I do not own any part of Harry Potter! (Or even the basic Death Eater adoption plot, which is all Drivelicious', over on Granger Enchanted.)

AN: Sorry it's updating slower these days- I'm trying to get a few chapters written ahead every time. Also, I'm trying to be extra careful with the plot and characters so that they don't get out of control. Thanks for everyone who's sticking with me! Love!

"Holidays at Malfoy Manor? Hermione, are you out of your-"

Hermione glared and shoved her books in her bag. "No, I am not out of my gourd, Harry. I'm pregnant and hormonal and Draco and his mother have been absolutely lovely to me and so yes, I am going to spend a few days with them over the break. It's his baby too, isn't it? Doesn't he have a right to spend some time with me?"

Harry eyed her doubtfully before reaching out and patting her hand awkwardly. "Well, if it's what you want…are you still going to try and come to the Burrow for a bit, too?"

Hermione shifted uncomfortably. She hadn't even been thinking of the Burrow, truth be told. She mostly wanted to get her visit to the Manor over with and then have a quiet rest at home. Besides, Molly Weasley had a sick nose for secrets. The batty woman, though Hermione loved her, would probably know something had gone on between her and Ron. She just couldn't take that risk.

"I don't know about it this year, Harry."

His face fell and he took his hand back before starting too put away his own books. "Too busy for us?" he asked quietly and Hermione shook her head.

"That's not it, Harry- fine, look, I'll see about coming over for at least a day, or something. I'll talk to my parents-"

"Don't do it just because you feel sorry for me," Harry grumbled.

"Harry!"

He sighed and put his hands over his face, taking off his glasses and rubbing at his eyes. "Sorry, Hermione. I'm sorry. I'm just really tired…I can't even look forward to the break."

"Is it- are you worried over what Dumbledore has asked you to do?"

"Yeah," he replied. "It's difficult…I don't know how to get that memory any more than I did at the start of the year and on top of that, this thing with Malfoy-"

Hermione stiffened. "What thing with Malfoy?"

Harry looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I know you…well, you sort of trust him, right?" He laughed nervously and Hermione raised her eyebrows at him. He coughed and glanced away. "I just can't yet. I support you, Hermione, I do. But he's been up to something recently."

Hermione pressed her lips together tightly and stared at him. She knew Harry was struggling with his own tasks this year, the same as Draco. In fact, the similarities between their burdens were eerie. Not that she knew what Draco's task was quite yet, aside from helping her, but she would find out, soon enough. At any rate, they were both suffering from trying to do the right thing and live up to people's perceptions and she would not have her best friend worrying about something he didn't need to.

"Harry, I know that Draco's generally a suspicious character, but if you trust me, you'll have to trust him, too. No, it's not easy, but he's- well, I know he's had several talks with Snape and Dumbledore already and if they both trust him, then you should, too. In fact, Dumbledore has-" she stopped short as she realized she'd been about to say some things she probably shouldn't.

Harry looked at her curiously. "Dumbledore what? And I feel I should point out," he added cheekily, "I hardly trust Snape, so his regard for Malfoy is not exactly going to make me like the git."

"Harry!" Hermione laughed, smacking his arm. The tension over the topic dissipated some and Harry grinned back at her. "Well, I can't say much, but I promise that Dumbledore supports Draco. He trusts him," she said firmly and Harry sighed.

"I know he does," he confessed. "I sort of asked him about it at our last meeting. He wouldn't say much either, just that, 'Mister Malfoy is working in his and Miss Granger's best interests, Harry,'" Harry said, wrinkling his brow in annoyance.

Hermione smiled with relief. "Well, there you are."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Doesn't make it any easier to accept, Hermione."

"I know. Do you think any of this easy for me, or Draco, for that matter?"

Harry eyed her stomach momentarily before glancing back up at her and flushing a little. His eyes were honest. "I don't suppose it is. I'm sorry for being a prat," he offered.

"Harry, you don't have to apologize for that. I got used to it a long time ago. Now, let's finish that Herbology essay and then we can turn it in and really get ready for the holidays." She pulled her scroll back out of her bag with a smile and Harry couldn't help smiling as well.

He didn't know where he got off having such a great best friend. He wondered briefly if he could talk to her about Ginny before deciding that she was quite serious about the essay. There would be time to talk later, after all, and he'd see her at the Weasleys for a little bit, at least. They finished their work in companionable silence, interrupted only by the occasional whisper or smack on the arm.

It was nice to not think about anything but the holidays and his work, for once.

Hermione shifted uneasily in her seat on the train for the tenth time and Ginny shot her a strange look.

"What's wrong, Hermione?"

"Nothing…"

"Do you need the loo?" Ginny asked outright and Hermione laughed, suddenly feeling ridiculous.

"No, things aren't that bad yet," she admitted.

"Then what is it?"

"I'm just nervous. We're meeting Draco's mother at the station and then it's-"

"Off to Malfoy Manor?"

"Yeah."

Ginny smiled reassuringly. "Hermione, I can't say we're not nervous about you being there by yourself, but what's the worst that can happen?" She cringed as Hermione cast wide eyes at her, looking suddenly panicked.

"Aside from his insane relatives suddenly dropping for a visit, or worse yet, the man himself? And what about-"

Ginny leaned forward. "Hermione, you're smarter than this. Stronger. You know that if anything like that were to happen, well, you are protected now. And I'm sure Malfoy would get you out of there if something happened."

"I know he would. You're right."

"We're all in danger, more than anyone is letting on," Ginny pointed out. "We all know it. It's driving Harry to a place I've never seen him in. About the only time he can let go is on the pitch anymore and that doesn't happen nearly often enough." Her face softened. "But you're right to be nervous, I imagine."

Hermione snorted and looked out the window of the train again. "You think so?"

Ginny lifted her eyes heavenward and leaned back into her own seat once again. "You're as bad as Malfoy with that sarcasm," she muttered.

"Sorry," Hermione said automatically.

"Don't be," Ginny replied. "At least you're showing signs of life. Which is more than I can say for some of us," she added with a pointed look glance at Ron's sprawled out, sleeping form. "God, I wish he'd just shove off and go find Brown again. At least that keeps him out of sight." Seeing Hermione's frown, she changed the subject. "Hey, Dumbledore gave you that portkey, didn't he? In case of emergencies. You'll be doubly safe, then. Look, just try to enjoy yourself. It's only a few days, right? Then you're home for Christmas."

"True," Hermione admitted. "Thanks for talking me down," she told Ginny. "It's hard not to be on edge with everything. This one isn't helping much, that's for certain," she said with a fond, if a bit frustrated, glance at her stomach.

Ginny laughed. "I expect not. Lord, Mum is dying to see you. I think she's not sure whether to give you a piece of her mind or coddle you and your ickle baby," she grinned.

"Oh, gods, they all know, don't they?" Hermione groaned. "Well, at least the governors are being quiet. No one has been quite as terrible about the whole thing as they might otherwise. That's one good thing that's come out of all the tension."

"Sure, try saying that to Katie Bell," Ginny murmured soberly and the girls looked at each other grimly before glancing out the window once more.

Harry entered the compartment soon after that and their conversation fell to what they were expecting for Christmas and how much homework they had. The rest of the trip passed relatively comfortably and Draco stopped by minutes before the train arrived at the station to collect her. They'd agreed to sit with their own friends- they didn't want to appear as a clingy couple and besides, Draco needed to play nice with his bunch. He'd been mostly ignoring them the entire semester because of the tasks and he needed to stay on their good sides in order to make his double role believable. Besides, it was terribly hard to monitor the rumor mill when he wasn't even paying attention to what people were saying.

She stood up immediately and tried to ignore the scowl from Ron; and the apprehensive look from Harry; and instead hugged Ginny; wishing them all a Happy Christmas after delivering a vague line about seeing them at some point. Draco stood in the doorway looking supremely smug and uncomfortable at the same time and then he took her trunk and lugged it down the corridor with her following after.

"Where's yours?" she asked and he looked back.

"In my own compartment. We'll be at the platform in just a moment, I'll get it then. I wanted to get yours first," he explained.

She didn't ask anymore questions after that, just thanked him in a small voice; and when they disembarked she stood on the platform with her luggage looking forlorn and more and more as though she might be ill; while she waited for him to join her with his own trunk. She'd owled her parents the week of exams to let them know she wouldn't be home for the first days of break and that they needn't pick her up at the station. Her mom had written back immediately saying they understood and hoped she would have a good time and to be careful. Hermione's face had flushed at that line; honestly, what did her mother think she would be doing at Malfoy's? Shagging him? Draco had been right, she hated to admit. Just because she was already knocked up didn't mean she ought to go about having sex again. Although the thought of it with Malfoy…

She was shaken from her deviant path by someone calling her name and she realized Draco had returned to her side and was waving at someone walking towards them. Ah, his mother. Narcissa Malfoy looked, although tired around the edges, as put together and professional as she ever had.

Hermione's nerves returned tenfold.

"Hermione- Draco, darling," Narcissa said as she gave them both a brief hug and kiss on the cheek. "Well, shall we?" she asked, clapping her hands together. And then they were off the platform and through the station and being bundled into the most ostentatious cab that Hermione had ever seen; and she thought she really would be sick, although Narcissa was doing her best to put them at ease. She talked nonstop from the moment she ordered their bags along to the minute the car pulled up in front of the gates of the manor. For one wild minute, Hermione thought they might have detoured by a zoo, instead and she poked Draco in the side until he glanced over at her.

"What?" he asked, arching a brow at her and she pointed out the window.

"Peacocks?" she asked, her voice hushed as Narcissa continued to talk. Her face said the rest. Are you for real? Is your whole family mental?

"They're Father's," Draco replied, clearly uncomfortable. He flicked his eyes over to his mother and back at her. And I should think us being mental is quite obvious, you bint.

Hermione ulped and looked back out the window as they passed through the gates, her eyes on the creepy, but beautiful birds the entire ride up the drive. She didn't ask anymore questions.

Hermione was startled to see Draco standing there when she opened her door. Not because she thought there was someone in the house besides him and his mother, but because she'd assumed that once he'd seen her settled in her rooms he'd want to leave her alone. True to his word, he'd put her in an entire wing; something she'd been terribly upset about when she'd first arrived. After all, it had meant the house elves had needed to do more work- and all for one person. It seemed ridiculous to her, but she understood why he'd done it. She knew he wasn't all bad- she knew it, especially after the weekend they'd shared- but she could understand him wanting to keep up appearances. After all, things were still touch and go with people finding out about the pregnancy, and getting their story unified…except now he was standing in front of her, a small frown upon his face and hope in his eyes and she couldn't help herself.

Her heart skipped a beat and a pink blush spread across her cheeks.

She threw up a minute later, of course, but the signs were clear enough. She was in terrible danger of falling in love with him, exactly as Ginny had joshed her and Ron had spat fire over.

"Granger!" Draco growled even as he was spelling the vomit away, "Can't you even make it to the toilet? Damn. If I upset you that much, I'll just leave."

Hermione managed to recover herself quickly, though one hand remained over her mouth. Her other arm shot out and she grasped his arm just as he was turning. He stilled and looked back at her as he put his wand away.

"What?"

"You can stay. For a minute, if you want," she mumbled through her fingers and stepped back, allowing him into the suite. He looked behind her into the darkened room and smiled nervously.

"Alright. For a minute."

She shut the door behind him and the shadows about them deepened. She heard him chuckle.

"Haven't even bothered to light the lamps yet, have you? You could have done that yourself. The house elves will beat you to it if you don't hurry."

She lowered her hand and walked over to an armchair, taking a seat. Her face was white even in the vast darkness of the room. "You didn't come for a visit. What is it? Has your mother come to her senses?"

He started to sneer and walked away from her to the fireplace, careful to keep his back to her. It wouldn't do to let his natural feelings get the better of him. After all, they were only a defense against what was really going on: his falling in love with her. He knelt and kindled a fire, spelling it to life quietly.

"Don't be ridiculous. My mother is mad about you, for some strange reason. Can't think why. And I came to invite you to dine with us this evening. If you have anything suitable to wear. Are your clothes still fitting you? I should have asked sooner, sorry."

Hermione gave a small, gasping laugh and hunched over in her seat. "I'm not an invalid. You don't have to keep asking after me that way."

He finally trusted himself to keep a neutral, easy grin on his face and turned his head to look at her before he stood up, brushing his palms against the robes he still wore. "You're in my care now, Granger. You have been for several weeks. Didn't our outing teach you anything? Besides, we have quite a ways to go before this relationship will be believable."

"I don't understand why we couldn't have left it as it was. You hate me, I hate you- in muggle circles, that's considered perfectly natural foreplay."

Draco tried to ignore the fact that she'd just implied she still hated him and crossed the room to the armchair beside hers.

"But we don't hate each other…"

"Don't we?"

"Speak for yourself, Hermione," he murmured, causing her to give him a sharp look. She didn't hate him at all, she thought she'd made that much obvious. But she was still unsure of him, despite everything she'd said to Harry about trust.

She gave him a level stare. "You really think our having a loving relationship will induce Voldemort to believe our story?"

"Don't say his name aloud in this house, for the love of Merlin!" Draco barked, turning and grasping Hermione's shoulders. She drew back from him and shrugged his hands off.

"Sorry," he flushed. "Old habits. I apologize."

"There, you've done it again," she said softly.

"What?"

"You want to talk to me about something- about your involvement in the Death Eaters, or I'll eat my homework. Why won't you just come out and say it? I happen to be a very good listener."

"And the smartest witch of your age, blah, blah," he finished for her. "I can't. And trust me, it's better if you don't know."

"Why not? I can help, Draco. I know I can!"

He eyed her speculatively. "How have your sessions with Snape been lately?"

She blushed and looked away before rising to go to her trunk. "Not good. You know that. It's so hard to control it when my emotions are haywire."

"Exactly. I wish I could tell you, I swear. But it's too dangerous."

She sent him another sharp glance. Things would be so much easier if she just knew…if she could be sure of him. If she knew that helping her, being with her, was helping him, too. Was changing him. "You're really trying to protect me, aren't you?"

He pulled his head back around the curve of the chair, startled, and stared into the fire. He was quiet for several seconds while Hermione stood at her trunk, one hand still poised to raise the lid. She finally broke the silence. Clearly, she'd touched on a subject he wasn't ready to acknowledge yet. That was fine. One weekend in Paris and some heated kisses didn't mean they loved each other. They had another six months to discuss their emotions, after all.

"Draco?" she asked. She saw his shoulders jump and smiled.

"Hm."

"What does one wear to dinner at Malfoy Manor?"

At dinner, Hermione could see what Draco meant about Narcissa. She practically cooed over Hermione- it was rather uncomfortable, actually, but Hermione supposed it was because she'd always wanted a daughter…or perhaps she'd just made a very good first impression at the meal a few weeks back. Either way, it was still a little strange. Especially considering that Narcissa probably wouldn't have been trying half so hard if she knew the truth. If she knew that the baby wasn't Draco's, Hermione was sure her reactions and pleasantries would be going quite differently. Not that Hermione had been reminding herself of the child's paternity recently. She'd had to admit Draco was right and she did need to forget, at least for a while, about Ron. She had to put all her skills to use in the performance of her life. The performance for hers and the baby's lives.

She didn't know, of course, about Draco changing sides or that Narcissa was pleased with her son's decision, but even if she had known she probably still would've questioned their sanity. After all, a Malfoy being nice to a muggle born, carrier of the heir or not, was downright bizarre. There was definitely something strange going on betwixt the mother and son, or she'd eat her dessert. Well, she was planning on eating her dessert anyway, but still. With a determined poke at the crème brûlée on her plate, she decided she was going to make this a successful, if nerve-wracking, visit. She was going to find out once and for all what was going on with Draco. If she was able to trust him even a little, then he was going to have to trust her.

The crème brûlée was divine.