Chapter 2

Hermione took a moment to regroup. There was something very wrong her. According to her plan, at this moment, she was supposed to be telling Draco Malfoy of his paternity and watching him fall to his knees with the weight of his loutishness.

But instead she was covered in dirt and mud and had just been denied the right to utter the punch line she'd perfected with over ten years of practice in front of mirrors. And store windows. Every shiny surface she'd ever encountered really.

Construction noise had stopped. Hermione realised she had an audience for what was shaping up to be the most completely fucked-up moment of her life, which was saying something.

"Tell me my son's name," Draco tightened his fists at his sided. He trembled with tension. "Is he healthy? Is he happy? What have you done with my son?"

Hermione closed her eyes, feeling the tears mix with her mascara and the dusty air. "His name is Aidan and yeah he is happy and healthy," No thanks to you.

Draco said nothing. He gave a slow, disgusted shake of his head, then spat in the mud. "You're the coldest bitch on the face of the Earth and I will never forgive you for what you've done to me." His voice was flat. He turned away.

Apparently, their big reunion was over.

"Forgive me?" Hermione waved her arms as she shouted at his back. "What do you mean forgive me? I don't forgive you! Stop, Draco stop! Get back here! How did you find out about Aidan?" He kept walking. "Don't you dare walk away from me! Wait!"

He didn't wait, which was almost a relief, since she had no Idea what to say next.

"Leave your contact information with your dad so my lawyer can find you."

Hermione's arms collapsed by her sides. She went numb for an instant, just before the anger rushed in, hot and bitter and spreading its familiar vigour through her mind. She could not allow Draco Malfoy to turn his back on her today, just like he'd done when she graduated.

Ten years ago, in the span of a single evening, she learned she was pregnant, unable to get a job after the remnants of the war, kicked to the curb by her boyfriend and no parents. Every minute since had been hell, but she'd clawed and fought and survived so that one day-today-she could blow into town and get satisfaction. She deserved it. Draco Malfoy owed it to her. Her parents owed it to her. The whole stupid community owed it to her.

Molly Weasley may have looked older since the last time Hermione saw her, all those years ago, but she decided that she looked greater than ever. Molly chatted away while Hermione and Sara followed her through Grimmuald Place.

"I am so glad to have you back here Hermione, where you belong." She said, sighing in content as they walked up the stairs and entered the bedroom.

Hermione smiled to herself. The room was just as it was the last time she slept here with Ginny.

"Thank you Molly, you don't know what this means to me."

"Nonsense, this place will always have a place for you no matter what."

"And thank you for letting me crash!" Sara joined in cheerfully, giving molly a warm hug in gratitude.

"More the merrier." Molly smiled. "I'll let you both settle down, see you at dinner." She smiled again and disappeared down the stairs.

Hermione groaned and rubbed her forehead as she plopped down onto the single bed. What she really needed was some silence, a hot bah and a nap. Maybe then she could start to figure out what kind of new and improved mess she'd just made for herself by coming back to people who had never loved her and thought she never belonged.

Why now?

That was all Draco could think of as he sat outside, a drink in hand. He hoped that some air would smack some sense into him but all it did was make him shiver. He was obviously nowhere near sensible because he felt alive in a way he hadn't done in years.

All he could think of was her messy but unruly shiny curls, those big brown eyes and her sweet pink mouth. Merlin help him, but he wanted to touch her. It took everything in him not to walk over to her, grab her and kiss her senseless, before he told her how much he hated her.

And he did. He hated her. He once loved her with everything he had in him and he couldn't figure out why the hell she decided to pick this particular moment to rise from the dead and throw his life into chaos-yet again.

What did she want? Did she want to apologise for denying him the right to be a father to his own child? She sure didn't look apologetic. Did she want money? God knew he would gladly hand over his entire wealth but she wasn't like that, hurting for money. For Merlin's sake she was dressed expensively and had a bloody new car.

Draco laughed out loud. The last time he had seen her, she was dressed in jeans and converse. She'd looked normal. She looked cute and sweet and perfect. He would have laid her down on his plush covers and devoured her. But that didn't happen because no matter what his heart or his head told him, his father had just informed him that she wasn't right for him. What he meant was that she wasn't a pureblood and that if he didn't break up with her there would be serious consequences. War was upon them. So Draco said what had to be said. And Hermione's cute and sweet and perfect face turned to stone. She walked away without a word and he never saw her again.

Until now.

Sometimes he wished he never knew the reason Hermione Granger had left, or that he had a kid somewhere in the world he couldn't locate.

About a year ago, he was given enough information to turn his world inside out, to scrape out his guts and make him question every damn thing he thought was true.

He dragged his thoughts out of the past and headed up inside, his eyes automatically scanning the ungainly room of Malfoy Manor. The mansion might be considered as a showplace in the wizarding world but all he saw was an unhappy childhood, unhappy memories and dark times.

Almost immediately the fireplace coughed and out popped an tall olive-skinned many with brilliant features. Draco didn't even have to look up to know who it was.

"So what you thinking of doing know that she's back?" Blaise walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge and disappeared behind the silver and black door.

Draco shook his head in annoyance as he sorted through his mail, not finding anything important and chucking it on the table beside him. He heard the pop of a bottle cap and rolled his eyes. He had half a mind to call the Auror's on Blaise for being a nuisance. He'd do it too if he his best friend wasn't the Head of the Auror Department.

"You know, seriously, it wouldn't harm you to knock. What if I was in here all tangled up nude in a game of strip poker or something?"

"You'd start a game without me?" Blaise replied in mock horror.

Draco sighed and went and grabbed himself a fire whiskey and then returned and sat down next to his friend.

"Hey, aren't you on call? Should you be drinking?"

"Shut up," Draco said, closing his eyes and letting the liquid burn through.

"I thought you weren't supposed to drink when…"

"Shut the hell up, man."

"Fine! Well Granger looked good. Real good. She must be loaded."

Draco laughed. What he really wanted at the moment was for a mercifully slow night on call and for Pansy to forget to contact him for about a week. He didn't have the patience to deal with her. Lately she'd been teetering on the line between ex-fiancé and psycho ex-fiancé. He sure as hell didn't want her to find out the infamous Hermione Granger was back in town. That would probably push her off the edge completely.

"Anyway, as much as I love our little conversation, I gotta scoot. Just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Thanks."

Blaise got to his feet. "Just so you know, she's staying over at number twelve."

Draco slowly raised his head and checked out his friends expression and closed his eyes against the realisation.

"Fuck."

"Look, you…"

"You don't think Pansy been informed?"

"Are you crazy? Pansy knows everything, sometimes before its even happened."

"Great!"

"Look mate,' Blaise cleared his throat, 'Are you, uh, thinking of going over there for, uh, a friendly chat?"

Draco could tell he was concerned. Not many people knew Draco had a son. Well, that's what he thought. And Blaise was clearly concerned about how this was all gunna turn out. "She named him Aidan, can you believe it?"

Blaise's eyes went wide. "Holy…"

"Yeah."

They were both silent. Blaise stared at his friend for a long time, watching him as he delved in his own world.

"What the fuck you doing man? Hermione's come back from the dead and all your doing is sitting on your arse, drowning your sorrows.' Blaise waved his arms about. 'You're finally gunna meet your kid and all you're doing is moping about!"

Draco's head snapped back from the force of his friends words. He was pissed, over something that was really none of his business.

"I've got a lot on my mind, I don't want to get into this right now."

They both stared at each other in silence, until it was broken by the sound of a continuous beep. Draco took the pager out from his waistband and switched it off.

"Told you not to drink!" Blaise broke the uncomfortable tension between them with a huge grin before apparating out.

Sighing, Draco followed suite.

A/N: Just want to say thank you to everyone who reviewed and put me on their favourite lists etc. Glad you liked the story so far and like i promised, this chapter is longer. Hope you like it. I know its kinda serious but it will get better. Please review and let me know what you all think! Much appreciated! =D

Mev x