Draco pushed the door to the master suites open and held it for Hermione to unsteadily walk through out of habit. They had spent the past few hours with Blaise and Pansy, and the four of them had managed to polish off two bottles of Firewhiskey between them. While Blaise and Draco had remained virtually unaffected, Pansy and Hermione had been definitely bordering on tipsy. He smirked. It was almost hilarious to see his wife just tipsy enough to be out of control of her regular demeanour. It was amusing to watch her fumble with the pale pink nightdress –if it could be called a dress in any way- and try unsuccessfully to walk to the bathroom to get changed in a straight line. Taking advantage of the privacy, Draco threw his own robes off and changed into his pajamas quickly. He turned and made to walk over to the bed when he saw something that made him stop clean in his tracks.
Curled up on the bed was some sort of feral monster. It looked at him with murder glinting in his eyes as it stretched, the firelight catching it's deadly talons.
Behind him, he heard the bathroom door open. "Stand back Granger," he said, throwing an arm out to stop her from striding towards the bed.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked anxiously. Her husband looked as white as a sheet, and he seemed to almost be –frightened?
"There's some sort of creature on our bed. Don't panic though, I'll take care of it," Draco said, trying to sound more brave than he felt.
Hermione peeked out from behind his arm and her eyes widened. To Draco's horror, the creature had spotted her, and it's eyes shone maliciously. Before he had the time to react, the monster had jumped off the bed and made a beeline straight for his wife. To his utter shock, Hermione had escaped from under his protective arm and had thrown her arms around the fiend while screaming something about crooks. He cringed and hoped to whatever entities were listening that their marriage hadn't given her secret suicidal tendencies. An odd sound filled the bedroom, and Draco risked cracking an eye open to find his wife petting the monster and it appeared to be… purring?
"This is my cat," said Hermione, as she tried not to laugh at her husband. "Crookshanks."
"You own that bloody thing?" Draco asked in disbelief.
"As a matter of fact I do. I've had Crooks for years," Hermione bristled. Draco studied the heinous fur covered monstrosity that his wife had dubbed a "cat" with mistrust. It stared back at him unblinkingly. It was obviously planning on inflicting pain. Draco gulped and hoped that the plans had nothing to do with his genitalia. After his son's antics, Draco had quite enough to do with cats for a life time.
Hermione however chattered away without noticing Draco's look of horror. "…I had sent Crooks away to my cousin's daughter so she would have company -besides the telly- while her leg healed. She broke her leg playing lacrosse and the casts were meant to stay on for eight or nine weeks…"
Draco nodded politely, not really listening to Hermione's semi-drunk ramblings (he was already acting like a proper husband). Typical Gryffindor behaviour –taking in the most hideous objects and slathering them with affection. I should've guessed that Granger is prone to it, she is best friends with Potter after all.
Hermione broke off mid-rant, and cocked her head curiously. Draco was mesmerised as her heavy curls fell to one side of her body. She looked so innocent, sitting there in a puddle of pale green robes, her feet dangling off their bed; her shoes half off. She unconsciously twirled the ribbons on her dress around her dark nails, as her bright eyes appraised him intensely.
"What?" he asked, feeling slightly self-conscious as he ran his hand over the back of his neck, tousling the ends of his hair as he did so.
"You look good tonight," Hermione answered finally, her rosebud lips curving into a small smile.
"Merlin Granger," Draco smirked. "Isn't that meant to be my line? Or am I so attractive you just can't contain yourself?"
Even while drunk, she was still Hermione. So of course, she rolled her eyes at his comment. His smirk broadened and he took a step closer to her, enjoying the way her eyes widened and her breathing quickened.
"What?" Hermione asked defensively.
"Nothing, I'm just admiring my wife," Draco grinned as he lifted her chin slowly with his fingers.
"Admiring. Right," Hermione snorted at the thought.
"You're not that bad," said Draco softly, almost to himself. Without thinking about his actions, he leaned in closer and slowly captured her lips with his for a long overdue kiss. To his surprise, Hermione responded enthusiastically. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol fuelling her desire or if it was simply lowering her inhibitions and letting her act on what was already present. Either way, she was willing. He moaned softly and pushed her backwards onto the pile of pillows and cushions that decorated the head of their bed. Hermione's slender fingers fumbled with the neck of his robes as she tried to pull them over his head. Trying not to laugh, Draco obliged and lay on top of her clothed in his silk boxers and nothing else. To his surprise, Hermione's eyes ran over the length of his torso. Was she… checking him out?
"You smell good," she commented as she ran her fingernails over his pale skin, approvingly.
"I taste just as good," Draco smirked. Hermione rolled her eyes again. He had never found her more endearing than he did at that moment. With another barely suppressed moan, he ran his palm up her slim leg. Hermione arched her back, pulling him closer and kissed him again with an unexpected ferocity.
Hermione bit her lip as she looked over her shoulder at her husband. He was still sleeping peacefully in the folds of their black satin coverlet. She shook her head to dispel the memories that persistently flooded into her mind. I am never ever drinking again…
She took a deep breath and whispered a spell under her breath to magically strengthen the knot of silk bedding that she had tied to the bedpost. She tugged at it experimentally- It seemed solid. She tossed the free end of the makeshift rope she had created out of the window and climbed up onto the windowsill. She faltered slightly at the threshold. Surely their bedroom wasn't this high off the ground? A particularly brazen memory of the previous night reared it's ugly head in her mind's eye. Her decision made, she slowly held on to the rope for dear life as she swung herself onto the ledge below. Against her best intentions, she found herself looking downwards. The fall from this ledge was surely over forty feet, and the ledge itself was only a foot wide. Hermione closed her eyes and started to inch leftwards towards a nearby turret which would allow her to climb through to the roof gardens.
"Hermione?"
A jolt of fear ran through Hermione's insides as she lost her balance. She managed to grab onto a part of the fringe that ran along the turret she had just inched past. Mercifully, a strong hand reached out and grabbed her other arm, steadying her on the ledge. Hermione exhaled in relief and raised her eyes to meet those of her almost-killer's.
"Morning, Blaise," she said, trying to sound casual. "How did you get here?"
"I flew," said Blaise, pointing to his broom. "This is the landing point. Any particular reason you're hanging off the Malfoy Manor?"
Hermione bit her lip. "I was trying to avoid Malfoy," she admitted.
"Oh by all means continue," said Blaise in disbelief. "There is surely no better way to avoid him than to plummet fifty feet to your death. No wonder you were the top of our year."
"I was doing fine until you startled me," Hermione defended.
"Of course you were," Blaise muttered, as he hoisted his best friend's wife on to the roof garden. Despite her previous assurances, Hermione was relived to feel solid ground beneath her feet again. She still felt a bit shaky after almost falling to her death. Blaise looked at her with concern in his dark eyes and gently led her to sit down on an ornately wrought bench.
"Sorry, bit too early in the morning for a near death experience," Hermione tried to laugh it off. "I prefer them after breakfast ideally." Blaise laughed and tousled her hair affectionately.
"So, why are you avoiding Draco?" he asked.
Hermione studied her fingernails, feeling her cheeks colour. She wondered how much she should confide in Blaise, but then realised that it wasn't as though she had anyone else that she could talk to about this. Harry and Ron had expressly told her to never tell her anything about their bedroom antics, while Ginny and Luna would both fixate on what had taken place the previous night and nothing else.
"We hooked up last night," said Hermione finally.
"And?" Blaise arched an eyebrow.
"And? This is Malfoy. He made my life a living hell back at school, and last night we hooked up."
"Sneaking out unnoticed the next morning are we? You hussy," Blaise winked as Hermione glared at him. "Well Hermione, if you wanted a one night stand that you could have the luxury of never seeing again, then you probably shouldn't have slept with your husband."
"We didn't sleep together! We just kissed mostly, a lot. But he stopped. He was very, nice…" Hermione trailed off sheepishly as Blaise roared with laughter.
"Draco could've gotten laid and he backed out? Wow you guys really do take this whole being married thing seriously. You know, not all married couples stop having sex. Ask your parents."
"Ugh Blaise, thanks for that wonderful mental image," Hermione smacked him lightly on the arm.
"Anytime love," said Blaise, mischievously. "So, what's the problem? He didn't take advantage of you and he didn't hurt you. Like you said, he was nice."
"That's just it," confessed Hermione. "I don't know how to handle Malfoy being nice. It's okay when we're civil and sometimes we can have a laugh together, but he was nice and considerate while we were, you know, being intimate. It was weird. It was unsettling. He was trying to make things less awkward by joking around but it was just even weirder because he was being… vocal."
"So you don't want him to be chatty, tell him that."
"It's not that," Hermione clarified. "It's just. It's the weirdest feeling to think, wow, Draco Malfoy has seen me in my knickers. You know?"
"No, in fact I'll have you know that I don't know what it's like to have Draco Malfoy see me in my knickers. I'm not a bloody fruit!" said Blaise, rolling his eyes.
"You know what I mean," Hermione smacked him again. "Okay, if you and Pansy were hooking up, wouldn't you feel a bit –different, that it's her and you and she's finally seeing this new side of you when you've known each other so long without it having happened?"
Blaise considered it. "I guess I know what you mean. I would definitely find it a little odd to begin with, and kind of funny too. I guess that's what always happens when you hook up with someone you've known for such a long time but never had the chance to be with them in that way. It's only natural Hermione, and it will no doubt go away with time."
"I don't know if I can face him," Hermione admitted. "I just keep cringing whenever a memory pops into my head. Throughout Hogwarts he called me a filthy mudblood and kept making jokes about how repulsive he found me. And then last night, we were doing something so intimate and it felt odd."
Blaise laughed. "Hermione, calling you a filthy mudblood was practically little Draco's way of talking dirty. He always had a little thing for you even back at school. He was never as mean to you as he was to Potter and Weasley ever since you slapped him. If anything, you challenged his beliefs that muggle-borns were beneath those of us with magical blood by beating him every year."
"You're kidding!" Hermione's eyes widened. "He did not have a thing for me back at school!"
"For such a smart witch you can be incredibly naïve sometimes," Blaise said, as he tousled Hermione's hair again. "Draco was obsessed with beating you. He didn't like the fact that he couldn't control how he felt about you, and the fact that even back then, you weren't like the other girls. You didn't fawn over him because of his money and name, and I think his inner spoilt brat never quite got over that."
Hermione fell silent as she considered this.
"Was it nice though?" Blaise asked, suddenly.
"It was– different. But yeah, it was nice. He was very sweet, I almost asked him how much he'd had to drink," Hermione laughed.
"Then little one, I recommend that you go back inside and face your husband. Besides, I can only give so much advice on an empty stomach."
Draco leaned back in his chair and surveyed his wife as she studied the menu. He nodded approvingly to himself at her appearance, and found himself almost proud to be seen with her. From the beautiful emerald earrings dangling from her ears to the hem of her dark green robes, she looked every inch of what he had always expected his future wife to look like. Hermione had been taken aback when he had suggested that they go out to dinner to spend more time with each other, but after Narcissa and Blaise's approval, she had quietly agreed. Draco smirked. Having unexpected guests for breakfast had finally paid off.
"I think I will have the chicken Involtini," Hermione said finally.
"Good choice," Draco nodded. "I've decided on the same." He hailed a waiter and placed their orders. The waiter had nodded and replenished their wine glasses before he had departed, something which Draco was grateful for. The elf-made wine would definitely help reduce any awkward moments that might arise.
"So, what made you decide to have us come out to dinner tonight?" Hermione asked, as she sipped her wine slowly. After the events of the previous night she was going to be careful with alcohol.
"I just thought we could get to know each other a bit more," Draco shrugged casually. Hermione's eyes narrowed. Slytherins were never casual.
"Did you have anything particular in mind?"
"Perhaps," Draco drawled as he winked at his wife. "So tell me, what happened with you and Weasley? Last I remember, you both were all over each other in school."
Hermione almost laughed. Of course it would be jealous curiosity. She had been wondering when Draco would finally ask the question she was convinced plagued him whenever she and Ron spent any time together. "It's a long story."
"We have time," said Draco firmly.
"Well, Ron and I dated for two years after the war but then we realised we just weren't right for each other, so we broke it off," Hermione summarised.
"What made you realise that?" Draco asked curiously.
"Ron is, well, sometimes, he can be insecure even when it's not necessary," said Hermione, picking her words carefully so as not to betray Ron. Draco gestured to her to go on. She bit her lip nervously, "Ron has always been overshadowed by his siblings. All of his brothers excelled at Hogwarts, either academically like Percy and Bill or socially like Charlie and the twins. He's felt as though he has to live up to the ghosts of their success. The first year that we were together was really great, we were both at Hogwarts to repeat our seventh year and everything felt as though it had fallen in place."
"And then?"
"Then the cracks started to show. Ron started Auror training with Harry where he was always second to the Boy Who Lived. Around this time, I got a few job offers, and Ron was very sensitive about the fact that I would be making more money than him. So initially I took a job at the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures more for him than anything else. He had always been bested by siblings and best friend, and he didn't need it from me. When Ginny got selected to become the Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies, we had a huge row because of how unsupportive he was being about the fact that his little sister was playing professional Quidditch. That was the beginning of the end."
"So you both broke up?" Draco was fascinated.
"No, unfortunately. We should've, it would have saved us both a lot of heartache, but instead we tried to make things work for another year."
"What went wrong, then?"
"We just weren't right for each other. Ron felt as though he had to constantly prove himself around me, and I felt as though I had to constantly settle so as not to tread on Ron's feelings of insecurity. I found myself holding back and he found himself feeling continually defensive over every little thing," Hermione finished sadly. "So eventually, we broke up. We hadn't been happy for almost four months at that point and we talked it through which led to us realising that perhaps we just weren't meant to be."
"But you're still friends," said Draco in astonishment.
"Yes we are," Hermione smiled brightly. "Our friendship was too solid to be affected by what was a truly mutual decision. The day after we broke up, I handed my resignation and joined the Department of Magical Law Enforcement while he went on his field training. It was two months until I saw him and Harry again, and when I did, it was almost like old times."
"How did Potter and Weaselette take it?"
"Harry and Ginny," emphasised Hermione, as she rolled her eyes. "Harry and Ginny were supportive. Ginny was a little cool towards me until she realised it was completely mutual. While the boys were away, Ginny, Luna and I spent a lot of time with each other, so eventually everything was ironed out. Ron's mother on the other hand was livid when she first heard. She was convinced that I had broken his heart, but when Ron was back and started bringing home a storm of dubious conquests, she realised that perhaps Ron needed something that I couldn't give."
"Like what? Slutty sex? Sexually transmitted diseases?" Draco was surprised at the inner anger he felt at Mrs Weasley's treatment of Hermione.
Hermione laughed. "Perhaps."
They were interrupted as the waiter brought their meals to them. Hermione was impressed at how beautifully their food was arranged; it looked almost artistic. She took a bite- it was without a doubt one of the most delicious things she had ever tried. From Draco's quick movements with his cutlery, she reckoned that he felt the same way.
"So, tell me about you and Pansy," said Hermione, as she bit into a deliciously peppered potato.
Draco shrugged and swallowed his mouthful. "There isn't much to tell. Pans and I have always been really close, in fact at one point I'm sure our parents wanted us to end up married; but we never really saw each other that way, at least not seriously. There was a time where we thought that just because we had a close relationship with someone of the opposite sex and enjoyed spending time with them, it was more than friendship, but as we grew older we realised that we were more like siblings than partners."
Hermione was unsure why her insides were filled with happy warmth. She gave Draco an unusually exuberant smile as she delicately sliced her chicken. "Everyone thought you were together, though."
"The bloody Prophet swore you were dating Potter," Draco defended. "People don't always know what goes on behind closed doors."
"I guess that's true. The Prophet still acts as though you hate Harry and Ron," Hermione agreed.
"I never understand that about people," Draco shook his head disparagingly. "Has it never happened to anyone else that they initially dislike a person and then end up friends with them later?"
"Of course it has, when I first met Harry and Ron, they hated me. Now, years later, we're still the best of friends."
"Perhaps in one version of reality, if I hadn't got the chance to get to know Potter and Weasley better, we would have only seen each other at Ministry events, or perhaps while dropping our children off at the Hogwarts' Express. I would've probably married Daphne's younger sister and you might've still been with Weasley. But even then, I would've still nodded at them and acknowledged their presence. Whether we'd like it or not, we've been through a lot together and we'd have some sort of twisted bond. The fact is however, I'm married to their best friend and we have spent enough time with them lately for me to start enjoying myself. When we went to Potter's place for dinner that time, I didn't hate every second of it." Draco said.
Hermione smiled, and then the implication of his words set in as she frowned. "You would be married to one of the Greengrass girls? Considering this is alternate reality we're talking about, wouldn't you be married to Aurelia?"
"Aha! I knew you weren't making a lucky guess when you said her name the other night!"
"Well, maybe I wasn't. Stop deflecting my question," protested Hermione, colouring at her slip.
Draco sighed. "Aurelia isn't something I want to discuss right now Granger. Perhaps some day, but definitely not right now."
She mulled over his words, but decided to let them go. She smoothly changed the subject to their favourite Hogwarts memories of each other, and before long they found themselves laughing over the time she slapped him and how his misaimed curse had ended up helping her fix her teeth. After they finished their delicious meal and another bottle of elf-made wine, they Apparated back to the Manor, both feeling slightly tipsy.
"We're certainly making a habit of this," Draco murmured into Hermione's neck as he unfastened her white cloak.
"Is that a bad thing?" Hermione cocked her head again, and Draco was instantly reminded of the previous night. However this time, they would both have their inhibitions lowered and he wouldn't feel as though he was taking advantage of her. In response to her question, Draco desperately sought her lips out with his and to his surprise, she responded enthusiastically once again. With trembling hands he traced concentric circles along the small of her back, and was rewarded with a soft moan. He could smell her heady scent as she played with his hair. Unable to stand any longer, Draco slowly pushed Hermione onto their bed, before he unfastened his own cloak and joined her. She reached for him with unmasked need that thrilled him. He slowly explored every crevice of her hot mouth with his tongue, gently massaging her. He bit back a moan of his own as she slipped a small warm hand under his robes and familiarised herself with the rippling muscles of his abdomen.
Just then, the room went emerald as the flames lit up. Draco and Hermione turned to see their visitor, the mood quite broken. Draco glared as Blaise stumbled out of the fireplace.
"I'm having that bloody Floo disconnected tomorrow," he snarled at his friend. "Can't you see that this is a bad time mate?"
"So sorry that I was stabbed at a time that was inconvenient for you," said Blaise, his voice dripping with sarcasm, just before he keeled over.
Hermione screamed and all of a sudden the bedroom was in a flurry of activity. Harry and Ron followed Blaise into the bedroom, looking worse for wear. Harry sported a swollen lip while Ron had a cut over his forehead. Draco quickly levitated Blaise onto their now unoccupied bed, and summoned a house-elf to bring a Healer. Then he turned to face Ron and Harry.
"What in the name of Merlin happened here?" Draco demanded, as he took in their appearance.
"We were on our way to speak with you both when two people attacked us just outside the gates to the Manor," Harry explained as Hermione inhaled sharply.
"They thought we were you two, they had obviously been waiting all evening," said Ron, shaking his head. "Mental really, why would they wait out the Manor when you would obviously Apparate in?"
"Well, muggle-borns aren't allowed to Apparate into the Manor," explained Draco looking nervously at his wife. "Whoever it is didn't think that I would change my wards for Granger, and also has a good knowledge of how my wards work. But that doesn't mean much, after all this place was practically headquarters during the war."
"How did you know they thought it was us?" Hermione enquired.
"They said something about Malfoy and the mud– uh– his wife being home," Ron said, looking down at his feet. Hermione stiffened.
A groan from the bed reminded them of Blaise's presence. Draco busied himself inspecting Blaise's wounds while Hermione rooted around her bedside table for the small bottle of the Essence of Dittany she always kept close at hand. Draco and Hermione exchanged a horrified look as they realised how much blood Blaise had lost after the stabbing. With shaking fingers, Hermione unstoppered the bottle and tended to Blaise's wound. She breathed in relief as the skin reformed, stopping further blood loss.
"Wait, you said you lot were coming here to speak with us," said Draco suddenly, deliberately turning away from Blaise to stop his stomach from clenching.
"Oh yes, we almost forgot," Harry looked sheepish. "Well, your mother, Malfoy, and your father, Hermione, are at St. Mungo's–"
"What?"
Before Harry could finish his sentence, Draco had thrown some glittering powder into the fireplace and left to St. Mungo's. Hermione dropped a hasty kiss on Blaise's forehead before she ordered Harry and Ron to stay with him until the Healer came by and followed suit, leaving her two best friends alone in the Malfoy Manor.
A/n: If there are any characters that you readers would like to see more of in the story, let me know in a review and I will be sure to incorporate them. The same goes for any character interactions that you have particularly enjoyed!
Thank you so much for the kind reviews! It is definitely the highlight of my day to come home to them. Thanks also to the people that have added me to their alerts/ favourites. I hope you have all enjoyed this chapter :)