I own nothing! I tried to make this an original plot and failed miserably.
Please don't sue!
Ch. 20 Too much, Too Little
Hermione sat at breakfast a few days later, pouring over her notes for her Muggle Studies test. Her heart was still light and giddy after Draco proposed to her. She wore her ring with much pride and warmth. She found it as a symbol of serenity, of security, of love. She hadn't told anyone yet about the engagement. She figured it'd be better to keep it quiet. Of course, she would tell Harry and Ron that evening when they were studying for the N.E.W.T.s of her big news.
Speaking of big news, why hadn't she heard from her parents? She expected to receive their reaction days earlier, but there was still no word from them. Perhaps they were too disappointed to react. Or maybe they hated her for what she had done. A flutter of fear dispersed through her stomach at the thought of being disowned by her own family.
Shaking the thought out of her head, she went back to her notes. She had a good 30 minutes of studying before taking the 12 parchment essay test. Her stomach rumbled in a sign of hunger, and Hermione picked up a piece of bacon. No one had discovered her pregnancy yet. She wasn't showing very much, but the big bulky robes allowed for her to gain a little bit of weight before anyone ever truly noticed that something was different about her.
A screeching of owls from overhead announced that the mail had finally arrived. A packet of letters dropped in front of Hermione and she scrambled furiously to see if one was from her parents. Finally, she recognized the all too familiar of her dad's chicken scratch he called handwriting. Hermione ripped open the letter and began to read it.
Hermione-
Your news was of an utmost shock to your mother and me. At first we did not know how to react to this sudden development in your life. After digesting your announcement, we had a very long conversation about your condition. We love you, but I am sorry to say we are very disappointed to hear that our 17-year-old daughter is now with child. You haven't even finished school! We respect your decision to keep your baby. However, we cannot accept your irresponsible behavior. We will not be financially supportive of you and your baby, nor will we help you out in any way. I feel that this is the best consequence. I understand that this was a very sudden occurrence, but I had fully believed you had a good head on your shoulders and therefore would have used better judgment concerning your personal life. You are still our daughter, and we love you dearly, but you are on your own.
Sincerely, your father
Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes and she read and reread the letter. She had expected something of his magnitude, but she had hoped that there would be some aid from her parents, even if was a baby blanket. She suddenly felt very alone, very abandoned. But, reluctantly, she took a piece of parchment from her book bag and responded to her father.
Dear Mom and Dad,
I understand. I had expected your reply as such. Draco Malfoy proposed to me a few nights ago and we will eventually be married. I am not asking for any financial aid, merely the acknowledgement that you understand my situation and that you will at least pretend to care about the happenings in my life.
Y Your Loving Daughter Hermione
She rolled up the little parchment and sent the parchment via a school owl. She wiped her eyes with her robe and tried very hard to concentrate on her notes, but her fathers words burned in her like fire. She was suddenly overwhelmed with emotions; anger, sadness, fear, anxiety, and nausea. The latter was more dominance, and Hermione ran out of the Great Room to the nearest girls' lavatory.
Draco, just entering the Great Room after a meeting with Professor Snape about the upcoming quidditch match with Ravenclaw, noticed as his fiancé ran out of the room with her hand over her mouth and her satchel still sitting at the table. He walked over to where she was sitting and looked around to see what could have made her so upset. He then saw the letter from her father, and instantly his heart broke. Only yesterday had he notified his parents of his engagement and of Hermione's pregnancy. He knew the shit storm that was about to hit and his stomach lurched at the thought of a bigger and redder howler being sent to him.
He picked up Hermione's belongings and walked in the direction that Hermione had started. On his way out he passed by Ron and Harry, both looking confused at Draco's extra luggage.
"She ran out of the room. I had only gotten into the Great Room when I saw her run out. I found this." He handed them the letter from her father.
"That's harsh," Ron muttered ruefully.
"Poor Hermione," Harry replied. His heart broke for his best friend at the thought of her and Draco, poor and pregnant and alone. "I'm sorry, Mate."
"I figured something like this would happen. My parents aren't gonna support us if they were fucking paid to by the Dark Lord." Draco's eyes saddened as he took the letter out of Ron's hand and walked out of the room on his way to Hermione.
"That's gotta be hard on her," Ron stated. "She's pregnant, no money, no parents, she's not even out of Hogwarts yet and already she's in deeper than she can handle. I just wish there was something we could do."
"Maybe there is," Harry interjected. He grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him away. "Come on!" * * * *
"Hermione, are you in here honey?" Draco poked his head into a girls' bathroom and waited for a reply. His ears were greeted with the sound of a flushing toilet and Hermione walking out the stall, her eyes red and her cheeks very flush. "Oh, Hermione!" He ran over to his bride-to-be and held her closely and she sobbed in his arms.
"Draco what are we going to do?" Hermione cried.
He could only hold her. "I don't know, 'Mione," he whispered. Her tears flowed freely and her sobs echoed through out the bathroom.
"How am I going to plan a wedding, give birth to a baby, find a job, and support our family, all while trying to study for N.E.W.T.s, graduate and look for a place to live? My parents aren't going to help us. No one will. We're all alone!" Hermione wailed. A bell rang about them. "And now I'm late for Muggle Studies!" She grabbed her things from Draco and headed for the door.
"Hermione don't go-"
"Just, let me go Draco. I need to clear my mind and take this test and study for N.E.W.T.s and." her voice trailed off as she walked out of the bathroom. He stood there for a moment, very lost in his thoughts.
"What the hell's gonna happen?" He looked at a mirror and saw his reflection. He looked tired. His hair was more unkempt than usual, there were bags under his eyes, and he was hungry. But, he was also late for Divination. He grabbed his bag and stalked off.
Hermione sat in the Gryffindor common room with Harry and Ron, very distant and very distracted as she tried to study for N.E.W.T.s. Tonight's subject was History of Magic.
"Hermione?"
"Huh? Yea? The answer is 1843," she stammered.
"How the hell do you do that?" Ron asked. She had gotten the answer right, of course, even when she wasn't paying attention.
"Um, guys?" she quipped. Harry and Ron looked at her as she found her voice. "Um..yea.hm.. Draco, well, he, yea, he..he.he proposed to me." She held out her shaking left hand that wore the ring.
"Oh my god.Hermione. Wow, that's so, wow" Ron stammered.
"Um..congratulations hun!" Harry gave her a weak hug, and she suddenly began to cry again. "Hermione? What's wrong?"
"I just can't take it anymore! All of this! My parents barely want anything to do with me, my fiancé and I are going to be dirt broke and in about 7 months we're going to have a baby. I don't know if I can even make it to graduation, let alone N.E.W.T.s, which is what we should be studying for but I can't even concentrate because I have to figure out how to get money, where to book a wedding, what to wear, who to invite, how-"
"Hermione! You're going to make yourself sick worrying." Harry stopped her.
"She already has," said an entering Draco.
Hermione sniffed. "Draco, what are you doing in here?"
"A letter came from your parents. I figured I'd give it to you. They had it specially delivered for you." He walked over to her and handed her the note. With two very shaky hands, she opened the letter, the handwriting she recognized as her mother's.
Our Little Hermione-
While your father and I are still extremely disappointed in your choice of actions, we are nonetheless relieved to know that Mr. Malfoy is taking responsibility. Your father and I will sit down and discuss this situation again tomorrow, and let you know what we've fully decided. I love you sweetheart, but you've been a great disappointment to us.
Mom
"Well." Ron asked with awaiting eyes.
"They're going to disown me. I just know they are. I'm going to be all alone with no food, no shelter." The room suddenly became very blurry and then dark.
Ch. 20 Too much, Too Little
Hermione sat at breakfast a few days later, pouring over her notes for her Muggle Studies test. Her heart was still light and giddy after Draco proposed to her. She wore her ring with much pride and warmth. She found it as a symbol of serenity, of security, of love. She hadn't told anyone yet about the engagement. She figured it'd be better to keep it quiet. Of course, she would tell Harry and Ron that evening when they were studying for the N.E.W.T.s of her big news.
Speaking of big news, why hadn't she heard from her parents? She expected to receive their reaction days earlier, but there was still no word from them. Perhaps they were too disappointed to react. Or maybe they hated her for what she had done. A flutter of fear dispersed through her stomach at the thought of being disowned by her own family.
Shaking the thought out of her head, she went back to her notes. She had a good 30 minutes of studying before taking the 12 parchment essay test. Her stomach rumbled in a sign of hunger, and Hermione picked up a piece of bacon. No one had discovered her pregnancy yet. She wasn't showing very much, but the big bulky robes allowed for her to gain a little bit of weight before anyone ever truly noticed that something was different about her.
A screeching of owls from overhead announced that the mail had finally arrived. A packet of letters dropped in front of Hermione and she scrambled furiously to see if one was from her parents. Finally, she recognized the all too familiar of her dad's chicken scratch he called handwriting. Hermione ripped open the letter and began to read it.
Hermione-
Your news was of an utmost shock to your mother and me. At first we did not know how to react to this sudden development in your life. After digesting your announcement, we had a very long conversation about your condition. We love you, but I am sorry to say we are very disappointed to hear that our 17-year-old daughter is now with child. You haven't even finished school! We respect your decision to keep your baby. However, we cannot accept your irresponsible behavior. We will not be financially supportive of you and your baby, nor will we help you out in any way. I feel that this is the best consequence. I understand that this was a very sudden occurrence, but I had fully believed you had a good head on your shoulders and therefore would have used better judgment concerning your personal life. You are still our daughter, and we love you dearly, but you are on your own.
Sincerely, your father
Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes and she read and reread the letter. She had expected something of his magnitude, but she had hoped that there would be some aid from her parents, even if was a baby blanket. She suddenly felt very alone, very abandoned. But, reluctantly, she took a piece of parchment from her book bag and responded to her father.
Dear Mom and Dad,
I understand. I had expected your reply as such. Draco Malfoy proposed to me a few nights ago and we will eventually be married. I am not asking for any financial aid, merely the acknowledgement that you understand my situation and that you will at least pretend to care about the happenings in my life.
Y Your Loving Daughter Hermione
She rolled up the little parchment and sent the parchment via a school owl. She wiped her eyes with her robe and tried very hard to concentrate on her notes, but her fathers words burned in her like fire. She was suddenly overwhelmed with emotions; anger, sadness, fear, anxiety, and nausea. The latter was more dominance, and Hermione ran out of the Great Room to the nearest girls' lavatory.
Draco, just entering the Great Room after a meeting with Professor Snape about the upcoming quidditch match with Ravenclaw, noticed as his fiancé ran out of the room with her hand over her mouth and her satchel still sitting at the table. He walked over to where she was sitting and looked around to see what could have made her so upset. He then saw the letter from her father, and instantly his heart broke. Only yesterday had he notified his parents of his engagement and of Hermione's pregnancy. He knew the shit storm that was about to hit and his stomach lurched at the thought of a bigger and redder howler being sent to him.
He picked up Hermione's belongings and walked in the direction that Hermione had started. On his way out he passed by Ron and Harry, both looking confused at Draco's extra luggage.
"She ran out of the room. I had only gotten into the Great Room when I saw her run out. I found this." He handed them the letter from her father.
"That's harsh," Ron muttered ruefully.
"Poor Hermione," Harry replied. His heart broke for his best friend at the thought of her and Draco, poor and pregnant and alone. "I'm sorry, Mate."
"I figured something like this would happen. My parents aren't gonna support us if they were fucking paid to by the Dark Lord." Draco's eyes saddened as he took the letter out of Ron's hand and walked out of the room on his way to Hermione.
"That's gotta be hard on her," Ron stated. "She's pregnant, no money, no parents, she's not even out of Hogwarts yet and already she's in deeper than she can handle. I just wish there was something we could do."
"Maybe there is," Harry interjected. He grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him away. "Come on!" * * * *
"Hermione, are you in here honey?" Draco poked his head into a girls' bathroom and waited for a reply. His ears were greeted with the sound of a flushing toilet and Hermione walking out the stall, her eyes red and her cheeks very flush. "Oh, Hermione!" He ran over to his bride-to-be and held her closely and she sobbed in his arms.
"Draco what are we going to do?" Hermione cried.
He could only hold her. "I don't know, 'Mione," he whispered. Her tears flowed freely and her sobs echoed through out the bathroom.
"How am I going to plan a wedding, give birth to a baby, find a job, and support our family, all while trying to study for N.E.W.T.s, graduate and look for a place to live? My parents aren't going to help us. No one will. We're all alone!" Hermione wailed. A bell rang about them. "And now I'm late for Muggle Studies!" She grabbed her things from Draco and headed for the door.
"Hermione don't go-"
"Just, let me go Draco. I need to clear my mind and take this test and study for N.E.W.T.s and." her voice trailed off as she walked out of the bathroom. He stood there for a moment, very lost in his thoughts.
"What the hell's gonna happen?" He looked at a mirror and saw his reflection. He looked tired. His hair was more unkempt than usual, there were bags under his eyes, and he was hungry. But, he was also late for Divination. He grabbed his bag and stalked off.
Hermione sat in the Gryffindor common room with Harry and Ron, very distant and very distracted as she tried to study for N.E.W.T.s. Tonight's subject was History of Magic.
"Hermione?"
"Huh? Yea? The answer is 1843," she stammered.
"How the hell do you do that?" Ron asked. She had gotten the answer right, of course, even when she wasn't paying attention.
"Um, guys?" she quipped. Harry and Ron looked at her as she found her voice. "Um..yea.hm.. Draco, well, he, yea, he..he.he proposed to me." She held out her shaking left hand that wore the ring.
"Oh my god.Hermione. Wow, that's so, wow" Ron stammered.
"Um..congratulations hun!" Harry gave her a weak hug, and she suddenly began to cry again. "Hermione? What's wrong?"
"I just can't take it anymore! All of this! My parents barely want anything to do with me, my fiancé and I are going to be dirt broke and in about 7 months we're going to have a baby. I don't know if I can even make it to graduation, let alone N.E.W.T.s, which is what we should be studying for but I can't even concentrate because I have to figure out how to get money, where to book a wedding, what to wear, who to invite, how-"
"Hermione! You're going to make yourself sick worrying." Harry stopped her.
"She already has," said an entering Draco.
Hermione sniffed. "Draco, what are you doing in here?"
"A letter came from your parents. I figured I'd give it to you. They had it specially delivered for you." He walked over to her and handed her the note. With two very shaky hands, she opened the letter, the handwriting she recognized as her mother's.
Our Little Hermione-
While your father and I are still extremely disappointed in your choice of actions, we are nonetheless relieved to know that Mr. Malfoy is taking responsibility. Your father and I will sit down and discuss this situation again tomorrow, and let you know what we've fully decided. I love you sweetheart, but you've been a great disappointment to us.
Mom
"Well." Ron asked with awaiting eyes.
"They're going to disown me. I just know they are. I'm going to be all alone with no food, no shelter." The room suddenly became very blurry and then dark.