Well hello! Quarantine has got me revisiting this and I am here for the forseeable future lmao

Sorry about the insanely long break, had a lot of life and honestly some really hard times which led to me just not doing anything, but I love this story and I always wanted to come back!

Please be aware - the start of this chapter is NOT PG13 - I rated this story M for a reason lol so please only read this if you are comfortable with that and if not but you still want to continue look for the first line break :)

As always please review I love hearing your thoughts and theories, I have also gone through every single chapter and updated them (minor changes and improvements only) so feel free to look back if you wish!

Love to you all and hope you are staying safe in this time:)


Previously...

"Granger… Hermione." He said, a little uncertain but deciding to stick with it. "I think it's best if we just pretend everything I said this evening never happened. I didn't mean really any of it, and maybe for ease we should forget about yesterday too."

Hermione looked away in thought, nibbling her lip as she did so. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol, the realisation that had come with the help of Pansy and Draco himself that he wasn't such a bad person, or the fire that had been ignited deep within her after they had taken things further the previous day, but what he had said just didn't sit well with her. She didn't want to forget it had ever happened – she wasn't sure she would ever be able to.

"No." She said eventually, turning to meet his surprised gaze as she did so.

She saw a glimmer of confusion mixed with hurt flash across his gaze before his stoic façade was once again in place, and hurriedly tried to explain herself.

"I mean yes let's forget about the arguing, I don't think either of us meant what we were saying, but I don't want to forget… the rest of it."

He blinked and his silver-grey eyes widened in surprise.

"You don't?" He asked, and his voice had a slightly hopeful edge to it.

She shook her head and looked down bashfully.

"I don't think I could even if I tried."

The moment she finished talking his hands were in her hair. He brought her face up so that it was level with his own and they were both breathing heavily, staring into each other's eyes.

"Good." He murmured and captured her lips with his own in a passionate kiss.

Hermione realised that she was probably going to miss the bands full set, and that Ginny and Harry would wonder where she had gotten to.

But at that moment, as he tugged at her hair, the other hand at her waist as the two of them stumbled towards the fireplaces and she managed to break free long enough to mumble her home address, she didn't care about anything else in the world.

Chapter 27: The Lovers

Hermione had to take great care not to fall out of her own fireplace as she and Draco whooshed into her and Pansy's apartment in central London.

She stumbled as she tried to kick off her stupidly high heels without taking her hands from his body, pressing her cool fingers against his warm, hard chest as he gave a light groan and pulled her closer towards him.

With this she almost completely toppled over, causing him to chuckle lightly into her mouth and pull back for a moment.

"You know, you are allowed to let go and take your shoes off Granger." He murmured with a grin, revealing his still pointed teeth and causing Hermione to blush. She had never seen such an evil creature look so good.

"Right, yes of course." She spluttered, hurriedly reaching for the straps of her heels and yanking them off. Draco followed suit and then dropped his inky black cloak to the ground, all the while not taking his silver eyes from her, making her blush further still.

It was like being watched by a predator, she was the soft jittery rabbit and he was the lean and muscular fox, ready to pounce at any moment.

He looked as though he were deep in thought, and when he parted his lips to speak the sentence that emerged was the last that Hermione had been expecting – in fact it completely pulled her out of the rabid fantasies running rampant in her brain.

"What was it about sex with Weasley that disappointed you?" He mused, smirking slightly at her utterly bewildered expression. "Not to bring your ex into this or anything, I just think it's important to know what a lady likes."

Hermione stood gawping at him like a fish until her brain seemed to come back online and allow her to formulate thoughts once again.

"How on earth did you know that I wasn't… satisfied with Ron?"

He grinned openly at this, two slight dimples appearing in his cheeks giving him a boyish air of mischief, Hermione couldn't help but feel herself melt a little. How on earth was he so goddam attractive?

"Don't you remember? The night of our first little tryst, when you'd publicly turned down his proposal? You actually said it to the entire Weasley family if I recall correctly."

Hermione flushed again, but this time it wasn't from excitement.

"Of course you'd bring that up again," She snapped, running a hand through her tousled hair as she struggled to answer his question. "I don't know, there wasn't really any… passion. It was sort of like going through the motions. Also he never wanted to try anything a bit different – not that I'm into any sort of weird stuff per se but,"

He mercifully broke off her embarrassed ramblings by gently cupping her face and pulling her in for a kiss. It was deep and urgent, Hermione felt her knees weaken as his tongue gently teased her own and her mind thankfully went blank of thoughts of Ron and their adolescent fumbling. The annoyance and shame melted away from her as quickly as they had come, and she felt an ache within her burning hot and deep. This was what she had felt when they had kissed in the ministry just moments before, and she craved more.

"If it was passion you wanted Granger, you should have just asked." He whispered, before lifting her into his arms and striding towards the bedroom.

He kicked open her door, letting it slam into the wall behind as he made for the bed, placing her carefully in the centre of her crisp white sheets. He lowered himself down with her until his soft lips were mere centimetres away from her own, and Hermione had to stop herself from trembling as she looked from that perfect mouth up to his molten silver eyes.

The room was still dark and the apartment quiet, the only sounds Hermione's quick shallow breaths and Draco's deep, calm ones.

"Do you promise me you won't kick me out of your flat this time?" He murmured, his eyes crinkled slightly with mirth.

Hermione tried to muster a nonchalant laugh but it came out a lot more strained than she had intended. For some reason she felt incredibly nervous despite their previous entanglement. She supposed it was because she knew in this moment that what they were about to do could not simply be forgotten or erased.

He was looking into her eyes with pure, heated lust, and the fact that they were still speaking, his hand toying gently with a strand of her hair, made it far more intimate than before. There would be no turning back. She had invited him back to her apartment, she felt a level of excitement and chemistry that she never had before. She wanted him, and that would not be brushed off as an emotional mistake.

Rather than think about such ominous thoughts, Hermione decided to let instinct drive her. She felt so tightly wound in that moment that it was nearly unbearable. Him being so close and yet not giving her what she wanted was enough to drive her insane.

In a moment of unusual confidence, she reached up and brought his face down to hers, entangling her fingers in his hair and kissing him deeply. Her tongue darted across his lips, teasing them apart so as to taste him better. She felt his strong hand moving beneath her, caressing her still clothed back and toying with the zip of her dress.

Hermione decided to take things a little further and pushed him away so that she could sit up and unzip the garment herself. His momentary surprise at her quickly shoving him away was replaced by dark desire as he watched her strip the costume off and throw it unceremoniously to the floor.

The flustered brunette blushed slightly under his gaze as she sat before him only in her underwear. She was wearing a simple black bra and thong, and she shivered slightly as the cool evening air met her bare skin. He seemed to be devouring her with his eyes, not taking them off her creamy skin as she sat before him, her confidence wilting slightly.

Before Hermione could truly lose her composure and reach for her dressing gown, he had pushed her onto her back and was once again propping himself up above her.

"You are delectable." He growled, leaning down to nip at her collarbone as if to illustrate his point. She shivered once again, but not from the cold this time, as his lips travelled to the tops of her breasts and he lightly peppered the skin with kisses. "I want every part of you Hermione."

His touch was so soft, yet so commanding, like nothing she had ever experienced before. It was as though she were something to be coveted, prized - a beautiful treasure he could not break but he wanted so badly. His fingers desperate to caress every part of her but not daring to push to hard. Hermione felt desired, and it was nothing she had ever experienced before.

With this careful yet knowing touch he reached a hand beneath her once again and in one smooth movement unclasped her bra, pulling it away and discarding it by the bed. Her delicate pink nipples hardened as he rubbed the pad of his thumb over them gently, before leaning down to kiss her breasts.

Hermione's back arched slightly, and she sighed as he sucked at her skin, his other hand gripping her waist and toying with the material of her underwear.

She could feel herself getting more and more heated, the cold autumn air long forgotten as his hands seemed to drip molten lava into her body. She was becoming impatient with his completely clothed state and had also quite enjoyed the control she had had a moment before - she wanted that power back.

It was with this in mind that she sat up once again, leaning forward to rip his black shirt open, exposing his smooth white chest. She pushed the garment from his shoulders to fully appreciate his form, something she definitely had not done during their rushed and panicked tryst of the day before.

"Take those off." She said breathily, pulling at the waistband of his trousers for emphasis, never taking her eyes from his.

He smirked slightly but obeyed, pulling down his trousers and settling back onto the bed slowly once they too were on the floor. Hermione was enjoying this cat and mouse game, even more so as it was becoming less and less clear who held the upper hand.

Before he could reposition himself atop her once again, Hermione made her move. She wriggled herself into his lap, feeling the hardness of his arousal beneath her. Looping her arms around his neck, she enveloped him in a languid kiss, enjoying the feel of his heartbeat quickening as she pressed her bare chest towards his own.

Draco gripped her ass in one hand, the other supporting her smooth, slim waist as he struggled to think of the last time he had felt so overcome by desire. He grinded against her, enjoying the slight break in their kissing as Hermione gasped into his mouth. In response she pressed herself into him and he had to bite back a groan. She was so perfectly formed, curved and soft like a woman he had only ever dreamt of. Her skin was silken and smelt like vanilla, and the way she moved against him drove him wild with insatiable need. He dipped his head and nibbled the skin where her neck met her collarbone, sucking harder as she rubbed into him. He was going to mark this little witch as his own.

He moved forward, pushing her back into the sheets and swiftly pulling her thong down her lithe legs. She squirmed a little, now completely naked and beneath Draco Malfoy of all people, but he did not give her enough time to pause for thought.

He leant down, kissing her salaciously from her breasts, trailing down to her stomachs. He stopped at her inner thighs to nibble and suck at the soft, sensitive skin. This drove Hermione to distraction, and she could barely consolidate a single thought, let alone reconsider her decision to invite him back with her. Everything just felt so good, there was fire in her veins wherever he touched her, truly like magic. His teeth were grazing against her soft skin and occasionally he would bite down, eliciting a strange sort of pain that was really just amplified pleasure.

Then, she noticed him realign and knew that his tongue was about to delve into her most intimate area. He felt her tense slightly beneath him and placed a hand gently on her lower stomach before raising his head.

" Just relax Hermione, let me do this for you."

His voice and his touch were like silk, and she couldn't help but quiver as he moved his hand to where her heat was its most powerful and began to gently stroke her. He bent his head and she gasped as his velvet tongue gently caressed her, her splayed legs trembling slightly.

"Tell me what you like Hermione. Show me how to please you." He murmured into her ear. He had leant back up to meet her face and she hadn't even noticed so overcome with want for his touch, his hand was still rubbing in that way that made her lower belly feel as though it were on fire. He kissed her gently on the neck before moving back down, listening carefully to her small moans and gasps, testing to see what movement elicited the most powerful reaction.

Just when Hermione was on the brink of release, her hands tangled in his now ruffled hair, he pulled away, leaning down to kiss her softly on the chest as her thighs shuddered in pent up arousal. She whined a little in frustration, causing him to grin in that boyish way she had discovered she found so irresistible.

She sat up suddenly, pushing him into the covers and straddling him which led to a look of complete surprise taking over his beautiful features. She leant forward and began to kiss his chest gently, grinding her ass into his erection as she did so. She heard him moan her name and slid down to nibble the skin at his hip bone as he ran his hands through her hair. It was her turn now to be the one in control.

Her tongue lapped at the soft skin just above the waistline of his boxers and she felt him shudder, a small smile gracing her lips.

She sat up and wiggled herself on top of him once again, looking down with mock curiosity.

"Did you like that Draco? Would you like me to stop?"

He was glaring at her with hot frustration and desire, clearly not interested in the teasing competition that he had begun himself.

He grabbed her roughly, pulling her by the shoulders down to meet his lips and kissed her with more force than he had even when they angrily met in Hermione's kitchen before. His hands raked from her pert ass up along her sides, and Hermione moaned as his nails left light scratches in her skin.

He sucked on her breasts and décolletage, and Hermione met the soft skin of his neck with equal ferocity. She wanted to mark him, prove that he had been hers in that moment. She felt his strong hands on her sides as he lifted her up as though she were nothing and flipped her over, positioning himself on top of her.

Both of them were breathing heavily, his eyes lidded as she pulled at the elastic of his underpants and pulled them down, her gaze burning with lust.

He was larger than Hermione remembered, though she supposed she had not taken much time to look on Saturday, and she felt that familiar ache that had gone unsatisfied for so long take over her abdomen.

"Draco, I want you inside me." She whispered against his lips, and he needed no further encouragement.

She gasped as he entered her, moaning against her lips as he felt how ready she was. The sensation was irresistible, and he was sure he wouldn't last very long.

Hermione gripped his shoulders, digging her nails into the skin and angling herself so that he was entering her as deep as possible, matching the bucking of her hips to his powerful, needful thrusts.

He slammed one of his hands into the headboard which was loudly knocking against the wall with each movement, his damp blonde hair flopping into his eyes as he looked down on her.

Hermione's eyes were closed however, her breath quickening as she felt herself reaching the edge, her body still abuzz from his tongue and hands and how he had played her like a fiddle before.

Draco watched her come, her eyes opening wide as she gasped, one of her delicate hands reaching up to grip his wrist above her and digging her crescent nails into his skin.

She looked beautiful.

This was his only thought as he too found his release, his shoulders juddering as he came, before he collapsed beside her. He buried his nose into her hair, listening to her ragged breaths as she lay completely still.

"That was…" She breathed after a few minutes, pausing as she tried to find the words to describe what no man had ever made her feel in her 24 years on earth.

"Incredible." He murmured into her hair, leaning over to trace patterns softly on her bare stomach with one hand. She was still burning hot with desire, her skin slightly sweaty from their exquisite love making. He wanted to experience every second of this before it was over.

Hermione had to agree, though even that didn't seem adequate enough. Sex with him – Draco Malfoy of all people – made her wonder how she had ever lived with inadequate passion before. She could see herself getting addicted to the man beside her now that she had seen what the two of them could really achieve together.

The kisses they had shared had electrified her to her very core and left her wanting more, and when they had quickly shagged the previous day she had felt (despite her best efforts to ignore it) excited. But this, this had been something else. It was skin searing heat, toe curling desire and the sort of wanting – no – needing she had never before experienced. Even now, fully sated, she was trying to think of the next time they would be in bed together. What he would do to her then.

She shivered a little at the thought of something so intimate and decided to pursue another train of thought.

Draco meanwhile had also been trapped in his own mind, the post orgasm haze clearing from his brain slightly had led to him once again considering his feelings for the small witch lying beside him, her fingers absentmindedly toying with a lock of his platinum hair.

He still wasn't all that convinced by Daphne's star-crossed lovers, soulmate angle, but he could certainly get on board with the lover's part. Hermione made him feel complete, satisfied, like he hadn't for years. He wondered if this was what it really meant to care for someone, and as he looked at her a part of him knew he would rather die than have anyone else touch her in the same way - self loathing be damned. He knew he wasn't good enough for her, but in that moment he truly could not have cared less. She belonged to him.

"Draco, can I ask a favour of you?" The witch whose bare skin he was still lightly caressing spoke, her doe eyes looking up to meet his.

He was pretty sure in that moment that she could have asked him to kill his own mother and he would've obliged, so he nodded for her to go on.

"I want things to be better at work, for both of us but mostly for you." She began, and he almost rolled his eyes as the problem she seemed so desperate to fix came up once again.

"I'm going to organise lunch this week or something – an olive branch if you will, and I want you to agree to whatever it is that I suggest." She said sternly.

Draco sighed, knowing that what he was about to agree to was definitely a bad idea.

"Fine." He muttered, holding back a grin as her face broke out into a huge smile, "But as long as I get to shag your brains out afterwards. Those are my terms."

She blushed and pulled the sheet up to cover as much of her still naked body as possible, suddenly feeling slightly modest.

"Ok fine, god you're a pig." She muttered, swatting at his hand as he went to pull the sheet back down and biting back a giggle.

Giggling in front of Draco Malfoy seemed a little too far for some reason, a little too soul-bearing.

With a smirk and a quick tweak of her one still exposed nipple, he rolled off the bed and began to gather his things from the ground. He wanted nothing more than to lie there with her, but that was perhaps the most dangerous thing to feel in that moment. He needed to get out and get back to normal. Avoid letting her and her sweet smelling skin corrupt him any further.

Hermione was surprised and more than a little insulted, she had made him leave in a hurry after the first time they had had sex and it had caused a spat between them, but now he was doing so of his own accord?

She was about to open her mouth and question him when he spoke instead, facing the mirror and not her as he pulled on his trousers and pants.

"I would stay Granger but I assume you don't want to have to explain to Parkinson and possibly Weasley tomorrow morning why I'm in your bed?"

Her mouth dropped open in realisation, and she could have pinched herself for being so stupid. Of course, Pansy could be home any moment, after all they had left the party almost two hours ago and there was a strong possibility she was searching for them both. Although Hermione was quite sure that she and Malfoy would be rendezvousing again (and soon if he had his way), she was certain that she wasn't ready for everyone to know about it.

Especially as she really had no idea where this would all lead – if it even could lead anywhere. No, it was definitely sensible to keep things a secret rather than letting them get blown out of proportion by all of her friends and the Slytherins.

She needed to start being more careful, really anyone could have seen them kiss in the ministry and leave together - and she'd been about to invite him to stay the night. If they were going to do this she would have to tackle it like every other aspect of her life and plan meticulously.

"Yes, quite." She replied awkwardly, shuffling so that she was underneath the covers and her modesty somewhat preserved. "I am sure we both understand that this," she gestured to the two of them haphazardly, causing him to smirk once again. "Is to stay between the two of us?"

He nodded, pulling his shirt back on and reaching for his wand that was still on her nightstand. He was much closer to her now, and Hermione felt her heartbeat quicken as he leaned across her to retrieve the last of his belongings. All she could smell was him, as though his very essence were filling up her lungs and dazing her mind.

"Why of course Granger," He replied with a wink, "Wouldn't want to soil your reputation now would we?"

With that he pulled away swiftly, the warm smell of apples and crisp aftershave vanishing as he did so.

Hermione, still a little in shock, took a minute to scramble for her dressing gown to throw over herself and lead him to the exit, but by the time she got into the living room he had already left, along with any sign that he had been there at all.

Hermione sat slowly on one of the kitchen barstools, pressing her fingertips to her lips which still felt as though they were burning. She didn't regret it, not like the last time. In fact, she was already luridly wondering when she would next be able to have him so intimately.

The fact that they had begun something so exciting, so passionate was dangerous. It wasn't like the two of them could ever be public or in a god-forbid relationship, so she knew this entire affair had an expiry date.

She just hoped that it wasn't soon.


Draco Malfoy entered his dark living room feeling more alive than he had in years. His skin was still singing with her touch, his shoulders lightly scratched where her delicate hands had clawed at his skin, neck and chest bruised from her lips. Salazar it had been good.

Now that he was out of her sight and away from the constant, never ending whirring of her pesky brain the grin that had been playing at his lips all evening could not be contained. He almost felt like calling Daphne on that godforsaken muggle device she was so fond of and thanking her, fuck it, he'd send her a bloody bouquet.

He would not allow those miserable concerns gnawing away to overcome his delight that evening. He would not think of how this was doomed to fail, how she could never be seen with him – how she wouldn't want to. Now was not the time.

He flicked his hand, lighting the candles and was about to pour himself a celebratory drink, when he noticed that something was awry.

The photo of himself and his father which he had thrown aside the last time he'd been in a rage had been placed on his coffee table. The glass was fixed and the tiny Draco was once again hovering and laughing on his broomstick beside his bemused father.

Draco's breath caught in his throat as he lifted up the frame for closer inspection. He had not had time to repair the photo, and he knew that Mopsy didn't touch his thinks (bar dirty dishes and laundry) unless asked.

The youthful version of him was still flying into the shot, laughing and toying with his father's hair as it always had done before. But now, the little boys eyes were blacked out and two tiny holes were in their place, not noticeable until one looked more carefully at the small picture.

He brushed his thumb over the glass and hissed as it burned the skin of his thumb, letting the picture drop once again to the floor and shatter. He swore under his breath and grabbed his wand to heal the deep, sizzling gash that had appeared on his left hand, the flesh slightly singed at the edges as though a hot knife had nicked it.

It was only after he had healed it and returned his gaze to the offending item on the floor that he spotted the scrap of parchment that had fallen out of the back of the frame when the glass had once again broken.

He lifted it up gently and unfolded it on the table, being careful to first levitate the remains of the glass and picture into a drawer of his dresser for safekeeping. That would need to be investigated at a more agreeable time.

Draco unfolded the small piece of parchment and studied the note written in what he was almost certain was blood. The colour was still faintly crimson, meaning that the message was fresh.

The daffodil blackens behind Wiltshire roses.

The message was not signed, though Draco felt bleakly that he knew who was responsible. He dropped it to the table and ran a hand through his hair, wondering what his best course of action was.

He knew exactly what the message meant, it was a threat. One that he could easily decode but he knew would not offer any proof danger to the ministry or their aurors.

All he had wanted was to enjoy the evening he had spent with Granger, her hands splayed across his back, her perfect mouth against his.

Draco took another look at the note, almost hoping that his exhilarated mind had imagined the entire scenario, but it was still there. With a sigh he pulled his cloak back around his shoulders and made sure the lovebites Hermione had left on his neck were properly glamoured.

He would simply have to deal with this himself.


"I just can't believe you left so early without telling me," Pansy sighed, stirring her coffee as Hermione collected her things for work. "I didn't realise Malfoy had upset you that much."

Hermione flushed as dark as her crimson shirt and deliberately took that moment to bend down out of view and put her shoes on. Thinking about the man who had been in her bed the previous night was proving a very dangerous activity, she couldn't stop flushing and remembering how it had felt to have his hands all over her, his lips on her thighs, lips against her own.

She chastised herself silently for once again letting her mind run amok and replied to her flatmate from the ground.

"Oh, I'm not too bothered about that Pansy, we actually worked it out before I decided to go home. I just was feeling a bit out of place in my costume and with all those rumours running around."

By the time she came back up and had cooled down, Pansy was already on to the next subject.

She had had a lot to tell Hermione that morning, dragging the brunette witch out of bed early much to Hermione's surprise.

Though Ron Weasley had not (thankfully) graced their apartment and Pansy's bed that evening, the two of them had decided to go on an actual date that week to try and give things a proper go.

"It's great!" Pansy had explained, far too chipper for Hermione who had been blearily making herself a coffee. "I made sure I explained that I have no fucking clue what I'm doing, and he seemed to understand. It's like we both like each other but we're not putting any pressure on anything."

"That's great Pans." Hermione had mumbled, wondering absently if there would ever be a time when she could say that about herself and the lover she had accidentally acquired.

She absent-mindedly touched the spot on her neck where the make up-covered skin was extra sensitive, a fresh bruise healing underneath from the night before. Her inner thighs were also peppered with bites and marks, but that was something she didn't have to cover up. Like her own little secret. Hermione smiled slightly at the devious thought and felt a flutter in her stomach.

"So, what's this about lunch plans then? I heard form Daph that you have been fiending away at something." Pansy asked, shaking Hermione from her thoughts.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot." Hermione replied, feeling more than a little frazzled. She had started to put this idea together at the end of last week before she had ended up falling into bed with Draco Malfoy not once but twice, and now her plan to reacquaint everyone seemed even more complicated.

She realised that she would simply have to get better at being a private person. There was no reason at all why her and Draco's new… arrangement should impact work or her social life. She could be an adult about this.

"I wanted to get the whole group back together for lunch again, I know that there's been a lot of tension because of myself and Theo but I believe that would be nice."

Pansy's confused frown slowly melted into a satisfied smirk as she listened to her flatmate's suggestion.

"Well, well, well, a few months ago you balked at the very idea of spending time with my old school friends and now look at you." She said, causing Hermione to roll her eyes. "But yes I agree I think that would be splendid. We should even try and get Draco involved, he hasn't done anything to really annoy me in a while so now is probably the time."

Hermione saw this as her own private victory – it would be far less suspicious if Pansy were to make this suggestion and not her, she could even play at being the irritated one in this scenario.

"Well if you're sure, he was rather a bastard yesterday." She replied carefully, making sure not to sound too put off by the idea – her and Draco had 'sorted things out' after all.

Pansy rolled her eyes and got up to grab her briefcase as the two of them headed over to their fireplace.

"Come on Hermione, try to be mature about it. I'm sure the two of you can manage not fighting or snogging for an hour long lunch."

Hermione allowed herself a private smile and nodded. If only she knew.


It was 9.30am and Draco was already exhausted. After going to visit his mother to let her know about someone breaking into his house he had managed about 3 hours sleep before he got up and headed to the ministry early.

His emergency meeting with Kingsley and the head of the Auror's office had been unproductive – neither his own cottage nor Malfoy manor would be allowed any more protective wards.

Both he and his mother had the most basic of magical warding on their properties – prevention of interest by muggles, and that was the level of security they were going to remain with.

He had done his best to remain calm, and hadn't even bothered mentioning the note and the photograph, just saying that someone had been into his house without his permission and he felt it was time that the Malfoys were afforded some more protection. But no, it seemed that even this long after the war there was still no place for leniency when his family were concerned.

He was jolted from his exhausted, pessimistic thoughts by someone clapping him heavily on the back, almost causing him to drop his papers.

"So mate, hear you're finally going to be joining us for lunch." Blaise was grinning at him as the other apprentices milled around, clearly at some point in the last few minutes Percy Weasley had stopped talking.

Draco was about to protest, probably with a snarl of some sort, before he remembered the favour he had promised Hermione the day before. He wasn't exactly bothered about keeping his word – especially with these new developments at home requiring his attention, but he was interested in seeing her naked again in the very near future.

"Yes, I suppose I am, Granger's doing isn't it? So, I can assume we will be eating in a tasteless establishment." He remarked coolly, catching Daphne's eye as she walked towards them.

"Well, no it was Pansy's idea actually, but Granger is coming if that's what you meant?" Blaise replied, cocking his head as he looked at his old friend curiously.

Draco would have cursed under his breath if he didn't have a tighter lid on his emotions. It certainly would have been beneficial for Granger to clue him in on specific details if she wanted this to run smoothly.

"Pansy Parkinson, meddling?" He remarked, raising an eyebrow. "What a surprising and unwelcome development."

At this Blaise laughed, his curiosity at Draco's slip of the tongue clearly sated, and he turned to address the slim brunette who had appeared at his side.

"So Daph, any word on Theo's availability tomorrow? Need to phone in and get that reservation booked." He asked carefully, glancing at Draco out of the corner of his eye.

The blonde just snorted. There was no way Theo would be attending lunch with his new nemesis, his ex-flame and all their colleagues.

"Yes he will be in attendance, so will Padma if she can tear herself away from the stacks and that Wizengamot lawyer she fancies." Daphne said serenely, shooting Draco a smug look as though she had been able to read his mind.

"Theo's coming?!" He spluttered incredulously, unable to contain his surprise. He and Theo had not spoken properly since the night he had kissed Hermione at her birthday party, and that conversation had ended with several punches being thrown. The other wizard was perhaps the most stubborn man Draco had ever encountered (including himself), and so it was certainly unnerving that he would be joining them at lunch.

"Yes, and Miss Patil in case you needed a new co-worker to snog." The curly haired wizard appeared as if from nowhere, his words barbed but his expression calm.

Draco took a long look at his former best friend, trying to read from his ever-neutral expression what was going on inside the other man's head.

It had been a while before the two of them had butted heads, and perhaps Theo had managed to work off some of his angst at the whole situation. It was either that or he was scheming at something, certainly not unbelievable considering that was all either of them seemed to be doing at the moment.

Draco realised after several long seconds of their staring match that everyone around them was waiting to see what he said next. Theo seemed completely unphased, while Blaise and Daphne were both looking anxiously at the two wizards. Even Hermione and Patil had stopped their conversation across the room.

"Well I think we've all seen what a terrible idea it is to snog co-workers," Draco began carefully, relishing in the blip of surprise that flashed across Theodore's features at his genial tone. "I think I'll be returning to my usual witches so Patil will just have to miss out."

For a moment the two men continued to stare at each other, and Draco could have sworn he detected an element of suspicion in the other man's eyes.

But it was gone in a flash, and Theo grinned at him before patting him on the shoulder.

"I can't wait to hear about the next conquest." He replied before turning to a slightly stunned looking Blaise. "Now, shall we actually get to work or is all of today written off for office gossip?"

Blaise nodded and shot Draco a relieved smile, clearly pleased that his blonde friend had not decided to continue the feud, before heading off towards the library.

Draco turned to locate his own partner and was confused to see that she too was already meandering towards the Law Enforcement Library with the Patil girl.

He strode towards her and tugged her lightly on the elbow, causing the small witch to jump and look up at him.

"We never study in the library" He said bluntly, trying to ignore the mischievous smirk that was plastered all over Padma's face. Damn the Daily Prophet for ruining their meeting spot.

"Yes well, I'm not sure our usual haunt would be wise given the recent rumours," Hermione muttered, blushing slightly at the mere mention of their supposed love affair. "And I think seeing as everything is calming down it would be nice to work together again, don't you?"

He had to hold back a growl. Just because Nott was no longer trying to knock his teeth out didn't mean he wanted a cosy study session between the three of them, but he could hardly say that without sounding unreasonable.

With a shrug he set off towards the library, a few steps ahead of the two women who were bringing up the rear.

Once they entered the grand room, Draco could immediately see why Hermione liked it so much. Though impressive and ornate, the library was also warm and a bit untidy, reminding him of the Hogwarts school library that the bushy haired brunette had spent so much time lingering in.

He followed her lead to a row of desks situated about two meters apart from one another. Theo and Blaise were already situated at one, Daphne and someone Draco didn't recognise (who he assumed must be Wizengamot) at another and Hermione laid her things down on a third.

She waved goodbye to Padma who was already running off to sit with a handsome young wizard a few shelves way and gestured for him to sit opposite her.

"What did she want then?" He muttered, nodding to the giggling form of Padma Patil who, it seemed, was already flirting.

Hermione frowned at the animosity in his voice but answered anyway.

"As you would expect she wanted to know anything and everything about our illustrious affair." At this, heat once again rose to Hermione's cheeks. She was terrible at lying, and supposed she was just fortunate that she could blame the heavy blushing on the embarrassing nature of the rumours.
"I just told her that we had become better friends and Penelope and Gregory wanted to spin that into something more dramatic for the papers."

"And you managed to convince her lying like that?" Draco asked with a smirk, gesturing to her wringing hands and the pink tinge to her cheeks. "We'll be ousted by Wednesday."

Hermione reached across and smacked his hand none too gently, giving him a reproachful look.

"Don't speak so loudly, you'll only make everything worse." She hissed, flipping her hair back and opening their files to the cases they had last been reading about.

A lump caught in her throat as she recalled why Draco had been comforting her that day in the coffee shop, but she pushed her emotions aside and pulled out a book on legal theory.

When she looked up he was watching her carefully, his head bent so it was almost meeting hers in the centre of their desk.

She blinked in confusion, about to ask what he was thinking, when he leaned back lazily in his chair and pointed to her notes.

"You know the issue here Granger, we have subordinates from lower Death Eater ranks who knew about this case and others, but they won't testify against Rodolphus. That's the heart of this entire case - if we can get good prosecution witnesses we're golden."

She nodded thoughtfully, chewing the end of her biro as she pondered their situation.

"I've always been a bit confused as to why that is – I mean he was never a particularly high ranking Death Eater despite his connections to Bellatrix, and if they did testify he would be put behind bars for life – maybe even given the kiss."

"Your point?" Draco asked, one eyebrow raised.

"My point is I don't see why people are so terrified of giving evidence against him, I mean, one of the witnesses we have who retracted his statement is going to stand up in court against Yaxley – what's the difference?" She finished, although she herself knew better than most that there was simply a quality about Rodolphus that made him seem more dangerous.

He reminded her of a rabid dog, but one that has not yet shown its true madness. It seemed there was something under the surface, more he could do to hurt people. Perhaps that was just her own fears talking as she remembered the crazed, heated look in his eyes that day they had crossed paths in the Battle of Hogwarts.

Draco too seemed to have similar feelings about the man. He had gone silent and stopped leaning back on his chair, in fact he looked quite concerned.

She watched him for a moment before deciding to ask what was wrong, but once again he beat her to the punch.

"We cannot underestimate him Granger." He said quietly, catching her gaze and staring intensely into her amber eyes. She shivered.

"Ok, I see your point," She mumbled, once again bringing her pen back up to her mouth to nibble on the end. "Is there anything wrong Draco? You don't seem,"

Her probing was cut off by him literally putting a finger to her lips. Her eyes went wide in shock as his index finger swept along the soft skin of her lower lip, and she was about to lurch away when he grinned and winked at her.

"Ink." He said simply, taking his thumb this time and putting a little more pressure on her mouth as he made the swiping motion once again. "Maybe you should stop chewing those pens."

She felt his thumb dip slightly into her mouth and finally came to her senses, pulling away quickly and dropping her pen to the table, trying desperately to ignore the way her stomach had fluttered and heat had blossomed in her chest at his touch.

She felt suddenly as though she were being watched, and jerked her chair back so suddenly that it screeched on the hardwood floor.

"Fine, then I suppose I need to go to the ladies room Malfoy." She spat, practically trembling with anger as she fumbled for her bag and covered her lips with one hand, hoping that her cheeks hadn't gone that tell-tale crimson.

He watched her stalk off, mildly amused and enjoying the view of her from behind. He didn't know why she only ever wore skirts, he would have pegged her for a trousers type of woman, but he certainly wasn't complaining.

Eventually he grinned to himself and turned back around to his work, but his eyes flickered to his left as he registered someone looking at him.

Theo Nott was shooting daggers across the two desks, his hand clenched into a fist under the table while Blaise looked anxiously from his partner to Draco and back again.

"Something I can help you with gentlemen?" He asked serenely, leaning back and resting his hands behind his head as Nott snapped a pencil in two.

This whole 'building bridges' thing was going to be extremely entertaining.


There we have it! Back in the game!

So I hope you enjoyed the sexy part of this chapter, thought it was high time we had some proper Dramione goodness in the mix! As you can see I still have plans for the future plot and how this is gonna work out (actually always had these plans just got insane writers block.. lol)

I want to know:

- How you think this plan to reconnect the Slytherins is going to go

- What's in store for our star crossed lovers

- AND of course what about that note? Who is threatening our lovely boy?

REVIEW and tell me bbys, have a lovely week x