When Draco stepped out of her fireplace a few days later with a troubled look on his face she drew her wand. He cocked a half smile before holding up his hands in mock surrender.

"I am unarmed." He chuckled lightly. She slowly lowered her wand eyeing him carefully.

"You blew up my couch last time you walked in here while upset." She mused lightly.

"It's an ugly couch." He shrugged, throwing himself in his usual spot. "This one is much better."

"Well since you are always lounging about on that one then you can see why I need the spare." She all but hissed as she continued to gather materials. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Am I not welcomed?" He questioned cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Of course you are." She sighed, shooting him a glare. "I just thought that with your great success you would be having a roaring party by now."

"And that I wouldn't invite you?" He pouted, Hermione nearly choked when she realized it was coming across as quite charming.

"No offense but I don't think I will ever be going out with your friends again. The first time I was hung over for days. The second time I almost had my cover blown. Let's avoid any back alley escapes in the future."

"Ah." He winced and she felt the slightest bit guilty. "Again I'm-"

She cut him off quickly before he could strangle out another apology. She was starting to prefer when he was an insolent cur who was too good to ask for forgiveness. "Thank you. For getting me out of there and for getting me home."

"Wasn't so bad." He shrugged slightly looking up into her rafters, seemingly coming to a decision. "It's not a good story unless you have to sneak out the back."

"I read the Skeeter article this morning." He winced and she did too, fully aware it was her drawing attention to the whole shenanigan that sprouted the rumors. Right there on page four of The Prophet she almost spit out her coffee reading about the love triangle between Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, and one Mia Merago. Ginny was probably raging and she was never leaving the house with black hair again.

"I didn't." He cocked a lazy grin at her. "My receptionist set the whole paper on fire before it even touched my desk this morning. Blaise had to read me his copy over the fire, in between rounds of riotous laughter."

"Is she after you or Harry?" Hermione asked lightly leaning on her work table. The whole situation was ridiculous and surprisingly she was finding quite a bit of humor in it.

"I mean if you read the article she is probably after Mia. Girl gets around, didn't you hear." Hermione snorted as the lithe man rolled himself off his couch. "I thought I would lay low for a while. I cancelled all my appointments and came to bother you. Apparently you're a hell-cat in bed."

"Don't you, and I do mean this in the worst way possible, have something useful to do? Like your job?" She questioned boredly, trying to cover the flush of warmth at the statement. There was a shift in mood, falling somewhere between serious and tense, it sent a shiver down her spine.

"Please. I have made my fortune five times over. Work is just something to do now." The floorboard creaked under his weight as he stalked over. She felt her pulse pick up as she watched him, every instinct telling her not to let him out of her sight.

"Then go do it."

"For some reason, I don't really want to." He drew up uncomfortably close to her and Hermione felt distinctly small and prey-like. His eyes were staring down at her curiously, his mouth pulled into a tight line as he examined her as if trying to figure something out.

"You're looming." She spit out avoiding his gaze, though she wasn't sure why.

"Am I?" The question was rhetorical, the words rolling off his tongue in a smooth velvet.

"You are." She huffed drawing herself up to full height with a defiant glean in her eye as she met him with a challenge. "If you want something from me, prostration is usually more effective."

He chuckled, the breath lightly tickling against her eyelashes. With a quick step back cold air flushed against her face and she felt her shoulders relax. "This is the best I've got considering I blew up your couch last time."

"Well looming is better than homicidal." She huffed, grabbing her bag. "What are you pissed about now?"

"Fucking Potter. He's up to something."

"Oh god not this again!" Hermione groaned, flashes of fifth year danced across her vision. "You sound just like him back in school. 'Draco Malfoy is a Death Eater… he's evil... he's up to something'."

"To be fair, he was right." Draco shrugged nonchalantly.

"Dumbledore was much more suspicious at the time and his action had much further reaching consequences." Hermione all but growled thinking of the previous headmaster.

"Woah. Golden girl has turned on the benevolent leader." He mocked. "Call the press!"

"He did the best he could with what he had." She sighed, cooling immediately. The intricacies of the game they played as children were mostly lost to time. Noone could really say what the right moves would have been in hindsight. "I just really wish he had a better option than a group of three children and a teenager going through a midlife crisis."

Draco's guffaws were hidden in his hand as he caught himself. "Right well. I am pissed because apparently Potter holds the copyright to your elixir and is fighting us on it."

"What?!" She screeched, sending Crookshanks diving off the armchair and making Draco wince. "How?!"

"Well according to the Copyright Claim Board you are dead and I'd assume Potter is in your will?" He quirked an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Which is an interesting topic within itself? Did I hit a bit too close to home on that ex-partner line?"

"Once again Harry and I were not a thing. You seem to have an obsession with the man though. It's okay, Draco, you don't have to hide your true feelings around me." She mocked, the poisonous glare he returned made her snicker. "But, last I checked I am not dead.

"That's what I said. Regardless it won't matter. Intellectual rights don't really exist in Wizarding Britain." He sighed rubbing the back of his head in frustration. "The thinking being if you didn't want anyone to make and market it you shouldn't give them the recipe."

"And of course he's pissed at you from the other night and is trying to annoy you." She groaned, leaning on the table. "Mature."

"I'll get him back though" He smirked evilly. "I've decided to put a sleeping cat on the label. A red one."

"Must you antagonize him?"

"I must." She sighed, tossing a balled up scrap of parchment at him. "What is more cozy than a drowsy kitten?"

"Fine." She huffed pushing forward and gliding past him. He sputtered dramatically as she felt her hair brush against his chest. "I'm heading to Agraba for some shopping, you can meet Ali."

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When Draco first saw Harry again he thought it was a coincidence. He was at the ministry pushing through the paperwork on the Elixir. A new set of laws passed through requiring a new bottle color for all sleep based potions released after a certain date. That date just happened to coincide with the month before the Elixir was released. His malachite-touched glare locked onto Draco from across the lobby and didn't leave him until the flames of the floo overtook his vision.

The second time was a bit stranger but could easily be passed off as coincidence. He and Blaise had left his office to have lunch at a local takeaway spot. He saw the flash of dark hair first and was able to control his reaction appropriately. By the time Harry Potter popped into the restaurant he was paying the check.

The third time was enough to warrant severe concern. After a long day at the office Draco had apparated to the alleyway by Hermione's with visions of spending the next few hours couch lounging on his mind. Suddenly, he froze in his usual pathway to her door overcome by an immediate need for a pastry. On a turn of his heel he wandered over to the cafe across the street as if it had been his original destination. Not five minutes after sitting down he saw Potter drift by with a scowl. He was being followed.

That in and of itself was nothing new. Draco had a trace on him since the war and spent the first year afterward carefully monitored by a variety of aurors. What was strange was that the Minister of Magic somehow found time in his day to follow Draco across London with unerring accuracy after he had been released from

With a sigh he stared out the window of his balcony towards his pool. It had gotten so boring without his visits to Granger's to break up the monotony of London winters. It was rain and slush followed by cold wind and gray skies. He would kill for some sun, particularly for a beach. He wondered if Granger owned a bikini. He really should invite her over for a swim. Damn it, he was actually starting to miss her presence. It was just something so interesting in the otherwise bland interactions of his life. He had never noticed how everyone just cowed to his desires, how no one challenged him on any thought or action. Even Blaise and Theo mostly went with the flow, only offering a correction on things that pertained to laws and regulations. There was no fire in them, not like she had.

He forced himself back onto his train of thought. It was pointless to have the pool out on the roof considering it was always so damn cold in London but it was still out there nonetheless taking up more space and effort than it was worth. He may as well purchase some heating charms to make it useful year round. Then again he would probably have to start hosting pool parties. Which if Hermione did have a bikini and was kind enough to wear it she would be eyed by every guest and he couldn't have that. It would be way too much attention.

He was contemplating just bricking the damned thing over when an incredibly small gray speckled owl with bright orange eyes landed deftly on the patio umbrella. The creature shook it's feathers sending water droplets flying against the glass. With a sigh Draco opened the door and handed off an owl treat. It stuck its foot out excitedly, trying it's best to nip at Draco when he moved to retrieve the parchment.

He shoo'd the bird away as he pulled the unmarked missive inside. Private post then. He had just broken the seal when he realized his salvation tended to come in the strangest of forms. This time in the case of one Ronald Weasley.

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Part of him was wondering why in the hell he was actually waiting for Weasley in a muggle bar off of Carnaby Lane. The place was dark and low brow. It was too loud for polite conversation and to blue collar for anything actually fun to happen. And this is how Weasley found him, wrapped in a dark green jumper and muggle jeans from one of his fancy dress costumes, sulking at the end of the bar.

"Wasn't sure you'd show." Ron Weasley sat down on the stool next to him staring straight forward. It took every string of his willpower not to drop enough insults to bury the man right there.

"I wasn't either." He murmured over his rather rustic ale. The muggles had gotten back into natural beer making processes making them somewhat drinkable again. The bubbles formed a tight foam cap floating lightly on a creamy amber base.

"Well…" The red head trailed off as he met Draco's eye's in the mirror behind the spirits. He looked tired. His thick red hair had grown out to his shoulders and was pushed behind his ears. His freckled face was pale as always, with dark smudges under his eyes. Draco wondered if anyone over the age of 17 ever got any sleep or if this was just a shitty part of adulthood no one ever talked about. Auror training had moved the man from a gangly stalk to a fairly filled out fighter. The few scars populated his hands tipped his knuckles and appeared to be from good old fashioned brawls.

"Why did you call me here Weasley? I am finding it exceedingly difficult to be polite." He huffed taking a large swig of the amber ale. It was about as diplomatic as he could manage.

"Could you just… not? This is plenty dodgy as is. I don't need you taking the piss out of it." Ron ordered a similar drink as Draco and they sat waiting for it to be delivered.

"Fine, you utter dunce. I am only here because I could not fathom what a cock-up like you would want with me. Although the atmosphere is plenty appropriate for someone of your… income." Ron flared red, the tips of his ears flushing a familiar color.

"Fucking posh prick. Bet a toff like you would buy the whole place only to burn it down for ruining the view of your stroll." Silence fell again as the beer slid in front of him. Something was very settling about the interaction. Draco was not exactly sure what was going to happen when he read the letter. He was interrupted by Weasley's gravelly voice. "How do you feel about self preservation?"

"Malfoys are always game for self preservation."

"Coulda fooled me." Ron shot back heartily.

"Right, well. State your peace so I can get out of this bloody hell hole."

"Fucking twat." Ron shook his head but Draco could almost catch a smile as he threw back his drink. "'S Harry."

"It's always fucking Potter. I know. Arsehole has been following me around all week." He scoffed.

"Yup. That'll be him. He seems to think you had somethin' to do with 'Mione's disappearing act a few years ago…" Ron paused looking for a reaction. Draco elected to continue to stare at him like he was stupid. "And the fact she hasn't come back."

Draco ignored the twisting feeling in his stomach. It was pretty rich hearing the ginger act concerned considering how he hadn't bothered to look into the girl in years. Hell, Potter was annoying but at least he still cared.

"Granger? This shit again." He huffed trying to look thoroughly annoyed at being accused of something he was actually involved in. "Don't care about the bint. Haven't seen her since… well not since the trials."

"Yeah, I figured." Ron responded, visibly relaxing. "Look, Harry is my best mate. He has really got a hold on this theory of his and I don't think he's gonna let it go."

"Since when did you become the voice of reason in the trio?" Draco shot with an eyebrow raised.

"Beats me. I just wanted to play quidditch and have parties. It was your lot that kept dragging us into blood magic and crack fairy tales." Ron shrugged. "Just tell me flat out do you know what happened to 'Mione?"

"No." Draco answered honestly. He really had no idea why she disappeared or where she went. He didn't really know all that much about Hermione Granger except from the past eight months. There was a lot of background he was still missing. Sure her favorite posies were the red ones and she learned to cook in a small village in Italy. But anything useful? No. He did know what was presently happening with her though, a small technicality.

"Right. Sorry." The man sighed deeply. " Look I get it. I really do. You've been doing some right decent things around war recovery. I know that you have turned over a new leaf and I'll be fucked, but I believe it."

"Your confidence is heartwarming." Draco responded, rolling his eyes.

"Fuck off, you're still a git." Ron gruffly snickered out. His face schooled back to something more serious as he stared at Draco in the mirror. "Look, I can't figure out why he's so obsessed with this. It's eating at him alive and it's not right."

"Maybe he's right." Draco responded, doing some fishing of his own. "Who knows why she disappeared or where she went? Maybe she is locked in some Death Eater's basement somewhere."

"Naw." Ron shook his head slowly. "She left a note on her bed the day she left. Took us bloody ages to find it with all the damn parchment scattered about the room. She left of her own free will."

"And you are so sure?"

"Pretty sure 'Don't bother looking for me' is pretty damn clear." He responded flatly. It sounded like something she would write. Draco shook his head, trying to keep any thoughts from showing on his face.

"Well what do you want me to do about Potter's obsession? It's not like I am encouraging it." Although maybe Draco was taking a bit more suspicious paths home lately. It was just so much fun watching the Minister trying to keep up without blowing his cover. Draco could have swore he heard the man scream in frustration when he apparated into Buckingham Palace… for the fifth time this week. The queen's security team was getting plenty of drill work this week.

"I'm gonna give you some advice and suggest that you follow it. Not for your sake but for his." Ron turned directly to him, meeting his actual eyes for the first time. The man looked serious, his blue eyes had grown cold after years rooting out dark wizards. "Get out of town. Not forever, just for a while. Let him calm down."

"I can't just leave." Draco responded incredulously. "I have a company to run."

"Take a vacation. Just a couple weeks until he gets distracted."

"And that won't look horridly suspicious I suppose?" Draco scoffed, tossing back his beer.

"Won't matter; you'll be clear of the fall out." He shrugged, turning back to the mirror. "I know you're mostly a decent guy, well, as much as someone like you can be. But I also know that your mum's not in a great place. Do you really want to be drawing attention to that?"

"The fuck did I do?" Draco growled choosing to glare into his empty cup.

"He thinks you got 'Mione and that's good enough." Ron leaned back slightly. "Not sure why he thinks she would be slumming around with you though."

"Piss off." Draco growled as he stood. "Why do you care? So Potter obsesses over me for a few months. Big deal."

"Big fucking deal." Ron snarled back. "Because if he obsesses he will find something. Then he'll drag me into it. Then that god damn obsession will be all over the papers and Ginny will get upset and run crying to mum. Then he will be too busy to take care of Lolo. Then I will have to fetch it when mum gets on me about it and FUCK I hate that dog."

"Glad to see you're so selfless." Draco rolled his eyes to cover his amusement as Ron muttered into his beer. "I am more of a cat person myself."

"I am more of a nothing-that-pisses-on-my-rug person." Ron chuckled humorlessly. "Anyway, they're my family. I know you don't have the same sort of mushy feelings about it that we do but I will do anything to help them. This just seems to be the least damaging path for everyone, including you."

"Are we done here? I'd like to return to air that doesn't smell like it's been inside someone's body." Draco scoffed, pulling out a wallet.

"Yeah get outta here you cock. Maybe a vacation will help you pull that stick from up your arse." Ron responded, ordering another. In a motion that he may regret later Draco dropped a handful of notes on the bar. He gestured towards Ron as the bartender approached.

"This fucking twee drinks for the rest of the night." He nodded with an begrudging respect for the red-head as the man tipped his beer lightly. He didn't have to warn him, the least Draco could do was pick up the tab. Without another word he sailed back out into the night, thinking of where he was going to apparently be spending the next two weeks.

World Building with Om

Security Spells:

Hermione has a variety of wards and charms on her home to prevent notice. In this case when more than one person arrives at her apparation point (within a set range) it triggers a compulsion charm in warning.

Royal Connections: The queen is of course aware of the magical world. As such she has security wards to alert the guard to unwanted magical intruders. She has also been known to have tea with Lady Malfoy and her charming son in years prior though it has be awhile. Hopefully she will drop by again soon.