Disclaimer: Its not hours! if you think it is, your wrong.

A/N: See, we got that chapter up soon, didn't we? We're not going to post WN2 until this one is finished and we still have three more chapters left, so get reviewing!

Enjoy!

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Chapter 9
Explanations

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Hermione gasped softly at the sight and felt tears soon in her eyes. Draco heard the noise and jerked his attention to Hermione; the quick movement throwing Ginny off balance. Ginny dropped to the floor and Draco jumped off the desk.

"Hermione," he said as he stepped towards her.

"No, Malfoy," she insisted. "Help your--help Ginny--" she said, unsure as to what her old school friend was to Draco. "up. I don't think I want to talk to you right now."

Hermione turned decidedly from the room, heedless to Draco's calls. She walked blindly down the hall until she came to a dead end. Focusing her vision, she noticed that she was in front of an office. Recognizing the name, she barged it, forgetting to knock.

Shocked by the noise, Bill looked up from his desk into the eyes of the disheveled brunette.

"Hermione?" he asked, stunned. Just yesterday she had been so happy. Now she stood in front of him with swollen, red eyes and tears streaming down her face.

"Hermione, what's wrong," he asked as he stood up to greet her. "You look ready to faint," he commented too late. Already Hermione was swooning into his frame. Luckily he was able to catch her exhausted figure.

Gently, he lay her down onto the office couch he had recently purchased. She settled comfortably into its soft fabric and Bill went back to his desk to work until this damsel in apparent distress was able to talk to him.

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"Mrs. Wood," Draco said in a surprised tone. "Can I help you with anything?"

Ginny smiled at his formality. "Mrs. Wood," she laughed. "Mr. Malfoy," she said mockingly as she stood up from her chair, "we know each other better than that."

She moved closer to him and pulled on his tie. "Don't we?" she asked sweetly.

Draco pulled his tie from her fingers. "Mrs. Wood," he insisted, "that was a long time ago. The past. Besides," he added as he passed her so that he could retreat to the safety behind his desk, "you, in case you have forgotten, are married."

Ginny pouted behind his back. Suddenly, she ran forward and at the opportune moment, she pushed Draco so that he lay across his desk. Not chancing a second she followed him.

Draco frowned at the scantily clad redhead. "Mrs. Wood," he said through gritted teeth, "get off of me before I have to throw you off."

Ginny smiled and further lowered herself onto him so that her body covered his. "You wouldn't throw a lady," she insisted.

"You are not acting very ladylike," he countered. He was just beginning to push her off when a gasp sounded from the doorway. He jolted his attention and saw Hermione standing there, watching the scene. He barely noticed as Ginny fell from him. "Hermione," he began as he jumped up from the awkward position.

Hermione cut him off using his surname and instructed him to help up Ginny. Suddenly she was gone and Draco was left to call out her name to the empty hallways. Furious, he strode back into the room where Ginny remained on the floor. He approached her and she squirmed away, looking up nervously at him.

"Why are you here, Ginny?" he asked.

Ginny swallowed tensely and found her voice. "Please don't be mad at me, Draco," she pleaded. "It wasn't my idea."

Draco pulled the agitated girl up and offered her a seat. She sat and waited patiently for him to also. "Harry came to me," she explained. "He asked me to do a favor, and well, Harry is such a good friend..."

"A good ride, you mean."

Ginny blushed but continued. "Anyway, I told him I couldn't guarantee anything because I knew you loved Hermione--"

"What?"

"Well, he wants to break you two up," she explained. "But a man in love will almost never betray."

"How do you figure I'm in love?" he asked, his curiosity caught.

Ginny smiled sheepishly at him. "Back in school...when we, you know, you called out her name. Of course, I didn't tell a soul, but I knew."

Now it was Draco's turn to blush. "Oh."

They sat in silence for a while and then Ginny suddenly rose. "I really should go," she said and was soon gone.

Draco sighed and put his hands through his hair before picking up his phone.

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Bill sat next to Hermione on the couch and held her hand in his. He listened patiently as Hermione retold the events of the mishap in Draco's office. Still confused as to the sudden change in his friend's fancy, he gave Hermione a few words of calming and laid her back down to rest.

Suddenly his phone rang and to his surprise it was Draco asking to leave early.

"Actually, Draco," Bill said, loud enough to catch Hermione's attention, "I would like to talk to you. Could you come by my office soon?"

Hermione sat up nervously, listening to one end of the conversation.

"Great, see you soon."

Bill hung up the phone and quickly helped Hermione under his desk.

"Stay here and listen. I think something else happened in his office. I'll find out."

"Don't mention me!" she pleaded with him.

"I won't. Now quiet!" he said as a knock sounded. "Come in," Bill said as he stood straight. Draco entered and Bill showed him a seat.

"Draco," he ventured. "One of your coworkers, with an office near you, called in a second ago and told me that he overheard a great racket from your room, and later, a redhead leaving. Now, I have no issues with visitors in your office, but would you care to elucidate the situation?"

Draco blanched.

"As a friend, Draco. Explain to a friend."

"Bill," Draco pleaded." It's not how it sounds. Someone dropped in unexpectedly and wanted to rekindle an old flame. She didn't take it well when I said no."

"I see...and who would this flame be?"

"What?" Draco asked as if he hadn't heard.

"Your visitor. Who was she?"

From under the desk Hermione bit her lip. She had kindly left out the fact that Ginny was the one she had seen. This didn't seem like the time to inform Bill that his younger sister was cheating on her husband. Fortunately, Draco thought so also.

"Oh, no one you know," he lied.

Bill merely shrugged the answer off. It didn't matter to him, and he supposed it better that Hermione didn't know either. "So what happened when you told her no?"

"She tried to...you know...seduce me, and then, of all the times, Hermione walked in."

"I see..."

"After Hermione left, I asked Gin--the girl--why she was there suddenly. Apparently, someone wants me to break up with Hermione or vice versa as long as we're split up."

"Who?"

"Harry Potter. Although, Weasel--Ron, that is--also seemed angry that we were together. Not meaning to insinuate anything against your brother, sir."

"Not at all. I noticed it, too. He saw me after you had left yesterday." Bill looked squarely at Draco. "You're telling the truth about what happened, right?"

"Of course," Draco answered, his confusion apparent.

"Well then! That clears this up. Wouldn't you agree Miss Granger?" he asked as Hermione inched her way out from under the desk.

Draco watched in shock. "You were spying?" he blurted out.

Hermione didn't answer; she looked at him, trying to make up her mind. "Is that what really happened?"

Draco nodded. "I finally have you, Hermione. Why would I ever give you up?"

"Harry did..." Hermione began. "He cheated on me."

"Are you comparing me to Potter?" he asked.

Hermione giggled behind her hand. "Of course not."

"I really do love you," Draco confessed. He moved closer to her and kissed her lips playfully. Hermione smiled in response.

"As much as I hate to interrupt," Bill said loudly. "Draco needs to get back to work. I've let him slack off for a while now, but he needs to put in a few good hours. Hermione, why don't you head back home? You need to work at some point, I'm sure."

Hermione looked at her watch and groaned. "He's right," she said to Draco. "I'll call you though, all right?"

"Can I walk her out?" Draco asked Bill.

"That's fine," he said. Bill opened the door and let the two out.

Draco walked Hermione to the elevator--phone booth. "I'll talk to you soon?" he asked.

"Work on those laws and we'll be able to see each other all the time. We won't have to hate parting like this," she tried to persuade him into working.

"Arghh...Bill got you to bug me as well?" he groaned.

Hermione smiled and kissed him. "Goodbye," she sighed as she entered the phone booth.

Draco raised his hand in a half-effort wave.

A/N: It's almost over, what can happen in the next three chapters, I wonder...

Lemons and Love and Chocolate Spoons!

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