Chapter 24
After dinner Hermione brought up their earlier conversation "So are you going to explain?" she asked "Explain what?" he looked at her, confused "Earlier, you said that you would explain why you didn't mean any of the things you said last week" Draco sighed "You won't believe me if I told you" Draco stated, he knew that Granger would never believe that her friend would threaten another soul "Try me" she challenged him, so he explained to her what happened, stopping every now and then trying to read her facial expressions.
"Why would she do that?" Hermione asked, upset and confused by this revelation "Your guess is as good as mine" he replied to her "And to answer your question from this morning, being here with you at Christmas, was a hell of lot better than being with my father" neither one of them ever brought either topic up again for the rest of the night, instead, Hermione showed his some muggle board games which he rather enjoyed, as far a Christmas's went, this wasn't the worst she'd had.
The rest of the week flew by and she and Draco managed to get on reasonably well, they argued of course, but they were able to figure it out without something blowing up or one of them storming out. Draco returned home to retrieve his belongings before returning to Hogwarts on the train with everyone else. Hermione watched from her window as students poured into the courtyard, reuniting with friends.
When Hermione saw Ginny she made her way to the Gryffindor common room and waited for Ginny in her bedroom, Ginny opened her bedroom door and dropped her belongings when she saw Hermione standing by her bed; Ginny tackled Hermione onto the bed in a bear hug, however Hermione did not return her friends gesture "What's the matter Mione? Didn't you miss me?" she asked eagerly "Why did you threaten Draco?" Hermione asked "What?" Ginny's eyes widened at her question "I said, why did you threaten Draco?" Ginny rambled, changing her story trying to worm her way out of it and make Draco look like the bad guy, Hermione grew tired of her and silenced her with a spell.
"You're supposed to be my friend, and you go and threaten the father of my child telling him that you will take his child away from him if he didn't break my heart" she paused, looking at her friend who had tears in her eyes "Why would you do that?" she asked breaking the silence spell "I just wanted to protect you, you're better off without him" Ginny explained her tears staining her cheeks "That wasn't your decision to make" Hermione said flatly before leaving Ginny's room and returning to her own dorm.
Draco was unpacking the last of his things when he heard Hermione in the kitchen; he finished putting his clothes away before heading down to her. Hermione was scrubbing the table aggressively and she looked like she was about to blow something up at any point "You okay? He asked cautiously "Yep, why do you ask?" she questioned scrubbing the table more vigorously "Because if you scrub the table anymore you're going to wear a hole in it. You're magic is unpredictable, so do you want to tell me what's wrong before you blow something up?" he suggested which only angered her more "I'M FINE" she snapped causing the cupboard doors to come off their hinges and cups and plates to blow up. Both Draco and Hermione ducked behind the table as her magic went haywire "Whoops" she whispered as the kitchen stopped blowing up.
Draco helped Hermione to clean the mess in the kitchen "I'm sorry" she whispered to him "I didn't mean to snap at you, I was just mad at Ginny" he just nodded and left the conversation there not wanting her to get mad. "I told my mother" Draco blurted out "You told her what?" Hermione asked quizzically "That you're pregnant" He stated "Oh" she said doubtfully "She was rather... happy" Draco paused before continuing "And she wants us to visit... when fathers not there of course" he turned to her as he finished his sentence "Okay" Hermione drawled out in a quiet murmur "We can go see your mother" she agreed, subconsciously putting a protective hand over her stomach.
Dumbledore called the pair into his office before the first evening dinner of the new term. He informed them that at the dinner it would be announced that they were now head boy and head girl and that is why they are staying in the same living quarters, that way it would stop people asking questions as to why they were spending so much time together and stop suspicion as to why they are living in the same quarters. Both Hermione and Draco thought it was the best course of action.
Once dessert appeared on the house tables Dumbledore stood up and announced head boy and girl, the hall erupted into gasps and instant whispers; of course Hermione and Draco threw each other glares and snarls and insulted one another to their friends as a charade so the houses would think that they hated the idea of having to breathe the same air as each other and they pulled it off rather well, no one in the hall was none the wiser about their situation, asides from Ginny who didn't turn up for dinner.
"Hermione" Harry called her from across the table "Yeah" she answered "Do you know what's wrong with Ginny? She refused to come to dinner and she sounded upset" Hermione paused and thought to herself before answering him 'it is always better to tell the truth' "Yeah, we had an argument earlier, she had kept something from me and we had a few words, she probably avoided dinner to avoid me" Harry didn't press the subject any further, instead he told her about Christmas at the Weasley's and how it wasn't the same without her there.
Hermione got into the dorm much later than Draco had, Harry had talked her ear off about their holiday period and what he got up to; she was glad to have her friend back, but the incessant talking was a bit much from Harry. Hermione collapsed onto the sofa with a sigh and watched the flames of the fire rise and fall as if it were breathing.
"I despise that Potter" Draco sneered from behind Hermione causing her to jump "You scared the living crap out of me! Don't sneak up on me like that again" Hermione scolded him half heartedly "I didn't sneak up on anyone" he bit back, clearly annoyed "You came back late because you were with scar-head, I watched you two from my table, laughing and touching each other. I bet you still haven't told him you're pregnant, I mean if you had he wouldn't have been all over you, I wonder how he'll feel when he finds out" Draco started walking towards the door "Let's find out shall we?" he asked reaching for the door.
Hermione jumped in front of him and placed her hands firmly on his chest, stopping him from going any further "What the hell is wrong is wrong with you?" she asked urgently "Were you not listening" he asked sarcastically before his voice became dark and somewhat dangerous "He touched what's mine".
Hermione took her hands off his chest and stood up straight "I am not property" she whispered "Nor am I yours" she clarified in a voiced dipped in disbelief "Harry and I just talked on the stairs after dinner, we are friends, nothing more" she said matter of factly, sticking her nose up to him as she walked to the stairs "You were probably screwing him" Draco accused "That's why you came home late" Hermione turned to face him, her mouth open in shock at his accusation "Oh, pick your mouth up off the floor, it's extremely unattractive" he whipped at her.
Hermione marched up to him, getting in his face "You are the only person I have regrettably slept with, how dare you accuse me of screwing around you paranoid jackass" she seethed before continuing "Home?" she questioned "This is not home, anywhere where you are is not my home" she whipped around, her hair lashing across his face.
"Well wherever your parents live isn't home either because they sure as shit don't want you and if your parent's won't have you, and if this" he gestured around their common room with his arms outspread "Isn't your home, doesn't that make you homeless?" he queried sarcastically. Hermione turned once again to face him, his words cut like knives and tears stung her eyes "screw you" she whispered, turning quickly to walk up the stairs.
"What was that? I couldn't quite hear you" he baited her, without turning around and continuing up the stairs she yelled "SCREW YOU!" through her tear and the baubles on the Christmas tree exploded.
"Fuck" Draco whispered to himself.
Draco sat outside Hermione's bedroom door all night and listened to her cry herself to sleep. He couldn't help but think if Ginny was right, maybe she was better off without him but he won't leave her, not now and not as long as their child lives.