Chapter 18: Aemulus Vindicta

            After the conference in which plans had been laid for the safety and concealment of herself and their child, Draco and Hermione tried as hard as they could to go back to their usual lives in Hogwarts. It was very difficult, knowing that their time together was running out. It had been decided that Hermione would return to her parents during the summer holidays, returning only in August to Hogwarts to have the child in secret. After that, Dumbledore had in mind a complicated plan of concealment for the mother and child which was to be put into action as soon as possible.

            Hermione was stressed out about the NEWTS which were soon after the Easter holidays and found it difficult to concentrate on her studies because of morning sickness. Fortunately, the professors were understanding about her difficult situation and did not expect her usual standard in class. Harry had told Ginny and Ron, in strictest confidence. Ginny, who had inherited her mother's passion for children, was thrilled. She had already proposed about twenty different baby names to Hermione. However, as Ginny was fond of reading muggle romance novels, Hermione had to reject most of the names such as "Ricardo", "Cassidy", "Gaston" etc.

            Ron had been a different matter altogether. She hadn't been there to witness the exact scene when Harry had told Ron. However, the next day Ron had come up to her, shaken her hand awkwardly and said in a constipated sort of way, "Congratulations." He hadn't been able to look her in the eye after that and treated her with a sort of creaking formality which was quite odd. Harry had told her later that Ron had trashed up his whole room and the house elves had had quite a time repairing everything, but he was dealing with it better now.

            The Prefects were planning the Graduation Ball as they always did at that time of year and Hermione found herself swamped with work and duties again. So it was that one day, as she hurried with a pile of books in her arms from the Prefects room back to her Head's Room after supper one evening, that she failed to notice to a shadowy figure hurriedly following her along the corridor. As she rounded the corner, she bumped into Pansy Parkinson and both girls dropped their stacks of books.

            "Clumsy mudblood!" said Pansy rudely, glaring at Hermione.

            "Clumsy yourself!" said Hermione, kneeling down to pick up her books. At that moment, she heard a voice behind her say softly, "Petrificus Totalus!". Hermione pitched forward onto the floor and all went dark.

            Before she opened her eyes, she was aware of a pounding headache. Slowly, she opened her eyes and found herself staring into the face of Pansy Parkinson. Her hands were tied behind her. She was in a rarely used Girls' toilet on the first floor.

            "Look Pansy, is this really necessary? I'm sorry I made you drop your books but you bumped into me too, you know."

            Pansy slapped her hard, throwing her head back.

            "It's not about the books, stupid mudblood."

            Hermione began to feel frightened. "Pansy- what's this all about? You are going to get into so much trouble!"

            "I don't think so," sneered Pansy. "We've planned this properly. After this, when we obliviate you, you won't remember a thing."

            Hermione looked up and became aware of another girl in the room- Millicent Bulstrode. Apparently, it was a Slytherin thing.

            "Do you know, that when foreign students visit Hogwarts, they get a little orientation programme? We've decided to have a little orientation programme you, Miss Greenleaf, since you've come all the way from Durmstrang to visit us."

            Hermione kept her face expressionless, "I don't know what you're talking about, Pansy. You'd better let me go now."

            She felt a burning pain in her arm and cried out, Millicent had put her wand tip there and whispered a burning spell, burning through the material of her blouse. "Don't threaten us, you lying bitch. We got hold of your dear Draco's potions textbook and, with a simple priori incantatem managed to find out that it was you he took to the Yule Ball!"

            "Yeah well, like he would ever ask you" said Hermione bravely, for which she received another burn on her arm. She resisted crying out.

            "Oooh, getting feisty are we? Well, in that case, shall we begin her orientation programme, Miss Bulstrode?"

            Millicent grinned madly at Pansy and aimed her wand at Hermione, "Vomica", Hermione screamed as a large sore appeared on her leg, followed by another.

            "You are crazy! Stop this now!"

            "Not unless you stop seeing Draco. Or can you not resist our handsome Slytherin Head Boy, slut?"

            Hermione snickered bitterly through her tears of pain and rage, "Even if I did he would never go out with you, you insane cow!"

            "Linguis Flagrantia" Hermione felt her tongue began to burn. It felt like it was on fire. She screamed.  "That's for calling me names, bitch." said Pansy, putting down her wand.

            "Well, enough fun and games," said Millicent. "Let's get down to the serious business."

            At the end of the hour, Hermione was all alone in the toilet. She was hunched in a corner and vomiting. There was blood all around her. There was a pain in her stomach. She couldn't move much, but worse, she couldn't remember anything.

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            "Strigo"

            Draco disapparated his Gladeus and stood panting over his opponent.

            "Well done, Malfoy. I think that's your best effort yet. Your concentration has improved greatly"

            "Oh he got lucky!" said the masked figure standing up.

            "Good round, Fletchley." said Mr Figg, approaching the two boys. "Not quite up to the right standard yet but you two'll soon be there. One word- remember that the Gladeus needs concentration to maintain, so don't get so carried away with the swordplay that you forget to maintain it. That was your mistake this round, Fletchley."

            The trainee nodded. Both were bleeding slightly where their Gladeus had cut through the Dragon Hide outfits. "That will be all from me today, Professor Lupin has arranged more training in resisting Dark Curses for you."

            Remus Lupin stood up from his position at the side.

            "We will wait for those two Gryffindors to join us – they are having Herbology with the Ravenclaws at the moment and will be with us shortly. In the meantime, please go and change out of those outfits and clean up those cuts. Fortunately don't look too serious today."

            "Good one, Malfoy" said Flethcley as he began removing his mask and shirt.

            "Yeah, you too," said Draco, still a bit winded from the effort.

            "I never liked duelling much. Too bloody dangerous if you ask me."

            "But necessary- conjuring up the Gladeus is our only hope if our wands have been taken from us in battle."

            "Yes I know. I hope it never comes to that, though."

            Draco nodded grimly. Both boys were stripped to their waists as they headed for the Boys' toilets on the first floor. The training hall was kept in a secret location in a very remote part of the castle.

            "Do you hear that?" asked Justin Finch Fletchley suddenly stopping in his tracks.

            "What?"

            "Sshh!"

            Both boys stood still and strained their ears. They heard a faint scream, followed shortly by another. By instinct, they ran towards the sound.

            It only took Draco a second to decide if he had permission to enter the Girls' toilets. He didn't, so he barged in, closely followed by Justin Finch Fletchley.

            It took a while for both boys to process what they were seeing. There was a brown-haired girl lying on the floor in front of the row of sinks, her robes covered with dark stains of blood. Another two girls, were standing by her side with their wands raised.

            The girls looked shocked at their intrusion.

            "EXPELLIARMUS!" shouted Draco and Justin together, pointing their wands at the girls. With a scream, the two girls were thrown back against the cubicles as their wands flew out of their hands. They looked stunned.

            "Get them," said Draco to Justin as he ran for the girl on the floor.

            His heart went cold when he saw who it was.

            "Hermione! Oh my god! Hermione, speak to me!" he lifted her into his arms. Our baby he thought. Oh my god.

            She wasn't talking much. Her eyelids flickered open for a second and she smiled weakly, then she fainted.

            He turned on Pansy and Millicent, who were cowering in a corner, under the guard of Fletchley. Malfoy had always had an intimidating presence, most of the younger students were terrified of him. This time, he looked like murder.

            "Malfoy" said Justin, holding down his friend's wand arm, "don't."

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            "You're lucky you're not back in class yet because we were given an awful essay to write by Professor Lupin," said Harry glumly, as he munched on a pumpkin pasty next to Hermione's bed in the hospital wing.

            "Yeah, two feet of parchment research on uncursing cursed objects." Said Ron, who was seated on the other side of her.

            "Oh dear, I always wanted to know more about that," said Hermione, worriedly. "Is it coming out for the NEWTS?"

            "Honestly Hermione!" said Harry. "Well, you can read mine if I pass."

            "And the Slytherins went and borrowed all the books on that subject in the library out…so now we have to go around begging them to lend us a copy." Continued Ron.

            "Well, I guess we're lucky there are two less of them now, what with Pansy and Millicent expelled" said Harry.

            "Ask Draco to lend you his copy then," said Hermione, eating a pumpkin pasty herself.

            Ron made a face. "Ferret boy? Ugh."

            "Ron."

            "Okay okay. Just kidding."

            "Hey, where are you spending the Easter holidays guys?" asked Hermione.

            "Mum wants me back, Percy and Penelope's wedding is in June so there's lots of stuff to prepare…suits to order, rehearsals, well, you know, wedding stuff." said Ron vaguely.

            "And I'm visiting Sirius," said Harry. "He's bought this great new place in the country and I'm supposed to do up my bedroom for when I stay with him after graduation."

            Both boys looked at Hermione worriedly, they knew she was upset that she would be alone during the Easter holidays as Draco had been asked back to Malfoy Manor.

            "You can come stay with me, Hermione" asked Ron, reddening. "Just like old times."

            "Or me," offered Harry. "really, that would be fun, Sirius would love to have you."

            "That's okay guys, my parents really want to see me. They were informed what happened by Professor Dumbledore you know and are a bit concerned. I miss them too. And me having a baby and everything, my mum's so excited."

            Her best friends nodded.

            "Hermione?" a blonde head appeared around the curtains.

            "Time to go," said Harry, standing up. Ron and Harry nodded to Draco as he entered the cubicle. Suddenly, Ron turned back and spoke up, "Malfoy, would you mind lending us that Cursed Objects book once you've finished your essay for Lupin?"