Silence

A/N: Once again, I wouldn't be nearly this far if not for my beta RobisonRocket. Thanks also to my loyal reviewers. I appreciate all the feedback. Another chapter up shortly! Oh, by the way, in case you didn't know, I'm not JK Rowling, and I'm not getting paid. But Merlin! I wish I was!

Silence

Chapter 9

Hermione stepped out of the shower at half past nine in the evening. She felt much better, but she was very tired. After drying herself off, she donned her favorite terrycloth robe that her father had given her for Christmas the year before his death. It was baby blue and threadbare, but it made her feel close to her father. Hermione sighed. What I wouldn't give to have my father right now, thought Hermione.

As Hermione was walking out of the bathroom, drying her hair, she met Draco on his way in. They stared awkwardly at one another for what seemed like years until Draco broke the silence.

"Sorry. I didn't realize you were in there. I just wanted to take a quick shower before we have our nightcap."

"That's okay. I was just finishing up. I'm going to say goodnight to Gin and the baby, then I'll meet you in the kitchen. You should be finished by then, yes?

"I should be. I just left Ginny's room. I'm worried about her. I know she was prepared for all of this, but she acts as if Harry's off patrolling the corridors of Hogwarts or something."

"I noticed that." Hermione grinned and added, "I also noticed that you are calling Harry by his given name, now."

Draco smirked back. "Now that I am his daughter's godfather, I can't very well keep calling him 'Potter,' can I? What kind of example is that setting for my wonderful goddaughter?"

"Correction! She is our goddaughter." Hermione suddenly found herself blushing. Draco noticed, but didn't comment. Finding himself fighting a blush himself, he strode quickly into the bathroom. Before closing the door, he told her he'd meet her in the kitchen.

When Hermione reached Ginny's room, she found the door open. "Gin, can I come in?" After being granted entrance, Hermione strode into the room to find Ginny sitting up, feeding her baby. She's a natural, thought Hermione.

"Hello, Hermione. Come on in and sit down. I'm just finishing up with this little angel."

"You're so good with her, Gin." Hermione bit her lip for a moment, which did not go unnoticed.

"Thank you. What's wrong?"

"What makes you think anything's wrong?" Hermione asked in high-pitched voice.

"Because, Hermione, I've know you since I was eleven. When you bite you're lip, it's because you've got something to say, but you're not sure how to say without offending someone. And when someone asks you if something is wrong, you always answer in a falsetto, which is indicative that something is wrong. So, come on. Out with it."

Hermione let her eyes shift from Ginny, to the baby, to the door, and then back to Ginny. "Well, Draco and I are sort of worried about you. Harry only left a few hours ago, and you act like it doesn't even bother you. I mean, I know it bothers you, but it would seem like –"

Ginny put a hand up to interrupt Hermione before she got carried away. "Hermione, I am scared to death. I am terrified of what the next few days, if not weeks, bring. But, I have to be strong for Harry and for my baby. I can't be out there fighting, so this is my only way to help him. He needs to know that I'm not wallowing in my fear. He needs to know that I'm not bawling my head off every second of every minute of every day." Ginny did everything she could to keep her temper and emotions in check before she continued.

"To be honest with you, Hermione, what bothers me the most right now is being alone. Even though I know I'll get visits from my family, most of them will be out fighting Death Eaters while Harry is getting rid of that idiot."

Hermione was sitting on the edge of the bed now and put her hand on Ginny's knee soothingly. "Ginny, you're not alone. Draco and I are both here, and we'll help you with whatever you need."

"But you two are staying in the guest quarters in a completely different part of the house. Unless –-" Ginny stopped with an idea forming in her head.

Hermione eyed her suspiciously. "Unless what?"

"Unless -- you and Draco wouldn't mind staying here. Not here, exactly. But you two can stay in the guest room on this side of the house. You'll be close to us," Ginny nodded toward the baby, "and we won't feel lonely."

"But, Ginny, you only have one extra room. What am I suppose to do, crawl into the crib with the baby?"

Ginny giggled. "You and Draco can stay in the guest room together. There's plenty of room, and there's a loo adjoining the bedroom. You'll have all the privacy you need, and you won't be too far from me or your goddaughter. Come on, Hermione, what do you say?" Ginny made sure to end her invitation with a small pout.

"Ginny, you know that pout may work on your brothers, but it most certainly doesn't work on me." And then Hermione sighed. "I'm supposed to be meeting Draco for tea and a talk. I'll... um... ask him. Surely we can work something out. I wouldn't want you to be alone."

Ginny beamed. "Thank you, Hermione. I'll go ahead and have Dobby prepare it for you, just in case."

Hermione stood and kissed Ginny on the top of the head and then bent down to kiss the baby. "I can't wait until Harry gets back so that my goddaughter can have a name. Ah, well, goodnight. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Hermione."

**********

Hermione made her way into the kitchen with a feeling of foreboding. She knew they had to discuss things, so there was no point in avoiding it. When she entered, she saw Draco sitting in the chair with his back to her. His shoulders were slightly hunched, and he seemed so... defeated. Hermione sighed and walked through the door.

When Hermione entered, Draco stood and got her a cup of tea. Setting it down in front of her, he took his seat again. Hermione whispered a "Thank you," and nervously poured her sugar. Draco watched, waiting for the perfect opportunity. Then he spoke.

"I can't stand this, Hermione. I know you are miserable. I wish I could go back and not have you come to the Manor with me."

Hermione sighed. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. We need to figure out what we're going to do. If we find Lucius, maybe there is something we can do to make him reverse this spell. We can't erase what happened, Draco, and I don't blame you. You should stop blaming yourself. We have to move on from here."

Draco leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. "If we find him, do you really want him to use his wand on us? He could say that he's going to reverse it, but then he could do something else. He could kill us."

"You're right, Draco. I hadn't thought of that. So where do we go from here? Do we just live like this forever or do we make it official? I don't know much about this."

"That's really going to be up to you. We won't be able to marry another, and we won't ever be able to be unfaithful. You can take some time to think, Hermione, but I'd like to make it official."

At Hermione's shocked expression, Draco continued. "I will not live the rest of my life lost in the middle. Chalk it up to my pureblood beliefs, but I want to be officially married to my wife."

"Well, chalk it up to my Muggle beliefs, but I want to be married to someone who loves me." Hermione flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

"I don't want to fight with you, Hermione."

"And I don't want to fight with you. Listen, we are both exhausted and worried about our loved ones. We're not going to be able to figure out the rest of our lives tonight. I have something else to talk to you about."

Draco waited. Hermione hesitated. "Ginny wants us to stay in their private quarters. She wants us to be close by."

"Okay." Draco looked puzzled for a moment. "But they only have one extra room aside from the baby's room."

Hermione flushed again. "I know. She wants you and me to share the room."

Draco's mouth hung open. "But that would mean we'd have to share a bed."

"Yes. That's what that means. But, Draco, to be honest with you, I'm so tired right now, I don't even care. Ginny is going through a lot right now, and if being close to her is what she wants, then that's what she should have. It's just to sleep. I'm okay with it, if you are."

"Yeah, I'm okay with it. Like you said, it's just to sleep."

They put their mugs in the sink and made their way to the Potters' living quarters. It was already past midnight when they went into their room. The room was modestly decorated with a bathroom off to the side. There was a settee next to the large window and an armoire next to the large four-poster bed. The walls were a soft white, and the bed was covered with a green quilt made of silk.

Draco grinned. "I always knew Potter was a closet Slytherin."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Come on. You can use the bathroom first."

"I need to go to my rooms first and get my things. Did Dobby bring yours?"

Hermione opened the armoire. "Yes, he did. And it looks like he brought yours as well."

"How did he know? We just decided ten minutes ago."

Hermione grinned. "I think Ginny told him to do it. Anyway, you can go first, if you'd like."

Draco grabbed his pajamas and went into the bathroom. Hermione rummaged through the wardrobe on the opposite side of the room until she found her nightgown. Hermione listened for the water to turn on, and when it did, she slipped off her robe and started to put on her nightgown. It had just fallen over her head when the bathroom door opened, and Draco, clad only in black, silk pajama bottoms, emerged.

They both gaped at each other for a moment until Draco mentally shook himself. "You can... uh... go ahead."

Blushing furiously, Hermione made her way into the bathroom. Once she closed the door, she leaned against it and let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She couldn't help but get the picture of Draco out of her head. He was tall and lean. He had a nice muscular stomach and strong arms. His pajama bottoms were worn low on his hips, and he had a trail of blond hair lined down to his ... " Hermione squeezed her eyes shut. Merlin, when did Draco become so sexy? Ugh... stop it, Hermione. You can't be thinking things like that right now. Hermione grinned to herself. Well, if I'm forced to be married to someone, at least he's good looking.

On the other side of the door, Draco had to catch his breath as well. Sitting on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands, he couldn't stop thinking of what he saw. The nightdress was falling down her body when he opened the door. It had only made it past her breasts, so he got a nice look at her body from the waist down. He had already seen her from the examination, but this was different – very different. She had on pink knickers that barely covered her. She was slender, with toned legs, and a toned stomach. She wasn't tall, but she wasn't too short, either. She was beautiful. Draco looked down at himself and the evidence of his obvious attraction. I have got to get her out of my head or I won't be able to sleep. She can't see me like this. With that final thought, Draco crawled into the bed and drew the covers up to his neck.

A few minutes, and a lot of lip biting later, Hermione emerged from the bathroom. She watched Draco for moment before nervously going to the other side of the bed and crawling in. She turned so her back was toward Draco, and she closed her eyes, suddenly not tired at all.

Draco was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. The only light in the room was the moonlight shining through the window. The silence was too much to bear. He felt like he should say something... anything. Clearing his throat, he whispered, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Draco." Hermione smiled to herself. "Pleasant dreams."

That shouldn't be a problem, thought Draco. "You, too."

**********

Three weeks later...

The sun shown bright through the window of Draco and Hermione's room. Draco awoke with something heavy on his chest, and something bushy tickling his chin. He opened his eyes and looked down. Hermione was practically lying on top of him. She had one leg thrown over his, and her arms were wrapped around him. Her head rested on his chest, which would explain the breath he felt on his stomach.

Draco lay contented for a moment until he felt his traitorous body begin to react to her closeness. For almost a month, they had awoken like this, and Draco's attraction grew more with each passing day. Trying to keep his body parts and his dignity intact, he gently shook her.

"Hermione," he whispered. "Hermione, I need to get up. I need to use the loo."

Hermione opened her eyes and jerked away from him. "Oh, Draco, I'm sorry. I didn't realize –"

Draco put up his hand to interrupt her. "It's alright. I don't mind. I just really need to use the loo."

Hermione nodded her head, and when Draco got out of bed, she couldn't miss what he desperately tried to hide. Instead of being disgusted, however, it made Hermione feel very satisfied with herself.

Several minutes later, when Draco came out wearing a t-shirt with his pajama bottoms, Hermione was already up with her tattered, old robe wrapped tightly around her. Draco couldn't help but feel disappointed. He knew he needed to process these new feelings he was having toward her, but now was not the time. Hermione's stomach gave a tiny growl, and he smiled.

"I guess you'd like some breakfast."

Hermione gave a small nod and grinned. "Yes, I think breakfast would be lovely. I'm going to brush my teeth first, and then I want to see if Ginny is up. I already miss my beautiful goddaughter. Maybe Ginny would like to have breakfast with us."

"Our goddaughter," Draco corrected her. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. Would you like for me to wait for you?"

"No, you can go ahead and see if Gin's up. I'll be along shortly."

As Hermione walked into the bathroom, Draco caught a hint of jasmine and vanilla when she passed by. With a resigned sigh, he made his way to Ginny's room.

Tapping lightly on the door, he waited patiently for Ginny to welcome him in.

"Who is it?" Ginny asked, frustrated.

"It's Draco, may I come in?"

"Yes, of course."

When Draco entered the room, he noticed his friend looked very tired and unsettled. "Hey, Gin, what's wrong?"

"A new baby that doesn't want to sleep at night, but we'll be fine. So, did you and Hermione stay in the room Dobby prepared for you?"

"You cut right to the chase don't you?" Draco smirked as he reached for the baby.

"Thank you. Of course, I cut to the chase. I'm glad you stayed. What are you smirking at?"

"Oh, Gin, I don't know. Can you keep a secret?"

Ginny beamed. "That depends on who I need to keep the secret from."

"Hermione." Ginny nodded, and Draco continued. "I've been having these... uh... feelings toward her. I don't know what it is. I've always thought she was pretty, but now there's this attraction that I've never felt before."

"Do you think it has something to do with the curse?" Ginny asked.

"I hope not. She's technically my wife. I really don't want to be attracted to her because of a curse."

At that moment, Ginny looked up at the door and noticed Hermione standing there. Draco flushed, praying she didn't hear anything.

"Hi, Hermione, come in. Draco and I were just –" Ginny trailed off, noticing the pale face of her friend. "Hermione, what is it? What's wrong?"

Draco stood, still holding the baby, and went to her side. "Are you sick? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Hermione looked at Draco with unshed tears. Her voice shook when she spoke. "I n-need y-you to d-do another exam – examination."

"Gods, Hermione. Why? If you're sick, we can get you something." Draco put his hand on her head. "You don't have fever, but you do feel clammy."

Draco took her hand and walked her over to Ginny's bed. He laid the sleeping baby in her crib. Hermione sat down on the bed, and Ginny stood, grabbing her wand. "Lie down, Hermione," Ginny told her.

She ran her wand over Hermione, and Hermione's body became illuminated by a blue light. Draco began to tremble with outrage.

Hermione looked between the two and asked, "What is it?"

Ginny sat down next to her and said quietly, "I'm so sorry, Hermione." Ginny paused, holding back the tears that threatened to spill. "You're pregnant."

Silence fell.

A/N: I know that a lot of you were expecting this to happen. Don't fret... all is not lost. I just want to apologize to mmesnape. Please don't hate me. I know you didn't want it to happen, but it had to.

~potterbrat~