Day Eighteen

With an entire day ahead where she was free to do as she pleased, Hermione didn't want to waste it all in bed, especially if it was only to sleep. Careful to not wake Rabastan up as he continued to take his time resting, she dressed and quietly exited the flat's exterior door. Her destination was the same teashop from the day before. The pastries had been delicious. Why had she never gone to that shop before? She supposed it had more to do with the other teashop just being more convenient. Remembering how she had been kicked out rankled her nerves all over again. How fucking dare that horrible woman?

As she approached the shop owned by the Rowles, Hermione had second thoughts about going inside to purchase more. She almost convinced herself to turn around and go home with nothing before she decided she wanted to show her support to the other woman whether she bought something or not. That determination helped her push open the door. Immediately, she was greeted with excitement and a bright smile from the witch who owned it. Seeing no there customers inside, Hermione fought the urge to sigh. Why were they being treated so unfairly just for caring about men with dark pasts?

"My husband and I enjoyed our breakfast so much yesterday morning I just had to come back for more."

"That's wonderful. I'm so pleased you liked it. What can I get you today?"

Hermione rattled off an order for enough food to feed five different people. Once she made it through the shop's front door she had a renewed desire to purchase one of everything she saw.

"Business has been a little slow for me too at Flourish and Blotts."

Mrs. Rowle gave her a sad smile. There was no reason to elaborate on why their respective businesses were struggling. Hermione tried to offer her what little encouragement she could.

"But I don't regret it. Not single part of it."

Her smile completely transformed the other witch's face.

"No, I don't regret it either."

Hermione returned to the flat just as Rabastan exited the bathroom. One look at the bag she carried made him laugh.

"More, my darling? But we still have some left over from yesterday."

She shrugged her shoulders, unashamed of buying too much two days in a row. There were people who cared enough to buy books they didn't need just to support her when she needed it. Buying too much to eat wasn't a hardship, especially as her husband kept teasing her about his vault.

Rabastan made sure her hands were empty before he pulled her into his arms for a good morning kiss she could feel in every cell of her poor body. How was it possible that the kisses just kept getting better and better every day? The bar had already been set very high that first night they made the compromise.

"After breakfast I want us to go up and down Diagon Alley to see which shops will welcome us and which ones won't. I want to know who is against us."

It was plain just by the look on Rabastan's face that he didn't like her plan at all. Other than the day he was released from prison and no one yet saw his bearded face in the morning newspaper, he avoided the other shops in Diagon Alley. He had become far more comfortable with Muggle areas of the city because he had anonymity. No one was kicking him out of their shops anywhere else.

"Okay, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to know where we are free to shop."

He was still nervous after breakfast. Not that she could really blame him. It had been humiliating to be told she wasn't welcome in the teashop she visited many times before. When they stood outside the first apothecary ready to go inside to see if they would be allowed to shop, he stopped her.

"Maybe you should go in without me. They're more likely to let just you shop there if I'm not with you."

"No, I refuse to patronize any business that won't allow my husband."

Surprised, yet pleased by the level of passion she seemed to have for the cause, Rabastan grinned and took her hand. If they went anywhere, they would go together. He was an intelligent man if he was already learning it was best and a little easier to just go along when his wife had her mind set.

Hermione was encouraged by the number of shops that didn't seem to care who her husband was. Some of the clerks gave them suspicious looks or weren't terribly friendly, but the vast majority of businesses were all too happy to accept their galleons. As encouraged as she was, she was also deeply frustrated. Why did everyone stop shopping in her shop then? Was it all the coverage in the newspapers? She really hated Rita Skeeter.

By mid-afternoon they had been inside nearly every single shop in Diagon Alley. Except for the teashop across the Alley, of course. She made an excuse when Rabastan reached for the door that she didn't want to go in there because she didn't care one way or the other if they were allowed. The owner was a terror and she wanted no part in supporting her business. He seemed pacified by that explanation.

Besides the teashop, only a cauldron shop and one apothecary refused to allow them to remain inside. Hermione thought the apothecary had more to do with her than Rabastan. She once turned down the owner for a date. Clearly he still held a grudge.

Hungry again, they stood outside the Leaky Cauldron for what would be the ultimate test. Hannah Longbottom was the landlady and the couple lived upstairs. When Hermione explain that to Rabastan, he was nervous, practically begging her for them to go home. She had to insist they go in before he relented.

It was very uncomfortable to enter the Leaky Cauldron when it was so busy. All eyes seemed to be on them and none of them were friendly. Hermione kept her head high all the way to an empty table. Her husband didn't care for all of the attention either. After a few minutes, Hannah came over to take their orders. She seemed a little annoyed that they were there, but didn't act like she was going to kick them out any time soon. Customers were customers. Hermione took it as a good sign.

From start to finish, lunch was tense and awkward. Both of them were glad when it was over and neither of them looked forward to repeating the experience any time soon. At the very least they survived their first meal out in public in the wizarding world. It was a big step. Eventually it would get easier.

Back in the security of their home, they felt more at ease. They were comfortable there and no one was shooting them hateful looks across the room. When he sat down on the sofa, Rabastan took her hand to tug her down next to him. It was easy being with him, something she couldn't say about past relationships. Away from the rest of the world, he seemed a little more optimistic. Maybe they would be accepted one day.

"So we did what you wanted to do. Now how are we going to spend the rest of the day with the shop closed?"

Hermione wasn't used to having much free time so she didn't know how to answer his question. Before he came along most Mondays she spent too long in bed and then worked in the closed shop trying to catch up on everything she neglected the rest of the week.

"I have no idea. What do you want to do?"

Rabastan chuckled and she realized too late how easily she walked right into that one.

"There's no question what I want to do. I never stop wanting to do it. Thirty days didn't seem so long when I was in my prison cell agreeing just to get out."

"Well, time is relative."

"Yes, it is. How many more days do we have left?"

She sighed.

"Too many."

In hindsight she shouldn't have been the least bit surprised when her husband kissed her. They were alone, sitting very close to each other, and both of them were thinking about the sex they'd agreed was forbidden until the thirty days were up. Of course he gave in to his desire to feel his lips against hers. She could have easily been the one to initiate the same.

Once she was over the initial shock, Hermione was a more willing participant. Kissing Rabastan was as exciting as the first time every time. She hoped that they would never get to the point where her stomach stopped fluttering every time he touched her. It was such an intoxicating feeling.

Just as it had downstairs on her office settee, the kiss quickly became heated. Any surface where they could lie horizontally was just asking for trouble. Hermione wasn't sure if he pushed her on her back or if she pulled him down with her. The details how they got there didn't seem to matter. He was on top of her kissing the breath out of her lungs and no one was complaining.

The longer they explored the other's mouth, the bolder they grew. Rabastan had been careful, when he was awake at any rate, to keep his hands mostly to himself. But maybe he'd grown tired of being a gentleman. His hands wandered over her body, reaching for every bit he could touch even over her clothes. She loved every moment. Part of her was ready to rip every stitch of clothing she had on to remove any barrier for him.

It wasn't fair that he got to do all of the touching. Emboldened by his touches, Hermione ran her hands along his sides. Just below his waist she reached around his front to feel for herself how much he wanted her. Only one brief featherlight touch was permitted before Rabastan groaned and jumped up to his feet.

"No, we made an agreement. Thirty days. I wouldn't feel right about breaking it. I want to make sure you're absolutely positive about me before we activate the bonding spell."

Hermione leaned up on her elbows and grinned.

"There's a lot we can still do without activating the bond."

His next groan was even louder than his first.

"You will be the death of me, witch."

Unable to trust himself a moment longer, especially after the war she kept smiling at him, Rabastan announced he was going on a long walk alone. Hermione had to laugh as he ran out of the flat. It made her feel powerful to see the effect she had on him.

Rabastan returned home a few hours later much calmer than when he left. For the rest of the night they kept a respectable distance from each other. Though she was tempted to try, Hermione didn't let her kiss goodnight get out of hand.