Chapter 3 Learning to Live and Love
"A bird may love a fish, but where would they live?" – Old Chinese proverb
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Draco sat in front of the fire. It was far past midnight but he couldn't sleep. Hermione was sleeping soundly but she deserved to. She wasn't sleeping very well lately because of his and because of her nightmares. She'd had a lot on her mind lately and he was worried about her. Instead of sleeping, he was reading one of the many books they had checked out of the library. 'Pleasant Pregnancy' was the title, his mother had read it and according to her, the title lied greatly. His eyes skimmed the page until he found a paragraph that interested him.
Symptoms: First Trimester: Week 1-Week 12: Period stops, nausea or queasiness with possible vomiting*, breasts swell and become tender, nipples and areola get broader and darker, increased urination, more tired, possible constipation and heartburn, headaches, increased or decreased sexual want, and mood swings causing you to feel extreme emotions without reason.
Second Trimester: Week 13- Week 26: Weight gain, you can feel the fetus move, skin on the stomach stretches and becomes dry, your breasts get bigger*, fluid may come out of your nipples, possible ongoing heartburn, indigestion, and constipation, you may get nosebleeds, feet, ankles, and face may swell, a dark line develops on your skin between your navel and pubic area, a "mask" or darker area may develop on your face.
Third Trimester: Week 27- Week 40: you can see the fetus move on the outside, navel pushes out, backaches, you begin to walk differently to support the weight of the fetus, painless "practice" contractions-(Draco smiled. His mother also told him the "practice contractions were far from painless.)-, shortness of breath, and possible discomfort nearing labor.
"Good book?" A soft voice called from the bedroom doorway; Draco smiled at Hermione.
"Actually," he pulled her onto the couch with him and whispered, "it scares me to death."
"Me too." She closed the book and kissed him. "We should tell everyone tomorrow."
He frowned deeply at this statement and leaned back, "I'm not sure..."
"Why not?" She pulled away from him and stood up.
"We haven't even told our parents. I mean the muggles don't even know we're married yet." He sank back against the couch.
"You mean my parents, as in, the people who raised me for sixteen years, is that what you mean by muggles?" She felt anger burning in her and she pursed her lips to rival McGonagall.
Draco sensed her anger and stood up feeling himself growing cross at being yelled at for nothing, "That's exactly who I mean."
"Fine." She screamed at him, ran, and locked herself in the bathroom. She slid her back down the door as tears clouded her eyes and blurred her vision. She had never felt so angry over nothing before but she knew she wasn't willing to apologize first. He had called her parents muggles, she did that everyday, but something had hurt in the tone he had used. Like it was a bad thing that they were muggles. She hazily heard Draco yell from the next room but she was too far along in self pity to think anything of it.
She suddenly felt the overwhelming need for friends. Harry was out because he talked to Ron all the time and she couldn't talk to Ron for obvious reasons. Ginny came to mind but she was always with Harry. She could try Neville but he was too busy staring at Luna, and Luna was staring at nothing. Lavender and Pavarti came to mind but they would probably ask her about Draco and her sex life. It was times like these Hermione wished she had made more friends before burying herself in her studies. She decided to write her mother (her muggle mother) the next day in hopes that she could offer some advice. Hermione needed advice but she longed for more. She wanted comfort, talks in the middle of the night, normal teen girl things, hell, she wanted sleepovers and pillow fights.
She burst into tears again and fell herself drift into an unpeaceful nights sleep. She spent the rest of the night there and woke up slumped on the floor. She took a shower and opened the door. She gasped at the sight. Draco was passed out with and empty bottle imported alcohol, there were papers scattered everywhere, broken glass on the floors, and the book on pregnancy was on the floor in front of the bathroom door. She gently picked up the book and placed it on the table the looked at Draco.
"Bloody daft idiot." She muttered with some more colorful language as she walked towards him. She said a simple spell and suddenly a waterfall of cold water was pouring onto his head.
"Ahh!" He yelled jumping from the couch. She stopped the water, "What in bloody hell was that for?"
"For being a bloody prat." She turned and walked to their bedroom slamming the door. Draco stared at the shattered glass shards on the beige carpet. His head was pounding and his mouth was dry with the taste of stale brandy. He stepped on a shard and swore under his breath. Hermione left the bedroom fully dressed then left their rooms without looking at him once. He muttered a spell and the room returned to normal then he got dressed and left without a shower. He walked straight to the Great hall.
Hermione pursed her lips and looked down when Draco entered. He sat next to her and she scooted closer to Millicent Bulstrode. Draco moved closer and she stood up. She walked up to the Head Table and stood in to middle in front of Dumbledore. He smiled at her.
"Sir, should we tell the school about the baby?"
"If you and Mister Malfoy agree." He replied with that knowing twinkle. She nodded. "Very well then," he stood, "attention. I have an announcement to make for Mister and Mrs. Malfoy. They are expecting the newest Malfoy heir." Draco stood and nodded his head as the students clapped and whispered excitedly. He looked at Hermione and she shot him a dirty look before leaving the Great Hall. She wandered down the corridor towards transfiguration.
"No bodyguard?" Asked a familiar voice behind her.
"No dignity?" She turned to face the redhead (guess who). "Ron, what do you want?"
"Nothing." He snapped then looked down, "I want to apologize for...everything. Especially for what happened this summer."
"Thank you," She spoke softly, "I appreciate your apology but I don't think I'm ready to forgive you yet. You took away something I wasn't willing to give you, or anyone, yet. It hurt that you didn't trust me enough to stay with you after I found out about me heritage. I trusted you enough for you to be the first one I told and you took away my dignity for it." She held her breath as her eyes gathered moisture.
"Mrs. Malfoy, is their a problem?" Snape asked casually gliding down the hall. Hermione blinked away the tears.
"No," Ron's voice was barely above a whisper, "there's no problem, sir."
"Indeed," he eyed Ron skeptically before facing Hermione, "I need to speak with you. Now, I'm ready."
"Alright," She smiled ad walked with him to the dungeons. His classroom was full of timid first year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs.
"Out!" He barked. The first years looked at each other unsure of what to do. Hermione nodded and smiled trying to reassure them and tell them to leave at the same time. They scrambled nervously from their seats and left shooting glances over their shoulders.
Snape motioned for her to follow hi into his private office.
"I haven't been in here since-" She stopped when he raised and eyebrow, "um, never."
"Indeed...I want to tell you my side of our twisted family story."
"Okay, I want to hear it." She smiled.
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A/N: Horsekrazy08 (chapter 3 on As it Begins): Thank you so much. Sorry to hear about your dog though. I'm happy to say we got a new puppy and we buried my other dog in our garden with tombstone and everything. Sorry, I'm gushing, but, um, thanks anyway.
"A bird may love a fish, but where would they live?" – Old Chinese proverb
%%%%%
Draco sat in front of the fire. It was far past midnight but he couldn't sleep. Hermione was sleeping soundly but she deserved to. She wasn't sleeping very well lately because of his and because of her nightmares. She'd had a lot on her mind lately and he was worried about her. Instead of sleeping, he was reading one of the many books they had checked out of the library. 'Pleasant Pregnancy' was the title, his mother had read it and according to her, the title lied greatly. His eyes skimmed the page until he found a paragraph that interested him.
Symptoms: First Trimester: Week 1-Week 12: Period stops, nausea or queasiness with possible vomiting*, breasts swell and become tender, nipples and areola get broader and darker, increased urination, more tired, possible constipation and heartburn, headaches, increased or decreased sexual want, and mood swings causing you to feel extreme emotions without reason.
Second Trimester: Week 13- Week 26: Weight gain, you can feel the fetus move, skin on the stomach stretches and becomes dry, your breasts get bigger*, fluid may come out of your nipples, possible ongoing heartburn, indigestion, and constipation, you may get nosebleeds, feet, ankles, and face may swell, a dark line develops on your skin between your navel and pubic area, a "mask" or darker area may develop on your face.
Third Trimester: Week 27- Week 40: you can see the fetus move on the outside, navel pushes out, backaches, you begin to walk differently to support the weight of the fetus, painless "practice" contractions-(Draco smiled. His mother also told him the "practice contractions were far from painless.)-, shortness of breath, and possible discomfort nearing labor.
"Good book?" A soft voice called from the bedroom doorway; Draco smiled at Hermione.
"Actually," he pulled her onto the couch with him and whispered, "it scares me to death."
"Me too." She closed the book and kissed him. "We should tell everyone tomorrow."
He frowned deeply at this statement and leaned back, "I'm not sure..."
"Why not?" She pulled away from him and stood up.
"We haven't even told our parents. I mean the muggles don't even know we're married yet." He sank back against the couch.
"You mean my parents, as in, the people who raised me for sixteen years, is that what you mean by muggles?" She felt anger burning in her and she pursed her lips to rival McGonagall.
Draco sensed her anger and stood up feeling himself growing cross at being yelled at for nothing, "That's exactly who I mean."
"Fine." She screamed at him, ran, and locked herself in the bathroom. She slid her back down the door as tears clouded her eyes and blurred her vision. She had never felt so angry over nothing before but she knew she wasn't willing to apologize first. He had called her parents muggles, she did that everyday, but something had hurt in the tone he had used. Like it was a bad thing that they were muggles. She hazily heard Draco yell from the next room but she was too far along in self pity to think anything of it.
She suddenly felt the overwhelming need for friends. Harry was out because he talked to Ron all the time and she couldn't talk to Ron for obvious reasons. Ginny came to mind but she was always with Harry. She could try Neville but he was too busy staring at Luna, and Luna was staring at nothing. Lavender and Pavarti came to mind but they would probably ask her about Draco and her sex life. It was times like these Hermione wished she had made more friends before burying herself in her studies. She decided to write her mother (her muggle mother) the next day in hopes that she could offer some advice. Hermione needed advice but she longed for more. She wanted comfort, talks in the middle of the night, normal teen girl things, hell, she wanted sleepovers and pillow fights.
She burst into tears again and fell herself drift into an unpeaceful nights sleep. She spent the rest of the night there and woke up slumped on the floor. She took a shower and opened the door. She gasped at the sight. Draco was passed out with and empty bottle imported alcohol, there were papers scattered everywhere, broken glass on the floors, and the book on pregnancy was on the floor in front of the bathroom door. She gently picked up the book and placed it on the table the looked at Draco.
"Bloody daft idiot." She muttered with some more colorful language as she walked towards him. She said a simple spell and suddenly a waterfall of cold water was pouring onto his head.
"Ahh!" He yelled jumping from the couch. She stopped the water, "What in bloody hell was that for?"
"For being a bloody prat." She turned and walked to their bedroom slamming the door. Draco stared at the shattered glass shards on the beige carpet. His head was pounding and his mouth was dry with the taste of stale brandy. He stepped on a shard and swore under his breath. Hermione left the bedroom fully dressed then left their rooms without looking at him once. He muttered a spell and the room returned to normal then he got dressed and left without a shower. He walked straight to the Great hall.
Hermione pursed her lips and looked down when Draco entered. He sat next to her and she scooted closer to Millicent Bulstrode. Draco moved closer and she stood up. She walked up to the Head Table and stood in to middle in front of Dumbledore. He smiled at her.
"Sir, should we tell the school about the baby?"
"If you and Mister Malfoy agree." He replied with that knowing twinkle. She nodded. "Very well then," he stood, "attention. I have an announcement to make for Mister and Mrs. Malfoy. They are expecting the newest Malfoy heir." Draco stood and nodded his head as the students clapped and whispered excitedly. He looked at Hermione and she shot him a dirty look before leaving the Great Hall. She wandered down the corridor towards transfiguration.
"No bodyguard?" Asked a familiar voice behind her.
"No dignity?" She turned to face the redhead (guess who). "Ron, what do you want?"
"Nothing." He snapped then looked down, "I want to apologize for...everything. Especially for what happened this summer."
"Thank you," She spoke softly, "I appreciate your apology but I don't think I'm ready to forgive you yet. You took away something I wasn't willing to give you, or anyone, yet. It hurt that you didn't trust me enough to stay with you after I found out about me heritage. I trusted you enough for you to be the first one I told and you took away my dignity for it." She held her breath as her eyes gathered moisture.
"Mrs. Malfoy, is their a problem?" Snape asked casually gliding down the hall. Hermione blinked away the tears.
"No," Ron's voice was barely above a whisper, "there's no problem, sir."
"Indeed," he eyed Ron skeptically before facing Hermione, "I need to speak with you. Now, I'm ready."
"Alright," She smiled ad walked with him to the dungeons. His classroom was full of timid first year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs.
"Out!" He barked. The first years looked at each other unsure of what to do. Hermione nodded and smiled trying to reassure them and tell them to leave at the same time. They scrambled nervously from their seats and left shooting glances over their shoulders.
Snape motioned for her to follow hi into his private office.
"I haven't been in here since-" She stopped when he raised and eyebrow, "um, never."
"Indeed...I want to tell you my side of our twisted family story."
"Okay, I want to hear it." She smiled.
%&%&%&
A/N: Horsekrazy08 (chapter 3 on As it Begins): Thank you so much. Sorry to hear about your dog though. I'm happy to say we got a new puppy and we buried my other dog in our garden with tombstone and everything. Sorry, I'm gushing, but, um, thanks anyway.