Chapter 16

Even though Hermione was working full time in George's Joke shop, she decided to stay at home with her parents. It was nice and uneventful, and her parents never really placed any demands on her. Greg was making noises about living together, which wasn't really acceptable in the wizarding world if they weren't engaged. Although he was everything she wanted, she just wasn't sure about getting engaged. It was such a big step and she had just gotten started being an adult. She knew her parents were definitely against any such move. In fact, they wanted her to go to University. Muggle University.

Hermione suspected that her parents thought of the wizard world as a nice distraction when growing up like a specialist performing arts school, but in the end she had to get serious and join the real world, which in their view was the muggle world. They certainly didn't feel that working in a Joke Shop was a proper job. Neither was working in the Ministry, which to them had the same weight as working in the local council. Not exactly the high flying career they wanted for her.

Greg wasn't too concerned about her career. Secretly she suspected that he would expect, as most wizards did, that she'd stop working once she got married. She knew she would have to address that issue. She had learn that glossing over issues got you in trouble, like she had just glossed over Draco's fundamentalist pureblood beliefs, his general nastiness and the fact that they had been enemies for as long as they had known each other. A couple of months of canoodling in the tropical Caribbean didn't actually resolve any of those things. They had just taken a vacation from it.

She hadn't seen him for a few weeks since he'd ruined her chances at the Ministry filing job. She had a feeling that eventually he would turn up, hell bent on mischief. Or maybe he'd tired of it by now.

Ron and Lavender got engage and Hermione's immediate thought on the news was to stick her finger down her throat and gag, but she didn't considering she was standing next to Mrs. Weasley at the time. Although looking at George, he felt about the same way.

Things were ticking along nicely. Neville was starting his apprenticeship at Hogwarts. George was coming out of this little weirdness shell.

On the not so nice side, there was talk that Lucius Malfoy may be in a position to run for Minister of Magic in the next election. There were also discussions in the papers about requiring muggleborn children to participate in cultural education before gaining entrance to Hogwarts. The justification was that they would have a much easier time if they had a good understanding of the wizard culture. Some were even suggesting that muggleborn children should be placed with wizard families to ensure proper cultural assimilation, and to minimise the negative effect of unproductive ingress of muggle culture. It all left a bad taste in Hermione's mouth.

It just felt like this underhanded discrimination that was being made palatable by its veneer of well meaningness. The Weasleys' didn't immediately see anything wrong with it. It came across as well meaning, but the undercurrent was smacking of discrimination against muggleborns and anything muggle related. Harry could see how Hermione would bristle against it, but for himself, he would have loved being placed with a wizard family growing up. Harry's time in the muggle world hadn't left him with any particular fondness for it.

Hermione put her two cents in wherever she could, but she felt drained dealing with it. The ignorance and the thoughtless discrimination was pervasive and insidious, and she found that she was better off just ignoring it. It was true that some of the fight had gone out of her since the war, particularly as it seemed to have achieved very little in the way the wizarding world thought about things. The psycho was gone but the society that enabled him was still very much there.

Maybe dealing with screaming brats all day was draining her energy somewhat too. Sometimes she liked walking through Diagon Alley to the Leaky Cauldron with the intention of taking the tube home. She could just apparate, but the journey gave her time to reflect. It was starting to get colder and darker as she left the Joke Shop these days.

"So you're still here, Mudblood." She heard that familiar voice behind her.

Hermione did an exasperated drop of her head at the sound. Why did she have to deal with him. Didn't she have enough on her plate?

"What do you want Malfoy?" She whined without turning around. "Seven fucking years you've been calling me mudblood, doesn't it ever get old?"

"Its what you are." He said as she turned to glare at him. It still surprised her how tall he was, standing there dressed in his typical expensive black suit. He actually looked bigger, she was pretty sure he'd filled out a bit over the year, since she had last seen him... in more comfortable circumstances.

Hermione gave an annoyed sigh and checked her watch. "Are you done?"

"Not fucking likely!" He responded.

"Its pathetic what you're doing."

"And what am I doing?" He said and was again look down his nose at her.

It was completely incomprehensible that she had those lips on just about every part of her body. She must have been out of her mind.

"Whatever Malfoy, I have to go." She said before giving him an annoyed look. She turned to leave.

"I have driven you out of this world. I drove you out of Hogwarts. I took your friends, your pathetic prospects and whatever future you saw fit to weddle yourself into." He said with obvious spite.

"I don't think so." She snapped back. "I still have my friends, a job, and a boyfriend I adore. You haven't achieved anything."

"Your glorious job working as a shop keep? I hope its all you ever dreamed of." He said and Hermione knew that he was right. It wasn't what she'd hoped. "And your friends, lets all forget how quickly they dumped you when it came down to it. They couldn't wait to get out when the weather wasn't so fair, could they?"

"Atleast I have friends." She shot back and started to walk away. She was trying really hard to make sure he didn't get a reaction out of her. Moving on, moving on, moving on she repeated to herself.

"If that's what you call it." He yelled after her, "I'm not going away Granger. Do I really need to show you that there's no place in this world for you?"

"And yet, I'm still here. You've run out of things to do to me, so just leave me alone."

"I'm just getting started. My father is going to be Minister, Granger. That is going to make things difficult for you to get anywhere."

"Dream on ferret."

Hermione ignored him as she walked towards the Leaky Cauldron. She was absolutely determined not to cry. Why could he always make her cry?

Hermione didn't hear a peep out of Draco for a couple of months. She was pretty sure he would have done it if there was anything he could inflict on her. Greg knew about their past and the less than gentlemanly behaviour from Draco after. Her job was completely secure and her friends aren't likely to be swayed by anything he says.

She was kind of looking over her shoulder for a while, but when nothing happened, she slowly settled down with a bit more confidence.

Harry and Ginny's wedding was beautiful. Mrs. Weasley cried throughout. Greg seemed to enjoy it too, and he was starting to make noises that he'd like their relationship to be a bit more permanent. Hermione was a little bit weary, but Greg couldn't understand her hesitance. It was what everyone did and he couldn't see a reason for waiting.

It got to the point where he was starting to get a bit distressed by Hermione's ongoing dismissal of the subject. The married state was obviously something he expected, and Hermione didn't technically have anything against it. He would make a fantastic husband.

Although she could put him off for a while, the topic crept back in again and again. Eventually she agreed to talk about it and she spelled out clearly that she could not tolerate being a housewife. His protests that children would keep her occupied, led them into that discussion. The fact that Hermione was not ready for children and that was just that.

He eventually conceded and somehow Hermione ended up engaged. All her friends were happy for her, they felt he was perfect for her and she couldn't find anything to disagree with.

Greg's family put the engagement in the Daily Prophet, they were a bit miffed that they had to do it as it was customarily the duty of the bride's family. The term 'bride' sat like a lump in her throat. She wasn't one of those girls who had dreamt of the day since childhood. But she reassured herself that she was just having nerves. It was all going to be perfect.

The engagement party was being held the following week at the Godric's Hollow Hall. All her Gryffindor friends and her new Ravenclaw friends were invited, along with family members, which turned out to be most of the wizarding world on Greg's side. Sadly even Rita Skeeter, and Hermione couldn't persuade Greg to leave her out, she was his mother's sister after all.

Hermione bought a beautiful navy dress with sheer material covering the fitted top and A line skirt. She did feel beautiful in the shimmery dress. It made her feel sophisticated, like Grace Kelly. Looking good was the least she could do to convince Greg's family that maybe the match wasn't so terrible.

The party went well and the announcement was made before everyone sat down to dinner. Hermione was a bundle of nerves during the announcement, which was unexplainable as everyone knew exactly why they were there. Greg held her hand throughout the announcement. She started to relax as they sat down to the roast beef dinner.

A large bang made her look up from her plate and to her mortification, Draco was standing in the hall entrance. Her stomach churned over in apprehension. He didn't look drunk, which was something. Maybe he was here to wish her luck, but she doubted it. He was going to have a last shot. Call her a slut or whatever, just for the sake of ruining her day. She would have to engage some security for the wedding she decided. She heard Greg groan beside her.

"How cosy." Draco said loudly enough for everyone to here.

Hermione was shaking her head, appealing him to not do whatever he planned.

"The happy couple." He continued, while Greg stood up. "I won't say you're a lucky guy, because she's a fickle girl. Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

Hermione had enough and she stood up too, while Greg prepared to go intercept Draco.

"Get out of here, Malfoy." Ron warned from one of the tables.

"Because she'll leave you." Draco continued, "Just like she did after our honeymoon in Cuba. Isn't that right?" He said turning his attention to Hermione, who's jaw dropped along with everyone in the room.

"You're married!" Greg yelled.

"No." Hermione pleaded. "Greg. Its not true."

The rooms collective attention turned back to Draco who gave an expression like she was a naught child caught in a lie.

"You lied to me." Greg said and started to back away from him.

"He's lying Greg. You know he's trying to hurt me."

"No my love," Draco said with blatant spite, "I am trying to stop you from hurting other people."

Hermione moved towards Greg, but he put up his hands to stop her before turning his back and walking out the door.

The murmur in the hall grew deafening and Hermione could see Rita Skeeter dictating to her quill.

Draco gave her a victorious look and evilest sneer he had managed so far.

"Seems you're not so secure after all." He said quietly so only they could hear. Another glare and he turned to leave with the crowd.

"You bastard." She shouted after him.

Only her friends were left in the deserted hall and Hermione couldn't manage to keep her tears confined as they spilled down her cheeks. She'd never anticipated that he would go this far. This had to stop. She was going to find some way of hurting him for what he's done to her.