Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine.

I know! Another story! But not to worry. This is already complete. It's a short story, but I want it all up for Mother's Day May 13th! I'll update weekly, although I'll probably skip the last week of April. I always get busy on my birthday. ;)

Chapter 1 The Letter

"You're going to be alright," Astoria told him with the last of her strength. Her grip on Draco's hand was strong, like she could hold onto life if only she could hold onto him. She didn't look afraid though, merely sad. "I promise."

"Shhh." Draco didn't bother to wipe his tears away, even though he didn't want her to see. Her pain was past what potions could do for her, so he forced himself to say, "You can go, Astoria. I love you."

But she wasn't ready yet. She had one last thing to tell him. "I wrote you a letter. In the room next to ours. Promise me you'll read it?"

"I promise," Draco whispered. "I love you." Soon, she'd never be able to hear him say it again.

Astoria's dying words were, "I love you too."

Draco hated the room next to theirs. Next to his. Astoria had several miscarriages before they found out about the curse. She insisted on keeping the nursery she designed because she had never given up hope. In fact, she put her letter to him in the crib. He stared at it for a long time, wondering why she put it there. It only reminded him of what they had lost and now would never have. Finally, after nearly an hour, he had the courage to open it.

My Darling Draco,

I love you, and I always hoped we would have a family. I could write pages and pages about what I wanted us to have. You gave up so much for me.

It wasn't fair. None of this was. I should be writing a goodbye letter to you fifty, no a hundred years from now. We should have had more than a handful of years.

Over the past year, I joined a support group for grief. I suppose I was grieving for my own life, but I found myself telling everyone I was a widow. That's how unable I have been to accept my own death. Now, I feel as though I have lied to my best friends. You and another confidant I made in the group.

But I had to do it. I couldn't leave you like this, alone, miserable, without something to look forward to. I had to give you something.

So I asked my other best friend to be a surrogate for me. I used the sample you gave to the fertility clinic before we found out about the curse and an egg that I had frozen when there was still hope that the curse could be broken. She thought that I wanted a child from my dead husband. You thought I was spending a few days a week with Daphne.

Enclosed is her address. Please forgive me. I wanted this for us, but I am leaving it for you.

Love,

Astoria

With each word, Draco felt more shell shocked. His ears started to ring as he looked at the address. Astoria wouldn't do something like this. She wasn't sneaky or manipulative. She wasn't a liar.

Draco's hands started to shake as he watched the parchment wrinkle in his hands. What was he going to do?

A week went by before he found the courage to apparate to the address. Whoever she was, she lived in a tiny house in Cokeworth. It was late at night, but a light turned on inside, causing Draco to immediately apparate home. Over a month went by before he had the courage to knock on the door.

An unbearable two minutes went by before she answered. "Sorry, I…"

"Potter," Draco said in disbelief.

"Malfoy." She was equally flabbergasted at his sudden appearance. "What are you doing here?"

Draco swallowed. Katherine Potter was carrying his child. Astoria's child. "I," he said roughly, "am… I am-I was Astoria's husband."

Potter shook her head and put a hand over her stomach, which was rounded slightly. "Astoria's widowed, not divorced."

"I'm sorry." His eyes were starting to sting. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid she lied to you."

Potter shook her head again, but opened the door a little wider. Her wild eyes let him know that she already had a bad feeling. "Have you heard from her? She hasn't been answering my letters lately. Are you her second husband?"

"She's…" A lump formed in this throat whenever he even thought about saying it. Before he could even try to say the word gone, he burst into tears.

"Malfoy?" Potter's voice shook as he started sobbing. Awkwardly, she summoned him a box of tissues. "What's wrong?"

"She's dead!" he sobbed. The words felt like shards of glass ripping out of his throat. Potter just stood there in shock as he balled his eyes out. Eventually, he managed to collect himself, but he knew he couldn't handle explaining. As he stiffly walked into the house, he forced himself to hand Potter the letter, Astoria's last letter to him, that he kept crumpled in his pocket for the last six weeks.

Potter read the letter and sat down as she started reading it again. She put her hand over her belly as she read the letter for the third time. "But…"

"I thought she was spending all this time with Daphne," he said quietly. "They're close." They were close.

It took a moment for everything to click with Potter. "So this is yours?!"

"Yes," Draco said through gritted teeth. It was easier to be angry with Potter than be distraught over Astoria. "Going to get rid of it now?"

"No!" But Potter was starting to become pale. He shouldn't have said that. She was carrying the only living piece of Astoria left. "I-I… It's just a lot to take in. I thought her husband was dead."

Might as well be, Draco thought. How many hours had he spent staring at the wall this past month and a half? How many meals had he refused? Sometimes he could cry for hours. Others, he couldn't bring himself to feel anything. "I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

Potter looked at him blankly. "She knew she was dying?"

"Yes." For over year now. Draco refused to accept until the day of. He kept hoping for a miracle.

Potter's eyes started to water. She was trying to hold in her tears for his sake, and Draco suddenly felt embarrassed about his crying fit a few minutes ago. They came and went, probably because he was always trying to force them down. Malfoys didn't cry.

"KAT!"

Draco jumped at the joyous exclamation as the floo roared to life. A nine year old boy jumped out of it, followed by Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. At the sight of him, Black drew out his wand.

"Sirius!" Potter squeaked. The blue haired boy seemed confused at the sight of Black with his hackles raised. At this point, Draco didn't care if he hexed him. "Stop!"

"What is he doing here?" Black growled.

"He…" Potter trailed off and glanced at the boy, Edward, if the papers were correct. "He uh…"

"Was just leaving," Draco snapped. He didn't want to hear her lie for the sake of Edward. Astoria was dead. No baby was going to chance that.

As he started to head for the floo, he heard Black whisper, "I don't like you living alone while you're pregnant. Maybe you should live with Astoria?"

Draco stopped with his hand in the floo powder. Potter's voice sounded heavy when she said, "I'm not an invalid, Padfoot."

The boy yelled, "When's Story coming over?!"

Draco couldn't take anymore.

"You can't give that baby to Malfoy!" Sirius shouted when Teddy had gone to sleep. Remus looked grim but had yet to say anything. "What if he kidnapped Astoria? She's been locked in his basement this whole time, and you're next?"

"Sirius, don't." Kat couldn't ever recall seeing Malfoy cry like that. Not even when his best friend had died in the Room of Requirement. She hated herself for previously thinking Astoria had changed her mind, that she was going to leave Kat with her and her dead husband's baby.

"We could go to Grimmuald and look at the tapestry," Remus said quietly. There was no point. Kat knew Malfoy was telling the truth. How could Astoria do this?

Kat knew how. She didn't want Malfoy to grieve over her. For all they heard in their support group, she didn't understand that it was okay to grieve. Or maybe she did understand. She simply did not want Malfoy to feel that pain.

"Go ahead," Kat whispered. "I know it's true. Call it Potter luck."

Another month went by. Draco was wasting away. It wasn't until he saw Father reading the paper that he was willing to talk to his parents. The front page read Potter Pregnant? Potter was seen at a maternity store with Granger.

"Astoria hired a surrogate behind my back," he said flatly. His parents seemed to freeze in unison. Draco's heart sunk when he realized Potter still had the letter. Did she throw it out?

"That explains the family tapestry," Mother said quietly. Her voice was always quiet around him now. She and Father shared a look. "Although, part of me was hoping…"

"What?" he spat. Anger and sadness. They were the only two emotions he knew now besides numbness. "That I was cheating on my dying wife? That would be just perfect, wouldn't it? Did you start planning the wedding?"

"Draco," Father warned. "Your mother is worried about you. How could she not? You don't eat. You don't sleep. You barely speak. Excuse her for hoping you had found solace in another. It seems like you died the day Astoria did."

"Sorry, I couldn't be relieved like you!" Draco snarled. "Well now you're stuck with a less than pureblood heir!"

Father's eyes flashed. Draco should have known better than to push him. "Yes. I am relieved. Astoria is not suffering anymore. Not spitting up blood. Not eating for your sake only to throw up an hour later. Not seizing from magical overload. Yes, I am relieved for her."

"Master Draco?" Mother flinched when he threw his full plate at the house elf, who was trying to calm his nerves by offering more wine. His parents didn't care.

Malfoy,

I have a checkup today at St. Mungo's. It's at noon, if you'd like to come.

Katherine.

P.S. I've gotten so big! Please don't make fun of me!

Draco gritted his teeth. He had spent the morning staring at the letter. It was nearly eleven. He didn't want to go, but he knew Astoria would want him to. She also wouldn't want him look like a slime ball like he currently was. When was the last time he had shaved? When was the last time he had showered?

Draco forced himself to get up. He would do this. For her.

Potter blinked in surprise when he entered the maternity ward's waiting room at St. Mungo's. Without saying a word, he sat next to her. In some sick gesture of comfort, she put her hand over his balled fist. He snatched his hand away so quickly that she flinched.

With a sigh, Potter picked up a magazine, only to give up and throw it back on the coffee table in front of them. "Astoria didn't want to know if it's a boy or a girl. I figured you might, so…"

Draco laughed bitterly. "Because the curse is passed onto girls. Not all. But she probably didn't want to die knowing there was a chance."

"Oh." Potter pursed her lips and then looked away to try to hide that she needed to rub her eyes. They were dull when she turned to him again. "So do you? Want to know that is?"

"Yes." It probably was a girl. And she probably would start getting sick in her early twenties like Astoria. Her magic would start attacking her body, and he would relive the horror all over again.

"I…" Potter shook her head, not wanting to burden him with whatever was bothering her. "Do you want to come over for a late lunch?"

"No."

"Katherine Potter."

Potter heaved herself up and put her hand behind her back to support herself. With a small smile, she waited for him to comment on her size, but of course, nothing came. Instead, he merely stood up and followed her into the examination room.

Luna Lovegood was her healer. Draco stared blankly as she ran tests on Potter and asked her stupid questions like if she was craving dirt or if her shoe size had changed. Some of the tension left Potter as she questioned her, so he supposed the nut job was doing more harm than good.

"I can't stop eating!" Potter laughed as she lifted up her shirt to be examined. Draco turned away. It should be Astoria halfheartedly complaining about her weight. Astoria should be beaming with joy because she was pregnant.

"And I'm sure having a baby has made it worse," Lovegood joked as she waved her wand over Potter's swollen abdomen. Draco felt his throat tighten when he saw the projection of the fetus. It turned slightly and… "It's a boy!"