In sickness and in health

Any character or place you recognize belongs to J K Rowling

Draco was worried about Hermione. She had been looking pale in the mornings. He was still working out what his feelings were towards her. Suddenly he heard a sound. It was muffled and he didn't recognize it at first but a moment of listening later he realized what it was: Sobbing.

He leapt out of bed and ran to Hermione's room. He knocked at the door but there was no answer so he walked in anyways. He did not expect what he found. Hermione was on the floor with her back to him rocking back and forth sobbing uncontrollably. Her hair had grown long and turned to flowing water which was pooling around her. Silver ran through the clear blue of her hair.

Draco ran around to her front and found her top soaked in blood. Uncaring at the moment he ripped it aside and gasped at what he found. He knew the sign well enough. A wilting rose carved into her shoulder. He knew what had happened to her now. He raised his wand and names swirled up from the rose he flinched at them.

"Oh gods Hermione." He took her in his arms and this time she flinched but did not shy away. Draco was still reeling at the name at the top of the list. His father's name. No wonder she had been so afraid of him. He stroked her back with one hand and laid the other over the bleeding cut. She gasped but soon went back to her sobbing. Under Draco's hand the blood slowed and soon stopped.

He lifted Hermione and laid her on her bed covering her in blankets against the cold. He was moving away when a hand gripped his wrist. She spoke in an unsteady voice.

"Draco...Don't tell." Draco was shocked.

"Hermione this has to be reported!" Hermione shook her head.

"No. I don't want anyone else to know. I don't want to be pitied." She sobbed again.

"I won't tell but what else is wrong?" Hermione hiccuped.

"I'm," she sobbed "Pregnant." Draco gasped. He waved his wand to put her under a dreamless sleep spell. Her eyes closed and her hair returned to normal. Draco stroked her hair. It was smooth and soft. This was much more complicated than it had seemed when he rescued her. He sighed and sat in a chair to wait.

When neither Draco nor Hermione showed up to classes the next day Professor McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey made their way to the head's dorms. They knocked on the door of Draco's room and when their was no answer, at Hermione's. Her door opened quickly but not very far and Draco slipped out.

"Mr. Malfoy what is going on? I demand to know why you and miss Granger were absent from classes today." Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Hermione is feeling a bit under the weather and I have been tending to her."

"Why didn't you bring her to the hospital wing?" Madame Pomfrey asked indignantly.

"She didn't want to and didn't think it was bad enough to warrent a trip to the infirmary."

"Let me see her."

"No."

"Let me see her Mr. Malfoy this is my job."

"NO. She needs her rest and Merlin help me I am willing to fight you away from this room if I have to. She will be fine. I am perfectly capable of handling what she has." McGonagall and Pomfrey looked doubtful but, seeing the determined look on the boy's face they reluctantly left the room.

Hermione stirred and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Draco sitting in a chair by the window. The events of the previous night washed over her and a few stray tears leaked out of her eyes but she put on a brave face and sat up. Draco straightened and a smile lit his face. She hadn't seen him really smile before but it was rather handsome on him.

"Good morning sleeping beauty you have slept for a day and a half." Hermione lept out of bed and groaned.

"A day and a half?!"

"Yeah but don't worry. I took care of McGonagall and Pomfrey for you."

"Thanks."

"So what are you going to do?" Hermione shrugged.

"The wizarding world doesn't allow you to terminate pregnancies due to our decreasing population." Draco shuffled his feet.

"I know a couple of spells that might help you if you want to keep the pregnancy secret."

"Really?!" Draco pointed his wand at her stomach.

"Conselvus" He said and a pink beam of light swirled around her stomach twice before dissapearing. "There. Now only people who know you are pregnant will be able to see your stomach grow."

"Thank you Draco this will be an enormous help. What is the other one?"

"I can rearrange the baby's genetics while it is still in your stomach so that it will look different than it's father." Hermione gasped.

"Draco that's complicated magic." Draco shrugged.

"Do you want me to do it?" Hermione didn't need to think.

"Yes."

"What do you want it to look like?"

"Surprise me." Hermione's stomach glowed blue for six minutes as Draco performed the spell. Hermione hesitated before hugging Draco. "Thank you."