A week late, but better late than never!
Unfortunately, you all have to suffer Ron, a little longer but not much I promise! Maybe a chapter or two...
Hermione didn't hear or see Lyra for weeks. February had quickly turned to March.
Hermione had thrown herself into her work and being a dutiful girlfriend. They were sat around the table at Mrs Weasleys when Ron did it. He had gotten down on one knee and asked her with his big stupid grin he always had. They all gushed and grinned, and Hermione found herself nodding, in obligation. How could she say no in front of his family? They hadn't wanted an engagement party, in fact, Hermione was still trying to find a way to call the whole thing off.
Yet here she was stood at Blaise's club, greeting the masses that had come to celebrate. The Prophet was there taking plenty of pictures. Hermione stood in a corner sipping her champagne that Blaise had apparently bought in. She watched Blaise Zabini give tight you're welcomes, to the guests who thanked him for allowing them to be there. He stood next to her sipping his own drink,
"Thank you for letting them go through with this ridiculous party," Hermione said politely,
"It's not me you should be thanking. If I had my say I would have hexed the Weasels balls off after what he did to her" Blaise spat, "However, I have a particular soft spot for Miss Weasley, so I'm glad she asked"
"Blaise, I'm sorry. I didn't know what he was going to do. I was told it was just a check in" Hermione tried to explain. Blaise shook his head,
"You haven't even spoken to her, have you?" Blaise asked. Hermione looked at him and seen the pain in his eyes. Hermione frowned,
"She wouldn't answer me, Blaise," Hermione said quietly, "And in case you didn't notice, I have a boyfriend, fiance or whatever. I'm going to get married I can't be going to check up on Lyra" Hermione said pushing her hair from her face.
"No, Merlin forbid you were to actually follow your heart and done what you wanted Granger" Blaise stated with a shake of his head. As he began to move, Hermione grabbed his arm,
"Tell me what happened that day, please?" Hermione asked sincerely. Blaise sighed with a shake of his head,
"Lyra apparently came back to the Estate to find Weasley at the gates, only Lyra and I can directly apparate into the grounds. She let them in willingly, things got heated I think Motley said, Lyra tried to order them out. He beat her, Hermione"
"Ron couldn't beat Lyra in a duel" Hermione defended,
"She didn't have a chance to get her wand" Blaise stated, "He body bound her, beat her until I found her hours later" Blaise stated,
"Why?" Hermione asked Blaise shrugged,
"He needed someone to blame, I guess" Blaise sighed. "She's not been the same for months. I thought she was getting better"
Blaise looked away defeated. He excused himself going back to mingling. Hermione wandered back to their party mingling on Ron's arm, as she was supposed to. He kept her close for most of the night. Until Hermione walked back from the bathroom, she hadn't expected to see them.
They were close in the back corner. The blondes head tilted to the side as lips travelled up her neck. Hermione felt a surge of jealousy at the sight. She watched Lyra laugh drunkenly at one of the other boys staggering around. It looked like a group of the Slytherins she thought. She caught grey eyes before turning and walking back to her party. Hermoine could barely stomach the thought of Lyra going to someone else. The voice in her head telling her that that was exactly what Lyra was supposed to do because Hermione had Ron. Ron, Hermione thought of her goofy boyfriend who she loved. As a friend, he had always been her friend. They had had one spontaneous kiss that had led to an engagement and Hermione couldn't think how she had let it get this far. Hermione slid into a secluded corner at the top of the club, she had to be alone.
Breathing a sigh of relief as she sat down, she tried to formulate a plan. She had to find out a way to get out of this engagement before anyone else got hurt.
"Sickle for your thoughts?" Hermione looked up to see Lyra stood in front of her.
"I thought you would have been with your friends?" Hermione asked, sniffling as she realised she had been crying. Swiping at her face she looked away from Lyra who sat across from her.
"They're a bit too lively for me," Lyra said quietly, "What's wrong?" Lyra's questions pierced her, everything Hermione wanted to scream. Everything was wrong,
"I'm sorry" Hermione whimpered. Lyra was suddenly there, kneeling in front of her. Lyra tentatively took her hands in her own,
"You're not the one to blame" Lyra stated, looking up. Hermione stared into grey eyes,
"Lyra-"
"Please don't blame yourself for this" Lyra requested honestly, Hermione had rarely seen this side of Lyra. The honest, sincere and pure side. Hermione nodded making Lyra smile softly,
"Now, tell me why you're not at your fancy engagement party?" Lyra asked standing, and looking down onto the party,
"I needed some space, I don't like parties, the attention" Hermione admitted honestly. Lyra smirked,
"You get used to it" She muttered, Hermione sat in silence with Lyra for a while. It didn't take long for more drinks to appear on their table. Lyra stood over by the railing, Hermione saw the smirk and refrained from shivering.
"Who would think that the famous Hermione Granger would get married to Ron Weasley?" Lyra speculated. Hermione sipped her wine with pursed lips.
"Jealous?" Hermione asked over her wine glass looking through long glasses. Alcohol fueling her bravery to goad Lyra, she was relaxed. The champagne and wine and wine fueling her.
"Of you? Certainly not" Lyra stated with a smile looking away. Hermione stood and walked to lean on the railing beside Lyra,
"Of Ron?" Hermione asked she watched Lyra carefully. She saw her eyes flicker in her direction as she thought of an intellectual answer. Hermione smirked when no response came.
"Why would you be?" Hermione was on a roll. It was rare for her to make Lyra this speechless. "After all it wasn't like you wasted your opportunity" Hermione whispered
Lyra stared down at her, eyes wide. Smirk fully in place,
"Wasted my opportunity?" Lyra grinned, "As I recall you would have far rather me fucked you in an alleyway than go home to your precious fiance" Hermione felt her breathing quicken as Lyra stated the truth, "Tell me, Granger, does he not fulfil you the way you want?" Lyra's lips were inches from Hermione's ear. "Would you rather come to my bed than your fiance's?"
Hermione turned her own smirk in place, "You're drunk" Hermione stated shrugging off Lyra's statement of the truth, Lyra chuckled.
"So are you Granger" Hermione glared up at Lyra who chuckled, sipping her drink. Heels pulled Hermione from her thoughts of Lyra's bed. Pansy Parkinson stepped onto the landing with a grin,
"There you are" Pansy stated, walking over. Lyra turned folding her arms across her chest,
"What do you want Pansy?" Lyra asked. Hermione watched Pansy look Hermione up and down before turning her attention back to Lyra,
"I want an exclusive" Pansy stated, Lyra frowned,
"On what exactly?" Hermione watched Pansy's pug like face spread into a grin.
"On the amazing business, you and Blaise have managed to set up. I want something that makes people more amenable to our side of the coin. Death Eater turned Saviour of local business"
Hermione frowned and asked, "Do you work for the Prophet?"
Pansy scoffed, looking her up and down, "Of course not. I work for Witch Weekly"
Hermione refrained from stating that that was worse than the Prophet.
"What are you doing up here, Granger? Shouldn't you be attached to Weasley or something" Pansy sneered.
"How long will this exclusive take?" Lyra asked with a roll of her eyes.
"An hour or two," Pansy said with a grin across her face. Lyra shrugged,
"That's quite a long time out of my day Pansy" Lyra stated. Pansy smirked, stepping close to Lyra. So, close Hermione was sure she would kiss Lyra to get the story. She fiddled with a button on Lyra's shirt, just above where Hermione knew the worst of Lyra's scars sat. Hermione watched as Lyra didn't seem to flinch. Annoyance flared within Hermione as Pansy dared get that close to Lyra,
"I can make it worth your while" Pansy purred. Lyra smirked,
"If you're that desperate for it" Lyra stated, standing straighter and forcing Pansy to take a step back.
"Come to the office on Monday at 9 am. I'll send you the address" Lyra stated. Pansy grinned,
"I'll see you then" Pansy practically skipped away. Hermione glared down at the club below.
"Careful, someone might step into your murderous gaze" Lyra joked. Hermione glared at her making her laugh,
"For someone so adamant on not being jealous. You're not being very convincing" Lyra teased.
"I am not jealous of Pansy Parkinson" Hermione sniffed,
"Really?" Lyra asked stepping into Hermione's space. Lyra braced her hands on either side of the railing trapping Hermione in her arms.
"Lyra, someone could-" Hermione tried breathlessly, she could feel the heat radiate from Lyra, the strong arms around her made Hermione feel weak.
"We're three floors up, no one will see" Lyra whispered into her ear making Hermione want to moan, beg Lyra to touch her.
"We shouldn't" Hermione whispered tilting her head back, she reached out, running her hands over Lyras soft shirt, feeling firm muscle beneath. "I'm meant to-"
Hermione was cut off by the kiss, her hand fisting in Lyra's shirt. The other reaching up to grip her neck, Hermione moaned into the kiss. Alcohol fuelling her terrible decisions. Lyra stepped closer deepening their kiss, Hermione's moan fueling her desire. Hermione slid her hand between them feeling the firm muscles beneath her finger-tips. She daringly slid her hand upwards feeling the fabric of Lyras bra.
"Hermione!" Hermione was snapped back to reality at the sound of Harry's voice. Hermione shoved Lyra who chuckled, turning and walking to where Hermione had previously sat. Lyra sat with a grin that made her look like the cat who had just caught the canary. Hermione didn't have time to make herself look innocent. Harry appeared with a relieved smile,
"There you are, everyone was worried that you'd just disappeared," Harry said,
"I just stepped away for a while," Hermione explained. "I guess it was longer than expected," Hermione said with a smile. Harry nodded with a smile,
"Come on, I need to buy you a drink to celebrate," Harry said walking back down, Hermione turned to Lyra who smirked and waved her away. Hermione gave a small apologetic smile. Following Harry down and back to her life.
Hermione stood in her bathroom four hours later, Ron having long since fallen asleep. His snoring filling the walls of the flat. She had spent the last half an hour trying to get Lyra from her dreams. Hermione slid out of the bathroom, years on the run had turned her ears to pick up anything out of the ordinary. She heard the small tap at the window. Opening it a dark brown barn owl hoped in and extended its leg. Hermione took the slip and have it a small treat. It didn't linger for a response. Hermione opened the note to see an address penned. A small note beneath,
Jealous?
Hermione didn't go to the address. Instead, she tried to forget about the now second kiss she had shared with Lyra in six months. A week after the party, Hermione found herself walking out of Flourish and Blotts to see the latest Witch Weekly. Lyra was stood her hands in her pockets. Her blonde hair had been braided, she wore a fitted black suit with a slim black tie and white shirt. She stood, with her back to Blaise who appeared to be fixing the sleeves of his pale grey suit. The title read; Partners in Crime. Exclusive interview with the business partners that are revolutionising Wizarding Britain. After a brief look through the pages, Hermione purchased a copy and marched to the address on the small slip of paper she had been carrying for a week.
Lyra Malfoy liked to think it was difficult to take her by surprise. But when a bushy haired brunette barged into her office on a Friday morning with a copy of Witch Weekly tucked under her arm she was surprised. Lyra leant back in her chair with a smirk,
"You got my note" Lyra stated, Hermione wanted to hex her.
"I thought you ought to see this" Hermione stated throwing the magazine on top of Lyra's relatively clean desk. Frowning, Lyra picked it up with a quick glance shrugged,
"I wasn't not going to do it, if that's what your concern is about," Lyra asked with a quirk of an eyebrow,
"My concern is on page seven if you dare to look" Hermione snapped. Lyra watched Hermione for a second, taking in the tight fitted long sleeve burgundy dress she wore and the heels that she had definitely borrowed from the she-weasel. As Lyra flicked through the magazine slowly she asked,
"Not go home last night?"
"Look at the article Malfoy" Hermione all but growled. Lyra frowned at the tone, what was so bad about this stupid article? Lyra got her answer on page seven, there was no picture thankfully. Instead, it was a column on Lyra's love life. It had all her latest flings on the page, from her faked relationship with Daphne Greengrass to her speculated engagement to Blaise. Lyra glanced up,
"What about it?" Lyra asked, "Most of it's wrong anyway" Lyra stated. Hermione could see she didn't like the prospect of her love life splashed across a trashy magazine,
"Look at the last sentence" Hermione stated looking out the window down onto Diagon Alley. Lyra looked and paled as she read:
Of course, the mysterious older Malfoy is not unknown to the Golden Trio, this speculative Journalist reports that Lyra Malfoy and Hermione Granger had quite the encounter at The Illiad on Friday evening. Some would say that not all is as it seems in Miss Grangers newly announced engagement and Lyra Malfoy might be the problem. Stay tuned.
Lyra looked up, Hermione was chewing on her ring fingernail. She noted that there was no evidence of the ring. She wanted to smile triumphantly at her not wearing it.
"I can see-"
"It's terrible Lyra, what am I going to do if someone from the Prophet picks this up?" Hermione stressed,
"Ok, relax" Lyra stated walking around the desk taking Hermione's hand from her mouth.
"Witch Weekly is a drivelous magazine that only bored housewives read" Lyra explained,
"No one's going to see it, much less question you about it" Lyra explained with a smile, Hermione gave a small smile.
"You better be right," Hermione said with a sigh.
"Aren't I always?" Lyra said with a smirk.
Well? What did you all think? As always I take all your comments on board.
For those wondering about new businesses, there are three I have introduced to Diagon Alley
The Chimera: A restaurant owned by Theo Knott
The Dragon's Hoard: A small pub similar to the three broomsticks
The Illiad: An exclusive club, invitation only. Run by Blaise Zabini
Until next time!