When they reached the archway over the road with a wrought iron Wyvern depicted on it Charlie and Hermione dismounted and tucked the brooms into Hermione's enchanted bag. Even with no wind Hermione's hair had escaped from its clip and Charlie looked on helplessly as she struggled to put it back into place. Finally, once she managed to get her wild tresses into a more presentable style, they set off for the Green Dragon together. Whether it was the formal clothing or the meeting ahead, Hermione and Charlie maintained an unusual distance from each other as they walked. Outside of their home at the Reserve they were wary and on edge and Hermione suddenly realized how strange and uncertain their relationship must look. They were so comfortable together that it was really no surprise that their friends questioned the boundaries of their closeness. Hermione did not get too much further with her musings as they reached the door of the inn and Charlie held it open for her to go through. His graciousness felt natural and there was humor playing around his lips as he bowed for her to enter before him. The moment of playfulness brought her back to the present and she sashayed through the door pretending to fan herself at him. For the moment she didn't care if it looked like flirting.

Stormy eyes watched them as they entered giggling at each other like young fools. Draco stiffened in his seat and his face darkened when he saw her. He was fully prepared to deal with Charlie Weasley to work out an agreement regarding the Dragon Reserve, but he had not expected her to be here too. Hermione Granger. Draco shook off his surprise and stood up to greet the couple who were now being guided to his table by a stuffy looking host. He held out his hand and Charlie and Hermione shook it in turn, neither doing a very good job at hiding their discomfort.

As they seated themselves at the private table Draco had secured he tried to avoid looking impressed at Charlie. Up close his formal jacket was clearly made of dragon hide and his long red hair looked like a wild mane around his freckled face. Calloused fingers and burns on his arms identified the man as someone who handled dragons with regularity. Hermione, on the other hand, looked small and graceful in her silver garment. He tried not to look, but he could not help but notice the satisfying curves accentuated by the tight pencil skirt she wore. He guessed it was a muggle style and found he had no complaints. Hermione was too busy trying to catch Charlie's eye. Draco couldn't help the small scowl that crossed his face. Charlie clearly had no idea of the witch's attentions. He masked it and with a gesture offered them some wine. Both nodded their acceptance.

"Thank you for meeting with me," he said as he poured. "I understand that you find yourself in need of funding." Charlie cleared his throat.

"Yes, if we're getting right to the point. The Reserve isn't getting what it needs from the Ministry and after this season we might be getting even less."

"You may be wondering how I knew." Hermione's attention was fully on him now and Draco was pleased. Maybe if he was charming enough he could maintain it. "As you may have heard, my parents have died and left me with a sizable inheritance. It's no secret that I've been turning my interests to philanthropy. The Dragon Reserve's article in Witch Weekly's travel column caught my attention and I spent some time acquainting myself with its balance sheet. You need me and I need to funnel some money somewhere interesting enough for reporters." Charlie looked more and more miserable as Draco spoke, but Hermione just listened thoughtfully. It was a well rehearsed little speech with enough personal information so it sounded like he was confiding something in them, but vague enough so that they wouldn't ask too many questions.

"Mr. Malfoy-" Hermione began tentatively.

"Please call me Draco," he interrupted. "I believe this will be the beginning of a very fruitful relationship and there should be no reason to stand on ceremony." Hermione looked like she was not sure what to make of him.

"Draco," she continued carefully. The way she said it made it sound like his name had spikes. "While we appreciate your… erm… offer, Charlie and I have some concerns about what accepting would entail. Charlie has built this place up for almost a decade and we are accustomed to a certain lifestyle there." Charlie gave her a grateful look and sat up a little straighter in his chair. It was immediately clear to Draco that Charlie was far too emotionally invested in the Reserve to give up any kind of control. Not that Draco really wanted to do anything except show up in some pictures on the front page of the Prophet for his stunning philanthropy. However, the idea that he could be a more involved benefactor had started to look attractive as soon as he understood that working with her would be part of the deal. There was something about her and this situation that he couldn't quite put his finger on and he was quickly coming to the conclusion that this was a puzzle he wanted to solve. He looked at Charlie expecting him to weigh in, but it seemed Hermione had gotten straight to the point and addressed his concerns.

"I will provide whatever you need to run the Reserve best. I may drop in now and again, but for the most part it will remain unchanged." Charlie's eyes brightened at Draco's words and he and Hermione shared a look that Draco could not decipher. "Would now be the best time to discuss details?"

"Hermione, is it alright if I leave those details in your hands? I'm not much for business talk." Charlie dropped a chaste kiss on Hermione's cheek and shook Draco's hand before departing to the room to which the host had already sent his things. Draco and Hermione stared after him as he jumped out of his seat and left.

"He really hates this, doesn't he?" Draco asked in surprise at Charlie's abrupt departure. "Is that why he brought you on? I didn't exactly expect to see you here in Romania," Draco asked smoothly as he refreshed their empty wine glasses. Hermione flushed and avoided answering by taking a long drink from her wine.

"Well Malf- sorry - Draco, it's not relevant to this discussion, but yes. I help deal with most of the logistics, but I came on my own. Charlie didn't ask." She met his gaze unwaveringly. Without Charlie sulking next to her she was able to turn her full attention to Draco Malfoy. He looked older and more drawn than the last time she saw him at Ron's wedding, but just as elegant. He had grown into his angular features since school and it was a testament to his changing worldview that he was invited to that wedding at all. Though not always at home with the Weasleys, Draco and Lavender had become closer friends when she interviewed him after Hogwarts as practice for her journalism career.

Draco caught Hermione's expression and understood that she was sizing him up. He laughed and his whole demeanor shifted from professional to relaxed and amused.

"Hermione, it's been six years since we left Hogwarts. You already know I'm not the same idiot I was back then." He ran his long fingers through his hair and Hermione tried to relax.

"That's not what I was thinking about," she said quietly. He gave her a long look and sighed. Suddenly the table felt too big and he shifted to the seat next to her.

"Should we talk about the Reserve instead?" She looked relieved and he felt a small pang of sorrow. She nodded, but in the silence that followed he found himself asking, "Why did you just leave?" The whispered question had escaped his lips before he had a chance to stop it.

"I…" Hermione looked at her hands. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

"Please don't be." He moved closer and reached out to hold her hands, but she drew back. He looked at her sadly. She wasn't ready to talk about it yet and he didn't want to push her. Draco ran his hands through his hair again as he cast about for a change of subject. The sight of the folder he had left by his own seat brought his mind back to the original purpose of the meeting. He stood and retrieved it, opting to lean against the wall a few feet away from her while he opened it and reviewed its contents. She was surprised by the sudden change and her discomfort faded slightly as she watched him flip through the spreadsheets he had brought with him.

"The financials look as solid as they can be given the nature of the Reserve. It's unfortunate the Ministry isn't interested in funding the keeping of creatures it cannot utilise for its own purposes. Charlie appears to have spent a great deal of time lobbying for his dragons to be left alone to live as normally as possible." His eyes did not leave the pages as he spoke.

"Yes, he loves them," she answered simply.

"He doesn't want my interference but he allows yours," Draco noted. He was a little hurt at that. Hermione's relationship with Charlie was unclear, but there was something there that Draco didn't like. Hermione's eyes narrowed, but his statement seemed too benign to insinuate what she thought it might.

"Not that it's your business, but the Weasleys are like family to me."

"It's about to become my business, isn't it though?" He grinned wickedly.

"What do you want, Draco? That's why we're here, isn't it?" She looked at him pointedly, her expression demanding that he not stray from the task at hand. He sighed, knowing he could get no further until her question was answered.

"The long version or the short version?"

"Stop being coy." She was losing patience with his subtle teasing.

"Alright," he acquiesced. "In exchange for full funding I will be dropping by the Reserve on occasion. You'll need to teach me the ropes so I have a full understanding of how it runs and I may make some minor changes if I find efficiencies that need to be increased. I want to be charitable, but in the projections I've made I expect that we can have this place back up and running independently in the future." He closed the folder and handed it to Hermione who accepted it and rifled through the pages. "Charlie should notice hardly any changes other than less time with you." She looked at him with narrowed eyes and this time she was certain of the insinuation.

"As long as my work does not falter then this should be acceptable and Charlie will be fine." Graceful and diplomatic. Hermione never failed to impress him with her poise. Though the last time she had needed to maintain poise in spite of inner turmoil she had ended up in his arms. He smiled inwardly at the memory of the kiss that had ended with tangled limbs and wild hair. Her avoidance of the question suggested to him that the only way Charlie would be really interested in her would be if she started breathing fire.

"You don't mind?" This last question was hopeful. He did not clarify if he meant Charlie or his following her and learning from her.

"No, I don't mind." She didn't clarify either and for a tense moment she held his gaze as if daring him to ask for the clarification. He didn't want it.

"Then I think we can discuss more once you have had a chance to look at the documents I've provided you. For now I will bid you goodnight." With a flourish he bowed and took her hand, kissing it and giving her a mischievous wink. She stood and he followed her to the host.

"Sir, please give this lady your finest room." The host bowed slightly and offered Hermione a large brass key before leading her to the room. "Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight, Draco." In spite of her misgivings, Draco had been a perfect gentleman. If she was honest with herself, Hermione might even admit that she was looking forward to seeing him again on her own turf.

The room was luxurious and beautiful, but Hermione was so drained from the evening that she fell into bed without changing and drifted off into a deep slumber.

Author's note: Thanks for hanging in there everyone! Sorry it took so long to actually get Draco into the story, but he's here and he's here to stay. I'll keep writing and uploading chapters as quickly as I can! Thank you so much for the reviews so far. You're so lovely.

-E