A/N: Thanks for the reviews, I love 'em. Awesome, they were. Keep 'em coming and I'll keep writing. Promise.
Hermione tried to work, but it wasn't happening. All she could think about was Draco. That and the fact that her husband had been secretly working against of Voldemort and she hadn't even noticed. I can't believe I've been so stupid. She had to talk to someone.
She realized she'd been staring at her desk, where the snake was engraved into the corner. She shook her head, stood up, and made her way to the lift. She stepped in and punched the button that would take her down to the Atrium. She had to find Ginny.
She Flooed to the Burrow, which was where Ginny had been living. She stepped out of the fireplace in the kitchen and saw Molly Weasley at the sink.
"Well, hello, Hermione," Molly said. "What brings you here in the middle of the day?"
"Hi, Molly. I was wondering if Ginny was here. I need to speak to her about something."
"Sorry, dear, she stepped out a few minutes ago. She had to go get a new robe for something. I think she said she was going to Madame Malkin's. Is it something I could help you with?"
Hermione sighed. "I wish, but it's okay. I'll go find her."
"Won't you stay for lunch? It's meatballs today."
"No, thanks, Molly. I've got to be going. The work's been piling up lately. I'll stop by again soon, though. I just don't see enough of anyone lately." Hermione smiled at the older woman, whom had been such a good friend for the last ten years.
"Well, take care, dear. Call on me anytime you like, okay?"
"Of course. I'll be seeing you." With that, she stepped into the fireplace and Flooed to the Leaky Cauldron.
XXXXX
Draco was trying to pull himself out of bed. When he got home last night, he had spent a few hours tossing about, thinking of Hermione. He was remembering how soft her skin was, how her hair framed her face, how her eyes had brightened with passion as she thrashed underneath him. He couldn't sleep. Finally, after he thought about what Ginny had told him, about talking to her, and being nice, and all of that other horse shit, he had fallen asleep thinking he'd have his wife back in a few days.
He got up, walked to the bathroom, and stripped down to nothing. He turned the water on, then got in the shower. He stood under the water for a few minutes, trying to wake up. Finally, he grabbed his shampoo and started massaging it into his silvery hair. He hadn't told anyone, but after Hermione left him, he switched to her favorite shampoo and conditioner, just so he could pretend when he got out of the shower she would be standing there waiting for him. The reason he didn't tell anyone was because her shampoo and conditioner smelled like lavender. It just wasn't a manly scent, and it sure wasn't fit for a Malfoy.
After about twenty minutes, he stepped out onto a green rug and dried himself off. As he did so, he thought about a way in which he could impress Hermione tonight. He ran his hands through his damp hair, admiring the way it caught the light and shone like silver. He stepped over to the sink and grabbed his moisturizer. (How else would he keep his skin so smooth?) Rubbing it on his chin, he remembered the way Hermione's soft hands had felt on his body. Just the thought caused him to get hard. The next thought was where she had touched him; it only made him harder. I've got to think about something else, or I'll never be able to get my pants on. What do I hate most in the world? That's easy – The Boy Who Wouldn't Die. That helped, until he remembered how close he and Hermione used to be at school. Did they ever… did she ever touch him like that? The idea made him angry, but the thought of being touched by Hermione only brought about the memories of last night again.
Oh, shit, shit, double shit. What do I do now? Blaise's words came back to mind. 'Show her you can be trusted.' Well, okay, but how? 'Tell her you'll be back, and come back.'
Then Ginny's words came to mind. 'Give her time.' What the hell is that supposed to mean? How do I show her I can be trusted, but give her time? Blaise had said something about a book…
I know. I'll give her a book. She likes to read. Fine, that's easy enough. What about time, though? Should I wait, or do it now? Well, he couldn't do it now on account of being naked. As much as he didn't care about his nudity, he didn't feel like being arrested right now. Besides, she was probably at work. It wouldn't do to walk into the Ministry chock full of Aurors and other such law enforcement. He was a suspected Death Eater, after all. Maybe he'd drop by the coffee shop again. Yeah, that'll probably work. Happy at the idea that he'd see his wife again tonight, he finished his primping and went to get dressed.
XXXXX
Hermione walked up the street to Madame Malkin's. As she passed the ice cream shop, she heard a shout behind her.
"Oi! 'Mione! What are you up to?"
She spun around to see the youngest Weasley chasing her. "Looking for you," she replied, a small smile on her face.
"What for?"
"Well, I need to talk to you about… something that happened last night."
You mean someone, don't you? Ginny thought. "Yeah, sure. Let's get an ice cream, all right?"
"Yeah, I guess, but I was thinking lunch first. That okay?"
"You mean you don't consider ice cream lunch? What's wrong with you?" Ginny replied incredulously, though she was grinning.
Hermione grinned back. "Maybe – if my parents weren't dentists, anyway."
Ginny laughed, then linked her arm through Hermione's, leading her to a small, hidden café just around the corner.
They sat down and each ordered a diet soda while looking at the menu. Hermione had never been here before; it was small and sort of like Madam Puddifoot's in Hogsmeade, but not in a gushy-romanticy-slightly-disgusting kind of way. It was dim inside, but was lit up with Tiffany lamps, and the tables were draped in red and white checkered tablecloths. There was a pool table in the back, along with a dartboard. They received their drinks in tall glass mugs, which were enchanted to stay frosted so their beverages wouldn't get warm. Hermione decided this was her new favorite café. She now had two places to go after work to relax. The only difference was one served coffee and the other served liquor. This will be a great place to come after really crappy days. She smiled to herself.
The waitress appeared again, and Ginny ordered some kind of big sandwich with a side of chips. Hermione was surprised to see a chicken Caesar salad on the menu. "Is this place supposed to be modeled after a Muggle restaurant?" she asked the waitress.
"Yes, actually. We even serve beer," she said, then added in a whisper, "even though I think it kind of tastes like pee." Ginny nearly choked, but Hermione only smiled.
"Would you believe it actually is pee?" she asked. The waitress' face paled, and she looked like she was going to be ill. Ginny, meanwhile, was staring at Hermione, wide-eyed. "I'm sorry, I know that sounds gross, but it's an easy way to explain how it's made. See, these little microorganisms, called yeast, they're fed something called hops, and their waste, their 'pee', is mostly what beer is made of." The waitress nearly fainted, while Ginny looked like she was trying to hide a grin.
Smiling, Hermione ordered the chicken Caesar salad, dressing on the side,and an orderof breadsticks. Ginny looked like she was itching to say something, so Hermione asked the question for her.
"Is that really what beer is made of? Yes, Ginny, it is. I wasn't lying." Ginny made a gurgling noise in her throat.
"You weren't just… saying that? You were serious?"
"Yep."
"I'm suddenly not very hungry anymore." Ginny did indeed look slightly green, but Hermione couldn't hold back her laugh.
"Not only that, but would you believe a lot of Americans know that, yet drink it anyway?" Ginny grabbed her stomach.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop." Hermione said, laughing again.
Ginny didn't know whether it was safe to open her mouth or not, but she did anyway. "Please tell me that isn't the reason you wanted to talk to me."
Hermione suddenly quit laughing. "No, it isn't. Though it was a nice distraction." She sighed. "Um, well, it's about… Draco."
Ginny's eyes lit up. I knew it! "What about him?"
"Well, he kind of ran into me at Grimmauld Place," she began, explaining how she had almost been caught; how he and Blaise had helped her escape; what she went back for; and what happened between her and Draco.
"Then, when we were done, I said, 'This was a mistake. It won't happen again.' I went home, and it took me forever to fall asleep, because I couldn't quit thinking about him." She took a sip of her drink.
Ginny's face looked as though she was trying to absorb the information Hermione had just given her, when in reality she was gloating over the fact that Hermione was admitting she still had feelings of some kind for her husband. Finally, she spoke.
"Well? When are you going to see him again?"
"What? I'm not. I will not see him again. Didn't you hear me? It was a mistake. It shouldn't have happened. I was weak, and I won't let that happen again, either."
"Hermione, isn't he your husband?"
"Well, yes, technically, but-"
"Didn't you love him at one point?"
"Yes, of course, but-"
"Then I don't see a problem .You love him, you're married, he apologized, what's the deal?"
Hermione was completely dumbfounded. "Didn't you hear what I said? He is a DEATH EATER. He LIED to me. He can't be trusted. Why should I commit myself to a man I can't trust?"
"You already did," Ginny said quietly. The waitress came over with their orders. She looked warily at Hermione, expecting her to say something else that would make her sick. Hermione simply smiled at her.
The women sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying their meals. Ginny had seemed to not only recover her appetite, but had also inherited Ron's. True, she was eating with some semblance of table manners, but the rate at which she was shoving it into her mouth was almost obscene. Hermione found it was easier to eat if she didn't look at her companion.
About ten minutes later, Hermione dared to look up again. Ginny was daintily wiping the corners of her mouth. She grinned at Hermione, who smiled back through a mouthful of chicken.
"Man, I'm still hungry."
"Why don't you give it a few minutes to settle before you decide that?" Hermione was sure that the small woman sitting across the table from her would be feeling uncomfortably full in about five mintues.
"Nah, I'm going to get something else to eat."
"Did you forget that we're going to get ice cream?"
"Nope. Still got plenty of room for that."
Hermione looked at her, not quite believing what she was hearing. "Sure. Whatever you say."
While Ginny contemplated the menu again, Hermione was thinking about what Ginny had said. Yes, he did apologize, but that was one hell of a lie. One apology isn't just going to make it up.
But I still love him.
A/N: Sorry it took so long to update this story, but I got writer's block about three paragraphs into this chapter, then my bf's friend died on Wednesday; coincidentally, so did my uncle. So, I had to go to two showings Friday, then two funerals Saturday. So, all in all, it was kind of a crappy day. However, I did finish (YAY!), and now it's posted. Fun stuff, I say. (not)
Hoping you enjoyed,
-Kat
