A/N: Well here it is…the final chapter. I know I said I wanted to finish it before new year but it took me much longer than expected to get this chapter how I wanted it. There will be an epilogue so keep an eye out and I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I Own Nothing.

Hermione's POV

All I could hear were the lost cries of our child, before I was seized by the looming darkness that had been chasing me for many years. I could only just identify the warmth of Draco's hand on mine, but I could no longer see or hear the baby that I had been carrying for nine months. I wanted nothing more to go to him and Draco. I was a mother now; it was not my time to leave.

I fought with the little strength I had left to not let the feeling of Draco's hand on mine be defeated by the darkness and pain that were fast enveloping all of my senses. I did not want to leave them, I had so much to live for now.

I found it hard to believe that the person I would be in love with for the rest of my life had been right in front of my eyes all this time. As long as his hand remained with mine I would carry on fighting.

But within seconds, the anchor that was binding me down was slowly slipping away. No longer could I feel the warmth of his hand in mine and the impending darkness overwhelmed me.

How long I had been lost I did not know; but the fresh light of morning and new beginnings was seeping through my closed lids. My body somehow felt like mine again, devoid of all the previous suffering it had harboured.

I could feel a gentle weight on my chest slowly rising up and down in unison with my own breathes. Unable to defeat the exhaustion that held my eyes hostage, my hands reached up slowly to be greeted by soft curls and tiny fingers and toes. This tiny thing clung to me so tightly it almost felt as though we were one being. The sound of soft gurgles caressed the air as my tired hands moulded to the soft curve of a back draped in the softest of cotton.

The desire to see my baby was so strong it quenched the feelings of relentless exhaustion and my eyes slowly fluttered open. The first thing that greeted my sleepy gaze were the soft platinum curls resting against my skin. I felt my heart begin to beat so quickly and my mouth went dry. Small hands were clinging onto the fabric of my nightdress and a platinum dusted head rested peacefully against my breast.

Then something happened, something that felt so foreign to me now I barely recognized it. I smiled. I could feel all the pain of these past 9 months cleansed by this one perfect moment but this one perfect moment was missing just one thing…Draco.

As my mind momentarily drifted away from the sleeping bundle of tangled limbs atop my chest, I noticed the slight weight that rested on my thigh. A hand lay protectively there, still and unmoving.

I smiled again when I followed the hand which belonged to a sleeping Draco, resting silently in an armchair pulled closely against my bed. He looked so much like him. My fingers slowly slipped inside his and I brought his hand closely up to my cheek, the coolness of his silver ring sending a quiet shiver down my spine. I kissed his knuckle once, twice, three times. I had missed him so much and I wanted to make up for all the time I had wasted. He slowly began to stir from his sleep, his eyes flashing open. Those pools of blue and grey were returned to me now.

Everything was completely silent.

"Hermione…"

I nodded, a now familiar smile adorning my lips and before I could even breathe his arms were wrapped tightly around me and his lips were on mine in a fit of desperation and relief. He was ever careful not to hurt the baby as he dusted my face with kisses and ran his hands over my exhausted body, as though he was memorizing me by heart.

"I" kiss "Thought" kiss "I'd" kiss "Lost you"

His kisses were so desperate and his touches so soft. I held him close, convinced that neither of us would ever let go.

"I'm still here."

I whispered against his ear, kissing the side of his jaw.

After a few more minuets of just holding tightly onto one another he pulled away and looked down at me and our child.

"He's perfect isn't he?"

Draco's hand rested lovingly against the curve of his head.

"He is, just like you"

Ron's POV

Harry had come back after he heard that Hermione had had the baby and knowing that Ginny was only a few days away from having theirs as well. We were both sat together looking out across Hogwarts from the astronomy tower, everything suddenly felt like it always had been.

"She'll understand when you tell her."

I wasn't so sure that she would…knowing Hermione. She had asked to see me in the hospital wing and I was dreading it.

"I'm not so sure."

It was like everything that had happened over the summer with Mum and Fred had fuelled everything I had done and turned me into a completely different person. I knew that grief could damage people and I had been the victim of that damage this year. If only Hermione knew how much I loved her, maybe she would understand that everything I had done was out of anger and frustration because my love was not returned.

"If I can see the logic in forgiving you then, Hermione Granger, the most logical person either of us will probably ever meet won't be blind to it."

I sighed deeply and inhaled the cool morning breeze whilst trying to wish all of this away.

"You don't love Amy…do you?"

Just her name brought a wave of nausea crashing over me, knowing that I would be tied to her and that child forever.

"No"

I answered simply; sure that Harry already knew the answer to that question.

Harry was now the one to sigh as he spun his wand between his fingers, a habit of his that I had grown accustomed to over time.

"What?"

After seven years I knew when something was wrong.

"It's not yours…the baby."

A lump formed in my throat at his words, words that had the potential to give me the new start I craved so much.

"What are you talking about Harry? She did the spell, she…"

"She lied Ron…Merlin knows why. Maybe she wanted some kind of share in the 'golden trio'"

Harry hated the term 'golden trio' and every time he used it it was always said with a dark undertone of cynicism. He said so many died in the war; friends, teachers, family that it was so unfair to dub us the 'golden trio' when we were still here alive and well.

"She's not as ignorant as she lets on, she used the same charm on your wand that you two used on Hermione's"

This all seemed absolutely absurd that I could barely process what I was actually hearing.

"But it was my idea to pretend that the baby was Malfoy's, if she wanted some kind of share in whatever she thought she would be getting if she had a baby with me why would she give that up to pretend the baby was Malfoy's?"

Harry laid a reassuring hand on my back before replying,

"Maybe the Malfoy name and fortune that comes with it seemed a little more attractive."

"Thanks"

I smiled jokily as Harry grinned back at me.

A moment of silence rested between us before I recalled probably the most important question I had wanted to ask him.

"How exactly did you find out about this Harry?"

He looked at me for a moment before abandoning his place on the rather uncomfortable astronomy tower steps and went over to the sunlit balcony that overlooked the grounds.

"You've got Ginny to thank for that mate."

"Ginny? You mean my sister, Ginny?"

"No the other Ginny that attends Hogwarts and that we are both closely acquainted with. Yes of course Ginny as in your sister."

My eagerness to find out now overrode my confusion as to why for the time being.

"Well how did she find out then?"

He turned his back against the cool wrought iron railings to face me, stress evident in his face.

"I sent Hermione the letter and she was reading it when she went into labour. Ginny was the first one to find Hermione and to find the letter. Once Madame Pomfrey was with her Ginny read the letter and as you can expect she wasn't exactly happy. We both know your sister has a temper that's not to be meddled with at the best of times"

I knew all too well about my sister's 'temper' and was only grateful that she hadn't hunted me down straight away after she'd finished reading it.

"Anyway, once Hermione was in the hospital wing she went to go and look for you but she found Amy instead, in the library, she was talking to some Ravenclaw 7th year. She was about to confront her when she heard them discussing the baby and she also happened to hear Amy let slip that the baby was this 7th year's, but judging from his reaction Ginny said he probably already knew. Turns out she gets around quite a bit."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing! After all this time I thought I had been playing the scheming and conniving one and in fact it was the apparently not so dumb blonde all along.

"That bitch"

There was a silence for a moment as all this sank in, before Harry replied,

"Yeah, I thought you might say that."

Hermione's POV

Draco sat behind me in the hospital wing as we watched our tiny newborn fiddle contentedly with my curls.

"What shall we call him?"

I said as I stroked his head lovingly before once more leaning back into the rock hard muscle of Draco's warm chest.

"I think you've earned the right to choose love."

We both smiled at one another before my head began to whir into action. It felt like a decade since I'd last used my brain properly, well about 2 days which might as well have been a decade for me.

"Well…I know your family have a tradition of naming children after stars and constellations, so…"

My mind slowly started to turn as I filed through all the stars and constellations that I could remember from astronomy class. It was quite hard to rifle through all the ridiculous ones like Betelgeuse, to find just that one perfect one. Then suddenly it hit me.

"What about Caelum?"

"Are you sure? I know children named after stars and constellations aren't exactly customary in the muggle world."

I thought about it for a moment knowing that Draco was right, but I didn't want him to be deprived of his family ancestry and tradition. I didn't have names of tradition in my family and besides I liked the name Caelum.

"He won't be spending much time in the muggle world and I want him to be part of your family tradition and ancestry, besides he is your son."

I could feel his smile forming against my cheek at my words which always gave me that butterfly feeling inside.

"Did I tell you that I love you?"

He said in that deep baritone that he knew drove me wild

"You might have mentioned it."

I said jokingly before leaning back to join his lips in a searing kiss. I'd missed his lips.

After what felt like an eternity we pulled apart, both slightly out of breath.

"Caelum it is."

He whispered so gently only we could here.

I wished so hard that I could have this moment forever and that it would never end. In this moment everything was perfect and why change something that's perfect?

"You said you wanted to tell me something."

I sighed as the perfection of this moment was instantly shattered having lasted even less than expected. I pondered for a moment whether I should tell Draco right know about the whole Ron and Amy thing, he would probably kill them both and I didn't want Caelum starting his life with a father in Askaban, no matter how much I felt like killing them both myself. But he was going to have to find out sooner or later and always rather sooner than later.

"I have a feeling you're not going to like this…"

Ten minutes later.

"I'm going to kill him!"

He shouted violently as he gently unfolded himself from me and Caelum. He began to search for his wand frantically but I had had the sense to 'accidently knock it off the nightstand and under the bed before I actually told him.

"Where's my wand?!"

As much as I wanted to send Draco on his way to hex Ron's brains out I knew it wouldn't benefit anyone in the end.

"Draco calm down."

His hands were raking back and forth through his tousled blond hair as he paced back and forth looking for his wand.

"I'm gonna blast that piece of scum into oblivion."

I don't think the fact that whilst I was telling Draco the whole story, I accidently let slip that Ron had slapped me helped the situation at all. No, that definitely wasn't a good idea. In fact he seemed to be angrier about that than anything else.

"Draco just listen to me for a moment! He's coming here to talk and trust me I won't be letting him off lightly."

"He's coming here?! I don't think so! I'm not letting him anywhere near you or our son."

"Draco he's not coming here to cause a fight. I asked him here because I want an explanation. Just imagine how you'd feel if your best friend of seven years did everything in their power to cause you pain and misery. Now trust me when I say this, Ron is not getting off this lightly but I need to deal with this."

He stopped pacing and sat back down on the bed with me again. Relief cascaded over me; I really thought for a moment that he was going to kill him.

"Hell hath no fury like a Hermione Granger scorned"

A small smile tugged at my lips.

"I'm so glad you've realised that."

I teased playfully as he poked my sides affectionately.

Our bubble was instantly burst when there was a reluctant knock at the door. Ron.

"Come in."

My voice did not possess the usual careless ring it usually had when I said those words. More of an 'I'm going to kill you' ring to it.

I felt my whole body tense as that familiar flash of red hair emerged from behind the closed doors. It took every ounce of self control I had to not leap from my bead and pounce on him like a lion that had not eaten in a year. Unfortunately, I could barely stand at the moment let alone attack a fully grown man.

My fists formed tight balls as I restricted my physical want to strangle him to death to my hands alone.

I spared a moment to look to Draco as Ron approached sheepishly. His fists were mirroring my own but the expression on his face was enough to turn even my spine to ice. I couldn't imagine what it was like for Ron as he was on the receiving end of it.

"Hermione."

He greeted me emotionlessly. 'Hi' or 'Hey' would have just been wrong now.

"Ron."

My teeth remained firmly clenched as I spat his name out in disgust.

Ron gradually made his way closer to the bed where Draco and I sat looking on with the same amount of malice.

"I think that's close enough."

Draco said in a tone that would make any sane man run a thousand miles in the opposite direction. He then left his place beside me to block Ron from me and Caelum.

"I'm not going to do anything Malfoy. I'm here to explain."

Draco stood still, his arms firmly folded whilst his wand resided firmly in his hand.

"You mean explain how you abused Hermione, split us up because you lead both of us to believe that I'd gotten that slut pregnant and known about it all along, how you let Hermione think she was going to be a single mother at 17 and make me think I'd lost the only person I've ever loved?! Is that what you came here to explain Weasley!?"

I was beginning to worry that Draco might actually curse him. Judged on the way he was talking to him now, Ron had mere seconds to live.

"Draco remember what I said."

Ron's head hung low and shameful as he tried to avoid eye contact with Draco at all costs.

"I just want to talk to Hermione…alone."

Draco let out a deeply sarcastic laugh at Ron's request.

"The last time I left her alone with you, you slapped her. Don't think that I'm going to make the same mistake again!"

This was when Ron finally abandoned his careful analysis of the floor and looked at him for the first time.

"I'm not going to hurt her, I've come here to apologise and give her the explanation that I'm sure she wants to hear."

I held Caelum close as he began to wake, which was no surprise in this chaos.

"I want to hear what he has to say for himself. Just give us ten minuets, you can be right outside. I think he's come to grovel rather than start a fight."

I could see his internal debate as he considered my request. I'd learnt over this year how possessive a man Draco Malfoy actually was.

"Fine."

The animosity in that response was clearly aimed once again at Ron.

"Will you take Caelum?"

I said gently as I kissed his head softly.

Draco then approached Ron and only relented in his pursuit when his shoulder was firmly against his.

"If you so much as lay a finger on her I'll make you wish you'd never been born."

Even I could hear Ron's dry swallow at his threat.

"Understood"

He said matter-of-factly.

I couldn't help but smile at Ron's feeble attempt of a nod, before Draco came and collected an oblivious Caelum from my arms.

"Remember Draco; hell hath no fury…"

I whispered reassuringly as he gathered the blanket encased baby in his protective arms.

He smiled worriedly probably not convinced I could handle myself in my current state.

As the familiar mechanical click resonated in my ears at Draco's exit I suddenly felt vulnerable all over again, but I wasn't going to let him know that.

"Congratulation Ron, you're plan of ruining my life and condemning me to a life as a 17-year-old single mother very nearly came off."

"Hermione listen, I need to tell you why."

I sighed; as if any explanation he concocted up in that sick mind of his would compensate for his actions.

"Oh there's a reason? And here's me thinking you did all this for fun."

I drawled in a sarcastic monotone.

"Hermione…"

"No Ron! Do you have any idea what you've put me through you complete and utter asshole?! What makes this worse is the fact that we have been best friends for merlin knows how long and never have I once tried to do something so awful or heartless to you as you have done to me."

I gasped for breath as all this pent up tension, anger and frustration was finally released.

"Hermione I'm sorry."

How could he even begin to think that 'I'm sorry' was going to cut it?

I was about to unleash another outburst when he cut me off.

"Just here me out ok"

I crossed my arms defensively and nodded curtly.

"Well you see it all started in the summer after Fred died."

I felt a little ambushed by this as I knew Fred's death had come down hard on Ron and the whole family was still grieving his loss. Every time this topic was brought up I felt incapable of being nothing more than a loving and kind friend but this time I managed to keep a neutral expression.

"As you can imagine the summer after Fred died was pretty bad to say the least. Mum barely left her room and George was inconsolable. Dad had at least tried to keep things together but not with much luck."

I wanted so badly to but in and state that as much as I felt for him this was no excuse for his behaviour towards me. I had only ever been a kind and supportive friend to him, but once again my good nature prevailed.

"Mum never really recovered after Fred's death, I don't think she ever will."

Before now I could never even imagine what it would be like to lose a child; but now that I was a mother, the thought of Caelum being stolen from me was so overwhelmingly painful I had to stop thinking about it.

Ron continued.

"There was one night that was worse than all the others. No one could talk to or reason with Mum anymore. It was like her body was there but she wasn't. There was a huge argument that broke out at about midnight and things got completely out of hand. Mum had been looking for someone to blame for Fred's death for a long time. She kept on going on about how if we'd all listened to her and hadn't gone back to Hogwarts then none of this would have happened. She was smashing plates against the wall; no one knew what to do."

Why did he have to do this? I was still so angry with him, so hurt.

"I went to talk to her once she had calmed down only know I wish so much I hadn't."

My eyes seemed to be transfixed on the white cotton of the bedclothes. I knew if I looked him in the eyes now, my resentment would creep away with the familiar warmth and sadness that now haunted his eyes.

"She told me something, something that no one deserves to hear. It is only now that I realise it wasn't mum that was speaking but her grief."

He paused, his head hung low. I could sense the weight that he carried on his shoulders; I just didn't know what it was.

"What did she say to you?"

How could I feel so concerned even now?

He slowly raised his head once more and I could see the suppressed anger marking his brow.

"She told me that she got me when she craved a daughter more than anything and…"

Ron shut his eyes tightly whilst clenching his fists with a force consistent with his closed lids.

"That she wished I had taken Fred's place that night and died instead."

I felt my whole body freeze. How could Molly say that to her son? No child should ever be told that by their mother. Although my sympathy for Ron was great and I understood completely that being told that would have a serious effect on your behaviour however, I didn't understand how it had anything to do with punishing me.

"I know she didn't mean it now. In all honesty I think she would have said it to any one of us that had walked through that door, but it was me, so there we go."

"Ron I understand completely that that must have had an extremely bad effect on you and I'm sure Molly didn't mean it but…I still don't understand what this has got to do with punishing me."

I felt somewhat uneasy as Ron let out a rather sinister laugh.

"No you wouldn't would you."

"I don't understand."

What could he mean? Was it obvious? Why didn't I understand?

"You've never realized have you?"

"Realised what?"

I was beginning to get a little frustrated with all this riddle talk.

"Realised how completely in love with you I am."

I could feel my eyes widening in utter shock and disbelief. I knew Ron had a bit of a thing for me; well at least I did before his master plan was put into action.

"It seems logic leaves you blind to some things. That night at the burrow I told Mum it didn't matter what she said…because I had you. She laughed at me, said,' do you really think Hermione loves you? Don't be stupid' I told her that she was wrong and that one day I would marry you to prove it."

Ron had wanted to marry me? I felt sick. He was planning on marrying me to prove Molly wrong and I went and fell in love with Draco and had his baby. I felt bad, but I still didn't deserve what he had done to me. As for Molly she was grieving and she just wanted someone to blame, Ron should know that she didn't mean what she said.

"You want to marry me?"

Ron buried his hands in his pockets and stared intently at the bleakly tiled floor.

"I did."

"Then why did you do everything you could to make me miserable?"

Ron shrugged his limbs tiredly and languidly placed.

"Make you suffer like I suffered, to let you know how it feels."

I couldn't deny the sense of guilt that was slowly bringing down my resolve. That guilt made me angry, angry that I could so easily be moulded to fit another person's agenda. Guilt is a horrible feeling, especially when the person doesn't deserve it.

"I am sorry Hermione. I realise that what I've done is completely unforgivable but…I still love you. If it helps I don't want to love you anymore but I do and there's nothing I or anyone else can do about it."

I looked at the boy sitting in front of me; we were all still very much children. I remembered the first time I had seen him; dirt smeared across his nose, then so unaware of how much we would share. I couldn't forgive him for what he'd done but I think I could understand and one day forgiveness would follow.

"I think one day I'll be able to forgive you Ron but I need more time. For now at least…know that I understand."

The anger I had felt for so long dissolved into no more than sadness and hurt. I couldn't pretend that now everything was ok between the two of us because it wasn't, but I'm tired of all the fighting and now I just want to forget.

"That's more than I expected."

Ron smiled weakly just as Draco reappeared at the door.

"Where's the baby?"

The tiny bundle was not present in his arms and panic soon followed.

"Pomfrey's got him."

And the panic began to dissipate.

My eyes closely followed Ron as he left the bed and made his way towards the exit and towards Draco. I knew what Draco was like but I had never seen him this angry before and I knew the impending conflict between the two would result in something I wouldn't approve of.

As Ron reached him they both froze and so did I. It was like some kind of face off in the wild which I definitely didn't want to be a part of.

Surprise settled in when Ron passed Draco unscathed besides the death glare, which wasn't quite so easy to forget.

"Weasley."

Draco said rather calmly for my liking.

Ron turned back to face him when his jaw collided with Draco's iron fist. My hands flew over my mouth in horror, I had never been one for violence…excluding that one exception in third year.

Ron's hand clung to the side of his face in agony.

"Draco!"

I shouted rather pathetically across the room. They both ignored me. Why is it that I was now redundant in all of this?

Ron looked up to the rather smug looking Draco in front of him before responding.

"Fair enough."

And with that Ron was gone.

"Boys."

I muttered rather disgustedly to myself.

One Week Later.

Draco's POV

I watched Hermione as she stepped gracefully back inside our apartment, Caelum snugly tucked in her loving arms. The fact that I almost lost her haunted me late at night, reminding me that this happiness almost never was.

Her lose curls bounced happily as she turned spun around with Caelum in her arms. I'd never had people in my life that I'd love this much and I guess that's why I was suck a prat for such a long time, I'd never had anything to lose. Now, now I had everything to lose.

I remained in the doorway watching Hermione and Caelum dance in both of their loving holds. Her smile was so perfect, so hypnotizing it could bring any man to his knees, but she had chosen me and I had chosen her; although, I think it had always been her really and I think it chose us.

Now I was a father, something I never imagined myself being, but now I was and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Later that evening Hermione and I were sitting in the window seat in the corner of the common room. There were still some rays of light blinking through the encroaching night that seemed to be playing hide and seek around the room.

Her warm body was pressed firmly against my welcoming chest and Caelum was still in her arms. I hadn't stopped watching her since she came back from the hospital, I was still scared that she might break if I hugged her too tightly or bruise if I kissed her too hard.

Now I had her I needed her more than anything, I needed her and our son. Looking at Caelum it was hard to believe that I had played a part in creating something so perfect and so pure. Everything I have ever touched has just turned to dust.

"Did you ever imagine things would turn out the way they have."

Her voice was so musical and so soothing I could listen to her forever.

"No, not imagined…dreamt maybe."

I tucked a mischievous curl behind her ear praying that this was a real and not just another dream that would eventually be torn apart by reality.

"He looks like you."

She leant her head back against my shoulder to smile up at me through her perfect frame of dark lashes.

"I think he looks like you."

I kissed her soft and supple lips wondering if I could actually drown in her, I would never get enough of her…not ever.

"These last months they've been so crazy. I mean we're both parents."

A smile pulled at the corner of my mouth as I watched Caelum wrap his tiny hand possessively around my finger. I kissed the top of her head longingly; I think she was still a bit overwhelmed by all of this.

"It's been one hell of a year."

Which was probably the understatement of the century.

And with that I pulled her into my arms, still holding Caelum and carried her carefully up the stairs, the three of us completely unknowing as to what our future would hold. But I knew I loved them both now and to me that was all that mattered.

A/N: THERE WILL BE AN EPILOGUE. Well it's been quite a journey and I like to thank everyone that read, reviewed, messaged, added to favourites so much, this story wouldn't be the same without you. I hop you've enjoyed reading this story but their will be an epilogue that's going to give that look into Hermione and Draco's future so keep an eye out. Thank you for reading yours sincerely Emeraldserpent36.