….oOo….
The Threat
..oo..
Hermione stood in the lift with her hand wrapped so tightly around her cup that her knuckles had gone white even though her coffee was white. Maybe it was her imagination but her ring was gleaming so brightly it was casting a shadow on her hand. It certainly felt heavier than it did when she wore it on her right hand under the guise of costume jewelry. She avoided looking at all the people whose eyes were glued to her left hand. This morning Draco watched her carefully under his lashes and she made sure to slip the correct finger into his ring. Eyes had been following her since the moment she'd stepped out of the floo and dusted her silk blouse off. As soon as she stepped off the lift onto her floor the whispers bloomed into a gossipy flower. She turned the knob to her office and almost jumped out of her skin at the sight of Ron sitting on her desk.
"That's an effective attempt at assassination" She groused setting her cup on the desk
"Oh I didn't mean to scare you" he smiled charmingly at her
"Its fine Ron, nice of you to visit anyway" She sat behind her desk and slipped her left hand under her thigh
"You looked amazing last night Mione" He said gently playing with a remembrall she had on her desk for decoration
"Thank you, you looked handsome as well" she smiled at her best friend
"How is the case going?" He asked tossing the glass orb into the air
"Splendid! We wrap next month"
"You're going to make history Mione. Again" he winked "see you later" he set the orb back on her desk and left her office
The rest of her morning passed without instance and she'd been so engrossed in her work that she hadn't even heard her door open. She jumped in surprise when a small blonde woman knocked on her door frame.
"Miss Granger?" The woman inquired in her surprisingly deep voice
"Oh! Mrs. Selwyn! Please come in, sit down. What can I do for you?"
"Well I shan't keep you long, I just came by to tell you that Edward has requested something of me that I just cannot do. Could we go to trial any sooner? Please?"
"I'm afraid the Wizengamot would not allow a date change. What is it that Mr. Selwyn has asked you to do?"
"To give him the baby!" Mrs. Selwyn cried smashing her face into her hands "He wants to raise MY baby with that..that…tart!"
"Oh surely he knows that's an impossibility." Hermione shook her head and waved her hand passively "We've made a provision in the divorce decree that gives you full physical custody of the child."
Mrs. Selwyn paused following Hermione's hand with her teary green eyes, "Miss Granger….have you…have you married?"
Caught off guard Hermione's head snapped up to meet the woman's eyes, "Pardon me?"
"You're wearing a ring, from a member of the Sacred Twenty Eight, on your left hand" the woman's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the jewels
Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, "Please understand" she began
Mrs. Selwyn stood so abruptly that her chair scooted backward
"Miss. Granger…or Mrs. Whoever you are…I am divorcing a pureblood, a member of the Sacred Twenty Eight! How can I be sure you have MY interests at heart if you've married one of those bastards!" She shrieked
"Please calm down" Hermione stood and moved around the desk "This will not affect your case at all Mrs. Selwyn! I promise! You are the only person who knows of my marriage and I swear to you that until your divorce is finalized no one else will"
Mrs. Selwyn's eyes were hard and shining, "If I lose because of this, you will be as miserable as I am. That, ma'am, is a promise"
She swept from Hermione's office angrily and Hermione sighed blowing a curl from her face. Well, that went just swimmingly. Her grandfather clock chimed in the corner and she slipped her ring from her finger to place it in her desk drawer. It had caused enough trouble today she grimaced. She gathered her bag and locked her office behind her as she made her way to the cafeteria to grab a quick bite to eat. She sat down with her salad and chowder and began eating when Lavender Brown deigned appropriate to join her uninvited.
"Hello Hermione" Lavender's voice was artificially sweet
"Hello Lavender" Hermione returned flatly
"Missed you at the Leaky last night. You must be so busy what with that case and all"
"Look" Hermione set down her fork and met Lavender's eyes "We aren't friends and you did not miss me so what is it that you want?"
"I'd like to know if anyone else knows you've been fucking Draco Malfoy?"
Hermione was startled but she maintained a cool exterior, "I can assure you dear that Draco Malfoy is not fucking me"
"How much is your secret worth to you Hermione" Lavender smirked
"Have you lost your mind? Go away Brown" Hermione rolled her eyes and returned to her salad
"It would sink your case wouldn't it? Representing a monumental divorce from a member of the Sacred Twenty Eight while fucking another member of the Sacred Twenty Eight. That would ruin you Hermione"
"You've got five seconds to vacate my presence" Hermione bit out
"Stay away from Ron and your secret is safe with me" Lavender gave her a sickly sweet smile and stood from the table
"Ron and I are friends Brown. Nothing more"
"Maybe not for you. Stay away from him" Lavender turned on her heel and stomped off toward the lifts
Hermione rolled her shoulders trying to ease the tension that had crept into them. How the hell did Lavender know anything about her and Draco? Suddenly she wasn't very hungry anymore. She threw her trash in the bin and retreated back to her office. She didn't think she'd come out for the rest of the day. The world around her was much too insane today.
_oo_
"Hermione?" Harry's soft voice floated in from the doorway and she looked up with a smile
"Hi Harry" she was always glad to see Harry
"Have you got a minute?" He asked lurching forward to fall into one of her office chairs
"Always have a minute for my best friend. What's going on?" She set her quill down and removed her reading glasses
"I'm in trouble" He rubbed at his eyes under his round frames "I love two women"
"Two!" She hadn't meant to shout and grimaced when Harry flinched at her voice. She got up to shut her door and took the seat next to Harry
"Ginny's going to be heartbroken" He lamented quietly
"By that statement I'll take it you aren't choosing her" Hermione placed a warm hand on his forearm in a gesture of comfort
"I love her Mione, I swear I do but this other one she's so passionate, so alive! Ginny just wants to settle down, to…to get married and have children and that's fine Mione, that's grand even but I'm not ready for that. I want to live" Harry's eyes were sparkling and he was gazing off toward the ceiling as he spoke "So many years were stolen from me. I deserve that right? I deserve to do what I want for a little while, yeah?"
"Oh Harry yes!" Hermione smiled so wide her teeth gleamed under the office lights "Of course you do! I think that Ginny will be hurt and I know Ron may want to throttle you initially but you deserve whatever your heart desires Harry and if that's not Ginny and what she stands for then it simply isn't. However, lets keep the matter of our friend between us, yeah?"
"I knew you'd understand! You just get me" He relaxed and laced his fingers with hers
"Could I maybe tell you something?" she asked quietly picking invisible lint from her smart gray slacks with her free hand
"Anything" he grinned at her in that sweet Harry way
She took a deep breath and peered under her lashes sideways at him "I'm married"
He gave a breathy laugh and waved his hand as if he thought her joking. She unlaced their fingers and got up to go around her desk to free her ring from it's mahogany prison. She slipped the ring on her finger and settled back into her seat next to him watching his face with bated breath. He glanced down at her ring and when his eyes came back up to meet hers they were no longer shining.
"You're serious"
"Yes, I am. You know I don't joke about matters such as this. I am a married woman and have been for almost four months now"
"But, surely you knew you could have told me?" He asked moving his eyes rapidly over her blushing face
"I can't tell anyone Harry because I'm representing Adina Selwyn in our generation's first wizarding divorce"
"Well what does that have to do with anything? Unless you were married to a member of the Sacred Twenty Eight and Hermione, no offense, but we know what those people believe" Harry gave a dismissive laugh
She laughed too but in a nervous sort of way, "Well you see…"
"Oh no! Oh no! You've got to be joking"
Instead of answering she went to her bag and pulled a scroll from its depths. She handed it to Harry and stood back in case he jumped from his seat. He opened the scroll and began reading, mumbling to himself. His eyes snapped up to hers and went so wide she was afraid he'd rip his eyelids.
"Malfoy? Draco Malfoy?!" Instead of leaping from his seat he actually leaned back into it and began to laugh
"Harry? Have I driven you barmy?" she eyed him suspiciously
"Daph was right, I owe her thirty galleons" He handed Hermione the scroll but didn't leave his seat
Hermione's mind processed his statement but she figured she'd address the pieces of his information in the order he'd said them.
"Daph? Ne? Greengrass?! Thats her? Thats the living woman you're leaving Ginny for? Harry Ginny's going to hex your bullocks off! You know she hates the woman! And only thirty galleons? I'm a bit offended to be honest you really should have wagered a bit heavier on me"
"I lost Mione" He leveled flatly "and about Ginny I know! I know! I really can't help how I feel. Daphne is so intense but lovely and level headed. She doesn't care about me saving the damn world. She only cares that I'm Harry. That I take coffee instead of tea, that I hate wearing socks, and that I want to see America"
"Harry thats wonderful, and thats precisely why I've shared my secret with you. Draco is a right git thats true but he loves me in all the ways Daphne loves you. Please understand…wait, how did Daphne know that Draco and I were married?"
"Oh she didn't, she merely suggested that there was something of a romantic nature going on between the two of you. Bet me and all. I wagered because I thought it'd be an easy win. If I had to gather anything for myself I thought you and Ron might give it another go" Harry shrugged
"Will you keep my secret Harry, even from Daphne?" Hermione reached for his hand
"Of course Mione. Love you" He got up and wrapped her in a warm hug
"I love you most Harry. Forever and always" She smiled against his shoulder and squeezed him
"I guess I'll be off then. Meeting Daph in Prague tonight" He winked and left her office with a smile she hadn't seen since before the war
Hermione smiled too, genuinely happy for her friend. The backlash would be unpleasant but at least he'd be happy. Now if only she could take her own damn advice. Deciding she'd done enough for the day she wrapped up her belongings and extinguished her lighting. After locking her office with a click she flooed home and decided to make dinner for her husband.
_oo_
Draco walked into his home and was greeted with a most delicious aroma. He could hear his wife humming in their kitchen which stretched his lips into a smile. He walked up behind her and hugged her inhaling her scent deeply.
"Hello wife" His voice muffled in her hair
"Hello husband" she grinned as she stirred the bubbling liquid in the pot before her
"How was your day?"
"You'd never believe me if I told you"
"Try me" He stole a croissant from the basket and took a seat at the bar
After she'd regaled him with the tale of Lavender's threat and Harry's news he sat with his hands crossed and his eyes half lidded like he was trying desperately not to let his emotion to the surface.
"So you told him" He stated evenly
"Well, yes. I thought he could handle the information and really it felt good to tell someone about the source of my happiness" She leaned across the bar and took his hand in hers
"That's some news he gave you. Never pictured Daph for the other woman but…" he shrugged
"Really it was quite a shock. Ginny hates Daphne. They exchanged more than a few words, Ginny doesn't fancy being called a pauper by anyone"
"Daph does have a way with words" he laughed
"Secrets are funny little things aren't they? Its almost as if they tell themselves" Hermione shrugged and turned back to her cooking
_oo_
After they had eaten Hermione retreated back to the kitchen to get started on the dishes. Draco followed her and flicked his hand lazily at the sink so that the dishes started to wash themselves.
"Draco" Hermione fussed
"Oh hush wife and come here" He tugged her by her arm and guided her into his personal space
"What are you doing" she giggled smacking his arm lightly
"I want to dance with a beautiful woman? Is that so wrong?" He dropped a sweet kiss to her lips
"Oh husband" She breathed, hearing music float in and envelope the room. It was the song that had been playing in the cafe across from the place they were bonded.
She and Draco swayed barefoot to the soft music, planting kisses on each other, him whispering things in her ear and running his hand over her bum. When the song ended he swept her up in his arms and carried her bridal style to their bedroom. Her back connected with the plush linens at about the same time his face disappeared in the lush space between her thighs. He lazily dragged his tongue up and down her folds appreciating the delicious fluid her body rewarded him. He circled her vibrating nub and sucked gently eliciting a series of moans from his witch that filled the room. He lavished her glistening slit with attention and sucked until she came tumbling over ecstasy's edge into his mouth. He smiled against her skin and kissed his way back up her body marveling at how soft her skin was. He couldn't believe this witch was his to worship, to love, to claim like this. He caged her face in his hands and entered her slowly, groaning into her mouth as she welcomed him. Her eyes were closed but she was definitely present as she lightly raked her nails down her back and mewled softly at his steady pace as he moved in and out of her. He made love to her well into the night, only spilling his seed inside her after her second orgasm.
As his wife lay nestled in his arms glowing and sated, he stared off toward the ceiling stuck in his own head. He hadn't addressed Brown's threat to her but thats because she didn't need to be held accountable when he put Brown in her place. Threatening his wife was not wise. He settled against his pillows and hugged his witch a little tighter.
_oo_
A/N: Obviously I am aware of luxury brands and their correct spellings but this is the wizarding world. I used known luxury designers to allude to the expense of the things the characters were wearing. Also, kept the sex scene pretty tame. As always, please review. Love you guys! :)