A/N: I apologize for the short chapter (though it is at least twice as long now as it was when I first wrote it, thanks to a sudden burst of inspiration) but it just didn't fit well with either 5 or 7. It all stemmed from the adapted quote from my favorite TV show M*A*S*H (btw big points to anyone who can identify the quote and episode) As always enjoy and reviews are greatly appreciated and I'm discovering they certainly help my inspiration levels ;)
"You should have been here Hermione. You would never have believed it," Harry said.
Hermione raised an eyebrow, "Believed what?"
"Malfoy," he replied as if the answer should have been obvious.
"Blimey Harry, seriously?"
"What?"
"You're still calling him Malfoy?" She shook her head, "You're hopeless."
"Hey he called me Potter the whole time."
"Good grief, and if he claimed he could charm you to fly without a broom would you volunteer to try it out? Come on what are you ten?"
"Whatever. Besides I was trying to tell you about the visit."
She gestured with one hand to signal him to continue.
"Well first of all he was utterly civil."
Again she shook her head, "What you expected him to come in and be totally rude, yell at you, curse you, hex you, you know you the father of his son's best friend?"
"Hermione," he whined.
"Ok that's it, either get on with what you want to tell me or I'm leaving. I can get whining at home from Hugo and no offense Harry but he's much cuter."
Harry groaned, "Ok fine I'll make it short and sweet. The thing is whereas Draco has a father, Scorpius has a dad."
Hermione's face softened and she smiled, "Aw that's so sweet. People do change. I guess Draco is proof of that."
"At least in that regard, other than that who knows. So you really should bring Rose over next time they come."
She sighed, "Let me know when that will be and, well maybe. That's all I can say."
"I know."
"Now fill me in on every little detail."
Harry laughed and began an animated play by play. Hermione laughed, gasped, and hmmed in all the right places. This was what he had needed. Time with a really good friend.
"Think he really will try to find a way to repair the tapestry?" she asked.
Harry shrugged, "I don't know, but he seemed pretty serious about it and his research."
"Well let me know if he comes up with anything."
"I will."
"Now it's your turn."
"What?" she asked.
"How is Ginny?"
"Harry do you really want to know?"
Harry shrugged, "I do. I don't know why I do, but I do."
"Harry I think you just need to let it go."
"I want to know that my kids are in a happy house when they're not here or at school."
Hermione sighed, "She is seeing someone but she hasn't told anyone who, or brought them around the family yet. I guess she's waiting for the divorce to be final."
"That's good I suppose though it's not like we're suddenly going to change our minds so it really doesn't matter."
"So?"
"So what?"
"When are you going to get out and start seeing people?"
Harry laughed ruefully and shook his head, "Never."
"Harry!"
"Hermione you haven't seen the owls I've been getting since we filed for divorce. There are still so many witches out there that want to date 'the Chosen One' I don't need that. I have to get myself together before I see anyone."
She looked at him, concern shining in her eyes, "What do you mean get yourself together?"
He shrugged, "I just want to be sure there was nothing I did through the years that caused my marriage to fall apart. I don't want to make the same mistakes twice."
"Harry there's no reason to think that you will. It takes two people to make a marriage work, and no matter what Ron or anyone else might say Ginny is at least partially responsible. If she was unhappy she should have said something to you."
Harry shook his head, "Maybe she did and I just wasn't listening."
Hermione took his hand, "I know you better than that. You listen so well, sometimes it's like you listen between the lines. She wasn't being honest with you."
"And if I'm so good at listening between the lines I should have been able to tell she wasn't happy anymore. Of course I would have had to be home for that. I was working way too much and instead of going home late I stayed here."
"So you didn't want to wake her or the kids, that's considerate. And for crying out loud she could have used her mother's tactics and sent you a howler or flooed you here or confronted you at any point but she didn't did she?"
"She thought I was cheating on her."
At this Hermione stood up shaking her head, and began pacing the room, "Well that explains why Ron felt it necessary to punch you and not just yell at you. Though why he'd believe it is beyond me."
Harry looked at her with a nervous glance, "You don't?"
"Harry really? I've known you nearly forever now. You'd never cheat on anyone, it's simply not in your nature. If Ronald had stopped to think for even a moment he would have come to the same conclusion, unfortunately that husband of mine does tend to leap to conclusions and react without thinking first."
"That's been his biggest battle in the Auror department and why he still has to have a partner on missions and not work solo you know."
"I didn't know but I can't say I'm surprised. Nor am I surprised he's never felt the need to tell me that. What does surprise me is that they've let him stay in the department all these years instead of moving him on."
"At first I think it was Kings that kept it from happening. Now it's because in partner work with someone to tame him a bit he really is good at the job, and we know he has a particular hatred of Death Eaters and determination to find the last few that have escaped us."
"It can't hurt that up until now he's been the best mate of the savior of the wizarding world."
Harry blushed and ducked his head, "Mione," he complained.
"Oh know you hate that, but after all this time you should be used to it. Why do you let it bother you still?"
"It's not like I had a choice. What was I going to do let everyone suffer because I was scared. I did what I had to do."
"A lot of people did what they had to do on both sides of the war, that doesn't mean you should deflect anytime someone wants to thank you or recognize you for it. You do realize this summer is the twentieth anniversary and there's bound to be a big celebration at Hogwarts, it's probably already in the planning stages. You're sure to be asked to speak. You may as well start adjusting to the idea now." Hermione turned to see Harry staring off in space, "Harry are you even listening to me? Harry? Harry!"
Harry shook his head, "What? Sorry Mione, what you said just got me thinking."
"What part of what I said? I think you missed at least half of it."
"About people on both sides of the war."
"What about it?"
"Is that what you meant all those years ago?" he asked.
"You want to be more specific please?" she replied.
"After the war, before the trials. You said Mal-"
Hermione glared.
"Draco and I were like two sides of the same coin. We both did what he had to do to save our friends and family. Neither of us was ever really given a choice."
She nodded, "Yes."
"The main difference being he was expected to kill while I was expected to die."
She simply nodded.
It was quiet for a few moments.
"I wonder what else we have in common?"
"Maybe you could start trying to find out the next time he and his son come over."
"Maybe I will."