Prologue

George Weasley walked up the steps to Gringotts feeling the winter chill even through a thick (startlingly purple) winter cloak. He passed through the security at the door and eyed some of the modifications he had personally made to it. Behind closed doors Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes had taken on a much broader clientele than the average school aged child looking to prank his friends or parents. Their intellectual property was very much in demand.

He grinned jovially at the goblin behind the counter, Gorrick was used to this tiring wizard behavior so he just waited for George to pull the sheaf of parchments out of his satchel. In the meantime he studied the intriguing artificial ear that George had invented for himself, it seemed to twitch a little of it's own volition, gathering interesting tidbits.

The stack of parchments, invention blueprints were to be deposited in the Weasley's vault. "Oh yeah," George remembered searching for his vault key, "I came myself because my assistant mentioned that you had to meet with me?"

Gorrick raised a brow, "That was several months ago Mr. Weasley."

He shrugged apologetically, "I got a little caught up at work."

Gorrick sighed, "Wait here." The goblin disappeared for a mere moment and then returned with an envelope.

George wanted to ask when Gringotts had taken on owl post but thought better of it, Gorrick seemed to have sprained his funny bone somewhere in the bowels of the bank.

A strange seal was stamped into an otherwise blank envelope. He opened the envelope and the parchment inside read only the following

George Weasley, Vault 713, Item #NF77E

It was written in golden ink which fascinated George but fully captured Gorrick's attention. He stroked the golden ink and it turned a beautiful purpled red.

"It seems that you have something to collect from this vault."

Well that was interesting.

Chapter 1

Breaking Ground

"Harry."

The Boy Who Lived was asleep at his desk in the Auror office, below his crossed arms lay a stack of parchment he was supposed to have signed off on and handed in two hours ago. The perpetually messy black hair that flopped over his scar and two day old robes he wore enhanced his worn out appearance.

She shook his shoulder, "Harry."

He started awake and blinked at her, "Cho." Reality began to register as he rubbed away the sleep, "I'll have that stuff done by five I promise."
"It's nearly six-thirty Harry," she saw panic start to set in his eyes, "Don't worry I'll take it in the morning, you'd better get going."

He quickly started jamming his things into his rucksack, "First thing tomorrow I promise. Will you be there tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm as curious as everyone else," she admitted. The Malfoys' return to wizarding society was being celebrated with as much pomp and circumstance as a royal christening, "No one would ever guess that their exile was a punishment judging by the invitation."

Harry laughed, "That's the Malfoys' for you."

"I'll see you later," Cho massaged her temples as she walked out of the Auror office. She had spent a particularly grueling day sitting on the Wizengamot in lieu of the Secretary of the Auror Office, Gawain Robards.

The elevator brought her down to the first floor where she exited out into the perennially gloomy London air. The walk to her flat gave her a chance to stretch her legs and observe normal muggle life, talking on cell phones, driving cars, talking on cell phones while driving cars; all completely unaware of the parallel universe operating in their midst. Unaware for now, she mused.

Cho looked out over the Thames' murky waters as she crossed it; from what she had gathered Harry's team had finally cornered their quarry on a private boat in the river. This particular wizard had led them on a merry two-day long chase through London with stolen artifacts from the war memorial.

She would be in charge of filing the reports for the department with the Wizengamot. A mostly thankless task, Aurors deplored paperwork of all kinds, she would be lucky if she received it all an hour before the filing deadline.

Ever since she joined the Auror office after the battle its workplace efficiency had improved by leaps and bounds. Reports that had mysteriously disappeared were filed, signatures were collected and a precarious order had fallen. The greatest benefit to this occurred about a month after she'd set the office to rights, compensation had started to pour in. A steady trickle of overtime rewards had come through for all the paperwork she had filed which grabbed the attention of the haphazard office.

Aurors looked over the tops of their pristine outboxes and realized that the tiny Ravenclaw who had joined their ranks was responsible. Cho was now a highly valued asset to their team and occupied a dear place in their hearts.

She enjoyed working with them despite their rampant disregard for common sense; they were growing to be tight knit family after suffering the devastating losses of the Last Battle. More than half of the department had been there less than three years but the bonds formed in the aftermath were strong. It was ironically the least cutthroat department in the Ministry by her estimation.

The comforting red brick of her apartment building loomed over the street, her Muggle neighbor Mrs. Otto held the door for her and exchanged smiles. Cho liked living in Muggle London, she wouldn't trade it for a flat in Diagon Alley any day. It kept her out of the prying media atmosphere of most London wizarding communities. The apartment was small and magically cloaked

It took her less than half an hour to get ready and don her dark blue silk dress robes but she heard a tapping on her window. A small brown owl bearing Daily Prophet tags flew in and landed on her dresser holding out the leg bearing a note.

Sorry dear, had to Apparate directly, press has to be there early.

-M.

Cho sighed, she had been hoping to enter with her old friend Marietta but she knew she was going to be late. Resigned to this fact she spent time putting the finishing touches on her outfit and hair and put her bedroom back in order before heading out to her magically cloaked balcony to Apparate.

ooo

Lucius and Narcissa had asked that the Minister of Magic himself be present to officially reintegrate their family into the wizarding community but that was a request Shacklebolt felt entirely secure in denying. In order to cater to the appearance of good will he sent his undersecretary, Percy Weasley instead and issued a Ministry wide memo which stated that accepting the invitation to Malfoy Manor was encouraged for the sake of cordiality but it was neither mandatory nor forbidden.

Those who attended were not disappointed; the new face of the Malfoy family was no less ostentatious. The deep mahogany floors gleamed and priceless artwork shone from every wall in golden frames. Food and drink veritably flowed from tables and fountains and a tasteful string quartet played elegant classical music.

"You'd think we would try for something a little humbler," mused Draco to Terence Higgs.

"I'm pretty sure this is as close as your parents get to being humble," Terrence countered, "this is probably the first time so many blood-traitors have seen the inside of the Hall." He would have added without awaiting some awful fate but he thought better of it, he and Draco were more acquaintances than friends. It was best to be on the good terms with the Malfoys no matter what their standing.

"They're all welcome now," Draco leaned against the railing of the gallery and watched the late guests enter, "Every one of them is a tiny bit of polish on the dirty family crest."

Again Terrence bit back a joke, this one about how no amount of polish could change the Black family crest, Bellatrix was an uncomfortable subject, "I'm hungry."

Draco scrutinized him, quite sure he knew what was running through his former housemate's mind, but he thought better of calling him out, his parents weren't the only Malfoys trying for reparation.

They descended the staircase into the general hall where witches and wizards were milling around. Only a strong force of curiosity could have brought such a variety to the Manor. Their return signaled another step in the Recovery, if the Malfoys fell into line they would not be a rallying point for any of the old factions.

So far they had accepted their punishments dutifully: a three year exile from wizarding society with the loss of wand privileges and Lucius was banned from Ministry grounds and under probation at the discretion of the Auror office, he would never receive a wand again. This was the punishment for most Death Eaters in the inner circle who survived and showed reform, there were not many.

ooo

"Please tell me why we're here again?" George murmured to Angelina as he saw Draco descend from his balcony post.

"Because you're my friend and this is important," she looked up at him through dark brown eyes, her argument didn't seem to be working, she tried another tack and whispered on tip-toes in his ear, "because afterwards we'll put fireworks in their fountain and drink firewhisky with the gang."

A troubled sigh escaped him but he grinned a little too, "You swear?"

"I swear," she grabbed his hand and led him over to the violinists.

He obliged by twirling her out on the mahogany floor, they had become comfortable friends, content in the knowledge that they didn't know what was next. She was more gorgeous than a Veela in his eyes tonight and she knew it. Quidditch kept her agile and lithe in her burgundy silk dress robes and her movements attracted attention from around the room. George pulled her a little closer and whispered, "I'm a lucky bastard aren't I?"

"You'd better believe it."

Other couples started to join them including Harry and Ginny and Ron and Hermione. He closed his eyes at the familiar click of camera shutters that had followed most Harry's movements throughout the night. He tried not to begrudge his friend and business partner's decision to join them. He felt bad for the nuisance his little sister had to endure in order to go on a proper date. Some sort of portable Polyjuice Potion for Harry to use? Or a distraction? Something to black out media cameras? That idea made him smile, he was pretty sure Ginny would not appreciate Harry being in constant disguise. Sometimes he could find a way to incorporate interesting Muggle technology in his designs.

The music played out and the couples lost themselves in the company of their dates for a while until lead musician announced that they were all to gather in the middle hall for the official portion of the evening, George relented knowing Percy wouldn't let him hear the end of it if he skived but he kept a loose grasp of Angelina's hand.

ooo

Cho joined the crowd in the Hall as Percy and the Malfoys stood at the front, when there was general order Percy launched into a solemn recitation. He was most definitely the right man for the job, Cho knew for a fact that there was no official reintegration ceremony for wizard exiles but the crowd gathered there would not have guessed; by his delivery he had been making the speech since he was born.

"As we look to the future our community is strengthened by the bonds of unity and brotherhood. We uphold the just actions of our leaders and forbearers and strive to pursue dignity and honor in going forward…"

She caught George pretending to nod off on Angelina's shoulder, he winked at her and she smiled back. Mentally she shook her head at him, he pretended to be a rogue but at this point he was fooling no one. Seeing him did remind her of their appointment on Monday to go over Auror requisitions from the WWW line of protective magical devices, George promised her new gadgets for her teams that he was personally designing.

Her attention wandered back to the Malfoys where Percy was offering them each a final solemn handshake. She saw stiffness in Lucius' movements and a forced sincerity in Narcissa's. She could read Marietta's sub-header in tomorrow's Prophet already: A new day opened in wizarding England when a Weasley offered a Malfoy a handshake.

She maintained a close friendship with the reporter after their days at Hogwarts ended. It was beneficial because Marietta's sources often became leads that Cho could pass along to a discreet Auror. In Cho's eyes her actions at Hogwarts had been erased through a loyalty that hadn't wavered after the mishap in sixth year.

The violins resumed their melodies and the guests dispersed throughout the hall. She spied an elf carrying a tray of stuffed mushrooms, she gave chase and was rewarded with the beginning of a delicious supper. The elf, wearing a green embroidered pillowcase, bowed and left her with a napkin and small plate. Cho thanked him and savored the small delicacy.

A minister whose name she could not recall smiled at her and said conspiratorially, "The real reason we came eh?" He had a plate piled high with the bounty of the Hall.

She returned a polite smile, "Of course," she stalled for time until she could remember his title, "what did you think of today's session?"

"Oh it's the same old fundamental argument," he began, "Should we allow for exceptions to Statute, how can we ensure the safety of our wizarding population. In my opinion the argument that Obliviating muggles against their will is unethical is utter rubbish, they don't remember it anyway!"

"Oh Ringwald, if you treat every ethics discussion as rubbish you'll send the entire Wizengamot back to the dark ages." Mortimer Abbott, a relatively younger Minister joined their discussion as he was passing by.

"I suppose you support it then ol' Morty?" his older colleague baited.

"I'm not willing to rule it out until I've heard both sides of the argument," Abbott returned, "Some people say the muggle world is waking up to us, that the Philosophy of the Mundane is not going to hold true in the wake of the Last Battle."

"I have to say that I agree, our worlds have a chance to come back together," Cho positioned, "The threat of witch-hunting and persecution has been long past for centuries. I'm not advocating a full on unveiling, but I think gently peeling back the Statute could be beneficial for both sides."

"Our entire way of life could be threatened! You young people don't understand the dangers of the muggle world," Ringwald's voice had started to rise and attract attention.

"Aren't there enough dangers in keeping the world's separate?" Cho reasoned, "So much effort is put into it with dubious results, and one day it's going to happen, why not find a way to have it happen peaceably?"

"It's not feasible for our communities to be reintroduced, there is too much precedent for the Statute," chimed in Arnold Peasgood a chief Obliviation Attendant.

Abbott, an exemplary Hufflepuff she remembered, grinned good-naturedly, "Not to mention that there wouldn't be much Obliviation work for you if it was repealed."

The joke fell naturally and immediately eased the rising tension in the group. The conversation slowly edged around the Statute and found a resting place in the old conservative standby, Quidditch regulation. Cho found herself drifting in and out of the conversation, curious as to what result they might have happened had Mortimer not stepped in.

"Sorry to have ruined your fun," he intoned to her as she continued eating her stuffed mushroom.

"Sorry?" she replied delicately, feigning ignorance.

"I didn't think this was the right moment to play Bait The Old Conservative," he gestured to Ringwald who was now wearing a rosy glow of contentment as he blustered on about broomstick grafting, "Your time will come though Ms. Chang, you're the most outspoken undersecretary to the Auror's office that I or the Wizengamot has ever seen."

She was about to deny it but then Mortimer's honesty begged a little quid pro quo, "I'm flattered, thank you." Cho could take a compliment superficially even if his intervention irked her. Mortimer was a peacemaker, he naturally wanted everyone to get along, not necessarily what Cho had in mind.

He grinned, "I can't be the only one who's noticed, it was very strategic of Gawain to send you in his stead, I don't think I've ever seen him awake in his chair."

"He's always busy on cases," she demurred politely.

"Running around being an Auror," there was a small note of jealousy, "I don't blame him."

"He enjoys it a lot."

Mortimer seemed about to poke a little more fun at Gawain's expense but then caught himself, "I had better find the missus, if I leave her alone at one of these things for too long she starts planning ways to poison my pudding." He bid her farewell and slipped back into the crowd.

"That's probably an effect you have on most wives Ms. Chang, " Blaise Zabini drawled from behind her.

She turned to face him and his knot of friends unsure of what to expect, "How long have you been saving that one Zabini?"

"It was just an observation," he held up his hands in defense, "it hurts me to see a beautiful woman alone."

"Be careful Blaise," she returned dryly, "that bleeding heart might drip on your leather shoes."

She took her leave and found Marietta waiting for her near the bust of a pointy chinned man in the frilliest dress robes she had ever seen, one of Malfoy's great grandfathers by the looks of it. "What was that about?" queried the slightly tipsy reporter.

"Someone who hasn't left schoolyard sniping behind," Cho replied.

"Ahh, is there any other kind?" Marietta replied sagely, "Are you alright?"

"I would be a sad Ravenclaw if I couldn't hold my own in a battle of wits."

Marietta smiled, "I've got so much of this to get down if I'm going to make the morning paper, I've also dispatched a photographer to hide out in the bushes because I've heard a rumor that someone is going to set off fireworks in the fountain after hours."

Cho had to laugh at that, "I'd better go remind someone to make sure he doesn't do any lasting damage, I don't want to write him up. And you are Flooing home, I don't want you to splinch yourself."

"Oh all right, later dear."

After she had extracted a mostly sober promise from George that the only damage would be the momentary rearrangement of Lucius Malfoy's facial features did she find herself ready to quit the Manor along with the rest of the guests. Her fireplace wasn't connected to the Floo and she generally preferred to walk off the grounds and Apparate.

London's night air rushed around her as she arrived bringing a variety of scents and a lingering chill. She got ready for bed trying to cement details from the night in her mind; George had invited her to a Quidditch game at the Burrow over the weekend and dinner afterwards, which would be wonderful for relieving the built-up tension of work politics. She looked over at the picture on her night table, she and her sister with frozen smiles posing in their neighborhood park. Then pulling her Tornadoes comforter over her head she whispered, "Nox." The room went dark.

000

Hello Brave Adventurer,

Are you aware that you have just clicked on a Cho/Draco fic? Yes? Excellent. Some things to note, there are a lot of characters woven into this story because I am in love with this universe (hopefully you are too) and I love seeing everyone interact. You, dear reader, are in for a wild ride across continents, schools, Houses, ideologies, emotions, species and more! I wrote this fic in part to show off the strengths of a Slytherclaw alliance so there's definitely going to be some hardcore nerdiness and some tasteful schemery. There are also some interesting themes ::cough:: alchemy ::cough::

Enjoy!

Sandwitch II

PS. I am aware that there are probably more than a few grammatical mistakes in this story, if you happen to know of a beta, or are a beta, who would be willing to comb through this monstrosity for me I'd love to know!