Chapter 15

Hermione stepped out of the floo in a puff of smoke and ash, her cane holding her steady as she let the plush carpet beneath swallow her feet. She moved aside just in time for Pansy to step out beside her.

"My fathers den," the dark haired witch explained as she stepped off the carpet without another glance at Hermione.

Without much time to take in her surroundings, Hermione was forced to trail behind as Pansy pointed out various closed doors and huge empty rooms with the barest of explanations as to their use.

They had just passed a small reception room when Hermione became distracted by a portrait hung on the wall, "Were you really going to marry him?" she asked, cocking her head at the snooty expressions of Pansy and Draco Malfoy. The artist had captured them, as they were during their Hogwarts years, aloof and full of self-importance.

"Since I can remember. It was decided between our parents, we just grew to accept it I suppose," Pansy replied, looking at the portrait, "I never expected I would call it off, but then I never expected to fall in love with anyone else."

"You loved Malfoy?" Hermione asked, raising both eyebrows as they continued down the hall.

"I thought I did, but now I realize he is more like a brother to me. Deranged and easily misled, but family is family," she replied with conviction.

Hermione gave it a thought, "I suppose the same description could be used to describe my feelings for Ron. Did you ever sleep with Malfoy?"

"Granger, you can't just ask someone that!"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it just a few days ago you were mentioning my bodily fluids?" Hermione replied, continuing to walk down the long corridor as Pansy stood behind her with a wide mouth.

"Get out of my house," she demanded, catching up.

"Nope, you invited me here. Remember?" Hermione said with exaggerated glee.

"And now I am rescinding my invitation. I am a lady! How dare you question my sexual relationship…"

"… or non-existent one. Its okay, I wont tell anyone that Malfoy can't get it up," Hermione interrupted crudely.

"That wasn't… it wasn't like that!" Pansy spluttered, her eyes flashing and her skin turning a rather telling shade of red.

"What was it like then? You were supposed to be a couple, but from your reaction you never even snogged behind the broom shed. I'm just curious what you were going to do once you got married, stare at each other?" Hermione asked, finding the topic far too much fun. It was turning out to be incredible easy to get a rise out of Pansy Parkinson.

"I'm not talking about this anymore. You are supposed to be my friend!"

Hermione laughed and stopped at when they reach the end of the corridor.

"This isn't funny, not all of us are comfortable just casually talking about sex," Pansy continued to rail, turning them to the right and in the direction of what turned out to be the kitchen.

"That baby didn't just plant itself in your womb, Parkinson," Hermione reminded her.

"I'm aware of that, Granger," Pansy ground out, clearly finished with the conversation, "and for future reference, Draco and I were a political move, to strengthen our fathers business agreement. In exchange for my hand, Draco's father forfeited forty eight percent of his company into the Parkinson name, making him the majority share holder."

Hermione turned to her in horror; "Your father sold you to Lucius Malfoy?"

Pansy picked at her robe where it rested awkwardly across her belly, "I suppose a Muggle born like you would see it that way," she defended, "but our child – a Malfoy - would have ended up taking over the business. It was the most guaranteed way to secure the future of Malfoy Parkinson holdings."

"How old were you?" Hermione asked, trying to comprehend what she was being told.

"Five. We were five. I was informed of the agreement the day I was sent to Hogwarts and warned not to get involved with anybody but Draco. So I didn't, until I met Percy."

Hermione continued to stare at her in silent horror.

"I mean it Granger, you keep up the pity party on my behalf and you aren't welcome to use my home as your little hideout," Pansy told her, waving her wand at the kitchen, making two tea cups whiz toward a table in the centre, one of them shattering as it hit the corner.

"I'm not hiding out," Hermione mumbled, waving her own wand to clean up the mess before taking over the task of making tea. Pansy hadn't been joking when she'd said her aim had been off. She's been breaking things and missing hexes in the week Hermione had spent grilling her in the hospital. Most of them had been aimed at Hermione's head though.

"Oh, then you've just been remiss in returning owls lately? My mistake. And not wanting to go home is just because you were interested in how the other half lived? I see how it is now," Pansy drawled sarcastically.

"You are a terrible friend," Hermione told her, locating a kettle.

Pansy contemplated her for a moment before replying, "And you are a convenient one. Have you spoken to Percy yet?"

"No, I haven't. If I do, he might tell Ron and Harry where I am," Hermione replied, avoiding eye contact.

"And what about the other two?" Pansy asked, her focus now on Hermione's tea making skills as if she'd never seen anyone do it before. She probably hadn't, Hermione thought.

"I'll floo them this evening, let them know I've left the hospital."

"But not where you are?"

"No, I won't tell them I'm here."

"So let me get this straight, you're not going to tell your future husband where you are, but you plan on informing his brothers you're okay? Sounds to me like you've made a decision." Pansy tapped her fingers against the wooden table top, her gaze piercing.

Hermione finished making the tea and sat down with a sigh, her hip still tender as the muscle continued to heal.

"I haven't decided anything. I'm angry with Ron for cheating on me; I don't know what I'm going to say to him. Fred and George, well if they knew about Ron then they kept it from me because they didn't want to hurt me, but I don't know if that changes anything between us."

"Don't you think Ron will be angry with you too?" Pansy asked, accepting the cup of tea without releasing Hermione's gaze.

"I know he will be, and with Fred and George too. It's why I need a few days to just clear my head. Everything is such a mess. I'm supposed to be married in a month!"

"It's quite the devils snare you've got yourself into Granger," Pansy said, sipping her tea.

Hermione couldn't agree with her more.

"Hermione! Where have you been? They said you were discharged today," George's concerned frown filled the fireplace, his hair even brighter than normal and looking like he'd spent the better part of the day running his hands through it.

"I-I decided I needed to get a way for a while, to clear my head," she explained.

"Why? What's happened?" Fred asked, his shoulder coming into view first, shoving his brother to the side.

Hermione felt the tears well in her eyes, "Nothings happened. I'm okay, I just need some time."

"You don't have time," George said, pushing his way into the frame, "Mum is going mental, the wedding is less than a month away. She went to visit you this morning and lost it when she found out you'd been let out – started accusing the whole family of keeping things from her. We've been worried sick."

"I know," Hermione whispered.

Fred and George exchanged a look, "This is about the wedding, isn't it? We should never have said anything."

"No, it wasn't that. Your feelings deserved to be heard as well," she groaned, realizing they were going to take her actions as something they had caused.

"'Mione, everyone's been looking for you. If it's home that's the problem then come to us. We won't tell anyone you're here," Fred reasoned, holding out his hand as if he would pull her through the fireplace and into their arms. Her body screamed for that to happen, but she knew if she did then she wouldn't leave and she wouldn't deal with the things she's been avoiding for so long.

She shook her head and sat back on awkwardly on her hip, "That's not the solution. I know now how blind I've been, how stupid and reckless we've all been. You said it yourselves - things have changed - I just need time to work out what they've changed into."

"What about Ron? Have you contacted him yet?" George asked, looking like he'd been hit in the gut.

Hermione shook her head again, "No, and I'm not going to, not just yet. But please, you have to be honest with me."

"Anything."

"Always."

She smiled at their responses, shifting uncomfortably again while asking the question that had plagued her through a week of subdued visits and stolen kisses, "Did you know he's been seeing someone else?"

"What?!" Fred exploded, surging from the floor, only his trouser legs visible.

George stared down at the flames before meeting her eyes, "I suspected," he told her softly.

"Who?" she choked out, hating what she was doing to all of them.

It was his turn to shake his head, "I don't know. But I've suspected for some time. Before we happened."

Fred sat down heavily beside his brother, looking like he was about to breathe the fire that sat between them, "How did you find out? Did he tell you?"

"No," she replied, wanting to sooth him but knowing it wouldn't do any good, "I was told by someone else. I know it's true, you both know it's true, it's just a matter now of what to do."

"I'm going to kill him!" Fred declared, looking behind him, his fists clenching.

George put a hand on his shoulder, turning him back to Hermione, "You've obviously accepted what he's doing, why?"

"Because I did it to him too. But what I did was much worse. It's not like I have a sister he's sleeping with – but he has brothers," she said, the tears falling, "I can't believe how stupid I've been."

"He doesn't have to know," Fred said desperately, "You don't have to tell him."

"Yes, I do." Hermione cried.

"Yes, she does," George told his brother, comprehension dawning.

"Why? Why would want to hurt him like that? Our whole family will be affected, we don't have to do this to them," Fred asked of his sibling and his lover.

"Because, I love you. I love you both so much it hurts," she confessed, clutching her chest, "The thought of hiding that from the world for the rest of my life would be like living without sunshine or water or air. I want to shout what we have from the rooftops. I want to walk down the street holding hands and have picnics at the Burrow. I want your babies at my breast and your bodies by mine every night, without the having to hide that from everyone. Don't you understand?" she gasped, her chest heaving with emotion.

The twins shared a look before turning back to her, "Then lets have all of that and more," George implored.

"Come home to us," Fred pleaded, tears welling in his eyes.

Hermione looked up, blinking past the emotion, "I need to deal with Ron first. I need to sort out what's going on in my head. We all need time to seriously think this through."

"I'm tired of hiding, we both are," George agreed.

"Mum's going to flip," Fred sighed.

"Everyone is going to flip," Hermione corrected, "But Ron is my best friend, he deserves to find out from me, and I deserve an explanation from him. There has to be a way to make everyone happy, there just has to be."

"You're a bloody optimist, Granger," George told he, still frowning, "You just tell us if you need anything, anything at all, and we'll be there."

"Soon, I'll need help soon." She told them, blowing them both a kiss.

She terminated the floo connection before either of them could respond. It was seconds later the first terrible sob ripped from her chest, then another. Before she knew it the tears wouldn't stop flowing, and she was sure her heart was breaking.

For the first time in her life she honestly had no idea what to do.

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