Late Night Confessions

After the kids were put to bed, Hermione and Draco went downstairs to relax.

"How do you do it, Granger?" Draco asked.

"Do what?"

"Take care of two kids, work, keep a clean house...just everything...without magic or house elves?"

"People do it all the time, Malfoy...not everyone has been blessed with having magical abilities. Besides, it doesn't seem like a lot...it's just my life...that's how I see it."

"Oh."

Hermione sat in her favorite chair reading a book, and all was silent for a while. Until Draco had to ask what was going through his mind.

"Granger...?"

"Yes?"

"Where is their dad?"

Okay, Hermione, you knew the inevitable question was coming...the thing is: do you tell him the truth or lie?

"He left."

"I gathered that, Granger...don't talk to me like I'm stupid. I'm not asking you to be an ass...I was just curious. I don't understand why guys have kids and then end up leaving with. A real man would never do that."

"Yea...well...do you want the truth?"

"That would be what is expected?

"Okay...I'll explain everything. But don't interrupt me...it's a rather long story."

Draco just nodded. And with a deep breath, Hermione began her story that she'd been hiding for so long.

"Okay...well, I had Kyle during the summer right before 7th year. Yea, I know... you never knew I was pregnant. Well, I got pregnant the first day I was at home during the Christmas holiday in 6th year. It wasn't by choice. I was at a party with my neighbor and she left with some guy and I was there alone. I was just about to leave when a guy came over to talk to me. I knew him from our first year...he was in Hufflepuff...he left halfway through the year to transfer to Beauxtons...I don't think you knew him...I have no idea what he was doing at the party...but I didn't question it. I just thought it was nice to have someone to talk to. We hadn't seen each other until that night though. We were talking, and he asked me if I wanted a beer. I declined, and he accepted. Well, after a few more beers, he was getting closer to me, I was getting nervous. I just wanted out of the situation as fast I could get. Well, he pulled me up from the chair that I was sitting in. And he lead me into a room...with a bed...at least it happened on a bed...that had some decency. He threw me on the bed and...." A tear fell down her face and she took in a deep breath.

"Its okay, Hermione...I know...you don't have to...you can go on..." Draco replied.

"Okay...well, a few days later, I missed my period...and I went to one of these free clinics to get myself checked...and I was pregnant. I told my parents...and the whole thing at the party. They asked if I wanted to press charges, and I said no. I just wanted to forget about it. I didn't even want to see the guy again. I haven't heard from him since. Well, the reason no one knew I was pregnant was because when I started showing, was during the summer hols. And I ended up having him prematurely. I had him in August.... and then it was time to go back to school. My parents agreed to take care of him so I could finish school. That's when Voldemort was starting to regain power. And I couldn't raise my kid around all of the evilness of our.... your world. So, I made the decision to raise him as a muggle. It was the only thing I knew to do." By that time, she started to remember her last moment with Harry and Ron.

"I understand...but what about Alex?" He can have the same father as Kyle...she said she hadn't seen him since that night...what is going on here?

"Well, obviously Alex and Kyle do not share the same father. A few months after I moved here...which was two weeks after graduation...I met a guy at the local mall. His name's Brandon. He was really nice, and he was cute. We dated for a long time. And after a few months...maybe over half a year...we were dating exclusively. Kyle was getting pretty attached to him. Despite my attempts, Kyle would constantly call him daddy. Brandon thought it was cute, and he encouraged it. Saying that he loved Kyle as if he were his own son, and that he didn't mind. So, I finally just let it go. We got engaged and he moved in here with us. Well, shortly after that I found out that I was pregnant. And he started to change. He was getting over-protective over me. Wanting to know everything about my day: where I was going, who I was going to be with, etc... And one day I came home from work late, because I had to drop off a co-worker at home, because his car was broken. And Brandon was really pissed off when I got home. He..." Before she could continue, she felt herself start to cry...she took in a deep breath and began to continue her story, "...he did something that he promised he would never do. He was the only other person that I had told about Kyle's true father...Brandon...he...hit me...not once...he had me on the floor begging and crying not to touch me anymore..." She couldn't finish...she started crying, uncontrollably.

Draco didn't know what to say to the story that just unfolded in front of him. He didn't know whether or not he should go comfort Hermione, or just sit there and let her calm down. Before he had any chance to respond to his thoughts, he felt his body getting up from the couch, and towards over to the recliner that Hermione was slumped on. He kneeled down in front of her, and took a hand in his own.

"Shh...Hermione...he's gone...its okay."

"I still need to finish, Draco...I'm sorry...I haven't thought or cried about this in so long...let me continue please..."

"Are you sure...you don't have to. You can tell me some other time."

"No, its okay...I might as well tell you the rest now...because some other time may not come for a while."

Draco nodded, and leaned back on the floor, waiting for Hermione to finish her gruesome story.

"Well, he wouldn't listen to pleads, and he was kicking me in the back...over and over again...all I could was cry...I tried not to scream, I was afraid Kyle would wake up and see his mother lying on the floor, helpless. A child's mother should never be helpless...they depend on them too much to see her like that. Finally he stopped and walked away. But before he did, he said 'I hope fucking some guy from work was worth it, you stupid whore.'... Well, of course I wasn't sleeping with anyone...I was pregnant, and engaged. We didn't talk the rest of that day and most of the next. Finally, right before we were going to bed the next day, he told me he was sorry and would never do it again. Of course, that was a lie... to make a long story short...he continued to hit many times a week, when finally I was tired of it, and I called the police. They arrested him, and I haven't seen him since. That was six months ago, and here I am trying to get my life back together. Then you showed up."

Draco had no idea what to say or do. How can people treat others like that? It's just not right.

"I'm sorry, Granger...I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything, and don't be sorry...thanks for listening to me...its been a long time since I've been able to talk about anything."

"What about Katie?"

"Katie...oh no...she's my best friend, don't get me wrong...she knows that Brandon and I used to fight numerous times, but she just didn't know the severity of it. I guess, I kept telling myself if I never admitted it to anyone, it never really happened, you know what I mean?"

"Yea...more than you think...Granger...more than you think."

They sat there for a moment, and took in all that had happened. Hermione was glad that she finally talked about it...now; maybe she could finally forget it. Draco was glad that he sort of had an explanation of why Kyle wanted to know if he was their protector. Then Hermione let her curiosity get the best of her.

"Malfoy...?"

"Yes?"

"Why were you helping Dumbledore? What about your loyalty to your family and your father?"

Draco knew that was coming, he had just asked her to spill all her dirty little secrets, now it was obviously his turn.

"Okay...Granger...now, you're in for a long story...are you sure we should be sharing two long stories tonight?"

"Malfoy...Draco...if you don't want to talk about then I understand... I only asked because I was curious...but you don't have to explain."

"No, I should tell you...you did allow me to come here...it's the least I can do. Just sit back because this is going to take a while."

Hermione nodded and decided to get comfortable on her recliner. She threw her legs over the arm and hugged a throw pillow tightly.

"Well, I turned 17 half-way through our 6th year, and my father sent me an owl the first week of December saying that I would be attending the ceremony of The Dark Lord during the Christmas Hols...of course I didn't want. I never wanted to follow in my father's footsteps. I never even approved of the life style that he chose to live. But of course, I could never say anything because he was my father. And I had to respect him. After I received the letter from my father, I was rather upset, so I just spent the day in the Slytherin common room. Professor Snape sent a note to my room, requesting that I come see him after dinner. I knew it had to do with the letter that my father sent me that morning, at breakfast. So, I went as I was told...fearing the worst. Once I got to his office, Professor Snape wasn't the only one there. Professor Dumbledore and Mr. And Mrs. Weasley were there. Well, you could imagine my surprise. I didn't know what to say. They started to explain things to me. They told me that I f I didn't want to become a death eater...and follow The Dark Lord, I didn't really have to. But it would be dangerous. I was really confused. I was wondering why Snape, The Dark Lord's most prized Death Eater, besides my father, was telling me all of this. And why was he helping me NOT be something that he was so proud of being himself?" Draco needed to stop to take a deep breath.

"...The Order..." Is all Hermione could say.

"You know about The Order? Well, of course you do."

"But how come I never knew you were apart of it?"

"I'm getting to that, Granger...calm down...some things never change...you always have to know everything right then and there..."

"Just continue with your story...Malfoy..."

"Well, they explained to me that I would still have to become a Death Eater and make The Dark Lord and His followers believe that I was truly faithful to him and to what he believed in. I got the mark on the first day of the Christmas Hols. The Dark Lord didn't want it to happen that night, but my father did."

"Why didn't he want you to get it that night...does it really make a difference??"

"He said that it had something to do with a death eater that really needed to be there to witness couldn't be there, because he was busy doing something for Him. Something about making him an heir. But anyway...I got the mark, and of course, my father was very proud of his Death Eater son. To celebrate he took me to a small muggle town, to kill most of them off." As he said those words, Hermione felt the tears welling up in her eyes.

Noticing this, Draco felt he needed to explain himself more. "At the time, I still had it etched into my mind that Muggles, and Mud...Muggle-borns were nothing but filth...they didn't deserve to live. But I still didn't want to kill them just because my father told me to. And I couldn't refuse because then he would know that something was wrong, and I couldn't risk being caught. Snape said that I would be good use to The Order. That two spies in the Dark Lord's circle also at Hogwarts was a good thing. So, I tried to obey my father. But it still bothered me that it pleased my father. I never wanted to please him, I only did it so he didn't get mad at me, and then take it out on my mother. He'd been doing that since I can remember. Anyway...like I said, I didn't want to do it. I got absolutely no joy of barging into people's houses and killing them before they knew what was going on. None of them had anytime to react with intruders in their homes. I never really understood the point of killing people that didn't know what hit them. I mean, when you point your wand at a witch or a wizard and say those two words then they know what's coming. But when you look at a pair of Muggles and say that they don't know what's coming until it's too late. Even then they might not even know. I just did what was expected. I never understood Muggles, and I guess I never will."

Hermione was taken back with Draco opening up with her the way he was. Is this really Draco Malfoy sitting in my house? Maybe there's more to him than what we all thought. He was just never given the chance.

"I can help you if you want...isn't that why you're here?"

"Yea..." Draco was surprised with Hermione's niceness. "Well, I've only killed one muggle willingly. The rest were all under the Imperious Curse, but that took a lot on Dumbledore's part to get them to believe. The reason that you, Potter, and Weasley never knew of me being apart of The Order, was because Snape and Dumbledore figured you guys wouldn't believe me. Or if you did, then there would be some sort of niceness between us. Which would've made it look weird to the rest of the school. So, I went to special meetings and all that. Then I was caught going on one of The Dark Lord's raids through Surrey, and before I could defend myself I was thrown into Azkaban. A few months of antagonizing torture and pain, Dumbledore finally got me out...and here I am now."

"That still doesn't explain why you're still so hateful to everyone you come in contact with. Didn't being part of The Order teach you some decency?"

"Look, being part of The Order only made it easy to defy my father in every single way. It doesn't mean that I'm going to become your all time all around good guy. I'm not your little Potter. I do have some pride. Unlike, some Granger."

Taken back by the Malfoy that she always knew, she was getting pretty heated. "I should've known you could never be an honest guy. Just when I thought you were going to be decent to live with, you turn and pull this shit. I should've known that you only helped Dumbledore to help yourself. You'll always be the same arrogant, self-absorbed prat you were back in school!"

"And what's so wrong with that, huh, Granger? You think one night of talking is going to change who I am? If you even started to think that you've got another thing coming, woman!"

Before she could react to his previous statement, their argument was interrupted by a loud cry from upstairs.

"MOMMY!!! HELP!! MOMMY!!"

A/N: I know...another cliffhanger...you guys probably hate me by now...but how I can insure that you guys will continue to r/r if I don't leave with something to think about. 