Hermione

I felt like a nanny. Ginny was still feeling horrible and since her appointment wasn't until the end of the week I was on James duty. Never had my apartment felt so small as when James, Rose, and Scorpius went bouncing into each other. It was like they were dandelions in concrete.

So we went to the park.

The Malfoy situation was still an unsolvable puzzle. We hadn't tested our limitations yet. There hadn't been time. Malfoy was always sending owls and meeting clients, there was hardly time for him to wipe his own ass properly, and figuring out how to handle sensitive medical conditions seemed to be last on his royal list.

Scorpius himself wasn't bad. His vendetta against the toilet was inconvenient and hard to break, but bit by bit Rose was inspiring him with not-so-friendly competition.

His allergies were another issue. My own culinary prowess was next to nonexistent. Rose had long since grown used to cheap take out, but Scorpius was another story. Because of him I'd been forced to cook every night for the past two weeks. It was never anything spectacular and 'yucky' or 'don't want it' we're becoming commonplace.

There seemed to be no way out and even if Malfoy was paying me something proper I'd have to go back to work eventually. I wasn't made to be a housewife.

It was noon before three hunger driven toddlers came running over, all three pairs of eyes landing on me.

"Why don't we visit Malfoy?" Id get no where if I waited for Malfoy to find me, it was time I took matters into my own hands.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Malfoy was alone when I strolled in, take away in hand.

"You better not have any ridiculous allergies," I dropped a bag from McDonald's on his desk before unpacking lunch for the children. Scorpius' lunch had been tricky, but in the end I found that grilled nuggets and chips worked just fine.

"No peanuts ?" He stared incredulously at the bag, his pure, pointed nose twisting in disdain.

"Nope," I spoke with a mouth full of chips, chuckling as he carefully unwrapped the contents.

"Well, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He tapped his quill against the drink's plastic lid.

"About Scorpius," I took the time to swallow my chips, watching the children carefully dip chips into ketchup, "We need a better plan than this. It's not as if he can stay with me forever. My apartment was hardly large enough for Rose and I."

He nibbled daintily on a chip, staring fondly at the head of blonde hair before him, "if that's the issue I can have mother issue you a wing of the manor. She'd be happy with the company."

I doubted those words. Narcissa was pleased with me, no doubt, but there was no way in this life that she'd be happy about anything pertaining to muggleborn witches.

"I like my apartment Malfoy." He nibbled another chip, the cogs spinning madly behind grey eyes, "and he needs his dad."

"He has a father," was Malfoy's lazy reply, "surely you don't expect me to spend my days doting on him. My father was hardly the doting type and I'm fine."

"And his mother? How does she feel about her only son running around town with a woman she never met?"

He smirked, peony lips turning upwards with a cruel laziness, "you mean to tell me you agreed to that little shag thinking I was married?" My cheeks burned as I launched my chips at him. How dare he? And in front of the children no less. Nasty words burned on my tongue but three sets of wide eyes kept the nastiest bit of it to myself.

"I wasn't thinking anything that night and if I had been I certainly wouldn't have gone home with you - and Merlin you are unbelievable." I wanted to put him in his place proper, to grab him by the robes and -

I shook my head violently.

"Oh you smarmy little-,"

That nasty little grin grew wider as he watched me pace, "tell you what, Granger." Devilish, hooded eyes bore into my skin, "let's have a little sleepover and when everyone goes to bed ?"

"What will you do?" Of course Rose wanted clarification. I never hated my own genes so deeply.

"Why! We'd wrestle of course!" Malfoy went around his desk, stretching as he went, "WWE style!" He launched the ginger child towards the ceiling, catching her in his outstretched arms.

My hands trembled with rage. I came here to think up a solution, but instead he chose to terrorize me like the smarmy git that he was.

"Malfoy, disgusting comments aside-,"

"Wasn't so disgusting last month-," another smirk, another reason to smack him.

"We still need to find a solution."

He took a bite of the burger, staring nervously at the clock above the door. Scorpius' little voice brought his attention back.

"Daddy have meeting?"

Something about those words made my blood boil. He was too understanding, too accepting.

Was this the price of ambition?

"Right you are," He began to clean his half eaten lunch, "Granger, I will send you an owl tonight. However, I've got to bid you goodbye for now."

"Bye bye Scorpius, bye bye Rose, bye bye Little Potter," and without so much as a hug for his only son he shut the door behind him.

That hadn't gone as planned.

A.N./ because what is life without Draco annoying Hermione ?