Chapter 19

All canon characters belong to JKR

Thank you to June for doing the beta work for me on this.

Chapter 19

Hermione had no time to think about what to do, since she needed to get back to her class. When she was back at her desk, she quickly scribbled a note to Ginny, then asked one of the students to run to the Owlery and send if off. She was sure she was pregnant, but wanted proof, and there was no way she was going to go to Poppy. It was not that she thought the school's Medi-witch would say anything, but, until things between her and Severus were worked out, she did not want anyone at the school to know.

Ginny would keep her secret. It would be difficult to keep it from Draco, though. He would of course find out, but right now Hermione couldn't think that far. Telling Harry was another dilemma; she also needed to tell him. As far as Ron knowing, she didn't even want to think about him right now, since he was still on her shit list for what he had said on Sunday afternoon. She would deal with him later.

As lunchtime drew near, Hermione dreaded having to sit next to Severus. She wasn't sure which was worse, to have him ignore her, or have him say hurtful things to her. Perhaps, he would be different this afternoon. Maybe he just woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and decided to take it out on her. Although it would not have been fair, she would welcome that as a reason. She walked into the Great Hall and saw him sitting in his usual spot. She approached her seat and sat down quietly.

"Good afternoon, Severus," she said, as she placed her napkin onto her lap.

"Did I not make myself clear this morning, Miss Granger?" he said coldly.

She closed her eyes and tried to steady herself. "Why are you doing this? Please, talk to me," she pleaded.

He put his fork down and slowly stood, then took hold of her arm, and pulled her up. They walked to the side door and he opened it, and then he motioned for her to go inside the room. He closed the door and faced her.

"I will say this one time only, Miss Granger. I am ending this little game. Is that simple enough for you to comprehend? I am in no way interested in pursuing a relationship with you, nor have I ever been." He noticed her lips trembling, and her eyes growing wet with tears. "Please keep the theatrics to a minimum; they are no longer of any use. I will treat you as a colleague, no more, no less. I have to put up with your presence for at least the remainder of this teaching year, and am willing to be civil to you."

"Civil? Why, you utter bastard. How dare you treat me like some whore that you can play games with and just toss to one side after services rendered!" She felt herself close to losing control, but knew there was a room full of people on the other side of the door.

"How dare I?" He laughed. "What did you expect to happen at the end of all of this? Did you think we would be friends? That we would just have a laugh and be done with it? No, Miss Granger." He grabbed her forearms, and bent down to whisper in her ear, "You play adult games, and you must deal with adult consequences. A whore does not only sell herself out for money." He shoved her away, and then walked out the door.

Hermione was trembling. There was now no doubt in her mind he had played a game with her. What else could it have been?

She dared not walk back out into the Great Hall. She could not face him, not after what he had just said to her. He obviously thought she was a whore, but what had she done? Why did he hate her so much? Only a day or so ago he had professed his love for her. 'No,' she thought; he never really said he loved her, he never actually said "I love you Hermione," and besides it wouldn't have mattered if he did. This had all just been a sick game he had been playing with her. God, she felt like such a fool. How could she have been so gullible, so stupid, and so completely pathetic? How he must have been laughing at her when he was alone. She didn't even want to think about it.

And what of Osiris? Hermione had not seen him since Saturday evening. She supposed he had been part of the whole game as well. It was his suggestion, after all, for Severus to teach her Legilimency, which prompted her to open herself to him further. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid, Hermione,' she thought as she thumped herself on the head with her fist.

She took a deep breath, and turned towards the staircase behind her. It lead down out into the school hall but had a small doorway, which led both down to the dungeons, and up to the third floor of the school. She took the path towards the dungeons. Her classes were finished for the day, so she decided to go and lie down. Since Hermione didn't get to eat anything at lunch, she sent to the kitchens for some soup and crackers. She reached her quarters, and then let down her wards. She had thought about changing them as Severus had changed his, but knew that he would not be trying to get into her rooms at any point, so she left them as they were. As she walked to her bedroom, she heard a tapping at the window. A large hawk stood outside. She knew it was Ginny and Draco's hawk, and opened the window.

"Hello, Ovid," she said as she pet the hawk and allowed him inside. She kept nuts and small pieces of bacon in a small cupboard near her bed, and supplied it with what she liked to call "bird goodies." As Ovid helped himself to the bacon, she took the small scroll from his leg, and read Ginny's note:

Hermione:

Love, Ginny

Hermione went to her desk and wrote a short reply:

Ginny:

Hermione

Hermione placed the note back on Ovid's leg, and he flew away. She sat on the bed and took off her shoes. It was one o'clock; she would rest for an hour, then go and see Ginny. There in her room, with only Crookshanks to comfort her, she cried until she fell asleep.

At a quarter to two o'clock, Hermione decided to Apparate to the Malfoy manor. She approached the door, but before she could knock it swung open. Ginny had seen her through the window, and rushed to open the door before the house elf could beat her to it.

"Hermione, you look terrible!" she said as she walked outside. Hermione immediately broke down in tears. "Oh, no, I didn't mean it to sound like that."

"Its not that," sniffed Hermione. "Ginny, I want to die, I just want to die!" She threw herself into Ginny's arms and cried. As Ginny guided her inside the manor, Draco was coming down the stairs.

"Hi, Hermione," he said cheerfully, then noticed Hermione's tear-stained face. "What's wrong? Ginny, why is she crying?" he asked as he followed both women into the sitting room.

"Draco, I don't quite know yet. She's horribly upset." Ginny sat down on the couch with Hermione, while Draco sat on her other side rubbing comforting circles on her back.

Hermione wiped her eyes, then looked at both of them. "It's over. Severus and I are over," she said as she accepted a handkerchief from Ginny.

"What? But, I thought things were going so well for you?" asked Ginny.

"I thought so too, but it seems it was all..." Hermione sobbed. "It was all a game. Severus said he was just using me."

Ginny looked at Draco, who had gone pale.

"Hermione, are you sure? I just can't believe..." Before Draco could finish his sentence, Hermione shot up and pushed him against the couch.

"Can't believe what? That he deceived me into believing he loved me? That he could be so cruel as to use me just for his own pleasure and then cast me to one side once he got what he wanted from me? Is it so hard to believe an ex-Death Eater could be so deceptive towards a Mudblood?" She pulled back, horrified at her own words. She covered her face and dropped to her knees, in front of Draco.

Draco slid off the couch and embraced her. "Hermione, you know I don't think that," he said calmly.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm saying. I'm just angry. I'm angry at him, I'm angry at myself, I'm angry at the world!"

"What happened?" asked Ginny, as she helped Hermione back up to the couch.

"I don't know, I honestly don't know. Everything was fine on Saturday. We spent all day together, and then in the evening I went to my room. I went to lunch with Harry and Ron on Sunday. After meeting them I went straight back to Hogwarts. That evening I knocked several times on Severus' door, but he didn't answer. We always walk to the Great Hall together for breakfast, so this morning I walked to his room and knocked on his door again. When he didn't answer, I just went on my own. He was already there, and when I went to ask him why he didn't wait for me, it was like his whole demeanor had changed. He was a different person."

"You don't suppose someone did something to him?" asked Ginny.

Draco looked at her and shook his head. "Like what, Ginny? He's a powerful wizard; it's not like someone can just put some spell on him. It's not that easy, not with him." He looked at Hermione. "Hermione, have you tried to talk to him about this?"

"I tried to talk to him at lunch again, but he just reinforced what he had told me this morning, that he had been using me." Hermione wiped her tears away. She had calmed down and sat back against the couch.

"I'm going to talk to him," said Draco.

"No! Draco, please don't," begged Hermione.

"Hermione, don't you want to know why he did this?" asked Draco.

"I know why. He hates me; he's always hated me. It's no secret he really didn't want an assistant, and I know he couldn't have been too pleased when he found out I had been hired," said Hermione as she stood and walked to the window. "Right now, I've got bigger problems, though."

"Bigger problems?" asked Ginny.

"I think I'm... pregnant," said Hermione.

"You think? Haven't you seen Poppy?" asked Ginny as she and Draco looked at each other in horror.

"No. I don't want anyone to know," said Hermione.

"Is Severus included in that 'anyone'?" asked Draco.

"Draco, he most of all can't know. It's clear he never cared about me. Do you think my having his baby will change that?" said Hermione.

"Just how the hell are you going to keep something like that from him? I mean, in a few short months it's going to be pretty hard to hide it from anybody," said Draco.

"I probably won't be showing until January or February. And my teaching robes will be able to hide me until the end of the school year," said Hermione.

Draco shook his head and walked to her. "Wait, you can't just not tell him. Hermione, I'm sorry for what he's done to you, but he deserves to know he is going to be a father."

"If I tell him, he'll want me to have an abortion, and I won't do that!" she yelled.

"Hermione," Ginny spoke softly as she now approached her. "Severus is a pureblood, and he is last of his line. Whatever has happened between you, he would never ask you to abort what may be his only heir. Besides that, Draco is right; Severus deserves to know," said Ginny as she took Hermione's hand.

Hermione bowed her head and turned to look out the window. "I suppose you're right. I'll tell him, but not right now. Please, don't say anything," she said as she looked at Draco, and he nodded reluctantly. "Just... give me some time." She leaned her head against the cold windowpane and felt the tears coming down her face. 'Time to get over him,' she thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I know Severus is being a real bastard right now but you have to realize he thinks a very cruel joke has been played on him.