A/N: A little fluff before the citrus ;)

TWENTY-THREE

Thin Ice

Wednesday before the Ministry holiday party, Draco found himself in the Auror department after lunch. He knew Hermione and Weaselette would be out doing their shopping so it was the perfect time to meet with Potter. He had already set the man straight a few nights ago at an impromptu dinner, but it never hurt to remind him regardless.

"Oh, Mister Malfoy," Minister Shacklebolt said, causing quite a few heads to turn his way. "What can we help you with?"

He gave the minister a hand shake and a suave smile. "I was just coming to see if there was any way I could be of help for the party on Saturday."

"Oh, how kind of you," he said. "I did see that Hermione put down a yes to both of you. How you talked her into coming to one of these is beyond me. I keep telling her it won't be as bad as those stuffy galas."

"She surprised us both. She didn't even tell me she had agreed until after she sent in the RSVP."

"We'll be happy to have you both," he said and they both turned as Potter came stumbling out of his office. "Ah, Harry, look who's here."

Potter did a double take at the sight of Draco in the Auror department and after a moment of forgetting his place, put a fake, business like smile on his face. "What brings you here?" he asked.

"Just offering my fortune to the Ministry yet again."

"I do have a meeting, but please stop by and speak to my secretary. She's handling all the details," Shacklebolt said and then disappeared out of the department.

"Why are you really here?" Potter asked.

"To see you. Are you free?"

Potter nodded and then gestured towards his office. "I'll be back in a minute," he said, holding up the files in his hand.

Draco nodded and stepped into the office. While he waited for Potter, he gave into his desires to snoop. He went straight for the pictures that decorated the wall behind Potter's desk as well as the ones atop it. The ones on the desk were mostly of his wife and son. The only one that wasn't was of the Golden Trio taken back in their Hogwarts days. They were all smiling and laughing at some distant memory. Draco focused on Hermione and how truly happy she looked.

His jaw ticked as he looked at the portraits on the wall. There were several over the years. He could see Hermione's happiness appearing less and less as the years wore on. He could see a point where there was a hollowness to her eyes and a smile that was only there for the camera. The worst ones were of the Potters' wedding. Where a glimpse of her could be seen in the background, staring after something she could never have but desperately wanted.

By the time Potter reentered his office, Draco was equally broken and angry.

He turned to see his old rival, hand in his pockets to conceal clenched fists. "Did you ever truly love her?"

"This is why you came to my office during work hours?" Potter returned, looking through the doorway to make sure no one heard before he closed the door.

"Just answer the question, Potter."

"Of course I loved her. What kind of a question is that? She's my best friend. I've loved her since I can remember."

"Just not enough to do right by her," Draco sneered. "You're a terrible best friend."

Potter straightened his stance and took a step forward. "What right do you have to say that, Malfoy? You've been with her, what, coming up on two months and you think you know her? You think you love her more than anyone else?" Potter's face flushed with anger. "You don't know shit, Malfoy."

"I know plenty," Draco said, tipping his chin up slightly. "I know that while you were busy leaning on her for comfort instead of your girlfriend, you were also taking potions to ease your traumas. I know that when your girlfriend came back and you decided to cast Hermione to the side to make Ginny your fiancé, Hermione never stopped the potions. Instead, she used them more.

"I know that she got so twisted up in you over the years that she became this broken shell of herself. She became this woman who quit her job at the Ministry because it was too hard to see you in the halls. That she has to be in a constant state of being high to even function."

He could tell by Potter's wide eyes and the concern etched on his face that he did not know any of this. That Hermione truly had been able to keep most of this to herself.

"You'll be happy to know that we've been working on it for about a month. That it's been at least that long since she's had anything to numb the pain of loving someone that only seeks to use her whenever his wife's head is turned the other way. Are you really so desperate for attention?"

Draco saw the moment he got through to Potter. He even had the good grace to look down at the ground in shame. "I need to talk to her," he said without looking up. "I didn't realize… I should have… Merlin, you're right. I'm a terrible best friend," he said, plopping down on the couch near the door. He leaned forward, elbows on his thighs as he rubbed his face.

"She'll talk to you when she's ready to. Until then, you'll just have to deal with your guilt on your own," Draco warned.

Potter nodded rapidly and then looked up at Draco. "Do you love her?"

"Yes."

Potter nodded more. "She's happy with you."

"I would like to think so, yes," he said, taking his hands from his pockets to fold them across his chest. "On another note, I actually didn't come here to say any of that, but I got carried away. What I need to know is what is going on with your wife."

Potter's eyes dropped to the ground again. "I may have put it into her head that I wanted a threesome. She mentioned Hermione and I didn't disagree."

Draco narrowed his eyes, wondering, not for the first time, why he hadn't handed over the oaf over to the Dark Lord years ago. "You may have misjudged your wife, Potter. She hinted quite a few times at foursome. Unless you're willing to share that with me too, I suggest you put her in her place."

Potter snorted. "You have met my wife, haven't you? Once she gets an idea in her head, it's only a matter of when it will happen; not if."

"For Hermione's sake, I suggest you figure it out. Unless you want your wife knowing about our ménage trois."

He sighed and nodded. "I'll do what I can."

"So help me, Potter. If Hermione relapses because of either of you, I'll make that spell you cast on me in Sixth Year look like child's play," Draco said and took his leave of Potter's office.

Hermione was thankful that the party wasn't like a fundraiser gala. She was grateful she was able to dress up a little, but didn't need to go the whole nine yards with some fancy dress. The last thing she wanted to do was blow her money on more clothes. She was well off, but her potions habit had depleted a good portion of what she got for saving the wizarding world from Voldemort.

As it was, she was close to having to get some sort of job if she wanted to maintain some independence. She couldn't rely on Draco for everything. Even if it was nice to be spoiled as she had been of late.

Wednesday, Ginny had surprised her with a completely normal shopping trip. Not once did she mention a foursome or anything related to sex. She didn't even bring up the affair or ask Hermione any other embarrassing questions. It was as if her mind had up the entire thing.

By the time Saturday came, she was feeling better about having said yes to the invitation. She was still a little on edge when it came to Ginny, but she hoped she was wrong. Perhaps Harry had heeded Draco's warning and he told her to back off.

"We don't have to go if you don't want to," Draco said as he came up behind her in the bathroom and wrapped his arms about her waist.

She smiled at him in the reflection of the mirror and leaned back into his embrace. "I know we don't have to, but I'm actually looking forward to going."

"You know, if you liked the Ministry so much, you could-"

"I'm not going back," she said, her voice a bit more clipped than she meant. She offered him a small smile and softened her voice. "However, I think I might start exploring other employment options."

"Why?"

She spun in his arms and narrowed her eyes at him. "Because I'm my own person and you shouldn't have to foot the bill for everything anymore."

He smirked and leaned down to pillow his lips against hers briefly. "An admirable notion, truly, but you're barmy if you think I'm going to let you pay me a Knut for anything." Her lips parted and he felt a full fledged Granger-esque tirade coming his way, but he reached up to lay a finger over her lips so he could continue. "But I understand the need to work to keep yourself busy. Just promise me that you won't say yes to the first thing that comes your way. Make sure it's what you truly want and I'll support you."

Her lips remained parted beneath his fingers and her eyes had gone wide with surprise. He moved his hand to the side of her face, tucking a cluster of curls behind her ear.

He smirked. "Did I just render you speechless?"

She shoved at him playfully and shook her head. "Have you always been this person?" she asked softly.

"Handsome, charming, debonair?"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head again. "I was thinking more along the lines of caring, but that too."

"Well I was always handsome," he teased.

"Maybe once you stopped using that godawful hair gel," she said and snickered as he scowled at her.

"Hey now," he started. "I'll have you know some witches totally dug that look."

"Witches like Pansy?" she said, biting her lip to keep from giggling. "I don't think that helps your case."

His glare intensified and then he smirked. "You'll pay for that," he warned and then Hermione found herself under assault from wandering fingers as he tickled her mercilessly.

"Okay! Draco, please!" she begged between fits of giggles.

He acquiesced and smirked at her as she caught her breath. "There's more of that if you ever bring up the gel again. Got it?" he threatened teasingly.

She nodded and smiled up at him. "Thank you."

"For tickling you?" he asked, his brow raising on one side.

"For wanting to get reacquainted with me," she said, leaning in to lay her head on his chest. "I'd still be stuck in the same rut you found me in. There were times where I took too much and-" she stopped short and squeezed her eyes closed.

She felt his arms tighten around her. She knew he could fill in the blanks on his own.

"I know I'm not fully deserving of you yet, Hermione, but trust me when I tell you this. The world would be darker without you in it."

Not able to trust her voice, she simply held him tighter. They stayed there, holding on to one another as if letting go meant the end. It was in that moment that Hermione realized Draco meant more to her than she thought possible and wondered if it was too soon to tell him.

In the end, she decided it was and simply stayed there, content in his arms just as is.