Beautiful Disaster
Chapter 35
A/N: Thank you to everyone who has been so eternally patient with me. This is not the last chapter. There will be one after this to completely finish the story. I want to send out huge thanks to Kim who has spent years reading this. And to Raa who, even though she has never read this fic, betaed this chapter. That takes courage! I'm posting this here because H&V is down but this will also ultimately end up on AO3.

Hermione sat at Leaky Cauldron waiting for her friends to arrive.

Since the end of the war, she and Draco had taken refuge in one another, recovering within the walls of his ancient home. Even now, Draco had nightmares from which he woke shaking, tears running down his face. He was left dazed and uncertain of what was actually happening. Hermione would pull him to her, hold him tight, and hope that he would be able to get back to sleep, free of the terror haunting his dreams.

They'd been alone for the most part. She had popped over to see her parents several times, Draco in tow. (He was charming and instantly swept her mother off her feet. Her father had remained a little more aloof; however, Draco was not one to be ignored or disliked when he had set his mind to impress. Only a handful of visits later, Hermione found Draco and her father happily binge-watching Star Wars late one night.) But besides those visit, they'd stayed close to home, enjoying the solitude: after the war, each day spent in peace seemed a victory.

A constant stream of owls kept them well informed of their friends. Draco corresponded often with Daphne, who happily had come out of the final battle unaffected. Greg, who had also survived unscathed, reported with delight that he and Tracey were expecting—a surprise for Hermione, but not Draco. He'd known all along that Greg would do anything to avoid annulling his marriage—an easy task with Goyle Sr. in Azkaban. Meanwhile, Ginny's letters kept Hermione up to date on Harry. All in all, Ginny had written, Harry was coping quite well with not having a psychotic killer out to get him. Harry, as usual, wrote little of his troubles but was quite effusive about Ginny and how bright Grimmauld Place was whenever she visited. Even Ron wrote, his letters short and sweet. He simply asked how she was and if she needed anything.

Of course, she needed nothing besides what she already had: Draco beside her, and his fortune at their disposal. She tried instead to ask Ron about how he was, but he was rather elusive about the matter. Even Ginny remarked upon how distant Ron was being. It was one of the issues Hermione hoped to work out when they all got together today. Draco was staying away—he wasn't anxious to incorporate her friends into his life permanently anyway. He also didn't want to admit that he owed Ron for protecting Hermione during Pansy and Blaise's attack.

Blaise had been sent back to Azkaban despite concerns over how he's managed to escape in the first place. That had been revealed a week after the battle when a guard was found examining old magical blueprints of the prison; that he had ties to several Death Eater families. After a round of Vertiserum, he confessed all: he had helped the prisoners escape. He'd even been at the final battle, managing to escape before Harry faced off with Voldemort, as he'd seen the writing on the wall. When he was caught with the blueprints, he'd been planning to release the Death Eaters once again.

They'd kept up with the goings-on from within Malfoy Manor, delighted with their friends' letters and relieved that Blaise's would-be freer was caught. But they'd had to surface eventually—and Hermione was glad to. It'd been far too long.

With perfect timing, Ginny plopped down across from her. "This place is a madhouse! I nearly didn't see you all the way back here!"

Hermione smiled. "Seems that a raucous group has taken up the front of the bar. I even had a drink bought for me for my part in the final battle. People seem to still be celebrating and you can't fault them for that."

Ginny shook her head and ordered a butterbeer. "No, I can't. Speaking of, Harry should be along in a moment. He got stopped by a few kids on Diagon Alley—the great Harry Potter and all that. How great would they think he is if they knew the man couldn't put the toilet seat down upon pain of death?" She looked to Hermione, who smiled. "What, you don't have that problem with Draco?"

Hermione shook her head. "The one perk of having house-elves, shall we say. But I told him when we finally get our own flat he's not allowed to bring them."

"How did he take that?"

She shrugged. "He tried to distract me with sex."

Ginny smirked. "Successfully?"

"Yes. Well, distracted me for a moment, but you know how I am... no amount of Veela in that man will make me change my mind."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Poor Draco. He doesn't stand a chance."

"Poor him? Poor me! I don't stand a chance. He knows all the ways to push my buttons and uses them constantly. He's this irresistible magnet and I'm struggling to find fault with him now. This Veela/Mate thing is a struggle to fight against."

She was quiet for a moment, but Ginny broke her away from her train of thought. "How are other things going?"

"Other things being?"

"I don't know. Job hunt?"

Hermione shrugged. "I've decided to forgo the job hunt for the time being since I'm going to university."

"What field?"

"Law, of course. I want to ensure the equal rights of all citizens and creatures of the world. I can only do that if I know what I'm doing."

Ginny smiled. "I don't think they could have a better advocate. What does Draco think?"

"He told me, 'The world should be afraid'. Not sure what that meant as he distracted me again..."

"Is this whole conversation going to be about you trying to have conversations with Draco and the many ways he's found to distract you?"

Hermione blushed as Ginny grinned. "He's very good at it. However, we haven't had sex in over a week because I told him that I want our next time to be in our own space, in our house. I think we're both nearly climbing the walls at this point. He's trying for all he's worth to get me to give in and just have sex already." She flashed Ginny a smile. "But I'm stubborn."

"Then I was right!" laughed Ginny. "Poor Draco! I think I distract Harry way more than he distracts me."

"I don't know about that. All these years you've been focused on Harry Potter."

Ginny shook her head. "That was a childhood adoration."

"Which has mutated into adult love and lust."

Ginny heaved a heavy sigh. "Only, the lust part seems to be waning."

"Meaning?"

Ginny frowned. "We haven't since… the end of the war."

Hermione was surprised by this admission, and her eyes widened. She knew how much the strain of abstaining a week was getting to her. She couldn't imagine an entire month without. "Why?"

"I don't know! I mean, we're sleeping in the same bed every night, but he doesn't… initiate anything."

She thought back to Draco and how he was very handsy in the morning. She had to practically leap from the bed to keep herself from giving in to his charms. She'd thought about sleeping in another room, but the truth was she slept better when he was beside her. "Have you tried?"

"Yes. He always manages to evade me," she said as she toyed with a napkin on the table, ripping it into pieces. "It's frustrating!"

"Have you talked to him about it?"

"Tried," she sighed. "Maybe you can get more out of him, some sort of explanation."

"Every letter he's written to me talks about how happy he is that he has space and that you're there with him." Ginny frowned and Hermione furrowed her brow. "Maybe he's still trying to adjust to his new life. I know he adores you."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "He's got a funny way of showing it."

Ginny had all but eviscerated the napkin in front of her.

"I'll talk to him," Hermione said, finally.

They were interrupted by Ron joining them at the table. "This place is packed! Why are you lot sitting all the way back here?"

"It was the only table," Hermione said with a shrug. "Nice to see you, too," she said, to which Ron gave her a smile.

Ginny leaned her head on her hand that was propped on the table. "And where have you been?" she asked accusingly, wagging a finger of her other hand at her older brother.

"Out," Ron said and sniffed Hermione's drink. He then held the glass up, two fingers and motioned to the bar, hoping Tom understood that he wanted two drinks. He was waved off by Tom and frowned. He turned his attention back to the table when he realized that his drink might be slow arriving. "How are you, Hermione?"

She furrowed her brow. The boys were being elusive. Harry wasn't much for secret-keeping, so Ron probably knew what was bothering Harry. And Harry probably knew what was happening with Ron. They were excluding her. How dare they! She thought.

"I'm fine." She examined her friend for a moment and then she saw it, a small mark over the pulse in Ron's neck. She leaned in, squinting her eyes, and then looked over to Ginny, realizing that Ron would never disclose what was going on with him as long as his little sister was at the table. She needed a reason for Ginny to leave and nearly grinned as she found it. "Ginny, since I can't get out, would you go to the bar and get a refill, Ron's drink and fetch us something to snack on?"

The look in Ginny's eye told her that whatever information she got out of Ron better be shared later. Once Ginny was out of earshot, Hermione reached up and touched the purpling spot on Ron's neck.

"Ow!"

"What is that?" she asked, demanding an answer.

"Shaving accident."

"Nice try. I can see teeth imprints." She could play the 'lie game' just as well as he could.

Ron looked over at Hermione, then brought his hand up to his neck. "Can you really?"

"I can't believe you fell for that. Who's been sucking on your neck, Ron?" Hermione asked, poking him in the side.

Ron frowned and swirled around the remnants of Hermione's nearly empty drink. "I don't kiss and tell."

"Yes, you do. I'm sure Harry knows."

He ran a hand over his face and avoided looking at her. "He does know. But it was an accident that he found out."

"Why are you keeping it a secret?"

"Because I'm allowed to have secrets."

"Who is it, Ron? Don't make me point out your love bite to your sister!"

His shoulders sagged. "Fine, but you can't tell anyone, Hermione. We're...not a couple and it's just sort of a comfort thing..."

"I don't fault you for licking your wounds with someone. Just tell me who."

He looked at his hands that were clasped on the table. "Padma."

"What?!" She asked as her jaw hung open in surprise. "She dislikes you."

He nodded. "She's still not my biggest fan."

"Are you sleeping together?"

"There is no sleeping involved."

"But there is shagging?"

"A lot of shagging," he admitted with a grin.

Hermione was beyond confused. She knew Padma's feelings about Ron, and she knew that Ron hadn't been all that interested in Padma. He had treated her horribly in Fourth Year. "How did this happen?"

He shrugged. "I got a letter from her a week after the war thanking me for what I did for Parvati. She asked if we could meet and talk. It went horribly as we have nothing, and I mean nothing, in common. I was still a gentleman and walked her to the door… and then she pulled me inside and we shagged."

"Is that where you've been sneaking?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. She's put a charm on my wand to make it vibrate whenever she's feeling particularly randy and I meet her and we have sex," he said, blushing slightly. "It's working out pretty well for me, so far."

"But you're not dating."

"No," he shook his head for emphasis.

"Do you talk?"

"You mean have conversations?"

Hermione nodded.

"No."

Hermione stared at the table. "So, it actually is a 'licking of wounds'."

Ron chuckled a bit. "Yeah."

"How do you feel about that?"

He shrugged. "I'm fine with it, to be honest. It wouldn't work if it was anything other than sex."

Hermione sighed. "Does she feel the same?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "I told you, we don't talk. It's purely physical."

"Well, then, congratulations?"

Ron smirked. "Thanks."

"Why are you keeping it a secret?"

"You think I would tell those psychopaths that make up my family so they could make my life hell? No, thank you. Harry only found out because I had snuck her into his place so we could be alone for longer. Her parents coming home has been a problem. Ginny doesn't know because I make sure not to be there when she is. I'm not sure how long it will last, and I don't want any of my family getting their hopes up about something more coming out of it." He looked over at Hermione. "Which reminds me, you can't tell Malfoy."

Her eyes widened. "Why not?"

"Come on, Hermione. He'd take an advert out in the Prophet just to take the piss out of me! And he's friends with Padma. The last thing I need or want is someone butting their nose into our business. Especially him."

She shook her head and felt the need to defend Draco. "He wouldn't do that, you know? He likes Padma so he wouldn't humiliate her like that."

"So, it's humiliating to shag me?" he asked, tilting his head at her.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "No. But it's humiliating to splash someone's love life on the front page of the paper. Believe me, I would know." She sighed. "But fine, I won't tell him."

"Do you promise?"

She was quiet for a moment and then glared at Ron. "Fine. I promise."

"Thank you. Now, what's wrong with Ginny?"

"You don't really want to know," she said, trying to spare her friend the thought of his little sister and best friend having sex.

"Yes, I do."

Hermione looked over at him. "She can't get Harry to shag her."

"Oh, Merlin! Hermione!"

"You said you wanted to know," she defended, her voice rising a bit.

"Put me off wanting to eat anything, now," Ron said as he folded his arms over his chest.

She chuckled. "Ronald, grow up. Which leads me to my next question: what is going on with Harry?"

He sighed. "I can't say."

"You 'can't say' because you don't know or you 'can't say' because you were sworn to secrecy?" He was silent and Hermione huffed out an angry breath. "Ronald Weasley, you tell me right now."

"I can't. He'd kill me."

"I might kill you. Or worse, tell Draco about you and Padma," she said with a raise of her eyebrows. It was blackmail, she knew, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

He glared at her. "You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?"

He put his head in his hands and heaved out a deep breath. "Fine. But if you tell Harry I told you..."

"I can keep a secret."

"Harry had a ring made for Ginny because he plans to propose."

Her eyes widened. "That's wonderful."

"He's had the ring for a while now, but he's nervous about asking her and he's nervous she'll find out...he's basically nervous about all of it."

"Why?"

"I dunno. He's Harry. Sometimes, he doesn't make sense."

"I heard my name," Harry said as he slid into the booth across from Ron. "What did I do?"

"You do things that don't make sense," Hermione said as she looked at her friend. He seemed so much lighter emotionally than the last time she saw him as he was being escorted into the castle for medical care.

He looked back and forth at the two of them, furrowing his brow. "Something in particular?"

As Hermione was about to answer, Ginny set the drinks down in front of Ron. She gingerly removed a bowl of peanuts from the crook of her elbow and placed it in the center of the table. Harry slid over to allow Ginny to sit down.

"I'm not going back up there," she said, with a meaningful look at Hermione. "There are too many people!" She looked around at the friends. "What were we talking about?"

"About how Harry does things that don't make sense," Ron said finally.

"You are in the same boat, brother," Ginny said quickly. "For instance, where did you sneak off to yesterday after lunch?"

"I had a prior engagement."

"Where?"

"Out."

"With who?"

"People."

"What people?"

"Some people I know." Ron took a sip of his drink. Hermione did her best to hide her smile at how frustrated Ginny seemed to be with Ron's lack of an answer.

"Ronald Billius Weasley, if you don't tell me, right now, what's going on with you, I'll tell the entire pub that you'd like to forever be known as Racine Weasley."

Hermione and Harry both snickered, however, Ron remained silent. "I told you, I was out with people. That's the truth."

"What people?" Ginny asked angrily.

He sighed. "Why does it matter?"

Harry huffed out a breath. "You know if you don't tell her, she'll never let it go."

He narrowed his eyes at Harry. "Of all people at this table, maybe you shouldn't be so quick to point out my keeping a secret from my sister."

Harry's eyes widened as he felt Ginny stiffen beside him and looked at Harry. "What secret?"

Harry's face was a mix between rage at Ron, who tipped his drink in Harry's direction before taking a sip, and anxiety of confessing the truth to Ginny, who had turned to face her boyfriend and future fiancee. "No secret, really. He's trying to distract you from the topic at hand, which is him avoiding answering your questions."

Hermione watched all of this with interest. She wouldn't say anything but would wait to see who would crack first. Harry turned his attention to her, almost pleading that she help him. She wouldn't. In the past, she would have done it, but now, she was interested to see how Harry or Ron would get out from underneath Ginny's ever prying control.

She felt a tug on her bond, one of longing, and she closed her eyes momentarily as a shiver ran through her body at the sensation of Draco strumming the tie that bound them together. He did that whenever he was away from her for a prolonged period of time, simply to remind her that he was waiting for her. The first time he'd done this, they'd had a horrible row in which she threatened to leave him permanently if he didn't loosen the leash he thought he had on her. He explained that he hadn't meant it that way—he simply wanted her to know he was thinking of her. She didn't get so angry about it anymore. Instead, she allowed the tendrils of her mind to drift over the bond and felt an answering tightness.

She turned her attention back to her friends and found Harry trying to placate Ginny. The other woman was not having it. In fact, she had her arms folded over her chest and looked ready to hex both Ron and Harry.

"Ginny, I promise I'm not keeping a secret. Your brother... now he has a secret."

"That you're keeping for him," she reminded Harry.

Harry looked at Ron and then turned back to Ginny. Hermione could see him weighing his options and before she could interject, Harry blurted, "Ron's shagging Padma."

Ginny's eyes widened as she looked to her brother, who had his mouth hanging open at Harry's betrayal.

"Harry!" Hermione said with a shake of her head.

"Padma?" Ginny questioned. "But she dislikes you."

Ron glared at Harry then turned his attention to Ginny. "She still does. And Harry bought a ring to propose to you," he said plainly. Harry's green eyes widened and he turned to look at Ron. "Doesn't feel too good when someone betrays your trust, does it?" He downed the rest of his drink and started on Hermione's. But she was too caught up in the interaction between Harry and Ginny to even notice that he'd taken her drink.

Ginny was looking at Harry, her eyes nearly bulging from her head at this point. "Is that true?"

"Yes," Harry whispered, defeated. "I've been trying to think of ways to ask you... and I couldn't come up with a suitable way because I'm not all that great in the romance area..."

Ginny caught his chin in her hand. "I don't need frills or pretty words, Harry. You know that."

"No... But you deserve them." They were all silent and Harry reached into his pocket and held the black box in his hand. "I wanted a more romantic setting than here." He opened the box to reveal a pear-shaped diamond on a white gold band. "But since Ron tipped my hand," he said, casting a glare at Ron, who only smirked back at his friend. The anger on his face melted away as he turned back to Ginny. "I love you. You got me through the war and the aftermath, and I would be a true ass if I didn't tell you how wonderful I think you are. So, Ginerva Weasley, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Harry's hands shook as he held the box out to Ginny. The other girl smiled. "I'm still at Hogwarts."

"Long engagement," he whispered.

Ginny remained silent, and Hermione huffed out a breath. "Ginny! Put him out of his misery and accept!"

Ginny smiled. "I only wanted to make him suffer for being so secretive for the last month," she said as she leaned in and planted a kiss on Harry's lips. She broke the kiss and leaned her forehead against his.

Ron smirked. "That a yes?"

"It's a 'hell yes'," Ginny said with a grin.

Harry looked near to passing out, but he managed to take the ring out of the box and placed the diamond on her finger and kissed Harry again.

Hermione was startled from watching her friends as Ron suddenly stood in his seat. "Everyone! My sister, Ginny Weasley, is engaged to the Harry Potter! Drinks are on Harry Potter to celebrate!" Everyone in the room cheered and a rush went out to the bar for people ordering drinks. Several people came up to the table and shook Harry's hand and Ginny glared at her brother. He jumped to the floor and drank down the rest of Hermione's drink. "That's for blabbing about Padma," he said before he left.

Hermione laughed at the expression on Harry's face, however, he felt Ginny loop her arm through his and placed a kiss on his cheek and was quickly distracted from what Ron had done.

Hermione entered Malfoy Manor and stopped suddenly at hearing moans coming from Narcissa's parlor. She quickly ran up the stairs to her and Draco's room… where she found him seated on the terrace, his feet, which were bare and crossed at the ankles, propped on one of the other chairs. He had a book in his hands which snapped closed as she made her way out to the terrace and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

He looked up at her and smiled. "Nice time?"

"Yes. Harry and Ginny got engaged."

Draco nodded. "Good for them," he said, as he captured her hand in his and placed a kiss in her palm.

She moved to sit in the chair across him, which made him put his feet to the floor. She kicked off her shoes as well and leaned against the arm of the chair. "I heard your parents on the way in, again."

He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Not a surprise at this point. How many times have you walked in on them in the last month?"

"Four?"

"Four times too many, which is why I'm glad you're here," he said as he grabbed a packet from the table and handed it to her. "Our new flat will be ready in three days," he smiled. "Everything we've requested has been added."

Hermione opened the file to see the pictures of construction on their flat near Cambridge. She heaved a deep breath and smiled. "It's...perfect."

"Not quite, but it's getting there," he said as he propped his feet up on the edge of her chair. "I saw Padma while I was out today. She was shopping."

Hermione smirked. "How is she?"

"Well. Or, as well as can be expected when you lose a sibling." Draco frowned. "I had the feeling that she was involved in a bit of retail therapy."

"Where did you see her?"

He blushed a bit. "If I tell you, then that ruins the surprise I got you that's laying on the bed." She looked through the open double doors and saw a beautifully wrapped box on the bed. She smiled at him and walked into the room. She undid the bow and the paper and found a silk, light blue nightgown. The sweetheart neck, thin straps, and the soft fabric was exactly what she wanted. She lifted it from the paper and realized that it would probably hit in the upper-to-mid thigh area. She looked at him over her shoulder and found him leaning against the door frame, his arms folded over his chest, and his ankles crossed once again.

"You were in a lingerie store?"

He smirked. "I was. I would have chosen something with a corset and garter belts, but this was what you told me you wanted. And so I fought my natural urge to get what I wanted—you've put up with me and my family. You deserve something for you."

She dropped the gown, crossed the room, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You could have gotten both," she said with a smile as his arms snaked around her waist.

He placed a kiss on her nose. "What makes you think I didn't? I said I 'fought' the urge. I didn't say I won."

She ran her fingers through his hair as he placed kisses along her neck. "Draco?"

"Hmmm?" he said, not loosening his hold on her.

"Don't start something we can't finish."

He smiled against her skin. "I intend to finish."

She loosened her grip on him and pulled back, causing him to break his hold. She put her hands on her hips. "We agreed. Not until the flat is finished."

"That's still three days, and it's already been a week, Mate. I'm near to jumping you as it is."

She brushed a hand over his heart. "I know, I know. And... I feel the same way about wanting you... but I think we should hold off until we move into our space. And then we can do whatever you want, wherever you want."

He nearly growled. "Hermione..."

"You already agreed to this. And... I'll sweeten the pot," she said with a bright smile.

"There's nothing you can offer me that will induce me not to throw you to the floor and ravage you here and now."

"Are you sure?" She leaned up and kissed his chin. "What if I promise, the day we move in, that I'll wear the other gift you bought for me."

He raised an eyebrow at that and tilted his head. He seemed to be ruminating over the idea. "You'll get stockings to go with it?"

She nodded and leaned into him, testing his willpower, and her own. "The kind with the seams up the back and the lacy tops."

His tongue peeked out and wet his lips and it was all she could do not to taste him. "No knickers?"

"None," she agreed.

"Fine. But when I've fucked you into the mattress and you can't move, I'll hear no complaining."

She grinned. "I can guarantee that you won't hear anything from me but the moaning of your name," she said, dancing out of his reach. She returned to the table to examine the pictures again. Draco still had his back to her, and she watched as he shoved his hands into his pockets and rolled his shoulders trying to get them to loosen. It was empowering to her to feel how much he wanted her. She knew that he held the same power over her, but to see the normally stoic Draco actually struggle to control his emotions sent her flying high.

"I can feel your smugness from here," he said, turning to face her. She shrugged and lifted one of the pictures to examine, trying to hide her smile. "Stop or I'll break my promise and shag you on that table," he warned. They both knew that if he wanted, he could seduce her into breaking their deal, but she would be angry with him for doing so.

"Fine," she said as she looked at the pictures again. "I think the kitchen is going to be my favorite part."

"The bedroom will be mine," he said, still leaning against the door frame.

She rolled her eyes. "If I can't be smug, you can't do that."

"What am I doing?"

She turned to face him. "Draco Malfoy, you're a lot of things but oblivious isn't one of them. You know damn well what you're doing."

He smirked. "Don't stand like that, Mate," he said in a low voice. He pushed off the door frame and moved to take her abandoned seat, moving his hand over the small of her back as he passed.

He lifted his book and opened it. "That's dirty Quidditch, Malfoy."

He looked up at her through his lashes and smiled. "It's the only way I know how to play."