Deception

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ xxᴠɪɪɪ - ꜱᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴀʟ & ꜱᴄᴏᴛᴛɪꜱʜɴᴇꜱꜱ

It had been two months. Probably. I couldn't really tell I only knew I was growing bigger by the week. I was around eighteen weeks pregnant and I felt like I swallowed a balloon. Sometimes I felt it kicking me from the inside and that was the weirdest feeling I've ever experienced.

People always say that your pregnancy should be a joyous time, but it wasn't the case for me. I wished to be back at my grandmother's cottage, safe and warm. Not in this cold isolated mansion that was creepier than Snape.

We didn't know what was happening either, it was mid-November and it was raining continuously. Draco had carefully ventured upstairs yesterday to look at the upper level. The floor had creaked dangerously, but he had returned with more blankets and old clothes that weren't in fashion anymore.

We didn't have anything on us when we arrived here except for our wands. We kept our clothes clean with scourging charms and repaired them continuously, but they were worn to the threads. It felt like we were camping inside a house. I was just thankful it had plumbing and that there was a bathroom with a bathtub on the floor level. It was old, so we had to boil water for a good soak, but it didn't matter at least we could wash normally instead of scourgifying ourselves.

My mother was currently sowing a pair of socks that had more holes than fabric. I recognised them as Draco's and I felt sorry for him that he had to wear these scraps. She could repair them with a spell, but I knew she wanted to do something to keep herself distracted. Sowing pairs of socks seemed to do that for her.

"I'm heading out for a bit." She said after a while. "I can't stand not knowing what is happening. Not after Hadrian, not after he..." Her voice cracked and I sighed.

I knew it was hard on her, I heard her cry more than once when she thought I was sleeping. Of course I felt his loss, he was my father. But I wasn't as emotionally invested as my mother probably was. He had been vile, strict and often unreasonable with me. But if the tables were turned and my mother would've been killed it would be much worse.

"Do you think that's wise?" said Draco as he flicked his wand at the fireplace and a roaring fire appeared. "Don't you think I could better go?"

"You know you stand out too much." Said my mother as she poked the needle through the material of his sock. "I'm much more inconspicuous. Besides, I'm only going to get a Prophet and perhaps... some essentials."

"You just want to go shopping." I deadpanned and she blushed slightly. "I'll come with."

"No you don't!" warned Draco. "Not in your condition, that's far too dangerous!"

"But I-" I started.

"No, he's right." Said my mother as she eyed me sternly. "Tell me what you need, I'll get it for you."

"I need new clothes." I said gesturing at the old lacey black dress that I was wearing now. It was in the pile that Draco brought from upstairs and the roomiest dress I could find. "This is very impractical and it's tightening in all the wrong places."

My mother giggled and I glared at her at first but then started to laugh with her. She finished the sock, grabbed a bag and kissed me on my cheek.

"You know you can just transfigure your old clothes in something else right?" she said as she put the sock down. "Although there might not be enough material left to transfigure properly." she added with an afterthought. She waved her wand at me and the tight lacy dress turned in to a slightly modern black dress. "I'll see you in a bit. I'm going to Diagon Alley this time."

"Be careful." Said Draco as he sat next to me at the kitchen table.

"I will" she said as she threw on a dark cloak and covered her face in shadows with the hood. She walked outside the mansion and disapparated.