A/N :: I've heard that this chapter is similar to another's ... No infringement intended! Please don't think that I steal from people :X And I promise chapters will get longer (:

Chapter Four || Parenting Prep

It was morning. Fingers running through my still damp hair from the shower, I walked down the staircase to the common area, schedule in hand.

Hermione was seated at the large dining table, a mug in her hand and the Daily Prophet spread out in front of her.

"Good morning," I said, walking into the space and sitting in a chair across the table. It was so big that there was at least five feet in-between us as each of us sat at a head of the table.

Hermione looked up, and then glanced back down to the newspaper. "Good morning." Her brown eyes scanned the Prophet.

I licked my lips, incredibly thirsty. "Should we head down to the Great Hall for breakfast?"

It was only 8:15, and the first class was to start at 8:30. The two of us left the dorm, silently walking to the Great Hall for breakfast. One word wasn't spoken the entire walk.

I pulled open the door and entered the busy Hall first, not bothering to see if Hermione followed, leaving the door ajar for her to slip in. Eating with the usual four was dull for some reason, and there was no sight of Astoria.

At 8:20, we were released to leave for the first period class. Reaching the Parenting Prep classroom, Blaise walked in first and I followed. The classroom was standard Hogwarts :: high ceiling, tall windows, stone floor. At the front of the room there was a professor. She turned around, cloaked in emerald green robes with a tall black hat; glasses perched on the end of her nose.

We took seats at the back, Pansy sliding into the chair next to me. "Good morning, Draco," she purred, pushing her chair closer to mine. "Did you sleep well? It must be dreadful to live with that mudblood."

"It's not bad now, but it can only get worse I suppose," I said exactly what she wanted to hear. Pansy grinned at me, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Attention students!" The Professor McGonagall clapped her hands, and right away the curtains covered the windows, dimming the room. "I welcome you to Hogwarts's mandatory Parenting Prep Class for seventh year students. I take it as a great personal pleasure to teach each of you these important lessons of life." She gave a warm smile to each of us, taking a look around the large classroom.

"Your primary assignment over the next several months will certainly change your life. You will experience pregnancy with a partner that will be assigned to you."

"'Experience pregnancy?'" Hermione repeated from the front seat. "What do you mean?"

"OH NO!" Pansy shrieked. "I'm gonna get fat!"

"I'm gonna get stretch marks!" Parvati wailed.

"I'm gonna get stuck with a moody chick for nine months?" Blaise shouted.

"But I don't have a birth canal!" Seamus yelled.

That ended the questions. The class erupted in laughter, loudly at Finnegan's remark.

"Settle down!" Professor McGonagall practically screamed. "You will not have to give actual labor. The female in the pairing will carry a child for nine weeks, about two months and one week. Today is October fifth, and around December twelfth, you'll become temporary parents. Birth will be induced at that point, a process not half as painful as actual labor. The 'child' has been charmed so that no magic may be used on it. You will receive your 'spouse' today, if you all stop interrupting me!"

McGonagall finished her rant and left us all speechless. She pulled her emerald velvet top closer, smoothing the sides, regaining composure.


Hermione's POV ::

The class sat in silent shock and waited to Professor to continue explaining the project.

"As I was saying," McGonagall pushed her glasses further on the bridge of her nose. "After the nine weeks are up, sometime in the second week of December it will be time for birth. We obviously cannot subject each of our senior female students to the actual, intense, excruciatingly painful, strenuous, extensive process of labor, however."

Each new adjective the Professor spoke caused each female to pale. The faces of the six girls continued to blanch as McGonagall went on.

"So instead, Madame Pomfrey will remove the baby, with a sort of process like a Caesarian-Section. It will not be as invasive, dangerous, and complicated like the full scale operation would be. We have worked out a procedure that is as minimally painful for the mother as possible. This is meant to be a learning experience, not something that will scar you for life – not mentally or psychically."

Professor McGonagall walked around the room as she spoke, giving us each a syllabus. "If you would read along with me, we'll go over everything for this course. As we covered already, every male and female will be partnered up. She will carry a 'child' with a mix of her and his genes. After nine weeks she'll give birth, and for eight weeks after that you'll be parents. Your child will grow exponentially during that period – every two weeks will cause it to age one year. After those two months it will be three years old. When the assignment ends, your child will disappear."

A hand rose. "Yes Mr. Finnegan? And please, no more crude remarks, no matter how much you want to make your classmates laugh."

"I'm sorry for that, professor." Seamus grinned. "But how realistic will this thing be? If I'm carryin' 'round some freaky robot baby, that's gonna kill my game with the lasses."

"What game, Finnegan? Maybe a baby could help you. You have no luck with chicks your age; maybe you take a go at single mothers." I called out, leaning back in my chair. The class laughed and Seamus glared back at me.

"That's enough from you Mr. Malfoy!" McGonagall shot a look at me as Blaise smacked my hand for a loud, victorious high five.

"To address your question Mr. Finnegan, your 'child' will be very realistic. The spells to be used will create a very life like product for this project; maximizing effects of the task you're assigned." McGongall explained.

Pansy spoke without bothering to raise her hand. "We can choose our partners, correct?"

McGonagall was standing right behind her, so she placed a hand on Pansy's desk and pointed a finger at the syllabus. "Would you do us a favor and read this line, Miss Parkinson?"

Pansy snapped her gum loudly and read. "For this course, the partners are assigned. Whether they have been choose randomly or by the professor's request is confidential information. Pairings may contain two students from different houses. Each group is expected to perform the duties as parents and partners without hesitation. Special issues regarding two students not cooperating will be addressed. If you simply do not enjoy your partner, you will receive no assistance. Learn and live."

"Thank you Miss Parkinson. I expect you all to read the requirements for this class before our next meeting." McGonagall walked to the front of the room.

"Now, time for partners."