As always I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from JK Rowling's fantastic books or films, I'm just borrowing and playing with them for a little while and get no monetary reward for doing so

A/N: Thank you to my wonderful beta Mamacita, who has been working overtime on my stories recently! I really appreciate everything you do.

'Would you care to dance?' a polite voice asked smoothly.

Hermione turned to find the tall figure of Draco Malfoy standing beside her. She gave a small frown.

'You do know who I am, don't you?' she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly, wondering if he was having some sort of joke with her.

Draco nodded his head once and held out his hand. Shrugging, Hermione took it and he led her out onto the dance floor. A moment later his other arm was around her waist and they were waltzing. He was an accomplished dancer, Hermione soon realised, much better than Ron, although of course he had probably learnt as a child, part of his privileged upbringing.

'You've changed considerably,' he told Hermione, leaning in close to whisper in her ear as they danced. 'Hardly the bushy-haired, buck-toothed little Mudblood I remember from school.' His voice was still pleasant, although Hermione couldn't help stiffening slightly at the criticism. 'I didn't mean that nastily,' he hastily assured her as they worked their way around the room, 'just the opposite in fact. You really are gorgeous, Hermione. Weasley's a very lucky man.' He pulled her a little closer to him for a moment before easing off again.

Hermione looked at Draco with suspicion. 'What do you want, Malfoy?' she asked. 'You've never been pleasant to me before, so why start now?'

Draco smiled. 'Time to let bygones be bygones? After all, it has been twenty years since we left school, Hermione, and the world has changed considerably in that time. Surely we can at least be civilised and call each other by our first names, can't we?'

Hermione still had no idea why he was doing this but she wasn't going to be the one to appear petty, so she smiled as she replied pleasantly, 'Of course, Draco.'

She looked around, wondering where Ron and Harry had got to. She was sure Ron wouldn't be happy about her dancing with Draco. Whilst he didn't want to dance with her himself, he had never really got over his dislike of the man who was now leading her around the dance floor, although they had all tried to forgive and forget in the years since Harry had defeated Voldemort.

'So, how many children do you have?' Draco asked interestedly, already knowing the answer but trying to make conversation.

'Two,' Hermione replied, 'Rose and Hugo . . . and you?'

'Ah, just the one for us,' he replied, smiling again. 'Young Scorpius.'

'The new prince of Slytherin,' Hermione said, sounding amused.

Draco laughed. 'I think young Albus has taken that title, hasn't he? How did Potter feel about his son being put in Slytherin?' He looked at her keenly, interested in her reaction.

'He wasn't bothered,' Hermione said honestly. 'The poor boy had been terrified about being Sorted in there but Harry told him it wasn't a problem, told him he should be proud to be in Slytherin. After all, that's the House Professor Snape was in.'

'Hmmm, perhaps we've all changed,' Draco said musingly.

'You don't look very different,' Hermione said honestly. 'In fact, you look just like your father. Actually, almost exactly as I remember from the first time I saw him . . . except for the hair, of course. He would have been about the same age as you are now.'

'Do I scare you?' Draco whispered in her ear.

Hermione shook her head in annoyance. 'No, and neither did your father, whatever you both liked to think.'

Draco seemed to sense they were on the verge of unwelcome conversation and quickly changed the subject.

'So where do you and your family live?' he asked.

'We have a place in London,' Hermione replied. 'With Ron and I both working at the Ministry it makes sense for us to live close by.'

Draco nodded. 'We live in Malfoy Manor.' Hermione looked surprised. 'My parents decided to move abroad some years ago and they gave the manor to me,' he explained as he smiled ruefully. 'I'm afraid Astoria and I live a somewhat similar lifestyle to my parents, hence her lack of attendance this afternoon. She prefers to visit spas and spend time with her girlfriends rather than attend Hogwarts functions.'

'We always enjoy the functions,' Hermione admitted. 'It gives us a chance to catch up with all our friends who we wouldn't see very often otherwise. I have to admit I haven't noticed you here before, though.'

'No . . . as I said, Astoria wasn't keen, and being honest, I wasn't sure how welcome I would be . . . under the circumstances. But Scorpius kept asking me to come, so I felt I really ought to make the effort for him.'

'Well, there are plenty of Slytherins here,' Hermione said. 'Pansy Parkinson, or whatever she's called these days, is around somewhere. You and she used to be—'

Draco grimaced. 'Oh gods, don't let her see me. The woman makes my life a misery. I thought it would stop when she got married, but it didn't. Even mymarriage didn't stop her. She's like a stalker, and of course she's a good friend of Astoria's so she's always dropping by for one reason or another.' He shuddered.

Hermione felt a moment of sympathy for Draco. She had seen Pansy earlier in the evening and she did look a bit of a harridan. She really could imagine the woman as some sort of bunny boiler. By now the dance had finished and Hermione began to pull away.

'I should really go and find Ron,' she said, trying not to be rude but feeling uncomfortable with Draco now the dance had ended.

'What a shame,' Draco replied smoothly, holding onto Hermione for just a moment longer. 'I was rather enjoying dancing with the prettiest woman at Hogwarts.'

Hermione laughed and blushed. 'Compliments again, Draco? You need to be careful.'

'But it's true,' he whispered. 'You were then and you certainly are now.'

Hermione pulled away. 'My husband will be waiting for me,' she said, feeling a little discombobulated at the unexpected compliments.

'I do hope we can dance again soon, Hermione,' Draco said, smiling. He was still holding her hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed it gently before releasing her, his icy grey eyes following her as Hermione walked away looking for Ron.

. . .

Hermione was getting the feeling she was being watched. Wherever she went, whoever she talked to, and whatever she did, there was this feeling. But whenever she looked round there was no one there.

'Are you all right, 'Mione?' Ron asked.

'Yes, I'm fine, just checking out who to talk to next,' Hermione replied, trying to keep her voice light. She didn't want to upset Ron with her stupid worrying over nothing. 'I think I might go for a walk, get some fresh air. Do you want to come?' she asked her husband as she took his arm.

Ron grimaced. 'A walk? What for?'

Hermione shrugged. 'Because it would be nice. It's a lovely afternoon out there. We could go down and see the lake before it gets dark. Have a lovely, cosy, romantic walk on our own.'

Ron looked around and spotted Harry returning with drinks, and shook his head. 'I'm stopping here to talk to Harry. You're welcome to go, though.'

'Oh . . . okay.' Hermione looked and sounded disappointed as she dropped Ron's arm, watching as he walked over to Harry. The two of them chatted avidly, probably about boring Quidditch and forgetting all about her. She walked slowly and a little despondently towards the door of the castle.

'Going somewhere?' a lush voice asked. 'You're not leaving already, I hope?'

Hermione looked up to see Draco looking intently at her. She sighed. 'No, I'm just going to go for a walk. I could do with some fresh air.'

'No husband? He seems rather preoccupied.'

'He's with Harry,' Hermione stated, as if that explained everything. 'Anyway, I don't mind being on my own.' She started to walk towards the door once more.

'May I accompany you, Hermione?' Draco asked seriously.

Hermione looked appraisingly at the blond-haired man for a moment, then nodded. 'If you like, although I'm not sure we have anything to talk about, Draco.'

'Oh, I'm sure we will be able to find something,' Draco replied with a smile, walking along beside her.

They headed out of the castle and down towards the lake, Hermione turning en route to look back at the school in the oncoming twilight.

'Do you miss the place?' Draco asked, watching Hermione's expression as she looked at the castle interestedly.

'I do sometimes. I miss how much easier life was,' Hermione said, sounding a little wistful.

Draco looked at her in astonishment. 'Easier? Gods, Hermione, I would love to know how you saw things. How can you say things were easier after everything we lived through?'

Hermione looked steadily at him for a moment. 'Oh, I know the times were hard,' she admitted, 'but at least relationships were easier.' She stopped for a moment and frowned. 'Well, generally. I'm not sure I like being an adult.'

Draco looked at her shrewdly. 'All not well between you and Weasley, then?'

'Yes . . . it's just . . . just that sometimes things aren't as I had imagined they would be. It can be hard.'

'I know what you mean,' Draco said. 'I always swore to myself that I wouldn't follow after my parents, yet I find myself doing exactly the same things they did. It's actually quite depressing in some ways.'

'I just wonder what I'm doing wrong sometimes,' Hermione said quietly.

'What makes you think it's you?' Draco asked, frowning.

'Perhaps my expectations were too high,' she continued ruefully.

Draco laughed loudly. 'What, in marrying Weasley? Far too high, I'd say.'

Hermione bristled. 'And you would be in a position to judge that, would you? I don't see your marriage working out too well. Where is your wife this afternoon?' She stalked off down the hill.

'Anyway, I meant my expectations of how life would be once I was married. I guess I was far too romantic in my ideals. Real life isn't all hearts and flowers,' she said when Draco caught up with her a moment later.

'It can be,' he replied, taking her hand. 'You just need the right person.'

'That might be true,' Hermione said with a sigh. 'But I got Ron and I have to make the best of it.' She pulled her hand from Draco's grasp.

'It's a shame we never got together,' Draco said honestly. 'I'm sure I could have given you all those things you want.'

Hermione snorted with laughter. 'Oh yes, I remember how taken you were with me while we were at school, Draco. All those times you called me a Mudblood and wished I would die.' Her voice was heavy with sarcasm.

Draco sighed, then said unhappily, 'My bloody father and his pure-blood ideals. Not only did they ruin his life but they ruined mine, too.' They sat down on a bench by the lake and watched the giant squid as it swam and played in the water. 'I often wonder what would have happened if I hadn't been in Slytherin, or hadn't been my father's son. Not having to worry about all that pure-blood crap.'

'You wouldn't have been you,' Hermione said matter-of-factly. 'Those things make you the person you are, whether you like them or not.'

'But maybe you and I . . . .'

Hermione shook her head. 'I don't think so, Draco. I was in love with Ron from about the age of thirteen. There was never anyone else for me.' She looked wistful.

'But if I were different, then maybe I would have stood a chance.'

'But then you wouldn't have been you,' Hermione repeated, looking at him.

'It would be worth it,' Draco said quietly. 'The first time I realised I was in love with you was when you hit me back in the third year. You know what they say, love and hate are two sides of the same coin; and your hatred that day was strong, far stronger than it had ever been. By Merlin, you were magnificent. I had to walk away before I did something stupid like grab you and kiss you.'

Hermione looked at Draco in surprise, not sure she wanted him to continue. Draco took her hands in his and looked deeply into her eyes.

'I'm sure my father was aware of my feelings for you, and of course he didn't approve. But strangely he never did anything to stop it, either.'

'Apart from trying to kill me at the Department of Mysteries,' Hermione retorted. 'I think you could safely consider that doing something.'

'But that was only because you got in his way,' Draco said. 'I think he actually rather admired you for what you did that day. Me, I just fell even deeper in love. And back further, at the Yule Ball, I wanted to dance with you so badly. I don't think I had ever seen anyone looking as lovely as you did that evening. I spent ages trying to work out a way I could get you to dance with me, but I couldn't think of one and I don't think Krum would have given you up anyway. He was being very possessive, and understandably so. But then again, I was stuck with Pansy and she was clinging like a limpet; and yet again there was that stupid blood issue that put you off limits, so I ended up just watching you jealously all night.' He laughed ruefully. 'So the Weasel and I had something in common there, at least!'

'Draco, I don't think talking about —'

'Do you know the thing I regret the most?' His voice was urgent now.

Hermione shook her head. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know.

'That when you were being held at Malfoy Manor, I didn't rescue you and keep you safe.' He looked unhappy. 'I'm so sorry, Hermione. I should have got you away from Aunt Bella, should have rescued you and your friends from the cellar, but I was too scared of what the Dark Lord would do to my parents. They were already in so much trouble.' He looked embarrassed.

'Of course you were worried about your parents, and let's face it, Draco, it was hardly going to be a tough choice for you, was it?' Hermione said soothingly.

'Harder than you think,' Draco said honestly. 'I wanted you so much and at that time it would have been so easy to . . . to take advantage of you. But then that would have exposed you to Aunt Bella even more. She would probably have killed you for bewitching me or something. The whole thing was a nightmare. I was so glad when you escaped. And then I saw you fighting in the battle. I wanted to take you away then, but my parents needed me. You were truly fantastic then, Hermione.'

'How is it that my recollections don't match yours?' Hermione asked sceptically. 'I would never have believed you had any good feelings for me at all from the way you always treated me. In fact, I would have said you detested me, maybe even more than your father did.'

'But I did have strong feelings for you,' Draco insisted, 'and they haven't gone.'

He moved his face towards Hermione, holding tight to her hands as he pressed his lips against hers, gently at first, pulling her into his arms as her lips parted softly beneath his. As the kiss finished Hermione pulled away, looking horrified at what they had just done. She had to admit Draco was still very handsome and he kissed very well, but he had never been her type . . . and she was in love with her husband.

'Hermione—' he began quietly, reaching out for her once more.

'No, Draco . . . please don't,' she pleaded, and stood up, moving just out of reach.

'You're not happy with him,' Draco said bluntly. 'I could make you happy. If you'd give me a chance.'

'I'm not interested,' Hermione said just a little too quickly. Her heart was beating faster from the wonderful kiss she had just participated in and she was fighting the urge to return to him and do it again. 'We're both married.'

'Exactly, we're both married and both unhappy,' Draco said. He had stood, too, but didn't move towards Hermione, realising she needed some space. He noticed she didn't disagree that she was unhappy.

'But it's wrong,' she whispered, 'completely wrong.'

At this Draco did move towards her, wrapping his arms around Hermione before she had a chance to get away. It was dark now and he knew they couldn't be seen from the castle.

'It's wrong to want to be happy?' he asked in a hoarse whisper as his lips found hers again, brushing against them before attacking harder. He almost moaned with pleasure at the taste and feel of her, so soft and so warm.

'I have to go,' Hermione said in some distress as the kiss finished, and she pulled away from him and ran back up the hill towards the castle.

Draco followed her back to the school, walking slowly, thinking about Hermione and the things he had just admitted to her. Everything he had said was true. He had been infatuated with her for years, ending only when he no longer saw her after leaving school after the battle of Hogwarts. They had gone their separate ways, she to marry that bloody Weasley and Draco, after going with his parents, had ended up with Astoria after a few years of playing the field, never quite finding what he was looking for. Astoria was the perfect hostess, like his mother, and so, although he had always sworn to himself he wouldn't, he had ended up in the same sort of marriage as his parents': unfulfilling and cold, with a son and heir provided to his wife out of duty rather than love — although unlike his father, Draco completely adored his son and was very proud of his achievements. He still had no idea what the hell Hermione saw in Weasley. It seemed to Draco that he had pretty much ignored her romantically throughout their entire time at school, not even realising how much he hurt her; yet, regardless, she was completely smitten by him. And intellectually he wasn't her equal, either. No matter which way Draco looked at it he would never understand that attraction.

And then he had seen Hermione again, on the platform at King's Cross when he and Astoria had dropped off Scorpius for his first year at Hogwarts. Hermione and the Weasel were there, too, with their children, a pretty girl of about Scorpius' age who obviously favoured her mother and a younger boy, more like his father. Nineteen years since the battle that had almost ended everything and there she was, even more beautiful than he remembered. Her wild hair had been tamed somewhat and she had gained some weight and was curvaceous enough to reawaken all those thoughts and desires he had thought long dead even more lustfully than before.

He watched the couple as they put their daughter onto the train and talked happily with Potter and his wife, who was Weasley's sister, and other assorted Weasley family members who seemed to have taken over the platform. The Potters, too, had a son to deposit on the Hogwarts Express who looked just like his father, and Draco had wondered glumly whether Potter's son and Scorpius would be enemies just as he and Potter had been. Scorpius, of course, was the spitting image of him and a true Malfoy male, but he hoped his son had a slightly better attitude than he'd had. After all, he had never instilled the importance of blood into his son the way his father had done with him. Draco waited and watched as the families left the station, then walked close behind them, close enough to get a good look at Hermione and note the changes the years had brought. It was no good; she really did look wonderful and he was still very much enamoured of her.

It turned out that Potter's son Albus had, surprisingly, been Sorted into Slytherin along with Draco's own son, and Albus and Scorpius had soon become firm friends, creating between them the sort of chaos Hogwarts hadn't seen since the Weasley twins had left the school. Until now, Draco had purposely kept away from the castle and its social side because seeing Hermione tore him apart, reminding him of what he was lacking in his life. But Scorpius had begged him to become more involved in the social functions the Headmistress enjoyed organising to get the Houses mixing more effectively, so he had made the decision to come to the Halloween event, although he hadn't been able to get Astoria to give up her weekend with her girlfriends to come with him. As he watched Hermione with her husband over the course of the afternoon it soon became clear to him that she and Weasley weren't blissfully happy. In fact, it seemed Weasley still treated her pretty much as he had at school. Draco had taken the opportunity to move in and dance with her, but he hadn't expected to be as honest with her as he had been. Hermione definitely still did something to him, and he was sure that despite her protestations to the contrary she felt some attraction for him, too.

He walked back into the Great Hall and spotted his son and Albus skulking in a corner, deep in conversation. They were clearly planning something. He walked over to them.

'And what do you two think you are doing?' His voice was stern.

There was a flurry of hands and robes as his son looked up at him guiltily.

'Nothing,' Scorpius said, trying to rearrange his face into a mask of innocence. Albus affected the same look and Draco almost laughed out loud.

'Well, just make sure it stays that way,' he replied. 'It would be a shame if the party was disrupted by, oh, I don't know, say . . . fireworks.'

The boys both looked guilty again and fidgeted under his gaze.

'Otherwise I shall have to tell the Headmistress that I know the culprits, having seen them stuffing their pockets with the things.'

'We're not doing anything,' Scorpius insisted, feigning offence at the idea that he and Albus could be considered troublemakers.

'Glad to hear it,' Draco replied with amusement.

He let the boys go, certain that neither of them would dare to set off the fireworks now. The Great Hall was safe — for tonight, at least.

'What were they up to this time?' Harry asked, grinning. He had seen Draco talking to the boys and realised they had obviously been planning trouble, so he had come to have a word with the man.

'Fireworks, from the looks of things,' Draco replied, smiling in response. 'I think I've scared them enough, though.'

Harry rolled his eyes. 'That will be Uncle George again,' he said laughingly. 'Every time the kids go anywhere near that blasted shop they come back with bulging pockets.'

Draco stayed talking to Harry and eventually to Ron, and the discussion turned inevitably to Quidditch. Scorpius and Albus had both been picked to play for the Slytherin team, an interesting proposition as Harry's oldest son James was already playing as Seeker for the Gryffindor team. From this year on his brother would be against him in the same position. Scorpius was a Beater and a good one at that, and the men all discussed how the coming season was likely to be an interesting one.

Finally, as the afternoon drew to a close, Hermione reappeared with Ginny, wrapping her arm around Ron's waist as they talked. By the time they left Draco had agreed to meet with the group of friends for the first game of the season — the big one, Slytherin vs. Gryffindor.

Draco went home in a far better mood than he had been in for ages. He had danced with and kissed Hermione and he was going to see her again in only a few weeks. Things were definitely improving in his life.

Hermione was fed up with listening to Ron, Ginny, and the other assorted Weasleys who had attended the Quidditch match, trying to get Rosie riled up. The girl had almost as little interest in the game as her mother. Hermione had only ever really watched the matches at school because Harry was on the team, and then later Ron and Ginny. Draco had been on the Slytherin team at the same time but she had rarely even noticed him except as an annoyance; after all, he had been her most hated enemy for her entire time at school.

Ron had been annoying her a lot recently, and although she didn't want to admit it Hermione knew it had something to do with what had happened between her and Draco at the Halloween party. She had spent years pretending everything was fine with her marriage, but inside she knew that really wasn't the case. Years had been spent putting up with things she would never, as a teenager, have believed she would allow to happen in her life; and now Ron had gone back to treating her like he had at school, seeming to rarely even notice her any more as anything other than a friend. To have suddenly had attention from Draco, regardless of who he was, had reawakened all her old desires and she had to admit Ron just wasn't fulfilling any of them.

'I'm going to go and stand with Harry,' she told her husband.

Ron looked at her angrily. 'But you're a Gryffindor, 'Mione. You should be supporting us, not Slytherin.'

'Albus is playing for Slytherin and it's his first game. I think James has got quite enough supporters this side,' Hermione pointed out fairly.

She looked around at all the redheads lining the stand around them. Harry and Ginny had sensibly decided to take it in turns to support Albus and Harry had taken the Gryffindor game as it meant Ginny could be with her family for a while. Also, Harry was the only one who was willing to talk to Draco for any extended period of time, and with it being Scorpius' first game, too, it was nice for him to have a bit of support. Ignoring Ron's scowl of annoyance, Hermione left the Gryffindor stand, taking her place instead in the Slytherin one.

'I thought I'd come and give Albus a bit of support,' she said, kissing Harry on the cheek. He gave her a hug. 'And Scorpius, too, of course,' she added quickly to Draco.

'You're welcome,' Draco replied with a dashing smile, and moved so she could stand between him and Harry.

The game was a frantic one and both new players acquitted themselves well. Albus was especially happy when he managed to catch the Snitch ahead of his brother and win the game for Slytherin. Hermione very much enjoyed the game, probably helped by not being anywhere near Ron, although she almost jumped when Draco placed his hand on her back halfway through the game, moving it down cheekily to squeeze her bottom. She tapped his leg to try and get him to stop before Harry realised what was happening, but all he did was smile and stroke her back even more, causing small shivers to run up her spine since she knew she could do nothing to stop him without drawing attention to what he was doing.

When the game finished, both Albus and Scorpius came over to talk to their fathers.

'Well played, Albus,' Hermione said, beaming at him. 'That was a lovely catch.'

'Thanks, Aunt 'Mione,' he said happily. 'And thanks for supporting me rather than James.'

'You did very well, too,' she told Scorpius as he hovered in front of them.

'I really enjoyed it. I can't wait to play again,' he said excitedly, looking around. 'Excuse me, I need to go and speak to Rosie,' he said, and the two boys disappeared over to the other side of the pitch to see Hermione's daughter.

'Scorpius has good taste, I see,' Draco said quietly as he stood at her shoulder. 'Perhaps we'll finally get a decent Malfoy wife.'

Hermione laughed. 'I think it's a bit early to be thinking about that, Draco. They are only just thirteen. They've got a few more years to go yet before they get serious . . . at least I hope so. Anyway, Granddad Weasley wouldn't be very happy with Rosie marrying a pure-blood. That's what Ron's always telling her, anyway.'

Draco smiled. 'Well, I don't think Grandfather Malfoy would be too happy about a half-blood marriage,' he said. 'So they are both going to be unhappy, and can both get stuffed!'

He, Hermione, and Harry all laughed loudly before heading off to join the rest of the Weasley clan to enjoy a celebration.