A/N: I tried to be quick about another chapter since I've been gone for so long. I really enjoyed writing this one a lot so I really hope you'll like it!

And thank you so much for all of your lovely reviews! You're all amazing!

Also, just so you know, I won't be abandoning this story... Well, not until it's finished anyway. It might take a while because it's a WIP and I've got a husband, kids and a full-time job that all demands my attention, but I do love to write ;-)

I hope you're all doing wonderful!

HBSJ

Chapter 15

"Hermione."

She kept on walking, she didn't want to talk to anyone. Especially him.

"Hermione."

No, she couldn't do it. She couldn't face him. It was too much to ask.

First, the training had gone well for a couple of weeks. Then she'd been lolled into a sense of security and enjoyment with him and no matter how much they'd argued, she had still enjoyed herself. And now he'd basically been acting like a three year old for a week.

"Stop walking!"

He was getting frustrated with her but she didn't want to stop. She didn't want to deal with his childish tantrum.

Almost there now.

She could make out the lovely flowers on the front of the Dowager House. Almost there.

She really didn't want to face this. In the glory of hindsight, her rage had perhaps been a tad rash. But not unjustified.

"Will you stop for a moment so I can talk to you dammit?" He sounded close now but she didn't even pause.

She scoffed derisively over her shoulder. "I'd rather not." But as she said it, she knew that all was lost. He was right there behind her.

He grabbed her arm to whirl her around with surprising carefulness, despite his obviously thundering mood.

And then, when they were facing each other, he just stood there, saying nothing. She crossed her arms across her chest. "What?" Her tone was deliberately impatient, because reasons.

"I'm sorry." He blurted it out. And then he clamped his mouth shut.

She glared at him. Waiting. Bloody hell, did the man need a prompt? "And?"

An expression utter bewilderment flitted over his face for less than a second, she wouldn't have caught it if she wasn't watching him so carefully.

He huffed out an exasperated breath, clearly frustrated that she was making him explain himself. "I'm sorry alright? I was an arse to you. All week actually."

She considered him. He didn't really look sorry but that sodding mask of his was firmly in place again and she had no idea what he was really thinking. She nodded once. "Thank you."

She turned to leave but he caught her arm again and he looked almost… desperate? His moods were impossible to decipher. "I… I wish I knew how to explain it." He seemed to struggle with himself, completely unaware of his hand still on her arm. It felt hot, like a brand and she wasn't sure if she wanted him to let go.

They just stood there frozen in time. She was watching him search for the words he wanted to say.

Something bleak crossed his expression for just a second and then the mask closed firmly and finally over his entire demeanour. He let go of her arm and stood straight, stepping slightly away from her. "My behaviour for the past week has been atrocious. Please accept my apologies."

She blinked, baffled by his sudden change. "Yes, yes of course."

He nodded once, turned on his heel and strode away from her as quickly as his long legs could carry him.

She swallowed and just watched him leave. What the hell had just happened? Why had he clammed up like that?

"Are you fucking shitting me Draco?!"

It was Harry and he was looking absolutely murderous. He approached him back in the stables and proceeded to drag him forcibly by the scruff of his neck into the saddle room.

He might have avoided an explanation to Hermione and she would probably think he was insane, but with Harry that wasn't a possibility. He would see right through every mask and lie he could think of. He just didn't want to say it out loud.

He really didn't want to put into words the utter degradation he had agreed to.

"What the fuck was that all about?! You've managed to torture both Hermione and her ponies all week and I didn't say anything because I understand your mood, but what the actual fuck?!"

Shite, Harry was livid.

He had only seen it once before and an angry Harry seriously unnerved Draco. Draco might have been taller but Harry was much stronger and despite his usually carefree appearance, Harry had a magnificent temper when pushed.

Which Draco seemed to have accomplished.

Bollocks.

Harry was tense, glaring and almost growling with his fists clenched tightly at his sides. His knuckles was entirely white.

He put up both hands before Harry bodily beat the answer out of his hide.

"I'm not sure how it happened but I asked for help and now my ex is blackmailing me." He paused, gauging Harry's reaction before continuing. Not much changed, only his jaw unclenched slightly. "We're going to the Chelsea Flower Show tomorrow. As a couple." He spat out the word. "In exchange for burying Skeeter's story, whatever it is."

Harry's eyes narrowed. He was still very angry. "Why? You've no idea what information Skeeter has." He rolled his eyes and relaxed his stance a tiny bit more. "Don't go tomorrow Draco, she'll suck you dry like some hangry vampire."

Despite the emptiness he felt, he chuckled dryly. "She's very like a vampire but I have no choice if I want to protect the dukedom."

This, out of anything, seemed to justify Harry throwing a vicious punch on his shoulder. "THIS?!" He punched him again and Draco yelped, determined not to retaliate. "This is what you've been brooding about all week?!" The third punch landed between his shoulder blades.

He nodded through his coughs, the bleakness returning. "A date tomorrow with introductions to any of my family that attends. The royals especially. Another date next weekend. Our engagement in six months. Wedding in two years if she wants it." He sneered. "I'm to dance to her flute if Skeeter is to be thwarted."

Harry gaped. "Drake… Nothing is worth this."

Draco sighed deeply, the heavy sound coming from his very soul. "It's my job to protect the dukedom, no matter the cost for myself."

Harry backhanded a forceful smack across the back of his head. "You stupid fucking aristocrat!"

Indignantly, Draco glared at him while rubbing his head. "Now listen here-"

Harry broke in. "No, you fucking listen. You are ruining both your life and your line. Get out of it. Now!"

His jaw was working furiously, every inch of his being wanted to do exactly as Harry said. But he couldn't, not if it meant keeping the dukedom safe. "I can't. And it seems as if I have a date to get ready for tomorrow. I'll probably come by Sunday for a dip."

And then he left, keeping his back ramrod straight and ignoring Harry's shouts behind him.

He was willing himself to accept that he had no choice. That whatever connection he'd had with Hermione was supposed be over.

Willing himself to accept that his vicious ex, Cho Chang, ruthless Chief Content Officer of the magazine giant Condé Nast Britain would in all probability chose to be his bride. And he would have absolutely no say in it.

FUCK!

Hermione was very conscious about the deal she'd made with her mum.

Seven seasonal events.

And Will had been a literal Saint, asking if the two of them should go to another event that Saturday. She'd agreed instantly, looking so much forward to spending the day with him.

She'd even remembered to text her mum to make sure that she knew that this would be the third outing of their agreement. That was very important, she couldn't have any single event being forgotten if she wanted to retreat back to Whitecroft after this ordeal.

She was getting ready for the day and considering her options for something to wear. Her choices were scant but she did have a lovely pastel green midi dress with a few white floral details.

Perhaps Ginny had a pair of sandals that could work, or wedges would probably be better, they had to walk around a lot after all.

When she'd asked Ginny about the shoes, she had given her a suspicious look from her bed where she was browsing through a magazine. "Who are you going with?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "With Will, silly. It's just going to be the two of us at the Chelsea Flower Show."

Ginny groaned. "Ugh, I can't believe you're going to that shite event. I went once with mum and dad and I was bored to tears." She waved towards the mess that was her closet. "Grab whatever you need."

Hermione just smiled. "Thanks, you're the best."

She shrugged with one shoulder. "I know."

Hermione rummaged through the chaos and managed to find a pair of tan wedges with white stone embellishments. She grinned, they'd work perfectly and went back to her room.

"Put it on, I want to see!" Ginny's voice filtered through the open doors.

Hermione modelled the look and Ginny nodded approvingly, scrutinizing her appearance. "You look perfect for the event. Don't forget a bit of makeup, nude shimmering lip and do your hair half up, half down."

Hermione snapped her heels together and made a mock-salute with a grin. "Yes ma'am!"

A while later, she was in her car speeding towards London on the M3, really letting her car open it's vents. It felt liberating.

She hadn't realized just how much she'd needed to get away, even for just a moment. The past week had been horrible and she couldn't wait to spend the day with her brother at the gorgeous Chelsea Flower Show. There was something about nature that seemed to calm her down.

She navigated the streets of London with deft knowledge but the traffic was ever present, especially as she approached the central parking area for the Flower Show.

Someone asked to see her ticket and guided her further into the parking lot. There was another who asked for her ticket. His eyes widened when he spotted her. "You're over here miss Granger." He pointed towards the royal parking area. He was checking a list. "You've got spot number eight."

What the hell? She wasn't anyone special so why was she able to park there and how did that guy know who she was?

But she certainly wasn't going to pass up a spot like this, so she parked the car, got her bag and walked towards the entrance. There, Will was waiting for her with none other than Draco Malfoy. Ahh, her special parking spot was probably his doing.

She got her bag, phone and keys and walked towards the two men.

Draco gave her a look of… longing? She frowned, wondering why he hadn't told any of them that he'd be going today. But then his eyes closed briefly as if in pain and then suddenly, his entire frame changed and his mask slid right back into place.

She couldn't help her expression of pure puzzlement at the way he stood there, seemingly rigid and uninterested.

He smiled sarcastically but to her it seemed like it was mostly towards himself. "Do enjoy the day's entertainment." And then he left them staring at his back with matching expressions of disbelief.

Will was the first to recover. "What happened to him? He was nice enough at Badminton. And five minutes ago too actually."

She just shrugged because she truly had no idea. What on earth had made him so… strange?

She plastered on a bright smile and took her brother's arm. She really had looked very much forward to spending time with him. "Never mind him, let's go see the exhibitions today, I'm sure they're all very impressive."

He smiled back. "I cannot wait to see how they had managed to manipulate the plants this year. Remember when they had that fashion show with plants as clothes on those wire frames?"

She grinned. "Yeah, I remember. I hope the girl who tripped in the ivy was all right. She landed hard."

He barked a laugh and led her inside.

They spent hours mingling and watching the spectacular displays of floral arrangements of every kind. Each display they passed was more beautiful than the next and then there were the ones that were fascinating. The mind-bending displays were almost baffling in their magnificent execution.

She heard dark familiar chuckling sound and it stirred something deep within her. She looked up sharply from the orchids, peering as discreetly as possible around them. But there was no one around she knew well enough to have elicited that sort of reaction in her.

Half an hour later, it happened again. This time she took her sweet time to really examine the people around her. Will was talking to the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk about his latest financial calculations and despite his rather young age, they hung on his every word.

She smiled, happy that her brother was successful after having been scorned as a nerd by so many when he was young. But nerds ruled the world.

But she wasn't done, so she kept up her perusal of the crowds near them. A slight movement caught her eyes, a shock of white-blond hair on a tall handsome man. She could only see the back of him but she knew in her bones that it was Draco.

He stiffened slightly as if he knew she was there too, despite him having his back towards her.

He was standing very close to someone. A woman. She was slight in build with a sharply cut long bob and wearing a floating Versace dress. From where Hermione stood, she looked beautiful.

And the woman had her hand and most of her arm curled possessively around Draco's. They turned so Hermione could see the both of them clearly. They looked… happy.

Her heart dropped into stomach and her throat became constricted.

She swallowed.

The woman was introducing Draco to some very fashionable people and Draco was charming and affable. He was almost too courteous, it was strange seeing him like that.

They were moving towards her and she just stood there, frozen, watching them approach her leisurely. The woman was undeniably gorgeous but on closer inspection, her eyes seemed tight and her nails were digging hard into Draco's arm. And Draco just seemed odd, as if his good mood was yet another mask.

They turned the corner and then he saw her.

He faltered half a step and the woman looked up at him. "Is anything amiss darling?"

Even her voice was lovely. Of course.

She could feel the gloom engulf her.

His eyes locked with hers ever so briefly that she thought she might have imagined it. She might have imagined his panic, his apology and his longing. But it was gone as soon as she blinked and he smiled warmly down at the woman. "Not a thing darling. Let's continue, I believe my cousin and aunt are around here somewhere."

They passed her and only being in public kept Hermione from falling apart and sobbing her heart out. But a small choked sob managed to escape and Will was at her side in a moment. He drew her behind a fantastic display of an elephant made completely out of roses.

"What's wrong little sister?" He never called her that anymore, she smiled despite herself.

She struggled to get herself under control. He had made no promises, she might have thought that… but she was mistaken.

He was obviously fickle and therefore not worth her time, attention or affection.

She took a deep breath. "I'm fine, I just thought I saw something, that was all." She smiled. "But I was wrong."

He hugged her tightly. "I was wondering what happened." He paused and then, "Did you see Draco? He missed you entirely. He walked right by you with that magazine girl of his."

She frowned. "Who?"

"That girl?" He pointed behind them in the direction they'd gone. "I thought you knew who she was. That's Cho Chang. She's rather high up at Condé Nast. He and Chang used to date some years ago."

"Oh." It was all she could say. Because for once, her reclusive brother seemed a wealth of information about this woman, who was entirely unknown to her.

He continued without prompt from her, which was a rather rare occurrence. "When they broke up last time she was about to crucify his family in one of those magazines of hers. I have no idea how he managed to avoid it. But from what I've heard, she's as brilliant and beautiful as she is mercilessly ruthless. And in her case, a woman scorned can be a very dangerous enemy." He frowned slightly.

Hermione couldn't think about this, it was too much.

And objectively, it wasn't even any of her concern either.

She struggled to compose herself as her thought spiraled, but thanks to her brother, who was now talking about the financial prospects in Norfolk, it worked.

Uncharacteristically he babbled on about anything and everything until she felt like herself again. He never babbled but she was grateful for the distraction he'd no doubt provided on purpose.

Her breathing levelled out and she managed to compose herself enough for them to leave their hiding place.

His eyes crinkled. "Better?"

She nodded, never happier that it was just her and Will for once out in public. "Thank you."

He nodded and they left the quiet little corner, her with her arm in the crook of his and her breathing easier than just a moment before.

They engaged themselves completely in the exhibit, marveling at all of the spectacular displays of craftsmanship before they arrived back at the central refreshment pavilion. The champagne was deliciously fresh and cool and Hermione felt like herself again, her equilibrium had returned.

She was choosing a small plate of cheese, dried ham and fresh fruit when she bumped into someone's back. "Oh, excuse me."

"No please, it was my fault entirely." He turned and it was Tom Riddle. He smiled dazzlingly at her. "Miss Granger! What a delightful pleasure it is to see you again. I was quite distraught at Badminton that you were whisked away so efficiently by the Devon-heir."

She smiled hesitantly, unsure of how to handle this situation because Draco hadn't told her very nice things about this man. But he seemed so charming that he deserved the benefit of the doubt. "Mr. Riddle, I did not expect to see you here, is your wife with you?"

He face rearranged itself into the very picture of sadness. "No, unfortunately she has chosen to go for an extended holiday in France, without me." A quiet smile draped itself slowly onto his handsome features. "But perhaps I can rely on you to help me break my melancholy miss Granger? We have much in common I should think."

She smiled, he really was rather irresistible and now that Draco had clearly made his choice, why shouldn't she engage a handsome man in light flirtation? I would provide a distraction from Draco even if he was married. "I see, please tell how I can help you mr. Riddle."

"Well, you can start by calling me Tom and then you can agree to dinner with me, perhaps tonight?"

He sounded so sincere that she found herself nodding her assent before she'd even thought about it. "That sounds lovely, I would be delighted to go to dinner with you Tom."

He nodded slightly. "You do me too much honour miss Granger."

"Oh, call me Hermione, please."

"Hermione." He seemed to taste the name. "It is beautiful. It suits you."

She blushed, overwhelmed by his easy charm. "Thank you."

He moved closer, his eyes intent on her. "Shall we say at eight at Sky Lounge at The Shard? We can start with a drink."

She nodded. "I'll look forward to it."

He smiled. "As will I… Hermione." His tone practically caressed her name and her blush turned crimson. The man was married for Pete's sake!

He bid her adieu and she went over to her brother in a daze.

That man really was interesting. Now that he was out of her immediate vicinity, she could recognize the play he'd made on her. The hesitant flirtatious remarks, the flattering and the amazing amount of charm this man possessed. Especially since he was a married man and they'd been completely in public.

But even so, she wasn't sure if he was sincere in his interest. It was strange, but more of a feeling that he had a nice exterior and underneath all of the charm, he was hard as flint.

She would have to keep her wits about her that evening.

After another hour or so of mingling, she and her brother were leaving the event. Her brother was parked far away so she gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek before he left. But she didn't tell him about her… date with Tom Riddle.

It was strange but she didn't want anyone to know about it.

She walked pensively to her car, frowning to herself. And she didn't notice that there was a figure leaning up against it before she was right there.

She gasped and jumped back. "You frightened me."

Draco gave her wry smile. "Sorry." But he didn't stand and move away from her car.

She crossed her arms across her chest. "Would you move please? I have a lot to do today."

He shrugged. "I thought perhaps we could ride back together?"

She eyed him wearily. A week ago she would have jumped at the opportunity to spend time with him, but she knew now that she was just a convenient ride. "No, I'm staying in town tonight. I have a dinner."

"Oh, whom with?" It sounded so casual but there was an underlying tension that she couldn't ignore. Perhaps he already knew.

She took a breath, willing herself to stay calm against the tirade he would probably launch on her. "Tom Riddle."

"WHAT?! Why the fuck are you going anywhere with that… that conniving snake?!"

So no, he hadn't known.

He began to pace now, much like that day at Badminton but she had to desire to be his pawn in whatever grudge he held against Tom. "I'll be leaving now Draco."

"The hell you will." His voice and his entire being exuded danger and he grabbed her upper arm but not hard enough to bruise.

She wrenched her arm from him, anger surging through her. "I will do whatever I damn well please Draco! And if it pleases me, I'll go out with Tom or whomever I want every single goddamn day. You have absolutely no say over me or my life."

She pushed him away forcibly from her car and surprisingly, he actually stumbled back, stunned at her outburst.

He watched her, completely stupefied as she got in her car and sped away from him. Towards Riddle. Flames were licking his insides, clawing at him to get her back, to get her away from Riddle.

He would destroy her without a backwards glance, just to get to him.

He hung his head in his hands. He had created this situation for himself. He was the one who had called Cho. He had agreed to her lousy deal. For the good of the dukedom.

Harry was right, none of them had any idea what information Skeeter was in possession of so it might've been nothing. But he hadn't been willing to take the chance.

He looked up, out onto the parking lot but he couldn't see her car anymore. She was gone.

Something caught his eye. It was Riddle, standing a hundred yards away or so by his own car, a gaudy white and silver Lamborghini.

Riddle gave him a wink and a smirk before he too got in and sped away.

Draco could feel the nausea rising in him. Hermione was going on a date with Riddle. And there was nothing he could do about it.

He had to get away. He could hear Cho calling out for him and he stumbled behind a couple of pillars and walked as fast as his legs could carry him.

He needed to be anywhere but here.

Somewhere practical. And preferably somewhere that had lots and lots of alcohol.

A/N: Don't forget to review! Do you like the turn the story has taken?

HBSJ