Chapter 1
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"Well?! What did she say?" Draco spat a bit more sharply than intended. Potty head was, after all, doing him a favor.
Harry fiddled with his wand, tapping it against his thigh as he gazed out of one of the office windows. A fleeting thought of how, of course, Malfoy would get the office with the best view.
"Potter!" Draco said Harry's name with quickly vanishing patience. Harry turned his head and met Draco's steely gaze, "What did she say?" He drug out the last word and spread his hands out to his sides in an almost desperate manner. Harry's brow pinched, realizing he'd never seen Malfoy this open with his emotions.
Taking a deep breath, Harry said "You really should go talk to her."
Draco grit his teeth and spoke, "That's just it. She won't talk to me. That's why I asked you to talk to her for me."
Harry gave Draco an exasperated look and repeated himself. At his words, Draco rounded his mahogany office desk to stand closer to Harry. "Apparently, I didn't make myself clear. She will not speak to me. She won't even look at me. I can't get her to talk!"
Harry frowned, replying "I just reallllly think this is something you should hear from her. It's not my place to say. You need to ask her." Harry's voice rising in ire, then falling at the end of his sentence.
Draco pulled a hand down his face, took a deep breath and released it. "Potter... Please. I.. I'm not... I can't take this anymore." He looked at Harry, with an open, honest, slightly desperate expression. "Just tell me what she said. Please."
Harry, sensing Draco's growing desperation, let out an audible growl. He turned and kicked the desk. Sighing, Harry turned to face Draco once more. Harry leaned against the desk and stared at Draco, evaluating him.
"WHAT?!" Draco shouted, making Harry jump. Harry then rubbed at his eyes under his glasses again and sighed.
"I can't say, Malfoy. I won't. Just... Go talk to her. Maybe if you are a bit less hasty when you start talking she'll open up."
Draco took an ominous step towards Harry and Harry instinctively tightened his grip on his wand. Draco's ever present scowl deepened as he said with great enunciation "She. Will. Not. Talk. To. Me. She won't look at him. She walks the other way when she sees me coming. She won't let me touch her." Draco hadn't meant to speak the last sentence aloud, it slipped out almost like a confession he hadn't realized needed voicing and his voice faltered a bit at the end. Harry looked away from Draco a bit awkwardly at the end of his unlikely admission.
Draco reached out and grabbed Harry's cloak at the shoulder cuff and yanked Harry toward him, all the while hearing her sweet voice admonishing and reminding him gently "temper, love"...
"TELL. Me." Draco hissed at Harry, his tone and demeanor only slightly less furious at the memory of her voice, her cool, soft hand on his...
Harry grabbed the hand holding his shoulder and shoved it away spitting "She's pregnant, Malfoy!" Stepping a safe distance away from the nearly deranged man in front of him, Harry repeated himself "Hermione is pregnant. And she didn't want you to know".
Draco's pale face drained of what little color it had. "She... she can't be." He said, shaking his head and backing away from Harry in disbelief. Harry shrugged, "She said she is."
"Pregnant?" Draco looked at Harry, clearly in shock. Harry nodded once.
Draco backed into a cushioned chair in front of his desk and fell into it, rather ungracefully for a Malfoy. Shock was still present on the young man's face. Harry watched Draco carefully as Draco breathed and processed the information he just learned.
"Is... is it mine?" The question was asked with a cringe and... hope?
"Er, I think... well.. that is. I would... think so." Harry finally stuttered out. Not at all expecting to be asked about the parentage of Hermione's unborn child.
Draco stood quickly and asked again, "Well? Is it?"
Harry stared at Draco, mouth gaping open and Draco fought the sudden urge to slam Potter's face into the bookshelf behind him.
"I don't know, okay? I mean, I think it is. She didn't say it wasn't. So I would assume it is!" Harry's words were rushed and exasperated.
Draco gave another scowl in Harry's direction and started towards the door with a determined look om his face, saying "Don't assume, Potter. We both know what happens when one assumes."
"Where are you going?" Harry asked quickly.
"To speak to Granger." Draco's reply was clipped and low.
"Uh. Wait. Uhh. I don't think that's a good idea" Harry spoke hesitantly and waited as Draco's hand stilled on the door handle and he slowly turned to face Harry. Harry was closer to Draco than Draco expected him to be as Harry had been walking closer to Draco while his back was turned.
"You don't think it's a good idea? Five minutes ago you were nearly pushing me out the door to go talk to her and now you suddenly 'don't think it's a good idea'?" Draco spat the words with all the venom he could muster. Harry cringed at Draco's tone and said as calmly as he could "Yes. I did do that moments ago. But now, I think it's best to leave her be. She may just need space, or something" Harry finished, rather lamely.
"What you aren't saying is, it may not be mine." Draco said coolly, looking only slightly unsettled.
"Er, no. I mean. That's a possibility for anyone I suppose - but I mea-"
"It could be mine! That could be my baby." Draco said through clinched teeth with a pained expression Harry had never seen on Draco's before. "It could be... mine." Draco whispered and Harry realized the expression on the pale face was familiar to Harry, it was the expression of grief.
Harry nodded to Draco and Draco nodded once in return and muttered "thanks" before leaving his office in search of Hermione.
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Chapter 1 is complete! Read and review, please! This is my first fanfiction ever. I'm terribly nervous. Thanks, all you lovely people ❤