Authors Note: I know this starts out like a summary, but that's only to bring you to what's happening in the story itself. Keep a lookout for the actual story that comes before this one, "I'll Be the One". :) (I should have written that one first...)

Everything belongs to JK. Rowling. I do not own anything.

Enjoy:)

After the war, Hogwarts was repaired in some places, rebuilt in others. Surprisingly, almost all of the surviving students from Hermione's year returned to get the credentials they needed to succeed in a new life without war. Unfortunately, a lot of the old prejudices returned with them, and it was like nothing had ever happened. The purebloods still treated every other blood status as beneath them, but were no longer violent about it. Most just sent their children to schools such as Beauxbatons, or Durmstrang.

Draco didn't allow his parents to have control over him any longer and returned to Hogwarts against their wishes. His father couldn't do much about it anyways, being in prison. His mother was a little better about it, saying how she would rather he chose somewhere else for his last year, but not putting up a fuss when he boarded the Hogwarts Express anyways.

He was Head Boy, Hermione Head Girl. They grew closer than either of them expected. Hermione needed someone, and Draco, after much hesitation, was there for her. Harry didn't know how to comfort Hermione and be on Ron's side as well. Ron changed after the Final Battle. Losing his brother snapped something inside of him. He had a hard time dealing with his emotions. He wasn't good for Hermione in Draco's eyes, and Ron proved that too him when he cheated on Hermione with Astoria Greengrass. Hermione ended up with her heart broken, and Draco was the one to put the pieces back together. He held her at night when she cried over Ron, when everything caught up to her. He helped her take her mind off things by listening to her ramble on about her newest book. Hermione soon felt the beginnings of feelings for Draco, and kissed him at midnight on New Year's Eve, and they stayed together for the rest of their school year.

But Draco could see how much it killed her when Ron saw them together. She still loved him, and she always would. And Ron still loved her. He seemed to pull himself out of his funk and pleaded with Draco to talk to Hermione about him. So, in the most selfless act that Draco had done in his life, he told Hermione that she should get back together with Ron. And she did.

The last time he saw her was at their graduation ceremony feast, when she hugged him goodbye and said "I know you didn't have a choice. I forgive you." Draco knew she wasn't talking about their love triangle, because he had a choice there. She was talking about the war, and the day he had to sit by and watch his Aunt torture her to the brink of giving up. That was the day he promised himself he would do anything in his power to keep her from suffering again, and that was the one day they had never talked about.

She knew his guilt killed him, and she knew that before she said goodbye to him, she had to say something. And those three words meant more to him than anything in the entire world. Everything he did was for this girl, even letting her go; because he knew she would be happier. If only…

Draco. Diagon Alley.

Wandering through the isles in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Draco notices someone he hasn't talked to in a long time. Making his way over to the mass of curly brown hair ahead of him, he remembers the last time he saw her. Hogwarts, after what was left of the seventh years retook their last year, Hermione Granger came up to him. Without saying a word, she enveloped him in a bear hug. Before he could say anything, she whispered "I know you didn't have a choice. I forgive you," and let go, turning from him without another word.

Draco had tried to find her since then, hoping she finally realized she deserved better than the Weasel, even going so far as to wish she ended up with Potter instead of Ron. But then he saw the announcement in the Daily Prophet, they had tied the knot. So had Potter and Weaselette, but they were at least good together.

Pulling himself away from his thoughts, Draco cleared his throat right behind Hermione, trying to get her attention. She jumped and spun around quickly, almost knocking over a display.

"Hey! Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you, I just noticed you were here and –" Draco stopped short. When she turned around, he noticed the shimmer of a glamor over her left cheek and across her brow bone. Barely noticeable to anyone who isn't looking for it, but he knew that shimmer all too well. His left forearm held it almost constantly. "Why do you have a glamor?"

"It's nothing, bad acne that's all" She says flippantly, almost enough for him to believe her, but she was twisting her hands together, nervous.

"Are you sure?" He asks, sincerely worried. "Why would you use a glamor for acne Hermione, when you are the smartest witch I know, and always beat me in potions?" He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.

"It was a quick fix this morning, that's all, I'm fine." She assured him "So… er, how have you been?"

"Good, considering. You?"

"Fine...fine. But hey, listen, I've got to get back to work. It was good to see you though, Draco." She held out her hand as if to shake his, and then pulled it back, quickly changing her mind. As she turned to leave, she whispered "Owl me, please" so quickly, Draco almost missed it.

She turned and disappeared into the back of the shop. Curious, Draco milled about for a bit longer, pretending to look at the display of Nosebleed Nougat in front of him. Hermione emerged a few minutes later, sporting a bright orange and purple apron, and carrying a box with a large purple "W" on the side.

That's odd. Draco thought, what is the smartest witch of our age doing working at a joke shop?

The overwhelming feeling that something wasn't right washed over him. He was going to find out what was going on.

Back in his room at the Leaky Cauldron, Draco sat at the little desk in the corner, writing a note to Hermione, that uneasy feeling still weighing on his chest. He felt as though she were suffering, and afraid, and after he had to sit by and watch her terrified face as she screamed beneath his Aunt's wand and that cruel knife, he never wanted her to be afraid again.

-HG

I want to know the real reason for that glamor over your face. Acne clears up with a simple healing spell that I am sure you already know. Don't forget, I was second in our class, I'm not an idiot.

And why are you working at WWW? I get the feeling that something is wrong.

Come to the Leaky Cauldron when you can get away.

I'll be waiting

DM-

Draco handed the small envelope to the owl he borrowed from Tom, the inn keeper, and sent it on its way. He glanced around the room, at his clothes strewn across the floor and filling the dresser, the stack of Prophets in the corner, and the nearly empty bottle of fire whiskey on the night stand. All were a reminder of how long he had actually been staying here.

He had a house of course. Malfoy Manor was left to him when his father was sent to Azkaban, but there was too much pain left behind in those walls. He had been getting violent flashbacks to the days when Voldemort was his roommate. He could still hear the cries of the people tortured under his roof. He still saw her bloodied form thrashing about his drawing room floor every time he walked past. Still heard her screams fill his ears.

Draco picked up the bottle of fire whiskey and took one big draw from it, then laid down on the bed, and tried to keep his demons at bay.

Hermione. Diagon Alley

Hermione watched as Draco exited the shop, terrified that Ron saw him. Draco noticed her glamor, and she could tell he didn't believe her lame excuse of acne. Hermione hasn't had acne since she bought her wand and "Mini Mediwitch: A Do It Yourself Guide to Magically Healing Everyday Maladies".

She hated that he saw her working here. She had always spoken of wanting to work at the Ministry, taking S.P.E.W. to the governmental level and actually get her dreams of elevish welfare accomplished. And Draco knew all of that.

Seeing him stirred up so many feeling that she had buried. She flashed back to her favorite memory, one she forced out of her mind for 2 years. She saw herself curled up in Draco's lap by the fire, teaching him how to make s'mores the muggle way, and laughing when he got marshmallow all over his face. How his grey eyes lit up when he laughed, how his smile warmed her heart better than the fire.

"Oi! Hermione!" Ron snapped her out of her day dream, with a slam of the office door. "What in Merlins name was Draco Malfoy talking to you about?"

Bloody hell. Hermione thought, so much for Ron not noticing.

"Nosebleed Nougats, he wanted to know how long the effects last." Hermione answered quietly, looking down at her hands.

"Idiot. They last until you eat the other half. It says so right on the display."

"That's what I told him." Hermione said, still not looking up.

"I could care less what you told him Hermione, you were late. Where do you go for your fucking lunch break that takes you so long to get back?" Ron snapped at her.

"Away from you." Hermione said, her head shooting up to star him straight in the eye, while all at once dropping the glamor from her face. There were no customers around to see the bruises covering the left half of her jaw and brow bone, and the blackened, blood shot eye.

"Merlin, Hermione, cover that up here!" Ron panicked "I told you I was sorry about that! Why don't you heal it already?"

"Because, Ronald, I want you to look at it just a bit longer. I want you to see what you did to me. What all that fire whiskey you drink results in."

"Heal it! Or I'll do it myself!"

"I'd like to see you try. You can't even heal a paper cut properly." Hermione was glaring at him, back straight and arms crossed. She was determined not to let him see the fear she held close.

"Bloody hell, Hermione! Heal your fucking face or else!" Ron screamed at her, backing her into the corner.

"Or else what, Ronald?! You'll hit me again? Make it worse?" She was in such a temper about everything now, and having run into Draco, she felt stronger than she had in a while. An idea came to her. "Well fuck you. I'm not coming home tonight. I'll be back here for my shift tomorrow."

His mouth fell open in shock at her outburst, and she took the opportunity to dash to the back room, deposit her apron and grab her cloak and beaded bag. She ran back through the front end of the shop, knowing her nerve would falter if she caught the look on Ron's face.

Once out the door, she didn't stop running until she was inside Flourish and Blotts. She needed a calm place to make her plans, and the smell of new books was always soothing. Mentally she took stock of what she had in her bag: her wand, some dittany, about a week's worth of clean clothes, a spare pair of trainers and only a handful of galleons, along with all the other usual purse items. Hermione was always prepared for the worst, ever since the war, never knowing what she might need, she always had everything.

Something tapped on the window beside Hermione, making her jump, before she realized it was just an owl. She groaned, thinking it must be from Ron, and almost ignored it, but not before she recognized the handwriting on the outside of the envelope. Draco!

She wrenched the window open, and took the letter from the owl, who stayed there staring at her as if asking if a return service was needed, before deciding it wasn't and flew away, back where ever it came.

Hermione ripped the envelope open with shaking hands, and hastily read the letter.

"HG

I want to know the real reason for that glamor over your face. Acne clears up with a simple healing spell that I am sure you already know. Don't forget, I was second in our class, I'm not an idiot.

And why are you working at WWW? I get the feeling that something is wrong.

Come to the Leaky Cauldron when you can get away.

I'll be waiting

DM"

"Of course," She said to herself "I knew it wouldn't convince him, of all people."

She shoved the letter into her pocket, and started towards Gringotts. She would need more than a few galleons, and she needed them now before Ron came to his senses and closed the account from her. When they got married, they linked their bank vaults, meaning they still had separate vaults, but they were allowed access to the rights and money in the others. Ron had tried to insist on lumping it all together in his, that way he could keep control of it, but Hermione refused. She knew he would try to take all of her money away, force her back to him when he left her with nothing.

He's done it before, she reminded herself as she tried not to feel the guilt and fear that was threatening to take control as she emptied the vault. It still wasn't much, but it was enough for her to survive on her own for a while.

Hermione stuck her hands in her pockets as she left Gringotts, money safe in the bottom of her magically expanded purse, and she felt the letter again, and made her way to the Leaky Cauldron, and to Draco.

:D Did you like? Please Review! ANY criticism is encouraged, even the really mean kind (well, maybe not really mean but you know...) Thanks for Reading! There will be more!

-Lissa