~Asphodel~

chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

Hermione opened the bedroom door with a bit of trepidation, suddenly afraid it would be Lucius or Narcissa. What would they say to her presence here? To her waking up with...Draco? She winced at the thought. So when a petite woman with jet black hair curtsied to her and said, "Good morning, Mistress," before entering, she nearly heaved a sigh of relief. She didn't have to cross the "parental bridge" just yet.

She glanced back at Draco, suddenly realizing what this must look like...her and Draco in the same bedroom, both still in their night things, cheeks flushed from arguing, making the woman wait before opening the door...she flushed, completely mortified at the thought. She glanced over again at Draco, to see if he had shown any signs of recognition with the woman, but he wasn't looking at either of them. He was staring at his hands in his lap, an expression of horror or shock on his face. Hermione couldn't decide which. Maybe it was both. Briefly she wondered what could have caused it. Then, pushing that aside, she turned her attention to the little woman in front of her.

The little woman smiled at Hermione and said, "And how are you feeling this morning, Mistress? That was quite a fall you had yesterday, had myself and Master Draco worried sick, you did." She bustled around the room, putting things in drawers and picking things up as she went.

Hermione couldn't help but look surprised and she glanced back at Draco again. Malfoy? Worried about her? Please. And Harry Potter is a Death Eater. Still, she could help but wonder what had happened to her yesterday...

The little woman continued talking, so Hermione focused her attention back on her, leaving her thoughts for a later time. "So," the woman said in her peppy voice, "Are you sure you're up to an outing today, Mistress?"

Hermione didn't know where the words came from, but she found herself answering, "I'm fine, thank you, and yes, I will be going out today, so could you please, Rilla, make sure Naomi is ready?" She smiled, despite the panic that was rising in her again. Rilla? Naomi? How do I know these names? she thought wildly.

Rilla, as the little woman was apparently called, sensed nothing out of the ordinary and answered Hermione's requests with a smile and a curtsey. "Of course, Mrs. Malfoy. I'll have Naomi dressed straight away."

Hermione's head snapped up. "What?" she said, a bit sharply. "What did you call me?" The panic was reaching a dangerous level, but perhaps she simply misheard.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mistress Hermione, I know you don't like to be addressed as Mrs. Malfoy except on formal occasions, sometimes it slips my mind. Do forgive me." She curtsied again.

Numbly Hermione nodded. She didn't trust herself to speak. Bile was rising in her throat, she felt weak and sick to her stomach. With dread she looked down at her hand and swallowed hard when she saw the two rings resting on her finger.

Wildly she looked at Draco, all at once understanding his look of horror earlier. He was watching her with the same look of fear mirrored on Hermione's face. He seemed to have lost all color. Suddenly the image of the little girl with the brown curls and the cool grey eyes calling her "Mummy" flashed before her eyes which widened frantically as she glanced from the rings to Draco to the bed. Her breaths started coming faster and faster. The little girl. Waking up beside Draco. Mummy. That meant...her and Draco...they...

All at once everything sunk in and blackness filled Hermione's vision as she crumpled to the floor in a dead faint.

Minutes later Hermione blinked back into consciousness to the sounds of Rilla's concerned voice. "Mistress Hermione! Mistress!" she cried. Hermione groaned a bit and realized she was being held. She looked up and saw Draco gazing down at her, a look of discomfort on his face. Her back burned where Draco's hand rested, holding her up.

"Are you alright, Mistress? Do you feel queasy? I know the morning sickness bothered you with the girls, but you never had fainting spells." Rilla knelt beside Hermione, tittering on nervously.

Both Hermione and Draco choked a bit at the words "girls" and "morning sickness", but neither one could find their voice. Rilla continued, not even noticing their stunned faces. "I think we should take you to Saint Mungos," she said, fanning Hermione with a hand fan she had conjured. "Healer Lee will want to check on you and the baby."

Draco stiffened and made a sharp intake of breath.

"B-baby?" whispered Hermione, barely able to choke the word out.

Rilla patted her arm reassuringly. "Don't worry dear; I'm sure your baby is fine. But since you're only a couple months along it would be best to check, Mistress."

Hermione had lost all remaining color. She stared down at her stomach, then up to Draco, who was also staring at her stomach, a look of shock frozen on his face, then back to the reassuring face of Rilla. What is happening to us? she thought wildly, then with a few choked out breaths, she fainted again.

A/n
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