Beta'd by Maddiechu

AN: I'm sorry it's been so long without an update, both my lovely Beta and I have been unbelievably busy in our lives, and I'm sure you'll all understand that that comes first. It just means that soon there will be an influx of chapters as we both try to catch up to where we should be. I hope you are having a fantastic Halloween. Much love to you all!

The corridors were quiet, the lone titters from portraits the only real sound save the distant cackles of Peeves, and the groaning of the staircases as they moved. A student would pass them in the corridor, before vanishing, uninterested in the Head Boy and Girl walking to the Headmistresses office together. The first chills of autumn were beginning to seep into the castle, and Hermione wished she'd worn a jumper over her blouse; the extra layer was definitely beginning to be needed under her robes as she shivered slightly. The October weather almost welcome from the summer of blistering heat they'd just experienced.

Draco's hand slipped into hers, his thumb brushing the back of her palm gently as he smirked. She looked at him shocked, her gasp registered by the portraits they walked by, curious painted eyes following the pair.

"Draco I-"

"We're together Hermione; we discussed it in the hospital wing. We said we'd reveal it slowly. There isn't really anyone about. We can just add fuel to the rumours." Draco interrupted her, his fingers lacing with her compliant ones, as her cheeks reddened.

"I know I'm-"

"Not used to holding hands with a boy that bullied you?" Draco guessed dully as Hermione sighed.

"No, not this again. Merlin Draco, you're like a damn broken record." She said exasperated, as Draco's expression creased up into confusion.

"A what?" He asked her as Hermione looked surprised.

"A broken record, you know, when a vinyl breaks and just keeps repeating itself?"

"They don't do that!" Draco exclaimed, looking at her as if she were mentally challenged.

"They do in the muggle world!" She retorted, as a gasp interrupted them both. A young red-headed girl had come to a dead stop in front of them, her brown eyes wide with a mixture of fear, confusion and sheer astonishment; the books she'd been carrying a puddle on the floor in front of her.

"You're…" she gasped, her eyes darting between them as she bent down to collect her books.

"Engaged." Draco drawled without batting an eyelid, his free hand slipping into his suit pocket, his robe pushed back behind his arm as he observed the girl's reaction.

"Draco!" Hermione chided, squeezing his hand in displeasure as he smirked at her, watching the girl struggle to compose herself in obvious amusement. She shuffled the books about on the floor in a failed attempt to pick them up, her eyes glued to the two Heads of Hogwarts until Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes, her wand withdrawn.

With a deft flick, the books flew into the air, before falling haphazardly into the bag, struggling to fit.

"Go," Hermione said, unsure as to where the loss of her patience had come from. An unsettled sensation at the base of her spine as she realised she simply wasn't ready to have everyone know she had a boyfriend, let alone a controversial one. The girl nodded, her eyes still attached to their joined hands, before she stumbled past them, knocking into a suit of armour as she watched Draco's thumb move over the back of Hermione's hand.

"Well that was so much better than I could have hoped for." Draco said to Hermione, a smirk dancing on his features.

"You find a lot of this amusing don't you?" Hermione sighed, as they began to walk again, albeit at a slightly faster pace than before.

"Of course," he sniggered, "I can't be mean, but I can enjoy watching people flounder at nothing." He said nonchalantly as Hermione looked at him stunned, her brown eyes wide.

"You actually enjoy watching people in awkward and embarrassing situations?" She asked in disbelief, the idea of rumours all over the school plummeting from her mind as she wondered how much of the old Draco Malfoy she knew was still struggling for control.

"Yep, I have for as long as I can remember." He shrugged, not recognising Hermione's tortured expression.

"Did…did your parents encourage that by any chance?" Hermione asked tentatively, her eyes forward.

"Not really, they had other things to do," He smiled, as a boy gawked at them on the stairs, a copy of the Daily Prophet in his hands.

:: :: ::

The waiting gryphon of the Headmistresses office was occupied, a pair of Aurors stood by it, clearly waiting. Draco looked to Hermione warily, and she smiled at him encouragingly, before looking to see who the two aurors were. She felt his fingers slip away from her hand, and her heart dropped, despite her understanding. To have the school begin rumours about the possibility of them having a real relationship was one thing, the ministry having those rumours was quite another.

The two aurors hadn't noticed them yet, and were instead in quite a deep conversation with one another, the male was taller than the woman, her dirty blonde hair tied up in a pair of braids that had been knotted together, giving her quite a sophisticated style. The man on the other hand hadn't even attempted to calm his unruly black hair, quite reminiscent of…

"Harry?" Hermione asked, much louder than she expected. The man turned around at the sound of her voice, and his spectacled face split into a bright grin.

"Hermione!" He called back, waving to her as she laughed, and set off at a run down the corridor, her Head Girl status forgotten as the old habit of rule breaking began once more. Draco sped his pace up, his hands in his pockets, his expression wary.

"Harry," Hermione repeated panting a little, "What are you doing here?" She asked as the woman turned to introduce herself.

"Oh, sorry, Ava this is-"

"Hermione," Ava smiled warmly, as Harry looked astonished.

"We met at the trial Harry, she was my guardian."

"Oh, right," Harry replied as the two women smiled at each other, remembering the budding friendship that could have blossomed given more time together.

"So, what are you two doing here?" Hermione pressed, as Draco reached them, nodding to Harry and the Auror carefully, refusing to stand by Hermione's side, instead hovering by her shoulder, almost protectively. Harry's eyes narrowed with suspicion, as he remembered his behaviour at Diagon Alley.

"We have to talk about…"

"Ah, I see the meetings will overlap today, I am quite certain you Aurors were due here in an hour," McGonagall interrupted as the four of them jumped, not having heard the sound of the stairs shuddering into motion.

"Ah, no…I think…I think it'll be fine if they did join us Professor," Harry began, throwing them both a wary and apologetic look.

"We did come an hour early Madam, but…this has turned out to be ideal." Ava agreed, looking to the pair of them with an equally as careful expression. The pit of Hermione's stomach turned over in horror, and she looked to McGonagall curiously.

"Well, let's hear what you have to say then." She said, stepping to the side and ushering the four of them in.

:: :: ::

"People are out for blood," Harry said grimly, "The idea of Shacklebolt getting rid of the Dementors hasn't gone down well. People hated them when they were in place, but the idea of banishing them when there are still Death Eaters about to be given the Kiss…" his voice trailed off, and his eyes focused on Malfoy, curious and wary at the same time.

"I know Potter, my families reputation is at an all-time low." Draco sighed a faint roll of his eyes escaping as he slipped his hand into his pockets.

"I think you're living in a nice little bubble Malfoy if you think that your reputation is at an all-time low. There is talk about putting your mother in hiding, and people want you to have the Dementors Kiss. This isn't a joke. The minister is doing everything he can to make people trust in the justice system." Harry said seriously, his eyes narrowing on Malfoy, as Hermione's blood ran cold. She relaxed in her seat, wishing to melt into it, as breathing became harder.

"What do you want from me?" Draco asked grimly, gripping his suits lapel with an ever whitening grip, his expression dark.

"It's not I, it's the people. Your wand is wanted for the last few spells you've cast. People want to know you're not meddling in dark arts; Madam Rosmerta wants a public apology and Hermione…" Harry swallowed, turning to look at his oldest friend, "they want to know you're not under the imperious."

"What." She said, not wanting to move from the softness of the chair as the words Harry was saying sunk over her, the horror of them chilling her bones.

"The press…"Ava began, looking awkward and as if she could be anywhere in the world but where she was, "There have been pictures of-"

"Malfoy and I, yes, I understand." Hermione interrupted coldly, feeling dread boil up into her stomach, and out her mouth. Ava looked as if she'd been slapped, and guilt began to mingle with the dread, as she threw and apologetic look to the new auror.

"People are convinced you are under the imperious curse Hermione." Harry finished for Ava, as the dark eyed woman struggled to look Hermione in the face.

"The public think I've put a bloody war-heroine under the imperious." Draco drawled his upper lip curling in derision, his anger palpable.

"To be fair Malfoy, you aren't a stranger to the imperious curse. Hence Madam Rosmerta." Harry retorted. Draco's cheeks tinged slightly with pink. He growled lowly, straightening the lapels of his suit jacket as McGonagall sighed.

"Let's not have this devolve into petty arguing." She interrupted, as Draco opened his mouth to speak. "Miss Brett, I believe you can probably sum this entire situation up without the emotional background noise."

"Well…yes," Ava said slightly startled, she pulled herself together, avoiding Hermione's gaze and crossed her arms over her chest in a casual position. "Quite simply Mr Malfoy, you either meet the public's demands, or you spend a month in Azkaban. We have enough evidence to put you there, and it will happen should you fail to comply. In short, we know where to find you. If you don't agree to acceptable terms to meet these demands, we take you now. You can have your school work sent to Azkaban, although no magic is allowed, so you'll have fun with all the rune translations and theory work."

"Why?" Draco asked dully. His expression was pained, drained and simply defeated.

"What do you mean, why?" Hermione breathed, finding her voice again, despite the feeling of a hand about her heart, and the constricted mess it was making of pumping her blood.

"I mean why people are picking on me now? Why is this happening now, why not in the summer, why not directly after my trial?" He said, a thin note of anger ringing in his words.

"The press," Ava supplied, "they've made it seem like you're having a happy old time here at Hogwarts. It's not exactly what people hope to read about when they read the news. People want reassurance, there are still a few Death Eaters loose, and they read about one who has escaped going back to school? Pictured with Hermione Granger? Think how it looks."

"But to think I'm under the imperious curse?" Hermione said helplessly, looking to Ava with a pained expression.

"We've just had a war Hermione, people want to reassure themselves they know what someone under the imperious looks like," Harry said with a shrug.

"And what happens when it's proved I'm not," she asked harshly, "then what do you tell the public?"

"That you aren't, and they'll have to deal with it."

"Just deal with it? Harry, you and Ava have literally just come to Hogwarts to tell me that I am apparently under the imperious curse, Malfoy will be taken straight to Azkaban if he doesn't comply with whatever your terms are, and your explanation for it all is just…poor!" She snapped distressed as Draco looked to her, his silver eyes full of fear and a thread of comfort.

"I can't offer anything else Hermione!" Harry exclaimed, the pressure he was under showing, "If it'll stop riots breaking out, or another war then I'm all for it!"

"You think there will be riots or a war?" Draco asked quietly, as McGonagall paled quickly.

"Did you have any idea of how bad the corruption at the Ministry is and was Malfoy?" Harry asked, suddenly just as tired as Draco was.

"Honestly, no, I didn't, I knew we would have the Minister over for dinner once in a while, and you saw us at the World Cup. Father had links into every office, but what they did, if anything for him, I couldn't tell you." Draco said, sensing the tense atmosphere in the room. McGonagall flicked her wand, summoning a plate of sandwiches, and a pitcher of pumpkin juice, her expression still ghostly white, and far too similar to the pallor of the grey lady.

"It's awful Malfoy. It's just awful." Harry said, falling into a chair and picking up a sandwich. Ava looked unsure, as if she were eager to listen, but didn't want ministry secrets spilled to possibly unworthy ears.

"What's happening Harry?" Hermione said, leaning forward and grabbing a sandwich, watching as McGonagall methodically chewed one, steeling herself.

"Like I said before, one of Shacklebolts moves was to get rid of the Dementors as fast as he could. Only doing that has proven so much harder than we expected, they're well protected. The thing is though, no one expected the public to put up such a fight to keep the Dementors, even though…when you think about it, and it makes sense. We sort of had it easy in the tent on the run. We were running, but…we had you Hermione, and not everyone is as good at researching and learning magic as you are. People were being captured left right and centre, their families tortured, members kidnapped because they were apparently muggle-born…it was outright fear. When you know that you have a ministry with a creature with the ability to destroy someone's soul…" Harry swallowed, looking mildly sick at the idea of what had been deemed an acceptable punishment for so long.

"It's reassuring, it feeds into your sense of vengeance," Ava covered "when you've just had most of your family destroyed by Death Eaters, you want their families destroyed too. Logic doesn't come into it. Although, it makes you feel safe too, to know that they're beyond dead, they'll never truly exist again. They can't do what they did before." She said as Hermione and Draco listened quietly, McGonagall looking concerned.

"When Shacklebolt started making real moves to get rid of the Dementors, people started coming out of the woodwork. Those who the Malfoy family had paid off, the Lestranges, the Blacks…all with tales about being threatened, curses in place, magic that the unspeakables swear up and down doesn't exist. They won't get rid of the Dementors until the people who have terrified them so much are gone, and gone completely."

"But you just said that they'd been paid off, so why would they want us dead." Malfoy asked dumbly, his expression contorted with confusion.

"Not everything is about money Draco," Hermione sighed, thinking of the Weasleys. "In fact, when you've been scared to the point some of these people have, money will stop being a solution to the problem. Money doesn't buy happiness." She continued, as Draco looked as if he were falling down a deep pit.

"Yeah, we've looked their finances over; they've been paid off, and paid off well. There are houses with no mortgage, and Gringotts vaults with enough savings to live comfortably for years. They're fine. Money isn't an issue." Ava added, helping herself to a sandwich and finally meeting Hermione's apologetic gaze. She smiled, looking mildly ashamed before moving to sit next to her.

"So what do you want from me?" Draco asked, confused.

"First off, you have to make the public apology that Madam Rosmerta asked for. That would really help stem the possible riot from you having such a wonderful life at Hogwarts. We need your wand. We can't have the accusations of unforgivable curses being used and us just apparently ignoring it. We will also need to find some way of making sure the curses and hexes that have been apparently placed on them don't exist, despite what the unspeakables say. We will need more evidence, and people aren't willing to be…studied." Ava told him.

Draco grunted, looking irritated and rather harassed. He dug his hand into his pocket, withdrawing his wand.

"Here," he drawled, sneering at them angrily. Ava nodded, taking his wand and placing its tip to her own wands tip. Her lips moved briefly and their wands glowed, Ava was watching carefully, her brows raising a little as she stared.

"Clean," She announced finally, passing his wand back to him. He snatched it away, and began to twirl it about his fingers, as if he felt safer with it in his grasp than without. Hermione watched him carefully, studying him and wondering how he behaved now to the years before. She still didn't know him as well as she would like, his moods were still an enigma, and right now was a tense time for him.

"Happy I've not been imperioused?" She asked with a slight smile. Ava smiled back at her, warmly, and gave her a slight nod.

"As for evidence of those apparent magics my family have cursed other families with, you'll have to speak to my mother." Draco said, still angry. "She will let you know what part of the library has been destroyed, if any of it at all, and will point you in the right direction. You're just lucky we keep records of bloody everything we do. Owning unknown curses would be exactly the type of thing to write down." He said sarcastically as Ava nodded seriously, and seemed to be making a mental note of the situation.

"And the public apology?" Harry prompted, earning himself a swift death glare from Draco.

"Yes. Tell her to set a time and a date, and even a length of parchment should she so desire and I'll do it." He retorted a resigned note to his words as his eyes flickered to Hermione, a dash of fear behind them before he looked away again, unable to fully meet her gaze.

"Good, we will do so; everything we came here for has been met." Ava announced, nodding to McGonagall knowingly, as if they'd shared some sort of private conversation without anyone else being aware of it. To Hermione's shock, Harry was doing the same, and McGonagall looked unbelievably worn, as if the entirety of her energy had been sucked from her. She narrowed her eyes questioningly at Harry, and he looked abashed, shaking his head in apology.

Harry and Ava stood clearly getting ready to leave, as Harry suddenly went bright red.

"Err…If I can Professor, I'd like to surprise Ginny." He admitted, as Ava began to melt behind him, her face a picture as to how adorable the whole thing was. Hermione smiled with amusement, as McGonagall gave a knowing smile.

"I believe Miss Weasley will be coming out of charms Mr Potter," she said blandly, as Harry beamed at her clearly delighted. He swept Hermione up in a rugged embrace, holding her tight as his goodbye, before charging out the room. Ava sighed, as Hermione looked shell shocked, straightening herself up from the hurricane Harry.

"He'll make an excellent Auror one day," Ava said to them, looking like she was the unlucky person in charge of a non-housetrained puppy. She smiled once more to Hermione, before trailing after Harry, her demeanour far more composed than Harry's had been.

"Well," McGonagall said, "shall we have our meeting?"

"Yes," Draco said, dropping harshly into a seat that had been vacated by Harry and pulling out his notes.

:: :: ::

He grabbed her, pulling her into an alcove, dragging her close to him.

"Don't you leave me Hermione." He growled into her ear, his skin soft and his cheek oddly hot, his hands rummaging through her hair. He tugged her closer, his arm sneaking underneath her robe, his hand deftly moving her blouse up and out the way so he could press his fingers against her skin. She gasped, turning into his neck, dropping a gentle kiss at the curve in which his shoulder met his neck.

"I hated you so much growing up," He whispered, as if he had no control over himself, his lips brushing her earlobe and sending shivers down her spine. She whimpered, unsure of what to do with the words he was whispering into her ear, and found her hands moving of their own accord up onto his chest.

"The feeling was mutual." She murmured into the pale skin of his throat, feeling as if she could sink for days into him, and never become bored with the way he embraced her.

"I can't go to Azkaban, not now I have you," He continued, oblivious to her speaking. She blushed, her cheeks a fire like crimson. He kissed her cheek, peppering kisses down her jawline until he managed to capture her lips.

She moaned kissing him back hungrily, the fact they were in a corridor where anyone could walk past at any time forgotten. He pushed at her, pressing her against the wall and crushing her beneath him, his lips moving against hers almost frantically. As if he knew something she didn't. As if it were the last time they would kiss. As if he had almost gone to Azkaban.

She grabbed at him, sliding her hands around his chest, one slinking over his shoulder, as his hands moved up to her face, capturing her completely.

There was no escape.

She wanted none.

His kisses become heady, changing from the frantic pace to slower, and gentle, his tongue flicking out to trace over her lower lip, asking for entry.

She parted her lips willingly, letting his tongue slip into her mouth, her own tongue happy to meet his.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Pansy asked them suddenly, her tone poisonous.