Return to Me Part-15
Title: Return to me Part-15
Rating: pg-13
Warnings: slash, spoilers for 1-5. The events are loosely based on the fourth book
Pairing: Draco/Harry
Genre: angst, romance
Summary: The story of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy through war and love.
Disclaimer: I am not the owner of any of the characters or the Harry Potter series. I only own this plot.
Warning: This chapter has not been betaed by my trusty beta luciology. she's taking well-deserved vacation so i didnt want to bother her with unimportant things. so I betaed it myself. Its not as perfect as it should be but its not too overly bad.
The next chapter should be up soon. at i hope it will be.
Enjoy!!!
Chapter-15
Draco’s Rebirth
Present-St. Mungo’s hospital
“The problem, you see Mr. Malfoy, is that the child lacks space in your body.
Since you are a male it does not expand as it does for a woman. Therefore the child, in
order to make place, has to crush your internal organs. This is quiet safe when the fetus is
small. But in this stage it is frankly dangerous not only to the child but you as well. The
procedure is quiet simple. I would simply cut open your abdomen and remove the child
and place it in an artificial uterus.”
Draco smiled. “You make this sound easy.”
Healer Pierce laughed. “Truly it isn’t. If truth be told, I am merely trying to quell your fears. You
see the main danger lies in the exposure of the child to the atmosphere. In this world of
Magic a lot of the residue from spells diffuses through the air. It does not affect us since
we are immune to it. But a fetus does not attain its immunity to magic until the later
stages of its carriage. Therefore exposure to this residue can affect a child gravely. And
incase you are wondering, your child, even though will be separate from you physically,
will maintain a connection, which it will use to gain nutrition and immunity.”
“I see.” Draco said softly.
There was a moment’s silence until Draco agreed and the surgery was confirmed.
Draco remembered being lain down on a table with healers surrounding him. The
last thing he could recall was the vague reminiscing about how it would feel to fall
asleep and never awaken. Yet as the thought entered his mind, so did the comfortable and
fuzzy feeling of numbness. He smiled softly as he lost awareness of the rest of his body.
Truly, he thought, this wasn’t a bad way to die. Or perhaps live.
~`~
Consciousness came not with a jerk but a slight and gentle lift as simply as the
coming togetherness of his mind and his body. His eyes flickered for a moment as darkness disappeared and glorious light returned. This
odd feeling lingered in the back of his mind and not until he was standing in front of his child, was he able to identify it. He extended his
pale hand slightly to touch the glass that separated him from his daughter. She lay, floating weightlessly, in a dark cloud that echoed with a
beating that coincided with his heart. With a hand pressed against the cool surface of the glass and the other on his own beating heart
Draco Malfoy realized that this was the feeling of rebirth-of healing-of awakening from the darkness of sorrow.
Truly this wasn’t a bad way to live.
~`~
It was the Weasley wedding that was successful in convincing Draco Malfoy to
leave the hospital and the side of his child. The blond smiled at the thought of
Hermione’s face when he told her that he couldn’t make it. So he came because her face
might seem hilarious now but then it was just terrifying. So he came and here he sat in
the beautiful cathedral dressed in his best clothes waiting for the bride to walk down the
isle. Ronald Weasley stood upright next to the priest, and even though it truly was the
happiest day of his life, Draco saw the deep sorrow that remained at the sight of the empty spot on his side. The spot which Harry Potter
would have occupied as his best man. Ron had refused to get another, choosing rather to leave the place empty to remain as a reminder
of who could have been here but wasn’t because of the war.
Draco’s mind passed into thoughts of Harry but came to a halt as a stab of pain
intruded his chest. He took a deep breath and became aware of the soft strings of the musical piece Cannon by Johann Pachelbel began.
The crowd rose and watched with abated breaths as Hermione Granger walked gracefully down the isle, her hand resting gently on her
father’s arm and her face below a veil. It was a beautiful day altogether marked with soft laughter, silent tears, and wide smiles. When the
time came for him to return to the hospital, Draco descended gently on Hermione and planted a soft kiss on her cheek.
“Never before have I seen such a figure of grace and beauty. I wish you all the happiness in the world because you’ve earned it,
because you have truly worked so hard and so persistently throughout your life. I hope that every moment from this day and forth is full
of peace and glory.”
She smiled as tears clouded her vision. She pulled Draco into a hug to show that
she understood his sorrow. Draco shook Ron’s hand firmly at first but then gave him a
hug all the same.
“What can I say, Weasley?” he paused for a moment as the two men looked at
each other. “Thank you.” seemed like a good statement as it came out of him mouth. For
everything, he added silently.
Ron nodded and the two parted. Pulling on a thick coat, Draco walked out of the
hall and into the falling snow.
~`~
It was a good day. The sun was shinning and the birds were singing perched
outside Draco’s window coaxing him to awaken. There was nothing new about that yet as
Draco awoke and stood up to look outside he realized that for the first time he had
actually noticed the beauty of the world. This was new. Two months had passed since the
Granger-Weasley wedding and the happy couple had been back from their honeymoon
for a while now and were now successfully settling into their marriage; a process Draco
could easily recall from his own marriage. He remembered the soft glances and the amazing way the simplest and the most boring tasks
seemed so much more fun when one’s spouse was around and helping. He remembered their first time cooking together. The end result
was a heavenly meal consisting of expensive wine and delicious pasta. But the process consisted of playful banter, gentle yet unnecessary
bodily contact and meaningful kisses as they stood over a hot stove in a house that smelled of fresh paint but spoke of love. Draco was
different then. He had a weightlessness then that he realized would never now return.
But it was fine. He didn’t want it to return. He wouldn’t value that feeling as
much he did now if it returned.
Walking away from the window Draco took a shower and got changing. Yes it
was a good day today he thought as he walked into the back yard, getting ready to
disapparate. His daughter was coming home today.
Victoria Jade Potter, he thought immediately, as a delicate body was laid within
his arms. She was beautiful, Draco thought as he rocked her gently. She had a pudgy nose that stood rose slightly above her smooth skin
surrounded by chubby cheeks. Her eyes were squished together and her hands tucked neatly in her blanket. So beautiful. There was a
clicking sound and Draco looked up to see Hermione holding a camera up to her eyes. Ron stood close to her, looking over her shoulder
to see the baby. Jade was a fitting name, Draco realized as she opened her eyes to reveal emerald eyes.
“Wow.” Hermione gasped. Dumbledore was there, standing upright and looking
at the child through his half moon spectacles.
“Truly she looks just like Harry.” He said, a thought that hung peacefully in the
air. Jade made a soft noise in the silence and the four adults eagerly leaned in to look at
her more carefully. Overwhelmed by the amount of unknown faces, she began to cry.
Draco immediately pulled her up to rest on his shoulder and paced gently, rocking her back and forth. All the adults smiled at one
another and Draco heard another click and Hermione muttering about how she couldn’t help herself. Truly she couldn’t since by the time
they got back to the Potter home she had taken about 20 more pictures. When Draco walked into the home with Hermione, Ron and the
headmaster behind him he was surprised to find that his house had been broken into by his closest friends. The Weasley were there. All
of them were gathered around the fireplace on the floor. Remus and Sirius were sitting on the sofa cuddled together while Tonks sat a
little apart with her legs crossed. More of the members of the Order of Pheonix were there sitting on the table sipping from cups. But the
biggest shock, Draco realized while he watched the wide eyes and expectant faces that looked at him, was that his mother was there.
Narcissa Malfoy sat on a chair with her mouth turned up in a soft smile. She was the first one to move. She got up and moved gracefully
in her robes towards Draco to look down at her grand daughter. She extended a long fingerer to touch her chin and her smile widened as
Jade blinked and moved slightly.
“She’s beautiful.” And the silence ended. Everyone rejoiced and moved toward
Draco to look at the newborn baby.
“What’s her name?” asked Sirius as he took her from Draco’s outstretched arms.
“Victoria Jade Potter.” Sirius smile widened as tiny fingers extended and grabbed
a hold of his nose. Remus sat beside him and laughed. There was another click and
Hermione smiled from behind the camera.
“Look here you two.” She said to Sirius and Remus.
The rest of the evening passed in a haze but Draco noticed that it was amazing
how intelligent, well-composed adults disintegrated into cooing and babbling
meaninglessly when a baby was in the premises. And it was funny how every adult in the
room would run to the rescue whenever a child began to cry. Draco was shocked to find
Dumbledore talking animatedly with Jade and then horrified to find McGonagal
panicking when Jade began to cry in her arms. He laughed silently now as he carried Jade
to her crib, which stood, beside his bed. The house was silent now since everyone had
returned home after a night of innocent celebration. The moon hung prominently in the
sky, easily laying sheen of light on his child. He looked down at Jade. She was sound
asleep wrapped safely in a blanket.
“Goodnight Jade.” He reached his bed and bent over to rummage in a draw and
pull out a picture. “Goodnight Harry.” He whispered.
~`~
TBC….