I am so incredibly sorry it is so long between posts. I promise that this will start getting better soon! I'm typing this out on an iPod, so I apologize beforehand for any mistakes that I make. And I'm sure there will be plenty of them!

I don't own any of the characters or situations that you recognize. If I did, lots of things would have happened differently. :)

Let me just say that you guys are fantastic. The review and favorites and follows and everything are wonderful. I love hearing back from you guys.

I am really excited to know what you guys think about this chapter, too! Please please please leave me a review at the end! I love hearing back form you guys!

Without further ado, chapter 9! Allons-y!

-Rayne


Harry saw Hermione first. A smile appeared on his lips. Then his eyes fell on Draco. The smile disappeared as easily as it came. Harry started towards them, looking extremely confused. Ron trailed behind him, still talking, unaware of Hermione or Draco.

It wasn't until the pair reached the table that Ron realized who was occupying it.

"Hermione!" he said excitedly, obviously ignoring the blushing blond.

He reached out and pulled Hermione from her seat, wrapping his arms around her in a friendly hug. "Hello, Ronald," she said, hugging him back.

"Hello," Harry said as Ron let go of her and she was welcomed into her other friend's arms. "It's good to see you." He let go of her. There was an awkward silence. No one was quite sure what to say or do.

Draco, to everyone's surprise, was the one who broke the silence, standing suddenly. "Hello, Potter," he said curtly. "I see you're doing well."

The pub was suddenly quiet. All eyes were focused on the Boy-Who-Lived and the ex-Death Eater. Whispers broke out again when Harry offered a hand to Draco.

Draco reluctantly took the proffered hand and shook it, smiling warmly at Harry. "Please," Harry said, "it's Harry."

"As long as you call me Draco," Draco insisted. Hermione breathed out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Draco turned to Ron next, offering him a hand as well. "Weasley."

"Malfoy," Ron said, also shaking Draco's hand. Ron was not nearly as willing to shake the Slytherin's hand. Hermione noticed that his other hand was clenched and he was glaring at Draco like Draco had just killed his puppy. Hermione frowned at Ron. He noticed as he let go of Draco's hand. His frown deepened. Hermione motioned to the other two chairs at their little table. Harry, Ron, and Draco sat down. She took her own seat, picking up her drink once more.

"Would you two like anything?" Draco asked. "It's on me."

"Firewhisky," Ron said immediately. His fists were still clenched.

"Don't you think it's a bit early to be drinking something so strong?" Hermione asked cautiously.

He turned his glare to her. "No," he said curtly.

"Butterbeer will be fine for me," Harry said, smiling at Draco again. "Thank you, Draco."

"Sure," he said, standing up to go retrieve the drinks.

"What the hell are you doing with him?" Ron snapped as soon as Draco was out of earshot.

"Having drinks," Hermione answered.

Ron frowned. "You're having drinks with Malfoy? You aren't dating him, are you?" His voice was heavy and laced with suspicion.

Hermione glared. "Why is it any of your business?"

"She can date who she wants to," Harry said with a shrug. "And she's right, it isn't any of our business."

Draco returned, placing their drinks in front of them. Ron nodded and Harry murmured a soft thanks. Draco sat down again, addressing Ron and Harry with his next questions. "Is life treating you two alright? I heard you were going to be starting Auror training soon. Are you guys looking forward to that?"

"Yes, we are. It got postponed a bit, though, and we decided a side trip to come here and visit Hermione and Ginny was necessary." Harry winked at Hermione.

Hermione grinned. "Ginny will be excited to see you, Harry. She hasn't stopped talking about you since the year started. She's waiting for you to ask her out again."

Harry paled. "I was afraid of that." He fidgeted for a moment, staring down at his lap as though he'd find the perfect distraction under the table. "Hermione, I don't think I'm going to take her back."

Hermione frowned. "You should tell her that soon before she gets her hopes up much higher."

Harry nodded. "I know. I just don't really know how to approach the subject. Or how to explain myself."

"The truth is usually the thing that causes the least amount of drama," Draco said with a shrug.

"Yeah, Draco," Hermione said, narrowing her eyebrows at him. "The truth. To your ex-girlfriends or current girlfriends or even your fiancees?"

Draco glared at her in warning.

"I would tell her the truth," Harry said softly, "but I know what whatever I say to her might have a funny way of ending up in the papers."

Hermione sighed. "She is a bit of a blabbermouth sometimes. But if you ask her to keep the truth a secret, she will."

"What is the truth, anyway? Meet another girl out there, did you?" Draco waggled his eyebrows at Harry. Harry frowned. Draco's eyebrows raised even more. "Or maybe a wizard? Or maybe a mermaid or centaur?"

"Mermaid? Centaur?"

Draco shrugged. "We don't discriminate."

Harry shook his head. "It doesn't really matter what the truth is," he said. "It just matters that I know what I want and Ginny isn't exactly it."

"You can't even just give her one more chance?"

Ron broke in. "Hermione, he's made his decision. Let him be."

Hermione was surprised. Ron was backing Harry up, even though it would break his little sister's heart. That was rather out of character for Ron. Usually, Ron was right there to defend Ginny, even against Harry. "Alright," she said, holding her hands out in defeat.

"Well I hope it's the right one," Draco said with a soft smile. "I've made a few decisions that I-"

"Of course it's the right one," Ron snarled. He glared across the table at Draco. "Leave him alone."

Draco mimicked Hermione's gesture of surrender. "Didn't mean any harm," he said.

"Sure you didn't," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"Ronald!" Hermione snapped at the same time that Harry muttered "Ron!" under his breath.

"Sorry about him," Harry breathed to Draco. "Some of us aren't as... mature as we should be."

Draco chuckled. Ron blushed to the tips of his ears. "It's quite alright," Draco said.

"Did you get to see the Quidditch World Cup last summer?"

"Yeah, I got tickets from the Minister."

"Oh, that's right. Kingsley talked to me about that. They were a thank you for donating to the school."

Draco's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You were the anonymous guy who suggested them, weren't you?"

Harry shrugged and smiled. "Nah," he said with a wink. Draco's eyes widened. "He wanted to check with me to make sure that the anonymous suggestion he got was a good one."

"Sure," Draco said, smiling brightly. "Well anyway, yeah. The game was fantastic."

"We got tickets, too," Ron said, grinning smugly. "We were in the box with the Minister himself."

"Doesn't surprise me," Draco said with a shrug. "Not at all, after what you three did for all of us. Did you go too, Hermione?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I gave my ticket to Ginny. I'd been to one already and it didn't end well. Didn't really want to take that chance again."

Draco paled. "Oh, right," he said. "The last one you guys went to was the one before our fourth year."

"After which you and your stupid Death Eater buddies attacked us."

Draco frowned. "I wasn't involved with that."

"Right," Ron said sarcastically. "And I'm sure your father wasn't, either?"

"He was," Draco answered softly. "I'm ashamed to say that he was one of the men who donned their masks that night. I tried to stop him but he wasn't having any of it. He sent me home just before the attacks started. Made me stay back with my mother so that I wouldn't get in the way."

"You might not have been part of the attack, but I'm sure you were cheering them on, not trying to stop them."

"Ron, that's enough," Hermione snapped before Draco got the chance to retort. "Either you can be pleasant to him and enjoy our visit or he and I will both go back to school and I will request Dumbledore to not allow you onto campus."

Ron shut up but kept glaring at Draco.

"What brings you to Hogwarts, Draco?" Harry asked. "I'm assuming that's where you came from, anyway."

Draco nodded enthusiastically, obviously glad for the change in topic. Hermione smiled at Harry, silently thanking him. "My uncle Severus needs help with a potion. He asked Hermione and I to help out."

"What sort of potion?"

Hermione and Draco glanced at each other. "Well, we aren't exactly clear yet... I think he's trying to keep it a secret," Hermione said.

"An undetectable poison for Dumbledore, I bet," Ron snapped.

"Ronald!" Hermione shrieked. "Ronald Weasley, you stop that right now!"

"Maybe it would be best if you left, Ron," Harry mumbled.

"But my sister! We still haven't seen her yet!"

"You'll have chances to later on, I'm sure," Harry said calmly. "We'll be here for a few weeks, anyway."

"Will you?" Hermione and Draco asked simultaneously, both wearing identical looks of surprise.

"Yes, we will be," Harry said with a grin. He glanced warily back at Ron. "I'll meet up with you later, Ron."

Ron scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Fine. Don't hang around the Death Eater too long, though, Harry."

"Ronlad!" Hermione snapped again.

Ron dejectedly rose. He shot another glare at Draco before striding angrily out of the pub again.

"I'm so sorry about him," Harry said. "He really embarrasses me sometimes."

"Why do you hang around him, then?" Draco asked.

Harry shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "He's my best friend. He can be an absolute prick sometimes, but on the inside, he's actually a very decent guy. He's the sort of guy that I can rely on. One that's always there for me, you know?"

"Careful," Draco teased. "Say much more and I might think you're in love with the guy."

Harry grinned. "Hardly," he said. "Not my type."

Hermione and Draco both gaped at Harry. Hermione wondered what exactly he meant by that. She was sure the same question was swirling around in Draco's head, too.

Harry didn't give them much time to think about his little comment before standing up. "Shall we head up to Hogwarts?"

Draco and Hermione glanced at each other before nodding and following Harry out of the Three Broomsticks.

They walked slowly back to the castle, talking amicably about Harry's time spent travelling and Hermione's time at school so far and Draco's life at home. Hermione didn't miss the fact that Draco conveniently forgot to mention his fiancee. She also noticed that he seemed to hang on to every word that Harry spoke and kept his eyes focused on the war hero much longer than was truly necessary for the small-talk filled conversation.

Snape was waiting for them at the front doors of the castle. "Draco. Miss Granger. Harry."

Harry grinned and strode forward, offering Snape his hand. Snape took it, smiling despite himself. Harry happily pulled the man into an embrace, keeping their hands clasped and clapping the back of the taller man. Snape embraced him back for a moment. The students wandering near them gave the two men a variety of strange looks. Neither paid them any attention. "It's good to see you, Severus!"

"Good to see you, too," Snape drawled. Hermione snickered. His eyes narrowed at her but he didn't say anything more.

Snape and Harry had become unlikely friends, making amends as soon as Snape was awake after the war. Harry had apologized and begged forgiveness. To everyone's surprise, Snape had merely nodded, reluctantly starting a very tentative friendship with the young Gryffindor and the son of his once-was enemy.

"It's been a while! You been doing alright?"

"Just fine," Snape answered.

"He's been more than fine," Draco answered, grinning at his godfather. "He's been settling back into his boring routine of teaching."

"It's hardly boring," Snape mused. "Not with the dunderheads I teach. They provide a certain level of... entertainment."

Hermione regarded him for a moment. She had never see him act so civil or social before. He seemed perfectly calm, as though the situation didn't bother him in the slightest. Hermione realized that it must be because it didn't. It would have two years ago but now, he seemed to take everything in stride, even the situations that before he would have avoided at all costs.

"Harry, it's actually a good thing you're here. I need your help with something. Would you mind joining the three of us in my office at seven?"

Harry shrugged. "I suppose it can be arranged."

"Alright." Without another word, Snape turned and started towards the stairs. "Russell is looking for you, by the way," he said over his shoulder before disappearing entirely.

"Russell?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. "Who's Russell? Is he the one you're dating?"

"Why does everyone assume I'm dating someone?" Hermione asked exasperatedly.

"Are you?" a calm voice asked. Severus. Hermione whipped around to face him. He was smiling. "Found you," he said.

Hermione turned back to Harry. He was gaping at the newcomer, eyes surveying him from head to toe. "Merlin," he breathed. "Hermione... Who the hell is this? I mean he... He looks exactly like Severus. I mean... spitting image. Really. Uncanny."

"Russell Snape," Severus said, smiling charmingly at Harry and offering his hand.

Harry reluctantly took it. "Hello, Russell." Turning back to Hermione and Draco, he frowned. "There seems to be a lot of hand shaking today."

"Meeting lots of people?" Severus asked.

"No, Russ," Hermione said. "He's been reacquainting himself with people he knew back when he was in school."

"What's your name?" Severus asked.

Harry glanced between Hermione and Severus in question. "He doesn't know who I am?"

"Should I?"

Harry smiled. "No. It's a nice change. You not knowing me, I mean."

Severus thought for a moment. He studied Harry's face. Hermione could see him focusing on Harry's eyes. "Lily."

"I'm sorry?"

Severus shook himself. "Nothing. You must be Potter's son. Harry."

Harry frowned. "You sound as though you knew my father."

"No, of course not. I've heard of him, though. He and his wife, Lily." Hermione's eyes widened. Severus knew. He knew what would happen to Lily. He hadn't even asked about it. Hadn't questioned it once. She could see the sadness etching his face now, though. "They... they died. Were killed."

"I know," Harry said.

"And you lived."

"Yes."

"And no one knew why. The-Boy-Who-Lived."

"Yes," Harry said again, frowning.

Severus nodded. "I'm sorry. About your parents, I mean. I've heard they were really well-loved."

"They had good friends. Their friends missed them dearly to their dying day."

"My uncle was a friend of your mother."

"For the first few years of their schooling, I know. But then he made a mistake."

"One that he had to live with every day after that."

Harry sighed. "She never forgave him. That tore him up."

"He was never the same after that."

"Well, until he met that girl his seventh year."

"What girl?"

Harry frowned. "If you don't know... well, it's not exactly my story to tell. Ask your uncle about it."

Severus frowned. Hermione could see the despair and sadness and confusion in his eyes. He was fidgeting. He wanted to get out of there, she could see it. She stepped forward and put a hand on his arm. "Would you like me to show you to the Common Room?" she asked him softly.

He nodded quickly. "Sure."

She waved to Harry and Draco. "I'll see you boys later." Putting a gentle hand on Severus' back, she started guiding him gently up the stairs. He went with her willingly, staring at the ground in front of him and not saying a word the entire way there.


Alright! There it is. Sorry, it was very slow. This whole thing has been rather slow so far... But it will begin picking up soon, I promise. Next chapter, Draco and Hermione meet with Severus in his office!

Thank you thank you thank you a million times over to everyone who has followed this story and favorited it and reviewed. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. You guys are amazing and fantastic and wonderful and brilliant and I LOVE YOU ALL PASSIONATELY. Really. I do. :-*

Please please please leave me another review, lovely readers!

Thank you so very very much for reading!

Love all around!

-Rayne