Authors note: In honor of my birthday, I have decided to give ya'll two chapters today! lol, my present to all of you. Hope you enjoy and you all have a wonderful weekend! love from-writerchick13

Chapter 9

Hermione's POV

I shut the door and started performing every protective spell I could think of, one hand over my belly the whole time. I was shaking.

Throughout the time spent in Dumbledore's office, my emotions had varied between terrified and livid. Now, I felt anger, and I let it run uncontrolled, knowing this would make my spell work stronger. I sat down on my bed, suddenly exhausted.

Lucius. At Hogwarts. Many four letter words ran through my head, most of them not very nice. Except for one. Baby. My baby. In danger. Because of…him. But what could I do? If it was only me, I would march right back up to that office and curse him myself. But I had someone else to worry about. And he was what held me back.

I was jerked out of my thoughts when Draco climbed through my window.

"What are you doing?" I hissed.

"I've made them think I've been scared back into rejoining the Death Eaters. It should work until we get you out."

"Get me out? Malfoy, what are you-"

"You can't stay here. You've got to go somewhere. Not your parents, they'll think to look there. Hermione, if you want to save yourself, and the baby, you have to leave!" He said, clearly agitated.

I don't think I'd ever seen him like this. It looked like he'd literally been pulling on his hair; it was sticking out in all directions. He had a desperate look in his eyes, and the fact that he had called me by my first name, while not the first time, cleared my brain, and I took a deep breath.

"Calm down. What's going on?"

He stared at me for a moment, and then blew out a gust of breath.

"Okay," he said. "Okay. You aren't safe here. They want me to kill you, Hermione; they think that's what I'm doing right now. Poison, the killing curse, they don't care. Things didn't go according to plan. You were supposed to get pregnant, go home, and leave Potter one short. No one really sees Weasley as a threat."

I opened my mouth to protest.

"Don't interrupt! If you're not gone or dead by tomorrow morning, it's going to get ugly. They'll take you themselves, torture you, and then kill you. And me too, for that matter. So. Do you have anywhere you can go, besides your parents?"

"Well…" My mind raced, trying to think of a place…"There's a holiday cottage, very secluded, and it'll be cold come winter, but it'll do the job." I didn't like the idea of running away to hide, but if it was what kept my baby safe…

"Let's go there then. Can you pack quickly?" he glanced towards the door, uneasily and for the first time, I noticed he had a rucksack dangling from one shoulder.

"Wait a second," I started, looking at him evenly. "Why do you have a rucksack? You aren't planning on coming with me, are you? Because I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself you-"

"Of taking care of yourself, yes I know, I know." For one second, he looked exasperated with me; it was oddly endearing. "And yes, I am coming with you. I have to protect-"

"I can protect myself!" I said hotly.

"I have to protect the baby! They want it dead too, what use is it to them?"

I stared, openmouthed.

"She or he is half mine; I'm not going to let it be murdered! It was forced on you, you didn't ask for it, but you still kept it! Well, I didn't ask for this either, but I'm not going to let some innocent baby pay the consequences! What makes you think you care more about our baby then I do? I'm not just going to run off and let you deal with this all alone! I'm more of a man than that. It's not open for negotiation. So just pack."

It was another couple of seconds after he had finished his speech before I remembered how to shut my mouth. And then, because I really couldn't think of another thing to say, I packed.

"Before we go, there's something I want to do. Do you think your friends are still up?"

"Harry and Ron?" I asked, confused. "Probably. Why?"

"Lead the way."

So I did.

XxXxXx

I looked over at Harry and Ron, arguing a few yards away. We were standing outside, and even though it was dark, I still felt really unprotected. Finally, Ron threw his hands up in the air, and Harry, looking agitated, walked back over with him.

"Where do you want to do this?" he asked.

"Right here is fine," Draco replied. "Quickly please."

Harry nodded. "Ron?" Ron came to stand by Harry, looking surly, and Draco and I took out our wands.

"Do you, Harry James Potter, swear to protect our secret? Do you, Harry James Potter, understand that as secret keeper, you have part responsibility in our safety and general welfare?" I said.

"I do." And a glow, emitted from the tip of my wand, enveloped Harry, and then disappeared.

Draco repeated the procedure with Ron, and as the glow disappeared, I hugged Harry.

"Thanks so much," I whispered, trying not to let my tears fall.

"It's nothing. Be safe, Hermione."

"Thanks for everything Ron," I said, giving him a hug also.

Ron mumbled something. I didn't know whether or not I was supposed to hear him, so I said nothing.

"My, my, my, what do we have here?" A cold voice came out of the darkness. Harry and Ron took out their wands, and all four of us pointed at the place from which Lucius had spoken.

"Isn't this a touching goodbye? Draco, what do you think you are doing?" As Lucius emerged, I felt a tremor rock through my body. Danger. We were in danger. We had to get out.

"I'm making my choice, father," Draco spat the last word. "And I choose to do the right thing, for once in my life."

"What nonsense," Lucius snarled, and I knew the instant before it happened.

"Hermione, run!" Draco yelled. I watched in horror as he barely avoided the killing curse from his father's drawn wand.

Jets of light flew from Harry and Ron's wands. I hesitated, unable to get a clear aim at Lucius and not wanting to hurt my friends.

"Draco, take Hermione and go!" I heard Harry shout, and a hand grabbed me by the arm as I made myself run.

The last sight I had of my friends before we Disapparated out of bounds, was the two of them fighting Lucius, and I wasn't sure, but I thought I saw a jet of red light hit Lucius square in the chest, before nothingness engulfed me.