"Dear Merlin this is amazing," Lavender moaned as she bit into the hamburger. She took another bite and hummed in satisfaction.
There was a murmur of agreement from the other girls as they dug into their food. Hermione gently rubbed her stomach as she ate. She hadn't realized just how hungry she was until she took a bite of her lunch.
"Better than sex," Lavender added.
The others choked on their meal as their eyes widened from Lavender's remark. Hermione blushed furiously whilst the others turned their coughs into giggles.
"Was that necessary?" Hermione squeaked out. Her eyes bulged out slightly from the shock as the blood rushed to her cheeks.
Lavender giggled and nodded with glee. "Quite," she replied.
Just as Hermione opened her mouth to reply, the door to the pub swung open and loud masculine voices reached her ears. She turned around to see the guys, all smiling and laughing- including Draco Malfoy. The sight caught her off guard. His grey eyes were so bright, they almost seemed blue. It was a brilliant sight to behold.
It wasn't long until Draco looked at her. Just a glance from him made her breath catch in her throat. And little did she know that she had the same affect on him. Her golden eyes were illuminating, and the faint blush on her cheeks did not go unnoticed.
A weird feeling tugged at his stomach. It made him want to grin like a fool and just...
I'm going mad, Draco thought to himself.
I must be insane, Hermione inwardly said.
But is there any fault in that?
"Albus," Minerva hissed, "is it true?"
The old wizard sat in his chair, expressionless. There was something sinister about the missing twinkle in his eyes. His silence alone was an answer to the witch before him.
"Oh Albus, how could you let this happen?" Minerva nearly cried. "They're just children!"
Dumbledore took a sharp breath of air. His discontent surfaced once his eyes narrowed down to slits and his mouth pressed into a thin line. "Minerva, I hold no power in this decision. What's done is done. All we can do is hope that they get through this."
Minerva snorted in an uncharacteristic way. Her eyes blazed with a fire that was usually hidden beneath her calm exterior. "Hope? How will hope help them? This is cruel and unethical! Was it not bad enough that the students have to be put under this pregnancy simulation? Think of what will happen once they find out the truth!"
"I know, Minverva," he said. "I know."
By the time everyone had gotten back to Hogwarts, it was past curfew. Filch had threatened to give everyone detention, but with a simple dark look from Hermione, he had let everyone off with a warning. Even he of all people knew that pregnant women were not to be messed with. Hermione and Draco went back to their dorm, both grateful that the prefects were patrolling instead of them.
Despite informing Hermione that he would take no part in decorating the baby's room, Draco found himself on the floor of the room, reading a manual on how to put together the baby crib. It was amusing for Hermione to watch as the Slytherin struggled to find a seemingly missing piece.
"Behind you," Hermione mused as she sat on the edge of her soon to be old bed. "To your right."
Draco turned to see the small bolt he had spent ten minutes looking for. "How long have you known that it was there?" he asked, locking eyes with the brunette.
"Ever since you began searching for it," she replied honestly with a grin.
It was difficult for Draco to be mad when Hermione looked at him with that idiotic grin. "Maddening witch," he said with a playful glare. Draco grabbed the bolt and continued to build the crib. He felt the urge to put the pieces together with magic. All it would have took was a flick of his wrist and a simple spell. Unfortunately for him and every other poor soul with the crib, it was part of their grade to build the it magic-less. Perhaps this is the professors' way of punishing the students for all of the years of annoyance.
Snape probably came up with it, Draco thought bitterly. He glanced at Hermione. Her hair cascaded past her shoulders, in a glorious mess, and stopped just above her very pregnant belly. She was glowing. And no matter how much he denied it, he was glad that he was partnered with Hermione. Better her than someone clingy (Pansy) or over dramatic (Lavender.) But there was something else... Something that made him think "what if we never hated each other?"
"What?" Hermione asked as he stared at her.
The Slytherin Prince said nothing as he continued to look at the Gryffindor Princess. He got up from the floor and walked over to her. His grey eyes were dark, and Hermione could have sworn that his pupils were dilated. Draco suddenly leaned forward. His hand pressed into the mattress to prop up his body as his other hand held Hermione's cheek.
"Draco-"
"Close your eyes," he whispered.
"What?"
"Close your eyes," he repeated, his voice even quieter than before. "Trust me."
Perhaps it was because she was tired. Perhaps it was because she wanted to. But for whatever reason, Hermione closed her eyes and leaned slightly into Draco's touch. The Slytherin looked down at the beautiful witch in his grasp. Her lips looked so soft and perfect. He had no regrets as he leaned down to kiss her.
His lips brushed over hers before he captured them in a deep kiss. Her response was immediate. Hermione kissed him back, her lips moving in sync with his. She tasted sweet like honey, and he like mint. She pressed her hands slightly against his abdomen then slid them up his torso. A low sound emitted from Draco's throat as Hermione's fingers knotted themselves in his hair and tugged lightly at his scalp. He leaned down further to deepen the kiss before pulling away. A small whimper escaped Hermione's lips from the loss of contact. But when she felt his lips suddenly press to her neck, her mind went blank.
Draco trailed kisses up and down her neck, biting and nipping softly at her skin. The quiet moans she made drove him crazy as he refrained from ravishing her. He held her closer and captured her lips once more. A groan escaped him as Hermione gently bit his bottom lip and tugged.
"Bloody minx," he rasped out.
"Just for you," she panted, looking up at him with wide dark eyes.
Fuck.
He gave an almost feral growl before crushing her lips with a bruising kiss. "Mine," he whispered between kisses. "All. Fucking. Mine."
Hermione gave no objections as she returned his brutal kisses. She tugged at the hem of his shirt and nearly cried from how frustrated she felt. These...emotions that Draco had sparked was something she had never experienced. All she knew was that she wanted him close in every way possible. She unbuttoned his shirt to expose his toned chest. She broke the kiss with his lips to kiss his chest instead. His knees felt weak as her lips moved to his neck. To her surprise, Draco pulled her away from his neck and brushed his lips against hers.
"Easy love," Draco whispered against her lips. "None of that tonight." He gave her a slow sensual kiss. "Tonight is about you."
He moved Hermione to the middle of the bed and kissed her senseless. He made sure not to put pressure on her stomach as he hovered over her. The witch below him mewled and moaned. The sounds was music to his ears. Slowly, Draco began to undress the brunette. He gave her plenty of time to object, but she never did. Her cries for more were all that he heard. He stripped her of her clothes, kissing every inch of skin he could until she was left in her bra and underwear.
"So beautiful," he murmured. "So perfect." His eyes raked over her body, and growled in approval.
Hermione whimpered as Draco kissed her, just above her breasts. "Draco," she cried out as he kissed the area again. Her eyes nearly rolled back into her head when he placed hot wet kisses on the tops of her breast.
She was gorgeous in his eyes. Her hair spilled out from underneath her head. Her lips were red a swollen from his kisses and her chest heaved, straining against the black bra she had on.
Draco began to plant kisses down her body. When he reached her stomach, his kisses became softer, and he whispered something undecipherable against her skin. Once he reached her underwear, he paused before leaving kisses around the flimsy barrier.
"Draco," Hermione whimpered. Her hands gripped the sheets tightly as he continued his endless assault of kisses. "Please." She felt him smirk against her skin. The damn prat. He enjoyed watching her squirm under his touch.
"Please what, Hermione?" he asked. His voice was low and husky, thick with lust. He began to kiss her breasts again.
A frustrated cry left her lips. "Please," she begged once more. Her eyes opened and she lifted his head to meet her gaze. "Please, Draco," she whispered.
"No."
Her jaw dropped. Tears pricked at her eyes as she looked away in embarrassment. No? No? Hermione pushed herself away from Draco, humiliated at the rejection.
Suddenly she felt her bra being pulled down to release her breasts. She gasped as Draco took one in his mouth. His tongue swirled against the hard bud. She felt so sensitive and vulnerable.
"I said no, because..." He paused to kiss her other breast. "When I take you..." He tugged lightly at her nipple with his teeth, eliciting a cry. "When I make you cum..." He moved to her neck and began to suck lightly on her skin. "It will be romantic," he crooned into her ear. "It will be mind blowing." Draco kissed her jaw. "It will be so fucking perfect that you will forget why you ever hated me." He kissed the corner of her mouth, then looked into her eyes. "And tonight isn't the right night."
It wasn't hard for everyone else to tell that something had changed with the Head Boy and Girl. On Monday morning, they seemed...content. Not a single argument came from either one. In fact, it was almost as if they were friendly. But nobody dared to question the sudden change.
During Parenting 101 with McMiggins, Hermione and Draco sat side by side with no qualms. Even when the sex of the babies was mentioned, Draco did not make a remark about how they were going to have a boy. They both simply sat and listened as McMiggins spoke.
"On Wednesday, every female in this room will go through labor. The times will be different, so you may be having breakfast when you go through labor. Perhaps some of you may be in Potions when it happens. Every Professor is aware that the times with vary for the labors. Madam Pomfrey and medi-witches will be in Hospital Wing on standby. Boys," McMiggins paused to eye the male students, "it will be your job to get your partners to the Hospital Wing."
A hand shot up immediately. Surprisingly, it was Crabbe, not Hermione, with a question. "What if we don't?" There were a few snickers from the rest of the students.
"Mr. Crabbe, if you fail to do so, your partner will be in unimaginable pain until you get her to the Hospital Wing. Oh, and you also get points taken off your overall grade."
"How many points?"
"Mr. Crabbe do you plan on leaving your partner?" McMiggins snapped.
"Well there's-"
"Mr. Crabbe!" McMiggins exclaimed.
"You prat!" shouted Gwendolyn, his partner.
It was hard to tell who was more upset: the Professor or the Wife. Eventually Crabbe realized that he needed to keep his mouth shut.
Every male in the room pitied the poor bloke. He was the only one stupid enough to voice what they were all thinking.
"Now today we will work on diaper changing," McMiggins said, switching the topic.
There was a wave of groans and sounds of disgust.
By the time all of their classes were over, the last thing anyone wanted was a child. Everybody left with their partners to go to their dorms to shower. After McMiggins' class, they felt disgusted to touch anything or to be near anyone.
BLAISE AND GINNY
"Love, you've washed your hands too many times," Blaise said.
Ginny huffed and scrubbed her hands even more vigorously. Her hands were becoming pink from how hot the water was. "I cleaned more diapers than you today, lets just remember that, Zabini," she muttered.
The corner of Blaise's lips twitched up into a smirk. "Back to last names, Weaslette?"
"Well the moment I have this baby, I guess I'll be a Zabini too," Ginny said. She looked down at her stomach and sighed. "I wonder what he'll look like."
Blaise walked up from behind Ginny and turned off the faucet. He wrapped his arms around her then kissed the top of her head. "Probably devilishly handsome like his father."
"That sounds accurate." She rubbed her stomach almost lovingly. Ginny leaned back against Blaise with a small smile on her face.
"I have a surprise for you," he whispered into her ear.
"Does it involve food?"
The Italian chuckled and nodded. "Yes." He reluctantly pulled away from her and turned her around to face him. "Meet me by the Black Lake at six."
"Six? It's already half past five."
"Just meet me there and dress casual."
Blaise left right after to leave Ginny to get ready. The red haired witch felt excited. She wasted no time in changing into a pair of grey sweatpants and a loose black shirt. By the time she had changed, it was time for her to start walking to the Black Lake.
Her steps were quick and light as she sped walk to meet up with Blaise. She could feel her nerves going in overdrive, causing her to feel anxious. It was definitely new for Blaise to do something like a surprise. He was a straightforward kind of person, which she liked. There were no guessing games with Blaise. If he was upset, he'd let her know. If he was happy, he'd tell her why.
As she came closer to the Black Lake, she saw Blaise sitting on a laid out picnic blanket. A basket was beside him, and floating around the lake were lit candles. Ginny's jaw dropped as she took in the scenery. Blaise smiled when he saw her.
Gods did she look beautiful. He got up and walked over to Ginny. Blaise wrapped an arm around her and led her to the blanket. "I figured that we should have a night to ourselves before Wednesday," he said softly. "Do you like it?"
"Blaise..." Ginny looked around. "I love it."
They sat down and Blaise began to unpack the basket. He watched as Ginny stared hungrily at the food. She didn't hesitate to start eating. There was a slight kick from the baby as she ate. The feeling made her pause from her feast, but when no other kicks came, she continued eating. Meanwhile, Blaise laid down on the blanket beside her.
He reached out to rest his hand on her pregnant belly. His thumb traced circles on her stomach absentmindedly. Blaise smiled as he stared at the witch before him. The box in the pocket of his slacks pressed against his thigh. He began to wonder if it was smart to ask her. He wasn't even sure how to ask.
"What's wrong?" Ginny asked. She turned her head to the side then offered him a strawberry. "Aren't you hungry?" She held the strawberry closer to his lips, and Blaise couldn't help but to take a bite. Though his eyes never left Ginny's as he did so, and he watched as she finished off the rest of the strawberry.
"Have you thought of a name?" Blaise asked. His gaze lowered to her stomach.
Ginny pressed her lips together for a moment. "I was hoping you would pick. Since the Weasley tradition of having red haired children is going to end, I thought it'd be best to have a nontraditional Weasley name as well."
"So if I chose a bland name such as Norm, would that be-"
"I would hex you to oblivion." Ginny shot Blaise a playful glare. "This is my first child, Zabini. Real or not, I want him to be special."
Blaise's gaze softened. He leaned forward to kiss Ginny's stomach. He murmured something against the fabric, then smiled almost lovingly. "I know that this is important to you," he began in a soft voice. "I know that you expected to have a child when you're older and married. But since that's not going to happen, I thought I could do the next best thing." He reached into his pocket to pull out a black square box.
Ginny's jaw dropped when she saw it. She nearly fainted when he actually opened the the box, which revealed a simple but elegant gold ring. The band seemed to be made of two gold strands that were woven together to look like infinity symbols, and all around the tops were small diamonds that glittered in the dimming light.
"Ginevera Molly Weasley, you are simply exquistite. And this might not be how you pictured this year going, but I want you to have the best experience possible. We have a lot of sleepless nights and dirty diapers ahead of us, but I'm prepare. I'm ready to go through it all with you. So will you give me the honor of marrying me for the year?"
Tears pricked at Ginny's eyes as she stared at Blaise, speechless. Her mouth opened and closed several times, yet nothing came out. Words couldn't describe what she wanted to say. So she let her actions do the talking for her.
The red haired witch leaned towards the Slytherin, and held his face in her soft delicate hands before pressing her lips against his. The kiss started soft and slow, then slowly progressed to something passionate. Blaise licked her bottom lip, asking for access, to which she granted. She tasted like strawberries. He couldn't get enough of it.
Eventually they pulled away, both panting for air.
"Is that a yes?"
"That's a hell yes."
HARRY AND PANSY
Harry groaned as Pansy began yelling at him about his broom being left in the middle of their living room. He had meant to move it after his shower, but unfortunately, Pansy had gotten to it first.
"Potter, I am bloody sick of this!" she shrieked. "You need to stop leaving your things everywhere!" If it wasn't for her large stomach, which prevented her from picking anything up, she would have taken the broom and thrown it at the disorganized Gryffindor. "In two days, there will be a miniature Potter in this house, and so help me Merlin, I will hex you to oblivion if I'm stuck mothering two of you!" Her face reddened from how angry she was. She hadn't even realized that her wand was in her hand.
Harry's eyes widened as Pansy's rant continued. He could feel magic crackling from around her. "Parkinson..."
"I'm carrying around this baby- who bye the way, feels the need to kick my bladder every five seconds! The last thing I need is for you to make this harder!" she cried. A single tear trickled down her cheek, but she brushed it away with the back of her hand. It was so quick that Harry almost missed it. "I'm not ready for this!" Pansy admitted. "And I know that nobody else is either, but I thought that you would at least make this easier." A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "Guess I thought wrong," she spat.
Guilt washed over Harry as he watched Pansy storm into her room. He hadn't meant to cause problems for her. And he knew that he needed to make up for his mistake. So he left the dorm, pretending that he didn't hear her cries, and made his way to the kitchens.
"Harry Potter," Dobby gasped when he saw his favorite wizard. "Has you upset the Mistress again?" Even he knew that something had happened.
Harry sighed and nodded regretfully. "I need a favor from you," he said.
"Dobby will do anything!" chimed the house elf. "Say it and Dobby will have it done."
"I'm going to need warm brownies, ice cream, and jewelry."
-.-.-
Dobby would do anything for Harry Potter. After all, the raven haired boy was the one who freed him. If Harry had requested him to jump off a cliff, he would have done so with glee.
However at the moment, he had never felt so lost and desperate to disobey Harry's vague orders. Retrieving brownies and ice cream was easy. However, his vague order to buy jewelry was difficult to say the least. Harry had given him twenty galleons and said, "Go to Hogsmeade and buy jewelry. Perhaps a necklace or bracelet . Something a girl would like, but nothing too fancy."
Dobby wandered around shops, trying to find something that would be suitable for Pansy Parkinson. Though, Dobby's knowledge of women was sub-par. "Jewelry, jewelry," Dobby muttered as he stepped into another store. He looked around, though everything was too high up for him to see. A cry of frustration rang in the air as Dobby banged his head against a nearby table.
"Worthless! Worthless! Dobby cannot perform a simple request!" Dobby wailed.
The table shook with each hit Dobby inflicted on himself. Patrons of the store watched as the helpless house elf punished himself for failing to acquire a piece of jewelry.
"Bad Dobby!" he cried.
Suddenly something fell on him. Dobby paused and looked down at the small piece of metal that landed on his feet. His already wide eyes bugged out further as he leaned down to pick it up. His green eyes inspected the in intricate silver designs, and the flawless silver band. In the midst of it all was a shiny ruby.
"Dobby had done it!" remarked the house elf.
-.-.-
Harry returned to his flat nervously. He had hoped that Pansy was still there, and not at dinner. Beside him was Dobby, who carried two spoons and a tub of ice cream. Harry carried two bowls, both containing warm fresh brownies.
He knocked on Pansy's door, only to hear, "Go away!"
"I'm sorry," Harry said. "And I brought a piece offering!"
He could hear her sniffling, and felt even more guilty that she was still crying. Pansy's voice came out raspy as she said, "I don't care, Potter. Just leave me alone."
Unfortunately for her, he was never good at following orders. He opened the door anyways and walked into the room. He paused when he saw how much of a mess she was. She sat by the edge of her bed with a pillow hugged against her chest. Her hair was disarray and red blotches covered her face. Her eyes were red and swollen. In the nearby trash can, Harry saw the abundance of tissues.
"I told you to leave me alone," Pansy hissed.
Harry ignored her and walked over. He placed the two bowls in front of her, and Dobby followed suit with the ice cream and spoons. Harry nodded appreciatively at Dobby, then the house elf left.
"I haven't been the easiest to live with," Harry said softly. "And I truly am sorry for that. It's just..." he paused and sighed. "I'll change," he stated. "I'll be better."
Pansy said nothing, but her glare softened.
"I'll do better for you and the baby," he promised. "I'll start picking up things. I'll even change all of the diapers when the time comes."
Still, Pansy said nothing.
Harry sighed softly and fell to his knees. He fished into his pocket for the small box. After taking a deep breath, he pulled the box out and opened it. Pansy's eyes widened as far as they could when the box was rested on the tub of ice cream.
"I'm not romantic. I'm not the smartest. I'm not anything special really. I'm a messy, half-blood Gryffindork, and probably the one person you hate the most in the world. But I'm asking for us to start over. No past hatreds and judgements," he paused to gather his thoughts. "Because I swear on my life that if we can do that, I'll be the best fake-husband and father I can be," Harry said.
Pansy said nothing. Her eyes were glued on the ring that sat in front of her. After a moment, she managed to look at Harry, who was still on his knees. His hair was as messy as ever, and fell into his green eyes.
The silence was killing Harry. He was waiting for a response. Did she still hate him? Was she still angry? Food had always made her calm down in the past, but maybe he pushed her one too many times and sent her over the edge.
"You're wrong," Pansy finally said. Her hazel eyes were kind as they looked at Harry. "You are romantic."
RON AND LAVENDER
"Where is everyone?" Ron asked as he looked around the Great Hall. Dinner had already started yet none of his friends seemed to be there.
Lavender frowned. "You don't think something happened, do you?"
"No," he said firmly. Usually he had a gut feeling when something was wrong. At the moment, everything just felt awkward. Ron glanced at the Great Hall, and saw a familiar flash of brown curls. "'Mione!" he called out, attracting a lot of attention.
Hermione and Draco turned to look at him. Without hesitation, the brunette began walking towards the Gryffindor table. However Draco look far less than pleased and trailed behind Hermione.
"Have you seen everyone else?" Lavender asked.
Hermione shook her head. "Theo told me that he was taking Luna to the Astronomy Tower though. I'm not sure about the others." She looked around the Great Hall and sure enough, the rest of their friends were missing.
"I'm sure they're fine," Draco drawled, ignoring the looks he received as he sat next to Hermione. "Pansy is with Saint Potter and Little Weasley has her hexes to keep Blaise safe."
If the Italian was there to hear Draco's remark, there would have been a very injured blonde at the moment.
"Well if everything is alright..." Ron began to eat. He piled a mountain of food onto his plate and shoveled down what could fit in his mouth.
Lavender scrunched up her nose. "Love, slow down and eat like a human being."
"Wha oo mean?" said Ron, causing spit to fly out of his mouth.
Everyone around him cringed. Lavender looked at him in disgust and shook her head. "Ronald, our son better not end up eating like you."
"Well he's going to be Ron Jr., so-"
"He is not going to be named Ron Jr.!"
A bewildered look crossed Ron's face. "I thought you wanted Ron Jr. as a name?"
"Oh that was ages ago. I don't want it now!" Lavender argued.
Ron's jaw dropped as he gaped at her, unsure of what to do. She was so infuriating. Her mind changed every second. But arguing with a pregnant Lavender was futile. Eventually he just shook his head and threw his hands up in surrender. "Fine. You don't want Ron Jr. so there will be no Ron Jr."
Lavender smiled triumphantly and looked at Hermione and Draco.
"Whipped," mouthed Hermione as Draco silently laughed at Ron's expense.
THEO AND LUNA
"Oh this is lovely," Luna said dreamily. She looked outside with a smile on her face.
"Was the walk up too strenuous? Do you feel tired? Do your feet hurt?" Theo asked as he laid out blankets and pillows. On the ground beside his feet was a basket filled with food. When Theo had heard that Blaise planned a picnic for Ginny, he decided to do the same for Luna.
"I'm okay," Luna said truthfully. "I've been taking potions that help. Actually I've been selling them to some of the girls in the dorm." She stared at the setting sun and motioned for Theo to come over. "Look how beautiful it is," she murmured.
Theo kept his eyes on her. He smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yes. Very beautiful."
Luna turned around to see him staring at her. She blushed slightly before sitting down on the blankets Theo set up. "Thank you for this," Luna said softly. Her eyes looked up at Theo. "No one has ever done something like this for me."
"That's a shame for them," he whispered. Theo sat down beside Luna and kissed her cheek. Then he leaned down to kiss her stomach. "How are the twins?"
"Lively," Luna replied. "Have you thought of names?"
"Yes," Theo said. He smiled and rubbed her stomach. "I've made a list for both."
Luna smiled and began to unpack the picnic basket. "Let me hear them."
"Alana, Ella, and Madeline are my top three for girls. Leo, Aiden, and Carson for boys," Theo said. He helped Luna unpack. "And for you?"
"Winnie, Kastle, and Marley for girls. Laken, Bryan, and Matthew for boys."
"Not bad, Lovegood," Theo said.
"Not bad yourself, Nott," Luna said back. She smiled as Theo kissed her forehead. "I like you a lot," Luna admitted. Her blue eyes looked at his, and she nearly drowned in the seas he called his eyes.
Theo kissed her softly then smiled against her lips. "Well that's a relief," he murmured. "Because I like you a lot too."
A/N Sorry I've been gone for a long time. I hadn't realized that it had been so long until someone PM'd me asking if I was okay. I've just been travelling with my family: Traveling around the U.S and visiting relatives in Canada.
But I'm back! And to make up for my absence, I gave you guys some Hermione and Draco action! And of course an insight of the other couples. Sorry if some are shorter to your liking, but writers block has been giving me problems.
Thank you all for the support and apologies for any mistakes!
~KittyKat