Chapter 14

In which Hermione goes to the Burrow.

A/N: I claim no ownership of these characters or the story line. I just write for fun, and I want to thank you all for reading along. We are nearing the end.

Draco stepped out of the green flames of the fireplace into his bedroom. Well, that works, he thought to himself as he brushed off and went into his closet to pack some clothes. He had spent the past few days helping Hermione with the essentials of Wizarding life. He stocked up on Pumpkin Juice, connected her to the Floo network, and bought her an amazing orange kitten that she named Crookshanks Junior. Draco tried to get her to pick a new name, but the original Crookshanks had been such a loyal and smart companion that she wouldn't have it.

They had been to her father's farm and retrieved her old books and school supplies. She now had the beginnings of a proper Wizard's library, complete with moving photographs. Since she was busy with reading, redecorating her flat, and getting ready for dinner at the Burrow, Draco thought it an opportune time to dash back home and get some of his own supplies. He had been staying at her place for days straight, and needed to get some clothes. Hermione was nervous enough about seeing Ron and Harry for the first time in years, and Draco figured that she might need a little time to herself in order to get ready.

After changing into nice jeans and a blazer, he threw some other things in his bag to take back to Hermione's flat. Now that she was hooked to the Floo, it was much easier to go back and forth. Once he was packed, he walked past the painting on his way out of the bedroom. The Hermione in the painting was gone, just like she had been missing from the one in Hermione's flat. Oh well, he thought, you can't expect them to stick around forever.

"I'm back!" Draco shouted down the long hallway. "Now I'm leaving again," he said in a normal voice as he walked to the main part of the Manor from his room.

Winky appeared at Draco's side as he walked. "Master Draco, your parents would like to speak to you in the sitting room before you leave. I believe that they have some news."

"Ok," Draco answered as he headed off in that direction. News? I'm the one with news; I'm going to the fucking Burrow for dinner tonight with Hermione. Wait until I tell them, he thought.

As he walked in to the sitting room, he noticed the strange smell of cigar smoke. His mother beamed at him from one of the loveseats in the center of the room, and his father entered from the porch, through open French doors that were letting in the springtime air.

"Draco, my son! Have a cigar, it is time to celebrate!" Lucius announced as he clapped his son on the back, and handed him an aromatic Cohiba Lanceros from Cuba.

Draco looked at the cigar in his hand, the wide, unusual smiles on his parents' faces and said, "Should I be sitting down?"

"Lucius, put that thing out, and the two of you come sit next to me," Narcissa said as both of her men complied and joined her. "Draco, your father and I want to share our good news with you. We are going to have a baby!" she announced, beaming.

Lucius and Narcissa hugged their son as he went through the motions of looking happy, but in his head, there was only one thought, what the fuck?

"Finally, after all these years, we are having another child. I couldn't be happier son," Lucius said, getting up again and pacing around the room. "We tried for years, and gave up hope long ago. When I found out a few days ago, I jumped for joy. I literally jumped up in the air."

Draco smiled at the thought of his stoic father jumping for joy. "I'm happy for you, really," he said.

"Not just us, but all of us," Narcissa said, putting her hand on her son's. "Draco, you are a wonderful son, and you will be a wonderful big brother. Be excited about that as well."

Draco smiled and said, "It's just that you are so old…" He ducked as his mother took a playful swipe at him. "Seriously, it is going to rock the Wizarding community," Draco thought out loud as he stood up and unwrapped his cigar. "What am I going to say to everyone, to Hermione?"

"You are not going to say anything yet," Lucius announced as he lit their cigars. "Your mother and I just found out and wanted to tell you. You may not tell anyone else yet. Anyone," Lucius finished, giving his son a serious look.

"Fine, I'm happy to keep quiet," Draco said with a smile. He had no idea what he would have said anyway.

(Break)

Hermione looked in the mirror for the hundredth time as she tried to find something else to do. She had been ready for an hour, cleaned up the flat and rearranged it a few times. "Where is he?" she said as she picked up her orange kitten that was batting around a quill that he had procured from her desk. Crookshanks Junior grabbed a piece of her hair that dangled nearby and began to chew it with vigor. "I need him around to calm me down," she said to the kitten as she pulled her hair out of his grip. "I like having him around," she said.

"I like being around," Draco announced as he stepped from the Floo and put his arms around her. "I like you missing me."

"Draco, I'm nervous."

"Nervous about seeing your childhood friends and their parents? Nervous about what you are going to say to them? Nervous about introducing me as your lover?" he teased.

"Actually, yes," she said earnestly as she looked up into his eyes. "I am worried about facing Harry and Ron. Especially Ron."

"Listen here," Draco said, holding her close. "Your friends are good people. They want you to be happy, they want to know what they did wrong, and they will want you back in their life. It will be awkward at first, sure, but trust me; it is all going to work out fine. Don't worry about Ron, I'm going to be right beside you the whole time," Draco said, trying to sound confident though he was a little anxious for her. Nevertheless, he was more confident than Hermione was, a fact that made him sure that now was not the time to tell her the news about his mother's pregnancy.

"I hope so," Hermione said, putting her kitten on the ground. She looked over at the fireplace Draco had just used and said, "It's time to go."

"Chin up," Draco said as he led her to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder. Throwing it into the fireplace, he clearly said, "The Burrow!"

(Break)

The living room at the Burrow was full as Draco and Hermione stepped through the Floo. Hermione smiled weakly at the five sets of eyes that were focused on her. Draco stood behind her, supporting her, and gave her a slight nudge forward.

"Oh, Hermione, it is wonderful to see you again," Arthur Weasley said, breaking the ice. "We've missed you so much, thanks for coming to dinner." He embraced her in a warm hug, as he patted Draco on the shoulder with one hand. "Thanks for bringing her, Draco."

"My pleasure sir," Draco said as Hermione turned around to look at him. Draco smiled as though there was nothing strange about being welcomed into the Weasley home.

Molly and Ginny stood up next and embraced Hermione. Harry joined in, but Ron stayed removed. Hermione kept one eye on him as she talked to Harry and Ginny. They had been married for a few years, and were expecting their first child in July. Hermione was genuinely happy for them, but still watching Ron out of the corner of her eye. She was surprised to see Draco walk casually up to Ron and shake his hand. Ron smiled as Draco said something to him. Draco put his hand on Ron's shoulder in a friendly, comforting gesture. They both shared a laugh and then looked at Hermione, who was staring at them with her mouth open.

"What are you two talking about over there?" Hermione said as she approached the suspicious pair.

"I'll leave you two to talk," Draco said diplomatically, as he moved away to speak to Mrs. Weasley.

"Hello Ronald," Hermione said as the two stood together at the edge of the room, with the other dinner guests pretending to ignore them. "I was worried about bringing Draco here, but it seems like the two of you get on pretty well."

"Yeah, he's alright after all," Ron said with a grin as he looked down at his hands nervously. "You been ok? We heard you were back."

"Yes, I'm fine. Nervous but fine."

"What're you nervous about?" Ron asked.

"Well, I've been gone for so long, with no explanations. I thought everyone would be angry with me. Especially you."

"Listen Hermione," Ron started, "I'm not mad at you, and I'm not confused by why you left. I was excited about being famous, and after all that you, Harry, and I had been through, I figured we were due a little recognition. I just didn't know that I would turn out to be such a jerk. I wanted to apologize, but I couldn't find you because of that Unplottability thing. I'm sorry."

"Me too," Harry said, joining the pair. "Hermione, we should have listened to you more. We didn't because we were just as stupid as always," he said with a smile that only Harry could give when he was trying to cheer them up. "I'm sorry to hear about your mother's passing. I wish we could have been there for you."

"I'm the one who should be sorry," Hermione said, pulling her two friends into a group hug. "Can we be friends again?"

"We never stopped," Harry said as a beeping noise sounded.

"What's that?" Hermione asked, looking around for the source of the electronic sound. This is the Burrow, what could be beeping, she thought?

"That's me," Ron said, pulling an iPhone out of his pocket and checking his texts. He smiled, tapped a text back, and moved towards the fireplace again.

"Ron has a phone?" Hermione said, stunned. "Who is texting him?"

"His fiancée," Harry answered with a smile.

Hermione froze, then remembered to close her mouth, then remembered she had a voice. "Fiancée? That's great. That's really great," she said with a relieved smile. If Ron had a fiancée, then that meant he had moved on with his life. Her past came flooding back to her as she thought about the last time she saw him. It had been awkward, and Hermione had felt guilty about their breakup for years. It seemed like the right decision at the time, but that didn't make it any less painful.

Hermione had not loved Ron from the first moment that she saw him. He had helped Harry save her life in their first year at Hogwarts, and they had spent all of their time together after that point. She didn't really know how it happened, and she was sure that Ron didn't, but they just fell in love, not with each other, but with what they were. They were part of the Golden Trio, and falling in love and getting married was what they thought they were supposed to do. The problem for Hermione was that while Ron was a caring, realistic, brave companion, he wasn't the love of her life. When she left the Wizarding World, she tried to sit down with Ron and tell him all the reasons why she was leaving, and how she wanted him to know that she wasn't coming back, and that she genuinely wished him well. Ron sat through the discussion barely saying a word, and then he rose and hugged her silently. No words passed between them after that and Hermione left confused. Now she knew that Ron had been listening, he understood even more than she had given him credit for, and had moved on with his life without her. That unexpected realization gave her mood a lift, and washed her worries away. Although her worries were gone, her curiosity was not.

"Do I know her?" Hermione asked Harry quietly.

"Draco didn't tell you any of this?" Harry asked.

"What does Draco know about Ron's love life?'

"Draco set them up."

Just then, the Floo flared to life and Hermione found herself holding her breath in anticipation. Draco had filled her in on the love lives of most of their fellow classmates over the past few days, and many had been married for years; Harry and Ginny, Neville and Luna, George and Angelina Johnson, even Katie Bell and Marcus Flint. Never once did he mention Ron Weasley, and the fact that he set him up with someone. Her eyes scanned the room and found Draco coming out of the kitchen with Mrs. Weasley. He was drying his hands with a cloth and smiling. He looked her way and smiled knowingly, realizing that she found out that he had set Ron up with this mysterious visitor.

Suddenly, long legs in elegant heels stepped out of the fireplace. A classic little black dress hung immaculately on the beautiful lean frame, while shoulder length, dark hair and a single diamond drop pendant framed the face of…Pansy Parkinson.

Hermione once again lost the use of her voice. As the other assembled guests greeted Pansy with familiar hugs and kisses, Hermione stood stunned. This wasn't the mean little Slytherin that she remembered from school. This was a beautiful, elegant woman, and evidently, the Weasleys loved her.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Draco laughed, approaching her and taking her hand. "I guess it is pretty obvious, but Pansy has changed for the better. She and I both changed our belief structure after the war, and that cost us a lot of our Slytherin friends. She was always attractive, but her family was so ingrained in Pureblood ways of thinking, that she didn't have an outlet to get the proper clothes and realize how beautiful she really was. My mother took Pansy under her wing, unbeknownst to her parents, and introduced her to some of the finest salons in London. Couple that with mother's shopping prowess, and you have the woman you see before you."

"Wow," was all Hermione could muster. Pansy was beautiful, and Ron was currently kissing her very passionately in front of the assembled group. Perhaps a little too much for Hermione's taste, but it was very evident they were in love.

"Yeah," Draco responded. "The thing was; Pansy's parents still insisted that she marry a Pureblood. She didn't want anything to do with the Slytherins, so that is where I came in. She needed someone strong and stable that came from an old Wizarding family. Ron wanted a woman with a hot body and lots of money. It was a match made in heaven."

Hermione smiled as Pansy walked over and embraced her. It was warm, yet tentative. Hermione held Pansy at arm's length as she looked her up and down, and then said, "Pansy, I am so happy for the both of you."

Ron and Pansy let out a sigh of relief as both couples laughed, then made their way to the table for dinner.

(Break)

Hermione insisted on helping Molly with the dishes after dinner. She spent most of the meal telling stories of her time away from the Wizarding World, and catching up on gossip. Hermione had not felt hungry in the least, and enjoyed the conversation, so when Molly suggested that they talk while cleaning up, she happily agreed.

"I noticed that you didn't eat much tonight. Is everything alright?" Molly asked as she waved her wand, moving all of the plates into a stack beside the sink.

"I don't know what it is, but I wasn't hungry. The food was delicious, though. Thank you for inviting me. I'm sorry that it took so long…" Hermione began.

Molly turned to face Hermione and said, "I understand completely. After the war, everyone had things to deal with. It was their own cleaning up, if you will." Molly cast another charm that started the dishes moving through the soapy water. "Honestly, there are times that I feel like running away. When Fred died, a piece of me died that day. There are times that I would like to just…get away from it all. It has been years since he died," she paused choking up, and Hermione pulled her into a hug. "But I still miss him."

Hermione hugged Molly quietly for a moment then said, "Molly, if you ever want to get away, just come stay with me in London. We can go to a show, relax at a spa, there are a lot of ways to take your mind off of things."

"Thank you dear," Molly said, as she watched Hermione sit down quickly. "Hermione is everything alright?"

"I'm sure I'm fine, I just feel a little faint right now," Hermione said, looking rather pale.

"It is late, I think it is best for Draco to take you home to get some rest if you're feeling off."

"That is probably best," Hermione said, resting her head in her hands.

"What is best?" Draco asked as he entered the kitchen.

"Draco, Hermione isn't feeling well, and I think it is best that she go home and have a lie down," Molly said, looking at Hermione critically. "Let's get you two to the Floo."

"I'm fine, really," Hermione said, standing up under her own power. "I just feel a little woozy, but lying down sounds like a great idea. Thank you for dinner."

After saying their goodbyes, Hermione and Draco took the Floo back to her flat. Draco noticed that she was very pale, and wanted to get her into bed quickly. Unfortunately, the trip back to the flat took its toll, and as soon as they arrived, Hermione rushed to the bathroom to empty the meager contents of her stomach. Draco followed her and got a cold cloth to place on her forehead.

"Oh, I wonder if it was something I ate?" Hermione said as Draco rummaged through her medicine cabinet.

"We forgot to stock up on potions," Draco said resignedly. "You just have Muggle medicines in here, and none of this is going to make you feel better."

"Draco, I'll be fine."

"No, I want to get something to fix this right away," he said, pausing.

"Winky!" Draco called out, and the House-elf instantly appeared in the room with them.

"Yes, Master Draco?" Winky answered pleasantly.

"Hermione is sick; can you get some potions from the Manor that will help her feel better?"

"Really, Draco, I don't…" Hermione started.

"Master Draco," Winky said, taking the cold compress from Hermione and running it under the water and then returning it. "She is not sick, she is pregnant," Winky announced with a playful gleam in her eye.

Draco looked at Hermione, whose eyes were even wider than his. Hermione looked at Draco, who was now so pale that he was translucent. The sight of a scared Draco Malfoy seemed at once funny to Hermione, and she cracked a smile, which quickly caught on to Draco. In a moment, they were both laughing, perhaps from nerves, panic, or joy, but they embraced each other on that cold tile floor as they silently examined each other's faces for an answer.

"I should make some tea," Winky said as she left them alone and went into the kitchen.