A/N: Hi all, this is a short chapter, and unfortunately the final chapter! I've lost motivation for this story and instead of abandoning it, I would rather finish it off with a resolution. I really appreciate all the reviews and follows that you have tossed my way, I hope that this ending doesn't disappoint you too much.
Chapter 8.
Draco was sipping at a coffee in Hermione's office when she rushed in with red rimmed eyes and ruffled hair.
"So now you're making a pattern of arriving late?" Draco asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"She… she ended things, Draco," Hermione said morosely, throwing herself in a chair opposite him, "I found her in a fucking bar, off her face and she ended things with me."
"Hmn, I figured she might have continued her bender when she didn't show up today," Draco noted, sipping at his coffee, "As for ending things with you, don't you think that's her mindset speaking? I've seen you two around each other, she feels the same way about you as you do about her."
"I just don't know what's going on," Hermione said distractedly, running her hands through her hair, "She was doing so well… We were doing well… I felt like she was finally beginning to trust me properly."
"Granger… Its okay, I'll talk to her," Draco interrupted, putting down his coffee, "In the meantime, you need to get some sleep. You look terrible, Granger."
"Thanks… never one to mince words, Draco," Hermione smirked lightly, before rubbing at her eyes and gathering her things again.
Fleur was sitting alone at a table, drinking a glass of wine. She couldn't forget the hurt look in Hermione's eyes when she had ended things. Her entire chest was aching horribly.
"Ah… this looks more like the real Delacour," Pansy smirked, appearing from behind Fleur to sit next to her.
"What do you want?" Fleur said bitingly. Her eyes didn't raise from her glass of wine.
Pansy reached out, taking Fleur by the chin and wrenching her face to look at her.
"I want you of course," Pansy said with a dark smile, "I'm probably the only person that does."
Fleur pulled her face out of Pansy's hand, "Leave me alone, Pansy,"
"I did some research… So many people disappeared in the woods around that shack you shared with Weasley," Pansy said dangerously, "Tell me, what did you tell them happened?"
Fleur paled and took another long drink from her wine.
"I already ended things with Hermione," Fleur said defensively, "We're even."
Pansy laughed, slinging an arm around Fleur's tense shoulders. "Oh sweet Veela, I am far from done with you."
Across the bar, in the shadows, Draco swirled his whiskey, watching Pansy and Fleur. He walked to the bar, tossing down a couple of galleons to cover his tab and placed his unfinished whiskey beside them. He disappeared in a flurry of his billowy cloak.
He had knocked at Hermione's door for five minutes before she finally answered, looking sleepy.
"What is it? I was sleeping—like you told me to do, I should add," Hermione snapped crankily.
"Pansy is fucking with Fleur's head," Draco said, leaning on the doorway.
"What?!"
"Explains why things went south after Fleur went to get that contract signed," Draco continued, shaking his head, "Should have been our first thought. Anyway, I'll deal with Pansy… you deal with Fleur."
Hermione nodded, stunned, and Draco promptly disapparated on the spot. Arriving home, he immediately crossed the room and grabbed his pouch of Floo powder, tossing some in the fireplace. Muttering to himself, he pushed his head into the fireplace.
"Mother… Long time no see. What do you know about the Parkinsons?"
Hermione found Fleur in another bar, drowning her sorrows in a gin and tonic.
"Sickle for your thoughts?" Hermione said softly, sitting down at the table with Fleur. The blonde looked miserable.
"I thought I ended things with you," Fleur said neutrally, swishing her drink around in the glass.
"I know Pansy is messing with you," Hermione interrupted, putting her hand on top of Fleur's, "You should have just told me."
"She… she threatened to tell everyone about what happened with Bill," Fleur said quietly.
"She knows about that?" Hermione replied incredulously, "Let me guess… she tried to make you feel terrible about what happened?"
Fleur didn't reply, instead she took another sip of her drink. Hermione squeezed her hand.
"I just… I feel like this ache inside me will never go away…" Fleur said slowly, "I feel like I'll always have this horrible thing festering inside me."
"Fleur… We could always… Report it…" Hermione suggested tentatively. Fleur put her drink down, paling. Hermione released her hand, suddenly rummaging in her bag.
"No, no, Fleur it would be fine… I did some research into this and it wouldn't be that bad! Look at the precedents here, similar things have happened throughout the years, like in 1985…"
"Hermione… you researched this for me?" Fleur said, a faint smile playing at her lips.
"Sometimes its like you don't know me at all, Delacour," Hermione said with a laugh, "But seriously. It would only be awful for a little while… and then you would never have to deal with this big secret hanging over you,"
"I'm not sure…" Fleur said uncertainly, nervous. Hermione took her hand again.
"Do you trust me?"
Pansy was scrawling some notes at her desk, stifling a yawn. Work was boring, but after work she could treat herself to finding whatever bar Delacour was at and taunting her some more. She was sure she only had to break Fleur a little more before she would sleep with her. Pansy smirked.
The door to Pansy's office slammed open and Draco entered.
"How did you get past security?" Pansy asked with a sneer. Draco sneered back.
"Nice to see you too, Parkinson," Draco drawled, "You're going to stop fucking with Fleur right now."
"Yeah, I'm not gonna stop fucking with her until… Well until I'm fucking with her," Pansy laughed. Draco pulled a disgusted face.
"Its not funny, Pansy, leave her alone," Draco replied.
"Do you know what she did?" Pansy countered with a predatory grin, "Do you know how bad it is?"
"I don't care what she did," Draco interrupted, "You on the other hand…"
"What are you talking about, Draco?" Pansy asked, the smile fading from her face.
"Yeah, I had a little chat with my darling mother… Turns out treating people terribly isn't the only past time the Parkinson's all share," Draco smirked, "I think the Ministry would be very interested in the money laundering going on here with illegal Death Eater activities,"
"You wouldn't dare, your company needs us," Pansy replied acidly. Draco shrugged.
"Sure, we would probably suffer losses for a while… But we would bounce back eventually," Draco replied, "Some things are more important than money."
He waved his wand, whipping open the office door to reveal a number of darkly suited Ministry officials with their wands in their hands.
Fleur walked out of the building, wiping tears from her eyes. Hermione met her with a strong embrace.
"What happened, love?" Hermione asked quietly.
"I met the families… of the people that Bill killed…" Fleur sniffled, "They said they didn't blame me,"
"I told you it wasn't your fault," Hermione soothed, stroking Fleur's hair, "What about the cover up?"
"A year's probation," Fleur said quietly, "It seems a little light,"
"Fleur… You've punished yourself more than enough for what you have done already," Hermione replied softly, kissing Fleur on the cheek.
"Hermione, you've always believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself," Fleur said in a whisper. Hermione drew away from Fleur, looking at her with a look Fleur couldn't quite place.
"I just want to make sure that you know I'm interested in you for you, not because I see you as some 'project' or whatever rubbish Pansy told you," Hermione said.
"I want you to know… That even though I was a total jerk and ended things with you while Pansy was messing with me… I have feelings for you," Fleur said with a shy smile, "I really like you and I want to be with you. If you can give me a second chance?"
Hermione smiled, hooking a hand behind Fleur's neck to pull her into a searing kiss.