Saturday morning, Hermione carried her secret with her like a weapon. She felt overly powerful with the fact that she could easily drop the bombshell at any time and shock her unsuspecting husband.

Hermione's parents didn't arrive until after noon but Lucius and Narcissa had yet to show up. The quartet waited patiently for the no-shows but after several restless hours, attitudes changed and food became more important.

"Here's to the new booming business!" Draco cheered, holding up his goblet full of Firewhiskey. He had given Hermione a strange look when she refused the heavily alcoholic drink and requested water instead. "May all your future luck with the business be wonderful!" Their goblets clinked together softly and a smooth voice was heard from behind the picnic table.

"You couldn't wait for us?"

Lucius Malfoy and his wife Narcissa appeared in front of the happy group. Slowly, smiles faded and goblets were lowered back to their original positions on the table.

"It's almost two-thirty, Dad; we weren't going to wait all day," Draco started but Lucius waved his son's comments away like a bug.

"No need for excuses," he charged, his eyes flashing at the group. He had never approved that Draco had married Hermione Granger, a girl unworthy of existing on this earth in his mind. It was common knowledge that Lucius had always planned for Draco to marry a pureblood and carry on the tradition. Little did he know, Hermione and Draco were starting their own tradition.

"I'm starving," Lucius continued in his cool, smooth voice. He took a seat at the end of the table beside Hermione and Narcissa sat across from him beside Mr. and Mrs. Granger. She appeared nicer to the Muggle couple; she gave them a soft smile and a quick hello before receiving a nasty look from her husband.

The food was brought out and all previous squabbles were forgotten. Hermione caught Draco giving his father snide looks when he thought she wasn't looking, but averted his eyes back to his plate when he noticed her attention.

The sun shone down on them and Hermione slowly picked at her food. Now would be the perfect time to break the news to the family, since they were all together, but she would much rather tell Draco in private before sharing with the rest of the family. It would be nice to give him a chance to get used to the idea of an addition to their family before bringing others the news.

"That was wonderful," Lucius commented, leaning back on the bench and rubbing his stomach. "Even if we did have to share the meal with Muggles."

Mr. Granger glared at Lucius over his plate while Hermione's mother set down her fork, evidently having lost her appetite. Hermione was just grateful that the term 'Mudbloods' didn't come up for it was not an entirely civilized conversation piece. What was Lucius going to say when he heard that a Muggle born was carrying his grandchild?

"Lucius, there's no need to be like that," Narcissa piped up, taking a sip out of her goblet.

Hermione could felt the heat beating down on her shoulders and it made her feel suffocated. She felt like she couldn't breathe and everyone around her was just closing in, waiting for the kill.

"Be like what, Narcissa, dear?"

It was almost unbearable. The combination of the heat and the intense animosity raging between the two families was soon to explode. Hermione just didn't know when.

"Act like you don't enjoy the company of Mr. and Mrs. Granger."

There was a slight breeze but it didn't last nearly long enough. She could feel the pressure in the air, building up, waiting for the spark.

"I don't." Lucius turned to give a large smile to the Grangers. "Normally I don't associate with Mudbloods like yourselves. But since our children are married, it seems I have no other choice."

"I'm pregnant!" Hermione burst out. She had been waiting for that explosion and finally Lucius had hit the right note. The words tumbled out of her mouth, her weapon exposed. There was no going back now.

Draco dropped his goblet onto the table. Firewhiskey spread quickly over the table and Mrs. Granger jumped up to avoid the leakage. Five pairs of eyes gawked at Hermione as she calmly took a sip of water.

"It's hot out here, don't you think?" she asked before standing up, tears rushing to her eyes, and hurrying back towards the house. She had expected at least her own parents to break out in smiles. Instead, they stared at her like they thought she was a creature from outer space. And she expected better from Draco. Yes, it was a shock to him, but no more than it was to her. His eyes had gone hazy and a funny look came over his face like he didn't know what to say. It was all too much.

She collapsed inside the main foyer hallway and sat on the floor, waiting for the tears to come. They burned behind her eyes but would not fall. "Anger," she thought to herself. She was angry for the way everyone reacted, especially her own husband.

Footsteps to her left resounded in the empty hall. Turning her head slightly, Hermione saw Draco's shadow looming over her. "What do you want?" she asked bitterly, wiping away the few stray tears that had escaped.

"To congratulate my wife," he replied softly, sliding down the wall to sit beside her.

"On what? Ruining what was supposed to be a celebration for my parents?"

"No." When she looked at him, she was surprised to see that he was grinning. "Congratulations for shocking the hell out of my father; his jaw's still hanging open."

Hermione burst out into fits of giggles. The picture of Lucius Malfoy looking undignified was too much for her. She began laughing uncontrollably and soon Draco joined in. "You really did a number on him," he commented.

"I know." She wiped her eyes, a mixture of tears of laughter and anger flowing down her cheeks. "What did my parents do after I left?"

Draco grinned. "Your mother burst into tears and started crying, 'I'm going to be a grandmother!' Your father was smiling from ear to ear, telling anyone who would listen all the things he was going to do with his grandchild."

"And your mother?"

"Laughed at my father."

"Seriously?"

"Oh yeah." Draco smiled. "And I'm still in shock, but I'll be honest. I haven't felt this wonderful since I married you."

Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck. What a wonderful, perfect thing to say.

Hermione rejoined the party outside after her tears had dried (many of them being wiped on Draco's shirt). A round of cheers and many hugs from her parents and Narcissa greeted her. Hermione hadn't seen Narcissa look this alive in years; normally her thin face was sallow and unhappy. But now her face was bursting with sunshine and glee.

"Congratulations to the new parents-to-be!" cheered Mr. Granger, holding up his goblet. Draco had poured another of Firewhiskey for himself and another of water for Hermione. "May the best wishes be extended to them, too!"

"Hear, hear!" Narcissa cried, looking rather girlish at the moment. She was blushing, although it could have been from the Firewhiskey she had just gulped down. However, she was staring at her husband with a look of sour hatred on her pretty face.

Lucius was still staring resentfully at the ground. He looked rather like a child sulking when he couldn't get his way. When Mr. Granger asked him his opinion of the matter (and it was done so quite unwillingly), Lucius replied, "Well, it's quite a shock."

"Of course it's a shock!" Mrs. Granger cried. "Even when it's a planned pregnancy, it's always a shock!" She giggled like a schoolgirl and clinked her goblet together with Narcissa's.

"Was this a planned pregnancy?" Lucius asked carefully, looking as though he was trying not to lose his temper.

"Didn't the look on my face tell you anything?" Draco retorted and Lucius looked back towards the ground, obviously unhappy with the outcome. But Hermione didn't care; she had her husband, mother, father and mother-in- law behind her. Now if she could just get support from Harry and Ron, she would be set.