A/N: LOOK! Another chapter! And it was quick! :] I must admit, it's a little shorter than all the rest, but at least it's up! Now the conclusion of the fate of the unborn. Now without further ado:
Chapter 11: Experimental Procedures
Enjoy!
Draco Malfoy couldn't be more of a ghost. Though he was not dead, he desperately wanted to be. It has been a week since Halloween, and there hasn't been much sign of Hermione's improvement, not like Professor McGonagall or Madam Pomfrey would even let him near enough to find out.
The night of the event always haunted him. In his sleep, during class, at Quidditch practice, he just couldn't get away.
*Flashback*
"Draco, please sit down," Hermione directed Malfoy's attention back to her.
"What do you want, Granger? I don't have time for this," Malfoy angrily said.
"Listen, I have some information for you. You might want to sit down."
"Fine." He sat down next to Hermione and waited for her to speak.
Hermione took a deep breath before beginning.
"Okay, well, this is about the thing I told you about earlier, and, well, I just had to know who the father is. And, well, I took a paternity test before the dance, and, umm, it turns out that…that…," Hermione paused, took another deep breath and continued, "Draco, he's yours. You are the father."
*End Flashback*
She was so beautiful that night. He couldn't help noticing. He had been a foul to think she just wanted to waste his time. She had told him the greatest news on the planet, and now that's in limbo. He wasn't sure if the baby was okay or not. It was driving him insane. Then, he realized something.
"Draco, he's yours. You are the father." He had a son! The baby was going to be a boy. Only Merlin knew how bad he wanted a son. He wanted to be the father Lucius never was to Draco.
"Mr. Malfoy, please pay attention!" ordered Professor Flitwick. Draco snapped out of his daze to realize everyone in Charms was now staring at him.
"Sorry, professor. May I please be excused?" Draco replied.
"Uh, sure, Mr. Malfoy. This is the last time."
"Of course, professor." Draco gathered his things and left in the middle of class. Thank goodness it was his last class of the day. He walked back to his dormitory to drop off his things. Where he'd go after that, he had no idea. He just knew he needed something to do to keep his mind off of Hermione.
He was halfway up his staircase when he smelled it. It was that same stench he was beaten for in fifth year.
"Blaise, don't be stupid," came Hermione's voice faintly from her room. Draco couldn't believe he was hearing an angel, but then he remembered how many times in the past week he'd hallucinated hearing and seeing Hermione in the corridors.
"Blaise! Stop it! I told you, I can't," the angel spoke again.
"Hermione, chill. It's not gonna do anything to it. Just take a hit," came Blaise's voice.
Immediately, Draco realized two facts: 1. Hermione was distraught, and Blaise was trying to calm her down, and 2. Hermione was concerned about the effects smoking would do. Draco's mind was racing. What was "it"? What was Hermione worreid about? Hermione's smoked before and hadn't had a care in the world what anybody thought. Then, it clicked: Hermione was still pregnant. Still pregnant! But, wait. Didn't Weasley hit her horribly hard in the stomach? Draco had seen blood trail down her leg. Draco was sure the baby wouldn't survive that blow. But if she was worried about what would happen to "it" by smoking, then that must mean she's still pregnant. Which means she's still carrying his baby. Draco is still going to be a father!
He dashed down his staircase and up Hermione's in a matter of seconds. He stopped at the door, and paused, waiting for some sign of the right moment. He had so many emotions running through him. He stood there for what felt like an eternity. Just as he was about to turn around and leave in defeat of his feelings, their voices came from directly on the other side of the door.
"Blaise, what would Draco think if he found out I smoked while carrying his child?"
"He would never know. Geeze. You wouldn't tell him, and I wouldn't tell him. It's as easy as that."
"You can't honestly believe that would work."
"Of course it would! I've used it on him a dozen times!" Just then, the door opened to reveal Blaise with a huge grin on his face - that was, until he saw a furious Draco standing right on the other side.
"Leave, Zabini," ordered an unusually calm Draco.
"Buddy, come on. I was just kidding. You know I tell you everything," Blaise tried to explain.
"Drop it. I suggest you hurry your ass out of this dormitory before I completely release every can of whoop ass there is in this bloody place," threatened Draco.
"Draco, please. Calm down. There's nothing to be so worried about," Hermione tried to console.
"Hermione, please," Draco turned to look at Hermione. He caught her gaze and his defense fell. What felt like eternity passed by as they gazed into each others eyes. Nothing could break their passion that connected them, that was, until Blaise spoke.
"So, I guess I'll just be on my way, then," Blaise said slyly as he was backing away from the two.
Draco's head snapped back to reality and his eyes found Blaise. If looks could kill, Blaise would be worse off than a dementor's kiss.
"Whoa, Drake, buddy, come on. Chill out. I'm leaving, okay? And if you don't want me near Hermione anymore, I'll totally stay away. I promise." Blaise put his hand up in completely genuineness.
"Just beat it, Zabini, before I turn you into the pulp you are," said Draco with a hint of venom.
Fearing for his life, Blaise Zabini took no other offer to leave the dismantled Draco with his beloved Hermione.
"That really wasn't necessary, Draco," Hermione criticized.
"Like I'm going to let that bum press you into doing things that aren't good for your health!" argued Draco.
"I'm not four, Malfoy. I can handle myself. I believe I was the one kicking Blaise out of my room. Besides, you and I both know how goofy and idiotic he can be sometimes, especially after he smokes."
"How would you know anything about how Zabini can be?"
"That's not important. What is important is that I can handle myself, and I don't need you to keep tabs on me!"
"Let me ask you this: are you or are you not pregnant with my child?"
Hermione paused. She didn't know how to explain the next part.
"Well?" Draco persisted.
"Um…yes, but-"
"Well, then that completely means that I can take any precaution I damn well feel like, because I am not having anything like Weasley happen again!"
"That bastard is locked up and is of no threat to me! I am purely capable of handling myself without you! You, Malfoy, could kiss. my. ass," Hermione turned and walked back in her room. She tried to slam the door on her way in, but Draco was to quick and stopped it before she was even able to get it to swing.
"I am not finished with this conversation, Granger."
"Well, I am."
"Too fucking bad. You better get this through that thick skull of yours, Granger. As long as you are carrying my child, I will see to it that you are never without protection."
"Fuck you. I shouldn't have let Pomfrey use her experimental potion," she mumbled under her breath. Unfortunately, Draco was excellent at hearing inaudible voices.
"What? What experimental potion? What the fuck did you do to our child?"
"You heard that? Ugh, great."
"Tell me, Granger!"
"Oh, um…sorry. Well, the blow I took from Weasley basically crippled the baby into an irreversible coma in my stomach. It wasn't looking good when Madam Pomfrey was working on me when I woke up. She told me I was going to lose him no matter what she would try. But as she was rummaging through her potion closet to find her sleeping draught for another student, she found a potion she had created for fetuses that were being aborted. She explained to me that it was a potion basically of the living dead. It wouldn't turn aborted fetuses into zombies or anything like that, but give them a second chance at life outside the mother's womb. She didn't know if it'd work on him because he wasn't dead, yet. She told me there wasn't really anything wrong with the potion, but she didn't know how it would react to a baby still in the womb. She asked me if I'd let her test the potion and see how it worked. It was either a life or death situation for the baby. So, I told her yes. She didn't release me until she was absolutely sure that the baby was doing better."
She finished and waited for Draco's reaction. She tried watching his facial expressions during the entire explanation, but he gave none. Finally, what felt like a million years, Draco spoke.
"Well, is he doing okay then?"
"Yes, he's doing great actually."
"And how are you?"
"I'm fine. It's funny really. After Madam Pomfrey gave him the potion, it seemed to work on me as well. I healed up twice as fast as she had predicted."
"Do you think that'd have any effect on the baby?"
"Um…we don't know yet, but everything seems to be going good. Next week, she wants to check up on how well he's doing."
"Hmm…well…I guess I'll have to thank Pomfrey when this all turns out."
"Draco?"
He looked up to meet her eyes. She had the cutest pouty, sincere face ever. He couldn't help but smile that the adorable witch before him.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you…for caring for me. That includes you taking me to the hospital wing to try and fix what happened to me and the baby. If you wouldn't have told McGonagall that second, I'm not sure he would've made it. You cared enough to not let me or your child perish because of some idiot."
"Hermione, I would've done anything to save you. I still will. I want to be there for you whenever you need me. I love the fact you're carrying my child. It makes it all perfect."
"Draco?"
"Yes, Hermione?"
"I love you."
"I love you, too."
Hermione sprinted the last few feet between them and jumped into his arms. The embrace alone was more passionate than anything either of them had felt in their lives. Draco picked her up enough, so her feet weren't touching the ground, and walked over to her bed, where they fell upon and spent the night wrapped in each others arms.
Ron Weasley was a very pissed off man. He couldn't believe all of his friends and family had betrayed him. Because of them, he was now sitting alone, cold and hungry in the very place criminals were sent, but Ron Weasley was no criminal. Who was the one who saved their pathetic asses from Voldemort and his clan? He was! Ron Weasley was the one who sent Voldemort after what he really wanted. He was the one who warded off the attack on the wizarding world. He prevented his family's and friend's lives from being tortured senseless for the whereabouts of the Chosen One. Ron Weasley was one of the Golden Trio, for Merlin's sake! He should be praised, not locked up in some nut house.
She did this to him. She made him corrupt. She was the reason he had 'cracked', and she was going to pay. Hermione Granger was as good as dead.
A/N: So! What do you think? Enough of a teaser right? Review and Comment! :]
