Seen Together

But my love is all I have to give
Without you I don't
Think I could live

The day after their anniversary, Ron left to go on a training camp with the English Quidditch team in order to develop a new player. Hermione was left alone in their big home, as usual. She was also left to entertain Harry and Ginny on her own.

A week went by and Hermione didn't see Draco at all. She thought about him every day after their surprise meeting. She was beginning to think she would never see him again. She hoped Ron's warning hadn't gotten to him.

Saturday came around and since Ron wasn't home to spend the weekend with his wife, she decided to do some shopping in Diagon Alley. She needed some new robes for work anyway.


She came out of Madam Malkin's with two new sets of robes. One was black with a pretty white shirt and the other was a pastel blue with a polite lavender shirt. Hermione then decided she wanted some new books to read. She had read all the books in the house at least once and most of them three times.

Flourish and Blotts always had something new on the shelf and this week it was Fred and George's newest book, 'Recipe for Chaos'. It was about the mischief making they got up to at Hogwarts. She would have disapproved; only it was getting many kids to actually read. Ginny had told her she had seen many of the kids at Hogwarts with them or sending owls to their parents to get one. The stack in the store was low but Hermione just had to see if those pranksters had mentioned her at all in their book. She picked one up and then went exploring for a couple more books that might be worth reading.

As Hermione was coming down the stairs inside the store, after finding a few interesting books upstairs, she started to read the back of 'Recipe for Chaos'. Not looking where she was going, she ran into something solid.

"Oh sorry, that was my fault," came an apologetic man's voice.

"That's okay…," Hermione replied and as she looked up from the stair her backside had landed on, her voice cut out.

"Here, let me help you up." Draco was standing there with his hand held out for Hermione to take. She took it tentatively and he pulled her to her feet.

"You know, we really should stop meeting like this," joked Draco.

"Yes, we really should," Hermione agreed, finding her voice again. She walked past Draco and the rest of the way down the stairs when she heard Draco call her name.

"Hermione…"

"Yes?" She turned to face him.

"If you don't have anything planned for the rest of the afternoon, would you like to finish catching up?"

Hermione had to think about it for a few seconds. What if Ron finds out I bumped into him again. How is Ron going to find out? He is on the other side of the country. Well, I guess there is no harm."Sure, I'd love to. I'll just pay for these books and we can be off."

"Great!" But Draco didn't really know why he had said that. It wasn't that great. Hermione was still married and if Ron ever found out Draco had been close to and spent time with his wife again; well, Draco didn't know what Ron would do to him, but he was certain it wouldn't be pleasant.

They spent some time window shopping and Hermione made Draco tell her more about himself and his work. Draco paid for the ice cream they got from Florean Fortescue's, despite Hermione's protesting.

They didn't realise someone was watching them. Harry had been passing through on one of his usual random scans for any dark activity. Ron had told Harry about Hermione going out to coffee with Draco the week before and what he had told Draco. Harry didn't want to jump to any conclusions about Draco and Hermione being together, but he thought it would be good for Ron to know.

Hermione and Draco's day together ended when the sun was setting. "I should probably start heading to work," Draco announced as they were sitting on the steps outside Gringotts, enjoying the scenery.

"Oh, so soon!" exclaimed Hermione as if she didn't want her time with him to end. Draco noticed the disappointment in her voice.

"It would seem so. Maybe we will bump into each other in the future some time. But until then, I hope you are happy with your husband and that you live a long life."

"You make it sound like we will never see each other again."

"Well, we might not. Ron wasn't keen on us meeting originally and I'm sure you know if he found out about this meeting he wouldn't be too happy about it." A smirk formed on his lips as he said, "Goodbye, Hermione."

"Goodbye…" Hermione said reluctantly and watched him disapparate; after a minute or so, she disappararted to her home.


When you talk
Does it seem like he's not
Even listening to a word you say

When Ron received Harry's owl, he was furious. How could she do that? How could she go behind my back?He was out with a few teammates having a drink after their last training session of the camp. Before the owl had arrived, he had only been drinking Butterbeer and when he suddenly switched to fire whiskey his mates knew something was up.

"Hey, what's with the change of drink, man?" asked Covey. "Something in the letter?"

"Yeah, my best friend saw my wife with another man."

"And the other man wasn't a friend of yours, I take it?"

"No, worse. It was Malfoy." Covey shut his mouth after that and let the man drink.

When Ron was well and truly wasted, his friends offer him a room at their house but he insisted on going home to Hermione. His mates tried to talk him out of it, but it was no use. In the end, they helped him apparate in his home, set him down on a couch and then disapparated before Hermione came out to find him.

"You said you were going to be home hours ago," Hermione exclaimed standing over Ron next to the couch.

He was very groggy and had almost been asleep. "Wa-what do ya—mean?" he stammered.

"You said you should be home at 7 o'clock. It is now 1 o'clock in the morning"

"W-ell, I bet yo-u wer—re ha-vin fun wit-th out-t me"

"What are you talking about? You are obviously drunk. Come on, let's get you to bed," Hermione bent down to try and help Ron up but he pushed her away and drunkenly sat up himself.

"I-I'm qui-te able to walk than-k yo-uu," he said still stammering his words. "And, as-as for what I was tal-king about. Ha-arry saw you with Malfoy," he started to speak properly as his anger grew. "Did he arrange to meet you?" He stood up tall, towering over Hermione.

"No, it's not what it sounds like," Hermione protested.

"So you arranged to meet him?" Ron's tone became angrier by the second and the firewhiskey was only fuelling it.

"No, it wasn't like that," said Hermione, her voice pitched higher than usual.

"Don't lie to me," Ron growled as he slapped Hermione across the cheek. She screamed and nearly lost her balance from the force Ron had used. "You knew I didn't want that evil little cockroach near you," another blow, this time to the other side of her face. "And you went behind my back to see him." He pushed her backwards and she only stopped when she hit the wall.

"Ron, please…" Hermione pleaded, "Let me explain."

"Explain what?" he walked towards her and stopped only when he was inches away. "Explain how you two are only friends?" he asked sarcastically.

"But Ron, we are only friends," Hermione whimpered as tears started to fall from her eyes.

"Save it!" Ron spat. "You may think that he only wants to be friends, but I know he wants more. He wants you for himself. Well, he has got another thing coming." He pushed Hermione to the ground and stood over her. "You are mine. You are MY wife and that is never going to change."

"Ron!" Hermione cried. "Ron, stop it. You're hurting me!" He was now sitting on her legs.

"I'm sorry darling," he said with no remorse at all and tried to make it better by kissing her. Hermione pushed him away.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Kissing my wife."

"Not like that, you're not!" Hermione exclaimed, pulling out her wand and sent him flying off her. He hit his head on the hard armrest of the couch and was knocked out. She lifted him onto the couch and then went to bed. In the morning, she would place a potion in his breakfast to cure the terrible headache he was bound to have.