AN: This is AU obviously. I don't own Harry Potter and I am not JKR. I was thinking about continuing this story in another one-shot. What do you guys think? Read and review! Thanks!
The war was over, but the pain still lingered in the wizarding community. Families on both sides mourned their loved ones and tried to move on with their lives. Many people of Grace's age married. Harry proposed to Hermione, and the wedding of the chosen one was closely followed in each magazine and newspaper article. It paved the way for other weddings, mostly on the side of the light. Ron began dating Lavender Brown, and Ginny patched things up with Dean Thomas. Of the so-called Golden Quartet, Grace remained single. Sure, her role in bringing down the Dark Lord was small, but she was still considered a good catch. Still, she turned down most of the offers, content with being single. For those on the other side, however, things weren't the greatest. Grace watched the relief on Draco Malfoy's face as he was granted the clemency he sought. The testimony that she, Harry and Hermione gave helped him receive a lighter sentence, and time served. He reclaimed his spot in high society, and with his mother Narcissa on house arrest and his father in Azkaban, he was the head of his house. Everyone, Grace included, assumed he'd wed a pure blood witch and do his duty.
It was a sunny day in Diagon Alley. Grace could smell the sweet scents of spring and walked into Flourish and Blotts. She was looking for a book and looking to kill time. As she rounded the corner, she ran headlong into something warm and solid. The book tumbled to the floor as a pair of arms shot out, catching her just before she fell. Brown eyes glanced up into silver, and a surprised expression formed on her face. Draco steadied her, and as she found her footing, a warm flush lightly stained her cheeks.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his silver eyes still locked on her brown ones.
Grace nodded, pushing a lock of brown hair behind her ear. "I'm okay. Thank you, Malfoy."
Silence hung between them for a moment until Draco said, "Draco."
Confused, Grace glanced up at him quickly, realization dawning in her eyes. Her voice was soft, "Draco. Thank you."
His voice startled her as he said, "I wanted to thank you. I know you didn't have to testify at my trial."
She pressed her lips together, then smiled. It made her eyes soften, and it made something in Draco's chest flutter. "Your welcome. You shouldn't be held responsible for crimes committed under duress. You were a child. We all were."
He grinned, handing her book back. "I believe you dropped this."
His fingers brushed hers as he placed the tome in her hands. She gave him another grin and they began walking the bookshop together. They traded barbs, friendly of course. They were lost in their own little world until they stepped to check out. Draco set her books on the counter and the blonde witch behind the register sneered, "we don't serve your kind here. Beat it."
Grace saw the way his mask fell back in place, watched as her words hurt him. A sneer on his lips, Draco opened his mouth to reply and was halted by the way she put her hand on his arm.
It was his turn to gape, to be surprised as a sneer formed on her lips, to see the look of disdain that entered her eyes as she said, "if you won't serve him, you won't serve me either." He watched as the blond witch, spotting that she was a member of the golden quartet, fumbled over her words, trying to apologize.
Draco hid his smile as Grace said, "I think I'm done here. Draco?"
She turned towards him, and slipped her arm through his, letting him lead her out of the bookstore, ignoring the demands of the witch. As they walked on the streets, she ignored the looks, the stares. She held her head high and seemed not to hear the whispered conversations of those around them. At the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, she stopped.
With those dark eyes of hers locked on his silver ones, she pressed something into his palm. Then she grinned and turned on the spot, vanishing. Draco glanced down at his hands and opened the small piece of paper. A grin formed across his face as he spotted the message.