Harry's POV

Harry came to slowly, as if he was resurfacing from being underwater for a long time. The voices around him were muffled, even when his eyes first blinked open.

"I know, mum!" A voice was saying, agitated. "Look, if you could just–"

"Hermione?" Harry interrupted groggily, one hand going to his aching head. " 'S that you?"

There was a blur of images before his eyes, brown and gold and white flashing, so he closed them again. But he could smell her, closer to him now. They hadn't been this close since–

"Oh, good, Harry, you're awake, we were worried–" She was saying, sounding out of breath. "How do you feel?"

"Like shite," Harry groaned back, not attempting to censor himself around her. He strained his eyes open again and found Hermione hovering over him, her hair hanging about them as if in a curtain. "Had an odd dream... wait... how did I...?"

Hermione pulled back and smiled slowly. "Shh... I think you should lay down and rest for a bit, okay? We can talk later."

"But... no, no, I'm fine." Harry struggled to get up, pushing past Hermione's worried arms. He sat up, realizing he was in an unfamiliar pink and white themed room. It had a bigger bed in the corner, which Harry now occupied, and a smaller, crib-like bed on one wall.

"Oh yeah," Harry breathed. "We have a lot to talk about."

Hermione looked grim. "Let's go for a walk, okay?

They walked in silence down the dusty roads for a few awkward minutes. Harry's head still pounded as he tried to find a way to speak to this person he felt he hardly knew.

"Please tell me I've got this all wrong, Hermione." He pleaded quietly.

"Well, I can't say what's in your head, Harry," she began, almost chiding him. "But..." Hermione sighed. "I can guess. And yeah, Rose is my daughter."

Harry's stomach dropped. "Is that why you ran away? Because you were..."

Hermione peered at him curiously, as if sizing him up for an important job. "Sort of. I really did have to find my parents, if that's what you're asking."

Harry took a long breath. "No, that wasn't quite what I was asking, Hermione." He whirled on her, and took both her shoulders in his hands. "Hermione, that night..."

Hermione's POV

"Is over, Harry. Don't worry about it." She said, shrugging him off and equally avoiding his gaze.

Her stomach flipped for at least the fourth time since they had begun their conversation. Merlin, why did he have to show up now? Scratch that, why did he have to show up at all? She bit her lip and shook her head angrily.

"You should leave here, Harry." She told him after a moment. Closing her eyes and blinking against the hot sun, Hermione took a deep breath. "Please."

Harry stared at her for a long moment, his expression a mix of anger and confusion and sadness. No, not sadness, she realized, but fear.

"Tell me, at least," He was saying, his voice bitter. "Tell me the truth. Is she..." he swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing out of control. "Is she mine?"

"What does it matter?" Hermione screeched, all of sudden angry. "What the fuck does it matter who I've shagged? She's my daughter! Not anyone else's if I so chose it!"

"Well, you haven't given 'anyone else' much of a choice, have you?" Harry replied sarcastically, his voice also rising with anger. "I mean, for Merlin's sake, if Ron–"

Hermione laughed coldly. "Oh yeah, because I'd definitely shag Ronald Weasley!"

Harry threw his hands up. "Got a boyfriend in Australia then?"

She blinked at him, then drew a long, audible breath. "No."

"I guess we can rule out one-night-stands, too?" He shot back quickly, nostrils flaring.

"I–" Hermione sank to the ground, her eyes watering. "Not all of them."

Harry stood still, towering over her. He gritted his teeth and, in a voice she had never heard before, spoke painfully. "So she's mine, then."

There was an eternity of silence between the two former friends before Hermione found the words she had been hiding away for three years.

"Yes, Harry. Rose is your daughter."

A/N: Dun dun duuuuuuunnnn. Some of you guessed it early and some of you I hope didn't. More explanation to come in later chapters. This one was really hard to write but I hope you enjoyed it. :) Thanks for reading! I love reading your reviews, as always!