Disclaimer: Right… I really don't own Harry or Luna or Draco or Hermione yadda, yadda, yadda. They all belong to JKR an not me, blah, blah, blah. I do own a few things, anyway.

Author's Note: Ever see General Hospital? No? Oh well. Basically it's a soap opera (yes a soap opera. What?). Some storylines are based on the storylines from General Hospital.

Spoilers up to and including The Order of the Phoenix

Rating: PG-14 for language, violence, kidnapping, and sexual themes. Perhaps PG-15 for the upcoming chapter, actually.

-

-

-

Chapter Eight: Mornings After and Fake Dates

Hermione woke with a start. Somehow, and Hermione really didn't want to think how, she and Draco had ended up on the floor of his office. She turned her head cautiously to see Draco, with his arm still draped on her waist, was still asleep.

She gave a sigh of relief and clutched at the flimsy greenblanket that was once on the couch. Hermione really didn't want to think of the couch. Or the floor for that matter.

I need to get out of here, Hermione thought to herself as she began to untangle their legs. She carefully reached under the blanket and removed Draco's arm from her waist.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked, still half asleep. He peeked at her through half closed gray eyes.

Hermione sighed and gave up. She flopped her head on the, thankfully carpeted, floor. "When did we get over here?" She asked him weakly.

Draco, still peering at her through half open eyes looked around. "Er, I really have no clue. Probably not too long after the first time." Draco said with a self-satisfied smirk.

Hermione moved into a sitting position and placed her head in her hands. "I have to leave. Right now." She said as she stood up, clutching the blanket to her chest. She wrapped it around her like a robe and looked down at the naked Draco, keeping her eyes adverted from below the belt line.

Draco rolled his eyes and grabbed for his pants. Hermione adverted her eyes as Draco put his clothes back on. "Why do you have to leave?" He asked her angrily. Draco hated being used; he's the one who does the using.

"I can't deal with this. I've never done this before!" Hermione yelled back at him. She pulled the blanket up higher and glared at Draco.

"What, mind blowing sex? I must say I'm really not surprised. I've seen all your boyfriends!" Draco said as he buttoned his shirt, at least he buttoned the ones that were still intact.

"I'm married, Draco! I shouldn't have done this. I'm not this impulsive!" She said miserably. "I don't do things like this!"

"And maybe that's why your husband keeps going to Brown," Draco said maliciously. He instantly regretted his words as he saw tears make their way down her cheeks. "Hermione," he said as he took a step forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Hermione slapped his hand away angrily and took a step back. "Shut up. Malfoy, my husband may keep cheating on me, but that doesn't matter. I never cheated on him. And if I were it woild never be with a man like you."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Draco asked.

"You're broken Malfoy." She said in a harsh, quite voice. "You were always broken. Even when we were eleven. You've been brokenfor too longand you can't expect me to fix it." She said in a harsh whisper as the grip on her blanket became tighter.

Draco looked at her oddly. "I may be broken Granger, but at least I know it and can admit it."

"I, Draco, am not broken. I have people who love me. I have people who were there to pick up the pieces. I have two children at home who depend on me to be there."

"They aren't even yours Granger! Why do you act as if they are? Don't you believe that if Brown came back this second, Weasley wouldn't give her that child back? Why don't you just stay here with me?"

"Ron would never do that to me." Hermione said stubbornly. "I don't want to be with you."

"I can give you everything that Weasley has and can't. I can love you more than he ever could, because I have no real past to ever come back. My first love is dead and she's not coming back. I love you, and that's not going to change."

Hermione stared at him with wide eyes. "I can't do this now, Draco." She said softly as she moved past him and out the door.

Gregory shook his head with a small smile on his face as he saw Granger run past him in a blanket. He walked into Draco's office and frowned.

Draco was sitting at his desk, a picture in one hand and a torn piece of fabric in the other. He looked up as Gregory walked closer to him. "Yes, Goyle?" He asked slowly.

"I saw Granger run by. I came to congratulate you, Draco. You got what you wanted." Gregory gave his boss a smile and a nod.

Draco shook his head miserably as he looked back down at the picture. "I told her I loved her. Why did I do that?" He asked the larger man as he rested his head on the hand with the torn fabric.

"Because it's true?" Gregory said with a shrug as he narrowed his eyes in concern. Draco was not the picture of a guy who just had sex and exchanged "I love you's".

Draco seemed to be staring holes into his picture. "I can't be in love with her. I promised Aide when we were young that I would only love her."

Gregory closed his eyes for a moment, a picture of the green-eyed witch he had never met floating in his mind. "Boss, those were different times. You didn't know she would die."

"She would have liked Hermione, I think." Draco said in a louder tone. "They could have been friends."

"Draco, I think you should go talk to Ms Granger." Gregory said as he stood up. Draco watched as he stood up and followed suit. "She's scared on a boat with a bunch of mobsters."

"You think it's time to let her go?" Draco asked.

"I think if you don't, you are never going to have a chance to get her to love you back." Gregory turned around and walked back out the door.

Draco paused and followed Gregory out the door. He walked up a staircase and into his bedroom. He grabbed his wand off the bedside table and aimed it at the fireplace. "Incendo." He said clearly, setting off a large red flame at the base of a log. He walked over and threw a pinch of Floo powder, making the flames turn green. "Pansy Parkinson's room, Weasley house."

He waited for several seconds when Pansy's head floated into view. Her short blonde hair was set in curlers and she was glancing over her shoulder every few seconds.

"What is it?" She asked in a whisper. "And make it fast, I have to get ready."

"For what?" Draco asked, still staring at the pink curlers in her hair.

"There's a ball at five and I have to get ready." Pansy said as she reached up and tightened a curler.

"It's only one." Draco said in a deadpan voice.

"Yeah, what's your point?" She asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Never mind Pans, I Floo-d to tell you that there's a change in plans. You are going to seduce Weasley faster. I want you to have sex with him. As soon as possible." Draco explained.

"What?" Pansy exclaimed hitting her head on the mantle of the fireplace. Rubbing her head she came back into Draco's view. "You want me to have sex with Weasley?"

"Does it really matter, Pansy? Remember when I had sex with that girl in Australia when you wanted her boyfriend?" Draco said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Pansy rolled her blue eyes. "I remember. And it doesn't matter to me Draco, I'm indifferent remember? I'll sleep with him tonight, even if all I have to do is get him drunk. I'm thinking we're both going to have to get drunk." Pansy examined him closely. "You had sex!" She said in a loud whisper. "With Granger?" She asked his skeptically. It wasn't in Hermione's style to sleep with the bad boy.

"Yes, I did." Draco admitted. He could never lie to Pansy. "Go get ready Pansy." Draco said as he ended the connection.

Pansy turned quickly as she heard a knock at her door. "Come in," she yelled as she ran over to her bed and laid on it.

Ron walked into his room and adverted his eyes. "You're just wearing a nightie." He said slowly, quickly glancing at her.

"I haven't put my dress robes on yet. We do have several hours until we have to go," Pansy said as she began to file her nails.

"Who were you talking to?" He asked her as he forced himself to turn away from her.

"Myself," Pansy said as she stood up and walked over to him. She turned him around and smiled at him. "You can look at me." She said as she rolled her eyes.

Ron looked only at her face. "Oh," he said slowly as he began to back away. "That's all I wanted to know." He said as he walked out the door, shutting it firmly behind him.

Pansy rolled her eyes as Harry and Ron hugged in the living room. She stood to the side, arms crossed next to Loony Lovegood. For what seemed like the thousandth time that evening, Pansy looked over Luna's outfit.

It was the oddest shade of purple and blue mixed together with odd beads of different colours placed everywhere. Her hair was raised up on her head with the odd scraggily blonde stand hanging down. She was wearing her usual Butterbeer cork necklace with matching earrings.

Pansy stepped over to the two men and rolled her eyes. "I think I'm going to go for a walk. I'll meet you guys there."

Harry raised an eyebrow and shrugged as Pansy walked out the door. "Did anyone else find it odd that she was wearing red?"

Hermione looked over the letters in her hand once more. She never made it her business to go through other people's things. In fact, she despised those who did. Hermione hated gossip.

Although, Hermione wasn't even sure if this could be constituted as gossip. She was sure she wasn't going to tell anyone. After all, who could she tell, Goyle?

Her head shot up as the doorknob turned. "Shit," she muttered under her breath as she stuffed the letters under her mattress.

She let out a sigh of relief when she realized that the person wasn't Draco, only to again sigh in frustration because it was Pansy.

"What do you want?" Hermione asked the woman coolly.

"I came to stop by and see Draco quickly. I had to watch a love fest over at your house. It disgusted me." Pansy responded as she walked into the room and closed the door behind her.

"Love fest?" Hermione asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Not an orgy or anything like that. I could handle that. Potter and Loony Lovegood came over because 'we're all suppose to go to The Gala together.'" She explained, her voice rising to a mocking tone near the end.

"Of course you could handle an orgy," Hermione quipped with a raised eyebrow and hands folded over her chest.

Pansy's eyes narrowed. "I'm not the only one who enjoys the occasional shag now and again."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Hermione asked the blonde as she dropped her hands to her sides.

"Oh, come on, Granger, it's just us girls. Tell me, who do you dream about at the end of the day Ron or Draco? Now, I know it's a tough decision. Yeah, they are both powerful, passionate men. Unfortunately for you, neither one learned to share. Even withas many siblings asRon has. Otherwise maybe you could have both of them - you know, like alternating nights? Or, hey! What about all three of you togehter? That'd be a kick! Who is it you dream about at night, Hermione?" Pansy asked her cruelly.

"Shut up." Hermione hissed.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it? You want Ron for the main course and Draco on the side. Guess what, Honey? It isn't gonna fly."

"I'm married to Ron. Draco means absolutly nothing to me, Parkinson. Stop trying to make it more than it is." Hermione said.

"Make it more then it is? There's nothing past sex." Pansy said with a shake of her head.

"Don't blame me because you could get off from sparks out of the fire."

"You're the one that's on fire, Honey. Draco is under your skin, and he knows it. He's not going anywhere, and you don't want him to. Oh, and remember - if I can see it, Ron will too."

Draco walked in and raised an eyebrow. "Why are you here, Pansy? And what's with the dress robes?" He asked her, as he looked her over. "They're nice."

Pansy gave a mock twirl before giving Draco a big hug. "Why, thank you. You're not so bad yourself. Not as good as me…."

"Few are," Draco responded.

"But you still try."

"I strive to live up to your beauty. Now you have a job to do, so why are you here?" Draco asked her as he crossed his arms. He looked back at Hermione briefly, who was glaring at him.

"Love fest." She said shortly. "I have to go though, so walk me to the door?"

"Gregory can do it, yes?" Draco said nodding his head.

"Oh, sure." Pansy said picking up on the hint. She walked out the door and looked at Greg, who was standing guard, per usual. "What the hell was that? There was more tension in there than I have ever seen before. I thought the UST was now RST?"

Gregory shook his head with a small smile. "Draco's in love with her." He said with a knowing look.

"No way. Draco with the Bookworm?" Pansy said in shock. "You know, I had no idea she even had sex. Guess the Ice Queen isn't as icy as we made her out to be, eh?"

Gregory shrugged as the two reached the door. "Have fun at your little dance thingy tonight."

"How did you know?" She asked him as she stepped out the open door.

"You only wear colour to special occasions with special people." He said as he closed the door.

Pansy nodded and made her way down the yacht and onto the docks. She hid behind a wall as she head footsteps.

"The issue in question here is Terrence's innocence or guilt, not my romantic life." Lisa said with a tone of disgust.

"Well, if that's what you can call it. You seem to express attraction like some sort of 9-year-old schoolgirl, picking fights and throwing insults around. What happens when you reach your crescendo? Do you punch the object of your affection in the arm?" Ernie taunted.

"Clearly, you're defensive about your impotence in the courtroom." She said with her hands on her hips as the two stopped walking.

"Oh?"

"Otherwise, you wouldn't be overcompensatingby making personal attacks on me."

"Here come the insults, right on cue." Ernie said as he started to walk again.

"That's right." Lisa said as she caught up with him.

"Lisa, if you want to ask me out for a drink, why don't you just come right out like a big girl and ask me instead of resorting to school-yard tactics?"

"I would rather die of thirst than ever have a drink with you." She said as she crossed her arms.

"Are we not technically on a date? We are going to The Gala together. The social event of the year."

Lisa stuck her nose in the air. "It was only because we have both been spending so much time in the court room and we didn't have time to get dates."

"Keep telling yourself that, love." He said as he picked up his pace.

"Don't call me love!" She said as she tried to keep up with him.

"Talk about UST," Pansy said as she followed behind them. In what seemed like no time at all, she reached the hall that The Gala was being held at.

She made her way inside and stood on her tiptoes to see around the hall.

"Did I tell you that I like that colour on you?" A voice said from behind her.

Pansy jumped and spun around. "Blaise!" She said as she hugged her old friend. "You look hot!" She said over the orchestra in the background. She turned to Ginny and smiled. "Did the robes do what we thought they would do?" Pansy asked.

Ginny nodded and looked up at Blaise. "We almost didn't make it in time!" She said jokingly.

"Why not?" Ron asked as he came up behind Pansy. "Why wouldn't you make it in time?" He asked his sister again before he turned to Blaise. "Excuse us," Ron said as he dragged Pansy off to the side. "Why are they together?"

"Attraction?" Pansy guessed. "Just a stab in the dark." Of which never works.

"You were suppose to make him fall in love with you!" Ron exclaimed as he threw his arms in the air.

"I can't make him fall in love with me, just like I can't make you fall in love with me!" Pansy exclaimed before she slammed her hands over her mouth. Her blue eyes widened to be the size of saucers and she took a step back.

Ron looked down at the blonde who was staring ahead. "Er, you do look pretty tonight." He said after a moment.

Pansy looked up at him, thankful he let it go.

"Do you want to dance?" He asked her as he held his hand out.

"I heard you hated dancing." She said ass he cocked her head to one side and placed her hand in his.

"I do." He said as he dragged her out to the dace floor.

Vega arrived on the arm of Sirius, who was grinning like an idiot. "Remember why were here, right Sirius?"

"Of course, piss off Zander and make Sage mine." He said as he waved to his parents.

Vega scratched her eyebrow and forced a smile on her face. She found it odd when she discovered that Sirius was her cousin. He seemed nothing like the rest of her family. "And how are we going to make Sage jealous?"

Sirius merely smiled once more and dragged her over to a table, nearly tripping over someone's legs. He stopped at a table and pulled a chair out for Vega.

Vega sat down and smiled warily at the people at the table. She caught the eye of Remus Lupin who gave her a sympathetic smile as Sirius sat beside her. She obligingly put a hand on his arm and smiled at Sage.

"Hello, Mr. Snape!" Sirius said waving across the table.

Vega's head shot up and she looked at the man in shock. She had seen pictures of Draco's once favourite professor.

He seemed to force a smile on his face. "Hello Sirius," his head turned to look at Vega. "And who is this?"

"This is my date, Vega Les-Smith," he said looking at Sage. Vega ducked her head. Not wanting her newfound cousin to know that she was here, she made up a last name. A bad last name.

Severus's eyebrows rose but he didn't say a word. "That's a… nice name," he said. "Where do you go to school?"

"Er, France." She said as she folded her arms on the table.

"Hmm," Severus said skeptically.

This new girl, Vega, looked exactly like Bellatrix did when they were in school together. The same long dark hair, the same eyes, and the same complexion. The were identical.

There was not only that, but she seemed to

Severus shot a glare as Sage laughed at something Zander had said.

Now, if there was something Severus was, it was overprotective of his young daughter.

Not that young, a voice in his mind reasoned.

Young enough for me to protect her, the other side of his mind reasoned.

She's always young enough for that! A third side joined in.

It wasn't as though Severus hated the boy. He didn't trust him and found him to be cocky. So Severus disliked him.

His saving grace was his job as a waiter. Damn, that boy could serve a perfect cup of coffee.

Draco walked back into Hermione's room, where he left just a few hours previous. "Er, Hermione? Can we talk?" He asked as he took a step forward.

"Does it matter what I say?" She asked him, not bothering to look up. "You're going to talk either way."

"Right," Draco said as he stopped in front of the bed. "Hermione, I love you."

"Please don't start that again," she pleaded.

"It's true!" Draco insisted.

"You don't even know what love is," she spat out, before immediately regretting the words. "If you really loved me, you wouldn't have told Pansy we had sex!" Hermione yelled.

Draco looked shocked. "What did she say to you?" He asked her.

"It doesn't matter! You don't know what love is or you wouldn't have told the woman whose hated me for the past twenty years!"

Draco looked at her for a moment. "I may be a horrible person, Mrs. Weasley. I may be a professional killer and I may not have treated you well at school. I do know what love is. I love you. I love Pansy and I love Vega. And I loved Aida."

"I know. You are not what I thought you were." Hermione said as she looked up at him.

"All I am is a very flawed man that loves you. Hermione, in my defense I thought I could make you happy. I still do. And that's why I'm letting you go."

I'm really sorry for the long lack of an update! My computer crashed and I went on vacation. I couldn't help it!

slyswn28: Hee hee! I love Blaise so very much. I'm glad you're in love with the story.

XOxOkIsSmYaSsXoXo: You'll find out next chapter! ;)

Flavagurl: Here you go:

Vega: Daughter to Bellatrix and cousin to Draco. Lives alone in an apartment bought by Draco. Best friends with people twice her age. Brat and unpopular. Big bitch.

Sage: Daughter of Severus and best friends with Sirius and Zander. Nice girl. Over protective father.

Zander: Alexander Weasley. Nephew to Ron, son to Bill. Lives with his family at the Weasley home. Mother died at a young age. Waiter at The Café.

Sirius: Named for best friend of father Remus and cousin to mother Nymphadora. Clumsy and very sweet. Bumbling and uncomfortable. Living proof that Nice Guys Finish Last.

Daniel: Son of Charlie and unknown who both died. Living with Uncle Ron and Hermione.

Matthew: Son of Ron and Lavender.

Aida: Dead love of Draco. Was murdered in a raid.

Amélie: Wife to Severus and mother to Sage.

FredandGeorgeWeasleyareMYKings: Thanks! You rock as well!

Phew!

See you guys next update!

Catherine

REMEMBER TO REVIEW, PLEASE! I WILL LOVE YOU.

Well, maybe not love as I've never met you…

I'll like you though!