Ch. 23 A whole new world
Hermione opened her eyes in the dark room, gray rays of light were coming through the curtains that hung over the balcony door. Hermione guessed that it was somewhere around four in the morning. She felt a hand fall over her waist, and she rolled over to face it's owner. She smiled. Face half smushed into a fluffy pillow, Draco Malfoy lay there sound asleep. She lightly removed his hand, and padded out of the room. Having no idea why she had been so wild the night before, she now needed to find peace with herself. Quickly she pulled on a pair of pajama shorts and Harry's hoodie jacket, and crept out of the Common Room.
The stone floor was cold against her bare feet, and made a soft sticking noise as she walked down the corridor. Just as she had had it down the stairs, she looked to her left towards the Great Hall, then to the right towards the dungeons. Turning to her right, Hermione kept walking. She came across the door to Severus' lab. The door was cracked open and she could hear papers rustling. Peeking in, she could see Snape hovering over a stack of ungraded papers. Suddenly, he looked up and stared at her.
"Can I join you?"
Severus stood and gestured for her to sit across from him. He scowled at her when he checked his watch. "Shouldn't you be asleep? It's three thirty in the morning."
"I know. But I just couldn't sleep."
Severus leaned forward, concern written on his face. "Hermione, about your mother...I mean, did she ever...?"
"Did she ever talk about another man? No, she loved my father very much. But as I got older and was away so much, I noticed that she wasn't lovingly in love with him. She just loved him."
"I see. But that wasn't what I was going to ask."
"You know, just maybe it was you who was in her heart." Hermione ignored what had been said to her. "Can you tell me about her, I mean, do you remember what she was like?"
Severus gave her a small smile. "Yes. Though I can barely remember she voice, her laugh still rings in my head. You know, you laugh just like her sometimes."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I remember the first time I saw her. I hadn't been a Death Eater for very long, and I was sent to Birmingham. I spotted her instantly,she was beautiful. She looked up and locked eyes with me. With that single glance, she captured my heart. My assignment was to track down a wizard that was in hiding as a muggle. I had to have search for a week with no luck, but I constantly ran into your mother. Just as I was ready to leave town emptyhanded, I stumbled across my target. When I came home, I could only think of your mother. I went back sometime after, to return to her forever. I found her alone in her flat, I had to warn her that Voldemort was planning an attack close to her home. I pleaded with her to leave. To run away with me. She would have nothing to do with what I could have said. Once and only for one time, she asked me to stay over. It may have been a one night stand for her, but for me it was a lifetime of destined loneliness. I never found a witch that could compare. After months of no contact, I broke down and tried to seek her out, but I spotted her stepping out of a cab. She was with a young man, and her belly before her. I never once thought that just maybe, just maybe that child within her had been mine."
Hermione smiled sadly, but the smile quickly disappeared as her hands went to her stomach and her eyes filled with tears. Sweat broke over her forehead and her breathing quickened. Instantly, Severus was at her side. "I'm hurting, Severus. Something's not right."
With breakfast nearly over, Draco had yet to see Hermione. She had crept out, and not returned to his bed. Briefly, he wondered if he had done anything wrong. But then Professor Snape barged into the Great Hall, stopping short next to him and whispered in his ear that he would see Hermione some time later, before storming away.
Across the Hall, Harry watched with an alert eye. He hadn't seen Hermione in since she ran away and he was truly worried. Odd things were going on around him, and Harry didn't like it. Deciding on not wasting another minute waiting for her to show up, Harry quickly left the Great Hall in search of Hermione. His first guess was the library, but Madam Pince had not opened up yet. As if something sparked his attention, Harry ran towards the other end of the castle to the Infirmary. Hermione had been there far too often, and Harry was panicking.
Bursting through the doors of the hospital wing, Harry rushed past an angry Madam Pomfrey who was screaming at him to leave her sight, to inspect every bed to find his friend. There she was, laying in a bed with the curtains pulled to shield her from sight. Harry cautiously peered around the corner, Hermione was curled into ball, her arms wrapped around her waist, and crying into her pillow. Just as he went to step forward, a hand appeared on his shoulder.
"Mr. Potter. Do not enter. Leave her be." Snape growled in Harry's ear.
Harry jerked out of his most hated Professor's grip. "This is my fault. If I hadn't made that bet with Malfoy, maybe she wouldn't have been a target. It was just a stupid quidditch game. I didn't think anyone would really expect Hermione to fly a broom. Just tell me that she'll be okay, I need to hear that."
"Aside from the severe amount of pain she is in physically, yes I believe that Ms. Granger will be okay. Aside from mourning for the loss of her baby, well that may take some time. Let her be, she'll seek you out when she's ready. Now go to class, Mr. Potter." Snape commanded.
Inside the drawn curtain, Hermione could hear Harry voice. In spite of her bodily pain, she wanted nothing more than her friend with her. Had she just not run away from him and got herself hurt dueling with Zabini, maybe she would still have her baby. Was it Zabini's hex that caused me to miscarry, she wondered as she wiped her eyes. The doors to the Infirmary opened and closed. There was silence again. She was alone. By lunch time, Madame Pomfrey had dosed her with several pain killers that she was immobile. All she could really do was think. Hearing Severus' and Harry's voices had been comforting, but his words were overriding every thought she had. One word continuously and brutally rang through her head. Bet! Leave her be! May take time! Severe pain! Bet with Malfoy! My fault! Bet! Target! Malfoy! My fault! Bet with Malfoy! Loss of her baby! Bet!
Two days later, Hermione was allowed to leave the Infirmary. She slowly made her way to the Head Common Room. Tears still in her eyes, and a slight pain in her stomach and legs, she stood infront of her portrait.
"Venia." came from behind her, and a gentle hand pushed her through the opening. Safely inside the Common Room, Draco decided to speak. "I'm sorry for what happened..."
Hermione whipped around to face him. "Teach me to fly."
Whatever reaction Draco expected, this was not it. "Pardon?"
"Teach. Me. To. Fly." Tears fell from her eyes. "I believe that I am suppose to fly a broom."
"No, Hermione. You don't know quidditch! I won't let you." Draco begged.
"Then you'll have to teach me quidditch, too. We'll start in afew days. Get whatever you need. But this is one bet Potter won't win!" Hermione turned on her heel and headed to her room while wiping afew new tears that had fell.
This is a whole new world, Potter! One you won't win in!, Hermione thought as she closed her bedroom door.
A/N: Okay, I'm so sorry for taking this long to update. To a reviewer from a couple of chapters ago, the bet should have been on this page but give a page or two and you will have it. Expect it to be two chapters long, though. There is just too much to put in one chapter. Til then, much love.
Deranged Fruit