Chapter 4: Weird Cravings

Draco walked through the portrait hole after dinner a few weeks later, only to be greeted by the sound of Hermione singing rather loudly and slightly off-key.

"I'm walkin' on sunshine! Whoa-oh! I'm walkin' on sunshine! Whoa-oh! I'm walkin' on sunshine! Whoa-oh! And don't it feel good!"

Draco put his bag down cautiously on the couch and walked over to the small kitchen where the pregnant girl was dancing around and making her dinner.

She had completely stopped eating in the Great Hall because the different smell combinations were doing weird things to her stomach. Dumbledore had in turn given them this special kitchenette. The refrigerator and cupboards were directly linked to the kitchens and worked much the way the Room of Requirement did. You only had to think of which food or ingredients you wanted and they appeared.

Draco quirked an eyebrow and smirked slightly as she continued dancing around the room, apparently oblivious to his presence. "Having fun, are we?"

She whirled around in surprise then glared at him in mock indignation. "You scared me!"

"Sorry." He came the rest of the way in and grabbed a butterbeer from the fridge. "So what's for dinner tonight?"

She showed him what he had come to recognize as strawberry frozen waffles with what looked like cream cheese and pickle relish on top.

"Want some?" Hermione offered, holding out the plate to him.

He shuddered slightly and waved his hand. "No thanks. I, uh, already ate."

She shrugged as if to say, "Your loss," then took her food back to the couch with her. "Um, Draco? Would you mind if Ron and Harry came over here tonight? I told them I'd help with their potions essays."

Draco shrugged. He still wasn't terribly fond of her two best friends, but he had promised her he would make an effort with them. "Sure, I guess."

"Great! I'll let them know." She scribbled out a quick message and folded it into a little paper airplane. One brief spell later and the note was winging its way up to the Gryffindor common room. "They should be here in a few minutes."

Draco nodded and pulled out his own textbooks and a roll of parchment.

"Whatcha working on?" Hermione asked, licking the cream cheese off her fork in the process.

"Transfiguration essay on animagi."

Hermione nodded and hooked her leg over the arm of the chair. "Yeah, that one was kinda tough."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Was?"

"Yeah. I finished all my homework for this week already. The professors have given me all theory stuff and they give it to me all in advance." Then she rolled her eyes. "Not like they let me do any of the practical work anyway. Honestly, Hagrid wouldn't even let me get near a flobberworm today! Really." She huffed in indignation. A knock sounded just then at the portrait and she instantly perked up. "I'll get it!"

Draco dazedly watched her bounce to the door, still trying to track the many moods she had cycled through in the past five minutes. Finally he just shook his head and turned back to his homework.

Harry and Ron walked in and plunked their bags on the floor, shooting Draco a few wary glances as they did. They pulled out their homework materials as Hermione cleared her dishes. She moved to sit down then let out a small squeak. "Eep! Tea's visiting. I'll be back in a jiff!"

With that she trotted down the hall to the bathroom.

All three boys stared at the now empty hall and Ron whistled. "Wow. Has she been like this all day?"

"Like what?" Draco asked dryly.

"Like she's" the redhead pointed down the hall, apparently at a loss for words. "She's bloody hyperactive!"

Draco snorted then buried his face in his homework when he heard the bathroom door being opened again.

"So," Hermione said as she came bouncing back into the room. "About that potions essay."


That evening after the Gryffindors had left Draco was putting his things away in his room when he heard sniffling coming from next door. He knocked softly on Hermione's door then stuck his head in. She was sitting at her window crying softly and hugging her knees to her chest.

He was across the room in a few quick strides and pulled her into a hug. "Hermione, what is it?"

"I haven't told my parents yet," She whispered softly, tears still running down her cheeks and soaking into his shirt. "I can't. They'll hate me."

Draco hugged her tighter and kissed the top of her head. "They won't hate you, Hermione."

"How do you know?"

"Because they love you. I know that much, even though I've never met them. One mistake won't change that."

"Are you sure?" The tears had stopped but she was still shaking.

"I'm sure."

She nodded and put her head on his shoulder. "You know, I started to tell them in my last letter, but somehow I just couldn't."

"It's not exactly the kind of thing that's easy to say in a letter."

"No joke. But I also don't want to have to tell them to their face. For a Gryffindor I can be a bloody coward."

"Hey, being nervous isn't being a coward," Draco replied. "And in all honesty, it would probably be better in the end if you did tell them in person."

She nodded reluctantly, still looking unsure.

He directed her to look at him with a finger to her chin then voiced his impromptu decision. "I can go with you when you go home for the Christmas holidays if you want me to. Would that help?"

She looked up at him in surprise and gratitude. "Oh, thank you! Are you sure you wouldn't mind?"

Draco shrugged, a hint of sadness creeping into his eyes. "I don't have anybody to go home to now since my father was arrested again. Not like I would want to go home to him anyway…" Then he mentally shook himself and smiled down at her. "So no, I wouldn't mind in the slightest, just as long as you promise I'll come back in one piece."

"What do you mean?"

He looked at her in mock horror. "Your parents! I got their only baby pregnant! I'm seriously starting to fear for my life!"

A giggle escaped before she could stop it. "Oh, come on. They're not that bad!"

He sighed dramatically then continued. "I don't know. I've never really been around Muggles before. They very well might have all sorts of torture devices reserved especially for the guy who gets their only daughter pregnant." He shot her a glance. "You wouldn't let anything bad happen to the father of your child, would you?"

She laughed again then tapped a finger on her chin. "Hm. Well, that all depends on how nice he is to me," she replied, her eyes twinkling enough to rival Dumbledore.

Draco let out a sound of mock outrage, causing her to giggle again.

"Nah," she continued. "You've got nice teeth and you're well mannered when you want to be. They shouldn't have too much of a problem with you."

"What do my teeth have to do with anything?" Draco asked in confusion.

"Both my parents are dentists," she explained. Seeing the look of confusion again, she smiled. "Dentists work on people's teeth and give them pretty smiles."

"So your parents stick their hands in other people's mouths for a living?" Draco clarified, giving her an odd look.

She giggled again. "Yep. Pretty much." Then her look turned serious again. "Thank you for doing this, Draco. I know you don't have to. I'm not sure if I would've stayed with me if I were you. So thank you, for everything." She kissed his cheek then headed down the hall to brush her teeth, leaving a very bewildered Draco in her wake.


a/n: Aaaaand there's chapter 4! yay! I'm having so much fun writing this story! tee hee. oh, and I totally know the waffle thing with the cream cheese and such is really odd and kinda icky sounding, but I do have a friend who eats things very similar to that and she's not even pregnant! anyway, feel free to comment and such! toodles!

MenenTesa