AN- I'm not to sure about this chapter but I figured I'd upload it and see what you think. The story decided to shift from where I thought it was going and now I'm feeling a little uncertain. Thanks for reading and Please Review.

Granger POV

Granger stumbled gracelessly into her favorite book store and scanned the counter than the aisles for Nexus.

Just talking through what just happened would make her feel SO much better.

Luckily the store's sign said 'Closed' with a picture that flipped from the time it would reopen, to a plate of food, indicating lunch time. The door was unlocked as Hermione entered the warm musky store.

"Nexus?" Hermione walked towards the storage room

The familiar scent of the books helped calm Hermione's frazzled nerves as she headed to the back of the shop.

'In here' came the muffled voice from the very back and behind the closed dark brown storage room door.

"Do you have a minute? I could really use someone to talk to" Hermione said as she plunked down in the soft overstuffed chair that to the side of the door and to the side the floo fire. Her gaze wandered over the book shelves to the other wall where coffee area was located. The memory of Blaise flighted into her troubled mind. Her stomach clenched with Guilt? Desire? Geez when will life be easy again!

The door swung open and a large box proceeded before Nexus' lovely frame. She dropped it loudly to the floor and wiped her forehead, hair floating around her. She looked around before settling on Hermione's slumped shoulders and the head resting in her hands.

"Uh oh. What happened?"

"I can't do it"

Nexus looked at her defeated friend, "You're potential?" she asked rhetorically and sat slowly on the box she brought out.

Hermione's head whipped up to look at her friend. "He's impossible! He couldn't even pretend to be civil. He's exactly the same as when we were in school. You'd think that after everything that's happened he'd be different, but no. He still sees me as some kind of lesser being"

Nexus watched the fire in her friend's eyes and the wave of her hands, but behind everything she also noticed a sadness hidden behind her ranting.

"Do you wish that he was different?"

Hermione paused, "I don't know what you mean"

"Well, why does it matter if he's a jerk?" Nexus bent a little to cross her arms on her knees

This made Hermione pause.

"Well. Because... well we're older. He shouldn't act so immature and... and he should know better. I'm a person just like him." Hermione replied passionately. She huffed and pushed the hair that had fall over her brow.

Nexus tried to hide her smirk and looked casually at her nails. "I saw his picture in the paper. Very attractive" Nexus said conversationally,

Hermione huffed quickly as if to say 'Yeah. So'

"Does it may be hurt your ego that he isn't attracted to you?" She said letting her hand fall limply

Hermione didn't want to consider that and switched the topic to what had been plaguing her thoughts. There was something old world about Nexus that made her consider that she might have some insight. From the beginning of their friendship she had found a feeling of safety that she had reserved for her closest friends.

Hermione bite her lip than spat out, "We sparked"

Nexus just looked at her.

Hermione repeated with flick of her hands, "Like actually sparked"

Nexus smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Oh. Hmmm. That's...interesting"

Hermione raised her eyebrows, "Seriously. That's all you got. This horrible brat is going to make my week horrible. I can't date the guy I want... in fact I can't even date anymore. And none of my other friends can even understand this... and... and... Fuck!" Hermione started feeling overwhelmed and the strength she prided herself on seemed to have finally fallen away under all the pressure she'd been facing. Tears started to fall, she wiped them away with frustration. She hated crying and it seemed that's all she'd been doing for the past couple of weeks. "Damn it I just wanted a normal life. With a loving husband and kids... and I get this. What can I do Nexus?"

Nexus bite her lip, regret covered her face. "Oh dear. I'm sorry." She moved off the box and squeezed into the chair to hug Hermione.

"Shhh Shhh. I meant it in a good way."

Nexus pulled back to look Hermione in the eye. She wiped the tears from her cheek and gestured with her hands as she spoke.

"Magic is emotional. The source is energy from nature. We draw the energy from nature, channel it through our soul, where it forms in the mind and is released through our body, usual through a wand. You can probably attest to the fact that no one makes you as emotional as this Malfoy, which means that you can draw more energy inside. Because you are older and stronger than when you were a kid, you notice it more. Also there are sometimes people that magnifies the effect, um, like a human channel... no more like a wand - "

"A conductor?"

"Yes. Each person channels their own magic, but sometimes your magic interacts with another's. Like the waves of magic that I told you about, your magic and Blaise's magic is very similar and reacts well together. This often means that you would make a good couple," Nexus took a minute to nug and wink, "People also tend to pick their friends around this magical compatibility. This might be what happened with Malfoy, maybe you are both so completely opposite that your magic repels like magnets. So that's why you felt shocked." Nexus wiggled her eyebrows

Hermione pulled back and wiped her nose, "Oh no it was full on lightening. Plus it felt like I pulled some of his emotions into me"

Hermione saw Nexus try to hide her stiffening. Hermione could feel the energy in the room change abruptly.

"You experienced this?" Her voice sounded nonchalant but judging from the blankness on her face Hermione assumed she was worried.

"Yeah, when I touched Malfoy." Hermione responded carefully

Nexus shifted to face her more.

"I'll warn you not to mention it to the Ministry." She stood to pace, her long blond hair flowing behind her like Snape's billowing robes, "You're already in a precarious position... being constantly watched... you're sure to be experi-" It seemed like she was saying this more to herself than Hermione. She stopped, "Can't you see the danger?"

The concern and fear that was evident in Nexus' voice made Hermione terrified, "What does it matter? It's just Malfoy. I'll write him off in a week, it's my choice"

Nexus moved abruptly to stand in front of the chair, her wide eyes never relaxing. "Do you honestly believe the Ministry would be concerned with the thoughts of one girl if they found out about ... this manifestation? They'd ship the two of you off. They'd see you as some 'Holy Grail' of saving the wizard world from sterility"

Hermione began to get very scared. She knew from the victims in St. Mungo's that the Ministry was becoming relentless in making this program work. Hermione tried to keep the trembling she felt inside out of her voice, "I thought they just wanted us to make babies. What was this stupid spark? Why did I get his emotions? And more importantly how the heck do you know this stuff?"

"It's more about making the right pairs than just babies. Like I said the spark was the excess magic you drew in through your emotions. You should definitely try to remain calm around Malfoy until you can write him off, you don't want someone to see how powerful you are," Nexus inhaled and crossed her arms. She still looked worried and began rubbing her arm as if trying to comfort herself.

"So you definitely think I shouldn't give Malfoy a chance?" Hermione twisted her fingers in her lap and looked into her friend's eyes.

Something flickered over her face before she smiled, "You're the one that said you'd write him off, and from what you've told me about how he treated you at Hogwarts, would you want to be married; to see him every day?"

A shuffling outside the store broke the tense atmosphere. Nexus kneeled quickly in front of Hermione and grabbed her face in her hands. Hermione was startled by the speed and strength in her hands, but even more by the power and fierceness in her usually soft voice. "If you remember anything, remember this. The Ministry can never know and you must stay away from Malfoy." Nexus continued to clasp her face until she nodded. Nexus released her and pulled her up into a hug. "Please be safe"

Hermione felt uncomfortable and worried as she wobbly made her exit from the book store, past the line up that had formed during Nexus' lunch break to a bench across the laneway. There seemed to be a lot more going on with the Ministry and now Nexus' behaviour.

Aw geez, now I'm even more confused!