What the Future Holds

Draco awoke in the middle of the night, his head was hurting so much that sweat was pouring down his face and he couldn't see straight. He got out of bed, and made his way to the bathroom. He didn't turn on the light, because he didn't want to wake Hermione.

He opened the cabinet above the sink and took out a pill bottle. He shook out three small pills and swallowed them dry. His stomach was lurching and he felt chilled. That copper taste was back in his mouth, so he frantically brushed his teeth to get rid of it. He splashed water on his face and then turned to leave the room. A blinding pain soared through the back of his head and the room tilted. He fell over, smashing his head on the sink and blacking out.

The sound was faint and far away. He could hear her, calling his name, but he couldn't move. He tried to open his eyes, but nothing happened. Her voice was becoming fainter and fainter and then it faded away altogether. He saw only darkness, heard nothing but silence. He struggled like a drowning man trying to get to the surface.

Hermione sat next to his bed, exhausted and frustrated. "Why won't you wake up?" she said to him. "I've done everything I can think of! You can't die! I won't let you!" Hermione put her hands on his bandaged head, closed her eyes and tried to will the injury to heal. She had been doing this every hour for a month, hoping it would somehow work.

"Draco, please come back. I know you can do it." She laid her head on his chest and wept. "I can't loose you! I can't!" He was the only link to her past that was left, everyone else was gone.

He could hear her crying and the sound made his heart break. She needed him and he fought desperately to get back to her.

Suddenly he hitched in a huge breath and sat up, screaming. She jumped up and frantically tried to calm him down. He looked at her and began mumbling about his girls and how he was glad that his wife was here to comfort him. He grabbed her and kissed her, saying that he loved her so much. Hermione was in shock and thought he was delusional.

"Just lie back down, Draco. You're going to be fine." She pushed him back on the pillow and right before he closed his eyes to go back to sleep, he said something. "What did you say?" she asked, leaning in to hear him.

"We get married in the garden. We get married and have two beautiful little girls. I love you, Hermione"

She stared into his smooth peaceful face. Something deep inside of her stirred. Some kind of distant but familiar memory. It flashed and then was gone. She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. "See you in the morning, my future husband."

THE END