Commitment

The first day of school was odd. There were students everywhere, noise and chatter filling the hallways, so much louder than she had been used to in the quiet of the summer. It didn't take long to find Harry and Ron, who had been yelling out her name and jumping all around trying to find her. They were full of questions of how she spent her time, but, reluctant to share every detail, she told them she had spent a majority of her time in the library, to which they rolled their eyes and continued to tell her how boring their own summers were.

Classes were slow, even for her, and she found herself daydreaming quite frequently of Snape. Potions was the last class of the day, and it seemed like it was never going to come. There was an hour break between classes, and she found a spot on the grass outside to read. Ron couldn't stop talking about something Quidditch related, but she tuned him out.

"What have we here?" asked a familiar voice.

She looked up to see a gang of Slytherins poking at her book.

"Bug off, Draco," Harry hissed, but Draco just stuck his tongue out.

"Very mature," she said.

"Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions?" Draco said, "Sounds interesting. Maybe my girlfriend will like it."

Before she could pull the book out of his reach, Draco snatched it and ran from her in the direction of the field. Harry stood up, but she told him it was her battle, and she ran at top speed to catch up with Malfoy and his gang. They laughed at her, slowing their pace to taunt her. She found that she couldn't run as fast or as long as she used to, and she didn't make it far before she had to stop. She grabbed her ribs and threw up in the grass; she could hear Draco laughing.

She was confused. Her stomach churned madly and the courtyard began to spin. A thought occurred to her just as she hit the ground that made her shiver.

Harry and Ron were by her side in minutes and tried to drag her to the hospital wing, but she didn't want to go. She had them walk her to her room instead.

She skipped class, searching her trunk for the one thing she never thought she'd need. Setting it out on the counter, she waited the three minutes it took to turn pink.

--

Harry and Ron were waiting for her in the common room, worried.

"I'm okay, really, guys."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked. "Maybe you should lie down."

"No, I'm fine," she reassured him. "I just need to tell Snape why I missed class. I don't want to have points taken off for no reason."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Hermione," Ron sighed. "You can tell him tomorrow."

"Really, I'm fine. You can walk me there if you're worried."

They looked at each other skeptically, but agreed; and so they walked down to the dungeon, Harry on her right side and Ron to her left, both ready to grab her arms if she fell. When they reached Snape's office, she told them to go back to the common room, but they refused, telling her they'd wait outside the door till she was done. She nodded. It wasn't worth the fight.

She entered without knocking and found Snape sitting at his desk marking parchments.

"And where did you disappear to tonight, Miss Granger?"

"I'm pregnant."

"Excuse me?" he asked, shocked.

"I'm pregnant."

He swallowed loudly, multiple times as if his saliva would not sink down his throat.

"Mine?"

"Of course," she said.

"Hermione," he spoke softly as he rose from his seat and pulled her close. "You won't have to deal with this alone."

She rubbed her face in his robes.

"What are we going to do?" she asked, trying not to let the fear overwhelm her.

"Marry me."

"What?"

"Quietly. We don't have to announce anything until you pass your NEWTs."

She nodded, digging further into his embrace.