The Muggle Project

Critical

Once Faye had came to realize that she was going to expelled from Hogwarts she tried to take her life. This resulted in Professor Tonks having to use a binding charm on her until some Healers from St. Mungos could come and take her away. It was a pretty taxing thing to watch. Once they left so did Professor Tonks, then it was just Draco, myself, Seamus and his daughter.

"I would be a liar if I told you both that I know exactly what I am doing." He said as he sat on the sofa, holding his daughter awkwardly as she cried.

I carefully rose to my feet and moved to sit by him before carefully taking the infant from his arms and cuddling her. "You need to comfort her when she cries. Of course that is possibly only one thing that she needs at this moment. The other would be a diaper, some clothes and the most important, a bottle." I said as I began rubbing her back as I swayed from side to side.

"I am guessing a run is needed for these things?" Draco asked.

I gave him a smile and shook my head. "You said this hotel has concierge so lets take advantage of that." I said to him.

He called up the conceriege and gave them our list. Within fifteen minutes they had returned with what we needed. I showed Seamus how to properly diaper and infant and then dress them before we moved into the kitchen where I instructed him on how to make formula. After a bottle feeding and a burping session I let Seamus rock her to sleep while I gave him advice on how often he had to feed her and change her.

"How do you know so much about babies?" Draco asked as he eyed me curiously.

I stood infront of Seamus demonstrating the proper bounce and rock movement. "I read books and observe." I smirked. "When you are curious about learning it doesn't just count for one subject but everything else."

"Except Divination." Seamus chimed.

I shot him a warning glare before grinning playfully. "So, Seamus, have you thought of a name for her yet?"

He stared into her face, mesmirized before he spoke. "Seraphina."

"Didn't you want to name her Clover? Faye said..."

"I did, but now that I can see her, she doesn't look like a Clover, if that makes any sense. When I chose Clover I imagined her to look more like me."

"So you are basically saying that she doesn't look Irish enough." Draco laughed.

"Actually," Seamus began with a serious expression, "that is exactly what I am saying."

It was late into the night when we finally got to sleep. When the sun broke in through the curtains and illuminated the room I woke up. After I showered and dressed for the days expected travel I started packing our things, taking care to leave an oufit out for Draco to change into.

"Morning." I grinned as Draco finally woke. I paused and inhaled sharply as pain radiated through my side. It felt like a menstrual cramp, only worse.

"Hermione?" I heard Draco call.

I wanted to speak but I knew if I unclenched my jaw I would scream and I didn't want to do that.

Finally the pain subsided and I managed to take a decent breath and relax.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked.

I forced a smile and nodded my head. "It's my stomach, thats all." I said as I handed him his clothes for the day. "The train leaves in a couple hours, you should get changed."

After he was ready we gathered our things and waited for Seamus and Seraphina before we went down for breakfast. We had just enough time to eat once we finally got through the massive buffet line and then we were out the door and being whisked into a shuttle bus to Kings Cross with the other students that were leaving today.

When we got through the barrier the Hogwarts Express was all fired up. Seeing the billowing stacks made me slightly homesick as I missed my friends. I missed Harry, and Ron...

"Hermione?" Draco called as he placed a hand on the small of my back.

I didn't realize I had stopped walking.

"I'm fine." I whispered as we continued to the train.

Draco, Seamus and myself took to the first carriage and got settled in. It felt like hours had passed before we finally began moving. Thirty minutes into the ride I began to feel nauseated so I excused myself and walked to the bathroom.

My stomach heaved the second I closed the door behind myself and the contents of my stomach poured out into the basin. Simultaneously a pain erupted deep inside me that was so intense I vomited collapsed to my knees and vomited again. It was excruiciating, like a million knives cutting me from the inside out. It felt like-

"WHAT DID YOU STEAL FROM MY VAULT!" Bellatrix screamed into my face.

I turned my face away, to avoid having to look into her eyes as I cried. "Nothing, I swear, we took nothing!" I wailed.

"LIAR!" She shrieked before she began cutting into my arm.

I let out an ear-piercing scream as a burning pain filled my arm. "PLEASE!" I screamed as she continued cutting into me.

"Hermione!" I heard my name being called. I glanced around the room and saw Ron. Ron was calling me. He was going to save me. "HERMIONE!" I heard again. Only Ron's lips weren't moving.

I let out another scream as the pain began radiating through my entire body. This had to be the cruciatus curse. Bellatrix was using the cruciatus curse on me.

"HERMIONE!" Through my tear-strewn eyes I managed to see Draco. His lips were moving rapidly but I couldn't hear what he was saying. Only that he was occasionally calling my named.

"Hermione. HERMIONE!" Draco called. I opened my eyes and gasped. I wasn't in Malfoy Manor and I wasn't being terrorized by Bellatrix. I was on my knees in the bathroom on the Hogwarts Express.

"Hermione, love, open the door please. You are worrying me." I heard Draco rush out desperately.

I knew I had been screaming during my fit. Pushing myself to my feet I unlocked the bathroom door and stepped into the corridor of the train.

"Merlins beard, 'Mione," he said as he pulled me into his arms.

"Was it bad?" I asked when he released me.

"You were screaming for the past twenty minutes. I thought maybe something had happened to you and the baby. Then I heard you should something about the vault and I knew."

A tear escaped from my eyes. "I don't understand why it affects me like this."

Draco pulled me back into his arms and held me. "You were inches from death. She tortured you and was about to kill you, I would be worried if you weren't like this."

He laced his fingers through mine. "Come, lets go back to the train carriage. You need to lie down."

I spent the remainder of the train ride to Hogsmead asleep with my head on Draco's lap. When he finally woke me we had come to a complete stop and were deboarding the train. Stepping off the train I was immeadiately mesmirized by the sky. The sun had set, painting the skies above us in pastels - oranges, pinks, purples and blues. It was beautiful.

"Wow." I breathed. Placing my hand on my stomach I began rubbing small circles. "I don't think there is anything in the world that even comes close to how breathtaking the sunsets are Hogwarts are."

Draco wrapped his arm around my waist and I leaned my head to him, nestling it in the crook of his shoulder. Perfect fit.

"I definitely disagree." He muttered as we began our walk to our house.

The second I walked through our front door a sense of relief overwhelmed me in the most significant way imaginable. I felt so peaceful to be back home. I didn't have to worry about anything, no Faye, no dances, no classes - though I was kind of bummed about that. I just kept reminding myself that I'd be sitting in a classroom soon enough, when everyone else returned.

"I'm going to start dinner." I said as I headed towards the kitchen.

As I reached to open the freezer Draco pulled my hand back. "No, I will start dinner and you will go relax in the bath. You deserve it."

I felt butterflies erupt deep inside my chest as his gray eyes peered lovingly at me. He reached forward and brushed the back of his hand along my cheek before taking my chin between his long fingers and pulling me in for a kiss. The second his lips touched mine my body erupted as if electrical currents flowed through me and my knees went weak.

"Whoa, careful now." He said as he helped set me right. "Keep on responding like that and I will be forced to only kiss you when you are safely seated."

"Don't be so dramatic, Draco." I laughed.

He gave me a quick kiss and then sent me off so he could get dinner started.

Starting up the stairs I made sure to take each step, carefully. My biggest fear when it came to the stairs, ever since I was pregnant, was falling and crushing the baby. Now everytime I had to go up or down I gripped the railing extra tight and watched my feet until I was on even ground again.

When I finally made it to my bathroom I put the plug in the bath and turned on the water. I made sure it was the perfect temperature before I went over to the sink to get my chamomille oils and lavender bubbles for the bath. I poured in some bubbles and then sat the bottle down before tending to the oils.

Suddenly another sharp menstrual-like pain hit me, only it lasted just long enough for me to drop my chamomille oil, causing them to spill.

"Oh damn." I cursed to myself before stooping down pick up the bottle and restore its lid.

I needed to clean up the oils before I stepped in it and tracked it all over the carpets, but I figured it could wait until after I had my bath since I would have to Draco bring me the mop.

I crossed into my bedroom while the bath continued to fill and began taking off my shoes and then my clothes. Before I headed back into the bathroom I popped my head outside the bedroom door.

"Draco, love!" I called.

"Yes?"

"When you are able to, can you please bring the mop upstairs?"

"Do you need it right now?" He called back.

"No, I'm about to hop in the bath so I will need it when I get out. No rush."

"Okay."

I closed the bedroom door and headed back into bathroom. It had been a while since I've been able to enjoy the simple pleasure of bathing in my over-sized tub. My tub was big enough to comfortably fit two of me and have space left over for a small child.

Crossing over to the sink I turned on the docking station for my ipod and started playing my music. I had it shuffling through a playlist of a band called Savage Garden, they were playing one of my favorite songs from their album called I Knew I Loved You.

I smiled to myself and swayed slightly as I rubbed circles on my stomach as the baby began kicking.

"I love you so much." I whispered as I turned to head to the bath.

The second I felt the wetness under my feet I knew I was in trouble. I quickly tried stepping back only to have my feet fly out from underneath me. It happened so fast I didn't have time to scream before I landed head first into the bath, hitting my head at the bottom.