"Crap." Hermoine swore under her breath as she glanced at the clock on her desk. It was well after 9 and she had promised Ron she'd be home early today as she had been away the past 2 weeks at a magical creatures convention in Bulgaria with her best girl friend and associate, Luna Lovegood. She quickly gathered her papers on the recent S.P.E.W. activities they had drawn up on the trip.

She sighed as she shrugged on her muggle coat. She did not want to go home and face yet another night of useless ramblings from Ron. It wasn't her fault that she was smart and had a job or three (the others she kept as alibis. Besides an extra job helped fuel her unusual and insatiable fetish of muggle designer shoes.)

She grabbed her purse and made a mad dash for the door where she bumped into a tall, and deliciously hard form, "Sorry," she automatically. She glanced up her brown meeting familiar grey pools and immediately wished she could take it back when she saw the ever-present smirk shining in them.

"Whoa, Granger." he said as he steadied her, a smirk gracing his delectable, soft pink cherry lips.

Boy do I want to kiss the magic out of him, she thought and immediately flushed embarrassed that she could think such thoughts when she had Ron. Her loving, chubby and Gryffindor boyfriend waiting for her at home, faithfully even though she was 4 hours late.

That is exactly the reason why you would have these thoughts Hermoine, her inner-self chastisised flabbergasted at her shock, I mean imagine the big piece of meat he's packing downstairs…

Hermoine felt her cheeks flush and she immediately looked down and away from the beautiful angel's face of her former enemy.

Draco watched with a barely hidden curiosity as Hermoine's eyes skimmed past his features with a barely hidden need. He watched as her face reddened when she realised she was staring and smirked with glee. He knew she wanted him and now was the time to act.

"Granger," he drawled as he pushed into her office ahead of her, regally as always. Hermoine had to roll her eyes at this, he was still the same old prat he had been 4 years prior when they had graduated from their "7th year" at Hogwarts.

"What do you want Draco?" She asked as she leaned against her door frame, arms crossed across her chest. When he had defected during the war after the death of his young wife running to the order with his mother and young son, she had at first thought him a sham but once she learned of the baby's existence she looked at him in a completely new light. They had gotten closer then at number 12 Grimmauld Place, after Harry and Ron had left her at headquarters claiming it was unsafe for her to be on the journey with them.

Bloody bastards, inner Hermoine huffed. 4 years since the end of the war and she still held this grudge against them. She prided herself on being a capable and logic-driven witch.

More than capable, inner Hermoine added, and extremely intelligent too.

"I need your help," he said as he gracefully lowered himself into one of her chairs. He gestured to the seat opposite him, implying he wanted her to sit.

"Draco, I don't have time for this." She replied as she made her way towards the comfortably worn out arm-chair, "I'm already late as it is, so this better be good."

Draco watched her with an unveiled curiosity as she tucked her feet underneath her and snuggled in the chair. He honestly didn't know how it had happened but him and the bane of his existence, the insufferable know-it-all Granger, actually had a relationship, if you could call it that. They met regularly to sit and talk or to listen to her rant on and on about how she is sick and tired of living with the sad, flop of a boyfriend Weasel. Always he had to hold his tongue and dare himself not to ask her why she stayed because he was afraid of her answer. He was afraid she would tell him that it was her duty, that that was what everyone expected of her.

He studied her from under his lashes, and licked his lips slowly and teasingly, which earned a soft, low gasp from her and a smile of victory from Draco. He always loved to ruffle her feathers and liked it even more because she had no idea how much she ruffled his.

He decided to start the conversation on a neutral topic, "It's a rare thing to see you about the hospital granger," he drawled as he twisted his wand between his long pale fingers, "You're always at that book store or at the ministry doing that spew nonsense…"

"First of all, it's S.P.E.W., not spew, and secondly, I am a busy woman Draco and this is my job is it not?" she smiled a bit at that. She knew he had missed her she could hear it from his voice and the way he avoided her gaze. Even though they had trained together and were now both the youngest fully-fledged healers ever, in their respective departments, Draco in the Brain and nervous system of magical persons and Hermoine in Care of magical creatures, which may seem easy but was quite complicated as magical non-human creatures did not react well to human medicines.

"There is a little person who keeps pestering me about tagging along to work," he said as he smiled fondly, "Seems as if he cant get enough of a certain bushy-haired-know –it –all."

Hermoine felt a smile tug at her own lips as she thought of Draco's son Scorpius who was the spitting image of his handsome father but had a heart of gold, courtesy of his father, his grandmother and surprisingly herself. When he had come to Grimauld place, she had taken it upon herself to take the role of mother for the cute, stormy eyed child who adored his father. If someone had told her, a month earlier that she would be helping Malfoy raise his son she would have laughed in their face and then proceed to hex their balls off (or boobs). She often wondered, whilst watching Draco and his son mingle, how someone, raised as Draco was, could have such a loving heart and give his son absolutely anything his heart desired.

"How is he?" she whispered feeling her heart warm at the5 year old boy she had come to identify as her own. With Narcissa's help Draco and Hermoine had raised the boy during times of war after his mother, Astoria had died shortly after her son had died. Draco had not really mourned the death of his wife as it was an arranged marriage but he was still very grateful for the gift she had given him: Scorpius Draco Andre Malfoy.

"He misses you." Draco smiled, his eyes trained on his wand, "Says he'll come barging in and drag you away." He chuckled softly, "he doesn't care it it's a hippogriff or a big bad Draggy (Scorpius' own word for dragon). He wants his Mommy back. He would even brave blast-ended skrewts for you."

"I've just been so busy…" Hermoine trailed off her voice laden with guilt. Truth be told she missed Scorpius as much as he missed her if not more. She didn't care that he wasn't her own son, she loved him just like a mother loved her baby and would readily drop anything and everything for him. She loved him and loved how even though he was old enough and knew she was not his mother, he still called her mommy. And every time he did that it brought a wide grin to her features as she remembered the day he had first said it.

*Flashback*

Scorpius whimpered in his cot and Hermoine tried to stop herself from groaning out loud. She was exhausted and it seemed as if every time she tried to drift to sleep, Cory would wake up.

"You rest," Draco said from beside her on the love seat, "I'll get him."

"Thank you," she whispered gratefully to him as she set her head back on the couch.

She felt him sit beside her once more a whimpering Cory in his arms.

She sighed resignedly; he would keep his whimpering or worse start screeching the house ffone if he did not get what he wanted.

"Give him to me," she held out her arms and felt Scorpius' tiny body relax as he felt her arms around him.

He looked at her annoyingly, alert with his big, bright and molten silver eyes. She watched his mouth move and heard an unintelligible sound escape the crevice. He was now six months old and was blabbering non-stop; having conversations with her that she tried to understand. She could swear she had seen him roll his eyes at her once or twice when she tried to reply to his baby talk.

She smiled and he smiled back at her, then looked past her to his father who was looking down at him with a look of pure love and unadulterated joy.

"Mammm." Cory said breaking the silence.

"Draco…" Hermoine whispered stiffening at Cory's outburst, "He said… he talked…" Draco just looked from him to his son slackjawed.

"Mama." Cory said, looking mighty pleased at himself as his eyes drifted between his father and mother.

"Why couldn't he say dada?" Draco sighed as he smiled brightly at his son, pleased with his achievement, "This is not a fair world, is it Cory?" he cooed at the giggling baby.

"Oh, it's mighty fair, Malfoy." Hermoine said smirking, "This just shows that Cory likes me more than you."

"You wish, Granger." Draco said a smile tugging at his own lips.

*End Flashback*

She smiled at the memory. They had stayed like that, wrapped around each other until morning. It was times like those that made her regret the decision to stay with Ron. She had found a home in Draco, as unbelievable as that mat sound. And she loved it there.

"I know you've been busy, Hermoine," Draco said as he moved his chair closer to hers, and he ignited the fire, "He knows it too. That's why he has been extra good these couple of weeks you've been away."

"You did not black mail Cory!" Hermoine cried in mock indignation and shock.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault," He said as he held his arms up, his eyes twinkling with laughter, just how she loved them, "Beside, it was Mother's idea."

"Let's hear this world class idea then," she replied in mock-defeat.

"Well the deal was, if he ate all his vegetables and behaved well, good in Scorpius terms, there would be a surprise waiting for him Saturday morning."

"It would have been nice to know that you planned my whole life for me," she sighed contentedly as the fire warmed her to the bone.

"Granger, you need a lot more spontaneity in your life, believe me I am doing you a huge favour." He stood and made towards the door.

"Wait, Draco, you didn't tell me what you wanted to tell me," She said as she shifted in her seat to glance up at his tall towering frame.

"Oh that." He faltered. It had seemed like a good idea at first but now he was worried about how she would take it, "It can wait, besides isn't the Weasel waiting?"

"Oh gods I completely forgot," the short bushy haired witch cried as she flew off the chair and around the room in a frenzy, trying to gather her things, "And would you please grow up? You still call Ron a weasel, seriously?

"Unless you can convince me that he doesn't call me a ferret," Draco said, smile gracing his lips as he looked at the inferno that was Hermoine, "which he still does in front of me, to my face, then I'll stop calling him a weasel."

"Whatever Draco," Hermoine replied with a wave of her hand, "Get out I need to lock up."

"Yes madam." He replied giving a slight bow as he headed to the door.

Hermoine rolled her eyes a smile spreading across her lips as she locked her office and started down the hall with Draco by her side.

Draco sighed contently as they walked down the eerily quiet halls of St. Mungo's. He didn't know when it had started but he knew that the witch beside him had her little finger wrapped around him tight.

The floo network was as usual busy and loud regardless of the time of day it was, "I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning, Granger. I would hate to have to explain to a crest-fallen and adorable 5 year old, why his mommy's late."

"I'm never late, Malfoy," she sneered, making him proud, "I'll be there by 6.30."

"That's too early," Draco protested as he handed her the bag of floo powder to grab a handful while taking some himself, "this face doesn't come cheap you know?"

"I am going to ignore that extremely vain comment," Hermoine smiled as she stepped towards the fire place, "besides, you know Scorpius is an early riser especially if he knows he's getting a surprise.

"Don't act like you know him better than I do!"

"Whatever makes you sleep at night, my dear." She said as she stepped in, "Please be ready on time, I'd hate to be kept waiting, again." And with that she yelled the address of the apartment she shared with Ron in diagon alley.

"More!" screamed a voice from within Hermoine's apartment. And she immediately drew out her wand, fearing the worst.

As she stepped out of the fire place, slipping a little and cursing her stars for giving her poor balance, she heard a string of groans and moans and squeals. She knew what they were and what they meant, but she refused to believe it.

This is Weaselbee we're talking about, she thought, the faithful Gryffindor. He would never do such a thing.

"Oh my god!." She stopped in her tracks as she realised she had just called Ron, Weaselbee.

I'm turning into Malfoy, she thought disdained at her discovery.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, inner Hermoine countered, Slytherins are sexy and hot and hard and…

I get it, Hermoine told her inner self.

She continued down the hall and stopped in front of her bedroom and, trying to ignore the moans and groans, she opened the door and felt herself gasp.

There, on full display, was Ron's pale, pink freckled ass, bobbing up and down as he pushed his member into the whore underneath him.

"Lavender…" he moaned as he came.

"Hello Ron, Lavender," Hermoine said from her post by the door.

"Hermoine- " Ron began.

She held her wand towards him threateningly and he knew her well enough not to push her, "Don't even, Ron. I'll be showing myself out thank you. Oh and I want you out of here by Sunday. What ever is left behind whether it be you or your precious broom, will burn in a tragic fiend fyre accident.

"Hermoine, I'm sorry." Ron said as he jumped off the bed following her through the apartment, "You weren't here and-"

"And what Ronald?" she yelled. Ron flinched at the venom that dripped from her voice, "You weren't there during the war for an entire year and I never, ever slept with anyone else."

"Yeah but you're a girl and…" his voice broke as he saw the fire in her eyes.

"Fuck you, Ronald." She whispered dangerously, "Malfoy's right. You are a fucking weasel." And with that she shouted out the only place she could think to take comfort in, "Malfoy manor!"