Back on the second floor, in her corner of Angsley's office, she sat on the couch with a cup of tea and took out her phone.
"Ah, those contraptions" Angsley said, causing her to look up.
"Yes, unfortunately. Advances in muggle technology are quite fast. If I don't start now, I'll never keep up" she said.
"Texting with Ron I suppose?" he asked. She just nodded in response as she flipped open her phone.
She had three messages, all from Malfoy.
DM - 'Wishing you well in your new job. You're made for this Granger. Never doubt yourself'
DM - 'DCRMC is boring on my own. Too many opportunities to remember events from the other night. Wondering if you're remembering as vividly as I am'
DM - 'My curious mind is driving me crazy'
She read over the messages a few times, feeling herself blush at the second one. Of course she had remembered them vividly. She had dreamt it, she had felt it, she had closed her eyes and swore that the afternoon breeze had been his breath on her skin. She typed back a hasty reply.
HG - 'Thank you for the kind wishes. Not boring at DMLC but have had memories invade my senses from time to time. Tell me more about your curious mind'
DM - 'wondering if I'm still the only one'
HG - 'still the only one, Malfoy'
DM - 'A part of me is glad. Another part of me is utterly devastated for you'
HG - 'yes, poor me. Now back to work. Don't want to lose my job before I even begin'
The rest of the day travelled by quickly and Hermione soon found herself arriving at the outskirts of the Burrow fence-line. She checked her phone and deleted the texts as she walked down the path before entering the house she had come to call home.
"There she is, there's mummy" came George's overly excited voice.
"Mummy, mummy" Rose came bounding up to her with a large piece of paper in her hand.
"We did some painting" George said, getting up from the lounge
"I can see" Hermione said, picking Rose up and holding her tight. She had been away from her daughter too often lately and was missing her greatly.
"She uh… You should know that I had nothing to do with it. It was purely accidental" George began.
"What happened?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
"She cast some accidental magic today" he said. Hermione just raised an eyebrow in surprise. "She was giggling and laughing and having loads of fun, and the paint sort of lifted itself out of the pots and onto the paper. No paintbrush" he said.
Hermione looked at the painting that Rose still held in her hand and at her daughter's happy face.
"You did this?" she asked, admiring the complex artwork.
"I paint" Rose said happily, squirming to get down.
Hermione lowered her to the floor and looked around, questioningly at Molly who was in the kitchen.
"No need to worry dear, Bill and Charlie were doing accidental magic at Rose's age" she said.
"I just… Its odd, to me. I haven't even seen Victoire do anything like that and Teddy only started a few years ago. Its not… too early?" she asked, worried that Rose may be performing magic beyond her years.
She saw Molly's face flash with the briefest hint of concern before turning back to calm.
"No need to worry dear, its perfectly normal for Rose's age" she said, not addressing the other two.
"Teddy?" Hermione asked.
"Teddy has always been magical, he has his mothers blood. Has since he was born if you remember" Molly said.
"But Victoire?" Hermione asked, sensing where the real issue lay.
"There is some concern. Not for you to worry dear, they're having St Mungos check for any sign she may be a squib but things are promising" Molly said too quickly.
"A squib?" Hermione asked, looking from Molly to George, who also looked equally as shocked.
"Its unlikely, but she hasn't so much as sparked in anger. Not once. Just precautionary. I'm sure her magic will settle in, in time" Molly said turning back to the pot on the stove.
Hermione was suddenly quite grateful that Rose had already displayed accidental magic, even if it did appear to be highly controlled. She knew she'd have to keep an eye on her but she was definitely not a squib.
Things with George were not as awkward as they had been, for which Hermione was eternally grateful. She had basically forgotten the kiss they shared only two weeks ago as it had been swamped by an abundance of new things to worry about. She was able to sit and chat with him about work, hers and his, till Ron arrived.
True to his word, Ron attempted to spend time with Rose, who initially seemed quite disinterested. Hermione encouraged his perseverance and soon, they were playing games and Rose was showing him her painting, telling him, in her own babbling language, all about her day.
That night, after Rose was tucked into bed, Ron sat on the edge of their bed with a frown on his face.
"What's the matter?" Hermione asked him.
"It's just… Rose, I haven't seen her like that before" he said.
"She's growing up… and you don't usually play with her Ron. That's how I see her" she said.
"She's actually incredible Mione" he said.
"She is" Hermione said, smiling at Ron.
This was nice. They were having a decent conversation after having had a beautifully normal night. Days like these were what Hermione craved. Normal family time when Ron was nice to her.
They climbed into bed and Hermione leant over and kissed him, clearly demonstrating to him what she wanted. She needed to take the lead. If there was any chance she would feel the things that she felt a week ago, she needed to guide Ron, to direct him.
She took his hand and placed it on her chest, slowly guiding it down towards her pyjama shorts.
"What…" he began.
"Shh, I want to try something" she said, placing his hand beneath her shorts. She got his two fingers and tentatively moved them down her slit till she felt a jolt. That was the spot. She was certain of it.
"Move them, just there" she whispered into the night.
He complied, moving them, but not in the manner that Malfoy had. All the same, it was beginning to work. She was feeling things that Ron hadnt ever made her feel, but no where near as intense as Malfoy.
Ron now took it upon himself to explore some more, seeking her entrance with his fingers, gliding them in and out of her.
"You're so ready" he murmured, as his other hand reached down and removed his boxers.
Hermione hoped that the stimulation was enough, because Ron quickly took away his hand and climbed over her, placing himself between her thighs and easing into her.
"Merlin Hermione, you're not usually…" he began, closing his eyes.
"So ready?" she asked.
"Well, yeah" he said.
She kissed him, trying desperately to create friction between their bodies. She knew the position she needed but wasn't sure how to convey that to him. She dug her heels into his backside, causing his body to grind against hers. It seemed to do the trick, as she felt the heat begin to spread. She could tell Ron didn't have long, as his motions were growing sloppier.
She tried as hard as she could, but as soon as she felt like she found the perfect angle, the right place to put her legs, the best spot to grip Ron's back, she heard him groan, he was done. She wasn't. She desperately wanted to keep going, she was seeking more, she wanted more. She wanted Ron to be able to give it to her. She didn't want to have to guide him, position him, angle him so that he could make her feel good.
He rolled off her with a smile on his face.
"That was different" he said.
"I guess" she said.
"You felt different" he said. She panicked. Did he know someone else had been there?
"Different how?" she asked tentatively.
"I think… you were close" he said.
"I think I was too" she said sadly.
"Well, I mean, you can always try again" he said.
"We can" she corrected.
"I'm sorry Hermione, but its not my fault if you can't get yourself off" he said.
"Ok Ron" she said, pulling her pants back on and rolling over. She knew more than ever that is was his fault, he just wasn't trying hard enough. Couldn't put in the effort.
She went to bed with a slight humming sensation in her body. She had been close. Close to something, but not even close to the heights that Malfoy had taken her to. Ron fell asleep immediately, but she lay awake for what felt like hours before she got up and left the room with her phone in her hand.
She sat alone in the living room of the burrow by the fire, contemplating whether it was bad manners to text someone late at night. She figured manners were something that were long forgotten between them, so she opened her phone and typed away.
HG- 'I think we need to try again'
She text, her frustration clouding her best judgement. She hoped that if someone saw it, she could convince them that it was work related.
DM- 'Good evening yourself Granger. I thought we agreed it was a once off?'
HG- 'Oh believe me, I know'
DM- 'What changed your mind?'
HG- 'Nothing has quite lived up to it I'm afraid'
DM – 'Well, it was pretty good, wasn't it?'
HG- 'Pretty good? What planet were you on? It was the best sex of my life'
DM- 'Clearly, but you left in such a hurry'
HG- 'Well, it was awkward... afterwards'
DM - 'So you think a repeat performance is called for?'
HG - 'To alleviate the awkwardness?'
DM - 'Granger, go back to bed, wake up your boyfriend and get him to help you out'
HG – Trust me, I tried
DM – try again
HG – Its complicated
DM – tell me
HG – He said, quote 'Its not my fault if you cant get yourself off'.
DM – that's dreadful. It most definitely is his fault.
HG – you see my predicament. I think that what we did might have been a mistake.
DM – It might have been a mistake but you want to do it again?
HG – Well, we can't go back in time and take it back, can we? We should make the best of it.
DM – So you want me to fuck you again
HG – So crass
DM – I don't think it's a good idea
HG – Are you worried about your wife finding out?
DM – I couldn't care less about her
HG – So?
DM – Your reputation? Your family? Your career?
HG – No one will find out Malfoy
DM – I don't know
HG – ok. Forget I asked. I shouldn't push I'm sorry. Now I sound like a complete desperado. This isn't me.
DM – Go to bed Granger.
HG – I'll probably go outside and shoot myself from embarrassment. Rejected by Draco Malfoy. Mortifying.
DM – I'm not rejecting you
HG – Good night Malfoy
Hermione selected the messages in her phone and hit delete before going back to her room. She was absolutely horrified at her behaviour. Not only had she slept with Malfoy, she was now texting him in the middle of the night begging for an encore.
She hadn't ever been so brazen in her sexuality in her life. Not even close. She thought for sure that Ron would have known something was strange when she instigated sexual behaviour that was different, but he just didn't seem to notice, or care.
She wondered briefly, if maybe she was the problem. Did she just lay there and allow sex to happen to her? Was that why she never orgasmed? Did she not feel pleasure because she was leaving it completely up to him to provide it? Sex usually just occurred for them the way that Ron wanted it to. Always the same, always missionary position. She moved her body and when she wasn't being coerced into it, she tried really hard to get into it. For her, it always just felt like a chore. Something she was obligated to do as part of the relationship she was in.
But, when Malfoy took her to his cottage, when his hands touched her skin, it was like an elaborate dance between them. Sure, he did most of the work. In fact, she cringed at how little she did, compared to the pleasure she derived from the whole event. But wasn't that just how it went? She had no idea. She didn't think that there was a lot for her to physically do apart from fall to pieces under his touch, again and again and again.
Her mind carried her on and on, around and around with thoughts of Ron and Malfoy until close to sunrise. She couldn't place the feeling inside of her, but somehow, it wasn't one of guilt. She felt strangely unburdened about what she had done and after allowing her mind to comprehend it, she deduced that there was a lot she wasn't getting from Ron and it wasn't just physical.
Ron was a nice guy. When he wanted to be. But she had been with him since they were 17. He was all she knew. She didn't class herself as a cheater, even though its exactly what she was now. She was just someone who needed to use practical research to determine if her body was capable of something. She did that research and it proved effective. The only problem now, was that she couldn't stop thinking about it.
AN -
I think this is update number 5 for today. I so so badly want to post more. I've written so much ahead, i have finished everything i have planned out, i'm now just wondering if i continue the story or skip it and write a crazy epilogue. Thoughts?
EDIT: I mean that i have written an additional 10 or so chapters but have come to the end of 'that' part. No way would i stop here, its only just beginning. Things are about to get CRAZY. I started writing both and decided on an epilogue. Sorry for those who wanted something different.