New story! I own nothing! Also, is it weird that I just want to spend the day looking at pictures of Joe Biden?

Chapter 1

Hermione Granger perused the headlines as she slowly sipped her morning coffee. For the first time in months, she spent Saturday morning at the kitchen table instead of a Ministry desk. The front page, the weather, and the lifestyle section were read when she turned the sports page. The wizarding world was limited on sports, and so Quidditch dominated the small section of The Daily Prophet. She smiled when she saw the scores; her friend's team, the Chudley Cannons, had pulled out a victory over the Falmouth Falcons.

The smile quickly faded when she noticed the picture that accompanied the score. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, her friends and the only people who had stuck by her for more than a decade, were frequent spectators at Cannons games. However, the sight of Draco Malfoy deep in conversation with Harry was an alarming one.

But she dismissed the photo. Perhaps they just happened to have seats near one another. Harry may have been willing to put their past aside, but Draco Malfoy was far more stubborn and his ways were too set. If his plan was to use Harry to boost his public image, Hermione vowed to knock in his teeth.

"Hermione, let's go!"

Rolling her eyes, she set aside the paper and finished her coffee. Ginny Weasley appeared in the kitchen doorway, tapping her foot against the linoleum. "I can't let this sit," Hermione said, taking her time to wash the mug.

"And it takes ten minutes to wash it?" Ginny inquired, arms crossed over her chest. Hermione merely shot the redhead a cheeky smile and continued her task until she could no longer reasonably wash one mug. "Is this about my brother?"

Hermione shut off the tap, but didn't turn to face her friend. Ron had been her significant other for six years. Focused on establishing her career, Hermione put off marriage for as long as possible. After five years, he proposed, insisting it was time to settle down. Her acceptance was nothing short of reluctant. Molly Weasley threw herself into wedding planning, leaving little for the bride-to-be to do. Her efforts were for naught when Hermione learned it would be nearly impossible to have children. Ron wanted a large family, and that was something she could not provide. The decision to end the engagement and their relationship was mutual, but Molly was determined to reunite them.

"Is that a bad thing?" Hermione wondered. "We were getting married. I couldn't give him what he wanted, and when that happened, it was over. I'm not blaming him because it was my idea too, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to jump back into being part of the family. It's just...too much."

"But Ron's not coming," Ginny said, hoping that would change her friend's stubborn mind.

Hermione turned to her, one eyebrow raised. "Will your mother be there?" she inquired.

"Sure, it's her house," Ginny muttered. "Besides, she had forty-three other people to focus on. You can just fly under the radar. Please, Hermione? Come. Everyone misses you. Stay for a little bit. If you're uncomfortable, no one will stop you leaving."

Sighing, she gave in just to end the conversation. Ginny took hold of her arm, and together they Apparated to the Burrow. George was the only one there. Shutting his book, he smiled at the recent arrivals. "Gin, Harry's outside if you want to snog him without interruption," he told his little sister. Blushing, Ginny left. "Let's talk," he said, patting the sofa beside him.

Nervously, Hermione sat down beside the mischievous twin. "What about?" she wondered.

George shrugged, running a hand through his hair before carefully arranging it to cover up his missing ear. "Just wanted to make sure you're okay," he told her in that special big brother way he had with her. "I guess I hadn't realized that you broke up with us too when you and Ron ended things. You've always been a good friend to Fred and me, and I'm not willing to let you get away so easily."

She smiled sadly as she thought of his deceased twin. Fred and George were the funny bone of the large family, and were often a shoulder to lean on when Hermione needed it most. Though they often butted heads when it came to school rules, she knew the pair would be there for her whenever she needed them. Now that burden seemed to fall directly on George.

"I'm fine," she promised. "I didn't mean to ignore you. You're the last person in the world I want to hurt, George, and I'm sorry that I did."

He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "I'm not the only one you've ignored since the break up," he murmured as the back door opened.

Looking up, she saw Harry and smiled guiltily. Who followed him turned any emotion she felt into anger. Her best friend strode into the kitchen with Draco Malfoy on his heels. "What's he doing here?" she hissed, pulling away from George.

He shrugged, looking at the pair. "They're friends," he told her. Shaking her head, Hermione stood to leave. Grabbing her hand, George prevented her from moving. "Give him a chance. Harry has."

Shaking free of his grasp, Hermione left through the front door. "Where's Hermione?" Harry asked as the door slammed shut.

"Probably saw me and ran," the blond said with a scowl. "I think it's safe to say she hates me."

George picked up his book and continued reading. "Can you blame her?" he asked.

Harry stepped around his friend, but Draco stopped him. "Let me," he said. Despite Harry's protests, Draco went outside to find Hermione. She hadn't gotten far. He sat down in the grass beside her and sighed. "Harry didn't want me to talk to you. I think he fears for my life."

"I'm not going to Avada you, Malfoy," Hermione muttered, pulling up stray strands of grass. "I have too much work to do and I can't do it in Azkaban."

Laughing, he leaned back to watch the clouds. "Do you hate me?" he wondered. She snorted in reply. "I wouldn't blame you if you do. Other than Harry, everyone else here pretty much hates me. Ginny tries, but I think it's just for his sake."

"Then why are you here?" she asked exasperatedly.

"Because when I needed a friend, Harry offered," was the simple answer. He then told her about their run-in at the Ministry of Magic five years earlier. He was meeting with Magical Law Enforcement to discuss the end of his probation when they saw one another. It was tense and awkward, but Draco's apology for his bad behavior over the years set their friendship in motion.

Hermione tossed the grass at him. "Five years?" she demanded. "The two of you have been secret friends for five years? How did I not know?"

"It was a...secret?" Draco responded, earning a smack on the arm. "Sorry! I asked that he not tell anyone. I didn't want anyone to think that I was using him to make myself look better. I wanted a friend, and it was easier this way. It wasn't until a couple of months ago when Harry and Ginny got engaged that they demanded I start coming over here."

Nodding, she agreed that that would have been her perception as well. "Harry's lost a lot over the years," she told him, getting to her feet. "Don't hurt him, or I will hurt you."

Draco watched her re-enter the house and smiled. He wondered, dubiously, if he had made another friend.