A/N- I want to apologise for the wait on this last chapter I had major writers block and couldn't think how to get this last bit finished I hope you like it and thanks for reading.

Hermione woke to darkness a slight glow illuminating the person opposite her. Draco. She can't believe she fell asleep she was only meant to lay down the alcohol she had at lunch had gone to her head. She looked at Draco opposite her his face glowing in the moonlight. He was fully clothed too. He looked peaceful, almost happy much more than he has been in the past few months. Guilt rushed through her at how she had been. She reached over and put her hand to his cheek taking him in.

Hermione pulled away he finally opened his eyes. Draco thought Hermione looked beautiful as the moonlight washed over her.

"Hey there." Hermione whispered her hand still on his cheek.

"Hi." Draco's voice sounded rough his throat dry. He cleared his throat. "What time is it?"

Hermione leaned away and checked the clock. "4.30." She grimaced.

"Wow. I haven't slept like that for months." He realised he must have had a good eight, nine hours.

Draco looked over at Hermione and had a newfound affection for her. Would any other girl have stuck next to him with the shit he had brought to her door? "I love you." He told her.

She smiled back at him. "I love you too." She leaned in and kissed him.

Draco stopped her before it went further. He needed to tell her what had happened. He answered the unspoken question in her eyes. "I need to tell you something."

Dread quickly filled Hermione when had that sentence been followed by something good? "Ok" she whispered.

"Well you know that Padma had the midwife appointment today?" He waited for her nod of acknowledgement before carrying on. "Well it wasn't a real appointment."

He saw the confusion on her face. He took a deep breath and told her everything. About the Malfoy curse, about his mother's proposal to Padma, about how the baby wasn't his, about the real father wanting nothing to do with Padma or the baby and about his mother was doing all this for money.

"Oh my god Draco!" Hermione couldn't believe what she had just been told. How could anyone do something like this let alone his own mother? She took in Draco who had tears in his eyes. This man in front of her had been through nothing but hell since his childhood.

"I don't know what's worse my mother betraying me like this or the relief at finding out the baby isn't mine. I feel awful."

"You shouldn't. I'm sure your feelings are natural Draco." Sudden anger filled Hermione. "It's those two who should feel awful. How could they do this? How could your own mother?"

Draco sighed. The worst thing is he had felt for a while that his mother must be up to something. She always is. Everything has to be best for her. It's how she had got so far in life, manipulating things. At least he always knew what his father was up to he could never hide it.

"What are you going to do?" Hermione asked.

"I'll have to confront my mother." He couldn't hide from this he had to sort this out head on. "I don't know what I'll say or do, but I have to talk to her. Sooner the better."

"I'm sorry you have to do this Draco. Do you want me with you when you go?" She would be there if he needed her to be.

"Thanks but this is something I have to do alone."

DRACO

I'm stood outside my mother's place gathering my courage. There was no coming back from what she had done. I'd lost both my parents now. I have spent most of my day yesterday with Padma and Elayna trying and not really succeeding in trying to straighten my head. I just know I need to get this confrontation over with and move on with my life.

It takes her a second to answer the door and when she does she seems slightly shocked. Clearly Padma had not warned her.

"Draco, come in." She smiles at me and I think it's genuine. "What do I owe the pleasure? I do hope the other day in the restaurant didn't upset you too much."

I'd forgotten about that. "No mother. This is about something else."

I walk into the living room and stand staring into the fireplace as she sits down. "I haven't heard from Padma. She told me she had a midwife appointment yesterday. Where you there? How did it go?"

"I was there. It was very interesting actually mother." I turned to her and she smiled waiting expectantly. "Everything is ok with the baby."

"That's excellent news. Not long now." She actually seemed to be excited.

"We did find out a few things though." I cross my arms. "Things that will change everything."

"You said the baby was ok." The concern that shows in her face makes my stomach turn slightly and I turn away from her unable to look at her. The concern she seems to be showing for a baby she ultimately knows isn't mine.

"Yes, but she isn't mine mother." I chance glance at her and her face has fallen.

"What do you mean?" She asks almost in a whisper.

"You see there is this thing in our family history I was unaware of till recently." I look straight at her needing to see her reaction now. "The Malfoy curse. All first borns in the Malfoy family will be boys. It is something, I think, you're aware of."

She's silent and I can see her trying to think of something to say. Nothing will help whatever she says. Then quickly her face changes form the concern she had shown to a sneer. "You think I was going to let you throw your life away for that mud blood whore? I don't think so. The Patils are a very well respected pure blood family. Poor Padma had gotten herself into a situation and I had one of my own. Two birds one stone as they say."

"How could you do this to me?" Anger raced through me. "I'm your son." I'm shouting now but I don't care.

"Yes and it is why I did what I did." She said with such an air of superiority I had to stop myself from hexing her.

"It had nothing to do with the money I suppose? I hear that you're broke, you've spent everything."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I run my hands through my hair in pure frustration even when she had been caught out she still couldn't tell the truth.

"I'm saying you have spent the Black fortune that you had, that you have no access to father's money. Only me fulfilling his will would give you access to the vault."

I watched as she stood and brushed imaginary dust from her skirt. "Draco I really think you should calm down."

"Calm down? I just found out my mother has been plotting behind my back just to get her hands on money I don't even have yet. My mother who is supposed to want me to be happy, is meant to do what's best for me."

"I was doing what's best for you Draco. You can't tell me you truly love this mudblood, really, I raised you better." She had a look of amusement on her face.

"I do love her." My mother shot me a look of shock, how could she not have seen this. "I love her more than anything. She's what has kept me going these past few months when I've felt like my world has been spinning out of control. It hasn't been easy, far from it. What we have we've worked for, we've fought for. Nothing is going to change that mother. She is what makes me happy."

She looks at me now, like she's seeing me properly for the first time. Something clearly racing through her mind. "You've grown into a man I never thought you would be." I think then she has recognised that I'm a better man than she ever thought I could be, all because of Hermione. "I'm so disappointed in you Draco."

Shock runs through actually I think shock is an understatement, I'm dumbfounded. How could she say that to me?

"I raised you to recognise the power and superiority of pureblood. I brought you up to realize nothing but carrying on a pureblood line will do in this family. How could you want to taint it so?"

My mouth moves but no sound comes out. How do I respond to a statement like this? My mind is racing.

"I'm sure if you gave Padma a proper chance you would see what a match you make and how much better things would be if you were to marry Padma and raise this child as your own. I'm sure after a while you'd have a little boy and everything would be fine."

"No, no it wouldn't mother." I've found my voice but I still have no idea how to respond.

"Stop acting like a child Draco."

"I am not acting like a child. I'm acting like a grown man." This is it now something snaps. "I've had to act like a grown man since my parents disowned me. I had to fend for myself I had to find my own path. Any other parent would be happy of the man I've become. It might sound big headed but I've fought for everything I've got. I've fought through all of the prejudice you and father put on me. I've found solid friendships. People I can count on. And most of all I've found a woman I love with every ounce of my being. And she's amazing and you're the one that's missing out."

I'm panting now running out of breath as I rush out all my feelings. "Today I lost my mother. I've now lost both of my parents because I no longer want anything to do with you."

As I turn and walk out of the door I hear her calling me but I don't turn around I carry on walking, I disaparate as soon as I can.

8888888

When Draco arrived home Hermione was waiting for him in the living room, still in her pyjamas. She was beautiful to him no matter what. When she saw him she put down her book and waited for him to join her.

Draco sits next her and takes her in. as long as she was next to him he felt he could get through anything. He sat and recounted everything for her and Hermione sat and listened with a tear I her eye for the loss of her boyfriend, she might not have liked Narcissa much but at the end of the day she was still Draco's mother.

With everything Draco had been through the last couple days more than anything there was something else he had to confront too. "Hermione, what about us? What do you want?" He saw her about to say something and stopped her. "I need to know. I can't keep going up and down with us. I have to know what you want." He needed to know she would be there now, his heart couldn't cope with anymore up and down.

Hermione looked at him for a second before answering. "I want what I wanted when we first got together. I want you to want me and for me to want you. I want us to want each other. For us to miss each other when we aren't together, for us to raise a family together, to grow old together. I want to forget all this crap we've been through and I want us to move on. I want it to better than it was before."

"Well I think we can try that. It will take work but if we both want it I know we can." He kissed her and she kissed him back. "Let's start over, be us and fuck everyone else."

"Fuck everyone else." Hermione laughed.

Draco laughed with her. Feeling genuinely happy for the first time in a very long time. He kissed her and was almost content, apart from his mother his life was taking a turn for the best.

Hermione felt like an enormous weight had been lifted from her. She actually felt they would actually be able to move forward with their lives together.