14 July 2002
On Sunday, Draco woke first again, too excited to sleep. He knew Hermione would be mad when she found out why Weasley had moved out, but he hoped her joy would outweigh the initial anger. She had wanted to move back home for quite some time and, quite frankly, Draco wanted to go with her — he'd only ever lived in the Manor and at Hogwarts. He found that he liked the idea of a normal house that didn't have wings and more bedrooms than one could ever fill.
Rolling onto his side, he examined Hermione's face. She was sleeping deeply, her features completely relaxed. Her curls were restrained in a bun on the top of her head, but tendrils had escaped and fallen on her face. Knowing she wasn't likely to wake up if he was gentle, he smoothed them back with his hand. He grinned when she leaned into his touch, drawn to him even in her sleep. Laying on her side, her arm appeared to be reaching out for him. He shifted closer, draping an arm over her waist. She inhaled a little more deeply and smiled in her sleep. His heart swelled with both pride and love at her unconscious gesture.
She's mine. She senses me in her sleep and she feels safe with me. I will get to wake up to this every morning. No matter where we are, she'll be the first thing that I see, and everything will be perfect.
He dropped his head onto her pillow and kissed her forehead before dozing off again, happy to spend a lazy day in bed with the love of his life.
When Hermione woke, she felt hot. Not just a little warm, but sweltering. She tried to move, but Draco was wrapped around her again, almost pinning her in place. While she liked his weight pressing down on her both during and after sex, she wasn't a fan of it when she had to get out of bed to use the loo. She shook him and he groaned.
"Draco, come on. I need to get up," she whined.
"No," he grumbled, holding her tighter. "It's Sunday. We can just stay here."
"Malfoy, I'll be right back. I need to pee," she hissed.
With another grumble, he released her and buried his face in the pillow they'd been sharing. Gods, no wonder she was hot. They'd been taking up about an eighth of the huge bed and sharing a pillow in the middle of July. Draco insisted on keeping a blanket and thick comforter on the bed year round, which she just found baffling.
And then she remembered. It was the middle of July. It had been about ten and a half weeks since her last heat. Her body temperature was probably starting to elevate, especially since she and Draco spent so much time together. She made a mental note to bring home some suppressants just to help her make it through to the following weekend.
When she walked back into the bedroom, Draco was sound asleep again. She debated staying up and reading, but he looked so enticing. Remembering how he had woken her yesterday, saying it was because he could see her tits… Well, she was debating waking him now. His naked chest was visible, and his hair was sexily mussed on top of his head. She could see the stubble on his jaw and longed to feel it against her inner thighs…
Decision made, she climbed back into bed, knowing he'd wake up soon. She'd be right beside him, ready to start their normal wake-up routine.
After Draco declared he was about to collapse from starvation, they climbed out of bed and went straight into the shower. It was after midday and they hadn't yet left the confines of his bedroom. On top of that, he'd burned quite a bit of energy already that day; his arse and his abs were feeling fatigued from fucking. Every time Hermione tried to touch him, he grabbed her wrists and held her in place.
"No way, Granger," he stated. "We're not shagging again until I eat something. And your pussy doesn't count as food, so don't even suggest that."
She pouted at him, and he almost gave in, wanting to suck her lower lip into his mouth. But he really was famished.
"Honestly, Malfoy, where is your Alpha sex drive?" she taunted, stepping under the shower spray and getting her hair wet.
Draco knew she was trying to provoke him into taking her again. She was playing the role of a temptress, a tease. He noticed her attempts at subtle seduction — arching her back while washing her hair, causing her breasts to jut out further than normal, letting little hums of pleasure out as she lathered her body, her hand lingering longer than usual over her mons, trying to draw his eyes down to her cunt.
"Have you gone into heat early? Or are you just extra horny leading up to it?" he asked, unable to take his eyes off of her.
Hermione laughed, a grin breaking out over her face. "Oh, you wouldn't have gotten me out of the bed if I was in heat. Food is not a concern then. I'm sure it won't be for you either, especially this time around. It will be your first rut and you won't be able to control yourself."
He frowned. "What? I mean, I know what the rut is, but I don't want to hurt you or make you ill. You need to eat and drink. It's three bloody days and I know your body is going to be like, well, a faucet."
Looking at him with a sexy smirk, she said, "I'm a Potions master, remember, Draco? I've made a hydrating and nourishing potion just for these kinds of situations."
His eyebrows rose so high they nearly disappeared into his hairline. "You mean to tell me we're going to be living on only potions and sex for days?"
Hermione nodded, taking a step towards him. "Doesn't it sound fun? I can't wait to have you all to myself. Or to see what it's like to go through a heat with an Alpha rather than my toys."
Draco felt an excited smile spreading across his face. "Ah, yes, I still haven't seen these magical toys of yours," he teased. "I really, really want to see how you've been getting through your heats. Maybe we could have a little round of show and tell tonight?"
If Hermione's naked skin hadn't already been pink from the hot water, Draco was sure he would've seen a blush spread across her face and chest. Her expression had become more shy and guarded.
"Oh, none of that, love," he soothed before pulling her into his arms, her back to his front. "I've had you so many ways, but I can always learn new tricks."
Carefully avoiding her breasts and never dipping below the tops of her hipbones, Draco's hands moved up and down her torso.
She started stammering, something that was so unlike her. "D-Draco, you d-don't need anym-more t-tricks."
Moving his mouth so it was right beside her ear, he whispered, "Oh, but I do, my Omega. New tricks keep everything more… exciting."
At his last word, one of his palms roamed over her breast, barely caressing her hardened nipple. She shivered and let out a moan, pressing her arse back into his groin.
"Exciting is g-good," she replied, stifling another moan when his fingers ghosted over her clit.
Draco released her, and she nearly melted down to a puddle on the floor. He grabbed her to keep her upright.
"Are you okay, Hermione?" he asked, clearly worried.
Turning quickly, she pressed him against the wall. "That was not very nice, Malfoy. You almost put me under with your teasing," she spat before glancing down at his hard prick. "Ah, you weren't unaffected, it seems."
She dropped to her knees and licked him from base to tip, her tongue flat and broad.
"Fuck," he hissed, and her hand went to his bollocks, rolling them around in her palm.
"Yes, I'd quite like to fuck, Malfoy, but you said no," she quipped. "So, instead, I'm going to stay on my knees and tease you until your bollocks match the lovely knickers you tore in two last night, and I'm going to make myself come."
A well-sized phallic shaped object came flying into the shower. It appeared to have some sort of weird base, and his eyes widened.
"Ah, yes, Draco — this will stick to the floor so I can get what I want without you straining yourself in your clearly starving state and I can fulfill your wish at the same time. This is one of my toys."
The black cock stood straight up on the tiled floor, and with a muttered incantation, it started to vibrate. He felt his eyes widen, and she smirked.
"So, are we playing show and tell, or should I get out of the shower?" Hermione asked, mischief in her eyes.
Gripping his shaft, he smirked down at her. Hermione watched with hungry eyes as he stroked a hand along it, teasing himself and the woman on her knees in equal measure. After a few moments, he saw her straddle the sex toy and rub it against her center, coating it in her slick. Then it was his turn to watch — she slowly sank down as low as she could, starting to rock her hips. Her hands moved to her breasts, and she tugged at her nipples. Looking up at him, she opened her mouth to say something. He took the opportunity to fill it with his cock and her words were muffled into vibrations along his length, prompting a moan to follow.
Oh, you're so fucking hot, my little Omega. Fucking yourself and sucking me off at the same time.
Yes, Alpha, I love it. I love giving you pleasure… Anything you want is yours.
Draco's hands, which were beginning to prune from the prolonged shower, laced into her hair to hold her head and regain some control. He started to move, matching her gentle sliding rhythm and hitting the back of her throat. He could feel her panting breaths, the air escaping through her nose when he disappeared all the way into her mouth. Suddenly, she pulled away and let out a wail, her hips jerking furiously. He knew she was coming, her orgasm lasting longer than usual. He didn't know it was possible to be jealous of an inanimate object, but in that moment, he was.
Hermione's pleasure was his, and this bit of Muggle plastic was making her come that hard? It was supposed to be only for him, or maybe only in her own hands if necessary. Pulling her up by her shoulders, he spun her around and planted her hands on the tile, holding them in place with his own. He lined himself up and plunged inside of her, causing a guttural sound to come from her mouth.
"Granger," he growled possessively, "you're mine. The only cock that should be inside of you is mine. I don't care what it's made of."
The sound of their wet skin slapping together was nearly obscene; it was so loud and it echoed throughout the bathroom. Draco murmured a sticking charm on her hands, keeping them in place so he could grip her hips. When his fingers dug into her skin, a burst of pheromones poured from her body, signaling how aroused she was in that moment. Strawberries and sex, mixing with his mint and the shampoos and soaps in the shower. Every time he breathed in, he felt like he might collapse from the sheer overwhelming rush of blood through his body, straight to his prick.
His thrusts were hard, and he was controlling her movements, as well. Her back was arched perfectly, tilting her pelvis to give his cock easier access to her body. Knowing her breasts would be moving in time with their bodies, Draco pictured it and groaned. The image of Hermione riding her Muggle toy with his cock in her mouth was seared in his mind. When he closed his eyes, he could still see his shaft sliding between her full lips, her fingers playing with her nipples as her breasts bounced. Looking down, he saw his prick sliding in and out of her swollen quim. It was all too much — the thoughts running through his head and the current sights. He reached one hand forward to rub her clit. Despite having fucked her less than an hour ago, he wasn't going to last much longer.
"Come for me, Granger. I know you like my cock more than that thing. I know you can't get enough," he commanded, his mouth moving to her neck, closing around her gland and sucking hard.
Yes, yes, yes, Alpha! I can't get enough. Please, please keep going! I'm coming. I'm coming so hard!
He felt her whole body clench and release several times before gentler shudders racked through her. Her legs were strained and shaking, so he looped an arm around her waist to keep her from falling.
"Fuck… you… Malfoy," she panted, her voice higher than normal. "That was really, really fucking intense."
While she was speaking, he continued to fuck her, eliciting even more profanity and moans. He slapped her arse in response and then grabbed her hips again, nearly mindless. Draco was absolutely dominating her, and he didn't want it to end. Based on the sounds of pleasure coming from Hermione's mouth, she was thoroughly enjoying the way he was claiming her body. His Omega was fully submitting to him, allowing him to take her in whatever way he pleased.
Mine. Mine. You're fucking mine, Hermione. So good. You're so perfect, just letting me fuck you.
When he felt his knot starting to form, he pulled back so they wouldn't be locked together in this position. He still came inside of her, his body rejecting the thought of spilling his seed anywhere else. Draco released her hands from the wall and slid out of her easily, his cock still swollen and erect.
"This feels wrong," he stated, gesturing to his groin. "It's supposed to be inside of you when it's like this."
Hermione smirked and shut off the water before bending over to pick up her toy. It made a loud popping noise and, much to Draco's horror, she stuck it to the tiled wall of the shower. With a laugh, she opened the glass doors, reaching for her towel and wrapping her hair just so. Still fully naked, she headed towards the door to the bedroom and then looked over her shoulder.
"Come on, Draco. Lay on the bed and I'll make you feel better," she purred.
Knowing that this could end very badly, he hesitated for a moment. He may never get to eat or start the day, and it was going on two in the afternoon. However, he didn't fancy standing around and waiting for the knot to deflate. He followed Hermione's command and she straddled him, sinking down his shaft to just above the knot. Once he had been sheathed by her, still slick and hot, he immediately felt better. He wrapped his arms around her possessively, holding her to his chest.
Mine. All mine.
After refueling, Hermione had insisted on spending a few hours in the library. She still hadn't browsed every section and found it relaxing to wander through the towering shelves. Draco indulged her, settling down at a table to go over some reports from the board at Malfoy Industries. He hadn't been giving enough attention to his responsibilities at his father's former company; all of his spare time had been devoted to Hermione, and he was starting to feel a bit guilty.
Silently, he watched as she ventured into the Transfiguration section. She'd likely be distracted for hours, eventually emerging in a newly-discovered Animagus form to pounce on him. He snickered at his thoughts, imagining her as an actual lioness. Once he was sure she was distracted, he stepped out into the hallway and summoned Darcie, wanting to ensure the house was ready for their arrival that night.
"Master, it is! It is lovely! Darcie loves Mistress Hermione's house! It is so much different from the Manor!"
Draco smiled at the elf's enthusiasm, especially since he thought that he would also favour Hermione's house. He'd miss the Quidditch pitch and the library, but he could always return to the Manor to use those things. Looking at his watch, he took note that it was going on four in the afternoon.
He'd give Hermione two hours in the library, they'd have dinner, and then he'd take her home.
After dinner was over, Draco told Hermione he had a surprise for her. She got a little nervous; she was never the type of person who loved gifts and surprises. When he insisted on Side-Along Apparating her somewhere, she felt even more anxious. She looked down at her clothes and said, "Do I need to change into something less comfortable?"
He laughed. "No, love, you're totally fine how you are. Just trust me. You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt you or make you feel uncomfortable."
Hesitantly, she nodded. He stood behind her, covering her eyes with one of his hands and wrapping his other arm around her waist. He spun on his heel, taking them away from the Manor.
Once they appeared at their destination, Draco uncovered her eyes. Hermione looked around, taking in the sight of her kitchen.
"Draco," she began hesitantly, "I know this might shock you, but I've actually been here. Many times before, in fact."
He swatted her arse playfully. "Thank you for stating what's clearly obvious, Granger. Walk around and take a look. Tell me if you notice anything different."
Feeling wary, Hermione started walking through the house. It appeared almost exactly the same until she looked at the wall of photos. Her wedding portrait and the photo of the Weasley family that she wasn't in were both gone. There were only group shots left, most of which Ron wasn't part of. It was like he was erased from her history, and her stomach churned a bit. When she moved to the room he had used as his game room, it had been cleared out. It was entirely empty, no trace of her ex-husband present at all.
She turned to face Draco and looked at him quizzically. "He moved out?"
Draco nodded, watching her expression carefully.
"But Theo didn't tell me. Why wouldn't he tell me?" she asked.
"Because I wanted to tell you," he replied. "The house is yours again. We can stay here if you prefer. I know you've been fine in the Manor, but I can't imagine it's your favorite place in the world."
Hermione squealed and rushed to Draco, jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist. After steadying himself, he spun her around. She was so happy to be home, back in the house she'd chosen for herself — the one that she considered to be her final gift from her parents, despite the fact they hadn't remembered she existed when they'd died.
One of Draco's hands rested on her arse and the other tangled in her hair. "I love seeing you happy. You're almost glowing."
"Well, I am happy. I have a lot to be happy about," she purred. "Shall we finally properly reunite here?"
The burst of pheromones he released at the suggestion of sex was enough of an affirmative answer for her; she took a deep breath before leaning in and capturing his lips in a heated kiss. Draco quickly joined in, his tongue delving into her mouth and his hand squeezing her arse firmly.
"You. Naughty. Little. Witch," he said, punctuating each word with a kiss. "Celebrating Weasley's departure with a shag?"
Hermione froze. In that context, it sounded a bit… wrong. "Let's say celebrating being home? I hate how your way sounds, even if it is technically true."
"Of course, love," Draco responded smoothly. "Celebrating our homecoming is perfect." Kiss. "You're perfect." Kiss. "Everything is going to be amazing from here on out."
She flexed her body, grinding against him. One of her hands reached up and ran through his blond fringe, prompting him to let out a rumbling sound from the back of his throat. She was lost in the kissing, lost in his body pressing against hers, lost to his scent enveloping her, lost to his words. She didn't think she'd ever get used to how completely she lost her senses when it came to Draco. Even nearly six weeks after re-establishing their physical relationship, she was still drunk on lust.
Still carrying her, he walked down the hallway towards the master bedroom. Hermione licked his neck; tasting his skin after a burst of pheromones had left him was something she instinctively wanted to do. He pressed her even closer to his body and climbed onto the bed, kneeling with her legs wrapped around him. Wanting to get undressed, she disentangled herself from him. Opening her eyes fully, she saw that the bed had been changed; it was no longer the simple queen size with a plain metal frame. A king size four-poster, much like the one at Malfoy Manor, had been placed in the center of the wall. The bedding was rich and luxurious, and she knew it was new.
"I thought you'd want a new bed," Draco stated quietly, watching her look at the changes critically.
She turned to face him. "I would've bought one, Draco. You didn't have to…"
Holding a finger to her lips, he said, "I wanted to bring you home and shag you senseless. I didn't think we'd be doing that in the bed you had shared with Weasley."
"No, probably not," she admitted. Her hands moved to Draco's shirt buttons without saying anything else.
"I didn't want any reminders of him around since he was such an arsehole about the whole thing. I mean, I know the situation was not ideal, but he could've at least tried to be reasonable with me."
Hermione's hands froze and she met his eyes. "You spoke to Ron?"
"Well he didn't suddenly have a change of heart, Hermione. He was intent on punishing you by keeping this house. I couldn't let that happen. It's your last tie to your parents," he answered.
Hermione felt an entirely different fire light within her. Not the lust that was nearly always burning around Draco, but the kind that signaled her fury. She glared at him. "What do you mean, you couldn't let it happen? It wasn't any of your business, Malfoy."
He rolled his eyes at her. "Malfoy? I guess you're mad now. You're mine, Granger. Everything that upsets you is my business. I want you to be happy. I want you to—"
A wave of warmth washed over her when he said she was his, but she pushed it down. He couldn't put every little thing that bothered her on his shoulders, regardless of how strong he was.
"I don't need you to fight my battles for me, Malfoy! I could have handled Ron eventually. He would have given in. He loves me!"
Draco stood from the bed and shook his head. "You're so damn stubborn, Hermione. You refuse to see the truth of the situation when it comes to your ex. Weasley wasn't going to give up, and Theo told me that he found some previous cases where the unfaithful party was penalized!"
"Well the two of you could've included me in this conversation! What could you possibly have said to Ron to make him leave that I haven't said already?" she shouted.
"I had to pay to get him out of the house, Hermione! He told me the only way he would give it up would be if I paid him, and then the wanker proceeded to say that you'd be so furious with me that you'd leave me!"
Her mouth fell open, and she felt her heart crack. "Please tell me you're joking! You went and did exactly what I asked you not to?!"
Starting to pace, Draco refused to look at her. His hands went to his hair and he began tugging at it a bit. "I did. And I'd do it all over again. Weasley had no right to keep you from the home you paid for. Money isn't a fucking thought for me, Granger. Your happiness is worth more to me than all the Galleons sitting in my vault."
Hermione scoffed. "Obviously you didn't think that one through. I'm not happy right now. I'm fucking furious!"
She crawled off the bed and stood in front of him, looking up and glaring.
"I'm not afraid of your glares, Granger. You'll calm down. If you had lost this house, you would've been heartbroken, and you know it. You'll realize it," he stated.
She turned on her heel and left the room. She heard Draco stalking after her, but she continued down the stairs. Standing in front of the Floo, she said, "You need to fucking remember who I am, Malfoy. I don't like it when the men in my life make decisions behind my back based on what they think is right for me. That's misogynistic."
"Are you honestly going to leave the house on principle alone?" he asked, looking bewildered.
"No," she spat, "but you are leaving. Get out of my house, Draco."
She saw his anger spark. "Are you kidding me? You're seriously going to kick me out?"
"Yes! I'm so mad I don't even want to look at you! Honestly, how could you do this without getting my permission? We talked about it more than once!" His shoulders sagged and he stepped towards her. Knowing that she'd likely cave if he touched her, she moved away from him. "Don't. Please just go. I need some space."
"Hermione… we haven't spent a night apart since…" he trailed off.
She shook her head. "We've spent a few apart when you've been on cases. It will be fine — I'll be fine."
"Please, love, I'm so sorry," he pleaded. "I just hated seeing you so upset because of Weasley."
Her glare intensified. "Do you realize that's the first time you've apologized, Draco? You're only doing it because you want me to let you stay so you can get shagged tonight."
"No! It's not about the sex!" he growled. "It's about being here with you! It's about having you with me, curled against me! It's about knowing you're safe!"
"I'll be perfectly safe. I'm going to ward the place and block the Floo as soon as you're gone."
He groaned and covered his face with his hands. "I'm not going to win this one, am I?"
Shaking her head again, Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. She steeled her resolve; he looked so upset, and it made her want to run to him and hold him. She refused to do it, Omega instincts be damned. He had behaved horribly, completely disregarding her opinion and feelings on the matter. Even if his intentions had been pure, she was still angry as hell.
"I love you, Granger. Even if you're being stubborn and ridiculous at the moment," Draco said quietly.
She sent another glare his way. "I love you, too, Malfoy. Even if you decided you didn't need to consider my feelings or opinions."
With that, he stepped into the Floo and shouted, "Malfoy Manor!"
Hermione wasn't sure if the pain she felt in her chest was his or hers; their emotions were so intertwined these days. She warded the house and blocked the Floo before heading back to the master bedroom. It still smelled like Draco, and she breathed deeply. After stripping out of her clothing, she crawled between the sheets. They felt exactly the same against her skin as the ones at the Manor, but his warmth was missing. She felt so alone since she was accustomed to being with Draco, but she wasn't going to back down. He needed to really learn that what he'd done was wrong, and she wouldn't let him constantly do whatever he thought was right for her. She refused to live her life that way.
A little while later, Hermione heard her Floo activate. She bolted up, somewhat terrified, and she heard Harry and Ginny call out to her.
"Just a second!" she replied, summoning clothes so that her friends wouldn't catch her naked in bed.
When she walked down the stairs, Ginny had a hand on her hip. "Ron's a fucking git. I can't believe he made Malfoy pay him to leave!"
Hermione arched an eyebrow. "You think that's what the problem is, Gin? The problem is that Draco decided my feelings didn't matter and offered Ron money to leave in the first place!"
"Well, that's true, too! They're both gits!"
Harry decided to chime in. "The blond git Floo called us to check on you, Hermione. He said you were supposed to lock your Floo down."
Surveying their faces, she decided not to get upset; Draco was worried about her, and he had gotten them worried about her, as well. She was glad her friends wanted to check on her.
"I left it open for the apothecary and Grimmauld Place. Otherwise, it is locked down," she responded.
Harry wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. "I know you're upset, and you have every right to be, Hermione. He should have talked to you."
"He's got more Galleons than sense! I mean, who just gives their girlfriend's ex 50,000 Galleons?!"
Hermione's eyes went wide. "That much?!"
Ginny looked immediately regretful, and Harry just nodded his head. "Malfoy offered him 10,000 to start and Ron wanted 100,000."
She pulled herself out of Harry's embrace and walked over to the wine fridge in a daze. After summoning a glass, she blindly selected a bottle and poured herself a glass, taking a few sips before speaking again. "Why did Ron behave that way? What could he possibly need that money for?"
Harry and Ginny just shrugged. They each poured a glass of wine from the bottle and trekked into the living room to sit on the sofa. Hermione went over the conversation she'd had with Draco, relaying all of the pertinent information while curled up under her favorite purple throw and nursing her wine. Neither of the Potters tried to lecture her; she knew that may come eventually, but they wouldn't broach the subject tonight. They'd let her fume and agree with what she said, knowing that she needed it.
Hermione's anger was still boiling even after venting to her best friends for an hour. She talked herself in circles, always coming back around to how Draco had just completely disregarded what she felt on the matter. How was that even fair?
Harry knew she was going into a spin, so he stopped her. "Hermione, enough for tonight. It's still too fresh and you're too angry. You've repeated yourself about a dozen times. You're pissed at Draco, pissed at Ron, and we know that you're entitled to be. Let it go and try to relax."
"But Harry! I seriously cannot believe—"
He stopped her. "Nope. You need to stop. We can all believe that Malfoy would fuck up in some way eventually. It's like Ginny said — he has more Galleons than sense. Honestly, I'm shocked he didn't do it sooner."
"Yeah, I mean, he's an Alpha. Isn't one of his main drives supposed to be to make you happy? After protecting you and shagging you brainless," Ginny snickered.
Hermione glared at her. "You're a rubbish friend, Ginny. He's not going to be shagging me brainless anytime soon so we're not going to talk about it."
"Angry sex, Hermione. That's all I'm going to say on the matter. Oh, that and I know you probably bite each other. That could be fun!"
A couch pillow started hitting Ginny in the head repeatedly, and a single yellow bird had been conjured. It wasn't attacking, but it was ready to if given the signal.
"Are we done talking about sex?" Hermione asked sweetly.
Harry nodded vigorously. "Yes. Quite done. I think I'm going to take Ginny home since clearly she has something on her mind…"
Hermione pretended to vomit at the thought of Harry and Ginny going home to shag, and they stood from the couch. Just to annoy her more, Ginny pulled Harry close and snogged him thoroughly.
"Disgusting," she commented. "Utterly disgusting. Get out of my house."
The Potters only laughed and headed for the Floo.
"Come by for dinner tomorrow, Hermione," Harry said over his shoulder. "We can talk more then."
She nodded, answering in the affirmative. At the very least, it would keep her from running to Malfoy Manor for company.