Disclaimer: look chapter one.

A/N: Sorry you had to wait so long, but my exams come first. I hope you like it anyway.

PART 4: TRINITY

Stepping into her hot bubble bath Hermione sighed deeply and allowed herself to relax as she rested her back against the tub and closed her eyes. The bath was as much part of her Saturday rituals as any of her visits with her Slytherin friends. Maybe even the best part.

She loved all of her friends dearly, even the snakes, but they could be a bit intense – especially those two she had breakfast and tea with today. Humming softly to the hushed music from the wireless radio in the background she tried to review her day in her mind.

Breakfast with Draco had been nice. Not at all like she expected it to be. During the last few weeks their meetings had been a bit on the stiff and uncomfortable side, which was mostly her fault she had to admit. Hermione knew that he harboured feelings for her that outran that of a normal friendship. Draco fancied himself in love with her but it wasn't real love, more a desperate wish to feel something and have someone who cared. It pained Hermione that nobody had ever felt the need to make him feel special and cherished. Not because he was the heir to an ancestral line of purebloods or because of all the money he possessed, but because of the person he was.

During the trials after the war, she had been shocked to find out that it was only thanks to him that they made it out of the manor. He had been the one to call Dobby for their rescue. He had also tried his very best to stop Crabbe and Goyle from killing her friends and herself in the Room of Requirement without giving his true intentions away and later he had sheltered her body with his own to keep her from any harm caused by Death Eaters.

Hermione had been at a loss while trying to understand his actions and felt even more floored when she slowly started to realise the real reason. Under all that cold and superior attitude lived a lonely boy who longed for a bit of warmth. And somehow he thought she was the one who could grant him that.

They might have been on opposite sides during most of their lives but Hermione believed in second chances and in her book he more than deserved one. His believes weren't his faults considering the way he'd been raised and with a mad man living in his home and threatening his family he didn't have much of a choice over his actions. But he still tried and that demanded courage. And if a Gryffindor couldn't appreciate courage who else could?

So she did everything in her power to help him. Not only concerning his sentence but also his loneliness. They started spending time together, mostly Saturday mornings and over the months Hermione quickly realised that Draco Malfoy was wonderful company if he didn't try to degrade or insult her. He had a great knowledge on various subjects and other than most people was able to hold onto a decent conversation with her.

But over the time it became more and more clear that he wished for more. He never tried to approach her directly, ever the Slytherin that he was, but it showed and Hermione became more and more uncomfortable with it. She liked him but could never imagine to be more than friends. Sadly her scarce experience in that field made her helpless in how to let him down gently. Adrian hadn't been long in the picture at that point but was another reason she felt the need to clear things between them. But before she was able to find her courage, Draco told her about his plans concerning a apprenticeship in potions. She was happy for him, knowing that it was something he would truly enjoy, but also a little relieved when she realised that he would move to Italy thinking that the distant would make him come to terms with his feelings.

They'd written and flooed each other on a regular basis but it wasn't the same as being in the same room with each other. She felt more relaxed and after a while she dared to hope that he had gotten over his crush. Zabini certainly did his best to introduce him to the entire female population of Italy. Unfortunately neither the distance nor Blaise' efforts seemed to make a difference. Obviously it needed a Luna Lovegood to come along. On first sight they might seem displaced with each other but everyone who knew Luna, knew that there was more to her than met the eye. She accepted people the way they were without judging them for the things they had done. In Hermione's eyes they made a wonderful match and over the time they both would come to see it too. Their new positions at Hogwarts would allow them to spend more time together and Hermione had to stifle a giggle at the thought of Minerva discovering the slow romance. She was quite sure there hadn't been a romantic relationship between two staff members in quite some time.

Dipping deeper into the hot water she remembered her other appointment. Other than her visits with Draco which were cancelled or rescheduled now and then her meetings with Barty Crouch junior would always take place in the same pattern. Every Saturday at three pm she would apparate over to his cottage and spent three hours with him. She made it a rule never to be late, as she got a feeling that sort of thing made him cranky and he was already unstable enough.

More than once she'd asked herself if she had done the right thing in saving him from the kiss and even Azkaban, the man was crazy but obviously he was also ill. A careful examination at St. Mungos affirmed her suspicion and in her book it just wasn't right to imprison someone who was in need of medical help. That didn't excuse the things he had done during the war, but at least it showed her that there was a reason for his actions, one that had nothing do to with being heartless or cruel.

Over the years he allowed her to get to know him better; he told her about his parents, his mother mostly and slowly she caught on to his hate for muggle-borns. Had things been different he might have ended hating purebloods or half-bloods instead, it was just a misfortune that the healer who treated his mother was a muggle-born witch. Hermione guessed that his mother`s illness left him with a deep emotional trauma. Barty had clearly adored the woman from an early age on especially as his father didn't have much use for him. It must have been hard to grow up under a father who criticized him on everything he did, seeing his hobbies and interests unfitting and too girlish for his son.

Hermione hadn't known Barty Crouch senior all that well, but he always appeared as stiff and a bit controlling in her eyes. And what father would send his own son to Azkaban? Barty deserved it, no question, but how could a father live with the knowledge that he signed his son`s doom? It just wasn't right. So all in all it wasn't too hard to understand how he ended up as one of Voldemort`s followers. His morbid obsession with her was a complete different matter, though!

Apparently she reminded him of his mother and considering his affection for sniffing her neck and calling her wildflower it had something to do with the way she smelled.

In the beginning she had been more than a little uncomfortable around him. It was like skating on very thin ice, one wrong move and it would be over. But over the years she became more confident in his presence- at times she even enjoyed it.

He was highly intelligent and possessed an extensive knowledge on a variety of subjects. The books and articles she brought for him always put a happy smile on his lips and provided them both with topics of conversation. Talking to him, was never dull and more than once Hermione found herself in a fervid debate about complex magical theories or the significance of various potion ingredients.

Through her school years Hermione associated Slytherins with pureblood bigots, bullies and house rivalry and it was easy to forget that they were also cunning, quick-witted and rather crafty. A mistake she had come to amend over the years.

After all it was him who planned the return of the Dark Lord in her fourth year and and it was also him who overwhelmed Mad Eye Moody and slipped into his role. He even fooled Dumbledore and Snape, both men who weren't lead around their nose lightly.

And though she truly enjoyed her afternoons with Barty by now she would never dare to underestimate the man. All the magical flowers, beautiful poems and passionate discussions aside he was still a force to be reckoned with. She herself created the wards surrounding his cottage and every once in a while she would add new ones or improve old once.

Sometimes she asked herself if she would have chosen a different profession hadn't Barty appeared in the picture. During the war she had thought about becoming an auror and afterwards she toyed with the idea of taking a healer apprenticeship, feeling she had seen enough death and terror for a lifetime. But it was Bartemius` situation that drew her attention to something completely different and she couldn't be happier about her decision to become a ward designer. Her job was challenging and demanded thoughtful research and calculations as well as a good portion of creativity.

The Wizardgamot retained one of the best ward designers alive, Fabiano Castellani, to make sure Barty Crouch jr. couldn't escape from his prison. Hermione had watched the man work, fascinated with the way he moved his wand, buried magical items around the cottage and painted the walls with runes. It had taken him hours to set all the wards but Hermione wouldn't get weary of watching him work. While most of the attendees left after an hour or two, bored with the slow process, she remained behind with the two aurors who were obligated to oversee the task.

As soon as the wizard finished his work she had bombarded him with questions. He seemed a bit surprised at her obvious interest in the subject at first, but in the end he simply laughed warmly about her enthusiasm. Castellani was weak and drained from his work but he promised her to answer her questions another time. And he did, more so even, he allowed her to work on a case with him. Probably to show her how boring it was and that his job was based more on research and spending time in old libraries than working in the field. That might have pushed a normal person away but for Hermione it made it all the more appealing. It hadn't taken Fabiano long to come to the same conclusion and a month before she graduated from Hogwarts he had offered her an apprenticeship. The following three years had been hard but nonetheless some of the most exciting and challenging in her life and obviously she had impressed her tutor enough to offer her a permanent position in his business.

Over the years Fabiano and she had formed a close friendship and had very successfully expanded his little bureau during the last two years. Today they employed around twenty witches and wizards who worked in one of the four fields of their company: research, runes, day to day wards and professional wards. The latter was mostly covered by Fabiano and herself, though they both kept an open mind and eye for potential recruits.

Hermione couldn't be happier with her choice of work. She loved the challenge each appointment brought with it and she enjoyed the hours in the library as much as the field work.

The song ended and was quickly followed by the next one. A popular song from the Weird Sisters. It reminded her of the Yule Ball in her fourth year and hours she spend dancing with Victor. For the first time in her life Hermione had felt like a girl and more importantly was treated like such. For Harry and Ron she was just one of the guys but Victor was the first man to ever notice her as a woman. For the short period of his stay she had felt pretty and desirable, sadly those feelings vanished quickly after he left. Once again she was nothing more than plain, boring Hermione. The walking encyclopedia and best friend of Harry Potter. There was a time where she fancied herself in love with Ron, but all it ever did was making her feel miserable. It wasn't until Adrian that she rediscovered her inner goddess so to speak.

Chuckling softly she remembered some of the things Adrian put her through in the beginning. For being the brightest witch of her age, it had cost her a long time and some not so subtle hints from her friends to realise that he was trying to woo her. And it took her even longer to realise that he was bloody serious about it all.

Why a clever, famous, rich and dangerously handsome looking bloke like him could be interested in someone like her had been a mystery to her, but it did wonders for her self-esteem. For the first time since her brief time with Victor she looked into the mirror and smiled at her reflection. She actually took the time to choose more fitting clothes and even dared to put on some make up and use one or two spells on her hair.

The funny thing was, she didn't do it to impress him but because it made her feel good. Back in Hogwarts she never possessed the patience or the appreciation for such silly things. Partly because she was busy with her studies and keeping Harry out of trouble and even more because she avoided looking into a mirror.

Being pretty started with feeling pretty and it had taken Hermione long to get there. But over the years she had gotten more confident with her looks as well as her sexuality and Adrian had more to do with it than she would ever let him know.

Merlin knew his ego was big enough as it was!

The water was beginning to cool and she reluctantly opened her eyes to grasp one of the colourful bottles on her side to wash her hair with.

Fifteen minutes later she was wrapped in a fluffy towel while she used a smaller one to dry her hair before she fixed it with some of the lotion Ginny had given her as a birthday present. Hermione nearly had a heart attack when she found out about the price while she reordered it, but she had to admit it was worth every penny.

Instead of a bushy rats nest she possessed shiny, luscious curls which she decided to wear open tonight for Adrian's sake. With a flick of her wand she dried them and simply tucked a few strands away and fixed them with a beautiful comb which would do nicely with her dress.

It was strapless and shorter than she normally felt comfortable with but the moment she had seen herself in it she knew she would take it. It was a dark green with a broad golden sequinned line in the front and around her waist. The material felt nice against her skin and Hermione couldn't wait to put it on. But not before she finished with her make up and slipped into the lacy excuse of underwear she found on her shopping day with Ginny.

Regarding herself in the flimsy attire she could feel a light giddiness washing over her. Well Ginny was right, one could kill a man looking like this, good thing that Adrian was no easy kill. Grinning she remembered their last anniversary... no death would definitely be the last thing on his mind when he saw her like this.

Fife minutes later she was finally dressed. A pair of plain golden earrings and a bit more flashy bracelet was all she grasped from her jewellery box before she searched for her shoes. She had barely slipped into her pumps when she heard the knock on her door.

Normally Adrian would simply apparate into her apartment but on special occasions, like today, he insisted on doing it right and Hermione had to admit she secretly loved his old-fashioned habits sometimes. Wasting no more time, she hurried to the door and opened it and instantly felt a warm tickling sensation washing over her body.

Merlin, he looked good!

She wasn't sure why she was so surprised, after all Adrian never looked less than mouth-watering but seeing him in his – certainly handmade and ridiculous expensive – dress-robes made her nearly swoon with desire. Circe, she would be embarrassed wasn't it so obvious he was experiencing a similar feeling.

"Hi," she mumbled breathlessly and after a moment of silence it seemed Adrian was getting out of his daze. It was nice to know that even after five years she had that effect on him.

"Hello, love." Flashing his most charming smile he leant forward for a brief kiss. "You look good enough to eat," he mumbled into her ear. His hot breath sent shivers down her spine and Hermione was relieved when he finally leant back. Otherwise the evening would end much sooner than planned. Not that she minded.

"Hmmm," she agreed throatily and decided that two could play the game. "I'm quite hungry." Biting her lip she took in his appearance and allowed her eyes to glide slowly over his form, resting for a bit longer on special spots. She nearly laughed when he started to fidget nervously.

Clearing his throat he took her hand in his and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. "Later love!" He winked at her. Obviously he was back to his cocky self. In a swift movement he pulled her tight against him. "Hold on tight," he warned her only a moment before he flicked his wand and Hermione could feel the nauseating pull of the side-along-apparition in her belly. She was glad she hadn't eaten anything since her breakfast with Draco apart from a few biscuits, it would have been a shame to start their promising evening by emptying her stomach over his handmade shoes.

Two hours had passed and this time her tummy seemed the only part of her which didn't feel strained. Open mouthed she stared at the man kneeling in front of her while she willed her mind to comprehend what had just happen.

But regardless how hard she tried she couldn't. Hermione was certain she made a ridiculous sight; sitting frozen in her chair, her eyes twitching between the most beautiful ring she had ever seen and the anxious looking man how presented it to her.

"...love of my life...beautiful...marry me...all I ever wanted...happy...can't wait to start spending the rest of my life with you...marry me...only you...complete me...couldn't live without you...my light in the darkness...marry me...make me the happiest man...love...witch at my side...marry me...marry me. Marry me. Marry. Me.

Wow! For being the brightest witch since Rowena Ravenclaw and all that it was kind of embarrassing that wow was everything her brilliant mind could come up with. But Circe, her brilliant, charming and utterly handsome boyfriend had just asked her to marry him, a girl was allowed to feel a bit light headed after that.

Did she really want to marry him? Did she feel ready for that? She was twenty-five which was still an early age considering muggle habits, while it made her a spinster in the eyes of most in the wizarding world.

They had dated for the past five years and Hermione could whole heartedly say that she loved him with all her heart and she was sure he felt the same way about her. He told her often enough and showed her how he felt even more often. But was that enough?

They were so different, but on the other hand that hadn't stopped them from having a relationship, in fact it made it much more interesting. Often their opinions weren't the same but it inspired their talks and rarely allowed boredom to settle in. Their hobbies couldn't clash more, she enjoyed reading and broadening her horizon while Adrian loved Quidditch. But both of them realised early in their relationship that it allowed them both some personal time and every now and then they would share the other's passion. She watched him play and cheer for him while he would select one of her books and read it out loud, while she lay snuggled to his side and simply enjoyed the tone of his voice. Both of them had separate groups of friends as well as some shared ones. Harry and Ron would never be his favourite people as would some of his Slytherin friends to her, but she got along with Marcus well enough and he with Ginny.

Their chosen jobs had nothing to do with each other, but instead of remaining silent on it they often used discussed their problems with each other to get new input and fresh ideas.

Her parents loved Adrian and his mother was quite fond of her and both of them wished for the same things in their future; being successful in their job and start a family- so what was holding her back?

Well, most of all her inability to remember to form words it seemed. The look in Adrian's eyes had become slightly fearful and she realised that her silence mislead him into thinking that she didn't want him. Merlin, Circe and Morgana who wouldn't want him!

So instead of trying to calm her raging thoughts or waste more time to regain her ability to speak she simply nodded. Well more frantically bob her head up and down was more like it.

"This is a yes?" He asked still a bit unsure. Again she nodded but this time he seemed to understand that she was simply too overwhelmed to answer right away.

The love, admiration and hope shining in his eyes were enough to assure her that she'd just made the best decision in her life. Overcome with emotion, Hermione could feel tears come up in eyes. She barely heard the clapping and shouts of congratulation from the gawking crowd, nor did she feel Adrian putting the ring on her finger but she certainly felt his lips crashing down on hers.

It was the kiss that finally ripped her out of her state and she leant back long enough to eventually answer him. "Yes, Adrian. I will marry you," her voice was barely more than a breathless whisper but all she could manage at the moment. "I love you." And with that she kissed him.

Her life certainly wasn't always a walk in the sunshine. There was a death eater who adored her like the mother he'd lost long ago and another snake that just slowly accepted that she would never be more than a friend. Her job could be draining and her friends tiring. There were days were self-doubts threatened to eat her alive and backlashes brought her to tears but at that moment she was sure she could live through anything, as long as Adrian was at her side.

***the end***

A/N: I'm not really satisfied with this story. It appeared different in my head, before I wrote it down. I'm not even able to explain what irks me so much, it just does.

Well tell me what you think^^

Hermione's dress (just a different colour): .tv/Jewelled%20blue%20Primark%20prom%