A Baby Project

6

A few days after Christmas Hermione felt even worse. She couldn't hold any of her food inside her tummy for more than a few minutes. She kept running to the bathroom and Draco started getting worried. He wouldn't talk to her though. It was basically the same as it was before Christmas. The only difference was that now there was another reason, a reason different from "I hate your guts because you annoy me." The new reason was love. Draco's nightmares from before subsided until Christmas. When he had realized what his true feelings were they started again. This time based upon only one event. The mudblood carving. He kept seeing Hermione underneath his aunt screaming in pain. It killed him over and over again. His poor decision not to help was his biggest regret. He wished he could, but he just kept standing there and watching it over and over. That is why Hermione's current state worried him. She seemed to be in pain and he chose to just stand by again.
Hermione was very confused. She had seen a completely different and fun-to-be-around side of Draco, but then he changed in a matter of seconds. Did he not like their kiss? Was this all a prank to see if he could get beaver mudblood to kiss him? It was him who encouraged the kiss after all. For a moment she thought maybe it won't be bad to be the mother of his child, they would have so much fun as a family. But then he almost literally ran away from her and her hope went with him. Now he wouldn't speak or even look at her. And she was tired. Tired from throwing up 15 times a day. But that day it was so much worse. She spent the entire day there. She didn't have anything else to hurl, but the cramps were all the same. She wished it would stop, she wished it would stop so badly. At around six in the after noon it finally did. She dragged herself to the shower corner and washed the smell of vomit off. After that she brushed her teeth and slowly made her way to her bed. On the way she passed Draco.
The sight of her made him even paler than he usually already was. As she passed him he just grabbed her hand. She looked up at him with a tired look in her eyes. Her cheeks were blotchy from crying. His eyes searched hers for an answer frantically. He didn't know what to do. She smiled weakly and continued her way to their bedroom. When she entered she noticed Alexei was sleeping in his crib soundly. She walked to to the crib and put her hand on her son's cheek and caressed it with her thumb. "I love you," she whispered. Then she slowly approached her bed and passed out on it. It was a long day for her.
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Everybody came back on Sunday. The second Ginny saw Hermione she knew something was wrong. She grabbed her by her arm and pulled her into the bathroom. It all worked out perfectly because Hermione's morning sickness struck again. Ginny had quick reflexes so she was down on her knees holding her bestfriend's hair almost as soon as she started vomiting.
"Shh it's going to be okay." She gently rubbed her back in a soothing manner. After she stopped Ginny asked: "Hermione, what's going on?" Hermione shook her head. Ginny respected her choice to not say anything. So she continued in another direction. "You will never guess what my dad told us a couple of days ago. The ministry passed a law, which says that no protection spells work on big holidays like Christmas or Easter or even Halloween. They're working on making it a full time thing. Meaning that only muggle protection will be able to keep you from having children." Hermione looked at her friend in shock. "I used a spell on myself to see if I'm pregnant, and luckily I wasn't. I was panicking so much, because there is no way in hell I would be able to actually raise a child right now!" "Isn't that the whole point of the baby project Gin?" "Well it's easy for you to be sarcastic, you aren't having sex!" Hermione's eyes wouldn't meet her friend's.  Ginny noticed, ofcourse. She started putting the dots together. "Wait... You were throwing up and you looked pretty shocked back when I told you... And now you're acting all suspicious... OH MY GOD! HERMIONE!" "Shush Ginny! Everyone will hear you!" So she whisper yelled: "Oh my god Hermione! You're pregnant!" As if on queue Hermione started throwing up again. "Who's the dad?" Ginny asked when her friend was done. "Who do you think is the dad! It's Draco. I don't know what to do Gin..." "Well does he know? What did he say?" "No he doesn't and he won't! You can't tell anyone! Not even Harry!" "I won't but, you know it's not really something you can hide forever right? You will start showing in a few months." "I-"
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Theo and Luna ended up spending the entire holidays together. Theo had a fight with his parents and Luna told him he could stay with her. They had gotten so used to eachother anyway. Her father accepted him almost immediately. He saw something in their relationship neither of them had noticed. Love. They had fallen head over heels for eachother without even realizing it. Ofcourse, they did though. Both represented a strand of hope for the other one. Both holding that hope so tight, as if it were their extinguishing life line. And if Theodore Nott was the reason Luna was well again, her father would accept him almost no matter what. He was also a great fan of their daughter. It was lovely having an infant in the house again. And she was so beautiful and special. They were a big happy peculiar family over the holidays. When they came back they were still in their little bubble. Their love wasn't of a physical nature, no, it was much purer. But it was still present at all times. It was truly magical.
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"Oh my Merlin! Have you seen the latest Daily Prophet?"
"It is appalling what the Ministry has done!" "How dare they???"
"Do they realize we're basically children?!"
Exclaims such as these rang through the Great Hall on Monday morning. The news of the newest law had seen daylight. Even the Professors seemed to have lost their appetites that morning.
"Attention all seventh year students! I have decided to revoke the baby project law! I am disgusted by how far the Ministry is willing ti go. As of now the baby project shall be an optional task. You will not be marked, you may do it only if you choose to do so. Hogwarts is an institution, not a stage for the Ministry's puppet show! Now after breakfast all seventh years are to stay behind. You have until then to decide whether you want to proceed with the project or not." McGonagall's voice rang through the Great Hall. It took a while for the crowd of students to respond.
It all started with whispers but evolved into people yelling over eachother, trying to reach their partners to decide what to do.
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"I shall call your names and you will tell me what you have decided. Potter and Weasley?"
"We don't want to continue with the project." She nodded in return. "You will each return to your house dorm rooms. You may leave and your things will be brought to your rooms by the end of today."
They walked away hand in hand.
"Weasley and Chang?" They shook their heads and after being given the same instructions as Harry and Ginny, they too left the room.
Hermione and Draco hadn't talked about what they would choose. While McGonagall called names, Hermione contemplated what to do. She didn't know if Draco wanted to keep doing it, but she knew SHE had to. She had an actual baby on the way, so she had to get all the practice that she could. Plus she had grown quite attached to her fake son and it would kill her to let go. In the end she decided she would keep doing it no matter what, she had to learn what it was like being a single parent anyway.
"Malfoy and Granger?" "I want to continue with the Project," both said at the same time.
"You two may go back to your room, everything shall continue as it has been happening until now for you two. The day care is still at your disposal until further ado. Oh and a side note to all of you who are keeping your children, the project shall end either way one month before the beginning of your NEWTs."
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Hermione carried Alex to their room. She was completely invested in only paying attention to the infant. "Mummy would never decide against you bumblebee... Mummy loves you and she always will." She kissed him softly, humming a tune.
Draco watched this exchange, barely containing the words that wanted to jump right out of him. He was finding it harder and harder every day not to talk to her.
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"Nott and Lovegood?" "Yes, ofcourse!" Both exclaimed.
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When they were ascending the stairs to their dorm room Luna was holding their daughter tightly. A fear dawned on her. A fear of losing Esther. She realized it was completely irrational, since the baby girl wasn't actually real nor their to keep. In 4 short months she would be gone for ever. As if Theo felt her thoughts and fears, he reached out and grabbed her palm with his. Warm, familiar sparks flew through both of their bodies. They exchanged a look and Luna smiled, as if realizing everything would be completely alright in the end, as long as she had Theo.
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In the end only these two couples decided to keep doing the project. The rest regretted their decision at first, but they forgot about it after a few days. They didn't have time to think about their losses anyway since the workload kept getting bigger and bigger. Second term had started in full swing. NEWTS were around the corner and fast approaching. But it was still January and their first second term Hogsmeade trip was fast approaching as well. And on the trip a lot may change.