Chapter Text
Hermione splashed water on her face in the ladies room. She looked at her reflection and groaned. How could this be happening to her? She wiped her face with a paper towel and tried to take a few calming breaths.
She came to Ginny’s engagement party at some posh restaurant in wizarding London. Ginny had been traveling with the Holyhead Harpies all over Europe. She had written to Hermione about someone she began dating for the past year and then just recently he proposed to her. So her welcome back party was also her engagement party, and everyone was there. Everyone.
Hermione wasn’t one to make rash choices. She wasn’t irresponsible. She wasn’t reckless. But a month ago, she was. Ron and her had finally broken up and she went out and had a one off with some random guy she met in a bar. She didn’t think anything of it. She figured she would never see him again, until tonight, with Ginny on his arm.
He had acted as if nothing happened between then except when they sat down to have dinner. His hand brushed against her thigh and Hermione jumped. She thought it was an accident. It wasn’t until the salad left that she felt his hand on her thigh again, this time moving under her dress. She immediately bolted and ran to the bathroom. This was bad, she couldn’t tell Ginny that she had slept with her fiance. And Ginny was one of her few female friends that she could confide in. She would go back to the table, feign a headache and go home. She couldn’t sit next to him. He was so smug, acting as if nothing happened, acting like the doting fiance so in love. Hermione opened the door and walked out and ran into someone.
“Watch it Granger!” Draco said as he grabbed her arms to keep her from falling
“Malfoy?” Hermione said confused
“Hair’s still bushy as ever. Can you even get a brush through that thing?”
“Still pointy faced as ever”
“Glad some things never change” Draco said as he leaned closer to her
Hermione lifted her chin up defiantly at him. She would not be intimidated by him. She was about to say something when she saw him walking towards her from the corner of her. The dark suit stood out among the white decorations of the restaurant. Hermione panicked and pulled Draco into the ladies room.
“What-” Draco started to say as he was pulled in
The door slammed shut behind him, and Hermione used her wand to make sure it locked and was silenced. She pulled away and started to panic.
“Granger, I thought you were above a quick shag in the toilets. But I will make an exception for you” Draco flirted
“Shut up! I need to think!” Hermione said
“Think about what?”
“Merlin, what am I going to do? He’s out there and I’m trapped in here with you!”
“Who are you hiding from?”
“I need your help”
“I’m listening”
“But you have to promise, no swear, that you will not tell anyone what I’m about to tell you”
“This must be good, you’re all frazzled and your hair is getting bigger”
“I’m here for Ginny’s engagement party”
“Yes I heard she’s back”
“I slept with her fiance”
Draco merely arched an eyebrow.
“Well that was unexpected” Draco said
“I didn’t know who he was when I met him. It was a month ago, it was a one off! It didn’t mean anything!”
“So?”
“He saw me tonight, and acted like he didn’t know me, which was fine, but then at dinner he started touching me, and he wouldn’t stop”
“You have to tell her”
“No! I can’t do that! She’ll hate me”
“The man she’s going to marry is cheating on her, and will most likely continue to cheat on her. She’ll hate you for a while, but she’ll hate him forever. She’s got quite a bat bogey hex”
“I can’t have her hate me! She’s one of the few friends I have left!”
“That’s rather...sad…”
“Please Malfoy, please help, I’ll owe you one”
“Never start a negotiation, offering everything and anything. It doesn’t give you any leverage”
“I’m desperate right now! What am I supposed to do?”
“Never say you’re desperate, its unbecoming and people will take advantage. Now, I will assist you in this. You will owe me. Now whoever her fiance is he was walking towards us in the hallway wasn’t he?”
“How did you-”
“He’s probably waiting for you outside, let’s change a few things”
He reached into her hair and fluffed it up and started to tug at her dress.
“What are you doing?” Hermione asked
“He already thinks the worst when he saw you drag me in here. Let him think it. That way he’ll think you’re unavailable and stop”
He reached and pinched her cheeks. He moved her necklace askew. He looked at her face and then reached into her hair again and tried to fluff it more.
“That looks about right” Draco said
Draco looked in the mirror and unbuttoned two more buttons of his shirt and pulled his tie askew as well. He removed one of his cuff links and put it in his pocket. He ran his hands through his hair and let it go in different directions before smoothing it back down.
“Where’s your lipstick?” Draco asked
“I left it in my bag” Hermione said
“Which is?”
“At the table”
“What kind of woman are you? Leaving her purse at the table”
“I was kinda in a rush!”
“Alright,” Draco said as he took out his and and shot a small stinging hex at her mouth
Hermione touched her lips and saw they were turning red and looking a bit swollen and shiny. Draco used his wand again and reduced the swelling to make it look as if they were kissing the entire time they were in the bathroom. He reached to her shoulders and pulled her bra strap off to the side of the dress.
“Alright, now you look like you had a quickie in here” Draco said
“I’m not a slag”
“Says the girl who fucked her best friend’s fiance”
“I didn’t know he who he was then”
“Do you make it a habit of shagging random men?”
“No, I was really drunk”
“Still no excuse Granger”
“Are you going to help?”
“Of course, now we’re going to walk outside, you’ll feign surprise and shock and embarrassment. I’ll be right behind you. You’ll excuse yourself from dinner, get your purse and leave me with. Outside the restaurant, we’ll embrace, you’ll smile and I’ll apparate away from here”
“You really know how to manipulate things”
“It’s a skill I know, now, smile, and pretend that you’re in love with me”
“Right. How do you even know he’ll be out there?”
“If he isn’t, I’ll owe you”
“Fine”
Hermione opened the door, and took one step out before she was stopped by a rather tall man. Draco’s arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back towards him.
“Hermione, you left your bag, I thought you would need it” the tall man said
“Riddle” Draco said
“Malfoy” Tom said coldly
Hermione looked between the two.
“You know each other?” Hermione asked
“Yes. Let’s go” Draco said grabbing her hand
Hermione took her purse back from Tom and followed Draco out. Tom watched as the two walked back to Ginny and spoke a few words before leaving. Tom followed as Draco took Hermione outside the restaurant. He watched as Draco placed his arm around her and lifted her chin up. He leaned down to kiss her and then they apparated away.
“Tommy! You’re back” Ginny said
“Yes, it seems your friend left” Tom said
“Yes, well, she wasn’t feeling well, and I was surprised who she left with”
“Why is that?”
“She and Malfoy don’t have the greatest history. But honestly there was so much tension between them. They were either going to kill each other or shag each other to death”
Tom said nothing, but reached for a drink from a passing tray.
“Don’t you know Malfoy?”
“We’ve crossed paths” Tom said taking a sip of his drink
Draco and Hermione landed in Draco’s flat. Hermione pulled away and caught herself from falling. She really hated apparating. She hated it more when it was someone else doing it.
“Riddle?! You fucked Riddle of all people in the world?!” Draco yelled
“I didn’t know who he was! I’ve said a million times already!” Hermione yelled back
“Do you even know who he is? What he’s done!?”
“No, I’ve never heard of him!”
“Granger you pick the worst people you know”
“I know that! Look who I’m with right now!”
“I’m a bloody saint compared to him!”
“So you two have history together, is this going to be some testosterone fueled pissing contest?”
“You don’t know who you’ve fucked, literally.”
“Then tell me!”
“Riddle. He’s the reason why my father is in Azkaban. He’s the reason why my father’s company is dismantled and sold off in pieces. He’s the reason why I’m working at some shit company, that he owns, so he can remind me I’m under his thumb forever. He destroyed my life!”
“Malfoy…” Hermione said as she backed away
“He took everything from me! Everything! And now I’m going take his happiness”