Chapter Nineteen: You give love a bad name
"Shot through the heart and your to blame, you give love a bad name. I played my part and you played your game, you give love a bad name..." You give love a bad name by Jon Bon Jovi
oOo
"What goes around comes around and what comes up must come down" has always been the golden rule of Karma and Ron Weasley can attest to that. One upon a time, he was a decent man, a reliable best friend, a loving fiancé and a dotting son. He used to think that he has everything that any man could ever wish for but for some unfathomable reason he manage to lose it all. Now, all he has left is a bad reputation, an ex murderous best friend, an ex fiance who doesn't want to have anything to do with him and parents that will castrate him if they found out that he's having a baby out of wedlock. Karma is really a bitch and he's being slapped at every turn.
"Mom? Dad? I'm here, where are you?" Ron called out loudly.
"Kitchen" Arthur replied.
Ron swallowed hard upon hearing his father's tone; he squared his shoulders before he made his way towards the kitchen.
"Sit down Ronald, I believe we have a lot to talk about" Molly said seriously upon seeing her youngest son.
Ron stared at his parents for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh; he pulled a chair and sat down.
Arthur leaned back on his chair and clasped his hands tightly on top of the table; "Is there something you want to tell us that we should know about?" he asked too calmly.
"Yes."
oOo
"Where on earth have you been? I've been waiting for you in ages!"
Millicent stepped out of her fireplace and dusted off the soot from her cloak; "Don't you have work?"
"I do but I called in sick" Pansy replied.
Millicent snorted as she walks towards the couch; "You own the bloody business, pray tell who you called?"
Pansy waved her hand dismissively; "That's not important" she replied. She then sat straighter and stared at her best friend curiously; "So, what happened? How did the Weasley's take it?"
Millicent leaned back on the couch and began massaging her temples; "I'm not actually sure how to describe it to be honest. I, for sure managed to screw Ronald up but at the same time I can't help but feel like I did the same to myself" she admitted with a sigh.
Pansy narrowed her eyes; "Don't tell me you feel guilty because you still love that poor excuse of a man?"
Millicent threw Pansy an annoyed look; "Do you want me to explain why or would you rather speculate until your mouth foams?"
Pansy looked abashed; she cleared her throat and gestured for Millicent to continue.
"Everything was going according to plan, I was able to make Molly believe that Ronald didn't want marriage, that he only cares for the baby. I can see it in her eyes that she's 100% convinced and she's on my side" Millicent paused and scowled. "That is before Lavender Brown decided to show up and claimed that she's going to marry him."
Pansy's eyes widen in disbelief; "She wants to marry him? Why on Merlin's name does she want to do that?"
Millicent shrugged her shoulders; "I don't have the slightest idea."
"So why do you feel like you screwed yourself too?" Pansy asked.
Millicent resumed rubbing her temples; "Things got a little bit out of hand and wands are drawn" she paused. "I got carried away in taunting that slag that I accidentally blurted out that she won't be marrying Ron any time soon because I'm carrying his child. Molly seems to take it to heart and now I'm not quite sure what happens next because she told me that she'll take care of it."
"You shouldn't have said that!" Pansy hissed. "What the bloody hell were you thinking?"
Millicent threw her hands up in exasperation; "I was upset okay?! I obviously didn't think first before I opened my damn mouth! I can't let that bitch think that she's better than me!"
Pansy leaned back on the couch as she stared at her best friend grimly; "Well, congratulations, you just manage to land yourself a fiancé."
Millicent's mouth hung open as her eyes widen in shock.
oOo
"Where in Merlin's beard have you been? I've been looking for you for hours!" Leila bellowed angrily.
Lavender stepped out of the fireplace; "Ministry of magic" she deadpanned.
Leila narrowed her eyes; "Don't tell me you still talked to that hideous boy?"
Lavender scowled and met her mother's gaze; "Of course I'll talk to him! I can't let him get away without giving him a piece of my mind" she snapped.
Leila crossed her arms on top of her chest; "What did you do?"
Lavender took off her cloak and threw it on the coffee table; "I confronted him in the middle of the Atrium and screamed my lungs off" she replied while taking a seat on the couch. "I made sure to let everybody know that he's nothing but a worthless scumbag and he doesn't deserve me, then I slapped him"
Leila can't help but smirk; "We're you able to get him good?"
Lavender smiled vindictively; "Not only was I able to hit him hard, I also made sure that his ex fiancé is watching the whole bloody thing"
Leila threw her daughter an impressed look; "Looks like you didn't need any help after all."
Lavender leaned back on the couch; "I'm just getting started mom-just getting started" she said ominously.
"Let me hear it, what's your plan?"
oOo
"Malfoy just spit it out, I'm not a mind reader, you know" Hermione said.
Draco cringed; "Am I that obvious?"
Hermione chuckled; "You've been staring at me like you're about ready to piss yourself."
Draco feigned an affronted look; "Language Granger! We're in a public place"
Hermione rolled her eyes; "Just tell me what got your knickers in a twist" she said before taking a sip of her coffee.
Draco averted his eyes and began playing with the napkin; "Err—I know we haven't been dating that long but last night I received an owl from my parents-err, they asked me to invite you to have dinner at the Manor Wednesday night" he said nervously.
"That's it?"
Draco's eyes snapped up, meeting Hermione's gaze; "Yes" he replied. "BUT I understand if you don't want to-err, I can just tell them that you're busy and we can resched-"
"You will not do such thing" Hermione interjected.
Draco's eyes widen; "Huh?"
Hermione smiled; "It's okay Draco, it's just dinner and I've already shared a meal with your parents, it's nothing new."
"Really? You don't mind?"
Hermione reached for her beau's hand and gave it a soft squeeze; "I don't mind" she replied. She then pulled her hand away and smirked; "You'll be returning the favour soon, anyway" she said mischievously.
Draco raised his brow in amusement; "Is that your subtle way of telling me that you're planning on introducing me to your parents?"
"Maybe..."
Draco grinned; "Tell me the time and date, I'll be there."
Hermione smiled brightly; "That's what I want to hear."
oOo
"You can't be serious!" Ron said, his face burning red with anger and disbelief.
"Don't take that tone with us young man!" Arthur chastised. "You brought this on to yourself and not us"
"I know that but that doesn't mean that this is right!"
"We can't do anything about this Ronald and you know that" Molly said, clearly exasperated.
Ron stopped pacing and turned his face towards his parents; "What do you mean you can't do anything about it?" he asked nervously.
"Exactly what your mother just said, we can't do anything about it" Arthur said. He then leaned back on his chair and stared at his son; "It's as solid as an unbreakable vow, you have to marry Ms. Bullstrode"
"But I don't want to marry her!" Ron shouted.
"Then you should've thought about that before laying a finger on her!" Molly snapped.
Ron pulled his chair and plopped down; "I can't believe this! Who placed that bloody binding charm on us? I didn't even know it existed for Merlin's sake!"
"It's been in place for more than a decade now and every pureblood family knows about this" Arthur replied.
"How come I didn't know about this?" Ron asked. "How come you never told me? Us?"
"We didn't feel the need to, we didn't think we'd ever have to worry about telling you since you're already set on marrying Hermione at a very young age" Arthur said. He then frowned and threw his son a disappointed look; "We didn't think you will go on a debauchery spree at your fiancé's back" he said darkly.
Ron lowered his head, clearly abashed.
"I know this is hard to take but you don't have a choice, as of today you are officially betrothed to Ms. Bullstrode, we'll get in contact with her parents so we can meet them formally and start planning your wedding" Molly said.
Ron sighed gloomily; "Her parents doesn't even know about us-about this."
"Don't worry about that, the moment she acknowledged that she's carrying your child in your mother's presence, her parents were automatically notified by the charm" Arthur said.
Ron hunched forward and braised his elbows on top of his knees; he buried his face into his palms and groaned loudly. "What the bloody hell did I do?"
oOo
"I don't believe you!" Millicent yelled between tears.
Pansy huffed; "I'm not lying to you, I wish I was just messing with you but I'm not!"
Millicent buried her face into her palms, bawling loudly.
Pansy sighed; she stood up from her perch and walked towards her best friend. She sat beside her and wrapped her arm around her shaking shoulders; "I'm sorry Millie, I really am..."
"My-my life is over...I don't want to marry him..." Millicent wept.
Pansy squeezed the distraught woman's shoulder; she was about to open her mouth to say encouraging words but wasn't able to do so when she heard a loud crack of apparition.
"Miss?"
Millicent pulled her face away from her hands and stared at the tiny house elf standing by the fireplace; "Kiki?" she asked in surprise.
The house elf bowed lowly; "Kiki is sent by Master and Mistress, I is sent to tell Miss that Miss is to go to the Mansion."
Millicent turned her horror stricken face towards Pansy; "Bloody hell"
Pansy cringed; "Yeah, bloody hell"
oOo
Draco apparated directly into the living room with Hermione in his arms; "We're home" he announced.
Hermione can't help but grin at his statement; "We are"
Draco wrapped his arms tightly around Hermione and planted a soft kiss on her forehead; "I don't want to leave"
Hermione giggled; "As much as I want you here, you have to go, your Mum and Dad are waiting for you"
Draco pouted; "Can't I just owl them?"
Hermione shook her head; "Nope, you promised to meet with them for dessert"
Draco pulled away; "But you're better than any dessert in this world" he said while wiggling his brows suggestively.
Hermione laughed; she then pushed her beau away and made her way towards the couch; "Even better than chocolate dipped cherries?" she teased while sitting down.
Draco grinned widely; "Way better than that"
Hermione chuckled; "Your sweet talking won't take you anywhere Malfoy, go now."
Draco stared at Hermione for a moment before rolling his eyes; he moved towards his girlfriend and planted another kiss on her forehead; "I'll see you tomorrow, goodnight" he murmured sweetly.
"I'll see you tomorrow too, tell them I said Hi, goodnight"
Draco smiled back; "Will do" he said before disapparating with a loud crack.
Hermione leaned back on the couch and smiled dreamily; "This day is not bad after all" she mused.
oOo
Astoria slipped under the covers; "I just put Candice into bed"
"No temper tantrums?" Harry asked.
Astoria shook her head; "No, she's unusually compliant tonight"
Harry smiled; "That's new"
Astoria turned towards her husband and studied his face; "Are you planning on telling me what happened today?"
Harry's smile faltered, he then flipped to his side and braised his head with his hand; "It's Ron" he sighed.
Astoria copied her husband's pose, her brows furrowing; "What did he do?"
"What you heard before was true, he's been cheating with Millicent Bullstrode all this time"
Astoria's eyes widen incredulously; "I-I thought it was with Lavender Brown?"
Harry plopped down on his back and stared at the ceiling darkly; "I also thought so..."
"So you mean to say that he's been going around Mione's back with two women?!"
Harry sighed; "Yes"
Astoria plopped down on her back too; "That asshole!" she hissed.
Harry turned his head to the side; "My thoughts exactly."
Astoria turned her face towards Harry; "Does Mione know?" she asked worriedly.
Harry scrunched his face in disgust; "That's what pissed me off greatly"
"What happened?"
"We had to find out from Lavender, she stormed into the Ministry during lunch time and screamed her lungs off in the middle of the Atrium and slapped Ronald"
Astoria looked thoughtful; "Did she had him good at least?"
Harry cracked a smile; "I have to give it to her, that woman can make a punch look like a slap"
Astoria giggled; "Serves him right"
Harry furrowed his brows; "He deserves way more than that. If Hermione didn't lock me out of my bloody office I might've killed him with my bare hands"
"What did she do?" Astoria asked.
Harry sighed; "She stormed off into our office and locked me out. I didn't know what happened in there or what they talked about but when she came out she looks at peace"
Astoria thought for a moment; "Maybe she already found the closure she's looking for"
Harry turned his face to the side; "That's exactly what she told me"
Astoria smiled; "Good for her, at least now she can move on with Draco"
"Yeah, I hope so. She deserves to be happy after everything that she's been through" Harry said with a small smile.
oOo
"How nice of you to join us for dessert" Narcissa said jovially.
"Mum, Dad, good evening"
"We thought you'd never come, I've been waiting all day to eat that delectable chocolate mousse" Lucius drawled.
Draco rolled his eyes as he pulls a chair.
"So...how's Hermione? Is she coming on Wednesday?" Narcissa asked excitedly.
Draco turned his gaze towards his mother; "She is,"
Lucius smirked; "Let me guess, that's the reason why you're late?"
Draco returned the smirk; "It's not that it's any of your business but yes."
"Good night?" Lucius asked meaningfully.
Narcissa giggled; "Oh dear"
Draco shifted his eyes between his parents before groaning loudly; "I'm not doing this with you"
oOo
The next day:
Hermione was just checking her reflection on her mirror when she heard her fireplace burst into life; she grabbed her bag from the dresser and made her way towards the living room. "Ginny?"
"Good morning Mione" Ginny greeted somewhat glumly.
Hermione walked towards her best friend and furrowed her brows upon seeing the look on Ginny's face; "I was just on my way to work, is something the matter?"
Ginny stared at Hermione; "I heard what happened at the Ministry...are you alright?"
Hermione can't help but smile; she leaned forward and squeezed the red head's arm; "I'm fine Ginny, really, I am."
"I'm ashamed of what my baboon of a brother did-I'm sorry..."
Hermione pulled her hand away and fixed Ginny with a stern stare; "You have nothing to be sorry for, you didn't do anything wrong Gin."
"But he's still my brother and-"
"Brother is the keyword there Gin" Hermione interjected.
Ginny sighed dejectedly; "It's just-I don't know why and how he can do that to you..."
Hermione shrugged her shoulders; "I don't know and I no longer care, it's all in the past" she said dismissively. "I'm happy, that's all that matters to me now."
Ginny smiled; "Happy now with Draco?"
Hermione felt her cheeks flush but nodded none the less; "Yeah"
Ginny tugged Hermione's arm and pulled her into a hug; "You deserve to be happy, I'm glad Draco is a big part of it, he's a good man."
Hermione returned the hug; "He is a good man" she agreed.
Ginny patted Hermione's back before pulling away; "We're still on tonight right? We're still hanging out with Harry and your delicious cupcakes?"
Hermione chuckled; "Yep, we can't keep Harry away from my cupcakes"
Ginny giggled.
oOo
"Get up Ronald" Molly said while shaking her son's shoulder.
Ron groaned and burrowed further into his pillow; "I'm not going to work mom, I asked for a time off" he grumbled.
"I know that, I'm waking you up because the Bullstrode's will be here by lunch time to discuss everything" Molly replied.
Ron sprung up from his bed, his eyes wide in panic; "What?"
Molly sat herself at the side of the bed and placed her hands on her lap; "We received an owl late last night from Irina and Marcus, they requested to formally to speak with us regarding your predicament."
Ron felt the blood leave his face; "This is really happening? There's nothing you can do?" he asked desperately.
Molly shook her head sadly; "I'm afraid not, like what your father said, it's as good as an unbreakable vow."
Ron collapsed back on his bed and covered his face with his hands; "Bloody buggering hell!" he groaned.
"Ronald!"
oOo
"Don't forget to remind Hermione about our dinner on Wednesday and tell her not to bother with anything, I'll take care of it"
"Yes Mum, I wouldn't forget" Draco drawled while rolling his eyes.
Lucius folded his news paper and stared at his wife; "Your son is not daft Cissy, I'm quite sure he'll remember it"
"I know that Lucius, I simply want to remind him"
"For the nth time" Lucius and Draco said in unison.
Narcissa pursed her lips in annoyance; "Fine."
oOo
Hermione unlocked her office and stepped inside; she closed the door behind and her and made her way towards her desk. She placed her bag on top it and pulled her chair; she was about to sit down when the door burst open.
"Hermione!"
"Good morning Harry" Hermione chirped.
Harry closed the door behind him and sauntered towards Hermione's desk; he stood right in front of it and eyed her intently. "Are you okay?"
Hermione rolled her eyes as she sat down; "Of course I'm alright, what kind of question is that?"
Harry copied his best friend's action and sat down; "I just want to make sure that you're-you know okay..."
Hermione smiled; "I'm really fine, don't worry about me" she said. She then shifted her chair closer to her desk and began perusing the papers on top of it; "Ginny came by this morning, we're still on for tonight right?"
Harry grinned widely; "Of course, I wouldn't cancel it for the world"
Hermione lifted her eyes from her work and raised her brow in amusement; "You just want my cupcakes" she teased.
"Damn right you are" Harry said.
Hermione chuckled; "Well Mr. Potter, if you want me to make those yummy cupcakes for later you have to leave me alone so I can do my work"
Harry thumped his hands on his thighs and stood up; "I'll go away now"
Hermione shook her head.
oOo
Theo blinked a couple of times, his mouth wide agape.
"Say something!" Pansy shrieked.
Theo shook his head to clear his thoughts; "Wow, just wow" he breathed out.
Pansy leaned back on her chair; "I know. Everything is so screwed up right now, if I only knew that this would happen, I would've gone with her, I feel guilty."
Theo leaned forward and placed his hand on top of Pansy's; "It was not your fault love, you didn't know that she doesn't have an idea about this, hell I didn't even know it still existed!"
Pansy sighed; "Her parents summoned her last night, I'm quite sure they'll be meeting up with the Weasley's today."
Theo squeezed Pansy hand comfortingly before pulling away; "She'll be fine, Millie is a strong woman, she'll get through this."
"I hope so Theo, I hope so..."
oOo
"Are you really sure you want to do this Lav?" Parvati asked nervously. "Really sure?"
Lavender frowned; "Of course I'm sure about this! I wouldn't be here if I'm not" she snapped.
Parvati leaned back on her chair and sighed; "I just want to make sure this is what you want because Merlin knows that there's no turning back after this."
"I know that" Lavender replied. She then turned her face towards Parvati and let out a small smile; "Thank you for coming with me, I appreciate it" she said.
Parvati smiled back; "You're my best friend, of course I'll come with you."
The door burst open as Rita Skeeter sauntered inside her office; "Well, well, well-Merlin must've been looking my way right now, what do I owe this pleasant visit?"
Lavender sat straighter; "I'm here to give you an exclusive scoop, are you interested?"
Rita sat down on her chair and braised her elbows on top of the desk; she clasped hands together and rested her chin on top of it. "Pray tell Ms. Brown, a scoop about what?" she asked while staring at Lavender curiously.
Lavender grinned slyly; "The real reason behind the Weasley-Granger break up"
Rita's eyes sparkle with mischief; "I'm all ears then"
Parvati shifted her eyes between the two; "Oh Merlin" she mumbled to herself.
oOo
"Why do I feel like I'm seeing less and less of you as days goes by?"
Draco tore his eyes away from the parchment his writing on and smirked; "Is that your way of saying that you miss me?"
Anthony leaned sideways on the door frame; "No, it's my way of asking if you're putting a ring on Hermione's finger any time soon."
Draco's eyes widen as his mouth turn agape.
Anthony stared at his friend for a moment before bursting out in laughter.
Draco blinked a couple of times; "You arse!" he yelled before throwing his quill towards the other man.
Anthony deflected the quill with his hands, still chuckling; "You should've seen your face there mate, it was hilarious!"
Draco leaned back on his chair and stared at Anthony; "Not funny" he said petulantly.
Anthony pulled away from the door frame and made his way towards his friend's desk; he sat on the chair and smiled at Draco. "I'm just messing with you, stop pouting"
Draco rolled his eyes as a response.
Anthony threw Draco a curious look; "Don't tell me it hasn't crossed your mind yet"
Draco crossed his arms on top of his chest; "Aren't you just dying to know" he drawled. "Tell me, did Ginny put you up to this?"
"Of course not, why would you think that?"
Draco huffed; "Is that a trick question?"
Anthony shook his head; "You're thinking way too much about my question."
"And you're way too nosey" Draco quipped.
oOo
Millicent was pacing anxiously when her mother stepped inside her room; "Why aren't you dressed yet? We're supposed to leave in 10 minutes" Irina Bullstrode said.
Millicent turned her gaze towards her mother; "You can't do this Mother-this is insane!"
Irina narrowed her eyes at her daughter; "We didn't do this to you, you did it to yourself" she snapped.
Millicent halted her pacing; "But I don't want to marry him! You can't make me marry him!" she pleaded.
"Well you have no choice! It's either you marry him or you'll both die! How many times do we have to explain to you that the enchantment you activated is as good as unbreakable vow?"
Millicent threw her hands up; "I can't believe this!"
"Believe it. Now get dressed and meet us by the grand fireplace in 10 minutes" Irina said before walking towards the door.
Millicent closed her eyes as she clenched her fists close; "What the bloody hell am I supposed to do?"
oOo
"I never thought reading can be sexy"
Hermione tore her eyes away from the reports she's reading; "Hey, I didn't hear you come in" she said with a small smile.
Draco walked towards his girlfriend and stood beside her; "It's because your too absorbed with what you're reading" he replied before planting a kiss on her head.
Hermione tilted her face towards her beau; "What are you doing here? Don't you have work?"
Draco crossed his arms on top of his chest; "Well, I was indeed working but then I remembered promising my girlfriend that I'll have lunch with her today..."
Hermione shifted her eyes towards the clock on the wall, her eyes widening in mortification; "Oh Draco, I'm sorry! I didn't even notice the time!"
Draco chuckled; "It's okay love, don't fret"
Hermione grabbed her bag from her drawer before standing up from her chair; "Do you mind if I choose where we'll be eating today?"
Draco raised his brow; "We're not eating here?" he asked curiously.
"Nope" Hermione replied. "Do you trust me?"
Draco hopped off the desk and returned the smile; "What kind of question of that? Of course I trust you."
Hermione offered her arm and grinned widely; "Grab on to me then, I'll apparate us there."
Draco rolled his eyes; he snaked his arms around Hermione's waist and pulled the brunette towards his chest. "Apparate away"
Hermione giggled before closing her eyes and imagining their destination; "Hold tight"
Draco closed his eyes and held Hermione closer.
oOo
"It's almost time, are you ready?" Arthur asked while eyeing his son intently.
Ron closed his eyes and took a deep breath; "I don't know if I'll ever be ready" he murmured.
Arthur shifted towards Ron and clasped his shoulder; "If there's anything I could do to stop this I would but we all been backed up in a corner, we just have to learn to deal."
Ron opened his eyes, tears rolling down his ashen cheeks; "How can I be so stupid Dad? What the bloody hell is wrong with me?"
Arthur pulled his hand away and fell into step with his youngest son; he shoved his hands inside his trousers and stared at the orchard before them. "You are not stupid but your choices are."
Ron wiped his cheeks and followed his father's stare quietly.
"Ron? Arthur? They're here" Molly announced as she stepped out of the back door.
Arthur sighed before turning his face towards Ron; "Come on son, we can do this."
Ron turned towards his father; "Yeah," he replied glumly.
oOo
"Thank you Ms. Brown, it has been a pleasure talking with you" Rita Skeeter said while shaking the young woman's hand.
Lavender smirked; "It's my pleasure" she replied. "The article will be published when, again?"
Rita pulled her hand away and fixed the perch of her glasses on her nose; "I'll have it ready by Wednesday, it should be front page by then" she said with a large evil grin.
"Perfect" Lavender said. "Well, we should be going then"
Parvati didn't even spare Rita a look before making her way towards the door silently.
Lavender nodded towards the journalist before following her best friend's lead.
Rita waited for the young witches to exit her office before leaning back on her chair; she rested her elbows on the armrest and clasped her hands together. "Well, I'll be damned, who would've thought that Ron Weasley has it in him, too bad he got caught" she said gleefully.
oOo
"I forgot to tell you, I'll need to drop by Muggle London after work" Hermione said before taking the last bite of her pasta.
Draco patted his lips with a napkin; "Why?"
"I need to buy more chocolates for the cupcakes I'll be making for tonight" Hermione replied.
Draco took a sip of his drink; "Can I tag along?"
Hermione raised her brow; "You want to go with me in Muggle London?"
Draco rolled his eyes; "We're eating in a Muggle Bistro right now Hermione, going there wouldn't be different."
Hermione thought for a moment; "Good point."
Draco took a peek on his watch; "Are you done? We have to get back" he said.
Hermione emptied her glass and nodded; "Yep" she said. She then turned to her side and hailed a server; she signalled for their check before rummaging through her bag.
"What are you doing?"
"Getting my wallet"
"For what?"
Hermione plucked her wallet triumphantly; "Tadah!" she said cheerfully. "To pay for our meal of course"
Draco threw Hermione an affronted look; "You would not do such thing! I'm the man here, I'll pay for our meal."
Hermione smirked; "Pray tell, how will you do that? Do you have Muggle money?"
"Damn it!" Draco muttered lowly. "This is the first time that a woman will be paying for my meal and it's my girlfriend none the less! My mother and father will strangle me if they knew!"
Hermione giggled; "Oh hush! It's the 20th century Draco and not the 1800's, don't be so dramatic"
The server arrived and politely placed the check book on the table; he smiled at the couple before placing his hands behind him.
Hermione grabbed the check book and began perusing it; she pulled some notes from her wallet and handed it back to the server. "Here you go and thank you" she said.
"You are welcome, you both have a great day" The server replied before walking away.
Hermione shifted her gaze towards her beau; "Shall we?"
Draco pursed his lips before standing up; "You're lucky I like you" he said.
Hermione smiled widely; "Stop pouting or I'll be forced to not to like you, I hate pouty guys"
Draco offered his arm towards the brunette; "Is that so?"
"Yep"
oOo
"Millicent darling, why don't you and Ronald take a walk, you look really pale sweetheart" Marcus said while eyeing his daughter with concern.
Molly stared at the young witch before turning her gaze to her son; "Marcus is right Ronald, why don't you take Millicent for a walk along the orchard?"
Ronald was about to protest but held his tongue when he saw his father staring at him pointedly; he let out a defeated sigh before standing up. "Come on Millie, let's take a walk"
"I don't want to take a bloody walk!" Millicent hissed.
Irina turned her gaze towards her daughter and glared; "You will take a walk with Ronald, you two need to talk. We will finalize everything here, we don't need you here, so go."
Millicent eyed her mother for a moment, when she didn't see any compromise in her eyes, she sighed. She stood up from her perch and glared at the red head; "Lead the way" she said with disdain.
Ron rolled his eyes before turning on his heels; "Bloody witch" he whispered.
"Bloody Weasel" Millicent murmured.
oOo
"So-the article will be out by Wednesday?" Parvati asked while organizing the rack of clothes right in front of her.
"Yep" Lavender replied gleefully.
Parvati moved towards the stacks of boxes and braised her hands on top of it; "I can't believe that Ronald is capable of doing that..."
Lavender's face instantly turned sour; "He's nothing but a philandering weasel, I can't believe I wasted my time with him and now he will pay for it."
Parvati turned her eyes towards her best friend; "He really did cheat on Hermione with Millicent Bullstrode?"
"He did, that's why Hermione broke up with him" Lavender explained. She then sighed and shook her head; "If I only knew that he's that big of an arse, I wouldn't have jumped into bed with him"
"Speaking of that, what really happened?" Parvati asked.
Lavender pulled a chair and sat down; "I think you should sit down, this will be long"
Parvati didn't need to be told twice, she grabbed a chair and plopped down unceremoniously; "Don't leave anything behind, give me all the details."
oOo
Draco apparated them directly inside Hermione's office; "I told you we won't be late" he said smugly.
Hermione chuckled as she pulls away; "Well, I'm not late but you will be if you don't leave now."
"Cheeky witch" Draco said. He then leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on his girlfriend's lips; "I'll go now, I'll pick you up by 4" he said.
Hermione nodded; "See you" she said.
Draco smiled before disapperating with a loud crack.
Hermione stared at the spot where Draco stood for a couple of minutes before walking towards her desk, a smile painted on her lips.
oOo
Ron turned around and stared at Millicent; "How are you?"
Millicent crossed her arms on top of her chest; "You know bloody well how I am" she snapped.
Ron sighed; "Can you stop that? I'm tired of fighting..."
Millicent raised her brow; "That's new."
Ron shifted his eyes away from the witch and fixed his gaze on the orchard before them instead; "I assume that you are aware that we can't do anything about this."
Millicent followed Ron's gaze and sighed; "Yeah."
Ron shoved his hands inside his pockets; "We'll have to get married"
"I know."
Ron turned his face towards the witch; "I'm sorry"
Millicent's eyes widen in shock, clearly taken aback with what she just heard. Slowly, she turned her face towards the red head standing beside him; "Did I hear you correctly? You're apologizing?"
Ron shifted towards Millicent and faced her fully; "Yes I am. I'm sorry for everything-for hurting you, for treating you like you never mattered, for being an arse...I'm sorry" he said sincerely.
Millicent felt her eyes sting with tears; "Don't say that if you don't mean that..."
"I mean it, I'm sorry..."
Millicent couldn't hold it anymore; she burst into tears. "Stupid hormones!" she thought.
Ron's eyes widen in panic; "Shit! Don't cry, I didn't mean to make you cry"
Millicent ignored Ron's words and continued bawling her eyes out.
Ron moved towards the distraught witch and tugged her gently to his chest; he wrapped his arms around her and patted her back awkwardly. "Shhhhhh...stop crying...it's bad for you and the baby...calm down"
Millicent buried her face into Ron's chest and grasped his shirt tails with her hands.
oOo
"Will you look at that" Irina said while staring at the couple from the window.
Molly smiled; "They're getting along just fine."
Irina turned her face towards Molly and returned the smile; "Let's start planning the wedding then," she said somewhat excitedly.
Molly chuckled.
oOo
"Something smells wonderful here"
Hermione closed the oven door before walking towards the counter; she placed the hot cupcake trays on top of a metal rack and took off her oven mitts. "Hey you, you're early"
Draco sat on one of the high chairs and smiled; "I have nothing to do in my flat so I decided to go here"
Hermione plucked her wand from her back pocket and swished it towards the tiny cakes, cooling them instantly. "You want to help me with frosting?" she asked.
"Sure"
"Thank you"
Hermione began preparing the frosting; "You'll be hanging out with Blaise and Theo tonight, right?" she asked.
"Yep" Draco replied.
"Where are you guys going again?"
Draco leaned forward and rested his arms on top of the counter; "Theo's place, we'll just grab some drinks and play some poker."
Hermione paused and raised her brow; "Poker?"
"Yes, poker, why does it seem like a surprise to you?" Draco asked.
Hermione resumed her mixing; "Nothing, it's just weird hearing you guys play something Muggle"
Draco rolled his eyes; "Times have changed Hermione, we're no longer those ignorant boys we used to be"
Hermione chuckled; "That I can attest to"
"Damn right you can" Draco said with a smirk.
oOo
"Harry, we're leaving" Astoria called out.
Harry stepped out of the bathroom and stared at his wife; "I really don't understand why you have to leave"
Astoria chuckled; "We've been through this Harry, I want you three to spend some quality time together-just like the old times and it won't be like the old times if your wife and daughter are here."
"Hermione and Ginny won't mind having you with us" Harry said with a pout.
Astoria walked towards her husband and wrapped her arms around his waist; "I know that love but next time, okay? And besides, my sister is expecting us tonight, I promised to stay with her while Blaise is out with Draco and Theo."
Harry pulled Astoria closer; "Draco won't be coming tonight?" he asked.
Astoria shook her head; "Nope, like what I said, it'll only be you Hermione and Ginny"
"What time will you be coming home? You'll be home before they leave right? Ginny would want to see you and Candice"
"Of course, well be home before 10"
Harry planted a kiss on Astoria's lips; "Okay then"
Astoria pulled away from Harry and smiled; "Make sure to leave us some cupcakes, okay?"
Harry grinned; "I'll save you both a piece"
oOo
Harry was sitting on the couch in the living room when the fireplace burst into life; he shot up from his perch and grinned widely. "It you look enough"
Ginny stepped out of the fireplace with a big smile; "Harry!"
Harry walked towards the red head and engulfed her into a bear hug; "How are you?" he asked.
Ginny patted Harry's back before pulling away; "I'm good, how about you? Where' Torry and Candice?" she asked.
"She went to Daphne's for a few hours but she'll be here before 10" Harry replied.
"I see, where's Hermione? Is she here already?"
"Nope but I'm sure she'll be here in a few, she's always punctual. Why don't you take seat first? I'll grab us some snacks and drinks"
Ginny walked towards the couch and plopped down; "You prepared snacks?"
Harry smirked; "Nope, Torry did" he replied while walking towards the kitchen.
"Thought so" Ginny replied. She was about to tease him further but wasn't able to do so when the doorbell rang loudly; "I'll get it" she said before hopping off the couch.
"Thanks!" Harry called out.
Ginny skipped her way towards the door; she pulled it open and smiled widely upon seeing her best friend standing on the other side. "Why on earth did you not just apparate inside like any normal witch"
Hermione smirked; "I'm not your average witch ginger, you should know that by now"
Ginny burst out laughing; "Oh Hermy, you're still a bucket of laughs"
Hermione rolled her eyes before lifting the box of sweets on her hands; "Can I come in now?" she asked.
Ginny side stepped; "I'm sorry, come in" she said between giggles.
Hermione entered her best friend's home and closed the door behind her; "Where's the-boy-who-lived?" she asked.
"He's fetching us some snacks and drinks, he's the-boy-who-lives-to-serve-us tonight" Ginny said.
Hermione wrinkled her nose; "Snacks? Did he cook or something?" she asked as she places the box on top of the coffee table.
"No I did not cook, Astoria made these for us so it's safe" Harry said as he walks towards the ladies, his hands laden with a tray. He placed the tray on top of the coffee table and plopped down on the floor; "Here you go"
Hermione leaned forward and stared at the food with amusement; "French Fries?"
Harry grinned widely; "Just like what they have in McDonald's"
Ginny cocked her head to the side; "McDonald's?" she asked confusedly.
Hermione and Harry shared a look before laughing.
oOo
Theo took a swig of his fire whiskey; "It's not that I don't like hanging out with you guys but what the hell are you two doing here?" he asked.
"Hanging out, what else" Blaise replied.
Theo raised a brow; "On a weeknight?"
Draco shrugged his shoulders; "Yeah, why?"
Theo shifted his gaze between Blaise and Draco, a smirk curling on his lips; "I get it, you two have been ditched by your other halves aren't you?"
Draco scoffed; "Of course not"
Blaise scowled; "Whatever gave you that idea"
Theo's smirk grew wider; "You guys have been ditched! Ha! I knew it!" he said triumphantly.
"Shut up Theo!" Draco hissed.
Blaise leaned back on the couch and took a swig of his own drink; "Where's Pansy?"
"She's with Millie, I think"
"Speaking of Millie, have you heard what happened?" Draco asked.
"That Weaselby knocked her up?" Blaise drawled.
Draco grimaced; "Yeah" he replied before taking a sip of his drink.
Theo sighed; "Pansy has been over the roof over that, Millie is driving her nuts with her bawling and incessant temper tantrums"
"And let me guess, Pansy is passing the stress to you?" Draco asked.
"Hell yeah" Theo replied. "It's annoying"
"Well, it's her fault" Blaise said.
"True" Draco replied.
Blaise turned his gaze towards Draco and smirked; "How's Granger? You guys made it to front page yesterday, how did that go?"
Draco smirked; "We're doing quite well actually, everything is good"
"You thinking about putting a ring on it?" Theo asked curiously.
"Why do people keep asking me that?" Draco asked with a sigh.
"Picture speaks louder than words mate" Blaise said.
"Exactly my point" Theo chirped.
Draco ignored his friends and began thinking; "Are we ready for that?" he thought.
oOo
"Oh Merlin! I still can't believe you did that!" Ginny wheezed between giggles.
Hermione smirked; "She deserves it! If I had my way, I would've squished her to death"
Harry chuckled; "You squished her career, that's for sure"
"She got off easily" Hermione said.
Ginny nodded; "I agree with Mione, she got off easily."
Harry popped the last bite of cupcake into his mouth; "Fine, I wouldn't win against you two anyway."
Hermione grinned; "Good boy"
Harry rolled his eyes.
Ginny smiled at her best friends; "I will miss you both very much" she said.
Hermione turned towards the red head and smiled; "Then come back soon"
"I will, don't worry" Ginny replied.
"Where are you off this time?" Harry asked.
Ginny pursed her lips in distaste; "Moscow, I hate it there, it's so cold"
"I've always wanted to visit that town" Hermione said wistfully.
"Want to come with me?" Ginny asked with a grin.
Hermione giggled; "I wish it was just that easy Gin"
"It is, take another time off" Harry suggested.
Hermione rolled her eyes; "I just came back Harry, my boss will go nuts if I tell him I'm taking time off again"
Harry wrinkled his nose; "Your boss is a moron, you should take his place"
"Harry! Mr. Digby is a nice man" Hermione said.
Harry guffawed; "I didn't say he's not a nice man Hermione, I said he's a moron, its two different things"
"I can't believe you just said that!" Hermione said indignantly.
"Hey hey, no arguing, this is my day!" Ginny intervened.
"Fine. Mr Digby is not a moron, happy?"
Hermione raised her chin haughtily; "Fine."
Ginny rolled her eyes at her friends; "Why don't we play exploding snaps? It's been a long time since I played that game"
oOo
Wednesday:
"MILLIE! WHERE ARE YOU?" Pansy yelled frantically.
Millicent peered behind her bathroom's door and scowled at her best friend; "It's too loud for screaming Pansy"
"Have you read the Prophet?" Pansy asked.
Millicent pulled the door open and stepped out of the bathroom; "Do I look like I have done anything yet?" she asked sarcastically.
Pansy narrowed her eyes; "Drop the attitude"
"I haven't read the bloody Prophet, what's wrong?"
Pansy flicked her wand; "Accio Prophet" she said. She caught the news paper with her hand and stared at Millicent gravely; "Sit down" she instructed.
Millicent rolled her eyes before sitting down on her bed; "Now what?"
Pansy threw the news paper on Millicent's lap; "Read"
oOo
"Good morning love" Lucius said as he enters the dining hall.
"Good morning to you too"
Lucius pulled a chair and sat down; "Excited for tonight, I assume" he said.
Narcissa smiled brightly; "I am."
Lucius chuckled; he then grabbed his morning paper and unfolded it. He took a sip of his coffee before turning his gaze on the front page.
oOo
"Love gone awry: The truths behind the Golden Couple's infamous break up"
It has always been a big mystery why the golden couple decided to call it quits after years of what seemed to be a perfect relationship, but ponder no more readers because a very reliable source shed a light and gave an insight about what really caused the rift between the formidable couple (Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley). Below, you will be able to read the exclusive interview and I promise that it will blow your mind away, so hold on to your seats ladies and gentlemen because it's a tale that's worth telling.
RS (Rita Skeeter): Tell us what you know, why did the relationship between this two war heroes end.
VRS (Very Reliable Source): Hermione Granger was the one who called it quits because she found out that her fiancé has been cheating on her for years.
RS (Rita Skeeter): Cheating? With whom?
VRS (Very Reliable Source): Several women actually, but Millicent Bullstrode was the straw the broke the camel's back, if I daresay.
RS (Rita Skeeter): Millicent Bullstrode? The heiress to the Bullstrode fortune?
VRS (Very Reliable Source): Yes, the bulky Death Eater wanna be from Slytherin.
RS (Rita Skeeter): A Slytherin? Who would've thought!
VRS (Very Reliable Source): I know right? And oh, he impregnated her too.
RS (Rita Skeeter): Let me get this straight, Ms. Bullstrode is pregnant with Mr. Weasley's child?
VRS (Very Reliable Source): Yes, she is.
RS (Rita Skeeter): Does Ms. Granger know? Is that the reason why she severed all ties with Mr. Weasley and jumped into the Malfoy train?
VRS (Very Reliable Source): Hermione already kicked him into the curb a month ago, I doubt that. Maybe she was just fed up with her ex fiancé's philandering ways and like what I said, he didn't only do this once but several times. Any woman in their right mind will do the same thing, he's just not worth it and I personally think that Hermione is better off with Malfoy.
RS (Rita Skeeter): Any idea who the other women are?
VRS (Very Reliable Source): (chuckles) I'm not at liberty to give out names.
RS (Rita Skeeter): I see, so what prompted you to come forward with this information?
VRS (Very Reliable Source): Justice. I want to use Ronald Weasley as an example to the whole Wizarding World. A simple reminder that no matter what your stature in life is, it does not exempt you to any rule, cheating is still cheating and there's no bloody excuse for it.
RS (Rita Skeeter): Is there anything you would like to say to the Golden Couple by chance?
VRS (Very Reliable Source): To Hermione Granger, you made the RIGHT decision, you deserve much better than that lying scumbag. Draco Malfoy is one hundred times the man Ronald Weasley could ever be, so good for you. To Ronald Weasley, Karma is a bitch and I hope your being slapped every step of the way, you only reap what you sow, too bad your too dumb to realize that.
After the long wait, we finally have the answer to the biggest conundrum that took us by storm. Cheating is the main reason why the perfect relationship fell apart. The brightest witch of our age was simply deemed not good enough to sate our war hero's expectations, hence, falling into another witch's arms, a Slytherin none the less.
As you all know, I'm not Ms. Granger's biggest fan, not even by long shot but even I feel bad for her plight as a woman. I firmly believe that nobody deserves to be treated as such, so let me tell this straight to you Mr. Ronald Weasley, you give love a bad name and oh, congratulations on your new baby.
- Rita Skeeter
oOo
"Are you alright dear?" Narcissa asked her husband upon seeing the creases on his forehead.
Lucius folded the paper and met Narcissa's gaze; "I don't think it's wise to have dinner with Hermione tonight."
Narcissa frowned; "Why?"
Lucius offered the paper to his wife; "Read this"
Narcissa pulled the paper from Lucius grasp and unfolded it; she fixed her gaze on the front page, her eyes widening upon reading the headline. "Oh my Merlin" she gasped.
oOo
Astoria was arranging the food on the table when an owl swooped in; she waited for the bird to deposit the morning paper on top of the table before feeding it with a piece of bacon. The owl hooted happily before taking off again. "Harry! Breakfast is ready!"
Harry sauntered inside the dining room with their little girl in his arms; "Look munchkin, Mommy made you sausages for breakfast"
Candice clapped her hands together; "Yey!"
Astoria walked towards her husband; "Give her to me so you can eat."
Harry shifted Candice into his wife's waiting arms before taking his seat; "Breakfast looks wonderful love" he complimented.
Astoria sat down and positioned Candice on her lap; "You can thank Fifi for that"
Harry smirked; "Too tired to cook?" he teased.
"And whose fault is it, hmmmm?" Astoria quipped.
Harry chuckled jovially; he loaded his plate with food before plucking the Prophet from his side. He unrolled the news paper before taking a sip of his coffee; he felt the warm beverage go down the wrong pipe upon reading the headline, causing him to cough and sputter.
Astoria hastily snatched a napkin and handed it to her husband; "Here you go, what's wrong?"
"Bloody hell!" Harry said before wiping his mouth. "Have you read the news paper?"
Astoria was about to tell him no but wasn't able to do so when Candice repeated Harry's words loudly before dissolving into fits of giggles.
Harry winced; "Don't ever repeat those words munchkin, it's not nice."
Candice ignored her father and continued munching on her sausage.
Astoria threw Harry a chastising look; "What's on the news?"
"See for yourself" Harry said before turning the paper towards Astoria.
Astoria leaned forward and began perusing the front page; her eyes widen in disbelief before shifting her eyes back to Harry. "What in the world is that? Who told that cow about that?"
Harry furrowed his brows; "The only person who has the biggest grudge on him aside from me and Hermione."
"Lavender Brown" Astoria breathed out.
"The one and only."
oOo
"Good morning!" Lavender chirped cheerfully.
"Morning poppet" Leila replied. "Why are you such in a good mood?"
Lavender pulled a chair and sat down; "Have you read the Prophet?"
"Not yet, why?"
Lavender smirked slyly; "Let's just say that I have a little input on today's headline."
Leila threw her daughter a curious look; she brandished her wand and summoned the paper. She caught it deftly with her right hand and unfolded it; she focused her attention on the front page and almost instantly a chuckle escaped her lips.
Lavender grinned widely; "Told you I can handle it."
oOo
A/N: I'm late again, I know, sorry! T—T But here it is, my latest. This chapter is Ron-centric, it highlights his misdoings and the grave consequences of his actions. It also depicts how the other characters are moving forward with their life after the scandalous affair. Now that everything is out in the open, we are yet to see the reactions of the parties involved in this drama that Lavender created. How will Millicent and her family react to this news? What will Ron do? How will Hermione take it? What does Draco think? All of these will be answered on the next chapter. Cheers!
PS: 300 + follows, 100+ reviews and 200+ favourites? I must be in heaven! Thank you so much! Words won't be enough to convey my gratitude and heartfelt thank you's! I promise to do my best to make the succeeding chapters worth waiting for. I love you all! You guys are AWESOME! ^-^