Still I Look to Find a Reason To Believe…

Chapter Eight

When Draco came home later that night, after he had taken Dakota to eat, Hermione was still cleaning. She was currently vacuuming the living area. Draco came in slowly. He shut the door and looked at her. She was tired and was barely moving the vacuum. He walked over to the kitchen area and poured himself a drink. "Jane." He said, in a deep, but loud voice. Hermione shut the vacuum off and turned to him. "Yes, master?" she asked, afraid of what he needed. They stared at each other for a moment, before Draco said anything. "Its late go to bed." He told her.

Hermione put her head down. "But master, I want to get the chores done, if I don't then I won't-" she tried to finish, but she got cut off. "Jane go to bed. Don't make me tell you again." He said, in a deadly tone. Hermione sighed, and replied, "yes master."

She gathered up the vacuum wire, put it in the closet and without another word went to her room. Draco sighed and put his glass done on the counter. Usually he didn't have as much of a hard time as he was having with Jane. He had thought that since she had been through so much that she would do his bidding easily and not fight him but he had been wrong. If she kept fighting him, she would need to be taught a lesson…

Hermione was again working late the next night. Draco had gone out again and Carly had already finished her chores and gone to bed. Hermione sat on a stool by the counter in the kitchen. She was so exhausted and she was still making up her chores from the first night. It was so hard to get all the work done by herself, and Carly, though she offered to help, couldn't. She would get in trouble.

Hermione sighed, running her hand through her wild and messy hair. Just as she began to think about Draco, he walked through the door. Hermione stayed still, watching him, hoping he didn't notice her. He didn't seem to, at first, but then he turned and looked directly at her. "Your chores aren't finished." He stated. Hermione looked down at her hands. "I know sir, I was just-" she tried, but he cut her off. He pressed his pointer finger against her lips. "Don't," he said. His finger trailed down her throat, and for the first time Hermione understood what had happened. Draco was drunk.

Draco smiled at her, not a real smile, and evil one that scared Hermione. "I'm very disappointed by your work, Jane. Go to my bedroom." Draco demanded. "But-" Hermione said, fear in her voice. She didn't know what was happening. "Go!" Draco said, his voice stronger.

(Obviously they do something... I'm just not gonna write the scene... Anyway, Draco was drunk. He isn't the type, well how i wrote him, to have sex with his slaves like some of the death eaters in this story do, but after a night out with the boys he did. There is a reason for this. This part of the story will help Hermione tell Draco about Dakota. Ok, so on with the next scene...)

It had been two weeks since that night. Hermione was finished doing the chores of her punishment. Her and Carly were able to talk again, but it wasn't like it was anything good to talk about. Carly couldn't relate to Hermione when it came to punishment. Draco had always seem to punish Hermione more and harder than when he did Carly.

Hermione was scared on this particular night. It was Friday and Draco went out with his friends again. Hermione was used to him going out all the time, usually he did get drunk, but the memory of that night flooded her mind. She never expected him to be so rough with her like he was. Hell, she thought she was safe. He hadn't asked for that before then so she thought she didn't have to worry about it. But apparently she did, and there was something else she had to worry about too. She couldn't bring herself to admit it yet.

"Carly, what if I am?" Hermione asked, her eyes began tearing. It had been two weeks since they had sex and she had been getting all the early signs of pregnancy for the last days. She hadn't thought it was possible at first. Shouldn't it take longer for the symptoms to show? With Dakota she didn't find out she was pregnant until a little into the first month. Carly told her it was different with every child. Carl also told Hermione to tell Draco, their master, and hope for the best.

Hermione couldn't do that, though. If she did, what would he do? Would he hurt the baby? Would he hurt her? After all the baby would be from a slave. As Hermione thought about this, it brought on a déjà vu. These were the same questions Hermione had asked herself when she had found out she was pregnant with Dakota.

Of course it was different then, Draco wasn't even around, but the answers she found to those questions helped push her to her decision not to look for him. She had concluded that if he couldn't love her, with all the love she gave him, how could he love a child, who would be dependent on him with everything it would do?

She never went looking for him, and she didn't regret it years later, but now she wasn't sure. Maybe if she had found him and told him things would be different. He wouldn't be the man he was now. Hermione shook her head at the thought. No one can change who they are meant to be. And just as she thought that, Hermione realized that was something she didn't believe could ever be true, but she couldn't see Draco being any different. All she knew was him then, and him now.

Hermione sighed, her two fingers massaging her temple. She had to do something. If she didn't tell him, he would eventually figure out when she began looking like a balloon, and then she wouldn't be able to explain Dakota and their past the way she wanted to. If she told him then maybe she would be able to have him calm and she would be able to tell him everything. But would it make a difference?

Hermione made up her mind. She would tell him and hope for the best. She waited, that night, on the same stool she was sitting on only two weeks before. Before she knew it she had fallen asleep. The possible news and worrying was too much for her and she rested her head on the counter.

She didn't wake up again until Draco came thought the door. She lifted her head up slowly, looking at him. He stared at her. He wasn't drunk, he was walking way too straight. He sighed. "Jane, what are you doing up?" he asked her. Hermione swallowed. This was it. The moment. "Master, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Draco stared at her for moment, unsure. "It won't take up much time." Hermione promised, sounding desperate. Draco shut and locked the door. He put his jacket on the coat hanger and then took a stool near the counter to sit on.

"What do you want?" He demanded to know. Hermione's breathing quickened. She cleared her throat. All a sudden she felt like she hadn't rehearsed this enough. "Well, master, um, do you remember the night you came home and took me to your room and did something?" She asked. She felt funny, asking a weird question like that. He nodded slowly. Hermione nodded after him. "Well sometimes when people do that it result in something else happening, I mean like with out protection like you did and I am worried that I have the result of that." Hermione stopped. She looked down at her hands.

For a few moments neither said anything, until Hermione looked up at him, wondering if he would say anything at all. "Are you sure?" Draco asked her. Hermione shook her head no. "I just have a few symptoms and I am a few days late." She told him, surprised he even understood what she was trying to say in the first place. He nodded again, looking down.

He cleared his throat, and got up himself. "I'll be back. I have to think. Get to bed." He told her. Hermione closed her eyes. When she opened them he had already left and she found herself going to her room like he had told her too. Tears came to her eyes, as she thought about how she shouldn't have told him. He was going to make her have an abortion, or throw her back to the dungeons where the other slaves are kept…

Two hours later Draco was making his way through Hermione and Dakota's room. He looked over to where Hermione was sleeping, walked over to her and shook her shoulder to get her up, She didn't wake at first, but he continued and he finally woke her up. "Jane," he said, softly as to not wake Dakota, "follow me."

Hermione listened and followed him in to the bathroom. "Why are we here?" Hermione asked him, blinking her eyes as the change from dark to light greeted her. Draco opened up the bag, and pulled out a muggle pregnancy test. "None of the wizard offices are opened at this time. I had to pick one up at a muggle shop. This will have to do until later."

Hermione took the stick from him and nodded. His voice was strong and he didn't seem to like what he did. "Are you going to leave?" Hermione asked him. He shook his head. "Whatever you need to do for it you can do in front of me."

After Hermione took the test the two waited for the results. Draco just stared at the stick, and Hermione just stared at him. He wasn't happy. But would that make him hurt her?

"Check it." Draco demanded, his voice much deeper than usual. Hermione swallowed hard as she picked up the stick. She just stared down at it, not delivering the information she knew he wanted to know. "Oh just give me the god damn thing!" He said, taking it from her. He looked at it too. According to the instructions, she was pregnant. He sighed and looked at her. Hermione met his eyes, and then put her head down, something she had been doing a lot in front of him. He was thinking though and she wasn't going to ask the many questions flooding her mind at that moment.

"Are you mad, master? Are you going to hurt me or the baby?" Hermione asked. He didn't answer, but continued to stare. Hermione sighed. It was now or never. She had to tell him. He had to know. "Can I tell you something else?" She asked.

A/N: There you go. I tried to make it a longer chapter. I am very sorry if it isn't happening the way you wanted it, but I'm not even sure how everything is falling into place. I only know bits and pieces of what is happening, the rest fills in when I write it. Anyway, please review and tell me what you think, ask me anything and I'll answer if I can.