Keeping Secrets

After Hermione had accepted Draco’s slightly unorthodox proposal in the Headmasters office Hermione’s mother had requested that she be taken to Madam Pomfrey to discuss the twins with the Healer. Hermione and her mother had gone and left Draco to receive several lectures on proper behaviour towards Hermione, now that she was both pregnant and engaged to him, both from her father (who once Hermione was out of the room managed to make himself appear considerably frightening to Draco even though he was a mere muggle) and Dumbledore who already felt very bad for letting Hermione get into her current situation. Needless to point out it was a very exhausted pair of teenagers that made their way into their tower’s private common room that evening having seen Mr and Mrs Granger off at the school’s front door.

“I am so glad that’s over,” Hermione said collapsing onto a sofa.

Draco sat down on the same sofa a polite distance away, “You think that was a difficult day, well you still need to tell Scarhead and Weasel and the Weaselette.”

“Don’t remind me, I was planning on forgetting to tell them and just introducing them to the babies when they were, oh, I don’t know, eighteen?” To which she smiled and Draco chuckled.

“Seriously though Gran- Hermione, you should start thinking about telling them soon, I do not mean to sound insulting but you are already starting to show, like Madam Pomfrey said, and they may be thick but they will notice something soon.”

“I know. It isn’t just telling them I’m pregnant though, is it? I mean that would be hard but this, this is almost impossible! I mean, what do I tell them, that I’ve decided to marry you for a single good deed or that we’ve been boinking like bunny rabbits since Christmas!?”

“’Boinking like bunny rabbits’? Interesting choice of phrases Granger,” Draco smirked but his face grew serious before he continued to speak, “Hermione, you can tell them whatever you want to tell them and I will back you up on this but I suggest that we use an edited version of your ‘bunny rabbit’ excuse for my parents, to whom I should get writing. Listen, though whatever you tell them may cause...problems between you, they always seem to patch things up between themselves and with you and if we tell them in here then we’ll have Vincent and Gregory at our disposal to help them calm down should things get a little out of hand.” Draco fought back the very nice mental picture building of his two hulks of friends beating the remaining two-thirds of the trio into paste and smiled at Hermione.

“We really do need to get things worked out, going in with mismatched stories would be one of the easiest ways to get caught, wouldn’t it?” Hermione said growing thoughtful for a moment. “I should really go and see them now, besides I still need to write the essay on Healing Incantations for Flitwick.”

“And rescue their pathetic attempts at the same essay no doubt. Hermione, you really shouldn’t help them out so much, they’ll never find their feet if you do,” Draco warned, “besides that, you need to take care of yourself and today hasn’t been easy for you, you shouldn’t be traipsing all over the castle on your own what if something was to happen?”

Hermione frowned, she knew Draco was probably right but she did not like him thinking he could control her just because she had agreed to marry him! “I am going, that is that. Have fun writing to your parents.” She said and stalked out of the Tower, sheepishly returning a few seconds later to retrieve her books from her bedroom.

*

“’Mione! Where have you been all day? You weren’t at lunch, we were worried about you!” Harry said as she came and sat with her two best male friends and her only real female friend.

“I, umm, I kind of got sidetracked with an extra credit project I was working on, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, it took longer than I thought it would,” Hermione said wishing that she hadn’t been so preoccupied as to not make up a story prior to being questioned.

“We were beginning to think that Ferret-features had you locked away in the Tower,” Ginny said with a smile but from the looks that Harry and Ron were attempting (very poorly) to conceal that was pretty much what they had been thinking.

“Come on you guys, apart from the regular screaming matches we get along alright, I mean he is only Malfoy and I can take care of myself, ok?” Hermione said knowing that she would probably be eating her words to them sooner or later. “Ginny in my absence I don’t suppose by some miracle you convinced them to get their homework at least started did you?”

“Sorry but they were having none of it, too busy playing chess and snap,” Ginny finished off tutting and shaking her head in mock dismay.

“Boys never learn do they?” As the simple comment slipped from her lips Hermione found her thoughts wondering somewhat, what would her friends reactions be if she were to come right out and tell them? Would they be shocked she hadn’t said anything sooner, disappointed in her choice to keep them, angry that she was going to marry Draco? She wished that there was something that could tell her whether or not to just tell them, not here surrounded by all the other Gryffindors but to take them to the Tower and spill everything.

Of course nothing could tell her that, nor was there anything that would be able to tell her whether it would be for the best to give them the truth or to provide them with a more detailed version of what everyone else would get.

There were pro’s and con’s to each decision, Hermione decided, and as she sat staring at the open pages of Ron’s Charms textbook she tried to sort them and make a decision so that she could tell Draco when she got back that night.

It didn’t take them too long to get their homework done and when they had finished they sat chatting about everything and nothing in the way they usually did when they didn’t have some big mystery to solve or battle on the horizon. Though, Hermione reminded herself, this could very well be one of the last times they let me stay here with them talking to them as friends.

“Hey, Hermione, what’s wrong?” Ginny asked softly.

Hermione smiled and gathered her things, “It’s nothing Ginny, really it isn’t, I just need to get back to my dorm and sleep for about a week!”

“Night then,” Ginny said and ‘goodnights’ were exchanged between the friends.

Hermione took her time walking back to the Tower relishing the chance for some truly quiet time to think without being disturbed, but even Hermione’s thoughts couldn’t cause time to stretch itself out for her and all too soon she found herself giving the password and entering the Common room of the Tower.

“I wrote the letter, like you asked, did you want to check it over before I owl it?” Draco asked not even turning around to check that it had indeed been Hermione that entered the Tower and not someone else.

“You did not get control over what my parents were told and I trust that you know how best to deal with them by now so just send it, alright?”

“Alright, alright, sorry I asked,” Draco said barely refraining from snapping at the girl.

“We can’t tell Harry and Ron the truth,” Hermione said after she came back from having a bath and was settling in a chair in her pyjamas.

“I see. Care to explain why?” Draco asked.

“Well, I, um...” Hermione couldn’t seem to figure out where to start it was so complicated and she had spent a great deal of time puzzling through it but Draco had asked and she felt she should try, “Ron and Harry, we’re close and there is no way that they would take the truth out on me, I mean they won’t hurt me anyway physically but... that is beside the point I suppose, since they would take it into their heads to do something stupid and go after your father and end up getting themselves killed and I don’t want to be responsible for that. Getting them to believe that I love you of my own free will reduces the likelihood of them doing something drastically stupid and perhaps if I can act well enough and convince them they won’t even be too hard on you.” Hermione paused nervously playing with the ends of her damp hair, “Draco, the Weasleys and Harry must believe this is genuine I don’t want anyone trying to arrest, kill or whatever, your father because of what he did to me and ending up dead for their efforts, that must be why I chose to have my file classified in such a way it can only be used if he is caught already.”

“You realise it would have been a lot easier for you if you had decided to tell them the truth? Now you are going to have to lie to them for a large portion of the foreseeable future... you’re ok with that?”

“I have to be, don’t I?” Hermione said in a small voice. “The real question Draco should be are you definitely sure you want your name to be sullied so?”

“It isn’t being sullied, not really, improved upon even,” he smiled, “I need to go and post this now then we tell Potter and the Weasels tomorrow in the day so when Dad comes storming in demanding to drag me to St. Mungo’s tomorrow night they don’t get on our cases too.”

“Alright,” Hermione walked over to Draco and without much warning gave him a big hug, “’Night Draco.”

“Good night Hermione,” Draco said as she released him and then drifted towards her bedroom as he turned and exited the Tower.

*

Breakfast the next morning was a bit awkward for Hermione as one of the strongest bouts of nausea from her morning sickness seemed determined to make her feel awful though she was just a tiny bit grateful that she had taken a potion that would prevent the nausea from progressing to retching and vomiting. Not only did she have that to deal with but just as she was giving her friends a subtle explanation of the importance of them meeting her outside the Tower, though they had given preliminary agreements, a third year that Hermione had taken points from Gryffindor for came to argue for the points while holding a bacon sandwich which did nothing to improve her mood or morning sickness.

Ginny, who was quite perceptive, noticed that her friend was in no shape to be hassled about the number of ruby points in the Gryffindor hour glass and swiftly sent the younger Gryffindor packing. “Herms, what’s wrong, you look awful...”

“Thanks a bunch Gin, some friend you are,” Hermione complained as she spread a thin layer of butter onto a piece of toast.

“If I didn’t know better I’d say-“

“You’d say nothing Gin,” Hermione interrupted before the petite redhead could say anything to put Hermione in an even more morally compromising position. “Well, it looks like I’m going to have to eat and run; Vector wanted class to start earlier today to have time to really get into our new topic and we haven’t even been told which topic it is in order to properly prepare! I’ll see you at lunch in the Tower,” she said standing and leaving three mildly puzzled friend’s in her wake.

*

Ginny Molly Weasley could smell a rat. It, of course, wasn’t the same sort of rat that Scabbers had pretended to be for years but a figurative rat, though she could smell it all the same. There was something distinctly not right with Hermione; she had been eating differently for the last week or so but hadn’t mentioned anything about a diet though she had put on a smidgen of weight recently, she had disappeared for the entire day yesterday without prior warning, she seemed quite sad and worried about something but no matter how frequently Ginny asked she said nothing but to give excuses. And now that Ginny was really thinking on it she could trace smaller examples of not-so-Hermione-like-Hermione back to the last Hogsmeade weekend which had been a complete disaster; the village had been attacked and the students had scattered in panic, no fatalities had occurred but that was the last time Hermione had left the school, her permission having been revoked by her parents. Ginny could definitely smell a rat.

Ginny arrived at the Tower and politely knocked on the entrance then waited for either the door to be opened or one of the others to arrive and wait with her. She had to wait a few moments but the door swung open for her to enter. She was mildly surprised to see that it was Malfoy that had decided to open the door when Hermione was sat on a sofa not far from the door and certainly closer than the chair in which Draco appeared to have been sitting from the way his school books lay scattered at it’s feet.

“Hi Ginny, come and have a seat,” Hermione welcomed her in and Ginny took a seat in the chair nearest to the sofa Hermione was on. “The other two shouldn’t take too long to get here, they had Divination with Professor Firenze.”

“Oh, I see,” Ginny said wondering exactly what to say to her friend while ferret-boy was still in the room, the other side of it granted, but it was still the same room.

“Erm, so can I offer you something to eat, drink?” Hermione offered indicating the coffee table which had two jugs, goblets and a plate of sandwiches on it.

Ginny helped herself to a goblet of pumpkin juice then settled back into her chair, “So, Herm, did you make it to Vector’s class on time?”

Hermione seemed relieved at the introduction of this small talk and proceeded to describe the new unit to Ginny who gratefully noted that this at least appeared to have chased the Head Boy out of his common room.

Ginny knew she had spoken, or rather, thought too soon when the entrance was once more knocked at and once again Draco and not Hermione who was by far the nearest opened the door.

“Hi Harry, Ron, come and have a seat,” Hermione offered and Ginny thought her voice sounded a little strained.

Obedient to the main brain in their operation both Gryffindor males approached the sofas and chairs, Harry moving to sit next to Ginny and Ron by Hermione. Ron never made it into the seat he had chosen for himself having Draco’s form slip past him to sit beside her.

“And just what do you think you are doing, Malfoy?” Ron growled, “Get your arse out of here, we are going to be having a private conversation and plan on it not being spread around half of the school by dinner time.”

Ginny noted that as Ron descended into anger Hermione had tensed and looked to be on the verge of either screaming at him or collapsing into tears. “Ron, sit down elsewhere, ‘Mione can tell the ferret to piss off if that is what she wants,” Ginny said hoping to calm her brother at least a little bit.

“Draco is staying,” Hermione said firmly.

Ginny winced as Ron’s glare turned to Hermione. “Excuse me, I think I must have misheard you, but did you just call Malfoy by his given name?”

“You heard her quite correctly Weasley so sit down, shut up and listen to what you have all come here for or I will take great pleasure in forcibly removing you from the Tower,” Draco drawled.

Ron’s curiosity outweighed his desire to kick Malfoy out of the Tower so he sat down next to Harry, opposite Hermione.

You could have heard a pin drop in the Tower it was so quiet.

Ginny was the first to notice that not only had Malfoy sat down next to Hermione but he was currently massaging one of her hands with one of his own.

“Herm, is there something you wanted to tell us?” She asked giving her friend a very pointed look and letting her eyes drop to her friend’s hand.

“Well you see, I asked you up here so that you could find out about this before the rest of the school, somewhere that you hopefully won’t be heard if you decide to attempt murder,” Hermione smiled weakly at her small joke, “Draco and I, we’ve been, well I wouldn’t exactly say dating but spending a lot of time together, and I really like him and we’re getting married.”

Ginny had to replay the last three words (four if you count the contraction) in her mind a few times before she could identify the words and their meaning, when she finally worked it out her jaw swung open and she could do little but gape.

“That’s not all,” Hermione started.

“WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU’RE MARRYING THAT GIT!!!?”

The verbal explosion that had been waited for by both Hermione and Draco came not, as had been expected, from Ron but instead from Harry. Ron had a very quiet look about him,

“What do you mean ‘that’s not all’?” He asked softly, “What else could you have done? Decide that one evil git was not enough and decide to fuck around with Snape too?”

“No, Ron I would never do that!” Hermione protested.

“Well then what is it!?” Harry demanded, “I can’t think of anything to make it worse! Why are you marrying him ‘Mione, surely you aren’t that desperate?”

Harry paused just long enough for Hermione to open her mouth to speak but he didn’t give her a chance to say anything, “Unless he is forcing you into this? Blackmailing you? Whatever he has on you I’m sure we can find someway to help you... Or, or is it that he is paying you? Because Hermione much as I dislike these explanations there is one I like even less.”

Hermione visibly cringed and shrank back into the sofa and Draco who looked like he was having a hard time not reaching for his wand and hexing all of them.

“Congratulations Hermione, Malfoy,” Ginny said before anyone had a chance to do or say anything more. “So ‘Mione, when are you due?”

Harry and Ron sucked in a breath and held it hoping that their best friend would deny it, tell them that it was all a huge mistake of a joke and they could get back to normal.

They were disappointed.

“September, Madam Pomfrey can’t be more precise than that because they often come early especially if they take after their fathers family,” Hermione answered shattering any hope that ‘normal’ as it was before could be found and restored.

“Take it back,” Ron said.

“What on earth are you blabbering about Weasley?”

“I said take it back, unsay it, you Hermione are not pregnant by that tosser and you are not marrying him,” Ron’s eyes were glinting dangerously and his voice was soft and quiet.

Draco was worried, never before had he seen the Weasel take news this way and he had been teasing the redhead brat since they met on the Hogwarts Express! He continued to hold Hermione’s hand noting in his mind that he would have to buy an appropriate engagement ring soon.

“Ron, even if I could change things I wouldn’t, we’re expecting two beautiful little ones and they will not be bastards!”

“Malfoy, are you, or do you ever intend on becoming a Death Eater?” Ginny asked.

“Oh yes, it’s the latest of His orders, knock up and marry a muggle-born,” sarcasm may be the lowest form of wit but it was Draco’s favourite and he rolled his eyes at the panicked expressions on the innocent little Gryffindors faces before they figured out that he wasn’t being serious.

“Do you love him?”

“What?” Hermione snapped.

“I asked, do you love him, him, you know Malfoy the blonde ferret, your fiancé,” Harry drawled.

“Harry, do you think that Hermione would marry for less?” Ginny asked.

Harry glared at Ginny for a moment before returning to Hermione, “If that is so then why doesn’t she answer?”

“Yes. Alright, there I’ve admitted it, I love the man you all hate,” Hermione said anger dissipating being replaced by sorrow, “I have agreed to become his wife and raise our children together if you have a problem with that get out now, please, just spare me the pain.”

“’Mione, it’ll take quite some getting used to you understand,” Harry said, “but as long as you love him and you aren’t being forced... I won’t say I’ll like it, nor that I am anything but hurt and angry about it but I’ll not get in your way.”

“Thank you Harry,” Hermione said then looked over to Ron and Ginny.

“I can’t stop you, just never ever even hint to anything you do with him,” Ron said eyes flickering to her midsection causing a hot blush to colour her cheeks.

Ginny said nothing instead crossing over to the sofa and wrapping her friend up in a hug semi-ignoring the fact that her friend’s hand was still in Draco’s.

“Thank you both,” Hermione fought back the urge to weep as Ginny went back to Harry.

“Malfoy, if we discover that you do a single thing to harm her you are as good as a dead man walking. If you harm either of the- wait either? You mean TWINS???”

“Yes Potter, very astute of you to understand that two babies in one pregnancy are twins,” Draco smirked.

“Twins... that’s just... wow,” Ginny said and smiled at Hermione instantly getting a rather relieved smile in return.

“Have you told your parents yet?”

“That’s what I was doing yesterday, please understand I wanted them to know first, well after Draco, and I couldn’t exactly tell you in the Gryffindor common room now could I?”

Whatever answer Hermione may have been about to receive on that score was interrupted by a knocking on the Common room entrance door. Draco frowning crossed to the door and pulled it open. “Can I help you?” He asked the tiny Hufflepuff student that was stood outside in the corridor.

“You are Draco Malfoy aren’t you?”

“No, I’m Santa Claus,” he sneered, “What do you want?”

“The Headmaster wants you in his office, he says that your Dad is here,” the Hufflepuff said then disappeared at a dismissive wave of Draco’s hand.

“Hermione, stay here in the Tower, apparently the owl I used flies faster than I had thought,” Draco smiled but it was not a happy smile.

“See you in a bit then,” Hermione said as he swept out of the Tower slamming the door closed behind him.

“What bit his butt?” Harry asked then seemed to remember who he was talking about because he sat back and shrugged.

“Lucius is here, Draco sent an owl to his parent’s last night... there is not a chance in hell I would want to be anywhere near the Headmasters office right about now,” Hermione shuddered at the thought of an angered Lucius Malfoy even though she did not have the benefit of her memories of the rape.

“He’ll be fine, Dumbledore won’t let anything happen to him,” Ginny said soothingly and swapped seats so that she was sat beside Hermione.

“I know but I still worry after all Lucius will not be a very happy bunny rig- oh damn, excuse me,” Hermione stood one hand hovering near her mouth the other near her stomach and hurried to the bathroom immensely grateful that she had time to cast a silencing spell before she knelt leaning over the toilet and began her worship of the porcelain god.
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AN; I’m leaving it there because I am tired and because if I don’t post something soon I think my head will explode. Tune in next time to see what Lucius thinks, perhaps more from our favourite Gryffindors and maybe a first kiss...