I'm posting a bit earlier today because we have early dismissal and I never remember to post when I'm home.

Chapter 13

Ginny sat in front of Hermione's desk, watching her work, and waiting for some answers. Her patience nearly gone, she cleared her throat. "Will you please tell me what's going on with Malfoy now?" she insisted.

Hermione shrugged as she took her time setting down her quill and sorting the papers on her desk. "Nothing," she told her friend. "We're just talking, spending some time together."

"Shagging?" Ginny inquired with a wicked grin on her face; one that reminded Hermione of the Weasley twins.

Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. "No, we're not shagging," she replied, putting an end to Ginny's joy. "We just...I don't know. Do you think I overreacted? Sometimes it feels like I did, and I have to keep reminding myself that Draco isn't Ron. I love him, Gin. Maybe more than I ever loved Ron."

Ginny frowned. "You really love him?" she asked. A sad smile crossed Hermione's lips as she nodded. "Was it...was it just because you thought you were stuck with him for the rest of your life?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, he was good to me and listened," she explained. "Something about being with him felt right. He's shown up every night, you know. I told him I was having trouble sleeping, and after that, he was there every night."

"I thought the two of you were taking a break," Ginny pointed out.

Getting to her feet, Hermione crossed her office to the bookshelf and studied the spines. "We are," she confirmed. "That doesn't mean we're not working on our relationship though."

Sitting back in her seat, Ginny pondered Hermione's situation. "Why didn't he just have your name changed?" she wondered. "He could have avoided this whole issue."

Hermione pulled a book from the shelf and returned to her desk. "How would that be better?" she inquired. "If he did that without telling me, it would still be a lie."

There was a knock on the door before a blond head poked in. "Hey," Draco greeted them. "Oh, hi, Ginny. I, uh, didn't know you were here. Hermione, are you ready to go to lunch?"

She nodded and promised to be ready in a few minutes. Ginny got to her feet, ready to leave. "Good luck," she whispered, before opening the door.

Draco came in and closed the door behind him. "You look tired," he commented, rounding the desk to rub her tense shoulders.

Eyes closing, Hermione let her head fall forward. Truthfully, she had gotten little sleep the night before. While Draco slept beside her, Hermione watched him, picturing the life they could have together. It was a life she wanted; one that included a full-time husband. Then the worry returned. Would he keep things from her in the future? Could she trust him again?

"Work has been busy today," she said instead of sharing her fears.

"We could skip lunch," he suggested. "Just grab dinner tonight."

Lifting her head, she turned to face him. "No, I'm starving," she replied, putting a smile on her face. "Could you just grab my coat from the closet?"

Letting go of her shoulders, he moved to the closet and opened the door to retrieve her coat. There was a flat box in the pocket, and curiosity had gotten the better of him. It was the first time he had seen a pregnancy test, and wondered if she was now keeping secrets from him. She began to approach, and he quickly shoved the box back in the pocket.

"Here you go," he murmured, slipping it on her shoulders. "So, I was thinking I could make you lunch. Want to go back to your flat?"

Hermione nodded and allowed him to take her hand. They walked silently to the lifts, which took them to the Atrium. Together, they stepped into the floo and entered her living room. Letting go of her hand, he went to the kitchen to begin making lunch. With Draco distracted, Hermione pulled the box from her pocket and went to the bathroom.

Minutes later, she returned and was handed a plate. "You made my favorite," she said with a smile.

Sitting down on the sofa, Draco ate quickly, but the food settled like a stone in his stomach. "I feel like I should be completely honest with you right now because after all we've been through I know how important that is to you," he said, his words coming fast. "I found that box in your pocket, and it sort of scares the hell out of me."

Hermione froze. "I...I wasn't trying to hide it from you," she replied.

Draco's eyebrows rose skeptically. "You just weren't planning on telling me that you might be pregnant," he stated.

Setting aside her food, she turned to him and took his hand. "I needed to be sure first," she explained. "I didn't want to worry you over something that might not even be real."

"If it is real, if you are pregnant, would you tell me?" he asked.

Hermione nodded. "I would," she confirmed. "I don't know yet if I am. Honestly, I'm scared to check the test. But if I am, I want you to know that I don't expect anything from you."

Shaking off her hand, he got to his feet. "I'm your husband," he said. "For better or worse, right? Why would you expect nothing of me? It's my child too, Hermione."

"No, I know that," she replied, feeling flustered. "I just wasn't sure where we stand, or how you feel about me after everything I've put you through. And I'm sorry, Draco. I'm sorry I got so upset about the license. I'm sorry I pushed you away when all you wanted to do was to try to make things better."

He ran a hand through his hair as he leaned against the mantel. "Okay, so we both have things to be sorry for," he said. "But I want to be a part of this baby's life. You could decide to divorce me tomorrow, but I still want as much involvement as I can have."

Getting to her feet, Hermione crossed the room and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I don't want a divorce," she confessed. "I want to wake up next to you every morning. I want to know that when I have a nightmare, it's your arms wrapped around me to calm me down. I want to be able to say 'I love you' to you whenever I want. Mostly, though, I want you to know how much I mean it when I say that I do love you, Draco Malfoy."

Placing his hands on her cheeks, he drew her lips to meet his own. "I love you too," he murmured against them.

"Should we go find out if we're going to be parents?" she asked.

"Sure, let's go," he replied, taking her hand.