Chapter 17

"I swear I'll kill him." Hermione stated still staring at the empty hall.

"This is unbelievable, even for him." Ginny confirmed.

"I'll never understand what made you spend the summer with him, but not even you would be stupid enough to marry him." Ron piped in.

"Thanks Ron. That makes me feel so much better." Hermione bristled, although she wasn't certain whether she agreed with him or not. She hated being called stupid, particularly by Ron, but admitted there may be some justification.

"I have tried the high road." She said. "I was completely mature about it, but if he wants a fucking war, I'll give him one. I am going to make him cringe every time he hears the word mudblood."

"Lets go back to our place." Ginny said. "George has taken your parents home."

"How dare he!" Hermione continued, not really listening to the others.

Once back at Harry and Ginny's flat in Diagon Alley, Ginny made tea, but Hermione ended up with something a little stronger.

"I don't know Hermione." Ginny said. "This is getting serious."

"He's gone too far." Hermione said.

"I know he has, but with this he really has cut off his face to spite his nose."

"Are you saying being married to me is like cutting off your face?"

"I'm just saying its a pretty drastic move on his part, pretty drastic for the purpose of annoying your ex. You broke up because he wanted to keep the relationship silent, now he's gone and publically linked you two out of spite. That's a bit on the crazy side."

"I don't care why he is going it, I am going to make him regret it." Hermione countered, still seething with anger.

"Ginny is right." Harry said. "This could be mental stalker territory. Those pureblood families have inbred themselves into barking lunacy and the Malfoys are no exception."

"You need to report this. Let the authorities deal with it in case it turns into one of those 'I'll cut you into pieces and wear you as a hat' thing."

"Please." Hermione puffed indignantly. "Its Malfoy. He's just a brat who can't take not getting his way."

"Or the psycho who can't take it when he doesn't get what he wants." Ginny continued. "This just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It is well beyond any level I thought he'd go to."

"He just needs to be brought down a dozen pegs or so." Hermione said. "I'm not going to stand idly by and let him ruin my life. I don't care how loony he is, he needs to learn that there are consequences to messing with people."

Hermione had enough listening to them, so she apparated home. She was way too angry to listen. She was sick and tired of being pushed around by him. Being mature about it had obviously had no impact what so ever. So if dignity wouldn't make him stop, she would find a way to make him.

The media was in uproar. The Ravenclaws confirmed that they had always thought there was something suspect about her. Meanwhile such a juicy story had justified Rita Skeeter going all the way to Cuba, where funnily, she had found a whole bunch of muggles who had confirmed that the young English couple had indeed been on their honeymoon. Hermione was pretty sure who had sent her in that direction.

Ginny came by the next evening for a chat, after Hermione had spent the whole day devising revenge schemes. Ginny was still against any scheme, which to Hermione was odd, because her fiery temper usually made her for such things.

"You can deny the marriage until the cows come home. I think it is going to take something more drastic." Ginny said. "People genuinely believe it. Greg certainly does."

"Have you seen him?" Hermione asked.

"Harry went to see him. He was having second thoughts about leaving you behind."

"No kidding?" Hermione said a bit distantly.

"But then he read what that Skeeter woman said about it being confirmed."

"That's not confirmation!" Hermione said. "He could have paid them to say that."

"Did he?"

"No." Hermione admitted. "He made everyone believe we were on our honeymoon so they wouldn't give us flack for staying in the apartment on our own."

"And you thought that was a good idea?" Ginny pressed.

"Well, I certainly didn't foresee this. It seemed harmless. This is completely untenable. He can't just do what he wants."

"I'm not sure you should get into it with him, Hermione. Maybe its better to deal with this officially, by proving that he is lying. Everyone will know in the end."

"How do you prove a negative? There is no marriage certificate, but its not like anyone is worried over such minor details." Hermione said.

"Malfoys have a lot to lose by being married." Ginny said. "Maybe you should start going to Gringott's and withdrawing large sums of Malfoy money. That will get the issue sorted quick smart."

The thought made them both laugh. "Maybe I should demand a divorce. Then when he'd have to settle a significant sum of money on me, he will font up with the truth."

"You can't demand a divorce. This isn't the muggle world, its a bit more traditional here, he has to grant you a divorce."

"That's barbaric."

"Its the law here." Ginny said. "So unless you can prove the marriage is bogus, you're stuck with him. Maybe a slander case of some kind."

Hermione let the conversation flow, but in reality, she had a much better plan. One that would actually inflict some embarrassment, and maybe even some social damage. Knowing the Malfoys, if they went to court, everything would disappear nice and quietly. She would get money out of it, but she wasn't interested in his money, she wanted pain.

Hermione took a couple of days planning her revenge. She planned it down to the minute. The media was still obsessed with this supposed secret marriage between a Death Eater, and not just any Death Eater, a Malfoy and a Mudblood.

Lucius Malfoy had confirmed that he was unaware of the marriage, but would not go so far as to comment on what he thought of it publically. Hermione was sure that Draco was probably getting strips ripped off him at home. Judging from his reluctance to have anyone know of the relationship to begin with, he was probably facing some severe flack, unless he had somehow managed to get his parents to go along with it, which she doubted. What he was doing didn't make sense, and maybe Ginny had a point to be weary, but Hermione was too angry and upset to care. She needed to get back at him, for her own sanity, not to mention self-respect.

Hermione managed to keep her cool all morning on revenge day. She needed an unwitting accomplice and had picked Parvati to fulfil that function. She had asked Parvati to meet her at the Blind Goat pub, which was incidentally just down the road from the Daily Prophet offices.

Parvati was a little surprised that Hermione had asked her to this strange pub, considering how public it was. Parvati was trying to query her about Malfoy, but Hermione was putting her off until her true quarry had arrived. A Mr. Stephen Helmsley, a junior editor at the Daily Prophet, who took his lunch in the seat directly behind Hermione's back every day for lunch.

All of a sudden, Hermione got really upset.

"I really loved him." She sobbed. "But I had to leave, he just gets so angry and he..."

The concern in Parvati's eyes made her feel a bit guilty, but this was necessary. Parvati took her hand and squeezed it.

"I tried so hard, but he just wouldn't stop." Hermione whispered loudly interrupted by great big heaving sobs. "He beats me."

Parvati's shock was audible and Hermione could hear Stephen Helmsley scramble through his bag for his quill.

"I begged him to stop, but it just keeps doing it. In the end, I had to flee or he would end up going too far."

"Oh sweet fates, you poor thing. He is such an utter bastard." Parvati said. "You can't go back."

Stephen Helmsley scrambled out of his chair and ran out of the pub.

Hermione wiped the tears of her cheeks and smiled. "I'm starving, I think I'll have the Steak and Guniness pie. How about you, what are you having?"

Parvati was a little shocked by Hermione's speedy recovery, but obviously figured Hermione was putting on a brave face.

Hermione was again stung by a pang of guilt for deceiving her friend, but in this case the end forgives the means. She couldn't help a little pleased smile as Parvati studied the menu.

The next day, Hermione's reason for leaving her young marriage was plastered all over the front page of the Daily Prophet. Letter of support came flooding in, causing a bit of a traffic jam outside her window.

Even Greg turned up, ready to forgive her, but his stock had diminished pretty severely in her books. She told him how glad she was that he was ready to forgive her, but it would take much, much longer for her to forgive him. With that she kicked him out. Again another man who runs at the first sign of trouble. Who needs them. At least she had to give Draco credit for follow through.