Hermione was tiptoeing down the stairs and aside from the housekeepers buffing out the tiles on the ground floor, it didn't seem like anyone else was awake. She had left Draco's t-shirt on the bed before exiting her room. She debated on a note but thought better of it. She was relieved she was almost scot-free with leaving unheard. At least until she got to the front door and a soft voice cleared their throat.
"Hermione, what are you doing here?" Narcissa asked, making Hermione pivot toward her.
Narcissa stared at her with wonder as the woman gulped. "Well, Draco and Astoria met me at a restaurant last night because he wanted to confront me about my lies. When Astoria got sick, I offered to drive him home. He told me it was too late for me to leave, so I stayed in one of the guest rooms," she said swiftly, and the matron slanted her head.
"Well, that was nice of you, Hermione," she responded. "Did you want breakfast?"
Hermione shook her head rapidly. "Nope! Just going to go pick up my son. We have to go shopping today. Thank you, have a great day, Mrs. Malfoy!" She exclaimed in a shrill, panicked fashion before bolting outside.
A thud greeted the silence, and he could hear his mother hemming. "Son, what did you do to that poor girl?"
"That's the funny part, mother. I didn't do anything to her. That neurotic alarm is all self-induced," he told her as he got to the ground floor.
"She is going to ask Regulus for a transfer if you don't fix this," Narcissa mused, and Draco made a sound of disagreement.
"I will make sure she doesn't, not to worry. Are the appointments set up today?" He asked as he approached where her voice was coming from.
"All but the tailor. He said he doesn't want to do your suit until Miss Greengrass chooses her dress," Narcissa declared, and he heard hesitance.
"Mother?"
"Draco, why are you rushing this?" she asked gently and he reached for her.
His hand rested on her shoulder, and he squeezed. "Don't you trust me, mother?"
"Draco, I just am not certain this is the way to go about it," she murmured and he leaned over and kissed her cheek.
"Trust, mother. I know exactly what I am doing," he replied and felt around for a landmark. "I need a new cane. I broke my nicer one last night." He declared.
"How did you do that?" his mother asked from behind him.
He was walking toward the dining room; he could hear the change in tiles. "She pissed me off for walking away from me again." He responded and that ended the conversations as they started the day.
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
Hermione was lounging in the warm sun with a petite tank top and shorts. Ginny was laying with her in a swimsuit as the boys played in the pond. The curly-haired woman was closing her eyes under her sunglasses and enjoying the heat beating on her skin.
"So, let me get this straight," Ginny said after an extended period.
"He meets you at the restaurant with his fiancé. Scares off Zabini. Let's his pregnant betrothal to leave the restaurant and decides to blindfold you and feed you dinner?" Ginny mused, and Hermione sounded agreement.
"It was quite strange," she replied, and Ginny grunted.
"You went on a date with Draco Malfoy."
Hermione sat up and glared over at the redhead. "It was not a date." She spat.
"It was so a date. So much so that I bet you got your knickers bunched up when he had you eat in the dark. He probably listened to you making sounds and shifting as you enjoyed yourself. Just because he doesn't know what you look like doesn't mean he doesn't listen for things that turn him on," Ginny retorted and rolled on her stomach, glancing over at Hermione.
"Ginevra! He is getting married!" she hissed sharply.
"I bet he was thinking about shagging you all night. He placed a face to the three weeks of tension you both have been having. Don't lie to me; I know there has been tension. You don't tell me things. You just don't realize that you do other ways. You are one hundred percent attracted to him," Ginny declared, and Hermione gasped.
"Do not say that. I do not. He is my boss, and that is it, Gin. I am quite sure that if anything he was forward to see if I was after his money, or even attempting to see if I do indeed have a boss fetish. I do not. I want nothing to do with Draco Malfoy's flirtations!"
"But you aren't going to deny that you enjoy them?" Ginny asked with a challenged smile.
Hermione exhaled heavily. "I am going to ignore this whole experience. Next weekend I am going to go out with the next guy who asks me out."
"I hope that means you don't mind if I do!" A booming voice was heard over the grass and Hermione gasped.
"Charles!" she shouted and got up to embrace the tall Weasley. "I didn't know you were back in town."
He lifted her off the ground and chuckled. "You look fucking fantastic, Granger. I just got back from the East yesterday." His eyes trailed down her in a friendly way that made Hermione's stomach knot.
Charlie was in military pants and a tank top. The ginger was built like a truck, and the royal air force has treated him well over the years. "Officer Charles Weasley," Hermione snickered, and he stepped away and saluted before laughing. "My goodness, Charles, it is so lovely to see you," she sighed, and he ran a thumb over her cheek.
"I wasn't kidding, want me to take you out next weekend? I will show you how real Weasleys treat their dates," he snickered, and Hermione waved at him.
"I am quite positive that would be my worst idea yet. Your mother would strangle me I fear."
Ginny cleared her throat. "A better idea than Draco Malfoy!" she shouted.
Charlie snorted and shrugged his shoulders. "Come on, live a little, Granger. I will even let you drive my sexy car…. It's a classic," he dangled and shifted in his boots.
"Okay, Charlie," she said, and he fist pumped.
"Right on. I always wanted to see what kind of sloshed girl you are," he teased, and Hermione groaned.
"I am not going to get pissed in front of you, Charles, I know what kind of man you are," she retorted and he leaned to her.
"Really? Because I am quite convincing," he murmured, and she blushed brightly. "I wouldn't mind showing you-" a screeching sound was heard from the pond and interrupted them.
"Uncle Charlie!" Teddy screamed, and the boy ran up, tackling the man with a hug.
Charlie lifted the boy up and kissed his cheek. "Teddy, my boy, I love your hair."
Teddy beamed and hugged the wide man's shoulders. "Thanks, Uncle Charlie. Did you bring back pictures of Qatar this time?"
"I did, I have a few you can see. I saw a pack of wild dogs and got some great shots of them in the sunset," Charlie told the child.
Charlie reached out and ran his fingers through Hermione's curly hair. "Your mum looks pretty today, doesn't she?" He asked Teddy with a grin.
"Mum, you are the prettiest!" Teddy exclaimed, and Hermione smirked.
"You cannot manipulate me with my son, Charles."
Charlie held the boy closer and whispered in his ear. "Mum, can Uncle Charlie please come stay with us?"
"Please, Hermione, I don't want to stay with mum and dad," he said with big eyes, and Hermione groaned.
"Fine, Charles, but you are going to be babysitting this week," she warned him, and he cheered with Teddy in his hands.
"We are going to have so much fun. I am even going to teach you how to shoot a paintball gun," he declared to the teal-haired child.
"Uncle Charlie, can we go get some lemonade? I want to ask you about the planes you were flying," Teddy said with a nod.
Charlie set the child down and took his hand. "Come on, boy. I have some great stories about helicopters this time." He replied, and they walked back to the house.
Hermione tilted her head and admired the view. It was a nicer one than she first thought. It was quite the contrast between the blue hair and the red hair, but she liked that the freckled Weasley treated Teddy well. It was charming to see them walking hand in hand she decided. "Oh, is someone still harboring a crush on my big brother?"
"Maybe a little, but we know that your gene pool shouldn't mix with mine, after Ronald," Hermione sighed and turned back to Ginny.
"Do what the nobility does, Granger, keep it in the family," Ginny taunted, and Hermione's cheeks bloomed.
"That isn't funny, Gin. He is just nice to look at," Hermione sighed and rubbed the back of her neck as she sat back down on her towel.
"Better than bloody fucking Draco Malfoy," Ginny grumbled. "Besides, that was eight years ago. If Charlie is gonna stick around you should. He still writes about you all the time when he's deployed."
Hermione waved her off, "He is like a brother, Gin."
"Sure, alright, whatever you say," She responded and stretched. "Children of the black lagoon, are you ready to go in yet?" Ginny called out to her boys splashing in the pond.
"Roar!" Albus cried as he lifted up some of the cattails and acted like a monster.
"I swear that my children are completely mental. I don't know what Harry teaches them when I get my day out shopping, but they are different kids," she murmured, and Hermione laughed.
"Did my wife mention mental?" Harry questioned, and Hermione gazed up at the towering Potter standing over them.
"She said you turn your kids mental just for her," Hermione snickered, and Harry laughed with a nod.
"My little goblins! Uncle Charlie and I are going to play some football, want to get dry and come watch?"
The boys screamed and clapped before climbing from the pond and jumping all over the mothers on their towels. "Was that code for attacking helpless mothers?" Ginny growled, and Albus acted like he was going to bite his mom's face.
James was trying to tickle Hermione who was giggling. "You bad boys!"
"Come on Potter Spawn. Let's go attack Uncle Charlie!" Harry shouted, and the children ran toward the house roaring.
"Sometimes I forget how much I miss this," Hermione said with a smile and Harry rubbed her hair.
"Too much time hiding away at the dreaded Malfoy castle. Our bookish Gryphem Princess needs to be reminded of her place!" He snickered and lifted her up.
"Harry! Harry no!" Hermione was tittering as he took her back toward the house.
There was a buzzing, and Ginny checked the phone on Hermione's towel. The name: Draco. She ignored the call and shoved it into her bag before following them to the house for the evening.
O~ Later in the evening… a Weasley was sitting with a drink and gazing out the window. ~O
Hermione walked over to him and pressed her hand to his shoulder. "Fred, are you alright?" she whispered and he exhaled.
"Yeah, I am find, poppet," he said with a smile.
She hugged him and sighed. "I am sorry, Freddie. I know you liked her a lot, I think she liked you a lot too. She told me to tell you she was sorry," she breathed and he choked on an exhale.
"That's right, you work for Malfoy now don't you. Of course, you know." He grumbled and she squeezed him.
"I am sorry, it is the worse feeling," she murmured and he nodded against her.
"It really is, Mione."
She hugged him for awhile and pressed her cheek against his chest. "It's alright. I know no one else knows, but I do."
"You are a good woman, Hermione. I hope you decide to find who makes you really happy. Even if it is just for a little while. It is worth it to feel something bigger than yourself," he grumbled and she bobbed her head against his chest.
"Me too, Freddie. You will live through this, I know you will," she sighed and they stayed like that for a bit longer before the Weasley couldn't stomach the sadness any longer and left.
The weeks flowed into a tense late Summer. One of which Hermione was looking forward to seeing end…
Author Notes: I was mulling over doing a good healthy break in this story. We shall see what a bit of time in the near future does for our favorite people coming up... Those in favor? Those Opposed? Let me know!
END OF PART I