedding day?" She asked as she sat down across from him.
"Of course, I was. I was driving Blaise loony." Draco reminisced. He recalled the day clearly. He couldn't stand still the entire hour before the ceremony started.
Hermione chuckled. "Yes well, I fairly certain I was doing that to Ginny as well." She thought back to the day, remembering going between extreme nervousness and the overwhelming desire to cry.
"It seems so long ago, doesn't it?" Draco said, realizing that his wedding day was only 7 months ago.
"It certainly has been eventful." Hermione answered.
Draco nodded when a question came to his mind. "Do you regret it?" He asked carefully.
Hermione looked up startled. She wasn't expecting that question. She looked him straight in the eye when she answered. "No."
Draco's eyes widened slightly at the answer but then a small smile graced his face. "Neither do I." He confessed.
Hermione smiled back. After a moment of silence she looked up at the clock. "Oh, I guess I should be going. It's almost time for my appointment." She said as she got up from the chair and walked to Draco. "Thanks for the distraction from my nervousness." She bent over and kissed him gently on the cheek.
"No problem." He said, smiling at her. "Are you sure you wouldn't like me to go with you?"
Hermione smiled. "No, it's alright. It's something I think I'd like to do on my own." She answered honestly.
"Very well. I'll be waiting here then." Draco responded.
Hermione smiled as she walked over to the fireplace and floo'd to St. Mungo's. She came out in the reception area and went straight over the desk.
"Hello. I'm Hermione Malfoy. I have an appointment at noon with Healer Cho Chang." She said to the witch behind the counter.
The witch looked up and then at the files in front of her and picked one up. "Hello, Mrs. Malfoy. Healer Chang should be returning from lunch any moment now. Please wait in room 347 and she should be in shortly." The secretary answered and smiled warmly, motioning down the hall.
"Thank you." Hermione answered as she started to walk down the hall her stomach clenching at what might be the result of this visit.
Nervousness was starting to creep back in to her stomach and she read all the room numbers she passed. 341, 343, 345, 347. She opened the door to see an examining table in the middle of the room. She went over and sat on top of it, fidgeting with her hands as she waited for her healer.
She tried to stay calm but something about being in the hospital again was starting to get to her. She looked around the examining room, at the white walls, the painting of a cottage by the sea where the waves were moving, and there was a pamphlet on top of a counter on how to stay healthy. She was starting to wish she had Draco come with her when the door opened.
"Hi, Cho. It's great to see you again!" Hermione said nervously as the healer walked into the room.
"Hermione. What can I do for you today?" The doppelganger responded stiffly.
Hermione noticed Cho's voice seemed strained but continued anyway. "Well, you see, I was here about a month ago and was told that I couldn't have any more children. I've decided to come in for a second opinion." She said concisely.
A grin appeared on Cho's face that unsettled Hermione. "Well, why don't you lie down on the table and we'll have a look."
Hermione felt something was off but figured it was just her nerves. She gave a small smile and laid back against the examining table.
The healer walked over to her and pulled out her wand. "This may feel a little strange." She warned the patient, an unnatural smirk appearing on her face.
*****************
Draco sat in the library impatiently waiting for his wife to come back home. She had only just left a few minutes before but he felt like she had been gone an hour already. He knew he lacked patience but he imagined anyone would be impatient in this situation.
He thought about the implications of the diagnosis being wrong. They wouldn't need to get divorced. They could try to have children again, granted not right away, but in the future. He smiled at the fact that they were getting along better again. The last month had certainly been hellish. And the idea of marrying Pansy well, made his stomach churn. He shuddered at the thought.
A loud crack made Draco aware of the house elf in front of him. Bixby stood there, looking down with a frown on his face. He looked like he couldn't decide what he wanted to do. "Yes, Bixby?" Draco asked the elf.
Bixby looked up at him, wringing his hands together. He knew he would be punished for what he was about to do and had the sudden urge to throw his head against the floor. It was years ago that Draco had told him that punishing himself wasn't needed, but old habits die hard. He swallowed before he started talking. "Oh, Master Draco, Lord will be very very angry at Bixby. Yes he will. I should not say anything. No I should not. But I have to tell Master Draco." He said, rambling on.
Draco looked at his house elf carefully. He knew that Bixby cared for him more than anyone else in the family and therefore was more loyal to him as well. He knew the elf always had his best interest in mind. "What is it, Bixby?" He asked the obviously stressed house elf.
"Lord's study, Master Draco. You must go now. Hurry." The house elf managed to get out before getting a terrified look on his face. "Please Master Draco, go!"
Draco looked at his elf confused but nodded. His father must be summoning him again, though he couldn't imagine why. "Okay, Bixby, I'll go now." He said in a placating tone to the elf. He stood up and immediately left the library.
Draco walked slowly down the hall not looking forward to another conversation with his father, but a feeling in his stomach was telling him something wasn't quite right. He picked up his pace and finally made it to his father's study. He knocked on his door and then entered quickly. He was surprised to not see him at his desk. Why would his father summon him to his study and then not be here. Confused, he turned around to leave when something caught his eye on the couch. He turned fully to see Cho Chang lying there completely still, her eyes obviously trying to tell him something. His eyebrows knitted together, confused by the sight before him.
"Finite Incantatem!" He said, pulling his wand out and pointing it at Cho.
Cho promptly fell off the couch and quickly scrambled onto her knees. "Draco, you need to get to the hospital." She said quickly.
"What are you doing in my Father's study?" Draco asked confused at seeing her here.
"He had polyjuice potion. He's pretending to be me." She explained as she stood up. "Hermione is my next patient."
Draco's eyes widened at the realization that his father was now alone with his wife. "Bixyby!" He called out quickly.
Bixby apparated in front of him. "Yes, Master Draco?"
"Alert the aurors now! Tell them to go to St. Mungo's. Hermione's in danger!" The words rushed out of him in one breath.
Bixby's eyes widened but he nodded and apparated away.
Draco quickly grabbed Cho by the arm and turned on the spot. They appeared in the alley next to St. Mungo's and proceeded to run to the building. "We need to get to her. Her appointment was 5 minutes ago." Draco panted as he ran in front of her.
Cho nodded her agreement. "I don't understand. What is he doing? He said something about making sure the previous diagnosis was true." She said breathing hard.
Draco stopped and Cho ran into his back. "What did you say?" He said as he turned to face her.
Cho looked at him carefully before answering. "He said that he was going to make sure her previous diagnosis was true."
Draco cursed. "Damn him! He knew it was false! He knew that she was able to have children!" His eyes widened at what she implied. "He's going to hurt her. He's going to make sure she can't have children."
Cho's expression changed to one of shock. "But why…" She trailed off.
"We don't have time." Draco said, turning to run again.
With more urgency than before, he ran through the doors of St. Mungo's with Cho hot on his heels.
"This way!" She said, pointing down a hallway. They ran past the receptionist's desk when Hermione's scream broke through the air.
A/N: You know, now that I'm starting to wrap up this story, it's kinda sad. It's hard to let it go! But anyway, hope that you enjoyed the chapter. For my third story, I'm trying to decide if I want to write another post-Hogwarts story or if I want to do a during Hogwarts one. Decisions, decisions. :-) Anyway, THANKS for all the reviews! Please keep reviewing! It really helps me out! ~Chrissy