Stormy Weather

Hermione lay in the middle of her bed, trying her best to keep her breakfast down. Her stomach kept on churning and rumbling, bringing back fairly nasty memories of the Polyjuice Potion. Ron and Harry had said that it tasted something like worms squirming around in their stomachs, but what she had tasted had been ten times worse. This made that seem almost like a pleasant memory.

“’mione?” She looked up to see Draco peering at her, worry touching those pale eyes of his. She managed to smile a little at him as he started into the room. “How are you feeling?”

She glanced ever so briefly at the sunlight slipping in through the open windows to the east and closed her eyes, fighting nausea once more. “Breakfast is revolting on me.”

“I’ll have to talk to it, then.” Draco tried a smile and she shook her head quickly.

Oh, I wish I hadn’t had done that. If this was what it felt like to be drunk, she was never touching alcohol in her life!

Once her stomach had settled down enough, she glared a bit at him. “The only way you can do that is if it comes out, and I’m fighting it!” He nodded a bit as he came over to sit down beside her, putting one arm around her in a gentle hug. She closed her eyes, fighting against the urge to cleanse her stomach out the hard way, and thought about anything else she could. “So what are your plans for today?”

“Talking to you.” He glanced outside to the sparkling bright sunshine. “And maybe some Quidditch, since it’s cleared up.”

“I hope my stomach will settle down for it.” She squeezed his hand lightly as he took it. “How was the rest of the party?”

He shuddered to think back on it. “Dull. Lots of relatives talking about lots of things I’ve heard before.”

Hermione laughed a little, then winced, holding onto her stomach. “You should go to one of my cousin’s parties. If one person doesn’t leave with slightly singed clothes, it’s a total dud. They also usually involve fireworks, beaches, and tons of music.” She thought for a few moments, thinking back. “The fireworks are the best part, and her dad usually burns himself during that part.” She laughed, then quickly covered her mouth as her cheeks turned green. “I’m going to have to go see Madam Pomfrey when we get back. Unless my stomach stops doing cartwheels, that is.”

She curled up a little against him, a soft smile on her lips as he put his arm around her once more. His fingers went through her hair for several minutes, sending waves of relaxation all through her. I think I’m about to go to sleep? Her eyes began to slide shut, then she yanked them back open. “Did you say something, Draco?”

“I was wondering what you were talking to my mother about last night.” He looked down at her, long fingers stroking through her hair once more.

“About us.” Hermione clasped his fingers in her own, tugging them out of her hair. “She’s glad that you finally brought someone home.” She looked down a little, her eyes closing once more. I can’t tell him. Not yet.

“’mione?” Draco asked quietly. “Are you pregnant?”

Hermione stared at him for a few moments, then pulled herself away quickly and ran for the bathroom, the battle with her stomach lost. She could almost hear Draco behind her wondering just what was going on as she cleaned herself up. At least I don’t have to tell him now. He won’t be asking questions. As she came out, she paid more attention to the sunbeams slanting in than to Draco. “I think I should head back to school. I need to see Madam Pomfrey, and maybe get some real sleep.”

She slid into the bed and curled up, feeling Draco tuck her in before curling up beside her, one arm sliding around her. “I like this,” she murmured, cuddling closer to him. I want to tell him, but he’s going to feel like he has to marry me because of this baby.

Draco looked down at her as she slipped softly into sleep, and smiled. I want to know what’s going on. But I’ll wait. He summoned a house-elf and informed the creature that they would be heading back to Hogwarts in the morning and to let his parents know. Once the elf had went on its way, Draco closed his eyes and followed Hermione’s example into sleep.

The door opened softly as Narcissa waved briefly at it, then strolled in, looking over at the bed. Draco and Hermione were still curled up in bed together, and his mother shook her head softly. If I didn’t already know they were, I’d suspect it. She fingered the necklace that they had sent her for her birthday, a simple chain with a small ever blooming mini-rose encased in crystal, and shook her head. “Time to get ready to head back to Hogwarts.”

Draco’s eyes cracked open slowly, then closed again briefly. His mother chuckled softly, then repeated a little more loudly, “It’s time to get ready to head back to school.”

It took a little more prodding, but both of them were awake shortly. Hermione still looked fairly pale, much paler than Draco’s usual pallor, with the very lightest taint of green under her skin. “Hi.” She rubbed her forehead and cheeks, trying to get her brain fully functioning again. “Time to go?”

“Time to go.” Draco got up and held his hand out to his girlfriend, helping her get up. Hermione looked at the dresser, then glanced back over at Narcissa curiously.

“Where are our clothes? I know we didn’t pack last night.” Hermione could hardly remember how she’d even gotten into bed the night before. Packing hadn’t been possible in the slightest.

“The house-elves took care of that.” Narcissa told her. Hermione winced ever so faintly. She would never like the thought of living, intelligent creatures being used as slaves without so much as a Knut for payment, but right now, she was very grateful.

“Thanks.” She rubbed her temples briefly. “I think I really will have to see Madam Pomfrey when we get back.” Hermione touched her stomach lightly and closed her eyes once more. I really don’t feel that well.

Narcissa nodded in agreement. She remembered quite well what the medi-witch at Hogwarts was like, and she would be a great help for Hermione. “That would probably be a very good idea.”

As Hermione headed to get cleaned up for the trip, Draco eyed his mother calmly. Narcissa looked back at him, not so twitching an inappropriate eyebrow. “Yes, dear?” Draco said nothing, just kept on staring at her. She smiled sweetly at him. “Have a good trip back to school, both of you.”

Draco watched her go, a slightly annoyed tinge to his eyes. She knows something. Just what she might know he couldn’t be too certain, but it was something. He knew he was going to find out what, somehow, in some fashion.

The trip back to Hogwarts didn’t take all that much time, and within moments of them getting out of the carriages, Hermione had been pulled away by Professor McGonagall. “Narcissa Malfoy sent us an owl concerning your situation. Come along, I’m taking you to Madam Pomfrey.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Hermione didn’t argue as she was taken into the school and towards the hospital wing. Draco’s going to ask more questions. Will I be able to give him the answers? That was something she had no idea of, and had no idea when she’d know.

Madam Pomfrey was ready when McGonagall brought her in, and had an array of potions and spells to administer. Hermione drank them all and let them be cast on herself, letting her mind drift a little except when she really had to answer something. At last, the mediwitch finished up and tapped her on the shoulder to be certain Hermione heard her. “That should keep you for now. You’ll have to come back for regular check-ups, though.”

“Thank you,” Hermione nodded, then looked at her Head of House. “Draco doesn’t know yet.”

“And why is that?”

She shrugged a little. “I haven’t figured out how to tell him yet. I want to do it for myself, though. And he will know by the end of the week.” She glanced up at them both a little nervously. I don’t think anyone’s ever had this kind of problem here at Hogwarts before. It’s certainly not mentioned in Hogwarts: A History if it has. “Can I go back to my room?”

McGonagall nodded slightly, stepping back to let her pass, and Hermione hurried along as swiftly as she could. I hope no one changed the password while I was away or I’m going to have to wait until someone who knows it comes along. As she came up to the Fat Lady, she did her best to get composed and smiled. “Hello.”

“Hello, dear. Did you enjoy your trip?” The painting smiled sweetly back at her.

“Of course. But I really need to get in and get some rest.” Hermione clenched and unclenched her fists, then spoke the password she remembered. “Dove tail feathers.” When I find out who set up that one…

The Fat Lady’s portrait swung open, and Hermione crawled inside quickly. Quite a few Gryffindors were chatting in the common room, some studying over in various corners, some talking in front of the fire. She could see her friends around one table, talking and doing homework, and waved a little at them. Most of the house members turned to stare at her as they realized she was home, and all those eyes on her began to make her feel very uncomfortable.

This doesn’t feel so…good… She hurried as swiftly as she could to the nearest bathroom. This wasn’t going to be fun.

As she vanished out the door, Ginny glanced over at Sam and Harry curiously. Her boyfriend looked just as confused as she felt. “I wonder what’s wrong.”

“Probably something she ate. Who knows what the Malfoys put in their food.” Ron suggested, no real heat on the insult, however, and kept on petting Ramas briefly as the ferret sniffed at his latest essay. “Someone should go check on her, though.”

Sam got up and hurried after her cousin, worry etched across her face. “Hermione? What’s wrong?” Hermione just brushed her hair back and shook her head.

“Help me to my room?” Sam knew her cousin very well, and she could tell that whatever it was, Hermione wasn’t going to talk about it here and now. She helped the Head Girl towards her bedroom, Ginny joining them, and the door was closed firmly behind them. This was a female-only discussion.

Hermione looked over at them once she was settled in, Crookshanks curling up on her lap automatically. “Draco and I kind of did something earlier this month, and…” She blushed and looked away, not quite able to finish this sentence, but she didn’t have to.

“You’re pregnant.” Ginny murmured, her brown eyes going wide and round in shock. Hermione nodded ever so slightly, amazed Ginny had figured it out so fast and from so few clues.

“You have to promise not to tell anyone. Not until I say you can, at least.”

Ginny’s head jerked up and down violently. “I wouldn’t dream of it!” This was the kind of thing that she’d only dared to dream about, and a lot of those dreams had been nightmares. This could wreck someone’s life if they weren’t careful, and sometimes even if they were.

“I’m pregnant,” Hermione petted her cat over and over, losing herself in the fur. “There is also a chance I could lose it. This is something else you shouldn’t tell anyone. Draco is part Veela, and it’s hard for a non-Veela to carry a child that has Veela blood in it. I could lose the baby, but I could also lose my own life.” She looked down at the floor briefly. “I haven’t told Draco yet.”

“Why not?” Ginny wondered.

Hermione had asked herself that a thousand times already. The answer she gave now was the only one she had yet been able to come up with. “I don’t know how. It’s not that easy to tell someone they’re going to be a father, especially when his father hates me because of who my parents are.”

Sam snorted her opinion of Mr. Malfoy. “Idiot. So what are you going to do?”

“Talk to Draco before the end of the week, and take it from there.” Hermione told them. “And pray that they can find a way for me to keep my baby and my life.” She closed her eyes in thought, then grinned a little. “Some good role model I am.”

Ginny looked at her innocently, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “I don’t know; you could be an example of what not to do.”

“Don’t go out with one of the cutest guys at school, especially when he kisses like a god.” Hermione grinned. She might give that advice, but there was no way she was going to take it.

Sam leaned back and shrugged, enjoying the break from Ramas crawling all over her. “Well, congratulations, and good luck. You’re going to need a lot of it.”

“You’re right. So congratulate me when I’m holding this kid.” Hermione shivered at something else. “Mom is going to kill me.” She glanced over at Ginny, and went some interesting shades of white. “Your parents are going to kill me!”

There were a couple of sharp raps on her door just then, and she looked over curiously. The private room didn’t have the spells protecting it that kept males out that the regular girls’ dorms did, so it could be just about anyone. “Hermione?” It was Harry’s voice.

“Come in.” She wasn’t very surprised to see that it was Harry and Ron both when the door opened. Emerald green eyes were full of worry as the door closed behind them. “Can I help you?”

“Are you all right?” Harry asked, his eyes not leaving her for a moment. She nodded; Harry’s habit of worrying about his friends had gotten more and more intense as the years had went by. With her dating his in-school worst enemy, his concern had only multiplied.

Ron shot a look of his own at her. “Are you sure?”

A quick glance into the mirror opposite her told her exactly why both of them were being a bit more concerned than usual. She still had that faintly green tinge to her cheeks, and it really wasn’t her color. “I’m fine. I know you guys have things to do, so off you go.” She did everything but actually point to the door to get them to leave. I don’t think Ron even really grasps that Harry and Ginny are dating. Not unless he’s figured it out while I was gone. She noticed Ginny beaming at her boyfriend, then grinned internally as Ron actually saw it.

“Um…” The redhead looked from his girlfriend to his best friend with more and more confusion. “When did this happen?”

Harry looked just as confused as Ron did. “You didn’t know?”

“I knew you two were good friends, but when did you start dating? Do our parents know?” Ron wasn’t quite certain how he felt about this.

Hermione leaned forward. “No, they don’t know yet, Ron. But they’re going to approve, since they do like Harry, and I know he won’t break her heart.”

Harry touched Ginny’s hand ever so lightly, ignoring just how uneasy Ron looked at the mention of broken hearts. “Never.”

“Exactly.” Hermione nodded, then looked at Ron, her eyes turning dark and angry. “By the way, if you do to Sam what you did to me, I’ll stomp on your heart after I rip it out of your chest.”

“You wouldn’t have to, ‘mi.” Sam grinned sweetly, and Hermione laughed. “If Ron did that, he wouldn’t ever wake up again.”

Ron gulped and shivered; there was definitely something serious about Sam’s words. As everyone else started laughing, Hermione suddenly pulled herself off the bed and ran into the bathroom once more, the unmistakable sound of spewing coming from there.

“I’m worried now.” Harry eyed the bathroom door, and Sam shook her head.

“You don’t have to be.” Hermione’s cousin warned him, and Ginny nodded beside her.

“Right. She’s worried enough for all of us.” The youngest Weasley told them. Ron fidgeted, one hand grabbing for Sam’s at the same time.

“But what is it? Is she really sick? Has she seen Madam Pomfrey about it?”

Ginny rapped him on the knuckles hard. “Stop being such a pest, Ron. You’ll find out when the time is right. When she’s ready to go, not until then.”

Harry looked over at the two other females. “But you two know?” Ginny nodded, but before anything else could be said, Hermione came back in.

“I need sleep,” she told them sharply. “So get out of my room, please.” It was phrased politely, but it was definitely a command. “Please.”

Ginny got up and pushed everyone out the door quickly. “You heard her! She’s exhausted, get moving!”

“Thanks, Ginny.” Hermione grabbed for the nearest nightshirt and started to peel out of her regular robes. “Thanks a lot.”

“No problem. Good night.” Ginny closed the door, and if she had known, she wouldn’t have been surprised that Hermione was asleep before she herself had taken three steps away.

Draco walked towards Gryffindor Tower, not paying too much attention to the chatter around him. The babble of Gryffindors meant less than nothing to him, especially since none of them were skilled enough to actually do anything to him. If it had been Potter or the Weasel he might’ve considered it, but as it wasn’t…

“Have you noticed, she’s been throwing up just about every morning since she got back?” He didn’t pause, but those words did jump out at him. The voice sounded a little familiar, and he thought it was Lavender Brown. He’d heard it raised a few times in those classes that he shared with the Gryffinmorons. “There’s only one thing I know of that does that!

“Wow, I wonder if it’s Malfoy’s.” It was yet another Gryffindor giggly wench. If the first one was Lavender, then this was definitely Parvati Patil. “Or…do you think she could have cheated on him?” He didn’t bother learning the usual habits of Gryffindors, but that kind of high pitched giggling really got on his nerves. If it was something Gryffindors did regularly, he was very glad that Hermione didn’t share it.

“I don’t blame her if she did. I wouldn’t want that creepy thing to touch me! I can’t imagine why she didn’t stay with Ron! He’s soooo gorgeous!” It was the other girl this time, the one who he had heard first, Brown. Draco just rolled his eyes; he could come up with a thousand reasons why any other random Gryffindor was so much better for any girl than Weasley. Actually having an income came first on the list.

Just as he came up to the Fat Lady, the portrait swung open and Colin Creevy came out with some of his year-mates, chattering about something that sounded almost as boring as he himself was. “Hey, Creevy!” Draco snapped, smirking to himself as the photographer jumped at the sound of his voice. “I need you to get Hermione for me.”

Creevy stared at him for a few moments, then nodded quickly. “All right, Malfoy!” He hurried back inside quickly and rapped on Hermione’s door. “Hermione?”

“Who is it?” He could hear her just fine through the door; obviously some of the magical effects of Hogwarts. He gave his name, and the door swung open, letting him in. “Um, Draco Malfoy wants to talk to you. He’s outside.”

“Thanks.” Hermione put down the hairbrush and started out motioning him to go as well. “I needed to talk to him too.”

Draco wasn’t doing anything as undignified as pacing, but he did look as if he might have been considering it when she showed up. “Hello.” Was his calm greeting as she came out.

“I need to talk to you.” Hermione told him as the portrait door closed behind her. Draco nodded slightly.

“And I need to talk to you.”

Hermione turned towards the hallway that led to the rest of the school. “Let’s go to the Astronomy Tower.”

Side by side, the two of them headed that way, not saying anything until they reached it. Once they were there, Hermione sat down on a ledge, staring up at the early morning sky. They’d been back from Malfoy Manor for almost two weeks now (so much for telling him by the end of the week), and she’d been fighting to figure out just how to say it. I think I have it now. “Can I go first?”

“Certainly.”

It was time to plunge right ahead and do it. “I’m pregnant.” She didn’t look at Draco. She couldn’t, not right now. “Do you remember the last time we were here? And what we forgot to do that time?” Her eyes flicked over just a little, just enough to see him nodding. “Our results are growing in me.” She touched her stomach lightly.

“So that’s why you were asking Mother.”

Hermione nodded. “She saw how tired I was and I guess that she was the same way with her pregnancy.”

“Pregnancies,” Draco murmured absently. Hermione blinked; that was something she hadn’t heard of before. She was fairly certainly that he didn’t have any brothers or sisters, but…

But there were other things to think about now. “We’re going to be parents. I hope.” She leaned into him as he came over and put his arm around her. “I’m still going to play in the exhibition game. Madam Pomfrey told me I should be just fine. Your parents already know about this.”

“Do yours?” Draco wondered. Hermione shook her head.

“I’m waiting to tell them in person.” Her eyes glinted with amusement. “So Dad can kill you right away.”

Draco blinked slightly. “Thanks.”

“Just kidding.” Hermione snickered a little. “He may yell some, but he won’t kill you.” She leaned closer to him again, enjoying the warmth of him next to her. “What do you think we’ll have?”

“Probably a boy,” He thought a little. “Malfoys usually have or sire boys. It’s how the line goes on.”

Hermione nodded slightly. “Would you mind if it were a girl?”

“What if it’s one of each?” Draco suggested, and she nodded, looking just slightly greener at the thought of carrying twins. Draco didn’t notice, however.

“That could work,” she agreed. If I have twins, he isn’t touching me again until they reach Hogwarts. If then. “As long as they’re healthy.” She leaned her head on his shoulder briefly. “What did you want to tell me?”

He grinned up at her. “I was going to ask if you were pregnant.”

Her laugh echoed brightly in the clear morning air, and he grinned even more as they both got to their feet. “Let’s get to breakfast.”

Some of the students noticed that Draco and Hermione came in together, something that hadn’t been happening since they got back. They also noticed that when the two entered, the whole atmosphere of Hogwarts’ Great Hall brightened by several magnitudes.

“You okay?” Ron asked Hermione as she came to sit by them, waving briefly at Draco as he headed to the Slytherin tables. Hermione nodded quickly, a soft and happy smile touching her lips.

Ginny glanced at her friend. “Have you and Draco talked yet?” Hermione nodded, her eyes flickering about to see who was looking at them. Quite a few of their friends and classmates were there, eating and talking and who knew what else. Even Lavender and Parvati had made it from their usual morning gossip session.

Ron looked from one of them to the other in confusion, and Hermione knew she couldn’t keep it a secret forever. I think Lavender and Parvati already suspect anyway. “I’m pregnant.”

Everyone who was in range turned to stare at her as if their heads were on the same swivel, some of them with forks full of food in their mouths. Ron blinked several times. “Malfoy?” She nodded, and Ron stared at her for a long moment, a range of emotions flickering through his eyes and features. Finally, he settled on calmness, perhaps sparked by the tear that Hermione wiped away. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” Hermione nibbled on a piece of buttered toast briefly, then pushed it away, unable to stomach anything else.

“Hermione? What’s wrong?” Ginny was becoming more and more like her mother every day, getting into everything, whether it concerned her or not.

“Just not really hungry.”

Ginny leaned a bit closer, trying to ignore the buzz of conversation, virtually all of it about Hermione and Malfoy right now. “You think it has something to do with…” Her eyes were directed at Hermione’s stomach, and the Head Girl nodded quietly. “Maybe you should talk to Madam Pomfrey.”

“I’ve heard that so many times I’m sick of hearing it!” Hermione snapped, glaring at her. “I’m as fine as I can be, with something growing inside of me that not only I’m not one hundred percent prepared for physically, since I’m not finished with puberty yet, since I’m only seventeen, but I’m also growing a little parasite that could kill me, and itself! I’ve seen Madam Pomfrey once a week since I got back, and I’m going to keep on seeing her once a week! I’ve almost got a private room reserved in the hospital wing, so stop telling me to see her, got it?”

Ginny stared at her, her eyes wide and shocked. “All right.” Her voice shook just a little, then she stood up. “I’m just going to chalk that up to you being pregnant, and not think that you actually mean any of it.” Without another word, she headed on to her class. Hermione stared after her, then sighed.

I am so going to kill Draco for this. Mood swings suck.

Professor Snape would certainly have enjoyed deducting points from Gryffindor, if Hermione hadn’t slipped in just before the bell rang. She sat next to Draco in her usual spot, smiling just a little bit at him as she started getting things ready.

“You’re looking pale,” Draco whispered softly, banking on his position as Snape’s favorite student to get away with this. “You look kind of thinner, too. You should probably try to eat more.”

Hermione turned a very annoyed look on him. It was bad enough that Ginny was mother-henning her, but he was starting to really irk her nerves! It was his fault to begin with, why was he even talking to her? “I’m not pale, I’m not thinner, and I don’t need to eat more. I haven’t even been all that hungry to start with, so don’t nag me about it!”

Draco didn’t so much as bat an eye. “You should try anyway. How have you been feeling?”

“Fine. So stop asking me about it.” They both went quiet as Snape called the class to order.

“Today you’ll be starting to work on your final projects. Choose a potion and work on it. Make it good, because if you turn in identical wart-removal cures that don’t work, you’re going to have to deal with this all over again, and as much as you don’t want that, I want it even less.”

Draco looked at Hermione, paging idly through his Advanced Potions text. “So what should we do? There’s a lot here.”

“I know.” Hermione eyed the book, wondering why there were images of pickles, fried onions, and ice cream all in a bowl together wandering through her mind. Draco paused on one of the pages and motioned to it.

“What about that one? It’s pretty hard but I think we can do it.”

She shrugged carelessly. “Sure. Why not?” Ohhh, a couple of strawberries had been added to the mental image. Maybe she could talk to Dobby. It would be worth whatever she had to talk him into accepting for it.

It took them most of the class to work through things, but the potion wasn’t anywhere near finished as Hermione put some shredded thestral feathers in. “It has to steep for seven days in light, seven days in darkness, and seven days in salt water, then we can add the secondary mixture.” She recited the procedure from memory and Draco nodded.

“We can let it steep outside to start with. I know a spot on the grounds that’s always in light.” Draco was about to mention it was also very private and could be used for other things, when Hermione suddenly collapsed into a small heap of black robes on the floor.

“What’s going on over here?” Snape appeared by her side almost at once, staring down at the unconscious seventh year. “Mr. Malfoy, take her to Madam Pomfrey. Everyone else, back to work.”

Draco hurried along the corridors, up and down the stairs until they were in the Hospital Wing. Hermione was just starting to wake up as he placed her on a bed. “What happened?” The brown-haired girl murmured, the bad temper she’d displayed earlier gone.

“You passed out.”

“Quiet, Mr. Malfoy, quiet,” Madam Pomfrey snapped as she hurried over. “Let me deal with my patient.” She waved her wand briefly over Hermione, muttering things before shoving various potions at her. “Take these, but be careful, and don’t drink too fast. You don’t want to choke.”

Hermione obediently drained the vials, watching as the nurse muttered a few more things. “It’s because of the baby that I passed out, isn’t it?”

“Probably,” Draco suggested as Madam Pomfrey gave them both very annoyed looks. “We both know about the risks.”

The nurse tapped her foot firmly. “If you don’t mind, Mr. Malfoy, I believe you have classes, and Miss Granger needs to rest. I suggest that you go. Once your classes are over, you may visit her briefly.” There was a challenge in her eyes that dared him to defy her authority, and it was a challenge that Draco just didn’t bother to take up.

“I’ll see you after class, Hermione.” He kissed her lightly, then hurried on to his next class. Unluckily, that was one of those, which Gryffindor happened to share with him, and as he slid into his chair, Potter, leaned over to ask how Hermione was doing. I suppose her friends will want to talk to her too. As long as they don’t interfere in my visits. “She’s asleep.” There was a definite tone to his voice that translated into ‘Do not talk to me, Potter, you annoy me just by existing’. He hoped Potter got the message.

Potter did.