Draco woke to sunlight streaming in the window and a warm woman pressed up against him. He gently caught her mouth in a kiss. Her eyes opened, and she kissed him back, leaning into him so that he ended up flat on his back, with her leaning over him. She threw a leg over his body, and he could feel the heat of her core through the thin fabric separating them. He ran his hands up her legs, pushing his shirt up her body, and pulling it over her head, leaving her creamy warm skin bare for him to touch. He groaned as she slid a hand between them, gently scratching her nails down his body to the waistband of his boxers. She shifted her body up and tugged them off his body. She settled back on top of him, grinding lightly. He groaned into her mouth as her wet heat rested against his hardened shaft. The kisses gained urgency, and she shifted her hips, taking the tip of him in. He slid into her silken heat and...

Woke up with a massive hard on. Draco opened his eyes, to the sun, groin aching, and warm skin pressed against his chest. He frantically tried to ease away without waking her. He shifted, and slid out from under the blankets, all the while trying to come up with something that would deflate his desire.

Hermione burrowed closer to him in her sleep, throwing an arm around him, her eyes opening at the contact with his skin. She looked around her and blinked, a smile spreading across her mouth seeing him, as their kiss the night before filled her mind. She unfortunately remembered the way she'd fallen asleep as well, and her eyes became filled with sorrow, though she kept the smile on her face hoping that he wouldn't notice it. She didn't know how she would be able to explain it to him without hurting him at all.

Draco turned his head, and froze when he saw her looking at him. His eyes widened, and he glanced down, praying he was covered properly.

"Um... Good morning." He turned towards her, forgetting to hide the scarring on his leg. He ran a hand through his hair, waiting for some kind of response.

She followed his gaze, and froze when she saw his legs, "Oh, Merlin!" She whispered, placing her finger tips at the edge of his scars, her eyes turning up to him, filled with tears, "Who did this to you?" She asked him, her voice filled with pain at the things he had to experience in his life.

He jumped when she touched the scars. He sat down on the bed, and looked at her. He reached over and covered her hand with his.

"Aunt Bella." He muttered, and looked her in the eye.

Hermione looked back down to his thighs and looked at the scars and realized that they actually spelled something. She lightly traced her fingers along the letters as she read them, "Betrayer," She lifted her right arm, and looked at the evidence of Bellatrix Lestrange's cruelty. Her arms wrapped around Draco's neck and she pressed her lips to his, hoping to erase the pain from both of their memories.

He kissed her back, but pulled away after a moment. He gave her a small smile.

"I'd love to continue this, but I hear stirring across the hall, and I do have a meeting in about an hour." He leaned forward, and gave her a peck on the tip of her nose. "You should probably get dressed before Thuban gets in here." He got up and crossed to his wardrobe, and began pulling on his clothes.

She nodded, holding back a groan of disappointment when he broke the kiss, "I have to get to work anyways," She said crossing to the dresser and stripping off his shirt with her back to him, revealing a pair of skimpy, black panties. Hermione smiled to herself, wondering what he thought of what he'd be getting. Grabbing her jeans, she bent over and slowly began to put them on, oh sure she knew she was probably being cruel in taking her time with getting dressed, but she couldn't deny that she was having fun with it.

Draco stared as she sauntered away, in nothing but a scrap of fabric. He lost the ability to breathe as she bent, dragging the denim up those long, slender legs, covering all that flesh. He blushed and turned away, pulling a tee over his head. He grabbed his wand when he heard the doorknob rattle, summoning a screen around her, as Thuban burst into the room.

"MORNING DRA- Who's behind that?" the child pointed. Draco walked over and ensured that Hermione was fully dressed. With a grin at his brother, he vanished the screen. The child lit up, and threw himself at Hermione's legs.

"MIONE!" he hugged her around the knees. "I want YOU to help me pick my shirt today!" He grabbed her hand and tugged. Draco shook his head and shrugged.

"It's up to you."

Hermione laughed, giving Draco a saucy wink over her shoulder as the child drug her from the room. She bent down to his dresser and rummaged through his shirts, finding a shirt that matched his room. Dragons were on it, and they were all the different house colors from Hogwarts, "Mmm, how about this one?" She asked him, holding it up for him to inspect.

Thuban screwed up his face, and looked at the shirt. He shook his head and started pawing through his dresser.

"I wanna wear this one!" He held a bright red shirt, with little golden lions printed all over it out to her. He gave her a grin.

Draco left his room barefoot, and padded downstairs to the kitchen. He froze in the doorway, as Harry and Ginny were standing there, arms crossed, with twin looks of scolding on their faces.

"So, was that Mione I heard upstairs?" Ginny broke the pose first, giving him a grin.

"Um, yeah... She kinda spent the night." Draco looked at the floor, and ran a hand over his head nervously. Harry just stared at him as if trying to burn a whole in Draco's chest with his eyes.

Hermione smiled at him and nodded, "I think that's a great one!" She told him, as he pulled it on. She then led the way downstairs, and froze at the sight in front of her once they'd reached the kitchen. Oh boy, she hadn't thought about Harry's reaction to this. She knew that the daggers he was shooting at Draco with his eyes, weren't about him not running it by them. They were about her staying in Draco's room with him. She felt her face grow warm, knowing full well what they probably thought had gone on, and knowing that, she kind of wished that it had.

Draco turned when he heard the pair walk into the room. He looked down at Thuban, and immediately scooped him up, knowing Harry probably wouldn't kill him in front of his brother. He came around the table, and sat the boy on the bench. Kreacher walked over to the child.

"What does little Master want for breakfast?"

"Mmmm. Bangers!" the child giggled, and wriggled. Ginny walked over and ruffled his hair.

"Where did you get that awesome shirt little man?" She sat down next to the boy.

"Draco bought it for me!" Ginny raised an eyebrow and glanced over at him.

"Draco bought you a Gryffindor shirt?"

"Ah-hah. I liked it. He bought it." Draco just shrugged, and sat, putting the child between him and Harry.

Hermione looked around the room, "I ah…should get going. I'm running late for work," She told them as she backed slowly out of the room. Her face grew even warmer until she was out of sight of the kitchen completely. She raced through the house until she was standing on the front porch and breathed the crisp air in, deeply, trying to calm her nerves.

Draco's face fell when she raced out of the house. They all heard the door slam behind her. He sighed, and tucked into the plate that Kreacher had just set in front of him. After a few uncomfortable moments of silence, Harry finally spoke.

"Hurt her, I hurt you." He stalked out of the room, and Draco winced when he heard the library door slam. Draco glanced at Ginny, who just shook her head.

"Hermione's an adult. She knows what she's doing." She got up, and walked to the door. "I'll watch Thuban while you go to your meeting Drake." Draco nodded, and quietly got up, and retreated to the parlor to floo to his meeting.

The ministry was crowded when he arrived. He wrestled his way over to the elevators, and went down to the Dept of Magical Law Enforcement. Out of habit, he glanced over at Harry's office as he walked down to his probation officer.

"Morning Malfoy."

"Good morning Thomas." Draco sat down. Officer Thomas opened a file, and made a few notes in it.

"How's work going?"

"It's the same, tedious, boring, and with some of the nicest people I've ever met."

"Any inclinations to harm muggles, or muggle borns?"

"No sir.

"How are things going with Thuban?"

"He's okay. Growing like a weed. Although, most of my conversations now consist of No! Stop that! Don't pull the cat's tail! Stop climbing that! Get out from under that! Don't hit! Hush! Eat your food! No candy! GO TO SLEEP!" He chuckled. The man looked up and smiled.

"I remember when my kids were that age, and I do not miss it. We are all done for the day. Just sign here, and you're free for the week." Draco signed, and left with a smile.

Hermione sat in her office for Care of Magical Creatures and sighed. She was in the midst of packing her things, though it would still be a while before she moved to her new office at her new job. This trip was going to be her last assignment, and then she would be transferring to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She looked around at her now bare office walls, before turning on her computer and staring blankly at the screen, her night with Draco and the dream that she'd had running through her thoughts. She looked up, startled out of her reverie by a knock on her door, and nearly bolted up from her chair seeing who it was that was standing there, "What do YOU want?"

"I miss you, Mione, and I was hoping that you'd finally decided that you were ready to come back."

Her eyes narrowed that the red head that had caused her so much pain, "Why do you want me? I'm sure you can find someone else to take care of you!"
"I don't want someone else, I want you! I know I screwed up, and I'm sorry, but I love you, Hermione. Please say you'll give me another chance!"
Hermione sighed, and was spared from further conversation when an email from her boss popped up on her screen, "I have to go, Ronald," She told him, standing up from her chair and walking over to the doorway. Her eyes widened when he grabbed a hold of her arm.
"I'll see you tonight, Hermione. You can give me your answer over dinner at our favorite restaurant. I'll see you there at seven thirty," He said, kissing her on the cheek.

"I'll talk with you later," She said, hurrying out the door and to her boss's office.

Hermione smiled at the end of the day, her boss had merely given her the location of where she'd be going, and then sent her back to her office, and the rest of the day had been quiet and unproductive for the most part. She stood and stretched, before walking out to the fireplace and using the floo to get to her destination.

Draco was striding towards the floos, and was suddenly jostled rather roughly. He looked at the person who had run into him. The red hair was a dead giveaway. Draco sneered.

"Watch where you're walking Weaselbee."

"Shut your fucking mouth Ferret." The man shoved by, and stormed over to the floos. Draco shook his head, and flooed home.

Thuban was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace when Draco stumbled out. He scrambled up to his feet, and threw himself at Draco's knees.

"Let's go to the park." Draco laughed, and picked him up, settling the boy on his hip.

"Well, let me leave a note for Ginny and jot one off for Hermione, and we can go out and stay out ALL day." He gave the child a quick peck on the cheek.

Gin,

Won't be home for dinner. See you and Harry around bedtime.

Drake

Hermione,

You didn't have to run off before breakfast you know. Anyways, would you like to go to dinner with Thuban and me tonight? Just the three of us. Meet us at the Cafe' in Diagon Alley at 7:30 if you do.

Draco

Handing the letters to Kreacher, Draco took Thuban's hand, and they headed out for the day.

Hermione stared down at the note in her hand, and thanking Kreacher, apparated to her apartment where she showered and changed into a denim skirt, and a long sleeve black shirt. She quickly applied the slightest amount of make-up before heading out, walking past the restaurant where Ron was waiting outside. Groaning, she quickened her pace, but he had seen her and was following. Seeing Draco's note for her had made her completely forget about Ron, and now he wasn't taking the hint and leaving. She stopped short of the café, spying Draco and Thuban, oh this was going to go well, she thought sarcastically to herself. She squared her shoulders walked into sight of the café, and then turned to Ron, "I'm sorry, Ronald, I have plans tonight."
"Oh that's alright. I don't mind watching you help some pathetic case."
Her eyes narrowed, "He is not some pathetic case!" She exclaimed nearly shouting, with how angry he'd made her. She turned on her heel and started to the café.

Draco winced at the shouted words. He doubted that she knew that they could hear her. He quickly arranged his face in a more normal look, and proceeded to color on the paper tablecloth with Thuban. He glanced up and smiled when she walked in. Thuban began bouncing up and down when he saw her.

"MIONE! You came! Guess what! I drew a giraffe!" He pointed at the image. "And a doggy! Mione, what does pa... pa... patic mean?" Draco blushed, and then grew even redder when he saw who had followed her into the cafe. The man began stalking over to their table.

"Don't look now, but there is an angry Weasel coming over here."

Hermione turned and stood stiffly, her shoulders back, "What more could you possibly have to say, Ronald?"
"Hermione, I'm sorry, I forgot how overly sensitive you are, but you have no right or reason to be here with this scum bag ferret!"
Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped for a second, before fire filled the depths of her brown eyes, and she picked up Draco's drink pouring it over his head, "How dare you!" She spat, trying to fight back the urge to pull out her wand and hex him, "Draco is not scum! You say you love me so much, but you have no interest in what I do, or care about the things I am most passionate about! Draco has shown more interest in a matter of months than you have in years! I love him!" She said, too angered to care or even realize that he was sitting right there able to hear her.

"You're under a potion, Mione! Let's go home, so I can give you the antidote, and you'll realize that he's no good, and that you don't really love him!"

Draco's eyes widened, and he reached over to cover Thuban's ears. Thuban glared at the red haired man for a moment, then picked up his fork, and climbed out of the booth. Draco lunged for his little brother, but missed.

Thuban stomped up to the man, brandishing the fork.

"YOU ARE NOT ALOUD TO YELL AT MY MIONE!" He had tears streaming down his face, and looked quite angry. Ron looked down at the boy and laughed.

"What's this? The ferret has spawn? And it likes you too?" Thuban's face went almost purple in anger. Before Draco could move, the child looked at the fork, than at the man. With a glint in his eye, the fork suddenly turned into a large stick. The stick slowly raised out of the child's hands, and began beating Ron around the head. Too shocked to do much else, Draco began laughing so hard he fell out of the booth onto the floor.

Hermione laughed as she scooped up the boy and placed him back in the booth, standing in front of him to protect him from the wrath that she knew was coming.

"Why that no good little brat!" Ron said, finally ridding himself of the attacking stick. He pulled out his wand and looked from Draco to Hermione, unable to get to Thuban, "Move aside, Hermione!"
"Go home, Ron," She told him, her voice soft, but the chill in it as audible as if she'd shouted.
"I will and I'm bringing you with me, right after I take care of this pompous arse!" He exclaimed, turning his wand to Draco. Hermione's eyes widened as he shot a hex at the man that she loved. She quickly pulled out her own wand and pointed it at him, "Wingardium Leviosa!" She said, hoping to lift him out of the way before the hex hit.