Chapter 28

On Saturday morning, Hermione rose early to move to her new flat. As Lucius had warned, he did not come over to see her during the week. She tried not to feel disappointed, but she had grown so used to having him around that she could not help but feel his absence.

She was pleased to see that her bookcases and kitchenware had been delivered. While the flat was sparsely furnished, it was really all she needed. It's not like she would be doing a lot of entertaining, and her small table could always be magically expanded if the need arose.

After unpacking, she took a quick trip to the market so that she would have something in the pantry.

On the way home, she went to the local owl post and sent a letter to Harry, inviting him and Ginny over as she has promised. He had told her previously that he would try to get away to come see her, but that he couldn't make any promises. Hermione knew that if Harry did come, it was unlikely Ginny would join him. She hated putting Harry in the middle of her fallout with Ron. This situation reminded her too much of times at Hogwarts when various aspects of their friendship would be strained, putting one or the other of them in the middle.

It was a little after lunch when there was a knock at her door. Even though she knew it was not likely to be Lucius, a part of her hoped it would be. When she opened the door and saw Harry, she turned her disappointment into surprise. "Harry, how wonderful to see you!"

"Hi, Hermione. Sorry Ginny couldn't make – she just didn't feel it would be right," Harry apologized.

Hermione tried to smile pleasantly. "I understand," she said and stood aside so he could enter.

"So this is your new place?" he asked as he gave it a quick glance.

"It's not much, but really, it's all I need," she replied sheepishly, knowing what he'd think. A part of her really wanted to ask how Ron was doing, but she resisted, instead waiting for Harry to bring it up.

"How are you doing?" he asked as he took a seat and let her serve tea.

"Better now. It feels a bit like I've had a big weight has been lifted. I really wish that it hadn't had to happen that way. I wanted it to be an amicable split, but Ron had to have it his way. It would have been a non-event if he hadn't had to stir the hornet's nest." She had been shocked to see that their divorce had not made headlines. Of course, she thought that Lucius had something to do with that since he seemed to have a lot of sway at the Daily Prophet. Their divorce had been relegated to a small column at the bottom of the first page paper. And it had been covered by a new reporter who was still relatively unknown, instead of by someone like Rita Skeeter.

"You know, it was a bit of a personal affront to him when you filed for divorce," said Harry.

"I can realize that, but if he had been able to admit that perhaps we did rush into marriage and that things weren't great, we could have avoided a lot of the hurt feelings." She saw Harry was about to continue defending Ron. "Look, one of the magistrates asked him point blank why he thought we should stay married, and he couldn't even come up with an answer that question."

Harry looked a little deflated. "Oh. I didn't know that."

She smiled sympathetically. "I wouldn't expect him to admit that. Look, I really don't want to talk about the divorce. I'm trying to take advantage of this fresh start. If later on he wants to renew our friendship, I'm open to it. I never actually wanted to ruin our friendship, but well, he had other ideas. I love the Weasleys, and I never wanted to hurt any of them. They were my wizarding family, and now I've ruined it." She stared sadly into her teacup, wanting to avoid Harry's gaze.

"We'll see. I'm sure you know that George and Angelina are siding with you, and even Ginny has started admitting that Ron can be clueless git. Molly... Well, you know how she is. It might take her a while, but I think she'll come around," Harry said optimistically.

Hermione thought about her future and knew that if she and Lucius did get together, the Weasleys might feel differently about her. Harry would probably feel differently about her as well, but time would tell. She might be driving away her friends in exchange for her personal happiness, but she hoped that they would eventually come to see what she had seen. "We'll see, but I'm not going to get my hopes up. I think that will make me feel better if things do work out." After a brief pause, she said, "It has been nice to be able to get out again. I really didn't like have to hole myself up."

"So, where were you hiding?" Harry asked curiously.

Knowing that Harry could track down the information if she didn't give it to him, she settled for telling him part of the truth. "I rented a secluded cottage. Nice little place."

"Then why did you decide to move here?" he asked curiously, glancing around again.

She hadn't anticipated that question. "It was a little more than I wanted to spend on rent, and I've actually grown used to living in a wizarding community." She wondered if he was being affected by Ron's paranoia about her seeing someone else.

"Yeah, I can understand that." After an awkward silence in which neither of them could come up with a topic of discussion, Harry finally asked, "Is there anything you need help with?"

"No, thanks. I think I'm pretty well settled. I appreciate you stopping by. Maybe we can meet for lunch one day or something?" she asked, hoping that in time, their friendship would go back to normal or at least not be as estranged.

"Sure, I'd like that," Harry replied. "Well, I should be getting back home if you don't need anything," Harry said by way of taking his leave.

Hermione saw him off and then decided she would slip out and do a little shopping to make her new flat look more like a home.

Over the next several weeks, Hermione started to feel more normal. After work she would still stop by the library most nights, but she seldom stayed until closing. Some nights she would go to a wizarding café for dinner and others she would go home and cook for herself. On Tuesdays, she and Gilles would meet at a Muggle cafe where they had both enjoyed the performance of a folk singer who they both agreed was vastly underrated. She was especially fond of those rare occasions when she would run into Lucius at the library, but that had only happened twice.

At first she wondered if he had changed his mind about her, especially since the society page was now speculating that he was interested in some French witch. At the magical news stand in Diagon Alley, both The Looking Glass and Witch Weekly routinely featured pictures of Lucius on the cover and seemed to enjoy insinuating that he had become quite the playboy, finally deciding to play the field and wondering when he might choose someone closer to home.

When Hermione had made an off-handed comment to Lucius about his newfound status as a modern day Casanova, he reminded her that she should not believe everything she read. She wanted to believe him, but she had seen a definite change in his demeanor over the last few months. Of course there was fact that he still smiled warmly at her when they 'ran into' each other in public. But a small part of her was beginning to wonder if she would just be another notch in his belt.

One thing Hermione had not counted on was the amount of attention wizards would pay her. She should have expected it since she was a rather famous witch, but when she was out, there was no shortage of wizards offering to buy her a drink. At first it was flattering, but it soon became tedious. After all, the divorce wasn't final, and the idea of being pursued by so many made her uncomfortable.

By the time the first four weeks of the waiting period were over, she was reconsidering her plan of spending time in the wizarding community. She supposed she should be pleased that she wasn't reviled. Oddly she even had witches coming up to her and praising her for being such a brave trailblazer, something she most definitely had not expected.

Due to the excessive unwanted male attention, she had started spending more time in the library – which was exactly what she was doing tonight.

"What is a beautiful, young witch like you doing in a place like this on a Friday night?" asked Lucius suavely as he sat at her table.

She put down her book and smiled at him. "Escaping my admirers. You seem to be the only one who doesn't feel bad about bothering me here."

He feigned hurt. "Do you really find talking to me a bother?"

She gave him an exasperated look. "That's not what I mean and you know it."

He leaned closer to her and whispered, "Of course I do." He gave her a sly smile and a wink. "Why don't you join me for a drink rather than while away your Friday in the library?"

Her heart skipped a beat. "Are you serious?" She could hardly believe she had heard him correctly.

"Of course I am. I'd like to take you out for a drink, a little conversation, a better atmosphere." He waved his hand idly at the library, indicating it was a rather drab place.

"What would people think?" She knew the divorce was almost final and that she would be officially free in just a couple of short weeks, but she was worried about how it would appear if she was out with Lucius.

"People would think that an extremely handsome and eligible wizard had found a witch worthy of his attention," he said pompously.

His behavior caught her off guard, and she let out a little laugh. She never would have imagined that Lucius Malfoy had a playful side.

"Besides, we need to show the rest of the world a logical progression for our relationship. Join me." He held his hand out to her, and she finally accepted.

Rather than go to his club, they went to one of the nicer restaurants in Diagon Alley and enjoyed a drink at table in the bar. She did her best to behave as though this was a casual outing. She also tried to disregard the people watching them. Out of the corner of her eye, she could tell that the other patrons were scrutinizing them, trying to determine what was going on. Of course every time she turned her head, they quickly looked back at their drinks.

After the first drink, Lucius had suggested that they just have dinner together since it was getting late and there was no need for each of them to dine alone. She had to really admire the act he was putting on. What he said and the way he delivered it made it seem like such a natural progression.

That night she slept better than she had in a long time. The dinner had been lovely, and it felt liberating to be out in public on a date, even if it had not been a formal one.

The next morning she was enjoying a leisurely breakfast when there was an urgent knock on her door. Wondering who it could be so early in the morning, she grabbed her wand and asked, "Who is it?"

"Harry. Can I come in?"

She lowered her wand and opened the door for him. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Is it true that you had dinner with Lucius Malfoy last night?" he asked, sounding like he was beginning an interrogation at work.

"Yes, what of it?" She knew that getting this out in the open with Harry would have to happen sooner or later, and she might as well get him used to the idea now.

Harry looked at her quizzically. "Lucius Malfoy? What were you thinking?"

"We started having a chat at the library, realized that's not the best place for a chat, so we decided to continue the conversation over a drink. When we realized how late it was, we decided we might as well grab a bite to eat," she explained simply.

"At a rather fancy restaurant," Harry quipped.

Hermione shrugged, trying to keep calm. "That's where we were having drinks, it made sense. Look, I didn't choose the place. He probably goes there all the time and likes it. It really has a nice atmosphere."

"Oh, I don't even know where to start," Harry said as he started pacing.

"It was dinner, Harry. It wasn't a date or anything, just two people being friendly." She knew that she couldn't let Harry know their friendship had been building over the last several months. "I've run into him in the library before. In fact, that was where he offered me the job."

"Okay, let's start there. He's your boss, or have you forgotten?" Harry protested.

"I work for his company, not him directly, so he technically isn't my boss, but why are we discussing this anyway?" She had known that Harry wouldn't readily accept her relationship with Lucius, but she was surprised at how vehemently he was opposing the two of them being together.

"Your divorce isn't final, and you are out with a guy in public!" Harry shouted.

"I would think that you of all people would realize that just because two people of opposite sexes are out together doesn't mean they are couple. You and I have been out before and no one thinks anything is going on between us. Besides, it's not like I'm planning on getting back together with Ron."

"That's different," he protested.

"Why? Because we've known each other for so long? Am I not allowed to make new friends?" She could tell that Harry's argument was running out of steam.

"So you consider him a friend?" Harry asked in disbelief.

She considered her answer carefully. "We've had a few conversations and have quite a few things in common, so yes, I would consider him a friend."

Harry finally stopped nervously pacing and put his hands on her shoulders. "You know I want you to be happy, but even if he has reformed, Malfoy is a very powerful and dangerous wizard."

"Trust me, I know that. It's just that folks willing to be friendly with me have been few and far between lately. He doesn't judge me for my decision to divorce and is supportive of me. Perhaps it's because of all he's been through. I could really use all the friends I can get right now, and he's there for me." She hoped that she wasn't giving too much away about how deep their friendship had grown. "How did you find out about this anyway?" she asked, finally wondering who had told Harry.

He pulled out copies of the Hogsmeade Herald and The Looking Glass, which were both folded over to the appropriate pages. There was a small blurb under the photo in the Hogsmeade Herald by Rita Skeeter:

Noted Lothario, Lucius Malfoy, was spotted last night sharing an intimate dinner with Hermione Weasley, who is in the process of divorcing her husband, war hero Ron Weasley. Which British beauty will be on his list next? And what does he find so captivating about her?

"Naturally the article in The Looking Glass is much more elaborate," he stated, showing her the tabloid, "but it'll probably be picked up by Witch Weekly, too. At least it hasn't been printed in the Daily Prophet."

"Oh, that woman!" Hermione exclaimed as she scrunched the paper in her hands. "The dinner was hardly intimate. We were sitting at a table in the middle of the restaurant for all to see. And how can you trust anything she writes?" she asked as she thwapped him with the paper. "Honestly, I thought you knew better."

"I do, and that's why I came over to see you."

She could see the concern in his face. "Well, thanks for looking out for me and letting me clear up the truth. Maybe next time you can just start with the newspaper, and we can discuss the article like rational adults rather than me having to deal with an interrogation?" She just wished he had been a bit less adversarial in his approach.

"Would you go out with him?" Harry asked after a long silence.

Hermione considered how to answer the question. "I don't know. Maybe. I'd have to get to know him better because he is Lucius Malfoy, after all." She laughed softly, hoping to diffuse the tension a little. There was no need for Harry to know that over the past few months she had been spending a great deal of time with Lucius. "He was charming and attentive last night; I won't deny that. And it feels good to get that sort of attention. He treated me like I've seen you treat Ginny. So I guess that yes, I would go out with him. After what just happened, I want to take my time to really get to know someone and make sure we are on the same page."

"Not to mention he's Draco's dad," Harry added.

"Yes. That could be a little..."she paused trying to think of a good word, "uncomfortable." Oddly, prior to this moment, she had never really considered the age difference. It was easy to forget that he was Draco's father because they had so much in common and he had aged well.

Harry shuddered. "I just want to make sure he doesn't take advantage of you. You've been through a lot and he's shrewd."

She appreciated his concern. "Unlike some of the other wizards who have been asking to go out with me, I don't know that he would gain anything from being in a relationship me. I mean he is still the wealthiest wizard in Britain and has a great deal of political might. I think the others are trying to date me because they want to be able to brag to their friends that they had one of the war heroes. He doesn't strike me as that type."

"Yeah, true. I just want you to be careful," he said gently.

"I'll be fine. I think I need some time to myself before I go looking for another relationship." She felt a little guilty about deceiving Harry like this, but she knew it was what he wanted to hear.

"Alright. How about we try to get together for lunch sometime this week?"

"That sounds like a great idea, Harry."

After he was gone, she threw the papers against the door. She should have expected Rita, but now... She knew that they would have to be very careful since Rita could easily hide anywhere when she was a beetle.

For a brief moment she thought of sending Lucius a letter by owl, but then she remembered him talking about how they would have to go public at some point. And it was not like the wizarding world was unaware of how Rita Skeeter could stretch the truth. Instead she decided to wait it out.

Knowing the new books arrived at Flourish and Blotts on Saturdays, she decided to see what there was at the bookstore. One of the things she liked about the store was that along with new books, they also put out new acquisitions in the rare books section. That was her favorite section to browse.

When she arrived, she was surprised to find Lucius browsing the rare book section. "Mr. Malfoy, good to see you," she said, mindful of the other people in the shop.

"Hermione, a pleasure, and please, call me Lucius. I trust that you enjoyed yourself last night?" he asked genially.

"I did. It was nice to not have to eat dinner alone." She paused a moment before adding quietly, "I'm sure you noticed Rita Skeeter has struck again."

He frowned. "Yes. Apparently there is nothing else worthy for her to discuss." He then smiled at her. "I'm glad you enjoyed dinner. Now, I won't keep you any longer from your browsing." He nodded at her and moved to a different part of the section.

She found herself glancing at him from time to time. A part of her wanted to ask him if he wanted to get lunch somewhere, but she felt awkward asking that. She hoped that he would ask her, even though she knew that being seen two days in a row with him, especially in light of Rita's article, could lead to more gossip, but she did not care.

After searching through the shelves, she found two books she was interested in and went to the counter, only to find Lucius already there. He nodded and smiled warmly at her before finishing his transaction. When she finished she noticed him lounging off to the side. She did not think she had ever seen someone look so perfectly at home at some place that was not home.

"Are you waiting for someone?" she asked.

He pointed at the top book she had purchased. "Interesting choice. I have several other books by the same author and thought you might be interested in discussing Phineas Brown. Perhaps over lunch since it is that time of day?" he asked optimistically.

She had to admire his skill at manipulating a situation. "So you know something about Mr. Brown?"

"Join me for lunch and you'll see," he replied playfully.

"How can I resist such charm?" she retorted and let him lead her to a café for lunch.

Over lunch they really did discuss Phineas Brown and actually got into quite a debate over some of his writing. She found the whole conversation wonderful because she had found someone she could have an intellectual conversation with.

After two hours, she realized how much time had passed. "Goodness, I think we've hogged the table long enough. I really do have to thank you for the wonderful discussion."

"It was my pleasure. Though it is a shame to end such a stimulating conversation. I look forward to doing it again," he said, smiling softly at her.

"I'd like that. Well, goodbye, Lucius," she said shyly, mindful that they were in public and he was unlikely to show her any affection.

"Good day, Hermione."

After a long week of work, Hermione was out at Diagon Alley, having just purchased a new quill as her old one had broken. At first she had felt a tinge of sadness, but then she had remembered it had been gift from Ron and it was best that she just purge items like that from her life.

On her way back to the Leaky Cauldron, she spied Gilles, who had a big bag with WWW emblazoned on it.

He saw her and waved to her so she decided to join him.

"Planning on causing some mischief at work?" she asked causually.

He smiled and chuckled. "No. Something to spice up a stag night. Have you eaten lunch yet? I was about to look for someplace and wonder if you would like to join me."

"No, er, I mean I haven't eaten yet, and yes, I'd like to join you." She decided to suggest someplace public, rather than risk him choosing a more intimate venue. "How about the Leaky Cauldron since we're headed that direction?"

"Of course," Gilles replied, with a hint of disappointment in his voice.

When they arrived, Hermione chose a table in the center area of the room. They enjoyed a pleasant lunch and chatted amicably about whatever came to mind.

"So, enjoying your new found freedom by quill shopping?" Gilles asked playfully, having taken notice of her bag.

Hermione laughed. "I don't know how much I'd call it freedom. I seem to have become quite popular with the wizards." She heaved a sigh. "It's really quite pathetic watching them try to come up with something witty. You would think they would at least wait until the divorce is final."

"Is it really that bad?" Gilles asked with a slight smile. "I would think the fact they accept your decision would be welcome."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they aren't ignoring me or spitting on me, but it can get bit overwhelming. I don't mind cooking my own dinner, but there are times I like to eat out just to be around other people. For some reason, they seem to take that as open invitation to strike up conversation."

He reached across the table and put his hand on hers. "Well, if you ever need a dinner companion, let me know."

"I will. Though I don't generally make my plans too far ahead of time, and I would feel guilty monopolizing all your free time. Surely you and your mates hang out."

"It would not be a bother. It would be repaying a favor. I know how isolated I felt when I first started working here and you helped me feel welcome," he said as his thumb gently caressed her hand.

She gently slipped her hand out from under his so she could finish eating her lunch. "I know how hard it is fitting in somewhere new and trying to make friends." She glanced at the clock on the wall. "I really should get going. My mum is expecting me this afternoon. I'll see you at work on Monday."

"See you Monday," he replied.

She dropped a few Knuts and Sickles on the table, enough to take care of her part of the bill, before leaving. When she returned home, she began to wonder if she was being direct enough with Gilles, because needed him to understand that what they had was nothing more than a friendship. She had hoped that by showing a lack of interest, she could preserve the friendship without hurting his feelings, but now she wasn't entirely sure.

The next couple of weeks were filled with 'chance' encounters with Lucius that she did not believe for a moment were chance. After all, she had gone years without running into Lucius once and now she bumped into him every few days.

She stared at the invitation that had come by owl a week previously. With all the fuss of the divorce, she had completely forgotten that it was nearly Halloween. The Ministry was holding a gala and as a hero of the war and prominent citizen, she had been invited. And since this was one more event commemorating the fifth anniversary of Voldemort's defeat, she was expected to be at the head table with Ron and Harry. She was sure that she would be seated at the opposite end of the table from Ron, but she really had no desire to go, especially since she would likely be going alone.

She had been trying to determine a good excuse for not going, but had yet to come up with anything. She sighed and scratched out the latest excuse she had devised and was desperately trying to think of another when there was the unmistakable sound of an owl at her window. She saw it was the Malfoy eagle owl and took its letter, tossing it an owl treat before it left.

Meet me at the cottage.

It wasn't signed, but there was only one person who would be using that owl. Quickly trying to tame her hair and smooth out her clothes, she Disapparated to the cottage and found him waiting for her in the drawing room.

He held out a piece of parchment to her. "A present for you, my dear," he said as he smiled warmly at her.

"A present?" she asked curiously as she took the parchment and read it in surprise. "But this isn't supposed to be final until next Tuesday!" she said in shock as she read the divorce decree.

"True, but with Halloween coming and its ensuing increased workload, I managed to persuade the Magistrates that a few days would not make a difference since neither of you has made an effort at reconciliation. In fact, Mr. Weasley has been seen in the company of several different witches." He took a step closer to her.

She was not sure how she felt about that, but she realized that Lucius was the one for her so there was no need to for her to consort with other wizards. "Thank you," she said. She could feel her heart pounding her chest. She wasn't sure what to do next, but Lucius solved that problem when he swept her into his arms for a passionate kiss that took her breath away.

"Oh my," she whispered breathily.

He chuckled softly. "That has to be the most unusual reaction that I have ever received."

"I'm sorry. I just... I wasn't expecting it, but now that I am..." She put her hands on his cheeks and pulled him down for another kiss. This one was even better because she was prepared for it.

"Very good," he purred. "Now then, there is one more matter of business to discuss. You have not yet RSVPed for the Halloween Gala. You need to do so – it is expected of you to attend."

She sighed. "I know that, but he's going to be there, and I don't want to go alone. As much as I would love for you to be my escort, that probably would not be appropriate."

He chuckled. "No, not hardly. Surely you must have some other male acquaintance who would go with you."

"I don't really have a lot of male friends and the only one who's talking to me is married."

"Why not ask one of your coworkers? Just make it clear he is only there so that you have an escort. Once there... Well, you may find someone else you want to spend your time with," he said with a sly grin as he traced his hand down her cheek.

"Are you serious? At the gala?" She could not believe he was suggesting they get together at one of the biggest wizarding gatherings since the war. It would be very public and everyone would definitely be talking about them as a couple if they spent any time together at the ball.

"What better place?" he asked as he took her right hand in his left and put his right arm behind her waist and started dancing with her.

Dancing with him felt so natural, and she just couldn't say no to him. "I suppose Gilles would like to come. He was lamenting not getting an invitation," she finally replied.

After a brief pause, Lucius said, "Then you can send him an owl tomorrow morning. But tonight we are going to have a celebratory dinner."

The day of the gala arrived and Hermione was a nervous mess. She had not seen Lucius since they had said their farewells after the celebratory dinner. She still felt a bit disappointed about how that evening had gone – not because she was finally a free woman, but because Lucius was steadfastly insisting on remaining celibate until their relationship was out in the open.

She knew that he had a point about the whole nature of their relationship changing once they were intimate, but she had been imagining it for so long that she could hardly stand being around him without acting on her feelings, especially now that the divorce was final. And the kisses they had shared had not made it any easier. They had only left her wanting more. She had to admire his restraint.

As expected, Gilles had gladly agreed to escort her to the gala. He was a bit nervous about sitting at the head table, but he knew that it was the only way he was going to attend. He had seemed a bit disappointed when she said there were no strings attached after dinner was over.

She stared at the two dresses she had narrowed her choices down to. She wanted to look sexy, but not too provocative and she thought these dresses fit the bill. One was a very elegant black dress and the other a deep emerald green.

After trying them both on, she decided she liked the cut of the green one better. Besides, it really made the green flecks in her brown eyes stand out. She gave a quick twirl before the mirror and was sure she had made the correct choice.

It took her more than an hour to tame her hair into submission until she was happy with it. That's one thing that magic seemed to be of limited use. Her hair just did not respond well to magic.

Gilles arrived just as she put the finishing touches on her ensemble. When she opened the door, she had a pleasant smile on her face. "Good evening, Gilles. I'm ready."

He was dumbstruck at the transformation from the Hermione he normally saw at work. "Vous semblez beau." *

She could not help blushing. "Merci. Just remember, you are only obligated to stay with me through dinner. I know there will plenty of eligible young witches who will be eager for your attention."

"If you're sure," he replied, though he sounded a little disappointed.

"I'll be fine." She knew that she would be spending the evening alone, even if he did not.

He held his arm out to her to Apparate them both.

She never liked Side-Along and said, "If you don't mind, I'd like to Apparate myself. Side-Along Apparition just makes me feel a bit off."

"Of course. Just trying to be a gentleman. See you there," he said and was gone with a pop.

Hermione joined him at the Ministry, and they commenced the obligatory cocktail hour. She had wanted to arrive late, but she knew that Gilles would want the full experience so they showed up about ten minutes after everything had started so that they would not be the first ones there.

Owing to his bright red hair, Hermione spotted Ron right away and was a bit surprised to see Lavender Brown on his arm. Hermione was surprised that Lavender had not yet married, but given that she was not, she was not entirely surprised to see her hanging on Ron's arm, giggling at his every comment. A quick glance around the room did not reveal Lucius, and she felt a slight pang of disappointment. She could only assume that he was going for the fashionably late entrance.

She chatted mindlessly with people as she waited for the dinner and ceremony, careful to avoid being anywhere near Ron. She smiled and nodded at Harry who was with a very pregnant Ginny. She was surprised that Ginny was even attending, but she had to admit that Ginny looked very radiant and had no shortage of people coming to see her.

Shortly before the dinner portion was to begin, she saw Lucius looking as dapper as ever in perfectly tailored dress robes with his hair neatly pulled back, and she realized she preferred it loose. He caught her eyes and gave her a small nod of approval, but made no effort to approach her. Before she could make her way to where he was, the call for seating for dinner came.

Dinner was the pomp and circumstance she had come to expect. Thankfully she and Ron were on opposite sides of the table, as she had expected. The sight of Ron and Lavender really playing it up made her lose her appetite, though she knew she had to eat given the amount of wine she was drinking. She made small talk with Kingsley as Gilles was utterly flabbergasted by the amount of attention the head table was getting.

Finally came the time for speeches of gratitude, and Hermione did her best to look interested. Every once and a while she made sly glances about the room, so as not to appear as if she were watching Lucius in the audience, and noticed that he was doing a very good job of looking interested in the proceedings without drawing too much attention to himself. She didn't want to tip her hand, since the surviving members of both Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix were all there. Besides, later when she danced with Lucius she knew they would start a stir. Unsurprisingly Draco was there, well unsurprisingly to her since this was also a gathering of important people in the wizarding world.

When the speeches were over, everyone clapped vigorously, and she was sure it had nothing to do with the content of the speeches. Everyone was then asked to clear the room for five minutes while it was reconfigured for the ball.

While they were waiting, Harry came over and said his goodbye to her. Hermione had hoped to speak to Ginny, but she wasn't surprised that it did not happen in such a public forum. A part of Hermione wished she could duck out. Before she could act on that feeling, they were called back into the ballroom. Gilles offered her his arm to escort her into the ballroom, though she had seen him flirting with several other young ladies who were clearly impressed by his station at the head table. They had agreed that he would take the first dance with her and then his obligation would be discharged.

The dance with Gilles was quite nice as he was incredibly graceful and guided her expertly around the dance floor. She then shared dances with Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnegan, which were not as effortless as her dance with Gilles. It was good to see her old Gryffindor classmates and know that they did not hold anything against her. She then danced once with Sturgis Podmore, a member of the Order who wanted to show her his support, followed by Warren Westenberg, a wizard who'd been loyal to the Order of the Phoenix, and also with Frank Pankhurst, who worked in Magical Transportation. Ray Headley, a wizard she used to work with in the Ministry asked her next, and she was surprised he was so cordial considering how friendly he was with Mr. Weasley. She was finally starting to work her way off the dance floor when she came face to face with Lucius.

Note: Vous semblez beau – you look lovely

Many thanks to my lovely reader, beaweasley2, for all her assistance. Also thank, you dear readers, for your patience. I know this update has been a long time coming. Life can be such an inconvenience to the fun. The muses also decided to take a short break once the kiddos finished fall break, which did not help. I currently estimate about 10 more chapters (which are written to some degree) and an epilogue (which is written in it's entirety). Again, thank you all for your patience and your reviews. The muses enjoy feedback.

Just a little bit of useless trivia, this is now the longest fic that I have ever posted and it's still going. A very proud moment for me.