The World and Her Stars

Chapter Fifty-Seven

ROSE POV

I was dead.

I had to have been dead. 

It was still dark. It felt like I was floating. Weightless. Blowing in the wind. Being taken out to sea by the waves. 

No, I couldn't be dead. I'm too stubborn to die. Death can wait, because I will not be taken away when I have so much that I still need to live for. 

Wake up.

My eyelids started to flutter slightly against a bright light above me.

Is this the light everyone talks about seeing when someone is dying? Was I dead? Did someone kill me?

"Rose...hello dear, can you open your eyes for me?" I heard like a faint echo, "There you go...her eyes are moving. Pass me that bruise paste, please. Her cheek still has a bit of color to it."

The light above me was nearly blinding, and the voices around me were getting louder as I slowly came back to Earth.

"Welcome back, Rose. Everything is fine. You're at St. Mungo's hospital. You've been in a magically induced coma for a little bit. You are just waking up from it. Everything is okay." A kinder woman's voice stated.

As the fog on my brain cleared, everything came rushing back to me.

The battle. The war. Voldemort. Theo dying in my arms. Blood pooling around Leo's dead body. Celia's screams. My father. Draco telling me it was over. The baby.

The baby.

My eyes snapped open immediately as I remember the small glowing orb with the gentle fluttering heartbeat.

"My...baby. The baby." I mumbled, my throat feeling scratchy and raw.

"The baby is just fine, Rose. Everything is okay. You and baby are safe and healthy." The woman reassured me, putting a hand to my forehead that calmed me down for some reason. Her hand was cold and it felt nice against my skin.

"Oh, thank goodness." I heard a familiar voice gasp in relief.

I felt two hands grasp one of mine and kiss my knuckles.

Molly Weasley.

"Molly...w-what happened?" I asked, trying to look around as best as I could.

"Your magic surged significantly during the battle, dear. More than nature should allow. To be completely honest, we don't see many people survive that type of power honing..." the healer stated, still stroking my hair back, "...but it appears that little baby inside of you is quite the resilient one. Their magic kept your heart beating long enough for us to stabilize you here."

I blinked at the woman in astonishment. It felt as if my brain was still rebooting, but I was sure I heard her correctly.

I would have died, but that little orb kept me alive.

I had never even heard of such a thing happening before. I knew magical pregnancies were resilient and all, but saving the life of their mother through a magical catastrophe that should have killed the both of us?

I wouldn't have believed it if it hadn't happened to me.

But it did...

"Just as persistent as your father already." I thought to myself with a small smile of relief.

Draco.