Draco's eyes flickered open and he was assaulted by an awful headache immediately. The light from the window drifted across his face and he closed his eyes again. He heard the rustle of clothes to his right, but didn't react. He already knew who was there.

He clenched his fists, but didn't open his eyes. He could feel a soft magic swaying around him and understood that he had been placed under a protection charm. Something was obstructing the movement of his left arm, maybe a cast, or– He didn't know. He couldn't focus.

His head was in so much pain.

"Draco?" his wife's soft voice said, as he felt her take his hand.

His heartbeat accelerated. The magic sensors relayed it as a light ringing resounded in the room.

The pressure on his hand tightened slightly, as his wife's thumb skimmed his knuckles. He shivered. Her hand was so soft against his.

He took a long and calm breath, before finally opening his eyes. Taking time to let his eyes adjust to the light, he felt the caresses on his hand stop. As the colours started to form and the assault of the light decreased gradually to a bearable degree, he could distinguish his wife's silhouette.

She was entirely dressed in black, her hair was tied into a messy bun, face entirely free of makeup and ravaged by sadness and concern, and her complexion as white as a sheet.

When his eyesight finally became clear, he met her eyes and saw her try to smile. It was an abject failure and her lips stretched in a sad and joyless grimace. A lovely oxymoron to her eyes, which were full of love.

They stayed quiet for several seconds, and then a few minutes. He watched her blink away her tears a few times, as she tried to smile again.

This was all wrong. So superficial. Draco felt horrible. Again. Like always.

"How do you feel?" she asked in a voice that echoed her past sobs.

He coughed before speaking.

"Fine," he lied, voice flat.

A lifeless voice.

He saw in her eyes that she didn't believe him, but she said nothing, doing little more than nodding.

The silence was overwhelming. Oppressive. Harmful.

She no longer dared to meet his eyes. She looked down at her knees, letting go of his hand to twiddle a piece of fabric that looked like a tissue.

He knew he should be feeling a sense of grief, but he couldn't. His heart was beating in slow motion.

"What day is it?" he asked with a calm but emotionless voice.

He was staring at the white ceiling, his hand laid beside him on the mattress. Empty too.

He heard her snuffle, but didn't react. He couldn't. Everything was so pale.

"Thursday."

Four days had passed. Four days spent in a coma. He closed his eyes and sighed.

Almost.

"The healers said you almost died again, Draco," he heard her say with a shaking voice.

He clenched his jaw and kept his eyes closed. He heard her sobbing slightly and felt a tear leave his right eye.

He was crying too. For the first time in months. Or had it been years?

Years of complete emptiness. Of indifference. Of coldness. Of paleness.

A tear ended it all.

He felt it run along his cheek, and then his chin, before rolling down his naked torso.

He opened his eyes and turned his head toward her. She had lowered her head and the brown curls were hiding her face. Her shoulders were shaking from her sobs and she stabilised herself by putting her hands on her knee.

He swallowed and blinked away his own tears.

"Did they say anything else?" he asked with a rough voice.

She met his eyes but the sadness in them didn't change anything for him. He was still so empty. Life was still pale. Or maybe it was dark. He couldn't tell the difference anymore.

"They agreed," she said in a fatalistic tone.

A weight suddenly lifted from his shoulders. He felt lighter, more free. More tears escaped from his eyes as he sighed with relief. This made her look away.

This small hope, this sparkle, this sentence, just turned a light back on inside him, a light that had been turned off for so many years.

A light of relief.

He stared down at his left forearm. A bandage was wrapped around the crook of his elbow. The veins trying to escape from under the skin were still black.

They had to act quickly to save him, he was sure of it.

"Who?" he merely asked, without taking his eyes off his bandage.

"Your mother. She was bringing you some of your favourite caramels to comfort you during my absence."

Bollocks, he destroyed one more life.

"One more minute and–"

She cut herself off.

He didn't need her to continue. Neither did she.

He swallowed.

"Did you sign the papers?" he asked, staring at the ceiling again.

She waited a moment before answering.

"Draco, you–"

"Did you sign the papers, Hermione?" he cut her off.

Empty.

"Yes," she whispered reluctantly.

He felt her take his hand again and this time, he held it back, entwining their fingers.

For the first time in months, he let a slight smile spread across his lips. His heart was beating quickly.

He met her watery eyes.

"Thanks," he merely murmured.

"I would do anything for you, you know that?" she answered with a broken voice, as she took his hand to her lips.

"I know."

She closed her eyes, her lips pressed against his still reddened knuckles.

He felt nothing again. A few minutes of happiness. A little bit of light in the dark room of his mind.

"When?" he asked abruptly.

She frowned, confused.

"Would it be possible now?" he added without taking his eyes off her.

"Now?" she exclaimed, voice echoing in the silence following.

She couldn't believe it. Her tears overflowed her eyes as he simply nodded.

"You don't want to see your parents before, or–"

"No," he cut her off. "You're the only one that I want to see."

She froze. He hadn't shown any sort of affection or preference towards her in months.

"Draco," she answered with a shattered tone, as she squeezed his hand tighter. "Don't do this, I beg you. We will find a solution, I promise that time will work in our favour, I–"

"We already talked about this," he cut her off as he took his eyes off her.

"I love you, Draco," she sobbed as she forced him to look at her.

"I know. But it's not enough," he answered, tight throat with emotion.

Fear was starting to seep into him. He was worried about how it would happen, but also felt a sense of freedom once again. It was an odd combination of emotions.

She nodded, tears falling from her eyes and down her cheeks.

"Can I kiss you?" she asked.

He nodded, as he squeezed her hands back. It was one last effort. One final kiss.

She stood and sat slowly on the hospital bed. She lovingly laid a hand on his cheek without taking her eyes off him. They were so full of love that it almost broke his heart. Almost.

"I love you, Draco Malfoy. I would do anything for you, for your happiness. You will never have to suffer again."

She put her lips on his with a tender, loving softness and he answered it with the same degree of love. He loved her. He loved her so much.

But what was love in the black hole that his mind had become?

"Will it be painful?" she asked slowly, as she pulled away from him, her face ravaged by tears.

He shook his head. No.

"It's faster than falling asleep."