A/N: Thanks to stackles, Hermione 2000, Yipster72, Falcon, and sugar-skyline for such lovely reviews! And stackles, to answer your questions, I think there are like 32 chapters and an epilogue, and the werewolf wasn't Lupin or anything...just a werewolf that didn't really have any more purpose in the story...so just assume that they un-stunned him when the full moon was gone, and he went on his merry (well, probably not so merry)way. lol!

Chapter 25

"Hermione!" Abbey exclaimed when she saw her friend enter the kitchen, "What're you doing here?"

"I'm going to help you through this," Hermione replied, her face determined. Abbey smiled, feeling extreme gratitude towards Hermione.

"You're the best, Hermione," she replied. Hermione smiled, reached into her trunk, and pulled out a book.

"Here," she said, handing it to Abbey, "It's a muggle book, but muggle women have babies just the way witches do."

Abbey looked down at the book. It was titled What to Expect When You're Expecting.

"This is great, Hermione!" Abbey replied, wrapping Hermione in a hug, "Thanks!"

"So," Hermione said, pulling away and looking around, "This is where you live, eh?"

"Yeah," Abbey replied flatly, "Lucius bought it." Hermione rolled her eyes and picked up her trunk again.

"So where am I staying?" she asked with a smile.

"There's a guest bedroom upstairs…I'll show you," Abbey answered excitedly, setting her now-empty glass on the counter.

The first three months went smoothly. Abbey's morning sickness died away, but her strange cravings got worse. Draco woke up almost every night to Abbey crawling out of bed and leaving to go to the kitchen.

Abbey and Hermione spent most of their time together, and when they weren't together, Abbey was by herself somewhere reading What to Expect When You're Expecting. Draco often found himself alone and wondering what was going on. He felt he deserved to know what was happening…Abbey was his wife, anyway. One day he sneaked a peek in Abbey's book, and all of her strange symptoms were explained to him, which made him feel a little better. He even slowly got used to Hermione being there, which perhaps was most fascinating of all.

Abbey's stomach slowly swelled, until she eventually had a good-sized dome for an abdomen. Draco was somehow fascinated by this, even if things were still strained between he and Abbey. He knew how reproductive biology worked, but it was different when it was your child.

Abbey and Hermione often went shopping, and always came home with mutliple parcels of various things, including clothes and toys.

Draco sneaked looks at these as well, but stopped one day and wondered for the first time why he felt he had to sneak around. This was his child too! So from that day on Draco openly asked questions about things. He even began to go to the doctor with Abbey, instead of letting Hermione do it.

Lucius also paid regular visits, wondering how Abbey was doing.

Then, one night, while Abbey was reading and Draco was trying to go to sleep, Abbey suddenly gasped, dropping her book. She then began to laugh gleefully.

"What?" Draco asked drowsily, rolling over and gazing at her.

"The baby just kicked!" Abbey cried joyfully, putting her hands on her stomach.

"It did?" Draco asked, his eyes moving to Abbey's rounded belly.

"Yeah!" Abbey replied, still laughing.

"Can I--er--Can I feel?" Draco asked. Abbey's laughing slowly died and she studied him for a moment. Then, to his surprise, a faint smile spread across her face,

"Sure." She reached over, took Draco's hand and placed it on her stomach. Draco jumped slightly when he felt the baby kick. Abbey began to laugh ecstatically again, and Draco couldn't help but smile as well.

When the baby seemed to have stopped for the time being, Abbey picked up her book again and Draco rolled over to go back to sleep.

Abbey gazed down at her belly, smiling. Her face then turned serious. I'm never going to let anyone or anything ever hurt you, she silently pledged to her baby, I don't care why you were conceived, or who your father is…you're a miracle, and I'm going to protect you no matter what the cost.

Hm, it seems like Draco's becoming a bit of a softy. lol. Hoped you liked it, and thanks for reading!

AbbeyMalfoy87