Chapter 5

(Hermione POV)

'Are you out of your mind? I can't just take him out of school.' She yelled at him.

'Why not? You are his mother. You can do whatever you want.' He argued.

'I am not pulling my son out of school, Draco.' She replied, positively outraged at the mere suggestion of it.

'Our son.' He corrected.

'Fine. I'm not taking our son out of school. It's irresponsible and reckless.' She argued. She couldn't believe how irresponsible he was being. But when had he ever been responsible in any situation? She should've expected something like this to come from him. He was the most thoughtless person she had ever known in her life and that was including Ron.

'Come on Gran…Hermione, be spontaneous for once in your life.' He whined.

'I said no Draco.' She stood her ground and glared at the man who was so much like her son…their son. He returned the glare and could almost sense a pout coming on. Her suspicions were confirmed a minute later and she chuckled.

'What's so funny?' He quirked his eyebrow. She sobered immediately.

'You and Leo are more alike than I thought.' She said, simply and walked out of the room. The man was hot on her heels and she very much didn't like it. 'There's a thing called personal space, Draco.' She called him out on it but he obviously didn't care.

They entered the living room and she dived straight towards his coat and hat in order to send him packing. As she picked them up, she wondered why he would ever wear anything like it. They were not his style at all. It was more middle-class citizen than someone who was from high society. It was something she thought he wouldn't be caught dead in. Perhaps she didn't know the man at all. But she did and she had full intention of throwing him out now. He was causing another headache to emerge.

He was still right behind her when she went to question him about the coat. Although, she hadn't realised just how close he was, for when she spun around, they were nearly standing nose to nose. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared into those piercing, steel grey eyes. Mesmerised by the orbs of silver swirling around in the morning light as they sent sparkling hints of white gold, she lost herself in a memory for a moment before reality sunk in. This was Draco Malfoy. She may have had a son with the man but that didn't mean she could go sleeping around with him again, pretending they were one big happy family. She put the coat and hat between them and inched back a little. A small blush on her face brought a small smirk to his face. She cleared her throat, that had gone dry from her momentary lapse in judgement before returning her stern face once more. 'I said, personal space, Draco. Now go. I'm not in the mood to deal with you anymore right now.'

'Please Hermione…'

Merlin. She hadn't expected that face. He looked so hurt, more than she had ever seen him and Merlin, why did she suddenly feel so bad?

No, Hermione. No. Do not go there.

Be strong.

Feigning unawareness and feeling completely put off by the inappropriate thought that ran through her mind a minute ago, she thrusted the coat and hat at him once more and all but pushed him to the fireplace.

'I said go. I'll expect you back here about three.' She hmphed and turned her back to him, walking out of the room to the kitchen. She leaned up against the bench waiting for the sound of the floo. When it went off a few seconds later, she sank to the ground.

What the actual…?

Had she seriously just considered stepping over the boundaries again? It must have been her hormones. She hadn't been with someone for so long that being in close contact had sent them into sensory overdrive. She groaned. If Draco wanted to be around, she would have to set up some boundaries. The first being abstinence. She couldn't trust her traitorous hormones to not mess up again. Nor could she trust Draco not to want more. The second boundary they would have to figure out, was a schedule to adhere to for custody. But there was no sense thinking about this now. She would bring it up later when he came back.

Pulling her hands through her hair, she sighed and wondered what she could do for the rest of the day. The Daily Prophet sat on the table, unwrapped but unread. She was completely aware that the paper would've slandered her that she had spent the morning avoiding the press and arguing with the men in her life to avoid having a chance to read it.

'Oh well, Hermione, you had better read it.' She sighed and removed herself from the floor to retrieve the paper. Reading the headlines, she gasped. 'Oh Merlin.'

Five minutes later, the paper had been screwed up and tossed into the bin. Of course, Ron would be mad. She had lied to him about Leo's father. He hated the Malfoy family with a passion. But he had no right in telling her what she could and couldn't do. He didn't have to cut her off either. Harry had accepted the news alright. Granted, he still was disappointed in her lack of dignity, but otherwise had understood the circumstances. So, why the hell did Ron have to yell the whole department down in fury? She groaned in frustration and walked upstairs to Leo's room.

Leo's room was a room that had made her proud of her interior decorating skills. She had found a wallpaper with all the star constellations on it at a trendy boutique shop in Central London and had used it to decorate the wall adjacent to his bed. She had also charmed the paper to glow like the stars themselves at night. They had spent many a night looking at each constellation and she'd tell a different story about a different one each night. She had somehow snuck education into bedtime and she was rather proud of that achievement. His double bed was a solid pine timber bed stained a dark walnut colour, with a matching tallboy, bookcase, and bedside tables. The floors were a soft, grey carpet, the kind of carpet that you wouldn't mind sleeping on and felt luxurious under the feet. The duvet cover set; she had let Leo decide for himself when they had last visited Matalan. Due to his pure fascination with dragons, he had immediately chosen the one with dragons on it. It was a simple white cotton with green and silver dragons scattered across the fabric. When Leo had seen it, he had yelled that they looked like Troy and had demanded that they take that duvet cover home with them. She chuckled at the memory.

She went about picking up his scattered toys on the floor, a fire truck that a neighbour had gifted him for his third birthday, the magformers (magnetic shapes that stick together to build things) she had also picked up on another shopping trip as well as a few plastic dragons that Harry had given him. She placed them in their respective toy bins and then went to pick up the laundry basket. Oh well, if she wasn't going to work today, she might as well do some housework. Picking up the basket, her eyes were drawn to the Draco constellation on the wall. She frowned. Her son had pointed it out many times and had begged her to tell her the story of it, but something just made her refuse every time. She realised she was just making excuses. She just hadn't wanted her son to know the true origins of his father. But now that he was back, it would be completely futile in avoiding it further. Why, oh why, couldn't he had stayed in hiding? She was raising him fine all on her own. She groaned in frustration and went to unload his clothes into the washing machine.

About an hour later, Hermione leant against the counter in the kitchen with a glass of water. She had just finished all the housework. It was nearing one o'clock and her floo went off making her spit out her water on her shirt.

'Damn it. Arificus.' She pointed her wand at her shirt to dry it. 'Who is coming to see me now?' She wondered out loud and entered the living room.

'Hello Hermione.' The tall, dark man said. It was the second Slytherin who had paid her a visit today.

'Blaise. What can I do for you?' She replied with as much professionalism as she could muster.

'Come on Hermione, no need for the formalities. You know why I'm here.' He smirked.

'If you've come to torment me about the fact Leo is Malfoy's illegitimate child then I don't want to hear it.' She said snarkily.

'Alright. Alright. I won't torment you. But please just answer me this. Why Draco? And more importantly when?' He asked. She folded her arms across her chest and looked away. She didn't really want to answer that question or rather questions. But when she didn't answer, the man invaded her personal space and brought her face to look at his.

'Hermione. Please.' He begged.

'Fine. About a week after the war ended, I went to this pub.'

'Howlers? I'm only assuming.' Blaise interrupted.

'Yes, how did you know?' She asked.

'Draco's favourite pub. It's not important. Go on.' He replied. She quirked an eyebrow to challenge him but went on, regardless.

'Anyway, I went to drink my sorrows away. No one had been paying any attention towards me for days. Draco walked in and I asked him to sit with me. I just didn't want to be alone anymore and he was there. I didn't expect him to accept. But he did. We sat in silence for a while but eventually the alcohol made us talk. I have no idea what we even talked about as by that time, I had lost track of how many drinks we had both had. So, the story goes, where one thing led to another and we ended up doing it in his apartment, I think. I actually don't know where it was. I left the following morning before Draco even woke up. We had been so drunk that we didn't use protection and I ended up having Leo. But Draco had gone into hiding the day after so I never got a chance to tell him. That was until yesterday.'

'So, it was a one-night stand, no strings attached sort of thing.' Blaise mused.

'Supposed to be. But that didn't end up happening.' She sighed in frustration and went to walk away.

'Hermione…' He grabbed her arm.

'Blaise.' She copied, peering up at him.

'Draco isn't as bad as you make him out to be.' He admitted. Of course, Hermione knew that he wasn't as awful as she made him out to be. He had a few redeeming qualities but that still didn't mean she liked him.

'I know. It would've been a lot easier if it hadn't been him though.' She said in response. He nodded.

'No sense pondering what if's. You know better than that Hermione.' He went to peruse her books. She absolutely did know better than that. If her parents had left England a moment sooner, they would have survived. But it wasn't meant to be. 'How did your friends take the news?'

'Harry was disappointed but could understand how it could've happened. But Ron went ballistic and basically told me never to speak to him again. I assume the rest of the Weasleys apart from Ginny feel the same. Grace already knew.' She replied.

'Trust Weaselbee to flip his lid. I assume that was why Finnegan told me you were at home.'

'Seamus? You came to my office?' She lifted her eyebrow. 'Why is that?'

'Well…I actually came by on official business.'

'Oh? What exactly is this business?' She asked and sat down on one of the lounges whilst she watched him look at her book collection. Blaise worked in the Department for International Magical Co-Operation and generally worked in preventing contradictions in law between Britain and other ministries as well as trading standards between countries. The only times he had come and visited her on business matters were when he needed her to approve something or he had amendments to make.

'Unfortunately, I have to be the bearer of bad news. It is your department's proposed law for goblin welfare. Most of the European Federation of Wizards seem to disapprove with multiple of the rulings in which the law proposes.' He conjured the paperwork and handed it to her. Nearly all of it was highlighted and notes were hanging off it.

'Multiple? It's nearly the whole law, Blaise.' She baulked and then sighed. 'I will take a look at it and revise it with my colleagues when I go back to work. Is that all you wanted?' She looked at him, knowing something was up. 'It's not all you wanted, is it?'

'Well…no.' He said sheepishly. 'Narcissa has sent me to take you robe shopping for her gala.'

'Hah. I haven't even replied yet and I only got the invitation yesterday.' She said.

'Efficiency is everything to Narcissa.'

'Don't you have work to do? And I don't even know if I'm going.' She rolled her eyes.

'I took the afternoon off and you're kidding right. Turning down an invitation from Narcissa is a death wish. Ok a wish for a mountain of howlers.' They both chuckled. 'Please come. Narcissa is dying to meet you properly. Besides, it will be fun to have another person join our game of diss the socialite.'

'No way. You diss the guests?' She asked in surprise. She imagined that they all had sat around drinking champagne and talked about how much money they had. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought they would play such immature games. But she had to admit that she was impressed.

'Oh absolutely. Pansy, Theo, Daph and I have done so ever since we started going to those dull things. There is nothing more dreadfully dull than sitting and watching a bunch of old aristocratic twits talking about how delightful the décor is, how many grapes went into this wine and oh Margaret, have you seen the begonias? It is just a wonderful season for them, they smell absolutely divine.' He mocked an aristocratic gentlemen voice to make her laugh. 'So, what do you say?'

Well, it had been such a long time since she had a day out with good friends without Leo. She supposed she could get Harry and Gin to look after him for the day. It would do her some good to get out of her work and let loose for once. She was still sceptical though. Attending the Malfoy Estate gala required some sort of socialite standing and despite her being the deputy of the Magical Law Enforcement Unit, she was still just a muggleborn witch. A lot of people in attendance would still hold grudges against her. She didn't exactly want to deal with that amongst all the stress she already was under.

'Come on Hermione. It will be fun. You work so hard; you need time to yourself. I promise we will keep you away from any socialites who might want to stir up trouble.' He said, and she was astounded that she had quite literally forgotten that Blaise had natural legilimency. It meant he could search anyone's mind at any time whether he was willing or not. Legilimency was the one magical thing she couldn't do and it irritated her to no end. She almost hated him for using it on her right now though. 'Hey. Don't get your wand in a twist. You're the one that is always hard to read. I can't exactly control it either.'

'I know. Sorry. But you're right. I do need a break. I will accept the invitation when I go back to work. I haven't got an owl.' She sighed.

'You can send it back with me. Pansy and I are having dinner with Narcissa tonight.' He admitted. She nodded. 'So, get ready lady. We are about to make you the most fabulous thing that walked through the doors of Malfoy Manor since Narcissa herself.'

He twirled her around as she stood up, making her giggle.

'Where are we going exactly Blaise?' She asked as they walked down the rainy streets of London.

'Bond Street. Narcissa expects the best and we want you to make a good first impression. Not that I'm saying you wouldn't in your usual robes, it's just…'

'It's a high-end affair. I get it Blaise.' She rolled her eyes, hoping that he wouldn't notice but it was to no avail.

'Look. I know you hate shopping for clothes but it was either me or Draco. I thought you might've appreciated a friend rather than a foe helping you decide what to wear. Besides, if Draco is still the same man, I knew he was back in school, he would have you dressed up in something that resembles a potato sack.' They both laughed and turned into Bond Street.

'Just make sure we are done by three. I need to pick up Leo.' She said as Blaise dragged her into the Dolce Gabbana store.

'Don't worry. We have time.' He whispered.

The store resembled an old theatre with high ceilings and gold trimmings. Mannequins were scattered about the room wearing various designer outfits. Rows upon rows of hangers were on the walls of the room.

'Bonjour monsieur, mademoiselle. How may I help you?' A blonde French lady in what Hermione could only assume was a black Dolce Gabbana suit came sidling up to them; her eyelash extensions nearly falling off from the amount of blinking she was doing at Blaise. Hermione couldn't believe how shameless she was in her tired attempt to flirt with him. For all the saleswoman knew, she could be his girlfriend or wife, yet she still tried to flirt with him. But Blaise took it in his stride and began speaking in French to the lady and Hermione saw her nearly swoon.

'Oui. Of course. Jacqueline. Jacqueline? Yes. You. Come dress this fabulous young woman over here.' She smiled at Hermione as another lady, this time a brunette, wearing the exact same outfit and clearly sporting a British accent swept her away to a room with plush velvet furnishings. The dressing room had a large seating area facing towards stalls with golden doors and trimmings.

'So, is that your boyfriend out there?' Jacqueline asked when they were out of earshot, making Hermione stand still whilst she began measuring her.

'No. He's a friend. He's just helping me find an outfit for an event we are attending.' She replied, unamused by the amount of prodding this lady was beginning to carry out on her.

'So, is he single?' She pried again.

'No. He has a fiancé.'

'Tis' a shame.' She replied. 'A girl as beautiful deserves a handsome man to sweep her off her feet every once in a while.'

'What makes you think I don't have a man?' She asked, suddenly angry. She didn't know what it was about Jacqueline, but the woman was rubbing her the wrong way in every literal sense.

'Oh. So, who is the lucky man? And why is he not here?' Jacqueline asked as she wrapped a tape measure around her chest. Merlin, this woman was an all up in your business type. Couldn't she just mind her own beeswax?

'He's on business.' She said simply.

'Oh, and what does he do?' The woman pressed.

'Frankly, I don't see how this is any of your business.' She said, crossly. Thankfully, Jacqueline got the message and backed off any more prying questions.

'My apologies. Um…what is your name?'

'Hermione.' She replied.

'Right. Well, Hermione. I will be back in a minute. I think I have an idea of a dress which would look lovely on you.' She left the room and Hermione rolled her eyes. The moment she did, Blaise stuck his head into the room.

'I'm assuming that the nifflers got to you as well.' He smirked.

'Nifflers? Is that what we are calling them now? But yes. Some people can't keep to themselves.' She huffed.

'Don't worry HG, the sooner we find you a dress, the sooner we can be out of here.' He replied. Blaise had begun to call her HG after a bet that was made at one of their brunches. She wasn't sure what the circumstances of the bet were, but it didn't bother her all that much. The lady returned with a selection of gowns of various different colours for her to try on. Jacqueline handed her a floor-length, a-line, gold, satin dress and ushered her into one of the fitting room stalls. A minute later, she emerged and twirled in front of Blaise. He had a calculated expression but then shook his head.

'No. It's too plain. Do you perhaps have something in a bolder colour?' He asked Jacqueline. The woman huffed and handed her an off the shoulder, dark blue, mermaid dress with a silver belt around the middle for her to try on. When she slipped the gown on and returned, Blaise immediately shook his head. 'It's not your colour. Sorry Hermione. Pretty style though.'

Jacqueline sighed again and handed her a red, strappy dress with a slit mid-thigh and showed a decent amount of cleavage. Hermione raised her eyebrows at it and turned to Blaise. He had the same expression. It was definitely not her.

'No, absolutely not. Hang on, I know.' He suddenly said and exited the room, leaving Jacqueline very bemused. She obviously didn't like her expertise being undermined. He returned with a dark green, high-neckline, low backed gown with a leg slit up the left side of the dress. Intricate, swirling, sequin patterns were scattered across the dress. Hermione had to admit it was the most gorgeous dress she had ever seen.

'I'm sorry sir. That dress is reserved for our highest paying customers. It is a one of a kind, Zabini dress. I'm sure you cannot afford it.' Jacqueline said with a judging look. Blaise glared at the woman.

'For your information, I am aware that the dress is one of a kind. My mother designed it.' He said with a smirk.

'I'm sorry. Did you just say that Alexandria Zabini is your mother?' Jacqueline went pale in the face, as if she were going to faint.

'Yes. Blaise Zabini, in the flesh.' He smirked and bowed to her which evidently made her pass out. Both Blaise and Hermione chuckled. 'Now, HG, this I know will be perfect. It was practically designed for you.'

'Hah. I very much doubt your mother would design anything for me. I'm no model.' She mused.

'Just try it on. It may surprise you.' He replied with a wink. She had an inkling that there was something magical about this dress from the way he was looking at her. But she didn't have time to dwell on it as he ushered her into the changing room. She held the dress up against her and looked in the mirror. It truly was the most stunning piece of clothing she had ever seen. Taking a look at the price tag, she nearly had a heart attack. It was worth nearly a month of her pay. But she felt magically compelled to try it on anyway. Discarding the blue dress, she had on, she slipped the dress on and zipped it up. She gasped at what she saw in the mirror.

She knew it was the one. She honestly didn't care about the price anymore. It accentuated her figure in every way. She felt as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world. Not to mention how comfortable she felt in it. It was as Blaise said. It was practically designed for her. As she stepped out, she knew they had found it. The grin on Blaise's face said it all. Even Jacqueline, who had somehow come to when she had been changing was speechless. She smirked, feeling the best she had since the Yule Ball. She couldn't wait to throw it in Malfoy's face when she walked into the manor. No potato sack for her.

'J'adore.' The French lady snuck around the door. 'Alexandria would be so proud.' She clapped her hands together.

'How do you feel Hermione?' Blaise asked.

As she looked at herself in the mirror, there was only one word to describe how she felt.

'Incredible.'

There's Chapter 5. My apologies for the lack of uploads. My life has been super busy lately. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Until next time Zozo :)