Disclosure: All rights belong to J.K. Rowling. Thanks to camnz and to all the readers and reviewers!

Chapter Nineteen: Waking Up

When Draco came to consciousness, his first view was Harry Potter, an angry Harry Potter.

"Where am I?" he questioned groggily.

"St. Mungo's," replied Harry tersely.

"Why? What happened?"

"We were hoping you would be the one to tell us that."

"Where is my family? Where's my wife, Potter?"

"Your children are at my house with Ginny and Molly. Your mother is down the hall with your wife."

"Can I see her? What's going on?"

"First, I need a statement from you about how you spent the evening last night."

"Went to a party at the Parkinson's with Astoria. She was really tired, so I brought her home and tucked her in bed, then went back to speak to the Minister of Magic. That's unfortunately the last thing I really remember. What happened?"

Harry handed Draco a copy of the Witch Weekly. The headline shouted Trouble in Malfoy Paradise? and featured a photo of Draco Malfoy asleep in bed alongside a scantily clothed Suzette. The article began,

Astoria Malfoy, editor-in-chief of the new magazine Magical Parenting Today, may be surprised to learn that all is not well in her family as her husband of fourteen years is straying.

"A strong family unit with parents who love, trust, and support one another is what our children need most," Astoria Malfoy stated in her recent editorial...

"What?" yelled Draco furiously. "This is a bloody lie, Potter! I would never betray my wife and family like this!"

"Like what? In a tabloid?"

"No, I would never cheat on my wife at all."

"We have statements that indicate you were seeing this woman."

"She was my bloody secretary. Salazar, I can't believe I trusted her."

"Well, the fact that you were drugged could be seen as backing up your statement, as does the fact that you were clearly asleep during the photo. I think I would fire that secretary, though, if I were you."

"Frankly, I thought Suzette was too smart for this kind of thing. Why would she want to damage her own job and reputation?"

"I'll bring her in for questioning. Now, Malfoy, here's the bad news."

"This isn't the bad news? What is this," Draco lifted the paper, "comic relief?"

"The bad news is that Hermione was drugged too-at the Parkinson's too, I presume, but she's not waking up. She's fighting for her life, Draco."

Draco was out of bed like a shot. "Where is she? I need to see her!"

Narcissa looked up with sad, disappointed eyes when Draco entered the room. She stood to let him sit in her chair and left the room. Draco did not even glance at his mother; his eyes were on Astoria. Harry stood nearby to observe Draco. He was, after all, a suspect, but Harry didn't want to let Draco know that just yet.

Astoria was in the hospital bed. It was Astoria's hair, her smooth skin, her closed eyes. A faint rise and fall of her chest indicated that she was alive, but there was no sign of Hermione anywhere. Draco desperately needed to know that Hermione was with him. He clutched her hand and whispered in her ear, "Hermione, Hermione, I need you. Come back to me." Then he hid his face in his other hand and struggled for composure.

She had asked him to stay. Those had been her last words. Instead, he had returned to the party to speak to the Prime Minister. Why? He should not have returned to the Parkinson party. He should have stayed with his wife. Draco blamed himself and began to heave sobs of grief. No one had ever loved him, trusted him, or shared life with him like Hermione. And he had let her down.

Draco had never told Hermione why he kept the Daily Prophet that had announced her death ten years previously. Of course, now it was in his desk drawer rather than on the desktop, but it was still there. Now, he kept it to remind himself of his own personal miracle, but originally it had simply reminded him of his admiration for Hermione.

Draco had admired Hermione from the first time they met in Hogwarts. True, she was a Mudblood, a Muggleborn witch whom Draco had been taught to despise, but she had been so incredibly smart! Every verbal clash and even the punch in the nose third year had increased Draco's respect for her. Draco also had to respect Hermione's Gryffindor loyalty; she fiercely defended her friends even though they were clearly imperfect.

"Remember third year when you punched me, Hermione?" he whispered now. "I would be so happy if you woke up and punched me again. I know I deserve it. Just wake up, Hermione, please."

His mind turned to another memory forever impressed upon him. At a gala some ten years after the war, Draco had inadvertently witnessed a conversation between Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.

"Ron, stop! It's been a decade since Voldemort was defeated. Why are you still harboring such animosity?"

"They're Death Eaters. Voldemort lived in their house, Hermione. They imprisoned us in their dungeon. Bellatrix used the Cruciatus curse on you. Malfoy bullied you all through school and let Death Eaters into Hogwarts. Lucius gave my sister Tom Riddle's journal, and she almost died. How many more reasons do you need? I just don't trust them and never will."

"The war is over, Ron. Malfoy was just a kid back then, placed in an impossible situation by his own family. He was supposed to murder Dumbledore, but didn't. He didn't kill. Plus, you know that Narcissa helped save Harry. There are two sides to this, Ron. The Malfoys have paid their debt to society and have been law abiding since the war. Quit punishing them."

"Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater."

"Maybe someday you will have kids, Ron, and they'll go to Hogwarts with little Malfoys. Do you want them to continue your hatred? There is a good future for wizards, Ron, but it starts with us right now."

Draco had stepped back into the shadows and slipped away. He had been stunned by the generosity of Hermione Granger's words. Apparently, she had forgiven the Malfoy family for their wrongdoings. He knew that both she and Potter had spoken up for him during his own trial, preventing his incarceration in Azkaban. He had never thanked either of them, beyond a nod of the head, perhaps because he questioned their motivation, but also because he felt undeserving. He was ashamed that Hermione had been tortured in his own home. Torture that he had witnessed and had felt powerless to stop.

Malfoys operated with power, which meant they flourished when they had it and floundered when they didn't. The conversation that Draco had overheard showed him that there was more to the world than power, status, and money. From this moment on, he began to long for that something more. He began to wish for whatever it was that Hermione Granger had.

Of course, now, ten years later, he knew intimately the generous heart of the woman before him, the strength of the woman who forgave freely because she understood the pain and confusion in other people's lives. She was also wise. She envisioned a trajectory toward a better future, a path that would build and strengthen the bonds of humanity.

"It's love, Hermione. That's the lesson you've taught me. It's the lesson I'm still learning."

Draco held Hermione's hand tightly. He took a shuddering breath and bent to kiss her lips. Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. "Come back to me, Hermione," he whispered again. "I need you to help me raise the children right. I need you to help me be a better person. I need you, Hermione."

His tears fell on their clasped hands.

Harry watched for a minute, and then called a Healer to speak with Draco.

"Mr. Malfoy?" the Healer guessed. "Your wife may pull through. It looks like she was drugged with a sleeping potion. We are hopeful that she will wake up in due time."

Draco calmed himself and asked, "Do you know if she was drugged with the same potion that I was given?"

"We believe so, but concentrations in her potion must have been greater."

Then Draco noticed Harry and asked him, "We had different drinks last night. Have the glasses been checked?"

"We're on it," Harry assured Draco.

Draco stroked Astoria's hair. Then he touched her cheek. What had he done? He should have paid attention to Hermione's intuition about Suzette. She had been right, as usual.

Hermione awoke. She awoke to the cry of a baby. Her eyes flew open.

"Is that Gemini crying?" she asked. "I should probably feed her."

Whoops filled the room.

"Mummy!" crowed several children. Gemmie cried some more. Hermione looked around the room at Draco, Narcissa, her children, and Harry Potter. She smiled,

"Well, I feel much better after that nap! I think I'm myself again!"

"Nap! You've been asleep for three days, Mummy!" said Cassie. Scorpius held Orion's and Leo's hands. He looked very tired. My sweet, helpful boy, thought Hermione.

"Three days!" echoed Hermione in shock. "Who has been taking care of the baby?"

"We all have, Mummy," replied Cassie proudly. Hermione beamed at each of the children, drinking in their worried eyes and hopeful smiles.

"Has Gemmie been taking a bottle? Has she been sleeping?" She asked in disbelief as she reached for her baby.

"Molly gave her a bottle and put her on a schedule," Draco assured her.

Draco gave her a firm kiss on the lips and stroked her hair. His eyes looked moist. Hermione held his hand and reached up to stroke his cheek. She looked past him to see Harry, watching with narrowed eyes. Harry is not happy. What is wrong?

"Are we in St. Mungo's? I really need to get home. Harry, thank you so much for being here for me. Do you want to talk?"

"Yes," Harry hesitated, "Would this evening do? Here if you are not released and at the Manor if you are?"

"Tomorrow would be better, Harry. I need to catch up with my family."

She handed Gemini back to Draco, and the children rushed to Hermione's open arms. She looked at them happily, wiping Cassie's tears and whispering words of affection into their ears. Scorp's grey eyes were shuttered, just like his father's. She lifted his chin and gazed warmly into his eyes until the ice melted and a reluctant smile came to his lips. She glanced over their heads at Draco and raised her brows questioningly. His jaw was set. His eyes were still watery, and his lips trembled a little bit. My sweet husband is back, thought Hermione with a tremulous smile. She winked at Draco, and his eyes widened. A smile lurked in the corners of his mouth, and he relaxed a bit. Maybe this would all work out after all.