By the time she returned to the Manor Hermione was a mess inside, a result of trying to contain her tears. Her emotions were all over the place, wavering between anger, sadness, and misery. However, she had to give herself a mental pat on the back for holding herself together so well in the face of her husband. Her well held up façade crumbled as she entered the library and found Draco waiting for her. She hadn't been expecting him and the thought that he cared enough to wait for her return really touched her. It was the look of worry and concern on his normally blank face that did her in. One moment she was walking into the library and the next poor Draco had his arms full of a wailing witch. She had been trying so hard to keep it together, for herself, for Draco, that she just couldn't do it anymore. Luckily, Draco was a good sport and held her tight while she cried herself out.

"It went well then, did it?" Draco asked, sarcasm dripping off every word. She gave a watery chuckle at his words and pulled away from him slightly.

"Oh yes, perfectly well. If you consider the fact that my husband said literally one word to me the entire time 'well'."

"He wouldn't talk, then? I can't say I'm exactly surprised. It was a long-shot to think you'd get any answers."

"I... I asked him if he ever loved me, Draco."

"Fuck. Why would you even ask him that? Just to torture yourself?"

"He said no. He said he never loved me!"

Saying that out loud made her tears start anew and Draco drew her back into his arms, swearing softly under his breath.

"My father did a terrible thing, Hermione, but I don't believe for a minute that he never loved you. Only the blind couldn't see the love he held for you."

"If what you are saying is true, he never would have done what he did. He never would have... "

She couldn't even bring herself to say it. Hurt flashed in Draco's eyes and she instantly felt guilty for being so needy. He was hurting too, after all, it was his father sitting in Azkaban.

"I'll never forgive him for doing this to me, to you. To our family. We'll get through this, I promise. I've decided that I can't leave you here alone. I've spoken to Luna and we are going to move back in. Malfoys stick together and do anything for family."

"Draco, no! I know how much you love your home. I refuse to let you put your life and Luna's on hold because of me. With how far along in her pregnancy she is, Luna should be where she feels most comfortable. I'll be fine, I promise."

Draco shot her a look that clearly told her that he did not believe her. She couldn't blame him; she didn't believe herself.

"Hermione – "

"Draco, I said no. Honestly, there's no need. Now go on home to your wife before I hex you for being an annoying little ferret," she said with a slight smile, letting him know she was teasing.

"Whatever you say, Step-Mummy," he taunted, his sarcastic words offset by his action of pulling her into another tight hug. He left then, after threatening to return the next day. She waved him off, knowing that whatever she said, he would show up regardless. She sighed loudly and forced herself to retire to her bedroom. A long, hot bath seemed like a good idea, and she hoped it washed away the taint that she felt Azkaban left upon her skin. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach that her night was going to be a sleepless one with whatever sleep she did get being filled with nightmares.

It was getting extremely late, and Lucius still had not returned home. While he was known to work late on occasion, he always let her know if that was going to be the case. She would be lying if she said she wasn't worried. She sat impatiently in her favorite chair, tapping her fingers rhythmically on its arm. Ten more minutes, she thought, and her husband would be getting a tersely worded Patronus message. Five minutes into her self-appointed time limit, she heard the tell-tale noises of someone coming through the Floo. Before she could even get herself out of the chair to greet who she thought was her husband, she heard the voice of Draco instead, frantically calling her name. She leapt from the chair and rushed to him.

"Draco? What are you doing here? Has something happened?"

Before he could answer her questions, the tinkling sound of the doorbell chimed throughout the house. This was slightly puzzling as there were not many people who had access to their front door, and she was expecting none of them. Between the look on Draco's face once he heard the doorbell and the fact that her husband was still not home, Hermione was now completely certain that something was terribly wrong. She turned sharply then and rushed for the door, ignoring Draco's calls to not answer it. Flinging it open, she was surprised to see Harry and Ron standing there. Harry was visibly upset, but what was more confusing was the look on Ron's face. He looked... smug. The smirk that rested upon his face was bordering on evil, and it seemed as though he was about to break out into one of his famous 'I told you so' speeches.

"Harry? Ron? What are you two doing here? I thought we had plans for tomorrow."

"Hermione, why don't you retire to your bedroom for the evening? I will deal with our guests."

She looked at Draco, completely confused over his formality. She was about to question him when she was cut off by Ron.

"What's the matter, Malfoy? Still trying to protect dear, old daddy?"

"You shut your foul mouth, Weasley, or I'll shut it for you."

"Oh, now you are threatening an Auror? I can take you in for that, you know."

"That's enough! Both of you be quiet right this instance and try acting your ages for once. Harry, obviously something has happened. Why don't you tell me what that is?"

Before Harry could even so much as open his mouth, both Draco and Ron started arguing over who should be the one to tell her. Rolling her eyes, she silenced them both and turned her focus back to Harry. She arched an eyebrow at him, a mannerism she picked up from Draco.

"Hermione... I... I don't really know how to tell you this."

"Just spit it out, Harry," she replied, her voice clearly conveying the fact that she was starting to get annoyed.

"You know how Ron and I have been working on that string of rapes and killings of the prostitutes in Knockturn Alley, right? Well, we arrested our main suspect tonight. Hermione... it was Lucius."

"What? Harry, that is absolutely ridiculous! He would never do something like that! What evidence do you have against him?"

"Hermione, he turned himself in and confessed."

She could feel the blood quickly draining from her face. Shaking her head in denial, one look at Draco's face told her there was no use in arguing. Everything Harry was saying was true. Black dots began to cloud her vision, and she frantically tried to blink them away. It was to no avail, as they just got worse, and she promptly blacked out.

She woke with a start, breathing heavily. The nightmare was always the same, and it occurred almost every night since she found out. When she came to after blacking out, she saw Harry trying to restrain both Ron and Draco and doing an extremely poor job of it. Her two friends left shortly after with Harry apologizing over and over again while Ron said nothing. That infuriatingly smug expression was back on his face, however. She would ever be grateful for Draco in the days that followed. The fallout of Lucius' actions was harsh, and he shielded her from most of it, even going as far as refusing to let her attend the trial. The two of them had a few blazing rows over that, but in the end, she decided that Draco had the right of it. She stayed home, having not been feeling the best lately. While Lucius was sitting at his trial, receiving his lifelong sentence to Azkaban, she was at home, getting the news that she was going to have his baby.

A/N: Thanks to erbkaiser for betaing and Raybe for her help. Don't get too upset at Lucius just yet. ;)