A/n: Yeah yeah... I KNOW.
What took you so long Aningme!
Sorry this got out really late. I've been busy with a lot of things lately and... well... that's just life.
But even so, I still promised to finish this story no matter how long it takes me...
But for your part, I am sorry it takes me this long to do this...
Anyway, this part is when they are about to leave for hogwarts for the... thing.
The rest is history.:)
By: Aningme
Chapter 24
Dilemma: The Sequel
It was still shy of seven when he went out for a drive to meet someone. This is the chosen day; he mused, and just forced his own head to remain empty and blank.
He didn't want to worry all over again and make himself feel awful. The flu was still banging at him. And he wouldn't want himself to help it bring him down to pieces.
He wouldn't give up without a heck of a fight.
Scorching his tires on a solid brake, he parked just nearby the hospital and gazed over the building. He didn't know whether to feel dread, remorse, or even anxiety for being there. It became a memento of different memories he had with it. And, he had to admit, there were also a good number of bad ones to remember.
The place was still the same. The tiles, the ever so gleaming white tiles, shined beneath his feet with formality and coldness. He always felt cold in hospitals. There's always blood, gore, screams, and cries everywhere. The white walls with its renewed paint just brought out an even colder aura with the nurses and doctors rushing and running around for emergencies with their white coats. He turned to a corner and had to stop from the madness, slowly inhaling isopropyl air with his mouth. He just stood there and watched every moving object and people from that small corridor.
How could they live like this everyday? He thought, just watching the rushing bed wheelers and the group of nurses and doctors just right behind it. It was still early and yet, they seem to ignore time and move about their own businesses.
Was she always like this at work too? He pondered, just watching the crying babies and the bleeding faces lined up for a consult. He just stood there and watched as the medical world rotated around him without even noticing him.
"Draco." A familiar voice called out just across the corridor. "What are you doing there in the corner?"
He abruptly turned to her and felt the sudden rush of relief, seeing her face. "Darlene." He managed to smile and take her hand into a brief shake. "It's good to see you."
"Sure is good to see you too. It's been a while." Mrs. Dubley smiled at him, checking him out. "You've gone pale. And lost some weight too."
"I caught a cold just a few days ago. But I'm fine now." He smiled at her.
"Why don't we go to a private room where you can sit? I think you need to eat something and quick. I don't want any of my patients to go thin with my care."
"I'm not in for a consult Darlene. I just wanted to—"
"Official consult or not, you're sick and I'm the head nurse. I deal with sick people. That's what I do." She pointed out and gestured for him to follow her. "It's been busy in here. Lot's of sick people are coming in. We're actually under epidemic alert. The colds and flu are really kicking in over England."
"So I see." He muttered, feeling overly relieved when he shut the door behind him, silence from the tapping shoes and screeching metal wheelchairs and beds finally governing him.
"Come on. Sit down. I'll bring you some food to eat."
"Darlene, it's sweet of you. But I'm quite full. I had my intake already."
"Well, your intake's not enough. Look at you. You're going from buff to skin and bones."
"Darlene. I'm fine." He said it with such fatigue that she just stood there and looked at him.
His skin was terribly pale, and his eyes were looking tired and worn out. But even so, she couldn't blame him. Sleepless nights and lost appetites were the least of his problems. "Well, would you like some coffee then? I have a fresh pot."
"Sure. That'd be great." Draco nodded and sunk deeply into the comfy sofa. He glanced around and studied the small backroom of the nurse station, finding a couple more sofas, three glass tables with six chairs, a few counters, coffee makers, and a vending machine with chips, chocolate, and cold baloney sandwiches fully stocked. "You nurses ought to have bigger pleasures than these. You do some tough work around these parts." He commented as he waited for her. "I thought this place was renovated ages ago."
"It was renovated. It's renovated into this." She laughed cheerfully as she walked to him with two cups at hand, sitting just across from him. "Not much of a renovation, if you ask me. Well, you can't argue with the budget."
"You guys deserve more than this." He mumbled, thinking of all the lives they saved. Including his. "I'll see what I can do."
Her brows lifted. "Aren't you the one. You're planning something, Draco?" She rested her eyes at his, casually sipping her coffee. "I believe it's not easy to come through the head people of this building. It would take decades before you swim through their sharks."
"That wouldn't be necessary." He mumbled and eased back, just watching her. "I have sharks of my own."
"Well, with a man like you, I shouldn't be surprised." She chuckled, setting her cup on her lap. "Are you planning to purchase this hospital?"
She sounded so sarcastic he had to laugh. "That wouldn't be a bad idea." He countered.
She shot her brows one more time and nodded, considering. "Well. Again, not a surprise." She commented and pondered over it.
"Darlene." He began, finding himself missing talking like this with her. "I'll be leaving for Hogwarts today."
"Hogwarts?" She furrowed her brows, mildly surprised.
"I'm taking Hermione with me." He continued, not noticing his fingers tapping over his lap. "Well, I was thinking if it would be alright for her to…"
"Of course it is." She smiled, suddenly beaming up with the idea. "It would be good for her, you know."
"Yeah." He nodded, tracing a finger over his cup. "I just wanted you to know."
"When will you be back?"
"Next week. We won't be staying long." He stared at his coffee and suddenly felt the burning hole in his stomach. "She'll be coming back here by then. She wanted to work again."
"Will that be okay with you?"
He thought about it, and considered. "Of course. She needs it."
"She does." She sighed. "I did miss that girl around here."
"I just want to ask you to take care of her when she comes back."
"There's no need to ask." She reminded him. "I keep my eyes over everything. Especially on that girl." She laughed again.
But then, as he weakly smiled at himself, just merely playing with his cup, she set her own cup aside and reached over for his hand.
That caught his attention, his eyes gazing from his hands to her eyes.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes." He answered automatically.
"No. I meant are you alright?"
He paused for a moment, not knowing how to answer. "Yes?"
She chuckled at him and shook her head. "No. I don't think so." She held his hands tighter and just held his gaze. "If you were alright, you wouldn't be here."
He stared back at her and contemplated. "One would think."
"What brings you here then, Draco?" She whispered; her voice overwhelmingly soothing. "You could have just phoned me."
He looked away from her and nodded. "I could have. But it's not the same talking to you face to face."
She smiled at that. "That's really sweet of you." She could see it now. The resistance, the control. "Now, what would a man like you be dragging up here for? I'm sure you're busy with a lot of things."
He paused a moment, asking himself the same question. "I'd just like to say good bye."
"Good bye?" He sounded so final that it scared her. Scared her to the bone. "Oh, you mean like 'I'll see you later'."
"Yeah." He held her hand tighter. Smiled at her. "There aren't much people whom I could say are important to me." He looked at her this time, his eyes lingering on hers. "You might not know it, but you helped me through a lot… I don't know what would happen to me after this… Or to us… I just want to let you know how grateful I am for you… For everything."
She couldn't help the tears starting to well up on the corners of her eyes. "Oh, aren't you the sweet talker." She laughed and pecked his cheek. "I like you, Draco. And, by all means, you do not need to let me know about that." She smiled at him ever so pleasingly. "I know it by heart."
She didn't know how moved he was with her words. Lucky enough to stand on his own feet, he gave her a brief hug and a sweet peck on the cheek, as a son would give his mother. "Thank you, Darlene. For the coffee."
"Oh, it's nothing. I hope you visit more often after your trip." She answered, walking him to the door. "You travel safely now."
"I will." He smiled at her lastly, and turned to the busy corridors of the busy hospital.
Her own smile slowly fading away, she whispered a short prayer for their safety, for her assurance as well as theirs.
It had been a crazy morning.
She didn't expect the heavy load of headache burdening her today. She must be dreaming again of Merlin knows what. She couldn't remember exactly, but she knew she did. It practically wore her out throughout the night.
She felt like she never slept at all.
Packing up the last of her clothes, she sighed and hooked her phone on her shoulder.
"I really wish we could go with you guys." Ginny sighed heavily in disappointment. "It would really be fun seeing Hogwarts and everybody again."
Hermione smiled, sitting on the edge of her bed, glancing around her apartment room. "Well, why don't we plan on that next time?" She suggested.
"Hopefully. Seamus is pretty busy with a lot of things these days. Business." Ginny rolled her eyes. "He's such a workaholic."
"I'm sure he is."
"I just, you know, feel bad always having to miss him." She laughed half-heartedly. "Well. Here I am again with my insecurities."
It was still a surprise to her, knowing Seamus and Ginny. She never expected them to fall in love with each other. "You really love him, don't you?"
Sighing again, Ginny shook her head. "With all of my being."
They were just simple words. But they seemed to reach down to her heart ever so effortlessly. "Then you shouldn't feel bad about anything."
Ginny laughed, amazing Hermione with her sudden mood changes. "I'm not feeling bad about anything." She chuckled. "I really miss talking with you like this. How are you feeling today?"
"Funny you asked." Hermione chuckled too. "Well, I'm just having a banged up morning."
"What's wrong?" Her brows were furrowed now, her voice changing into a deep, worried tone.
"I don't know. Just a headache."
"Morning sickness, perhaps?"
Hermione smiled, touching her belly and caressing her baby. "Well, maybe."
"You should get some medications for that. You gave me some before with Relina, remember?"
Hermione paused. "I wouldn't really be sure."
"Oh, yeah." She winced, cursing herself silently. "I'm sorry Herm."
"It's alright. It's no big deal."
Ginny paused for a moment, as if thinking. "I'm really not used with this."
Hermione frowned. "With what?"
"With this… potion thing. When will it go away?" Ginny sighed tiredly, desperately. "When will you come back?"
Hermione glanced at her side table and stared at the vial holding a silver liquid.
She just drank some this morning. A potion to help her through the process.
"I don't know Gin." She whispered, holding the glass vial on her hand. "I'm really not sure."
She paused again, just listened to the silence. "Well, we can go through this, can't we?" She perked up a bit, just for the sakes of them both. "We got through before. We'll do it again."
Though she wasn't sure enough what she was talking about, Hermione just nodded, and trusted. "Yes. Of course we will."
"The scheduled departure will be in fifteen minutes." A tight suited young man announced, just slightly above the blowing wind.
Harvey paused a moment, as if thinking. "Hold for twenty more. He's not yet here."
"Yes, sir. I'll inform the pilot." The man quickly bowed, exiting from his sight.
Harvey sighed briefly and shook his head. Where are you? He thought, his brows knitted together.
He was surprised when he consulted the house scanner and found Draco Malfoy nowhere around the premises.
He was quite sure he wasn't mistaken with his orders.
"Eight thirty sharp. See to it that everything's ready."
Everything is ready. He pointed out and let out another tired sigh. He was glancing at his wristwatch for the fiftieth time when a domestic droid scurried gracefully in front of him.
It was a blond this time, named Jane. "Sir. Madame has arrived."
"She has?" He smiled now, as he saw her by the glass panel inside the lounge room. "Serve her anything she needs. Make her comfortable as much as possible."
"Right away sir." She bowed ever so pleasantly and walked towards the glass sliding doors to her duty.
Making sure everything was fine, he grabbed his unit and commanded Draco Malfoy on the line.
"I'm coming, Harvey." Draco answered, his face filling in the small screen of the portable machine built especially for purposes such as these.
"You're running late. She has arrived and you're somewhere else."
"I'm coming." He repeated, a smile playing on his lips. "I'm at the gate."
"Where did you go?"
"Just out for errands."
"Errands." He frowned at him. "I run your errands."
"Exactly." Draco smiled and disengaged his unit.
Harvey just shook his head at the blank screen and waited for him inside the lounge room, greeting Hermione.
"Harvey. I'm sorry I'm late. I just ran out to the store to get some things and…" She couldn't admit that she was nervous as hell. "I lost track of time."
She was jittery and pale. It was obvious as she tried to hide her hands in her jacket pocket. "No need to worry. You're not late."
Draco entered the room and closed the door behind him.
"But he is." Harvey added, boring a hole at his master with his blistering stare.
Hermione smiled. "Good morning."
"Good morning." Draco answered, glancing at both of them. "Is everything ready?"
"Yes sir. Everything's ready." Harvey answered, staring at him. "It's been ready even before the sun rose. Where have you been?"
"I ran some errands." Draco insisted, walking towards the bar corner to order a pot of fresh coffee. A headache was slowly creeping in his skull. He only needed a punch of caffeine to survive the day. "Would you care for a cup?"
"She's pregnant." Harvey pointed out, his voice straining with edge. "Coffee is apparently inappropriate for her condi—"
"I meant you." Draco amended, handing him a mug of freshly brewed Columbian coffee beans. "You seem to have a busy day."
Harvey just glanced up at him and at the mug. A tablespoon of cream and one lump of sugar was always his choice. He never forgets. "Oh, I am not alone."
Draco acknowledged him and gave him a look of apology. "How about you?" He turned to Hermione, perfectly masking his weary self. "Have you eaten?"
"I'm good." Hermione smiled, slowly rocking herself on her heels. "I'm quite full."
"Harvey, inform the pilot that he is dismissed. I think I can manage the jet by myself." Draco uttered, just watching his wife. "Also inform all the droids to disengage at all times until commanded not to."
Harvey just stood quietly. "Sir. That would be restraining safety precautions."
"Harvey." He looked away from Hermione now, walking back to the bar corner just to make use of his idle hands. His voice sounded strained now. Tired. Pleading.
Harvey just listened to him, startled.
"I can manage." Draco assured, sipping his coffee. "I hope you trust me with this."
Harvey let out a sound resembling to a sigh and nodded. "Yes sir."
Alone in the room now, Draco set his coffee aside and walked to Hermione. He abruptly but gently touched her arms and pulled her hands from the protection of her jacket pockets. Her eyes shot wide at him, her breath abruptly hitching with surprise.
He smiled, amused at her reaction, and dazzled himself at the pair of hazel eyes vulnerably staring back at him. "You're shivering."
"Just a little jittery." She amended, taking her hands back from him. "I'm fine."
"If you're not ready we coul—"
"No. I'm ready." She insisted, crudely cutting him off.
He laughed at her. "No. You're ready."
"I meant I AM ready." She smiled back and tucked her hands again in her pockets. "I'm just nervous."
"So am I." He muttered, taking one of her hands and kissing it gently.
She felt the tingling feeling from her hand through her arms, making her shiver a bit. "You sure don't look like it." She pointed out, making him laugh again.
He just caressed her hand and gazed at her with his silver eyes. "We'll go together. You and me. We'll greet old friends there. You'll get to see Hagrid again and Professor McGonagall." He smiled at her. "Maybe we'll let our little baby study there too… Like us. It would be a perfect opportunity to tour him around while we're there..."
"Him?" She cocked a brow, smiling at him.
He smiled again. "Well…" He was playing with her hands now, counting her fingers one by one. "I wanted to have a son…" He muttered, silently laughing at himself. But then, he didn't notice the laughter slowly slipping out of his eyes. "I wanted to see what it is like to be a father… A father that I've never had…"
She just kept quiet, just watching him.
"I'll give our baby everything, Herm…" He looked at her now, with his eyes that never failed to dazzle her. "I'll take care of him… Both of you…"
She took him in her arms and just held him, held him close. "I know, Draco…" She smiled, overwhelmed with how drawn she was to him... even if she felt like she just knew him for a few weeks...
A/n: Whoppeee!
There. That is chapter 24.
I just hope I finish chapter 25 soon...
Hopefully...