As usual, I still do not own Harry Potter or any of (Our Queen) J.K. Rowling's character's. I do have ownership of original plot lines and original characters.

They walked contently for twenty minutes chatting happily about anything and everything. Draco was polite and wanted to know everything there was to know about his daughter and her keeper. Hermione wanted to know about life as a Malfoy, it always interested her how he became so spoiled. They bonded over their mutually lonely childhoods in which they were both only children and didn't have many friends. Hermione was slightly envious of his privileged upbringing until he told her what went on that he didn't brag about. His parents mainly hired nannies to keep him occupied and teach him lessons as they were hardly around for the little things. He grew up hearing the Pureblood propaganda from birth, and since he had no friends that weren't from his father's circles, he never heard anything different until Hogwarts.

Draco was surprised to hear that Hogwart's Golden Girl didn't have the perfect childhood either. Both of her parents were dentists and were always working. She grew up reading because that was the only thing she could do that they wouldn't yell at her for while she was at the family practice after school. She was picked on in her primary school just as bad as she was at Hogwarts. Draco felt a twinge of regret that he only carried on misery that was long standing, but Hermione carried on to lighter subjects. She knew everything in all the classes to prove she was worthy of magic but also because it was still new and wondrous to her, and she wanted to know everything.

She reveled in the knowledge that Draco's daughter was a bookworm. Draco then surprised her by telling her that he was quite fond of reading, he had to be to be second in their year at Hogwarts, and he had a small library of his favorite books in his sitting room attached to his suite at the Manor. She surprised him by asking to see the novels. He never thought she would willing want to see his room, but he should have factored her love for books into his calculation of her personality. He agreed, and she went back to happily questioning him on his years at Hogwarts.

"We're here!" Hermione announced, interrupting Draco's story about getting brooms for the quidditch team in second year, and dragging him into the café.

Draco was in for a culture shock as he sat down at the small table for two. There were muggles everywhere. He didn't recognize half of the items on the chalk menu. There were women in aprons bustling around the small space, barely avoiding knocking over tea cups, taking orders. There was an assortment of strange people in the place. Big gruff men and dainty businesswomen sat at the same table. It was loud. The chaos was seeping into his consciousness. He was finding himself very anxious to flee until Hermione drew his attention back to herself. She was beaming, radiant really. "I love this place. I'm sorry I bought you here when it was so crowded. I didn't think," she rambled.

He found himself telling her it was fine, even though he felt far from it. To distract himself from his environment, he handed her a small bouquet of pink and white camellias.

"What are these for?" Hermione asked, taking the flowers. She was confused that Draco would bring flowers to something she was sure he didn't consider a date.

"Orders from my mother," he smirked at an inside joke. The brief diversion calmed him, and he let Hermione explain the menu. After almost half an hour spent on learning about muggle food, he was comfortable with muggle lunch cuisine. He ordered a french dip sandwich and lavender lemon tea. She, on the other hand, went with a more daring choice: a veggie sandwich with everything from alfalfa sprouts to cream cheese piled on it and Tiramisu Roobios tea.

"Why is this so messy? This was not in the description," Draco huffed as he attempted to control his sandwich from falling apart.

All Hermione could do was laugh. His scowl only made her laugh harder.

"You muggles all eat like dogs," he growled indignantly.

"You purebloods are snooty and closed-minded," she quipped with a smile.

He finally smirked back. "Touché. So what's after this?" He asked gesturing to his half eaten and throughly mangled sandwich.

Hermione pretended to contemplate this. "Well, we could go see my parents." He blanched at this. "Or we could see a film."

"The film sounds appropriate," he replied quickly. "What exactly am I signing up for?"

"You'll see," she grinned and threw a few notes on the table. She grabbed his hand and practically dragged him out of the restaurant.

They casually talked along their walk to the cinema until Hermione mentioned, "I'm actually quite happy I got to know you again. You're not like the little entitled brat I knew in school."

Draco stopped them in the middle of a busy sidewalk. "Thank you," he said sincerely, but slightly awkward trying to have a sentimental moment being swarmed by busy Londoners.

"For what?" Hermione asked, perplexed. She pulled them into a small alley to get them away from the traffic.

"I don't know. Giving me a daughter I thought was long gone. Forgiving me for being a little shit as a kid. Giving me something meaningful to fill my days with. Taking me to eat messy food and see a muggle film." He took her hand and squeezed it.

"Thank you, Draco," she said, pulling him into a hug.

He didn't know how to respond to that kind of affection from her. "What for?" he questioned while patting her on the back lightly until she released. She confused him more and more each day. First she lies for him, gets him to care for her, asks him on a date, then hugs him. It was way too much for Draco to handle in just one week.

"For letting me get to know you and for making my life fun again," she smirked.

He smiled, a bit sad their serious conversation, and consequently their hug, was over. "Was it ever fun?" He teased, bumping her shoulder. He really liked the contact.

"Did I ever tell you about breaking out of Gringotts?" she asked with a sly smile. She watched his face go from affectionate teasing to wonder. She knew that they would probably miss the first showing of the film at this pace, but the conversation was worth the merciless teasing from Ginny for being out late.

"Granger! You've been withholding. You really weren't a goody toe shoes where you? Tell me everything," he demanded, sounding like Lavender Brown asking for gossip and looking like her too.

"Somebody had to keep those two dunderheads out of trouble. Half the time I just got sucked into it," she grumbled remembering all the times they got in trouble because Harry or Ron had a bright idea that landed them in a bad spot.

"You sound like Severus," Draco said in jest. That was his first time joking about Snape since his death. It was nice to remember him in a good light, though Severus would roll over in his grave knowing Draco was comparing Granger to him.

"I do, don't I?" Hermione laughed. "How about this. I'll tell you the story as we walk. We're already late for the film. We can always get tea after and talk some more," she offered.

"Sure." Draco was acutely aware that she was offering to spend more time with him. The thought made him smile, and she returned it and set off telling him about becoming Bellatrix, the Thief's Downfall, an enchanted goblet, and breaking out on the back of a dragon. He was amazed. He always imagined her as a prude that did nothing but read and study, but the more he learned the more admiration he had for her. Now he understood why she would prefer time reading. It was much more safe than her other activities.

They just sat down when the previews finished. Draco did know about the painting the film was based off of and was surprisingly eager to see the show, something Hermione was all too willing to rib him about.

"I expected more pinched facial features and moaning about touching the same seat as a muggle. Or some good complaints on how muggles have nothing on the wizard world," Hermione whispered.

"Oh shut up," he barked in a whisper turning away from her.

She giggled silently beside him, and he couldn't help but let out a chuckle or two at her antics.

"The film is starting," she said in wonder, squeezing his hand quickly.

He was about to ask her if touching his hand was really necessary, then the music started and the title came on the screen. All Draco could do was gape in amazement. It was huge and wondrous.

The course of the moving picture went the same way. Hermione was quietly watching the film, occasionally commenting to Draco. While he sat enraptured through the whole thing. She chose something he knew about, which touched him, and she brought him at a time when no one else was at the cinema. The amount of thought she put into the 'date' stirred many feelings inside of him, the main emotion being his growing affection for her, but also smugness for being thought about more than the Weasel, satisfaction, and a hint of sadness, knowing that he hadn't done anything for her to deserve any of it.

At the end of the show, they both got up and silently walked out of the theater, both in their own thoughts. Once they reached the sidewalk to go back to the Leaky Cauldron, he pulled her to a stop and blurted, "Should I marry Astoria?"

Hermione was briefly in shock, thoughts swirling everywhere. Why is he asking me this? Do I even have a say? Does he count this as a real date? Do I? Kind of. I like Draco. I really do. But do I have the right to discourage him if he loves her? No. Ugh. "If you love her," Hermione replied weakly. She had no idea what to do in this situation. She's never read anything about being engaged, starting to be attracted to a childhood bully, taking care of his illegitimate child, and deciding if he should marry his girlfriend.

"I want a real answer, Hermione!" He argued. "If I marry her, I can have Rosie. I've been selfish by choosing my happiness over hers! Just tell me that I'm not that bad of a person!"

"I don't know, Draco! I can't tell you what to do with your life. I have no say!"

"You can tell me what I've done isn't wrong!" Draco cried.

"But I can't!" Hermione yelled back.

"So you think I'm a evil. You were just lying to my mother and me this whole time?" he demanded stone faced. She was silent a second and that was enough for him to begin to stomp away towards they way they came.

She ran after him, glad she shrunk the flowers he gave her otherwise they would have been squashed. "Draco! Wait," she called, but he was too fast. He ducked into an alley and by the time she got there he was gone.

She slumped against the wall where she last saw him. How could I let this go so wrong? We were having such a good time. I should have said what I felt. Said no. Told him he wasn't selfish. Told him that there are other women out there who love his daughter more and more each day. The carefully drawn lines Hermione made when she began working with Malfoy were smudged. She didn't know what to do.

"He's not worth it," said a voice from the end of the ally. Hermione looked up to find short, curvy woman with lightly tanned skin, brown-blonde hair and striking blue eyes. The woman smiled at her and walked on, but the sentiment wasn't lost in Hermione. She got up and headed to Harry's. She wasn't going to let one fight with Malfoy send her into tears in an ally alone. It was only five and there was still much more to be done. So, when she was sure no one was paying attention, she apparated to Harry's place to tell him all about her 'date'.

Draco was home sitting on his bed mentally kicking himself. As always, he ruined the best thing that had happened to him in a long while. Of course it wasn't Granger's place to tell me anything about Astoria. What was I thinking? I should have– His thought process was cut off my a brilliant idea. He rushed into his personal sitting room and threw in some floo powder. When the floo opened he called, "Potter! Tell me what to do. I screwed up."

Harry walked into the room a few seconds later with Hermione following behind. Draco's heart sank. He wasn't prepared to see her so soon even though he knew he would have to apologize sometime. He managed to keep his composure through the flames, but internally he was freaking out. What do I say? I'm sorry for freaking out and getting mad at you because I think I'm a terrible person, and I really wanted you to tell me not to marry Astoria. That sounds desperate, and Malfoys aren't desperate. Either Hermione didn't notice him, or she was avoiding him because she gave Harry a hug and walked out of the room as if she didn't hear Draco's call. A part of him was relieved he wouldn't have to deal with her so soon, but the other half was dreading seeing her again if she was mad enough to avoid him.

Harry walked over to the floo and let Draco in. Unlike Potter, Draco stepped out of the floo gracefully without a hint of ash on his button up, something Harry was quick to point out. "How do you do that? Just walk out of the floo without getting anything on you?" he implored.

"Years of practice and making my mother angry because I got ash on her precious rugs. Now, I need you to tell me what to do about Hermione," Draco practically demanded sitting down on the cleanest couch in the drawing room.

"Leave her alone for a bit." Draco gave him a 'are-you-kidding-me' raised eyebrow. "I'm serious. She likes her alone time, and she's also going through something right now and doesn't need anymore drama." Harry looked around, then put up a silencing charm. "She's going to break up with Ron tonight. Wait until tomorrow to apologize."

Draco was about to interrupt and tell Potter that Malfoys do not apologize when he was cut off. "Save your pride. Just give her some time. You're not my favorite person, but she seems to like you, and she doesn't sleep over here when she's mad at you. So, do this right. We all want her to be happy and sleeping in her own flat." The Boy-Who-Lived looked sleep-deprived and disheveled.

"Are you okay?" Draco inquired. He would normally never show any sort of care for Potter, but the man was helping him so pride had to be sacrificed.

Harry grimaced. "James keeps crying and wouldn't go to sleep. I would tell you to never have kids, but you even beat me to it. Just be grateful you missed these years."

Draco would never admit to anyone, not even Hermione in their later years, that he read over a hundred parenting books over the six years he didn't have Rosalinda. "Let me see him."

Harry lead Malfoy up to James' room hesitantly. He could see Draco changed, otherwise he wouldn't have testified for him, but that didn't stop his natural instinct to keep the Ex-Death Eater far away from his firstborn. "Here we are," he announced reluctantly when they reached the crib containing a wailing child.

Draco deftly picked up James, giving him a quick once over. He felt James' head, stomach, then after a quick search of his onesie announced, "he has a spider bite. Some topical pain potion should calm him." He didn't notice Harry's gaping until he put down the little guy and turned to leave. "You'll catch flies Potter. Get the cream. I'm leaving."

As he strode passed Potter toward the floo, the man finally seemed to click into motion and ran to the bathroom to get the potion. This gave Draco a clean exit without any messy questions. He walked through the green flames so quickly he didn't even see Hermione watching the entire scene from the hall.

"How did he know that?" Harry pressed.

"I don't know! Just because I've been working with him for a little over a week doesn't mean he's told me all of his secrets!"

"Well what are you going to do about the little spat you all had today?" he continued to interrogate her.

"I don't know." She sighed. "I'll tell him the truth. But first, I need to break up with my fiancée. I'm a busy woman, Harry Potter." She began walking towards the fireplace with conviction in her steps.

"Don't break Ron's heart too hard!" he called after her retreating figure.

"I'll try" was the last thing Harry heard before the whooshing of his Floo. I should start charging them for Floo powder, he thought and walked up to his newly silent office to get done with some paperwork before Ginny got home.

"Ron!" Hermione shouted when she walked out of the fireplace to her messy flat. Most of the lights were off and the house was silent. Her resolve was melting every second his flaming hair didn't surface.

A minute of worrying later, her fiancée's head peaked out of the closet where Rosie's room was. Her eyes narrowed and venom filled her. "Why exactly were you in Rose's room?"

"I'm an auror," he puffed, coming out of the closet fully. "I was checking to make sure she didn't have anything dangerous in her room."

"Why would she Ronald? She's six!" Hermione practically shouted. She knew why Ron was in her room and it angered her more than it should. "You think that she is harbouring something from Malfoy!"

"She is his spawn after all!" Ron spat.

"She has never even seen him!" she said incredulously.

"You never said that," he said in a quieter tone, somewhere between ashamed and angry that she withheld information.

"Because it wasn't my story to tell. You should have trusted me to keep us safe."

"Trust again!" Ron's temper flared. "You didn't trust me to know anything!

"Telling you anything could get her killed! I'm keeping her safe!"

"What about me?" he screamed. "You put a child you've known for a week at higher priority than your soon-to-be-husband!"

"You're jealous of a little girl! You not knowing Malfoy's secret wouldn't harm you, but it keeps her safe! Not even Harry and the Minister know!" she shouted, unbelieving of his dense view of events. "If you had concerns you should have told them to me this week you've spent ignoring me!" Hermione accused.

"I wouldn't ignore you if you would keep me in the loop!" He threw a note at Hermione. "Care to explain the giggling? I'm sure your lunch with the ferret was more than just a friendly thing. I've tried to be understanding, but-"

"No," Hermione cut him off in an icy tone. All it took was a glance to see it was the letter Draco wrote to her that morning. "I'm not explaining anything to you anymore. You don't trust me. You think you've been understanding?" she laughed menacingly. "You have fought against me working with Malfoy from my first day. You insist he's a monster, he treats me with more respect than you do. Leave," she demanded, frigid anger radiating from her.

Ron had enough common sense not to fight her. He walked into their room and began packing a night's worth of clothes until he heard her order, "all of it." He realized what was happening and was about to turn around and argue when she announced in a dead tone, "We're over, Ron. No more arguing. No more distrust. I'm done."

He knew he should fight for her. Tell her he was wrong and he'll be better, but he knew that after saying that for four years, nothing was going to change. As much as he hated her at the moment, he didn't want to cause her pain by keeping her where she didn't want to be. What boiled his blood was that he knew who she would run to after this. "I hope you and Malfoy are happy together," he snapped as he pushed past her towards the door.

"Goodbye, Ronald."

He slammed the door and appartated to the Leaky Cauldron. Upon getting into his room, he broke everything in sight. Once he smashed the lamp on the floor, he fell onto the lopsided bed and cried. "She's really gone."

"He's really gone," Hermione murmured into her tear soaked hands. She had been curled up, sobbing on the sofa since he left. She didn't regret anything, but it hurt to have him walk away without fighting.

After an hour of crying, Hermione decided it was time to get her life back together. She had a six year old who depended on her, a job, and friends. There was no time to fall apart over something she knew would happen anyway. So, she stood up shakily and took a scalding shower. The hot water rinsed away her worries, and she came out refreshed. She dressed in her relaxing night clothes, got some of Rosie's toys from her room and flooed back to Harry's to pick up Rosalinda. Everything wasn't alright, but it would be, and all Hermione needed was hope to continue on.

"Astoria, we need to talk."

/Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Next up will be the aftermath. ;) Please review with comments or concerns; I love hearing from all of you./