A/N: YOU MUST READ THIS!
I have made some fixes to the plot (I know I said I wouldn't, for those who are returning but I did because you know, I'm evil and stupid), so you might want to skim through the previous chapters again (I mean there are only three and they're relatively short so yeah) to make sure you're on board.
I know this fic's been crazy (all my fics have) and so thanks to all those who have stuck by and supported me. You guys mean the world to me!
Chapter 4:
LAST NIGHT (while Cassiopeia and James discusses the identity of her father):
"What do I do, Ginny? How do I answer her?" Hermione asked, pacing.
Ginny sighed. "Maybe it's time you tell her. You can't keep it a secret forever."
"Not yet… I can't tell her yet, not when she doesn't know exactly who he is."
"Hermione…"
The brunette sighed. "I know, Ginny, I know. But I don't have to tell him. I don't have to tell Draco. There are a bunch of single mothers out there, right? And I've done well without him, I've gone twelve years of raising Cassiopeia on my own - "
" - as well as me and Ginny," said a new voice.
Both women turned around to face the doorway which Harry was leaning on.
"Still eavesdropping, I see," said Hermione sarcastically.
"You know, they do say that habits from Hogwarts do tend to last a lifetime," Ginny deadpanned.
Harry scoffed playfully. "Oh, come off it," he said. "Besides, I couldn't help overhearing."
Hermione gave him a look. "There's a reason for the silencing charm."
Harry raised his eyebrows. "You two seemed to be in an adult discussion. Figured I could join in."
"We're in an adult discussion you are nowhere near mature for, Harry," teased Ginny.
"But my point is," said Harry, exaggeratedly ignoring his wife, "is that you didn't raise Cassie on your own, Hermione. You did leave her with us for extended periods of time while you worked yourself sick at the Ministry."
Hermione sighed. "You know that Cassiopeia wasn't expected, and I had so much left to do with my career, and I - "
"I'm not blaming you," Harry cut her off gently. "All I'm saying is that… you don't spend as much time as you should with her."
"You don't think I know that?" Hermione snapped, before hanging her head.
"Look, Hermione, honey, I think you should tell Cassiopeia. And Draco."
Hermione looked up so quickly she could've gotten a whiplash. "Him?" she asked, her voice coming out a bit squeakily. She cleared her throat. "Draco? Why him?"
"Um, because she's his kid too?" Harry said.
"Well, it doesn't matter, because he left," said Hermione.
"Don't you think he deserves to, you know, even just know?" Ginny asked. "You can deal with him leaving and all the weird crap you went through later, but I think he deserves to know."
"Malfoy didn't know you were having Cassiopeia when he left. He left for his job, Hermione, not because he stopped loving you. He would still want to be involved," said Harry.
Hermione crossed her arms and frowned. "What, now you're ganging up on me? Some friends you are."
"Hermione…"
"Oh, stop 'Hermione…'-ing me!"
"You have to tell him one day," said Ginny.
Hermione huffed. "Fine. One day. But one day does not mean soon, so when I'm on my death bed, all wrinkled and gnarled, I'll make sure the message has been passed on to him."
"Hermione…"
"You're doing that thing where you say my name, dragging it out in this painfully whiny voice again."
Harry shook his head. "Malfoy's accepted a low-key yet active undercover Auror mission in the States, not some dull banking job or something, so I think I'm correct in saying the statistic that he'll outlive you is ten to one."
"Shut up, Harry, shut up, and stop trying to be a smartass. I think I'm going to turn in fort today. Send Cassie over when she comes down."
"All right," said Ginny, patting Hermione on the back. "Get some sleep, okay?"
Hermione gave Harry and Ginny both tired looks. "Oh, tonight? I'm getting no sleep."
PRESENT
"Hermione, Cassie said a funny thing yesterday after you left," said Ginny, settling into Hermione's dining room chairs, opening a bag a Doritos.
"Merlin, Ginny, I'm just back from work, and you know I hate it when you scare me by just sitting around in my house - "
"Oh, give me a break, I'm unemployed!"
Hermione shoot Ginny a deprecating look as she shrugged off her coat. "You know I gave you my key for emergencies."
Ginny shrugged. "We were out of Doritos."
Hermione let out an exasperated sigh. "The market's got to be closer than my flat from yours!"
"Nope. Actually, the nearest grocery store is two minutes farther away from your flat, and you know, Apparating long distance makes me dizzy."
"Two minutes, you've got to be kidding, two minutes. Two minutes is long distance?" Hermione asked, kicking off her shoes.
Ginny raised a pencilled eyebrow. "I don't know why you're so pissed. I do this, like, every day - "
" - which is why I'm pissed - "
"Shut up, okay, shut up, Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed, hopping off her chair. "Cassie was asking me about her father yesterday, and then she mentioned Draco as well. You're entering dangerous territory, here, Hermione."
Hermione sighed. "Where's Cassiopeia now?"
"My house. I'm warning you, tell her, before it's too late."
Hermione sighed. "I will, Ginny, I will."
"It might already be too late," Ginny muttered under her breath, before disappearing with a loud crack.
A/N: I know, late update, and nothing much is happening in this chapter, but this was kind of more so you guys know I haven't exactly fallen off the face of the earth or something.
Also, I'm figuring someone will point out the fact that wizards don't need keys - but I have fallen desperately in love with a new fandom and wanted to reference it (I will make a lot of other-fandom references from now on) in my story, so please, if you do know where the 'we ran out of Doritos' thing came from - tell me!
