DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER!!

Normal Life Doesn't Exist

Chapter 13

Hermione came down from her bliss with incredible guilt hanging over her. She honestly had no idea why she had just jumped Draco like that. Was it because he was insulting her? Was it that something just snapped inside of her and she had a moment of madness? She didn't know the answer. But she took all the precautions she could to make sure that Tom didn't find out; she used a strong Scourgify on herself and even Draco to hide all the 'evidence' of their little romp; smothered herself in her perfume, attempting to hide Draco's scent.

As Draco was fastening his trouser belt, he noticed that she was casting all the spells. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure we aren't found out." She answered simply, starting to pack the blanket away into the basket.

"Well, I'm not going to tell." He said, helping her fold the blanket.

"Good, because I have no intention of having my husband murder you for touching me."

"Hey, babe," he began in a calm tone, "it's going to be alright." He put his arms around her. "Alright?" She nodded, biting her lip. "Good." He kissed her forehead. "Now, let's finish putting this away and then get you back."

She nodded again, closed to basket and picked it up. When she was standing, Draco took the basket off her before she said anything, put his hand on the small of her back and led her off the roof, down the stairs, along corridors and back to her room. They stopped outside the door and spoke quietly.

"Well, I shall see you tomorrow."

"Alright." She whispered back.

He handed her back the basket and actually flushed when their hands met. He was about to walk away when Hermione grabbed his wrist, spun him around and pulled his head down to meet hers. After a confused moment, Draco put his arms around Hermione and kissed her back. A moment later, the door opened and Tom saw the couple in their embrace.

"Well, well, isn't this cosy?"

Hermione leapt away from Draco and looked at Tom. "Tom! Tom, this isn't-"

"What it looks like'? Is that what you're going to say?"

"Yes, actually, I was." She said quietly. She looked back to Draco. "I'll see you tomorrow, Draco."

"Goodnight, milady."

"Goodnight." She murmured.

"Milord." Draco said, nodding his head in respect.

"Malfoy." Tom spat. When Draco had turned the corner and was out of ears range, he glared back at Hermione, grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the room. "Get your arse in here, now." He snarled.

She allowed herself to be pulled into the room, knowing she was the bad-guy in that picture and waited for Tom as he closed, locked and warded the door. After she heard the locks turning, Hermione just dipped her head and waited for Tom to speak. A few moments passed before she felt Tom's heat and mass behind her and a hand on her shoulder. He walked them forward a few steps, away from the sleeping girls' room and hissed in her ear.

"I gave you Abraxas." He paused. "I gave you Lucius. And you have myself. 3 men. The Dark Lord and 2 Malfoy patriarchs. But I suppose you thought, 'why have 3 when I can have 4? True, I'll have to piss my husband off and risk a bad reputation but, hey! I want them all.'"

"It wasn't like that." She insisted.

"Oh, really? Well, then what was it like?"

"Me and Lucius were star-gazing, Draco came along and told Lucius that Abraxas wanted to see him. Lucius left and I was about to pack away and come back here but Draco asked me what I was doing. He persuaded me into staying out with him, and I did. We had a glass of champagne and we started to argue a bit. I got angry and jumped him. That's it."

"Oh, 'that's it'! And that just makes everything better now, doesn't it?" he snapped. "You just said 'that's it' so everything's fine now!" he said sarcastically.

She turned around and glared at him. "Oh, for God's sake! It doesn't matter! It's past. Happened. Already done. Now, stop being jealous and just get over it! I've slept with other people before," he went to interrupt but she cut across him, "and don't think I don't know about you sleeping with Bellatrix whilst I was gone. I can't believe you lied to me that night."

"Did you...Do...Anything...Entertaining?"

"No." he answered immediately.

"Why not?"

"I didn't want to."

"It doesn't matter if I lied to you or not-"

She snorted and removed her cloak. "Whatever. How were the girls? Did they behave?"

"Of course they did." He snapped, annoyed at her blatant disregard for his version of the story.

"Did they go down okay?"

"Yes, they did." He hissed through gritted teeth but remained quiet, trying not to wake his children.

"Good, good." She said, walking over to the wardrobe and hanging her robe up on a hanger and closing the door. "Dinner? Bath? Story?"

"Yes, in that order." He snapped. "For Godsake, can we go back to how you flaunted yourself?"

"No. Because I don't know about yours but my top priority is my children. Can we at least agree on that?" she asked, tipping her head to the side and scrutinizing him. Tom frowned, put his hands in his pockets, looked at the ground but nodded. "Good. Now, what did you give them for tea?"

"Chicken."

"And...?"

"Veg."

"And...Anything else?"

"Potatoes. And gravy."

"Okay. Did they have their bath?"

"Yeah." He answered like a moody teenager who was being asked loads of questions by his parents.

"Wash their hair?"

"Yes."

"Dry their hair?"

"Yes."

"Change into pyjamas?"

"Well, obviously." He snapped.

"Don't snap." He put his head back down. "Read a story?" he nodded. "What did you read them?"

"They read it themselves."

"Tom!" she moaned, running her hands over her face.

"They wanted to." He defended.

"No. No, no, no, no, no! They said that because reading keeps them awake so they wouldn't have to go to sleep!"

"Okay, really, how was I supposed to know that? I've known they existed for less than a week."

"Don't make excuses."

"Hermione! My parenting skills have never exactly been finely tuned. I've never had kids before. I don't know all their little tricks or pranks."

"Well, hopefully you'll be a fast learner." She looked at her watch with a sigh. "Come on, we should sleep. The girls are always up early and I'm exhausted."

"Oh, I have no doubt." Tom cheeked spitefully.