Dirty Little Secret
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns the rights to the Character's in this store. The plot of this story is based loosely on the ABC show Scandal created by Shondra Rhimes.
Draco Malfoy was many things, but one thing he wasn't was a failure. He took pride in what he did every day, he helped people. Good people who found themselves in unfortunate situations. Draco Malfoy was a fixer, he made people's problems go away. It was as if they never existed in the first place. He took pride in his work, and he was good at what he did.
After the war, he did something that surprised just about everyone: he went to a muggle University. Through this day he couldn't explain why exactly he had done it, just that at the time he knew it was right. He studied muggle law, something he found he was actually very interested in and something that would come in handy when he would later work for the new Minister who was trying to bring change to their world. When he was done, he went back to Wizarding world and set up shop as Draco Malfoy and Associates or DMA for short until he was brought in to help the Minister of Magic. When he left the ministry a year ago, he got the old gang back together, and they had picked up where they had left off. Draco had brought respect back to the name Malfoy something had been working towards since the end of the world. He was no longer looked at as the son of a Death Eater; he was someone people had grown to respect.
It was early Monday morning. Draco despised Mondays. Mondays always brought light to the stupid and irresponsible things his clients had gotten up to on the weekends. At five in the morning when his phone rang, he knew today was going to be a Monday from hell. Theo, his friend and long-time partner, had informed him the Minister's Undersecretary had phoned. The fact that the Minister's Undersecretary had called before five in the morning meant nothing good was going to come of this day. This was why Draco sat on a park bench a few blocks from the Ministry of Magic just as the sun started to rise.
A dark-haired woman sat down next to him, two coffee's in hand. "Thank you for meeting me so early," she said handing one of the cups to him.
"Pansy, what are old friends for?" He asked with a smirk taking the coffee with a grateful nod.
"Look I need a favor," she said cutting straight to the reason she had phoned so early.
"You need a favor, or the Minister needs a favor," he asked.
"The Minister doesn't know I am here. But yes the favor is for her."
"Out of lucky Pans, because I am fresh out of favors for her," he said starting to stand. She held out her arm to stop him.
"Will you at least hear me out," she asked, "For old time's sake?"
He sat back down "Fine."
"Look I don't know what happened between you and her, or why you left, and I'm not going to ask. She needs your help though whether she knows it yet or not."
"Get to the point Pans."
"It's her husband." This was not the first time they had this conversation.
"Good for nothing piece of crap."
"Yeah well, that good for nothing piece of crap hasn't been able to keep it in his pants again. A girl has come forward and is going to go to the press about her affair with the Minister's husband."
Draco was not at all surprised by this; the man had always been a real winner in Draco's opinion. "Tell her to leave him," he said.
"She can't do that, and you know it. Look Draco I don't have to tell you all the great things she has done since she took office. She is going to get the werewolf legislation to pass. You know though, if she leaves him, it won't be the poor Minister whose philandering husband broke her heart. It will be that she is the ice queen who made her husband run into someone else's arms. It will be her fault that he is a cheating man slut. They are all gunning for her, and they would love to tear her down."
"Pansy, really, as moving as all this is, this is your job to fix not mine."
"I can't tell her about this one," he eyed his old friend for a moment. He could tell she was on edge.
"You're afraid if she finds out about this one, this will be the last straw, and she will leave him."
"There has been rumor's for years, and she has dodged them, pretending they are happily married. She won't do it anymore though; things between them have been pretty ugly for a while."
He looked at his friend, Pansy was a lot of things, but she was loyal. She helped get the Minister to where she was, and he knew she would be damned if she let the Minister let their hard work go down the drain. "Have the girl in my office by nine," he said before standing.
"Thank you," Pansy said.
"How did you catch wind of this anyways?" He asked out of curiosity. It was usually him who was the first to know about these kinds of things.
"I have my sources," she said with a smirk.
"How is she?" He asked taking more of a serious tone.
"She's..." she trailed off trying to find the right words. "Lost. She is keeping to herself more than usual." He only nodded before turning, and he made his way towards his office. Yes, this was going to be a very long week.
...
By the time nine AM rolled around, Draco had already had a hell of a morning. Not only was he dealing with the Minister's philandering husband, but he also had six other clients who had gotten themselves into more trouble than they could handle over the weekend. Needless to say, Draco and all of his associates had their hands full.
True to her word, Pansy had the young woman sitting in the waiting room of Draco's office right on time.
"Follow me," he said to the woman as he passed. She got up in a hurry and followed Draco towards the back where his office was located.
After shutting the door, Draco motioned for the young girl to take a seat. Moving around to the other side of the desk he took his own. He took a moment to consider the girl's appearance, she was the in your face type of beauty: young and very pretty, very much the scumbag's type.
"So I understand you feel you have a story that would interest the papers Ms.?"
"My name is Tinsley Haze, and I do," she said simply.
"A story that would publicly embarrass the Minister of Magic," he said curtly.
"Be that as it may be, I think the public has a right to know the story they are being fed about the Minister and her husband is a lie. I think the public should know what kind of man he really is."
"What kind of man would that be?"
"The kind of man who cheats on his wife."
"There have been these types of rumors before concerning the minister's husband. What makes this any different?"
"I have proof."
Draco raised his eyebrows slightly. This was not the first time he had dealt with this very situation, concerning the very man in question at the present moment. "What kind of proof?"
"I am pregnant," she said flatly. "And when I told him, he called me a slag and slammed the door in my face. Which I recorded partly for my own protection."
"A recording?" He asked interestedly "And you are positive that if a paternity spell were to be performed, it would prove what you are claiming?"
"Mr. Malfoy, I can see the judgment written on your face, but I didn't wake up that morning set out to sleep with the Minister of Magic's husband. To be honest, I didn't recognize him at first. And I certainly didn't think a one night stand would turn into something that is quite literally life-changing for me."
Something she had just said stirred something at the back of his mind but he couldn't put his finger on it. "With all due respect Ms. Haze, I find that a little hard to believe. He is pretty famous in his own right aside from being married to someone in power."
"Do you know he changes his appearance ever so slightly when he goes out without his wife?"
"If that is true, how can you be sure that it was him?"
"A birthmark on his left butt cheek," Draco, unfortunately, knew this little fact to be true, having dealt with women like Ms. Haze on behalf of the Minster before.
"I don't think you understand what you will be doing to yourself by putting this out there with your name on it. Women are never the victims in these kinds of things. You will be dragged through the mud."
"It will be worth it," She said stubbornly.
"How?"
"It just will."
That's when it hit him. This girl she was not unintelligent. She knew he would never leave his wife. He doubted she had deluded herself into thinking otherwise. She had deliberately set him up, the question was why and who had gotten her to agree? A million things started running through his mind: was this an opponent who was trying to sabotage the Minister's chances for re-election. One thing was for sure, he had to get to the bottom of this before the papers got wind of it.
"Ms. Haze, I am not going to stop you from going to the paper. I ask, however, that you hold off for another day," Draco said calmly.
"Mr. Malfoy, I don't owe you or the Minster anything," she said
"No, you are just the woman who was stupid enough to fall into bed with a married man. Ms. Haze, let me make myself very clear, you may not owe me anything, but I sure as hell don't owe you anything. My number one priority at the moment is the reputation of the Minster. You should know that if it comes to it, I will go after you and I am very good at what I do. So why don't you think about that for the next twenty-four hours?" He stood from his seat indicating for her to do the same. "I believe you can show yourself out," he said pointing to the door.
Once she was gone Draco picked up the phone "Blaise, I want you to find out everything you can about Tinsley Haze and stick someone on her tail. I want to know everything there is to know about her." He slammed the phone down before striding over to the coat rack and grabbing his coat. He really did hate Mondays.
...
It was noon, and Draco found himself walking into the Ministry of Magic. He had been arguing with himself all morning along. He had told himself when he left the Ministry a year ago that he would no longer clean up the messes this place always seemed to land themselves in. He was done being everyone's fixer on a government salary. Yet he found himself back to clean up another mess.
He took the lift up to level one where he knew he would be able to find the topic of this morning's crisis. As he made his way through level one, several people waved in greeting, his only response was a nod in their direction. He came to a stop in front of the pretty witch who was sitting at the desk that guarded the Minister's office.
"Good morning Daisy. Is she in?"
Daisy looked up and beamed at him "Mr. Malfoy, how are you?"
"Doing well, is she in?" He asked again.
"She is on her way back up from a meeting with Mr. Potter. Why don't you go on in and wait for her? She should only be a few more minutes."
"Thank you," He said before heading through the door just behind her.
The office hadn't changed much since the last time he had been there. The walls were still lined with bookshelves that were jammed pack with every book one could think of from the muggle and magic world. When he had worked here, he had spent many hours holed up in this office with the Minster trying to figure out how to avoid one disaster or another. On several occasions, the topic had been her errant husband and his inability to keep his pecker in his pants. He had never understood why she continued to stay with the man, and it was one of the reasons he had left. It seemed not much really had changed since he had been gone.
Behind him, the door opened again, and in walked the one person he had tried very hard to avoid for the better part of the last year, the Minister of Magic herself.
She stopped short when she took notice of him standing there clearly surprised to find him waiting for her, "Draco what are you doing here?" She asked closing the door behind her.
"A problem was brought to my attention this morning," he said coolly.
"Is that so?" she said moving towards her desk.
He didn't move from his spot by the bookshelf trying to maintain a certain amount of distance. "Yes, it seems there is another woman who is claiming to have had liaisons with your husband," he didn't sugarcoat it; she had never liked it when he did.
"I thought you had stopped concerning yourself with the problems of this office," she replied just as coolly.
"It's a favor for Pansy," he said curtly.
"Why didn't Pansy bring this to me herself?"
He didn't say anything for a moment while he took in her appearance. She had lost several pounds since the last time he had seen her. There were dark circles under her eyes as if she hadn't slept in days. "She didn't want to burden you with this."
She laughed bitterly "She thinks I'll leave him. Which, according to her, would be the worst thing ever."
"She isn't wrong, you know."
"She isn't married to the man."
"I've interviewed the woman; she says that she has proof."
"She's smart then, none of the others ever did."
"Granger, did you pay this woman to set up your husband?" He said cutting to the chase. She didn't say anything, with a look of guilt. "Are you out of your mind?" He roared at her.
"Why? Because I want to be rid of him."
"Because you know how this will play out in the papers. And what if it were to get out that you paid her."
"I don't care, Malfoy." She yelled back. "I am sick and tired of this marriage. I am tired of the whispers that go on behind my back. People are wondering why I allow him to stay; they wonder if I am the reason he has a wondering eye. I am tired of him looking me in the eye and telling me he loves me when I know he is looking for his next lay. I am just tired of it all."
"She claims she is pregnant. Was that part of the plan as well?"
She looked shocked for a moment, "No of course not."
"Well, she claims that she is. Damn it, Granger, what were you thinking? Even if you do survive this in the papers, what happens when re-elections come back around, and your competition gets hold of this? Why didn't you come to me? I could have helped you."
"Who says I want to be re-elected? Besides, when you left you made it very clear that you didn't want anything to do with me or my problems," she said softly.
"Are you being serious right now?"
"This job isn't what I thought it would be. This job takes everything from me. No one wants real change. People say they do, but they don't. I am being fought at every turn, this job..." she trailed off.
"Granger, this job means more to you than anything. You have fought so hard to get here. You have given up so much to be here standing in this office. You can't just quit now."
"I want out of this marriage. I am done playing the good wife, who stands by her husband's side. If the end of my marriage costs me this office then so be it. This office has already cost me enough. I'm not going to continue to put my happiness on the back burner."
"So you want me to do nothing."
"I don't need a fixer Draco, I need a divorce."
...
The following morning the dung truly hit the fan. The morning edition of the Prophet's front page was taken up by a picture of Ron Weasley and Ms. Haze, the headline read 'War Hero a Cheating Husband?'
Rumors have swirled around for years about the state of the Minister of Magic Hermione Granger's marriage to Ron Weasley. This is not the first time a rumor has surfaced of Mr. Weasley and his wandering eye. It is, however, the first time the young woman has been willing to step forward to tell her story. According to Ms. Haze, she and Mr. Weasley met on the night of August 4th at the local tavern just outside of Newport, Wales. On the night in question, she was invited back by Mr. Weasley to a hotel room under the name Billius. Those close to Mr. Weasley will know this is his middle name and that he uses it rather often as an alias. Ms. Haze claims Billius (Weasley) engaged in an extramarital affair with her. As of yet, there had been no comment from the Minister's office regarding these allegations.
Pansy threw the paper down in aggravation before rounding on Draco who was currently sitting in her office, "I thought you said you would take care of this," she said through gritted teeth.
"I thought I had," Draco said with ease.
"Clearly you didn't," She said holding up the paper and waving it around. "We have to do damage control."
"I didn't sign up for damage control."
"We have to release a statement denying the allegations."
"She won't allow it."
"She doesn't know what is good for her," Pansy shot back.
"Pansy, she is done. She won't allow any more excuses to be made."
Pansy narrowed her eyes at him for a moment. "When did you speak with her?"
"Yesterday while you were out for lunch."
"You took this to her? Even after I told you what she would do if this became public knowledge."
"Pansy, she set this whole thing in motion."
"She did what?" Pansy screeched.
"She is tired of being in a loveless marriage. She is tired of the embarrassment he has caused. She wanted a way out, so she created one,"
"Please tell me you are joking."
"I wish I could."
"How are you sitting there all calm and collected? She has masterminded her own political downfall," she said narrowing her eyes at him yet again. "You are secretly happy about this aren't you?"
"Are you mental?"
"I'm not blind you know Draco," she said dramatically. "I can see the way you look at her, the way she looks at you. Do you think that if she's suddenly single, the two of you might actually make a go of it?"
"I'm not sure what you are talking about," he said brushing her comments off.
"Did she have an affair with you? Is that why you left a year ago?"
"I left because I felt my time here was done; I was ready to move on to other things."
"You don't deny it. She had an affair with you, for Merlin's sake! What is wrong with these people? Do they not know how to keep it in their pants?"
"Look, Pansy, whatever may or may not have happened between Granger and me is really none of your business. I have made sure that no one will ever know Hermione was behind all of this, but you should probably start preparing a statement for the papers announcing her plans to divorce Weasley. She is currently in her office taking with Zabini about how she should proceed. You should also know the woman, Ms. Haze, claims to be pregnant with his child."
She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to calm herself. "We are on a sinking ship," she whispered to herself. "Is there anything else I should know?"
"She is thinking of not running for re-election. I don't know if she thinks it will be impossible with the current state of her marriage or if there are other reasons, but that is where she stands."
"You have to talk to her."
"I did yesterday."
"Draco we have come too far and sacrificed so much to get her here."
"I know that, but so has she Pansy. Have you taken a good look at her lately? She is skin and bones, the dark circles under her eyes make her look as if she is the walking dead. She is exhausted and rightly so."
"We are all exhausted."
"It's not your name under the title Minister, is it though? It's hers."
"Will you just please try and talk to her again? You seem to be the only one who can get through to her sometimes. Make her see sense."
Draco sighed "I'll do my best."
...
Draco had felt it was best to let things die down a little before approaching Granger again. He waited till the following morning before showing up at the brownstone she shared with Weasley in London. When he reached the door, he could hear raised voices coming from inside. The thought of leaving and coming back at another time crossed his mind before the door was opened and he was dragged in by Potter.
The yelling was coming from the kitchen. He could tell it was Granger and Weasley arguing, and by the sound of it, it had gotten pretty ugly. "How long has that been going on?" Draco whispered.
"All morning," Potter replied. "She told him she was filing for divorce and wanted him to move out of the house."
"I can hear how well he's taking it," Draco said sarcastically.
"You can't leave me," they both heard him to her, which Draco knew to be a bad move on Weasley's part. They both winced when they heard the slap she must have bestowed upon him.
"You don't blame her, do you?" Draco asked Potter. He was unsure where Potter would stand on this issue; the three of them had a long history. Draco knew being stuck in the middle was never easy for Potter.
"Heavens no. Don't get me wrong, he is my mate and my brother-in-law, but I wish she would have done it sooner. I think we can all agree this is long overdue."
"You're here for moral support?" Draco asked eyeing Potter. The man was distinctly uncomfortable with the whole situation.
"I think I am here because she was afraid she might kill him if she was left alone with him for too long." Just then they heard the door of the kitchen slam before loud footsteps down the hall. A moment later Ron appeared in front of them anger rolling off him. The moment he saw Draco his face turned a nasty color of red. There had never been any love lost between the two of them.
"What are you doing in my house?" He yelled.
"Pansy sent him," they heard a small voice say. "And Ron this house is no longer yours. So I would appreciate it if you would leave now."
He turned to look at her with a response ready before Potter stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on mate, let's get out of here. I think we both know more yelling isn't going to solve anything right now," Ron looked as if he wanted to argue some more before giving Hermione a venomous look and heading to the door.
When they were gone an awkward silence fell between them. She motioned for him to follow her after a moment of standing there looking at each other. She led him back down the hall she and Weasley had just come from.
"Tea," She asked while she busied herself with the kettle upon entering the large kitchen.
"Sure,"
"Sit" She motioned to the bar stools nestled under the kitchen island. "Pansy said she asked you to come,"
He looked around for a moment and took in his surroundings. He had only been to their home on only a handful of occasions. He had never truly been comfortable with Weasley, even when he did work for the Ministry. Some things never changed and how he felt about Ron Weasley was definitely one of them.
"She wants me to talk to some reason into you about not running again,"
She laughed bitterly "Have you seen this morning's headline? The people who oppose me can smell the blood in the water. They are calling my judgement into question."
"Screw them," she handed him his cup of tea. "Thank you."
"The problem is this Wizarding world is still stuck in the 20th century. And did you know that fifty present of the female population is unemployed? They are still stuck inside the home, taking care of the children. Men still hold all of the power. And all those old men who don't agree with my policies think I should just look the other way when comes to Ron. Men will be men they say as if what he has done is of no real consequence."
"So you are going to let these old men run you off? Whether they believe it or not, they are on their way out Hermione. Their time is almost up, and our generation is taking over."
"Not fast enough apparently."
"Granger, I have never known you to run away from a fight. We can spin this to our advantage. You are the brightest witch of our age. You took the darkest wizard of all time head on and came out on the other side on top. In the last three years as Minister of Magic, you have passed groundbreaking laws that allow the underdogs a fighting chance. You have helped shape a world of inclusion for those who have always been mistreated and left out. They have a real voice now thanks to you. If you were to run again, I have no doubt that you would win another term."
"I don't have your certainty."
"Look, you have three months to decide if you will seek a second term. Take that time and figure out what you want to do. And if you decide you want to run again, I'll be there to run your campaign. I will do everything in my power to make sure that we, as a society, don't take five steps back."
"You would really be there?" She asked in a small voice. He had gone back and forth with himself all night about whether he would promise to help her or not. There were a lot of unsaid things hanging in the air between them. When he left his post at the Ministry, they had left their personal and professional relationship in a pretty rocky place.
"Yes," He said firmly. "I believe in you. I believe in the vision you have for all of us. I see how much you want to make this world a better place for future generations. I know you want a world in which someone like yourself never has to question whether or not they belong."
"I'm sorry," she said in a whisper after a long moment. He could tell the conversation was about to take a turn he wasn't ready for.
"For what?"
"For not leaving him before now. For choosing wrong when you gave me an ultimatum. For making you feel as if what we had was of consequence to me."
He held up his hands "Granger you didn't owe me anything. I was the one who should have known better than to..." he trailed off.
"To have fallen in love with me," she said finishing his thought for him.
"Yes."
"What we had did matter to me. It meant the world to me. I was just scared."
"Look, you have some things to figure out. When you do, you know where to find me," he said getting up from his stool. "No one can make you do anything. I, of all people know that, let me know what you decide."
Without another word, he made his way out of the kitchen and back up the hall. Letting himself out, he was hit by the autumn air, and finally released the breath he didn't know he had been holding in. He was a fool to agree to help her, he knew that. She just had a way about her; she was like a siren calling to him. And if she needed him, he knew that he would go running. He still to this day didn't know when it had happened, but somewhere along the way he had allowed himself to fall in love with that woman, and he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to move on from her.
...
It had been a month and a half since Draco had seen Hermione, and he had kept himself busy. A busy mind had less time to obsess over the things he couldn't change. News of the divorce had hit the papers a week after the initial reports of Weasley's affair, and it had sent the press into a tailspin. Some of her most vehement opponents had taken the opportunity to shame her in her failed relationship, but there had been an outpouring of support for her all the same.
The world was changing; it was no longer socially expectable for a man to step out on his marriage and participate in extramarital affairs. Gone was the day when marriage's sole purpose was to continue on the pureblood line. She had become a symbol of hope for women; if the Minister could leave her unfaithful husband, then why shouldn't all the women who had suffered in silence be able to?
It was a Friday evening, and Draco was home for the night. It had been a long week, and he was glad to see the end of it. He had settled himself with a glass of fire whiskey on his terrace that overlooked the city. This was his sanctuary, a place of peace and quiet where he could unwind from the chaos he had endured during the week.
His mind wandered to Granger as it often did when he allowed himself a moment away from the rest of the world. She had become an enigma to him; she always kept him guessing as to what she might do next. It was what had drawn him to her in the first place. He had thought when they were back in school that he had had her figured out. He thought he had known who she was then, but he had been wrong. When he allowed himself to look past the preludes he had been taught, he found that she was rather amazing in every way.
She was not the in your face beauty that most men chased after, her beauty was subtle and intriguing. She drew you in with her intelligence, compassion, and grace. Slowly she wound herself around you until before you even knew it, she was growing under your skin until your every thought was of her until your own happiness depended on her.
When his feelings for her started to take root, he told himself he had to tread lightly. She was a married woman who took the sanctity of marriage very seriously, even if her husband did not. Though like her he was a force to be reckoned with.
They had been working late one night on the purposed legislation that would impose a marriage law. It had ignited a heated argument between them that had somehow turned into a debate about her own marriage and her willingness to turn a blind eye. Before he knew it, he had her pinned to the wall claiming her mouth as his. It only took a few seconds before he came to his senses and pulled away and took a step back. Both, heaving at the chest, were staring at one another unable to look away. He had known at that moment he had crossed a line that he would be unable to cross back. Merlin though if she didn't look utterly sexy at that moment. He had done the very thing he had told himself he could not. When they regained their composure, they agreed to never speak of it again. For a while that had worked, until it didn't.
After that night they shared stolen glances from one another. They would find excuses to work late and alone. When she would travel on Ministry business, he would accompany her even when he was not needed. They were having an emotional affair; Weasley had taken notice of their sudden closeness and had grown enraged. Draco had found it comical seeing as it was Weasley own stupidity that had brought it about.
One night after a heated fight with Weasley she had shown up at his flat in tears. Weasley had said some pretty awful things to her in the heat of the moment before he had stormed out. She had felt that she couldn't take her problems to any of her other friends, because in doing so she would be forcing them to pick a side. Draco was the only person who didn't have to pick a side because he would always be firmly on hers.
It was that night that their emotional affair became a physical one. The following morning when he awoke with her still firmly wrapped in his arms, he knew that he had dug himself into a hole he couldn't climb back out of. He was controlled by her every move; she owned him, and it scared him.
"Penny for your thoughts," he jumped when he heard the all too familiar voice from behind him.
"For Merlin's sake, didn't your parents ever teach not to sneak up on someone?" he said whipping around to face the intruder.
She shrugged before making her way over to the lounge beside him. "I had forgotten how beautiful the view was from up here," she said after she settled herself in.
"Yeah, it's pretty breathtaking," he said, but he wasn't looking out over the city lights.
"Blaise said I would be able to find here," she said softly not tearing her eyes away from the view.
"Did he?" he said in a tone which was dripping with disapproval.
"I went by the office see if I could catch you before you headed home, but I had just missed you."
"I thought I would have an early night for once." They let the silence fall between them, just listening to the traffic from below. He had forgotten how easy it was just sitting with her even if they didn't say anything.
"What were you thinking about?"
"Our first night together," he answered honestly.
She smiled softly "That was a pretty amazing night."
"Was it?"
"That was the night I knew my marriage was over."
"I hardly think you can count that as amazing."
"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean it wasn't," she said with a small chuckle.
She tore her eyes from the view to look over at him. "It was amazing because for the first time in a long time I did what I wanted to do. I didn't scrutinize every last detail; I didn't make a pros-cons list in my head. I just did it without thinking. I jumped head first."
"Why are you here Granger?"
"I thought about what you said," she said taking a deep breath. "I want to run again because you are right, I am not one to run away from a fight."
He smiled he had known she would come around "I'll call Theo first thing in the morning, and we will get the ball rolling for the campaign."
"I have some conditions though," she said holding up her hand.
"Of course you do."
"I want to run again, but I want to come clean about a few things before I do."
"Everyone has secret's Granger, it's ok not to be a completely open book. I am pretty good at keeping people's secrets you know? It's how I make my living."
She smiled "I want to come clean about you and me."
"Don't be ridiculous," he said laughing but stopped when he realized she was dead serious. "You'll be admitting to an affair of your own. That is very dangerous territory."
"My husband had affairs. You and I, we had a love affair. Something that only started after my husband had made it very clear that he would do as he pleased with whomever he pleased. A love affair I ended when my husband begged me for another chance, and it was only after he had broken another promise to remain faithful did I end my marriage. You are not my dirty little secret Draco, and I won't have you or the world believe otherwise. Ron might have broken his vows, but so did I. I can't be the honorable candidate otherwise."
"I never thought of myself as your dirty secret," he said.
She smiled a sad smile "Yes, you did, you begged me to leave him, and I told you no. I was scared of the unknown. I let my fear drive a wedge between us. And when Ron asked me for another chance, I gave in because it what was easy."
"It was because you still believed in your marriage."
"No, it was because loving you terrified me. You had touched my soul in a way that no one else ever had. Going back to Ron meant I didn't have risk having my heart broken by you, instead, I think I might have broken yours, and for that, I am truly very sorry. I loved you very much Draco. I still do."
Her words knocked the wind out of him, 'I still do.'
"I know it's too late to fix what I broke, and I'm not asking for another chance. Merlin knows I don't deserve it after what I put you through..." he cut off by pulling her over to him, so she was now sitting on his lap.
"It's not too late," he said as he started to trail kisses down her neck and then back up "I...have...waited...a...long...time...to... hear...you...say...that..." he claimed her mouth with his, this kiss so much like their first set his skin on fire. Everything about her was intoxicating.
Being with her now like this made him wonder how he had ever been able to walk away in the first place. She was his home; she was his refuge from the mean world. His world began and ended with her. He stood up bringing her with him; she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her back through the open door, never breaking their kiss. His heart was pounding so loud in his chest he thought he might actually go deaf from the sound of it. When he reached his bedroom, he laid her down on to the bed gently before pulling away from her.
"Granger, I am only going to tell you this once, so you better listen. There is no way in hell I am letting you get away this time, so you have better be sure about this." He said looking her deep in the eyes.
She smiled up at him, "I have never been surer of anything,"
He smirked down at her before it turned into a wide smile "Good," was all he could get out before she had pulled him back in for another earth-shattering kiss.
There would still be a ton of things that they would still need to figure out, but for the moment, none of that mattered. All that mattered was this moment. The rest they had plenty of time for.
Author's Note: Hope you have enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a comment, I love to hear people's feed back.
