"Jess, talk to me," Dom pleaded. It had been three days since Jess had told him it was over. She hadn't spoke to him since, not even in class. Even now she was ignoring him, so he grabbed her arm, trying to make her look at him and how miserable he was without her.
"Let go," she said, emotionless.
"Jess this is me, talk to me," he pleaded.
"Let me go," she repeated. She looked at him so coldly, like he meant nothing to her.
"Not until you talk to me, I'm so miserable without you. Talk to me."
"Let me go or I'll hex you."
"Jess… you won't hex me," said Dom sadly.
"Don't underestimate me," she hissed. She pulled her arm away and pulled out her wand, pointing it at Dom and, without any hesitation, hexing him. Then she ran.
-------------------------------------------
Jess spent the next six weeks pouring over books in the library, finding out as much about prophecies as she could, trying to find a way round it. The best chance she had was to conceive a child with another direct descendant, but the thought of sleeping with Malfoy turned Jess's stomach.
But of course the problem became irrelevant when her period was three weeks late.
"Professor? May I speak with you?" said Jess, entering Professor Dumbledore's office.
"Certainly, come in," said Dumbledore warmly. He had been expecting to see Jess soon.
"Um… you know how you're, like, the head of the Order? If someone came to you with information regarding You-Know-Who, are you duty bound to inform the rest of the Order?"
"Any information given to me will remain confidential," Dumbledore reassured her.
"But what if it is personal and…"
"I can assure you, Jessica, anything you say will go no further than this room, your parents will never hear it from me," said Dumbledore.
"Good…" Jess said, letting out only half a sigh of relief. She was still holding it the other half for after she told him. "Alright then."
"Now what did you want to tell me?"
"Oh… um, it's awkward… mortifying actually," mumbled Jess. She couldn't believe she was actually going to tell Dumbledore—of all people—that she was pregnant and that she had has sex in his school, but she didn't know what else to do. "You might be angry with me."
"I can assure you, you will not be punished for anything you confess."
"Um… about a month and a half ago, you had a meeting in here with the Order. D—Dom and I had snuck down to the kitchens and I saw you and… we remembered the password and eavesdropped. I know it was wrong and I'm sorry, but nobody would tell me anything… anyway I heard about the prophecy and what I have to do."
"I see… and from what I gather you and Mr. Black are no longer an item."
"That's right," said Jess, feeling a familiar ache in her heart. "He didn't understand that I wanted to fulfill the prophecy. So I spent weeks trying to work out a way to do that without him and I thought another direct descendant…"
"You can't force fate, it happens how it happens."
"Alright, that's good to know," said Jess, taking a deep breath. "It turns out I don't need to force fate, I'm… oh god, this is hard." She took another deep breath, preparing herself to say the next line. She decided just to blurt it out. "I'm pregnant! God, I just turned seventeen and I'm pregnant? I know, this is wrong but… I can fight him now right? We don't have to wait for it to be born, right?"
"Right," said Dumbledore. He didn't even sound shocked, which surprised Jess. "Unfortunately it is not that simple and I don't think you understand the serious implications of this."
"I do. I have had weeks to get used to this. I have to fight Voldemort and somehow this… fetus makes me strong enough to defeat him," said Jess strongly.
"You have to understand…"
"…how dangerous it is," Jess finished. "I know how dangerous it. I know that there is very little chance that I will make it out of it alive let alone the… fetus. I'm not even thinking of it as a baby just a… magical implantation to make me stronger."
"You're still a child," said Dumbledore, sounding almost concerned.
"I am of age sir, and with all due respect I will do this with or without your guidance."
"Very well," said Dumbledore, understanding. "When the time is right, you'll know it."
"What does that mean?"
"It means you'll know when the time is right," said Dumbledore. "In the mean time, you are not to participate in any practical Defense classes or Herbology."
"How am I supposed to get out of that?"
"I will arrange it with your teachers, tell them you simply have a weaker than usual immune system," said Dumbledore.
"Thank you, Professor," said Jess, getting up.
"Although, Miss Potter, it might be a good idea for you to talk to someone, share the load."
"I tried that," said Jess sadly. "I work better alone."
Jess walked straight back to her dormitory, ignoring anyone who tried to speak to her. it was pretty obvious by now to everyone that something was wrong. Dom hadn't told anyone about the prophecy and what she was going to do, not even Harry.
Jess climbed into bed, feeling more alone than she ever had in her life. It didn't make sense, that she could be constantly accompanied by this… fetus growing in her and still feel like she was miles away from any living being. She couldn't stand it, this feeling of isolation, like there was a glass barrier between her and the rest of the world, so she reached for something that would remind her of the one person who she wanted with her more than anyone else: Dom's cloak. She pulled it over herself like a blanket, pulling the top of it close to her face to breathe in his intoxicating scent.
Smelling him, feeling his cloak around her, she thought she would feel better. At least this way she could pretend Dom was right here with her. But it did no good; it wasn't him. They were only pieces of him, things to remember how good things had been between them before, things that made her want to cry. And as hot tears rolled down her cheeks and she cried herself to sleep, she realized it was because they meant nothing if he wasn't here with her.