Chapter 6: Aftereffects

Hermione stared at the calendar, her heart skipping a beat as she realized her period was three days late. Normally, it was like clockwork, arriving with such precision but this month had been unusually stressful. So it wasn't surprising that her body was reacting to the strain. Still, the thought crossed her mind—what if?

She shook her head, knowing better. The disgusting contraceptive potions she took every Sunday were renowned for their effectiveness, far superior to Muggle contraceptives. The last recorded failure of one of these potions had been over two centuries ago, and the formulas had only improved since then. But despite her logical reasoning, a gnawing worry lingered in the back of her mind.

It wasn't the idea of having a child that scared her, nor even the fact that, if she were pregnant, it would be Draco Malfoy's child. No, what truly frightened her were the old wizarding laws that had never needed updating because of how foolproof the potions were. The consequences could be dire, and the thought made her stomach churn.

Hermione sighed, deciding to take a Muggle pregnancy test. The spells for determining pregnancy were reliable, but she'd never had to use one before, and the stakes felt too high to risk anything going wrong. She needed certainty, and the simplicity of a Muggle test seemed oddly comforting.

Ginny sat beside her, holding her waiting for the results. "You know there's nothing to worry about," Ginny said softly, her voice steady and reassuring.

"I know," Hermione replied, though her heart refused to listen to reason. She needed to take the test, if only to silence the nagging fear that had taken root in her chest.

They waited together in silence, the minutes stretching out endlessly. Hermione knew Ginny was just as worried about the results too, though her friend's calm demeanor didn't show it.

Finally, the timer on Hermione's phone rang, cutting through the tension in the room. It was time for the truth.

"Ginny, I can't look," Hermione whispered, her voice trembling. "Can you check it for me?"

Ginny hesitated before picking up the unfamiliar device to examine the result. "It has two lines. What does that mean?"

Hermione gasped, her heart sinking as the words escaped her lips. "Positive." She stared at the test, her mind struggling to process what her heart had feared all along. The future seemed to darken before her eyes, the weight of what it meant crashing down on her.

The magical laws say that if a witch gets pregnant by a single wizard when the pregnancy reaches four months, they'll be considered married. It's such a barbaric law.

"No, No, No… this can't be happening," said Hermione in between tears. "What's wrong with being a single mother?"

She knew the history. The law had been created centuries ago to protect women from being abandoned by wizards who got them pregnant, only to marry someone more suitable to their blood status. But now, in this moment, Hermione felt anything but protected.

"Ginny, this can't be true. My life is over," she cried, her emotions overwhelming her.

Ginny, equally shell-shocked, rushed to her side and wrapped her arms around her. They both cried, their tears mingling in shared despair. After a long moment, Ginny finally spoke, her voice gentle but firm. "You know you have options, Hermione. I know you don't like them, but maybe you should consider—"

"No," Hermione interrupted, shaking her head. "I can't, Ginny. I can't get an abortion. I'm all for a woman's right to choose, but it's just not right for me. This baby is my baby, and I can't... I can't just get rid of it."

"But," Ginny started, her voice filled with concern, "you're going to be trapped with Malfoy forever."

"That's not true," Hermione said, her tone wavering but determined. "I'm sure we can get a divorce later on. We'll just have to somehow power through this for a few years."

Ginny looked at her sympathetically. "You know that divorce in the magical world is complicated. You can't just get one because you want to. You have to prove that you actually tried to make the marriage work, that you're truly incompatible."

Hermione sighed, her heart heavy with the realization. It would be nearly impossible to make a marriage with Draco Malfoy work. "It's going to be hell," she admitted. "But at least we're so incompatible that, in the end, they'll have to accept the divorce."

"But," Ginny said, her voice soft and worried, "even if you give it your all, you can't guarantee that Malfoy will."

A chill ran down Hermione's spine. Ginny was right. There was no guarantee with Draco. Or was there? Perhaps he would be just as eager to end the marriage as she was. He was intelligent, after all. He knew the only way out was to make it work, to put real effort into it. She was sure he would. Malfoy was nothing if not determined.

With a sigh, Hermione resigned herself to the reality that she might have to build some semblance of a relationship with Draco Malfoy. It wouldn't be a successful relationship, but it would be a relationship nonetheless. They would have to spend time together, even be intimate. She remembered being intimate with him—it had been awesome. But that was just the love potion, right?

Even if she had to take a potion every time, she would do it. She would get through this. She was determined. She was going to have this baby. She was going to keep this baby. And somehow, she was going to make sure everything would be okay.

Hermione closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "It's going to be okay," she whispered to herself, steeling her resolve. "I'm going to make sure it's okay."

A/N: Thanks everyone for reading. A special thanks to those who reviewed, followed, or favorited this story. You guys make my day.