A/N - Sorry to leave you so long on that cliff! Here is the next chapter!

Chapter 10: St. Mungo's

November 13, 2003

"Mr. Malfoy, I've already told you that you'll have to wait out here until the Aurors arrive before I allow you to see Ms. Granger," the stern mediwitch narrowed her eyes at him in exasperation. He'd been arguing with the woman for the better part of an hour as the Healers rushed Hermione into the Spell Damage Ward. The only thing preventing him from walking through the doors to wait outside her private room was a couple of meters and a self-righteous mediwitch with too much power.

"You must have confused me for a person who follows arbitrary rules," Draco sneered, impatient with this woman's judgemental glare. "I will go in now and wait to see my fiance as anyone else without the name Malfoy would have the freedom to do," he seethed, hearing his father's voice spouting from his own mouth. Usually, he would be appalled to sound like his late father, but during his life, Lucius Malfoy was always able to get things done.

"You can't—"

"I can, and I will. How dare you unlawfully detain me when she's in there…she could be..." he trailed off as tears pricked his eyes. The man who'd attacked her had appeared out of nowhere. By the time Draco had noticed Potter whipping out his wand, the Dark wizard had already shot off his spell. There was nothing he could have done to protect her.

"Just try to get past me, and the Aurors will surely take you to Azkaban where you belong," she shot back. All he could do was glare at her with red-rimmed eyes and hold her gaze in a battle of wills. Suddenly, the door to Spell Damage Ward swung open, causing them both to turn.

"Mr. Malfoy, please hurry," a Healer frantically motioned for him to follow her, wand still clenched in her hand. Draco was so worried about Hermione, he couldn't even bother to offer a look of triumph to the old bint of a mediwitch at the reception desk and brushed past her. "We've had no luck getting her stabilized, but she seems to have a positive response to you."

"To me?" he asked as they entered Hermione's private room and his eyes landed on her pale, still form. It was hard to look at her in this state. Although she appeared to be sleeping, her vitals were magically floated above her while two Healers continued to work frantically.

"Your voice actually. We began to notice her improvement whenever we could hear you yelling from down the hall," the Healer explained, conjuring a chair and motioning for Draco to sit beside Hermione.

"Should I keep speaking? What should I say?" he worried as he unconsciously held her hand, intertwining their fingers.

"It seems your touch alone is helping her," one of the other Healers sighed with relief. "Look how her core levels rose as soon as he grabbed her hand," he gestured toward the display of numbers floating above Hermione. The other two Healers both let out a steady breath.

"Her color is returning too," the third Healer chimed in, waving her wand over Hermione. "She was lucky. This spell barely missed her heart," she conjured an image of Hermione's chest. The remnants of a sinister spell left a purple light trail mere centimeters from where her heart pumped a slow and steady rhythm.

"I'm so sorry, love," Draco whispered. "If only I'd seen that wizard earlier, I would have made sure he hit me instead of you," he said regretfully, feeling the sting of tears begging for release behind his eyes. He could Occlude, but what was the point? Everything he had was focused on Hermione lying on the table before him as three Healers attempted to remove the Dark spell festering within her. "Please don't leave me. I'll make you so happy...just stay with me," he pleaded with her.

Minutes or hours passed while Draco continued breathing promises and words of love to his witch, shedding fat tears because he hadn't yet expressed such sentiments to her aloud. It didn't matter that these three strangers were there to witness his anguish. All he could do was hold her hand and hope that it was enough.

Eventually, the Healers had finished their job, leaving Draco alone. At least she was finally stabilized, and for that, he was thankful. They'd told him that her body had been through serious trauma, so she might take a while to wake on her own, though no one bothered to explain how long that might possibly be. Rest was the best thing for her. St Mungo's didn't want to take any risks with the Golden Girl's health, so they would allow Draco to stay with her until her condition improved. Taking comfort in the warmth of her hand, he held it close to his heart as he leaned his head on his arm and cried. So lost was he in his grief that he hadn't heard the sound of the door opening.

"Oh, er—, sorry," Potter apologized uncomfortably. "I should have…," he shook his head, "How...how is she?" he asked, the worry heavy in his tone. Draco heaved a sigh of trepidation as he turned toward his former enemy, noticing how Potter shrunk back at the sight of his forlorn appearance. He imagined that after hours of crying shamelessly, he must be a sore sight to garner this reaction. The former Gryffindor ran his fingers nervously through his untidy hair as if to soothe himself from whatever news he was about to receive.

"She needs rest…" Draco replied, turning back toward Hermione. If their roles were reversed, and it were Pansy lying here instead, Draco would be furious with the bespectacled wizard if that was the only information he shared. Aside from that, Hermione wouldn't be pleased if he left her best friend out of the loop. "Luckily, they were able to remove all of the Dark magic, so now we wait," he added after a moment.

"It's late...I can take over from here. You can go home."

"Really, Potter? As if I'd leave her for a moment, especially now!" Draco scoffed.

"I just thought—"

"You thought wrong," he scowled at the dark-haired wizard. "I'm not going anywhere. I love her," Draco admitted as he turned his back toward Harry.

"I...I know you do. I'm sorry," Potter apologized, conjuring up his own chair beside Draco. How would Potter know how he felt about Hermione? Draco hadn't even told her yet.

"How?"

"How what?"

"How do you know that I...that I love her?" Draco whispered self-consciously.

"Oh, that. Well, you're bloody obvious about it. Anyone who has seen the way you look at her can tell you're completely mad for her. It doesn't take an Auror to figure that out," he explained matter-of-factly. Draco stared at him in disbelief, and the prat had the nerve to smile triumphantly back at him. "She feels the same, you know," he revealed and averted his eyes uncomfortably.

"Thanks, Potter," Draco smirked. "You should know that Pansy doesn't shut up about you either. Theo and I nearly gagged hearing about your first kiss and all," he rolled his eyes dramatically.

"At least you didn't have to hear Ginny squeal through every last detail as Hermione recounted yours," Harry scrunched his nose in disgust.

"No, it was worse. We had to endure Blaise's invasive line of questioning about the whole ordeal while Pansy answered each question with a level of detail I wish I could Obliviate from my brain. As if I need to know what the outline of your cock feels like," Draco shook his head in an attempt to expel that particular conversation from his memory.

"Good Godric! No one needs to know that!" Harry spluttered, his cheeks bright with embarrassment.

"Face it, Potter, our best friends will force us into knowing way too much about one another. This is our lives now," Draco chuckled at the look of realization on the other wizard's face. "At least I hope it will be...rather than the alternative…" he trailed off. "Merlin, what if I lose her?" he choked out. So lost was he in his grief that he didn't even flinch when Potter placed a steadying hand on his shoulder.

"You won't," Harry assured him. "If she can survive a hex in the chest from Antonin Dolohov during fifth year, she'll certainly fight through this too," he said confidently. Somehow, it felt comforting that Potter didn't seem too worried about Hermione's recovery.

"Thank you," Draco responded after a moment. The wizard next to him simply nodded as if he understood the full weight of Draco's appreciation. It took a lot to be grateful to someone you'd spent your life hating. They sat there quietly for some time before either one of them spoke again.

"We caught him, you know," Harry said, breaking their comfortable silence.

"Of course, you did, Saint Potter," Draco snorted. "I had no doubt you'd bring that filth to justice."

"Was that actually a compliment?" Harry asked with a chuckle.

"It wasn't an insult…"

"Fair enough," he conceded. "I'll take it."

November 14, 2003

"Blimey, Hermione, he looks worse than he did in sixth year," Ginny's whisper floated through Draco's semi-conscious mind. "Though if I'm honest, I don't think you'll mind the scruff on his face one little bit," she added after a moment.

"Gin!" Theo scolded her quietly, which made Draco smile.

"I knew you were awake!" Ginny exclaimed. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel her finger pointed accusingly at his chest. Suddenly, it dawned on him where he was and why he was here.

"How is she? Has she woken? Have the Healers come to check on her? What time is it?" Draco spat out questions, desperate for answers. Ginny and Theo stared back at him with wide, concerned eyes.

"She'll be alright, mate," Theo assured him. "The Healers have been in three times to check on both of you since we arrived around early this morning. They left food for you, breakfast and lunch," Theo pointed to two trays sitting on the side table, kept warm and fresh with a Stasis Charm.

"What about her? I'll eat when she eats," he proclaimed angrily. After all, Hermione was the one in the hospital, not him. Theo and Ginny exchanged a worried glance.

"Well, you see—," Theo faltered.

"She's in a magically-induced coma right now," Ginny blurted out. "It seems that once she was hit with that arsehole's hex, all her magic surrounded her brain as a form of protection. They don't know when she'll wake, but in time, they think she'll be just fine," she explained soothingly.

"You need to eat, so you can help her through this," Theo added, taking out his wand to float a plate of food toward Draco. "The Healers think her response to you is what saved her. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to stabilize her in time to remove the Dark magic."

"It wouldn't hurt to use the loo and wash yourself either. You wouldn't want that to be the first thing she sees when she finally opens her eyes," Ginny gestured toward Draco's disheveled form. "Keep the stubble though. I promise you that it'll pay off," she winked.

"How can you be so positive that she'll be fine? My fiance is lying in the hospital after being attacked by a madman, and you're making light of it!" Draco screamed angrily, clenching his fists tightly. Potter hadn't seemed worried either. How could the people who loved Hermione most be so positive when his entire world felt like it had come crashing down around him? Even if everything did turn out fine, she might be attacked again in the future. Even worse, their future children could become targets all because of the choices Draco and his family had made in the past.

"Don't speak to her like that!" Theo admonished, stepping in front of Ginny as if he could shield her. The witch moved around him, placing her hand on his shoulder to steady him.

"I'm sorry, Draco," she apologized. "I understand you're worried, but I just know she'll be fine. Even my mum commented on how her coloring looked well when she and my dad came by earlier. Of course, this isn't the first coma in the Weasley family," she smiled warmly.

"I slept through your parents' visit? Were there any other callers I missed?"

"A few," Theo answered quickly, exchanging a strained glance with Ginny.

"If it's any consolation, most of them thought you looked very sweet holding Hermione's hand even though you contorted yourself in what appeared to be an extremely uncomfortable position just to be near her," Ginny smiled sweetly.

"Good grief, who saw me like that?"

"Just my parents, a handful of my brothers, Pansy, Harry, and Minister Shacklebolt, but he could only stay a few minutes."

Draco stared at the couple in disbelief. He could only imagine how many of those people blamed him for Hermione being in this condition in the first place. There was no doubt in his mind that the wizard who'd attacked her was certainly a blood purist of some sort. This was all his fault. Once again, fresh tears pricked his eyes. He stared at Hermione wishing she'd wake up. Wishing he could love her from somewhere other than under the stormcloud of being a Malfoy. Wishing for something better for her.

"Don't listen to a thing Ronald says!" Ginny declared angrily. "Ugh! I thought I'd kicked him out of here before he woke you. I'm sorry."

"I didn't even know he'd come around, Gin. It's just...if she stays with me, this sort of thing will always happen, won't it? I'm not good for her, not when people will attack her like this," Draco shook his head. He'd have to let her go. It wasn't fair to stay with Hermione when his very existence in her life made her a target.

"Don't be daft!" Ginny rolled her eyes. "You think this is the first time someone has come after her?" she scoffed. "Every time she helps pass a new civil law, the crazies come out of the woodwork. Merlin, she's probably listening right now, wishing she could crash your little pity party," she laughed, crossing the small space between them and crushing him into a hug. He'd have to get used to these Gryffindors' constant physical affection. Though he'd never admit it to anyone, he rather enjoyed it. The way Theo was smiling at him, he was pretty sure his best mate understood exactly how he felt.

Before long, the couple had to leave, but they handed him a stack of Hermione's favorite books that Potter had sent over earlier while Draco was still asleep. Looking through the pile of tomes, he laughed when he saw the last title, Hogwarts: A History. He supposed a book like that would be treasured by a Muggleborn witch such as Hermione. It was probably her first real introduction to magic.

Draco turned to the first page of the book and began to read aloud, pacing the length of the room as he did so.

"…the four greatest witches and wizards of their age, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin, came together to establish a school for those with magical abilities," a deep, soothing voice floated in and out of Hermione's thoughts, "it was logical that they chose a location far away from the eyes of non-magical people due to the climate of persecution prevalent at that time. Records show that the Hogwarts founders…," the voice continued, lulling her back to the peaceful place where her mind had retreated.

"I love you, Hermione," he declared. "Please come back to me. Please. Please. I'll give you anything. We'll be happy, I swear it," he pleaded with her. Merlin, she wished she could get to him. How does one return from this place of solitude? Think, Hermione! Think…

"This is for me?" he asked, dumbfounded. Hermione could hear the genuine emotion in his voice, and she wished to reach out to him.

"It's nothing really," Mrs. Weasley waved off the compliment, a defense mechanism she always used when she'd put her best effort into something and didn't want to face rejection if it wasn't well-received. "I understand if you don't like it, I just thought you looked cold when I came around last—"

"I like it!" he protested immediately. "No one's ever made something for me before…it's…thank you."

"You're fucking with me, Potter," he drawled sarcastically. "There is no way this is her favorite Muggle book with a line like that."

"Just read it. It's supposed to be ironic or something," Harry answered. She could almost picture her best friend rolling his eyes at having to discuss books with him.

"If she scolds me for reading this to her—"

"The Healers think your incessant prattling helps increase her brain activity—"

"I do not prattle, Potter."

"Just. Read. It," Harry emphasized each word as if it were a command.

"Fine! 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife'…"

"We finally did it!" a feminine voice screeched in Hermione's ear, accompanied by the sound of clapping. "And it was fantastic!"

"I don't want to hear this!" he sounded disgusted.

"Well, I wasn't speaking to you, was I?" she sneered in a tone Hermione recognized instantly.

"You think she wants to hear about it either, Pans? He's practically her brother for Merlin's sake." he sounded exasperated.

"Come back to us, Hermione. He's absolutely no fun at all without you."

"I'd give anything just to hear your voice right now," he whispered. Hermione felt it then. There was warmth in her hand where he'd intertwined their fingers. This was progress.

November 19, 2003

"Harry was right. He guards you like a dragon protecting his treasure," the voice of Ronald Weasley woke Draco as he whispered from the other side of Hermione's hospital bed. Draco didn't dare open his eyes or give himself away. This was the first time Weasley had come to visit since Ginny had kicked him out on the first day. "Only this prat would have a hospital room made to feel like a luxury suite," Weasley added under his breath.

By Draco's standards, he would never classify anything at St. Mungo's as luxurious, however, the room had morphed into a comfortable living space with the help of friends and family. The hospital staff had rolled in a bed beside Hermione so that he could stay close to her at night. He mostly read to her, but Blinky had brought in a small desk and some work for him to do. There were cozy touches to the place as well. After a mostly awkward exchange with Mrs. Weasley, which started with her nervously handing him a knitted blue blanket and ended in a blubbering, bone-crushing embrace, he decided he rather liked the matronly woman. She visited every day with treats of some sort and doted over him in a way that made him wish his own mother were more, well, motherly.

"At least I know he'll take care of you," Weasley sighed after a moment. "Just imagine me trying to read to you all day as he does! You'd end up waking up just to correct me on my pronunciation or some rubbish," he snorted. Draco inwardly smiled as he imagined Hermione angrily sitting up just to correct the ignorant git on his terrible reading skills. Could such a thing be possible? "Everyone seems to trust him now," Ron continued. "Even Dad likes him too. Do you know they had an actual conversation about investments or some shite, and my dad actually followed his advice? I expected my mum to take him in like a stray pet, but Dad?" he wondered in disbelief. Mr. Weasley had become quite friendly when he accompanied his wife to visit Hermione. At first, he was awkward but never cold. Once Draco mentioned something about Muggle investments shaping the way wizards trade and do business, Mr. Weasley had warmed right up. The younger wizard didn't think the financial advice he offered was anything special, but it was nice to know Mr. Weasley trusted him enough to use the information.

"Anyway, I just miss you, and of course, I really need you to tell me what to do since I've really gone and screwed things up now," Ron admitted bashfully.

Draco could hear the guilt in his voice as if he really did think Hermione would scold him at any moment. What could this fool have possibly done now? A small part of Draco felt contrite for listening in on what was obviously private, but it was too late to do anything about it at this point.

"I tried to fix things with Hannah as you told me, but it felt forced. I even tried to take her on a proper date, but she looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment," Ron admitted with exasperation. "Not to mention Neville of all people blowing up at me in the pub last weekend for no reason at all…well, maybe there was a reason, but I don't remember it. He invited me out and made sure we were both good and pissed before unloading on me if you can believe that!" Weasley grumbled, trailing off as he explained the situation. He was quiet then. It was almost as if the ginger wizard had simply disappeared, but one couldn't simply Disapparate from within the walls of St. Mungo's.

After a few minutes, Draco stole a peek to make sure he hadn't imagined the other wizard's presence and caught Ron staring at Hermione sadly with red-rimmed eyes.

"Alright, well your snake is starting to stir, and I've no wish to deal with him," Weasley whispered. "Please wake up soon. We all need you," he said as he stood, kissed her on the forehead, and left.

"...might try adding the Lobalug Venom to the potion with only two stirs to the left and add the Abraxon hair after," his voice mused, shocking Hermione back into the world outside of her own brain. What was he talking about? There was no known potion in which Abraxon hair would be added after Lobalug Venom.

Everyone, especially a potioneer such as himself, knew that the resulting fumes could be toxic, possibly deadly if added in that order. She couldn't lose him. Could one force their own body back into working order out of pure strong will?

"I know what you're thinking, love. The fumes can be somewhat dangerous, but what if there are potions and cures just waiting to be discovered? What if I used one of those Muggle hazmat suits until the fumes subsided and added a unicorn hair at just the right time?"

Brilliant. This man is brilliant. The very thought of his idea made Hermione want to research potion ingredients more in-depth than she'd been able to in the past. If only she kept a library inside her head. How terribly she missed her books.

November 22, 2003

"She's going to be so upset you're both missing their wedding," Harry motioned toward Hermione and shook his head sadly. Theo and Ginny's nuptials were set for today, but Draco couldn't stand the thought of leaving Hermione, especially now that her brain activity had increased almost to a conscious level. The Healers thought she might awaken very soon.

"Believe me, I'm having a hard time missing my best mate's wedding, but in the end, I'd regret not being here for her even more," Draco replied thoughtfully.

"You know she's still going to scold you about it, right?" Pansy smirked, squeezing Draco's shoulder in support.

"Yeah," he grinned to himself. He'd give anything to hear her voice, even if it was just to yell at him.

"I'm just running down to the cafe to grab you something to eat before we leave," Pansy replied with a knowing smile. She kissed Potter on the cheek and left the two wizards to watch for any change in Hermione's demeanor. What if she only woke up to realize he wasn't worth all of the trouble it would be to be with someone like him?

"You know, he wanted to stop her werewolf legislation," Potter said suddenly. "...in case you were, -er…worried…about his…motive," he revealed, seemingly out of nowhere. Draco turned to his former rival, who was staring straight ahead. How could he know that Draco had been beating himself up about the reason for Hermione's attack?

"-Er…thanks. Potter," he cleared his throat. The other wizard gave a brief nod in acknowledgment but remained silent. Perhaps, Harry Potter wasn't so bad after all. Admittedly, he and Pansy had been a great help during this whole ordeal. In spite of their past, Potter visited every day and spoke with Draco as if they were great friends instead of two men who were being forced to tolerate one another. Maybe they were something akin to friends now.

"I'm going to check on Pansy," Harry quietly announced before slipping out of the room. He was gone but a moment before a movement caught Draco's eye. Hermione's finger twitched!

A/N - Thank you once again for all your support and comments throughout this story. I won't make any promises on the date of the next chapter, but I want you to know that I am constantly working on it.