CHAPTER THIRTY THREE- Snake Tears
"How are you feeling today, Mrs. Malfoy?" Healer Tonnesen asked as he placed a hand on Hermione's stomach. "Have you felt any quickening? You haven't looked well these past two months," he said.
Healer Tonnesen was right, Hermione had been feeling awful since she got to Black Landing. She stayed up much too late at night thinking of plan after plan of how to escape Malfoy.
Sometimes she would be so enthralled in her planning she forgot to eat and chastised herself for it later. Every plan she came up with was futile and the result never ended in protection for her child or parents.
"I haven't felt anything," Hermione said. At six months she should have been feeling the baby kick and wiggle around. Healer Tonnesen made quite a list of notes, took Hermione's weight and said he would be back next week with stronger potions.
Once Healer Tonnesen left she went back to a map she had drawn herself with possible locations of her parents were and where to run away. She concluded by hints and slips Draco had mentioned that they were somewhere close by and no further north than Oxford.
Then there was the matter of when and if she did save her parents where they would hide. Her original ideas thought that going to a small town somewhere unseen would be best but then decided a city would be easier to hide in.
She was in the middle of drawing on her map when she heard a loud bang on her door. "Why is this infernal door locked?" Malfoy said. Hermione stashed away her map in her desk, locked it and went to let Draco in.
"Why was this locked?" Malfoy questioned again. She hadn't seen him since their first night at Black Landing and was enjoying his absence. "It is my room, I can have all the privacy I want. What brings you down here?" Hermione asked.
"Healer Tonnesen went to Snape regarding your health rather than myself. Snape is furious with me for some forsaken reason. What have you done?" Malfoy asked heatedly.
"I haven't done a thing! If you've come here to yell at me you can leave before I make you!" Hermione said. Her wand rested in her pocket and was ready to grab it at any moment.
"I don't want Snape showing up here thinking something is wrong! Tell me what you've done!" Draco yelled. Their fighting continued until Malfoy threw the clock off of Hermione's desk.
"Get out of my room this instant you fuc-" Hermione started to scream louder than she had before. Before she could finish her insult he smashed a vase with flowers sending water and glass all over the room.
"Just because you are carrying my son does not mean that you can speak to me like this in my own house!" He screamed with blood vessels showing in his neck. "What makes you think it's a boy?" Hermione asked.
Even Healer Tonnesen was unable to tell the gender of the baby yet. "Malfoy's don't produce girls. And my son growing in you seems to be making you bolder than usual," he answered.
Hermione thought he was full of it and about to tell him off again when there was a loud banging at their front door. "Clean this mess up right now," Malfoy urged as he ran to answer the door.
Hermione left the mess and instead followed Draco downstairs. She was walking at a much slower pace now and Snape was already inside by the time she got downstairs. "Draco, you're sweating. Are we having problems?" Snape questioned.
"No, professor. Just having a bit of exercise." Malfoy said. Snape walked into the living room and seated himself waiting for Hermione and Draco to follow. "Healer Tonnesen seems to think there is a problem with our mother-to-be. Would either of you care to explain to me why that is?" Snape asked.
Hermione took the opportunity to gather information and lied immediately. "I cannot eat or sleep, professor," she started with her eyes filling with fake tears. "I worry day and night about my parents and where they are." Hermione said.
"Has Draco not told you that they are cared for?" Severus asked. Hermione explained that today was the first time she had seen Draco since they moved into Black Landing and how often she was alone. Her tears continued to fall as she went on about how much stress she was under.
Snape's eyes flashed with anger at Draco. He was unfit to be her husband and unfit to be the father of Hermione's child. "You stupid boy. You're harming not only your child but your wife as well," Snape reprimanded.
"Your parents are safe with their memories altered, living quietly in a building owned by the Blacks. There is nothing to fear and they will be brought to you the moment you have delivered," Severus answered gently.
Hermione tried not to smile at this victory she had won. She would be able to determine where they were within a week, she was sure of it. But still she let the tears flow until Snape suggested she go and rest.
On her way up to her room she heard Professor Snape lecture Draco on the importance of being a good husband and what an idiot he was. Back in her room she was extremely pleased with herself.
To celebrate the evening she put on her favorite green robes with silver snakes embroidered on it and sat down for the first meal she was able to finish since the summer started.