I have decided to use a little creative license with Draco's wife, Astoria, and make her more my own character. She was a Slytherin, but she as one of the lesser known students and stood back more while her sister, Daphne Greengrass, made Hermione's life a living hell (as we all know).
I'm adding another note. I am H/Hr shipper, otherwise I would never come to this site. If you don't like the rate the story is going at then you don't have to read it. I like write slowly and take my time-currently, I am not in school so I have more time to write. I've also been really obsessed with reading/writing Buffy fanfiction for the past two years so I'm needing to reacquaint myself with a majority of my knowledge of the HP world (rereading the books/on the HP lexicon all day).
~*~
Chapter One
Hermione sat cross-legged in her bed with an array of notes about Wizard law and several books on the floor about the history of the many so-called "pure-blood" families in their world. She was fed up with the injustices they were allowed to inflict amongst others who they thought were not pure, and so she was finally going to do something about it now that her children were both safely in Hogwarts. She now had a job at the Ministry in the Department of Magical Law.
She nearly jumped when her hair was pushed aside and she felt a kiss on the side of her neck.
"Why don't you put this away, Hermione?" Ron asked.
Hermione closed her eyes. It wasn't because she enjoyed the feeling of her husband kissing her, but because she really did not have time for him after their fight. "Not now, Ronald."
He stepped back. Hermione's back went rigid.
"Why the hell not? I was trying to make up with you."
"You're really off to a great start, darling," Hermione snapped at him.
"I just can't see why you won't agree to another baby."
"Honestly, you're going to bring that up again? I said no. With Rose and Hugo finally in Hogwarts, I actually have time to work at the Ministry and make a real difference."
"You can do that with another baby," Ron walked to the other side of the bed and carelessly pushed her notes to the side.
"Ron! Stop, you're going to ruin them." Hermione narrowed her eyes at Ron. "With all the help you allow me to have with Rose and Hugo while they're here? No, thank you. I always wanted two children, and I'm very happy with daughter and son."
Ron's ears turned red. "You did perfectly fine when you had that law passed for the treatment of House Elves. They are rightfully getting paid, and a dragon can't be wrongfully chained up in Gringotts anymore. What else do you have to do that would stop us from having another child?"
"Ron, I did that part time."
"I make enough money as an Auror. Hell, we could even afford three more children."
"Three more children?!" Hermione shrieked. "You know I only wanted a boy and a girl, and we have that. Quite frankly, Ronald, I know you're from a large family, but I don't want to end up stretching our budget like that. You never helped me with Rose and Hugo."
"Yes I did! That's shite, Hermione, and you know it-"
"No, you didn't help me. Molly helped me. A new baby requires a lot more attention than older children such as Ron and Hugo, and I can't do that right now. This law is going to stir up a lot of old trouble and I would like to not have to worry about a new child on the way while I am fighting for the rights of witches and wizards who were not born into this society from an old, powerful family. I've never wanted a big family, Ron."
"Well, Harry and Ginny are going to have a big family. She said she has been thinking about asking him to have another baby too. She has no doubt he would agree immediately."
Hermione closed her eyes for a moment and pressed her thumbs into her eye sockets. Breathe deeply, she reminded herself. Was Ron always going to remain jealous of their best friend?
"Besides, what the bloody hell do you mean, you don't want a big family? You married into one!"
Breathe slowly, she told herself. "Yes, I married into one, but I never agreed to a big one in my own nuclear family. I could very well lose this job with this proposal I have been working on, and it would mean trouble for us monetarily. Can't you just drop this? I don't want another baby."
Ron turned so red the lamp light next to their bed started to flicker. "No. I won't. I want another kid. I'd rather have you home than stirring up more trouble at the Ministry."
Hermione threw up her hands. "Okay, Ron, if that's the case, then I'm going out. I'm not going to stay here and continue to have this conversation with you." With a wave of her wand, all of Hermione's things on the bed and the floor neatly arranged themselves on her work desk in the corner of their bedroom.
She stood and grabbed her cell phone, fully intent on dialing a number when Ron grabbed her arm.
"Like hell you're going anywhere, I want to talk about this more."
"If this is your idea of persuading me to stay, than you are dead wrong in thinking it will work." Ron gripped her arm so tightly it hurt. Ron quickly realized his fingertips were digging into Hermione's skin.
Ripping her arm away, she walked downstairs and dialed the number she meant to dial before Ron stopped her.
"Astoria? Call Luna? I need a bloody drink."
~*~
Astoria Greengrass Malfoy was one of the last people Hermione ever thought she would find herself to be friends with because she was, after all, married to Draco Malfoy. The man made it his duty to make her days in Hogwarts a living hell when they were children, but he later redeemed himself in the war when he realized the error in his family's ways. Ron actually found it quite annoying that his wife and Malfoy's wife were, in fact, friends.
"I'm shocked, Hermione," Astoria said as they walked into the Three Broomsticks. "I can't remember the last time you wanted to go out with Luna and me to drink!"
Luna Lovegood Scamander hadn't changed a bit since their days in Hogwarts. She wore a large, glossy seashell around her neck and had her hair up in a bun with loose tendrils which framed her hair nicely. "I do miss our time together," she added after Astoria as the three witches took a seat in a booth.
"But why are we so far from the Hallow?" Astoria asked.
"Ron is acting like an ass again, I had to get away."
"Did he get attacked by a rabies infested garden gnome again?"
Hermione wanted to bite back a nasty retort to Luna but Astoria gave her a cross look. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She was mad at Ron, not at Luna, although she sometimes was just as far out in her beliefs as she was when they were still children.
"No-no he didn't, Luna. He has been fighting with me to have another baby."
Astoria shook her head. "Hermione, you knew he would want more than two children. Look at his family! His mother had seven children."
"It's not fair of him to ask you for another child. You are doing so well in Magical Law."
"Hey girls, what'll you have tonight?" Madame Rosemerta.
"Firewisky," Hermione said immediately.
"Someone is definitely in a mood tonight," Astoria said. "How about we make it a couple of rounds of shots? And keep them coming."
"Absolutely!"
"Could I have a butterbeer mixed with my firewhisky? I find it sooths the effects and it is quite tasty." Luna asked Rosemerta.
Astoria and Hermione thought nothing of this request from her friend. It had been the drink Luna often had when they went out together when they were in their early twenties.
"Something else is bothering you." Luna seemed to be studying Hermione. This sometimes unnerved the older witch, but she knew there was nothing she could really get past her friend when she knew there was something wrong with her.
"I did something really stupid the other day."
Hermione fiddled with the ends of her t-shirt as both of her friends looked at her, waiting for her to go on about what it was she did that was so stupid. She looked around The Three Broomsticks and noticed there weren't many people there that night. Not people who would care, anyway. The hype over the war had died down quite a bit and witches and wizards were able to fully enjoy their lives.
"Well, what is it? You can't keep us in suspense like that," Astoria asked.
"I… Um… I need a shot first."
A shot later, the girls were still looking at Hermione expectantly. The firewhisky still burned her throat, but it was a good burn, a burn she felt like she needed.
"You're being avoidant," Luna pointed out.
"Okay! I, um, asked Harry what he thought it might be like had we been in a relationship instead. Would we be married? Would we have kids? Ron-he, I do love him, but he has just been so awful with the new baby idea. It's like he doesn't want me to work or do much of anything at all anymore."
Astoria grabbed her hand. "Oh, Hermione-what did he say?"
Luna and Astoria were the only souls who knew about what almost happened with Harry in the tent all those years ago. It hadn't really been anything-they almost kissed. Hermione had been so upset and needed comfort so badly, Harry had just automatically been there for her in ways Ron never was throughout their entire marriage.
"I think I shocked him, honestly," she told her friends. "He said he had feelings for me in fifth year, but he didn't say anything much about it after that. He just sort of got quiet."
Astoria fluffed her dark brown hair hair and took another shot of firewhisky. "Have an affair. It'll do you good."
"Astoria! I could never do that." Hermione had to take another shot at the thought.
"You very well could. Think of the scandal."
Hermione could only stare at her friend blankly. "Ha! Absolutely not."
"Astoria, she couldn't. Ron would finally blow his head off in anger if she did." Luna calmly took a sip of her butterbeer and firewhisky concoction. "I mean it! It wouldn't be a pretty sight."
Astoria laughed loudly. "I'm kidding, Hermione… but you have to admit, you've been in love with Harry Potter for several years now. Unrequited love is a bitch, isn't it?"
Hermione sank back into her seat. She was too sober to think about Astoria's insinuations. She drank another shot. She would never, ever cheat on Ron. She did, however, have to be honest with herself. She wasn't going to have another baby with Ron. She didn't like the thought of having so many children, she wouldn't be able to have a proper career. He was constantly jealous of Harry's marriage with his sister-Ginny consistently talked about how easy it was to be married with him. Harry had more money than Hermione and Ron, too.
"I am thinking about leaving Ron… he, um, I don't know. Since the children aren't there anymore, makes me feel like, why bother?"
"You're fighting about more than just children, aren't you?" Luna asked.
"He… he isn't supportive in some of the laws I've been trying to get passed-you know, regulation on some of the pure blood families." Hermione pushed her hair out of her face, some of which had fallen from behind her ears.
"I completely support you on those laws. We haven't really been in the inner circle of some of the older families," Astoria said, "but Draco wouldn't try to stop anything you try to pass. His father still might, but a lot of the thought on the matter has been changed. My sister and the rest of my family, as always, are upper class, pure-bred pigs."
Hermione and Luna laughed. Astoria had been disowned from her family when she married Draco.
"But I don't want to talk about that! Let's talk about Harry," Astoria said. "I may be thirty-eight, my goodness if anything ever happened-"
Hermione blushed red. "Astoria, please."
"Why don't you tell us what you didn't tell Harry? There must have been something you wanted to say to him."
Hermione took another shot. She took in a deep breath, and found she was starting to feel the burn of the firewhisky as it went down her throat.
"I wish he would have kissed me. I might have been happier-no, I would have been happier. Ron has been better since school, he has grown… but he gets into testosterone ridden rages which haven't gone away even though we're thirty-nine. I always wondered when I was a child if I would end up with one of them…and sometimes I think I chose wrong… Bah! I'm acting silly again! Ginny is his sweetheart." She felt slightly sick at the thought. "I did more harm than good by mentioning it, I'm sure."
Astoria and Luna shook their heads vigorously. "I always was under the impression you were quite dim-witted when you chose Ronald," Luna said.
"What does that mean-"
"Ladies," Astoria interjected. "You aren't silly. I think, my friend, you are having a mid-life crisis-or is that what muggles call them?"
Hermione laughed. "All this stuff about Harry… I am being silly. He's happy with Ginny. No, I don't quite think that's what I'm having, although I am thinking of leaving Ronald. I want to teach at Hogwarts if I can't do anything with Magical Law." There was something else Hermione wanted to tell her friends, but she decided against it. She had her suspicions about her husband, but they were just that. Suspicions. "Ron would never let me do that even though McGonagall as asked."
"I've been telling you to leave him for years," Astoria said. She looked at Luna with bright, twinkling eyes. "What say you, Luna? Do you agree?"
"Of course I do!"
Hermione sank back into her seat. "I'm too much of a coward to leave him."
"Ha! I'd get Draco to pull for the divorce for you. He'd do it just to spite Ron." Astoria threw back another shot.
~*~
Harry and Hermione aren't going to cheat on their current spouses, but I would like to remind you, they WILL get together. It just might take Harry longer.
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