A/N:I'm sorry for the cliffhanger. Luckily, my beta reader sent me this one right away!
Chapter 22 - Time to say Goodbye
Harry's question cut the air like knife. Draco, Hermione and Ginny froze, as if time had frozen when Harry had opened his mouth. His eyes were on Ginny, waiting for an answer.
Ginny made an effort to look Harry in the eyes. She was ready to give him a defiant look, one that would show him she wasn't afraid of anything... But as soon as she met his eyes, she looked away, biting her lip. She couldn't articulate an answer.
"So it is true," Harry said, after two minutes of silence. He turned to Hermione. "You lied to me."
Hermione's face went pale. The look that Harry was giving her was full of anger and disappointment. She should have guessed he would take it like this. She understood. Harry had never been able to trust anybody, but he had opened his soul to her, he had told her everything... He had given her his naked heart. And what had she done in return? Lie to him, hide the most important secret in her life. She hadn't been able to trust him in the same way he had trusted her...
But that wasn't true. Hermione would have given anything to tell Harry what was going on, but she couldn't. She had promised Ginny she would never tell anybody. Her friend had threatened to take Daniel away if she dared to reveal her secret. She couldn't take any risks, not after seeing what Ginny was capable of.
Harry's eyes darkened so much that there wasn't any green left in them. Ginny felt a jolt of fear when he turned to her once more. It was almost as he radiated a hateful glow.
"Don't you think I deserve an explanation?" he asked, his voice calm and steady, but filled with anger.
"What do you want to know?" Ginny asked, taking a few breaths to control herself.
"Who is Daniel's father? Was it something that happened in La Sante?"
"He's Viktor Krum's son," Ginny said, slowly. "A General in Slytherin's Goverment and sent to Azkaban for treason," she added, even when she knew that Harry was perfectly aware of who Krum was.
"That's why you... got rid of Daniel?" Harry asked, pronouncing the last words as if they were venom.
"No," Hermione interjected. Harry turned to her, but his expression wasn't much different that the one he had used with Ginny. "She didn't have a choice. Daniel-"
"I'd rather not have you interrupting me when I'm talking to my husband," Ginny said coldly.
"Go on," Harry said, his attention once more on Ginny.
Ginny started telling him everything that had happened. The hard delivery, how Hermione had found her living in that hole of misery, that Daniel had been very sick and Draco had brought a Healer... She then told him how Hermione and Draco had suggested taking him to England and how she had accepted because she was an outcast...
Harry listened to her story in silence. When Ginny finished, he turned to Hermione. He stared at her with a cold glare.
"All these years you lied, saying that he was a war orphan..."
"He's our son," Hermione said.
"I'd never expect this of you, Hermione... I would have never believed that you could lie to me like this. I understand that you adopted him to save him-"
"No! We adopted him because we loved... love him," she said, her voice breaking.
"And it never occurred to you that you should tell me who he was!?" Harry asked, raising his voice only a little, but to Hermione it was the loudest of screams. "He's Arthur's grandson! He's Ron's nephew!"
"I know I should have told you," Hermione tried to explain, tears welling up in her eyes, "but I couldn't. I had promised Ginny."
Draco, who had been very quiet during the whole conversation stepped forward and stood beside Hermione. "She," he said, pointing to Ginny, "said that she would take Danny away from us if we told anyone, especially you, the truth."
Harry eyed him and then turned to Ginny once more.
"Don't look at me like that, Harry," Ginny said, her usual arrogance coming back to her. "What was I supposed to do? I had to choose between you, the love of my life, and him... If you had known about him you wouldn't have married me."
"Don't be ridiculous, Ginny!" Harry exclaimed. "You think it would have mattered to me that you had a child? The only thing I could despise is that you were able to give him away to keep me by your side!"
Draco, who it seemed had done too much of an effot to speak before, fell to the floor, snoring loudly. Harry and Ginny turned to look at him, while Hermione was struggling to wake him up.
"Draco, get up!" she pleaded, crying. "Please!" She turned to look at Harry. "Harry, please help me..."
Harry stared at her as if she was some piece of the furniture and went back to his bedroom. Hermione watched him leave with desperation. Ginny gave her one more look and left the hallway too.
Hermione was too tired to even care about Draco, so she left him there and left the house, heading to the hospital.
* * *
Sitting alone in the waiting room was the worse punishment she could have. She was forced to face the reality that she had avoided since she had moved to Harry's house... He had given her the chance to worry only about Daniel - which was a huge worry just by itself - and forget about the money they owed... But now, after all that had happened, there was no way she could stay with them... And what about Draco? Was she going to stay with him? Leave him for good?
I can't be thinking about this now, she scolded herself. She had to focus on Daniel. She had to be strong for him. Deep down inside, she knew that she was going to lose him forever, but she refused to lose hope. She was expecting a miracle...
Even when she had spent countless hours in that waiting room, she still couldn't get used to the fact that the nurses and Healers passed by her without informing her of anything. Hermione watched them coming in and out, always waiting to see if one of them would approach her and tell her something… anything.
Someone entered in the waiting room and walked slowly towards her. Hermione lifted her head, and was suprised to find Ginny standing before her. Her face was expressionless. She stood there in silence. Hermione realized that she hadn't talked at all to Ginny about anything that had happened.
"I'm sorry about everything," she muttered.
"You should be. After this, I'm sure you know that you've lost my son. And my husband doesn't want anything to do with you."
"I feel terrible for lying to him," Hermione said, not caring about Ginny's expression. "All he wants is someone he can trust-"
"You don't get him at all," Ginny interrupted her, coldly.
"You are the one I don't get," Hermione said slowly. Ginny was going to say something, but she didn't let her. "I mean, you are, or were, my best friend. Those years I spent in Daguerre with you are full of happy memories. I used to believe I understood your feelings. That arrogance that you had, and the sarcasm you always used was a way to protect yourself from the rest. But deep down, you were a great girl, the best. But now, I'm starting to think that I've always been wrong about you-"
"Since when did you get all Freudian with me?" Ginny said, trying to make her stop.
"-you don't have any feelings," Hermione continued, as if she hadn't heard Ginny. "You're hollow inside. If you at least had a little compassion inside, you wouldn't be fighting with me at this moment, when Daniel is dying!"
Ginny didn't say anything. Hermione stood up and started pacing through the room, trying hard to control herself.
"Any news?" Ginny asked suddenly.
"No." Hermione took a deep breath. "I wish someone could come here to tell me anything. Dammit!" she exclaimed, slamming her fist against the wall.
Ginny looked away. She had never seen Hermione like that and it wasn't a very comforting sight.
* * *
Three hours later, there still wasn't any information about Daniel's health. Ginny was sitting quietly in a corner, far away from Hermione, who was lost in her own thoughts.
Finally, Oliver Wood approached Hermione. She stood up so abruptly that she lost her balance and almost fell over.
"Mrs. Malfoy-"
"-How is Daniel?" she asked immediately.
"We haven't been able to deal with his fever," Wood said quietly.
"God," Hermione muttered holding her head.
"Ma'am, we can't do anything else for him," Wood said. "All we can do is wait."
"I want to see him."
"All right," Wood nodded.
"I want to go, too," Ginny said. She had approached them in silence.
"Only the family can go in," Wood protested.
"I am from the family!"
"I'm sorry, but..."
"It's OK," Hermione said. "She's from the family. I want her to see Daniel, too."
Wood shrugged and led them to the ward were Daniel was being treated. The little boy wasn't much different than when Hermione had seen him before, except his face was paler and he had an expression of extreme fatigue. She and Ginny approached his bed.
"Danny," Hermione called. The boy opened his eyes slowly. "I brought you a visitor. Do you remember Mrs. Potter?" Daniel's eyes moved to focus in on Ginny, but he didn't do anything else. "Daddy says hi, and he's coming next time," Hermione continued. Ginny was amazed of the power her friend had to control herself and keep smiling. She, on the other hand, was barely able to control the tears. "I love you so much... Mrs. Potter loves you too, you know that?"
Daniel's eyes closed slowly. Hermione kept talking to him for a while. Ginny, was unconsciously stroking one of his little hands. He had been hers at one time. But now, she had nothing to do in front of her bushy-haired rival. She, Hermione, was Daniel's real mother after all.
* * *
When they went back to the waiting room, Harry was sitting there. He stood up when he saw them coming, and looked a bit surprised to see Ginny there.
Harry greeted Hermione in the same cold and formal way he had used when they had met at his manor for the first time after he had stopped writing. Despite that fact, she felt relieved to see him there.
"I see you really like this enviroment, dear" Ginny commented. Her voice was the usual arrogant one, but her eyes betrayed her and showed the sadness she was feeling.
"Did you see him?" Harry asked.
Hermione nodded and told him what the doctor had said. Harry sighed and ran his hands over his face, seeming to want to wake up from a terrible nightmare.
The three of them sat in the waiting room in complete silence. Hermione would have wanted to sleep -at least then she could stop thinking-, but it was impossible. Harry wasn't even looking at her, or at Ginny.
* * *
Time passed so slowly, Hermione thought it had been at least a week. Everytime she heard steps, her eyes would lift from the floor and then lower again when she saw it wasn't any information for her.
Finally, Oliver Wood approached her again. He walked slowly towards her. Hermione started to stand up, but he stopped her and made her sit down again.
"Mrs. Malfoy... As soon as you left the ward... Daniel went into a coma."
Hermione felt her mouth go dry and she managed to nod. In the meantime, Harry had approached them and now was sitting beside her.
"We tried our best, but it was a lost fight. We've tried everything, even Muggle techniques. Daniel passed away just now. I'm sorry."
Daniel passed away. The words echoed in Hermione's mind and her head started spinning. Before she knew it, she had fainted, and Harry had barely caught her before she could hit the floor.
* * *
Ginny hadn't moved in the last ten minutes, since the Healer had given the news to Hermione, and she had passed out. She felt as if her heart and mind was breaking in two: one part of it forced her to suppress the feeling that was eating her from the inside, and the other was screaming for her to let it out. She was in some state of shock, breathing heavily, her eyes wide open, and her hands squeezing her cloak tightly.
She had lost her son. Again. She hadn't believed the pain would be so unbearable. But it was. She would have loved to faint, like Hermione, being able to stop thinking for at least some glorious minutes. But instead of being knocked out, she was more aware and conscious of the things that were happening all around her.
She turned to look at where Hermione, Harry, and the Healer were standing. Harry was holding Hermione tightly, tears streaming down his face, while the Healer tried to reanimate her in a gentle way that wouldn't shock her even more. Ginny had never seen Harry so devastated about something. She knew he was suffering for Daniel's death, but also because of Hermione. She could see it in his eyes. He was worried about her.
After all, his love for her was as strong as ever. The disappointment of knowing that Hermione had lied to him hadn't changed his feelings for her. If Ginny had been more keen in understanding other people's feelings, she wouldn't have been so surprised. He loved her. There was nothing she could do about it.
Before Hermione opened her eyes, Ginny left the hospital and locked herself in her room to grieve alone.
* * *
"I have so much to do now," Hermione whispered, with a flat voice.
They were walking back to Harry's house. He had offered to go with her since he didn't believe she should be alone in the streets now. She wasn't in the right state to apparate either.
"You should rest for now," he said.
Hermione didn't even hear him. Harry looked at her, concerned. She hadn't cried. Since she had woken up, all she had done was talk about practical things. Her eyes were unfocused and her voice empty of emotions. Harry was used to Hermione's emotional reactions. She had never been one to hold back what she was feeling, and it was scary, to say the least, to see her like this now.
"I have to go back to my house," Hermione said.
"What? Today?" Harry asked.
"Yes."
"You don't have to. You could stay at mine until-"
Hermione shook her head. "I can't stay with you. Not after what happened."
Harry made a pause. "I will take care of the funeral."
"OK," Hermione shrugged. "I'll pay you later...somehow."
Harry stopped walking. "I don't want you to pay me. I'm doing this for Daniel. He is a Weasley, after all."
She nodded. "Thanks. I appreciate it, considering I don't have any money and I wouldn't be able to give my son a proper burial..." she said all this with a shaky voice.
Harry looked at her sadly, but he didn't make any comments. They arrived at the house and Hermione went upstairs to give Draco the news.
* * *
The next morning, there was a gloomy air in the Potter's manor. Draco hadn't taken very well Daniel's death, and he had locked himself in the bathroom the whole night. Hermione, on the other hand, had recovered some sense and had been finally able to cry, although it hadn't relieved her pain.
She hadn't slept at all, so when Draco finally came out of the bathroom with red eyes, but at least a sober look, she was waiting for him, sitting in the edge of the bed. He sat down beside her, and for a moment, neither of them said anything.
"I'm sorry," Draco said finally. "I should have been there for you and him... If I hadn't been such a git, maybe I wouldn't have lost my son... Or you."
Hermione, who wasn't very used to Draco recognizing his mistakes, shook her head. "You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault that he got sick. And about me...well, I guess it was never meant to be."
Draco looked at her. "I can't stand you in a relationship with Harry."
She sighed. "You don't have to worry about that anymore. It's over. I told him I was going back home today. We'll leave this house."
"What about the funeral?"
"Harry will take care of it."
Draco snorted. "I'm not even able to pay for his funeral. I'm a failure, am I not?"
Hermione took his hand in hers. "It doesn't matter who pays for it. But I hope that from now on, you'll do something with your life, to make it better."
He squeezed her hand. "You can help me with that. We could start over..."
"No, we couldn't," Hermione said softly. "Draco, you are a great guy. You just need to have a little more confidence in yourself. You need a woman who loves you like you deserve. I can't do that. I'll always care for you, but I won't be your wife anymore."
"I thought your relationship with Harry was over," he said, after a while.
"It is...for him. But it will never be over for me. I'll always love him."
* * *
Ginny found Harry sitting by the pool with a cup of coffee in his hands. She hesitated, and finally decided to approach to him.
"You're going to work?" he asked, when he saw her.
"Yes. And I suppose you aren't?"
"Of course not," Harry said, looking away from her. "I'm going to take care of the burial."
"Isn't that something the parents should do?" Ginny asked.
Harry glared at her. "You're unbelievable." Ginny didn't even flinch. "You know very well that they don't have the money to," Harry said. "I can't understand how you were able to do that to the people who were raising your... Daniel."
"I was too young when he was born. He wasn't a part of my life anymore. I don't see why it should affect me now," Ginny said. She sounded convincing enough.
Harry looked at her with disgust. "I want to talk to you."
"Go ahead, as long as it isn't about divorce."
"It's not about that. I want to know how much money Draco owes you."
"You make it sound as if I'm doing something bad in wanting the money he stole from the company back. What he did was-"
"How much?" Harry cut her off, his patience wearing.
"Around 34.000 Galleons. But I don't see why you would want to know. I'll never accept your money, Harry."
"I know that."
* * *
A/N: No cliffie this time. I'm really sorry for "killing" Daniel, I didn't want to do it, but I had to. I hope you are able to understand that.
There are two more chapters left and an epilogue.