What is up my amazing readers?!? Here is the next chapter for 'Sweet Thing'. If you haven't already done so, please check out my other story 'A Simple Haircut'. Thanks so much.

IMPORTANT!!! – I need suggestions on the name of the baby Lavender's pregnant with. Okay, that's all. You can read now.

--KatlyKate

Chapter Two

Hermione and Draco walked along the gravelly path towards the castle. Ron and Harry had accompanied their wives, seeing as they were both pregnant. Ginny wasn't as lage as Lavender, but they still didn't fancy walking half a mile to Hogwarts.

The feel of the trail beneath them was unusual, because when they had walked along it in school it was covered in snow. Beth and Dawn were a few meters ahead, playing tag and inspecting interesting rocks the found along the way.

"So," Malfoy said, breaking the silence, "how's it going?" He asked. Hermione laughed, then shrugged.

"Alright, I guess. How about you?" She looked up into his face and for once didn't see hatred or disgust. She saw hesitation and weariness.

"As good as expected, I suppose." A comfortable silence followed, and they watched their daughters squeal and laugh the cute little girl laughs that were nothing more than a shrill wail. Beth had found a worm and was now playfully chasing Dawn around, holding her arm out. Malfoy chuckled. He had never seen his daughter so…alive, and child-like.

Because her mother died at such a young age, Dawn was forced to grow up quickly; too quickly for the likes of Draco. Dawn didn't have many friends either; only the little Zabini boys, Nicolas and Jason. But even that wasn't enough. He'll be damned if the oldest, Jason, was going to kneel down and play house with Dawn and her dolls. There were quite a few questions tickling the tip of his tongue, but he kept his mouth shut, not taking his eyes of his daughter.

"So where's your wife?" Hermione asked, tearing her eyes away from the children and looking up at him again. She saw his shaky intake of breath but his expression was unreadable.

"She, uh, she died two years ago," he revealed softly. He looked away from Hermione's wide eyes and back at his daughter. Thank god she didn't resemble her in any way or everything would be that much harder to let go.

"I'm so sorry," Hermione started, feeling like an ass. She now remembered reading about that event in the Daily Profit and she could've smacked herself on the forehead for how inconsiderate she felt.

She thought she saw a faint smile brush across Draco's lips, but it disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"Don't worry about it. I got over it a long time ago." A slight breeze blew around them. It ruffled Draco's hair and whipped Hermione's around her face. She tucked some curly locks behind her ear and folded her arms across her chest.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did she die?" Hermione asked, looking at him with curious eyes. What happened to the prick I had come to know and hate?

Draco gave a small smirk. Granger just has to know everything has to know everything, doesn't she? "Complications during child birth," he replied shortly, hoping she took it as the end of the conversation. Hermione put a small hand over her mouth.

"Oh, Malfoy. That's awful, I'm so sorry." She tried to make her voice sound soothing, because who wanted to confess that their wife and unborn child died to a person who had been considered an enemy for the past thirteen years. It surprisingly worked.

"Yeah," Malfoy grunted, shoving his hands in his pockets. "But what about you and Weasley, huh? What happened to the two of you after Beth was born?" Hermione turned her eyes away from him and towards the girls once more.

"I don't really know. There just wasn't any passion to begin with. Just that one time," she hesitated, "with him was in the heat of the moment. And then we had to get married because I was," she hesitated again, "I was pregnant. And then after Beth was born, I don't know. We just couldn't get together again. He isn't too good in bed in the first place." Draco looked at her incredulously. "Don't tell him I said that though; to you of all people." She gave a soft laugh.

There were a few moments when they just walked beside each other in silence, watching the little girls in front of them chase after a purple butterfly. "And then," Hermione continued, "Lavender came along. I was never good at," she made her fingers into air quotes, "'seducing' men anyway. And then we got a divorce." Draco snorted; Hermione gave him a funny look. "What?" she asked.

"The thing you said about 'seducing men'; completely untrue." Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"I'm sensing you know something I don't," she implied, folding her arms across her chest again.

"Theodore Nott and Dean Thomas were madly in love with you. That's why Dean went out with Ginny, to make you jealous. That's also why they were hanging out so much in sixth year. So they could, I don't know, be perverts together and what not." Hermione rolled her eyes, dismissing the subject.

"Anyways, we got a divorce and a year later Drew was born. I love him to death, but it's hard being around Ron and Lavender. Not for the reasons you think," she added when he saw him raise his eyebrows.

They walked in silence some more, wondering if the path they were wandering had been this long when they were in school. Suddenly, Beth and Dawn both screamed, and disappeared over another hill. Hermione and Draco gave each other a panicked look, and then ran forward.

Dawn and Beth stood before the huge Quidditch Pitch, watching a few players in robes fly around like birds, their cloaks flying out behind them like tails.

"HI!" yelled Beth, waving her whole arm, jumping up and down. A few of the players stopped, hearing the huge noise produced by such a small little girl. A few of them chuckled and waved back. Beth turned to her mother. "Oh, mummy. This place is great!" she exclaimed, running off toward where Hagrid was, feeding another hippogriff. Dawn followed close behind.

"Hey Granger?" Malfoy called. She turned toward him. Her expression was mixed; like she felt like laughing crying and yelling all at the same time. "I'm sorry if I offended you or anything," Hermione raised an eyebrow, "by healing Beth's knee. I probably should've asked you or something first." Draco looked down sheepishly and the laughter side of Hermione's expression took over.

When she pulled herself together, she simply stated, "Malfoy; apologizing. Who knew it was possible." Draco rolled his eyes but smiled anyway. He looked over at Dawn and Beth, who were sitting on the back of the hippogriff, petting it and cooing over it as though it was the cutest thing they had ever seen. Hagrid was chuckling to himself and waved at Hermione. He looked at Draco curiously, but shook his head.

Draco felt slightly panicked at the sight of seeing Dawn on a hippogriff. It brought back unpleasant memories from third year. "Dawn!" He called. Dawn looked up and waved at her father. Hermione touched Draco's arm and shook her head.

"It's okay, Malfoy. Let her be."

So, what did you guys think? Tell me about it in a review. Don't forget: I need name suggestions for the baby Lavender is pregnant with. I felt kind of evil writing this chapter because I just thought up the most amazing and shocking of cliff hangers there ever has been thought up for later chapters!!! Hahahahaha!!! Wait and see you guys.

--Kat The Kat Who Is Also A Part Time Author