Yea!!! Chapter 7 everyone!! Once again read and review because I'll love ya forever if you do!! I think the title of this chapter is pretty self-explanatory, don't you?
Chapter 7: Bun in the Oven
Something is wrong with me. I couldn't stop eating to save my life; not that doing so would get me out of this Hell hole. Every time I see the slightest bit of food, be it a stick of celery or a freaking Cordon Bleu, I lose it and go on a snacking spree. Two days ago, when I was supposed to be reporting to the kitchen to share my spy report, Narcissa found me on the floor in the pantry, scarfing down a leftover chunk of chocolate cake. Then I spent the entire meeting throwing up into a bucket, sometimes nearly missing and completely changing the design of Draco's shoes. The worst part of it is that I did the math in my head. As of today, October 25th, my period is two weeks late. It's incriminating evidence that I keep trying to deny, telling myself that it's the atmosphere and the stress of the situation is doing this to my body. I'm no doctor, but when you're stressed out, all that happens is your hair falls out; the entire chemistry of your reproductive organs doesn't just stop.
There is no other logical explanation; I'm pregnant with Lord Voldemort's (the most evil self-centered man alive) illegitimate child. This sucks; I'm so much more bitchy than usual. This afternoon, during our allotted time outside the manor, I stole a loaf of bread from the nicer kitchen that the Death Eaters use. Svetlana was so skinny. Her ribs were showing and she desperately needed something to eat. She tried to reason with me to share the bread, begging for just one bite of the crisp Ciabatta bread. When Svetlana tried to wrestle the bread from me, I grabbed her by the hair, threw her into the nearby pond and began to scream hysterically. I yelled things like "MY BREAD!!! MY DAMN BREAD!!" and "OH STOP WHINING!! I HAVE TO EAT FOR TWO!!" God, what the Hell is happening to me?! Can a stupid baby really completely alter my personality? I needed to apologize to her, to comfort her as she cried in the freezing water. But I didn't; I merely sobbed myself and dropped the bread, the awful token that may have destroyed Svetlana's trust in me.
Immediately, the other two girls took sides. Annalisa charged into the pond to comfort Svetlana, screaming French obscenities at me the entire time. Brilette, however, rushes over to me, clamps my face between her two hands, and whispers words of comfort to me. I still cry hysterically, my tears staining her clothes; I have never lost control like this, ever. Eventually, I calm down enough to realize that Svetlana has been pulled out of the pond and is shaking from the bitter cold; it's late October and everything is already beginning to freeze. After shedding her jacket to warm her friend, Annalisa storms over to us and slaps me clear across my cheek. This isn't a little kid, 5-year-old slap; oh no, she hard core pimp-slapped me and the entire left side of my face is beginning to redden.
"You bitch! How dare you!? Have you seen her lately? Her bones are showing and everything, but no!!! It's every man for himself now, huh?! God, you are supposed be our leader!! What the Hell made you think that this is necessary?!?!"
Her face is almost as red as mine as she continues to scream at me. Svetlana stares sadly at my face and she nods and smiles weakly when I make eye contact. She forgives me; she must understand why I'm acting like this. Annalisa raises her hand to slap me again, but I'm ready; if she hurts me, she'll hurt my baby and I'll never allow anyone to harm such a beautiful gift from God, especially snotty, whorish Frenchie. Bri comes in just in time to save Annalisa's ass. She grabs her wrist and turns her to face her. That's what I love about Brilette; she's no damsel in distress. When it's necessary, she can put any smart-mouthing bitch in her place.
"Anna, I know you care for 'Lana; she is your friend and you will protect her when she can't fight for herself. However, that is precisely why I'm standing up to you right now. If you try to harm 'Mione in any way, I will cause you severe pain, and never forgive you for your choice. Clear?"
Annalisa rears her head back and spits in Bri's face; she doesn't even blink as the saliva splats in her eye.
"I am so sick of you stupid, arrogant fuc-"
I punch before she can finish her sentence. I see a tooth dislodged and it falls to the ground. Then I'm on top of her and we are rolling around the courtyard; punching, slapping, screaming obscenities, and pulling each other's hair. I somehow manage to crawl to my feet, dragging her by the hair towards the patio. She kick and screams at me the entire time, begging me to release her. Several hairs can be heard parting from her scalp; I ignore her attempts to claw my fingers loose and grab her by the arms. We are under the porch when I slam her up against the manor; Svetlana and Brilette are running from the yard to us. Annalisa's French side is kicking in; she's muttering incoherently about surrender. I am so tired of her petty crap and since I'm already in a shitty mood, now's the best time to end it.
"Are you done?!?" I ask in the nastiest voice I can muster. She stops mumbling and looks into my eyes, whimpering in fear.
"I am so tired of your superior attitude, especially right now. Because you are so blissfully unaware of the people around you who actually give a shit about your well-being, I am going to assume that you have figured out that I'm pregnant. Something to consider; if you're tired of life and want to end yours, piss me off again and I will make that happen in a New York second. For the next eight months you had better stay the Hell away from me, because I will be on the verge of a severe mood swing everyday and won't hesitate to let it all out on you if you happen to be nearby. Don't ever lay your damn hands on me again, because I will interpret that as an attempt to hurt my child and rip your goddamn hands off. Oh, did I mention I don't like you at all? Or that you're a spoiled rotten bitch who's no better than the man you willingly sleep with?!"
"N-n-n-nooooooo!!" Annalisa sobs. She's crying again. I would kill her right now, but Svetlana and Brilette are frantically trying to pull me off of her, begging for me not to hurt Annalisa.
I glance back at Brilette; tears flow down her cheeks as she tries fruitlessly to pry my fingers from Anna's hair. My stomach practically does a back flip. God, what's wrong with me?! I would have killed her if they hadn't gotten here to stop me. I know if that if Bri and Svetlana had been any later, I could have very well lost control and seriously hurt her; that's what scares me. I let l go of the shaking, sobbing teenager's hair and step back until the back of my bare legs hit the glass table nearby. Annalisa collapses and Svetlana immediately drops down to her level to hug her. Brilette, however, comes to me as I stand there, jaw dropped to the floor and a trembling hand clutching the table for support.
"Hermione? You okay?" She whispers, taking me hand to try to comfort me. I whip it away and scream at her, causing her to jump back in shock.
"NO!! STAY AWAY FROM ME!! I'll hurt you too!!"
I weave around her through the open glass doors into the manor. I slip twice on the newly waxed kitchen floors twice, but keep going anyway. I won't hurt anyone else; I just need to find a quiet place and calm down, then I'll confront and apologize to the others. I charge up the main flight of stairs in record time, only to be met by the last person I wanted to run into at this point. I scream when I catch sight of Lucius Malfoy and cling to the banister to keep from slipping yet again and tumbling down the massive staircase. He smiles mockingly when he notices the fear and confusion etched into my face; he even goes as far as laughing and leaning that gaudy cane when I try to back away.
God, if I were his boss, I'd burn that damn pimp cane that he carries around all over the place!!
"Miss Granger, there is no need to fear me; I have just been sent to locate you and bring you to my Master's suite immediately, courtesy of the Dark Lord himself. So, please, relax and take my hand so I may apparate you to his quarters."
He sticks out a hand but I don't take it; what he just said sound suspicious and I don't trust him more than ever.
"Since when do you address me as 'Miss Granger', Lucius?"
He curls his lip at my use of his first name, but still manages to smile with false sincerity.
"Because my Master demanded utmost respect to his property and anyone who disobey will be severely punished. Now take my hand right now or I will show you what the punishment for disobedience is."
He means business. No sooner than I take the gloved hand, the world is spinning as I'm whisked away to the room from Hell. When we land, somehow I don't stumble like I usually do; I land gracefully on my feet and push Malfoy from me. Now he looks stupid. When pushed him, he was thrown completely off balance and collapsed across a nearby table. The mood swings must be kicking in, because as soon as I see him sprawled over the glass table top, spitting hair out of his face, I sink to the bed and am lost in a severe laughing fit. He leaps up and points his wand at me, pure rage dominates his face. Upon seeing how pink his face is, I snicker and giggle even more.
"What…… is…… so…….damn……funny?!?" He hisses, trying control his temper.
"You!!" I gasp before falling to the floor, I'm laughing so hard. "You look like such a complete….. DUMB ASS!!"
Malfoy rolls his eyes and puts the wand back in his robes, glaring at me as I gasp for breath on the ground.
"You're very lucky that I can't harm you in any way; I would have killed you for such disrespect, but that's the Dark Lord's choice. Maybe he'll do it soon. Oh well, I must go; I won't babysit you until he arrives."
"WAIT!!!" I squeal, sitting up from my little episode and looking serious.
"What!?!?" Malfoy growls as he turns back to me from getting ready to disapparate.
"While you're out, will you stop by the kitchen and get me some chocolate-covered pickles?!?"
The dumbfounded expression on his face is priceless. I put my hand over my mouth to contain my laughter, but it's not successful. For the second time today, I'm rolling on the ground, laughing like the freaking Joker and wheezing from the lack of breath. Instantly, I roll onto my stomach, put my hand under my chin and make a pouty face at him.
"Pwwwwweeeeaaaaseeee!!!!!"
"My God, woman!!! No!"
And he turns swiftly on his heel and is gone like that. I lift my other hand off the ground and wave at where he was standing.
"Bye-bye, my baby!!!" I giggle after I utter the phrase and that leads to another spell of laughter.
I finally stand with the support of the bed frame after another minute of snickering and scan the bed for the attire that Voldemort has picked out for me this evening. A white dress (no, more like a shirt) is laid smoothly on the silk covers. It has long sleeves that start out snug on my upper arms, but becomes looser as the fabric flows to my forearms. It barely covers my thighs. It's definitely slutty; but a tasteful kind of slutty. After more careful observation, I see a note embroided with a golden lining perched at the revealing neckline of the dress.
Hermione,
Tonight, I have decided that you will have dinner with my Death Eaters and I in Lucius's most elegant dining room. Be ready at seven 'o-clock, that's when I will arrive to escort you to dinner. You will sit by my side and feel free to talk openly with my servants.
Tom
I stop chuckling upon reading the last words; he hates his name, what the Hell?! Glancing up at the towering clock over the bed, I realize that I only have forty-five minutes to ready myself.
Okay, 'Mione, just relax; they don't need to know that you're pregnant just yet. I need to suck it up and not give them any reason to suspect anything.
I rush to the bathroom as I'm thinking this; I need to be fast or I might get punished and that may harm my baby. When I get there, the first thing I do is glance in the mirror, and regret it almost immediately. My hair has leaves matted into it and blood is smeared all over my face. It looks like I freakin' murdered someone; that God the other two pulled me off Annalisa before I strangled that bitch. I hurriedly scrub my face, leap into the tub, and have bathed and dried my hair with twenty-five minutes to spare. I've pulled my dress over my head and strapped on the dangerously high heels when the nausea hits. I barely make it the toilet before the bread that I nearly killed someone over is coming right back up from my stomach. That's how I spend the next fifteen minutes, puking and crying into a toilet. I regain my composure and stumble back to the mirror and sink to apply makeup and fix my hair. I know that I'm short on time, so I just fix my hair like it was on the first night was in this mansion. Once I think I'm presentable enough, I stumble back into the enormous bedroom. I stop a few times to correct my wobbly walk, which was a smart idea since Voldemort apparates into the bedroom as I finally fix my stumbling steps. He's wearing elegant silk dress robes that seem to float whenever he walks. He steps forward, smiling genuinely, takes my hand and kisses it gingerly.
Why am I so light-headed? I need to focus and I want a beer. No, 'Mione!! No beer!! It'll hurt the baby!!
Oh yeah…… what about an Appletini?
Stop being funny and focus on not puking on the already pissed Death Eaters; without a doubt they won't be happy to see you!
"You look very enchanting this evening, Hermione."
Say something nice so he won't suspect that something's wrong with you.
"Your hair looks sexy like that." I blurt suddenly.
He has NO HAIR you dumb ass!! Please, please, please, let him be too giddy and love struck to notice how stupid that sounded.
"And you look very sexy tonight as well."
Wheeeeew!! Thank God for that! Alright, dinner time. Let's get this over with.
He leans over to kiss my face, but I put my hand up and he gets that instead. He pulls back looking hurt and confused.
"Uuuuuumm…… I'm allergic to silk…… clothing. Silk clothing, it makes my……. throat swell…… up! Swell up!! That's the word!" That is the worst lie in the history of lies. But once again, Voldemort's too busy checking me out to notice.
"Okay, now that we've covered that boundary, let's get this dinner over with."
"Of course, My Dear!"
As we stride down the halls to the dining room, I try to take in every detail so I'll know my way around this giant mansion; but the nausea once again comes back to haunt me and I have to channel all my focus to keep from puking again. By the time I've controlled my urge to vomit, I'm being helped into my seat by a nervous Draco and Voldemort is kissing my hand as he sits down next to me. I spare I quick glance around the round table; nearly every Death Eater is glaring at me. I roll my eyes and put my head in my left hand. This will not be a pleasant meal.
"Miss Granger is an honorary guest tonight; she has been unbelievably cooperative and respectful, so I think she deserves a reward. Treat her as you would your family; I am not above punishment at the dinner table. Dinner is served."
Many exquisite dishes appeared on the table as he snapped his fingers, but I am determined not to touch anything; I will throw up if any food gets into my stomach. Conversations and laughter can be heard all around me, but I ignore all of them and just sit there, staring at the Maine Lobster steaming before me. No one speaks to me for a whole ten minutes. During that time, the nausea is building up again. I'm trying to calm down, when Bellatrix LeStrange finally addresses me.
"So, Granger, why so silent? Are you too good for us or do you think that joining the conversations around you would lower you to our level?"
Everyone is silent and watching me for my response, even Voldemort. He seems eager to see how I'll handle the situation. I roll my eyes and massage my temples, trying to relieve the headache and nausea.
"Oh my God, Bellatrix. For once in your goddamn life, shut the Hell up about shit you don't understand!!"
"What makes you think you address me as so, Mudblood?! I am your superior!!"
"Bellatrix….." Voldemort said warningly. She brushed him off.
"My Lord, I need to deal with this disrespectful tramp. I AM YOUR SUPERIOR! You will bow down and respect me!!"
"Why the Hell would I respect someone birds living in their damn beehive hair?"
"How dare you-"
"How dare I?! You don't deserve my respect!! You don't deserve to have people bow down before you!! Believe it or not, you are no better than the others in this room!! It's about time someone beat that into your thick skull!!"
Bile rushes into my mouth as I finish the sentence. I gag and cover my mouth, but Bellatrix continues to yell.
"Stupid, stupid Mudblood!! You will suffer for your words!!"
"Oh crap."
"Well! It's about time you realized how much trouble your mouth has gotten you into!!"
"Someone get me a bucket!!!" I gasp through my hand.
"Shut up and beg for forgiveness!" Bellatrix screeches as she stands and points her wand at my face.
Too late. Sorry lobster; you're about to find out what digestion smells like. My hand flies from my mouth as I vomit all over the dish in front of me. Several Death Eaters jump away from the table in disgust. Narcissa comes up behind me and helps me up and begins yelling at someone to call a medi-witch. Lucius makes to pull his wand out and jinx me, but Draco punches him in the nose, causing blood to flow down his chin. This is like an overdramatic episode of Friends; Rachel finds out that she's prego with Ross's baby and Joey and Chandler get into fight over said baby after Rachel successfully ruins dinner by puking on the main dish. My life should be a sitcom. Another Death Eater joins Narcissa and helps her carry me to a bedroom about four rooms over from the dining room. Narcissa lays me down gently on a navy blue bedspread and brushes my sweaty hair out of my face.
"Has a medi-witch been summoned? Is someone on the way?" She asks the man standing behind her frantically.
"Yes, madam. Juliana has been sent and I assure you that she is the finest there is." Snape reassures her.
Narcissa smiles and thanks him. He bows politely and closes the door as he leaves. Before I can speak, Narcissa cuts me off.
"Stop. Okay, I need you to tell me the truth, Hermione; I can't help you if you lie to me. Are you pregnant?"
"Yes." I answer almost immediately; to some extent, I think she knew all along but didn't want to say anything.
"What are your symptoms?"
" Increased appetite, severe mood swings, vomiting, and killer migraines."
Narcissa sighs, conjures a handkerchief, wipes the remaining vomit off my dress, and squeezes my hand one last time before she stands up and approaches the door. Someone knocks as she reaches it; a young woman with shoulder-length black that's twisted into a sophisticated braid steps in with a tray of medical supplies. She looks shaken, so I guess she walked by when Voldemort was punishing Bellatrix.
"Thank you, Juliana. The patient is on the bed; all she needs is a potion for headaches and nausea. Come to me when you're finished."
"Yes, Madam Malfoy."
Narcissa leaves as Juliana walks over to wear I lay and sets the tray down by my feet. She smiles encouragingly at me and I do my best to smile back. Juliana quickly begins to ready the headache potion, when Narcissa's angry voice erupts from the dining room, causing her to nearly spill all the contents of the remedy on the carpet.
"HOW DO YOU THINK SHE IS, LUCIUS?!?! THE GIRL IS SEVENTEEN, PREGNANT, AND TOO AFRAID TO TELL ANYBODY ABOUT IT!! NOT TO MENTION SHE CAN'T EAT ANYTHING WITHOUT THROWING IT BACK UP AGAIN!!! GOD!!! HOW STUPID CAN YOU GET?!?!"
Let the cat fights begin, because this is going to be a dramatic seven and a half months.
