three little words ; 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞

6. Unexpected Visitor

Hermione 

Hermione knew that she had been pregnant for three whole months now. She had known, but she fought to hide it from Ron. For what reason, she couldn't explain. She just felt the need to keep it from him.

But he was her husband, and she knew that he wanted a family as much as she did. So why would she lie?

Maybe it was because of Draco. He still had a piece of her heart with him, he was still hers in a way that she couldn't deny.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and kept walking down the street towards her house. Rose had gone over to Harry's for the day, getting her wish from the day that Draco had shown up. She didn't know why she still cared for him. Everywhere he went, trouble followed. When he showed up at the Three Broomsticks, he'd only caused Ron to doubt her. She didn't want that, they'd been friends for a long time. They helped defeat the Dark Lord, they were both friends of Harry. She did care about him, but she didn't love him. At least she had some time to think, alone in the house. Ron was gone with Dean and Seamus, still old friends, playing Quidditch with the rest of the Weasley family. Well, just George, who was the only one that had any free time now.

She set down her things at the kitchen table and turned around, wanted nothing more than to settle down in a plush chair and sleep off all her worry.

"I knew you'd be here."

[Press play]

Draco's blond hair was perfect, just sitting on his head in its usual neat manner, just like it usually had been in his time at Hogwarts. He sat comfortably, as if he'd made himself at home, and his eyes were glinting. He looked a bit rugged in his flannel button down shirt and a pair of jeans. He looked much like a muggle, which was surprising, considering that he was a pureblood. Stop, she scolded herself. He's different.

"What are you doing here? How'd you know I'd be alone?" Her voice came out quiet, but as calm as she could make it.

"I didn't." He stood up and stepped closer. Her breath caught and she didn't know what he would do. But she couldn't deny the good feeling it gave her. She'd begun to miss him, the influence he had on her.

"Then you've lost your mind," she chuckled, shaking her head. "You've lost your mind, Draco Malfoy."

He lightly touched her face with his fingertips, his other hand on her waist. "And it's all because of you."

"I told you that I'm pregnant. Why'd you come back? I thought that it would drive you away."

"Is that what you want?"

"No, but I thought that's what would happen. I needed to tell you, though. I needed to."

He nodded and leaned his forehead against hers. She smiled. "You know what I said outside, that night. It's true. I want you to know that. I don't want to cause any more pain upon anyone else."

"Darling, you're not inflicting pain on me, or your husband," he said softly. "You're just afraid."

She chuckled. "You can see right through me, can't you?"

He nodded and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I don't want to live without you, Hermione."

She looked up and kissed him gently. "And I can't live without you, Draco."

He wrapped her up in his arms, and they stood there for a while, just contemplating the universe, and how the bloody hell they had gotten there. It amazed Hermione how quickly she could forget about the coming baby, or her husband, about everything that had happened since she left Draco the first time. She wanted him all to herself, she wanted to be with him. She couldn't believe all the feelings he brought out in her. She wanted him, but she couldn't have him. Not so long as she was married to Ron. He wouldn't allow them to even see each other, even to be friends. That much was clear as the sky.

Draco rested his head on hers and whispered, "I could stay like this forever."

She sighed. No matter what, she couldn't keep leading him on like this. "But I have to go back to Ron and Rose. I have to be a loyal wife, I can't sneak around with you all the time. This wouldn't work. I'm sorry, and I want to still have you in my life, but I can't do it."

Draco nodded. "I understand." His face drooped, and made him look many years older. Hermione felt terrible. She had been the one to let him down, and she hated it. She loved him--well, felt something for him--and didn't want to see him get hurt, much less be the one to hurt him.

She took his face in her hands, her thumbs softly making circles on his cheeks. "Don't stop fighting, Draco," she whispered. "I know you. You fight for what you want. And sometimes, you get it. So don't stop fighting. I don't want to see you give up. For anything."

He nodded and blinked. "I'll fight for you, Hermione. I'll get you back. And when I do, we'll have a wonderful life together, you, me, Rose, and your new child." He placed one hand on her stomach and grinned when Hermione clasped her hand on top of it.

Footsteps her made Hermione jump away from him quickly, knowing exactly who was home.

"What the hell is he doing here? I thought he said he was out of our lives for good!" Ron bellowed, his fists clenched at his side, a vein popping out on the side of his neck. His ears, which usually turned pink out of embarrassment, were instead flaming in anger.

Draco came back without skipping a beat. "Well, I lied."

Without even a last glance at Hermione, he stormed out of the house, feeling sickly satisfied with himself as he heard Ron growl in frustration. He wasn't going to stop fighting for her, not until the day he died.

"Ready or not, here I come," he said under his breath.