A/N: I do not own Harry Potter, but I do enjoy playing with them! Also, this is a corrected/updated version of my first chapter. I originally typed and posted this from my cell phone, so I apologize for the mistakes!

Chapter 1

Hermione Granger packed the last of her bags and looked at the flat she used to share with her husband of less than a year. Well, now exhusband. She took a deep breath feeling the pain crashing in on her again like a wave. He didn't even have the decency to tell her to her face that he was filing for a divorce. As far as she knew, things were fine. She could still remember the day the papers arrived via owl.

Flash back

She had just finished a long night in her healer training at St. Mungos. She was close to the end she could almost taste it. She had worked hard the last seven months to finish the rigorous training, and keep her young marriage to Ronald Weasley afloat. She had just finished her cup of chamomile tea when there was a tap on the window. Looking up, she saw an official looking ministry owl. Smiling slightly thinking Ron had sent her a sweet note, as he had in the first few months of their marriage. Opening the kitchen window, she let the owl sit on sill and took the rolled up piece of parchment. Handing the owl a few treats, she looked at the seal and her heart sunk. This wasn't a seal for the Auror's office. This was a seal for the Family and Marriage Division. She felt her knees go weak as she unrolled the parchment and saw the words "Request for Dissolution of Marriage". She felt numb. She saw Ron's name and her name. Then at the bottom, he had signed his name. That's when the heart break hit and the tears fell in full force, as well as gut wrenching sob. Curling into the fetal position, she rested her head on the cold linoleum of the kitchen and let the grief overtake her. This is how Ginny Potter found her several hours later.

End of flash back

Shaking the morose feeling, picking up her beaded bag that had everything she owned in it, thanks to the undetectable extension charm and the feather light charm, she steeled her spine, looked at the flat once more, the feeling in the pit of her stomach making her nauseated. The news would hit the papers tomorrow morning, along with his engagement announcement to Susan Bones. That betrayal almost hurt as badly as the one from her husband. Her dear friend was marrying her exhusband, well, not sure she would classify Susan as a dear friend anymore. Turning to the floo, she threw in the floo powder yelling "The Leaky Cauldron". She got one last look at the flat and Ron's face as he stood at the open door to the flat. There was no more friendship there. She had lost her husband, best friend, and lover along with a dear friend in less than three weeks.

She almost fell on her face on the floor of the Leaky if it hadn't been for the strong arms that wrapped around her. She looked up in the sharp featured face, grey eyes, and platinum blonde hair of none other than Draco Malfoy. "Great," she thought to herself "as if my day could get any worse!"

Draco felt the petite witch stiffen when she realized who caught her. He felt his blood boil as he felt the waves of grief come off her. His love, his mate was hurting and there was nothing he could about it. She would never tell him what happened, she hated him, if the fire in her eyes was any indication. Of course, he would hate him if he were in her shoes. He had bullied her ruthlessly when they were in school. Even knowing that she was his Veela's mate didn't make him treat her differently. He was too afraid that she would be killed if the truth came out. The Dark Lord would have used anything he could against him during the war. The snake faced man still found other things to use against, like his own parents. He didn't want to add his reason for living and breathing to that list.

"You alright there Granger?" Draco asked as softly as he could, while still being heard over the den of noise that surrounded them at the Leaky. He immediately felt the loss when she straitened up and pulled away from him.

"Just dandy, not that you really care Malfoy." She snapped. Draco watched her dust herself off. He could hear his friends Blaise Zabini, Theo Nott, Astoria Greengrass, and Marcus Flint laughing loudly in a corner booth. He looked over his shoulder and saw Flint waiving him over. He held up his hand as if to say he would be there in a second.

"You don't sound just dandy, and after what I heard at the Ministry today, I think you could use a good stiff drink." He looked into her beautiful honey brown eyes and placed his hands on her shoulders. Her long, loose, brunette curls gently brushing his finger tips. The softness of them almost brought him to his knees. "Let me buy you a drink."

"That's not necessary Malfoy." She said steeling her spine once again, and gently pulling away from his arms. "My friends should be here soon. I'll just check with Tom."

"I really don't mind Granger." He said. He really wanted to stop with this surname stuff, but he knew his mate could be very stubborn. She would never agree.

"Malfoy! Are you going to stand there chatting up this gorgeous specimen of a witch, or are you going to get our drinks?" Blaise said as he walked up and put his arm around Hermione. "Hermione! Doll! How are you!"

"Not really in the mood Blaise." Hermione said. Blaise looked at Draco when he heard the slight growl come from his best mate. "I'll see you at the hospital on Friday night Blaise. Enjoy your evening gentleman."

"Bye Mione." Blaise said, his brow crinkling in concern. Draco watched as a silent conversation happened between the two healers that had been training together for the last two years. As if it had never happened, Hermione walked away and didn't look back at them as she made her way to the bar. Blaise turned Draco towards the table and looked at his friend. "So, Hermione huh?"

"To what are you referring Blaise?" Draco asked with his eyebrow raised.

"Draco, you know you can't play stupid with me. I know about your little Veela issue. So, she's your mate huh?" Draco gritted his teeth, but nodded. "Damn, I don't envy you at all! That's going to be a tough sell. It took her until our last year of training to quit looking at me like I was planning to become the next Dark Lord! But, you have be extra careful. She is going through a ton of shit thanks to that bastard Weasel."

"I don't know the whole story, but I heard Potter talking to the Weasel today and the idiot mentioned something about it finally being over, and Hermione was moving her stuff out tonight. I can only assume that their marriage is over." Draco said as he sat next to Flint in the booth, allowing Blaise to sit next to Stori. Draco caught the imperceptible blush that darkened the healers skin.

Hermione took a deep breath as she sat at the bar and waved Tom over.

"Hermione! It's always lovely to see you dear. Do you want the usual?" Tom asked, his eyes softening in a way that they only did with his niece Hannah Abbott. Tom had kind of semi adopted her after her year on the run. She hadn't been able to get her parent back. She couldn't stand living in their house in muggle London, so she had stayed at the Leaky, working for Tom to pay for her room. She knew that she would be welcomed at the Burrow, but she couldn't get herself to go there after Fred's death. At the memory of Fred's name, she felt another wave of grief hit her, this one different and stronger than the one she was already feeling. The Battle at Hogwarts had cost her the love of her life. She had settled when she married Ron. Not that she didn't love him, she did, but not with ferocity that she had loved Fred. No one understood her pain over that loss except George. He was the only on that knew about their relationship and subsequent engagement. She shook the sadness away and made her mind think of the present. She looked at Tom, seeing his brow knitted in concern. She must have taken too long to answer him. She swallowed the bile. As badly as she wanted a glass of elf wine or firewhiskey, she couldn't partake of it. Not in her current condition.

"Sorry Tom, I was in my head for a bit. I'll just have a cuppa please." She said trying her best to smile.

"Erhm...okay. What kind would you like?"

"Peppermint would be wonderful." She said softly. She grasped the older man's hand and squeezed it affectionately.

"Be right out with it love." Tom said sweetly before he returned her squeeze and walked to the back of the bar.

Hermione turned her gaze to the rest of the patrons. She smiled and waved at Lee Jordan, Angelina Johnson, and a somewhat better George Weasley. He waved the most enthusiastically out of the group. A wave she hadn't seen him do in over four years. She felt a real, genuine smile tug at her lips for the first time in weeks. She looked past their table to see Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Hannah Abbott, Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas in a corner booth across the establishment from where Malfoy and his cronies were. She really couldn't call then cronies. At least not Blaise and Astoria. They had been there for her recently. But she didn't know enough of Theo Nott or Marcus Flint to make a determination. Draco Malfoy was a whole different animal. She knew the muggle saying 'a leopard could never change its spots'. But she knew people could change. She had lived through it in her very short marriage to Ron Weasley. The thought of him had her stomach roiling again. She didn't want to get sick. Not now. Now was the time of day when she had been feeling her best. Today, of all days, her body wanted to deceive her. She swallowed the bile that rose up at the thought of her now exhusband. She wished even more that Fred would have made through the war. Then the baby she was carrying would be his, and they would be a happy family. The thoughts of Fred flooded her, and the tears she had promised herself she wouldn't, couldn't, cry all day, were making an appearance, and she wasn't sure she could staunch them this time. Her memories and pain were stopped suddenly when Tom placed the peppermint tea in front of her with the honey and some cream. She passed over the cream and added two teaspoons of honey in to the hot beverage. Once it had been combined she took a sip and tried to relax her body. This might be a battle she would loose.

A half hour later found Hermione sitting a booth surrounded by Ginny, Fleur, Angelina, and Luna. The girls were doing everything they could to raise her dampened spirits. Some even wanted to add spirits to the mix, anytime one would be ordered for her, she would quickly transfigure it to apple juice. She didn't want to risk hurting her baby. She refused to think of this as Ron's baby. He was simply the sperm donor. He told her as much, when she told him of her condition earlier that day when they were going to the ministry to finalize it all.

Flash back to earlier that day

"Ron, before we go through with this, there is something you have to know." Hermione said gently touching his arm to stop him. She was tapping into as much Gryffindor courage as she could muster.

"What is it Mione?" He asked. His voice taking on an exasperated tone. He jerked his arm away from her touch. She may not have loved him as deeply as she did Fed, but she loved him all the same, this was killing her. He was acting cold and indifferent to her. Like he really never cared for her at all.

"Ron, you need to know that I am eight weeks pregnant. I was going to tell you the day I got the papers in the mail. Then you never came home. You haven't talked to me in three weeks Ron."

"You're what?!" He almost shouted at her. He grabbed her upper arm a little too tightly. She winced.

"Pregnant. The baby is yours." Hermione said trying to wiggling her arm free.

"No, that thing is not mine. I don't want it, and neither does Susan. We want our own family. Not the left overs from this sham of a marriage. You're on your own." Ron said coldly, and he let go of her arm and walked into the office where their marriage would end.

End of flashback

She felt the tears on her cheeks and quickly wiped them away. Unfortunately not quick enough for Ginny to miss them. She quickly wrapped Hermione in a tight hug holding her closely.

"You'll get through this Mione. You'll see. Everything is going to be just fine. Even if my brother is a huge git. You are too good for him anyway." Ginny said into her ear. "You will always have us."

"I know Gin, but it doesn't make the pain go away." Hermione cling to her best friend, and finally, after not crying since the day she got the divorce papers, the dam burst. Her tears came in a flood and all of her wonderful friends surrounded her loving and wrapped their arms around her. She cried for her lost love in Fred Weasley, she cried for the death of her marriage to Ron Weasley, and lastly, she cried for her unborn child who would never know the love of a father.