10. Slow Progress

Parents Too Young

A/N Wow..it feels like years since I've updated! Sorry for the long wait guys, there's a lot going on and stuff! I'm annoyed I took so long, normally I like writing chapters fairly fast!

But as I've just started college, the chapters will be even more slow coming! Sorry!!!Oh and if the characters seem too OOC.....well...I'm really sorry but I'm trying to get chapters out without years inbetween and that does mean rushing.

Disclaimer – Hi, my name is Joanne Rowling and I write HP books but in my spare time, I write fanfiction because I have sooo much spare time that I need something to fill it! God forbid I should get my next book out in under 2 years! Hehehe .... Yeh OK its not mine

Later that day, after Hermione had told most of the school that Ella was ok, Malfoy sauntered lazily into the hall for Lunch but stopped in his tracks when he felt a glare coming from the head table. He turned and saw Snape looking directly at him.

Without enough time to think, Snape had made his way over to him and was practically dragging him out of the hall.

'What is it sir?' Malfoy said putting on his best teacher's pet voice.

'Mr Malfoy' He sneered. 'Do you know what I heard in the staff room just before lunch?'

Malfoy was about to retort with a funny remark when he saw the thunder in Snape's eyes and thought against it. 'Err, no sir I don't'

'You kissing Miss Granger' He snapped. 'It's quite the gossip in the staff room. All the staff are oh-so-happy that you have fallen for a Gryffindor but I on the other hand am very ashamed at you'

'I haven't fallen for her' He yelled as if he had just been accused of murder.

'Do not raise your voice to me'

'Sorry sir...How do the professors know?' He said cautiously.

'Professor McGonagall saw you two in the hospital wing'

'Oh'

'Yes Mr Malfoy... oh'

'I don't like her' He tried again.

'I think you've made it very obvious you do, why if Lucius knew you were going around kissing muggle borns...'

'Don't tell him!' Malfoy suddenly blurted out with fear in his icy eyes.

'I will not be telling your father this time but make sure that I do not here more rumours of this kind. Understand me?'

'Yes of course sir but I don't have feelings for the mudblood.' He said putting as much viciousness into his voice as possible to convince his professor.

Snape let out a smirk and looked Malfoy up and down. 'I believe you do' and with that, Snape turned and walked back towards the hall with his robe billowing behind him.

Malfoy shook his head. He had feelings for her? Not likely... He thought with a smirk as he too headed back towards the hall. When he entered, the first person he scanned for was Hermione, who was laughing at something Harry was saying with Ella in her arms.

He walked over to her and got some looks from Ron and Harry as he leaned in to speak to Hermione.

'Can I have a word?' He whispered into her ear. Hermione gave him a confused look and then smiled.

'Yeah, I'll see you guys later. Do not forget to do your homework for transfiguration.' She said as she followed Malfoy out of the hall with Snape glaring at the both of them.

When they got out of the hall, Hermione turned towards him with a smile and rose her eyebrows.

'Umm, all the staff know we kissed' Malfoy blurted out as he gave Ella a wink.

'Excuse me?' Hermione said her smile fading from her features.

'Don't make me repeat it'

'But..how?'

'McGonagall saw us in the hospital wing'

'B-b-but ...NO! Just no way can this of happened. There must be a way around them knowing. We could go back in time and not kiss and then no one would see' She said becoming almost hysterical.

'Why does it matter?' He said with a smirk.

'Because I am Hermione Granger!' Hermione said waving her free arm about emphasizing her point.

'I'm Draco Malfoy, it's worse for me' He said casually moving bits of hair out of his eyes carefully.

'Get over it' She snapped as she started thinking. 'So, only the teachers know right?'

'Yeah I think so, we would know by now if any students knew'

'Ok, ok, this is ok' Hermione said with a relieved smile. 'I can't even believe I kissed you in the first place. I'm such an idiot'

'It's because I'm so handsome and funny and witty and amazing' He stated with a genuine smile. Hermione let out a laugh and rolled her eyes.

'You know, you're not a bad guy when you're in a good mood'

'It's rare to find me in one so make the most of it' He said giving her a smile.

'What are you two smiling about?' A voice said from behind them. They turned to see Snape looking very disapprovingly at the both of them.

'Errr nothing' Hermione said innocently, determined to make her smile bigger to annoy him.

'Well stop it. Happiness is a weakness' He said shooting a knowing glance at Malfoy.

Snape walked off after casting them another glance.

'He's such a happy happy person' Hermione said sarcastically.

'Well, if you taught in a dungeon, had to teach morons potions and have hair that greasy, you wouldn't be happy' Malfoy said as he continued to watch Ella sleep.

'It must be a Slytherin thing, not being happy'

'Yeah, we find it sickening watching you Gryffindors smile.'

'You smile' Hermione said softly.

'Only sometimes...if smirking counts as smiling'

'You look half decent when you smile' She said with a wink.

'Half-decent? Excuse me but I'm-'

'Draco!' A girlish voice said which triggered Malfoy to cringe.

'What do you want Pansy?'

'Why are you talking to the mudblood?' She said completely ignoring Hermione's presence.

'Oh, I was bullying her into doing some essay for me'

'Oh ok' Pansy said, her face brightening. 'I'll see you later' She said with a wave.

'Bullying me into an essay eh?' Hermione said adjusting her grip on Ella.

'Yeah well, like I was going to say that we were having a conversation'

'Yeah heaven forbid' Hermione said slowly walking off shaking her head.

It was Dinner in the Great Hall and nearly everyone was with his or her various babies in their arms. Malfoy flatly refused to sit next to Hermione in the hall, even if she did have Ella, which made her one of the only people not in a couple.

'Josh, open your mouth' Harry said in a light tone of voice as he held Josh in one arm and a spoon full of food in the other. 'Go on, open your mouth'

Claire turned and rolled her eyes to Hermione who laughed.

'Try and sound more commanding' She suggested while watching with a smile.

'Open your mouth Josh' He said in a stupidly low voice.

'Oh I give up' Claire said turning to face Ron and Lavender who were having more success in feeding Alex.

'You've had Josh for how long Harry and you still can't feed him?' Hermione said tutting.

'He has my defiance in him' Harry stated proudly.

'So Hermione' Claire said ignoring Harry's remark, 'How is bringing up Ella with Malfoy these days?'

'Oh, it's good actually' She said with a small smile which caused the murmuring around them to stop as Harry, Ron and Lavender all stared at her.

'What?' She looking at them confused.

'Good?' Ron said in a disbelieving tone. 'Since when did you consider raising a child with the git, good?'

'He's not as bad as you think' Hermione tried again. 'I mean yeah, he can be really rude and obnoxious but sometimes he actually acts like a dad'

Claire smiled, Lavender looked midly curious, Harry shook his head and Ron glared.

'I think you spend too much time with Malfoy' Ron muttered softly as he looked over to the Slytherin table where Malfoy was smirking at something Blaise was doing.

'I spend as little time with him as I can but Ella needs him.' Hermione said shyly as she took a bite out of a roll.

'I think this experiment is really an eye opener. I mean..without this, we would never be able to see what a baby would look like coming from Malfoy and Hermione because let's face it, that's not going to happen' Claire said looking at Ella who was starting to squirm.

'Yeah, that will never happen' Ron snapped looking at Hermione who was kissing Ella's nose.

After Dinner, Hermione took Ella back into their room and sat with her in the sofa waiting for Malfoy to make his entrance.

Malfoy strolled in 5 minutes later and slammed the door behind him accidentally making her jump.

'You're late' Hermione said as she played with Ella's hands.

'I had to go the long way to avoid Pansy and Longbottom, you do not want to know what Pansy has dressed her child in' Malfoy said cringing at the memory.

Hermione laughed. 'And just think, you're dating her'

Malfoy sat down next to her and took Ella into his arms. 'No, I'm not' He said softly as Ella giggled happily at her father.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes before Malfoy suddenly shouted 'She just smirked Granger!'

'Excuse me?'

'Ella just smirked my smirk' He said giving a grin.

'Babies can't smirk' Hermione stated as she picked up a book.

'Err yes they can. Oh I'm so proud of you' He said beaming.

'Malfoy, they really can't smirk' She murmered.

'She smirked' Malfoy said as he kissed Ella playfully on the forehead.

'Fine' Hermione said shaking her head smiling. 'Whatever makes you happy'

'Why are you always tired?' Malfoy asked later that night when they were playing Ella.

'Burden of being a mother' Hermione said moving her body round to rest her head on the arm rest. 'Oh and tonight I thought that Ella could sleep in my bed because she likes being close to me and I don't want her to feel alone after you know, her being ill.'

'Why your bed?' Malfoy asked.

'Because I'm her mother and I care about her'

'Yeah, I'm her father' Malfoy said waiting for a response. Hermione could see an argument about break out between them and decided to just go along with whatever happens.

'Well, it was I with the idea Malfoy. You couldn't care less if she slept in her cot or not. You just want an argument.'

'Actually, however much you don't want to think so, she is my daughter and I'm not using her against you because of our petty argument,' He sighed. 'I know, half the night she sleeps with you, the other half..with me' He tried as Ella snuggled her head into Malfoy's chest.

'That would mean we both have to wake up half way through the night to swap' said Hermione with a sigh.

'Ok well that leaves us with 2 options really'

'And they are?'

'She doesn't sleep with either of us'

'And the other option?'

'She sleeps with both of us' He said.

'What are you implying?' Hermione said getting slightly worried.

'We both sleep in the same bed with Ella' He said and couldn't help winking at her.

'No way' She refused as she shook her head violently.

'Oh well, can't blame a guy for trying ...she sleeps with no one then' Malfoy said as he slowly watched Ella;s eyes softly droop.

20 minutes later.

'If you so much as touch me Malfoy, I will hex you so bad' She said as she lay on the edge of the bed with Malfoy on the other side, who was spreading out, and Ella inbetween.

'Don't worry Granger, I'll try to keep my hands to myself'

Hermione was so close to the edge of her bed that she was practically falling out. She couldn't believe she had given in and allowed him to sleep in the same bed. She looking down and realised ther were a good metre apart, she let out a happy sigh.

She heard the covers ruffle noisily from the other side of the bed and shot Malfoy a glance through the darkness. 'Would you stop fidgeting?'

'I think I'm allergic to Gryffindor colours' He said as he tossed and turned a little more.

'Stop it, you're going to wake Ella' She snapped from the darkness.

'Well, I'm used to spreading out more'

'Go and sleep in your bed then'

'Aslong as I can take Ella with me'

'Shut up' She said as she pushed her head into the pillow and shut her eyes.

Silence.

'Do you snore?'

'No'

Silence.

'Sleep talk?' He asked.

'No'

Silence.

'Goodnight then'

'Night Malfoy'

Silence.

'What if we roll over in the night and onto Ella?'

Hermione let out an angry sigh. 'I don't move about when I sleep, if you do, I think you should go sleep over in your bed.'

He fidgeted more, which annoyed Hermione to the point where she wanted to hit him.

'Oh wait a second' He said as Hermione watched him get out of her bed, walk over and drag his duvet onto Hermione's bed.

'Ahhh that's better' He said as he enveloped himself with his green sheets.

'You happy now?'

'I'm never happy when I'm sleeping in the same bed as you' He smirked.

Hermione gave him a glare. After a minute or two of silence, Hermione broke it. 'Do you hate me?' She asked softly.

Malfoy's eyes widened and he searched his head for a decent reply. 'You're not bad...for a Gryffindor'

'Thanks' Hermione said, feeling oddly happy.

'Don't mention it.' Malfoy said looking at the roof of their room awkwardly.

'I like you when you're not insulting me'

Malfoy sniggered. 'That's not very often. I know, I'll stop insulting you until the end of next week when we go back to living normally in our own dorms'

'Gee, thanks Malfoy'

'It's because I'm such charming guy'

'Ego' She said sighing with a light smile on her face.

'I could charm any girl I want. It's easy' He clikcing his knuckles causing Hermione to take calming breaths.

'You could never charm a Gryffindor, we're too clever and we all know you're an obnoxious jerk most of the time'

'You compliment me Granger' He said smirking before shutting his eyes and falling into a peaceful slumber like his daughter.

A/N I was going to make this chapter really long...but, that would mean you guys would have to wait for like...a month! So I decided not to and put this up for now!

I will try and get up the next chapter ASAP...for me thats gunna be like in about 3 weeks but i'll try and do it as quick as possible i promise! Now review because i'm a nice nice person and you want to do me a favour...love you guys!