Hermione woke up around 8:30 the next morning. She opened the windows in her room to let some fresh air in and then jumped into the shower. When she got out, she went to her closet and found something to wear before going over to her favorite chair to read for a bit. When she looked down at her watch, it was already 10:05. She was late. She quickly put her shoes on and apparated and walked to the cafe. It was 10:20 before she arrived, and she kicked herself as she walked in and saw Draco sitting alone at the same table they shared before. A cup of coffee was waiting for her.
"I am so sorry, I am late. I got ready quickly and sat down to read for a bit. Time escaped me."
"Don't worry about it," Draco smiled at her, and they talked about what she had been reading for a while.
"So I was thinking while I was getting ready this morning," Draco waited for the question he knew would come, "What do I wear to a gala?"
"Well, I will be in a tux. It is a mix of wizards and muggles so that no one will be wearing traditional dress robes. Most of the women wear gowns."
"Gowns?" Hermione didn't own a gown.
"Are you going to Diagon Alley to shop with Ginny tonight?"
"Yes?" Hermione wasn't sure what that had to do with this situation.
"Well, there is a place there that sells gowns. If you go in and tell them I sent you, they will help you out. You can put it on my tab if you want."
"Draco, that won't be necessary."
"I am the one that asked you to come as a favor to me; I should be the one to buy your dress."
Hermione thought for a minute. How would she explain any of this to Ginny? "Alright, are they going to believe me when I tell them to put it on your tab?
"I'll owl the owner. It will be taken care of when you get there. Do you think you'll go tonight? I should owl them soon if you are.
"Well, you never even told me when it is."
"Right. it is next Saturday night."
"Well, it looks like I don't have any other choice."
"I should have told you about when it was last week."
"Probably." Hermione rolled her eyes and wondered what kind of dress she was going to buy. She had never been to a gala, and she didn't want to look out of place, especially if she was accompanying the CEO of the company that was hosting the gala.
They talked for a bit more before Hermione had to leave. Draco kissed her cheek goodbye, and Hermione thanked him for everything, and she walked to an alley and apparated back home. She was caught completely off guard when Ron was standing in the kitchen looking at the pictures on the refrigerator.
"Ron, what are you doing here?"
"I came back an hour ago and knocked, and you didn't answer, so I just went back and got the key. I came to get the rest of my clothes.
"Oh..." Hermione looked at the clock; it was almost two. Ginny would be here soon, and she prayed she would be early.
" 'Mione?" Ginny came through the fireplace with a smile on her face that Hermione was dressed and ready to go.
"Ron, what on earth are you doing here? I said two."
"I...I couldn't remember, and when there was no answer, I thought it was alright. She just came back."
Hermione put together that Ron needed his things, and Ginny thought it was a great idea to have him get them while they were away. She wondered if Ginny set the whole shopping trip up just so she would be out of the house when he got here.
"I am sorry, Hermione, I thought you were going to be out. I just figured it would be easier that way." Ron could barely take his eyes off of the floor.
"It's fine, Ron. You could have just called." Hermione stepped into the fireplace with Ginny, and they were off.
"So..." Ginny didn't know if her friend was upset with her.
"You were trying to make it less awkward, Gin. It is no big deal."
Ginny grabbed Hermione's hand and led her down the pavement with a smile on her face. She was going to be giving Hermione some great news today.
"Did you have anything you needed as well?"
"Well, maybe later, but we can get what you need first." Hermione was nervous to tell Ginny about everything that had been going on.
"Well, here is the first store I wanted to hit." Hermione didn't even bother looking at what it was. Mostly because Ginny dragged her in too quickly. Soon Hermione realized this was all baby clothes and furniture. Hermione's eyes began to water. She turned to her best friend and looked at her closely. Ginny was glowing and smiling bigger than Hermione had ever seen.
"Really?" Was all Hermione could muster.
"Isn't it wonderful!" Ginny was pulled into a bone-crushing hug from Hermione.
"Who else knows?" Hermione let her friend go, and tears fell down her face. She was happy that these were joyous ones.
"Just mother and father. Next Sunday, everyone is getting together, and Harry and I are going to tell them. I expect you to be there."
"I wouldn't miss it, Gin."
"Good." Ginny nodded and walked through the store, looking at everything. She was going to have a baby, and she could hardly believe it.
"When do you get to find out the gender?" Hermione was curious about everything. She knew how everything working in the muggle world, but she hardly knew anything about how babies were delivered in the wizarding world.
"Harry and I decided we want it to be a surprise."
"That's nice." Hermione smiled to herself. Her best friend was going to have a baby.
Ginny marked the things that she thought she would want, and then they went to another store and did the same thing. They went to a clothing store and a sweets shop before stopping to get something to eat.
"You know Harry, and I really would love it if you were the godmother Hermione. I was going to ask you with Harry at the party, but I can't wait."
"It would be such an honor, Gin." Hermione burst into tears and pulled Ginny into a hug.
"So want to tell me where you were this morning?" Ginny had been wondering that all day and couldn't hold the question in any longer.
"I went to breakfast."
"Where?"
"What?" Hermione didn't understand why Ginny needed to know, but if she really was going to get a dress today, then she was going to have to tell her eventually.
"Where did you go?"
"I went to this place in Muggle London that I found last week after Ron left. I didn't know where else to go, and I didn't want the reporters following me. It is a lovely place, and the lady that runs it is just the nicest."
"Is the food good?"
"Very," Hermione nodded, "The coffee is amazing."
"How about the company?"
Hermione frowned at her friend. Clearly, Ginny knew more than she was letting on, "What company?"
"You are telling me you went back to the same cafe just because the owner was nice and they had good coffee?"
"Well..."
"Come on 'Mione. I am not going to be upset,"
"Yes, the company was good." Hermione leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. This was going to be the hardest part, "It's Malfoy."
Ginny started laughing until she realized that Hermione wasn't kidding.
"Seriously, Malfoy at a Muggle cafe?"
"He bought it, and he lives near it. Said the woman saved his life. He's so different,"
"How?"
"He is nice now. Like genuinely nice and caring and he lives in amongst muggles, he hardly can be a fanatic now if that is the case."
"That's true." Ginny couldn't believe she was agreeing. Malfoy was awful to them in school.
"Speaking of Malfoy. He asked a favor from me, and I agreed, and now I need a ball gown. Which is why we need to go to that store over there?"
"Why do you need a gown, Hermione?"
"There is this annual gala at Malfoy Industries, and he hasn't been going, and he asked if I would go so it wouldn't be so terrible, and I agreed."
"Why?" Ginny had no idea what had gotten into her friend.
"I don't know. I felt bad."
"You don't have to go, Hermione." Ginny was trying to read if she wanted to or if she was being forced. And from the look on her face, Ginny knew that Hermione wanted to go. "Alright, I'll help you find a dress, but you cannot miss my announcement."
"I won't, I promise. The gala is Saturday, and your announcement is Sunday."
"I don't know what I would do if you miss this, Hermione."
Hermione felt terrible; it was like all of her friends expected her to miss everything. "I promise, Ginny."
"Well then, let's go find you a dress." Ginny got up, left some money on the table, and took Hermione's hand.
Hermione was grateful for Ginny, not freaking out with everything. However, she was worried about finding something to wear. What if it was all wrong?