Manhattan

Chapter Twelve

Hermione should've expected that any hotel room booked by Draco Malfoy would be ostentatious, at minimum. It's excessive, really, for one night.

It's a suite with two queen-sized beds, a kitchenette, a sitting room with two sofas and an ornate coffee table, as well as an en suite that rivals Draco's in his flat. Hermione doubts that she'll be able to make use of the massive bathtub in this room, much to her dismay.

"As much as I detest having a babysitter, it's really good to see you, Harry," Hermione says, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "The only person I've seen in weeks has been Malfoy."

Harry reaches across the small dining table in the kitchenette and squeezes Hermione's hand.

"I know, 'Mione. I'm working on it, I promise," Harry assures her. She already knew that, of course, and if she's being honest, the assurance doesn't really give her the hope that she might've expected.

Hermione sighs, reaching for her glass of wine.

"Where are you on finding Ron?" Hermione asks after swallowing a gulp of wine which is probably a bit excessive for a weeknight.

Harry frowns, rubbing his temples.

"Nowhere. He's still missing. I don't have a trail to follow. I know that he was in Australia, but beyond that…"

Hermione finishes off her glass of wine, then refills it from the chilled bottle beside her.

"I'm looking every day– I am. I think that maybe he has help. I don't know how or who, but I don't know what else to do. I'll find him. It's just taking longer than I imagined."

Hermione scoffs.

"Meanwhile I have to live with Draco sodding Malfoy because you can't find Ron," she regrets it as soon as she says it. She knows that Harry is doing everything he can, but she also can't help but be frustrated at the circumstances. "I'm sorry. That was out of line."

Harry takes a swig from his water glass.

"It was, but I'll give you a pass because I'd probably be a bit testy after living with Malfoy, too."

Hermione groans, sipping from her glass of wine again.

"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but it's not that bad, really. It's quiet. He has a library. He cooks. He has a bathtub the size of a swimming pool," Hermione laughs, trying to think about anything other than the aforementioned bathtub and the look on Malfoy's face when he saw her in it. The last thing she needs is Harry finding out that Malfoy had accidentally walked in on her in the bath. "My bed is like sleeping on a cloud. Aside from Malfoy, it's almost pleasant."

Hermione leans back against her chair crossing one arm over her stomach and resting the hand holding her wine glass against it.

"I wouldn't mind being back in my own flat, though. It's home."

Hermione takes another sip from her glass.

"Soon. I promise, 'Mione."

Hermione drains her glass once more. She considers refilling her glass, but this was already her third, and she figures it is probably best to refrain.

"Okay, enough about Ron and Malfoy. Tell me something else. What's new with everyone else?"

Hermione knew logically that she would be sharing a room with Malfoy this evening, but hadn't thought about what that might mean in actual practice– not until Malfoy steps out of the en suite in what Hermione assumes are his pajamas, with his hair damp and sticking to his forehead.

Malfoy's pajamas are what appear to be plain, black, cotton pants, slung low on his hips and a black long-sleeve, which clings tightly to his chest and arms. Hermione can't help but notice, in her slightly inebriated state, how good Malfoy looks. Actually, the word that comes to mind is 'delicious', but Hermione isn't quite drunk enough to examine that thought just yet.

Hermione shakes her head, as if to clear it. It's just the wine, she tells herself. Even tipsy-Hermione doesn't actually believe that, but she figures it was worth a shot.

"How was your obligation?" Hermione asks, almost without realizing it as she watches Malfoy turn down his own bed– the one closest to the door.

Hermione is sitting cross-legged on top of her own bed, wearing her usual shorts and long-sleeve pajamas. She tells herself that she is asking about Malfoy's day out of consideration, not because she thinks that he looks good with wet hair and a tight shirt.

"I had dinner with my mother," Malfoy responds, sitting down at the edge of his bed and meeting Hermione's eye.

Somehow, that had not been what Hermione was expecting him to say.

Hermione has seldom thought of Narcissa Malfoy since the end of the War. She supposes that she knew that the witch was still around, but even before Hermione left England, the Malfoy matriarch had been somewhat of a recluse. If Hermione is being honest, she never cared much to think about the family after being literally tortured in their home, until recently.

The Malfoys have never been Hermione's favorite wizarding family, obviously. Draco has shown her in the past few months that he isn't completely terrible anymore, but that absolutely does not mean that she forgives them for trying to kill her– or aiding in an attempt to kill her, as it were, she supposes.

"Oh," Hermione says, unsure of how to respond. "You didn't drag me all the way here just to have dinner with your mother, did you?"

Malfoy smirks, laughing lightly as he shakes his head.

"Unfortunately not," Malfoy seems to pause, as if contemplating something before he speaks again. "My father is petitioning for early release from Azkaban. Again."

Hermione's eyes widen. As far as she is concerned, Lucius Malfoy should rot in prison for the rest of his miserable life. She would like to believe that no one in their right mind would let him out of Azkaban, however, she also knows that corruption runs deep, even without Voldemort.

"The Wizengamot takes impact statements into consideration," Malfoy explains, looking away from Hermione and down at his hands. "My father will present his reasons for why he believes that he deserves early release, and then he will be escorted back to Azkaban while my mother and I give our statements. It's become an annual event."

Hermione notices that Malfoy seems… frustrated. She supposes that Lucius Malfoy, as terrible as he may be, is Malfoy's father, but if what he says is true, and they've been petitioning for release yearly since the end of the War, that tells Hermione that release is probably not even being considered. Rightly so, but why bother at that point?

Unfortunately, Hermione realizes with a start that her slightly drunken self has said that last bit out loud. Why bother?

"Why do I bother or why does he?" Malfoy asks, and it confuses Hermione for a moment. She would expect the reasons to be the same, right?

"Both?" Hermione figures that if they're already discussing this, and if he asked, then she's allowed to ask questions in return.

Malfoy's jaw ticks.

"He sincerely believes that he doesn't belong in Azkaban. He claims false imprisonment every year."

Hermione scoffs. She knows that Malfoy might take offense to her quite visceral response to his father's claim, but she finds that she doesn't really care. False imprisonment is the last thing that Lucius Malfoy should be trying to claim.

"I do it because my mother asks me to," Malfoy looks back up and directly at Hermione. The look on his face warms her body slightly. "She doesn't feel safe walking into the Ministry alone… even when she's there to beg the Wizengamot to keep her husband locked up."

Hermione blinks. What?

"Excuse me?" Hermione asks, leaning slightly forward in surprise.

Malfoy has the audacity to smile and laugh a little more strongly than he has throughout this conversation. He crooks one finger, gesturing for Hermione to come closer.

Malfoy leans his elbows on his knees and leans forward, a position which Hermione mirrors. They're not that close to one another, but closer than usual, probably.

Malfoy's voice is lower, almost a whisper, the next time that he speaks.

"I don't want him out of prison any more than you do."

When Hermione wakes up on Thursday morning, Malfoy has already left and Harry is sitting on one of the sofas in the 'sitting room', reading a Daily Prophet.

"Morning, 'Mione," he says cheerily the moment that she sits up in her bed. Damn Auror perception.

Hermione shoves her comforter off of her legs and stands, walking groggily over to her best friend and dropping down beside him.

"Do you know where Malfoy is right now?' she asks pointedly, although she has a feeling that she already knows the answer.

Harry closes his newspaper and sets it on the coffee table in front of him before turning to face her on the sofa.

"Do you?"

Hermione crosses her arms over her chest and nods.

"I cannot believe that the Ministry is even considering releasing Lucius Malfoy. It's ridiculous."

Harry scratches his eyebrow briefly before looking back at Hermione.

"It is. They won't release him. He is within his rights to appeal his conviction once a year, but the decision rests with the Ministry. I'm not worried about it, so you shouldn't be either."

Hermione rolls her eyes, settling back against the back of the sofa.

"No, no, no sulking. I have a surprise for you. You're not allowed to sulk when I have a surprise for you."

Harry stands from the sofa. Hermione does not.

"You can come out now!" Harry yells, and before Hermione has a moment to question who he's talking to, a heavily pregnant Ginny Weasley-Potter very nearly flies out of the en suite and into Hermione's lap.

Hermione's mind takes a moment to catch up with her physical being, but when it does, she wraps her arms as tight around her friend as she can.

"Ginny!" Hermione shrieks, squeezing Ginny and burying her face in the redhead's back. The smell of Ginny's perfume comforts Hermione in a way that she cannot describe– it's been almost a year since she's smelled it.

Ginny hugs Hermione and lingers for a while before shuffling off of her lap and sitting beside her.

Hermione smiles brightly at Ginny once more before turning her attention back to Harry, who is standing beside the sofa looking like the cat that ate the canary.

"How did you do this?!" Hermione yells, eyeing Harry pointedly.

Harry smiles and takes a seat on the coffee table, across from Hermione and his wife.

"I knew that if she found out that you were here and that I didn't take her to see you that I'd be sleeping on the sofa for the foreseeable future," Harry laughs, looking briefly to his wife before back at Hermione. "My bed with my wife is infinitely more comfortable than a hand-me-down sofa."

Ginny scoffs, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Damn right you'd be sleeping on the sofa," she states, although her voice holds a playfulness that Hermione is glad to hear. Ginny turns back to Hermione. "So, what's going on? Why are you here?"

Hermione looks to Harry. She's not sure what Ginny knows or what Harry plans to tell her.

"She's agreed to take a Vow. You can tell her anything you want."

Hermione bites her lip.

"Does Malfoy know?" Hermione asks, already knowing that that will be the first thing Ginny will ask about.

"He does. He doesn't like it, but I got him to agree to it too."

Hermione opens her mouth to begin explaining when Ginny butts in, asking exactly the question Hermione had expected.

"I'm sorry. Malfoy? What the bloody hell does he have to do with this?!"

Harry laughs, and even Hermione can't help but chuckle.

"Oh, nothing. Just that 'Mione has been living with him and that he slept in that second bed last night."

Ginny's eyes widen so much that Hermione thinks they might be about to bulge out of her head.

"No, I'm sorry. I think I misheard you. Repeat that, please."

Hi, friends! Happy Monday! Yes, I know, I'm early again. Tomorrow has the potential to be really busy again and if it goes anything like last Tuesday, then I'll probably forget to upload this chapter, so I wanted to do it now so I don't forget! (:

Lol, so I got a handful of reviews that y'all are tired of Hermione thinking that Draco is a jerk. I promise you that she comes to her senses very soon. :P

Y'all, I am so excited for this new year, but I am exhausted already. Please explain. I might try to take a few days off from writing, and probably a few other things too, but this fic will not be effected because it's already fully finished. In any case, I hope y'all are having a good start to the new year! (:

In any case, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I thank you for spending some of your time here with me today. It means more to me than you know. (:

Please, if you feel so inclined, review. I love reading your thoughts and what you noticed in this week's chapter. (: