Eleven Months Earlier…

"You're still alright to come to the burrow tomorrow, aren't you? Mum's really looking forward to meeting you,"

She sighed and rubbed at her temples, relieved that he couldn't see her. "Yep,"

"I've got her present already, and I've put that it's from the both of us. You remember what we got her?" Ron asked again, his disembodied voice filling her flat. She was trying to get some study in before she had to go to work. He was not helping her with that at all, nor was the sick feeling stirring somewhere between her stomach and her throat. The forgotten sandwich she'd grabbed from the canteen had looked a bit suspicious.

"Pans?"

"Yep," She replied again. Her feelings on the whole matter had been made abundantly clear, but as usual, the Gryffindork didn't listen. Their arrangement was only ever meant to be temporary and only for fun, but somewhere along the line, Ronald had caught feelings.

She certainly wasn't in the same headspace. After spending a lifetime under the control of others, now that she was finally doing something for herself, she refused to give it up. Rubbing at her sternum as she tried to ease the nausea enough to concentrate.

"Are you listening to me?" She shook her head and bolted to the toilet as her temperature plummeted, and the sickness rolled through her. Damn that sandwich! It would be a long while before she looked at egg mayonnaise in the same way again.

She clung to the toilet and waited for her body temperature to return to normal. The was a whoosh from the other room and knew that Ron was in her living room. Calling for her, his voice got closer. It's not like there were very many places to hide in the small studio flat "Pans? Where are you?"

"In here," she croaked wiping at her mouth with the back of her hand, vowing she would never eat in the hospital restaurant again.

"You alright?" He asked from the doorway before kneeling down next to her. Concern furrowed his brow as he looked her over. Reaching an arm out to stroke her back, he frowned "Are you coming down with something?" She shrugged him off and stood as the warmth returned to her chilled skin.

"I'm fine," She whispered cooly as she headed to the sink. Silence filled the room as he watched her brush her teeth.

"Is everything alright?" He asked again, rising to his feet. "Are you going to be okay for tomorrow?"

Urgh, that damn party. A flash of anger pricked her as she dried her hands with the towel.

"It's fine," she closed her eyes, a pressure headache building up behind them. She didn't want him there, crowding her in her tiny bathroom going on about something she had no interest in.

"So we still on then? For tomorrow?" He asked, leaning around to see her face.

"Please! I don't want to go. We're not a couple! What am I supposed to tell everyone? 'We're not together, we just fuck occasionally'?" He blushed. She wasn't sure whether it was at her language or at her comment in general.

"Bloody Hell, Pans! Don't say that!" He said with a chuckle, but his eyes told that he wasn't sure that she wouldn't do just that.

"I don't want to go and meet all your family. I have work to do,"

"It's not really all the family, Charlie can't get time off." He said with a shrug. "Come on Pans, it's my Mum's birthday, and she really wants to meet you,"

"Disappointment is healthy for the soul," She shot back, brushing past him on her way to the living room.

"My mother's disappointment isn't healthy for anyone, least of all me." He said, catching her wrist.

She stopped and looked down at his hand before back up to his face. Smirking at her, he released it. Following her into the other room, he stood by the sofa as she moved to her books on the table. She rubbed at the ridge of her nose to try and release the tension building there.

"Ron, please! I will use small words so that you might understand. I. Don't. Want. To. Meet. Your. Family. They all hate me anyway, and I have course work to do," Pleading a final time before picking up her mug and swigging at the cold coffee.

"It'll be fun, I'll show you around. My dad has a garage full of Muggle things." He said with a laugh, not taking the hint. Her headache intensified as did her frustration. A niggling worm of anxiety poked at her as she remembered the date, but she ignored it. She didn't want to examine it too closely while he was still in the room.

"Just go home, Ron! Please, I'll talk to you later, right now I need to lie down,"

"Hope you feel better," He offered as he kissed her forehead and disappeared through the fire in a flash of green flames.

She felt the anxiety and unease intensify as she did some mental calculations.

Shit!

She was late…

Standing, she walked to the bathroom and stopped before turning back to her chair and taking another few steps. As soon as she started moving, she turned around to the bathroom, unsure of what to do.

She contemplated denial but had seen far too many women brought into the hospital hoping that they weren't, only to find they very much were.

She grabbed her wand from the table and turned back to the bathroom. Lowered the toilet lid, she sat down and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and waved her wand over her stomach, trying not to panic as she felt the tingle of her magic against her skin.

She counted down slowly from twenty as she waited.

Her blood pressure was low, lower than normal, but that could have been down to anything. She continued her examination but faltered when her magic came into contact with something, a resistance. She almost dropped her wand as she stopped.

Breathing hard and feeling bile rise up in her throat, she sat there, alone contemplating the future ahead of her. Ron would insist on marriage, being the traditionalist he was. She would have to give up her studies to take care of the child.

No…

She couldn't do it. Rushing to the now dormant fireplace, she collapsed to the floor and threw a handful of Floopow into the waiting hearth.

"Elixirs and Illicit Mixtures" she called, trying to weigh down the panic as she waiting for Draco to answer.

"Pansy? To what do I owe the Pleasur-"

"Dray?" She squeaked, feeling the tears constrict her airways. "Dray, I need you. Please!" She begged, hating the weak, trembling whisper that escaped.

"Alright," he answered without any further questions. "Step away," he warned. She shifted to one side, allowing him enough room to come through. A fine tremble had started through her body, and she couldn't catch her breath, her thin, lightweight shirt was suddenly tight and constricting.

Draco pushed through the green flames and looked around for her, his blonde hair swishing in a wave of silver. He wore a pair of faded blue tracksuit bottoms and a white teeshirt, looking so much less than the pureblood Prince he was.

"Pansy?" he called before catching sight of her. He rushed to her side, placing his hands onto her shoulders. His eyes assess her, taking in any visible damage. He frowned when he found nothing. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head, unable to speak, as though that small seed within her had already grown, forcing the air from her chest.

"Breathe as I do," He said calmly, breathing in, then, after a few seconds, out again. She tried to copy, swallowing her panic to breathe, but the tears poured down her cheeks determined to escape regardless of what she did. Cursing herself, large, fat tears drenched her face and started to soak the front of her shirt. "Pansy, What's happened?"

She tried to speak around the swollen and tensing muscles in her throat, resulting in nothing but a croak. He took her face in her hands.

"I can try Legillimens?" he offered, looking into her face. Pansy nodded, meeting his gaze.

It was an odd experience having him rooting through her memories, like a flipbook playing out in front of her mind. She started to breathe heavily when she watched the memories back. He pulled away and came back into focus, shock and concern evident on his pale face.

"Pansy…" he breathed softly, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. Glancing to her stomach, he couldn't hide the crestfallen look. It made her heartache as she closed her eyes. She was so stupid.

"I know, I'm in trouble," She sobbed again, trying to bite it back in.

"What... erm…" He stumbled "What are you going to do?"

"I can't…" She said, not able to finish the sentence. She didn't have the money, the time or the inclination to look after a baby. She considered adoption, but she couldn't bear to think of a child of hers running around out of her sight. Out in the wilderness possibly without love, starving and alone. Knowing she couldn't keep it and knowing the only other alternatives, she voted.

"St Mungo's," She whispered.

"Do you want me to go with you?" He asked. She gripped one of the hands from her face and nodded another sob escaping her. "Stay here, I'll grab your coat," He said before releasing her. The trembling began again as she waited, her hands seeking out the life growing in her abdomen. "Come on," Draco said, offering her his hand. She clung to it like a lifeline as he helped her to her feet.