Chapter 9

Kingsley grinned across the table at Narcissa. They'd been having a wonderful time with each other talking about everything for what sort of programs they liked to watch on muggle tele to those they'd lost and left behind them.

"You are quite different from what I might have expected even after several dinners at your home Narcissa," Kingsley commented as they hit a lull in conversation over their shawarma.

Narcissa sighed looking world weary and every year of the age of a woman who had a fully grown son, "I was raised to be the perfect pureblood wife. We assist men who hold positions of wealth and power. We can ill afford to be women most of the time. But since the war, or to be more precise the second war, I haven't really felt able to keep up the front. I do most of the time but not with everyone anymore, not with Draco, or Teddy, or Molly, or Harry, or Hermione. Now I suppose I can add you to the list. I think you know what it is like to put up such a front."

Kingsley nodded thoughtfully, "I do at that. Before the first war I expect as members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight we grew up much the same. Though I think my front is born of the needs of the position, more than ingrained pride. The Shacklebolt's are more like the Weasley's and Prewett's then the Malfoy's and Black's."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence again each eating the dessert they had ordered after their meal.

"So how are things going with Hermione?" Narcissa asked diverging from their previous subject.

It was Kingsley's turn to sigh at the topic, "I am too old for her Narcissa."

Narcissa snorted, "That is ridiculous. My mother was seventeen, just of age, when she married my father who was thirty. I should think a grown up young woman in her twenties and a man in his thirties have more in common. You were Tonk's best friend, after all, did you have a problem with the fact she was thirteen years younger than Remus?"

"No but that's different."

"How is it different?" Narcissa demanded an answer.

"She loved him," Kingsley burst out exasperatedly.

"I see so you don't intend to give her a chance to love you, that hardly seems fair on your part. She has to marry you and have your children as much as you have to marry her and produce them." Narcissa threw up her hands in vexation, "Honestly, men, you lot seem to think everything is about you. I know it must be difficult finding yourself engaged to beautiful brilliant witch, even if you don't love her. But have you honestly stopped feeling sorry for yourself long enough to think about how the extremely career driven Hermione is taking essentially being told her most important function is to have children. Not that she doesn't want to have a family but in all your harping on about her age you are too busy to think about that she is twenty one and being told to have children, and who to have them with. Don't you think just maybe she deserves you at least trying to have a relationship with her?"

"I…" Kingsley trailed off begging to to feel rather guilty. Beyond that she would think him too old and wanting to spare her the talk about having slept her way to a position she had earned he hadn't really thought about what else the law might mean to Hermione.

"I'll take that as a no. Not that Draco or Blaise are any better they are no doubt spent the night drinking themselves sick as that was there stated intention upon leaving the manor. I hold out hope for Harry though, he is rather sensitive when not distracted by other things, when he is distracted he is worse than any of you. Don't you find her attractive?"

"Well yes, but," Kingsley started to reply.

"Are you not already friends with her?"

"You know that already, but," Narcissa again cut him off.

"Do you not want her to be happy?"

"Of course I do, but" Narcissa wasn't interested in letting him finish.

"Then try, talk to the girl, do something for her like bring her breakfast before the meeting you all are having. At your age you should really know better than to sulk," Narcissa finished finally pausing to allow him to speak?

"Do you think she'd like that me bringing her breakfast?" he asked tentatively waiting for Narcissa to interrupt him.

"Yes actually, she probably wouldn't mind you bringing it from here. She likes eating leftovers for breakfast," Narcissa couldn't help but wrinkle her nose at that her wellbred side showing through, " and she usually rises early on Saturdays so she can spend Sundays as she pleases we could go over now it just past five and we could see if she's up I'll order what she likes.

Hermione turned over in Harry's arms smiling at him, "I always half expect this after part to be with awkward with us."

"But it isn't," Harry smiled sleepily at her.

"I'm not sure that this is the best time to tell you but in case it mentioned later I'd rather tell you. I slept with Draco," Hermione tensed waiting for Harry's response.

Harry pulled her closer, "You're right this isn't the best time to tell me you slept with another man particularly one who has become one of my best mates."

Hermione tensed even further.

"Relax Mione, I am jealous that's only natural I am not use to this kind of relationship. But I don't have a choice and neither do you so I'll just deal with it. And as long as I get to spend my nights with you in arms, I think I'll survive. Though you could make it up me for bringing it up if you like."

Hermione grinned, "Oh, I could now could I? And how would I do that?"

"I have a couple of ideas," he said leaning in to kiss her.

There lips met and Hermione felt herself melt against him her hands exploring the hard planes of his chest as he began to push her onto her back but she pulled away from him.

"Tsk Tsk, Harry Potter I have something to make up to you. You should let me do it in my own way, if you judge it insufficient we can try one of your ideas," Hermione said firmly pushing Harry back onto his back before she swung her leg over him so she was straddling him.

Harry gave her a lopsided grin, "Well that seems reasonable Herm-" Harry's words were cut off by a moan as Hermione settled down onto him.

She rolled her hips setting a slow deliberate pace calculated to be torturously pleasurable. As she began to near her own release again she let her head fall back and Harry thought she had never looked more beautiful than she did then in the grey light of early morning streaming through her bedroom window.

Neither Harry of Hermione noticed the staggering footsteps in the hall.

"Mate are you sure you know which room is hers?" Blaise asked heavily leaving against their wall as they progressed down the hallway of Grimmauld Place.

"Yeah when she got new furniture a year back she made Harry and I help her arrange it because and I quote it's just not the same with magic," Draco assured his friend catching himself against the opposite wall as the hall seemed to spin.

When they finally got to her door, they found it not closed all the way. Draco pushed open before beginning to speak not caring if he woke her.

"Hermione we need to talk, I want answers" He said before he registered the scene.

Hermione was naked, on top of an equally nude Potter and seemed to be enjoying herself very much. For a moment Draco and Blaise just gaped at them. They did not stay in that position long because upon realizing the intrusion Hermione promptly rolled off of Harry, wrapping the blanket firmly around herself and glared at the door.

"What the bloody hell do you think you are doing?" Hermione demanded as Harry glared at the two irritated at being interrupted.

"I wanted answers," Draco replied beginning to feel himself grow angry, "But I guess this answers the question, one of them."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione demanded again.

Blaise was unable to take his eyes off her even covered by the blanket as she was.

"I wanted to ask why you left like you did, among other thing?" Draco practically bellowed.

"Draco I told you I was going home at midnight, I warned you. What have you been doing you reek of firewhiskey? You should both leave," Hermione replied coldly.

"You'd like that wouldn't you? So you could go back to what you were doing which was evidently Potter."

"Mate you are drunk I really think you should leave," Harry said quietly but there was a warning undertone to his voice.

"I am go to marry Harry why shouldn't I sleep with him?" Hermione practically yelled back at Draco losing her temper, this week really was just too much.

"So that it you left my bed so you could crawl into his! Did you know know that Potter? She was with me yesterday," Draco spat hurt making him wanting to strike at the couple. Blaise wisely remained silent though he began tugging his friend's arm to leave as had been recommended.

"I did actually," Harry replied simply.

"Oh so was this some game between you? How did you know the matches Hermione? Why didn't you tell me? So you could play me and return to Potter?" Then Draco turned to Harry, "You are my partner, you're supposed to be friend, and you told me there wasn't anything romantic between you two. Were you just messing with me this whole time?"

Hermione stood blanket wrapped around her, picked up her wand from the nightstand and pointed it at him, "Get out."

Draco took a step back but refused to flee, so Hermione backed him out of the room trembling slightly her wand at his throat.

Narcissa and Kingsley heard shouting from where they stood on the doorstep, and exchanged a worried look.

"Should we see if everything is okay?" Narcissa asked worriedly.

Kingsley nodded and grabbing her arm apparated them inside past the wards. The resulting tableau was a shock to everyone involved.

Hermione wrapped in a bed sheet stood on the stairs her wand at Draco's throat who was backing away from her clinging to the railing for balance. Blaise as clearly drunk as Draco was waiting at the bottom of the stairs and Harry was behind Hermione pants quickly pulled on as he followed her.

Narcissa and Kingsley in the same clothes they were wearing yesterday stood just inside the door staring and holding the take away boxes they had brought for Harry and Hermione.

Hermione was only startled for a moment before speaking, "Cissy lovely to see you this morning, if you wouldn't mind taking your son and his friend home I think they both need some sober up potion."

Narcissa wasted only a moment to glance over the group on the stairs before handing her boxes to Kingsley.

"Of course, come Draco," she said imperiously as she whisked Blaise and Draco off toward the floo.

As soon as they were out of sight Hermione ran the hand holding her wand through her hair still needing to hold the sheet with the other.

"I am not even going to ask," Kingsley said simply, "I brought breakfast."

Harry laughed and Hermione relaxed slightly.

"I am going to go back to my room and get changed, Harry take Kings to kitchen would you?" Hermione asked already brushing past Harry on her way back up the stairs.

A/N: Okay I was feeling pretty Slytherin while writing this and though it is silly of me I wanted everyone to be able to share in the awkwardness. Part of why I took a little break even though I was on an updating streak on this story is because I had another author plagiarized it, I was informed of that by one of you which I really appreciate. But I was quite angry that someone else would that, they genuinely just retyped paragraphs of my first chapter in their second. I contacted them and didn't receive an answer from the author. They did remove the work but they didn't reply to explain why or apologize. I don't know why I let that bother me, but it did and so every time I tried to come back and write this I found myself irrationally angry about it. I wrote this, you lovelies seem to like and that's all that should matter. Angry really isn't a good frame of mind to write this type of chapter in others maybe. So I took a break and have been writing something just for me. I may post it when it is completed in its entirety but I won't do it incrementally. There are a lot of other reasons I've been gone for this long and I hope I still have some readers. I hope you enjoyed this and as always I would love to hear your feedback.

-Love Scarlett