Best Laid Plans Chapter 10: Bitter Sweet, a harry potter fanfic

Disclaimer: I don't own. Surly you've realized this by now…

Warning: While there are moments of comedy, and a little Dramoine moment, there is some darkness in this chapter as well.

Thanks to all those who reviewed the last chapter. You are: sherrithewriter, Isiss2868, Grande.Vanilla.Skim.Latte, WinnieThaPoo92, Dramoine90, pirateluver, Beneeta, Re-o-ko, ClumsyElf, mhaj78, Parcheezie, The Accountant's Daughter, CT1994, -jellyacey-, ixi-shaz, Panther Eyes, kazfeist, Bubbes and dracosmybadboy921.

A/N: Don't hate me…it needs to be done…you'll soon understand why.

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At first it'd been barely noticeable.

But when during their last Care of Magical Creatures lesson Hagrid became blonde, with orange eyes and a tie-dye beard, wearing a coat of many colors and bright pink sandals that screamed out "I'm So Hot!" every time he walked—well—Hermione couldn't ignore it anymore.

Everyone had blamed that on some prankster, but Hermione had felt the power exploding in her right before Hagrid's drastic make-over, and had the sneaking suspicion that maybe D was at fault…but he was still a baby within her womb…he couldn't do wandless magic, could he?

Her suspicion grew throughout the next couple of weeks as mysterious things started happening throughout Hogwarts.

Collin's head turned into a camera and every time he blinked there were bright flashes, and he coughed up pictures.

Mrs. Norris turned into a sexy cat woman, all fur and curves—although she still hadn't been able to speak. Her sex appeal in the teen boys' eyes died when she saw a mouse and pounced on it, tearing it apart and eating it in front of everyone.

Blaise Zabini underwent a sex-change, much to his horror when he walked out of Arithmancy completely different than he'd been when he'd entered. His short spiky dark hair became waist length curls, and he'd had a figure to kill for, with a rack that imbalanced him so much he was constantly bumping into things.

The fact that Hermione had been near all of the individuals now permanently in the Hospital Wing, too embarrassed to leave until they were fixed—was ignored by everyone…everyone but the brunette.

Were these things her baby's doing?

It was only that day before the test to see whether Draco or Harry was the father, that Hermione suddenly realized it was D who was somehow creating mischief before his birth.

She'd been minding her own business—enjoying some time alone in the library. Now that she was starting her seventh month she was so big that it was hard for her to get around by herself. She was so fat she resembled a whale, and couldn't see her feet anymore—which made putting on her shoes quite difficult.

Draco had been so wonderful throughout the whole experience. He was always there to help her, spoil her, and comfort her whenever she cried over how fat she'd become.

Right now she was reading something her mother had sent her via the long letter Mrs. Granger had sent Draco—who'd apparently been writing her mother and telling her about how Hermione was doing, and asking what he could do to help her.

In the seventh month, the fetus can hear his mother's heart beat. He knows Mommy's voice and is starting to hear voices outside mom's body. He can hear the voices of his family. The baby is also aware of changes in light. He can detect light and dark, especially extremes, such as bright sun light.

The baby's eyes are open and eye lashes are growing. If the baby is a boy, the testicles will descend this month. Your baby may suck his thumb. By the end of the month, the baby weighs between two and two and a half pounds. He is between thirteen and fifteen inches long. If the baby were to be born now, his chances of survival increase.

As the baby grows, it is getting crowded in the uterus. The baby won't be able to move as feely in the fluid. This results in lighter movements felt by the mother. The kicks may not be as strong as living conditions get cramped. Sometime after twenty eight weeks the baby will settle into a head down position. Most will stay in this position for the rest of the pregnancy.

At your monthly visit, the doctor will listen to the baby's heart rate and check the fundal height. This is important for detecting problems such as too much or not enough amniotic fluid. The nurse will check your weight and blood pressure. A urine sample will be taken to check protein and sugar levels.

You may have a glucose tolerance test at this visit. This checks how well your body is metabolizing sugars. It is useful for detecting gestational diabetes. You will be given a glucose solution to drink. Blood will be drawn to determine how well you are processing the sugar.

If you fail this test, you will be given a three hour test. This involves drinking the solution and having blood drawn over a three hour period. This gives a better indication of how the body is processing sugar over time. Don't panic if you have to go back for the three hour test. Most women who fail the one hour test pass this one.

You may begin to feel some of the discomforts of the third trimester. Some of the common discomforts include constipation, heart burn, headache, indigestion, nasal congestion, back ache and leg cramps. As your belly grows, your center of gravity shifts. This may make you feel clumsy. Your growing baby may also make sleeping more difficult.

Many women begin feeling Braxton Hicks contractions during this month. These are practice contractions. They are not very painful, but feel more like a tightening. These contractions don't cause the cervix to efface or dilate. Real contractions get stronger and closer together. The general rule of thumb is to call if you have more than four contractions in an hour.

Some women begin to notice colostrum in the breasts. This is the baby's first milk. Don't worry if you don't have colostrum leaking. This is not an indication that you will have trouble breastfeeding. Many women have no noticeable colostrum and go on to have a great experience breastfeeding

Hermione couldn't help but smile slightly. It was so like her mother to send her a page from some medical diary to help explain things. She'd been sending her similar pages after learning of her daughter's condition, yet it'd been growing in amount lately, and each touching points she'd cried against Draco's chest about. It was obvious that he was paying attention to her complaints and had written to her mother about them to see how to help her.

Her smile grew tender.

Draco…

She'd grown to care deeply for him. She knew it was wrong, considering who they were and on what sides of this impending war they were on, but she couldn't help it.

She was falling in love with Draco Malfoy.

"I can't let you do this anymore."

Hermione looked up at Annis Karakoff, a sixth year Slytherin girl with green eyes and sandy-blonde hair. "Um, what are you talking about?"

Unlike most of the other girls, Annis hadn't joined up for the family project, so her figure was like that of a super model's. "Listen to me and listen to me good, mudblood." Annis growled, narrowing her eyes dangerously at her. "These last months you've been acting above your position, and you've put the Imperius on Draco. I'm not going to let you continue doing this like all of Hogwarts."

"First of all, I'm not acting above my position. I am Head Girl, and mudblood or not, I'm still in the authority to take away fifty points from Slytherin for your disrespect. Which I'm doing. Right now." Hermione narrowed her eyes at the other girl. "And second of all—you definitely don't think a lot of Draco if you think I have him under the Imperius. Only those of weak characters can't fight against it, and if there's one thing everyone knows about Draco, it's that he is anything but weak."

Annis gasped. "You're in love with him!"

Hermione raised her chin defiantly, ignoring the looks they were receiving from those in the library. "I think I'll take fifty more points from Slytherin for insulting the Head Boy by calling him weak."

The blonde narrowed her eyes dangerously as she hissed. "I won't let you mudblood filth desecrate this institution and contaminate the few pureblood families still here. I'll finish the work our Dark Lord started!" And before anyone could detect what her intentions were, she pulled out her wand and saying a spell Hermione had never heard of before, she sent it flying at the pregnant girl.

The bright red light hit Hermione head on, throwing her back against the wall violently. A scream of pain erupted from within her as she fell down to her knees, grabbing her stomach, eyes closed tightly.

Suddenly there was a sensation within her and power exploded from her body, rushing towards Annis and throwing her back, incinerating her wand on contact.

The beautiful blonde screamed as large warts began to appear all over her face, and her nose began to grow long, with nose hairs curling out from each nostril. Her eyebrows went bushier than Hagrid's had ever been, her body burned in pain as she hunched forwards and her knees gave way on her as arthritis and osteoporosis infected her bones.

The two screaming girls had caught the attention of the whole school, and Harry and Ron appeared in the library. Both hurried towards Hermione but were thrown back as some invisible force kept them away.

Someone pushed past them violently, and Draco Malfoy, face pale in terror, hurried to Hermione's side and dropped onto his knees, pulling her withering, convulsing body onto his lap. The shield had let him in, and everyone watched as tears fell from his face as he pulled her close, burying his face in her, crying loudly.

"Hermione..." He sobbed as she cried out in continual pain. "Hermione, you have to pull through."

"The baby…" She opened her eyes, and wiped at them when she realized that she couldn't see well, cringing when her hands came away bloody. She was crying tears of blood. "…if you have to choose, save the baby."

"No." He shook his head desperately, tightening his hold on her. Neither realized that Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey and others were trying to get to them, but the magical barrier was keeping them out. "If I have to choose I'm choosing you, Mione." Draco's voice cracked. "We—we can have another child—but I need you to be alive to do that!"

She closed her eyes tightly as a strong contraction hit. "Draco, even if this baby isn't yours I-."

"Dammit Hermione!" Draco growled in frustration, terrified as he felt her beginning to slip from him. "Deacon is mine! I gave you the Parvulus Formator!"

The confession caused gasps to resound throughout the library.

Draco closed his eyes and hung his head. "I wanted you—I have for the longest time—and I knew the only chance I had with you was if we had a child…" He closed his eyes tighter. "I brewed the Parvulus Formator potion and ordered a House Elf to slip it into your Pumpkin Juice."

Hermione felt herself getting lighter, felt as if she were slipping into some other-world where weight mattered not. "Why?" She needed to know why he'd done that.

"I—because—I—dammit!—I love you Hermione!" His face was tortured as he forced his eyes opened once more, repeating softly. "I love you."

With the little strength she had left, she brought his hand to her stomach, holding it against her lovingly, before raising and caressing his cheek softly. "I love you too, Draco Malfoy." She closed her eyes contentedly at the look of pure happiness crossed his silver eyes as he lowered his face and softly pressed his lips against hers.

It was during their first true kiss that the pain returned with a pain that made her scream into Draco's mouth, and in seconds something inside of her exploded and she faded away into thin air.

"No…" Draco whispered as he looked down at where she'd been seconds before. "No!"

A week had passed since Hermione dematerialized before their very own eyes. It'd been a week since Draco, overcome with grief and rage, had turned his wand against a horribly disfigured Annis Karakoff and if it hadn't been for Snape and Dumbledore, he'd have thrown the killing curse at her. The killing words were half-finished on his lips when the disarming curse had been sent his way by both the Headmaster and Potions Master.

Seven days since the Aurors had been sent to try and discover what had what happened to Hermione. Seven days since Lucius had went to the Ministry to threaten to have each and every one fired if his newest heir and his mother weren't found and returned to them.

While Draco's confession of having given Hermione the Parvulus Formator had surprised all, it was the power that allowed Draco to go to Hermione when the others had been kept back that backed up his claim of paternity. It'd been proven that the protective power manifested had been that of the child trying to protect its mother, and having sensed its father, he'd allowed him through the shield.

Surprisingly enough, the Ministry were so over their heads with the whole mess that they only gave Draco a telling off for using the banned potion.

The Karakoff family had suffered various mysterious and untraceable curses and hexes. And Annis' uncle Igor, who worked in Bulgaria in the school Durmstrong, had been called back to England as a protection for his family against the many horrible things happening to them in retaliation against what their stupid daughter had done to the much loved Hermione Granger…and the Malfoy Heir.

Annis Karakoff was residing now in St. Mungos, and wouldn't tell anyone what spell she'd used on Hermione, although it was obvious that it was an ancient, dark one.

Despite her reference to the Dark Lord, both Lucius and Snape had gone to see Voldemort after the happening, and he'd denied any involvement in it—seeming furious at the Karakoff girl and demanding they have some Death Eaters 'do away with the problem'. While Snape had had some reservation about 'offing' one of his students, Lucius had no such qualms, and he'd led the Death Eater group that'd invaded St. Mungos and finished Annis Karakoff right under the Ministry's very nose.

Draco wouldn't leave his room, and openly snickered when news of Annis' death reached him via Blaise Zabini (who'd finally been returned to a male), whom was the only one he allowed to see him.

"I let Hermione slip through my fingers, literally." He whispered in an emotionless voice, eyes staring unseeingly into the flames in the fireplace. "I let her down, Blaise. I let her get hurt and taken away from me. And by whom? A stupid bitch."

Blaise listened patiently before sighing. "You didn't let her down Draco. How were you supposed to know that Annis would turn out to be such a psychotic bitch?"

"Ever since I can remember, father has taught me that the heir must be protected." Draco was obviously disgusted with himself. "And I couldn't protect him or the love of my life. I. Couldn't. Do. Anything!"

Blaise was suddenly glad that no words of comfort he could give Draco would be listened to, because Blaise wasn't used to giving words of comfort, so it was fine with him. Still, he hurt to see his best friend in such agony.

Looking out at the window as Draco to a swig of the large bottle of Firewhisky Blaisehad sneaked in for him, the brunette prayed for the first time since he'd been born.

Let her be alive. Let her be okay.

His worried gaze rested on Draco, who was well on the way to getting drunk.

He'll destroy himself if she isn't.

The pain had disappeared, leaving only the feeling of nothingness that was so reassuring. She could hear voices around her, someone barking orders to those around her, before feeling a hand caressing her cheek, pulling strands of her hair out of her face.

Days passed like this as she remained in her comfortable bed. Sometimes she could hear other people, hear him as he whispered to her, and despite the first crawly-creeps he'd given her, with each day she grew to expect his voice—the only thing she had that linked her to something other than the darkness and numbness that'd taken over.

"Her child is my heir." The voice was once again harsh as he spoke to someone else. It was always harsh when speaking to others—not like when he spoke to her. "The heir of Slytherin."

She frowned in her darkness, wondering what he was talking about. Slytherin? What was that? Was that his last name?

She blushed. Even in the darkness she'd known that she was pregnant, she'd sensed her child, and that while it'd suffered a slightly traumatic experience, it was quite healthy and content that she was fine as well.

And if this man was saying that her child was his heir…that meant she was his wife—or lover in the least.

Her blush grew.

Who was he?

An eternity passed before she finally awoke, seeing the light of day in what seemed to be a million lifetimes. The first thing she saw was that she was lying in a regal bed, and the next was the handsome dark haired man sitting in the chair next to the bed, watching her with such intensity that it was slightly unnerving.

"You've awoken." His voice was rich.

"Who are you?" She asked, sitting up in bed, laying a hand on her large stomach.

He smiled handsomely at her. "My name is Tom Riddle."

Something like recognition filled her. She'd heard that name before, seen his face, but she just couldn't remember from where. That in itself set her at ease, at least at ease enough to ask the question that would change her future and that of all those she'd once known.

Looking up into his dark eyes, she pulled back a stray curl, and took in a deep breath before asking: "Who am I?"

Bwahahahahahaha…blame this on my NEW AND IMPROVED MUSE. I tell you, when I asked for a replacement for my old muse at the Muse Relief Center, I really didn't know what to expect when my new one was shipped over to me, but she seems to be working well so far…

…how about a review?