✖He's Not Mine [An Utterly Ridiculous Dramione Baby Story . . . Sort-of]

SEVEN

AH, SO YOU DO HAVE A HEART AFTER ALL

It was strange to sleep in a new room. Strange, but not as frightening as she thought it'd be. Unfortunately, in all the strangeness, Hermione was unable to find sleep. Sighing, she threw the covers back and slipped out of bed.

She crept over to the door in the middle and opened it to find Tobias snuggled up in the crib, happily dreaming. She smiled, at least this way everyone was asleep. Well, everyone except her.

She sighed again and moved to the couch in front of the dead fireplace. She flicked her wand at it and watched as a warm glow illuminated the front area of the dorm. She tucked her feet under her and stared at the fire. When her gaze moved to the table, it fell on an open envelope, addressed to Mr and Mrs Malfoy.

Curious, Hermione reached over and grabbed the letter that was next to it.

To Mr and Mrs Malfoy, it read. Hermione frowned, who on earth would send a letter like that, and to Draco?

I have just received word regarding a deposit of five thousand Galleons into my Gringotts account. I know it's late, but I felt that I must convey my gratitude to you immediately. Your donation will keep the orphanage open for at least another twelve to fourteen years. I can't thank you enough, and I feel the letter doesn't do justice in conveying my gratitude. Please accept the gift I have sent for the little boy.

Regards,
Karen R. Greene

Hermione stared at the letter. A deposit of five thousand Galleons? A sound behind her caught her attention. She turned to see Draco approaching the couch. "Just thanking her for trying, hm?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "She needs the money, and I knew if I sent it back, she wouldn't take it, so I sent a letter to Gringotts."

Hermione smiled as she folded up the letter. "So, you do have a heart after all."

Draco rolled his eyes again. "What are you even doing out here?"

"I couldn't sleep. What are you doing out here?"

"Don't want to sleep."

Hermione nodded her head slowly, assuming it was probably because of nightmares. "Don't worry, with Tobias around, you won't have to sleep much."

Draco stared at Hermione. "This was a bad idea. The more time I spend around you, the more I roll my eyes. Any minute, you're going to say something so ridiculous, they might just roll out of my head."

Hermione found Draco's grumbling amusing. "Well, you don't have a choice in the matter. You're stuck with me for the rest of the year."

Draco groaned and leaned back on the couch. "I'm going to kill myself."

Hermione scoffed. "If you pay me enough, I'll do it swiftly and you won't even feel a thing."

Draco raised an eyebrow at her. Then he stood up and walked towards his room. "You scare me more than my nightmares. Good night."

Hermione smiled at the closed door. That was by no means a friendly conversation, but at least there was no malice or hatred in it.

■■■■■

The first class of the day was Defense Against the Dark Arts, and they still hadn't gotten a new professor. It wasn't too big a problem, as Professor McGonagall saw it fit to allow a seventh year -- or one of the "eighth" years -- to teach something or the other that they had mastered to the younger classes -- in the interim, of course.

Harry had been tasked with the Patronus Charm.

Blaise was tasked with Occlumency.

Hannah was tasked with a few combat spells.

Isobel MacDougal, a Ravenclaw in Harry's year, was tasked with teaching them to master wordless magic.

Draco and Hermione had initially been tasked with Legillimency and split-second apparition respectively, but with Tobias, they needed the free period.

However, they did manage to find a way around it in no less than two minutes. Disappearing and reappearing seemed to amuse Tobias, and the little boy was present for Hermione's lessons, while Hermione sat through Draco's with Tobias and studied so that the baby boy had full view of both his 'parents'.

Hermione was still slightly afraid for whatever else looking after Tobias would include, and she was not looking forward to the moment when Tobias would start waking himself in the middle of the night.