Chapter 1:

She watched him from the corner of Diagon Alley, she watched as he walked with his family, his parents right behind him as he let her wrap an arm around his.

She watched as both his parents and hers smile and talk. She watched them enter a shop only to come out after a few minutes, a smile on everyone's faces, but the biggest one was the smile on the woman he was with.

Her dainty hand sparkled as she held it out to her mother and his mother, smiling as they admired the ring he had promised her for their engagement, ignoring the stares of those around the alley.

She watched as his father and the girl's father clap him on the back and speak to him, she couldn't help but notice the steel in his eyes nor the fact that his smile never reached his eyes.

When they started to walk again, she knew she should go, there was no use in hurting herself further. He had moved on.

She missed the moment he turned around and saw her walk the other way, he missed the emotion only she would see in his eyes.

"Thanks for watching her, I can't believe I forgot her book at Fred and George's" She said as she placed the book on the table.

"It's no worries. I'm actually glad I have a precious little one like this with me, I need to practice holding babies and actually take care of one before this one comes out." her friend said as she put her hands on her swollen belly, no doubt that she was about to give birth any time of the week now.

"Still. thanks." she said.

There was a quiet moment between the two friends before one of them spoke again.

"I saw him." she said, almost a whisper, "I saw him with their parents. They're engaged, apparently." she added.

"Oh Hermione." Ginny said as she reached for Hermione's hand. "I'm so sorry."

"No, don't be. we both knew it was inevitable. Their parents were working on the marriage contract for years."

Hermione said, trying to sound like she'd accepted it. She did, she just couldn't stop the pain. The hurt she'd felt when he didn't even try to fight for them. That she wasn't even really enough for him.

"Still, I know it couldn't have been easy. Especially with this little one." Ginny said as she and Hermione looked at her infant daughter's sleeping form.

"I know." Hermione said as her lips curled at the vision of her daughter's unconscious movement, no doubt that she was dreaming. "She's all I have now. He'll have his children with her and all I'll have is her. My Jasmine."

"Don't be like that, Some day, you'll find someone to be with, who will love you more than any one's ever loved you and will love your little girl too." Ginny said.

Hermione said nothing and instead looked at her wristwatch and decided that it was time to leave.

"We better get going, I don't want to miss our flight and I don't really want to apparate with a baby. Tell Harry and Ron that I'll call them when I've arrived in Australia, and tell them not to lose the phones I gave them. Especially Ron, It was hard enough to charm the thing to not short circuit every time he tried to use it, I can't make him another one when I'm miles away." Hermione said as she picked up her daughter's things and turned to Ginny once more.

"You take care okay?" Ginny said, "I know you don't want to be here, but you always have a home with us."

"I know." Hermione said as she hugged her best friend, "But I can't stay here. It still hurts, and I have to think of her now too. If they find out about her… You know what they'll do. You know what they are capable of."

"I know." Ginny said as she walked Hermione to her door, "I just.. I worry okay?"

"I know, but I have to do this. He doesn't need to know. He finally has his life back together, I can't ruin that for him. I can't make things harder for the both of us anymore." she said as she carefully placed something in her friend's hand.

"Keep it safe for me?" she asked.

"Are you sure? Hermione, this is your wand." Ginny said as she held the wand in her hands, she could feel the magic vibrating from it, the strength of the magic that coursed to her best friend's veins.

"Yes" Hermione voice said as it cracked a little, "Anyone can track my magical signal down if I have my wand with me. If I don't have it, they have no way of locating me." she said, she knew that Ginny knew that by giving up her wand, she was limiting herself from magic. But she didn't care. She had to do it, she had to keep her baby safe.

"If you're sure. It will be safe with me, I promise." Ginny said.

"Thanks Gin." Hermione said as she walked to her car and placed her baby and her things inside.

Ginny watched as Hermione drove off, when she was out of sight, she entered her home and closed the door, Hermione's wand still in her hand.