Chapter Eight

She saw that it was Malfoy and groaned.

"What do you want?" she asked nastily.

"Just accompanying you on an evening stroll," he said with a nasty smirk.

Hermione glared at him.

"Shouldn't you be with your wife?" she said, equally nasty.

"A little hard to if she keeps crying over the baker's son," he said annoyed.

Hermione stared at him.

"So you did hear..." she started.

"What? What did I hear?"

"Um, nothing," she said hastily.

"Oh," he said, still staring at her. "So where are you going?"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Didn't you hear me at breakfast? I'm meeting Ron," she said irritably.

"You'd rather be with him than me?" he said, a little hurt.

"Well," Hermione was a little confused in which way he put it. Did he mean as in "relationship" or just being with for the day?

"Well, you have a wife, like you said so clearly to me yesterday," said Hermione stubbornly.

Malfoy laughed that low musical laugh.

"Hermione you know damn right I was just mad..." he started.

Hermione stopped and stared at him. "What is there to deny? She is your wife. You were being reasonable."

Malfoy stared at her, lost in thought. He was getting dangerously close again and it scared Hermione a little. What if he kissed her?

Well she was thinking along the same lines as Malfoy.

Malfoy closed the space between them and bent to kiss her.

Hermione felt swept away. What was he doing? She felt something like electricity running through her veins and she was sure the minute he broke the kiss apart she would become very dizzy.

Hermione was the first to break apart. She took a stride back and looked him in the eye. His eyes looked fiery; she never saw that expression on the Prince's face before.

"Hermione I -" started Malfoy, his voice deep.

"No need to explain Malfoy. I know what you are trying to do," she said, stalking away.

Malfoy was shocked. He - the prince - just kissed her and she has the nerve to accuse him of something?

"What?" he said, the hurt evident in his voice. Hermione ignored the tone.

"You are just trying to find your way out of the marriage so you kissed me, hoping someone will see us," she said stubbornly.

"That's not true!" protested Malfoy. Hermione was touched that he was readily admitting it wasn't; but he was probably going with that plan anyway, knowing Ginny's love for Harry.

"Yes, it is, don't tell me it isn't," she responded.

Draco glared at her. The look in his eye was replaced with an icy stare that made her shiver.

"Fine, be that way, Granger," he said, still watching her as she was stalking off.

"I will!" she said, not looking at him.

"But you don't know the real way out of the marriage. The only way out of the marriage is yes, if you kiss another and another witnesses, and the groom consents to being in love with that person, but you also have to marry her!" he roared.

He wasn't sure if Hermione heard or not because at that exact moment she apparated.

Oh, Hermione heard all right.

Hermione felt dizzy from the kiss and the piece of information that she just heard.

He risked that kiss to be married to her.

And he didn't care who was watching. Well, Malfoy was a careless person in general, but he almost gave up his whole life to be with her.

Hermione decided a nice cup of tea would calm her, she didn't really feel like contemplating.

Hermione spotted Ron on the bench, feeding the pidgeons bread.

Hermione chuckled. "Didn't know Ickle Ronniekins was so concerned for the birdies," she said slyly.

"I have a heart, you know," said Ron, defensively, but he too started laughing.

"Should Prince Ronald Weasly of Gryfindor escort the lady down to the tea shop?" said Ron, in a formal voice.

Hermione laughed.

"Yes, he shall," said Hermione, linking her arm with his.

They were talking and laughing like old times with linked arms all the way to the tea shop.

Someone could have easily mistook them for being a couple.

And someone saw.

They finally got to the door of the tea shop and Ron bowed and held the door open for her.

"After you, m'lady," he said charmingly.

Hermione batted her eyelashes.

They burst out laughing so hard that the elder with her Chihuahua looked extremely offended at their childish behavior.

They walked into the store and they spotted Harry in the corner looking very miserable and sipping a cup of strong coffee.

They rushed over and Harry didn't even look up.

"Hi Harry," said Hermione tentatively.

"Hey man," said Ron.

"Are you alright?" said Hermione worriedly.

Ron sat down and Hermione follow suit. A waitress bustled over and asked for their drinks.

"SO what's for today, kids?" she said in a bored voice.

"Um, I'll just have tea with milk and three sugars, thanks," said Hermione. The waitress copied it into her notebook.

"You?" she said to Ron.

"Um, same as Hermione, just add 2 shots of firewhiskey..."

"Ron!" said Hermione, scandalized, "you can't afford to get drunk!"

"Oh yeah I can, I have thousands of galleons..." said Ron innocently.

"OH shut up! You know what I mean!"

"Ok, ok, keep your wig on," he said, not noticing Harry who was fighting a losing battle to laugh. "Yeah, same thing as Hermione."

"Ok then," said the waitress. "Coming right up."

"Now, about the matter of you and Ginny," started Hermione as soon as the waitress left.

"I know I was wrong! I just got a little jealous! Weird things were running through my mind. Especially the part about them producing a heir..."

"Harry! You know she loves you! She's just as miserable as you right now!" said Hermione earnestly.

"So what do I do now?" said Harry dejectedly.

"Apologize," said Ron simply.

"But how?" he said hysterically.

"Just do it," said Ron, shrugging his shoulders. "I know my sister, she doesn't care how you do it, as long as you do it."

"Yeah, I guess you are right," said Harry, sounding a bit better.

"So who's for a game of three way rummy?" bursted out Ron.

Hermione laughed. "Shuffle the deck mate!"

Eleven cups of coffee later (and a Ron who was begging Hermione for just a shot in his) and nine game of rummy later (all of which Ron won, much to Harry's displeasure) they decided to hit the road to the castle.

Hermione decided to go walk back to the castle alone after making Harry promise her to apologize and explain to Ginny.

Hermione walked down the path and noticed a figure on the fountain by the roses, a boy with pale blond hair and his head hung.

Hermione, by natural curiosity, walked over toward him and saw he was trying to get to the castle unsuccessfully.

Hermione chuckled. Probably came back from the bar or something...

Hermione gasped when she saw who it really was.

Prince Draco Malfoy drunk? Now that was something to chuckle about..

Probably extremely bored and needed some daytime entertainment, even though it was nearing dinner.

Hermione neared toward him tentatively.

"Malfoy...are you okay?" she said.

"Not really," he slurred. "Wait, are you 'Ermione?"

"No, not Hermione, no," she said hastily.

Just then Harry apparated next to her in a rush, his lean figure running toward Hermione. He was going to apologize to Ginny and tell Hermione about it first, but seeing as poor Hermione was trying to balance someone twice her height, he decided to aid her.

Harry chuckled the same way Hermione did when he saw who it was.

"Hahahahaha, Draco Malfoy, the prince is drunk," he said nastily.

Hermione looked immediately relieved at seeing Harry, she was about to collapse under his weight.

"Oho," said Harry. "He's drunk."

"Yeah, and I don't know why... I just found him here right now and he said 'are you Hermione'."

"What did you say?" said Harry, interested.

"No," said Hermione.

"Why?" said Harry, smirking.

"I don't know, he was mad at me when I left," Hermione shrugged.

"You guys are always getting mad at each other," said Harry, shaking his head.

Draco didn't seem to be keeping up with the conversation. He was about to throw up and he ducked over and did.

Hermione patted his back timidly. SHe wasn't used to comforting a drunk guy.

"Are you okay?" said Hermione to Draco.

"No way, my stomach freaking h - hurts," slurred Draco, toppling over.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"We have to get him back up to the castle," said Hermione urgently.

Harry nodded.

Both Harry and Hermione took him by the arms and trudged up to the castle.

The two poor people... thought Hermione viciously. The two poor people are carrying the Prince up to the castle. Just goes to show...

Draco's face was pale.

"You are awfully pretty," said Draco unconsciously. "You remind me of someone."

Harry batted his eyelashes. "Me?" he said in a high pitch girly voice. Hermione burst out laughing and Harry let out a Pansy - ish giggle.

"No, not you," slurred Malfoy, very annoyed. "Her," he said, gesturing to Hermione.

Hermione felt very uncomfortable now.

"You remind me of someone," he repeated.

Hermione was a little nervous. Probably Eloise Midgen or something. Maybe if I'm really unlucky he'll say that I look like Pansy.

"Who?" said Hermione politely.

Harry raised his eyebrows in a mock offended matter.

"Oh now she's the pretty one," he said waving his hand in a ghetto fashion. Harry really loved messing with drunk people's minds.

Hermione burst out laughing. This time she was toppling over.

Draco ignored them.

"She reminds me a that girl. That village girl," slurred Draco, still sounding a little like his old self.

Hermione held her breath. At least Pansy wasn't on the list. Eloise Midgen still has a chance...

"What village girl?" said Harry curiously.

"Um, Hermione, yeah her," said Draco, his eyes growing a distant look. "She just seems to hate me."

"NO she doesn't," said Harry firmly. Hermione felt faint. But still she didn't bother to correct him.

"No?" he said, sounding a little hopeful.

"Nope." he repeated.

"Are you Ginny?" slurred Draco suspiciously.

"Nope," he said. "Not at all."

"Oh good. I don't want to marry her at all. I heard she's so in love with the baker's son," he said, without a care. He stumbled. "And I overheard Ginny say Hermione loves me. SHe sure doesn't show it."

Harry looked at Hermione. Hermione was staring at Draco.

"Why are staring at me?" he frowned.

"No reason," said Hermione swiftly.

"Good then, because my heart belongs ONLY to Hermione," he said arrogantly.

Hermione almost fainted.

(A/n I know it sounds like they're going to get all mushy together the next day but they really aren't. Well you'll see.)