Chapter 9

"Are you sure you don't want me to take your coat?"

Hermione's nervous fidgeting hands paused momentarily to regard him. "Huh? Oh, yea I'm fine Ron. I'd like to keep my coat on if you don't mind."

"Are you sure? You're not cold are you?" Ron always was a sweetheart, but sometimes his concern came off as a sort of nagging.

"Ron really, I'm positive; I'm okay." Hermione gave him a small smile as reassurance, which he returned by wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

This was definitely not a good night for her. She was about half way through her fourth month already and the mood swings, the cravings, the heightened sexual drive, and mild headaches were coming on strong and often. And to top it all off, a book she had read recently informed her that the physical signs of pregnancy were to become more apparent very soon. Now, unless Hermione wanted Ron to spontaneously combust in a fit of rage, she'd better hope he'd go blind soon coz her boyfriend, though not the sharpest pencil, was bound to put two and two together when he sees her belly beginning to grow. So yes, a night spent at a boring office party was the last thing she wanted to do.

Yet, Ron was not what was twisting her throat in little knots. It was the man who fathered her baby: Draco Malfoy. He had yet to learn about his alleged paternity. Would he even care, or want to be a part of the baby's life? Or would he ignore it and pretend nothing happened? But what if he decides he doesn't want Hermione to be its mother and take it away as soon as it's born? Or worse, he orders her to get an abortion?

Hermione's blood ran cold. She doesn't even want to think about how Malfoy would react. At least with Ron, you could prepare yourself for the expected. Malfoy on the other hand… fair-haired, ferret-faced, obnoxious, self-centered Malfoy; he was the wild card. She could never be too sure what his next move would be. I mean, he slept with her for god sakes! I'd say that's pretty unpredictable behavior.

She knew he'd be there; he had to be. He was, after all, the Head of Senior Administration. She kept a watchful eye around her in case he happened to be too near. So immersed in her thoughts, she hadn't even realized Ron was speaking to her.

The redhead's brows creased with worry. " …Mione?"

Hermione blinked several times to clear her head. "Hm? Oh, sorry Ron, what did you say?"

He was about to open his mouth to say something but looked as if he thought better of it and closed it again.

"I'll go get you a drink," Ron said simply giving her a kiss on her forehead and making his way to the punch bowl. Hermione sighed and mingled by herself, giving no more than a wave and a quick "hello" to others who greeted her.

"Hello Granger," a low husky voice behind her had said. It was so familiar and sexy all at the same time it made her backbone tingle. She turned around and her expression fell, facing a certain blonde someone who smirked at her in return.

"Malfoy." He casually approached her, his laid-back attitude irritating her to the bone. 'I hate how nothing seems to bother him,' she thought irately.

"You're looking rather…round," he teased smugly, but Hermione didn't catch on to his meaning nor did she find it funny at all. "What's a matter Granger? Gaining a few pounds?"

"Excuse me?" She narrowed her eyes, feeling offended. He closed the distance between them, with Hermione moving back with every step he took forward. Draco just stopped and casually smirked, rather enjoying the uneasiness he was causing her. Suddenly something glinting on her finger caught his attention. Just as he raised his wine glass to his lips, he saw it; her engagement ring.

"Engaged?" he asked in the most disinterested way. Hermione self-consciously brought up her hand to have her eyes set on the diamond, as if checking if it was still in tact.

"I don't know how it concerns you, but yes. In fact I am engaged."

"To Weasley," he replied in a manner that was difficult to distinguish between a question and a statement.

She sighed in annoyance. "Yes Malfoy. You remember him, don't you? The one who threatened to decapitate you not too long ago. He's here with me if you must know."

He nodded slowly, that stupid trademark smirk never leaving his face. "How long has it been?"

Hermione folded her arms and frowned, not quite understanding him. "What?"

"How long has it been?" he repeated as if talking to a small child. "Since he proposed."

She narrowed her eyes and regarded him for a minute. She wasn't sure exactly what he was up to but she knew something was going on inside that head of his. Under normal circumstances Malfoy would never care whether or not she was engaged to whomever, whenever. Hermione laughed in his face hollowly. "You're kidding, right?" Draco blinked a few times but when his facial expression remained constant, her laughter subsided. She glanced around helplessly and sighed. "Not that it's any of your business," she unknowingly placed a hand on her stomach, "about four months."

When she realized what she was doing, she dropped her arm to her side. But her actions had not gone unnoticed. Draco noticed it. He saw her holding her stomach and lifted a brow at this.

"Hm… do you remember what else happened around that same time?" he said, slowly advancing towards her again.

Just when Hermione was beginning to feel uncomfortable yet again, Ron came back causing Draco to stop. He handed Hermione her drink but his eyes were fixated on someone else (three guesses who:P).

"I thought I told you to stay away from us," Ron began, icily.

"That would be a challenging task to do since I do work with your fiancée."

"That's right Ferret. She is my fiancée. So I don't want you bothering her, or me, or any of our family members."

"Family?" Draco lifted his brows bemused. "Expecting little Weasels so soon?" Hermione turned rigid. How did he know? How could he possibly know?

"I meant in the future," Ron drawled; his teeth grinding against each other so hard you could partially hear the friction.

Draco smiled tauntingly. "You know, you're right. I shouldn't be bothering your bride-to-be. In fact, why should I be working with her at all. I could have her fired." Ron glared at him menacingly as if to say, "Don't you dare". But Draco just continued grinning smugly. "Enjoy the party," the Slytherin prince said, lifting his glass in the air in a mock toast then parting from their side.

"I hate that git," Ron murmured to Hermione. "Can you believe he was threatening to have you fired? The nerve." He turned to her, only to realize she had gone quite pale. "Mione, you alright?"

Hermione rubbed her forehead with one hand but the throbbing headache didn't cease. "I don't know. I just felt dizzy all of a sudden."

"Do you wanna go home?"

She nodded steadily as Ron took both their glasses and set it at a nearby table. He then proceeded to wrap an arm around her waist and lead her away. Little did she know, from a corner not too far away Malfoy was watching her closely, his mind deep in thought.

"She didn't mention it," he said to himself quietly. "Even Weasel-be didn't mention it." He thoughtfully swirled the champagne in his goblet with his right hand. "There's something more she's not letting on, I know there is," Draco said finally as he watched Hermione and Ron disappear through the front doors.

:FLASHBACK TO WHEN DRACO STOPPED BY HERMIONE'S APARTMENT:
(sometime around chap. 6)
Draco turned to face the mirror just as he closed the door to the bathroom of Granger's flat. "I hate my life," he grumbled to his reflection, then glanced down his left hand, at a wedding band permanently occupying his ring finger. Grunting disgustedly, he slid off the ring and placed it down by the sink. Draco then went on to lather and rinse his hands with the liquidy soap. But as he was reaching for a towel, he accidentally knocked the ring into the trash bin.

"Bloody hell," he cursed under his breath. He was about to stoop down and reach for it, but stopped mid-way and reached for his wand instead. "Accio ring."

Instantly the ring flew out of the trash bin, but not without moving around the garbage inside, revealing a protruding white stick. He meant to ignore it at first but it was hard to miss. Not wanting to label himself a 'garbage picker', he again used his wand to levitate out the object.

Now, Draco Malfoy didn't know much about feminine products but he certainly had his share of girlfriends to know that a clear strip means "a close one" and a blue strip meant "our life is fucked".

Draco narrowed his eyes. 'Oh shit. Granger's pregnant.' Judging by the intensity of the blue color on the pregnancy test, either Hermione hasn't thrown out her trash in 2 weeks or she's pretty early in her pregnancy. He chose the latter. 'Wonder whose it is.'

"Oh god!" He rubbed the back of his neck apprehensively as he just remembered a certain occurrence which happened about 3 months ago. If he was right, and he probably was, he needed her to confirm it. Finally, Draco opened the door to find Hermione even more nervous than when he'd left her. 'I guess now's a good a time as any to ask her.'

"Hey Granger what was with the-"

But he never had the chance to finish his thought. Hermione, as much as looked at him, threw him out the door. Even had a little run-in with Weasel-be. But he wasn't thwarted. He was just going to have to resolve in getting the answers he needed by other means.

Author's Note: omg Malfoy knows lol. the plot thickens….

Next chapter... our beloved Draco confronts Hermione, and poor Ron is starting to clue in.