Author's Note: Ah, this is it! Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading my first completed fanfic. I am so humbly grateful for everyone who took their time out of their lives to read this and leave reviews, favorites, and follows on this.
Now, this chapter has a lot of trigger warnings. Please proceed with caution. The intended reading age is 18 and above so reader discretion is advised.
Trigger warnings: This chapter includes swearing, violence, blood, kidnapping, imprisonment, graphic traumatic childbirth, emotional trauma, and major character death. Again, this is a dead dove, non-HEA fic so please please please take these trigger warnings seriously.
Again, thank you all so much for reading this and I hope you enjoyed 'This Vow I Make Thee'.
Sincerely,
La
Chapter Five
The letter from Theo agreeing to meet Hermione in the afternoon arrived that morning almost as soon as she'd sent it with Draco's owl. As ill as she'd been, her tensity seemed to make it so much worse and she barely left the lavatory for a few hours. She had to make herself get up from her slumped position because she needed to prepare herself for his.
She dressed in her yellow daffodil dress robe, the one Theo always complimented her on when she wore it. Today she was too sick to fuss much further with her appearance so she wore her hair down. It'd been so long since she had done that she'd forgotten how heavy it was as it settled around her shoulders almost to her waist.
The time seemed to be quite hasty because it wasn't long before Theo was due in five minutes while she paced in front of the fireplace. The nausea was still rather overpowering but her nerves had her feeling almost obliterated. She stood for a second and laid her hand over her abdomen, willing herself to breathe deeply and not become physically ill.
A sudden swirl of green flames in the fireplace startled her as her hand dropped back down to her side.
Then Theo was there.
He was here, with her, after months of being separated.
She could weep for joy to see him were it not for the reality of the situation. He seemed to be holding his breath as he stepped out into her parlor, his eyes racking over her and taking in every detail of her. She could see the fire of longing in his gaze, how much he had missed her as she'd missed him.
There was nothing to be done though as she set firm her resolve.
Hermione stood gracefully before him, determined to not lose herself to the abounding emotions currently waring within her. It was imperative this be done today.
"Theo." She spoke his name softly, the adoration she could not keep out of her voice as she said it.
Theo seemed to sigh a breath of relief at her tone, apparently he'd been nervous to finally meet with her.
"Hermione, you look lovely." Theo complimented, his eyes gentle as they took in her dress robe.
Her faux demeanor cracked. She couldn't help the bitterness that seeped from her voice as she went straight for the heart of why she'd called on him.
"I'm sure not as lovely as Daphne Greengrass."
The air between them was suddenly stifled, with his eyes widened and his lips parted. He obviously didn't think she'd find out. Her eyes shone a little tearily at the awareness of this truth.
"Were you ever intending to tell me, Theo?" She asked quietly.
He seemed at a loss for words because it took him several minutes before he could reply.
"It was unplanned." He explained, the excuse sounding dubious even to him it seemed.
Her heart solidified at his words, setting herself to do what must be done.
"I see, I suppose the polite thing to do would be to wish you much happiness with your soon-to-be wife."
"Hermione-"
She held up her hand for silence which he obliged.
"I didn't ask you here to berate you for your pending nuptials, Theo. That would be rather hypocritical of me given my own circumstances. I simply wished to speak to you once more before you married."
Theo seemed startled by this.
"Once more? What do you mean, once more?"
Hermione felt her breathing struggle to steady as she looked into his frightened eyes.
"I mean to say goodbye, Theo."
"What? Why?" He shouted in shock.
She looked at him with quavering courage. This would be much harder than she'd thought.
"I cannot infringe on your marriage. I won't do that to Daphne." She stated with firm rationale.
He seemed floored by her reasons.
"Infringe how? Hermione, what are you saying?"
She felt the tears slide slowly down her cheeks but she refused to clear them away.
"I can't be with you Theo when you are meant to be with your wife."
Theo's face looked uncomprehending as he gradually took in her words.
"But...Hermione, you're the love of my life. You're everything to me. Don't you feel the same? Don't you love me, too?"
She stared at the man before her, his hazel eyes still full of the kindness from all those nights long ago even as they swam in heartbroken tears like her own.
"Of course I love you Theo," she whispered with all the love that she felt for him, "I love you in a way that I've never known love to exist. However, I was already the other woman in my own marriage. I cannot be the other woman in yours as well."
He looked as if she'd struck him. The shock and anguish in his eyes was easily seen from across the parlor.
"Hermione, please don't do this." He begged her.
She couldn't stand to see him like this any longer. He needed to know.
"Theo, I'm seven weeks pregnant."
He stilled at this. She watched with agonizing pain as he worked the truth out in his head. That they hadn't been intimate since he'd gone months ago. That it could only mean what she knew he feared the most. The change in his demeanor was swift. Kindness was replaced with disdain as he stared her down.
"So, you're giving Malfoy his heir at last." He spoke hostilely, making her physically wince.
"Yes, my husband and I are expecting." She returned with just as much frigidness.
She could see him shaking with anger.
"You fucked him? After everything he's done to you, you caved into his demands and spread your legs for him?"
Her mouth dropped open in surprise at his crass words. This was not the Theo she knew.
"I beg your pardon?" She asked, incensed.
He crossed the room then, cradling her cheeks and staring hard into her eyes.
"Did he force himself on you?" He asked in a serious, bitter tone.
She pushed at his chest then, outraged at his gaul.
"Enough, Theo. Of course he didn't force me, I'm his wife. This is getting nowhere and as you said before there's nothing more to discuss. I won't be your mistress." She stated with finality.
"Hermione, please, I love you. We'll think of a way to be together." He pleaded with her again.
She shook her head fervently.
"I will not be second again, Theo!" She yelled, her anger and frustration at the situation she was in finally pouring out in her tears.
"Can't you see that I don't want to be like Astoria? I don't want to look at Daphne and see nothing but the same pain I felt when I looked at her sister? I made a vow to Draco and I intend to keep it, Theo."
His heartbreak was like ice, hard and unyielding.
"If you truly loved me it wouldn't matter that Daphne is there. You'd be with me however we could be as I was with you how I could be despite your marriage barrier."
Hermione felt herself moved by these words. Were it not for her vow she may have given into him right then and there.
But she had made a vow…and there was nothing she could do to change the actuality of that choice she made in her foolish youth.
"I'm sorry Theo." She whispered breathily. "Please leave."
Hermione couldn't look at him any longer, placing her practiced lady of the manor emotionless face upon herself as she gazed out the window, waiting for him to take his departure. At long last she saw him move toward the doors instead of the fireplace out of the corner of her eye. He paused before them.
"You were the greatest love of my life, Hermione. I want you to remember that every time that bastard holds you or his spawn kicks your womb. That I loved you regardless of circumstances and still do even as you reject that love. I hope you find happiness in the life you've chosen."
With that, he threw open the doors, taking his leave not through the secret stairwell as usual but out through the main hallway where anyone could see where he came from.
She didn't stop him.
Once she was sure he had gone she withdrew her wand shakily from her pocket and slammed the doors shut, uselessly warding herself inside her rooms as she fell to her knees then curled on her side. She lay on the expanse of expensive persian rugs, far older than herself or anyone alive in this manor, and wept painfully for yet another loss in her life.
When she woke up some time later Hermione found herself in bed. Confused, she slowly rose up to sit, regretting it immediately as her stomach rolled with nausea. She turned to fetch her chamberpot only to find Draco sitting beside her bed, holding it out for her. With no interest in propriety she snatched it from him and let herself be sick as her body needed.
He reached over to smooth her hair from her face as she gagged. He said nothing nor did he look disgusted as she assumed he would. Once she had finished he waved his wand to clean her illness from before her less her pregnancy sensitivity to smells made her start again. She sat back against the pillows, breathing heavily as she waited for her stomach to find calm.
"Is it done?" He asked after her breathing had returned to normal.
"I know you've checked the wards Draco to see he left some time ago." She replied, not bitterly but with no real emotion at all.
It was done.
He had the decency to straighten himself stiffly at her comment, watching her with his pewter grey eyes as they sat in silence.
"Hermione," he began and she startled at his soft tone, "on our wedding night you had asked me if we could learn to be friends in this marriage."
She stilled at this memory, even years later it was painful to recall the callous look on his face as he admitted he could never find more feeling for her than he did his damn broomstick.
"At the time I was so taken with Astoria that the idea of having any type of affections for another woman, even my own wife, was not within my capacity to comprehend. I know now that the affections you sought weren't meant to attempt to replace my feelings for her but to find room somewhere within me to make this marriage successful."
She didn't react to his words, wondering what his game was.
"Now that things have changed," he nodded to her still flat stomach, " I think it's time I apologized for my juvenile behavior and asked for your forgiveness."
Her eyes hardened as she looked at her husband.
"Only now, Draco? Now that we have impending parenthood you deem your mudblood wife worthy of an apology after everything I've endured since becoming your wife?"
His nostrils flared at her words. They stared each other down for several long minutes before he took a deep breath.
"You're right. That was poorly worded on my part. I would be lying if I didn't admit our child was a factor in this, but it's more than that. You've been a good wife Hermione, better than I've deserved. I'd like to make amends for our sake more so than the baby's. If you cannot forgive me, I understand. I think it would do us well to find how to function in this marriage in an peaceable manner together. My only hope is that we can come to a place of acceptance of the wrongs done in the past and find friendship as you wished to before."
This was unexpected. She cannot remember the last time Draco spoke so honestly to her and she is surprised how much it soothed her broken spirit to hear him speak to her with kindness after all the heartache of the day.
With a small smile, Hermione held her hand out to him.
"I'd like that very much, Draco. I accept your apology and offer of reconciliation on one condition. We agree to promise to raise this baby to respect and be kind to everyone. Promise?"
Without hesitation he slid his fingers between hers, grasping her hand firmly in their shared tender moment.
"I promise."
Their relationship could never be what she had with Theo. It could be enough though. For her, keeping her vow and finding companionship or possibly friendship with her husband to raise their child in goodness could be enough.
Hermione's eyes opened from the afternoon nap she'd taken to sleep through her increasing backen hicks contractions. Instead of the usual peace that lulled over the manor she was awoken to the sounds of panicked shouting. Disoriented in her still half state of sleep she slowly sat up, groaning at the very swollen belly and the stretching their child decided they needed to do straight into her bladder. With hurried waddled steps she made it to the lavatory, barely, before making her way out of her rooms into the sitting room between hers and Draco's rooms. It seemed the loud shouting was Narcissa and it was coming from her husband's rooms.
Holding her stomach up to relieve the pending birth pressure she constantly felt these days she hurried into his rooms.
It was a scene straight from her nightmares.
House elves were scrambling about, fetching things as Narcissa was barking orders. The lady of the manor herself was sitting next to Draco on his bed, holding a bloody cloth to his side as he lay on his back, groaning painfully.
Hermione's throat tightened as her lower abdomen clenched with a rather painful contraction. Her husband was injured. Without further thought she hurried to the opposite side of his bed.
"Narcissa, what's happened?" She asked in fright, attempting to sit on the bed and reach for her his hand.
"Get away from him, you harlot!" Her mother-in-law spat, her ice blue eyes staring scornfully at her.
Hermione's hand faltered as she looked on in surprised horror at the woman before her. As much as Narcissa despised her, she had never called her that before.
"This is all your fault!" She screeched, further sending Hermione into a confused state of panic.
"Mother, please don't." Draco pleaded, his hand reaching toward Hermione.
"Don't you dare touch him!" Narcissa threatened.
Draco's hand grasped Hermione's firmly despite his mother's threats. Narcissa's nostrils flared in anger as she glared hatefully at her.
"Theodore Nott attempted to kill him outside of Knockturn Alley. Thank Salazar, I was with Draco so I could bring him straight home. That madman said it was revenge for you, you stupid mudblood whore!" Narcissa bit out scathingly.
Hermione's face turned an ashy coloring. Theo. Theo had tried to kill Draco.
"It's not her fault, mother." Draco reassured Hermione as he held her hand, looking into her eyes so she could see he spoke truthfully.
"Not her fault? Draco, he was going to kill you then most likely come here to kill your heir!" His mother cried, becoming more worked up the longer she looked at her daughter-in-law.
Hermione felt another painful pull in her belly.
Something wasn't right.
"I think I should go for now, husband. It seems I'm upsetting your mother and in my current state I cannot take care of you as she can." She murmured quietly, gently squeezing his hand once before slipping it away.
"No, you do not have to leave, Hermione." He offered sincerely.
Things between them had changed much in these last several months of her pregnancy. She wasn't disillusioned to think what they shared was anything like love but it was a peaceful companionship between each other. There were times of strain to be sure, after all there was no deep affection between them. However, there was at last the respect she so desperately wanted them to have and Hermione knew Draco meant what he was saying. Regardless, she needed to floo her midwife.
"It's alright. I'll come see you after the healer leaves." She reasoned.
It was extremely difficult with her big belly but she managed to lean over and place a platonic kiss against his cheek.
"I'll be back later."
With a loud huff she somehow returned to her swollen feet unassisted and managed to walk gracefully from his rooms even as she throbbed in pain. It was a slow progress back to her own rooms but thankfully she ran into no one. Once she made it through the doors and closed them behind her she moaned loudly in pain.
Fear of what she was sure was happening raced through her as she hobbled over to the fireplace, taking a handful of the floo powder left in the elegant bowl atop the mantle. She threw it in amongst the logs, calling out for healer Keller, her midwife. Within moments her healer's head appeared in the green flames.
"Lady Malfoy, is everything alright?"
Hermione gritted her teeth.
"I believe I'm having contractions."
"Have you started to time them?" The midwife asked kindly.
"Not yet, they only started the last few days but the last few have felt different." She admitted.
"Well, it's a bit early for you to be in labor with a few days until your due date but to err on the side of safety it would be best to check you. Are you able to come to my office?"
Hermione bit her lip. Narcissa would be furious that she had left the manor alone, as she had promised not to when the floo was reopened for her, especially with Draco in the state he was in. However, this was more important. Her husband would understand completely and his opinion was really the only one that mattered to her honestly.
"Yes, I'll be there in the next half an hour."
She thanked her healer whose head vanished from within the flames. Another painful tightening rippled across her stomach and she groaned, hoping she was just intolerant to pain and that these were simply bracken hick contractions.
Twenty minutes later Hermione was waddling toward St. Mungo's. Healer Keller's midwifery business was conveniently set up next door to the hospital. She had to pause because she was becoming rather breathless with her movements toward the building and every now and then was overcome with painful pulls at her stomach. This felt awful and she secretly hoped to never have to go through this again.
Suddenly, two arms wrapped around her from behind. Before she could even cry out she felt herself spinning on the spot as they forcefully apparated her. Her stomach rolled and squeezed to the point she couldn't breath and she panicked that she was going to die from lack of breath. The feeling ended quickly as she felt her feet land unsteadily in a dark room.
With immediate panic she stomped on the foot of her assailant, their deep voice swearing as they released her. She attempted to run but found herself doubled over in fright as water leaked out from between her legs, soaking her lilac dress robe.
Oh Godric her water broke.
"Hermione, wait." The man behind her spoke gently and made her entire frame freeze.
Reluctantly she turned slowly to face him.
Theo.
He looked awful. He'd obviously lost weight since they last met. His face was haggard, his skin a sickly color unlike the healthy tan it had been last she saw him. His eyes looked drawn and lifeless although they sparkled a little when they met hers.
Theo had kidnapped her.
She quickly began to take note of the room around them. It looked like a crypt. It was carved into the stone somewhere underground she assumed. Torches lined the wall to display the intricately carved murals depicting scenes of what she believed were great wizarding battles from the medieval ages if the carving skill were to be judged by her academic eyes. There was a single stone slab sitting atop a flattened boulder to make what she assumed was a table. Otherwise the room was empty.
"Theo? What's going on? Where are we?"
He simply stared at her, his eyes searching with desirous affection over her face as if he'd finally seen the sun after months in the shadows of this place. His gaze traveled downward and she noticed his look hardened when it took in her swollen belly. When his eyes took note of the obvious wet path down the front of her dressing robe they snapped up to meet hers again.
"You're in labor." He stated matter-of-factly.
Her heart began to race as she realized that fact herself. She was in labor, trapped somewhere with her ex lover, and no one knew she was here.
Panicked, Hermione grit her teeth, trying vainly to hide the truth from the man before her.
"Where are we, Theo?" She asked angrily, holding her heavy stomach to help relieve some of the pressure.
Theo didn't respond at first. Instead, his wand at his side rose as the tip pointed and flicked at her. She felt her wand whip out of her pocket and into his hand. Watching in terror he slid it within his own pocket, effectively making her defenseless.
"We're inside the Nott manor oubliette." He explained, pointing his wand and transfiguring the stone table into a bed complete with a mattress and bedding.
If she hadn't been in a panic before she was absolutely in one now. An oubliette. Oubliettes were notorious places in older pureblood family homes. They were used centuries ago when wizarding lords were in charge of their own enforcement of laws on their estates. Oubliettes could be entered by anyone. However, only a member of the family could take someone out.
Theo had her trapped in the Nott manor oubliette.
"Theo, why am I here?" She asked quietly, somehow calm even as she felt herself shiver with terror.
Theo continued to point his wand and conjured wooden furniture like a round table, a wardrobe, a few chairs, a sofa with plush red cushions.
"You're staying here." He said as if it were the most apparent answer.
"Theo, I'm in labor, I need to go see my midwife." Hermione replied, her voice high and frightened.
"You'll be fine here. I'll bring someone to help." He tried to console her as he made a sprawl of food appear across the table.
She felt like she couldn't catch a breath. Theo was holding her hostage. Determined, Hermione began to look around the room helplessly for an exit.
"Theo I need to leave, now."
It was then he moved toward her and held her face tenderly, forcing her to look into his eyes. Hermione felt such fear in that moment but could see the love and kindness she once sought so often in this man's beautiful hazel eyes. Her heart throbbed as she admitted to herself how much she had missed seeing that.
"Don't worry, love. It's going to be fine. Once you have Malfoy's heir we'll send him the baby and you can be free of him at last."
Hermione stared incomprehensibly at him. What in the world was he talking about?
"Theo, I'm still married and bonded to Draco. We're having a child together." She said slowly, hoping to snap him out of whatever deranged psychosis he was having.
Theo's eyes blazed heatedly at her words.
"He doesn't want you, Hermione. Give him his heir and we can be together. You said so yourself that he told you once you give him his heir he would leave you to your own desires."
Damn, she had told him that hadn't she? That was before everything with their vows had been known but sharing that with Theo right now would only make things worse. She decided to try to reason with him. Her hand rose to brush his curls from his forehead as she used to do. She could see him lean into her touch, like a relieving salve for a wound in need of healing.
"Theo, you know the great fear I have for rooms without escape. Would you really have me give birth in this damp cave? It's not safe here for me or my baby." She whispered, silently pleading with him to see her justification for needing to leave.
Theo's eyes opened and Hermione felt her heart leap into her throat at the demented look in his eyes.
"I won't let him take you from me again, Hermione."
She felt real terror capture her heart then.
"Theo don't do this, please. Let me leave and go to my midwife."
He placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Don't worry. I'll be back with another midwife after I take care of a few things."
His words took too long for her to register. By the time they did he'd taken several steps back and apparated.
Hermione's breathing began to come out in anxious pants.
He'd left her.
Theo left her alone, in labor, in a room with likely no doors or windows.
"Theo." She sobbingly whispered, hoping she was only working herself up and he'd simply apparated to another part of the room.
She began to run her hands frantically over the walls, looking for the hidden door that must be there because he would never do this to her, knowing her terror of enclosed spaces.
"Theo." She called out louder in a scared cry. She felt her nails chip and one even broke painfully as she clawed at the edges of stone, certain he loved her too much to leave her like this.
"THEO!" She screamed as the pang of another labor pain doubled her over, bawling brokenhearted as she realized he had left her to give birth alone and trapped.
Many hours or more likely days later, Hermione wasn't sure, she moaned in painful delirium as another contraction ripped through her back and abdomen. They were coming quicker together now. She couldn't time them as she was without a clock but the fact that her body felt like it was preparing to push let her know she was right.
After she had come to terms with the fact she would most likely welcome her first child into the world alone she had pulled out the resourceful Hermione Granger of her youth and set to determined work. First she gathered supplies. Theo had seemed to know something of childbirth because he'd left her with towels, a large jug of water, fresh linens, silk string, shears, a bowl, and a labor safe pain potion.
She'd held off on taking the potion, unsure how much pain she'd be in during the late stages of labor. Instead she focused on preparing for her child's arrival. She laid a few towels on the mattress, intended to help with the bleeding. The linens she managed to rip into strips to use to help stifle her bleeding once the baby was here. She managed to rip a haphazard piece she could use to clean the baby with as well as another to wrap them in.
The bowl ended up being her emesis bowl as she became sick during her intense labor pains. The water she used to clean out her mouth and drink. She rationed it though knowing she'd need it later to clean herself and the child.
Most of her labor she walked and mentally translated ruins to pass the time. She walked in circles around the room, needing to move labor forward from what she recalled in her muggle pregnancy books. A few times she'd almost collapsed to her knees as the pain tore through her worse than the cruciatus curse from her youth.
When she actually fell into the wall she decided it was too unsafe to continue moving and made her way to the bed. This was the state she found herself in now. She kept switching positions, trying to find a comfortable way to place her body as yet another hard contraction captured her breath. She breathed a long moan through the pain, willing her body to just push the damn baby out already. She'd left the labor pain potion on the table like a damn bint but there was no way she could reach it now.
As if her body decided to follow her mental will she felt an unbearable pressure on her lower abdomen and the exceedingly urgent need to push. Hermione rolled onto her back to lay against the pillows that helped prop her at an angle. Her legs parted as she grabbed her bent knees and began to bear down on her bottom.
Oh Godric did this fucking hurt.
She screamed with each push, sweat dripping into her eyes and burning them but she didn't care. The burning between her legs was so much more painful that she had to keep pushing to get the baby out and make it stop.
She reached down to feel how much of the child was out and her fingers brushed against wet matted hair.
The head.
With sudden panic she realized she was almost done and clenched her abdomen again, pushing hard with what strength she had left. It was a strange feeling to feel so much burning and pressure then a feeling of relief as the shoulders passed and the rest of the baby's body followed at a much faster pace into her waiting hands as she cried out.
She did it.
Trembling, she pulled the baby up to her chest and looked with amazement at the blonde haired beauty before her.
A boy.
Hermione had a son and he was perfect. She reached over and grabbed the torn fabric she had set aside to clean him with and began to clear out his nose and mouth, willing him with low encouraging words to cry. It took only moments before he gave a soft mewl then a hearty howl that made her sigh in relief. She cooed down at him, this precious boy, as she wiped the afterbirth off him and rubbed him firmly to warm his body.
Satisfied he was clean enough she took his hands and feet in her hand. Ten fingers, ten toes just as he should. He had Draco's lips and the Malfoy nose. His ears looked somewhat like hers but he really was pure Malfoy.
So perfect.
She reached for the clean cloth and covered him in it as she held him against her, pulling down the top of her dress robe so they were skin to skin. While she held him she felt herself push out the placenta and realized the umbilical cord was still attached to her son. She wouldn't worry about this now since she'd wanted a delayed umbilical cord detachment anyway. She could feel the blood still flowing between her legs and she stuffed several cotton strips gently against her bruised tender skin.
Satisfied, she cuddled her son close to her, finally allowing the exhaustion of labor to wash over.
She'd already picked out his name which Draco was impartial to as long as it followed the Black family tradition of being named after a constellation. She gently ran her fingers over the wet blonde hair, falling more in love with him by the second.
"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy." She whispered quietly.
It was the perfect name for such a perfect boy.
She stared at this beautiful creature, simply in awe of him in a way she'd never loved anyone else. Her finger carefully ran over his little fingers that held hers within a strong grasp as she smiled tearily down at him.
"You may be named after a scorpion because of your father's family tradition but to me you'll be my little sparrow because you bring me all the joy I will ever need in my life."
Content, Hermione began to hum the sparrow song softly into her sleeping little boy's downy soft hair.
They stayed like this until he began to whimper and snort, rutting against her skin. It took almost too long and many tears on her part to learn how to latch him onto her. She watched with shock as he gulped greedily, the pain of the first breast feed rather distracting. Eventually he had his fill and she lifted him to burp him on her shoulder.
Once he settled again atop her chest her eyes immediately began to droop.
Scorpius seemed to still be as exhausted from the labor as she was and soon quietly fell asleep again on her breasts. Hermione let herself lull peacefully to sleep then, desperate for some reprieve from the intense and long labor.
When Hermione woke she held nothing in her arms.
Panic rushed through her as her eyes snapped open and she looked frantically around. The bed was cleaned and Scorpius was nowhere to be seen.
She began to throw the bedding off her in alarm when she noticed someone stepping toward the end of the bed.
Theo.
He held Scorpius, whom it seemed he had taken the liberty of clamping and cutting the umbilical cord without her consent, looking down at the swaddled baby with an odd smile on his face.
"He looks exactly like Malfoy, Hermione."
Sheer terror gripped her as she watched him cradle her son in his arms.
"He needs to eat, Theo. Will you please hand him back so I can feed him?" She spoke breathily, hoping it would convince him to give her son back.
Theo frowned at her.
"He can eat once I drop him off at Malfoy's manor."
Hermione's heart began to stutter at an uneven pace.
"Theo, if you love me you'll give me my son, please."
He shook his head, stepping back a few steps.
"No Hermione. I'm giving Malfoy his son, then I'll return with the midwife I was able to find and convince to tend to you."
Hermione felt tears begin to blind her vision, blurring the man she loved and the son she loved more.
"Theo, give me my son!"
"I'm sorry, Hermione." He actually sounded compassionately sorrowful as he suddenly apparated.
"No!" She screamed as she weakly lunged toward the end of the bed, desperate to stop him and save her son.
They were gone.
Hermione lay weakly where she fell, sobbing loud wailing cries for Scorpius, demanding to the air that Theo give him back. In time she felt her head spin woozily with such intensity that it swept her away into unconsciousness again.
When Hermione woke some time later all the sounds around her were faded and echoing. She thought they might be voices. Her head slowly turned toward the commotion and she felt her heart swell at the sight.
Theo had come back...and Draco was with him.
She didn't know how but he was here, holding Theo by the throat who looked as if he'd been beaten half to death with all bruises covering every exposed inch of skin on his body. Draco had his wand pointed right into his face, screaming in complete fury.
"I'll fucking kill you with my bare hands, Nott! You left my wife unattended in this hellhole after giving birth to my son?"
Her heart lurched at the threat.
No.
No, Draco couldn't kill Theo. Even though he'd done this to her she still loved him and didn't want harm to come to him. More importantly though, if Draco killed him he'd be sent to Azkaban. Scorpius needed them both, he can't leave her to raise him alone with his tyrannical parents. He had to protect them.
"What do you care, Malfoy? You never wanted her! Let her stay with me, I love her." Theo begged in a tearful voice.
"Interesting way to show you love someone by leaving her in a goddamn impenetrable oubliette without a midwife's assistance!"
With slow, painful movements Hermione pulled herself over toward the edge of the bed. She tried to call out weakly to the men to stop but they'd continued shouting obscenities at each other. Her head started that rapid spinning feeling again and she felt extremely sickened from it.
The sound of a fist crashing into skin and a groan of pain echoed across the room before she heard the scuffle happening. With a great will of strength she pulled herself forward again, desperate to stop them. There was a flash of red and a thud of someone's body falling to the ground. A moment later the sound of a portkey being used echoed across the room. At last she found herself staring at the floor as she once again heaved herself and fell painfully onto the stone beneath.
"Hermione!" Draco called out.
That had been a terrible choice. She felt her vision darkening and everything around her felt very cold. So very cold. She tried to sit up but her strength was slipping from her. Draco was kneeling next to her, gently rolling her onto her back. His eyes darted over her face before drifting down to the front of her dress robe and he gasped loudly at the sight.
She must look pretty bad covered in the birthing aftermath and blood she hadn't cleaned up.
"Draco." She whispered softly, bringing his attention back to her face.
She felt so very tired right now. A nap would do her good.
"Is Scorpius alright?" She asked, fighting the sudden exhaustion that tried to force her eyes closed.
Draco's eyes were shining with tears as he brushed her hair from her face.
"He's wonderful. Mother has healer Keller looking after him right now. You did beautifully, Hermione."
Their baby was safe. That was so comforting to hear. She was really cold now and when she told him so his face seemed to break as he gathered her closer.
"It's going to be alright, Hermione. The Ministry will be here soon and so will healers from St. Mungo's. I promise they'll take care of you and set you right." He pledged.
Set her right? Was...was she that bad off?
"Draco, what's wrong?" Her voice was suddenly full of concern as she felt her body becoming heavier.
Draco's tear filled eyes searched her face, debating whether or not he should tell her.
"Please, Draco." She whispered weakly.
He let out a shuddered breath.
"Hermione, you're still bleeding from giving birth."
Her heart thudded rapidly.
She was bleeding.
She was bleeding out.
She was bleeding out to death.
She was dying.
It felt like she was dying then. Her breathing was suddenly labored. Her body felt weak and heavy all at the same time. It was a struggle to keep her eyes open as she looked at her husband. In that moment she had a thought of such clarity she needed to ask him this now, in case she fell asleep and forgot later.
"Remember you promised me we will raise Scorpius to know kindness and respect. Promise me we still will, Draco." She begged in a raspy voice.
Draco was now openly crying as he watched her face.
"We will. I swear we'll do right by him, Hermione. You'll be the perfect mother to teach him all about being loving and kind to everyone."
She smiled.
"I'm looking forward to doing that, together."
There was a loud portkey popping noise then and the sound of many people appearing in the room. Hermione watched through hazy eyes as several people replaced her husband, telling her it's alright and that they were taking her to St. Mungo's.
For once, she's glad that she's a Malfoy because she knows Draco would have spared no expense to bring the best healers to attend to her. With that comforting thought she closed her eyes then so she could rest on the way to the hospital, knowing she was in good hands and that when she woke up she would be able to see her son again.
"Guess what mum? I'm in Gryffindor. Father says that's the house you were sorted into because you're brave, loyal, and kind. Grandmother and Grandfather wrote to me and said they're very disappointed I wasn't sorted into Slytherin. Father wouldn't let me read the rest of their letter of course, because all they do is complain how they never get to see us. Well, it doesn't matter what they think because I'm so excited to be in the same house as you, mum. I found the plaque they made for you when you fought against the dark lord and saved the school. I showed it to all my friends and told them all about you. They think it's amazing that my mum is Hermione Granger."
Draco stood silently a few paces away as he watched his son speak in an excited yet soft voice to his mother. It was a tender moment he felt grateful to be able to witness. His son's blonde hair, identical to his own, waved gently in the wind as the storm clouds began to blow in off the French coast near Chateau Malfoy. He'd almost told him that today wouldn't be a good day to visit her with the weather here and the expected storms that would make traveling back to their London flat difficult but he rarely told his son no. Now he was glad he hadn't.
He continued to watch him for a few more minutes until he felt the pattering of rain on his forehead. It's time to go.
"Scorpius, it's starting to rain. Say goodbye to your mum." He said kindly to the little boy's back.
He could see his son tense, knowing he wished to argue for only a little more time with her.
"How about we visit her next week?" Draco offered in compromise.
Scorpius didn't move at first as he contemplated the offer. After a few moments he raised his hand to lay the yellow daffodil he held across the onyx headstone he knelt before.
"I need to go mum. I love you and I'll come back soon, I promise." He muttered in a slightly teary voice.
At last Scorpius stood and turned to face his father. Draco was always amazed at how close of an exact replica his son was of him. It was like staring into a mirror with the echoes of decades long past. All except the most brilliant brown eyes that were gilded with little treasures of gold.
They were the only things Hermione left of herself to him and every time he saw them his heart faltered at their expressive glow. So full of light and joy in his son's face unlike what hers looked like so often in the time they'd shared together. If only he'd done right by her he might've seen the same mesmerizing look in her eyes. It was a beautifully painful reminder of the woman he'd failed and the vow he made to not do the same to their son.
It was a vow Draco made to his wife that he intended to keep.
Fin
