A/N – Welcome to my new story – which is a Dark Hermione. I always like to remind people when I am doing a Dark Hermione story as I know it's not everyone's thing. But for those who do like a bit of Dark Hermione, I hope you enjoy my latest offering.
An Unexpected Path has 15 chapters in total, and updates will be three times a week, on a Monday, a Wednesday and a Friday. I am also hoping to post a couple of one shots while this story is being published for those who don't enjoy Dark Hermione. But for now, I hope people enjoy this story.
Less than a month after Hogwarts had returned for the start of another new year, The Head Dorms were eerily silent as the Head Girl, Hermione Granger, and the Head Boy, Draco Malfoy, sat side by side on the sofa in the common room. For a long time the pair barely breathed, let alone spoke. Eventually it was Draco who broke the silence with a shuddering breath.
"I'm a dead man," he muttered. "Dead at seventeen."
"He won't kill you," Hermione tutted, rolling her eyes slightly at her fellow head's dramatics.
"Of course he will, I've knocked up his precious princess," Draco wailed. "He'll likely torture me as well for taking your virginity."
"Don't be so dramatic," Hermione said with a shake of her head. "There will be no torturing and no killing."
"And you can guarantee that, can you?" Draco snorted.
"As you said, I am his princess. The only person he loves."
"He won't be happy with you either," Draco reminded her. "I'm sure most of the blame will fall on my shoulders, but you have to take some responsibility as well. We both made this mess, and he will not be happy. It will certainly ruin his plans for Potter."
"I know," Hermione groaned with a grimace. "I hate that I've let him down. But what's done is done and it can't be changed. Unless you want it to be."
"No." Reaching out for Hermione, Draco took hold of her hand in his. "We're in this together, and even though it's unexpected, we'll cope. Unless you want to take a different path."
"No," Hermione replied, smiling at Draco as her free hand cradled her flat stomach. "We might not have planned this, but it's happening. We're going to have a baby."
"If we survive the wrath of your father," Draco reminded her.
"And yours," Hermione shot back. "Lucius won't exactly be happy either."
"He won't," Draco agreed. Normally it would be his father he feared more than anything, but Hermione's father was a different matter and he doubted there was a wizard alive, at least not one with an ounce of common sense, who wasn't afraid of him.
"I think we should get this over with as soon as possible," Hermione decided. Despite only just confirming her pregnancy, she didn't see the point in waiting around before informing those who needed to know.
"Let's go and see Severus and see if he can arrange for us to sneak out and speak to our fathers," Draco reluctantly suggested. Personally, he would have appreciated a bit of time to come to terms with the fact he was going to be a father, but he could see why Hermione wanted to deal with everything as quickly as possible.
Being head students meant that no batted an eyelid when Draco and Hermione left the head dorms together and travelled down to the dungeons side by side. The students who did see them together simply assumed they were either doing their regular patrols or were off to deal with some school business. No-one suspected they were off to speak with Draco's godfather to discuss something as sensitive as an unexpected pregnancy.
Reaching the dungeons they found the Head of Slytherin, Severus Snape, settled in his office, doing some paperwork. When they first entered his office, he didn't really take too much notice of the fact they'd both called to see him, which was something of a rarity. It was only when they requested to talk to both of their fathers as a matter of urgency that Severus truly looked at the pair and realised something major was going on.
"How urgent is urgent?" he asked with a frown. "You know the risk you take in both leaving the school for any length of time."
"We know, but it has to be done," Hermione replied. "And it has to be done as soon as possible."
"And you need to speak to both of your fathers?" Severus checked. "Lucius won't do?"
"No, my father needs to be there as well," Hermione confirmed.
"Is this what I think it is?" Severus asked with a sigh, joining the dots between the sudden need to speak to both fathers and the serious expressions both teenagers were wearing.
"Most likely," Draco replied.
Letting out a low whistle, Severus shook his head. "Rather you than me, Draco."
"See, I told you I was a dead man walking," Draco hissed to his girlfriend as his godfather got to his feet and walked over to the fireplace.
Hermione merely shook her head at Draco's dramatics as she watched Severus activate a floo connection and contact Malfoy Manor. Severus had a brief conversation, most likely with Lucius, before he withdrew from the fire and informed Draco and Hermione they would have to wait for a reply.
"I have no idea if your father can be contacted this evening, Hermione," he said. "You know how busy he is."
"I do, but I trust you stressed how urgent this was," Hermione replied.
"I did," Severus confirmed as he returned to his seat. "The pair of you might as well sit down while we wait. And I would think about how you're going to broach this upcoming conversation with your fathers."
Knowing Severus was right, Hermione and Draco took some time to consider how best to break their news. However, even without having to consult each other, they both decided that getting straight to the point would be the way to go. After all there was no point beating around the bush. It wasn't going to change anything, so they might as well just dive in and break their news without too much fuss.
In the end, Draco and Hermione sat in Severus's office for a little over twenty minutes before the floo reactivated and Lucius's head appeared in the flames, informing Severus that the two teenagers could go straight to the manor. Opening a full connection, Severus ushered the pair through, reminding them that they needed to be as quick as possible.
"Do you fancy coming with us?" Draco asked, hesitating as Hermione vanished in a whirl of emerald flames.
"I wouldn't get in the middle of this mess if you paid me," Severus chuckled. "Go and face the music, Draco."
With a resigned sigh, Draco flooed to his childhood home, where he found Hermione and one of the house elves waiting for him in the floo room. The elf hurriedly informed them that Master Lucius was waiting for them in his study before vanishing with a pop.
"Let's do this," Draco said, taking hold of Hermione's hand.
Together they left the floo room and made their way towards Lucius's study on the second floor. Even though Draco was leading the way, Hermione knew exactly where she was going as she'd been a regular visitor to the manor since she was a child. Most of her favourite childhood memories had taken place within the walls of the manor, and she loved the place almost as much as any of the Malfoys.
Reaching Lucius's study, Draco and Hermione took a moment to gather themselves, before Draco knocked on the door. Lucius's voice called for them to enter, and when they pushed open the study door they found not only Draco's father waiting for them, but Hermione's as well.
"Father," Draco said, nodding at his father before turning to the second wizard in the room. "My Lord," he muttered deferentially.
"Draco," Lord Voldemort returned in a low voice. "Hermione," he added, greeting his silent daughter.
"Hello Daddy," Hermione replied in a small voice.
"Oh, someone is after something," Voldemort chuckled.
"Or has done something wrong," Lucius added, eyeing up his own son, who wouldn't quite meet anyone's eye.
"Now that seems more likely," Voldemort agreed with a nod. "So, what is this meeting in aid of. I do hope it's something good to warrant the pair of you leaving Hogwarts. That is a dangerous thing to do. Questions could be asked if anyone realised you're missing."
"We know, but this has to be done," Hermione said. "Draco and I have something we have to tell you."
"Oh no, please don't," Lucius muttered, shaking his head as he made the logical leap.
"I'm pregnant," Hermione announced, confirming Lucius's worst fears.
Hermione and Draco braced themselves for a reaction, but both Voldemort and Lucius were silent for a long moment. Lucius's face was a mask of calm, and as usual he was completely unreadable. If he was angry, he was hiding it well. However, Voldemort on the other hand was slowly turning a nasty shade of red and when he did react, it was with an explosion so loud it caused both Draco and Hermione to jump.
Voldemort's roar of anger was accompanied by a glass of half-drunk firewhisky being hurled towards the nearest wall. He then turned his attention to Draco and Hermione, who both shrank away from his obvious ire.
"I cannot believe this," he hissed, his voice low and menacing. "How could the pair of you be so stupid?"
"It was an accident," Hermione said quietly.
"I should bloody well hope so, if you'd done this on purpose I would skin the pair of you alive," Voldemort raged. "Do you have any idea what this means, Hermione? Six years of scheming and planning are now down the drain. You'll have to be pulled out of Hogwarts, and therefore away from Potter, early."
"We are sorry," Draco offered. "But I want you to know that I will be there for Hermione and our child. I will not abandon her."
"If you even consider it, I'll kill you," Voldemort cautioned the young wizard.
"I won't," Draco vowed. "We're in this together."
"Damn right you are," Voldemort hissed. "And right at this second, both of you are firmly in my bad books. I still can't believe how stupid you've been. Do you not know the contraceptive charm?"
"Yes, we know it," Hermione answered. "And before you ask, we always thought we'd been careful. But accidents happen."
"At the worst possible time," Voldemort reminded his daughter. "Or have you forgotten that I would have already dealt with Potter if it wasn't for you. I've delayed so you can finish your education in peace. Now you've blown everything. Not only will you have to leave Hogwarts before your exams, but you'll not be there to help take down Potter."
"I'm sorry," Hermione apologised. "You know how much I wanted to help you. You know I would do anything for you, Daddy. I never meant to ruin everything."
"Now I need to rethink my plans," Voldemort muttered. "I don't want to speak to either of you right now. Go back to Hogwarts and I'll be in touch when I'm ready to talk. But do not utter a word of this to anyone. No-one must know you're pregnant, Hermione, and they most certainly can't know who the father is."
"Of course," Hermione said, slightly stung by her father's dismissive attitude.
"I'll escort you back to the floo room and ensure you get back to school safely," Lucius offered, ushering the two teenagers from his study.
"We are sorry," Draco informed his father as they made their way back to the room where they'd arrived.
"I'm sure you are," Lucius replied with a sigh. "I know it was just an accident, but honestly, I could strangle the pair of you. I can't believe you've been so careless."
"Neither can we," Hermione snorted. "Do you think father will do anything rash?"
"You mean, rasher than breaking one of my finest crystal goblets?" Lucius questioned. "If you're worried he's going to hurt either one of you, Hermione, I can assure you that he won't. You're the one person in this world I can guarantee he won't hurt, Hermione. And since hurting Draco will hurt you, he won't do that either. He will however be mad for a while yet. It's going to take time for you both to get back into his good books."
"And you?" Draco asked his father. "Are you mad?"
"Yes," Lucius replied with a firm nod of his head. "But I can also remember what it's like to be a teenager in love. It was more luck than judgment that your mother and I didn't have a similar situation in our youth. So, I think I understand slightly more than The Dark Lord. But the pair of you have to accept that you've messed up, and it's going to take time to fix this mess you've created."
"We'll do anything," Hermione vowed. "I haven't spent the last six years living a lie to give up now. Tell my father that if he has a plan, I can help him execute it before I have to leave Hogwarts. I might be pregnant, but I'm not incapable. I can still help."
"I'll let him know," Lucius vowed. "But something tells me he's going to make sure the pair of you work to earn his forgiveness."
Hoping that it could be done, and she hadn't totally ruined her relationship with her father, Hermione headed back to Hogwarts with her boyfriend. Arriving back at the castle, Severus confirmed that as far as he knew, their absence hadn't been noted. However, he did recommend they return to the head dorms before any suspicions were raised.
"What do you think is going to happen now?" Draco asked as they returned to the privacy of the head dorms.
"I have no idea," Hermione admitted with a sigh as she flopped down onto the sofa. "But I feel so bad. We've ruined all his plans."
"We might have derailed them, but The Dark Lord will come up with something new," Draco assured his girlfriend. "He won't let this stop him achieving his goal."
"And I won't let it stop me helping him," Hermione vowed. "I will do everything I can to help him, Draco."
"As will I," Draco said. "But until he sends for us, we shouldn't worry. And you shouldn't be stressing yourself. This baby might not have been planned, but I don't want anything to happen to either of you."
"And it won't," Hermione assured him. "The baby and I will be fine, and we will help my father win this war."