CHAPTER 7

"Morning, darling," she heard a voice say. Diana slowly began blinking her eyes open, only to find her boyfriend standing at the edge of the bed, folding a few shirts.

"Merlin, Draco!" she exclaimed, nervous for a second that she was late for something. It quickly dawned on her that it was Sunday and that she wasn't due for her mission till Tuesday. She relaxed back into the bed, reminding herself to make the best of her days off. "What time is it?"

He chuckled, "'S only seven, love. Thought I'd let you sleep in." Draco walked over to her side of the bed before leaning in, placing a soft, good morning kiss on her lips. "I've got to get ready to go, but you're welcome to stay here as long as you'd like to."

"That's right. I forgot all about your trip back to your old stomping grounds," she murmured, stretching out in bed.

"It'll just be for a few days, love. I'm looking forward to giving a guest lecture at the healing academy. It's quite an honor, to be asked, you know?" he began, as he began to pack his duffle bag.

Diana sat up, realizing that he had probably been packing while she slept. He continued to pack, adding a stack of folded tops into the bag along with what he had already packed. He was already dressed too, clad in a clean t-shirt and a pair of jeans, his hair brushed neatly.

"Yes, well, they're lucky to have you," she said, running a hand through her bed head. Diana sat up, leaning against the pillows. "How long have you been up?"

"An hour or so," Draco answered as he added his neatly folded dress robes into the suitcase as well.

"Hmm," she hummed in response, glancing around the apartment.

She had stayed the night a handful of times at his apartment but they often spent the night at hers. She didn't know what to expect, but by the looks of it, the Malfoy family had very much so kept their fortune even after the war.

"Well, don't mind me if I have absolutely no intention of getting out of bed any time soon. I'm back on mission this week," Diana sighed, laying back in bed. She quite enjoyed watching her very handsome boyfriend pack for his trip.

"Ahh… how is Potter anyways?" Draco asked, curiously.

"Good," Diana replied quickly.

She hadn't exactly told him about the two time thing between her and Harry. She didn't know how to explain it, really. It was a combination between the heightened circumstances of the mission and the fact that they both were a little bit lonely. She didn't have feelings for him - feelings more than as a friend. She never really had… but it was something that had just, well, happened. Maybe Draco didn't need to know, though she couldn't help but think about their old grade school rivalry.

"Good," Draco answered, casually. She was sure that he didn't suspect anything.

"Speaking of my friends… do you think maybe, I dunno… maybe it's time to tell them about us?" Diana suggested, catching Draco off guard. He tucked away his notebook and last of his things into the suitcase, before zipping it closed.

He shrugged, "Sure. If that's what you want."

"Well, what do you think about it?" Diana asked, curiously.

"I think…" he started, with a chuckle and a sigh. "I think that it's not going to go over all that well with 'em."

Diana nodded, "But we knew that."

"We did," Draco agreed.

"I'm just curious, is all. I ehm, well, I want you to think it over too. I'm not quite ready right now, but I could be soon, you know?" Diana started.

"Sure, darling. Tell them when you're ready and we'll figure out the rest from there," Draco assured.

Diana nodded, pretty satisfied with the conclusion they had come to. She was so happy with him but equally as nervous to tell her friends. It had been a month now and while she was head over heels for her boyfriend, she hadn't been able to tell her best friend.

"Bloody hell… why do you look so damn good right before I have to leave?" Draco moved over to her side of the bed, leaning down for another kiss.

"How long have you got?" Diana asked, mischievously. She pulled him down to her on the bed, deepening the kiss.

"Another hour or so," Draco answered, murmuring the words against her lips.

"Ah, that's plenty of time," she giggled, beginning to shimmy out from under the covers to wrap her legs around his waist.

Diana flipped on the light to her office with the intent to grab a few things for her stakeout with Harry. She had one day in office with some of the other aurors before her and Harry were back in the field this week. Most of their work usually consisted of cleaning up the remnants from the war: finding old death eaters, detecting threats to the ministry and preventing them before they happened, the works. To her shock and surprise, there was a black parcel on her desk with a neatly wrapped black bow on it.

She moved towards her desk, examining the package. The black parcel had shiny black letters that read: Madam Beauchamp's Shop for Delicate Little Things.

Merlin.

Diana pulled the tail of the ribbon, undoing the perfect bow, before lifting the lid of the package off.

She gasped, taking the small card at the top of the box and reading the words written on it:

"I couldn't help myself. When I saw it, I couldn't stop thinking about you. And you in it. Can't wait to see you when I'm home. xx, DM"

"Bloody hell," she whispered, unfolding the tissue paper that had been wrapped around her gift.

Diana pulled out a stunning delicate, black lace bra. She blushed, seeing the matching and even more delicate piece of underwear at the bottom of the box as well. He had bought her lingerie… French lingerie. She could feel the heat in her cheeks as he turned bright read. It was flattering... and sexy… and a little embarrassing that she was receiving this at work. Had he wanted someone else to see? Was he trying to show the other aurors that she was his?

Diana dropped the bra instantly, her heart racing, her face flush, and her skin on fire.

"Whatcha got there?" she heard a voice ask, causing her to jump.

"Hermione!" Diana exclaimed.

"Sorry," Hermione chuckled, curiously peering over the desk. "Another gift from the mystery man you insist on keeping from the rest of us?"

"Ehm… yeah," Diana blushed, her face flushed. She quickly flipped the card on her desk, face down. This was something that she had to share with her best friend. "Hermione…." Diana slowly pushed the black box towards her, to show her what she had just been gifted. Hermione and Diana exchanged glances.

"Oh!" Hermione gasped, as she moved the tissue paper aside to reveal the lingerie that had been sent to her best friend. "My…"

"Yes," Diana blushed.

"It's beautiful but… it's one hell of a gift," Hermione said, blushing now too.

"Yes," Diana repeated.

"So…" Hermione started, taking a seat in the chair across from her best friend. "Any chance you want to tell me more about this mystery man? Ron and I were just talking about how surprised we were that you've kept him around for… what a month, almost two months now?"

"Hermione!" Diana exclaimed.

"What? It's true. We've never seen you like this…" Hermione pointed out. "Truly, Di, I'm happy for you, really, but you're going to have to introduce him to us eventually."

"Thank you," Diana replied. Before she could say anything else, another figure appeared in the doorway, capturing both of their attention.

"Tsai, you ready?" Harry asked, leaning up against the door.

"Yes! Yes, sorry," Diana replied, frantically grabbing for her gift that lay on the desk. She quickly and clumsily placed the lid back on and threw the box on her desk chair, praying that Harry hadn't seen what was in it. "Hermione and I were just catching up. I'm ready. Hermione we'll ehm, we'll have to continue this later."

In some ways, she was grateful that she didn't have to have this conversation with Hermione right this instant and the mission would be a great distraction.

"Alright," Hermione said, watching her friend carefully. She was so jump and eager to leave that it was almost as if she couldn't get out of there fast enough. She watched as Diana slung her messenger back over her shoulder. "Dinner soon?"

"'Course," Diana answered, practically sprinting out of her office.

Hermione couldn't shake the odd feeling that she had gotten from the very awkward interaction. Surely lingerie couldn't be that rattling for Diana. She got up to leave, but saw that the lovely, and what she could imagine had been an expensive, gift had fallen on the floor.

"Oh no," she whispered, walking around Diana's desk.

Hermione bent down, placing the bra back into the box. She neatly tucked the underthings back into the tissue paper and gently placed the lid back onto it. Should she leave it on the desk? Hermione stood up, placing the black box on the desk, only to spot the card Diana had left that lay face down. She couldn't help herself. She had to know who and what her best friend was hiding from them. Her eyes scanned the note, growing larger as she read on.

"D… M…," she said aloud, letting herself put it together. And then it dawned on her. No. But it couldn't be. It would explain why Diana had been so secretive about it but… how could it even be possible? "Oh my… but it can't be. Malfoy?!"

LINEBREAK

"Merlin, how long do you think it's gonna take?" Harry groaned, shifting uncomfortable in the car that they both sat in. They were disguised as muggles and had even changed a few of their features to be unrecognizable.

"Think as long as it takes to see some proof that it's being used as a safe house, Potter," she responded, chuckling at his impatience. "They're playing the exact game as we are. They've disguised themselves as muggles and we won't see the kinds of concealment charms because they don't want to be detectable as magical. We're just going to have to be patient."

"Yeah," Harry sighed out, bored already.

"Could be here all night, Harry, so I suggest we get a little reading material for you as well," Diana repeated, flipping through the magazine she was casually reading.

"Could be," Harry repeated, a small smile on his face.

He leaned over towards her as she turned the page, as if he wanted to see what she was looking at.

"What? You want this after I'm-, oh!" Diana exclaimed, turning towards him only to find his face inches away from hers.

"Like you said, we could be here all night," he smirked, leaning in to kiss her, as she pulled away almost instantly.

"I ehm, I-, we can't… I can't… we can't do that anymore," Diana stumbled, quick to try and create space between the two of them.

He shrugged, "You said that the last time."

"Yeah and I meant it!" Diana shot back, a little shocked at his persistence. "I thought we talked about this, Potter."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. I'm just… I'm bored is all," he sighed, settling into his seat.

Diana shook her head, a small laugh of disbelief escaping her mouth, "Well, I'm glad that I'm a great option for you when you're bored."

"That's not what I-," Harry started.

"It's fine, really, Harry," Diana interrupted, shaking her head. "I ehm… I meant it when I said it the last time. We can't do this anymore."

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just you kind of said that the first time and then we-," Harry apologized.

"Besides," Diana started, clearing her throat and cutting him off. She wasn't quite sure how far this conversation would go but she had to say something. "I'm, well, I'm ehm, I'm sort of… well I am… seeing someone."

"Oh," was all Harry managed to get out.

"Yeah," Diana replied, leaving the two of them in a thick silence after.

They both sat, watching the passerbys across the street, walking outside of the flats that their car was parked across from. Diana looked down at her finger nails, fidgeting with one of them. She was afraid he'd ask who and that she'd have to tell him. Could she lie? But then what about she did eventually tell her friends that she was madly in love with Draco Malfoy. Merlin...

"Well, I'm happy for you. That's good… that you're seeing someone," Harry finally said, breaking the silence between the two.

"Thank you," Diana replied, awkwardly. She looked up from her hands, a weak smile on her face. She hoped he wouldn't ask further.

"You're welcome," Harry replied, uncomfortably.

They sat in silence once again - no one knowing what to say.

"Ginny's coming home in a few weeks," Harry offered up, again breaking the silence between them.

"Well, that's good, innit?" Diana replied, shifting uncomfortably.

"Yes. I don't know if… if she's ready or not to talk - to work things out - but I think I may be," Harry said.

"Good, that's-, that's good," Diana said back.

"I'm not planning on telling her-," Harry started.

"I don't think you should!" Diana exclaimed, interrupting him. "If you really want a chance with her, Harry… don't… I don't know if that'll do either of you two any good, to be honest."

Harry nodded slowly in agreement, as the two returned to yet another uncomfortable silence. Diana cleared her throat, then returned her gaze to her hands, placed gently in her lap. It was going to be a long night ahead of her.

"I don't think so either. It's-, and I do… want to work things out with her, you know?" Harry answered.

It was Diana's turn to nod in agreement.

"You know this is… it's a little bit sleazy, don't you think?" Diana asked, exchanging glances with Harry.

"What?" Harry asked back, innocently.

"Us… talking about this. You're talking about your wife with your ehm, with someone you've been with while you've been on a break. You know…"

Harry blushed, "I suppose it is."

The two shared an uncomfortable chuckle, not sure of how to navigate the next several hours.