Chapter 3

Hermione opened her eyes, sunlight brushing her eyelids. She wasn't where she was, but the door was metal like in a prison and it was locked so there were no means of escape. She was laid on some cushins… and in a different dress. A black one. She fervently tried to get up.

"Ah, good morning miss." A middle-aged woman entered the room, smiling pleasantly. "I hope you are feeling better?"

Hermione shivered, recalling the rape.

"How long have I been out of it?"

"2 days m'am. I was instructed to change you out of your clothes yesterday for hygienic reasons. Do forgive me, for it was not in my hands. I'm just the maid here; house-elf management is my job. Oh, and I've also been infusing nutrition into your circulation. Couldn't have you starving."

"Wh-where am I?" She asked, looking at the room around her.

"At a Chateau that belongs to Madam Narcrissa's friend, Sinuirita Alastange."

Hermione sat bolt upright. She was terrified.

"Please, tell me where the apparation point is and let me out of here. I don't belong here; I want to go home."

The woman shook her head. "You'll have to wait until Mr. Malfoy comes to speak to you. Would you like me to get you some breakfast?"

"No. I'm too queasy to eat. When will the mother-fucking, slimy bastard be here?"

"I'll call Mr. Malfoy now."

She left without waiting for a response.

Hermione wasn't sure she wanted to be alone with him again.

"So you're up, I see?" He said, coming into the room.

"Up and ready to go home."

"Not so fast," he said. "I want to let you know that I have access to your whereabouts. So unless you want me apparating by your side unexpectedly like a stalker, do come greet me same time same place as our last arrangement, in two days time. I want to know whether it's a positive or a negative. Pregnancy-Test Charm works ano less than four days after the child has been conceived."

"How informative," Hermione's head was pounding. She just wanted to get out of there and go home! "Now do escort me to the apparation point."

Draco opened the door for her and gave her directions. "You're in Paris, by the way."

"Whatever." She was practically runing despite her dizziness. She ignored the Sinuirita who was trying to acquaint herself to her and didn't stop until she reached the guest bathroom. She apparated to the Burrow.

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Hermione was crying on Molly Weasley's shoulder, in Ginny's room.

"Hush, dear, it'll be all right," she coaxed "Ginny darling, be an angel and fetch Hermione some tea."

"E-everyone's going to th-think I'm a sl-slut," she wailed. "A single mum! When I never had sex my whole life! And wizarding society discriminates against single mums so much."

"Don't worry about it, dear," Molly said "leave it to me. I'll deal with it. No one will look at you with anything but admiration. I can guarantee it. Hush now."

Hermione wiped her tears with her sleeve.

"I don't want a child now," she confided. "I'm not ready. Why couldn't the bastard marry someone like any normal person would, whom would get him a bloody kid?"

"Babies are miracles," Molly smiled at her. "If this wasn't true, why do you think I had seven? You're saying this now, but once you hold the angel in your arms, you'll change your mind. They're adorable little things that are for you to care for. It'll be a wonderful sensation. Thanks for the tea, Ginny dear, how many spoonfulls of sugar would you like Hermione?"

"Two and a half, please." Muttered Hermione. "Anyway, I have a feeling that I'm not pregnant. I really don't want to go through that again."

"Just think of him as a free male prostitute, if that's the case." Ginny grinned devilishly at her.

"Ginny!" Molly looked furious. "Do not say such things! Get out."

But Hermione laughed. "She did lift my spirits up. Anyway, I'd better be off now. Mum and Dad are waiting. Thank you so much Molly, you're shelter from the storm. I'm in your debt."

"There's nothing to thank me for," Molly said. "I did what I had to do. Now send your parents my regards."

"And enlighten us on news of your womb as soon as possible," Ginny chipped in. "And thanks for the new wand! I wanted to buy one, but couldn't afford it. So thanks!"

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Hermione cast the spell, eyes shut.

"What color is the light, Mum?" She wanted to know.

"Pink." Her Mum said joyfully.

Not daring to believe it, Hermione opened her eyes. Sure enough, the light was pink: indicating negative.

"I don't know whether or not I should be happy. After all, this means that we have to try again. You see the longer this takes, the longer Harry remains imprisoned in a jar. And the more I have to put up with the asshole."

"I know hunny, this is an act of real magnaminousness, unselfishly thinking of your friend that way. And I personally can't wait to be a grandma."

"Mmmm…" Hermione didn't believe her. Why else had she sounded so happy when she found out the verdict? Certainly not because she was excited at seeing magic being performed in front of her eyes. "Well, I'm tired. They overworked me today because of my days of absence. I think I'll just hit the sack. Tomorrow I'll apparate to the asshole; I don't want him coming here. Goodnight."

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"Negative?" Malfoy cursed. "Are you positive?"

"I just told you I'm negative!" She snapped at him, grimacing from the memory of their second-last interaction that took place in a room similar to this, where Ron had apparated thinking he would catch Malfoy red-handed.

"I meant are you sure that the results are correct?"

"I double and tripple checked. With muggle and wizarding tests; they reported the same thing."

"Well my dear Hermione, I hate to break it to you… but you know that if there's no baby, there's no Harry."

"I know. And I'm ready for you this time, as much as I hate it."

She slipped her gown off, revealing a sexy black negligee. At Draco's jeering of approval, Hermione felt herself burn in shame, thinking that she would deserve it if someone titled her as a 'hoe'.

"I just want you to know," Hermione whispered "that if there was any way around this, that I wouldn't be doing it. And I need to know, will you be there to support the child and I financially? And would you acknowledge it as your own?"

Draco laughed. "I thought I made it clear. Granger, I don't want you to be part of the child's or my life. You're just being a sporty baby boomer that's all. For the sake of affro-boy. And I will offer you a generous sum of twenty thousand galleons as compensation if it'll keep you satisfied, which is enough to make you retire richer than the Queen."

Hermione felt her insides turn to ice, thinking 'Over my dead body would he get away with this plan. Literally, over my dead body. But he doesn't have to know that. No he doesn't. No one will take the baby.'

"What if there's something wrong with me and I am incapable of reproducing; a sterile muggle-born? I mean, results have been negative before."

"We'll think of that after we try." He said huskily, looking everywhere at her body except her face. "Enough talking. I want some action done."

He wrapped his arms aroud her rear tightly and sunk his teeth into her shoulders.

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The following morning, Hermione woke up in the arms of the man she hated the most on the planet. If you call him a man. She removed his hands and tried to get up. But he wouldn't loosen his grip.

"Wake up! Leave me alone!" She said loudly.

He grunted in annoyance. "I'm not letting you go until I see the new results myself," he drawled drawsily.

"That's not until another four days!" She almost cried. "If I skive off any more days of work they'll fire me!"

"Don't you lie to me. I know that they're counting these as sick-leaves. You have six more days left."

"I lied so that you'd let me go! God, nothing gets past you, does it? Anyway, you can't keep me hostage here all by myself!"

"You won't be by yourself. And you won't get bored. Look around. Notice anything different?"

Hermione looked around. There were doors everywhere.

She opened the first one. An indoor swimming pool and a changing room. Next door: a library! Now that was something! Next room: Chess, and a game of pool. Not interesting. You need someone to play it with. And she can't bear a conversation with the git, let alone play with him.

She already knew that the last door lead to a bathroom.

"My friends will be worried that you did something to me," She shot at him.

"Oh, will you stop with the winging? I'll let you send them a message explaining your situation tonight. And tomorrow, or the day after that, we'll have another go at doing it. Don't deny that you enjoyed it. It was so obvious."

Hermione was determined to change direction of the conversation.

"I want a television and a radio," she whined like a child purposely, hoping against hope that he'd get sick of her and leave her alone. "And a computer with DSL couldn't hurt. You can replace it with the pool game and chess. You'll love those, trust me."

"I'll think about it," he said lazily, lolling in his bead and conjuring a book she couldn't quite make out the title of "so maybe later. I'm not in the mood now. Not that I'm making any promises. You know how I feel about muggles and muggle objects after all. Now, think of this as a payed-for vacation. If you're hungry later I'll prepare us a meal. In the meatime, I want to read this peacefully. So off you go."

"Oh, joy," she said sarcastically, "these are going to be long four days."

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Hermione stood anxiously, as Draco performed the spell on her (she wasn't permitted a wand around him), four days later.

'Please let it be positive' she silently prayed 'I can't stand being with him much longer; please let it be positive.'

When a blue light illuminated the room Hermione couldn't help but squeal elatedly.

Thank you once again to my wonderful reviewers. I have a lil treat for ya… There'san URL of a photothat pertains to the first scene in this chapter on my author's account profile settings.