With you in my Arms

20. The Witch without a Broomstick

His hand was shaking as he reached for the door handle. What was awaiting him on the other side of this door? Was she really okay? Was everything okay with their baby? Why was she here? What had happened? Too many questions without any answers were buzzing around his mind.

Taking a deep breath he prepared himself for the worst and entered the room. It was small, lit by a dozen candles, had music softly playing in the background and only one bed was situated against the opposite wall. Nearly completely hidden under soft looking covers and propped up against a mountain of pillows was Hermione.

Her face was pale. The candles however gave it a warm glow. Closed eyes and a relaxed smile bestowed her face with a serene appearance. Draco closed his own eyes for a moment and thanked whatever deity had protected his girl from the harm that befallen her. She was okay. There baby was okay. He sighed.

"Draco?"

He looked at her, finding her gaze trained on him now. He slowly walked towards her. Was she able to hear his heart beating against his chest? She must have been. He was sure of it. He smiled as he sat on the chair next to the bed.

"What happened? I came home and Tinker didn't want to tell me what had happened to you."

"I came back after meeting Ginny and was reading when the pain suddenly started."

His face showed a pained expression. She peeled her arm from underneath the covers and held out her hand to him. He eagerly took it into his.

"The healer says, that there was still some residue of the dark magic Bellatrix use on me when she use the Cruciatus Curse."

He cringed. His deranged aunt! This monster had to answer for more than he hoped he had ever the bad fortune to find out about. How the gently woman that was his mother could have such an evil witch as a sister was beyond him.

He felt Hermione gently stroke his palm.

"Don't worry. They were able to remove all traces of any lingering dark magic. I'm fine."

She heard him sigh. His face lost a bit of the troubled expression.

"And the..."

"It's fine. Everything is fine."

There was the first hint of a smile playing around the corners of his mouth. He sought her eyes and bathed in their warm glow for a moment before whispering, "I don't know what I would have done, if something had happened to you."

"Oh, Draco!"

Hermione disentangle herself from the covers so that she had both arms free and then slowly pulled him towards her into he tight embrace.

"I don't ever want to loose you." He whispered into her hair.

"That is not going to happen. I have told you before that I'll be with you for as long as you would have me."

She cupped his face in her hands and slowly kissed him.

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"Why were you at St. Mungo's this afternoon?"

Ginny had diner with Harry at Grimmauld Place. She preferred not to have to spend too much time in the presence of her brother Ron right now. His behaviour in the Leaky Cauldron had done nothing to improve her opinion of him after he attacked Draco in the Weasley garden.

"I was there, because Jason had managed to have his cauldron explode into his face during today's Potions test. He reminds me a lot of Seamus I have to say. Not even Neville is that bad at Potions. "

"How did he get into Auror training, if he is so bad at Potions?"

"You may ask. I have no idea."

"Then what happened when you were at the hospital?"

"A house elf suddenly showed up with Hermione. She was doubled-up with pain and barely conscious. Luckily I could tell the healers that she was pregnant and who she was. They took very good care of her."

"How did Malfoy get there then? He wasn't with her, was he?"

"No, he wasn't. I have no idea how he knew where she was. He appeared suddenly about an hour after Hermione had been admitted. In the company of another house elf. He would have done something stupid like hex the welcome witch, when she didn't help him straight away and expected him to wait in a queue, if I hadn't been there."

"He shows some really extreme behaviour when it comes to Hermione."

"Only, if he thinks, that she is in danger."

He hesitated.

"I would have probably done the same thing, if it had been you."

"Oh?"

"Sure. You are at least as important to me as she is to him."

"I am still somewhat... astounded. He has been a prat as long as I can remember. Okay, he hasn't been quite as bad towards me as he has towards you, Hermione or Ron, I wasn't in his year, but still. Why has he changed so much?"

Harry shrugged.

"Probably because of what happened during the last month before the final battle. I don't think, he was really ever that hard Death Eater he tried everybody to believe he was. He couldn't kill Dumbledore. He was terrified of what his aunt was doing at the Manor."

He sighed.

"Just imagine Voldemort taking up residence at the Burrow. What would you have thought, if the most evil wizard ever is taking over your home?"

She shuddered.

"I don't even want to think about that one!"

"I reckon, after they took his father away and he was finally free to decide what he wanted to do with his life, he took the time of our last year at Hogwarts to think about his future. Make up his own mind what to do next."

"And how exactly does Hermione find into this?"

"She is smart, witty, kind, loyal and..."

He coughed.

"What was that?"

"She is not exactly ugly, is she?"

Ginny grinned. Her boyfriend seemed to have better eyes when it came to their friend than her own brother did.

"No, she isn't. Shame Ron was too thick to see it."

"Well, if you are too close to a nice painting you can't really see it properly."

"How poetic."

A big smile lit his face.

"I try my best."

She leant over and kissed him.

"I love you, Harry."