Author's Note: Wow, this chapter was a hard one. A lot of moving parts. I felt I needed to take my time with it to get it where I wanted it to be. Still not perfect but I don't think I could ever do this subject full justice. That being said, your patience is so very appreciated.

parkastoria: I would love to know your theorizing. Imagination is such an individual and fantastic thing.

Muffin'sback: parkweasel! I had no idea that was their nickname. Absolutely love it.

Chapter 10

Percy paced back and forth in front of an unassuming cottage, pinching his bottom lip between his thumb and index finger and mulling over the wording of his argument. He'd been so dead set on defending his marriage when he'd dropped Pansy at home, that he'd rushed over in a glorious, daring blaze of self-righteousness. He'd felt a renewed sense of hope when she'd chosen him even in her oblivion. It was as if the woman he'd fallen in love with was struggling to resurface.

Now faced with the imminent prospect of coming face to face with the contender for his wife's affections, however, he felt wholly unequal to the task. There wasn't a doubt in Percy's mind that Draco could call on his uncanny ability to charm the pants off literally anyone to win Pansy back if he really wanted. As he continued to wear a path in the laneway, Percy shook out his hands and heaved a sigh riddled with tension.

Before her accident, Percy wouldn't have questioned the platonic nature of their friendship for a moment. As odd as it felt, Draco had almost become family to them. He was practically an uncle to his three children. But with how strangely he'd been behaving lately, anything seemed possible. Regardless of how betrayed he felt, Percy needed to understand what Malfoy was truly after. Was this about being a father or was there more to it than that? Some kind of need to fulfill his family's archaic expectations?

"Percy? What are you doing here?"

Percy jumped, startled from his nervous ruminations to meet the piercing, assessing gaze of Harry Potter.

"Oh… um.. Hi Harry! I… Sorry. Is Draco around? I really need to speak with him," he rambled awkwardly.

Tearing his eyes away, Harry scoped about but seemed hesitant to supply an answer. "Sorry, Percy. I haven't seen Draco in a few days. We… we kind of had a row."

Percy could only bob his head stiffly, sensing that he should not push that topic further. "Listen Harry, I… I have some questions and they may seem a bit odd." He hesitated, feeling suddenly uncertain about the sanity of having this particular conversation, but Harry encouraged him to continue with a light nod.

"Do you know what surrogacy is?" Percy finally blurted out, apprehension making his voice strained and stilted. "It's a muggle practice," he amended as an afterthought.

Harry's eyes became sharply focused on Percy. "Yes, I'm very familiar with surrogacy. Why do you ask?" he asked warily.

"Can we head inside? Or maybe to the back garden? Not sure I want to have this chat on the street in front of your house.

Harry stared at him hard for a few long seconds before giving a sharp nod and leading Percy around the side of his cottage. Both men settled into a chair on the back deck, fidgeting through their discomfort and discord.

"So why are you bringing up surrogacy?" Harry finally asked, confusion and distrust flashing in his eyes.

Percy cleared his throat, searching for the least awkward way to begin. "The healers at Mungo's have a fairly good idea what Pansy was doing when she had her accident."

Harry sat up quickly, baffled by the strange about face in the conversation. "Really? What? Was it the bond? Was she… Sorry. I just… We've been really worried about her."

"I know. It's good. Well no, it's not good. But it's…" Percy stopped himself and gave his head a subtle shake to get himself back on track. "She was trying to alter our marriage bond so that she could be a surrogate."

Harry gaped at him with the oddest expression. "Sorry. What?"

"She was trying to… The best they can figure is that she was going to try to carry a baby for someone... other than me that is. I assumed for you and Draco."

Harry blinked a few times and then stood and moved to stare out over his gardens. "Are… are you sure?" he asked in little over a whisper.

"Yes. Did you know, Harry?"

Harry pulled his eyes quickly back to Percy, then shook his head roughly. "I didn't, but… but Draco and I had talked about it a year or so ago. More than talked actually. We both really wanted children. It's just kind of impossible what with both of our profiles. There would be so much media around the whole thing. We looked into adopting, which ended terribly. Apparently, we're not good candidates," Harry muttered darkly, the look of resentment and disgust wearing plainly on his face.

"What, in Merlin's name, does that mean?" Percy asked, genuinely confused. Who, on earth, would be a better parent than the boy who saved the wizarding world?

"The agency did not approve of our lifestyle," Harry clarified grimly. "And surrogacy was a whole different ball of wax. We couldn't go with just any witch. We knew she'd have to be someone we both trusted. So many out there are just looking to take advantage. Unfortunately, any of the viable candidates, including Pansy, were already married. You're telling me she found a way?"

The unfettered hope firing in Harry's eyes was agonizing to behold. It was in that moment Percy realized this whole situation was so much bigger and more complicated than he'd imagined. In a flash, he was brought back to the time when he'd had the chance to secretly be with Pansy, but it meant never having children with her. The tidal wave of pain that notion caused washed over him as hard now as it had twelve years prior. Understanding the obstacles Harry and Draco were facing, much of Percy's initial aversion to the idea of surrogacy dissipated almost completely.

"Yeah. But then something went wrong during her most recent attempt to brew the potions and… Well, you know the rest," Percy supplied, growing quiet and lacing his fingers together in an anxious dance. "I… I suspect Draco knew what she was doing. I just… That still doesn't explain why he was encouraging her affections in the hospital."

Harry's jaw clenched and his eyes hooded in irritation. "I don't know. He gave me some pathetic excuse that he was trying to jog her memory or some such nonsense. He 's never told me anything about any of this. In fact, we haven't talked about children in months."

Percy nodded and glanced down to his tightly clasped hands, his mind pouring over the possible reasons for Draco and Pansy's secrecy with lightening speed, his inherent jealousy feeding his already mounting insecurities.

"You said you argued?" Percy braved.

"I don't really want to talk about it, Perce. It got ugly fast," Harry grumbled.

"For what it's worth, Healer Marshall doesn't believe Pansy was trying to dissolve the marriage bond," Percy offered, feeling far less confident in the fact than his words implied. "And Pansy's decided she wants to try and make a go of it with me. I… I just need Draco to back off."

Harry's eyes clouded imperceptibly. "Good luck with that," he murmured. "When Draco wants something, he'll go to any lengths to get it."

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Draco quickly made his way along Diagon Alley, a queasy kind of uneasiness driving up his heart rate. When he'd received Pansy's owl about meeting her at Ollivanders, he was filled with equal parts dread and anticipation. Normally a day of shopping with his girl would be a welcome distraction from life's daily grind. They would happily gossip and lightly bemoan the annoying yet adorable habits of their significant others.

Life had been anything but normal lately though due in large part to his ridiculous obsession with having a child. He should have never told Pansy about his aspirations with Harry regarding adoption and surrogacy. She'd become like a dog with a bone, wanting him to be just as happily ensconced in parenthood as she was. Although he tried to discourage her, every breakthrough she made in her research breathed new life into his dreams.

In fact, he had been so far gone that when she had her accident, he lost his mind not with guilt but desperation. He saw his one chance at fatherhood drifting away and a foreign kind of madness possessed him. He still cringed at his misguided rationalizing of a plan to cajole her into being their surrogate with empty promises of love. Had he been thinking clearly, he would have recognized instantly that Harry would never agree to it and Percy would likely ava him.

It took Harry confronting him in the restaurant to snap him out of it. Even so, he still couldn't come completely clean because he knew Harry would be livid about the lies and omissions over no less than a year. It made little difference that it was to protect him from the disappointment in case the whole thing didn't pan out. Feeling his throat constrict, Draco was fairly certain he'd lost him for good regardless.

Without warning, Draco was pulled from his inner turmoil by the bear hug of an unusually strong nymph. He glanced around dazedly to find he was outside Ollivanders already and in the painful squeeze of one Miranda Weasley, pixie extraordinaire.

"Hello, you spritely wood spirit! Where did you magic yourself from?" he asked playfully, wrapping his arms around her in a warm hug but scanning the crowd for Pansy.

"With Mum! She's over there by the door," Miranda rejoined lightly, disentangling herself from him, but keeping her arm around his waist as they were wont to do. "She's taking me wand shopping. Do you want to come?"

"I'd love nothing more," he answered genuinely.

How he adored this child. Her light eyes and inky black hair, her gentleness and loyalty, and her devotion to all things fair. She was the epitome of everything he dreamed of in a child because of her striking resemblance to Harry, in his mind at least.

Draco pulled his eyes away from her sweet, upturned face and easily spotted Pansy, who appeared agitated by the mob of bustling crowds around her. He felt his guilt surrounding her fall away replaced by a firm resolution to set her straight. As much as it pained him to lose the possibility of having his own child, her friendship meant more.

"Mum, look who I found?" Miranda piped in, as they moved toward her.

Pansy lifted her eyes to them and her shoulders visibly relaxed. "Well, well. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," she offered, attempting to sound flirtatious but her tone was thick with relief. "Head on in, Mira. We'll be right behind you," she murmured softly.

The child squeaked in excitement and bustled through the door. Once she was safely out of earshot, Draco slid his eyes back to Pansy.

"Hello yourself. Venturing out alone without your keeper I see," he teased, but inwardly kicked himself for goading her. Bad habits died hard apparently.

Pansy's eyes were still trained on Miranda milling about happily within the shop. "Hard to tell who is keeping whom some days to be honest," she snarked back, arching a singular eyebrow as she gave him a sideways glance. "Nice to have a man at my beck and call though. Shall we?"

"After you, M'lady," he announced formally, opening the door and bowing low. Pansy sauntered in, gifting him a prim smile in response.

They wandered about in silence for a few charged minutes, both distracted by their own musings. Pansy was drawn in by the sight of Miranda trying out various wands with entertaining and sometimes explosive results.

"She is lovely, isn't she?" Pansy asked lightly.

"That she is," Draco agreed wholeheartedly, happy for the distraction from his self-reproach.

"She would have been our first," Pansy stated quietly, shifting her eyes to him covertly to gather his reaction.

Draco stared at the girl across the room and recognized the truth at the heart of the matter. "No, our child would have been a right terror. Rude and haughty and self-important. He or she would have never been so… so honest and loyal. That she inherited from her father."

Pansy tried to suppress her smile but failed miserably. "True. She also has his lovely blue eyes and curls."

"Sweet Merlin, ava me now," Draco huffed dramatically, though a full-blown grin bloomed over his lips. "So, the Percy Weasley Fan Club is back up and running?"

"Let's see. He's rich, incredibly fit and ridiculously talented with his lips and tongue," Pansy counted off on one hand.

Draco gagged openly at the unwelcome images invading his mind. "Damn, Pansy. Why do you have to be so gross?"

Joyous laughter bubbled out of Pansy at his overly exaggerated revulsion. This playful, yet somehow innocent banter was refreshing. It felt odd that there was no underlying sexual tension between them, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Her decision to give Weasley a chance felt all the more justified in light of this new-found ease.

"Mum!"

Pansy's attention was immediately drawn across the room. "Yes, sweetness?"

"I think I've found it. My wand," Miranda beamed, a few hairs slightly singed and smoking, and her face smudged.

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As they stepped over the threshold through the floo into the study two hours later, Pansy felt an immediate relief ripple through her. In the past, shopping had been one of her all-time favourite activities. She now found the throngs overwhelming and suffocating, and the anxiety that plagued her when a certain ginger was not present left her with almost crippling fatigue. Although Draco had tried to pass off his insistence of seeing her and Miranda home as a bid to keep the enjoyable, light repartee going, the strain cutting a clear path over his brow spoke otherwise.

In the next moment, Pansy became acutely aware of two very tense, displeased men occupying the study. Harry Potter was staring resolutely out the window and Percy was seated with legs crossed, his left pulsing a menacing, staccato beat. All the same, the mere sight of him served to calm her frayed nerves. Draco opted to move to the safety and security of the liquor cart, doing his utmost to ignore the swells of disapproval cascading off the other men.

"Where, the devil, have you been?" Percy growled with barely contained anger. "You left Robbie and Penny alone with Tibby."

Pansy could not control the eyeroll caused by his ridiculous insinuation of negligence. "You mean the house elf that basically raised me after my mother died? Whatever would give me the idea she would keep my children safe?"

Yes, it was both vicious and spiteful, but he had it coming. Percy had the good grace to draw his eyes down abashed, yet his frame was still tight with pent up ire.

"Dad!" Mira shouted gleefully as she burst forward, making a beeline for him and launching herself onto his lap. "Oh, we had such fun today."

Her exuberance knocked the anger clear out of Percy and he blinked back at her nonplussed. "Where did you go, my little pixie?" he asked, trying to regain his composure.

"Mum took me to choose my wand," she announced proudly, brandishing the box with a flourish.

"With Uncle Draco?" Percy's eyes moved to Pansy and a dark cloud of bitterness passed over his features.

"Yes, he tagged along. It was a great adventure. Really wish you could have come though."

"I do too," he replied with a forced air of lightness, his indignation finding new steam.

"I chose the same wand as you, Dad. Rather it chose me," the child continued with shy pride.

Percy's eyes came back to his daughter with a snap. "The same wand? What do you mean?"

"Chestnut wood twelve inch with unicorn hair core," she beamed.

Percy simply gawked at her. "How… how do you know that, Mira? I'm pretty sure it didn't come up when we chatted about you getting your first wand."

"Mum told me… when we were at Ollivanders," Miranda's smile began to falter as she briefly peeked back at Pansy, wondering anew if her mother had fabricated the fact. "That is your wand, isn't it?"

"Yes. Yes, it is." Taken aback, Percy glanced past Miranda to where Pansy was standing rigid and unwilling to meet his gaze. "Pansy, I don't remember telling you that at any point this past week. How did you…"

"I don't know. It's just… I blurted it out without thinking. It came out of nowhere." Pansy snapped, her eyes skittering about to find something solid to grasp onto.

A surge of pure, unadulterated hope engulfed Percy, and his eyes stung sharply from the threat of tears. There was no way she could have deduced the make of his wand. His previous upset forgotten, he noted for the first time how exhausted and strained she appeared, and he became consumed with worry.

"Mira, I'm very excited for you. Can you take your wand upstairs to your bedroom and put it somewhere safe?"

"Yes, Daddy!" The slip of a girl started for the door, then on a whim, made a detour to Harry and gave him a big hug around the waist, shaking him out of his foul mood. "So nice to see you, Uncle Harry. I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too, Miranda. We'll catch up soon, yeah?" he managed, hugging her back. Harry glanced up and spied Draco watching their interaction with an indescribable expression playing across his face. Feeling caught out, Draco looked down and away, focusing his attention back onto the drink he was making.

Miranda gave Harry a definitive nod and skipped from the room, leaving the remaining occupants in a heavy silence. No one seemed inclined to begin the elephant of a conversation that loomed before them. Pansy drew a deep breath and let it stream out of her in a long, slow exhale. She moved to the armchair beside the hearth and settled into it, letting her eyes slip closed momentarily to centre herself.

"Draco, we should be leaving," Harry muttered firmly from his perch by the window.

"No," Pansy bite out without warning. "I've given this an inordinate amount of thought and we're having it out now." The stifling tension that settled over the room brought with it a deafening silence. "Before one of you decides to bluster on about what you think I should or should not be doing, I feel it necessary to remind you all that this is my body," she announced, refusing to brook any attempts to control or dictate over her.

All of the hope Percy had gained moments earlier evaporated and he felt a seething rancor begin to boil in his chest. So much for choosing him, he mused bleakly. It would seem her choice was clear after a singular afternoon with Malfoy.

"First off, I had a wonderful outing with Miranda," Pansy continued undeterred. "Helping her find her wand brought me a kind of happiness I've never experienced before. But it got me thinking that I have no other memories of her. None. Not her first steps… not her first word… not holding her and singing her to sleep. Nothing. In fact, I can't remember any of my children's firsts and the pain of that realization is... it's..." unable to put it into words, Pansy glanced about and worked to blink back her tears.

"I'm so sorry, Pansy," Harry offered softly.

"You don't understand, Potter. If I agree to carry a child for you two, it will be like having my first child all over again. When all is said and done, what if I don't want to give the baby up because I want those firsts for myself? How is that fair to you and Draco? What happens to Mira, Penny and Robbie? Will they feel like they come second in my affections? Or worse, like they're being replaced?"

All three men stared at her gobsmacked and then chanced a glance to each other for guidance. Obviously, these wouldn't have been issues for Pansy before the accident. She would have been in full possession of the memories of her own children. But now, her emotional maturity was on par with that of a witch who had never carried a baby to term or been a mother. As such, all the pitfalls and traps associated would be a serious risk.

"Most importantly, how will this affect my marriage?" Percy made a slight choking sound in response, shocked that she'd even considered his feelings on the matter, and Pansy's eyes shifted to him for a moment. "When I do decide to be a surrogate…"

"Panse, there is no way you should even be considering surrogacy right now. You're still recovering," Draco insisted, ignoring the surprised stares of both Harry and Percy.

"Let me finish, will you," she ground out. "When I decide I'm ready to be a surrogate, I'll want the support and… and love of my husband. Bloody hell, he's the one who will have to live with me through another pregnancy," she chuckled nervously, but the mirth didn't quite reach her eyes. "Considering our marriage is on tender hooks as it is right now, the last thing it needs is a new baby with two other men thrown into the mix."

Pansy stood and began to pace about the room, trying to evade the emotions building up in her chest.

"We apparently had this amazing love affair, but its been wiped clean from my mind and who knows if those memories will ever come back. Draky, you know I've dreamt of having that type of love my entire life. Sweet Circe, you used to make a game of dodging me because of it."

Unable to control himself, Draco laughed but tried to conceal it with a few light coughs. "Oh, you know you loved it," he tittered playfully, giving her an affectionate smile.

Harry shot him a scornful look but the twist of a smirk playing at his lips gave away his amusement.

"Shut it, you wanker," she sassed back. "Frankly, I'm feeling gypped. So Weasley, you better find you're A game because I expect to be wined and dined. You are taking me on a date tonight and you two are babysitting. Understand?"

"Are you sure, Pansy? You look…" Percy ventured.

"I look what?" she cut him off unceremoniously, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Anything other than gorgeous and you better be ready to have your bollocks hexed off."

Percy snapped his mouth shut and pressed his lips into a thin line, very familiar with this version of Pansy. "Yes, dear," was all he could muster, though his insides felt as if they'd just exploded with a kaleidoscope of butterflies. Damn but she was delectable when she was being bossy.

"You want us to babysit?" Harry queried, his nervousness at the idea clear.

"Oi, Potter. What? You have other plans for the evening?" Draco taunted, hoping with everything in him Harry would take him up on the unspoken challenge.

Harry met his eyes with a level, even gaze. "No. No plans."

Pansy looked between the two men who were engaged in some kind of silent communication then shook her head perplexed. Boys and their drama. "Good. Maybe you two can talk through your issues while you're at it, yeah? Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a bath and get myself beautified. Good day, gentleman."

Pansy strutted out of the room and the three men were left in a stunned silence.

"Well, that did not go down the way I thought it would," Harry mumbled bewildered.