"Spill." She told him, giggling at the disgusted look on his face.

"Merlin's Balls, Hermione, how do you drink this rubbish?" He made a gagging noise.

"Well you don't have to drink it if you don't want to." She stated contemptuously, taking the bottle back. "I happen to think it is good. Not firewhiskey, or vodka, but good nonetheless."

"Nope," he took another drink when she was done, "Need it today, yeah?" His eyes straying to the man on what used to be Hermione's couch.

She followed his line of sight to sigh, "No kidding. I really thought he was dead, Harry." Taking another drink, a moment of silence encompassed the room before she spoke again. "I don't want him dead."

Throwing his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in tight, he heaved a sigh and said, "Neither do I. Maybe I did when we were younger, but not now. Not anymore."

Another moment of silence, where only the crackling of the fireplace could be heard, filled the room.

Trying to lighten the mood, he chuckled, "So, no glasses, eh? We are just that classy." He teased her.

A single chuckle came from the witch next to him. "You know us, the classiest of people. Stop stalling, spill." She turned to look at him. He grimaced, taking the bottle once again.

"It started before my birthday. There have always been little things that always got me. You know, like Kreacher and getting a new elf. But there were other times I got the impression that it was more about her being with Harry Potter rather than just Harry. Whether it was during a gala or out in Diagon Alley, I don't know. It's not easy to describe. It wasn't blatant, subtle to everyone else, but I picked up on it. I think she loved being on my arm rather than being with me. She would name drop. A lot. You know I try to stay out of the limelight, and she liked being there. And there was you…"

"Me?" She interrupted him.

"Don't be daft. You knew she was jealous of you." He stated with a raised eyebrow.

"Well I knew she didn't like you spending time with me. Was there more than that?"

"Not really, if she knew I was with you, it was like coming home to the Inquisitorial Squad. Asking ridiculous questions like how close we sat and if we touched. It was not so straightforward but Ginny doesn't do subtle well either. Definitely not a Slytherin, that one." They had made a healthy dent in the bottle that they kept passing back and forth.

Hermione snorted. "Kind of like that one." Pointing the neck of the bottle at Malfoy. "King Subtle." Sarcasm was prevalent in her voice. Both she and Harry broke into mild laughter, subdued because of the whole evening.

"And when I told her about Ron, well Molly told her about Ron through a howler for me…."

"Wait! What!?!"

Harry looked sheepishly at her. "Uh, Molly sent me a howler about Ron and said something like I need to apologize to everyone that it was a misunderstanding, and Ginny found out that way." He had a strange guilty look on his face. Hermione looked at him dumbfounded.

"Ouch."

"Yes. Granted, I get it. I should have been the one to tell her, but part of me was glad I didn't have to." He shrugged with one of his arms still around her. Taking a swig with the other. "Anyway, among other things, she told me that I was just jealous that Ron had a family and I didn't…"

"Oh no, she bloody didn't!" Sitting straight up, she kind of half yelled. Hermione was furious on his behalf, and if they weren't as tipsy for drinking half of 1.5 L bottle of wine, it would have been less funny.

"Oh, she did. It was a bit like the last straw. Anyway, she didn't like that I refused to stick up for Ron, and get his job back, and she packed her bags. And I didn't stop her." He took a long drink after that.

"Oh, wow. I wish you told me." She said sympathetically.

"I think part of me held on to the relationship for that reason though. So one more person didn't leave." The 'me' at the end of that sentence didn't need to be said.

"Oh, Harry. I am your family. I will always be your family. You know it will always be me and you. No matter what. I promise." She reached around him in an awkward hug and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks Hermione, love you too." Harry leaned into her. "I will always be your family, too."

"And Tracey?" She asked, watching him out of the corner of her eye.

"Hmm" Harry's lips morphed into a little goofy smile. "She's quiet, but she's got this quick, sarcastic wit. She made me laugh. And it was nice. There was no pretense. What was supposed to be just an lunch interview regarding the details, turned into an afternoon thing. It was easy to be around her. I'd like to see her again; I think she would too." He turned to her as he finished, a lightness in his features that suited him.

"Well good! I'm glad, and I support you." She smiled back, "Always."

He took another drink, ready to change the subject, and asked, "I told you about my life, what happened today? Besides the obvious?"

"It actually wasn't terrible until my patient, Melody, had a complicated seizure." She regaled her day to him. He laughed along with Melisandre's antics and he was pleasantly surprised with Theo Nott. Moving on, he was suitably horrified with her afternoon.

Pulling her close, into a side hug, he handed her the bottle back. "And then this happened."

"And then this happened." She repeated.

A comfortable silence descended on the pair as they kept at the bottle. Lost in their own thoughts and occasionally looking to the man in front of them. The night sky getting darker as the bottle was passed back and forth.

The silence was only broken by Tansy approaching the two. "Does Miss Hermanany and Mister Harry want real food?" There was heavy emphasis on food, and her tone was disapproving.

"Tansy…"

"Absolutely! And sober-up potions." The two started simultaneously. The elf, choosing to ignore the girl in favor for The Great Harry Potter, apparated away.

Harry cut her off before she could even start. "Trust me Hermione, she needs to do this. She needs to feel useful right now. And if she is anything like Malfoy, she has probably been working on those potions this whole time. Just let her."

Harry's statement took the wind out of her sails. She thought back to earlier when Malfoy's heart rate started dropping. She knew there was no pulling the loyal creature away.

"Ok." She responded defeated at making the elf work for them.

In short order, the elf returned, two steaming bowls of a creamy soup and some warm, sliced French bread on a tray. Two vials and the necessary silverware and napkins accompanying the delicious smelling food.

"Thank you, Tansy. This smells wonderful." Hermione said genuinely, taking her portion.

"You are welcome, Miss Hermany."

"Tansy, please, just call me Mia. It is significantly easier."

The elf looked bashful, "Yes Miss Mia, I can be calling you that." The elf smiled before handing Harry his portion. Harry had to place the empty bottle on the floor next to the discarded glasses, before taking it from her.

"Chicken corn chowder, Tansy?" He asked, "Thank you."

"Yes, Mister Harry. Master Draco's favorite."

"Rightfully so, Tansy. It is wonderful!" Hermione couldn't help but gush. It truly was fantastic. It may have been because she was a little drunk, but she was going to have no issues eating all of it.

"Don't forget the potion Miss Mia, Mister Harry. Tomorrow is Thursday." Tansy reminded the inebriated adults. They nodded, still too focused on eating.

By the time the two had finished their entire meals, Tansy had cleaned up the remained of the living room and disappeared again.

"Well, that was great, but I must be getting home. Tansy was right about having to work tomorrow." Harry stated, starting to get up off the expanded recliner. Standing up, and promptly swaying, he reached for the vial Tansy had brought, downing it in one go. The change was immediate.

"Much better." Going to the side table where he had left all of the evidence and notes taken, he duplicated the stack. Leaving one set for Hermione, he shrank the originals to fit in his pocket.

"I enjoyed this, well the last part." He smiled at the witch still curled up in the chair. Walking back over to her, he bent over to kiss her cheek. "I will talk to you tomorrow, ok? Let me know if you need anything."

"I will." She smiled back at the man, her best friend. "Have a good night."

"Night." Harry replied before making his way through the floo, just as Ginny did hours before.

Taking the sober-up potion, she finished it off before banishing all of the dishes and the vials to the kitchen sink to clean themselves.

Now that everyone has left, she moved to sit down on her coffee table, staring at the infinitly better looking wizard than what came through the door. Only pausing briefly to move the open book she landed on, she couldn't help but take stock of the healing that was already visible. The cuts on his chest were closed and the splints had come off the smaller bones that had finished healing. The I.V. and nutrient potion also did much for his completion.

She hated the circumstances under which he was there, but she was so glad they had him and he was at least stable. For Tansy, and for Theo, who she needed to write. In the morning, it could wait till the morning. Rising back to her feet, she wandlessly lowered the lights and leaned over to pull the transfigured down comforter up. Taking one last look before starting towards her bedroom, she took comfort in hearing the steady beat of the heart rate monitor and knowing Tansy would be close by.

oOoOo

And another one. It was a bit of a filler, but I think it is important to see their dynamics and to get some answers. I hope you enjoyed it. Review, follow, or favorite.

Always,

Clara.

To my reviewers:

Thank you to Ditte3, SLYNNR, and Lillsbills. I want to give you all spoilers, but I am not going to, sorry. Please continue to review for me. They make my day 3 I can only hope that this chapter lives up to expectation!