A bond strengthened

He's angry. He probably shouldn't be angry at her, but he is.

He's never been angry at her before either, and so the feeling is sort of strange and uncomfortable. But still, he can't help the anger from coursing through his veins or the feeling of betrayal from seeping into his pores.

Two weeks ago she'd landed a job at the Ministry in the Care of Magical Creatures department. They'd celebrated that weekend-despite the fact that her boyfriend and her best friend still don't like him. Also despite the fact that he was just a little bit bitter about the fact that she's gotten the job in the first place. Of course he was happy for her, and she deserved it more than anyone. It's just that she'd landed it after just a week, while he'd been waiting months to hear back from the Auror Department.

Up until this morning he'd come to the conclusion that he just wasn't Auror material-he's an ex Death Eater, after all-while Potter and Weasley still got of the glory. But, again, only until this morning. Because this morning he'd received a letter in the mail from the Auror Department asking him to come in for an interview. He would've been stoked, if it weren't for the mention of Granger's name somewhere near the end of the letter.

He marches out of the elevator on her floor, earning several curious glances and a couple sneers from her coworkers. Without even acknowledging them, he barges into her office.

"Hey Draco."

"I need a word with you."

"'Kay, gimme a minu-"

"Now, Granger."

She looks up at him finally, startled by the anger in his voice. "What's wrong?"

"I got a letter from the Auror Department."

"That's great!"

"The only reason I even got the letter was because of you."

"Oh, yeah, about that..."

"I thought I told you I would handle it," he snaps.

"You did, I just-"

"-stuck your nose where it didn't belong."

It's her turn to glare at him, folding her arms over her chest. "You should be thanking me-"

"-thanking you? You've made me look like a complete idiot Granger!"

"I was just trying to help, Draco-"

"-I don't need your help! I don't need you to fight my battles for me and I don't need you using your Heroine status to get me a job."

"Okay fine, I'll retract my letter of recommendation."

"Great."

"Brilliant."

Silence falls between them in which they stand there awkwardly before she breaks it. "Are you going to the interview?"

"I don't know-"

"You have to!" She looks at him pleadingly. "Don't not go just because you're angry about the way that it happened. Don't throw an opportunity like this away just because you're mad at me."

He can feel his resolve beginning to soften just looking at her, nevermind the tone of her voice. Nodding, mostly because he doesn't know what else to say, he turns on his heel to leave.

X

Twenty-four hours later, after taking the interview and accepting the position, he begins to feel increasingly guilty for the way he had treated her. He knows-he knew-that she had only done it to help him, out of the goodness of her beautiful heart. But it wasn't the act that had pissed him off. It was the fact that not only had she gone behind his back, she had done it after he had specifically told her not to. He didn't want her charity-even though she refuses to call it that. He didn't want to go through life, getting whatever he wanted just because she can make it happen, like he was poor and unworthy.

And so, he picks up lunch on the way to her office the following day as a peace offering. This time when he steps off of the elevator, the glances he receives are timid and worried, like they're afraid of what he might say or do now that he's an Auror. And, unlike before, when he barged into her office unannounced, he knocks first before pushing the door open carefully and poking his head inside, to see if she's busy.

She looks up from her desk, her eyes narrowing at the sight of him, and he walks in anyway, holding out her styrofoam container in an act of surrender.

"It's your favourite."

"What's the occasion?" she asks skeptically.

"There's no occasion. I just want to apologize," he admits, placing the container on the desk in front of her before sitting down in the chair across from her and placing his own container in front of him. "I shouldn't have blown up at you the other day, I just-"

"No, you were right. You asked me to stay out of it and I didn't listen. So I'm sorry. I just...I knew how much it meant to you and-but still, I shouldn't have done it."

He sighs, leaning back in the chair. "If it makes you feel any better I took the position."

Her eyes seem to light up-or perhaps it's the light dancing around- and she smiles. "You did? That's great! See, I knew you would do well, you just needed a push. And they just needed some advice, that's all."

He nods, opening his container and taking the first bite.

She reaches across the table, placing her hand on top of his. "Everybody needs somebody to look out for them Draco, even you. And it doesn't make you weak to admit it."

He smirks then, shaking his head. "What in the world would I do without your wisdom, huh?"

Her only response is that stunning smile, and that's more than enough.

X

Her parents have been fighting a lot lately, and so naturally, Hermione's been spending a lot of the time worrying about the effects it'll have on her family. All the while he spends most of that time worrying about her. She doesn't eat as much as she used to, and more often than not she's running around trying to fix everybody else's problems because she can't fix her own.

One night, a week prior, she had turned up on his door step with a tub of ice cream and told him everything. She told him that her being a witch had thrown her parents for a loop from the very start. They'd bounced back, of course, but it wasn't quite the same as it was before. And then when Voldemort came back, the issue of her safety had nearly torn her house in half, for her mother wanted to keep her at home while her father felt that it would be safer at Hogwarts, where Dumbledore could protect her. And yet it wasn't until she had found them in Australia after the war and given them back their memories that things really began to fall apart. It's like they just weren't the same people anymore.

They were constantly fighting, always miserable while trying to make the other miserable.

And it's only getting worse, to the point where she's begun to fear the worst-a divorce.

The whole time she had explained the situation-calmly and over ice cream and homemade coffee-he had just sat there and listened. By the time she was finished she had thanked him. "It's different talking to you about this. I hate talking to Ron or Harry about it," she had admitted. And when he asked why, her reply had been simple. "Because you just listen. You let me vent and you let me worry and then you hug me. Ron always has to tell me that everything is going to be okay, or that I'm jumping to conclusions and Harry just always wants to fix things. It's nice, sometimes, but right now it's just...I'm glad I can talk to you."

That statement alone had meant more to him than her getting him the job in the Auror department (which he is currently kicking arse in.) Because it means that not only does she care, she trusts him too.

Truly trusts him.

Today, he's about to realize, is no different. He's just gotten out of the shower when there's a knock at his front door. Cursing to himself, he dries the rest of himself off with his wand before quickly pulling on a pair of trousers and a t-shirt. There's another knock as he reaches for the doorknob, catching a glimpse of her unruly hair through the side window. He chuckles softly, pulling the door open. "How many times do I have to tell you Granger, you don't have to knock," he teases. His teasing smile fades though when he sees the tears gathered in her eyes and her quivering bottom lip as she looks up at him, dripping in sadness and betrayal.

And he knows.

He reaches out to her, wrapping his right arm around the back of her neck and his left around her shoulders as he pulls her into his chest. As if on cue she begins to sob into the material of his shirt as he pulls her inside and closes the door.

Five minutes later they're sitting out on his balcony, both nursing a cup of tea. He watches her tentatively as she runs her fingers along the rim of the porcelain cup.

"I can't believe they're getting a divorce. I mean, I can believe it, obviously, but I just...I don't want to believe it," she whispers.

"I don't think anybody wants to believe that they're parents have failed at something," he replies softly.

"I'm pathetic, aren't I? Twenty-two and I'm crying because my parents are divorcing..."

"Not at all, Luv. I reckon it's completely normal."

Finally, he receives a smile.

"I haven't spoken to Ron or Harry yet, so can you just keep this to yourself for now?"

"Honestly, Granger, why would I speak to them?"

She rolls her eyes playfully, taking a sip of her tea. "Thanks by the way, I owe you."

"You don't owe me anything. If either of us owes the other anything it's me."

She smiles, shaking her head as she pulls her knees up to her chest.