The Mudblood and the Dragon

Chapter Nine

"Well," Dumbledore said later that day. "You two seem to have made a bit of progress over the past few days."

Hermione and Draco were sitting side by side on Draco's bed, when Dumbledore had entered their quarters to talk to them.

"I guess if you're getting along well enough, you may return to your classes on Monday, and you may leave your quarters for meals and seeing your friends today," Dumbledore told them. "As long as it is not after hours," he added quickly. "I will tell you when you have an assignment, like walking the corridors and such."

Hermione and Draco nodded. In their letters, Dumbledore had told them that they would have assignments to keep other students in line.

"Good day!" he said cheerfully before he left.

Draco stood up and grasped Hermione's hand. "C'mon!"

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked.

"To tell Harry." Draco paused, considering his words carefully. "About your condition."

"Draco," she told him. "This is something I have to do alone. It has to be one on one, just Harry and me. You won't be there, Ron won't be there, and if Harry has a new girl," her voice was now trembling. "Then she won't be there either."

Draco pulled Hermione into a hug. She buried her face in his sweater and breathed in his sweet cologne. It seemed, somehow, soothing.

"Mmm..." Hermione sighed. "Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?"

"Everything, just everything."

Hermione pulled away slowly. She didn't want to, but she knew that staying there wouldn't tell Harry, and he needed to know. She leaned into him and they passionately kissed before she walked towards the door.

Right in front of the door, Hermione stopped. She looked back at Draco, who gave her a supportive nod. She smiled and headed to the Great Hall.

*~*~*~*~*

Hermione walked through the doors of the Great Hall. She started talking to herself, saying encouraging words, the same way she had in their first year when her name had been called for the Sorting Hat.

Hermione immediately spotted Harry at the Gryffindor table, sitting next to Ron, Ginny, and all of the other Quidditch team members.

Hermione's knees shook furiously as she walked up to Harry. She reached him and gently tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned around and yelled, "Hermione! Dumbledore let you out?"

Hermione nodded, not trusting her voice.

"Was it dreadful?" Ron cut in.

Hermione ignored Ron and said, "Harry, I need to talk to you alone."

Ron looked a bit put out by the statement, and Hermione added, "It's important."

Harry nodded, turned to Ron and rolled his eyes, as to say, "Who knows." He quickly followed Hermione out of the Great Hall and into the quiet, empty hallway.

"What's all this rubbish, Hermione?" he asked in the hallway.

"Not here. I don't want anyone to hear."

Hermione noticed an empty classroom and dragged Harry inside.

"You night want to sit down," Hermione suggested.

Harry nervously sat down in an empty chair. Hermione felt her knees weaken again, but slowly paced around the room, consider her words.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, "Is this something bad?"

"Yes, I mean, no, I mean," Hermione stuttered. "It really depends on how you take the news."

Harry's face stiffened, he looked a bit worried. Hermione felt as though she was going to throw up, but didn't know if it was because she was nervous or if it was because she was pregnant.

Hermione took a deep breath and started, "You remember this summer, on my parents' anniversary, right?"

Harry smiled and chuckled, "Yeah."

"Harry this isn't funny!" she yelled. "This was so much easier to tell Draco," she muttered.

"You told Malfoy about our summer? How could you?" Harry bellowed.

"He would have found out anyway!"

"No one would have told him!"

"No one would need to be told! They'd look at me and say 'Look at the pregnant girl!'"

Tears blurred Hermione's vision as she walked across the room, away from Harry.

"How?" Harry asked stupidly.

"You were there, Harry."

"No, I mean, how could you tell Malfoy before telling me?" he yelled. "I'm your best friend and the father, but you told Malfoy, your worst enemy, before me?"

"I was crying and he asked what was wrong! I couldn't very well say 'nothing'!"

"But you could have lied or told him to mind his own business!"

"Do you want to know why I didn't do that?" Without waiting for an answer, Hermione said, "Because he has treated me better in the past week than you have in the past five minutes!"

"How can you say that? Do you remember how he's treated you?"

Hermione walked toward the door, getting ready to leave. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Do you know how you've just treated me?" She asked. "You act as though it's my fault I'm pregnant, but you know what Harry? It's not my fault. If you hadn't been with me, this never could have happened."

"I'm sorry! I was just surprised!"

"Don't you think I was surprised when I found out?" Hermione yelled. "I didn't treat people like dirt though!"

"I'm sorry!" he hollered. "This is just a little hard on me! I didn't think I'd be a father at the age of seventeen."

"You think this is hard on you?" she yelled through her tears. "I wanted to literally die! My life has been a living hell! My parents don't trust me! They almost didn't allow me to come back to school because they were afraid of what else I might do!"

Harry sat silently in his chair. How can he sit there after what he's done to me?

"The least you could do is act like you care!" she screamed.

"I do bloody care!" he shouted. "I've already told you that!"

"You obviously aren't sorry enough! Draco comforted me, but you, you just continue making excuses, and I don't want to hear them!"

"Malfoy?" Harry asked. "Draco Malfoy comforted a muggleborn that he's been insulting since the day he met?"

"He's changed! And so have you!" Harry rolled his eyes. "I don't care how much you hate him! You have no control over me! And if I want to snog him, I can, and I will." Hermione opened the door to leave.

"YOU WANT TO SNOG DRACO MALFOY!?" Harry bellowed.

Parvati and Lavender, who were walking past the room, turned and stared at Harry and Hermione.

"I CAN DO WHATEVER I DAMN WELL PLEASE!" Hermione screamed before she slammed the door and pushed past Parvati and Lavender.