Hermione stayed in her room all day. She was even too shocked to cry.
What was Draco THINKING? How could he blame her? What had she done to be blamed for? She hadn't wanted to get pregnant, she actually considered abortion, her pregnancy came as a complete shock - and not a good one. What was his problem, anyway?
And then she realized. He didn't really love her. Had he loved her, he would have never left her to take care of a baby all by herself. After all, it was not only her baby. Whether he liked it or not, it was his baby too! He was going to be a father! It was true that he didn't like it, but she didn't like the fact that she was going to be a mother any more than him!
But she still didn't understand. Draco wasn't the kind of guy to be with a girl unless he had a reason, and the reason could be love or getting something. He didn't get anything from Hermione, not even sex (besides that critical time!), and he told her he loved her. Why would he tell her that if he didn't feel anything?
Perhaps it was a teenage crisis.
And the result of this crisis is a baby!
Then she burst out crying.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I am going to have this baby.
Hermione reached this final decision in the evening of that long, long day.
I am not going to give up on this baby just because its father doesn't want it. I will not abort. I am going to raise this baby by myself. I know it will not be easy, but I want to do this. This is my baby and this is my decision. I will not let Draco ruin it for me.
As soon as she reached that decision, Hermione felt better. Not much better, for she was still very concerned about the future, but definitely better. She knew this was the right thing to do.
The next morning, she wore her usual cloak and went to her Auror training. First thing before she started, she asked to talk to her personal trainer, Mr. Elliot.
"Yes, Hermione, is there a problem?" he asked. He was a nice, old man with white hair, dark eyes and a warm smile.
"Well, actually, I don't know if it's a problem, Mr. Elliot," said Hermione seriously, "but I'm afraid you might see this as a problem. You see, I'm pregnant." There was no point in stammering like she had done in front of Draco.
Mr. Elliot's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"
"I'm pregnant," said Hermione again.
"What - since when?" asked Mr. Elliot, totally shocked.
"Since June. I think I'll have the baby around March."
"You're HAVING this baby?"
"Yes."
"B-but - but - you know this means you will not be able to continue your Auror training!"
"Yes, I know. If it's OK with you, I will put the training on hold until the baby is old enough. Then I'll continue."
"Hermione," said Mr. Elliot, shaking his head, "I do not want to criticize you, but I think it is very irresponsible. I'm not sure it's acceptable here, because the training is so important and it's not always possible to put in on hold."
"But Mr. Elliot, you know me," said Hermione desperately. "This is not my fault. I didn't want to get pregnant, you see? It was a mistake. And I promise you, I will only take three months holiday and then return, and you'll see, I'll be much more energetic. I will not forget anything, I promise to practice during my holiday."
"I will have to talk to the Ministry about this," said Mr. Elliot, "I'll try to sort it out, but I can't promise you anything. Now let's get back to work."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hermione was worried all day long. What if they don't accept her pregnancy? What if they decided she wasn't responsible enough to continue the training?
She had to share her troubles with someone and tell everything. She wanted to tell Harry and Ron, like she was used to. They were still her best friends.
"Harry, can I talk to you?" she asked after they both finished their training.
"Sure," said Harry, and they both entered an empty training room.
Hermione had already learned not to stumble around when she was telling people. She just wanted to say it and get it over with. "Harry," she said urgently, "I'm pregnant."
Harry's eyes bulged. He tripped over a chair leg and almost fell. "You're WHAT?!"
"I'm pregant," she repeated. "I know it's a shock, but trust me, it was a great shock for me, too."
"But - but Hermione - " Harry stammered, gazing at her in disbelief. "What - who's the father?"
Hermione lowered her eyes and bit her lip. The mere thought of Draco caused her pain. "Draco Malfoy," she answered quietly.
"Why did I even ask?" Harry muttered. "Are you going to have this baby?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Harry looked at her seriously. "Hermione, a baby demands a lot of responsibility, not to mention all the time and money and hard work you will have to invest... and you don't even have a job - you're only training..."
"I know all this, Harry," Hermione replied. "But I feel I really want to do this. It's really important, and my mother promised to help me."
"Hermione... is this pregnancy a mistake? I mean, did you plan to get pregnant?"
Hermione swallowed hard. "No."
Harry gazed at her. "Hermione, I gotta admit, of all girls, you're the last... I mean... I never thought you'd be the one to get pregnant by mistake."
"I was drunk."
Harry stared.
"Yes, I know it sounds surprising," said Hermione. "Remember our last night in Hogwarts? When we had this party and there were drinks and stuff?" Harry nodded, looking upset. "I got drunk, and Draco did, too, and we... well, you know what we did." Hermione blushed furiously.
Harry continued to stare as if unable to believe.
"It's the truth," said Hermione quietly.
"Hermione," said Harry suddenly, "Does he know yet?"
"Who?"
"Draco."
"Yes. I told him yesterday."
"And what did he say?"
"Well..." Hermione bit her lip again. "He... he didn't really like it."
"What do you mean?" said Harry, loudly and apprehensively. "WHAT did he say?"
"He... he kind of said that he doesn't want to help me raise this baby," said Hermione in a small voice.
"He said what?!"
"Yeah, and he told me I was irresponsible for turning him into a father without asking for his permission..."
Harry turned red with anger.
Hermione's shoulders shook, and tears streamed down her cheeks. "He was really rude. He said... he said he doesn't want this baby and I would have to raise it all by myself, because he would not help me."
Harry pulled her towards him and hugged her tightly. "That idiot," he murmured as Hermione pressed herself against his chest.
"I was so stupid," sobbed Hermione. She noticed this was the fifth or sixth time in three days she was crying. "I thought he had really changed. I thought he loved me. But I was wrong - he remained the same mean git he used to be..."
After several minutes she raised her head to look into Harry's eyes. "Harry - don't tell anyone, OK? Especially not Ron. I'll tell him myself in a few days."
"No problem, Hermione."
"Thank you so much, Harry," she said, hugging him again, "you're a true friend."
What was Draco THINKING? How could he blame her? What had she done to be blamed for? She hadn't wanted to get pregnant, she actually considered abortion, her pregnancy came as a complete shock - and not a good one. What was his problem, anyway?
And then she realized. He didn't really love her. Had he loved her, he would have never left her to take care of a baby all by herself. After all, it was not only her baby. Whether he liked it or not, it was his baby too! He was going to be a father! It was true that he didn't like it, but she didn't like the fact that she was going to be a mother any more than him!
But she still didn't understand. Draco wasn't the kind of guy to be with a girl unless he had a reason, and the reason could be love or getting something. He didn't get anything from Hermione, not even sex (besides that critical time!), and he told her he loved her. Why would he tell her that if he didn't feel anything?
Perhaps it was a teenage crisis.
And the result of this crisis is a baby!
Then she burst out crying.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I am going to have this baby.
Hermione reached this final decision in the evening of that long, long day.
I am not going to give up on this baby just because its father doesn't want it. I will not abort. I am going to raise this baby by myself. I know it will not be easy, but I want to do this. This is my baby and this is my decision. I will not let Draco ruin it for me.
As soon as she reached that decision, Hermione felt better. Not much better, for she was still very concerned about the future, but definitely better. She knew this was the right thing to do.
The next morning, she wore her usual cloak and went to her Auror training. First thing before she started, she asked to talk to her personal trainer, Mr. Elliot.
"Yes, Hermione, is there a problem?" he asked. He was a nice, old man with white hair, dark eyes and a warm smile.
"Well, actually, I don't know if it's a problem, Mr. Elliot," said Hermione seriously, "but I'm afraid you might see this as a problem. You see, I'm pregnant." There was no point in stammering like she had done in front of Draco.
Mr. Elliot's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"
"I'm pregnant," said Hermione again.
"What - since when?" asked Mr. Elliot, totally shocked.
"Since June. I think I'll have the baby around March."
"You're HAVING this baby?"
"Yes."
"B-but - but - you know this means you will not be able to continue your Auror training!"
"Yes, I know. If it's OK with you, I will put the training on hold until the baby is old enough. Then I'll continue."
"Hermione," said Mr. Elliot, shaking his head, "I do not want to criticize you, but I think it is very irresponsible. I'm not sure it's acceptable here, because the training is so important and it's not always possible to put in on hold."
"But Mr. Elliot, you know me," said Hermione desperately. "This is not my fault. I didn't want to get pregnant, you see? It was a mistake. And I promise you, I will only take three months holiday and then return, and you'll see, I'll be much more energetic. I will not forget anything, I promise to practice during my holiday."
"I will have to talk to the Ministry about this," said Mr. Elliot, "I'll try to sort it out, but I can't promise you anything. Now let's get back to work."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hermione was worried all day long. What if they don't accept her pregnancy? What if they decided she wasn't responsible enough to continue the training?
She had to share her troubles with someone and tell everything. She wanted to tell Harry and Ron, like she was used to. They were still her best friends.
"Harry, can I talk to you?" she asked after they both finished their training.
"Sure," said Harry, and they both entered an empty training room.
Hermione had already learned not to stumble around when she was telling people. She just wanted to say it and get it over with. "Harry," she said urgently, "I'm pregnant."
Harry's eyes bulged. He tripped over a chair leg and almost fell. "You're WHAT?!"
"I'm pregant," she repeated. "I know it's a shock, but trust me, it was a great shock for me, too."
"But - but Hermione - " Harry stammered, gazing at her in disbelief. "What - who's the father?"
Hermione lowered her eyes and bit her lip. The mere thought of Draco caused her pain. "Draco Malfoy," she answered quietly.
"Why did I even ask?" Harry muttered. "Are you going to have this baby?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Harry looked at her seriously. "Hermione, a baby demands a lot of responsibility, not to mention all the time and money and hard work you will have to invest... and you don't even have a job - you're only training..."
"I know all this, Harry," Hermione replied. "But I feel I really want to do this. It's really important, and my mother promised to help me."
"Hermione... is this pregnancy a mistake? I mean, did you plan to get pregnant?"
Hermione swallowed hard. "No."
Harry gazed at her. "Hermione, I gotta admit, of all girls, you're the last... I mean... I never thought you'd be the one to get pregnant by mistake."
"I was drunk."
Harry stared.
"Yes, I know it sounds surprising," said Hermione. "Remember our last night in Hogwarts? When we had this party and there were drinks and stuff?" Harry nodded, looking upset. "I got drunk, and Draco did, too, and we... well, you know what we did." Hermione blushed furiously.
Harry continued to stare as if unable to believe.
"It's the truth," said Hermione quietly.
"Hermione," said Harry suddenly, "Does he know yet?"
"Who?"
"Draco."
"Yes. I told him yesterday."
"And what did he say?"
"Well..." Hermione bit her lip again. "He... he didn't really like it."
"What do you mean?" said Harry, loudly and apprehensively. "WHAT did he say?"
"He... he kind of said that he doesn't want to help me raise this baby," said Hermione in a small voice.
"He said what?!"
"Yeah, and he told me I was irresponsible for turning him into a father without asking for his permission..."
Harry turned red with anger.
Hermione's shoulders shook, and tears streamed down her cheeks. "He was really rude. He said... he said he doesn't want this baby and I would have to raise it all by myself, because he would not help me."
Harry pulled her towards him and hugged her tightly. "That idiot," he murmured as Hermione pressed herself against his chest.
"I was so stupid," sobbed Hermione. She noticed this was the fifth or sixth time in three days she was crying. "I thought he had really changed. I thought he loved me. But I was wrong - he remained the same mean git he used to be..."
After several minutes she raised her head to look into Harry's eyes. "Harry - don't tell anyone, OK? Especially not Ron. I'll tell him myself in a few days."
"No problem, Hermione."
"Thank you so much, Harry," she said, hugging him again, "you're a true friend."