A/N: Chapter 13! Yay, got this up and going and it didn't take too long! Thank you all for your reviews, they fueled me to get this up and you all are so amazing! Since I was thinking my writing was complete and utter shit... Ahem, I mean a failure! You've all made me think otherwise. Now as for who the Death Eater will be... I've given some thought into it being Lucius or even Nott. But then I couldn't see how Hermione would be able to look at either Draco or Theo without thinking about what happened immediately. I've had a Death Eater in mind since the beginning. But now, as my plot is furthering there is a couple I've realized I could use. If you have any thoughts as to who, other than Lucius and Nott, please divulge! I need the help in deciding! Even though I am leaning towards one, more than the others on my list.

Chapter 13

October 14th, 1996

While Ginny and Pansy had guessed she was pregnant, the rest of Hogwarts hadn't made that connection. But Hermione could see the girls whispering. Lavender and her merry gossipers, huddled at meals in the Great Hall or along the corridors. Romilda Vane and her brood doing much the same. She had her support though, and not one rumor had been started... Yet.

Hermione knew Ginny and Pansy hadn't uttered a word to the boys, as they were as carefree and happy as ever. Aside from Malfoy, who's scowl seemed more prominent than the week or so before.

She had been so distraught after her visit with Madam Pomfrey, that for a few days she'd gone back to being mute, just as she had when she'd arrived that summer. She'd been given potions for the morning sickness, why-ever it was called that she had no idea. Since the sickness seemed to come around whenever it felt like it. She also started taking potions to get the nutrients she and the baby needed, as well as a calming draught every other hour.

While her visits to Madam Pomfrey she was forced to use the word baby, Hermione secretly would call it, It. She didn't want it to be a little human being. She didn't want it to be born and have those sparkling blue eyes every baby had. Or for it to be soft and cuddly. She didn't want to have a bond with it. Whenever she thought about it, she saw him. She couldn't stand being plagued by him anymore than she already was. And this thing, would remind her of him for the rest of her life.

And that was when she made the decision that she wasn't going to think about it any longer. Not now, anyway. Her stomach was still flat, her morning sickness was taken care of by the potion and she wanted to act and think as normally as she could. She wanted to be herself again. Not just how she had been lately, she wanted to be the Hermione Granger before 'the incident'.

She wanted Harry and Ron, but that thought always hardened her. Made her remember that they didn't want her.

They abandoned you, remember?

When she needed them most, they left her to be ridiculed. To be attacked by the Hogwarts masses. For that, could she truly call them friends any longer? No. No, she could not. She had friends, and they stuck up for her and supported her through everything since the beginning of school. They were all the friends she needed.

She did not need Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.

She would not forgive them.

Time could only tell their outcome.

Time could only tell whether or not she could live with herself and a baby she didn't know if she could love.

Seven months time, anyway.

"Miss Granger!"

Hermione jumped at the sound of Professor Snape's voice, it nearly blowing out her eardrum with the man's closeness, his breathe coasting over her neck. Instinctively, she pushed him back, her stool clattering to the ground as she stood, eyes wide and her fingers itching for her wand, before she realized she was in class. She had nearly aimed at her teacher! And worse, she wasn't paying attention!

She wanted to be normal, but how could she when she tried so hard not to think about things that she ended up thinking about them anyway? Really. She wished someone could answer that for her, because she was at an impasse. Completely at a dead end as to what to do.

"So sorry, Professor," she hurried to say, before she fumbled with righting her chair and sitting back down. She waited for his lecture, for his baritone to hark in on her being such a know-it-all that she probably thought it inconceivable to listen to him any longer. She waited for Gryffindor to lose points. She waited. And waited a little longer, staring down at her Defense Against the Dark Arts text. They were learning about the Imperius Curse? She frowned. When had her mind wandered, exactly?

Snape didn't say anything and Hermione didn't look at him expectantly. He merely walked back to where he had been, resuming his teachings at the board. She was curious, but also very grateful that he didn't yell at her, because, quite frankly, she was sure she would burst into tears if he did.

When the class ended, she had eventually caught on to the concept of the lesson and left knowing exactly what the homework entailed. She only worried about the four Slytherin's she'd gotten close to, and if they would be able to write an essay on resisting the Imperius Curse.

/-/-/-/

October 19th, 1996

Hermione couldn't have been more excited for Saturday. While she loved homework and enjoyed the knowledge she obtained from all of her lessons, she needed a break. Of course, even on the weekends she had homework, but all of it was done and turned in before Friday evening. Now she could relax and finally allow her body to slump from her exhaustion. Well, she was laying down. On a blanket, in the grass, near the lake.

It was chilly out, and the day was full of gloom, but Hermione wanted the outdoors. Needed the fresh air and the escape from the other students, aside from those she held dear. Of course, most of her friends were now dating each other. Blaise and Pansy. Ginny and Theo. Luna and Neville even came out a couple days ago, Luna dragging him to the end of the Slytherin table, that was left solely to them, by the hand and making him sit.

Blaise had taken Pansy to Hogsmeade. Ginny had said she was going to teach Theo her Quidditch tactics at breakfast. And at lunch, Neville had ran off to help Professor Sprout with something in the greenhouses. So, Luna had suggested to her and Draco that they all go to the lake. Which seemed like a brilliant plan to Hermione.

She half expected Draco so shrug and say something crude, but he surprised her when he said that a bit of fresh air would be nice.

So that's how they came to be where they were. Hermione finally at peace as the wind gently blew over her face, her mind free of all the bad. Her head in Luna's lap as the blonde girl tried to twist her unruly hair into braids. And Draco off to their side reading a book.

"What are you reading, Draco?" Luna asked, being the first to speak since they settled down.

"Hm?" he asked, seeming a little annoyed to be distracted from his book. "Oh, Of Mice and Men." Hermione couldn't help the snort and she looked to him, disbelieving. "What?"

Hermione shrugged, awkwardly from her position. "Nothing... I just-" She decided to just tell the truth and be out with it. "Well, I didn't think that book would be of your liking."

She looked away from him when she saw his eyes flash.

"I like many things. A lot of them would surprise you, Granger." He said, and then returned to his reading.

Hermione glanced back and saw him as relaxed as ever in the comfort of his coat, book in hand. Those beautiful eyes scanning line after line until he was finished with a page and the rustling of the paper turning filled the space. The soft tug on her hair made her look up to Luna's knowing smile and she wondered just what Luna saw.

Of course, then Hermione wondered. Did Luna know? Her hands almost shot to her belly, but her fingers curled into fists at her sides and she forced them to stay. The whole day she hadn't thought once about it. She closed her eyes and forced her mind to remain peaceful.

She had no such luck.

/-/-/-/

Later after dinner, Hermione walked along the corridors, her arm curled around Ginny's as they walked to the Hospital Wing. Each night was the same, although Ginny and Pansy shifted their chaperon duties every other night and tonight it was Ginny's turn.

When they made it to Madam Pomfrey's office, Hermione sat down in the chair and waited for the Medi-witch to get her Dreamless Sleep and Calming draught. Ginny leaned against the stone wall, her arms wrapped around her chest as she too waited.

When the older woman returned she smiled pitiably at Hermione while she downed the first potion, waited exactly two minutes and then took the next. "Is there anything else you need, Miss Granger?" she asked, still standing and ready to fetch more potions.

"Make me forget?" she asked, wryly. Which, only made Madam Pomfrey's eyes well up with tears and Ginny moved to take Hermione's hand in a bid of comfort and sanity. "I'm sorry, I'm just..."

"It's alright, dear," the older woman waved it off and blinked back her tears.

"Is there nothing that can be done, Madam Pomfrey?" Ginny asked, worried about her friends emotional heath. Hermione knew that while she had her good moments, they were fewer than her bad. And she had to force herself to be okay around the boys and Luna even with the Calming draught.

"I'm sorry, but there is not," the older witch apologized.

/-/-/-/

November 1st, 1996

November came around quickly, time passed and things seemed to get more normal. Hermione poured herself into her classes and on top of that helped both Theo and Blaise with their homework. Theo was still needing help with his Transfigurations and Blaise was in dire need of a tutor for Muggle Studies. Which surprised her greatly when she found out he was taking the class. Apparently his future career choice was to be in need of Muggle knowledge. And he was just as interested and gobsmacked with Muggle bits and bobs as Mr. Weasley. Having Blaise come up to her and ask what the functions of a microwave were or how is it that a 'telly vision' works, astounded her every time.

Being constantly busy and having things consistently on her mind, distracted her from the other things that were on her plate. She didn't have time to think about it, she didn't have time to be thrown back to that night.

Not even at night during bedtime, because she no longer slept in her bed. Her need for knowledge was continuously making her fall asleep slumped over the desk with her cheek stuck to a page in her text. Or curled up on the couch with her books surrounding her. She had even fallen asleep over her parchment the other night and had her homework inked on her face until she realized at breakfast when everyone was pointing at her and Pansy so graciously told her she had something on her face!

No, she had no time to think about things, because she was getting her life on track. She was getting back to normal.

As normal as she could get without Harry and Ron.

And that meant she had possibly skipped a few potions and the morning sickness was back. She tried so hard to remember, but how could she when she'd made herself forget? The one thing she wanted to do, but wasn't allowed any longer because she was throwing up whenever she caught a whiff of something that didn't settle with her.

And that was why she had practically mowed over Malfoy as she turned quickly into an alcove and threw up the contents of her lunch at the smell of someone's perfume. It had to have been Lavender or Parvati. Having roomed with them for five years, she knew the scents of their strong, overly worn perfumes.

She didn't jump at the soft fingers that tickled her neck and held back her hair. Growing accustomed to someone holding her hair for her. Blaise. Madam Pomfrey. Ginny. Pansy... Of course that had been before she'd found out for sure.

She sniffed as she straightened her back and wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her robes. Embarrassed when she turned around to see Malfoy was the one to hold her hair this time. But what really put her anxiety on overdrive was the students behind him. All of them looking at her, and at the hand that Malfoy had on her lower back. When had he put that there? But, she was too shocked by their audience to remove his hand or step away.

Then a voice that absolutely grated on her every nerve spoke and her eyes found Romilda Vane coming out of the small crowd. Her dark hair curly and flowing past her shoulders. Her robes straight as a pin, compared to Hermione's rumpled ones. Romilda's smile was vicious, a smile that knew something and was about to expose it. A smile that cut Hermione into pieces before she ever uttered a word.

She felt Malfoy tense beside her, but that was the only thought she gave him.

"Well, well," Romilda said, her tone too cheery for Hermione's liking. Nothing good would come from it, that was obvious. Nothing that came out of Romilda's mouth, when regarding Hermione, seemed to be good. "Seems like I was right. Little Miss Hermione Granger is a whore, after all."

"Watch your fucking mouth, Vane," Malfoy growled, much to Hermione's surprise. Something she hid well in the presence of the girl before her. While Hermione's mind practically gawked at the blonde boy, her outside appearance was rather implacable and unyielding. Not only because of Romilda, but the growing congregation around them. These onlookers, these spectators, viewers of the conversation were the most dangerous of them all. It was always the witnesses that put fuel to the fire. They made the rumors, stretched the fabrications, and advertised the fiction so much one didn't know if it were true or false.

"Ooh," Romilda practically cackled like the witch she was, as she sized up Malfoy. Just when had he lost the respectable fear from the other students? Was it when he stopped torturing the first years this year around? Or when he stopped taunting Harry and egging him on for a fight? Or was it when he started sitting with her and his other Slytherin's in arms who seemed to be on the side of good, rather then with the vile creature that was Voldemort? "You must be the father of Hermione's bastard child."

Any resolve Hermione might have had, vanished in that moment. Eyes tripling in size, as she looked to the students surrounding them, to Romilda, and then finally to Malfoy. No, no, no. This was not happening. This- this wasn't... She couldn't breathe! Something was pressing down on her lungs, on her windpipe! She frantically grabbed Malfoy's arm, the only thing close enough to hold her up, too blanchedly horrified to notice he wasn't shocked, but absolutely and bloody-well pissed.

Everything was so fuzzy! Her mind, my god, her hands almost seemed numb! She couldn't calm herself, couldn't stop herself from thinking about what was inside of her and now everyone knew! Everyone knew! She slumped forward, eyes rolling in the back of her head.

"Granger!" She felt someone shake her, but she couldn't lift her head from the soft robes of whoever's chest she was leaning against. "Granger, are you okay?" The voice, so full of worry and concern... so soft. So different from his voice. 'Filthy mudblood. I wonder if we can clean her? What do you think, Lestrange? Think we can clean this little mudblood bitch? I want to scub her clean... Until she screams.' "Hermione!"

/-/-/-/

"Oh, my god...I-I didn't mean to..." Romilda's voice stuttered out of her large mouth, and Draco just about wanted to hex it off. No, he wanted to do far worse, but he was too panicked over Granger. Too afraid of what was happening to his girl. His mind was such a jumbled mess he didn't even correct himself.

She was clinging to his robes, her eyes tightly shut as she leaned against his chest. He had to wrap one arm around her waist so she wouldn't slide off him and hit the floor. His other at the back of her head as he tried to get her to look at him, to speak to him. For Merlin's sake why wouldn't she say anything?

"Hermione! Hermione!" he tried again and again, but there was no response. There was only one thing he could do. Bending he curled an arm behind her knees and lifted her into his arms, carrying her as he stepped forward, only to find he was cage in my the swarm of students. "Get out of my bleeding way! Move!" he yelled. He didn't know what exactly made them all scatter like a bunch of cowardice ants, it could have been the otherworldly growl in his voice or the fact that his face was near enough as scary as Snape's when at his worst.

But Draco didn't care.

The only thing on his mind was getting Hermione to Madam Pomfrey. He didn't know how long it took, time not working properly as he ran around corridors and down stairs, pumping his legs as hard as he could and wondering just how much Hermione weighed because it felt like little to nothing. He briefly heard someone calling his name, but he was too focused. Hermione was his only priority.

He burst through the doors to the Hospital Wing, looking like a madman as he yelled for Madam Pomfrey. He didn't wait for her, though, setting Hermione on one of the beds. The room was empty so he didn't think there was any use in the private room. When he tried to back up as the Medi-witch came forward, he was jerked back by Hermione's grip on his robes.

"Hermione, dear," Madam Pomfrey tried to calm her, her voice soothing as ever, but it didn't help loosen Hermione's hold. "Let go of Mr. Malfoy now. I need to look at you."

Draco saw her eyes flutter open for the first time since Romilda basically told the whole school Hermione was with child. "Don't. Leave. Me."

He was nodding before she ever finished. "I won't," he said and was then pushed into a chair as Hermione's finally let go. When she started to whimper Madam Pomfrey grabbed his hand.

"Hold her hand," she instructed before she started waving her wand.

Draco curled his fingers around hers, feeling her squeeze his hand for a moment of urgency before she relaxed. He watched her as her eyes fluttered shut and then she was breathing evenly again, which before had been rather erratic and abnormal. His thumb gently brushing back and forth over her palm, soothing her soft skin as Madam Pomfrey did was she did best.

"What's wrong with her?" his voice came out softer than normal, but demanding all the same and he ignored the look he received from the Medi-witch.

"She's in shock, her anxiety levels are past normal and very much at a frightening stage. I'm surprised she hasn't suffered a heart attack..." the witch trailed off and then made a disapproving noise in the back of her throat. "She's not been eating well enough, either, it seems. What exactly happened, Mr. Malfoy?" She asked, letting her wand rest as she turned to him.

Draco didn't want to look away from Hermione, as if he did she would know and would become restless once again. After a long silence, that he knew must he testing the older woman's patience, he looked at her. He took in her frazzled state, she obviously cared a lot about Hermione. If what he'd heard was anything to go by. "Another student seemed to catch on as to what has been going on with Herm- Granger, lately. The student called her out on her pregnancy in front of a large group of people."

"Oh, dear..."

"Yeah."

"What was the student's name?" the tone in Madam Pomfrey's voice shocked him a little, it was held with an edge that surpassed her usual firmness when it came to her patients.

Draco didn't hesitate when he said the witch's name. "Romilda Vane."

After that Madam Pomfrey disappeared into her office, only to come back with three potions in hand. She slowly roused Hermione enough to take them all. Afterward, the girl fell back asleep, and her hand rested in his hand more loosely.

"What were those?" he asked, again, in demand.

"A Calming draught, Draught of Peace, and a little Dreamless Sleep."

"They'll help her?"

Madam Pomfrey turned comforting eyes on him, but he could see the pity that lay within, as well. "They'll ease the anxiety, and help her sleep peacefully."

He didn't miss just what exactly she was saying, or wasn't in this case. The Medi-witch didn't know if Hermione would ever be able to get help. While it wasn't something that was utterly obvious, Draco could detect it.

It was a moment before either spoke again and when they did it was Madam Pomfrey. "Oh dear, look at the time. I have a meeting, would you stay with Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy?"

He nodded, unable to speak when he glanced back to Hermione, still holding onto her hand while she still had a grip, even if it was loose.

As the silence continued he didn't bother to look around to see if she had gone, merely thinking she had or she would be late to that meeting as the minutes ticked by. And tardiness was frowned upon, wasn't it?

He couldn't tear his eyes from Hermione. Watching as she slept, as she breathed. Her chest rising and falling with every inhale and exhale. Her lips slightly parted and a quiet snore sounding from the back of her throat, so quiet he was unsure if it could even be called snoring. It was a soft sound, a cute sound, a sound he could listen to forever.

His eyes roamed, taking in the curve of her chin, the softness of her skin, the texture of her lips; plump and enticing, the point of her nose, the arch of her brow, her hairline. He could stop examining, considering, inspecting, appraising... She was so...

The sound of voices brought him out of his reverie, and he looked to the doors of the Hospital Wing as they flung open, the six people coming to a stop at what they saw before they rushed over.

"Hush, the lot of you," he whispered to them harshly. "She's sleeping!"

They all seemed to tense under his tone, but they managed to silence themselves as they each found a spot around her bed.

"What happened, Draco?" Pansy asked, her worry highly noticeable as she whrung her hands.

"You mean that blather hasn't made it all over the fucking school, yet?"

He looked at them all, each one of them letting on with their reactions. Pansy sighed, Blaise shook his head as if he couldn't believe it. Ginny placed her hands on her hips with a murderous look to which Theo started to rub her shoulders, but even he couldn't hide the anger on his face. Neville of course fidgeted nervously and Luna took one of his hands to calm him, but she too looked at her shoes.

"Is it true?" It didn't surprise him so much when Neville spoke up.

What did, though, was when both Ginny and Pansy nodded and said, "Yes."

"You two, knew?" he asked them while the others seemed flabbergasted.

They nodded but devolved no more. They were all quiet for a long time, all looking at Hermione. Wondering.

"Cormac?" Theo finally asked, and when Draco turned to look at him, his answer was disrupted.

"No," Ginny shook her head,

"Hermione said he didn't get that far," added Pansy.

Theo's hands curled into fists and if it weren't for Hermione's feet being in the way, Draco was sure Theo would have punched a hole through the mattress.

"But, then who?" Draco looked back to Neville and Luna. Hermione had told them about her parents, but they hadn't been told the whole extent of the attack. Of course, no one had. Unless... he looked to Ginny and Pansy and frowned. They knew. She had told them.

His hands tightened into hard fists, until he realized he was essentially squeezing Hermione's hand and he relaxed. Of course, she told them. They were her best friends. He wouldn't have been told because he'd been a complete ass.

As the silence carried on, Draco lost track of time as Hermione once again gained all of his attention. Moving his thumb back and forth over the palm of her hand while he freshly observed her. Gazed at her. Contemplated her. Thoroughly and ultimately disinterested in what the others thought or felt in regard to him, Draco Malfoy, holding Hermione Granger's hand.

TBC