State of the Union

First, I have to apologize for how long it took to update this. Not only did I lose some of my muse, I have moved, both jobs and housing locations, and had to deal with some family illness. I want you to know that those of you who reviewed are the ones who I came back for; I couldn’t just leave this where it was when I knew you were waiting for the next chapter, so thank you.

As you know, I like to try to respond to everyone who was kind enough to leave a review and answer any of the questions people asked (or comments that I felt the need to defend), so here goes:

moxie – You are so welcome! I’m glad you liked it and I hope you continue to enjoy their relationship.

knottycait – I’m glad you think so!

blondiexoxo – Sometimes, I can’t help slipping in just a touch of ‘awww’… I’m glad you liked it!

j.s. – If you were Hermione, wouldn’t you be confused? I sure would be! Glad you like it!

Panther Eyes – Hm, love? Maybe. Remember that sex isn’t a precursor to love. There’s plenty of sex that goes on without love… Thanks for the review!

jenny – I’m sorry, jenny… I hope that you’re still reading and that this one makes your day, as well!

errika – I’m so glad you like it! Keep reading!

Anathema (formerly Moonstar, who was formerly Given2Fly) – Alright, you, we gotta talk about all these name changes! I’m sure, by now, that you have yet ANOTHER name, but, whoever you are, I hope you’re still reading and that you enjoy this chapter!

Sarah Cox – I know what you’re thinking… “Ya know, lady, I asked you NOT to leave us hanging and here you left us for nearly 3 months!!” I’m sorry… I’m ashamed of myself. If I promise to do better, next time, with you keep reading…? Pretty please?

Miah – I’m so glad you like it! I’ll try to keep the interaction going and I hope you’re still watching for updates!

Tizzy – I’m glad you like it; here’s your update!

ani – I’m sorry that it wasn’t as soon as you probably would have liked, but here’s your chapter!

xXxMrs.MalfoyxXx – Hello, thanks and here you go!

oxcab – Thank you! Yeah, he’s a snuggler. I figured that with the lack of love and affection he probably got growing up, his chances of needing that type of closeness after being intimate are pretty high. And, hey, as long as he’s got Hermione there, already…

joanna – Ya know, I’ve asked myself this a thousand times. I’m really not sure how long I want this story to be. I really only started it on a whim, for myself, and decided to post it just to see if anyone else was interested in reading it. Now that it seems people are, I have to think about how I want things to play out. There are some scenes that I already have planned out, but it’s a matter of writing all the stuff between those scenes that’s a pain!

lisa – I’m glad you like him! I’m sorry this update didn’t come sooner.

Lychee – I’m glad you like it. If you’re also a writer, you understand that sometimes, as you’re writing, things just don’t feel like they’re being written the way you want them to and it’s just so frustrating. I feel that I’m not doing any of you (the readers) or myself any justice and that my chapters aren’t worth posting. Your reviews, as well as others like you, help me to keep posting them even when I think they’re not worth it. So thank you, very much!

RiddikulusSugarQuill – I hoped that was what I was conveying! I’m so glad it worked. She doesn’t seem to be listening, so Draco’s trying to show her some things. I hope you continue reading!

megan – Thank you, and here’s your next chapter!

mandy-jg – I’m sorry it’s been so long; I hope you’re still reading and that you enjoy this chapter as well!

pumkin – I’m glad you like it, and here’s another update for you. Don’t worry, Hermione will not be this way, forever. It simply isn’t in her nature.

Anon – Here you go!

May – Thank you, so much! It’s very kind of you to say and I hope you’re still reading!

Anon – I’m glad you like the story. In a way, you are correct. Hermione (the one that’s owned and operated by J.K. Rowling) is too proud for this. But, I’m not J.K. Rowling, I’m Duchess, so I get to take Hermione and put her in any situation I want. However, if it helps, think of it this way: when you’re walking on broken glass, you don’t notice a mosquito biting your arm; it’s not that you’re accepting it, it’s just that you don’t notice or don’t care.

GimmieMagick – I’m glad you like it! I hope you’re still out there waiting for the update!

Della – Thank you! I’m a fan of them, too, so I’m glad you like mine!

lala – Don’t worry, she won’t be like this forever, and I hope you like it when she breaks out of it, too. Not quite yet, though…

LadyRain – Thank you, so much. I did worry that the ending was too mushy, but it seems that people liked it. Soon enough, it’ll be more than their bodies. Don’t worry!

JF – Sorry I didn’t update as soon as I’m sure you would have liked! I hope you’re still reading, though!

vivnow – I hope you’re still addicted; here’s your update!

Anon – I’m glad you like it. I’m a fan of the sweet and sexy, myself.

BuffyXO – You, sir or madam, are quite close to guessing one of the scenes that I already have thought out… but no more hints!

KanSol – I’m sure that you’re right, but I have no clue where I used it… I kinda glanced through but couldn’t find it. Help…? I’ll fix it if you tell me where! Wow, really? Just from the author’s note? Thanks!

KanSol (again) – I’m glad it’s different for you! I like putting twists on the same old plots.

moonjameskitten – I’m glad you like it! I’m sorry I didn’t update sooner, but I hope you’re still reading!

lilhouself – Well, a contract is a contract. And in the case of the Ministry of Magic (at least for my story) it’s unbreakable. Now, does that mean Draco will hold her to it? Hmmm, well, you’ll just have to keep reading to find out!

Izzi – Here’s your update! I’m sorry it was so long in coming!

Luvindraco-07 – I have conversations at the start of the chapters so that I can chat with my readers, let them know that I have read their reviews (each and every one of them), taken their thoughts and wishes into account, and also so that I can answer questions like yours. You’re welcome to skip them, if you like, but I’m not going to stop writing them. Every reviewer here is important to me, and I want them to know that, even if I have to write a thousand individual comments to tell them so.

jamieblye – Here’s your update and thanks for the review!

You guys, it makes me want to cry when I read your reviews. You can’t imagine how wonderful it is to know that someone likes what you create. I hope you will all continue reading and even leave a review every now and again to help feed my writing!

Obligatory No Ownership Clause: I obviously don’t own a single character portrayed here, but the situations and wording are completely mine.

Chapter 9 going out to all of you.

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Days stretched into weeks and weeks into months as things seemed to effectively ‘settle’ in the Malfoy residence. Hermione and Draco had slipped into a kind of comfortable routine; get up, eat breakfast together, go to work, have lunch together, come home, work or spend time separately (Draco spent much of his time working on the household accounts and managing the manor while Hermione generally read things from the library or watched muggle television; something that Draco had no stomach for), and go to bed. The weekends were spent either working on projects brought home from work or entertaining the many guests that were the norm for the magical gentry. Their meals together didn’t consist of much conversation, but the silence was as comfortable as silence between two married strangers could be, they coexisted, peacefully.

Draco had simply had to accept the fact that this was now his life. Nothing seemed to snap his wife out of the self-imposed depression she had herself in and that was just that. After their marriage and the first week back at work, Draco had tried to stave off the consistent sexual encounters he’d initiated nearly every day of their marriage, thus far. It hadn’t been as easy as he’d thought. She was too willing, too near, too accepting… He’d thought that if he avoided her, he’d be able to control himself, but that didn’t seem to work; he still met her for lunch nearly every day at the ministry, but, after that first time in her office, he’d begun to take her OUT for lunch, instead, where he was forced to keep his cool as they ate. That strategy had seemed to work, but he kept coming across her in the evenings or on the weekends, as was often the case when someone was sharing your home with you.

She’d be curled up in a chair, concentrating her thoughts so hard on a book that she’d be biting her bottom lip, and he’d feel the need to bite it for her. The next thing he knew, the book was on the floor and his wife was in his arms. Or she’d be sprawled out on their bed, watching the tellie, and, well, he could always think of better ways to use the bed than to stare at that infernal box, and he’d be there with her stretched beneath him in an instant. The worst, however, was when he entered their bedroom and heard her splashing in the bathtub in the next room. He never even managed to get her out of the bathroom on those occasions, preferring instead to pin her to the cool, tiled wall, kissing the droplets from her skin as she squirmed. It certainly would be easier if she resisted once in a while, but she always gave in, immediately, after any slight shock at his actions had worn off.

Due to the fact that she was being such an accommodating partner, Draco felt the need to run Hermione’s affairs as well as his own, at least until she came to her senses (although he was beginning to wonder, at this point, if that was ever going to happen). He had seen to it that his wife hadn’t had to deal with any of the unpleasant details regarding her parent’s death. Draco had requested that his solicitor see that their personal items and furniture had been placed into storage for Hermione to go through when she felt the desire to, and hired a caretaker to look after the house. He’d also taken the liberty of making sure that all her family’s finances were in order, though still contained in their muggle assets, and placed in her name, along with the property. He’d left the account book on the desk she used for the work she brought home and, other than having been moved to the side to accommodate her files, it didn’t look to have been touched or opened, at all. He’d deliberately made sure that the interest bearing accounts he’d placed the assets into would yield enough revenue to cover the care of the house and taxes until she decided what to do with them, on her own. He’d resolved not to touch them, though this wasn’t something he’d voiced to her.

The remains of her parents had been cremated and entombed in the vault of the church that her parents had been married in so many years before. They had not attended any church regularly, so it seemed as good a place as any for them to permanently rest. Some of her parent’s friends and clients had organized a small memorial service and Draco had insisted they go when they heard about it. Since most of them barely knew Hermione from her many years at what they thought was a private boarding school, they were polite, sympathetic and kind toward her and her new husband, but distant as they greeted her before the service had begun. Hermione had been stiff and emotionless while the minister spoke, but Draco had listened with interest. Although it was obvious that the minister was reading from notes that had been provided for him from the company members, Draco had to admit that his in-laws had been interesting people, as far as muggles went. He listened as they described their jobs as muggle dentists, their hobbies like golfing and tennis, and some of their stranger quirks, such as their all-consuming love of bologna and ketchup sandwiches. When the clergyman had begun to describe their loving relationship with their daughter, Hermione had apparently heard enough, for she carefully slid her hand from Draco’s and stood, silently. Extricating herself from the pew they sat in, she had walked calmly and quietly down the length of the church aisle and out the front double doors that led to the courtyard. After a few more minutes of the service had past, progressing to the reading of telegrams and letters received, Draco had left to find his wife.

It took him several moments, but he finally found her sitting, silently, on a metal park bench along the path of the garden that twisted alongside the church. Without a word, he’d offered her his hand, which she accepted as she stood, and they went home. That night, Draco had been achingly tender in his lovemaking, despite his earlier attempts to avoid her. When she did finally sleep, he’d lain awake long after and watched her sleep, brushing loose curls from her forehead and wondering whether she’d ever get over the death of her parents. To be fair, he thought as he traced her cheek, her parents had been her whole world, besides Harry and Ron. She had no siblings, very few friends and didn’t have hobbies because of the extensiveness of her job. To lose them in her situation must’ve been devastating… he only wished she’d admit to the pain and loss; there was no way that bottling things up like this could be healthy long-term.

It had been nearly a week since then and the easy routine had survived thus far. Today, as they sat at the breakfast table, Hermione broke the silence as she stirred her tea, making Draco glance up from the Daily Prophet as she spoke.

“I won’t be able to have lunch with you, today,” she commented, without glancing up from the section of the paper she was reading. Silence greeted her and, when she finally did look up at him, Draco was arching a brow at her, questioningly. “I’m leaving the office at noon for a doctor’s appointment. I won’t be back until almost 1 and there’s a director’s meeting at 1:15.”

“Are you ill?” he asked, folding the Prophet and placing it alongside his plate. She certainly seemed healthy enough to him.

“No,” she answered, adding, “It’s the one you told me to make the morning after our marriage.”

“Ah,” he stated, sipping his coffee. “And you’re just now getting in to see her…?” Hermione shrugged one shoulder, lightly.

“She’s a well known mediwitch and also sees muggle patients, as well. I usually have to make appointments nearly a month in advance to see her, but she’s been exceptionally busy, lately, so I was lucky to get in before the holidays.”

“How long have you been seeing her?” Draco asked, slightly interested, now.

“Since I was 14. I had irregular periods.” That was certainly more information than he’d wanted, but he wasn’t about to discourage her and she sighed before continuing, “Unfortunately, magic can’t help everything. I’ve been on birth control pills ever since. Dr. Carlyle said they were still one of the safest and most effective ways to deal with it.”

“You have to take a pill once a month?”

“Once a day,” she corrected. Draco nearly choked on his toast.

“You have to take a pill every day just to regulate something that could have been regulated just as easily with a monthly potion?” He was incredulous. She nodded, then stated, matter of factly,

“One of the potion’s side effects happens to be a significant decrease of iron levels in the blood. Unfortunately, my iron levels are already rock bottom since I start menstruating and the potion would’ve made me so low I’d have been prone to fainting spells and constant illness. It wasn’t worth it.”

“But once a day…? Hermione, that’s… it’s just…” Unable to find the words for his amazement over it, Draco merely shook his head, slowly, and reopened his paper, without another word. Any other time, Hermione would’ve laughed at his confusion with muggle ways, but she simply finished her breakfast without comment.

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That evening, Draco slammed into the house, angrily, muttering about something work related as he tossed his jacket at one of the houseelves and climbed the stairs, fuming. What he needed was a good, loud row with someone to work out the rage in his system… however, knowing that Hermione wouldn’t argue with him the way she used to just served to make him even more annoyed and he stalked through the house, looking for her; if he couldn’t get a fight out of her, he could damn well work out his aggression physically, that was for certain. She was always home, by now, and his irritation grew when she wasn’t in any of her usual locations. Not in the bedroom, not at the desk on the study and not in the library… where in the bloody hell was that woman? After nearly an hour of searching, he heard her voice downstairs, muffled as she spoke to the houseelf that took her cloak.

Containing his anger, Draco sat on the edge of their bed to wait for her. After a few minutes, Hermione entered the room and headed straight for her dressing room to change her clothes without noticing Draco watching her, predatorily. The fact that she hadn’t noticed him only escalated his frustration and he finally stood, stalking towards the door she’d entered only to practically crash into her as she exited, in the process of securing her hair into a loose bun.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t-” Hermione had barely gotten the words out her mouth before they were smothered in a brutal kiss that had nothing to do with sensuality and everything to do with control. Without releasing her, Draco lifted her into his arms and after a few quick strides, dumped her unceremoniously on their bed. Instantly, he was over her, covering her with his body and imprisoning both of her wrists above her head in one of his. She was conscious of his other hand working between their bodies, and she felt the cool air of the bedroom hit her bare flesh before her legs were wrenched apart and her eyes went wide at the feel of him deep within her, without warning or preamble. He was still, then, and his free hand came up to grip her chin so that she was forced to look at him, and his voice trembled with both his agitation and need.

“You were late, today.” Hermione had to work to find her voice and when she finally did, it trembled, as well, though not for the same reasons as his, but her expression remained awe filled, not fearful.

“I… I lost a little work time, today… because of the appointment. I thought I’d stay and finish a few things… I didn’t think you’d mind…” She shifted, slightly, beneath him and he withdrew, almost fully, before thrusting forward, hard, causing her to gasp.

“If you’re ever going to be late, again, you will notify me. Is that understood?” He punctuated his words with several rough snaps of his hips against hers and she nodded, quickly, eyes still wide. He exhaled, deeply, and dropped his forehead to hers, letting his eyes slide closed. “When I am angry,” he said, speaking slowly and clearly, “there are only two ways for me to deal with it, effectively. And since you won’t argue with me, this will have to do.” He sighed. “However, I find myself torn between riding out my aggression and not wanting to hurt you.”

“You haven’t hurt me so far,” she countered, then added, boldly, “in fact, I seriously doubt you’re capable.” Draco’s head snapped up and his eyes blazed with new fury that flooded in on top of his earlier frustration. Without another word, he was driving into her with such force that all she could do was writhe beneath him, since she couldn’t even hold on considering the fact that he still held her wrists. After several moments of unending motion, Draco growled, low, in his throat as he felt his orgasm wash over him, taking much of the hostility and rage with it. Afterwards, he slumped atop her for a moment before rolling to the side, panting lightly, with the exertion.

“Why did you do that? Why did you taunt me, like that?” He asked, finally, running a hand through his tussled blonde hair. Hermione turned on her side, towards him, leaning up on her elbow resting her head on her hand.

“It’s what you wanted, isn’t it?” Draco simply stared at her, incredulously, before quitting the bed without another word. Hermione lay there, quietly, for some time, before finally rising to bathe and dress for dinner.

Draco, however, wasn’t at dinner, that evening. Hermione was informed by a houseelf that he had work to do that could not be interrupted and she thought nothing of it. However, when she fell asleep alone, that evening, and her husband still hadn’t put in an appearance by breakfast that next morning, she realized that he was avoiding her, and doing a fairly credible job, this time.

Draco managed to evade his wife for nearly three whole days. On the afternoon of the third day, as he was working in the study a few hours before supper, a large barn owl flew through the open window and landed on his papers. The owl dropped an envelope in front of him and waited, blinking its round eyes at him. Setting his quill in the inkwell, Draco lifted the envelope and read Hermione’s name across the front before calling for one of the houseelves to fetch his wife. Hermione entered, head cocked, questioningly at his summons and he waved the message at her. She accepted the envelope, and, sitting in one of the chairs facing the desk, took an inordinately long time reading what seemed to be only a few lines. Finally, she stood and waved the owl away without a reply.

“May I go out for awhile? Personal business.” she asked, primly, and he arched a brow before nodding. “Thank you. I’ll be back before dinner.” He nodded, again, engrossed in his work.

Several hours later, Hermione returned, quiet as she handed her cloak and gloves to the waiting houseelf and inquired as to where her husband was. After being told of his whereabouts, she entered the study, once again, this time resting her hands, lightly, on the back of one of the chairs.

“Draco?” He glanced up, regarding her silently. “I’m pregnant.” Draco’s response was one of those that every male can regard as timeless; he was speechless, staring at her, wide-eyed with all the expression of a dead fish. Hermione’s face was blank as she shrugged one shoulder, lightly. “I just thought you should know.” And with that, she turned to leave, but by that time, Draco had found his tongue.

“I thought you were taking those muggle tablets…”

“If you recall, your contract specifically stated that I had to have children within 1 year of our marriage. Birth control pills can take months to filter out of a woman’s system, so I quit taking them right after I signed the contract. I figured that even if I couldn’t have a baby within the year, if I was at least pregnant, you’d consider that fait accompli,” she returned, matter-of-factly.

“So that’s where you went? To the mediwitch to confirm the pregnancy?” he asked, standing to come around and lean against the other side of the desk before her, crossing his arms across his chest. Hermione nodded, slowly, as expressionless as ever.

“To confirm and to do a few preliminary tests to be sure the baby was healthy.”

“And?” Again, that damn shrug of hers.

“I’m 7 weeks pregnant and the baby is perfectly healthy. Anything else?”

“So that’s it? Even with all that’s happened, and the fact that you’re pregnant, this is still it?” This was just the last straw; Draco simply couldn’t stand for this a second longer.

“What do you mean…?” Draco strode forward to clasp Hermione’s shoulders, strongly resisting the urge to shake her.

“This! By Merlin, this attitude! How much longer can you possibly walk around like a bloody zombie pretending that you don’t care about anything going on around you?! Your parents are dead, Hermione, but you’re not! How much longer can you pretend not to grieve?!” He hadn’t realized it, but he’d begun to emphasize some of his words by jerking at her shoulders, as he’d only barely been able to resist doing, a moment ago. “Damnit, Hermione, I will not have my child raised around a mother who acts like she doesn’t feel a single bloody emotion in that stubborn head of hers!” With the last word, Draco released her and inadvertently shoved her a few steps back from him.

Hermione, for her part, had become wide-eyed during his tirade. Her lip trembled and her mouth opened as though she had something to say but it closed just as quickly as she turned and walked from the room.

“Hermione! Hermione, don’t you walk away from me! Not now!” He bellowed after her, half-pleading, but in her first act of pure defiance, she ignored him and he watched her rush up the stairs without looking back.

Draco rubbed his temple, lightly. Things could not go on this way. They simply couldn’t. He’d leave her alone, for now, to process what he’d said, but tonight they were going to have this out; it was now or never, as far as he was concerned.

That evening, Draco waited for Hermione at the dinner table. But he was left waiting, for his wife did not make an appearance. Draco ate, alone, knowing full well that this was probably her revenge for his avoidance of her for the last few days and his angry outburst, earlier that day. When he’d finished, he decided to go looking for her; she’d had plenty of time to sulk, or to think about how she wanted to scream back at him and it was high time, after all.

But Hermione wasn’t what he found; what he found was a note, written in her perfect handwriting, resting on their bed, with ink dry enough that it had to have been written only a short time after their encounter, this afternoon.

Draco,

If you trust me, don’t look for me. I’ll be back before the baby is born.

~ Hermione

Draco sank down to the edge of the bed, clutching the note, tightly, in his fist and his mind flew with confusion. 18 words. Their life up until this point summed up in 18 words. What in Merlin’s name had he done….?

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Oh, how I hate when authors write in those awful cliffhangers! I’m sorry! Please see it in your hearts to forgive me and review if you haven't, already, or would like to otherwise comment.

~§~ Duchess ~§~