A/n: things are going to go a little faster from here on. WE'RE GETTING CLOSER!!!

Chapter Ten

Dada

------------PARENTS AT SEVENTEEN------------

My heart was in emotional turmoil. That's all I could say to describe it. After my conversation with Draco, all I knew was that I liked him even more. This just made him more human in my eyes.

Surprisingly, on the train ride back, all of our couples sat in the same compartment. Draco held Josh for nearly the entire ride, fed him, and then let him fall asleep on him.

Emotional turmoil? Of course. But this isn't even half of it.

Our first day back to school I was the second one to take a shower. I was under the mindset that my hair looked better when I dried some of it with a towel, then dried the rest with my wand and styled it.

So I walked in the bedroom rubbing a towel on my hair to find Draco playing with a sitting-all-by-himself Josh on Draco's bed.

"What are you two doing?" I asked with a smile. Josh looked up and smiled at me, holding his new wand in the air. Draco as well turned around and was the one to answer me.

"Just playing. He really does like his wand. I'm glad for that" he said smiling back at Josh.

Then, emotional turmoil skyrocketed.

I was enjoying myself when it happened. Just sitting there, watching my son and his father smiling to each other, when Josh turned to Draco, smiled nice and big with his new tooth that was coming in, and said, "dada."

Time stopped. For both of us, I believe. Draco and I just stood there staring at him. He giggled like he said something funny, then turned back to his wand to continue playing with it.

Draco was the first to recover. "Get that Granger. I must be doing a good job, he really thinks I'm his father." Draco was even…smiling. Then he turned to look at me as if worried about something. "Hey, your dad won't mind will he?"

"No" I said, finally regaining my voice. "No, I think he'll understand.

"Listen, can you take him to daycare? I need to go talk to Ginny."

"Sure" he said, picking Josh up. "Come on little guy."

It wasn't long until I found Ginny. I mean I ran straight for the Gryffindor common room, which she just so happened to be coming out of.

"Ginny, I need to talk to you" I said, not stopping, nor giving her time to answer before I grabbed her arm and whisked her off. We walked in silence until I found an empty classroom, and threw us both in.

"Hermione, what the hell is going on?" Ginny asked, turning on me.

"Josh called Draco dada."

Ginny just looked at me. "And why is this a problem, last time I checked, Draco was his father, and has been acting like it for half of Josh's life."

"Yes, but Draco doesn't know he's the father. That's the point Ginny. I don't know what I've gotten myself into." I sat on one of the desks and put my head in my hands.

"Hermione" Ginny said sitting beside me. "Maybe it's time to tell him."

"He's practically dating Christina Ginny. Now is just not the time." I stood up and straightened myself out. "No. I'm sticking with my promise, if I don't find a right time by graduation, I'll tell him then." I turned and smiled to my best girlfriend. "Thanks Ginny."

------------PARENTS AT SEVENTEEN------------

At the end of the day I went about changing my job, apologizing profusely to Madame Pomfrey. She was upset, but understood.

After that, time just kind of flew by. Josh and Draco were getting closer. Josh was now saying both mama and dada, though he still couldn't tell which was which.

By mid January, I knew I was falling for Draco Malfoy. I had gotten to know him so well, that love just couldn't be helped. But unfortunately, by the end of the month, he and Christina were an item.

But then, life went on, except for me. Ron was now coming around to admit that he liked Lavender, and Harry had finally asked Ginny out.

So by the time Valentines Day came around, everyone had someone, everyone but me. It seemed I was going to spend my Valentines with my son. Don't get me wrong, I was happy about being with Josh. But I just kind of wanted someone in more ways of a boyfriend to spend it with.

One day, close to the fateful lover's day, Draco and I were sitting in the kitchenette, paying bills. Which wasn't too fun.

"All right, that's it" Draco said, slapping the last envelope down. His falcon came over, picked the letters up, and flew out of the window to deliver them, much to the amazement of Josh. Once he was finished gawking, he looked at us and squealed with glee. Draco and I both smiled to him.

Then Draco got up off of his seat and released Josh from his high chair to hold him. "What do you say we take a little trip to Hogsmeade?" he said looking at the baby, who was looking at me.

"Sure, why not?" I said getting up. "I needed a few things anyway." I cleared the table of all the excess papers and money, and then took them to our room to put them in the safe.

When I came back out, Draco had his warm robes, meant for the outside in winter. Josh had his own coat on, and was sitting in the stroller with a blanket over him.

"Draco, is that thing going to go over the snow?" I asked, looking at the plastic wheels.

He smirked and said, "watch this" as he took out his wand and pointed to the wheels, transfiguring them to blades, like the bottom of a sleigh. Then he transfigured them back.

I smiled and shook my head. He grabbed my coat from the rack and held it out. "Is this what you wear outside?" he asked, turning his nose up to my muggle coat.

"Yes it is," I said, grabbing it from him with a force and put it on.

"How on earth do you keep your legs warm?" he asked.

"That's what jeans are for" I said, starting to roll Josh out of the dormitory. Draco followed behind, still making his case.

"That's also what shirts are for, but we all know they don't give enough protection."

We stopped at the stairs and I unbuckled Josh to carry him while Draco folded up and carried the stroller. "Well Draco, I've lived with it for seventeen years, I suppose I can live with it for a little longer."

"I just don't see the point in keeping your top half warm while your bottom half freezes."

"Because that's where your heart it, and your heart can't freeze or you won't be able to go any further."

"Yes, but your legs can't freeze either or you won't be able to walk, eliminating the purpose of keeping your heart warm."

I just shook my head and laughed.

Once outside we stopped again, and I waited for Draco to put the stroller down so I could sit Josh in it.

"Nuh-uh-ah Hermione" he said to me. He pulled out his wand and muttered something while pointing it behind me. I turned around to find a carriage sitting there. I opened my mouth in shock.

"Is that even allowed?" I asked, turning back to him.

"I don't see anything going haywire, do you?" I shrugged and turned back to the carriage.

Draco caught up with me when I got there and helped me up, considering I still had Josh in my arms.

As I made sure Josh's hat was secure around his head, and his scarf was covering most of his face, Draco lay the stroller on the floor and then got in himself, and covered us all with a warm blanket.

"So your legs don't freeze," he explained winking to me.

------------PARENTS AT SEVENTEEN------------

I had made all of the purchases I needed and we were currently sitting in a new café, looking out of the window at all of the people passing by while sipping hot cocoa.

Most of the people we saw had their own babies, and were most likely buying gifts for Valentine's Day.

We mostly sat in silence, but at one point Draco spoke while looking out of the window. "I'm sorry Hermione, but that baby is just not cute."

"Draco, that's a horrible thing to say!" But I looked out of the window to see who he was talking about. "But you're right."

He gave a small chuckle, and a smile that I just loved. Oh, this was getting complicated.

He turned to me and started to speak again. "Hermione, could you do me a favor?" I only looked at him. "Could you help me find a gift for Christina? I mean, I'm not exactly and expert on giving gifts."

Extremely complicated.

"Um, sure, I'll help Draco."

We made our way outside where we started walking around.

"So what should I get her, do you think?" he asked.

"Why don't you get her jewelry?" I asked.

"But jewelry is so ordinary" he whined.

"Draco, it's a small village next to a school. What are you going to get her, jewelry, or joke toys?"

He thought for a moment. "Jewelry it is then."

By the time we were finished, he had bought an extremely beautiful necklace with a small heart pendant hanging from it.

"Do you think she'll like it?" he asked me as the cashier was wrapping it up.

"I think she'll love it," I answered softly.