Disclaimer: just judging from my ugly writing style, it's pretty obvious i'm not J.K. Rowling (thus i'm not making any profit writing this)...not even close. God, i wish i was! Maybe then i'd be able to meet Rupert Grint in real life ;) Btw, sorry i took long updating...skool's a bitch.
Chapter 10
A thin woman, small and petite, short chin length hair with a long swan-like neck, sat upright and prim her proper attire suitable of her rich and expensive surroundings. Her dark eyes, so black you can hardly tell where her pupils ended, eyed the tea set in front of her; an evil-like smirk creeping on her lips. Her friend, and only companion at the moment, sat across from her, lifting a suspicious yet knowing brow.
"What do you think you're doing?"
The woman raised her gaze to her slightly chubbier female friend. She pulled a cylindrical vial from inside her robes and twirled it between her fingers before taking her time to remove the cap.
"Pansy…"
The woman whom was referred to as Pansy, proceeded to pour the contents of the vial into a teacup next to her own.
"Pansy, are you sure you wanna do this? I mean, I know he's been unfaithful but so have you. It's no reason to kill your husband."
Pansy looked up once more, staring with impatience. "Millicent, I thought I explained this already. It's not about him sleeping with anyone in a skirt; at least not anymore."
"Alright then what is it about?"
"Money," she answered casually shrugging.
"Money." Millicent repeated as if it was the stupidest thing to say.
Pansy sighed again. "Milli, I am not going to have Drakie-poo divorce me first and leave me with nothing. Now, I want everything and what I want, I always get." Her pink pouty lips twisted into that evil smile; ones you only see on a person meaning to do harm and enjoying it.
"Draco darling! Time for tea!" She called loudly yet sweetly all the same.
"But aren't you concerned you'd get caught? Murder's a one way to ticket to Azkaban, let me remind you."
"Oh I've got that already taken care of. Why do you think I've been having late night get-togethers with our new young, buff, Head Minister?" She winked idly. "Draco dear, tea!" she called over her shoulder once again.
"What about Hogwarts? I remember when you were so head-over-heals in love with the boy. You wouldn't stop talking about him. Now you want to get rid of him?"
Pansy sighed. "Milli, if I had to choose between money and my husband, what do you think I'd say?" It was more rhetorical rather than an actual question. "Draco!" she suddenly shrieked in a shrill voice, the sweetness of her tone disappearing. Pansy frowned deeply, having strained her voice calling for him. She spied a house elf in the corner of her eye.
"You!" She pointed her wand at the creature as it jumped backwards suddenly in surprise. "Where's my husband?"
The house elf flinched noticeably. "Master's gone out for the day," it stuttered out quietly.
Pansy's eyes cracked into angry little slits boring straight into the tiny creature's head. "And where has he gone?" she drawled slowly and carefully, voice scratching like nails on a chalkboard.
"Master would not say. M-Master says is unimportant where he goes.." the small elf gasped at this time, as Pansy bewitched the air around its neck to constrict tightly with a flick of her wand, as if it was being strangled. "…even if Miss asked," the house elf finally choked out.
Pansy's eyes turned to gray storm clouds. She was very upset. "Well then find 'Master'," she gritted through clenched teeth, releasing the thing from the magic of her wand. Immediately, it scurried away. The brunette turned her head back to Millicent.
"That arse is gonna be begging for mercy when I'm through with him," she breathed evenly, whipping the poisoned teacup clear across the room in heated frustration. Millicent's eyes bulged slightly at the sound of the cup's shattered echo as it made contact with the opposite wall.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Seven o'clock in the morning and there was a consistent knocking on the door…no, make that banging. Ron stirred on his bed.
"Umph," he groaned incoherently, rolling over. "Who the bloody wanker is that!"
Hermione, half asleep herself, rolled down from her side of the bed. "I'll get it," she said monotonously, shifting to sit up and rub her eyes open. She looked at Ron next to her, waiting for his objection but he had already fallen back to sleep, snoring soundly.
Shaking her head and smiling slightly, she dragged herself over to the door and cracked it open, the streaming light from the hallway gushing into her dark living room. She had to shield her eyes momentarily, straining her vision to see who had woken her up this early on a Saturday morning.
"I can't take it anymore," her visitor said, allowing himself entry and pushing past her suddenly. "I need to know, and I need to know right now." She rubbed her eyes again until that all too familiar gold hair streaked her line of view.
Bloody hell.
"Malfoy," she began, that annoyed tone finding its way back to her, frankly too early to start. "What in Merlin's name are you doing in my apartment during this ungodly hour?" She tried to keep her voice low and steady as to not wake Ron. But he ignored her.
"Granger, tell me. Tell me now and don't even think about lying." He stared at her evenly, seriously.
She rolled her eyes, running both hands through her tangled mane. "Tell you what? What do you need to know?"
"I need to know who you've been sleeping with, flirting with, who's fucked you, when he fucked you, who you've sucked-"
Hermione's mouth dropped open disgusted with his words. "Malfoy! What are you some kind of perverted snake? How dare you-"
But he cut her off in the middle of her lashing, his voice towering over her own. "Tell me that baby is not mine." He sounded absolute and superior; loud and gruff but not angry.
Hermione paused, breath caught in her throat.
"B-Baby?" her voice cracked suddenly. "I don't know what you're talking about." Her words came out in a barely audible whisper.
Draco's firm gaze was broken and he shook his head, clearly unsatisfied with her response. "Bollocks Granger. Is it mine or not?"
Somehow finding more strength and courage within herself, she heaved in another breath to allow oxygen to flow through her brain again. "I don't know what you're trying to pull Malfoy," at this he rolled his eyes irately and made for the couch. "…but I have no idea what you're talking about—don't sit."
He plopped down and stared at her daringly.
She crossed her arms, returning the challenge.
He sighed and stood up. "Look. I know you're pregnant and I know it's not Weasley's. Now that just leaves me. So stop fucking lying to my face and tell me the truth."
Hermione was so mad she could very well have just grinded him into a fine powder. "Piss off Malfoy," was all she could seethe from her lips without screaming. She turned her back on him to walk away.
"I'm not stupid Granger," he spat just as coldly. "You can't deny it. I saw the pregnancy test."
Hermione froze, slowly whirling to face him again. "You what?" She strode fast towards him then—
SLAP.
"What was that for!" Draco clutched a hand over his numbing cheek.
"You went through my garbage?" She stared at him sickeningly. "Of all the sick, twisted-"
"I was not going through your ruddy garbage ok? I just accidentally dropped—that's not the point! The point is you are pregnant and you didn't tell me."
"Okay fine! What if I am, hm? It's frankly none of your business anyway."
"It is coz it's mine."
"Ugh! Would you stop saying that!" Hermione shrieked, throwing her hands up.
"Why? It's true isn't it?"
"No!"
Draco raised his brows in fascination. "Oh really? Well then if that were the case, then you'd be some kind of whore now wouldn't you." Hermione was grinding her teeth hard against each other. "Well, that is since Weasley's not the father. If he was, you would've told him and he would've been bragging all night at the board party how he's going to be a daddy. Now as he didn't seem to be overly happy or maniacally angry, I think it's safe for me to assume your idiot boyfriend has no clue about a baby."
Hermione had nothing to retort back. She was too stricken to think of a comeback.
"So is there any other candidate for the paternity?" Draco smirked suddenly. "Like Potter maybe?"
Her head shot up. That was it; that was the final straw. Malfoy just crossed a forbidden line. Her jaw was set and her eyes were a thin line. "Get out," she drawled slowly with much emphasis.
"Hit a nerve did I?"
"Get. Out."
He paused several seconds before sighing. "Fine. But by tossing me out now, it only gives me more reason to hound you at work. Or should I go ask Weasley what he thinks?"
Hermione grabbed him by the arms with so much force he's probably going to be left with bruises on his forearms, though he'd never fully admit that it hurt. She pushed him out the door and into the hallway so hard he stumbled back a few steps before she slammed the door shut. After she'd done so had she realized the walls shook, as well as her entire body from the whole ordeal. She steadied herself on the couch to calm her nerves when Ron walked in the living room, hair tossed from having just rolled right out of bed.
"'Mione, I heard yelling and the doors slam. Who was that?" He had one eye cracked open, the other still half-closed as one hand reached up to scratch himself.
"Go back to bed Ron. It was nothing, just a…a salesperson."
Ron fingered the hair on the top of his head absently and made to retreat back to the bedroom just as Hermione collapsed down on the coffee table, her head bent over her palms. She sniffled a little, feeling the urge to cry. She didn't want to—she really didn't want to—but she couldn't help it. It was as if she lost control of her systems and was drowning in her own state of emotional frailty. Defeated, she gave in to the tears and allowed them to fall.
Little did she now, Ron had gone back and was peering at her around the corner, half of his face hidden in the dark of the hallway. He gazed at her thoughtfully and furrowed his brows. 'Something's different about her,' he thought to himself insecurely. 'Very different.'
AN: okay there you hav it...chapter 10. not completely satisfied with it, but at least its something right? well fret not. i got the suceeding chapter to this almost complete...just gotta switch some things around...
Next time: Hermione admits the paternity and Ron interogates Harry for information. OOoo!
