After Midnight

Sorry it's been awhile since I updated. Work and education get in the way. Thank you to everyone who reviews, it really means a lot to me. I'm kind of stuck with this story, so if anybody has any suggestions, I welcome them. Cheers!

GC


They flooed to Diagon Alley and waited outside La Casa della Rosa for Blaise Zabini and Ginny. Finally two pops were heard and Hermione could see Blaise languidly walking up the street, holding Ginny by the wrist as if she were a disobedient child. Hermione looked at her wrist as she approached and saw the ‘Z’ tattooed on the inside of her it, indicating that was little more than a slave. It was subtle, but it let everyone in the wizarding world know that she was not a free citizen. As the couple walked towards them, Hermione looked at Diagon Alley and thought of how different it was from the first time she had seen it with her parents at the age of eleven. It was still bustling with wizarding activity, but there was tenseness in the air, as if no one wanted to let go too much. Anything that was said that could be misconstrued as muggle-loving or anti-Dark Lord could cause a person to disappear. Hermione wondered for a moment what her life would have been like if Draco hadn’t become obsessed with her. She doubted she would have survived and if she had, she doubted that whomever paid enough galleons to possess her would have been as lenient as he had been with her. Because she was married to Draco, she didn’t have to wear the mark on her wrist. Other than the stipulations of her bonding, she was by all accounts a free citizen. No one dared to mention her lineage in front of Draco and if they did, it didn’t matter because she was still above them because of the rank she had married into.

As Blaise approached Draco, he shook his hand and made the obligatory male comments about being a stud and congratulated him on his third child coming into the world. Hermione took this time to study Ginny. She was fit and attractive with her long silky red hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail and wispy tendrils framing her face. She was wearing an Italian tailored dress that accentuated her figure and strappy heels that showed off her pretty legs. Her face was blank, but her large green eyes looked at Hermione with longing. As Blaise and Draco continued their conversation, it became apparent that it was now acceptable for the two women to carry on their own conversation.

“You’re looking very lovely, today Gin. Is that a new dress?” Hermione asked as she reached out to touch the redhead to reassure herself that she was there and okay.

“Yes, we went Milan two weeks ago so that Blaise could visit his family. You should have seen the spring collections; the colors this season would suit you perfectly.” Ginny reveled in Hermione’s touch and held eye contact with her. Hermione noticed the distinct lack of ‘we’ in her sentence. Blaise was enamored of Ginny, but to him she was a belonging, like an expensive pet.

“I doubt that Milan has started making maternity wear. I’ll soon be so big I’ll have to wear a tent.” Hermione stuck to the safe subjects of fashion, travel and children while the two of them were in front of Draco and Blaise. She longed to hold Ginny to her, but didn’t dare risk Zabini’s wrath. The four of them were seated in the restaurant and had ordered before Hermione reached down her leg and purposely snagged her stockings. The loo was more than thirty feet from their table, so she would have to put up with the constrictions of her bonding, but it would be worth it to talk to Ginny alone.

“Oh drat. I’ve got a run. Ginny, would you mind coming to the ladies’ room with me? I can’t fix it by myself.” Ginny looked to Blaise who nodded his ascent and Draco gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek and a pat on the bum before she left.

Once inside the tiny room, Hermione engulfed Ginny in a hug. Ginny clung to her as if she were the only piece of land in the middle of an unforgiving sea.

“Oh gods, Hermione, it’s so good to see you!”

“Sh, it’s okay. How are you holding up?” Hermione made soothing circles with her hand on Ginny’s back. She had always been motherly and she was certain that Ginny needed mothering right now. She was well-fed and her eyes weren’t dull, but Hermione knew that her current position was making her go crazy.

Drying her eyes, Ginny spoke, “When he told me where we were going and why I was happy, but then I got so angry. I can’t believe you Hermione. I can understand the first pregnancy, but this one? Why are you still whelping for him? How could you have another one of his brats?”

“Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare speak that way about my children!” Hermione was shocked. Ginny didn’t know the reason she had agreed to Draco’s proposition had been the guarantee of Ginny’s own safety and Hermione didn’t want to tell her for some reason. Ginny had enough on her plate.

‘You’re the brightest witch of your age Hermione. I know he doesn’t let you do much, but he leaves you alone long enough that you could get rid of it. At least that would be something, some way of fighting back.”

Ginny Weasley! What would your mother say? Would she have cared who the father of my baby was? No, she would have accepted him and loved him in spite of his parentage. I can’t get rid of my baby. Yes, it’s half of him, but it’s growing inside of me. I can feel it in there and I already love it. I never planned on it, but that’s just how it is. What’s gotten into you that you can’t see why I want to keep my child?”

“I’m pregnant Hermione.” Hermione was already feeling dizzy from being too far from Draco, but this news almost made her swoon. “I’m pregnant and Merlin, help me, I don’t want it. Does that make me a bad person? I hate myself, but I can’t love this thing inside of me because it feels like one more mark of his on me.”

“Have you told him? Hermione asked. Ginny shook her head. “I’ll ask Draco if you can come over this week. If you aren’t too far gone, I can brew the potion for you. If you come over while he’s at work, I can do it and tell him that you got a headache because the two potions are the same color.” Ginny sniffled and nodded her head, leaning into Hermione once again.

“I’m sorry for what I said about your children. I wish I could see things the way you do. Do you hate me?”

Hermione hugged Ginny fiercely, “I could never hate you Gin, I love you too much.” After stating that, Hermione dried Ginny’s tears and made the two of them presentable enough to go back outside. She was feeling sick to her stomach because of the physical pain that being too far from Draco brought on by the bond.

The second she stepped back into the dining room she immediately felt better. Sitting next to Draco she smiled at him slightly. He, too, looked a little worse for the wear. Their food had arrived, so she began to eat and no one would have known about the conversation that had taken place just moments ago. Blaise droned on to Draco about business and quidditch while Hermione talked about colors for the new nursery with Ginny. As they spoke, Ginny seemed more lighthearted than before. Feeling Draco’s hand on her knee and traveling up her inner thigh, Hermione sighed. She had very little power in her world, but what she had she would use to help Ginny. For once, she was not sorry that she had ended up with Draco. At least she could share one thing with him: the excitement of their children. Helping Ginny would be dangerous and difficult, but she would do it. She was becoming more Slytherin by the day, sacrificing so much because the ends would justify the means. She hoped she would never have to choose between Ginny and her children.