Chapter Seven

"You did what?" Ginny shrieked, standing up so fast that the chair she was sitting in fell to the floor with a resounding crash.

Hermione blushed faintly and tried not to meet her best friend's gaze. "Please Ginny, I feel bad enough as it is."

"Oh, Hermione why?" Ginny said. "I mean, of all the people in the world to sleep with…but you shouldn't feel bad. You're at liberty to do whatever you want with whomever you want."

Ginny slowly sat back down. "I cannot believe you had sex with Draco Malfoy." There was a long pause and then, "Was he any good?"

"Ginny!" Hermione laughed. "I cannot believe you just asked me that! Harry boring you already?"

Ginny smiled. "No, of course not. I love Harry. I was just wondering."

"Well…" Hermione said slowly. "Yes, he was very good."

Ginny gave an odd sort of giggle and scooted her chair closer. "How did it happen?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Gin, you'd think we were sixteen-years-old again."

Ginny laughed loudly at this. "I feel like a kid again. Come on, please Hermione! Tell me everything!"

Hermione looked at her best friend with a bemused expression before sighing and moving her chair closer to tell Ginny every amazing detail she could remember.

--------

Draco considered not even getting up and going to work the next day. He, for some reason, felt ashamed of what happened between him and Hermione the other night. He knew that she had consented to what had happened and that she even wanted it. He had no reason to feel guilty.

Still, there was something bothering Draco. Something that kept telling him that he made a mistake. He laid back down in his bed, covering his face with his hands, his mind deep in thought. He couldn't go into the office and face her today. He was afraid that Hermione would be angry with him. Even worse than that, he was afraid that his feelings for Hermione would resurface at just the sight of her.

---------

Hermione walked into the office that morning in a surprisingly pleasant mood. She was all set to say good morning to Draco as she strolled past his desk as she did every morning. But when she turned the corner, she saw that the desk was empty.

"Catherine," Hermione said, grabbing the young girl by the arm. "Where's Draco today? Did he say anything to you?"

Catherine shrugged, looking slightly alarmed by the expression on her boss's face. "Um, I think Kingsley said he got a message from Draco this morning saying that he wasn't feeling well. I don't think he's coming in today."

"Oh," Hermione said, her face falling. "Alright, well, thank you Catherine."

"Sure," She said and walked away.

Hermione walked numbly into her office. Why wasn't he here today? Was he trying to avoid her or did he coincidentally fall sick last night? Thousands of questions were racing through Hermione's mind. When did she become like this? She never used to obsess over the little things like this. Hermione was always one to be in control and she didn't like these new feelings at all.

--------

Draco didn't go into work the next day or the day after either. With each passing day, he felt more and more like the coward he knew he wasn't. He couldn't explain these new feelings and why they were making him act so crazy. Finally, nearly five days after their night together, Draco went into work.

Draco walked into the office to find Hermione already there, busy at work and her desk buried under folders and folders of paperwork. Draco immediately felt a fresh surge of guilt; he hadn't even thought about the fact that Hermione know had to do most of the paperwork by herself.

Draco walked up to Hermione's office door and knocked on the door quietly. Hermione looked up and her eyes instantly narrowed at the sight of him.

"Um, hi," Draco said unsurely. He was mentally preparing himself for the blow; he felt sure that Hermione was at least going to yell at him. He deserved it.

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy," She said coolly, raising an eyebrow. "I was beginning to think I was going to have to find a replacement for your position. Well I have plenty of work to get done, so please, let's get started."

Draco turned around and left the office without saying anything. Mr. Malfoy? Since when was he Mr. Malfoy? She was obviously angry with him and really, he couldn't blame her. Draco hung his head in shame; he deserved everything she did to him.

---------

"And just how long were you planning on giving Malfoy the silent treatment?" Ginny asked, placing a strong cup of tea in front of Hermione.

Hermione took the cup but didn't drink it. "I don't know. I feel lousy."

"You don't look so great either," Ginny said.

"Thanks, Gin," Hermione said, staring down into contents of her cup.

"Oh, you know what I meant," Ginny said, sitting down next to Hermione at the table. "You look pale and just…sick. It's been over a month, Hermione. You obviously like him."

Hermione nodded her head. She did like him; every time she looked at him she felt a strong attraction for him and then some. Hermione watched as Ginny pulled her youngest son, Albus, onto her lap and started feeding him his bottle.

"Talk to him, Hermione," Ginny said. "This isn't good for you. So he didn't talk to you after you slept together. He probably just got a little scared. Maybe scared of what he felt for you. A month is too long to avoid talking to somebody you had sex with."

Hermione looked up at her best friend. "Since when did you become the sex expert?"

Ginny laughed. "Since I got married and had two kids." Hermione chuckled softly at Ginny's words. Ginny grinned. "No, I'm really not. I just know when somebody's feeling depressed over something they wish they had said or done."

"Okay, I'll talk to him," Hermione said, finally taking a sip of her tea. "After all, nothing bad can come from talking."

"Exactly, that's the attitude I like to hear!" Ginny chirped, shifting Albus in her lap slightly. "Now, you really should go home and get some sleep…you're looking awfully pale."

---------

Draco was nervously pacing the floor of Hermione's office. He was going to talk to her; a month of the silent treatment was more than enough for him. The silence between them was killing him. He really liked her and he so desperately wanted to prove it to her. Draco heard movement and looked up to see Hermione enter her office.

"Oh," She said, looking surprised to see him there. "Hi. What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you," Draco said, taking her by the hand and sitting her down in the chair on the opposite side of her desk.

"Okay," Hermione said slowly. "Actually, I need to talk to you as well."

"Fine, but just let me say this first," Draco said. He wanted to get it all out quickly. "I'm sorry Hermione. For everything that happened over the past month or so. For not talking to you, for avoiding you at first, and then treating you like you meant nothing to me. When you do mean something to me."

"Oh, Draco," Hermione said. "That's very kind of you. But really, I need to tell you something."

"Okay," Draco said. He still had more to say to her, but obviously she wanted to get something off of her chest.

"Perhaps you should sit down," Hermione suggested. She stood up from her seat and pushed Draco down into it.

"Hermione, what's going on?" He asked.

"Draco…" She said, sounding unsure of herself. "I'm pregnant."