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Need	By : diami25 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 30263 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies and I'm not making any profits from this writing.

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
- 17
A/N:
for those that haven’t noticed I poster chapter15 where my
cookie was so go ahead and read that before you read this chapter

Chapter
16 – Waifs and Strays

Draco
wouldn’t have left Dumbledore’s office in such hurry if
he’d known that right after the gargoyle he’d encounter
Hermione; waiting for him expectantly to ask what Dumbledore had said
about his injuries. He could see the worry in her eyes and wondered
how she had sneaked away from her friends and how long she had been
waiting there. He could hardly hide all the pent up anger he had
accumulated against that treacherous bastard that wanted to sacrifice
her for the greater good, and now he had to face her and blatantly
lie to her right away.

“Aren’t
you supposed to be in bed?” Draco asked, trying to delay the
inevitable and cursing the fates again for not letting him have a
minute of rest.

“The
boys had Quidditch practice and I wasn’t getting any rest so I
decided to come” She didn’t mention the fact that she had
practically thrown them out of the shack, claiming she was tired. She
wondered when she had learned to lie like that.

“I
don’t think Pomfrey would have let you leave if you were
staying in the infirmary, Hermione.”

“But
I wasn’t in the infirmary, and I’m fine. I was worried
and I’ve been trying to keep my emotions in check but I thought
it would be safer if I came here and made sure you were fine”

“Let
me understand; are you using me as an excuse to be reckless with your
health or is it the twins?” Draco admonished her making her
look aside and take a deep breath before she alleged.

“Look,
Draco, I’m fine, I swear. It’s just that I was worrying
myself sick and I’m already here. So are you going to tell me
what he said?”

She
was the epitome of stubbornness, he thought, and concluded that he
couldn’t avoid the inevitable any longer anyway; “He sent
me to Snape, said I needed to take some potions that would take care
of it.”

“How
did you get them in the first place, Draco?” Hermione asked,
still worried.

“Oh,
well, one doesn’t drag the Malfoy name to shame and get out of
it with nothing to remember it by” he could hardly believe how
smooth he was being about it, especially given his current mood.

“You
mean your father did that to you?”

“Something
like that”

“But
how? When ? Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Remember
the time I spent away from Hogwarts? That’s when, the how’s
not important, I barely remember it myself. It’s not as bad as
it looks, really. It’s precisely that actually, to tarnish my
perfect looks; that’s all. I didn’t want to tell you
because I knew you would make a big fuss about it”

“Will
the potions get rid of them?” she asked expectantly and
somewhat suspicious.

“Not
exactly, they’ll take the pain away, the needles are suppose to
stay there to remind me of my sins”

“Draco,
you are taking it way too lightly” she protested.

“There’s
only one person who is taking their health very lightly here, and
it’s you, Missy.” Draco scolded her. “We should get
going now” He reminded her, putting a hand on her lower back to
start walking towards the Whomping Willow and looking around to make
sure no one saw them.

“Draco,
we are not
through.” Hermione stated clearly, “and you have to get
those potions from Snape”

“I’ll
get them later and you should stop worrying about it” he told
her before making her turn into a more deserted shortcut to their
destination

“How
can I not worry when you’re acting in such an irresponsible
way, you should have gone to the infirmary sooner or have it checked
before”

“Looks
aren’t all that important, I know that coming from me it sounds
like a lot of crap, but they’re not, not really; it’s not
like you’ll stop loving me for it, I know I drive you crazy
anyway” he said giving her a slight hug from behind.

“Don’t
play” Hermione said breaking from his embrace and pulling him
forward to get a better look at him.

“Just
stop worrying about it, I barely feel them” said Draco, who was
getting more exasperated as the discussion progressed.

“I
saw your face when I tried to pull them out, Draco” Hermione
reminded him.

“Well,
that’s precisely it, you tried to pull them out; they didn’t
appreciate the gesture.”

“You’re
still joking” she said with a very serious expression

Draco
was starting to lose faith, he was lying about all the things he
could hide and making it look like a walk in the park and she was
still fussing about it.

“Look,
Granger, you said you were taking better care of your emotions since
your pregnancy, so you’re going to have to stop worrying at the
drop of a pin for me to start believing you. Now will you please stop
it, I’ll take the potions, I’ll never ever feel a feather
from them, I’d use a glamour charm for you but you know they
won’t work around you, so what’s the point. If you really
care so much about how they look, I promise you won’t have to
see them ever again”

“You
know it’s not that” she said looking away as they reached
the Whomping Willow, “and I already hate your gloves, what’s
going to be next; a mask?”

“You
tell me” he said stopping their way through the passage to the
Shack, “they seem to be driving you over the edge and I don’t
want to make things more difficult for you” he said crossing
his arms and looking at her expectantly.

“Draco,
it’s not that and you know it. I don’t like them but I
want to see you, feel you; touch you! I don’t care about how
they make you look; it’s what they do to you
that has me worried.”

“But
I just told you, it’s nothing”

“I
don’t know; it just feels as if- as if it was all too easy.
Draco, you wouldn’t lie to me about something like this,
right?” Draco tried not to cringe.

“No,
Kitten, of course I wouldn’t” he whispered as he hugged
her back avoiding her eyes. She hugged him back and he thought it was
finally time to change the subject.

“Now
tell me, have you thought about where you’ll be spending your
time after school?” he asked and guided her back through the
passageway that took them to the shack.

“Well
here, of course.” She said with a brighter mood.

“Hogwarts?”
Draco asked confused.

“Not
exactly Hogwarts, but we’ll be really close; the shack.”
Hermione answered with a triumphant smile; “I thought you’d
figure it out, why else would I have decorated it like I did”

“I
guess you are right, it was obvious. My head’s been elsewhere,
that’s it”

“I
know” she said with a smile. “So have you finished
catching up, yet? You were away for a long time”

“Almost
there, but I’ve got a feeling you want to help me? I still
don’t understand how you’ve been keeping up. For how long
will you be taking classes, anyway?”

“You
know me, as long as I can; I’ve been keeping myself ahead but
eventually I will just take the exams”

“You’re
going to be huge”

“I’m
already there, one of these days I won’t fit in the desks”
Hermione said with a serious expression making Draco chuckle and
beating him on the head for it.

“I
think you’re pretty.”

“You
better, I wouldn’t have you other way.”

“And
what would I do then, Huh?” he replied hugging her middle and
making her look at him.

They
shared a moment just standing on the passage way looking at each
other, he lowered his head to kiss the tip of her nose and just
stayed there touching her forehead with his and closing his eyes. She
was looking at him and right before she could say anything; he
started to move and took her with him.

“Will
you help me then?”

She
gulped; “of course, I haven’t got my books with me but
I’m sure I can coach you without them”

“I’m
sure you can” he said and they kept walking in silence until
they reached the entrance. She wanted to tell him not to think about
it but she had a feeling that wasn’t going to be enough.

*

It
was true, she didn’t need the books, she merely sat next to him
and looking at his notes started drawing charts explaining what had
gone on in classes while he was gone, they didn’t take long
with it because Draco had already advanced a lot and he decided that
his assignments could wait a few days more. Since his absences had
been excused with health reasons he could hand them in at any time.

A
few hours later while Hermione got engrossed in one of her maternity
books, Draco went for food and told her that he would get the potions
he needed from Snape on the way. While he did visit Snape for
potions; they were not the ones he’d told her he’d get;
the pain killers he used were already kept safely in one of his
drawers. His session with Snape lasted half an hour and by the time
he got back to the Shack he found her asleep with the book on her lap
in one of the sofas. He went to pick her up and moving the book aside
he let fall a piece of paper from within the book. It was a list of
names divided in two columns for male and female.

The
movement made Hermione stir and she opened her eyes to find him
reading the list she’d made.

“You
can help me add a few more if you want.”

He
chuckled; “I think this list would give my father a stroke if
he had a look at them; they are all so... muggle; you don’t
have a muggle name?”

“My
mother was going through a Shakespearian stage when she had me”

“Huh?”
Draco looked at her confused.

“Never
mind, tell me what names would give your father a stroke”

“Jake,
Martin, Susan, Jocelyn, pretty much all of them. Stop!”
Hermione had started crossing the names he was mentioning.

“You
don’t have to do that, I didn’t say I didn’t like
them.”

“Well,
do you?”

“You
want my opinion?” Draco asked raising an eyebrow at her

“I
want you to be participant”

“Is
that so?”

“Of
course Draco they are yours too, you know. I’m aware you didn’t
ask for this or plan it-”

“Shh...”
Draco silenced her giving her a peck in the cheek “I’ll
be happy to participate” he reassured her.

Hermione
pulled the list back in the book and closed it “it’s ok,
just forget it”

“Are
you letting the hormones get the best of you again?” Draco
joked not liking the lack of response he was getting; “What’s
wrong?”

“Nothing,
it’s just that-” she stopped herself before continuing
“You don’t love them Draco; not even close to it, it’s
as if you just accepted they were there; I don’t understand,
Draco they are yours too. How can you not love them?”

“Because
I love you”

“I
love you too, that doesn’t stop me”

“It’s
different”

“How?
How could it be different Draco? They are a part of you; a part of
you slowly growing. Look, feel them, they’re here” she
said pulling one of his hands to her belly. “Now they can hear
you Draco, you felt them, I just don’t get it”

Draco
pulled away to look at her “How could I love them, Hermione?
When they are about to take from me the only thing I ever wanted”

“They
aren’t- They didn’t, Draco, it’s not their fault
this happened. They didn’t plan this; any of it!” she
stood up and took a few steps away from the couch. “Draco, when
this is over” she stopped to make sure he looked at her “if
I don’t get through this, you’ll mourn me for a while but
you’ll be able to get on with your life and take care of
yourself. They won’t; if I don’t get through this they
are going to be alone, Draco, I don’t want them to have a
loveless childhood; it’s not your money I want for them. Why
can’t you understand?!” she stormed to their room and
threw the door closed after her.

Draco
remained rooted to the couch where she left him; he covered his eyes
with his hands and smoothed over the tear that had crossed one of his
cheeks. It didn’t seem fair that he would have to lie about
that as well. He wasn’t ready to face her as he walked the
space to the door and opened it, he wasn’t even sure of what or
how he’d be able to tell her what she needed to hear.

As
usual, she took care of this problem when he entered their room and
told him; “Draco, why can’t you understand; they are not
the reason you are losing me; they are the reason I’m willing
to fight.”

So
that’s how it was, Draco thought, as he yet again gathered the
courage to lie to her. He closed the space between them and kneeled
in front of her next to the bed. He took her hands and without
looking at her he promised the only thing he could. He promised that
theirs would be nothing like the childhood he had; and looked at her
before he reassured her that he would do everything in his hands so
that they didn’t have the loveless childhood she feared.

The
day they were born would be the worst day in Draco’s life.
- 15
- 16
- 17
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