Dealing With the Consequences

Chapter Two

The next morning Hermione awoke with a pounding headache and what felt like a mouth full of cotton. She opened her eyes slowly, squinting through the sunlight coming from her open window. She rolled over in her bed, expecting to find Malfoy laying next to her. When she rolled over, she saw he wasn't there, and she couldn't help but feel a bit disapointed.

After she and Malfoy had slept together last night, the two had stayed up, talking late into the night. Neither one was regretful of what they'd done, but they agreed to keep it a secret from everyone to withhold their reputations. It wasn't even really her reputation Hermione had been worried about, it was her friends. She'd never hidden her new relationship with Malfoy from them, but they hadn't been thrilled to hear about it. In fact, Harry, Ron and Ginny had tried to even talk her out of it. Since then, she hadn't brought it up. Sure, they were somewhat accepting of Hermione being friends with him, but sleeping with Malfoy was a completely different story. That was definately a conversation she didn't want to have.

So sometime between the sun coming up and breakfast, the two had shared another hot and heavy snog before crawling into their seperate beds to catch a few hours sleep. Hermione had closed her eyes and almost instantly fell asleep, a smile imprinted on her face.

It was odd. Hermione had never in a million years thought about sleeping with Malfoy. That had always been something that had seperated her from all the other girls in her year. Yes, she had always thought Malfoy to be one of the most attractive men she'd ever seen, (after she'd gotten over Ron of course), but she'd never really found herself wanting to be with him. It was one of those things that just had to happen when she was drunk. She wasn't proud of it, she would never be proud about a one night stand, but it wasn't as if there was any chance of she and Malfoy having any more of a relationship then they already did. With Ron, it had been different. There had been feelings there, but neither had ever acted on them. After they'd slept together, they had tried to make it work. But she and Malfoy were far too different for that. Them sleeping together, it seemed like the perfect ending to their school yard rivalry, like something out of the movies. The perfect way to end all her years of hard work and studying.

Hermione reluctantly forced herself out of bed, nearly falling on the way. Once she was upright, she reached into her bedside table, pulling out a small vial of hangover potion. She pulled the cork off the top, downing the entire vial. Almost immediately afterwards, her headache began to disapear and the saliva returned to her mouth. Feeling better, she decided to dress and make her way down to lunch, as she had already well passed missed breakfast.

About a half hour later, Hermione walked into the Great Hall. She quickly spotted her friends sitting at the Gryffindor table and went to sit with them.

"Hey Hermione," Ron greeted her with a smile. "Where did you go last night? I looked all over for you."

"Oh, well," Hermione stammered, not sure what to tell him. She didn't like lying to her friends, but she felt guilty about what she'd actually done. "I danced a little bit and then spent most of my time looking for all of you. I told you I shouldn't have drank that firewhiskey."

"Oh really?" Ginny asked, giving Hermione an odd look that reminded her of Molly. "How much did you drink?"

"Oh Merlin, I don't even know," She told her, trying to give her the truthful answer as she filled her plate. "A bottle maybe?"

"There's no way!" Ron argued, piling his plate with more food.

"It was about that much." Hermione said, wishing she could remember.

"Don't argue with her mate," Harry told his best friend before turning to Hermione. "Ron's just jealous because he spent most of his night being sick behind a tree."

"That's not true!" Ron exclaimed, but his bright red ears gave away the lie.

*

The remainder of the week went by rather uneventfully. Malfoy seemed to be avoided Hermione completely, she rarely saw him at all. She kind of expected this reaction, so it didn't surprise her. Actually, she felt rather embarassed around him as well so she wasn't exactly complaining.

Hermione and her friends had spent the rest of the week just laying near the lake, enjoying the beautiful weather. It was the cherry on top of a perfect year, so she couldn't have been more disapointed when graduation day came.

Hermione, as well as her entire year, were crowded in the Entrance Hall outside of the Great Hall. They were all wearing their gowns and caps, waiting for the signal to enter and line up for their diplomas. She was standing with Ron and Harry, the three of them all smiles. They couldn't believe that after eight years, this day had finally come.

"And now," Came Headmistress McGonagall's voice, echoing throughout the castle. "Your graduates." The students quickly shuffled to get back in alphabetical order as they made their way into the Great Hall. Hermione smiled and waved at her parents who were sitting with the Weasleys. When they were all in position, McGonagall continued speaking, talking about the journey of education. She spoke of how important their years at Hogwarts had been, shaping their lives into what they were today.

While she spoke, Hermione hung onto her every word. She felt like she needed to commit the entire speech to memory, to keep as a kind of souvenier. She wanted to remember every little detail about this graduation, right down to the floor polished by Hagrid.

"I will call each student in alphabetical order," McGonagall was saying. "We ask that you would refrain from applauding until each student has received their diploma. Hannah Abbott." Hermione watched as Hannah Abbott, a once small girl with pigtails, walked gracefully up to the front, taking her diploma while shaking McGonagall's hand. Everyone had changed so much, eight years of growing up and maturing. Maybe it was stupid, but she couldn't help but tear up when she thought about all the things she was going to miss about the school.

"Hermione Granger." McGonagall called, pulling Hermione out of her thoughts. She half ran from her spot in the line, up to the front where the Headmistress stood with her diploma. Hermione took the document, shaking McGonagall's hand tightly. "Condratulations Miss Granger. We're all very proud."

*

"Can you believe it?" Hermione asked her friends on the train home. "We;ve finally graduated!"

"Well maybe you guys have, but I still have another year until I'm done." Ginny said, Harry's arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

"Just think, it's summer vacation year round now." Ron exclaimed with a smile.

It was the day after graduation, the school year was now over. The four friends were on the train, going back home, most for the final time. The graduation had been perfect, and the dance after was just amazing. Since only seventh years had been allowed at the dance, Ginny hadn't been able to come. Hermione, Harry and Ron had spent the whole dance laughing and talking about all the good times they'd had over the years. Hermione couldn't remember a time that she had been more happy.

As the train came to a stop, they all retrieved their luggage from the overhead compartments and hauled them off the train. Hermione's parents were waiting for her, standing with the Weasleys at King's Cross. The friends all greeted their families, then it was time to say goodbye and head home.

"We're so proud of you, sweetie." Hermione's father, John, told her. Her mother, Marie, looked back from the passenger seat, smiling at her only daughter.

"Did you have any plans, now that you're done school?" Marie asked.

"Well," Hermione thought, thinking hard. "I was thinking that perhaps it might be time for me to get my own place."

"That's a very good idea," John said, pulling into their driveway. "We can start looking this week."

*

Nearly two months later, Hermione's life had changed very much from what it had been. She and her parents had began looking for an apartment right away. Once she'd found one she loved, she used all the money that she'd saved up from her summer jobs and her parents helped pay the rest. Two weeks after graduation, she'd moved in and began looking for a job near home. She soon found a decent paying job as a waitress at a local café. It wasn't much, but until she could find something in the wizarding world, it was going to have to do.

After two months, Hermione was just getting used to the lifestyle she was now living. It was odd not having to worry about homework or buying her school books for the upcomming year, but she was getting passed that. She was really liking living on her own, in her cozy two bedroom apartment. She could eat whatever she wanted, stay out however late and she could even invite Harry Ron and Ginny over for a late night of movies and pizza. Yes, her life was going very well, expect for the pesky illness Hermione had been dealing with off and on going on for a month.

"Harry, I told you, I'm fine!" Hermione told Harry one night over the phone. It was late, nearly midnight, and Harry had called Hermione from his room at the Burrow. Her three friends had been very worried about her since she'd moved out, even more so since she'd began getting sick.

"But Hermione," Harry argued from the other end. "You said it yourself, it's been going on for a month and it's not getting any better."

"Yes and I also told you that it went away for a bit." She said, cleaning up the magazines scattered across her coffee table.

"And then it came back."

"It did, but when I'm not hanging over a toilet seat I feel just fine." She told him, cursing herself for getting sick with company over.

"Just promise me you'll see a healer, or at least a doctor." Harry begged, sounding desperate. Hermione was beginning to hate having boys for best friends, they were much too protective.

"Fine, Harry, I'll go see the bloody doctor." She gave up, not having the strength to argue any further.

"Thanks," Harry said, his tone calming down. "I'm sorry, but I just worry about you living all by yourself there."

"I know you do, Harry, but I'm a big girl. I can handle my own and you know that." She told him.

"Yeah, I do," Harry replied with a small laugh. "But I better be getting to bed, it's pretty late already. You should probably turn in soon too."

"Actually," Hermione said, yawning. "That sounds like a great idea. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Don't bother," Harry told her. "Gin's going shopping for school supplies so me and Ron are going to play a game of one on one."

"Okay, good luck with that." Hermione hung up the phone, placing it back on the charger. Crookshanks followed her into her bedroom, hopping up onto the foot of the bed and purring loudly. Hermione quickly got herself ready for bed, then crawled underneath her warm covers and drifted off to sleep.

Hermione awoke late the next morning, feeling as if she'd barely slept. She groggily dressed herself, wishing she could just go back to sleep. She then made her way into the kitchen for breakfast, followed closely by Crookshanks.

Opening the fridge, Hermione stared inside, trying to pick out something to eat. She had to be very picky about what she ate lately, even the smells of certain foods were setting off her illness. Not feeling like taking any risks, she decided to grab herself a bowl of cereal.

As she sat alone at her kitchen table, Hermione found her mind wandering, as it usually did when she was alone. She thought back to when her symptoms first started, just before she'd moved into her new place. It had started off slow, a little intolerance to certain foods, constant fatigue, but then it escalated to daily vomitting and sleeping in well past noon. She wasn't stupid, she knew what these symptoms meant.

Hermione had had a suspicion since the vomitting had began about what was wrong with her. She knew ignoring the signs wouldn't do her any good, but she was scared. She was scared to tell her friends what was wrong and she was scared to have to go through it all alone.

Finally losing the battle against Harry's voice inside her head, Hermione picked up her cordless phone and dialed her doctor's number.

"Good morning, Dr. Balmer's office. How may I help you?" The secretary asked in a cheery voice.

"Um, yes. I would like to make an appointment for Hermione Granger." She told the woman on the other end.

"And when would you like to book your appointment for?" The woman asked, while flipping through her appointment book loudly.

"As soon as possible." Hermione said, picking at her nails nervously.

"Well let me see here," The woman said over the sound of pages turning. "You're in luck, today's one o'clock cancelled so we have a spot available for then."

"In an hour?" Hermione asked, checking the clock on her computer.

"Yes, will you be able to make it or would you prefer something not so soon?"

"No, that's fine thank you." She said, letting out a sigh.

"Okay Miss Granger, we will see you then."

Hermione hung up the phone, feeling her heart pounding hard in her chest. There was no turning back now, in an hour's time she was going to the doctor's to confirm her suspicions. The thought was extremely overwhelming, but it had to be done. She'd gotten herself into this mess, now she had to take responsibility for her actions.

As she sat at her computer, trying to calm herself, Crookshanks hopped up on her lap. She gently ran her hand across the cat's orange fur, feeling a lump begin to form in her throat.

*

Hermione walked into Dr. Balmer's office at nearly ten to the hour. She gave the secretary her information before taking a seat in the waiting room. It didn't take long before she was called in to see her doctor.

"Miss Granger," The nurse said, looking at her clipboard as they entered the tiny examination room. "What seems to be the problem today?"

"Well," Hermione replied, taking a seat. "I've been getting sick a lot lately and I have this odd feeling in my lower abdomen, kind of like I'm bloated but different. I also just can't seem to get enough sleep either." She watched as the nurse wrote something down on her clipboard, eying Hermione over her glasses.

"Okay Miss Granger, Dr. Balmer will be in shortly." The nurse told her, leaving the room and shutting the door behind her. Hermione sat in the tiny room, wringing her hands nervously. The room smelt like anesthetic, and it was completely spotless. The Weasleys would have had a field day with a room like that.

After a few minutes, a tall woman with tight black curls walked into the room. She was staring down at a clipboard, her glasses sliding down her long nose.

"Hello, Miss Granger." Dr. Balmer exclaimed, giving her old patient a warm smile.

"Good afternoon, Dr. Balmer." Hermione replied, returning the smile.

"What seems to be the problem today?" The older woman asked. Hermione repeated her symptoms as the doctor quickly wrote out everything she said on her clipboard.

"Could you tell me when your last period was?" Dr. Balmer asked in a kind voice.

"Um," Hermione thought, trying to remember correctly. "I think about a month ago? But it was kind of light and it didn't last very long."

"And do you have a boyfriend, Hermione?" The doctor asked her as if she was speaking to a child.

"Um, no I don't." She told her, looking down at the ground.

"Well, I think I'm going to need to take some blood and run a few tests." Dr. Balmer said, readying her needles and vials. Hermione removed her sweater and offered her arm to the woman, looking away. After she got the blood she needed, Dr. Balmer went to take the samples to the lab. Hermione sat waiting, growing more and more nervous with every passing second.

About fifteen minutes later, Dr. Balmer returned with Hermione's results.

"Before I tell you your results," The doctor said. "I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"Okay." Hermione said, deciding it best not to argue.

"Have you engaged in any unprotected sex in the past month or two?" She asked, putting her hand on Hermione's leg in a comforting way.

"Well," Hermione replied, embarassed. "There was this one time about two months ago, but it was only once."

"And do you have a job?" Hermione shook her head. "A place of your own?"

"Yes actually. And I am looking for a job right now, I've just finished with school so I'm waiting to hear from a few places."

"Okay, well we tested your blood for a few things but what the results have determined is that your pregnant." Hermione stared at her doctor wide eyed for a few minutes, then took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I thought so." Was all she could manage to say. She had so many thoughts running through her mind that it was hard to concentrate.

"How's about we talk about your options?" Dr. Balmer asked her after the information had sunk in.

"There are no options," Hermione said. "I'm keeping it, end of story." She'd thought about it a lot over the weeks, ever since she'd first began to suspect that she was pregnant. She'd gone over all of her options, but the only one that ever seemed to make sense was keeping the baby. She just couldn't give up her child, she'd never be able to handle it.

*

An hour later, Hermione was back in her apartment. Dr. Balmer had sat with her talking about pregnancies for well over a half hour. The older woman had her best interests at heart, so Hermione had taken in every word she'd said. Now she was sitting in her apartment, staring at her phone, debating about whether she should call Harry or not. Within a few minutes, she found herself dialing.

"Hello?" Came Ginny's voice loudly on the other end. Harry had taught Ginny and Ron how to use the telephone last summer, but neither one had quite mastered it.

"Ginny? It's Hermione, is Harry there?" Hermione asked, starting to feel tears well up in her eyes.

"No sorry Hermione, Harry and Ron left a few hours ago to play Quidditch. I was supposed to get my school books but mum's not feeling very well," Ginny explained. "What's wrong? You sound upset."

"Um, are you alone?" She asked her, knowing she needed to tell someone. Ginny was a good friend, Hermione was sure that she would be understanding.

"Yeah I am. Are you okay?" Ginny asked, sounding worried.

"Well, you know how I've been feeling wierd lately?" Hermione said, twisting her hair around her finger.

"Yeah, Harry said you were calling the muggle healer soon, why?"

"I went to see her today actually and, uh," Hermione took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

"WHAT!?" Ginny shouted, nearly deafening Hermione. "Hermione, how did this happen?"

"Well, about a week before school finished, after that party, I kind of slept with someone." The tears began to spill over Hermione's barriers, streaming down her face.

"Oh Hermione, hang on." Ginny set down the phone, Hermione could hear her thumping loudly up the stairs. A few minutes later, she returned. "Alright, I'm coming over. I'll be there soon."

To Be Continued...

Sorry that this chapter is kinda a cliffy. I've had a minor setback involving numerous blows to the head && a bunch of stupid stuff so I wanted to hurry up && get this posted. I'm currently starting work on the next chapter, so hopefully I can get it posted quick. But, like I said, I have other bigger things to worry about right now. But anyways, I'm very happy with the feedback I've been getting from this story so far. Thnxx goes out to passionlotus420, ucdevil, Gryffindor_Slytherin (I'm terrible with grammer, but I am looking for a beta if you were interested), Ira, paigeey07, Citten (I just didn't think the name was quite creative enough, I don't know. I'm hoping to make the story around 30 chapters long, but it could end up longer, who knows ? It really depends on how into the story I get as well as the feedback). All my reviewers are amazing, please keep the opinions coming, I take each review into consideration.

Much Love...

XXX

Xx-.k.a.y.y.-xX