Graduation

I'm so sorry that I took to long to update this; but I've never gotten the chance. There has been a slight change of plans. Since I won't be going to camp like I thought, I'll update "The Dare" more.

Anyway,here is the chapter that comes before the big finale.

Note: Some of my information about pregnancies maybe incorrect but please forgive me for my misinformation.

A few months passed and it is now time for graduation. A lot of events had taken place after Hermione and Draco's engagement. But the most memorable of them all was the capture and death of Lucius Malfoy. It had happened 2 weeks ago. Lucius was captured during the war between Voldermort; which he, Lucius, was captured by non-other-than Draco. He was then carried to Azkaban Prison by a few aurors. Later that night, he betrayed his master by pimping, (if I should say), off his other members' hiding places.

He was then discovered the next morning in his cell dead with the words Traitor written across his forehead. His death has several different twist included in it. Many thought that the only people who could have done that to him was someone of his own kind. The investigation of his death took almost 2 full weeks to uncover every single piece of evidence. That led to it being front page news for 12 days. (That's a record if I do say so myself.)

Hermione, now 3 ½ months pregnant, was pacing back and forth in her common room. She was wearing a charmed robe that would conceal her now visibly plump belly, from prying eyes. The door slowly opened and her fiancée, Draco, walked in. He looked at her pacing and asked "What are you still doing here?"

"What do you mean; what am I still doing here?"

"Exactly what it sounds like, besides Dumbledore and McGonagall are looking for you."

"Oh. Well, I'm just practicing my speech."

Draco sighed, walked up behind her, wrapped his arm around the life that was forming inside of her and said "Don't worry, love. You know you deserve it. Valedictorian is a great honor."

She snuggled closer to him and said "You know, you're not doing to bad yourself, Mr. Salutatorian"

With that said, he began nibbling on the little exposed skin on her neck as she moaned softly. Taking her moan as a sign to continue, he quickly spun her around and kissed her fully on the lips. After a few minutes and an increasing need for air, they broke apart. He then looked at the love of his life and said "Let's go. Everyone's probably breaking their neck to find us both."

He back away from her and looked at her belly. "Where's the belly?"

Hermione laughed and said while rubbing her abdomen "Its right here."

"I thought that you were going to wear normal robes instead of a charmed one."

"Draco, hon, you know that only a few people know about my pregnancy. That includes my close friends, parents and a few administrators; excluding you and I, I mean."

"But I thought that you were tired of hiding."

"I am. But just imagine how much of a shock it would be if I just popped up to graduation with a very pregnant belly."

"That's true."

As they made their way to the door, Hermione suddenly stopped; causing Draco to crash onto her back. He looked at her confusingly and asked "Why did you stop?"

She turned to face him and said "I almost forget my parents want to meet you again."

"Why? I thought that they already approved."

"I know. But I don't think that it has anything to do with that."

"Okay, then."

"Draco...remember now. My dad has short term memory sometimes, so he might seem out of the ordinary. Okay?"

"Hermione, you already told me that, the first time I met them."

"Yeah, I forgot. Anyway, let's get going then."

After the Graduation Ceremony

There was a crowd of newly graduated students in the center of the room of the great hall. There were many people talking at the same time to the Valedictorian.

"Congratulations Hermione!" Harry said.

"Yeah Congrats!" someone else shouted from the far back of the crowd.

She gave all of them courteous smiles and said "Thanks." She then turned to Draco who was standing behind her, talking to his best friend, Blaise As she turned, she get his attention, and said "Love, I think now is the time to go to my parents..." she tilted her head so that her lips were inches from his ear and continued "...can we get away from these people? I've had enough time with them throwing me congrats. I just want to talk to my parents and then be alone with you..." She moved from his ears and looked his square in the eyes and said "...is that okay with you?"

"Of course it is. Where are they anyway?" He asked looking around the room.

She grabbed his face and turned it to a small crowd of people in the corner of the room. He immediately recognized them. Kate Granger was a short, beautiful woman with chestnut curly brown hair that fell down her neck. She was wearing a summer dress with flowers on it, while David Granger was a medium height man, also with brown hair that was neatly clipped. He wore black dress trousers with a gray shirt and a pin that said 'A perfect smile carries you around the world'

Hermione then turned to her exuberant crowd and said "Can you excuse us? We'll be right back." She quickly took Draco's hand and dragged him away from the crowd and to her parents.

Meeting the Grangers; Again

"Mom, dad, I'm sure you remember Draco."

David Granger raised an eyebrow and said "So, this is the Draco, my sugar plum has told us about."

Draco tried his hardest not to laugh but one look from Hermione made him stop immediately. She then sighed loudly and said "Dad, please stop calling me that."

Kate knew where this conversation was going; so she decided to take control of the conversation from now on. "Draco, I would love to congratulate you on becoming Salutatorian. It's not everyday that my daughter finds a male that can challenge her abilities."

Draco gave her a brilliant smile and said "Thank you Mrs. Granger."

"No, no Draco. I thought I told you to call me Kate."

"Oh, okay...Kate."

"That's much better. Hermione do you mind if I talked to you privately; for a second?"

"Of course mom..." She then turned to her father who was staring at Draco "Dad, be nice."

He turned his direction from his daughter's fiancée to her and said "Why wouldn't I dear?"

"Ok then, dad." With one last nervous glance at Draco, she left to go to the punch table with her mother.

As soon as Hermione and her mother was out of hearing distance, David looked Draco straight in his eyes and said "Let's get right to the point; do you love my daughter?"

Draco looked shocked. He always thought that David was a nice man. David noticed Draco's reaction and said bluntly "Don't get me wrong. I'm a nice guy once you get to know me; but my daughter is another story. I would never let anyone hurt her. So if you have any intention of hurting her or the baby, I think it would be best if you end the relationship."

Draco smirked and said in a confident voice "I have no intention of ending our relationship unless I die before her. I would never let her go. She is too precious to me. And to answer your previous question, I do love her and our baby; dearly; and I always will."

Davis smiled at his future son-in-law's reaction and said "Well, if that's the case, welcome to the family. But I hope you except the responsibilities of being a parent it's very..."

Draco was listening attentively to his future father-in-law when he was interruptedby his family owl that flew through the room. It dropped the letter in Draco's opened palms and flew back out the way it came in. Draco excused himself from David's presence and went to a secluded area in the great hall to read the letter.

Hermione was watching Draco's emotions changed from calm to shock to jovial. She too, excused herself from her mother and went over to him and looked at him, worried. "Are you okay?"

Instead of answering he gave her the letter and it went like this:

Dear Draco

I'm so sorry that I couldn't make it to your graduation but I just came back from Barbados with a few friends and I completely lost track of time. I hope you can forgive me. But doesn't it feel great? Having your father buried for over a week. We can finally be free.

How is Hermione and the baby? Fine I hope. Well since your father left no will, stating how his things should be distributed, I did it myself. I've decided that since you are going to have a family of your own, I'm going to give you the Manor and the summer house in France. I'll be moving out, so don't expect to meet me there when you get home. I'll visit occasionally visit my daughter-in-law, grandchild and yourself, so there is no need to fret.

I'll be moving to the Manor in Barbados if you need me. And as you very well know, I won't be lonely because Jacque will be moving with me as well. I hope you two and the baby can come visit us sometimes.

Hope to see you soon.

Narcissa Malfoy.

P.S. Tell Hermione that I left something special for her; just to keep her occupied.

Hermione looked at Draco and saw him smiling back at her. Without warning Draco picked her up and spun her around. He noticed the confused look on her face and said "I'm fine."

She smiled at him and said "I know; it's just that your father..."

"Hon, you know I loathed him."

"I know. But you were quiet for a while..."

"Hon, you knowI'm happy he's dead. You should be lucky I didn't kill him myself a few weeks ago."

Flashback

Draco was sitting by the lake

A muffled sound came from behind him, towards the dark forest. Draco stood up quickly and took out his wand. He aimed it, towards the forest and said "Who are you? Show yourself."

The footsteps came closer and then suddenly stopped. Draco was suddenly getting very agitated. She aimed his wand closer towards the forest and said "Show yourself."

Suddenly a person in a black hooded cloak came out of the darkness and walked closer.

He then walked closer to Draco and took the hooded part of his cloak off. Draco relaxed a little and fixed the tip of his wand towards the ground. The stranger's silver-blond hair glowed in the moonlight. Draco looked at his father and asked "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to talk to you, privately."

"About what?"

"Your activities"

"Are we at this again?"

"Yes, we are at this again. You lied to me, and you know what happens when you lie to me."

"I am not a child anymore. You can't tell me what to do."

"Since you now classify yourself as a man, you would neglect all of your early teachings for a mudblood."

Draco was now bubbling with unadulterated anger. His no-good bastard of a father was calling his fiancée a demeaning name. That comment stung him so hard; he could have sworn that it burned into his heart. His father then said the thing that made him lose his once, contented anger. "Son, you still could get rid of her once and for all; her and that filthy baby."

"Don't you dare call my baby filthy." Draco said as his voice echoed through the area in which he was in. His father smirkly proudly. He always knew the buttons to push when he wanted to get a rise out of Draco.

"You finally admitted it. Now I am going to make you pay for lieing to me and for assorting yourself with a mudblood."

"If you dare do anything to me or to Hermione, you won't live to regret it."

Lucius crossed his arms in front of his chest and asked "How so?"

Draco's eyes turned into a murderess glare and he said in a dangerously low voice "You don't know what I'm capable of."

"Son, you as well as half of the wizarding and muggle world knows what I am capable of."

"I will do whatever it takes to protect Hermione and my child."

Lucius got mad; because of his son's loyalty to that damn mudblood. "I will not let you make a mockery of the Malfoy name."

"I will do what like..." he then faced his wand to his father "...to you or to whomever I like."

At this time, Lucius was fuming. How dare he talk to speak to him like that; he was suppose to be the adult; not Draco.

Lucius then shouted "Expelliarmous." Draco's wand flew out of hand and with another hit with the same spell, Draco flew inches before the lake.

Draco got up abruptly and shouted "Crucio"

Lucius howled in pain, while looking at his son; who had both an irate and satisfied look in his eyes. A few minutes later the pain began to ease. He wanted to kill Draco. He then picked up his want, which had fallen on the ground sometime during his screams of pain, and aimed it at Draco. He was about to say the killing curse when he was struck by the stupefying spell from behind.

Draco was surprised. He had wanted to kill his father but someone had stupefied him instead. As Lucius' limp body fell to the ground with a thud, Draco could see a person, who was quite tall and old. Could it be who he thought it was? Could it be Dumbledore?

"Professor Dumbledore?"

"Yes Mr. Malfoy."

"What are you doing out here?"

"Well, Miss Granger informed me that you were not at the prefect's meeting. She got worried and said that she was going out to look for you. I stopped her and sent her back to common room, insisting that I go because of her condition. I thank Merlin that she didn't come out of here."

"What did you see exactly?"

"I saw everything; and I must admit that I am very proud of you. You stood up to your father without fear. Why don't you go and find Miss Granger. We don't want her worrying to much don't we?"

"But sir..." Draco stopped and looked at his father lying on the ground.

Don't worry about that. I'll take care of him.

Draco nodded and headed back to the castle.

End of Flashback

Draco and Hermione walked back to the Common Room. No one was in the hallway. All of the old seventh years had gone to Hogsmeade leaving Draco and Hermione in the castle alone with each other. Hermione was walking in front of Draco with her robe open. Draco's hands were wrapped around her waist, rubbing her plump belly; that contained one of the joysof his life.

When they arrived in the common room, Draco and Hermione began placing cushions on the floor. When all of the cushions were down, they lied down on them and talked all night long. After longs hours of talking and intense snogging, Draco and Hermione fell asleep in front of the fire, wrapped up in each other's arms.

I know that some of you are wondering about a few things; from this chapter and the previous ones.

1. Minerva: Well she was in Hermione's situation when she was in Hogwarts. The only difference was when she told the father about the baby, he denied it and said that it wasn't his. So intead of getting rid of it, she kept it and raised it. Her son would of been alive now but when he was in hogsmeade to get a few things for his mom about 8 years ago, hogsmeade was attacked and he was one of many to be killed.

2. Narcissa: Well while Draco and Hermione was at hogsmeade one day, they ran into Narcissa. The three ended up having lunch together. In that time, she got to know Hermione a little better and her condition. After an amazing lunch, she gave Draco her blessings and wished them both luck. She never told Lucius about Draco and Hermione but some how he found out.

If there are anymore, You can send it in the reviews and i'll explain it during my next chapter.