The Request by redhead414

Chapter 14

"Please. Don't pretend like you've suddenly fallen in love with me."

"Fallen in love…you infuriating, mental, lunatic of a woman! Of course I've fallen in love with you! I haven't had any bloody choice! You gave me a child! You're around me all the goddamn time! It was hard to avoid the natural progression of this relationship - arranged or not!"

It was another classic impasse between Draco and Astoria once Anya was tucked into her crib for the night. They never knew what started the fights, but it never mattered once they were knee deep with rage because the way to win was to see which button the other could jam in the hardest.

"You don't love me. Not the way you're supposed to!" Astoria exclaimed.

"I love you in all the ways that count!" Draco spat. "If I tried to love you any harder I swear it would bloody kill me."

Astoria scoffed, shooting him a glare before walking out of the room. "Believe me, Draco. I'm not that lucky."

"Draco?"

He felt a familiar hand lightly brace his shoulder as it lightly shook him out of his train of thought. Looking up, he saw a sleepy Hermione take a seat next to him on the uncomfortably padded bench in the waiting room at St. Mungo's, still in her pajamas. "The children -"

"My parents have them," Hermione said softly. "I flooed them over and apparated here as quick as I could."

He nodded, swallowing the lump of emotion tinged with bile that was threatening to rise in his throat. "The healers aren't saying much."

Hermione nodded, her hand retracting from his shoulder. She wasn't sure what she should do, and was trying to resist the urge to apologize for all but sleeping on him while his wife was roaming about upstairs. Her guilt she could deal with later, but she didn't know what to do for the man sitting in front of her as he waited for someone to tell him anything. "Have you, has someone contacted her parents or your father?"

Draco gave a simple nod. "Her parents said they would come once there was news. As if the news of her being at the bloody fucking hospital isn't enough."

She bit her lower lip, unsure of how to respond. She was already preparing herself for the worst as they sat in the silent waiting room. Hermione kept a small bit of space between the two of them as they stared in every direction but each other. Draco stole a glance at her every few seconds, watching as she studied the silver borders around the tiled floor. He reached out for her hand and grabbed it tightly, exhaling a small sigh of relief when she didn't make any sort of move to pull away.

Jean was able to get Scorpius to go down in a portable crib in the room across the hall while her husband still had Claire sprawled out on his chest as he laid in their bed, mindlessly flipping through the muted television channels. She knew something was wrong, being woken up in the middle of the night and taken to Hermione's parents house, and every so often a small whimper would escape her lips.

Removing her robe as she walked into their room, Jean climbed back into bed and watched her husband as he stroked a hand lightly over Claire's long blond curls. "Richard, do you want me to put her in Hermione's room?" she whispered.

He shook his head no. "She's fine right here."

She could tell by his tone of voice that there was no point in arguing. He'd lie there all night if it meant Claire would stay asleep. After all, Jean had seen him do the same with Hermione all those years ago. Leaning over, she gave Richard a soft kiss on the cheek. "You're a good man, Richard Granger."

Richard smirked. "Just now figuring that out, love?"

"Yes," she playfully mocked. "I did make you earn that first date, after all."