Hermione had been standing in a hot kitchen since she woke up that morning. Why? Because Draco was bringing home some very important people from work and she had refused to get a house elf six years ago. I sure wish I had one now… Hermione mused, wiped the sweat from her forehead and continued the wand movements she had been making. People said that using magic to cook took the stress off. That was an outright lie, she realized, but murmuring that it was for the benefit of her family pushed her through it. That and the fact that Draco would have to make it up to her.

As her wand movements slowed and the things that she was preparing required less attention, Hermione heard the kitchen door open. She glanced down and smiled at her daughter, Jenny. She wasn't her daughter biologically, but Hermione felt like her mother anyway, so it hardly mattered. Jenny walked in with all smiles, sat down at the kitchen counter with a piece of paper in hand and a quick notes quill which she probably took from Draco's office without permission.

"Mummy, I need to ask you a question."

"What is it, Jen?" Hermione asked her. "I'm really busy right now. Daddy's got people coming over later, remember?"

"I know, but I have to ask you a question for school tomorrow.'

Hermione subconsciously bit her bottom lip. When it came to the choice of helping her children with school work and cooking for a bunch of people she didn't know, school work came first. By the grace of Merlin, Hermione had talked Draco into enrolling Jenny, who was eight, along with her brother Dmitri who was three years younger, into a muggle school. Her husband, as always, was stubborn to the bone, but she had argued that it would be good for them to get some sort of muggle culture into their lives since they were going to spend the rest of their lives with magic. After a while, Draco consented, negotiating that they'd have to go to Saturday magic evening classes, which was what Donovan, their third child who was three, was currently in except they were Monday through Fridays.

And so, Hermione first made sure that she wouldn't end up burning up the food any time soon, sat down in front of Jenny, and smiled.

"Alright, what's the question?"

"How did you meet daddy?"

It wasn't quite what she was expecting. Hermione began to wonder why they'd give an eight year old that sort of question, but it brought back memories for her. After Hogwarts, she was sure that she was done with Draco and that she'd never see him again. How wrong she was when one day she saw him in the last place she ever thought seven years ago. Grinning, Hermione cupped her hands and said, "I met your father at daycare."

…

7 years ago

Hermione received yet another letter from her parents scolding her. They had asked the same question that they had been asking for the past two years: Are you still working at that daycare center? She'd angrily reply yes and say nothing more. With her parents being accomplished dentists, they expected her to want to be a doctor in the muggle world, or a Healer in the wizarding world. Hermione had wanted neither. When she had graduated from Hogwarts, unlike what most people thought, she hadn't a single clue what she wanted to do with herself. Voldemort had been killed, and all she was thinking about was being happy that everyone could have normal lives again.

A local woman that Hermione knew in Hogsmeade came up to her and asked if she could watch her son for the afternoon. Hermione had said yes and it had turned into a daily thing. One day she asked her if she ever considered getting a part-time job as a child care worker. Many people weren't hiring at the time (fear that someone may be an ex-Deatheater or something along those lines) and Hermione needed money quickly. To top it all off she loved kids, so why not..? Hermione had agreed, and spent a year doing it until she figured out that what she had really wanted to do was work for the Ministry; not to be an Auror or anything, but just at some department there. But whether you wanted to be an Auror or not, it still required training, and that training wasn't paying. Because of that Hermione did her Auror training and along with working at D & M's Daycare. She had to admit that the pay wasn't that fantastic, but she considered the joy she got out of it to be a recompense. So now, a year later, Auror training was still going on, but on the bright side almost over.

Not over soon enough, according to my parents… Hermione mumbled as she dressed. She didn't care however, because even though she loved kids, she didn't see herself being there for the rest of her life like her good friend Betty. She had begun working at D & M's when she was twenty-three. She was forty now.

With a smile on her face, Hermione apparated over to D & M's and once there she stepped through the door there were little arms clinging to her legs and not daring to let go. She laughed, bent down and lightly pinched the cheeks of two of her favorites: Donny and Isabelle. They were both three and never liked to be out of her sight.

"I built that!" Donny said excitedly as he pulled on the pant leg of Hermione's denims and pointed to a small three-blocked bridge. "All by myself..!"

"Well, that's very good, Donny."

"Wait! Wait! Look," Isabelle grinned as she ran with a waddle to grab a piece of paper with scribbles on it. She held it up to Hermione and laughed. "See! It's a cloud."

"And it's a very nice cloud too. Now I have to go see Miss Betty, okay? I'll play with the two of you in a little while."

Donny and Isabelle nodded and ran off to continue doing what they had been occupied with when Hermione walked in. Silently chuckling to herself she made her way pass knocked over castles, children fighting over toys which she had to break up, and others playing hide and seek. Finally she made it to the back room where the younger kids were; the ones who were months old to a year, and where Betty sat changing the diaper of one.

"About time you got here." She grinned. "Did Isabelle show you the picture she drew? She's been dying to show it to you since she did it."

"Yes, she showed it to me." Hermione replied. She slipped off her jacket and hung it up, then went back over to Betty and the child who was still on the diaper changing bed. "Who's she?"

"This is Jennifer." Betty told her. "She's our little newcomer. Just about a year old,"

Hermione smiled at her friend and then at Jennifer, who caught her eye and then looked away as if bashful. Babies were her weakness, Hermione knew, and Jennifer was going to quickly become one of the few to take up most of her time because Betty had a policy: if any knew babies come, you get to break them in. That was her policy, and that was how Donny and Isabelle had become her special daycare children. The daycare was small, and currently they watched over six babies, seven if Hermione included Jennifer. Those other six babies once they developed better verbal skills and were able to go into the room with the "big kids" would become her favorites too.

Betty picked up Jennifer and put her into Hermione's arms. Her friend was off to end play-time for the nine toddlers in the other room and teach them about the magical creature of the day: a fairy. Hermione grinned and put Jennifer over her shoulder. She was a rather small baby, which frightened her. She had never liked to hold small babies because she had the ridiculous fear of dropping them. But working at D & M's made that fear disappear for the most part. As Hermione walked around the back part of the room to see a few of the sleeping babies, she could feel Jennifer relax against her, rest her light head on her shoulder, and just curl up comfortably. She's a sweet one… Hermione concluded, and turned to sit down in a rocking chair until she was asleep.

…

Hermione hated when this happened. All of the children had gone home forty minutes ago except for one. Jennifer was lying in one of the daycare's carriages and trying to touch her toes, all the while laughing while failing at the feat. Betty was standing in the doorway of the second room with a frown on her face. They were both thinking the same thing: we're going to have to owl Social Services. That was something Hermione didn't want to do. It was D & M's policy that if a parent came forty-five minutes or more late without notifying the daycare, that they were obligated to owl Social Services. By that time and their standards, if the child wasn't picked up by then, it was like as if the child was abandoned.

"And I told him that." Betty quarreled. "That's the first thing I told her father when he enrolled her here yesterday afternoon, and the last thing I told him before he left this morning in case he forgot. We're going to have to owl them, Hermione."

"No, don't." She pleaded. "Five more minutes, please?"

"Alright, alright, but I'm going home. I've got my own kids to look after. And if he's not here in five minutes-"

"I know, Betty, I know."

Betty solemnly nodded and told her to lock up before she left. Hermione told her that she'd see her tomorrow and then watched her disapparate which made Jennifer start to cry because of the noise. She quickly picked her up from the carriage, stood, and walked around the small room with her over her shoulder.

"It's alright. Don't worry." Hermione whispered, and then checked her watch. Three minutes had passed already. Where was this girl's father? As if on cue, she heard hurried footsteps and the door to the daycare open. Imagine her surprise when she saw, of all people, Draco Malfoy, huffing and puffing, and then stopping suddenly at seeing Hermione holding his kid.

It took Hermione all of her might not to look as surprised as she did, but couldn't help it. She never imagined Draco to be a father, nevertheless at twenty-three. Eventually she managed to gather her tongue.

"You're forty-five minutes late," She told him, still gently patting Jennifer on the back which was soothing her to sleep. "Next time owl if you're going to be late, alright?"

Draco didn't say anything. He swallowed and nodded. Hermione gently handed Jennifer over and felt a bit sad to let her go. She watched as Draco took her and cradled her like she had earlier that day, like as if he was afraid to drop her. With that, he left, and Hermione locked up the daycare for the evening and went home still in denial that Draco had a daughter.

….

Hermione went to D & M's a bit earlier than usual the next day. She tried telling herself it was because she wanted to help Betty with the early morning cleaning, but that was hardly the truth. She wanted to see Draco drop Jennifer off. She wanted to see it for herself, because anybody could pick a child up from daycare. Jennifer could've been his niece, though she was quite sure that he was an only child. He could've been her godfather. Yes, that better explained it. But Betty had said that he was her father, and even then, Hermione still couldn't believe it.

When she had gotten there most of the children hadn't even arrived yet, but Jennifer had. She was sitting in a playpen watching toys hover around her in a circle and laughing. Hermione looked to Betty who shrugged and grinned.

"She's doing that herself." Betty told her. "She's going to be a brilliant witch."

"Her father's a brilliant wizard himself, so it makes sense." Hermione mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing,"

Hermione helped Betty with the preparations of the morning toys and breakfast snacks. As she did so she glanced every once in a while at Jennifer who hadn't taken her eyes off of Hermione since she had gotten in. More children were coming in by now, and Betty had left her co-worker in order to greet the kids and get them started on playing with the toys. Hermione could hear Donny's voice and she moved to go give him his morning hug which caused Jennifer's face to go from all smiles to a frown. A second or two later she started crying. Picking her up, Hermione held her close, and she was amazed at how fast she had calmed down.

"Miss My-Knee!" Donny was shouting out. None of the kids could pronounce her name, so she was "Miss My-Knee" to them. "I built a house!"

"Alright, I'm coming!" Hermione called out to him as she went to put Jennifer back into the playpen. But once she went to go out into the other room, the little girl started crying again, this time louder. Immediately Hermione picked her up again, and once again, Jennifer was soothed just as fast. "Looks like you're coming with me, then."

And that's where Jennifer was for most of the day: in Hermione's arms. Normally Betty discouraged taking the babies out of their side of the room and into the place with the big kids where germs were the most present, but there was no way to pry Jennifer away from her. Every time they tried, she just cried and continued to cry. It was only when she had finally fallen asleep was she able to be placed back in the playpen.

"It would be an understatement to say that that girl likes you." Betty said with a small smirk. Hermione nodded and glanced at Jennifer who was in a deep sleep.

"You'd think she doesn't have a mother." Hermione commented. Her friend nodded knowingly.

"She probably doesn't."

Hermione shrugged and frowned. She saw the time and realized that the parents would be coming to get their children soon. She wondered if Draco would be on time. She'd hate to know that Jennifer would be in the arms of Social Services just because her father had a problem with tardiness; something that was never an issue during school. As the time moved along, and less and less children were at the daycare until just Jennifer was left, Betty had that look on her face.

"It's only been twenty minutes." Hermione told her. "Twenty minutes,"

"And twenty-five to go," Betty replied. "I'll be in the back tidying up."

Hermione nodded and when Betty was gone, she watched as Jennifer made a toy or two levitate and then fall.

"Betty's right about you. You're going to be a very smart witch."

As she said that the door to the daycare opened and Draco stepped inside. Hermione gathered Jennifer in her arms and gave her over to him. They both shared an awkward silence and after a moment or so Draco left. Hermione sighed and turned to tell Betty that Jennifer was gone and that she was heading home when she heard crying. It piqued her curiosity and so she peeked through the glass door. From there Hermione could see Draco not too far from the daycare with Jennifer struggling in his arms, her face turning red from her crying. Draco looked a mess and confused; cradling her in his arms and saying, "Please stop crying. Please..?"

But his efforts weren't working. Hermione could see that he was trying, desperately trying, but nothing was working. She couldn't take it anymore and stepped out of the daycare, walking in his direction. She gently slipped Jennifer out of his arms and put her over her shoulder. Hermione lightly rubbed her back and the child was calmed.

"It's better to hold her this way." She told him. "I don't know why, but it just is."

"…I hardly know what I'm doing." Draco admitted. He looked like as though he was on the verge of tears himself.

"Not many people do. They just wing it, you know?"

"And yet they're doing a whole lot better than me." Draco grumbled. Hermione stared compassionately at him and smiled comfortingly.

"It takes time. It's a learning process-"

"I don't mean to come late." He interrupted. "I work. I come off later than I'm supposed to."

"You don't have anyone who can pick her up for you? Relatives? Friends? …Her mother-?"

"Her mother's gone."

Hermione stared in surprise as she tried her hardest not to let her swallow sound too loudly. "…As in dead gone?"

"No," Draco said grimly. "Just gone,"

Hermione bit her lip. She had never seen Draco in such a great distress. He looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks or slept in years. Not only that, she feared greatly that one day he'd get off work too late and Jennifer would be taken away just because her father was trying to make a living.

"Where do you work?" She asked him. It caught Draco off guard, but he answered anyway.

"Gringotts,"

"Well, what if I took Jennifer there for you?" Hermione suggested. "That way all you'd have to do is meet me out in front."

"You'd do that?" Draco said in disbelief. Hermione nodded and handed Jennifer back over to him. She had calmed down considerably.

"I know Betty told you what happens when parents come late." She told him. "I don't want that to happen."

"…Thank you."

"You're welcome," Hermione smiled. "And, um, watch out for her in public. Her magic is beginning to show."

Draco nodded and Hermione watched as he and Jennifer travelled up the street, turned a corner and then disappeared, before heading back to the daycare and then going home herself.

…..

"No,"

"Come on, Betty,"

"I said, no, Hermione." Betty argued. "It's against D & M's policy to interact with the children unless you're a direct relation to them. I'm sorry, but I can't allow it."

"But I know Jennifer's father." Hermione told her. "He's a friend of mine, and I'd hate to see her taken away from him just because he's trying to provide for her and himself. Please..?"

Betty took a cold and hard long look at her friend and employee. She glanced back at Jennifer who was stirring from her nap. Sighing, she threw her hands in the air out of mild frustration and acquiesced. "Fine, fine… But on Monday her father needs to bring a written notice saying that it's alright for you to do this. I don't want anybody owling me saying that you've stolen their kid."

Hermione grinned and nodded. When the day was over she bundled Jennifer up and placed her in one of the daycare's carriages which she promised Betty she'd bring back on Monday. With the carriage in hand and walking, Jennifer looked happy. This was the longest that they had stayed together in their given three days, and the little girl was playing with her fingers and giggling to herself. It took about a half an hour to get from the daycare to Gringotts, and when they had gotten there Draco was already outside, anxiously rubbing his hands together. When he had finally spotted Hermione, he smiled.

"I see why you come late." Hermione told him offhandedly as she handed him the carriage. She couldn't see her, but Jennifer's laugh could be heard when Draco looked at her. He grinned and looked up at Hermione who was feeling a tad out of place.

"I don't know how to thank you for this." Draco said to her. She shrugged her shoulders.

"It's no problem at all, really." Hermione replied as she nervously rubbed her left arm. "Jennifer's, um, a really good kid…"

"Thanks, seems like she likes you."

"Yeah, well, that's what Betty tells me."

Hermione chuckled and felt awkward. She gave a subtle nod to Draco and told him that she'd better get going. He said that he had to do the same and they both turned to go their separate ways when Jennifer started to fuss. Hermione stopped walking and turned back around, seeing that Draco had stopped as well to attend to her. Biting her lip, she went against her better judgment and called his name.

"I cooked a bit too much, yesterday." She said. "I won't be able to eat it all. You can come to my place, if you like."

She could see the hesitancy in his eyes. She was basically giving him a handout, and Hermione knew that Draco wasn't the type of person for pity, but he needed it. She could see that he wanted it, but wouldn't allow himself to. Because of this she added in a bribe. "I have something for Jennifer too. I babysit a lot, so, baby formula is just about everywhere."

It was bad of her, she knew, to use Jennifer's wellbeing as a bargaining chip like that, but it worked. Draco had conceded and they took the Knight Bus to her home because apparation hurt babies' delicate ears and the Floo network wasn't fit for any child four and under. When they had finally reached their destination, Hermione conjured a playpen and put Jennifer inside. She looked ecstatic to have to people that she was accustomed to around her: her father and her overprotective daycare mother. Twenty minutes later, Jennifer was being bottle-fed and Hermione felt a strange wave of emotions watching Draco do it. He looked happy too, and in the back of his eyes there was this question that screamed, "Am I doing this right?"

Yes, you are… Hermione answered in the back her mind. When Jennifer was finished, she started crying, and that's when the distress crept up onto Draco's face once again. Hermione took her cue and lifted Jennifer from his arms and put her over her shoulder. A few pats and rubs on the back and she was giving two small burps. After that she was fine. And once she was placed back in the playpen she was fast asleep within a few minutes. Now it was time for the adults to eat, and as Jennifer slept, they were eating in gruesome silence.

"I know you're wondering." Draco eventually voiced. Hermione looked up at him in confusion when she really wasn't confused at all. Yes, she had been wondering. She was wondering why he was struggling and why he had a daughter. She kept those questions to herself as he continued talking. "Jennifer's ten months old. I've only known her for three."

Hermione wasn't expecting him to say that. It made her stop eating and stare at him in astonishment.

"I didn't know." He sighed. "I didn't know until three months ago. Her mother was there and it was fine. Earlier this week she just…left. She left without telling me and scribbled on a note that she couldn't take it. She couldn't take it? I can't take it. But I'm not running away despite how bloody scared I am."

"…For someone who's scared," Hermione said slowly. "You're really brave. And if you want, I'll be glad to help. Besides," She smiled as she glanced over at Jennifer. "I don't think she'll let me out of her sight."

…..

So every day Hermione brought Jennifer outside of Gringotts and every day she would invite her favorite little girl and Draco back to her place for something to eat. It went on for four months during which Draco was less stressed and finally smiling. Jennifer went through her first birthday and said "Mama," for the first time. Hermione couldn't have been happier and truly felt like her mother. There was no going back now even if she had wanted to. Not only because she hadn't wanted to, but because Draco wouldn't have allowed it. He grew accustomed to having Hermione around him. He felt less incompetent and less scared. And the more she was around, the more he realized that he was falling in love with her.

And now, Jenny was eight, sitting at the kitchen counter grinning from ear to ear from hearing the story that Hermione told her. They both looked up from each other to the swinging door of the kitchen. Draco was home and smiling as Jenny jumped up into his arms.

"Mummy told me how you met her at the daycare." Jenny beamed. Draco chuckled as he set her down.

"And I'm sure it was a funny story too." He told her. "Now, go get your brothers. I have a surprise for you."

Jenny nodded and ran out of the kitchen. Hermione laughed after her and went to check to see if she had burned the food or not.

"And now she knows how bad of a father I was seven years ago." Draco snickered.

"You weren't bad. You had just needed some guidance. And now look... You've got two additional children that you've helped to raise very well. And six months from now you'll have a third…"

Draco paused. "A third..?"

Hermione turned to him with a wry smile on her face and nodded. Draco's initial look of confusion transformed into a full-blown happiness as he gathered his wife into his arms and kissed her. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close. She suddenly thought about how persistent her parents had been to find another job other than working in a daycare center. Hermione was happy to know that she hadn't listened to them and did what she thought was right. Because she had, she had a loving husband, three wonderful kids, and another on the way. Nothing could've been better than that.

…

Author's note: Hello there! Hope that you liked this little one-shot. Feel free to leave a review and/or read anything else of mine.

-WP