Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any affiliated characters. I just happened to come up with the plot for this ship. All credit to J.K for her amazing universe that she allows us to play in.

Warning: Rated M. Cursing, sexual innuendos, lemons and fluff ahead.

Grammarly is still my Beta, sorry.

Music is my Muse
This chapters song: Bitter
Sweet Symphony, The Verve
Lyric of choice:
But I'm a million different people from one day to the next. I can't change my mold, no, no, no, no, no.


Aftermath

"I am not always kind, defiantly not good…but I will be everything you need me to be when we finally do shag, kitten."

Chapter Seventeen
Check Mate

Hermione stepped out of the floo in the sitting room and smiled as Tuily rushed out of the kitchen to greet her.

"Evening Tuily."

Tuily smiled at her and took her coat following her into the kitchen where Hermione found Theo sitting at the bar reading the paper.

He looked up smiling at her. "How was your day?"

Hermione sighed and took off her shoes. "Long, let me go change."

Theo nodded at her and went back to reading the evening Prophet. He was already in jeans and a shirt it looked like they would be eating in the kitchen tonight. Hermione wondered what program Tuily was going to be sneaking off to watch on her tele? She laughed to herself as she hung up her dress and padded over to the bathroom to wash off her makeup and take her hair out of its elaborate up-do. She had hosted a group of businessmen from Prague today for lunch. Once her hair was down and her face was washed she pulled on a pair of soft old jeans and grabbed Theo's white button down shirt that was hanging on the bathroom doorknob, smirking that he had left it out. That was very out of character of him, he was such a neat wizard her Theodore.

She was buttoning the shirt as she headed down the stairs barefoot and then groaned as she smelled whatever it was that Tuily had just taken out of the oven. "What did she do to make the delicious smell?" She asked on a moan.

Theo laughed as he set two plates on the bar. "I have no idea, something with apples. I think it's a Pork Roast. She has started watching cooking shows."

Hermione smirked as she allowed Theo to help her into the bar stool and accepted a glass of white wine. "She isn't going to eat with us?"

Theo shrugged. "Nope, she had a date with her tele. I think for Christmas I will put one in here so that she can watch her shows while she cooks. What do you think?"

Hermione smiled at him. "That's not uncommon in Muggle homes, Theo. I think she will really enjoy that."

He shook his head grinning and chuckling. "A house elf is turning the place into a Muggle home."

Hermione snickered as she sipped her wine. "Somewhere a pureblood is rolling over in their grave over that statement."

Theo barked out a laugh as he started serving up the roast. "Probably related to me."

Hermione laughed and then moaned as she tasted the pork. "Oh, this is amazing!"

Theo groaned with her and then nodded. "Merlin, how did she do this do you think?"

Hermione shook her head. "I have no idea but she is going to give Molly Weasley a run for her money on the best roast."

Theo smiled at that. "Can she cook? Mrs. Weasley?"

Hermione nodded. "Oh yes, I will have to drag you over for Sunday dinner sometime."

Theo ducked his head and then sighed taking a sip of his wine. "I doubt I would be welcome, Hermione."

Hermione felt her heart sink a little as she looked at Theo, trying to hide his pain. "Theo, I would never take you anywhere if people were not going to be kind to you."

He looked at her and then nodded. "Sometimes I worry about you, kitten. You are at once brilliant and then hopelessly naive. All that Gryffindor bravery and optimism, I suppose."

Hermione frowned at him. "Where are you going with this Theodore Nott?"

He smirked at her although it lacked warmth and his eyes were sad as he shook his head before he said. "The Weasley's are not going to welcome a former Death Eater into their home, kitten. They lost a son to the war, my father helped kill Mrs. Weasley's brothers, and our families have a very long history of despising each other."

Hermione sat back shocked. She hadn't realized that his father had been responsible for the death of Molly's brothers. "Are you sure your father was involved?" She asked hoarsely.

Theo nodded and then sighed. "He confessed to it, they kept it quiet, but he told Molly what he had done at his trial."

Hermione stared at him and then she grabbed him hugging him to her. She didn't know why this was shocking her, she knew that his father had been a death eater, but to actually hear him talk about whom his father had killed, Merlin her heart broke for him. She pushed away after a moment and took a deep breath. "Right, so how was your day."

OoOoOoO

Theo was thankful that she was changing the subject so easily. She was amazing that way, his Hermione. She didn't pick at things. He knew that she wouldn't bring this up again until he did and she wouldn't mention going to visit the Weasley's either. Not because she couldn't convince the family to be civil to him, but because she knew how hard it would be for Theo to have to sit in Molly's home knowing what his own flesh and blood had done to her. The sins of his father would always haunt him, and Hermione understood that probably better than anyone besides perhaps Draco.

They ate dinner chatting about their respective work days. Theo watched her as she moved around the kitchen clearing up and smiled as she took the paper he had been reading and leaned into his arms looking over the front page.

"Hmm, that deal Draco brokered made the front page. He should be happy." Hermione said conversationally a slight smirk on her lips.

Theo rested his chin on the top of her head and smiled as he wrapped his arms around her abdomen and pulled her into him. "He is probably going to show up tomorrow to brag about it at least."

Hermione chuckled. "I saw him at lunch, the git."

Theo mumbled something inappropriate about his oldest friend but smirked. "How was Ginny?"

Hermione sighed turning the page of the paper. "She's good. They want us to join them for a Quidditch game."

Theo laughed. "And you didn't get out of that?"

Hermione snorted putting down the paper and relaxing into his arms. "Ginny issued the demand, she's rather hard to maneuver around and besides you like Quidditch, so she was able to use that against me."

Theo chuckled rubbing slow circles on her stomach. "Sorry, kitten. When are we going to watch Quidditch then?"

"First Saturday of next month," she said sighing and dropping her head on his shoulder.

He watched her pulse and smiled, it was erratic and he could see goose bumps rising on her arms. He moved his hand up a little so that it was just under her breasts and continued to move his fingers in slow circles.

When her nipples started to peak out through his shirt he smirked and pushed her up. "Think I will head to bed."

He heard her soft moan of frustration and bounded up the stairs. Leave them wanting more, yes, he was going to make sure he always left her wanting more. Especially since he was hoping that her current frustration in his arms would lead to her saying yes to his plans for them for next week. Keeping Hermione off kilter with desire was paramount to his plans. She would over think things otherwise.

OoOOOoOoOoO

Hermione sank down onto the bar stool that Theo had just vacated and stared after him slightly in shock. She was not reading that wrong, he had just teased her into a state of utter desire and left her. She should be furious but instead, she was looking narrowed eyed at the stairs. He was up to something, and this was a part of his plan.

She stood up carefully folding the paper and then grinned. Well, she was not going to play along. While a cold shower would be a little obvious she could take a walk and cool off before she joined him in bed. He could just sit up there and stew trying to figure out why she wasn't coming to bed. Her coat and a pair of slip on shoes were by the door. She put them on and then turned back to grab her wand which was in her purse on the couch and after tucking that into her coat she smirked as she headed off for a walk around the block. Her libido should calm down by then and he should be properly annoyed that she hadn't chased after him.

What happened after that, however, had her shivering a bit. She had a feeling that tonight was going to be very important in her relationship with Theo and she felt it only right that she throw a kink in his Slytherin scheming.

OoOoOooOoO

Theo heard the front door close as he slipped into his pajama pants and frowned. "What the hell?"

He had expected Hermione to come straight up. He had been planning on it actually and instead she was going for a stroll? 'She had better have taken her wand." He said darkly before he sat down on the edge of the bed in annoyance.

After ten minutes he snorted and headed to his potions cabinet for dreamless sleep. He knew better than to approach Hermione with his plan when she was calm and collected after one of her strolls. He wanted her off kilter and he had a suspicion she knew that. He smiled as he downed the potion.

So, check mate back at her then. She would come back ready to talk and he would be asleep.

OoOoOoOooOoO

Hermione came back a half hour later and bounded up the steps expecting to find Theo waiting for her in bed awake, instead she found him sleeping peacefully and snoring. She stopped and stared at him and then she grinned. He had taken a dreamless sleep potion!

"Well, well, well," Hermione said stripping out of her jeans and changing into one of his old t-shirts for bed. "It would seem we know each other a bit too well, Theodore." She whispered as she crawled into bed with him and snuggled up to his warm body.

She yawned and then shook her head. "Tomorrow then, we will figure this out tomorrow."


Author Notes:

I know! These two… Don't worry, it's about to all go BOOM!

Thanks for the love for this story; it really is one of my favorites. Also, thank you for the kind wishes after my surgery and the loss of our lab to those who also read my other stories and have kept up with that. It's very much appreciated.

So, should they just shag it out tomorrow morning? Who makes the first move if they do?