Author's Note: Thank you for your amazing response to the first chapter. I was blown away by how many of you were interested in this story. For those of you who left anonymous reviews, thank you, and if you have an account, please do log in as I like to thank my reviewers and answer any questions you may have.

Some of you have pointed out that there is a similar story out there. I wasn't aware of it and haven't read it, so, hopefully, only the concept is the same.

Big thanks, as always, to arosesinnocence for her hard work in making this chapter infinitely better

The Terrible News

Hermione wiped her sweaty palms on her trousers. She didn't think she had been this nervous in her life, and that included taking her N.E.W.T. exams. Her heart was pounding, and her stomach hadn't truly settled since she'd received the letter. She wished she could blame it all on the morning sickness, but her increasing anxiety about her upcoming appointment wasn't helping matters. The last two days had been a nightmare. She spent the majority of her waking hours playing out terrible scenarios. This resulted in her tossing and turning when she should have been sleeping, and she now had huge black bags under her eyes and unruly hair to testify to it.

She pushed the clinic door open and was immediately greeted by the smiling receptionist. Hermione couldn't help looking towards the pin board of smiling babies. What if this news was some awful genetic disease that saw her having to terminate her pregnancy? What if there was a complication that meant she couldn't have any more children? Hermione felt clawing despair at this thought.

Instead of waiting in the reception area today, she was escorted straight to the Director's office, which only added to her nervousness. However, she supposed this was protocol with any incident this grave.

"Mademoiselle Granger," a tall Germanic man said, coming across the room to shake her hand.

"Mr. De Braun," Hermione replied.

"Please, call me Sebastian," he smiled.

Hermione smiled and offered the same courtesy. She sat in the chair opposite Sebastian's rather impressive desk and rubbed her stomach. It had become quite a habit recently.

"Hermione, I do apologise for having to bring you back to the clinic after your treatment was so successful," Sebastian started.

"I hope you'll forgive my rudeness, but as you can imagine, I'm pretty anxious. Would you mind cutting to the chase and telling me what happened?" she asked honestly.

Sebastian looked a little taken aback. He probably had a whole spiel prepared. "Yes, of course, I understand this must be very nerve wracking for you."

Hermione smiled and nodded her head encouragingly. "Unfortunately there was a mix-up in the laboratory with our sperm samples. It seems that the sperm you chose from your particular donor was mixed up with another client," Sebastian explained.

Her initial reaction was overwhelming relief. This was something she could deal with. So her ideal sperm donor wasn't the father of her child. It wasn't as if they had any undesirables on their books. Every sperm donor was rigorously checked and vetted. Maybe the father was sporty rather than academic. That wasn't so terrible. Her child would have a chance of at least being able to fly a broom competently.

"Is it possible to see the file of the donor whose sperm I now have?" she asked, surprised with how remarkably calm she sounded. The writhing snakes were still present in her stomach, but she was feeling a great deal more positive than she had during the past few days.

Sebastian looked a little uncomfortable. "Well, I'm sorry to say, but this is where it starts to get a little complicated, Hermione."

"What do you mean?" she asked wondering how much more complicated this could possibly get.

"It's that the sperm that was mixed up with your intended sample wasn't from a sperm donor but a potential father - a father who very much wants to be part of his child's life."

Her head spun. She couldn't cope with this right now. "But I specifically decided on sperm donation because I don't want the biological father playing any part in my child's life."

Sebastian spread his hands out. "I truly am sorry, Hermione. All I can do is refund the money that you paid and offer to put you in contact with a good legal advisor."

She wasn't particularly pleased with this. "So are you suggesting that the biological father of my child will seek contact?"

Sebastian sadly nodded his head. "Indeed, Mademoiselle. I know that is precisely what this client will do. He made that very clear during the meeting we had yesterday. So far we have kept your identity a secret. That will only be revealed to the other client once it has gone before a court."

She closed her eyes in despair. This was turning into a disaster. Okay, so it still wasn't as bad as a genetic disease, but there was now talk of court proceedings. She had not factored a father into her new life. It was always going to be just her and little Iris. Now, there was potentially a court case in order to keep the biological father out of her baby's life. Oh Merlin, a court case meant that it would be splashed all over the news and everyone would know how she got pregnant. Witch Weekly, Rita Skeeter in particular, was constantly trying to ferret out gossip regarding the 'Golden Trio.' This would warrant a spiteful lead article from Skeeter.

Then there would be the disappointment from Harry, Ron, and Ginny. They wouldn't understand why she had gone down this route when she constantly turned down their attempts to match-make her with their friends and colleagues. Ginny had even offered to set her up with one of her old Harpies teammates. Hermione had firmly rejected that offer, reassuring her friend that she wasn't suppressing any homosexual tendencies. Hermione was worrying about her parents more than anyone else. They would be really confused by her decision.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of the office door banging open. She turned around in alarm to see an angry Draco Malfoy seething in the doorway. The receptionist was wringing her hands behind him. "I couldn't stop him, Monsieur De Braun."

"Monsieur Malfoy, you cannot just barge in here," Sebastian protested.

"Yes, I can. I refuse to be fobbed off with weak platitudes regarding the ethics of giving me the woman's name. This is my child we're talking about," he said angrily.

Hermione groaned as the implications of Malfoy's speech crashed in on her. She was having a baby with Draco Malfoy. She felt like crying. This whole decision was coming back to bite her on the arse.

"Monsieur Malfoy, I've explained to you several times, that due to Mademoiselle Granger's legal contract, I cannot divulge her identity unless given a specific court order to do so," the flustered Director said.

Way to go! she thought. You did just that. Sebastian seemed to realise this at the same time and he turned in apology to Hermione with a look of horror on his face. She couldn't bring herself to get upset. Malfoy was standing in the same room as her, and it wasn't as if he wouldn't recognise her. She slewed round in her chair to face the hard glare of her school nemesis.

Draco Malfoy cursed as he took in the woman sitting opposite the Director. This could not be happening to him. It was bad enough that his plans about fatherhood had gone awry, but now he discovered that the witch he'd gotten pregnant was none other than Hermione Granger - the bane of his Hogwarts existence. He observed the woman who was now carrying the next Malfoy heir. She didn't appear to have changed much since school. Her hair was still an untameable mess, and, unlike many other girls, she wasn't too concerned about wearing make-up to improve her looks. She looked him up and down with that swotty, stuck-up expression she seemed to reserve for Slytherins, and himself in particular.

"If you don't mind Monsieur Malfoy, I would like to continue to explain the situation to Mademoiselle Granger here. If you would please wait in reception, we can discuss your options afterwards," De Braun said.

Draco quirked his right eyebrow, he didn't respond well to taking orders. "Malfoy, get out," Granger snapped at him.

"I don't need to speak to you, De Braun," he said, ignoring Granger's command completely. "Just make sure there is a room where Granger and I can talk afterwards."

"I'm afraid I need Mademoiselle Granger's permission for that."

She looked as if she'd dearly love to refuse. Draco decided to make her mind up for her. "Granger, you and I will have this discussion. We can do it here, away from prying eyes and ears, or I'll track you down somewhere a lot more public."

She glared at him but obviously knew him well enough to realise he would carry out his threat. "Okay, I agree to speak to Malfoy after we conclude this meeting," she said formally to De Braun.

Draco nodded curtly at both occupants of the room before following the clearly relieved receptionist out of the room. She settled back behind her desk and continued on with her work, occasionally shooting him disapproving looks.

He sighed. His father was going to have kittens, and Astoria was going to throw the largest hissy fit yet. He frowned upon thinking about his wife. He was in this mess because of her.

Draco sneered at the collection of magazines on the table in front of him. He didn't want to be pissing around waiting for Granger. He had things to do. He needed to make sure he had scenarios for all situations and possible ramifications in place. This just wasn't allowed to go any further wrong than it already had.

The receptionist's telephone rang. She walked over to him. "Mademoiselle Granger has finished her meeting now," she informed him.

He stood and followed the receptionist through to a small consulting room. He pursed his lips as he saw that Granger had placed herself behind the desk. Her stern expression reminded him of McGonagall, and he felt as if he was a naughty student about to be reprimanded. Well, he wasn't playing that game. He shut the door in the receptionist's face and leant back against it.

Hermione frowned as she took in Malfoy's looming presence across the room with his arms folded and a deep frown on his face. The anxiety of her situation flooded back.

"You wanted to talk, Malfoy," she opened, as it seemed the Slytherin was just content to glare at her.

He stalked closer, and she couldn't help but curl up a little protectively over her stomach. "Don't even think about harming me or the baby," she said in a panic.

Malfoy scoffed at her and pulled out the chair opposite hers. "Nice to know that you think I'm that depraved," he remarked.

Hermione gave him a scornful look. "If I do think that way about you then it may be because my acquaintance with you has shown me how unkind you are. And no, I will not have an abortion," she said, determined to get that idea out of his head now.

He ignored this completely. "How many weeks pregnant are you?"

"Seven," she replied.

"Does your partner know that it's not his baby?"

And there it was: the bit she was dreading having to explain, especially to someone who'd spent a large part of his life tormenting her. "I don't have a partner," she mumbled.

Malfoy leaned closer to her. "What was that, Granger? I couldn't quite catch your whisper."

"I don't have a partner," she snapped and glared at him.

His eyebrows rose at that. "So you don't have a partner? Why are you at a fertility clinic then?"

"Just because I don't have someone in my life doesn't mean I don't want a child," she snarled.

"You got pregnant by sperm donation," he deduced and started laughing.

Hermione pushed her chair out and stood up. "I'm not having this conversation with you, Malfoy. My pregnancy is none of your business."

"Oh calm down, Granger, and sit back down. Unless it escaped your attention you are carrying my child there, therefore it is very much my business."

"No, it's not," she said emphatically. "You may be the biological father but you will have nothing to do with this child."

He stood and braced his hands on the desk and leaned menacingly into her face. "If you think I'm going to just skip out of your life and let you raise the Malfoy heir by yourself then you need to think again," he growled.

"Just go and make another deposit of sperm and impregnate whichever unfortunate female you had picked out to be the mother of your precious heir," she bit back, crossing her arms defensively.

Hermione watched as a myriad of emotions crossed Malfoy's face. He was usually so closed off and reserved that you never got to really know what he was thinking, but she could see anger, disappointment, and sadness pass across his face. "It's a little more complicated than that, and I don't see why I should have to explain it to you."

She folded her arms across her chest. "For the same reasons you just gave me. You're the father of my baby, so I think I get to know what's so complicated. Besides, aren't you married? Can't you just deposit another sample with your wife?"

Hermione was taken aback by the rage that infused his face. Was there something more to his marriage than just fertility problems? He appeared to battle with it for a few seconds before the Malfoy poker face was back. "I don't know what kind of man you think I am, but there is no way I'm just going to conveniently disappear knowing that my son is out there and doesn't know his own father."

"Do I really have to answer that? You were a monumental prick at Hogwarts, and I'm hardly likely to think that you would welcome a little half-blood child with open arms." she spat out. "Besides, won't it cause problems amongst your circle knowing that there is a half-blood Malfoy? The purest of pureblood lines will have ended."

"Doesn't make a difference, a half-blood Malfoy exists now whether I like it or not," Malfoy said.

"No one has to know. It could be our secret," she pleaded hoping that Malfoy would treasure his pureblood heritage over any potential child, and if she was stuck with the worst luck and found herself with a baby who looked like Malfoy, then she'd find a way to explain it away.

"No! I won't let you just walk away. I want to see my child," he insisted.

Hermione was tired, and a headache was developing. She hadn't managed to eat very much before attending this meeting; the morning sickness and the anxiety caused her stomach to reject everything but an apple. "Well you can't. I deliberately went for sperm donation so I wouldn't have the complication of a father," she said.

"I don't care. That's your problem, not mine. I will be a part of this child's life."

"No, you won't," she argued. "My contract with the clinic states that the sperm donor has no rights to try and contact me or the child."

"I think that's the clinic's mistake and my contract nullifies that term, Granger," Malfoy said smugly.

"We'll see about that," she snapped, getting to her feet and flouncing out of the room.

"I hope you have good legal representation, Granger," he called after her.

The Malfoy family had come out of the war pretty much scot-free. Despite everyone knowing that Lucius Malfoy had lied about being under the Imperius curse during the Voldemort's first reign of terror, and that he had been present at Voldemort's side since his resurrection, he and Draco had avoided being sent to Azkaban. The Wizengamot had spared them this ignominy, much to Hermione's disgust. Their reputation had been tarnished at least, and they spent a few years on the sidelines whilst those they considered inferior, like Hermione, rose to the top.

However, with some well-placed donations and some exemplary behaviour, Lucius was once more seen around the corridors of the Ministry. Draco managed to wrangle his way onto the Board of Governors at Hogwarts and had several business interests in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. The Malfoy fingers were very much back in the pie, and Hermione hated it. It was infuriating, and now she was going to have to go up against the might of the Malfoys by herself. She wasn't sure she had the fight in her when she was so sick and depressed. She apparated back to her flat and lay on the sofa crying.

Meanwhile, Draco was frustrated. Why did the mistake have to happen with the world's most stubborn witch? One thing worked in his favour; at least she wasn't in a relationship with someone. A single mother was easier to fight in court than someone with a husband, or a long-term partner.

Thanks to the Malfoy's innate ability to keep their personal lives extremely private, none but Astoria's immediate family knew of the problems in their marriage. He planned to keep her around just until he won custody of the child, and then he would dump her. The Greengrasses wouldn't complain since Draco owned their family business, and if they wanted to maintain their wealth and their position in society, then they would keep their mouths firmly shut.

However, upon noticing how tired Granger was, he thought that maybe a little bit of pressure would work in order for him to get his way. He might even be able to take full custody of the child and pay for her to have more treatment so she could have another baby afterwards. It wasn't as if she was attached to this one because it was the result of a loving relationship - she'd gone for sperm donation after all.

That thought brought Draco to the perplexing topic of why. He couldn't say he'd seen much of Granger or her numbskull friends after the war. He learned all he needed to know from the Daily Prophet's incessant reporting on the Trio after the war. He knew that Potter had taken over running the Auror Department not that long ago, whilst Weasley, being the dead-beat that he was, was working as a minion for his brother. However, news about Granger had been scarcer since she kept herself out of the limelight. All he knew was that she did something pretty high-up in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She had written and passed several laws promoting the well being of house-elves, which had made his father curse her pretty roundly. They ended up having to free their house-elves and offer to pay them. It was certainly something that no Malfoy would have dreamt of doing on his own.

Not that Malfoy cared one way or another, but it was strange to see her reduced to sperm donation to get the child she so seemingly desired. Well, she was truly mistaken if she thought that she was going to be able to deny him access to his child. It wasn't happening. He Apparated back to the Manor. He needed to speak to his father and organise what to do next.

AN: Yes, you were all right – and it's a mix-up with the sperm donation. Although none of you were right on why Draco would have sperm at a fertility clinic, so I hope that has taken you all by surprise.

Those of you reading And We All Fall Down know that I'm going on holiday for just over a week, so there'll be no update next week but the next chapter is written and beta-ed so will be posted in two weeks time.