Dramione - The Baby Project

Chapter 4 🍂

Many students beamed or sighed happily as the newly-renovated castle came into view. But there was a group of four that knew the true horrors that had happened there. Hermione, Ginny, Harry and Ron stayed silent for most of the long journey from Hogsmeade station to Hogwarts.

After fifteen minutes of painful silence Hermione spoke. 'McGonagall's gonna tell us about 'the baby project' today... What do you guys reckon it is?' The people in the carriage shrugged and shook their heads. Hermione made no further attempts to get the group talking and just sat silently in her corner.

When they arrived at the brightly lit castle, everyone climbed out of their carriages and walked into the entrance hall. Headmistress McGonagall led them all into the great hall where everybody took their seats at their house table. Hermione noticed only then that very few seventh years had come back.

She saw Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas from Gryffindor, Hannah Abott and Ernie Macmillan from Hufflepuff, Michael Corner, Terry Boot, Luna Lovegood and Padma Patil from Ravenclaw, and Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini and Astoria Greengrass from Slytherin.

The whole school enjoyed a delicious meal, cooked by the house elves of Hogwarts, that consisted of Chicken, Ham pies, Custard, Puddings, Cakes, and who knows what else. When everyone had wolfed down their food and drained their goblets, Professor McGonagall started to speak. She announced all the start-of-term notices, told them all the new objects that Filch had banned that year, and sent all the students, except for seventh years, to bed.

Most of the people in the dining hall cleared out and very few remained. There was an atmosphere of tension; everyone knew that it would be time to hear about the so called 'baby project.'

'This year,' began McGonagall. 'There shall be a knew class added, as you very well know, just for seventh years. This class, or project you could call it, is here to acknowledge the fact that many witches are becoming pregnant at a young age, without really knowing how to care for a child.'

Many of the boys in the hall laughed but the girls stayed silent and attentive. 'The project,' interrupted Professor McGonagall. 'Will teach you most of the things that, are you to become a young parent, you should know. I have a list of names of pairs that will have a baby together-' Everyone groaned - even Hermione. '-and raise them throughout the year. The girl will get a potion that will make them pregnant, the pregnancy will take only three months so the parents will have one month to experience each trimester. The parents will have a flat each, these are located on the seventh floor, where they will be living for the rest of the year. There is no point in arguing with me about the names because I do not have the authority to change them.'

She pulled out a long list out of her travelling cloak and read, 'Harry Potter will be with Ginny Weasley.' Harry and Ginny beamed at each other. 'Neville Longbottom will be with Astoria Greengrass.' Neville glanced over at the Slytherin table and saw Astoria smiling at him. He smiled back and turned to look at McGonagall. 'Luna Lovegood will be with Blaise Zabini. Hermione Granger will be with Draco Malfoy.' The whole hall fell silent.

The muggle-born with the pure-blood? Nobody expected that. Hermione was staring at Professor McGonagall with her mouth open, tears in her eyes. The headmistress continued reading the list but Hermione couldn't hear anything. It was like Muffliato had been used on her. She stared across the hall to where Malfoy was sitting. He was staring awestruck at Professor McGonagall.

When McGonagall finished reading the list, Hermione's ears started working again. 'Please go sit with your partner. Hermione stood up, gave a miserable goodbye to her friends, and walked over to the Slytherin table. She sat a few feet away from Malfoy and stared down at her legs, not daring to look at him. McGonagall asked them in turns to come up to the staff table and recieve envelopes, inside were instructions for when and how to take the potion, the key card for the flats and all the other information about the project.

When McGonagall called for Hermione and Malfoy, Hermione stood up and went to get the envelope. McGonagall handed her the envelope and said, 'I'm sorry, Miss Granger.' Hermione merely nodded. She went back to the Slytherin table and opened the letter. She took out two key cards and threw one to Malfoy. He scowled.

Hermione unfolded the letter inside the envelope and found their flat number; six. McGonagall ordered everyone to their flats, so the students stood up, frowns on their faces (except for Harry and Ginny, of course, who were smiling), and made their way up to the seventh floor. 

Hermione looked around at the flat doors and found hers. It had a freshly painted number six on the door and there was a plaque that read, Hermione and Draco Malfoy. It was simply bizarre to see her name written like that! She wiped her key card on the sensor right above the doorknob, the door clicked. 

Hermione opened the door and gasped. It was weird to see such a modern room in the ancient castle of Hogwarts! There was a living room with a metallic silver sofa, a LOT of house plants, and a glass coffee table. The rest of the rooms were similar, but none were as extraordinary as the bedroom. 

It had one big bed in the middle of the room, silk sheets covered the snowy with duvet. There was a large window with a view of the grounds, silk curtains hung lazily at the side. There were two dressers, one on each side of the bed, these where light brown wood. It was beautiful... but the thought that Hermione had to share it with Draco Malfoy honestly ruined the experience.

'Could be worse,' sneered a voice behind Hermione, who had been feeling the silk sheets. She jumped and turned around. Malfoy was examining the wooden dressers. 'I'm surprised that your big head could even find its way here,' scowled Hermione. 'Well it has,' said Malfoy. 'Now, I expect you'll be sleeping on the couch?' 

Hermione scowled. 'Everyone is allowed to be stupid once, but you... you are abusing that privilege,' said Hermione savagely as she started putting her clothes in the dresser. She pulled the breast pump out of her trunk and blushed, remembering the painful turn of events at The Baby Project shop.

After a few awkward minutes Malfoy started unpacking too. When they were done they both turned to look at the bed. There was NO way that they were sleeping in the same bed...

Words in this chapter: 1145