Chapter 8
Hermione was in trouble.
Seated on the front steps of Draco's building, rain steadily falling, she replayed the argument with her mother over and over in her mind. One word stood out - Out. Helen had repeated it as she berated her only child for the mistake she had made. Pregnant and alone, Hermione left and went to the one place she hoped she would be welcome.
"Granger? Hermione Granger?" She looked up, spotting the man she assumed to be Adrian Pucey. He smiled briefly before holding his umbrella over her. "Why on Earth are you sitting out here? You're positively soaked."
He helped her up and led her inside. When they reached his second floor apartment, he cast drying and warming charms on the shivering witch. "Is Draco here?' she wondered. "I rang the bell, but no one answered."
Adrian shook his head; his perfectly gelled blond hair not moving. "He's having dinner with his mother," he explained. "If I know Draco, he'll do whatever he can to cut the evening short. Should I call him, let him know you're here?"
"No, I don't want to interrupt his dinner," she replied. "I'll, um, I'll just go. Sorry for intruding."
He caught her arm as she walked past. "You're not intruding," he assured her, leading her back to the sofa to sit down. "Is something wrong? I realize I haven't seen you since you were twelve, but I remember you being...stronger."
Hermione laughed mirthlessly. Everything was wrong. She was pregnant and homeless. "I think it's something I need to talk to Draco about first," she said.
Nodding, Adrian rose and walked to the kitchen. "I'm making dinner. Pasta, if that's okay. It's the only thing I know how to make," he told her. From where she sat, he could see her from the kitchen counters. "Don't look so surprised. Purebloods know a thing or two about cooking."
Smiling, she stood and joined him. "Yes, apparently only a thing," she joked. "May I help? I could use the distraction."
Nodding, he put her to work setting the table and making a salad. Draco returned home just as Adrian set the pasta and sauce on the table. "What's going on here?" he wondered, looking between his friends.
"I like feeding the beautiful women I find on our doorstep," Adrian quipped. "This one's too skinny."
Draco eyed her as she moved away from the table. "Could we talk?" she requested. "In private."
Nodding, he led her to his bedroom and shut the door. Hermione stood by the dresser, keeping her back to him. Several long minutes passed before Draco could no longer stand the silence. "Will you please tell me what's wrong?" he asked. "This is killing me."
She took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant," she said. "And as if my mother didn't hate me enough, when she found the pregnancy test that I was too stupid to get rid of, she kicked me out. She said that if I wanted to act like your whore, I'll have to do it elsewhere."
He moved behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "We're really having a baby?" he asked.
Hermione turned, angry that he had the audacity to look happy. "That's it? That's all you're going to say?" she demanded. "I have no place to go, no family, no job, no education. I can't raise a baby, Draco."
Taking her hand, he led her to the bed and sat down. "And what about me?" he wondered. "Do I not get a say in this? I'm the reason you're in this situation to begin with. Last I checked, I've got a place. I want you to live here. The Malfoys have money, so a job doesn't have to be your biggest concern. You want a family? You've got one. You, me, the baby - this is a family."
Hermione wiped her eyes and leaned against him. "I don't want to marry you," she told him. "It's just...we've only been friends for a few months. Having a baby isn't a reason to get married."
"Good, I wasn't proposing," he quipped, wiping away a tear that slipped down her cheek. "What I am offering is a place to live, a comfortable bed, someone who enjoys holding you at night despite the bruises you cause."
"What about Adrian?" she asked, considering his offer.
Draco shrugged. "What about him? He's already completely taken with you," he replied. "Just try to avoid walking around in the buff, and you'll be fine."
She snorted as she looked up at him. "And how often do I do that?" she inquired. "Besides, shouldn't you check with him first? Make sure he's alright with a third, and soon fourth, person living here?"
Getting up, he left the room with Hermione on his heels. "How would you feel about Hermione living here?" he asked his friend, who had started eating dinner without her.
Adrian glanced from Draco to Hermione. "Do you cook? Remove your hair from the shower drain? Not leave your...delicates all over the place? If you can answer yes to all three, them I'm good with it," he replied. "Is something going on? Am I being replaced because she's prettier?"
As seriously as he could, Draco said yes. Shaking her head, Hermione sat down beside him and helped herself to dinner. "You really don't mind me living here?" she asked.
As good natured as Adrian Pucey was, he also had a sensitive side. He placed his hand over hers. "Judging by the way I found you, I'd say you've got your reasons for needing to be here," he said. "Besides, with you here, maybe Malfoy will stop trying to have heart-to-hearts with me."
Hermione laughed, missing the sound she hadn't heard in a day. "Clean the bathroom and I'll handle all the deeper conversations with him," she offered.
"Can I still have him for Quidditch games?"
"Dear God, yes."
Draco, who watched their exchange, interjected. "Are the two of you drawing up a contract over me?" he inquired. The pair shrugged and continued eating. Deciding to let it go, Draco joined Hermione on her chair. "I take it you didn't go to the Weasleys for dinner?"
Looking his way sheepishly, she shook her head. "I forgot," she admitted.
Rolling his eyes, he insisted she call Harry. When Hermione left the room, Adrian asked the question most prominently on his mind - what was going on? Sighing, Draco looked to his friend, the man who had been a brother to him since childhood. "Her mother kicked her out because she's pregnant," he said. "Does that change anything for you? Would you be more comfortable if we found another place to live?"
Adrian shook his head. "It changes nothing," he decided.
