Authors Notes: Welcome fellow friends in Fanfiction. We are gathered here today, to witness the unraveling of this story. Do you accept to read further and wait patiently for the next chapter? I'm guessing yes. So read on!
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When You Lose Your Way
The Solution And The Problem
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I don't know how I'd gotten myself into this, or what possessed me into agreeing to help organize this party but somehow I did, and now I'm stuck making invitations and making all these wonderful preperations.
For a Baby Shower.
It seems that Potter and Weasley, the dolts, had promised Hermione one when she was in hospital. And they, having no real connections with party planners or planning in general, grudgingly sought out my help. Though I was unwilling, I couldn't say no to their puppy dog faces and peasant-like begging. Besides, I had to help after I'd made them recite, "Draco Malfoy is the most amazing wizard in the world and he is my Hero."
But it was so worth it.
It wasn't hard keeping the surprise shower a secret for the first few days because Hermione was still on bed rest in the Hospital Wing. She was there for about three more days after I'd first visited her, but then when she was released, I had to hide all my paper work and planning agency cards so I could keep her in the dark about the whole thing. It wasn't very easy.
"Draco... why are there envelopes scattered everywhere around our dorm?"
I glanced around quickly and spotted the two runaway invitation envelopes. I snatched them immediately out of sight and stuffed them inside my coat pocket. "From the Ministry," I explained, "about the whole intern-ship." She threw me a curious look. "Yeah," I said fervently, "the Minister's really into his colour these days. Wacky guy, huh?"
Hermione raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "I'm telling you, Government these days is going down the drain." I nodded.
"Oh yeah, definitely."
When she left the room, I sighed and dropped everything in my hands. There was always something inside our dorm you would be able to spot that would somehow hint to the party, and I was always conscious about it. If Hermione found out, Potter and Weasley would no doubt blame it on me, and only have even more of a reason to kick my ass.
Preperation was almost finished. Over the next week, all I would have to do is give the invitations, which I was doing today, and get the RSVP's. The following day would be my quidditch game against Ravenclaw, and I would definitely win for the team, so it would be back to back great days. All I had to do was keep everything a secret, and train hard like crazy. Pretty easy, right?
Somewhere inside the living room I heard our fireplace light up and instantly I panicked. I knew very well who it was, and I definitely did not want to talk to that person.
"Draco?" someone called. Hermione popped her head outside of her bedroom.
"Is it Susie again?" she whispered. I nodded irritatedly, already walking my way to the fireplace. "Does she still want her stuff back?" Hermione asked once more. I nodded again. She gave me a pitying smile before shutting her door to give me privacy. I sighed.
"Hi," I said to Susie inside the fireplace. She looked at me sullenly.
"Can we talk about this whole thing for a second?"
"No," I said strongly with a wave of my hand, "we can't. It's over and I have to work. I'm sorry, but I can't." There were so many other ways I could turn her down but I just didn't have the heart. This was, what? Her second time asking for me back? It was almost torturing me!
"But Draco..."
I smiled at her as best I could, but she was beginning to annoy me. "Susie, I know you want to get back together again, but I don't regret breaking up with you. I don't have time for a relationship and I need to be thinking about my child. Maybe later on in the future, but I don't advise you to wait for me. You're a great girl and shouldn't be wasting your time on me. Come on Susie, you'll move on." I threw her my most positive smile. She looked at me sadly only for a moment but managed a crooked smile.
"Okay," she answered. Hey, what a good sport. No arguements this time!
I nodded and cut off the connection quickly before she could put another word in. I should really begin to block our connection from her, because now she'd just begun to annoy me. Defeatedly, I fell back onto a couch and let out a long breath.
"Phew."
I really didn't regret breaking up with Susie, as I'd told her in the fireplace. I know I had told Hermione different, that she had broken up with me instead, but I couldn't let her know. She could have taken it the wrong way, and I didn't want her getting any ideas. I broke up with Susie because I had to focus on Hermione and the baby, and not a short term girlfriend. Nothing else.
In reality, Susie was really supportive when she found out about Hermione in hospital. She was really great. All she wanted me to do was be with Hermione and play the role of the parent and take care of my child's mother. Don't get me wrong, I loved how she let me be the man I had to be for Hermione, and also her boyfriend at the same time, but getting the news and seeing Hermione in pain like that just made me realize how stupid it was of me to get involved with someone I didn't really like, when I should be taking care of my kid.
I still went to my date, although I was a little flustered. Susie could tell it was still bothering me and sent me away to be with Hermione. So I went, but I dumped her in the process. I know it was probably a bad thing for me to do, since Susie had been nothing but wonderful, but being with her felt wrong, and I had to do something about it. Dumping her was the only way.
"What happened?" Hermione said, popping her head outside of her door. "Did you guys make-up or something?" she looked at me cautiously though I ignored it.
"No, we're still broken up," Hermione smiled. Did she look just a little bit pleased? No, no. I ignored it. "Shouldn't you be resting?" I asked her pressingly.
"Oh, yeah," she said, scratching her head, "I sort of figured... I could... work a little bit instead..."
"No," I said sternly, standing up and guiding her back to her bed. I let her groan pass and forced her onto her bed. "The medi-nurses told you to rest, and not to be working, not even on school work. Just a few more days and you'll be able to be as busy as bee, okay?"
"Too long," she muttered, as she tucked herself in bed. I folded the blanket on top of her and felt good about myself. Isn't this is what all soon to be Father's do for their expectant other? Oh yes, perhaps I'll be a great father yet!
"Not long enough," I retracted. I watched as Hermione moved to position herself to a comfortable position in her bed. As she lay still and began to breathe softly with her eyes closed, I had to restrain myself from kissing her on the forehead. Or worse, on the...
I jerked my head away, and to compensate for not giving her some form of farewell, I brushed my hand against her cheek softly. I saw Hermione smile with her eyes closed, and so did I. Ugh, what's going on?
With a quick shiver, I erased all thoughts of Hermione from my head (reluctantly, might I add) and focused on the task at hand. The Baby Shower and handing out all invitations, and make sure no one breathed a word of it near her. Then, quidditch practice, where I would train in the fierce cold.
Another day in the life of an expectant Father.
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"Ooh!" the girls of Hufflepuff exclaimed. I tensed and had to stop myself from telling them to quit it, because it had been my millionth 'ooh,' of the day, as I personally handed out invitations.
"A baby shower!" Hanna Abbott proclaimed. No duh, dimwit. "How exciting!"
"Yeah," I said, with fake kindness. I couldn't help but be a little angry, but I was already running late for my practice! The one I'd scheduled myself and up to the moment, have so rudely been late to. "We hope you can come," and I began to walk away quickly, but had no chance.
"Should we come early to help prepare?"
"No thanks, I've got people for that." And I did. I wasn't paying the planners good money for nothing.
"Won't the Three Broomsticks be heavy with people that aren't part of the shower though?" one of the girls questioned me.
I shook my head no. "I've reserved it for a couple of hours just for my use."
"How convenient," one of the girls said. I smiled impatiently.
"I hope to see you there then. Please RSVP within the coming week."
As I sighed and walked away, I began to change my direction to the quidditch field. I would be without my practice suit and broomstick, but I would do fine with one of the spares.
"Oi, Malfoy!" I cursed and stomped my foot. Was everyone against me going to practice?
"Yes?" I barked back.
"How is the planning going?" someone asked me. I knew it well enough to be Potter's.
"Fine, no thanks to you," I bit back at him, as I continued to walk.
"Food - "
"Taken care of."
"The place - "
"It's handled."
"Invitations - "
"It's done. Can I get to my quidditch practice yet?" I asked, rather rudely.
He looked at me with an amused look and I could barely contain myself. I was angry that the giving for the invitations had taken me so long, that my team was probably going to yell at me for being late, and Potter had the guts to ask about the Baby Shower he suggested when I was planning it all!
"Sorry, but I have a practice to be attending, and I'm already late for it! And by the way, thanks for helping out with all the planning, it's going to turn out great, considering it was your wonderful idea! And no, I do not want to calm down so don't bother asking!"
He seemed to back off a little as I continued to exploded. Perhaps I frightened brave old Potter just a little bit? Ha, Go me!
"Hanging out with a pregnant woman rubbing off on you, ferret?"
"No, just idiots like you pissing me off. Now if you don't mind, I have a game to prepare for next week and I can't -"
"No you don't," Harry said.
"What? Yes I do," I denied.
"No, you don't. This is why I came up to you - not just to ask about the baby shower."
"I don't understand."
"The game's been moved up, because the Ravenclaw team apparently has something or other to deal with. It's all been cleared up with McGonagall and the Heads of Houses, so... you're game is actually going to be on the day of the Baby Shower."
I lifted my head in confusion and jutted out my bottom lip. "Well that will be a tough schedule to run... the game and then the shower. I'll have to finish the game quick."
Potter fidgeted and I could tell that perhaps he was leaving something out. "What?" I asked him.
"Well you see... it's not just the same day as the Baby Shower but... the same time as well."
"What?" I asked. How did that happen so quickly? "But - but - I can't miss the game! I can't just leave the game for a Baby Shower, that's preposterous, what was Ravenclaw thinking - ?"
"I actually think this was Marcus Miles' fault. He's the seeker for Ravenclaw, you know? He suggested the date be moved up from what I hear. And you know how the ugly pra you and Hermione."
Anger boiled inside of me, and I felt the urge to go find the bloke right now and punch him like I did long before. "Well then... I might have to miss the shower for the game!"
"You would actually choose quidditch over your child's own baby shower?" My forehead came together in guilt, as Potter let the words come out of his mouth. That was quite true... but what could I do about it? I'd been preparing for this game for weeks and the Baby Shower just a few days! How am I supposed to pick between them?
"I... don't know," I answered truthfully. And suddenly I didn't feel like going to practice anymore. "I'll see you later," I told him, and I began to trek my way towards my dorm with Hermione, forgetting completely about the team. I had to talk it out with her, and I wasn't sure why.
xxxxxx
I was still rehearsing my words as I entered the dorm, trying to figure out what I would tell Hermione and ask her outright which one she thinks I should attend. I figured I would just wake her up from her sleep to ask but she was already up and bustling around the kitchen making herself food.
"Back from practice already?" Hermione asked, while placing a pan over our stove.
"No, I didn't attend," I told her truthfully.
"Why?" she asked, while popping one of the vegetables in her mouth that she was using to make her meal.
"I had some things to take care - and a nice detour with Potter."
Her shoulders sagged visibly and a disappointed look crossed her face. "Please don't tell me you two fought - why can't you guys ever just get along? Honestly, it's not that hard, stop being such babies and - "
"I was handing out invitations for your surprise Baby Shower when he told me my quidditch game with Ravenclaw had been moved up, to the same time and date as the shower. I'll probably have to find out which one I'm going to attend, and which one I'll miss."
Hermione looked at me with no emotion for a moment before a reaction had finally formed on her lips. "You were planning a surprise Baby Shower for me?" she asked.
"Yeah... hence the envelopes all over the dorm."
"And... you have a quidditch game the same time and day as my Baby Shower?"
"Yeah."
"So... you'll be leaving me for the game?"
"No, no, no, no," I said continuously, while walking up to her and seating the both of us down on stools. "I haven't even made a decision yet. I told you about it because I didn't want to make the decision - I want you to make the decision for me instead."
"Me?" she said, as if the idea were something completely out of the blue.
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Because you're opinion matters most to me and I care about what you think."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I mean, c'mon Hermione I - " my breath got stuck in my throat and for a moment I was almost horrified of what would have completed that sentence. Love her? Was that it?
"You...?" she asked me. Her face was so hopeful, so curious I really had to stop myself from caressing it, or some corny thing like that.
"I - need to know what you want me to do," I told her truthfully.
"Well..." she fidgeted in her seat a little, and kept on glancing at me uncomfortably. I knew for a fact she would have wanted me at her Baby Shower more than anything, but she also wanted me to play for the team, so my hard work wouldn't have been for nothing. She knew I'd trained myself ragged and bloody just for this game, and it wasn't even the finals.
"Well?" I asked her.
She sighed, and clasped her hands over mine. "I think you should play."
I was a little blown away by her decision. Did she just say I should play? "You think so?"
"Yeah - I know how much it means to you. Besides, this Baby Shower... I'll have my friends with me."
But she wouldn't have me. And I couldn't help but cringe at the thought.
"Okay."
I patted her stomach lightly, which was plump and round by now, and began to get up. "Maybe I'll finish the game early and make it in time for the end of the shower," I told her encouragingly. But I knew the odds were pretty low. Ravenclaw and Slytherin were tough competitors, and an early end would be a miracle.
"Yeah," she agreed, but I'm sure Hermione knew the same things as me.
I began walking away, over to the living room where I would try and occupy myself with a book - though I knew it wouldn't happen. I didn't know whether or not I was happy with her decision, but she was firm with it, so I would do what Hermione wanted. On the other hand - I was so confused with my feelings for her. Blaise's taunts about my feelings for her never once stopped reverberating in my mind, and now I think I began to believe them. Were they guilty feelings? I hardly doubted it. If they were, I would have had them long ago when I got the news. But I jerked my head and shook the thought away.
I could never fall in love with Hermione Granger.
xxxxxx
The day had finally come for the Baby Shower and the Quidditch game. And I was not prepared whatsoever.
Plannig had gone smoothly, and at the moment, I knew that the band was already set up to play, the food had arrived, decorations were up, and guests were filing in for Hermione to come. I asked Hermione earlier to act surprised, as I'd spoiled the news, so I had no doubt she would do a good job in faking. The stands would be a little empty because of this little affair, but I didn't care.
I had bid Hermione my farewell much too early than I had liked, and made my way to the changing rooms where I spent most of my time preparing myself for the catcalls and jeers from the audience. I tried to picture myself in the Three Broomsticks with Hermione, saying hello to guests and having a good time, to make myself feel a little bit better but it was no help. I knew where I would rather be right now.
"No pre-game pep talk?" Blaise asked me.
I shook my head no.
"Why aren't you at the shower instead?"
"Because Hermione wanted me here," I told him simply. Blaise nodded, noticing that I wasn't in my best mood, and walked away. My answer satisfied him. But not me.
Hermione didn't want me at the shower, which is why she told me to come here instead. Now I knew for a fact she had no feelings for me. But why did that matter again? I really had to stop rubbing it in that she didn't like me romantically. It was torturing me for some reason.
"It'll turn out okay," Blaise said to me consolingly, as I picked up my broom and took my place in the starting line up at the front. He stood diagonally behind me with his broomstick and bat. He was one of the two beaters for Slytherin. "Don't worry," he said.
I nodded and took my position on my broom, and flew out, cascading myself with a huge amount of light, and a lot of cheering.
"Welcome!" said a loud, energetic voice to the audience. "To the Quidditch semi-finals between Slyterhin..." a loud rumble of applause came from one side of the stadium. I ignored it. "And Ravenclaw!" A thunderous noise reverberated around me.
"Captains, shake hands," Madam Hooch ordered me and the captain of the Ravenclaw team. Just behind him I could see Marcus Miles smirking, hunched forward on his broomstick. Noticing this, I crushed the other captain's hands by mistake, and he parted with a grimace. I flew back to my position, as I waited for Madam Hooch to throw the quaffle in the air.
The game began with a loud cheer from the crowd and quickly I circled the perimeter. If I just finished early then maybe I could make it in time for the end of the shower... I could find it now with some serious luck and make it for half of the shower! It would be a great way to end the game - but there would be no such luck for me.
I had not spotted it for at least an hour and a few minutes now, and was beginning to get impatient. I didn't like letting my games last more than an hour. I kept on flitting my eyes towards Marcus, and he too had no such luck.
Hoping that this would in fact be real, I faked a triumphant look, and darted to a random area of the stadium. I could feel the crowd's eyes on me with excitement, but little did they know I had spotted nothing. I looked behind me to see if Miles was tailing me, but he wasn't. The idiot had gone in a completely different direction at full speed. The snitch wasn't there.
Woops. Jinxed myself.
As I narrowed my eyes, I spotted the gold flicking from left to right in the same direction, and Marcus Miles' outstretched hand going for it. He was much too close. But I wouldn't let him catch it. I quickly came up to full speed with my broom, and raced towards him. I wouldn't let him get another inch closer.
I was soon right beside him, attempting to budge him out of the way. He budged back just as hard, and flung me off course a couple of times, but I only returned with a vengeance. This continued for much too long. Without notice, the snitch took off in a different direction, and I couldn't see it anywhere.
"Great job!" Miles taunted with an angry face. "If you had just let me catch it, then maybe you could have attended you're lame shower."
"Well maybe if you hadn't forced the game to move up a day you wouldn't get your ass kicked so badly today in the match!"
"I highly doubt that," he said, as he tailed me.
"I was only going to let you lose by a little, Miles, but now, you'll be laughed right out of Hogwarts."
"You won't be in the lead for too long," he said.
"It's 170 to 100, you gaping git. And when I catch the snitch you'll have lost by the most points Hogwarts has had in a decade!"
In a fit of anger, Marcus flung himself right at me, but prepared for it already, I swung right out of the way. He banged himself up pretty hard against one of the stands, and I looked at the crowd, laughing at him. And then a glowing face reached my eyes.
"Go Draco!" I heard Hermione screech, waving a flag at me. I had to blink a million times before I actually realized it was her.
"Hermione?" Wasn't she supposed to be at the shower? "How long have you been here?"
"Long enough to see you fake seeing the snitch!"
I darted my eyes back from her to Marcus, watching him fly back up to my level. He saw who I was talking to and smirked.
"Well what do we have here?" he drawled. "Gave up your shower to be with dear old Draco?"
Hermione turned her lip up in defiance. "You're losing enough without getting distracted, Miles." Hermione threw me a very casual, sneaky look, which Miles interpreted as nothing.
"What, perhaps, have you named your baby, Granger? Perhaps Phantom? They'll probably have the face of one when they're born, eh? Have to wear a mask and all."
"You don't ever say a thing about my child ever again," Hermione warned, and I would have said so too, except my eyes were searching the field. Hermione had given me that look so I would be able to find the snitch before him. She was just distracting him.
"I'll say what I want."
"I guess you can't help it with that dirty mouth of yours."
"It's hard to keep this mouth shut when there are so many fools like you walking around."
I could tell Hermione bit her tongue as I continued to search.
"Do you find it funny the Father of your child has not yet defended you?" Miles added, while he taunted Hermione. She opened her mouth to retort, but just as she and I had planned, I spotted the snitch and darted away. I was going to catch it. Behind me before I was completely gone, I heard Miles laugh.
"The coward's already run away!"
Perhaps Hermione smirked. I hope she did for some added effect.
"Because he's caught the snitch."
And the moment I heard that, my hands had closed around it. Marcus Miles' outraged scream was heard all across the field.
I flew downwards amid the immense clapping that thundered inside my ears. My teammates were already clapping me on the back as I came down, but I ignored them, my eyes only on the girl who came running down from the stands, her arms wide open, just for me.
I landed messily and dropped the broomstick to the ground. I let go of the snitch, and heard "Slyterthin wins! Draco Malfoy has caught the snitch! Slytherin will be going to the finals and Gryffindor will play against Ravenclaw for the spot next to Slytherin!" I was almost on my way towards her but my team had grabbed me around the collar. I turned my face away from them, so I could look at Hermione. She two was stuck with her Gryffindor friends, already plotting their defeat against us.
"You won!" Hermione screeched, ten feet away from me, and the middle of the field. Everyone was around us, all the Slytherins jumping around in joy.
"So I did," I said modestly. "Thanks for the help."
"It was my pleasure," she said in earnest.
"Why did you leave the shower?" I shouted, over all the laughter and yelling.
"Because it didn't feel right without you!" she screeched right back. I couldn't take it.
I broke away from my team, and she broke away from her friends. We met in the center of the field, and before I could help myself, I hugged her so hard, I may have popped the baby out by accident. I lifted her into the air and twirled her and she laughed. This only confirmed to me my feelings for her. That I did fall for her. That I was in love with her.
"I can't believe it!" she yelled, as I brought her back down and held her in my arms.
Neither could I.
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TBC.
A/N: Woohooo! Isn't it pretty darn awesome that they both love each other? Woo-hoo! And now, all they have to do is admit it to each other! Pretty simple, eh? Ah, if only it could be that simple! Hopefully you guys liked this! Until my next chapter, later peeps!