I've now gotten two emails from a coworker wherein she calls me by the wrong name. If I hadn't grown up in a house where my mom often referred to me by my brothers' names, I'd be offended.

Chapter 15

"Would you come with me? To talk to Harry?" Hermione asked later that night after she and Pansy said goodnight to Adrian and Draco.

Pansy nodded. "What made you change your mind?" she wondered.

Shrugging, Hermione coolly replied, "Draco." Dark brows rose, looking for more information that Hermione seemed to be keeping to herself. With a roll of her eyes, Hermione told her what she missed. "We kissed. Well, I kissed him. I just wanted to know what it would be like."

"Was it everything you hoped it would be?" Pansy wondered.

Blushing, Hermione nodded. "It was a short kiss, but sweet," she described. "It was the kind of kiss you want every kiss to be. It was just a really good kiss."

"What about Ron?" Pansy wondered.

"Pretty sure that's over the minute I tell Harry about the baby," Hermione replied. "I just...after talking to Draco, I know that I don't want to be with Ron anymore."

Try as she might to suppress a grin, Pansy couldn't. "Does that mean you want to be with Draco?" she asked.

Hermione shrugged. "I don't know yet," she said. "I don't know if he wants to be with me. Maybe as good as that kiss was for me, it was terrible for him. Maybe he doesn't want to be with me."

"Didn't I walk in on him attempting to kiss you? That doesn't sound like someone who doesn't want you."

"And didn't you once tell me that Draco loves all women?" Hermione retorted. "I don't want to be just another notch on his bedpost."

"I don't think you will be. He seems different now," Pansy replied. "But back to the point - talking to Harry."

Hermione nodded. "Tomorrow. I'm going to talk to him tomorrow."

She didn't sleep a wink that night and awoke exhausted the next morning. Thoughts swirled in her mind as the hours passed. How would Harry react? Would she be able to tell him? Would this ruin everything? She knew the answers to each question she asked herself - poorly, she had no choice, yes.

Out of bed before dawn, Hermione readied herself for the day. The night before, she had sent a note to Harry, asking to meet before the annual Weasley family Sunday breakfast. They planned to meet at eight o'clock in a small coffee shop near her flat, but Hermione refused to give him any other details.

Pansy entered the kitchen a little after seven o'clock to find the coffee pot empty and her nervous roommate seated at the table. "You drank it all, didn't you?" she asked, noticing how Hermione's leg bounced beneath the table.

"Maybe," Hermione replied.

"Is there any more?" Pansy inquired.

Hermione shrugged. "In the world? Probably," she said. "In this kitchen? No."

Pansy pursed her lips as she stared at her best friend. "So you drank all the coffee?" she asked again.

Sighing, Hermione got to her feet, ready to leave the room. "Yes, that's what I said, isn't it?" she retorted. Pansy said nothing as she stared at her, causing Hermione to relent. "I'm sorry. I'm just really anxious and scared. Maybe I shouldn't do this. Maybe it's better that I don't tell him. Not every secret needs to be heard, right?"

Pansy led her back to the table. "This is a pretty big thing to keep a secret," she said. "And sure, there are some secrets that are okay to keep. Like the location of my blue sweater that you didn't borrow. This, though, is the kind of thing Harry needs to know."

Hermione knew she was right, and an hour later, they arrived at the cafe to meet Harry. He smiled and waved them over, but Pansy took a seat at a different, but nearby table. "She doesn't want to sit with us?" he asked, cleaning his glasses with the hem of his shirt.

"She's here for moral support," Hermione replied nervously. "There's, um, there's something I have to tell you, and I'm scared of how you'll react. So, um, if this is the last time we ever talk, just know that I love you and you've always been a good friend to me."

Dark brows furrowed as Harry leaned forward. "What is it, Hermione?" he wondered. "You're scaring me."

Taking a deep breath, she told him everything. She told him about the pregnancy test and her sojourn to Australia. He now knew that they had a little girl who died shortly after being born. She choked back a sob as she told him that their daughter's was Rose. "I'm so sorry, Harry," she murmured as she tried to dry her eyes.

Instead of storming out, Harry placed his hand over hers. "Seven years," he replied. "You held onto this secret for seven years. Why?"

Looking towards Pansy, she shrugged. "I don't know," she admitted. "It was too hard to talk about. Then I was afraid of losing you and Ron and the Weasleys. But...have I lost you?"

Harry gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "You haven't," he assured her. "Ron and his family might be a different story though. What we were doing back then, we shouldn't have started it in the first place. Or, I don't know, maybe we both needed it, but we should have been more careful. Did you...did you ever get to hold her?"

Hermione sniffled and shook her head. "She was too small," she replied. "When they...pronounced her, the doctor asked if I wanted to hold her, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it."

He seemed to understand. "I wish I'd been there," he said. "Just to help you through it."

"How would you explain that to Ginny?" Hermione wondered.

Harry shrugged. "Good point," he muttered. "I just wish I had known. At least I know now, right? So, um, where does this leave us?"

She looked up with hope in her brown eyes. "Someplace good, I hope," she replied.

"Are you going to tell Ron?" Harry asked. "I mean, I'm not afraid of him or anything. I just want to be prepared."

Hermione shook her head. There was no point in upsetting Ron further. "I am going to end things with him though," she shared. "I just can't be with him anymore. Too much has changed."

"I think that's for the best," Harry agreed as he got to his feet. "Listen, I should get going, but I want to see you again. I don't want this to change things between us."

Holding out his hand, he pulled her to her up and hugged her. "I don't want things to change between us either," she murmured, kissing his cheek. "Thank you, Harry, for understanding."

Harry nodded and the pair said goodbye. Hermione reclaimed her seat as Pansy sat down across from her. "I'm proud of you," she said. "Do you think he really meant it?"

Hermione smiled uncertainly as she shook her head. "I have no idea."