A/N: This is written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition Round Seven! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Title: Hermione's Dilemma
Pairing: DracoxHermionexDean
Genre: Romance and Hurt/Comfort
Team: Montrose Magpies
Position: Chaser One
Words: 1,483
Prompts: #5 "Let's go somewhere a little less dull", #14 "What are you smiling about?" and #15 Clouds
Hermione was sitting in a Muggle pub in a booth meant for two. The dingy settings reminded her of the Leaky Cauldron when it was under the control of Tom, but now that it was under the control of Hannah Abbott Longbottom it looked much better. The waitress came up to the table, and Hermione looked up to see that it was a teenage girl, looking to be about sixteen years old with braces in her mouth, blue eyes, and blonde hair. "Can I take your order?" she asked, her pen held just above her notebook.
"Oh, I'm waiting for someone. I'll call you over when he gets here," Hermione said, trying for a smile. The girl just rolled her eyes and marched off, looking quite annoyed. Hermione frowned. "Muggles," she muttered, shaking her head.
Hermione looked around some more. The muggles were usually sitting in pairs, one man and one woman, and were looking awfully in-love. Hermione didn't understand. Why come here for a date? Then again, she was being hypocritical. She herself was here on a date, though she kept telling herself that it was purely business. She didn't want to openly admit that she was romantically attracted to Dean Thomas, though they'd been going out for six months. He was her boss; she wasn't supposed to be in love with him.
Speaking of the devil, Dean Thomas walked into the pub right on schedule. He saw her sitting in their usual booth, and his brown eyes lit up in a twinkle as he smiled. Hermione's heart started beating quicker as he got closer, and she felt her body almost explode with the warmth that he provided her when he kissed her lightly on the cheek before he sat down. "Sorry if I kept you waiting," he said, ending the sentence with a winning smile.
"I-I haven't been here l-long," she stuttered, her voice raising an octave and a hot blush rising up her neck and cheeks. Dean just smiled. "So, what do you think you want to eat?" she said, changing the subject quickly with a nod towards the menu.
"Hm," Dean said, looking towards the menu. "I'm thinking the usual. I'll have the bacon cheeseburger with French fries and a beer. What about you?" At this point he looked at her, and Hermione felt the blush returning already. She was certainly smitten with him.
"I'm getting the Caesar salad with ranch dressing and beer," Hermione told him. At that point, the waitress came back over and took their orders. Dean and Hermione engaged in small talk until she came back with their food, and then it was mostly silent until they had finished eating.
"So, Hermione… How did Draco take it when you told him about us?" Dean asked, leaning forward on the table.
Hermione blushed and lowered her eyes. The truth was, she still hadn't told Draco Malfoy that she was sneaking around with her boss, Dean Thomas. That's right; Hermione was married to another man. They had two children as well: Hercules Draco Malfoy and Nicolette Hermione Malfoy. They were both four because they were twins, and Hermione couldn't bear the thought of her marriage being over and Draco possibly taking about her children from her. However, Draco couldn't give her what Dean could now. Draco never made her happy; Dean always did. And yet, she still couldn't sever ties with her husband.
She'd had one failed marriage already, and had two other children with Ron Weasley. Their names were Rose Nymphadora Weasley and Hugo Colin Weasley, and they were with her and Draco every other week. Rose was ten and Hugo was eight, so they both hadn't started Hogwarts yet. It was actually Draco that she'd cheated on Ron with, and now she was cheating on Draco with Dean. It was all so confusing!
Dean frowned. "I take it that you still haven't told him?"
Hermione shook her head, her eyes still glued to the table. "It's just… It's not that I haven't wanted to, Dean; I promise you, I do! It's harder than it sounds, and I don't want Draco to take Hercules and Nicolette away from me forever, and I'm afraid he would if he knew that I'd cheated on him."
Dean tried for a smile, but he was obviously slightly disappointed. "Hermione, I know you might not want to, but you have to tell Draco about the two of us. You are a high-up member of the Department of Law Enforcement in the Ministry of Magic, and you're obviously a fit mother; no judge will take your children away from you. I'd say joint custody probably."
Hermione smiled. "Alright, Dean, I guess you're right. Joint custody is better than no custody. I'll tell Draco tomorrow. For now, let's go somewhere a little less dull." She raised her eyebrows, and Dean immediately grinned and got up. He took her hand and led her out since they had already paid the check.
As soon as they left the pub, Hermione noticed that it was unusually dark outside. The clouds were covering the moon, but Hermione barely got time to focus on that before Dean had pushed her against the brick wall on the side of the pub and pressed his mouth against hers. It was gentle at first, but it turned rough pretty quick. Soon enough, his tongue was exploring her mouth, and hers was exploring his.
They finally pulled apart, and both of them were breathless and very close together. Dean's hands were pressed against the brick wall on either side of Hermione's head, and Hermione's hands were tangled in his curly dark brown hair. Hermione grinned, and Dean smirked at her. "What are you smiling about?" he teased.
Hermione giggled, pressing her lips to his once more. "Just being with you makes me smile," she breathed, kissing him with a passion this time. Dean returned the kiss, and soon they were in the same position as before.
"Hermione?" called a voice from behind them. The two froze, both of them knowing the owner of that voice and knowing the consequences behind it.
Hermione poked her head around Dean's and squeaked—it was her husband, Draco Lucius Malfoy at his finest. His white-blonde hair was brushed and held back with a lot of hair gel, his silvery-gray eyes were narrowed menacingly, and his face was stretched into a horrible glare. "Explain yourself, Hermione."
"Dean and I were just having a work-related meeting, Draco," Hermione muttered, looking down to the ground so that he wouldn't see the fearful look in her eyes.
"Really? Well, to me it looked as the two of you were about to take each other's clothes off in the middle of the street," Draco said, snorting sardonically and narrowing his eyes even further.
"It's not—"
"—What it looks like, I know, I've heard it all before. I've been cheated on previously; do you remember? Of course you remember; Astoria's in Azkaban for her psychotic behavior and Scorpius lives at the house. You also have two children besides the twins; Rose and Hugo still come around every other week! How do you think they're going to feel when we tell them that yet another one of your marriages has failed because of your infidelity?"
Hermione froze. "You can't tell them I'm the reason both of my marriages have failed! I'll do anything; please just take me back!"
Draco frowned. "You know what, Hermione? You don't deserve my sympathy. Have fun with you 'other man' while you can! You can move out and tell Ron to bring Rose and Hugo to your new apartment from now on. I'll see you in court about the custody of the twins." With that he walked off and Hermione burst into tears, falling onto the strong, comforting shoulder of Dean Thomas.
"Hermione, you don't have to still be here with me," he said, frowning at her while trying to comfort her while she cried.
"Yes I do, Dean," Hermione blubbered, tears streaming down her face. "You're the only thing I have right now." She lunged forward and kissed him roughly on the mouth, flipping them around so that she could be pressing him up against the wall instead of it being the other way around.
Dean pulled away from her after awhile and said, "If this is too soon, just tell me. I was wondering if you wanted to come back to my place?"
Hermione smiled. "I'd love that," she responded, kissing him roughly again before pulling away and letting him lead her by the hand so they could catch a taxi. Although Hermione had just condemned herself to divorce from her husband because of Dean, she felt empty inside and needed a man in her life, so that is the reason that she agreed. Hermione was now in an exclusive relationship with Dean Thomas.