LUST | dramione

21 | Rictusempra

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C H A P T E R  T W E N T Y - O N E | Rictusempra

hex. tickles opponent.

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HER HAND REACHES FOR THE DOOR.

But she can't find the courage suddenly. Am I wrong for being here, she wonders? Her hand reaches to her belly, as it often does now, seeking comfort and reassurance. Baby G kicks in response and the answer seems pretty clear. She extends her arm to the door once more and knocks loudly.

Several seconds pass before Draco opens the door, his silver eyes widening as he realizes who she is. His mind probably wanders to the last time they saw each other.

For a moment, she fears that he is thinking about closing the door in her face, but then he joins her on the porch, closing them in a state of solitude. It's just the two of them and there's so much that she'd like to say, but she can't even find a place to begin. She starts with the most pressing of her concerns, holding back tears.

"Why did you leave?"

His brows crease and a frown drags his lips down. He knows she isn't asking about that night at Harry's.

"I doubt my father can evade capture much longer. My mum needs me."

"I need you, too," she replies without hesitation.

"That's not fair, Granger. You haven't exactly been around either, now have you?"

"You said you wanted to keep things casual."

"Before I knew that you were pregnant, Hermione. Merlin, when were you even going to tell me?"

Her heart slows into anxious, heavy beats. Tears spill onto her pink cheeks as she looks down.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't know how to find the words. I honestly couldn't believe the truth myself. I was scared, but I should have confronted you about everything, and I'm sorry that it took so long for me to realize my mistakes. Can you forgive me?" She wipes at the tears with her sleeves.

Draco sighs as he pinches the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes tight.

"It just appears that I was the last person to find out. Weasley knew about my child's life before I did. You can't imagine how terrible that feels." His eyes fall to the pristine yard before her, anywhere but at her.  

"What would have changed?" More importantly, "How did you find out, anyway?"

"I'm not entirely sure what would have changed, but at least I could have been there. I could have had a say in all of this. There's nothing worse than having a terrible father. That's not who I will be to any of my children. And, I forced Pansy to tell me, though there were rumors filling the halls of Hogwarts long before I asked."

She inhales a deep breath, unsure of whether they've come to a conclusion about anything.

The door opens with a series of clicks and a short, svelte brunette steps onto the porch with a grin as wide as the Cheshire Cat's, her eyes flashing as she sizes Hermione up. Her hands reach for Draco's arm possessively.

"Oh, hey, aren't you the girl who got herself knocked up?" She stares down Hermione like a lion stalking its prey, cocky and prematurely triumphant.

"Unless I am the Virgin Mary, I don't see how I could have possibly gotten myself pregnant." Her throat tightens as she holds onto her tears. Allowing this girl to see her upset would only give her more incentive to pick a fight. Her stare remains locked on the girl.

"Ha." The sour-faced girl gives a half-hearted chuckle before glancing up at Draco. "Anyway, your dinner will be cold before long. We should head back inside."

"You go. I'll be right behind you." He pulls his arm from her.

She seems torn about whether to refuse Draco and appear jealous in front of Hermione, or to go inside and be forced to wait for his return. Perhaps she's even a bit concerned that he won't. But after a few moments of deliberation, she smiles again and attempts to kiss him. He turns at the last moment and her lips land on his cheek. She disappears into the house with a final fleeting glance at the pair on the porch before she shuts the door.

"If I had told you about everything, would you still be marrying her?"

Draco's eyes reach hers and her breath feels caught in her throat. There's a sadness behind them.

"That's what I was afraid of. I'm sorry to have bothered you, then. Good night." She runs down the steps before speed-walking to the front gates. The gravel shuffles loudly beneath her feet and soon, the same noise is repeated behind her. She stops. No more running, she tells herself firmly. She turns to look at him.

"What could you possibly want? I won't bother you for anything. I have a job lined up and then I'll find a place to live. I'll raise this child by myself and it will be like nothing ever happened between us." As hard as the words are to say them aloud, she had always known she would be alone in this. Neither of them asked for a child, but over the last few months, she's grown to love the little bean thriving inside her.

"Can I show you something?"

"Are you serious?" Her brows knit together.

"Please?" He extends his hand, pale and bright against the surrounding darkness.

"What about your fiance? She seemed concerned about this very scenario - my stealing you away, of course."

"Forget about her, about everything. Tonight, it's just me and you, and this child."

She glances from his hand to his eyes once more, finding nothing near hostility and everything toward tenderness. She takes his hand and together the DisApparate from the Manor's grounds.

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