Hi everyone!
Sorry it's taken so long for me to writ this chapter, but I've been VERY busy, I'm going to buy a dog soon and you know how much time THAT takes…
Disclaimer: They are NOT mine, will never ever be - they ARE JK's for the 18:th time
Disclaimer: The lyric doesn't belong to me - belongs in this chapter to Clannad and is called "Almost seems"
All credit touching grammar, spelling or stuff like that goes to my beta shyngr8 (shy-n-great)
But other ways - ENJOY :)
Turn it upside-down
Oh,
I care a lot
you don't believe it's true, do you?
So, the
answer's not given before you start
and try
She could have told herself that everything had been better since that day in the kitchen, she could even have convinced herself that the fact that Lucius hadn't touched her ever since then was good…….an improvement. They had been sharing bed, but he hadn't laid a finger on her, she wondered why sometimes, probably because she wasn't beautiful enough. Her pig of a husband did probably fool around in a motel room with beautiful, willing girls. Not that she cared much, in fact, she preferred it that way, but she felt so useless.
Well, one week passed without any difficulties, Lucius was gone for the better part of the day; hectic days at the Ministry were the only thing he mumbled before wandering off to "work". Leaving Hermione behind, she felt like a pile of useless crap, a house wife without a housewife's duties. Then everything happened so fast, it was in the middle of the second week that Hermione begun feel a bit uneasy, her breasts hurt a bit and she felt ill one day when she woke up. Those two signs were alarming, but she ignored them, hoping that her mind was playing foul tricks on her. Sadly enough she soon got further evidence three days later, she was roaming the lonely halls of Malfoy manor when she found a door, a door which lead the way into a…
"Oh my god, sweet Merlin," she gasped at the sight before her.
She found herself staring at a library, huge enough to belong to Hogwarts, even though Hermione suspected that Hogwarts beat the Malfoy manor's with some bookcases. At first she couldn't believe her eyes, it was fantastic, all those books on their shelves seemed to smile in her direction. She felt like flying as she made her way towards one of the nearest bookcases; this one seemed to be the 'historical section' because the books held titles such as: 'Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century', 'Notable Magical Names of Our Time', 'Sites of Historical Sorcery', 'The great goblin war' and 'Middle age Sorcery'.
'It would take a life-time to read all of these books…'
'I have a life time… I could spend all my life in here…'
Hermione sighed happily, a thing she hadn't done in ages. She brushed past the historical section and soon enough she found a book which interested her without limits, "Old and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charms", typical for her. She at once seated herself on the nearest object possible, this time an old, if not antique armchair.
She had read for one whole hour when she suddenly felt like throwing up; getting up on her shaky legs she rushed out of the library, the nausea almost suffocated her when she hurried towards the nearest (known to her) bathroom. When she got there she threw the door open and almost doubled over the toilet as she vomited.
Afterwards she sat on the toilet lid, shaking like a leaf dangling from a branch in the after math of the autumn. She put her head in her hands and shook it, there was almost no doubt about what was happening to her; after all she'd been reading about it. But she had to be sure; therefore she rose and exited the bathroom. She hurried along a corridor and then she climbed upwards a huge staircase before she reached the bedroom she shared with Lucius. When she entered their bedroom she first had a shower and then, with utter disgust, she entered the huge wardrobe again.
After some minutes of searching she found a white blouse and a long blue skirt, both of them heavily embroidered with pearls and gems. She put on a pair of soft sandals on her bare feet and then hurried into the bathroom again to brush and braid her hair.
Finally in a decent state she roamed through the Malfoy manor until she found a fireplace and some Floo powder. She grabbed a hand full and screamed:
"St. Mungo's hospital reception."
Almost
seems too late to turn
what to do if I'm to learn?
Almost
seems too late to turn
to you
The bumpy ride resulted in some bruises and even more feeling of sickness, but finally she ended up in St. Mungo's familiar reception. She crawled out from the fireplace and then stood up, watching the environment. The walls around her were white, the floor was white and the roof was white in the typical hospital fashion. In one corner she spotted one beige sofa and two armchairs in the same colour. Beside the two armchairs a little table was placed, on top of that table she saw numerous of tittle-tattle magazines, such as Witch Weekly, Gossip in the wizard-world, Super wizards, Fashionable dress robes, Little lovely witch and hair & nails – it's like magic.
In one armchair she saw a little chubby witch with her two kids; she was reading a magazine with a very unhappy expression upon her swollen face. Her two snotty-nosed children sat on the floor and played with what seemed to be an enchanted ball. In the waiting room Hermione also found a reception with the sign 'Very busy' floating at eye-level, the receptionist wasn't in sight.
"E-e-excuse me, madam?" Hermione staggered towards the witch who immediately glanced past her magazine and turned around to face Hermione.
"Yes?" She asked in a sharp tone.
"Um… do they see patients at this time of day?"
"Yes, they are supposed to," the witch growled and gave one of her kids a severe reprimand for nothing in particular. "I've been waiting here for hours, Dave and Mike has been suffering from a cold for a while now, but the doctors just don't give a damn about us. Here I am, respectable witch with money and all, but they just don't give a shit."
"I'm… I'm sorry to hear that," Hermione stuttered, she was offended by the witch's sharp tone and words, after all, Hermione hadn't done anything to offend this woman.
"No you aren't," the witch sneered and gave Hermione a cold glare, "and who are you by the way? Why are you here? You don't seem to be ill or anything."
"I'm Her-"
"Never mind, I can tell who you are just by looking at you," the witch continued without listening at Hermione, "You're wearing expensive clothes, but that doesn't fool me. You're probably a worthless burden for our society…you look like a well dressed up worker. Tell me, are your parents working for the Ministry? Carrying out the dirty jobs perhaps?"
"They aren't-"
"And I suppose that your boyfriend, if someone as ugly as you has one, is a useless piece of shit who lives on grants!"
"I'm married," Hermione coolly replied.
"Even worse," the witch snarled and then decided not to listen or talk with Hermione more because she put her nose down in the magazine again.
A door opened and a nurse dressed in white attire entered the room, she carried a folder and her blonde hair was put up in a knot at the back of her head. She wore a white, pointy hat with red embroideries and on her chest a name-sign was pinned; it read 'Eleanor Stubbs' in red letters.
"About time," the witch growled and began to rise from her armchair, "Come on you two."
"Sorry, Mrs Steal," the nurse told the chubby witch, "but I'm here to collect another patient."
"What's this?" the witch called out in rage, "I've been waiting here for hours."
"I'm SORRY, Mrs Steal, but it isn't your turn yet. I'm here to collect Mrs Malfoy."
"Mrs Mal-" Mrs Steal turned around and stared at Hermione.
"I told you I was married," Hermione smiled in Mrs Steal's direction, her eyes almost popped out from their sockets in pure shock.
"This way, Mrs Malfoy," The nurse called and Hermione followed her through a door behind the reception desk; Mrs Steal's eyes followed her as she left the room.
"How could I get past her in the queue? I've recently arrived a-"
"I don't know what you're talking about, Mrs Malfoy; your appointment with Dr. Weather has been booked for weeks," the nurse answered quickly.
Hermione doubted that, she suspected that rich families like the Malfoys always had an 'appointment' booked, if they paid well enough to have it 'booked' every day just in case. They strode through the white corridors of St. Mungo's and Hermione once again felt sick, it felt like she was about to vomit again, but she kept her jaws firmly closed and tried to control the raging storm inside her stomach.
The nurse halted abruptly in front of a door and pushed it open, she shooed Hermione inside and then gently closed the door. The room in which Hermione was standing had green walls, white floor and a white ceiling. The room had one big window with green curtains; on the windowsill Hermione saw a pitiful excuse for a pelargonium. Along one of the walls Hermione spotted a bed-like appliance which the doctor always told you to 'lie down here for a minute' on, the room had two chairs and between them a little table with a white cloth on top. Directly in front of Hermione there was a mahogany desk, it was encumbered with journals, papers, pens and quills. Behind the desk sat a middle aged witch with a blending smile.
"Hello, my name is Dr. Weather, you must be Hermione Malfoy," Dr. Weather rose from her chair to greet Hermione properly.
Dr. Weather had ruby-red lips and huge blue eyes, she had some wrinkles along her cheeks and her eyelashes had a discrete hint of mascara. She had wonderful honey coloured hair that was so curly that it almost looked like Hermione's own. Weather had the same kind of strict, white clothing as the nurse, but she had no hat and the buttons on her attire were gold and not plastic like the nurse's had been. Dr. Weather's name-sign read 'Doctor Frieda Weather'
"Yes, I'm Hermione Gr- Malfoy," Hermione answered.
"And you are married to Lucius Malfoy?" Frieda read directly from her journals.
"Y-y-yes I am," Hermione confirmed and swallowed, that fact always made her ill.
"My goodness, you're so young. When I heard that he had just got married I thought that he would have at least picked someone from his own generation… Oh, I'm sorry; I got carried away…" Dr. Weather blushed and Hermione knew that the doctor probably feared that Hermione would run directly to Lucius and tell him about the doctor's contravention.
"No worries, he's a pig; it was an 'arranged' marriage…" Hermione laughed nervously.
"Oh my goodness, yes, now I remember, that horrible law," Frieda went around her desk and walked towards Hermione, she held out her hand and said, "My name is Frieda, I'd like you to use it because I don't like the formal stuff."
"I'm pleased to meet you, Frieda," Hermione told her doctor and took her hand; Frieda smiled and offered Hermione a seat.
"So it's time now?" Frieda asked and sat down on the other chair beside Hermione.
"Time for what?" Hermione asked bewildered.
"For a baby, dear," Frieda stated and looked Hermione over, "Because that's why you're here, isn't it? You'd like to know for sure?"
"Well… yes, I've been feeling sick in the mornings and my breasts hurt a bit too; this morning I threw up for the first time…..I just thought that… you know?"
"Well that's easily fixed, all you have to do is to lie down over there," Frieda told Hermione and pointed towards the strange bed-like appliance, "And I'll just throw some diagnostic spells on you, it will be over in a minute."
"Now?" Hermione asked and rose from her chair.
"If you'd like to," Hermione nodded and Frieda smiled and said, "Then I'd like you to take off that beautiful white blouse of yours and then lie down."
Hermione did as she'd been told, she un-buttoned her blouse and then lay down on the bed-like thing, Frieda rummaged around her room for a while before she returned to Hermione's side. Hermione stared nervously up at Dr. Weather, but she only smiled and told her to relax.
"I'm going to cast a charm on you now, Hermione, I'd like you to stay calm, it could be a bit uneasy because you'll experience a cold feeling, it's nothing to worry about, it's a Stating charm."
Hermione first felt a tingling sensation as the charm hit her; it spread through her belly and then turned icy cold, Hermione gasped, but Frieda once again told her to stay calm. After a while the sensation was gone, the only thing that was left was an uneasy feeling of emptiness. Frieda walked around the room for a while more and then smiling returned to Hermione's side.
"Thanks, Hermione, that was all I needed, you can get dressed now and we'll have a little chat with a nice cup of warm tea, what do you say to that?"
"Sounds lovely," Hermione honestly told Frieda and got up from her lying position, her feet landed on the floor and then she quickly put her blouse back on.
At the time Frieda had called a nurse who brought a tray with a teapot and two mugs with the logo of 'St. Mungo's' written in shiny, red letters. The nurse placed the tray on the little table, poured some tea into the two mugs and then smoothly left the room. Frieda took a seat in one of her two chairs and signalled to Hermione with her right hand that it was okay to sit down.
"Now, I've got the results, would you like to hear them?" Frieda produced a map from nowhere and placed it in her lap.
"Yes please," Hermione spoke weakly and felt the cold sweat as it tickled down her back.
"You, Hermione Malfoy are pregnant, soon in your third week, congratulations," Frieda told her while smiled broadly, Hermione was about to faint.
"T-t-thanks… I suppose…"
"You don't want a baby?" Frieda asked in a worried voice, "We could do a discreet abortion if you'd like…"
"I can't do that… I'm bound to the law to have this baby…" Hermione sighed and shook her head.
"You can't have a baby if you don't want it, it's something you shouldn't take too light hearted, and a child needs love and care…" Frieda seriously told her, "And you are so young, I wouldn't recommend a pregnancy if you don't have full support from your family and husband…"
"There's nothing I can do about it, and I do think that I can handle a baby…" Hermione told the doctor and smiled weakly.
'But I'm unsure if its father could…' she secretly spoke in her mind.
"Well then, Mrs Malfoy, you know where you can find me if you need help."
"Yes, thank you," Hermione answered and rose from her chair; she hadn't even touched her tea.
"Here take this; it's for the sickness in the mornings…" Frieda handed Hermione a little vial with a green liquid and added, "Drink it mixed with water, but just take one or two drops at one time."
"Thank you," Hermione took the vial and the left the room.
I saw the sad decline
of it become a
storm
stayed so cold last night
this lonely heart inside me
says:
Almost seems too late to turn
what to do if I'm
to learn?
Almost seems too late to turn
to you
"Mrs Hermione," Hermione were greeted with Dusters nasal voice as she crawled out of the fireplace.
"Hi, Duster," Hermione answered and got up on unsteady legs, "How are yo-"
"Shhh," Duster tiptoed towards her and began wriggling his hands nervously, "Where has Hermione been? Master's so angry; Duster thought he would tear the manor to pieces…"
"I've been at the hospital…" Hermione whispered back, only now realising how much trouble she was in now, "Duster I'm… I'm pregnant."
"And young Master's als-" Duster stopped dead in his track and stared at Hermione, she sighted a lonely tear as it made its way down Dusters cheek, "Hermione's p-p-pregnant!"
"Duster, what…"
"Oh, Duster's so happy for Hermione. She's going to be the best mother ever," Duster squealed, too loudly if one would ask Hermione, "Duster will te-"
"Duster, what did you mean by speaking about Draco?" Hermione felt a nervous tingle deep down in the pit of her stomach.
"He's here, Mrs Hermione, yes, yes he is," Duster came even closer and grabbed the lining of her skirt, "He arrived a couple of hours ago… Duster heard him and Master screaming down in the entrée as he carried young Master's bags upstairs…"
"They were arguing?" Hermione asked with a bit of curiosity in her voice, "But I thought that Draco adored his father, he was always bragging about him…"
"They did not 'argue', they yelled at each other, they were loud, very loud…" Duster shivered and begun wriggling his hands again.
"What did they say, Duster? Why were they-"
"Where have you been, dearest?" Hermione almost jumped five feet off the ground as she heard Lucius velvet voice coming from the doorframe; she looked up and found him standing there, watching them closely and with suspicion. Duster squealed an excuse and threw himself at the floor to bash his head on the cold stone.
"Duster," Hermione kneeled beside the poor creature and picked him up, holding him tight enough so that he couldn't hurt himself further.
"What are you doing?" Lucius hissed and came closer; Hermione knew that he was angry now, mainly because he'd clearly had a bad day, "He is supposed to punish himself."
"You are a monster. Do you hear me? A monster. He's not done anything wrong," Hermione raised her voice one octave or two and she still held Duster close to her chest as if he were a baby.
"I've warned you, Hermione, I don't know how many times, and today I'm not very patient, let go of that house-elf and then explain to me why you weren't at home today."
"I've been out," Hermione yelled and rose so that she at least could face him properly.
"Not in that tone, if you please," He took hold of her arm and twisted, she grimaced in pain but said nothing and she still had a tight grip around a crying Duster.
"Where have you've been?" Lucius once again hissed as his grip shot bolts of pain through her body.
"You're hurting me…" Hermione said through clenched teeth, "You are a coward… a fucking coward, do you understand me? A cow-"
"I've warned you… don't you dare… don't you dare…"
"I am daring. Don't you see? I am daring," she spat back.
He raised his arm once again and Hermione knew that he wouldn't back down with one simple hit this time, she didn't know how she always seemed to be pushing the wrong buttons, but sooner or later Lucius would explode and it wouldn't be to Hermione's benefit if she didn't come up with something soon.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Hermione breathed through the pain which pulsed in her arm, "Abuse me and you could end up with a deformed child."
"Nonsense, Draco's perfectly normal…" Lucius sneered, but he let his arm fall again.
"I'm not talking about Draco; I'm talking about your new child, the one that I'm carrying," Hermione snarled and saw with enormous satisfaction how Lucius' eyes widened in surprise, his grip around her arm loosened and finally he let go of her totally.
"You're pregnant?" he asked with a strange voice.
"Yes I am…" Hermione whispered, "I was at St. Mungo's today… to get it confirmed."
"I beg your pardon for my earlier outburst," Lucius rhetorically asked her, his voice had gone back to the normal and he almost sounded as he regretted what he recently done to her.
"I heard that Draco was home," Hermione asked, trying not to talk about her growing child.
"Yes, he is, I would recommend you to stay away from him…….if you know what's best for you," Lucius' eyes turned cold as he spoke his son's name, Hermione were dying to know what had caused the huge argument between father and son.
"I would like to have Duster as my personal servant," Hermione suddenly spoke, her eyes widened at the realisation of what she'd just said.
"You would like to have him as you're what?"
Now, the anger's gone
it leaves behind a
pain, again
where did we go wrong?
Let go my shadow, pass me
back
Almost seems too late to turn
what to do if I'm to
learn?
Almost seems too late to turn
to you.
DrowCrazy:
I'm
glad you're having patience and will wait for me, ya know, it takes
some time to write a chappie if you want a good one, that is…
-laughs- so you would kick Lucius ass? Well, I bet you're not alone
with that opinion – I meant to chock you all a bit.
Apollonia2:
Of
course she's till pushing his buttons, that's the funny part of
writing the whole lot… but I agree with you, she should try to
control herself or other ways…
IN
T0O DEEP:
I'm
doing my best over here ;) thanks for reviewing :-)
Sexy
she-devil:
Uh-o…
who knows what Draco's up to… especially after that "huge"
argue… -dun dun-
Amish
Monkey:
So you liked "Duster" that's good because I
liked it too… thanks for your review, I love when I get credit for
my work… :-)
CharmedLeoLvr:
Yeah… Lucius WILL soft up a bit, but not just yet, because
then this fanfic would turn into a common "fluffy Lucius" fic and
that's just icky :P but never fear, there WILL be love :)
Brittany
Malfoy:
Many of my readers wanted to "hurt" him, but as I
see it it's necessary for him to do that… when I think of it I
think that there will be a party, when the baby's borne… but I
can't promise… but needles to say it would be fun to write it…
A-stargazer:
Thanks
for a lovely review, I'm glad you like my fic… and I'm glad you
consider my writing worthwhile to read… that makes me happy.
–smiles- I think you and I have the same opinions when it comes to
LM/HG when Lucius turns "good" or Hermione turns "evil" it
isn't the same thing anymore… its just… pointless fluff…
xxXGoddessXofXdeadXloveXxx:
Well,
sooner or later Lucius will get what's coming to him…
Hotskittles:
Well… I meant her to still be in love with Ron, it would
give the fic a bit more action…
Nightwater:
Thank you, thank you :) I'm glad you liked that kind of
writing, it makes the fic a bit more exiting to read, no?
Oliver's
Quidditch Crazy:
Hi Sam, of course it's alright if you call
me Joanna, that's my name after all :) Yes, Duster fills a good
function, I thought that Hermione would go insane if she hadn't any
friends at that manor shiver I would for sure…
Yeah, Lucius is evil and that's the thing that makes me write, seriously… but he was probably in chock, I mean, he's used to have Narcissa and then – Hermione? In the kitchen with a red towel and a pancake on her head? Man! If I found my brother in the kitchen like that I probably would be in chock for a couple of minutes before I would laugh myself to death… but Lucius, well, I think he was upset because Hermione sank so low as to make her own lunch gasps and then she had the guts to call him stone-age wizard shiver
Dark
Secret1:
Yeah… me wonders if I would make a little pre-ship
in this fic where Duster's meet a little house-elf girl who he can
beard a family with…
Sitopanaki:
Wo-wo-wo! Thanks, you're making me blush –laughs- thanks
for a darn cute review :)
Vodka-tears:
Thanks,
you're seeing it from my point of view… the thing that will fix
them together is a very annoying "ferret" but not in the way you
might think, I'm not going to introduce a soppy Ferret who wants to
meddle… no… :)
Storygirl2009:
Well – now you know when Hermione will get pregnant, or
when the baby will arrive perhaps? And I presume that I will hear
from you on hotmail? –shakes head- I don't remember if I answered
your last mail or if I didn't… -sighs- its embarrassing to write
a new one IF I already have answered you… and its very bold if I'm
not answering… write me an email so that we can get the contact
going again…
Sneak peak:
Draco's in the hose, and what did Lucius mean by telling Hermione to stay away from him?