Hermione heard her voice squeak a bit as she pulled him into a hug. Somehow she felt like she needed to compensate for...whatever it was he just walked in on. "How is the book tour?"

"It's excellent. I was owled to make myself available for this Friday. Plus, I heard about Jones, so I came by to see the old bastard."

For the one year that Ron had lasted as an Auror, Harold Jones had been Ron's partner and de facto mentor. They got along like oil and water. Naturally, that meant he had a soft spot for the more senior man. He smiled down at her sheepishly, then looked over at Draco.

"Malfoy." It was all he needed to say by way of greeting. There was no contempt but no warmth in his voice either.

"Hey, Weasley. Congrats on the book." Draco immediately turned back to his files, uninterested in continuing the conversation.

After Ron left the ministry, he bought into Weasley Wizard Wheezes as a 50% partner with the last of his savings. Business was alright, but they still struggled to pay themselves a liveable salary and turn a profit. That's when Rita Skeeter approached him about a Tell-All book recounting the story of the Second Wizarding War, as told by the sidekick. Ron crunched some numbers and took the deal. It had come out a few months prior, on the 7-year anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. It was good, she had to admit. He knew what he was doing.

"Thanks, that's actually part of why I'm here." Ron pulled a slightly crumpled envelope from his jacket pocket and held it out. "Figured it'd be harder for you to say no to my face."

"You figured wrong. I said no."

"Hermione," he huffed, "just take it."

"I don't want Skeeter's money, I told you before."

"You said that because you didn't want to cosign the book, but the book's done, it's out there. Why shouldn't you get your due?"

"I don't need it and I don't want it," she pushed the envelope away.

Ron looked over at Draco and said, "oi, Malfoy, you're rich. Tell her she should take the money."

"Actually the blind trust in charge of my money is rich, but take the money, Granger."

"What do I need that kind of money for? I do just fine by myself thank you very much."

"You could buy books, or some decent shoes," Draco suggested. Hermione looked down at her non-nonsense flats. What was wrong with her shoes?

"Right, think of all the books you could buy! How many books did you buy after you sold the ring? This is like 5 rings at least!"

Her blood ran cold for a moment, though Ron didn't seem to notice his slip up. Or maybe he did and that was the point, reminding Draco of their history. Either way, the blonde had returned to his files, studying one particularly hard and making a big show of pretending he hadn't heard. Few people knew about their short-lived engagement. The book didn't cause their break up, not alone, but it was the final blow.

"Okay," she said quietly, "thank you."

The awkward silence that had settled over the three of them was shattered suddenly by a sequel. "RON!"

Lavender Brown, her dirty blonde hair in its signature work ponytail, and her tight "power dress" underneath her white coat ran into the office and flung herself into his arms. "I haven't seen you in forever! Ron!"

"Hey hey hi." He staggered backward a bit before returning her feet to the ground, "how are ya, Lav?"

"Excellent, it's my birthday tomorrow and I made Witch Weekly's most eligible healers list."

"Impressive!" Ron blushed a little and Hermione could swear she heard Malfoy snickering into his files.

"Healer Granger here would've been number one had she not written a very strongly worded letter to the editor about how it was a sexist tradition and she would not participate."

"It is and I won't."

Lavender grinned, "more for me. Oh, Ron, you must come to my birthday drinks tonight." He started to stammer into a protest but she cut him off, "There's plenty of room, I insist! And you can't disappoint a birthday girl. Plus, Hermione and Draco will be there, won't you?"

They looked at each other. Outings with their coworkers were common enough, but hearing their names grouped together felt strange. Of course he'd be there, Lavender was as much his friend and colleague as she was Hermione's. An image flashed before her eyes of the last time they had been at the pub together, Hermione drinking him under the table and him walking her home stumbling, giggling in the dark. Somehow they always ended up next to each other. She figured positioning himself alongside the Golden Girl made him feel like less of a social pariah. Why she let him get away with it, or flirt with her and make her laugh and blush, nonetheless see her home safely, that was a mystery she'd yet to untangle.

"Of course, we'll be there."

"Splendid! Ron, Hermione can give you the details later, but I'm afraid *I* have a date with Healer Granger now."

The two women headed to an empty examination room. It wasn't exactly to hospital policy, but Lavender insisted Hermione be the only one to treat her lycanthropy. A few years ago, Hermione was working her first residency under a well-renowned healer in beasts and beings. She learned to brew wolfsbane and treat the cursed wounds of a werewolf with his teaching. Her mentor was shared with Lavender Brown, a psychiatrist in her own right, working with newly turned patients in the ward. They made small talk, discussed cases, and had a few drinks and cups of coffee over the years. Lavender wasn't that bad when you got to know her, even if she was insufferably vain. Her scars were glamored to the point that her skin glistened, and only a handful of people had seen her without them. Hermione was one of those people. When the old healer had retired two years ago, Lavender asked Hermione to come on as her healer.

She sat now on the edge of the examination table, studying Hermione study the file.

"Anything unusual since the last time I saw you?" Hermione treated Lavender four times a year now, once a season. "Pain, aches, loss of appetite, irritability?"

"Well," Lavender laughed, "I did have my period last week. Oh c'mon Hermione! It's a joke. Laugh."

"I'm just focused on you, my patient."

"I'm good, never felt better."

Hermione nodded and examined the bite marks on Lavender's right shoulder. With the glamor gone, they appeared an angry plum color. The potion she always applied was doing a fine job, but some wounds would never heal.

With her head tipped away from Hermione, she said, "I'm not going to steal your man tomorrow. You don't have to worry."

Her hands stopped and she felt her eyebrow twitch. "My man?"

"Ron."

"Oh, right." Why had she assumed Lavender was talking about someone else? "I mean, that's kind of you. But he's not mine."

"Hermione," Lavender looked back at her, her lashes heavy on sad eyes, "he'll always be your man."

"We're not together, Lav. You can do whatever you want. You both can." She moved to wash her hands in the basin, but Lavender's eyes followed her.

"I know about the engagement." Now, that gave her pause. She spun around to demand an answer but Lavender wasn't being coy. "For what it's worth, I think you deserved better than a ring on a string. Told him so myself."

Instinctively, Hermione's hand flew to her neck where a gold chain once held her engagement ring. It wasn't like that, they just didn't want to be gossip fodder. That's all. Wasn't it?

"He told you?"

"The night he quit the Ministry." Now Lavender averted her gaze, looking down at the floor. "I ran into him at that dive bar that used to be next to the entrance. He was a right mess. So afraid to tell you, scared you'd think he was a failure. I came onto him, I'm ashamed to admit"

Hermione stared a hole through her friend. This was nearly three years ago and after she'd agreed to take on Lavender's case. Both of them had kept it from her.

"He told me no. Had a fiancé at home. So I got him into the floo and I sent him back to you and we've never talked about it since. But given the book and your general demeanor anytime he comes up, I'm guessing the wedding is off?"

"The wedding was hardly ever on."

Lavender tipped her head, "I'm sorry."

"For what? You didn't shag him."

"For...I'm just sorry, alright?" She looked Hermione straight on and smiled a little. "He loves you. I know that much. So I won't try anything, it's a waste of time and you know I'm really getting up there in age. No time to lose."

That made Hermione snort, "right, you old hag."

"But you know if you wanted to get me a birthday gift, you could put your officemate onto me."

"My...what?"

Lavender laughed, pulling back on her white coat. "Draco. The stud with the great arse."

"I...I've never noticed."

"Love, I think you might be blind."