Diagon Alley was bustling with large groups and families; all running around shopping for wands and potions ingredients and new robes. There was a slight breeze that made a middle-aged witch hug her jacket a little close to her body.

"Mum! Come on! We're going to be late meeting Uncle Harry and the others!" Rose called from a few feet ahead.

She had her mother's bushy brown hair but had a haunting pair of silver eyes. Hermione had been digging in her bag for Rose's school list, just to ensure she had it memorized correctly. She tucked the letter back into her bag and picked up her pace. Rose had been made Prefect the year before, and had taken to ensuring James got on the right track at school. The two were practically brother and sister. James was starting his second year this year, and as expected, was planning to try out for the Quidditch team. Rose was an excellent flier and had been made Quidditch Captain for the Slytherin team.

Harry, Ginny and James were standing in front of Gringotts. Rose reached them first and promptly showed them her Captain Badge. Harry congratulated her with a long hug and insisted they go out to dinner that evening to celebrate. Ginny kissed her on the cheek and looked close to crying. She had many flying sessions and Quidditch games with Rose over the years; saying she was proud would be an understatement.

Hermione hugged Ginny then Harry and finally James.

"I told James we would get him a new broom for this year." Harry explained as James practically began dragging his parents into Gringotts.

"Mum..." Rose said, stopping in her tracks.

Hermione hugged her daughter tightly. "Of course we can get you a new broom, dear. You deserve it."

Rose went to catch up with James and proceeded to discuss which brooms they might want. Hermione fell into line with Harry and Ginny.

"It's hard to believe Rose is in her second to last year at Hogwarts." Ginny said, glancing over at their children.

Hermione sighed. "Don't remind me. They grow up too fast."

Hermione dug a key out from her bag and placed it on the counter next to the key Harry had placed. The Goblin leered down at them before taking the keys, examining them and announcing a second Goblin would be here in a moment to escort them.

After retrieving money from their vaults, the party left Gringotts and decided to stop at Madam Malkins first as James desperately needed new robes already. Rose saw one of her friends from school and told her Mum they'd be going to the Apothecary.

"Meet us at Flourish and Blotts when you're done!" Hermione shouted after her.

Rose waved to show she had heard and darted down the cobbled street. Hermione turned to find that Harry, Ginny and James had already entered Madam Malkins' without her. She was just about to pull open the door when she heard someone shout her name from behind.

"Hermione!"

Chills shivered down her spine. She knew that voice. That voice had told her he loved her, had whispered sweet nothings in her ear in the dead of night. Hermione squared her shoulders and turned to face the man who had run out on her seventeen years ago.

Sure enough, Draco Malfoy stood in front of her. He looked almost exactly the same as he had the last time she saw him. His hair was just as sleek and blonde, but his face held more lines. There was now a faint line of stubble along his jaw. She felt her breath hitch and her nostrils flare. Her hand had found her wand in her pocket. Her palms were sweaty against the cool wood.

"What do you want Malfoy?" she spat.

"I-hi." he mumbled as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

Hermione whipped out her wand and strode towards him, quickly closing the short distance between them. His back was pressed against the side of Madam Malkins' as she glared at him. Several hexes were running through her mind, but she couldn't narrow it down to just one. His eyes were fixed on her wand. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest, loud and distracting in her ears. She couldn't think. Her mind was a hurricane of emotions.

"You abandoned me seventeen years ago and all you say is hi?" she snarled.

Malfoy stumbled over his words. He hadn't expected to see her here. So when he saw her ever-bushy hair, well, he was just as surprised as she was. He hadn't the faintest idea what to say really. There were too many things he needed to say, and his brain seemed to have given up. The air between them was thick, filled with crackling magic, suffocating.

Hermione counted her breaths. One. Two. Three. Four. He blinked seven times. Nine people passed without a glance in their direction.

"Hermione, listen-" he started.

Hermione jabbed her wand against his throat. Draco fell silent. Their current position brought her back to third year. They had stood exactly like this. In the end she had slapped him. That option seemed satisfying right now.

"I asked what you were doing here." she said dangerously.

"I just moved back from Italy." he nearly whimpered.

Her mouth twitched. He was scared. Good. He should be terrified right now.

"Oh Italy!" she screeched. "How wonderful for you Malfoy! And while you were off in Italy, I was raising our daughter!"

Time stopped. His mouth froze. The words he meant to shout back at her were swept into the wind. Hermione's eyes grew wide with regret. Her mouth hung open, her words ringing and ricocheting off the walls surrounding them. Draco looked at her in awe.

"I have a daughter?" he whispered. "You kept her?"

Hermione thought about slapping him then. Instead she snorted.

"You may have fathered her, Draco," his name tasted like rotten milk. "But she is not your daughter."

Draco frowned. Guilt rippled across his features while she wore a look of pure hatred. Pure rage.

She hadn't meant to tell him about Rose. To be honest, she hadn't meant to be in his presence this long. Like it was something he didn't deserve. Which he didn't, the stupid prat. Before either could speak again, another familiar voice called out to Hermione.

Hermione's head snapped to attention, to find Harry standing just feet away from them. His mouth hung open at the sight of Malfoy. It seemed to take him a few moments to drink in the scene before him as he stammered incoherently. Hermione still hadn't lowered her wand. And before Harry could speak, she seized her only chance. In the fraction of a second, she stowed her wand back in her pocket and stepped forward so her nose was just centimeters from Draco's.

She spoke softly, he had to stain to hear her every word. "Stay away from me and my daughter. If I see you anywhere near her, I will hex you into the next dimension."

Hermione turned on her heel, grabbed Harry by the arm and pulled him back in to Madam Malkins' where Ginny and James were waiting.

"Hermione! What was Malfoy doing here?" Harry finally said, peering out the shop's window to catch another glimpse.

Both women could see him shaking with rage. Ginny had focused her attention to Hermione, wearing a shocked expression.

"Malfoy was here? In Diagon Alley?" she asked.

Hermione nodded grimly. She regretted not slapping him. Or hexing him right then and there. She hated that she had just walked away.

"Yes, but I made it very clear he's not go anywhere near Rose." she said, her voice shaking slightly.

Ginny cocked an eyebrow. "You told him about her?"

"I didn't mean to. It just sort of...slipped out." she said defensively.

"Alright, let's go find Rose, tell her to look after James. They could go to Quality Quidditch Supplies while we grab a drink at the Three Broomsticks, yeah?" Ginny suggested.

Hermione nodded. It was a logical plan. It was exactly what she needed for this particular situation. Ginny led her out of the shop as Harry and James followed.

"Mum, who's Malfoy?" James asked.

The three adults exchanged a glance, all looking uncomfortable. They headed down the cobbled street rather hurriedly. Harry mentioned the Quidditch shop to his son and James completely forgot about their current conversation. Hermione spotted Rose and her friend Elizabeth walking out of the Apothecary. Rose caught sight of them and waved before saying good-bye to Elizabeth.

"I thought we were meeting at Flourish and Blotts?" asked Rose.

"A little change of plans. Would you mind taking James to Quality Quidditch Supplies? Your Uncle Harry, Aunt Ginny and I are just going to have a quick drink at the Three Broomsticks." Hermione explained, hoping Rose wouldn't notice the worry lines she was sure were visible on her forehead.

"This is one of those times where you need to discuss adult things isn't it? I'm sixteen mum, I could handle it." Rose countered half-jokingly.

"Rose we'll talk about this tonight." she snapped.

Her head was pounding horribly now and she was terrified that Draco would turn up again. Rose looked quite wounded, and Hermione felt the guilt wash over her. Her stomach was churning by now.

"I'm sorry." she said, reaching to brush a strand of hair away from her daughter's eyes. "It's just...this is important, and I need to talk to Harry and Ginny alone. But when we get home...I'll tell you everything."

Rose took a moment to observe her mother. Twitchy palms, worry lines, short-tempered. Her mum was worried. And this was something big, Rose was certain. James tugged on her sweater, pulling her back to reality.

"Rose, come on! There's a new Firebolt out and I want a good look!"

She smiled down at the boy who was a spitting image of his father. He was all messy black hair and a personality as bright as the sun. He was impossible to ignore.

"Alright then, come on!" she laughed. "I'll race you!"

The two took off sprinting towards the North Side of Diagon Alley. All three parents waited until their children disappeared in the crowd. Hermione sighed again, turning to face her two best friends.

"Shall we get going then?" Harry asked.

The Three Broomsticks was noisy and crowded. The trio had to wind their way to the back of a pub just to find an empty table. And to their surprise, there was one lone table in the back corner. The three of them sat down and didn't say a word until Madam Rosemerta finally arrived at their table, took their order and returned with their drinks.

"Right, so tell me exactly what happened." Ginny said.

Hermione let out a deep sigh before launching into her story. She told Ginny every detail; from the moment she heard Malfoy call out to her to when she walked back into the shop with Harry. Ginny was an excellent listener, nodding and shaking her head at the right moments. When she was done, Ginny took a long sip of her butterbeer before casting Hermione a very serious look.

"And you're going to tell Rose?"

Hermione nodded. "I can't keep this from her. Not anymore. She has the right to know."

Harry gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "We can be there when you tell her."

Hermione shot him a weak smile. "Thanks, Harry. But I need to do this alone."

Regrettably, the trio downed the rest of their drinks while cursing Malfoy and wondering to themselves why now? Harry dropped their money at the bar, thanked Madam Rosemerta and followed Hermione and Ginny back into the windy fall afternoon.

It was completely dark by the time Rose and Hermione arrived home. After spending another hour in the Quidditch shop, gathering the rest of their school supplies and having the promised celebratory dinner, they were finally able to say good-bye to Harry and the others. The small three bedroom house was completely dark. Hermione fumbled with the key before finally pushing open the door and dropping the bags by her feet. With a flick of her wand, dim lights illuminated the small living room.

Rose flounced to her room with her new broom and school supplies as she shouted another round of thanks to her mum. Hermione flopped on to the couch and let her eyes drift shut for a moment. She was tired. She was angry and confused and hurt. She was in shock. Draco Malfoy had seemingly appeared out of thin air. She hadn't seen or heard from him in sixteen years. He had practically fallen off the face of the Earth before finding his way back to them. But it was sixteen years too late. She couldn't possibly forgive him now.

"Mum?"

Hermione shot up at the sound of her daughter's voice. For a split second, she saw a five year old Rose standing in front of her. Her hair sticking up in odd places while other parts were plastered to her face. Her big, round silver eyes staring up in admiration. And those rumpled pajamas with little rabbits all over them. She blinked again and the five year old was gone. Rose was sixteen now. A bright young woman. Her hair was in a bun and her pajamas were far from rumpled.

"Sit down sweetheart."

Rose did as she was asked, feeling her heart begin to pound. Judging by the look on her mother's face, she had every reason to be concerned. Rose reached out for her mother's hand, squeezing it ever so slightly.

"I need to talk to you about your father." Hermione said nervously.

Her daughter nodded earnestly. As much as she had asked over the years, Hermione had told her practically nothing about her father. She knew her father had left but she was never told why. She didn't even know what he looked like. As far as her mum had been concerned, her father didn't exist.

"Rose he left me when I had just found out I was pregnant with you. He said he wasn't ready for it. I woke up and he was gone, just like that. So you have to understand that...I've been angry at him for a long time. I've been hurting for a long time." she hated the shakiness of her voice.

Rose doesn't say anything for twenty long seconds. She blinks several times, let's go of her mother's hand and brings her knees to her chest. She counts her breaths as they come and feels the fall of her chest.

"He moved away apparently. I don't know when, but he just moved back. I saw him today in Diagon Alley." Hermione spoke again, her voice much calmer now.

Rose's eyes went wide, shining like moons in the orange candle light. Her mouth fell open ever so slightly. Stray strands of hair were beginning to fall out of her bun, framing her face.

"Dad was there? In Diagon Alley?" she asked softly.

Hermione nodded. "We...I sort of yelled at him. Told him to stay away from the both of us."

"Why couldn't I have a go at him?" Rose asked angrily.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. Rose crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for her mum's answer. Hermione leaned forward and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"I love you, you know that don't you?" Hermione whispered.

Rose rolled her eyes. "I love you too mum."

"So-" Rose said after a moment of silence. "You told dad to stay away?"

Hermione nodded. "He's been gone for a long time, Rose."

"I know," Rose said quietly. "I know."

Hermione walked through the busy corridors of the Ministry as she stifled another yawn. Though Rose had reacted better than she expected, Hermione had found it hard to sleep the night before. After only achieving a meager two and a half hours of sleep, she had skipped her shower that morning, downed three cups of coffee before she was even out the door and struggled to keep her eyes open on the train ride.

She made a sharp left to enter an empty lift and pressed the number two. The lift shuddered before descending into cool darkness. Her eyes drifted shut as she leaned against the back wall. She could fall asleep right now...

The lift came to a rickety stop, jolting her awake. Hermione frowned, hoisted her bag back on to her shoulder and tried to drown at the click-clacking of her heels against the smooth, glistening black floors. It was quieter and much less crowded down here. She sighed in relief as she approached the wooden door that would lead her to her department.

A gold number twelve glistened against the dark cedar wood as she got closer. Her hand me the cool brass of the door handle before pushing it open. Her receptionist was waiting for her in the doorway, blocking the view of the reception area. The receptionist, a petite witch by the name of Alexandra, looked worried and a tad bit scared.

"Miss Granger, I'm sorry. I don't know who he is but he insists this is his first day of work. He won't leave."

Hermione sighed. Alexandra was a nice girl, but was too intimidated by other Ministry workers and visitors. The poor girl was still interrupting Hermione during meetings because she was too afraid to tell a visitor she was unavailable.

"Alright, but there's just one more thing."

"What is it?" she asked, clearly exasperated at this point.

It was going to be a very long day.

"He says you won't be happy to see him."

Hermione frowned in thought and then it felt as though ice were seeping through her veins. She shivered, dread filling her stomach. No, no, no. Not him. Anyone but him. Let it be that cocky arsehole Cormac or even one of the Slytherin's from her year. Just not him. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage. Perhaps those three cups of coffee had been a bad idea. Please not him. Anyone but him.

But there was no mistaking the glint of platinum blonde hair as Alexandra stepped aside. Draco stood, full view, in front of her, no more than fifteen feet away. He looked-she couldn't tell how he looked, actually. She saw flashes of feigned indifference, pride, guilt and discomfort. His hands were shoved in his pockets again. She hated that she noticed the stubble still resting on his jaw.

"For fuck's sake." she mumbled inaudibly.

A/N: The next update for this fic won't be until October 31st, it's a long time I know. But I made a writing schedule to help me work on multiple fics and not get disorganized or overwhelmed. Also the chapters for this fic won't be as long as Burn. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this! Let me know with your reviews xx

(If any of you are Pansmione fans, I'll be posting the first chapter of a fic called Dangerous on October 10th!)

Thanks for reading!