So… I know I kind of made Ron the bad guy here, but I needed a leeway into this future relationship that I am going to write about, and I didn't want Hermione to be seeing someone behind her husband's back, as scandalous and interesting as that sounds. Also, I never really gave the professions of Hermione and Ron in the last story, so here they are: Ron works for The Daily Prophet as an editor, and Hermione works in the Ministry's library as curator and librarian.

Chapter 1

Empty house.

Hermione hasn't heard this much silence since before she and Ron were married, when she lived here on her own for the three months they were engaged.

But he's not here any longer. He is off on his own, and has been for a good year and three months. She didn't even know where he lived. She guessed he lived close to where Rose and Hugo live, down in the Wizarding District, a neighborhood in London built only for the accommodation of witches and wizards, but looked like a normal neighborhood to anyone else passing through it.

Hermione sighed as she sat in Ron's chair, missing him. They were together for a good thirty-one years, and that included their time at Hogwarts as friends. Now he doesn't want to have anything to do with her, as long as she lets Rose date Draco. Did she really make the right decision in letting her daughter date their past nemesis?

There was a knock at the door. Hermione looked at the antique clock on the fireplace mantle—10:32. Who would be knocking this late? She got up and stood at the door for a moment, not sure if she wanted to talk to anyone, even if it was one of her neighbors who needed to borrow a cup of sugar. She looked through the peep hole. Her hazel eyes widened. It was Scorpius! She opened the door and was met by his large blue eyes—eyes like his father's, and face much resembling him as well.

"Scorpius," she said, smiling. "My, this is a nice surprise. I haven't seen you for over a year."

He nodded. "It has been that long, hasn't it?"

"It has. Won't you come in?"

Scorpius walked in and she shut the door behind him. She eyed his shoulder. He's a lot taller than she remembered—way taller. He would be nineteen now.

"You got taller," she commented, and he chuckled.

"Yeah, I grew a full ten centimeters in the past year."

"Golly, what a growth spurt!"

"Tell me about it. I hope I don't get any taller because I'm afraid of heights."

Hermione chuckled at that. They walked into the living room and Scorpius took a seat at the sofa kitty-corner from Ron's chair. She sat down in it. She noticed him look around the living room, then his gaze landed back on her. "So… I guess I should say why I've stopped by so late. I wanted to ask you Rose's address. I know she moved out about a year ago, she has just never told me where she moved to. And I suppose she made my dad swear not to tell me, either."

Her mouth opened in surprise. She thought that Rose and Scorpius were still friends! Rose lied to her on that account. "Oh, I'll tell you. Absolutely." He got out a small paper from his pocket, and a pencil the size of his pinky finger. She told him as he wrote, "302 Belswick Street, London. It's a part of the Wizarding District. Hugo's just down the road from her."

He put away his pencil and paper. "Thanks, Mrs. Weasley."

That tugged at her heartstrings a bit. "It's Granger now. Ron and I…"

She trialed off, but the sullen look that appeared on Scorpius's face told her that he understood.

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

She forced a smile. "Oh, no, it's alright. You didn't know."

He nodded and pursed his lips together. "It seems like I missed a lot of things. I don't really talk to Rose anymore, aside from greetings and small conversations now and then… that's why I want to visit her—I really want to be friends with her again, since we were such good friends before we started dating. I would like that back.

Hermione noted his sad expression. "I'm sorry, Scorpius… This whole thing with Rose and your father…"

"Don't mention it, Mrs. Weas— I mean Ms. Granger."

She nodded, then changed the subject. She crossed her legs. "So, what are you up to now? How's life?"

He leaned over and rested his elbows on his knees, and clasped his hands together, the movement causing his very blonde bangs to fall over his forehead. He had the same hairstyle as before, his hair was just a tad longer. "Well… I still live at home with my father. He actually got me an interning job at The Ministry in his department. He says that I have the business intellect as he does."

Her eyes widened. "Really! That's wonderful! And… you two are still on good terms, right?"

He nodded. "We are. Despite him dating my ex-girlfriend. I mean, he is my dad, after all."

Silence encumbered the room for a few moments, and the clock ticked on the mantle. Scorpius said, breaking the silence, "Well, thank you for giving me Rose's address. And it's good to see you again."

"No problem, and it's marvelous to see you again as well." She added, "You're welcome to come over any time, as usual."

He smiled radiantly, showing straight, white teeth. "Thank you."

"Would you like a cup of tea before you go, or...?"

"Nah, that's alright, but thank you. I should be getting home. Early day tomorrow."

They both stood and made it to the entryway. Hermione said at Scorpius was at the door, "It's good to see you again, Scorpius."

"Yeah, you, too."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

He left out the door, and she heard the floop of him apparating. She went back to Ron's chair and eyed the fireplace.

Poor Scorpius. He still wanted to be friends with Rose, but Rose lied to her that they still were. Was it wrong of her to tell Scorpius where Rose lived?

The clock ticked around the silence. Hermione's mind wondered around the situation of her daughter dating Draco, and back to when he saved Rose's life, then farther back to her starting to date Scorpius, and how happy she was. Then forward to when Scorpius just stopped by. She thought about how tall he's gotten—almost a full head taller than herself. And that muscular shoulder of his… and arms, for that matter. Golly, he's filled out in the past fifteen months. His blue eyes were something to behold as well—so blue, and so deep…

She let out a small gasp. Why in Merlin's name was she thinking of such things? No, they're just things that she noticed. Nothing more.

"Ms. Granger."

Hermione turned around and caught the grey-blue eyes of her seventy-year-old boss Henry Paly as she stood at a tall self of books, and as a stack of about ten books hovered next to her, ready to be put away. "Yes, Sir?"

"What are you still doing here?"

She stared at the older man in a grey suit, and who had his hands on his hips and one eyebrow raised. She hasn't taken a holiday yet from her librarian-slash-curator job at The Ministry of Magic's grand library—basically a public library for witches and wizards.

"I told you to go home hours ago," he said. "And to go off and take a holiday."

"But there's so much to do," she retaliated. "I haven't even gotten started on…"

"We'll have our other employees handle whatever you were going to say," he cut her off. "Now off you go. Go on home for a well-deserved break."

She had been working for this man for the past twenty-three years—a year after she graduated from Hogwarts. He was like a father to her, and was stubborn just like her. He reminded her of her own father, but her father doesn't remember her on account of her obliviating his and her mother's minds her last year at Hogwarts, as to save them from the violence of the war.

Henry still stood there, hands on his hips. He wasn't going to leave until she apparated home.

"Oh, alright," she said, defeated. "I'll go."

"That's my girl," he said with a grin, making the wrinkles on his face very prominent. "Now, go home and have a nice hot cup of chocolate."

Hermione laughed. "Alright, Henry."

"Oh, and don't forget the exhibit opening this Friday. You'll need to dress up."

"It would be hard to miss that since I'll be running it," she teased, and he laughed. He pointed at her.

"And that's the only work you'll be doing for the next two weeks. The rest, don't even think of stepping foot in this library. Or The Ministry, for that matter."

"What if I want to check out a book?"

"Owl-lift it."

Hermione smiled, defeated yet again. "Goodnight, Henry."

"Goodnight."

Hermione left her boss and walked out of the massive library to the massive corridor to The Ministry. She wove in and out of people to get to the fireplaces. Then she spotted an familiar orange head. She should've apparated from the library. She turned and walked the other direction, hoping that Ron didn't see her. He was the whole reason why she was working long hours, anyway—she needed to get her mind off of him and the divorce. The thought of it still made her heart hurt.

"Ms. Granger," she heard, and stopped. That was—she turned around.

"Scorpius!" she gasped. "Golly, you scared me."

"Sorry about that," he said, wearing black slacks and a light-blue button-down collar shirt with a darker blue tie. The shirt exactly matched his eyes. "I just saw you and thought I would say hello."

She smiled. "Well, hello, Scorpius. Have you been well?"

"Yes. I talked to Rose—she was rather surprised to see me. We talked for a good hour, catching up."

Hermione let off an inner sigh of relief. "That's wonderful."

"Did she tell you?"

"She keeps to herself these days… seems like all the members of my family do..." she said under her breath.

"I'm sorry…"

She shook her head. "No, no, it's not your fault. Don't worry about it." She cleared her throat as myriads of people passed them in the shiny black corridor. "So, how is working for your father?"

He put his hands in his pockets and let air through his nose. "It's lovely, but I don't see him at work all that much. I'm usually in the back offices doing paperwork and such. He comes by every now and then to see how I'm doing."

She gave him a pointed look. "And is he satisfied?"

He smiled a charming half-smile, which caught the attention of a few women walking by. "He is. He told me he's going to move me to the offices near to where his is."

"Congratulations."

"No, don't congratulate me just yet. Maybe when I actually get a paying job."

"It may be in the near future."

"I hope so."

They both laughed, but then Scorpius said he had to be off. "See you later," he said. "See you here tomorrow?"

"No… You see, my boss has pushed me to take a holiday for the past year, but I never have. He forced me to leave today."

"Oh, a workaholic, I see. Reminds me of my dad when his boss pushed him to take a vacation."

"I remember."

He held up a broad hand. "I'll see you, Ms. Granger."

"Yes, goodbye, Scorpius."

She watched him go off until he was hidden in all the people. She stood where she was and smiled to herself. Both he and Henry have remembered to call her by her maiden name. She looked in the direction Scorpius disappeared in, but some people moved, and she found him talking to a rather beautiful young lady with long blonde hair.

"He's rather popular," she muttered, and noticed his tall and toned body, along with a noticeable square jaw, and shining, almost white, blonde hair. He really did look like Draco when he was younger, just with slightly longer hair, and with more of a build.

"I can see why that woman's blusing. He's quite a handsome young man."

Scorpius caught her staring at him, and he smiled and waved. She did the same. A tad embarrassed that he caught her, she turned around to apparate, but found one of her colleagues standing in front of her. "Oh. Hello, Susan."

"Hello, Hermione," said the black-haired and fair-skinned Asian woman. "Henry kicked you out, I see."

She smiled. "Yes, I didn't have a choice this time."

"Well, you deserve it, I think."

"Thank you."

Susan looked behind Hermione, then back at her, her long black hair swishing. "Were you just talking to Malfoy Jr.?"

Hermione turned and saw Scorpius, then looked back at her friend. "Yes, why?"

"It's just… you two looked awfully friendly."

Hermione noticed her friend's sly look and heat traveled into her cheeks. She knew what Susan was implying. "Susan, you know that Scorpius dated my daughter before—he's like a son to me."

"I was just making sure." She looked back at Scorpius again. "I mean… he is rather attractive for a young man his age. Sure takes after his gorgeous father."

"Susan," Hermione chided.

"What? It's the truth, isn't it?"

"I… suppose."

"You need to start getting into seeing men, Hermione. It's been over a year since your divorce."

That caused a sharp pang to sear Hermione's chest. She said somewhat hotly, "I'm aware. I will start dating when I'm good and ready."

"And when you are, how about considering Draco Malfoy? He's gorgeous, and he's single."

Thank the Lord that she doesn't know about Rose and Draco. "I'm not going after Draco Malfoy, or any Malfoy, or anyone. I just need to be alone for some more time. Ron leaving was a huge blow."

Susan's eyes turned sympathetic. "I'm sorry, Hermione."

She simply nodded.

"Just don't spend the rest of your life alone. Wait a bit, then start seeing someone." That sly glint returned. "You never know when love will catch you, Hermione. It can catch you off guard in the most inconvenient of moments. And maybe with the most inconvenient person."

"I'll keep that in mind," she said with a chuckle.

Susan looked at her watch. "Well, best be off. I'll see you at the opening on Friday. You're still going to that, right?"

"Yes, I have to."

"Right, then. Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

She watched her friend disappear into the masses of people, then looked back at Scorpius again. He was talking with his father now. She attempted to forget what Susan said. Draco was taken, but his son is not…

"Oh, bother," she let out, and apparated home.