Tomorrow Deathly Hallows Part 2 come out! Target is a 15 minute walk from my office, so that's what I'll be doing on my lunch break. I have family all weekend, which means my mother will only let me go home when I'm too tired to walk. Apparently at my age, having a 10:00 bed time is a bad thing. I thought parents encouraged stuff like that!

Chapter 19
Hermione stared up at the Burrow, once more afraid to enter. The wind picked up, causing Joanna to fuss, and she knew it was time to enter the house. She pushed open the front door, glad to be in the enveloping warmth of the Weasley family's home.

"Mum and Dad are visiting Bill, so it's just us," Ron informed her when he entered the sitting room from the kitchen. "You brought Joanna then?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and handed the little girl over to her father. "Well, I didn't think she was quite capable of taking care of herself yet," she replied as she unpacked a bottle. Handing it to him, she directed him to the couch and showed him how to properly hold the baby while feeding her.

It was awkward at first; Ron was uncomfortable holding the baby. They sat silently until he got his bearings. "So, you said there was something you needed to talk about," he prompted, training his gaze on the hungry little girl.

Hermione adjusted the spit rag on his shoulder before standing. She'd practiced her speech a dozen times before coming over, but her words seemed to fail her now. Wringing her hands together nervously, she turned away from Ron. "I think Draco's going to propose," she said, feeling her voice shake with nerves.

"When?"

Hermione shrugged. "Tonight maybe," she replied. "Narcissa Malfoy agreed to watch Jo for me since she's already watching Scorpius. She keeps telling me I need a little time off."

Ron struggled to contain his anger and not tighten his grip on the baby. "Becoming chummy with the rest of the Malfoys now, are you?"

"No, Lucius still doesn't like me," she replied, turning to face him. "He won't be around though."

"She's my daughter. I'll watch her," he decided. "Besides, the two of you get married and I'll never see her again."

"She'll always be your daughter," Hermione said, fighting to remain calm. "Whatever Draco and I decide to do won't change that. She's yours, and no one can take that away from you."

Shaking his head, he rose from the sofa and placed Joanna in the baby carrier Hermione had brought. "No, you and Malfoy get married and suddenly he'll be her father," he replied. "She lives with you, you'll live with him, and I won't exist."

The dam broke then, unleashing months of anger and frustration towards her ex-husband. After stuffing her belongings back into her bag, Hermione picked up the carrier. "You worry that she won't know you, and there's a damn good reason for that, Ronald," she said through clenched teeth. "You don't do anything. Draco and Harry had to drag you to the hospital the day she was born. You've made no effort thus far to be a part of her life. All those great speeches you made about wanting to be involved and wanting to be her father were just words, weren't they? If you want your child to recognize you as her father, then do something about it."

She turned on her heel and walked purposefully to the kitchen where she flooed back to her flat. After changing Joanna's diaper, she put her down for a nap and retreated to her bedroom. Sliding down to the floor, she pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head against them. A part of her knew that Ron may be right, but she had meant what she said to him. She too had worried that Joanna wouldn't see Ron as her father, but rather Draco because of his constant presence.

Getting to her feet, she moved to the fireplace and floo called Draco at work. "Can you come over?" she asked when he appeared in the green flames.

"Now?"

"Please, it's important," she pleaded. He nodded, promising to come through once she disconnected. Pulling her head from the hearth, she waited for him to appear.

"What's going on?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her. "Is Jo alright? Are you alright?"

Hermione pulled away from him and sat on the corner of the bed. "I don't know what to do," she murmured, lowering her gaze. Draco knelt before her, taking her hands in his, and asked her to talk to him. She could hear and see his worry for her in his voice and eyes. "I saw Ron today. I don't know why I told him, but I did."

"Told him what?" he asked.

A blush crept up her neck. "That you might propose," she replied sheepishly. Uneasiness returned when she told him exactly how Ron reacted.

"I see," he muttered when she finished. "So what, now he's attempting to make you feel guilty to keep you from being with me, for moving on from him? I mean, Hermione, it's not working, is it?"

She looked at him with tear-filled eyes before closing them. "What if he tries to take her?" she wondered, relaxing into his touch when he cupped her cheeks. "What if he decides that she'd be better off with him, and goes to the Ministry? He could get full custody because of that stupid pureblood law."

Falling back, Draco sat on his heels. He wondered if Ron Weasley really hated him that much to do something so cruel. If he had to, he knew, he would fight tooth and nail to keep this family together. Joanna belonged with Hermione, and Hermione belonged with Draco and Scorpius. He would love her little girl as if she were his own until the end of his days.

"There's no possibility he'd be found to be the better parent," he assured her. "She's a month old and he's seen her twice for a handful of minutes. The Ministry checks everything - your house, the way you and the child interact, but most importantly, they check your memories. I know it sounds intrusive, but it's the best way to know that it isn't all an act. If he does decide to go through with it, he'll beg off the moment he finds out about that. He can't alter his memories."

Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to his lips. "How do you do that?" she wondered. "How do you always know what to say to calm me down and make me feel better?"

"It's because I love you," he replied.

She kissed him once more. "I love you too," she said.