The Accidental Malfoy

4 | Conversations

Disclaimer: I do not own this, nor am I profiting off the display of this story in any way.

Ginny observed her usually rational friend who was currently pacing around her living room. Hermione had decided that she needed to tell her parents about her predicament, and that today would be that day. It was obvious to Ginny that Hermione really didn't want to do this and her bushy-haired friend really didn't need the added stress.

"Hermione, you don't have to do this right now. It's still really early on in your pregnancy," she said, trying to reason with her.

"But if I don't get it out of the way, then it will be hanging over me like the sword of Damocles."

"You're being a bit melodramatic, aren't you?" Luna suggested softy.

"You don't know my parents. They won't understand."

Ginny grasped Hermione's hands. "You've got to calm down. All this stress is not good for you."

Hermione sat down on the sofa and started the deep breathing exercises Ginny was currently teaching her. "I'm sorry I'm freaking out so much. I'm just really scared by this whole situation."

"Of course you are! This isn't normal at all."

Hermione smiled gratefully at Ginny, who was trying her hardest to be a calming influence on her. She was also attempting to quell any fears Hermione had over pregnancy and childbirth. It wasn't easy, as the uptight woman was an emotional mess at the moment. Ginny had never seen Hermione so extreme in her feelings, but then again, pregnancy had the nasty habit of doing that.

The one good thing about quitting professional Quidditch was that Ginny was able to spend a lot more time with her friend. She was no longer called away for long training camps and games all over the country and now worked for the Daily Prophet as their Quidditch correspondent. Apart from attending games and press conferences, she could pretty much work from home.

Luna, too, had come through for her friend. As a researcher for Newt Scamander, she had large chunks of time where she worked from home, hitting the books, trying to track down historical mentions of some of the weird and wonderful fauna and flora she studied. She was currently in the middle of one of these projects and popped over to Hermione's house every day, looking to distract her from her current woes by asking for her advice about this and that. Luna didn't usually do this, as Hermione wasn't the most open-minded person, but she recognised that her pregnant and stressed friend could do with the distraction.

Looking a lot more tranquil now, Hermione jumped up and grabbed her bag. She marched over to the fireplace. "Well, there's never going to a good moment to do this," she said to her friends. "So, I might as well get this over and done with now. I only wish I hadn't told my parents quite so much about Malfoy whilst I was at Hogwarts. Wish me luck!"

Ginny and Luna both watched as their bushy-haired friend disappeared through the Floo Network.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Luna asked. "Should one of us have gone with her?"

"Nah, she's freaking out because her mum will think she's been hasty, but they'll be fine. They love her and they recognise the sacrifice she made for them during the war. They aren't the kind to disown their child over something like this."

Luna bowed to Ginny's superior knowledge of the Granger family as she had only met them occasionally.

Ginny flopped onto the sofa. "I'm more worried about Harry. He's taking this news really hard."

Luna pursed her lips. "Ron's ranting about it but he won't take any action."

"I wish I could say the same for Harry. He's brought the Malfoy files home and is going through them with a fine toothcomb. He assures me that he's not looking to arrest them on any trumped up charges, but he's researching their modus operandi. He doesn't want Hermione to know, but he's really worried they might try and do something to her."