Vulnerable

Hermione rushed out the floo at the Burrow and rushed towards Isla who was playing happily on the floor. She picked her up and held her to her chest and let tears fall down her face. Molly rushed into the living room hearing all the commotion and looked at Hermione.

'Hermione dear, what's wrong? Where's Ginny?' she asked confused.

Just as her mother asked about her where abouts, Ginny rushed out the floo shouting for Hermione.

'Hermione!' Ginny said as she looked at Hermione.

'What on earth is going on?' Molly said looking between her daughter and her surrogate daughter.

'What the hell is going Hermione I would like to know.' Ginny said as she looked at Hermione. 'Is it true? Is he...'

'Yes.' She quickly said before Ginny let it out who Isla's father was.

'Why? How?' Ginny shouted which made Isla upset and start crying in Hermione's arms.

'I don't know! I love him!' she shouted as she cradled her daughter in her arms. 'I never planned to get pregnant, never!'

'We know that!' Ginny shouted. 'Anyone but him Hermione, anyone. Why did it have to be him?'

'You can't help who you fall in love with.' She said as she looked down at Isla.

'Will someone please tell me what you are talking about?' Molly said looking at them both.

'Lucius Malfoy is Isla's father.' Ginny said not realising that two more people had entered the living room.

'What!' Harry and Ron both shouted.

'Oh god.' Hermione whispered into Isla's curls as more tears fell down her eyes.

'Malfoy's father! You fucked Malfoy's father!' Ron said as face turned deathly pale. 'How could you!'

'I didn't...' she began.

'You didn't mean too? You didn't have to! No one pushed you to! Forgodsake Hermione, it was your choice!' Harry said angrily.

'I can't deal with this.' Ron said as he walked out into the garden and apperated.

'I should go.' Hermione said as she looked at Ginny, Harry and Molly.

'I think that might be a good idea for the time being Hermione.' Molly said as she handed Hermione the bag. 'Give them time.'

Hermione nodded and stepped into the floo and flooed back to her flat.

Hermione stepped out of the floo and looked around her flat. She sighed and walked to her bedroom. She placed the bag on the floor and then fell onto the bed with Isla in her arms. She kissed Isla's head and looked into her daughter's dark blue eyes.

'I'm sorry.' She whispered into her blonde curls.

Isla put in small hand on Hermione's cheek and smiled at her mother as if she was comforting her.

Hermione smiled as she kissed Isla's soft hands. This little girl was her everything and she would never let anyone take her away. Hermione laid Isla up the top of the bed on her pillows and watched as Isla tried to sit up and when she did she glared up at her mother as if to say 'leave me be.'

Hermione smiled at her daughter and grabbed hold of her little feet and pulled her down towards herself. Isla put both her hands on Hermione's face and kissed her on the lips.

'Mama...love.' she said as she kissed Hermione.

'Mummy loves Isla too.' Hermione said with a smile.

Hermione's time with Isla was short lived when she heard her floo activate. She quickly stood up holding Isla in her arms and went into the living room expecting to find Ginny or Harry however came face to face with a tall blonde man.

'How did you get in here?' Hermione said as she held Isla tighter to her chest.

'I have my ways Hermione.' He said as he tried to get a closer look at the little girl in her arms.

'Leave.' Hermione demanded.

'Not until you talk to me. I want answers Hermione. I think you owe me that.' He said.

'I owe you nothing.' She replied.

'I'm not leaving until you talk.' He said with a stern voice. 'Either talk with me now or I go to my lawyer tonight and get you dragged through the court for access to my daughter.'

'Fine.' Hermione said as she looked at him. She did not want this going to court and she didn't want Isla to have to go through having her parents fight over her. 'Let me Isla down for her afternoon sleep and we can talk.'

'I'll be waiting.' He said as he sat in the old arm chair.

Hermione walked into Isla's nursery and placed her daughter into her cot. She removed her hair clip and cardigan and led her down.

'Mummy needs to talk with...mummy needs to sort a few things out and when you wake up we'll go to the park and feed the duck. Sleepy time now.' Hermione said as she kissed Isla's head.

'No Sleepy.' Isla said with a smile.

'Just for a little while baby.' Hermione said as she put on the mobile which sang a lullaby.

Hermione left the room as Isla's eyes closed and walked back into the living room to find Lucius looking at pictures on the mantel piece. He looked the same as he did nearly three years ago when she had last seen him. His hair still blonde, no grey in sight and his body still as board.

'That was taken at her first birthday.' Hermione said as she watched him look at the picture of Isla trying to blow out her birthday candles.

'I should have been there.' Lucius said as he placed the photo down and turned to look at Hermione. 'I should have been at my daughter's first birthday.'

'Why pretend you would have accepted her Lucius? If I had come to you when I found out I was pregnant you would have paid for me to have a termination.' She said.

'Do you really think I would have? My own child. My chance of doing it all over again, being a better father than I was to Draco. I would have jumped at the chance.' He said which surprised her. 'I would never pay you to kill my child or any of my children.'

'I didn't know.' She said softly as she sat on the sofa. 'I was scared, alone and pregnant.'

'You should have come to me.' He said as he looked down at her. 'I could have provided everything for you.'

'And what would you have done when the press got hold of the information that we were sleeping together? That Isla was your baby.' She said.

'We would have dealt with it.' He said. 'And we will deal with it now.'

'No we won't.' Hermione said shaking her head.

'I will see my daughter Hermione.' Lucius said as he looked at her with determination. 'I want access. We can do this the easy way or the hard way.'

'Fine!' she said as her hands flew up. 'But the second you let her down just one you'll never see her again.'

'I know that.' He said as he sat in the arm chair.

'I mean it Lucius.' She told him.

'I know you do.' He replied.