Chapter 10~

Hermione's POV

A week passed, and though there were no visible signs I was pregnant, there were internal ones. I had morning sickness, and trust me, if I didn't have a little cracker each morning before getting out of bed, by a half hour later at the most, I was spewing my guts. Not fun. Not fun at all. Ginny was most supportive during these mornings, soothing my worries with her calm presence. She was the only reason I hadn't gone insane from my gilded cage yet.

Draco didn't deign to visit until the following Sunday. He made some excuse about being really busy with work, but I could tell he was lying. It was some innate sense in the back of my head, throbbing, telling me, "Lies! All lies!" At least when he said he was glad to see I was doing okay and that everything was fine, the pain stopped.

"Mr. Malfoy, I'm sorry to have to cut your visit short, but-" Ginny froze when he turned an icy glare on her. Regaining her composure, she continued doggedly. "But Ms. Granger has her checkup now. Unless you would like to stay…"

"I'll stay," he replied, shooting an insolent glance in my direction.

"Do as you please, milord," I snapped, being quite insolent myself. "You always do." My last comment was muttered under my breath as I went into my bedroom.

He was sitting on the couch, lounging a more accurate description, when we returned. "Done already?"

"Did we take too short a time for you? We can always go back in so you can brood longer!"

His eyes flashed with anger. "Don't press me."

I sauntered over to him, and engaged him in a staring contest, a meeting of equally stubborn wills. He looked away first, and I turned to leave him, when he grabbed me round the waist.

"You!" I squealed. "Let go of me!"

He didn't. I was dragged onto his lap, and his arms encircled me fully.

"Be good, children," Ginny said as she left the room. "I need to take a shower, Ms. Granger. I trust you'll be fine on your own."

I tried to get up, to give her a piece of my mind, but Draco's arms impeded my movement. When I found standing an impossibility, I sulked on his lap.

His fingertips began to move up and down the sides of my abdomen, and he appeared to be stroking me.

"I'm not a cat."

"Aren't you though?" he countered. "I can make you purr."

His fingers continued their torture, and a heat filled my belly. Swirling upward, it took all my strength to let no sound escape my lips.

When one hand began to massage my back, I gave in. A low, rumbling noise came out of my lips, and Draco began to chuckle.

"What-" I sounded too breathless. "What is so funny?"

"You are, my dear. You claim not to be a cat, but yet you purr and act like one, arching yourself towards my touch."

"You're not funny. Not-" I stopped when he reached a particularly ticklish spot, and waited until he moved on. "Not funny at all."

"I could be," he whispered in my ear.

"How do you plan to do that when I'm sitting on your lap?"

"Like this."

He dumped me onto the sofa, and stood up, muttering a spell as he did so. I tried to stand, only to find I was stuck to the couch.

"You put a binding spell on me?" I asked, in utter disbelief.

"I'm evil, remember?" He smirked.

"Like I could ever forget! And, just so you know, sitting here, bound to a couch is not fun!"

"I could make it fun."

"You could just release me, too. But there's no chance of that, is there?"

"Hmm. Nope, not really. Oh, and tell the nurse that she is free to come and go as she pleases." Draco turned and began to leave, but stopped upon hearing my indignant shriek.

He smirked, and waved his wand, saying "prior incanteum."

Then he left. I sat in shock on the couch until the door fully closed, and then leapt up. The seeing stones! I could work on them now, so that I would be able to get away from him. I ran into the library, and dragged the trunk into an empty corner. I banished what little boxes were there and conjured up a cauldron to dump the stones into. The book was still at the bottom, and I lifted it out. I recited the spell to translate (sem endoc 'language of choice'; in this case English.) "Sem endoc English!" The words shimmered, then disappeared, then reappeared in English. The first thing it said was to separate the stones according to color, and to not use magic. If you did, the stones would no longer work. I conjured up many more cauldrons, and began the long, arduous task of separating the stones.

By the time Ginny had finished her shower, I had separated the red, lavender, and green stones. The cerulean (blue), orange, yellow, and violet stones were still in a pile.

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked from the doorway.

"Playing tiddlywinks, what does it look like?" I asked sarcastically.

"Sounds like fun."

"Oh, yes. Great fun. Interesting, too." I sighed. "Actually, these are the 'fabled' seeing stones of Merlin. If I could get them to work…"

"I see. Carry on, then. I'm going to use some of the fabric in the chest and make myself some new robes. D'you want me to make any for you?"

"Sure, why not. I'll work on these and you work on clothes for us."

Four hours and many trips to the bathroom later, I had finished separating the stones. The next instructions in the book was a riddle. It read:

First in a pack of three comes the color of royalty,

Next, the shade of twilight in fours.

Follow that by the ocean and earth's plants in alternating paths.

First water, than not, for five pairs.

The color of passion comes after, in a row of seven.

Then the brightest color of all,

Lined by the number of letters in it's name.

The last color comes in groups of nine.

Repeat all until the circle is complete,

And cast your spell.