That weekend, Ron tried his hardest to be sweet and kind, and for the most part, it paid off. Hermione seemed to have a great weekend. Ron suggested they go to the zoo and the aquarium and then arranged for Rose to stay with George, who, as it turned out, was a great babysitter. He took Hermione to dinner and the movies and they wandered the edges of the river, holding hands afterwards.
Hermione was on cloud nine, dreaming of a life where Ron could make her feel this way all the time. If he could put this much effort in now, how much better could things get in the future? She smiled to herself, stupidly happy in this moment.
The thoughts of the night before were never far from her mind. The regret she experienced when Ron showered her with affection and love was immeasurable. Her lips still buzzed with the feel of Malfoy and she was eager to replace it, add a new memory. A new buzz. As they stopped at a nice lookout, she turned to face Ron, taking his face in her hands.
"I love you Ron, you know that?" she asked.
"I love you too" he returned. Her heart sang and she moved towards him to press her lips against his.
He was eager, his hands moved immediately to her backside and his tongue intruded upon her mouth, like an invasion. It wasn't caressing hers, rather, slopping in and out of her mouth like a large fish. It almost made her gag. She stopped the kiss, wishing that she was anywhere but here. Wishing she was back at the tiny pub on the corner of two streets whose names she didn't know, in a village she didn't know.
"Should we go home?" Ron asked her, pressing his body against hers, his erection pressing against her.
"I would love that Ron. But can I ask something?" she said.
"Anything" he said, taking her hand and kissing it.
"I'd really like to try something new" she said.
"Like… doggy style?" he asked, eyebrows raised.
"Well, not exactly. Like… foreplay?" she suggested.
"That's what we're doing now. We're ready to go babe, I just want to get you home and into our bed one last time before we move out" he said, holding her hand and leading her towards a secluded ally. "Or, we could do it right here" he suggested.
"Yeah, right, explain that to your parents. The newest head of the DMLE arrested for public nudity and a lewd act" she said.
When they were certain there was no one around, Hermione apparated them to their back yard, and they entered their house.
Ron wasted no time divesting himself of his clothing and hurriedly attempted to rid Hermione of hers.
"You know, you are the sexiest witch alive" Ron said, having made their way to the bedroom.
"You're an amazing future husband. I've had an amazing night. I hope it can only get better" she said, pulling the blankets back.
"I really mean it Hermione, I want us to work" he said.
"Me too" she said, as he climbed on top of her. She knew he would never make her orgasm. Not tonight, not ever. She had been hopeful, following the conversation she had with Malfoy, but now she knew that Ron was it for her. He was her perfect match, and she was destined for a life of below average sex.
He prodded her entrance as she parted her legs and eventually, found his way into her aching centre. It had been longing for something, building, since the night before, since the words that were whispered into her ear. Since the spark, since the tingle. Since the idea of pleasure was planted in her mind.
He set upon his steady rhythm quickly and soon, she was finding herself creating a mental list of things she had to the following day. It was her go to activity when she wanted to just pass the time. Ron had been drinking so she knew it would take a while. It usually did.
When he slowed, she thought he might be tiring. She hoped he would want to roll over and go to sleep, but instead, he slowed to a complete stop and she felt his body grow heavy. She figured he was just taking a break until she heard his breathing slow.
"Ron?" she asked quietly, receiving no response.
"RON" she said louder, causing his body to begin moving again. "You were asleep" she said.
"What? No I wasn't" he insisted.
"You started snoring Ron" she said.
"I was just breathing heavy" he responded, continuing his previous rhythm.
She didn't say anything more, just allowed him to continue, until he slowed again, coming to an eventual stop and breathing heavy. She just laid there, listening to his breathing deepen, hearing his snores grow louder and feeling his erection soften until it slipped out of her when she let out a cough. When she was convinced that he was deep asleep, she carefully edged out from underneath him and got out of the bed.
She was so angry, she stood beside the bed fuming. She hadn't ever really felt like their sex life was something great, but never in her life had she been made to feel so inadequate, so unsexual, in all her life.
It wasn't even the fact that she asked for more and received less. It wasn't the fact that women all around the world, apparently, were having far better sex than she was. Probably even Astoria sodding Malfoy.
She threw on a bath robe and made her way to the living room. All their things were boxed up and labelled 'storage' or 'the burrow'. She looked at a few photo albums that were laying on top of a box and sighed to herself. Looking up at her were the faces of a younger Ron and Hermione. Hermione was beaming with happiness, showing off her engagement ring and Ron was puffing out his chest, seemingly proud to have gotten her to say yes. No one would have noticed, but she was six weeks pregnant in that photo.
She had been considering breaking it off with him the week before. She had come to the conclusion that they were no longer a good fit. They had grown into a rut and their life was stagnate. When she realised that her period was late, she cast the spell on herself to reveal her pregnancy and collapsed into a heap, crying into the arms of Ginny.
After a while, Hermione realised that perhaps a baby would pull them out of the rut. Give them something to live for and work towards. She was desperately hopeful that a child would bring them closer. She didn't know if the addition of Rose to their relationship had in fact made things better, or just changed how bad they were.
She drank some water before going back to the bedroom, putting on her pyjamas and curling up as close to her side of the bed as possible.
Hermione didn't discuss with Ron the fact that he fell asleep during sex. She had no idea how to broach the subject with him. Instead, she got stuck into packing the rest of their home and moving things from their house to The Burrow. All the things that they didn't need in their wing of the Burrow was shrunk down and placed in the bottom of Hermione's multi compartment trunk. She felt that it was safest there, rather than a muggle type storage facility, as Ron as suggested, as she could tend to it if she needed to. The boxes of photos and sentimentals could be accessed in a minute and she desperately needed memories of when her life was different. When she knew who she was and could stand up for herself and make demands.
She spent the week reading the list of books that Kingsley had sent over and revising her learning schedule. It was adequate for her needs and had sufficient break time to ensure best knowledge retention.
She made sure to spend time with Rose, as much as she could, taking her to the orchard and down to the river. She had hoped to swim, but the water was much too cold, and the idea of a sick toddler wasn't something she was willing to entertain.
Before long, it was Saturday night, the night of the ministry ball and Hermione was dressed in a new dress she had purchased especially for the event. It was long and flowing, with black silk and an open back. Something she hadn't really ever dared to wear before. She had enlisted the support of a muggle stick on bra, which both covered her modesty in the cold temperatures and ensured she had sufficient cleavage.
She had tamed her wild curls into cascading waves and for the first time in years, applied elegant make up that accentuated her features. When she was ready, she looked in the mirror and hardly recognised herself. She had in fact, made herself look beautiful.
Ron agreed, when she arrived in the living room of the Burrow. He had been entertaining Rose, something that made Hermione's aching heart beat a little more.
"You look… Stunning" he said, when she stood before him.
She looked around the room and Molly's eyes were gleaming with happy tears.
"My dear you look beautiful. So pretty. Maybe next time you're this stunning, it will be your wedding day" she said as she pulled Hermione into a hug.
"Mum, come off it, we haven't even talked about setting a date yet" Ron said, much to Hermione's happiness. Marriage was the last thing she wanted.
George, who had been sitting on the couch watching Ron attempt to interact with Rose, stood and coughed awkwardly.
"Gee Granger, you almost pass as acceptable" he said with a wink. Hermione saw the slight blush to his neck and smiled to herself. The pull was still there but her resolve was strong. Kissing Draco Malfoy had been a mistake, but one she could handle. Never again would her lips meet those of a member of Ron's family.
She summoned her clutch purse from her dresser in their room and placed her wand in the holster of her thigh, momentarily exposing a great deal of her slim leg. George immediately made an awkward squeaking sound and retreated up the stairs.
"You still using that?" Ron asked.
"I will never be separated from my wand" she said with frown.
"I know, I just thought, maybe it'd be better in your bag or something. Out of your way?" he asked. "I'll keep you safe, Hermione" he added.
"I know you will Ron, but… I just need this. This is something I will never stop doing. Its engrained in me. Its part of who I am" she said.
"Ok" he said, pulling her to him and kissing her on the head.
"We'd better go" she said, looking at the clock. Most hands pointed at 'home'. Harry and Ginny pointed to 'work', Hermione assumed they had arrived at the ministry already, and Fred, as always, pointed at 'lost'. No one had taken it off and Hermione doubted anyone would.
They travelled by floo, Molly having cleaned the fireplace out so Hermione's dress didn't get dirty. Arthur had taken Rose away so she didn't get scared before they left and within moments, Hermione and Ron were making their way into the grand ballroom on level 8 of the ministry.
Hermione had their names marked off and received her first glass of champagne upon entry and Ron followed closely behind, scowling at his 'girl drink', as he called it.
There was a band playing soft orchestral music, which suited the slow environment. Hermione looked around the room for the striking red hair and found Ginny immediately. Hermione took Ron's hand as she made her way across the room, not really noticing anyone in particular, or stopping to say hello.
"Hermione, its about time, this thing is dreadful" Ginny said.
"It seems a bit drab" she said, pulling her best friend into a hug.
"Well, it was, but you just showed up and blew everyone away. Where eon earth did you get that dress?" Ginny asked, circling Hermione, inspecting her outfit.
"Muggle shop" Hermione said with a shrug.
"Well, its great. Black is your colour, so it seems. Who would have known?" Ginny said, herself wearing an almost Slytherin green dress that flared out into a full skirt.
"Your dress… its…" Hermione began.
"Green? Yes, they say it goes with the mane" she said, flicking her hair over her shoulder.
"Well, it does. It suits you. Who knew? Ginny should have been a Slytherin" Hermione said, downing her drink so she felt a little more at ease.
The whole time, Ron had remained quiet, holding Hermione's hand and not saying a word.
"Ok, drink number one is done, I need to make some rounds. Greet some people, shake some hands, kiss some ass" she said, letting go of Ron's hand and placing her hand in the crook of his elbow.
She made a bee line for Kingsley, who was mid conversation with an older witch she recognised from the Department of International Magical Cooperation.
"Ah, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Our most talented couple" Kingsley said, greeting Hermione with a kiss on each cheek and Ron with a handshake.
"I must say Hermione, your old department is taking significant strides forwards. Already have three bills pushing through. If you're not careful, they'll outdo you" he said with a laugh.
"Kingsley, that's only because of my amazing training capabilities, I'm sure" she said, resulting in a round of forced laughter at her poor joke.
She hoped that the name of the person she had been training didn't slip out during the course of the conversation that followed, and 15 minutes later, she was relieved when they parted ways, Malfoy not having been mentioned by name once.
She ran into Angsley who spoke of how eager he was to train his replacement and live out his retirement. Ron was mostly quiet, offering brief conversation here and there.
Hermione felt it before she saw him, his voice carried over the ones around her as he engaged in conversation with some of the team members from the DRCMC. She turned and caught his eye, nodding in greeting before Ron turned as well.
"Malfoy? What's he doing here?" he asked.
Before Hermione answered, they watched, Hermione in horror, as Kingsley greeted Malfoy, asking how it was going as head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
"He what?" Ron asked.
"Didn't I tell you?" Hermione asked, trying her most offhand manner.
"No, I think I would have remembered something as important as you having spent two weeks in an office with the ferret" Ron said rounding on her. She felt herself retreat inwardly before realising she had nothing to be concerned about. As far as anyone knew, they had done nothing wrong.
"Ron, you need to calm down. Its no big deal. We had a chance to talk and he apologised for everything that happened when we were kids. He's married now, to Astoria Greengrass, see? That's her there. He really is quite good at the job" she said, hoping it would calm him a little.
Ron simply huffed in annoyance and Hermione looked on as Kingsley waved her over. Reluctantly, she pulled Ron with her over to where Kingsley was singing Malfoy's praises to everyone that would listen.
"…should have seen the looks on their faces when they realised they were going to be working together" he said, motioning to Malfoy and Hermione. "It all worked out for the best though, these two are a formidable team" he said.
"Kingsley, I'm sure you're over exaggerating things a little" Hermione said.
"Minister, you were telling me the plans for the fourth floor?" Malfoy asked, quickly glancing at Hermione from head to toe. It was missed by everyone except Hermione.
"Why yes, of course, the department has grown so much, that there ought to be some upgrades to the office spaces there. I wanted to add a conference room as well as suitable departments within the DRCMC for the divisions and classifications. Your team is amazing Draco and the work they've accomplished in the last week alone has been incredible" he said.
"Well, I had a studious trainer" Malfoy said, looking to Hermione before glancing at Ron. "Weasley, good to see you again" Malfoy said, extending a hand to Ron, who stared it for a second longer than necessary before shaking it firmly. "Granger" he said, extending his hand to her. She held her breath as she took it, and shook it demurely, releasing her breath slowly with his hand.
"Well, I best leave you young ones to the party. I have a few announcements to make before the real music starts. Grab a drink everyone" Kingsley said before making his way to the stage.
"Hermione Granger, I'm not sure we've met" came the sickly-sweet voice of who must only be Astoria Malfoy. She was every bit as formidable looking as Malfoy has insinuated. Fake hair, nails, eyelashes, tan, even fake teeth. The woman was a walking catalogue for fakery and plastic surgery.
"Astoria, how lovely to finally meet you. Draco has told me so much about you" she said, kissing the witch on the cheek.
"Well, I'm sure he has, although, he didn't say much about you I'm afraid" she said, not so subtly.
"Something our partners have in common" Ron muttered, receiving a devilish smile from Astoria.
With Kingsley's booming voice resonating over the heads of the crowd, Hermione turned to look in the direction of the stage and retrieved a glass of champagne from a floating tray nearby.
"Welcome, employees, guests, friends of guests, to our ball to congratulate our newest employees. We have an exemplary array of new members within most departments and two departments with new Heads of departments…" he said, resulting in an applause from the group. "…In the DMLE, Miss Hermione Granger is beginning her new post as the head of department after having successfully trained her successor in her previous role at the DRCMC, Draco Malfoy" he continued, receiving applause around the room and murmurs through the crowd. Hermione listened in as he continued naming new members of the ministry, not leaving out a single person. She was surprised at his memory, really. At the end, he called for a toast to a successful year and was followed by a round of cheers and applause.
The formalities quickly drew to a close and the band, which had previously been dressed in suits and played slow morbid music, returned in ripped jeans and singlets with guitars and drums.
Hermione was accosted by Ginny, who dragged her to the dance floor, leaving Ron behind.
"Hang on Ginny, I'm not nearly drunk enough" she said, downing the rest of her drink and taking a tall glass of something blue from a nearby floating tray. It was sweet and delicious and Hermione was hooked after her first sip.
"How long as it been since we've let our hair down? Seriously? Too long" Ginny said, pushing her way through the crowd.
"Definitely too long" Hermione said, trying to drink as quickly as she could to divest herself of her glass.
The warm buzz that spread throughout her body, as well as the body fitting dress the left very little to the imagination, was driving her sense of confidence and before too long, she had found that part of herself that she used to love. The carefree, young, happy-go-lucky 4th year Yule Ball Hermione, who danced for the sake of dancing, or the post-war Hermione, who had locked away all negative thoughts using specially developed potions and completely loved her life.
It was like something within her had changed during the last two weeks. Her relationship was in such a great place and her sense of self was incredibly positive. Everything had finally fallen into place for her and she felt like, as long as it all remained the same, her life could go on like this and she'd be happy.
When her feet started hurting and she felt a little too sweaty to be glamorous, she made her way to the bathroom and freshened up before going to find Ron. He had been standing around with Harry and some Aurors that Hermione recognised.
"Ah, Hermione, there you are" Harry said, beckoning her over.
"Gentleman" she said, inserting herself beside Ron in a manner that she had become accustom to Ron liking. Her thrived on the feeling of owning her, of claiming her, of being the one to go home to the 'Golden Girl'. "How are we all?" she asked, trying very hard not to notice how they all looked her up and down, some settling at about chest level.
"We were just talking about you heading up the department" one of them said, finally looking her in the face
"Its going to be a bit of a warming period, but I hope that once I learn the ropes, it'll be smooth sailing" she said, smiling at the men around the circle and latching firmly to Ron's arm.
"Don't be ridiculous Hermione, you'll be fine. Angsley's a great mentor and a fine instructor. You'll be on your feet in a few days" Harry said.
"Yeah, Angsley's great and all, but he couldn't train you, eh Weasley?" one of the aurors said.
Ron's face turned red and he was about to say something that Hermione suspected he'd regret, so she interjected.
"Actually, Ron was doing quite well in his training. He was, if I remember, top of the class, above even Harry in the beginning" she said.
"So why'd ya leave?" one of them asked.
"I uh… It was a long time ago" he stammered. She could tell he was drunk and desperately hoped he wouldn't make a fool of himself… or her.
"Ron, you were doing all kinds of crazy hours, remember? Harry, do you remember? Ron was training till all hours of the night then going to help George at the shop. Eventually, something had to give, and Ron's loyalty to his family outweighed his desire to beat all of you in training" she finished with a shrug.
"Probably for the best anyway, I wouldn't want this one being my boss" Ron said with a forced laugh.
"She'd keep you in after work and make you perform extra duties, hey Weasley?" one of them said with a wink. They all laughed, and Hermione cringed at the connotation. Her sex life was not up for discussion. Not in her presence anyway.
"On that note, boys, I'd better go find myself some stimulating conversation" she said, nodding to the circle of men, who all gave a stupid sort of wave.
She rolled her eyes as she walked away and relaxed the stupid smile from her face. The bar was not too far away and she noticed the floating trays had ceased so she took herself to get another exquisite blue drink.
"Hermione Granger. What can I get for you?" the bartender asked. She bristled at the fact that people who she didn't know, opted to use the fact that she is a known figure in the wizarding world to assume they know her. She had never met this man before, yet he spoke to her as though he knew her.
"I'm sorry, I'm at a loss. Have we met?" she asked, the question that prompted people to go red in the face.
"Just in passing. My name is Dan. Can I get you a drink?" he asked, not flinching at all.
"Those incredible blue drinks. What are they?" she asked.
"Fruit tingle. Gives a little kick, doesn't it?" he asked.
"It's definitely something" she said, not looking beside her when she felt someone approach.
"Firewhisky, no ice" came the demanding voice.
"Just wait your…" she began, turning to see Malfoy standing beside her.
"Well, if it isn't mister 'I can make you cum right here right now'" she said quietly so only he could hear.
"Granger, how's your night?" he asked.
"My night is well, thank you" she replied as the bartender looked to them. It was no secret that they had been enemies in the past. Anything more than collegial would be suspect.
"The fruit tingles are doubles, Granger, just so you know. They're trying to get you drunk" he said, tipping the bartender when he handed over both their drinks. "I got you" he said with a wink when she made to retrieve some money from her clutch purse.
"That's kind of you Malfoy" she said, turning away from the bar.
"You're looking… different" he said.
"Well, I thought I'd make an effort" she said.
"Effort noted" he said with a smile.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked.
"It means that I have taken notice of your… effort" he said.
"Fine. Well, you don't look bad yourself" she said, taking a sip of her drink and humming in appreciation.
"You shouldn't make that sound" he said.
"What sound?" she asked.
"The one you just made. Its distracting" he said.
"What?" she asked, confused.
"Never-mind. I… it doesn't matter" he said, looking her over. She eyed him curiously and noticed the gleam in his eye, the same one she saw last weekend right before they kissed.
"So what happened to your wife?" she asked.
"She left" he answered, sipping his drink.
"Shame, I thought she was lovely" she said.
"She was playing you. And she's hot for Weasley" he said.
"Ron?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, did you see the way she smiled at him? I know that smile. Watch him" he said.
"Oh, no, that's fine, she can have him. Maybe he can fall asleep inside of her some time" she spurted out, before covering her mouth with her hand, feeling ashamed.
Malfoy just stared at her, mouth moving but no words coming out, for what felt like the longest time.
"Granger… I don't know if you're serious or not. That's…" he said, running his hand through his hair. "No one should ever fall asleep while they're fucking you. Its beyond comprehension. You're a fucking masterpiece" he said.
She looked at him, shocked at what he had just said to her. He was a masterpiece? What did that even mean? She felt her naivety bloom in full force, knowing that her sexual experience was summed up in one, Ron Weasley, but something inside of her was very much intrigued by what he was telling her.
"I shouldn't have said that about Ron" she murmured.
"Your secret's safe with me" he said in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
"I uh… we're in a very crowded room Malfoy" she said.
"The music is very loud. All I'm doing is having a conversation with my trainer about my new job" he said with a shrug.
She shrugged in response. He was right, if anyone looked to them, all they'd see was two people who had worked together for 2 weeks, having a conversation close to each other due to the loud music.
"The offer stands, by the way" he said.
"Offer?" she asked, before realising what he was referring to. "Ohh" she said, her heart hammering inside her chest at just the idea of it. Ever since he suggested the idea that he could bring her to her first orgasm with ease, she had thought about it, dreamt about it, imagined it. She had always thought Malfoy had some appeal, however, with adulthood came a sophisticated type of handsomeness, more rugged maybe, but still subtle hints of aristocracy in his features and they way he carried himself. She definitely felt a pull towards him. And the idea that she could feel pleasure, she was just not doing it right, was almost too tempting.
"You have my number" he said.
"I… somewhere, I think... I might" she said, flustered.
"So, text me. I'll come to you or you can come to me" he said, looking behind them and placing his hand on her bare back when he saw that no one was behind them.
"I just… This is ludicrous, Malfoy. The idea if you and me… Its… It shouldn't happen" she said.
"But you want it to" he said, smiling at her.
"I won't say I haven't thought about it" she said.
"Its all I've thought about" he said. "I want to know what you sound like when you cum" he said close to her ear.
"What's going on here?" came the booming voice of Ron, who approached them.
"Ron? Malfoy and I were just discussing how his week has been without me in the office" she said, placing herself between the men.
"Well, you're standing too close" he slurred.
"Ron, you're being silly, the music is loud and we're having a discussion about confidential information, I'm just leaning close to we can hear each other" she said convincingly. "I agreed to consult for 6 months" she said.
"Consult? With him? Why?" he spat, taking her by the forearm and pulling her to him.
"Ron, stop. I'm consulting because I am familiar with the work, with the cases. I have the knowledge. That's all" she said, trying to yank free from his firm grip and failing.
"We need to go home" he said.
"I'm not ready yet, I haven't seen half the people I need to speak with" she said, still trying to pull herself away from him.
"Well, I'm done" he said, not bothering to shield their bickering from a not so amused Malfoy.
"You can go, I'll walk you to the floo, but I'm staying" she said.
"No, Hermione, you're coming home with me" he demanded as he pulled her towards the nearby doors.
"Ron, I said I want to stay" she said, going with him to save her from the embarrassment of anyone seeing what was going on. Their relationship was supposed to have been fixed. Ron wasn't supposed to treat her this way anymore. Things were supposed to be good now.
Once they had left the ballroom, he held her more firmly.
"Hermione, I'm ready to leave, so we're going" he slurred.
"And I told you Ron, I'm not going. This is a work function. I need to stay" she said.
"I think she said she wanted to stay, mate" came a voice behind them. Malfoy had followed them out into the lobby.
"Thanks Malfoy, but I think I can handle my own girlfriend by myself" Ron said.
"She doesn't need handling Weasley, now take your hand off her before you leave a bruise and I have to have the 20 or so aurors that are just through those doors, come and arrest you" Malfoy said coolly. "I don't think anyone wants to hear about two members of the Golden Trio involved in an abusive relationship" Malfoy continued.
"Abusive? You're fucking kidding me?" Ron bellowed, letting go of Hermione and reaching for his wand.
Hermione was quicker and had her wand in her hand, relieving Ron of his wand before he could even grip it.
"Go home Ron. Now. Leave" she spat, pushing him towards the floo entrances as tears built in her eyes.
Ron stood in the floo and she took a handful of powder, throwing it at the floor at his feet before shouting "The Burrow" into the green flames and watching as his unsteady form left her sight. She tucked Ron's wand in her clutch purse before turning and facing Malfoy.
"That's who you're wasting your life with?" he asked.
"You can talk" she said.
"Well, looks like we're both in a shit situation" he said, taking a seat on the edge of the fountain.
"He isn't usually like that" she said, exhaling a breath she had been holding for a while.
"He shouldn't grab you like that" he said, taking her hand in his and examining her reddening forearm. Instinctively, she pulled it away, knowing that it was the arm that contained her mudblood scar and it was now free from the glamour charm that she placed on it every morning.
She withdrew her wand and replaced the charm, hiding the words that made her insides churn.
"I…." he began.
"Don't. I know what you're going to say, and I don't need to hear it" she said, getting up and heading back towards the ball.
She opened the doors and reentered the ballroom, making a beeline for the bar.
No one seemed to notice or pay attention to her so she was pretty sure what had just transpired had been unseen by almost everyone in the room.
"Fruit tingle" she said to the bartender, not bothering with manners. She handed him a galleon when he gave her the drink and he accepted with thanks.
She shook herself free from the stress of Ron's actions and made her way back through the crowd, greeting people as she passed and meeting new people whose names she would absolutely forget by Monday. She was somewhat grateful for what happened with Ron, as it had sobered her up somewhat and allowed her to converse with people appropriately.
After that, however, she drank three drinks in a row and danced with Ginny till her feet hurt. From the corner of her eye, she could see Malfoy at all times, skulking around, talking to several people. It appeared as though he was doing well for himself, his blonde hair now absent, replaced with brown, his likeness to his father was gone, replaced by the person he was presenting himself as. That person, Hermione realised, was a charismatic man who people seemed to like. He had people enthralled with conversation and laughing at appropriate times.
Perhaps, she thought, as she sat on a chair at the edge of the room, he was playing everyone. Her included. She wondered briefly if she wanted to be played. He made her feel things inside of her that she hadn't felt, ever. Not with Ron, not with the brief encounter with George. Not with anybody.
The idea, however, of cheating on Ron, was abhorrent to her. She had kissed George, but that was while she and Ron were on the outs. Could she cheat? Morally, she knew the answer. It was a flat out no. However, if she considered the things in her life that Ron couldn't give her, she could, she supposed, justify it to herself. If it was purely a physical thing, if she went to Malfoy just one time, for curiosity sake, to prove to him that he was wrong and she wasn't living an unfulfilled life, purely because Ron wasn't trying hard enough, that would solidify her relationship with Ron, make her see that she wasn't missing anything. That, while Ron could be… well, Ron… sometimes, she was happy. He made her happy. They had a child together and a life, and they were working on making each other happy.
As the crowd started to dwindle, Harry and Ginny said a hasty goodbye, Harry escorting a quite drunk Ginny to the floo and Hermione stood to leave, being one of the last to go. She was always the last to leave any event, but this time, it was because Malfoy was also yet to leave.
"Haven't turned into a pumpkin I see?" Malfoy said as she made her way towards the exit.
"That's a muggle fairy tale reference, Malfoy" she said.
"Indeed" he said.
"Well, you're a little off anyway. It's the carriage that turns into a pumpkin. If I were Cinderella, my dress would simply turn to rags and I'd lose a shoe" she said.
"Always full of knowledge" he said.
"I… I want to accept your offer" she said.
"My offer?" he asked.
"Yes" she said plainly.
"Now?" he asked.
"Well, now is as good a time as any" she said, crossing her arms in front of her. The resulting effect was that her bust lifted and her cleavage was more pronounced. A happy accident, she supposed.
Malfoy rubbed his hand through his hair and looked around, seemingly trying to come up with a reasonably answer.
"Unless you don't think you're up for it" she said in a low murmur.
"Granger, I'm most certainly up for it…" he said, leading the way to the floo. "I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into" he said.
"Its an experiment. That's all" she said.
"And when I make you scream my name, what then?" he asked.
"Then I'll know it's possible and I'll go to Ron and demand he try harder" she said.
"So… you're using me" he said.
"Isn't that what this is? You just trying to prove a point and me wanting to see if you can?" she asked.
"So this isn't… This is just educational for you? To see… what? If you can?" He asked.
"I thought that's the point… Malfoy, it's not like I'm going to fall in love with you and come and destroy your marriage. Its purely physical research. Like… Like physiotherapy" she said.
He just looked at her, bewildered, like she was saying something incomprehensible.
"So you're sure. You want to? No going back?" he asked.
"As long as its just between us" she said.
He looked around, noticing that no one was there watching them, so he took her by the hand, pulling her into the floo, dropping a handful of floo powder while he held her close to him, shouting "Malfoy cottage" into the green flames.
AN - Are we ready for this?