Authors note: Sadly I own nothing of the Harry Potter realm...*Sigh* All contents, save the plot, belong to the lovely J.K. Rowling. This is a sequel to the song-fic 'Precious Choices'. It will make more sense if you read the previous story first. This is written in Draco's Point of View.

Chapter 2 – Plans

Potter stood in the doorway looking shocked, holding a child in his arms. I silently cursed him for showing up.

"Ummm… Hi Harry." Hermione said lamely.

"Again I say, what the hell?" He entered the room and came to stand in front of me. "I'm not going to put up with you jerking Hermione around. You're going to be married in two weeks. I don't want Hermione getting her hopes up." I ignored him and turned to pick up Rose again, knowing it would shut him up. I turned back around and he said nothing.

Smirking, I began, "Potter, I'm not trying to hurt Hermione. I care a great deal about her and Rose, whether you believe it or not. And as for getting married, I can't stand Astoria. She's annoying and snotty and a complete and total bitch. If it weren't for the fact that I'll lose my inheritance if I don't marry someone my parents approve of, I would probably already be married to Hermione. So shut the bloody hell up!" I pushed past him, careful not to run into Teddy and went outside to sit on the swing on the Willow, ignoring the fact that I was shirtless.

"Harry's just worried about me, don't take it personally." Hermione said coming out of the house with my shirt, now clean, in her hand.

"Oh, I do take it personally." I gave her a pointed look. "He hates me. Always has, always will. Probably more so now than when we were in school." Hermione shook her head but said nothing.

"If you hate Astoria so much then why are you marrying her?" She asked after a few moments of silence. I shrugged.

"If I want my inheritance I have to." She frowned.

"But you just want it. You don't really need it." She said.

"What would I do if I didn't have it?" I looked around noticing that it was getting dark.

"You could get a job. Make your own fortune." She suggested. I sighed and stood up from the swing.

"I have to get back to the Manor." I told her. I gave Rose a kiss on the forehead and handed her to Hermione.

"Draco, just think about it, ok?" She said. "Rose needs a daddy that's going to be there. I know you hate Astoria. I also know that you care about us. Wouldn't it be worth giving up your money to be happy? To make me and Rose happy? We could be a family." She sighed. "Just think about it." I nodded and pulled her into a hug, wrapping my arms around her and Rose. Standing there in the yard with them, it was easy to picture what my life would be like with them. Happy. I tilted Hermione's face up and pressed my lips to hers before walking out of the yard and down the street.

I apparated to the Manor and slipped back inside. I headed straight to my study, the only place Astoria couldn't find me. I sat there for hours, turning the issue over in my head. On one hand, I could stay here, marry Astoria and have a child with her, keep my fortune and be miserable. On the other, I could leave behind everything I'd ever known, along with my fortune and land, and go be with Hermione and Rose, have more children, and be immensely happy. I sighed and glanced out the window. It was morning already and I had been sitting there all night.

I needed help. So I headed towards the one person that would always help me out and not consider her own feelings on the issue. My mother.

"… And I have no clue what to do." I finished in a rush. My mother looked thoughtful, twirling a stand of her blonde hair around her finger. He hair wasn't quite as blonde as mine but it was still blonde. Her eyes were dark blue. To the outside world Narcissa Malfoy was a cold wife and mother. But to me, she had been a great mother. At least, while my father wasn't around. If he knew half of what she had done for me he would probably divorce her.

"You failed to mention this other girls name, Draco. Why?" She said. I shifted uncomfortably.

"She umm… She isn't anyone father would approve of."

"And? Does that mean you can't tell me?"

"No… I guess not. It's Hermione Granger."

"Hermione Granger? Harry Potter's best friend?" I nodded and my mother sighed. "Draco, answer me this. Do you love her? Do you want to be with her? Does she make you happy?" I considered this for a moment before answering.

"Yes." My mother gave me her are-you-really-that-stupid look.

"If she makes you happy then it shouldn't be a choice you have to make. You simply have to act on it. And I know how we can do it, too." My mother quickly explained her plan and I couldn't help but smile. My mother hated Astoria almost as much as I did.

I apparated to Godric's Hollow the next day to speak to Hermione. She answered when I knocked on the door. She was holding a half dressed Rose and had a tired look on her face. From the looks of her outfit, she was headed to go work out. She was wearing a pair of black jogging pants and a white tanktop.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, letting me in.

"I needed to talk to you."

"Can it wait? I'm headed to the muggle gym in town." I nodded.

"What are you going to do with Rose while you're at the gym?"

"There's a little daycare there."

"No. Absolutely not." I shook my head and lifted Rose out of Hermione's arms.

"What…?"

"My mother wants to meet her anyways. I'll take her to the Manor while you go to the gym."

"I don't want her there!" Hermione yelled.

"No one will be home but mother and I. Nothing will happen to her. She'll be perfectly safe, I promise." Hermione glared at me for a moment.

"If anything, and I mean anything, happens to her, I will personally see to it that you can never have children again!" I flinched but nodded. She huffed and went up to her room to finish getting ready. She tossed down a different outfit for Rose, yelling at me to change her outfit. I did so without complaint.

"Mother?" I called, as I stepped into the Manor. She came running into the foyer excitedly.

"Is this Rose Marie?" She cooed at the baby.

"Yes. This is her." I shifted her higher on my hip and headed for the sitting room. I sat down and pulled her blanket out of the nappie bag Hermione had given me and spread it out on the floor. I pulled out a few toys as well and laid her down on the blanket. The toys started floating around and she stared at them in wonder. I glanced up to see mother pointing her wand at them.

"You used to love it when you were little." She explained. We spent the next few hours playing with Rose. We splashed around with her in the pool, I took her for a ride on my horse Becka, and I played with her on the muggle trampoline that my mother bought when I was 10. Hermione came to pick her up much sooner than I would have liked.

"I have a few conditions." I said quickly, holding Rose away from her. She sighed.

"Continue."

"First, I want to be able to spend time with my daughter. Second, we need to talk. And third, you have to give me a kiss before you get her back." I smirked at her.

"Of course you can spend time with her. But I don't want Astoria anywhere near my baby."

"Not a problem. She hates kids." I told her.

"What do we need to talk about?" She asked, sitting down on the couch.

"I want you to come to my wedding." I said quickly. She stared at me and I forged ahead. "It's going to be quite… eventful."

"Eventful, as in?" She asked. I shook my head, refusing to say anymore.

"Just come. Please?"

"I'll think about it."She stood up. I pulled her to me swiftly and pressed my lips to hers. "You really should stop doing that." She said when I released her. "You're getting married in two weeks."

"We'll see." I said, repressing a smile.

It was perfect. A pale shade of purple, a wraparound porch, two stories with a basement, and a large fenced in yard with several trees. I could almost picture the perfect place for a tree house. The first part of mine and mothers plan was to go out and buy a house with at least 3 bedrooms. This one had 5. I entered the house and looked around. The house started in a living room decorated in shades of brown. On the other side of the living room, I looked around the kitchen and dining room. On the far side of the kitchen was a sliding glass door leading to the porch and the back yard. Going back to the living room, I went down the short hall off to the side and glanced in the 3 rooms. There was a large bathroom with a shower, toilet, sink and a huge bathtub.

'Oh, yeah. Hermione's going to love this!' I thought. The other two were just empty rooms. I went back to the beginning of the hall and quickly climbed the stairs. Upstairs, there were 3 more rooms, the master bedroom and two smaller rooms, along with another bathroom that was just as big as the one downstairs.

I smiled as I left the house and headed home. When I got there, I quickly spoke to mother about the house and we went to Gringotts to withdraw enough money to pay off the house. After speaking to the real estate agent and purchasing the house, we went to the furniture store to start filling the house with furniture.

The house was coming along well. In fact, it was almost finished. Which was good, considering my wedding was a week away. Not that it would be an actual wedding though. Oh, no. My plans were far from over.

I was spending as much time as possible outside of the house. Due to the impending wedding, Astoria was being bridezilla. It was expected. She was a snotty, stuck-up, self-centered bitch. Emphasis on the bitch part. It would make it all that much better when I told her exactly how I felt about her.

"Mother?" I yelled, as I entered the Manor.

"She's not here." My father came striding out of the sitting room, Astoria trailing along behind him. "We need to talk Draco."

"About?" I donned a bored facial expression but my heart was thumping wildly. Could father have found out about the plans?

"In here. I need a drink." He went back to the sitting room and I followed silently. I sat down and watched as he poured two drinks. He turned so that my view of the drinks was blocked and my suspicion grew. He turned and handed me a drink. I took it and set it on the table next to me.

"So what is this about?" I asked. Astoria sat down next to me and tried to take my hand. "Astoria, I told you. Don't touch me."

"This is exactly what this is about!" She screeched, pushing her black hair out of her face. "You never spend time with me! And Lucius and I know you're seeing someone else!"

"And why do you think that?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Don't be difficult, Draco. You're never home lately." Said my father.

"Can you blame me?" I stood up and 'accidentally' knocked my drink off the table. I growled and headed towards the drinks to get a new, definitely non-drugged one. "Astoria is always stomping around the Manor like Bridezilla!" I turned around and took a drink of my scotch, almost satisfied at the hurt look on Astoria's face. She stood up and, swear to Merlin, stomped her foot.

"Is it my fault that I want my wedding to be perfect?"

"You can have a perfect wedding without being a flaming twat about it…"

"This is not the point." My father said calmly. "The point is, we all know that you are seeing someone else. And it will stop. Now." I ignored him and walked out of the room.

Knock, knock

"Come in!" I yelled later that day. My mother opened the door to my room and stepped in. "What is it?" She came over and sat on the bed with me.

Taking a deep breath, she said, "You need to stop seeing Hermione."

"What?" I asked, incredulous.

"At least until the wedding." She said quickly. "The house is already paid for and set up. The spells around it are cast. You need to be here for the next few days so that they think you gave up." I considered her words.

"I'll see her one last time. Then, I guess I can sit through Astoria's bitch fits. I need to find out if she's coming to the wedding."

"Very well. I'll come with you. We'll tell them were going to… Arrange for the honeymoon. I'd like to see Rosie again anyways. Get ready to go. I'll go speak to your father and we'll leave in 15." She got up quickly and strode out of the room. I changed out of my stuffy formal robes and into jeans and a blue button up t-shirt. I'd never understand why father insisted on us wearing formal robes in the house.

I met mother down in the foyer and we left the Manor.

We apparated into Godric's Hollow and walked down the street to Potter's house. Weasley answered the door when I knocked.

"What the bloody hell do you want?" He asked, scowling. Behind him, Hermione came down the stairs carrying Rose.

"Ron, stop." She said. "I've got it." He glanced at her and turned around into the living room. She came out onto the porch and shut the door behind her. "How are you?" She asked, smiling.

"Father knows I'm seeing someone. I have to stay away for a while." I told her quickly. Her face fell.

"Oh."

"Mother, can you watch Rose up here for a moment?" I took Rose out of Hermione's arms and handed her to mother before taking Hermione's hand and leading her to the willow in the yard. She sat down on the swing and I stood behind her. "You know I don't want to. And you know I have something planned. If I continue to see you every day, the plans will be ruined." I nuzzled my face into her neck and breathed in her scent. Lavender and vanilla. "I'd much rather spend my days with you and Rose. But… if father figures out what I've been doing then my plans won't go through."

"Why won't you just tell me what you're planning?" She asked.

"Because I want it to be a surprise for you. I will tell you this though. You need to be at the wedding. And after the wedding, we can be together." She stood up abruptly and spun around to face me.

"So what? You want me to be your mistress?" She growled.

"What? No!" I walked around the swing and took one of her hands, letting my other hand rest against her cheek. "Hermione, no." I sighed. "I have no intention of marrying Astoria. Just… Just trust me. Please?"

"Why don't you just call off the wedding then?" She demanded.

"My father would never let me."

"So what makes you think you'll get away with whatever you have planned then?"

"He'll be surprised and won't be able to stop it in front of a crowd that big." She growled in frustration.

"Just tell me! Tell me what you're going to do!" I released her face and pulled her to me by the hand, wrapping my arms around her.

"You just need to trust me." I whispered in her ear. "By the 6th, we'll be together, I promise. Father won't be able to find or stop us." I pulled back and cupped her face, placing my forehead on hers. "We can be together. You, me and Rosie. We can be a real family. If we can just wait a few days, we can be together for real." Tears started falling down her cheeks and I pulled her towards me again, letting her cry into my chest. "Are you going to come?" I asked when she had quieted down. She nodded into my chest and I breathed a sigh of relief. Hermione went inside and brought down a blanket and some lunch. Mother and sat in the front yard with her and Rose for a few hours before we headed home.