That Fateful Night

Chapter Two

Draco Finds Out

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

---

About a month after the incident Hermione noticed something wasn't right. Ginny and her usually got their periods around the same time and Ginny had had hers roughly three weeks before. At first, Hermione had passed off hers not coming as stress over the last exams she'd have to take, but when it was two weeks late there had to be a problem.

She didn't freak out at first, though. She figured it could still be stress, but she thought it would be a rather good idea to consult Madame Pomfrey about the problem. She would at least be able to tell her what the problem was. Hermione just prayed that she wasn't pregnant. That would completely destroy every goal she had set for herself since she'd found out she was a witch.

When she entered the hospital wing looking rather upset two days before exams, the nurse walked up to the girl quickly. She figured Hermione was just freaking out again about exams. Sometimes that happened. Pomfrey had also seen many seventh years upset about the end of school so she did not automatically assume something was wrong.

She knew Hermione quite well. The girl usually volunteered in the hospital wing for a few extra points for Gryffindor. She had even tended to the stuck up Malfoy boy after a crazy quidditch incident involving a rogue bludger during a Slytherin and Ravenclaw game. The nurse frowned a little, remembering the nasty bruise that the boy had in the middle of his forehead and the horrible way he had managed to break him arm in about four places.

At first Hermione tried to remain calm. "Well…My…well.. It isn't here yet and um…" A tear slid down the young girl's cheek. "I…I think I might b-be…" A few more tears joined the first and she sobbed a little as she stared at the floor. She couldn't meet the nurse's eyes.

"You may be what, dear?" Pomfrey was shocked. She had never seen Hermione cry over a medical problem before. Usually the girl was quite level headed and didn't freak out when she suspected something wrong with her.

"Well I missed my... and Malfoy and I... now I think I'm..." Hermione wasn't making any sense because now she was bawling and sobbing. The crystal tears slid down her pale cheeks in little streams and her shoulders rapidly rose and fell. Madame Pomfrey, however, took a guess at what could be wrong.

"You think you are pregnant, dear?" She asked kindly, in a soft tone so that no other patients could hear what was going on. But really she was upset. How could Hermione have slept with Draco Malfoy? He was just an arrogant little brat. She had never liked him and she had thought that Hermione despised him, especially after what had happened the year before.

Hermione sniffed and nodded, still more tears streaming down her cheeks and smearing her make-up. She still couldn't meet the nurse's eyes. She couldn't bear to see the disapproving look that she knew had to be there. God, what if she was pregnant? How would she tell Ron and Harry?

"Ok dear, well, let's find out." The nurse took a little bottle out of her robe pocket. "Hold out your wrist." The nurse looked at the girl's wrist to ensure it was free of anything that could possibly mess up the reading. Then, she pulled her wand out and tapped the girl's wrist. Satisfied that it was clean, she opened the little bottle. "Now, whatever this may say, you are not to go into hysterics again, are we clear?" When Hermione nodded, she went on. "Pink or blue means you are. Green means you've got another health problem and clear means you're perfectly fine." She took a deep breath and told Hermione to relax and do the same, then she poured a small amount onto the girl's wrist.

They both stared intently at Hermione's wrist where the liquid seemed to have not changed. Suddenly it turned bright pink. Hermione screamed and suddenly paled several shades. Madame Pomfrey was afraid the girl was going to pass out. But she had no time to worry about that as a tall figure strode into the room.

"Pomfrey I need you to mend my arm and wrist. They're both broken worse than ever. Even worse than my 5th year summer." Draco looked curiously at Hermione who was very pale and crying and at Pomfrey who was glaring at him. "Um... All right... What'd I do this time?"

"Never you mind that right now. Get over here and use your good arm to help me with her." Pomfrey snapped, looking at him for a moment, then looking back at Hermione, rather worried. "Bring her back to my office and we'll get you both fixed up."

Draco clumsily helped the nurse bring Hermione into the office. Then they set her up on a chair. By the time they'd gotten her there she looked at little bit better. She wasn't nearly as pale and she looked like she could actually focus her eyes on one thing.

The nurse looked from Hermione to Draco once she was satisfied the girl wasn't going to pass out. "Come here Mr. Malfoy. We'll need to fix that up for you again. Bloody quidditch… I suppose that's where you broke them again?"

Draco nodded and looked at Hermione for a moment before walking over to the nurse. She really did look quite upset. He briefly wondered what had happened before he'd entered the wing.

The nurse took her wand from her pocket and tapped it to his arm and wrist. They returned to normal almost instantly. The boy winced a little but then he was fine. "Now, Mr. Malfoy, do you think you can refrain from receiving anymore of these sort of accidents for the remaining days you have left here?"

He nodded and looked at the floor briefly before looking back at her. "I think I can manage that. We were just fooling around today and well, the bludger went rogue again…"

"Now onto important business." The nurse looked from the handsome blonde boy to the pretty girl. She supposed she could imagine how it had happened. And there was no question in her mind that it was indeed Malfoy's baby. Hermione had never been the type to sleep around. "Mr. Malfoy, take a seat. You'll want to be sitting when I tell you this." She closed the door and took a breath.

But before she'd had a chance to speak, Draco exclaimed, "Madame what is going on? I demand to know." The nurse simply gave him a stern look and he took a seat.

Madame Pomfrey took a deep breath. She didn't know where to begin. She'd had to tell many young couples this news but they were usually on better terms than the two in front of her. "When was the last time you and Hermione were alone together?"

He shrugged, looking at her curiously. "I don't know. Maybe a month ago. I really doubt that is any of your business."

"What were you two doing?"

"Um..." Draco suddenly looked nervous. "We were um... fooling around in the prefect bathroom..." His usually pale face gained a slight pink tinge. He really did not feel like getting in trouble at the very end of his seventh year. He'd never been caught doing anything like this before.

She raised an eyebrow. "Fooling around? Please define "fooling around."

"We slept together...But why is this relevant? I was under the impression I did have the freedom to sleep with whomever I please."

"Because Miss Granger is now pregnant."

Draco's jaw dropped and his face went deathly pale. "B-but it can't be p-possible we-we used protection and-and my f-father is going to m-murder me if... if she's..." Neither the nurse or Hermione had ever seen Draco lose his cool at all.

"I'm sorry Draco it's true..."Hermione finally found her voice and joined in. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks.

"Oh god I'm only seventeen. I can't deal with this. This is crazy. My father….he's gonna kill me…I'm gonna be dead…"

"Calm down you two." Madame Pomfrey said to them. She had seen younger couples then these two acting calmer than they were. A baby did put the two in a bad situation but it was most definitely not the end of the world.

"Calm down?" Draco said sounding amazed. "I can't fucking calm down! Right now I'd like to cut my fucking wrists open because it would be a hell of a lot better than what Lucius has in store for me when he finds out!" He raked a hand through his previously perfectly slicked back hair. Now it was falling into his eyes and every other direction.

"Draco!" Both Madame Pomfrey and Hermione said at the same time.

Draco stood up. "Hermione I don't want a thing to do with this kid, ok? I'll pay any amount of money. But I do not want my father finding out." He took a deep breath, looking like he was going to cry. Then he swallowed hard, turned, and left the room quickly, violently raking a hand through his platinum hair.

Pomfrey just looked at Hermione with sadness. She knew there was nothing she could do. He had offered money. There was no real obligation for him to take part in the child's life.

Hermione never saw Draco Malfoy again for another eleven years…

---

A/n: Hope you enjoyed this. It actually took quite a bit of editing. I did my best with it. Next chapter should be up relatively soon. I do have quite a bit of summer reading to get done before the sixth though, so we will see what happens.

Please review!