Disclaimer: I doubt this needs this much repeating but I do not own Harry Potter or any other recognizable works or characters.

A/N: I am so sorry for the wait guys. I hope you're still here for this.

Nineteen.

There was a moment, a breadth of a second, that Hermione wondered if she was dreaming as she stared at the woman before her. She thought of pinching herself but the little thumps from her midsection were enough to prove that she was, in fact, awake.

Her mom's eyes were moist as she walked towards her before finally she reached out, tentatively, to wrap her arms around her daughter.

"Mum?" Hermione whispered as her mom hugged her tightly against her, afraid that anything louder would ruin the illusion. Slowly she reached out, hugging her mother back as her tears started flowing.

"Oh my beautiful girl, look at you," her mom finally said as she pulled away, holding Hermione's upper arms as she took in the sight. Ever so slowly she let go with her right hand and placed it gently upon the swell of her abdomen. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Hermione frowned, "I didn't- I didn't think you'd care. Last time we spoke Dad said he didn't have a daughter."

Her mother clucked her tongue then as they both stepped further into Hermione's flat and shut the door behind them. "Not a day has gone by that we haven't regretted the things that were said that day. We were hurt, that we hadn't been given a choice but you've always been our daughter. You will always be our daughter, just like this one will always be yours."

"But dad said-"

"Dad said, from what I remember, that you weren't our daughter. He meant you weren't the sweet little girl we cherished and raised. We didn't know who you were anymore, but we- we understand now. Why you did what you did. Why you had to do it."

Hermione thought back to that moment, when she had revived her parents memories and they had reaquainted themselves with being the Grangers. She thought of the horror and anguish that she had felt as her parents cried for what they had lost. Then she thought of the child she was carrying and of losing him or her and the thought made her heart ache.

"I'm sorry-" she said softly and her mom reached up then, cupping her face with her hands.

"And so are we," she said before she pulled her head down to kiss her crown like she had so often as a child. "I'm afraid I can't stay long, I know you've probably already plans for Christmas but we'd like you to come to dinner?"

Hermione nodded, giving her mom a watery smile as they moved back towards the door of the flat, working out the plans for her homecoming.

"Where is dad anyway?"

Her mom sighed, "Robby Fenwick needed an emergency tooth extraction I'm afraid. Even in his thirties he's still a biter."

Hermione grimaced, "Is he okay with this-"

Her mom smiled, reaching out to touch her face one last time, "He's ecstatic. We just want you home Hermione."

Hermione smiled against her mother's palm before she pulled away, opening the door and Hermione thought of one last thing.

"Mum, how did you know where to find me?"

Her mom smiled and with a wink she turned, "Do you think that little one will have blonde hair or brown?"

Hermione sighed as she pulled her coat tighter around her and reached up to knock on the large door. She was sure that the elves already knew of her arrival, seeing as the gates had opened for her when she apparated directly outside of them but she wanted to be polite.

To her surprise, however, it wasn't an elf that answered the door.

"Hermione?" Narcissa asked, clutching her housecoat tighter around her, "What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

"Oh, everything is fine-" Hermione kicked herself for the look of panic that had spread across the other witches' face. "No, I just- is Draco home?"

"Oh," the woman said, pulling the door open wide, "Come in you must be freezing. I do believe Draco is in his study."

Hermione nodded gratefully and stepped inside as Narcissa shut the door behind her. "Thank you, I'm sorry it's so late. I didn't meant to frighten you or-"

"No, it's alright. I'm afraid I was just about to turn in for the evening however. Draco's study is upstairs, third door on the right." Narcissa smiled as she pointed to the grand staircase.

Hermione nodded once and watched the woman walk the opposite direction before she finally headed up the grand staircase.

She wasn't really sure why she had apparated here in the middle of the night, but the thought that Draco had gone to find her parents for her, well she had to do something.

She reached the third door on the right upstairs only to find the door open and the lights off. She pursed her lips, her eyes looking around until she saw the door down the hall only a little. She knew it was the nursery and she smiled as she thought of the sweet little room as her feet carried her towards the light that cast its faint glow on the hallway.

"Draco?" she said softly, announcing herself this time as she gently pushed the door and he spun around from where he was folding a stack of small clothes.

"Hermione- what are you, are you alright? Is the baby?"

Hermione smiled, "I'm fine, I"m sorry, I just- you'll never guess who came to visit me tonight."

Draco frowned before he turned to set the little pyjama set he had been handling down, "Oh?"

"My mum," she smiled and she saw his shoulders tense for a moment before he turned.

"I'm sorry, I was, I just wanted to tell them, and-" he stammered quite nervously and before she could think about it, before she could stop herself she had reached out, pulling him into a hug.

"Thank you," she said softly and she felt his arms come up to wrap around her as she inhaled deeply, savoring the deep scent that was so inherently Draco.

He was looking down at her when she pulled back, "I'm assuming it went well."

"It did," she smiled, not yet moving away from him. "I'm to have dinner with them the day before Christmas eve, I was- well I was wondering if you'd like to go. I mean, if you don't have plans-"

"I'd love to," he said softly and his hand reached up to tuck a stray curl behind her ear.

She could feel it then, the twisting in her stomach and the warmth that seemed to flood from where his skin met hers all the way down to her toes. And then she had raised up, her own toes grazing the floor as her lips touched his.

The same pull was there as before, the energy that seemed to zap between them like an electric shock. His lips pushed against hers and she felt his hand slide from her cheek to around her neck, his fingers tangling in the loose curls at the base of her skull as he pulled her closer still.

She could taste him against her lips; spearmint and firewhisky and she wanted more as her tongue darted out, licking his lips as they opened for her; welcoming her. Her heart was racing in her chest, thudding against her ribs before she felt the kick between them.

She pulled away then, gasping as what they had done settled over her. "I'm sorry-I shouldn't have-"

"Hermione," he panted; his hand reaching out to her once more. "Please."

She shook her head, "We can't- Astoria-"

"I'll end it," he breathed.

"You can't- your mother-"

"Isn't a problem anymore," he said as he slid closer. Hermione took a step backwards, pinching her eyes closed, "she hasn't been around since the last time and-"

"She has," Hermione swallowed, opening her eyes to meet his, "In Diagon Alley, I didn't just fall. She was there-"

Draco froze, "You said-"

"I know. I'm sorry, I just- Draco we're going to have a baby and I didn't know what you would do and-"

Draco took a step back, his face stony, "You don't trust me."

"No," she protested, "That's not, of course I-"

"We're going to have a child together and you don't trust me." he turned from her, moving to place the folded clothes inside the slightly open drawer and she ached to take it all back.

"Draco-"

"I'll take care of it," he said quietly, his voice hard, "She won't bother you or our child anymore."

"Draco, please-"

He spun around to face her then and she took a step back at the hardness of his eyes before she realized her misstep and she saw it then, beneath the glare and the grimace; the sadness as he watched her move away from him. "You lied Hermione, you put yourself in danger, our child in danger, because you weren't sure how I would react. If you can't trust to tell me things like this how will you ever trust me with our child?"

Hermione gaped, "Draco, I-" she stopped, swallowing thickly as she realized it was too late. Whatever was there was fractured.

And it was all her fault.