Chapter 3
Ginny drifted in and out of what she thought was sleep and wondered briefly why she couldn't open her eyes to see her new son, or open her mouth to ask Draco how Devon was doing. It wasn't long until those thoughts muddled with unfamiliar noises and the blissful state of nothingness stole over her again.
****
It could've been minutes or days later when she felt someone holding her hand, talking to her about what the weather was like; the strange thunderstorms that had been around since yesterday morning. Her body felt light and airy as if she were floating in total darkness and she strained to see around her, trying to find something familiar to latch on to. Her hand twitched and she felt a cold ring against her finger. It wasn't smooth around the edges like Draco's but rather cut into different levels around the band…similar to Harry's band.
"Harry, you need to go now. Draco will be back in a few and we can only allow one person in here," Hermione's voice said from a great distance. Ginny's hand was laid on her stomach and she heard the scratch of the chair sliding back.
"It's just strange, isn't it? She was fine and then suddenly…not." Harry touched the back of Ginny's hand and then he was gone.
Ginny tried to process the words in her head; trying to make sense of Harry's cryptic comment but it hurt too much,
so she gave up and slipped back into her cocoon.
****
"See, Devon? Mummy is still sleeping. She'll get to give you your bottle as soon as she wakes up," a low voice said next to her. Ginny could sense that her son was near, being held by her husband and all she wanted to do was reach out and touch them both. Her body, now feeling like lead, didn't allow her to do much except breathe and listen. Bit by bit her brain woke up, telling her that she was still in the hospital but it wasn't able to tell her why she couldn't move anything. She was beginning to get angry.
The anger soon left, replaced by fear when she was dragged up from her peaceful sleep by something scratching against her hand.
"If you can hear me do something, Gin. I can't stand seeing you like this!" Draco's voice cracked and as much as Ginny wanted to spring up out of her bed and comfort him she couldn't. "We just want to know what happened when you were in the loo? Why won't you wake up?" Her hand was being rubbed across his unshaven cheek and all she could do was let him hold her limp hand. It never crossed her mind to try and squeeze his hand as she felt herself being pulled under, this time being accompanied by a slight buzzing noise that seemed to sweep over her prone body.
****
'What did happen to me in the loo?' Ginny wondered to herself as she listened to the sound of Draco's even breathing somewhere to her right. She remembered getting up out of bed, leaving Devon in his little bassinette. She was by herself as Draco was down signing paperwork for her stay in the hospital. She remembered joking about how they should be able to get away without filling that out since he funded the wing she had given birth in. She walked gingerly to the loo, remembered using it, remembered washing her hands then she reached out to turn off the water when a loud crack resonated around her…and that was it. She had no idea what happened. She was pretty sure she didn't fall because Hermione would've found a telltale knot on her head or bruise somewhere. But based on what she and all the other healers had been saying, no one knew anything and the magical tests weren't telling them much at all.
****
Draco was getting frantic now, Ginny woke up to him practically yelling at someone else in the room.
"You have to know something! That's what you all do!"
"Draco, sometimes we can't explain things. I'm sorry," Hermione said quietly, but sternly warning him to lower his voice.
"It's been a week! I can't take this anymore," Draco walked to Ginny's other side and she could hear him fighting for his composure. "I don't even know what to tell Marissa about her. You better not let her die, Granger. My family is all I've got now and Ginny is…well…," his voice cracked and he stopped before he cried in front of someone other than his wife.
"Special, I know," Hermione finished his sentence then continued on, "and she's not going to die. She's in some kind of coma and her body is fixing whatever went wrong." Ginny felt a warmth steal over her; Draco wasn't one to pay out compliments and for her to hear him say how special she was to him made her love him even more.
"Yes, she is," Draco whispered, clutching Ginny's hand and setting on the bed next to her. She felt him lay next to her and Hermione began her speech about how she shouldn't be moved.
"She's my wife. I'll lay here if I want to." Draco snapped at her and with a sigh, Hermione turned and walked out of the door. For a moment, Ginny felt herself being arranged so her head was tucked under Draco's neck and his warmth seeped through her thin nightgown.
"Please wake up. I can't take this; I thought I was strong enough to get through anything but apparently for one of the few times in my life I'm wrong. Marissa wakes up at night asking for you. Devon is home and my mum is the one staying with him while I attempt to teach my NEWT class once a day. Why are you like this Gin?" Draco brushed his lips against her forehead and she tried to lean into him, prolong the sweet touch but she couldn't move. She felt him playing with her hand, absent of all jewelry. She thought she was wearing the ring he had given her years ago; the one charmed to warm up but it wasn't there now. Her wedding rings had been taken off right before she was screaming about how it hurt to push out Devon. Her body reminded her with a twinge in her abdomen at how much that did hurt.
Her ear was over Draco's heart and the steady thump slowed as he eased into a fitful sleep, lulling Ginny into her own strange sleep. This time it was filled with white lights, crackling sounds and a pain that shot down her arm so realistic that she jerked in the bed, cracking Draco's jaw on the top of her head.
"Ow!" was the first thing Draco yelled, jerking before he realized that Ginny was laying on top of him. Ginny tried to respond and all that came out was a low moan, which surprised her as much as him. "Ginny! Are you okay?" his hand pushed her hair back from her forehead and she tried to respond, in anyway she could. She felt so weak, but for the first time in about a week she realized that the pain was the first true feeling she had, other than the alternating lightness and heaviness. She shifted slightly and felt Draco turn her gently, cupping her face with his hands.
"Wake up, please. I love you and I don't know if I can take another day with you like this," Draco kissed her, pushing her lips open with his, trying to coax a response out of her. He was urgent, demanding and she tried to respond, using her energy to flick her tongue against his. He pulled back, his hands running over her face, coaxing her to wake up placing a kiss on her nose, her neck anywhere her skin was exposed and slowly Ginny felt feeling return in her body--a slight tingly sensation, like she had sat in the wrong position to long and her foot had fallen asleep. She managed to lick her lips, feeling how dry they were.
"Hermione! I think she's waking up," Draco's voice was quiet, but rushed as Ginny struggled to pull herself up out of the sleep that was pulling her the other way. Again she licked her lips and felt someone place a straw to her mouth. Weakly she took a sip and managed to swallow half before coughing. Someone sat her up and pounded her on the back. Her head flopped forward, muscles screaming against the week rest they had been given. Two, then three voices swirled around her as Draco's hands gently laid her back against pillows that were fresh and cool to the touch.
"She has some color returning to her cheeks," someone noticed and indeed Ginny felt warmer and could now see lights moving through her closed eyelids. A hand ran down her arm as Draco's fingers found and firmly clasped hers, brushing a kiss against the back of it every few seconds or so.
"I need to check her eyes," someone said and she felt Draco let go of her hand and move to the side. A bright white light flashed before her and she turned away, hearing a laugh that sounded more like a sob coming from Draco. Someone moved her head and opened her other eye and she turned away, trying to reach up and push the offensive hand away. The light hurt her eyes and she was glad when they finally stopped. Draco's lips pressed against hers and she heard a whisper against them.
"Please. I can't do this without you, Gin. Truthfully. Wake up," Draco pulled her to him and with every ounce of energy she had she lifted her hand as high as she could move it and it settled on his knee. He buried his face in her neck and she felt tears against it, prompting her to try and reassure him. She felt her fingers flicker against his thigh as the tingly feeling began to recede out of her body.
"Strengthening potion," she heard Hermione mutter and suddenly felt a searing pain rip through her body, causing her to cry out hoarsely, jerking back from Draco.
"What's wrong?" Draco demanded and as quickly as he said it, the feeling went away and Ginny brought a trembling hand to her face, relishing in the feel of her own skin against her finger tips.
"Dr-," Ginny cleared her throat as she experimentally opened her eyes. It was still too bright so she shut them quickly.
"Dra-co," she croaked haltingly, feeling herself being gathered against him and this time she did lean into him, pressing a weak kiss against his neck as he rocked her, trying to not break down in front of three healers at his wife's bedside.
"Ginny. Can you open your eyes?" Hermione asked ready to flash another light into them.
"Too bright," she murmured, her voice muffled against Draco's neck. Her hand glided slowly up Draco's back and she hugged him best she could, feeling him tighten his arms in response.
"Ok, the lights are dimmed. Try now."
Ginny felt Draco lower her back against the pillows and Ginny told herself to open her eyes slowly. It was much more comfortable this time and as she widened them they moved to her side where Draco was anxiously watching her. He was unshaven with dark circles under his eyes. He looked years older than he had only last week and she smiled weakly at him.
"You look awful," Ginny whispered and Draco smiled for the first time in a week.
"You can say anything and I won't care," he touched her face gently and at the mention of her name she turned back to Hermione who began peppering her with questions asking her name, her age, what year it was, did she know what she was here?
"Devon! How is Devon?" Ginny croaked, suddenly remembering her newborn son. Trying to sit up but feeling dizzy and as she did so she felt panic set in. A healer's hand pushed her back down as Draco calmed her fears.
"Wonderful. Eating like a champ but he misses you. I was going to bring him by later this afternoon."
"How long have I been out?" Ginny blinked slowly and let her eyes flutter closed as it required less energy.
"A week. Any idea what happened?" Draco asked reaching out and caressing her cheek.
"No," she sighed and yawned widely. "I'm still tired."
"Take a nap. Maybe you'll remember more when you are refreshed," Hermione encouraged, patting Ginny's hand.
"Okay," Ginny mumbled and this time felt the blanket of a normal sleep wash over her.
****
Ginny woke up a few hours later and found Draco sitting at her side, but this time with a small bundle in his arms.
"Hey," she whispered, still feeling weak and hearing a slight buzzing noise in her head. Draco looked up from Devon and smiled, bringing Devon up a bit so she could see him. He was awake too, his eyes already showing signs of brown (her color) and she smiled, reaching out to touch him.
"He looks bigger already," Ginny caressed his cheek as Draco carefully set their son down in her lap, her arms feeling too weak to support him.
"Gained a pound from when he was born. Apparently they are supposed to lose weight then start to gain it. Not him, though," Draco said proudly, running a hand over the blue hat that covered his head. Ginny reached up and managed to push off the hat, showing a bald head. She couldn't see any signs of hair and wondered what color would eventually grow.
"He's cute," Ginny smiled at him, watching him yawn then curl a hand under his chin and fall back to sleep.
"How're you feeling?"
"Tired, weak," Ginny returned Draco's kiss and sighed as he asked her if she remembered anything.
"No. I just remember using the toilet, washing my hands then reaching out to turn off the faucet. I remember a crackling, a buzzing and then waking up but not being able to move. Harry was here holding my hand and Hermione told him he was going to have to leave because you were coming by."
"Anything else? Did you feel anything?" Draco asked, sitting on the edge of her bed watching her intently. Ginny reached up and ran a hand through her hair shaking her head.
"No. Just what I said…although," she glanced down at her right hand noticing her ring was still gone. "Did you take the ring you gave me? I swore they left that one on when I was giving birth."
He reached for her hand and looked at her naked fingers. "I don't remember being handed this ring. I have your wedding and engagement rings at home. Are you sure you wore it?"
"I always do," Ginny answered firmly. "Maybe it fell off in the loo can you go see? Please?" Ginny asked, already afraid that she had lost the first piece of jewelry he had ever given her.
"Are you okay with him?"
"Devon's fine." Ginny patted her son's head who stirred in his sleep. She watched Draco cross the room and turn on the light. She could see everything except the shower from where she was sitting.
"You were standing by the sink?"
"Yeah."
"And they found you on the floor near the shower," Draco said almost to himself. "And the water was still running."
He crouched down and looked under the sink, and then half closed the door as he looked behind it. She heard him mutter something as he opened the door.
"What?"
"I think I found it."
"Really?" Ginny pushed herself a bit straighter, making sure she didn't disturb Devon who was sleeping between her legs. Draco walked over and held out his hand. There, lying in his palm was a bit of twisted metal. She could barely make out the green of her birthstone as only a chip was left in the setting. Glancing down at her hand she didn't see any kind of mark.
"Oh, Draco. Your ring," Ginny touched it, feeling tears come to her eyes.
"I care more that you are alive. I can always replace this."
"But still," Ginny wiped the tears that fell from her eyes, hearing the door to her room open. Draco turned and showed Hermione what he had found. Running her wand over it, she watched the ring glow then fade back to its dull, burnt color.
"What happened?" Draco asked, handing the ring to Ginny who asked to see it.
"I think, Ginny, that somehow, that storm penetrated the hospital wards and you got electrocuted. It went into the pipes when you were washing your hands and went straight for the ring. If you weren't wearing that, I don't know if you'd be here now or not." Hermione paused and examined Ginny's finger. "Amazing that you don't have any marks at all."
"Electrocuted?" Ginny fell back against the pillows, the twisted piece of metal pushing into her palm. "I do have a slight buzzing in my ears. Think that could be why?"
Hermione shrugged and ran a hand over her face. She was tired too after working, worrying about her friend and being a mother to 20 month old. "I honestly have never seen this happen to anyone before. We'll do a hearing test to make sure nothing is wrong there. You seem to be recovering nicely so I think once you eat a bit better and can stand and walk on your own, you can go home. I'm going to go talk to the other Healer's and see what they think. May I borrow the ring and show them?"
Hesitantly, Ginny dropped it into Hermione's hand who promised to bring it back. A moment of silence descended upon her room and the only sound was the occasional snuffle from Devon who snoozed happily between Ginny's knees. Draco was staring out of the window and the set of his shoulders told Ginny he was angry; they were stiff and he was rubbing the back of his neck. She knew she couldn't deny him the anger. Every protection that could be made was at St. Mungo's but she figured sometimes, Mother Nature got the best of everyone. If she knew him, he'd have the Ward Officers go through each and every ward, strengthening it and securing them even better, if possible, than before.
Strangely, she wasn't angry, just happy that they figured out what happened and a bit nervous that maybe something she couldn't see was wrong with her. A full body physical would be done in the next few hours, she was sure and for once, she wouldn't mind submitting to the numerous questions and wand waving that would take place.
"Draco."
He turned, shifting his face into his patented neutral expression and walked towards her bed.
"Do you think you can bring Marissa in soon?" she reached out and took Draco's hand, feeling strength returning to her body minute by minute.
"I'll bring her by tomorrow." His tired eyes searched her face, and for the first time in years she felt him probe her mind for clues on how she was fairing. Kissing the back of his hand, she reassured him that she was fine.
"That was the worst week of my life."
"Not so fun for me either."
Devon let out a sudden wail, stopping their conversation and noticing the time, Draco took a bottle out of the diaper bag his mother had bought them.
"Would you like to do the honors?" Draco asked and for the first time, Ginny was able to feed Devon.
****
"We see nothing wrong with you. I think we can discharge you today," Hermione told Ginny just two days later.
"Finally! I miss my bed and poor Draco has to get up with Devon every two hours."
"You still need to rest, so if you can, let Draco take over a few of those feedings."
Ginny said she'd try, knowing full well that having two children meant that it wouldn't be quiet and stress free.
"So, I'm really okay. Reproductive, physically, musculoskeletal?" Ginny asked and Hermione nodded, giving her a quick hug as they stood near her bed.
"Yes, it's like this never happened except for the loss of your ring."
Ginny looked down, seeing an exact duplicate sitting upon her finger. "I can't believe Draco had time to go get another one."
"He'd do anything for you Ginny." Hermione held out the clipboard for Ginny to sign herself out.
"I'd do anything for him," was her simple response.
"You sure you don't want to wait for Draco to get here?"
"I want to surprise him. He's in class for another hour, so if you could escort me home that'd be wonderful."
"I can in a half hour. That's when my shift ends. Let's get you packed up and ready to go. Everyone is going to be so happy to see you!" Hermione handed Ginny a bag from the closet and they set about finding her clothes and toiletries strewn about the hospital room.
Indeed everyone was happy. Someone had leaked out she was coming home and upon flooing into her living room noticed her entire family, their spouses, her nieces, nephew and even her mother in law were waiting for her.
Minutes later, Draco floo'd home and seemed genuinely confused as to why everyone was standing around eating snacks in his living room until Ron pointed to the chair in the corner.
There sat his wife, holding Marissa while showing her how to feed Devon. She hadn't seen him stumble in, between the throngs of people that moved about her and for a moment he watched his family intently. Despite being a shade paler than normal, Ginny looked like she had before she had entered the hospital. Still needing to lose the baby weight so she had dressed in a soft t-shirt of Draco's and a pair of comfortable maternity jeans and he thought she never looked lovelier. It was Marissa that spotted him, and all efforts to feed the baby were abandoned as she launched herself at her father. Walking over with his daughter in his arms, he bent down and kissed Ginny's cheek.
"Still like to surprise me I take it?" he whispered in her ear, setting Marissa down who went to play with Jillian and Cassandra.
"Yep. By the way…happy anniversary," Ginny whispered back as she propped Devon against her shoulder while managing to kiss Draco briefly.
"What a way to celebrate our first year together. But since it's Friday, I was thinking of taking us to our vacation house, just to get away and relax." Draco smoothed back a piece of her hair that escaped her ponytail and relished in the smile that lit up her face.
"That is just what the healer ordered," Ginny sighed and leaned her head back, nuzzling her son; glad to finally be home and learning the new Malfoy family dynamics.