With a sigh, Adrian stood and moved over to the sofa in the corner of his office, sitting and gesturing for Hermione to join him. After a moment she did so, sitting at the opposite end, worrying at a fingernail with her teeth.

"Look, Hermione, you came here asking for my advice, and I'll be honest with you; I don't really know Theo all that well."

"Well," Hermione murmured, "actually I came to speak to Harry, but he's not here…"

"Regardless… Theo's been through something terrible, something he may never recover from fully. We see it sometimes here. Sometimes victims of crimes are completely changed by what they've gone through." He shuffled a little closer, letting his knee brush against hers, one arm over the back of the sofa, behind her shoulders. "We speak to families of the victims to try and help them, but sometimes the person they once loved is… is just gone."

Hermione looked at him, her eyes red-rimmed and wet. "He's still in there… He has to be, Adrian."

He placed a hand on her leg, smiling comfortingly when she covered his hand with hers. "I know you want to believe it, Hermione," he said softly, his voice low and soothing, "but sometimes it's just not the case.

"Look at how he's been recently. He doesn't look after himself anymore, he rarely goes out, and when he does, he has a very short fuse. He has become reclusive, violent… I'll be honest, I would be nervous if you were still living him. I would worry for your safety."

"He would never hurt me!" she asserted, a spark of her old fire flashing in her eyes.

"And I agree, that might have been the case, once upon a time. Now though? We just can't be sure. He's not the same man anymore, is he? Not really."

Hermione groaned and shook her head, slumping back on the seat, feeling Adrian's fingers brush across her hair, slipping beneath it to massage her neck gently. The sensation was pleasant, and she felt herself relax into it a little. "Before Christmas, I had such high hopes for us, I really did. I thought, despite some… setbacks… I thought we were getting somewhere. That he was getting better."

"The press haven't helped, I can tell. Well, I'm sure Mister Shiftly can attest to that," he said forcing a note of levity into his voice.

"I'm glad you told me the truth about your conversations with them; just another thing they've blown out of proportion. I knew you wouldn't have told them we were dating, when it blatantly isn't the case! That bastard Shiftly deserved a smack in the mouth! Honestly, he's been like a bloodhound this whole year, practically stalking Theo and I. I'm glad Theo punched him! "

"Shiftly is a grade A tosser, that's no lie. But he's not wrong."

Hermione looked up at him, noticing how close he was, how bright his eyes were. She felt a frisson of something chase through her; Adrian had been a great comfort to her this year, always willing to talk, to help. She knew that he had ulterior motives, she wasn't completely blind! He clearly liked her. What did she really feel for him though?

"You have been a great comfort to me, Adrian. With Harry so busy, Ron running around after Demelza and being a father. Even Ginny hasn't been able to spare me as much time as I'd have hoped." She smiled at him, a small blush heating her cheeks as his hand rubbed her neck just a little firmer now. "You've always given me your time and an ear to bend."

He chuckled softly. "It hasn't been a hardship, that I promise you. I've really enjoyed our chats, these moments together." The hand on her leg slid a little higher, and he drew closer still, his eyes holding hers. "I was serious before, I didn't tell the press we were dating… but... Look, I know you had to work out what it was you had with Theo, but I've always known we would end up here eventually. There's always been this indefinable… something between us…"

"Adrian…" she whispered, shaking her head slightly.

"I saw it as far back as the International Team, then again that night at the Ministry Ball last year too. You've sought me out time and time again, and I have been drawn to you. What else can it be?"

"Coincidence! You happened to be at the Ministry that night, and our meeting was completely by chance. You are an Auror that was given the lead role in Theo's case, so of course, our paths would cross on a regular basis." She found herself unable to look away from him, even when there was a flicker of movement at the door to Adrian's office, seen from the corner of her eye.

"Some would call it fate, Hermione. Someone more melodramatic than I would even go as far as to say destiny."

"I don't believe in destiny," she said, her voice faltering as she wondered who that had been at the door. Had that been Malfoy? Why did she and Adrian seem to find themselves like this so often though?

"Nor I, yet here we are. Theo has made his feelings clear. He's cast you aside because he knows he's not strong enough to be a true partner to you. In a way, he is doing you a favour, pushing you away, so he doesn't drag you down with him! You deserve someone that will help to lift you up! To support you, to truly love you as you deserve! I am that man, Hermione! You know it in your heart, you just have to let yourself act on it!"

"I can't abandon Theo, Adrian," she said, halfheartedly moving away.

He followed her, encouraged by her reluctance. "You won't be. He's already abandoned you. It's been so hard to wait, but now, finally..."

Then his lips were on hers, soft and tender, but insistent. She tried to pull away but Adrian came with her, and she found herself leant back against the arm of the sofa, her hands pinned between them. Her face heated as his hand slid up to her hip, pulling her closer. She tried to protest but he took her opening mouth as invitation, his tongue sweeping forward to smother hers, her denial sounding more like an encouraging moan.

She freed her hands from underneath him and shoved at his shoulders, pushing him away. His eyes were frenzied, filled with passion. "No, Adrian! Stop it!" She squirmed away from him, almost falling off the sofa. She stumbled away, straightening her blouse and refastening a button that he had somehow managed to undo. "I just wanted someone to talk to. This was not what I had in mind!"

Adrian was sat still, head bowed, arms on his knees and face in his hands. "Hermione…"

"No, stop talking!" she snapped, pacing about the small office, her heart pounding with anger. "There is nothing between us, Adrian, and I am sorry if I ever gave you the impression that there ever was. I'm not going to stop until I have my Theo back again. The best thing you can do is forget about being with me, and concentrate on finding out who was helping Stan! Until the bastard is found and locked up Theo is never going to find peace! Rather than concentrating on trying to bed me, how about you do your damn job and find the sick bastard who tortured Theo!"

"NOTT! Open the door!"

The solid door shivered under continued pounding. He hunkered on the lounge floor, trying to ignore it, to control the shakes that wracked his body.

"Damn it, Theo! You can't keep ignoring me like this!"

He was one of them. The Aurors suspected him above all others. He was here to finish the job!

"Go away, Draco!" he yelled, his voice cracking, even as he cursed himself for giving that stupid, paranoid thought space in his mind.

The pounding stopped. "Theo?" His voice was quieter now, a pleading edge to it. He'd never heard Draco talk like that before. "You need to let me in. I just want to talk to you." There was some unintelligible muttering, almost as if he was arguing with himself. "It's about Hermione," he finally said, his tone exasperated.

Theo perked up then, staggering to his feet. "What's happened? Is she okay?" He half staggered, half ran into the hallway, hanging onto the wall to stay upright. He could see the top of Draco's head in the window at the top of the door, his blond hair almost shining in the sunshine. "Draco? What's wrong?"

"Just open the damn door, I'm not having this conversation with a plank of wood!"

"Post your wand through the letterbox."

There was a long pause. "I beg your pardon?" Draco said incredulously.

"You're not coming in armed."

"Theo, this is…" Draco stopped himself. Theo could almost hear the thoughts running through his friend's head. Theo knew he was being paranoid, ridiculous even; he was sure that Draco was thinking exactly the same, but somehow had managed to stop himself from saying so. That was a first!

There was a rattle at the door as the hawthorn wand dropped through the slot and clattered to the floor. Theo snatched it up and backed away again.

"There, I'm unarmed. Now, open the door." His sigh was audible. "Please?"

Theo's brows rose at this, having never heard Draco use the word in that manner before. Two firsts in one day, he thought, as he reached into the lounge to pluck his wand from the table. Its presence in his hand soothed his nerves and eased the paranoid feeling coursing through him.

"I thought you told me that a Malfoy never begs." He couldn't stop the slight smile that twitched the corner of his lips

"Fuck you, and open the damn door!"

He gave a twitch of his wand, and the lock clicked loudly. Slowly the door swung open and Theo held himself stiff, wand held close to his body, trying not to point it directly at his childhood friend.

Draco stood on the top step outside the door, black suit immaculate, hands behind his back in a pose of relaxed formality, his face an impassive mask. The merest twitch of an eyebrow broke the stillness in that mask and only long years of dealing with the pureblood elite allowed Theo to notice it.

"I must apologise for my appearance, I was not expecting guests," he said, his voice as stiff as his posture. "Please, be welcome."

"Thank you, Mister Nott," said Draco, his head nodding the barest fraction, just short of being an insult. His posture conveyed everything Draco wanted him to see; primarily his disappointment at Theo's disheveled and unshaven condition, as well as the muted pleasure at being greeted by the head of the household rather than an underling, the slightest hint of a sneer that he was reduced to answering his own door because he had no underling to do it for him.

Theo's eyes tightened minutely at the veiled slight. So, he thought, we're doing this, are we? Back to the pissing contest from when we were kids.

"Do make yourself at home, Mister Malfoy," he said, gesturing for Draco to enter. He couldn't be too annoyed at the sudden formality, he had started it with his standoffish attitude. "A Happy New Year to you."

"And to you." Stepping over the threshold, Draco gave the barest hint of a smile; he never could resist trying to one-up Theo when it came to formality. The door closed behind him with a whisper of magic and Theo led the way into the lounge, grimacing at the untidy room. Too late to do anything about it now.

"Dear me," Draco said in a slightly disparaging tone. "A spot of reorganisation? Or was a Nifler set loose to find the maid?"

"Have a seat, Mister Malfoy," Theo said, his tone even, though he burned with quiet anger. "I will prepare us some tea."

"That would be most pleasant, thank you. I'll just see if I can find a clear spot..."

Theo caught a glimpse of Draco's face, an unguarded grimace and look of sorrow flashing across the pointed features as he looked around the room. Keeping a grip on his emotions, Theo went into the kitchen through the archway, only a slight limp to his gait. He quickly set the kettle boiling and the teapot warming, doing the job manually, not trusting his magic to obey him fully. His bad leg was trembling, and he leant against the counter to support himself.

Damn Malfoy, I don't need his pity!

"Gorky!"

Theo growled under his breath as he heard Draco shout the name of his house-elf. There was a sharp crack as the creature appeared.

"Master Draco called?" the elf squeaked.

"Yes," Draco drawled lazily, "see if you can assist my good friend, Mister Nott. He has been neglecting his home, and it needs a bit of a spruce up. There's a good elf."

Theo bowed his head, grinding his teeth, as he heard Malfoy's steps coming closer. "I can manage my own house, Mister Malfoy," he spat.

Draco lounged against the kitchen island, a smirk on his face. "Of course you can, old boy, but a tidy house lends itself to a tidy mind. I do dislike seeing your mind in such… disarray."

"'Disarray'?" Theo said, his voice dangerously low.

"Nothing a good house-elf can't sort out, of course."

"Yes, and I'm sure Tinky would have managed perfectly well if she hadn't been killed by Voldemort to make a point to my father! Why are you here, Mister Malfoy? You got what you wanted, didn't you? Hermione's gone, so you don't have to come up with any more snide remarks."

"Wouldn't dream of it, old chum. Last time earned me a black eye."

Theo felt his neck heat a little at the quiet rebuke. "If I have neglected to do so, I apologise, unreservedly, for my actions that night." He knew damn well he hadn't apologised, and there was a flicker of a smile on Draco's lips.

"Not a problem. Apology accepted, Theo. Let's speak no more about that, yes?"

Theo nodded and Malfoy visibly relaxed; dropping the honourific indicated a lowering of formality, and Theo breathed a small sigh, hidden by the squealing of the kettle as it began to boil.

"Still drinking it like a heathen, Draco?" he quipped.

"I still find it bitter and unpalatable without, so yes, milk and one sugar, please."

Theo gave a snort of laughter, preparing Draco's drink, leaving his own black. Walking carefully over to the island he noted Draco's body language as he perched on the bar stool; his mouth worried at the side of one finger, his eyes were fixed on a point to one side of the kitchen, one foot jiggled on the stool's cross support. Hurriedly Theo put the two cups down, already feeling his chest grow tight, his breathing shallow.

"Why so nervous, Draco?" he said, stepping away and placing the island worktop between them. His eyes measured the distance between Malfoy and the knife block, sat in the centre. Blood pounded in his ears as he met his friend's eyes, seeing them flick to the knife block too.

Everything swayed, his vision blackening at the edges. There was a sharp pain in his head, and the room spun.

"Theo? Merlin, Theo! Are you okay?"

Malfoy was stood over him and the nervous face of Gorky the house-elf was close by, the latter holding one of Hermione's old magazines and fanning him frantically with it. He was lying on the floor, with no knowledge of how he got there!

"What… what happened?" Theo mumbled, his throat feeling thick, and his head fuzzy.

"'What happened'? You fucking passed out, and smacked your head on the counter on the way down!"

"That explains the headache," Theo groaned, sitting up while Gorky quietly made a fuss of him. "I'm fine, Gorky, back off," Theo grumbled, waving the elf away, trying to hold his head together with one hand.

The elf backed away, wringing his hands and glancing at Draco. He waved one hand lazily, dismissing the elf back to Malfoy Manor. Gorky vanished with a sharp crack and a last, nervous look at Theo.

"I thought I had passed the panic attack stage," Theo said, accepting Draco's hand and being hauled to his feet.

"Why do you continue to think like them?" Draco muttered, keeping hold of Theo's hand tightly. "The Auror's watch me, day and night. They're tracking where I go, who I'm with… Pucey thinks I personally masterminded everything that happened to you, just because Stan was a friend. Bastard's out to pin this all on me, even though he has nothing but circumstantial evidence. And then you freak out on me because I happen to be a near a fucking knife!" Draco closed his eyes, a pained expression on his face. "You were lying there, moaning, and asking me to let you go… or let you die!"

Theo tried to pull his hand away again, but Draco was insistent. "Malfoy, please let go…"

"No," Draco said through gritted teeth, "I am going to say this just once more: I had nothing to do with your kidnapping! On my honour as a Malfoy, may I be stripped of my land and wealth should my word prove false!"

"Take the Vow?" Theo said blithely, his heart pounding but trying to cover it with bravado.

"If you insisted, yes, though it would damage our friendship irrevocably should you do so!"

"I wouldn't. I'm sorry for saying that, Draco."

"It's fine," he said, waving away Theo's words. He gripped Theo's hand insistently, his thumb stroking over the back of it. Drawing a deep breath, he looked into Theo's eyes. "Listen, I hate seeing you like this. You wallow in pity and your own filth, like a commoner. You let that despicable twat, Pucey, waltz off with your witch. You are more than this, Theo, you always have been. You're the dearest friend I've ever had. More than a brother. I…" Draco swallowed then, his throat closing up on him. "I love you, Theo. More than a friend. I always have done, but it's not something a pureblood heir can admit to, nor act on… Not if he wishes to save face in our society…"

Theo stared at Draco, stunned. "Draco… I…"

"No, just shut up and let me say this! I don't care about saving face anymore." He lifted his hand and cupped Theo's cheek. Theo was too surprised to move away. "I only ever cared for you, wanted you. That's why I tried to undermine your relationship so often; I was jealous of her… And for that, I am truly sorry."

Theo tried to speak again. He had seen some of the looks Draco had given him over the years, the way he spoke to him sometimes, but this? He had never imagined this! "Why now?" he finally managed. "After all this time, after everything I've been through? You've had years to tell me this, Draco. Why choose my lowest point?"

Draco grimaced as Theo snatched his hand away at last. "I don't know, alright?" he cried. "When the hell is a good time to confess you're in love with your best friend? I was scared to ruin what we have!"

"So what's changed? Why would now be better than when I was in a happier place?"

"Because I can see you pulling away from everyone! You're withdrawing further every day, letting people walk all over you, losing your cool with bloody reporters! Letting Pucey get exactly what he's been trying to get since before you went missing. You know he's had his eye on her for ages! He's got her already, really; I just saw them together, looking very cosy. I don't say this to hurt you, Theo. I want you to know that you're not alone. That I'm here, with you, for you."

"I've been a complete idiot," Theo muttered, turning away and leaning against the counter, punching the wood. "This isn't me, it's not who I am! This is that stupid paranoia that keeps me awake at night, makes me see shadows everywhere. I thought I would be better after getting rid of my father's wand, getting another. Clearly it was not an instant fix. Even knowing that this one is… No matter. I've driven her into the arms of another man."

"I want to help you, Theo." He placed his hand on Theo's shoulder.

Theo turned back, staring into the grey eyes, normally so cold and calculating, now filled with softness and vulnerability. Draco slipped his hands under Theo's arms, curving around his waist, pulling him closer. Theo held out his hands, gently pushing his friend away. "Draco, listen… I love you too, you know that. But not like that."

Draco's expression didn't change, but it was like a mask slipped over his face, his eyes immediately becoming blank once more. His hands dropped back to his sides. "I see."

"You are my oldest, and dearest friend. But my heart belongs to Hermione. It always will. I have to go to her, to make this right!"

He limped away then, heading quickly to grab his coat and slip into his shoes. His mind was still reeling from the bump and Draco's confession. He remembered the calendar though; Hermione was supposed to be at a function at the Ministry, though he couldn't for the life of him remember what for. He had completely put Draco out of his mind until he heard him speak again, close behind him.

"Theo…"

He paused, half out the front door already, turning his head to see Draco in the hall behind him.

"Don't go to her," Draco said quietly. "She's already made her choice. Make yours… choose me, please?"

"I can't... I'm sorry." He closed the door behind him and set off at a shambling run. He didn't dare use Apparition, his head was scrambled, and Draco's last words hadn't helped; his kidnapper had talked about Hermione and choices too.

Theo stepped out of the lift and into the corridor outside Hermione's flat. He took a moment to look around, alert for danger, or reporters. He hadn't been here for a while, but nothing had really changed; Mister Balshaw in the flat two doors down had replaced his doormat with a more jovial one for Christmas, but other than that…

Hermione's door was slightly ajar.

A cold sweat broke out over Theo's body. His heart thudded painfully in his chest, as he stumbled forward. "No. No, no, no, no!"

Shouldering the door open, wand in hand, he knew what he would find; Hermione, sat in her lounge, watching the Muggle television, probably one of those game shows she enjoyed; or reading a book in her comfy chair, surrounded by her piles of research, a dark smudge on her cheek from where she absentmindedly daubed herself with ink while thinking. She would look up at him in surprise, his name on her beautiful lips, eyes wide. She would stand in a rush, spilling whatever was in her lap to the floor.

"Lumos!" His eyes narrowed against the light, desperate for them to adjust.

She hadn't been at the Ministry event. Hadn't cancelled or sent an owl to say she would be late either. He had burst into the Auror office, looking for Adrian or Harry, finding only Roberts and Dawlish sat at their desks.

"Theo!" Roberts said, so surprised to see him he had used his first name for the first time since he had known the man.

"Hermione!" Theo said urgently.

"She's not here," Roberts said, standing up and moving towards him. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

Dawlish was standing now too, concern in his eyes. "She was 'ere an 'our or so ago, talkin' to Pucey."

"Where did she go afterwards?" Theo said, his hands gripped into fists. "Did they leave together?"

Roberts glanced at Dawlish uncomfortably. "We don't know, Mister Nott. We had to act as security to an official arriving from America. When we got back, they were gone."

Theo swore violently, stumbling from the room and heading for the exit, his hip on fire with the pain of his exertion. Ten minutes later saw him standing in Hermione's hallway, clutching onto the door frame as his knees weakened.

With a shaking hand, he stooped and picked up Hermione's wand. The vine wood was splintered, cracked along one side. He could see the white fibrous heartstring core poking through the splits. She had told him about recovering her wand from the Malfoys, after the war. How Lucius had been ordered to hand over all Dark items and anything they had seized as well. This had included Hermione's wand; after using Bellatrix's wand for a few weeks, she had joked that recovering her own had almost become her new Patronus memory.

He felt his new wand almost vibrate at the closeness of its twin. Maybe it could be repaired.

He moved down the hallway, trying not to disturb anything, knowing the Aurors would need to see this. He shouldn't be here, disturbing the scene, but he had to know…

His hand shook, the light from his wand trembling across the walls, part of him noting the space where a picture had hung last time he was here; the frame sat on the floor, face down. He could see little splinters of glass, scattered across the carpet and around the frame.

He had expected to catch them in the act. He had expected to have his heart ripped out and stamped on by seeing them together. He did not expect to see her sofa overturned, the pictures on her mantlepiece smashed on the floor.

He was back there in an instant, tied to that chair, fighting for his life and struggling for each breath.

He slumped to his knees, feeling the horrible tightness in his chest, the blurring at the edge of his vision. He could almost feel someone sneaking up behind him, a hessian sack held ready, a knife in their hand, a Curse on their lips; Stan, risen from the grave to finish what he had started, Pucey, Malfoy, and Hermione at his side.

He clutched his chest, heart stuttering and leaping as his mind gave up and shut down.

End of Part 3