Hope Floats

Ginny made breakfast, as she did any other day. She would let the deception go on, what good would it do to prod something that's already been so profoundly touched? What good would it do to give her thought provoking banter and deep conversation when something has so obviously already affected the inner depths of her heart? Something had happened to Hermione that night that they went to the Shrieking Shack, and Ginny had one firm guess as to what it was.

"Good morning luv," Ginny said as she flipped a pancake.

"Hello, Gin," Hermione said sleepily.

"Where's the bug?" Ginny prompted.

"She's off getting ready for school," Hermione replied.

"Okay, go tell her that I'm making her pancakes, will you?" she asked as she plated some pancakes for her niece.

"I'm sure she smells them from where she is," Hermione said groggily.

"Mmm, pancakes!" Diana said excitedly from the stairs.

"Told you," Hermione said smugly.

"Oh hush, you! Go back to acting as if you're exhausted," Ginny snapped back with a teasing grin.

"I'll have you know that it is not an act! I am exhausted!" Hermione said indignantly.

"Then Harry must be better than is anticipated..." Ginny whispered as she set the plate in front of her friend.

"Ginny, please. You have no clue what you're talking about," Hermione asserted stubbornly.

"The hell I don't," Ginny whispered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Eat your pancakes...before they get cold," Ginny covered.

Hermione ate her pancakes in silence while her daughter chatted happily about the goings on in the local school at hogsmead.

With one last questioning glare at Ginny, Hermione got up from the breakfast table and headed off to work at the publishing house.

As soon as Hermione stepped out of the cottage that she shared with Ginny and Diana, thoughts flooded her mind; thoughts of a man with green eyes and ...she blushingly admitted, incredible stamina.

As soon as that thought entered her head, the guilt poured in. She was still, technically, married to Ron Weasley. Even though he was a cheating bastard, he was still her husband.

"Insufferable moron," Hermione muttered angrily.

After the months and months spent wallowing in her misery, Hermione finally let her anger shine through. Of course anger was her initial reaction, but that was just her defense mechanism. Never let anyone see that they can hurt you, especially when - when they rip your heart out.

It was a very complicated mixture of emotions. Because she loved him so deeply, she could hate him as deeply. After all, the line between love and hate is rather thin indeed. Then again, because she loved him so deeply, she could never truly hate him. What a tangled web we weave.

Hermione sighed as she picked up her pace. She decided it was time to stop looking at her feet as she walked. She deemed it the right time to keep her chin up, look at the world in the face, and then tell it to sod off. Hermione Granger, the one the world knew before her marriage, the Hermione Granger who could incinerate you with a look, was back. Or at least, she intended to be. Only time will tell.

Her hair blew past her face as she walked into the air conditioned building of 'Spellbound books' publishing house. She reached the elevator and decided to make a pit stop on Luna’s floor.

"Good morning, Luna, " Hermione said as she entered Luna's office.

Luna looked up at her with contempt.

"Good morning," she replied stiffly.

"Look Luna," Hermione said seating herself in the chair across from her associate, " I never meant to replace you here. That wasn't my goal. I just wanted a job. So Ha- um, er, Mr. Evans knew me back when we were kids and decided that he had too much work to handle this business personally. I won't fool myself as to believe that your dislike for me began there. So I married Ron, I wasted two years dating him back at school....But you know what, Luna? I got hurt. In the end, I got mine. My life was turned upside down, my family torn apart. I had nothing left but my daughter. Try to understand that life kicked me in the ass and I have to pick myself up. If you wish it to be so, then I will search for a new job, or ask Ha- him for a job at a lower rank in a smaller office. Let's just end this enmity between us, okay?"

Luna looked contrite for a moment. She lifted her chin slowly from where it rested on her chest.

"That won't be necessary Hermione," Luna said quietly.

Hermione perked up at this.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so callous towards you - Well, I did, but now I resent that choice," Luna said sincerely.

"That's quite alright," Hermione reassured with a smile, "I'm glad things are Okay between us,"

Luna smiled weakly back.

"See you around?" Hermione asked as she lifted herself up from where she sat.

Luna gave a slight nod and a smile. Hermione nodded back and headed to the elevator.

"Tell Harry I said Hi, won't you?" Luna called when Hermione was about to close the elevator doors.

Hermione's jaw dropped as the elevator doors closed before her.

Luna smirked wickedly.

***************************************

"Lav, keep a low profile. Don't be so conspicuous. Some sunglasses, a bit of suntan lotion. We can't afford for him to notice us before we want him to," Harry pleaded.

"Oh don't worry Harry dear. We're supposed to be tourists, right? Look around, honey, how many inconspicuous women do you see?" Lavender said casually.

Harry looked properly abashed.

"Alright, alright, you win," Harry said irritatedly.

"Yay. I like winning," Lavender said monotonously as she closed the compact mirror she was using to touch up her nose.

"Like it or not, Harry-poo...I am an auror, and I do know what I'm doing," Lavender informed him.

"If you ever want to come on one of my expeditions again, never call me ' Harry-poo'," Harry threatened.

"Hey, you're the one who asked me for this favor," she reminded him.

"You're the one who was always asking to be asked," Harry shot back.

Lavender's eyes narrowed at him.

"Alright, fine. Harry-poo," Lavender said with a coquettish smirk, "Okay, okay! Last time, I swear..."

Harry set his lips into a tight line and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Fine, lets go," He said as he took her hand and pulled her towards the hut that housed the bar.

"Alright, you go over there and talk to Mulciber while I go play in the sand," Harry said as he let go of her hand.

"Oh I see how it is, I do all the working and you do all the playing?" Lavender said in mock irritation.

"Don't complain. I'm sure if you lean forward far enough, you can get a free drink out of this," Harry said with a smirk...that was quickly removed from the smack that followed.

"Ow, must you hit me every time I tease you? You bring it on yourself, you know," Harry said seriously.

"Shut up, you. Just because I don't have brown hair, long legs, and a book, it doesn't make me any less respectable," she said as she adjusted her shades so she could look at him eye to eye.

Harry blushed deeply, mouth agape.

Lavender leaned in then until she could whisper something to him.

"Aww, you know how much I love it when you blush prettily for me," she teased before she ran off.

"Brat," Harry pouted as he folded his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes at his companion.

***

Lavender slid her way onto the barstool and made herself comfortable. She then fanned open the Hawaiian shirt she had stolen from Harry to wear over her Bikini.'

'It is bloody hot on this damned island,' she muttered internally.

'Now, now -Time to find the crusty dark wizard I have to seduce into confession this time,' Lavender muttered bitterly.

***

While Lavender was stuck at the bar presenting her - assets- Harry was laying out on some random spot in the sand to act as any vacationing young man would.

Naturally, as soon as his eyes closed, Harry's mind was clouded with only one thing - Hermione. He didn't want to think on what had happened the other night, as such thoughts would lead to a terribly embarrassing situation that, considering the circumstances, would be only that much worse. Yet it was all he could think about. That night made his heart race, but tore his soul apart all at once. He fell asleep with the warmth of her body cuddled against him, only to wake up with nothing but the cold air to caress him.

'What has happened to her? She used to be so...so bold - so irrevocably unique,' Harry's eyes narrowed despite himself. 'It must have been Ron. He must have broken her. Maybe it wasn't just their break up and his treachery. Maybe made a mold for her to fill all along, only to find she wasn't made in order to be molded by someone else. Maybe she's depressed because she simply can't fill that role - she was born to make her own. Maybe I'm wasting too much time thinking about this,' Harry debated miserably with himself.

Harry realized that this was the road to disappointment and depression, so he established his thoughts on something safer - the mission at hand.

Harry smiled then.

'All I have to do is find your daddy, Ferret. All I have to do is find him and his little ass monkey - Mulciber, then I can set myself up for a nice, early retirement,' he thought with a grin.

*****

Hermione walked to her office only to find a tall, dark, and handsome foreign man outside her door.

"Why hello, Oliver," Hermione said with a smirk as he turned around to meet her.

She'd known him long enough to recognize him with his back turned.

Oliver smiled handsomely for her.

"Hello Hermione," He greeted kindly.

Hermione quirked one of her eyebrows up at him as she unlocked her office door.

"Please come in," she invited as she walked over to her desk and started riffling through paperwork.

"Why, thank you, " he replied as he held the door open for her.

*****

Harry grinned as he placed his head back on the warm towel he had laid down. The jewel in his ear was transmitting the conversation that lavender was now having with Malfoy's ass monkey.

"Well, where can I meet you?" he heard her say coyly.

"Mmm," Mulciber grunted, "Anywhere you want, baby,"

"Anywhere...???" she said as she slid her finger down his chest.

"Can I hold you to that?" She whispered.

"You can hold me to anything you want to," he moaned in her ear.

"Alright then, how can I contact you?" she whispered as her lips grazed his ear.

"Here's my portkey, It will take you to where I am at exactly 7:00 P.M.," he said as he slipped the portkey into the back of her bathing suit.

"Later handsome," she said as she pulled away.

Mulciber grabbed her before she could escape, planting a firm kiss on her and sliding his tongue in her mouth. Lavender did her best not to gag. He bit her lip before releasing her and she got away as soon as her covert assignment would allow.

Lavender quickly made her way over to where Harry was lying in the sand.

"I hate you," she said as she sat down next to him.

"What's new?" he said casually, "Good job, by the way,"

"Why do I always have to do the disgusting jobs?" she asked him irritatedly.

"Because, I, do not have breasts," He said as he rolled over to lay on his stomach.

Lavender grunted and laid out herself.

"Great big prat," she mumbled.

"I'm seriously considering getting that tattooed to my ass," Harry murmured with his eyes closed.

"It would smudge before the ink was dry. What, with all the people kissing it..." she teased.

Then with the deftness of a cat, Harry grabbed her arm, turned her over, and straddled her stomach.

"What was that you said, Brown?" Harry asked with a mock glare.

"You heard me," She replied.

Without further ado, Harry poured as much sand as he could down her bathing suit - then ran off as fast as he could towards the shore. Lavender briefly removed the majority of the sand from her top, then took off running.

****

"So... How may I help you? Don't get me wrong, I love being in your company, hell looking at you is reward enough, but I'm assuming you're here for more than just gracing me with your presence," Hermione teased.

Oliver Wood had become a fellow writer after his Quidditch career ended with a tragic accident that left him unable to play. They had been friends for a couple of years now, and teased each other frequently.

"Oh how you flatter me," Oliver said with a coy grin, "Alright, stop teasing me and get this book deal started,"

Hermione chuckled.

"A ha! It seems I've caught you again! Oh, how you toy with me," Hermione joked.

"What's the new venture this time, Wood?" Hermione asked a little more seriously.

"Well, this is more of a text instead of a biography. I was thinking Maybe a Quidditch strategy and technique guide...or something along those lines," He articulated.

"Hmm, personally based?" she asked.

"Mostly, yes," Oliver replied.

"Well, I think it's a great Idea, Oliver," she said with a smile.

"Although, you might want to interview some coaches and players. Maybe you can dedicate a couple chapters to outside sources," she rambled.

"Actually, I was considering something like that. I think it's a splendid idea," He admitted after a moment.

"Well, in that case - I'll run your proposition by Luna and If you get me a manuscript soon, I'll take a look and then send it to editing, before sending it out," she informed him.

"Oh, thank you. I love this no - hassle deal you've got yourself here. How'd you manage something so nice? You're not sleeping with the boss, are you?" he asked teasingly - or at least he meant to.

Hermione stiffened immediately before she smiled and chuckled for show.

"Oh how I've missed you, Ollie. Has some incredibly other-worldly woman scooped you up yet?" Hermione asked.

"Sadly, no. I've been too busy, traveling too much, to find someone to fall in love with. I've had a couple flings though," he admitted.

"What about you? I see you're off the marriage hook and beautiful as ever. Have you got some 'incredibly other-worldly' bloke in your bed back at home?" He said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Actually, the only male living with me is a senile cat I've had since I was a girl," she said with a smirk.

"Oh, you're living alone then?" he inquired.

"No, actually..." she began when something dawned on her, "I'm actually living in Ginny Weasley's cottage here in Hogsmead for the time being,"

"Would you like to drop by sometime?" she asked.

"Sure, when do you want me to stop by?"

"How about Sunday, for tea?" she supplied, " ten o' clock sound okay?"

"Perfect," he said with a smile, "I'll be there,"

****

"Alright, remember the plan?" Harry asked again.

"Yes, It's only been told to me several times in the last ten minutes. I send word by mobile as to where I am," she answered irritatedly.

"Okay," Harry said as he fidgeted nervously with his cellular phone.

"Five... four...three....two...." Harry counted, and then she was gone.

****

Lavender stumbled a moment before she firmly planted her feet into a soft rug, decoratively placed in a rather elaborately decorated hotel room.

"Where the bloody hell am I?" she muttered to herself, unaware that behind her, on the bed, Mulciber waited expectantly.

"That's irrelevant," Mulciber growled from behind her, "All that matters, is that I'm here,"

"Oohh, there you are - tiger" Lavender replied uncomfortably.

Lavender smiled awkwardly while Mulciber grunted some more.

"Come here pet," He said as he reached his hand out to her.

Mulciber was clad in nothing but the comforter that laid across his lap. Again, Lavender fought the urge to heave.

"Sure love, just let me get into something - a little more comfortable," Lavender said with a weak smile.

Mulciber nodded hungrily.

Lavender snuck quietly over to the bathroom.

As soon as the lock was in place she put a silencing charm on the room and pulled out her mobile.

"Harry, you better get your ass over here," she said quietly into the mouth piece of the phone.

"Where are you?" he asked without preamble.

Lavender leaned over to look at the embroidery on a towel near by.

"Embassy suites. Just track me damn it, I don't have time for this!" she said before flipping the phone closed.

"Men," she muttered as she shook her head and rolled her eyes.

Moments later Lavender heard a pop outside her door.

*************************************************************

Harry arrived in the middle of a hotel room...only to hear...

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Oh well don't you look pretty?" Harry said in mock cockquettish attitude.

"I'm only going to ask one more time. What -" Mulciber tried before Lavender came out of the bathroom wearing exactly what she had shown up in.

"What's going on here?" he asked, apprehensive now.

"Well," Harry said as he twirled his wand between his fingers. "I think it's time you had an emotional catharsis. Wouldn't you say so Lav?"

"I'd say that's a good idea," Lavender agreed with a smirk.

"What if I don't feel much like talking right now?" Mulciber asked with disdain.

"Well, that's tough....Mostly because - I-don't-care," Harry replied calmly.

"Now, you're going to tell me what Malfoy's got planned, so that I can be on my merry way," he continued.

*******************************

"Hey you, how was work?" Ginny asked as she flipped a page in the book she was reading.

"Oh, it was actually a rather pleasant day. Oliver Wood came to pay me a visit. I invited him to tea on Sunday, I hope you don't mind," Hermione said innocently, hoping that she would mind.

"Hmm, Is he still every bit as yummy as he ever was?" Ginny asked, knowing it would put her off.

"Actually, yes," Hermione answered excitedly.

"Then it's perfectly alright with me. He can come over whenever he wants to," she replied, her head leaving her book to shoot a devilish look at her brown haired friend.

Hermione was a bit put off that if this match did occur, she'd have nothing to do with it, but she supposed she should just take it for what it's worth.

"Oh, Hermione," Ginny asked as Hermione started to climb up the stairs.

"Yes," Hermione asked tentatively. She'd heard that voice before, she knew that Ginny had plotted something insidious and she was about to find out what.

"I hope you don't mind," Ginny said using the tone Hermione sported earlier, "I invited Harry over for tea on Sunday, too,"

"I don't mind," She said, her voice two octaves higher than it should be.

She left, lest her anger betray her. Despite her efforts to hide her feelings, she stomped up the stairs, oblivious of the show she was putting on for her friend.

Ginny held the book up a little higher and smirked evilly.

'Oh, how I love my work,' she thought to herself.

*******************************************************************************************

"Alright, Mulciber, one-last-chance. What is your Boss doing back in England?" Harry asked after he had grabbed Mulciber by the hair and slammed his head against the headboard.

Mulciber took a swipe at Harry, landing a punch to his ribs. Harry keened over and backed away from Mulciber. Once he saw that Harry was still reeling from the blow, he rushed over to the nightstand where his wand lay. Before he was able to reach it, a sickening crack resounded around the vast room, and Mulciber howled in pain. Harry lunged forward and took hold of the arm he just broke.

"Okay, you want to play rough? I can do that," He intoned, "You can tell me what Malfoy is up to, or I can see how flexible broken arms can be. What do you say? It's your call,"

"Alright! Alright! I'll tell you!!!" Mulciber squealed.

**

Moments later, Harry rushed out of the hotel room, fuming.

"Harry, calm down ! You can't find Malfoy in this state! He'll snap you in HALF! Control your bloody emotions, man!" Lavender said desperately.

Harry stopped dead in his tracks, slowly turning to look at his temporary partner.

"He's - gone-too-far," he told her with deadly calm.

"Alright, let go of my arm first!" Mulciber screamed.

"No. How about you tell me what Malfoy is up to first?" Harry said casually.

"Okay, fine!!" he said pleadingly, "He meant to send you on a wild goose chase before you could figure out -"

"Figure-out-what!?!" Harry screamed at him as he bent the broken arm back a little further.

Mulciber howled in pain, and Harry released his grip a little.

"What didn't he want me to figure out?" Harry asked him.

"That he -" Mulciber gulped,” That he's after your mudblood,"

Harry bent the arm all the way back with another sickening crack and thundered out of the room in a rage.

"You can't save Hermione in this state, Harry!" Lavender pleaded.

"I've got to go, Lavender. Thank you for your assistance, it is greatly appreciated," He said in a monotone just before he disapparated with a resounding crack.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry apparated to Hermione's house in a panic. He hadn't thought to silence his apparation before leaving the island hotel.

'Damn it,' he thought as he noted that now his presence would be known to whoever Malfoy sent to attack Hermione.

Harry quickly silenced his own footsteps so that they wouldn't give him away too. Glancing quickly around the dark cottage he decides to run up the stairs. He runs into Hermione's room, hoping to find her sleeping peacefully in her bed, only to find it empty. Deciding he should check the entire house before he got too relieved, he made his way over to Ginny's room. He slowly opened up her door, to find that, it too, was empty. Harry was starting to panic at the emptiness of the house. With a little prayer on his lips, he silenced the door to Diana's room and slowly tried to pry it open. The door was locked, which nearly sent him into a panic. Harry quickly unlocked the door with a wave of his hand and opened it as soon as the lock was disengaged. He cast his eyes about the room, and found the daughter of the woman he loves, and his best friend, on the floor writhing with silent screams. Harry Lunged at Malfoy, grabbed his arm at the wrist and broke it cleanly over his knee - all in one swift movement. Harry, in a rage all too consuming, slammed the back of his fist into Malfoy's nose, then grabbed his pony tail and slammed his now bloody nose into the knee that broke his arm.

While Harry was venting his frustrations on Malfoy, Ginny creeped across the room as fast as she could, considering she was bound. Once she reached them she extended her feet and kicked Malfoy's wand as far as she could.

Harry kept a firm grasp of Malfoy's hair as he kicked the back of his knee, sending him careening towards the floor. Harry used his free hand to retrieve his wand so that he could fully incapacitate the bastard. He stunned him into unconsciousness and then conjured ropes to entrap him until he could be dealt with.

"Finite Incantatem!!" Harry said in a rage, to disarm the silencing spell Malfoy had put up in Diana's room.

He rushed to where Diana was, and collapsed onto his knees. He picked up the unconscious little girl and held her to his chest as he sobbed with reckless abandon.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, " He repeated over and over as he rocked back and forth with little Diana in his arms.

Hermione, who was bound over in the opposite corner, cried. She cried in relief, in pain, and in guilt.

Harry eventually stopped crying, and wiped his nose and face with the back of his sleeve. He put a muscle relaxant spell on Diana and carried her over to her bed. He then untied Ginny and Hermione and they held each other until they could all stop crying.

**********************************

"Come on now," Ginny said quietly as they sat in the semi-darkness, " We're English. A spot of tea is supposed to heal all wounds,"

Harry just looked at her, guilt radiating off his person in waves, tangible to even the most imperceptive of human beings.

"I'm - so sorry," Harry said in a near whisper.

"It -It wasn't your fault, Harry," Ginny assured him.

"Yes, It was," Harry said before clearing his throat, "He came here because of me - because I put his kid in Azkaban. He came to take what I hold most dear,"

Hermione's head snapped up at this.

"Harry," she whispered as she grabbed his hand, "It wasn't your fault. He was deranged long before you got to his son,"

"He came for you," he whispered back at her, "He knows that if he takes you, I'd die inside,"

"Harry-" Hermione broke off as she released his hand.

The muscles in Harry's jaw and neck tightened and pulsed as he looked away from her.

"Spare me," He said before she could say anything.

"I can't take you telling me why I can't love you, " He whispered brokenly, "Not now. Not so soon after - "

Harry cut himself off, as he stood from his chair and made his way over to the door.

He left, closing the door softly behind him.

***********

As soon as Hermione heard the door latch behind Harry, she dropped her head to the table and cried. She cried like she hadn't cried for Ron, she cried so much she felt like she was broken inside. Ginny made her way over to her friend to comfort her. As soon as the comforting hug of her friend engulfed her, she cried all the more. She cried because she hurt him, she cried because, in doing so, she hurt herself.

"You've got to stop doing this to him - and to yourself," Ginny added as an afterthought.

"I don't deserve him, Ginny. I'm no different than your stupid brother. I - I...I slept with Harry, even though I'm still married to Ron. I know you must think me to be a horrible, corrupt, useless human being. I'm so sorry, Ginny," Hermione pleaded through her tears.

"Hermione, be it legal, or no...Your marriage to my brother was broken when he betrayed the love you shared. Marriage is about trust and commitment - without that it's meaningless. What you have with Ron, isn't a marriage, it's nothing but a legal contract. As a matter of fact..." Ginny mused.

Her eyes lit up and she raised Hermione's chin with her finger.

"Hermione!!! You wouldn't happen to have your marriage certificate with you, would you?" Ginny asked excitedly.

"Yes, but what does - " Hermione said before she had a sudden epiphany. She bolted up from the seat she was in and ran up the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her.

She came back moments later, clutching a roll of aged parchment in her left hand -face beaming.

"Ginevra Weasley, you're a genius!!!!" Hermione squealed.

"Yes, good, good. Never call me by my given name again," Ginny said with false irritation.

Hermione just smirked at her.

Hermione unfurled the parchment and scanned it over quickly. When she was through, she whooped with joy and tossed the parchment at her redheaded roommate.

"A ha! Just as I suspected a-"

"Annulled!!!"

A/N: Alright, alright....I know you wanna kill me cause I left it there. Also that you wanna kill me some more because there was an extremely large gap between updates. Before anyone decides to bitch me out about the wait...I'll tell you why. My grandfather died and I wasn't up to writing fanfiction, that and I've been sick as a dog. You don't have to type up your condolences, I didn't tell you for that. Just please try not to be too harsh in your criticisms. I made this chapter longer than most chapters to make up for it. I hope you all like it.

Oh yeah, I disclaim - none of these characters are mine and MOST of the plot goes to the credit of whoever wrote 'Hope Floats'.