A/N: Thank you for your kind reviews. :) I apologize if you think it's a bit slow but I don't want to rush it and make it seem unlikely to happen. Thanks once again! And please continue to review!
"I understand Miss Granger that this is difficult for you but we have a shortage of time if you choose to abort the child," Dumbledore continued, looking at an extremely perplexed Hermione. "If that isn the case, I want you to go to St. Mungo's Hospital as soon as possible before word of this gets out so no one knows anything and your reputation is salvaged with ease. Poppy has made me aware that you are a little short of two months. Keeping that in mind, the next few weeks are crucial. You have some time before you start showing and you have some time to decide whether you want an abortion or not." When Hermione made no move to say anything, Dumbledore sighed and said his next words in a softer tone. "I want you to understand something though Miss Granger. Once the baby is aborted, we'll have no way of finding out anything."
Hearing this, Hermione knitted her eyebrows together in confusion. "You mean…finding out…who's baby this is?"
Dumbledore nodded slowly in a grave manner, adding quietly, "Or how this all happened."
Hermione shook her head and let out a small bark of astonished laughter. "You mean to say that I have to keep this…this illegitimate…child….inside of me and actually give birth to it and raise it if I want to find out who the father is and how he impregnated me?" When Dumbledore made no motion to answer, she laughed in an almost mad manner, causing Dumbledore to take a step back.
As he watched Hermione's squeaky laughs turn into loud sobs, he turned around to look for Madame Pomfrey. "Poppy…." Seeing she had conveniently left the infirmary, Dumbledore sighed and took the same step forward and moved directly in front of Hermione in an attempt to stop her crying. In his usual calm demeanor, he placed his hand on Hermione's hand and gave a small but warm smile. "Hermione."
Her tears stopping abruptly at hearing Professor Dumbledore say her first name, Hermione looked up into his clear blue eyes, which were just as warm as his smile. "I will do everything in my power to make this all as simple as possible for you but for me to do that, you need to tell me what you want to do. These decisions obviously cannot be made rashly and so…I am going to give you a week's time. Should you choose to keep the child, we will figure out what the next step is. And should you not, then…well." Dumbledore pursed his lips in a tight smile. "A week Miss Granger. I hope that will be enough."
*
As Blaise and Draco stepped out of their class, Draco saw Potter, Weasley, and Weasley's sister gathered in a corner, whispering to one another. Potter and Weasley looked upset as the girl continued to whisper to them, and seeing them reacting in such a way, Draco stopped walking.
He felt his chest constricting, squeezing his heart tightly, as if his body knew that something bad had happened.
They could only be talking about Granger and why she wasn't in class. Something must have happened to her, Draco thought, feeling uneasy. Whatever happened to her, it must have been serious. If she was just a little ill, Weasley's sister wouldn't have come out all the way over here to find Potter and Weasley. Or maybe she was just passing on a message from Granger? Yes…yes. She was probably doing something important…one of her Head Girl duties maybe…and she wanted the two guys to know where she was. Or…ugh.
So much for not thinking about Granger, Draco thought in a hopeless manner, as he tried to step closer to the three.
Blaise looked at him with a confused shrug but Draco made no gesture to explain and instead walked at a snail like pace, hoping to catch a word of the conversation, without giving his presence away.
"It's nothing serious though?" Harry was asking, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.
"I'm not sure. She was going to her suite so I don't think she has any plans of going to her classes," the girl responded. "But the weird part is, Professor Dumbledore stepped out of the infirmary a few moments after…" She stopped talking, when she saw Draco looking at her.
Turning around to see why Ginny had stopped talking, Ron glared at Draco. "Don't you know how to mind your own bloody business?"
Draco clenched his jaw and sneered at Ron. "Get off your fucking high horse Weasley. I have no interest whatsoever in your pathetic little lives." Without a second look at the trio, Draco walked quicker, with Blaise at his side.
When they were out of earshot, Blaise looked at Draco and saw that Draco had a blank expression on his face. Clearing his throat, he said, "Um…hey…I don't want to get you mad or anything but it did seem like you were listening in on them."
Draco stopped for a second, but realizing he would only arouse Blaise's suspicions more, he continued to walk at a more leisurely pace and smiled half heartedly. "Fine, fine, I was listening in. But it was only because I heard the know-it-all's name and infirmary in the same sentence. I wanted to hear how bad it was and how long we could expect her to stay away. You know, so we don't have to listen to her obnoxious voice in class all day," he added with a smirk.
Looking at Blaise out of the corner of the eye, Draco hoped his feeble excuse had worked. When Blaise said nothing, he breathed an inward sigh of relief.
In his relief however, he missed Blaise's dubious look.