The warm early August sun shone down on Draco and Hermione as they lay on a throw in the back garden. The couple had been home from school for almost a month and Hermione was settling in nicely with Draco and Narcissa. Even though Draco knew his girlfriend missed her parents, he was pleased that she seemed happy and at ease with him and his mother. Luckily Narcissa had been a tower of strength for both Draco and Hermione and she had been nothing but supportive of the teenagers.
In the weeks that had passed since they returned from school, Hermione and Draco had started making plans for their future. They'd both decided they didn't want to know the sex of their baby, but they had spoken about names. Narcissa had mentioned the Black tradition of using stars and constellations as names and both Hermione and Draco were happy to follow the tradition. Almost immediately the pair found the perfect boy's name - Scorpius. However girl's names proved harder as they found two they really liked, Lyra and Cassiopeia. In the end they decided that it would be Scorpius if they had a boy, while if they had a girl they would make a final decision on names when she was born.
The couple had also briefly talked about what would happen once they finished school, but until Voldemort was defeated they had very few options. Hopefully at that point they could confide in the rest of the Order about their situation, but until then they would carry on as they were with a few select people helping them out.
"I think we should be heading inside," Hermione sighed. "We've been out here for hours."
"Does it matter?" Draco questioned. "It's nice to be able to spend some time together."
"We can still spend time together in the house," Hermione pointed out.
"I know, but Mother tends to pop up unexpectedly. At least out here we'd get advanced warning if she was approaching," Draco said. Since they were lying in the middle of the back garden it would be impossible for Narcissa to leave the house without them seeing her.
"She's not that bad," Hermione laughed as she sat up. "Besides we're going to be alone tonight when she's out."
That evening Narcissa was attending a charity function with Lucius, meaning the two teenagers would be properly alone since the holidays started. So far the only real time alone together they'd had was on a night in their bedroom.
"What's the betting we're still not alone?" Draco grumbled as he got to his feet and helped Hermione to her feet. "I bet she makes sure Tonks or Remus are here."
Hermione was pleased by how well Draco got on with Tonks and Remus. She had been initially worried about how her boyfriend would react to having two members of the Order around, especially since one was their former Professor that Lucius had played a major role in getting sacked and one was his cousin that's he'd never had contact with before now. Luckily Hermione's worries were unfounded and Draco didn't have any problems with Tonks and Remus, and they didn't seem to have any problems with him.
"Even if they are here, I'm sure they won't be too much trouble," Hermione said. "Hopefully we can persuade them to leave us alone, they are close by after all if anything was to happen."
Draco nodded in agreement as the pair entered the house. Finding no sign of Narcissa downstairs the pair headed off upstairs, knowing exactly where they would find Draco's mother. Sure enough they found Narcissa in the room they were converting into a nursery. Tonks and Remus had both been helping with the transformation, but they still needed a few more bits and pieces to complete the room. However it was rather tricky purchasing baby stuff as they didn't want anyone spotting Narcissa buying things for a baby in case word got back to Lucius, and they didn't want the same thing to happen with Tonks and Remus and word getting back to someone in the Order. That meant things were being bought in remote locations, and even the muggle world on a few occasions.
"I thought you two were still outside," Narcissa remarked, turning around and getting a surprise when she found her son and his girlfriend standing in the door.
"We decided we'd been out there long enough," Hermione replied.
"Maybe you would like to help me here," Narcissa suggested. "Nymphadora dropped off a few bits and pieces earlier and I was just about to put them away."
"I'll leave you two to it," Draco said as his girlfriend headed into the nursery to see what Tonks had brought. While he was pleased that the nursery was coming along, he had no desire to marvel over every baby thing that entered the house.
"Where are you going?" Narcissa asked her son. "This is your baby too."
"I'm well aware of that, Mother," Draco replied. "But I'm sure the pair of you can manage to sort the nursery out. I was thinking I might go and talk to Tipsy and ask if she could cook Hermione and I a meal tonight. It would be nice to spend some time together, especially since I'll be going back to school in a few weeks' time."
"That sounds like a lovely idea," Hermione said, smiling at her boyfriend.
Narcissa nodded her agreement, and before his mother could change her mind Draco rushed away from the nursery. When Draco found Tipsy, the elf was more than happy with the request and immediately set about organising a menu that contained all of Hermione's favourite foods. Draco didn't question how Tipsy knew Hermione's favourite foods as he knew his girlfriend had taken the time to get to know his mother's elf and he also knew that Tipsy was very good at getting people to tell her things without them even realising they'd done it.
After sorting the evening's dinner, Draco headed back upstairs. When he passed the nursery he saw Hermione and Narcissa were still quite happily sorting stuff out and gossiping. Smiling at how well the pair got along, Draco carried on past the nursery and headed into his bedroom that was situated a few doors down.
As it often did when he was alone, the thought that he was about to become a father floated around in Draco's head and panic set in. Part of Draco was terrified of the prospect of becoming a father at seventeen and most of the time he was convinced he wouldn't be up to the task. However there was another part of him that was looking forward to the event. True being a parent at seventeen wouldn't have been his ideal choice, but he wouldn't want to be doing this with anyone other than Hermione.
Hermione had totally changed Draco's life, and it was mainly her that made him the person he was now. Without Hermione in his life, he would likely have ended up just like his father had imagined. A snobby little pureblood that thought that all muggleborns were beneath him. Instead, Hermione happened to be in the same year as him at school and that simple event had changed everything for Draco.
Draco had in fact started Hogwarts as a snobby little pureblood who looked down on almost everyone, but Hermione quickly blew his father's teachings out of the water. Lucius had always told him that muggleborns were unworthy of practising magic and their skills were weak compared to purebloods like him. However, Hermione's skills weren't even on a par with Draco's, they surpassed his. With Hermione top of every class and seemingly taking to practising magic so easily, Draco had to admit that his father had been wrong.
Of course Draco didn't admit that too easily and it wasn't until second year when he'd had the guts to approach Hermione. Until then they'd barely spoken to one another, but Hermione was more than happy to talk to Draco despite the rivalries between their two houses. One conversation in second year led to a friendship developing between the pair, albeit it a secret one given the fact Draco's father would have disapproved of his son getting friendly with a muggleborn.
Friendship was the only thing between Draco and Hermione until the beginning to fifth year. Moving out of the manor the previous summer had given Draco a new found sense of freedom and when he returned to school he'd promised himself he would try his luck with Hermione. Luckily Hermione was receptive to his romantic overtures and the pair were a couple before they'd been back at school for a month. Despite Draco and Narcissa no longer living at the manor, Draco was still fearful of what his father would do if he discovered his relationship with Hermione so the pair conducted their romance the same way they'd conducted their friendship - in secret.
By sixth year the pair were very serious about one another, and at the beginning of the year they professed their love for one another. When Draco discovered he would be spending Christmas at Hogwarts, Hermione immediately made sure she was doing the same. Over the Christmas holidays they finally gave into their growing passions and slept together for the first time. By the time the rest of the school returned in the New Year they'd been at it like rabbits, and it continued into the new school term.
Draco had been fairly sure he'd been performing the contraceptive spell properly every time they were together, but something had clearly gone wrong as a few weeks after the holidays Hermione had come to him in tears, voicing her concerns that she was pregnant. Despite his total shock, Draco had vowed to stick by Hermione and he'd been there for her ever since. The pair had performed the charm to detect pregnancy together and when it was positive they talked everything through. Together they had decided to ask Dumbledore for help, and they vowed that even if he couldn't help they would find a way to be together with their baby. Luckily Dumbledore had helped and here they were a few weeks before Hermione gave birth with a support network of people that would protect their child from harm.
With his thoughts bringing him back into the present, Draco had just gotten off the bed to go and see if Hermione and his mother were still in the nursery when his girlfriend walked in the door. Smiling at Draco, Hermione flopped down on the bed which Draco had just vacated.
"How's the nursery coming?" Draco asked, sitting back down next to his girlfriend.
"We're nearly finished," Hermione replied. "Just a few more pieces and it's done."
"Excellent," Draco smiled. "Has mother gone to get ready for this evening?"
"Yes."
"Why don't you also get ready for tonight?" Draco suggested. "I could run you a nice bath and you could have a relaxing soak before dinner."
"I'd like that," Hermione smiled. "Your mother also mentioned that she would speak to Tonks and let her know we wanted some time alone. That'll probably mean that either Tonks or Remus will briefly check in to make sure everything is okay before leaving us alone."
"That'll be good, I'm looking forward to spending some time just the two of us," Draco said as he headed off into the bathroom to run Hermione's bath.
Once Hermione was settled in the bath, Draco headed off downstairs to check Tipsy was coming on okay with dinner. As expected the elf had everything in hand and all Draco had to do was set the dining room table for a nice romantic meal with his girlfriend. Once the table was set, Draco headed back to his room where he helped Hermione out of the bath and the pair got dressed for a romantic night together.
By the time Draco and Hermione were dressed and downstairs, Narcissa was also ready to go. After checking the pair would be okay, Narcissa headed off for the night, leaving via the house Tonks and Remus were staying in. Shortly after Narcissa had left, Tonks appeared and checked everything was in place and the house was impenetrable.
"Just floo us if you need anything," Tonks told the young couple.
"We will," Draco told the older witch. "Thanks, Tonks."
"Enjoy yourselves," Tonks called, waving at the pair as she apparated away.
"Finally we're alone," Draco sighed. "I thought it would never happen."
"Your problem is you're too impatient," Hermione told her boyfriend as they headed to the dining room.
"I am not impatient," Draco huffed.
"Yes, you are," Hermione laughed. "Wow, this is beautiful," She gasped as they entered the dining room.
"It's nothing," Draco shrugged as the couple settled down at the table.
"It's a lovely gesture Draco, thank you," Hermione smiled at the blond. "And do you realise this could be construed as our first real date? Up until now we've just grabbed time alone at Hogwarts, we've never been on a proper date."
"I know," Draco sighed. "I would have loved to have taken you to Hogsmeade, or even just had a picnic in the school's grounds."
"I understand why we couldn't do either of those things," Hermione reassured her boyfriend. "I know if we could, we would have had a proper date long before now. Let's just enjoy tonight, and now dwell on all the things we haven't been able to do."
Draco nodded and swiftly changed the subject as Tipsy appeared with the first course. As the couple ate a delicious meal they chatted about anything and everything, apart from the war and the danger they and their baby faced. Instead they focused on talking about what school would be like next year and what it would be like being parents.
"I just hope I can leave the baby when the time comes to return to school," Hermione confessed as the couple finished eating and headed into the front room to relax. "I don't want to give up my education, but leaving the baby will be hard."
"I know what you mean," Draco said. "I hate the fact I have to leave you in a few weeks. I know Dumbledore promised he would inform me the second you go into labour, but it's not the same as being with you. Then I'll have to leave you and the baby and return to school as though nothing has happened."
"Are we doing the right thing?" Hermione asked, biting her lower lip anxiously. "Should we not have asked Dumbledore to put us into hiding somewhere? We could have remained hidden away safely."
"You know as well as I do that it wouldn't have worked," Draco sighed ruefully. As tempting as the idea of hiding was, there was just too many problems with it. "My father wouldn't have just sat back if I'd suddenly dropped out of school and went missing. He would have scoured the world looking for me, and knowing him he would have had some way of tracing me through the family blood or something. Then there's your friends to consider, it would have to be a convincing story to get them to believe you've abandoned your final year of schooling."
"I know this is the best solution. It's the best way of keeping our secret and giving ourselves the best opportunity to have a real future," Hermione admitted. "I just wish it didn't involve us being separated from the baby."
"At least as Head Students we'll have our own dorms and can see the baby as often as we like," Draco said, trying to get his girlfriend to see the positives in the arrangement. "I've got to admit, Dumbledore isn't always my favourite person, but he's really come through on this one. He's making this as easy as it can be, and is helping us so much."
"Everyone's been great," Hermione said. "Apart from my parents, we've had amazing support from people. Not one person has lectured us about ending up pregnant, all they've done is support is wholeheartedly."
"We're pretty lucky to have such great people around us," Draco said.
"And I'm lucky to have you," Hermione told her boyfriend. "You've been amazing throughout this whole thing. A lot of people in your position would have walked away."
"I would never have walked away from you and the baby," Draco said gently. "I love you Hermione, and I love our baby. I'm always going to be there for the pair of you, no matter what."
"I love you too, Draco," Hermione whispered, leaning over and connecting her lips to Draco's.
The kissing soon became much more heated and Hermione suggested they retired to the bedroom. Draco eagerly led the way to the bedroom, where the couple slowly undressed each other and crawled onto the large bed. With Draco's return to school looming and Hermione's growing pregnancy they both knew they'd have precious few opportunities to be together in the coming months, so they intended to make the most of each other while they still could.