The Similarities of Love and Hate

By Caitlin Wasson

Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be. What little money I have in my bank account comes from my minimum wage job working at a jewelry store.

Chapter Two

Secrets

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Hermione woke up to an alarm clock going off and groaned. She got out of bed and got dressed. After fifth year, she'd given up on wearing her uniform in favor of more casual clothing under her robes. From her closet, she selected a pair of jeans that were a size too big and an Enchantress (a popular band in the wizarding world) tee shirt. When she slipped a pair of comfortable clogs, she gave the distinct appearance of a girl who wanted to good girl gone bad image and failed miserably, due to her sweet face. Grabbing her black and pink bag and dashed out the door.

"DRACO MALFOY!" she shouted when she entered the living room, to find that his things were once again strewn every where. She marched right to his door, shouting, "Did the little chat we had last night mean nothing to you?" She threw the door open and immediately wished she hadn't. Draco Malfoy was standing before her completely naked.

"What are you yelling about now, Granger?" he asked, striding toward her, not even covering up. He stopped about six inches from her. "Like what you see?" he asked huskily.

Hermione didn't answer that question and walked back out of his room and through the portrait hole. Instead of going right, to the great hall, she turned left and went to the bathroom no one ever went to. She wasn't sure if she needed to throw up but if she was going to, she didn't want it to be around anyone. She didn't want to be a victim of the rumor mill.

There was no reason for her to take the test. Her period hadn't come for two months and she was throwing up in the mornings. The fact that she had insane food cravings also added evidence. The fact that she did not know who the father was did not make it any better.

Just thinking about it made her duck into a stall and puke her guts up. When she had heaved enough, she pointed her wand at her stomach and cast a temporary anti-nausea charm so she would be able to eat breakfast without throwing up. It didn't guarantee that she wouldn't throw it up once the charm wore off but at least she wouldn't need to run out of the hall.

She made her way to the hall in record time and sat down at the Gryffindor table between Ron and Harry.

"How's life with the git treating you?" Ron asked, digging into his plate laden with bacon, eggs, and toast.

"Horrible," she said. "He's an absolute slob and thinks I should pick up after him."

"Typical spoiled brat," Ron said. "Just say the word and I'll take care of him for you." He grinned at her. "Say, do you want to hang out in the Gryffindor common room tonight? The other guys should be off somewhere…"

Hermione shook her head. "I can't." Lie. "I have homework." Also a lie; she'd had it done two weeks before. "I plan on going to bed early." Yet another lie, as she would be up half the night trying to decide how to break the news to everyone.

Ron frowned, disappointed. "Okay then. Tomorrow maybe?"

"We'll see," she replied. She nibbled on a piece of plain toast and drank a goblet of pumpkin juice. Even the plainest things made her stomach turn. Lunch wouldn't be much better. Morning sickness? Try all-day sickness. "I really must be going. I woke up late and I need to get to class." Before they could say anything, she got up and bolted for the door.

Because of her current… issues, Hermione had lightened her load for her final year at Hogwarts. Her focus was in transfiguration, potions, and arithmancy. For charms, astronomy, ancient runes, defense against the dark arts, and care for magical creatures, she had studied enough ahead in the textbooks that she just had her teachers sign off on her work once every two weeks and give her a general idea as to what she needed to study. Her schedule worked out that she only had one class a day most days and no classes at all on Friday. That was fine for her. She spent the rest of the time getting ahead. She needed to get at least two months ahead, as far as she figured.

On that particular Wednesday morning, she had only an hour of Transfiguration. The class was very small since the seventh year NEWT level was split into three groups. Her class had only eight people in it, making it easier to get things done and get help. They were working on the concept of transfiguring their bodies, conjuring large objects, replicating, and anamagi. Hermione knew she was going to have to tell Professor McGonagall soon or else she might cast a spell that wasn't safe. Come to think of it, she needed to tell Snape as well because certain fumes and potions could be harmful. She just had to find the right way to say it.

Hermione took her seat before even Professor McGonagall had come into the classroom. Immediately, she pulled out a quill and parchment and started on an essay that wasn't due until just before the holidays. She was well on her way to being enough ahead.

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Hermione didn't think Draco was in the room. Or rather she hoped he wasn't. It wasn't like she had memorized his schedule. All she knew was they had Potions and Transfiguration together. As for the rest of it, she had no idea what he used to occupy his day. Normally, she would have gone to a remote, out-of-the-way, not within proximity to any classroom bathroom. However, the anti-nausea charm she had cast after lunch had worn off rather suddenly, leaving her no time to run to a far bathroom.

She knelt on the cold marble floor, her hands grasping the edge of the toilet. The heaving just would not stop and the bathroom reeked of the sour stench of vomit. Her hands and knees hurt from the cold, hard floor and toilet.

After several minutes, her stomach finally calmed down and she flushed the toilet.

"Well, well. That's interesting Granger," a voice behind her said.

Hermione turned to see Malfoy leaning up against the bathroom door. Her stomach twisted itself yet again and she retched into the toilet. She did not want to see him. He wasn't stupid, meaning she was screwed.

"Go away Malfoy. Can't you see I'm sick?" she asked.

He strode toward her and leaned against the wall next to the toilet. "I wouldn't exactly call it sick," he said. "It isn't a virus, mudblood. You're pregnant."

She stared at him. How did he know?

"Oh come on Granger!" he said with a laugh. "You're moving toward a bigger wardrobe, you duck out constantly, you keep weird food in the cabinets, and you showed an unusual amount of concern about what we were working with in Potions. You may be the school's know-it-all but the rest of us aren't stupid. Let me guess. You and Weasel made a bit of a mistake? You didn't take the potion? He forgot about the charm? Now here you are."

"It isn't Ron's baby," she whispered.

He looked surprised. "Really now. I never would've thought you'd be the type to sleep around."

"I don't sleep around," she whispered.

He rolled his eyes. "What? You got yourself pregnant? Impossible. It takes two to tango."

"I was raped Malfoy!" she shouted. She sprang to her feet and bolted out of the bathroom. "Now leave me the hell alone!"

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And more was revealed… Shall we see what happens next?

Thank you for the lovely reviews! More on this chapter would be wonderful though… ;)