Author's Note: I know I'm getting ridiculous in updating this story now so shame faced apologies all around. This isn't likely to improve in the future mainly because I've had my baby now and spend the majority of my days as either a milch cow or chasing my 3 year old around.

Thanks as always to pagan for her amazing editing skills and general all round cheerleading and for not slapping my wrist at being so slow to write.

Food for Thought

Pansy couldn't help the amused laugh that escaped as she took in Granger's amazed expression. She proceeded to order a cup of coffee for herself and a hot chocolate for the pregnant witch.

"It's not that surprising, Granger. Times change and people change with them."

"I guess. It's still weird to think that you carry Muggle money around with you and interact so easily outside the wizarding world now."

"It was anything but easy to begin with. But when you have your every action being scrutinised, it's amazing how quickly you adapt to the new ways."

"It's good to know that there have been changes."

"More than you are probably aware of. It's hard to cling to the old ways when they have been defeated so comprehensively, and when you've been exposed to how flawed they were in the first place."

"So you don't think blood purity is so important anymore?"

"Yes and no. I'm proud to be a pureblood." Pansy could see that Hermione was antsy with that statement. "Hang on, let me explain before you start to jump down my throat. There is nothing wrong with being proud of your heritage or of the fact that you come from a long line of witches and wizards. The problem comes when you start to try to dictate who is allowed access to magic and who isn't. Or claim that pureblood lines have to remain pure."

"I think I have a problem with the terminology, too. What exactly is 'pure' and how come I'm excluded from being so?"

Pansy shrugged. "You can't win them all. It's how we've been described for centuries. But yes, you have a point. But you try getting a new name to stick. I bet even your Weasley friends call themselves purebloods and describe others as Muggle-born or half-blood, whether they mean it in a good way or not."

From the look on Granger's face, Pansy knew she was right.

"But I really didn't ask for your company to discuss the rights or wrongs of labelling."

The bushy haired witch cracked a smile. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Draco."

"What about him?"

"I wanted to ask you to go easy on him. He's having a hard time of it at the moment."

Granger snorted.

"Okay, maybe not as hard a time as you in the press. But things aren't easy for him. Astoria decided to create a scandal at the worst possible time."

"Are you alluding to Lucius and his mystery illness?"

Pansy was surprised. With how closed-mouthed Draco was, despite his recent confidences, she really didn't think he would've told Granger about his father's illness. It cut close to the bone and the things that affected him the most were the ones he kept closest to the chest.

"It appears it my turn to surprise you," Granger said. "Lucius wanted to meet with me after the scandal broke. I could tell that all wasn't well with him and taxed Malfoy about it."

"And he told you?"

"He didn't have much choice, considering we'd just made a pact to be more honest with each other. I didn't appreciate finding out about his marital problems from Bulstrode or that he'd divorced after his ex-wife decided to be a vindictive cow and publish lies about me in the media."

Pansy snorted. This was why she was fast coming to the conclusion that Hermione Granger would suit Draco perfectly. She'd managed in one conversation to do what Pansy had never managed to do in a friendship that spanned a lifetime.

"Well done on getting him to even admit it. He only told Millie and me about his problems with Astoria a few weeks ago, and I only found out about Lucius last week."

"Is Lucius' illness really as hopeless as it seems?"

"Adrian was over at the hospital the other day. The Spell Damage Healers called him in to give a presentation on some of the new potions available on the market. They seemed particularly interested in experimental ones. It didn't take him long to put two and two together and realise that they are still at a loss on how to treat Lucius."

"So they don't have a clue, basically."

Pansy shook her head sadly. "It appears so. Adrian did some delicate prying. The little information they gave him – mentioning no names of course – didn't sound too promising."

The bushy-haired witch looked down into her drink. "It's strange. There is no love lost between Lucius and I, and I doubt I'll ever forgive him for his actions whilst we were at school, but he is still the grandfather to my unborn child. And I would hate for my baby not to have all its grandparents around."

"Personally, I can't imagine the wizarding world without Lucius. He's always been such a presence," she said, ignoring Granger's grimace. "Look, this is the main reason I wanted to have this conversation with you. Draco will be devastated if his father is no longer there. If he's not going to fall to pieces then he's going to need to feel that he has something important relying on him."

"But surely his mother-"

"He'll pull it together for Narcissa, without a doubt. But that's not what I'm talking about. He'll need someone there for him. Someone who'll give him reason not to withdraw behind the wall he keeps up. Basically, he's going to need you and baby."

Granger shook her head. "Uh… Parkinson, that's going beyond what Malfoy and I have agreed. Yes, we'll have this baby in common but that's about it."

"And I'm asking you to think beyond that. I'm asking you to try and be his friend. If the Healers don't make Lucius better then you can give him something the rest of us won't be able to."

"I think you're looking too much into this."

"Look, you're going to share a bond that is that baby. It's going to mean you have to work together and compromise on all sorts of complicated issues. But, Granger, I'm saying it could be more than that. He's already told you things in a short space of time that he's kept hidden from his lifelong friends."

"That's because he's had to be more open for the sake of the-"

"Child," Pansy finished for her. "Exactly my point, Granger. I'm not asking you to be his new best friend. He's got two of those already. I'm asking you to be that person who is outside of his usual life. Someone he can turn to and just vent."

"This is Malfoy – I don't think he does venting."

Pansy cracked a small smile. "No, he doesn't. He bottles it all up but, for some reason, you've breached his emotional dam before – albeit unintentionally. Imagine what you could do if you put your mind to it."

"I don't know. You're asking quite a lot of me."

"No, it just appears that way. Don't you want to have a good relationship with him for the sake of your child?"

"Well, yes, but it's more complicated than that."

"Only if you make it."

"That's such a Slytherin answer."

"Yes, and Draco is a former Slytherin. I'm not being deliberately obtuse. I understand your reservations. I just don't think they are important. This is something that would benefit the pair of you and the baby. Give it a go, Granger. That's all I'm asking."

And with that, Pansy drained the last of her coffee and stood up. "This has been remarkably civil," she said with a smile.

"At least you're not haranguing me for being a home wrecker."

She chuckled. "There was nothing to wreck. However, Draco is definitely ripe for the picking if you feel like a spot of, how did that old bag put it? Man stealing."

"Ha bloody ha!"

"Think about it," she said with a wink before leaving Granger at the table staring after her with a shocked expression.

Pansy gave into the jaunty smile she'd been desperate to release during that whole conversation once she was back on Charing Cross Road. Adrian might be right in saying that Draco needed to realise any potential feelings for Granger on his own but that didn't mean she couldn't give the bushy-haired witch a better understanding of Draco's personality – or plant some ideas in her head about just what could happen between them.

Hermione was left sitting in the café in shock. Had Parkinson just suggested what she thought she had? There was no way anything of that sort was happening. Surely it was obvious to anyone who'd attended Hogwarts that she and Malfoy were about as incompatible as any two people could be.

She caught sight of the clock on the café wall and swore under her breath. She was running late for the Weasley Sunday Lunch.

In her haste to get to the Burrow on time, Hermione didn't have time to process the looks or comments that came her way as she dashed into the Leaky Cauldron and used the Floo Network to get to Ottery St. Catchpole

She stumbled out of the fireplace at the Burrow just as everyone was sitting down around the table.

"Hermione! There you are. We were wondering where you had got to," Molly said, coming over and giving her a hug.

"Sorry, I got delayed at Diagon Alley."

Harry shot her a concerned look. "You didn't have any trouble did you?"

"A bit. Some nosy old biddy thought it was her place to try to chuck me out of Babbity Rabbity's."

"What!?" Ron asked, outraged.

"Pansy Parkinson was there and she diffused the situation before I could hex anyone."

"Parkinson?!" Ron said in disbelief.

"I know. It was odd but I'm late because she wanted to have coffee with me afterwards."

There was no outburst from Ron this time, just a baffled look on his face.

"What did she want to talk about?" Ginny asked.

"I think mainly to tell me not to give Malfoy a hard time."

"I take it either he or Lucius put her up to it?" Harry speculated and there were instant scowls on the face of the Weasley men.

There were no secrets between Hermione and the Weasley family – they were like incredibly close cousins and she'd had no compunction in telling them all about Lucius' idea. The Weasley males had instantly become over-protective. Hermione was considered the same as Ginny – an honorary little sister who needed to be guarded from predatory or manipulative men like the Malfoys. She'd rolled her eyes and informed them that she was more than capable of looking after herself, which had put an end to the rampant testosterone but the mutterings had continued about what sneaky plan Lucius and his spawn were plotting.

She shrugged. "I doubt it. But even if Parkinson was, it wouldn't make me anymore positive towards the plan. I've had a rotten week but that hasn't meant I'm willing to sacrifice my integrity and attempt to play happy families with Draco Malfoy."

"That's right, Hermione, you tell 'em!" Ron said enthusiastically albeit it a little incoherently as his mouth was full of roast potatoes.

Deciding that it was time for the conversation to finish, she picked up her knife and fork and cut into the delicious looking slice of roast beef on her plate.

Early evening found Hermione sitting on one of the old deckchairs out in the Burrow's garden, clutching a mug of tea. It had been a glorious summer day and the beautiful greens of Devon's countryside had managed to soothe away her frazzled feelings earlier. It was at times like this that she really appreciated being a witch. Being able to do her shopping in Diagon Alley in the heart of London in the morning to then being able to spend an afternoon relaxing in Devon, something that would normally be a five hour journey from London in the car.

The soft padding of bare feet drew Hermione's attention away from the soft evening sunshine and she turned her head to smile at Luna, who proceeded to sit cross legged on the deckchair next to Hermione's.

"Devon's always been my favourite county," Hermione said. "I used to come here as a child with my parents. We'd hire a holiday cottage in Dartmoor and spend our time hiking and climbing the Tors. Those holidays are some of my most treasured memories. I still have a jar of marbles I bought aged eight at the House of Marbles in Bovey Tracey."

Luna smiled. "Dartmoor is a special place. No wonder it called to you. My mother would take me there to wander the many old stone circles. There is a lot of latent magic in there."

"Really?" Hermione asked. "I've never really thought about it but the Merrivale stones and circle is where I had my first experience of magic. A sheep had become stuck in a one of the large cysts. The capstone had been split in half. It was scared and bleating non-stop. My parents were discussing going to one of the farmsteads to let them know when I managed to levitate it out of the hole. I was six at the time and my parents were baffled as to what had happened. They managed to convince themselves that I'd somehow shown the sheep a way out."

Luna laughed softly and Hermione smiled, thinking back on her childhood. It seemed so far away now. The hardest thing she'd found in becoming a witch was the inevitable distance it put between her and her Muggle family. There was a natural barrier placed between them as they couldn't understand her life in a way they would've been able to have done had she been a teacher or a doctor.

The circumstances surrounding her pregnancy hadn't done their relationship any favours either. Her mother couldn't understand why she'd even want to go down that route when she had plenty of good years ahead of her. Her father hadn't understood why a Muggle clinic wouldn't have been a better option. They hadn't been too impressed by the fact that Malfoy was the father either. They knew all about his family's blood prejudices having witnessed Lucius' and Arthur's argument in Flourish and Blotts in the summer before her second year at Hogwarts. She'd also come home and told them various things about Draco and his vile personality during her time at school.

"Is there anything you want to talk about, Hermione?" Luna asked, pulling her from her rather maudlin thoughts. "I felt that you didn't tell us everything at lunch earlier."

It was the opening that Hermione hadn't realised she'd been waiting for and with the perfect person. Whilst she might always be closer to Harry, Ron and the rest of the Weasleys, Luna offered a different kind of friendship. One that was a lot less conventional but also less judgemental. Luna wasn't prone to anger but instead held a calm, reflective personality that she'd always been slightly jealous of. Her crazy ideas masked the fact that Luna was very at home in her own skin. She didn't fear the mockery of others. Neither did she seem to suffer from the self-doubt that could sometimes cripple Hermione, who appeared so self-assured on the surface.

"Do you think I made a mistake in rejecting Lucius' proposition?" she blurted out, not bothering to put a gloss on the words.

Luna looked at her intently. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, it's just how hard this is all becoming. I really thought I'd have a shot at squashing the rumours with my censored version of the truth but it doesn't appear to be dying down at all."

"But would a pretend relationship with Draco make any of this easier?"

Hermione shrugged. She really didn't know but she wasn't sure how much more she could take of the gossip.

"Maybe it would make it more palatable Lucius suggested," she said.

Luna tilted her head and gnawed at her lip. "I think you did the right thing. I'm not sure anything good would come out of you and Draco pretending to me be romantically involved. I can see the temptation, but I doubt either of you would be able to keep up the pretence necessary to pull something like this off."

She smiled gratefully at her blonde friend. She needed the calm reassurance that she had made the right decision. She turned her attention away from the former Ravenclaw and stared once more at the dappled sunlight.

"Besides, I think you'd have more success in creating a lasting relationship if you just allowed yourselves to trust each other."

That had pulled her out of her contemplation of nature. "What?!" she asked, her head slewing around to face Luna once more, shock written all over her face.

Luna said nothing instead settling to stare at her with a playful smile on her lips.

"Why do people keep saying things like that to me?" Hermione asked.

"Oh? So I'm not the first person to mention it?"

"Parkinson made a flippant comment about Malfoy being ripe for the picking if I fancied it."

Luna said nothing but took a sip of her tea. Hermione wasn't fooled. She could tell that her friend had observations to make.

"What, Luna? Please, just spit it out."

"I'm not sure you're ready to hear it."

"Give me a go. I'm a big girl."

"Well, it's just that I've noticed how lonely both you and Draco are."

Hermione scowled. "I'm not lonely."

"Not in all senses, no. You have a great circle of friends, but you've never settled completely into a relationship. And, to be honest, from the things you've let slip, I think things between yourself and your parents could be a lot better."

She looked down into her mug. Somehow, Luna always managed to get to the heart of the matter. She'd done so in their schooldays with Harry and she was proving just as wise with her situation now.

"I sometimes think this is the curse of the Muggle-born. To not truly belong anywhere."

"You belong in this world, Hermione. I can't speak about the Muggle world, but you definitely belong here."

Hermione smiled warmly at the former Ravenclaw. "Thank you. I don't know what's wrong with me tonight, but I feel so maudlin."

"You're going through a tough time. Pregnancy is never easy on the emotions and to top it all off, you have lies being printed about you in the media and strangers believing this gives them the right to make judgements about you."

"And it doesn't help with friends and former enemies seem to think I should be shacking up with ex-Death Eaters," she said slyly.

Luna laughed. "It was just an observation on mine and Pansy's behalf. I want to see you happy and it appears she wants the same for her friend."

"I doubt being romantically involved with Draco Malfoy would make me happy and vice versa."

"Oh, I don't know. I already told you that he looked happier in your company than I've ever seen him with Astoria."

"And just how many times have you seen him with Astoria?"

"Just here and there but I'm not as hostile as you, Ron, and Harry. I've had conversations with him and even an apology for my imprisonment at Malfoy Manor during the war."

Hermione stared at her friend, open mouthed in shock.

"He really isn't as bad as the three of you make out. He's done a lot of growing up and is not the same arrogant boy he was at school."

"Well, that's something at least."

"Open your mind a little, Hermione. You might find that he surprises you," Luna said, patting her hand before standing up and walking back into the Burrow.

Hermione continued to sit in the deckchair. She'd been given a lot of food for thought today. Maybe it was time she stopped thinking so much about the past and concentrated on the future. After all, Malfoy was going to be a part of it for a very long time, thanks to the child they shared.

Draco wandered into the large kitchen that took up the back of Malfoy Manor. It was a relic of the Manor's previous days with a large open fire that had once been used to spit-roast meat and many work surfaces with a long wooden table in the middle. There were larders and storage cupboards leading off from various points of the centre room and its huge windows overlooked the kitchen garden, where vegetables and herbs grew.

Usually, it was bustling with the team of house-elves that ran the kitchen and its gardens but at this time of night it was quiet. It was his favourite time to come, raid the larder, make a cup of tea, and just sit on the bench that ran along one side of the table. He sat there now, munching his way through the large slice of fruit cake he'd just cut. It was a good place to gather his thoughts.

He'd been over at Millie's house. She'd held a dinner party to introduce them all to the new Healer she'd started dating. Draco vaguely remembered him from Hogwarts. He'd been five years ahead of them and in Ravenclaw, and hadn't ranked hugely on Draco's scale of interest. But he was a nice bloke and he seemed to treat Millie well. Pansy had gushed over how gorgeous he was, with his luxurious brown hair and piercing blue eyes. Which had made Draco and Adrian roll their eyes but Millie had just blushed.

The sound of soft footfalls made him turn away from the darkened windows and face the door. His mother came in quietly and stopped in surprise when she saw her son already seated at the large table.

"Draco! When did you get home?"

"About twenty minutes ago."

"Didn't Millie feed you enough?" she asked, with a raised eyebrow.

He looked down at the cake and smiled in amusement. "She did. I'm just eating for something to do."

"Is her beau nice?"

"He seems pleasant enough and fairly smitten with Millie."

"That's good. She needs that after how Ludovic treated her."

Draco scowled at the mention of Millie's ex-fiancé, who'd turned out to be a cheating scumbag.

"Yeah, well, if he treats her anywhere near that badly, then Adrian and I will have something to say about it."

Narcissa sat next to her son with a glass of water.

"Do you want me to make you a cup of tea?" Draco asked.

"No, it will only keep me awake. But as you're here, I want to run something past you."

Draco mentally groaned. He felt that he really couldn't take any more information at the moment. It had been bad enough when Pansy had pulled him aside at the dinner party to tell him that she'd had to intervene to stop Granger from hexing some hags who had been hassling her in Diagon Alley earlier. He didn't want to feel bad for the situation he'd put the bushy-haired brunette in, but he couldn't help it. If it wasn't for his spiteful ex-wife, then the media and nosy members of the public wouldn't be hounding her.

"There's no need to look like that!" his mother said, a smile on her face. "It's nothing bad. It's about your birthday next weekend."

With all the turmoil going on in his life at the moment, he'd completely forgotten that he was turning 30 next Saturday.

"What about it?"

"Well, I wanted to throw a small party for you."

This time he did groan. "Mum! I really don't think now is the time for a party."

"Oh hush, Draco! It's not every day that you turn 30."

"There's not much to celebrate. I'm 30, divorced, and have a test-tube baby with a woman who hates my guts."

His mother looked disapprovingly at him. "It's no wonder things are such a mess if you're going to be so depressed about matters. You will have a small party, whether you like it or not."

"Mother, I'm turning 30 not 5! I think I can decide what I want to do."

"Tough because I've already sent out invites. I've invited the usual crowd but I was wondering if you wanted me to send an invite to Granger. I think she should be there."

"Won't that just cause more speculation?"

"It's not as if the media will be there. Besides, people are going to have to get used to the idea of the pair of you being linked – even if you have spurned your father's plan."

"Do you really think now is the time?"

"There's no such thing as a good time, Draco."

He nodded his head in resignation. "Okay, send an invitation to Granger. You'd better send one to those two dopey friends of hers and their wives. I doubt she'll want to attend without any moral support."

Whilst his mother smiled happily at his thoughtful suggestion, he was already dreading how this birthday party would turn out.