Oooh I liked writing this on...

Hermione watched as Draco climbed onto the bed, stretching his legs out in front of him. He swept his hand around in front of him.

"Talk away...I'm all ears!"

"Errr.." Hermione didn't know how to start but it was too late to be hesitant now, she'd already started the ball rolling so she squared her shoulders and cleared her throat. It was no use beating around the bush; she just needed to say it. "Who broke your heart and how?" She wasn't sure what reaction she had expected from Draco but it wasn't the one she got. He burst out laughing and shook his head.

"Really?" he spluttered. "That's what you want to talk about, right now?" He stopped laughing but still gave a little chuckle. "I just love the way you're not afraid to ask me anything! You just come straight out with it!" He leant forward. "Why do you want to know?"

"You said...just...you said – I can't do this..."Hermione didn't complete her sentence but she could see that Draco knew what she was getting at. He leant back again and sighed.

"It's not a great bedtime story, Hermione. It'll probably give you nightmares."

"I don't care, I need to know and I think you need to tell someone."

Draco stared at her and then he lowered his voice and then he said a name. "Pansy. It was Pansy.

"Pansy Parkinson broke your heart? But everyone knew the relationship was one sided! How can she have broken your heart?" Hermione was shocked.

"It was one sided, all through school and then after we left for a long while. I didn't care about her but she was happy to follow me around, playing loyal girlfriend, enjoying some of the high life. And to be honest, it sometimes suited me not be single. It helped with the business, made me look respectable instead of just some rich playboy who was playing games with Daddy's money," Draco looked over at her. "Totally shallow of me, I know, but I did look after her...I just didn't love her." Hermione didn't interrupt so he continued. "Anyway, we eventually split up. I can't remember how it happened or who dumped who but there were no big arguments or anything. We both dated other people and I'd still see her around a lot. So I was single and I got to play around a bit," Draco shrugged. "I'm not exactly making myself sound great am I?"

"Not exactly, but go on."

"Anyway, I had my fun and it was fun. I can see now that it was probably cruel, the way I went from one girl to another but it was what lots of us were doing. I then started to get fed up with it, the business was expanding and the endless partying wasn't good for me and I wasn't enjoying it." Draco rolled his eyes. "Sometimes, I actually wanted to just talk to a woman, about something other than fashion or the weather. Sometimes I wanted them to stop just gazing at me and agreeing with everything I said and I actually wanted them to have an opinion and even disagree or argue with me."

"Why do you keep moaning when I do that then?" Hermione asked with a small smile and Draco smiled back.

"Anyway, I'm at this business dinner and who's there but Pansy and somehow we got talking and for the first time I actually enjoyed her company. She seemed to have matured and we talked about school and our families and it was good. So, we were back on and this time I was hooked. It was great, a proper relationship, an equal partnership," Draco paused and his tone changed a little. "At least that's what I thought. And then, one day she announces she's pregnant and after the initial shock I actually felt quite happy, so I asked her to marry me."

"Oh god!" Hermione said. She hadn't been expecting this.

"So here I was, Draco Malfoy, raised in the ultimate dysfunctional family home about to get married and have a family of his own. I was happy and content and looking forward to the future."

"Oh god," Hermione repeated but this time it wasn't an exclamation but a sound full of dread. She had no idea what was coming next but she knew she wasn't going to like it.

Draco took a deep breath and Hermione could see it was still painful for him to repeat all this. "So, she's about 8 months pregnant and I come home one day to a note. Three lines – I've left you, I'm with someone else and we will be bringing up the baby."

"Oh Draco!"

Draco coughed and wiped his forehead. "So, as you can imagine, I'm not willing to accept this. No-one else is going to be allowed to bring up my child! It hurt like hell what Pansy had done but she was carrying my baby! My flesh and blood! So I found out where she'd gone and who she was with."

"Who?"

"One of my staff and a supposed friend. Theodore Nott ring any bells?"

"Oh Merlin! Yes!"

"Evidently they'd been seeing each other from almost straight after she came back. She just wanted to marry me and then leave me, taking a nice little settlement. Getting pregnant changed her plans and she left before the marriage part. So I go over to his flat and try to talk to her. I was reasonable, I just wanted some guarantee about the baby but she was awful, just telling me I'd have to pay towards looking after the child's upkeep..." Draco stopped speaking and Hermione had a twinge of guilt.

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have pushed you to tell me this," she said.

"Yes you should! I've never told anyone the complete story, start to finish this way and you're right, I do need to..."

"Okay."

Draco sniffed. "So, I'm fighting for my rights and she has the baby...and I try to go and see her and she won't let me..." Hermione felt tears running down her cheeks and wiped them away. This was awful! She wanted to go and grab Pansy around the throat right now. "So, I still haven't seen the baby but I'm at the Lawyers trying to sort it out and believe it or not arranging to pay her some money when he points out that I don't actually know if the baby is mine and that before I hand over any cash, I should get a test done. I couldn't believe I'd just taken her word for it! I mean, how stupid! Anyway, you can probably guess the rest..."

"The baby wasn't yours?"

"No and it wasn't Theo's either so they broke up."

"Bloody hell!" Hermione gasped. "What a total, utter, bitch!" She then put her hand to her mouth as a thought struck her. "Oh! You don't still have feeling for her, do you? Despite everything."

"Of course not! Your description was spot on, she is a total and utter bitch. And she left me a mess, I felt like I'd been an idiot, falling for her! I should have known better than that. But I also felt like I'd lost the baby, even though I knew it wasn't mine, it had been mine for 8 months...I'd brought stuff..." He hesitated. "If you ever tell anyone about what I'm about to show you..."

"Are you joking? Of course I won't!" Hermione said. Draco reached over and grabbed something from behind the bed. He threw it at Hermione. It was a brown and cream little stuffed bear and Hermione stared at it.

"It must have been so awful," she said. "How could she do that to anyone, letting them get attached to the baby?"

"I told you it would give you nightmares," Draco pointed out, replacing the bear.

"I'm so sorry, Draco." Hermione sniffed. "And I'm sorry for pushing you to tell me."

"Just keep it to yourself."

"Of course."

They stared at one another and Hermione only took a second to decide to lean towards him and pull him into a hug. He didn't hesitate in returning it and they sat together, holding each other in silence for a long time. Eventually Hermione pulled away.

"I should go to bed..." She went to move but Draco still had one arm around her. He put his cheek on hers, his lips right next to her ear again before he repeated the one word that had started all this earlier. "Stay."

Hermione felt her head spin again but when he gently pulled her down onto the bed she made no protest. And when he pulled the cover over them, she knew she wasn't going anywhere because their conversation tonight had changed things and she knew Draco needed her. He slipped his arm around her before moving close so they were pressed together. Within five minutes they were both asleep.

I apologize if this didn't end up as you were imagining but I just don't think that either of them would be ready to do anything naughty yet. I thought this was more romantic and it showed just how much they are beginning to think of each other. Hope it was good...let me know with a review. x