D. I.V.O.R.C.E.
Summary: "Malfoy," Hermione started, "I want a DIVORCE—a D.I.V.O.--MMHPH!" DMHG. AN: will start off leisurely but WILL get to the point! STRONG M for adult-themes.
AN: Thank you all for all the helpful reviews! I got a few tips on Hermione's strange reaction towards the end of chapter three and I will try not to have that slip up any more in future chapters. All the lengthy comments I adore and appreciate so much, thank you for taking time out to write those, I regard them highly. Also, I know it's been awhile since I updated this story, but don't worry. I won't keep you waiting like that anymore.
Additional Notes: I wanted to clear up some confusion about the category of which this story is placed. I had originally decided this story to be Romance/Humor, but it's not a grip the side of your stomach hardy-ha-ha story, it's a romantic-comedy, to say the least. To explain further, it's lighthearted, with its small bursts of humor in it. It's meant to be romantic, but with so much more elements to it. I'm tempted to make it Romance/General, but I'm nervous to do so. Please, any advice on this would help me immensely.
It just wasn't her day.
Her day of unfortunate events started when she woke from her heavy slumber half an hour late for work. She nearly screamed at the clock on her wall when as she jumped from out of her bed, hurrying to the bathroom to shower and dress for work.
She couldn't believe that she had overslept! She knew the day would slowly progress even more poorly, despite her hurried readiness. She had already read in a newspaper yesterday night that it might rain, and along with the panicky, wrenching guilt feelings from snogging Malfoy the day before, she could just feel the workings of a bad day coming on. This notion became reality when she stepped outside and was smacked in the face by a newspaper; a Muggle newspaper boy scurried away on his bicycle at breakneck speed, oblivious to Hermione's reddening face. With a briefcase in one hand, and her umbrella in the other, she stepped away from her house. She continued walking, deciding to take the bus to Kings Cross, instead of walking the long distance, not finding a cab in sight.
She glanced at her watch, and it was now closing in to nine am. She was nearly two hours late for work! She cursed softly under her breath and decided that she could not waste time waiting for a double-decker. Instead, she lifted her hand to haul a cabbie.
To her relief, one pulled up onto the curb she was standing on. With a sigh, she began to walk over to the car, but suddenly a finely dressed man ran up to the taxi, opening the door and jumping in. Hermione jerked back, a shocked expression on her face as she peered into the window of the taxi at the stranger. The man lifted his hands up, as he mouthed, "what can I say?" his expression careless as he shrugged. The taxi took off, and Hermione felt like ripping her hair out.
As if to rub salt into her wounds, Hermione heard a clatter from above, and was soon doused in rain. She quickly pulled out her umbrella, but a strong gust of wind had the umbrella turning inside out, rendering it useless.
She stood in the pouring rain, her hair matted against her forehead as she clung to her broken umbrella and briefcase in one hand. She lifted the briefcase to hold above her head as she waited for the double-decker to stop her way or a taxi…whichever came first. She spluttered as a car drove quickly past her, water splashing down her front. She dropped her briefcase and broken umbrella, a shriek coming from her as she shivered, and her arms wide as she surveyed her already ruined suit.
"Well, Hermione…" said a voice. She already knew who it was. She bit her lip, remembering how his had caressed hers just the day before. She shivered some more. It wasn't the rain sliding down her neck that made her shiver.
"Malfoy," she said, reaching down to pick up her umbrella and briefcase, but noticed that they were gone. She spun around to see Draco standing there with his hand out. He had picked up her damaged items. She blushed and took them from him, muttering her thanks. She finally looked him over. He was wearing simple denim trousers and a green polo. She quirked an eyebrow and realized that Malfoy should have been at work two hours ago as well. "Malfoy…why are you here, and why are you dressed like that? Why aren't you at work and why am I—"she started, but stopped as Malfoy lifted a hand to quiet her.
"So many questions, Granger... First, Warlock gave me a week vacation, second, I do know how to dress in a Muggle environment, Third, I am here because I was going to take the bus to some friends, and Fourth, I don't know why you're soaked to the bone in rain, I thought it was going to rain in the evening, but I always come prepared with an umbrella if rain is forecasted in the weather," he said in quick succession, "However small that prediction may be." Hermione spluttered.
"I'm having a bad day," she announced the obvious to him, holding her briefcase under her arm, her umbrella dangling from her other hand. Draco laughed and pulled her away from the curb, placing her under his own umbrella.
"Oh Granger, I can see that you're late for work," he added and grinned at her glare. "When in such a situation as this, why even bother going in? You should just…ditch."
A fluttering look of disbelief flew onto her face. "Excuse me? I don't ditch work, Malfoy." She rolled her eyes at his small smile. "If you haven't noticed, this is my life! I just can't ask for a vacation out of the blue."
"Who said anything about a vacation, Granger? This is a day off. Merlin, you haven't taken a day off since you made Partner, playing hooky once will not kill you or your career."
"I haven't taken a day off for a good reason! It's because of people like you that I keep going to work, regardless of how I might be feeling. You take your job for granted. You think your career will always be there, even though you abuse the somewhat lenient system that they have established for their employees. Warlock gave you this vacation and you took it. Do you think he'll forget this? He'll remember that you didn't turn it down and ask to be assigned another case by me. He'll remember that you're the lawyer who needs to catch his breath after every case. Good luck with such a reputation, Malfoy, but remember that it won't get you very far," she said. Throughout her rant Draco had rolled his eyes skyward, his free hand still curled around her arm where he had pulled her away from the curb. She didn't mind the hold, the tiny gesture sending strong shocks through her body as she remembered the kiss they shared just yesterday.
"C'mon, just take the day off and come with me," he said with a grin, looking her up and down, "I promise you it'll be an interesting event…" Hermione scoffed.
"Your friend's house? I don't trust you and I definitely wouldn't trust the people that find your company pleasing, Malfoy. Why the hell would I go anywhere with you alone?" she asked, pulling her arm from his grasp finally. She removed herself from under his umbrella and straightened her posture.
"Well, you don't very much know me, Hermione. You're basing my friends on me, and that's quite rude of you," he said evenly. He made a tutting noise, his look speaking pure boredom and exhaustion, "Look, you're having a day from hell, why bring that attitude to work? You wouldn't want to take that anger out on a potential client, now would you?"
She shook her head.
"We all know you have a fury that is not to be reckoned with, am I right? How would you feel if you were fired because of your attitude?"
Again, she shook her head.
"All right then, you agree that it would be a not-so-great idea to waltz into work right now, soaked to the bone, irritated, and moody, correct?"
She nodded, quite beside herself. She did agree on some level that it would be highly inappropriate for her to go to work in such a tyrannical mood. She would be wringing the neck of every receptionist and junior Associate in the building. Plus, she just didn't feel herself. But would she really play hooky with Malfoy? Perhaps she should go home…
"And going home would just make you feel restless…" Malfoy said just in time.
Oh no, she thought, he's making sense—and convincing me of all people that he's making sense.
"Well, Granger. Congratulations. You're about to play hooky," he said, throwing an arm around her wet shoulders.
-
--
---
Chapter Four
When Hermione stepped off the red bus, she paused in shock at the establishment before her. "You…er…have friends here?" she asked puzzled. Draco nodded and got off the bus beside her.
"Yep," he said. She spluttered and continued to stare.
"Um…why?"
"I love them," he said simply, grabbing her hand and leading her inside. Immediately Hermione's ears were met with wild barking, soft meows and the rustling of wings. Draco had brought her to an animal shelter.
"Draco!" exclaimed an old woman. She had long, white hair and soft, blue eyes. She gave him a sweet smile and walked over, throwing her arms around him. "You said you would be here at ten."
"I'm sorry Miranda, I was held up," he said sheepishly, nudging Hermione gently. Hermione, still in a state of shock, shook herself out of it in enough time to stick out her hand.
"My apologies, ma'am." Miranda smiled down at Hermione's hand and disregarded it, launching forward to give her a brief hug. Hermione was startled, but hugged the older woman back.
"Well, will your lady-friend be taking care of the dogs today with you, Draco?" Miranda asked. He turned to Hermione and then nodded at Miranda. "Good, I would recommend some better clothes, girl. You might not want the pups messing up your fancy clothes and all," Miranda said shortly, walking over to the counter in front of the small store. She reached over it and pulled out a white t-shirt, looking at the tag. "Small…this should fit you," she said, handing the shirt to Hermione.
"Oh, thank you," Hermione said, taking the shirt and reading the front, "Miranda's Animal Shelter."
"Draco," Miranda chirped suddenly, a smile on her thin lips, "Rupert has been dying to see you, he's in the back." Draco's face lit up, making Hermione just a little curious about this Rupert character. Her look did not go by unnoticed; Miranda turned to her and gave her a peculiar smile. "I've got a loo back there too, if you would like to change."
With another thanks, Draco led her into the back of the shop, where the barking grew louder. She glanced around the shop, noticing all the adorable animals that wagged their tails and tilted their small faces upward to peer at her. She was quite taken with a small beagle when she heard Draco speak.
"Hey boy," Draco said happily through a cage. She turned to stand beside him. Inside was a shocking white Border collie puppy, a black circular spot of fur around his left eye. The puppy wagged its tail furiously at the sight of Draco. Hermione couldn't hide her cooing. "Rupert, this is my friend Hermione," he said to the small dog. Hermione stuck a couple of fingers between the bars and Rupert sniffed and licked her hand in salute.
"What a lovely pup, Malfoy. How old is he?"
"He's just shy of eight weeks. I'm going to take him home next week, actually."
"I didn't know you were a dog person," she exclaimed.
"I love dogs," he sighed. "This here is my best friend, I've been coming here for about a year now, and I took care of his mum. When she gave birth to him and his brothers and sisters, I just adored him, so I asked Miranda to keep him for me. You see, breeders for border collies bought all his other siblings. She kept him just for me—you're a special lad, aren't you Rupert?" Draco asked through the bars, eliciting an excited bark from the pup. He laughed heartily at the dog's response. Hermione stared at him in disbelief, not fully understanding this side of him. He was usually so reserved, smug, cruel that it bothered her to see this playful, sweet side of him. She wouldn't be telling the truth if she said that this didn't shake her up—that this didn't distort her image of him.
It did.
---
The day was taking off rather pleasantly, and Hermione was surprised beyond belief that she was having such a fantastic day with Malfoy, of all people. She had changed into her shirt, and transfigured her skirt into denim trousers, smiling at Miranda afterwards and telling her she had a pair in her briefcase. She liked the work that they were put to at the Shelter. She had taken several of the dogs outside into the courtyard for some exercise since the rain had stopped, cleaned out their cages, and had feed them. They were all so adorable, and she found herself cooing at each little dog, wanting to take them home with her.
Checking her small, delicate wristwatch she realized that it was a quarter to one. She was done with her chores from the morning and had retired to a small stool when her stomach gave a reprimanding growl. She was didn't know where a close food place was, and she didn't know if Miranda had any human food lying around for them. She was just about to give up on any prospects of food when she heard Malfoy come into the back room.
"Hungry much?"
"Starving!" she replied with a short smile. "Do you have a place in mind?" she asked, noticing her coat and his umbrella in his hands.
"Yes I do, right up the street is a pub with the best sandwiches you'll ever devour!" he said, his voice racing with excitement.
She laughed, "I hardly think pub food to be that fantastic."
"Well get up Ms. Granger, you're about to be surprised."
-
When they had entered the pub, Hermione's nose was hit with a mixture of scents. One, of course, was alcohol. The stench of beer was ever present in the air, and she was sure it was going to leave some lingering scent on her clothes, but the next, powerful scent, made the first one smell great. Fresh bread, with roast beef, filtered through the room. Immediately her stomach growled in anticipation.
"I'll have whatever is in the air," she said with a smile. Draco smirked at her,
"I told you, you haven't even bitten into a sandwich but you can already tell how good it's going to be."
When they had sat down and ordered, she couldn't help but complain about the waiting.
"I'm famished," she whined, thinking about Ron. She truly knew what he had meant by the word.
"It looks like we'll be waiting a long time," Draco noted. "See that lady over there?" he asked. Hermione turned to see an old woman, probably in her mid seventies, hunched over in her seat, a pint in front of her. It was half empty, and she appeared to be sleeping. "She was twenty when she came in here…"
She snorted through wild giggles and her eyes widened at the noise, humiliation written all over her. She covered her reddening face with her hands. Her ears were assaulted by Malfoy's giant chuckles.
"You snorted!" he exclaimed. "Hermione Granger snorts while laughing! Who would've thought?" he laughed.
"Oh Merlin," she said, all laughter aside. "I haven't snorted since I was a little girl!"
"And why not?"
"It was the number one reason I was picked on, besides my wild hair," she said, gesturing to her head. "I was a nerd, a bushy-haired girl, with braces and snorts for laughter."
"You had…braces? Those metal contraptions that Muggles put on their teeth?" She nodded. "Why in Merlin's name did you do that?"
"It was a Muggle way of healing my teeth," she explained. "My teeth were…all to pot. My parents are dentists, so of course they gave me braces. I was quite the sight, but…I guess I have to thank you for fixing my teeth completely."
"Me?" Draco asked, confused.
"Yes, fourth year, you struck me by accident with a horrid hex to make my teeth grow. I went to Poppy so she could shrink them…I just let her go a little further than she was supposed to and boom, I had perfect teeth," she gave him a wide smile to show off perfect, straight white teeth.
She saw a flash of guilt overcome Draco's eyes, but she disregarded it, knowing that addressing it would be too awkward of a conversation.
"But why are you ashamed of snorting? It's rather cute."
She laughed, "Bollocks, you know I sound like a pig!"
"Not true," he said with a shrug. "You don't look nor sound like a pig. Your snort is amusing, I like it," he said with finality. She was lost for words. With a quirk of a smile, she looked up to see the waitress bringing them their food. She picked her sandwich up and started in on it, a renewed enthusiasm coursing through her body.
---
When they came back from lunch Miranda was on their case about cleaning the mess the dogs did outside when they were doing their business. Hermione didn't object, for once in her life. She was excited to get back to work, even if it did require that she pick up shit and put away toys.
When she had taken off her coat and put on gloves, they were ready to work.
"Draco—you take that side of the courtyard and I'll take this one. After we've finished that, we can move on to the toys, and then after that we—" she was interrupted.
"—ah, Granger. You have to be in control of every situation, I see," he was laughing outright to his little statement. It made her mad and she placed her hands on her hips.
"Well, someone has to be in charge!"
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. And I feel like I'm an appropriate candidate. You're so busy kicking around that red ball in front of you that you either fail to see the severity of the situation at hand, or you're simply procrastinating and denying this situation."
"Always have to have some theory, eh?" he was laughing even harder. Hermione pouted.
"How bout I come by and smack that condescending smile right off your face, Malfoy?" she asked, stomping towards him. When she was about a yard away from him, she slipped on a pile of dog shit. Her arms swung this way and that, but she landed on top of the pile, a squishing sound reverberating throughout the courtyard. She squealed as she fell, her eyes closing and her throat gagging.
"DAMN IT!" she screamed.
Her ears were met with more outrageous laughter.
"Oh, do you think this is funny, Malfoy?" she barked.
"You…have…no…idea!" he said between laughs.
She made a noise of anger as she tried getting up from the pile of shit. She slipped again, her bum aching. "Ahh…help, Malfoy?" she asked. Draco, still in fits, went over to her to lend a hand. She stood with his help, Draco pulling with a little more force than needed so she fell into his chest.
"What a lovely position you've found yourself in," he started, but scrunched up his face. "You smell…just lovely."
"I'm sure I could smell any kind of way and you'd still find it lovely, Malfoy," she said. She didn't know why she was flirting.
"I know I would. I would find you lovely in any garb or with any scent attached to you…because as long as it's on your body or about you, I can't seem to tear myself away from you."
He began his laughing again, making Hermione grow pink with embarrassment. She turned away from him and started to walk towards the back of the shop, Draco laughing even harder as he saw the stain smeared on her bottom.
When he had entered the back room finally, it had been nearly five minutes. She was putting away her wand from cleaning the mess, her back turned to him as she slipped it into her briefcase. As she reached above her to put the bag back onto a high stack of cages, she felt a hand lightly caress her rear. Nearly choking on her own spit, she whipped around to see Draco standing there, a look on his face that spoke…well…that spoke amusement, desire, humor. She swallowed.
"What are you doing?"
"I was just making sure you were clean."
"Groping me is not the proper way, Malfoy," she hissed, growing cross.
"Don't be mad, Granger. I couldn't help but notice that you missed a spot."
"What?"
He moved closer to her, their bodies' mere centimeters from each other. She could feel the tension escalating to an alarming state, the heat between them becoming unbearable. Oh Shite, she swore in her head.
"Yeah, right here," he groped her again, making her jump into his unintentionally open embrace, or lack of. She gasped in the back of her throat, her body shaking.
"Don't touch me," she said aghast. "Are you mental?"
"I don't think so," he said quietly. "I'm sure you missed a spot."
"Are we really having this conversation?"
He slowly brought his hand up to cup the side of her face, caressing the soft skin underneath his hand, as if answering her question through this act. She closed her eyes, admiring and leaning into the touch. All noise seemed to have escaped her ears after such a touch. She lifted one arm to place on his shoulder, bringing him down so their lips could touch. He pressed them against hers, her mouth slowly opening under his and he gently kissed her. They didn't notice the curious look Rupert gave them, his little head tilting to the side as he watched them kiss.
"Oh no…"her mind screamed
Hermione was becoming drunk off of his kiss, falling deeper into a state of haziness as Draco deepened it, his hands finding their way into her hair where he cupped the back of her head, sliding his hands forward to cup her cheeks. She lazily clung to his waist, her body shaking as he pressed her against the empty cages that were stacked against the wall. She wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting to hold him there, as their kisses seem to come to an end. She didn't want it to end so soon, so she made the biggest and most amazing mistake ever.
She slipped a hand under Draco's shirt. She felt him moan into her mouth at the sudden touch of skin. She was somewhat surprised to find his skin warm and soft. She had always thought in school that he was cold inside and out. This was a great surprise to her.
Their kiss was fueled once more, but this time with much more passionate. He gripped her, almost painfully, in need to feel more than just that touch. She was taken aback by the force, but clung to him, meeting his need and hers. She ran her tongue down the bottom length of his lip, gaining interest into his mouth. His hands snuck down to her waist and slid up her own t-shirt. Suddenly, Rupert gave a sharp bark, the two jumping away from each other in a fright, Hermione feeling the sharp stab that came with sudden fear. They turned to stare at Rupert and their eyes snapped to the door that was slowly opening.
"Oh! Here you youngsters are," Miranda chirped happily. Her eyes gleamed mischievously at the sight of them. "I was wondering what had happened, you know, the puppies need to be taken outside for their little break again."
Hermione found a spot on the floor to stare at as the door closed, leaving her once again alone with Draco and Rupert. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and refused to meet eyes with Draco. She heard him stir beside her, as if trying to figure out where to move first. "Well…" she heard him say. She nodded.
"Malfoy," she started, finally gaining the power to speak. "This…this has been a mistake…I'm so sorry that…err…this happened. Really, I don't think we should do this. No, I know we shouldn't be doing this."
She had looked up to see the blank expression on his face. She sighed deeply at it. Not knowing what else to say, she walked pass him and left the back room, Rupert softly barking after her, wanting her to stay.
---
She was out in the vast backspace of the animal shelter. There was a lovely cemented pavement that curved into a half circle that led to a spot where Hermione could take the animals to do their business. There were pet-friendly flowers planted in every nook and cranny of the yard, with a pretty white fence circling the area to keep the animals in. There were toys scattered about, tunnels for the dogs to run through and little stands with sitting posts that the cats could climb up on. She was currently working on a runt of a puppy named Apple. The small dog barked happily as she sniffed the grass underneath her, wanting to find a perfect spot. Hermione smiled at the small creature, but was terribly lost in her thoughts.
She was so caught up in these thoughts that she was completely oblivious to Malfoy coming up to her, Rupert quick on his heels. She shivered, turning around to see him finally. Before she could say anything, Draco raised a hand in silence.
"Before you say anything, I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for my behavior back there. I should have paid more attention to what you were probably thinking. I just…launched at you."
Hermione raised a brow, curiosity getting the best of her—she kept her mouth shut.
"But I'm not sorry for kissing you. I'm not sorry for making you kiss me back. I'm not sorry for touching you and you touching me. I can never be sorry for that," he said softly. Hermione stirred and glanced away from him, noticing that Apple was sniffing Rupert. "I don't know what I'm doing, Hermione, but I know it's not wrong. It's scary, yes, and these…feelings I have for you…are scary. I never thought in a million years that I would be falling for Hermione bloody Granger," he said without malice, but jokingly. This brought a touch of a smile to her lips. "I'm fucking falling for you," he said finally, running a shaky hand through his hair. She froze at those words.
"How do you know, Malfoy?" she asked cautiously. She wanted someone to pinch her—anyone to wake her from this surreal dream. "How can you even accurately say, with confidence, that you're falling for me? You hardly know me."
"I've watched you," he admitted, but not without quickly adding, "But not in a sinister fashion, I swear. I just…I watch you. I know so much about you by the way you carry yourself. The way you dress, the way you talk, the way you don't drink coffee on Wednesdays because they're your busy days and you like to go at it with your head clear of any stimulants to show your strength, and the way that you sort of dress down on a Friday because you're going to the pub later. I know that you love clocks; you also love anything that's of a cream-color because it brings out the dark tone of your skin and eyes. I know that you wear your hair in a ponytail when no one is looking and secretly you despise buns because they remind you of McGonagall, and you were always afraid of becoming her.
"I know that at Hogwarts your favorite tree was the old, gnawed apple tree by the greenhouses, even though everyone hated that bloody tree because it was uncomfortable to sit against, you loved it and would escape to it whenever you needed to clear your thoughts. I know that when you punched the living daylights out of me Third Year that you felt the shock between us, like I did. I know that you confirmed the feelings I had towards you at the Yule Ball, when our eyes locked on the stairs. I know that since that day on the stairs, I vowed to get to know you, even if I did it from a distance.
"I was a coward, and I suffered watching you grow and explore things without me beside you. I was a coward towards my feelings and everything else in my life. But here I am, standing in front of you confessing everything I have learned about you through watching from such a distance, and how I yearn, how I…ache to learn everything about you. I'm falling for the woman I know from a distance, a woman whose personality is so strong, I can sense it from afar and know that everyday she gives me another reason to love her."
She simply couldn't say anything. The blood in her body had stopped circulating to her brain in a protest. She blinked a few times, the word love echoing in her head like a sick lullaby. The fact that Draco had proclaimed his feelings for her still flowed through her dead mind. She was scared—hell, she was petrified—at his blatant, out of place confession. All she could do was straighten out her shoulders, bringing her up a few notches in the courage department, and face him.
"I don't know what you expect me to do, Malfoy. I'm curious towards your confession, but I'm troubled with it. I don't know what you want from me, an admission to loving you? A romp with your superior or whatever harmful alternative situation you may have in mind?" She shifted uncomfortably, her heart thudding into her throat. "I'm simply trying to say that I cannot accept your confession, Malfoy. I just don't know you well enough to accept your interest towards me. I'm sorry, I just can't."
"Think about this, Hermione…" Draco said quickly, his eyes pleading.
With a final calculated look, she tore her eyes away from him and walked away, something she was doing a lot today.
---
The ride back to town was awkwardly quiet. As they sat a few seats away each other, their eyes catching with every bump the rocky bus made, making Hermione's lips curl, in the slightest bit, downward. She felt nauseas, ashamed, and terribly uncomfortable.
---
Much later that night, she stood in front of the pub she was supposed to be meeting her friends in that Friday evening, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with "Miranda's Animal Home" written across it. She hadn't the time to go back to her flat and change. As an alternative, she wandered the shops in the city and eventually sat in a muggle bookstore to read. It was, simply put, unusual to see her dressed in such a way at their little meetings. She was usually dressed in her work gear, but here she was, dressed down, having had a wonderful day playing hooky with her new…stalker? No. Scratch that…with Draco Malfoy, the man who was crushing after her.
She shifted her weight from foot to foot in an anxious manner, not knowing whether she should go in or go home to have an early start on her weekend. She didn't think she could sit through her whole gathering with her friends without telling them about Draco's confession. It was so, so, so sudden, this relationship dilemma. It was so new, like an open wound. She didn't know how to regard it yet, but it was there before her butt-naked and waiting to be addressed. She stood up straighter, reminding herself just who the hell she was, and entered the pub.
Music flooded her as she opened the door to the noisy pub, people were chattering, laughing, and just enjoying their Friday night all around. In the center of the pub were her friends, quietly talking amongst themselves in the poorly lit area. Ginny had a Miller in her hand, Harry had nothing in front of him and Ron was downing what she believed to be vodka. She was unsure about the situation presented in front of her. Something seemed incredibly off about the three of them. As she approached the table, they all looked up at her.
"Whoa…Hermione," Ron said. "What are you wearing?"
Ginny smiled, "Same thing I was thinking…where are your work clothes?" she asked. Harry nodded.
She took a seat beside Ron and shrugged. "You guys wouldn't believe the day I had," she laughed.
"Same here," Ron said with a shake of his head. "You know Malfoy Manor?" he asked suddenly. Hermione jumped at the mention of Draco's home. She nodded. "Burned down tonight…everything was burnt to rubble. The Malfoy's were said to be in the house. There are Aurors on the scene trying to clean up the mess—a rescue team as well so they can find them."
Hermione gasped.
"At least you don't have to worry about Malfoy being on your back—" she heard Ron start.
"It was a ruddy mess, that accident. We don't know how it started but it was horrible—" Harry said with exhaustion.
She was completely deaf to what they were saying after that. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, to be honest. Her day had been pleasant, sans Malfoy's confession. The thought of something this tragic happening was completely absurd. She stood suddenly, her friends asking her what was wrong. She didn't know what to do. All her thoughts were fighting with each other. One was telling her to wake up—that she didn't want Malfoy in her life and this was all just a big mistake. The other thought was telling her to just accept the fact that he liked her, that there was something about him that peaked her interest. That even despite this internal conflict, she still cared that her colleague might be hurt. Plus, she would never forgive herself if Malfoy had died while she was drinking, his body trapped and dying under burning bricks.
"Hermione, sit down, people are starting to stare," she heard Ron say.
"Where would he be?" she asked herself aloud.
"Who? Malfoy? Hopefully buried under that house with his parents," Ron said with a laugh.
It clicked in her head. She turned and walked out of the pub, oblivious to the shouts that were coming from her friends.
-
There was a loud rustling of a giant engine and puffing of smoke as the red bus left from behind her. She stood on the sidewalk, her eyes taking in the sight of the dark animal shelter, a small light on in the front window. "Lovely," she whispered with a smile. She walked up the path that led to the little place, and knocked. None other than Draco Malfoy opened the door.
She threw her arms around him, her body crushing against his as he swept her into an embrace. "I'm so sorry Draco."
"It's all right…my parents weren't home," he said softly, understanding her. "They're away in Germany and—"
"What?" she asked, pulling back. "But there are Aurors all over your house looking for them!"
"Still? I sent an owl telling them to call off the search."
She stood stock-still, disbelief written on her face. She shook her head, "then what are you doing here?"
"I had no place to go, Granger," he said in annoyance. "Where else was I supposed to go?" he asked.
"Blaise's?" she offered feebly.
"Away in France for a seminar…" he answered. "I'm homeless for the time being, all my things were at the Manor, and despite everything having a protection charm on it, a simple Accio won't bring them back right now. Not with all the wards hovering above the place administered by those incompetent Aurors," he spat. She stood there, not knowing what to say. "Miranda said I could come here though, she's got a cot in the back. I can even play with Rupert a bit, as long as I don't disturb the rest of the puppies…" he said with a smile, as if playing with the puppy was the only concern in his life right now.
Hermione shook her head, her hand reaching out to grab his. "You're so…bloody stupid," she said. She laughed. "You're so…" she trailed off, pulling him into her arms for a hug. She could sense Draco's confusion. At this point, Hermione made a vital decision. "Come back to my flat with me," she said slowly, as if allowing the words to register in her own head. She looked up into his doubtful face. "Really, I have a guest room. You don't have to sleep on a sofa…or worse…in my bed," she said with an uncomfortable laugh. It was met with an even more uncomfortable silence. Draco cleared his throat.
"I suppose I could spend the night," he said with a shrug. He still looked bit concerned about the whole arrangement, which made her want to drill a reason out of him.
Before he turned back into the shop, she grabbed his arm. "Listen to me…" she paused, words quite lost to her, "about earlier…I'm just…scared. I'm scared of whatever is going on between us…I don't even know what it is…why…how…I just want you to know that I'm scared." She could see a flicker of acceptance in his eyes, and with that, he turned back. She patiently waited for him to say goodbye to Miranda and Rupert.
---
"So, I hope you live in a respectable home, Granger?" he said teasingly as they walked down her street. They had just taken the bus back, not wanting to apparate in a Muggle-filled area, and she couldn't remember a more wonderful time she had walking down her street. Draco had wrapped an arm lazily around her shoulders, bumping into her occasionally. She scoffed and looked up at him with a smirk.
"C'mon, Malfoy. Respectable hardly explains my home—that's such an understatement," she boasted. She stopped in front of the large flat, looking up at the second floor and pointing. "That's my home," she said, earning an approving nod from Draco.
"Seems sizeable…nice area…cute shrubs," he said critically, but it made her laugh at the serious look on his face. She shook her head and slid a hand into her pocket, going for her keys to open the second entrance that was in the foyer of the flat. She opened it, and at that moment, Draco gently pushed her into the doorframe, a devious look on his face. Before she could complain, he had planted his soft lips on her slightly chaffed ones. The combination was heaven.
She was startled out of the sudden snog, however, when there was a loud crash from the stairs. She looked up to see Ron standing there, a look of utter horror on his face. He tripped down the few steps it took to enter the foyer. Hermione jerked away from Draco's touch and instead, took a step back to allow Ron to enter the foyer. He opened the door she had just been pushed up against.
"Hermione…" he started, confused.
"Ron, what are you doing—?"
"What…what is he doing here? With his face on your face?" She could smell the vodka radiating off of Ron's form. It made her stomach churn.
She paused. She could simply lift her chin to show that bit of Gryffindor courage she was known for, or she could cower under his intensely perplexed expression and lie. But what would she be lying about? What was she actually hiding? A new romantic entanglement with a boy they used to hate at Hogwarts? How about a casual get-together with colleagues or perhaps a friendly romp between boss and employee? She sighed.
"I'm so sorry Ron, but I'm much too tired to explain why Draco is here. It's simple enough, you saw him and me in a romantic entanglement, and you are incontrovertibly confused about the many situations that may have led to this confounded conclusion…" she rambled. The look on Ron's face tittered between utter bewilderment and disgust.
"Don't try and bullshit out of this situation, Hermione, with your fancy lawyer-talk! Here are the facts, Miss. Lawyer—you were caught red-handed with this bastard in your flat. You had your lips pressed against his. You were kissing him back. You looked…pleased," Ron said the last word with much difficulty, a tad bit of sadness evident in his voice. "Just tell me the truth, Hermione. We're all grown here. Tell me what he's doing here, and don't play it off as some work-related meeting. That doesn't require his lips on your face." Hermione shifted her weight from one foot to another. She swallowed saliva in a dry mouth, her lips tingling as an after effect of her and Draco's kiss. In the end, she once again did what seemed most logical to her. Tell the truth—a most important virtuous act.
"Ron, I can't really explain this the best of ways because…I don't know much about it myself. I'm sorry this happened, I mean, you finding us like this, I can only imagine how shocked you are. But really, you have to understand…" she paused. She looked over at Draco. "I don't know what I'm doing," she said with a shake of her head. "I don't know what I'm doing…"
Ron crossed his arms and lowered his eyelids, giving her a flat look, "You know what you're doing because he's here, Hermione!"
She shook her head, becoming cross, "This is all too much for me right now, Ronald! I can't explain what the hell is going on between us because there is no us!"
"Are you shagging him?" Ron barked.
She blushed but managed a scandalized look, "Absolutely not!"
"Are you done interrogating her, Weasley?" Draco asked, boredom rolling off of his tongue, as if he was fluent in dullness itself.
"No I'm not!" Ron shouted, his face become hot with anger and irritation. "I'm not leaving until I know she's not under some hex…"
"Ron…" Hermione grabbed him by his shirt, jerking his massive form forward. Although Ron was taller than her, bigger and wider and stronger, Hermione had an air about her that would rival Ron's own mum. At this, Ron grew quiet and fearful. "NOTHING, and I will repeat, NOTHING is wrong with me. I am NOT under a hex, and I am NOT shagging Malfoy nor will I EVER shag Malfoy. To be brutally honest with you, he is here to sleep and only sleep. Do you understand?"
"Yes Ma'am…I mean, of course, Hermione…"
"Good. Now go home, get some rest, and I will owl you tomorrow, all right?" He nodded. And with that, Ron jolted.
When he was nothing but a dot down the street, Hermione sighed deeply, her body sagging against the doorframe. She looked up at Draco briefly, fiddling with her keys. "Time to go in," she stated, turning to move through the door. She caught a glimpse of his nod as he followed her into his flat.
Throwing open her door, Hermione flicked on the lights, illuminating her home. She heard Draco make a slight noise of surprise.
"You're an art collector?" She nodded. "Very nice, Granger…" he walked in, looking about. "I didn't know you had such taste. I'm very please," he said, continuing his comment from earlier. "Interesting sitting room…each door leads to a hallway?" She nodded. "That's excellent…" he faced her and smiled lightly at her.
"Thank you," she said, diverting her eyes. "I suppose I can show you to your room." Opening one of the doors, Hermione led him down her hallway where the guest bedroom was located. The room was nicely sized, with a large bed and deep blue sheets and trimmings against a pale blue. The furniture was dark, the floors hardwood, with rugs to accent the palette of the room. "Here it is…there's a bathroom, er…there's an extra change of men clothing that Harry and Ron have left here, they're all clean."
Draco made a face at the mention of the clothes, but nodded regardless. "I really appreciate this, Hermione…" She mumbled a no problem. After a pause, she shrugged and decided to leave Malfoy to his own devices. After shutting the door behind her, she leaned against the opposite wall, taking a deep breath.
What was wrong with her? Did she really have Draco Malfoy, the man who was infatuated with her, in her house? She lifted a hand to her forehead. This was bad—anything could happen in this house, with just the two of them, alone. What scared her the most about this situation, though, was the notion that she wouldn't be completely adverse to any actions that Malfoy might initiate with her.
She was completely startled out of her thoughts when Draco had swung open the door, staring at her.
"Hello," he said. "I was wondering if you had anything to eat?"
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, just follow me," she pushed herself off the wall and started down the hall. Immediately he was around her, his hands wrapping themselves around her body. She shrieked in surprise and fear at the sudden contact. Her back was soon pressed against her wall, Malfoy's lips attacking her own with a fierce force that left her trembling in his arms. She placed her hands on either side of his face, pulling at his hair as the kiss deepened. Her head fell back against the wall, a moan escaping her lips and Malfoy attacked her neck. Her knees grew weak as a fluttering feeling erupted in her stomach, sending tingles up her spine. She felt him rest a hand over he breast, softly kneading it. She lifted his face back up to meet her lips again. She was completely taken by this feeling in her stomach, her body egging her on, but her brain screamed for her to stop. There was something illogical about all of this. She opened an eye to stare at the blurry image of Malfoy. His eyes were closed as he kissed her. She didn't know what to think. She simply couldn't accept any type of relationship offer—did she like him? Or was it a sexual attraction? Did he really like her, or is this a ploy to get into her trousers? She didn't know and it was making her do these rash things like kiss Malfoy three times in a day.
What would they do at work? How would they be able to work together? The kiss was maddening and she had to pause in her thoughts to be fully ravished by Malfoy. Soon she found herself on her back in the middle of the hallway, Malfoy on top of her.
She just couldn't…this was her colleague, her rival, her enemy…But he made her feel so good…
When she felt saw him removing his shirt, she was completely thrown off the horse of her thoughts. Before her was a beautiful man. He was proportionate, muscled, smooth. She felt the familiar lurch of desire in the pit of her stomach, and it had been such a long time since Hermione felt anything like that. She ran a hand down his toned stomach.
He leaned in for another kiss.
She didn't stop him after that.
I'm just going to leave off with that, this chapter is nearly 9,000 words long and I feel like anymore will just kill me. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter…a lot happened, and will continue to happen. You can imply from the ending of this chapter what is about to happen. There will be consequences, rivalries, and some drunken fights in the coming chapters. For now, please leave me some wicked reviews! Thank you! Also, I tried reading this through a couple of times, if you find any errors I apologize greatly. If any of these errors are nerve wrecking, please inform me and I will edit the mistake.