I'm sorry that I haven't updated this story in a while. I just had a lot going on and I really liked where When In Rome was headed, so I maybe kinda sorta focused on that one instead of writing another chapter on this one, but hopefully this chapter makes up for it. (And if you haven't started reading When In Rome...what's stopping you?! (: Go on, take a peek, tell me what you think.)

Mostly DPOV because I liked that better for this chapter, especially for his scene with a certain someone *wink wink wink* but Hermione does have a little part towards the end of the chapter.

Leave reviews, it makes me happy (:

Enjoy!

DPOV

"Rosie, are you ready to go?"

I watched as she walked into the living room, Hermione following closely behind, a very, very worried expression on her face.

Not that I blamed her. What we were about to do was pretty risky. But it had been her idea.

"Stop scrunching your face up like that mummy." said Rose, tugging on Hermione's hand.

She looked down at her and forced a smile onto her face.

"You're supposed to be happy. This is exciting!" she said, her small face bright with excitement.

Hermione scrunched up her face momentarily before shaking her head and smiling at me apologetically.

"Of course I'm happy. Why wouldn't I be?" she disappeared into the kitchen and I heard bottles clinking.

"Rosie, can you sit on the couch and wait on us for a minute?"

She nodded and plopped down on the couch, and a few moments later the TV was on.

I walked into the kitchen and saw Hermione drinking Fire Whiskey straight from the bottle. I sighed and she turned around to face me, a half guilty look on her face.

"I'm sorry." she said quietly.

I moved forward and pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head. "Don't be. I know you're nervous. Hell, I'm nervous too."

She chuckled and pulled back, hopping up onto the counter.

"Maybe this wasn't the best idea." I said, stepping between her legs, resting my hands on her hips.

"No, we agreed we'd try it this way first."

"But what are the chances that this will work? I mean honestly." I said, running a hand through my hair.

She took my hand in hers and began tracing shapes over my knuckles before she looked up at me and answered, "But if it does work, won't you be happy we did it this way instead?"

I would be happy if it worked out, but what would be the cost if it didn't? I was more worried for her than anything though. "Are you sure you can handle this?"

She nodded slowly, "Yes,"

"Hermione," I said, tilting her face to look at me, "If you don't think you can do this, I get it. I don't know that I'd be able to-"

"Draco," she said, her hands lacing into my hair, "I can do this. For our daughter I can do this."

I couldn't have been more proud of her in that moment. Here she was, willing to face something that she hadn't in over five years, a place she hadn't set foot inside since that night, for her daughter.

How the hell did she have the backbone to confront my family, when I hadn't?

~OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO~

We had apparated right outside Malfoy Manor, and Hermione was clutching my hand tightly. Rosie was on Hermione's hip, a look of awe on her face as she stared up at the Manor.

There was something about the way Hermione looked that automatically let me know she was about to have a panic attack.

But she closed her eyes, and just like that the moment seemed to pass.

"Well come on, before I completely lose it." she said quietly.

I squeezed her hand and we walked up the stairs to the door. I knocked twice, and a few moments later the door opened.

"Master Draco," he stepped aside and let them walk into the foyer. "Who has Master brought with him?"

"My girlfriend and our daughter." I said automatically. We hadn't really labeled our relationship, and I was worried I'd crossed the line, but when I looked at her she was too busy looking around the room. Her eyes darting. I had no doubt that she was reliving the last time she'd been in here.

"Oh, Wispy is happy to meet Misses and child." said the house elf, bowing before looking back to me.

"Shall Wispy go tell parents you're here?"

I simply nodded and Wispy vanished.

Rose had been fairly quiet the whole time and I looked at her and Hermione. When they were this close together it was easy to see how much Rose looked like Hermione. I had no doubt that I'd be fighting the boys off of her with a stick in no time.

And that's when I decided. There was no way that I was giving them up. Regardless of what happened here today, I refused to let them walk out of my life.

I heard the sound of my mother's footsteps on the landing upstairs and pressed a kiss to her temple and ruffled Rose's hair.

"Draco, darling how nice to-"

She froze mid sentence when she spotted Hermione.

I was pretty shocked too. I hadn't seen her in five years. She still looked the same though, except maybe a bit older now. Her hair was still long and blonde, she was still skin and bones, and beautiful.

"What the he-"

"I wanted you to meet my daughter." I said, motioning toward Hermione.

She shook her head and set Rose down, ushering her forward to me while she stayed where she was.

Rose stood next to me and smiled up at my mother, "Hi, I'm Rose. It's nice to meet you. You're really pretty."

My mother's eyes were wide, and I couldn't tell if she was angry or surprised or what.

"Hello," she said quietly, taking a tentative step forward. "I'm Narcissa."

Rose scrunched up her nose and attempted to pronounce my mother's name.

She laughed, actually laughed, and said, "That's alright. You can just call me Cissy."

"Cissy," repeated Rose, a smile on her face. Without a second thought she walked over and wrapped her little arms around my mother's legs.

For a moment she froze, but a second later it seemed as though something in her changed, just slightly. She bent down and picked her up, studying her face carefully.

I was pretty sure I knew what she saw. My eyes, my hair color, my smirk...but Hermione's curls, her lips, her smile...

"You are a very beautiful little girl Rose." she said quietly.

"Thank you." said Rose, running back to Hermione when my mother set her down.

Hermione bent down in front of Rose and was speaking to her quietly. I looked back at my mother, but she was watching them, a strange expression on her face.

"Where's father?" I asked.

My mother frowned and looked at me, "He's away on business. He should be back in a week or so."

I relaxed a bit. Having to deal with one parent at a time was way better than having to deal with both, because I hoped that the mother I knew was still there somewhere.

"Would you...all of you, like to stay for tea?" she asked, somewhat awkwardly.

I looked to Hermione, but she wasn't looking at me, she was looking at the doors that led to the dungeon where she'd been-

"Oh can we mummy? Pretty please?" asked Rose tugging on Hermione's hand.

She simply nodded and Rose took off, disappearing into the backyard.

My mother cleared her throat and said, "Well come on Draco, don't act like a stranger, you've lived here your whole life. You too...Hermione."

I heard her heels click into the kitchen and I turned to look at Hermione. "You okay?"

She nodded and followed me into the kitchen where my mother was actually making tea herself instead of having one of the house elves do it.

She conjured up four tea cups on the table outside and floated a tray with the tea pot on it behind her as she stepped outside.

Instead of joining us at the table Hermione walked over to where Rose was lying in the grass looking up at the clouds, and followed her lead, no doubt pointing out different shapes.

"Are you happy?"

I turned and looked at my mother, who was studying me carefully.

"Yes," I said honestly.

"You always were a difficult child." she said, a small smile ghosting over her features momentarily. "You're father won't be happy."

"And you are?"

"No," she said, looking back over at Hermione and Rose, "But you are. And that's what matters. All I ever wanted for you was to be happy."

"So then why did you help father get into Rose's hospital room?" I asked, trying to keep my voice down.

"What?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"Please, don't act like you don't know. I don't have the patience for it right now." I snapped.

She sighed, a resigned look on her face, "I knew that he was going to the hospital to check...to see if Rose really was yours like Astoria said...but I told him that I wanted nothing to do with it. I told him that I wouldn't pretend to be that nurse."

I took a deep breath, suddenly I couldn't hold it in anymore, "Where the fuck have you been for the past five years?"

She blinked a few times and I saw a tear roll down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away. "I didn't have a choice. He made me stay away."

"What?" I asked, my voice rising louder than I had intended and Hermione looked over at me for a moment, before whispering something to Rose and then both of them headed further into the garden, obviously giving us privacy.

Although at that point I would have given anything to feel her next to me, to have Rose on my lap, but I had to face this first. I needed answers. To everything.

"We got into an argument a week before you were going to graduate. He had set you up with Astoria and everything was ready, but I knew you weren't happy. So I tried to convince your father to change his mind. To not go through with it, but he got so angry-" she broke off for a moment, and I didn't need her to tell me that she'd gotten hit for it.

"He told me that he thought it was best if I left after the wedding, and who was I to say no? So I did what he asked, but then he came and got me a few months ago when you divorced Astoria. He said that Astoria had told Hermione before the two of you married that she couldn't tell you about Rose, but Lucius didn't believe her. Then you divorced her and kept being spotted around muggle London all the time and he started to get suspicious and decided to find out if what Hermione and Astoria had told him was true."

"I don't see how this answers my question about you helping him." I said, trying to reason out everything in my head.

"I did help him, but only because he threatened to hurt Rose and Hermione."

I was surprised that she had cared about them at all, and motioned for her to continue.

"He had me drink a Polyjuice Potion and pose as Astoria for the day, attending meetings so she'd have an alibi if anything happened." she said, looking ashamed.

"Why the fuck is she doing this?"

"Because she loves you, in her own twisted way, she really does want to be with you. But I knew from the beginning that the two of you weren't meant for each other. You didn't look at her the right way."

I raised an eyebrow, "There was a certain way I was supposed to look at her?"

She smiled softly and nodded, "Yes, the way you look at Hermione. That's how you should have looked at Astoria, but you didn't. And that's how I knew."

I reached my hand across the table and placed it over hers, "I missed you."

Tears suddenly filled her eyes and were spilling over her cheeks, "I missed you too. Much more than you could possibly imagine."

We heard Rose and Hermione's twinkling laughter from somewhere further in the garden and she smiled, "She's quite beautiful."

"Well she does have my genes so-"

"No, I meant Hermione." she said, wiping her eyes quickly.

"...what?"

"Look, I don't like this. I don't like that this has to be difficult because of her, because of who she is, because of who you are, and because of who your father is. But I am happy for you. I'm happy that you found someone that makes you happy. You have a beautiful daughter who I hope...you will allow me to continue seeing." she said softly.

"You know I have to talk to Hermione about that."

She nodded, "Of course."

We were silent for a while before she spoke again.

"She's quite the remarkable woman."

I already knew this, but I wanted to know why my mother of all people thought so too. "Why?"

"She's here." she said, looking up at the Manor. "She was tortured in this house by our family, yet she's here. Here for you and here for her daughter. She didn't know that Lucius wouldn't be here, so she was prepared to face him as well, knowing his wrath would most definitely be directed solely at her...yet here she is."

Her voice got quieter as she said the next part, "She is much braver than any of us gave her credit for."

I nodded and saw Hermione and Rose sitting cross-legged in the grass, Hermione braiding flowers into Rose's hair.

I knew that the hardest part was still to come, but knowing that my mother was, not exactly okay with this, but happy for me...it made it easier.

It made me think that this would be okay.

That maybe I'd be able to give Rose the family I'd never had.

HPOV

"So Draco told me that you're opening a bakery. That sounds exciting."

I had to give her some credit. Narcissa was trying to make things less awkward, and it wasn't like I was being particularly helpful. It's just that this house...I couldn't seem to shake the discomfort I felt at being here again.

"Yeah, I'm excited to get started soon." I said, staring at Rose who was teaching Wispy how to play Ring-Around-The-Rosy.

"Where have you been working?"

I looked at her and said, "Buxom and Brant Industries. I got the job right out of Hogwarts."

"Oh, now that's quite impressive. I hear-"

"Mother," said Draco, an annoyed but happy look on his face.

"What? I'm just asking questions. Everyone is quite aware how uncomfortable this is." she said with a shrug.

I couldn't help but agree. This would definitely take time.

Lots and lots of time.

"Well it wouldn't be nearly as uncomfortable if you'd just-"

"Mrs. Malfoy where-"

"Dear, please call me Narcissa." she interrupted softly.

I stumbled for a moment, but covered it quickly and said, "Oh...um...alright, where's the restroom?"

"It's down the hallway, make a left, walk past the green door with black handles and take the first right...I've completely lost you haven't I?" she asked, a smile on her face.

I laughed awkwardly and nodded, "I'm just not used to big houses like this."

"Neither am I to be honest." she said, turning to Draco, "Be a dear and show her the bathroom. It'll give Rose and I a chance to talk. Grandmother to granddaughter."

I wasn't sure how comfortable I felt leaving Rose with her, but something about the way she was looking at her led me to believe that there was no reason for me to be worried.

Draco stood and took my hand, leading me through a maze of hallways and doors, before finally appearing outside a door that had the word, Restroom written on it in calligraphy.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

I nodded, "Yeah...kind of. I mean I don't like being here, but it isn't because of your mum it's just..."

"The house." he finished for me.

I nodded, "I'm sorry."

"You got tortured in my house, and you're apologizing. Typical Granger." he said, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"You know your dad isn't going to be anywhere near as easy as that. Not that that was particularly pleasant." I said, leaning back against the door.

He kissed me softly and said, "We'll handle that just like we handled this. And we've got a week to think of how exactly we're going to do it."

I nodded and took a deep breath. I could do this. We could do this.

And we would, because it seemed like, finally, we were on the same damn page.

So there you have it, one parent somewhat on their side...now to tackle the even bigger issue. Lucius.

Is one week really long enough to figure out how to convince him that what he's thought for years is wrong? I guess we'll find out.

Till next time lovelies.