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The Affair	By : snowblind12 & Lissa Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 55609 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: This fanfic is based off the Harry Potter books which are owned by JKR. I make no money from this fanfic and these characters as well as the Harry Potter books and world belong to JKR!

Chapter List
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- 29
Same disclaimer as always. I own none of this. These characters, and the wizarding world they love in, all belong to JKR and her publishers.
A huge thanks to LissaDream. She pretty much co-writes everything I post these days. She and I are officially co-writing two stories, Master Mine and A World Not Fit to Live In. Please check them out if you haven't already done so. Love you, LD!
Thanks to all who review! It means soo much and I am very grateful. I read them all and take all suggestions and comments to heart. :)
Friday
Hermione spent the rest of the week preparing her evidence for her presentation and proposal. Moxie, as well as the five other individuals whom they had determined suffered some form of discrimination, were each prepared to testify about their interview process. The discrimination was subtle in most cases, and Hermione didn't feel it had been intentional. Ultimately, she felt some cultural education would help the hiring department at ME overcome these issues. Human wizards and witches simply weren't aware or understanding of the culture of other magical beings.
For example, Draco had said Moxie hadn't done well on the peer part of the interview. Hermione wondered if those "peers" had understood goblin culture. Did they know that pleasantries in the workplace were very frowned upon? Goblins socialized, but not at work and definitely not during work hours. Draco had said they had found Moxie to be dismissive, self-righteous, and condescending. However, more than likely, what she had actually been – was a goblin. Bodric had been hired, true. Yet, Bodric hadn't spent six years working in the formal environment at Gringotts like Moxie had. Bodric had worked for an accounting firm in Ireland which was owned by an elderly Muggle-born couple. After working with them for three years, he had developed some human-like social skills. Goblins are taught from a young age to instill confidence in their clients by being firm and steadfast in their dealings. What others perceive as arrogance, is actually confidence. Goblins don't coddle and offer candy to babies – they are factual. Moxie had walked into that peer interview exhibiting the most professional, knowledgeable, and confident goblin she could be. Unfortunately (and this was Hermione's assumption, but her assumptions were usually correct) those behaviors had been mislabeled as dismissive, self-righteous, and condescending.
By the time Friday rolled around, Hermione felt she was ready for the Wizengamot. She still had two weeks until the case, but she had completely engrossed herself with it over the past five days. It had been her best defense against the sadness that threatened to overcome her. Thinking about the blond wizard who consumed her dreams was painful. She didn't want to imagine his soft lips or his arrogant and flirtatious smile. She didn't want to envision his hands on her skin, his mouth on her breasts, his palm on her bottom. She didn't want to dream about losing herself in his beautiful steel grey eyes. Eyes that caused her to melt with their adoration, caused her to laugh with their flirtatious and playful gleam, and caused her heart to race in anticipation when they became dark with desire.
She shook her head. Stop thinking about him! It's over – at least for now!
This was what happened every evening when she finally put down her quill and let her mind wander away from Moxie's case, though. Her thoughts didn't go to how late it was or how Theo would be upset she wasn't home yet. She didn't think about the fact she had barely been eating, or about the six pounds she had lost since the prior Friday. Her thoughts were consumed by Draco, and each evening it was worse than the evening before.
Lizzy was long gone by the time Hermione stood from her desk. The wall clock said it was nine-thirty. Time had really passed by her today, and regretfully she realized Theo might be upset. She had barely paid him any notice since Monday. She told him it was the case, and he said he understood, but each evening she could sense his irritation building and knew it wouldn't be long until he cried foul. She couldn't afford for that to happen. She was worried he would tell her she owed him an extra week because she hadn't been trying. She couldn't stand that, because she felt her resolve slipping. Hermione's desire to see Draco was threatening to overtake her reason. She missed him so much and the thought of five months and one week turning into five months and two weeks was more than she could bear.
Deciding on some damage control, she stopped by one of Theo's favorite restaurants and picked up his favorite trifle for dessert. Perhaps if she did something nice for him and told him she had wanted to get home earlier, he would be more understanding. It was a lie, and the trifle was merely a tool of deception, but he was the one forcing her to play this game. He was the one who wouldn't accept the reality that their marriage was over. He was the one who irrationally felt forcing her to live with him would somehow miraculously cause her to trust him again, to desire him again, to fall in love with him again. He was a fool.
She opened the door to a dark apartment. Placing her purse and his dessert on the kitchen counter, she headed to the bedroom to look for him. He wasn't there, and he wasn't in the office/library either. This was not a good sign, and there was no note. Theo always left her notes when he went out.
She let out a heavy sigh as she changed out of her work clothes and put on an oversized t-shirt and yoga pants. She washed her face and hands and looked at her gaunt reflection in the mirror. She had circles under her eyes, her facial bones were more prominent than a week before, and her skin was pale. She didn't look good, and frankly, she didn't feel good. You keep this up and Draco won't want you in five months! She turned out the bathroom light and padded back to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and put the dessert inside as her stomach fell with the thoughts that kept spinning her head. He's going to forget about you, Hermione. He's going to move on, and you will have no one to blame but yourself!
Spotting Beauty on the sofa, she sat next to her familiar and rubbed her head. Beauty turned towards her, purring as she kneaded Hermione's leg with her front paws.
Hermione heard the click of the door and turned to see a stone-faced Theo walk in. "Ah, I see you've decided to come home," he said as he walked behind the sofa and headed to their bedroom.
Shit!
She stood and followed him. "Yeah, sorry I'm so late. I totally lost track of time."
She stood in the doorway to their bedroom, watching him as he placed his wand on the bedside table and emptied the contents of his pockets.
He glanced at her coldly. "Yeah, I get it. There's nothing going on in your life that's as important as work." He shrugged, his words were sarcastic. "It's not like your marriage and reputation are on the line or anything."
She felt her face growing warm and she bit the retort that threatened to spill from her mouth.
Theo looked up at her and cocked an eyebrow. "This is the kind of behavior that forces your wizard into the arms of another."
His words sparked a fuse within her that burned through all her frustrations of the week. "You know what? Fuck you, Theo. Fuck this marriage, fuck the photos, and fuck this apartment. I'm done."
Blanching, Theo watched her grab a bag out of the closet and begin to throw her clothes into it. "Hey, hey...I'm sorry ok?" She headed into the bathroom to pack her toiletries, ignoring him. "What I said was meant to hurt you...because…because, I'm hurting." His voice had become small and his words slightly choked.
She paused and let out a breath, staring at the floor. "Theo, I'm in love with another man. I don't love you. I…I don't want to waste five more months pretending like this is something I want to fight for. I will never love you again. You betrayed me for five years, and you're expecting me to forget that and trust you again. I can't!"
"Hermione, I'm sorry. I really am. I've been miserable all week because you've barely been home, and I snapped." He stepped out of the bathroom and sat on the side of the bed. "Just stay." He picked at a loose thread on his pants absently. His voice was resigned. "I…I think I'm finally believing that our marriage is truly over. I was hoping for a miracle, I guess." He looked up at her. "If you leave, my mother will make your life hell. At least stay here...live here so that she's none the wiser."
Hermione felt a flicker of hope blossom in her chest. "What about...what about Draco?"
He shook his head. "Do you have to have him as well? I'm giving in, Hermione. I'm conceding that our marriage is over! I can't fathom the thought of you sleeping with him...or any other wizard…while your living under this roof, though. I'm just not that selfless."
She started to open her mouth to protest, but he interrupted her. "If you're going to see him, then you need to leave. It will only be a matter of time before Mother finds out, and you know what that means. If you want my cooperation and my acceptance, then you'll live here and not see any other wizards until our time is up and you move out."
Hermione wrapped her arms around herself, clasping each elbow with the opposite hand. She looked at him cautiously. "Why do you even need the five months, Theo? What are they for?"
He looked up at her, crossing his arms. "It's going to take that long to convince my mother that I want to divorce you and that she needs to allow it."
Hermione placed her bag on the dresser and moved to stand in front of him. Her tone was careful, almost disbelieving. "I want to be sure I'm understanding you correctly. You are agreeing to a divorce. I don't have to give our relationship another chance. You're going to start working on Ezmirelda now. Telling her the divorce is what you want, that it's your choice. You're going to start working on tearing down her resolve."
Theo closed his eyes and sighed despondently. "Yes. Yes, to all of it."
"In return for your help, I can't see Draco."
Theo looked at her with pained eyes. "I can't take it. It will kill me if you're with him all the time, that you would come here after being in his arms. I'm not made of stone, Hermione. I'll do everything I can to tell help you with my mother. I'll lie to her, I'll mislead her – but if you are living under this roof with me, then my one demand is you not see Draco or any other wizard romantically. If you move out, I'll...I'll still try to convince my mother, but I think our chances of success are better if she thinks you're trying. She has to think it's coming from me."
"Why can't you tell her that you kicked me out? Tell her you realized you not only don't love me, but you despise me. Tell her you made me leave."
Theo looked up at her, and Hermione thought she saw a flash of something behind his eyes. It was gone in an instant. He answered, simply. "My mother would never believe that of me. She knows I would never do that to you. Not unless you did something terrible, and if she thinks you did something terrible, those photos are as good as published." His tone was more confident. "Be smart, Hermione. This is the best way."
Saturday Morning
Hermione drank her morning tea feeling lighter than she had in weeks. Theo was finally being reasonable. As much as it irritated her that he was keeping her from Draco, she understood his reasons. It was somewhat selfish of him to restrict her life in such a way, but then again, it was somewhat selfish of her to ask him to lie to his mother – to ask him to carry on the necessary facade when his heart was broken. She knew he was hurting, and a part of her felt bad about that, but this was ultimately his doing. After all, he was the one who strayed five years ago and had kept a secret affair going for the same amount of time. Hermione owed Theo nothing in that regard.
She needed a distraction, something to keep her from thinking about Draco. She contemplated going into the office, but felt like a change of scenery. Theo walked out of the bedroom, looking like he was about to go for a run.
Hermione cocked a playful eyebrow. "Running? Really? What brought this on? You haven't worn those running shoes in years!"
Theo smiled as he started to stretch on the living room floor. "I want to feel better. I want to feel stronger – mentally and physically. I've grown a little soft around the middle." He patted his stomach, grinning. Hermione had to admit he had very little fat, he might not have a defined six pack like Draco, but Theo was not fat. She sipped her tea and sighed, realizing he was right. Exercise was smart. It was something she could benefit from as well.
She stood up and dumped her tea in the sink. "Give me ten minutes, I'll go with you."
Twenty minutes later, Hermione was bent at the waist, completely out of breath and unable to speak. Theo was trotting in place next to her, a grin on his face.
Her hands were on her knees and her face beet red with exertion, her words came out in gasps between heaving breaths of air. "I can't" breathe "believe" breathe "people do this" breathe "to themselves" breathe "on purpose!"
Theo chuckled as he continued to effortlessly jog in place. "Well, it's not for everyone." His tone became teasing. "But I can't believe Hermione Nott...err Granger," he conceded with an awkward pause before shrugging it off and smirking at her once again. "I can't believe Hermione Granger is such a wimp she can't even run a mile."
Hermione forced herself upright, still breathing heavy. Her tone was playful. "I see what you're doing!" Breathe. "I won't fall for your taunting!"
Theo turned away, pointing to the park next to them, his tone still mischievous. "Ok, then. I'm going to actually start running now. You just have a seat on that bench over there with that old lady feeding the pigeons. Perhaps that won't be too strenuous for you."
Hermione's breath was evening out and her heart rate was slowing back to a normal pace. "Oh no, I said I was going running, and I plan to run. Until I either finish two miles or I have a heart attack trying."
"Ok then. Let's get a move on, shall we?" Theo started to run and Hermione heaved a big breath as she took off after him.
One Hour Later
"This is all your fault, you know." Hermione readjusted the ice on her ankle.
"And just how is it my fault?" Theo was flipping through the pages of Magical Treatment and Home Cures for Everyday Injuries and Maladies as he stood over her.
She smirked up at him, imitating has voice. "I can't believe Hermione Granger is such a wimp she can't even run a mile."
Theo grinned back at her. "I found it. Now hold still." He waved his wand over her ankle and whispered the diagnostic spell. "Fractus Revealus." They both breathed out a sigh of relief when the resulting swirl of magic around her ankle displayed no red spots, indicating there was no fracture.
Theo began flipping through the pages, looking for the section on ankle sprains as he responded. "You were the one who invited yourself to come running with me – you have no one to blame but yourself. It's not my fault of you have the coordination of a drunk grindylow."
"I am perfectly coordinated, as you well know! It was ungentlemanly of you to take me on the cobblestone trail. I mean honestly, who runs on that?!"
Theo cocked a teasing eyebrow as he peeked over the book and met her gaze. "Hermione, that sign you saw as we entered the trail…what did it say?"
She looked away, rolling her eyes, a tinge of pink flooding her cheeks. "I know what it said."
"Uh huh...let me refresh your memory of the sign you stopped to read and then completely disregarded. It said: beginner runners, please use the ankle stabilization spell - Tarso Firmum."
Hermione hmphed and looked away, dismissing his teasing rebuke. After a sigh, she looked back at him. "Oh, all right! I should have cast the damn spell. Would you mind fixing my ankle already?!"
That evening Hermione and Theo enjoyed Chinese takeout as they watched Pixar's Finding Nemo on the video player. Hermione rarely watched television, but Theo had popped it in the machine and she had found her attention pulled from her book, despite her attempts to ignore it. It was an adorable story. After dinner, Hermione surprised Theo when she pulled out the Trifle she had picked up the night before. They shared it and then retired to bed, exhausted from their full day.
As Hermione settled into her pillow, she felt a touch of happiness that she hadn't felt since moving back in with Theo almost three weeks ago. It was a good day, she thought as the tug of sleep pulled at her. A piece of her felt like when it was all said and done, she and Theo might be able to maintain some sort of friendship.
Theo could hardly contain the smile that threatened to spread across his face. He rolled away from her, just to be sure she wouldn't catch the excitement he was struggling to conceal. His plan was already working. It was a last ditch attempt, but when she had said she was leaving the night before, instinct had told him this was the only play he had left. Tell her he was conceding to the divorce, get her to let her guard down. Simply be her friend. Be the man she had fallen for seven years ago. Five months of days like today and she would be his again.
AN: More Draco in the next chapter...promise!
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The Affair