Does anyone else have a nook? If so, what are some good apps? I finally broke down and bought one!

Chapter 13
"I meant to come around earlier," Theo said as he made himself at home in the Malfoys' living room. "Astoria's mother has all but moved in to help with the wedding plans. She wouldn't let me out of her sight until now."

"Glad I don't remember that phase of my life," Draco replied with a self deprecating laugh.

Stretching out on the sofa, Theo placed a pillow over his eyes. "Your wife was nothing like that," he informed his friend. "Despite your mother and that annoying Weasley woman, she insisted that everything be kept small and simple. Those words - small and simple - haven't been uttered once since Astoria started planning. Even worse is that she wants me to be involved. You, my friend, got lucky."

Draco glanced over at the wedding photo that sat on the end table nearest to him. "So, what, I just showed up?" he asked.

"And restrained your wife a few times when she attempted to hex the Weasley girl," Theo replied. "But, no, you helped where you could, and Hermione knew she'd never be able to force you to do something you didn't want to do."

"Always was a smart one," he mumbled. Together, they sat. Neither said a word as Draco considered which question to ask first.

But Theo beat him to it. "Zabini says you're mad at him," he commented, running long, lithe fingers through the fringe on a throw blanket. "He sounded like a little first year girl crying about having no friends. What's up with the two of you?"

Reluctantly, Draco told him about the memories he'd awoken with only weeks earlier. The more he spoke, the deeper Theo's frown became."You're mental, Drake," Theo remarked, shaking his head.

"Blaise wouldn't care if she's married," the blond retorted angrily.

"True, Blaise would shag a married woman," Theo agreed. "But Hermione's not the type to give any other man the time of day."

"That's what I've been told," Draco grumbled.

"Then believe it."

There was such power behind these three simple words that Draco's reply died on his lips. He'd heard it before, that Hermione could be trusted, but it was Theo who seemed able to get through to him. Believing meant having an ally in a world that was still foreign to him. Believing meant he wasn't alone. He hadn't wanted to discuss Hermione, though, and knew he needed to get the conversation back on track.

"Can I trust Blaise?" he asked, his question blunt but pointed.

Theo raised one dark eyebrow and smirked. "He's a Slytherin," he remarked. "None of us can be trusted."

Draco's pale lips pulled down into a frown. It wasn't the answer he had hoped for. Despite his current issues with Blaise Zabini, he had hoped that he might still have a friend in him. "He's supposed to be helping with my case," Draco told Theo as he stared down at the patch of white carpet that was stained with Ana's apple juice. "Do you think he's really doing anything?"

The arrogant smirk was replaced by a quizzical look. "Blaise knows exactly what happened," Theo replied. "What's to investigate?"

"What do you mean he knows?" Draco asked, thoroughly shocked by this revelation.

Theo shrugged. "All I know is he told me he knows what went wrong," he said. "He said he wanted to tell you first before he went to the higher ups. Hasn't he said anything to you?"

Scowling, Draco shook his head. "Lousy git," he mumbled. "Well, is he doing anything to reverse it?"

Theo shrugged as the front door opened and closed. With a smile on his face, he rose from the sofa to greet the new arrivals. "My nugget," he exclaimed, picking up Ana.

She squealed delightedly as he spun in circles with her over his head. "No, my nugget," she replied giddily when he stopped. He put her down and she walked dizzily to Draco. "Mum Mum and Puppy miss you," she told him as she climbed onto his lap.

"Maybe next time," he said noncommittally. He couldn't bring himself to care about the Weasleys now, not after what he had learned from Theo. Hermione sat down beside him, and he instantly reached for her hand.

"I'm gonna head out," Theo announced, kissing Hermione's cheek. "We'll talk soon, Drake." The two men exchanged a nod before Theo kissed Ana goodbye.

Hermione waited until Theo left before glancing suspiciously at their joined hands. "Did everything go well?" she asked.

Draco looked at Ana before replying, "It was...informative."

Catching his meaning, Hermione took Ana from him and put her to bed for a nap. Draco stood in the doorway, watching as Hermione coaxed her into her pajamas and tucked her into her bed with the stuffed bear he had given her when she was born. After closing the blinds over the windows, she turned on a music box that seemed familiar to him. Shutting the door, Hermione quietly led him to the master bedroom. There, he told her about his conversation with Theo.

"So, he's identified the cause," she said. "That's a good thing. It means he can figure out a way to help you."

"Yeah, but why didn't he say anything to us?" Draco questioned, picking up the black sweater that Hermione had kept at the foot of the bed since his return. "What if he doesn't want me to get my memories back? Does he know about the papers you had drawn up?"

Hermione shook her head. "You're not honestly still on about this affair nonsense, are you?" she asked worriedly.

Draping the sweater across her lap, he sat down beside her on the bed. "No, but I do think he's interested in you," he replied.

"And he'd go through all this trouble to erase your memories just to be with me?" She found it too absurd to believe.

"Maybe he didn't cause the accident, but he was certainly trying to benefit from it," Draco replied, taking her hand once more. His eyes pleaded with her to see his reasoning, but Hermione still seemed uncertain.

With furrowed brows, she wracked her memories for those moments when Blaise had tried to transcend friendship and cement himself more permanently in their lives. "He wanted to paint the nursery," she recalled. "He mentioned it a few times. How it really need to be done before the baby came, but he didn't want me to do it myself. You know I never asked him to sleep here. He just started one night when Ana was sick, and he worried that I might catch it. After that, he sort of just never left. I didn't have the heart to ask him to leave."

"I'm sorry," he told her sadly. "I shouldn't have accused you of cheating on me. It probably doesn't mean much after what happened the other day, but I really am sorry."

The gentle squeeze she gave his hand conveyed her forgiveness. "Do you want to see it?" she asked. "The nursery."

He rose from the bed and waited for her to stand as well. Hand in hand, they entered their baby's nursery for the first time since Draco had come home. And, for the first time, he felt like a part of the family.