A/n Hello everyone! Thank you so much for all the reviews! I hope you are enjoying the story. Keep all the reviews coming please! Oh and I'm putting together a playlist for my stories. One song for each one. I will post it soon on my bio page. They are songs that either inspired the story or appeared somewhere in it. Thanks again! Happy reading and don't forget to review!

Extortion

Draco stopped at the threshold of the doorway and turned to look at her. The room was dark, with only the dying fire Hermione had lit earlier that evening giving any light at all. He looked back at her, his eyes soft and filled with guilt.

"I'm so sorry." he said again. His voice was cracking.

She didn't know what to say. Her body and mind were conflicting.

"If you want out of this project I will understand." he muttered. "I've never done anything like this…I don't know what came over me."

Hermione was shaking. What had just happened replayed over and over again in her mind. She was literally at a loss for words.

"I'm just going to leave. I really am sorry. Please try and forgive me." he said. His voice was filled with sadness.

"I don't want you to go." Hermione finally managed to spit out. "Please, just sit back down."

Draco's eyes were confused as he looked at her. She didn't look at him as he walked by to sit down. She sat back down next to him and tried to take a deep breath.

"I wanted you to do that." she admitted, not looking at him still. "I know it's wrong, we are married to others…it's not your fault." she said placing her hand on his shoulder. "We are both to blame."

Draco stared into the fire. It was almost out now and the room was growing chilly. Hermione dug her wand out of her pocket and lit it again.

"I don't know what to say." he told her.

"Say we can get past this and continue our work relationship. I am really enjoying it." she replied.

"I can, if you can forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive." Hermione told him. She leaned towards him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He bent forward and returned the hug. When Hermione released she smiled warmly at him.

"Thank you." he said.

Hermione nodded.

"Let's just say it was the wine." Hermione joked. Draco chuckled before standing up to go.

"Why don't you just owl me when you finish the book. We can pick up our strategy from there alright?"

"Alright." Hermione said, standing to see him to the door. Draco grabbed her hand as he was leaving.

"Goodbye Hermione." he said.

"Goodbye."

He released her hand and closed the door behind him. As soon as he was clear of the area Hermione burst into tears. She sat back on the sofa and stared into the flames of the fire.

"How could I do that?" she said to herself. "I've been married for seventeen years. I love Ron, and my kids. What kind of person am I?" She buried her face in her hands and cried some more. The clock on the fireplace mantel chimed nine o'clock.

"I have to get home." she said to no one. She wiped her eyes and checked her make up. Quickly she applied some powder to cover the red blotchiness. Hermione grabbed her bag, the book and headed out the door of her office towards the hall of fireplaces. Within a minute she was home. Ron was in Hugo's bedroom reading him a story.

"Honey, is that you?" she heard him call out.

"Yeah, sorry I'm so late. The place I ate at was really busy. I'm going to jump in the shower quickly. I'll talk to you in a minute." she replied.

"Okay." Ron said before going back to the story.

Hermione ran into the bedroom and grabbed her night things before heading into the shower. She shut the door and locked it behind her. She stripped off her clothes hoping the smell of Draco's expensive cologne was not lingering on them. She would have to hide the sweater until she could get it professionally cleaned. Cashmere was notorious for hanging on to odors. She turned the shower on as high as it would go and got in. She wet her hair and washed it three times, crying as she did so. The guilt was eating her inside. What had come over her? She washed her face several times as well before scrubbing every part of her body with a loofa sponge. The steam of the hot water was making it very hard to see. She conditioned her hair, rinsed and then stepped out of the shower turning off the water as she did. Her skin was very red as she dried off. Hermione then put on her most modest nightgown and brushed her teeth three times, flossed twice and then gargled with mouthwash before wrapping her clothing in the towel and tucking them under her arm. When she opened the bathroom door Ron was there waiting for her.

"Hi!" he said kissing her on the nose. She held her breath hoping he would not figure it out. She couldn't bear to break his heart. And what would her friends and family think of her if this got out? She was quite sure it would be all over the Daily Prophet.

"Hi." she said back meekly.

"How was work? Did you get a lot done?" he inquired.

"Oh, yes. I did. How was your day? I'm so sorry about yelling this morning about being late. It was my fault I fell asleep in the chair doing research for the Malfoy project." She was sure that she blushed when she said his name, but if she did Ron didn't notice or care.

"It's alright. I sleep right through the alarm you know."

"I shouldn't have taken it out on you." she said hugging him. He felt like a stranger in her arms, like hugging an acquaintance.

"It's fine. You said you ate dinner right?"

"Yes…" she said stammering a bit. "I went to that French place in London that you hate."

"Ugh, French food. I don't know how you can stand that swill."

"It was very good actually." she told him. Her mind flashed to smooth, pink lips sliding over the tines of a fork. She rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Hugo and I had Shepard's pie. We got it from that new take away place."

"Any good?"

"Yes actually. Convenient too, right near the ministry. We might be able to go there for lunch once and a while instead of the cafeteria."

"Great!" she said. "I'm so tired of that food."

"Yeah…" Ron said. "You going to bed now?"

"I'm exhausted Ronald. I spent the entire day reading, stamping and signing papers, and then working on the Malfoy project. It's late. But I'm working from home tomorrow." she said.

"Is Hugo going to Ginny's still?"

"Yes, I won't get anything done with him here. But I will take him so you can get to work and be on time for once." she grinned.

"Thanks." Ron groaned. "Oh, is that your wash? I'll take it."

"No, I spilled something on my sweater; I'll have to take it to the cleaners tomorrow."

"Okay, well goodnight then." he said leaning in to kiss her. She shifted her mouth so that his kiss landed on her cheek. She blushed and smiled.

"Goodnight." she started to walk down the hallway. "I love you Ron."

Ron smiled.

"I know I love you too."

Hermione hurried to her bedroom where she tossed the clothing in a bag to take to the cleaners. She climbed into bed, shut off the light and tried to go to sleep. It was only 10 o'clock but it felt like days had passed since she last slept. But to her dismay every time she closed her eyes all she could see was Draco's tortured eyes looking into her own.

Draco had gone home as well. His large empty house felt even lonelier tonight. He heard the few house elves he had scurrying to make sure everything was in its place when he got home. The heavy oak door slammed shut as he walked in. The house he shared with his wife and son was not as large as the house he grew up in. But it had five bedrooms, a sitting room, kitchen, den, library and a large playroom for Scorpius. His footsteps echoed eerily through the hallway as he entered. A house elf ran up to greet him but Draco held his hand up and shook his head. He was not in the mood to be fussed over. He headed straight for his den where he kept his best Firewhiskey. His hand trembled as he poured one glass and downed it in one big gulp.

"Damn." he swore aloud. He poured another glass, drank it and swore again.

"Damn, damn, damn."

"Problem?" he heard in reply. He looked up to the door of his den and saw his wife standing in the doorway. Her curvy silhouette framed by the flames coming from the fireplace

"Asteria." he sighed. "I didn't know you were coming home."

"I'm not. I just came back to ask you why you didn't send any galleons with the owl." she said walking towards him.

"Because I just sent ten thousand last week. Even you couldn't spend that much in that short of a time."

"I went shopping with my sister on the Rue du Faubourg. We bought some lovely things. Well I did, I'm sure she regrets not marring you now." she smirked.

"Not as much as I would have." he muttered.

"Anyway, now I need some pin money for the next couple of weeks. Another ten thousand galleons aught to cover it." she said, sauntering towards him. She was wearing a new dress, flowing midnight blue silk, cut low in the front, revealing the top of her creamy, white breasts. Expensive perfume lingered to Draco's nose, but it was not pleasant. He turned his nose away.

"And while you are out spending like there is no tomorrow, Scorpius has been in trouble twice already."

"I assume you took care of it."

"I did, but you are his mother, you should be involved as well."

"You know my take on the boy."

"The boy?" Draco asked incredulously.

Asteria looked blankly at him.

"He is your son. OUR son." Draco yelled.

"And you know full well that I didn't want him."

Draco snorted.

"So can I have the money or not? I have to get going."

"Plans?"

"I have theater tickets."

"I hope you paid for them already Asteria, because this bank is closed." he said chugging another shot of Firewhiskey.

Asteria's mouth fell open. She leaned over the desk, her bosom landing directly in his face. She inhaled deeply.

"Ahh." she said in a knowing way.

"What?"

"I see what's going on here."

"What is that?"

"I'm away on holiday and you go off with some tart to satisfy your male needs. You make me sick Draco Malfoy."

"Firstly," he said standing up in a threatening way. "Your whole life is a holiday. Second, what I do is none of your concern. In case you have forgotten I am Draco Malfoy and I answer to no one!"

"Except Lucius…maybe I ought to owl him and ask for the money. Let him know of your extracurricular affairs."

"And maybe I should go to the manor and tell him of how much of my money you blow every month since you've been in Paris. Go tell him I'm having an affair. Frankly Asteria I don't care anymore." he walked up to her and looked into her deep green eyes. He had no love for her, and he knew she didn't love him either.

Asteria stared him down for a moment or so.

"Fine, I'll settle for five thousand. I'm feeling generous tonight."

"Nothing." he replied.

"I get it." she sighed, reaching for the button on his pants. Her right hand snaked up his chest.

Draco slapped her hands away.

"Nothing." he told her again. "And that would not sweeten the deal." He made a disgusted face at her before turning his back.

"So your little whore has already satisfied you?" she sneered.

Draco made a growling noise.

"I'll take that for a yes. Well if it's a fight you want Draco Malfoy, it's a fight you'll get. My father only convinced me to marry you as a favor to Lucius. But I see now that it was a mistake. Half of the Malfoy fortune seems a small price to pay for putting up with you for 18 years." she said as she stormed out of the den.

Draco slumped into his desk chair. He turned his head and smelled his shirt. A faint flowery note clung to it. Essence of Hermione.

"Damn."