Hermione was livid and ranting by the time they got back to her place. Draco had decided it best to take her wand away. He set them both down on the table and followed her into the sitting room as she stormed through it.

"That little whore! She can't just have one man can she? She had to have Dean and take Ronald away from me, didn't she? Stupid little tramp…I should have pulled out my wand and showed her what's what. That's what I should have done…hexed her straight into judgment day. I hope she rots, I hope she rots in hell." She raved on as she paced across her sitting room.

Draco sat on the couch and watched her steam across the room, throwing her arms up in exasperation as more profanity spilled from her mouth.

"Hermione, I don't understand why you care. He deserves to be with the little two-timer-"

"Because, "Draco could hear the tears welling up in her voice, "because this means that he left me for nothing. Absolutely nothing" she collapsed onto the couch next to him.

"That's not true" he pulled her in, "Ron left you because he's an idiot who never saw that he had something incredible. Don't you waste one second feeling bad for him."

"I don't feel bad for him. I don't think…I just, how could he think that she was a better choice than me? What does she have that I don't?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. In fact, everything that makes you different from her is what makes you so amazingly beautiful Hermione."

"You don't even know her"

"I went to the same school as you did Hermione. I know enough about her to know that you're nothing like her. She's silly and frivolous. She had no decency, honor, loyalty or, clearly, discretion. Don't compare yourself to her. You're so much better than that"

She didn't reply. She just cried into his arms while he held her close.

"Do you know what I wish right now, Hermione?" Draco said softly as he pressed his lips onto the top of her head.

She clung on tighter to his waist as she burrowed her face into his body, "Hmm?"

"I wish that I had known you better all those years ago. I wish that I hadn't been so foolish back then. Because if I had known how incredible you were I would never have let you fall in love with him. I would have never let you get hurt"

She didn't know what to say to that. Her body turned and she adjusted herself on his lap, laying her head down on him while he ran his hands tenderly through her hair.

"Please don't leave me tonight" she frailly pleaded.

"I promise. I'm not going anywhere"

/

In the midst of her tears, Hermione had fallen asleep in Draco's lap sometime last night. She woke up laid out on the couch, Draco sitting beneath her head with his arm stretched over her. His head was laid back over the top of the couch.

She slowly sat up, careful not to wake him up. He didn't wake up but as soon as she moved he laid himself out on the couch and placed his head in her lap.

She couldn't help but smile. He looked incredibly sweet in his sleep. Temptation got the best of her, without much of a fight, and she let herself tenderly stroke the side of his face as he slept soundly in her lap.

Hermione jumped at the sound of rapid knocking at her front door. Carefully, she lifted Draco's head and set it down on a couch pillow before walking out of the sitting room.

It had been Ginny rapping intently at her door. Her stomach was really starting to show at this point with her and Harry's fourth child. The sight of her pregnancy filled Hermione with a short twinge of jealousy.

"What's wrong Ginny? Is everything okay?"

"You don't know do you?"

Hermione shook her head cluelessly at her, "Know what?"

Ginny welcomed herself in and sat down at the table. "Lavender left Ron last night"

"What?" if Hermione had been holding something in that moment, she would have dropped it.

Ginny nodded her head and continued. "Apparently, she went out last night and said that she saw you with some guy. Which, you're going to have to explain, by the way. But anyway, she said that you caught her with Dean Thomas and by the time she'd gotten home she'd assumed you'd already gone to Ron and told him everything"

"I didn't say a thing-"

"I know! That's the best part. Lavender thought she'd been caught red handed so she confessed everything to Ron. Apparently she and Dean have been sleeping together for years behind Ron's back. She said that she figured since Ron was able to be married to you while they had their life together, she was entitled to have someone on the side as well! But instead of trying to talk to Ron and work things out she was already fixed on leaving. Supposedly she transferred out more than half of his account and she's going to fight for full custody of the kids. Karma is a real bitch ain't it?"

Ginny was way too giddy about the whole thing, considering it was her brother she was talking about.

Hermione didn't know what to say. She was completely speechless. Ron had gotten what was coming to him, full circle. The woman who he had believed to be a better choice than had left him empty handed for another man. Hermione couldn't believe it.

"So, who were you out with last night? Please, tell me that you're over my brother. Because now that he's high and dry you absolutely cannot get back together. I know that your divorce isn't final but still. That cannot be an option for you"

"I didn't say I would get back with Ron."

"Good. Don't. Now, spill the beans. Who were you with last night?"

"Ah-you don't want to know"

Ginny realized then. "Really Hermione? Ron is getting what's coming to him. You can drop the whole act with Malfoy."

"There is no act Ginny. Draco and I are friends. I was feeling down last night so he took me out to dinner. That's all"

"Oh really? Than what's that?" asked Ginny as she eyed the two wands that were sitting on the table.

"Draco spent the night. So what?"

"Where did Malfoy spend the night?" inquired Ginny.

"I really don't think that's any of your business Weaslette" Draco had entered the room. He looked slightly disgruntled from sleeping on the couch. Without being prompted, he started to put tea on.

Ginny looked as though she had a bad taste in her mouth. "Hermione, listen to me, as your friend. Drop the act with Malfoy and move on to bigger and better things. You deserve to be happy" she placed a friendly, assuring hand on Hermione's before she stood up to walk herself out. "As always, I'm here if you need me. Ciao"

"Thanks for filling me in Ginny" Hermione half-heartedly thanked her.

"Anytime" she closed the door behind her and was gone.

Draco slid a cup of tea in front of Hermione and replaced Ginny's chair with his own cup in hand.

"What was that about?"

Hermione sighed, "So, you remember how I saw Lavender last night?"

Draco nodded and took a deep drink of his tea, willing it to wake him up. He looked off; he'd slept in such an awkward position the night before.

"Well, that was Dean Thomas she was with. You remember him right? Anyway, Ginny came to tell me that Lavender left Ron for Dean last night thinking that I had gone to Ron and ratted her out. Evidently, she left him with almost nothing"

"You're kidding?" Draco was almost as wide eyed as Hermione had been.

"I don't think so."

"At least he got what he deserved"

It seemed that everyone felt that way. Hermione didn't feel good about it at all. In fact, she couldn't help but feel pity for Ron despite all he'd done to her. All she really wanted was to know is if he was okay or not. That didn't mean she wanted him back. But she did still care about his well-being.

Draco seemed to read her mind. "Don't talk to him Hermione"

"Who said I was going to?"

"That look on your face." He set his empty cup down. "He's none of your business anymore. He dug his hole; he can live in it now. He was the one who pushed you out of his life, remember? You don't need to be there for him right now"

"I know that. I'm just concerned is all. Ron really has no ability to take care of himself-"

"Not your problem"

"He can't function on his own-"

"Not your problem"

"Everyone is mad at him. No one is going to make sure he's okay-"

"Not your problem. Hermione, stop it. Weasley is not your problem" said Draco more forcefully.

"I still feel responsible-"

"Don't you dare."

"He's still my husband-"

"Stop talking like that"

"Draco…" she struggled to admit how she felt to him, "…I don't want to have to start over again, if I don't have to"

His face shattered. He couldn't t believe that she was saying that to him. She had been growing more independent and stronger with each passing day. Was she really going to just quit so easily?

"Hermione, you might want to give up on yourself and go back to that loser but I'm not going to let you"

"How is working out a marriage the same thing as giving up?"

"Because he doesn't love you! He doesn't give a damn about you Hermione!" Draco felt himself shouting. "All he cares about is himself. That's all. I know that you can see that"

Hermione pursed her lips in frustration.

"It's not even like he's here at your doorstep begging for you to come back. He's not! So don't sit here and talk like you're actually thinking of going back to that scum!"

There was a knock at the door.

"I swear to god Hermione, if that's him-"Draco's voice was filled with rage.

"Just sit here" she took his wand off the table, along with her own for good measure before answering the door.

It was Harry.

"Hermione, have you seen Ron?" his voice seemed frantic.

"No…why?"

"No one can find him. After Lavender left him yesterday he came over to our place in a right state. He vanished sometime last night and we still don't know where he went. I've been trying to reach him all morning. Ginny was supposed to come here and ask you if you'd seen him but she apparently forgot." He rolled his eyes, "Anyway, I thought that maybe he'd come here?"

"For his sake, I hope he doesn't!" called out Draco from behind her.

Hermione shut her eyes in frustration, "Ignore him. No Harry, Ron hasn't been by here. If he stops by I'll let you know"

"Okay, thanks" he was about to turn and leave when Hermione stopped him.

"Harry, you'll let me know if you find him, wont' you?"

"Of course" he turned and left.

"Maybe he jumped off a bridge" suggested Draco.

"That's not funny" Hermione snapped.

"It's what he should do" Draco scowled.

"Ron may have hurt me but I don't wish ill on him."

"You don't have to. I wish enough ill on him for the both of us"

Hermione was getting stressed out and Draco's comments weren't helping. "Don't you have somewhere to be today?" she snapped.

"Yeah, here."

"I have work to do" she said sharply as she walked past him and went upstairs.

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A:N/ I keep saying I'm not going to update and yet I still do... Still sick with a sinus infection, bleagh, so keep leaving fanfic recommendations in your reviews. Good stories make me feel better. Yay! x Hope you liked the chapter, remember to review. Thanks!