A/n: It's almost Christmas! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

And hell, I got a flu right now... Darn. Can't stay up very long...

Anyway... the story...

By: Aningme

Chapter 7

Dilemma: The Sequel

He was getting bloody nervous.

He couldn't stop but play with his damned car keys. He couldn't stop staring at his phone and make calls.

She was late by a damn hour.

She wasn't like this. She wasn't someone to miss a minute away from schedule. She even has the five fifteen wake up call every morning.

She just is a routine kind of person.

But, hell with that, where is she? She could have mocked him with being late for a few minutes. But worrying him like this is different.

"Damn it." He cursed and dialed her number again. He listened to the monotonic ring of her phone and waited for an answer. But as always, he got none.

Hanging it up, he sulked on his chair and stared at the doorway.

"Sir, would you like some more water?"

"No." He hissed at the waiter serving him and almost killed him with his steely stare. Catching himself, he shook his head apologetically and calmed his nerves. "I mean, I'm fine. I'm alright."

Dismissing him, he propped his elbow on the table and rested his chin on his palms. What the hell is taking her so long? He thought and groaned. And suddenly jerked from the table, as his phone rang.

Staring at it, he abruptly answered it.

"Have you seen her? Is she there?"

"Sir." There was a quiver underneath the neat blankness of Harvey's voice, almost sending Draco to his dooming horror. "She's here."

"Good." He sighed, felt overwhelmingly relieved, and managed to smile. "May I speak with her and scold her personally?"

"Sir." His voice hitched this time, having a big lump stuck in his throat, diminishing Draco's humor. Harvey reached over his tie and tried to pry it loose. "You must, I mean immediately, come over to the center."

"The hospital?" He was already standing up from his chair. "Where is she?"

"She's at the emergency room sir. There was an accident…"

The horrid fumes of hospital odors gave him an amazing headache throbbing in his skull. Medics scrambling in uniforms were all together running back and forth in front of him, where he sat. But he couldn't see them, only the white sparkly clean floor he'd been staring at. He couldn't hear them too, only the silence and the small voice asking him, demanding him.

How did this happen…? How…? How?

"Mr. Malfoy." Mrs. Dubley called, kneeling in front of him, leveling their eyes. He had been sitting there in that waiting area like a corpse. "Mr. Malfoy. Look at me."

He dragged his gaze to her face, his eyes tired and dark. Staring at them, she almost shivered, seeing the cold anger and the dangerous temper simmering in him. "How is she?"

She couldn't help but melt in pity, hearing his voice threatening to break. "She's still inside in the ER. But we're already bringing her in to one of the private rooms we have."

"She would want to go home. She wouldn't want to stay here."

"Yes, she wouldn't. But it would help if she would stay here first. For further observations." She touched his hands which were balled into fists. "It would be best for her now."

His eyes suddenly flashed in anger, feeling desperate and disoriented inside. His stomach never stopped tossing and turning. "What happened? What happened to her?"

Harvey stepped in and sat beside his master. It would be best if he, a person who had been with him for the past seven years he worked for him, would tell him what had happened. "Sir, I have witnessed and saw her downfall on our porch steps. It seemed that she was in some pain, and she wasn't able to manage to keep her stature." He knew his master didn't need the cushioned story. He knew him enough to tell everything straight off. "She just fainted and fell off the stairs. I called Mrs. Dubley immediately. And I brought her in."

"What caused it? What is happening to her?"

"After all of the tests run we made for her, we discovered nothing." Mrs. Dubley explained. "Well, in the muggle world, that is, they discovered nothing."

Draco shook his head. "What did you find out?"

"Something did this to her. A potion." She explained and sighed heavily. "And it's not just an ordinary potion. It's performed with the dark arts methodology."

Draco's eyes dimmed with the realization. His voice, his body, all switched into a calm mode. A very threatening calm mode. "Narcissa."

She heard the cold silence in his voice, and felt nothing more but fear him. "I don't know when Hermione took the potion, or if it is deadly. But all I know is it caused all of this." Her voice was starting to thicken with her own anger. "She took an awful fall down the stairs of the porch. She is injured in many ways, physically. I couldn't use my skills for that in magic, for the sake of our policies and undercover, but I might be able to cure her at your home." She closed her eyes in tension and shook her head. "I don't know other effects of this potion. I have researched about this and briefed with the Ministry of Magic about it. We're going to find out what that potion is."

"But all in all, we are in most worry about her condition." Harvey added; his voice thin and weak. It was awful to tell him about the news in a place like this. In a damn hospital. "They haven't figured out if it would affect her condition, or if the potion wou-"

"Condition? What condition?" Draco asked and glanced at both of them. "What are you talking about?"

Harvey gestured for Mrs. Dubley and stepped back from them. He couldn't be the one to tell him. He just can't.

"Mr. Malfoy, I believe you do recall your last visit here, just yesterday." She started and swallowed a big lump in her throat. She thought it would be best if she would tell him. "I believe she wanted to tell you about her condition tonight. She always wanted the news to be a surprise for you."

"What news? What condition?" His temper was nearing to snap. "Don't hang me by the line, Darlene."

He was the only one who manages to call her by her first name. A sign of his power. But also of respect. "Your wife, Mr. Malfoy has been carrying a child for a month." She plainly said it. Tried to smile. "She wanted to tell you about it ever since she knew."

He just sat there, blinking at her, and was speechless.

She nearly choked a laugh. "She's pregnant."

"She… She…" He sprang up to his feet and ran his hands to his face. "Bloody fucking hell."

Mrs. Dubley stood up too and smiled at his reaction. "A surprise it is indeed."

"Bloody bugger my arse… Is she… is she…" He swallowed hard and shook his head clear. "Are they alright?" His hands were shaking; his eyes were all but completely pale now.

"We're still in that phase. We're checking on your baby too and the probability ratio of miscarriage. She's still under going tests for that. And so far, the baby's doing well."

"Our baby… my baby…" He slowly sat down, propped his arms on his knees and buried his face in his palms. "Bloody fucking bugger of Merlin. I'm a father." He looked up at Mrs. Dubley, bewildering her with his shimmering tears in his eyes. "I'm a father."

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, you are." She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Congratulations."

He sighed heavily and tried to compose himself. "I… I… Can I see her?" It took him off guard. "Can I talk to her?"

"She's still in a sort of coma." She muttered, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "But you can see her. She'll be in her room by now."

He took short breaths and stood up again, ignoring his wobbling knees. "Thank you, Darlene. I appreciate everything."

"Not a problem." She replied and watched him walk through the hallway with Harvey behind him. "Not a problem at all."

He didn't know what to feel.

His head was bursting in anger with the thought of Narcissa. His stomach was still making small tumbles with worry for his wife. And his knees where threatening to give away with the revelation of his child.

My child… He thought, the shock almost eating him alive.

He stopped by the door and just stood there, as if he suddenly became paralyzed. He just stared at her, so fragile, so helpless, laying down on the hospital bed, with needles sticking on her, and monitors beeping and blinking numbers. He couldn't bear to see her like that. He couldn't.

"Sir," Harvey whispered, comfort flooding his voice. "You must go in. She needs you."

He let out a quivering breath and managed to maintain his cool tone. "Thank you for helping her." He started, just watching her through the door window. "Thank you for taking care of her when I wasn't there."

"Sir," He laid a hand on his shoulder, gave it a quick squeeze of support, and smiled. "It is my duty as your assistant. And as your friend."

Draco smiled at that. "I'm glad you're here, Harvey." He reached out for the door knob. "I would just like to have a moment with her."

Harvey nodded and stepped back. "Sir, before anything else, I would just like to say, that when I found her on the porch, she was embracing her… uhm… abdomen." Harvey added. He sighed helplessly and continued. "Even if she was unconscious, she was protecting your child. She'll be alright, sir. They'll both be alright."

Walking towards her, he managed to hold himself back from turning away. It killed him to see her that way.

He just wanted to get her and take her away from all of these. He wanted to take her from pain, from the darkness.

He didn't want to see her hurt like this…

"Hermione." He whispered, leaning over to her. She looked ghostly pale, her lips almost turning white. And adding to that, there was a big bruise covering the right side of her face, crushing Draco's heart. "I'm so sorry…" He paused, controlled his quivering voice. "I wasn't able to protect you from her… I just let this all happen… Damn it." He grabbed at his hair and closed his eyes. "Please forgive me… Please forgive me…" He touched her hand, the coldness of it, and kissed it. "I'll get her for this. I'll get her…" He looked up, leaned closer, and kissed her lips. "I love you…"

He caressed her face, ran his gentle fingers over the bruise on her face, as if soothing it.

And slowly, he ran his hand down her belly, and caressed her and the child sleeping in her.

"I'll take care of you. I'll take care of you both. I'll do everything. No matter what it takes." He rested his cheek on her belly and closed his eyes. He gathered up her hands too and rested them on their child. "And, with all of my will, my power, my being, I'll love you both… to no extent." He said, and planted a kiss on her belly.

A/n: Lol.ü I am really sorry I won't be able to post personalized messages right now.. My head will burst in any minute.

But I just want you all to HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS.ü Enjoy the holidays alright?ü

And I thank you all for your reviews.ü Really meant a lot to me...ü

THANK YOU!

And especially for Foreverasecret01.ü You got it right.ü I mean, your guess about what is to happen.ü

And guys, please don't get mad at me...

I just need to do this to be able to get my point...ü

Hang on, the worst is already coming. (yes, I am warning you.)

But, please, forgive me for that...ü

Until next update then.ü Take care you all. ü

AND MERRY CHRISTMAS AGAIN!ü