"Okay, take it easy coming down. I don't know what a rough landing will do it him."
Harry's voice broke through my fog smudged mind just in time. I had been starting to drift, pulling at the edge off the make-shift bed that was attached.
The trip from Hogwarts to St. Mungo's was a hellish ride. There was no other way to describe it. Or at least no other word I could put to it at that time.
From the time we took off to the time we landed the will to keep going wavered and began to diminish along with any stored energy that we had somehow managed to keep. To add to our problems, our haste was labored by the beds were secured to brooms. The one I cornered carried a still unconscious Ron and another man that I didn't care much about. And no matter how mad I still was at the stupid git, it bothered me that Ron didn't make a sound the whole trip. Every few minutes I found that I would glance back to make sure he was still breathing.
The attack that morning had been a blood bath. The fatality count was higher than in all the other raids combined. The Death Eaters were relentless, laughing as man after man went down. It was all we could to kill them first before getting killed ourselves. The faint hearted or the ones who refused to kill were the firsts to fall and, after watching this, the men quickly turned their hearts against caring for the Dark Lords stinking followers.
I didn't know what curse Ron had been hit with but it had left him staring blankly at the grey sky above. It took roughly a minute or so till the arrogant fool met his own muddy grave, I made sure of it. By the time I got back to Ron, there was nothing left in his eyes. No anger, no fear, no life. Nothing. The only sign that showed he was still in fact alive was a quick pulse that throbbed in his neck and his slight, jagged breath. He was in there somewhere, I knew he was, but on the outside he looked like a corps with something burrowing in his chest.
By the time the battle was over and the Death Eaters thwarted backwards once more, the sight was littered with corpses. Neville, somehow once again making it through, curled in a ball for a moment before being sick. It was what I wanted to do, my own stomach twisting so violently that I almost followed Neville's suit, but I couldn't and forced myself to stand there until Harry finally gave word that it was time to head out.
My thoughts were constantly blurred from then on, making concentration a hard task. Exhaustion dulled my senses as if I had been injected with a sleeping draught and the ill feeling did not fade. The frightening thing was that I wasn't the worst off. We had set off in pods from the camp, taking off sporadically over the afternoon and into the evening. My pod was the second last to leave so I had the chance to watch men drop from the sky, unable to concentrate enough to go even a few yards. Many beds were made and got worse with every creation. There were at the very least two per pod and sometimes more often than not carried several unconscious men. It wasn't good.
By the time we actually reached St. Mungo's, I was ready to drop myself. The only thought keeping me from crashing down towards the ground below was that Ginny was going to be there. It was the first night I had seen my wife in over two months. My pregnant wife. Every time I thought about it I had to smile.
There were healers waiting for us when we landed. They rushed forward the instant we set down and rushed all the bed ridden men off towards the hospital doors. Another wave of blue clad people came out for the rest of us, doing initial checks before ushering us inside and to different wards. By then, my feet were giving out beneath me. I detested it and tried to shrug off a healer's arm but after a few steps I stumbled.
"Careful mate," Harry said from behind. "Can't have you getting injured now. Though that would make for a good story. Got all the way to the hospital and-"
"Stuff it Potter," I grumbled and grudgingly accepted the help.
The bright lights of the hospital were blinding compared to the twilight outside.
"Just a little further," a voice assured me. It was probably from whoever had pulled my arm over their shoulder but I couldn't open my eyes. Wherever we were going, it was taking a hell of a long time to get there.
"I want to see my wife," I said as my exhaustion began to threaten my consciousness. "Ginevra Malfoy. She should be here by now. I need to see her."
"You will see her after we are done examining you Mr. Malfoy. Until then you must stay calm. You have a few injuries that-"
"No," I snapped back, an unexplainable fear clutching my already ill stomach. "I need to see her now."
"I'm sorry sir, but we need to examine-"
"No. Where is she? I'll go find her myself. I told her I would."
"Sir-"
"Ginny!"
I couldn't help it then. My eyes had shot open and I screamed for her as a small crowd pushed its way into the small corridor we were in. This irrational need swept over me so fast that I couldn't breathe. I tried to move forward to get a better view of the faces before us but the healer held me back. Suddenly another was by my side.
"Let go of me," I demanded, panic reaching my voice. "Ginny!"
I heard a whispered spell as I struggled against the people holding me before my limbs snapped together. My mouth stopped working and my breathing got tighter. My first panic attack seemed to be out to end my life then and there.
"What have you done to him?!"
I knew that voice. I knew it so well that I finally lost consciousness and slipped into a dark, troubled sleep.
---------
"Calm down, Ginny. The doctor said that they haven't landed yet and stop muttering under your breath. You'll be lucky that man's family doesn't call you to the Ministry's attention."
I loved my mother, completely and unquestionably, but when she went on like this I just wanted her to be miles away so I could love her from afar.
It had taken us only about five minutes to travel from the Burrow to St. Mungo's and I thanked my dad immensely for it. One of the last things he had done before he went off to war with my brothers was to take a secret portkey so we could travel to and from the hospital and our home. It was for 'just incase' and the practical man in him made him do it despite how much he wished that he didn't have to. Mum had hated him for it, convinced that we would not need it because they would all come home safely. But it was that portkey that allowed her to see and talk to my dad in the few minutes before he died. She would never admit how hurt her pride had been that day.
But after almost an hour of waiting, my thanks was muted.
"I don't care," I grumbled in reply. "Let them."
"Hush," my mother snapped quietly. "Don't say that. I refuse to loose another one of my family during this war, especially for something as silly as cursing a man into eating every shoe he could find in the building. Besides-"
"They've landed!" someone cried. My head whipped over to see a woman near the window, pointing out and speaking animatedly to the child clutching her leg. I recognized her face but did not bother trying to remember her name and forgot her quickly. I had placed myself as close to the entrance way of the ward as I could for a reason and was not going to let anyone take advantage of the time I wasted on remembering a name. I was on my feet before anyone else and nearly broke my wrists attempting to push open the locked doors.
"I'm sorry Miss but we cannot allow anyone in until the healers have done their checks."
I spun around and glared at the speaker who denied me access to my husband. She was a young woman, fresh out of school it seemed, and very mousy looking. The last trait was something I instantly took advantage of and exploited violently.
"Let me in or I'll break down the doors," I threatened, my voice feeling more like a snarl than anything else.
"I'm sorry Miss but-"
"Do you think I'm joking?"
The woman trembled as other family members joined me in my verbal assault. We surrounded her, throwing comments that were sure to make us feel sorry for her later. It didn't take long for her will to be overthrown. I made sure to be the first through the doors, nearly getting smacked as they swung back at me.
The pack followed me in as we began our search to find our loved ones. It was an odd sensation, having been a follower for most of my life, but I couldn't be bothered with stopping to allow someone else to step in. I could only concentrate on one thing. Finding Draco…
"Ginny!"
The sound of my name forced my body to pause and listen. People flew by me, crying out as they found the ones they were searching for. I strained my ears, fighting through the crowd to where I thought I had heard the voice.
"Let go of me. Ginny!"
I began to panic. He was in trouble; Draco needed me, why couldn't I find him? I waited for him to scream again but it didn't come. Bodies thwarted me like a human wall and I had to force myself through a small opening between two people. When they finally gave way I almost fell upon him, my Draco. Tears were in my eyes the instant they found him…stiff as a board.
"What have you done to him?!" I shrieked as I leapt forward.
"Please Miss, we have to get him to a bed quickly," said one of the healers, trying to fight me off. "He's got some injuries that have to be taken care of right away."
Another healer appeared with a gurney.
"I'm coming with you," I told the one that had placed himself between me and Draco while the others gently place him on the floating bed. The man glanced back at his colleagues who only shrugged in response before giving me a nod. I stepped around him and took Draco's blood covered hand. The contact was the first I'd had in months but despite his unconsciousness, I still felt a tingle streak up my arm. The feeling was so familiar it made the welled up tears trickle down my cheeks.
I didn't let go again until I was forced to so the healers could do his check. I refused to leave the room when asked, unwilling to let Draco out of my sight for fear of never seeing him again. Two of them seemed frustrated with me (something that I snubbed and didn't put much thought into) while the other looked slightly amused. I didn't want his friendship, I wanted them to be gone, but I was forced to wait as they mended Draco's broken ribs and all the gashes they could find.
Too keep from cursing the entire team working on Draco, I took the time to remember and reacquaint myself with my long lost soul mate. His face was thinner and paler than it had been when he left, but then again, I knew I should have expected that. A healing bruise blossomed on his cheek, blending with the dark circles that surrounded his eyes. His brow was tense, as if he was just as frustrated with the healers as I was, while his platinum hair, though long, still looked like a halo around his head. Despite his ill looking state, he was just as handsome as I remembered and just looking at him made my heart throb in my chest.
It was hard to be patient but the second the healers moved far enough away, I was at Draco's side. One healer hung back as the others left, putting his hand on my shoulder as I tried to be brave and not cry again.
"I can wake him up for a minute or two but no more," he said quietly. "He needs rest to heal but he was calling for you before he passed out. Assuming you are Ginny, that is."
"I am," I said quietly, looking up at the man's gentle face. He had the kind of look to him that instantly gave out the fatherly impression. His eyes, though tired, were caring and expressed his understanding of my need. And his smiled was kind as he nodded and pulling his wand from the pocket of his robes.
"Only a few minutes though," he warned. "So make the most of it because he probably won't be awake again for a while."
"Please," was all I could say.
He nodded again and whispered a charm I couldn't hear but instantly caused Draco to moan and stir from his slumber. When I looked over my shoulder, the healer was already leaving the room. I made sure to remember to thank him later.
"G-Ginny?" Draco whispered, drawing me back to him as his lids slowly opening to reveal the silver eyes I loved so much. I couldn't help it. I began to cry.
"I'm here," I said, my voice broken with happiness. "I'm here Draco."
He smiled at me, that same charming smile that always had a knack for making my heart jump about in my chest like some wild thing. He chuckled, as if noticing my sudden quickening of heart beats and reached up to press the palm of his hand to my cheek.
"I've missed you," he said, wiping a tear away before gently pulling me down next to him. I got as close as I could to him, wrapping an arm around his torso and laying my head on his shoulder. His warmth seeped through and pushed away the chill that had encased me for so long.
"I've missed you too."
"You better have after all the trouble it took to get here." He laughed and I listened to it rumble through his chest. The sound was almost as comforting as his voice, just as affectionate with the same effect.
One of his large hands still rested on my cheek, the heat of it warming my skin. His other arm wrapped itself around me so tight I almost couldn't breathe but I did not fight it. I wanted his touch so badly that it would have killed me if I had to let go right then and there.
"How are you?" he asked after a few seconds, his voice carrying a kind of worry that made me think he knew my secret. I raised my head and searched his face to see if it was true but I couldn't tell. He was always good at hiding his true thoughts but he usual wore a stone mask to keep them concealed. There was so much emotion in his features that it was hard to tell one from another.
"Better now that you're here," I answered honestly. The concern I recognized did not fade though so I tacked an "I'm okay" on the end of my response and it seemed to make a difference. He relaxed instantly, a new smile spread on his lips. The hand that he had on my cheek slipped down my arm to my semi-exposed stomach, giving me insight to what he was really asking about. He rolled onto his side, gently turning me over onto my back as he moved, and rubbed a delicate circle over the small mound that was my stomach. His eyes followed the movement of his hand while I watched him, looking for any signs of repulsion or disgust. But there was none. His face was soft and thoughtful but filled with that look that he always had when he looked at me. Love.
"We're having a baby," his said, almost too quietly to hear. "I'm going to be a father."
He looked up at me and I almost gasped when I saw there were tears in his eyes. And of course, that got me going again. Smiling, he leaned down and kissed me, our tears blending. It was not a harsh kiss like I'd planned on giving him to make the memory of being unable too fade. It was soft, like the look he had when he had put his hand on the place that held our child, but it took my breath away more quickly than any other had.
When he pulled away he made sure not to go far. He rubbed his nose against mine and kissed my forehead.
"I didn't know if I'd be able to do that again," he said, his sweet breath tickling my nose. "You have no idea how excruciating not being able to was." Before I could reply he kissed me again. It was just as soft as the first one but shorter. He moved back to rest his head on the pillow, staring at me with an intensity that I hadn't seen before. I molded myself against him, recognizing the perfect, puzzle-piece feel of it.
"You'd be surprised," I replied, meeting his gaze. I reached up and ran my thumb over his tear streaked cheeks. It was not the first time I'd seen him allow himself to give in to his emotions like that but every time, I felt like the sun would never shine again. It just wasn't right, even if it was for good reasons.
"Times up Miss. He needs to get some sleep."
Draco's hold tightened, almost crushing me against his chest.
"Don't leave me," he whispered, his voice holding that same panic I had heard in the corridor. It was foreign, a tone he had never used with me or ever needed to for that matter and sounded considerable like a small child. He would probably deny it later, hating sounding weak for any reason.
"I won't, I promise," I said and his grasp loosened up but only slightly, as if still skeptical of my vow.
"Miss, he needs his-"
"I'm not leaving him," I snapped, cutting the healer off mid-sentence. I recognized the man from before, the one who had allowed me the time with Draco, and it froze me before I could start to glare. He was smiling again and held up his hands in a mock defense before nodding.
"Just tell anyone that bothers you that Henry Lockman gave you permission to stay."
"Thank you sir," Draco said, beating me to it. The man inclined his head slightly before pulling out his wand again. Another muttered spell floated past his stubble surrounded lips and Draco's body slowly began to relax again beneath me. Before I could voice my own thanks, the healer was out of the room.
"I love you Ginny."
Draco's tired voice brought my gaze back to his face.
"I just wanted to tell you that before I fell asleep," he said, his eyes already closed. His breathing began to get deeper and his arms settled into a comfortable position.
"I love you too Draco and it's been driving me mad." A small tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Never do that to me again okay?"
"Mhmm…Don't…Don't leave me…"
"I'm not going anywhere. But Draco?"
"Mm?"
"I'm sorry that I tried to kill our baby."
He was asleep before I said 'kill'…
Author's note: Sorry for not getting this chapter up right away. Had an assignment that was squashing all my creative energy, definitely not cool. But I am sorry if this one doesn't flow as well as the others, I'm still working on recovering. I hope you enjoy it and remember that reviewing is good for the soul, or at least mine anyways…J