Hermione was disoriented. Her eyes were closed and she couldn't seem to open them. Everything was silent. She tried to take a mental stock of her body. She seemed to be lying down, even though the last thing she remembered was sitting in the shower as Lucius washed her hair. There was a weight on her chest, but it wasn't heavy. It almost felt like Crookshanks was sleeping on her. That can't be right. Crooks has lived at the Burrow since we went on the run.
Hermione felt a slight tug on her right breast. It almost felt like someone was sucking on it, but it didn't feel like the rough way Lucius did it, or the enthusiastic way Draco did. With each suck, she felt her uterus contract like she had just experienced an orgasm, but without the pleasure or wetness she normally felt.
Noises seemed to float towards her. The words weren't clear, but she could tell they belonged to her family. Draco; the boy that had grown from school annoyance, to friend, to husband. Harry and Pansy; her brother, and his wife who was the sister she never had. Narcissa; her mother-in-law who was like a second mother. Lucius; the man that she had stood up to as a child but now stood beside her, her husband. Little grunts seemed to grow louder to her as the sound of her family laughing faded into the background.
Hermione tried to open her eyes again and blinked to bring the room into focus. She seemed to be slightly sitting up in bed but in the library. The sucking on her breast continued and she glanced down to see a child with blond curls attached to her. This is the strangest dream I've ever had. But I hope my baby boy looks like this when he's born. A hand moved on the child's back and she saw that Lucius was lying next to her.
"Lucius?" Hermione's voice cracked and her throat felt dry. "Draco?"
"Hermione?" Lucius' voice was rich with shock. "You're awake."
"Awake?"
"My dear girl, you need water," Narcissa said, walking towards her and conjuring a glass of water.
Hermione took the glass and drank deeply. The room around her was coming in and out of focus. Harry, Pansy, and Draco moved towards her in slow motion. She tried to speak, but her mouth wouldn't work anymore. Her eyes grew heavy and the world went black.
"Nikki, please come in," Lucius said.
"Have there been any changes?" Nikki asked, reaching out for the notes Pansy had been taking.
"Yes. Her projection is mostly green now, and she has woken up during the last three feedings."
"She's been awake?"
Lucius could hear the excitement and hope in Nikki's voice. It sounded like he felt. Like Hermione was going to recover and come back to them, back to him and Draco at any moment. The first time she had spoken, he thought his heart was going to burst from excitement, for it only to be stepped on when she'd dropped the glass of water and her eyes had closed again. The last two times she had stayed awake for less than a minute before sleeping once more.
"Yes," Lucius confirmed. "For a minute or so."
"That is wonderful. Let me run my scans."
The room was quiet as Nikki did her scans and studied the parchment before her. She stayed quiet when she finished before waving her wand and Hermione's magic was projected before them. Her body was a brilliant green, fading towards yellow around her brain, and her chest and pelvis a bright blue. A small cluster of black still lingered where her belly button would be, but nowhere else.
"Everything looks wonderful," Nikki said at last. "I can still see remnants of the curse, but it's almost gone. I think one or two more feedings and she will be free from it."
"Do you think it will take time for her to recover?" Draco asked.
"I'm not sure. Her magic is intact, except for the black spot you can see. Physically, I think you would want Healer Shafiq to check her over."
"Thank you, Nikki," Lucius said. "For everything you have done for us."
"Hermione has become a dear friend to me since we met. I'm so happy that she's recovering. I wouldn't wish her curse on anyone, and I'm glad to see that she'll no longer be suffering." Nikki canceled her charm and packed her parchment away. "If she doesn't fully wake up by tomorrow, send me an owl and I'll come over. Once she is feeling better, I would like to see her again and make sure she is fully recovered. Please have her contact me."
Hermione had woken up and fallen back to sleep two more times since Nikki had scanned her. Draco cast the projection on each occasion and both times her body was clear of the curse. Narcissa had suggested that her body was just tired from her magic trying to heal, but Draco was concerned and he knew Lucius was too.
Now that Hermione was clear of the curse, they didn't think that they needed to continue skin to skin contact as much, so Pansy was currently walking around the library showing Scorpius all her favorite books. Harry and Lucius were playing chess and Harry kept cursing every time Lucius captured one of his pieces, which was often. Draco and Narcissa were discussing the letter he had just received from Blaise. Evidently, Ginny Weasley was as fertile as her mother because they just found out she was about two months along.
"Healer Shafiq is here to see you, Masters," Ditty announced as she led the healer into the library.
"Thank you, Ditty," Lucius said, standing up from the chess table. "Hello, Healer. Thank you for coming today."
"I was speaking to Nikki as your letter arrived. It sounds like Hermione has made great progress. Narcissa," Healer Shafiq walked towards her, "your idea about breastfeeding was brilliant. I never would have thought to try it. I think you saved your daughter-in-law's life."
"I'm just thankful it worked," Narcissa responded. "Hermione means a great deal to me."
"Well, let's see how she's doing and what our next steps are."
Healer Shafiq ran his wand over Hermione, making notes every few moments as he deciphered the readings. Draco tried to read what he was writing but the penmanship was so bad he couldn't make any words out.
"Hermione has a few things that need to be addressed," the healer said after his scans were complete. "She is dehydrated and in need of calories. Both of these are to be expected since she is breastfeeding and we stopped giving her fluids. She is physically exhausted from her magic trying to fight the curse and heal her body, so I believe she will sleep more than usual the next few days. There is some physical damage from her pre-eclampsia as well as in her uterus, caused by the portkey we used to remove Scorpius."
"Is the damage permanent?" Draco asked.
"I don't think so. I could see it when she was still in the hospital and tried to heal her, but as you will remember, her body wasn't responding to magic. With your consent, I can give her potions to take care of her dietary needs and liver damage, and a few spells will heal her uterus as well."
They watched as the healer cast several spells on Hermione and used his wand to force Hermione's unconscious body to swallow the potions. Within moments, Draco could already see her colouring return to normal, and she went from looking sick and comatose to looking like she was just taking a nap. The room stayed quiet until the healer had packed the used vials back into his bag and pulled out a few more, which he set on the table beside the bed.
"I have healed everything now. These potions are nutrition draughts. If Hermione is able to eat normal meals, she doesn't need to take them, but if she can't, please give her one twice a day. Breastfeeding takes a lot out of the mother and it's important she is getting enough food in to keep her and Scorpius healthy.
"I think she'll start to wake up and stay awake longer throughout today," Healer Shafiq said as he moved to shake Draco and Lucius' hands. "I'll come back tomorrow, but let me know if anything changes before then."
"Thank you for coming over, Healer," Draco said.
"Yes," Lucius agreed. "Thank you for all your work."
Hermione felt herself wake up but she kept her eyes closed. The last few times she had awoken, the scene around had been the same. Her family around her bed, a blond baby on her chest that seemed to be breastfeeding, and the sense that her insides were empty. The baby didn't seem to be lying on her at the moment, but she still felt the hollowness inside her and could hear her family talking nearby.
Pansy and Narcissa were talking about going shopping for new clothes as soon as Pansy gave birth, Lucius was speaking but his voice was so low she couldn't make out the words, and Harry was arguing with Draco over who Hermione loved more. Hermione would have to inform her brother that, as much as she loved him, Draco was higher on the totem pole now.
Hermione opened her eyes. She was still on the bed in the library. Lucius was now holding the child in his arms, rocking him back and forth a few feet from her. The hole in Hermione's lower belly contracted and she looked down to see that her once pregnant belly was now flat - well not completely flat, but much smaller.
"Did I give birth?" Hermione asked, eyes still on Lucius.
"Yes, you did," Lucius answered her, moving closer. "Would you like to meet our son?"
"We'll give you some privacy," Narcissa said, standing up and ushering Harry and Pansy out of the room.
Draco moved to sit on the bed next to her and pulled her into her arms. Hermione snuggled against him and breathed in the smell of his cologne. Lucius joined them on her other side and Hermione held out her arms for the small child. He was awake and she looked into his light grey eyes.
"Lucius," Hermione said, running her finger down her son's nose. "He has your eyes."
"He does. Draco's were that colour when he was born too, but darkened over the first year."
"What did you name him?"
"Scorpius Hyperion," Draco answered. "Lucius said you told him you liked the names just before you gave birth."
"I love it. What happened?" Hermione asked, turning to Lucius. "I don't remember anything past you washing my hair."
"You passed out in the shower," Lucius told her.
Hermione listened in shock as Lucius explained the events of the last few days to her, with Draco filling in gaps occasionally. Her eyes, blurred with tears, stayed locked on Scorpius as they spoke. This tiny little human had saved her life. Not just in the womb, but afterwards as well. Hermione couldn't help but think about what she knew of the story of the Scorpius constellation as she studied her son. When the animals of the earth were threatened by Orion, Artemis sent the scorpion to kill him, saving the creatures from harm, before Zeus immortalised him in the heavens. And now her own Scorpius had saved her from death.
"My sweet boy," Hermione cooed at her son. "Already so strong."
"Healer Shafiq said it's rare for an unborn child to produce magic like he did," Lucius said. "I think our son is going to be very powerful."
"Just like Armand predicted all those months ago when he told us we needed to get married," Draco added.
Hermione spent the rest of the day holding her son, only giving him up when it was time to change him or when she needed to eat, or to use the loo. The library was returned to its normal state and she sat curled up on one of the sofas between her husbands talking with Harry, Pansy, and Narcissa. Now that she was awake, the Potters had returned home, promising to update the Weasleys on her progress and visit again soon. Narcissa stood to leave as well, but Hermione begged her to stay for a few more days.
A/N: She's fully awake and enjoying baby snuggles! Let me know what you thought!