The Marriage Decree

Chapter 143: I'm a Technophobe

Since his wife's birthday fell on Thursday this year, Draco had made various plans throughout the school day to surprise Hermione on her special day. He knew her timetable as well as his own. He had told their students his plans for Professor Granger, and everything was ready until the Monday before her birthday.

After work, they'd gone for dinner with Alarte and Damon. They're due to return to university for their final year in October. Their workload, as they wrote their final dissertation and completed other assignments, meant they wouldn't have many opportunities to meet up during the year. Once they'd returned home, Hermione had spent most of the night in their bathroom with sickness. Draco suggested she take some time off work to recover. Still, she claimed to feel perfectly fine on Tuesday morning, so his birthday plans were back in action.

However, on Tuesday afternoon, Professor McGonagall called him out of class to take Hermione home. She ordered them to take as much time as needed to ensure Hermione felt better. Upon entering their Hogwarts room in the staff quarters, Draco found his sick wife asleep on their bed, shivering despite being wrapped in a thick blanket.

Over the next two days, Draco sent tasks in for each class. Minerva had assured them that she was sorting out Hermione's lessons, as neither of them returned to work as Hermione's sickness only worsened. She barely had the energy to get out of bed, so she kept a bucket beside her bed to throw up when needed.

Therefore, when Draco awakes on Thursday morning to find his wife missing from their bed, he panics. His heart thumping inside his chest, Draco scrambles out of bed and races into the bathroom, where he finds Hermione asleep on the bathroom mat, a towel thrown over herself for warmth.

"Hermione!" Draco kneels beside her shivering body, gently moving her sweaty hair out of her face to press his hand to her forehead.

"No," she mutters incoherently.

"You're burning up; I'm taking you to St Mungo's," he informs her, lifting her into his arms and carrying her back to bed.

"Mum," she complains as Draco lays her down.

Realising she isn't fully conscious, a deep worry settles in his stomach.

"Mitty!" Draco calls out as he rushes around their bedroom, stuffing an overnight bag with extra pairs of pyjamas, underwear and his wife's toiletries.

"Yes, Master?" Mitty pops into the bedroom, looks at Hermione, and then disappears.

Draco struggles to dress Hermione in her dressing gown, socks and slippers as he awaits Mitty's return from whatever she's doing.

"Mitty!" Draco calls again when he's ready to leave.

His house-elf pops back into his bedroom with a half-dressed Scorpius standing awkwardly beside her with one sock on, one sock in his mouth.

"I'll come back for Scorpius," he tells her. "Could you feed him breakfast while I'm gone?"

"Yes," Mitty nods, removing the sock from Scorpius' mouth.

"Thank you, Mitty." Draco places the overnight bag on his shoulder before picking his wife up bridal style and carrying her from their room.

The journey to the floo room takes far too long, in Draco's opinion, and he has made a mental note to start working out in case this ever happens again. Stepping inside the fireplace, Draco stands his wife carefully beside him so he can throw the floo powder to the ground.

"St Mungo's," he clearly speaks, sending them on their way to help.

On the floo level of St Mungo's, a group of porters wait behind a desk, ready to collect a wheelchair and transport incoming patients to their ward. As Draco and Hermione appear, he carries his wife over to the awaiting wheelchair, placing her gently down.