Chapter 7: Confessions
Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction based on the Harry Potter universe by J.K Rowling. We do not own anything, except the plot and a few characters created by us to further the plot line in the future.
Draco
Draco covered his head with his pillow trying to block out the sound. He even tried humming to distract himself. When Draco thought the muffled noise ended, he slowly released the pressure of the pillow to his ear. That's when Astoria retched again. The sound made Draco woozy. It reminded him of the screeching mermaid egg from fourth year that Krum opened at the Slytherin table. Astoria's high pitched voice transformed into a dying goat as she vomited.
It had been a month and a half since they returned from Paris. Draco didn't remember much of the trip since it was exclusively spent in the master bedroom. Wine was served every hour of the day as he enjoyed endless carefree shagging. He just pretended that Astoria was someone else and her faux appearance was quite convincing after a bottle or two. He didn't have to worry about contraception since she was already pregnant. His mother did find it rather perplexing that it took two months for Astoria to start showing any symptoms. So far, Astoria only had vomiting, but it was enough to keep Draco awake at night.
Astoria continued to upchuck in the master bath connected to Draco's bedroom. Astoria insisted on sharing a bed every time she spent the night since it wouldn't be long until the married, but everytime Astoria asked Draco dates for the wedding he always picked months into later next year or the year after that, which Astoria disliked. She wanted to be married as soon as possible. She did however want to wait until Springtime, since she hated winter. With it only being October, Draco didn't have much time. Draco lied awake in his bed as he heard the moaning. When it stopped, Draco let out a sigh of relief that was accompanied by a gasp from Astoria from the bathroom.
Draco raised his brow, "Astoria?" He called. There was no response. "Astoria?" He called again. There was still no sound. Draco sighed as he flung the blankets off his shirtless body that only had tight boxers to cover him as he walked towards the room. Draco leaned on the door frame and suddenly clung to it for dear life when he saw her. Astoria was in a crochet position next to the toilet, with a small puddle of blood beneath her, and a trail that came from the sides of her legs. His jaw dropped as it tried to find words, "Mot, moth," Draco stuttered until he finally yelled, "Mother!"
Hermione
Hermione tugged at the button of her jeans. She held her breath as long as she could in hopes it would unite the pants to the other side. Hermione released the air and her stomach poked out again. She stood in front of her full length mirror and glanced at her body from the side. Her breasts were huge and sore, her feet swollen, and a belly that protruded past her widened hips.
"Ugh, this sucks!" Hermione sighed, kicking the pants off her legs. Hermione placed the long black button up she had been wearing earlier. It was the only thing that constantly fitted her growing figure. She only took it off to wash it, and yet even after each wash it still smelled like him. Hermione loved the smell. It wasn't an odor, but more of a fragrance that graced her nose every time she breathed. Just breathing it in calmed her down. Hermione was four months along now, with a belly that was big enough to bump into everything. It had been hard adjusting.
Hermione heard a pop that came from her living room, "Hello?" Ginny called. Hermione shuffled into the room and looked at Ginny with a unsatisfied glare.
"Goodness, look at you!" Ginny said looking at her frumpy friend.
"Not in the mood, Ginny." Hermione warned.
"Ugh, Hermione, you look ridiculous! Everytime I come here you're in that stupid shirt! Just because you're pregnant, doesn't mean that-"
"What part of 'Not in the mood', do you not understand?" Hermione said irritably.
"The part where you don't dress better," Ginny told her, "Speaking of which, that's why I came here." Ginny showed the white bag that she had been holding and handed it to Hermione.
"What is this?" Hermione asked as she fumbled through the contents.
"It's a little gift from me. It's my old maternity clothes from when I was pregnant with James and I thought I would give them to you since I've warned Harry we aren't having any more children."
"Oh come on, James is cute." Hermione told Ginny.
"He's only cute to you, because you don't live with him." Ginny responded.
"Uh, Ginny?" Hermione asked as she emptied out the bag, "These are all witches robes. I can't wear these in muggle London."
"Then why not come back to the wizarding world?" Ginny asked.
"I can't just leave, I have a life here already." Looking at a side table with a picture of her and her students.
"But Mione wouldn't it be best for the baby? You know to be around people who are just like it."
"I can decide what is best for my child. And I think that it would be best if I stayed here."
"What is so great about the muggle world? Your child will be a wizard or witch and what would be a better environment than the wizarding world?"
"What about the first eleven years, Gin? Kids don't go to Hogwarts until their eleven. I want my child to know about their muggle background. I don't want them standing around not knowing anything but how to wave wand."
"I've lived in the wizarding world my whole life! I know more than that."
"But Gin, you are a pureblood witch, so it is completely different. My child is a halfblood, and I want him or her to learn that it doesn't have to rely on magic." Hermione sighed. "Magic makes life too easy and I don't want to raise my child in that kind of atmosphere."
"Magic is nice, Mione, but it doesn't solve problems. You saw my family. We struggled for years, things never got easier because of magic."
"That is not what I meant about magic life easier. What I mean is you could clean the entire house with just a flick of a wand. When I was a child I didn't have the advantage of Magic for things like that."
"Neither did I, I mean, I knew I was a witch because my whole family was magical, but up until around ten years old I didn't have anything and it was useless until I got my wand."
"Okay, well another reason is the muggle world provides privacy and security fr-"
"From Draco." Ginny finished.
"I wasn't going to say that." Hermione lied.
"But you were thinking it." Ginny smiled, "Oh, come on! You've never thought about the wizarding world this way until you got pregnant. This nonsense is all because of Draco."
"No it is not!"
"Yes it is! What is the matter with Draco? Why do you have to avoid him? Last time I checked he was quite friendly to you at the party."
"That was only because he was drunk!"
"He was nice to you even before it happened!" Ginny shot back, "He also defended you in front of my bastard brother. That's not exactly the definition of a bad guy."
"I never said he was a bad guy, it's just..."
"What?" Ginny pressed on.
"Ginny it's just, I'm not entirely sure if Draco knows we slept together that night. If he does remember, how am I supposed to know if he will accept the child. Would he even believe it's his?"
"There is only one way to find out."
"No!" Hermione told her, "I already know what you thinking and the answer is no!"
"Mione, the only way to know for sure is to tell Malfoy. I know you don't want him to know, but he does have a right to know as the child's father."
Hermione knew that Ginny was right, but who could blame her about not wanting Draco to know. He wasn't exactly the most family oriented person she knew.
"I don't know Ginny. I mean, I look horrible," Hermione said gesturing to her body, "I feel awful. Also, what your suggesting sounds horrible! You're telling me that I am just suppose to waltz up to Malfoy Manor, knock on his door and tell him I am pregnant with his child?" Hermione asked sarcastically.
"I would make sure whoever answers the door is Draco first off and second, see if he knows about what happened that night before you just tell him you're pregnant."
"I was being sarcastic." Hermione said unamused.
"Well overall, my plan is perfect. Now go get ready! Take a shower, put on some make-up, wear some clothes that involve pants and something other than some guys shirt."
Hermione looked down at her shirt, "but it's comfortable."
"But it's repulsive." Ginny commented, "Now go!"
"Fine, I'll do it but, if I need you go so I can get ready."
Ginny nodded, "I'll go, but I will be back later for you to tell me all about it. Now go, Mione!"
Hermione shook her head back at Ginny as she disapparated.
Hermione did what Ginny said. Hermione first picked out the clothes that she was going to wear. She had three layers of clothes to hide her belly.
She walked into her bathroom and turned the water on to take a quick shower. Adjusting the water so that it wasn't too hot or too cold, and got it to the perfect temperature, she got in spending a minute just letting the water hit her back, since it had been aching since she began her second trimester. Hermione took a 10 minute shower, and spent half of the time letting the water run down her body.
Hermione turned off water, grabbing a towel to cover her body. She steps out of the tub and goes to her new calendar to keep track of how far along she is with her pregnancy.
"According to the calendar, I am 20 weeks, and according to all my pregnancy books, I get to find out if I'm having a boy or a girl." Hermione hadn't known for sure since all her books wee more academic based. She didn't have any pregnancy books that were from the wizard world and she didn't want to she herself on the front of the Daily Prophet.
Hermione thought about what Ginny said about going to the manor. I want to find out the gender but if I'm going to the manor right now might as well tell them about the baby and
the gender while I'm there, Hermione thought. She went over to the white bag and pulled out a witch's robe. It looked like any other type of robe only it had a lot more fabric in the middle. Hermione threw a maroon colored one over her head under her muggle clothes. It had a hood attached to it incase she wanted to hide herself. Hermione found some shoes and pulled her hair into a bun. She looked at herself in the mirror and realized that all her hair pulled back made her look weird. She then settled on a side braid that wrapped around her head. Hermione looked at herself in the mirror.
You're not seriously thinking of doing this are you Hermione? She asked herself. Hermione took a deep breath and continued to stare at her reflection. Subconsciously, she found herself rubbing her stomach that poked out of the fabric of the robe. Hermione released her breath and then looked at Crookshanks and Owl Eyes who stared at her curiously.
"Don't kill each other while I am gone." The owl hooted playfully as Hermione imagined herself in the alley behind the Leaky Cauldron. She stood in the middle of the pub. So far nobody had noticed her. She creeped by intently past the bartender and the customers; careful not to cause herself notoriety. Hermione found herself in Diagon Alley as she merged her way through the crowd. Hopefully the huge party of people would shield her. She pulled the hood from her coat over her head and hid her face from those who walked past her. The nerves killed her. All this fret couldn't be good for the baby. Hermione kept walking until she saw a little baby shop near Gringotts. Might need to withdraw some money. Hermione thought. But it might be risky. She knew how distrustful Goblins were. Hermione ignored her desire to shop until she decided she was close enough to apparate. She was a little worried. She had never apparated to Malfoy Manor. She only flooed there and when she did, she was inside the manor which is what Hermione wanted to avoid. She didn't want to drop in uninvited inside their home. She tried to picture the gardens out front. She had only see the outside during the war when the Snatchers captured her and the boys. Hermione couldn't remember much of the landscape, but prayed to Merlin that she wouldn't get splinched in the process of apparating. After a second she manor, and being pregnant didn't help the fact that she felt a wave of nausea hit her at the moment. Hermione leaned on a black iron gate as she tried to regain her health. Thankfully the nausea had subsided long enough for her to see where she was. She had made it. She was at Malfoy Manor. Hermione felt proud that she and the baby had made it safely. Hermione looked onward at the big front doors just farther along the gravel. Hermione ran several scenarios through her head. Imagining who might answer the door. She worried that it would be Draco. He would give her no time to explain herself, but she also knew Draco wasn't the type to deal with common things such as opening doors. Hermione assumed it would be a butler of somesort. Hopefully not a house elf, She pleaded. She kicked her right leg out as she began to walk against the stones. The friction of the gravel made a pounding drum feeling come with each step. Each step filled with regret of coming here. She made it to the front door, and felt more nervous at the thought of knocking on the door. She worked up the courage to knock, and the second she made contact with the door, she regretted coming. Hermione heard a roar of quickened feet along the other side.
"Somebody get the door!" Someone shouted. Hermione swallowed nervously as she rocked on her feet trying to stall. This was a mistake. I should turn back now. Hermione began to turn when the door opened.
"Hello, Miss?" A house elf asked. He was below Hermione knees as she turned.
"Uh, hi…" Hermione managed to utter.
"Can I help you, Miss?"
"Um, no, I made a mis-"
"Pipsy? Who is at the door?" A voice called that was unmistakably Narcissa. When she arrived at the door she smiled.
"Why, Miss Granger! What a lovely surprise!" Narcissa beamed. She quickly grabbed Hermione's sweaty palm as she pulled her inside.
"What do I owe the pleasure?"
"Um," Hermione began, "Is your son home by any chance?" Narcissa face went dark. A sad expression looked at Hermione.
"He's at St. Mungo's, I am afraid."
"Oh no! What happened?" Hermione asked with genuine concern. Narcissa response wasn't exactly a normal introduction.
"Earlier this morning Astoria was taken in because, she had morning sickness like most pregnant women, and when Draco went to check on her he found her in a small pool of blood. He took her to the hospital in fear that something happened to the child."
"Astoria's pregnant!" Hermione said in shock. Hermione's new status was War Heroine, One third of the Trio, and now Homewrecker. Oh course Draco impregnated another woman.
"The only thing that concerned me, was that Astoria has barely started to show signs of being pregnant, but on the family tapestry the child looked further developed."
Hermione went pale, when Narcissa brought up the tapestry. How can I be so dense to forget about the tapestry. Every pureblood family had one. She tried to play dumb.
"Tapestry?" Hermione asked.
Narcissa looked at her, "Surely you know that all pureblood families have one. Lucius' bloodline dates back so many centuries ago, that they had to trim it down. It only shows those who are married to Malfoy's or who are heirs."
"So, it wouldn't show an unwed mother of an heir?"
"An odd question, but yes, that is the general idea." Narcissa answered.
"If you wouldn't mind me asking, but can you show me the tapestry?" Hermione asked nervously.
"I haven't looked at the thing since the day, we found out Draco got Astoria pregnant, after that day, I had the house elves put it away. But may I ask why you would want to see it?"
"It is just that as a muggleborn witch, I have never laid eyes on a pureblood tapestry, with the whole blood prejudice situation." Hermione lied.
Narcissa nodded understandingly. "Of course, my dear. Let me call one of the elves to lead the way." Hermione nodded. "Quarry." Narcissa called, and a elf appeared.
"Yes, Miss. What can I help you with?"
"Can you please show us the way, to where you placed the family tapestry."
"Yes, right this way." Quarry lead the way. Narcissa and Hermione followed. Hermione had to shift her robes a couple of times to avoid Narcissa seeing her baby bump.
Once they arrived, Hermione took notice that the tapestry was in an unoccupied office.
"What is this place?" Hermione asked examining the room. It looks like this room hasn't been used in years, according to the layer of dust on the dark oak desk.
"This room," Narcissa paused, "Was Lucius' old study."
Hermione could see Narcissa's discomfort at the abandoned room.
"His old study?" Hermione asked confused.
"Yes when he became the head of the Malfoy family, he moved into his father's study. Which is where all Malfoy men tend to go. I've kept it locked up so Draco would resist the urge to use it. There's nothing good in this room. It just breeds dark magic. Now come this way, the tapestry is right over here." Hermione followed Narcissa over to a rolled up piece of thick fabric that Hermione assumed was the tapestry. Narcissa waved her elf wood wand at the fabric as it unrolled. The Malfoy family went back many generations. Her eyes wandered until they found the person they were searching for, Draco. She looked below his picture and saw a fetus.
"Unbelieveable!" Narcissa said in awe.
"What?" Hermione asked curiously.
"The fetus. It's only one month and its growth is unprecedented! Besides that fact, I would have assumed it to be gone. Especially with the blood Draco discovered this morning. It's one of the most common signs of miscarriage."
"Very odd." Hermione responded, looking down at her stomach.
"Yes, but the only thing that keeps me in awe, is that 3 months ago, the child appeared, and just two weeks ago, Astoria find out that she was pregnant."
Hermione came closer to the tapestry and kneeled so she was eye level with the baby. A strange mix of guilt and worry fell over her.
"It's sucking it's thumb." Hermione told Narcissa said tearfully.
Narcissa smiled, "It did that when Draco and I first discovered it. It's something Draco used to do when he was a baby. The baby is very much like him." Narcissa answered sadly, "It's a shame that this happened. I was really looking forward to a grandchild."
"I can't believe I am doing this." Hermione told herself. She looked down at the bunched fabric that hide her bump.
"Narcissa, I have to tell you something." Hermione blurted. Narcissa was taken aback.
"What is it?" Narcissa asked curiously. Hermione released a tense breath as she began to undo the cost over her robes.
"Miss Granger?"
"I originally came here to tell Draco this..." Hermione told Narcissa as she undid a button.
"Tell Draco what?"
"I've been hiding because I've been so worried how he would react."
"React? React to what?"
"How he would react to this." The last button was pulled apart as Hermione let the coat fall to the floor. A gasp came from Narcissa lips.
"Miss Granger! You're with child!" Narcissa said in shock.
I hope this works, Hermione thought as she pointed her wand at her stomach, "Ventris Expresto."
A transparent image of the same fetus that was on the tapestry appeared between Hermione and Narcissa. It was still sucking its thumb as it changed positions.
"Is... is that,"
"This is your grandchild." Hermione told Narcissa.
"I don't understand... You and Draco. You..."
"Yes. We did."
"When?"
"The party." Hermione admitted shamefully.
"How come he didn't tell me? He told me that the only woman he had slept with was Astoria and that was because he was drunk."
"Apparently that's common for him." Hermione muttered.
"He was drunk!" Narcissa gasped, "He didn't force you to-"
"No," Hermione told her, easing her worry. After a few moments the image faded end away and the was emptiness between Hermione and Narcissa.
Narcissa smiled at Hermione awkwardly, "Um, Miss Granger?" Hermione looked at Narcissa, who pointed to her stomach, "Could I, um,". Hermione recognized what Narcissa was asking.
"Of course! Hermione walked over to Narcissa who placed her hand over the fabric.
"He or she hasn't kicked for me yet, but"
"You mean you don't know the gender?"
"No, I don't know the spell." Hermione told her. Narcissa smiled and removed her hand, "Oh I couldn't wait to find out when I was pregnant with Draco. He was our sixth try for an heir. Lucius was so good to me back then. He never blamed me for the miscarriages, unlike society." Narcissa readjusted her wand so she gripped it forcefully, "You'll need to expose your stomach for this spell." Narcissa told Hermione. Hermione removed her robe and was thankful she wore muggle clothes beneath it. She raised her blue shirt to expose her expanding torso.
"Okay it will turn blue for a boy and pink for a girl." Narcissa told her, "Aperio!"
A purple beam went straight to Hermione's midsection. The light tickled her as it expanded around her whole stomach and made it glow like a Christmas light. When Narcissa lowered her wand the glow began to change from pink to blue in intervals. First Pink, then blue, then pink, until it finally rested on blue. Hermione stared that the color.
"It's a boy." Narcissa beamed.
"I have a son." Hermione breathed, "I have a son!" Hermione pulled Narcissa into a hug. She was so excited. She had a son. There was a baby boy inside her. Hermione was pulled out if her thoughts when she felt a nudge.
"What was that?" Hermione's hands flew to her stomach where she felt it again. There was small nudges that Hermione could barely feel. It was like someone was tapping from the inside.
"Narcissa! I think he's kicking!" Narcissa placed her hands over her stomach. Narcissa felt like crying as she felt it.
"Oh this is wonderful news! I can't wait to tell Draco!" Narcissa told Hermione gleefully.
"No!" Hermione said as she pulled away, "You can't tell him."
"What? I don't understand, isn't that why you came here?"
"It was originally planned to be that way, but if Astoria miscarried, I think it might be too soon to tell him."
"That is true but when do you think will be the right time to tell him?"
"Well in the Muggle World, after a miscarriage some couple takes months maybe even a whole year to recover from a miscarriage. So I am not even sure when will be the right time."
Hermione did want Draco to know but will seem to soon if Astoria did miscarry.
"Mrs. Malfoy, I feel guilty about not telling you as soon as I found out I was pregnant." Since Hermione's hormones were all out of whack, she has been very emotional. She felt tears fall down, "You should've been the first to know, but I was afraid that you and Draco wouldn't accept the him." Narcissa began to tear up at Hermione's words.
Narcissa pulls Hermione into a tight hug. "Dear don't you ever think that I wouldn't accept the child. But I am so happy that you decided to tell me and that I am the first to know the gender."
"I didn't want this visit to go to waste. I was so nervous that I-" Hermione was caught off guard by the sound of a crack.
"Shhh!" Narcissa warned. With a whip of her wand, Narcissa rolled the tapestry away. She creeped passed the door handle to see who was here. Hermione heard hollow footsteps coming closer.
"Draco?" She heard Narcissa ask from outside the door, "What are you doing here? Why aren't you with Astoria?"
"She...she..." Draco stuttered trying to find the words, "She miscarried."
Hermione's jaw dropped silently from inside the study.
"Oh, darling!" Narcissa cried, pulling her son into her embrace.
"I couldn't believe it. They were talking if methods of removing it and...and there were all so awful I couldn't bear to hear anymore!" Draco weeped.
"Draco, I am so sorry!" Narcissa said holding her son.
"I was actually," Draco sniffled, "looking forward to it. I actually wanted it."
"I'm sorry, darling." Narcissa cooed as her son was hugged her tightly even harder. Hermione moved silently as looked through the crack of the door. From the crack she could see Draco's back and Narcissa face wedged between Draco's shoulder as they hugged. Narcissa looked up and made eye contact with Hermione.
"Tell him." Narcissa mouthed to Hermione. Hermione began to freak and responded soundlessly, "No! I can't!"
Narcissa ignored her, "Tell him!"
Hermione backed away from the door. She bundled up her clothes that she had taken from and quietly slipped out the back door to the back garden. The door creaked in her absence as Draco pulled away from his mother. He wiped his tears away, "Who's here?" He asked his mother.
Hermione walked around the Manor avoiding the windows.
She walked as quick as she could trying to stop herself from crying. She held onto the extra set of clothes in her arms as she fast walked. She tried to reach the front gates. She successfully made it out the gate when she bumped into someone knocking her down onto her butt.
"Granger?" The figure asked.
Hermione looked up, "Zabini?"
Author's Note: Super sorry for the late update! Also... Hermione's having a boy! Yay! Thank you for reading chapter 7 of The Lions Secret! We really appreciate all the feedback we've been getting, good and bad. I am having writers block for the authors note so I will just end it here, lol! Thanks again! See you next Tuesday!
~AmatuerWriter98 and AnonymousMaknae