Here is the next chapter, hope you like it even thought it's rather sad.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Tension in the Manor was reaching an all time high. Hermione had never felt this hostile towards Draco since they were at Hogwarts. She could not stand to be in his company, his calm nature was infuriating. It felt like he didn't even care at all, she found that she was blind to his emotions, she couldn't feel what he was really thinking anymore.
Lunch with Harry is tomorrow. Preparations for the ball are complete.
H.
Draco read the owl Hermione had sent him from her study that was in the same house. It was cold, cutting and he could too easily imagine her snappy tone. Since their argument the previous evening they had not spoken, Draco had even slept in one of the guest rooms. He was surprised to see in the morning that she had not slept there as well. After asking a house elf, he found out that she had resided in a room on the other side of the Manor.
Breakfast was served in his study where he had already started work, to stop himself from thinking about her too much. He didn't hear her at all and was at the office by mid-morning, working harder than ever before.
He shared lunch with another client, speaking about plans and deals, his manner brisk and formal. Everyone seemed to notice his sudden change in manner but they said nothing and he was glad for it. The last thing he needed was a repeat of yesterday's lunch with that woman. Oh that woman! He suddenly remembered he was supposed to contact her about the closing of their deal.
Hurrying to the office, he wrote some owls before heading off to muggle London and not planning to return home until later that night.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Hermione rose in the morning, mentally listing all that needed to be done that day, conveniently leaving out anything to do with Draco. She ignored the nagging feeling in her chest and was somewhat mechanical in her actions.
At the Ministry she cancelled her meetings and sat in her office going through parchments. She had sent Draco a note earlier, knowing he was probably just down the hall, but unable to stand his company.
"Mrs Malfoy?" Her assistant peered through the door, missing the crease of Hermione's eyebrows at her title. It was late, she had been working all day with no intention of going home before eleven.
"Yes? What is it?"
The small woman stepped in, "you've got a visitor."
"I told you I didn't want to see anyone today." She replied looking at her clock, "and who wants to see me at this time of night?"
Her assistant was a good friend and seemed only too aware of the new found tension in Hermione's life. "It's your husband."
The Minister froze, "he's here?"
"Yes," she nodded, "he wants to see you."
After a moments hesitation Hermione shook her head, "tell him I'll be home soon enough."
"He insists." The woman told her gently.
A sigh escaped Hermione's lips, "has everyone left?"
A nod, "all except you and I."
Hermione waved her hand, "you should go home; it's late. He can come in."
Her door was shut softly and she stared at the papers before her for two whole minutes (not that she had been counting) before Draco walked in, bringing with him the scent of muggle London.
"Is the Ministry encountering problems?" He asked, politely seating himself opposite her.
"No, everything is running smoothly." She replied, just as politely.
He looked around her office which was tidy and organised, "that leads me to wonder why the Minister is required to stay at her office so late."
Hermione frowned, "It's really none of your business. The Ministry is my concern and not yours."
"It is the Ministry of Magic isn't it?"
"What is your point?" She asked frustrated.
He looked at her, "I don't have one."
"Then why are you here?" She continued, her eyes searing into his.
He regarded her almost longingly, "because I wanted to see you."
She was unmoved, "you see me more than anyone else."
"Not lately." He pointed out, "this is the first time I've seen you all day."
"Well I don't think that's my fault." Hermione retorted.
Draco's eyes narrowed, "why do you accuse me every time we speak?"
"I'm not."
"You are, it's always my fault and what I've done wrong." He told her, "how can you expect me to help when you're not letting me?"
She rose, "I don't need your help."
He was momentarily stunned, her gaze was powerful and confident, "you don't what?"
"I don't want or need your help Draco Malfoy." She told him clearly, "I can deal with this on my own."
"Hermione-" He began.
"No, I've decided and you don't need to bother yourself with it anymore." She interrupted sharply.
Draco stood, "it's my child too!"
She laughed. She laughed at him, her laughter ringing in the room and sounding oddly detached, "like it really matters to you."
"What are you talking about, it does!" He told her, his surprise barely masked.
"Right." Hermione said mocking, "it matters to you."
He wanted to tell her that he had been afraid and that he did want the child, he was willing to try. But he couldn't; his pride wouldn't even allow him to admit that to her at this time. "You're not giving me the slightest chance to make anything better."
"Well you know what?" Hermione slipped on her cloak, "maybe it is already better." And she left, he heard the pop of apparation a few seconds after her door slammed. Just then an owl flew by the tapped its beak on the window.
He allowed it in a saw a small note addressed to Hermione.
We look forward to seeing you tomorrow for lunch.
Harry.
He fought the urge to groan, lunch with Potter at this time? Could he have worse timing? Could they all just disappear for a while so he could try and patch up his life that had been so good two months ago.
On returning home he found Hermione standing in the ball room, she was gazing at the ceiling which had been enchanted to show a clear night sky. He stood in the doorway, watching her as she looked around at the large paintings and polished marble floors.
"I still remember what it looked like at our wedding." She said softly, her voice echoing in the large room.
Draco remembered too, as if it was yesterday, "it was beautiful."
She walked over to a large portrait of them on their wedding day, she was grinning widely. They were each seated on large arm chairs, Hermione's veil pooling at their feet and between their chairs was a Malfoy crest and two intertwined wedding rings just above it. They twirled as the two figures smiled at each other.
"It was probably one of the happiest days of my life." Hermione told him as he approached from behind.
He smiled at the painting, "it was."
"I rather like this portrait." She commented, "can I have it?"
He was perplexed by her words, "of course, it is here."
She shook her head, "I'm moving to your mother's Manor."
"Why?" He asked, shocked.
"I already told you, Draco." She said his name strangely, both of them knew it hadn't been used as much as is usually was.
He pulled his eyes from the painting to look at her changed face, "but moving to a different Manor…"
"I'll meet you tomorrow for lunch with Harry," she said with a business – like tone, "and I'll be here a few hours before the ball."
"Merlin Hermione!" He yelled, his voice much louder than he intended in the ball room, "why are you doing this?"
"Because you will be better off without me here! I will be better off without you here!" She burst, for the first time not seeming angry but with tears in her eyes.
"That's not true!" He told her sharply, "you know it isn't!"
"Yes Draco," she said "it is."
He fought the urge to just grab her and lock her in a room to make sure she never left. It was something he never even dreamed of happening. "When did we become like this?" He sighed.
She suddenly sat down on the floor and held her head in her hands, "I don't know Draco, that's something I really don't know."
They said nothing for along time, the silence similar to those that they shared when they first met. Their eyes didn't meet and they didn't touch at all, standing apart with the portrait figures frowning down on them.
"It's not that I didn't want the baby Hermione." He eventually said.
She only sighed, "then what was it?"
He ran a hand through his hair, "I'm afraid of fatherhood." There, he said it; he admitted his fear to her.
Hermione didn't move or make any reaction and for a moment Draco thought he hadn't really said it at all.
"I can't believe this all happened because of your bloody pride." She muttered.
He gaped, "my pride?"
"Yes!" She snapped, "you just can't admit that you're afraid of something! What is so hard about it? If you had of just told me it would be alright, but no, you had to keep it all in and now look!"
He glared at her, "it may have been but I tried to rectify it and all you did was shut me out!"
"I didn't, I gave you plenty of chances to speak to me, but you didn't! You just left me to think that I was carrying a baby you didn't even want!" She was standing now, yelling just as loud as him.
"You know I would never abandon you; you just needed to give me some time!" He replied angrily.
She glared, "I thought I knew but you never came to see if the baby was alright, you never came to see how I was doing; it was clear you didn't really care at all!"
"You're throwing lies at me and you know it; who's letting their pride in the way now?" He was so angry, so frustrated.
"You only want it because really Draco, there is no choice, you've got the baby even if you don't really want it!"
"Why don't you trust me? Is that really so hard to do Gr-" He halted in mid sentence. They both heard it, another slip for him.
She wasn't angry this time though, as he looked at her he saw the anger seeping out of her and she seemed to deflate before his eyes. "I've already packed my things." She told him in a voice totally not her own.
He could find nothing to say as she made her way ever so slowly out of the room, her shoes clicking softly against the smooth marble. The door closed gently, making a small click as she finally left him alone in the large Manor.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Oh dear me, I'm feeling pretty bad for them myself. It's coming just of it's own accord so I hope it will be fixed soon.
Please review, next chapter is the lunch and ball probably.