It was getting dark and we weren't there yet. Shit. She was going to kill me. Being late to dinner any other night, sure, she was understanding most of the time. But three nights in a row? Granger would have my head. Just like the last two nights and I had promised. I should have known better than to promise. Fuck.

"Can we hurry this up?"

"Relax Malfoy," Tim said, to my annoyance. "You're acting like it's your first night out you're so jittery. Nothing's going to happen."

"Will you stop jinxing every single mission we have? Salazar, Tim, you're just being reckless."

"Reckless is my middle name," he said with a smirk my way.

I wanted to hex the arrogant gits balls off for his cheek. This was serious. Not to mention dangerous. If I wasn't afraid of Granger killing me when I got home, if something happened it would be nothing compared to her reaction to it. She had become… volatile after the last… incident. It wasn't really my fault, not really. So, what? I told a joke at a very inopportune moment? How did that make me responsible for three people at St. Mungo's? We caught the guy in the end. Okay, maybe it was my fault. The whole "constant vigilance" bit got away from me for a bit. Guess that's the point of it, ironic, right?

Rounding another corner the houses here seemed just as drab and run-down as all the others. "We're lost," I said dejected.

"No, we're not."

"Fuck you, we're lost just admit it. I need to get home." Reaching into my pocket I looked at the silver pocket-watch Granger had gotten me last Christmas. Two hours late. The evening could still be salvaged.

"If you weren't so whipped Malfoy and tried to focus for once, you'd see— "

"Whipped?" I asked, "Please, just because I'm man enough to admit that we're lost— "

"Man enough to admit?" Tim made an exaggerated hurt face. "Why I am insulted."

"Please don't start this again."

"You have hurt my honour!" His hand flung to his forehead. "I feel faint."

"This is ridiculous."

"Catch me!" Tim comically swayed on his feet toward me.

"Fuck off." I shoved him away and he chuckled.

A white light whipped past me and hit Tim, he stiffened and fell to the ground. I swung around with my wand up a shield charm on my tongue as I stared into the darkness. There was no way I would make dinner tonight. Hermione was definitely going to kill me.

I closed the door quietly and took a moment to rest my head against it. Being outnumbered fucking sucked. The mission had been a complete bust since Tim had been incapacitated throughout the whole thing. Thankfully I'm a skilled duellist and managed, somehow, after too long and too many draining spells, hexes and shield charms to apparate the two of us out of there.

I unclasped my cloak and hung it on the hook. It was dark, but there was still light in the kitchen. Fuck. I tiptoed closer to the light, hoping that by some miracle she had just forgotten to turn off the light. Something she never did. No such luck. Hermione was sitting at the kitchen table. It was still set for him, the food in the middle and an empty plate by his usual seat. Her hands were clasped in front of her on the table and she didn't even look at him when he stepped into the light. He was sure he didn't look great, evidence of the rough night evident on his face and he wanted her to see that. See the proof of why he was so unforgivingly late. Hesitantly he made himself a glass of water and chugged it down before filling it again and slid into the chair. Her stare was so vacant, did she even know he was there? His stomach plummeted. Oh no, that couldn't be anything good. But this couldn't possibly be that serious, could it? He had just missed dinner a few times. Nothing to break up over, at least he didn't think so. Fuck, he couldn't lose her.

"Hermione?" He said gently, putting his hand over both of hers on the table. She still didn't look up, so he cupped her cheek and moved her hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry I'm so late. I know I promised but something came up and Tim was stunned and then I had to duel three guys at once and it was all so fucked up, you know?" Still silence. "I… I tried to tell him that we were lost, it was stupid really. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to leave you alone again. I'll make it up to you I promise."

More silence. Fuck. I hadn't rambled like this for a while. What was going on?

"Are you alright? Did something happen?"

No reaction.

"Come on Hermione, look at me!"

Her head snapped to me and her eyes focused. I prepared for the worst, for the words I had always expected to hear, whenever she was upset, whenever something came up, however small. Those three damning words: I'm leaving you. Or the four that were worse: I don't love you. Add the worst word of all and it would completely crush my world: anymore.

She took a breath and her hand cupped mine by her cheek.

"Please Hermione, talk to me. What's going on?"

She smiled, it was small, tentative and unsure.

"I'm pregnant."