Forever

Chapter Three Mystery Man

Hermione's Point of View

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                      Draco was delighted about my pregnancy I could tell. I chewed my lip nervously all through breakfast hoping Draco didn't say anything. When the others left to go outside I was finally alone with my thoughts and let the tears fall. Then Draco came over and surprised me so I turned around and when he saw my red eyes he took me upstairs. When we came down into the kitchen again we finished the dishes then walked out to our friends where they were playing Quidditch. I had a book and Draco shouldered his broom. When we got there we told our friends that I was going to have a child and Neville made a joke as we flew towards the ground where Ginny had fallen off her broom. Harry had landed first and was dealing with Ginny's rage. She screamed something about me hopefully not being pregnant because it was a 'time like this.' I didn't know what that meant but apparently I was about to find out. Ginny dragged all of us girls towards the house her eyes glittering with rage. When we got into her room she turned around and held out a newspaper clipping and then sat down on the bed. I read the paper silently. It read:

ESCAPED DEATH EATERS FOUR PRISONERS ESCAPE FROM AZKABAN

Four death eaters admitted at the end of the last school year at Hogwarts have escaped. Blaise Zabini, Astoria Greengrass, Gregory Goyle, and Vincent Crabbe. They escaped last night, could this be the dawn of a new era of dark wizards let's hope not. If anyone has any information please contact the ministry by fast owl as soon as possible. 

                       When I finished reading the short clipping I sat down on the bed next to Ginny. "Gin, this isn't good if I'm pregnant and they capture me..." my voice died. Ginny nodded, "I might be don't tell the others this isn't good we can't fight if we are pregnant after like five months we won't be able to fight." "I know Ginny, maybe they will be captured before that but I doubt it. I also think that they are smart and they may leave us alone for a while, maybe." Ginny nodded but didn't say anything else for the rest of our friends came over. "This is going to be hard on you Hermione isn't?" Hannah said. I saw Ginny wince because they weren't comforting her but she didn't know if she was pregnant or not. I sighed and nodded. We just sat there for a while thinking no one was talking perfect time to talk to Ginny in my mind, maybe if she remembers how to answer. To my surprise she talks to me in my mind first. 'Hermione you there?' 'Yes I am Ginny what is it?' 'Nothing do you think I should tell them?' 'Only if you want to. Swear them to secrecy until you decide to tell the boys.' Ginny didn't answer in my mind but she nodded. She would tell them later. We all stood and walked down to the kitchen to prepare lunch only to find that the boys had made us a picnic. 

                         A few minutes later we were under the shade of the oldest willow tree in the area, it stood hundreds of feet tall and when the wind blew hard it hardly moved. We all sat beside our respective partners though we didn't have to it just came naturally. We ate and discussed the matter of my pregnancy and what will happen with the fact that Blaise and the rest are on the loose. We discussed safety matters until no one could come up with anymore. I sighed and looked at my watch, it was three thirty. I had grocery duty for the week so I had to leave, I got to choose one person to come and keep me company but I didn't have to. "Hey, I'm gonna go get groceries," I said and then added, "Alone," when Draco stood to follow. He scowled and sat back down. I apparated away and when I landed I found that Draco had followed me because he knew I would come here. I walked away and he called, "Don't walk away from me Hermione." I looked over my shoulder and called, "I will if I want to because I want to and I want to be alone with my thoughts please." "Hermione," he wasn't calling he was almost growling now. "Draco," I said calmly. "Hermione, you are not going to walk alone with Blaise on the loose." "Draco I can take care of myself I've got a weapon." "I'm coming with you," he said stubbornly so I apparated away from the place to a store only I go. He caught hold of my shirt and came with me. I apparated back to the other grocery store and let him come with me. He tried speaking the whole time but I didn't answer the question directly so I just said later or answered but not completely. He eventually gave up and said, "When do you think you got pregnant?" I felt myself blushing as he continued, "Which day?" My blush got brighter and I could see his smirk as I started to squirm. "I don't know Draco," I said my voice clipped. "Sure," he said then let the matter drop. When we checked out I turned and almost screamed but before I could I caught Draco's arm and he turned around. He punched the person square in the jaw, grabbed my arm, and apparated away in one swift motion. 

                We landed in the house and Draco asked simply, "Did he hurt you?" I shook my head and he breathed, "I can't believe they found me or that they would take it out on you." He turned and walked away muttering. I didn't ask who had been standing behind me or why he said they found me but I didn't want to know the answers, now we had to worry about Blaise, Astoria, Crabbe, Goyle and the mystery man. My head spun as I walked up to my bedroom because Ginny was making dinner. I walked in and Draco turned he had his wand drawn and he looked crazy. "Who?" I asked simply. He said, "No it is safer," then turned around and continued writing. "I will be in more danger if I don't know," I said. "Okay fine sit down." I sat and he said, "That man is Jason Altor. He tried to kill me when I was little and my mom stopped him and my dad when he still cared. He was put in Azkaban but he can make duplicates of himself this one is the real one. A fake one is in Azkaban, he's probably working with Blaise." I nod and remember finding an article about Jason Altor in the library's newspaper archives. "Okay we get rid of him and then deal with the rest of them," I suggest. "It's not that easy if a duplicate survives it turns into the real him but only one duplicate can survive so he would have to keep the one in Azkaban alive when he dies but then the duplicate would maybe be stuck so we can't kill him unless..." "Which means," I say continuing for him, "That we have to kill them at the same time." Draco nods and I sigh this was not going to be easy. We walk downstairs and before we walk into the dining room I say, "Let's go clue our friends in." He nods and we step inside and sit down.