Chapter 8
Pansy rolled her eyes. "You're an idiot," she declared. "What that was about is that Hermione likes you. She wants to be with you. And you essentially told her to forget you and go find someone else."

They strolled through the grocery store, each twin holding one of Draco's hands. He had been unemployed for a week, and Pansy had recruited him to help with her stay at home mother duties. In the past few days, they had been to the park, the zoo, a museum, the dry cleaner, and now the grocery store. He envied Hermione's job.

"You and I both know our relationship isn't like that," he replied. "We're friends, we're roommates, we're having a kid. That's it. She has no romantic interest in me, no matter what you might think."

"Well, I also think you're wrong," she retorted, searching through a pile of apples for the best ones. "Not that my opinion matters."

He stopped to retie Isabella's shoe. "I'm gonna have a cousin, Uncle Draco?" the little girl asked. "Are you and Aunt Minny married?"

"No, Izzy, we're not," he replied, shooting a glance at her mother.

"Are you gonna?" she inquired. "Can I throw the flowers at the wedding? And wear a pretty dress like Aunt Minny?"

Shaking his head, he rose to his full height and reclaimed the kids' hands. "No, Aunt Minny and I aren't getting married," he said definitively. "We are having a baby though. I expect the both of you to be nice, attentive cousins to it. No hair pulling, no holding the baby by one leg. I've seen you with your dolls, Iz."

The little girl, a replica of her mother with dark hair and bright blue eyes, but her father's olive coloring, giggled. "But those aren't real babies, Uncle Draco," she pointed out. "Yours will be real, right?"

Pansy laughed. "Yes, sweetie, their baby will be just as real as you and Vincent," she assured her.

Beside Draco, Vincent, a male copy of his twin, groused, "I'm not a baby."

Draco smiled at him. "Nope, you're a big boy," he agreed.

"Does anyone else know?" Pansy inquired as they made their way out of the produce section. "Or have your parents told everyone about the shame you've wrought on the Malfoy family?"

"They're not telling anyone," he replied. "Hermione has yet to talk to the Weasleys, but she doesn't want me there when she does. I offered to go with her. It's the least I could do after dragging her to tell my parents. But she says no."

Pansy studied the nutritional contents on the sides of two cereal boxes. "Was this before or after she all but told you that she's in love with you?" she asked.

Groaning, he replied, "Quit it, would you? For the last time, it's not like that." Pansy's dark brows rose incredulously, but she said nothing. "Now, while you read every box in the aisle, I'm taking your kids to the candy section to get them all hopped up on sugar."

"Just remember - I will spoil your child the same way," she called after him. "We'll see how you like it then."

Draco chuckled as he led the kids through the store. "Think Mummy will remember to do that when my kid is old enough to eat candy?" he asked.

"Mummy remembers everything," Vincent warned him.

Isabella nodded in agreement. "But she doesn't like when Aunt Minny gets mad at her, so she won't hurt your baby," she assured him.

"Well, I doubt your mum would ever hurt a baby," Draco replied. "But if I know the both of you, I know you'll have his or her back when your mum tries to exact revenge on me."

They turned down the candy aisle and he informed them that they could each choose only one thing. "Can you make it a girl, Uncle Draco?" Isabella asked. "I don't want another boy around. I'm tired of boys."

Draco laughed as she handed him a bag of chocolate covered peanuts. "Sorry, sweetie, but Aunt Minny and I don't get to pick," he told her. The little girl looked crestfallen. "But there's a good chance it'll be a girl," he added in hopes of cheering her up.

"Promise?" she asked.

He opened the bag and placed one piece of candy in her hand. "I promise. Now let's go find Mummy."

They found a worried looking Pansy in the canned vegetable aisle, a mobile phone pressed to her ear. It had been Hermione's idea for them to have them in case of emergencies. And judging by the deep wrinkle between her brows, something was seriously wrong. Draco stopped and stared at her. "What's wrong?" he mouthed.

"Yeah, I'll see you soon. Bye." Pansy ended the call and slipped the phone back into her purse. Eyeing him nervously, she said, "That was Hermione."

Draco could hear his heartbeat pound loudly in his ears. His first thought was of the baby. It had to be alright. "What did she say?" he asked, mere seconds away from a panic attack.

She chewed the inside of her lip, her tell that she had bad news. "The baby is fine," she said, hoping to assuage at least one fear. He breathed a sigh of relief before she continued. "She asked if she could spend the night at our house."

"What? Why?" he demanded. Letting go of Isabella's hand, he rounded the cart to stand closer to his friend. "What did she say?"

Pansy beckoned her children to stay to the side of the aisle where she could see them. "She said that she needed a little girl time," she replied.

"Well, was she planning on telling me about this?" he inquired, his anger growing as his panic dissipated.

She shrugged and continued on down the aisle. "Look, Hermione Granger's mind is a big ball of confusing thoughts to those of us who aren't her," she stated. "I'd prefer to stay out of it."

"Then stay out of it," he suggested forcefully. "This is my life and Hermione's life. If something's going on, I'll handle it. Keep your nose out of it."

"She's my best friend too, Draco. If she wants my help, I intend to give it," she stated, matching his anger. "Why is it, Draco, that when you screw up, it's everyone's fault but your own?"

Shaking his head, he inched closer to her. "I am not having this fight in the middle of a grocery store," he said coolly. "And now I'm going home."

Pansy sighed as Draco walked away, leaving her and her children alone in the store. Vincent gazed up at her with concern in his blue eyes. "Is Uncle Draco mad at us?" he asked.

"No, baby, just at me," she replied. She wrapped up her shopping early, and the family returned home to find Hermione waiting for them.

"I'm sorry," she told her. Pansy sent the children to their rooms, and groceries forgotten, joined her friend on the living room sofa. "I knew Draco was with you. I shouldn't have called when I did."

Pansy waved her off. "Draco's nothing I can't handle," she assured her. "Now, you said there was something you needed my help with?"

Hermione took a deep breath, nervous to ask more of her friend than she already had. "I want to date."