Disclaimer: I own nothing. Wish I did, but I don't.

A Chance Meeting

It's been three years since the war. Three years, she thought to herself while sipping a Fire-Whiskey. Three years to the day that her two best friends died. Harry died with Voldemort, and Ron died trying to save her. Ron...how I miss you, thinking about him made her choke up and she downed the rest of the whiskey. "Another one, please," Hermione said to Tom. She was at the Leaky Cauldron. It had survived the war. Most people took this day to celebrate Voldemort's death, Harry's life, and to honor those that died. Hermione fought back the urge to sob as a tear slowly rolled down her cheek. She started to sip her third whiskey, when the door opened and a familiar blond walked through. Draco Malfoy made his way up to the bar and took a seat next to Hermione.

"Fire-whiskey please, in the largest glass you have back there," he said to Tom, before looking at Hermione. "Well, well, if it isn't Granger. Remembering old times?"

"Sod off, Malfoy, I'm not in the mood."

"I can see that," he said softly, wiping the tear off her face. She was surprised when she didn't flinch. "By the way, I didn't mean it the way it sounded. You know me, old habits die hard, eh?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Thank you," Draco said to Tom when he handed him his drink. "To old times, memories of better days, and the destruction of the Dark Lord. Cheers." He held his glass up and downed the whole glass of whiskey. "So," he said to Hermione after ordering another one, "What've you been up to?"

"Look Malfoy, no offense or anything, I know you helped us in the war, but I really don't feel like talking about it."

"Alright. Well, if you want someone to listen to you I'm here. I know we weren't friends in school and during the war, we were barely allies, but we're all that's left. So, yeah." He stalked off into the corner.

Hermione finished her whiskey, got another, and went and sat down next to Malfoy. "Well, as you can imagine, this is a hard day for me," she began.

Three and a half hours later Hermione had finished pouring her heart out to Malfoy. "So, for the past three years, I've come here to have a drink or three and reminisce."

"Wow," Malfoy looked at her. "So," he hesitated, "How's Ginny?"

Hermione shook her head. "She's been in St. Mungo's ever since Harry died. I don't think she would've taken it so hard if Harry hadn't died saving her. He died in her arms…" Hermione trailed off and looked out the window.

Malfoy looked outside as well. "It's getting kind of late, so I think I'm gonna go home." He got up from the table. "It was nice talking to you, Granger."

"Likewise. Oh, and Malfoy?" he turned around and looked at her. "Thanks for joining our side. We never got around to it, but it meant a lot. To all of us." Malfoy nodded, before walking out the door.