Ron was not inside the house, and for that Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She did not want to cause a huge scene at Harry's party, and intended to leave with him before she broke the news. It was not fair to Harry and to Molly who had put so much effort into this wonderful event to have her spoil it all. She took a deep breath and sat down alone in the kitchen, turning over her thoughts and wondering what she was going to say.

Now that she was out of the heat of the moment, she felt awful about what she and Draco had done. She had never been a cheater - she had always thought that her morals were higher than that. As it turned out, though, she wasn't above snogging another man in a forest while her fiancee was two hundred yards away, and that sickened her slightly to her stomach. True, Ron had been hurtful and obstinate towards her, but that was no excuse for her behaviour - and she hadn't even had that much to drink. If she was honest, she was disappointed in her own actions, and grateful that they had stopped when they did. She would never have been able to forgive herself if it had gone any further.

That kiss, though! She would never forget it as long as she lived. The pure bliss that had erupted within her just at Draco's tender touch...she knew that this was right. She was doing the right thing. And she was just a little bit glad that he had had the courage to show her how good they could be together, for she didn't know if she would have seen it on her own - or had the strength to go through with breaking Ron's heart, without being one hundred percent sure of her own feelings, and his.

At that moment, Ron entered the house, a frown etched on his face as he looked around the dark room. "Hermione? Are you in here?"

"I'm here," she replied in a small voice, her fingers nervously fiddling with her dress.

"Have you calmed down now?" he asked in an arrogant tone.

She swallowed her temper, which began to rise again at the note in his voice, and smiled sweetly. "Yes, I'm fine now. But I want to go home, I need to talk to you."

"Yeah, I was going to say the same thing," Ron said, surprising her, but she didn't comment.

"Let's go and say our goodbyes to everyone, then," she said, making to leave the house, but Ron grabbed her arm.

"Don't worry. I told them you're not feeling well and that we need to go home." The tone of his voice had turned steely now, and she acquiesced without an argument.

"Okay. Let's go then," she said, and Apparated home, landing outside her flat. She fiddled around for her keys as Ron appeared behind her, and let them both in, waving her wand and illuminating the cosy room. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No, Hermione, we need to have a chat."

"Alright," she said, getting worried now. What could he possibly have to say to her that was so urgent?

"Look," he said, pulling her over to the sofa and sitting beside her. "I love you, 'Mione, but this isn't working out. You don't listen to me, you don't respect me and honestly, I don't think you even love me anymore." He said it bluntly, without a hint of emotion.

She didn't respond, but tears began to fill her eyes as she realised he was going to beat her to it. She was not prepared, though, for what came out of his mouth next.

"I have to confess that I've been unhappy for a while with this relationship. A couple of months ago, when you were working so much to get the Memorial Ball ready - well, I got upset, and since then I've been sort of seeing someone."

"Sort of?" she mouthed, confused. "What?"

"Well, you see, you were working so much, I didn't even know if we were still really together. I went out one night and happened to meet Astoria Greengrass - you remember, Daphne's sister from a couple of years below us. Well, we got talking about old times, and she was telling me how much she admired me after what I did in the war, and one thing led to another. We've been seeing each other on and off ever since." The words tumbled out of Ron's mouth.

Hermione was flabbergasted. She had been feeling guilty for kissing Draco tonight when for two whole months, this scumbag had been sleeping with another woman?

"Thing is, 'Mione," Ron went on earnestly, "she's not as good as you. She's a bit thick, really. She only cares about wealth and fame and fashion, and I think she's only interested in me because she wants to get at my war money. But she's so obedient, she'll do anything I tell her to, and she respects my decisions, and I think a good wife should do that - but you don't. I tried getting you to change, to be better, and I even told Astoria to back off once we got engaged so I could spend more time with you and try to work it out. You just don't act like a good wife, though, disrespecting me and gallivanting around with Malfoy, and that's the problem, I don't think marrying you will make me happy at all. So we need to end it."

"You know what, Ronald," Hermione said in a low, dangerous voice, "I really thought, when I agreed to marry you, that giving it a second chance would work. For both of us. Because you see, I'm not happy either, and I've known it for a long, long time, that this - this thing we have - isn't right. I don't want to be pushed into a corner and forced to give up my career and my life, because that isn't how things work in the twenty-first century."

"So you agree," Ron said, looking relieved.

"I don't agree with anything you say, Ronald, except that this is over," Hermione's temper was rising and this time she let it. She stood up and turned away from him, pacing the room and trying to take it all in. "While I was working late in the evening, trying to secure my future, you were off sleeping with some other slag? And then you have the nerve to attack ME about spending time with Draco?"

"Well, a man can play," Ron blustered, "but women shouldn't disrespect their men."

Hermione couldn't believe her ears. "I knew you were into all this old-world crap, about a wife's place in the home and a woman's proper role, but NEVER for one second, Ronald Weasley, did I think you'd stoop so low as to throw that bullshit in my face! "A man can play"?! What the fuck is that?" She knew she was out of control now - the swear words only came out when she was really agitated - but she didn't care. "You know what? You can have Astoria, and you can both enjoy each other. I'm done with this, and I'm done with you. I was going to end it tonight too, and you know why? You've been mistreating me and neglecting me for so long, that I developed feelings for someone else. I kissed him tonight, and I felt so guilty I couldn't handle it, and was going to break it off with you straightaway. And then I hear that you have been sneaking around behind my back for MONTHS without a shred of remorse! Get the FUCK out of my flat, Ronald Weasley, and don't you EVER come back!" She whipped her wand out and pointed it right at his face.

Crookshanks, disturbed from his slumber by the raised voices, ambled out of the bedroom and surveyed the scene before him. He had never much liked Ron and tended to stay hidden away when he was in the flat, but now his hackles rose in defense of his mistress and he hissed.

Ron's mouth was opening and closing like a fish. "You kissed someone? Well, I think we can both guess who that was. See, this is what I'm talking about, you have no respect for me. Even after I told you that you were not to go near him, you sneak off and disobey me, and make a fool out of me at that! Well, fine, if that's the way you want it, to be Malfoy's slut, then I'm leaving. I'll be with a woman who properly appreciates me, and you can be with your precious Ferret." He spat the last word contemptuously.

"Don't - you - DARE - speak - to - me - like - that!" Hermione yelled, inching closer and closer with her wand raised, as Ron backed slowly towards the door. "Draco Malfoy is ten times the man you are EVER going to be! Go and be with your slut of a girlfriend and I hope you both rot together!"

With that, she backed him up far enough that he was out of the flat, and slammed the door shut in his face. She heard him shout back at her from the other side of the door: "Don't you dare come crawling back after this, Hermione. I won't be having any of Malfoy's sloppy seconds."

She ignored him, fuming. To think that she had been feeling guilty about a kiss - and he had been having an affair since May. Well, she wouldn't waste any more tears on him. He was nothing more than a waste of space, to use those simple, lame excuses about her not respecting him and not being dutiful and obedient. He was not the Ron Weasley she had grown up with, not anymore; that boy would never have treated her with such a double standard. Well, she didn't care. She was through. Crookshanks pushed his head against her hand, and she stroked him absently, glad of his company.

Briefly she considered owling Draco, but then thought against it. He would come right over, and in her emotional state she didn't know what might happen between them. Though the thought was exciting, she didn't want any relationship she may have with Draco to begin from this mess of emotional baggage that was scattered around tonight. And she couldn't imagine that the reactions of the Weasleys would be very good if she had another man round the same night she and Ron broke up - as much as she detested him, she still thought a lot of his family and hoped that they would still remain friendly with her after this. She would sleep, and clear her head, and go to work in the morning like she always did, and decide tomorrow the best course of action to take.

It didn't take long for the shit to hit the fan. By the next morning, she'd had three missed messages from Ginny. Thankfully, the young redhead was not blaming her for anything, but just wanted to talk, and suggested that they go out at lunchtime to a caterer she was thinking of hiring for the wedding, so they could have a chat. Hermione didn't know if she would answer her phone - she usually only turned it on when she wanted to call someone - so she resolved to send an owl once she reached the office letting her know she would go. More than anything, she didn't want to lose Ginny and Harry over this, and it was important to let them know she still wanted to be their friend.

She didn't hear from Draco and for that she was glad. No doubt he had heard, for she had no doubt that Ron would have run straight to the Prophet and told them the engagement was over; he loved the limelight, however he managed to get it. But Draco had kept back and given her her space, for which she was grateful; she was confused and overwhelmed when he was around at the moment, and she wouldn't be able to think straight. She would go to see him soon enough, when all the mess had passed and they could talk properly about a future together. She almost laughed at herself, despite everything. If she could have told her fourteen-year-old self that in the future she would be breaking off an engagement with Ron and in fact, be looking forward to planning a future with Draco Malfoy, she would have had a fit. It's funny how life works out, she thought wryly as she sat down at her desk to begin another day.

By lunchtime, she was glad to have her talk with Ginny to look forward to. She had had mounds of paperwork piled on her desk, everything from an upcoming Auror mission she had to personally authorise (which meant reading through the credentials of every Auror on the outgoing list, and sorting out a committee to organise Portkeys, tents and supplies) to a hearing that would be happening in the upcoming week concerning the reshuffling of the Wizengamot, which happened every ten years. Having such a broad job was very exciting, because it meant that she got to see and understand how everything worked throughout the entire Ministry, but it also meant that she had a lot of work on her plate literally all the time, memos and owls flying in from every department, leaving almost no time to relax.

Ginny arrived to take her out at half past one. She gladly dropped her quill and left it where it lay, grabbed her bag and left, eager to leave the giant pile of work behind her and compartmentalise it until later on, when she had dealt with her pressing personal issues. Ginny seemed in a good mood, excited to try out the caterer and see what she could put on the menu for her wedding.

"So, you know what I'm going to ask," she said once they had sat down.

"Yes," Hermione sighed. "It wasn't working, Gin - I think you knew that too, as much as we all wanted it to be otherwise."

"He told us you kissed Malfoy," Ginny said quietly. "Is it true?"

"Yes," she admitted. "I have no excuse, other than Ron being an ass, and getting caught up in the moment. I was feeling vulnerable and upset, and Draco was there being a perfect gentleman." She left out the part about his admitting his own feelings for her, unwilling to impart that private piece of information just yet. "It just sort of happened."

"Is that why you broke up, then? Because you kissed Malfoy?" Ginny sounded hurt, but to her credit, was determined to hear all of Hermione's side of the story before she made a judgment. Considering it was her brother on the other end of all this, Hermione had to admire her.

"No - well, not really," Hermione said. "I'd known for a while that I wasn't particularly happy, and this whole engagement was a way of giving it another chance, for both of us I think. But I wasn't what Ron wanted and he wasn't what I wanted in the end, and no amount of trying is going to change that." She paused, and then continued with a hint of bitterness in her voice. "For me, kissing Draco was the catalyst I needed to make me realise that I had to end it. Ron had the same idea, though, apparently, since he kindly mentioned to me last night that he has been sleeping with Astoria Greengrass for the last two months, and was intending to break it off with me so he could be with her instead."

"No way!" Ginny's mouth hung open.

"Yes," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "He informed me that he had been sleeping with her on and off, because she admired him so much, but that he wasn't sure about her so he decided to give me another try. When that didn't work out as he hoped, he told me that he'd decided on Astoria and he was going to break up with me - which was when I admitted that I'd kissed Draco."

"He's such a man pig," Ginny said, settling back in her chair and crossing her arms. "I'll never call him a brother of mine again."

"Don't feel like you have to cut him off for my sake, Gin," Hermione said, though it took all the maturity she could muster. "He's family after all, and he didn't cheat on you."

"No, but you're family too," Ginny said firmly, "and to go behind your back with a slag like that for months and not say a word - and then come over to the Burrow ranting and raving about you and Malfoy - that's hypocrisy I will not accept."

Hermione smiled at her friend, and Ginny responded in kind just as the food arrived. They tucked in happily, the conversation turning to less fraught topics. Ginny was thinking about November for the wedding, since December was too close to Christmas, and October was too soon since she wanted time to prepare a bit more after she returned from her upcoming Harpies tour in mid-September. Ginny loved the course set in front of them and promptly ordered the caterer's services on the spot.

"Great, so that's flowers, cake, photographer, catering and venue sorted," Ginny said happily, "now I just need to finish writing up the invites - you should get yours next week, they're nearly finished - and sort out my dress, shoes, bridesmaids' dresses and a band."

Hermione smiled to see her friend so happy. She thought again about her miserably failed engagement, and the thought of planning a wedding to Ron only made her depressed. She was glad she had had the courage to break it off. It was far too early to think about anything like that with Draco, but she took the excited flutter in her heart as a good sign. She forced herself to calm down. She didn't even know how serious he was about her - she was a Muggleborn after all, and though he might be less prejudiced than he used to be, he still probably wouldn't want to have a Muggleborn wife or half-blood Malfoy children.

They returned to Hermione's office and Ginny hugged her friend, promised her she would tell Harry and the family everything and that she was still welcome at the Burrow anytime. Hermione privately thought it would be a while before she visited, given that Ron still lived there, but said aloud that she would pop in when she could and see everyone. Ginny left to get the floo back home, and Hermione settled once more at her desk behind the same mound of paperwork, her quill exactly where she'd left it. Great.

Nothing more eventful happened that day until around six o'clock. Hermione had just about decided she'd had enough for the day, and was getting ready to Apparate home when her phone started ringing. The only people who called her on it were Ginny, Harry and Draco - the only three magical folk she knew with phones - so she pulled it out to see who it could be. A number she didn't know flashed up on her screen. "Hello?"

"Hello. Is this Miss Hermione Granger?" a male voice asked at the end of the phone.

"Yes...speaking," she replied slowly, a seed of worry starting to form.

"Could you please confirm your address for me?"

"May I ask who is calling?" Hermione asked.

"This is Michael from Pyrox Building Management. I have been informed that there has been a fire at your registered address at 122 West Road. Could you please confirm it for me?"

Hermione's heart stopped. Her flat! "Uh, yes, yes," she found herself saying, "that's my apartment building. How serious is it?"

"Quite, I'm afraid, ma'am. It was a ground floor flat which caught fire and it spread upwards." Thank Merlin, she found herself thinking, it wasn't my flat. "The fire brigade are currently clearing the scene, so I would suggest you make your way home to claim any belongings. We are currently negotiating with the insurance company and will keep you informed on any progress."

"Thank you," she responded, and hung up. For a moment she was in a daze. Her flat had gone up in fire. Everything was in there...and Crookshanks! Oh, Merlin, Crookshanks had been lying on the kitchen counter when she had left this morning! Panic filling her chest, she ran down to the floo and called out the first place that came into her head from which she could Apparate home.

"Malfoy Manor!"

One sickening floo journey later, Hermione fell out of the Manor's main fireplace, and looked up to see a startled house-elf staring at her. "Master Draco!" it called.

"Yes, Mimsy?" Draco's voice could be heard echoing from a corridor to the right. "I'm very busy.."

"There's someone here!" Mimsy called out, not moving, eyes fixed on Hermione who was getting to her feet with a groan.

"What? I wasn't expecting-" Draco emerged into the room. "Hermione! Are you alright?"

"My flat," she managed to choke out through a mouthful of ash, "my flat caught fire. I was at work - had to floo out so I could Apparate..."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Draco grabbed her hand. "Mimsy, please tell Mistress Narcissa that I will be out for a while." The house-elf nodded enthusiastically, its ears flapping.

With that, and before Hermione could catch her breath, Draco had Apparated them both to the site of her building. She gasped in shock at the wreckage before her; almost the entire edifice had burned down to the ground. A ruined door frame and two flights of stairs stood intact, along with the burned-out underlying structure of the flats. Firemen milled about the ruins, picking out salvageable items and talking to people she recognised as her fellow residents.

She pushed her way through the gathering crowd and towards one of the firemen, leaving Draco to stand staring at the remains of what used to be her home. "Hermione Granger, I lived at one of these flats." She showed him her ID with the address on it. "What started the fire?"

"We can't be sure yet," he said sadly. "It was an electrical fire on the ground floor, which spread upwards. We don't know what the cause was, though. We salvaged what we could, though; is any of this yours?" he pointed over at a pile of scattered possessions, mostly metal and ceramic items, through which her neighbours were picking.

"My cat - my cat was inside," Hermione said urgently. "Did you save him?"

"Great big furry thing with claws like a tiger?" the fireman asked warily.

"Yes! Yes, that's him!" Hermione squealed. "Where is he?"

"Not sure where they took him," he said. "He wouldn't let any of us near him for long, it was a miracle we actually managed to get him outside. Wait, I think that gentleman over there has him." The fireman pointed behind her.

Hermione turned and saw Draco making his way towards her, grinning and carrying a purring Crookshanks. "Found him. He was making friends with the fire department."

Hermione took Crookshanks into her arms and held him closely. "I was so worried about you," she whispered into his fur. He smelled like smoke, and she could only imagine how scared he must have been, caught in the burning building. "We're going to get you cleaned up and you're having fish for dinner tonight."

The part-Kneazle must have understood her, because his purring intensified. Draco smiled to see Hermione looking so relieved, and joined in stroking Crookshanks' fluffy back.

"Did you want to go and look for some of your stuff?" Draco asked, gesturing at the pile.

"No," Hermione said. "As long as Crookshanks is safe, I don't care about anything else. It can be replaced." She nuzzled her head into her cat once more.

"Then let's get some food inside you," Draco said, putting his arm around her shoulder. He thanked the fireman, who watched them leave, still eyeing Crookshanks with some caution, and led her away from the wreckage. "What do you fancy?"

"I don't know," Hermione said numbly. Now that the panic of nearly losing Crookshanks had left her, she felt a bit fuzzy and unsure of herself. What was she going to do? Until the insurance money came through, she was homeless. "I need to go to Gringotts and take some money out; I have to book myself into a hotel, and buy some new clothes..."

"Shush," Draco said, "I'll not hear of you staying in a hotel, you're coming to stay at the Manor and that's final." She opened her mouth to protest. "No. No. I don't care what your argument is, it's stupid and you're coming to stay with me until you sort something out. OK?"

She nodded weakly, unable to find the strength to fight with him.

"Right. So let's go back there, and you can sit down and relax. I'll get Mimsy to make us some dinner, and tomorrow, you can take the day off work and Mother will take you shopping, and you can start sorting things out. For tonight, it's just you, and me, and Crookshanks - nice food and conversation, and we won't worry about anything else until later on, alright?" Draco said, kissing the top of her head.

As she allowed herself to be Side-Along Apparated to the Manor, she marvelled that he seemed to know exactly what she needed.