Chapter Seventeen
Draco bolted up right in bed,
"DRACO!" he heard Hermione scream again, He looked around the darkened room before registering that she wasn't in the bed beside him, the screaming wasn't a dream. He jumped out of bed and out into the hall where he could see the bathroom light on, he ran to the room only catching a glimpse of his dishevelled looking mother looking out from the room she had been sleeping in… "Draco were the fuck are you" Hermione wheezed,
Draco swung open the bathroom door to find Hermione on the floor on all fours,
"What's wrong" he knelt beside her,
"Baby…" she managed before another round of pain hit her,
"'Mione" Draco placed his hand on her back, she was panting her way through the pain,
"Water…Broke" she breathed out, before she let out another cry,
"Draco she's in labour!" Narcissa said appearing at the door
"What? No, she's not due for another two weeks!" Draco said stupidly, Hermione turned on him
"Tell her that" she snapped, she grabbed at his arm "Help me up…" she said the pain now ebbing away,
"How far apart" Narcissa asked,
"Um, I don't know, there not too close" she said as she managed to stand up right still gripping hold of Draco's hand. "But I think we need to get to St. Mungo's"
"But it's Three AM" Draco said stupidly,
"Draco go get her over night bag, before one of us Hits you" his mother glared at her son unsure where common sense had gone, he looked at his mother "Now Draco" she repeated,
XXX
Narcissa was pacing up and down the hall they had been here for around seven hours and they were all tired, she had wanted to be in there with them, be there at the birth of her first grandchild. However, the insufferable midwife had rudely informed that that only the father could remain, if it hadn't been for Draco, she would have stunned the intolerable women.
Not for the first time she stopped looking around the room, the feeling that someone was watching her, but as before, there was no one around. That feeling dissipated when she heard Hermione let out a scream, she moved close to the door wanting to be as close as possible to the birth of her grandbaby.
"That's its angel you are doing amazing!" Draco was holding her hand
"You're almost there, just one more push" The nurse said Hermione pushed squeezing Draco's hand so tight he lost feeling in his fingers, he didn't care though, he was just glad that her was here at her side as their daughter came into the world.
"Keep Pushing" the Midwife called.
"I AM FUCKING PUSHING!" Hermione screamed,
"And…She's out, your little girl is here" the midwife smiled and as she said that their little girl let out a cry letting them know she was here "did you want to cut the Cord dad" she was clearing the babies mouth and nose and placing two clamps on the umbilical cord, "That's it Mr Malfoy, right there" the Midwife smiled, once the cord was cut she took the baby over to the scales before bundling her in a blanket and placing her on Hermione's chest, where she was very happy to latch on to feed. Narcissa was finally allowed to enter the room about twenty-five minutes later, her eyes coming upon her son laying on the edge of the bed on his side alongside Hermione who was sat up in the bed and there in Hermione's arms a bundle of blankets, tears welled up in her eyes,
"Would you like a cuddle nanny?" Hermione smiled up at the elder woman, Narcissa smiled entering the room fully and taking the bundle from Hermione before sitting it the chair next to the bed "she's just fallen asleep" Hermione smiled,
"She's absolutely perfect" Narcissa sniffed looking down at the sleeping angel, she had Hermione's nose but Draco's face shape and a thin layer of brown hair, she watched as the little miracle slept in her arms, "How are you feeling?" she asked after a few minutes turning to look at Hermione who had fallen asleep, Draco went to wake her, "No, Let her sleep, the poor thing has had a very long day"
"Yeah" Draco smiled "But she's worth it" He looked to the bundle in his mother's arms.
"Hello Pandora" Narcissa smiled down at the child, "I'm your nanny" she whispered silent tears falling down her cheeks
The rest of the day the three of them sat in the private room, enjoying the new born, Hermione expressing milk at several intervals so that Pandora would continue to receive her mothers' milk when she was placed in the nursery later that afternoon.
Around 17:00 the nurse came to take the infant to the nursery for the night, informing Narcissa that visiting hours would soon be ending and Hermione needed her rest. Knowing that both Narcissa and Draco had been here since the crack of dawn with Hermione who would have a meal provided, she suggested they go and get some food and some quiet rest as it was likely the only time, they would get it for the foreseeable future. Narcissa agreed, convincing Draco to join her while Hermione ate her meal. the two headed down to the Hospital canteen where they had some sandwiches and a drink, after Narcissa left for the evening returning to Hermione's house. After seeing his mother off Draco made his way back to Hermione's room.
He woke early the following morning with a stiff back, the Hospital cot was like sleeping on the floor. He stretched as he stood up, glancing at Hermione's sleeping form on the hospital bed, he quickly freshened up in the en suite bathroom before coming out to wake Hermione with a genital kiss
"Morning beautiful" he smiled,
"Meh" she mumbled "Don't feel it" she stretched her body still aching from the events of the day before,
"But you look it" he smiled, "Absolutely beautiful" he kissed her again
"When can we go home?" she yawned,
"The doctor should be around in a few hours, once you and Pandora receive the all clear we can go home" he smiled giving her a kiss. Just then the door opened and a nurse stepped in, Draco turned to see her smiling face fall
"I'm sorry…Sorry to have disturbed you," she went to turn, Draco sensed something was wrong
"What is going on?" he asked before she could escape,
"Nothing, the Healer should be in with you shortly"
"Wait…" Hermione called, "When can Pandora be brought back to me?" the nurse froze,
"Um" she swallowed, "The Healer will be right in" and she practically ran from the room, Draco felt as if he had been punched in the stomach,
"I'll be right back" he swallowed trying not to unnerve Hermione, "You go and take a shower, it'll help you feel better" he gave her a kiss before turning to leave the room.
As he stepped out if the room, he hears the panicked voice of the nurse
"They don't have her in the room" she said
"That's not possible if she isn't in the nursery or with her mother, then where the hell is the child?" he heard another hushed voice,
"I…I swear, I put her in the nursery last night I filled the chart and everything but when I went to feed her this morning her cot was empty….I assumed the parents had asked for her during the night but…" she saw Draco staring at them "Shit" she said, the other medical staff turned to see what she had seen,
"Where…Where is my Daughter?" he choked out knowing he wasn't going to like the answer, but something deep inside him hoped that where talking about another child.
"Mr Malfoy, we have everything under control" the Healer said walking towards him,
"Sure, sounds like it!" Draco snapped "Where is my Daughter, I want her here now!" his temper was rising, but fear was twisting his stomach
"Sir, please…Please calm down, she's most likely just been moved into another cot…" The healer tried, Draco was beginning to shake with anger, taking a few deep breaths before attempting to speaking again
"I…I want my daughter brought to me now! Otherwise I will tear this building apart!" Draco had his fists clenched his nails cutting the fragile skin on his palms the blood dripping on the floor, the healer moved closer could see the pain in Draco's eyes,
"I'm sorry sir we are on top of the situation, we are checking every room for her now, as my colleague said she may have just been returned to the incorrect cot, but we will find her" the healer turned to another nurse "I want everyone on this, nothing else matters until the child is located move now!" he called. Draco turned to look at the door, then back at the Healer,
"I want the Aurors called! And you…You can be the one to tell her mother that this hospital has lost our day-old child!" Draco demanded, the healer nodded and followed Draco to the door
Hermione could tell from the look on Draco's face something was wrong, she caught sight of his bloodied hands, something was very wrong, very wrong indeed.