Chapter 18

Hermione stayed at home for a few days. The success of her revenge had done wonders for her confidence. She'd got him and got him good. The media was hounding her, luckily they weren't as forwards as the muggle media and they couldn't be seen hanging out outside of her parents' house in their muggle neighbourhood. But she knew that they would be on her the minute she stepped into the Leaky Cauldron.

On the third day she decided it was time to face the music. She wore large dark glasses and looked harassed as they forced her way through the thong of reporters. She did play it up a bit. She had to look pitiful because this was going right onto the front page of what was now the juiciest story in the wizarding world. There had not been a statement from the Malfoy household yet.

It warmed the cockles of her heart thinking about how they would be struggling to deal with the humiliation of it all. They really deserved it. It affected Lucius' path to the Minister of Magic position and Hermione was sure Draco was being lectured to death right that minute.

She also knew that there would be consequences, but now, luckily due to Lucius' political career, they had to be very careful how they handled it. And her.

Her friends were shocked. Ginny kept on kneeding her fingers, which was really unlike her. Even Harry wasn't revelling in the joy of her revenge.

"Did he hit you?" Harry demanded as she walked through the door to his apartment.

"Like he could get away with that without being hexed into oblivion." She said but continued when her friends were still looking uncertain. "I made it up to get him back for what he did to me."

There was silence in the room.

"Come on, guys." Hermione said. "He was so asking for it."

"I know but what's the fallout going to be?" Harry asked.

"What more can we possibly do to each other?" Hermione questioned. "Now he knows that if he dishes out to me, he has to take some himself. The muggles call it mutual deterrence. It keeps the balance when both parties know they can hurt each other."

"Yeah, but now you're his wife!" Ron said.

"Think of it as a game of chicken." Hermione responded. "Me being married to a pureblood means nothing to me or my friends and family. Him being married to a mudblood is a much bigger deal. He is going to have to give. He is going to have to undo this."

"He's definitely done something to you." Ron said and Hermione rolled her eyes. "You think like a Slytherin."

"I just know my enemy." She said.

"So this is going to have no consequences at all?"

"How can it? Weren't not actually married remember. And it will be in his best interest, if not his father's to acknowledge that fact as soon as humanly possible. I'm surprised they haven't yet."

"Maybe it would be less embarrassing to let it stand." Ginny said.

"To the Death Eaters? I can't see how." Hermione responded.

"And what if he doesn't?" Harry asked.

"Doesn't what?" Hermione was confused.

"What if he doesn't undo it? The marriage."

"Why wouldn't he? Being linked to me publically is paramount the worst thing that could happen to him."

"But he set up the link. Are you just going to go on being married to him?"

"I'm not married to him. I don't have to act like I am. If I want to date people, I can, if I want to get married, I can and there is nothing he can do about it."

Hermione was to certain that Draco had to tuck his tail and back out of this, she hadn't really planned on an eventuality where he didn't. It was just a matter of time, she was certain.

The next day she returned to work at the Joke Shop. Reporters weren't allowed in the store, which kept her relatively safe. Most had learnt that she wasn't going to give them any more. Being the dignified injured party who did not wash her dirty linen in public. Or so she wanted it to look.

Hermione was completely shocked when one of the customers called her Mrs. Malfoy. At first she looked frantically around for Narcissa Malfoy until she realised that they were talking to her. She stared at them for a while, not sure what to do. In all her careful planning, she had not realised this small inconsequential fact. After standing there for a few seconds with a gaping mouth she took the customers money and handed the purchase over in a bag.

Her heart was still beating from the thought of Mrs. Malfoy, the real one, coming to the shop. She had to go out the back to take a bit of a breather. Being called Mrs. Malfoy had spooked her, but it was just temporary, part of the game.

Why hadn't he publically undone this whole thing yet. None of the Malfoys would tolerate their prodigy being linked to a mudblood, so what were they waiting for?

Hermione scanned the papers every morning, but there was nothing. They must obviously be strategising still.

At the end of the day, Hermione walked home as she always did, down Diagon Alley to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Hello, wife." She heard a spiteful voice to her left.

"Draco." She said and turned to him. He stepped out of the dark side alley. She knew it had only been a matter of time before they would have a confrontation.

"Nice little trick that." He said. "I was surprised. I would have thought something like that would have been beyond you."

"I'm glad you liked it."

"Getting all down and dirty, bit much for a prissy Gryffindor. Almost got me hot." He said, again cocking his head back in the way he did.

"You're disgusting."

"No you are."

"Oh good comeback." She said. "Pulling tactics out of the pre-school book of insults now. I know, why don't you call me a mudblood. That should show me. Maybe I'll even reward you with a bit of a bottom lip wobble."

"Don't get lippy." He said.

Hermione just opened her mouth for another stinging reply when he hit her with a body binding hex. Her body fell back into the building behind her. She hadn't that coming, he hadn't even been holding his wand. He must have had it up his sleave. Damn those seeker reflexes. This was not playing fair. Her arms and hands were stuck to her body, while her legs were similarly attached to each other. She tried to wiggle a bit, but the restraints held.

"Help me." She called out. A couple up the road scurried away and another couple walked past without looking at them. Hermione was shocked that they would just ignore someone being attacked on the street.

"You're wondering why no one is helping you?" Draco said with insincere concern.

Hermione gave him the dirtiest look she could manage. He stepped over and crouched down by her feet. She had an urge to kick him, but the restraints kept her still.

"You're my wife remember." He said. "That gives me certain privileges."

"What you can just attack me in the street."

"I can discipline you however I see fit."

"That is completely repugnant."

"It is. But it is already well known what kind of husband I am, so a bit of public discipline is not out of order."

"Please tell me that in that deluded numbskull of yours, you actually can recall that we're not actually married." Hermione spat.

"That doesn't seem to have made a damned bit of difference, now has it. I admit, it has been a bit trying..."

"I bet you got your arse handed to you." Hermione laughed.

"...but I will persevere." He said slowly like he was talking to a child. "And now, on to the discipline part."

"You wouldn't dare!" Hermione yelled.

"And here I think we settled what I would dare." He said pointedly. "I think its time for you to see your husband's domain."

"Don't you touch me Malfoy. I swear I will kill you." Hermione yelled from her panicked and disabled position, knowing full well there was nothing she could do at the moment.

A whoosh and a twack, and Malfoy was unconscious on the ground.

"Don't you fucking touch her!" Ron yelled. Relief flooded through Hermione's body. Harry was actually holding him back as he tried to kick the unconscious Malfoy. When Ron had been sufficiently been pushed away, Harry undid Hermione's body bind. Harry continued to stand between Ron and Draco's body until Ron calmed down.

Draco was bleeding from the nose. It had been a good punch.

"Merlin that felt good." Ron said shaking his hand. "Why didn't I do that ages ago?"

"I told you it was a great feeling." Hermione said laughing thinking of the time in third year when she'd had the same experience. Her body was still buzzing with adrenalin and whatever was causing the giddy relief that was flowing through her brain at the moment.

"What should we do with him?" Harry said.

"Just leave him." Hermione said.

"Hopefully he will freeze to death." Ron said. "Should we take his wand?"

"Do you want to get a visit from Lucius Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"Good point." Ron said. "I guess we are leaving the bastard. Unless you have something better in mind." He asked Hermione.

"Like what?" She asked disbelievingly. "Should I take him back and torture him?"

"Could be fun. Its not like he doesn't deserve it, attacking you on the street."

"Lets just go." Hermione said. They walked away, but Hermione ran back and knocked on one of the doors before running off again. She wasn't sure why she had just made sure that he was found before long. She could have just left him. It was Diagon Alley and the possibility of him not being found before some serious hypothermia set in was low. A bit of frost bite would probably do him good.

"At what point should I regale you with my 'I told you so's." Harry said.

"Could you hang on till tomorrow?"