I have decided to try and do a weekend update for this story. However, I don't always have a lot of time on a weekend so I can't guarantee one every week. I do however promise to try my best to deliver a chapter over the weekend.
Chapter Three.
Ron sat alone in his flat, waiting for Hermione to appear and accept his offer. It was exactly a week since he had spoken to Hermione, but he was confident she would agree to his terms. While Hermione may not want to marry him she would if it kept Malfoy out of Azkaban and in time she would hopefully understand why he had to take such drastic measures to get her away from the former Slytherin.
As the afternoon wore on Ron's confidence in Hermione showing up began to dwindle. Maybe he'd underestimated her feelings for Malfoy, maybe she didn't love him enough to save him from a life in Azkaban. But even if she didn't show up and agree to his terms, he still had the fake evidence that would ensure the blond was out of her life for good.
Not long ago Ron knew nothing of Hermione's relationship with Malfoy, but eight months ago an investigation in dark artefacts being sold in Diagon Alley had led him to find out the truth about his friend. Ron's investigation led him to discover that Silver Accessories, a jewellery shop in Diagon Alley owned and ran by Pansy Parkinson, was a front for dark artefacts being sold. When he'd shown up to arrest Pansy, she had offered him a deal, in exchange for her freedom she would help him bring down Malfoy and ensure he spent the rest of his life in prison. Ron hadn't believed Pansy at first, until she revealed his relationship with Hermione and admitted she would rather see him in Azkaban than be with Hermione.
Ron had given Pansy a brief reprise, while they discussed matters. After talking things through with Pansy, Ron destroyed the evidence against her in exchange for help setting Malfoy up. For the last eight months the pair had plotted and schemed against Malfoy, with the plan being for Ron to send him to Azkaban before swooping in on Hermione.
However as the evidence against the blond mounted and the time for setting him up drew closer, Ron began to rethink their plans. Hermione had already made it clear she wasn't interested in him romantically, so chances were even after Malfoy was out of her life she wouldn't see him as anything other than a friend. That was when Ron had hit on the plan to force Hermione to marry him, that way he would finally get what he always wanted. Once they were married Ron still planned on sending Malfoy to Azkaban, but by then he was hopeful Hermione would be happy enough with him and wouldn't care what happened to her ex.
Ron's plans looked to have failed however as the afternoon dragged on and there was still no sign of Hermione. Finally giving up Ron was just about to head off for a shower when there was a knock on the door. Smirking to himself he changed directions and headed to the front door, opening it to find Hermione standing on the other side.
"Hermione, how lovely to see you." Ron said, stepping aside to let the brunette witch past.
"Cut the theatrics Ron, we both know this isn't a social call." Hermione snapped, storming into the flat and heading into the front room.
"If it's not a social call, then what brings you here?" Ron asked, sauntering into the room and settling down on the sofa.
"I want to discuss conditions for your little deal." Hermione said.
"Of course." Ron nodded. "Please, sit down."
"I'm fine standing." Hermione replied. "I've just come to tell you I'll accept your offer. But the second we're married I want everything you have on Draco."
"So you can destroy it and walk out on me, I don't think so." Ron chuckled. "That evidence is my security, it's the only way I can guarantee you won't leave me."
"And if you have it, what's to stop you using it after we're married?" Hermione questioned.
"You'll just have to trust me." Ron smirked. He was planning on still using the information, but it looked like he would have to time it to perfection to ensure Hermione didn't leave him.
"I don't trust you though, not after this." Hermione snorted. "You're going to make an unbreakable vow not to use that information once we're married. I'm agreeing to this to stop you using it, not to delay you using it."
Ron frowned at Hermione, knowing she had just gotten one over on him. If he made the unbreakable vow he couldn't put Malfoy where he belonged, but if he didn't he wouldn't get Hermione. He would have to make a choice, getting Hermione as his wife or putting Malfoy in Azkaban. Ron thought about it for a few minutes, before agreeing to Hermione's terms. He could find another way of getting Malfoy sent down, but this was his only shot at getting Hermione.
"Who's going to witness the vow?" Ron asked, suddenly spotting a hole in Hermione's plan.
"Draco." Hermione responded. "He's waiting outside."
Ron snarled at the mention of his rival, but since he was getting what he wanted he kept his anger in check. "Go get him then and we can get this over with."
Hermione left the flat and returned a few seconds later with the blond Slytherin in tow. Ron and Draco glared menacingly at each other, but Hermione made sure no major arguments broke out. Quickly she instigated the vow and Ron promised never to use the evidence as long as Hermione remained married to him.
"You can go now." Ron snarled at Draco once the vow was complete.
"I think I'll wait for Hermione." Draco replied icily.
"Well you can wait outside, you're not welcome here and Hermione and I have a few more things to discuss." Ron said.
"Draco, it's fine." Hermione told her boyfriend. "I'll be out in a minute."
"Just shout if you need me." Draco said, giving Hermione a quick kiss before turning and leaving the room.
"What do you want to talk about Ron?" Hermione asked once Draco had left.
Ron turned his attention back to Hermione, he had been scowling at the retreating back of the blond man. "Tomorrow you're accompanying me to The Burrow and we're telling everyone. I want this to look genuine so act happy."
"Don't worry, I'll play the part of a perfect fiancée and wife in public. In private however it will be a different matter, you may be able to force me to marry you, but you'll never force me to love you." Hermione said.
"You'll change your mind once we're married." Ron shrugged, unconcerned by Hermione's coldness. When he was all she had she would change her mind about loving him.
"Don't count on it." Hermione snorted. "I will never love you Ron, and it doesn't matter what you do, I'll never be yours. I will always love Draco."
"But will he still love you, once you've been in my bed?" Ron asked. "Sure he might love you now, but how about when he's alone on a night imagining what we're getting up to in our bed."
"That won't take much imagination, because we'll be not be getting up to anything." Hermione retorted. "Sure you might be able to force your way into my bed, but that's all. If you think for one minute I'll be a willing participant then you're sadly mistaken. I will never sleep with you willingly, anything you do will be against my will."
Ron glared at Hermione angrily, seeing his perfect plan fall apart in front of his eyes. He could now see that Hermione would never love him, even if Malfoy was gone she wouldn't give herself to him willingly. Sure he could go ahead with the marriage, but he would never have her the way he really wanted.
"Meet me here tomorrow at noon, we'll go to The Burrow together." Ron finally said, not sure what he was going to do.
Hermione nodded and quickly left the flat. Once he was alone Ron sank back down on the sofa, he now had a decision to make. Did he change his mind and find a new way to destroy Malfoy, or did he carry on with this plan and at least get Hermione in some small way. Sure she might not want to be with him, but she would be and at least that was something.
After leaving Ron's flat, Hermione and Draco apparated back to Draco's penthouse. Once there they extracted her memories from her talk with Ron and secured them in a vial, before placing them alongside her memories from her first talk with Ron a week earlier. After much discussion the couple had decided to gather enough evidence against Ron, before he forced Hermione to marry him.
"Do you think that's enough?" Draco asked, looking at the two sets of memories. "We could go to the Auror's right now, with these memories."
"Let's check them first, I want to be sure he can't wriggle out of anything." Hermione replied.
Draco nodded as he began sorting his pensieve and tipping the memories in. Together Hermione and Draco entered the pensieve and re-looked at Hermione's two conversations with Ron. When they finished Draco restored the memories in their vials and placed them back in the safe where no-one but him could get to them.
"It's not enough, is it?" He sighed despondently.
"No, I reckon he could talk his way out of that." Hermione replied quietly. "He never once calls the evidence against you fake. I do, but he doesn't. He could argue the evidence is real and he was just taking advantage of the situation."
"The most we can get him for is blackmail." Draco said. "And chances are if he's questioned he'll hand over the evidence against me and I'll end up in Azkaban anyway."
"How solid do you think his evidence is?" Hermione questioned. "Do you think it would hold up under investigation?"
"He did say he'd been gathering it for months, so I'd wager it's pretty convincing." Draco replied. "Of course that doesn't really matter, because as he mentioned I'm on a good behaviour bond. Even the suspicion would be enough to send me to Azkaban and once I'm there you can bet no-one will rush to investigate my case properly."
"We'll have to keep on with this charade." Hermione said. "Hopefully Ron will incriminate himself before I have to actually marry him."
"What if he doesn't?" Draco questioned, looking worried. "I don't think we should risk it."
"What's the alternative?" Hermione shrugged. "He's got us backed into a corner."
"I still think we should talk more about running." Draco replied. "I know the Auror's have a good success rate for capturing criminals on the run, but I've got plenty of money to aid us."
"True, we could probably run fairly successfully, but we'd constantly be looking over our shoulders." Hermione said. "What sort of life is that? We could never really settle down and have a family or any sort of meaningful life."
"I know." Draco sighed, knowing that even if they managed to change their identities they would still have to be so careful and ready to run at the drop of a hat.
"I don't want to live a life on the run." Hermione told Draco. "I want to fight and bring Ron down. If I have to marry him then I will, but I swear I'm going to destroy him and you and I will finally get to be together."
"Let's not talk about your marriage just yet." Draco said, feeling ill just thinking of Hermione being with Ron in any way. "We've still got plenty of time to catch him out and prove what he's really like."
"Exactly." Hermione nodded. "I know Ron and he'll slip up sooner or later. Right now he's being so careful with what he says, but he'll forget himself and say something incriminating and when he does I'll be ready."