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

A/N: I really have no excuse for how long this took. Life is crazy. I hope you're still with me. Thank you to my wonderful huffletwin HufflepuffMommy for sticking with me. I love your beautiful HuffleSelf! Also, it's almost a holiday here in the states and for the first time in seven years I have extra days off. I hope to be able to catch up on everything.

Chapter 18

"Are you going to eat that?" Hermione asked as she looked at the untouched half of the sandwich on Charlie's wrapper.

Charlie chuckled quietly before he quietly pushed the wrapper towards her, "I'm glad to see you've gotten your appetite back."

Hermione grumbled around a bite of the sandwich. In truth she had gotten her appetite plus some. She was sure she could currently give Ron Weasley a run for his money. It didn't help that for the past week her office had been inundated with cases and her free time was shrinking almost as fast as her waistline was growing. Without Charlie's near daily visits to her office she wasn't sure she would remember to eat at all.

"Well, by all means don't let me stop you then," the man laughed as he also slid his half empty bag of crisps her way, "I'm more comfortable feeding a dragon to be honest."

Hermione glared half-heartedly at him, swallowing the food in her mouth to poke her tongue at him just as someone cleared their throat from the door.

"Draco!" Hermione said in surprise.

The man in question nodded cordially at them both, "I'm sorry to- interrupt." Hermione watched his gaze shift to the man sitting opposite her, the tension in the room seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

"You're not," she said quickly, when Charlie made no move to dissuade him from the idea. "Please come in."

Draco glided into the room, his air so different than the last time she had seen him and so reminiscent of his father.

"I was just leaving anyway," Charlie said as he pushed his chair back from her desk, "I'll be out on assignment for the next week or so. Remember to eat."

"Yes mum," Hermione said with a roll of her eyes and Charlie laughed once before he turned and sobered.

"Malfoy-" he nodded at the man.

Draco nodded but said nothing more, his jaw tight as the man left the room. Hermione rose a brow but sighed as she pushed the food away from her.

"He didn't have to leave," the man finally said as he turned back to her but she noticed there was no remorse in his words. "In any case, I wanted to speak with you. I have some business to attend to and have to leave tomorrow evening." (how about "and I'm leaving tomorrow evening." instead?)

"Oh?" Hermione asked.

"It's not ideal but if I don't take care of it now, I don't estimate being able to again until after the baby is born."

Hermione nodded. "I'll be fine Draco, I am a grown woman, I can look after myself," she smiled, no bite to her words.

"Well if the Weasley is to be believed-"

Hermione grimaced. "I've been busy," she explained. "The new werewolf legislations went into effect and we've been swamped with complaints."

"I could commission our elf-"

"No," she said quickly. "That won't be necessary, honestly. Believe it or not, I won't starve from missing one meal here or there."

"While that concerns me as well," Draco smirked, "My main concern is how you can reach me should anything happen with the baby in my absence. I know we haven't spoken about it but I would like to be close… in case."

"Talked about-? Draco- of course I want you there. I mean, if you're comfortable with it…" she trailed off as she thought of the sheer awkwardness of the situation. "And I honestly think we'll be okay but if it will make you feel better-"

"It would-"

She smiled slightly, "Do you have a mobile?" the blank stare he gave her was answer enough, "It's a- nevermind, hold on."

She moved her chair back then, standing up and moving to one of the shelves behind her desk. The small tin that sat there was one of the only things that was dusty, unused in so long. She picked it up gingerly and opened the lid, dumping the contents into her palm before she turned around and handed it to him. She saw his jaw tighten as the charmed galleon fell into his hands.

"I'm sorry," she apologized quickly, thinking of Madam Rosmerta, "I forgot-"

He shook his head, "No, it's fine. Genius really. It will- it will be faster than any other method of tracking me down."

"We could send a patronus, if you'd rather."

Draco shook his head and reached up to slip the galleon in his pocket. "This is fine Hermione, really."

He left soon after, with a promise to check in if his trip took longer than expected. Hermione spent the night at Ginny and Harry's, playing with baby Jamie and listening as Ginny planned her baby shower while Harry made faces at her behind his wife's back.

The rest of the week went by in a flurry of paperwork and interdepartmental memos. She spent her spare time-what little there was- cleaning out her spare room to make room for the baby and helping Ginny, and Molly, finish the details of her baby shower. Which was how she found herself with both of the women that weekend walking through Diagon Alley with purpose. The pram between them clearing a path through the crowded streets.

"You'd think it was boxing day," Ginny ground out as she glared at another woman who bumped into the trio and gave an exasperated sigh.

"Well it's nearly there," Molly said, "In any case, we've got our list, let's just-" she gestured up the alley and started to move away.

Ginny let out her own sigh, "Shopping with her-"

Hermione chuckled as she watched Ginny expertly maneuver her pram around, the crowd parting to let her through but when she started to move herself, the crowd pulsed again and the path the redhead witch had made closed, trapping her.

She felt like a salmon swimming against the current as she weaved through the crowd as best she could. She apologized as her stomach bumped into unassuming bystanders and tried to scan through the openings in the crowd for any glimpse of the red hair of her pseudo-family to no avail.

Finally, she gave up, moving with the crowd instead of against it until she ended safely on the opposite side of the street. She had just pulled her wand to try and find Ginny when a hand shot out, grabbing her wrist roughly and pulling her back into the dimly lit alley beside Slug and Jiggers apothecary.

"What-" she started to say, whirling around to come face to face with her assailant. The woman was leering at her, her face caked with too much rouge that did nothing to hide the wrinkles that settled there. Hermione imagined, as she stood toe to toe with the witch, that the woman had once been beautiful. Now she looked, haggard and tired. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, you can," the woman said, her voice low and immediately Hermione felt the hairs on the nape of her neck rise. "That's my grandchild you're carrying-"

Hermione felt her heart drop as she finally looked at the woman, really looked. Draco had always seemed a carbon copy of Lucius but here she could see the subtle features he had picked up from this woman. Her full lips and the barely-there dimple in his chin. Hermione swallowed, "Draco is-"

The woman yanked Hermione's arm again. "Draco isn't here." She squeezed Hermione's arm tighter until her fingertips started to tingle. "And you and I- we're the same."

"We're not-"

The woman laughed then, her yellow stained teeth glistening in the dim lighting, "Aren't we? You think he wants you? You're nothing to him but a convenient place to put that-" she gestured to Hermione's midsection. "Once he gets here you'll see, we're more alike than you think."

The woman let go of her then, letting Hermione's hand fall without gentleness as she smirked haughtily.

The anger flared in Hermione's gut then, fueled on by the desperate need to protect her child even now. "We are nothing alike," she spat, "I care for Draco and his mother-"

"And you think that matters?" the woman crooned, "Not to them."

Hermione powered forward, "and I would never be so cruel or greedy that I would sell my child for a paycheck."

The woman lunged then, her hands knocking Hermione backwards into the wall behind her and the pain shot through her like a lightning bolt as she cried out in pain, crumpling to the cold ground. There was a shout, a flash of light and then a pop and then there was only black.

"I'd like for you to stay here for observation overnight," the healer said clinically.

"I really feel fine," Hermione started to say but the glare Ginny sent her way was enough to stop a curse in it's tracks. "Okay."

"Hermione, are you sure you don't want me to send out a team-" Harry said again.

"I'm sure-" Hermione answered, again.

Ginny glared again, "This woman was-"

"Ginny, please." Hermione said, "I'm just… tired. I'd like to get some rest and besides, Ron and Cami could use support, I'm sure."

Ginny sighed at that. It wasn't until she had gotten Hermione to St. Mungos that she had heard that her brother and soon to be sister-in-law were here about to welcome the newest Weasley. "I don't want you to be alone."

"I'll stay," Harry said, "Jamie is with Ang, I won't leave her… or let her leave against healer orders."

Hermione grumbled, as she had been planning on doing just that, and Ginny grinned as she walked around the bed. "We know you too well. Keep my little niece or nephew inside there safe and don't make me curse you as soon as he or she is born."
Hermione laughed at that and allowed Ginny to kiss her cheek before she moved to kiss Harry and finally, mercifully, left.

"I won't tell on you if-"

"Nope," Harry said, moving to sit in the chair by her bed and pulling out a stack of papers, "Have you met my wife?"

"You're right. She'd know."

"Immediately," he laughed.

It was then that Hermione remembered the galleon in her pocket. "Harry, can you get me my wand? I should let Draco know-"

The man made a face, which she ignored, before finally handing her the wand Ginny had stashed away. She quickly sent the message through the coin, hoping the words she sent would be enough to assure him that she was fine before she stashed it back in her pocket and set her wand on the bedside table.

She tried to read, even opening the Daily Prophet in a desperate, fruitless attempt to keep her mind occupied but in the end it was no use. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander. She thought of the nursery at home- still unfinished- and of the child she was soon to be bringing into the world. Her thoughts drifted then to the woman who had accosted her in the alley. In truth she wanted to see the witch put away but she knew- knew- how hard Draco was working to keep his family secret just that. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to protect it, she only knew that she did.

What felt like only minutes had passed as she started to drift off before the sound of a commotion right outside her door jolted her awake.

She met Harry's ever watchful eye as he put his book down and stood, pulling his wand from his holster, "Stay here," her ordered.

Hermione rolled her eyes and watched as he moved towards the door, only waiting half a beat before she palmed her own wand and slid from the bed.

"Just let me in," a voice said loudly, "They can clear this all up then-"

"Sir, I'm sorry but I'm afraid I can't allow-"

"Do you know who I am?" the other voice asked and Hermione sighed just as Harry pulled open the door.

"Malfoy."

"Potter," Malfoy grumbled, "Tell your goon here to let me in… Hermione, why are you out of bed?"

Hermione grimaced as Harry shot her a look over his shoulder, "Well I couldn't very well let you walk into that alone could I?"

"He's fine Gribbons," Harry said to the man outside the door and Hermione narrowed her eyes at the man.

"Did you station one of your junior aurors at my door?"

Harry merely shrugged sheepishly. She made a mental note to go back to Japan and buy every single Harry Potter caricature doll she could for Jamie.

Draco walked into the room with an air of purpose, his long strides passing Harry as though he didn't exist as he crossed to Hermione, "I got your message-"

"At St. Mungos, had a fall, all is well?" Hermione asked with a raised brow.

Draco pursed his lips, "I suppose in context it doesn't seem quite so...dire."

"It's fine-" Hermione said, "I'm fine. I hope I didn't pull you away from business."

Draco was already shaking his head, "No, this comes first but in any case I was set to return home tomorrow anyway."

"Oh, good," Hermione said dumbly, realizing for the first time just how close he was and she shook the thoughts that assailed her as she pulled herself away from him. "I am fine though. As is the baby."

"They checked?"

"Three times," Harry piped up this time. "Would have been a fourth if I hadn't gotten here when I did. The poor mediwitch wasn't sure what to do between 'Mione and Ginny."

"It was fine," Hermione said dismissively. "We just wanted to be thorough."

Draco nodded in agreement, "it's what I would have done if I were here. How did this happen anyway?"

"Well-" Hermione edged, "I was in diagon alley-"

"Did something happen?" he asked, his voice and jaw tensing.

Hermione eyed Harry but spoke quickly, "no, no nothing like that I just misstepped over the cobblestone and hit my head, it was nothing."

Harry eyed her over Draco's shoulder, his brow furrowed so deep that his eyebrows looked like one.

"Well, if you need an elf to do your shopping-"

"No, nothing like that," Hermione said, turning her attention back to Draco. "It was just busy and I wasn't as mindful as I should have been."
Draco studied her for a moment before he finally nodded, "I am glad, that you're safe. Both of you."

She smiled at him before she turned, hoping with everything in her that Harry would let her explain.

"What was that?" Harry asked as he wheeled her out of the room the next morning- a precaution the hospital had said.

Hermione sighed, "Harry-"

"No, don't you 'Harry' me," he said, copying her sigh. "You know you didn't trip. Who was that woman and why don't you want Draco to know?"

Hermione bit her lip, of course she wanted to tell him but it wasn't her secret to tell. Even if she hated Draco- she didn't- she wouldn't betray his trust.

"I wish I could tell you but it's- it's not my story to tell. Just know that I have a good reason Harry and trust me?"

Harry eyed her for a moment before he finally nodded, "Okay."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah but the moment anything happens like this again I'm telling Draco and anyone else that needs to know."

Hermione grinned, "Deal."

Harry took Hermione home and made sure she wasn't going to run out the moment he left before he finally bid her farewell to get Jamie from Angelina and go check on Ginny at hospital. Hermione took the day to herself, running a warm bath- with bubbles- and using her wand to make her lunch while she sat on the couch catching up on her muggle shows. It wasn't until later, as her eyes grew heavy that the owl tapped on her window. She heaved herself from her place on the sofa, holding her stomach as she waddled to the window and opened it to allow the bird entrance. It swooped elegantly through the room and she smiled to herself as she recognized just who the bird belonged to. She tried, and failed, to ignore the heat that rose in her chest as she picked up the envelope the bird dropped unceremoniously before flying back out the way it came.

H.,

I wanted to stop by again today but mother said it best to let you rest. Please let me know if there is anything you need. I will get it for you personally.

D.M.

The guilt sawed through her then as she read through his letter once more. Of course she wanted to tell him what had happened in Diagon Alley but she also was sure that it wouldn't end well, one way or another.

Before she could contemplate too much, however, there was a knock on the door of her flat. She wondered, as she walked, just how much Draco had brought with him before she swung open the door, her heart dropping to her stomach as she saw the woman standing there and she felt her lungs tighten.

"Hello Hermione."

"Mum?"

A/N: Thoughts?