Author's Note: You're going to hate me for this. I promise more details to come. :D I just love playing games. Next chapter will come quicker since I only like teasing you all just a little bit :) Enjoy!

Chapter 16

April 2000

Hermione returned home after her visit to Azkaban instead of going back to work for the remaining hours of the day. She was drained and unfocused. Being around the dementors hadn't put her in a good mood and her confrontation with Draco had just exhausted her further. After arriving back at the ministry via her personal escort, she took the floo straight back to her flat, scaring Crookshanks who was lazing on the couch. She sluggishly moved to the kitchen and grabbed a piece of chocolate from a small stash she hid from Ron because he would devour anything out in the open. She instantly felt better after eating it, the sad and mopey feeling melting away.

She rolled her head on her shoulders, feeling stiff all over. She had been so tense about this visit that was finally over that every muscle in her body was protesting, refusing to relax. She gazed longingly at the couch but forced herself into the bathroom to take a long hot shower. Her muscles would thank her later.

After a long soak, she magically dried her hair, pulled on the most comfortable clothes she could find, and crawled into bed. The chocolate had helped the overwhelming feeling of despair, but the conversation between herself and Draco still clung strongly to the forefront of her memory.

He'd done it on purpose out of revenge, yet she still couldn't really understand why. The memory of that night and the fact that she was suffering was, indeed, keeping him going. She had faltered slightly with her memory, it was as if being in his presence had strengthened the spell. She was able to muster up some focus, however, and enjoyed his reaction when she let him know it wasn't working and that she and Ron were still together.

She was planning on being up and about by the time the normal work day ended in order to sway any suspicion that something was wrong but the nap she had settled into had held there for a long while. She knew Ron would show up at her flat, he always did, and he had to have known by now that she had left work. She hadn't thought about what his reaction to her not being at her desk at the end of the work day would be. Her first guess was that he'd be worried. Maybe he'd be mad. Perhaps sad. There was a chance that he wouldn't have noticed at all, simply assuming she finished a bit early and came home before him. She had no time to contemplate any of these options as she slept straight through the five o'clock whistle.

She was jolted awake by his loud bellow of her name and the bang of the door of her bedroom as he flung it open and practically pounced on her. She let out a grumpy moan and tried to push him away. "You're ok," he breathed.

"Of course I'm ok you lunatic, get off me," came her groggy protest.

"I came to get you at lunch and your co-worker's said two auror's came and you left with them early in the morning. I asked around and no one knew anything. And then you weren't there at the end of the day and I panicked that something happened to you. That you finally jumped the shark and tried to free the house elves or something on your own."

"I had a meeting and then I wasn't feeling well and I came home," she lied, not daring to look him in the eye. She was positive that by now, he'd be able to tell if she were telling a lie or not.

"Without as much as an inter-office memo to me? No one in your department knew where you were." He glared at her for a moment. "You're lying, aren't you? Where were you out all day?"

"Ron, really, I just don't feel well." She closed her eyes and tried to hide her face in her pillow.

"Well then I'll get my mum, she's real good with maladies. She'll have you feeling better in an instant." He got up off the bed and barely took a step to the door when Hermione made a quick grab for him.

"No!" she practically screamed. Dragging his mother into this would only make matters worse. When he raised an eyebrow, she softened. "I'm fine, I just need some rest. Why don't you lay with me for a while?" She figured that maybe being flirty would distract him until he forgot she went missing for the day. He laid beside her, his arms going around her tightly.

"If you went away with two aurors all day, you have to tell me. If you're in trouble…"

"I'm not in trouble," she cut him off. She didn't want him to think that. She didn't want him to worry.

"You know I'll find out eventually," he told her. She was sure he would, but it wouldn't be tonight. She briefly contemplated his reaction if he really did find out from someone else what she'd done today. There were only four people who knew where she was today. Kingsley would never tell Ron, the two aurors who escorted her were magically sworn to secrecy, and, well, Draco had no one but the dementors to blab to.

"Not tonight," she murmured.

As much as he tried for the rest of the night to get information out of her, it was useless. She'd fought with him for a while until he stormed from the room. She heard him in the kitchen as he fixed dinner, even bringing some in as a peace offering, but she refused. He tried to make up for his outburst, but she began to give him the silent treatment. Inside, she felt horrible for making him feel bad for suspecting she was sneaking around when she really was. When the truth came out, and she knew it would, it would blow up in her face. She was beginning to think that any positive outcome of her plan would be overshadowed by her deceptive manner. Maybe she had made the wrong choice. Maybe she had done the wrong thing. Maybe this would finally push Ron away for good. Maybe Draco was winning after all.