A/N: Choked this chapter out today because I felt totally bad for not updating this story for ages. Hopefully the next chapter will be better because I know what I'm going to write about and have a few lines all stacked up. Thanks for the reviews. Enjoy...

"Ouch, Merlin, watch where you're going…idiot." Hermione muttered as some Ministry of Magic official knocked her and a pile of parchments to the ground. As she scrabbled around on the cold stone floor of the corridor a pair of expensive looking black leather shoes appeared in front of her and were closely followed by Malfoy's face cocked to one side and smiling lightly. Hermione sat back on her heels as he silently passed her the remaining scrolls.

"Extra research?"

"Hmm yeah, it's about the development of the International Statute of Secrecy. I've chosen to take a politics module in my course."

"Ah." Draco nodded politely and helped Hermione to her feet. "Don't get much call for politics in Potions."

"Malfoy?"

"Hmm?" Draco wasn't really looking at Hermione as they waited for the lifts.

"If you don't mind me asking, what are you planning to do once you finish studying?"

Draco blushed as they stepped into the empty lift. "Well, not many people know this. But I'd actually quite like to be a Healer, at St. Mungo's…" Hermione tried to hide her shock but couldn't help her mouth gaping slightly in wonder. "You'll catch flies like that Granger…" Draco chuckled and shut her mouth by pressing lightly on her chin with his index finger.

Hermione shivered at his touch and tried to regain her composure by stuffing the scrolls haphazardly into her bag, blushing furiously. "That's great…I mean, totally unexpected, but great. Helping people and everything…great."

"Granger…"

"Hmmm?" Hermione looked up from her bag.

"Chill." Draco winked and exited the lift; Hermione shuffled out after him and walked straight into Ginny.

"Dinner at eight, Granger?" Draco called out as he walked backwards towards the apparition point.

"Dinner at eight." Hermione nodded as Draco disapparated. Ginny grasped Hermione's elbow and tugged her round.

"Malfoy's coming?"

"He does live with me." Hermione commented indignantly as they followed Draco's footsteps.

"What happened to hating him?" Ginny raised an eyebrow as she secured her bag, ready for apparition.

"He's changed…" Hermione mumbled as she disapparated. Ginny rolled her eyes at Hermione's naivety and followed her to the apartment.

Draco stumbled into the apartment, ever so slightly tipsy at 7.45. He grinned haphazardly at the girls who were stood by the oven, well Hermione was stood, Ginny was sat on the work surface surrounded by dishes clutching a glass of Butterbeer.

"Evenin' ladies…" And with that he fell to the floor, Ginny raised an eyebrow and Hermione looked mildly worried.

"Do you think…?" Hermione questioned, moving forward and prodding his form lightly with her bare foot.

"Do I think what?"

"Is he drunk?"

Ginny gaped slightly. "Are you kidding me?"

"What?"

Hermione was most certainly not kidding Ginny realised. "Oh don't worry. Yes of course he's drunk. The alcohol is positively radiating off him."

"Well what are we going to do?"

"Er? Nothing? This is Draco Malfoy after all."

"Yeah but…" Hermione stopped speaking, realising that she was actually rubbing Malfoy's arm with her foot. Ginny looked rather amused at her friend.

"Oh okay, I suppose…" Ginny drew her wand. "Wingardium Leviosa." Draco drifted up a few feet and Ginny began walking towards the bedrooms. Hermione turned away to tend to the meal, too shocked at her concern for Draco to notice that Ginny had sent the young man speeding onto her own bed as opposed to his.

Ginny plonked herself down at the table and began reaching for the dishes of pasta that Hermione had placed there a few seconds previously with a fervour that reminded Hermione of Ron. She chuckled and placing a bottle of white wine down, joined Ginny.

"How's Harry?" Hermione enquired a few minutes later as Ginny sipped her wine.

"Tired. Auror training is intense. But Tonks and Kingsley are helping them loads. Of course, Tonks keeps saying its stupid that they of all people have to go through training given what they've…well you get the idea." Ginny knew that Hermione disliked talking about the war. "But Kingsley, he's head of the department now, insists that now matter how much experience they've had, they don't know everything."

"Kingsley's right…" Hermione prodded at her pasta uncertainly. Ginny was quite determined to talk about them, as opposed to just Harry and Hermione wondered if Ginny was still slightly put out at her breaking up with Ron, she knew that Ginny had loved the idea of Hermione becoming her sister one day. "Ginny, I…"

"Hermione, I don't care if you're with Ron or not. I will always love you as a sister."

"How did you…?"

"Instinct. Now please, any fool can see that you and Ron weren't right together."

"I just…"

"I don't care. You're my friend Hermione, and Ron's friend. And that relationship is over and that's it. Now is about fun Hermione." Ginny reached out and squeezed Hermione's hand comfortingly. "That being said, anyone you've got your overly intelligent eye on?"