Sticking to what I said previously, saving a new chapter document as soon as I finished the last one. Because of the Christmas season as of 03/01/2015 (dd/mm/yyyy) readers are caught up with everything I've written so bear with me as I knuckle down and try to get ahead of the game again. It's the 3rd now and I'll write maybe 3-5 paragraph of chapter 12 now. Let's hope it gets finished in time.


Hermione felt nauseous. Extremely nauseous and extremely agitated.

"Draco Malfoy your child is going to ruin my entire day!" She huffed, storming up to Draco who was wearing a bright blue shirt with a white paw print on. He was manning the bake sale portion of the fundraiser instore and as Hermione drew a deep breathe when her eyes saw his muscles tense against the tight shirt she knew she'd made the right staffing decision here.

"Lighten up, Granger." He rubbed his hand up and down her back "What's he doing now?"

"I feel like I am going to upchuck across this entire table and it's all your fault!" she cried, tears forming in her eyes

"It's ok Hermione, it'll pass." He said soothingly, he squeezed her shoulder comforting her

"Uh, Miss Granger?" A voice asked from behind her

"Yes?" Hermione turned and was facing one of Jenna's friends that were volunteering "What do you need?"

"I was just wondering where you wanted me." The girl had a pretty face and blonde hair styles into a messy bob.

"Sure, umm…"

"Casey." The teenager said

"Right, Casey. You can man the bake sale with Draco here." She directed her to Draco who smiled in greeting and watched Hermione's back as she walked over to the play pen set up for the dogs on the sidewalk to check on the four volunteers there.


Meanwhile, Astoria and Jenna were sorting out the cats just across from Draco in the store. They had two habitats set up for cats and currently they were both holding a tabby kitten each

"Oh, I just want to take one home!" Astoria gushed

"You might get the chance, depending on how today goes." Jenna said "Hopefully a good number of the animals will get adopted. It's the main point of today." She scratched the little cat's ear "It's fine for the young ones, I'm really worried about the adult cats though."

"Why?" Astoria asked as she returned the kitten to the cage. The little tabby immediately clawed its way up the cat tower to play with the hanging twine ball

"Well. Parents and kids always want little pets to take home and the old ones are just left behind." Jenna explained, putting her kitten away and opening the cage to the adult cats. She picked up a ginger one and held it to her chest tightly. Astoria was drawn to a black one with piercing green eyes

"I like this one." Astoria said, picking up the dark feline "If she's still here at the end of the day I am so taking her."

"She's pretty." Jenna reached over and scratched under the cat's chin, meeting Astoria's eyes. Astoria suddenly felt shy and coughed. She stood and put the cat back then looked around expectedly

"So what do we need to do before 8?" She asked

"I guess we just need to make sure the store is tidy and that the other volunteers are doing their bit. Especially with the dogs, it's cold outside so we need to make sure the dogs have blankets and are moving around." Jenna said, putting the ginger cat away

"Ok, seems easy enough."


It was 12:15 and Draco was getting annoyed. Kate or Caroline or whoever Hermione had sent over to help him had brushed her hand over is arse no less than five times since they had been acquainted and despite his attempts to work as far away as the bake sale tables would allow she found a way to bend down behind him and rub her bum against his leg

"Excuse me!" He said after finishing serving a customer

"Yes?" Casey blinked at him and smiled flirtatiously twirling a piece of hair around her finger

"Would you please respect my personal space," he said with a tight, irritated voice "I am not comfortable with people touching me."

"Maybe when we're finished here I could touch you in a way that makes you feel good." She stepped forward so that her breasts were brushing his ribcage. She was unaware of the pale green eyes that had flashed when they saw this action from across the room

Draco put his hands forcefully on her shoulders and moved her away from him, a full arms length

"Listen Caroline-"

"It's Casey." She said stepping forward again and rubbing her palm over his chest

"Casey then," He moved her away again and was barely restraining his anger "I am really not interested in you. At. All."

Casey frowned, she wasn't used to rejection.

"Why?"

"Because you look like you're 16 and I am otherwise engaged." Draco said harshly

"I'm 18 and I'm really mature for my age," She defended, her voice rising a few octaves. Suddenly a perfectly manicured hand slid over Draco's shoulder and a woman stepped out from behind him

"He also happens to be married." Said a sickly sweet sarcastic voice that he was almost too familiar with. Astoria had her head tilted in a gesture that Draco knew was a challenge to the naïve little teenager. Her eyes were blazing but he was certain her anger was on Hermione's behalf rather than her own jealousy

"What." Casey deadpanned "You don't look that much older than me." She sniped at Astoria

"I'm probably not." She shrugged "But these babies," she stuck her left hand out where her engagement and wedding rings sat snuggly on her forth finger "Are probably older than your high school diploma so I suggest you back off my husband and find some other sod to rub your barely theres on." Astoria smiled sweetly at Casey who promptly left the bakesale table and most likely the fundraiser entirely.

"Thanks for that." Said Draco gratefully "She didn't take any of my hints."

"She saw them Draco, she just didn't believe them." Astoria shrugged "She's not used to rejection, I could smell the vanity from across the room. And that's over the cat pee." Astoria giggled.

"Could you find someone else to man this table with me please?" he asked her "Preferably a straight male. Or a gay female. Or an A-sexual person." Draco clarified "I feel like anyone with a male preference will have the same reaction to me."

"You overestimate your aesthetic appeal, husband." Astoria said, rolling her eyes "In any case, Hermione seems immune."

Hermione was currently sitting in the gated pen with 8 dogs and grinning as they licked her face, Astoria leaned on the table smiling happily at Hermione

"She is not." Said Draco

"Maybe not fully, but I'm certain you will never be able to leave her breathless by taking of your shirt." Astoria said seriously

"Shall we test this theory?" Draco challenged

"Not till this ring is off my finger," She poked her tongue out at him and he rolled his eyes at the immature gesture "She's gonna be good for you though Draco." Astoria walked to the counter and asked a very young male volunteer just milling around the store to go help Draco at the bakesale table then returned to Jenna where she was organising books with a cat curled around her feet.


"Could I please get these?" A woman asked catching Draco's attention handing him a foam plate loaded with baked goods. It was 3pm.

"Sure, that's 9 pounds," He smiles at her "Have you had a look at the animals yet? There's a Shar Pei out there that you might like." He said as he took the money from her and placed it in the money box

"I haven't yet but I'm thinking about it!" the lady grinned at him "I am eyeing up those ginger cats though, they look sweet!"

Draco glanced over at the cats then passed the baked goods back to the woman smiling

"Well, do think about it. They're vaccinated and neutered so all they really need is a loving home and family,"

A gruff looking man stepped up behind the woman and frowned at Draco

"Eyes off, buddy." He warned

"Pardon?" Draco asked, shocked

"She's taken." The woman had placed a calming hand on his back but it seemed to egg him on

"You've got to be kidding!" Draco said "I am honestly not interested in your girlfriend or whatever."

"Don't insult her like that!" The man had clenched his fist and stepped menacingly forward

"I didn't mean anything by it, I'm just not interested! Calm down, sir." Draco raised his hands in surrender as a thin arm wrapped around his waist

"Something wrong, babe?" A round bump was against his hip and he slipped his arm over Hermione's shoulder

"Nothing important, dear." He brought his other hand down to Hermione's stomach and rubbed it lovingly.

The angry man pulled at his girlfriend's hand but she had turned and walked over to the cats, asking Astoria if she could hold a ginger one. Jenna's eyes darted over to Draco and Hermione and she frowned, her eyes brushed over his hand on her stomach but stopped on her hand around his waist. She glanced at Astoria then realisation dawned. Hermione was Draco's girlfriend. Weird.

Jenna shook her head and focused on the woman adopting two ginger cats with a grumpy looking man trailing behind her

"Would you like to buy a SPCA care package for each of them? It just includes a litter box, two food bowls, a bit of food and some litter." The man grunted in refusal but the woman nodded her head vigorously while elbowing the man behind her

"Ok, well that's 15 pound for each cat, just to cover their vaccinations and operation. Then 10 pounds for each of the care packages in support of the RSPCA so 50 pounds please." Jenna said

The woman glared pointedly at her boyfriend who grudgingly handed over his EFTPOS card

"Whenever you're ready," Jenna smiled at her and she swiped then entered the code, handing the card back to her boyfriend with a kiss on the cheek.

Astoria came over with a cardboard pet carrier which she handed to the man who held it with a scowl on his face

"Thanks so much!" the girl gushed and she and the man left the store.

Jenna turned and locked eyes with Astoria then pulled her over to the cats out of earshot of most of the customers. Draco and Hermione were serving bakesale customers sending secret smiles to each other

"Is Hermione Draco's girlfriend?" she asked

Astoria glanced over at them and inwardly grinned

"Yeah, she is." Astoria smiled

"And you're ok with it?" Jenna gasped

"Well. Yeah. I mean… I'm not gonna give him any of this," she shimmed and gestured down her body "I mean. Not that I haven't before but we were married, thought we should have kids but whatever. I'm not interested in his bits." Astoria clarified

"The look serious," Jenna was looking at them again

"They are." Astoria shrugged "Anyways, where's Jaz today?"

Astoria picked up one of the toys and started playing with one of the two kittens left

"She's with my mum. I think they're going Christmas shopping," Jenna allowed Astoria to change the subject

"That's nice. I still have some shopping to do. Do you want to go to the shopping centre after this?" Astoria asked, meeting Jenna's eyes again

"Yeah. Sure." Jenna said


"I think Astoria just told Jenna about me and you." Draco muttered to Hermione

"What do you mean me and you?" Hermione asked quietly

"The two of us being… involved." Draco explained

"Me being a surrogate for you two or me and you…"

"Me and you," Draco said "I don't think Jenna even knows you're pregnant."

"I should probably tell her sometime soon." Hermione said to herself

"After Christmas?" Draco suggested

"Yeah, that sounds good. I was planning on hanging out with her at New Years," she ran her hand down his arm "Maybe you and Astoria could come too?" she asked

"Sounds perfect." He leaned down and kissed her cheek

Hermione smiled and leaned into him

"I think I like you a bit Mr. Malfoy." She sighed against him

"Well, my wife and I are working on getting out of our predicament." Hermione looked up at him

"You are?" She asked

"Yeah. I'd like to be able to spend time with you fully," He said "I'd like to marry you one day, maybe. If you'd want to I mean."

Hermione look away, down to her stomach

"We'll see how this pregnancy pans out. And how Astoria feels about it," she said

"She'll be fine." He rested his chin on her head.


"I think we're done here," Hermione said, straightening up. The store was slowly emptying, there were two kittens and one cat left as well as four dogs. All in all it had been more successful than she'd thought it'd be. They got fifteen animals adopted and raised over 2000 pounds for the RSPCA.

Astoria and Jenna came over and the other volunteers started packing up the bakesale and they brought the dogs inside from the cold where they would be picked up by the RSPCA later to return to the centre

"We did great today guys, really good!" Hermione said. It was 4:30 now and she was starting to get tired

"It was really fun!" Astoria said "By the way, Draco. We're taking that cat home." She pointed to the black cat that she'd let out of the cage and was sitting patiently watching the two remaining kittens

"Why are we doing that?" he asked, bored

"Because I want to." Astoria replied

"Right." He said.

Jenna watched the interaction and figured it was a healthy enough relationship albeit strange.

"And by 'we' I mean you because I'm going shopping with Jenna." Astoria finished

"What-" he started to protest but Astoria was dragging Jenna from the store and the black cat trotted over to him and started pawing at his legs "ugh." He muttered

"It's cute." Hermione said, bending down to pat it

"I was thinking, Hermione…" Draco said

"Yeah?"

"I could probably adopt those kittens and dogs."

"What? Why?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"Well, mother and father use the manor as a home for wards of the war. Displaced elderly and orphans. The quiet old dogs would be great company for some of the elderly and the kids there love animals." Draco explained

"I suppose if there's room and company-"

"Great! Here's 100 pounds." Draco cut her off "Give me ten minutes, I'm going to apparate them all to the manor and explain it to my parents. Toss me two care packages for cats and four dog bowls please."

Hermione did as he asked and he walked over to the dog pen and gently pulled out two dogs by their collars. Her kneeled down and disapparated. Hermione pottered around the store doing the last bits of cleaning up. Draco returned and grinned at her before taking hold of the other two dogs and disapparating again. When he returned he was right beside her and she jumped in shock. His hands were in her hair then and his pelvis tight against her stomach. His lips her hard against hers and she gasped for breath as he pulled away

"Wow." She breathed. Everyone had cleared out by this point

"I've been wanting to do that all day," he admitted

"I'm not complaining," she giggled

"I'll be right back," he gestured to the meowing kitten on the other side of the room "then maybe we can head back to yours, maybe?" He smiled at her

"I'm tired though…" Hermione said

"We can just sleep," he reassured

"Ok," Hermione agreed

"And we have to take that thing with us." He pointed at the black cat that had made itself comfortable on top of the cash register

"Alright." Hermione smiled at him as he walked over to the kittens and tucked them against him. He looked over his shoulder as her and sent a small smile. She grinned as he disapparated and went to pet the black cat. She hoped she wasn't getting attached to someone that she wouldn't get to keep.


Wow. That was 200 words longer than usual and it took about 5 hours to write (not including the 2 days I spent not writing. 5 hours of intense writing.) So it's the 5th of January and I finished writing the last chapter on the 3rd so I'm making time progress. I had other things that I wanted to mention in her but my self-set word count was approaching so I needed to cut stuff that can be mentioned later on. Anyway ~~~~~~~PLEASE REVIEW~~~~~ this is very much a work in progress. Hope you liked it. Talk next time

~RachelBarbaraBerry