Chapter 29: You win some

Hermione refused to look at the blond as he stepped closer to herself and her daughter, who were lounging in the garden- more out of self preservation, and the fact that she was lost in thought wondering if he had heard her confession.

Only when she recognised that he had spoken again did she move, turning to face him a questioning eyebrow lifted, "Sorry Malfoy, what was that?"

He smirk, "I was just saying, the house elves have informed me dinner will be served any moment now, and as your staying, I wondered if you will walk with me to the dining room." Rose nodded her head thoroughly, seemingly having gotten over the conversation they'd been previously having, before she was dashing off in the direction of the large manor. Draco held back waiting until Hermione was walking next to him, "What were you talking about?"

Pausing monetarily Hermione regarded the blond, "You didn't hear?"

He shrugged, "Snippets, but I don't assume where you are concerned"

She smiled, taking in a deep breath, "She asked why we aren't together"

Draco nodded, "She's very insightful isn't she?" Hermione nodded, biting innocently on her lip, as she looked towards where her daughter had disappeared. "If only you knew how much that used to drive me wild"

She turned to Draco furrowing her eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

"When you're thinking about things you chew on your lip"

She stopped her action muttering "Sorry"

"No, no, don't be." He trailed slightly, "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing" she sighed before picking up her speed, "I'm going to get ready for dinner" and with that she was gone.

-DMHG-

11.30pm Saturday Night

The hearth was blaring alight in the library, Hermione sat comfortably on the settee in front of the flames her legs tucked underneath her body, watching the spectacle of the embers. She'd forgone picking up a tomb to read, though the longer she waited the more she wished she had picked one up. Draco had excused himself after dinner to attend the poker match Blaise had successfully managed to organise, and Hermione waited patiently for their discussion dreading the outcome before it had even begun.

The door creaked open and then closed causing Hermione to swallow the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. Draco made his way through the well appointed library before sitting on the other end of the settee, resting his head in his hands while his elbows rested on his trouser covered knees, his eyes settled on the flames mirroring exactly what Hermione had been doing for the past half an hour. He didn't say anything to the brunette, unsure of what exactly he could say, so it was her that was the first to act, leaning forward she rested her hand on the middle of his back- between the shoulder blades, feeling the muscles shift as he started at her touch.

"I didn't think you'd still be awake" he admitted into the quiet room.

"Hmm," she replied, "We probably shouldn't be, you have an important game tomorrow- but as is, I know I won't be able to sleep"

He nodded, completely at a loss as to what to say, "How was the poker match?" she queried saving him from the silence.

"It was good"

There was a few minutes of a pause before she asked the inevitable, "Was he there?"

She could she Draco's form nod his head, "He was."

Hermione nodded at the information, "What did you do today?"

It was the most awkward conversation they had had, both making it apparent they had a lot on their mind. "After getting the prototype, I met with Harry Ardenbrook again, he advised me to make a purchase of Weasley Wizard Wheezes shares, said you'd be able to help"

"Listen Draco, I-" she cut herself off unable to think and put what she really wanted to say into words.

Draco finally turned towards her, "Rose needed her mother, and I would have just gotten in the way, and made things awkward"

"I understand that" she relented, "It just stung that's all, it was like a rebuff"

"It was not, I can assure you whole heartedly it was not"

She sighed, "It didn't feel that way, sometimes, I don't know whether I'm coming or going with you"

"You tell me nothing can happen between us, and then you kiss me, ask me to spend the night with you, and you don't know if your coming or going with me?" he shook his head dispersing the anger that was rising.

"That was wrong of me I know" she bowed her head in slight shame, "I just needed something tangible"

Draco nodded leaning forward to pull a velvet bag from his pocket, as he did so he called a house elf for a bottle of Firewhiskey and two tumblers, only after the alcohol had been delivered and the elf left the pair of them alone did Draco toss the velvet bag towards Hermione, rising soon after a full tumbler in his hand.

Opening the leather strap on the bag Hermione peered in at the contents, "I don't understand"

"What is there to get. They are yours"

Something seemed to click, "Are these the winnings from tonight?"

"Some" Draco walked towards the window, "The rest is downstairs in the vault"

"Why are you giving me the winnings?"

"It's yours"

"I don't understand" Hermione didn't often get perplexed in life, but more often than not if she did it was because of the blond man occupying the room with her.

"Let's just say tonight was a very Slytherin affair, unbeknownst to your ex. Everyone was up for a bit of scheming, and luckily Daphne is still as good at charms as you tutored her to be- he didn't know it was us, which made it even more fun."

"You disguised yourselves?" Hermione was looking intently at the blond as he stood staring out of the window into the dark night.

Draco nodded as he took a sip of his drink, "Yes. Terence often plays poker with him, said he loves to splash his cash, so Blaise, set up a game with Terence, Theo and some of the Quidditch guys. He didn't even bat an eye lid at some unknown newcomers- just mouthed off about not being able to wait to take all our galleons off of us." Here the blond gave a harsh bark of a laugh, "If only he knew it was a trap, the only way he was going out with any money was if he beat everyone there."

"A trap?" Hermione repeated

Draco nodded again, "Yeah, I explained the point of the match to everyone else, they got back whatever they put in, but whatever he lost wasn't theirs to keep, it came back to you"

"You said my name?"

"Terence was in because Daph wanted him to accept the conditions, Blaise and Theo well they were up for it Blaise obviously knows, Theo he's smart he reads the newspapers. And the rest of the guys they just hate your ex, there was no need to bring you into it."

She nodded standing up from the settee, "So..."

"Thirty-thousand" just as she went to speak again he cut her off, "Yes you can take it."

"He has access to my Gringott's accounts that would just be counterproductive"

"However, as you are Rose's legal guardian, he doesn't have access to hers"

"Rosie doesn't have an account that would be why"

"As of tomorrow morning Rose will have a Gringotts account with an opening balance of thirty thousand galleons"

Hermione stepped closer to Draco, "You didn't have to do that you know" she shook her head as she watched him perch himself on the window sill, "You've already done too much"

"It's the least I could do"

"I've told you, you don't owe me, you never did"

"I was thinking about what you told me, about how you just accepted me and Astoria. And I'm sorry, I never realised what was happening between us, and what effect my impending nuptials would have on you." He reached out for her left arm, "I thought this" he ran his finger down the hidden scar on her forearm, "Would prevent you from feeling the same way about me as I did about you." He trailed his finger up her arm to her neck, tracing the very thin line present across her neck, one scar she never attempted to hide since the day she had received it. However as soon as his digit touched the skin her hand was there to knock it away, causing him to look into her eyes, "I-" he didn't know quite what to say, shocked by her reaction.

Hermione for her part simply shook her head, "I'm not used to anyone touching me there" she admitted quietly. Draco nodded as his hand began retreating to his lap, "Listen Draco, I have something to explain to you, something which you may not have realised earlier. But I feel I need to clarify" He nodded once again for her to continue, and furrowed his brow as he saw her swallow heavily, "I'm not some sexually active wife, who got and gave it every time one of us felt the need. When I said I'd only had sex with Ronald once I meant it"

"You don't need to divulge your sex life with your ex to me"

"You need to know this. That one time Rose was conceived. The second time it wasn't sex, it wasn't even love making, it was shagging plain and simple- we both needed it, we were both there, it was convenient. And low and behold the two times we had sex were the two times I got pregnant." Here she sighed, looking intently over the blond's shoulder, "So anything you have, and will ever read about me and my sex life is greatly over-exaggerated, I've slept with one man, and twice at that. I've never made love to anyone." She abruptly stopped, and Draco took that opportunity to grab her hand and pull her so that her body was situated between his legs, his neck lifted his head so they were on level together, and she gently interlocked their fingers together.

Draco kissed a slow line up the length of her neck, before kissing along her jaw line, placing a single kiss on her lips before pulling away.

"I feel I should reciprocate"

Hermione shook her head as a negative, "There's no need, I just needed to explain that to you"

"Thank you." He acknowledged, "But I think it's only fair for me to tell you my 'stats' as Blaise calls them. Well you see..."


A/N: There we have chapter 29, hope you enjoyed, please review. Oh and what does everyone think Draco's stats are going to be?
Thanks Scorpio219 -x-