Draco plopped down beside Hermione at the small table the next morning. She glanced over at him from where she was opening the kitchens curtains to let in the sunlight and smiled, "Good Morning, Draco."

He winced at the sudden light and rubbed at his eyes. "Merlin, Granger, must you be so peppy in the mornings?"

"It's not a crime to be a generally happy person."

Draco shook his head and muttered. "Gryffindors." He smirked at her and nodded toward the fruit bowl sitting on the counter. "Toss me some breakfast."

Hermione tossed a green apple in his direction and he caught it, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "I hate apples."

"What? No, I've seen you eat them before."

"That taste died out after I left Hogwarts," Draco said while throwing the apple into the trash.

"Alright, then, find something else to eat, I'm actually going out."

"Alone?"

"No, I'm meeting up with Harry and Ginny," Hermione shrugged, gathering up her purse and jacket.

"Did you want me to come?"

She smiled slowly, he actually wanted to come. "No, it's okay, Draco." She leaned down and kissed him. "I'll be back later."

Hermione opened the door to their apartment slowly, slipping out into the hallway silently. She had lied to him when she was told him where she was heading to. Actually, the ministry had sent a letter the previous day about all witches going to the healers for pregnancy tests.

She hadn't told Malfoy.

In retrospect, she probably should have but she wanted to find out first before telling him anything. She could've surprised him with the news if she was pregnant. She imagined that he would envelope her in a warm hug and mutter that he hoped it was a boy.

She had not been expected this—hoping—but not expecting it so early on. Hermione had left the healers with a bright smile on her face; she was pregnant, a few weeks along they'd said. She reached the apartment and unlocked the door, and entering the apartment only to find it absent of any signs of life.

"Draco?"

No answer.

She went over to the kitchen counter and set down her bag. On the counter lay the new issue of the Daily Prophet.

A wave of panic rose up within Hermione as she read the title of the front page article. Marriage Law repealed after a month. Her chest heaved and fell slowly as her fingers tightened on the counter to support her quivering knees, a tiny painted figure against a background of despair. "Draco?"

She whirled around and marched into the bedroom. Empty. She threw open the wardrobe. Also empty.

Her voice now quivering, she called out again. "Draco!" Her voice rose in pitch, a lump in her throat that simply kept growing and rising, clawing its way to strangle her tongue so she could no longer speak.

Gone. He was gone.

She sank down onto the bed, rigid and alert, she stared into nothing, as if she could make herself a part of it. She knew that they would always fight like mad dogs but they always gave in to each other in the end. When he touched her it seemed to annihilate any sense of control that she had.

She had recognized that he had his insecurities about her and Ron; although he wouldn't readily admit it, he was afraid she would leave him and choose Ron. Hermione knew that Draco had always wanted to be the chosen one, the hero on either side of the wizarding war, and she had chose him, hadn't she? And of course, she knew that Draco wasn't the hero, maybe that was the best because she did not think that a hero or chosen one would fall in love with her.

It just couldn't add up to her that he had left. Now she saw how fickle the bonds between them truly were, Draco didn't believe that she truly loved him, or he wouldn't have left.

Her vision was blurred, tears lining up to fall down her cheeks. She had wanted to believe that Draco wouldn't leave her. Every fiber of her being had needed to know that their love wasn't a lie, that their happiness was real for them both. But that wasn't so.

She let the tears fall, unashamed.

It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. He'd changed, they were supposed to start a life together, to raise their baby. Had she done something wrong? She stared up at the ceiling, counting the tiny cracks and fractures that seem invisible to the eye when you're not paying attention.

She just wanted to sleep away the grief that had hung in her chest. She felt like the ceiling, with fissures and tears leaving her damaged in a way that no one ever saw, invisible to all except for those willing to look long and hard.

Decided that she desperately needed to talk, she picked up her phone. Hermione's hands were shaking as she dialed the number, digits faded on the buttons. She thumbed the send button and raked a hand through her disheveled hair.

One ring was all it took, and her call was answered. "Hey, what's going on? Are you all right?" All Harry heard in return was a shaky breath, a broken "um", and his eyes blink rapidly, predisposed worry coursing through his veins.

"Yeah, I just…needed someone to talk to," she answered, a tremor in her lip invisible to the man on the other end of the line, but she knew he could read her voice as well as any book.

"Do you need me to come over?" His voice was gentle with no hidden malice, and she exhaled the breath she was unaware she had been holding in.

Dead air hung between them for a moment. Give it a few minutes and Harry would be by her side if she asked. "Yes."

"Hermione."

She needed to look at Harry. She knew she did. He couldn't help her if she wouldn't communicate with him.

"So...he's gone?"

Still, she avoided his gaze as her lips trembled and fingernails dug into her palm. She sighed, wincing at the words. "Yes."

"But...I thought you two were getting along and all that lately."

"We are—or—were. I honestly don't know why he left."

"Hermione, he left you and your unborn child," Harry enunicated each word clearly, brow furrowed.

"Well..." Hermione bit her lip. "I actually haven't told him about the baby yet."

"What?" Harry's eyebrows raised and he sighed. "Are you going to tell Draco about the baby?"

"I might," she said, more tartly than she'd intended.

"'Mione, I don't like Malfoy, you know that," He said, a bitterness on his tongue as he spat out the Slytherin's name. "But I think he should know."

"I'll tell him if I find out where he is or if he ever comes back."

A smile crossed his lips, a sad wave rippling across a weary sea. "For your sake, Hermione, I actually hope he does come back."

How long had it been now since he'd left her—days, years, weeks? Days. The answer was days. This insufferable timer in his mind refused to shut off, reminded him that when the sun rose and set that another day had passed with the absence of Hermione haunting Draco. He stirred briefly as he sat down in the utter silence.

She had believed the lies that slipped from his tongue then, forcing her to believe he truly did not want her, that her presence was doing more harm than good, but had she seen the agony in his eyes that shined now, she would have called him on his bluff. Draco buried his face in his hands, he refused to regret what he did, but the feeling began to swell in his chest.

He would be the one to snuff her candle out, smoke billowing away as he destroyed her by being with her. After all, she didn't truly want him, she would've realized that as soon as she found out that the law had been repealed. So, he had done away with himself before he could allow himself to be embarrassed by the witch breaking up with him.

But what if he was wrong? What if she did want him and would continue to want him even now? It had never occurred to him. He had grown accustomed to being discarded and never being chosen. The thought was deafening as a chorus, screaming in apex, a resonating distress at the idea that he might be the cause for any kind of pain she would face upon his leaving. How could he live with himself were that the case?

Her face flashed through his mind and it reminded him, killed him, hurt him and haunted him to know that she belonged to no one, not even to him.

A/N: I'm so so so sorry that I haven't updated in a while, just lots going on in my personal life. Thanks for the reviews, everyone :)Chapter 12 is coming sooner (I hope). (and yes I know wizards do not use phones but I figured since Hermione's parents were muggles she picked up a few things from them)

Rebecca556-I got it from the song Careful Hands by Sleeping at last :)