78. Chapter 78 (1/2)

previously on returning to his roots: chapter 77

hermione was puzzled and a bit dismayed. draco wasn't acting like himself. at least he wasn't responding as he normally did when she said something foolish. yes, she knew her words had been foolish but she had been annoyed with the happenings. now those happenings were over and she wanted to have a reasonable conversation.

/*/

by the time draco had showered and entered the kitchen, the beef sandwiches were hot and waiting. "the sandwiches are ready. come sit down love. i added some onions and lettuce."

draco smiled at hermione but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "thank you. all the food available at theo's and i think i only had a bite of the porchetta. silly of me really. you're right. this sandwich is delicious. i'm curious hermione. do you have something you need to discuss? i understand you said it was a bit of humor and jealousy. which part was the humor and which part was the jealousy? enlighten me."

hermione sighed. draco wasn't going to let it go. it was time to account for her foolish words. as she sat there pondering how to begin, hermione got the feeling their relationship was once again on tilt and once again she was the cause. it seemed she was her own worst enemy.

draco summoned his wand to clear the table as he waited for hermione to begin. he wasn't angry. he was tired. as he sat there, the proverbial crack in the door seemed to widen ever so slightly.

/

returning to his roots: chapter 78

draco sat there listening to hermione go on about why she made the comments and how seeing him with a witch wrapped around his arm made her feel. he nodded half listening waiting for her to get to the part he wanted to hear.

not there yet he thought to himself as hermione sat blaming his tone on nils being at the party.

"we've spoken about nils on several occasions draco. i just don't understand why you let nils get up your nose. you and i are a couple. nils is a colleague. please stop thinking otherwise. i'm the one who should have taken a tone when i spotted ga

iella wrapped around you like a cheap basic wear suit. the witch even had the nerve to say she would have gladly given you her information had you asked."

"i'll admit, nils does bother me."

hermione let out a soft huff. "he shouldn't…."

draco held up a hand interrupting whatever hermione was going to say. "let me finish hermione. the tosser bothers me not because i think he is interfering in our relationship, but because he is a smug arsehole who oversteps. as for the witch, she introduced herself while i was having a conversation with

ian and donald. i don't know her and didn't have any intention of asking for her information. do you want a glass of juice?" asked draco, summoning orange juice and two glasses.

"i'll have a glass, but have you heard anything i've said? i'm trying to explain myself."

"and a fine job you've done love. i appreciate that you even want to have a conversation. i think it all boils down to reassessing ourselves. as you say, we are in a relationship which means we both need to start treating each other better. something pushed us off track for a moment, but we are working to get ourselves back on track. from here, we agree to stay on track. it's late." he added, reaching for hermione's hand. "let's settle in for the night. you plan to work on your new department and i plan to work on not being such a prat."

hermione laughed as she let go of draco's hand to wrap her arms around his waist. "you may be a prat, but you're my prat."

"hahaha. that i am."answered draco, leaning down to kiss hermione on the forehead. "that i am."

even though it was late, the prat and his witch spent another hour talking and cuddling before finally falling asleep.

/*/

miss anna grace was walking on air as she stood waving her wand and watching as her lovely dress hung itself, as her shoes placed themselves and her underwear dropped into the dirty clothes bin. as naked as the day she was born, anna sat on the side of her bed and summoned an old nightdress thinking she'd need to purchase certain items in case it came down to showing her dainties to mr. theo nott.

anna felt a blush creep up her face. here she was thinking about… about getting into a compromising position with theo when all she'd had was a few dances, a meal together and an invitation to sunday dinner.

after slipping the nightdress over her head, anna sat with her arms wrapped around herself hoping that theo nott would still be interested in her in the light of day. anna felt a few tears slide down her face as she thought of how proud her mum would be if she had the chance to see her daughter being pursued by a highly esteemed realtor.

anna stretched and yawned then snorted over her

azen line of thinking. "being pursued by a highly esteemed realtor, as if. it's only a pursuit if he starts pursuing me. i look forward to sunday dinner and seeing young declan nott again."

/*/

severus was leaned over the desk in his study reviewing paperwork when jean came up behind poking him in the ribs. "it's almost sunday sev. is there anything you'd like to do in the waning hours before you turn back into snape the ogre?" she joked.

with hands still on the desk, severus glanced at his wonder wizard watch then turned his head to glance at jean replying in his snape drawl. "if you hadn't already worn me out with your sex, i would have had a very snappy answer for you."

"ah! a snappy answer is it?" she asked, wrapping her arms around severus from the back. "a better answer would have been, your very presence makes me want to spend the last hour of our saturday kissing you all over."

severus couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face as he turned to face his lover. "i'll assume by your cheeky response that i missed a few spots. if so, i've certainly been remiss in my duties. how about this? allow me five minutes to put away my work then i'll be glad to tidy up all your dry ends."

jean laughed out loud as she folded herself into severus' arms and replied in a sultry voice. "there never has been and there never will be a time when i lie with you and remain dry, because you have the ability to make me very wet even without kissing me all over."

"now look what you've done." severus whispered, pushing his quickly forming erection against jean. picking up his wand, he gave one quick flick and the papers on the desk fluttered into a neat pile. "your words have inflamed me to the point where standing here talking is the last place i want to be. come with me." he said, looking back at jean as he led her toward the messiah's big bed. "and i mean that literally."

jean grinned at severus' back. her wizard had one thing right. nothing had spoiled their saturday.

/*/

blaise and ginny were enjoying a last drink of the evening discussing this and that when blaise

ought up the elephant in the room. pulling his witch closer, blaise ran his hand up and down ginny's arm. "you looked beautiful tonight gin. not that you don't always look beautiful…."

ginny raised her face and pressed her lips against blaise's lips. "listen to you. throwing out zabini compliments left and right. i've been with you long enough to know when you have something to discuss but are reluctant to discuss it. you preempt the conversation with compliments. theo's party and your presence have put me in a decidedly good mood. tell me what's on your mind."

lifting one of ginny's hands, blaise kissed the back of it. "i know you have just returned to london and probably haven't even had a chance to unpack, but….." here he hesitated.

"but blaise, but? out with it please."

"you're right love. now is not the time for procrastinating. while things are good at the moment, i'd like to discuss us. i'd like to know if there is still an us. right now, we are all smiles and cuddles. will we still be that during or after a disagreement."

before answering, ginny turned so her feet were on the floor.

blaise sighed thinking ginny was about to huff up and argue, so he was pleasantly surprised at what she did and what came out of her mouth.

leaning in and resting her head on his shoulder, she replied. "believe it or not blaise i've done quite a bit of thinking while i was away. of course your caring and magnanimous attitude had a lot to do with it as well. we are both strong and opinionated people, but we are

illiant as well. i think we can manage to work around any hiccups that might arise in our relationship. so, the answer to your question is yes. yes love there is an us."

this is what blaise wanted to hear, needed to hear because ginevra weasley was the witch he wanted. grabbing his witch, blaise locked his lips on hers. "i love you ginevra weasley. we can do this."

ginny returned the sentiment because this was the wizard she wanted. this was the wizard she loved. "now that we have the important stuff out of the way, let's make a plan to go back to scotland to hex the crap out of that obnoxious hotel clerk."

blaise laughed as he grabbed ginny's hand and kissed it again. "now, now miss weasley. from here, we'll leave miserable sots to themselves while we proceed merrily on our way. besides, i've just gotten you back. i don't want you to go back to scotland for anything."

ginny let out a gentle sigh. "you know i don't have any control over where i'm sent, but i'll put up resistance if the boss tries to send me too far away." grabbing blaise by both hands, ginny began dragging him to the bedroom. "i think we've done enough talking. it's time for you to take the witch who loves you to bed for some overdue attention."

blaise didn't have to be dragged. "yes. overdue attention. i think i can manage that. if not, i'll keep trying until i get it right. it's the least i can do."

"then nothing more needs to be said mr. zabini. just come do your worst."

as blaise undressed himself and ginny, he ran his hands up and down her body which left his witch quivering. pulling her into a fierce kiss, blaise murmured how he hoped she'd never leave him. ginny had a quick answer.

"why would i go anywhere when i have the most handsome, sexy and sexual wizard in london."

"just london?" joked blaise. "i would have thought i did scotland justice as well."

ginny pulled blaise down on top of her before cheeking him back. "keep talking git and it will be sunday which in itself is fine, but i was quite looking forward to a hot, saturday night shag."

holding both ginny's hands up beside her head with one hand, blaise pushed himself in while staring into her eyes. "i've got your hot, saturday night shag right here love. come and get it."

and she did.

/*/

as she showered, gloria isles grumbled about how she had mucked up once again. she had thought she would get at least a few dates and a few meals out of nils if she let him under her skirt. however, that didn't seem to be the case as nils had skittered away almost before his dick stopped spurting. he had left an obligatory kiss on her forehead before quick stepping to the door, but nothing more. no, i'll owl you. no, i'll call you. not even a thank you for your time slag.

gloria was still overthinking and grumbling as she pulled her robe around her and headed for the kitchen. right about now, a tea liberally laced with

andy was what she needed.

as she sat there sipping the doctored tea, she began to go over the night. miss high and mighty hermione granger had chucked terry aside and was all cuddly with draco malfoy. if she remembered correctly, hermione had hated draco then suddenly she was dating him. some witches always landed on their feet. and terry and the della. another cuddly couple who looked as though nothing mattered except each other. and forget theo. he and the anna witch appeared to be enthralled with each other. there wouldn't be any getting back with him. now, she had shagged nils. probably everyone remaining at the party had seen her leave on his arm. what in bloody hell had she been thinking? until a witch was in a permanent relationship, one of the most important things she had was her good name.

swatting the teacup across the table, gloria swore. "fuck all of them. i'm a witch on my own and will be on my own until the right wizard comes along."

summoning her wand, she sent the dishes to the sink with the comment they should wash themselves. then she headed to bed. however, the bed needed a bit of an adjustment before she could lie down. as quick and unfulfilling as her sexual encounter with nils had been, the evidence was clearly showing on the sheets. using altogether too much power, gloria swung her wand to clean the bed only to see not only the sheets, but the blankets and pillows go sailing through the air as well. waving her wand more gently, she replaced all the bed items before slipping under the blanket.

as she closed her eyes, gloria mumbled it might be time to reassess.

/**/

sunday morning began in much the same way saturday ended for draco and hermione, calm, loving and peaceful. they shared some camaraderie as well as two very hot sexual encounters. lying side by side, hermione was the first to comment.

"this is the way it should be love. no haranguing, no animosity just love and happiness."

turning to kiss hermione's stomach, draco nodded in agreement. "i concur love. i think i'll keep you."

hermione slid off the bed chiding draco as she went. "is that so mr. malfoy? you'll keep me? i think it works both ways. we'll keep each other. now, if you'll excuse me, i'm going to shower. i want to have

unch with my handsome wizard before heading into my

and new transition department. ah, transition department. it has such a lovely ring to it."

flopping onto his stomach, draco chuckled out loud. "yes it does. it is my hope that with the new department will come the delivery of mobiles. it was weeks ago when you

ought a test mobile home. seems as though they should be in the hands of customers by now."

hermione stopped in her tracks. draco was right. mobiles should have already been in the hands of customers. no problem. after she finished up that afternoon, there would be loads of mobiles to be picked up or delivered. "tell you what we can do. i have copies of most orders. if you can get your lazy lout arse out of the house, come by wcs and i'll fill our order and as many of the others that i can. best of all, you can be the delivery wizard. how does that sound?"

"sounds fantastic." draco remarked, jumping out of bed. "because my witch is so accommodating with regard to our mobiles, i will prepare the

unch. i'll just throw a clean up spell over myself while you shower. by the time that lovely arse gets to the kitchen,

unch will be ready. hurry up now. i don't want you to be late getting our mobiles in order."

hermione smiled the entire shower. it really was nice when she and draco were on the same page.

/*/

draco was on point. when hermione arrived to the table, she found an array of items, eggs, sausage, fried potatoes, toast, freshly cut chicken slices, sliced tomatoes, sliced onions, lettuce and tea.

"thank you love. you've outdone yourself." she said, giving draco a quick kiss that landed on his eye.

"i adore your kisses love, but that one nearly blinded me."

hermione laughed out loud as she reached for some of everything on the table. "sorry. it was meant for your temple, but you moved."

"well, i hope severus has made some of those mobiles in