Last time:

"Never in my life did I ever think my father would be taking a bath with Granger." he said chuckling as he stood to leave.

"Your not the only one." Lucius replied with a smirk.

Now:

Six weeks had passed and Hermione's visits came more and more, lasting longer allowing them to have actual conversations. Lucius found comfort as she would reassure him that he was doing everything right, even telling him what bath oil she had liked best.

This night was no different, Lucius had bathed her, rubbed her body with lotion to hydrate her skin along with moving her body so her muscles didn't become to weak since she could move on her own.

He drifted off to sleep, waiting for her to visit him that night as she had done every night.

"Lucius" she called softly to him. He woke immediately and smiled to the young witch.

"I could feel you tonight." she said with a smile

"Feel me" he asked, "What do you mean?"

"I could actually feel your touch, I haven't been able to before tonight."

"Does that mean your coming back?"

"I think so, I even managed to make my finger move once." she said excitedly.

"I want you to try and do it for me tomorrow." he replied

She agreed and talked to him for a while longer before disappearing into the night.

The next morning an owl was pecking on the window with vengeance. He walked to the window, allowing the bird entrance. He pulled the letter from the owl and quick read the contents, wanting the bird to go away so he could go back to sleep.

Dear Mr. Malfoy,

We are writing to inform you that in six weeks time, the ministry will be forced to remove Ms. Granger from your care. At that point, she will have been in this state for a period of six months and under our laws, she is to be removed from all life saving equipment. In order to prevent this, she must show some signs of improvement and be able to survive without the use of any machines or devices that help her to stay alive. She will be evaluated by one of our appointed healers when the six weeks is up. Have an enjoyable day.

Brock Steadly

Lucius froze at the letter, he had only six weeks to get her better or they were going to let her die. He pushed the owl from the window and ran to his desk, he had to get a letter to the healer. He wrote and reread the letter, making sure he stress the importance of an immediate visit.

Please come to Malfoy Manor as soon as you possible can, we need to discuss treatment plans for Ms. Granger and possible get more aggressive in her care.

Lucius Malfoy

He sealed the letter with the family seal and sent his fastest owl on the mission. Taking a deep breath, he walked back into the bedroom where Hermione lay, looking to be sleep peacefully.

He moved the chair close to her bed and pulled her hand into his. "I need you to try harder then you ever have before Hermione, the ministry is giving me six weeks before the remove you from my care and take away your machines." he paused for a minute "Move your finger if you can hear me, I need to know you understand what I'm saying."

He sat back and watched intently for any signs that she had heard him. After a minute or so with no movement, he tried again.

"Move your finger,your toes, flutter your eyes, flinch, mumble, do anything you can to tell me you understand." he pleaded.

He waited another intense minute before he noticed her finger raise up and drop back down, three times.

"Do you think you can survive without the machines, raise your finger twice for yes, once for no."

He watch her hand as if it we the last bit of gold on earth, slowing her finger raised once, then a second time.

He jumped from the chair like an excited little kid. He had made it his personal mission over the past few weeks to bring her out of her coma no matter what it took. The hours he spent taking care of her, talking to her, getting to know the girl the world had forgotten had caused him to fall in love with the sleeping beauty. He would request the healer remove the equipment so he could test her ability to survive without the machines once he had arrived.

The healer arrived withing an hour of receiving the letter from Lucius, he had hardly made it through the door before Lucius was shoving the letter from the ministry into his hands. The healer read the letter and sighed. "I'm afraid they are telling the truth, I have seen them do it a few times in the past, they think nothing of it."

"Well I think she can survive without the machines, I just wanted you here in case I'm wrong about it."

"What makes you think she can?" the healer asked with a raised eyebrow

"

Because she can communicate with me, she lifts her finger once for no and twice for yes, when I asked if she thought she could live without the machines, she lifted her finger twice."

The healed nodded, still not having much faith in what he was saying, but agreed to remove the machines with the stipulation that he connect her again if she's got into trouble.

The two men made their way to Hermione giving each other a hesitating look.

"One minute is all I'll give her, if her brain doesn't kick in to breath, I will be forced to hook her back up." the healer told him in a matter of fact voice.

"A minute is all I ask." Lucius replied

The healer slowly unattached her from the machine and both watched with baited breath to see her chest rise and fall.

15 seconds and nothing

30 seconds and nothing

45 seconds, her chest rose and fell

50 seconds it rose and fell again

55 seconds the pattern normalized

60 seconds, she was breathing like normal.

Both Lucius and the healer jumped giving each other a high five, which was amusing considering Lucius wasn't known for jumping or giving high five's to anyone.

"Shes coming back Lucius, continue what you've been doing, they cant remove her from any machines if shes not on them."

Lucius smiled " Malfoy 1, ministry 0" he chuckled

After the healer left, Lucius sat down to write Harry a letter, informing him of the newest developments in Hermione's health.