The next morning went exactly the same way the previous morning had and, by the time Draco and Hermione found themselves in front of Greg Goyle's door, they were both nervous wrecks. Hermione put her hand on the door knob but Draco reached out and stopped her. She looked up at him and he pressed his lips to hers, pushing her against the wall, possessively sliding his hands over her body. Her hands fisted his shirt at his chest and she kissed him back with equal vigor. Draco pulled back and stared at her.
"I love you," he said and released her. He then took her hand, and dragged her into the room before she could even respond.
Greg was finishing his potion when they entered. He set aside the empty vial and it vanished.
"Okay," Greg said and Draco and Hermione looked at him.
"What?" Draco replied.
"Okay," Greg repeated. "I want you to do it. I want you to try to remove the curse using the spell."
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked. "There are so many things that could go wrong."
"Draco do you trust Hermione?" Greg questioned, looking at his friend.
Draco nodded. "With my life."
"That's not fair-" Hermione tried to say but Greg cut her off.
"Hermione do you trust Draco?"
She stared at him, fighting with herself for a moment then sighed. "Yes," she said. "With my life."
"Then I'm trusting the two of you with mine," Greg told them. "I'm sure."
"Okay," Hermione replied. "Give us today to get ready, we'll do it tomorrow. We'll most likely have to take you into the magical surgical wing to make sure we have the space and everything we need."
"I understand," Greg told her. "A change of scenery could be fun."
Hermione gave a strangled laugh in response and Draco put his arm around her. "We'll see you tomorrow," Draco said to him. "We'll cure you tomorrow."
"When did you turn into such an optimist?" Greg replied with a laugh. "Been spending too much time with Gryffindors."
Draco flipped him his middle finger and guided Hermione out of the room, Greg's laughter following them out.
In the corridor, Hermione wrapped her arms around Draco, burying her face in his chest. Draco stroked her back, unsure of what made her so upset.
"Do you want to go to your office?" he asked her. She nodded into his chest. Unsure of how to get them there when Hermione seemed to have no intention of letting go of him, he picked her up and carried her out of the room. He ignored looks from other healers as he carried her the entire way to her office. He shut and locked her office door behind him and sat down in her chair with her in his lap.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "We're going to get to try the spell, we're going to heal someone you've been caring for for years, you should be happy."
"I am," Hermione said, leaning back to look at him, her face stained with tears. "But what if something goes wrong?"
"Nothing will go wrong," Draco told her, kissing her forehead, then her tear stained cheeks, then placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Hermione you can do this, WE can do this."
"You're right," she said, wiping the tears from her eyes and giving him a quick kiss. "We're going to do this, it's going to work, and Greg Goyle is going to be able to lead a better life."
Hermione jumped out of Draco's lap and moved toward the door. "Come on," she said. "We have to practice!"
Draco groaned and made a show of dragging himself out of the chair but secretly, he was proud of her. He admired how quickly she bounced back even after everything she'd been through. She was extraordinary to him, and all his. Hermione took Draco's hand and led him out of the lab to the lifts. He'd snapped her out of it, she thought. Somewhere along the line he'd become a source of strength for her even though he'd once been taught to hate her. He was as extraordinary to her as she was to him. Together they went down to the depths of St. Mungo's, practicing the spell over and over until Draco dragged Hermione from the room hours later. They ate a quick dinner and went to bed, both anxious for the following day.
The next morning Draco awoke alone. He glanced at the muggle clock next to Hermione's bed and the glowing red numbers informed him it was 5:00am. He groaned and dragged himself out of bed. He found Hermione sitting in her living room, pieces of parchment spread out and several open books surrounding her.
"What are you doing?" he asked and Hermione jumped at the sound of his voice.
"Merlin!" she said, grabbing her heart. "You scared me!"
"That doesn't answer my question," he said, walking and sitting on the couch next to her after moving two books.
"I just want to make sure we didn't miss anything," she told him. "This needs to go perfectly."
Knowing there was no changing her mind he pulled a closed book from the floor and opened it. He grabbed a quill and a piece of parchment and settled next to her. He could feel her eyes on him so he looked up. "What?"
"You're not arguing with me," she said in awe. "And you're helping."
"If we argued, I'd lose," he replied with a shrug. "I know you well enough to know I won't change your mind so, I'm helping."
Hermione leaned over her own book and his and kissed him. "Thank you," she said with a smile.
They sat and read for two hours, going over everything they'd already researched. Finally, Hermione closed the last book.
"Do you feel better?" Draco asked.
"A bit," Hermione replied. "We're ready aren't we? I'm ready?"
"We're ready," Draco told her. "You're ready. Besides, it's not like you'll be by yourself. I'll be right there with you even if I won't be the one doing the spell."
Hermione took a deep breath and let it out. "Okay," she said. "I'm ready."
Draco rose from the couch and pulled Hermione up with him. He gave her a quick kiss before he headed to the kitchen and she headed for the shower. He put waffles in the toaster and debated trying to start the bacon but decided against it since the muggle stove contraption with the flames still worried him. A few minutes later the waffles were done and Draco set them on their plates. He heard Hermione get out of the shower a few minutes after that and they switched places, Draco heading into the shower and Hermione coming into the kitchen, dressed in her healer robes. Hermione made the bacon while Draco showered and, once he returned to the kitchen, they ate a quick breakfast, talking amiably about everything other than what was going to happen that day. They finished and Hermione did the dishes with a quick spell. Together they walked out of her flat and flooed to St. Mungo's.
"I need to go make sure everything is ready for the spell," Hermione told him. "Will you get Greg? I'll have Erin come find you when I'm ready for you."
"Of course." Draco gave her a quick kiss and they separated.
Draco made is way to Greg's room and found his friend sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Good morning," Draco greeted him.
"Good morning," Greg replied. "Are you ready?"
"Are you ready is the better question," Draco commented, emphasizing "you".
"I am," Greg replied. "I think this is worth a try. Hermione is brilliant, you're alright, I think this could work for me."
Draco laughed in response. "You're in very good, very capable hands mate," he told him. "Hermione will take good care of you."
"Are you in love with her?" Greg asked seriously.
"Yes," Draco replied. "I love her more than anyone I've ever known."
"She loves you too?"
"Yeah, yeah she does."
"Marry her," Greg told him and Draco looked at his friend in surprise. "Marry her," Greg said again. "Don't you ever, ever let her go. I've never met two people who were better suited. I won't get to marry anyone Draco, you marry the girl you love."
"Woah, woah, woah," Draco replied. "Hermione is going to help you, you're going to be able to live out in the wizarding world, you're going to have a life."
"I love Millicent," Greg said quietly. "I told her two nights ago and she burst into tears, begged me not to let Hermione do this spell. But I have to. So that when it works on me, it can work on her, or, if I die, I died trying to have a better life for both of us."
Draco was rendered completely speechless by his friend. He'd never heard Greg speak so eloquently or even mention Bullstrode. The war really had changed everyone, he mused.
"You're going to be fine," Draco said firmly. "You're going to get to marry...Millicent and hell, I'll be your best man. This will work."
There was a knock on the door then and Erin appeared in the doorway with a magical stretcher.
"Ready to go?" Erin asked with a smile.
"Yes," Greg said, looking at Draco. "I'm ready."
A/N: Insert the gif from The Office where Michael is running around because "it's happening" and he's yelling for everyone to remain calm. That's how I felt writing these chapters.