A/N: Sorry to leave everyone on such a cliffhanger. Thanks to everyone that reviewed! I really appreciate it. I want to make it clear that Hermione is pregnant with twins just in case that information didn't get through. I would answer another specific review, but it would give away the story. I plan to have this story finished by the next two or three chapters (most likely just two, I think) and maybe an epilogue.
Chapter 9: Solutions and Weasley
Draco's body jumped into action subconsciously. He raised his wand and let it hover in the air to do a diagnostic scan before running to the door and calling for both of his parents. He then ran back to Hermione to see what was wrong. He leaned down and held her hand in his to reassure her.
"Hermione, love, I need to go to St. Mungo's to get the potions that you need," Draco said quickly, hating that he had to leave her in pain until he got what she needed.
He rushed to the fireplace just as his mother walked in the door looking anxious. "Take care of Hermione," Draco said before disappearing in the green flames.
He emerged from the fireplace in Healer Alden's office because he didn't remember how to get to his own.
"I need you to get a Healer for Hermione at Malfoy Manor as soon as possible," Draco demanded as he made his way pass the healer that was writing something at his desk and heading, he assumed, to his own office to get potions. His body seemed to remember the way just as his mind knew what Hermione needed even when chunks of his knowledge was missing in being a Healer.
Draco burst into the room that read Malfoy on the door and searched for the potions he knew were there. He paused, asking himself where he would put something important to him in his office. He walked to his desk and waved his wand to unlock a compartment. In it were a few phials filled with different colored potions. He grabbed all of them and went to the fireplace in his office securing the potions before going back to the Manor.
When he arrived he saw both his parents looking in distress as an older Healer looked over Hermione while Healer Alden was taking out items from a black bag.
"I have these," Draco said, taking out the phials from his pocket as he rushed to Hermione's side and pressed the potions in the older Healer's hands. He grabbed Hermione's hand again and she squeezed it as she closed her eyes, trying to regulate her breathing.
"Ah," the healer said, eying the potions before she chose the dark purple one and uncorked it to smell its contents. Draco was annoyed that the woman didn't give the potion to Hermione immediately if it was the right one. "This is exactly what we need. It seems you are well prepared, Draco, even with your memory loss. This potion takes hours to brew," the woman said as she handed the phial over to Hermione to drink.
Once Hermione had downed the potion, her breathing slowed down gradually and the pain was erased from her face.
Draco let out the breath he was holding, relieved that he had thought to make that particular potion beforehand. He slumped to the floor still holding Hermione's hand. He was more distraught than he had realized in his hurried state to get her better.
"What was wrong with her," Lucius asked in a tight voice that would seem cold to others that didn't know him. Draco, less surprised of his father's actions since he had revealed that he was perfectly fine with his engagement to Hermione, knew his father had been worried.
"Placental abruption," the older healer said. "It's very good fortune that Draco had this potion brewed already. I'd hate to think what could have gone if the abruption was more severe. Ms. Granger should be fine now, though she will need to rest and drink plenty of fluids."
"Are the babies okay," Narcissa asked, going over to stand by Hermione's chair, putting her hand on her shoulder in a soothing manner.
"Perfectly fine, I assure you," Healer Thisbe said with confidence.
"Thank you, Healer Thisbe," Hermione said, once she got her breath back and looked up at the Healer that came back out of retirement to handle the cases that had been left with Draco. "Draco made me potions a while ago to help along with my pregnancy, as you know. I suppose he kept the more serious potions close by in case an incident like this happened," Hermione said, looking lovingly at Draco as she felt her eyes get droopy.
"You'll fall sleep soon," Draco said, gently helping Hermione out of her seat and leading her towards the door. "The potion's side effect causes no less than ten hours of sleep."
His knowledge surprised him as much as it had everyone else in the room. It seemed he retained some of his knowledge as a healer even if he wasn't aware of what that knowledge pertained to after a certain point.
By the time Draco and Hermione made it to Draco's room (he wouldn't have her in any other) she had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit his pillow. He stayed there with her for ten minutes to assure himself that she was really going to be all right before forcing himself to go back to the sitting room. He found his parents in deep conversation with Healer Thisbe while Healer Alden sat close by listening intently.
"This can't go on," he said when he got the attention of those in the room when he closed the door. "I'm Hermione's healer, aren't I? I'm going to need my memories to keep her and our children safe until they are born."
He looked at his healer. "Is there nothing that can be done," he asked beseechingly.
"Not until we know what your uncle hit you with," Healer Alden said solemnly.
"I see," Draco said as his eyes took on a distant look. As quickly as it had come it vanished as he made his way to the fireplace in quick strides.
"Where are you going, Draco," his mother asked. "Come here with us and discuss what Healer Thisbe says about Hermione's pregnancy. Perhaps some of your memories will return if you hear her talk about your work."
"I can't, Mother," Draco responded, turning to look at the group. "I need to find Potter or Weasley."
"What for," his father asked, clearly not liking the idea of either Potter or Weasley even after so many years had passed. Draco briefly wondered how he was going to take them being a part of their life a bit since Hermione was going to be his wife.
"To see if I can visit my dear uncle. Look after Hermione," Draco said before stepping into the grate to floo to the Ministry.
"Potter," Draco called after stepping onto the Auror floor and spotting the messy black hair of his previous rival in school.
Harry looked up from a few documents he had been reading, displeasure over what he had been reviewing replaced by confusion at hearing a voice he hadn't heard in quite a while.
"Malfoy," Harry asked, surprised that the blond would willingly come seek him. His surprise soon turned to worry as he figured the only way Draco Malfoy would seek him out would be because Hermione couldn't.
"What's happened to Hermione? Where is she," he asked as he very nearly ran towards Draco, grabbing his wand and ready to go to wherever it was Hermione needed him to be.
"Calm down, Potter, she's fine," Draco drawled, not able to contain his habit of showing his disdain to seeing Potter. Now, though, he needed the bespectacled man's help and being his old self wasn't going to help in his endeavor.
"I need to speak to my uncle," he said, cutting to why he was there.
Harry's face took on the look he had while he was looking at the documents now closed in his hand.
"He's here now," he muttered, half in thought. "Ron is…talking to him."
Malfoy's face must have shown his curiosity and slight confusion because Harry said, "About the curse that hit you."
"Well, then, what are you waiting for," Draco said haughtily, "take me to them."
Harry looked like he was about to say something but thought better of it. He simply turned and walked towards the back of the floor where he opened a door to a large corridor that held a number of rooms. They went to the third one where Harry opened it and walked in, followed by Draco.
The room was large and divided by a murky grey barrier clearly made by magic. It was like a thin veil but Draco felt the magic that it held, sure that anyone who tried to walk through it would severely regret doing so. Harry stood there for a few seconds, looking at the veil as if he could see through it.
"Don't try to walk or talk through it, because you can't and they won't be able to hear you," Harry said and tapped his wand to the veil before Draco could ask what he was talking about. The murky grey obstruction began to clear and the other half of the room was gradually becoming visible. Before long Draco saw two figures. His uncle locked by chains in a chair and the red headed Weasley sitting opposite him, only a small table in between them.
If the tea pot and refreshments didn't surprised Draco, then the fact that the two men talking lively together and smiling certainly did. He was so shocked that he couldn't form a coherent thought for a good fifteen seconds.
"What the bloody hell is going on," Draco hissed, his eyes narrowing in anger and his hand gripping his wand so tight it Harry thought it would snap.
"Ron's been working on him for some time now," Harry said, stealing a quick glance at Draco. "You may not think it, Malfoy, but we are good at our job."
Without further explanation Harry tapped the now invisible barrier again and Ron's and Roldolphus' voices could be heard loud and clear.
"—really, they didn't stand a chance," Ron was saying, "they have nothing on the Cork team. Lancanshire barely have a handful of winning matches against them since 1385 and you know it."
"I concede the point," Rodolphus said, seeming to forget about his cuffed hands when he took a sip of his tea, "but you cannot say that the Wigtown Wanderers' Chasers Parkin's Pincer is inferior to the strategy of the Wronski Feint."
"What," Ron burst, his face going slightly red, "those two are completely different things. There's no way those two can be compared."
"This," Draco spat, gesturing wildly at the two wizards behind the veil, "is what your job entails? Speaking Quidditch with criminals? I'm sure a trained seal could do the same thing."
Harry only gave him a wry look and a smirk that annoyed Draco immensely. Draco only scoffed at the implication that Weasley could get anything out of his uncle. The ginger just didn't have it in him.
They watched the wizards for several more minutes before the conversation turned more serious.
"How do you like the additions of your privileges," Ron asked nonchalantly, "the chess set is to your liking, I hope."
Draco raised his eyebrow at Ron's speech pattern. He hadn't known the Weasley to be subtle, but Draco knew he was getting at something beneath the surface of his, seemingly, aloof question.
"Yes, it is," Rodolphus responded, helping himself to a crumpet on the tray sitting on the small table between them. "Having a challenging game with others beats the monotony that is Azkaban."
"I'm working on getting you some Chocolate Frogs along with some other sweets. I think you share that trait with you nephew," Ron said, shifting his body into a more dominant position.
Now Draco was impressed. It seemed the red head had learned some tact as he got older instead of blurting things out without discretion. The near sly way he adjusted his body language was proof enough.
Rodolphus' eyes narrowed slightly and his lips became a little thinner. "I suppose it is," he said. "Not that I want anything to do with that brat, the blood traitor."
Draco snorted at the stupidity of his uncle. He was talking all chummy to Ron Weasley, one of the three heroes of the war that defeated You-Know-Who, and part of a family Pure-Bloods had long considered Blood traitors. It seemed the red head had done some work on his uncle.
"I don't blame you, that's for sure," Ron said, making Draco sneer. "That ferret doesn't have much going for him even when he had his memories."
"I can agree on that," Rodolphus said, nodding his head in agreement.
"It was quite an ingenious spell you hit him with. I say with complete honesty nice work," Ron said with conviction. "It's what he gets for hanging out with Granger, am I right?"
"Yes, that damn Mudblood," Rodolphus exclaimed. "To shame himself by hanging out with that prideful woman who fancies herself a witch."
Draco was confused. Did his uncle not know he was talking to Ron Weasley, best friend of Hermione Granger and Harry Potter? What was going on?
"I'm glad I came to my senses when I did," Ron breathed in relief. "The superiority of Pure-Blood witches and wizards have become apparent with the death of the Dark Lord."
Draco felt his mouth fall open in shock. This wasn't the same Ron Weasley he had seen at Hogwarts.
"He thinks he's close to finding out what he used," Harry said, not taking his eyes off his friend on the other side of the veil, his expression unreadable. "But at what cost, I don't know."
Draco looked at Potter, trying to understand what he meant.
"It was quite by accident, I assure you," Rodolphus said. "If my nephew hadn't busted my mouth, it wouldn't have worked as well as it did."
"What did you use, then, if not just the Memory Charm," Ron asked, eagerness in his voice.
Rodolphus started laughing, at first softly then loudly. Ron kept his face impassive.
"You think I'm going to tell you, do you," Rodolphus asked through his laughs. "Not a chance in hell."
Ron, to everyone's amazement, started laughing as well. His laugh was filled with so much mirth that it even made Draco feel uncomfortable. His uncle certainly was if his fidgeting was anything to go by, the laughter having died when Ron had first started laughing.
Draco looked over to Potter whose eyes held a strange gloominess to them as he watched his friend.
Ron's laughter ended abruptly, making the air in the room tense by how unnatural it was to cut off such genuine laughter in so quick a manner. Despite himself, Draco felt the hairs on his arms raise in apprehension.
"Solitary confinement, no visitation, no variation in food, no seeing the light of day for the rest of your sentence," Ron said with casualness as if discussing the weather, a small smile on his face that contrasted creepily with the seriousness in his eyes. "I'm sure you'll love all the time to yourself to dream of all the sweets in the world you won't have. You'll also like the silence to dwell on all the good times you've had with fellow prisoners playing Wizard's Chess. I don't know if they'll miss your company, but I imagine you'll miss theirs. Enjoy your hell."
With that Ron got up from his seat, vanished the tea set, and strode confidently towards the veil seemingly for the purpose of quitting the room.
"Wait," cried Rodolphus, his face filled with panic. His eyes were fearful and his face was pale. "I—I'll tell you. Just don't put me in solitary confinement," his uncle begged.
Draco felt uncomfortable at the malicious smile Weasley gave before masking his face as one of indifference before turning back to Rodolphus.
"What the bloody hell," Draco said, blown away at Ron's disquieting way of handling his uncle. He had, Draco presumed, befriended him, made the man comfortable and at ease by bestowing favors, and then threatened to take them away. It was positively Slytherin; a word and house that were not supposed to be associated with a Weasley, ever. Draco was beyond shocked.
"Let's go," Harry said, tapping the barrier again making it a murky grey once more. "I don't think you need to see your uncle if I'm correct in assuming why you're here."
Draco dumbly followed Potter out and they sat in silence as they waited for Ron, each not bothered by the lack of noise between them since they were both contemplating what they had just witnessed.
"I thought you and ginger were supposed to be the good guys," Draco finally said after he pulled himself out of his thoughts.
"We certainly aren't evil," Harry said, still lost in thought.
"Could've fooled me," Draco continued. "The actions Weasley just demonstrated are not one that someone in Gryffindor would use. He seemed more Slytherin than anything and I would never have thought to describe a Weasley as one of my house."
Harry only sighed, which made Draco look at his fiancé's best friend in question.
"Ron's quitting after he gets the spell that hit you," Harry informed, rubbing a hand through his black hair in distress.
"Why would he do that," Draco asked in confusion. "With skills like he has he could achieve a lot in the business of finding out information from stubborn prisoners. Aren't you Aurors all for that?"
Potter shot him an annoyed look before explaining. "You saw Ron in there, Malfoy. Does he resemble anything like the guy you remember in Hogwarts? The job has changed him and we aren't sure if it's for the best."
Draco didn't like being talked to as if he didn't know about something, but he could see Potter's point. They were all too good to be comfortable changing in to anything resembling a manipulative person. Hadn't he himself change after the war? It didn't even cross his mind to think of the change that would happen to others that had always been on the opposite side of You-Know-Who. Turning dark definitely had not crossed his mind.
"I can see your point," Draco said after a pause making Harry raise his eyebrow in surprise.
"What," Draco asked, "surprised we can agree on something?"
"Yeah," Harry said, looking bemused, "I guess I am."
"Come on, Potter," Draco said, "I'm going to marry your best friend who is a Muggle-born and someone I was raised to hate. Certainly my agreeing with you is not the most shocking thing in the world."
Harry was about to respond until he saw Ron heading towards them. Draco turned as well, a little surprised that he actually wanted to speak to Weasley. Such a change had happened in the hot-headed wizard that Draco was curious as to what to make of the wizard now after so many years had passed. Begrudgingly, Draco found that he respected the red head.
Plus, he wanted to tell them what happened to Hermione and preferred the both of them be told at once so he wouldn't have to repeat it a second time. He wanted to get back to her side as soon as possible and relaying the information. Getting his uncle's spell that caused his condition as quickly as he would now achieved his purpose even faster. The fact that Weasley had been working on it for so long and finally achieving the goal that so many had tried and failed was not lost on him. It seemed he would have to relay his gratitude. The information Weasley got was vital for him getting his life back and, more importantly, helping get Hermione the best care she needed during her pregnancy.
"Weasley," Draco said in greeting, getting up and offering his hand to the man he had been at odds with in school.
"Malfoy," Ron said, taking his hand without hesitation and hiding any surprise he might have had to the offered hand.
Draco felt his eyebrows rise. Perhaps Potter was right about his speculation of his friend. The old Ron would have definitely sputtered and turned red with anger if he had so much as glimpse the blond anywhere near. Perhaps they could be civil, if not only because Hermione would be adamant on their getting along, which he was sure she would do if she hadn't already. The future was going to be interesting, whether they could use the information or not.
A/N: Sorry for updating so late in the day. I hope you all like the bit about Ron. It was sort of last minute planning on my part. I don't like ooc characters but I like to think this change happened gradually and only makes potential trouble in work (for now, at least), which is why he's quitting. Anyway, I hope this chapter was enjoyable.