Giving Into Temptation

Chapter Eleven: Good News and Bad News

Draco paced outside the flat he knew belonged to Harry and Ginny. He had found out this was where Ron was staying, and he'd come here to talk to him. Probably not the best idea, but I have to at least try and make him understand. So he steeled himself and rang the doorbell. After a few moments, the door opened and Ginny Potter appeared. Draco's eyes flicked from her protruding stomach, then back up to her brown eyes full of questions.

"You're here to see Ron," she said before he could open his mouth. "Well...don't make too much of a mess. And if you duel, have the decency to take it somewhere else."

"Er...right..."

Ginny stepped aside and let Draco into the flat.

"Ron! There's someone here to see you!"

In the guest bedroom, Ron perked up. Hermione! He thought, smiling despite himself. Maybe she's come to tell me she's left Malfoy and she wants to start over. I'll take her back, of course, but I'll make her work for it. Ron quickly left the room, and when his eyes landed on Malfoy, he instantly became red with anger, his hands curling into fists.

"You have a lot of nerve coming here," he hissed through gritted teeth.

"Before you decide to hex me, just hear me out."

"Why should I? You stole my fiancée! You're the reason she stopped loving me! You stole my life!"

Draco cringed inwardly at the harsh words, even though he knew he partially deserved them.

"First of all, I didn't make her stop loving you. You let that happen all on your own. As for stealing her...well, maybe I did, but not from you. I stole her from unhappiness...from desperation and the feeling of being unwanted. I won't apologize for that. I love-"

"If you finish that sentence I'll send you into the Beyond so you can reunite with your pathetic father!"

"Fine! Kill me! But it won't erase the fact that Hermione and I were together. Maybe if you had been home more instead of off at your brothers' shop, then you wouldn't have lost her. And if it hadn't been to me, then it would have just been to someone else. Why can't you see that? Why are you blaming this all on Hermione and me?"

Ron was quiet as he mulled over Malfoy's questions. You were angry. You felt betrayed. It's your right to feel that way. But if you think about it, what Malfoy says is right. You avoided going home just because you wanted to make more money. You let Hermione spend to much time alone. What did you expect to happen?

"It'll be a cold day in hell before I give you my blessing, Malfoy."

"I don't want your blessing. You can hate me forever if you like. I just don't want Hermione in pain any longer. I really truly love her, Weasley. Go ahead and use Avada Kedavra, but I'm telling you the truth. I wish it hadn't been her that I fell for. I wish I could've found someone else. I never meant to hurt you, whether you believe it or not. I won't wait for any acceptance on your part, because I know it'll never come. So I'll just leave."

Draco turned to leave and Ron clenched his wand in his pocket, resisting the urge to curse him. Malfoy loves Hermione and she loves him. I lost her. I really have lost her.

"Malfoy!"

Draco turned cautiously and his eyes met Ron's.

"If you hurt her...if you do anything wrong to her and I hear about it...you had better hope I never find you."

Draco nodded, gulping over the lump in his throat, and quickly left the flat. Once Draco was gone, Ginny went up to her brother and gave him a hug.

"I'm proud of you, Ron."

"Yeah...well that's just great. I'm going to my room."

Ron shrugged her off of him and shuffled into the guest bedroom. He fell onto the bed, buried his face in the pillow, and cried.

~ ~ ~

When Draco returned to Hermione's home, he found her sitting at the dining room table, listlessly picking at a flower in the centerpiece.

"Hermione...I need to talk to you."

"Funny...that's exactly what I was going to say to you."

She gazed up at him, eyes red-rimmed and puffy, and his stomach clenched. She's going to tell me she wants to go back to him, and after all that I just said. Oh please, Hermione, don't give up on me.

"You go first," he croaked.

"All right...well...I was feeling sick yesterday and I thought it was nerves...but...well...it wasn't. The Healer...the Healer said..." Hermione trailed off, taking a deep breath before continuing. "She said I was pregnant."

Hermione gazed down at her hands, not wanting to see his reaction. Draco was silent for a moment, and then he smiled.

"Hermione...look at me."

She slowly raised her eyes to meet his and was surprised at the smile on his face.

"Y-You're happy?"

"Why shouldn't I be? I'm having a baby with the woman I love. Wait...aren't you happy?"

As the smile slipped from Draco's face, to be replaced with a look of anxiety, his heart slid into his stomach. I shouldn't have gone to see Weasley. She doesn't want this. She doesn't want us. This is all a mistake to her. She...

"I am happy. I was just...well...I was afraid you'd be angry."

"Why would I be angry?"

"I don't know...what was it you had to tell me?"

"Nothing. It's not important. So... tell me more about this Healer's visit."

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