A/N Hello all! Time for another chapter. I would have posted sooner but I was on vacation! I don't want anyone to think that Hermione is just the worst person in this story. I'm not sure how this story will eventually end so tell me...should she stay with Ron? Leave with Draco? Neither one? Happy reading and don't forget to review!

One night stand?

Hermione awoke several hours later; she looked at the small clock on the nightstand. It was nearly 3 am. She looked down at Draco, who was sleeping peacefully on her chest. He had asked her last night whether or not she was sure about what they were about to do. He didn't want her to regret being with him. And now that the alcohol was gone from her system and the build up of passion she felt for him had waned she knew she didn't regret it. But she did have one small issue. She didn't know if she could be around him and not want this again and again. It seemed like a very selfish thing to want. To be with him in this way but stay married. And she had always been the reasonable, non-selfish one. She had sacrificed herself in every way possible. She wiggled free from his sweating, heavy body and headed for the bathroom. A quick contraceptive spell took care of her only worry. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was flushed pink, her hair tousled and carefree. Her lips deep red and slightly bruised from the intensity of his kisses. She smelled like sex and Draco's cologne.

'How am I going to explain this to Ron?' she thought. He would be furious with her staying out so late and not owling. Suddenly she had an idea. She would go back to the office and owl Ron in the morning. She would say that she fell asleep on the sofa after taking too much potion from the Ministry healer. She would tell him that she even missed the meeting with Draco. Yes, that would not soothe all of his anger but it would go a long way if he believed she was not with him this whole time. She resolved herself to this lie. But then something deeper sunk in. She had missed saying goodnight to Hugo. Her heart wrenched inside of her chest. Now she felt like crap. She turned on the shower and stepped inside. The scalding hot water pacified her briefly, but only briefly. By the time she shampooed with the lousy hotel shampoo and used the tiny amount of conditioner she felt horrible again. And now another problem crept into her head. Draco. What would she say to him this morning? What would he say to her? Would he expect more than this? Did she want more?

'No of course not.' she reasoned. She was married and last night was…it was a release. That's all. An animalistic need to be close to someone who understood her in everyway she could have possible imagined. She dried off and tried to comb through her tangle with her fingers. She swore loudly and used her wand to magically untangle it and fasten it into a bun. She wrapped the towel around herself and reentered the dimly lit room. Draco was still slumbering on the bed lying on his stomach. She was the deep red gashes protruding from the creamy pale skin and winced. She couldn't imagine what he had gone through to get those horrible scars. Maybe they were not able to be erased. Like Harry's scar. What if powerful dark magic created those hideous scars? She shuddered again as she sat on the end of the bed. Her hand traced one of the longer, deeper colored scars gently. Her wrist was immediately restrained by his hand before she reached the end of the ugly red line.

"Sorry." she mumbled again.

"It's fine. I'm just a little…sensitive to them." he said clearing this throat. "How are you?"

She shrugged. Not quite sure about what to say.

"I told you that you would regret it." he said flatly. She smiled.

"I don't."

"Come off it." he said sitting up to face her. She looked into his eyes. They looked like tidal pools of silvery water this morning. Could they change color? Or was it the way she perceived him now the difference?

"I don't regret it." she said biting her lips thinking of how to ask him the same question.

"What?" he asked.

"Do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Regret it."

"How could you ask me that?" he mused, laughing softly.

"You just asked me."

"Because you had reason to regret it. You have a husband, a family."

"And you don't?"

"No, I don't have a husband thank you very much." he smirked out of the corner of his mouth.

"You know what I mean." she sighed.

"I wasn't trying to seduce you by telling you that Asteria is leaving me." he said looking away. Hermione heard the hurt in his voice.

"I know that. I didn't mean that…oh gods, this is so awkward." she huffed.

"Should we go?" he asked wrapping a sheet around his midsection. "I can walk you back to the ministry so you can go home."

"I'm not going home." she said flatly.

"What?" he shouted.

"I'm staying at the office. Telling everyone I fell asleep on the sofa because of some sleeping potion I took, telling everyone I missed the meeting with you. He'll still be mad but not as much."

"Oh." he said with a little more calm in his voice.

"And you never answered my question. Do you regret what happened?" she asked, looking down at the plain hotel sheets.

"Never."

"After all we've been through in the last twenty six or so years you can say 'never' and mean it?" she asked.

"I can. I felt alive last night. For the first time. I can only thank you for that." he said.

"Don't." she shied away, embarrassed.

"Let me walk you back to the ministry." he said.

"No…someone could see. I'll be fine."

He reached over and grabbed her face; inching it towards his. His kiss was tender, soft and light. Like feathers brushing across her lips.

"Had to make the last one count." he said softly.

She blushed.

"I'm going to go get dressed." she said gathering her clothing on the floor.

"Yeah." he said. Hermione tossed him his clothing as well. "Thanks"

She hurried into the bathroom, anxious to get dressed. Because if she stayed another moment her resolve would vanish. She smoothed her clothing and sniffed it. They didn't smell like him.

'Must not have been on long enough.' she said to herself sarcastically. When she reentered the room he was already dressed.

"At least let me walk you to the Leaky Cauldron. London's not that safe. I won't come in with you." he added when he sensed her anxiety.

"Alright." she said. "I guess that would be fine. But don't forget to be angry I missed that meeting."

"I won't." he laughed.

She looked around making sure that she left nothing behind.

"Ready?" she asked. He nodded. They left the room behind walking down the dark hallway and back down the narrow stairway. The bar was utterly empty and they left out the side door onto the street. It was dark and slightly chilly. Draco took his coat off and placed it over Hermione's shoulders.

"Thanks." she murmured.

"When can I see you again?" he asked without looking at her.

He looked up at his face. It was straight ahead with unreadable emotion. Her mouth hung open thinking of what to say. She wasn't going to have an affair. This was just a one night stand, right?

"I…uh."

"For the project I mean." he said sensing her apprehension at the question.

"Oh, well how about tomorrow." she sighed in relief. "I supposed I will have to have a discussion…" Hermione winced. "With Ron about my staying out all night."

"Of course. Tomorrow will be fine. Your office or mine?"

"Mine." she decided. She would be less tempted there.

"What time?"

"After lunch?" she asked.

"I'll be there at one." he said as they reached the Leaky Cauldron.

"Okay." she said feeling a knot in her stomach at the thought of going back to the office alone.

"Well, goodnight then. And happy birthday" he said. He wanted to kiss her in the worst possible way. She was looking at him with deep brown eyes filled with longing.

"Goodnight." she said softly. "And thank you."

"For?" he asked.

"Everything." she replied walking in the door and waving to him.

The Leaky Cauldron was empty just as she expected. Tom was not at the bar, but a haggard old woman that Hermione didn't recognize. She walked to the floo quickly and swooshed off to the ministry. When she landed in the deserted hallway she immediately made a beeline for the owlery. The room was much like it was at Hogwarts, a tall round room with lots of open windows. She convinced a tawny owl to fly down to her. She penned a quick note to Ron.

Ron,

I am so sorry I didn't make it home tonight. Earlier in the afternoon I took some dreamless sleep potion and I must have overdone it. I fell asleep on the sofa in my office and didn't wake up until half an hour ago. I missed my meeting as well so I will probably hear about that from the Minister in the morning. I didn't want you to think I stayed away because we argued. I love you with all my heart. I am going to stay here until morning so I can talk to Kingsley when he gets in. Come to my office when you get here. I love you.


Hermione

She read the note over and over again and made sure it sounded plausible. When she thought it was done she tied it carefully to the owl's leg and sent it off to her house. She hoped that Ron was not up waiting for her.

"That's done." she sighed in relief. Hermione made a quick restroom stop, a stop at the self-service counter of the cafeteria where she bought a bagel, an orange juice, and a bag of crackers. The hallway was eerily dark and empty as her footsteps echoed off of the wooden paneled walls. She reached her office in just a few minutes, and tried to juggle her purchases and the brass door handle. She finally got it and the door swung open dramatically when she pushed it with her foot. She groaned and fiddled with a light as she sat the items down on her desk. The light wouldn't work for some reason.

"Hmmm…" she sighed again. She dug her wand out of her handbag and went over to the fireplace to light it. After a moment a roaring fire blazed to life inside of the grate.

"That's better." she said to herself.

"Good morning Hermione." she heard a familiar voice say. "Where have you been tonight?"