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It all started with Death.
She was sitting at her desk, working through a mountain of paperwork, when an interdepartmental memo floated right down on top of the pile.
It unfolded on its own, forcing Hermione to stop what she was doing and read the note.
A new position has opened in the Department of Mysteries in the Death Chamber. To apply, you must have at least an Acceptable on your N.W.E.W.Ts for the following courses:
Ancient Runes
Arithmancy
Charms (Exceeds Expectations Preferred)
Defense Against the Dark Arts
If you meet the qualifications and would like to apply, please contact Head Unspeakable Elise Elderberry.
Hermione knew what she had to do. She met every requirement and received Os in every subject listed. She was drowning in the Department and Care for Magical Creatures. She had grand ambitions when she joined the department, but it was not the right place for her. There was too much sitting and not enough doing. She needed back into labs, into research, into discovery, and this was her chance. Death would be her new beginning.
She applied right then and there, updating her resume and sending it off to Unspeakable Elderberry without hesitation.
She hopped through the Floo with a bounce in her step. She was pulled into the sitting room at Grimuald Place. "Harry!" she called out for him, assuming he'd finished for the day earlier than she had. Being an Auror was an honor, but Hermione didn't see them doing that much work, not that she'd ever say that aloud to Harry.
As expected, she found him already home, sitting in the kitchen and drinking a pint. "There you are!" She leaned in, pressing a kiss to his lips. "Guess what I did today?"
Harry shrugged. "Played with some animals?"
Hermione smacked his shoulder. "You know my job is more than just cuddling Nifflers and Pygmy Puffs."
He nodded, "Course, just kidding." He pulled Hermione into his lap. "What happened at work?"
Hermione loved his hands on her. They'd felt out of synch recently. His touch made her feel good as if maybe the issues had been all in her head. "I applied for a new opening in the Department of Mysteries."
Harry stiffened beneath her. "Really?"
Hermione turned in his arms so she could see his face. "Yes. Is that…a problem?"
He rolled his eyes. "I mean, I hardly see you now, and I feel like I hardly even have a girlfriend and now you are going to get a new job and take on all the work of learning a new position? Why are we even together if we never see each other?"
His words hit like a knife to her chest. Every place her body touched his was aflame. It felt like her skin was crawling. She stood, needing to put distance between them. "Harry, that's why I wanted to apply. A change, a new department where I will be happier and hopefully have a less difficult schedule. I did it for us."
"Sure, you did," Harry huffed. "You know most of the other Aurors, their wives stay home. Their job is Auror's wife."
Hermione wanted to laugh, wanted to cry. Being on the force had changed him. She knew that, but hearing him speak, it was painfully obvious that they were looking for different things. "I'm not your wife, Harry, and I'll never put my ambitions aside for yours. So even if I don't get this job, you need to get that idea out of your head right now."
He scoffed. "Is it really that unreasonable to want a partner who supports me?"
Hermione shook her head. "No, Harry, of course not. But you aren't asking me to support you. You're asking me to only support you and do nothing else with my life, and I can't do that."
"Well then, it looks like we're done, doesn't it."
Death had come home with her.
Hermione sat in Ginny's flat on a Floo call with the ambitious redhead herself. "Thanks for letting me crash at your place. I promise I will find my own flat soon."
Ginny shook her head, her gorgeous silky hair shining with the movement. "Don't worry about it Hermione. I'm on the road nearly every week for the next month anyway. The Harpies are working us to the bone, so enjoy the space. It's yours. I know exactly how hard a break-up with Harry Potter can be, so take your time, ok? And good luck with the new job. I told you that you would kill that interview. I'm proud of you, love."
Hermione felt fuzzy and warm at her friend's words. "Thank you, Gin. I don't know what I'd do without you. Go kick the Cannon's arses and know I am proud of you too."
Once Ginny's face had faded from the flames, Hermione stood and went to her suitcase. She unpacked with a few flicks of her wand, making Ginny's spare room hers for now. She looked over the clothes that now hung neatly in the closet. She had her first day in her new position the next day. She'd bought new robes and cute office dresses when she'd started in the Department for Control and Regulation for Magical Creatures over two years before, but she'd been rough on her clothes. Many had rips, tears, and coffee stains that she'd evenescoed, but that never seemed to get the marks out completely. She sighed. It was time for an update. But there was no time for that tonight. She pulled out her least-stained dress and her least frayed robes and hoped it would be acceptable. When she'd had her interview a couple of weeks before, she couldn't help but notice how chic the whole department looked. They were like models, with perfect hair, makeup, and robes in the latest styles and cuts. She knew this change was the right call for her, but she hoped she could find a way to fit in with her new co-workers, too.
Unspeakable Elderberry walked up to her, a smile on her kind face. "Unspeakable Granger, Good morning. Come with me."
Hermione didn't have clearance to get onto the Department of Mysteries floor on her own yet; it was on the to-do list for the day, so she had to be escorted onto the floor by a Senior staff member.
Elderberry linked arms with Hermione and led her to the lift with exclusive access to the department. "Now that you are officially on the team, I can tell you who you'll be working with." Elderberry pressed the singular button on the lift wall with her free hand, and they were instantly whisked down to the bottom floor. "Your team will be Theo Nott and Pansy Parkinson. I believe they were both in the same year as you in Hogwarts, yes?"
Hermione nodded. "They were, yes."
"The whole team reports to me, but as they have more experience, please direct your questions to them, and they can elevate them to me if needed."
Hermione struggled to swallow. Her heart fluttered in her chest. She was going to be working every day with two of her biggest childhood bullies. She thought she was going to be sick. She'd made a horrible mistake.
Elderberry opened the door to the Death Chamber and held the door open for Hermione. She stepped into the space and felt a cool rush of air. Hermione shivered, goosebumps immediately forming on her arms.
Pansy smirked. "Sorry about that. You get used to it, I promise." She looked incredible. Even more polished than the other posh-looking Unspeakables. Her signature bob was still perfect, shiny black. She wore the robes of an Unspeakable, but they were unfastened. Underneath, she wore a houndstooth pencil skirt down to her ankles, her black-heeled boots picking up where the skirt stopped. Her top was a form-fitting emerald green turtleneck. She looked like she'd fit perfectly in a spread in Witches Weekly rather than in the basement of the ministry.
Theo stepped in front of Pansy. "Would you like a warming charm? It helps." His wand was held out in a large, vascular hand, an easy grin on his face. His curls reminded her of Harry's, but they were neater, more tamed, and not quite as dark, more brown than black. He wore no robes but rather a muggle suit sans coat. His charcoal grey trousers fit him like a glove, and his Acromantula silk tie sparkled with green and gold threads.
Pansy knocked his outstretched hand down. "She probably doesn't want us pointing our wands at her on day one, Theo, dear. We haven't always been the most welcoming, if you'll recall."
Theo winced, placing his wand in his pocket. "Sorry about that."
Hermione quirked a single eyebrow. "Do you mean the wand, the bullying, or the war?"
He pursed his lips. "How about all of it?"
Hermione laughed. "Well, that takes care of quite a bit then."
Pansy smiled. "We do like to be efficient down here." She turned to the Head Unspeakable, "Elderberry, we've got her from here. We'll let you know if she needs anything."
The woman nodded and left without a word.
Theo and Pansy showed Hermione their research, explaining that their current inquiry was into various channels they could use to speak with the dead, specifically those that had crossed the veil; of course, because those that stayed were readily available already, some too much so. One just needed a day or two in Hogwarts to see that. They had tested many forms of communication but were having the most success with using a simple yes or no tapping system. It was rudimentary, but the ability to speak or write seemed to completely elude those they had reached so far.
Hermione was instantly fascinated. She set to work creating her own experiments and testing various communication methods. The work was invigorating. And both Theo and Pansy were equally enthralled with the research as she was. It was thrilling to work with people who understood her enthusiasm and who encouraged it. She received a much more sincere and verbose apology from both of them for the horrors of their past, both the childish schoolyard variety and the child soldier variety. It wasn't long before she considered them both friends.
"Theo, pass me that vial, please," Pansy asked as she scribbled notes in her little leather research book. Today, she had the top layer of her hair pulled back and clipped in a velvet black bow. She wore a navy-blue shift dress and paten dragon leather heels.
Theo pressed his chest to her back, reaching over her shoulder to place the vial right on top of where she was writing. She shook her head, not bothering to look up. "You could have simply levitated it over, you ninny."
He brought his mouth right to her ear but still spoke plenty loud enough for Hermione to hear him, "Where would be the fun in that, Pans?" He stepped back and looked at his watch. "Damn. I have a meeting with the Time Room team. Bye, ladies."
The moment the door closed, Hermione was at Pansy's side. "This is what I am talking about! That was blatant flirting!"
Pansy shook her head. "That's just Theo. He means nothing by it. Pay him no mind."
Hermione smiled. "He doesn't act like that with me."
Pansy placed her quill down, finally looking up from her work. "Would you like him to? I'm sure he'd be interested. If I let him know you wouldn't hex him straight through the veil."
"No. That's not what I was saying at all. I mean, he's different with you than he is with anyone else."
"I know it looks like that, Granger, but that's only because you haven't seen him around other old-school friends. He's exactly the same with Daphne, Astoria, Milly… the lot of us."
Hermione couldn't help but hear a hint of jealousy in Pansy's voice as she spoke. "Would you like him to be different with you?" Hermione said in an echo of Pansy's earlier question.
A pink blush decorated Pansy's pale cheeks. "No."
"Very convincing," Hermione replied with a wink.
Pansy rolled her eyes. "Look, come out to drinks with us this Friday, and you'll see."
"Fine. I will."
"Really?" Pansy's mouth was agape in a very un-Pansy-like way.
"It's not that shocking, is it?" Hermione asked, regretting her decisions only seconds after she'd made it.
"It is. Hermione, you've worked here what, six months now? And not only have you never gone out with us even one time, but I don't think I've heard you talk about doing anything even remotely social in that entire time."
Hermione frowned. She had been rather busy with learning the new position and things had been awkward with her friend group ever since the split from Harry. She'd hung out with Ginny at their flat, of course, but she supposed it had been quite a while since she'd gone out. "Well, even more reason for me to come then, isn't it."
That Friday morning, Hermione stood in front of the mirror, examining herself. In her time in the Death Room, no one had ever made Hermione feel as though she didn't look perfectly appropriate. But nonetheless, seeing how put together, how mature her coworkers looked, it had made Hermione want to step up her game. She and Ginny had done some shopping, and Hermione found a new salon to help her learn how to truly care for her curls. It wasn't a huge change, but it made Hermione feel better, more confident. She'd slowly been introducing the new pieces into her work wardrobe rotation, but today she wanted to really make a splash. She was going out for a drink and even she hadn't noticed it before Pansy had pointed it out, it had been dreadfully long since she'd gone out. She deserved to feel good and look good and take her life back into her own hands.
Hermione turned from side to side, examining the way her black dress clung to her hips. The skirt hit mid-calf, and the neckline went all the way up to her neck, but the tight fit and the small cut-out in the back made her nervous to wear it to work. She loved how she looked in it, though, and Ginny assured her it was perfectly suitable for the office. Hermione paired with nude heels (shorter than anything Pansy would wear but still), and a pair of pearl earrings. She looked good. She threw her robes over her shoulders and headed to the Floo, not allowing herself another moment to rethink it.
She stepped off the lift and ran right into Draco Malfoy. Her hands landed against his chest, and she steadfastly ignored the way she could feel his muscles bunch beneath her palm and through the soft fabric of his shirt.
"We've got to stop running into each other like this," Malfoy joked.
He worked in the time room. She didn't know what he was doing exactly in there but she had to assume it was engineering the return of time turners. She came to this conclusion after the third time she'd been walking with a clear path only to run into his very solid chest.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I have no way to control that now do I?"
He smirked, "And you think I do?"
She didn't know him, really. Pansy and Theo mentioned him now and again but the different rooms had very little cross-over, and when they did need to consult with each other, Hermione was not the one requested. She was too new.
She sighed. "If I said I was pretty sure you did, I'd be breaching protocol to not speculate on the work of other Unspeakables."
"That you would Granger, that you would." He stepped back and Hermione dropped her hand, trying to ignore just how much she'd liked the feel of him beneath her palm. He looked her up and down. His brow furrowing. "You look nice today. Do you have a date?"
"Oh-erm-thanks-no," the words came out in an awkward jumble.
He chuckled. "Just trying to distract us all, then hmm?"
Before she could reply, he was walking off, "Time waits for no man, Granger. Much work to do."
She could feel that her cheeks were pink. She had no clue what to make of him. They'd hardly spoken. This conversation was surely the most words they'd said to each other since they were back in school, but every time they crossed paths, she felt like this. Tongue-tied, flushed, and short of breath. Perhaps she was allergic to his cologne.
Hermione and Pansy walked into the pub together. Theo had stayed back to finish some cleanup. Pansy looked around the bar, her face lighting up as she spotted the love room team, Milly and Daphne, at a large high-top table in the back of the room. She kissed them both on the cheek, and Hermione waved hello. She'd known them both in passing in school, and she'd run into them on the main floor of the Unspeakables level, but that was the extent of her interactions with them.
"Are the prophecy boys here yet?" Pansy asked them as she signaled the bar for a waiter at the same time. She was referring to Blaise Zabini and Anthony Goldstine.
"Not yet," Milly shook her head. "I think they were heading out right after us, though, so it shouldn't be long.
A young man, likely just out of Hogwarts, walked up, smirking, quill and pad in hand. "Hello lovelies, my name is Darcy. What can I get you, ladies? Wine? Beer? The Pims cup is on special."
Daphne preened under the attention of the handsome young waiter.
Hermione ordered herself a glass of wine and tuned out the shameless flirting. Her eyes kept flicking to the door. She didn't care when the men would arrive. It did not matter. So why did she keep looking?
A hand landed on her shoulder. "Looking for someone?"
She knew right away that it was him. His voice, his scent. She looked over her shoulder and confirmed her suspicions. "Malfoy, did you just use time magic outside of the ministry? You're going to get arrested." Her heart was beating so fast. He'd startled her.
He laughed, pulling out the chair next to hers and taking a seat. "Relax, Granger. We took the Floo." He pointed over his shoulder where the Floo was in fact still glowing green from their recent arrival.
She turned and found that Theo was also here now, sitting next to Pansy and smiling devilishly at her. Hermione shook her head.
Malfoy's eyes followed her line of sight before he nodded. "Ah yes. So, you've noticed too."
Hermione laughed. "It's hard to miss."
Malfoy grabbed his wand and twirled it between his fingers. His face was hard to read, but Hermione got the feeling he was choosing his next words carefully. "I don't think either of them have missed it either."
She turned to face him again, tilting her head. "Then why haven't they acted on it? They are clearly mad about each other."
Draco sighed. "When you've known someone since you were in nappies, it can be hard to take the next step into something more. What if it ruins your friendship?"
Hermione was about to respond when Darcy strutted over. "Sparkling wine for the sparkling beauty," he joked, setting her prosecco down in front of her." He was similarly flirtatious as he handed Pansy her Bordeaux and Milly and Daphne their cocktails.
"And I see we have some gentlemen who have joined the table. What can I get you lads?
"Firewhiskey, neat. Ogdens," Draco ordered, his voice icy.
"I'll have the same," Theo added, his voice equally cold.
"Coming right up!" Darcy winked at Hermione before heading back towards the bar.
"I don't like him," Theo said eyes narrowed.
"Bad vibes," Draco agreed.
Milly laughed. "Hmm, couldn't imagine why. You two are so transparent. As if you both weren't just as incorrigible flirts when you were his age."
Theo frowned. "We were more respectful about it."
Draco nodded. "More refined."
Pansy rolled her eyes and took a deep sip of her wine. "Sure. Refined. Like that time you lifted your shirt, Theo, and asked Hanna Abbot if she wanted to lick your abs. So classy."
Theo blushed "I was rather drunk…"
"Or that time you told that poor muggle girl in Florence that she looked like your dream girl, Draco?"
Draco shrugged. "Sounds fairly refined to me."
Theo snickered. "I mean, it was until you told her that your dream girl had bigger tits though."
Pansy's eyes landed on Hermione, narrowing. "Come to think of it, she looked rather a lot like Gra-"
"Those drinks are taking forever. Come with me to check on them, Hermione?"
Hermione was surprised he'd asked. She wasn't even waiting on a drink and the order had just been put in. But he'd said her name. Her first name. He'd never done that before. It sounded so lovely on his tongue. And she wanted to hear him say it again. So she simply stood, walking off with him.
The pub was crowded, and she was jostled a few times by patrons pushing past her small frame. Draco placed a large, warm hand on her lower back, steadying her and ensuring they didn't get separated in the crowd.
His hand seemed to sear through the fabric of her dress, warming the small of her back. When they reached the bar, his hand didn't drop, and if she wasn't mistaken his thumb began to move, slow light caresses up and down. The sensation sent a delicious shiver down her spine.
He brought his mouth right next to her ear, "I'm glad you finally came out with us." His words brushed against her ear, his spearmint breath ghosting over her.
She turned to look up at him and found his face just inches from hers. "Yeah?" she asked, feeling rather ineloquent, the tongue-tie allergy returning.
He smiled, the action making his already handsome face glow in the dim bar. "Yeah. What made you decide to join us?"
Hermione shrugged. "Pansy, Theo, their whole thing. She said he flirts with the other girls just the same as he does with her. I wanted to see for myself."
"And?" Draco asked, his lips accidentally grazing the shell of her ear.
"And he seems to only have eyes for her, just as I suspected. It's rather lovely, actually. Almost makes me want to start dating again."
He quirked a brow at her. "Really? Are you single, Granger?"
She felt a flittering in her stomach. Was he flirting? Surely not. Just asking about her life. Normal coworker talk. She huffed out a breath. "Oh, come on, everyone in the entire wizarding world heard about my break up with Harry. It was front-page news. Are you really so detached from the gossip?"
He shook his head. "Not at all. I just assumed you'd already found someone new. You could obviously do better."
She felt a smirk creeping up her face. "Most people don't see things that way."
"Most people are idiots."
"Oi! Draco!" They both turned to see Blaise calling out from across the bar. "Your drink was brought over five minutes ago. If you don't want it I'm drinking it myself."
Hermione realized they'd never even spoken to a bartender. She hurried back to the table her cheeks turning pink. "I suppose we look rather foolish," she declared to the table as she re-took her seat.
"Well, one of you does," Pansy murmured, a wicked smile on her lips.
Draco bumped into her with his elbow as he sauntered by on his way to sit beside Hermione again. "Oops, sorry, Pans. Clumsy me."
She and Draco never got a chance to continue their conversation. Hermione was pulled into a debate between Blaise and Daphne on the use of Latin versus Sanskrit for the most powerful spell casting.
Hermione made sure to keep an eye on Theo the whole night. And though he was a bit flirtatious with the other women at the table, it was all playful, innocent even. Nothing like the way he teased and touched Pansy.
After a few rounds, and with the answer to the Theo situation firmly determined, Hermione stood. "I'm off."
Several members of the group groaned. Exclaiming that the night was young, she couldn't leave yet.
She smiled, appreciating the calls for her to stay but having no intention of giving in. "This is already more socializing than I've done in ages. I need to leave before I have to go into hibernation for another six months." Hermione walked around the table and gave Pansy a quick kiss on the cheek and headed for the door.
She only made it a few steps before a warm hand was on her shoulder. "Erm, Granger."
She turned. "Oh, Malfoy. Did I forget something on the table or…"
He ran his fingers through the silky blonde strands, now falling into his eyes, the morning's charms clearly having faded. "Oh, no. Nothing like that. It's just…"
Hermione waited, confused.
He shook his head. "Just have a good night."
She smiled. "Thanks. See you Monday."
After that first pub night, Hermione tried to go more often. Not every weekend, but when she felt up to it, she made herself go. She liked watching Theo and Pansy dancing around each other. It was even more blatant than in the office. Her friendship with Malfoy grew little by little.
He always made an effort to talk with her, ask her about her life, compliment her hair. She knew he was just being kind—showing her he'd changed—but it never failed to make her cheeks warm and her heart flutter.
One night, about three months after that first night out, he pulled her aside. She followed him out to the patio. It was early spring, and the wind still had a crispness to it. Hermione pulled her jacket closer, trying to block out the chill. He stood closer, his body blocking the cold. Hermione tilted her head to meet his eyes. He was close. She could see the light smattering of hair from his five-o'clock shadow dusting his jaw. Her fingers itched to run along the line of his jaw. She shoved her hands into her pockets. His soulful grey eyes were focused right on her. She could barley breathe. What was happening?
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Erm, I've been trying to figure out how to say this to you."
Hermione's stomach flipped. "Yes?"
He took a deep breath. His broad shoulders rose with the movement. He was wearing another cashmere sweater today. It was cream and looked so soft. He also wore his glasses. He used a charm most days, but sometimes, his eyes needed a rest. They framed his face so nicely. She really liked them. Like…a lot.
He was talking again, and she'd missed some of it.
"So, you see, I know Pansy and Theo didn't make a big deal over it."
Hermione nodded. Pretending she had any idea of what he was on about.
"But I felt as though, considering everything…" He gestured between them. A flicker of hope began to grow in her chest.
He coughed and then continued, "That I should say this to your face. That is to say, I'm really truly so sorry for everything that happened back in our school days. I was under duress, but that doesn't absolve me of my actions. And I'm so grateful that you've not let it make things awkward between us. I erm… I consider you a true friend, Hermione."
It felt like a punch to the gut—all of the air forced out of her lungs with one blow. "Right. Friends. I mean, yes. We are. Friends, I mean. Absolutely."
He frowned, his brow wrinkling. "Good. I'm glad."
"Me too." She could hear how hollow her words were. But she'd been silly to think this might have been anything other than exactly what it had turned out to be. A simple apology—clearing the air. How could she think it would be anything else? "I'm chilly. I'm gonna go…" Hermione nodded toward the door they'd walked out not even five minutes before.
He stepped aside. "Sure. Of course."
He didn't follow behind her. Instead he stayed out on the patio for some time. She watched the door as she sat a the table, talking with Pansy and Daphene about planning a shopping trip together.
"Malkins is fabulous of course, but when I want something a little more modern, I love to head into muggle England. I bet you know the best places, Hermione," Daphne commented before taking the final sip of her butterbeer.
Hermione answered, her eyes still on the door, "I would love to take you both. Get your opinions on some pieces."
Daphne stood. "Anyone else need another?"
Hermione shook her head as the beautiful blonde took a count from the table and headed off.
"So…" Pansy said, looking at Hermione expectantly.
"What?" Hermione asked, confused.
"What do you mean what? What the hell happened out on the patio? Clearly, he's either out there still reeling from it or he's apparated home, so don't try to tell me it was nothing."
Hermione sighed. "It really was nothing though, Pans."
She rolled her eyes. "Ok, well then, humor me. What did he say?"
He apologized for the past. I'd already forgiven him. I mean, we all heard the testimony at his trial. He was in an impossible place. So, I told I forgave him and that was it."
Pansy raised one eyebrow. "That's really it?"
Hermione nodded. "Yep. That and he told me he considers me a friend." She tried to keep her voice light. It was a nice thing to say. He was nice. They were friends.
Pansy's green eyes flashed. "Mmm, right.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Hermione turned to face Pansy now, not missing the disbelieving sound in that simple word.
She sighed. "Nothing, just that boy has been spending too much time with Theo."
Draco must have walked back in while they were talking because Hermione could see him down the table from her, sitting next to Theo both of them laughing with Milly.
With her eyes still lingering on him, she smirked. "I think you just admitted that Theo has feelings for you, Pansy."
Pansy laughed. "IF I did, and that's a big if, then I also admitted that I think Draco has feelings for you."
Hermione took a deep pull of her drink. "What are we going to do?"
Pansy's eyes followed Hermione's, landing on the men in question. "I think I'm done waiting to find out." She stood, her heels giving her several extra inches of hight, and straightened her already perfectly straight black and plaid skirt and walked right over to Theo. She whispered something in his ear and then they were gone. Theo placed an arm around her waist and apparated them right where they stood. It was the most romantic thing Hermione had ever seen. Her heart ached for that kind of confidence, that kind of love. She felt a lump form in her throat.
"That was some scene, huh?" Draco was beside her, pulling out Pansy's now empty seat.
Hermione wasn't sure she could speak without the tears she was holding back streaming forth. She simply nodded.
"You ok?" he asked, his head tilted with confusion. "I hope I didn't bring up any-"
Hermione took a shaky breath. "No. It's not you. It makes you realize—seeing a moment like that—how alone you are."
"Ahh." Draco slowly rotated his whiskey glass, his long fingers manipulating it just so. "Do you regret breaking up with him?"
He didn't have to say his name. They both knew he meant Harry. "How do you know I broke up with him and not the other way 'round?"
He scoffed. "Come on."
She didn't know how to respond to that so she didn't. Instead she said, "I don't regret it. It wasn't right. But starting my life all over again hasn't been easy. I spent so many years being Harry's Hermione. Keeping him safe, thinking of him, falling in love with him, admiring him. I've had to figure out who I am without him—who I am now that his version of me is dead."
Draco took a sip of his whiskey, his Adam's apple bobbing, the column of his neck moving with the effort of swallowing. No one's neck had any business being that erotic. It was sinful. "Have you figured it out yet? Who you are now?"
"No," she answered simply. "But I am learning, and I'm happier now. More free."
"But you're lonely?"
She exhaled slowly, her breath rustling her curls. "Sometimes."
He opened his mouth to reply, but she didn't let him. She couldn't listen to him—didn't want to hear about what a good friend he could be to her.
"Good night, Draco."
Watching Pansy and Theo being madly in love was a true joy. They were professional in the lab, more or less, but Hermione had never seen two people more perfect for one another. It was the kind of ease and comfort she'd never managed to have with Harry.
At work, their projects flourished now that there were no secrets between them stifling their communication. And outside of work, they were perfectly in synch, trading insults and laughing and snogging. Hermione was really happy for her friends. But what she'd said to Draco had been true. Seeing them made her realize she was ready to try her hand at love again, too. And if Draco wasn't interested, well, then she'd just have to find someone else who was.
"I know someone," Theo placed a gentle hand on Pansy's back as he passed her in the small lab.
"Oh?" Hermione asked, her eyes going back to the potion she was brewing, she really needed to focus."
"Yep. He's handsome, blond, works as an Unspeakable…"
"Theo," Pansy said, her tone a clear warning. Hermione had banned them both from speaking about the idea of her and Draco.
He frowned. "What? I'm pretty sure Goldstine has a crush on our Hermione. Do we not like Goldstein? Did I miss some office drama?"
"Oh. No. That's fine." Pansy replied, "Brilliant, actually."
Hermione began to stir her cauldron. Counting carefully 7 times clockwise. "Is that brilliant? I probably shouldn't date co-workers."
"Worked out well for me," Theo joked.
"You and Pansy are a special case. Destined since birth and all of that," Hermione told him as she waited for the potion to change colors.
"We are special, aren't we," Pansy preened.
Theo dropped a kiss on her cheek. "You certainly are my love."
"You two are disgusting."
All three of them turned, and found Draco, lurking in their doorway.
"Oh good, Draco, you can weigh in!," Theo said, striding across the room to his best mate.
Draco crossed his arms, "Oh? Weigh in on what?"
Pansy sighed. "Don't you two have a meeting up on floor 3 to be getting to?"
Draco waved away Pansy's concerns. "We have plenty of time. What do you need my superior knowledge on? Help with understanding the Veil? Questions about how death and time are connected?"
"Granger's love life, actually." Theo walked over to his desk and began gathering papers; Hermione assumed they were for his meeting.
"Oh, I'm sure Malfoy dosen't want to…"
Draco cut her off. "Don't be silly, Granger. Of course, I want to give my opinion. What seems to be the matter?" He'd walked up close. She could smell his cologne, sense his presence just behind her as she continued to work on the finicky potion for living death.
"I'm busy just now anyway," Hermione began.
Theo spoke up. "I can fill him in. You just brew your potion. Granger here is lonely."
She grimaced, glad she was facing her cauldron and away from the rest of the room. She'd already told him she was lonely, but did it really have to be reiterated?
Theo continued. "So I was thinking we should set her up with Goldstine. Don't you think he's got a crush on her?" Theo turned to Hermione now, "He's always so complimentary of you every time your name comes up, Hermione. It's either a crush or he wants to become your apprentice."
Draco coughed. "Goldstine? She can do better."
Hermione turned from her work, facing him now. "You said that about Harry too. Who exactly do you consider good enough for me, Malfoy? Or should I just sit on a pedestal, single and sexless, for the rest of my life? Hmm?"
Draco sputtered, trying to form an answer, but Hermione found she couldn't stomach whatever response he was trying to formulate. She pushed past Draco, walking into the shared office space.
"Where are you going?" Draco called after her.
"Off to find, Goldstine. Have a nice meeting."
Asking a man out to spite another man wasn't Hermione's best plan. Goldstine—Anthony, she mentally corrected yet again—was attractive, smart, funny, and kind. She was enjoying the date. She really was. But every time he reached out to touch her hand, her shoulder, she compared it to the zing she'd felt whenever Draco had touched her, and she knew it just wasn't the same. They didn't have that spark, that resonance between their souls. Then again, Draco didn't seem to feel a spark with her either. She sighed deeply.
"Not a fan of Morgana's more abstract research then?" Anthony shot her a wry smile.
"Sorry, no. My mind was wandering. Morgana's research into how intent impacts casting was groundbreaking. It should be required reading at Hogwarts."
Anthony nodded. "I completely agree—but that dosen't change the fact that you're mind is a million miles away right now. Did I do something wrong?"
"No. Not at all. I've really had a lovely time," Hermione told him earnestly.
"But?" he asked.
"But I think we're better as friends." She reached for the bill as the waiter dropped it on the table, retreating quickly after hearing their conversation.
Anthony shook his head. "Absolutely not. I'm paying, and that's that."
Hermione chewed her bottom lip. "But I just told you this isn't going to work out."
He shrugged. "Yeah, but now we know. And I'd really like to pay for your dinner. When we go out again—as friends— you can cover next time, alright?"
Hermione smiled. He really was such a good guy. She hoped he found someone lovely, someone who could actually give him a real shot. "Alright, deal. But you also have to let me lend you this book I read recently. It looked at how we can modernize Morgana's work to current casting practices."
"Oh, the new one by Althea Shelly? I've been trying to track down a copy."
On the walk back to Hermione's flat, she discovered that without the pressure of a date over their heads, she and Anthony got along famously. She really was glad for the new friendship even if she was still hopeless in the romance department. She grabbed the book for him, and they made plans to hang out again soon before he left through her floo.
On Monday, Hermione decided she needed to tell Draco about her little crush. If he was preventing her from giving good men like Anthony a chance, she needed to just get it off her chest and deal with the consequences. It would likely make things awkward at the office and Friday night drinks, but Hermione was no longer the sort of person who would just go along with things to make others comfortable. That version of her died the day she ended things with Harry. She could do this.
She dressed in a form-fitting pair of grey trousers and a red silk blouse. Her curls were down and fell loosely over her shoulders. She spent extra time on her makeup, going with a bold red lip for an extra boost of confidence. She took one last look, turning to inspect her body. She liked how she looked. She liked a lot about the ways her life had changed in the last year. Hermione took a steadying breath and reminded herself that even if things crashed and burned with Draco today, she was going to be alright. No matter what, she was going to be alright.
When she walked into the office, she kept an eye out for him, but she didn't see Draco around. She decided she'd track him down at lunch and got to work in her lab.
"You look extra nice today," Theo said, grinning wide. "Have someone you're trying to impress? Maybe someone you went out with this weekend?"
Behind him, Pansy mouthed "Sorry" as she pointed to Theo and rolled her eyes. Hermione appreciated that Pansy had kept Hermione's feelings for Draco quiet despite her relationship with Theo.
Hermione laughed at the exasperated look on Pansy's face. "No, no love connection between Anthony and I. I had a nice time, but it was purely platonic."
Theo frowned. "Damn. Sorry, Hermione."
"No, it's fine. It's my own fault. I think I'm a little hung up on someone else." Hermione pulled out her notebook as she spoke, preparing to get started for the day.
Theo nodded sagely. "Damn Potter," he muttered.
Pansy walked over and gave Hermione a small hug. "What happened on the date to make you so sure?"
Hermione flipped through her notes, considering the question. "We got along really well. We have so much in common. He's read Morgana's research too, did you know?"
Pansy shook her head.
"We actually walked back to my place so that-"
The door to their lab slammed shut and Theo rushed over, opening it again and looking for who'd been listening in. "Draco?" he called out, confused.
"Shit," Hermione whispered. "How much do you think he heard?"
Pansy pursed her lips. "Probably just enough to completely misunderstand. Go after him." She pushed Hermione toward the door.
Hermione debated letting him calm down. She didn't have to tell him how she felt today. She could wait. But she was a Gryffindor. She was brave. She could face him.
She let the momentum of Pansy's shove carry her through the open door and shuffled forward, catching herself on a wall as she watched his blonde head duck around a corner.
She hurried after him, calling out his name. He was faster than her but he wasn't running, just walking with that long-legged gait of his. Hermione darted down the hall and reached a hand out, grabbing the soft fabric of his white dress shirt and tugging him towards her. "Draco!"
"Damn it, Hermione, I don't want to talk to you right now."
Even annoyed as she was at having to run after the eavesdropping little prat, hearing him say her given name made her shiver—his tongue curling around each letter delicately. He looked down at her, his smoke-grey eyes pleading her to let him go. She grabbed the fabric of his shirt tighter.
"You slept with him." The words tumbled from Draco's lips—a statement, not a question.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "If I did, why would you care?" This was not how she'd planned for this conversation to go, but he was being so frustrating.
He opened his mouth to speak before looking around at where they were. "Hold on." He tried the nearest doorknob, and when it turned, he looked back at her, "In here. Anyone could interrupt us out here."
She followed and found herself in the storage closet for Milly and Daphne's research. The whole place smelled of old parchment and spearmint and quidditch leather. Her Amortentia.
"So, you did?"
Hermione wanted to shake him. He was being ridiculous. "I took him back to my place,"
Draco stepped closer, wincing at her words "I don't need to hear this-"
A derisive laugh fell from her lips. "You really do. So let me speak. I took him back to my place to lend him a book after telling him that we would be better as friends."
"Oh."
She sighed. "Yeah, Oh. Do you want to know why I can only see Goldstine as a friend?" She didn't wait for a reply. "It's because I'm hung up on this annoying blond pratt. A pratt who need I remind you, put me distinctly in the friend zone not long ago. So why does he care who I sleep with? Who I date?"
"Huh? What? Gods, Hermione, how much perfume did you put on this morning? I can't think with the smell of you filling this whole closet."
She smirked. "We're in the Love room supply closet, Draco."
He blushed. "Er, right. Did I just admit that I'm in love with you?"
Hermione threw her arms over his shoulders, "You did, but I just did the same if you'd been listening."
"You did?"
She laughed, nodding. "Well, close enough. My whole date, I was thinking of you Draco. I want you. Please tell me you don't want us just to be friends."
"I sort of just did."
She bit her bottom lip, "I wanna hear you say it properly."
He adjusted his glasses, his eyes meeting hers, and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her body flush to his. "Hermione Granger, I have been half in love with you since we were children. And working with you this past year only made me fall harder. I did everything I could to get your attention, and when I got it, I realized I didn't deserve you. I had so much to apologize for, so much I could never make up for, and I got scared. But I was a fool, and now I just hope you can forgive me one more time because I can't get you out of my head. I want to hold you, touch you, talk to you, tell you about my day. I want to go home to you every night and wake up with you in my bed every morning. So please don't be my friend. I want so much more than that. Will that do?"
Hermione couldn't speak. His words had stolen her breath away. She could only nod and lean in, capturing his lips. The kiss was months, years in the making and it felt like it. When her lips brushed him, her body lit up with eclectic frisson. It only took him a moment to catch up, to kiss back, and deepen the pull as he leaned down, blocking out everything except for his lips, his body, and his smell. Everything was Draco. Nothing else existed.
He walked her back one step, then another, and she was pressed to the wall, trapped between his lips and cool stone. "Fuck, I have wanted to do that for so long." He whispered the confession against her neck.
She looked up at him, smiling. "Would you wanna come back to mine?"
He smirked. "Do you have a book recommendation or…?"
She pulled him through space, her magic apparating them straight to her flat. She knew Pansy and Theo would cover for them at work. She needed Draco, now. They had waited long enough.
They landed with a gentle pop in her living room. She felt his lips back on hers before she could even register the solid ground beneath her feet.
"Taste so good," Draco moaned, "even better than I imagined."
Hermione pulled back, smiling, "Thought about it a lot?"
The wolfish grin on his lips made her feel like she was about to be devoured. "An embarrassing amount. Wanted you for too damned long."
She took his hand and led him to her bedroom. "Show me what we do in your head."
He growled, and the sound sent a rush of wet heat between her thighs. He picked her up like she weighed nothing, throwing her onto her bed with a bounce. He joined her in a flash, his body covering hers.
She was still fully dressed, down to her heels, but his mouth found every small bit of exposed skin and adorned it with a kiss. Her neck, her ear, her wrist, her ankle. His tongue dipped out, tasting her as he went, sending shockwaves of pleasure down her spine to her throbbing core.
A moan fell from her lips, pulled out of her with his delicate attention to her neglected body.
"Yeah? That feel good, baby?" He didn't wait for a response. He traveled back up her body, his hands finding the buttons of her red blouse and carefully, deftly opening each one. As each new inch of her body was revealed to him, his eyes took her in, pupils blown wide. "So beautiful," he hummed as he opened the last button.
His lips were puffy, his hair disheveled, and his glasses askew. She'd never seen him in such disarray. It was stunning. "I thought there was nothing sexier than you looking all business, perfectly put together, but this is my new favorite," she confessed.
"Mmm, I'm rather partial to this version of you as well. Only, one more thing…" he pulled out his wand from the leather holster stretched across his chest and pointed it at her waist, "Evenesco." Her trousers were gone. Beneath him, she wore just her knickers, bra, and heels. She started to kick the heels off, but Draco shook his head. "Leave them on."
Hermione nodded. She did ask for his fantasy, after all. "Did you think about me in them? Think about how I look wearing them at work?"
His fingers encircle her ankle before he lifts her leg up. He kisses the top of her foot before placing her calf over his shoulder. "Yes. Fuck, yes. Is that odd?"
Maybe, if it weren't currently turning her on beyond reason, Hermione would have said yes. But as it was, she loved it. "No. I thought about you, too. How you look in the office—in those damned glasses and this wand holster."
He smirked. "Shall I leave them on? Stay just like this?"
Hermione shook her head, whimpering. "No. Let me see you, please."
He pointed his wand at his own body, and in a flash of magic, he was bared to her; just his tight black boxers and his glasses remained. She could see the outline of his cock, thick and long, pressing into his thigh. Her mouth watered at the sight. But Draco had other plans. He slipped forward, her leg still hooked over his shoulder as he dipped between her thighs.
His long fingers slid her knickers to the side, and his tongue licked up her slit in a long stripe. "So wet." His words puffed against her cunt as he spoke.
"For you," she whined, "all for you."
He moaned, and the vibrations filled her core. He began to lap at her, sucking her juice and teasing her sensitive clit. He was feasting on her. Hermione had never had a man so eager between her thighs. He pointed his tongue and speared inside of her, the nerves around her entrance lighting up from the attention. She gasped as the pleasure overwhelmed her.
"You taste so good," he praised. "Wanna live between your thighs."
His words had her legs tightening. She knew she was squeezing him and worried it was uncomfortable for him, but the added pressure felt so good. She moaned as he continued to tease her clit, circling it with his tongue and sucking it between his lips. He slipped a finger inside of her cunt, curling it and pressing up, hitting some hidden spot within her.
"I'm gonna come, Draco. Fuck. Yes." She was a babbling mess as she squeezed her thighs tighter, focusing on the building pressure. She threw her other leg over his shoulder, her heels pressing into his back.
"Yes, give it to me," he groaned before continuing precisely as he was, his fingers pressing, fucking into her, his lips sucking, and then she was coming, a little death at his hands. Her heart was pounding, her skin was hot, and her core was clenching, pulsing around his finger. He kept up his ministrations, working her through her release. He slowed as she came down from the high.
"Give me another," he whispered, his long finger still circling her clit, not touching it but playing with her, coming so close.
Hermione shivered. "I couldn't possibly."
He peered up at her from between her thighs; his lips were glistening with her arousal as they pulled into a wicked grin. "Sure you can. I'll help." He dove back between her thighs even as the aftershocks of her orgasm were still twitching through her. This time, he slid an extra finger inside, stretching her around them. He slid them in and out as his lips found her clit yet again. He circled her sensitive nerve, and she was right back on the edge.
In no time at all, she was screaming as he pulled another clenching, pulsating, thigh-shaking orgasm from her. He looked up at her like the cat that got the cream, and well, perhaps he was.
She could feel the way her hair stuck to her forehead, sweat trickling between her breasts. She was a mess for him in so many ways. But she wasn't done. She needed more. Hermione pressed her heels into his back hard. "Get up here now, it's your turn."
He laughed as he obeyed, leaning over her, his corded arms holding him up as he hovered over her. "As if I would say no to that."
Before she could roll her eyes, he was kissing her again. The tangy taste of herself on his lips only made the kiss better, reminding her of how eager he was to get his mouth between her legs.
She reached down, hooking her thumbs in his boxer briefs and tugging. He was quick to help, pulling them down along with her. She felt the moment his cock was free; it was hot and leaking, trapped between his perfect abs and her soft stomach. On instinct, she canted her hips, her heels digging into the mattress as her body sought him out.
Her hand reached between them, grabbing the solid length. "So hard," she murmured.
He nodded. "Want you so fucking bad."
She notched him at her core, feeling the thick head spreading her open. "Take me."
Draco thrust his hips, filling her in one swift motion. "So tight," he groaned.
She was slick and ready, but his cock was thick, spreading her wide. She felt stuffed, stretched. "You can move; I can take it."
He shook his head. "Not yet," his face looked pained. "You feel too damned good. So warm and wet. Fuck”
Hermione forgave him for the friend comment. She did. They were past that now, but the chance to torture him, just a little, was too good to pass up. She flexed her muscles, clenching around him, squeezing his thick cock.
"You little minx," he moaned. "Gonna make me come too soon."
Hermione rolled her hips, giggling. "Can't handle me, Draco?"
He gripped her hips, holding her still, a stern look on his face. "Behave yourself."
She rolled her hips again, pressing up, fighting against the force of his grip. "Or what?"
He leaned down, biting her neck. "Or I will fuck you into submission," he growled. With that, he finally began to move, his hands still holding her down as he fucked into her over and over. He thrust fast and hard, with little rhythm, but he was so big, touching every delicious spot inside of her with each glide inside of her. She could feel his cock beginning to pulse and twitch. It drove her higher.
"Gods damn it. Please tell me your close," he roared, one hand dipping between them to rub against her clit.
With the added pressure, she came, her third orgasm the strongest yet. Her body exploded around his hardness.
He came right along with her, his rumbling moan vibrating through her as she felt him fill her with the warmth of his release.
After a moment, he slipped from between her thighs, his cock still half hard, and pulled her against him, spooning her.
Hermione drifted to sleep in his arms, feeling safe, warm, and loved.
It all started with Death.
"Did it hurt?" Pansy was sitting beside her bed, smiling at the tiny child swaddled in Hermione's arms.
"I won't lie; I thought I was going to die from the pain until they cast the nerve-blocking spell."
Pansy rubbed her own pregnant belly, fear etched on her face.
"But don't worry. Once they got the spell in place, it was much better and so worth it." Lyra had one tiny hand wrapped around Hermione's ring finger, squeezing just above the diamond ring Draco had placed there the year before.
Pansy nodded. "Theo's more nervous than I am. He says seeing me in pain is hard for him to take."
Hermione sighed. "You two are so damned cute."
A smile slid across Pansy's red lips. "Cute enough to inspire you to go after what you wanted. So, you're welcome." She looked down at little Lyra as she yawned. "And you are welcome too. Mommy and Daddy only made you because of Uncle Theo and I, making Mommy realize how much she wanted this."
Hermione laughed. "I'm not sure you can take all the credit Pans."
"You can't stop me," she replied.
Draco and Theo walked in carrying the pastel carry-out bags from Fortescue's. "We come bearing ice cream!" Theo declared.
"Good. If you came back without it, we'd kick you out," Pansy joked as she made grabby hands for her caramel turtle sundae.
Draco came over and kissed Hermione on her forehead. "Let me take our girl so you can eat."
Hermione frowned. She hated not being in constant contact with her newborn. But she knew all of the movement would irritate Lyra, so she nodded.
Draco settled on the couch with his daughter nestled in his arms, using his free hand to deposit Hermione's strawberry and white chocolate bowl into her hands.
Theo sat next to Draco, holding both of their milkshakes, occasionally holding Draco's up so he could take a sip without bothering Lyra.
As Hermione looked around the room, she couldn't help but feel like she'd created a whole new life for herself—a beautiful, messy, perfect little life.
It all started with Death. And from death came life.