Hermione Starts to Wander

Hermione sat alone at the coffee shop table, nervous. The rain was coming down in cats and dogs; the strays did not appreciate the humor in it. No one would expect to see her here, in a Muggle coffee shop three blocks from Little Whinging.

She felt guilty that she did not seek out the companionship of her husband, but his idiotic comments made her sick, with him and herself for being so impatient with her husband of only two months. Despite her guilt, her meetings here were becoming more and more frequent.

It started a week ago when she had escaped here with the excuse that the Ministry had called her away for rainy-day business. Her frustration with Ron's exclusive company had been gnawing on her nerves. She had just needed a getaway. While she was sitting here inconspicuously nursing a coffee, who should walk in but tall, pale, and immaculate, Draco Malfoy. The slimly little weasel even had the gall to spot her out and slide into the chair across from her.

"Granger, I wonder if witches really melt in water like the Muggles seem to think they do? I sure would like to try it out."

"What, did you run out of people to torture and decide to ruin my afternoon too?"

"Ho ho! I haven't seen you this snarky since I made Ron curse himself!" She hmphed.

" Where is your dumber half anyways?"

"Go suck an egg, Malfoy. I am simply enjoying an afternoon by myself, I don't need my husband to enjoy myself." She turned her head so she would not have to watch his sneering face turn into a sly smile at her slip.

"Truer words were never spoken. Red is such a jarring color, I don't see how you could even enjoy a moment in its presence."

"Just because I am enjoying an afternoon by myself does not mean I dislike the presence of my husband."

"I believe Muggles say the cause of red hair is a DNA protein melacortin-1? Well, my own belief is that it's something that's passed from parents to child in the same way stupidity and vulgarity is."

Hermione sniggered, "Do you know what DNA is?"

Malfoy ignored her. "Ah, the sensuous protein, that causes even the most intelligent women to fall to it. But it does not satisfy like it tempts. At least from looking at you, it doesn't. Perhaps I should help you remedy this."

"And what would you do that oh-dishonored-death-eater? Realign Ron's DNA with the Dark Arts?"

"It wasn't the husband I was thinking about, and evil wasn't where I was going with this. But good try."

Hermione blushed and Malfoy laughed into his cup.

And that's how it started. To be generous to Ron it wasn't only the sex. Which was incredible. Ron had sex in the same way he studied for a test, erratically going over all the main points but never quite absorbing the details. Draco had a very unique sense that was much more detail oriented and definitely covered all the material, as well as things that weren't even in the readings. He slid on her skin with the ease of a snake and softly hissed like the devil in her ear.

So this is where it left her, again at the coffee shop. Watching and waiting as rain rivulets streamed down the window smearing the glass. Again she was breaking her vows not three weeks old. Again she was looking for the pointed face and pale hair that kept her enraptured.

"So Granger, do you like your Saturday s rainy?"

"It's really great Harry! I do something that pisses her off, she leaves, and then when she comes back she is happy again! Who said marriage was hard? It's easier than living with my family, that's for sure."

"Where does she go?"

"I dunno! But the other day I accidently spilled coffee on some work documents she brought home, she flipped out, slammed the door, and came back in a couple of hours, happy as a clam! My brothers woulda beaten the tar outta me, if I had done that to them."

Harry hung his head. Clearly Ron's view of a great marriage was not a common one. He didn't think originally that this marriage was going to work out for his friends and he has been gradually been proven correct. Ron was too dense to realize that Hermione was throwing herself into her work to avoid coming home. As that thought crossed Harry's mind, the door opened and Hermione came in drenched from the rain. She saw Ron at the kitchen table and her face blanched, but lit up immediately when she realized Harry was sitting across from him.

"Harry! How's it going?"

"Just great Hermione, and you?"

"You know, busy, busy, busy. Did you turn in that Dark Arts report like the memo the Minister sent out asking you to? Because it hasn't landed in my in-tray yet." She looked at him sternly in a very Hermione-ish way.

"Eh, I don't know what could have happened to it, I know I sent it. I'll spell out another copy and send it again."

"You didn't do it yet did you?"

"You're so untrustworthy! Sure I did!" She glowered at him. "Ok, so it isn't quite finished, but I'll definitely have it done by Monday."

She sighed and turned to the stairs. "I'm going upstairs to take a shower. I suggest you go home and start it right now."

"I don't have to START it! It has a title and my name written on it!"

She emptied her robe before shucking it onto the bed. Four Galleons, a gum wrapper, and a receipt were her find. The galleons were placed in the dresser change holder, the gum wrapper made his way into the waste paper basket, and the receipt was unfolded and inspected. She had demanded that Malfoy always pay for the drinks so she wouldn't have any receipts to bring home.

"What, Ron too poor to pay for his wife to have a cup of coffee?"

"What? A Malfoy too cheap to pay for his lover's drink?" She sneered.

"Touche my love, I always knew you belonged in Slytherin"

He must have slipped it into my pocket as we left the hotel. He had drawn a little heart with a face.

He must have meant it more as a joke and forgotten about the receipt end of it. Or was extremely diabolical and knew why she wanted him to buy the coffee. She tossed it into the trash can. Really, who was she kidding? Why would Ron look through the trash can? What would he be suspicious about her buying two cups of coffee? She tossed back her head and laughed at the thought of Ron putting it together that she was cheating on him.