A/N:- Please forgive me friends for such a late update. I was not well..but anyways here is the chapter and I hope you enjoy.
4. Friendships
Draco could not help himself from feeling anger and hatred towards the girl sleeping in his room. He had been trying to help her all these days but thinking that she was just on her 'Time of Month'. And Granger has not denied it once by telling him the truth. He remembered how her eyes went wide on the word 'Cramps'. If only she had tried to get help earlier, she would not have been anaemic right now and maybe abortion would have been an option. Now she had to give birth to a rapist's child and that too dead.
But his other rational part felt pity for her. She did not deserve this. So much emotional and physical pain. There was no one who could even comfort her right now- Not her parents, not potter and Wesley. Most of all how was she supposed to open up to him suddenly after all those years of torments he had inflicted upon her calling her mud...No, that was it. He was going to be there for her now. He will be the one to comfort her. Maybe that could pay a bit for his sins. He will look after her, no matter how much difficult it could be.
With the new found determination he entered his room and saw Hermione curled in a foetal position. There was distress on her face even in the sleep. He could not help but stare at her stomach. It was too much for him to take in. The person he had hated for eleven years but yet grew up with from child to a teen was pregnant right now. But Merlin knew he had never wanted her to be in such a condition.
He looked away from her stomach and sat down on the bed beside her head. Before he knew what he was doing, he was smoothing her hair with his hands. She snuggled closer to him moaning a little and that reminded Draco about the potions. The other potions he could get easily but Where the hell was he going to get prenatal potions for her.
"Malfoy!" He was brought out of his thoughts when Hermione tried to sit up with a little difficulty. He immediately got up and placing a pillow against the head board helped her to lean against it. He saw as she relaxed and let out a breadth of exhaustion.
"Are you feeling okay?" Asked Draco as she looked up at him. She nooded.
"What time is it?" She asked weakly.
"Its already eight at night". Draco replied eyeing her carefully."Maybe I should get something for you to eat." He said again and made to leave.
Before he could leave, Hermione held his hand-"I am sorry". Draco turned back and saw a sincerity on her face.
"What for?" He asked confused.
"For lying to you. I know Blaise told you everything." She said not meeting his eyes.
"Its no use Granger. We are not friends and so I understand that you did not share your problem with me. I don't expect you to." He replied a little harshly than he has meant to.
He saw as suddenly Hermione began to get up from the bed wobbling on her legs.
"What are you doing? You have to rest." He said supporting her immediately and sat her on bed.
"Its no use Malfoy. We are not friends and so I understand if you don't help me. I don't expect you to and so let me go to my room." She replied with equal harshness copying Draco's words.
On realizing what she had meant Draco sighed " I am sorry Granger. I did not mean it that way. Its just if you had told me about the actual problem then maybe you would have the option of ab..." He trailed of on realizing what he was just about to do. Great! You dolt. She does not even know she is pregnant. And you were going to tell her about the abortion. He mentally slapped himself.
"I already told You i am sorry for lying. What were you saying?" Hermione interrupted his thoughts.
"Umm nothing.. its okay." Draco replied quickly and made to leave again but realized Hermione was still holding his hand.
"Sit down Malfoy, please." Hermione said weakly. And the weakness made Draco to comply. He sat down beside her.
"I am extremely sorry for lying to you when you were always there for me in the past days. I was so lost in my problems that I did not even got to say a proper thank you". Draco saw that the words pained her more than she was letting on. But he continued to listen "You have changed Draco. What you did in the past days, even friends do it rarely. Now I don't have any rights for asking anything more but you know I am selfish right now." Hermione laughed at this and it made Draco shudder. The laugh sounded like that of a hollow person on the verge of breaking. Most of all she had just used his first name. So, he decided that it was time to interrupt her.
" you know Granger. I just thought that maybe after this we could be friends. And even if I don't have much experience, I do know that friends don't hesitate before asking for favor. So just get on with it already." Draco said smirking a bit.
"Then on the name of our friendship. You won't tell a soul about anything that happened today. Do you promise me Draco?" Hermione asked meeting his eyes for the first time.
"Everyone knows you are stubborn, Granger. And that leaves me with no choice so, I do promise you that i won't tell a soul about anything that happened today." Draco replied with a sigh. He was not ready for what came next.
Hermione took his hand she was holding and placed a light kiss on it and with a thanks in her weak voice and then leaned back against the pillow. In that moment Draco Malfoy knew that Hermione Granger was not only the brightest but also the purest witch to grace Hogwarts. And whoever did this to her was going to pay dearly. He just needed to wait until Granger's delivery.
'Delivery' the word reminded him that in fact he was hiding something from her right now- not just something but her pregnancy and he needed to tell her the truth before it created a rift between their new found friendship. He also knew that he needed to do it slowly so that it did not put a shock on her.
"Granger! I will get something for you to eat." He said slowly and went out of the room without waiting for a reply. This time Draco did not cook but instead called for his house elf to prepare something because he had a strong feeling that he was going to need Tiny much more now. After five minutes Draco went back to his room with some soup and Bacon.
"Granger!" He called upon finding an empty bed. He checked the bathroom and saw her sitting on the floor with a calander in hand. He froze and just prayed to Merlin that she was not doing what he thought she was. But her face told him that it was already too late.
"I am late." She replied staring at the floor.
He knew what she meant by it but he could not just react to it." What do you mean?" He asked stuttering a bit.
"My periods were due two days ago. I am late." And Draco was shocked as she let out a wail of pure agony as if thousands of cruciatus was being inflicted upon her.
"It may be just stress." Draco lied to calm her down even though he knew it was not.
"Its not. I can feel it inside me." She replied. He saw as she clutched at her midsection as if trying to rip something out."Get this thing out of me." She said suddenly in a low voice. Draco just stood there frozen.
"MALFOY! GET IT OUT OF ME. RIGHT NOW." She screamed in a very high pitch voice.
And Draco was forced to move."Look at me Granger" he said kneeling down beside her and when she did not comply. He took her face in his hands.
"Its not the child's fault that it was conceived through sexual assault. Its innocent just like you are. And its as much victim as you are. Please don't get so absorbed in your sorrow that you hurt someone innocent." He said without blinking and looking straight in her eye.
"Easy for you to say Draco, but this child is going to remind me of that monster. I am still in Hogwarts. People are going to talk rubbish once they find out. This child does not even have a future because I won't have one. Pregnancy is difficult enough with a partner. How am I going to do it alone? Malfoy!" She continued to wail and mumble at the same time, only leaning against his chest now.
"You know Granger! Even today students talk behind my back calling me a death eater and what not. What should I do? Cry everyday. You are stronger than that. So don't give a shit about what they say. You have called me a friend and this friend is not going to leave you alone. I will be there with you through every walk of this pregnancy. I promise." He said with full sincerity in his voice.
"Do you know that you just promised?" Hermione asked surprised but meeting his eyes.
"I am aware." He replied touching her cheek lightly and removing the tear drops."Now come on let's get you out of this bathroom." He chuckled and picked her of the floor.
"I can walk, you know". She protested as he laid her down on bed.
"I know but the dinner is getting cold and we are hungry." He said pouting a little.
"We? But I am not hungry." She asked confused.
"From 'we' I meant me and this little guy." He replied putting a hand on her lower abdomen. He knew that the action was an intimate one. But he had to show her hope right now, to keep her stress free.
He took the plate from the bedside table and brought a spoonfull of soup to her mouth"Here! Eat up". When she did not open her mouth he pleaded "Please Granger!" Making a puppy face. To this she even smiled slightly.
"Draco! I am full." She protested after few minutes as he brought another spoonful of bacon to her mouth.
"But you did not finish half your food." Draco frowned.
"It's either this or I am going to throw up whatever I ate. Your choice!" She huffed.
"Okay fine! I forgot how stubborn you are for a moment." He teased placing the plate on the table.
"Thank you Malfoy. For everything. I still can't believe it's you doing all this." She replied followed by a yawn.
"Well, someone needs to sleep more and talk less." He said helping her to lay down completely and putting a pillow under her head. He tucked her under blanket and made to leave.
"Malfoy! Will you sleep beside me?" She asked half asleep.
"Off course Granger." He replied and taking the almost half empty plate went to kitchen.
Draco could not help but feel guilty. He had just given her false hope about the child but what was he supposed to do. For a moment there he thought that Granger was out of her mind from the way she was reacting. Atleast she was calm right now. Tomorrow he will have to talk to Blaise about some other options for her and get her the potions. He sighed.
About fifteen minutes he was back in the room after finishing his dinner.
"You took long." He was surprised to hear her voice.
"Why haven't you slept yet?" He asked getting under the blanket beside her.
"I could not." She replied snuggling closer to his chest.
"Why?" he asked placing a hand protectively around her waist as if it was the most common thing to do.
"I don't know. I was feeling lonely. Good night Draco!" She mumbled.
"Good night Granger!" He replied feeling her soft breadth on his chest. You are changing me completely and you don't even realize it He thought closing his eyes.
