GINNY

I'm unbelievably worried about Hermione right now. I tried to convince her a quite drink at mine would be better than going out, but no she had insisted we go to The Leaky Cauldron.

Here I am sitting in a booth, on my own watching on as Hermione dances on the dance floor to the band they have on.

I think Hermione has had more to drink than I had realised. She's stumbling about as she's dancing. How am I meant to get her to talk if all she wants to do is dance and drink the night away?

Poor Hermione, all this mess with Draco must be affecting her more than they had thought. She had been acting strong, hiding her feelings but they were sure to come to a head soon.

Hermione stumbled back to our table grabbing the bottle of wine we have on our table and refilling her glass.

"Don't you think you've had enough?" I ask worried.

"Definitely not." She says putting the glass to her lips.

"Hermione." I stumble out. "I wish you would talk to me."

Hermione laughed a loud, almost hysterical laugh. "About what exactly? About how my boyfriend is having a daughter with someone else?" She pauses to take another drink of wine. "About how the thought of it almost kills me? How the jealously is like a knife in me?"

"Oh Hermione." Poor Hermione. "You can't keep all this bottled up inside. It will only explode and make a mess."

Hermione wipes a tear from her cheek. Maybe this was a good idea after all if it was going to make her talk.

I get up from my seat and make my way to her side. I bring her in for a hug tightly wrapping my arms around her.

"Hermione I know this must be hard but if you don't talk to someone, anyone it will only get harder."

"I know." She says in my ear. "I guess I've been trying to ignore it."

I run my hand over her back trying to comfort her. "That's going to be almost impossible in a few months' time."

She pulls away from me. "I know, I know." She takes a deep breath. "I need to just let loose tonight get drunk, dance and deal with it all tomorrow."

Ok maybe I can give her this one night. What harm can it do? "Ok." I smile. "Let's get some more wine then."

Harry was going to kill me.

DRACO

While Hermione was out with Ginny I decided I would try and talk with my mother. After not speaking for so long I didn't want to disrupt that now. She was so set-in her ways I just needed to find a way to cope with it and to get mother to accept Hermione.

When I got there an unexpected face answered the door. It was Elayna, a second cousin from my mother's side. When she saw me she gave a high pitched scream and threw her arms around my neck in a hug.

"Oh my days Draco!" She says in her thick French accent. I'm stunned she's here. "I was going to come and find you tomorrow."

"Elayna what are you doing here?" I wrap my arms around her middle hugging her back.

It had been about ten years since we had seen each other. And she was one of the last people I expected to answer the door.

"Oh I was so bored at home I needed are change so I thought why not visit aunt missy?" She pulls away and holds me at arms length. "You look good Draco."

"You too Elayna." A huge smile spread across my face. Elayna had always been one of my favourite people to see. I would get quite excited when I knew she would be visiting. Unusual for me. "I'm so happy to see you."

I pull her into another hug. "It's been way too long."

"Elayna who's at the door?" I hear my mother's voice enter the room and our eyes meet over my cousins' shoulder. "Draco."

She sounded shocked and I don't really blame her. The last time we had talked I had stormed out of a restaurant and left her on her own.

"Mother." I say releasing Elayna and walking in properly.

"I'm glad you came." She said quickly recovering herself. "I have something for you."

She leaves the room and I turn back to Elayna. "How long are you staying?"

"At the moment a week or two." She grinned. "But who knows if I like it I might stay."

"Well while your here we will have to meet up. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

"Oh is this the baby mama?" when she said that with her accent I couldn't help but laugh. She quickly joined in.

Before I could answer her to say no my mother came back in with a box. She placed it on the table and put her wand away.

"What's this?" I ask, curious but still laughing.

"This is some of your old baby things I kept. I thought you might be able to use them for the new baby." She leant down and began to empty the box.

"You kept some of my baby things?" This didn't sound like my mother.

"Of course."

She starts to unpack and I realise none of these things are what you would call gender neutral. They are all boys' things. Even the blankets couldn't be used for a girl. Also some of the things had the Slytherin Serpent on them something I don't think Padma would be happy about.

"Mother." I interrupt her. "These are all boy things."

"Well yes Draco you are a boy."

"No mother, I mean Padma had her scan. The baby's a girl." There was a slight pause from her and I could feel a rush of tension fill the room even from Elayna. My mother quickly regained herself almost as if I hadn't spoke, this time placing things back into the box. When I turn to Elayna her face had fallen no longer looking happy.

"What's wrong?" I ask her.

"Nothing is wrong." My mother answers just as Elayna opens her mouth. "We were just hoping for a boy."

That was not the reason. He could tell but he would find out what it was soon. "Well now you'll have a granddaughter to spoil."

"Your right." Mother straightens herself out. "It would be nice to have another girl in the family."

I thought my mother would be almost ecstatic with the news the baby was a girl but for some reason she seems almost upset. There was definitely something going on.

"Why don't I go make some tea then?" Elayna said rushing from the room.

"Are you alright mother?" She seems to have lost her equilibrium.

"Yes of course. A granddaughter is going to be fantastic." She wasn't looking at me.

"I'm going to go help Elayna with the tea." I make my way to the kitchen hoping I'll get some answers.

I find Elayna leaning against the counter arms wrapped around herself, biting her lip.

"Ok Elayna what the hell is going on?" She jumped when I spoke obviously not realising I had followed her here.

"Nothing." She plastered a smile on her face and started gathering the cups.

"I'm not an idiot Elayna. I know something is up." I run my hands through my hair in frustration. "Please just tell me."

I watch as she sighs and her shoulders slump. "Ok but not here. Meet me for lunch tomorrow."

"Why can you tell me now?"

"Because I can't." She looks over my shoulder as if checking no one was listening.

I watch as she takes the tea bags and sugar from their pots. "Do you take sugar?"

"One." It's a clipped answer but I can help it. I want to know what's going on.

"Don't be like that Draco. I will tell you what I know tomorrow." She hands me my cup. "Now act like you're happy."

She pushes past me with the other two cups in hand. I take a second to compose myself before I join them. When I get there the box is gone. Out of sight out of mind maybe?

I went through the motions as I sat there with them knowing something wasn't right. There was something I didn't know. Something I could feel was important.

We all laughed at the stories about when Elayna and I were younger. They were good times before everything went south. Now I'm about to become a father. This should be a happy time for me but its turning out to be a nightmare.

I'm pretty sure Elayna was hoping I would forget because when I mentioned I would owl her about lunch her face dropped slightly.

All I can think of now is what this secret is. I'm sure it has something to do with the baby, I just have no idea what it could be.

I'm finishing my bottle of beer when I hear a noise at the front door. I walk up to it, listening and taking out my wand. There's someone talking but I can't hear what's being said. The door knob turns and rattles. I turn the lock and open the door quickly. There, stood in front of me, is Hermione. Drunk.

"Yes. I knew I could open the door." She has a note of triumph in her voice.

"Hermione you're holding your lipstick not your keys."

She looks at her hand and laughs. "So I am."

"Come on let's get you inside." I hold my hand out to her and she takes it almost falling over as she reached for it. "Careful Hermione."

"Draco I think I'm drunk." She slurs. No shit, I think to myself.

"Ok let's get you some water shall we?"

I quickly go to the kitchen after sitting her on the couch. I grab a bottle of water from the fridge and make my way back.

I kneel in front of her and hand her the bottle sans lid. She takes a small swig and looks down at me. She cups my face in her free hand and I close my eyes at her touch.

"I love you Draco." She whispers.

"I love you too." I say putting my hand to hers.

"I don't know if I'm strong enough for this." She takes a shaky breath. "I hate her."

"Hermione."

"I do Draco." She interrupts. "Not the baby obviously it's not their fault. But Padma."

I don't know what to say. I just reach up stroke her cheek and kiss her. This is what I'd been afraid of Hermione realising she dint want this. She might love me now but what happens in a few years?

"It's not fair." She slurs. "Just when we were happy."

"I know." My heart aches. I wish there was something I could do to make it better.

"I think I need to go to bed now." I almost laugh at her. This would be funny if she hadn't been so hurt she had to go out and get drunk.

"Ok baby lets go."

Yes I'm not sleeping at all tonight.