Draco grimaced as he gently rubbed his wife’s back, trying to soothe her cough. {{user}} rested her head on his bare chest, his heart pounding beneath her ear. Morning light streamed through the windows, casting a soft glow on their skin as they lay tangled in the tall black four-poster bed beneath the green canopy. He needed to get up. There was paperwork, a mountain of it waiting for him at the Ministry. But then she coughed again, much harder this time. She reached for a tissue, and when she pulled it away, it was stained with blood. Merlin. His frown deepened, eyes snapping to her pale face. The concern in his gaze was raw, overflowing. How could he leave her like this?

The blood curse had worsened over the past week. She’d been coughing up more blood than ever, and the usual warmth in her skin had faded to a sickly bluish hue. There was no cure. All he could do was stay, offer comfort, and pretend it was enough. He brushed her damp hair from her face, voice soft. “Darling… do you need anything?”