Planned Liars • Draco Malfoy

Chapter #23

Days passed, the wedding was approaching unrelentingly and I still couldn't tell Draco about everything. Actually, only Hermione knew (and Christina, of course), and I felt even  worse with it.

A week before the wedding Narcissa visited us, wanting to judge my final outfit and everything. Of course Draco tried to peek, but she pointedly closed the door of my old room right before his nose, locked them with enchantments and eventually let me show myself to her in full glory.

"Perfect," she said when she saw me. "I think you don't need to worry about your looks anymore."

About looks...

"It's great..." I told her with a small smile, looking down at my feet. I could see with the corner of my eye that Narcissa was glancing at me suspiciously.

"You look miserable. Is there something wrong with the wedding?" she asked worriedly and I sighed.

"No, no, everything is alright, it's just..."

"Aurora, you can tell me," Narcissa interrupted, putting her hand on my shoulder. "I know your mother can't be here, that's why I am. You can tell me anything."

I bit my lip, considering my options in my head. All in all, I was less scared to tell Narcissa than Draco... Even though she could possibly react not so well... I thought it was now or never. I had to tell her or I wouldn't be able to hold it back anymore.

"It's just that I... I... I'm pregnant," I breathed out eventually.

Narcissa didn't look surprised nor frightened. She just smiled and said after a moment:

"I suspected it."

My heart almost stopped from shock.

"Really?" I asked in surprise, what Narcissa found really funny.

"I have a son, Aurora. I think that most mothers would be able to notice," she replied. "I take it Draco doesn't know."

I was really happy that she took it so well, that's why I began talking immediately.

"I'm afraid of telling him. I don't know how..."

"Calm down, calm down, it's not good for the baby," she cut me off. "Relax. Inhale and exhale, now."

I obeyed and it actually helped me a bit.

"I've been in your shoes and I understand that it's not that simple. But you'll have to tell him. I won't do it, don't worry."

"Thank you so much..."

"Don't mention it. And, as my first piece of advice, I say you should Apparate less or not at all. It's unhealthy. Which week is it?"

"The seventh," I replied quietly.

Narcissa didn't speak for a moment and I was sure that I knew what she was doing - she was most probably calculating in her head that Draco's birthday was seven weeks ago. Back then I wanted to bury myself under the floor.

"When the fourth month begins, do not Apparate at all," she said suddenly, as though she woke up from a trance. "It's exhausting and not good for your and the baby's health. Use the Floo."

"I'll do it. Thank you."

"Now go and change again, we don't want to risk getting any dirt on this dress."

This conversation with Narcissa helped me a lot and definitely gave me some bravery. I decided that I'd tell Draco the very same day - it was high time.

He was more and more suspicious day by day, especially since I refused to drink champagne and began to eat more healthy food.

In the evening, I took Draco to our place. The place where just a few years earlier we were planning our life together. The place where he told me he loved me for the first time. The place where I said yes. There was no better place to tell him.

"Alright, I take it we aren't here for no reason..." he said, definitely a bit scared, looking around the familiar forest. "What is going on?"

I took a deep breath. I had been preparing the right words all day, but when it came down to this, it wasn't easy at all.

"Draco, I... I lied to you. I'm not sick," I admitted, absent-mindedly playing with my fingers. I didn't feel well. My underbelly was aching and I really wanted to sleep, but I had to do this.

"So what is happening?" he asked a little worriedly, but I could hear a hint of pretence in his voice.

"Draco, it's because I..." I began and swallowed. "I'm pregnant," I said finally and hid my face in my hands, regretting this immediately.

He froze for a moment, then took a step back. I raised my head and even in the dim light I could see him staring at me in total shock.

"What?" he breathed out after a moment of silence.

"We're going to have a baby," I repeated, because I understood that it was hard for him to believe in what I said.

Another silence followed, during which Draco was just standing opposite me and staring at me like at some alien. You couldn't read anything from his face except for shock.

"I've known it for some time now, but... I was afraid of telling you and..."

"I can't believe in you," he interrupted, hugging me tightly. "I just can't."

"Excuse me...?"

"How could you be afraid? Of what?" he asked pretentiously, taking a look at my face. "You knew very well that I..."

He didn't finish since his voice broke. I smirked.

"Are you crying?" I asked, folding my arms.

"Of course not," he replied immediately and severely, trying to look serious, but he failed miserably. "I'm happy, really," he added quietly, as though these words couldn't make it through his throat. He kissed me, then fell to one knee and put his ear to my stomach.

"Draco, it's just the seventh week, you won't hear anything now," I told him, laughing quietly; I couldn't recognise him and I would have never thought he'd react like this.

"I hear what I want to," he replied, stubborn as always.

"Yeah, probably my dinner being digested," I rolled my eyes. "Can we come back home? I don't feel well..."

"Sure, of course," he replied instantly, standing up quickly.

We Disapparated to our bedroom where I went to bed at once. Even though physically I was getting heavier, in my mind I felt a lot lighter.

"Do you want to postpone the wedding?" Draco asked, sitting beside me.

"No, no, no way. It'll be alright. It's just... I can't have too much fun."

"But shouldn't you have some special diet? Or some medicine? And are you even allowed to walk this much?"

I burst out laughing. It was sweet, especially because he was so clueless about everything, since he's probably never seen a pregnant woman from the beginning to birth. He was an only child, Bellatrix had no kids, his cousin was older...

"I've seen the doctor, everythingnis okay, I have medicine, calm down," I smiled widely, not believing that I was scared of telling him.

"And... Is it a boy or a girl?" he asked with excitement.

"It's too early, Draco," I explained calmly as though I was talking to a five-year-old. "But I'm pretty sure that since you want a boy, it'll be a boy. You always get what you want, bloody aristocrat," I added, poking him in the ribs.

Draco shook his head and put his head to my stomach again. I could see he was on the verge of tears, but was trying to hide it with determination.

"It doesn't matter."