"Dammit, Hermione, I told you once, twice, a hundred times… NO!"
"Draco, you aren't even listening to what I'm trying to do! I just wan…"
"You just want to help the centaurs. You just want to free the house elves. You just want to make everyone piss out unicorn blood and hold hands and sing. You can't always get what you want!"
"Oh, that's rich! Coming from the man who has everything he's ever set his bloody eyes on!"
"I've worked hard for every fucking galleon. I've paid my dues. I've done my time. I've made the Malfoy name respectable. Don't tell me tha…"
"At what cost though. This could be a wonderful way to add even more honor. You could be the start of a new…"
"No. That's final."
He started to walk away when he heard her mumbled response. Turning on his heel, he stepped back so that he was pressed against her and he bent to whisper in her ear.
"What was that my dear. I had to have misunderstood you. Repeat that for me."
"I said it was out of your hands, Draco."
He reared back like she'd slapped him.
"That's not possible."
"It is. There's nothing you can do now. Learn. To. Deal."
With that, she turned on her heel and stalked from the room. He heard the click of her heels, but he couldn't stop her. He fell to his knees, his brain a complete mess.
Why didn't she understand? How come she couldn't see that this wasn't something that would be good?
A million other thoughts ran through his head. And Draco spent the rest of the afternoon, and evening, trying to process how he felt about what this meant.
It changed everything. It made him rethink the way he'd been living lately. It made him finally decide what to do about the situation he'd been thinking about when she had come in today to tell him she was going against his wishes. With his new, updated, plan in his head, Draco made his way from his office to the dining room. He found her there, already seated, getting ready to take a bite of chicken. Sitting across from her, he picked up his fork and they ate in silence. When they were done, and the dishes had been cleared, she finally looked up at him.
"Have you calmed down?"
"I have."
"Are you still mad?"
"No."
She slid around the table until she was standing by his chair.
"And what, pray tell, are you feeling now Mr. Malfoy?"
"I'm thinking, Mrs. Malfoy, that I'm very excited about becoming a father."
"I knew you'd come around, Draco," she said with a smile.
He chuckled and pulled her into his lap, his hand resting on her still flat stomach.
"I'm still nervous. I don't want to be lik…"
"You aren't your dad. You're such a wonderful man. You will make an even greater father."
"I have you to help me."
"Always."
"Forever."