A/N Hello everyone! An update for this story and another coming soon for 'how to survive' Be sure to review! Happy reading!

Lost Person

Draco paced the floor of his story waiting to hear from Hermione. He worried that she would forgive her husband, even though he knew it was entirely selfish to do so. It was lunchtime and he wanted badly to owl Hermione to find out what had happened but he knew that it would probably make things worse. He had already owled his father and told him of Asteria's treachery. His father was trying to locate her but he had not been successful yet. Just then Draco heard the tinkling of his door opening. He hoped it was Hermione; it wasn't.

"Potter?" Draco asked walking up to Harry and standing toe to toe with him.

"Malfoy." Harry responded. "Can we talk?"

"About what?" Draco asked already knowing. He would have to play it cool, making sure Harry only thought they had a business relationship.

"About Hermione Weasley."

"What about her?" Draco asked.

"Let's find somewhere private." Harry suggested.

"My office is back here. Follow me." Draco replied leading Harry to the back of the store. He motioned for a spot for Harry to sit down and then he sat across from him.

"Now what is this all about?"

"I need you to let Hermione out of this project you are working on." Harry said firmly.

"Not a chance Potter. She is brilliant and we are making good progress. Have you talked to the minister about this?"

"As a matter of fact I have. He said it would be Hermione's decision, or yours. She hasn't complained so I'm hoping you will do the right thing for the first time in your life and let her out of it."

"I wouldn't dream of telling that woman what to do." Draco smirked. "As I recall she has one hell of a right hook." he said rubbing his cheek.

"Listen, its ruining her marriage." Harry tried to reason.

"Why is that my problem?"

"It's not. I just thought you would want to know."

"I don't get involved with employees personal lives." Draco lied.

"Has she said anything to you?" Harry asked.

"Why would she confide in me of all people?"

"Why did you save her life?" Harry blurted out.
Draco's face paled.

"She told you that?"

"No, Ron did. She told him as she was defending you to him for the millionth time since you started working together. She did ask him not to tell anyone because you didn't want anyone to know."

"I still don't."

"Why?"

"Is this why you came here? To ask me about something that happened 19 years ago? Let it go. I have."

"But you would have been a hero. Helping my best friend. There would have been little question of your loyalty." Harry said prying deeper.

"Just drop it. I'm not going to talk about this with you." Draco said coldly. "I'm not going to stop working with Miss Weasley. She is knowledgeable in spell creation and is very professional. She doesn't pry into my life and I don't pry into hers. If she is having marriage troubles it has nothing to do with me or my project."

"I thought you would be able to talk to her." Harry growled through his teeth.

"Me?" he laughed. "Yeah, sure Potter. I'll try."

"It's not funny." Harry replied.

"It is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of. But I'll do it."

"Thank you." Harry said standing up to leave.

"Yeah. Potter I trust that the incident with Hermione and myself all those years ago will stay a secret. I don't want any undue attention."

"Of course." Harry replied. He was totally confused by Malfoy's insistence that he not be labeled a hero. "By the way, I heard your son is in Gryffindor…"

"He is." Draco answered. "What about it?"

"Nothing." Harry grinned. "Just that all of our kids are in the same house. Strange."

Draco nodded.

"Thank you Malfoy." Harry said extending his hand to him. Draco looked at him suspiciously.

"I can't promise anything Potter. And I'm not letting her out of this project unless she asks, understood?" he took Harry's hand and shook it.

Harry left the store and Draco exhaled sharply. It was harder than he thought to act as if he didn't care about Hermione. Now he was twice as anxious to hear from her. He wondered if she knew Potter was going to stop by.

Hermione stopped crying an hour after Ron had left. She gathered her things and decided to go pick up Hugo and spend some time with him. She apparated to her parent's house and heard her son running to the room she was in.

"Mum!" he cried. Her heart wrenched.

"Hello love. How was the zoo?" she asked hugging him tightly.

"It was excellent!" he replied. "We saw everything. I made you a picture and I decorated it with macaroni and glitter and string!" he said happily handing the picture to his mother.

"It is beautiful!" Hermione exclaimed dramatically. "Look at the zebras! You are such a good artist."

"Thanks." he said grinning from ear to ear. Katherine walked in at that moment.

"Hello dear." she said hugging her daughter. "How are you holding up?"

"Alright I suppose. Run along Hugo, see what Grandpa's up to." Hermione directed.

He ran off leaving Hermione alone with her mum.

They sat in the front room with Katherine looking worried and Hermione looking nervous.
"Have you spoken to Ron?" Katherine pried.

"Yes, earlier at work. It didn't help."

"Did you try?" she asked her daughter.

"Mum of course I did. He decided to blame me for his indiscretion." she said angrily.

"What? You have got to be kidding."

"No, I wish I was. Things have been slow between us…you know in the bedroom."

Katherine put her hands over her face. She hated talking about things like this.

"So I wasn't in the mood. Big deal right?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, I can't give you advice on this. But nothing you do gives him the right to cheat on you. You took vows. Nothing should break those."

Hermione swallowed hard.

"It just seems like we have nothing in common anymore." Hermione sighed.

"I never thought you did."

"Well it's been bothering me a bit more lately." she confessed.

"Did you tell him that?"

"Yeah, he didn't want to hear it though. Wants to believe that everything is just fine."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to take Hugo over there for the night. I'm going to stay in France a few more nights to think."

"Where are you staying?" Katherine asked.

"With a friend. From that other magic school Beauxbatons. I've known them for years."

"Will Hugo be safe?"

"Of course. Ron would never do anything to harm his kids. I'll have Ron drop him back off tomorrow alright?"

"I don't know if I want him here." Katherine admitted. "I don't know if I can look at him the same ever again."

"He says he doesn't remember what happened. It's bullocks if you ask me."

"I will try. For Hugo's sake." she said.

"Thanks mum. I'm going to take Hugo out for lunch before I drop him off. Hugo; get your coat!" she called.

Hugo came running with his coat in hand.

"Mum, its too warm to wear this." he complained.

"Fine, just take it with us. I'm going to take you out for lunch and then home."

"Is daddy there?"

"He will be by the time we get there."

"Are you staying too?"

"I'll talk to you more about this over lunch alright?"

Hugo nodded.

"Hold my hand." she told her son. He did and she apparated the both of them to an alley in London near a hamburger restaurant.

They walked a short distance until they reached the small place. It was nearly empty. They took a seat at a booth in the corner.

"Hungry?" she asked her son.

"Yeah…" he said.

"What are you going to have?" she asked as they looked at the menu.

"Just a hamburger and chips. Can I have a soda?"

"Sure."

The waitress came and took their order a moment later.

"So are you coming home with me tonight?"

"Hugo…it's a special night for you and your dad. And I have a lot of work to do."

"You always have work to do anymore." he scowled. There was a hint of Ron in his voice.

"Darling…I will be done with this project soon and things will be back to normal."

"Promise?" he asked.

"Promise."

Hugo grinned.

After lunch Hermione apparated the two of them back to their house. It was almost four so she knew Ron would be there by now. She opened the door and found Ron sitting on the sofa watching the telly.

"Daddy!" Hugo shouted and ran into his father's arms. Ron embraced his son, closing his eyes and resting his head on his son's shoulder.

"Hello son. Hello Hermione."

"Hi." she replied uncomfortably. "I'm going back to my mum's for a few more days."

"You don't have to…" he started.

"Look, we need time to cool off and think. I can't do that here."

"Hermione please…" he begged. "I didn't mean what I said earlier."

"Not in front of Hugo." she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

Hugo looked up at his mum.

"What's wrong mummy?" he asked.

"Nothing honey. Just have fun with your dad. I will see you soon."

"Hermione please don't do this…"

She hugged Hugo tightly and kissed him on his forehead.

"Bye." she said looking only at her son. Ron looked lost as she apparated back to Draco's cottage.

He was waiting for her of course. A bottle of wine already opened and two glasses poured.

"Hi." he said seeing the look on his face. "Bad day?"

She nodded, bursting into tears again and burying her face in his chest. Draco felt guilty. He knew he was part of her unhappiness. All he could do was wrap his arms around her and hold her until she stopped, which wasn't for quite a while. When she did, her face was red and blotchy and she was wiping her eyes on the sleeves of her blouse.

"Things are such a mess." she said hoarsely.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"It is. It's all my fault. I've come between you and your family." he sighed. "I feel terrible about it."

"It's been a while coming."

He handed her a glass of wine. She drank it in one gulp.

"I know he's unhappy. I think I have been too. But I've always had to put on a happy face for everyone. For Ron's family. For Harry. For the kids and my parents. I'm tired of pretending to be happy."

"I know how you feel. Pretending to be a happy family with Asteria was pure hell. It takes a toll on your well being. Your sense of who you are. After a while you don't really feel…"

"Like yourself anymore." Hermione said finishing his sentence.

Draco nodded.

"Do you think I'm a terrible person?" she asked honestly.

"Of course not. I think you were a lost person. Luckily I found you."

She smiled at him before sitting with him on the sofa and looking out into the dark, swirling seas. It was nice that they could just sit there, not saying a word to each other and yet know exactly what each other was thinking. She reached over and gave his hand a squeeze. He looked at her and nodded before looking back out into the darkness.