A/N Hi Everyone. One lovely reviewer told me to stop apologising for the delay in my updates so I won't apologise for how long this has taken. I do have some good news though. This story is now finished! I have a first draft of the last few chapters and I'm hoping to post them rapidly over the next week or so. Since this is only a short chapter I'm going to post the next one as soon as it's edited so probably in the next half hour or so! Thanks everyone for sticking with me - I hope you can still remember what was happening!

If Hermione had expected her return to work to be met with any sort of fanfare she would have been sorely disappointed. As it was, she was more than happy to slip into the apothecary and straight back into her old role. Severus greeted her with a grimace (which she interpreted as a grin of delight) grunted something about brewing and disappeared into the lab leaving her to deal with the morning rush of customers. Blaise was allegedly in the library. Hermione suspected that for Zabini library and bed were synonyms. Nonetheless, she was happy. In between customers she pottered around the shop tutting self-righteously over dusty shelves and poorly arranged displays. She made a mental note to discuss her succession with Severus. The man would not just need another apprentice when she finished her training; he badly needed a shop manager too.

Skilled in the art of self-delusion, she kept herself suitably busy until lunch time at which point she was forced to shut the shop and seek sustenance. Almost of their own accord her legs carried her back to the café where she and Camomile had met so many times. Hermione took a seat and sipped morosely at her Lady Grey (her stomach was still too delicate for the full bodied Earl). How could she miss somebody who didn't really exist? Except Camomile did exist and, as Ginny had pointed out, Lucius—disguised as Camomile—had listened sensitively to all of Hermione's woes. He had sat patiently through tales of period pain, writers block and sexual frustration. Would he have been an equally good confidante without the aid of Polyjuice potion? She hadn't given herself the chance to find out. Hermione left the café having eaten less than half of her lunch and returned to work.

As soon as she entered the apothecary she smelt it. The rich, heavy scent of cologne hung in the air. Jasmine, sandalwood and the scent of the sea, strangely mingled with old books and fresh parchment. Her heart began to hammer in her chest. She would know that smell anywhere.

"Has Lucius been here?" She burst into the lab surprising Severus who was in the midst of stirring a potion.

"Of course not." Severus looked up from his task and pushed his lank hair out of his eyes. "Lucius is far too much of a coward to set foot in your vicinity."

"Oh." Hermione frowned. The scent still hung heavy on the air. "Then what's that…?" She and Severus turned their heads in unison to stare at the gently bubbling cauldron on the opposite side of the room. Steam rose from it in lazy spirals and the surface almost seemed to glow with sheen reminiscent of mother of pearl."

"Fuck!"

"Language, Miss Granger."

"I'll bloody well swear if I want to, Severus." As if drawn by an invisible hand Hermione crossed the room and peered into the cauldron. There was no denying the identity of the potion within, nor how it smelled to her.

"Did it really take a love potion to convince you of your feelings?" Severus appeared silently beside her and Hermione almost fell into the cauldron as she jumped in shock.

"I can't be in love with him," she said. Then, pleadingly, "can I?"

Severus sighed deeply. "Hermione, what I know of love could be written on the back of a postcard in rather large script. I have no useful advice when it comes to matters of the heart." He paused and peered into the cauldron. "Potions however, are quite another matter. I have never known a case in which Amortentia has been wrong."

"I was afraid you'd say that." Hermione bit her lip before her insatiable curiosity flared. "What do you smell, Severus?"

"Never you mind." He turned to glare at her and Hermione quickly looked away.

"I'm going to open up the shop." She fled the laboratory and pulled the door firmly behind her even going so far as to place a draught excluder along the bottom of the doorway in order to prevent the intoxicating scent from following her.

She spent the afternoon in something of a daze. It didn't help that the scent of Lucius still lingered heavy in the air despite the fact that Severus had already bottled the potion. She wondered what he was doing with such a large batch of such a potent brew, he didn't normally approve of such frivolities.

By five o'clock she felt on the brink of insanity and she nearly sprinted out of the apothecary. She almost risked Apparating directly from the street outside the shop only her common sense and natural inclination to avoid arrest preventing such a foolish action.

She pulled open the door to Grimmauld place and barrelled into the dimly lit hallway. Relief coursed through her as she heard voices on the staircase.

"Hermione!"

Ginny, Harry and Ron were clustered on the landing from which they had all tried to spy on the Order meetings so many moons ago. It was Ginny who had spoken.

"What a nice surprise. We were showing Ron the nursery, it's all decorated now."

"That's great, Ginny." Hermione bounded up the stairs two at a time. "Maybe you could show me too." She grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her through the nursery door, slamming it in the bemused faces of Harry and Ron.

"Hermione, what the…"

"I'm in love," Hermione panted."

"What?"

"I'm in love with Lucius Malfoy."

"Oh." Ginny leaned against the nursery door, one hand absent-mindedly stroking her bump. "Well of course you are. What made you see it?"

"Bloody Snape brewed up a monster batch of Amortentia."

"Professor Snape," Ginny corrected smugly.

Hermione rolled her eyes inadvertently taking in the cheerful yellow walls which were brightly painted with birds, flowers and magical plants.

"This really does look nice." She gestured around the room.

"It does doesn't it?" A dreamy smile flitted across Ginny's face but was quickly replaced by a frown.

"If you've just realised Malfoy's the man for you what on earth are you doing here. This is a strictly snake free zone."

Before Hermione could answer the door burst open and Harry tumbled through almost flattening Ginny.

"Sorry love." He righted his wife and pushed his glasses up his nose. "What's going on?"

"Hermione' s in love with Malfoy."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Senior or Junior?"

"Senior, of course." Ginny elbowed him in the ribs. "Keep up, Harry this has been obvious for weeks."

"Only to people who are obsessed with medalling in the lives of others." Harry turned to Hermione. "Is this really true?"

Hermione nodded.

"If you've just realised you're in love why aren't you happy about it?"

"Because the last time I was in love it was with my best friend and even then it didn't work out. Let me remind you that whilst Ron and I were happily planning our wedding he managed to fall in love with someone else."

Ginny and Harry stared at Hermione open mouthed. Clearly, neither of them had expected quite so much honesty.

"That is true…" Harry began before tailing off uncertainly.

"…But it doesn't reflect badly on you," Ginny took up the refrain.

"Yeah, it's not your fault that Ron's an idiot."

"But he isn't an idiot!" Hermione finally manged to interject. "We were miserable together; at least he had the good sense to see it."

"But just because you and Ron didn't work out doesn't mean you can't be happy with somebody else." Ginny said kindly. "I love you both but I've never seen a more poorly matched couple in all my days."

Harry nodded enthusiastically. "Ginny's right. You and Ron were a disaster waiting to happen. The only thing you had in common was trying to keep me alive and once it stopped looking like I was about to be murdered what was supposed to keep you together then?"

Hermione frowned. They had a point. She had known deep down that she and Ron were poorly matched, but had simply been too pig headed to admit it. She still rather admired him for having the guts to end the relationship, no matter how painful it might have been for her.

"But…" She never finished her question as the door flew open once more and Ron crammed himself into the tiny room.

"It's rude to leave a bloke standing outside on his own." He looked around the trio. "What's going on?"

"Hermione's in love with Lucius Malfoy," Harry responded.

Ron's jaw dropped.

"And she's too scared to tell him how she feels because you broke her heart running off with another woman." Ginny poked him hard in the chest.

"I didn't…." Ron began, his cheeks flaming.

"I know, Ronald," Hermione interrupted quickly before the Weasleys could begin rehashing their old argument. She had been deeply touched when Ginny had instantly taken her side following the break up. "I know nothing happened with Tatiana until you had ended things with me. It doesn't change the fact that even my best friend didn't want to be with me though." She looked into the concerned faces of her friends. "What if I tell Lucius that I love him and he doesn't reciprocate?"

"Would that really be so bad?" Ron shrugged. "At least you'd know for sure."

"It would be a disaster." Ginny smacked her brother across the back of her head. "Hermione doesn't want to put herself out there unless she's sure of Malfoy's feelings do you?"

"No." Hermione shook her head.

"Maybe you could get Malfoy to smell the Amortentia," Ginny suggested.

"I don't think that would work. Even if it smells like me how would I get him to tell me that? I've rejected him so many times already, I think even his ego is in tatters by now. Unless…" Hermione stopped abruptly and stared into space her eyes wide. "I need to talk to Severus."

She fought her way past her friends and out of the tiny nursery.

"Didn't you just come from work?" Harry asked her retreating back.

"Yes, but I need to go back there. Thanks for your help guys."

She vaguely heard Ron mutter, "Flippin' mental," over the sound of Walburga Black's enraged screams as she thundered down the stairs and Apparated once more off the front step.

A/N I know! I've finally updated and still no smut - not good enough. Don't worry I promise there's some in the next chapter...