Chapter 5

Sitting down at the table again dinner was finished, drinks were imbibed, and Hermione had told Malfoy everything she knew about Taylor Thomas. She also gave him no room for argument when she put her foot down about helping him. After Malfoy had laid out his history and the crimes, he committed Hermione was more determined than ever to help him. She also encouraged him to look into his background since his former job allowed him to have cause to be all over the world. Malfoy agreed that would be a good idea.

The night had worn on and Hermione had begun to notice weariness, checking her watch she realized it was half twelve. Malfoy walked her out and she Apparated back to her hotel.

Lying in her bed the events of the evening swirled around her mind. The turn the night had taken was so different than anything she had expected. Honestly, when she suggested leaving that restaurant, she could scarcely believe what she had said.

Then they compared left arms, that moment feeling like so much closure and peace. They could truly move past the children they used to be and the old barriers.

Hermione had been friends with several of Malfoy's closest and oldest friends for several years now so the idea that one day she would likely spend time in his company seemed like an ordinary concept, but then he never came when invited because he was always out of town. Hermione didn't judge him, she understood she did the same thing for all those years during college and being a Muggle doctor.

Hermione considered for Malfoy this feigned independence was just that a last-ditch attempt to be free. He would at some point have to settle and carry on his family name. While it was a load of bollocks, she also knew that he would do it because even though he no longer believed in the superiority of his birth he still valued the old traditions to some extent. Malfoy also respected his mother too much to abandon his duty entirely. Lucius was gone. Malfoy was the last of his name. She wondered vaguely who he would marry, would he follow tradition and stick with a Sacred Twenty-Eight. Some Pureblood witch who would blush prettily at all his lame jokes, give him perfect children, probably raised by house elves.

Why did she care. Steady on.

Showered, dressed, and settled at her laptop at a café near her hotel that had WiFi; she began to dig through old photos she had saved from her time travelling with Doctors Without Borders. She found a picture of herself, and Taylor taken by a friend. His arm was slung casually around her shoulder, she was laughing at something he said. Knowing what she knew about him now this photo almost made her stomach turn. Attaching it to an email, she started to consider what to say to him that wouldn't seem entirely crazy after all this time. Hermione had only ended things because she was going back to London, and she wanted to find someone to be serious with. Taylor said he understood.

"Hermione, Hermione Granger, is that you?"

Cold dread sluiced down her spine, he was across the street. She had learned Occlumency to calm her mind after the war. Her Mind Healer had suggested it as a way to process all the different trauma separately. It was very effective, she hardly ever used it now, until this moment when she pulled at the gift to calm her so she could say hello without panic in her voice. She had told Malfoy she would be fine to email him but seeing him with his rap sheet so fresh in her mind was terrorizing.

He was crossing the street she looked up and smiled and typed a message to Malfoy.

He is here now

Then he was before her, and she was closing her laptop and getting up to hug him. She released some of the Occlumency to ensure she appeared normal. He lightly kissed both her cheeks.

She held back a shudder.

As she was pulling away a well-dressed blonde walked straight up to her grabbing her left hand putting something in it and pulling her into his side placing a kiss on her temple and a possessive hand on her hip.

"I leave you sitting alone for a few minutes and you're already kissing someone else surely you could at least pretend to be faithful so shortly after I proposed," he said with mirth but when his eyes met hers, she saw the danger flash for a moment.

Realizing what was in her hand was a ring she slid it on to her fourth finger. Fingering it she realized it was a huge rock. She also realized he had changed his disguise this one was much better almost him but not quite. She liked it better. Then she chided herself for thinking about this at all in this situation.

Extending his hand, "Corbin Drake nice to meet you. I see you already know my fiancé Hermione. Please join us. I feel like I have seen your face before. Have I seen a picture of this man my love?"

My love—that was nice. He asked a question, bloody answer.

"Yes, you remember I told you all about Taylor Thomas he was my supplier of all manner of junk food not found in the far reaches of the world when a hungry tired doctor needed just a little something to get through."

Thomas looked apprehensive but more at ease than a moment ago.

Malfoy pulled out her chair so she could sit before asking Thomas if he should like something.

Thomas declined citing a meeting in a few moments but told Hermione his email was still the same and she should send him a message so they could all catch up. With a farawell he carried on down the street.

"Did you need anything else my dear?" Malfoy asked, his eyes really asking if it was ok for him to walk away from her.

"I think a chocolate croissant wouldn't be amiss," Hermione tried for chipper and giddy.

Malfoy took that to mean she would be ok for a few moments.

Hermione opened her laptop to the email and now knew exactly what to say.

Taylor,

Seeing you today was so nice. It has been so long. After seeing you I decided to dig through my old photos and found this one of us together. Goodness, we looked like children. Let me know when you are free, and we should have dinner.

Warm Regards,

Hermione

Malfoy looked over her shoulder at the email before she hit send.

"You looked so happy in that photo, how old were you then?" his voiced strangely guarded.

"Twenty-five I believe."

She met his eyes but what ever he was thinking he wasn't sharing. Malfoy took a seat next to her draping an arm around her chair.

"You can relax you know he is gone, and I would never let something happen to you," his voice low as he leaned into her ear like he was just going to whisper sweet nothings.

Hermione relaxed into his warmth; she could feel him lazily drawing circles on her shoulder. She smiled an empty smile and giggled like he was funny before whispering back.

"I can't sit here anymore."

Malfoy was up in a moment he knocked back his espresso and offered his arm with a chivalrous smile, his eyes searching hers.

They walked a block and he let her lead. In a nearby ally she left him for a moment Apparated to her hotel room dropped the wards Apparated back grabbed him and Apparated again.

Malfoy stumbled into her.

"Oi could have warned a bloke before surprise side-along."

"Sorry," her voice still hollow.

Malfoy grabbed both her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"You are almost as good as me, you can barely tell you are Occluding. You must be out of practice."

He walked the room and warded it again adding himself to her wards and added wards she hadn't considered. He really had a gift for it. Finished he walked back to her.

"You are safe now let it go."

Hermione gasped for breath as the feelings rushed back in and ran to the bathroom and wretched. She had no idea why she was so shaken. The thought of Thomas and all the horrible things he had done, and some of the things Malfoy suspected him of but didn't have enough proof; it was all so overwhelming.

Malfoy gently held her hair back. A glass of water appeared next to her. Malfoy left her to gather herself for a moment after it was clear she was done vomiting. Splashing cold water on her face and drinking the glass of water; Hermione walked back into her room.

Malfoy was casually sitting on the chaise in her room.

"I know I was full of bravado yesterday and I know I can defend myself I just was so taken off guard that I was overcome so I Occluded."

In a statement that completely threw Hermione off.

"Granger, do you actually want to be manhandled like these novels you read suggest. My word I have only tried a handful of these things. Does this book have any plot or is it just porn without pictures?"

Hermione blushed now; she could not believe he found that. Yes, she could it was left on that chaise from the other evening, and she had no intention of another living soul being in this room.

Avada me now.

She considered how easily she could Obliviate him. She would have to stun him first to make sure to just take that memory.

"Granger, I swear to Salazar if you try to hex and Obliviate me I will arrest you for attacking an Auror. Then what would Potter say?"

"How did you know what I was thinking—are you a Legilimens too?!"

"Granger your whole face told me you were thinking about how to make me forget you read porn. Anyone with eyes could have known that" Draco drawled.

"You did not answer my question. Did you perform Legilimency on me?" Hermione shrieked.

"Fine yes, I learned it after the war. I am a not half bad. I didn't perform full Legilimency as you heard me say nothing, and I don't have my wand out. I can gather impressions from the surface of a person's unguarded mind. I knew when I walked up earlier you were Occluding not because I could see it but because I was expecting fear or disgust from you and nothing, just a blank wall. From our mutual friend though, a veritable buffet of thoughts none of which do I desire to repeat. Except to tell you he is definitely a wizard, and he has always known exactly who you were. He wants something else I couldn't get a clear idea; his mind was spinning with thoughts at seeing you and when I showed up the thoughts shifted more."

Malfoy's voice had taken on a different quality, darker, Hermione was reminded he was actually very dangerous and deadly. Harry rarely talked about him, but Ron would occasionally tell a story about working on a case or two with Malfoy that ended in firefights. Malfoy would often be the reason so many would walk away unscathed. Considering the Legilimency she was less surprised given that he could glean opponents next moves easily.

"So, what is next, do we just wait for him to respond?" Hermione asked.

"What is the next stop on your vacation?" Draco asked.

"Why does that matter?"

"Granger we are going on a vacation as a couple obviously so where are we going next?" Draco sneered as if it were entirely obvious.

"Montolieu, was my next stop. Wait don't you need to stay here to be able to stop Thomas?"

"Granger when you pretend to be dumb it is not cute in any way, you are far too brilliant to be this dense," Draco scoffed.

Now hackles raised her mind sharped.

"He won't show up here again, we just need to keep moving to keep up the ruse we started," Hermione beamed.

"Good girl," Malfoy's smile was positively lupin.

Hermione suppressed all reaction and started to make plans.

"I will have to change me planned accommodations. I didn't make reservations before—don't look at me like that is impossible; I can be spontaneous. I planned ahead for places in each town, but I didn't want to be confined to specific dates. I suppose we will have to stay at fancier places now considering this ring you gave me and the suit you wore walking into breakfast, seriously you couldn't have gone for less, less Malfoyishness."

"Malfoyishness? Granger, Corbin Drake is one of my standard covers, he is in finance, I chose his persona because it is much closer to my own face and persona so I can focus more on our mission and not keeping up a rouse," Draco drawled pedantically like she was some particularly dense child.

"Oh, that makes sense," Hermione said crisply.

"I am going to pack my things now I will see you in about an hour alright, please stay in this room," Draco said earnestly.

"Yes, sir, I will be a good girl," she gave him a saucy smile before turning to go into the bathroom.

She heard the pop of Apparation moments later. She let out the breath she had been holding.

Why was she acting this way? It was Malfoy for Merlin's sake. She needed to put an end to this game because this was going to end when she got back to London it wasn't as if Malfoy actually had any real feelings for her. This relationship was just for pretend no matter how sweet he seems he is just a very well trained undercover Auror, and she needed to act accordingly.