A lot of people are questioning the relationship between Draco and Hermione. All I can say is answers are coming! Just not in this chapter.

Chapter 4

Ron Weasley unrolled the morning edition of The Daily Prophet. Splashed across the front page was a photo of Draco and Hermione exiting St. Mungo's. News of the divorce hadn't yet been released, and now speculation arose that baby would make three. "Do you know anything about this?" he asked as Ginny joined him for breakfast.

Looking over her brother's shoulder at the picture, she shook her head. "Reckon they're back together?" she asked, helping herself to eggs and bacon. "I thought they signed the papers last week. They look quite close, no?"

Scowling, he agreed with his younger sister. "He was there when Harry and I stopped by last week," he shared. "She was pretty cagey, didn't want to tell us what was going on. If she is pregnant, I really hope she doesn't stay with him just for the baby."

"You're sure they divorced?" she asked, studying the picture more intently. They looked like a couple in love. Hermione and Draco walked away from the hospital, arms linked and smiling as they looked at one another. "The way he treated her, if that were me, I'd never speak to him again."

Ron shrugged as he finished eating. "You and Harry spend a lot of time apart," he pointed out. Harry and Ginny had been married only a year, and had spent only six of them living together. The Head Auror and the Holyhead Harpies star Seeker were kept busy by their professions, and Ron saw little difference between the two couples. "I understand why she filed for divorce, but Malfoy wasn't that bad."

Scoffing, Ginny pushed away her half eaten meal. "Harry's never lied about having to work late in order to go drinking with his mates," she argued. "He doesn't ignore me."

"Come on, Gin," Ron replied with a roll of his eyes. "She spends just as much time working as he does. I'm not defending the guy, Merlin knows. I just don't think it's fair to blame him entirely just because Hermione is our friend."

The youngest Weasley followed him with her eyes as he crossed the room to the fireplace. "You know she's not going to take you back," Ginny cautioned. "And if they really are having a baby, she's not going to let someone else who isn't Draco raise it."

Ron nodded as he picked up the pot of floo powder. "I know," he said confidently. "That doesn't mean I won't be there for her. She may have chosen him over me, but which one of us has been the better friend to her?"

It was only seconds before he stepped into Hermione's living room. The house seemed quiet, but that was nothing new. Hermione often left early for work and stayed late at the office, even on a Saturday. He hadn't been sure why he thought it was a good time to visit. A part of him hoped she might be home, but he knew better. Just as he was about to return home, he heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Ron?"

It surprised him that Draco Malfoy was there, and that he used his first name.

"What are you doing here?" Ron wondered.

Scowling, Draco replied, "I could ask you the same." Ron told him about the front page headline in the morning paper, raising Draco's ire more. "This is going to kill her."

"Is it true?"

Draco glanced at the stairs to make sure they were still alone, then nodded. "She wanted to tell you herself," he continued. "It's not something we want getting out any time soon."

Ron assured him that he would say nothing. "So, the marriage, is it still over?" he asked. Once again, the blond confirmed his suspicions.

"I know I've screwed up a lot over the years," he confessed. "I have to prove to her that I can do this though. A part of me isn't sure I can do that."

"You have to," was Ron's simple reply. The pair had never been friendly, and he wasn't sure now was the time to start. Hermione was still his best friend, and he wanted to help her. If that meant helping Malfoy as well, he would do it. "It's your kid. You should be here."

Hermione stood at the top of the stairs, listening to their conversation. She couldn't help but wonder why Ron Weasley would encourage her ex-husband to stay for the sake of their unborn child. In the past, he had tried to talk her out of marriage, and had been supportive of the divorce. His motives seemed strange and foreign, but she appreciated his attempt.

When she finally made her presence known, Ron tried to smile. "I know about the headlines," she told him. The owl had delivered the morning paper to her bedroom window. "This, um, this wasn't how I wanted you or Harry or the family to find out, and I'm really sorry about that."

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed her apology. "That's not important," he assured her. "I was a little curious to find Malfoy here this early, but I guess that's not really important either. I just...I want you to know, the both of you, that you have my support. I'm not sure that means anything, but it's there."

Draco expressed his gratitude, and with that, Ron left for work. "That was interesting," he commented when they were alone.

"I didn't expect him to be so calm," Hermione added. She followed Draco to the kitchen, and sat while he began to make breakfast. "His hair and face are supposed to match in situations like this. And he didn't hex you. What's that about?"

Laughing, he shrugged as he began to crack eggs. "Maybe he figured I could leave the baby fatherless all on my own, and he didn't need to help," he suggested. He continued to focus on his task as she scoffed. "We were both thinking it."

"I wasn't," she countered. "If there's one thing I'm certain about, it's that when there's something you really want, you do everything you can to attain it. If being a father is something you want, you'll do what it takes to be here. I'd rather know now though if this isn't what you want."

"I'm here, Hermione," he swore. "I'm here, I'm staying, and I'm not going anywhere."