All of Harry Potter and anything related to it are the sole property of J.K. Rowling.

(Each title is derived from a song that, I believe, complements the overall narrative, if not the individual chapter.)

Hogwarts Still March 1997

Hermione's Point of View

The next day, I stopped briefly at the entrance to the small corridor next to Filches office in trepidation. I was terrified I knew what I was going to find when I got to the room, and the fight with Pansy was once again a presence in my mind as more proof of what I feared. I had tried to convince myself that the witch had been wrong, but as I tried to imagine who else I could be hiding, even from myself, literally no names came to mind. I knew with certainty it wasn't Cormac McLaggen because not only was he with Lavender now, and I would never cheat with anyone, but also, the very thought of him made me shudder in revulsion.

The thought of it being Draco Malfoy though was downright terrifying. We may have shared a few speculative glances this year, and he had not said or done anything nasty, but that was also the point. We had never spoken! At all! And most of my memories of him from previous years were awful ones. All the times he called me mud-blood. The time he attempted to get Buckbeak executed, and Hagrid sacked. He had even hexed me once, and though I knew it had not been his actual intention, his laughter still haunted my thoughts at times.

I swallowed hard and closed my eyes, telling myself to be brave, but it was hard. How was I supposed to tell someone who hates anyone not pure-blooded that I was pregnant with his half-blood baby? I couldn't for the life of me imagine that conversation going well, and that was what kept me rooted in place more than anything.

I could imagine cruelty and humiliation from the boy I had known since I was eleven, but I didn't want to believe that I would allow myself to be with someone I thought would treat me that way. I was sure I had more self-respect than that, but there was a tiny sliver of doubt that came with the unknown. What got me moving was hearing Filch shuffling around in his office and talking to his cat.

I headed towards the room with great trepidation still upon me. I felt a lump in my throat and swallowed with fear. When I arrived, I pressed my hand flat against the door as I tried to work up the courage to continue on. The ability to choose was taken from me when the door opened, and I saw Draco Malfoy looking at me with concern. I gasped and stumbled back, as my suspicions were confirmed and I couldn't comprehend how this was possible. He glanced out into the hall to make sure no one was watching, then stepped out, quickly taking a hand, and pulled me inside, shutting the door behind us.

"You're frightening me, looking at me like that," he said softly as he watched the memories flow back, but the fear remained firmly in place. Not only was I still feeling the horror of realising I was a traitor to my friends, but now I was even more scared of the news I had to share with him and how he was going to take it. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. He moved closer to me and wrapped his arms around me, trying to comfort me. "What is it? What's wrong?" he asked anxiously. "Please, tell me."

"Baby," I said, and it was barely audible. Still, I knew he heard me because he froze, as he was prone to doing when he was shocked or surprised.

"What did you say?" he asked in a strained voice after a prolonged silence of his holding me in a tight hug that was mostly the result of his frozen state. I bit my lip and gathered all my courage. I pushed back from him so I could look into his eyes and saw the love and worry in them.

"I'm pregnant," I said as calmly as I could.

No," he said, taking a step back from me and shaking his head in denial. Strangely, he still noticed the chair wasn't against the door and went to put it in place. Then he sat down in it heavily, as if he couldn't hold his own weight any longer. I blinked back the sting in my eyes. I refused to cry in front of him if he was just going to leave me. He sat in silence, staring at the floor for so long that I was becoming afraid I was right in my earlier thoughts, despite the love I knew he claimed to have for me. I took a step in his direction, and he looked up at me with haunted eyes.

"How could this have happened?" he said, his voice devoid of emotion. I gestured lamely at the floor, and his eyes followed my hand to it, where the blankets and pillows still lay.

"But we only forgot the spells once," he said, panic setting in. "Do you remember?" he said, looking back up at me, his eyes looking a little wild. "That day of the incident in the bathroom," he said as if the detail was important.

"Draco, please tell me you do not think it takes more than once to cause this?" I asked, rubbing my temples. The emotions were giving me a stress headache, and the fear and anxiety were making my body shake.

"Certainly not… I merely... this can't be happening... we can't possibly have a baby. It isn't safe. Can you imagine what would happen if word got out?" he said, jumping to his feet to pace in panic. He ran his hands through his hair nervously, messing up the perfectly arranged white-blonde strands.

"Believe me, that is all I have been able to think about since I found out," and then I burst into tears. He came back over to me and pulled me back into his arms.

"I love you, Hermione. You have no idea how much a part of me loves that you are pregnant. It's rather unsettling that I can think like that now. I mean, I'm sixteen, yet it feels like something amazing has occurred. Our son will live, and he will be proof that we loved each other even if... even if we die," he explained, his voice going through emotions ranging from awe to fear. I laughed through my tears, just focusing on the good things he had said and wishing the shakes would stop.

"You can't possibly know what the gender will be," I said to him, still holding tight, my head resting against his chest.

"I can actually," he disagreed at once, but he moved us so we had to sit down on the blankets on the floor. He then pulled me down to lay with him and rubbed at my cold arm, which rested on his chest. "Centuries ago, a blood feud was ignited between the Houses of Malfoy and Weasley. Both prominent and powerful Houses at the time, but still diametrically opposed in their views on magic, that had them struggling to get along at all, and at times skirmishes broke out over one insult or another until a peace could be reached until the next."

"Their rivalry was intensified to a new degree when it had been discovered that Lilith Weasley and Fionn Malfoy had become secret lovers, and both families were outraged. Numerous duels were fought by the Lords and the people of the Houses, and more than one unnecessary death occurred. Among the deceased was Lilith Weasley, who, it was later discovered, was with child—a girl. Her lover, Fionn, was outraged and cursed the Weasley's to only produce sons, and then turned and did the same to his own family."

"His father, Lord Arius Malfoy, also furious, swore that no Malfoy would ever look upon a Weasley with so much as friendship and that they would see the family destroyed. They would endure in ruin and struggle for everything they got from that moment on."

"The Weasleys' were known to be a greedy and prideful family at that time. Lord Alaric Weasley, the father of the deceased daughter, was so distraught over the loss that he did nothing to protect himself from the added curse and died a broken shell of a wizard years later, knowing that his pride had led to the downfall of his family. The Malfoys' prospered, but they far from thrived when it came to having children. While the Weasleys' were able to have many children to attempt to overcome the curse, the Malfoys' struggled with fertility. Do you know why my mother named me Draco?" he asked, seeming to change topics suddenly.

"Because she was a Black and they have a tradition of naming their children after the constellations," I replied, having learnt that from Sirius.

"Yes, but that is not the only reason. There is a prophecy," he said, and I looked up at him in shock. "I know, it's rather ironic, isn't it?" He grinned down at the look on my face. "Do bear with me for a moment while I think how it went. Seers do tend to be fanciful," he said wryly.

"The dragon's mark shall be his sign, A legacy of fire and blood. But from the flames he shall emerge, And end the curse that bound his line. For he shall wed a maiden fair, And sire daughters strong and wise. And they shall rule with grace and care, And bring a new dawn to the skies."

"And from this, you conclude that the baby is a boy?" I asked hesitantly, still uncomfortable with the word.

"I don't believe a curse would be broken merely by a name," he replied with a shrug. We both lay quietly; I was thinking about the story.

"What happened to Fionn Malfoy?" I asked into the silence.

"He killed himself," he whispered.

"What are we going to do, Draco?" I asked after another prolonged silence.

"I don't know," he replied, wrapping his arms tighter around me. He kissed the top of my head and whispered, "But I'm certain we'll figure it out. Together," his voice was strained.

Somehow, we had both fallen asleep and didn't wake until hours later. I suppose stress was the cause, and Draco always looked like he needed to sleep for a week straight. His pale face was drawn, and his eyes had dark circles under them. He looked older than his years, and as I reached up to gently run my thumb under the dark circles that concerned me, I wondered how much he sacrificed already just to come here and be with me. He stirred and opened his eyes, meeting mine with a soft smile, my hand still cupping his face.

"Hello," he said, brushing a strand of hair away from my face. "How are you feeling?" I smiled back and snuggled closer to him.

"Better now, I think," I answered.

"Do you think you are ready to tell me everything? I mean, I don't even know how many weeks along you are. That day… it was approximately five weeks ago, wasn't it?" he queried. I sighed and sat up to look at him, and he followed me. The concern was still in his eyes.

"Twenty," I said, and he gave me a strange look. "I am almost five months pregnant," I added. His eyes dropped to my flat stomach comically.

"But shouldn't we be able to discern that?" he asked.

"According to Madam Pomphrey, everybody is different, but she thinks I will show very soon," I told him. He jumped up and started pacing again.

"Are you going home?" he asked, not looking at me now.

"No," I replied at once. He nodded, stopping his pacing. Then he dove back down on the blanket on his knees and kissed me. His lips were warm and hard, his tongue forced past my shocked lips, and then I was on my back again, kissing him just as desperately as he was kissing me.

He pulled his face back for a moment, just long enough to say, "You worried me yesterday, and while the daft duo were fretting over you, all I could do was stand there and wish I was the one attending to your welfare." His lips were back on mine before I had a chance to respond.

We both reached for buttons and removed clothes, keeping our lips on each other's skin as much as we could. Once we were both naked, he pushed me back down to kiss me again and then started to work his way down.

He kissed to the edge of my mouth and down my neck. He kissed down the smooth skin between my breasts and then licked and sucked both nipples until I was panting loudly. He kissed down my stomach and then looked up at me with wonder, his hand splayed across the flat surface.

If I didn't love him before, I did now. The look on his face was one of rapture and wonder. He gave my stomach another kiss and then started up again. He kissed my lips again and thrust himself inside me, making me gasp and him moan in pleasure.

"You feel so good," he moaned, and rolled, pulling me over until I straddled him. I looked down to see the base of his erection was barely visible where blonde hair blended with brown. The sight made me shudder, getting hotter, liquid pleasure glistening on the curls. "Pretty, isn't it?" he said, his grey eyes glazed with pleasure, like misty silver, and a satisfied grin on his face.

"Yes," I murmured breathily. He held my hips as I tried to move, but I wasn't good at this position. It felt too exposed and required me to think too much, which for once in my life I didn't view as a positive.

"Okay," he said as if I had spoken, and then rolled us back over. He kissed and thrust his tongue, mimicking what was happening between my legs, and I lifted to meet him and gave as I got, thrusting my tongue into his mouth until I had to break away. Violent convulsions started in my middle, making me throw my head back. I felt my inner muscles grasp and release, grasp and release his still-engorged penis. I moaned and moaned and moaned as shudders rocked my body, and I came endlessly.

"Oh, oh, Draco, oh, oh, oh Draco, oh Draco, Draco!" When I was done, I was surprised to realise he hadn't found his own satisfaction. I looked at his face to see he was watching me, but he was definitely not unaffected; he had beads of sweat rolling down his face, and his body was drenched in it; his whole body was shaking.

"What…" I started, but he silenced me with a kiss and started to thrust in earnest, and then made the strangest sound I had ever heard from him that had me giggle until another orgasm distracted me from it. When he came to a shuddering stop, laying on top of me, his body slick against mine, and kissing my shoulder gently again, I managed to say, "How did you do that?" It was his turn to laugh.

"I have absolutely no idea; But it felt necessary to see you cum," he replied into my shoulder, and then lifted himself up to look in my face. "Am I too heavy?"

"A little," I confessed, "but don't move yet. I like you there." He smiled at that, kissed me quickly, and then rolled so we were on our sides. Because of the action, he fell out of me, and I said, "Hey," in protest, making him chuckle again.

"Don't fret. You're aware I'll be ready for you again in a few minutes."

"I had said don't move," I said huffily, but he knew I was teasing him, and he kissed my nose.

"We were supposed to be talking, and I distracted you," he told me.

"Oh, that," I said with a frown.

"Yes, that," he said, reaching out to smooth out my brow. "I'm aware this is a stupid question, but... are you scared?"

"Petrified," I admitted, and felt my eyes well up again. "I don't understand what happened. We were careful." He nodded and then got a faraway look as he thought. He looked to the ceiling and frowned at it, then sat up to look around the room, carefully looking everything over. Suddenly, he surged to his feet and went to the wall on the left side of the room.

"Hermione," he said, turning to look at me with a curious look on his face, but my eyes travelled down his naked body. I'd never seen him look so causal in his nakedness as he did right now, squatting there seemingly oblivious to said nakedness. Well, until he grinned, showing all his teeth.

"Stop staring at me like that for a minute and let me pose a question." I nodded, trying to be serious, but it was a difficult thing to do with all his glory showing so casually.

"If you were to create a rune scheme to nullify wand magic, what runes do you imagine you would use?" The question actually did make me turn my brain back on. I recalled some of the ancient runes that I had learned in my studies, such as Algiz, which symbolised protection and resistance, or Thurisaz, which represented force and destruction.

"Off the top of my head, I couldn't come up with one, but I would think the scheme would include Algiz and Thurisaz," I said, sitting up, holding the blanket to my breasts.

"What about Pertho?" He asked me.

"I don't really know. That rune can mean so much and so little, depending on the context you are trying to build on," I replied. He smiled, amused by the sudden academic tone, though he was sounding very academic himself.

"Pertho is one of the most mysterious runes. It has occurred to me that we never use our wands here. Don't you find that strange? The only instance mine ever crossed my mind was when we were attempting to use the Contraceptive Charm, and I believe on my part it was largely due to the incessant reminders from Sev, my father, my 'friends'," he said with a tone I didn't understand the context of, "and most embarrassingly, my mother. We never use our wands in here. They barely even cross our minds, do they?"

I frowned, realising he was right. We had been meeting in this room for months, but we had never tried to perform any wand magic. Even the few times in the beginning, when I held him at wand point, it had been a hesitant reaction.

"Come and examine these runes," he said, holding his hand out to me. I thought about taking the blanket with me, but decided I was the Gryffindor, and so I would be brave. The smile he gave me was worth it. "Observe here," he said, pointing to a scheme written across the bottom of the wall. After staring at it and seeing the three mentioned runes, I looked around and saw the same ones grouped in other places.

"Somebody has just made some of these up," I said in astonishment, realising the truth at last. It was why we couldn't understand what we were looking at. Most of it meant nothing to us and maybe didn't mean anything at all, but they were definitely doing something because the room was definitely working and doing something…

"Yes," he said, coming to the same conclusion. "Get your wand; attempt a spell."

"Alright," I agreed and walked over to get it, biting my lip and finding that my brain was slow in supplying the names of any spells at all. It seemed as if the room was aware of my intention and was clouding my thoughts. I reached for my wand, and it felt almost foreign in my hand, as if it had been too long since I had held it.

The first spell I ever learned suddenly occurred to me. "Lumos," I said out loud to guarantee it would work. Nothing happened. No light glowed at the tip, and I looked at it without comprehension. "You try something," I said to Draco. He nodded and went to get his own wand. I could see the frown on his face and knew he was having the same trouble I was, finding it hard to remember spells that should be second nature after all these years.

Finally, he turned to look at the table and said, "Reducto," waving his wand in a familiar formation. Nothing happened. "And there we have it," he said. He looked at his wand, frowned, and then looked back up at me. "I'm sorry," he said guiltily.

"I didn't notice either, Draco. This," I said, putting my hands on my still-flat stomach, "is not just your fault." He nodded and dropped his wand carelessly back onto his clothes. I went over and placed mine down after I was sitting again.

"What are you going to tell people?" he asked, sitting himself behind me and pulling me against his chest.

"Nothing," I replied. He said nothing, so I had no idea what he was thinking. "I don't think it is safe, Draco. I know you won't like this, but I have to help Harry with a… collection." I smiled when the room allowed me to call the hunt for Horcruxes that. It was true after all; it was just that the collection belonged to Voldemort.

"Collecting Sneakoscopes, is he?" He said snarkily, making me sigh against him.

"I really wish you would stop that," I said without much hope. His grunt of acknowledgement meant nothing much.

Switching topics again, he said, "Have I ever told you I find your brain sexy?"

"I thought I was a know-it-all?" I asked cheekily, leaning back to look into his only slightly amused face. The worry had set back into his eyes now.

"Sexiest kind," he replied, kissing me quickly. "You are correct, however. I don't like the notion of you helping Potter. I would much prefer you to go into hiding with your parents and stay safe."

"Draco, if any muggle-borns are to survive this war, I have no choice but to help Harry. He is important, but he can't do what needs to be done on his own," I explained carefully. He sighed and kissed me again, gently.

"You're too loyal for your own good, Love. I hope you know that," he stated, his voice carrying his distinctive Malfoy blend of affection and concern.

"Would you prefer I was shallow like Pansy Parkinson?" I asked, getting frustrated.

"Pansy isn't pregnant," he replied, frustration evident in his voice too. He stood and pulled his trousers back on. I pulled the blanket back over me as I watched him start to pace again. "So, you have said you are telling people nothing of this pregnancy and also helping the wonder-boy with his all-important quest to save us all. How exactly are you going to achieve all of this?"

"Well, firstly, Madam Pomphrey has told me I can order some clothes from a magical maternity clothing store that is very discreet. Apparently, they make clothes for the pregnant witch with something to hide," I said with a wrinkled nose at that. It felt like I was saying I should be ashamed of our baby, but right now I felt anything but ashamed. If we were not in such a dangerous situation, I would march right out of this room and tell my friends. I would also fully expect them to support me and my decisions, as I had always supported them, but I knew that was a fantasy. "Apparently, it wouldn't be the first time they would be making school robes. As to everything else..." I shrugged. "I am not sure yet," I said sadly.

"Something to hide?" he said with scorn.

"Do you want to risk everything, Draco Malfoy?" I yelled at him and stood suddenly angry at him; starting to dress.

"What are you doing?" he asked curiously.

"Obviously you think I am ashamed of you and this baby, and you know what?" I said, pulling my skirt up angrily, shimmy into it. "I am sick of all this." His eyes widened in fear, but I ignored him, and put my shoes on.

"You're leaving me?" He asked in surprised hurt. I scoffed and narrowed my eyes at him dangerously. I don't know what I looked like, but he took a step back.

"Stop that!" I snapped and went over, grabbed his arm, and started to pull him towards the door.

"What is happening?" He asked.

"We are going out and declaring ourselves," I said, yanking the door open.

"Hold on a moment," he interjected, reaching over me to push it shut once more. "You're aware that is not safe," he said to me calmly, watching to see if I was going to attack him or something.

I pointed an angry finger at him and said, "Your choice. Risk it all or keep it a secret?" He had the good sense to look ashamed.

"I pay for everything," he said softly, guiltily, and sadly.

"You don't need to buy things for me, Draco," I said dismissively, fed up with all this now.

"Yes, I do!" he snapped, making me jump. "Sorry," he said, running his fingers through his hair in agitation. "You don't understand, Hermione," he said with a much softer voice, trying to appear calm. "I should be marrying you." I opened my mouth to respond, but he cut his hand through the air, stopping me.

"I'm aware that you neither understand nor agree with many of the views you've found yourself surrounded by in this world you are now a part of. However, where I come from, people wed when they are having a baby, and while I can see that notion horrifies you…" he said, commenting on my widened eyes.

"I would gladly marry you if I was free to do so. And I could, you know. I could bind us together right now with magic, and given your condition, not a single person would argue. Unfortunately, if I were to marry you, all in Malfoy Manor would be aware in an instant, and we would then be under a death sentence. The Dark Lord would dispatch his followers to kill us, and I'm uncertain if my parents would argue with the decree," he confessed, and looked troubled by that notion.

"So, you see, Hermione, I will be paying for anything you need because it is all I am capable of doing at this time," he concluded sadly.

"Alright," I whispered. He nodded, came over, and pulled me into another hug. "And for the record, Draco, I wasn't shocked by the notion of marrying you. I was only surprised that I wasn't horrified and also that it was more than I had considered when I said we go out and declare ourselves. I would gladly marry you, Draco, if we could." He kissed the top of my head and held me tighter. It was also when I realised I had tried to drag him out of the room sans shirt or even shoes. Unfortunately, I wasn't in the mood to be amused by that.

The next day, I arrived to find a new surprise in the room. There was a massive four-poster bed, taking up a large bit of the space. It was the most beautiful bed I had ever seen, made even more so by the boy sleeping in it, a familiar dreamcatcher hanging down from the centre headboard as if gravity meant nothing.

I crawled up next to him and sat looking down at his face. Even in sleep, he looked tired, and a frown was still in place. I hadn't meant to startle him, but his eyes flew open, and the panic was a fleeting look as a smile stretched his lips. He opened his arms, and I lay down happily in them, my head on his chest, where I could hear the comforting sound of his heartbeat.

"How did you do this?" I asked, twisting some of the hair on his chest with the tip of my finger.

"House Elf, remember?" He said with sleep still evident in his voice.

"Hmmm," I hummed, biting my lip. I was still uncomfortable with the use of the creatures, even if I understood more about them now.

"I couldn't have you sleeping on that hard floor any longer," he declared, and I smiled into his chest at the sweet gesture.

"Those magical blankets had Cushioning Charms on them," I commented.

"Not enough to prevent waking up stiff in the morning," he said, and I laughed instantly. "Girls have dirty minds," he said, throwing my words from months ago back at me.

"The bed is beautiful, but where did it come from?" I asked.

"The attic at Malfoy Manor," he answered easily, but I sat up so I could see his face.

"Won't somebody notice that?" I asked with worry. He shook his head.

"Only the House Elves go up there," he told me.

"Speaking of Malfoy Manor, I had a question," I said, and he finally opened his eyes to look at me. "Does your family have a family tapestry or anything similar?" He sighed and sat up.

"No. Remember how I told you our family was cursed?" He queried, and I nodded, recalling the story vividly; it was only yesterday. "You must understand, not many witches like the notion of never having the chance to have a daughter. As a result, it became common practice for the Malfoys to draw up marriage contracts for their sons at birth. That is why I was engaged to Pansy, essentially."

"Alright, but what has that to do with keeping track of children born to the family?" I asked.

"Well," he said, rubbing his neck, flushing with a bit of embarrassment. "It was very rare that the couple would have a marriage based on love. Sometimes, they were lucky if there was any affection at all."

"I see," I said, starting to get a clear picture of where this was going and not liking the implication at all. He looked at me warily but continued.

"In a standard Malfoy marriage contract, it is allowed for the husband to take a mistress," he said. "Children of those unions are not considered Malfoys. They take the mother's name."

"I see," I repeated with a growl, and knew I was looking at him in disgust. "So, if we were able to marry, you could go out and father children with other women, and I couldn't do a damned thing about it?" I spat. Yep, I was angry now.

"I wouldn't do that," he insisted at once.

"Really? When it has been accepted for all the other wizards in your family to do so? You will just be the exception?" I asked sarcastically. He narrowed his eyes at me angrily.

"Listen to my words carefully, witch! I will not take a mistress if I have you. I love you, and I don't see that changing. Besides, I will not be the first. I'm aware that you think very poorly of my father, and with good reason, but he loves my mother. He was also supposed to marry another, and fortunately for him, she was more than willing to dissolve the contract."

"And your contract with Pansy?" I asked pointedly, and he flushed.

"That's a different matter altogether," he grumbled.

"It is that attitude that infuriates me. You may not have had feelings for her, but she definitely has them for you. It would have hurt her," I told him, and he smiled at me.

"I can't believe you're feeling sorry for Pansy at this moment," he remarked, amused, and then sobered and said, "I should also mention that my mother is a Black, and she had an ironclad contract drawn up that favours her greatly in the event of my father committing adultery."

"Smart lady," I muttered, still annoyed.

Draco was waiting for me in the room when I returned the next day. He really had gotten good at making sure he was here whenever he knew I had a free period, and I wondered before I could stop myself if that was making whatever he was working on all the harder to get done. Thankfully, the room had been leaving us alone lately. Perhaps it thought we spoke enough truths now without the extra push.

I walked over to the bed; Draco was watching me with cautious, almost defiant eyes as I went to see what all the white boxes were that were sitting on the end of it. The stylized writing on the lid made it clear at once.

"Am I going to be completely creeped out by how you knew what sizes to buy?" I asked him.

"I don't believe so. At least, I certainly hope not," he said, and frowned as he considered it. "Jomny, simply took a set of your robes from the laundry House Elves to the store and had them make new ones." Then he flushed and added, "as well as a few other items." I was confused for a moment until I moved the top box and saw that underneath were actually two smaller ones. Lingerie was a standout word on the lid too. I covered my mouth with a little laugh. "You're not angry?" he asked, a smirk starting on his face.

"No. You were being thoughtful, and I do need these things," I said. He pushed himself to the edge of the mattress quickly and gave me a hard kiss. He then sat back on his legs.

"Open them," he said, pointing to the lingerie boxes. I did as he asked, and the first one had two plain lace bras that I knew to be self-adjusting. I already wore the same type, but these were clearly a much more expensive material.

"The other one," he said, sounding excited. I shook my head at the enthusiasm but did as he wanted, and then laughed at seeing them. They were green silk knickers with a small snake in a very suggestive place. And there were five of them. I bit my lip even as I scoffed a laugh; my face felt warm in a way it hadn't in months. He grinned at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "They are great, wouldn't you agree?"

"Slytherin?" I asked incredulously, and he laughed.

"You are mean enough to be one, trust me." I rolled my eyes at him. "Besides, you definitely have a little Slytherin in you now."

"That was too crude!" I said with faux outrage and started whacking him with the box. He laughed even as he dodged back, pretending to be in great pain.

"Ow, ow, stop it, you thug!" he exclaimed, and then lurched forward again and grabbed my wrists, pulling me closer. "You know you love me and my knickers." I looked at him with a mock glare, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach. He was so beautiful right now.

"I do love you," I admitted, because I loved so much to see him looking happy and carefree like this, even if it wasn't completely real. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I said teasingly, "But I hate your knickers." He chuckled and kissed me soundly again.

"No, you don't," he said with confidence, and that satisfied smirk was back on his face. I harrumphed at him but was happy too.

"I need to do some work," I told him, and he nodded, letting me go. I went over to the table and pulled books out of my bag, as well as a quill and some parchment I had already started my assignment on. He had laid back down and appeared to be deep in thought again. I hated that his mood had changed so drastically in such a short time and that he was disappearing into whatever he had facing him. I couldn't stand the fear and stress that was written all over his face. But most of all, I hated that not only could I not help him, but also that I knew I wouldn't.

"I have to go," he said softly in that emotionless voice he got when he was not really here anymore.

"Alright," I said, watching him carefully. He still hadn't moved and was still staring at the ceiling.

"Will you return here to be with me tonight?" he asked.

"I can try to get here after dinner," I replied softly. It would be hard to do, but I wanted to be here with him too.

"And tomorrow?" he asked, still with that emotionless voice and still looking up.

"Yes," I agreed at once. He finally turned to look at me, and his face was haunted.

"I love you," he said, but he sounded... Well, I wasn't sure, but the tone scared me.

"I love you too," I breathed. He nodded and then stood. He marched over, gave me a quick kiss, and then left the room.

I got back to the room that night soon after dinner, but it was the early hours of the morning when I felt him climb in next to me and wrap his arms around me. When I woke in the morning, he was gone again.

The following day was Friday, and I had to spend time in the morning up in my dorm room, packing for the trip home the next day. I had been looking forward to seeing my parents for Easter, but I never imagined that I would be returning to them in the condition in which I now found myself. Unlike with my friends, I knew I would be telling them. That thought terrified me.

What also terrified me was how swiftly I had accepted, outside of the room, that I was in a relationship with Draco Malfoy. I knew being pregnant was colouring my emotions and opinions, but it felt like it was way too late to be confessing to my friends that I had been sneaking around with the enemy. I also felt like I deserved something just for myself. I knew I wasn't really a traitor, and that is what should matter. Even as I justified these things to myself, I still felt guilty.

I told Harry and Ron I had a lot of work I wanted to get done before break and would be spending the rest of the day and night in my study room, it was mostly true. Harry grinned, shaking his head at me while Ron rolled his eyes.

"Hermione, you're being ridiculous," Ron said. "You've already read all the books in the library, twice. What more do you need to study?"

"I need to study everything, Ron," I said a bit guiltily, but they didn't notice. I then dropped my voice to be even softer. "If Harry is right, Professor Dumbledore will be sending him off on a hunt in the summer, and we both know we won't be letting him go off alone." Ron nodded while Harry gave an exasperated sigh. He was trying to be noble again, but Ron and I had decided to ignore the gesture, knowing just how fruitless it was.

"Preparing is important. We will need to know as much as we can if we're going to face Voldemort in any way. We need to know how to destroy the Horcruxes, how to fight the Death Eaters, and how to protect ourselves and our friends."

"Okay, okay, I give up. You win," Ron said, holding his large hands up in surrender.

"You're right, Mione'. We can't afford to be careless. This is going to be the most important thing we'll ever do. I just wish Dumbledore knew more about what we were going to be searching for," Harry said.

Ron sighed. "I know, I know. But we can't spend all our time studying, either. We need to have some fun while we still can."

"But it doesn't mean we should neglect our studies. Besides, studying is fun for me. I enjoy learning new things," I told them, and guilt assaulted me again. Harry chuckled.

"You're one of a kind, Hermione. Will you at least join us at dinnertime? You need to eat something, you know." I shook my head.

"No, thank you, Harry. I'll figure something out. I promise I'll eat. I just… I don't want to waste any time. I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked. Harry and Ron exchanged a look, then shrugged.

"Alright, Hermione, suit yourself, but don't forget to have a little fun, okay?" That last wish filled me with horror, and I wondered how Harry would react if he discovered what he had inadvertently recommended. I was still bemused by that thought when I walked into the room.

"What's put that expression on your face?" Draco asked.

"Harry told me to remember to have fun," I said, and he gave a little chuckle.

"Sounds good to me. Come kiss me, and I will ensure it is fun for you," he said, and a smile stretched across his face then. I didn't need to be asked twice.

Later, we were lying in each other's arms, both in silent contemplation over the future. I was also worried how the next two weeks were going to feel without him.

"Granger," he said softly, rubbing a hand up and down my arm. "We need to talk about little Drake."

"Little Drake? Seriously?" I snorted in amusement, but he just nodded. "We'll see," I said, and then winced. He pulled me tighter, as if he needed to comfort me.

"He feels scarcely more than an idea at this point, and yet I find I already love him," Draco said, his voice full of emotion. "He is a part of us, a miracle."

"Me too," I agreed, but I started to shake because I had been thinking about something most of the morning that hurt.

"I want him to be safe and happy," Draco whispered carefully, as if he was afraid to say the words out loud.

"What are you saying?" I whispered back, but I was pretty sure it was along the same lines that I had been thinking. My heart hurt.

"I believe… Don't hate me, but I believe you should consider adoption," he said, pulling me tighter to himself again. He buried his face in my neck and breathed deeply. "I'm aware it's difficult, but it might be the best thing for him."

"I don't hate you, Draco," I said in a strained voice, then turned my face into his shirt and breathed through a few tears. "I was thinking the same thing," I admitted when I could. He gave a kiss to the top of my head.

"I'm sorry, Granger. I'm so sorry," he said softly, his voice breaking. "I wish things were different. I wish we could keep him."

"Me too," I said again, and silent tears were running down my face.

"I, um, if you could arrange it in the muggle world, that would be best," he said, and sounded like he hated himself.

"Alright," I muttered, and we didn't talk for hours after that; we just held each other.

Author's notes: - TuggingMyEarWhenever09, Whit96, and JohnMonty. Thank you for leaving comments.