Hermione screamed in agony as another contraction hit her. She was being stalled by the medi nurse on the comfortable small cot of her ward, while waiting for her healer to arrive and have a good check on the baby and her.
Another fresh set of tears rolled down her face as Draco's words to Harry had started to run through her mind while she was in pain; both physical and mental.
Her Draco was dying within months and she was giving birth to their second child instead of being there with him.
How could he not tell her?!
All along Hermione was aware that something was wrong with her husband however she hadn't expected the problem to be such a big one worth risking his life.
And yet, another contraction hit her.
"Ow!" Hermione screamed in pain.
"Ma'am you'll soon be ready to push," the nurse informed her and gave her a vial of potion. "Meanwhile, please have this pain relieving-"
"You've been saying this to me for the past one hour!" Hermione growled angrily at her. "I just need to-" she stopped and screamed again as the baby kicked harder against the belly. "I want my husband here." She finished softly as another tear rolled down her cheek. "I want Draco!"
"Ma'am please relax!" The nurse tried to calm down. "It is impossible for us to bring Mister Malfoy here in his condition-"
"Whatever, I need my husband!" Her open screamed. "I need him!" Her screeches turned into softer sobs at the thought of losing Draco to a muggle disease. "I love him." She further whispered to herself when the two women heard a familiar voice arguing with the healer outside the ward.
"I need to see her!" Hermione recognized this one as Harry's voice which seemed very frantic and urgent. "Draco can't be here and I-"
"Mister Potter, family only," the healer cut him off curtly. "We will keep updating you-"
"I am her family!" Harry shouted. "I'm the family she's got now will you please-"
Hermione's tears stopped flowing all of a sudden at Harry's words only when she realized that she wanted him to be there at this moment of grief.
"Let him in," Hermione said softly to the nurse as another contraction hit her. She cringed and closed her eyes in pain. "Please."
The nurse nodded and walked towards the door when the brunette realized that Harry was gazing lovingly at her through the crack of the door. His emerald eyes were dawned with a look of concern, pity and love.
He then looked at the nurse and then glanced back into the room before muttering a quick thank you and rushing inside the ward. Smiling sadly at the brunette Harry walked over to the cot and kneeled down next to his friend.
"Hey," he said with a smile and took her right hand. "How bad is it?"
All Hermione did was to glare at Harry. "Seriously? Is that all you could ask?" She asked him angrily. "I'm the one in fucking pain here and my husband is sick and isn't here-"
"Hermione you need to breathe," Harry cut her off gently and hesitantly rubbed her back. "I know- I know so much is happening altogether and all of a sudden but, you need to take care of yourself and the baby-"
Harry's words were cut off by Hermione's painful cry as she clutched his free hand for life. More tears streamed down her face bringing her friend's heart to beat faster in concern.
"Then stay," Hermione murmured once she calmed down. "You stay here with me please!" She then looked desperately at him with her brown doe like eyes which brought tears into Harry's emerald eyes.
Giving her a small smile, he placed an assuring kiss on her forehead before squeezing their entwined hands. "I'm not leaving," he said firmly. "Whatever happens, I'll always be there for you."
I love you; Harry wanted to add after seeing the solemn look on the brunette's face.
He felt like Hermione wanted to say something when the healer walked into the ward with another nurse by her side. She then smiled at Hermione before going under the cover to check on her patient's labor status.
"Alright Hermione, you're ready to push!" She announced before looking at the brunette and giving her a small smile. "This little one seems to be a week early but has a strong heartbeat, from what the checkup says."
Hermione sighed in relief before tightening the hold on Harry's hand. "A fair warning, I might break your hand," she said seriously. "I broke Draco's the last time we were here-"
"It's all fine as long as both you and the baby are fine." Harry said with a smile and squeezed her hand and brought it to his lips. "I know you can do this."
Hermione gave him a teary smile before the last contraction hit her and she screamed out in pain. All of a sudden she started to take deep breaths and squeezed Harry's linked hand so hard that he could feel his bones crack.
"Keep it steady Hermione! You're crowning!" The healer announced happily while the brunette kept taking deep breaths and looked at her friend.
Harry questioningly looked back at her when she screamed and gave another big push, and realized how beautiful Hermione was. He had seen both at her best and the worse, however probably this time there was a faint glow on her face while she cried and screamed while bringing her baby into this world. He understood that Hermione had the pressure of losing her husband to leukemia and she was standing strong for herself and her children.
Harry then vowed to himself, yet again that he was never letting go of her.
"Hermione love," he murmured gently into her ear. "You're almost there," she looked at him tired with swollen eyes. "I know you're tired but you've almost made it."
"Harry, I can't!" Hermione cried. "It's all so-"
"You can, you're Hermione Granger." Harry cut her off with a small smile. "Now push, take deep breaths and push! Don't give up, you're almost there! And I'm here. I'm not leaving."
Hermione nodded and pushed with all her willpower and screamed so loud that they are failed to hear the first cries of the baby.
Hermione panted softly as her tired body fell back on the bed, only to find herself in tears at the sight of the wriggling beauty in front of her.
"Congratulations Mrs. Malfoy, you've got a baby girl to spoil!" The healer announced and gently placed the baby on her mother's chest. "She's truly beautiful." She further said.
Hermione choked out sobs or happiness as the baby moved her gooey fingers and wriggled closer to her mother's chest. The brunette then traced a finger along the slope of her little nose as a tear rolled off her cheek.
"Hey there Cassie, my beautiful girl." Hermione whispered and then looked at her friend who was gazing at the two women in awe. "Draco wanted to continue the family tradition. Cassie is short for Cassiopeia."
Harry nodded in understanding and realized that he had wanted this one day with Hermione when they were in love, and probably still were. However here he was looking at his friend bonding with her beautiful daughter.
That beautiful daughter who wasn't Harry's but Hermione and her dying husband's.
"Harry, cut the cord." He heard Hermione whisper into his ear. Harry then realized that the nurse was looking anxiously at the couple, holding a wand in her hand.
He looked back at his friend and shook his head. It wasn't his rights to take the first step towards bonding with the baby.
It was rightfully Draco's.
"Harry, Draco isn't here. And no you're not replacing him." Hermione said softly and smiled at her daughter. "You're the next person I'd rather have by my side while I'm giving birth." She further said. "And I know that she wouldn't be less than a daughter to you so please Harry, do the honors."
Harry gave Hermione a sad smile before hesitantly taking the wand from the nurse and soft murmuring the cutting spell. His hand shivered as the umbilical cord separated itself from the baby who winced and then continued to coo against her mother's chest.
"I think we will clean her up and get her back to you," The healer said, gently wrapping the baby in a white cloth and scooping her off Hermione's chest. "We have already removed the placenta and have cast a few pain relieving spells on Mrs. Malfoy, a dose of sleeping potion is to be given to her in a while. I assume both the mother and baby will be under your supervision Mister Potter?"
Harry nodded with a small smile as the healer took the baby away for a checkup before she was returned back to her mother. He sat on the small cot right next to Hermione's whimpering body.
"Draco was supposed to be here," She murmured as a lone tear rolled off her eye. "He- is he really-?"
At an instant she felt being wrapped into her friend's safe embrace and started to sob mercilessly knowing that he was there to comfort her this time.
The fear of losing a loved one was Hermione's weakness; it made her vulnerable, it made her weak. She had already lost her mother and now, losing her husband was something, she couldn't handle.
The only difference from the last time was that now Harry was there to handle her, to take care of her fears, to tell her that everything was going to be alright.
To love her unconditionally for the rest of her life.
Hermione's heart froze at the realization that her friend still loved her and she, well she might've buried her feelings for him all this while.
Those forgotten feelings which had started to resurface once again.
And so, she lifted her head to look at him.
Harry didn't realize how close their faces were; only when a sudden touch of her lips on his brought him back to reality. He didn't react, he wanted to oh lord he did.
Only when he found his lips betraying his head as he kissed her back.
All those memories of her soft lips began to rush when only he felt Hermione pull away, when the two felt their moment was interrupted.
The frown on Hermione's face instantly lit up at the sight of her second child cooing in the nurse's arms. The tears of pain which were now falling down her cheeks changed to those of happiness and joy as her daughter was gently placed into her waiting arms. Her heart swelled up of pride and awe as the little girls cooed.
Harry's heart stopped the moment he saw Hermione cradling her newborn daughter. The baby was small and the slightest amount of hair. She had cute rounded cheeks and pouty lips, just like her mother. The nose had a sharp tilt to it; probably the little girl got it from her father.
She was a beautiful little thing.
"Hey there sweetheart, you're finally here," Hermione's soft voice brought Harry back to reality. "You were not supposed to be here yet but you are. And you are extremely gorgeous."
A small smile plastered onto the wizard's face as he watched her friend bonding with the little angel. Even though Hermione was flushed with the aftereffects of a painful labor, she was glowing with happiness and the sadness of losing Draco was kept on the bay.
He leaned in closer to admire the little girl who cuddled deeper into her mother's chest. Harry knew that he was having hard time breathing, especially after the brief kiss he shared with Hermione. However, the little angel mattered more at that moment.
"And Cassie, this is Uncle Harry, your godfather." Hermione murmured softly at her child with a smile. "He is going to take care of you sweetheart. You can always depend on him."
Harry's heart did a flip at her words as the two friends exchanged a knowing look. Knowing he couldn't control the overflow of his feelings, he leaned in and placed a lingering kiss on the brunette's forehead.
"Her name is Cassiopeia Rose, isn't it?" Harry murmured against her skin before gently stroking the baby's soft cheek. The girl shifted slightly at his touch before her nimble fingers wrapped themselves around his bigger one.
Hermione smiled widely at the look of awe on Harry's face at the baby's actions. "Well, I know everyone was expecting us to name this little one Rose, only when Draco and I came up with a better option," She explained. "He came up with Cassiopeia while I came up with Lillian, in the honor of your mother." Harry gave her a sad yet a thankful smile. "I know how much you love your mum and you know that I hadn't expected you to ever come back. I wanted a part of you to always be with me. If Cassie were a boy, she would've been Eltanin James Malfoy." She finished.
Harry was touched at her words and actions that he couldn't help but embrace her whole heartedly.
All her actions only meant that she still loved him.
It was a sign.
It was when he finally blurted those three words.
"I love you."
And what surprised him was her response.
"I love you too Harry. I'm not going to deny it anymore."
His ears perked up in shock while he kept holding her and watching his goddaughter open her eyes for the very first time.
He was staring back a pair of beautiful mercuric orbs.
Hermione smiled at her daughter and kept rocking her gently while enjoying Harry's warm embrace. Cassie had Draco's eyes and she was thankful that a beautiful part of her husband would always stay with her forever.
Draco's condition had to be a lie! She was living a horrible dream at the moment!
However, Cassie's birth and Harry's kiss proved that she was in reality.
It was realization dawned over Hermione yet again that her dear husband was dying.
And also she had just professed her feelings to Harry which were left abandoned deep in her heart.
Only Merlin knew how screwed up her life was.
A/N: When was my last update again? Was it in April?
Yes it was *major face palm*
Well guess what, I was having a writer's block. Yes, it happened.
And working up till four in the morning designing a freaking shopping complex certainly didn't allow me to do anything I like. I tried ending up this chapter by the start of May but I've been busy with many things!
I've been trying to prioritize pretty hard; trust me.
Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed and I cannot promise when I will be able to post next. So till then, feel free to review and let me know!
And thanks to all those who reviewed, favorite or followed me. I just love you guys! ^^
