A/N: Hello my Blackians! I'm back with another chapter of our new favorite trio. In this chapter I feel we get to know a little more of Draco's backstory, as well as a little bit of comic relief. Not much, mind you, but just a smidge. We also get to see someone visit George while he is in the joke shop. Who do you think that will be?

Also, in other great news, after I finish the new chapter for Through It All, I am going to start on a new chapter for Say You Won't Let Go. I finally feel like I am at a place to pick that story back up again. Just before I go on vacation, lol. Now, onto the chapter. Please let me know what you think when you're done. Reviews warm my heart.

Disclaimer: I do not own the original story or the characters.

XoXo,

Elle.

Chapter 12

Draco had flat out run the entire way through the manor. His heart was pounding, his chest was heaving, and there was sweat dripping down his spine and temples. He paused to collect himself outside of the door where Hermione was staying, taking several gulping breaths of air to slow his breathing. He lifted the collar of the cotton shirt he had on to wipe his face clean of the perspiration.

It was a strange feeling to knock on a door in his own home, but Draco lifted a closed fist and rapped his knuckles against the cherry wood panels. He leaned in, listening for an answer, a slight panic arising he heard no reply. He turned the knob and cracked the door, peering around the edge. The bed was empty and Draco pushed the door wide. It was eerily quiet in the room and his panic didn't abate when his eyes fell on the closed bathroom door.

A different kind of sweat now flushed across Draco's body, a cold sweat as goosebumps broke out all over his skin. Draco was holding his breath as he slowly walked across the room, his hands shaking, palms wet with perspiration as well. He wiped his hands on the front of his shirt as he lifted his hand once more to knock on the door in front of him.

He was stopped short when he heard a soft, musical voice on the other side. Draco breathed a sigh of relief as he recognized Fellie's voice rambling away to Hermione, telling her all about what George and he had done for Hermione over the last few days.

The soft tinkling of water could be heard, so Draco assumed Fellie was helping Hermione bathe once again. Hermione would certainly be weak after not moving for so many days. Even more so after that hellacious seizure yesterday.

Draco leaned against the bookcase next to the door and listened as Fellie moved onto one of her favorite pastimes, singing. It was one of Scorpius' favorite children's songs. It was about all the magical animals in alphabetical order. Sure, it was probably a bit juvenile for Hermione, but Draco was just grateful Fellie had kept Hermione company.

"A is for the Acromantula, big and strong, with eight beady eyes and long legs. B is for the bowtruckle, tiny and stick like, hiding in trees, eating the woodlice." Draco mouthed the words with a small smile on his face.

Fellie always varied the song when she sang it to Scorpius, making sure to get every animal in there, even the different beings and spirits, like Vampires, Veela and Ghosts. But when she got to the letter D, it never failed, she always, always went for dragon. "D is for the dragon, strong and fearsome. With breath of fire and wings of might. Skin as tough as stone. But deep inside is a heart of gold."

For the first time since he had arrived in the room, Draco heard Hermione speak to Fellie. "Does he?"

The voices were muted and Draco could hear them clear enough, but that didn't stop him from putting his ear directly against the panels.

"What is Missy Hermione asking Fellie?" The elf asked.

Draco could now hear the gurgle of the water leaving the deep-bellied tub, but Hermione's reply was still clear. "You said the dragon has a heart of gold. I'm assuming you meant Draco. Does he?"

His breathing had ceased again. Hermione still sounded dead when she spoke, and that question sounded dark coming from her lips. But he didn't know what Fellie was going to answer. "He is the nicest master Fellie has ever had. I think so. Okay, Missy Hermione. Time to stand up."

Draco raced away from the door. His destination was the desk close to the bed. As he went by the bookcase, he plucked a novel from the many there and sat in the chair, opening it to a random page. Usually, adopting an air of relaxed elegance was an easy accomplishment for him. But apparently it wasn't when he'd just been eavesdropping.

Nevertheless, he scanned his eyes across the page before him at an appropriate speed, reading, but not absorbing, the words. About ten minutes had passed and he was getting worried when the door opened. Draco looked up from the book, his eyes latching onto the woman standing in the door of the bathroom.

He was immediately transfixed. Hermione was a vision. The steam from the bathroom was curling around her body, already causing her damp hair to curl. The light shining behind her seemed to make her glow when mixed with the humidity. Instead of one of Astoria's old gowns, she was in a white cotton shirt, not unlike the one he was wearing, and a pair of plaid flannel pajama bottoms. They looked vaguely familiar - then he realized they were his.

Draco must have had an odd look on his face, because Hermione cleared her throat and spoke awkwardly, but still in that dead way of hers. "I'm not much of a dressing gown person. So I asked Fellie if there were a shirt and trousers I could borrow. This is what she brought."

"No, it's fine," Draco said, laying the book aside. Hermione was still standing in the doorway of the bathroom when Fellie turned the light out behind her. It was then that Draco noticed the strained expression on Hermione's face as she used the frame of the door to support herself. "You're exhausted. Here, let me help you."

He stood, walking over to Hermione, ducking under her arm and wrapping an arm around her waist. It was like supporting a feather. "We need to get some actual food into your system. Something packed with protein. Do you want to sit in the chair or get in the bed?"

"Fellie will go and get chicken, Master Draco. Missy Hermione's stomach is upset. No seasoning better." The elf disappeared with a pop and Draco looked at Hermione with a questioning brow raised.

Hermione sighed, her dead eyes shying away from his as they fell on the bed. "The bed, please. But I would like to sit up in it. I'm fine, it's just the morning sickness. Normal pregnancy stuff."

Draco walked them over to the bed and settled Hermione into it, propping her up with pillows as he sat down next to her. "I should have the potions to help with that. If not, when George gets back, I can go to my office and get them."

Darkened amber eyes turned to the window and glanced out the newly repaired glass. "That'll be fine." The silence stretched out between them, Draco didn't want to force her to make conversation if she didn't feel like it, but he nearly choked on his own saliva when she spoke next. "I didn't realize the infamous Slytherin sex god was gay."

XxX

Hermione watched as Draco spluttered, his eyes going wide at her words. If she had been in a better mind frame, she may have laughed out loud at making her childhood nemesis flounder for words. But as it was, she just lifted the corner of her lips in a small amused smile.

"Wha-I'm not. Who said? What makes you think I am gay?" Draco finally managed, his pale skin flushed a deep pink.

"I saw the interaction between you and George before you left. I used to date George, I know what it looks like for him to pine after someone he's been intimate with. And then he told you to go and check on a Scorpius, which I only assume is your new lover. Though I could be wrong." Hermione was speaking quietly, her eyes on her lap, her fingers playing with the sheets. She missed the life her voice used to have in it. Now there was no inflection in it at all.

Draco ran a visibly shaking hand through his hair. Hermione watched as he inhaled a deep breath, obviously trying to calm himself, a small chuckle leaving his lips. "You always were very astute. Scorpius is my son, he's a year and a half. So no, I am not gay. Bisexual, maybe. Well, as George and I were in a relationship for half a year, I guess saying 'maybe' would not be correct."

Hermione left her eyes on the window, staring but not really seeing the sky beyond as she listened to the wizard sitting beside her. "I never would have seen either of you as the type to take comfort in the same sex. But, you know what they say when you assume."

The blond gave her a confused look, his perfect brows knitting together, "I can't say that I do know that they say when you assume."

Another of those half smiles lit up Hermione's lips, "Sorry, I guess it is a Muggle saying. They say, when someone assumes, it makes an ass out of you and me."

Draco barked a laugh into the room, the sharp sound echoing off the tall ceiling. "Well, I guess they would be right then. I had never thought that I would find myself in a relationship with another male either. George and I certainly never saw it coming."

Fellie appeared back into the room with a faint pop, a tray of bland foods in her hands as she carefully made her way to the bed. "This should help Missy Hermione." Hermione turned her head to look at the elegantly dressed elf and watched as Draco bent forward to take the tray from the little elf.

"Thank you, Fellie. I really appreciate it." It warmed Hermione's heart a little to know that Draco and his family had freed their elves. She gave Fellie as much of a smile as she could muster and the elf beamed back at her.

"If Missy Hermione need anything else, just call Fellie." Fellie gave a bow to both Hermione and then her master before disappearing once again.

Draco set the tray over Hermione's legs and pulled the silver dome off of the plate. "Your dinner is served."

Hermione lifted the elegant utensils and began to cut the meat, her eyes remaining on the plate. She could feel those grey eyes on her, watching her every move. She was thankful for the treatment and care she was receiving here from Draco and George, but she felt as if her heart were missing from her chest. Even if she could feel it beating plain as day.

"George filled me in on what happened. Hermione, I am so very sorry about what happened. I know from personal experience what it is like to lose a loved one and it is not something you just bounce back from." Hermione glanced up from her plate at the obvious pain in Draco's voice, to find him turning a wedding band on his finger. She hadn't noticed it before, but now that she did, she was wondering what had happened.

She lifted the fork to her lips, taking the bite of chicken from the tines, chewing it for a moment. When she finally had her mouth clear, she spoke quietly, "You were married? To Scorpius' mother?" Hermione had never really thought about how much she had missed since she had been hiding out in the Muggle world.

Draco nodded, a heartbroken look taking over his aristocratic face. "Astoria Greengrass, her older sister Daphne was in our year. She was the most remarkable witch. Not only was she beautiful, she was elegant, graceful and exceptionally smart. Not as smart as you, however - I don't know if anyone can rival your intelligence. But she was perfect for me. She saw all of my faults, but never berated me for them.

"She was the first person to make me see that joining the wrong side of the war hadn't truly been my choice, that it had been forced upon me. We married the year after the war was over and immediately started to try for a family of our own." As Draco talked, Hermione had made it halfway through her meal. She tried not to focus too intently on Draco; she could tell how difficult this was for him to talk about.

Even now, as she risked a glance up at him, she could see tears shimmering on his near invisible lashes. "It took two years. When she told me that we were expecting...Merlin, she was glowing, just like you hear people say all the time. Those cobalt blue eyes of hers were so bright and joyous, her smile so wide it was touching her ears. Then she'd told me it was a boy and we would argue playfully about names. I wanted to break tradition and go with someone who had been influential in my decision to change sides. I wanted to name our son Remus."

Draco paused, clearing his throat, his fingers running through his hair. This was the part that was going to be hardest for him, Hermione thought. He rose from the bed and began to pace around the magnificent four poster. "We went to bed peacefully that night. I rubbed her stomach and talked to Scorpius, like I did every night, until she fell asleep. She woke up early that morning in a panic, her water had broken, so we called for the healers. Everything was going fine, the labor was progressing beautifully. I was a new Healer at this point, not long out of my training.

"Then it was time for her to begin pushing and that's when everything went to shite. Scorpius got stuck in the birth canal and her heart had started to give out on her. She'd had some kind of heart defect that she'd been born with and the stress of childbirth had been too much. Her last words to me had been to 'Save Scorpius.'" Draco had stopped pacing and was looking out the window, his shoulders were shaking. It was clear he was having a hard time controlling his emotions.

"The Healers tried everything, I tried everything. I couldn't save her. I couldn't fix her. And as I sat there beside her body as it grew cold, they handed me my son. In all the chaos, I had forgotten all about him. I had been so focused on saving the love of my life, my wife, that even his cries didn't penetrate the panic that was suffusing my entire body. It wasn't until I looked down at the squirming little boy, and into his eyes, that I felt the panic and heartache abate even the tiniest bit. Because looking back up at me, out of a face just like my own, were his mother's blue eyes. That little boy saved my life, he's my light. If it hadn't been for Scorpius, I wouldn't have stuck around after I lost Tori. I would have penned an apology letter to my mother and drank one too many sleeping potions and curled around my wife's lifeless body to die." Draco turned to look at Hermione, his eyes red-rimmed and full of pain.

Hermione inhaled a sharp breath and it was then that she realized why he had told her the full story. It was almost as if he had known what she had been thinking since she had woken up. She had thought multiple times of ending either her life, or terminating the pregnancy. It was a thought that was constantly in her mind, warring back and forth with the right thing to do.

"I named him Scorpius, because that is what she wanted. To do anything else would have been an insult to her memory," Draco finished, walking back over to sit on the edge of the bed. "I don't want to pretend that I know what you are thinking right now, but I just know what I felt in your situation."

XxX

This situation was going to be the death of him, thought George as he looked around his office at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. He could hear the gaggle of customers on the other side of the door and had no interest in going out there to entertain them. He had cast a couple of spells on the office to get the paperwork and bookkeeping started that he had fallen behind on in the last three days.

It was chores like this that made him long for Fred's company. It had always been easier to do when you had someone else to do it with. George had tried to train his managers several times, but they just couldn't seem to get it down.

A familiar voice brought his head up, his eyes focusing on his office door as his face scrunched into a grimace. "I don't care if he said he doesn't want to be disturbed. He's my brother and I'll march right on in if I wish to."

George groaned as the door was thrown open and Ginny was silhouetted in the frame. "George Weasley, where have you been?" Her voice was shrill and sounded eerily like their mothers had when he, Fred and Ron had gone to rescue Harry before third year. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he inhaled slowly. George loved his only sister - she was his pride and joy, his favorite sibling after his twin - but when she got like this, he wanted to hex her into oblivion.

"Gin, we're not at a shouting match, shut it, will ya?" he complained, waving his wand to pull out a chair for her as she glared at him.

Ginny took the seat, crossing her arms over her chest as she sat down, "George, you've been gone for three days. Where have you been? Mum's worried sick, I'm worried about you. I know how hard the anniversary is for you and with this being the fifth year, I know that it has to be even more difficult." Her topaz eyes locked onto his and held, with a knowledge that resembled Fred's. It was why she was his favorite. It was also why he avoided her as much as possible when they were at the Burrow.

"I sent Mum an owl telling her I would be gone for a few days. I'm a grown wizard, Gin. I am allowed to go and stay at the Leaky for a few if I so wish." He'd tried to put a playful lilt to the words, but both he and Ginny knew they fell flat.

Ginny rolled her eyes, "George, you know you can't lie to me. You weren't at the Leaky, I checked. Look, I love you and I won't say anything to mum, or anyone else, if you choose to tell me where you've been. I just don't want you to be alone and hurting."

George sighed quietly and scrubbed a hand over his face, he knew Ginny was telling the truth. She wouldn't tell a soul if he didn't want her to. "I had a matter of urgency that appeared and I have been taking care of it. I truly can say no more, Gin."

George wasn't meeting Ginny's eyes, it was as good as defeat. It was also as good as telling her exactly where he had been without the gory details. "You've been with Draco again, haven't you?"

He curled his wand hand into a fist, sucking in a lungful of air as his eyelids slid closed. "Ginny, it's not what you think." Oh, how I wish it was, he thought. "Look, someone came to me, they were in trouble and they needed a Healer. They didn't want to go to St. Mungo's because it would cause all sorts of publicity. So I called for Draco. I have been at Malfoy Manor, yes. But only to keep this person company."

Ginny was frowning, the grimace marring her beautiful features. "Who came to you, George?"

"I will not betray their confidence, Gin. You know that is not who I am. If and when they are ready, I will let them decide when to tell everyone of their troubles. But until then, I will be back and forth between here and the Manor. Though I would much rather remain at the Manor with this person. They are in a very fragile state and need extra help and attention." George sighed softly as a vision of Hermione appeared in his mind and he looked at Ginny.

His sister gave her own sigh of defeat, "Okay, George, okay. I won't ask anymore. Just promise me you're not going to get yourself caught up in Draco again. I almost didn't recognize you when you two broke up."

To be honest, George wished he could promise her that. But the truth was, he was already tangled up in those emotions from just half a year ago. "I can't promise you that, Ginny. If Draco and I want to rekindle our relationship, that is our decision. We are two adult wizards, we can make our own choices, just as you made the choice to play professional Quidditch and retire after two years."

The spells George had cast finished their work and the quill that had been doing calculations dropped onto the desk, smoking slightly. He could feel Ginny's eyes on him yet again as she contemplated what he had said. "Look, I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, Gin. I really need to get back to the Manor, to my friend."

George looked up at the youngest Weasley sibling. Ginny was looking at some point over his head, a thoughtful look on her face and she was chewing on her bottom lip. George waited patiently. If there was one thing you didn't do, it was disrupt a thinking Weasley woman.

After more than a few moments, Ginny leveled her eyes on George once again. "If you leave me a list of what you need me to do, office wise, I will do it for you, so you don't have to leave your friend again. Or worry about the shop. Besides, I could use a break from the Burrow. If you'd allow me to stay in the apartment, that is."

George thought about what Ginny was offering. He couldn't really pass it up. It would allow him to spend more time with Hermione, helping her heal. He'd also get to play with Scorpius, as he'd promised the little boy. "Sure, Gin. That would be a great help. I'll show you the two spells you'll need, they do all the work really. You can stay in the apartment, just...not in his room, okay?"

Ginny gave him a sympathetic look and nodded, "Absolutely. George, you know you mean the world to me and I would do anything for you. I just want you to be happy and you need a break from the shop. You've been running it by yourself for five years. Maybe, when your friend gets better, we can talk it out. I wouldn't mind helping you run the place. Just think about it and get back to your friend. I can manage here."

It was true, he was getting run down by managing the joke shop himself. Ginny was perfectly capable of handling things as well while he was helping take care of Hermione. "Thank you, Gin. I honestly can't thank you enough." George waved his wand and a list of tasks that needed to be completed each day appeared. He stood and walked around the desk to hand it to Ginny.

She stood to take it from him, and wrapped her arms around his waist. George squeezed his sister against him, his nose resting against the top of her head. "I love you, Gin."

"Love you too, George." Gin gave his waist a squeeze and he apparated right out of her arms, back to Hermione and Draco. To his complicated life.