WARNINGS:
This is a very heavy chapter. It was been handled very delicately. There will be conversations of sexual situations, infertility, and consent. If you are uncomfortable with any of these topics I do NOT suggest reading this chapter. This is a Chapter that had to happen. It's been a long time coming. It will be connecting a lot of previous conversations and flashbacks. I have written and rewritten and rewritten this so many times, my beta fairyofthesnakes and I were about to rip my hair out. The whole premise of this story, while Dramione of course, has always been about this little family. So please be patient as this all plays out over the next few chapters.

Draco stormed out of the floo, holding Lyra tightly to his chest. His body was shaking in anger as his dragonhide boots carried him through the halls of Malfoy Manor. Her little arms were clinging to him, as if she knew he was struggling with his emotions. This could not be happening. He needed to talk to his father. He had always said that he wanted to be better than his father, he wanted to learn from his mistakes and do the right thing. As far as he was concerned, in this moment, he wanted to say fuck it and throw that all out the window and do exactly what his father would do.

"Draco?" Narcissa looked up as he walked into the study where his mother and father were both sitting. "We weren't expecting a visit from you and Lyra. What a surprise."

"Mother… will you take Lyra?" Draco asked, a harsh edge to his tone and his father looked at him curiously.

"No daddy," Lyra shook her head before burying her face into his neck and holding onto him tighter.

"Little Dragon, I'm sure Nana knows where your favorite biscuits are hidden."

"Really?" Lyra asked quietly, peeking out to look over at Narcissa who was smiling softly at her.

"Of course my love," Narcissa spoke, holding her arms out for the little girl who hesitantly shifted into them. "I bet we can find a few different yummy things to nibble on."

Draco watched and waited for Narcissa and Lyra to be out of the door and down the hall, before wandlessly closing the study doors. His magic was flowing around him, reminding him of how Hermione's hair would crackle with magic whenever she was angry at any of them. How was he going to tell any of this to Hermione? She was going to panic, just like he was starting to. "Draco… what is it?" Lucius asked patiently.

"She's my daughter," Draco paced the room, raking his fingers through his hair harshly. "I don't give a fuck about blood or genes. She is mine."

"Of course she is," Lucius nodded. "Did something happen?"

"Oliver fucking Wood happened," Draco spat out, finally making eye contact with his father.

"How...how old is she?" Oliver choked out, looking at Draco with fear clearly in his eyes.

"She's my daughter Wood," Draco said slowly, his hands clenched into fists on his desk.

"How old is she, Malfoy?!"

"She's a little over three," Draco spat out. He watched as Oliver stared at the family photo on his desk, the wheels in his brains turning trying to work out the math in his mind. Time seemed to stand still in that moment. He couldn't help but hope that Wood had been hit and knocked out by one too many bludgers to be able to work it out in his head.

"That's not… she's not…"

"She is my daughter," Draco bit out, his eyes narrowed at him. "I don't care what is about to come out of your mouth… She is mine."

"I don't… I don't think she is…"

"This meeting is over," Draco practically growled, standing out of his chair.

"Daddy, is it time to go?" Lyra piped out, a breathtaking smile on her face. Oliver just stared at the little girl, who only had eyes for Draco.

"Almost love, why don't you clean up your books for me." He smiled gently at her as she got busy cleaning up her little area. He turned back to Oliver, his cold expression returning. "As I said, this meeting is over. You can go now."

"This conversation is not over," Oliver glared, his hands shaking. He watched as Lyra bounded over to Draco, who wasted no time to scoop her into his arms.

"Oh but it is," Draco sneered. "There's the door, Wood. You can show yourself out."

"Is Oliver Wood Lyra's biological father?" Lucius spoke up, his mind already racing with ways to fix the current problem that was afoot. He should have gone with his gut when Lyra first entered their lives and done exactly what he and Narcissa had considered. This wouldn't be an issue at the present moment if they had.

"It's a complicated answer to that," Draco waved him off. "But it doesn't matter. How do I fix this?"

"I don't think you are going to like my suggestions," Lucius said matter of factly. Draco had made it very clear, time after time, that he did not agree with how Lucius handled his problems.

"I may not agree with how you handle things but you get results. All I care about is my daughter, my family. I'm not going to lose her." Draco walked over and sat down across from the older wizard. "How would you fix it? What would you do?"

"Well…"

Draco stepped out of the floo, returning home from his visit with his parents. He and his father had spoken at length of how to deal with this sudden development, causing him and Lyra to stay well past dinner time. Holding the sleeping toddler to his chest, Draco walked towards her bedroom.

"Bloody hell what has crawled up your arse now? All I said was that the restaurant wasn't that impressive!" Blaise groaned, rubbing his hands over his eyes.

"You wouldn't know 'impressive' if it was right in front of your face!" Pansy quipped back, rolling her eyes and pouring herself more wine.

"What is wrong with you tonight? What have I done now to upset your delicate senses!" Blaise glared at her, throwing his hands in the air.

"Maybe the problem is just you in general, Blaise. Have you ever considered that?" Pansy spat out, downing her glass of wine.

"You've been a real bitch lately, Pansy. What is going on?" Blaise demanded glaring at her. It was at that moment that Draco came back into the room, interrupting the fight.

"Oh look, it's Draco," Theo spoke, sighing in relief as he poured himself and Draco a glass of Ogdens. Hermione wasted no time, turning around and smiling at him. Her curls were piled on top of her head and he could see the worn novel in her hand. She must have decided not to bring work home with her. He couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face as soon as he saw her. She immediately stood, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around him. His body immediately relaxed, having a calming effect at her closeness. He kissed the top of her head, holding her tightly.

"I missed you," Hermione sighed happily, looking up to smile at him. "Did you and Lyra have a nice dinner with your parents? I'm sure she was knackered. Is she in bed?"

"She is," Draco spoke, looking into her chocolate eyes that were so full of love. His heart clenched as he was immediately reminded of everything he had to tell her. She looked so happy. It broke him to know that he was about to change that for her. "Hermione…"

"How did your meeting go?" Hermione asked. "I know you've been so stressed and worried about this team."

"Hermione…" Draco tried again, this time catching her attention. "My meeting today… It ended up being with Oliver Wood." Hermione froze and the side conversations came to a halt. He kept a tight hold on her, letting the words soak in. "He saw her love… he saw Lyra."

"Oh my god…" Hermione spoke, barely getting the words out. It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room and her entire body was tightening up. Her ears were roaring and she couldn't breathe as terror struck her. He had seen her, he had seen Lyra.

"Did he say anything?" Theo spoke up, looking at Draco fearfully. Theo had feared something like this would happen eventually. It had always terrified him, the possibility that Viktor would come back into the picture or that Oliver would somehow find out. That fear was manifesting right in front of his eyes.

"He asked how old she was…" Draco cleared his throat. "I could tell he was doing math in his head."

"No," Hermione started to panic, her breathing coming out in short gasps. "No. This can't be happening. He can't. He's not… no. No."

"Love breathe," Draco spoke gently, taking her hand and resting it against his heart. "Breathe Hermione. Match my breathing."

"We aren't going to let him near her. He won't have anything to do with her," Blaise spoke up.

"Exactly," Pansy said. "It's our family. He's not part of this. No one is taking Lyra from us."

"I have to go…" Hermione whispered.

"No," Theo shook his head. "No. You aren't running this time. We talked about this, remember? You have us."

"Talk to us Hermione," Pansy begged. "Lean on us. Let us help you."

"We won't let you drown, remember?" Blaise looked at her. "Talk to us."

Hermione turned her head and looked at her friends. They weren't pushing her, but they weren't running either. They were right. She couldn't run, not again. She had to face her problems head on, and she could do that with them by her side. She had never spoken in detail about the night of Lyra's conception. No one knew the full story and if she were being honest, she was embarrassed with herself. It was time though, time to talk about it. "I should tell you about that night…"

Theo handed her a glass of wine, helping Draco lead her back to the couch to sit. Hermione downed half of the glass of wine in her shaking hands as Draco took one of them into his own, squeezing it gently.

"You don't have to do this love," Draco reminded her, car thumb caressing her knuckles. "We are on your side regardless. We will protect you and Lyra no matter what."

"No," Hermione shook her head, taking a deep breath. "We need to all be on the same page of understanding… which means you need to know what happened that night… and after that night."

"Take your time," Blaise nodded, looking at her and then Draco in concern. He could see in her demeanor that the conversation itself was something she was dreading bringing to the surface. Even from the little bit she had divulged to them over time, he knew this wasn't going to be a pretty tale.

"I told you all how messed up… broken I was during that time," Hermione spoke softly, focusing on keeping her breathing under control.

"You did," Theo spoke comfortingly, coming and sitting beside her, taking her other hand in his. "We don't need to talk about it again. I know it's hard for you."

"I was… I was seeing Viktor Krum," Hermione started again, nodding her head. "Everyone knew about it because it was all over the papers. Rita Skeeter had a grand time with those stories…"

"Well, you did stick her in a jar," Theo smiled softly, trying to ease the tension of the conversation. A tiny chuckle fell from her lips and he decided it was worth it.

"It was a whirlwind relationship… if you can even call it that. I was numb through most of it and drunk through the rest. I… I'm not proud of any of it…"

"You have nothing to be ashamed of with us," Pansy said quickly. "Absolutely nothing."

"I know," Hermione nodded, looking at all of them. "Viktor took me to a Quidditch party one night. It was…to be honest I don't know whose party it was. I was… highly intoxicated. I remember it was a celebration of some sort. I was on Viktor's arm most of the evening and then he was talking to someone and I was bored. You know how I get when I'm drunk…"

"Oh we do," Theo couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"I went to get another drink and I quite literally bumped into Oliver Wood." She took a moment, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Hermione Granger? Bloody hell look at you. You clearly aren't the little swot I remember from Hogwarts," Oliver spoke, smiling as he gently held onto the arms of the petite brunette in the striking red dress that had just barreled into him.

"Oliver! I can't believe it," Hermione smiled brightly, looking up at him. It had been years since she had seen the man and bloody hell did he look fit. Had he always been so fit?

"I'm the one who can't believe what I'm seeing." He laughed, gently releasing her arms. He walked with her over to the side of the room. "You're at an after party for a Quidditch game? I thought you hated the sport."

"Oh I do, did," Hermione waved off, her laughter causing Oliver to chuckle. "It was so boring, sitting in those stands at Hogwarts, watching children play. But now? Watching grown men professionally play up close and personal? Well it's just thrilling."

"Up close and personal?" Oliver's eyebrow raised, taking in the girl that stood before him. "Who are you here with?"

"Oh! Yes! I'm here with Viktor!"

"Viktor?"

"Yes Viktor Krum. Do you know him?" Hermione's eyes scanned the crowd until she found the bulgarian looking at her. She beckoned him over with a smile. "We are old acquaintances from my fourth year when Durmstrang came to Hogwarts."

"Yes I do believe I read something about that in the Prophet," Oliver chuckled, enjoying Hermione's chatty, laid back behavior. It was clear to him that she had partaken in many of the free libations. His smile widened as he watched her nose scrunch up in disgust at the mention of the prophet.

"Ah I see you've found my gorgeous companion, Wood," Viktor chuckled as he walked up to the pair. He wasted no time wrapping an arm around Hermione's waist and pulling her closer to him.

"That I have. We were just catching up. Good to see you again Viktor," Oliver smiled.

"Do you two know each other? You're friends aren't you! I knew it!"

"Beautiful and brilliant isn't she?" Viktor chuckled.

"They began talking about Quidditch and I got bored again."

"Which means your drunk ass wandered off didn't it," Pansy smirked, knowing her friend all too well. Hermione Granger drunk was always a sight to behold. She had the attention span of a niffler.

"In my defense I got distracted," Hermione smiled a little at her friend. "I was talking to someone and Viktor came back over and got me. That's when I saw Ron there-"

"Wait?" Theo stopped her. "Weasley was there?"

"Yes," Hermione nodded, looking over at her friend. She saw the look in his eyes and she knew exactly where this was going. It was the reason she wouldn't tell them the conversation she had with him word for word.

Stumbling across the room, Hermione giggled, as she held onto the bulgarian quidditch player. She knew she had probably had too much of the fairy wine but Merlin, she felt so alive. Viktor was whispering deliciously naughty things in her ear, while he had his hands on her waist attempting to hold her steady. The room was spinning and everyone around her was a blur. She felt the glass of wine in her hand that Viktor had given her, encouraging her to have fun.

"Red has always been your best color," Viktor breathed into her ear. Something inside of her was screaming at her to stop, to put the alcohol down. Red wasn't her best color, but it was certainly not the Green that little nagging voice was trying to tell her. Shoving it all down, Hermione took a sip of her wine, letting Viktor lead her to a little table on the edge of the room. As the people moved around them, she spotted something familiar; someone familiar.

"Ron?" Hermione breathed out, spotting the telltale signs of her ex boyfriend. His red hair stood out in the sea of people. When their eyes made contact, Blue and Brown, Hermione couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips. She was right, it was him. She watched as he looked her up and down and then glared at Viktor, whom she was hanging onto. "Hi."

"Really Mione? Didn't get enough from the snakes so you moved onto Krum?" Ron scoffed in disgust. "How golden can you be if everyone has had a piece?" Before another word could be said, Ron stormed off, leaving Hermione behind to take in the weight of his words.

"Come on, Oliver is waiting at the bar for us."

"You're telling me… that he was there… and he saw how intoxicated you were and he did nothing? He just stood by?" Theo fumed. His distaste for the weasel grew as he took in the new information. How could he have just stood by and watched?

"As inexcusable as his behavior is Theo, that's not the point of this story," Blaise spoke again, nodding at Hermione in quiet understanding. "Hermione… you said you were drunk. Do you remember any of the act at all?" Blaise asked carefully. He was trying to handle this conversation with her delicately. It was rare that she would share with them and he didn't want the rage he was currently fighting within him to scare her away from discussing it.

"I remember it, yes. I know everyone likes to think that I'm this delicate, virginal flower but I'm not. Was I drinking heavily? Yes but I remember. I wanted to do that. I had always been curious about what something like that would be like."

Laughing, the three companions continued to down the shots at the bar. Viktor kept a hand on Hermione's knee, while Oliver had his arm resting on the back of her chair. "Hermione, I have question for you."

Looking up at him through glassy eyes, Hermione smiled at the bulgarian. "Well Viktor, you've never been shy about asking me questions before."

"Have you ever considered or.. Partaken in… how do you say it? Three?" Viktor asked, perplexed ,looking at Oliver.

"A ménage à trois?" Oliver asked, chuckling.

"A threesome? Are you asking me if I've had a threesome?" Hermione laughed, tossing her head back, her wild curls swaying as her book shook. "Merlin no but I've always been intrigued. Oh this conversation is much more exhilarating than more Quidditch talk. Please continue."

"Is that not common here?"

"I don't think common would be the right term no," Oliver chuckled. "It's definitely something people dabble in. I myself have always wanted to partake in the act."

"Oliver, tell me," Hermine asked, giggling and looking at him. "Do you talk about Quidditch in the bedroom? It was always a topic of conversation in the girls dormitory."

"Would his answer to that change your mind on the possibility of discovering this curiosity of yours?" Viktor whispered into her ear, causing a shiver to go down her spine.

"No," she breathed. "As long as he promised not to talk about quidditch with us."

"We all know you're a bit kinky Hermione, it's alright," Theo winked, causing Draco to roll his eyes.

"Judging from how he reacted to seeing Lyra… I think it's safe to say he remembers too," Draco said, his voice gentle but his grip on her hand firm.

"After it was over, Oliver got dressed and left Viktor and I in bed. We didn't talk about it after," Hermione continued."We went on about our tumultuous coupling and it wasn't until I had the stomach flu that things changed. I went to see a healer and I found out about Lyra. That's when it had to become a conversation. Viktor and I… we both knew it was a possibility that Oliver was the father… but Oliver was married with two kids at home. Viktor was one of his good friends… so he didn't even question whether or not he was the father. He just… claimed it. He decided that he was going to be her father."

"When I went to Grimmauld…" Theo started but stopped when Hermione looked at him.

"When you found me at Harry's, I had known for a few weeks that I was pregnant. He let me stay with him while I pulled myself together. I was starting to see a mind healer and was working through a few things," Hermione spoke again, squeezing his hand. "It wasn't long after that day that Viktor came and said he wanted us to be a family, to raise the baby together. And I believed him."

"What happened with Viktor?" Draco asked, brushing a few honey brown curls behind her ear, caressing her cheek.

"We really tried," Hermione sighed. "I moved into his flat and out of Grimmauld. He was excited about the baby. When we found out she was a girl… I had never seen him so happy. The further along things got though… he started pulling away. Suddenly he was at practice nonstop, traveling all the time. I think I knew it was coming… I just didn't want to see it. He came back from Bulgaria one weekend and we sat down and talked. He told me that at this point in his career, settling down with a family, a baby… it wasn't something that he could do. It wasn't the… well it wasn't the image he wanted to portray quite frankly."

"Fucking prick," Theo muttered under his breath.

"I had only been hunting for a place for a few days after he left, before my water broke. And well… we all know the rest of the story from there."

Silence fell over the group of friends as they all sat and digested the information. Draco pulled Hermione closer to him, holding her against his body as if to remind her that he wasn't going anywhere, he wouldn't leave her like Krum. Her face was pale and eyes looked dull as she shook against him. He could only imagine the emotional toll this was taking on her, to have to relive it all. Everyone had so many thoughts and feelings towards the story and the situation and yet nobody knew where to start.

"Well, to be clear," Theo spoke first, clearing his throat. "That is not nearly as sordid of a tale as I thought it was going to be."

"Bloody hell Theo," Blaise shook his head, leaning back on the chair.

"What? I was expecting this wild tale," Theo shrugged. "With an epic twist in the end where Hermione admits to us that someone else is truly the father of our favorite little girl. How disappointed I am in the boring knowledge that it was just a threesome."

"I had a paternity test done," Hermione laughed a little at Theo, wiping her eyes. "Andromeda helped me. I just… I was always too scared to open the results. Then over time I just… well I honestly didn't think it mattered. Then I just… forgot it even existed. I never… I never thought this day would actually come."

"I spoke to my father," Draco answered. "That's why I was over there for dinner. We were discussing options. And we have options Hermione. Some more reasonable… others, well it's a very grey area."

"Wait… can't we just open the results and put an end to this conversation?" Theo asked. It was clearly the easiest solution to this conversation. They would have an answer to the question they had been wondering for the past three years. But was Hermione ready to know? Was she ready to let it become real?

"He has a point," Blaise spoke up.

"He's right," Hermione nodded and pulled out her wand, summoning the beaded bag from her office. No one could hold in their chuckle as the bag flew into the room. Of course Hermione Granger was keeping her secret envelope in a beaded bag with a secret extension charm. She dug around in her purse, searching. As she pulled the unfamiliar envelope from her bag, she held it in her hands, staring at it. No one rushed her, letting her take her time coming to terms with the moment. Suddenly her head popped up again and she looked at Draco with tears in her eyes. "Draco…"

"Nothing that piece of paper says changes things," Draco spoke softly, gently taking her face in his hands. It didn't matter to him who Lyra's biological father was. It didn't matter what came next in this latest disaster in their lives that they were having to endure. Lyra and Hermione were his and he would give them the fucking world if they asked. He would give his life to protect them, and he would make that choice over and over. "Lyra is my daughter and the both of you are my world. Nothing changes that."

"Why don't you two go to your room, open it together," Blaise suggested, watching his two friends struggle in front of him. He had a feeling this needed to be a private moment between the two of them, and as much as he wanted to know the answer, he would grant them that. "We will be here when you are ready."

Draco nodded to him in thanks and helped Hermione stand, being the pillar he knew she needed at this moment. As much as he wanted to scream and throw things and break all on his own, he had to be strong for Hermione. He could do this, for Hermione. He led her back to their bedroom. While she changed into her silk nightgown, Draco brought a fire to life in the fireplace for the extra warmth. Changing into a pair of joggers that hung low at his waist, he crawled into bed with her, pulling her close as he nestled them against the headboard. He silently stroked her hair while he let her work through the thoughts that were flowing through her brain.

"She's our daughter," Hermione whispered so softly, Draco had a hard time hearing her. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he closed his eyes.

"I know," Draco murmured into the abyss that was her mass of curls. Hermione clutched the envelope in her shaking hands. "It's just a piece of paper."

They stayed in that position for what felt like hours when there was a knock at the door. Draco's head raised as he watched Pansy walk into the room. She gave him a soft, caring smile and made her way over to the bed and took a seat, taking one of Hermione's hands in hers. Hermione's eyes flitted up to her, the raven haired witch in front of her. The two witches, friends looked at each other, almost as if having a silent conversation. "I know you're struggling with this. I know every fiber of your being is fighting between doing the right thing and hiding away in fear. I know your heart aches… but we are here to take a little of that pain on for you."

Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she took a shaky breath. "I know… I did this to myself. I should have told him…talked to him."

"Maybe," Pansy nodded, squeezing her hand gently. "Maybe you should have told him. But... then maybe there's a possibility that none of this would have ever existed,this family that we created. Maybe you would never have found your way back to us. Do you know… do you understand the depths of the gift you have given to all of us?" Hermione looked at her questioningly and Pansy took a deep breath. "I want to tell you something," Pansy spoke again, her voice breaking a bit. "Something that… no one knows. I've come close to telling you so many times…"

"And then I saw her… Lyra… and everything just melted away. When you told me you wanted me to be her godmother… it was one of the most single happiest moments of my life Hermione. You gave me something that I didn't think I would ever be able to have."

"What do you mean?"

"A story for another time," Pansy smiled a little, looking up at the stars with her.

"I can't have children, Hermione," Pansy softly stated and Hermione's grip on her hand tightened.

"Pansy…"

"Just… listen to me please. I can't have children," Pansy started again. "It's why I never have married, I never have thought about marriage. I can't give any man an heir, something that is still coveted in Pureblood society. I thought I was destined to be alone forever. But then you and Lyra showed up here and you made me her godmother. I got to see my beautiful goddaughter grow and it gave me a piece of myself back. You did that… and if you had never found your way back to us, that wouldn't have happened. You changed all of our lives for the better… you and Lyra. So frankly, I don't give a damn about what maybe should have happened… I care about us. Our family. I will fight for that… no matter what."

Hermione stared at her friend for a moment, taking in her words. Here she was, this beautiful, vibrant witch being open and honest and strong in front of her. She had opened her heart to Hermione to help Hermione feel better. Pansy was being brave for her, she could do the same in return. "Draco… will you call Theo and Blaise in here? I'm ready to open the letter."

Without a word, Draco sent off a patronus to the two other men in the house. Within minutes they were both in the room, all five adults huddled on the bed together for strength. They all watched with bated breath as Hermione took a deep breath and tore open the envelope. She opened the letter, reading it silently to herself, digesting the news with trembling hands.

Viktor Krum was Lyra Granger's biological father.

Hi Surprise. You get the chapter early. I've rewritten this so many times and have anxiety so I can't wait any longer to post it. I hope everyone has been paying attention to the story because it's all been leading up to this. I want to make sure this is very clear. Hermione KNEW what was happening and did CONSENT. Was she drunk? Yes. Are parts of it blurry? Yes. But my version of Hermione is a kinky little girl and she WANTED to have a threesome. She makes that very clear. This little Slytherin/Granger family gives me so much joy. The lengths they will go to protect each other will become very clear over the next few chapters. We will find out Lucius' ideas and we will continue our discussion about Pansy's admission to Hermione and Draco at the end of the chapter.