Hi all!

I want to say thank you to everyone who's been reading and following the story! I know it's been a little while since I updated, but I've been so tied up with work that it slipped away for a while. But I'm back and will hopefully be updating more regularly now!

Again, thank you thank you your support is so very much appreciated!

--

Waking up in a bed that was not her own was not something she was used to, despite staying at the Burrow on occasion.

For a brief moment, she reached her hand out, searching for Ron. Before reality settled into her bones and she remembered where she was, and why she was there.

Hermione groaned and rolled over, shoving her face into her grey pillow.

She would have to go to work today, and dodge everybody she knew. She doubted she would make it to lunch before Harry or Ron caught her and tried to shake answers from her.

The tempting thought of staying home pulled at her and her hand was nearly on her mobile before she thought better of it.

She would go to work and carry on. The end of her relationship wasn't the end of the world, and people depended on her.

She tossed back the—admittedly luxurious—sheets and made for the door across the room that held the bathroom.

--

An hour later she was sitting behind her desk in the wide, cramped office her and Draco had shared for the last few years. No matter how large the space was paperwork, awards, and momentos ate up the space like nifflers stored gold and jewels.

"Granger, how did you manage to beat me here from my flat?"

She barely looked up at his voice and jerked a finger, prompting a crumpled ball of paper to fly at his head.

"Oi," he exclaimed, ducking.

"Malfoy what part of no one is to know wasn't clear to you?"

"No one is here, it's just us."

Something tightened in her stomach. Us. Even though it had always been them, whenever they were in the office it was them. Nothing had changed and yet she felt the weight of his words and wondered if that was the entire truth.

"Yes well… I don't think I have to remind you of the ramifications if someone finds out about… our living arrangements."

Malfoy rolled his eyes and sauntered over to his desk. He took a look at the new files waiting for him and laughed. "Well Granger, looks like you're about to face those ramifications."

Hermione's head shot to where Malfoy was standing, file dangling from his hand, and a sly smirk on his face.

"What are you talking about?"

"This file," he said, swaggering over to her desk and dropping it, "appears to have been put on the wrong desk."

The file in question glared up at her from its place on her desk. The bold black stamp reading:

For the attention of Hermione Granger.

It was from the Aurors office, courtesy of Harry himself.

Despite its official looking shell, she knew a summons when she saw one.

Not even twenty four hours, and Harry was already summoning her to find out what happened. Annoyance began to bubble, and she had the sinking feeling that before the end of the day it would erupt.

"Well what's Potter want?"

"What do you think he wants?" she said shortly, still glaring at the offending file.

"A salacious kiss and tell? The life and times of Hermione Granger?"

She leveled him with a look that used to make Ron find something of interest in another room; but Draco only smiled.

Gingerly picking up the file, she examined the cover, then the back. A sour expression twisting her face.

Standing quickly, she slapped the file back down on her desk without reading it and made for the door.

She made her way through the streams of ministry workers that were still flooding the wide carpeted hallways, dodging and side stepping eager employees that were insisting she come visit their department when she got a chance.

Her eye twitched as she smiled politely at the fifth person accosting her that morning and slipped past; managing to make the rest of the walk to Harry's office uninterrupted.

Without knocking the door flew open and she found herself facing a stern looking Harry sitting behind his desk.

"Harry."

"Mione," he said, folding his hands together.

This was ridiculous, Harry was her friend and yet he was watching her with a look so similar to Mcgonagall that she found herself making a mental note to write to her later.

"You… wanted to see me? You could always just send an inter-departmental note… the file was a bit excessive."

"Excessive?" he paused and the weight of his words pinned her to the spot, "excessive was what happened last night."

"Harry–"

"You could've just said no."

Hermione exhaled heavily through her nose, "I didn't know I was going to say no. It… it wasn't planned, it just happened."

"It just happened?" he laughed, "Ron has taken some time off… gone to Romania to see his brother. Mione you broke his heart… you humiliated him in front of his family."

"I… that wasn't… that isn't fair." Hermione walked further into the office and sat in front of his desk, "I couldn't marry him. But I know he'll find someone that can."

"Maybe, but he wanted to marry you."

Her brain only just caught up with what he had said. Ron had left and she was the reason. To make things worse, while he was riding some night train out of London she had been curled up in Malfoys flat. The guilt churning in her stomach amplified when she remembered that she hadn't even lost sleep over it.

"Romania… how long will he be gone?"

"You made it pretty clear that you didn't care."

"I never said I didn't care. Harry, you and Ron have always been my friends and while I can't change what happened I don't want to lose you too."

His face softened and he looked away. "Mione… you'll never lose me. You should know that by now. I've seen everything you two have gone through since we were at Hogwarts, and I'm sure you'll find your way back to each other if the times right." He stopped, looking unsure. "He went to your place, you know."

She wanted to cringe away from his words, she didn't know if she wanted to find her way back to him. Since they were sixteen she had thought about nobody but Ron. Every good, bad, and mixed feeling in-between. But now that he had actually gotten down and proposed, nothing made her less happy than saying yes.

"I assumed he would," she said softly, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from telling Harry everything.

"He was furious that you weren't there. He called me, right out of his mind and after a lot of convincing, I got him to leave town for a few weeks. Let him calm down before trying to see you again."

Hermione gave him a weak smile. She knew Harry was trying to help, trying to keep the peace in the only way he knew how. Her only concern was that he had given Ron hope that when he returned, she would be waiting for him with open arms and a yes on her lips.

Her thoughts from the night before came back, and she wondered how far into her flat he got before he realized she wasn't there. How much of it stood untouched in his anger.

"Did you go with him?"

Harry paused, "no why?"

She shook her head, deciding against sharing her fears with him until she had seen it for herself.

"He told me you weren't there, he even went to your mum's to find you. Where'd you go when you left?"

Finally the question she was sure he had been dying to ask and she had hoped to avoid.

"Oh um… well I rented a room at the Leaky Cauldron for a few nights. I needed some space to think without being rudely intruded on. Clearly I made the right call."

A ghost of a smile crossed his face, and he nodded.

"Now if that's everything Harry, I do have a job to do."

This time he laughed, "Ya, sorry to pull you away from your work. I know how busy you've been lately."

"Yes, well someone in my office needs to get things done."

Harry stood up and came around his desk, holding out his arms for her. She stepped into his embrace and exhaled. Both relief and guilt swirled in nauseating circles in her stomach, and she forced herself to step back.

"Speaking of your office, how is Malfoy treating you? Not giving you too much grief right?"

She laughed but it came out too high, too fast. "No no, he's fine. Typical Malfoy."

Harry tilted his head but if he thought she was behaving strangely, he didn't let on.

"Right, on that note. I have to go, but I'll see you later, ya?"

He didn't say anything as she swiftly made her way to the door, and it was only when she was between his office and the hallway that he spoke again.

"Gin and I are having a small get together Friday evening, just the usual lot. No families." His implication was clear, no Weasleys—Ginny being the exception—"you're always welcome to come by."

She dipped her head once and stepped into the dark stone hallway. With the door firmly closed behind her, she heaved a long awaited sigh and fought off the nervous shaking in her legs. She wouldn't be able to get any work done, not in this state.

Clarity breezed through her and she knew she wasn't going back to her office. She had something more pressing to take care of first, something that wouldn't allow her any peace until she knew.

She needed to go to her flat and assess the damage.