Once the impulse of the moment passed, regret began to sink in.

The more he thought about yoga―and after a little casual research on the topic―Draco was convinced he was likely going to make a fool of himself in front of Granger. He didn't care for that―but even less did he care for the idea of telling her he would be there and then failing to show.

At the time, quite frankly, he had only wanted to see her smile at him. The vibrance and warmth of her smile was not something Draco had ever anticipated being sent his way, but he couldn't quite shake the way it made him feel. Enough so that he was willing to follow through on his word even though most of him simply wanted to come up with an excuse as to why he couldn't make it to her yoga class.

"You've been abnormally fidgety," Potter commented as he approached from across the Auror's office.

Draco had been working on mundane paperwork for nearly two hours and felt about ready to jump out of his skin. Friday had crept by at a snail's pace.

If the snail were dead.

He swept an aggravated hand through his hair. "Yeah. This paperwork."

Potter rounded his desk, peering down at the work. "Looks bland. What say you wrap that up and we'll go run a trial simulation?"

"Thank Merlin," Draco huffed, drumming an anxious rhythm on the desk with fingertips. "That sounds excellent."

He still hadn't brought his spellcasting up to the level where it needed to be if he meant to advance in the training―or if he ever wanted to become a full Auror. And if he was honest, it was more important than filling out paperwork.

Besides that, he needed to exert some of the pent-up energy racing through him.

Potter chuckled, folding his arms. "What's got you so worked up? Have you got a date or something?"

"No."

It wasn't a date. But if he was honest, even the thought of it left Draco off-kilter in a way he didn't entirely care for. Sure, he thought Granger was fit and brilliant, and he couldn't control the way he felt when she―

"You've been acting suspicious as hell for days now." Potter cocked a brow but shook his head. "Your business, anyway. Finish up what you're doing and meet me in the training studio."

Draco stared at him for a moment, his heart freezing for a brief moment before galloping into a sprint. He could just tell Potter, and that would be the last of it, and he would never have to worry about the matter again.

He'd never stumble across Granger again. And if she did somehow regain her memories, she would never again look at him as though he mattered.

The idea left him cold.

"Right," he muttered, forcing a thick swallow. Dredging forth the last remnants of his focus, he turned back to his work. "Give me ten."


He was to arrive at Granger's yoga class at half two Saturday afternoon, and Draco had been unable to steady the anxious lurch in his chest whenever he thought of it. She had crept into his thoughts with a startling voracity. He realised as he slipped into a casual t-shirt and joggers before throwing a few items into his satchel in preparation. For a moment, his gaze lingered on the mess of scar tissue on his forearm that had once been his Dark Mark but he quickly glanced away.

True to his word, he had brewed her a batch of ointment for the scarring on her arm and disguised it in a small nondescript jar.

Then he Apparated across London to a point near her campus. It had been years since Draco had been a student, and even then, the feel of a Muggle university campus was entirely different from the grounds of Hogwarts.

When he was younger, Draco often considered the fact that he might pursue some sort of higher education in order to earn a mastery after Hogwarts―but that was before the experiences of the war shifted his perception on most everything. For years after completing his eighth year, he had simply drifted along, lost in the perils of his own mind, before he finally made a decision about the Ministry.

Despite that it was a Saturday, students paced by in every direction, caught up in loud, boisterous conversation, and Draco curled his fingers around the straps of his satchel as he drew a deep breath. He scarcely had cause to be around so many Muggles, and despite that he no longer harboured many of his old prejudices, the situation was jarring.

It was a world where he didn't belong―which pretty much summed up his existence in Granger's life in any capacity.

Several times he became turned around, and he was on the verge of giving up and going home, claiming some sort of conflict, when he located the building she had specified.

Drawing a deep breath, Draco walked in.

Granger was in conversation with several others, but she glanced up, her eyes alight with surprise upon seeing him. With a bit of a smirk, he lifted a hand as he assessed the room; it was a wide open space with scuffed vinyl floors and dim lighting. The gathering was mostly female, although a few men lingered as well, and Draco found himself eyeing the lean muscle on one of them when Granger walked over.

"You made it!" she exclaimed, a warm smile overtaking her face.

"Right." Draco forced a casual laugh as he dragged a hand across the back of his neck. "Said I would, yeah?"

Her eyes caught on his for a moment, as though she meant to say something else, but instead she offered him a thin foam mat, coiled into a roll. "I didn't think you'd have your own mat."

"I do not," he acquiesced, taking the roll. "Thanks."

"We'll be starting in about five minutes," she said, "so find yourself a spot and get comfortable."

Draco rummaged for his wallet. "How much is the class?"

Her eyes sparkled with warmth. "Don't worry about it for today."

Before Draco could argue the point, she turned to walk back towards the front of the room, and for several long, paralysing moments, his eyes lingered on the way her exercise trousers clung to her legs. His mouth went dry at the smooth curve of her arse, and he clamped his jaw shut with a cumbersome swallow.

Through their years at Hogwarts, her form had been concealed beneath robes, and even when he'd seen her at the tea shop, she wore jeans and jumpers. He'd known she had a fit physique―but it was a physical effort to drag his stare from her before someone noticed him.

A rush of blood warmed his face as he turned back to find the room mostly full, so he selected a spot of floor towards the back and laid out his mat the way everyone else had done.

Everyone else was barefoot, and with a flicker of distaste, he removed his shoes and socks and set them by the wall.

Merlin, this had been a bad idea.

"Welcome, everyone!" Granger exclaimed, clapping her hands together as she gazed upon the room with a smile. "Thanks for coming today." She pressed a button on a machine, and soft, ambient music started to play. "Let's get started."

Within minutes, Draco's suspicions were confirmed. As Granger led the group through a series of strange poses, graceful and seamless, he found himself struggling to keep up. Most of the class followed along as though experienced in yoga aside from a pair of clumsy girls near the back with whom Draco identified a certain kinship.

More than once, he found himself gaping at the flexible way she twisted and bent herself, his mind running away without him, and he had to steady the way his heart raced.

By fifteen minutes in, he was sweating, exhausted, and he felt as though he had strained every muscle in his body.

Draco was used to exercise; this was something else entirely.

But as the class carried on towards a close, he began to comprehend a little better as he fumbled his way from one move to the next. The movements felt more natural, and though he knew he likely looked an outright fool, he started to enjoy the quiet peace in it.

Once he moved past the idea of anyone was paying him any attention whatsoever―and indeed Granger hadn't looked his way more than once or twice―he allowed himself to relax.

By the end of the class, though his energy was depleted and body aching, he could admit to himself it hadn't been as awful as he'd originally anticipated.

Chugging a long drink of water from his canteen, he slipped a hooded jumper over his sweat-damp shirt. A layer of perspiration clung to his forehead and hair, and he swept his fringe back from his face.

Many of the participants lingered in conversation, and Draco glanced towards the front to find Granger speaking with the muscular men he'd noticed at the start. He clenched his jaw and averted his gaze.

Cleaning and rolling up his mat as everyone else did, he made towards the front of the room only to find Granger beaming at him.

Her cheeks were a bit flushed, but she looked considerably more put together than he felt. "What did you think?" she asked, taking the proffered mat.

Draco snickered. "Brutal. But it was alright."

"I didn't want to embarrass you," she said with a secretive smile, "but you seemed to be catching on by the end."

"I am exhausted." Flashing her a grin, he waited while she gathered her things and walked her towards the door. She hit a switch on the wall, sending the room into darkness, and then locked the door behind them.

"You'll feel it tomorrow," she tittered, "but it gets better as you become used to it."

Having experienced the intensity of one of her workouts, Draco wasn't surprised by her physique―but still he couldn't quite help the way his eyes lingered for another moment. Up close, he could see the lean definition in her arms and shoulders.

"Fair." Draco squinted in the sudden brightness of the sun compared to the darkened room. He tightened his hold on his satchel, walking alongside her. "So this is where you study."

Pulling a thin jumper over her head, she nodded. "I'm only in my second year, so I have at least two more to go, unless I decide to pursue a graduate degree."

None of that made any sense to Draco, so he hummed in return. "I'm sure you can do whatever you'd like."

"Thanks." Snagging her bottom lip between her teeth, she turned to him as they walked. "Are you in a hurry? Would you like to get something to drink?"

"Sure." He slid his hands into his pockets, attempting to act like he belonged on a Muggle university campus, and trailed along as Granger guided him through a convoluted network of pathways into another building that appeared to house a cafeteria of sorts. She led him towards a small food service booth that offered frozen beverages composed of fruits and yogurt. Draco selected a random drink from an abrasively colourful menu board.

He slipped a Muggle note onto the counter before Granger could dig her money from her bag, and she offered him a smile. "Thank you." As they waited for their order, she cast him a look. "You never take your change. Why is that?"

Draco scrunched up his nose. "I hate coins." Muggle coins, but he couldn't very well say that surrounded by Muggles. "The way they collect and jangle."

She only tittered, shaking her head.

His drink was surprisingly fresh and delicious, and they settled at a table back outside.

Despite the bizarre context to the day, Draco felt more at ease with her than he had expected. The sun was warm as it beamed down from a cloudless sky, warming his mood with it.

He had to be very careful with himself not to grow too accustomed to her presence.

Eventually, he would either need to try jarring her memory or simply hand the issue to someone more knowledgeable in such things. But Merlin, he wasn't ready for that.

"I almost forgot," he clipped, setting his bag on the bench next to him. Rummaging through it, he brandished the jar of healing paste. "For your arm."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, lips tugging downward. "You didn't have to―what do I owe you for this?"

"Nothing." Draco waved her off, watching as she eyed the unlabeled jar with caution. "I only hope it helps."

Although she pursed her lips, she didn't argue the point. "Thank you, Draco." The softness in her voice caught him off guard as he sipped his fruity concoction, and her eyes caught on his for a moment.

Swallowing his mouthful, he nodded. "No problem." He cursed the ridiculous clamouring of his heart.

Granger curled her fingers around the jar and tucked it carefully into her pack.

Making to stow his satchel beneath the table, Draco noticed a curious but familiar warmth emanating from within, and he froze. As Granger gazed around them, he dug inside for his badge, casting it a furtive glance inside the bag. It was a means of communication with which the department had imbued their badges for emergency contact.

Malfoy, where the hell are you? Nott's Floo'd the office looking for you twice.

The message―presumably from Potter―faded from the smooth metal surface on the back of the badge. Moments later, another message appeared.

You need to go to St Mungo's now.

At once, Draco's heart sank into the pit of his stomach and leapt into his throat. He stared at the blank surface long after the message faded, adrenaline building and coursing behind his ears with a dull throb.

Vaguely, he was aware of Granger's voice echoing in the space around him. "Is everything alright?"

The contents of his fruity drink curdled, bitter, in his stomach. He shoved the badge into the bottom of his bag and looked up at her. "I have to go," he breathed, his mind running off in a million directions at once. "Something's happened―I have to get to the hospital."

"Oh," she whispered, clapping a hand over her mouth. Wide-eyed, she gave a voracious nod. "Of course―are you alright to get there from here?"

Distracted, he shook his head, hastily tying the closure on his bag as he rose to his feet. "I'll be alright, thanks." He glanced her way, reading the genuine concern in every drawn line of her face. "Thank you for today. I'm sorry to run like this―"

"Not at all!" She wrung her hands tightly together. "I hope everything's okay."

Blowing out a breath, he gave her a grim smile and collected the rest of his drink. "Thank you. Me too." As he looked around, gathering his bearings, he backed away. "I'll talk to you soon?"

A hesitant smile curled her lips. "Alright."

Turning in the direction from which he'd come, he ducked behind the nearest building and Apparated directly to St Mungo's.


Pacing rapidly towards the visitor's desk at the hospital, Draco was almost instantly ambushed by Theo.

"Theo," he huffed, grasping his friend by the shoulders. "What happened?"

Theo shook his head, a deep furrow in his brow. "It's your mother. She's in with the healers now but they aren't sure what's happened. They only said she arrived via the emergency Floo and collapsed. I've pestered them for information on your behalf but nothing yet."

"Fuck." Draco dragged a hand through his hair, still slightly damp from his yoga class. It was hard to believe that just a quarter of an hour prior, he'd been enjoying cold, fruity beverages with Hermione Granger.

Face twisting, Theo drawled, "What the hell are you wearing?"

Draco waved him off. "Never mind. I was at yoga."

"Yoga."

He rolled his eyes.

"You were doing yoga. Who's the girl?"

"Fuck off, Theo."

After a moment, Theo sobered, and the pair of them sank into seats in the waiting room. "Sorry, mate. I'll stay with you until we learn something more."

Draco released a tight breath, feeling the tension claw up his back and through his shoulders. "Thanks." He dug his badge out of his pack and sent a brief message of response to Potter.

Several minutes later, the man strode into the waiting room, green eyes wide as he sought Draco and Theo across the room.

Draco gave a slow nod. "Potter."

"Malfoy. Nott."

"Potter."

"What happened?" Potter dropped into the seat on Draco's other side, as though deflating.

"We don't know yet," Draco drawled, sipping his half-melted drink through its straw. "Something's happened to my mother."

"Shite, mate." Potter's gaze trawled the length of him. "What the hell are you―"

"He was doing yoga," Theo interrupted.

Potter screwed up his face in confusion for a moment, before he snickered. "He had a date."

"It was not a date."

Theo and Potter exchanged a grin, and Draco might have been willing to contest the issue more if he hadn't been thrown off so entirely by the thought of something happening to his mother.

The last time he had seen her, he had more or less strode from the tea shop after their argument without so much as a goodbye. His stomach churned, wretched and bitter, at the thought that it could have been their last meeting.

Dragging a hand down his face, he slumped deeper into his seat. Theo and Potter carried on in quiet conversation around him, but Draco simply clutched his plastic cup and gazed at the floor. Fear and anguish clawed at his skin; moisture stung at the backs of his eyes.

And he thought of Granger. At the way real fear had crossed her face.

She didn't even remember his mother―her only concept of the woman was the way Draco had complained about her. And if she ever did remember...

There was no way Draco would ever deserve someone like her, and he resolved to relinquish the game before he ended up in too deep. He had never wanted to lead her on, and the last thing he meant to do was hurt her. There was a very real chance he could end up hurting himself, too, if the way she hung on his mind almost constantly was any indication.

He didn't have it in him to discuss the matter now. Not with fear and anxiousness heavy on his heart.

But come Monday morning, he would hand his assembled research over to Potter. Granger had been one of his best friends, after all; Draco was nothing in comparison.

He had allowed himself to indulge in the brightness of her smile, the warmth of her eyes, but it was all fleeting. He hadn't done anything to earn any of it.

Although he ought to have reported it immediately, it wasn't too late. And he had information to go along with it, so his efforts hadn't been entirely for naught.

Melancholy swelled within his mind like a thundercloud, overtaking his thoughts as he sank deeper into himself. The last thing he wanted was for something to happen to his mother. Despite that they didn't always get along, she was the only family he had left, and he didn't know how he would cope. How he might possibly deal with his father in the aftermath.

Draco didn't know how much time had passed, only that eventually Theo plucked the plastic cup from his tight grip, the last remnants melted and swirling in the bottom. His eyes followed as Theo trashed it in the bin. Then his stare lingered on the silver receptacle, its top swinging slowly until it at last came to a stop.

"Mister Malfoy?"

He flinched, blinking as he straightened in his seat. Scrubbing at his eyes, he peered at the lime green robes of the healer before him. "Yes?"

"My name is Healer Brooks, the chief attendant on your mother's case. Many of her vitals were dangerously low when she arrived here this afternoon, and we're going to have to keep her here at the hospital for observation for a few days." The man's voice was soft and patient, and Draco sifted through the words as they glossed over the edges of his brain. "She's awake for now; you may visit her but only for a few minutes."

"Okay." Draco blew out a sharp breath, dragging himself to his feet. He felt a little unsteady, a combination of sitting inactive for so long and the strain in his muscles from earlier. He caught the concern on both Theo and Potter's faces, and forced a thin smile he didn't quite feel. "Thanks for waiting with me. You don't need to stay."

"Nonsense," Theo quipped; Potter simply folded his arms.

Swallowing back a threatening prod of emotion, Draco followed the healer down several long corridors and into a numbered room.

His mother's visage was startling when he broached the threshold. Her usually perfect hair was lank and out of place, her face pale and wan. The thin line of her mouth nearly blended into her blanched skin, and her sharp blue eyes were dull and incognisant.

"Mother," Draco breathed, pacing forward and slipping into the seat at her side.

"Draco." An attempted smile pulled at her lips, before her eyes tightened ever so slightly. "What in Merlin's name are you wearing?"

He ground his jaw; he ought to have changed out of his Muggle joggers and jumper, but he'd been in such a hurry to get to the hospital that his attire had been the last thing on his mind.

"Never mind," he said quietly. "I was out for a run."

Narcissa's eyes fluttered shut, a shallow breath falling from her lips, and any trace of irritation swept away. "That sounds nice."

"The healers are going to keep you here for a few days," Draco murmured, sweeping a rogue chunk of hair out of her face. "I'm going to make sure you have everything you need; the finest room, the best care―and you need to let them do their jobs, alright?"

A hint of life flared within her eyes, and he thought if she had the energy she might have admonished him. She had a tendency to ignore the recommendations of others.

Her hand grappled for his as he adjusted her pillow, the strength in her fingers almost non-existent as they wrapped around his. "Draco."

Swallowing his anxiety, Draco met her stare and nodded. "I'm right here." Emotion swelled within him, pressing against his chest and leaving him at a loss.

"I've never..." Drawing in a breath, she tried again. "I didn't mean to make you so upset with me last week―"

"Forget about it," he murmured, clenching his jaw shut. "It's not a problem, okay? We'll deal with all of that later. You just have to focus on getting better right now because you don't want to stay in this blasted hospital, do you?"

A soft laugh fell from her lips, stinging Draco's heart. "Certainly not," she breathed, the words feeble as her eyes fluttered shut again.

A streak of fear darted through him. "The healers are going to do everything they can to figure out what's wrong."

"Yes," Narcissa said softly, "we'll rely on the healers."

If he didn't know her as well as he did, he might have taken the words at face value. But he knew her well enough to recognise the veiled contempt. "Mother."

"Fine." Her breathing grew shallow again, a grimace pulling at her lips, and Draco clenched her hand in his.

Two young healers bustled into the room with a tray of assorted vials, and Draco eyed each of them in turn, attempting to discern their contents. The chief attendant, Healer Brooks, fixed Draco with a stare.

"I'll need you to step out for now," the man said, though his voice was soft. "We'll keep you posted as soon as we learn more."

Draco turned back towards his mother. "I'll come back and see you soon."

The slightest hint of warmth tweaked her lips, but her grip on his hand slackened, eyes sliding shut. He blew out a breath, tension heavy in his shoulders as he rose from his seat and walked towards the door.

"Please," he muttered, stopping beside Healer Brooks. "Spare no expense in her care. Whatever you have to do."

The healer nodded stiffly. "Very well, Mister Malfoy."

With a poor effort at a smile, Draco vacated the room. He found Theo and Potter still waiting for him in the waiting room, conversing between themselves, and he sank back into his seat in silence.

"Alright, mate?" Theo clapped a hand to his shoulder.

Draco didn't know how to respond as he blew out a long breath and scrubbed at his eyes. "Yeah. Alright."


That night, after the healers told him he would be unable to see his mother again until the next day, Draco went home. Theo and Potter had stayed far longer than he'd expected either of them to―especially Potter, with whom Draco wasn't particularly close―but he'd appreciated their solidarity more than he'd been able to put into words.

It felt as though days had passed since he had enjoyed his afternoon with Granger.

His body felt fatigued, his mind lost.

If the healers had at least been able to provide a diagnosis, or some sort of assurance, he would have at least been able to rest. But without any firm knowledge of what was wrong―along with the fear that the healers didn't even know yet―Draco doubted he would be able to get any sleep.

He brewed a pot of tea, selected a book from his collection, and sank into the armchair in his sitting room.

The flat was small but tidy, borderline mundane in appearance and decor. And while he usually preferred to have the space to himself, every so often he couldn't stand the silence.

His eyes stared, skimming the words but unfocused, until at last he gave up and set the book aside.

Mind darting to the resolution he'd made to himself that afternoon, Draco felt a chill creep into his being. Ultimately, he had no place in Granger's life, and the longer he dragged the situation on the worse it would get. He was the last person who could possibly help her, and the weight of the knowledge that went along with her continued existence had begun to grow heavy.

Although the thought stung, it was for the best.

For too long, he had coveted the way she looked at him―the warmth in her voice when they spoke―but it was for nothing.

He hadn't touched the Muggle mobile phone he'd purchased in days, and he pulled it from the side table drawer. It was blocky and thick, the weight of it cumbersome in his hand. After almost fifteen minutes of fumbling with the buttons and double-checking the manual, uncertain what he was doing, he managed to draft a message to her number.

It would be cruel to run out on her and leave her hanging, wondering. He could still remember the way genuine concern for him had danced in her eyes.

Hi Melody, it's Draco. My mother's in the hospital; they don't know what's wrong yet but she's alright for now. Thanks again for today.

He stared at the message for a long time, scrubbing at his eyes. There were so many things he longed to say. Not only did he not possess the courage, but he didn't think any of it would help the situation at all.

Come Monday morning, he would hand over everything he'd learned to Potter. And that would be that.

The clock on the wall read shortly past midnight. Draco hoped if she were already asleep, the message wouldn't wake her. But he didn't know what he might do or say if she were to respond.

His heart felt raw in his chest from the strain of the day, combined with the decision he'd made.

Before he could panic and overthink the situation, he mashed a button to send the message. Releasing a long breath, he squeezed his eyes shut, then returned the phone to its drawer.

Pouring out the dregs of his tea, Draco dragged himself to bed for what would surely be a futile effort.


Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading! Alpha and beta credits to Kyonomiko and FaeOrabel, respectively. I hope you enjoyed the chapter xo