A/n: Chapter 15 here.ü LOL.ü

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Now, on with the story.ü

Oh, also, I better warn you about this chapter. I I'm sorry if it's weird. I really hurried it up and was not given the chance to run through with it again or even edit it.:( My brother's always getting the computer. Project and everything.

But anyways, here it is. ü

By: Aningme

Dilemma: The Sequel

Chapter 15

"She's sleeping now." Draco announced, whispering softly on the phone. "She's sleeping peacefully."

"The potion you gave her will be fine. She'll need more rest now. Real rest." Mrs. Dubley replied, sighing tiredly over the news. Suicide. Holy macaroon of Merlin on toast. She never knew Hermione even thought of doing that. "This is all part of the process." She said, more to herself than to Draco. "She'll remember things mostly at this rate. Have you received the potion I sent you?"

"Yes. I just got it from Harvey."

"Madame Pomfrey herself gave me those procedures. That's the best antidote so far Hogwarts has to offer."

"Thank you. Please send them my utmost gratitude."

"Of course." Mrs. Dubley sighed again, pausing a moment. "Uhm, Draco…?"

"Yes, Darlene?"

"How's the baby? Does she know?"

Glancing over the table, he watched Hermione stir silently. "She doesn't know anything yet." He mumbled, standing up from his chair and walking towards her. "But, I believe that somehow… she does." He sat beside her and tucked locks of her hair away face. "She heard a cry in her dream. A child crying to her."

"Is that possible?"

"I don't know." He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "I was asking myself the same thing."

"Well, I believe she must know most of the things that she must." She pointed out.

"I was actually planning on showing her something. Some places we've been…" He paused, as if to think.

"That would be great." She interjected before he could say anything more. "The sooner you clarify things up with her, the better. She would want the truth."

"Of course." He smiled. "Of course she would."

Pain. A word so used by many. Felt by many. But is there really a definite rate of the intensity of pain?

Can anyone even withhold it?

Can anyone bear much of it?

She woke up staring into nothingness, endless tears falling over her cheeks. She had just awoken from a dreamless sleep, feeling empty. Frustrated, agitated, tired, hurt, confused, she didn't know what to feel. She was so fragile, nearing to her breaking point. She was blank. She was cold, alone.

What else could be said to such a pain?

She knew some of her lost memories were coming back to her. She knew she was nearing to be her old self, the person people knew for the past ten years that have become of her after the war.

But how come she pretends not to know it?

Glancing at the window, she shivered and gathered herself into her arms, weeping. She was willing to end everything.

She was willing to kill herself for Harry.

She loved Harry for so long as she could remember… Losing him meant losing her life…

She loved him more than anything in this world…

Burying her face in her hands, she suddenly felt the cold golden ring on her finger. She stared at it and watched it glimmer in the morning sun.

How could she learn to love Draco Malfoy if she loved Harry?

How could she love Draco now when her heart yearns for Harry?

Slowly pulling the ring out of her finger, she stared at it and cried.

What is she going to do now?

He watched her stare at the window listlessly, her mind seemingly drifting off to somewhere.

He had feared this moment since the beginning: The moment when he doesn't know what to do for her. He would give everything, even his own life, to make her happy. To take care of her.

But how will he do that now? He doesn't know what she feels. He couldn't soothe her pain. He couldn't help her. He could only do nothing.

And worse, he doesn't know if she still feels the same way he feels for her.

"How are you feeling?" He suddenly uttered, startling her.

She turned to him and stared at him. She managed a weak smile. "I don't know. Fine, I guess."

He was falling apart, seeing her face so pale, her cheeks stained with tears. He wanted to take away her pain with all of his being. But he was just helpless. He couldn't face her. "I'll ask Harvey to bring up some food for you… You need to eat."

"No, I'm fine. Really." She wiped at her cheeks and sighed. Smiled again. "I'm keeping you from your work."

"No." He smiled too, and sat down beside her on the bed, staring out of the window with her. "I cleared my schedule for the week."

"You didn't have to." She muttered.

"Maybe not." He turned to her. "But I wanted to."

She smiled at him. Just the typical Malfoy. He'll do anything when he wants it. "I don't want to be your burden."

"You're not." He pointed out. "You're my wife."

She hesitated, and turned away from him.

He laughed and looked away too. He looked so calm and casual. His eyes were still his steady ones, controlled. But deep inside, he was hurting. "So… How about that breakfast?"

She turned to him, and stared at him. She didn't know what to say to him. "I… I think I need to puke."

Helping her to the bathroom, he watched her puke her guts out. She was sitting on the bathroom floor when she was done.

"Here." He handed her a glass of water.

She held it close to her lips and savored it. "Thanks. I feel much better."

"That's good." He knelt down before her and just stared at each other.

"Draco." She called, hesitating a little. "I… I don't know how to… well…"

He waited. "What is it?"

"This is weird." She finally laughed and sighed. "I…" She stopped. Frowned. "I think I should be upset about this. About you not telling me. You must have your reasons." She cleared her throat, grabbed her glass of water and drank again. "But still… Am I pregnant, Draco?"

He just stared back at her. He didn't expect her to be this straightforward. "Pregnant."

She stared at him. "Am I?"

He crossed his legs and stared at the tiled floor. He wanted to tell her the news so bad, but not this way. "Yes, you are actually."

She raised a brow. "And you didn't tell me?"

He heard the pang of annoyance in her voice. As expected in this case. But as he looked up at her face, her eyes were gleaming with unshed tears.

He wanted to reach out to her, hold her. But he closed his hands in fists and held himself. "I was going to tell you."

She looked away and gazed at her hands.

"Look," He whispered; a glint of exhaustion visible in his voice. "The night when… when this happened to you…" He paused, ran a hand through his hair. "We were about to meet in the café where I… well… where I first convinced you to go out with me. You prepared a surprise for me. I never knew what it was until this happened to you." He took a deep breath. "You planned that dinner to tell me you were pregnant." His mouth curved, but it didn't reach his eyes. "That's what made it worse."

A tear had already slipped down her cheek. "You could have just told me."

"I wanted to tell you the news the same way you planned it to tell me." He admitted. "I wanted it to be special."

She suddenly buried her face in her palms, dragging her knees to her elbows. "I can't…"

He leaned closer to her, wanting to hold her. "Can't what?"

"I can't do this…" She sobbed mutely and muffled on her hands.

"Look at me." He whispered. "Look at me, Herm."

She dragged her hands from her face and looked up at him.

"We can make this work." He muttered, holding her hand. "Darlene just gave me a potion today. She said Madame Pomfrey herself instructed her about that. It would help you through remembering everything."

She slipped her hand away from him ever so slowly. "Draco… I can't do this… I can't let this…"

"What are you talking about?"

"I can't keep on holding you down like this… I can't keep you like this…" She sniffled, turning away from him. "I… I need to go…"

"Go where, Herm?"

"Away from you."

He couldn't believe what she was saying. "I can't let that."

She stared up at him hearing his voice suddenly turning passive, and saw his silver eyes turning cold, threateningly cold. "It's for the best, Draco…"

"That's bullshit."

"It's not." She pointed out. "I don't want to hurt you, Draco."

"You are hurting me right now!" He slammed his fist on the tile, chipping a chunk of it.

She wasn't shaken with the rise of his voice. But she was, just staring into his eyes swimming with emotions she hadn't seen before.

"Don't do this, Hermione. Don't do this to me."

"I don't know what I feel Draco. I wish I do but I don't. I have to figure it out. I have to think everything through."

"Through out the years I've known you I know that you are a very intelligent person. But your intelligence fails you today, Herm."

"This is not stupidity. You don't know what I'm going through."

"I don't know what you're going through." He said it more like a statement than a question. He stood up, and walked to a counter, nudging his hip on it. His temper was working up good on him. He needed the distance. "The hell I don't know. But even with that handicap, I will do everything in my power to get you through everything." He breathed deep, willing himself to calm down. "I want to bring you back. All that happened in the past, they happened for a reason. I may not entirely know what reason that might be, but all I know is you're my wife. And I'm your husband. We swore in our vows that we'd help each other through everything. And we'd be together for better or for worse. I'll do what I have vowed on that day. I swear it on my life." He muttered and stared at her. "I want you back. I need you to."

She stood up too, wiped at her tears, and walked over to him. She stared at his eyes, his temper now subsiding, but pain taking over.

"I have hurt you for so many times right now." She whispered. Then she stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, keeping him between her and the counter. She buried her face on the crook of his neck. "I'm sorry. I don't know how I feel about everything. I'm pretty messed up." She paused, feeling a new wave of emotions coming at her. "I believe I didn't entirely believe you did love me. Up until now." She smiled and leaned back to look up at him. "And that'd what I'm afraid of."

"Afraid of what?"

"Of you, loving me this much."

"I don't understa—"

"I don't know if I could give you back the love you give me." She interjected. "I need to get through with this alone. For now. I need…" She paused, feeling her throat tighten with the tears choking her back. "I need to be away with everything."

He stayed quiet for a time, wrapping them both in dead silence. "You'd want your old apartment."

"My old apartment?"

"Yeah. I could get it back for you. And you could stay there for—"

She tightened her arms around him, squeezing him in a hug. "Thank you so much, Draco."

He wrapped his arms around her too, closing his eyes. And smiled. "It's nothing."

Now, alone in the bathroom, he stared at the door, his smile slowly fading away.

A/n: Hey guys.ü

Well, that's about it, I think.

I hope you guys get this.

It's kinda weird, but please tolerate it.ü

Anyways, gotta go now.My brother's bugging me to get off of the computer.ü

Until next chapter then.ü