Here it is - the big reveal. Sort of.

Chapter 9

"Would you mind staying for a bit tonight?" Draco asked when he returned home from work.

Hanging her bag back on the coatrack, Hermione nodded. "Everything okay?" she asked. "You looked pretty worn out this morning. Lilah didn't let you sleep much last night, did she?"

Chuckling, Draco shook his head and sat down on the sofa. "What smells good?" he wondered, sniffing the air.

"I made sauce while Lilah was napping," she said. "My mum's recipe. I'm not supposed to know it, and I'm certainly not supposed to make it better than she does. So, if you ever meet her, don't tell on me."

"I make no promises," he replied. "Is there pasta to go with it?"

Nodding, she retreated to the kitchen and returned minutes later with a bowl of spaghetti and a fork. "If it tastes bad, I let Lilah help," Hermione stated, taking a seat beside him as she handed him his supper. She watched him twirl a few strands around the tongs of his fork and waited as he ate the first bite. "Well?"

"Well, I approve," he replied. "It doesn't taste like my eight month old had a hand in it at all. Keep this up, and I'm never letting you leave me."

"Note to self - strychnine in the eggs tomorrow morning," Hermione said, earning a frown from the man beside her. "So, what's going on? Why do you want me to stay?"

He twirled several more strands, but let them fall back into the bowl. "I, um, aside from Adrian, I've never told anyone about Lilah's mother," he started. "Well, Astoria knew, but she wasn't allowed to reveal anything. Stipulation of our divorce."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want you," Hermione assured him, resting a hand on his arm.

He glanced down at it, his face devoid of emotion, and shook his head. "No, I want to," he decided. "I just worry that it might change things between us. You said the other day that it wouldn't, but I'm afraid it could."

"It won't," she promised.

Taking a deep breath, he began to tell his story. "I wasn't a good husband," he admitted. "I never wanted to get married in the first place, but it was an arranged marriage that I couldn't get out of at the time. Astoria and I eventually grew to like one another, but I was hardly ever home. When I was away, I...had a habit of sleeping around. There was this one in girl, a witch I'd met in Paris. She was sort of famous - a model or something. We, um, became very close until she found out I was married. After that, she broke things off."

"But she was pregnant?" Hermione asked.

He nodded. "She wrote a letter that Astoria intercepted," he continued. "She had her suspicions and that letter confirmed them. Shortly after that, Astoria left and the divorce papers arrived. And eight months ago, Lilah showed up on my doorstep."

"And her mother?"

Sighing, Draco shook his head. "Left a note saying she had no interest in being a mother and I should do whatever I want with the baby," he said. "She didn't even name her. My parents thought I should turn her over to the Ministry, let someone adopt her. I had no idea what I was doing. I couldn't even figure out how to hold a baby. But I was in love. There was no way I could give her up."

Shifting beside him, Hermione got to her feet and excused herself. Bewildered, Draco followed her to the bathroom. "I'm sorry," she murmured, keeping her back to him. "You just...you did the right thing."

Moving into the bathroom, he stood behind her. "So, these are happy tears?" he wondered. "Tears of joy that I finally did something right?"

Shaking her head, she turned to face him. "No, it's not that," she replied. "I mean, I am happy that you did the right thing. I just...I was thinking about something else, something I've tried not to think about for awhile now. I'm sorry I made your confession all about me."

Bracing his hands on her shoulders, Draco smiled. "You're talking to the king of making everything all about me," he told her. "If something else is bothering you, you can tell me."

Drying her eyes with the backs of her hands, Hermione shook her head. "No, it's nothing," she replied.

"I don't believe you," he replied with a smirk. "You seem really upset. I, uh, I'm worried about you, Granger."

Stepping back, she dislodged his hands. Now free from his grasp, Hermione moved around him and left the bathroom. "It's nothing," she repeated. "Do you need me to stay, or can I go for the night?"

"Have a good night," he replied with a frown.

Nodding, she turned on her heel, ready to leave. She didn't get far. Only three steps away from him, Hermione turned back and attempted to smile. "Thank you for telling me," she said. "Just know that I don't hold any of it against you. I really don't see a reason to."

He thanked her and once more she turned to leave. Returning to her flat, Hermione entered her room and locked the door. Taking a seat on the bed, she stared at her neatly organized closet. The doors were open and she knew there was something important hidden on the top shelf. It was out of sight. No one knew it was there. Pansy didn't even know about it. But Hermione did. After her conversation with Draco, it plagued her thoughts.

It took half an hour to summon the courage to retrieve it. Standing on her desk chair, Hermione reached for the deepest recess of the closet and removed a worn shoe box. Stepping down, she returned to her bed and eased the lid off. The box contained her most personal belongings - her first love letter, an autograph from Gilderoy Lockhart that she had received before finding out what a phony he was, her acceptance letter to Hogwart. Most importantly though, the box contained her journals.

With nervous fingers, she removed the last little leather bound book she had stored in the box. Years had passed since she had opened it as she had not wanted to relive such a dark time in her life. The book contained only two words - I'm pregnant.