Another short filler chapter. I do apologize, but the next chapter will be pretty bad. I don't like to spoil things as you all know, but I also like to try and prepare people.

Oh, I hope someday I'll make it out of here

Even if it takes all night or a hundred years

-Lovely, Billie Eilish & Khalid

Hermione didn't know what to feel or say as she stared her best friend in the face after a year of not seeing each other. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go for hours. She wanted to hear what he'd done during her absence, and how he had fared. She wanted to inquire about his newly improved relationship with Blaise. She had so much that she wanted to tell him, but…

As she stared at him, she also wanted to hit him. She wanted to scream at him until she was blue in the face, throat sore and voice shot to hell as she chewed him out over what he did. Over how he had lied. She took another step forward, and opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

The conflict must have been written all over her face, because Teddy beat her to it.

"I'm so sorry," he finally whispered, eyebrows pinched together, eyes pleading.

Hermione swallowed.

"…are you?" she eventually questioned. "…because Draco doesn't seem to be."

Teddy sighed, eyes dimming and shoulders sagging.

"I know we may be two sides of the same coin, but I am a bit nicer than your fiancé, no?"

He threw her a teasing smile, but she didn't return it.

"I am sorry. I shouldn't have-."

He cut himself off, taking a deep breath and glancing down at Scorpius, the infant resting in his arms. He stared at her son for what seemed like a long time, dark hair hanging into his face. He needed a haircut, she noted. He tensed again, voice incredibly low as he spoke, eyes resting on Scorpius as if he were somehow calming him.

"I hated him."

Hermione blinked, and Teddy finally looked up, eyes hard and wild at the same time.

"I know that you think it's impossible for anyone to hate him more than you did when he left, but that isn't true." He shook his head. "I hated him, Hermione."

There was nothing but sincerity in his voice as he stared her down, and Hermione found herself taken aback by it.

"I thought he was a coward. Pathetic. Weak. I thought he was the lowest of the low for treating you like that…someone who didn't deserve it in the slightest. Even before we became friends, I saw how you doted on him, adored him, and treated him like…like he held the answers to the universe in his hands. Watching him repay you by doing that to you…? It made me want to kill him…"

"Teddy…"

"I fantasized about it a lot, you know? If he ever came back, I promised myself that I would do it. When Draco met me that night…" he exhaled, looking up. "…I should've said no. I shouldn't have agreed, but I did, because I wanted to."

Hermione looked down.

"I wanted to…but that doesn't make it right. I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have gone with Draco that night. Potter and the she Weasley may have never been fond of me, but…they didn't deserve that either. I can only imagine how destroyed they must have felt, how lost their families must have felt…and I had a part in that."

His voice broke, and Hermione rushed towards him, resting her hands on his shoulders.

"Teddy, don't cry. Please," she whispered.

"I'm not a good person, Hermione," he choked out, shoulders trembling.

"That's never bothered you before," she responded, confused.

"That was before him," he said, looking down at her son again.

Hermione tilted her head, eyebrows furrowing.

"I want to be in his life, Hermione, but I want to be worthy of being in his life-."

"You are-."

"No," he interrupted, shaking his head. "Not like this. I feel like I shouldn't even be holding him. The things I've done, the people I've killed… I don't deserve to know him."

"Stop. You stop this nonsense, right now. You're not perfect. So what? None of us are. If I'm allowing Draco to be in his life, then why would you be any different?"

She brushed his hair away from his face with a small sigh.

"Please, don't ever think you're unworthy of being around my son. I want him to know you. You mean so much to me, and I want you to mean the same to him, as well. Understand?"

Teddy nodded. Hermione suddenly blinked, her frown deepening.

"What happened to your face?" she questioned, fingers hovering over the darkening bruise on his cheek and split lip she was just noticing. Teddy scoffed a laugh.

"That would be my lovely welcome by your ever so charming fiancé."

She heaved an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes. She shouldn't have been surprised. After all, it was Teddy's confession about what really happened to Ron that had driven her away. Hermione still wondered if he'd done it out of genuine guilt and regret, or because he wanted her away from Draco so badly. She asked him.

"A little bit of both, to be honest," he sheepishly answered. "I never wanted this for you."

Hermione frowned. He continued before she could speak though.

"I know that you're perfectly capable of making your own decisions, Hermione, but… You can't look me in the eyes and tell me that this is what you wanted for yourself a year ago."

"I…"

Teddy shook his head, a frown on his handsome features.

"I tried so hard to keep you away from all of this, to keep you away from men like Malfoy. Away from the violence and drugs and the casual dismissal of life. I was born into this, but you weren't. I should've tried harder. If I hadn't relied on you to bail me out so many times when I was too drunk to even stand, this never would have happened. You never would have met Malfoy, never would have even been tempted with the offer he presented you with. You would have never even considered something like that…"

"You don't know that," she replied, but they both knew that it was true.

"I hate your fiancé, Hermione. I really do. We have a common enemy, right now, so everything might seem peachy, but I hate him. He's selfish and twisted and doesn't care about anything other than getting what he wants. He should've stayed away from you," he spat.

It made Hermione's heart clench to hear that. She didn't know why, especially considering that the two had never been on good terms since she'd known the both of them.

"Everything happens for a reason," Hermione sighed, brushing her fingers over Scorpius' forehead.

Teddy swallowed, glancing down at her son again.

"I suppose you're right," he whispered.

They were both quiet for a moment, admiring the tiny brunette. Teddy suddenly chuckled.

"I can't believe you have a baby," he laughed again. "You made this."

Hermione wanted to mock him for his childish disbelief, but found that she didn't have the heart to. She was going to ask him about him and Blaise when she heard her name being called. She looked over her shoulder to find Draco standing there, a solemn expression on his face, and Hermione knew that their catching up would have to wait.

"You're positive?"

"Clear as day," Hermione said with a nod, answering Teddy's question.

He blew out a breath, jaw ticking just the slightest as he eased back down into his chair, blue eyes troubled.

"Hermione told Draco that Riddle could be faking it, and I'm inclined to believe that. Considering how you aimed, it's believable to think that he'd be paralyzed, and he knew that," Blaise threw in.

Teddy didn't respond, gaze hard and jaw clenched as he stared at the floor. Hermione knew what he was thinking, and pulled away from Draco to rest her hand on his. He didn't look up, and Hermione sighed.

"No one's blaming you, Teddy. You shot him, injuring him for quite some time. That's more than any of us ever accomplished," she reassured.

"I should have killed him," he gritted out, raising his eyes to meet her own. "I was right there, but I… I wasn't focused. Hearing him brag about what he did to you made my blood boil, and I just acted without thinking. I just pulled the trigger without really aiming. I should have ended him."

"I'm not going to object to that," Draco said.

"Draco," Hermione scolded, throwing a scathing look over her shoulder.

The blond man pushed away from his desk, arms crossed over his chest with a scoff on his lips.

"I apologize, Hermione, but unlike you, I'm not going to reassure him that everything is fine and will work out for the best. If he had done his job correctly, as he should have, we wouldn't still be looking over our shoulders for Riddle to ambush us," he spat.

"If you had actually kept your word and protected her like you said you would, he would've never gotten a hold of her in the first place," Teddy's response was matter-of-fact, and she could see Draco visibly bristle.

"I could say the same about you. Weren't you the one who was ordered to retrieve her though? That was you, right, who ran me off the road and then proceeded to kidnap my fiancée?"

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"I was just following orders, something you know nothing about. You do what you want without a care in the world for what the consequences may be. That's really why we're all sitting here, Malfoy, because you're a right git who cared more about getting his dick wet than my best friend's wellbeing."

Draco took a step forward, and Teddy stood, forcing Hermione to step in between them. Blaise stood as well, ready to intervene if need be.

"Teddy…"

"Let him speak his peace, Hermione. He clearly has a lot to get off of his chest," Draco said, bright eyes cold and focused on the dark haired young man.

"We can play the blame game all you want, Malfoy, but you're the one who let her get on Riddle's radar, to begin with. You knew how dangerous he was, and you still took her to a club where he's known for doing business at. And for what? To show her a good time? To throw your money around and impress her? How did that work out for you?"

Draco didn't respond, face tightening with every word from Theo.

"He only went after her because of you. He only took an interest in her because of you. You're selfish, Malfoy, and your selfishness is what allowed him to-."

Teddy cut himself off, raising an eyebrow at Draco as he charged at him. Hermione gripped his shirt, halting his pursuit as Blaise laid a hand on Teddy's shoulder. Draco's chest was heaving beneath her hands, eyes wide and nostrils flared as he glared at her best friend. Teddy simply stared at him, no trace of a smirk or smugness anywhere. His blue eyes held nothing but sincere anger.

"You're selfish, Malfoy, and everything that has happened to her…has happened because of your selfishness. So the next time you want to insult my aim, how about you pick up a gun, and try to right some of your wrongs, make up for what you caused," he spat, giving Draco a scathing once over before exiting his office in a huff.

Blaise threw her an apologetic look before following after him, softly calling Teddy's name as he went. Draco's office was quiet, neither one of them saying a word, basking in the aftermath of Teddy's harsh insults. She reluctantly let go of his shirt, reaching for his hand, and frowning when he flinched before pulling away.

"Draco…"

"He's right," he choked out, swallowing.

A pained look crossed his features, slight panic seeping into his eyes.

"Not entirely. He is right about one thing though. This blame game…it isn't good. He says that all of this is your fault, but that's…debatable. I would have never met you if he hadn't called me that night, or…we wouldn't be in this mess if I hadn't accepted your offer. Maybe I wouldn't be in this mess if I had left when you'd first given me the chance," she replied.

She reached for him again, and this time he didn't pull away.

"Better yet, who's to say any of that would have prevented this? My family had already had a bad run-in with Riddle. The chances are high that he was already very much aware of me. My point is that finger pointing and blaming will get us nowhere. We need to get along to put a rest to Riddle once and for all, and Blaise and Scorpius and I need the two of you to get along to do it."

Draco heaved a sigh, reluctantly nodding.

"Do you blame me?" he finally asked.

Hermione looked up at him, taking note of the desperation in his eyes. The desperation to hear her say that she didn't blame him.

"Everything happens for a reason. We have Scorpius, so clearly things were meant to happen this way," she responded.

She could see that it wasn't the answer that he wanted to hear, but he nodded anyway.

A little less than an hour later, the four of them were convened again. The tension between Teddy and Draco was still there, but nothing that couldn't be ignored.

"…so when exactly do we plan to do this?" Teddy asked.

She and Draco shared a brief look.

"We'd like to try and take care of it before the wedding, because after the wedding…we're leaving, and we don't really want to be looking over our shoulders for the rest of our lives, but… I don't think that's going to happen," Hermione explained.

The thought of leaving without taking care of Riddle first made Hermione uneasy, but she wasn't going to put Scorpius' safety on hold. Teddy's eyes widened slightly at that bit of information, but something else Hermione said seemed to grab him for the time being.

"You're going to the wedding? Both of you?"

Hermione nodded, and Teddy exhaled.

"I don't think that's a good idea," he confessed with a frown.

"I was a bit wary too, but it's a very small ceremony. Anybody who doesn't speak with any of the family and close friends regularly don't even know about it."

"I… It's pretty obvious why you want to leave, and I think that you should do it as soon as you can. Weasley will understand…"

"Hermione wants to go to the wedding before we leave. It's important to her," Draco finally cut in, arms crossed and eyes settling on Teddy with a firm gaze.

Teddy glared at him before releasing a sigh, nodding at Hermione and reluctantly accepting her decision.

The rest of the meeting passed by smoothly, and she and Theo made their way upstairs to check on Scorpius while Blaise and Draco discussed business details that needed to be wrapped up.

"So when were you planning on telling me that you were leaving?" Teddy asked as soon as they stepped into the room.

"I was going to. To be honest, I wondered if I would even see you again before we did. It was a bit of a hasty decision," she replied, approaching Scorpius' crib.

"Let me guess… It has something to do with Scorpius being here and not wherever you left him at," he assumed.

Hermione didn't reply, and Teddy scoffed.

"You know, Draco likes to think that he's some wild guy who always does the unexpected and keeps people on their toes, but truth be told, he's actually kind of predictable. You can always count on him to be a selfish asshole," he spat.

"Teddy…please…," she sighed.

"I know that you love him, Hermione. As much as it pains me to know it, I've accepted it, but… You can still love him and do what's best for you," Teddy practically begged.

He suddenly looked over his shoulder before gently closing the door.

"You can leave, Hermione. Tonight if you really want to. You can take Scorpius and leave. I'll help, and if you really want Draco by your side, he can always follow later," Teddy proposed, facing her with pleading eyes.

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows, pursing her lips.

"Teddy…this will be the last time I get to see Harry and Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys. My mum and dad too. Draco and I will probably never get to come back. Never mind if we don't take care of Riddle, but… Do you really think his family knows about what we're doing? You think his father will be anything less than murderous when he finds out that his heir to the family legacy has skipped town with his fiancée and son?"

Teddy pursed his lips, seeming to just remember that bit of information.

"The possibility of leaving without handling Riddle is already filling me with regret. I don't want to regret anything else when I leave," she explained.

Teddy reluctantly nodded, accepting that he couldn't change her mind.

"Just…take your gun with you," he proposed.

"Yes, father."

Teddy rolled his eyes.

"Don't call me that, please. No offense to your own bundle of joy, but I don't want to be a father any time soon."

"You might want to take that back. Life works in mysterious ways," Hermione replied.

"Speaking of…paternal related things… Are you going to do a test?"

Hermione stiffened. Teddy didn't need to elaborate, because they both knew what he was referring to.

"Yeah," she sighed. "I'm going to discuss it with Draco and have one done. Hopefully in a few days at the latest."

"Does it bother you…the possibility of Scorpius not being his?"

Hermione swallowed.

"Yeah. I mean… I try not to let it, but I can't help it. Draco says that he wouldn't view him any differently, and I believe him, but… What if I do?"

She looked up from his sleeping form, frowning at Teddy.

"I was so quick to give him Draco's last name, because I wanted to erase any possible connection he could have to… him. I didn't want to have anything to do with Riddle. I didn't want any reminders, and the fact that Scorpius could possibly be his was already too much. What if, subconsciously, I start viewing him differently? Treating him differently when he gets older?"

Teddy gripped her hand, a small reassuring smile on his lips.

"That's not you, Hermione. No matter the outcome, your love for him won't ever change, and as much as I hate the prick, I believe Malfoy too. Besides, it doesn't matter what a piece of paper says, because Malfoy will be the only father he ever knows."

Hermione released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding, nodding at Teddy's words.

"Besides…you said everything happens for a reason, right?"

"Yeah," Hermione breathed.

"Okay. Whatever the outcome, it will be for a reason," Teddy reassured, throwing her own words back at her.

Hermione repeated that to herself, eyes resting on the sleeping infant as Teddy began to fawn over him. Everything happens for a reason, Hermione. She chanted this to herself, attempting to put her worries at bay.

~SD~