Ever since the incident in the garden, Hermione had been restless for some reason. Although to be fair, it had only been a couple of days ago, but she still couldn't settle. She wasn't sure if it was worry over the discrepancy of her pregnancy being discovered, or if it was the feeling she'd had of being watched. Either way it had left her jumpy and irritable, and by the Friday evening, she'd gone to bed early just to stop herself from saying or doing anything that would rouse Harry and Sirius's suspicions.
Lying in bed, her mind was too active for sleep to come over her, so she tried reading. Instead of the books on pregnancy and babies she'd been reading, she went for a novel, but after one chapter she gave up as she had no idea what she'd just read.
"I've decided that this plan sucks, little one," she muttered to the bump as she rose from her bed and pulled on her dressing gown. "Father is really making me work for his forgiveness. I still could have delivered him what he wanted without having to go through this charade. I just hope he hasn't forgotten about us."
Deciding that a hot drink might help her drift off to sleep, Hermione opened her bedroom door just as a loud bang shook the entire house. Before she could even register what was happening she heard shouts and loud crashing noises from down below. Suddenly it hit her what was happening, and she rushed towards the stairs, only to spot Harry bolt from the living room and launch himself at the stairs.
"Get back in your room, Hermione," he cried, flying up the stairs towards her.
Hermione didn't even have time to react before a blond figure followed after Harry. Still taken by surprise by what was happening, Hermione found herself standing still as Draco flew up the stairs behind Harry.
"Move," Harry cried, reaching the top of the stairs and grabbing hold of her.
Before Hermione knew what was happening, Harry had pulled her back into her bedroom, and slammed the door right in Draco's face. Turning the key in the lock, he added a locking spell of his own, before turning to Hermione with wide eyes as Draco began to hammer at the door.
"We have to get out of here," he announced.
"How?" Hermione asked. "And what is happening? What is Malfoy doing here? How did he get here?"
"I have no idea," Harry replied. "One minute Sirius and I were sitting in the front room talking and playing chess, and then the entire house was engulfed by a loud bang and a few Death Eaters burst into the room. Sirius started to fight, but my only thought was getting to you. I didn't even know Malfoy was here until I saw him on the stairs."
"I wonder why he's here," Hermione mused as Harry crossed to the window, clearly looking to see if they could escape that way.
"You're trapped Potter," Draco's voice suddenly called through the closed door. "No-one can apparate from the property without The Dark Lord allowing it."
"We could climb out and run," Harry said to Hermione, keeping his voice low in case Draco could hear him.
"Climb?" Hermione cried, allowing her voice to carry through the closed door to her boyfriend. "I can't climb, I'm pregnant."
"It's either that or be caught, Hermione," Harry urged, flinching when the door began to splinter as Draco used magic to force his way inside the room. "Hurry, we don't have much time."
Heading over to the window, Hermione glanced downwards. Truth be told it wasn't far to the ground as they were in a cottage, and even though it had two floors, it was hardly a high building. However, there was no way she was clambering out the window, so she backed away, carefully taking Harry with her as she grabbed hold of his hand.
"I can't," she whispered, shaking her head.
"We have to Hermione," Harry argued. "Sirius seems to be holding the others off, but Malfoy will soon have company out there."
"I don't need company, Potter," Draco cackled as the hole in the door became large enough for him to poke his head through. "I've got all the help I need right here."
"Where?" Harry asked, whirling around in case someone was climbing through the window.
"Here," Hermione answered, tightening her grip on Harry's hand as she plucked his wand out of his other one.
"Hermione, what are you doing?" Harry cried. "Give me back my wand, I need it to protect you."
"I don't need protecting, Harry," Hermione laughed. "Draco is not here to hurt me, he's here to be reunited with his child."
"Child?" Harry muttered, his face clouding in confusion.
"Come on Potter, join the dots," Draco crowed as the hole in the door was finally big enough for him to slip through. Once inside the room, he crossed to Hermione's side and placed a loving hand on her stomach. "This isn't your baby, it's mine."
"No," Harry cried, trying to pull his hand from Hermione's only to find she'd used some sort of spell to keep him in place.
"It was all a trick," Draco continued. "An elaborate ruse."
"Why? I don't understand," Harry whispered, too heartbroken to even try and escape. His world was shattering around him, and he just couldn't understand why.
"Part of it was punishment for Draco and I being so careless," Hermione admitted. "Father was not happy I got pregnant and ruined his plans. So he came up with a new one, a one that forced us apart for a while."
"Father?" Harry echoed. A distant part of his mind was telling him that he was in danger and there was something off with Hermione, but he was still reeling over the fact the family he'd been dreaming of for months was fake, and he wasn't going to become a father.
"Potter, good to see you again," a cold voice called from behind Hermione.
"Voldemort," Harry hissed, flinching as he took in the sight of The Dark Lord blocking the doorway behind Hermione and Draco. He'd also clearly removed the door Draco had broken down as there was no sign of it impending his entrance to the room.
"Nice to see you remember me," Voldemort chuckled. "I did wonder if you would as it's been so long. My apologies for that, but I was allowing my daughter the chance to finish her education. A chance she has well and truly blown, I might add," he said, throwing Hermione a stern look.
"Oh god no," Harry wailed, his knees trembling as it hit him what was going on.
"Ah, I see you've worked it out," Voldemort remarked. "Hermione is my daughter. I'm sure we can go into details at a later date, but for now, we need to be going."
Before Harry could react, Voldemort had swept into the room and removing his hand from Hermione's, he held him in a vice like grip. Informing Hermione and Draco he would be back shortly, he then apparated into thin air, still holding onto Harry.
"I've missed you," Draco cried, pulling Hermione into his arms. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Hermione replied. "We're fine."
"And how is this little one?" Draco asked, his hand returning to Hermione's stomach.
"Eager to be reunited with its Daddy," Hermione said, laughing when the baby yet again kicked on the word Daddy and Draco's eyes widened in shock.
"Was that a kick?" he asked in awe.
"They've started to do it whenever I mention you," Hermione chuckled. "But that has to be a coincidence. I think they're just wanting to let me know they're in there."
"Or maybe they just love their Daddy," Draco countered with a grin. "Like their Mummy."
"Hmm, I suppose that could be possible," Hermione remarked with a smile as she pulled Draco towards her and pressed her lips over his.
Wrapping his arms tightly around her, Draco eagerly returned the kiss, and they were still embracing when someone cleared their throat in the doorway. Breaking apart, they found Lucius standing shaking his head at their actions.
"That can wait until later," he said. "Hermione, pack your things. Draco, you go and sort Potter's stuff. This door also needs fixing. We have to leave this cottage perfect."
"What about Sirius?" Hermione asked. "What happened to him?"
"He put up a good fight," Lucius admitted. "The mess is being cleaned up as we speak. But he was no match for us. He was subdued and forced into writing a note for Dumbledore before he was taken away."
"What does the note say?"
"That he's taken you and Potter away to start a fresh life where you can be safe," Lucius answered. "Which is why this place needs to be spotless. It has to look as though you've all left of your own free will. The Dark Lord has even worked out how to manipulate the wards to make it appear as if they were broken from inside. But we have to do this quickly, just in case Dumbledore is more attuned to the wards than we thought."
Lucius's instructions had Hermione and Draco parting ways, and while Draco headed off to sort Harry's things, Hermione packed her own trunk. Fifteen minutes later they were both ready to leave. By that time Voldemort had retuned and the door Draco had broken down had been fixed. Hermione then had one final walk through of the cottage, ensuring everything was in place, before she took hold of her father's arm and allowed him to apparate them home.
Although home turned out to be Malfoy Manor as Voldemort explained that it had been decided that it would be safer for her at the manor. Given how protected the property was, no-one would find her there, or Harry and Sirius, who were residing in the dungeons. Besides, as it was pointed out, she would soon be having a child with Draco and unless they wanted to live separately it made sense for them both to be in the same house.
"Does that mean Draco is staying?" Hermione asked her father, well aware that a hopeful Draco was listening to every word they were saying.
"No, he can stay for another hour or so, but then he has to get back to school," Voldemort said. "And don't argue, because I'm not in the mood," he added as Hermione opened her mouth to protest. "After all the excitement you've had, you should be going to bed and resting. Narcissa had made you up a room in Draco's wing of the manor, but if you would rather, we have agreed you can stay in Draco's room."
"Even when he's back from Hogwarts?" Hermione checked.
"I rather think it's too late to keep you from sleeping together," Voldemort remarked, eyeing Hermione's enlarged middle. "Now off you go, and Draco, make sure you return to school tonight. Do not mess this up now."
Promising that he would be back at school as arranged, Draco escorted Hermione up to his wing of the manor. When they got there, they found Narcissa waiting for them outside of Draco's room.
"It's so good to have you back, Hermione," she said as she hugged the young witch. "I'm sure you're tired and want to get to bed, but I have something I want to show you both."
When Narcissa led them towards the room next to Draco's bedroom, they thought she was going to show them the room Voldemort had mentioned that she'd made up for Hermione. However, when they followed her into the room, they were confronted by a fully equipped nursery. The walls had been decorated with animals that moved, a cot stood in the middle of the room, along with a rocking chair. Shelves full of books and toys lined one of the walls and even though they were all closed, both Hermione and Draco suspected the drawers would be filled with baby clothes.
"Narcissa, this is amazing," Hermione gasped, walking over to the cot and picking up the stuffed dragon that was lying in it, just awaiting a friend to hug it tight.
"I got the elves to bring Draco's old things down from the attic," Narcissa replied. "If there's anything you don't like, we can replace it. I have sorted some of the best clothes, but obviously you'll want some new stuff as well."
"This is just perfect, thank you," Hermione said, hugging Narcissa as tears filled her eyes at the kind gesture.
"It is," Draco agreed as he gave his mother a peck on the cheek. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Narcissa replied with a smile as she left them to explore the nursery.
After exploring the nursery, and finding they now needed very little for their new arrival, the couple headed to Draco's room where Hermione's trunk had been left by the elves. There was also another surprise for Hermione as lying curled up at the bottom of Draco's bed was Crookshanks. Thanking Draco for saving her cat, Hermione made a fuss of the ginger feline before going to wash her hands. Since she was already ready for bed, she didn't bother to unpack her trunk, merely slipped off her dressing gown and climbed into bed, urging Draco to lie with her for a while.
"Wow, you're a lot bigger than I realised," he remarked as they settled on his bed.
"I was hiding how big I was getting from Harry and Sirius," Hermione admitted. "I was starting to get worried that they would send a healer to see me, or Madam Pomfrey, and they would realise I was further along than I was claiming."
"Luckily that didn't happen," Draco said. "Although I'm sure there'll be a visit to the healer in your near future. I just wish I would be there with you."
"You'll be with me soon enough," Hermione promised. "Father is right about you returning to school tonight. Dumbledore sends messages to Sirius every week to check on things. When he doesn't get a response on his next check, he'll have to go and investigate, and while the letter from Sirius is a good idea, not everyone is going to believe it. Which means people are going to be looking for those responsible, and if you're safe at school, no-one can even think about accusing you of anything."
"I get that, I just don't want to be stuck there for too much longer," Draco admitted. "If I'm there until the end of the year, I'll miss the baby being born. I want to be there for you and our child, Hermione."
"And you will be," Hermione vowed. "I promise I will talk to father, and I promise we will find a way for you to come home early. Just trust me, Draco."
"I do," Draco replied, holding Hermione in his arms as she began to drift off to sleep.
Only once Hermione was asleep did Draco return to Hogwarts, but he was hoping it was only temporary. Soon he was hoping to be back home at the manor, awaiting the birth of his child.