Author's note: Wow guys. I really should play the wounded writer with no reviews more often. Thank you so much. But you know, this means I expect loads for each update now ;) Thank you everyone who reviewed. Really. Each one makes me so happy. I also have a couple of things to say.

I got a few questions/comments about a few things that I'd like to clear up. Firstly, Hermione's age. I realise that it doesn't fit in with real time, as in, during 2011 she wouldn't be 28. I realise this, but it's easier for me and just fits in the story better. I hope you don't mind.

Secondly, I've had a few 'Hermione wouldn't have an affair/she isn't the type.' Reviews and messages. This isn't a hater thing on anyone who has/had/having affairs, neither is it something that preaches them. It's more of trying to understand loving someone and being with someone else, if you get me. The point of the story is that Hermione is obviously horrified at the idea of an affair, as a lot of people are, but then she as she looks at it from another perspective and starts to experience it, she realises things aren't so black and white.

Lastly, I'm sorry for not posting this on Saturday as I said would. I'm on study leave. Also, posts may become somewhat erratic over the next month or two as it's all a bit of a rush and cramming for exams and revision and blah. But bear with me. As soon as summer hits, it'll be post after post. I also have ideas for my 'dead' stories and what I'm going to do with them. So yeah. Bear with me guys. And please review! Review! Review!

Hermione fell back into her pillows, unable to comprehend a response. Draco Malfoy. She was having an affair with Draco Malfoy. No. No way. That was impossible. They had hated each other at Hogwarts. Or rather, she had felt sorry for him, she left the hating for him to do. It was typical bully psychology; the bully is always the victim. Whether the abuse had been verbal, physical, or from pressure, there was something there that had made Draco Malfoy be the boy he had been.

Mudblood he always called her. She brushed it to one side usually, taking it on the chin - turning the other cheek. At first, it had upset her; she had cried herself to sleep. But that had been the only time. The only thing she had felt for him since first year was pity and sadness, occasionally anger.

So why the fuck would she have an affair with him?

Who was this 'Livy' person coming and telling her what her life supposed life was all about? She had claimed to be Hermione's best friend, but for all Hermione knew, she could have been anyone.

Suddenly, rage bubbled within her. "Look, Livy, Olivia, I don't even know you! I haven't spoken back to Draco Malfoy since Hogwarts, and when we did talk, it was more from his side and it tended to be rather abusive." Hermione spoke cuttingly, her voice getting louder. "I have no idea who you think you are, telling me all this bullshit about my life. I would never do anything like that. I wouldn't marry someone to maintain a commitment or whatever you said, I would never be that desperate for a child, and I'm certainly not an," Hermione lowered her voice and hissed "adulteress."

Livy blinked not sure whether to laugh or cry. Her own anger boiled up insider her, but she tried to keep an even voice as she spoke curtly. "I appreciate you have lost your memory, hence you wouldn't remember anything, but I'm trying to help you here Hermione. I've hardly left this joint since your accident. Ask Ginny, or Harry, or Jamie – I've hardly left your side. And if you are so happy with Ron, and vice versa, why isn't he sitting here waiting for you to wake up, hmm?" Livy glowered at Hermione for a moment. Her features then softened slightly. "Hermione, this must all sound so crazy and messed up, but you have to believe me – have to trust me. Do you think if this was Ron sitting here, he would tell you that the night of your accident you were leaving him? Really? I'm trying to help you Hermione." She repeated, "before someone else takes advantage."

Hermione lowered her gaze. Livy had a point.

"What can I do to prove this all to you..." Livy trailed off, her forehead wrinkled and she bit her bottom lip. She thought for a few moments. "Oh, why didn't I think of it before? I'll be right back." She shot up like a rocket and almost ran out of the door before Hermione could even open her mouth.

Livy was gone less than a minute and returned with a large plastic pocket containing some jewellery and a large red hand bag.

"I'm so fabulous – a complete genius. This is your bag you left Ron's with. You have to have some trace of Draco in here surely." And with that, she unzipped then upturned Hermione's bag, the contents falling all over the bed.

Hermione sat up eagerly, careful not to knock anything off the bed. There was typical things, lipsticks, tissues, a pen. The first thing Hermione picked up was a green leather bound notebook, a large silver dragon embossed on the front.

"Nothing screams 'Slytherin' like green and silver." Livy winked. "Or 'Draco' like a dragon." Hermione glared at her for a split second before opening it. It was an appointment and day diary. "That'll be a good memory jogger." Livy commented. "Budge over." She said. Hermione obliged and Livy sat next to Hermione, peering over her arm as she flicked through the little book.

It was hardly riveting stuff. Just initials, departments, abbreviations and times. But one thing struck Hermione. Every Wednesday was marked with 'Lunch. Darcy.' Darcy was also a recurring character. Dinners, lunches, and some whole mornings and afternoons. The second most occurring name after Darcy was Livy, which too was mainly lunches, but also plans for dinners on Fridays, and sometimes mid-week.

"Whose Darcy? I seem to see them often. Do you know her? Is she nice?"

Livy put a hand to her mouth trying to cover a laugh. "Of course, you don't know!" A loud laugh escaped her mouth.

"You think?"

"Sorry," Livy coughed trying to clear her throat. "Ok, this is going to sound crazy. Even more crazy than an affair in the first place. But - " she laughed again "Draco's pseudonym that you use for him is Darcy McKenzie. It's D M like Draco Malfoy?"

Hermione looked at her. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"That's what I said, but Jamie and Draco thought it was quite clever really. Ron thinks she's your best Muggle childhood friend who you've recently gotten back in contact with. Well, I say recently, but it's been about ten months."

"Ten months?" Hermione echoed. She'd been cheating on Ron for ten months. Ten months. 40 weeks. 280 days.

"Yeah. Ok...lets skim over that bit until we find the proof. Have a flick through that notebook and see if there's any notes or phone numbers or something. I'll check your purse." Livy suggested.

Hermione flicked to the back and saw a list of addresses, occasionally with phone numbers, listed by department and seniority, penned in with her own script. There was at least three names per department. Two-years-on Hermione knew a lot of people. Her eyes fell to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement list. Jamie's name was on there, along with Lucy, her boss. There were names she recognised and others she didn't. The list consisted of around 40 people, so she guessed she must have catalogued the whole of the department. About three-quarters way down the list her heart stopped.

Draco Malfoy 0793758392753, 012896764856. Penthouse 7, Pier Avenue, The Marina, London Docklands, London.

Hermione's eyes desperately flew to the section of details under the heading 'Personal'. Third on the list of about twenty was Darcy McKenzie. The only contact details was a mobile number.

"Well, there you go." Livy remarked, looking from the book to Hermione and back again. "You have not only one phone number for transvestite-Draco but two for the real one as well. You at least can work out you must at least be on speaking terms with the bloke if you have that information."

Hermione just blinked at the book in her hands. "Check the front. See if there's anything there." Livy said. Numbly, Hermione did as she said.

Her breath caught in her throat. On the inside cover, inscribed in perfect calligraphy, penned in an emerald green ink was a message.

H,

Clocks always mock you – may that soon change. Happy New Year; to something better, brighter and everlasting. Yours always, D.

The book slipped through her fingers. "B-b-but this isn't proof. I-I-I mean, it's not a picture."

"All be it from me to point out obvious, but you're having an affair. Behind your husband's back." Livy began.

"Really? Here was me thinking you had sex with the guy in front of them." Hermione said sardonically.

"My point is you aren't exactly going to have an A4 framed picture of you and Draco lying around in your bag. But there's evidence right there. How many people do you know, whose name begin with 'D' andwould sign something to you 'yours always'? Hm?"

Hermione flung her arms over her face. "Stop making sense." She groaned.

"And, wait!" Livy clapped her hand to her forehead. "I do have picture evidence! I can be the biggest clutz sometimes. Urgh." She plucked her phone off the side table and began tapping at it furiously. "Here." She said, thrusting it under Hermione's nose. Hermione took it out of her friend's hands and slowly opened her eyes.

It was a Christmas meal. Livy and Jamie sat on one side of a large table, Hermione and...him at the other. Hermione blinked rapidly. Her heart began to race. There were quite a lot of people there – may be ten in total. They were in a dining room covered with tinsel, Christmas ornaments all around. The dining room was long and rectangular in shape, the table going down the length of the space. One of the long walls was entirely glass. Out of it, Hermione could see a snow covered garden, and remnants of what looked like a snow ball fight from scuffs in the snow and make shift shield-hills. All the people smiled happily at the camera with paper crowns on their heads and broken crackers littered the table. One empty seat beside Livy and an empty plate obviously belonged to the person taking the picture. She recognised no one, expect Jamie and Livy. She peered closer, her pulse banging in her ear drums. She recognised a man sitting a couple of seats up from...she forced herself to think his name...Draco. It was Blaise Zabini. He had his arm around the chair of a curvy, ginger haired girl. Hermione had never seen her before in her life.

Now forced herself to look at her and...Draco. It was getting easier the more she said his name. Her breath caught in her throat again. She sat nearer the camera than him. He had one arm around the back of her chair, the other casually resting on her thigh. Her head was resting on his chest, face turned to the camera. He was laughing and his chin rested on the top of her head, though carefully, as though he had thought not to squash her paper crown. His hair was no longer slicked back; it was cut smartly but hung around his face. He was still lean but built and defined. He had retained the angular jaw, but had somehow grown into the cheekbones and nose.

Looking at herself, she couldn't see much difference, yet there was so much change. She wore a red strappy dress that she usually wouldn't even register when shopping. Her hair was long and curled around her, natural, almost bushy. Her cheeks held a red tinge that rarely appeared. She too was mid-laugh.

She glowed. He glowed.

Slowly, Hermione dragged shaking fingers over the screen, reluctantly looking up at Livy disbelievingly.

"Boxing day at Blaise's house. It was meant to be Christmas dinner, but you had to be with Ron on Christmas day, so he changed it so you and Draco could have a Christmas together, with all of us, so we had it on Boxing day. That's his fiancée, Victoria. She's Muggleborn too, works at my shop. That's how they met." She smiled and gave a small laugh. That's all our friends – our little group."

"And they all know about...about...the affair." Hermione said hollowly.

"Yes. They all help though. As in, they cover for you. When Ron asks where you are, which is hardly ever, they all give you a story. An alibi. That's Katrina, next to Jamie. She's Victoria's sister."

Hermione blinked and nodded numbly as Livy pointed out all the people to Hermione. She couldn't help but letting her gaze fall onto herself and the Slytherin. Hermione had never seen him so...happy, handsome and carefree. Thinking back, she had hardly thought of him as ugly, but she hadn't exactly had a crush on him. The verbal abuse and ridicules had put a barrier up against any and all development of that department. But now...he looked so different. So new.

Voices pulled Hermione out of her trance and Livy jumped. Ron's voice could be heard in the corridor outside her room, getting louder and louder, accompanied by that of Healer Johnston.

"Shit," Livy cursed as she yanked her phone out of Hermione's hand, ramming it in her bag. She quickly scooped all Hermione's belonging back into Hermione's bag, the little leather bound notebook included and half hid it under the bed.

"Hermione," Livy said. When she got no response, she shook her best friend until Hermione's head turned. Livy shook her shoulders again. "You know nothing ok. You have amnesia. You don't know you are in love with Draco. You are happily married to Ron. You don't know you are leaving him." Livy shook her again before sitting down hurriedly, trying to look natural. "If any of them knew I told you the truth they'd be pissed. More pissed at me and Jamie than they are now. The Healer's were talking about letting you go home tomorrow, so I'll pop over then. We'll talk again ok." She bent down and kissed Hermione's cheek just as Ron opened the door.

"'Mione, love. You're up!"

"You know nothing." Livy whispered in her ear before she stood. "Afternoon Ron, I was just leaving." And with that she breezed out of the door, turning to give Hermione a lingering glance as the door swung shut.

"Hermione love, how are you? There's been..." Hermione tried to look engaged, and nodded when Ron spoke to her and gave vague answers when he questioned her, but her mind was spinning.

She was supposedly in love with Draco Malfoy.

Ivy Echelon, 19th April 2011