Chapter 14: Draco's Father
It was a beautiful April day and Hermione was walking with Ron and Harry from Care of Magical Creatures to Potions. Draco normally would have been with them as well but he had been called to testify at his father's trial and it was possible that he'd be gone all day.
The baby decided to shift just then, making him push directly against Hermione's bladder. She looked around quickly and spotted the restroom. Unfortunately for her, it was the men's restroom and the closest women's one was the next floor up. After a moment of indecision she turned to the boys. "Can you guys guard the door for me? I think he's trying to do a tap dance on my bladder or something."
Harry nodded and Ron had a look on his face that fell under the "that was far too much information" category. After making sure the bathroom was empty, they took up their posts in front of the door and waited for her to come back out.
However, right then a sixth year Slytherin walked up and started past them to get to the bathroom. Harry stopped him with a hand to his chest. "Don't go in there."
The Slytherin glared at him and started going past again. "Why not, Scar Head?"
Harry looked at him and propelled the boy backward with one hand. Apparently some of the other Slytherins had picked up on Malfoy's old nickname for him. Instead of saying anything about that though, he just replied calmly, "Because you can't right now. Just wait for five minutes."
By this time the Slytherin was getting indignant and had drawn his wand. "Let me pass or I'll-"
"Is there a problem here, Derek?"
The sixth year quickly pocketed his wand at the approach of the Head Boy. "They won't let me in the loo, Draco."
Draco glanced at Harry and Ron who were leaning casually against the doorframe. "I take it she's inside."
"No, we just like barring people from the bathroom for the fun of it," Harry replied dryly.
Draco smirked then turned back to Derek. "You can go in when my girlfriend's done and not a moment before."
"But I-"
"No." Then the doorknob turned and Hermione walked out, apparently having a marvelous sense of timing. Draco looked at the sixth year. "Now you can go in."
Derek huffed for a second, still indignant but seemingly at a loss for words, then stalked into the bathroom and shut the door. The four of them burst out laughing then continued on their way to Potions. Hermione noticed a sad, distracted look on her boyfriend's face and hung back a bit.
"Is the trial over?" she asked softly.
He nodded, sadness still showing in his eyes. "I'll tell you about it later, okay?"
"All right."
He pulled her into a hug, just needing her close for the moment then wordlessly they continued on to Potions.
That afternoon Hermione sat in the common room waiting for Draco to finish his classes for the day and reading her Transfiguration text. She idly stroked Crookshanks' head as she did so. Lately the cat had gotten into the habit of sleeping sprawled across her stomach and cuddled into the baby. Every so often though, the baby would get sick of it and…
Just then the baby kicked at her stomach really hard right where Crookshanks was sleeping and sent the cat flying. She laughed at the glare she was receiving from Crookshanks then said, "Hey, don't look at me. It's not my fault!"
He sniffed in irritation then made his way over to the windowsill and laid down in the patch of sun that filtered through. Hermione laughed and stroked her stomach. Apparently now that he'd gotten rid of the feline presence the baby had settled back down.
Just then the portrait hole opened and Draco walked through. Seeing the look on his face she asked, "Draco, what's wrong?"
He ran a distracted hand through his hair and stared vacantly at the floor. "I just got an owl saying my father was just given the Kiss in accordance with his sentence."
"Oh sweetheart, I'm sorry."
He shrugged. "I was never really close to him, Hermione."
"I know, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt."
He'd taken to staring at the floor again, completely lost in thought. Seeing this she stood, albeit a tad awkwardly, then took his hand and led him to the couch. Once he was seated she sat on his lap and cuddled into his shoulder. His arms enveloped her automatically and he sighed. Then he voiced what was really bothering him. "What if I turn out just like him, Hermione? What if I'm a terrible father to our baby?"
Her head shot up and she looked into his silver eyes, not sure what to say at first. Seeing that he was truly bothered by this she shook her head. "You won't end up like him, Draco. You never will."
"How do you know?"
"Because of this," she took his hand and placed it on her stomach. "Because you love me and you love our baby, even though he hasn't been born yet. Because I know you and you would never do the things your father did. Because I love you." Then she smirked and couldn't resist adding one last thing. "And because if you did try any of those things your father did I would castrate you with a spork."
He laughed in surprise and relief then hugged her again. The worries all faded away and he let out a contented sigh. "Thank you, love."
"No worries," she replied then gave him another of her trademark impish grins. "I shudder to think what you'd do without me."
"So do I, love." He agreed in all seriousness. "So do I."
a/n: awww. How cute. More fluffies! And for the record, the scene with Crookshanks sleeping on Hermione's stomach fully happened to my cousin when she was pregnant. :D and in response to one of my reviews, Hermione's mom isn't dead. It was Draco's mom who was murdered by his father in this story. Just to clear things up. Enjoy!
