"Don't be long, I'm making dinner later, and your folks will be arriving at six."

"I won't," she replied, kissing him on the cheek, "I'm just going to check in on him." She smirked. "Got to make sure he's looking after my big, fancy house!"

"Oh, he's going to love that," he said with a laugh. "I take it Pansy has been teaching you some things?"

She tilted her head and grinned. "She might have told me not to let him belittle my new role as the heir apparent."

"You're more than the heir apparent, Mina. You are the eldest of the Malfoy line now." Theo leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "Make him squirm," he whispered.

They laughed as she slapped him on the chest. "Don't be mean to my dear brother."

"Dear brother? Yeah, okay."

"And what will sir be doing to fill the time while I am gone?"

"I will be going to Diagon Alley, food shopping for dinner." Theo tried to keep his voice steady, but there was a slight tension in it.

Hermione paused.

She wanted to question him. She wanted to ask if he was sure, that he would be okay. To ask if he wanted her to come along, or whether Blaise was meeting him. Wanted to tell him to take Blaise with him. She wanted to demand that he be careful. Just for a moment she bit her lip and swallowed her words.

"Don't spend too much," she said, her own voice a little unsteady.

Her eyes held his, and he smiled at the message in them. "I'll do my best, darling."

"I love you." She pulled him close and pressed her lips to his.

When they parted, he gave a gentle sigh. "I love you too."

She held her breath as she walked towards the fireplace, took a handful of Floo powder, and forced herself to throw it in the fire.

"Malfoy Manor."

As the fire flared in response, Hermione closed her eyes and refused to look back as she stepped into the flames.

She shot through the Floo network, stepping out onto the clean tiled floor of the Manor's main entrance hall. It was dim, the lamps low and the curtains still drawn, but as she took a couple of steps the light grew, the enchanted lights sensing her presence.

For a moment she paced the hall, worrying at a nail or fiddling with the rings in her fingers.

He's going to Diagon Alley. It's the first time he's been there, by himself, since Christmas! He's just going shopping. Stop fretting!

Drawing a deep breath she looked around, noting that the lamps were lit brighter to one side and down a corridor on the first floor. It was a quirk she had noted about the Manor; it seemed to always light her way to her destination, even before she knew for certain where she was heading. She wondered if it had always been this way, or if this was a new thing: the Manor helping the new girl orient herself with the expansive grounds.

Following the brighter lamps, she soon found herself at the door to the rear parlour. The door was open, and she took a moment to study its occupant unseen.

He did not look happy, but even in private he had a guarded demeanour. She watched him pace, arms folded, frowning furiously before staring out the window with a half smile on his lips. After a moment he shook his head and resumed pacing.

"You're going to wear that carpet away, brother," Hermione drawled, stepping into view.

For the briefest moment, Draco's face was completely unguarded: surprise, guilt, annoyance. Then the mask slid back into place, and he nodded cordially.

"I'm surprised to see you, Hermione. Welcome. Can I get you a drink?"

"Tea would be lovely, thank you."

He gestured to the sofa and bade her sit. "Gorky," he called.

With a sharp crack, the little elf appeared, bowing to Draco. The sack he wore was new and clean, almost creaseless as if it had been pressed. He stared up at Draco with a large smile on his face. "Master Draco called?"

"My sister is here for tea. If you would be so kind?"

"At once, Master." Gorky turned to Hermione and bowed deeply. "Gorky is delighted to serve Mistress again."

Hermione smiled and nodded politely. "Thank you, Gorky. I'm glad to see you looking better. Is my brother taking it easy on you? Not working you too hard?"

"Yes, Mistress," Gorky said. "Master Draco is a good Master."

"And your wound?"

"Much better, Mistress. Master Draco has prepared many potions for Gorky. There is no pain any more."

"Good," Hermione said brightly, "I would love for you to join me, while Master Draco makes us tea. Please, sit." She gestured to the sofa opposite.

Draco and Gorky goggled at her.

"Excuse me?" Draco was incredulous.

"M-m-mistress?" Gorky stammered.

"I'm sure Gorky would rather make the tea," Draco said, waving at the elf.

Hermione held up a hand, stopping Gorky from vanishing. "No," she said simply. "I would prefer Gorky to sit with me and talk."

His eyes wide, Gorky stepped forward and perched on the edge of the sofa.

Draco stood to one side, arms folded, a small smile on his lips.

"Something amuses you, Draco?" Hermione said, leaning back, grinning.

"No, no," he demurred. "You have adequately shown yourself to have authority above mine."

Hermione's smile became triumphant as she waved at him. "Well then, tea for all of us then, if you please, Mister Malfoy. How do you take your tea, Gorky?" She paused, seeing the little elf was almost jiggling on the seat, looking incredibly uncomfortable. "Are you okay, Gorky?"

"Gorky is sorry, Mistress!" the little elf suddenly wailed. "Gorky does not wish to displease Mistress, but Gorky would very much prefer to make the tea!" He stopped abruptly, stuffing his hands in his mouth. "Gorky will punish himself immediately for speaking out of turn," he mumbled around his fingers.

"No!" Hermione cried. "No, please there's no need for that!" She stopped, refusing to look at Draco, who was chuckling to himself. "I am sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, Gorky. It was certainly not my intent."

"Gorky knows, Mistress, and he is happy that you wished to speak with him… but Gorky would very much prefer to serve…" His voice became quieter and quieter as he spoke, his eyes fixed on her shoes.

She sighed, glaring at Draco, who grinned at her, unrepentant. "Very well, Gorky. Please, could you prepare Master Draco and I some tea? And please have some yourself when you are done."

"Right away, Mistress!" Gorky leapt into the air, vanishing before his feet hit the floor.

Hermione slumped back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest, huffing in annoyance. "Go on then, say it," she groused, as Draco lounged on the sofa opposite.

"You're a stubborn cow, who won't let go of an idea, despite all evidence to the contrary that it's a lost cause."

Hermione sniffed and turned her nose up. "Charming!"

"You know as well as I do that house-elves will never feel comfortable unless they are serving someone. All your efforts to prove otherwise keep blowing up in your face, so please, for Gorky's sanity if nothing else, desist!"

"I was just trying…"

"I know what you were trying, Hermione, and it worked. You have more authority over Gorky than I do. You are the heir of this house in more than name, and I shouldn't have tried to make it seem a smaller thing than it is. Pansy has been teaching you things hasn't she?"

"She merely wanted me to ensure you knew your place," she said, arching an eyebrow at him. Her expression clouded over then, and she frowned. "Sorry, Draco, this isn't me at all! I hate acting like a stuck up cow."

"Could have fooled me," he smirked. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself just then."

"Oh, shush! Look I don't quite know what to do about this," she waved vaguely between them. "I'm not a high born aristocrat, born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I don't understand all the etiquette yet, and the last thing I want is to embarrass Theo, or you, or even Pansy! I hate not knowing things."

"You'll learn," Draco said, as Gorky reappeared laden with a large tray filled with an urn of hot water, two teapots, cups and saucers, and several plates of finger sandwiches and cakes.

While the elf fussed over them both, pouring the tea and making sure they were both comfortable, Hermione scrutinised Draco, trying to work out his angle. Finally satisfied, Gorky left them to it after promising Hermione that he would have a cup of tea in the kitchen.

"The thing is," Hermione muttered, "I'm not sure I want to learn."

"That's a first," Draco said, taking a sandwich and taking a delicate bite.

"Oh, alright… of course, I want to learn, but I don't think I fit into that… your world."

"Of course you do," he said, "you're a Malfoy now. Political manoeuvring and obtaining favours is what we do! You want to try and help the house-elves? Moving in the upper society is the place to start."

"You think I could do something to help them?"

"Not in the way you want, maybe. But I have no doubt you could make their lives better, their working conditions and treatment and so on."

"I am looking at moving into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures… Would you be willing to help me?"

"Don't push it, sister. You may be blood now, but I have more important things to use my influence on than getting better quality bedding for the servants."

"Fine, I guess I can do this by myself if I have to." She picked up her teacup, frowning at him over the rim as she took a sip. "So, what has you so moody, anyway? You looked… vexed when I arrived."

"Nothing in particular," he said dismissively, finishing his sandwich. "Just the usual things; work, colleagues, the fact that if I had helped you when you asked we may have found Theo weeks earlier and brought Pucey down before things went the way they did. If I had listened to you the first time you contacted me, maybe you wouldn't have..."

"Stop!" she said forcefully. "It wouldn't have changed… that." Blinking away the sudden tears in her eyes she took a deep breath to steady herself. Honestly, woman, it's been nine months! Pull yourself together!

"You can't know that, Hermione."

"I've been through this with Pansy already. She was convinced that it was her fault! Theo and I have been over and over it with St Mungo's, and our grief counsellor. They believe that… what happened was inevitable by that point. The stress I was under, the fact that I Apparated whilst pregnant… all of it contributed to the…" Blowing out her cheeks she made herself continue, delicately dabbing at her eyes with the back of a finger. "It all contributed to the miscarriage. I left you a note the day before. There is no doubt in my mind that it would still have happened, even if you had contacted me the same night!"

"I don't say it often, as I'm sure Theo can attest… But I am sorry."

"Draco…"

"No, I'm sorry," he said, sitting forward and staring at her earnestly. "Truly, Hermione. I should have listened to you when I had the chance. When I realised what you had done to try and find Theo, I finally appreciated how unexpectedly determined you were. I mean you, Hermione Granger... You bought books from a hag in Knockturn Alley. Illegal books! Four of them!"

"Yes, okay," she said, blushing, "let's not make too much of that fact, please! Remember you've been reinstated now."

He waved that away. "I'm not going to turn my sister in, especially when she shows she has what it takes to succeed in a perfectly Slytherin way. Nothing was going to stop you, and that impressed me greatly. I was a terrible shit to you because I was jealous of your relationship with Theo, and I want to clear the air completely."

"Well, thank you, that means a lot."

"Don't mention it," he said, then grinned. "Seriously, don't tell Theo I apologised this much! He'll never let me live it down."

They chatted amiably with each, probably more so than they had in the entirety of their lives. Hermione was amazed at this at first but slowly came to realise what it was she was feeling; there was a strange new familial love for the annoying, sarcastic man sat opposite. It was little more than the germ of an idea, an almost imperceptible imperative to care about him and his wellbeing. She wondered if his newfound friendliness was born of the same thing.

"So," he said, trying to stop himself from laughing, "we're stood there, Roberts and I, trying to hold onto this scrawny little kid that's been shoplifting from this apothecary shop in the arse end of Cornwall. He's trying to tell us we've got the wrong guy, even though we've already gone through his pockets and found half a dozen ingredients, a set of scales, and a size two cauldron, shrunk down so he could fit it in there!"

"He didn't try to tell you it was his twin brother, did he?"

"Better!" Draco said with a grin. "Claims that the real culprit had attacked him in an alley, pulled some of his hair out, and used it in a Polyjuice Potion!"

Hermione sniggered. "That's a new one!"

"I know! No one's tried that one on me before," Draco said, shaking his head in wonder.

"I guess he doesn't realise how long it takes to brew that particular potion?"

"Was news to him. When Darryl told him and asked him why someone would spend weeks brewing a potion, just to knock over an Apothecary, he stuttered for a bit, then claimed that it was a common problem around these parts and that us 'big city boys wouldn't know about it.'"

Hermione laughed as she poured each of them a fresh cup of tea.

Draco continued after thanking her and taking a sip. "Now, Darryl starts trying to give him the speech about how 'crime doesn't pay' and the kid just looks at him says, without batting an eye…" Draco adopted a thick West Country accent. "'I made fifteen Galleons yesterday, just flogging shit I knocked off from a street vendor.'"

"Oh yes," laughed Hermione, "you got the wrong guy there!"

"That's the thing with Darryl," Draco continued chuckling to himself, "he'll always try to talk to the criminal like there's a hope of reforming them there and then on the street!" He shook his head, wonderingly, looking into the crackling fire. He seemed to almost forget that Hermione was there. "His heart's pure I think, not a bad bone in his body. He's going to go far in this world as long, as the world doesn't knock it out of him.

"I hope it doesn't, that he finds some man that can make him happy and keep him centred… can talk him round when he feels down. I just want to keep him safe, because purity like that has a way of getting used and corrupted, and I would hate for that to happen to him.

"Theo did his best, a couple of months ago; followed me to Camden and cornered me. He brought Darryl with him, tried to set us up together… I don't think it went as either of them planned… I may have acted a little badly towards him.

"It's the age difference. For some people it's not a big deal, especially in pureblood circles; marriages between men and women of wildly different ages are commonplace."

Hermione sat, silent, rigid in her seat almost. Her cup had been raised to her lips when Draco had started talking, and she hadn't moved: too afraid to break the moment she had frozen, the cup raised, her eyes flicking back and forth in wonder at the secrets spilling out of the normally reserved man in front of her.

"Sometimes," Draco continued, oblivious to her wondering gaze, "I wonder if it's just infatuation. Theo was someone I knew I loved, for years, probably since before Hogwarts. I had plenty of time to really examine those feelings, understand them… But with Darryl? I've only known him for a couple of years. Nowhere near enough time to really understand what it is I'm feeling! Maybe it's a rebound obsession or something. I know I won't be with Theo, and as more time goes on I can accept that, but then is it too soon to set my sights on someone else? Would it have mattered who it was, when all is said and done? Another man came along that was funny, smart, bloody beautiful… and I just sort of…" He waved his hands vaguely. "Latched onto him almost?

"I don't want to go for it if it is just that… That in five, six months, I'll throw him away like I have many others in the past. It wouldn't be fair on him. And how do I be with someone publicly like that? Not his blood, not the colour of his skin… How do I admit to the world, after all these years that not only am I gay, I'm in love with a bloody co-worker who is so much younger than me? It's almost obscene..."

A log in the fire abruptly split, and there was a loud crack, a shower of sparks rushing upwards. The pair of them started and Draco blinked rapidly, staring at Hermione in horror. His face flushed as he stammered something.

"Draco," Hermione said, putting her teacup down.

"What did you do to me?" he said, anger starting to show in his eyes.

She bristled at that. "Do? Nothing! Don't be dense, brother. I didn't have to do anything! You volunteered the secrets of your heart all by yourself. It's not my fault your conscience finally chose today to show itself!"

He swore, standing rapidly and pacing about. "You can't tell anyone about this! I'll tell them you drugged me, deny everything!"

She scoffed. "Oh, stop being so fucking melodramatic, Malfoy!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard!" she snapped. "Now sit! As your sister, I find myself duty-bound to help you with this. And you are are going to let me help you, or I swear I will cut off your access to the vaults!"

Draco dropped onto the sofa with a sigh, covering his face with one hand. "You know what I need right now?" he said.

"Years of intense therapy due to your upbringing and lack of morality as a young boy, but we don't have time for that."

Draco looked at her smug expression, his mouth open in shock. "I was going to say 'a drink'. Fucking hell, Hermione."

"Now then," Hermione said primly, ignoring him, "I think, for starters, we will indeed need something a bit stronger than tea… This is going to take some time."

Going shopping for dinner supplies would have been a much easier job than what he had really come to Diagon Alley for. He wasn't even sure he would get exactly what he wanted here, but a trip into muggle London would probably finish him off. The Alley was busy even at this time of day, and he imagined the Muggle side would be worse.

A sliver of fear sliced through him, and he held onto the stone wall to keep himself upright as his legs trembled; the last time he had been here alone was the day Shiftly blindsided him. This was his main purpose in being here today, something Justin told him he had to do; confronting a fear, coming to a place where a trauma occurred, doing it alone.

I can do this.

He had been putting it off for weeks. He knew that their story was long forgotten news now in reality, and he pushed away from the wall, making his way through the bustle of people, he began to relax. No one paid him the slightest bit of attention.

He liked being almost anonymous again. He didn't miss the days where he courted the media on any level. A couple of people recognised him, but they were co-workers, loose acquaintances. All he got from them was a friendly nod.

He turned his mind and feet to his other purpose. Whilst Hermione visited dear Draco, Theo was going to find a ring. An engagement ring to be precise.

He had no idea what he was looking for. He had debated bringing Blaise, but other than Justin's orders to go alone, he also didn't want Ginny catching wind of his plans. He wanted to wait for the right moment and didn't want to feel pressured.

He quickly realised that there was a grand total of one jeweller in Diagon Alley, and he was worried he might not find what he wanted. It was a starting point if nothing else, he mused.

He entered through the shop door, and a pretty, young witch greeted him.

"Hello, sir! How can I help?"

"Hi, I'm looking for an engagement ring."

"Ooh lovely," she said, gliding across to another counter. "Here, these are all of our betrothal bands. Were you looking for a particular stone or cut? Baguette, cushion, oval?" She reeled off a plethora of names and then stones he could consider. He looked at her blankly until she finished.

"I'm really not sure what I want, I'm just looking for something... special. Can I just have a look?"

"Of course," she chuckled. "Sometimes people come in with instructions!"

"Ah," he smiled, "no, definitely no instructions. I just think I will know when I see it."

"Well, take your time, and let me know if you want to see anything up close." She left him to it and walked off.

He moved closer to the cabinet and was struck by the reflected sparkle he was subjected to.

There were gold bands, silver bands, bands peppered with diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds. There were massive rocks attached to some, and others tiny and subtle. He looked at everything, and yet nothing jumped out at him; he liked a cut, or a stone, and yet couldn't quite find the right mixture of both.

Frustrated, he apologised to the sales witch and took his leave, wondering what his next move could be. He wandered aimlessly down Diagon Alley and was so distracted he didn't spot the old man until he had walked right into him.

"Oof! Oh, I'm so sorry, Mister Ollivander!"

"Not to worry, Mister Nott," the old man replied, steadying himself against Theo's shoulder. "You look well. I am pleased to see it."

"Thank you, and thank you for your help over Christmas. You were not wrong."

"Old I might be, but we oldies have a habit of having time and knowledge on our side. Your new wand is treating you well?"

"Very well, sir, and Hermione's was repaired by it."

"I like her," the old man said with a smile. "I'm glad you two found each other and have worked it out."

"Me too!" Theo smiled. "In fact, I'm making sure it becomes more permanent as we speak, but I think muggle London might be calling me."

"Anything worth doing is indeed worth that extra struggle," the old man smiled before bidding Theo a good day. "Good luck, Mister Nott."

As suddenly as he had arrived, he disappeared again into the crowd.

Theo smiled, pondering the old man's words, before turning his feet towards the Leaky Cauldron. With only the briefest pause on the doorstep, he descended upon Muggle London.

Two hours later, he was starting to get frustrated. He found five shops, with the help of a variety of Muggles who he had stopped and asked. Not one of them had flinched at his scars, and this filled him with a new found confidence. In none of those shops, however, had he found what he wanted.

He was time watching, as he would need to be heading back soon, to meet Hermione and actually cook that dinner before Robert and Jean arrived. He couldn't be late as she would worry. Wouldn't do to upset the soon to be in-laws either!

He was heading back towards a safe Apparition point, frustrated by his defeat when he saw a small jeweller down a side street. "Last one," he muttered to himself.

A quick glance in the window, and he saw the one.

It sat centre stage in the window, and it drew the eye. Anything sat around it was disadvantaged by its beauty.

Its Slytherin green gemstone was shaped like a teardrop, the silver band thin and delicate, and it had markings down the side that looked like runes.

He needed to see it closer.

As he stepped into the shop, a small older man appeared from the back. He was almost a doppelganger of Ollivander, and for a moment he thought a trick was being played on him.

The old man stared at him quizzically and greeted him in a thick Scottish accent. "Good afternoon, young man. How can I help you?"

Shaking his head and the likeness out of his mind, Theo asked if he could see the ring from the window.

It was just as beautiful up close, and Theo decided it represented everything he wanted it too. Their pain of the last year in the tear, as well as the brightness of their future in its gleam and stature; his house, and her likeness to it at times, in the colour. Most of all, though, it was the rune-like markings and their meaning. As soon as he had seen them closer, he knew this ring was special.

The jeweller explained that this ring was an antique, yet looked as new as all his others. Neither he, nor any of his friends or colleagues could decipher the runes, yet everyone was drawn to it.

"A wee mystery, indeed, but who am I to try and figure it out? Course, they all walk away when they hear the price."

"I'll take it," Theo said, knowing the price was irrelevant.

The man was surprised, but happily took the ring off the little cushion, and began to package it up.

It was at that point that Theo realised his error: he didn't have any Muggle money.

"That'll be £10,000, sir."

He could tell the old man was watching him to see if he would faint. "No problem," Theo said as casually as he could, "however, it appears I may need to come back with more money."

"No card?" the man asked, a slight smile on his face. "We do accept Galleons here, Mister Nott." The old man winked at Theo's shocked expression. "Miss Granger is a lucky witch."

Ten minutes later, and many galleons lighter, Theo left for the Apparition point, the ring secure in his pocket, knowing Hermione would love it. He couldn't wait for her to work out what the runes meant.

Now he just needed to find the right moment to ask her to be his wife!