A/N: Hello guys! I know that it's been a very long time since this has been updated but I'm back. I have nearly finished writing the rest of the story for you (I only have the epilogue left!). There are some juicy chapters coming up so I hope you will enjoy it.
Hermione and Draco were sharing their normal booth at Giovanni's discussing the updates they had about Astoria.
Once the waitress had left, she put up a privacy spell and asked, "How are things going?"
"Not very well," Draco replied. "Work has confirmed that I was back in the country by the time she conceived."
The great thing about magic was that you could tell the exact date that a child was conceived. It was something which was developed precisely for this situation, but it seemed as if it wasn't going to help them much after all.
"Do you not know what you were doing that day?"
"I would have been in meetings during the day, and then had dinner with my parents alone in the evening. The fact that Astria is claiming that I snuck her in without them even knowing doesn't help at all. There are many fireplaces and entry points to the Manor that aren't monitored."
Hermione could see the toll this ordeal was having on him and really wished she could help more.
"Did you find anything?" he asked.
"Not really. The only thing out of place in her diary was a few stars next to some dates, but they could mean anything," she informed him.
"Was there one on the seventeenth?"
Hermione frowned for a moment before trying to remember.
"Yes, there was. Why?"
"That's the day she conceived. Maybe she marked her liaisons like that so no one would ask questions," he pointed out.
"That's the day I found Ron cheating on me," she told him.
Draco's eyes widened at the information.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. We had a big deadline at work and when we finished we were told that we could go home early. I remember being excited to tell him that it was finally finished and that I would be spending more time at home," she replied.
They both sat in silence digesting this new information.
The amount of circumstantial evidence to suggest that Ron and Astoria were having an affair kept mounting, but they didn't have any solid proof. It would take a lot more than vague diary markings and a fuzzy memory to convince the Greengrass family that Astoria was lying.
Hermione tried to ignore the pang in her heart at the implications it would have on the rest of the family. She really liked Daphne and Louisa, and Joseph seemed to be a good man even though she didn't know him very well. They had helped her so much since her break up with Ron, that she felt like she was betraying them by trying to destroy their daughter's life.
She destroyed it on her own. The truth would have come out eventually, a voice in her head said.
Whilst she was sure that was true, actively helping find the evidence against her whilst pretending to be her friend sucked.
"It can't just be a coincidence. We will need to have a look at all the other dates that were marked in the diary to see if there is something we can work on from that," Draco said with vigour.
It seemed now that he had a foundation to work with, he was determined to see it done.
They made other small talk as they ate, but as they finished their meal they returned to the matter at hand.
"Why don't you hire a private investigator? I'm sure your father will know someone decent and discreet through his contacts," Hermione suggested.
"You're right, he probably does. I've been trying to find a way not to include him in this mess, but I don't think it's possible," Draco admitted.
"I think he most likely wants to be in the middle of 'this mess' as you put it because it's your reputation on the line. I'm sure it's only because of your mother that he's not tried to do anything himself yet," she told him.
He stared at her for a moment before chuckling.
"What's so funny?"
"That you're probably right. You don't even get along with my father and yet you seem to understand him," Draco said.
"I think it's more about understanding what someone would do for someone they love. Despite how closed off he seems, the one thing everyone knows is that he would do anything for you and your mother," she explained.
"Yes, he would. Which is why I'm sure he will do this for me. I will speak to him when I get in tonight, and let you know when he plans to meet with the investigator. If we present our evidence together then he might think the case is worth taking. I assume that you made a copy of all the dates starred in Astoria's diary?"
"Yes I did. I've hidden them somewhere safe in case someone comes snooping. Also don't forget to add a confidentiality clause into the contract. We wouldn't want them alerting Ron, Astoria, or the press about the investigation."
"I'll mention it to my father. By the way," Draco said, pulling out a file from his briefcase, "here is the research I would like you to go over. I know it's only a cover for lunch, but I would really appreciate the help."
"Of course, when did you want it back?" she asked.
"A couple of weeks? It's not urgent, but something isn't right so it needs a proper looking at. Fresh eyes and all that," he told her.
Hermione nodded.
One of Draco's companies was trying to develop a spell, and even though the research was sound, the practical application had yet to be successful.
It helped that this was their excuse for meeting for lunch. The both of them knew that they would be questioned about it by several people, including Astoria, and needed a believable cover story.
"I will see you soon," Hermione said, before leaving the table and going back to work.
-0-0-0-
Later that evening, Hermione was sat on her sofa reading the report Draco had given her when she heard the floo roar to life.
"Hermione, are you here?" Astoria called.
She frowned slightly before calling back and letting her know she was in the lounge.
"Is everything okay, Astoria?" she asked.
The other witch wore a tight expression which barely contained her anger.
"Why were you having lunch with Draco?" She asked bitingly.
Ah, there it is.
Hermione knew that Astoria would have a problem with it which is why her and Draco had come up with the cover they had done.
"It was a working lunch, Astoria. Draco was asking for my professional help on something. Why?"
"It's just that you two aren't really close, yet you were seen looking cosy at Giovanni's," she said accusingly.
"Astoria, there is absolutely nothing going on between Draco and I. We've become friends through you, and he trusts my professional judgement," Hermione told her.
"You have to admit that it looks a little suspicious, especially with everything that's going on right now," she said.
"How is it suspicious? I'm doing a favour for a friend. Also, you asked me to talk to him, remember? Or have you forgotten that?" Hermione replied, raising her brow.
She was tired of the accusations now.
The two of them had decided to eat in a public space at lunch precisely because they didn't want salacious rumours to start. They hoped that it being during their lunch breaks where people could see that they arrived and left separately, it would diffuse things.
Obviously not, she thought.
The expression on her friends face said that she wasn't amused.
"Look, Astoria, you can believe me or not when I tell you that it was a business lunch, but don't start accusing me of acting untoward with him. We could have easily had the meeting at one of our offices with the doors closed, but we thought a public place would be better," Hermione pointed out.
"You're right," she sighed. "I think I'm just getting paranoid. It's just…the two of you have never got along well and to hear it looked as if you were on a date…" Astoria trailed off.
"So your natural conclusion is that something is going on between us? Do you really think I would do something like that knowing what the consequences would be? I'm already hated enough for a lie, I'm not that stupid to make it a reality," she said, sarcastically.
Silence greeted her words.
Hermione had never ranted at her friend before, but she couldn't help but take her frustrations out on her. Not when it came to this, not after everything she and Draco had worked out.
"You're right, Hermione. I'm sorry," Astoria said, seemingly regretting her words.
If she didn't know any better then she would have taken the apology at face value, but she couldn't. Hermione was sure the accusations came from a place of guilt, and she was determined to find out the truth, but for now she would play along.
"It's okay, Astoria. I know you're going through a lot. I'm just trying to keep it civil," she lied.
"Still, you've been a good friend and I shouldn't have said what I did. I can't help but feel like he's trying to find a way to get out of his responsibility to our baby," she replied, rubbing her belly.
If Hermione didn't suspect that the baby was actually Ron's then she would comfort the other witch with more than just words.
"I'm guessing you're no nearer to getting him to claim the child?"
Astoria shook her head.
"I tried to bring it up at lunch, but he shut me down before I could ask anything. He only wanted to discuss work."
The lies rolled off her tongue a little too easy for Hermione's liking, and she wondered how she managed to do it.
Even though she had kept secrets, and had lied during the war, that was out of necessity rather than choice.
"It's probably because he doesn't want me to know anything," Astoria said, resignedly.
Of course it is, she thought.
If Ron or Astoria got wind that she and Draco were onto them they would destroy any evidence linking them together which would be disastrous.
"I better get going. I will let my mother and Daphne know what you said. They did tell me that there was probably a good reason, but I had to ask."
"Of course. If it was the other way round, I would want to know why too," Hermione said.
Astoria flinched slightly at that.
Not enough for the majority of people to catch, but enough for those who trained to observe their surroundings to see it.
Interesting.
"You're such a good friend, Hermione. I feel like I don't deserve you sometimes," she confessed.
"Nonsense, everybody needs a friend."
"Well, you're the best. See you soon," Astoria said before leaving.
Once Hermione was sure she had left, she started writing a letter to Draco letting him know what happened.
