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The Senior Project	By : Lizski Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Lucius/Hermione Views: 37490 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Chapter 10

Blood rushed to her head, and Hermione was immediately dizzy. Snape? Offering to support her and the child? Oh gods. She knew she should say something, but her brain didn't seem capable of coherent thoughts at this point.

The dark-haired wizard smirked at her. 'I do not think that you would have the same problems with me that you would be likely to encounter in a relationship with young Mr. Malfoy.' He stopped, and Hermione continued to stare at him. This. Could. Not. Be. Happening. 'Of course, there is no need to make any decisions about anything right now. Draco's proposal will be most acceptable to A-the Headmaster, and will allow you some breathing room. That does not mean, however, that you should not consider my offer. There will be time to make other arrangements. ' He stood up, a feral glint in his eyes. 'Until this evening, Miss Granger.'

Numbly, she stood up, knowing that she was being dismissed.

Somehow, she made it back to her room, her head spinning. What the hell was up with Severus? What the hell was he thinking? Where had that come from? He'd support her and the child? Not, she reminded herself, that he said he'd marry her. He'd just support her.

She giggled wildly, feeling her grasp on reality becoming tenuous. She'd become Snape's kept woman. Thor's hammer gilded and hung on the wall! She didn't know which would piss her friends off more: marrying Draco, their avowed enemy, or becoming Snape's trollop. Of course, if they ever found out about the child ' and the true identity of the child's father ' she wouldn't have to worry who they hoped she'd end up with. Ron and Harry would never talk to her again. Ginny, on the other hand, would be invited to every gossip party in the school until she graduated for knowing some part of the story, and the older Weasleys would probably revoke her honorary family membership.

The sad thing was that Severus was probably right. As much as Draco's motives were self-serving, it wouldn't be long before he would be resentful of her. What 18 year-old male wanted to be stuck with a baby? Of course, he could afford a nanny or two, but how long would it be before he was sick of having her around? He had already said that they could divorce, but he certainly wouldn't let her take the child with her; he'd expect the child to remain with him.

And there was the whole other issue of marrying the son of her child's father. Severus was probably right about that, too. Draco would be her child's father and half-brother. Lucius would be the child's father, but would technically also be the child's grandfather. That was just too bizarre. Not to mention a little unnerving. She shook her head. The more she thought about it, the less certain she was that she could do it. And would it be fair to marry someone, while you still lusted for that person's father, no matter how much of a bastard that father might be? No. It really wasn't fair to Draco. Merlin's robe.

Of course, if Severus did convince Draco that marrying her would be a bad idea, what choices did she have? Other than Severus himself? That was still too weird. Yesterday, she was forced to tell him that she had a crush on him, and slept with Lucius because she thought he was him, and today he was telling her that he'll support her and the child?

Was he feeling guilty about the child? Or was he genuinely interested in? She giggled wildly again. He hadn't even been aware that she had a crush on him, and now he was offering to support her. Something was just not completely right with that. And yet, Ginny had already said that she and Snape would make a good pair. Maybe the red-head wasn't all wrong. And the polyjuiced Severus' body wasn't bad. Maybe it could work. It might have to.

Damn you, Lucius Malfoy.

****

What the hell had possessed him to say that to her? Severus Snape flung a crystal glass at the fireplace in his quarters. Hell, he knew what possessed him to say it ' he wanted her. He'd move her into his apartments tomorrow if she showed any interest, Albus be damned.

Except that it wouldn't be Albus who would be damned. It would be him. His boss would hang him by the offending organ until it fell off. Which meant that he'd have to appear to go along with this Draco scheme, and a scheme it had to be. He couldn't quite figure out what Draco's interest in the whole thing was.

The boy didn't have an altruistic bone in his body. Even if he had been born with one, Lucius would have broken it at the first opportunity. And yet he seemed genuinely interested in Hermione. The little skirt chaser. So what the hell did the boy want with Hermione? To throw her in his father's face?

Possibly. The undercurrents of animosity between the boy and his father had existed for years, although they were definitely becoming stronger. But he couldn't see Hermione going along with something like that, even in her current situation. No, there had to be something else going on there. But he couldn't understand what. He'd have to talk with Draco, and see if he could figure out his motives.

He could see why Hermione agreed to Draco's proposal ' she needed the security and financial support, since she couldn't end the pregnancy. But she'd overwhelm Draco. No matter how much experience his godson had had fumbling with the Slytherin girls, it wouldn't keep Hermione interested for long. She may be inexperienced, but she had a certain poise about her that was captivating. Lucius had experienced it, and now he wanted to experience it for himself. She really did need an older man to guide her, to help her truly blossom. Draco wouldn't be able to do that for her, no matter how well-meaning the boy might be.

Clearly, it would be useful to spend some private time with Hermione. To give her a chance to see what he was really offering her. Yes. That's what he'd do.

****

Hermione dressed nervously for dinner. She was going to go straight from dinner to her meeting with the Headmaster, and as much as she tried, she couldn't quell the gnawing fear in her belly. It was humiliating enough to have to tell Severus everything about her encounters with Lucius, but to tell the Headmaster, too? And while Draco was convinced that she wouldn't be expelled, she wasn't so certain. Nor was she certain that she would retain her position as Head Girl. And if she lost that, she'd have a lot of explaining to do. To her parents, to her friends, to everyone.

Gods. How could she have ever been so foolish?

She met Harry, Ron and Ginny in the common room and walked to dinner with them, wondering how many more times she would be able to walk with them in companionable silence. As soon as any one of them got a hint that something was not entirely right with her, they would badger her to no end. And once they'd heard the story, recriminations would be thrown about viciously.

She left them at the Gryffindor table and made her way to the head table. She sat down and watched as the Great Hall began to fill. Draco stopped by her seat and whispered that it would be okay, while Severus gave her the briefest hints of a smile as he made his way to the far end of the table.

Dinner progressed slowly, and Hermione found it hard to eat. Luckily, her own Head of House was engaged in a conversation with the Headmaster about some mutual acquaintance from years ago. Draco caught her eye once and smiled confidently, only making her feel worse. Gods. She was more uncertain than ever.

Eventually, dinner ended, and Hermione found herself leaving the Great Hall in the presence of the Headmaster, Draco, and Severus.

'Severus, if you would be so kind to wait here with Mr. Malfoy. I would like to speak with Miss Granger alone.' The dark-hair wizard nodded, and turned to his godson. Hermione followed the Headmaster up the stairs to his office.

The old wizard offered her a seat before taking one himself. 'Miss Granger, Madame Pomfrey has indicated that you have an issue of some delicacy to discuss with me.'

Hermione nodded, her hands becoming sweaty, and her throat dry. 'Yes, sir. Uh, I, uh, I'm pregnant.'

The headmaster nodded slowly, his fingers steepled in front of him. 'So Madame Pomfrey said. What would you like to tell me about it?' The old man's voice was soft and encouraging.

Thor's balls, sir. I really don't want to tell you anything, Hermione thought frantically. 'Sir. Uh. The father, um, well,' she faltered, and the Headmaster smiled reassuringly. 'The father is Lucius Malfoy.'

Albus Dumbledore's eyebrows rose and fell quickly. 'Are you certain of that, Miss Granger?'

Miserably, Hermione nodded. 'Yes. There is no other possibility. I've tried to contact him, so that I could end the pregnancy, but he won't have anything to do with me. Even S-Professor Snape tried, and I guess he denied everything.' She couldn't keep the trembling out of her voice as she spoke.

'Interesting. Lucius Malfoy? May I ask, Miss Granger, did you see him only once, or more than once?' Hermione was instantly surprised by the lack of outrage in the older wizard's voice.

'Uh, yes. Twice. I mean, uh,' she blushed painfully, and the Headmaster waved off her words.

'And you do not wish to keep the child?'

'No, sir. But I'm allergic to distilled moonbeam, and Lucius won't, ah, contribute anything to make any other type of abortifacient. Because Lucius is a wizard, I of course can't end the pregnancy the way Muggles do'' Her voice trailed off, wondering how much her Headmaster knew about that.

'Indeed not. You would put yourself at great personal risk, as well as putting your magical abilities at risk,' the older man concurred.

'I never understood that part, actually,' Hermione added almost as an aside.

'It was originally enacted as a self-preservation technique in the wizarding world, and in families that can trace their family trees back a ways ' such as the Malfoys ' it is an inherent part of their genetic make-up. Trying to abort a child in a mechanical way will almost always result in the loss of the magical abilities of the mother-to-be. Because the old families are very insistent upon continuing their family lines, this was developed as a way to ensure that no pregnancy would be ended in such a fashion.'

Hermione shook her head, still not understanding why ending a pregnancy required input from the father.

Seeing her confusion, the headmaster continued. 'The numbers of wizards and witches born each year have been in a decline for centuries. Several hundred years ago, families like the Malfoys or the Snapes ' yes, the Snapes, too,' he confirmed, 'typically had 6 or 7 children. Even with attrition due to witch hunts, errant dragons, and isolated misunderstandings, the magical population continued to increase.'

'That trend has reversed itself in the last 100 years, and has gotten much worse in the last 20 years. Draco is an only child, for example, andour own Potions Master has no children, and is an only child himself. Many of our students are only children, or at most have only one other sibling. Additionally, marriage between different branches of the old families has resulted in some sterility in both sexes. The Weasleys are an odd exception, and a real anomaly. All sorts of efforts are in place to ensure that the wizarding families don't disappear. You have been caught up in our attempts to perpetuate the wizarding world. Which is also why most abortifacients require a contribution from the father, while contributions from others will kill both the mother and the unborn child. It is also why most wizards and witches are at least mildly allergic to distilled moonbeam.'

Hermione nodded slowly. The idea did make some sense from a propagation point of view, but it wasn't much comfort. 'So I'm still left with the problem of the pregnancy.'

'It's not a problem, as you put it. Unexpected, yes, but not a problem. Any new-born witch or wizard is a blessing, regardless of the circumstances,' the Headmaster commented soothingly. 'But what about your parents? What reaction would they have to the news?' The Headmaster asked softly.

'They'd kill me. Well, maybe not kill me, but they wouldn't understand. Not at all. My father would demand that the child's father marry me, no matter who he was. If I didn't, they would insist on sending me off someplace that no one would know about, so they wouldn't be forced to answer unpleasant questions. They are very old-fashioned that way.' Hermione shook her head sadly.

'It is a shame. And you are not in a position, I believe, to take care of a child by yourself?' The question was rhetorical, but Hermione felt the need to answer it anyway.

'Not really, no. Not at all, actually. I mean, I guess I could ask Harry, and maybe he'd help me out, but that's really no different than having to rely on Draco.' She twisted her lips into a wry smile.

'Ah yes. Draco. Severus tells me that Draco is interested in taking responsibility for the child, and that you have agreed to this. Is that correct?' Again, the voice was calm, with no hint of surprise.

'Yes. I hate to have to rely on someone, and Draco has his own reasons for helping me out, but I don't know what else to do,' her voice trailed off. She hated feeling helpless like this.

'I would hate to see you have to leave school because of an unfortunate indiscretion. Unfortunately, the school laws are quite clear in this matter. 'No pregnant student shall remain at Hogwarts without proof of a formal betrothal.'' Hermione sighed. Of course. She had read that before, but it hadn't stuck in her mind, because it did not seem relevant.

'This means, of course, that there must only be a formal betrothal. You are not required to marry Draco ' or anyone else - upon graduation ' the decision will be left to the two of you. If there is a formal betrothal, there is no need to alter your circumstances ' or his- for the remainder of the school year.' The old man smiled, 'Of course, some changes may have to be made as you get further along, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it.' He stood up and patted Hermione's hand.

The young witch expected Dumbledore to give her a lecture similar to the one Severus gave her about the difficulties that she would encounter in any long-term relationship with Draco, particularly with regard to the child being Lucius', and yet none was forthcoming. His reaction to this news was definitely very much different from what she had expected.

'Don't worry about this, my dear. Although, I have to say, I am rather interested to see how the news of your betrothal to Draco will influence Lucius' support of Voldemort.' A calculating look came to the headmaster's face, but it quickly vanished again, making Hermione wonder if she had even seen it at all. 'Let's have Draco and his godfather come up. I believe there are a few things that we should talk about with them. Oh, and if you hear from Lucius again, please let me know,' the older man added almost as an afterthought.

Hermione nodded again, her voice having vanished instantaneously. Dumbledore seemed to be taking this amazingly well. Much better than she would have, if she had been in his position and had just been told that the Head Girl was pregnant. But perhaps he had known for sometime. That wouldn't surprise her. Not at all.

Draco and Severus entered the room, Draco looking slightly more subdued than usual as he looked around the office in awe.

'I understand that congratulations are in order, Mr. Malfoy. Hermione has informed me that she is pregnant, with your child, and that the two of you wish to raise the child.'

Draco glanced at Hermione for a quick confirmation of the story. She nodded, amazed at how easily the headmaster was able to spin falsehoods into truths. 'Yes, sir. I have asked Hermione to marry me, and she has agreed.' Hermione glanced up at Severus, and noticed that the dark-haired man's jaw was firm, as though he were trying very hard not to display any emotions.

'Very good. I am always happy at the news of the beginnings of the next generation. It fills me with hope. Particularly seeing the merging of the time-proven Malfoy family with the fresh influence of Miss Granger.' Hermione was still amazed at how sincere the Headmaster sounded. Maybe he really did see the child as a good thing.

'Thank you, sir. As unexpected as it was, I am quite pleased,' Draco sounded stiff, and Hermione wasn't too surprised. Dumbledore's reaction had to be a surprise to him, too.

'Perhaps this union will bring a new cooperation between the houses of Slytherin and Gryffindor, as well.' The Headmaster stared at his Potions Master as he spoke.

'Might I suggest, Headmaster, that Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger appear to gradually warm up to one another? While I am in favor of productive, ah, interactions between the two houses,' the dark haired wizard settled his gaze on Hermione, 'It might prove difficult to their friends if two long-time rivals appeared in the Great Hall holding hands tomorrow.'

The Headmaster sighed, but nodded his head before turning back to the young couple. 'Perhaps he is right. However, please do not feel that you must curb your natural affections toward one another to spare your friends.' Albus Dumbledore winked at the unlikely couple, while Severus Snape tried to hide his scowl. 'You two are some of the brightest students to pass through these doors in many years. I hope that you can appreciate each other without being caught up in what others think of your relationship. In my mind, you will both make excellent parents.'

Draco looked at Hermione and smiled shyly. Hermione returned the smile tentatively, deciding that maybe Lavender wasn't all wrong ' maybe she and Draco really could make this work, in spite of everything.

'Please come to me at any time,' Dumbledore added softly. 'Of course, if you feel more comfortable talking to Severus, or, Hermione if you wish to speak to Professor McGonagall, please feel free to do so.' The older man glanced at the dour wizard leaning against the wall. 'And can you bring me the betrothal agreement by the ' shall we say ' end of the week? We can then consider this matter closed. Until the happy arrival, of course!' The wizard smiled benignly.

Hermione and Draco nodded their thanks and left the office together, still somewhat stunned by the unexpectedly pleasant reaction they had received. Hermione only barely overhearing the headmaster's last words, 'Severus, do keep an eye on them, please.'

****

Lucius Malfoy was deeply engrossed in his brandy when he was startled by the sudden appearance of Severus Snape in his study. Twice in one week ' without a formal invitation ' was a record for his old friend. 'Severus. You are either lonely, or low on scotch. I can't think of a time when you've willingly visited me more than once a month.' Without asking, he got up and refilled his brandy snifter after pouring a generous scotch for the dark-haired wizard.

'Thank you, Lucius. I am here because I owe you an apology. And I've come to offer my congratulations at the same time.'

Lucius took a sip of his brandy. Severus wasn't making much sense. Admittedly, he had started drinking early in the day, but he didn't think that was the problem; he'd always been able to hold his liquor fairly well. He kept silent, waiting for his former school-mate to continue.

'I apologize for accusing you of taking liberties with Miss Granger. It seems that I was mistaken, and I wish to apologize. I did not mean to offend. I should have realized that a Muggle-born witch such as herself would not have been of interest to you.'

The blonde could detect the mocking undertone, and his patience was wearing thin. Besides, he wanted to hear what he had to say about Hermione. 'Explain yourself, Severus.'

'I assumed that you were the father of Miss Granger's child, but I was mistaken, and I apologize.'

Lucius nodded uncomprehendingly. Of course he was the father of Hermione's child. He knew that ' so why was Severus now saying that he wasn't? What the devil was he talking about? ' Of course. No harm done,' he muttered.

'Congratulations are in order, though. I understand that you are to be a grandfather.' Severus smirked as Lucius put down his brandy glass.

'Grandfather?' he croaked. Things were making even less sense now. How much brandy had he imbibed today?

'Indeed, my 'old friend'. Apparently Draco is actually the father of Hermione's child. They admitted this to the Headmaster this evening, and are now drawing up a formal betrothal. Again, I apologize for any false accusations. And congratulations on the anticipated birth of the next generation of your family line.' The dark-haired wizard gave a satisfied smirk as he finished speaking.

~~~~

A/N: Poor Lucius! But someone had to tell him, and why not the 'well-meaning' godfather of the groom? Heehee. At least now Lucius might do something other than sit around drinking expensive brandy at all hours of the day!
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The Senior Project