A/N: Wow… It has been quite awhile since I last updated. Okay...a few months. And all I have to say is that I am very, very sorry for making you all wait so long. I don't have much of an excuse, except for real life. I have had a lot going on with my life and amidst the chaos; I lost my inspiration for not only this story but my other two as well. I have had a lot of homework and my life has been anything but peaceful. Aside from that, my obsession with HP has dwindled somewhat, albeit I still love the series to death. I just have other interests as well. I will continue this story until the end. I hate it when I read a story and it is never completed. It is depressing, especially when you like said story. Anyways… I would like to apologize to you all once again. I feel quite horrible about making you wait and I commend your patience. I hope that I have not lost any readers and if I have, I understand. I hope you all enjoy this long awaited chapter and that it does not disappoint. I'm not sure if it is "worth the wait" material but it is important to the plot nonetheless.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the HP universe

Dinner at the Potters

Draco exited the Potter's bathroom once he had properly recomposed himself. He had hoped that he would be able to quickly slip out the door and apparate to the Manor. Unfortunately fate had other plans. Ginny Potter stood in front of him with her arms crossed and her eyes staring at him somewhat expectantly. He looked at her solemnly and she immediately frowned.

"Draco...I" Ginny tried to continue speaking but Draco interrupted her.

"Ginny it's useless. She doesn't want to hear anything I have to say. I'm a monster to her. Let's face it… There is no way in hell that she will ever come back to me." His voice broke as he said the last few words and he looked away from the red head in front of him.

"Don't give up hope Draco. She just needs time to come around. She's confused and overwhelmed. She isn't herself. Don't take anything she said or may say to heart." Ginny took a step toward the blonde man and he took a step back. He did not want her to touch him. He would break down completely if she did. And that was most definitely something that his pride would not allow. Ginny's outstretched hand dropped immediately as she understood his hostile body language.

"Ginny, I appreciate what you're trying to say but I don't think time will change anything. She won't look at me. She won't talk to me. I don't know if I can do this. It's…it…it is killing me." Draco's voice broke and he refused to look at Ginny. He hated appearing weak in front of anyone. Only Hermione had ever seen him cry or be completely open with his emotions… And now he was losing it in front of Ginny. He could not stand this. He was an emotional wreck and he felt pathetic. He was ashamed by how broken he looked and even more ashamed of how broken he sounded…

"I'm sorry Draco… I know you're suffering. But please, promise me you won't give up. If you love Hermione as much as I know you do, you won't give up, at least not yet. I know it feels horrible right now but it hasn't been that long yet. I'm going to talk to her and hopefully persuade her to at least speak to you-"

"No. I don't want her to be persuaded into it Ginny. I want her to speak to me on her own accord. She needs to make the decision herself. If she's forced into it, she won't listen to me at all. You know her, she's stubborn." Draco sighed. Although he hated the situation, he was thankful that he had Ginny to talk to. If he didn't talk to someone about this, it would eat away at him. Aside from that, Ginny was sensible and she wouldn't allow him to sink into complete uncertainty and hopelessness.

She wanted him and Hermione to be together, which was amazing in itself. Both Harry and Ginny had been hesitant toward Draco when he and Hermione had first started dating. They hadn't trusted him nor had they approved but Hermione had stayed with him anyway. Harry and Ginny did not believe that he was serious about Hermione and they had believed it all to be a hoax or a trick of sorts. But in all earnestly, Draco had truly had feelings for Hermione. As time passed, their hesitancy remained but they had acted somewhat civil toward Draco. He remembered Harry and Hermione arguing quite a bit at first but slowly the arguments had faded. Especially after Draco had begun his training to become an Auror. That had surprised Harry and the young wizard had gone into shock for a while. Even Ginny had been astonished that, a former death eater, would join the hunt against dark wizards.

Draco was no dark wizard. He was a product of one's environment. His parent's had been raised to believe in pureblood supremacy, just as he had. He didn't truly blame his parents for what had happened. But he had chosen to break away from that ideology. Since his sixth year at Hogwarts, Draco had learned what it truly meant to be a death eater. He was not a murderer and he never would be one. He had done many horrible things for the sake of supremacy but he would never kill another human being, regardless of their blood status. Ginny had come around first while Harry had been much more reluctant. Draco knew that Ginny had only been more open to Draco because she cared immensely about Hermione's happiness. Hermione had been heartbroken over the fights with Harry and the unwillingness of Ginny. Ginny had decided to see past her initial beliefs about Draco, for Hermione's sake, and had actually ended up becoming friends with Draco, much to Draco and Ginny's surprise.

Harry had finally come around when Draco had completed his training as an Auror. He had been sent on a mission to find several rogue death eaters, with Harry and another Auror. Draco had told Harry as much as he knew about the two death eaters that they were after. By giving this information, it allowed the two death eaters to be caught easier because Draco knew both of their weaknesses. Draco had also been the first to stupefy one of the death eaters. After that, Harry had gained respect for Draco and truly believed that he was a different person. Draco had never been more thankful. Having Harry approve, even in the slightest, had completely changed his relationship with Hermione. She had never been so happy and their relationship had flourished. He sighed as he shook himself out of his thoughts. Ginny was looking at him strangely.

"Oh…sorry Ginny, what did you say?"

"I said, I know that Hermione is stubborn… I still think you should let me try to persuade her a bit. I'm one of her best friends. I might be able to talk some sense into her. She's usually much more reasonable." Ginny sighed.

"I know she is. But… I think I'll just let her be for now. I can't keep doing this to myself. She hates seeing me and I love seeing her. She hates me and I love her. I just wish that this had never happened." Draco pulled at his hair in frustration. Ginny stared at him sadly before speaking.

"I wish that it had never happened too…but wishing can't changed anything Draco. Trying can. So please stay for dinner."

"Ginny, I don't think that is a good idea."

"Well, I do. Please, Draco?"

"Fine. But I want to go back to the Manor first. What time are you having dinner?"

"6:45 p.m. sharp! You better come back Draco or I'll floo to the Manor and retrieve you myself. And you most definitely don't want an angry pregnant woman raiding your home." Ginny said haughtily.

Draco laughed slightly yet a tinge of fear surged through his body. Images of an angry redhead, parading through his home was enough to make him shiver.

"I promise I will come back. I don't want to face the wrath of a hormonal woman." Before Ginny could retaliate, Draco had swiftly walked out the door and apparated back to the Manor. Ginny laughed as she saw him disappear, before turning solemnly toward the drawing room.

Much to Hermione's horror, Ginny had invited Malfoy to stay for dinner.

"Gin, I don't want to talk to him..."

"You don't have to Hermione but that doesn't mean that Harry and I aren't perfectly capable of speaking with him. I thought that I should ask him and he accepted."

"He only accepted so that he could try to talk to me and bother me! It's the old Malfoy showing through. It's all at my expense."

"No Hermione, he only accepted because I threatened him. Cut the guy some slack. You're being rather harsh."

"You threatened him? Why? I know you think I'm being harsh but you don't understand what this feels like Gin."

"Yes I threatened him because I don't want him to give up. Aside from that, you're right. I don't understand what it feels like. But the Hermione I knew would give him a chance. The Hermione I knew would listen to what he had to say. The Hermione I knew was compassionate and selfless."

"Well I'm sorry I'm not the Hermione you once knew."

"Hermione you're being irrational and extremely stubborn. Draco will be here for dinner at 6:45. You can either choose to join us at dinner or fend for yourself."

With that Ginny stormed out of the room and Hermione angrily walked out the front door. She needed some fresh air.

A cold gust of wind pushed and pulled at Hermione's hair softly, as the cold autumn evening descended. Birds and other animals could be heard maneuvering through the quiet forest line beside the Potter household. The sound of a small creek could also be heard somewhere nearby. The Potter's property was indeed lovely and Hermione felt herself calming instantly as she watched the thick grass sway and the leaves move in the brisk brought a calming presence in her hectic life. It was truly the only thing that had brought comfort to her thus far. It distracted her from all her thoughts and allowed her to clear her head. She sighed and pushed her face into her hands.

Why was this happening to her? What had she done to deserve this? She had worked hard all through school. She had defied Voldemort. Helped Harry defeat Voldemort… She was the brightest which of her age for Merlin's sake. How had she lost her memory so suddenly? She had done death-defying things as an eleven-year-old girl and now here she was twenty-two years old, and suffering from abrupt memory loss. And upon waking up in this hell like world, she had realized that she had not only lost her memory but the man she loved too… only to have him be replaced by…Draco "Bloody" Malfoy.

Hermione sighed. She needed to stop feeling sorry for herself. She was usually not one to succumb to stress and sadness. She had survived through horrible things…so why did she feel like she was dying now?

The quiet sound of wind pushed and pulled against the window. The lights in Draco's home office were dimmed and one, in need of a new light bulb, was flickering slightly. Beside said light, a hunched over blonde man sat, in a large red armchair. He sighed as he looked at his wristwatch. 6:35 p.m. He sighed exasperatedly. He was dreading dinner at the Potter's tonight. He only had ten minutes before he needed to be at the Potter house, lest he wanted to undergo the wrath of a pregnant redhead.

Draco knew he should be leaving now, in case he managed to apparate somewhere else mistakenly…honestly anywhere else would be better… He did not know if he could face Hermione again, after the earlier events of today. He did not want to relive the words she said to him. They had been heartbreaking to hear and he did not know if he could prevent himself from breaking down right in front of her or the Potters. He wanted to appear strong yet he felt so weak.

Draco sighed. He needed to try, just as Ginny had said. If he didn't keep trying then he would never gain the life he once had back. Maybe trying would make all the difference in the world… maybe…just maybe Hermione's memory would come back. Maybe she would begin to remember her recent past with him. Draco smiled. He would remain hopeful and he would wait. He would wait for the rest of his life if he had to, in order for her to come back to him. She was worth it. After all, she was his everything now.

Draco abruptly stood up and quickly turned off each of the dimly lit lights. He walked over to the coat rack beside his desk and removed his black overcoat and hat. He quickly exited the room and walked toward the front door of the manor.

6:44 p.m.

Hermione watched as Ginny taped her foot impatiently. The redhead had been standing beside the front door for the past ten minutes. Her foot taping had increased and become more frantic as the minutes passed by. Ginny was no friend of patience and she would be no friend to Malfoy if he did not appear in the Potter yard in less than one minute.

"I told him to be here at 6:45 sharp! If he does not show up, I will find him and destroy him. His beautiful office and nicely organized files will suffer my wrath. I will find his treasured items and annihilate them." Ginny ranted angrily for the umpteenth time. Each time, she had become more threatening and menacing sounding. Hermione shivered slightly. An angry woman was scary…but an angry pregnant woman? She felt a chill run down her spine.

When the doorbell rang out through the house, Hermione had never felt more relieved. She was not pleased that Malfoy was here but she did not wish an angry Ginny upon him. No one deserved that fate. Hermione felt a quick rush of air passed her and looked up to see Ginny hurdling toward the door. Hermione's eyes bulged.

"Ginny you shouldn't be running like that! You're pregnant!" Hermione called after her, but her warning was ignored.

"DRACO MALFOY! It is 6:46! I told you to be here at 6:45! You know I do not like to be left waiting and you also know that I hate it when people are not punctual. It is rude and unsightly to arrive late." Ginny's voice echoed through the house.

Hermione's hands were nervously fidgeting in her lap as she sat on the couch. She grabbed her book and coughed slightly. Harry walked into the room and glanced at Hermione with a knowing look. Tonight was going to be one hell of a night and they both knew it.

"Ginny, please accept my sincere apologies. I truly did not mean to be late. I was planning on leaving my house more than ten minutes ago but something came up. Please forgive me. I brought you some honey-flavored toffees, I know they are your favorite." Malfoy's voice sounded sincere albeit a bit frightened.

Harry laughed loudly and whispered quietly to Hermione.

"If he had not brought the candy, he would be a dead man right now."

Hermione laughed slightly.

"Oh, Draco that was so thoughtful of you! I can't believe you remembered! I'll let it slide this time but if you are ever late again, do not expect me to be so lenient again. You are lucky that I have been craving honey for the past three days." Ginny quickly took the bag of candies from Malfoy and smiled cheerfully before turning her attention to Harry and Hermione.

"Look Harry, Draco brought me sweets." She smiled triumphantly and winked devilishly at Harry before laughing and turning her attention back to Draco. "Draco, come inside. Don't look so fearful, I don't usually bite." The change of Ginny's emotions astounded Hermione. She wondered if it was the pregnancy or if her friend had always been this energized and bipolar.

Hermione watched as Malfoy entered the room. He removed his hat and overcoat and placed them both on the coat rack beside the door. Hermione was surprised to see him wearing a vibrant red sweater with black slacks. Malfoy was wearing Gryffindor red. She nearly laughed out loud.

"Hello Harry…Hermione" Malfoy greeted them softly. Hermione avoided eye contact and simply nodded in his direction before diving into her book.

"Since you were slightly late Draco, we are having dinner at seven now. I am expecting everyone at the dinner table in the next ten minutes." With that Ginny quickly exited the room, humming an old wizarding song that Hermione was unfamiliar with.

Ginny had truly out done herself. The table was decorated beautifully, with a vibrant tablecloth consisting of reds and gold. Deep blue handkerchiefs were placed at each of the four spots at the table. Shiny new silverware was on the opposite side of each handkerchief and in between were beautiful golden plates. Three candles were burning softly in the middle of the table. Hermione stared at the scene in shock.

"Wow, Ginny this is beautiful." Hermione said, her mouth agape.

"Amazing Gin and I'm sure the food will be just as wonderful." Harry smiled earnestly at his wife, who was wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. She looked thoroughly satisfied.

"Ginny, you outdid yourself as usual." Malfoy said as he walked into the room. Harry nodded his head in agreement.

"I know! It is great, isn't it?" Ginny said cheerfully as she exited the room to bring the food in. Hermione quickly left with her.

"Let me help Gin." Hermione quickly grabbed a basket full of warm freshly baked rolls. The smell was enticing. Hermione felt her mouth watering at the sight of the rolls and the other smells gracing the kitchen. Then Hermione remembered something vital… Ginny couldn't cook.

"Um, Gin…"

"Yes, Hermione?" Ginny smiled at her sweetly.

"I'm just curious…but how did you manage to cook all this food?" Hermione knew the look on her face must have been quite hilarious because Ginny broke into a fit of laughter.

"Hermione, do you honestly believe I cooked all this? You know I can't cook! A Norwegian ridgeback would be a better cook than I would." Ginny was still giggling. Hermione was perplexed.

"Then how…?"

"Harry. Oh and the muggle supermarket in the next town over." When Hermione did not reply Ginny continued rambling happily.

"Hermione they have these amazing stores where they sell premade food! Like rolls! All I had to do was place them in the oven and wait until they cooked long enough! I can't believe I've never used this method before. Muggles are brilliant! It is so ingenious! I cannot wait to tell my father!" Ginny was bubbling with excitement. Hermione decided that this was not a good time to tell her friend that she herself had known about such things her entire life.

"Well I'm impressed that you did not burn the rolls Gin." Hermione smiled at her friend earnestly as Ginny broke into another fit of giggles. If she didn't know any better she would have sworn that her friend had just had a rather large glass of firewhiskey but she knew Ginny would never do anything to harm her baby.

"Come on Hermione, it is rude to keep the men waiting." Ginny smiled and walked toward the door. Hermione felt her heart sink. The event she had been dreading had finally arrived. Dinner with Malfoy.

The only sounds that could be heard in the room were the soft tick of a nearby clock, the crackling of candles and the clash of silverware. To say dinner was awkward was indeed an understatement.

Hermione was seated with Harry and Ginny on each side of her and Malfoy across the table from her. Initially she had hoped that dinner would not be so quiet but Ginny's energy had died down. Hermione could hear Ginny shoveling forkful after forkful of food into her mouth. Harry was quietly cutting his steak and Hermione was uncertain as to what Malfoy was doing. Hermione had looked anywhere but him and she had refused to look up during the entire meal. She just could not do it. Why had Ginny invited Malfoy to dinner? Why?

"Tomorrow, Harry and I are going to St. Mungo's. " Ginny said between mouthfuls of food, immediately breaking the silence.

"You don't think something is wrong with the baby, do you?" Malfoy asked, his voice heavy with concern. Hermione watched a Ginny smiled reassuringly.

"No Draco. It is just a standard procedure. They just want to make sure everything is going smoothly… And we are also finding out the gender of our baby tomorrow!" Ginny's voice was full of excitement. Hermione felt her heart lighten and a large smile granted her face. She looked up and beamed at Ginny.

"Ginny that is great! I'm so excited for both you and Harry. Have you both considered any names yet?" Hermione smiled at both Harry and Ginny. Harry was looking at Ginny fondly and Hermione couldn't help but smile. Their love was so pure and beautiful…

Harry and Ginny were living the life Hermione had always wanted. She couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. Harry had the girl of his dreams and Ginny had the man of hers…and now they were going to have a beautiful child together. Harry was an Auror like he had always wanted to be and Ginny was a top notch Quiddich player. What more could the two ask for? It wasn't fair. Hermione suddenly felt guilty. Harry had lived a very difficult life. He deserved to have a true family; after all he had gone through hell as a child. Hermione was ashamed of herself. How could she even question the fairness of life? Harry had lost both his parents and many of his friends/mentors during the war…Hermione albeit losing important people, did not share the same breadth of loss. Harry had lost his godfather and Lupin. He had lost Dumbledore…even Snape, who, albeit being Harry's least favorite teacher, had risked his life countless times in order to protect Harry.

"Um, Hermione, did you hear me?" Ginny was staring at her with a perplexed expression as Hermione was awoken from her thoughts.

"Sorry Gin, just lost in thought, as usual. What did you say?" Hermione blushed from embarrassment and smiled earnestly at her best friend. Hermione noticed out of the corner of her eye that Harry and Malfoy were deep in conversation. She wondered if they were talking about Auror related cases. Hermione's brow crumpled before she turned her attention to Ginny.

"I said that if we have a girl we want to name her Lily, after Harry's mother. And if we have a boy, we would like to name him James, after Harry's father. I think both are befitting names and I know it would mean the world to Harry." Ginny smiled fondly at Harry who was still speaking to Malfoy.

"Ginny that is a great idea." Hermione smiled brightly at her friend. Why hadn't she thought of that before? It made perfect sense. Lily and James… Hermione smiled sadly as she stared at Harry for a moment and then glanced back at Ginny, who had begun to attack her food yet again.

Suddenly Ginny stood up and quickly exited the room. Hermione immediately stood up too, worry etched across her face.

"Don't worry about it Hermione. Ginny probably ate too much too fast or she is feeling sick because of the baby. I'll go check on her. You should eat your dinner. You've hardly touched it." With that, Harry quickly exited the room, to check on his sick wife.

Hermione felt her heartbeat increasing. She was worried about Ginny but she was also terrified because…

She was now alone with Malfoy, which meant she couldn't hide behind Ginny or ignore him and speak to Harry. She was vulnerable now. She could abruptly leave but she knew Ginny would be furious with her if she did. Where was her Gryffindor bravery? She nervously moved her hands and awkwardly looked around the room, at anything but him. Then the moment she was dreading, unfortunately occurred.

"Hermione." He said quietly. Hermione refused to look up at him. She felt so childish.

"Hermione please look at me. I don't care if you look at me with contempt, hatred, anger or confusion. Any of those emotions is better than with indifference or not at all. I can't take it anymore. I feel like you are furious with me…" Malfoy's voice was so quiet and broken that Hermione had to look up to make sure he had actually spoken to her. Grey eyes met brown and Hermione quickly looked away. She heard Malfoy sigh in defeat.

He had tried. He really had. He had tried to catch her eye but she had spent the entire dinner watching her plate or looking at Ginny. It had been impossible to catch even the quickest of glances. She had avoided him all night, until he had finally spoken directly to her. He was not sure why she had looked up but what he saw in her eyes had been extremely discouraging. The look on her face spoke volumes. She was clearly not interested in what he had to say. It was also evident that she was bothered by his presence, which he already knew. He had tried to survive through dinner without thinking about her but it had been impossible with her sitting right in front of him. Conversation with Harry had been interesting and learning that Ginny and Harry were finding out the gender of the child tomorrow, had been great but Draco could not shake off the feeling of despair that was now slowly consuming him.

Draco knew accepting Ginny's invitation would be disastrous. So why, he asked himself, did he agree to come? Her threats did not truly frighten him…well, only a little bit.

But Draco knew why. It was hope. A desperate hope that somehow a fragment of his Hermione would show. Even a glimpse of the girl he loved would be enough…but he hadn't found her, at least not yet. Everything she had said thus far had been carefully constructed. She was an expert at holding back her emotions, when needed. He was grateful that she had at least appeared civil toward him but he wasn't sure if not speaking to him at all was what one could consider as civil.

Thankfully, after that awkward moment at dinner, Harry had stepped in moments later. Hermione had excused herself and now Draco was sitting alone beside the Potter's fireplace drinking hot chocolate, since the Potters had rid their house of all types of firewhiskey. Draco sighed once again. He did not understand why his life had turned upside down so quickly. Everything had been so perfect. He had the perfect job, house and friends…and most importantly, the perfect wife. But now his life was utter chaos. And to be honest, he was not sure what to do about it.

Draco was void of emotion as he watched the fire crackle. His emotions had become numb after a long and emotionally draining day. He felt himself staring into the oblivion. He did not feel anything. He couldn't feel anything. His heart unfeeling. Draco turned his head when he heard Harry walk into the room and sit in the armchair across from him.

"I'm sorry about what happened with Hermione this evening. Ginny feels terrible. I told her it wasn't her fault but you know Ginny, she takes the blame regardless of fault or not." Harry grimaced at Draco and turned his attention to the bright flames.

"It isn't her fault. It has nothing to do with Ginny, so please tell her to relax. Stress is not good for the baby. I agreed to come and I spoke to Hermione. Besides, what else did we expect? I knew she wouldn't welcome me with open arms. She didn't before, so why would she now?"

"I know Draco and I'm sorry about everything. I was hoping that maybe she would try to act civil but as we've said before, she is quite stubborn. I guess she just needs time to sort out her emotions. I'm sure giving her time is a lot harder for you than it sounds." Harry said sympathetically.

"It f**king sucks. One moment my life is perfect… The next it is in shambles. I honestly don't know what to do. I don't know how to handle this situation. I want to be with her so badly but I also want her to be happy."

"Time is the best choice we have right now Draco. I know it is hard but it is all we have."

"I know…but I'm not sure… if…" Draco paused. Why was he talking to Harry about this? He hated being overly emotional. It made him feel weak. He was supposed to be an Auror… Harry was his boss and his partner. He could not appear weak in front of him yet at the same time…Harry had almost become like a friend to him…somewhat of a brother, albeit an annoying Gryffindor brother but a brother nonetheless.

"Its okay to talk about how you feel Draco. Regardless of what society says, men are allowed to talk about their feelings. It isn't a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength." Harry smiled encouragingly. "You can trust me." Draco sighed. No matter how much he hated to admit it, Harry was right.

"I know I can trust you…but you know I have a difficult time opening up to people Harry, which is why having Hermione gone sucks. You know that she is the only person I've ever fully opened up to."

"I know Draco."

"I think I should call it a night. It is time for me to head out. Please thank Ginny for inviting me to dinner and please tell her the food is delicious. I wish you the best of luck tomorrow at the hospital. I'm expecting to hear from you. I can't wait to hear how James or Lily is doing." Draco smiled as earnestly as he could.

"Okay Draco. I'll be sure to let Ginny know. And once again I'm sorry. I promise we will owl you with the news." Harry also smiled.

With that Draco stood up and walked over to the coat rack. He could not help but feel as though his life was sinking into the abyss. Harry's life was so perfect and he felt as though his problems were getting in the way. He and Hermione were worrying Ginny and Harry, while Ginny and Harry should be celebrating. Draco turned around and faced Harry once again.

"Harry I'm sorry about all of this." And with that Draco exited the Potter house and apparated to the Manor.

A/N: I know the gender of babies is usually determined anywhere between 16 to 20 something weeks. And according to my timeline, Ginny is only about 12 to 13 weeks into her pregnancy but they are wizards so they should have some way of determining the sex sooner than muggles. So Ginny will find out now. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Parts of it were hard to write for me. I'm having major writers block. But I think the next few chapters will be much easier to write. In all honesty, it feels good to be back. Until next time -jesokaa