The working week had passed by Hermione in a haze. Every waking moment she had pushed herself into her work, searching in vain for the origins of the cave she now called home, and every night her sleep was disturbed by horrifying nightmares of the war. Now she found herself anxiously waiting in the sitting room of her marital home for Ron to return. The dust which covered the pictures on the wall had been banished easily with a flick of her wrist, giving the impression that the home was loved.
Hermione hadn't seen him since their reconciliation nearly three weeks ago. Due to the nature of his Auror mission, they hadn't been in contact. Feeling as if there was now this gaping chasm between the two of them, Hermione prepared herself to make the jump, even if she was the only one willing to. Her uneasy thoughts were interrupted as the front door opened and then slammed shut.
"Hermione? Baby?" Ron called out as he took his shoes off in the hallway. The house was quiet, but Hermione was always there waiting for him when he came back from a mission.
"I'm in the living room," Hermione nervously called back, standing from the sofa to greet him as he bounded into the room.
"Oh, I've missed you!" Ron exclaimed, picking Hermione up off the floor and spinning her around before planting a firm kiss on her lips. "We were staying in this awful little shack and all I could think about was coming home to you," he gushed as he peppered Hermione's face with more kisses. "Have you missed me?"
"Of course I have," Hermione replied, trying to delicately pull back from his embrace. "I've got a lot to tell you, Ron."
"Can you tell me later?" Ron asked lowering his voice, his hands moving to Hermione's hips and pulling her against him, connecting their bodies where she could feel his growing arousal. The idea of finally trying for a baby with her had been consuming his thoughts - it was all he had wanted for so long now, he could hardly keep his hands to himself.
"I, umm," Hermione struggled as Ron kissed his way from her cheek to collarbone. "No, I need to talk to you now."
"Hermione," Ron sighed as he twirled a loose piece of her hair around his finger. "I've been waiting for this for weeks, come to bed with me."
Squeaking slightly as Ron's strong arms circled around her waist, Hermione tried injecting a little more strength into her voice. "Ron, no. We need to talk - now." Taking advantage of his momentary lapse in concentration, Hermione forced herself away from him, using the coffee table as a barrier between the two of them.
"You promised, Hermione," Ron grumbled, his mouth turning down at the corners as Hermione hesitantly backed away. "You promised we'd try for a baby and now you're running away."
"I am not running away," Hermione responded, slightly stung by the accusation. In all their years together, it had never been her that ran away. Recalling the memory of Ron leaving whilst they were hunting for Horcruxes made tears pool in her eyes, distorting the look of confusion that crossed Ron's face. Focusing on what she had to say and steeling all of her Gryffindor courage, Hermione spoke. "I might be pregnant, Ron."
Ron felt his heart skip a beat, she was pregnant. The tension that had been sneaking into his shoulders snapped and a smile instantly lifted his face. "Already?" he asked, laughing and shaking his head in disbelief. They'd only tried once!
"Yea, I, um," Hermione started slowly, conscious of the fact she was about to crush him with her next words. "The work scan showed it but I-"
Hermione was cut off as Ron cheered. "That's great!" He quickly stepped forward to embrace her again, only stopping when Hermione held up her hands, eyes pleading with him to keep back.
Ron watched Hermione carefully; there was something off about her responses today. His eyes flicked to where she was nibbling her bottom lip, then to her hands, trembling as she lowered them to her sides. Feeling his mind switch to Auror mode, Ron asked, "Why aren't you happy?" noticing how Hermione's body stiffened in response to his question.
"It's...I..." Hermione stuttered as tears tracked down her face. This was it, Hermione thought as she breathed deeply, looking up into his eyes as she forced her next words out. "When we were separated…I…I slept with Draco."
"Excuse me?" Ron questioned, staring at Hermione through narrowed eyes, convinced he had misheard her words as his arms dropped limply to hang at his sides.
"I slept with Draco," Hermione replied, doing her best to speak clearly through her tears. "It was just one night. I...we…I was still on the potion - I promise -"
"When?" Ron asked, his voice tight and controlled. As the silence in the room grew, Ron felt himself take a step away from Hermione. He could see his hurt mirrored in her features, but she had no right. She had done this to him - to them - it was her fault. Trying to control his building temper, Ron spat out his next questions, the volume increasing with each one. "When did you sleep with him, Hermione? A month before I came home? A week before I came home? A DAY before I came home?!"
"Two weeks," Hermione squeaked out in reply, wrapping her arms around herself tightly as Ron's face transformed from one shade of red to the next. This was worse than she could have imagined, knowing she had to do it and actually doing it were completely different things. Nothing could have prepared her for the disgust as it flashed across Ron's face.
"Are you telling me," Ron growled, unable to see past the rage that clouded his vision as he pointed a shaking finger at Hermione, "that after everything that we've been through, that you might be carrying that git's child!? When I…when all I've ever wanted is to have a family with you!?"
Hermione nodded slowly, unable to bear the thought of hurting him any further but knowing she had to. Time froze as they stood staring at each other, each trembling with the riot of emotions which flooded their systems until the air around them shifted, crackling with energy as Ron's body began to go rigid.
"How could you!?" Ron cried suddenly. In his mind's eye, all he could see was the smug smirk of Malfoy as he put his hands on Hermione, much like the way the Horcrux had taunted him with images of Hermione and Harry together. Shaking his head to clear the image, Ron lunged forward, his face contorting with pain as his shins came into contact with the coffee table, his long arms stretched out towards her.
Panic cut through Hermione's fog of tears as Ron grabbed at her, causing her to stumble backward. She felt a brief stab of fear in her heart as she noticed the wild look in his eyes. He didn't look like her husband right now. Gasping in shock when Ron gripped her arm, Hermione twisted away, causing Ron to fall to the floor, his howling cry echoing through the room. Pulling herself together momentarily, Hermione closed her eyes and thought of the woods near her cave, the pull of apparition washing over her as she disappeared into the darkness.
Hermione staggered as she landed heavily in the clearing, marvelling for a minute that she had made it without splinching when the sound of Ron's cries reverberated in her mind. Flinching away from the sound, Hermione squeezed her eyes shut before starting to shuffle her way home, the stems of the newly-bloomed bluebells breaking beneath her feet. Hermione felt the security of the wards welcome her as she rubbed away the tears flowing down her face, the silence of the cave punctuated by her weeping as she meandered her way toward the sofa where she collapsed into a heap.
Curling in on herself, Hermione allowed her grief and fear to overwhelm her. What had just happened? In the course of no more than fifteen minutes, she had not only turned her world upside down but crushed her husband with her betrayal, forgetting that he had crushed her first. Hermione wept freely, realising she had never been scared of Ron before; the crazed look in his eyes still haunted her.
Feeling her stomach churn and roil, Hermione grabbed a pillow and clutched it to her chest, thinking of how she now had to tell Draco. Deciding to get all the damage done in one night, Hermione raised a shaking hand and sent him a Patronus.
Draco appeared with a resounding crack in the wood surrounding Hermine's cave, looking frantically from side to side. Hermione's Patronus had been unintelligible, and he had apparated straight to her forest in a panic, not knowing if she would actually be at home. Draco proceeded cautiously, thankful when the wards recognised him and allowed him through. He stepped carefully into the cave entrance and peered through the darkness. If she was in trouble, he didn't want to give his position away. Hearing a strangled cry, Draco's heart leapt into his throat and he surged forward, wand raised, into the living room, confused when he found Hermione tightly curled on her sofa, tears tracking down her cheeks.
Troubled by the sight before him, Draco wasted no time in scooping Hermione up from the sofa and moving her so she was nestled safely against him. Holding her tightly, he rubbed soothing circles across her back, occasionally pecking a kiss on her untamed hair to reassure her as much as himself.
Draco let his gaze wander as he steadily rocked her. Now that he had her in his arms, his earlier panic was slowly beginning to subside, allowing his mind to relax. As always, Draco became mesmerised by the ancient waterfall directly opposite him. In the quiet of the house, the gentle fall of the water created a soothing atmosphere, with every room looking out over the impressive sight. Looking down at Hermione's face as she pressed it further into his chest, Draco wondered what had her so distressed.
Since they had become close friends, Draco had never known her to be so emotional. The Hermione he knew was usually calm and collected, happy with who she was and where she was going. Draco was well aware of the troubles between Ron and Hermione, and Ron's subsequent admission that pushed Hermione into leaving their home and suggesting a trial separation. But in these last three months, he had never seen her cry so many times.
Sitting in silence, Draco lost track of time. He wasn't sure how long it took for Hermione's cries to subside, but eventually, they did. Peering up at Draco, Hermione muttered a small, "Thank you," whilst tugging at the sleeve of her jumper. "Sorry, I think I ruined another one of your jumpers," Hermione joked half-heartedly.
"Sod the jumper," Draco said rubbing his hand over the wet patch on his chest. "Want to tell me what all the tears were for?"
Hermione sucked in a deep shuddering breath and sat up straighter, concentrating on what she wanted to say as she looked into Draco's shining eyes. "Well, you know I have those body scans every six weeks? I um, had one on Monday and the Healer - Healer Norton - told me that…told me that I was…told me that I'm pregnant."
Well shit, Draco thought, his disappointment heavy on his tongue as he hid his surprise and looked into Hermione's warm brown eyes. "Ok," he said in his most soothing voice, unsure if it's for Hermione's benefit or his. "But that was Monday, what happened today?"
Looking into the depths of Draco's eyes, Hermione saw nothing but his desperation to know what was wrong. For all of his calm on the outside, she could tell he was troubled. Still toying with the sleeve of her jumper, Hermione looked off into the distance, feeling the words tumble from her mouth. "Ron got home today," she began calmly. "I went over there to tell him about the pregnancy and he was...he was so happy. But I, I had to tell him, about us, you know….about us, that night."
Surprised and more than a little confused, Draco nodded, encouraging Hermione to continue. "He was furious, Draco," she said as her hands started to shake, her mind replaying the events in broken segments. Closing her eyes against more tears, Hermione rested her head back on Draco's chest and continued. "He started yelling, he was so upset, the air shook with his raw magic and then he...he just broke and grabbed me. I don't know how, but I got his hand off me and Disapparated." Hermione shuddered as the sound of his cry came back to her, and she counted to ten before opening her eyes again.
Draco was stunned into silence. That man was her husband, for Merlin's sake. He was supposed to be there for her! Not scare her when she was obviously feeling vulnerable. The hand that rested against Hermione's back stopped its circles and began clenching and unclenching into a fist as Draco tried to reign in his temper.
Noticing the change in his demeanour, Hermione lifted her head, looking him in the eye as he stared dead ahead unblinking. Feeling the fabric on her top tighten then loosen, Hermione realised that Draco was doing his best to calm himself. Having seen him use this method before, Hermione sat still and waited. Feeling his breathing slow, Hermione watched his eyebrows furrow in confusion before he focused back on her, his eyes shifting from steely grey to swirling silver. The air around them buzzed with an energy similar to the one she had felt that night. Unsure about what it meant, Hermione stayed silent.
Heart thrumming in his chest, Draco broke the silence first. "You had to tell him about us?" he questioned staring at Hermione as his brain pieced everything together. "Are you saying that I," Draco paused rubbing his free hand across his face, "are you saying that I could be the father?"
"Yes," Hermione replied, ducking her head so she didn't have to watch the storm of emotions she expected to flit across his face. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she, Hermione Granger-Weasley, would be unsure of the paternity of her child.
Draco sat quietly for a moment, stunned, before gently grabbing Hermione's chin and tilting her face up to his. Reading her scared eyes, Draco spoke softly, "Ok."
That was all Draco said and that was all Hermione needed to hear. Feeling some of the weight lift off her shoulders, Hermione crushed herself against him, saying a silent prayer of thanks for his understanding. Together, they leaned back into the sofa and fell asleep, content in each other's arms.
Rubbing her eyes sometime later, Hermione stretched sleepily, coming to the slow realisation that she had fallen asleep on Draco. Turning to face him, Hermione was met with his warm smile.
"Morning, sleepy head," he said jokingly whilst brushing Hermione's hair from his face.
Flustered by Draco's close proximity, especially after what she had told him last night, Hermione asked, "Have you been awake long?" before carefully untangling her limbs from his and sitting up to work out the kinks in her back.
Draco pulled his own jumper straight as Hermione moved away from him, a small smile dancing across his lips as he answered, "Just a little while, do you mind if we talk about last night?"
"I suppose not," Hermione answered pulling her knees to her chest as she rested against the back of the sofa.
Reading the anxiety as it etched its way into her face, Draco reached out, gently taking one of her hands in his own. "Did the Healer say how far along you are?"
Hermione almost laughed at his simple question. The difference between his reaction and Ron's was astounding - how Draco could be so calm was beyond her. "No, she didn't, and I didn't ask. I know it's difficult to date so early," Hermione rambled aimlessly, letting all her jumbled thoughts out in a rush. "I mean, she could be wrong. No one knows what living here might do to my body. Ron and I slept together when he came back from his mission, and you and I were what, a month ago? Just over? It can't happen that quickly."
Draco could see the hope flicker in her eyes as she spoke of the Healer being wrong, but Draco had a stronger faith in magic. If the Healer said she was pregnant, then she was pregnant. "But she might be right, Granger," Draco replied calmly, watching as Hermione rested her forehead against her knees.
"I know, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet," Hermione said softly, clinging onto Draco's hand as though her life depended on it. "I've um...made an appointment with a doctor. You know, a Muggle healer, to get a second opinion. Did you want to come with me?"
"Really?" Draco asked, his head tilting to the side as Hermione peeked up at him. "Shouldn't Ron be going with you?"
"Ha," Hermione huffed bitterly as she turned, her cheek was resting on her knees, giving her a full view of Draco as he listened to her. "I don't think he's going to be talking to me for a while," she answered honestly, her arm rubbing up and down against her shins as she thought again of Ron. "Besides, I'm not so sure I want him there. He doesn't like or understand Muggle medicine. I couldn't trust him to behave."
Draco almost felt giddy at the unexpected turn of events. He had been downright panicked when Hermione had called for him yesterday and now she was asking him to join her to see the Muggle Healer - something her husband definitely should have been doing with her. But she had chosen him. "Well," Draco said, letting out the breath he'd been holding, "I'm not such a fan of it either, but if it's what you want, then yes, I'll go with you."
Hermione's shoulders slumped in relief at Draco's words. He really was far too good to her. Sitting up straight Hermione gave Draco a brilliant smile. "Thank you."
"Not a problem, Granger," Draco smirked, standing from the sofa and brushing down his trousers. "Now, breakfast?" he asked, holding his hand out to her.
Hermione took Draco's hand easily, allowing him to pull her up and lead her through her lounge and into the kitchen. Watching him whip up an easy breakfast, Hermione wondered what magic it was that Draco had to always be the one who made her feel better.
A/N - I hope you enjoyed that :)