Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other recognizable character or work.

A/N: What is that you say?! ANOTHER chapter just for you? Why yes, yes it is! I love each and every one of you that reviewed and I was going to reply to everyone but since this was ready to go... Also this next week is going to be busy busy busy busy. I have 2 photoshoots planned and all 3 of my kids have activities (one has 2. Eek!) Then next week I'm going to my very first con with Hufflepuffmommy! (Yay! Hope Salt Lake is ready for us huffletwins!) So it might be a little bit before the next chapter! Let me know what you think and I will definitely reply!

All mistakes are mine!

Sixteen

Hermione sighed as she pulled her feet underneath her and tucked the blanket round her toes before she turned back to the telly, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. It was the first time in what seemed like forever that she had been able to relax and despite the fact that the child inside her seemed to be practicing for a wizards duel, she was sure that nothing could be better at that moment than mindlessly vegging in front of her favorite program. Of course, it wasn't meant to last. Within a few moments her fireplace chimed and she sighed as she pulled her wand from its resting place on the coffee table and opened up her floo.

"Draco?" she asked as the wizard stepped through. "What are you doing here?"

"What did you do?" he asked as he stepped into her living room, his eyes dark and his lips pulled into a thin line.

"I didn't-"

"Granger," he sighed, "I don't need you to save me. I'm not a damsel in distress who needs the Gryffindor princess to step in and use her name to make things right for me."

"Draco," she started with a sigh, "I didn't-"

"So you didn't use your name to get them to allow me to put a repelling charm on the manor"

She bit her lip, tugging it between her teeth before she responded, "It wasn't- I wasn't trying to-"

"I don't need your protection," he seethed before her. "We were doing just fine on our own."

"But you shouldn't have to!" she all but yelled, surprising even herself before she lowered her voice. "Draco you shouldn't be paying for mistakes you made years ago."

"Those mistakes cost people dearly Granger-"

"You were a child-" she said, "We were all children Draco and- and to continue to punish you for what that monster made you do, it isn't right."

"But I did them!" he snapped, "I didn't blink, I didn't question it, I did them Granger. I have to live with them, I have to- to tell our child that I was part of that. That I did that to- to people like you. That I hurt you- Merlin, how am I going to tell our child what I let happen to you?"

The man's voice was broken as he reached up to run a hand through his hair and Hermione noticed, absently, that it was the first time she ever remembered seeing it truly unkempt- as though he had been tugging at the roots. "You'll tell her the truth- or him. You'll tell them that you were a child who made some bad choices but Draco- that's all they were; choices."

"You don't-"

"Draco-" she said softly but firmly, her voice commanding his attention so that his eyes met hers. "Our child will love you. Not for the person you were, but the father you become. And I'm sorry, for overstepping. I shouldn't have talked to the minister about your case without asking you first but I am glad it worked."

Draco scoffed then, his lips quirking up at the corners, "Leave it to you Granger."

Hermione smiled just as a well aimed kick hit her in the ribs, once more knocking the wind out of her as she pressed a palm to her abdomen.

"Are you alright?" Draco asked worriedly and she nodded in return.

"I'm fine it's just-" without waiting she reached out, grasping his hand and pulling it to rest on her abdomen just as the baby shifted within her, pressing one part or another against the place where its father's hand now rested and she heard his sharp intake of breath.

They stood like that for some time as Draco held his hand on the swell of her stomach and Hermione pretended not to notice how his eyes watered as they stood connected through the child between them.

"I think you should invite him," Ginny said as she placed another pea pod into the bowl. "I mean, he is the father."

"Do men typically go to baby showers though? I don't remember Harry attending yours." Hermione asked from where she sat with Jamie on her lap, watching her best girlfriend work in her garden.

"Harry is a git," Ginny grumbled and Hermione bit her lip to keep from laughing at the look on Ginny's face.

"What did he do this time?" Hermione asked instead as Jamie gurgled on her lap.

Gin sighed as she hoisted her basket up on her hip, and walked towards Hermione, "He wants another baby already. Nevermind the fact that he hardly helps with this one as it is."

Jamie let out a squeal at that and Ginny smiled at her son. "I mean I might as well be doing it all on my own…" the witch's eyes widened at that, before she hurriedly corrected, "I mean, not that there's anything wrong with going it alone."

"It's fine Ginny- really. I mean, I'm not really alone. I have all of you and Draco is involved."

Ginny pursed her lips, "And how is that working out?"

"He's trying Gin, he's- he's sweet really and he wants to be a part of the baby's life."

"And Astoria?" she asked as she took Jamie from Hermione and kissed his cheek while Hermione stood up.

Hermione followed her back into the house, rubbing once more at the knot that had formed in her back as she went. "What about her?"

"Well she's going to be your child's stepmother, how does she feel about Draco having a child, about not having the first Malfoy heir?"

Hermione frowned, "I don't know…"

"Well that might be something you need to talk to her about. I mean you wouldn't want her treating the baby differently or anything. Besides she's going to be around a lot and it would be a shame if I had to murder her. Right Jamie? Mummy doesn't want to have to murder anyone does she?" Jamie gurgled happily as Ginny talked to him in a higher pitched voice and Hermione smiled absently as she thought of it.

Astoria was marrying Draco, though she had yet to find out when. She had known the witch would be around but she had never stopped to think about how much of an influence she would have on her child's life and for some reason, the thought scared her.

The rest of her night at the Potter's was spent planning the baby shower Ginny was determined to throw her but her heart wasn't in it. She thought of Draco and Astoria and what her child would mean to them. She thought of visitation and custody and the pain in her chest was almost unbearable as she thought of being separated from the baby that was nestled so snugly within her heart already. Finally, as she slipped into her bed without bothering to change out of her lounge pants once she had returned home, she thought of her own parents and the hole they had left in her own life. It was their faces she dreamt of that night as she cried in her dreams. Of Draco and Astoria taking the baby and how her parents had done the same to her.

Her sleep was restless and broken that night and when she finally dragged herself off of her mattress the next morning she was in a foul mood. Her thoughts were everywhere and nowhere all at the same time and for the first time since she had found out she was pregnant she was well and truly miserable. So it was no wonder when she arrived at the ministry at half past to find a swarm of reporters once more that she pushed past them without so much as a care as they called after her wanting to know what Malfoy had done to convince her to mother the next Malfoy heir. She had half a mind to turn around and show them exactly what they could do with their cameras when one voice spoke out of the din of chatter and her heart stopped.

"How does Astoria Greengrass feel about your relationship with Draco Malfoy?" Hermione stopped, turning slightly to see the little reporter looking at her expectantly, "Does she know?"

"Alright, that's enough!" A voice boomed and Hermione felt the hand on the small of her back, pushing her towards the wand check, "Get out of here and leave her be."

It wasn't until she had checked her wand and moved past the security gates that she turned to look at him. "Charlie, I-"

"It's okay," he said softly, smiling down at her, the ire from their previous conversation gone as he looked at her with nothing but kindness in his soft blue eyes. "Are you alright?"

Hermione nodded but her head turned towards the gaggle of reporters and she shook her head, "Actually no. I- I think I need to leave-"

"Hermione?" he asked but she shook her head.

"It's not the baby I'm just- not feeling well. I-"

Charlie nodded as he grabbed her hand and tugged her back through the security gates, ignoring the flashbulbs as he blocked her from the reporters that were heatedly talking to her as she fled.

"You go on," he said in her ear as he pushed her gently towards a floo, "I'll handle them."

"Thank you Charlie-" she said softly as the man nodded and turned to face the reporters.

She barely heard his booming voice as she spoke her destination clearly before she could lose her confidence and spun away.

The Greengrass estate was much smaller than Malfoy manor and not nearly as foreboding but it still reeked of pureblood money and power. The iron gates pulsed with magic and Hermione didn't dare touch them as she pulled her wand from her pocket and sent a patronus instead. She waited as she watched her otter gracefully glide out of sight and before too long the heavy gates clanged open, allowing her entrance.

Her footsteps were heavy on the cobbled path but she pressed forward and was unsurprised to see the door already open when she made it to the front steps.

"Hermione," Astoria said with a smile as she reached them, "You shouldn't have walked all that way."

"I wasn't sure if there were anti apparition wards and besides it makes me feel ill," she said simply as she took notice of the other witch standing beside her. "Hello Mrs. Greengrass."

The elder witch merely nodded in response as Astoria held her arms open to Hermione, "Please come in, we'll have tea."

Hermione followed the witches into the home and was surprised to find that the inside was much more inviting than the outside. The walls were a cream color and the portraits smiled kindly as she passed free of the vile words that she had expected from a pureblood family like the Greengrasses. She knew that the Greengrass family had experience their own set of difficulties after the war. While the family had never been directly part of Voldemort's inner circle, Astoria's father had given quite a hefty sum to the cause. He had said, after the fact, that he had been given a choice though it wasn't much of one. In the end he had given what he could to keep his daughters and his wife safe and out of the clutches of the inner circle. Despite his testimony he had still served time in Azkaban.

Hermione swallowed.

"I wasn't expecting you," Astoria said softly as they reached a sunroom and she hurriedly picked up a book from the table and shoved a piece of parchment with the words 'guest list' scrawled elegantly across the top.

"I'm sorry to just barge in, I just- I wanted to speak with you in person," Hermione explained as Astoria sat down and she followed suit. "If it's not any trouble."

"It's no trouble at all," Astoria assured her with a smile and Hermione didn't miss that her mother had sat down beside her.

"Well, I was hoping, that is to say, I was just wondering…" she cleared her throat and started again, "I wanted to see how you felt about all of this." She was sure she didn't have to elaborate but she continued, "You're going to be a large part of my child's life and I just- wanted to see how you were faring."

Astoria smiled then, a soft smile that made her nose crinkle and her eyes wrinkled at the corners. She was absolutely beautiful and Hermione swallowed as she felt the stab of jealous go through her. "I- thank you, for asking. No one has before actually- It's-"

"Not ideal," the witch started from her side and Astoria threw her a glance.

"Mother-"

"What Astoria? To be honest I'm surprised Narcissa has let this go this far. If she had any class left at all she would-"

"Mother!" Astoria hissed and Hermione felt her mouth go dry.

"She would what?" Hermione asked despite herself and she saw Astoria shake her head.

Missus Greengrass pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes, "She would have moved the wedding date and allowed my Astoria her rightful place."

"And my child?" Hermione asked briskly.

"You're child is an unfortunate truth though not uncommon," the witch said lazily, "If Narcissa had any class left she wouldn't put on this act. You would simply be what you are, a common whore."

"Mother!" Astoria snapped, "that's enough. Hermione-"

Hermione had heard enough. She stood from the table, bumping it with her stomach as she stood. "I do not know much about Narcissa Malfoy, Missus Greengrass but I can assure you that woman has more class in her little finger than you do in your entire being. She has been nothing but welcoming and thoughtful. And I'm so sorry that my child's existence has put a damper on your plans to marry off your youngest daughter to the highest bidder but you should be glad that she wound up with someone like Narcissa as her future mother-in-law because it could be worse, it could have been someone like you." She turned on her heel then, storming out the way she had came without so much even a glance backwards. It wasn't until she got home, leaning against her doorway that she realized what she had done.