I knew where he was going.

And I'm sure that he knew, that I knew about her.

How couldn't I? The smell of her perfume always lingered on him. His total appearance was different. His smile wasn't as forced as before. Hell, even his eyes weren't as hallow.
It became clear to me. She was what he needed…and maybe even more than that. She was everything I wished, but couldn't be for him. For my own husband.

oOo

Once again, I woke up in an empty, cold bed.
"He must be gone for a while.", I thought, as I searched for my blanket and noticed the cold sheets. There were no tears left that I could cry. To many I had shed because of him. We were married for four years now, but I couldn't even remember, when it was the last time, that Draco treated me lovingly. Probably never.

Daphne had once asked me, why I tolerate such a handling. But I couldn't leave my husband just like that, while I still loved him as much as on my 16th birthday, when my parents told me about my engagement with Draco, heir of the old house of Malfoy. How he had stood there, next to his parents. His blond hair slicked back, like his mother liked it best. He looked exactly like the pureblood prince I always yearned for. Like the princes in the fairy tales my mother used to read to me and my sister Daphne.

But quickly I had to discover, that he wasn't as thrilled about the choice of his parents as I was. When I now look back, I know, that I should have noticed everything much sooner. Even on our engagement party Draco touched me as little as possible. He did it just for the pictures of the journalists, to look like the happy couple in love, that we should be.

Suddenly I heard the entrance door to our penthouse apartment being opened and then closed again.
"Draco?", I called, as I crawled out of the bed and covered myself with my satin dressing gown, which I got from Narcissa to last Christmas.
He took his cloak off, as I looked at him in the reflection of the mirror.
"What is it?", he asked grumpy.
I just watched him silently, before I take a look at the clock on the wall and said:" It's half past three...in the morning, and you ask me 'what is it'? Don't you think, that you should inform your wife, if you leave the apartment in the middle of the night?"

Draco looked at himself in the mirror and examined the collar of this white shirt: "So what? What is the problem? Then I was gone. That doesn't mat..." His voice suddenly became silent. I looked up and could see, that he was rubbing vigorously on his neck. When he took the hand away I saw a big red stain.

"Is that lipstick?", I asked him careful and timid.
My husband turned around and looked at me: " Don't be ridiculous!" With quick steps he went in the direction of our bath.
I went after him and spoke silently: "Were you at Blaise's flat? Or Marcus?" Draco didn't really listen to the things I said, as he turned on the shower.
He turned to me and said: "Mh? Oh yeah, I was at Theo's." He didn't even seem to notice, that I never mentioned Nott's Name. But still I could breathe properly again, as he said he just was at the flat of one of his friends. In retrospect, I couldn't believe how those lies, while he apparently didn't even try to make them convincing, had been able to soothe me. Even though I knew where he was going at nights like that one.

I was still standing in the archway of our luxurious bathroom, as Draco undressed himself to go into the steaming shower, when he asked: "Why are you still awake? Go to bed! I'm coming soon."

And that is what I did... like many nights before.

oOo

...one week later...

Draco sat at the breakfast table as I decanted the baked beans into a bowl. I put it to the rest onto the table and sat on my normal seat on the opposite end. I couldn't see him, because he was hidden behind a wall made of the newest Daily Prophet.

Quite some time we were sitting there without saying anything. The only movement from Draco that I could see, was the occasional reaching for his teacup. But all of a sudden, the both of us heard a knocking. We were both surprised as we saw a huge white owl sitting in front of the kitchen window. It carried a letter on its leg, which was tied up by a purple satin ribbon.
"I guess that has nothing to do with work.", I thought, as Draco took the letter while he held the ribbon in his other hand.
"It's for me.", my husband said, while he was leaning against the kitchen counter and opened the letter with a small grin. I could see how his eyes were taking in the words and his small grin more and more a big smile became.
When he was done reading the letter, Draco cleared his voice, before he put the piece of parchment in den pocket of his pants.
"I have a spontaneous business meeting this evening. Could take some time. You know how hectic it is at the moment.", he told me with a monotonous voice, before he gave one Sickel to the owl, which was still sitting in front of the window.

"Since when do you know about that? I told you, that Daphne and Terrence would be coming this evening with the little ones.", I said calmly. By then my left hand gripped my fork so tightly, that my knucklebones were turning white.
Draco coughed shortly: "Only since now. The letter was from my boss Mr Selwyn."
I looked him shortly into the grey eyes that I loved so much and told him: "Okay. I guess than we can't do a thing about that."
But when Draco was walking by me, to leave the kitchen, I asked myself since when Mr Selwyn put perfume on letters about ministry issues. Woman's perfume to be exact.

oOo

...17 days later...

"Thank you for the invitation, Narcissa. We were both really looking forward to it.", I said to my mother in law, when she hugged me on the terrace.
"You know, that we always like to have the two of you here. We are glad you came. You can also come alone, if you want to drink tea with me, if Draco is working. I told you that a few times already, my dear.", responded the blond woman.
When Lucius and Draco came to us, my father in law kissed my cheeks, before he sat next to his wife on the little cast iron bench.
Draco sat himself on the seat next to my and took one of the sandwiches from a plate, that was brought moments earlier by one of the house elfs.

After a few minutes of small talk, Narcissa addressed the issue, why we were invited: "We don't want to put you under pressure, but did you think about having a baby soon? The people start to talk about it. You are married for four years now. Draco, don't you think, that it is time? You are turning 28 this year. The family needs an heir."

I took Draco's hand into mine and smiled. I was so glad, that they addressed this topic. Never I dared to confront my husband with that. But know he can't avoid it any longer. I yearned for a child with him for so long. Ans after Daphne had her little daughter Ophelia, after son Jonathan was born, I couldn't think about anything else.
I was sure, that it wouldn't take much longer until Draco would come to me and talk about having a baby.

But soon Draco got rid of my hand and answered his mother:" Mother, although I know that you just want to see me happy, I have to interrupt you immediately. Astoria and I will make the decision when the time is right to get a child. And right now, we are not ready for that big step."
Shocked I looked at him and said silently, while I hoped, that his parents wouldn't hear everything:" What do you mean, that we aren't ready? I would love to have a child with you. Soon."

Draco's head spun to me. He hissed:" I said, that we aren't ready yet. I'm 27 and you 26. We shouldn't have to worry. If we want to have kids one day, we can still get them. But not now!"

Startled I looked at Draco's angry face and replied:" I... if you say so."

oOo

...3 weeks later...

I could smell the blueberry muffins, as I was standing in one of the golden elevators of the ministry. I pressed the box with the dessert to my chest, as I left the lift and had to squeeze through the crowd of people, after a voice said, that we arrived on the fifth floor. Here was the Department of International Magical Cooperation, were Draco was working for seven years.
Every month I would drop of some little thing to my husband and his closest colleagues, to soothe the longing for their well-deserved end of the working day.

But this time something was different.
"Good afternoon, Miss Atkinson, I would like to see Draco, if that is possible. Is he in his office?", I asked the still quite young receptionist of the department.
The strawberry blond woman looked away from her desk and smiled at me:" Oh, hello Mrs Malfoy, how good to see you. I'm afraid not. Mr Malfoy is away for his lunch break. But as far as I know he should be back any moment now. You can wait here with me if you like." The young woman saw the box in my hands and laughed:" What wonderful thing did you get us this time?"
I grinned at her and explained:" Blueberry muffins. The last time I made them for all of you, they were gone within five minutes."

A few minutes passed, in which the young receptionist told me all about her last vacation to the South of France, until my husband came out laughing of one of the many elevators. The sight of his laughter made me heart sink. It was a very long time ago, when I last saw him this free.
But when I saw, that he was not alone, the feeling of joy quickly left.
Draco's hand lay on the small of the back of a brunette, which was also laughing out loud. The woman had one of her hands on the upper arm of my husband, as she was still giggling, as if she needed support, while she wiped one tear away.

After both of them calmed down Draco spin slowly around and recognized me for the first time. Within one second his face became stiff. It was obvious, that the brunette, which had her face turned away from me, asked anxiously what was going on. He cleared his throat, pulled away from her, after he said something to her, and then went up to me.

My husband grabbed my arm and asked with a calm voice:" What are you doing here?"
But not I answered, but Miss Atkinson:" Your wife wanted to drop of some of her delicious blueberry muffins. You can be very lucky, that you managed to get a wife as solicitous as her." Surely, the young woman in front of the desk didn't notice the tense atmosphere
"Yes... I ... just wanted to make you happy.", I stuttered, as I gave Draco the box. He nodded shortly, murmured a quite thank you and walked away to put the muffins into the staff kitchen.

This gave me the opportunity to eye up the woman, which made my husband to happy. She was still standing near the elevators, but this time she was talking to minister Shacklebolt. Apparently the both chattered quite calmly.
The woman had wavy, brown hair, which reached up to the middle of her back, and wore a pastel blue pencil skirt and a black and white patterned blouse. She was quite small, when I looked at her like this. This was certainly the reason why she wore high, black heels. Her black portfolio almost cried professionalism and business-woman.

She was so different from me.

"Miss Atkinson, if I could interrupt you for a moment? Who is that lady, which is talking to the minister right now?" On my question, she raised her head.
"Miss Granger of course. You should now her from Hogwarts. Sie was in the same year as your husband, as far as I know. Sie is working in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures for the Werewolf Support Service.", she answered to my question.
I couldn't breath. Even though I understood the words she said, I wasn't able to believe it.
It had to be her. The woman where Draco was going.
Although Daphne knew and told me about the obsession Draco had about Hermione Granger, while they were still going to school, I never would have thought that it is possible, that there is something between them. She is, after all, still a mudblood. No matter if she was a war heroine.

"Oh, of course. Now that you say it, I recognize her. But it surprises me, that my husband gets along with her so well.", I said after a moment's hesitation.
I hoped, that she would not notice the trembling in my voice.
"Yes, many people in the ministry are as bewildered as you are. But Mr Malfoy eats from time to time with Miss Granger in his lunch break, after he became friends... if you can call it that, with Mr Potter.", the young woman laughed, before she continued to study the files in front of her.

Right in the moment when Draco came back to us, Granger looked into our direction. A smile adorned her full lips, as she held eye contact with him. But when she looked at me, with a furious expression, the joy left her face. Granger was just looking at me. Without showing any emotion. Almost as if she tried to inspect me... or to understand me. She shook her head, before she slowly turned around and continued to talk to the minister.

Now I knew well, in which bed my husband lay, if he was not in ours.

She was the other woman.