The Baby Project

Chapter Nine:

'I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend.
You could cut back ties,
with all those lies that you've been living in.
I know something's wrong'

WEEK FOUR : FOURTH MONTH

Hermione stared at the little crib in her room.

Upon speaking to Luna, Hermione had come to realise that she probably had
one of the most awkward contraptions to set up than anyone else in her
class.

'Or maybe it's just Malfoy and his gammy mechanics' She thought with
a smirk.

With the little Spindle Corner Crib standing proud on the left hand
side of Hermione's own double bed, it was almost giving off that look of
complete arrogance that Malfoy had...

'Its almost as if it knows who its maker is...' Hermione started to
chuckle.

The creme canopy sitting on top of the crib seemed to make it look all the
more elegant, and it matched the wooden spindles around the crib
beautifully.

Hermione absentmindedly rubbed her stomach.

It was beautiful.

Hermione had been doing some reading lately.
She was curious about the changes that her baby was going through.
It was almost like she really needed to know exactly what was going
on...almost as if it would somehow calm her, and make her feel less worried
about what was going on on the inside.

At four months along, she never realised just how much her baby was
starting to develop, until she read up on it.

'His face, right down to the external ears will be well developed. He can
frown, squint and grimace. Although he cannot see yet, his retinas are
becoming sensitive to light. Eyebrows and scalp hair are beginning to
appear. He can even suck his thumb.
At the end of the sixteenth week your baby will be around 5.5 inches from
crown to rump and weigh 6 oz, and baby is now big enough that his heartbeat
can be heard with a regular stethoscope.

Hermione smiled to herself warmly, allowing the thoughts that entered her
mind, about a healthy, happy child.

Hermione walked over to her small desk by the window, and reached for the
journal.
She had decided that if she wanted to get the best marks for herself, then
she would have to write everything down.

So she did.
From what time she was sick in the mornings...to what time she slept...to
how long it took both her and Malfoy to put up the crib.

Hermione jotted down some little bits of information, and then put the
journal away again.

She heard her tummy rumble.
For the past day or two she had started to feel more appreciative of her
food.

She knew she would have to take advantage of it, seeing as though there
would be little time left for her before she knew she would start gaining
baby weight.

She walked down the stairs of her dorm room, and out into the common room.

Hermione looked around, half expecting Malfoy to be there.
But for the second time this week, she didn't see anything that would make
her aware of his presence.

It had started two days ago.
Ever since their 'Life Lesson's' Class, Malfoy had been even more sarcastic
and moody around her.

Honestly!
You would think it was him having the baby!

When she told him to go to hell, he told her he was already there.

But the attitude wasn't what had bothered Hermione.

It was the way he was looking at her.

It was like he was looking at her for the first time.
As if he was weighing up his options or something.

And then he sneered.

'Thats the old Malfoy I know and despise! She thought.

He had turned on his heel and had gone through the door that lead to his
dorm room.
Probably to sulk on his own.

Hermione shook her head to rid her thoughts, and glanced around the room one
final time before opening the door to the common room and stepping out into
the hall.


_____________________


"I'm having the worst time" Blaise moaned loudly.

Malfoy could empathise with him.

"The worst of it is the fact that she just seems to think that she can just
click her fingers and I'll come running"

Draco couldn't empathise with that.
But he could sympathise.

Granger knew better than to expect anything from him.

"Ignore her" Draco told him casually, eating his dinner.

Blaise shook his head.
"I can't, she's blackmailing me!" He told his friend with a scared look on
his face. "She keeps telling me that if I don't co-operate then she's going
to tell McGonagall...and then the old cow will drop my marks"

Malfoy snorted.
That was complete and utter bullshit.

How come every girl within the school had somehow managed to turn all of the
lads into nervous wrecks?

Well...except for him.
HE would not be turned.

"And don't even get me started on that bloody Muggle contraption she had me
setting up the other week!"

Draco could definitely empathise with that.

"I know" He answered. "In the end I had to-"

No..he wouldn't tell anyone that he had to ask Granger to help.

"-help Granger set it up."

Blaise looked over at him.
"I thought the crib and play pen were delivered to your room?" He asked
curiously.

Malfoy nodded.
He needed to think of an answer...

'Got it' he thought slyly.

"It did" He said casually. "But I'll be damned if you'll ever see me
willingly do something that isn't for myself"

Blaise smirked.
That sounded Just like Draco Malfoy.

Spineless.

"So I made Granger do it...and when she practically begged me for help, I
couldn't stand her nasal whine anymore and gave in"

Blaise looked at him. "You must really hate her" He said casually.

Draco nodded.
"She gets on my bloody nerves. She's always doing things her way...it pisses
me off"

"But if your not involved, how do you expect to get any marks?" Blaise asked
him.

Draco knew what he was getting at.
"I am involved..." he answered. "...I'm just taking the back seat until the
sprog is born"

Blaise accepted Draco's answer and got on with his Dinner.

Malfoy looked around him.

All the lads looked absolutely miserable...and yet the girls didn't seem to
give a shit.

'What happened to lad's being part of the whole deal?' Malfoy thought
to himself. 'Or have we got to a point where sperm is only needed from a
man, and that's it?'

Draco shook his head.

Over to his left... just in the distance, he could see Seamus Finnigan
sitting on the Hufflepuff table with Loony Lovegood.

Were they allowed to sit with other members of different houses?
Or were the two inseparable?

'Maybe Finnigan just likes playing 'House'...

And yet...by looking at their faces, Malfoy could see their happy smiles,
and their long gazes at each other.

It made him sick.

No lad was supposed to enjoy this.
They were supposed to detest their partners and commiserate with each of
their fellow sex.

'Well...at least Potter is having a bad time Malfoy smirked.

That had cheered him up.

Potter sat there looking completely deflated.
He seemed to be talking to Granger about something or other...he didn't
really care.

He moved his eyes over to Granger, to study her face.

He bet she was having a brilliant time, like the rest of the female
population of the school.

But then...she didn't look too happy for a pregnant woman.

Her eyes held some sort of emotion that Draco could only hazard a guess
at...

Emptiness

Well...she was far from empty, wasn't she!

Malfoy had not expected to see the expression on her face.
She was supposed to be happy like all the other girls...and yet, she looked
as if something was missing.

Malfoy tore his eyes away and looked around the Great Hall again.

Searching for something.

'What did all the other girls have, that Granger didn't?'

Draco looked over at Patil and Weasley...a growl almost erupted from his
throat.

SHE was supposed to be his.
Not Granger.

And yet, there she was...looking through a rather large book with
Weasley...the pair of them whispering to each other...laughing and joking...

That made him want to vomit.

He looked to his right and saw Crabble and Montague sitting there together.

They were laughing as well!

What exactly was all of this?
Were the boys falling at their partners feet just because they had their
sprogs inside them?

Draco shuddered.
He'd be damned if he was following that trend.

He looked back over at Granger.
She still looked depressed.

And then it clicked.

Looking around at all the couples...and then seeing her on her own...

There was something missing about her....

It was him.


____________________________

Hermione sat in the library in silence.
She had to get out of the Great Hall.

She could feel him glaring at her from across the room.

Instead, she got up from her seat and excused herself.
Harry had asked her if she needed any company, but she had rejected it.

Sometimes it was just better to be by yourself.

She opened a book and began to read.
She didn't know why she had picked it up, but she felt like reading a Muggle
book.


'Pawns of Prophesy' had always appealed to her...David Eddings was a
magnificent writer.

Hermione started to get lost in the chapters, when she heard the doors of
the library open.
Someone ran in, their quick footsteps making them sound panicked.

Hermione turned around to see Blaise Zabini...whom ran past her to the end
of the library and hid behind the back shelf.

Hermione was about to question his odd behavior, when someone else opened
the library door seconds later.

Lavender.

Hermione smirked.

Of course...

Lavender the control freak was obviously getting the brush off from her
partner.

"Have you seen Zabini?" Lavender asked her, sounding rather annoyed.

Hermione thought for a moment.
Did she say she had...or did she tell her 'friend' that she hadn't seen him
anywhere?

Then again...if she herself were running away from Lavender, then she would
have a pretty good explanation for it.

Hermione shook her head.
"Sorry, I've not seen anyone"

Lavender huffed.

She turned on her heel and left the library in a hurry.

Hermione heard the rustling of books from the back of the room.
"Shes gone" She said with a smirk on her face.

Blaise appeared seconds later.
He looked over at Hermione and gave her a courteous nod of the head.

A Slytherin was actually attempting to thank her.

Hermione just nodded her head in response and got back to reading.

Zabini looked over at her.
For the horrible little Muggle that she was...

She wasn't that bad of a person.

Malfoy may have been wrong after all.


________________

A/N: Just incase anyone is wondering......


http://www.mymoondrops.com/baby_crib/round_b101_19.html


^^^ this is the crib i was describing in Hermione's room.

(And its absolutely beaufiful!!!!)


And yes, i DO have another treat for you!!!!

ITS ANOTHER 2 CHAPTERS IN ONE NIGHT!!!!!!

If you don't believe me, take a look for yourself!!!! hehehe

xxx