Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other recognizable work or character.
A/N: I said I wasn't going to post again until I got fifteen reviews. You know, to pace myself. But you all blew that away. I'm going to have to up my goal number...
In any case, the author of the first story I ever read in the Dramione fandom (and the reason I got sucked into this hole) is reading this. So, you know, no pressure at all...
Seven
"What are you doing here?" she spat as she used a towel to blot at her face before she made to move past him.
He stepped in front of her, halting her progress, his eyebrows raised. "In my home you mean? The place where I live? I believe I could ask you the same question."
"I was invited here," she snarled and took another step, which he mirrored, blocking her again.
"So it seems," he drawled, "However after what happened-"
"No," she snapped, not even bothering to hide it as she stepped forward and pushed past him, keeping her back towards him as she went, "This has nothing to do with that-"
She threw open the door and stepped out into the deserted hallway, wishing for someone- anyone- to come by in that moment as she started to walk back towards the sound of the party. Malfoy reached out, his fingers gripping her arm none too gently as he spun her around to face him. The electricity between them was almost tangible, cackling in the space between them as she yanked her arm away from him and backed up against the wall.
"You don't want to talk about that night," Draco said as realization seemed to dawn across his features.
"No," she bit out, stepping forward to press a finger into his chest, "let's do. Let's talk about how you left without so much as a word and a two word note that clearly stated how you felt about it all. Let's talk about how you lied and cheated on your fiancé with someone who is beneath you, let's talk about that-"
Malfoy's eyes were dangerous slits then as he stepped forward and she took another step, her back hitting the wall behind her. "Alright, you want to discuss that," he spoke lowly, "I didn't wake you because you were sleeping peacefully after having a nightmare not even an hour and half before. The note was the best I could do in the dark without waking you up and perhaps if you had read it we wouldn't even be having this conversation to begin with-and I wasn't engaged, not until recently. I may be many things Granger but that type of man I am not and if you think so little of me perhaps it is for the best-"
Hermione wanted to scream, she wanted to hex the man before her, but instead she felt the smallest of things; the flip flop inside her that tickled her insides and made it all real. She gasped, her hand going to her abdomen as she felt it once more and again. Her eyes widened and she looked up to see Malfoy looking at her curiously before he reached out, his hand finding the bump that was hidden under her gown.
She watched as his eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching so hard she thought his teeth might crack before he spoke again, his tone frigid, "How rich it is to speak so lowly of another when one does the same thing. I assume the Weasel in there doesn't know you and I fucked in New York? Is that something that you do? Fuck while you're pregnant with another man's child?"
"No it's not something I do because the only man I've fucked is this child's father and that happens to be you." She snapped, loudly.
Malfoy stumbled back then, as though Hermione had hexed him and she didn't wait as she turned on her heel and left. Her heels were clapping manically on the marble floor as she looked for the right door. Her heart was pounding in her chest and why couldn't she find the right bloody door? Draco was there then, his eyes murderous as he stopped her, "I don't believe you."
"Well, don't believe me then, I don't care-"
"I don't believe you," he repeated, stepping closer, "if it was my child you would have said something, tried to find me. You lot are too noble for your own damned good."
"I did," she yelled, "I came to your office and you were gone with your fiancé and I won't- I won't let my child- my baby- be some dirty mudblood secret. No, this baby is mine and you and your lot won't lay a finger on it."
Draco stepped closer then, his breath fanning across her face as he spoke lowly and slowly, "if that child is mine nothing will keep me away."
Hermione clenched her own jaw then, her whole body shaking, "I will never subject my baby to your family, to your father, no matter what blood runs through its veins."
"Do not talk about my-"
"What? Does that bother you? Would you rather talk about your aunt? And how she tried to murder me on your marble floors?"
Draco growled, the sound low and angry and Hermione opened her clutch, reaching inside for her wand just as Charlie appeared at her side, "Step back Malfoy," he said lowly, his voice murderous as he tugged Hermione out from under his nose. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
Hermione shook her head as he tucked her under his arm and moved through the halls, back to the banquet and out the front doors before he apparated them to the burrow.
She had lost it by the time they arrived, her shoulders shaking with sobs as Charlie led her through the front door and set her down at the fire before calling for his mum.
"Oh dear, Hermione what's wrong?" Molly asked as she rushed into the kitchen. Hermione tried to answer, the words sticking in her throat as she tried to control her tears.
The baby in her stomach flipped again, eliciting more crying, and Hermione was only vaguely aware of Ron appearing bleary eyed in the kitchen and Harry and Ginny stepping through the floo.
"'Mione?" Harry asked as he hurried forward to pull her into his chest, "What happened?"
"We went to the banquet at Malfoy manor-"
"You took her to Malfoy manor? Are you daft?" someone yelled.
"She was doing fine, she said it was okay," Charlie said hurriedly. "She disappeared to go to the bathroom and then I found her in the hall with Malfoy in a near screaming match…"
"Draco Malfoy?"
"One in the same."
Harry pushed her away from him slightly, looking in her eyes, "Hermione, did Draco Malfoy hurt you?"
Hermione continued trying to calm herself down as she shook her head 'no' and then took a few gulping breaths.
"Hermione, what is it then?"
"D-Dra-Draco i-is the f-fa-father of my b-baby," she managed and simultaneously every man in the room stood up, drawing their wands.
"No!" Molly yelled, "Put those away and sit down before I hex you all."
"Mum!" Ron yelled back.
"Ronald Bilius Weasley! Hermione, dear-" Molly said, "Did you say Draco is the father of your baby?"
Hermione nodded and she saw the men stiffen again, Harry inching his way closer to the living room and thus, the fireplace.
"It w-wasn't… I" she started as Ginny handed her a kerchief, "It was when I was in New York. It wasn't… he didn't hurt me. He just- he left me that morning and then, then when I went to tell him he-he was engaged and I couldn't- I couldn't tell him."
Ginny nodded understandingly and Hermione blew her nose into the handkerchief in her hand, "I've got this boys," the redheaded witch said to the men around her and a few of them grumbled as they slowly backed away. "Mum, you might want to close the floo… just in case."
Molly agreed before she quietly slipped from the room and Hermione heard a chorus of arguments from the other room before Ginny sat down beside her and poured her a cup of tea.
Hermione had calmed down enough by then, her sobs turning to hiccups as she sipped languidly on the tea.
"So…" Ginny began and Hermione nodded, setting her cup back on the table as she opened her mouth and told the witch everything; From the fight in the bar to the day after and then to tonight as he found her in the lavatory. "So he was looking for you?"
"I don't know-" Hermione sighed, "Maybe he just wanted a repeat performance?"
Ginny clucked her tongue, "No… I don't think that's it. It sounds like… Hermione it sounds like he wanted to speak with you and maybe, maybe you don't have the full story?"
Hermione blanched, "We shagged, he left, and now I'm pregnant, how could I not have the full story? Besides, he doesn't want anything to do with this-"
"Now, I don't think that's entirely true, I mean you said yourself that he said nothing could keep him away."
"If the baby was his," Hermione added. "Nothing could keep him away if the baby was his. He already doubts it's parentage. What a rotten way to start out your life, your father not claiming you."
Ginny hummed but was quiet once more as the second hand ticked on the Weasley family clock in the corner. Finally, she spoke once more, "Hermione, you know that we're here for you; No matter what. If you want to move halfway across the world we'll support you one hundred percent.."
"But?" Hermione prodded.
"But remember how you felt when you found out you were pregnant and then remember that tonight was just like that for Malfoy."
"Are you defending him?"
Ginny held up her hands, "No, I'm only asking you to see his side of things. I know it's hard but- but maybe he had a reason." The witch reached over, grasping Hermione's hand in hers and giving it a squeeze, "Maybe just give him a chance? Put the bludger in his pitch so to speak…"
Hermione smiled slightly at her friend's analogy before she finally nodded, just once.
"'Mione?" she looked up to see Harry standing in the doorway, his hands buried deep in his pockets, "Are you alright?"
Hermione sighed as she pushed away her mostly empty teacup and pulled herself to a standing position, "No, but… I will be."
Harry nodded and reached out, pulling her in for a hug, "Don't worry, I talked them all down- for now. Give us the go ahead though and…"
Hermione laughed despite herself at that and clutched at Harry tighter, holding onto him like a lifeline before they finally pulled away.
"I think I'm going to call it a night," she said, "Tell Charlie I'm sorry yeah?"
Harry smiled, "Of course."
"Floo us if you need anything," Ginny said seriously and Hermione nodded as she moved to step into the grate and send herself swirling away.
When she arrived back inside her dark and empty flat, she quickly slid out of her shoes and headed towards her office. She warred with herself outside of the door for several minutes before she finally stepped in and grabbed parchment and a spare quill, penning the note before she could lose her nerve. Her owl was waiting for her at the window and she quickly tied the roll onto the owl's leg and stroked her soft, downy feathers. "Deliver it to Draco Malfoy please," her owl gave one long hoot before she flew off into the night and Hermione closed the window and sat down in her chair, the events of the day finally catching up to her.
She hardly slept that weekend, tossing and turning and finally giving up in the wee hours of the morning. It was then that she would find herself in her office, working on her cases. At least, that's what she told herself she was doing, but as she found herself staring out of the window more often than not, she realized it was more than that.
It was on Sunday as she sat in her chair once more, her eyes on the window as she waited for a brown speck to appear, that she realized just how sad her life had become. Her eyes drifted to the box that Ron had brought days previous, the box she hadn't had the heart to go through. She stood from the chair, rubbing her aching back as she slowly lifted off the lid and peeked inside.
After the war, and much effort, Hermione had been able to locate her parents in Australia. She had never seen them so happy in her life and for quite some time she thought of leaving them. Her selfish need for them won out in the end and she had restored the memories she had taken from them one at a time.
Her father had hugged her tight before he pushed her away, demanding to know why she looked so much older and what had happened to them. Hermione had admitted then that she had taken herself away from them, to protect them. She had hoped, oh how she had hoped, that they would understand. They hadn't.
Her parents, from what she gathered were back in England; resuming their dentistry practice from before but neither of them had spoken to her in years. The pictures that rested in the box were all that she had left. She swiped at the tears that stained her cheeks then and gently picked up one of the pictures of her and her parents. It was one of her favorites from when she was a small child. In it she sat between her parents, the most garish cake in front of her as she smiled a toothy grin. She was more hair than head at that point and she laughed as she took in the sight of herself; so small and unsuspecting.
Her hand travelled to her abdomen of its own accord; the baby had taken to moving quite often but not nearly as much as it had in the presence of Draco Malfoy. She wondered if the baby would take after her or Draco and she hoped for the former.
Her eyes went to the window again and when she saw that the sun was beginning to set, her stomach protesting its emptiness, she finally gave up. Draco Malfoy wouldn't be sending a return letter she realized. Not that she expected any different. She picked up her quill, jotting down the same note she had written to Malfoy before she sent it off with her owl to the Potter's because she knew if anything at least she could count on them.