A/N: So, you almost didn't get this chapter tonight... I went to see Avengers: Infinity War today and I'm not okay.

*sobs quietly as she posts the 4k word chapter of Dramione to distract herself*

xx-Kitten

Tip of My Tongue

By Kittenshift17

Chapter 11

Draco Malfoy was distracted as he trudged through the woods on the hunt for Crumple Horned Snorkacks, and Chelursas. He couldn't stop thinking about the fact that in a few hours, he would know whether or not Astoria had been cheating on him. Worse, he couldn't stop thinking that maybe she hadn't and maybe the baby was his, after all. He didn't want to think that. As furious as he was with the idea of her cheating, Draco didn't think he could bear it if she hadn't been, and that he'd just been being a rotten bastard of a husband uninterested in his wife and their unborn child.

What kind of arsehole must he be that he was trudging through the woods like a coward rather than being there and holding his wife's hand while she was distraught and possibly carrying some kind of virus that was targeting pregnant women? What kind of fucked up must he be that his mind kept circling back to the fact that, though she wasn't pregnant, Granger had been out of sorts and feeling unwell enough to take the day off?

When he tripped over a log and stumbled forward, falling on his face in the leaflitter, Draco realised he had a fucking problem. A big one. Huffing as he rolled to his back in the dirt and wondering where the hell he even was, Draco stared up at the canopy of the forest, thinking that he needed to sort out his bloody priorities.

If Astoria had been cheating on him, he probably fucking deserved it. After all, here he was feeling more concerned that his annoying co-worker might be unwell than he was that his wife could be fucking dying. Hell, he deserved to be cheated on for the mere fact that he didn't even like his bloody wife.

And he didn't, he realised.

There was nothing about Astoria Greengrass that took his fancy. He'd like to be able to say that they just didn't have much in common and so didn't get along, but it would be a lie. The truth was, he'd never bothered to find out what they had in common. He'd taken her on as his wife the same way he took on anything that was expected of him as a pureblood within wizarding high-society. He'd accepted her as necessary for the station he held, and he'd fucked his heir into her like he was expected to, and beyond that he'd made zero effort.

He didn't know what her favourite flowers were.

He didn't know her favourite colour, or her favourite pass-time. He didn't even know her fucking birthday.

He was a horrible husband.

No wonder she'd gone running to Pucey. Hell, maybe she hadn't even done that, and he was just an unobservant cunt who had fucked his second kid into her when he was in a bad mood and the urge for sex began to itch. Maybe he was an unfeeling, rotten sod who deserved to be cheated on by his wife, no matter the scandal that would likely ensue. Maybe, if he stopped comparing his wife to Hermione fucking Granger, he wouldn't be in this bloody mess.

But he was, and Draco realised lying there in the dirt that he honestly didn't care whether the baby was his or not, he wanted a divorce. Either way, he wanted a divorce. He couldn't keep crawling into bed beside the woman he didn't give a shit about and just pretending everything was okay. He knew it would be bad form to leave her if she was carrying his second child, but Merlin's saggy y-fronts, he couldn't keep living like this. Whether she'd had an affair or not was irrelevant. In his mind, it would always feel like she had, and he couldn't tolerate her in his home and in his bed any long. Scorpius might suffer a little with the split of his parents, but the boy was young. He was resilient. He'd bounce back.

Draco didn't doubt that there would be plenty of witches lining up to fill Astoria's place.

Everything would be fine, just as long as he got to keep custody of their son.

"FUCK!" Draco shouted at the sky in frustration when Granger's words about the likelihood of a judge ever granting a father full custody when the mother didn't work, rolled through his head once again.

Why was it always Granger's voice running through his head? Why hadn't he gotten the fuck over this bullshit about that little muggleborn swot? Draco wouldn't claim to have ever been in love with her, or that he'd fancied her, but Merlin's little green apples, he'd been paying attention to her since they'd been just eleven years old.

More than half his life had been spent being aware of her comings and goings, and heeding the things she said as being nothing shy of gospel because she was so bloody clever. In school, half of his facts had been delivered right into his lap off the tip of her tongue and now, in adulthood, most of his daily dealings involved keeping her happy and fighting with her like they were husband and wife.

The thought rocked Draco to the core and had he not already been flat on his back in the dirt, he expected he'd have ended up there at the realisation. He fought with that witch and got all riled up and furious and utterly unrefined in her company the way he was supposed to be able to do with his wife. He screamed at her, threatened her, let her patch him up when he was minutes from death, let her berate him, snarl at him, snap at him, brow-beat him, even boss his around. He put his own life in danger just to bring her whatever bloody creature she needed for her research and he trusted her to patch him up when he got injured.

Merlin, he'd even kissed her bloody forehead last night and that was something he'd never done to any witch before.

Fuck!

"This is ridiculous," Draco muttered to himself. "It's sodding Granger. I don't fancy Granger!"

He scrubbed a hand over his face, frowning fiercely. He didn't. He didn't fancy her. He respected her, and he'd kissed her forehead in gratitude because she'd saved his life and because he'd been exhausted. Nothing more.

As he laid there in the dirt, the memory of waking up all tangled up with her on the couch at her house a few nights ago swam through his mind and Draco frowned when his body twitched at the thought of how he'd had his hands inside her clothes, and he'd been curled into her warmth and breathing in her sweet scent. His cock stirred in his trouser and Draco lifted his head to glare down the length of his body at the traitorous appendage.

"What are you playing at?" he growled at the excitable thing. "She's not for you. Married, remember?"

His cock clearly didn't care about marriages or loyalty, or being bloody respectable.

"I don't fancy her," he insisted.

His cock throbbed in his pants and Draco got the distinct feeling that his body believed he didn't have to fancy her to want to fuck her. And Merlin's merciful mingers, he didn't want to bloody well fuck her! Circe's wings, he'd be drawn and quartered for thinking such a thing! Draco could just imagine his father's face if he came home announcing his intent to divorce the pureblooded princess Astoria Greengrass in favour of fucking muggleborn Hermione sodding Granger, who came in-built with a bastard child and all the scandal of such a controversial match. He'd be murdered before he could get a word in, he expected.

"Ridiculous," Draco muttered, pressing his hands over his face and dropping his head back to the ground as he tried to forget the feel of Granger's tight body curled beneath his.

An image swam in his mind, despite his best efforts, of that wicked little witch straddling him, naked and bouncing on his cock in his townhouse bedroom. Draco groaned, his cock throbbing painfully where it was restrained inside his trousers. Merlin's bollocks, but the imaginary scene felt so fucking real. He could almost feel the heat of her body, the scratch of her nails raking over his chest. He could see her, behind his eyes, her head tipped back, her mouth pulled into a wicked smile, her eyes closed as she rode him.

"FUCK!" Draco shouted again, loathing himself when he found his hand freeing his cock from the restraints of his trousers while the daydream played like a vivid memory behind his eyes.

He could feel it, he'd swear. The squeeze of her tight pussy around his cock, the tickle of her long curls brushing his chest and his neck when she leaned over and stole a kiss from his lips. Salazar's serpents, but it felt so bloody real. His hand was tight on his cock as he let the daydream sweep him up and Draco's breath grew harsh and pained as he raced toward release far faster than he was entirely comfortable with. Letting his mind run away with him, he imagined what it would be like to pin that bossy know-it-all to the bed beneath him and hard-fuck her into the headboard until she screamed his name.

He groaned as he came, his heart hammering inside his chest and a terrible guilt saturating him when he realised what he'd done.

"FUCKING HELL!" he shouted again, grateful he was alone in the woods and that no one was privy to his thoughts and his shame.

Merlin's tits, he was fucked up.

His poor wife was suffering in a hospital bed, and here he was, already wanking off to thoughts of another woman. Why didn't he just sign her fucking death certificate as he shunted her aside? Disgusted with himself, Draco flicked his wand to clean up the mess he'd made of his hunting uniform and tucked himself safely back inside his trousers. Angrily, he leapt to his feet, glaring around the forest in the vague hope of finding something – anything – to take his mind off what he'd just done and what a wretched fucking cunt he was turning out to be.

Fortunately, he wasn't as alone as he'd thought. As evidenced when a hungry Chelursa pounced on him from above, lethal claws slicing right through is protective leather hunting garb and spilling his blood on the forest floor.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Narcissa Malfoy stood beside Midwife Jenkins as she performed the paternity test, her keen grey eyes taking in every detail of the test process and every move the nervous midwife made. It was more than clear that the young healer was intimidated by her presence, and that she was nervous about the results, obviously fearing for Astoria should the test show that the child she carried was not Draco's.

"Do you have the blood sample from Draco?" Midwife Jenkins asked.

"Yes," Narcissa said, dipping her hand into her pocket and retrieving the phial of Draco's blood that her son had given her that morning. She offered it to the midwife, and Jenkins uncorked it, adding the blood to the testing solution.

"Thank you," the healer said softly, and the STRs began to form.

Narcissa held her breath as she watched. Jenkins released a shuddering breath after a few long minutes of tense silence and Narcissa had her answer.

"They're not a match," Jenkins said softly. "Draco is not the father of Astoria's baby."

Narcissa nodded sharply.

"As I suspected," she said.

Jenkins turned toward her, her eyes glimmering with worry, but Narcissa already had her wand out of her pocket.

"Obliviate," she whispered, carefully removing all memories of their interactions that revolved around paternity from the midwife's mind before she collected the test results and slipped them into her pocket.

"Mrs Malfoy?" Jenkins asked after blinking stupidly a few times. "What are you doing down here, Ma'am? I assure you, I'll bring you to results about Astoria's illness shortly."

"Of course," Narcissa smiled simperingly. "I'm just so worried for my daughter-in-law. I do hope she's receiving the very best care."

"Nothing less, Ma'am," Jenkins said. "Please wait outside while I perform the tests. I can't allow you in here. You might catch something, you see?"

Narcissa smiled, squaring her shoulders and nodding before she left the room. Inside, her rage began to stew. How dare that wretched girl cheat on Draco? How dare she go behind his back and shag another man. The true identity of her lover would be revealed, in time, just as soon as Narcissa confronted the girl with the results and spoke with Draco about his intentions. Until then, she would just have to begin plotting the girl's demise in the most painful and least traceable means she knew how. Stalking back through the hospital, Narcissa was thinking it might be high time she had another discussion with the girl who should have been her daughter-in-law.

Narcissa curled her lip to herself in fury when she realised what a mess their lives were about to become, and while she was rightfully furious with Astoria for what she had done, Narcissa couldn't help thinking she was more than a little to blame.

She'd known when she'd begun arranging the marriage that Draco hadn't been thrilled at the prospect of his nuptials, and she'd known that there were other witches he'd have preferred. Other witches she'd considered less than suitable. Merlin curse it all, she'd known for years and years that the boy had an unnatural curiosity about the mudblood witch he'd shared a classroom with. She hadn't been at all surprised when she'd invaded Hermione's hospital room five years ago to learn that her son had shagged the curly-haired little witch.

And like a fool, she'd ignored the boy's interest in the mudblood, insisted on keeping the entire ordeal a secret, and forced both Hermione and Aurelian to live a life of secrecy and deceit. Rather than making use of the occurrence to their advantage as being seen to be moving beyond blood prejudice, she'd swept it all under the rug and hidden it from the world. She'd never told Draco; never told Lucius. She hadn't pushed the boy to claim responsibility for his son. Instead, she'd buried the evidence, and bribed Granger into silence. She'd forced Draco to instead marry the no-good adulteress and complicated everything far more than necessary.

Lucius might've been furious, had Narcissa revealed Granger's treachery, and he might've had a good deal to sneer about, but Merlin, the girl was better for their son than the girl she'd chosen for him. Narcissa Malfoy was not unaccustomed to the bitter taste of regret, but time had not lessened her hatred of it's brackish flavour.

As she stalked through the hospital intent on locating the mother of her firstborn grandson, Narcissa wondered if there might be some way she could undo all of this nonsense. What she wouldn't give for a Time-Turner to go back to that day in Hermione's birthing room, to insist the girl let Draco claim her and their son, to force them to marry for the sake of Aurelian. She couldn't say she regretted Astoria's inclusion in their lives entirely, because Scorpius was a darling boy and she loved him with all of her heart, but she desperately wished there was some way she could just keep Scorpius, keep Aurelian, and put the brilliant young witch together with her son, even if she was a mudblood.

Merlin's pointy hat, she'd give anything to pair the two of them up and she wondered what it might take to make that a reality. Astoria's untimely demise would be first on the agenda. But once the skinny little whore was out of the way, Narcissa Malfoy would just have to see what she could do about setting her son up with a witch far more suited to him, this time around.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

"Harry…" Hermione began desperately, her voice failing her, her brilliant mind floundering.

He knew.

He knew Draco Malfoy was Aurelian's father. She could see it in those green eyes of his. She could see it in the way he stared first as Scorpius, then Aurelian, then her. When he looked at her, he didn't look angry. He looked too stunned. Hermione begged him with her eyes to remain silent. This was not the place to discuss this mess.

Right at that moment, Ginny hiccupped in Harry's arms and Hermione smiled sympathetically at the pregnant woman.

"You never told me?" he said quietly, clearly mindful that this wasn't the time or the place to discuss it, but needing to ask just one question, regardless.

"I never told anyone," Hermione admitted in a whisper. "Only Narcissa knows, and only because she was notified by a third party, long since Obliviated."

Harry's brow furrowed as he stared at her and Hermione could see the confusion, the anger, and the hurt beginning to build in his eyes. Like terrible storm clouds rolling over the horizon, his anger would grow and blacken and fill until it was fit to burst free with crack of lightning and booms of thunder and a torrential downpour that might bring her to her knees.

Right at that moment, Ginny's midwife entered the room.

"Merlin, Miss Granger, I'm sorry but you can't have those children in here, right now," Midwife Marrows informed her sternly. "While there's yet to be any evidence that the virus is affecting children or even the unborn babies of the afflicted pregnant mothers, we'd hate to risk it. I'm going to have to ask you to leave, dear."

"I… Of course, Midwife Marrows," Hermione smiled, hiking Scorpius a little higher on her hip as she rose to her feet.

"I've already taken the day off. Why don't we all go to my house, hmmm?" Hermione asked, smiling into Scorpius's face.

"Really?" Aurey asked, smiling widely.

"Of course, darling. Teddy, sweetheart, wouldn't it be fun to come to my place for the day?"

"Can we have muffins?" Teddy asked.

"We'll make some," Hermione smiled. "It will be wonderful. Harry, let me know if you need me to keep him overnight, won't you? Ginny, love, be strong. You'll get through this. I'll see what I can find in my books, alright?"

Ginny nodded, reaching for her and pulling her down to plant a kiss on Hermione's cheek.

"I'll be by tonight when visiting hours are over, Hermione," Harry warned her quietly.

"I'll make dinner," Hermione smiled, though she expected it wouldn't help to calm his mounting anger. "I don't want you two worrying about anything, alright? I'll mind Teddy until this all blows over and I'll do what I can to get to the bottom of this, I promise."

Harry eyed her sternly, but he nodded.

"Aurey, Teddy, let's go, boys. We'll have to take the Floo, what with three of you in tow."

"You're taking Scorpius, too?" Harry asked.

Hermine smiled tightly. "Yes. Narcissa will know to look for him with me, but if she asks, please tell her I've got him and that we're at my place."

"Knows the way, does she?" Harry asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Intimately," Hermione admitted evenly.

Harry's eyes narrowed a little, but he nodded as Hermione was herded out of the room by Aurey and Teddy. As she hurried down the hall with her heart in her throat, Hermione wondered how badly he might shout at her when he came by later. She didn't imagine it was going to be pleasant. In fact, she suspected it was going to be positively awful. Harry was hardly the angry boy he'd been when they were still at Hogwarts and caught up in the war, but he still didn't like Draco Malfoy. He tolerated him begrudgingly, but he didn't like him. Hermione doubted he would easily accept that she'd slept with Malfoy in order to conceive Aurelian to begin with.

Before they could reach the Floo station, Narcissa came stalking up the hallway in her high heels and Hermione's heart clenched inside her chest at the woman's pinched expression. Bad news, then. Spotting her, Narcissa made a beeline toward her and Hermione smiled tightly.

"Going home?" the woman asked without preamble.

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "The midwives think it unsafe to keep the boys here when the pregnant witches are suffering so much. I'll take all three of them home, if you need to stay with Astoria."

"I do need to," Narcissa admitted. "Though she has lost my sympathy."

Hermione pressed her lips together, glancing at the toddler on her hip and hoping he wouldn't understand everything that had been going on.

"Yes, well, we also have another small problem," Hermione said. "Harry saw me holding Scorpius just now. He knows."

Narcissa's frowned pinched even tighter and she traced her eyes over Scorpius and then Aurelian.

"Of course, he does," she sighed after a long beat of silence. "Potter is hardly stupid. It was only a matter of time, I suppose."

"Yes, well, it's hardly an ideal time to bring this little secret to light, I think," Hermione admitted.

"Indeed," Narcissa sighed. "I will see to one catastrophe at a time. In the meantime, are you going to be alright minding the three of them, potentially even overnight? I don't expect things will be particularly cordial at the Manor this evening."

"I can keep Scorpius as long as you need," Hermione offered.

Part of her knew it was a bad idea, and that letting herself be caught up in the mess of Draco's impending divorce was dangerous. But another part of her knew she'd been caught up in Draco Malfoy's mess since the minute she'd walked out of his townhouse five years ago with his son planted in her belly. The fact was that whatever became of Astoria, Draco, and Scorpius was entirely her business because they were the step-mother, father, and half-brother of her own son. She could no more abandon Scorpius than she could Aurelian, especially not to a tense and probably dangerous fight should Astoria be allowed to return home for the evening.

If she was ever allowed to return home at all.

"They won't release her this evening," Hermione warned, her brow furrowing.

"No, I don't intend for them to do so. Nonetheless, it would be better if Draco received this news without little ears listening in, I think."

Hermione nodded.

"Scorpius can stay as long as need be," Hermione promised.

"Thank you, Hermione," Narcissa said sincerely, surprising her when the other woman reached out and cupped her cheek affectionately.

Hermione smiled gently, nodding her head.

"Mummy? Are we going? I want to make muffins! Can we fly today?" Aurelian interrupted.

"I'm coming, Aurey," she laughed. "I'll see you later, Narcissa."

Narcissa nodded, smoothing an affectionate hand over Aurelian's hair before she kissed Scorpius's cheek.

"Let's go home, yeah?" Hermione asked the three small boys, smiling widely at them and trying to put on a brave face, hoping against hope that none of them would know what all had been happening around them.

Teddy and Aurey cheered, dashing for the Floo and Hermione shook her head as she followed them. Gathering a handful of Floo powder, Hermione climbed into the fireplace. Teddy and Aurelian climbed in with her, each of them clinging to her waist tightly and squeezing their eyes closed.

"Hold on tight, boys," she said, clutching Aurelian with one hand and holding onto Scorpius on her hip with the other. She dropped the Floo powder, whisking the four of them away to her country home in a dizzying swirl of soot and green flames.