Chapter 22
Hermione was three days late. She was now in the position she had been in so many times before and there was no way of protecting herself at this point, sitting in the bathroom waiting for the little sticks to do their thing. She always got three stick, muggle ones, they were more reliable than the wizarding pregnancy detection methods. At times like these, when her heart was completely on the line, she preferred the unwavering finality of chemistry.
She had retreated back to her own bathroom, her little cave. She had been staying with Draco in his room for the last few weeks. It had been absolutely wonderful. She would hardly be able to wait for him to come home from wherever it was he went and they would spend the evenings together. Mostly in bed.
But now, she was going down this well trodden road and it usually ended with a couple days worth of crying. Although it could not, and she wasn't entirely sure what that entailed, she'd never been down that particular road.
She sat on the end of the bath and waited the eternity it took. Her leg would not stop shaking. Praying constantly. She tried to look out of the window, tried to find some kind of distraction. It looked very autumny outside. The wind had picked up a bit and it was overcast.
She had not told Draco anything about what she was doing today. This was a solitary activity. She had learnt that from experience.
Finally the timing on her wand chimed. It was time. She got up and walked toward the little sticks. She had them deliberately turned away so she couldn't see things developing. She turned the first around and saw two stripes. She had to blink because she might be hallucinating. She quickly turned the second one and it had two stripes too. Her heart was beating so loudly now she could hear anything else. She turned the last stick with had a plus on it, it was another kind of test, just in case.
Hermione sank down on the floor and covered her mouth with her hand. She was pregnant. She was finally on that road she had never travelled down. There was a baby growing inside of her. His baby. She started crying.
Draco was happy, not earth shatterlingly delirious like Hermione. But Hermione was deliriously happy. Draco wanted to tell his parents but Hermione wanted them to wait at least another month so they can be sure, these things were precarious in the first weeks. She didn't want to bring anyone else into it, until it was a little further down the track.
She didn't quite know what this baby would be, how much of her, if any would be in the child. She didn't care. It could be thick as a plank and pure Slytherin for all she cared. It was a baby and it was hers, and she would love it completely. Draco wanted a boy, but she didn't care.
She did tell Harry though. Wrote him a note. She got a congratulations note back. She knew that Harry was still concerned and uncomfortable about her being with Draco. She hadn't told him that they were now actually together, beyond the strict baby making objective. She would have that conversation with him later. At the moment, she just didn't want the negativity, not when she was so happy.
Draco was no prince charming, he was still arrogant git in many respects, but he made her laugh and he made her knees go weak.
Things could not have been more perfect, a future stretched before her. Her belly would start to swell, then the baby that would grow into a child. She wondered about her friends and how her life would be. Harry might grow to grudgingly accept Draco. Ron never would.
She wasn't sure it was worth ever telling Ron. He would feel betrayed by her being with Draco, even though it was none of his business and it made her happy. There was just some things Ron could not look past and Draco was the very top of that list.
She still waited to do the shopping, which she had been putting off for years. It has been too dangerous emotionally to go near the baby stores. It felt strange that she could actually go there, had a real reason to. But she waited, she was scared that something would go wrong. Women had miscarriages all the time and it was kind of prevalent amongst the pureblood set.
She was going to do everything to help this baby on the way, she would exercise a little, eat the right things, get plenty of sleep and remove all stress.
She had taken to strolling around the gardens during the day. It was actually lovely on these autumn days. Not the typical walking weather, but still lovely when attempted.
"Astoria." Hermione heard behind her.
"Pansy." Hermione said as she turned around. Pansy was walking in high heels through the sodden earth wearing something that looked completely out of place. Especially compared to Hermione's sturdy boots and blanket.
"Astoria, darling." Pansy said as she came up to her. "You look awful. Have you completely lost any sense of decency? You're wearing a sofa throw-over."
"I am at home, Pansy." Hermione said. "I don't see the need to dress up in tailored suits. I wasn't expecting company." What do you want, Hermione wanted to demand.
"Sometimes I worry that I underestimate you." Pansy said, "But other times, it is plain obvious that you are out of your league."
"Pansy, I don't care to listen to your insults. I simply just don't care, so state you business and leave." Hermione said not even trying to keep the total exasperation out of her voice.
"Nott misses you so much." Pansy said. "He is quite beside himself. He is such a good match for you, and now you've gone and thrown it all away."
"I don't have time for this." Hermione said and brushed past Pansy. Pansy had ruined her walk and she was now going back inside.
"Petricifus Totalus." Hermione heard behind her before her body stiffened and she fell backwards, completely body bind. Hermione couldn't believe that she had just been attacked by Pansy, she realised in hindsight that she should never have turned her back on Pansy, but she never expected that Pansy would attack her so blatantly. Socially perhaps, but not physically.
Pansy walked up and blocked out the piece of sky that Hermione could see.
"You've gone and ruined everything, Astoria." Pansy said. "I didn't want to hurt you, but you made me. Your total stupidness forced my hand."
Hermione couldn't move and couldn't talk.
"And then, you had the complete inconsideration of not dying." Pansy said with bitterness twisting her voice. "I didn't want to hurt you, really I didn't, but what could I do? You just don't get it. I am the one who belongs here, not you, its always been that way. And now my dear husband is dying. Perfect timing really, but you didn't have the courtesy to die as well. I hoped you'd run away with Nott, but you were stupid enough to think that you could have it all. Really Astoria, who do you think you are?"
Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. Pansy was completely insane. Her jealousy was completely out of control.
"But I won't make the same mistake again. I will make sure you die this time. The balance destroying hex in the bathroom didn't quite work out as I hoped. You certainly hit your head didn't you? But as it turns out, there is nothing in your head to injury so you just kept on breathing. No, I think a bit of more direct action is needed this time."
Hermione realised that Astoria's fall, the one that killed her had been a deliberate act by Pansy. It had lead to Astoria's body being available at the time she died.
"Everyone knows how unhappy you've been." Pansy said with false sympathy. "And Draco hates you. He deserves so much better than you, and I will be here to make sure he has a shoulder to cry on, or someone to celebrate with more like."
Pansy had no idea what had really happened. She still thought that Astoria had just survived.
"Now I am sorry to do this, but you leave me no choice." Pansy said and floated her body off the ground. "Everyone knows how depressed you've been. Its been obvious to everyone, letting yourself go like you have."
Hermione panicked as she felt herself being lowered into the pond water. Felt herself sinking down into the pond. She struggled against the body bind, but it wouldn't budge. Hermione sank to the bottom of the pond, she must have been at least three meters down. She could see the undulating form of Pansy at the edge of the pond but she stepped away, leaving her there.
Hermione's mind blanked with pure panic, she struggled with all her might, but the body bind didn't give. It would give when she lost consciousness, and there would be no trace of it when she was found.
Hermione's lungs were starting to burn. Her panic was starting to be replaced by a realisation that she may not get out of this one. She was so close to having it all and now it was being taken away. This was not fair. Hermione was overwhelmed by sadness. She had her baby, but now this was it. She hoped that the baby would join her wherever it was she was going.
She could start to feel unconsciousness start to bite the edges of her mind. Her body was screaming for oxygen, her lungs trying to breath through the closed lips. This was it, the last of a borrowed life.
She thought of Draco and Harry, and the baby until all went blank.