AN: SORRY SO SORRY about the really long wait but life has really been kicking my arse. Thank you for bearing with me!

Disclaimer: same as always!

Teething?

"All right," Hermione said with a slight not of panic in her voice, "Get me DOWN!"

Slowly, Draco shook his head. "If only it were that simple Hermione."

"What do you mean 'if only it were that simple?'"

"Well," Draco tried to figure out how to explain the situation, "Hermione, any magick used to counter the magick done by the baby will cause harm to the baby."

"So what you're saying exactly is what?"

"That we have to stay here until the magick runs out on its own." When Hermione visibly blanched, Draco decided to add, "But how long can a baby hold a bed in mid-air for anyways?"

The question was answered an hour and a half later when the bed finally dropped to the ground at top speed.

"Hermione!" Draco had shouted as soon as the harsh landing was over as he looked for Hermione. Unfortunately the young brunette was already getting sick, the fall having not agreed with her.

When Hermione finally emerged from the bathroom, she crossed the room to collapse on the bed and thought better of using that particular piece of furnature.

When Draco asked Hermione how she was feeling, he was immediately silenced with a death glare.

Hermione set about getting dressed and Draco followed suit. It seemed that by the end of this routine task, Hermione was once again feeling her normal self.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione turned and spoke, "Draco, we need to talk."

Draco almost looked taken aback. "Hermione, you can't break up with me, we aren't going out."

"I'm not breaking up with you, you twit!"

"You're not?" the blond asked looking slightly confused and relieved.

"No."

"So we are not breaking up then."

"Yes,"

"Which makes us still together right?"

"What?" Hermione by now was getting a little confused.

"Well, if we aren't breaking up, then we must be not breaking up, and there fore together."

"But Draco, you just said we weren't together!"

"I did?"

"yes!"

"When?"

"About two minutes ago!"

Draco seemed to consider for a moment and then said, "Are you sure?"

Just then a chair went flying across the room and nearly knocked out both teens causing Hermione to release a frustrated moan and stormed across the room and began to set about doing homework. If Draco was going to be insufferable, then she was going to pointedly ignore him.

After an hour of peering over her books, Hermione had written three and a half sentences on the parchment before her. Looking over at her roommate, she found him looking at some Quidditch book; apparently Caitlyn's magical outbursts had not disturbed him a bit. Hermione slammed her book shut, which was enough to get the blond's attention.

"Watch'a doing?" he asked as Hermione as she stalked across the room to the fireplace.

"I cannot think with this racket and we do need to talk and all of it is simply too much to bear at once. If I am ever going to have my work ready for Monday, we are going to need to deal with this now. Now keep her quiet for a minuet!"

Draco tried his best to keep the baby quiet as Hermione contacted Harry and Ron in their dorm and asked them to come sit for Caitlyn so that she could go do some work in the library. Both boys were more than willing to help. "Fools!" Draco thought to himself.

A quarter of an hour later, he and Hermione were standing outside their room bidding good day to Harry and Ron. Caitlyn had fallen asleep and they had set the room back in order. As Hermione instructed the two Gryffindors on when to feed the child and what time she needed to be in bed, Draco was aware of two sets of eyes that were cutting through him. Wasting no time on formalities to those who did not behave civilly to himself, he began to walk as soon as Hermione made to hug her two friends goodbye.

Jogging to catch up with Draco, she began to speak breathlessly. "You might have said thank you at least!"

Draco turned to Hermione, "You know, for such a brilliant student you really are quite naïve when it comes to social affairs."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that had you even been conscious of the interaction between your two friends and myself you would have noticed that they were counting down the seconds until they are free to hex me at their will again!"

Hermione stopped for a moment and sighed before running to catch Draco's arm and force him to turn and look at her. "I know Draco," she said looking boldly into his eyes before turning them down to the floor and shyly dropping his arm. "I know, but it doesn't mean that it always has to be like that. You have given them nothing but cause to hate you, if you even acted civilly to them for a bit they might be able to see past it all, I did."

The thought of Hermione knowing too much of his own affairs turned on all his defenses. He had been careful his whole life to never let any one in, and now, he had slipped up because of a pair of pretty eyes. Grabbing Hermione by the shoulders, he looked forcibly into her eyes as he spoke.

"Look, I don't know what sort of delusions we were both under last night, but one night of confused juvenile emotions does not make us closer than we ever were. You don't know me, or what it is like to be me, so don't presume to. I want you to go to the headmaster now with the news of our separation. We should be able to move back into our rooms tonight, after that I never want to speak to you again!"

Letting go of her after holding her far tighter than he ought to have and knowing his actions had just betrayed his true emotions, he began to walk down the hall away from her when he heard her stifle a sob.

"I don't get you! One moment you are joking al paling around with me and the next you are throwing me around as if I meant nothing to you."

Turning around to look at her coldly, he spoke. "This is how it has to be..... Hermione."

He had said her name slowly as if it were the last time he was ever going to use it and felt regret at that.

Hermione watched him leave in a stir of emotions not understanding either her own or his. Sinking to the ground she rested her head upon her knees and tried to think.

"Yes Headmaster, you wished to see me?" Severus Snape asked as he tentatively watched the headmaster turn away from a large glass ball with a look on his face as if digesting a rather complicated scene. "Spying on the children again?" Snape inquired boldly.

"Severus," the old man spoke as if not hearing the latter accusation, "I have asked you here because I have learned a great deal of information that may further our advantage in dealings with Voldemort."

Severus felt as if he must have paled slightly, but spoke as unwavering as ever, "Go on."

"Well, it has been brought to my attention," the old mage resumed, "That our own Draco Malfoy has had a change of heart."

Malfoy! Of all the names Severus despised the most, this was top of the list. The elder Malfoy had been a sort of mentor to him as he had joined the Dark Ranks that served Voldemort and had inflicted many tourtures and pains on young Severus. As Malfoy had a seemingly endless amount of money and power, he had been raised high in the Dark Master's esteems and the former had much say in the passings of all lower ranked Death Eaters. In sense, Lucius was Voldemort's eyes and ears when it concerned the other Death Eaters and he took much pleasure in doing his master's 'dirty work.'

"What do you mean by a change of heart?" Severus questioned.

"Well," Dumbledore began eyes finally twinkling with their usual merriment, "it would appear that in light of recent events, young Draco has fallen for the charming Miss Granger, and she returns his affections."

The headmaster watched as Severus processed this information. A union between the two young mages would be a powerful one such as the wizarding world had not seen in ages as both were of the three most powerful wizards of their age. This union would be a very unfavorable match to the Dark Lord as well, considering Hermione's low birth by his standards, no matter how powerful she was, it was not enough to excuse her muggle birth. If Draco chose to follow this romance, he too would fall out of favor with the Dark Lord.

When it looked like Severus had ingested the information, the headmaster continued. "It has also come to my knowledge that Draco has not ever been particularly favored to becoming a Death Eater."

Snape looked quickly at his senior. Had what he said just been true? If Draco had never desired to become a Death Eater, and now, there was a plausible reason not to..... what could this mean for the Malfoys? What would this mean for the order? Severus listened as his employer went on.

"Draco has never wanted to become a Death Eater, but as it was always expected of him he has always followed this path. As all good teenagers do, Draco has questioned the words of the authority, of his parents, of Voldemort, why of even you and I. He has found his own beliefs and his own judgments, and now, I daresay, his own passions and emotions. However his father is still a very imposing figure and a force that one does not cross on one's own."

What was the headmaster saying? Was this small ray of hope to be so easily extinguished?

"I want you to go to him Severus."

"Sir?" was the headmaster really bidding him to do what he assumed?

"Go to him Severus. Reveal to him the truth. Show him that he is not alone. I have faith Severus, faith in this, faith in him, faith in you. I know that if there is anyone who can help this poor misguided boy it is you. Help him, Severus, help him as I helped you."

Professor Snape bowed his head. "As you wish, Headmaster."

Harry and Ron were sitting on the floor enjoying a game of Wizard Chess. Babysitting had proved to be a tedious task and one that would have ruined an entire afternoon had Harry not thought to summon their game. The baby had woken up a bit ago, but had never fussed so they figured her amused and kept playing.

"Harry!"

Harry looked up at his friend who was glaring at him accusingly. "What?"

"Didn't I already take one of your knights?"

"Yeah, I s'pose so. Why?"

"Because there it is on the bloody chessboard!"

Harry looked down and realized that his knight had somehow snuck its way back on the board. "Ron, I didn't! I swear!"

"Right, and I'm the bloody Queen of England! I can't believe that you would stoop so low as....."

But Ron was never able to finish his sentence because at that moment he was pegged in the head by a bishop.

"And throwing chess pieces! Really Harry! It is only a game after all!"

"But I didn't....."

But by now, all the chess pieces had begun to rise from the board and fly about the room.

"What the....?"

"Ghost!"

"I don't see any ghost."

"Well..... uh....."

But then the baby laughed.

"Is she?" Harry asked hesitantly when Ron shouted.

"Bloody hell!"

"What?" Harry asked.

"Teething....." Ron said ducking a rogue rook, "Magical teething!"

"Headmaster?" Hermione spoke in a shy quiet voice.

"Ahh yes! Good to see you Miss Granger! And where is your travel companion might I ask?"

"Well, the spell has appeared to worn off."

"Ahh, yes. Well you two do still have that assignment to do for me, you need not worry about having to move back into your own dorms as of yet."

Hermione's eyes went wide. "Actually Headmaster, we were hoping to move back into our normal housing as soon as possible."

"You do know Miss Granger that divorce is looked upon very lowly in the wizarding world. And it is not easy to be a single parent."

Hermione turned so that she was not facing her Headmaster. "It has become impossible for Draco and I to live in the same quarters any longer."

"Very well Miss Granger, I understand. Both you and Mr. Malfoy will report here to my office at one P.M. tomorrow afternoon to draw up a custody agreement. I will inform the house elves and they will be ready to move you possessions tomorrow evening."

"Tomorrow sir?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"The House Elves are busy Miss Granger. As head of S.P.E.W I would think you better aware of that than anyone else."

Hermione nodded curtly. "Of course Headmaster." And with that she took her leave.

When Hermione got back to her dorm, she was greeted by an unusual sight. Both of her best friends were standing in a pile of furniture, textbooks, clothing, chess pieces, and a various array of other items that had once been neatly put away; Caitlyn was asleep in her crib.

Ron pulling a pair of shorts off his head and slamming it to the floor stalked across the room and past Hermione leaving the room.

"That was a dirty, rotten, trick you pulled!"

Harry, who appeared to have a few pawns entangled in his hair, followed suit, "A Dirty, Rotten Trick!"

Hermione sighed as she closed the door to her room. "Boys, huh." With a wave of her wand everything went back into place, and she sat on her bed looking around the room that was lit with the gray light of the twilight. She decided that Caitlyn had the right idea and laid down on her own bed.

Draco had been walking around aimlessly for hours when his feet had found their way to the dungeons. Here it was possible to escape every other living being if you knew the right places. That is why it came as a rather particular shock when Draco had to stop short in order not to run into his Head of House. Where had he come from?

The Surly man stood before Draco intimidating and imposing. He spoke naught but two words, "Follow me."

Draco obeyed not having a choice in the matter and followed his Professor through the dungeons and into the potions classroom. As soon as Draco stepped inside, the Professor immediately bolted the door.

"Sit down Draco," he commanded indicating a chair, and then with a less patient tone added, "Now."

Draco helplessly obeyed.

Alright, so next time, you get to see how it goes with Draco and Snape. It will be fun!

Thank you very much for reading and reviewing. I have finally worked the story that I now have a clear path and visible ending (yay!) that means more frequent updates. Again I am sorry about the long wait for this chapter, but I have had to work about 40 hours a week and get ready to go to college. Be there in three weeks! Woot! It would also appear that I have a reverse seasonal depressive disorder (which I blame on living in florida) where I feel depressed in the summer (of course that is my own diagnosis.) in any case, I will let you go now, but.....

Your time was much appreciated and I thank you for spending it reading and reviewing my story!

Until next time (which will be a lot a lot sooner than last time)

Atiannala