I made a minor adjustment to the end of the last chapter. Please read it unless you want to be lost in the beginning of this chapter. Okay? Thanks!

………………………………

Baby, Baby, Baby

…………………………………

Malfoy Manor. So Pansy was already filling in the soon to be Mrs. Malfoy position. Regardless of what the circumstances were, Hermione felt a nasty, bitter, feeling invade her. She was jealous. She was jealous and no reasoning she made with herself was enough to change her way of thinking.

And apparently her stomach disagreed with her mood and emotions, and she had to lean against the stone banister for a moment so that the wave could pass by as she took deep breaths. She had nearly jogged the long path from the gates of the manor, and strangely, she still felt energized. She knocked the door and immediately a house elf answered.

He was faintly reminiscent of Kreacher, a traitorous elf who had worked for the Black family in Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, but Kreacher had long since passed away, and this elf was more polite to be related to the before mentioned elf.

"I'm here to see Pansy Parkinson," she said politely.

"Miss Pansy is taking tea in the garden. Join her there you may, Miss Hermione," he said as he opened the door wider.

How many bloody house elves did Draco have? Hermione had never seen this one and yet he knew her name. She pushed the thought away and followed the elf towards the back of the manor where Pansy was. She was sitting in a chair next to a small glass table where she was dictating to a quill that was scribbling quickly.

She looked up and managed a small smile when the elf told her who it was. "Granger," Pansy said politely.

"Please, call me Hermione. We're not in school anymore and we're both adults."

"Then I will extend you the same courtesy," she replied. "To what do I owe this surprise?"

Hermione let out a slow breath, composing herself, and praying to Merlin that she wouldn't snap in a jealous spell. "I'm here to tell you that I received an owl from the ministry. They're searching for Blaise high and low and he will be tried for the things he has done. Including…… well, what he did to you," Hermione said uncomfortably.

Pansy merely nodded and smiled in a sad and resigned sort of way. "I want him to pay for all he has done too. He's too evil, even for a Slytherin. I'm just thankful that I have Draco by my side." And at those words, her face brightened considerably.

Hermione felt her stomach churn. God, here she was, sitting in front of a woman who had a death sentence, and she was living with the man Pansy was going to marry. To make matters worse, his child was growing inside her. Hermione felt a headache coming on. This was getting too complicated.

"Would you like some tea?" Pansy asked suddenly.

"No thank you," Hermione said as she took a moment to admire the beautiful garden they were sitting in. there were variations of beautiful, colorful flowers, and the scent was overpowering her nose. She was just thankful that she had no allergies because the sight was just wonderful. "So… when are you marrying Draco?" she asked abruptly, not able to hold her question in any longer.

She hadn't spoken about this with Draco, and maybe it was for the better. Hermione hadn't really been in the mood to find out when Draco was going to tie himself to another woman who wasn't her through marriage. Granted that she and Draco hadn't really made a commitment to each other. They had been living together, sleeping together, but he had never expressed any sort of feeling. She felt it when they were together, but sometimes she needed to hear the words. Her thoughts were cut short when Pansy answered.

"In a Week! The day right after Potter gets married. I wanted it to be the same day, but Draco said that we weren't competing with Potter for anything, that we deserved our own day. I'm having the announcement put in the same day of our marriage. Draco and I agreed that it would be best if no one else knew until the very day!" she said excitedly.

Hermione felt her eyes burn with tears, but she beat them back ruthlessly. She had come here on her own and had known what to expect. There was no need to start blubbering like a baby. Baby. Draco's baby. That was just another reason to start crying again. Hermione remembered reading books about mothers and pregnancy, and she knew that her emotions would be acting up quite a lot during this time.

"Have you thought of what you will do afterwards?"

Pansy shook her head and frowned. "You know, I honestly hadn't thought of that. I know that my time is short, and I have resigned myself to the inevitable, but I don't know what I can do. Having a child is out of the questions. The doctor told me that it would only kill me faster, and maybe even hurt the baby in the process."

"Y-you asked?" Hermione stammered.

Pansy nodded. "I've dreamed of having a family with Draco from the moment I met him, we were very small when we met. I think that he was my first real love, and has been my only love. But having a family isn't going to happen, unfortunately."

Hermione cleared her throat. "Yes, yes, very unfortunate," she said as she twirled a long lock of brown hair around her index finger nervously. "Well then, have you thought of taking an extended trip?"

Pansy looked at her with open interest. "What do you mean by that?"

Hermione sighed. Merlin, this woman wasn't going to make this easier. "I mean, ask Draco to take you around the world. Get to know the different wizarding communities. Don't stay here doing nothing. See other sights and enjoy your time. I'm sure that Draco has more than enough to cater to your whims," she said the last a bit flatly.

"What if he doesn't want to leave his business or his life here for a year?" Pansy asked with a frown. "His businesses and investments are on the rise."

Hermione nodded. "He can leave someone fully qualified to take care of his businesses. I'm sure you can convince him. Make him promise it to you," she whispered in a sort of detached tone. It was like another person was speaking for her. Her mind was thinking rationally, while her heart was pleading, begging her to not say anything, to keep quiet.

She didn't want to send Draco away when she needed him the most. But her mouth ran off with her, like always, and she tied the noose around her own neck with the next words. "If you make him promise to take you away a long trip, he will do it," she said as her voice broke. And that she couldn't hide from Pansy.

"What's wrong?" she asked, showing concern for the very first time Hermione had ever known her. Then it all dawned on Pansy. "Draco has been protecting you, hasn't he? You will miss him; I understand now why this affects you so."

Hermione's eyes widened and she couldn't help when her mouth dropped open. "What?" she squeaked.

"What I mean is, Blaise was your protection for a very long time, yet see all the things he did. How he hurt you. Draco has been your protection and now you lose him too. It's understandable that my marriage to him affects you. But don't worry, I won't object to him helping you."

Hermione shook her head. "I have to get up on my own, without anyone's help or without depending on any man. Draco has helped me a great deal, and I'm very thankful to him, but it's more than enough. I have always liked being independent and I have to be on my own now," she said with a heavy sigh.

"Listen," Pansy began a bit nervously, shifting in her seat. "I have many acquaintances, family friends, but I have no real friends. Not like you, Potter, and Weasley. Therefore I don't have a maid of honor……" she trailed off for a few seconds, leaving Hermione to understand what she was getting at.

'Oh dear God. Don't ask me that. Anything but that. Anything but being present the day that Draco leaves me for good!'

"Will you be my maid of honor?" I know that maybe it's too much to ask, and you don't have to do it if you don't want to," she said softly.

Hermione felt like wailing in despair. This was bloody blackmail! How was she supposed to say no to something like this! To a woman who was dying and was asking her to do something so small for her? Pansy was looking at her expectantly, yet with hope in her eyes.

Hermione let out a long breath and parted her lips to give Pansy her decision…………

…………………………

Hermione was sitting in her living room, a room apart from the sitting room, where she and Draco had successfully put in a muggle television set. They had made a few adjustments so that their magic didn't interfere with the TV. So now she was able to watch her favorite soaps while she ate cookie-dough ice cream.

It was close to midnight and she couldn't sleep. She still felt a bit out of herself from the week she had spent in the loony bin, so sleep was becoming increasingly hard. She wondered where Draco was. Maybe Pansy had already talked to him about taking that trip.

When she had left Malfoy Manor, she had convinced Pansy to take that trip and she had already begun to make plans as to how much time she wanted to spend in different countries and different cities. Hermione just hoped that she didn't spill the beans and told Draco that the idea hadn't been hers.

A few minutes later, she startled awake from her position in a comfortable armchair. The front door had been slammed closed with more force than was necessary and she had been dozing on and off for a few minutes now. She grabbed her wand and levitated her nearly melted ice cream to the kitchen and into the fridge she had also cajoled Draco into getting.

She sat up and stood to see why Draco was in such a foul mood. The small smile on her face quickly wilted when she was encountered with cold gray eyes, and a pale face devoid of any emotion.

"What's wrong? What happened?" she asked quickly, not liking the look on his face one bit.

"I just came from the Manor, where I had dinner with Pansy," he said flatly.

Uh-oh. Hermione bit her lip. She knew where he was getting at. "And what did she say?" she asked evenly.

"She made me promise her to take her on an extended trip around the world for what is left of her life."

Hermione raised her eyebrows in a gesture of nonchalance. "I don't see what the problem is," she lied.

Draco squeezed the bridge of his nose in a gesture of anger. "…don't understand…… problem," he repeated faintly, closing his eyes. He then took a few steps towards her and gripped her by the arms. "What the hell are you playing at? Why do you want me gone?"

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. "Draco, you're hurting me!" she said as she tried to twist out of his hurtful grasp.

"Isn't it enough that I'm giving you up to go and marry Pansy? Why the hell do you want me out of the country?"

"That's not what I want!" Hermione yelled. "I told you that you have to dedicate yourself solely to her and you won't do it while I'm close to you! This is tearing me up inside Draco!"

"Well, it doesn't seem like it," Draco sneered. "All I see is that you are pushing me away without a second thought. You give Pansy this stupid idea of taking a very long trip, and you accept to be her maid of honor! Fuck, if I were your slave, then it would appear that you are selling me off because I've become bothersome to you now that you've gotten what you wanted!"

Hermione gasped at his cruel words. "How can you say all that to me?" she cried as she shoved him away from her. "I trusted you, and only you, after all that Blaise has done to me. I don't want you for your bloody money and you know it! I never asked for any of this! You gave it to me out of your own free will!"

"Is this because of Potter? I just can't possibly believe that after giving up your virginity to him, you had no special feelings for him," Draco said in a low, dangerous tone.

She shook her head incredulously. "I knew that this was what was bothering you. You're angry at the fact that I slept with Harry! But why, if it happened so long ago? How can you be jealous about that!"

Draco turned away from her and grunted. "I'm not jealous." Something about his tone told Hermione that he was lying.

"Liar," she said relentlessly. Draco stiffened and turned back to her, his eyes no longer cold.

"What about you? You kept your little secret safe from me for a long time. Were you ever going to tell me that you had slept with him? You told Zabini," he spat.

"Not if I had known that you would react this way," Hermione sneered. "How the hell is this relevant in our relationship? If you can call this a relationship," she hissed angrily.

Draco eyed her narrowly and noticed the angry light in her eyes. "What the hell are you on about now?"

"Draco, you and I have no commitment to each other. We have been lovers and we have lived together for a very short time, but you—you have been clear as to what I am to you in your life. We haven't spoken about plans for a possible future, if you want to marry me, if we'll only be lovers, or maybe boyfriend and girlfriend. You're getting married to someone else, but if she hadn't come along, where would I stand in your life?"

Draco stared at her, not knowing what she wanted to hear.

"Your silence is enough answer for me," Hermione whispered. "I hold no permanent place in your life so we might as well go our separate ways now, before it becomes too hard to break it off later."

Who was she kidding? It was hard now and she wanted to take back those words as soon as they left her mouth, but she couldn't. If Draco was really going to make Pansy happy, then it had to be far away from her.

"I can't believe you're doing this," Draco said softly. "I—I don't want to leave you here alone, while Zabini is on the loose."

"And that's the only reason why you don't want to leave," Hermione said as her eyes watered slightly and she looked away from him. "You and I are a mistake, Draco."

"Only if you believe it so," Draco said slowly, his eyes showing a measure of hurt and betrayal. Hermione felt like sobbing.

"I don't want to believe it, but we are. You and I are too different and there are so many things that stand in our way. Pansy, my friends, your pride, the fact that I'm still married to a criminal. Maybe we were just not meant to be," Hermione said as her voice cracked.

"I didn't give Pansy a reply."

Hermione looked him in the eyes. "Then do it. Because if you don't go, then I will," she said softly.

Draco's eyes narrowed but before he could retort, she had turned and walked away from him. He cursed inwardly and watched her go. Damn it, when had they turned into such a…… such a married couple?

…………………………

Hermione grinned as she watched Ron catering to his wife, Padma. She had grown bigger in the last two weeks that Hermione had been gone, and was now ready to have her baby.

Hermione wondered if she wasn't having twins. Pregnancy had made Padma glow and she looked happy, even with all the discomfort she was in. Right now, Hermione was sitting with Ron and Padma in a hospital room at St. Mungo's, being that Padma had gone into labor just a few hours before.

The baby was due in another hour or so. Ron had basically begged Hermione to keep him company while Padma was in labor, and how could she say no when he had been such a great friend to her? So here she was, sitting in a chair out of the way, watching as Padma experienced contractions every five minutes.

Dear god, having a baby looked very painful. But this was a welcome change in atmosphere. Being here in the hospital room, horrified on how childbirth really was, was much more better than staying at home and finishing her argument with Draco whenever he decided to return after the office. She had absolutely no desire to do that at the moment. Draco could be exceptionally vicious when he was angry, and her emotions wouldn't be able to take much more of that today or any day.

"Ronny, please relax," Padma said soothingly. "I'm not in pain right now so sit down for a minute."

Ron kissed her tenderly on the forehead and sat down on the edge of her bed, his hand caressing her face lightly. "I just want you to be as comfortable as possible. My mother and your mother said that they would be here soon and once they're here, we won't have a moment of peace," he grumbled.

Padma just smiled and leaned over to press a kiss to Ron's cheek. Then she turned to Hermione and noticed the half grimace on her face. "Don't get scared Hermione. Having a baby can be a pain, but it is also a most special time in a woman's life."

Hermione smiled genuinely. "I know. It's just a little worrisome that you look so calm about being in pain for hours."

"The reward is so worth it. I'll have my baby in my arms soon and all this will just be a fond memory," Padma said as she took the glass of water that Ron offered her. She kept that shrewd stare on Hermione and smiled. "There's something different about you, Hermione. You look… you're glowing. And that only comes with being in love, or being……"

Hermione's eyes widened and she shook her head, looking from Padma to Ron's back. But Padma understood the look on her face. From that moment on, Padma beamed at her and looked from her face to her flat stomach, a knowing smile on her face.

"Ron, will you go wait for our mothers outside? There's something that I want to talk to Hermione about. It's girl talk sweetie. I'll be fine," she said at the worried look he was giving her.

"Okay, but I'll be back in a few minutes with or without our mothers," he said before kissing her belly and then her lips. He gave Hermione's shoulder a gentle squeeze and then walked out, leaving the two mothers to be in a tense silence.

Padma got right down to the point. "Are you pregnant?" she asked softly.

Hermione found that she didn't want to lie to Padma. After all, she hadn't had a real friend since Ginny, and that had been a total bust and waste of time. She nodded and looked away from Padma's dark eyes. "Three weeks along."

Padma did the math and then gasped. "Ron told me that you separated from Blaise a month ago. Were… were you still sleeping with him?"

"No," Hermione said softly. "This baby isn't Blaise's."

"Then who?" Padma asked before she grimaced and gripped the railings of the bed tightly as a contraction hit her. Hermione waited and followed Padma's breathing as she came down from the pain. "Wow, that one hurt more than the last one, or maybe I'm just getting tired."

"Do you want me to call a healer?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"No, I'm fine, and that would only serve to aggravate Ron more. Now please keep telling me," she said.

"Padma, if I trust you with this, then I want to please ask you to swear not to tell another living soul until I say so. Okay? No one knows of my pregnancy except for you and me," Hermione said as she gripped Padma's hand.

Padma nodded and looked at her in concern and squeezed her hand back in reassurance. "I promise not to tell a living soul."

"Not even Ron?" Hermione pleaded.

Padma hesitated but then nodded. "Not even Ron."

"I have needed to speak to a friend so badly, but since Ginny's betrayal, I have had no one to talk to."

"Well, you have me now," Padma said with a smile. "Especially whenever you need to know something about babies. I'll be almost a year ahead of you with experience, so I'll help you with pleasure."

"Thank you," Hermione smiled. "Now, after I left Blaise, there was one man who helped me out of the hole I was falling into. He was there for me when I needed him and I fell in love with him. I must admit that I have been foolish because we can't be together. He's marrying someone else and he can't know about my pregnancy."

Padma was looking at her with wide eyes. "It's not Harry is it? Dear God, it is Harry!"

"No!" Hermione cried. "Absolutely not! My baby isn't Harry's!"

"Then who?"

Hermione hesitated for a long moment. "………Draco, Draco Malfoy."

Padma's mouth dropped in shock. "What? Did you just…… Malfoy?" she squeaked.

The brunette nodded and swallowed hard. "He doesn't know, and I don't plan on telling him because…… because he's getting married to Pansy Parkinson."

Padma leaned back and let out a shocked breath. "But… but Hermione, you have to tell him! He has every right to know that you're having his baby. Every man has the right to know that he is going to be a father," Padma reasoned.

"I can't tell him. I assume you know that Pansy is dying, right?" Padma nodded. "Draco is doing this as a last wish for Pansy. If I tell him that I'm pregnant, he will most likely cancel all his plans because of me, and I won't let that happen," she said in determination.

Padma just shook her head. "You can't do this Hermione," she said in a soft voice. "This baby needs a father! Have you stopped to think about how hard it's going to be with you as a single mother?"

Hermione shook her head. Honestly, she hadn't thought about that, and it did seem hard to raise a child on her own. But once Pansy passed away, maybe, just maybe, she'd tell Draco about their baby.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"Please call Ron, I think the baby is coming right this minute!"

……………………

"Oh, she's beautiful!" Molly Weasley crooned as she looked down at her brand new granddaughter. She was in Padma's arms, sleeping peacefully. But unlike the whole Weasley clan, this new addition was not redhaired. She had the darkest hair, like her mother, yet she had inherited the freckles and the blue eyes.

"We're going to name her Piama Alexandria Weasley," Padma said proudly.

And for the next few minutes there was nothing but praise for the new Weasley family member. By the time everyone had left, Hermione herself was exhausted. It was almost five in the afternoon, yet she was in no mood to go home.

If Draco had gotten home at the normal time, then that meant that he knew where she was and who she was with. She had been considerate enough to leave him a note.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?" she asked as she looked up at Ron.

"Will you take Piama for a second, I need to take Padma to lavatory," he said as he held the baby towards her.

"Sure, but I don't know how to hold a baby!" Hermione said in surprise.

"Well, it's time for you to start learning, isn't it?" Padma asked smartly.

Hermione gave her a pleading look and Ron looked from one to the other, frowning. Then his best friend took the baby before he could ask her any questions. Ron helped Padma move slowly towards the restroom that was in her own private room and left Hermione alone with the newborn baby.

"Aren't a beautiful baby?" Hermione asked the tiny little thing softly. The baby cooed and stretched her little arms. "Hopefully, you'll be as smart as your godmother, and far more dedicated in your studies than your father, but you'll also have the beauty and smarts of your mother too," she said as the baby closed a little fist around her index finger.

"It's just a good thing that she didn't inherit the awful Weasley red hair," said a new voice. Hermione looked up, startled, and then promptly relaxed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked Draco flatly.

"I came to take you home. Must I remind you that Zabini is still out there and that he may very well follow you home just to hurt you?" Draco asked in annoyance. "You know, for such a childhood genius, your common sense seems to have gone down the drain," he goaded.

Hermione covered the baby's ears before she responded. "If you came here to act like an ass and insult me, then you shouldn't have bothered," she spat. "I could've found my way home, on my own."

"You know," Draco said gently, eyeing her and the baby in her arms. "Having a child in your arms suits you. You look like a natural mother."

Those words made something break deep in Hermione. How was it that he could be a complete asshole in one minute and a perfectly sweet gentleman in the other? She felt like crying again.

Ron and Padma came out from the restroom and eyed them both curiously. "What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Ron asked as he helped Padma onto her bed and then went over to Hermione to get his daughter from her.

"I'm here to take her home. With Zabini out there, she can't be alone anymore when she goes out. She won't listen to me, so maybe you can make her understand reason," Draco said as he offered Hermione a hand.

Padma looked at her with a smile and a nod, and Hermione knew what she was trying to say. She shook her head once and then took his offered hand. No, she was not going to tell Draco about the baby. At least, not yet.

Hermione walked over and gave both Ron and Padma a hug and her best wishes with their new baby. "Thanks for being here with us both, Mione." She nodded and smiled.

"Come and visit us whenever you need someone to talk to," Padma said with meaning. Hermione nodded and pressed a gentle kiss to the baby's forehead.

"Congratulations, Weasley," Draco said curtly before pulling Hermione out the door.

"Now tell me if I'm imagining things," Ron said as he turned to his wife.

………………………

Hermione blinked into the darkness and let out a heavy sigh. She had been awake for an hour now, and all she wanted to do was watch Draco sleep. When they had arrived from St. Mungo's earlier that night, they had had a silent dinner together.

Afterwards, he had given her an unspoken apology and she had allowed him to make love to her. An act that had lasted for a good few hours. She had fallen asleep feeling exhausted, but she had woken up and hadn't been able to go to sleep again.

She turned around in his arms so that his body spooned her, and Draco automatically curled around her body, one of his large hands resting on her flat belly. And that was when she let the tears come. No sobs, just silent tears that trailed down her face for a very long time.

She moved his hand so that it rubbed over her stomach, over the resting place of their unborn baby. And that was when she made up her mind. She would tell him about the baby.

………………………

"Mione! Mione!"

Hermione looked up from the work she was taking care of for Draco's office and frowned. Draco had told her that it wasn't necessary for her to work, but what else was she going to do at home? Sit there like a table ornament? She didn't think so.

So she was now being startled from her work by Ron's head in the fireplace again. "What's wrong? What's the commotion about?" she asked as she stood and walked over to sit in front of him.

"We've got her, Mione. Fleur is with Blaise and Fred and George are getting Harry so that he can see it himself!"

"Merlin, he's finally going to believe us!" Hermione said with a small smile. After all, how could she really be happy when this was going to hurt her best friend greatly? "Where are you? I'm going to alert the ministry that I have spotted Blaise somewhere public, and Fleur is also going to go down for helping a criminal!"

"We're at a place called 'Golden Witch Spa,' we spotted Blaise walking in a few minutes ago and we also found out that Fleur is here already."

"I'll be there in a few minutes!" Hermione said before they cut the connection. She let out a relieved breath and stood to get her coat and her wand. Thank the deities that they were finally going to get Blaise, and Fleur was an added bonus.

This was going to be a good day.

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Woohoo! New chapter! Isn't this great? And oh my, we've reached the 500 mark in reviews, so you can all guess that I'm really happy here! So things seem to be getting a bit better. Hermione is going to tell Draco, but when? About Fleur and Ginny? Well, these are things that are going to be answered in the next chapters.

I am really trying my best to work on my other fics, but whenever I start working on this one, I just get a rush of ideas and I set all my attention to this one, but I have a lot of stuff written for 'Game of Seduction,' I just need to find time to type it all up.

Anyways, I have to go, but thank you so much for the great reviews and for the support. Can't wait to see what you think!

Byebye

!Joey!