Hermione's eyes fluttered open, and it wasn't until she tried to move that she discovered two things. Firstly, she was very, very sore and secondly, her face was tucked between her hair, the pillow and pale flesh.
She smiled and blushed as the previous night's activities came back to her. Fingers stroked the top of her head and played with her curls. "Good to see you're finally awake," Draco said.
Hermione smiled and looked up at him. He was staring up at the ceiling, apparently lost in thought. Popping herself on her elbow, Hermione looked into his eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked.
He shook his head. "It's nothing, just... I have the feeling that things are about to get much harder around here," he said with a sigh.
Hermione frowned. "You have that feeling too, huh?"
Draco gave her an odd look. "I'll go take a shower, why don't you rest up some more and I'll be seeing you later at my manor for brunch?" he suggested and she nodded.
"That sounds good to me," she replied.
Kissing her chastely on the lips, Draco removed himself from the bed and made his way to the bathroom, tossing her wand to her when he almost stepped on it. She blushed softly. "Thanks," she said, curling up in the side of the bed he had slept in. It was still warm and held his scent, so she pulled the covers up and over her head. The sound of the shower running lulled her back into sleep.
She didn't know how long she had been asleep for, but she assumed it wasn't long. Draco had just apparated out, or so she assumed by the distinct faint pop of his disapparition.
She groaned and felt around under her pillow for her wand. Once located, she flicked it and warded her bedroom door, not wanting to be disturbed in case anyone of her friends decided to pay her a visit. They normally avoided the visits, but lately Ginny had been coming over, a haunted look on her face, which she normally tried to conceal under a dark travel cloak.
Hermione was still at a loss as to where her friend had acquired such a garment. The other witch was normally opposed to such dark and ominous colors, and last she had checked Ginny did not own cloaks, period.
Hermione stepped into the shower and took a quick rinse before stepping out and wrapping a towel around herself. She reached over to the counter of her bathroom vanity to grab her wand. As soon as it was in her grasp she felt it heat up, a signal Hermione had put up in her ward to inform her that an unknown and possibly unwelcome guest was in her flat.
She quickly cast a silencing charm on herself, thankful her bedroom door already had such charm on it. She wondered frightfully just who it could be, for only three people knew of where her newly acquired flat resided in, and those three were Ginny, Blaise and now Draco. Harry didn't know, because he was about as subtle and surreptitious as a gnome in a garden.
Hermione's grip on her wand tightened. "Homenum Revelio." When she spoke the charm, she saw that he intruder was still present at her flat. With a quick flick of her wand she put up her glamour charm, just in case, and stepped out of her bathroom. She only removed the ward on her bedroom door once she felt she would be ready enough if someone had an intent to harm her.
She summoned a Slytherin green bathrobe with silver dragon designs and wrapped it around her slim frame just in time for the door to her bedroom to burst open and the perturbed face of Lucius Malfoy to appear.
"Lord Malfoy, while I feel honored by your presence in my house, I feel obligated to demand you knock on my blasted door before you intrude on my privacy again. Also, please refrain from apparating into my house without previous warning via the Floo network or owl," Hermione snapped as she finished fastening the robe around her waist and pulling her now blonde hair up into a sloppy looking bun.
Lucius Malfoy seemed a little flabbergasted at the fact that he had almost walked in on a woman while she was dressing herself.
"Do forgive my intrusion," he said with a slight bow. "However, it appears I cannot locate my son anywhere. I have an Apparition Tracking charm on him and it led me here, but it would appear that there is no disapparation from your house. Would you, by any chance, know his whereabouts?"
Hermione straightened up. "Draco was here last night, yes. We had tea and discussed business. By the time we noticed the time, it was nearly 3 in the morning, so I offered him my guest room. My guess is that he left before I woke, so I do not know where he would be."
"What type of business were you discussing with my son, if you do not mind my asking?"
"Personal business. I'm sure Draco will inform you of these when he gets the chance," she assured, hoping he didn't come up with some silly idea.
Lucius raised a brow. "Will he now?"
Hermione's eyes narrowed. "I assure you, if he wishes to tell you, he will do so." Lucius seemed to have wanted to ask more questions but the roar of the green flames of the fireplace caused them to turn their attention to it.
"Blasted ginger headed minx! She had to go and get me tangled up in all of this now!" an infuriated Blaise Zabini stomped out of the fireplace and dusted himself off.
"Young Mr. Zabini, what a pleasant surprise to see you here," Lucius said glancing from him to Hermione.
"Lord Malfoy, I think I will be asking you to leave now, it would appear I have more important matters to attend to now," she said, gesturing to the fireplace which Blaise was currently standing in front of.
"It would appear so. Good day to you Ms. Twinstar, Mr. Zabini," he droned with a nod of his head to each before he apparated on the spot.
"What the bloody fuck are you doing here Zabini!?" Hermione demanded, whirling around to glare at the dark Italian wizard.
"I'm here to talk to you about your ginger headed friend, who just got me wrapped up in the -"
The fireplace roared to life and out stepped Harry, his wand drawn. The angry wizard stepped out of the fireplace, cursing Merlin, muggle God, and the world, as Ginny flamed right behind him.
"Harry, no, please you don't understand!" the ginger cried, her face stained with tears.
Harry shrugged her off. "Be quiet Ginny, you have just as much fault in this as he does," he snapped at her and aimed his wand again. A jet of red fired from his wand and was directed at Blaise.
The dark-skinned wizard deflected the spell easily. "Stop it! All of you, stop it!" Hermione shouted, causing everyone to turn to her with a wide range of emotions on their faces. "Would someone mind explaining to me what the bloody hell is going on?"
Immediately the trio began talking over each other quite loudly and Hermione could not understand them. "Stop! Calmly, and one at a time," she instructed in annoyance.
While the two men were glaring at each other, daring the other to speak first. Ginny broke the silence. "I'm pregnant," she said.
Hermione smiled. "Oh Ginny that's wonderful! You and Harry must be so happy!"
"I have no reason to be happy! I don't even know if the child is mine!" Harry spat, causing the ginger to flinch at his words.
Hermione's eyes widened. "Harry James Potter, how could you say such a thing? Of course it's-" she was cut off.
"No Hermione, Harry's right... I don't know if it's his," she admitted, tears burning her bright brown eyes. Hermione turned to look at the two men before her.
"Blaise, you've been awfully quiet. Would you mind explaining to me what the hell all of this is about?" Hermione demanded, crossing her arms across her chest.
"I will not be divulging anything without a neutral party. I like having my head attached to my person," he said defensively.
"All of you take a seat, now. I will go write to someone and get them here. During that time, none of you will utter a word and, as a matter of fact, give me your wands," she told the three and snatched their wands from them. "An Blaise, no wandless magic." she added and, just to make sure, she cast a protection charm over each of her friends as she headed to her room to owl the only person she believed could remain neutral on things and would be very persuasive in making sure everyone remained calmed and spoke the truth.
The tension in the room was so thick that Hermione swore if she wasn't careful, she would get slapped in the face with it. She entered the room and took a seat on the sofa beside Ginny, who was sitting alone. Whether that was by choice or because neither man wanted to sit beside her, she did not know.
Ginny had her hands gripping each other, her knuckles white, and her thumb was being abused by her nails. Hermione took the other witch's hands in hers to stop this.
"Hey, none of that," she said sternly.
"Who did you call?" she asked warily, not looking at her friend, but at the floor tiles.
"You'll know when she gets here," Hermione said with a smile as she wrapped an arm around her friend's shoulders. "Harry, go make us some tea," Hermione ordered, looking towards her best friend. He looked ready to pounce on either Blaise or Ginny at any moment now.
Harry's eyes narrowed at this. "Why should I get it? Why can't he or you or-"
"Harry Potter, go in the kitchen and make us some tea before I lose my patience with you," Hermione snapped. "You're in my house, so you will abide by my rules."
"I thought we were your guests. Where are your hostess manners?" Blaise asked teasingly.
"You and Ginny are my guests, since you two have not hurled insults at anyone else, and are able to be civil to get through this problem; Harry on the other hand has taken it upon himself to curse, in a very explicit manner, every known deity. That is something I will not tolerate from anyone, so if he can have the mouth to curse in such a manner, he can have the hands and feet and the time to make us all some tea," Hermione said in a tone that made it clear that she would not explain further and that demanded her instructions be followed.
Harry's eyes narrowed as he rose from his seat, feeling insulted in the presence of his best friend. Nevertheless, he departed to the kitchen to make the blasted tea.
Shortly after the tea was placed on the table and they began drinking it in silence the fireplace's flames rose high and green with a roar. Moments later, Melodey Carter stepped out of it.
"Oh bloody fucking Hell no! I'm leaving," Blaise said, rising from his seat with a pale look on his face. His most recent memory of the woman was the ball-buster hex she had cast his direction when she found out he had been fucking her friend.
"Zabini sit your arse back down. What kind of mess did you get yourself into this time, huh?" she asked. The Italian seemed to sink into his seat as he swallowed audibly.
"What's Melodey doing here?" Harry asked, looking annoyed. In his opinion, another biased party to side with the bastard that had been sleeping with his wife.
"I'm a peacekeeper, and if you speak in that tone again, Hermione, you'll have to forgive me, but I will curse his dick off and not give it back until he learns that having a dick between his legs does not mean he gets to insult his wife, no matter what it is she did, and that you don't talk in that tone to a woman that had to leave her daughter in the hands of her terrifying grandmother. Especially since said woman, meaning me, left her there to help you."
Hermione looked at everyone. "That's what you're here for. If anyone gets out of line, you have my permission to put them back in line. I had enough of Harry's theatrics at school and I won't tolerate them anymore," she said. "Blaise and Ginny know you enough not to cross you, Harry here does not."
Melodey nodded. "Hey Ginny," she smiled and went over to hug the redhead. "I always knew you and Harry would never make it," Melodey whispered in Ginny's ear, causing the young witch to flush at the bold statement, her husband right behind her.
"Thank you?" she muttered. "How's Faye?" she asked hoping to soften the woman up. Talking about her daughter always seemed to do the trick.
"She's alright; her magic kicked in last week. The girl took my wand this morning and blew half of George's office," Melodey said excitedly. "And I know what you're doing, but this time it won't work. I don't like having to leave her alone to fix a problem that isn't even mine." She chided.
Ginny frowned, it had been worth the try. "Now sit down, and try to relax." Melodey said and summoned herself a cup of tea. She then pulled a vial from her robes and poured it in the tea. "Drink it up." She instructed.
"It's not Veritaserum, is it?" Ginny asked warily.
"Of course not, I can make you tell me the truth without the Truth Draught. Besides, I used the last dose on Ron and George." Melodey smirked, then made her way over to Blaise.
The tall dark wizard looked more like a frightened 12 year old than the 24 year old man he was supposed to be. "D'you mind explaining to me the trouble you got yourself into this time?" she asked with her arms crossed.
"He got my wife pregnant," Harry informed and Melodey sent a tongue tying jinx his way and with a flick of her wand she forced him to sit down.
"When I want you to answer my questions, Potter, I will ask you. Otherwise, remain with your mouth shut unless spoken too," Melodey calmly said, her eyes never leaving Blaise.
"Well Zabini? Will you answer my questions or will I have to hex them out of you?" she asked with an eyebrow arched expectantly.
The Italian wizard cleared his throat and tried hard not to stutter. "Remember I wrote to you in a letter that I was seeing a woman, and that the woman was married, and you demanded I break off whatever connections I had with the witch else you would curse my dick off permanently?" he asked.
"I remember, but I did not ask for my question to be answered with another question," she replied, losing her patience. Hermione raised a brow. This was turning out to be far more of an interesting talk that she would have expected.
Melodey was only supposed to be here to make sure no one hurled insults at each other. When Melodey said no, and that she would be there in a moment, Hermione felt confused. Though now she understood and was slightly wondering if this would have turned out the same way if she had called Molly instead. Probably not, Molly would have boxed everyone's ears off, hexed Harry, and cursed Blaise, then taken her daughter home with her, Hermione thought.
"Well I did not break off the encounters with said witch and we have continued to see each other for the last year. Now she's pregnant and she's not sure if the child is mine or her husband's, and while I offer my full support and will follow up on my responsibilities if need be. Her husband did not seem to be in agreement and did not take so well to the news." Blaise explained.
Melodey looked calm, too calm, and Blaise noticed. Then, suddenly, her calm shattered. Before he could even react he was sent flying across the room. "You complete selfish twat! Did I not tell you to cut it off?!" she demanded and shot another hex at the man. Judging by the state of Hermione's flower vase, it wasn't a pleasant one.
"Melodey, please calm down and refrain from destroying my flat," Hermione said sternly as she repaired the cracked vase. Melodey turned to glare at Hermione before turning her attention back to Blaise.
"You and I will continue this conversation at your estate. Sit," She told him and as soon as the wizard lowered his wand she cursed him, using the hex she was known for.
"Merlin and his Nimue Woman!" Blaise cursed. "Give me back my prick!"
"Not until I'm certain you can keep it in your pants," she said as she turned to glare at Harry and plain out slapped him across the face.
"Melodey, no violence inside my house!" Hermione shouted. This was getting a little too out of control, in Hermione's opinion, but she had to hand it to the witch. She knew how to use fear to her advantage and demand utter respect in her presence. Perhaps to gain respect, sometimes one had to result to fear….
"What the bloody hell was that for?!" Harry demanded. The tongue tying jinx must have either been removed or worn off."
"You, you foul despicable, poor excuse of a husband!" she spat as she began throwing curse after curse at Harry. "How could you not provide assistance to your wife? Whether the child is yours or not, it's your responsibility as a husband to provide for her! What if the child is yours? Only then will you provide assistance? And if it isn't, what would you have done to her?" Melodey demanded between curses.
Harry, this being the first time he had been hit with Melodey's version of sectumsempra, with consisted of a lot more dark magic than the spell Harry had used on his sixth year, cried out in pain. For a moment, Ginny and Hermione both expected blood to appear on the wizard's trousers, for neither of them had ever been present at the use of the curse for the first time on anyone.
"Harry!" both Ginny and Hermione cried out in alarm.
"Melodey you're taking this too far!" Hermione snapped with narrowed eyes.
Melodey returned the look. "Look me in the eyes and swear on your wand that you had no intention of doing the exact same thing when you first found out about his reaction towards Ginny," she commanded. "Tell me that and I will return his diminutive prick back to where it belongs, with only a temporary calm and obedience spell on them. Tell me that and I'll go away."
Hermione pursed her lips into a thin line. She couldn't do that, because she herself had found herself praying to the gods for the restraint to not shoot an unforgivable at Harry. No one should turn their back back on those they love, especially not a husband to a wife.
"I didn't think so," Melodey said before turning her attention back to Harry. "Ginny made a mistake yes, and she is currently stuck facing the consequences of her actions, but she came face to face with what she had done and came clean to you. She is obviously in search of a comforting shoulder for support both emotional and physical which you, as her husband, are supposed to be able to provide." Melodey continued glaring at Harry, who was grasping his shallow pants.
"In all my years, I have come to notice something. Excuse my prejudices Hermione, but it appears to me that marriages between Muggle-Borns, Half-Bloods and Muggles to Purebloods will never prosper," she said. "When has anyone in this room heard of two pure bloods asking for a divorce?"
The group remained silent. "And why is that?" she asked rhetorically, looking meaningfully around at the group before answering. "Because wizards and witches who have lived with muggles for enough time no longer remember what the concept of marriage implies."
"Be true in love, this you must do, unless your love is false to you," Melodey recited. "It's stated clearly, and in bold letters at the top of the wedding contract you both signed the day you were wed."
Hermione furrowed her brow. "I thought that was just part of a silly rede muggles who pretend to be witches have," she voiced her thoughts aloud.
Melodey rolled her eyes. "I don't know about that, but I do know that what I just recited is Wizarding Law and very much punishable," she reminded, glaring at the adulterous trio.
Harry, who had now recovered from the curse, glared at Melodey as he felt numb in his lower regions. "If I remember correctly, the use of dark magic is also illegal, and a direct attack at an Auror is also-" he was cut off and slammed against the couch, forcefully sitting down.
"One more word out of you and I will not care if a whole fleet of Aurors come to take me away. I will shoot you with an unforgivable or two and make you shut up and show some respect," Melodey snapped.
Harry's eyes narrowed at the tall woman, and Hermione faintly wondered if Harry had the ability to kill her with his sight alone.
Meanwhile, Melodey was not as uncomposed as Harry or the rest of the group. Hermione could tell though, that the woman was just about fed up with everyone in the room. With a glare, she turned to Ginny. "Ginevra, pray tell, why exactly is it you had to find yourself a lover? Was Harry not satisfying your needs, or was he uncaring, abusive?"
"What? Of course he wasn't!" Ginny said flushing some.
"Then why did you feel the need to find yourself another man?" Melodey demanded in a pleading tone.
"Because I don't love him anymore!" she cried. At that, the room went silent.
"W-What?" Harry asked.
"I'm sorry Harry, I wanted to fix things between us when I found out, but... I couldn't... It wasn't easy, and you... you were so... and I.." Ginny was crying uncontrollably now. Hermione went to sit beside her and held the younger witch in her arms.
"But... you were so happy... we were happy," Harry said.
"No, you were happy Harry. I wasn't. I was miserable. Still am miserable," Ginny countered. Everyone remained silent, not wanting or daring to say anything.
"Why didn't you ever tell me anything?" he asked. "Why go and do this?"
Ginny took a shaky breath. "I tried to tell you, many times, but you were always so excited about something when I wanted to tell you, or you were too upset about another, and I couldn't break it to you. I couldn't find a right moment," she explained. Hermione frowned. She had been on that particular predicament with both Harry and Ron on more than one occasion, but she had almost always found a way to tell them. Ruining a moment was better than lying.
Harry frowned and buried his face in his hands. "When did you and him...?" he couldn't finish the sentence, and no one blamed him. Hermione honestly doubted that anyone of them could have been able to do so if they were in Harry's shoes. "How did you ..."
Ginny remained silent for a moment, unsure if she should answer. Her gaze traveled around the room nervously and Blaise looked at her. Ginny's bottom lip trembled and Blaise closed his eyes and nodded his head.
Melodey and Hermione shared a look and then looked over at Harry warily, thankful that he hadn't seen that.
"A few months after we got married," Ginny admitted. "I've been trying to tell you about my feelings for quite some time, but you were at work and I still hadn't had the time to try out for the Holyhead Harpies, and quite honestly I didn't think I could at the time. I've had a lot on my mind that needed settling."
Harry nodded for her to go on, face still buried in his hands as he shook. Hermione couldn't tell if he was shaking from anger or hurt.
"I went out. I didn't want to go to the Burrow, so I went to Diagon Alley and was so lost in thought I ended up in Knockturn Alley, beyond Borgin & Burkes. I was lost and terrified out of my mind. That's when I literally bashed face first into Blaise's arm. He passed out before I could hex him. And you know me Harry, he might have been a git but I couldn't just leave him alone like that.
"I took him to the Leaky Cauldron, since he had a key sticking out of his robe pocket, and I dragged him up to his room. When I was about to leave he... well, he woke up and turned into the git I know. I yelled at him, he yelled back and I left. But then I heard Pansy and Astoria gossiping once day about him being ill and not having been spotted for a while and I became a little wary so I visited him again. He hadn't gotten any better so I tended to him. We spoke, became friends and not long after that..." she took a deep breath, she was trembling.
"What, you became lovers?" Harry asked spitefully, but he looked calm enough, so no one went at him.
"We fell in love," Blaise finished for Ginny, who seemed unable to speak again. The dark-skinned Italian wizard rose from his seat on the other side of the room and went to take a seat beside Ginny, who rested her head on his shoulder and let out a quite, choked sob.
Harry looked like wanted to say something, but he kept glancing at Melodey like he was contemplating on whether or not the witch would keep true on her threat. Hermione hoped he wasn't stupid enough to think she wouldn't, she really didn't want a whole lot of Aurors in her home. She was supposed to be keeping a low profile after all, and now that she came to think about it, having all these people in her flat wasn't helping her do that.
"Why didn't you tell Harry, Ginny? More importantly, how did these feelings develop? You were a newlywed witch when all this started, after all," Melodey asked the questions that were on everyone's minds.
"I know, and at first I really was happy into my marriage, like I said. But… Blaise asked innocent questions, and without wanting to-"
"He planted the seed of doubt in your head?" Hermione and Melodey asked together. After all, had both witches not fallen victim to his way with words on more than one occasion? Ginny nodded.
"So he confused you into not loving me?" Harry growled.
"No Harry, he didn't confuse me into anything. He made a couple of comments that I took as suggestions and you … I mean I… I didn't react like he said I would. Then it hit me... I wasn't in love with Harry Potter; no he was… not what I wanted. I had fallen for The-Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One, the Saviour of the Wizarding World as we know it," Ginny said.
"I liked you because you were trouble, dangerous, lived on edge all the time, I was attracted to that, but you… Harry you…. I… I honestly couldn't stand it. You're reckless, impulsive, temperamental…. Not for me," she continued.
"And Blaise? Is he all of those things that attracted you to me as well?" Harry asked. Melodey rolled her eyes at the mule headed wizard.
"No he's just a jerk, but… he makes me feel… special, and I'm not saying that you didn't. But… you pampered me too much; you still treat me like a child who can't fend for herself. Blaise doesn't. He makes sure I know that my actions and mistakes are my own and I brought them on myself, and while I can still count on him for support, the things I did and brought on myself I have to fix, and not rely on him or others to do so for me. He lets me know I can do anything, and if I fail I can count on his support," she explained.
"I think I need to go..." said Harry, barely masked rage and hurt in his voice. He had trained his face into a cool mask, something Hermione was certain he had learned from Auror training. Turning toward the fireplace, Harry grabbed a handful of floo powder, threw it into the flames, and left.
"I'm going to get Faye, can't leave her with the blasted mother for very long," Melodey said, sending a significant look at Hermione, flicking her eyes Ginny, who was no near tears, and Blaise, who looked like he wanted to help but didn't know how.
"Good idea, Mel. You do that and I'll make a fresh pot of tea," Hermione said, picking up the tea tray and cups before heading to the kitchen as Melodey flooed out, leaving the couple to sort themselves out.
In the kitchen, Hermione looked at the clock. Muttering a curse she realized that she had missed her brunch with Draco. "What a fantastic way to start the bloody day."
It has been pointed out to me by my beta that some of you guys might not understand a few things that are going on here, as well as some of the references. So here I go.
Melodey Carter is an OC of mine, who's (partial) history can be read by visiting my profile and reading at From Death Comes Life. Don't be rude, if you read, please review! :D And the adventures of Ginny and Blaise are better explained in a story I am currently also working on completing, but rest assured, that when I'm done with it, I'll be sue to tell you guys.
Nimue is said to be Merlin's lover in the tales of Merlin and Nimue, or Merlin and the Lady of The Lake, for better references I'd suggest looking those up and reading up on them :)
And last but not least Rede is an archaic word meaning, among other things, "counsel" and "advice", though in this case it is a statement that provides the key moral system in the fic, seeing as I took it from the Wiccan Rede, if interested look it up :)