Author's note: This story about double indemnity just wouldn't be fun unless I threw in some double entendre as well! So keep an eye out for it, I suspect my readers couldn't possibly be so thick that they couldn't spot a little sexual innuendo...

Chapter 4: Hermione's Wish

The next Monday evening, Ron found himself once again on the front porch of the Malfoy estate. At least this time he was able to drive a car that his father, the Minister of Magic, loaned to him until his apparation license could be restored. Minister Weasley loved the underground but didn't feel it was a safe place for a wizard to be traveling alone. Ron's heart was thumping in his chest and his hands were like the cold skin on a recently expired double blasted skrewt. He reached up to the dragon doorknocker to signal his arrival.

The door opened almost immediately, and Ron expected to see Mopsy standing there behind it with her hand on her hip and a scowl on her face. Instead, it was Hermione with her hair done up in a twist with soft curls falling on her cheeks. She was wearing a long lilac summer dress without sleeves. Ron gulped.

"Come in Ronald, I was worried you might not come," Hermione beckoned him into the house.

"It's only 8:01, Hermione," Ron looked puzzled as he glanced down at his watch.

"Let's go to the parlor, I've got rum for your pumpkin juice tonight!" Hermione grabbed a hold of Ron's arm and escorted him into the same room he had been to just the week before.

Ron noticed it was too quiet in the house, and perhaps a little bit dimmer than it had been on his previous visit. Something felt strange.

"Hermione?" Ron suddenly felt very uncomfortable, "Is Malfoy here?"

"No," she was now mixing the pumpkin juice and rum and pouring it into glasses.

"But you said—"

"—He's in New Zealand right now—he won't be back for another couple days." Hermione smiled as she handed him his drink.

"Actually, do you have any butterbeer instead? Rum's a bit fast for me, I've got a car tonight." Ron figured he probably needed the rum to calm his anxiety, but then again he didn't want to get emotional around Hermione either.

"Yes of course, Ronald," she turned started walking back towards the foyer calling, "Mopsy! Oh Mopsy, could we get some butterbee—oh wait," Hermione turned back around to face Ron, "that's right, tonight is Mopsy's night off." She shrugged her shoulders innocently.

Ron couldn't believe it—she'd set the whole thing up for them to be alone together! He tipped his glass of pumpkin juice and rum to his lips and almost downed the entire glass in one gulp.

"I thought you said the rum worked too fast on you Ronald, aren't you worried about being pulled over by an officer tonight?" Hermione had now taken a seat on one end of a squishy couch in the drawing room.

"Eh, I'm not too worried about the muggle officers, they couldn't spot a ministry car if it did a dance in front of them." Ron was still standing in the drawing room but he was now leaning on the bar where Hermione had mixed his drink.

"Well if I were an officer and I saw you do anything wrong, I'd have no choice but to pull you over." Hermione had her legs crossed on the couch and was tossing her head haughtily at Ron.

"I guess if I were breaking the law I'd have no choice but the get out and let you cuff me—"

"—No doubt, I'd also have to take you into the station," Hermione now stood up and was walking towards Ron.

Ron turned his head aside and coughed to clear his throat and when he looked back up Hermione was standing right in front of him with her face no further than a few inches away.

"I'd have to lock you up Ronald—"

"I suspect I could break out, although it could take a full hour to do if you had a hold of my wand—"

Hermione raised her eyebrows at Ron and then grabbed his empty glass, "Another for you Ron?" She started pouring the drink before he could reply.

"So Ronald, I've been thinking about this accident insurance that you sell, and well I am afraid Draco just won't go for it. After all he is very greedy and he thinks nothing bad would ever happen to him. He is so greedy that he won't be leaving a single dime to me after he passes away! All of this estate will go to that brat of his! He cares more for Miranda than he does his own wife!"

"Miranda?" Ron had completely forgotten about Miranda, but remembered his nieces and nephews speaking very highly of her from school. But then he wondered if she was there at the house too.

"She's not here when her father isn't home, she hates me, I hate her...it all works out fine," Hermione then walked toward the window and looked outside. "Oh Ron, I just sometimes think that if Draco was dead, then I'd be happy again!"

"You are unhappy then?" Ron knew there was no way Hermione could be content living such a conniving, and selfish man. "He keeps me locked up in the house, and hardly lets me send owls to all my friends. He yells at me for buying my books—says I am wasting his gold! Oh he's horrible Ronald! I sometimes I imagine what it would be like if he were dead, but then I remember that I'd be left with nothing..." Hermione trailed off.

Ron walked over to Hermione, who was still looking out the window, and put his hand on her shoulder, "Have you ever though of divorce? You could go back to Hogwarts and teach again. I'm sure they'd love to have you back."

She was crying now, "He'd never let me go! He wouldn't want everyone knowing he had a bad marriage. He's all about saving face. Besides, he couldn't stand the burden of giving me gold after I left either. At least with me as his wife he can control me..."

Ron felt helpless. All he could think to do was to turn Hermione around to face him and give her a warm hug. He held her close to him.

A minute later, Hermione pulled away from Ron, her eyes now dry. "I've been wondering Ron, and I don't know if it's allowed, but...perhaps I could get an accident policy on Draco without him knowing it?"

"Herm—"

"—I could pay for it myself, I have a bit of gold left in Gringotts from when I worked at Hogwarts. I would just feel a lot better knowing I would be covered if Draco ever died..."

Ron thought for a moment about her propostion. Thoughts ran through his head like, 'We'd need his signature, and then the owl post would deliver the policy declarations, and he would know about the policy...' But then Ron realized what Hermione was implying.

"You mean to kill him, don't you Hermione? And run off with the money, eh? HAVE YOU GONE COMPLETELY MENTAL?"

"No Ron you don't understand, I don't want to kill him I just WISH he were dead, that's all. No crime in that..."

"I can't do this for you Hermione. Do you know that every time a fraudulent claim comes into the office, somehow Parvati knows about it. Just last year a woman pulled the same plan after her husband agreed to take out an accident policy. Do you know where that woman is now, Hermione? Azkaban! That's where! And I'll be damned if I see you go there too!"

"Ron, please! I don't want to kill him. I just want to know that I will have something if he were ever to be in an accident. He travels a lot and anything could happen!"

Ron was furious that Hermione could think of such an insane plan, and he started walking towards the door. He stopped before he reached for the doorknob and turned around to see Hermione, now in tears once again, "I'll ask Colin to take over for the Broomstick Policy for your husband. The office will send another owl. You won't be seeing me here again."

Ron slammed the door behind him and hurried to his car. He got in and put his head down on the steering wheel for a moment. Finally he sighed and started up the car. As he drove back to his apartment he reassured himself that he was doing the right thing. Miserable as Hermione was living with Malfoy, Ron was sure it would beat having to see her waste away in Azkaban.

Note to readers: Please let me know in your reviews if you would like me to keep this as a PG-13 in later chapters or if I should make some rated R chapters for more obvious sex and violence.... Thanks for reviews!!!