To Live Again

To Live Again

Prologue

Seventh Year at Hogwarts

She waits. People keep coming in and out of the hospital wing, some with minor injuries, and some who will be spending the night. One boy looked as if he had crashed during his first flying lesson. She reflected on her first flying lesson. Neville broke his wrist and Draco stole Neville's Remembrall. Harry flew after him, rescuing the Remembrall and becoming the "youngest house player in a century" according to Ron Weasley. She remembered how big Harry's eyes became when the Weasley twins told him how rough the game is, but nobody had died in centuries. She still did not like to fly, but her boyfriend liked to take her up into the sky and... The nurse interrupted her thoughts.

"Hermione?" called Madame Pomfrey. The girl stood up.

"Yes?" she replied.

"I have the results of your test."

"Okay." She walked slowly to a private room in the back of the hospital wing. The nurse shut the door.

"Do you want to look at them, or do you want me to tell you what it basically says."

"Let me see," she replied, "if I don't, it might not seem real." The nurse handed her the results. After glancing through them, she turned pale and said, "I knew it. I'm pregnant."

Hermione Granger walked slowly towards her boyfriend's dormitory. She did not know what she was going to tell him. Obviously, he would not be happy. She did not even think he suspected, even if she had been moody and cold lately. Suddenly she found herself outside the Slytherin common room. It seemed to have taken her almost no time to get there. She spoke the password, anima pura¹, and sat down on one of the chairs near the fireplace. He was not supposed to be out for another five minutes, so her thoughts wandered again.

Hermione sat crying out by the lake. It was rather chilly, since it was the beginning of October.

"Hermione," Ginny asked, "are you all right?"

"What?" She had not seen Ginny come up behind her. She quickly wiped her eyes on her robes, knowing that it would not help. "Yeah, I am fine. Just a little stressed."

"You know, you can tell me anything."

"I know," she replied.

"Just because I'm Ron's younger sister doesn't mean you can't trust me."

"I know."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, really. Just a stressful day, you know with exams coming up and this is a really important year because of NEWTS" Exams were actually ten months away.

"Okay," she said, "we'll talk later."

_________________________________________________________

Thinking back on her conversation with Ginny made Hermione realize just how much she needed her right then. She was a pillar in Hermione's shattered world, along with Harry and Ron. Suddenly, Draco came down the stairs.

"Hey," said Draco, throwing himself down beside her.

"Hello."

Draco winced at the coldness in her voice. She had been like this for the past few weeks, and he could not figure out why. He gave her everything she wanted, which was so against his Malfoy pride. He had needs, and she had suddenly stopped caring about them. That made him angry.

"Can we go somewhere private and talk?" she said.

"We can go to the astronomy tower, if you want."

"No, there will be others up there." Those "others" resembled Harry and his new girlfriend, a seventh year Ravenclaw.

"Okay, how about around the lake?"

"There are people there as well," she stated.

"How about the old charms classroom?"

"Perfect, no one will find us there for hours."

They made their way to the empty classroom. Once there, Draco leaned against a wall, and Hermione turned to face him. She took a deep breath and started to speak, but Draco cut her off. "Why have you been so cold lately? I don't think I have ever seen you act that way."

"I visited Madam Pomfrey today."

"So? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Draco," she sighed, giving him the chills.

"Yes?"

"I'm pregnant."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Who does it belong to?"

"You!"

"I don't believe you. It must be Potter's, or perhaps Weasley's?" he replied, using that same sneer when he said their names. He had never really grown out of that.

"Of course not! Do you think I have no values?" She realized that this was not going to turn out like any of the twenty-five ways she thought it would.

He slapped her. "You lying conniving bitch! I know what you've been up to!"

She tried to pull out her wand, only to realize she had not remembered to bring it with her. After all, she was supposed to be safe with Draco. He was a powerful wizard after all. He grabbed her by the hair, and pulled out a pocketknife that looked almost like a razorblade with a handle. Pressing it up against her throat, he continued ranting at her. "I will not be made a fool of! You will never tell anyone what has happened. If you do, I'll use this knife on you, slicing you up piece by piece!"

Hermione was crying by now, and she hated the feel of that blade pressing against her throat. "Draco, please don't..."

"Shut UP!" Draco was livid. "I will not have you destroying my reputation! Nobody will find out that I slept with a mudblood!"

She felt herself die at that moment. She knew everything was a lie. He never loved her, just used her so he could laugh with his friends. Then, without warning, he pulled the knife away, spun her towards him, and drove his fist into her stomach. She promptly threw up the contents of said stomach all over him, which incensed his anger. He punched her again, knocking her to the floor. She huddled on the floor trying to protect her stomach to no avail. He kicked her repeatedly there, as well as everywhere else. Suddenly, a black hush overtook her.

"Stupid bitch! You just had to go and get pregnant! Now you know what real pain is! Never darken my pathway again!"

Draco Malfoy kicked her one last time, and walked out.