Chapter 45-Apologies

"Longbottom came to see me yesterday morning and explained everything. He was released this morning!" The Minister of Magic told Harry.

Harry laughed; he was almost tempted to kiss the man who was now looking at him with eyebrows raised.

"Where did he go?" Harry asked.

"St. Mungo's I believe."

Harry thanked the minister and left feeling considerably more lighthearted than when he had arrived.

It had been Longbottom who had finally got him out. He had told Draco that no one had realised where he was at first. Longbottom had confirmed that many order members were dead and that Hermione was in St. Mungo's. That was where Draco now found himself anxiously waiting for the Healer so he could see his wife.

"We are ever so sorry, Mr. Malfoy," the Healer began to apologise, "we did not realise that Hermione was your wife." Draco ignored his groveling apology;

"How is she?" Draco asked.

"Much the same," the Healer told him, " she still hasn't spoken some days your wife is very agitated Mr. Malfoy but today she is calm enough it should be safe to visit her."

As they entered the room she was sitting quietly by the window staring blankly into the grey dawn. Physically she looked well enough, her hair was perhaps a little unkempt resembling more the bird's nest it had been as a child but beyond that she looked well in fact her checks were flushed with health.

Draco smiled wistfully at his wife, how many times had he seen her sitting by a window like this but there was usually a book in her hand. As Draco approached her he began to appreciate the difference; there was a vacant look in her usually alert eyes.

"Have you given her some potion?" Draco demanded he had the suspicion that his wife had somehow been subdued.

"Merely a calming draught sir," the healer reassured him.

"How long ago?" Draco asked,

"An hour, it will last a while yet" he was told.

"Then I will wait!" Draco told the healer resolutely.

"But sir," the man dithered, "you have not seen what she will do."

Draco rounded on the man, "Do I look like a man who fears his own wife?"

The Healer looked as if he was about to argue but when he saw how Draco glowered at him he seemed to change his mind.

"No sir," the Healer conceded.

"Then I will wait with my wife." With that Draco sat beside her and gentle took her hand.

The Healer left them alone.

For hours Draco sat there gently rubbing his thumb across the back of Hermione's hand while she continued to stare out the window into what was now darkness. Sometime around 3 in the morning he must have dosed off for a moment for he was startled awake by a hand that gently trailed through his hair. Hermione had shifted, she was no longer staring out the window her chin now rested on his shoulder and she had buried her hands in his hair. Tentatively he raised his eyes to her face; there was a flash of recognition in her eyes.

"Are you real?" she asked him, "or are you another ghost sent to taunt me?"

She watched his face intently as if waiting for it to fold like smoke and disappear. After a long moment as she seemed to realise that he was real she moved her hands to cup his face.

"Draco?" she questioned

"Hermione," he sobbed pulling her towards him. He knew she was not healed yet but, she knew him, It was a start and she was stubborn he knew she would come back to him.

The End

Author's Note

Hope you enjoyed this please review. Thank you to all those of you who have taken the trouble to review so far. It is lovely to have your feedback.I have completed about 10 000 words of my next story so a new tale to follow soon and it will be something very different!