Ride the lighting

Part 11

Hermione awoke at four the next morning. Nerves were getting the better of her and the constant need to pee had her out of bed and quietly padding down the hallway to the small bathroom.

She relieved herself and washed her hands, splashed cold water on to her face and stood for a moment staring at the mirror.

Thanks to Ruby's potions and Fleur and Bill making sure she ate an amount of food that even Mrs. Weasley would be proud of everyday she actually looked twenty weeks pregnant now.

She turned to the side and ran a hand over her bump, flattening her expanded nightgown over it and seeing the full extent of her belly's curve. She could feel the bubbles that had become the norm over the last few weeks in her womb. She had mistaken it for nerves at first but now she was certain it was the baby moving, although this morning she could feel it with her hand as the movements became stronger.

She ran a hand over the expanse of her belly again and left the bathroom to head downstairs and make a cup of hot milk, in hopes it would help her go back to sleep.

She slowly descended the stairs in hopes that they wouldn't creak and wake the rest of the house up. She got to the bottom step and jumped when she found Malfoy pacing the area between the kitchen and living room in front of the stairs.

"Malfoy, you frightened me! What are you doing down here pacing in the dark?" she enquired in a short tone.

"I can't sleep Granger, I would've thought that would be obvious." his snide tone indicated he wasn't in the mood to play nice.

"Me too." she conceded with a sigh, "I was going to warm up some milk, would you like a cup?"

He nodded and sat at the dining table as Hermione set to work warming a pan of milk.

"So Granger. I know why I'm awake, why are you?" Malfoy asked, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning back in the chair.

"Side-affect of being pregnant, I have to pee every five minutes along with all sorts of other side affects that you don't want to know about." Hermione explained as she poured the milk into two cups and sat across from him.

He took a sip of the milk and nodded, "Didn't know scarhead had it in him."

"Malfoy why do you keep doing that? Why do you keep calling us derogatory names and have this attitude. We took you in and helped you; we have trusted you to help us. Bill has allowed you to stay in the protection of his home. Can't you ease up a bit on the bullying?" Hermione took a sip of her milk and scowled at him, she was just about fed up.

"You want the truth? It's a habit. Doesn't feel right to call you Hermione. And I really do despise Weasley, he is so gormless. At least I stopped calling you mudblood, can't you give me Granger?" Draco joked back; breaking the tension and making Hermione smile just slightly.

"Just ease up a bit, I'm very hormonal and I have no problem punching you in the face again." Hermione made it sound like a joke but really she would have no problem putting him in his place a second time.

"Are you sure you can do this Granger? Getting in and out of Gringott's isn't going to be easy, and our escape plan is hardly going to be easy with your belly." Draco asked, sincere, for a change, in his concern.

"I have to do it. It's not safe, I know that but consider the alternative, don't keep fighting, don't go after Horcruxes and he keeps coming after us, he must know from Bellatrix that I'm pregnant, he'll come after the baby. It's not safe but I have to."

Malfoy nodded and finished his mug of milk, "thanks for this"

He put the cup in the sink and made to walk past Hermione when her hand snapped to the side of her bump.