A few hours later, Hermione didn't really remember how she managed to
pretend everything was OK in front of Harry and the Weasleys, or exactly
what excuse she used in order to go home soon, or how she forced herself to
smile when she said goodbye to all of them and thanked Ron. All she knew
was that her whole life was ruined in that damned night. Why did she have
to drink? WHY?!!?!
I'm only eighteen years old, Hermione thought, throwing herself on her bed again. Only 18. She was still a teenager! And actually, she felt like a child now. A small, lonely, helpless child.
And even before she turned 18, she managed to destroy everything she had by getting pregnant.
How nice is that?
She hated herself.
Suddenly a new thought jumped into her mind. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn't too late. Maybe she could abort?
But this thought made her shiver. No, she won't abort. How could she do such a thing to the creature that is growing inside of her? She put a hand on her stomach. This baby is right there now... what an amazing thought.
I am going to be a mother.
She shivered again. She felt so helpless. I'm not ready to be a mother yet! She thought desperately. I myself am still a child!
She needed her own mother now.
With this thought, she got out of her bed and went straight over to her parents' house. It was now late afternoon, the sun was setting, and Hermione knew her father won't be home. Every Saturday afternoon he used to visit friends and stay there till night.
Her mother opened the door. "Hermione! What a pleasant surprise, dear!"
But Hermione didn't hold the power to pretend anymore. She burst out crying and threw herself in her mother's arms.
"Hermione! Hermione, dear - what's wrong?"
Hermione sobbed too hard to answer. Mrs. Granger pulled her into the house, closed the door and led her to the couch. They sat down, and Hermione threw her arms around her mother and continued to sob against her shoulder.
"What's the matter, sweetheart?" asked Mrs. Granger worriedly, hugging her.
Hermione tried to calm down, but couldn't. "Mom," she panted, tears streaming down her cheeks, "Mommy - I'm pregnant."
"You're what?" Mrs. Granger gasped.
Hermione was still crying. "I went to St. Mungo's today - " she managed to say between the outburst of cry, " - you know Ron invited me, and Harry, and his family - and they had free - general health tests for women - so - so I went there and - and they told me I was pregnant!"
"But - but - " Mrs. Granger was unable to believe. "But Hermione - is it from Draco?"
"Y-yes," Hermione sobbed. "I'm sorry, Mom. On our last night in Hogwarts, the two of us got drunk and we had sex. It was my first time, Mom, and I can't even remember it! I felt so horrible afterwards, I didn't want to tell you - or anybody else. I just wanted to forget about it - pretend it never happened - but now - now - "
"Shh," whispered Mrs. Granger, hugging her daughter tightly. "It's OK, honey. I'm here."
"I'm almost into my third month!" Hermione cried.
Mrs. Granger stroked Hermione's hair. "Don't worry, darling. Everything is going to be alright."
"How, Mom?" Hermione raised desperate, tearing eyes to her mother. "What am I going to do?"
"Well," said Mrs. Granger quietly, still stroking her hair, "it is your choice. Do you want to make an abortion?"
"N-no!" Hermione gasped. This thought made her burst out crying all over again. "I don't want to do that, Mom, there's a live creature inside me - I can't do it - "
"It's OK, Hermione. It's your choice, I will not prevent you from having this child."
"But - but I don't know how to raise a child!" Hermione sobbed. "I'm so young, Mom - I only turned eighteen last week! How can I become a mother so soon? I will be a horrible mother - I don't know how to take care of a baby!"
"I will help you, honey. I promise. Don't worry."
"You will help me, Mom?" Hermione looked at her mother. "You will really be there for me? You will teach me how to take care of my child?"
"I will. I promise."
"Thank you so much, Mom," Hermione hugged her again.
"Hermione - does Draco know?"
"No," Hermione murmured. "I don't know how I'm going to tell him."
"You have to tell him at once," instructed Mrs. Granger. "He has the right to know, dear, he is the father."
"I-I know. But-but what if he wouldn't be happy?"
"He probably won't, Hermione, you're both so young and you're not even married. But it doesn't matter how he reacts, dear, he has to know."
"Fine." Hermione took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll go tell him. First thing tomorrow morning."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Draco and his mother, Narcissa, were sitting in the kitchen, eating dinner.
"Why didn't you meet Hermione today, Draco?" Narcissa asked.
"Ron is a Healer in St. Mungo's, and he invited her and his family to visit - " at that precise moment Draco noticed an owl on the window sill. He got up, opened the window and took the letter which was addressed "Draco Malfoy, the Malfoy Manor, in the kitchen".
------ Dear Draco, I really need to talk to you. It's about something very, very important. Could you please come to my house tomorrow morning? Send me an answer with the owl. Love, Hermione. ------
Draco took a quill and scribbled: "I will, no problem, see ya tomorrow morning at your place" and sent the owl on its way. As he watched it flying away and disappearing in the dark sky, he wondered what Hermione had to tell him...
I'm only eighteen years old, Hermione thought, throwing herself on her bed again. Only 18. She was still a teenager! And actually, she felt like a child now. A small, lonely, helpless child.
And even before she turned 18, she managed to destroy everything she had by getting pregnant.
How nice is that?
She hated herself.
Suddenly a new thought jumped into her mind. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn't too late. Maybe she could abort?
But this thought made her shiver. No, she won't abort. How could she do such a thing to the creature that is growing inside of her? She put a hand on her stomach. This baby is right there now... what an amazing thought.
I am going to be a mother.
She shivered again. She felt so helpless. I'm not ready to be a mother yet! She thought desperately. I myself am still a child!
She needed her own mother now.
With this thought, she got out of her bed and went straight over to her parents' house. It was now late afternoon, the sun was setting, and Hermione knew her father won't be home. Every Saturday afternoon he used to visit friends and stay there till night.
Her mother opened the door. "Hermione! What a pleasant surprise, dear!"
But Hermione didn't hold the power to pretend anymore. She burst out crying and threw herself in her mother's arms.
"Hermione! Hermione, dear - what's wrong?"
Hermione sobbed too hard to answer. Mrs. Granger pulled her into the house, closed the door and led her to the couch. They sat down, and Hermione threw her arms around her mother and continued to sob against her shoulder.
"What's the matter, sweetheart?" asked Mrs. Granger worriedly, hugging her.
Hermione tried to calm down, but couldn't. "Mom," she panted, tears streaming down her cheeks, "Mommy - I'm pregnant."
"You're what?" Mrs. Granger gasped.
Hermione was still crying. "I went to St. Mungo's today - " she managed to say between the outburst of cry, " - you know Ron invited me, and Harry, and his family - and they had free - general health tests for women - so - so I went there and - and they told me I was pregnant!"
"But - but - " Mrs. Granger was unable to believe. "But Hermione - is it from Draco?"
"Y-yes," Hermione sobbed. "I'm sorry, Mom. On our last night in Hogwarts, the two of us got drunk and we had sex. It was my first time, Mom, and I can't even remember it! I felt so horrible afterwards, I didn't want to tell you - or anybody else. I just wanted to forget about it - pretend it never happened - but now - now - "
"Shh," whispered Mrs. Granger, hugging her daughter tightly. "It's OK, honey. I'm here."
"I'm almost into my third month!" Hermione cried.
Mrs. Granger stroked Hermione's hair. "Don't worry, darling. Everything is going to be alright."
"How, Mom?" Hermione raised desperate, tearing eyes to her mother. "What am I going to do?"
"Well," said Mrs. Granger quietly, still stroking her hair, "it is your choice. Do you want to make an abortion?"
"N-no!" Hermione gasped. This thought made her burst out crying all over again. "I don't want to do that, Mom, there's a live creature inside me - I can't do it - "
"It's OK, Hermione. It's your choice, I will not prevent you from having this child."
"But - but I don't know how to raise a child!" Hermione sobbed. "I'm so young, Mom - I only turned eighteen last week! How can I become a mother so soon? I will be a horrible mother - I don't know how to take care of a baby!"
"I will help you, honey. I promise. Don't worry."
"You will help me, Mom?" Hermione looked at her mother. "You will really be there for me? You will teach me how to take care of my child?"
"I will. I promise."
"Thank you so much, Mom," Hermione hugged her again.
"Hermione - does Draco know?"
"No," Hermione murmured. "I don't know how I'm going to tell him."
"You have to tell him at once," instructed Mrs. Granger. "He has the right to know, dear, he is the father."
"I-I know. But-but what if he wouldn't be happy?"
"He probably won't, Hermione, you're both so young and you're not even married. But it doesn't matter how he reacts, dear, he has to know."
"Fine." Hermione took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll go tell him. First thing tomorrow morning."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Draco and his mother, Narcissa, were sitting in the kitchen, eating dinner.
"Why didn't you meet Hermione today, Draco?" Narcissa asked.
"Ron is a Healer in St. Mungo's, and he invited her and his family to visit - " at that precise moment Draco noticed an owl on the window sill. He got up, opened the window and took the letter which was addressed "Draco Malfoy, the Malfoy Manor, in the kitchen".
------ Dear Draco, I really need to talk to you. It's about something very, very important. Could you please come to my house tomorrow morning? Send me an answer with the owl. Love, Hermione. ------
Draco took a quill and scribbled: "I will, no problem, see ya tomorrow morning at your place" and sent the owl on its way. As he watched it flying away and disappearing in the dark sky, he wondered what Hermione had to tell him...