Malfoy's Mistress

A/N: Okay, so I know I still have a bunch of stories that aren't finished, but I got this idea for a story earlier today && I just had to write it. So, if you read any of my other stories, don't worry, I still plan on continuing them. Well, at least I plan on continuing Stolen Innocence, Happily Ever After, Burlesque My Heart, && Forbidden Love.

Chapter One

"Hermione Granger, please report to the maternity ward. Hermione Granger, to the maternity ward." Hermione rolled her eyes as she heard her name over the PA. She set the files she was going over back onto her desk and began to make her way to the third level.

Hermione Granger had been a healer at St Mungo's since the defeat of Voldemort nearly three years before. She felt unshed tears well up in her eyes at the memory of that terrible war.

The war had taken everything from Hermione. Voldemort had tortured and killed her parents personally. She had been so devestated when she found out, but luckily Harry and Ron had helped her through it.

More tears threatened to break through her tough exterrior at the thought of Ron. The two had started dating the summer after Dumbledore's funeral, making even some of her darkest days seem brighter. The Christmas after they'd began dating, Harry, Hermione and Ron were out hunting Horcruxes. Ron had told Hermione he needed her help collecting some food. Instead of taking her to the small river they'd set up camp near, he led her into a clearing full of the most beautiful flowers she'd ever seen. He then took out a small velvet box containing a gorgeous white gold, a small red ruby in the middle. He explained that the ring had been passed down in his family when a son was ready to marry. He'd asked his mother to give it to him in September and he'd been working up the nerve to propose ever since. Hermione had been so delighted as he slid the ring onto her finger, the band magically adjusting to her ring size. When the two were walking back to the tent, hand in hand, Hermione was overcome by a powerful sense of hope for the future. At that moment, she was positive that once the war was over, everything would be perfect, just like in the fairytales.

But, things don't always turn out as you think they will, especially when war is involved. Soon, her world came crashing down around her once more. The night after the three had destroyed the second last Horcrux, Ron had apparated to Hogsmeade to meet up with Harry and Hermione in The Hog's Head to discuss their next move in the search for the Horcruxes. He'd been walking through the empty village, safe under the shadows of the night, or so they thought. Death Eaters had been tipped off that the trio would be in the village, and had waited to capture them. They ambushed Ron, shouting to each other about their catch. Hermione and Harry had heard the shouting and looked out through the darkened windows of the pub. She remember the whole scene as if it had happened.

Ten Death Eaters were crowded around Ron, all closing in on him. Harry tried to run out the door to help their friend, but Hermione grabbed him.

"Harry, we can't afford for them to catch you too." But in her head she was shouting to herself to go out there and fight. They watched as Ron fired Stupefy after Stupefy, taking down a few Death Eaters. But he was outnumbered. One Death Eater shouted a Crucio, Ron's screams echoing throughout the village. Tears had begun to flow down her face as she watched.

"It's not Potter!" They heard a Death Eater shout as the rest began to crowd around closer. Each Death Eater took a turn performing the torture curse on the redhead, his screams growing weaker with each curse. It was Harry's turn to hold Hermione back as she fought to run through the door. He placed a trembling hand across her mouth to stifle her shouts and sobs.

"Kill him then search the village for the other brats!" Shouted a familiar voice amongst the cloaked Death Eaters. A flash of green light errupted through the village followed by a sickening thump. Hermione screamed through Harry's fingers, struggling to get out of his grasp. The Death Eaters then cleared out, leaving Ron's body behind to search the village.

Once the Death Eaters had left, Hermione finally broke free of Harry's hold, running out into the streets. She ran as fast as she could, collapsing on Ron's body, the sobs racking through her small form. Harry placed a hand on her shoulder, tears flowing silently down his face.

The two had stayed for as long as they could, before apparating to The Burrow with Ron's body. The Weasleys had been devestated by the loss. They'd held a small, private funeral the next day, burrying Ron in their family cemetary. Hermione had cried for a week straight, only stopping when Harry had approached her about destroying the last Horcrux, Voldemort's snake Nagini.

After the loss of their best friend, the two had become more determined then ever to defeat Voldemort. It had been a terrible fight, only the members of The Order and Voldemort's Inner Circle there. Everyone was fighting, bodies were collapsing all around them. But once Harry and Voldemort had begun to circle each other, all other fighting ceases, all eyes on the two. Voldemort sent a crucio Harry's way, but Harry was quicker with his Expelliarmus, sending Voldemort's wand flying out of his hand. Every breath seemed as if it was being held as Harry moved in on Voldemort who was cowering, his red eyes wide.

"This is for Ron." Harry had said before uttering the killing curse. Voldemort fell to the floor as Harry stood over him, seemingly in shock. The fight then resumed, but this time all the Death Eaters were fleeing as fast as they could. Eventually all were captured, some released after providing the reformed Ministry with information leading to more arrests.

The war may have ended, but to Hermione, the pain was everlasting. She'd lost everything, her parents, her fiancé, her best friend. Everyone else had moved on, Harry and Ginny had married and were expecting their second child. Families were still grieving over their lost loved ones, but they were moving on with their lives. Everyone that is, except Hermione.

Although Hermione had become a highly successful healer, it was like she was living in a haze. Her work was her life, devoting herself entirely into excelling as much in the work place as she had in school. She rarely went out, only on Sundays at the Weasley's weekly family dinners. She didn't date, having only been out on a handful of dates since the defeat of Voldemort three years previously. But none of them could hold a candle to Ron.

As Hermione entered the maternity ward she took a few deep, calming breaths. Even though it had been years, thinking of everything she'd lost in the war always seemed to upset her.

A few healers waved hello to her as she made her way over to a large desk.

"Hello Hermione." Greeted Lavender Brown from behind the desk.

"Good morning Lavender," Hermione answered with a forced smile. "I was paged?"

"Oh, yes," She said, rummaging through her papers. "Your eleven o'clock has been moved up to nine as your regular nine cancelled. Also, Mr. Cross would like to see you in his office at the beginning of your lunch."

"Great," Hermione replied. "As if my lunch wasn't short enough." Lavender let out a bubbly laugh as Hermione took her clipboard from her and made her way to her first appointment.

"Good morning Potters." Hermione greeted as she walked into the examination room where Harry and Ginny were waiting for her.

"Morning." They both replied with smiles. Ginny was already laying on the bed while Harry gently rubbed her swollen stomache.

"How's the morning sickness been?" Hermione asked the redhead, checking her notes from their last visit.

"Terrible," Ginny told her. "This one won't let me eat anything I like anymore."

"I'm sure it's not that bad." Hermione said, taking notes.

"Oh please, you saw me last Sunday, I had to go to the loo every time I smelled the pudding." Ginny groaned.

"Any movement yet?" Hermione asked, taking a seat in her chair.

"Only pushing down on my bladder." Ginny said as Hermione wrote it down.

"Mood swings?"

"No, not really." Ginny told her, Harry rolling his eyes out of her line of vision.

"Harry?" Hermione turned to the raven haired man.

"They're not as intense as the last pregnancy, but they're noticable to everyone except Gin." He said.

"They're not that bad!" Ginny exclaimed, swatting her husband playfully on the arm.

"Alright Ginny, time for the ultrasound, just lay back and relax." Hermione instructed, taking her wand out from it's holder. Ginny laid back on the bed, lifting her shirt up above the noticable baby bump. Hermione said an incantation, moving her wand over her friend's stomach as an image similar to a muggle ultrasound came up on the large screen on the other side of the room.

Hermione studied the image closely, not really believing her eyes. She then jotted down a few notes, trying to hide her smile, but Harry couldn't be fooled.

"What is it, Mione?" He asked. "You know neither of us can make out anything on that screen until the eighth month." Hermione set her wand down then walked over to the screen, pointing to a moving white blob like image.

"You see this here?" She asked as the couple nodded. "Well this is your baby," She told them, then pointed to another moving blob as the smile finally broke through. "And this, is your other baby."

"What!?" Harry asked, his jaw dropped nearly to the floor.

"T-twins?" Ginny breathed out, her eyes wide.

"Yes." Hermione exclaimed, running to hug her friends.

"No wonder I'm so huge!" Ginny said with a laugh.

"Well, since this isn't your first pregnancy you are going to be bigger then you were at this point last time," Hermione informed them. "But with twins you're going to be even bigger." Ginny and Harry seemed at a loss for words, both wearing identical smiles. Hermione knew they'd be happy at the news, Ginny having always loved growing up in a large family and Harry having always wanted a large family of his own.

"So, would you like to know the sex of the babies?" Hermione asked, not being able to wipe the smile off her face. Harry and Ginny looked at eachother, seemingly communicating without words. Looking at how happy the two were, Hermione couldn't help but wonder if there were two other people more perfect for eachother.

"Yeah, I think we would." Harry replied after some time.

"Alright, just give me a moment here," Hermione told them as she moved her wand across Ginny's stomach. "This one here," She pointed to the first white blob. "Is a boy. And this one here," She pointed to the second one. "Is a girl." Hermione had to plug her ears as Ginny let out a loud squeal, hugging Harry tight. The two had been hoping for a girl since their son Ronald had been born a year before.

"Congradulations." Hermione said with a smile, hugging both.

The rest of Hermione's morning appointments didn't go nearly as well as her first. Hannah Abbott had gone into false labour and refused to believe it wasn't the real thing. She'd had to argue with her former classmate for fifteen minutes before she finally gave in and accepted it wasn't time yet. By her lunch at two o'clock, Hermione had nearly forgotten about her meeting with her boss.

Hermione knocked on the door lightly before entering Mr. Cross' office. The man welcomed her with a wide smile and a firm hand shake, having always favoured her.

"Please, sit." The man said, indicating a chair infront of his desk. Hermione took a seat and crossed her legs, curious as to why he'd asked her there.

"How's your shift been so far?" He asked with a pleasent smile.

"Busy, that's for sure." She answered, itching to ask him the reasoning behind this meeting.

"How would you like to have a position that's not so hectic?" Mr. Cross asked, placing his elbows on the table and staring at her through his round glasses.

"Is there such thing in the only wizarding hospital in Britain?" Hermione said with a smile.

"Well, no." He told her, causing her face to fall.

"Sir, you don't mean you're going to-" Hermione began but was cut off by Mr. Cross' loud laugh.

"Fire my best healer?" He asked her. "You must think I'm mad! I have never had any intentions of letting you go, quite the contrary. A position has opened up for a private healer for a wealthy couple who plan on becoming pregnant. They're a very rich family and insisted on getting the best healer money could buy, and, since you're the best and most liked by our patients, naturally I've decided to offer you the position first." Cross sat in silence for a while, allowing Hermione to digest this information.

Hermione's mind began to work over what taking this position would mean. Being a private healer would mean she was required to live in the couple's house five days a week, but she was constantly on call. However, it would keep her mind occupied, and she did love doing what she did. A raise was definate, wealthy couples always paid generously. As well, having being a private healer on her resumé would really help, and if she did well, she could have great reccomendations.

"What would the pay be like?" She asked, wanting more information.

"A fifty percent increase." Cross replied with a smile.

"And the couple?"

"I cannot release their names to you unless you accept the position, but the couple is quite pleasent. They're about your age I believe, the husband runs the family business and the wife stays at home. They've been married for a few years, so they're a stable couple," He told her. "Sound like something you'd like to do?"

"It sounds too good to be true." Hermione answered, a small smile on her face.

"So, would you like to accept the job?"

"Of course I would!" She said, causing his face to break out into a grin as he stood up to shake her hand. "When do I start?"

"This Monday morning, 8 o'clock at Malfoy Manor." Hermione immediately dropped Cross' hand, her mouth open in shock. Had she just accepted a job where she has to live in Malfoy Manor?

To Be Continued...

Alright, so hopefully whoever reads this story likes it. I have some big plans for it, which are probably pretty obvious. It's more then likely going to be a lot different from my other stories. Anyways, please read && review so I know whether or not this story's even worth continuing.

Much Love...

XXX

Xx-.k.a.y.y.-xX