Hindsight

by floorcoaster

It's a New Year and Hermione decides it's time for some changes.

4. April

DISCLAIMER: No money is being made. This is all for fun. Beta thanks to dormiensa and dreamsofdramione!

ooo

Saturday, APRIL 1

Hermione didn't usually look at her planner on the weekend. Though she'd worked hard to reduce her social commitments, she still used it for keeping track of her work obligations. Since the first of the month fell on a Saturday, however, she pulled it out while she drank her morning tea. Her day would be delightfully filled with a trip to Diagon Alley, specifically Flourish & Blotts, then lunch with her parents, and finally dinner to celebrate George's birthday.

She frowned slightly as she gazed at the rest of the squares on the page. More of them were full than previous months. The Malfoy Foundation fundraiser was the following week, then her date with Marcus. But other, smaller things had somehow found their way into her schedule, too: a midweek work dinner, a movie night with some cousins, and a speaking engagement for a charity. She had felt she should do them, but when combined with the classes she'd signed up for—magical art once a week and a biweekly cooking class—her free time was filling up. Plus, she knew there would also be things that would come up she'd want to say "yes" to.

With a sigh, she closed her planner, wondering if she should cancel something. Her reaction upon seeing the fuller than usual page had been one of alarm, so she knew she wasn't ready to have a lot going on. She vowed to think about each item carefully as soon as she had a free moment.

Saturday, APRIL 8

"You are going to blow his mind."

Hermione caught Pansy's eye in the mirror. "Tony?"

"Who? Oh, your date. Right." Pansy continued pinning up Hermione's curls. Somehow, Pansy had managed to turn her mane into something gorgeous that looked effortless and perfectly imperfect all at the same time. "Where did you find this dress again?"

"A department store in London." One look at the dress on the rack and Hermione had known it was perfect for the fundraiser. The base was a tea-length, cream dress with an overlay of tulle on the skirt. About halfway down the dress, a large, damask pattern was printed in pale gold, and the tulle layer ended in a scalloped, pale gold edge. The top had a strapless sweetheart bodice covered by a sheer lace top with cap sleeves. It was elegant and understated, just right for an outdoor evening event. She'd bought a pair of short gold heels and a shawl to wrap around herself if it got chilly.

"It's flawless. You are flawless. Whatever his name is does not deserve this for his second date." Pansy gave her a pointed look.

Hermione shrugged. "What's done is done. I liked him well enough last time I saw him."

Pansy spun Hermione around and turned her attention to the loose tendrils in the front. "There. All done. You look amazing."

"Thank you so much for coming to help me." Hermione collected her things and grabbed her shoes. "I've got to get going though; Narcissa is expecting me in… five minutes. I'll see you there in a little while!"

Pansy waved as Hermione Apparated to Malfoy Manor. She arrived in the Traveling Room and an elf immediately popped in. "The Mistress will be here shortly, Miss Granger. She instructed me to ask you to wait here."

Hermione nodded and thanked the elf, then started putting on her heels. As she finished buckling one, she heard the clap of shoes on polished wood. A moment later, Draco appeared in the doorway. He stopped abruptly and their eyes met, her sitting on a chair, leaning down to buckle a strap, him fastening a cuff link. Her breath caught and she had to return her attention to her shoe else he might notice her fluster. He entered the room slowly and she finished her task, standing to greet him with a forced expression of composure.

"Hello," she said, smiling awkwardly.

He gave her a curt nod. "Mother will be here shortly."

The distance she felt between them was a surprise. After their enjoyable time searching for a new venue, addressing envelopes, and an impromptu night out with friends that had included him earlier that week, she didn't know what to think of his brusque greeting.

"Yes, I was told to wait here."

Draco cleared his throat and stood beside her, staring at the large fireplace. "You look beautiful."

She turned to say something, her heart pounding, but then Narcissa entered with a flourish. She beamed at them both. "Good. We're ready. Shall we go?" She held out an elegant key and they all grasped it, feeling the familiar pull of Portkey travel.

Once they landed, Hermione and Draco headed to the visitor's center to check in, sign the final paperwork, pay the final bill, and receive all of the final instructions.

Bartlesby was there again, and when he saw them, he waggled his finger, grinning mischievously. "Don't you know it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding? Now I know you young people are doing things differently these days, so call me old fashioned if you must. Let's get this over with so that you, Mr. Malfoy, can make sure that your lovely bride is hidden away until the big moment!"

Hermione glanced nervously at Draco, but his smile was confident and relaxed, as though he did this every day.

"I'll be delivering her to my mother just as soon as we finish here," he said smoothly, accepting a pen from Bartlesby and signing his name. He then pulled out a roll of pound notes to pay the balance of their bill.

Bartlesby wrote out a receipt and handed it to him. "Naturally, you two won't be here in the end, but be sure that someone knows to have the place cleaned up before the last person leaves."

"We will." Hermione signed her name, finally feeling sure of herself again. "And thank you so much. For everything."

Bartlesby winked as he put the paperwork away. He walked out with them and locked his office. "I'm headed home now, but if you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to call. You have my card."

"Thank you, Mr. Bartlesby."

"Where are you off to?" Bartlesby asked as they walked outside.

"Off to?" Draco glanced at Hermione for guidance.

"The honeymoon, dear boy!" The old man laughed. "Where are you whisking this lovely young woman off to? Somewhere sunny, I hope."

He recovered quickly and gave the old man a surreptitious grin. "Well, it was supposed to be a surprise, but why not? We're going to New York City in the United States."

Hermione's heart leapt, even though it wasn't true. She had always wanted to go there! Had she said as much to him? She must have, though she didn't remember doing so.

"Ah, it is a very busy place. I went there once, many years ago. Well, enjoy, and I wish you all the best in your new life together." Bartlesby bowed slightly, then left.

Hermione turned in the direction of the grounds where the fundraiser would be held. "Shall we?"

Whether from habit or good breeding, Draco offered his arm and she accepted. They strolled purposefully but leisurely.

"I'm so glad you didn't say a beach somewhere."

"Oh?"

She chuckled. "I don't love beaches. They are nice to visit, but not where I'd want to honeymoon."

He kept his thoughts to himself, glancing around at the plants beginning to burst into life in earnest. "It's amazing the difference in the vegetation in just a few weeks."

"Oh! I was thinking the same thing!" They chatted about the plants around them until they'd reached the space where Narcissa had already begun directing the setup of the large tent. When she saw them, she smiled.

"Everything sorted? Good. Draco, I need you to oversee the tent. Hermione, the florist and caterer have arrived but have nowhere to work yet. Once the tent is up, Draco will coordinate the dining tables, and you and I will work with the service tables."

Time flew. Tables were set, centerpieces arranged, hors d'oeuvres prepared and plated, a bar set up, the dance floor assembled, and a string quartet was warming up as guests began to trickle in. They were set to arrive in groups of ten every two minutes beginning at six. It would take about forty minutes for everyone to arrive, and Narcissa had arranged for music and light snacks to pass the time.

Hermione was anxious for the six-thirty-six arrival; her date would be in that group. She had been unusually nervous in the weeks leading up to this event, waiting for Draco to ask her to be his guest, as he often did, knowing she would have to tell him no—something she rarely did. But he never asked.

Ron and Pansy arrived at six-twenty, and she got to spend a few minutes laughing with them.

"Are they always like this?" Ron asked, gaping at the elegance around him.

Hermione smiled. "Pretty much."

Pansy asked in a low voice, "Has he seen you?"

"No, Tony isn't here yet. I expect him soon, though."

Pansy gave her a withering look but said nothing, her gaze darting over Hermione's shoulder as a smile graced her features. "Draco!"

"Good evening, Pans," he said with a warm smile. "Weasley. Hermione, Mother requests your opinion on something."

"Of course. See you around later!" She waved to her friends and headed toward the dessert table where Narcissa stood, talking rapidly to Gloriana Greengrass.

After another five minutes of sorting out a situation with the fairy lights, Draco approached them with someone in tow. Hermione's stomach dropped as she recognized Tony. Instantly she knew she had made a terrible mistake inviting him. Tony wore ill-fitting black dress robes and brown leather shoes that clashed horribly. Next to Draco, he looked positively frumpy.

Draco stopped a few feet in front of her, his expression stiff. "Hermione, your—"

"Hey, Hermione! Wow, this is incredible! You told me you helped with these things, but I thought you just did the flowers or something."

She forced herself to smile and refused to look at Draco, though once his errand was completed, he did not stay.

"Hello, Tony." She took him by the elbow. "Let me introduce you to some friends we'll be sitting with tonight."

She deposited him with Ron and Pansy and was heading back to Narcissa when she saw something that stopped her in her tracks. As if in slow motion, Astoria Greengrass, practically glowing, floated through the crowd of tables. She wore a bright red satin dress and a string of diamonds around her neck. On her arm, guiding her through the tables, was Draco. He led her to the table where Hermione knew he would be sitting, whispered a few words in her ear, then sat down beside her.

Hermione felt like she'd been punched in the gut. Perhaps she'd misinterpreted Draco's words about Astoria to his mother the month before, but she'd been under the distinct impression that he had no interest in the magizoologist. Hermione outwardly maintained her composure, but her mind was in overdrive. She tried desperately to understand just exactly why she felt that her entire world had shifted, but she couldn't allow herself to dwell on it for long. It wasn't the time or place, and she needed to focus at least some of her attention on Tony.

ooo

Three hours later, the crowd had thinned considerably. It had been another successful fundraiser, raising over fifty thousand Galleons for long-term Cruciatus research. Hermione was standing near a food table, her shoes in one hand, a glass of wine in the other. The evening had been a blur and she was ready to go home. However, she intended to stay and help Narcissa with clean-up.

She put a few carrots on a plate and took a crunchy bite, just in time for Draco to join her. She hadn't seen him much, but when she had, Astoria had been right there, looking triumphant. She hadn't lingered.

"Where's your... date?" he asked, glancing around

Hermione shrugged. "I think I saw him flirting with Parvati Patil about half an hour ago."

Draco frowned deeply and scoured the room, looking for Tony. "Doesn't that bother you?"

"Not really. It was a mistake to invite him."

"But he's being dishonorable toward you! He shouldn't be trying to meet someone new while on a date with someone else!"

"You're not wrong. But it was hardly a date. We ate dinner together, that was all. I didn't even dance with him." She shuddered at the thought.

He clenched his jaw. "It remains unacceptable."

She smiled at him. "Thank you for being offended on my behalf. You're a good friend." Her stomach did a strange, mostly unpleasant acrobatic move when she referred to him as a friend.

Finally, he spotted him and his eyes narrowed, then widened. "He is actually leaving with someone!" He started to follow but Hermione grabbed his arm.

"Please, don't. You're right that it's unacceptable, but I don't want to spend any more energy on him."

"He should see you home, at the very least," Draco groused. At least he didn't follow Tony out.

"Why should we both keep going through motions neither of us want?" She shook her head.

"You deserve better."

"I happen to agree with you." She smiled at him, the two glasses of wine she'd consumed making her thoughts a little fuzzy. That thing she was actively avoiding thinking about was buzzing lightly near the surface of her thoughts.

A flash of red caught her attention, and then Astoria was there, putting her hand possessively on Draco's arm. "I'm ready to go home, Draco."

He nodded once, his eyes on Hermione. "See you soon."

She watched him walk away, Astoria clutching him like a lifeline. They looked so good together, so absolutely right.

Hermione went directly to Narcissa to see how she could help. The food was nearly packed away, and some wizards were on the task of collecting chairs and folding the tables.

"Oh! Hermione, there you are. What a night! Such splendid work and the venue was perfect. Thank you so much. I need to thank Draco as well. Have you seen him?"

"He just left to take Astoria home."

Narcissa rolled her eyes. "Naturally, after everything I said a few months ago, he brings her. I stand by my word: I want him to be happy. I must trust that he knows himself."

None of the guests remained, but as they set to the task of making sure the clean up was completed, Draco returned, still in his fine dress robes.

"I thought you had gone," Narcissa said.

"I came back to help." He said it as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "What can I do?" He glanced around the room. "Looks mostly under control."

Narcissa beamed at her son. "It is, dear. Shouldn't be more than a few more minutes. Hermione, thank you for staying. Draco and I can finish up here."

A yawn surprised her. "Oh, I am so sorry. Thank you, and good night, Narcissa! Good night, Draco."

He inclined his head, hands in his pockets, suit jacket disheveled, and hair looking windswept.

As Hermione lay in bed that night, she couldn't stop her mind from replaying the moment she had first seen Astoria, waltzing through the tent as if she owned the place. She had a sinking suspicion that the thing she had been trying so hard not to think about had snuck up on her without her noticing. She had tried to guard her heart from thinking about Draco because he was entirely unavailable to her. Pansy had admitted to suggesting her to Draco, and his response had been negative. The last thing she needed was to have feelings for him, especially considering he had made it clear that he had none for her. But something had happened in her traitorous mind and she now found herself unable to deny that she felt something for him.

She did. She absolutely did.

And he was with someone else.

Sunday, APRIL 9

There was one regular occurrence that Hermione had truly missed when she emptied her schedule in January. Sunday dinner at The Burrow had once been the highlight of her week, before her weeks became so full she couldn't enjoy herself. When she went again in March, her first visit of the year, all of the joy and the fun had returned for her. She'd stayed longer than she'd intended, but since she had no other plans, it hadn't mattered.

She still didn't attend every week, but she tried to join every other. This particular Sunday, she was feeling groggy after the emotional late night, but the last thing she needed was to stay home and dwell on her disturbing revelation.

After sleeping in, she ate a leisurely breakfast with a good book, then went to the market down the street from her flat to purchase food for dinner. The invitation to The Burrow was open all day, so around ten, she Apparated to the back garden.

Sunday dinner was always a loud and wild time, though not many people had arrived yet.

Hermione let herself into the kitchen, where the Weasley matriarch was busy peeling potatoes. "Good morning, Molly."

Molly beamed and gave her a big hug. "Hermione, dear, it's so good to have you."

Hermione pulled a vase out of an upper cabinet and filled it with the bouquet she'd brought. "Put me to work. I'm in a mood for chopping something."

Over the next two hours, members of the Weasley family, plus those who'd been grafted into the fold, trickled in. Bill and Fleur arrived with their four children, who immediately started running wild in the garden. Next came Percy's family: his wife, Claire, and their three children, who immediately found their cousins and started throwing clods of dirt at each other. Andromeda Tonks, with Teddy in tow, was punctual to the minute. George and Luna breezed onto the scene a bit late, as did Ron and Pansy. Harry, Ginny, and their toddler, James, were a bit more harried, arriving in time for Arthur to snatch James on his way out of the house and Ginny to help get the table set. The house was full and children ran around everywhere. She took some comfort in the chaos.

Charlie and four of his fellow dragon-keepers showed up just as the family was sitting down to eat. Pansy caught Hermione's eye and made sure to sit beside her. Ginny noticed and took one of the seats across from them; Luna took the other. Hermione wasn't sure what Pansy might want to talk about, but she didn't have to wait long. As soon as the food started to be passed, Pansy leaned over.

"What was she doing there last night?"

"You'll need to be more specific," Hermione said, though she had a guess as to who Pansy was referring.

"Astoria, of course. Merlin, she looked like she thought she was queen of the castle." Pansy scowled as she heaped potatoes on her plate. "Please tell me she was invited because her mother was there and not because she was with Draco."

Hermione shook her head, wishing she could erase the image of Astoria's face when she'd entered on Draco's arm. "He definitely invited her. He stayed with her most of the evening. But you were there, you saw what I saw."

Pansy harrumphed. "I'd hoped my eyes were lying to me. Are you absolutely positive, though? Maybe it wasn't a date?"

"I know that he took her home." She forced her features to remain impassive, as though she couldn't care less about the subject. "He and I were talking and she came over, told him she was ready to go home, and they left."

Pansy cursed and stabbed a green bean. "What is wrong with him? Why in the name of everything unholy would he ask her out now? She's been after him for over a year, and I know he knows it."

Hermione swallowed thickly. "Maybe he likes her."

"He didn't like her two weeks ago when I asked."

"You never know. Things can change quickly." She was speaking from experience. "Maybe he didn't notice he was gradually falling into her orbit until he was firmly there." The pangs of her own realization were so, so fresh.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "No. Not Draco. I just don't understand."

Hermione shrugged.

"How was the fundraiser?" Ginny asked. "How were things with Tony?"

"It went really well! We surpassed our goal for the evening. Tony…" Hermione shook her head with a rueful grin. "That did not go well. It was probably a mistake to try and bring a date to an event where I'm working. He left with someone else."

All three women gasped.

Ginny smacked the table. "He did not."

"He did. But honestly, I'm glad I didn't have to interact with him anymore."

"I really can't believe people sometimes." Luna sighed. "George would never be so inconsiderate."

"It goes beyond inconsiderate," Pansy said with a huff. "It's disgraceful. He's a complete tosser. He doesn't deserve another second of your time or thought."

Hermione grinned. "I don't plan to give him either. Ginny, how are you feeling?"

The witch in question absently rubbed her belly. "Well! Looking forward to meeting this little sprog in a few months. James is a handful sometimes, but Mum tells me it's completely normal and not to fret."

"Do you ever miss working?" Pansy asked, worrying her lip a bit. "Honestly, what gave me pause the most about dating Ron was the fear that, should we take this all the way, I'd be expected to… you know…"

"Have lots of babies?" Hermione offered. "I know the feeling."

"Does Ron want a large family?" Luna asked.

"We haven't really talked about it." Pansy looked to Hermione for more information.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Oh, well, when we were together, he specifically said he didn't want a large family. I think it had to do with never having new things as a kid, growing up the youngest of six brothers, never feeling like he could stand out or be noticed."

"Phew!" Pansy exclaimed, breaking into a smile. "Hopefully that's still how he feels. I mean, I don't hope he still feels bad about himself! I meant about not wanting a big family. I don't think I could do it."

Hermione, Ginny, and Luna laughed.

Then Ginny sighed. "I do miss flying. Every single day. But this is temporary, and I'll be back on my broom as soon as possible." Her expression was determined.

After dinner, a game of Quidditch was played as usual. Hermione enjoyed her time socializing with her friends, laughing at Luna's stories of dating George, hearing Ginny snark about the game and how she would do everything differently, and listening to Pansy's decidedly off-beat take on her relationship with Ron, The Burrow, the Weasleys, and life in general.

The whole day was time well spent, and she wouldn't trade it for anything.

Saturday, APRIL 15

After the week Hermione had, she considered asking Marcus for a rain check. A team of Aurors had discovered an illegal breeding nest of Ashwinders and Hermione's department had been called in to help with the investigation. Unfortunately, Harry hadn't been involved, which would have made the whole thing more bearable.

Not to mention her fledgling feelings for Draco, which made her cringe any time she thought about them. How had she let it happen? How could one little comment from Pansy have fooled her heart into thinking it was a good idea to fancy her friend?

No matter. She would simply have to steer her leanings in a different direction.

To that end, she decided not to cancel on Marcus, but she had sent him a note requesting something simple and low-key. He'd replied saying it would be no problem.

Now, dressed in denims and a button-down shirt, she waited outside a restaurant in Diagon Alley for him to show up. She felt anxious because she wasn't sure how she'd feel about Marcus after her inconvenient discovery the week before. She'd been genuinely interested in him and hoped that interest would remain.

Right on time, she saw him nearing the restaurant. He was dressed in casual trousers and a thin, cable-knit sweater.

"Hey." He gave her a lopsided grin. "Hope you haven't been waiting long."

"Not at all."

Marcus motioned for her to go inside ahead of him. "After you."

Wednesday, April 19

A knock on her office door startled Hermione and she nearly tipped over her inkwell. She muttered a curse and turned to glare at whoever had interrupted her work, but her scowl melted when she saw Harry grinning at her.

"Harry! What are you still doing here?" It was after seven and most Ministry employees had been home for a long while. She'd stayed behind to finish a report that was due the following day.

He gave her an incredulous look. "I could ask you the same thing, you know. But Draco and I just closed a huge case and we're going out to celebrate. You should join us."

"Oh that's wonderful!" She beamed at him. "Was it the Gargoyle case? I know you've been talking about that one a lot lately."

"It just so happens that it was that case."

"I'm so proud of you! I know you've been working on that for months!" Hermione stretched and yawned. "I've got two more minutes; will you wait for me?"

"Of course." Harry entered the room and sat in a chair across from her desk. While she finished writing her report, he tapped his fingers on his knees and glanced around as though he hadn't been there hundreds of times.

After scratching furiously for closer to four minutes, Hermione capped her quill and inkwell, folded and sealed the report, and put it in her outbox. "There!" She stood and gathered her coat and bag and followed Harry out the door. "Who's coming?"

"Oh, we'll know when we get there! I sent messages to everyone. Well, Draco is obviously coming." He repeatedly, impatiently punched the call button on the lift.

"Obviously." She nudged him with her elbow. "Is he still writing the report?"

Harry laughed. "No. He wouldn't let me come over here until he'd finished. He's getting us a table at the Leaky."

When they arrived, Ginny, Pansy, and Ron were there, as well as George. He and Draco were deep in a conversation, though they acknowledged the new arrivals. Hermione ordered a Butterbeer and greeted her friends.

"I think this is everybody," Ginny said, glancing around the room. "It was kind of late notice."

Harry grinned. "I don't care. I'm just so happy to be done with this case! It required more hours over the last seven months than any other case. Draco finally cracked it. He'd been telling me for weeks that there was something he was close to figuring out, but today he did. Well, last night, actually, but we followed it through today and solved the mystery. Can't go into detail, of course." He raised his bottle. "I'd like to toast. To my partner, and to the end of Mrs. Patricia R. Bumperton and her disappearing chickens."

Draco tapped his bottle to Harry's. "Hear, hear!"

Everyone else raised their drinks and cheered.

Most everyone had already eaten dinner, so Hermione went to the bar to order something to eat, and while she waited, Draco joined her to place his own order. After giving his order to the waiter, he leaned his arms on the bar beside her. "I have to ask, have you heard from Tony at all since the fundraiser?" He scowled.

She laughed. "No, absolutely not. If he tried to contact me, I'd absolutely refuse to speak with him." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "The whole speed dating experience was bizarre so I'm glad, really, that it's all behind me now."

"That's some mercy at least."

"What about you? How are things with Astoria?" She brought her glass to her lips as she asked the question, kicking herself because, despite her rampant curiosity, she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

He cocked his head, frowning in confusion. "Astoria?"

Hermione gave a short laugh. "Yes! You know, she was with you at the fundraiser? Remember her?"

For barely a second, she thought she saw him wince. "Ah. That. No, there's nothing with Astoria."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh?" It wasn't meant to be a question, but she couldn't hide the genuine surprise in her voice.

He turned around so that his back was against the bar and took another drink. "That… was a mistake. Inviting her to that, I mean."

She knew she shouldn't say anything more, but she'd always been too curious for her own good. "Why? I thought you two looked rather cozy at the fundraiser."

Draco sighed. "Because I knew how she felt about me—feels about me. Everybody knows. Inviting her to an event like that sent the wrong message. I should have chosen a different course of action to see if there was anything there on my end."

"You had one date; what ideas could she have had?"

"I suspect, since her… interest in me is common knowledge, she assumed that if I was asking her out, I must have been serious." He cringed. "I'm afraid she got rather the wrong idea in her head about it."

"I'm so sorry." As she said it, she couldn't help the way her heart leapt. "I take it she didn't handle it well?"

"No. I didn't tell her that night, though I probably should have, but I wasn't sure how long it would take, and I felt that I should get back and help you and Mother. I went to her house a few days later, and it was not pleasant telling her that there would be no further outings together. That, after all, I wasn't interested."

Hermione nodded, unsure what to say.

"She told me I hadn't given things a fair go, and I was forced to remind her that we've spent a lot of time together in the last year, more so in these recent months, but nothing had changed for me." He shrugged, looking at the floor in front of him.

Hermione sighed. "You can't force it, can you?"

He chuckled wryly and took another drink. "Absolutely not. Life would be so much easier if we could all just love the people we're supposed to love, wouldn't it?"

She glanced at Ron, who was laughing heartily at something Harry said, his arm draped over the back of the seat where Pansy sat. She thought of her long, childhood crush on her friend and their mercifully short, disastrous romantic entanglement. She'd spent most of it trying to will herself to be in love with him because she wanted it so desperately. "I don't know, Draco. I think I rather prefer the mystery."

Their eyes met and her heart leapt in her throat.

"Here you go, Miss."

The waiter pushed a tray of food to Hermione and walked away. Draco's food was brought shortly after and they both returned to the table. She sat between Ginny and Pansy, and Draco took the only spot remaining across from Pansy.

Before Hermione had even settled in, Ginny spoke up beside her. "How was your date with Marcus last night?"

Hermione started to speak, but Pansy blurted, "What?" loud enough that everyone stopped talking and looked at her. "Sorry." She waved frantically, telling people to return to their conversations, but she leaned over so she could listen in. "Couldn't help but overhear. Was trying to, actually. Did you say Marcus? As in, Marcus Flint?"

Hermione felt her cheeks burn at the embarrassment, though she wasn't sure why it hit her so hard. Just because her heart had decided that Draco made it happy didn't mean that anything would change, and she was used to talking about her dating life with her friends. It had never mattered before, but then, she'd never had such conflicted feelings for one person while talking about another before, either.

"Yes!" Ginny exclaimed. "The very same."

Pansy's eyes were wide as saucers. She gaped for a moment, then shook her head in disbelief. "Marcus Flint. He's—"

"Witch Weekly's Sexiest Runner-Up two years in a row?" Ginny supplied with a saucy wink. Then she turned to Draco. "No disrespect to you, oh reigning champion."

He rolled his eyes. "Thank you for that reminder, Ginny. I do so love being objectified."

Ginny froze, not sure what to say.

Pansy snorted and started laughing. "I dare say Marcus enjoys his title a bit more than Draco does." She returned her attention to Hermione. "Now start over because I haven't heard any of this." She shot a glare at Ron, as though it were his fault.

"No, I only told Harry," Hermione confessed.

"Well I want to hear everything," Pansy insisted.

Ginny nodded vigorously. "Same here. I don't know much of anything."

Hermione cleared her throat, somehow managing to keep her eyes away from Draco, despite desperately wanting to know if he was listening. "There isn't a whole lot to tell. We met at Seamus' St Patrick's celebration last month and I guess we hit it off. Enough that he asked me to dinner and I said 'yes'."

"Marcus was always this mysterious figure in school." Pansy's expression took on one of extreme self-importance. "After he left, rumors about him flew and grew until he'd obtained a ridiculous, almost celebrity status in Slytherin. I doubt much of any of it was true, but he was probably the most talked about student until Draco took The Mark before sixth."

Ron shot a concerned look at Hermione. "Is he… all right?"

"You could say a whole lot worse about me than Marcus, yet you have intentionally spent time with me," Draco interjected.

"But you're different." Ron scrunched his nose. "We knew what you—"

"Careful," Draco snapped.

"I was going to say that we knew what you went through." Ron chuckled. "We knew you hated what you were doing. Harry did, anyway, and told us. We knew you couldn't follow through, which was a really good thing."

Draco clenched his jaw but said nothing.

"And, you know, we like you well enough now," Ron rushed out as though it pained him.

A few emotions seemed to pass over Draco's expression, from amusement, to surprise, to something akin to happiness, finally settling on quiet ease and confidence. "Maybe you'll find you like Marcus just as well."

Ron scoffed. "Not likely."

Draco then turned and looked directly at Hermione, his mouth set in an easy smile. "Marcus is a good bloke. I hope it works out well for you."

"Well? How was it?" Ginny leaned in closer.

"It was fine. Completely fine. We had plenty to talk about." She smiled at a memory. "We certainly don't agree on everything, but it makes for interesting conversation."

"Will you be seeing him again?" Pansy asked.

"I believe so. It ended well."

Ginny put her hand on Hermione's arm and looked into her eyes. "But did he kiss you?"

Pansy cackled. "Yes! That's what I want to know, too."

Hermione's cheeks felt warm again and she avoided meeting anyone's gaze. "No. But I didn't really give him a chance."

"See that you do so next time," Ginny said pointedly.

Hermione rolled her eyes and snuck a glance at Draco. He was talking to Ron, but oh how she wished she knew if he'd heard. Not that it mattered. She needed to repeat this to herself.

Pansy squinted at her thoughtfully. "It doesn't sound like it was amazing."

"I wouldn't say it was amazing, but it wasn't awful. Closer to amazing than awful, though. I enjoyed my time with Marcus far more than any of my speed dating suitors." Briefly, she remembered that Draco had been there, that she'd enjoyed her four minutes with him more than with anyone else, but then she had to quickly shut the thought down. He wasn't interested.

"That's something, I suppose. At least he's not bad to look at," Ginny remarked.

Hermione forced herself to smile. "I really do enjoy talking to him. We'll have to see where it leads."

Ginny rolled her eyes dramatically. "But are you attracted to him?"

"Nobody really cares about his conversation skills," Pansy added impatiently.

Hermione pictured Marcus in her mind and imagined him kissing her. She blushed. "Yes, I think it's safe to say I'm attracted to him."

Pansy smirked. "I have a friend who's friends with Marcus, and she said that he's notoriously picky and hard to please. You have to tell me as soon as he asks you out again."

"Well, he indicated that he wanted to see me again, and I agreed," Hermione said.

"Right before you didn't give him the chance to kiss you?" Pansy asked, eyes wide. "Savage, Hermione. Just brilliant. He won't be able to think of anything but you. I'm surprised he hasn't Owled already with a plan."

Ginny held up her sparkling water. "I bet there will be an owl waiting for her when she gets home."

There was.

Friday, APRIL 28

It felt like a Monday.

Everything that could go wrong did: she'd spilled tea on her blouse as soon as she got to the office (thankfully she was rather skilled with cleaning charms), she'd misplaced an important file and was five minutes late to a meeting because she'd turned her office upside down looking for it, four people had interrupted her just when she'd really gotten settled into a groove, and now she was late for lunch with Harry because she'd been held up by someone from Accounting.

The queue in the cafeteria was so long, by the time Hermione joined it, that she considered just skipping and eating off Harry's plate. She could see him at their usual table, looking decidedly frazzled. Maybe there was a full moon she'd forgotten about.

When she finally sat down across from him, Harry was over halfway through his meal. "Sorry," she grumbled. "It's just been a day."

Harry gave her a warm smile. "It has, hasn't it? What's gone poorly for you so far?"

After Hermione ran through her list of grievances, she asked him the same question.

"Mainly it's Draco," he replied with a sigh.

Hermione frowned. "Draco? I thought he was the perfect partner."

"Oh no, it's not that. He is, really, which makes it all the more frustrating that he's taking so much time off in May."

"Time off?" she repeated. "What for?"

Harry shrugged. "He won't say. He's been very hedgy about it. He's got both an extra spring in his step and an extra layer of exhaustion about him. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was seeing someone, but I'm sure he's not."

"He could be, you never know." She pointedly did not look her friend in the eye. It was absolutely true; Draco could be seeing someone and neither of them would know. Just because the last thing she'd heard was that he had ended his brief courtship of Astoria didn't mean he hadn't started up with someone else since.

Harry frowned. "No, I think I'd know."

"You don't have any idea what he's doing?" Hermione was instantly curious about Draco's activities, but she also knew he'd probably tell her when she saw him next. Since their night out to celebrate the case he'd closed with Harry, she had only seen him a few times in the halls at the Ministry. It wasn't uncommon for them to pass a few weeks without much contact, only now she felt the distance in a different way.

"None. I think I heard him telling our boss that he's going to be doing some travelling? But again, I might have misheard." Harry polished off his glass of water and set his napkin on his tray.

"What does that mean for you, having your partner gone for… How long did you say?" She knew he hadn't said anything specifically but maybe she could get more information this way.

"He's taking off eight days in May. Eight! And not all in a row, either; they're all scattered around the calendar. Not to mention the weekends we were on call." Harry scowled. "I'll be working at my desk more than usual, since I won't have a partner, and if I need to go into the field, they'll assign someone to go with me."

She knew Harry liked working with Draco, but his reaction surprised her. "Will you really miss him that much?"

Harry sighed. "He's not just my partner, Hermione. I really like the bloke. We make a great team." He leaned back and folded his arms. "But enough about me. How are you doing? Other than the Friday horror show."

She chuckled. "Well, I've a date with Marcus tomorrow."

Harry's eyes went wide. "Oh? I remember Ginny telling me you might go out with him again."

"Yes. I'm looking forward to it. We're going to the symphony, the date we were supposed to have until I asked him to change it at the last minute."

"You like him then?"

"Yes, I do, so far. He's been perfectly amiable both times I've seen him, and smart, interesting, funny. What's not to like?"

In the nearly three weeks since recognizing that she'd developed feelings for Draco, the intensity of those feelings had settled somewhat. Not seeing him, except for that one night, had made her start to question the depth of those emotions. Maybe it had all been a byproduct of an intense couple of weeks getting ready for the fundraiser. He was her friend, without a doubt. Maybe she'd just imagined feeling more for him. Besides, he was not interested in her.

Marcus clearly did like her, and she was enjoying getting to know him.

"I just don't want you to get hurt, Hermione." Harry patted her hand awkwardly.

"Thank you, Harry, but I'm nowhere near the stage of the relationship where I'm in danger of being hurt."

Harry regarded her for a moment, then seemed to make a decision. "Draco isn't going to be here for the big Quidditch match that second weekend in May. Do you think you'd like to invite Marcus?"

Her eyes widened, surprised that Draco would miss the game they'd all been waiting to attend. Back when tickets went on sale in November of the previous year, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Draco, and a few others had chosen this one game to attend together because it pitted last year's league winner against the runner-up in a rematch the whole country was excited to see. "I, well... Sure, Harry! Thanks!"

An interdepartmental memo came swooping into the cafeteria, hurried to their table, and dropped onto Harry's tray. He looked at it with surprise, then picked it up. "Glad my food was gone." When he opened it, he frowned. "A meeting was bumped up because the Head Auror wants to assign me a backup partner for when Draco's gone. I have to meet him and see how we work together." Harry's voice had devolved into something like a whine. "Who's going to write the reports while he's gone?"

Hermione laughed. "Goodness, does Draco have any idea what a state he's put you in? How dare he take some time off!"

Harry gave her a withering look. "Well, I don't expect you to understand. Partners are vital to this work."

Hermione gave him a patient, serious look. "I know, Harry. I know what Draco means to you. I'm glad you have him, and I know it will be hard when he's gone, but it won't be long in the scheme of things. I'm sure everything will be back to normal before you know it."

Saturday, APRIL 29

When Marcus had asked Hermione out again so soon after their first real date, she'd been torn about how to respond. Part of her was anxious to pursue something with this man with whom she'd spent a delightful evening. Part of her wanted to push past her feelings for Draco as quickly as possible. And yet another part of her wanted to remain true to the guidelines she'd put in place for her time. In the end, the focus on herself had won out and she'd told Marcus she wasn't available until the last Saturday of the month.

It was now the last Saturday of the month.

So far, Hermione was pleased with her decision. She'd spent the previous Saturday taking her mother to lunch in London and then window shopping for the rest of the day. It had been a delightful, impromptu addition to their outing, and had been just what she'd needed.

She'd told her mother about Draco. Everything. From what Pansy had said to first draw her attention to him in a new way, to their time finding a new location for the fundraiser, up through their conversation the week before. Her mother had listened attentively and patiently, and after hearing what Hermione had to say, had told her that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance he felt the same.

But then at The Burrow, Pansy hadn't said a word about Draco and had been very keen to hear all about Hermione's date with Marcus. She hadn't made any reference to what she'd said in February, which probably meant there'd been nothing to it.

Now Hermione was left trying to ward off those pesky feelings. She was thankful she had Marcus to help take her mind off Draco. Not that she thought about him constantly. She really didn't. But now, every time she saw him in the halls at work, whether they exchanged a few words in greeting or he waved to her from across the room, she got the lovely, swirling feeling of fresh attraction. She groaned each and every time.

The nice thing was that, on her first date with Marcus, she had felt a similar swooping sensation when he'd touched her hand during dinner and when he'd helped her into her cloak. Then again when he'd put a hand on her back as they'd left the restaurant.

At least she hadn't developed feelings for Draco and fallen madly and irrevocably in love with him upon realizing the fact. She still felt she was in control of her heart, and she could steer it where she wanted it to go. The hardest part was that she wasn't sure. She didn't think there was any point in pursuing her feelings for Draco, and she wasn't sure she even wanted to.

She adored him, certainly, and appreciated his friendship. He was thoughtful and intelligent, kind and surprisingly open-minded, considering how he was raised. But then, Narcissa had led the way there, fully embracing the new order of the wizarding world and adapting to it quickly. She'd been an incredible example for Draco, who hadn't needed much of a nudge to fully embrace becoming someone new.

A knock at her door startled her from her thoughts and she jumped slightly, then laughed at herself. It could only be Marcus, coming to pick her up for their date. He had insisted on making up their missed outing to the symphony by taking her tonight.

When she opened the door, Marcus whistled, surprising her. "You look amazing tonight."

She smiled shyly, her cheeks heating at his gaze. "Thank you. You look rather dashing yourself." He was wearing some of the finest dress robes she'd ever seen, and she'd been around Draco dressed to the nines dozens of times.

Hermione pulled her wrap tighter around her shoulders, made sure she had her purse—her trusted beaded bag, Transfigured to suit the occasion—and closed her door.

The symphony was breathtaking. Marcus was disappointed to learn that it wasn't her first trip to a wizarding production, but it passed quickly. Hermione loved the magical instruments and the way magic was involved throughout the evening. She was delighted when, about twenty minutes into the show, Marcus slyly reached over to take her hand in his. Then, after the show was over, they took a stroll in the neighborhood around the symphony hall. It was relatively quiet and they weren't in a hurry. They found an ice cream shop that was open late and Hermione insisted on buying them both a scoop.

When he walked her home, Hermione decided she'd let him kiss her if he tried. It would be a nice way of determining whether there was real chemistry between them. It was late, nearly one in the morning, and she was thoroughly exhausted, but not anxious to end the evening. They walked extra slowly down her street.

"I had a really nice time tonight, Hermione." He flashed his easy smile and Hermione remembered what Pansy had said about him enjoying his Witch Weekly celebrity status. Vanity was easily one of his faults, though it was the only one she'd identified thus far.

"As did I," she replied with a tired yet earnest smile. "Thank you for the lovely evening. The symphony was just wonderful and I found a new restaurant I love."

He chuckled and together they ascended the steps in front of her building. Hermione's stomach was in knots, but she wasn't going to fiddle around and hem and haw and hope and wait for a kiss. If he wanted to kiss her, he was going to have to just do it.

"And I tried a new flavor of ice cream."

They stopped in front of the door and Hermione felt like she was watching herself in one of those romantic comedy films she saw occasionally with her mother or her cousins. She felt a little self-conscious and hoped to get inside as quickly as possible.

"Well, thank you again, Marcus." She moved ever so slightly to open the door when he reached his hand out to stop her.

"Before you go, I'd like to ask when I could see you again?"

Hermione managed to fight the giant grin that threatened to burst from her, instead keeping her expression calm and pleased. "I've got a major conference in Paris the first week in May. Oh!" She gasped, eyes wide, as she remembered the Quidditch game. "Would you want to join me and some friends on the thirteenth to see the Harpies play Puddlemere?"

Now Marcus' eyes were as big as saucers. "Are you joking? Of course I'd love to come! Wow, how did you score tickets for that game?"

"We bought them months ago. And now Draco can't come, so we have an extra ticket." She didn't miss the flicker of annoyance that briefly marred his features.

Then Marcus smirked. "You want to introduce me to your friends? Already?"

She blushed. "Well, it just so happens that you'll meet them. Not that you don't know them."

"Of course. But you'll be introducing me as your… date?" As he said this, he stepped closer, his eyes intense. "I'm not sure we're ready for that stage. We haven't even kissed."

A shiver ran through her and she wished she'd cast a Warming Charm, even though it hadn't had anything to do with the temperature. "That's true. We haven't, have we?"

He grinned and crooked a finger, using it to gently tilt her head up. Then he kissed her. As first kisses go, it was very good, she thought, as he rested one hand on her hip and snaked the other to the back of her neck. He was impatient, wanting more quickly, but she made him work for it. After a few minutes, she pulled away, slightly out of breath. She felt giddy and light-headed, like she was floating on a cloud.

"Good. That's taken care of," she said, smiling warmly. "Now we're cleared for you to interact with my friends."

Marcus seemed reluctant to let her go, one hand still firmly holding her in place. "I think we should give it another go. Just to really check off that box."

Hermione laughed and started for the door. "As much as I love to talk about checking boxes, it's very late and I'm tired. Thank you again for the lovely night, Marcus."

He sighed and held open the door for her to enter her building. "Good night, Hermione."