Flashback
"So, what did you want to talk about, Hermione?" Harry asked as soon as Hermione had entered the room behind them and the door disappeared from sight.
Hermione had requested for both Harry and Ron to meet her in the Room of Requirement after dinner, only hinting that she needed to tell them something without the possibility of being overhead by others.
Ron crossed his arms in front of his broad chest. "Yes, Mione, what's this about?"
"Why don't we sit down first and…" Hermione gestured at the three comfortable looking plush armchairs that had just appeared behind the boys, an uneasy smile on her face as she thought about what she was about to reveal to her two best friends "…then we can... talk?"
Ron furrowed his brows but followed suit and took a seat after Harry did.
Hermione studied them for a moment – Harry's posture was open, his face expectant, Ron's arms were still crossed in front of his chest and his lips were morphed into a scowl – and with a barely subdued sigh sat down herself.
Fidgeting with her fingers in her lap, she met her friends' eyes and started to speak. "Do you remember what I told you? About Narcissa Bl… Malfoy and how she saved me from Rendall Ark?"
Harry merely nodded while Ron tsked, clearly still not over the fact that she'd kept it a secret from them, from him. "Oh, I do remember. Especially the fact that you didn't tell us!"
Hermione took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm and collected. If she let Ron rile her up now, she wouldn't get out what needed to be said.
"Well, after she saved my life at the Quidditch World Cup, I felt the need to see her again, you know? To thank her and-"
"You met with Malfoy's bloody mother behind our back? Mione!" Ron shook his head, the look in his eyes indicating that he thought Hermione had gone nuts. "Why would you do such a stupid thing? She could've hexed you, she could've-"
"She could have, I agree," Hermione tried to stay calm even though Ron's wording and the way his voice sounded were really trying her patience. "But she did not, Ronald. She's cast the Killing Curse twice for me, do you even comprehend what that means?"
"That she's a dark witch like all of them Malfoys and Blacks, that's what it means, Hermione! It is bloody obvious! She's dangerous and you-"
"I'm seeing her," Hermione interrupted her hot-headed friend, blushing as she realized that her secret – or at least part of it – was now forever out in the open. "I uh… I've gotten to know her and we've grown closer. And I guess one thing just led to another..."
"You WHAT?!" Ron was out of his chair now, his freckled face splattered with hectic dark red spots, as though his skin was undecided about which action to take: blanch in shock or redden in fury. "You cannot be dating Narcissa bloody Malfoy! This is not how this is supposed to be," he wildly gestured from himself to Hermione. "Why would you do that to me? Have you snogged that bitch? No, wait, I don't even want to-"
"Ronald Weasley, you do not get to talk about my girlfriend like that!" Hermione was now on her feet as well, almost standing toe to toe with the much taller boy. "And to your information, we haven't only snogged but we've also had great sex you'll never even dream about! And she's having my baby! So you ever call her anything but Narcissa or Mrs. Malfoy again, I swear to god, Ron, I will…"
"You fucked her?! Blimey!"
"Hermione, you do know that she must've betrayed you, right?" Harry spoke up for the first time, still rooted to his spot in the chair, seeming relatively unfazed by the strange news. "It's not like you could have gotten her with child."
"See?!" Ron shook his head. "She's fucking someone else under your bloody nose and tries to-"
"Silencio!"
In the matter of seconds, Hermione had drawn her wand and pointed it at the enraged redhead, rendering him momentarily mute, knowing that she wouldn't get in a word edgewise if she didn't shut him up. His infamous Weasley temper didn't listen to reason.
Taking a deep breath, she turned to Harry, heavily sinking into her chair while Ron was furiously stomping through the room, uttering angry protests that no one could hear.
"It's a long story. But it really is my child. We're having a little girl, Harry. Thing is… Voldemort thinks it is his child she's carrying."
"Why would he think such a thing, Hermione? What did he..." The boy-who-lived trailed off, his face suddenly very pale.
"She was raped, Harry..." Hermione ran a shaking hand through her hair, the anger and frustration overwhelming her whenever she thought about it. Tears were forming in her eyes. "I didn't even know until... I should've noticed."
Harry placed a hand on Hermione's knee. "I'm sorry you thought you had to go through this alone. You could've told me, you know?"
His green eyes were sincere and Hermione nodded.
"But now that I know… Hermione, I promise to do everything in my power to keep your child safe from him."
"And… Narcissa?"
A small smile appeared on her best friend's face. "Her too. Even though I think you probably shouldn't tell her that. She seems to be a very proud woman. I somehow don't think she'd approve."
"Me neither. But I really appreciate it. I can't lose her."
"So uh… you and Malfoy's mum, huh?"
Hermione cringed at the wording.
"Let's just call her Narcissa, yes?"
"Sure. But you'll have to tell me how this… thing... between the two of you came into being one day. Yes?"
"'Thing?'" Hermione chuckled, relieved that at least Harry was on her side. "You can call it love, Harry. Because that's what it is."
"Alright. – Well, I think you should head back to the common room. I'll try to talk to him," he nodded towards their pacing friend.
"Thank you, Harry. For everything." Hermione briefly hugged him.
"Well, it'll take some time getting used to the idea of you and... Narcissa.. but I promise to give my best."
"That's all I need."
They nodded at each other and Hermione turned towards the door, taking a last glance at the fuming Ron. She'd never seen him like this. She really hoped he would come around. Otherwise, … well, she didn't want to think about that option right now. He just had to come around. Right?
End of Flashback
December 22nd, Black Manor
Narcissa was looking out of the window, nervously waiting for Hermione to arrive.
It had started snowing a few days prior and the surroundings of Black Manor were covered in a blanket of white, the soft snow turning the world into a quiet, into an innocent place. It was beautiful.
"Stop worrying, she'll be here soon."
Narcissa turned to her left to see that Diane had joined her in the entrance hall.
"How do you know?"
"A mother just knows," Mrs. Granger stated with a smile. "And she assured me that a member from the Order would pick her up from King's Cross and accompany her here."
"I…" Narcissa released the breath she'd been holding. "More than once Order members have changed sides. I cannot help but-"
Both women were interrupted by the loud shutting of the front door. Narcissa was already pulling out her wand to protect herself and Hermione's parents when Diane's hand fell onto her shoulder.
"Look, there she is."
Narcissa followed her line of sight and instantly relaxed when her eyes fell onto Hermione and her father embracing each other in the garden, a young man awkwardly standing next to them, obviously waiting for his dismissal.
Narcissa shook her head, realizing that in her worry, William Granger had been the first to notice his daughter's arrival, beating both women out of the house.
Now smiling – Hermione was back! – she followed Diane out of the front door, impatiently waiting for her turn to greet the brunette.
Receiving a nod from Hermione, the young Order member walked through the brass doors and apparated away.
Then, Hermione's eyes fell onto the two women standing on the small front porch, her smile growing even wider when they took in Narcissa.
Not waiting for her father, Hermione ran towards them, quickly hugging her mother hello before she pulled the other witch into her arms, holding her as tight as the baby bump allowed her to.
Somewhat embarrassed by the presence of Hermione's parents, Narcissa felt a little tense and held herself back, merely pressing a chaste kiss to the girl's right cheek.
"I am glad you got here safe."
"Oh please," Diane laughed next to the couple. "She was worried sick about you, Hermione. Even missed the moment you got here because of it."
Narcissa lightly blushed in the warm embrace, even more so when Hermione raised an amused brow at her.
"I missed you, too," she smiled, pecking the older woman on the lips.
"I uh.. let's go inside," Narcissa freed herself from the arms and the stares and headed inside, the chuckles of the Grangers following her.
AN: I know this one is rather short and it took me ages to update, but believe it or not, I had this lying around for quite a while now and just wasn't happy with it. I don't want to leave you hanging any longer though, so here it is. I hope you like it more than I do.
And, I promise, I haven't forgotten this or any of my other stories. Sometimes writing's just a b**** to me.. ;-)
Oh and next up: Christmas - yay!