A/N: Hello Blackians! First, forgive any mistakes this may have. My lovely, amazing, wonderful, awesome and beautiful beta Frogster is only human and has her own squicks. One of which is slash, while nothing in this chapter truly qualifies as slash, I explained what happens and she chose to sit this chapter out. I don't want to make her uncomfortable in any way, because of all the awesome work she has done for me. So I just ran this through Grammarly. Eventually for further chapters that may involve Draco and George scenes, I will have a second beta, but tonight I just wanted to get the chapter done and posted for you guys. Anywho, enough of my rambling. I hope you enjoy. Please leave me your thoughts, they are my payment.

Disclaimer: I do not own the original storyline, nor the original characters. I just like to play with them.

XoXo,

Elle.

Chapter 13

After getting some solid foods into her body, Hermione felt much better. The morning sickness was more manageable and she didn't feel like death warmed over. But nothing could replace the giant and ragged hole in her chest. The spot that Tad used to fill. Gods, she missed him so damn much.

A few days had passed since she had woken from her coma and she finally managed to convince her wardens that she wasn't suicidal. Though they had made her agree to hourly check-ins. She couldn't say she blamed them, after all, they both knew from experience what she was dealing with and had probably shared the same thoughts she currently had flitting through her head.

When one of the boys would come in to check on her, she would look at the door and give them a small smile. A few minutes of small talk would ensue and then they would leave her alone again. Hermione would sink back into the dark fog that constantly surrounded her. She had been trying to pull herself out of the vortex of sadness that swirled faster and faster every day.

The books on the shelves had been helping. Hermione had read through several of them already and had just finished the one in her hands. She stood from the bed, sighing softly as her fingers ruffled the pages of the book. Hermione's eyes lifted to the clock on the wall. She had a half hour until Draco or George came to check on her.

Her fingers trailed across the spines of the books, feeling the difference between the magical and the muggle. Hermione turned around, hearing a slight scuffle outside her door, frowning at the noise. It was a dull scratching sound on her door and she was curious as to what it could be. She had just taken a step toward the door when the knob turned and the panel opened wide to reveal a small child with a halo of white blond hair.

The two blinked at each other in shock. Hermione, at seeing a mirror image of Draco Malfoy, in a toddlers body. Scorpius, at obviously seeing a woman in his home who wasn't his grandmother. The little boy tilted his head, a curious look filling his bright, cobalt blue eyes. He stepped forward into the room, his eyes never leaving Hermione and hers never leaving his.

As he drew near, Hermione sank to her knees, putting herself on his level. Neither said a word as Scorpius stood just in front of her. He lifted a tiny hand and placed it on her cheek. "Why you sad?"

The tears flooded Hermione's eyes before she had the chance to fight them and she sat on her bum in an uncoordinated rush, her hand coming up to cover the precious little boy's on her cheek. "Because my husband died."

"Like my Mummy?" Scorpius asked, his voice high and clear.

Hermione swallowed past the lump in her throat with some difficulty and gave a short nod, "Yes, like your Mummy."

Scorpius gave a solemn nod, the severe look on his face reminding Hermione so much of his father. Hermione brought her free hand up to wipe away the tears, and Scorpius beat her to the other cheek with his small hand. He then surprised her and wiggled his way into her lap, curling into her body.

That was when the sobs began and she wrapped herself around the tiny body in her lap, her nose tucking into his straight and messy hair. Hermione cried for the injustice of it all. George losing Fred. Draco and Scorpius losing a wife and mother, Hermione losing her husband, her body, her magic forcing her into a coma, the life forming in her body right this very second.

Life had constantly thrown her curveball after curveball, twists, and turns, always taking, rarely giving and it wasn't fair. Sure, she was finally getting the baby she had dreamed of since she and Tad had got engaged. But she had lost Tad in the process.

Hermione felt small arms wrap around her middle and squeeze her. To be honest, it was what she'd needed. She wasn't even sure that Draco or even George could have given her that. It was this little toddler, with the pure and innocent heart, that had seen her sadness even when she'd immediately tried to hide it from him. It was Scorpius' innocence and ability to love and heal with just a simple hug that began to file down the ragged edges of the gaping void in her chest.

The half-hour flew by and Hermione soaked in the love that Scorpius exuded, her sobs ebbing away and leaving her feeling calm and relaxed. She had closed her eyes after the sobs stopped and sighed quietly, ruffling Scorpius' hair. The boy was still and quiet and she could feel his body relaxed against hers, his breathing deep and even. She wondered if he was asleep.

"Oh thank Merlin. There he is." Draco's worried voice filtered through the open door and startled Hermione. She had been half dozing herself.

Hermione nodded, returning to her previous position, her nose buried in Scorpius' hair once more. "Yeah, he found me. Opened the door on his own. Asked me why I was so sad and then just crawled in my lap and hugged me while I cried. I don't know when he fell asleep."

Draco's eyes saddened as Hermione talked and he sighed quietly. "I'm sorry he barged in on you. He won't do it again. Here, I'll take him."

"Don't," Hermione said, rather forcefully, her voice finally showing some life, though it was panic and fear. She cleared her throat and swallowed slowly before she tried that again. "Please don't take him or scold him for coming in here. I honestly think I needed this. I needed something so pure and innocent to remind me that the world isn't always a cruel and unjust place."

Hermione found herself kissing Scorpius' head every few moments and she could tell that Draco saw it, too. He said nothing but Hermione didn't miss the look of pain that danced across his face. "Okay, I won't. But at least allow me to help you off the floor."

"I don't want to wake him." Hermione frowned in worry, truly not wanting to disturb Scorpius' nap.

"He's a heavy sleeper, trust me." Draco gave her a soft smile and moved around behind her, his hands slipping under her arms and lifting her effortlessly from the floor. When Hermione had her feet under her, she walked over to the armchair she had enlarged and sat down into it, curling her body around the smaller one in her arms.

She could feel Draco's eyes on her, knew he was analyzing her in the way that psychologists, therapists and mind healers did. But she refused to meet the molten silver gaze, she had gotten good at hiding just how raw she was. Though there was no hiding the blackness in her soul. Scorpius shifted in her lap and Hermione looked down at him, a smile tugging at her lips. Perhaps her soul was a little less dark today.

"Try to get some rest with him. He'll sleep for a while. I think you'll find it's some of the best and most relaxing rest you'll ever get." Draco's quiet voice said from beside the door. The emotions in his tone were evident and when Hermione turned to look at him, to gauge his reaction, he was already gone, the door closing behind him.

Another small frown marred her features for a moment before she turned back to Scorpius, giving him a squeeze and closing her eyes. It didn't take her very long to slip into the most relaxing and rejuvenating sleep she'd had in a long while.

XxX

As soon as the door shut behind him, Draco leaned back against the panels, the tears slipping free before he could swipe them away. The mostly closed wound in his chest had opened, seeing Hermione cradling Scorpius like that. It was how he had imagined Astoria holding their son, so many times. He had been in a right panic, trying to find his curious and adventurous son in the large manor. His mother and the elves were searching the gardens, while he and George had been searching the house. Scorpius had never just disappeared in the house before and it had thrown all of them into panic mode.

"Fellie. Ardo." The two elves he had summoned appeared immediately, sweat on their brows from the heat outside. "Fellie, please go and find George. Ardo, my mother. Tell them both that I have located Scorpius and he is safe and unharmed. Fellie, please tell George where I am. Ardo, tell my mother that we will see her for dinner."

"Right aways, Master." They echoed and disappeared.

Draco slid down the door and his head fell into his hands. "Fuck. Fuck, fuck fuck." He resisted the urge to bang his head into the wood behind him. That was how George found him a few minutes later.

"Draco? What's wrong?" George asked, kneeling next to Draco, his hazel eyes filled with concern.

"He found Hermione. He apparently opened the door himself, asked why she was so sad and comforted her as she cried. They were asleep, sitting on the floor when I found them. George, just the sight of her holding him…" Draco's voice gave out on him, cracking into nothingness from the immense emotions. He hated appearing this vulnerable, this weak.

The understanding in George's gentle eyes told Draco that George knew what he'd been trying to say. George stood and extended a large and scarred hand to Draco. "Come on. They'll likely be out for a while, we could both do with a nap of our own."

Draco looked at the hand in front of him. He wasn't exactly sure what George was offering here, but he was warring with himself regardless. It was so hard to fight against what was right and what he thought he might want. Draco bit the bullet and took George's hand.

George pulled Draco's lithe frame up easily, with more force than necessary and Draco fell into George's chest. His first instinct was to push away from George, but the panic from the last hour had yet to abate fully and Draco found that he needed the comfort. His arms wound around George's waist overlapping so that Draco's fingers curled around George's ribs. One of the things Draco always liked about his former lover, was that George was several inches taller than he was.

He could feel George rest his own head against the top of his blond hair and Draco heaved a sigh, some of the heavy weight melting away. "I miss Tori, George. She should be here to hold Scorpius like that. Fred should still be here. Hermione's husband should still be here. She shouldn't have to go through the pregnancy alone."

"She's not going to go through it alone, Draco. She has us. Come on." George pulled away from Draco and led him next door to his suite of rooms. When the door was shut behind them, Draco immediately went for the decanter of firewhiskey high up on a shelf, out of Scorpius' reach.

Draco poured two generous glasses full and walked one over to George, then took a drink of his own. "I know that she does, but it's not the same, George and you know it. That's like saying that you have Ginny even though Fred is gone. Or I had you, even though Astoria is no longer here." The rest of the firewhiskey burned on the way down Draco's throat as George fell silent, the depth of the words Draco had spoked settling in.

"Dammit," George muttered quietly, running a hand through his hair as he took a long drink, draining the glass. "We need to stop thinking right now. We're too raw after looking for Scorpius and the events of the past week." George took Draco's empty glass and put them both back where they belonged, taking Draco's hand and led him down the short hallway to his bedroom.

When Hermione had woken from the coma, Draco had given George another room on the hall to allow Hermione some privacy. But Draco was glad that George wasn't leaving him alone just yet. He'd probably drink himself into oblivion if left on his own right now.

As Draco came through the door, George shut it behind him and turned his hazel eyes to Draco. The heat radiating off of the red-head was nearly suffocating and Draco had to open his mouth to pull air down into his lungs. George stepped forward and Draco backed into the door out of instinct, but it did him no good. He was now pinned there by George, his hands braced on either side of Draco's head. "You're thinking too much, Draco."

George was right, of course, Draco was thinking too much. He was always over thinking. But his thoughts, which had whisked him away from the present, were cut off abruptly when George kissed him firmly. Draco jerked in surprise and fought the kiss only for a moment before he draped his arms around George's neck and pulled their bodies together.

Draco had forgotten what it had felt like to truly kiss George and he missed it. Merlin, did he miss kissing. Not just kissing, but being held, loved, and just comforted.

George pulled away and they both were breathing heavily, "Now, let's go take that nap."

"Fuck," Draco mumbled and banged his head back against the door with a groan before following George to his bed and climbing in. George pressed his chest against Draco's back and slid his arms around Draco. The old familiarity of being ensconced in those long and muscular arms was like sinking into a warm bath, both welcoming and relaxing. Draco's muscles unknotted and the tension bled from his body as he closed his eyes. The exhaustion from the last week and today's panic taking over Draco and pulling him into a deep sleep.