It was two days before Christmas Eve, and Hermione was 23 weeks pregnant exactly. She'd had a lonely day with her books while Harry and Draco went out for a few day drinks, and the difficulty of finding adoptive parents was getting to be too much for her.

She knew the game where everyone rejected her suggested parents was just that - a game - but it also mirrored how she was beginning to actually feel.

She felt no one was good enough for her baby, and the few couples she had tried to contact through the adoption agency had already flaked on her when they found out she was a teenager. People could be so judgemental in the Wizarding world.

Ralph and Ann, a middle-aged wizarding couple, were the latest to pull out of the negotiations that morning, and Hermione wasn't taking it well. "We found someone else whose dates are more suitable for us and give us longer to prepare," they'd claimed in their letter. "April is just a bit soon."

But Hermione knew it was a prejudice thing. What did they need to prepare for? They were fifty bloody years old!

And besides, what did they expect, going into adoption in the first place? Babies who need adopting tend to come from difficult backgrounds, ones you yourself may not approve of, and that's the whole point. That's why they need adopting!

But she'd simply written back, "Ralph and Ann, I understand exactly what you're saying. And yes, April is very soon. Sorry I can't change that for you; if it's any consolation it's a bit soon for me too. I wish things were different."

And then she'd cried in the bath for four hours.

It was really beginning to be a huge source of stress for Hermione, and it felt like she was running out of options. She even considered applying to a Muggle agency, but realised that her baby would be a Halfblood and was therefore certain to struggle as a young witch or wizard in the Muggle world, the way she had.

No, she wouldn't put her child through unnecessary heartache and subject them to the same bullying she'd had, Hermione decided. She or he would grow up understanding their magic and feeling wholeheartedly accepted in the world they lived in.

And it would absolutely not go to an orphanage. She wasn't going to make the next Tom Riddle if she could help it.

Hermione groaned. If only she had the strength to keep the baby herself! She wracked her brains to remember if there was anyone she knew personally who wanted a baby. No one. For Merlin's sake.

It was apparent she was no longer going to be able to get any work done, so Hermione packed her books up wearily and headed towards the dorms. At the last minute, she decided to have her nap in Harry's bed instead of her own; it would be calming to be surrounded by the scent of her friend.

After checking the sheets were clean (thankfully, they were), Hermione cast off her robe and thick jumper, and slid under the sheets in just her skirt and shirt.

She breathed in Harry's familiar woodsy smell, and something newer, less known to her - soapy and fresh, with a touch of expensive cologne - ah, Draco. That was a nice scent too, and complimented Harry's rather than distracting from it, so in no time at all she was fast asleep in the boys' bed.

***

She was surprised to find it was Draco, not Harry, who came looking for her once the pair got back from Hogsmeade.

"Hey, Granger, what are you doing in here?" she heard his voice chuckle as she began to stir awake. Thank goodness he wasn't annoyed.

"Do you want to come to dinner?" Draco asked, but his jovial tone of voice quickly became concern as he saw her face. "Merlin, Granger, are you alright? What happened to you?"

Hermione blinked up at him. Evidently her eyes were still red from all the crying she'd done that day. She must have looked a real mess. "Hi, Draco," she croaked.

He folded his arms, and a protective look flashed over his face. "Did someone hurt you? Tell me who, I'll make sure they're fucking sorry-"

"No, Draco, it was nothing like that," Hermione shook her head. Secretly, she was flattered that he was so instantly on her side. She knew it was just because she was Harry's best friend but still, it made a nice change.

Hermione took a shaky breath. "Ralph and Ann pulled out," she told him dejectedly. "They were the last ones."

"Bastards," Draco all but spat. "They were the religious ones, right?"

"Christian, yeah," Hermione nodded.

"Doesn't seem very Christian to back out of a promise to a suffering teenage girl."

"I know." Hermione paused, and her lip trembled. "I'm so tired of this, Draco."

Before she knew it, she was in floods of tears, and Draco visibly froze.

He had never learnt how to handle other people's emotions - his own were hard enough, Harry's were more instinctive to him, but Hermione was totally foreign territory and he had no clue what to do.

Should he hug her? Offer her tea? Fuck, why was this so difficult?! And why had he agreed to meet Harry in the Hall? He needed him here to know what to do!

Draco raked his fingers through his blonde hair, before giving in and forcing himself to sit down next to the crying girl. He cleared his throat.

"Look, Gra- Hermione. It's going to get better, I can feel it. You've still got four whole months to find someone, it'll be ok in the end-"

"But what if I don't, Draco? What if it's not ok?" Hermione's voice was ripped through with terror and her face was pale. "I'm so tired and so fucking scared all the time, Draco, and all people do is let me down."

Draco felt his heart begin to bleed for Granger. He could tell this anguish was genuine; she really was petrified. "Come here," he offered awkwardly, holding an arm open.

She leant against him, surprised but grateful. Draco's body was less bony and hard than she'd expected - he was slim, sure, but there was more to him than she imagined. Still not her type, but Harry was a lucky boy.

"Harry and I have been talking, actually," Draco started. He knew he would regret what he was about to say, but his discomfort meant he'd do anything to make Hermione feel better and stop crying.

She sniffled. "About?"

"About you. And this baby. He thinks..... Harry thinks we should adopt it."

Shocked silence.

"Did you... did you hear what I said?" Draco asked uncertainly.

"Just processing," Hermione replied slowly. "Is he insane? He wants this?"

Draco chuckled. "Funny, that's what I asked him. But yeah, he's serious. Deadly, actually."

"Why does he think that's a good idea? Haven't you two got enough to worry about in your lives?" Hermione was completely bemused.

Draco shrugged. "He's got his heart set. He wouldn't want me to tell you like this, but it's true. We saw lots of young parents in Hogsmeade today, he couldn't take his eyes off them."

"He's nuts," Hermione frowned. "Especially if he thinks I'd just give my baby to my fifteen-year-old friends - even very stable and wonderful fifteen-year-old friends!"

"He's a lunatic," Draco agreed. "But he'll also be wondering why we aren't in Hall yet, so we should get going, if you're ok to go?"

Hermione nodded. She was surprised at how much better she felt, and how reluctant she was for Draco to take his arm away from her.

What a waste the first few years of school were, hating each other when we could have actually been friends, she thought.

As the pair wandered down the stairs to the tower, Draco couldn't keep his mind off the last thing Hermione had said to him. That it would be completely "nuts" for her to give the boys her baby at their age.

He wondered idly why it had hurt his feelings. He was meant to agree, for fuck's sake. Harry was nuts. So why it had made him feel this odd, wistful feeling? What was happening to him?
________________________________

a/n: i hope you enjoyed this one!

i feel i should've made this clearer earlier (particularly on Hermione's birthday with her present from Draco haha) but dramione isn't going to happen in this fic, i wanted it to be more about their friendship but i see how some of it could be interpreted as romantic!!

just thought i should make that clear ;)

also this is much more slow burn than i was expecting haha hopefully there's enough going on for you all though!! lots more is coming soon, there's some exciting stuff ahead 🤍🤍🤍

~ paradisedraco