Prologue: In which we introduce our characters in a very roundabout sort of way.
The second Zabini's whistle signaled the end of practice; Katie Bell had her broom at her feet and her hands on her knees, gasping for breath and struggling to get her heart rate back to normal, sweat making her tank top stick to her like a second skin. She hated conditioning days and even though she'd been playing Quidditch professionally for nearly seven years now, it's not like a person could become immune to them or anything.
Her throat was parched and her mouth tasted funny, but she was torn over whether or not to get a drink. Her body desperately needed one, but her stomach was heaving and felt as though it would throw up anything she tried to put into it. All she could be grateful for at that moment was the cool breeze that had blown in along with a blanket of grey storm clouds that successfully blocked out the heat of the sun.
Her friend and fellow Chaser, Ginny Weasley, touched down rather ungracefully beside her, breathing hard, her lips white from their intense workout. Her flaming red hair had been tied up into a ponytail at the beginning of practice, but some of it had escaped and was now plastered to her face.
"Thank Merlin that's over," Ginny gasped after a few seconds, using her broom for support. Katie could only nod, bending over slowly to pick up her own broom from off the grass and they began to walk slowly across the edge of the field to the changing rooms where the promise of a shower awaited.
"Wow…after that…I'd have to say that Zabini's…only redeeming quality is that…" she looked around for a moment to make sure no one was listening, "he is one incredible piece of eye candy."
Katie tried to laugh, because it was true, but only a strange scratchy sound came out of her throat. Blaise Zabini had been hired as the Chaser coach just a few days ago and while he was a little young and, like most coaches, no the nicest person on the field, ugly he most definitely was not. Dark wavy hair, tan skin, an easy smile the revealed white teeth. He was muscular too, but in a lean, subtle sort of way.
"Hey, speaking of eye candy…" Ginny caught the attention of the blond and jerked her head up towards the stands, wriggling her eyebrows suggestively. The captain of the Applebee Arrows, Marcus Flint, was sitting up in the sparsely occupied stands with his teammate, Cormac. Katie looked up and Ginny could already see a blush spreading across her cheeks that had nothing to do with practice. She waved and Ginny looked up to see the hulking former Slytherin smiling at them (or more correctly, Katie) with magically straightened teeth.
"And what, may I ask, is he doing here?"
"We're just friends, Gin," Katie said with a half-hearted sigh. They had had this conversation many times before, ever since the two of them had met and become friends at a charity Quidditch match nearly six months earlier.
"Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that, Bell." She smiled smugly in the face of Katie's glare as they entered the locker room.
Ginny, with a glance at the clock, ran to get ready. She had planned to meet Hermione and Luna for lunch today and she already knew she was going to be late as she leaped into the wonderful invention they called a shower. She was tempted to stay under the water for a while, but resisted and took as little time making herself look pretty as possible. Hermione would probably kill her for stretching her already full schedule to its breaking point and she wouldn't get as much time to talk to Luna, whom she hadn't seen for six months, as she wanted. Neither would mind if she wasn't at her best.
With this in mind, she quickly got dressed and with the use of her wand, fixed her hair and began applying her make-up as she walked back out onto the pitch, saying a few quick goodbyes to her exhausted teammates. It would have been easier to apparate straight from the locker room, but anti-apparition wards had been set up, making apparition only possible from a certain point.
"Hey, Weasley."
She sighed. She was already late; she didn't need Zabini making it worse. Before turning, she stuck her lipstick back into her purse and pulled out her engagement ring, sliding it onto the appropriate finger, her stomach suddenly fluttering with the same sense of giddiness she always got when she looked at it.
"Yes, coach?"
"You can call me Blaise. I'm not that much older than you, you know." He was walking towards her slowly, but with purpose, a smile gracing his lips. "Where are you off to so fast?"
"I'm meeting some friends for lunch. One of them just got back from a long…business trip and I'm a little eager to see her."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't want to keep you waiting, then." The look on his face was so genuine Ginny couldn't help but smile. "I just wanted to say that you all did a very good job today. Your front lineup is the strongest I've ever seen in a League team."
"Thank you," she said gracefully, trying to hide her surprise. After all the yelling he and the other coaches had been doing (which had been much more than usual) she hadn't been expecting a compliment.
"I just wanted to let you know that today was obviously an easy day, I let you guys relax a little bit, so be prepared to work hard next time."
He winked and walked off, returning to compare notes with the other coaches, she assumed, but Ginny could do little more than stand and stare, her body paralyzed with something akin to fear. He had to be joking with her, because if today had been an easy day in his book, she wasn't going to last a week. Feeling a little conflicted, she settled on glaring and sticking her tongue out at his retreating back to vent her feelings, even though she knew it was childish, then turned on her heel and apparated.
Luna straightened when the sudden appearance of flaming red hair caught her eye through the window. She turned and gently shook the shoulder of the woman sitting across from her, trying to wake her. Luna had not been in a good mood when she had first arrived, but her anger had quickly turned to sympathy once she noticed Hermione's head periodically nodding, struggling to pay attention as Luna related six months worth of stories, but failing miserably.
"Oh my goodness," she said groggily after waking up with a jerk, "how long have I been asleep?"
Luna shrugged serenely. "Not long."
"Oh, I'm so sorry." Hermione rubbed furiously at her tired eyes then stopped a waiter as he walked by and ordered some coffee. "You were telling me about something –"
"Luna!"
A blur of red flew past Hermione, making her jump, hugging Luna, who laughed happily and squeezed the other girl tightly.
"Sorry I'm late – practice ran longer than I expected. Oh, I'm so happy you're back," she squealed, throwing her arms around Luna again. "How was it? Beautiful? Discover anything cool? Which country did you like the best? Or was it all amazing?"
Hermione couldn't help laughing at Ginny's enthusiasm, which affected Luna within seconds as she chatted animatedly with Ginny. Although Luna Lovegood had changed, just like everyone else when they grow up and mature, she was still very much the same person Hermione had known at school. She had a passion for Magizoology that made her eyes light up in a way Hermione had never seen in her before or since and she felt herself smiling as she let the other two catch up.
She glanced up and thanked the waiter when he brought her her coffee and then downed it in one big gulp. With her eyes closed, it took her a moment to realize it had become quiet at her table. Suddenly alert, she opened her eyes to find the blond and the red-head staring at her critically.
"What?"
"Hermione, love," Ginny began with a no-nonsense tone in her voice that strongly reminded Hermione of Mrs. Weasley, "How much sleep have you been getting lately? You look bloody awful."
"I don't know," Hermione shrugged. "Just as much as the next person, I suppose."
Lies. All lies. She had been up working on paperwork until three in the morning when her body absolutely screamed for rest and she couldn't move her hand any longer. She would have tried to sleep in, but had a meeting this morning and was consequently at the office by eight. Being the Assistant Head of Magical Law Enforcement was not an easy job and she feared she'd be turning gray before she was thirty.
"Yeah, right," Ginny snorted. "You know, you need to get out more, learn to relax. You were never really good at relaxing, even when we were at school."
Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose tiredly. She knew the lecture that was coming (had in memorized, in fact) and she didn't really want to deal with it right now. "I don't have time for this."
"Exactly. You never have any time."
"Look, I've already promised you a thousand times over that I'd schedule a vacation –"
"And have you done it yet?"
"I was thinking Christmas…" she casually averted her gaze.
"You get Christmas off anyways, 'Mione," Ginny interjected, "that's not a vacation."
"I know, I know. Don't worry; I'll be taking my days off soon, once our Department is running smoothly again."
"Which it never will be. I doubt there's a day that doesn't go by without a problem over at Magical Law Enforcement."
"You know," Luna began softly, "the Ministry won't collapse if you're not there for a week or two."
Her nerves were being severely tested – these two were worse than her parents when they got on her case, and she meant that in the meanest way possible. "I will take a vacation when I damn well feel like taking a vacation!"
Hermione didn't care if people were staring and neither did Ginny because she knew what that look in her eyes meant – these people were about to get a scene of a lifetime if Hermione didn't back down right now. Her pride wouldn't allow it – it was her phone that saved her, vibrating in front of her one the table, but before she could get to it, Ginny had grabbed it. Damn Quidditch players and their quick reflexes!
"Hello." Ginny fended herself against Hermione's attempts to retrieve her phone without batting an eye. "I'm sorry, Hermione's busy right now and can't come to the phone…a meeting? It starts in half an hour? Wow, I don't think she'll be able to make it – ah!"
Hermione succeeded in wrenching the phone from her grasp when Ginny made the mistake of not paying enough attention and brought it quickly to her ear. "Sorry Allie, what did you want to tell me…but that meeting was supposed to be tomorrow – no, I specifically told them no."
"'Mione…" Ginny said in a quiet, mischievous voice.
"Shh…no, not you Allie. Alright, I'll be right there."
"'Mione…" Ginny said again in a slightly louder voice.
"Shut up! No, sorry about that…yes, tell Harrington I need his report by the end of the hour and collect my Lestrange case files for me and have them waiting on my desk. Thanks…bye.
"Mione!" Ginny was practically singing now.
"Would you please SHUT UP?!" Hermione shot a look at Ginny and almost hung up her phone. "Oh, wait! I need the Carrow files as well. Okay, that's all. Yes. Goodbye."
Hermione flipped her phone shut and placed it safely in her purse, glaring menacingly at Ginny.
"I don't like it when people take my phone."
"I was trying to help you out, Hermione J. Granger," she defended stubbornly. "You're overworking yourself to the point of death. Did you know this is a real problem? Hundreds of people die each year from working too much."
"Yes. I do believe I read that somewhere…Witch Weekly, maybe." Luna added, smiling widely now. Hermione felt her anger ebb away into exasperation and finally relented.
"I know you guys are worried, but I'm doing alright." She stood and dropped some money on the table for the coffee and leaned over to hug her two best friends. "I'll take a break soon, I swear, but I have to go now. I'll see you guys later."
Luna nodded, but Ginny still looked perturbed as Hermione apparated to the ground floor of the Ministry. She walked swiftly to the lift, running to catch the one she saw was going to her department. There was only one other person inside and he held the door open for her when he saw her coming.
"Thanks, Harry," she gasped, trying to catch her breath and smiling gratefully up at him.
He shrugged. "No problem."
"So," Hermione began, trying to fill the silence between them. "How've you been doing? I hear you're up for a promotion any time now."
Harry ginned slowly, obviously proud. "Probably not for another year or so, though."
Ten months. It would be ten months before Harry got his promotion. He didn't know this, of course, but she did. She'd been the one to okay it, in fact, went through all the paperwork herself.
"What about you?" he asked with a joking air. "At the rate you're going, you'll be Minister before too long."
To Hermione's surprise, the thought did not sit well with her. There had been a time when being Minister of Magic had been a goal of hers, one she would have delighted in achieving, but right now it just sounded like more work and she felt even more tired at the sound of it.
They said goodbye as they left the lifts – Harry to the Auror headquarters and Hermione in the opposite direction to her office. She nodded at the various people who greeted her, but stopped to talk to no one.
Her secretary stood when she arrived and looked as though she wanted to say something as Hermione pushed her door open. She paused at the sight of a man lounging on one of the chairs next to her desk and before she knew what she was doing, she shut the door before he could notice her presence.
"I'm sorry ma'am," Allie quickly apologized. "He insisted on waiting for you."
"Did you tell him I didn't want to see anyone today?"
"Yes, but he said you'd be happy to see him. He wouldn't take no for an answer and just went inside."
Hermione resisted the urge to blow up at her secretary (there was security for things like this), but Allie Pearson was new and she decided to cut the girl some slack.
"It's alright, Allie. I'll take care of it. If I'm still in there at ten till, come get me."
"Yes, Miss Granger –"
"It's Hermione," she said through gritted teeth. She hated it when people called her Miss Granger.
"Sorry, Hermione," she corrected with a blush. "The files you requested are on your desk."
"Thank you," she said courteously as she walked back into her office, hoping whoever it the man was he wasn't asking for much time. She also hoped he wasn't a nutcase, but a person could only ask for so much.
The man turned to face her when the door clicked shut, a broad smile plastered on his handsome face and she rolled her eyes in recognition. No wonder Allie hadn't put up much of a fight; Adrian Pucey knew everything there was to know about charming a woman and she had yet to meet someone who could resist him.
"You're going to have to talk fast, Ade, I don't have much time. My four o'clock meeting was just pushed up to two and another meeting that was supposed to be tomorrow just rescheduled for four."
He was still grinning at her as she quickly gathered up the folders on her desk and attempted to arrange them in a logical order. "You really know how to make a person feel welcome, 'Mione."
She laughed and gave him a quick hug across the desk when he stood, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "How've you been?"
"Incredible. The trip was amazing, I got some incredible shots and I'm already planning a trip back to Brazil." Instead of sitting back down on the chair, he took a place on her desk so he could look down at her as she gathered her notes together. "Would you care to join, you look like you could use a break."
"Please," she sighed, "don't start."
Adrian shrugged in temporary defeat and looked around at her office. "Merlin, I'd forgotten how awful this place looks. You really need to think about redecorating, or at least hire someone to do it for you."
"My office is fine the way it is, Adrian. It's not like I live here or anything."
"With the hours you put in, you might as well," he said sternly, his smile slowly evaporating. "By the way, you're friends with Lovegood, right?"
"Of course."
Adrian had been gone for six months to South America on the same excursion as Luna. He had become quite the celebrated photographer in his young career and had received his biggest paycheck yet to document the magical creatures of South America in their natural habitats.
"You should keep an eye on her. She took her break-up with Scamander very badly."
Hermione nodded, finally sitting still and looking up at her friend. "I had a feeling. She was avoiding the subject, of course I was so tired I probably –"
A cell phone rang and Adrian pulled his out of his pocket, flipping it open. Hermione smiled. Although cell phones had become very popular in the wizarding world, quickly taking the place of floo powder when wizards wished to just talk to one another, it was still quite comical for her to see magical people, especially ones who'd grown up as elitist purebloods like Adrian use a muggle device.
"Hello…oh, hi." He held up a finger to Hermione, signaling that this would just take a moment. "Yeah, yeah, I got back last night."
"That's great." Draco began unpacking groceries, using his shoulder to prop his phone up to his ear. "Look, I'm sorry to be a bother, mate, but I was just wondering if you still wanted to look at the sketches of Memorial Park. I've just finished the third draft and nothing's official yet, but I think any more changes will be minimal."
Draco heard Adrian sigh with mock seriousness, but his tone was one of barely contained excitement. "Of course I still want to see them. When should I stop by?" He chuckled suddenly. "You know, I just realized that I have no idea where you live."
Draco could hear laughter in the background, obviously a woman's and he was instantly suspicious.
"Ade…who's with you?"
"No one," the other man said quickly.
Draco set down the carton of eggs he was trying unsuccessfully to get it out of its grocery bag so he could use his hand to hold his phone to his ear instead of his shoulder. "Liar, I can hear her."
Adrian sighed. "She would like to remain anonymous. It appears she is ashamed of what we have together – ouch!"
Draco chuckled. "Okay, fine, keep your secrets. How 'bout I bring the sketches to the benefit next weekend."
"Ugh, that horrible thing the Ministry puts on every year? I refuse to go, I hate that thing. No music you can actually dance to, bad food, not enough alcohol, boring rich people with nothing better to talk about but themselves and how much gold they've got in their bank –"
"I do hope you realize you're one of those rich people, Pucey."
"You are too," he shot back childishly. "And besides, at least I'm interesting."
Draco chuckled, shaking his head, and returned to unpacking the groceries. "Well, that's where I'm going to be if you want to see them before they're locked away."
Teddy came bouncing into the kitchen, rapidly changing hair colors (which let Draco know he was bored out of his mind. After a few tries, he successfully shooed him off so he could hear what Adrian was saying and Teddy ran off to go see if whatever Blaise or Daphne were doing was more interesting. Barely three seconds had passed when a crash and the sound of glass breaking (probably that horrible vase Pansy had given Daphne) came from the living room and he sighed in exasperation.
"What was that?"
"I think Teddy broke something. I've got to go, talk to you later Adrian."
He hung up the phone and slipped it into his pocket as he rushed into the living room. Teddy was standing near the couch, eyes wide and glistening with tears. Draco had guessed right – Pansy's ugly vase had been completely destroying, laying in the floor in tiny pieces.
Teddy's lip trembled as he tried to apologize. "I'm sorry, I-I…I didn't mean to –"
"It's alright, Ted," Draco said soothingly, scooping the young boy up in his arms and rubbing his back until he calmed down. "I've been looking for a reason to throw that vase away ever since Aunt Pansy gave it to us."
Teddy giggled and Draco breathed a sigh of relief – he never liked to see the kid crying. Although he knew this could all be undone with just a flick of his wand, but the opportunity to throw the puke-colored thing away was just too tempting. He vanished the mess wordlessly and after Teddy apologized one last time and scurried away, he sat down on the couch, laying his head back.
After the war, he had tried to repair things with his Aunt Andromeda, as she was his last living relative. Things had not gone smoothly at first between them, but once Andromeda had realized his actions were entirely innocent, she had let him in. Unfortunately, they'd only had a few short years to really bond before she had died and left Teddy in his care. There were times when he missed her fiercely. She had been a passionate and strong-willed woman and despite their many differences, she reminded him of his mother.
"Draco, Draco, Draco! Can we have ice cream for dinner?" Teddy ran back in and leaped onto the coach next to him. "Daphne said it was okay when I asked her, so can we?"
Of course Daphne said okay, she'd say anything if it meant she'd be left alone to practice. He could hear her playing away on the piano upstairs, working her fingers to the bone. She was gifted, but that didn't mean she had to spend every waking second of every single day locked away with that damn piano. She'd even given it a name – Grace.
Draco stood, pulling Teddy up with him. "Why don't you help me put the rest of the groceries away and then we'll have some ice cream, okay?"
A/N: okay, I hope that wasn't too bad :) The only other "main" character that wasn't shown here is Oliver Wood who won't be showing up for a few chapters...other than that, I hope everything wasn't to confusing. If it was, it will all make sense later ;D