Crack! Hermione screamed as the bite of the whip came down across her back.
"ONE! Thank you, Master!"
Crack!
"TWO! Thank you, Master!"
Crack!
THREE! Thank you, Master!"
Crack!
This time, no response was given, and Hermione suddenly slumped over, the shackles on her wrists the only thing keeping her upright. Draco rushed over, quickly releasing her, and laying her gently on the ground. He immediately started casting diagnostic charms, wondering what had caused her to collapse. Nothing was showing in his standard diagnostics, so he tried to enneverate her, but she didn't wake up. Now he was getting worried. He gathered her up in his arms, and hurried over to the floo. Throwing in the powder, he called out, "Saint Mungo's!" and jumped through carrying her limp body. Coming into the emergency department at Saint Mungo's, he quickly was approached by a mediwitch, who conjured a gurney for Hermione.
"What happened?" the mediwitch asked as she began walking towards an examination room, levitating the gurney behind her.
Draco turned quite red, "She collapsed when we were in the middle of… um… well, a sexual act. Are you at all familiar with BDSM?"
The mediwitch pinked a bit, "I am aware of the term. Would I be correct in assuming then, that there may be signs of restraints on her?"
"Yes," Draco nodded, now looking a bit hesitant, "as well as marks of another nature on her back."
The mediwitch paled a bit, "I…see."
They had now arrived at the exam room, and the mediwitch transferred Hermione to the bed, and began performing diagnostics. Another mediwitch came in, and handed a clipboard to Draco, and told him to fill it out with her medical information, and then asked if there was anyone she should contact. Draco replied in the negative, saying that her friends were unaware of the nature of their relationship, and that he would contact them himself. The mediwitch agreed, and left the room with the paperwork. Draco turned back to the mediwitch performing the examination, and asked her if she knew what was wrong. The mediwitch, still waving her wand, replied that she was unsure, but she would summon a healer to do a more thorough diagnostic. Draco nodded, and asked if it was acceptable to send a patronus message from the room, as he did not want to leave her. The mediwitch gave an affirmative grunt, and swept out of the room, presumably to get a healer. Draco quickly sent off his patronus to Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, informing them that Hermione was at St. Mungo's, and they should come.
Harry and Ron were sitting in the auror breakroom at the ministry when the patronus arrived. They immediately jumped up, and ran to the appartition point, disapparating to St. Mungos.
Meanwhile, Draco was pacing around the room, feeling quite restless, when the healer arrived, and began doing diagnostic spells of his own. As the healer finished, and was starting to roll her over, Harry and Ron burst throught the door. They immediately saw the marks on her back from the whip, and drew their wands pointing them at Draco.
"What did you do to her!?" Harry roared, "I'll have you in Azkaban for this!"
Draco quickly put his hands up in the well known manor symbolizing surrender, "It's not what you're thinking," he said, "we are dating, and we sometimes use… implements... in the bedroom."
Harry's eyes narrowed, "LIAR!" he roared. Ron, on the other hand lowered his wand, and grabbed Harry's arm. "Mate, calm down, he's probably telling the truth."
Harry turned to Ron, a shocked look on his face, "Are you fucking kidding me, Ron?" Harry said, "She has whip marks on her back, and you want me to calm down!?"
Ron turned a bit red, and quickly told Harry that it was in fact quite likely that Hermione had asked Draco to whip her. Harry began to turn red as well, although his coloring was due to anger, rather than embarrassment. Ron quietly explained that when they were dating, Hermione had regularly requested that he spank or slap her, and how that was eventually part of the reason they broke up, as Ron was not aroused by doing those things and others. He told harry about the club that she had once taken Ron to, and he explained that there were wizards and witches there who were tied up and whipped, among many other-to him-very strange things. He explained how Hermione was extremely taken by these acts, and asked Ron to help her fulfill a fantasy there. He had told her no, and it was shortly after that that they broke up.
"So, you see Harry, It actually makes sense, and if Draco here is into that stuff as well, I can definitely see them together."
Draco nodded, acknowledging Ron's statement. "We are actually recently engaged," he replied, "and we have been dating for almost two years now, I think she was planning on telling you this weekend, she had mentioned to me that she wanted to invite you over to the manor for dinner. I am worried right now why she collapsed, as we have played these games many times, and this has never happened before."
It was at this point that the healer turned to them, and said that he figured it out. "She is 6 weeks pregnant, Mr. Malfoy. It seems the strain of your… um… activities, caused her to pass out. As to why the eneverate did not work, I am unsure, but she will be waking up momentarily, and it would be best for her to stay calm, so if you gentlemen would calm down as well, it would be quite helpful."
Harry looked as if he were about to start arguing, but at that moment, Hermione stirred, slowly opened her eyes, "Master? Draco? Where am I?" Harry turned red, and opened his mouth to say something, but Ron grabbed his shoulder and shook his head.
Draco leaned over her, "I'm here, pet, you are at St. Mungo's, you collapsed, and I couldn't eneverate you. I was so worried, pet." Draco gently kissed her forehead.
"Do they know what happened?" she said, biting her lip, as her brow furrowed a bit. "Am I okay? Can we still…" It was at this point that she realized that they were not alone in the room, and her eyes grew wide. "Ron! Harry! What are you doing…" she trailed off, and glanced at Draco, "You called them?" she shrieked.
Draco put his finger over her lips, "Shush, pet. I was scared for you, and I knew they would be worried for you too, so yes, I did call them." He replied, then his eyes narrowed a bit. "When they arrived, they didn't even know we were dating. Is there a reason your best friends don't even know when you are in a long term relationship?" he said sternly.
She dropped her eyes, "No, Mast- Draco, I'm sorry. I wanted to tell them, but I was afraid they would be mad at me." Hermione looked ashamed, and slowly looked up at Harry and Ron, her eyes leaking a little, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys, I guess I just didn't think you would understand, and I didn't want you to be mad at me."
The boys nodded, Harry looking a bit sheepish, as he realized that her fears were justified. He did want to clarify, though, what exactly was going on here. He questioned her, "When we came in, I saw whip marks on your back, Draco told me you asked him to, or something, and Ron seems to think you LIKE that? I guess I am just really confused here."
Hermione turned bright red, looking down at herself. "Well, it's kind of complicated." She then proceeded to try and explain how she enjoys giving up control in the bedroom, and sometimes out of it as well. She explained that Draco, who at home she calls Master, has certain rules that she has to follow, rules they agreed together on. She explained that if she breaks a rule, then she is subject to a punishment. How these punishments aren't pleasant, and often a bit painful, but how she feels that she needs it to pay penance when she breaks the rules. She told them that the main rules are regarding her health. "I was being punished today because I skipped lunch at work a few days ago, and then stayed late as well, so that I missed dinner and went straight to bed when I got home. It is a problem I have had for many years, but with Master's help, I am getting better. It keeps me healthier, and it keeps Master from worrying about me so much."
At this point, Draco cut in. "And it is even more important now, pet. According to the healer, the reason you passed out earlier was due to the fact that you are pregnant." Hermione gasped, and her eyes widened, and got a bit teary.
"We're having a baby?" she looked at Draco, trying to read his expression, "Are you… Is this, I mean… Are you… happy?"
Draco leaned down, and kissed her hard. "Pet, I am so happy. I know you always wanted a family, and so did I. Yes, it is a bit sooner that we were planning, but I am so, so happy. We will have to figure out punishments that won't affect the baby, though. Maybe no orgasms for a week?" he said with a bit of a smirk. Hermione gasped, horrified. He continued, "Since you did take 3 of your 10 strokes, we'll just make it 5 days this time, hmm?"
Hermione huffs, "Fine. This is really going to suck." Draco looks at her with a wide smirk. "Yes, pet, you will. Just because you can't come, doesn't mean I can't."
At this, Harry and Ron blush. Quickly saying goodbye, telling her to owl them later, the boys flee the room as if Hades himself were chasing. Hermione turns back to Draco, pouting a bit. Draco, still with his massive smirk, comments, "This week is going to be fun."
Hermione just groans. "Oh, bother!"