A/N: Stories are getting longer and the story is about to get super interesting. I know what it looks like, but I swear it's Dramione! Bare with me, there is a method to my madness. But review if you want to and enjoy the story so far!

Chapter 4

Seeing as I was already out of the house, I might as well make a day out of it. I bought tons of new maternity clothes, including a special outfit for my meet and greet. If it's going to be my first big appearance in months I'd rather not be in the Daily Prophet looking as if I've been hiding under a rock for the past few months.

I return home in the early afternoon and immediately notice something different. Everything is dark, but the strong smell of firewhiskey fills the living room.

"Have a nice date?" With a click of his deluminator the light switches on and Ron is sitting in my chair with a half empty bottle of firewhiskey.

I just let out a sigh. "I have no idea what you're talking about Ronald." I walk away, getting ready to put all of my new clothes into the closet.

"It's bad enough that I had to find out from Lavender that you're flaunting your little affair in public, but then he comes in late for work like he's king of the world!" He follows me up the stairs, stumbling as he climbs, bottle still in hand. "Did I do something to you that made you want revenge? Even if you were to have an affair, Malfoy? You had to pick him of all people?"

"First, I'm not having an affair with anyone. Second, we had lunch. We sat, talked about work and my books, and we ate food. The most intimate part of the day is when he shook my hand, unless that has some new meaning I'm not aware of? Look at me! Who the hell wants to have an affair with a huge pregnant woman?"

Ron opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, what he usually does when his mouth gets him into arguments his brain can't get him out of. All that ever happens is he looks like a fish until he finally gives up. "But Lavender said she saw the two of you, and you were acting suspicious. And I started thinking about how you haven't done anything in months and now you jump up to have lunch with him."

"Lavender saw wrong. Or she's making things up, honestly I don't know. All I know is that I went to see my publisher, had lunch with Malfoy, and I did a little bit of shopping around muggle London. I was having a very good day, until you decided to ruin it. Now if you don't mind I'm going to sleep." I push past my intoxicated husband to go back downstairs to my chair and hope it doesn't stink of firewhiskey.

The next morning I wake up again to a hungover Ron stumbling upstairs, loud crashes as he runs into the various furniture in the room. It makes me wonder how much I was actually missing, was this an everyday thing? Did he stumble in drunk every night, but I was too lost in my own world to care? I decide to ask him for myself when he comes home, if he comes back sober and at a decent time. But first, I plan on speaking to Lavender myself.

Sticking with my new schedule, I wait until Ron leaves the house before bothering to get up. After getting out the shower and into the bedroom to find something to wear, I find Ginny going through my clothes already.

"Nice to see you took my advice and got some new clothes." She pulls out a blouse and slacks, apparently picking my outfit for the day. "Now, can you please explain to me why my idiot of a brother thinks you're shagging Malfoy?" She gives me a look I assume she thinks is serious, but it's clear she wants to laugh.

"Apparently Lavender told him so. I guess she must have seen us shagging on the table at her shop. I wish someone had told me, or at least recorded it for me. I missed that whole part of my day yesterday." At that Ginny could no longer hold her laughter in, falling into the bed as she holds her stomach.

"I knew my brother was an idiot, but Lavender?" She wipes the tears from her eyes as she starts to catch her breath.

"No idea, but I'm going to find out now. She's lucky so many people are already interested in coming to the meet and greet or I'd cancel on her." I'm not really angry at Lavender exactly, just the situation she put me in. If Ron starts talking and complaining, his mother will definitely come up soon if he doesn't get set straight before. I'm not afraid of the ludicrous rumor, just the headache it's definitely going to lead to.

"So, are you coming along? It's a good opportunity to get more smoothies too." Just as I expected Ginny took her arm in mine and we set off to Lavender's.

Even though we haven't said a word Lavender seemed scared to see me inside of her shop again. She didn't come running up to us like she did the other day, just sat and watched us from the other end of the shop. When it was becoming borderline ridiculous, and our smoothies all gone, we asked for the waitress to call her over. There's no way she would continue to avoid me, not if she wants me to come back next week.

"Didn't expect to see you two back here so soon, how are you?" She looks nervous as she glances back and forth between Ginny and I.

"Sit down, join us for a minute." Ginny waves Lavender down in the chair between us. "Everything seems to still be going strong here? Keeping busy?"

Lavender begins to fidget with the necklace she's wearing. "Trying to, it's been pretty steady from open to close so I can't complain too much."

"That's interesting. Because Ron has this wild idea that Hermione is having a steamy romance here in your shop, any idea why?" Ginny stares back at the other woman, color completely drained from her face.

"I…I….I didn't expect him to tell you I said anything. But the two of you seemed a little too friendly, I figured he had the right to know." A little color starts to return, as if taking her stand gives her a little bit of courage.

"Well, if that's the case, you should probably know that Harry must be having an affair with Malfoy as well. Can't imagine how long that's been going on, but those two are even more friendly." I stare Lavender directly in the eye, her brief stint of courage completely gone. Instead of replying she stands up.

"I have plenty of work to do, sorry I'm not able to sit here and talk." Lavender all but runs to the back, hiding away from the two of them.

"Well, at least that's over. I'm still going to have to deal with her at that meet and greet. Still confused on where this came from, I gave him a handshake." We both stand to leave, our work for the day complete.

"So, what have you got planned for the day? Any more secret trysts with Malfoy?" Ginny asks with a laugh.

"No, I wasn't exactly planning on it. But apparently I don't remember those secret trysts myself, so who knows? I was just planning on getting a bunch of writing done, I didn't get anything done yesterday with Ron and his drunken accusations."

"Well if he gives you anymore trouble, let me know. I'll set him straight." I smile and give my best friend.

"Thanks Ginny. Most likely he won't be home for hours, I should have plenty of quiet time to write, my publisher is excited." With a quick hug she heads off and I use the floo to go back home.

I find my way into the kitchen, noticing it's past lunch time and I haven't had anything today other than the smoothie. Probably a strike against all of the progress I've had so far, but a quick lunch fixes that. As I sit with a sandwich and head toward the desk in the corner, I notice an owl perched outside the window.

I do believe any other time we go out for lunch, we invite your husband as well. He seemed a tiny bit jealous. He could also benefit from a lesson or two on how to throw a punch. I would say he hits like a girl, but if I remember correctly Madam Pomfrey had to fix the last broken nose you gave me.

With our previous promise to hold a potluck, I would like invite the two of you over for dinner tomorrow night around 6 pm, Harry and Ginny will be there as well. I would send the invitation through your husband, but that seems to be a very bad idea right now.

-Draco Malfoy

Ron tried to punch him at work? As I try to fake surprise, it's not that far-fetched that he would get flustered enough to try to take a swing. I would have at least expected him to wait until he wasn't at the Ministry of Magic. I grab a quill and quickly send my reply.

I think all of us getting together would be a much better idea, at the very least it will show how ridiculous he's being about the whole thing. We will see you tomorrow for dinner, maybe I'll bring something for dessert?

-Hermione Weasley

I sit back down after sending the letter, determined to at least get a large part of one book completed before bed. Far earlier than I expected, a clearly disgruntled Ron walks through the door.

"Tough day at work?" I ask him, not looking up from my story to see the look on his face.

"I'm assuming you already know. I expect your boyfriend has already told you. I'm going on a walk." He turns around, ready to walk back out the door.

"You should know he invited us to dinner." Ron pauses, his hand on the doorknob. "Harry and Ginny as well. And you should know that if you try to refuse you have to deal with Ginny. You might want to talk to Lavender, seems she was a bit confused yesterday about what she saw."

Ron's ears turned red as he turns around to face me. "Did you and Ginny threaten her? Is that why she changed her mind?"

I resist the urge to laugh. "Why is it so hard to believe I went to have lunch in a very public place surrounded by people you know and it was completely platonic? If I went out for lunch with Harry would you think I'm shagging him, even if someone came up to you swearing they saw the whole thing?"

Ron paused before giving his answer, as if smelling a trap. "No."

"And why is that?"

"Because Harry's my mate, he wouldn't do anything like that to me." I let his answer sink in, giving him a chance to change his answer to pretty much anything else at this point. When he doesn't, I continue.

"So if Lavender told you she saw us snogging behind a bookcase in her shop you wouldn't believe her because Harry would never do anything like that to you? If your wife was accused of having an affair you wouldn't believe it because your best mate wouldn't do anything like that to you? Do you think that lowly of me right now? That I'm untrustworthy for no reason?"

As Ron stumbles over his words I can tell his neck is probably the same shade of red as his ears, a family trait whenever they become stressed or angry. "No, Harry is different and I've known him longer." He takes a deep breath before continuing. "I may have gone a little overboard. I'm angry Malfoy seems to be ahead of me at work, I was afraid of him being ahead of me at home too. I believe you and if you want to go to his stupid little dinner we can go. I'll even be nice. Well, I won't be mean or rude."

I think for a while before giving my answer. Although I think he's getting off way too easily, especially after the little show he put on at work, I'm tired of fighting. "You did believe Lavender over me, but I guess it's not worth making a bigger deal out of everything."

Ron walks up to me and grabs my hands. The color of his ears have finally gone back to normal. "I'm sorry. I'm an idiot and an ass. Let's go out for dinner. I would suggest staying in and I cook you an amazing dinner, but I'd rather not poison you when I'm trying to make up to you."

This was the man I fell in love with. I wish we could stay in this moment and feel like two teenagers falling in love all over again. I should have known this wouldn't last long, it never does. I do wish it lasted a little longer.