A/N- READERS! Forgive me, please. It has been months and months since I updated! Let me tell you why. I am engaged :) I moved states to be with my fiancé, started a new job and have been planning my wedding (which is thrilling to me but possibly not too thrilling for you all). Things have finally settled down over here so expect more updates soon :)
CHAPTER FORTY ONE- Cabin Fever
The sound of her baby crying made her roll off her tiny cabin bed and onto the ship's floor once more.
"Are you alright? You should really stop doing that," said her husband, half asleep with Isola in his arms. It was the middle of the night and the baby was fussy and squirming.
Picking herself up was much harder than she anticipated. Her body was weak, tired and sore. "How long was I asleep this time?" Hermione asked walking slowly to her daughter.
"Are you strong enough to hold her? Sit down, I won't have you dropping her," Draco said steering Hermione towards a chair. He gently placed his daughter in Hermione's arms making sure she was well supported.
"Nearly a week. You've been ill. Isola is recovering remarkably fast, she is strong." Draco said as he lowered himself onto the floor. If Hermione had to judge she would think he hadn't slept in weeks.
The usually clean and immaculate Draco Malfoy's wrinkled robes were covered in potions and what appeared to be vomit. His face was covered with a disheveled blonde beard and bags hung from under his eyes.
The first time she held her daughter was in Black Landing with tears streaming down her face. Her little girl was much smaller and sickly then. Hermione spent what felt like an hour thoroughly meeting her daughter.
Isola was indeed stronger as Draco had said. After examining that she was healthy, had ten finger, ten toes and two icy grey eyes she was perfectly content just to hold her and tell her how much her mother loved her.
"Why are you crying?" Draco asked when he saw tears trickle down Hermione's face. Hermione carefully brushed each tear away off the babe's face. "She is perfect. She is everything," Hermione replied.
The family spent most of the night in awkward silence taking turns holding the baby. Small comments were made about whom Isola took after. Her hair was pale and blonde but had all the curliness of her mother's. Aside from that, she was all Draco.
"Will you bring her cradle here?" Hermione asked when the sun rose over the ocean. Draco left the cabin and fetched the little pink bassinet. Hermione lowered the fast asleep Isola into her bed as Draco fetched them food.
"I am not hungry and you should get some sleep," Hermione said when he brought back a small meal. "You will eat. You must. Besides, you'll lose even more of your appetite after our conversation," he told her.
The bread was stale and the cheese about to turn but she kept down what she could. "Tell me everything, please. I am coherent now," Hermione said pushing her food aside.
"What do you last remember?" Draco asked her as he rubbed his eyes from exhaustion. "I remember you screaming. I remember you knocking me to the floor, I remember-" Hermione began bitterly.
"We'll get to that later. Tell me what you remember after Isola was born," he said. Hermione told Draco that she remembered him snatching Isola away and fighting happening at Black Landing. She didn't remember passing out or how they got to the ship.
"What has happened with Snape? With our parents?" Hermione asked. "I haven't any idea and there is no way for me to reach them. We are concealed on a ship in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. I've been replacing protective charms for ever league we pass," he explained.
"What about your… Mark? Can you feel anything?" Hermione asked timidly. Malfoy rolled up the sleeve of his robe to reveal that his forearm had turned the nastiest shades of black and blue.
Hermione let out a gasp at the sight of the infection. "I can feel him calling me," he said rolling his robes back down. "But why, Draco? Why is he calling you?" Hermione asked.
"I do not believe it is me that he is calling, Granger. Rather that he is calling for her," Malfoy said running his hand over Isola's curls.