A/N: Hi everyone. Thank you for the awesome reviews, loved them as always. Here we get to see Ginny's input with everything. Enjoy!

Special Thanks: To my beta TabiPrewett, for giving this a once over. You are awesome and I don't deserve you.

Chapter 20

Much to Hermione's relief, her day was finally over, because she'd had her fill of staring at the never-ending pile of papers on her desk. She gathered up her things and made her way to the floo and went home.

She had barely gotten out of the fireplace, when Ginny all but pounced on her.

"Hermione, you'll never believe what I found out while you were gone." The redhead was bouncing up and down and going on before Hermione had even taken a breath. "I'm pregnant. Isn't that wonderful?" She asked.

Hermione smiled, hugging her friend deeply. "That is wonderful news, Gin. I'm so happy for you and Harry."

"I'm seven weeks along. I expect you to throw me a lavish baby shower before I start to waddle too much." Ginny said, grinning.

Hermione laughed. "You mean if your Mum doesn't beat me to it first."

Ginny was still smiling. "That is why when she mentions it, I'll be letting her know that you already are. That way she can bug you about it, instead of me."

Hermione's smile faded, Molly had been one of the ones to send her a howler over the article, and the woman hadn't spoken to her since. Not that Hermione had tried to contact her either. "Gin, I doubt your mum would want me to throw it. She's rather angry with me right, now."

Ginny stopped bouncing. "What do you mean? Mum loves you."

Hermione shrugged. "Not, right now she doesn't, she's mad about the article."

Ginny hadn't known that. "I'll speak to her right away to let her know it's all lies and the real reason you and my brother broke up." A firm look on her face.

Hermione shook her head. "No, don't, Ron's her son, and there is no reason for you to make Molly turn on him."

Ginny scoffed. "The prat deserves to have Mum ranting at him."

Hermione sighed. "I don't think you should worry about it, Gin."

Ginny frowned. "I'm still going to tell her, whether you want me to or not."

"Yes, and while you're at it, you can tell her how she's shagging Lucius Malfoy too." Ron said sourly from the doorway, before he glanced at Hermione. "Oh, hey Hermione, finally decided to come home, did you?"

Ginny frowned, confused. "What is he talking about?"

Ron moved closer into the room. "I'm talking about her not having been home since you left with Harry and that she's been shagging Lucius sodding Malfoy for who knows how long."

Hermione inhaled angrily. "Ron, what does it matter who I'm shagging or not?"

Ron glared. "It's Lucius Malfoy, he's a Death Eater, Hermione. What are you thinking?"

Hermione glared right back. "First, he's an ex Death Eater, Ronald. He served his time in Azkaban and went through the rehabilitation program. He's been doing what he could to make up for what he did in the past. Second, I happen to like him. He's nice."

Ron choked. "Nice?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, he's nice. He's been a lot nicer to me lately than you've been. He, at least, was on my side when your girlfriend was all but attacking me at that party, something you obviously weren't. How could you let her say all those things to me?"

Ginny watched the two yelling back and forth, and she was very confused. Lucius and Hermione? And what has Lavender done now?

Ron was slowly turning red. "Lavender was just being how she always is. You know she doesn't mean what she says."

Was he at the same party I was? Did he not listen to what that witch said to me? Hermione wondered. "Whether she meant it or not, you should have said something to her. Stopped her, defended me, something, and yet, you did nothing."

Hermione just shook her head and walked away when Ron didn't bother to defend his actions, not that she was surprised. She went up to her room and closed the door to give herself a moment. She set her briefcase down and laid down on her bed, her arm resting against her forehead and covering her eyes.

It wasn't long before there was a soft knock on her door, followed by it opening slowly. Hermione didn't even bother to look at who entered, she knew it was Ginny.

The door closed again, and Ginny sat gingerly on Hermione's bed. "Want to talk about it?" Ginny asked softly.

Hermione snorted. "Not really."

Ginny shifted slightly. "Care to fill me on why Ron thinks you're shagging Lucius Malfoy?" Wording it the way she did, because she didn't truly believe that Hermione was. Not at least without having spilled the details to Ginny already if she was.

Hermione sighed and sat up. "I haven't slept with Lucius Malfoy. It's complicated, what happened, and why Ron says that we are."

Ginny smirked. "Of course, it is. I've got time, so dish."

Hermione smiled. "Alright, so you and I saw Lucius at Kingsley's Christmas Party." Starting at the beginning. Telling her of her dinner with Severus ages ago and what he'd told her about Lucius. The details making Ginny's eyebrows shoot up. Then, bumping into Lucius and having lunch with him that first time. Laughing as she explained the look on the man's face at her mentioning the toad in the hole dish that Greta served.

She told Ginny about how Lucius had stopped by several times, trying to get her to go to lunch with him and Draco. How Lucius would bring her back things to eat if when she stayed working. Moving on to what happened in Lucius' office after Severus asked her to be his date to the party. How Lucius held her as she cried and helped her work through the memory that had her frozen inside it.

Ginny reached over and took Hermione's hand. "I'm sorry, love. I know that night was terrible for you and I know you still have nightmares over it sometimes. I'm so glad that Lucius was there to help you like that. I honestly never thought he'd be capable of being that nice."

Hermione smiled, debating about telling her about the kiss or not. "He is nice, Gin. He knew Draco was helping me find a dress for the party and didn't even think twice about asking me to stay. After my shopping trip, I ran into him by the pool and he suggested I stay another night since Draco wasn't done helping me for the party. Knowing you guys were gone, he extended the offer to let me stay until you got back so I didn't have to deal with Ron or Lavender alone."

Ginny smiled. "That was sweet of him too. How did it go?"

Hermione smiled more. "It went well, he is great to converse with and so is Draco. He can keep up with me no matter what we talk about. I really enjoyed it."

Ginny smirked as a thought popped in her mind. "How did you bump into him by the pool? It's February, for Merlin's sake."

Hermione shrugged. "Heated indoor pool. I was looking for Draco and his elf took me to the pool. Turns out Draco had just left, but Lucius was there swimming."

Ginny's smirk grew. "How does Lucius look in a bathing suit?"

Hermione blushed, even as she giggled. "Sexy as hell."

Ginny laughed with her. "I figured as much, that man has sex appeal just oozing from him. Did you join him in the pool?"

Hermione shook her head. "No."

Ginny sighed. "I would have."

Hermione felt something clench inside her at her friend's words. I am not jealous. She told herself, but she didn't need her brain to smugly answer back that she was liar, she knew she was, even knowing it was silly to feel that way. Especially, where Ginny was concerned.

Hermione cleared her throat before speaking. "Gin, you're happily married and pregnant."

Ginny smirked. "Still alive and kicking though. Noticing the man is drop dead gorgeous isn't cheating, Hermione, nor is picturing him in a bathing suit." Ginny wiggled her eyebrows as she went on. "My image of him swimming includes a tiny, barely there Speedo too."

Hermione snorted out a laugh. "Sorry, Gin, regular black trunks. No, Speedo."

Ginny shrugged. "He's still wearing one in my mind." Her voice almost singsong-ish as she said it.

The women laughed together over Ginny's picture. Finally, after a few moments of laughter, Ginny looked at Hermione. "So why does Ron think you're shagging him exactly?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, and she told Ginny about the party. How Lavender was making all sorts of snide comments, then how Lucius was suddenly by her side. Saying what he did to help Hermione save face.

Ginny shook her head. "Lavender's a bitch, but I think I'm starting to really like Lucius." She looked at Hermione and smiled. "I think you are too."

Hermione blushed more, still debating on the telling her friend about kissing him. Ginny might like what Lucius had done for her, even enjoy her imaging him in a tiny bathing suit, but to actually kiss him? That's a whole different story.

Ginny eyed Hermione for a bit before sighing, she knew her friend well enough to know there had to be more. "So, what aren't you telling me?"

Hermione sighed as well. Ginny always seemed to know when Hermione was not telling her something. "We kissed." The brunette said.

By the happy squeal that Ginny let loose, the one that almost made Hermione deaf, it was obvious that Ginny wasn't upset. "You did? Really? How was it?"

Hermione smiled shyly. "Good, I felt awkward afterward, though. So much so, that I called him Mr. Malfoy."

Ginny sighed. "Oh, tell me you didn't actually call him that."

Hermione nodded. "I did. He didn't let me get away with it, told me to call him Lucius like I had been. I got over it and called him Lucius again." Feeling mischievous, she added. "I didn't call him Mr. Malfoy after the second time he kissed me." Hermione said, bracing for another squeal even as she thought that she had started to call him that, but again he hadn't let her get away with it.

Ginny didn't disappoint either, at this rate Hermione would be permanently deaf by dinner. "He kissed you again? So...how was it really? It had to be better than just good."

Hermione's lips curved. "It was better than good. It was...amazing, the world tilting...no, falling off its axis, kind of amazing."

Ginny gaped at her. "Holy hell, Mione."

Hermione shrugged, though she was still smiling slightly. "I know."

"But you're not shagging him." Ginny said, it wasn't a question either.

Hermione shook her head no and Ginny stared at her for a full ten seconds, before moving. The redhead was suddenly standing on top of the bed while glaring down at her friend with her hands on her hips. "Why the hell not?"

Whatever she thought Ginny's reaction would be, this wasn't exactly it. "Because we're friends." Hermione said softly.

Ginny scoffed and plopped back onto the bed, bouncing softly as she did so. "Friends? Friends don't snog like that, Mione. They certainly don't feel the earth move if they happen to snog either."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Look...I..." But didn't know what to say.

Ginny looked at Hermione again, her head cocking before she smiled. "You want to shag him."

Hermione rubbed her face, pausing with her hand over her face for a moment before pulling it away. "Yes, I do. I already almost did."

"What?" Ginny screeched. I was only gone four days. What the hell? I missed everything. The redhead thought to herself. "Spill!" Even as she thought about never going on holiday again if this was happened. Ginny hated missing out on stuff, especially when it was this juicy. Lucius Malfoy was definitely juicy, and he was freaking gorgeous as hell to boot.

Yep, deaf by dinner at this rate. Hermione thought with a smile, before telling Ginny the rest of the story, including what Lavender did, but only part of her reaction to the potion. She'd blushed through what parts she did tell her friend anyway.

Ginny sat there, angry at first at what Lavender did, and then her eyebrows shot up to her roots when Hermione told her about attacking Lucius again and again. The redhead grinning more and more as Hermione went on with her story.

Ginny, at least, blushed softly when Hermione said Lucius tied her up. Seeing the blush and the oddly intrigued look, Hermione quickly finished her story with how he didn't do it for any reason, other than to stop her. Then, tossed in the bit about the kiss the next morning when her friend looked disappointed. Ginny was thrilled to hear that Lucius wasn't horrified by her actions the previous night.

When she was done, Ginny sat staring at her in awe, before looking angry again. "I can't believe Lavender slipped you a potion. I swear, I'm going to rip every last hair out her head. Even though it backfired on her and gave you a rather interesting night."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "No, you're not."

Ginny glared. "Why the hell not? She should be locked up for what she did."

Hermione sighed. "First off, what she did isn't illegal." At least I don't think it is. She added silently. I still need to look into it though. "Second, you're not going to do anything. You're pregnant, and I won't let you do anything that might hurt you while you're carrying my best mate's baby."

Ginny huffed. "I'm barely seven weeks, she can't hurt me." At Hermione's narrowed eyes, she sighed. "Fine, if I can't, you at least should. Wait, does Ron know about what she did?" The redhead knew she'd strangle him if he did.

Hermione frowned. "I don't know, I doubt it though. Even he can't be that big of a wanker to be alright with what she did."

Hermione paused, again debating, then went on. "Lucius and Draco were saying that they think I should move out. What with everything with Ron before, and now this, they think she might try to do something else to humiliate me and possibly succeed. Slip me another potion or whatever."

Ginny frowned. "I will pull that witch bald if she tries it again." Ginny took a moment to calm herself, and then continued. "Well, you were talking of moving out anyway, not that I want you to. What do you think?"

Hermione sighed. "I think Ron is your brother and I can't ask you to take my side in this. Harry is Ron's brother-in-law, and has been his best mate as long as I have, a bit longer actually, since they were friends first. I can't ask him to take my side either."

Ginny snorted. "The hell you can't."

Hermione smiled. "Thanks Gin, but Ron is still your brother and Harry is part of your family, making Ron his family too."

Ginny sighed. "So, what are you going to do? Where will you move to? You haven't had any time to look since you mentioned it last time."

Hermione felt her lips curving again. Ginny narrowed her eyes when she spotted the smile. "What?" The redhead asked.

"Lucius offered to let me stay at Malfoy Manor until I found something." Hermione said, bracing for yet another squeal.

None came this time, instead Ginny looked at Hermione, her lips curving as well. "Need help packing?"

Both snorted out laughs, Hermione recovered first. "Seriously?"

Ginny smirked. "It'll kill two birds in one fail swoop. You get away from Ron and Lavender, and you have plenty of access to shag Lucius whenever you want and as much as you want."

Hermione laughed again. "You really think I should?"

Ginny nodded. "Absolutely. What do you think you should do? That's the real question."

Hermione frowned. "I think Draco will kill me if he finds out I shagged his father."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Screw Draco." Then paused. "Wait, no, don't screw Draco, save that for his daddy." Wiggling her eyebrows and making Hermione chuckle softly.

The redhead went on. "What I meant to say is, to hell with Draco."

"But Draco and I are friends." Hermione said.

Ginny sighed. "Then, he should be happy for you, both of you."

Hermione looked skeptical. "How would you feel if you found out I was shagging your dad?"

Ginny made a face. "Eww, Mione, besides its different, my dad is still married to Mum."

"I meant if he wasn't with your mum. If they were divorced and had been for a while, wouldn't you be angry?" Hermione asked.

Ginny still made a face at the thought. "I'd be grossed out, but if you two were happy...then I think I'd be happy for you both. Though I'd demand you keep any and all details to yourself and no snogging, or anything else for that matter, where there is even the remote chance of me catching you."

Hermione went to speak but Ginny cut her off and went on. "Oh, above all else, I would demand silencing spells at all times too. No matter what."

Hermione felt her lips twitch. "You'd be fine with it?"

Ginny nodded. "I'd care more about you two being happy."

Hermione was silent for a while, thinking about it. Ginny gave her a few minutes before asking her next question. "So, what do you want to do?"

Hermione sat for a moment before her lips curved. "I think I want help packing."

Ginny did squeal this time, before launching herself at her friend. Hugging her and almost choking her with her enthusiasm.

When Ginny pulled back, she smirked. "I'll help you pack, but I require details after you've had a go at him. Nothing vivid or anything, but I still want details. Bugger me, that man is sexy as hell." Causing Hermione to laugh again, even as she herself had to agree with her dear, and almost sister-like friend.

The women started packing, though they didn't get very far before Ginny mentioned that Hermione might want to let Lucius know her answer. With a grin, Hermione wrote him a note accepting his offer, then asked Ginny to please send it so she didn't run the risk of bumping into Ron.

Forty minutes later there was pop in the room, startling both women who were packing Hermione's shelves of books. Lulu stood there, a happy grin on her face. "Master ask's Lulu to come help Miss. Say's Miss is staying for's a while."

Hermione smiled down at the tiny elf. "Yes, I am Lulu, and we'd love the help getting it all packed up. We can move it tomorrow or even this weekend."

Lulu smiled. "No's, Miss, Master's says you's come's tonight."

Ginny smirked. "Anxious, is he?"

Hermione nudged her friend with her elbow. "I'm not moving everything tonight. It's not much, but really, I have to work tomorrow, and that would take all night."

Lulu smiled. "What's is Miss taking to's Master's home?"

Hermione looked around. "Just my clothes and toiletries. My books are going too, but all the furniture stays, it's not mine. I've already packed my pictures and other things in those boxes..." pointing at the small stack against the wall. "I suppose that's it."

Lulu looked at everything, opening the drawers and closet to inspect all that was going. Moving into the loo to see what all inside there was going too. The tiny elf nodded and opened her arms wide, then with a quickly muttered spell, everything Hermione had said she was taking was gone with a brilliant flash of light.

Hermione and Ginny both stood dumbfounded. Everything was gone, even the boxes they'd packed had disappeared. Both witches looked around to see if anything was still there, and not seeing anything, they looked at Lulu who was happily smiling.

"There's Miss goes. All's done. It's will be's in Miss's room and all's settled when Miss arrives. You's can tell's Lulu where you's want pictures when you's get's there." Lulu said, her eyes showing her pride in her work.

Ginny finally spoke, her voice still showing her shock though. "How did you do that? Even packing by wanded magic takes more time than that."

Lulu looked at Ginny, before looking at Hermione. "Elf magic." As if that explained it all. "Miss is pleased?"

Hermione started laughing. "Yes, Lulu, Miss is very pleased. You saved me several more hours of packing and moving, thank you. Please, tell Lucius, I'll be along in a bit, alright?"

Lulu nodded and was gone with another pop.

Ginny looked to Hermione, a smirk on her face. "So, Lucius says you come tonight, huh? Are you going to hold him to that?"

Hermione frowned in confusion at Ginny for a moment before what the redhead meant dawned on her and she blushed. "Ginny, really." Laughing softly at her friend's crudeness.

Ginny giggled. "Come on, Hermione, he must really want you if he sent his elf to move you within an hour of you telling him you'd move in to begin with. I'll bet he sent her within minutes of getting your letter too."

Hermione smirked. I wouldn't doubt it.

Ginny grinned. "Come with me." She dragged Hermione down the hall to her room. Inside it, she rooted in her closet until she found the box she was looking for.

Turning, she handed it to Hermione. "I bought this while on my trip with Harry, and I had plans for it...but you take it. You need it more than I do, though I doubt you'll really need it."

Hermione opened the box and after moving the tissue aside, she gasped. Inside was a deep midnight blue teddy with the sides cut out of it, looking like a bra and panty set with one thick strip of lace running up the center, in both front and back, connecting them together.

The box also had matching midnight blue silk thigh-high stocking with a thin black stripe running up the length of the back of them, the lacy tops in the same shade of blue as the rest of the outfit. A note written in gold said the hosiery was charmed never to run or snag. Charmed to stay in place too.

"Wow, Gin." Hermione said, clearly at a loss.

Ginny smirked. "Tell me about it. I'm glad you know repairing charms, because I have a feeling it's going to get shredded."

Hermione smiled. If I'm lucky it will. "Thank you, Gin."

Ginny nodded. "Just remember, I want some details. Now I'm going to fix us a couple of sandwiches, Harry won't be home until late tonight, and we'll eat in here, so you don't have to deal with my brother, the stupid prat. You're going to need your energy anyway, especially if that outfit gets the reaction that I'm positive it will."

Ginny left to get food, leaving a blushing, but smiling, Hermione standing there holding the box of lingerie.

A/N: Yay for Ginny making her see reason. I think Lucius is in for one hell of a night. More coming soon. Take care and please leave me your thoughts.