Chapter 10

            Dumbledore straightened up in his chair suddenly, blinking the sleepiness from his eyes. His quill container had turned over and he proceeded to turn it upright as he wondered what had caused the shock to rumble through the building. As he pulled his arm back from the corner of his desk, the sleeve of his robe knocked his glass of pumpkin juice over. "Oh dammit," the Headmaster grumbled. Before he could pull his wand from his robe, Professor McGonagall entered his office sternly, unconcerned that she might be interrupting something important.

            "Sir, Harry Potter's magic has gone haywire in the Gryffindor common room." She tilted her head and clasped her clammy hands, her eyes portraying pure worry.

            The Headmaster calmly gazed at her and stepped from behind his desk. "Who was with him by chance?"

            She thought quickly and raised an eyebrow. "Only Ms. Granger."

            Dumbledore proceeded to exit his office and the two of them shuffled rapidly towards the Gryffindor house, McGonagall one step behind him. "I will need to speak with her immediately."

            "But, Sir," she interrupted, "She is no where to be found." She heard the Headmaster grumble but speak nothing as they neared the painting.

            Hermione stood silent outside the Slytherin common room, anxiously waiting for anyone to exit. She was armed and ready with her wand to force whoever she encountered first to allow her entrance to the Slytherin dorms. To her luck, a short Slytherin imbecile emerged and she lunged at him, her free arm winding around his neck, the other pointing her wand at the frightened boy's neck.

            "Allow me entrance to the common room or I'll zap your head right off your neck," Hermione spoke slowly and clearly to the trembling henchman.

            "Okay, just don't hurt me," Crabbe mumbled and spoke the Slytherin password. He quickly wiggled out of Hermione's grip, leaving sweat marks on her sleeve.

            Glancing at the sweat marks, Hermione sighed, sickened and proceeded to enter the Slytherin common room cautiously. Rapidly, she tip-toed through the room and up the staircase. She paused outside the fifth year boys room. Wand pointed at the lock, she whispered, "Alohomora." As she entered the room, she was startled to find Draco sitting in bed, reading.

            Rolling his eyes, he pulled back his covers and stepped out of bed. He pulled his long gray sweater down over his stomach and ran a hand calmly through his tousled blonde hair. "Have you ever heard of knocking?"

            "Not when I have a wand," she responded sternly. She immediately remembered why she was in the Slytherin house to begin with and her voice level dropped. Her head bowed as she felt Draco move closer. "I broke our agreement."

            "You what!" he howled, his eyebrows almost meeting in anger. "Did I hear you right?"

            Hermione lifted her head solemnly, her long hair barely concealing her sorrowful brown eyes. "Yes."

            Draco gasped and growled, infuriated that the one he trusted told his secret before he could. As his heart rate quickened, he grabbed his stomach as a sharp pain ripped through him. "Oh, shit," he grumbled as he sat on the edge of his bed, it squeaking under his weight. 

            "I am utterly sorry." She gave him a saddened glance before he laid backwards on the bed. "I can tell you need to remain unstressed."

            "Obviously," he mumbled. He caught Hermione glaring at his stomach and he cleared his throat. She met his gray gaze quickly. "Do I look that bizarre?"

            She smiled softly at the sensitive Slytherin. "No. It's just an incredible thing you're doing."

            "I know." Draco rolled his eyes even though a radiant smile appeared on his face. "How did Harry take the news?" He raised an eyebrow inquisitively and the smile faded as Hermione nodded horizontally.

            "I'll just mention the fact that the common room has been declared a temporary disaster zone due to uncontrolled magic." She frowned along with Draco and sat beside him as he fought back his tears of dejection.

            Dumbledore sat quietly and professionally in a now upright chair as Harry sobbed continually into his sleeve, knees drawn up to his heaving chest on the hardwood floor. "Now, now, Harry," the Headmaster spoke soothingly. The boy's sobs gradually lessened to sporadic tears, making it possible for Harry to raise his head and attempt conversation.

            "I apologize for my actions." Harry sniffled and sighed, stretching his legs out in front of him. He observed how the common room had been set back to it's original nature, minus a few candles.

            The headmaster nodded his head slowly and briefly, scratching his chin. "I completely understand. It's not everyday a young boy hears news of fathering a child."

            "I never meant for him to become pregnant." Harry stated, making eye contact with the elderly man.

            "Of course, you didn't." He smiled softly towards Harry. "But, imagine what you have created. There is a witch or wizard growing inside Draco powerful enough to defeat three Voldemorts by the time it reaches your age."

            Harry's mouth hung open, agape, at the fact Dumbledore informed him with.

            "Now, I hope you will be responsible for your actions and care for young Malfoy," he firmly noted. "The child may be incredibly strong, but Draco's body is not. He needs extra care." With a wink, the Headmaster stood and left the Gryffindor common room, leaving Harry to take all the information in.

            Draco chuckled lightly again as he watched the disgusted look on Hermione's face. He rolled onto his side, wiping a tear of laughter from the corner of his eye. "And that's it? That totally repulses you?"

            "Well, yes." She glanced at him truthfully proving that the drawing in the book and the sheer thought of the procedure being performed made her queasy. She took a deep breath as the Slytherin continued to chuckle. Hermione appeared to inflate as he chuckled. "Honestly, it makes me nauseous."

            The blonde boy placed a hand instinctively on his sweater covered stomach and smirked towards her. "Seems very simple to me." As he looked down at his stomach, his grey eyes twinkled as he spoke. "How about you, baby? Seems rather simple doesn't it?" He glanced back up at Hermione casually sitting in the wooden chair beside his bed. He noticed the tint of her face becoming a greenish shade. "You said it yourself. All that needs to be done is an incision in my stomach and the baby is extracted through it."

            She raised a slightly shaky hand to place over her mouth as she tasted the ham and cheese sandwich from lunch in the back of her throat. "That's enough. I told you, now don't continue to produce images."

            "But you told my secret?" His famous smirk crossed his face. "Why can't I make you lose your meals?" He watched her stand, unsteadily and straighten her khaki skirt. As she neared his door, he couldn't contain the words that spilled from his lips. "Imagine all that goo and blood excreting from the cut in my abdomen after..." His sentence faded at the sound of her heals clicking madly down the stairs. He chuckled again to himself and laid properly in his bed for a nap.