The sound of soft rustling forced Draco to glance up at his wife, hoping desperately that she'd woken. Instead, it was just his son, moving around on his small portion of the bed he'd been allotted. Scorp had fallen asleep at some point during Draco's story. Sleep was sounding pretty good to Draco, too, but he knew he would never be able to fall asleep.
Potter walked into the room, dark circles stained under his eyes. He rubbed his eyes as he handed Draco a glass of water. Draco took it thankfully, barely noting that Potter was now taking the seat on the opposite side of Hermione's bed. Neither of them spoke for a time, letting the silence surround them.
This was how it had been for most of their professional lives. Silence. Potter had been amicable the day they both arrived for Auror training. And for some strange reason, the green-eyed annoyance seemed to take it upon himself to train with Draco. But in all honesty, Draco wasn't sure he'd have been able to get through the training without Potter's help, something he would never admit to if pressed. The other trainees were just waiting for Draco turn around and stab them in back. They didn't trust Draco.
Draco had come to terms with the fact that he was most likely going to be stuck at a desk, doing the paperwork no one else wanted to do. But, of course, Potter couldn't let that happen. The man had a serious problem about needing to save people. So, Potter used his influence to make sure Draco got the work he deserved. Of course, Draco was grateful. He just hated that he nearly had to babysit the man. Honestly, Potter put himself in more life or death situations that anyone on the entire planet. Really, Ginny Potter owed Draco a thousand thank yous for the work he did for her family.
Or they could just start paying for all the bills he had acquired from St. Mungo's.
"Ron's just arrived," Potter finally said, disrupting the serene silence around them. Draco bit back the groan that tried to pass his lips. Hermione had been adamant about remaining friends after the Weasel broke up with her. In all the years since then, Draco could never find it in himself to forgive Weasley for breaking Hermione's heart. But, in a way, he was grateful to Weasley. If Weasley had never broken up with Granger, she would have never fallen in love with Draco Malfoy.
Draco didn't understand Hermione's loyalty to Weasley. But he was willing to tolerate him for Hermione's sake.
"He'll want to see her then," Draco said, keeping his eyes on Hermione. Potter nodded. "He can come in, Potter, but I'm not leaving her."
"I reckoned as much," mumbled Potter as he stepped back into the hallway. A moment later, Weasley entered the room, taking Potter's seat beside Hermione's bed. Unlike everyone else that day, Weasley didn't look tired from worry. He just looked angry. He was absolutely livid. And Draco knew all that anger was directed at him.
Weasley's anger was always directed at Draco. And this time Draco believed he deserved it.
"You should have been there," spat Weasley as he looked at Hermione.
"I know," replied Draco quietly. Scorpius peeked an eye open before twisting his small body around and falling back to sleep, his small blond head burrowed into his mother's shoulder.
"She should have been at the gala last night."
"I know," Draco muttered. These were, after all, the same things he had been telling himself all day.
"You should have forced her to go, it was her idea in the first place."
"Merlin, Weasley," snapped Draco, tired of Weasley's petulance. "I know I should have forced her to go. I know I should have stayed with Scorpius or left earlier from the gala. I can't change what happened. But don't think for a moment I haven't spent the last twenty-four hours wishing I was in that bed instead."
Weasley stared at Draco for a moment, the desire to argue apparent on his face. Instead, he looked back at Hermione. Weasley took a deep breath, willing himself to be patient. "I reckon I know why you went, though. Harry's never looked more idiotic." Draco chuckled softly. "I would have gone to the gala, too. Guess I feel a little guilty, too."
"Why?" Draco wanted to know. "It's not your fault." It's mine, Draco thought to himself. Weasley shrugged.
"Lavender didn't want to go." This didn't surprise Draco. During the Battle of Hogwarts, Lavender Brown had been attacked by Fenrir Greyback. She survived, but at the cost of numerous scars that covered her face. They were heroic scars, but still, eight years later, Lavender hated being public for too long. Even if they were all used to it. "When Hermione firecalled us, Lavender said she was willing to stay with Hermione while I went. But I convinced her to go with me."
"The same thing could have happened to Lavender," Draco pointed out.
"Well, Lav wanted to stay with Hermione. Scorp...is squeamish around Lavender because of all the scars. And Lav really didn't want to go to the gala. But...I was just so happy..."
"You wanted her to be there when you told everyone she's pregnant. There's nothing wrong with that." Weasley shrugged, not entirely convinced. But Draco knew with absolute certainty that all the blame should fall on him. And if Hermione didn't wake up, Draco wasn't sure what he would do.
"Should Scorpius be here?" Weasley asked after a brief pause in their conversation. "If you need someone to watch him–"
"He wanted to come," Draco explained, not letting himself dwell too much on why they suddenly had so many people willing to watch Scorp all of a sudden. "I was telling him a story before he fell asleep."
"A good story?" Weasley inquired. A small smile passed Draco's lips, his eyes trained on his wife and son.
"The best story."
YOU ARE READING
Sunlight
Fanfiction"He was sitting beside her bed in St. Mungo's holding her hand. His white shirt was corroded with dirt and for the life of him he couldn't remember where he had left his robes after the gala. But he didn't really care much. He was more concerned wit...
