Hermione was all set to tell Malfoy what Ron had done to her the following day at work. She wanted to tell him so that he knew she needed to get away. Their plan was still weeks away and she was ok with that. He told her a week earlier he had the castle on the market and was looking for other properties to buy. He even asked her opinion on some of them.

This day, however, Malfoy was not at work.

At lunch time, a letter arrived via owl with his familiar handwriting across it. Her heart sank immediately. She knew what she was going to see. Before she read it she knew.

Granger,
I know this is coming at a bad time, but Astoria has had to move back to the castle with me. We will not be sharing a bed, I refuse to even talk to her, but she needs a place to stay and I can't very well let her have the cottage.
I hate her so much Granger, she is toxic, nasty, horrible and selfish. She poisons everything she touches.
As you're probably aware by now, I am not at work, I am home, setting up the spare wing of the castle for her.
I will try and make this quick. I don't want her around for long.
I am sorry. Please don't give up on us.
Malfoy

It wasn't as bad as she thought. He wasn't back with her; he was just letting her stay. It was a simple concept and Hermione was able to release the breath she didn't realise she was holding on to.

A small part of her was dying on the inside at the idea that he let her back. That potentially this was all a lie. But something in his letter made her believe him. His marriage was really over, and if the night before was anything to go by, Hermione was done with Ron.

The following day was a Thursday and Hermione came to work early so she could get things done and have time to make sure Malfoy was ok. She sat with him at lunch and they spoke about what happened.

Malfoy told her that Astoria's mother had gotten sick of her complaining so she kicked her out. That was it. There was no grand gesture of love, no lies, no half truths. He told her everything. And she was grateful.

"You know, you're single now" she said.

"I am" he replied.

"Well, if our plans all come to fruition, we'll be together in a couple of months. You need a rebound witch to shag" she said.

Malfoy's mouth dropped open. He stared at her with shock.

"What on earth are you saying, Granger? That I should go out and shag anything that moves?" he asked.

"Precisely" she said. "In fact, I think you should go out tonight to a pub, find a pretty young little thing with huge boobs and shag her senseless" she said.

"And you, what? Want to watch?" he asked.

"No, Merlin no" she said, making a face. "I want you to experience being single, while you're single" she said.

"And what about you? You'll be upset about it?" he asked.

"Well, no, I don't think I will. I've thought about it and it seems logical… I have no claim to you Malfoy. I don't get to be upset if you shag someone else… And besides, I'm the one telling you to do this. So do it" she said.

He just looked at her with narrowed eyes and she raised one eyebrow at him.

"Fine, I'll think about it. I'm not just going to shag anything that walks, though. I have standards" he said.

"That's all I ask" she said, smiling at him before finishing her meal in silence.

DM – I did it

HG – Did what?

DM – Just shagged a random

HG – How was it?

DM – Horrendous. All I could think about was you

HG – That's interesting. Could she tell?

DM – it was the worse sex I've ever had Granger.

HG – How did shetake it? I mean, was she upset?

DM – She was ok with it, she still enjoyed herself

HG – Well that's good then.

DM – Now don't ever suggest such an absurd idea ever again.

HG – I promise. Breakfast before work? To debrief?

DM – Sure

After suggesting a place to meet in an hour, Hermione dressed quickly and fed Rose her breakfast with haste before leaving the burrow and apparating to the small muggle café.

She was right on time, so she ordered two plates of their full English breakfast and a pot of tea. There was no one there that she knew, she it would be ok if they were seen together.

After 15 minutes, the meals had arrived and Hermione thanked the waitress, who sat them down at the table with a worried look.

"I'm sure my friend is just running late" she said.

The waitress just nodded as Hermione cast a subtle warming charm over their plates with her wand from under the table.

When half an hour had passed since the time they had decided upon, she opened her phone and text him, before taking a bite of her breakfast. She was now starving, so she ate alone.

With no reply and no sign of Malfoy, she had his meal placed in a container 'to go' and headed to work.

There was no sign of him all day and her phone didn't buzz till she was ready to leave at 4pm.

DM – I'm so sorry, I went home to get changed and fell asleep

HG – That's fine… I ordered you an English breakfast, but I had it for lunch.

DM – I'll buy you breakfast one day soon

HG – I'll hold you to that.

The weekend that followed seemed, to Hermione like Ron's futile attempt to get her to forgive him. On Saturday, he begrudgingly took her and Rose to Hermione's favourite museum, then to an upperclass restaurant for lunch, followed by an afternoon by the river at the park, where Rose gleefully played with muggle children.

"She's fitting in well" Ron said as Rose, now a confident 2 year old, climbed around the toddler playground.

"Maybe muggle day care might be a good fit for her. She's losing her mind being cooped up at home everyday" Herimone said.

"I think it's a little early to think about that. Besides, she has no control over her accidental magic" Ron said.

"Hmm" she responded disinterested in anything Ron had to say.

As the afternoon wore on, Ron, Hermione and Rose made their way back home, without using the Floo.

Rose made her way inside to tell her grandparents all about their day while Ron stopped Hermione outside.

"Hermione, I need you to know how sorry I am. Truly" he said.

"Sometimes, Ron, sorry isn't enough. You were horrible to me. Absolutely horrendous" she said, recalling how aggressive he was during sex the other night.

"I know and I'm sorry. I just… Well, your body seemed to react to what I was doing, so I just went with it" he said.

"Well, don't. Do not do it ever again" she said.

"You got off on it but" he said, a confused look on his face.

Hermione looked around to make sure no one was evesdropping.

"If you must know, I left work early and had a massage that day. I was covered in oil, which was why I had to have a shower straight away and my body was still tingly from the massage. That's why you… got me off… as you say. I was already pre-warmed up, Ron!" she spat, thinking that that was the most brilliant excuse she had ever thought of. She left him standing in the setting afternoon sun and headed inside to help Molly with dinner.

AN - Things are about to get messy