Dealing With the Consequences

Chapter Five

It was the end of August and summer was slowly fading away. Ron had taken the job as assistant secretary to the Minister and was now working five days a week. Hermione was spending most of her time with Harry and Ginny, trying to help prepare her friend for her upcoming final year at Hogwarts. A week before Ginny was set to go back to school, her Hogwarts letter arrived.

"Open it Ginny," Harry encouraged her at breakfast. Ginny was holding the envelope in her hands, staring at the curvy green writing that looked so identical to Dumbledore's.

"I'm nervous," Ginny said, looking from one friend to another.

"Just open it," Hermione told her. "Keeping it unopened isn't going to change what it says. I should know, I did the same thing when I got Head Girl."

"Okay." Ginny took a deep breath before tearing open the letter. Two pieces of parchment fell from the envelope. Ginny picked up the thinnest one first because squealing loudly.

"Did you get it?" Harry asked her excitedly. Instead of answering, Ginny shoved the letter in his face. Hermione read it quickly over his shoulder before coming around to give Ginny a hug.

"Congratulations!" Hermione said happily. "You're going to make a great Quidditch Captain."

"Thanks, Mione. I just hope I can live up to the standards that Harry set." Ginny told them, slightly blushing. Hermione thought it was so adorable how she held Harry on such a high pedastal, using him as her reason for bettering herself. Sometimes, however, she did find her friend's adoration a little much, but she was happy that two of her best friends could find happiness with each other.

"You're gonna do great," Harry assured her, slightly red as well. "Now come on, we better leave if we want to beat the crowds."

*

Less than an hour later, the three friends were weaving through the crowded streets of Diagon Alley. It was the first time they'd all been there without some kind of parental assistance. It was odd, but it was also nice. They all made their way to Gringott's Bank so Harry and Hermione could take out some money. Molly had given Ginny enough to buy her school books second hand, but Harry had offered to give her a bit extra to buy other things. Ginny had obviously refused, but Harry still hoped to talk her into it. After Gringotts, they were off to find everything on Ginny's list.

The group made their way into Florish and Blott's. Inside, they ran into Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom. The couple was holding hands and looking at books in the Herbology section, Neville's favourite subject.

"Hi Neville, hi Luna," Ginny greeted her old friends with a smile. Hermione gave Harry a look that said 'oh great', earning a smile from her friend.

"Hello," Luna replied with a dreamy smile.

"Hi guys," Neville said. "Where's Ron?"

"At work," Harry told him. "He's the assistant secretary at the Ministry."

"Good for him," Neville put the book he'd been looking at back on the shelf. "Wish I could've found something that fast. Right now, my uncle's been paying me to de-gnome his garden. It's a nightmare."

"It's not so bad, Mum has us do it all the time." Ginny replied, holding Harry's hand tightly so he couldn't get away. While the red head wasn't looking, Hermione slowly inched away, wandering off. She made her way through the shelves of books, feeling her usual strong urge to read each one cover to cover. She was just about to pick up a book titled 'Greatest Witches and Warlocks of the Eighteenth Century' when a stand of Daily Prophets caught her eye.

She hadn't read a Daily Prophet in months. Now that the war was over, she hadn't really felt the need to keep her subscription. She supposed she should have, what with needing a job and all, but with the pregnancy, she hadn't had much time for it. Hermione picked up a copy of the newspaper, the front page was a story about the winning team of the Quidditch World Cup, Bulgaria. The picture was of the Bulgarian team, lead by her ex boyfriend and long time friend, Viktor Krum. His dark eyes were staring deeply into the camera, in a kind of focus determination. Hermione smiled, she hadn't heard from Viktor in months. After the two had broken it off between them the summer after her fourth year, they'd kept in touch through letters. Viktor was now a professional Quidditch player in Bulgaria, so he didn't have much time to write. She made a mental note to send him an owl later on.

On the second page, Hermione couldn't help but stare. The heading read, 'Hogwarts Seeks New Professor', the picture underneath was of the Hogwarts castle, standing tall against a clear sky. As she read, Hermione discovered that Headmistress McGonagall had hired a new Transfiguration professor, but the teacher was only available for the upcoming school year. The headmistress was accepting applications as well as sending out letters to those who she deemed qualified to fill her shoes. Hermione couldn't help but feel a sense of longing. She knew she would have been perfect for the job, Transfiguration was her best subject, but with a baby on the way, she very much doubted that she'd be able to teach in a year's time.

"So here's where you've run off to," came Harry's voice, interupting her thoughts.

"Sorry about that," Hermione apologised, going to put the paper back down but Harry saw it first.

"I was reading that article this morning before you woke up," Harry told her, motioning to the picture. "You should apply."

"Are you mad, Harry?" She asked, putting the Daily Prophet back on the stack. "By this time next year, I'll have a six month old baby to look after. I'm not going to have time to teach lessons at Hogwarts."

"It's you, 'Mione. You can do anything you want to, plus things that you don't." Harry said with a smile, making Hermione blush.

"Yeah, right."

"I'm serious, but we should get back. Ginny's waiting at the counter with her books." Hermione rolled her eyes at her friend, following him to the front. As much as she believed that Harry was wrong, she couldn't help but wonder what being a professor at Hogwarts would be like.

"Okay, I think we've gotten everything I'm going to need." Ginny said an hour later, checking over her school list. They were sitting on a lone bench in the middle of Diagon Alley, watching witches and wizards pass by.

"So where to now then?" Harry asked, looking over Ginny's shoulder to be sure they didn't miss anything.

"Well," Ginny replied with a smile on her face. "I was thinking, since we're here and all, maybe we could take a look in the baby shops?"

"You know, Gin, that's actually not a bad idea." Hermione agreed, to both of her friends' surprise.

"Really?" Ginny asked in disbelief. Usually Hermione hated any of her ideas that revolved around her pregnancy.

"Yeah," Hermion said, amused at the look on the redhead's face. "You know, I know I'm not even four months into my pregnancy, but I've been wanting to get a few things for a while. A baby is expensive so the sooner I begin to prepare, the better off I'll be."

"I don't know about this," Harry told them, sounding skeptical. "Shouldn't shopping for baby supplies be something you do with the father?" Hermione felt her cheeks go red. No one had really talked much about the father since she'd refused to tell who it was. She still hadn't heard a word from Malfoy but she'd been trying to keep the fact in the back of her mind.

"About that," Hermione told him, wringing her hands in her lap. "I think I'm going to be travelling this road alone this time."

"What? Why?" Ginny asked, taking her friend's hand in her's. She had a type of fire in her eyes, as if she couldn't believe a boy would do such a thing.

"I don't think the father wants to be involved." she explained, refusing to look at her friends.

"Did you tell him you were pregnant?" Harry asked her, sounding angry.

"Of course!" she replied. "I sent him a letter plus a copy of my ultrasound from my appointment but I still haven't heard a word."

"He sounds like a git." Harry commented, his hands balled into fists.

"Does this mean you can tell us who the father is now?" Ginny asked in a hopeful tone.

"No, I'm sorry but until I hear from him, I'm not telling a soul." Ginny's face fell, it was obvious she was upset, but Hermione just couldn't bring herself to admit to her friends that she'd not only had sex with Malfoy, but she'd also conceived a child with him.

"Well, whoever it is, we won't judge you on it." Harry told her. Hermione gave him a smile in return, but she was very sure that he was wrong to guess how he'd react. She knew her friends loved and supported her, but love had its limits.

"Thanks for understanding. Now, how about we start searching for those shops?"

*

After a few solid hours of shopping, the three friends were beat. They apparated back to the Burrow for dinner, putting all of Hermione's shopping bags in Ginny's room. Molly was almost finished cooking dinner and it was nearly time for Arthur and Ron to come home from work. On her way out of the room, Hermione caught sight of herself in Ginny's full length mirror. She couldn't help but stop and stare at her reflection, it was not something she was used to. Her skin had a kind of glow to it, a type of radiance that only happened during the miracle of child bearing. Her face had puffed out a bit, but with the constant rosy tint to her cheeks, the fullness of her face really worked for her. Her chest had filled out greatly, in a few short months she'd gone from an A cup to a B. Her hips were also widening slightly too, not too big, just more shapely. The biggest difference to her was her rounded belly. Everyone still said that it wasn't noticable, but she just thought they were all crazy. She'd always been so small, how could they not notice that she'd recently gained fifteen pounds to her uterus? Hermione knew that, as she began to show more, it would become increasingly difficult to hide the bump. But, she was still very well known for her role in the defeat of Voldemort, so she could just imagine the field day the press would have if they got wind of a teenage pregnancy within the Golden Trio.

As Hermione made her way back down the stairs, she could hear voices coming from the kitchen. When she entered the room, she found that Ron and Arthur had just returned from work.

"Hermione!" Arthur greeted her with a fatherly hug. "You're looking well, how have you been?"

"I've been quite well thank you," she replied, instinctively putting a hand over her stomach. Ron gave her a smalll smile as he tried to pick at the food while his mother wasn't looking.

"Ronald, stop that," Molly scolded her son, slapping his hand away. Ron stared at his mother in shock, obviously wondering how she knew what he was doing when her back was turned. "Come on everyone, let's get this dinner on the table before it goes cold."

After dinner, Hermione was sitting up in Ginny's room, sorting through her new baby things. Harry and Ginny were up in Harry's room (formerly Fred and George's) discussing Quidditch tactics for the school year and Ron was helping Molly and Arthur clean up. Since she had a bit of time to herself, she decided to sort through everything she'd bought before she took it all home that night.

Hermione smiled when she picked up a tiny yellow sun dress. Ginny had made a face when Hermione had insisted on buying it. It had even come with a pair of matching booties. She could just picture her adorable baby girl in the dress, giggling as she ran around the backyard. She had to admit, she hadn't been very excited about this baby until they'd gone shopping. Seeing all her tiny little baby clothes really made her realize that her baby was real, and she was coming fast.

Hermione's motherly instincts were slowly starting to kick in. Her friends were constantly telling her that she seemed more caring lately, even her parents noticed when she went over for tea. She never really saw a change in herself, so she had to trust what her loved ones were telling her.

Just as she was folding up a pink sleeper with a matching hat, there was a light knock on the door.

"Come in." Hermione called, her voice cheery. The door opened and Ron entered.

"Sorry to bother you," Ron appologised. "Mind if I sit in here with you for a bit? I'm a little frightened to go in Harry's room with him and Ginny alone in there."

"Go right ahead," she replied with a laugh. "I'm just sorting through the things we bought today."

Ron took a seat on the floor across from Hermione, watching her intently. "Are you going home?"

"Yes, I figured I should. I haven't been home much in the past few weeks." Hermione explained, not looking up from the clothes.

"Makes sense," Hermione couldn't help but notice a bit of disapointment in her friend's voice. She felt rather bad, since Ron was working full time, she hadn't seen him much, even though they'd practically shared a house for three weeks. She wasn't used to not being around him much, it was kind of odd.

When she was finished folding up all the clothes, Hermione emptied out a bag full of bottles, teething rings and baby books. She began matching each bottle with a nipple before placing them in her travelling bag. For a while, Ron watch her silently, until he picked up a baby book which fell right next to his knee.

"'The Top 5000 Baby Names in Wizarding History'?" Ron asked, reading the title on the cover.

"With everyone asking me about baby names, I figured I should get a move on with it." she told him.

"Shouldn't the father be helping you out with all this stuff?" Ron asked, examining the cover of the book. Hermione felt her cheeks burn red yet again. Why couldn't everyone just ask all at once?

"He should, but he's not." she told him, avoiding looking him in the eye.

"The bloke's a dud, huh?" Hermione nodded as Ron opened the book, scanning the first few pages. "Have you seen any names in here that you like yet?"

"No, I haven't had time to look since I bought it." she replied, folding a bib.

"Here's a good one," Ron said, pointing to a name in the book. "'Aurora, Goddess of the Dawn'."

"Aurora," Hermione repeated. "That's really pretty, Ron."

"Thanks," Ron gave her a grin before closing the book and handing it to her. "You know, this guy, whoever he is, he must be bloody mad."

"Why do you say that?" she asked him, putting the last of her things away.

"Because," Ron's ears began to turn red, signalling that he was embarassed. "He obviously doesn't know how amazing you are. I mean, he has one night with you and then he's out of your life. He made a baby with you, but still he's not involved. You're such a great person and anyone would be damn lucky to have a baby with you. He must not have known you very well, because, if it were me, I wouldn't ever leave your side. The bloke's making a huge mistake, that's all."

"Oh Ron," Hermione said, feeling overwhelmed. "That's sweet, but it's a little more complicated than that."

"In what way?" Ron asked hopefully.

"It doesn't matter," she told him. "He's out of the picture completely, so it's just me and my baby. I'm sure if I work hard enough, I'll be able to handle it."

"Well you shouldn't have to 'handle' it," Ron said, taking her hands in his. "Seriously Mione, this guy is a git if he doesn't realise what a great thing he's passing up. But you're not alone in this, I'm here for you. If you need anything, let me know. I just want you to be okay."

"Thanks Ron," Hermione said, tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't remember Ron ever being so sweet before. "That really means a lot to me."

"You really mean a lot to me, Hermione." Ron was staring into Hermione's eyes, making her feel a bit uncomfortable. The way he was looking at her made he feel like he wanted to kiss her. A part of her wanted to lean in and accept the kiss, but a much bigger part was telling her that it would be a very bad idea.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, standing up as quick as she could. "I can't do this right now. I have to go." Ron watched her, his eyes wide, as she zipped up her bag and used her wand to shrink it. She gave her friend an appologetic smile before placing her bag in her pocket and apparating back to her flat.

*

Narcissa Malfoy was sitting in her late husband's study yet again, opening the latest letter from Hermione Granger. The girl had sent over two more letters since her first, coming off as very persistant. Draco still didn't have a clue about his unborn child, Narcissa kept the letters locked away in a desk drawer, safe from her son's curious eyes. Still, she opened and read every letter the girl sent, trying to hold on to the happiness that came with the idea of a smiling baby in the house. She knew it was crazy, this baby would never really be her grandchild, but just knowing that she and the mother were doing well made her sleep a bit better at night.

Currently, Narcissa, a woman who was always known for showing little or no emotion, felt a few tears roll down her cheeks. She was looking at the ultrasound picture, watching her unborn grandchild's heartbeat flicker. The sight overwhelmed her with emotions she never thought she'd experience again; joy, excitement, and love for another being besides her son. She wanted to hold on tight to these feelings as best she could, even if she couldn't be the grandmother she so desperately wanted to be.

"Mother?" Narcissa's thoughts were interupted by Draco's voice coming from the fireplace. As quick as she could, Narcissa covered the ultrasound picture with her book.

"Draco, it's so good to see your face." Narcissa said, moving her chair closer to the wooden fireplace.

"It's good to see you too, mother," Draco told her before his face fell. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing at all, why do you ask?"

"Don't lie to me," Draco said, his voice stern, reminding her so much of Lucius. "You're crying."

"Oh," Narcissa took out her silk hankerchief, gently dabbing at her eyes. "I'm sorry, I must have had something in my eye." Draco raised his eyebrows at his mother skeptically.

"Are you keeping something from me, mother?" He questioned, knowing all to well how she was when she was hiding things from him. He watched at his mother ran the hankerchief through her hands nervously.

"Of course not, Draco," Narcissa assured him, trying to compose herself. She took a deep breath, and instantly, the tears were gone. She gave her son a sweet smile, reassuring him that she was fine. "Now tell me, how are you?"

"I'm tired, mother," Draco told her. "Being away from the manor isn't helping with my insomnia. I feel more stressed than ever and Amos is now refusing to give me a Dreamless Sleep Potion more than four nights a week. In short, I'm very unhappy."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Narcissa said, wanting nothing more than to comfort her son. She wished he was with her at the manor so she could hold him close, but he needed time away, especially now that Granger was writing to him. "Have you met anyone special yet?" Draco coughed nervously, his mother was constantly asking him this. He knew she just wished to see him happy, but it got pretty annoying when she was continuously fussing over his love life.

"Not yet, mother, but I do still have plenty of time to find someone." Draco replied, feeling uncomfortable.

"I do hope you can find love soon," Narcissa said with a kind smile. "I would wish to see my only child marry before I die."

"Do not speak that way," he told her, her words upsetting him. Ever since his father had become obsessed with the Dark Lord, his mother had taken to speaking as if she was fatally ill with no cure. It broke his heart to see her so depressed, but he was at a complete loss as to what to do. "You will live for many more years to come, so please, do not talk like you may die at any moment."

"I apologise," Narcissa said seriously, not wanting to upset her son any further. "So how is our summer home?"

"Very well," Draco told her, happy for the subject change. "The elves have been doing a marvelous job at keeping it in order. You would love it here, if you would just come."

"I think I will just have to take your word for it." Draco wanted to argue with his mother, but he couldn't. He knew that the place brought back old memories for her, memories that she didn't wish to relive. He respected her choice, so he kept quiet about it.

"How have you been, mother?" Draco asked, still feeling as if something were off. He wasn't sure what it could be, but his mother had been acting rather strange lately. He wanted to ask why, but he still wanted to be careful around his mother. She still wasn't well and he was worried that the slightest thing may turn her mental wellness to the point of no return.

"Quite well," Narcissa told her son, not wanting to worry him much. "It's just a tad lonely here without you."

"I know, mother," he replied, feeling the rare urge to embrace her, but he fought it. He hadn't been raised to show outward signs of affection, his mother rarely even hugged him as he was growing up. "Any letters?"

"One from Blaise and quite a few from Pansy," Narcissa said. "Have you spoken to Pansy lately?" Draco couldn't help but make a face at the sound of his ex's name. He and Pansy had gotten back together for less than a month after graduation. But, since they were finished with their schooling, all Pansy could speak of was getting married and becoming Mrs. Draco Malfoy. Draco hadn't even begun to think about settling down, nor did he ever imagine she would be the witch whom he chose to spend his life with. Yes, it had been practically forced upon them since they were young that they were to marry one day, but in the end, it was their choice. And Draco, being a Malfoy to the core, believed that he deserved nothing but the best. And everyone knew that Pansy Parkinson was anything but the best. It hurt his mother greatly when he'd finally broken it off with his long time girlfriend, she'd been very close with Pansy's mother, but in the end she knew it was for the best. Truth be told, she'd always rather dreaded her son marrying the pug faced girl. Her son was a very attractive young man, having children with a woman like Pansy would not have been fair to him, Pansy would have been forced to take a DNA strengthening potion just to be sure that the Malfoy genes over ruled the Parkinson ones. Not to mention that she'd always thought of the girl as a type of hussy, knowing how much she slept around when the two were apart.

"Not for a few weeks," Draco explained. "She and I had a little falling out, it seems she still has it stuck in her head that we will get back together."

"Are you getting back together?" Narcissa asked, trying not to lose her composure.

"Please mother," Draco said, giving her a look that brought a smile to her pale face. "But I'd best be getting back, I still have to attend to the stables before lunch."

"Well don't let me keep you." she told him with a warm smile. Her son was so motivated.

"Oh, before I forget, I'm still not receiving my subscription to the Daily Prophet, did you speak with them?" Draco asked quickly.

"I did but I'll floo them again this afternoon." she replied.

"Thank you, take care."

"You too, baby," Narcissa said, a little too late for she spoke to nothing but a pile of smoldering ash. Once she was sure Draco was gone, she made her way back over to the desk, picking up the ultrasound picture. "Oh, I do hope your mother is as bright as they say she is." Narcissa gently kissed the photo before placing it in the drawer, along with all the other evidence of Draco's unborn daughter. With a final look, Narcissa closed the drawer, locking it tight so that the world would never know of the scandal in the making.

To Be Continued...

So I appologize for the long wait for this chapter. I know I said I was hoping to only be a week, but my beta hasn't been answering my emails && I was kind of waiting for her. She still hasn't replied though, so bear with the poor grammar. As for reviews, thnxx goes out to: scarletwitchextreme, paigeey07 (awe thnxx, I love you too lol), angelnomiko, Janeplay, Citten (sorry about that, I went back && fixed everything. Hermione, in this chapter, is nearly four months pregnant && Healer Bolton is a man. I'll try to be more careful in future chapters), baesters && sky. Thank you so much to all my reviewers, you guys are awesome. I'm thinking that since I was a bit mean this time with updating, I might just go proof read chapter six && maybe even post it tonight. Reviews will definately help convince me so make sure you do your part && I'll do mine.

Much Love...

XXX

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