A Future Uncertain

Chapter 24: The Heart

A/N: To my lovely readers who have stuck with this for the past few years, thank you. It was your support that kept me going. To any new reader, thank you for reading as well. It's been a pleasure to write this, and I hope you've enjoyed reading. -Lights

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Blaise had taken over the cot.

Hermione stood across the room. There wasn't much to do until they discharged her, and she just wanted to be alone for a little while longer. She gazed out the window. She knew it wasn't a real window. Just charmed to see whatever landscape the designers dreamed up. In this case, it was a park, and a handful of kids were playing with magic.

She wondered where Draco was. Ron had come to visit before he left for the Burrow. It was a short visit. He mostly just wanted to make sure she was okay, and she asked if he was going to try to get his job back. He wasn't. And Hermione didn't blame him. She expected Harry to be an Auror, but Ron had only chosen to help because of the rebels, and the resistance was gone now.

Ron was a hero, and not for the first time in his life. She hoped the Prophet would give him the recognition he deserved. The press would be relentless these next few weeks- for everyone involved.

Blaise sat up slowly on the cot. "Hermione?"

She turned around, giving him a shy smile. "How'd you sleep?" she asked, sitting next to him in the lone chair in the room.

"Isn't that supposed to be my line?" Blaise fixed his shirt. "Did you have trouble sleeping?"

"No. I was forced out of the bed."

"Sorry," he said, sheepishly. "So, what are your plans today?"

"I'm going back to the Manor. I need to see Draco and make sure he's okay."

He frowned. "And after that?"

Hermione twisted at her fingers. "And after that, I'm going to see where Draco and I stand."

"Where you stand?" he asked, swinging his legs over the cot.

"We kind of... expressed our feelings before I left. I want to clarify them."

He looked at her, begging with his eyes for her not to say what she was about to say.

"Blaise, I love Draco."

It felt like a ton of bricks had fallen on his chest.

"Do you need me to help you get out of here?" he asked.

"Blaise," she said, reaching for his hand.

He drew his hand to his chest, careful to avoid her touch. "I don't- I just need some space right now. Are you okay if I go?"

"Y-Yeah. Please, though, you have to understand-"

"I do. Really, I do. Just, not now, okay?"

Blaise put on his shoes and left without so much as a glance her way.

It hurt. It hurt to hurt him. In another life, she could've seen herself with him. It would've been easy to date Blaise. But he didn't make her heart jump like Draco. He didn't make her knees feel weak when he talked to her.

She didn't love him like she loved Draco. And hopefully he'd forgive her for that one day.

She sat there for a while, watching the kids play in the park. The artist probably intended for the scene to be peaceful, but Hermione thought it brought a bit too much excitement into the hospital. If she had designed it, she would have made it a view of Hogwarts, perhaps the moving staircases, or a view of The Great Lake, with creatures popping out of the water every few minutes.