Preface

Paired as partners in Potions by Snape, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy started out arguing non-stop. That is until Draco was accidentally jinxed to tell the truth and admitted to thinking Hermione was really smart and beautiful.

Chapter 1

Falling into step beside Hermione he wrapped a protective arm around her waist. He could feel her stiffen slightly then relax when she realized who it was. Smirking slyly he said, "Well hello there beautiful."

Hermione looked up and rolled her brown eyes. She still smiled as she leaned into him. Feeling the eyes of everyone around them Draco quickened his pace slightly. As Head Boy & Girl, they had their own rooms away from the rest of the dorms. The portrait of Albus Dumbledore came into view he sighed in relief, quickly whispering, "knowledge over power". Their dorm was warm and cozy as they laid their books down. A small fire crackled in the fireplace; turning to watch Hermione remove the many layers she had on he felt very possessive. She glanced up when she heard him chuckle. "What?" she asked, the question reaching her eyes.

He just shook his head in response and smiled, pulling her into a passionate kiss. She hesitated at first but soon enough her once clumsy fingers gracefully wound their way into his blonde locks. Smiling internally he backed her up against the wall hiking her legs around his own waist.

She moaned loudly, clearly showing she had no intention of stopping Draco, and he knew it. His hands slid from their place around her neck and made their way down the front of her shirt, unbuttoning the mother-of-pearl buttons as they went along. She turned her head as he placed a trail of feather light kisses along her jaw and down her neck. That's when she realized something, placing a cautioning hand on his chest. "Wait," she hesitated. "You, um, have something right?"

She could feel her face heating up. But he just smiled pulling out a condom. She smiled sheepishly and led him back to his room where she slipped off her now unbuttoned shirt. Undoing the zipper of the pleated skirt she wore, Hermione laid down on the emerald satin duvet. Wearing only her black lace bra and knickers she watched appreciatively as Draco slid off his clothes, leaving only the silver bracelet she had given him.

And...

~2 Months Later~

Everything else faded to black as she stared at the small white object she held in her hand. It simply couldn't be right. Not her, she was the smart one, the one who never did anything wrong. But there it was in plain pink and white. Suddenly the room seemed too warn, too big, and way too empty. How could she tell him? Who could she trust with this information? A name suddenly came to her.

"Ginny," she said aloud without meaning to, "I can tell Ginny!"

She didn't realize she was running until she reached the Gryffindor common room and was out of breath. Ginny saw the state her friend was in and rushed her to the girl's dormitory. Sitting her down on the bed, she demanded to know what the hell was going on. Hermione simply held up the test she had been staring at. When Ginny looked back up at her finally Hermione burst into loud sobs. Rushing to her friend's side, Ginny desperately tried to comfort the distraught girl. Crying along with her, they sat like that for hours not moving. Finally, Ginny pulled away and said, "You have to tell Draco. He has a right to know he is going to be a father."

Rushing for a scrap of parchment Hermione quickly scratched a note to a quick avifors charm she sent the message on its way before hurrying to the meeting place.

Looking down at the short note Draco wondered what could be so important that it couldn't wait until he got back to the dorm. The Defense Against the Dark Arts tower was completely deserted. Shivering, he cursed himself for not grabbing his coat. He spotted Hermione sitting on a step at the bottom of the staircase staring off into nothing. He had to shake her to get her attention. When she finally looked at him she said with a complete lack of emotion, "I'm pregnant, Draco, pregnant."

Everything went black...

Slowly the world started coming back, sounds, smells, heat, and finally touch. He was very aware if the arms encircling his torso protectively stroking his face. Slowly he cracked open his eyes then fully opened them to find he was back in his own bed with Hermione cradling him.

"What just happened?" he asked tentatively with an air of uncertainty to his words.

"Well, you kind of passed out after I told you I was pregnant." She bit her lip after she spoke.

"So that really did happen huh?"

"Yeah, it did. So how are you feeling?"

"Well," he began, "I still love you, if that is what you are asking."

"Not really, but okay. So you aren't mad or anything?" He could feel her hiding her face in his hair.

"Why would I be mad? Because you and I are going to be the parents of such an amazing miracle?"

"It feels good to hear you say that. But there is another thing we need to address." she sighed heavily.

Draco lifted himself up so as to turn around and look Hermione in the eyes. He could see the pain in them, pain she was trying so hard to hide. Involuntarily, his hand reached out to caress her face.

She hesitated only a moment before saying, "Who can we tell here at school Draco? How will we tell our parents?"

"We could tell Professor Snape. I trust him with my life, and he is head master now as well. He could help us in a lot of ways."

"I don't know, I know Snape is a good guy and all, it's just, what would happen to our baby after it is born? What then? I don't think even Snape can help us with that," Hermione sighed heavily. It was clear how much the weight of this decision hung on her delicate shoulders.

Smiling as comfortingly as possible, Draco said, "We just need to take this one baby step at a time."

The darkness of the dungeon still scared Hermione a little, but the feel of Draco's warm palm against hers calmed her down. Seeing as the worst was still ahead, she didn't let herself relax too much. Snape was perched at his desk scowling at a first year's homework when the pair entered the Potion's classroom. He barely glanced up before saying in his usual monotone, "Yes Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger what is it?"

Draco only hesitated a fraction of a second before saying, "Professor we need your help."

Draco's tone is what caught Snape off guard. He sounded desperate and venerable, like a lost puppy, like Snape's younger self. So he nodded not fully trusting his voice. Hermione could see the change in the usually hard professor's face; he looked almost sympathetic. So she stepped forward and stated, "Professor Snape I'm pregnant and we need your help. We don't know what to do or who we can trust."

Hermione was on the verge of tears. She could feel it, but she knew now was not the time. Snape slowly stood up a walked over to where she stood as he placed a hand on her shoulder he sighed. Looking first a Draco then herself he said, "I will help you, but know this. You must do exactly as I say, or many things will go wrong. First, go and find Alvina Vasser, she will help you as well. Then make an appointment at St. Mundego's to get examined. When you are done there, meet me in my office and we shall discuss the matter more."

Hermione nodded and hurried off to find Alvina. When they finally spotted her, she was sitting on the steps leading to the grand staircase. Her boyfriend Nathan was lying next to her with his head in her lap. They were both totally engrossed in what they were doing, her reading 'Hogwarts, a History' and him fiddling with a small snitch. Hermione walked up to them quite uncertain on how to begin or explain her situation. The Ravenclaw girl looked up with a knowing expression; she placed a gentle hand on her boyfriend's shoulder as she stood up. Her movements were filled with a dreamlike grace as she walked towards the most unlikely pair standing motionless before her. She smiled sweetly when she said, "You need my help don't you? I can tell. Follow me we, must go somewhere more private to talk. I hope you don't mind me saying, but you have a certain glow about you that I believe may need special guidance."

Draco looked at Hermione with millions of questions in his eyes but followed the girl willingly. They walked for quite a long ways until they reached the Forbidden Forrest. The wind blew through the trees menacingly causing shivers to run down Hermione's spine. Draco, picking up on Hermione's feelings, cast a warming charm over the three of them, and then turned to address their newest ally. "Hermione is pregnant. We were told by Professor Snape that you could help. Please we have no clue how to deal with this."

It was hard to hide the panic in his voice. He could feel the unease the flowed from the girl he loved so much, now carrying his unborn child. He moved to wrap his arms around her protectively, knowing that it wouldn't do much more than put her mind at ease. He looked at the girl he was now blindly trusting the life of his child and girlfriend to. She was staring at Hermione, but Draco got the sense that she wasn't really seeing what was in front of her. When the long silent revere broke, Alvina smiled brilliantly and said, "I know exactly what we need to do, but first I must summon Slade. Please, call me Vina."

Draco sighed in utter relief; Hermione's joy seemed to roll off her in waves, making Draco relax even more. He thanked the petite figure fading into the woods and guided the seemingly fragile girl he held so dear back to the warmth of the castle. The library steps were empty, so he sat down and pulled a now shrieking Hermione with him, so she lounged on his lap.

They lay like that for what seemed like hours; it was only after Draco felt Hermione stiffen for the fifth time did he turn her and question her comfort. She beamed back at him while she pulled his hand from its place on her neck down to her lower abdomen and said, "The baby is moving! It is so weird and comforting at the same time!"

She relaxed back into his long sinewy frame and rested her head on his shoulder. Draco stroked her hair and kissed the top of her perfect head.

A light tap on her shoulder woke Hermione from a very comfortable nap. Her eyes fluttered open to see a tall man in his twenties looking down on her. She sat up so quickly that Draco would have fallen flat on the floor, had the mysterious man not caught his arm. Vina had stood off to the side, watching with a look of pure curiosity. When the man turned to her obviously feeling quite awkward, she smiled, placing a comforting hand on his arm. She then addressed Hermione and Draco. "This is Slade. He will be your guide of sorts. And as both of you are of age they cannot expel you from the school, if you were wondering." She turned to Hermione with a small smile.

Hermione looked back with utter relief. She then scrutinized Slade, looking him up and down. He had a tall and muscular physique that was in no was frightening. His auburn hair was falling into his face, but also did wonders for his electric green eyes. When her review was over, she smiled at him, holding out her hand. He took it with what Hermione read a look of utmost relief and joy. Draco, however, was not so welcoming. She felt him tense and tighten his grip on her waist. She was going to have some words with him later about priorities. But thankfully he took the outreached hand Slade had offered.

Slade spoke in a voice with a distinctly German accent. "As Vina said, I am here to help you with the child and protect you from whomever may try to hurt you. You may not know this, but there are still those out there that would think to harm an innocent child in the name of Voldemort. Even after death, he has a powerful influence. No one truly knows who the leaders of these groups are, but there is a rumor that a pack of werewolves has been spotted quite near here. They are some of the few who support the Dark Cause, as it is now called."

Edited on January 2, 2014