The Recovery And The Plan

Author's Note: Welcome to the first chapter of All About Soul, the sequel to All I Have To Give! I suggest you read All I Have To Give before you continue reading any further because you probably wont understand what is happening since this leaves off almost directly after it. Other than that, enjoy!

She waits for me at night, she waits for me in silence
She gives me all her tenderness and takes away my pain
And so far she hasn't run, though I swear she's had her moments
She still believes in miracles while others cry in vain

It was two days after Draco had knocked Ron out cold and saved Hermione from being violated. Hermione had taken most of her clothes from the house and was now staying with Draco in his apartment. Draco had moved out of Malfoy Manor three years earlier because it held too many unpleasant memories of his parents and the dark things that had happened under its roof. The apartment had two bedrooms, a small kitchen and dining area with a very roomy lounge room.

Hermione had taken the second bedroom because even though Draco and herself were now a couple, she was still married to Ron and it didn't feel right to sleep in the same bed as Draco. They had both continued to work as normal, with Hermione at the Ministry during the day and Draco at the law firm at night. This meant that they hadn't seen much of each other for the last couple of days.

Draco was sitting in his apartment at twelve o'clock after sleeping for seven hours after work. He hadn't seen Hermione since he had left for work the day before and it was nearly time for lunch so he decided to surprise her. He pushed himself off the black leather couch heading for the kitchen bench where he had dumped his work id, pocket watch and sack of coins after he had gotten home from work. He had found that Hermione had fixed him a small snack for him before she had gone to bed, leaving a note that read 'Made with love for a hard worker' and he had sat at the bench to enjoy it.

He collected his pocket watch and coins, putting them into his pocket and walked into his bedroom to change into something nice to wear to lunch. When he was in a snug pair of dark blue jeans and a navy coloured shirt he apperated into the Ministry lobby. He waked over to the administration desk and asked if Hermione was still in her office. The woman behind the counter informed Draco that she was already at lunch with a friend and wouldn't be back for half an hour.

Dam, just when I needed everything to go right Draco thought to himself and then asked if she knew where Hermione and the friend had gone to eat. All he got for his trouble was a shake of the head and a sorry. Well this is just great Draco mused sarcastically before he turned, walked away and then disapperated.

He had decided to try and find Hermione in the place where he first ate with her after bumping into each other. He strolled down the street filled with cafes and restaurants on either side. He scanned each place carefully, looking for Hermione in her neat business-like robes. He was just over half way down the street, with no luck so far, when he heard a familiar laugh. It wasn't Hermione's or any of his old Slytherin friends, but it still seemed very familiar.

He kept walking and started to look more intensely around each shop's tables. There was that laugh again and Draco knew it was a man's laugh but who's he could still not pin point. He searched two more cafes before he found who the laugh belonged to.

"Potter," he said as he reached the table that Harry and Hermione were sitting at. "I knew that laugh was familiar." Both Harry and Hermione were looking up at him with surprised faces, though Hermione's changed to a face that looked very happy to see him quite rapidly.

"How did you know where I would be?" asked Hermione.

"Oh, I have my ways," replied Draco with a small smirk crossing his face.

"We were just talking about you actually," Harry commented and then added, "Grab a chair and join us."

Malfoy looked confused at Harry. Could he be serious? He certainly didn't look like he was kidding so he took Harry's advice, grabbing a chair from the empty table beside them and sitting with Harry and Hermione either side of him. He wanted to ask why Harry's attitude towards him had changed all of a sudden but instead just went with the it and didn't argue. It would be nice to be treated like a friend, instead of an enemy, for once. "What were you saying about me?" he asked after his thoughts settled and he felt reasonably comfortable between the best friends.

"I was just telling Harry about your job," Hermione answered Draco.

"Is that what you were laughing at?" Draco asked looking straight at Harry, shocked that he could find being a lawyer and helping people funny. "Think my job is funny, do you? I bet you couldn't do it."

Harry couldn't help but laugh again as he was reminded of their meeting on the train to Hogwarts in their very first year. Seeing as Malfoy didn't look to appreciate the laughter, he stopped and composed himself enough to say, "Well, it is just that I didn't quiet picture a guy with an upbringing like yours to spend your time helping get others out of trouble."

"People can change," Draco stated coldly.

"Yes, they sure can," Harry sighed in agreement. Draco didn't know what to say to that so he let it be. He turned his attention to Hermione who was sipping her tea and had a plate of half eaten food in front of her. He watched her pick up her knife and fork again and start to cut the crumbed chicken breast on her plate. It made him feel a little out of place when Harry also picked up his utensils and started on his own food again as well.

There was silence for a few minutes while Hermione and Harry ate with Draco watching. Hermione was first to break it as she noticed Draco getting uncomfortable. "Have you eaten lunch yet?" she asked.

"Ah… no, I haven't yet."

"Why don't you call a waiter over and order something? Don't let us stop you from eating."

Draco had been too focused on what Harry and Hermione were doing that he didn't think about himself. He felt his stomach grumble and since he hadn't eaten since he had woken up he decided "Mmm, I think I will order something."

Draco called the waitress to their table as she passed another table close by. She came to stand in between Draco and Hermione with her quill and small roll of parchment ready to take an order. "Can I please have the chicken schnitzel with a side of vegetables?" Draco asked.

"Sure," replied the waitress jotting down a small note on the parchment. "Would you like anything to drink with that, sir?"

"Ah, yes. I would like an ice tea." Draco looked to Hermione and Harry and then asked "You two want anything else?"

"No thanks," said Harry. Hermione looked down into her empty cup of tea. "I'll have another cup of tea if you don't mind?"

"Not at all madam." The waitress then rattled off what they had ordered and when Draco confirmed the order she walked towards the kitchen with Hermione's empty cup in hand.

"So Hermione, you were saying before that you were seriously thinking of divorcing Ron after what he did," Harry said starting up the conversation he and Hermione had been sharing before Draco had shown up.

"Yeah, I am. I can't live with him anymore, not after what he tried to do. I don't think I can forgive him for even trying something like that, let only forget the actions and live with him. Who knows what he is capable of after that?" Hermione was trying hard to stay as calm as she could, but both Draco and Harry could see it was taking a fair bit of effort for her to do so.

"I will support you as much as I can while you go through this, you know that don't you?" Draco urged trying to reassure Hermione.

"And Ginny and I are behind you as well," added Harry to strengthen Draco's statement. "You can count on all of us for support and you can come to us anytime you need to. We will be there for you. You are not alone."

Hermione smiled as she fought back the tears that were welling in her eyes. "Thank you. You know it means so much to me to have both of you by my side." She wiped a tear that had escaped from her eye off her face. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

"You will never have to know," Draco said confidently and moved out of his seat to kneel down besides her, putting a comforting arm around her.

Just then the waiter returned with Draco's order. As she saw what was happening before her she thought many things but did not say a word. Harry instructed her on where to place the food and drinks and then she turned and left. By this time Hermione had wiped all the tears from her eyes and she told Draco to sit down and eat. Draco didn't argue with her. He moved back up to his seat, picking up his knife and fork and started to eat while continuing the conversation with them.

"Okay, so we have established that you want to divorce Ron, but have you any plan as to how you are going to make that happen?" Draco asked.

"Well, I guess that is where you come in? Isn't it?" said Hermione uncertainly.

"I can help you, yes, but you will need to find a lawyer to help draw up some legal divorce papers and then you will have to inform Ron. He has to sign the papers as well and if he doesn't agree with anything he will most likely force you to go to court and fight for the terms you want," Draco said as if he had seen it before and knew from experience.

"I have already found a lawyer. That is if you-" Hermione was cut off by Draco.

"Wait just a minute there," he expressed. "You want me to be your lawyer?"

"Yes… well, why not?" asked Hermione a little puzzled.

"For one, I'm too involved personally in the case-" This time Hermione was the one to cut him off.

"Draco, you are the only one that saw what Ron did. I know you are one of the only people that could truly understand how I feel. Please Draco, I don't want to find another lawyer when I already have one and from what your boss has told me, you are one of the best," Hermione pleaded with him.

"I still don't think it is a good idea," said Draco. "And since when did you talk to my boss?"

"I was looking for a lawyer and found the firm you work for in the Daily Prophet. I made an appointment to see if they were able to help me. I didn't know the person I was going to see was your boss until after I met her. You were the first person she recommended and I was shocked at hearing your name. I had to explain some of the situation to her and she practically said that if I was hire anyone else you would mostly likely question everything they did, most likely taking over the case yourself anyway. So, I should save my money and just ask you."

"Would you really trust someone else to do the job as sufficiently as you think you could or would?" Harry asked. Draco saw the serious look in his eyes as he asked the question. He thought about it for a moment, thinking of all the people he worked with and how much he trusted each of them. But Harry was right, he didn't know anyone else that he might trust enough to handle the case, though the trust he had in his boss was quite close. If he needed help, she would definitely be the one to go to.

"No," Draco finally sighed, "I don't suppose there is anyone that I would trust enough."

"So you will do it then?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"I don't think I have a choice, do I?"

"You have a choice but we'll take that as a yes," said Harry.

Draco turned to Harry, "So what is your role in this anyway? Isn't Ron your best friend?" he asked suspiciously

"Yes, but so is Hermione. At the moment I think she needs my help more than Ron does."

"Well at least you have your priorities straight."

Harry didn't know what to say to that. Was it a matter of priorities? He didn't think so. Hermione had been the victim and Ron was getting out of control. Hermione needed the moral support but Ron also needed help. Ron needed what muggles called therapy. Harry wondered if they had wizard therapist because he couldn't exactly take Ron to a muggle one. He would have to look into it.

While Harry had been thinking Draco had gone back to eating and Hermione had taken to sipping at her new cup of tea. He saw the plate in front of her was empty and then looked down at his own. He still had some chicken on it and his tea was only half drunk and probably quite near cold. He picked up his knife and fork to finish off the chicken.

A waiter came and took his and Hermione's empty plates.

"So Draco, what will be our first line of action?" Hermione asked to break the near awkward silence. Draco thought about this for a second. "Well, can you come into my office this evening?"

"You mean after dinner?"

"Yeah, anytime tonight. It is usually pretty quite and I nearly have all my paperwork up to date, so if you want to go home, have something to eat, freshen up a little and then come in that should be fine."

"Alright, I can do that."

"Do you want me to come in with her as well?" asked Harry

"If you would like, but it isn't really necessary," Draco replied. He would have preferred it to just be Hermione so they might have some time together where it was just them. Hermione might have been thinking the same thing as she began to speak.

"Harry, don't you think you should go and see how Ron is? I'm sure you don't want him to think that you are against him and you are probably the only person that could make him see sense."

"Yes," said Draco, agreeing with Hermione. "Ron does need someone to help him see what the consequences of his actions are and that maybe if he really loved Hermione, he would let her be happy."

"I know," Harry sighed.

"You need to help Ron through this as much as you need to help me, though maybe Ron even more so," said Hermione.

"I don't know how much I can help him," Harry said.

"You at least have to try."

"Okay, I will go to his house tonight after work."

"Thank you Harry. I still care for him but I cant love him anymore."

"I understand."

"And that is eventually what Ron will have to understand as well," Hermione stated.

They continued their conversation for a while and then Hermione and Harry had to go back to work. Draco went home, deciding to rest some more before he made himself dinner and then left for work before Hermione got home.

---

Harry firecalled Hermione just before he was about to go and see Ron. "Hey Hermione! Are you home?" he called out.

"Yeah!" came the shouted reply from somewhere in the house. "I will be out in a second. I'm just getting changed."

"Okay," Harry shouted back. He only had to wait thirty seconds before Hermione walked into the room dressed casually but quite eye catchly. "And where do you think you are going dressed like that?" Harry said teasingly.

"To see Draco," Hermione replied and then looked down at her favourite deep red, low cut top and her tight fitting jeans. "Do you think it is a bit too much? I should go change, shouldn't I?" and she began towards the bedroom.

"No, no Hermione. Come back," Harry implored. "You look great and I'm sure Draco will really appreciate it. I'm glad I didn't insist on coming now," he said with a smile and both laughter and understanding in his tone.

"Yeah," Hermione smiled back at him. "Draco and I haven't really spent any time together after what happened with Ron. I felt like looking a little special for him."

"It's okay Hermione. You don't have to explain yourself to me. You just enjoy yourself with him tonight." Harry could hardly believe that he was telling Hermione to enjoy herself with Draco Malfoy, but he made her happy and it was obvious that he really cared for her. Of course if he ever hurt her Harry would take it upon himself to punish him.

"I might be able to do that if I can keep myself from worrying about how Ron is going to react to me actually ending our marriage," Hermione sighed.

"Let me worry about Ron. Oh, and that reminds me of the reason I called in the first place. I was wondering if there was anything that you wanted to tell Ron or whether there was anything you might have left at his house that you want me to get for you?"

"I'm quite sure I have all my possession but you could give him a message for me."

"And what would that be?"

"Tell him that I hope that after all this is over and he gets the help that he needs that we still might be friends."

"I will."

"Thank you."

"No problems. Now I think I better go before it gets too late and Ron gets into the heavy stuff."

"Good idea. I should probably head off to Draco's office too. Good luck Harry."

"You too," and with that Harry disappeared and the fire burned an orange-yellow once more.

Author's Note: Well, that is it for the first chapter of what might prove to be my second longest fic to date. Hope you will tell me your thoughts on this chapter by reviewing below.