1 minute and 37 seconds, that’s the longest he could hold it in before he had to exhale to breathe again, he looks down at his fifth cigarette and his hands are shaking, fuck! How has he only just noticed that all of him is shaking.
He looks around and sees the startling green eyes of her best friend and notices his eyes are red and he has tear marks down his cheeks and he is gripping onto Dracos hand so hard it must be hurting them both. He looks to see Lucius and Narcissa trying to fight to keep control but he can see the tear marks and utter devastation on all the Malfoys faces.
Not family by blood but family in all other ways. She was 11 when they took her in, all bushy hair and buck teeth, not that she is like that now. He has to take a few deep breaths as he thinks of her beauty, yes she is gorgeous on the outside but it is nothing compared to the beauty on the inside of his witch. She wasn’t a Granger for long after she moved in with the Malfoys, she was desperate to get rid of the name of the parents who abused her, by the start of her first year she got her wish and became the first Malfoy daughter in centuries, a best friend for her brother Draco, a confidante for her mum and a princess for her Dad, she completed the family perfectly.
She was so loved by them all, fuck,no she IS loved by them all so much, he has to keep positive, his witch cannot leave him, they still have so many plans left. They are both only 18, he has to have more time with her… he just has to, it has always been them, ever since he cheated off her homework in the library when they where 11.
It was an accident, one time is all it took, he can still remember how mad all the parents where when they told them, he swears he can still feel the hex his dad sent his way… The wedding happened just two months later.
He is startled out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder, he looks and sees it’s his Dad, he turns away and starts to watch the smoke from his cigarette. All he can hear is sniffles and repeats of “she will be ok, she has to be ok, they both do”. The door opens and the mediwizard simply says “Mr Dolohov please follow me” He throws his cigarette to the ground and quickly follows, he is led into a room that is far too quiet, he can feel his heart breaking and he is struggling to fight the tears when he looks at the bed in the corner to see his witch staring at him looking paler then he has ever seen her look. She smiles a tired smile and reaches for him, he can’t remember a time when he has ever moved that fast. He drops to his knees by her side, the tears falling freely now and looks down at the pink squishy face of his child. He thought he knew love, he thought he could love nothing more then his witch but looking down at his child, their child, he is wrong, the love he has for their child is like no other, he looks up at his love, at his wife and loses it, he is furious at her for almost leaving him and he is beyond grateful that she is stubborn and a fighter, he knows his daughter will be the same.
After kissing and holding them both for what feels like hours, he is asked to go let the family know that they will be ok after a few more days in the hospital.
The walk back to the waiting room is quick and he opens the door to the family room, he steps in with tears freely running down his face, he feels 6 pairs of eyes on him, he quickly lights a cigarette with his still shaking hands, he inhales, takes a drag and watches the smoke rise to the ceiling before he tells them with a smile on his face that Hermione is going to be ok and so is his daughter.
He watches the smoke as he thanks Merlin for his witch and his daughter, his beautiful Hermione and his little Maia.