My take on the relationship Draco and Hermione could possibly have after the Wizarding World recovers from the affects of Voldemort.

Her reaction was rather acceptable for someone who lived alone to come home and find someone in her kitchen. It had already been a long, awful day. Hermione couldn't help but feel so low on this anniversary of the Battle at Hogwarts. It's a victorious holiday throughout the wizarding world, especially here in England. It was not something however that she felt worth celebrating even as one of the battle heroines.

Of course everyone remembered the fallen but not like she does. Hermione could spend an entire day imagining what the deceased veterans would be doing with their lives. Upon this moment entering her apartment after work that she considered visiting little Teddy Lupin with her best friend Harry Potter when she stumbled upon her visitor.

"Granger," Malfoy regarded her calmly having a seat at her dining table as if she hadn't just yelped upon recognition. "Malfoy, I mean Draco, you-" she couldn't pull together a complete thought to tell him she realized. "How about some tea?" The former death eater suggested casually. Hermione simply nodded. She put on a kettle of water with mint leaves to boil. While doing so, she often looked over her shoulder just to make sure Draco didn't disappear as suddenly as he appeared.

"Not that you're not entirely welcome, but how did you get in here?" She finally inquired to which she received a simple response from Draco, "Apparated," he told her. Hermione scoffed as she took out cups for the tea. "Do wizards know a thing about privacy?" Hermione threw over her shoulder.

"They do. Why does that matter? It's not like there's anything private between us." Draco said arrogantly. "Actually there is." Hermione answered rather calmly as she worked, taking the kettle off the heat and pouring tea into their cups.

"Please Hermione, you don't have to be defensive. This happens every year," Draco said. "And then some other times too." Hermione muttered. It's true. Both now twenty one and they couldn't break the habit.

"What?" Draco couldn't hear her.

"Did you have your dream again? Or did you see your mum? What was the trigger this time for you to come moping to me?" Hermione asked insensitively.

"What about you? You're not looking too hot Granger, I know something's bothered you too." Draco snapped. Hermione didn't answer for sometime. She busied herself taking the kettle off of heat. He watched as she poured tea for them. She pulled out a tin and sugar. She brought the contents to the table before taking her place with Draco.

"I'm fine Malfoy." she told him.

"Honestly Hermione after all we've been through, after all we've done, you don't think we can be open with one another." he fretted. Hermione doesn't answer right away again. Instead she opens the tin for a tea bag. She places it in her tea and adds sugar, waiting patiently for Draco to do the same.

"You mean the times I've comforted you? Or the times you've comforted me through sex? I'm not in the mood for any of that tonight." she says harshly.

"So talk to me. You'll feel better, I always do. And I want to listen to you. Unless you'd really rather not talk, I wouldn't mind the other stuff we do," he implies taking a drink of his tea, missing Hermione's face flush red. She stands up grabbing Draco's attention. "If that's all you came here for, I'm more than happy to disappoint and you may go now."

Draco shakes his head no, almost unfazed by her anger. "It was a joke, I was just trying to diffuse the tension."

"I don't care, maybe you should just go." Hermione says again.

"No please. I'm sorry. It was a stupid joke, I didn't know it'd upset you." Draco tells her. He really is sorry but he was offering. They've done things like that ever since their seventh returning year at Hogwarts. He offered in case she wanted to skip to that stuff because how could he say no to that from Granger. He didn't think she'd get this angry, in fact he expected her to accept.

"I'm sorry, I really do need you Hermione. I can't go about this day without you." Draco apologizes again. Hermione hesitates but finally sits back down. She doesn't speak, only drinks from her tea. "It's my dad. He keeps running away again. He's worse than my mum and I. He just gets so overcome with guilt he can't hardly stay in the same room as us." Draco admits. Hermione simply nods in encouragement, not really feeling like talking. She lets Draco vent.

After a while Draco brings it back around to the battle. "He just can't forgive himself after the battle. I've been the same way and the only person I want to see is you. But then I think about before the battle at the manor, I could've stopped Aunt Bella from hurting you. I was a coward." Hermione places a hand over Draco's. The memory is too painful for her but it's even more so to him. Draco considered himself of the lowest for having the audacity to seek comfort from Hermione of all people.

"I'm sorry Hermione. I didn't love you then like I love you now. I wasn't brave enough to protect even my mum, and I cared about you. I just couldn't get the courage to save you." Draco cried.

"Oh Draco, we were so young. I didn't expect it of you to save me. She could've hurt you too. I'm just fine, I'm not hurt anymore." she consoled.

"But just look at how you've turned out." Draco outcries. Hermione laughs though Draco doesn't think she actually finds it funny.

"Quite the charmer aren't you? I've told you I'm perfectly okay."

"Are you mad? You're a mess."

"And you expect me to get into bed with you with those words?" Hermione giggles.

"I told you, I didn't just come here for sex. I wanted to talk." Draco rolls his eyes.

"And what if I've changed my mind Draco?" Hermione asked. Draco's jaw tightened. He studied her face to see if she was serious or not.

"As if I could pass up the opportunity." he decided was safe to admit.

"What opportunity?" Hermione asked.

"I can never make things right for what happened to you in the manor."

"But making love to me year after year might?"

Draco wanted nothing more than to do just that for the rest of his life. He never imagined he would.

"If you tell me that's not what you want, I'll reckon I'll have to respect that though I bloody well don't want to. But one thing for sure is I can't stop coming you. And consequently I don't think you can refrain from sleeping with me when I come."

"You're right. Only because I just don't feel like talking like you do." Hermione says casually ignoring his arrogance.

Draco studies her face. Hermione pushes her teacup away and watches Draco's eyes roam over her. She sees the moment the expression on his face transforms.

He stands up abruptly planting a kiss on Hermione's lips roughly. Draco stares at her waiting for a response. Hermione begins by placing a hand on the side of his face much softer than Draco was. They begin to kiss in a way Hermione is sure will bruise her lips and every other part Draco kisses until he seizes her, carrying her to the bedroom.