The save my rear disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter or any characters mentioned in this fic, all credit to the lovely J.K.

Bonded By Fate
Act 1
Scene I

Like fire weeping from a cedar tree
Know that my love would burn with me
We'll live eternally
Hozier

No Better Love

Three years post-war:
Hermione and Hannah have a cafe/bookstore in Diagon Alley, where our story begins….

"Come on Granger, it's been years, shouldn't you at least try to forgive me?"

Hermione sighed and turned around facing the stunningly attractive wizard smirking at her with his blue almost grey eyes and too white teeth.

Every day he showed up at her little cafe and bookshop with basically the same line. Not saying anything she pulled out his favourite muffin and went to make his latte. He would then go and sit at the table in the corner- the one hidden from the window, and read the Prophet before he left and returned at four to have tea and whatever cake was on special and then read a book. Usually, the book he had bought from her small bookstore that week.

"Just because I forgive you does not mean I have forgotten, Malfoy," she said softly with a polite smile as she handed him his latte and took his gold. She hid her small shiver and hoped he didn't notice, touching him gave her the chills and not bad chills. No, they gave her knicker melting chills and she would be mortified if he ever knew. She both hated and loved that he kept coming back every day. Lately, she was dreaming all kind of naughty things about this particular wizard.

Draco gave a resigned and rather dramatic sigh and moved off to his table.

Hermione turned to raise an eyebrow at Hannah Abbot who was responsible for all the cakes, muffins, bagels, and croissants. Hannah hid her smirk and ducked away, she had already told Hermione- frequently- that she should cut the handsome wizard a break and just give him a hint so he could ask her out. Hermione was sure that Hannah knew that Hermione secretly had a crush on him (even if she never admitted it), although where her friend got off thinking Draco would ever ask her out stumped her. Admittedly she wouldn't mind dating a wizard like him, he had turned himself into an amazing man after the war. Still, he was Draco Malfoy. It was hard to forget that. No matter how good looking he was or how fantastic he was now. He was the boy who had taunted her mercilessly her entire childhood, it was hard to let that go. She sighed as she stared out the window thinking about their history and realized that she had forgiven Ronald for much of the same, but, Draco- she couldn't seem to live and let live even if it made her feel exceptionally petty. What real difference was there between Ron and Draco? It came down to just one thing, one word. Mudblood.

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to wipe down the display counter, she looked over at Draco Malfoy as discreetly as possible. He was dressed in an impeccable three-piece suit of the cloth. He never wore robes in her shop, in fact, she never saw him in robes around Diagon Alley at all since the war.

She knew that he had taken over the Malfoy families business interests, specifically their apothecary, but she had a feeling he was up to something more than just running the family business. The books he bought were always on healing, and she sometimes caught him reading what looked like textbooks.
She wondered if he was studying for a Mastery privately?

Hermione couldn't be sure because he charmed them so you couldn't see what exactly he was reading, or rather, studying. He always looked sexier when he was studying. Dammit, he was wearing her down. She started to walk over to him and then stopped herself. Malfoy, he was a Malfoy. A total mystery to her. Not the boy from school but not a wizard she could say she knew. All she knew was speculation really. What was printed in the papers and magazines, and she hardly felt that Rita Skitter or Witch Weekly were good sources for factual information. After all most of what they had printed about her was utter rubbish. Look at what they still printed about her, no, she had no trust in the wizarding press. None at all.

So that left her with asking him outright. Not something you generally did with a Slytherin.

Hannah poked her and winked. "Just go talk to him."

Hermione waved her off, but after ringing up the next to sales she was lost in daydreams again. Should she just go talk to him?

She was so lost in thought when the bell rang again over the shop door and she looked up with her practised smile she was totally unprepared for the wizard standing there. The wizard was tall and wearing dark robes with messy hair and dark brown eyes he looked up and his smile was wide.

Gone was her practised smile and a real one lit up her face as Hermione rushed from behind the counter and over to the wizard her face flushed with excitement.

"Viktor! What are you doing here? I thought you were in Germany?"

Viktor Krum smiled down at her and touched her face gently. "I sought a transfer," he said in his accented English which had much improved since all those years ago at Hogwarts.

"What does that mean?" She asked grabbing his hand still shocked to see him.

Viktor and she had been exchanging letters since he had left at the end of the tournament her fourth year. Their friendship had often skirted the line of something more but Quidditch always got in the way. He was, after all, the best seeker of his generation. Then there had been the war and more Quidditch. But they had always kept in touch, and that line had always been flirted with.

"It means, my English rose, that I will live here now."

Hermione's eyes went wide and she threw herself into his arms in excitement. "Here? As in London?"

He laughed and picked her up hugging her to him and turning with her in his arms. "Yes, my Mila, I will be in London now and only away for games."

Hermione laughed happily feeling tears well up in her eyes as she pushed away her hands on his muscled shoulders smiling into his handsome face. "How long have you known about this?"

He smirked and put her down taking a careful step back. "How long would be too long and earn your temper, my rose?"

Hermione snorted and grabbed his hand pulling him forward. "You will probably find my temper is tempered by the fact that my one of my very best friend just walked in my door. Where will you stay? Have you got a flat?"

Viktor chuckled and allowed her to push him into a chair at a table near the counter where she rushed to pour him some strong black coffee and handed him one of the carrot muffins that she knew he liked. He always stopped in at their shop when he was in London, the publicity when they had first opened had been wonderful and she had known with a fluttering stomach that he had done that on purpose because since that time reporters never found him there unless he was only in town for a day. He liked privacy as much as she did and it was sweet of him to use his celebrity to help her and Hannah get in the papers with their little business.

He smiled at her and picked up the large mug. "I do not know where I will live, my rose. I just arrived by port key and finished checking in with my new coach." He sipped his coffee and grinned. "Do you still have the free bedroom for rent?"

Hermione sank down and laughed helping herself to some of his muffin. "Yes, I do. But are you sure you want to room with me? I can't imagine that is what they will expect of a world-class Quidditch player. Aren't you supposed to live in a penthouse with fan witches all over the place?" She teased.

Viktor snorted and glared at her. "That is never funny."

She stood up and smiled widely. "I always think it is. Well, you are welcome to the room. Finish your muffin and let me tell Hannah and I will take you up and switch the wards."

She forgot about her other customer as she rushed back into the kitchen, so she didn't see the rather shocked and crestfallen look on the Draco Malfoy's face before he went rigid with rage and left the store. Hermione wanted to tell Hannah and catch up with Viktor so she ran into the kitchen causing Hannah to look up in surprise

"What has put that smile on your face? Did you finally give in and let Draco ask you out?" Hannah asked waving her wand so that a bowl continued to mix itself.

Hermione took a deep breath and then said in a rush. "Viktor is here! He has been transferred to a local team." She totally ignored the Draco Malfoy dig, it was normal from Hannah anymore.

Hannah went wide-eyed. "Really? Which team?"

Hermione paused and then laughed. "I don't actually know. I forgot to ask him."

Hannah laughed back at her friend and wiped her hands on her apron. "That is so typical of you Hermione Granger."

Hermione flushed. "Well, he is going to rent my extra room."

Hannah looked rather shocked but recovered quickly. "I can watch the front until Toby gets here why don't you take the day off and show him around?"

Hermine hugged her friend, Toby was a squib who worked for them in the afternoons. "You are an angel, thank you."

When she rushed back out it was to find the store empty except for Viktor who was smiling at her, for a moment she paused frowning at the table Draco usually occupied for an hour each morning. But then she looked back at Viktor and her heart skipped in excitement.

"Come on you Bulgarian bon-bon, let's go home."

Viktor stood up his eyes flashing and swept her into his side giving a thankful smile at Hannah as he left with his witch on his arm.

Author Notes:
Your pleas have been heard and this is being turned into a longer story. Blame the fact that I finally watched Me Before You.
Currently, I am trying something new. We will have Acts like in a play. So this ends Act 1 Scene 1. I will post Act 1 Scene 2 tomorrow as soon as its edited and so on until this becomes a WIP. I just spent two hours editing the entire story only for my computer to crash though so my grand plans of surprising you with it all at once might not come to pass.

Also, don't forget to listen to the soundtrack for the fic. I will spend most of my time picking songs for these acts and update them on my YouTube channel. CrystalJeanRed

My eternal love goes out to Amanda for forcing me to post this all those years ago. Thank you.
Amanda and Vanessa were amazing Alphas for the one shot you read before I ripped it apart tonight.

*To the guest who left the review that the story sounded familiar. Yes, it does. It is a one-shott I am now expanding on. It is my one shot though. :)*