Chapter 3
Draco did what he told his father he would do. He left, but he went somewhere where his father would never even think to look. His first stop was Gringotts, he took out a large amount from his personal vaults, transferred it into muggle money and went to find a nice hotel in muggle London. He decided on The Savoy Hotel, which was posh but not so posh his father would look for him there. He decided on a glamour charm for his stay since his blonde hair was a give away. He chose jet black hair and let his beard grow out which he also charmed black. He tanned his skin a few shades darker and turned his eyes brown. He was now Drake, just Drake.
It had been three months since he left home and he was feeling a little better. He still went to the ministry about twice a week and each time she was looking more and more not like herself. The bags under her eyes were getting darker and larger, her skin lost its glow and her hair lost its shine. He had no idea what was going on with her but he decided he would try to figure it out and make it better.
It was just his luck, one day he was browsing the aisles in Flourish and Blotts when he saw her. She was standing near the children’s section just staring at books. He dropped his glamour, put a privacy charm around them and cleared his throat.
“Hey Hermione.” She whipped around, eyes wide at her companion.
“Draco, what-what are you doing here? They said you’ve disappeared.”
“I only wanted them to think I disappeared, I was tired of living under my father, it was suffocating.”
“Well, 15 years too late but good for you Draco.” He flinched at her tone. She sounded angry with a hint of hurt.
“Yeah, I wish I would’ve done it then too. Our lives would have looked much different than they do now.” She didn’t say anything but nodded her head. “Are you happy Hermione?”
“Why would you ask me that?”
“Because you look sad.” He said flatly.
“And how would you know that? I haven’t seen you since September first and I was extremely happy that day, and I look the same now as I did then.”
“No you don’t, and you may not have seen me Hermione, but I’ve seen you. I sneak into the ministry every couple days and I’ve seen how in the past couple weeks you’ve been deteriorating. You aren’t the same you from September 1st. I’m not sure what’s happened since then but I know it isn’t good. You know, you can talk to me about anything right.”
She looked shocked at his words and wasn't sure which part to discuss first.
“Um well first it's creepy that you’ve been stalking me.” He chuckled at that and it brought a small smile to her face. He thought she looked absolutely beautiful. “I think Ron is having an affair.” She said barely above a whisper. Draco looked absolutely murderous at her statement.
“What do you mean? How do you know?”
“Can we not talk about it here?”
“Of course. There’s a muggle cafe not too far from where we can go, I go there pretty much every day and it’s not usually very busy at this time.” She just nodded her head. He reapplied his glamour charm, dropped the privacy charm and headed out the bookstore. She followed a few steps behind him so it didn’t look like they were leaving together. She followed him out of the Leaky into muggle London. About 4 blocks down they ended up at a quant cafe, which like Draco said, was pretty much empty. They each ordered a cappuccino and a pastry and sat down at a table in the corner.
“Why don’t you start at the beginning Hermione?” Draco asked.
“About a month ago Ron started working later and later. He would come drunk some nights, either smelling like perfume or have lipstick on the collar of his shirt. I haven’t confronted him about it because I’m afraid of the answer. I also have a feeling about who it is, but I just don’t want to admit it.”
“Who?”
Hermione looked down at her coffee to hide the fact that tears were falling down her face. She whispered, her voice cracking “Lavender Brown.”
Draco sat there shocked. He remembered her from school, she wasn’t very pretty or very bright but she was all over the Weasel their 6th year. He guessed she never got over him, but 15 years later? “Listen Hermione, I know I fucked up 15 years ago and I should have done things differently, and I am beyond sorry. But know this isn’t something you should put up with either. You deserve so much more than that. I think you should confront him, ask him about it, about her and see what he says.”
“What about the kids? What would I tell them? Because if it’s true, if he did cheat I can’t stay with someone like that. What you did hurt, but we were young. This…this is wrong. We are grown, we have 5 kids together. How could he do this to me?” She was now full on crying and he did the only thing he thought to do, he went over to her side and wrapped his arms around her.
“I…I know I need to ask him..but..but what if it’s true? I…I don't know what to tell the kids.”
“You tell the older ones the truth if it’s what you want. You tell the little ones what you need to, but you don’t let it break you. You are stronger than this Hermione. You are the strongest person I know and no matter what you will get through this.” All she could do was nod her head into his chest. They sat there for about another 30 minutes talking when she finally decided it was time she went home. She told Draco she would confront him tonight and he told her that if she needed anything he was just an owl away.
Hermione waited up for Ron that night, with a bottle of Sober-Up potion just in case he came home intoxicated. He came home around 11 that night, more drunk than he had ever been. He didn’t notice Hermione right away when he made his way into the living room. He flicked the light on and jumped when he saw Hermione sitting there waiting for him.
“Mione. Wha- what are you doing up?”
“Waiting for you Ronald.” He looked like he might be sick, and she knew it had more to do with just the alcohol.
“Drink this” she shoved a Sober-Up potion into his hands and watched him drink it, after a good 5 minutes he was much more sober and had a guilty look covering his face. “Would you like to tell me exactly what you have been doing with all your free time Ron? I talked to George, you know. He told me you leave work at 6 every night yet you don’t come home till almost 10 most nights. What do you do with those extra 4 hours? And don’t lie to me because I will know.”
He had the decency to look guilty. He knew she caught him.
“I don’t really know what to say Mione.”
“How about you be honest Ron! How about you tell me what the hell is going on and why you thought it was a good idea to cheat on me! I thought you were happy, I thought I could make you happy enough? Why wasn’t I enough Ron?” She had tears running down her face now. “Please, just tell me the truth.”
He sighed heavily and began. “About two months ago Lavender came into the shop looking for a gift for a friend's kid, we got to talking and she asked me to get lunch with her, just as a friend. I went, one lunch led to three, three lunches led to dinner, and dinner led to me sleeping with her. It of course meant nothing. She means nothing. You are my everything Hermione and I want you to know that when I tell you this next part. Please, just please believe me when I tell you I love you with my whole heart.” Hermione could only nod. “Well, we’ve only slept together about 3 times now, and um well….” He was stalling, she had an idea about what he was going to say next and she felt like she was going to actually be sick.
“Please Ron, please don’t tell me what I think you’re about to tell me. Please.” She was begging him for it not to be true. Hoping that he was a better man than that. That he wasn’t that fucking stupid.
“She’s pregnant, and it’s mine.” He whispered. Hermione threw up, all over their living room floor.
“Are you fucking kidding me Ronald! We have five, FIVE FUCKING KIDS TOGEHTER! And you got another woman pregnant! You are absolutely disgusting, vile and just disgusting. You need to leave, now! I don’t want to see you, I don’t want to hear you, I want absolutely nothing to do with you.”
“Please Hermione, please it meant nothing. I was just down and I didn’t mean it. You have to believe me.”
“Whether you meant it or not you still slept with her. She is still pregnant with your kid and nothing can take that back. You need to leave, I’m not kidding Ron. I do not want to look at you right now.” She vanished the throw up, refusing to look at him. He went to their room and quickly packed a bag before returning to the living room.
“I’ll be at the burrow, I really am sorry.” She looked the other way as he disappeared through the floo. She threw herself onto the couch and cried. At some point she sent a patronus but honestly didn’t even remember it until she heard the floo chimed to life again. She thought Ron had come back through, but out walked Draco. He rushed to her side and tugged her onto his lap as she cried her eyes out. She wasn’t sure how long they sat there but once her tears dried up and she caught her breath, she told him everything. He didn’t say anything as she told him the story. He just held on to her tightly and let her get it out.
They sat there for hours, deep into the dark night. She had fallen asleep once her tears dried up again. He wasn’t sure how long he stayed awake for but eventually he got sleep, better sleep than he had since he woke in this hellish future. When he woke up she was gone. It took him a few minutes to realize that not only was she gone, but he wasn’t in her house anymore. He woke up in his own bed, with his Christmas hat penguin pajama pants on, in his own flat. The one from 15 years in the past. He knew what he had to do, knew how to fix his future. He was going to get Hermione back if it was the last thing he did.