AU after Battle of Hogwarts.

I do Not own Harry Potter or it affiliates.

This is rated M right off the bat. No more warning then that.

Please read and enjoy!

"Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it"

-Albus Dumbledore

Hermione grinned from her place on the bed, appreciating the naked form that was standing before her searching for his pants. She'd woken up a couple hours ago nestled against the blonde and decided to wake her lover up in a very surprising, but not unwanted way.

Draco, upon being woken up from a glorious dream to a more glorious activity from the mischievous witch, decided it was probably time to get home and shower before his lunch with Blaise and Theo later.

"Are we all still grabbing lunch tomorrow?" he asked. Hermione stood up, the sheet wrapped around her.

"Ginny and Harry are definitely coming, as are Blaise and Lydia. Theo, Neville, Daphne, Tracey, and Luna as well. Haven't heard from Ron, he's probably on assignment, but I should know later today." Hermione responded before pressing herself against the still very naked man in front of her.

"Good, we all didn't really get a chance to talk last night, and while I'm glad we went out, it'll be nice to actually talk, as opposed to scream, at one another." He paused. "Have you seen my pants?" Hermione laughed before pointing to where they were currently hanging from her ceiling fan, before dropping her sheet and heading to her bathroom to start a shower.

"On the other hand, I could shower here." He responded suggestively.

"Seeing as your already almost 15 minutes late, I wouldn't." She replied with a laugh and a quick swat to his rear. Draco cursed, before grabbing his pants, and then trousers. "Here, you left a jumper last time. Wear it so they don't think you've been out all night. You know they'd never let up." She said, handing him a soft, hunter green sweater. He smiled at her, quickly casting a spell to repress his trousers before pulling on his button down and quickly finishing getting dressed.

"Thanks, see you tomorrow Mia." He said as he prepared to step through the floo to the Leaky. He faintly heard her goodbye from the bathroom before he was whisked away.

He sheepishly sat down at the table Theo and Blaise had claimed, apologizing for his tardiness. Blaise grunted, still waiting for the hangover potion to work completely and Theo only grinned.

"If you weren't in new clothes I'd say you spent the night with a certain witch you refuse to date." Theo said, eyebrows waggling. Draco laughed at the man as the three waited for their usual's to be brought out.

"why again haven't you started dating?" Blaise asked after the food had been delivered and Draco sighed. It was a never-ending question, ever since they had all gone back to their eighth year. Draco never dreamed that the year he had gone back would land him with what he currently had but he was glad.

Upon returning Hermione, Ginny, and Neville had been the only people who hadn't been complete asses to the five returning Slytherins and Hannah and Luna followed their example. Most of the students followed suit after Hermione accused them of being as narrow minded as the future generation and saying that they all disappointed her. This was a week into term and everyone had become silent seeing the five enter the Great Hall. The ten stood by each other that year, surprisingly all becoming close. Harry seemed fine to forgive and move on when they all met up for Christmas, after seeing how easily his fellow Gryffindor's got along with them. Ron followed Harry's lead, and now they all enjoyed each other's company often. Though the two groups often bickered, there was no real venom or insults thrown around. War had changed them all and it was time to grow up.

After the year ended Harry, who had become an auror rather than go back to school, and Ginny, who was currently on maternity leave from the Hollyhead Harpies, quickly got married. Ron and Luna announced their engagement not long after that first year ended. Luna currently stayed home with their twins while writing for her dad's newspaper and Ron worked in the auror department as an obliviator. Neville was currently engaged to a Hufflepuff named Hannah Abbott, who was working at The Leaky Cauldron, but was waiting to get married until his apprenticeship under Pomona Sprout finished and he had taking over her teaching position. Hannah's older cousin Lydia Price, an auror specializing in espionage, stole Blaise's heart instantly when they met at graduation. The two married almost immediately and, despite it being two years, were still sickeningly sweet. Daphne was happily dominating her family's business and didn't care for much else, Tracey spent most of her time with Millie, breeding kneazles, and Theo was happy to live life as a wealthy bachelor, reading and doing odd research as it suited him.

It was only Draco and Hermione that weren't settled. Granted the two had jobs, him as an auror and her in magical research, but neither could seem to stick to a romantic partner for more than a few weeks and always ended up in each other's bed before long. It started that eighth year, the two found comfort in each other and no one judged them, all parties understood that people changed, that war had changed them, and it was time to move on. But almost three years after their first wild tumble and neither would admit their attraction for the other, and Blaise was starting to get impatient.

"We've been over this," Draco started but Blaise cut him off.

"Your reasons are now ridiculous, and while I know you love your mother, don't let her stop you from pursuing something good. Screw the rest of the world and be happy." Blaise said angrily, and Draco slumped. His mother had changed since the war, but he knew she would never approve and that hurt, not only that but he didn't want Hermione to be targeted because he started dating her. His father, despite being locked up, still had favors he could call in.

"Lucius," Draco again tried to say, but this time Theo cut in.

"Is dying." He said bluntly, and Draco froze.

"what?"

"He's sick, and probably not going to last much longer. Same thing that killed the bastard who sired me." Theo tacked on bitterly and Draco flinched. Theo was all to happy to hear his father died in prison, but Draco still had some good memories and it stung. "Sorry." Theo said sheepishly seeing his friend flinch.

"how long?" Draco asked.

"It's hard to tell, from what I've heard maybe a month, you should receive a missive soon, if your mother hasn't already. With her husband gone, your mother won't want to lose you, meaning she might give Hermione a chance just to stay in your good graces. With that chance I'm sure Mia could charm your mother. She proved quite adept in the snake pit." Theo continued, and Draco sat through the rest of lunch without saying much else.

"I'll think about it." Draco said instead of goodbye, and Blaise was doing somersaults in his mind.

"that's all we're asking. Give a real relationship a chance before you reject it out of fear." He replied calmly before clasping Draco's shoulder and going to the floo.

"I'm sorry about your father. I shouldn't have been too Gryffindor with how I said it." Theo said as he too clasped the blonde's shoulder. Draco nodded and after sitting at the table for a few more minutes, he too made his way to the floo. It was time to talk to his mother.

Author's Note:

I'm Back Lovelies. I have NOT abandoned Ode to a Toad, I just had a brain child and wanted to share. I have a couple chapters ready to go already so look out for those.

Please review!

Much Love, T!