A/N I would like to thank everyone so much for the wonderful reviews! After getting those I was able to write 3 more chapters in a few hours time. Every review is like fuel. I thought everyone stopped caring about this story but I know you haven't. Thank you so much. Happy reading and don't forget to review!

Out

Hermione awoke the next morning feeling terrible. She had a long sleepless night without Draco. Her body had become accustomed to resting against his during the night. He didn't even mind her cold feet. She sighed knowing that this day would be crappy. She had to go into the office and do some boring paperwork, after dropping Hugo off at Ginny's. The thought made her stomach turn. What if Ron wanted another confrontation? She didn't know if she could handle that again before work. She got into the shower and tried very hard to let her mind go blank, not to worry about Ron for just a few moments. But it didn't work. She kept thinking of the pain in his eyes. The anger in his voice. And the resentment emanating from him. She had completely broken him. And it felt awful. After drying off she started to get ready for work when she heard the owl that delivered the Daily Prophet tapping on the window. She opened it, paid the owl and tossed the paper onto the kitchen counter without opening it. Reading the paper was really Ron's thing. She did pick it up on occasion but this morning she was just in too big of a hurry.

"Hugo, let's go!" she shouted before jamming a toothbrush into her mouth.

"I'm ready." he grumbled. Hugo was not a fan of mornings.

"You need to behave today, no fighting with Lily alright?"

"Yes mum." he chimed.

They walked over to the fireplace and with a swish they were at Ginny's. She swallowed hard and hoped that Ginny and Harry would not be too mad at her.

"Hello?" she called.

"Coming." Ginny's voice rang from the upstairs. Her face was not the shade of Weasley red she had imagined. But her usual pale, freckly self.

"Lily is upstairs." Ginny said with a flat voice. Hermione tensed and waited for Hugo to run up to his cousin's room.

"You hate me don't you?" she blurted out as soon as her son was out of earshot.

"Hermione, why would I hate you?"

"Because I'm divorcing Ron, he's your brother. I'm the enemy right?"

"I'm not taking sides. He did a terrible thing, and I would like to think you wouldn't stop being my friend if I divorced Harry."

"You are like a sister to me Ginny. And Harry is like a brother. I know he will hate me after this. Ron is his best friend, his brother." she said starting to sob.

"Harry was hard on Ron. He told him how bad he messed up. But he also told Ron that he didn't want to take sides either. Things will work out the way they were meant." Ginny said.

"Have they left for work yet?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"Yes, about a half hour ago. Ron wanted to throw himself into work for now. Not think about this mess."

"That's good." Hermione said biting her lip. She had hoped that Ron would take the day off so she wouldn't have to see his broken face at work.

"Hermione are you sure this is what you want?" Ginny asked. It looked like she was holding that question in for a while.

"I think so. I'm not rushing to any divorce attorney right now. I need time. I need space to think." she said.

Just then the owl delivering the Potter's copy of the Daily Prophet arrived and Ginny paid him, took the paper and opened it. She gasped and dropped it on the floor.

"What?" Hermione asked nervously. "Did someone die? Another dark wizard on the loose? What?"

Ginny's trembling hands picked up the paper and turned the front page towards Hermione. She gasped and nearly passed out at the headline and picture that was front and center on the paper.

Hermione Weasley and Draco Malfoy?

Is this how the Ministry treats all its high profile clients?

The picture underneath that headline was unmistakable. It was from the other day, her kissing Draco before he scoops her up into his arms and heads for the grand staircase of his home. The article read:

Early this morning a series of pictures arrived at the Prophet depicting Hermione Weasley (nee Granger) in a passionate embrace with Draco Malfoy, a client of the Ministry. There were no identifying marks on the envelope or photos so we don't know who sent this in, but we do know that they are authentic. Hermione Weasley and Draco Malfoy are both married to others. Hermione to Ronald Weasley also of the Ministry of Magic and Draco to Asteria Malfoy (nee Greengrass). You may remember that Hermione and Ron Weasley were instrumental in the defeat of the Dark Lord almost 19 years ago. They are longtime friends of Harry Potter, head of the auror office at the ministry. The Malfoys were cleared of any wrongdoing in bringing the Dark Lord back to power. Draco Malfoy owns a Quidditch shop in Diagon Alley. Both parties are unavailable for comment.

Hermione felt like she would be sick. There was no hiding this. It was out. Ginny looked fifty shades of red.

"What is this?" she asked her best friend. "Revenge?"

"No…let me explain…it was just…"

"Seriously Hermione. I felt bad for you. I knew how tore up you were about Ron's infidelity. But I never thought you would stoop this low. And with Malfoy for Merlin's sake." she paced back and forth in front of where Hermione stood. Hermione's face was pale, ashen, with a slight tinge of green. Her stomach acid churned and rumbled.

"It's not really like that." she tried to say. But Ginny wasn't listening anymore.

"Just go." Ginny said. "Hugo can stay, but I don't want you around right now."

Tears poured from Hermione's eyes, silent drops of salt water fell onto Hermione's blouse staining it. She nodded knowing she deserved every word, every nasty look from Ginny. But then she had a thought. The worst was yet to come. The Ministry. She couldn't even bear to think of what would happen when she got there. She imagined it would be like her dream, but without Rose and Scorpius. As the door slammed shut behind her she shivered in the cold fall breeze. She had to get home and send an owl to Draco right away. She turned on the spot and apparated to her house, but when she got there she saw the chaos going on around her house. Reporters surrounded the place, peeping into the windows, looking for signs of Hermione.

'Thank gods they didn't see me.' she thought before thinking of the only safe place and apperating there before the hoard turned around.

She landed in the beautiful white villa and checked to make sure she was alone. She couldn't call him, no phone. She sat on the couch crying and hoping that he would think of where she would go and find her fast. Hermione was not ready to face this alone.

Draco rose early that morning. He had his morning tea and biscuits and got dressed at a slow pace. He hoped he would hear from Hermione today. But he knew something was wrong when one of his house elves came bounding into his room unannounced.

"Master Malfoy!" she squeaked. "Come quickly!"

"What is it? What's the matter? Is someone hurt?" he asked as the tiny elf shook her head wildly.

"They've surrounded the house master. They are trying to enter."

"Who? Who is trying to get in the house?" he asked nervously. His mind flashing back to the day Voldemort took over his father's house.

"I don't know sir!" she shouted, "but they have cameras and are trying to peep in the windows. But we have covered them all."

"Thank you." he said kindly. House elves were known to overreact to things. He walked down the stairs and peered out the window. Sure enough dozens of men with cameras were trying to look into the mansions dark windows.

"Reporters." he grumbled. "Must be here about Asteria's threat about the gloves. He straightened his robes, ran a hand through his hair and opened the large doors. A hundred flash bulbs went off at once temporarily blinding him.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked loudly over the commotion.

"Is it true?" one of them asked holding the copy of the prophet up over his head, Draco was still half blinded by the flash and he still assumed they were talking about the gloves.

"Well, now that the cat is out of the bag I might as well tell you. Yes, it's true. I suppose my wife leaked this to the Prophet?" he asked. More flashes and questions were shouted at him.

"I've been working on this project for years." he said confidently. "It was a group effort, and Hermione Weasley was a crucial part of the plan. She has just worked miracles with this project. She is very talented."

A group laugh went out.

"I bet she is." someone shouted out.

"Excuse me?" Draco chided. "That was hardly appropriate." He couldn't understand the whistles and subtle nudges the reporters were giving one another.

"What about your wife?" someone asked. "And her husband?"

Draco looked more confused than ever.

"What have they to do with this? This is strictly a two-person job. Highest secrecy available."

"You are not seriously telling us, Mister Malfoy that your wife and Mrs. Weasley's husband are fine with all this?" a woman reporter blurted.

"Well I don't see why Asteria would mind, more money in her pocket. And as for Mrs. Weasley's husband, well he knew what she was getting into and things have turned out for the best. I expect production to be complete in nine months. Thank you and have a good day."

Stunned silence followed Draco closing the door. The reporters didn't know what to say or do, so after scribbling quotes onto their notebooks they apparated back to the offices to work on the evening edition. All the reporters except for one. Her ruby red nails tapped on her acid green quill before writing something and smiling wickedly. Her blonde curls whirred as she left.

"Everything alright?" a low voice asked from behind him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

"Asteria, you just couldn't wait could you? The gloves are not ready yet. Because you leaked this I had to push production from one year for full production, to nine months? Do you know what this will do? I was hoping to have select versions of this out for Christmas, but it wasn't a for sure thing."

Asteria laughed. And he could tell it wasn't a good laugh, or a happy laugh. It was an Asteria laugh. And that wasn't good.

"Leave." he said flatly heading for his desk. There, laid out from end to end were dozens of copies of the Prophet, laid end to end. Same headline and same picture on each. Him, and Hermione caught in a private moment. In his house.

"You bitch!" he shouted clearing all the papers off of the desk with one swoop of his arm. Then it dawned on him. The press conference he just gave. The questions weren't about the gloves. They were about this. And reviewing his answers in his head only enraged him more.

"You did this! You planned it! After your years of cheating with any young boy who would have you, you finally have gone too far." he came closer to her, malice in his eyes.

"You wouldn't dare." she said backing away. He looked every bit Lucius' son at the moment. All the coldness, the rage, the power.

"Try me." he said. "I just went out there and confirmed this picture that no doubt you sent in. I thought…" he thought of Hermione. This would destroy her. "Get out Asteria. You can forget our deal. You walk away with nothing." he approached her and ripped the sapphire necklace from her neck. He heard it snap satisfyingly and the pieces fell to the floor.

"You can't…" she started to say but she wasn't fast. He was already gripping her wrists and ripping the rest of her jewelry off. Then he ripped off her fur coat and tossed it into the fire where it ignited instantly and filled the room with a sickly sweet odor.

"GET OUT!" he roared. And for the first time Asteria feared for her safety. She left out the back way.

He had to regain control. He took some deep breaths. Maybe it wasn't as bad as it seemed. After all Asteria could have had these made up just for the shock factor. But then what was with the ambush of reporters? He had to find out if Hermione had seen the paper. If she hadn't she would be at work, but others would have. He decided to find out. He walked to the fireplace where Asteria's fur coat was still smoldering. He tossed in some floo powder and shouted "Ministry of Magic." the emerald flames engulfed him and he spun out of control until he hit the ministry floor. Looks of disgust met his gaze when the other people in the ministry lobby saw who had just entered. He stood tall and walked down the corridors towards the lift. Others saw him coming and got out as he was getting in. He clenched his jaw before pressing the button that would take him to Hermione's office. When he got out the hall was empty.

'Thank Merlin' he thought as he stepped out. His footsteps echoed eerily on the marble floor. Her office door was partially open.

"Hermione?" he called. "Are you here?"

He poked his head inside the door. She wasn't at her desk, but a fire was blazing inside the fireplace. He figured that she had stepped out for a moment.

He walked inside and sat on the loveseat in front of the fire. He would just wait.

The door slammed shut.

"Hello Malfoy." two familiar voices said as his head whipped around.

"Figured you'd try and find her now that it's all out in the open." Ron said. Draco reached for his wand.

"Exelliarmus!" Harry and Ron shouted. Draco's wand flew out of his hand and landed next to Hermione's desk.

"Look…" Draco said holding his hands up. "It's my soon to be ex….she's…"

The look of the two men standing in front of him clearly said that no explanation was going to be heard.

"I should have let you burn Malfoy." Harry said with such hatred the heat from the fire seemed to engulf him.

"Don't do anything you will regret." Draco said trying to defuse the situation, but he knew it was no use. He was going to die, or be cursed or both.

Ron's wand was trembling from sheer anger. His ears were red and Draco could see the fire dancing in Ron's blue eyes.

Draco took a deep breath as Ron raised his wand.