Authors note: Thank you so much for the kind words and positive feedback so far! It means so much to me that others are enjoying this. I have a handful of chapters already done that I will slowly leak. This one is a bit shorter than the last one, but I feel it ends in a good place. You'll see.

-Chapter 2-

Accompanying Song: Car Radio - Twenty One Pilots

"How did this happen?"

Her fevered pacing came to a still as she cast an incredulous look at him. "Well," she started, slowly punctuating each word as if speaking to a child, "biology dictates that when a man and a woman engage in-"

An irate growl cut her off. "I understand the process, Granger. What I do not understand is how you failed to prevent this."

"How I failed to prevent it?!" Her voice rose with a sharp crescendo. "How did you not do anything to help prevent it? You assumed that I was on something? Shouldn't this have been routine to you?! Merlin knows how many one night stands have you had!" She took a deep breath to steady herself, the rage in her voice reaching levels that rivaled a Mandrake cry.

The pause was brief, though, and she ended her verbal assault with a final jab when it seemed as if he would not respond. "Oh, don't act like everyone doesn't see it. It's not like you can ever commit to a single witch, you are always at events with a different woman on your arm." The pitch of her voice had dropped once more. Her weight shifted to one side, arms crossing across her chest so that her telltale nervous behaviors wouldn't betray her. She was outright furious, and that took priority over her anxiety.

Draco shot to his feet as if electrocuted, long legs crossing the confined space with few steps and suddenly finding him mere inches from her. Hermione startled as the heat of his anger rolled off him in waves that she could feel between them, but his booming voice caused her stance to falter and body to recoil away from him.

"Enough! This is not about my personal life! This is about your lack of action!"

Count to ten, do not hex him. He's not worth it. She seethed, taking deep, shaky breaths to calm herself. Her hands trembled at her side now as she struggled to prevent them from balling into a fist and knocking him on his arrogant arse. How dare this slimy git tell her how to live her life. That she was the sole person at fault for this. They both should have been proactive with this. She should have never let it get this far, or at least taken something afterwards. Merlin, she knew she should have. There were plenty of muggle pharmacies around, and it wasn't as if she couldn't have taken a potion.

However, this was now. There was nothing either of them could do. This wasn't her Time-turner days. She couldn't just cast a spell and undo it, not that she even thought she could go through with something like that. She had spent the last week since she found out painstakingly weighing her options. She was going to be a mother, with or without him helping her along the way. It was in their best interests to get along for the sake of their child. She would hate to bring another human into the world in less than ideal situations, but she would make this work.

Finally, she shook her head and released a defeated sigh.

"Look, Malfoy. I'm not asking you for anything. You can either be there or not. I just wanted you to be aware of the situation. I won't ask for a single sickle from you, I won't ask you to help or even be apart of this should you choose not to. I am more than capable of doing this on my own. Harry and Ginny-"

Again she was cut off and that heated anger flared into his face once more. "No. I will be there for my child. No heir of mine will be raised in such barbaric conditions," he gestured around the room with a flourish of his hand as if to emphasize his point. "Was it my monetary status? Look at poor Weasel-bee, you had years to do this to him but being attached to such a poor family would have stunted your climb at the ministry, wouldn't it? That is why you split, is it not? His family has nothing to give you, nor does his piddly Chuddly Cannons income," he shook his head, giving a knowing laugh. "I would have never thought someone would go through so much to get what they wanted, but I suppose it is true what money will do to a person."

The rage in her rose at an alarming rate with each word he spoke, her hand twitching as if going to react with a mind of its own.

"How dare you bring up something you know nothing about! I would never be so shallow as to let monetary status impact my relationships. That's not how's everyone is raised, despite how shocking that may be for you!"

"So why did you two split then? Was his fame becoming too much for you?"

Hermione surged forward, closing the gap between them and coming almost nose to nose with the young aristocrat. Her finger jabbed into his sternum as she's punctuated her words "You. Know. Nothing. About. Me."

And in that moment it finally clicked.

He genuinely did not know her. They had been childhood enemies and he had tormented her for a large portion of her Hogwarts life. While he may be a gentler and kinder person now, or at least formally friendly to Harry, he still held the same prior beliefs and preconceived notions as he always did. He would not understand that this was genuinely not what she wanted. He would not understand her feelings when it came to family and parenting. He would not understand that she was just terrified and hoping for the best.

It's not worth it. It is not worth it she warned herself. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, willing the prickle behind them to fade out before she spoke. "Sod it," she sighed. "I'm doing this myself, I'm not sure why I even tried. Get out, Malfoy." Her voice was barely above a whisper, the hurt and disappointment unable to be masked.

"Granger-" he growled out.

"I said get out!" Her voice betrayed her, breaking as it rose to near hysterics.

The loud crack of disapparition signaled she was alone with her thoughts. She took a shuddering breath, reaching for the wall to brace herself as her vision began to swim. She didn't anticipate that it would go well, but she didn't know what she expected either. That he would help? That he would be kind and everything would fall into place? What?

He had turned over a new leaf, but would that have been enough for them to co-parent? She couldn't even think about stepping into Malfoy Manor, the thought of raising her child where so many were tortured and killed made her physically ill. Would she have actually agreed to live with him? Her one bedroom flat would not suffice for long, but she also couldn't imagine a sprawling mansion where someone else raised her child. Let alone that mansion that haunted her darkest nightmares.

Could she even raise a child with someone she didn't love?

It was too much. This wasn't what she wanted. She always imagined a life with someone she loved, a small cottage, a couple curly haired children running barefoot across the lawn. Her breath hitched at the thought of all her hopes and dreams being snuffed out. The weight of the change her life would be forced to endure had finally caught up with her and her legs buckled under it. Curled up on the floor once more, body wracking sobs quickly consumed her.

Granger,

Our emotions seemed to lead our conversation out of hand. I implore you to meet with me for lunch tomorrow.

- D. M.

It had been two days since they had met, and she had called in sick to work this morning which was unlike her. He worked in the same building, though. What would she do if she had run into him? Break down and cry again? Scream in his face? Throw a punch? More than likely just be consumed by an anxiety attack and be an absolute embarrassment to herself.

That no good, arrogant, colossal git.

Her scowl deepened as she looked up from the parchment to the regal owl perched before her. The Eurasian eagle owl's feather tufts around its eyes gave it the same stupid scowl that it's owner always seemed to wear. It's head canted as it looked at her expectantly. Of course, she thought bitterly. The sodding thing was probably instructed to wait for her response. She quickly penned it, the large creature snatching the parchment from her hand mid roll and taking off as if being in her presence for a moment longer would have pained it. The impatience with that family astounded her.

She didn't know what he would say, but she supposed she owed it to her child to hear him out.

Malfoy,

My flat. Noon. Do not be late.

-Hermione Granger

"Granger, I am glad that you agreed to meet with me," he lingered at the mantle of her fireplace.

Hermione only nodded, giving a dismissive wave of her hand as she circled around her coffee table. "Of course. Curiosity got the best of me."

It was true. What more could he say? He made his point clear, but she rather have their next screaming match and subsequent breakdown in the confines of her own home as opposed to a public establishment where they would draw too much attention. Even being in public may draw too much attention. She could see the headlines now.

He continued to stand even as she sunk down into the couch across from him. He looked uneasy, uncertain. Was he fidgeting? Waiting for permission to sit? Blocking her from making a run for it? Must be the first time he has ever had to admit he was wrong.

"You must be wondering why I'm here," he started, "considering how things had been left between us before."

"I suppose it was too much of me to hope for an apology?"

He disregarded this quip. "There is something important I must ask of you." He had begun to pace, each step like that of a trapped panther stalking a confined area.

Hermione raised a brow at this but motioned with her hand for him to continue. He was stalling.

"This defies tradition, but I believe it to be the best course of action for both of us." His pacing brought him away from the hearth finally and closer to her.

"Nothing about our situation is traditional, Malfoy, but we are not the only ones to go through it," she offered gently.

He came to a stop before her as she spoke. There was no clear emotion in the eyes that bore into her. She wanted to shout at him to get on with it already, but she tread lightly instead. Perhaps this was his attempt to offer her an olive branch and she didn't want to have today's negotiations once more break down into a brawl.

Malfoy shifted, uncertainty seeming to fade as his hand reaching behind him and fumbled for something. Instinctively, Hermione's fingers curled around the hilt of her wand. She doubted he would hex her in her own home, but who knows what game he was playing at. Desperation had been known to make people dangerous.

The flash of black in his hand was not his wand, but an object that fit easily in his palm. A gift? He didn't seem like the type that would be so considerate. He didn't even know the first thing about her or what she liked, anyway.

Instead of offering it to her, he lowered to one knee before her, the small velvet box balanced carefully in one hand. His eyes lifted from the floor to capture her gaze, his voice smooth and silky, almost hypnotic as he spoke.

"Hermione Jean Granger."

Oh, no.

His thumb pushed the lid up and turned it to present its contents to her.

He wouldn't.

"Will you marry me?"

Oh no