AN: Repost and Rewrite
Originally posted under the screen name of Alayyanna. See her profile for more information. : )

Title: For a Baby's Innocence
Author: Alayyana
Series: Don't know yet
Genre: Harry Potter
Rated: R (for implied violence, adult sexual situations, language)
Pairings: DM/OfC (briefly), DM/HG
Warnings: violence, adult het sexual situations, some language, fempreg

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowlings owns all rights to the established Harry Potter characters written into this story, as well as the entire environment in which they live. I own only Katherine and the plot -- such as it is. I will make no money from this story and intend no copyright infringement.

AN: I have no clue whether there really is a train called the 'Scotland Express', but for the purposes of this story, it exists. : )~

WARNINGS: Those who are easily offended about religious parallels might want to give a skip to this story. While there isn't anything religious about the story itself, my use of a virgin giving birth might offend the more focused Christians in the fandom. (Yes, there's a logical, explainable reason. : )~ ) Any outraged flames on this subject will be giggled at and then used to feed my pet dragon.

Not old enough? Illegal where you reside? Don't read. Other than that, please enjoy.

Summary: Draco marries against his father's wishes and discovers just how far the older wizard is willing to go to control his life. It lands Draco in a desperate situation, and despite what he may wish, Hermione is the only person who can help him.

xxxxx Precedes and follows a flashback xxxxx

xxx scene change/time jump

xxxxxxxxxx
Chapter One
xxxxxxxxxx

Draco screamed her name for what seemed the millionth time, but still she didn't respond. He swallowed convulsively, fear of a kind he'd never before felt, washing through him like an ocean wave. "Katherine!" he tried again, truly becoming desperate. The motel was barely standing, the walls surrounding him looking as though they could fall in at any moment. He had to find her before that happened.

Blinking back the tears that made seeing even more difficult, Draco hurriedly picked his way through the debris that used to be their summer home. Finally giving up on this room, he quickly headed to the next. She could have been in any one of several when the attack started. Clamping down on his growing fear, Draco hurried. He'd known all along that defying his father was an exceptionally stupid thing to do, but it had become something he'd had to do. He just hadn't realized it would have this bad a result. At the end of the last school year, almost the moment he'd stepped through the front door to Malfoy Manor after having successfully completed his 6th year, Lucius Malfoy had told him he'd be receiving his mark.

Draco wanted nothing to do with it, but that wasn't something he'd been able to tell his domineering parent -- not at the time, anyway. He'd nodded as expected, mouthing the proper platitudes about how grateful he was and how he was looking forward to serving the Dark Lord. All the while, he was mentally heaving and trying to figure a way out of the situation without ending up imprisoned or dead. It hadn't looked promising.

"Katherine!"

Nothing.

Sighing, briefly closing his eyes as an overwhelming tide of grief swamped him, Draco kept moving. He had to find her. He couldn't give up hope. If he grieved, that would be admitting there was no hope.

What happened later that night, however, had swept his concerns regarding the dark mark to the back of his mind. Katherine had owled him, the grey owl reaching him almost the moment he had stepped into his bedroom suite. Her note had said it was urgent they meet. At the time, he'd smirked, thinking she simply could not bear to be away from him. It had felt good, that ego swelling moment, falling as it did on the heels of the rather humbling argument with his father.

Argument? he scoffed silently to himself as he continued moving, hunting. I'd have had to actually voice a difference of opinion for it to have been an 'argument'.

For the first time in his life Draco was actually in love. It was a heady, terrifying sensation, love was. It made him do things he wouldn't ordinarily do, like acting bravely and all that rot, like making him think of someone else's needs above his own, like defying his father. It was quite sickening really, he realized, whenever he took the time to think about it.

Mostly he didn't think about it. Mostly, he simply let himself feel.

At first, they'd kept it all rather secret. Mainly because he knew his father would lose it when he found out. There was one tiny little thing wrong with her. Way back in her family line there was . . . muggle. Oh, she didn't descend from muggleborn. It was nothing that horrendous. No, her great, great grandfather had been a half-blood, born of a pureblood wizard and a muggle woman.

It had taken Draco a long time to accept that little fact, and right now, he was cursing the lost time as he continued his frantic search through the rubble. He would never forgive his father if she died here.

x

x

xxxxx
"What?" his father hissed, his voice deadly quiet.

Draco winced inwardly, proud of the fact that the reaction didn't show outwardly. "I said, I want to marry her."

"Never," his father replied flatly.

"I will marry her," Draco insisted just as flatly, not raising his voice one decibel.

"Not as long as there is breath in my body, Draco Androse Malfoy.
xxxxx

x

x

Draco shuddered even as he kept looking. It had been at that moment that he had pulled out the big guns. Katherine was pregnant. It was his child, and no matter the insinuations his father made, Draco had absolutely no doubts on that point. Unfortunately, the tactic had backfired. His father had gone altogether ballistic and forbade Draco to even speak with her.

He was well aware of what his father's objection had been -- after all, it had taken him almost six months to move past it himself -- but it wasn't like she was muggle, or even her parents. For Merlin's sake, the muggle was five bloody generations gone!

He had remained silent under the quiet rage of his father, no matter how much he had wanted to shout and rant, and even hex his father for some of the names he had called Katherine. Draco had held his peace, certain with all the fortitude of youth that his father would eventually come around -- just as he had. He just had to present the man with a fait accomplis.

The next night, he had sneaked out of the manor, having spent the day clearing out his personal Gringotts' account. He'd known it wouldn't be enough to live a lifetime on, but they had only needed enough for the summer months. There was still one year of school left, after all. That was plenty of time for his father to calm down.

Together, they had run to the one place they were old enough to marry without parental consent -- Scotland. As terrifying as the very thought was, they had even left their wands behind so they could not be tracked by magic -- not easily at least.

They'd been married quickly and quietly, leaving Scotland immediately after. His father wasn't stupid and Draco had not wanted to be anywhere his father might think to look for him. Considering the subject matter of their fight, Scotland was too obvious.

It had been Katherine who had come up with a solution.

x

x

xxxxx
Sitting cuddled together in their private compartment on board the Scotland Express, Draco's hand resting reverently on Katherine's belly, the two newlyweds discussed their options -- limited though those were.

"I have an idea, but I don't think you're going to like it."

Draco smirked. "Anything is better than being hauled back home like a recalcitrant child," he replied with wry twist of his lips. "Tell me."

"We could go muggle."

Draco blinked, freezing motionless. "Excuse me?" he asked. "Would you please explain that."

Katherine sighed. "I knew you wouldn't like it."

Draco shook himself out of the automatic horror her phrase had invoked. "I admit the very thought of 'going muggle' leaves me absolutely cold," he replied carefully. He wasn't an idiot. He wasn't about to tempt Katherine's uncertain temper right now. He had heard too many horror stories about what his own mother had been like when she'd been carrying him. "Perhaps if you defined precisely what you mean by 'going muggle'."

Turning within his hold, Katherine locked her eyes to his, her expression hopeful. "We already left our wands behind, so we're halfway there."

Draco shuddered. Not having his wand was something he was not comfortable with. He felt defenseless and entirely naked without it. Until this moment, however, he hadn't really thought about the fact that it left them virtually magicless -- no better than muggles.

His eyes widened as the realization hit. He'd never spent any amount of time without being surrounded by, and being able to do magic -- not since his magic had first begun manifesting. He wasn't entirely certain he could survive that way. Part of him suddenly wasn't so sure about his 'horror' of being 'hauled home like a recalcitrant child'. Right now, he was wondering if it wasn't the best of all options. In short, he was afraid.

"Shhh," Katherine soothed, her hand gently cupping his cheek. "We can do it."

He grinned slightly, her words and touch calming him like balm on a fresh burn. "So," he replied shakily, "explain your plan to me."
xxxxx

x

x

She had been right. He hadn't liked the idea, but even so, he'd been forced to admit it was a good one. They'd left the wizarding world behind and walked hand in hand into muggle London. Thankfully, Katherine was far more experienced at all things muggle than he was. Without her, he wouldn't have made it. He'd spent his entire 16 years completely sheltered from any hint of muggle life, and it had left him ill-equipped to deal with that world.

They had rented a motel room -- in a far seedier part of town than he'd prefer as no one else would rent to two teenagers without muggle ID -- and they'd been there ever since, interacting with muggles on a daily basis.

For two months the only . . . problem had come when they had run into Granger, of all people. Both he and Katherine had nearly panicked. If they'd had their wands, a quick obliviate, cast without a single shred of remorse, would have been the end of it. They, obviously, hadn't had that option.

To Draco's surprise, something that remained to the present, was the fact that Granger hadn't immediately reported them -- despite the fact that according to her, they were both on the front page of the Daily Profit as 'missing'. Granger had listened quietly as Katherine explained -- explained more than Draco was comfortable with, truth be told.

Granger had kept their secret for almost a month now, being far more helpful than Draco would have ever given her credit for. Oh, they still didn't like each other -- though he suspected that Katherine might actually like the bint -- they had merely set aside their mutual antipathy for the duration. Draco had incentive, after all, and that helped him hold his tongue. What confused him was what Granger got out of the deal. At the very least, he'd expected some sort of blackmail. None had come as of yet. The potential for it, however, kept him on edge, wondering when the proverbial axe would fall.

A quiet, barely heard moan, jerked him from his thoughts. "Katherine!" he cried out, rushing to her side. He blanched as he dropped to his knees next to her. Blood matted her hair, and dribbled from the side of her mouth. The huge dresser that had belonged to their neighbor, was lying across her legs, pinning her to the debris strewn floor.

He cursed beneath his breath even as he carefully caressed her cheek. Why couldn't she have been in their room? If she had, he might have found her sooner. As it was, he knew it wouldn't be long before the muggle authorities came searching. Looking at her now, he was terribly afraid that it was already too late, something he really didn't want to think about.

"Draco," she whispered faintly.

"I'm here," he replied, his own voice barely audible as he fought to get any kind of sound past the seemingly impassable lump in his throat. "Everything will be okay."

She started to shake her head, aborting the movement even as she cried out in pain.

"Yes, it will," he declaimed angrily, refusing to believe any differently.

Her weary eyes narrowing dangerously, Katherine locked gazes with him. "No," she whispered, "it won't. They knew what they were doing. You need to get out of here before the muggles find you."

"No," he replied flatly, rage filling him at the very thought of leaving her behind. "I'm not leaving you."

"Listen," she insisted, one hand fluttering toward him.

He gripped it in his own, willing his own strength into her, no matter how useless it seemed.

"Go to Hermione's."

His eyes widened in outright shock. He couldn't go crawling to Granger for help. It would be humiliating. He shook his head. "I'll get you out of here," he replied instead, rising to his feet and letting go of her hand. He grabbed the edge of the dresser and tried to lift it. He stumbled back in horror at Katherine's pain filled yelp.

"Don't, please," she begged.

He dropped back to his knees beside her, at a complete loss. "It's too heavy, I can't lift it anyway."

She nodded. It was as if she'd known as much already. He frowned.

"I sent an owl to her."

"What?!" Draco demanded furiously. Katherine, in danger from his father's deatheater friends had taken the time to send an owl -- to Granger of all people? If she was going to do that, why not choose someone who could actually help?

"It was no use trying to run, Draco," she admonished quietly. "You know that, even if you refuse to see it. We gambled, and we lost."

Draco shook his head. He was not going to lose her. He just had to think of something. What that could be, he couldn't fathom at the moment. Deatheaters were most likely getting closer every moment they stayed here, not to mention the muggles. He knew they had to already be in their rooms and it would only be a matter of time before the search spread to include the neighboring ones.

"Why?" he asked forlornly. "Why her? Why not Dumbledore, or your family?" Someone, anyone, who could actually help?

The overly loud pop of an apparation arrival sent Draco stumbling to his feet, grabbing for the closest thing to a weapon he could get his hands on. He may not have his wand, but he wasn't completely without defense. He just felt like it.

He sagged in shocked disbelief, heavily mixed with relief, as he realized just who the intruder was. Granger. She nodded to him once, hurrying to Katherine's side.

"I sent an owl to Headmaster Dumbledore, Katherine," she said quietly, her wand out and pointed at Draco's wife. "Curatio recognitio."

Draco frowned as he tried to work out the meaning of the spell Granger had cast. The moment he did, his breath caught in his throat and he turned to face her, hope naked on his face. Maybe she could help, after all. Maybe her being a know-it-all might actually be a bonus in this case.

When her expression melted from determination to sorrow, Draco couldn't stop the tears that formed and fell silently down his face. "You can't do anything, can you?" he asked quietly, his voice filled with undirected venom.

She shook her head, not looking at him. "No one can, Draco."

That was it! That was all Draco could take. "You're not even out of school yet, Granger!" he snapped angrily, launching himself to his feet. "Don't tell me that just because you can't do it, no one can!"

"She's right, Draco," Katherine said, her quiet words whipping the wind from his tirade.

"What?" he asked faintly, feeling helplessness wash through him yet again. What was he but a useless excuse for a wizard? He couldn't even save his wife and child.

"They used poison, Draco," Katherine said softly.

Draco's world nearly went black, the edges of it certainly greying. Only grim determination kept him from passing out, he was sure.

"Remember your promise, Hermione," she continued.

Draco frowned. "What promise," he demanded.

"Oh, God, Katherine," Granger gasped. "I can't. You don't have a surrogate here. There isn't time to get anyone."

"What are you talking about?" Draco demanded. They had to get out of here, not talk about bloody promises. "Never mind. Granger use your wand to get the dresser off of her."

Granger shook her head. "We can't."

"We have to! The deatheaters will find us before long." Draco frowned suddenly. He was surprised, actually, that they hadn't already.

"They were already here, Draco," Katherine told him. "How else could I have been poisoned?"

Feeling angry, and foolish, and helpless, Draco sighed, fighting a fresh set of tears. This cannot be happening! he denied silently.

"We can at least make her more comfortable by getting that blasted dresser off of her!" he snapped, needing to do something . . . anything to make this surreal situation better.

"That dresser is the only thing keeping her alive right now," Granger informed him impatiently.

Growling in growing frustration, Draco jumped to his feet, barely resisting the urge to pace. "How?"

"Her legs are broken about mid-thigh. If that dresser comes off, she'll bleed to death internally in a matter of only a couple minutes, and I don't have the skill to heal that kind of damage."

Draco paled, swaying on his feet. He'd almost killed his wife? Oh, Merlin!

"Hermione," Katherine gasped, "it'll be too late soon. You have to do it now."

"You found someone?" Granger asked so quietly Draco almost didn't hear the question and he once more found himself angry at not understanding what the two women were talking about as they tuned him out again. When the hell had his wife and Granger gotten so bloody close anyway?

"What is going on?" he repeated, this time through clenched teeth.

"There's only one person who can, Hermione. We were in hiding. I couldn't contact anyone in the wizarding world. You know that. You've always known, even if you didn't want to admit it."

Granger shook her head, her denial, tiny vehement movements. "I can't," she whispered.

"Please, Hermione," Katherine begged.

Draco was about to snap at his wife not to beg a mudblood for anything, when Katherine's next words dried the words in his throat.

"It's my baby's only chance."

Draco's eyes widened. "You can save them?" he asked, turning disbelieving eyes toward Granger.

Granger merely shook her head slowly. It was Katherine who replied.

"Only the baby," she said, immediately turning her attention back to Granger. "My magic won't keep the poison from the baby for long. You must hurry."

Overwhelming grief swamped Draco so quickly he was physically ill. Swallowing back the bile rising in his throat, he turned slowly to look at his wife . . . his dying wife. He didn't remember resuming his place on the floor beside her, but he reached out and took her hand, his other hand cupping her cheek. His words, however, were directed at Granger.

"If you can save the baby, Granger," he snarled, "why aren't you doing it already?" He had wanted the words to be angry and harsh; hurtful. Instead, they had come out sounding defeated and hurt.

"Convince her, Draco. She doesn't think you will want her doing it. Only you can persuade her past her fear."

Draco swallowed convulsively. How was he supposed to convince Granger to do anything? They were practically enemies.

"Ask her to do this, Draco. Do it for me?"

Draco nodded, reluctantly turning his gaze from his wife to Granger. He found her already watching him, her gaze steady, but wary. "Save my baby, G-- Hermione . . . please. I . . . can't lose them both." He couldn't believe he was asking Granger for anything with even the slightest hope of her granting the request. This was the girl he had taunted and humiliated for six years. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, however, she nodded, taking a deep breath and holding it for several seconds.

"You can't be touching her while I'm doing this, Malfoy," she said as she released her held breath, settling into position beside Katherine.

"Why not?"

"Because your magical energy will interfere with the spell and most likely kill all three of us," Hermione explained quietly.

"Do it," he said abruptly, snatching his hand away from his wife.

Hermione nodded and began an incantation Draco had never heard before. It wasn't one of the short ones they regularly learned at school. He drew in a swift breath as he realized it was ritual magic -- dark, ritual magic at that. He fought with himself to stay where he was. Katherine had wanted this, said it would save their baby, and that was the only thing that held him in place as he watched the unbelievable take place, as he watched Hermione Granger, Gryffindor extraordinaire, perform a dark magic ritual -- on his wife.

What next, he wondered, his preconceived notions of his schoolmate suddenly skewed an abrupt 90 degrees sideways, Lord Voldemort being nice to baby muggles?

TBC
Kiristeen
Feedback: Oh, pretty please!

AN:
Curatio -- medical
Recognitio -- examination (inspection)
Definitions for the spell come from the English to Latin translation site

I speak/write no Latin and make no promises nor guarantees as to tense.