Author's Note: This story is dedicated to my friends Lu Mezenga, who encouraged me to write it and Stefanie, who was the inspiration for my OC. I own anything, all rights go to J.K. Rolling. Read it, enjoy it and review it! :)
Chapter 9: Astoria
"Can you ask these morons to let me go?" Astoria demanded. "A lady like me should not be treated like that!"
"Let her go, please," Draco said to the two men. "You can go. She's staying with me."
The three employees left and Astoria took off her sunglasses.
"I demand to know what you were thinking when you decided to drag me here. I was busy."
"You're not in the position to demand anything. I need to talk to you. You'll listen to me and do as I say," Draco turned to Hermione. "Can we use your practice?"
Hermione nodded and took them to her office. Astoria passed through the door and saw Hermione's name engraved on it.
"I'll leave. Call me if you need anything," Hermione said. "Just don't break anything."
"Wait!" Astoria called laughing. "Are you really mudblood Granger?"
"Don't call her that," Draco said angrily grabbing her by her shoulders.
"Hold on, Draco. You're the one who gave her this nickname," Astoria turned to Hermione. "I didn't recognize you without the bushy hair and without books on your hands. You're not bad for a mudblood."
"Shut up, Astoria." Draco said. "Granger, you're staying."
Hermione closed the door behind her and leaned on a wall. Draco pushed Astoria to a couch and sat in a chair in front of her.
"Can you tell me what's going on? Why am I on this hospital? And why on earth are you defending the mudblood?" Astoria asked.
"Shut up and listen," Draco said coldly. "Scorpius is very sick. That's why we're on the hospital."
"What did you do the boy, Draco?"
"I did nothing to my son."
"Our son, you mean. From what I recall, you didn't make him on your own," she got up.
"No, I didn't and yet I've been raising him alone. I wasn't the one who ran away," he did the same.
"I was the one who carried him for nine months inside of me. I got fat and ugly. I was the one who couldn't sleep and I suffered all the pain alone. I gave birth to him," Astoria started to shout. "You've spent nine months without even looking at me, but when Scorpius came, you suddenly became a caring parent."
"I may have not suffered the pain, but I took responsibility to take care of him, when his mother left him a month later."
"I was 21 years old, Draco! What did you want me to do? I was young and I wanted a good life with a man who loved me. I didn't want to be a mother. I wasn't ready. You said that night was a mistake and I agree. You were upset and I was feeling left out. It should have never happened and we wouldn't be here."
"That night was a mistake, but I don't regret it. Scorpius is a wonderful boy and luckily he didn't have to live with his despicable mother."
"Hey!" Hermione shouted. She was already mad because of their argument. "Shut up, both of you."
"Stay out of it, Granger."
"I said shut up, Malfoy."
"You heard him mudblood. This problem is between me and my husband," Astoria replied.
"Ex-husband, you mean. The wedding law says that if either part runs away and leaves for over a year, the marriage is canceled."
"I said shut up," Hermione screamed once more. "Now you two listen to me. Greengrass, Scorpius is sick. To take the potion that will cure him, he needs a blood transfusion. If your blood is compatible to his, you can save him. You're here to donate blood to your son. Malfoy, stop arguing with her. This is not helping at all."
"Why would I donate blood to him? What will I get?" Astoria asked.
"Anything! Say what you want and I'll give it to you. Just tell me how much you want," Draco got desperate.
"I don't want your money. I don't need it. Can I ask for anything at all?"
"Anything at all. Come on Astoria, name your price," Draco looked deeply at her.
"I want to see him. I want to see my son."
"No! You won't get near him. You lost your right to contact him when decided to run away."
"Then, I won't donate any blood."
"Fine. After we collect your blood, you'll see him," Hermione said calmly.
"Granger! Are you crazy?" Draco shouted.
"No, I'm saving your son's life," she spat.
"I'm the one negotiating here, not you."
"And you're wasting time. Letting her see him won't make any harm."
"Why would it? I'm his mother after all," Astoria said. "Listen to your dear mudblood, Draco."
"Astoria, you're not his mother. Scorpius's mother is dead," he replied.
"You told him I died?" Astoria was shocked.
"Yes, I never thought you would come back."
"Wow, what a great parent you are. You're lying to your son about the most important person in his life."
"Where was the most important person in his life for the past six years? Not by his side, I can assure you," Draco screamed.
"Shut up, for crying's sake." Hermione screamed with her bossy voice. "Look, this is what's going to happen. First you're going to stop arguing. Greengrass, you'll donate the blood and see your son. You're not allowed to talk to him, to touch or anything, just see him. Malfoy, stop being so stupid! This is a great deal, both sides win. Now, you'll go to your son's room and Greengrass will come with me to do some tests and collect the blood."
"Granger…" Draco started.
"Shut up, Malfoy and do as I say," she looked at him harshly.
"I don't like being told what do," he replied like a spoiled child.
"Too bad, but I'm giving orders here," she turned to Astoria. "Come on, Greengrass."
Astoria got up and she left the room with Hermione after Draco. Hermione took Astoria to an exam room.
"Where are we, mudblood?" Astoria asked.
"It's an exam room, Greengrass. Have you never been to a hospital before?"
"Yes, but St. Mungus is different, there aren't so many muggle stuff."
"Whatever, sit down, please," Hermione said putting on a pair of plastic gloves.
Astoria sat down and Hermione took her arm.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm trying to find your vein. I need to take your blood for testing to make sure you're able to donate."
Astoria nodded and Hermione got the syringe.
"Wow," Astoria said. "You're not going to stick that into my arm, are you?"
"How do you expect me to get your blood? Do you want me to cut your wrist and let you bleeding in a bucket? Give me your arm."
Astoria slowly outreached her arm and Hermione did the test.
"Now, you have to wait a little. I'm testing your blood and when I'm sure it's not contaminated, we'll start collecting it, ok?"
"I still have to wait? Look, mudblood, I have other stuff to do."
"Oh, really? That's great!" Hermione said sarcastically. "Guess what? I had other plans for today too and yet I'm here. Do you see me complaining? No."
"Fine, how much blood are you taking from me?"
"About a liter. You'll feel dizzy, but it's nothing a potion won't heal."
"What? That's too much. How am I going to survive?" Astoria said hysterical.
"Don't be stupid. A liter is nothing for you. You'll still have four liters more to keep you alive. Besides that, the potion I'll give you for the dizziness will replace it."
Hermione finished the test and took Astoria to the donating room. She asked a nurse to get Astoria ready and to keep an eye on her. Hermione had Astoria's blood tested and an hour later she already had enough blood to give Scorpius. Finally, Hermione took Astoria to Scorpius's room.
"Remember, you can't talk to him," Hermione warned Astoria before they got in.
Astoria nodded and they approached Scorpius's bed.
"Hi, Scorpius, you have a visitor," Hermione said and Draco muttered something.
"Who's this?" Scorpius asked.
Nobody replied and the room went silent. Astoria kept staring at Scorpius and tears started to roll down her face.
"She's a friend of mine. She just wanted to see you," Draco spokes suddenly.
"Why are you crying, miss? Are you sad?" Scorpius asked innocently.
"She's crying because she doesn't have much time to stay and now she has to go, right?" Draco intervened.
"No, dear, I'm not sad. Sometimes people cry of happiness. I'm happy to see you," Astoria said wiping away her tears. "I mean, look at you, sweetie, you're almost a grown up. I remember when I first held you."
"I'm turning seven in four months. I'm almost a man," he smiled.
"That's enough. Say good bye, Scorpius," Draco said and dragged Astoria out of the room.
"What the hell were you doing?" Draco shouted. "You couldn't have talked to him. That was not the deal."
"Draco, listen…"
"No, I want you to leave now!" he screamed again without caring that his voice echoed through the hospital's hall and that Scorpius was listening to him.
"Malfoy! Lower your voice, now!" Hermione appeared next to him. "This is a respectable hospital, please, behave and if you keep screaming you're going to scare your son. He was listening to you."
"I'm telling you, Granger, stay out of this," Draco said. "Astoria, get out, now!"
"Let me be with him for a few more minutes!" she cried.
"No, you had your time. You saw him like we promised. Now, get out and go back to your miserable life. Forget he exists. Pretend it never happened!"
"How am I supposed to do this? I've spent my life thinking about what I have done and now I could see that I was stupid to leave a beautiful boy like him. Draco, please, believe me, everywhere I went I kept thinking about him. And every time his birthday came I couldn't stop thinking about the day he was born. I can't forget he exists, I'm his mother for crying's sake," Astoria kept crying.
Suddenly, Scorpius got out of the room to hear Astoria's last words.
"Are you my mother?" he asked with questioning eyes.