Just thought I should say, thanks for the reviews and follows/favourites and I hope you enjoy.

Draco needed to clear his head, again. This was becoming a habit, whenever he found himself thinking about Hermione too much, which was too often. It was Wednesday morning and Draco was up early, pulling on his trainers and throwing an old holey top on.

The day was clear, but there was a chill in the air to fit the changing of season, Draco ran his usual windy route along the deserted roads and across the dewy fields, not really paying attention to the picturesque surroundings, focusing solely on not focusing on a certain witch. Instead he chose to worry about his son, who still hadn't written to him. He was close to writing to the headmistress herself, he hadn't even written to let him know what house he was sorted into; though Draco was in no doubt it would be Slytherin, especially given his recent obsession. This adrenaline fuelled panic saw him home and completing the quickest shower he had ever taken. He dressed equally as speedily in some light grey slacks and a pink shirt with a tie matching the trousers. Clattering down the old stairs, Draco haphazardly threw his work robes on and grabbed his bag off the dining room table along with his wand and keys before rushing down the hall and out the door. He did however take time to lock the door carefully before continuing on his way, he didn't want to break the key off in the lock...again.

His robes billowed as he apparated into the Ministry's apparition point, heading straight to the lifts.

He stood, straightening his robes, waiting for the lift to move.

"Hold the doors!" An oh too familiar voice shouted, the person behind it running gracelessly after it. It seems it wasn't only Draco who was late this morning.

"Hermione, good morning." Draco smirked as the woman who had been plaguing his thoughts crashed through the closing doors into the lift.

"Not really, Draco, no." Hermione said, slightly out of breath.

"Late as well?"

"I'm never late!" Hermione said, offended.

"Just not on time then?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"Yes, something like that." Hermione replied, smiling back at him, "Have you heard from Scorpius yet?" She asked.

"Not yet. Obviously he doesn't think it important to write to his father. If I don't hear from him by next week I'll end up writing to the school." Draco said, looking down at the floor. He hoped Scorpius' silence was because he was busy learning the error of his recent ways as well as lots of new magic, but he feared it was because he was too busy teaching others of his dastardly beliefs.

"I'm sure he's just settling in, doesn't want to bother you or something." Hermione offered, trying to catch Draco's eye but he daren't raise his gaze from the floor of the lift. She was worried about the man, his shirt was half untucked at the back and there was a light stubble growing on his face; Draco, ordinarily pristinely presented, was letting himself go in the worry.

"Come over to mine for dinner tonight? You look like you could do with the company," Hermione asked as the lift opened on their floor.

"No no its fine, I've got loads of work to do anyway-"

"Draco, I'm your boss' boss, I know you've got a light workload this week. You're coming round for dinner, that's an order." Hermione smirked, strutting away from Draco to her office on the opposite end of the floor. He stood stunned, staring at the place Hermione had long since vacated. He couldn't believe this; a few weeks ago he had been a normal somewhat-struggling single parent to somewhat-difficult pre teen and now he was a distraught parent with a pre teen, who was definitely too interested in dark magic, and a friendship, that definitely was not forming into a crush, with his boss' boss.

"Mental." Draco muttered under his breath, shaking his head at the absurdity of it all.

"Ah, Malfoy, there you are. Come on I need you to sit in on this meeting and write up the minutes." Dennis had found him and once again he was sucked back into the mediocrity of work at the Ministry.

"Yes sir." Draco said, following the squat wizard into the meeting room.

Hours later and it was the end of the work day, finally. Draco grumbled and sighed his way to the lifts, pulling his tie to loosen it and undoing his top button, it had been a long day, made worse by the arrival of his owl at lunch time:

Father,

Sorry I did not write immediately, I have been busy.

I am fine and was sorted into Slytherin; I am very pleased.

Hope you are alright as well.

Yours,

S.M.

Draco thought back to the cold, blank words that his son had written, he ran his hand through his hair, beside himself with worry for his only child. He had never been so clinical and formal with Draco before, they had always shared a warm, loving relationship; Draco would never let it be anything like his with Lucius where a cane to the side was as much comfort as could be awarded. Draco thought the word 'hug' hadn't reached their vocabulary.

The lift was about to take off down the dark passageways of the Ministry when, for the second time that day, none other than Hermione Granger bundled into his lift.

"Ah, Draco, you ready for lasagne?" Hermione said with a small smile, tucking a curl behind her ear and preparing herself for the rush of movement as the lift doors closed. It was then that she looked at him, seeing his anguish painted so visible on his features.

"Draco are you alright? What's happened?" She asked, the small smile turning into a frown of worry.

"I, uh, got a letter from Scorp today." Draco said, his voice cracking from the dryness of his mouth.

"But that's a good thing isn't it?" Hermione asked, confused.

"It would have been. But he just sounded so different. It reminded me of the letters I used to write, how my father had taught me to write them." Draco spat out the word 'father', there was clearly no love-loss at his trial.

"Oh gosh, Draco I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps you could write back in your normal way, try and coax him out of it. And you'll get a chance at Christmas too." By this point the lift had reached their destination and they were walking towards the apparition point.

Draco only grunted in response, crestfallen.

"Look, I need to go and pick up Hugo from the Burrow and then go home to prep dinner, could you floo to mine? Here I've written down the address." Hermione rambled, handing Draco a small piece of parchment.

"What time Granger?" Draco said, he wanted another shower and to get out of his work clothes, not that he owned much else in terms of attire.

"Six thirty?" Hermione offered, taken aback slightly at Draco reverting to surnames.

"Excellent, I'll see you then." Draco said, forcing a smile for her sake rather than his own, he was actually looking forward to spending an evening with her and just having company, he just didn't have the energy to truly show it at this time. With that, he turned on the spot, taking him straight to his little home.