A/N: I have a feeling that a lot of the viewers that clicked on my story did so because it was rated M. I decided to change it because there isn't going to be anything near what qualifies as M on here. If you wish to find something more, ahem, "Adult", I recommend a story I recently found called Cruel and Beautiful World by Lena Phoria. It is very dark and intense and something I wouldn't usually read, but I also thought was very good. It's long and I think it has elements worthy of being rated M. Also, thanks for all those who reviewed! I really appreciate it! To answer buttercup88's question, I'd have to say it'd have to be The Accidental Malfoy that I borrowed elements from in Rumaan's story.

Disclaimer: Rowling be not my name.

Chapter 2: Odd

Hermione walked away from Draco in as calm a manner as she could. She applauded herself for getting through the meeting as smoothly as she did. It was hard seeing him without any memories of the past eleven, almost twelve months. He now only remembered back to when they had finally been comfortable calling each other by their first names, which she supposed she was grateful for. If he had called her Granger, she probably wouldn't have fared as well.

She had been there when Rodolphus attacked his nephew. After the aged wizard had jumped out of the shadows of the alley they had been walking down, he had quickly bound Hermione stuck to the building wall. He had then confronted Draco at wand point and asked about his association with a "filthy Mudblood". The derogatory word led Draco to punch his relative hard, giving him a chance to reach for his own wand. Draco had been winning the duel that had commenced and Rodolphus, in a last desperate attempt, had aimed his wand at Hermione and cast a mispronounced curse, most likely due to a spell that hit his face not too long before. Draco hadn't enough time for anything other than to jump into the line of fire.

Hermione had paused in her silent and complex counter-curse, distraught when she saw Draco crumble to the ground after getting struck with Rodolphus' curse. She had continued with renewed vigor, hoping once again that it would work with the wand on her person instead of directly in her hand, and held back tears in her eyes, instead opting to glare daggers at the Death Eater that looked down at his nephew with distaste.

Hermione's counter-curse released her from the wall and she had quickly grabbed her wand, making swift work of Rodolphus, catching him off guard and adding a stinging hex when he was incapacitated, for good measure.

When she had heard from Healer Alden that Draco would wake up from his coma, she was relieved beyond belief. Contrarily though, when Draco had awoken, Alden had told her that Draco had no memory and relayed the dangers of telling him anything about the time he forgot, which led her into a state of morose. He wouldn't have been in the state he was in if only they had nothing to do with each other. Hermione then spent the last few months working on a counter-curse. The spell that hit Draco wasn't entirely a Memory Charm, so she knew there had to be some type of way to reverse the effects if she could only figure out Rodolphus' intended spell. Harry tried to help, but the Death Eater wouldn't give, saying it was what the "blood traitor" deserved. Even Draco's parents had attempted to get the answer out of him but with no luck.

Nothing came of their efforts except for the agreement that it would be best for Hermione not to be near Draco for at least a few good months since she was with him during the confrontation. The Healer said it would probably trigger Draco's flashbacks sooner than he was ready for and possibly leave irreversible damage. Hermione sighed again as her hand came to her stomach. Why did complications have to arise now and why with the one person that wasn't supposed to see her? She thought back to their meeting.

It was nerve-racking in the beginning. She knew Draco was a Healer, but she didn't realize how good of a Healer. Despite knowing him very well, he didn't do justice to himself in his occupation. She was a little chagrined that he didn't tell her before. She didn't count his saying of doing "a little bit of everything" as actually doing almost everything. That's why she was so surprised when he had walked in. That and the fact that she hadn't seen him out of the hospital bed awake.

Then she couldn't help her blush when she saw that he was staring at her stomach. She had to remind herself that he couldn't remember the better part of the year when he had asked if she had married Ron. Her concern for his health, even though she was meeting with his Healer outside the hospital to come up with a possible way to reverse the curse, came up and she couldn't help but ask how he was, tentatively mentioning the incident in the process.

His playful question had made it easy for her to create a joke, but in the end ultimately made her sorry for both of them with his reaction. Then, if she wasn't mistaken, he had looked a little irked when he asked about the father of her babies. There was no possible way she could have had the father present. She tried to change the subject and get herself from out of his care. That turned out to be a big mistake.

She could tell that he had been angry with her suggestion of getting a different Healer. She knew it was probably for the best though, given the fact that they shouldn't be near one another for his sake. Judging by what he said, though, he was her best chance at making sure the birth had no complications.

Then she had to let slip about the car when he had asked her about her transportation method, blocking the way out until he got an answer. His father, after Hermione had mentioned that her idea came from Muggle business, said, "Well, I suppose Muggles are good for a thing or two," which made her harrumph. "What do 'sophisticated' wizards know about Muggles," she had asked.

Lucius had raised an aristocratic brow and proceeded to lead her to the garage, considerate enough to avoid the drawing room. The dark blue Rolls-Royce was absolutely beautiful and Hermione found herself nodding approvingly. Lucius smirked and said, "Cars, for one, Ms. Granger. I suppose 'certain' individuals don't know everything even if they do act like it."

She had been really surprised when Draco had said his father respected her. She supposed not many Pure-blood wizards would admit to owning Muggle items; much less the Malfoy patriarch to a Muggle-born witch who had always done better than his son in school.

She hoped sharing the information didn't put him in danger of anything, even though her explanation had been vague. He wasn't there when his father had showed her the car, but he had asked her what she thought of it later, so he had to have been told about the incident. She needed to speak with Healer Alden soon. They were to meet on Tuesday for a lunch and to compare what they found that would possibly help Draco. She needed a professional opinion on the matter, both for her condition and his.

She sighed wearily as she stepped out and in front of the window of the dilapidated department store of Purge and Dowse, Ltd that was the entrance to St. Mungo's. The time ahead dealing with the Malfoys was not going to be very pleasant, she knew.

Draco walked into Alden's office, crossing his arms with Hermione's file still in hand.

"Alden," Draco said, looking at the middle aged, salt and pepper haired Healer who was currently mixing a potion on a lengthy desk. "Something has to be done in order for me to know what's been going on for the past year. I can't just keep walking around completely ignorant of important matters that happened around me." He unconsciously held the file in his hand tighter.

"Draco, we've been over this before," Alden responded, not looking up from the cauldron he was currently adding salamander blood to, making the green substance turn turquoise. "We can't risk you falling into a coma or forgetting what you already know. Surely the risks outweigh the benefits of knowing what you've missed, however unpleasant that makes life currently."

"I was thinking of perhaps a way around this," Draco pressed. "Small inconsequential details and maybe big picture occurrences wouldn't harm me in any way. We don't know exactly what we're dealing with, with my situation. I don't see how it could hurt to know a few things that may well impact me in the future when there's a big chance I will end up knowing about them in time."

Alden furrowed his brow in concentration, seemingly, on the potion which he had added more salamander blood to, turning the now indigo potion pink, but Draco knew he was considering his proposal instead. Several Flobberworms Mucoses, Lionfish spines and stirs later, Alden finally looked up from the cauldron, piercing Draco with his hazel stare.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," Alden began, "but you'll have wait until Wednesday before asking anything. I want you to make a list of whom and what you will ask so there won't be a possibility of things going wrong. You can see the practicality in this, I know." The Healer gave his patient and colleague a stern look when Draco looked to be about to protest.

Draco could feel his jaw clench in consternation. Of course he saw the practicality in his Healer's orders. It just felt like an invasion of privacy on his part. "You understand a lot of my questions aren't going to be specific? I can't ask about something I don't already know about."

"Indeed," Alden replied. "But we have to tread carefully, nonetheless. What did Thisbe leave you?" Alden eyed the file in Draco's hand as if he knew for sure it was Thisbe's case.

"Twins," Draco answered, a little annoyed that the Healer knew where the file came from. "I suppose I'm lucky I got this patient as soon as I did. Thisbe would've needed my help with her and the sooner details are known, the better."

"Might I ask who it is? Thisbe always had complicated cases and she like to get second opinions on potions, even though she was brilliant and knew the best one to pick in the end. Can't say she wasn't thorough. Knowing what a patient is like always helps, of course," Alden said as he cleaned up the ingredients for the Wiggenweld Potion he had finished.

"She's a friend from school," Draco said, not feeling the need to let the Healer know they weren't anywhere near being friends while at Hogwarts. He opened up her file again, rereading the complications. "Quite brilliant but headstrong, not that that's a bad thing. She just tried to suggest getting a different Healer but it's not going to happen. She'll see reason first, if I know Hermione Grang—

CRASH

Draco's head whipped up to find that Alden had accidentally knocked over a jar of Flobberworm Mucos.

"How silly of me," the Healer said, quickly cleaning up the sticky green substance and broken glass with the wave of his wand.

"A friend from school, you say," Alden asked as he started ladling the potion into phials. "I suppose she would feel a bit awkward for you to handle her case. Understandable, I imagine."

Draco felt his face contort into a half sneer, wondering when people were going to accept his credentials in being a Healer. Sure, Hermione would feel it awkward to have someone who taunted her in school and who she associated with in work be in charge her pregnancy, but that didn't matter as far as Draco was concerned. Not when it affected the lives of her unborn children and he was the only one who could handle the situation.

"I'm the only wizard in this building who has the necessary qualifications to deal with this case, you know I am," Draco said in an austere tone of voice that held no room for anyone to try to challenge his statement.

Alden looked over with eyebrows raised at the uncompromising look in Draco's eyes and stature. It seemed his Tuesday meeting with Hermione needed to include other matters besides Draco's memory loss.

"Of course, Draco," Alden said with confidence, "I'm sure no one would question your capabilities in this matter." Alden knew Draco was a fine Healer, one of the brightest in a long while to work in St. Mungo's. He could understand the young wizard's annoyance at fellow Healers that frequently tried to doubt his abilities out of jealousy and spite. His family's history didn't help either. "You seem impassioned about this. I take it Ms. Granger is a close friend?"

Draco furrowed his eyebrows when Alden had no hesitation in using Hermione's maiden name and not asking about the possible married one. "How do you know she isn't married?"

"I just assumed by your use of her last name," Alden readily answered. "Do you have information about the father? I know all cases need as much information as possible for any type of complications."

"Some bloody Muggle that didn't have the decency to come with her," Draco practically spat with near vehemence.

"Come now, I'm sure there's a good reason for his absence," Alden offered in the wake of Draco's obvious disapproval of the man.

"He'd better be in a coma then," Draco said with no belief that that was the case. "Otherwise he's just a bloody git."

Alden looked like he was about to say something but thought better of it. After filling a few more phials, he said, "Then I suppose it's a good thing we Healers don't vocalize our personal opinions to our patients when it concerns their personal lives."

Draco felt himself flush when he realized he had voiced aloud what he thought about Hermione's beau. He couldn't bring himself to regret his judgment on the mystery man, even though he didn't know the circumstances of their relationship.

"It is," was the only thing Draco said before walking out of the older Healer's office to do his rounds on his patients.

Alden looked after Draco with concern etched on his face. He felt things were going to get a whole lot more complicated in the months to come.

Draco looked into the fire of the grate in the sitting room he and his mother occupied while drinking tea. His father had gone to wax his car, one of the only things he did by hand or didn't leave to the house elves.

They never sat in the drawing room anymore. The area was all but abandoned since the end of the war. He didn't think Hermione knew about that.

"Mother," Draco said, looking across the wooden table that sat between them, "Hermione said she'd be happy to accept your invite for tea on Sunday."

"My invitation for tea," Narcissa asked, turning her blue eyes on her son in confusion.

"Yes," Draco said, looking at his mother with a bemused expression. It wasn't like his mother to forget inviting someone over. "Did you know that she's expecting twins," Draco went on, turning back to the fire. "We'll have to be sure to offer more than crumpets when she comes."

When his mother was silent for more than a few minutes, Draco looked over again to find that she was deep in contemplation. As if feeling his eyes on her, Narcissa looked over and gave him a small smile.

"I suppose she finally married that Weasley, then," she asked, raising her cup to drink.

"No, actually," Draco said, missing the slight "phft" noise that his mother made into her tea. "She's not married at all."

"Why ever not," his mother asked almost angrily. "It doesn't seem getting pregnant without getting married first as a thing Ms. Granger would do."

Draco looked over at his mother again with a look of near astonishment at her reaction to Hermione's marital status.

"I don't know," Draco replied, still perplexed by her response to his rely of information. "I didn't want to pry into her personal life."

"Well, who is the father," his mother asked, leaning forward in her seat.

"Some Muggle prat we know nothing about," Draco said with a grimace. "I didn't know you would be this affected by the news," Draco went on, still baffled at his mother's opinions. It seemed his views on Muggles and Muggle-borns weren't the only ones to change drastically.

"Is there something I'm missing," he asked. "How often does Hermione come over for tea for you to be this interested in her personal life?"

"Not too often as of late," Narcissa answered, making a point to relax her posture in her seat.

"'As of late,'" Draco repeated. He certainly had missed much. He cursed his uncle again under his breathe.

"How did you end up with her in your charge to begin with," his mother asked, taking another sip of tea while looking into the fire.

"Healer Thisbe retired. She would have needed my help on this case anyway," Draco replied.

"There isn't anything wrong with the babies, is there," his mother asked with genuine concern and worry in her eyes.

"Nothing that can't be handled," Draco said, happy that he could answer in a positive way when it came to Hermione's twins. "The birth may have some complications mainly due to the umbilical cord. It's wrapped around one of the babies in a dangerous way and it doesn't seem as if it'll correct itself. Nothing can be done by Muggles which is why she came to St. Mungo's. I've only used the technique for this problem once before when helping Thisbe, and I'm sure I can do it again when the time comes. It'll be easier this time since we know early and can give her potions that'll help."

"That's good," Narcissa said, happy that her son could help correct a complicated birth.

Just then his father walked in and sat in the open seat next to his wife.

"Lucius," Narcissa said as she made his tea, "your car will be needed to transport Ms. Granger here on Sunday."

"What," Lucius asked, confusion clear on his face, "why?"

Draco looked at his father, wondering what he would do. He'd already shown Hermione his car willingly, but to let her ride in it was a different matter. It would be good to see how much both his parents had accepted her and this was a perfect way to tell.

"She's pregnant and I invited her over for tea," she said calmly.

Lucius' eyes traveled over to his son for a brief second before turning back to his wife. They had a silent conversation through the brief look between them.

"I suppose she married that dratted Weasley, no doubt," he said before continuing, "We'll have to get her address, first thing."

"She didn't marry the Weasley," Draco said irritably, "She got with some blasted Muggle from who knows where."

Lucius didn't miss his son's obvious vexation, especially when he uttered the last part of the sentence.

"I take it you have her as a patient," Lucius stated, taking a drink of his tea.

"There seems to be a big chance of there being a complication during the birth of her babies," his wife informed him.

"Do twins run in her side of the family," Lucius asked his son who looked surprised that his father had asked such a question.

"From what I read in her file, yes," Draco answered, not sure what to make of his parent's odd behavior. It seemed Hermione was a lot more welcome here than she had been almost a year ago. His respect for her as a person was sealed the day she had suffered at the hands of his demented aunt. Perhaps it wasn't so far-fetched that his parents had shared his veneration of her during that time as well. He had seen many a wizard give in when tortured under the Cruicio half as long as Hermione had been, especially with his aunt doing the deed.

"She hasn't been over for more than a good two months," Narcissa said. "How far is she along, Draco?"

"About three months," Draco said, a little shocked at the realization that it had been a while since he had woken up. He guessed getting his life back on track and getting himself acquainted with patients that already knew him had made time fly by.

He opened his mouth to ask a question but then stopped himself, remembering his conversation with Alden.

"Healer Alden said I can ask questions. I just need to write them down beforehand to show him," Draco said, looking over at his parents. "I don't like the writing down idea, but I can see why it needs to be done.

"Are you sure that's the best idea," his mother asked, concerned.

"Mum, I need to know at least a little bit of what's been going on in other people's lives," Draco explained with fervor. "Just look at Hermione. Going around with a bump when it seemed like only yesterday her stomach was as flat as a board. I just asked Alden for the big picture of things, really, and only things that would obviously become apparent later on."

Both his parents nodded in understanding.

"Well, it's a good thing you have a date on Sunday with Adelaide Murton," his father said. "You won't be tempted to ask Ms. Granger anything that doesn't regard her pregnancy."

Draco groaned. He had completely forgotten the date his mother had set up for him. He didn't know who this Murton lady was and didn't even remember her from when they had been in school together. To say that he didn't want to be bothered by such a dastardly occurrence was a huge understatement.

"You'll pick up Hermione first," his mother said. "I'll send her an owl later informing her of the transportation."

Draco nodded before getting up to leave. He had a lot to think about considering all that transpired in this single day.

When Draco left the room, Lucius waited a bit before turning to his wife and saying, "You didn't invite Ms. Granger to tea."

"I didn't," she conceded.

A/N: I'd like to thank my friend Chanatell for giving an idea. Haven't used it (all) yet, but I will, and I said I'd thank her in this chapter. Hope you all like this story so far. I'm plotting as I go. School is coming up really soon, like next week soon, but I'll try my very best to keep writing. It's going to be a busy year.