She began the night by pacing herself, only having a couple of drinks while talking with colleagues. She sat down with Missy and her new assistant Hilary and had a meal, making sure she took the necessary precautions not to make a complete mess of herself. Afterall, many of the people at the party, were in her charge.
She conversed with people in a sociable manner, as opposed to professional, and she was both grateful and disturbed to hear from people that she was 'more fun than they expected'. The first two hours ticked by without sight nor sound of Malfoy, except when Seamus Finnigan, a member of the Ministry in the Department of Accidental Magic. She thought it was fitting for him, as he had been the most prone to bouts of explosive catastrophic magic in their Hogwarts days.
"So ya were working with Malfoy? I've seen him around, how was that for ye?" Seamus asked.
"It actually wasn't as bad as I though. It seems as though Malfoy had changed" she said to him.
"That's what I was afraid of" Seamus said.
"Afraid?" she asked.
"Well, if he has changed then he's just like one if us now ain't he?" Seamus asked.
"One of us?" she asked, still confused as to the direction of the conversation.
"Yeah, just another person the war chewed up and spat out" he said, surprisingly honest in his attitude.
"Well, yeah I guess he must be. To be honest Seamus, we didn't really talk much about our personal lives" she lied.
The conversation changed course at that point, but Hermione's mind remained on Malfoy. Where was he? He said he was coming, didn't he? She wondered if she had been mistaken.
She drank the next two drinks quickly, so the buzz of alcohol could drag her thoughts from the forefront of her mind. SHe was pn her way to becoming drunk when Missy and Hilary pulled her to the dancefloor.
"Come on boss, time for a dance" they said.
"I'm definitely down for that" she said, making the most of it.
She danced for at least 5 songs before needing another drink. The club they were at was fairly large and open, with small areas scattered around for various sized groups to congregate.
The path from the dancefloor to the bar would pass by most of these areas, of not all of them. She knew almost everyone who was here, so was not bothered about who she may bump into. She just wanted a drink.
The various departments seemed to gather in groups, which saddened her. There was no greater opportunity to build inter-departmental networks than now. She considered suggesting that they mingle, but tonight was definitely not about work. Despite it being primarily people from work, it was not an opportunity to become known as the one who gets drunk and starts ordering people around in a professional capacity.
She was passing by a table that she didn't happen to glance at when she heard her name.
She turned to see Astoria sitting with who Hermione determined was Daphne, Pansy Parkinson, Theo Nott and Blaze Zabini.
"Oh Astoria, forgive me, I didn't see you there. Nice to see you again" Hermione said.
"Come sit with us" Astoria said in her sweetest voice.
"Oh, I better not. I was just heading to the bar" she said, looking at the group who were eyeing her in a manner that she couldn't identify.
"I have a refilling bottle of the best sweet wine. Come, sit" Astoria said, sliding over so there was space beside her in the horseshoe shaped booth.
Hermione fought back everything inside of her that was telling her to run away from this situation and sat beside the woman.
"You all remember Hermione?" Astoria said to the group.
"How can we forget?" Pansy asked, giving her a fake smile.
"Of course. Well, Hermione was wonderfully helpful to my Draco while he was taking over her job" Astoria said.
Hermione swallowed, wondering what she was playing at. Did she know?
Theo, who was seated across from her, handed her a glass filled with pink bubbling liquid. She took a sip and closed her eyes. It was incredible.
"This is delicious, I must have the name of it" Hermione said, gesturing to her glass.
"I'll send you a bottle" she said. "We have loads of them in our cellar" she added, making Hermione wince. Apparently the Malfoy's stopped keeping people in their cellar and now kept actual wine.
"Completely not necessary" Hermione said.
Theo passed her the bottle and Hermione examined it, noting the name and committing it to her memory.
"Anyway, as I was saying, Hermione here built up the department that Draco is now running and showed him just how to get it done. If it wasn't for her, well, Draco isn't one to get swamped in work, but we all know what he's like when he's stressed" she said with a little giggle.
"Oh truly, it was nothing. He is a quick learner" she said, wondering exactly where he was.
She finished her glass while the conversation carried on around her. Pansy glared at her basically non stop and Theo just smirked at her as he refilled her glass and Blaze was seemingly neither here nor there about the whole thing. As it turned out, Theo had gotten a job in the ministry Transport Department as apparition test officer and that is partially what had brought them out this night.
"Can you believe the bistro is no longer serving meals?" came a voice from beside her, making her every hair on her almost drunk body stand up.
She looked to her left and saw him standing there, shiny black shoes, black trousers, black button up shirt that was not quite buttoned to the top and no tie. Too formal, she agreed.
"Granger, what are you doing here?" he asked her.
"I invited her darling" Astoria said. "Hop up Hermione so Draco can sit" she said. Hermione did as she said and stood while Malfoy sat beside his wife.
"I better go" she said.
"No way, you should stay" Theo said, looking from her to Malfoy and back.
He knew.
This was a game to him now. How to make Hermione squirm. Well, she could absolutely play back.
"Well, I'm here alone, so I might as well sit for a while longer" she said, ushering Malfoy around the booth to sit beside him. Astoria seemed to be glowing with happiness. A strange sensation for someone who had no reason to like her.
"So, Granger, you have a kid?" Pansy asked.
"Yes I do" she answered.
"Show us?" Pansy asked.
Hermione frowned before realising she meant a photo. She reached into her purse and brought out a recent photo of Rose, dancing around the living room of The Burrow like a ballerina.
"Hmm, cute I suppose. For a Weasley" Pansy said.
"Coming from you Pansy, that's a compliment" Hermione said as Pansy passed the photo to Daphne who passed it to Astoria. Hermione watched in trepidation as Astoria looked at the photo, her face unreadable. She smiled briefly before passing the photo back.
"Well, don't get used to it" she said.
"I don't intend to" Hermione said, glaring back at the woman who had both complimented and insulted her at the same time.
She was sitting so close to Malfoy that their legs were touching just slightly. She was mildly drunk now and the adventurous part of her wanted to reach down and place her hand on his thigh while he sat right beside his wife, but she knew better. She still had her wits about herself and was not keen to have to have it out here and now.
"Granger, you wanna dance?" Theo asked her with a wink while she was trying to find an excuse to leave.
"Dance?" she asked.
"I saw you before, you've got moves" he said.
She frowned at him a little before she nodded with a smile, finished her drink and stood.
"Thanks for the drinks. It was lovely to see you all again" she said, before Theo took her hand in his and lead her to the dancefloor.
She danced politely with Theo for one song before either of them spoke.
"I know what you're doing with Drake" he said in a low voice in her ear.
"I don't know what you're talking about" she said.
"He told me. The research, experiment, whatever it is" he said.
"That's not… Nothing…" she began.
"Don't bother Granger, I know he took you to his cottage and I know he fucked you senseless" Theo said.
"And what? Now you want a turn?" she asked, hand on her hip.
"Salazar no! I am as gay as they come. You're damn sexy but you just don't do it for me. I just wanted you to know that I know" he said.
"Well, he wasn't supposed to tell anyone" she said.
"How could he not?" he asked.
"Uh, like this..." she said, and pursed her lips together, pointing at them animatedly.
"Nuh uh, Draco Malfoy has been my best friend since before we could talk. He tells me everything" he said.
"Well, I'm glad he has someone to talk to about his accomplishment" she said.
"Would it interest you to know that he made plans to stay at my mansion tonight?" he asked.
"Not at all" she said.
"And that the only two… well, three people now, who know where that cottage is, are him, you and myself" he said.
"Why should that…." She began.
"Listen Granger, I don't know, I'm not in your head. I don't live your life, but from what he said, the two of you actually get along well. You have loads in common and he has actually been smiling lately. I'm not saying he is in love with you because, ew, love is gross. But there is a connection there. Physically and mentally" he said. "You owe it to yourself to at least hang out with him. Don't even fuck him if you don't want to" he said. "But I know you want to because you're panting like a fucking dog in heat" he said.
"Theo, thank you so much for your advice. I will take it into consideration" she said, bidding him farewell and heading to the bathroom.
She took out her phone while she sat on the toilet and checked her messages. There were none.
She left the toilet, washed her hands and made her way to the bar. She needed to drink more. Theo knew about what happened, which meant that it was only a matter of time till other people knew. She figured she had better make the most of her life before it all comes crumbling down around her.
She talked to a few more people, trying her hardest to seem not too out of her head, but not too stuck up also. It was a fine line for her. She never felt like she had been up herself, but the general swottiness about her was usually a deterrent for most 'normal' people.
She tried to forget about Malfoy and about what Theo had said about him having an excuse to be away from Astoria for the night.
Should she proposition him? Given that last time she felt mortified, she didn't think that she should. Then again, drunk Hermione was desperate to be unleashed and when she looked over and noticed the booth empty, she took out her phone and text Malfoy.
HG – Round 2? Your cottage?
DM – Meet me there. The wards are adjusted. Give me 15 minutes
Hermione stared at the message for a few seconds before getting another drink and leaving the club. She made her way down the street towards a place she could safely apparate to the Leaky Cauldron in order to use the floo before she heard a voice.
"Hermione? Granger? Granger!" the female voice called. SHe turned around and saw Pansy Parkinson sort of jogging in her direction in 6 inch heels.
"Pansy, how can I help you?" she asked, a hand brushing against her own thigh to feel for her wand.
"You didn't say goodbye" she said.
"What?" Hermione asked, completely confused as to why this woman was now talking to her.
"Goodbye. You didn't say it" she said.
"I didn't expect you cared" she said.
"Listen, you so easily believe that Draco has changed, why not me?" she asked.
"Because you were horrible to me for 6 years in school. Because you tried to give Harry up to Voldemort. Because you did nothing but glare at me while we were in there" she said, pointing back to the club.
"Yeah, I suppose. Look… I can't make it up to you, I know that. But I want you to know, I'm sorry. And I wish I could tell Potter that too" she said.
"Well, thanks Pansy. That's nice of you" Hermione said, looking around to see if they were alone.
"Alright, well, are you apparating somewhere?" Pansy asked.
"I am" she said.
"Ok, I'll leave you to it then" she said, turning and walking away.
Hermione looked around and when she saw there was no one watching, she turned on the spot, soon arriving at the back of the Leaky Cauldron.
Diagon alley was empty, which wasn't surprising considering it was 2am. She entered through the courtyard of the Leaky Cauldron to use the floo and found that the pub was brimming with occupants.
In this moment, she had a sudden overwhelming reminder that what she was doing was sneaky and wrong. She had now gone out of her way to sneak around, to lie, in order to cheat on Ron.
She hadn't felt like a cheater till now.
She composed herself and reminded herself of every horrid thing Ron had done to her before making her way to the room to the side that they kept quiet for people to floo privately. It was cold and smelt like someone had been sick in there. She kept her head down in case someone had seen her, which, now she thought, was impossible. She was the most recognised person in wizarding Britain behind Harry and with her hair like this, she was bound to be seen.
She could easily come up with something.
She stopped for a moment, wondering how she was going to do this. The room had 3 or 4 people sitting at a table in the corner who she couldn't quite make out. If she stepped into the floo and called for Malfoy cottage, it would certainly be an issue.
She took a handful of floo powder and stepped into the floo, calling "Granger house" before being sucked through the networks and finally to a stop in her childhood home.
It had been destroyed by Death Eaters in the war and she had simply rebuilt it and cast a notice me not charm on it and left it. The hope was that her parents would perhaps some day get their memories back and if they wanted to come back, she would make sure their house was still there.
There was dust on every surface of the living room when she arrived. Not even a footprint in the dirt on the floor.
If anyone asked, if Ron asked, she stayed here tonight. To get have some time out. The wards didn't let anybody in who didn't have her blood, so there was no way he or anyone could stop by and check on her.
She composed herself before stepping back into the floo and calling "Malfoy Cottage" before being sucked through the networks again. Her heart was racing and her mind was going 100 miles an hour when she arrived at the familiar cottage. She had been drunk last time she was here, and she was drunk now too she supposed, but the place was familiar.
"Took you long enough" said a voice from an armchair. Malfoy was sipping on what looked like a glass of muggle scotch.
"I uh… I had to find a suitable floo" she said, standing in the middle of the room nervously. Damn it, why did he make her feel like this when they were alone?
"I thought as much" he said.
"I ended up flooing to my parents old house then to here" she said.
"Sneaking around Granger? How very bad of you" he said.
"Well, you aren't one to talk. You were all over your wife tonight and now, you're here. For what?" she asked.
"You said it in your text, Granger" he said, pulling his phone out of his pocket, "Round two" he read carefully.
"Godric, Malfoy you make me so nervous" she said, closing her eyes and running her hands over her hair.
When she opened them again he was right in front of her.
"If you don't want to…" he said.
"No, I wouldn't be here unless I wanted to" she said quietly, her breath caught in her throat.
His hands ran up the length of her arms to her shoulders and softly grazed her neck. She hummed and rolled her head to the side so he could better access her soft skin. It felt so good. Ron hadn't touched her like this ever, and this wasn't really even sexual. It was, it was just touching, but Malfoy did it so bloody well.
His mouth was on her neck while his hands grasped in her hair.
"I uh, I can tie this back" she said, referring to her hair.
"No, don't you dare" he said, removing his lips from her neck, taking a fistful of hair and pulling her face towards his.
Their lips crashed into each other similar to how a wave crashes on the shore in a storm. It was with fury, passion and energy. Hermione felt on fire, she felt like she could do anything. The sensation that came with Malfoy's touch, with his kiss, made her want more. Made her crave more. Now she was here, she didn't want to leave.
Malfoy walked them backwards to the couch, where he sat and pulled her on top of him. She sat in his lap facing him with her knees either side of his legs and hardly removed her lips from his.
"I fucking want to bury myself inside of you Granger. How is that possible?" he grunted.
"I guess you're as completely dumbfounded by this as I am" she said.
He took her hands in his and placed them on the buttons of his shirt. She was no fool, she began undoing his buttons one by one, all the way to the bottom and slid the shirt off his shoulders.
"Stand" he said quietly. She frowned but did as she was told. He ran his hands up her thighs, under her dress, before hooking his fingers around the waistband of both her stockings and underpants, and pulled them down to her ankles and off her feet along with her boots. She was grateful that she still had her dress on, because she was suddenly feeling quite exposed.
He pulled her back to him and placed his hands on her ass.
"This is a nice backside Granger" he said.
"Well, thank you Malfoy… I" she began, but his lips were again on hers.
His hands were guiding her hips in slow movements, back and forth, around in circles, up, down, putting pressure against her and then taking it away, grinding her against him and then moving her off him. It was an intense feeling.
He reached between them and undid his trousers, exposing himself to the night. She was suddenly shocked, as she hadn't actually seen it before her eyes before. Last time, it had been completely dark and it had just happened. Now, it was so meticulous, so calculated. Her mind was clear, the fog of alcohol gone from her body and it was just her. And him. And his incredibly thick arousal.
He took her hand and wrapped her fingers around him, moving her hand in the way that he seemed to like. She was desperate to feel the things that he had made her feel last time and she was under the impression that if they had sex now, it would all be over.
He took her dress by the bottom and lifted it up and off over her head, revealing her body to him in just her bra. Before she could protest, he made quick work of removing it and she was now completely naked, straddling him and liking it.
When his hands lifted her to align her up with him, she stiffened.
He leant back and looked at her.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I just… I want it to be like last time" she said nervously.
"This isn't a 5-minute thing Granger. I want to fuck you but that doesn't mean its over after that" he said.
"Uhh, I'm such an idiot" she said, leaning her head down and resting it on his shoulder.
"You just need a little variety" he said, pulling her hips over him and guiding her down onto his awaiting erection.
She let out a moan at this, all embarrassment at the last 30 seconds now gone. She had thought that sex was the end. That he was going to cum and she wouldn't and she would have been just as well off going home and climbing on Ron. The thought made her cringe.
"Get out of your head Granger" he said, and she smiled.
He was guiding her hips, moving her in much the same was he was moments ago, only now, he was filling her, claiming her, making her remember all the exquisite things that he had made her feel weeks ago.
As if by memory, her body started to tremble. His hand sought the space between them and pressed against that place he loved to pleasure her with. She felt her muscles contract deep within herself and wondered how he was doing this just by slowly moving her hips. With one hand on her clit and the other now toying with a nipple, she was left to move at her own pace. A pace which was growing quicker with the warmth that was building between them and reaching out through her body.
She felt incredible, she knew it was building, it was burning inside and ready to release. The frantic motions she was making and the whimpering sounds she was emitting were an indicator to her that she was there. One more motion in the right direction, one more tiny bit of pressure, one last tug on her nipple and she found herself falling over the precipice. She was like a leaf in a waterfall, tumbling and spilling over the edge, falling through the heavens and landing in a frenzy of incoherent sound and sight.
She hardly noticed when Malfoy had picked her up and laid her sideways on the couch, but when his mouth landed on her still throbbing core, she cried out in pleasure.
It was like an ongoing assault to her senses. She lost count of how many times he bought her over the edge and pulled her back, just to tip her back, sending her into oblivion and bring her back again.
His mouth, in combination with his hands and fingers, was like a completely different kind of magic. The kind that people can only imagine exists when they don't know that magic is real.
When she was ready to give up, to give in, to bed for him to relent, he stopped, climbed his way up her body and slammed himself into her.
The ending was quick. She needed it to be so and she assumed, so did he.
She hadn't thought it was possible, but his grinding against her brought her undone again, bringing with her a release of his own accompanied by, what she had come to find was the most sexy sound of his own moan of pleasure.
They lay on the lounge, side by side, catching their breath together breathing into the night air.
"Wow" she said, when she could finally make words fall from her mouth.
"That was pretty good" he said.
"I didn't really do anything" she said.
He just looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face. He took her hand in his and gripped it with his own before he spoke.
"When you cum Granger, this is what it feels like for me" he said as he clenched and unclenched her hand with his, in a quick rhythm.
"Oh, right" she said, remembering how Ron had said she felt different. "So its good… for you then?" she asked.
"Granger, its almost impossible for me to hold back" he said.
"So… even if I don't really do much, its still good for you then?" she asked, getting to the root of her week long worry.
"Let me put it to you this way. I've been with women Granger, you know that. But most women are like this…" he said, lightly clenching the hold he still had on her hand… "but you… you're like nothing I've ever felt before. I just want to make you cum again and again and again" he said, squeezing her more firmly and in a different rhythm.
"I'll accept that" she said with a smile.
They laid there talking for a while. She told him about what Ron had said to her and he promised not to kill Ron if he ever saw him. He said how Astoria was crazy and treated him like magic when they were in front of their friends but at home it was torture.
They spoke about Theo and Malfoy explained how they became close in their youth and he confided in him about everything. Hermione wasn't angry, she just wished he had told her that he was going to tell someone.
Theo, to Malfoy, wasn't just a thug acquaintance like Crabbe and Goyle had been. While they didn't often hang out during their Hogwarts years, they did spend most of their common room hours together whilst at school, and they were each others supporting person when Malfoy took the mark and when Theo was about to.
Hermione took Malfoys arm in her hand and lifted it so she could get a look at the place where she knew his mark to have been.
"Its faded" he said.
"Mine has mostly faded" she said, showing where the word 'mudblood' still scarred her arm.
Malfoy went completely quiet at having seen this. They compared marks on their arms. Marks they both received against their will and marks that will never ever leave their bodies.
"I glamour it usually" she said, placing her hand over the mark.
"I usually wear long sleeve shirts" he replied, pulling his arm away.
Hermione let out a sigh.
"Whats done is done. We cant wallow in what happened, we can only learn from it and move forward. I know its been a long time, but I can see how this is affecting you Malfoy" she said.
"I just wish there was something I could have done. I… I watched you screaming and just did nothing" he said.
"You did more than you know. You didn't identify us. If you had alerted them to Harry straight away, they would have sent Voldemort and things would have been quite different" she said. "Don't ever doubt yourself. I survived. That bitch is dead and time has passed" Hermione said sternly.
"You're actually an incredible witch Granger" he said, leaning his head down and kissing her on the lips.
"You're not so bad yourself" she said once their lips parted. After a moments silence, where they both appeared to be thinking way too much while staring at each other, Hermione's brain kicked in once more. "What do we do now?" she asked.
"Well, I'm technically at Theos" he said. "Till morning" he added.
"And I… well, I'm so mad at Ron, I could very well be out all weekend" she said.
He raised an eyebrow at her as he pressed himself against her, in a highly suggestive manner.
"However… I think… I should go home" she said closing her eyes to avoid seeing the look on his face.
"Sure… I mean… of course" he said, shuffling aside so he could get up. He sat at the bottom of the couch near her feet while he collected his trousers and slid them up his legs. She was suddenly feeling very naked, laying there on the couch alone.
She sat up and retrieved her own clothes from the floor and dressed carefully. This was another awkward situation where she was now about to leave him after he had given her an amazing night.
"Its almost 5am" Malfoy said as Hermione stood by the floo a short while later.
"I can't believe it" she answered, looking around feeling awkward.
He walked towards her and took her into his arms, crushing her against him. It felt incredibly intimate. So warm and… caring? It took her completely by surprise. They had formulated a friendship, that was for certain, and the sex was incredible, which is why Hermione thought they had both returned to each other. But… this gesture, this embrace, felt different.
When he let go, she composed her face into a kind smile.
"I guess I'll see you at work then?" she asked.
"I'll see you then" he said, stepping back so she could floo to the childhood home. From there, she floo'd to the Burrow, now more careful than ever to cover her tracks.
She had made a decision now to turn one cheating event into a full blown affair and it was more important than ever to hide her tracks. The chances that she would be caught were growing with every interaction she had with him and if she were to be found out, it would kill Ron and devastate the Weasleys.
AN - Its morning and i am posting this while im getting the kids ready for school. Sorry for the grammar etc.