Someone to Watch Over Me

Someone to Watch Over Me

Chapter 10: The 6 Stages of Snape

"Well? Say something!" Hermione demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

Snape was just staring at her in disbelief.

"No," he said, finally.

"No?"

He crossed the room, and put a hand on each of her shoulders. He leaned forward and looked directly into her eyes.

"No, you are not pregnant."

Hermione raised her eyebrows and stared back at him curiously.

"Are you trying to hypnotize me?" she asked in a loud whisper.

Abruptly he dropped his hands and stepped back.

"No. I'm simply trying to make you see reason. You can't be pregnant. I can't be a father, I don't know how. It's just impossible. No. I don't believe it."

He nodded, satisfied with himself.

Hermione opened her mouth to argue, and then shut it abruptly. Turning a pale shade of green she pushed past him and ran for the bathroom.

"That doesn't prove anything! It's just a virus!" he yelled after her.

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"Hermione? You can't hide in here for-. Hermione?"

When ten o'clock rolled around the next morning and Hermione had not emerged from her room, Ginny went in after her.

She wasn't in bed. In fact, the bed didn't appear to have been slept in at all.

Ginny headed for the bathroom, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She shrieked when she found her.

"Hermione? Hermione! Wake-up, please wake-up!" she cried, shaking the limp body.

No response.

"Ginny? Are you..." Draco had rushed in when he heard Ginny scream.

"What happened?" he demanded, dropping to his knees beside them.

"I found her like this on the floor. Draco, I can't wake her up."

"I thought she was getting over this virus."

"I think she's pregnant."

"What?!"

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"What seems to be the problem?" the healer asked as he walked into the examination room.

"She's unconscious," Draco said, glaring.

This guy looked about ten years old. What do you have to do to see a real healer?

"We think she might be pregnant," Ginny blurted out, still frightened for her friend.

"No, Miss Weasley. Miss Granger is not pregnant. It's probably Dragon Pox," Snape said.

Everyone looked at him strangely.

"Well, I'll just take a look," the healer said, snapping on gloves, and then reaching to lift Hermione's robes.

Draco looked away, not wanting to watch. If he hadn't, he might of seen what Snape was going to do in time to stop him.

As the healer spread her legs, he suddenly found himself on the floor with a bruised jaw.

Professor Snape was now standing between him and Hermione, anger burning in his eyes.

The healer gulped.

"I'm going to get a midwife," he said, slowly rising to his feet.

"Professor! Hermione is ill! She needs to see a healer, you're not helping," Ginny admonished him after the healer had left.

"That pervert will not come near her again," he growled, glaring at her.

"Draco? Ginny? What are you doing here?" Joyce asked as she walked into the room.

Draco sighed in relief.

"I forgot you worked here, Joyce. This is our friend, Hermione. We found her on the bathroom floor this morning..."

"Oh, the one with the Egyptian Flu?" Joyce asked, winking at Ginny.

Snape moved aside so that she could examine Hermione.

"Ha! Egyptian Flu! See, I told you she wasn't pregnant!" he yelled, triumphantly.

"Draco, why don't you take Professor Snape to the cafeteria?" Joyce suggested.

"I'm not hungry," Snape said, looking at her suspiciously.

"Well, it seems to me that Miss Granger is dehydrated, and her blood sugar is a little too low. She could really benefit from some juice when she wakes up," Joyce explained, sweetly.

Snape seemed to consider this for a moment, and then turned to Draco.

"Let's go."

Joyce shook her head after the men left.

"Don't tell me Snape's the father?" she asked.

Ginny sighed and sat in a chair beside the bed.

"I've got two words for you. Love and potion."

Joyce shook her head again, and started a more in-depth exam.

"I didn't know you were a midwife," Ginny said, wincing in sympathy for Hermione.

"Well, I won't officially be licensed 'til next spring, but my mother was a midwife, and her mother was one, and her mother, etc..."

"And, Blaise doesn't have a problem with you working?"

"Oh, he did at first, but I was finally able to make him realize that I was working because I loved doing it. Like a hobby, and not because I felt I needed more money. I mean, please, he's loaded. All of the Death Eaters are."

Ginny bit her lip trying to decide if now was a good time to get some more information out of Joyce or not.

"Joyce, just so you know, Hermione is a muggle-born."

Joyce stiffened and turned to look at Ginny, questioningly.

"Do Snape and Malfoy know?" she asked, anxiously.

"Yes."

Joyce just stared at her for a minute, and then turned back to her patient.

"That's a dangerous game the four of you are playing then. I suspected something was up when Draco announced you as his fiancé and not the Parkinson woman," Joyce muttered.

"Can we trust you, not to tell?" Ginny asked, hesitantly.

"The Dark Lord? I avoid him as much as possible anyway. But I can't promise to keep this from Blaise. We don't keep things from each other."

"Draco is planning on talking to Blaise about it anyway," Ginny commented, feeling relieved.

Joyce smiled.

She knew that Joyce was a good person, and Draco was certain that Blaise wanted out from under the Dark Lord. This might just work out.

Ginny let her finish up in silence.

After a few minutes, Joyce slipped off her gloves and went to wash her hands.

"So, is she going to be okay?"

"Yes. Everything looks like it's coming along nicely. She just needs more fluids."

"I can't! I can't eat; I can't drink..." Hermione was awake and crying.

Ginny grabbed her hand.

Joyce walked over and patted Hermione's other shoulder.

"Don't worry dear. There is a potion that will help with the nausea. And you're already five and a half weeks along, so it should be stopping soon anyway," Joyce said, handing Hermione a tissue.

The door opened and Draco and Professor Snape walked in with armloads of juice cartons.

"We weren't sure how much to bring," Draco said, dumping them onto a counter.

Ginny walked over and gave him a hug.

He kissed her forehead, and held her close.

Snape rolled his eyes and headed to Hermione's side.

"So, she's okay then?" Draco asked over Ginny's head.

Joyce nodded.

"She was dehydrated. But everything looks fine, you just need to make sure she's eating and drinking enough. I'm going to talk to Professor Snape about that potion," she said, leaving Draco and Ginny alone.

"That was so scary. Draco? Do you think this will happen when I get pregnant?" Ginny asked, pulling back so she could see his face.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that. The Dark Lord promised my father he'd ensure the Malfoy line was carried on. But if you don't want to have my children, I'll understand."

Ginny looked at him in shock, but before she could say anything she was interrupted by Snape.

"But that's for pregnant women!!!" Professor Snape yelled.

Joyce had her hands on her hips as she glared up at Snape.

"Hermione Granger is pregnant, Snape, with your child if I'm not mistaken."

Snape gaped at her like a fish.

He turned to Hermione, about to yell at her, but she winced and looked up at him pitifully. He huffed and turned toward Draco and Ginny.

"This is all your fault! If we hadn't had to test that stupid potion for you, none of this would have happened! And look, it's obvious you're in love anyway, you didn't even need it! So all of this was for nothing! NOTHING!!!"

He stalked out of the room and slammed the door.

Joyce looked at Hermione, who was about to start crying again.

"Oh, I've got a pamphlet for this!" Joyce said, excitedly.

She rummaged around in one of the drawers, and pulled out a brightly colored pamphlet.

She handed it to Hermione.

"The Six Stages of Grief?"

"Oh!" Joyce grabbed the pamphlet back, and took out a black marker.

After scribbling on it for a few minutes, she handed it back to Hermione.

"The Six Stages of Snape realizing that he's going to be a dad."

Hermione started giggling.

End chapter 10

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1.) Denial

2.) Anger

3.) Bargaining

4.) Guilt

5.) Depression

6.) Acceptance