(A/N: Well, you asked for it.heeeeeeeeeeeeere's Draco! Thanks to Slytherin
Girl for my formatting, and to Bertie Wooster for giving me the idea for
the song at the end of the chapter.Thanks for all the reviews, people!)
Chapter Twenty One
Hermione waited out the days of the first month of her pregnancy. She did not miscarry. Although she was pleased, hoping that she would finally be able to carry this child, relations between her and Severus had become increasingly strained. They would start the night sleeping in his bed, but she often woke in the middle of the night to find him absent, sleeping on the couch in the living room of his chambers. When it came time for Hermione to go to Poppy for her two-month checkup, she went alone. She did not even tell Severus about the appointment.
*~*
Poppy sat down after examining Hermione. "My dear, I think you'll keep this one." She grinned at the pregnant woman sitting in the chair opposite her. "Somehow, your uterus has become whole again.and this cannot be done with magic, either. It's a miracle, my dear."
Hermione was stunned with the news that she would be able to keep this child.
"Severus will be pleased, yes?" Poppy asked.
Hermione shrugged slightly, one hand protectively resting on her stomach. "I don't know. I don't see much of him lately."
Poppy nodded sympathetically. "Men don't know how to react to an impossible pregnancy," she explained. "For the first time in his life, Severus is scared, truly scared. He doesn't know what to do."
Hermione rose from her chair. "Or he's afraid of the commitment," she responded. "Thank you so much, Poppy, for everything." She left the Hospital Wing, and headed back to Severus's chambers. Unfortunately, she found him there, waiting for her.
"How was your appointment?" he asked pointedly.
Hermione turned red. "It does appear that I will not miscarry this child. Somehow, Poppy says, my uterus has healed itself."
Severus's eyebrow went up. "Really," he said dryly. "Is it a boy or a girl?"
"Well, I didn't ask Poppy, but your sister's vision says girl, so."
Severus banged his hand down on the table forcefully. "Her vision," he hissed, "is bollocks. I don't believe a word of it. It is a coincidence indeed that you are now pregnant, but." he allowed his voice to trail off.
Hermione simply looked at his angry face, then took his hand and placed it gently on her stomach. He started violently at the intimate contact, but as she would not allow him to remove his hand, he decided to allow this. "Do you feel that?" she asked quietly. He did, a sort of movement, however fleeting.
"No," he replied petulantly. Hermione carried on, knowing that he had felt it.
"That is our child. It's been two months.I'm going to keep this one, whether you do or not."
He looked at her, removed his hand, and left the room. Hermione dissolved into tears.
*~*
Hermione and Severus did not speak for an entire month. When they passed each other in the hallways, they turned up their noses and pretended not to notice each other. Severus stopped coming to the Great Hall for meals, and Hermione returned to her own chambers.
Hermione was therefore alone in her chambers one evening when she was about three months pregnant. She was reading, one hand resting protectively on her growing stomach. She chuckled slightly at what she had just read, and turned a page casually. Hermione thought she heard a soft rustle of air, and glanced upward. She did a quick double take, her eyes growing big as saucers at what she saw: Draco Malfoy. He grinned roguishly at her amazement.
"Why're you so surprised, Granger? Harry and Weasley have already been to visit, so why not me?"
She shook her head slightly, and laughed softly. "Malfoy, it's absolutely fantastic to see you again. How are you finding the afterlife?"
"Very interesting," he responded. "But I think you, in this life, is a more important topic of conversation. How's the little girl?"
Hermione touched her stomach gently. "She's fine.it's a miracle that she's still alive inside me."
Draco nodded. "And Snape?"
Her voice hardened considerably. "And what about him?"
Draco raised an eyebrow. "I know you two are not on the best of terms currently. I'm here to see that that changes."
"He doesn't want this child.he wants me to miscarry."
He shook his head. "No, that is not true, and you know it Granger. He does not know how to act around you anymore.Just stop this silly fight. It's much too hard to care for a child on your own.once the child is born, you'll need Snape. Besides, you ought to at least give him one more chance. It's his daughter as well, you know."
Hermione rolled her eyes. She suddenly felt unable to fight him on this issue anymore. She slumped down onto her couch, defeated. "I don't know, Draco," she whispered. "I'm really scared. I.you're right, I can't do this without Severus. And that frightens me."
He smiled encouragingly at her. 'That's right. And I'll let you in on a little secret: men like to feel needed. If you tell him what you just told me, he'll feel like he's twenty years old again."
She laughed softly. "Oh, I don't know. He seems to be doing fine without me."
"Oh, but he's not. That's just the face he presents to the outside world, which does include you now. You have to get under the mask again."
"But how? That seems to me an impossible task."
Draco snapped his fingers, and Harry and Ron appeared.
"I can't believe that you two want me to get back with Severus, do you? You guys hate him." she scoffed.
Ron shook his head. "But we love you, Mione. And we've never seen you as happy as when you are with him. And we want you to be happy, even if it is with a Slytherin." Draco raised an eyebrow and playfully punched Ron.
"Watch it there, Weasel, I'm a Slytherin."
"A Slytherin ferret, that is," Harry corrected him.
"No," said Draco, holding up one slender hand, "get it right, please. I'm the Amazing Slytherin Bouncing Ferret." Hermione giggled, and then noticed that Draco now held something in his hand.
"What's that?" she asked curiously, pointing at the flat object in his hand.
"It's a.what did you say it was called, Harry? a CD?"
Harry nodded. "By a Muggle group called the Beatles, which you probably know of."
Hermione nodded enthusiastically. "Of course I know them! I love them.but what am I supposed to do with this CD? Muggle electronics go haywire around Hogwarts."
Draco smiled, and produced a CD player. "We've charmed it to work here," he replied, and handed the player to her.
"Track number 10," added Ron cryptically. "Dinner by candlelight in the dungeons, and song number 10." They vanished before Hermione could ask any more questions.
Hermione shrugged, and turned the CD case over to see what song Ron had pointed out. It was "She Loves You." She smiled sadly. She would be able to pulls such a gutsy move on Severus! The boys weren't thinking of her when they devised this plan, they were thinking about Lavender Brown, or Parvati Patil.
But what have you to lose? asked a small voice within her. Then, suddenly, something in her snapped. She would do this. She would plan this candlelight supper and Beatles music interlude, not for Severus, but to show herself that she could. Yeah, right, spoke her inner voice. Hermione told her inner voice to shut up.
*~*
Hermione decided to stage the dinner for the next evening. She enlisted the help of Minerva on this one, telling her to keep him occupied until eight o'clock. Hermione, in the hour allotted to her, went to the dungeons and hurriedly set up. She put two candles on the center of the small dinner table, along with some fresh cut flowers. She levitated numerous candles and placed them at different intervals throughout the room. Lastly, Hermione shakily pushed play, and the sounds of She Loves You filled the air. She put the setting onto repeat just in time, for she then heard the door creak open, and all at once Severus was in the room.
*She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
You think you lost your love Well I saw her yesterday It's you she's thinking of and she told me what to say She said she loves you and you know that can't be bad Yes, she loves you And you know you should be glad
She said you were to know That she almost lost her mind And now she says she knows You're not the hurting kind She says she loves you And you know that can't be bad
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah And with a love like that You know you should be glad
And now its up to you I think its only fair If I should hurt you, too Apologize to her Because she loves you And you know that can't be bad She said she loves you And you kow you should be glad
With a love like that You know you should be glad.*
*~*
Alan: Oh, of all places to stop, Juleya!
Tom: *grumbles* Yeah, that's kind of cruel.does Snape like his little surprise? Is the Snape-man gonna get laiiiiiid? Review and we can all find out!
John Lennon: Juleya would like to remind you all that the song Hermione plays does not belong to her. It belongs to the Beatles. Oh yeah: she also wanted me to tell you all that I'm not really dead. I live on the small island of Elba with Napolean, Elvis, JFK, and George Harrison.
Chapter Twenty One
Hermione waited out the days of the first month of her pregnancy. She did not miscarry. Although she was pleased, hoping that she would finally be able to carry this child, relations between her and Severus had become increasingly strained. They would start the night sleeping in his bed, but she often woke in the middle of the night to find him absent, sleeping on the couch in the living room of his chambers. When it came time for Hermione to go to Poppy for her two-month checkup, she went alone. She did not even tell Severus about the appointment.
*~*
Poppy sat down after examining Hermione. "My dear, I think you'll keep this one." She grinned at the pregnant woman sitting in the chair opposite her. "Somehow, your uterus has become whole again.and this cannot be done with magic, either. It's a miracle, my dear."
Hermione was stunned with the news that she would be able to keep this child.
"Severus will be pleased, yes?" Poppy asked.
Hermione shrugged slightly, one hand protectively resting on her stomach. "I don't know. I don't see much of him lately."
Poppy nodded sympathetically. "Men don't know how to react to an impossible pregnancy," she explained. "For the first time in his life, Severus is scared, truly scared. He doesn't know what to do."
Hermione rose from her chair. "Or he's afraid of the commitment," she responded. "Thank you so much, Poppy, for everything." She left the Hospital Wing, and headed back to Severus's chambers. Unfortunately, she found him there, waiting for her.
"How was your appointment?" he asked pointedly.
Hermione turned red. "It does appear that I will not miscarry this child. Somehow, Poppy says, my uterus has healed itself."
Severus's eyebrow went up. "Really," he said dryly. "Is it a boy or a girl?"
"Well, I didn't ask Poppy, but your sister's vision says girl, so."
Severus banged his hand down on the table forcefully. "Her vision," he hissed, "is bollocks. I don't believe a word of it. It is a coincidence indeed that you are now pregnant, but." he allowed his voice to trail off.
Hermione simply looked at his angry face, then took his hand and placed it gently on her stomach. He started violently at the intimate contact, but as she would not allow him to remove his hand, he decided to allow this. "Do you feel that?" she asked quietly. He did, a sort of movement, however fleeting.
"No," he replied petulantly. Hermione carried on, knowing that he had felt it.
"That is our child. It's been two months.I'm going to keep this one, whether you do or not."
He looked at her, removed his hand, and left the room. Hermione dissolved into tears.
*~*
Hermione and Severus did not speak for an entire month. When they passed each other in the hallways, they turned up their noses and pretended not to notice each other. Severus stopped coming to the Great Hall for meals, and Hermione returned to her own chambers.
Hermione was therefore alone in her chambers one evening when she was about three months pregnant. She was reading, one hand resting protectively on her growing stomach. She chuckled slightly at what she had just read, and turned a page casually. Hermione thought she heard a soft rustle of air, and glanced upward. She did a quick double take, her eyes growing big as saucers at what she saw: Draco Malfoy. He grinned roguishly at her amazement.
"Why're you so surprised, Granger? Harry and Weasley have already been to visit, so why not me?"
She shook her head slightly, and laughed softly. "Malfoy, it's absolutely fantastic to see you again. How are you finding the afterlife?"
"Very interesting," he responded. "But I think you, in this life, is a more important topic of conversation. How's the little girl?"
Hermione touched her stomach gently. "She's fine.it's a miracle that she's still alive inside me."
Draco nodded. "And Snape?"
Her voice hardened considerably. "And what about him?"
Draco raised an eyebrow. "I know you two are not on the best of terms currently. I'm here to see that that changes."
"He doesn't want this child.he wants me to miscarry."
He shook his head. "No, that is not true, and you know it Granger. He does not know how to act around you anymore.Just stop this silly fight. It's much too hard to care for a child on your own.once the child is born, you'll need Snape. Besides, you ought to at least give him one more chance. It's his daughter as well, you know."
Hermione rolled her eyes. She suddenly felt unable to fight him on this issue anymore. She slumped down onto her couch, defeated. "I don't know, Draco," she whispered. "I'm really scared. I.you're right, I can't do this without Severus. And that frightens me."
He smiled encouragingly at her. 'That's right. And I'll let you in on a little secret: men like to feel needed. If you tell him what you just told me, he'll feel like he's twenty years old again."
She laughed softly. "Oh, I don't know. He seems to be doing fine without me."
"Oh, but he's not. That's just the face he presents to the outside world, which does include you now. You have to get under the mask again."
"But how? That seems to me an impossible task."
Draco snapped his fingers, and Harry and Ron appeared.
"I can't believe that you two want me to get back with Severus, do you? You guys hate him." she scoffed.
Ron shook his head. "But we love you, Mione. And we've never seen you as happy as when you are with him. And we want you to be happy, even if it is with a Slytherin." Draco raised an eyebrow and playfully punched Ron.
"Watch it there, Weasel, I'm a Slytherin."
"A Slytherin ferret, that is," Harry corrected him.
"No," said Draco, holding up one slender hand, "get it right, please. I'm the Amazing Slytherin Bouncing Ferret." Hermione giggled, and then noticed that Draco now held something in his hand.
"What's that?" she asked curiously, pointing at the flat object in his hand.
"It's a.what did you say it was called, Harry? a CD?"
Harry nodded. "By a Muggle group called the Beatles, which you probably know of."
Hermione nodded enthusiastically. "Of course I know them! I love them.but what am I supposed to do with this CD? Muggle electronics go haywire around Hogwarts."
Draco smiled, and produced a CD player. "We've charmed it to work here," he replied, and handed the player to her.
"Track number 10," added Ron cryptically. "Dinner by candlelight in the dungeons, and song number 10." They vanished before Hermione could ask any more questions.
Hermione shrugged, and turned the CD case over to see what song Ron had pointed out. It was "She Loves You." She smiled sadly. She would be able to pulls such a gutsy move on Severus! The boys weren't thinking of her when they devised this plan, they were thinking about Lavender Brown, or Parvati Patil.
But what have you to lose? asked a small voice within her. Then, suddenly, something in her snapped. She would do this. She would plan this candlelight supper and Beatles music interlude, not for Severus, but to show herself that she could. Yeah, right, spoke her inner voice. Hermione told her inner voice to shut up.
*~*
Hermione decided to stage the dinner for the next evening. She enlisted the help of Minerva on this one, telling her to keep him occupied until eight o'clock. Hermione, in the hour allotted to her, went to the dungeons and hurriedly set up. She put two candles on the center of the small dinner table, along with some fresh cut flowers. She levitated numerous candles and placed them at different intervals throughout the room. Lastly, Hermione shakily pushed play, and the sounds of She Loves You filled the air. She put the setting onto repeat just in time, for she then heard the door creak open, and all at once Severus was in the room.
*She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
You think you lost your love Well I saw her yesterday It's you she's thinking of and she told me what to say She said she loves you and you know that can't be bad Yes, she loves you And you know you should be glad
She said you were to know That she almost lost her mind And now she says she knows You're not the hurting kind She says she loves you And you know that can't be bad
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah And with a love like that You know you should be glad
And now its up to you I think its only fair If I should hurt you, too Apologize to her Because she loves you And you know that can't be bad She said she loves you And you kow you should be glad
With a love like that You know you should be glad.*
*~*
Alan: Oh, of all places to stop, Juleya!
Tom: *grumbles* Yeah, that's kind of cruel.does Snape like his little surprise? Is the Snape-man gonna get laiiiiiid? Review and we can all find out!
John Lennon: Juleya would like to remind you all that the song Hermione plays does not belong to her. It belongs to the Beatles. Oh yeah: she also wanted me to tell you all that I'm not really dead. I live on the small island of Elba with Napolean, Elvis, JFK, and George Harrison.