Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
A/N: Sorry I haven't updated anything in so long, I won't bore you with the reasons. Now, onto the story.
Hermione's POV
This was our game. It was a challenge to both of us. The unspoken rules were simple, we could both have each other whenever we want, where ever we want, no one must find out, and the number one rule, feelings must not be involved. It had been going on for almost a year now. It had begun so naturally, almost as if we had been playing forever. The whole game had started when we both had drunk a little too much and we found warmth with each other.
We both understood the rules, but we both slipped up on one. Molly guessed, it was easy for her to I suppose. I lived at the Burrows and although she didn't ask, I knew she was curious about the late nights out, random absences, and happier-than-usual attitude. She had asked me if I had a boyfriend, she was over the phase of "Ron and Hermione, together forever" and was happy to see I was in a good mood. I gave her a fitting answer, it was a more like friends-with-benefits sort of thing. Of course he hadn't ever called me his girlfriend or mistress or anything of the sort, and I didn't want to assume.
After a month or so, Molly asked who he was. She told me she saw the initials on a letter from him when she got it from the owl to give it to me once. We should've been more careful, but I trusted Molly so I confirmed her suspicious. She was glad, although she didn't approve very much, she was still happy for me. Of course I knew that the motherly instinct made her worry about the outcome though, and I do admit that I sometimes wonder of the outcome.
His wife, well, ex wife knows. She and I have chatted a bit, of course nothing too deep, but she told me how she figured out. Our game started during their marriage, it wasn't right, I know, but at the time I wasn't thinking about right and wrong. She told me about how she started noticing he was in a better mood, and although being away from the Manor was usual for him, he was gone more than normal. So she asked him one day. At the time she didn't know who I was, but their marriage was more of a business deal and they both have had their share of lovers in the past. She had been with hers for a while now; they're coming up to their 5th anniversary. That's the main reason they got divorced. Well anyways, she was telling me about how she asked him about me. He avoided the questions perfectly until she directly came out with it. She asked him who I was, he said a woman, she asked him what woman and he finally came out with it.
She approved much more than Molly. She was happy for us both, even urging him to move me into the Manor. He declined, and I understood why. That would be like going to Rita Skeeter herself and telling her all about our little game. They divorced soon after, it was a scandal and rumors were flying. They soon died down though, once Rita Skeeter lost her job at the Daily Prophet.
One night I stayed over, and I woke up to hear them talking outside of the door. Curiosity was killing me, so I snuck over to the door to eavesdrop. She was telling him about how it would be a grand idea for him to marry me. She was telling him that I would soon want to end our game and want to settle down. Get married, have children. He dismissed her idea and they said their goodbyes. I was able to get back in bed and get settled before he noticed anything amiss, but my thoughts were everywhere. That's when I started to break the number one rule.
That conversation was all that occupied my mind for the rest of the year. I tried everything to stop my thoughts from roaming, but I soon realized they were not easy to get rid of. With Harry and Ginny's wedding approaching fast, I started to think of what it would be like to get married. Being able to call someone my own in every aspect, to be able to be there when they came home and greeting them with open arms. Harry wanted to be respectful and invite every member of the order, even him, so while I stood beside Ginny wearing a dress that was way too form-fitting for my liking, I knew he was watching me.
My heart was racing and I couldn't keep my focus straight. I started thinking about my own wedding again. I wouldn't use red and gold like Harry and Ginny, although it was a nice tribute to Gryffindor. I was soon snapped out of my thoughts by the loud clapping going on around her. Whistles and cheers were heard as Harry and Ginny kissed for the first time as Mr. and Mrs. Potter. It was wonderful; the reception went well as everyone drank a bit and danced. He asked to dance with me, and I had to think about it for a moment before I accepted his invitation. Surely people would talk, but it was just a simple dance, nothing more. It was nice to have his arms around me, holding onto me as we danced. He looked proud of himself and when I asked why, he simply smiled.
After the dance was over, he excused himself to talk to someone.I wondered who he could possibly want to talk to here because all that surrounded him were fighters for the light in the final battle and very few ministry workers. I ended up roaming over to Luna and making conversation to busy myself. Luna was with Neville these days, those two seemed like an odd pair at first, but everyone soon realized how wonderful they were for each other. Luna brought out the side of Neville that was protective and brave, while Neville brought out Luna's intelligence and creativity more than usual, which was a good thing. We talked until Luna and Neville excused themselves to dance, then I saw him.
He was talking to Molly. I couldn't imagine why, they have nothing that I know of in common. I turned away, if I would've pondered it any longer curiosity would've gotten the best of me and I would have been tempted to walk over there and investigate. I looked around at all the happy couples dancing and I felt a pang of emotion. Mixed emotions; sadness, anger, jealousy. That's when it hit me. I had broken the rule. I felt so stupid, the one rule I shouldn't have broken, I did.
It was the end of the night and I still hadn't spoken to him again. I was helping Fred and George clean up when Molly called me into the house. As I walked in, he was standing there. Molly was practically bursting with excitement, and I just stood there confused. Molly soon realized that he wanted us to be alone and she excitingly excused herself outside to help out.
"Hermione, I want the game to be over," he said, complete certainty in his voice.
I was sure he meant that he didn't want anything to do with me anymore, so I hurriedly said "Alright" and went to walk out the door. He stopped me though.
I turned around to look at it, wondering why he's stopping me from leaving and instead wanting to turn the situation worse that it already was. Before I could say anything though, he asked me to move in with him. He said that he had broken our rule of not letting emotions get involved, and that's when I decided to tell him about how I had been feeling. I let everything out; how I had heard his and his ex-wife discussion, how I had been thinking about a wedding and my future. To my surprise, he understood.
Now let's fast forward to the present. All of that took place almost 2 years ago. We're still together and time flew by. After a couple of months living together, he decided to ask me to marry him. We got married shortly after; neither of us wanted a big wedding. Like I had imagined, we didn't use Gryffindor colors. It would be quite odd to do so, although I am a Gryffindor, he is after all a Slytherin through and through.
There were only about 20 people there when we got married. The reception was bigger though, everyone from the Ministry was invited. They all came of course, to see if it was actually true; to see if Lucius Malfoy had actually married Hermione Granger. Although some of them looked stunned, they all managed to say congratulations.
A year after that I gave birth to our daughter, Lucy.
Although this all started as a game, everyone involved has come to realize rules were meant to be broken.
A/N: Yeah, so I don't know if I like this or not…but leave reviews for me please! I'll try to update more on my other stories also.