SEHE; Chapter 15

Sunday December 28 [32w 6d]

Shortly after Draco proposed the co-conspirators came back to my house and I got the entire story. Draco had approached Lena in the middle of the month with this plan of his. She sent an owl to Phoebe and they came up with this whole thing. Draco's mother giving him a ring was purely coincidental, as he had planned to purchase his own. On my finger sits the Malfoy family ring.

Draco's father was outraged that I would be the one to receive it. He threatened to disown Draco, to revoke his inheritance, to throw him out of his house and worse, but Draco's mother would hear none of it. I don't know the details of what she said but Draco assured me that his father can do nothing, that Draco is free to marry whomever he likes, even if she's a pregnant teenage muggleborn.

Surprisingly, my parents let me and my friends have the house for the night. Provided, of course, that no shenanigans went on. The boys slept in my older brother's rooms and the girls stayed in mine with me. We stayed up way too late, ate a lot of junk foods, and I had the best time I've had in a long while.

A tightening in my stomach wakes me up in the middle of the night. I roll onto my left side and curl around my belly, hoping they're just more of those practice contractions. I decide if they get too painful, or last longer than an hour, I'll wake someone up. A sudden need to pee strikes so I scramble out of bed and waddle quickly to the toilet. I don't bother with the light and barely make it before my bladder decides I gave it enough time.

As it empties I notice an increasing pressure that seems to couple with the tightening in my abdomen. I place a hand on my belly and frown, thinking maybe I should indeed wake somebody up. With this decision made I finish up in the bathroom and head back to my room. I stop in front of Nate's room, currently housing Draco, and contemplate waking him up. I know he'd have no problem with me doing so, if only just to talk. Before I can actually do anything the choice is made for me as the door suddenly opens with Draco on the other side. In the dark I see a faint smile on his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't wake you did I?" He grabs my hand.

"Nonsense, love. I was awake anyway." I frown and let him bring me into a hug.

"I find it hard to sleep in strange beds. Even from home to Hogwarts the first few days is difficult." I sigh and wrap my arms around his waist. "You're all right?"

"Fine, just had to pee, like always." He kisses the top of my head and I close my eyes, wondering how I managed to become so lucky. I'm so comfortable that I almost fall back to sleep standing there hugging Draco.

"Hey Bell, let's get you back to bed." I shake my head.

"No, I'm going to stay with you."

"But-"

"Shush. No one cares. I'm already pregnant, what more could you do." I chuckle and look up at him. His eyebrows are bumpy and he has a frown on his face. "What's wrong?"

"It's embarrassing to admit." I raise an eyebrow and lean back a little.

"Draco Malfoy. Do you snore?" A tiny smile lights his face, which was my intention.

"Of course not."

"Then what's the matter?"

"I've never.. shared a bed with anyone." Both my 'brows shoot up in surprise.

"Never?" He shakes his head. I take his hand and lead him to sit on the bed. "Well it's rather easy. You just sleep and the person next to you sleeps and then you wake up in the morning." I catch the end of an eye roll and grin.

"How many people have you slept beside, may I ask."

"Plenty. Ever heard of a thing called a sleepover?" Draco cocks an eyebrow. "During birthday parties or family get togethers or just the sake of having one. You all pile into one room and sleep. After staying up too late, of course. Technically, you're in the middle of one now, you're just not with everyone else."

"Well there's another first for the day." I scooch so my back is against the head board and pat the space beside me. "Your friends aren't going to care that you've deserted them to sleep beside me?"

"Unlikely." We sit in silence for a few minutes before I jump at a sudden kick in my midsection. I take Draco's hand and place it on my stomach. He's quiet as he feels the baby move. "Would you, do you.. I mean. Have any thoughts about names?" He looks at me curiously.

"I wasn't aware that I was allowed to have an opinion."

"Well, of course you are. We're engaged and you're going to be her father. I want to know what you think." Draco rests his head on my shoulder while he looks at his hand on my belly.

"I don't know anything about choosing a name."

"Well for me I've thought about the names I absolutely hate and go from there. I have kind of a mental list."

"I suppose that makes sense. How did your parents choose yours?" The baby has stopped moving but he hasn't taken his hand off my belly. I run my fingers along his.

"Annabel was my mother's sister. She died in infancy. It ruined my grandmother and she never got better."

"You were named after a baby that died?" I chuckle a little.

"Seems a little morbid, doesn't it. My name was originally going to be Joyce but when I was born my father said it just didn't fit." Draco's arm snakes around me and hugs himself close to me. I wrap my arm around his back.

"And your father is not Charlie?"

"He is in all the ways that count. He raised me, he was there for every game and every broken bone. He is my dad. My mum refuses to discuss the details of why she and my father split up. I know his name is Frederick but that's all I really know about him. Nate doesn't remember much of him, as he was not even 5 when they left each other."

"He's never attempted to contact you?"


"Mm, I know he has. When I was 7 my task was to get the mail. This one particular time I brought it to mum and remember her frowning at the mail. I asked her what was wrong and of course it was nothing. She stuck it in the kitchen drawer and I forgot about it. A little while later I needed something from the drawer and right there was a letter from my father. I didn't know who he was of course. But Nate saw me with it and being an 11 year old, ripped it from my hand. He taunted me with it until my mother came to see what was going on." I pause, thinking about the look on her face as she told me, Nate and Jordan that our father was never to be discussed ever again. I decide to gloss over that. I don't want Draco to hate her. "After that we just lived our lives." Draco's arm hugs me a little tighter.

"I'm sorry." I twist his hair around my fingers and hear an intake of breath. I tug a little harder and smile at the hiss of breath between his teeth. "Bell."

"Yes, Draco?"

"I wouldn't be doing that."

"Why ever not?" He grabs my hip gently but firmly.

"Because we are in your parent's house, in your brother's bed, and I don't fancy being killed by anyone tomorrow." I chuckle and pull his hair until he's looking up at me. I hear a light groan and feel my skin flush. As I'm about to say something he lifts his face and places his lips against mine, almost as if in question. I answer him by bringing my other hand to his neck and press my face harder against his. His grip on my hip gets tighter before he pulls away and rests his forehead on mine, breathing a little heavier.

"Dra-"

"Shh. Bell, quiet. I think you should go back to your room." I smile sadly.

"I know."

"You aren't angry?" I pull away and sit up.

"No, I understand. I'm pregnant, we're in my parent's house, in my brother's bed. I would prefer you not die." Draco sits up and I lean against his shoulder. "Plus my bed rest includes no extra curricular activities of any kind." I hear Draco chuckle.

"Come, I'll walk you back." I slide myself off the bed and when I stand up I feel a rush of liquid run down my legs. I grab my belly and look down. "What's wrong, Bell?"

"I.. I don't know. It can't have been my water, I don't feel any pain." I look at Draco and I don't know what he sees in my face but he dashes out of the room and a minute later Phoebe trails after him.

"Bell, what's going on?" I shake my head, tears suddenly falling down my cheeks. "Oh, honey, come on." She ushers me to the bathroom, turns on the light and I hear her gasp. Quickly I look down to see blood pooling at my feet. I stumble a little and Phoebe catches me.

"Oh gods, no!" I see Draco loitering in the hallway, a terrified look on his face.

"Does he know how to use a phone?" I manage to shake my head. She looks sharply at Draco. "Stay with her, do not panic or upset her, got it?" He takes my arm and guides me to sit on the side of the tub. I'm feeling faint and like I might be sick. Draco rubs his hand up and down my back.

"You're fine, love. You're all right." I look up as Phoebe comes back into the bathroom.

"I've called an ambulance. Let's get you up." Draco helps me up and the need to pass out doubles. I fall back against him. "Okay, get her downstairs, I'll get the other two up. Can you do that?"

"Of course." I feel myself lifted off the floor and into Draco's arms. I catch a glimpse of the floor before I black out.