Disclaimer: All Characters and things associated with Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. This writing is purely for entertainment only.
Summary: Harry died in the Forbidden Forest and Ron and Hermione must find a way to finish his mission in a world where Hermione and her blood status leaves them both in incredible danger.
Chapter 16
It had been two days since Draco has woken Hermione up and she had gotten sick in front of him and her sickness had only seemed to worsen.
She was absolutely exhausted and having a hard time keeping anything down and what was worse, with Lucius home, the entire house was on edge. Lucius was a loose cannon and no one seemed to be safe from his wrath. Even Hermione, who Draco had seemed to try to keep away from Lucius in the house, had run into him once or twice, and found herself either being slapped across the face for making eye contact with Lucius, or having him touch her breast inappropriately until Draco had walked in and reminded his father that Hermione belonged solely to him.
It felt odd, thinking Draco was actually trying to protect her in some weird way.
That morning, Draco had kept Hermione occupied in his wing of the house, tasking her to clean his room and alphabetize three of his bookshelves.
Hermione was scrubbing Draco's floor when the familiar wave of nausea hit her. She tried to swallow it back, but it was no use, and she quickly got sick all over the floor.
Hermione sighed, grateful she was already cleaning the floor anyway. As she steadied herself on her hands and knees she heard footsteps quickly approaching. She tried to scrub her vomit up but it was too late and Draco was quickly in the room.
"Still sick, Granger? I heard you down the hall," Draco said as he stood over her.
Hermione glanced up at his cold face and then sighed, nodding slightly. There was no use in lying to Draco and she was too tired to care anyway. "Yes."
"How long has this been going on?" Draco asked.
"Since I got here," Hermione admitted.
Draco nodded, seemingly to himself. "I should beat you for this mess but...we will take you to get checked out. Can't have you bringing any mudblood sicknesses in here."
Hermione narrowed her eyes at Draco. Despite how awful she felt, he still had a way of igniting a spark of rage in her. "You know there is no such thing. I am not prone to sickness because of my blood status."
Draco ignored her words and moved to look out his window, his back to her as he spoke again. "We will have to take you somewhere that you won't be executed. Usually when the servents get sick the easiest thing to do is terminate them. Most healers won't recommend anything else, especially not for a mudblood."
For what felt like the hundredth time over the course of her stay, Hermione was confused by Draco's intentions. Hermione didn't understand why it seemed like Draco was trying to help her. "Why wouldn't you just get rid of me? It seems easier."
Again, Draco ignored her and moved back toward the door. "Get dressed and be down in the entryway in ten minutes."
It didn't take Hermione ten minutes to get ready since she had only few outfits that has been given to her and she already felt awful she didn't even bother to change.
Instead, she laid on her bed, closing her eyes and wondering if it would just be easier to die. She felt like death anyway, and surely, if she didn't keep food down she would eventually starve to death. At least then she would be free. What was really the point of going on anymore anyway?
When ten minutes had passed, she made her way to the front of the house where she found Draco standing in the foyer with Theodore Nott. Hermione stopped short when she saw Theodore. She remembered him from school as one of the few Slytherin who had never called her a "mudblood". In fact, Theodore had been rather quiet boy though very smart from what she remembered.
Theodore and Draco both looked up at Hermione and their gaze caused her to move her feet again and closer to the two of them, wondering why Nott was there.
"Hermione...good to see you," Theodore gave a little head nod to Hermione.
Hermione merely nodded back, not sure what to say.
"Nott here has some connections to a few underground healers who will be more then willing to see you and treat your illness," Draco seemed to answer Hermione's question about Theodore without her needing to ask, though now she had more questions.
"Underground? Meaning..." Hermione started.
"Meaning they don't work for the Dark Lord so they won't try to kill you the second we walk in," Nott smirked.
"Are you trying to keep me alive just to torture me more?" Hermione finally asked Draco.
Theodore gave a soft chuckle at Hermione's question and Draco seemed annoyed.
"Granger...don't think you occupy my thoughts that much. Although, I do love watching you suffer I'd prefer it to be a bit more of a fair fight. At any rate, you may be useful in ways even you don't realize so I am not quite ready to dispose of you yet." Draco said.
Hermione took a deep breath, unsure of how to respond to Draco.
"I'll arrange everything and send word, but plan on coming to Hogsmeade this afternoon," Nott said to Draco.
Draco nodded. "I planned on heading there for a few things today anyway...so this will not be out of the way."
Theodore just nodded before waving at Hermione and heading out the door, leaving Draco and Hermione by themselves.
"Carry on with your tasks until I tell you it is time to go. Do not say a word about this to any of the other servents or I will have you all killed," Draco said and did not wait for a response from Hermione before leaving her alone in the foyer to continue to wonder now why Theodore Nott and Draco Malfoy seemed to want to keep her alive.
Ron and Neville waited patiently in the same booth of the pub they has met Nott in a few days earlier. Despite it being the middle of the day there was no one else in the pub and Ron and Neville felt comfortable that they would not be recognized by anyone who would actually care who they were.
Ron had realized that there were still pockets of Wizards, like those living in the small town they were in, that preferred to mind their own business then pick a side in the battle.
"He told us to meet him here at noon, right?" Ron asked, checking his watch. Theodore was almost a half hour late for when he has owled for them to meet him.
"He will be here," Neville assured Ron.
Ron fidgeted in his seat, wondering what the possible update Nott had on Hermione could be. Finally, after what felt like forever, Ron saw Theodore enter the pub.
Nott moved quickly to the booth, sliding in across from Ron and Neville and have a small smirk. "Lovely to see you both."
"What do you know?" Ron dove in immediately, not wanting to waste a second of their time. He needed to know Hermione was okay and that, somehow, he would be with her again soon.
Nott gave a small nod as if to indicate he knew Ron was there for word on Hermione and nothing else.
"Well...I saw Hermione today. Draco called me to arrange for her to see a rebel healer...said she has been sick." Nott started.
"Sick?" Ron felt his stomach drop at the thought of Hermione being ill, a million worst-case scenarios running through his head. She hadn't been sick when they had been together, so whatever she had she had picked up since they parted ways.
"How sick? What's wrong?" Neville piled on the questions, also concerned for Hermione.
Nott shrugged. "Not sure...but I will find out once we get her to the healer later today."
"What healer?" Ron asked, his brow furrowing as he thought of all the ways to intercept Hermione on her way to the healer.
"One in Hogsmeade...literally underground. Madam Pomphrey runs it," Nott said.
"I thought she was killed?" Neville said.
Nott shook his head. "That was just a rumor. Those of us who know the truth are keeping it that way. If we want to keep half of those who are enslaved alive we need her."
"Why do you care so much? Why does Draco? You're both death eaters. Isn't getting them all killed what you all want?" Ron said.
Nott held a finger up and switched it back-and-forth. "Technically I am not...only my father was. And I already told you. I don't want everyone dead nor do I believe The Dark Lord will be able to continue his level of control. And if the day comes and he loses it, I want people like you to remember that I helped you...Draco wants the same and who better to say we kept her alive then Harry Potter's famous little mudblood? Hermione is important."
Ron clenched his jaw at Nott's words, knowing Hermione's life and safety were merely just an insurance policy for Draco and Nott. "Don't call her that."
Theodore leaned back in his chair and smirked, putting his arms up as if he were surrendering. "Fair enough."
"When are you taking her to the healer?" Neville spoke up.
"Later this afternoon, when things are a little more quiet in Hogsmeade." Nott said and then stood.
"That's all you have for us? No plan on getting Hermione for us?" Ron stood as well, angry as he clenched his fist.
"Patience, Weasley. I promise I will get her back to you...trust me. You won't want to do anything stupid today. Just give me a little more time," Nott said.
Before Ron could say another word, Theodore left as quickly as he had shown up leaving Ron fuming.
"I don't trust him. We need a plan. We need to rescue Hermione from Hogsmeade. Might be our only chance," Ron spoke as he continued to stare at the door Nott had left through.
Neville surprised Ron by nodding. "I agree, especially if she is sick."
Ron was surprised but turned back to Neville, ready to take up any offer to save Hermione. "So what do we do?"
Neville took a deep breath and theb shrugged. "I'm not sure...I mean we would have to find Draco's carriage in Hogsmeade first...I don't know of any underground healers..."
"Well then, I guess we head to Hogsmeade," Ron said, determined. He would not leave without Hermione, no matter the cost.
"It's not that easy. If we are caught-" Neville started.
"Then I suggest we aren't," Ron said, pulling the hood of his sweater up over his head and then mumbling a transfiguration charm to at least grow his beard a bit longer while they were in Hogsmeade, hoping that would be enough to hide his idenity.
Hermione sat in silence across from Draco in the carriage he had arranged to take them to Hogsmeade. Draco has bewitched the carriage so that their was no driver, though Hermione was surprised when he joined her in the carriage, assuming he wouldn't want to be anywhere near her.
As they moved toward Hogsmeade, Hermione fiddled with the white apron attached to the grey dress she had been given to wear, to identify her as servents of Malfoy Manor. As her hands moved over the material a small, sad smile, grazed her lips.
Draco noticed the twitch in Hermione's mouth. "Something funny, mudblood?"
The smile quickly faded from Hermione's lips and her brown eyes moved to meet Draco's grey ones. "Was just thinking what Ron and Harry would say if they saw me in this dreadful outfit."
Draco snorted and rolled his eyes. "Like those two had a sense of fashion...Potter didn't own a comb and Weaselbee never owned a piece of clothing that hadn't belonged to someone else in his life."
"You don't have to be so cruel...it's not like either of them will get a chance to beat you up again." Hermione said coldly, remembering fondly the times Ron had beaten Draco up over the years and then quickly being overcome with sadness at the thought of never seeing Ron again, assuming she was trapped by Malfoy and that Ron was dead.
"They never beat me up," Draco mumbled, but his cheek flushed red and Hermione knew that even he knew he was lying.
Silence lasped in the cart again for a long moment before Draco spoke again.
"When we get to Hogsmeade we need to move quickly into the Healer. I don't expect the area to be busy but I also don't want us to be seen," Draco explained.
Hermione narrowed her eyes again at him. "Why do you even care about this? Wouldn't it be easier to just let me die from whatever this illness is?"
"It would be...but that doesn't help me in the end," Draco said cryptically as the carriage stopped.
Hermione wanted to ask what Draco meant but she was cut off by him standing and yanking her swiftly out of the carriage.
Hermione was met the sweet smell of a bakery in front of them and immediately felt nauseous, her sensing feeling overloaded. She tried to calm her stomach as Draco quickly looked around to make sure no one saw them before grabbing her arm and pulling her to a door down the alleyway.
As Hermione fought back the desire to throw up, Draco opened the door and again pulled Hermione down a narrow and dark set of stairs, leading them to a dimly lit room, clearly under the bakery that had caused her nausea.
As Draco moved forward to meet two figures coming toward them, Hermione couldn't help herself and began throwing up.
"Bloody hell, Granger..." Draco mumbled.
To Hermione's surprise, however, she was met with gentle hands wrapping around her shoulders and pulling her hair away from her face.
"Oh it's quite alright, dear," A soothing and familiar voice filled Hermione's ears and she was shocked to see the person embracing her was Madam Pomfrey.
"Madam Pomfrey!" Hermione was so relieved to see a familiar face that without much thought she threw her arms around the old healer, wanting to cry when she felt Madam Pomfrey accept her hug warmly.
After a moment, and a snort from Draco, the two witches pulled apart, Madam Pomfrey smiling down warmly at Hermione.
"It's lovely to see you alive, dear, though I wish it was under better circumstances." Madam Pomfrey said.
"Granger's had it rather easy as far as servitude goes," Draco said sharply, taking Madam Pomfrey's words as a dig at him.
"That's like saying a dog should be happy you gave it a longer leash rather then a field to run in," Madam Pomfrey turned a sharp eye on the Slytherin.
Hermione was shocked to see Draco moved to silence, his eyes avoiding the older witch as he shrunk back against the wall of the room.
"How did you end up down here?" Hermione looked around the room that contained two small beds snd a cabinet full of both magical and muggle medical supplies.
Madam Pomfrey motioned for Hermione to follow her to one of the beds and patted on it, indicating for Hermione to sit down as she spoke.
"After we realized Potter was really gone and the Death Eaters started rounding us up, I managed to make it to the hospital wing. There is a secret passage in my office that I oftened used to use to bring supplies into Hogwarts. It leads to this room. This used to be a storage area for Hogwarts in the hospital wing. I sealed it off when I got down here and really been here ever since. I managed to get in touch with McGonagall who told me there was still a resistance out there and so I have figured out ways to make myself useful for those who Voldemort would otherwise want dead." Madam Pomfrey explained.
Hermione sat on the bed, glancing over the Healer's shoulder at Draco, confusion and accusations on her face. Draco avoided her eyes. "But how did Draco find you then?"
"Theodore Nott actually found me. He brought Katie Bell here one day when she had been beaten and left in the street to die...since then I have made myself available to anyone Nott may want to help," Pomfrey explained.
Hermione shook her head, still confused. "But why would Nott help? He's a death eater."
"I told you...you will serve a purpose...Nott knows that as well." Draco said, rather annoyed.
"Nevermind that right now. What seems to be the problem, dear?" Madam Pomfrey was now focused on Hermione, glancing the young witch up and down.
"I don't know," Hermione said truthfully.
"She's been throwing up all over my house...bloody disgusting...wanted to make sure she isn't dying." Draco chimed in.
"A stomach bug is hardly something that will kill you," Madam Pomfrey said with a small smile.
"I've been sick for over a week straight...I can't keep a thing down, especially in the morning and I am just so tired..." Hermione admitted.
Madam Pomfrey's eyes narrowed and she took a sharp breath as if she knew something Hermione did not.
"Why don't you lay down here for a second, Hemeione?" Madam Pomfrey motioned to the pillow at the end of the bed Hermione was sitting on.
Hermione did as she was told and leaned back while Madam Pomfrey took out her wand and ran a spell over Hermione's midsection. Hermione had never heard the spell before and was unsure what Madam Pomfrey was checking for.
After a moment, a purple orb appeared over Hermione's stomach and suddenly turned to a bright yellow color which caused Draco to squint and Madam Pomfrey's eyes grow wide as she put a hand over her mouth in shock.
The orb faded and Hermione pushed herself up on her elbows, concerned by the look on Madam Pomfrey's face.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Hermione asked.
"Hermione...you're pregnant," Madam Pomfrey told the young witch.
A wave of shock hit Hermione like a tidal wave and her mind raced in a million directions as Madam Pomfrey's words sank in. She was pregnant.
Immediately Hermione thought of Ron. She was pregnant with Ron's baby.
Hermione knew it might be the worst news she could have possibly received given her current circumstances but a part of her was almost happy. She had lost Ron, assumed him dead, but now she had been given a small piece of him, his child, forever.
Hermione knew it wasn't rational, she knew she should have been distraught or scared, but she couldn't help the small smile that tickled her lips as her own hand went over her mouth in disbelief.
Yes, this was the worst thing that could have possibly happened, but a piece of Ron was still with her, growing inside of her, made in a brief moment of love and peace that they had shared in the tent. She felt oddly protective over the news.
"She's bloody what?!" Draco's voice was thick with outrage as he stepped forward now.
"She's pregnant, seven weeks to be exact," Madam Pomfrey said more factually now.
"Merlin, Granger! For being the smartest witch in our class how could you be this stupid?" Draco snarled.
Madam Pomfrey turned an accusing eye on Draco. "Was she given a choice?"
"Don't look at me like that. I wouldn't touch her filthy little body for a moment," Draco seemed disgusted by the idea.
Hermione narrowed her eyes at Draco and instinctively put a hand on her very flat stomach. "It's Ron's."
"Bloody Weasley, git..." Draco shook his head.
"Don't speak about him like that!l" Hermione shot back at Draco.
Draco ignored her and turned his attention to Madam Pomfrey. "I want you to take care of this."
Hermione immediately knew what Draco was requesting and she was appalled. Sure, having a baby in slavery was an awful, unrealistic idea but Hermione couldn't imagine letting something happen to the only bit of Ron she had.
"What? No! You aren't doing anything to me!" Hermione said.
"You can't keep it," Draco told her, his voice lacking any sort of emotion.
Hermione felt her eyes swelling with tears, and suddenly found herself doing something she swore she would never do to Draco. She begged him. "Please, Draco...please...it's all I have of Ron..."
Draco curled his lips into a half evil smile. "While it's lovely of you want to pop out that blood-traitors spawn, I won't allow it, and I get to make that call. You're my property, remember?"
Draco sharply grabbed Hermione's wrist, tapping on the Malfoy seal etched into her wrist, reminding her of the reality in front of her. Reminding her she belonged to Draco and causing a sob to escape her lips.