Surprise Visitor

Wednesday, October 21, 1998

Blaise was startled awake by a loud bang. He jumped up from his bed ready for a fight but saw instantly what was making all the ruckus.

Draco had slammed the door shut and was now unbuttoning his shirt in a hurried fashion as he made his way to his bed.

"You alright?" He asked, sleepily.

Draco turned and threw his shirt to the ground before slumping down on his bed. "No, not really."

"Want to talk about it?"

Draco's gaze drifted to Theo, who was rolling over, having woken to the door slamming as well. After Theo's soft snores resumed he spoke again. "I'm going to take the ministry's offer."

"Why?"

"I want to get away from here...from her."

"Well, I will support you if that's what you want."

"It is." He said, his eyes seething. "I want to show her she was wrong."

He didn't have to ask who she was.

"Maybe if I do this, I can get past this whole bloody mess I've made."

Blaise wanted to tell him that he couldn't hide from his past but chose to remain silent. He could tell his friend was angry and somewhat disheartened. He could hear it in his voice. There was only one explanation for that. He'd seen Granger and things hadn't gone well.

For a moment, he wanted to know what it was like inside those heads of theirs. What could be so damn complicated in there? What had malfunctioned inside their brains that had them acting like bloody preschoolers? Couldn't they see that they were perfect for each other? Hell, even he could see it. Luna could see it. Why did they have to keep playing these games? Sure, Granger was with Weasley again, but that relationship had ended once before. Who was to say it wouldn't blow up in their faces again?

Now, Blaise didn't know Granger on a personal level, but he could assume her actions towards this situation were probably based on fear of an unknown future. That much he could guess just from his past encounters with the brunette. And while he respected a well functioning future plan, he couldn't respect her running away from her problems.

He was just looking after his best mate. He had nothing against her. He just couldn't get over the look on Draco's face as he sat there, taking deep breaths. He could tell he wanted to rip the place apart but he was keeping himself calm. It reminded Blaise of the old Draco. The one that kept his emotions hidden and in check. That kind of scared him. He liked knowing what kind of mood he was in. It helped him understand what was going on. If he started bottling up his feelings and acting like he didn't give a flying fuck again, then it was going to be even harder to help him.

He yawned and laid back down. At least, Draco was thinking about taking the job. That was a good sign. It was a good way to get out of his father's shadow and help him get on the right track. So at least, there was a little bit of good that had come out of this madness.

Thursday, October 22, 1998

It was her free period though there was nothing free feeling about it. She had been slacking in the studying department so she'd been spending the last two hours making up for that. It was the perfect distraction from her current thoughts. It felt somewhat normal with her nose in a book and her brain working through problems not associated with her choice of lover. It comforted her in a much different way than her friends could. Books couldn't be overbearing or smothering or sympathetic or just plain irritating. They were just full of knowledge and strength that she wanted to take for herself. She needed that stability in her life again.

She didn't want to have another break down like she'd had last night after her spontaneous confrontation with Malfoy. She'd thought she'd been prepared for it. She'd already made up her mind, but saying it out loud had been shocking. Even though he was the one she left standing alone in the dark, it was her that had come back to her dorm room and cried herself to sleep.

She was a wretched excuse for a human being. She wasn't only hurting herself, but she was hurting Malfoy and Ron as well, although the latter wasn't even aware of it yet. Luna had even told her off this morning. In a nice way of course. She'd said if she even thought she was could love Draco that she should end things with Ron. Even if she didn't want to be with Draco either. That way Ron wasn't getting his heart stepped on for no reason. She understood that. She knew it was what she should do. But she couldn't seem to take that step. She could still see a future with Ron.

Blast. She was supposed to be doing homework. Stop with your bloody emotions, Hermione. They are just going to make you fail all your classes. She thought before taking a furious breath and declaring that the rest of the day would be spent studying.

Friday, October 23, 1998

Lucius was enjoying a quiet evening dinner with his wife when he received his son's owl. He hadn't expected one, so he was quite taken back by the sudden response. Draco was beginning to rebel against him, but he would soon find out that it wasn't wise to do so.

Narcissa was in mid bite when the owl came swooping in from the front room. She swallowed quickly. "Is it from Draco?" she asked, her interest peaked. "What does it say?"

Lucius held up a hand to silence her as he read the letter to himself. The further he read, the bigger his smile became. "Oh, my son." He laughed quietly. "You think you've outsmarted your old man?"

"What's going on?" Narcissa asked again.

"Draco thinks he's being sly. He was offered a job in the Auror Office by the Ministry. He thinks by accepting it he will no longer be under my authority, but he's quite mistaken."

"Why is that?"

"Haven't you been listening, my dear? I want him to work for the ministry."

"Are you still going through with your plans?"

"Of course, why should I quit when it's already going so well?" He asked. How could she be so naive?

Her eyes fell to the table. "You'll ruin him." She said quietly.

"I'm going to make him better," Lucius replied vigorously. "He'll be ruling over all of us. Don't you want what's best for our son? This will be his opportunity to rise to the top. He's going to live up to his name."

"I'm afraid, Lucius. I'm afraid of what you've become and what you're turning our son into."

"Don't dishonor me with fear, Narcissa. " He said coldly. "Stand by my side as the proud woman I know you to be. Be proud that your son will be a part of something great. He will help lead us to a new age. "

She was quite a moment before she responded. "What if it's not what you imagined?"

"I hope it's not." He replied and when she looked confused he continued with a smile. "It will be greater than I imagined."

She didn't know what to think as she returned her attention to the meal in front of her. She had once thought they could start over and try to rebuild their lives to the state in which they once were. That would have been the smart thing to do. They were still purebloods, they were still in a near nobility standing with most of the Wizarding World but if her husband kept this up, he'd ruin their names for good.

She couldn't do anything about it, though. What Lucius wanted, Lucius got. End of story. She raised the fork with a shaky hand and took a bite. The only thing she cared about now. was keeping the darkness that consumed her husband from consuming their only son.

Luna couldn't help but notice hat Hermione was getting sick much too frequently in the past few weeks. It mostly happened after meals and while in the presence of food, or on many occasions, when she talked about Ron and Draco.

She'd been sleeping a lot as well and had complained of cramping a few times.

If these were any indication, she might be dealing with a far bigger problem than which wizard she loved more.

Luna sighed. Hermione had been going through so much she probably wasn't even aware that there was something else going on inside of her. Poor thing.

Now came the hard part.

Getting her alone long enough to test out her theory. And having her in the right state of mind to ask her about it.

She looked across the table and shook her head.

Too bad Hermione hadn't been in the right state of mind for weeks.

Men. Pah. They had driven a perfectly sane witch into a hormonal basket case.

That was it. Luna was not getting involved with men. They caused way to many problems.

Her thoughts drifted to Blaise.

Well...He didn't cause any problems.

In fact, he'd been rather informative and helpful in their plans.

He was kind to her and she could see that his face was sincere.

He was a Slytherin and a Pureblood but she'd seen him read more Muggle books than anything else.

He was rather handsome too.

Not that she looked or anything.

She just thought he was a good person.

So she supposed that meant he was the exception to her previous declaration.

Yes, she was going to stay clear of all men, except Blaise Zabini.

Saturday, October 24, 1998

Hogsmeade

Hermione smiled to herself. She was feeling pretty good today. It was Hogsmeade weekend and she was going to spend it with Harry, Ginny, Ron, Luna, and Seamus. It was going to be like summer all over again. Which was fine with her. The last couple months had been a bit crazy. She was ready for something fun to happen. Something that would keep her from thinking about that blonde headed git that made her love him.

They had already eaten lunch and were on their way to say hello to Aberforth when she heard a cough to her left. No one else seemed to notice but she stopped and looked around. That's when she saw him. He was standing in between two buildings and he was reaching for her. Before she could even mutter a word he'd snagged her and pulled her into the tiny space.

He pressed himself against her and she lost her breath for a moment. It had been so long since she'd been this close to the man, and even longer since he'd acted in such a manner. When she found her voice she asked, "What are you doing, Draco?"

"I needed to talk to you."

"Why? So you can confuse me even more?"

"No," He snapped. "Just shut up for a second." He looked around to make sure no one had noticed his kidnapping attempt.

"Why should I-"

He put his finger to her lips to silence her and looked into her eyes, his voice barely above a whisper."I'm leaving, Hermione."

"Leaving?" She asked when his hand withdrew from her face. "Where? Why?"

"It seems the Ministry is in dire need of Magical Law Enforcement Agents. They've asked me to become an Auror."

An Auror? Draco an Auror? That was laughable. Well, perhaps not. He was quite intelligent and had combat experience. But why would they choose him? And better yet, why the hell would he accept? "Why are you telling me this?"

"I thought you should know that I wouldn't be back next semester."

The thought of him leaving left a rather unpleasant feeling inside of her but she remained stony-faced as she said, "It's...It's a good opportunity."

He nodded, giving her a look of contemplation."But how do you feel about that?"

What was she supposed to say? Please don't go. Stay here with me? "I don't know...happy for you?" She lied.

His eyes fell. "I knew you'd say that."

"Then why the hell did you ask?"

"I wanted to hear it from your own mouth." He said. "That it changes nothing. That there can be absolutely nothing between us. I needed to know that you've made your choice and that it isn't me." His eyes bore into hers as he spoke, his slender figures burying themselves in her jacket. "I needed to hear that." His voice shook. "So that I could move on."

Her chest tightened. "Draco."

"I get it, Hermione." He said quietly. "Nothing I say is going to change your mind. So I'm going back to how it was. When I see you, I won't let my eyes linger on yours. If we have to talk it will be how it used to be, and when I think of you, I won't let my emotions take over. We'll be strangers again. I'm going to give you want and let you live your life how you've envisioned it. Void of me."

"I never said-"

"Then what? Are you willing to go back and tell Ronnikins that's it's over between you two? Are you willing to admit that you were wrong about us? Because if the answer to either of those is no, then you are wasting my time." He ground out.

"It's not that I don't want to be with you." She found herself saying. "Would you look at me right now? I'm shaking." Her voice was low but she knew he could hear her. "When I'm with you I feel like I'm going crazy but it feels so right at the same time. It's not about not wanting you, Draco. I want you. I do. Every second of every bloody day. But then my brain takes over and tells me it's impossible. You have a status to uphold. Your father is out of Azkaban, and while he may not have as much social standing as he used to, I know there are still families loyal to his cause. You are a Malfoy. It's so much more than a name isn't it? To be a Malfoy is to uphold Pureblood traditions. Your father has said something similar on many occasions. You can't just throw that all away. Even if you wanted to, which I know you don't, he wouldn't allow it."

"Do you think I give a shit about what my father says?"

"Yes. And you are lying your arse off if you say you don't." She replied firmly. "How many times have you drank yourself into a stupor because of him? He still has a hold over you, Draco. And that's understandable. He's your father. He raised you and has certain expectations of you. Being with a Mudblood isn't one of them."

He frowned. "Don't call yourself that."

"Why not?" She asked, her voice raising an octave. "It's what he would call me. It's what your family would call me. You can say you want to be with me all you want, but when all is said and done, he's the one calling the shots. So don't try to tell me we can cross that bridge when we come to it. I'm not a bloody fool, and neither are you. We went into this with "no strings attached" for a reason. Emotions were too risky, and yet here we are." She was trying very hard not to break down. She was thankful that her anger was helping keep other emotions in check. She had always hated crying and she seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. "Why is that, Draco? Why did we do this to ourselves?"

"It was an accident." He told her. "Do you think I planned on this happening? That I planned on craving your presence?" He asked, his eyes hard. "I assure you, it was not what I had in mind when I offered my assistance for your little "Ron" problem. It was all about how bloody brilliant you were in bed. I wanted to fuck you. You were intoxicating, forbidden, and it got me off. It started out about sex, but somehow that twisted into something different. I really don't know why, or when things changed. It makes my head hurt even trying to figure out how it happened."

"It gets my head spinning too." Hermione sighed. "Clearly we were both barking mad. What the hell possessed to us to keep going? We should have ended it with that one night stand." She turned her head but he forced her to look at him.

"Why would you say that?" He questioned. Why did he have to look at her like that?

Stop looking at me. Please. I don't want to feel like this anymore. "I don't know..."

"Well, I don't regret what we did. We had a good time. We forgot our troubles when we were together. Those moments we shared were happy ones..." He ran his hands through her hair and let out a frustrated sigh. "Shit, just tell me I'm wrong. Tell me you weren't happy." His hands now rested on her face. "Make this easier for me, please."

She could see the pain behind his long lashes and gray pools. Pain that she was inflicting upon him. Why was she hurting everyone lately? Was she really that selfish and stubborn? Yes, she was.

They both stared at each other, neither knowing quite what to say and both feeling the rising tension between them.

Her insides squirmed as she felt the familiar sensation in her lower abdomen. Without fully realizing what she was doing she moved forward, leaned up on her toes and kissed him. Her heart had just sent a message to her overactive brain. Mind your own fuckin business.

Her hands moved to rest on the back of his neck and his arms dropped and enclosed around her as he deepened their kiss. Oh, Merlin, how she missed this. She inhaled his scent as her lips moved against his. He was pressing her back into the side of the building and she couldn't help but feel complete in this moment. His hands were searching her body and she moaned at the contact. Yes, it was his touch she craved but they couldn't get so carried away. It could be disastrous. She broke their kiss as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "I was happy." She said, holding his face in her hands. "I was always happy when I was with you."

"Why couldn't you just tell me you fucking hate me or something?" He sighed, taking her hand from his face and kissing it. "You're too cruel. Why are you making this so hard on me? I think that blasted sorting hat put you in the wrong house. You're acting far too Slytherin like."

She was about to respond when a voice rang out in the distance. "Where did you go, Hermione!"

Their eyes ventured to the street and Hermione whispered, "Ron."

She looked back to Draco, expecting him to get angry and curse. But she was met, instead, by understanding eyes as he nodded. "Just go. We both knew the outcome would be the same, regardless of what just happened." He smiled then and released her hand.

"I'm sorry." Was all she said as she ran out into the street.

Ron caught sight of her right away and she watched him smile and shake his head. "There you are. I was wondering where you'd run off to." She hugged him, feeling a bit uneasy doing so as he wrapped his arms around her. "Where did you go?"

She didn't have time to respond before Ron's eyes looked behind her. She heard a faint cough and knew he had spotted Draco exiting the mouth of the alley where she'd just come from. "Wait, was that Malfoy?"

She didn't even turn her head to look. "Yes." She answered quickly. "I was talking to him just now."

Ron's face was tinged with pink as he took a step past her. "No one just talks with that ferret. He was harassing you wasn't he?"

"He was just asking a question, Ron. We are partners in Potions." She replied grabbing a hold of his sleeve and stopping his progression towards Draco's retreating back. He looked back to her and she forced a smile. "Honestly, Ron. He was actually nice to me for once. Though it was probably because I wouldn't answer him otherwise."

He seemed to take the bait and shrugged. "Makes sense I guess." He said taking her hand and walking up the street. "Come on, we have to meet back up with Harry. He was off looking for Luna. She disappeared around the same time you did. We all thought you'd be together...but seeing as how you were kindly helping the former Death Eater," The way he said it made her anger rise but she remained quiet. "She must have gone somewhere else."

She thought about this for a moment. Had Luna gone off by herself too? She wondered what kind of trouble her friend was in. Knowing Luna she was conversing with some third years about how important it was to clean out your ears. Godric knew what the nargles would do if they weren't clean. She smirked. She really loved Luna.

Blaise had lost Draco somewhere between The Three Broomsticks and Sprintwitches. It hadn't surprised him. As soon as they arrived in the cozy little town he'd known Draco had ulterior motives for visiting. Blaise had seen just who was standing inside Honeydukes as they passed by earlier.

He had no doubt that Draco had found his target and had stolen her away, probably to tell her of his job offer.

Speaking of targets.

He spotted Luna Lovegood a few feet ahead of him, wearing a pink and purple knitted cap that matched her jumper. She looked kind of cute in it actually.

Whoa. Hold up. He didn't just think Luna was cute did he?

Well, so what if he did? She was cute. With her long blonde hair and blue eyes, those eyes that took everything in, yet stayed so pure and innocent. She looked over her shoulder, as if she knew he was standing there, and smiled.

He smiled in return and raised a hand to wave at her. He was stunned a bit when she turned on her heels and headed his way, leaving her friends to continue on their way without her.

"Blaise, it's nice to see you."

"Yes, it's nice to see you too. Are you having a good time?" He replied lamely. What was with him today? Couldn't he even make normal conversation? Geeze.

"Yes, I am actually. I just came from Dogweed and Deathcap."

He knew that to be the Herbology shop though he'd never set foot in the place himself. "Did you find anything interesting?"

"Well, I found all the ingredients I need, which is astonishing really. I didn't know they would have a supply of Hammermint leaves. So I'd say it was pretty interesting."

"What exactly do you need ingredients for?" He asked, curious. "Mixing up a potion are you?"

"Not a potion exactly. It's from my mother's recipe book. It's an herbal tea with medicinal purposes that I wanted to use. She was always experimenting. She got really good at finding home remedies."

"You're mother liked experimenting?"

"Yes, unfortunately, her hobby lead to her passing, but it's better to die doing something you love I always say." She sad matter of factly.

"That somehow seems...right I suppose." He replied slowly. "I wouldn't mind dying while reading a good book."

She smiled and grabbed his hand. "Come on, I want to show you something."

"Where are we going?"

"You like Shakespeare right?"

Wait. How had she known that? He hadn't said a word about admiring the muggle author. "Yes, but how-"

"I saw you reading MacBeth in the library a while back when you were in the muggle studies also had it with you on multiple occasions when we met up."

"I forgot how talented you are at stalking." He smirked.

"I wouldn't say it was stalking." She said a bit frantically.

"It was a joke, love." He laughed. "Only a joke."

Her smile returned. "Oh, I see."

He continued following her but didn't recognize the shops around them."Where exactly are we going?"

"They've added a few new shops at the end of town. There is one I know you'll appriciate."

"Oh really?" He asked watching her blonde locks bouncing as she hurried in front of him, his hand still planting in her warm ones.

"Yes, it's quite fascinating."

"What kind of store is it?"

She looked behind her and grinned. "A bookstore."

They halted in front of the small establishment and his eyes widened. It was so rustic looking, yet the front window displayed many books from known wizard authors and muggle authors alike. He could only imagine what the inside looked like.

"I thought you'd like it," Luna said triumphantly.

He looked over at her, admiration in his eyes. "Like it? I love it. The library at school is great but there's just something about bookstores, you know?"

"I'm glad I bumped into you then." She opened the door and they stepped inside. It smelled like leather, vanilla, old scrolls, and newly pressed parchment. It was a wonderful, and familiar smell that reminded him of home. His hand ran along the many books lining the first shelf and he found himself grinning.

"Luna this place is amazing." He said, walking close behind her. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"It was nothing." She replied, stopping to pick up a book.

He came to stand behind her, his chest just a few centimeters from her back. "No, I mean it. Thank you."

She turned around and he could see the faint blush on her cheeks as she smiled. "You're welcome. I didn't think you would like it this much, to be honest."

"Well, it could have something to do with my present company." He said with a smirk.

"Are you flirting with me?" She asked bluntly, her eyes unblinking.

He couldn't contain the small chuckle that came out of his mouth but he nodded. "A bit, yes. Does it bother you?"

She looked up at him and shook her head. "No, I find it rather nice."

"I'm glad to hear it." He told her. In fact, he was very glad to hear it. Because he had no intentions of stopping.

He'd made up his mind. Luna was definitely cute and he wanted to spend a bit more time with her, in the not so "let's just hang out" kind of way.

Draco shoved his hands as far in his trouser pockets as he could. If he didn't do something with them they'd just end up pulling his hair out. He'd just had the most dissatisfying conversation of his life. Though he knew everything she'd said was the truth it didn't mean it didn't hurt. What was that muggle saying again? Oh yes, the truth stings or something like that.

He stalked down an alley, wanting to be out of sight from the crowd of Hogwarts students, and mostly so he wouldn't have to run into Ronald fucking Weasley. He'd made eye contact with the git as he'd come out of the little nook in the wall. It was funny, really, that the Weasel had looked at him like that. He seemed like he wanted to punch him in the face. The best part about it was that he kind of deserved to be punched in the face. He had slept with the Weasel's girlfriend and had just been snogging the hell out of her moments before. Not that the bloody idiot knew that, but still. It was sort of funny.

It could just be his mind telling him to laugh. Salazar knew he really wanted to cry right now. Okay, maybe not cry. Even he wouldn't go that far. But he wanted to, at least, throw something and take a shot of Firewhiskey.

Yes. That sounded like a wonderful idea. And with that thought in mind, he quickened his pace. He wanted to get back to his room as quickly as possible.

He was withing seven yards of the next street when he heard someone behind him. "Hello Lit'le Malfoy."

Draco stiffened. There was no mistaking that voice. He turned around slowly, trying to hide his surprise. "Greyback." He spoke with a heavy drawl and folded his arms across his chest. "What the fuck do you think you're doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood." He grinned menacingly, unaffected by Draco's tone. "Thought I'd drop in."

If he knew anything about the werewolf, and unfortunately he did, it was that he didn't just "drop in" anywhere. "I thought you fled the country with your tail between your legs?"

"Where'd ya here that from?" He asked coming closer. "Your Daddy?" Draco flinched. "Well, he was mis'nformed." He grinned. "Actually, I'm here on business."

"Business?" He asked. "What business could the likes of you have here?"

Greyback's eyes flashed but he kept his composure. "I've come to talk to ya on the behalf of a mutual friend of ours. Does the name Aldamar ring any bells?"

"Bastien?" He couldn't hide the shock from his voice. He couldn't possibly mean the same git he knew. The one who'd been plaguing his dreams of late. "I didn't even know he was still alive. What would he want with me?"

"Hmmm....that's a good question." He sniffed the air and seemed to forget about what he was telling him. "Say, I know that smell."

Draco looked confused. "What smell?"

Greyback leaned forward sniffing his shirt. "It's that mudblood girl from before." Draco's heart leaped into his throat but he remained still as the werewolf continued,"Her scent is all over you." He inhaled deeply. "Have you been intimate with her?"

"N..no." Draco sputtered stepping backward to get away from him. "I would never lay one finger on that filthy mudblood!" He tried to ignore the bitter taste the word left in his mouth. It sounded so appalling coming from his lips. How had he ever called Granger that before? "I had a run in with her and the golden trio earlier."

"Your shirt tells a different story. " His eyes gleamed

"Well, perhaps your nose isn't as great as you think it is." He retorted. "And honestly, I'm quite offended."

"My apologies," Greyback smirked. "I just get worked up when I'm near such a wonderful smell. Of course, someone like you would never consider fuckin a mudblood. No matter how good they smell."

He wrinkled his nose in distaste. "Yes, well if you are finished here, I suggest you leave before someone spots you. You're wanted you know."

"I can take care of myself." He replied. "And I won't be leaving until I do what I came to do."

"What's that?"

He reached into his tattered cloak and handed Draco a letter. "Aldamar wanted you to get this. Read it and then get rid of all the evidence."

"What is this about?"

"He's recruiting you."

He could feel the color drain from his face. Was this what his father had been talking about?

Draco looked at the brown parchment and scowled. "Yes, well I'm afraid I'm not willing to be anyone's puppet." He snorted. "So you can tell Bastien that I must decline. Whatever he's doing, I'm not interested."

Greyback shook his head. "He won't take no for an answer."

"He'll just have to bloody get over that." Draco spat.

"I see that you won't be swayed easily." He sniffed the air again as if he was on to something, but quickly turned his attention back to Draco. "That'll change. I'll be seeing you later, Little Malfoy."

"Not too soon I hope." He muttered.

After the werewolf disappeared he let out a shaky breath. It had taken a lot of quick thinking to keep his attention off of Hermione. He couldn't risk her being dragged into whatever this was. Greyback coming here, so out in the open wasn't a good sign.

Bastien had gone to great lengths to get his attention. So whatever he had in mind couldn't be good. And there was no doubt that his bastard of a father was involved. After all, he was the one who said Draco would receive a visitor. It didn't look very promising. They were plotting something. He just hoped that the bastard would leave him the hell out of it.

Theo pressed himself as close to the wall as possible.

He hadn't just seen that right had he?

He'd thought the werewolf had died in the battle? Obviously, he'd been wrong. But what was he doing here? And why the hell was he talking to Draco?

Could his friend be plotting something? If so, was the mudblood involved somehow, or was she just a good fuck on the side? Either way, he knew she was important. Whatever Draco had going on, Theo wanted in, or at least, he wanted to know what was going on.

He knew the bloke wouldn't just tell him outright. He didn't trust anyone. Except maybe Blaise.

That hadn't escaped his notice either. Especially when Draco had come home one night and told Blaise he was going to take a job offer and forget her. He assumed the her in question was Granger.

Just what exactly was so great about that know-it-all?

He heard Draco sigh and moved quickly, not wanting to be seen. There was much more going on than he originally, though, much more than he could possibly imagine. It was a good thing then, that he had plenty of time to investigate the matter himself.

Thursday, October 29, 1998

Hermione was miserable. She just couldn't control her nerves lately. Every time she was with Ron she felt guilty and when she'd see Draco, by chance or on purpose, her heart ached. She couldn't keep doing this to herself or to them. It wasn't fair. She didn't know why her heart wouldn't just listen to her brain. Ron loved her. Ron could take care of her. Ron was the right choice.

But her heart refused to give in so easily. It had proven that in Hogsmeade the week before. The more she tried to forget, the more she seemed to get sucked into the downward spiral.

So now here she was, sitting on Luna's bed, contemplating running away to America. Though it wasn't what a Gryffindor would normally do, she found it quite tempting. She leaned back against the headboard and sighed. Her head was throbbing and her stomach groaned.

Oh Godric...when will I get over this sodding sickness. Stressing out will do nothing.

Luna looked over at her and shook her head. "You alright, Hermione?" She asked quietly.

"Excellent. My heart, my brain, and my stomach are just warring with each other right now." She replied, bringing her knees to her chest.

"What you're going through isn't easy." She placed a hand on her knee. "You are struggling with the love you have for them."

"I know that." She replied solemnly. I'm in love with the one I can't have. "But I've already made my choice. I guess it's come down to my resolve. I'm just scared. What if I won't ever be able to forget him? What happens then?"

"You may not be able to forget him, Hermione. But even so, you have to make your own decisions, and then learn to live with them." She said. "And you can't string them around like puppets. They deserve better than that."

"You're right. You're always right." She said with a sad smile. "How did you become my counselor anyways?" She asked with a tiny hint of laughter.

"I don't know." She shrugged, getting up. "But I don't mind it. I really like to help. We've gotten much closer this year." She picked up her bag off the floor and rummaged through it. "And I'm really happy about it. I'm glad we are friends."

Hermione smiled, a feeling of warmth passing through her. She felt the same way. "I'm glad we are friends too, Luna. I honestly don't know what I would Have done this year without you."

The blonde just smiled again and pulled a sandwich out of her bag. She gave Hermione a look she couldn't quite place as she asked, "Do you want anything to eat?"

Hermione took one look at the food in Luna's hand and nausea swept over her.

Again.

"Oh god!" she exclaimed, rushing into the loo.

She retched until there was nothing left, but she still felt horrible. She wiped her mouth with a piece of toilet paper and leaned against the wall. "Well, I'm getting what I deserve I suppose." She muttered miserably.

Luna appeared a few minutes later, a steaming mug in her hand.

"What's that?"

"It will calm your stomach." She said, extending it to her.

Hemione was wary but took the mug. "Where did you get this?"

"It was my mother's recipe," She told her, the look from earlier returning. "I've memorized them all."

Hermione took a sip, and when it tasted good she took another. Luna was right. Her stomach settled down and she sighed. "Thank you, Luna. It really helped."

"I knew it would." She said softly. "It helped with my mother's morning sickness too."

"Oh really? Your mum must have-" She paused. Wait. What? Morning sickness? " Wait a minute. I'm not pregnant Luna." She laughed halfheartedly.

"Are you quite sure about that?"

"Yes." Of course, she was sure. That was absurd. Wasn't it?

She thought for a moment. What was the date? October twenty-ninth? Was it already almost Halloween? When was the last time? Godric. She hadn't had her cycle for weeks. She'd briefly noticed that at the beginning of the month, but had written it off as emotional distress. It wouldn't have been the first time she'd skipped a period, but two? She was supposed to be the brightest witch of their year. Had she been living in denial or had she really been that caught up in her issues that she hadn't realized what was happening? Of course, it still could be stress, right? But then...why would she feel this ghastly?

She felt flushed as the pieces fell together. Oh no. If it was true, then that would mean. Oh, gods.

"Hermione?"

"Merlin.." She looked back to her friend, desperation in her eyes. "Luna, how did you know?"

"I am pretty surprised you hadn't figured it out by now. You've been displaying many symptoms, especially the morning sickness. Though it seems to me that it's all day for you. Which isn't anything to be concerned about, some women are just more sick in the first trimester than others. I would have said something but I didn't know if you were aware yet. I wasn't going to bring it up."

"I can't be pregnant!" She suddenly cried, startling Luna for a second.

"You are, Hermione. It's more than a possibility at this point. You had sex with Draco." It was weird hearing Luna say the word sex and it made her wrinkle her brow. "Was there ever a time when you didn't use the proper precautions?"

There had been at least once, the first time, in fact. "There was once...We screwed up." She set the mug on the floor next to her and ran her hands through her wiry hair. "What am I going to do?"

"Well, first things first," Luna said, her voice calm and her hand rubbing Hermione's back in a comforting fashion. "We're going to go see Madam Pomfrey."