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It's Not Over	By : cpetnm Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 70649 -:- Recommendations : 6 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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- 26
A.N. @sherlocked17: Oh, I hope everything worked out well for you and the baby. Childbirth is such a standard occurrence for women, but it can be so scary for both the mother and the baby. So many things can go wrong.

@discord_the_lunatic: LOL! Well, I did think about spontaneous combustion, but I feel that you’ve stolen my thunder… ;)

After the announcement in The Prophet, friends began to visit the hospital. Draco had expected horrid anonymous letters from pure-blood supremacists, but the outpouring of support for Hermione was refreshing. Flowers adorned Hermione’s room and letters from strangers offered kind words and ideas for getting her to wake. Pansy had done an excellent job in garnering the public’s sympathy for the three.

The day the baby’s picture and birth announcement ran, Harry and Ron came to the hospital. They were subdued with Draco and sat side-by-side, hands clasped and staring at Hermione.

“How’s the baby, Malfoy?” Ron asked uncomfortably. He didn’t care for the git, but Hermione had been his friend and supportive of him all though school.

“She’s fine. Had a rough start, but she does best here with me and Granger.”

“May I hold her?” Harry asked. Draco nodded and handed him the sleeping bundle.

Ron put his arm around Harry as he held Lyra.

“What?” Harry said, having noticed the astonished look on Malfoy’s face.

“Are you two a couple?” Draco blurted out.

Harry smiled and Ron actually laughed. “Yeah, since the end of sixth year. Hermione was the first person we told and she was really great about it.”

“I didn’t know,” Draco mumbled. To think he had been jealous of seeing Hermione with her two male friends. Merlin, I’m fucking unobservant.

“Mum knitted the baby a sweater. Probably too big for her now, but it’ll fit her in the fall.”

Ron handed Draco a pink sweater with a white L on the front. It was commonly known as a Weasley sweater and anyone Mrs. Weasley held dear had one. He remembered the Weasley kids wearing the sweaters at school and feeling sorry for them having to wear such ugly knitted duds. But Draco didn’t think this tiny pink sweater was ugly. No, not at all.

“Oh, uh, thanks. Please thank your mother for me.”

“Yeah, I’ll tell her, Malfoy. I know you never cared for me or Harry much, but if you need anything, owl us.”

Harry kissed Lyra’s forehead and handed her back to Draco. Draco watched the couple leave and breathed a sigh of relief. That hadn’t been as painful as he had thought it would be.

When Lyra slept and Draco sat by Hermione’s bedside, he read books on healing. The type of coma Hermione was in was unusual in that there was no clear trigger for waking the mother. Women had woken from these comas smelling their favorite foods to hearing their baby cry. Every day, Draco would covertly try to coax Hermione out of her slumber, but to no avail.

Something that bothered him about her hospital treatment was that she continued to have a magical barrier around her due to her unstable magic. He had carefully watched the healers recast the barrier spell on Hermione every morning and was certain he could undo the spell.

One of the things that drew him to Hermione in the first place was her demonstrative nature. She would hug and kiss him in greeting and welcome his affections as well. Over the past two weeks, Hermione hadn’t been touched for more than a quick cleaning spell. The woman he knew needed that physical affection. He knew it was a stretch, but if women came out of their coma from hearing Celestina Warbeck, maybe having the touch of her baby would help pull her from where her mind currently resided.

Theo stood outside the door to Hermione’s room. He knew Malfoy had been sitting with her since she had fallen into a coma and he was angry at his former friend. Theo had seen Hermione lose her joy after the blond wizard had told her he didn’t think they could be together. Add to that her difficult pregnancy and his protectiveness for Hermione and he wanted to give Malfoy another good beating.

Theo heard a baby crying and figured he could control himself around Hermione’s daughter. He opened the door to find Draco performing a warming charm on a bottle.

“Nott. I was wondering when you were going to come in.”

“Well, you’re always bloody here, Malfoy and I had hoped you’d step out so I could see Hermione in peace.”

Theo continued to stand in the doorway, staring at Hermione in the bed.

“Come in, sit down. I know how much you two bloody loved each other. Maybe you can bring her out of her coma,” Draco said sarcastically.

After Draco’s usual jealousy reared its head, Theo decided to ignore him and sit by the bed. Hermione was so pale and thin, even after giving birth. Her short hair was neatly combed to the side, probably Draco’s doing, he thought with irritation.

Draco, for all the stress he was under, didn’t look so bad, Theo thought. Sure, he looked tired and sad, but he seemed to have a purpose. This was so different from the time he had gone to the manor to confront Draco. That day, Draco hadn’t seemed to care about anything. That was not the Draco he was seeing today.

This realization that perhaps his Slytherin housemate did in fact love Hermione softened him slightly. He’d always thought Hermione was nothing but a conquest for Draco, but he could see it was more than that.

Draco had finished feeding the baby and was about to put her in a bassinet when Theo cleared his throat.

“May I see her?”

Draco narrowed his eyes at the other wizard. “Have you ever held a baby?”

“Well, no, but I’m sure I can figure it out.”

Lyra was gently placed in Theo’s arms. Draco coached Theo to keep the baby’s head supported.

“She looks mostly like Hermione, but I can see you in there,” Theo murmured.

Not for the first time, Draco felt a pang of sympathy for Theo. He knew Theo would have wanted a life with Hermione. Theo wanted a family, was ready for a family, while Draco struggled with the idea of a baby Hermione’s entire pregnancy. But having his tiny daughter comforted only by him made Draco realize what an honor it was to be a father. He’d never had anyone need him before, not like this.

A soft knock sounded at the door and Draco answered it to find Ginny Weasley. He hadn’t seen the fiery witch since he left Hogwarts. She played for the Holyhead Harpies. Draco had never really looked at her before, but she was an attractive woman with long dark red hair and a gamine face.

“Hey, Malfoy,” Ginny said quietly. “I came to see Hermione and the baby.”

He nodded and opened the door for her.

Ginny noticed Theo holding Lyra. “Oh, I can come back later. I didn’t know you had a guest.”

Maybe it was because he was tired or was glad their friends thought enough of them to visit, but he had an idea.

“Ginevra, do you know Theodore Nott?”

Ginny nodded shyly. “Hi Theo. How are you?”

Theo smiled at her. “I’m fine. I caught the last game between the Harpies and the Falcons. That was a tough one.”

Ginny nodded in agreement.

“Do you two think you could watch Lyra for a bit while I get lunch? Theo can show you how to hold her, Ginevra.”

Ginny rolled her eyes. “I’m a Weasley. I know how to hold a baby.” She sat next to Theo and admired the baby bundled in a pink blanket.

Draco quickly left the room, closing the door behind him. If anyone could appreciate the ginger clan, it was Nott. By the shy smiles Ginny was giving Theo, Draco thought his matchmaking skills might be inspired.

Draco came back to the room thirty minutes later. He was relieved Lyra had stayed asleep, cuddled in the redhead’s arms. Ginny and Theo were deep in conversation, their body language indicating their interest in each other.

He took Lyra from Ginny and gently lowered her into the bassinet. Ginny and Theo stood. They said awkward goodbyes, but both said they’d be back in the near future.

“Thank you for watching Lyra,” Draco said to the pair.

“Let me know if you need me to babysit her, Malfoy,” Ginny kindly offered.

Draco nodded. “Thanks, Red.”

They walked out the door together. Sinking into the chair by Hermione’s bed, Draco was relieved the encounter with Theo had been fairly civil. He dreaded the disproval that radiated from Theo. He had been friends with the brilliant wizard for years and had valued him as a comrade more than anyone else in Slytherin. It had been tough to lose that friendship.

Magic was such a curious thing. Hermione had known it was quantifiable since her first year at Hogwarts when she had noticed her own well of magic was much deeper than, say, Gregory Goyle’s. Even though her well of magic was considerably deeper than most witches or wizards, it could still be depleted.

Hermione had also suspected that magic was tied to emotion. When she was in control of her emotions, her spells flowed. When she was not, her magic tended to reluctantly obey her. Between the unexpected and difficult pregnancy, what essentially amounted to a break up with Draco, and working long hours in a challenging new position, the young witch’s emotional resources were tapped.

What others thought of as a coma was really a very extended and deep meditation session. She was aware of the people around her and could feel their spirits, for lack of a better word. The care, concern and love they felt for her helped bolster her emotional resources and in return, her magical well of power. Their whispered words to her weren’t clear, but their intentions were.

The constant presence of Draco and Lyra were her greatest source in rebuilding her magic. She was ready to come back, but Hermione needed something tangible to help anchor her.

Draco watched the healer use her wand to re-establish the barrier spell on Hermione after she cast a quick cleaning spell on her. He knew he had at least an hour after the healer left to dismantle the barrier spell and reconnect mother and daughter.

Love. Need. Contentment. Hope. Warmth.

Warmth?

A warm, soft weight on her chest. Hermione’s arms were placed over a tiny body, urging her to hold the baby to her heart.

Before her eyes opened, Draco saw Hermione clutch the baby to her breast.

“Hermione, love, come back to us. Lyra needs you. I need you.” She heard Draco’s confession and took a deep breath before lifting her heavy lids.

When Draco looked at her face, she was looking down at her baby.

“Merlin,” he whispered. “You came back to us.”

“Hi,” she croaked out. Draco angled the hospital bed into a sitting position then held a glass of water to her lips.

“She’s beautiful,” she said, stroking the baby’s downy hair. “How long have I been out?”

“Almost three weeks.”

“How are you doing?” she asked with her typical concern for his feelings.

Draco pointed his wand at the bed and widened it so he could sit next to Hermione and Lyra.

“So fucking grateful to have you back, Hermione.”

“You’ve been taking care of Lyra.”

Draco recognized it as a statement rather than a question.

“Mother and your parents took care of her the first few days, but she wasn’t happy about being separated from us. My mother finally brought her back to the hospital and she’s been brilliant ever since. She’s just amazing, Granger.” He stroked the baby’s back.

“I really wanted to breastfeed her.”

“The healers said you’d be able to.”

“Good. Can I go home?”

“Will come home with us?”

“Do you want me to? Are you ready for this, Draco?”

“We’re a family now. I need you, Lyra needs you. The real question is: will you trust me after everything I’ve put you through?”

Hermione told him about her experience, how she could feel his care, his love, his concern for her and Lyra. The bond she felt develop between daughter and father fortified her heart in a way she needed. If she had felt any reluctance on Draco’s part, she would have sensed it.

“I’ll try.”

It was the best she could offer and he accepted it.

“I’m going to get a healer and we’ll work on getting you home.” He started to get off the bed, but Hermione’s hand on his leg stopped him.

“I need you, too.”

Draco kissed her forehead and went in search of someone to help discharge Hermione from the hospital.

After he found the healer in charge of Hermione’s case, Draco had the hospital send an owl to his mother and Hermione’s parents, asking them to come to the hospital as soon as possible. He went back to the room to find a mediwitch helping Hermione walk about the room.

“Would you like me to help you bathe, Miss Granger?” the kindly woman asked.

“Oh, thank you, but I think I can handle it. Is my bag here with my clothes and toiletries?”

“It’s here,” Draco said, retrieving it from the closet.

The mediwitch left the room while Hermione went through her bag, looking for supplies.

“You okay?” Draco placed a hand on her shoulder.

Hermione continued to unpack her bag. “I’m a bit overwhelmed.”

“Can I show you something?”

Draco went into Lyra’s nappy bag and pulled out a collection of photos and the birth announcement. Hermione sat on the bed and Draco sat next to her.

“I had a photographer take photos of Lyra for a birth announcement in The Prophet. The photos are really beautiful and I like looking at them, so I’ve taken to carrying them with me.”

Hermione took the stack of pictures from him. Lyra was wearing a traditional baby gown and bonnet. She guessed Narcissa had helped Draco dress the baby for the photo shoot. In some pictures Lyra slept, while in others her big eyes looked right at the camera is that innocent way babies looked at the world. Hermione studied at the photos with tears running down her face.

“These are beautiful. Thank you, Malfoy.”

He put his arm around her. “Read the birth announcement.”

The first thing she noticed was the announcement had been placed on the front page. The headline read “Malfoy Family Welcomes Lyra Juliet Granger Malfoy” with a large picture of the sleeping baby. The article named her and Draco as Lyra’s parents. The end of the announcement asked readers to keep Hermione in their thoughts as she had gone into a coma to deliver the healthy baby.

“Why did you do this?” she asked.

Draco contemplated playing stupid, but in the end opted for the truth.

“I’m not ashamed of her or you. It was important that I claimed you publicly. You’re both precious to me.”

Hermione let her head rest on Draco’s shoulder. He had done the right thing. It had taken so long for him to get here.

Jean Granger hugged her daughter while Richard patted his daughter’s back. Hermione let her parents fawn over her, while Narcissa sat next to her son and held her precious granddaughter.

“Hermione’s going to stay with us,” Draco murmured to his mother.

“Oh, that’s good, son. I’ll have the elves prepare a room for her. Do you think she’ll want to keep Lyra with her?”

“When we get to the manor I’ll find out her preferences.”

Narcissa nodded and rubbed soothing circles along the baby’s back.

By the time they left the hospital for Malfoy Manor, Hermione was feeling tired.

“Would you mind if I had a quick kip?” she asked Draco when they entered the foyer.

“No, love, not at all. Lyra and I are old buddies. I thought I’d take her out on a broom ride this afternoon.”

“Don’t you dare!” she said, giving him a horrified glare.

Draco followed Hermione as she made her way to his suite. As they entered the room, she kicked off her shoes and got under the silky comforter.

“Mmm, you have the best bed,” she said, snuggling into the down filled pillows.

He hadn’t expected Hermione to want to share his space, but he wanted her to stay with him.

“Draco?”

He knelt next to her to see her face.

“Will you bring Lyra’s bassinet in here? I want her to be close to us at night.”

“I’ll bring it in when you get up, okay?”

“Thanks, Malfoy.”

“Hermione, do you want to feed Lyra?”

Hermione shook herself out of her light sleep. Draco handed her the baby. A mediwitch had shown Hermione how to nurse the baby while Draco had looked on. Lyra began to nuzzle Hermione’s breast through her shirt.

“Do you want me to leave?” Draco asked.

“No,” she said with a smile. “I might need your assistance.”

“Hold Lyra up and I’ll put a pillow under her.”

Hermione unbuttoned her shirt and held the baby to her nipple. Lyra didn’t seem to know how to latch on.

“Can you express a bit of milk? That’s what I have to do with the bottle to get her to suckle.”

Hermione squeezed her breast a few times and she began to feel the tingle of milk. Lyra hungrily took to her mother’s breast.

“Oh, wow, she was hungry.”

“She wasn’t enthusiastic about the bottle. Are you comfortable?”

“Can you put another pillow behind my back?”

Another fluffy pillow was wedged behind her.

“The mediwitch said to switch sides after a few minutes,” Hermione remembered. She used her finger to break the suction the baby had.

“Wind her now,” Draco suggested. “Use a cloth in case she spits up.”

“Am I doing it right?”

“You can pat her harder. Don’t feed her again until she burps.”

When Lyra finally let out a soft belch, Hermione put the baby to her other breast.

“You’re doing great, love.” Draco said encouragingly.

“How did you take care of her and stay with me at the hospital? You’re so good with her.”

“I don’t know, really. I have this instinct to take care of you both and that overrode any fear I had. My mother and your parents gave me some tips for taking care of the baby, but I’m just doing what I think is right.”

Hermione looked at the man in front of her. Draco seemed tired, but he was more content than she had ever seen him. Even when Draco had been self-centered and difficult, something in Hermione’s heart had always told her that if push came to shove, she could trust Draco to do the right thing.

“I’m proud of you, Draco,” Hermione said quietly. Lyra was beginning to nod off and she didn’t want to wake her. She gently removed the baby from her breast and handed her back to Draco.

“I’m sorry you went through the last few months of the pregnancy alone. It seemed like you’d be better off without me.”

“Why would you think that?”

“I’m not like you, who knows what to do in every situation and makes the most of it. I’m easily frustrated and used to being a fuck-up. I know I wasn’t nice to you when my father died and I thought maybe it would be better if I just stayed away from you after that. From my office window I’d see you walk out of Gringotts with Theo and I thought you’d be better off with someone like him.”

“Do you still feel that way?”

“No. Ugh, I don’t know. The idea of you married to someone else and that man raising Lyra makes me sick.”

“I think you just have to decide whether you want this or not, Draco. I want you, even with all your emotional baggage. If you want me, we’ll make it work. If you don’t, I’ll be sad, but I’ll focus on work and Lyra. I won’t withhold Lyra from you if you don’t want to be with me.”

“Do you still want to marry me?”

Hermione was quiet for a moment. She nodded at Draco.

“Sooner rather than later. I don’t want to wait any longer,” he said.

“How soon?”

“This weekend. We’ll invite our family and friends over and have a ceremony at the party. We’ll celebrate our little family becoming a legal family.”

The Gryffindor part of Hermione that was brave and a bit rash was in favor of the idea. The other part of Hermione thought maybe they were rushing, but she couldn’t bring herself to think of why they should wait. She was ready and if Draco was as well, then nothing would make her happier than to marry this man in a few days time.
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It's Not Over