A/N Hello everyone. Just for the record Ron doesn't actually know about Hermione and Draco. He is just throwing out accusations to make himself feel better about what he did. But that will change soon :) I hope you enjoy this chapter. Happy reading and don't forget to review!

Blackmail

Draco knew that he had to go home. The villa felt empty without her there but he had to give her some space. He couldn't imagine what she was going through. He had never loved Asteria, but she had loved her husband. She probably still did. He collected his things and prepared to apparate home. He wanted to owl her, to make sure she was okay, to hear her voice. But he decided that he would wait. His feelings were growing strong and he didn't want to overstep his position. After all she might have forgiven him. He may have talked her into staying together for the kids. He just didn't know and it was killing him. He took one last look around and quickly disappeared into the darkness.

His house smelled like it had been abandoned for years. Yet it had only been a few days. He set his bag in the hallway and a house elf came scurrying up to retrieve it.

"Put it on my bed please." he said kindly.

The little elf nodded and dragged the bag behind him up the staircase.

He sighed heavily before retreating to the study.

"Hello Draco." said the voice from the sofa by the fireplace.

"What are you doing here?" Draco said angrily.

"This is still my legal home darling." she purred. "I can come here anytime I want."

"Until we sign the papers of course."

"Oh, about that." she smiled. "I want to renegotiate."

"Not a chance."

She laughed.

Draco knew she was about to pull the glove card, but he let her continue.

"Oh, I think you will want to when you hear what I have to say." she replied, her voice low.

"You think so?" he asked.

"I do."

"What are your terms?"

"I want 100 million galleons, the summer villa in the Caribbean, and the jewels that are kept in the vault." she said smiling.

"Is that all?" he smiled.

"Unless you want to be generous and let me have half of your company."

Draco laughed.

"Well I tried."

"And what do you have to bargain with?" he asked innocently.

She walked slowly over to her handbag and pulled out the seeker gloves. He played along with a look of surprise on his face.

"Oh I see I have your attention now." Asteria countered. "I found these at the villa the other night when I was collecting my things."
"Illegally collecting your things. Since I told you not to come to my parents' villa anymore."
"Doesn't matter does it?

"Actually it does." Draco said. "You stole them. That makes you a thief. Maybe I should call the department of magical law enforcement and have you taken in."

"Well you could," she said. "But I could draw out this custody battle with Scorpius for months. Years even."

"Don't threaten me with our son. You don't give a damn about him. So cut the bullshit." he said angrily.

"It wasn't a threat. It was a promise." she snapped back. "I've made my offer. Take it or leave it."

"I think I will leave it if it's all the same to you." he said coolly.

"What?" she asked surprised.

"You heard me."

"Do you know how valuable these gloves are on the open market?" she asked incredulously.

"Of course I do. I've been developing them for nearly a year." he replied in a calm voice.

"So you are willing to let me walk out of here with them and sell them to the highest bidder?"

"If that's what you want to do, but if you don't accept the generous offer my father made soon I will make sure that offer is rescinded and you will get nothing but the name you came into this sham of a marriage with."

Asteria looked stunned.

"You wouldn't dare." she said threateningly.

"Watch me. And I will expose you for the lying, thieving tramp that you are. You don't think I have pictures of your affairs? That I haven't had people follow you around and document every move you made? You must not really know me at all then my darling wife." he smirked.

Asteria's normally pale; porcelain skin turned a violent shade of red.

"To hell with you Draco Malfoy. No one will have you; you are an ugly nasty man who had to have his father pay a woman to marry him. You disgust me!" she screamed.

He laughed.

She ran at him and hit him in the chest with her fists. He grabbed her by the wrists and subdued her.

"I'm selling those gloves Draco. I can get much more for them than you can give me."

"You do that Asteria." he laughed.

She looked at him like he had lost his mind. Asteria yanked her arms free and grabbed her bag.

"I will see you later my dear Draco. You can count on that."

"I will." Draco whispered.

Ron wound up at Harry and Ginny's house after his mum refused to let him stay.

"I really appreciate this." Ron said as Ginny made up the boys' room for him to sleep in.

"If it was up to me you wouldn't be here." she replied angrily. "It's Harry you should be thanking."

"That's helpful." he said. "My own family turns on me. Just great."

"What do you expect Ronald? Us to jump for joy? Get real." she said turning from him, her long red hair swinging behind her as she slammed the door. A few moments later he heard a knock.

"Yeah, what's the matter Ginny? You want to curse me when I'm down?" he snapped.

"It's me." Harry said.

"Oh." Ron replied. He was mad at Harry for telling the truth, but thankful for somewhere to go. He hated hotels or inns.

"How are you?" Harry asked carefully.

"My marriage is over, and I'm not with my kids. Other than that life is just great." Ron snarled.

"I'm sorry about this. I didn't want to lie to begin with. I'm bad at it and Ginny knows it."

"I didn't mean to snap at you. I just can't believe this is happening. I feel so out of control." he whined.

"You have no one to blame but yourself Ron." Harry reminded him.

"I can blame that good-for-nothing Malfoy. He kept Hermione away from me working on that stupid project."

"You yourself said that it had been going on longer than that. Let's face it, no matter how much you want to blame Malfoy, this time it wasn't his fault. You know I asked him to let Hermione out of the project."

"You did?" Ron gasped. "What did he say?"

"He said that he wouldn't dare tell Hermione what to do. But if she wanted out, he would agree."

"Malfoy said that?"

"Yes, he didn't know about your problems with Hermione. He said that they don't talk about their personal lives. It's strictly business."

"It doesn't matter Harry. She won't ever forgive me."

"Give her a few days and then go talk to her at work. She can't avoid you forever. And she won't dare make a scene at work."

"I guess; I just miss her, and Hugo. And poor Rose doesn't even know what's going on. She won't be home until Christmas."

"It will be worked out by then. I'm sure of that." Harry said reassuringly. "Good night Ron."

"Yeah." Ron said flopping down onto the pillow. "Good night."

Three days passed before Draco decided to owl Hermione. It was early October and the wind was crisp and cool as he sat outside watching the leaves turn brilliant colors of orange and red. He penned a simple note to her, though he wanted to say much more.

Dear Hermione,

I am hoping you are well. Can we set up a meeting at your earliest convenience to talk about moving forward with the seeker project? Look forward to hearing from you. You may call on me at my home.

Yours,

Draco Malfoy

He made it sound like a formal business letter, though he wanted to say how much he missed her. But he had no idea whether or not she had reconciled with her husband, so this would have to do. He sent his owl off with it and hoped he would receive a reply soon.

Hermione was surprised to hear from him. But more surprised by the formality of his letter. She had expected something more from him, although she knew that she had no right to. She arranged a meeting at his home the following day and asked Ginny to baby-sit Hugo so that he could see Ron for a while during the meeting. She sent the letter off to Draco not knowing what to expect when she saw him again. She missed him terribly. More than she should have, and she tried to control her raging emotions. Hermione decided that she would not go to his house with expectations for a continuing relationship. For all she knew he had thought this through and decided against the scandal it would most certainly cause. When she finally fell asleep that night the situation weighed on her mind.

She was walking through the halls of the Ministry as if it was any other work day. Her footsteps echoed in the nearly empty hallways as she walked across the marble floors to her office. People seemed to be staring at her as she walked and whispering behind her back about something. She checked her clothing and thank Merlin it was all there. She didn't have loo paper stuck to her shoe so it must be something else. It was then that she saw Draco standing at the door to her office. His grey eyes smoldering at her. The look made her heart quicken and she picked up her pace to reach him. He took her into his arms when she reached him and bent her back kissing her deeply and passionately. She didn't think about where she was or what she was doing. His lips were the only thing on her mind until she heard the gasps and sounds of disgust coming from her co-workers. Draco let her go but held her protectively.

"Whore." someone whispered.

"Home wrecker." a man spat at Draco.

"She's a married woman." another woman said loudly. "Let her go."

"I can't believe you would betray Ron like this." a familiar voice said. Hermione looked up and was face to face with Harry. The look of disgust and betrayal in his deep jade eyes was unmistakable.

"Listen Harry…it's not what you think." Hermione cried. "I just…"

Ginny walked up to her and slapped her in the face. The stinging pain seared against her cheek.

"I loved you like a sister!" Ginny cried. Her fiery red hair looked like flames against her head. Her normally pale skin was deep red as well.

"Ginny, you know I love you. You are my sister!"

"Mum?" a voice called from the crowd. Hermione's heart stopped.

"Rose?"

"What have you done mum?" Rose asked; her hand inside of Draco's sons. "You've ruined our family. I wanted to marry Scorpius."

"You're only eleven Rose! You can't get married." Hermione said in a panic.

Scorpius glared at his father. Malice in his eyes.

"I'm eighteen mum, you've been so busy working you haven't even noticed me growing up. Only dad has been there for us. You abandoned us for him!" she screamed pointing at Draco. "I hate you!"

Hermione sat up in bed, sweat dripping from her forehead. Her heart beating out of her chest. She sat on the edge of the bed and cried.