Author's Note: We will switch narrators halfway through this chapter. It is clearly marked.

Lucius — December 2006

At the beginning of December, I was feeling anxious. The annual Christmas Ball at the Ministry was coming up, and I knew we should attend. Last year, since Astoria was heavily pregnant and Draco was still recovering, we had all opted to celebrate the holiday quietly at home. However, this year, we had no excuses.

When I received the owl with the invitation, I looked it over, trying to decide if it was worth it to go. I knew Narcissa would want to; parties like this were one of the things she loved. Now that our family was back in favourable standing, we would be expected to show up. Draco's work with the Auror department and my cooperation after the war had secured a lot of forgiveness. When one added in the hundreds of thousands of Galleons we'd donated to various causes, we were definitely climbing our way back to the top of the social ladder.

In my head, I wondered if Ms. Granger would be there. She hadn't been in attendance the previous year, either — it had been squawked about in The Daily Prophet. However, I knew she'd been in a downward spiral at the time and Blaise assured me she was feeling much better this year. She was still eating and sleeping properly. I wanted to ask how he knew those things, but I refrained. I knew I should be happy she was moving on — it meant she'd stay away from Draco.

But I was still having the same feelings I'd had around his birthday. Every time I thought about the way Draco had longed for her, I felt sick to my stomach with remorse. When I imagined her getting together with Blaise, I thought about how Draco would feel when he saw them together — his best friend and the girl he'd coveted for so many years.

Jealous. Angry. Unable to accept it. Fixated on his own feelings for the girl.

My thoughts were repetitive, and I was growing annoyed with myself. I had thought the guilt would fade over time, but it hadn't. It lived just below the surface of my consciousness and picked the most inopportune moments to rear its ugly head.

Idly, I wondered if she and Blaise were a couple now. They hadn't been in June, but relationships changed over time, and Narcissa had seen photos from Hermione's birthday in Witch Weekly. Blaise had been at her side, not Potter nor Weasley, and that made me think things between them had progressed. Blaise had made it clear that he was interested in her and, if Hermione had been attracted to Draco, it would be easy for her to feel the same way about Blaise. They were very similar young men and Zabini was available. He'd been her shoulder to cry on, her rock through all of the messy years with Draco.

I sent an owl to Draco and Astoria, asking them to come to the Manor for dinner so we could discuss our Christmas plans. Silently, I hoped that I'd have an opportunity to get Astoria alone before the meal so I could enlist her help. Narcissa and I would attend the ball and represent the Malfoy family, and Draco and Astoria would have to stay home with Scorpius. I didn't want Draco to see his former flame and, more importantly, I didn't want her to see Draco and Astoria. They were so bloody happy sometimes, and I didn't want to rub it in her face. Maybe things could go back to normal once she was married to someone else but, until then, I didn't want to cause her more pain than I already had.

When Draco and Astoria came through the Floo, Narcissa immediately took Draco and Scorpius to the nursery. She'd spent the last week changing things around, making it more appropriate for a toddler than a newborn. I knew Draco was humouring his mother, but it worked in my favour. Once they were out of earshot, I told Astoria about the Ministry Ball.

"So you want us to stay home?" I nodded in response and her face fell. "I'd really like to go, Lucius. It's been so long since we've been to a proper function," she complained.

Why were women so obsessed with these boring parties?

I leveled her with a pointed glare. "Do you want to bring Draco to a place where he's sure to run into Hermione Granger? You know she'll be there, Astoria. I think we need to give it a bit more time. We need to give her a bit more time."

Astoria tilted her head to the side questioningly. "Why do you care about her, Lucius? Why do you think she needs more time?"

"They were properly in love, Astoria. Do you think that just went away for her like it did for Draco?" I asked.

Astoria shrugged. "She was willing to give him up. I don't think she could've loved him as much as he loved her and just let him go like that."

"She was hospitalized this time last year. Of course she loved him, too! Do you really think she would've carried on with him if she didn't?" Her expression remained blank, and I wondered how she could be so stubborn. She'd gone as far as to leave the room when Hermione had been mentioned at Draco's birthday dinner. Trying to drive my point home, I continued, "You know if she was in a new relationship it would be front page news. I think we need to wait until she's with someone else before we put them in the same room together."

Astoria waved me off. "She's been pictured with Blaise a few times now. I think they must be an item. She's never liked the press, so I'm sure they've been out a lot more than we've seen."

Why can't this girl see my point? She has what she wanted — Draco and the baby — so she should just focus on those two things and leave the Ministry functions to Narcissa and me.

I put on my most authoritative tone. "Astoria, you will tell Draco you wish to spend the holidays quietly since it is Scorpius's first Christmas. You will convince him this is the best idea, and that's the end of it. I think they need to stay apart for at least another year. We need to make sure we didn't violate his mind for no reason."

She had the nerve to roll her eyes at me. "You heard Hermione as well as I did, Lucius. There is nothing for Draco to recall. She physically removed the memories. Even if she stepped right up to him and kissed him under the mistletoe, he wouldn't remember a damn thing. He'd think it was the first time."

"Do you, or do you not, want to keep your husband this time around, Astoria?" I asked.

Softening a bit, she replied, "Of course I do. I've always loved him and wanted the life we have together now. But how is he really mine if we can't live a normal life? In any other universe, we'd be going to that ball with you and Narcissa."

Fair point, even if you are a silly little bint for believing Draco will be able to stay away from her if he's re-exposed.

"One more missed event, Astoria. Everyone will understand. The two of you can re-enter society at the first event next year," I compromised, knowing I needed to wrap this conversation up before Draco came back downstairs.

"Fine, but you realise that's the Victory Ball, right? She'll be on display there, just like she is every single year."

I nodded. At that point, nearly eighteen months would have passed. That had to be enough time for the girl to move on.

Without another word, Astoria swiftly walked down the hallway to the dining room, her heels angrily clacking on the stone floor. I understood her point — avoiding Hermione Granger in the wizarding world would be damn near impossible — she was too famous and the community was simply too small. Their paths would inevitably cross, especially if Draco decided to return to work in the DMLE.

Astoria had expressed numerous times that she'd wanted Draco to choose her, that she'd been hoping for it when she told him she was pregnant with Scorpius. Because of the Obliviation, he'd never chosen his own path and I felt sure that she wanted to put him in a room with Hermione to see if he'd choose her now.

Lost in my thoughts, I stared blankly at the flames in the fireplace and sipped my firewhisky, trying to calm my nerves about both the dinner and the Christmas ball. Things were so tangled — such a fucking mess — that I was blindly fumbling along, hoping I was making the right decisions for my family.

Of course, it often felt like I was making all the wrong ones.

A high-pitched laugh echoed through the Manor, bringing me back to reality. Scorpius was laughing and Narcissa soon followed.

Moving back into the entryway, I turned my head to see the three people I loved most in this world coming back down the main staircase, and I couldn't help but forget my troubles for a moment. Draco had his son on his shoulders and was grinning at something Narcissa had said. None of them had seen me yet, and I was fine with that. Observing this moment made me forget my guilt, even if it was just for a moment.

This was what I had been hoping for — Draco's presence and happiness, spending time here with his son — and I'd gotten it. I just didn't know if I could keep the secrets safely hidden.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, I was waiting for them. "Where'd Astoria go?" Draco asked.

"To the dining room. I'm assuming she's getting some wine."

Draco eyed me sceptically, but then Scorpius tugged on his hair and kicked his little feet. "Ow, Scorp! Don't hurt Daddy!"

The little blond boy ceased his actions immediately and Draco headed down the hallway, looking for his wife. Narcissa stayed at my side and waved a hand, silently and wandlessly casting a privacy charm. Her grasp of magic and her sheer power was a well-kept secret. Of course, I'd found out about her abilities after we were married, and I was still in awe of them now. My wife could easily hex me into the ground, and I was perfectly fine with that.

She fixed her blue eyes on me and asked, "Astoria didn't take it well, then?"

I shook my head. "Her exact words were, 'But how is he really mine if we can't live a normal life?'"

Narcissa sighed. "I understand what she's saying but this is rather stubborn of her. She is the one who wanted to keep their family together. She got that."

"She wanted it to be by choice, not by default. Again, it's all my fault."

"Lucius, you're eventually going to have to let go of this guilt. If you don't, it will eat you alive," she replied.

"I'm trying. Honestly, I don't even know why it's still bothering me. They seem perfectly content together and—"

Before I could ramble on, Narcissa kissed me, cutting me off. "Stop, Lucius. We've been through this. What's done is done. We can't change the past without risking Scorpius, and I won't do that. Draco wouldn't want us to do that, regardless of how he feels about Hermione."

Her hand caressed my jaw and I pressed my lips to her forehead. I didn't understand how she was able to forgive me for my sins over and over again, but I was so grateful for her. She gave me the strength I needed to make it through every single day.

Lacing her fingers through mine, she gave me even more of her strength and led the way to the dining room. I didn't want to sit down to a meal with Draco and Astoria, but I'd been the one to summon them here. Praying Astoria would be convincing, we entered the room. Draco was pressing a kiss to his wife's lips and Scorpius had already been placed in his highchair. A smile lingered on his face after he'd moved back into his own seat, and Astoria also looked happy. Narcissa and I took our usual seats before beginning the holiday conversation.

"Draco, we were all invited to the Ministry's annual holiday party. It's going to be held on Christmas Eve this year," I began. "Do you think you're up for it?"

Before he could even respond, Astoria laid one of her hands on his forearm. "Darling, I think we should be at home for Scorp's first holiday, don't you? We'll be both here and at my parents' estate on Christmas Day. Wouldn't it be nice to have some time for just the three of us?"

Running a hand through his hair, Draco thought about it before answering, but I'd seen his uncomfortable expression when she'd used the pet name. He met Astoria's eyes and, like the proper Slytherin woman she was, she filled them with promise. Catching the seductive hint, Draco promptly replied, "Yeah, I think that's probably for the best. I don't want to miss a second of his first Christmas. There will be other balls."

Nodding her head in affirmation, Astoria said, "Then it's settled. Lucius, you and Narcissa won't mind representing the family and sending our regrets?"

"Of course not!" Narcissa beamed. "You know I never miss a party."

Draco grabbed Astoria's hand off the table and kissed her knuckles, showing her the affection she clearly craved from him.

In my head, I thought, This is enough. It has to be enough, even if it isn't the whole truth.

Hermione — December 2006

I was fourteen months post-Draco. It was funny, the way I'd divided my life into pieces. Pre-Draco, Draco, and then post-Draco. Fourteen months, and I still hadn't kissed another bloke. True to his word, Blaise was being patient. The subject of us hadn't been brought up since my birthday, and I was grateful for that. I'd made lists of pros and cons, weighing my options for nearly three months now.

Pros: Handsome, smart, brave, always there for me, knows my whole past — good and bad, rumoured to be good in the sack.

Cons: Draco's best mate, my best friend, could mess everything up, could lose someone very important to me if it ends, Ron will go mental.

I held the little invitation that had been in my mail tray in my hands, turning it over. Would it be a good idea to try…? To go with Blaise to a Ministry function and see how it felt? The one downside to that plan would be the insane amounts of press present, but we always said we were just friends…

Sighing, I threw the envelope across the room and cradled my head in my arms. Why in the name of Morgana was this so difficult?

Draco's gone. He's been gone for over a year. It's time to let go and move on. If you don't, Hermione, you're going to be alone forever. Blaise is a good man with a good heart, and he did make you feel like melting on your birthday…

However, every time I closed my eyes at night, I still saw fair skin and grey eyes in my fantasy lovers. I didn't see the darker skin and brown eyes of my best friend, and I was afraid that would never change. If it didn't, how would I ever be intimate with him? I couldn't shag Blaise while dreaming of Draco. That was wrong on so many levels.

The two sides of my brain were at war about this, so I decided to shut them out of the decision. If I went with my heart — the heart that had been shattered and glued back together with pieces still missing — it said to try. Blaise had given me so much of his time, and I knew he really cared about me. He'd essentially been giving me pieces of his heart to fix mine for over a year. If nothing else, that would be a good foundation to build on. I wouldn't be meeting someone new, someone who I didn't really understand or who didn't understand me.

Standing from my desk, I swallowed my sea of doubts down, filling my stomach with crashing waves of anxiety. I walked out into the Auror department and saw Blaise smiling at one of the female Aurors. An emotion I was familiar with — jealousy — fueled my final steps to him. When I reached his desk, he looked up at me.

"Tesoro, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked with a grin.

I cleared my throat. "Can I speak with you? In my office, please?"

Blaise stood to his full height. "I'll see you later, Mel. The boss wants a word."

"Several words," I snapped, and he looked at me questioningly.

Once we were safely in my office, he shut the door. "What's got your knickers in a twist?"

I summoned the invitation to the holiday ball and held it out to him. "Well, I was going to ask you if you wanted to — if you wouldn't mind — I was going to ask you to come with me to this event, but if you have plans with Mel—"

Blaise stepped around my desk and embraced me, smiling widely as I tried to pull away. "Oh, you're jealous of her?"

"No," I replied. "Why would I be jealous of someone who was probably not even in first year during the war?"

Blaise snickered. "You are! You thought I had stopped waiting for you to make up your mind!"

I tried to push away from him again, but he only held on tighter and pulled me closer. Our bodies were nearly flush against each other. When his face started coming towards mine, I knew what was going to happen, and I was powerless to stop it. Everything was moving in slow motion, including my brain, and before I could really react, his lips were on mine, coaxing them to part slightly and accept his kiss.

My first instinct was to push him away. This wasn't right. He wasn't Draco. The kiss didn't feel right. However, after a few seconds, I let it go — started to let Draco go — and focused on kissing Blaise properly. One of his hands was at the small of my back and one was tangled in my hair, angling my head so he could deepen the kiss. It was foreign and exciting and new… but it was also filled with less than Draco's kisses had been. Less desperate need, less passion, less love.

I tried to remember, tried to think… had I felt those things the first time I'd kissed Draco?

Blaise's lips pulled away. "Stop, Hermione. I can feel you tensing up and freaking out. Relax. It's a kiss, not a marriage proposal."

Laughing nervously, I brought my mouth back to his. We kissed, learning each other's lips slowly. When his hand trailed from my lower back down to the curve of my hip, my brain started to fog a bit so I pulled back, needing to stop before this escalated.

I pulled away and caught my breath, pressing my fingers to my lips. Blaise was smiling at me, and I tentatively smiled back. Realising I had never gotten a true answer about the ball, I broke the somewhat awkward silence. "So, um, can I take that as a yes? You'll come with me to the holiday ball?"

"Well, this is the first I've heard of it. You didn't ask me before. You just said you were going to ask me. You might've changed your mind after that kiss," he teased, making me crazy.

Placing my hands on my hips, I glared at him. "Blaise, would you like to come to the holiday ball as my date?"

With a smirk, he grabbed my hands and pulled them off my hips before kissing me once more. "Oh, Hermione, I thought you'd never ask! Of course I'd love to go to the ball with you."

"Prat," I whispered against his lips. "Can we just keep the date part between us, though? I'm not ready to talk to everyone about this. Not quite yet."

When the excitement left his face, my heart hurt. I knew this meant a lot to him, and he'd been waiting for an answer for months. However, after a moment, Blaise put his most charming grin back on and looked down at me. "Don't worry about a thing, Tesoro. I'll keep my hands to myself at the ball. I know Pansy will be a right pain in the arse when she finds out, nevermind Weasley."

"Good, so that's settled then. Do you — should we — can we get lunch? Or dinner? Or something between now and then? I don't want it to feel awkward that night," I stuttered very ineloquently.

"Of course. It will all be fine. No awkwardness here. We're friends, and we're going to have a couple of dates. It's not a major crisis. Stop overthinking," he said.

But I couldn't stop overthinking — I'd been overthinking for months. I was going to start a relationship with Blaise, my best friend, the one who knew everything about me. He had admitted to having feelings for me for months, and this felt dangerous and exciting all at the same time. I certainly didn't want to lose his friendship, but I also felt something growing between us. I was shaky, unsure… but I thought about the way he'd kissed me, and I started to calm.

When he kissed me, I felt like his whole world, and I'd never experienced that before. Sure, Draco had been desperate for me, but I'd always known Astoria was there between us. I knew I wasn't the only woman in his life.

Sighing, I pulled Blaise against me again, hugging him tightly. "I hope this isn't a mistake," I murmured. "We both know I'm kind of a walking disaster at this point, so it—"

"You are not. You got through October brilliantly. You reached out for help when you needed it, and you recovered within a few days. That's better than both Harry or I ever imagined," he admitted.

Which meant they'd talked about me. They'd likely formed a plan to make me feel better, to ensure I was looked after every single day. I bristled initially, wanting to say that I could, in fact, take care of myself. But after a moment of quiet consideration, I relaxed. I'd proved time and time again that I couldn't really handle things on my own, even when I thought I could. The fact that Harry and Blaise were both willing to come to my rescue wasn't a bad thing, and I had to stop looking at it that way.

My mind wandered to a quote I'd read in an American novel. The story had been about an extramarital affair, and I'd read it when Draco and I had just started sneaking around.

"Then you're the one."

"The one what?"

"The one who loves more." ... "You know it's never fifty-fifty in a marriage. It's always seventy-thirty, or sixty-forty. Someone falls in love first. Someone always puts someone else up on a pedestal. Someone works very hard to keep things rolling smoothly; someone else sails along for the ride."

Blaise and I obviously were not married, but I could already tell how things would be between us. He would be the one who loved more, the one who made sure I was okay. Hell, he'd been doing that for years already, and I could admit that to myself. It was definitely seventy-thirty at this point, but that was something I could work on. My love could grow over time if I made sure to nurture it every day.

When it came to Draco, I didn't know where that line fell. Did he love more or did I?

My brain whirring, trying to think of where we fell on that spectrum, I zoned out. Blaise's hand cupped my face, and I snapped back to the present.

"Come back to me, Hermione," he said softly. When I blinked up at him, he smiled at me. "Where'd you go? Somewhere fun, I hope?"

Forcing a smile, I nodded, and he kissed me again.

And I actually enjoyed it.

The night of the ball, I was filled with nerves. Yes, I'd kissed Blaise in my office that day, but nothing physical had happened between us since. He was called away on a mission and then I had been busy helping with another case. While we made time to have lunch one afternoon and dinner one evening, that had been it. I wasn't sure if he was giving me space or if the kisses and little dates hadn't lived up to his expectations.

And honestly, I had no idea how I felt. The kisses in my office had confused me more than anything else. Comparing him to Draco during the first had been awkward, but the second had been… nice. It was less passionate than the ones I'd shared with Draco, but it had made my heart flutter a little bit. Feeling his hands on me, even in the most innocent of ways, had been unexpectedly wonderful.

Standing in front of my full-length mirror, I surveyed my gown. A shimmery gold lace covered me from bust to toes, and I was carrying an emerald clutch. It was festive and a mix of Gryffindor and Slytherin. My hair was mainly loose, though I'd pinned a section back to reveal one side of my face more. My lips were painted red, and I had put on a tiny bit of mascara to lengthen my lashes. I twisted and turned, trying to make sure the dress looked good from all angles.

When I heard the Floo activate downstairs, I felt like there were at least twelve owls flapping their wings in my stomach. My palm settled over my abdomen and I took a deep breath. Before I could start walking down the hallway, I heard Blaise's footsteps on the stairs. The easy familiarity he had with my house suddenly reminded me of Draco, of the way he'd just Floo in and go wherever he pleased. Of course, I'd never questioned Blaise doing this before tonight. It was one thing to have my friend Blaise in my bedroom, but my date Blaise?

That felt different.

When he saw me in the doorway, a slow smile spread across his face. He was carrying a single deep red rose and he extended it to me. "For you, Tesoro. You're absolutely stunning in that gown."

Taking the rose, I leaned in and placed a light kiss on his cheek. "You clean up nicely, too, Zabini," I teased, knowing he always looked his best.

When he met my eyes, he said, "I wish I could let everyone there know you're mine for the night, that I'm whisking you back to Venice once the party's over."

"You're what?" I breathed.

Blaise smirked. "I booked the same room as last year. I figured it would be nice to spend the night together somewhere familiar."

Spend the night together? We didn't discuss this — we didn't — he didn't ask me. Why would he spring this on me now?

I took a step back from him and my hand went to my chest, my fingers worrying my collarbone. "Hermione, it's going to be just like last year. We're going to sleep there, and I'm going to hold you. I'm not expecting anything else. Bring the same ugly pajamas if you want to. I didn't think it would scare you."

"I — Blaise, I can't. It's different now. No matter what you say, after the kiss in my office, it's different. Everything has changed. Are you going to tell me you'll kiss me goodnight and just… hold me like I'm a friend?"

His face fell. "Why are you so worried? I told you, we can take it slow. I don't need anything physical from you. Don't you trust me?"

I do. I trust you. I don't trust myself.

Stepping forward, he looped an arm around my lower back and pulled me closer. "Stop. Stop worrying. I'm not going to try to shag you. I'm not going to initiate that at all. I'm going to wait for you to tell me you're ready."

What if I'm never ready?

"Please, say something," he begged. "You're making me think I've fucked this up before it's even had a chance to start."

"You're not. You haven't done anything, Blaise. I know we've stayed together a lot, but this... it feels different, and I'm afraid," I confessed.

Grabbing the hand I'd rested on my chest, he turned it and placed my palm against his heart. I could feel his pounding an intense rhythm against his chest, and I knew he was just as nervous, just as afraid as I was. That somehow made me feel a bit better.

"I'm scared, too," Blaise said. "I'm scared that I'll never be what he was to you. I'm scared that you're thinking of him right now, wondering what he's doing or if he's going to be there tonight. I'm scared that when you see him, you'll break down and I'll feel like I have to kill him for making you cry again."

This is Blaise. He wants nothing more than to protect you, to take care of you. He would never push you. Try. Just try. If it feels like it's not working tonight, then you tell him and you try to get back to being friends.

"Okay," I whispered. "Let me get the pyjamas so you don't even think about shagging me."

When we entered the ballroom, cameras flashed and reporters asked questions. Over and over, we said we were attending as colleagues and friends, nothing more. Our arms were linked as we walked the perimeter of the room, speaking to whoever happened to stop us along the way. I'd yet to see Harry or Ron, though I was constantly on the lookout. I knew they would be here, and I could really use a pep talk from Pansy.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy strolling along, arm in arm. They looked as regal as ever, the years out of the spotlight not dulling their sparkle at all. In fact, they looked better now, likely because the stress of the past years had passed. Happiness radiated from Narcissa, and Lucius seemed to bask in her glow. Blaise caught me watching them and placed his hand on the small of my back, stepping in front of me and drawing my attention back to him.

"Do you want to go talk to them, Tesoro? I'm sure they won't mind if we say hello."

I thought about it for a moment and then started to shake my head. However, Narcissa spotted us. I saw her momentarily stiffen, her eyes falling on Blaise's hand resting a bit lower than was strictly professional. Narcissa squeezed Lucius's forearm, and he also turned his gaze on us. In that moment, we were stuck. We couldn't run from them, but I didn't want to talk to them, either.

I angled myself into Blaise's side, and he dutifully wrapped his arm around my waist. When the Malfoys reached us, Narcissa held out her hand to Blaise. He took it and pressed her knuckles to his lips. "Mrs. Malfoy, how are you tonight?"

"Quite well, thank you," she responded. "And you, Blaise? Hermione?"

Blaise smiled. "We're doing well. Just navigating the room and speaking to everyone before we have to sit down to dinner. Lucius, how are you?"

Lucius tried to smile, but it was obviously forced. "I'm fine. It's been awhile since you've been by the Manor, Blaise. Have you been busy?"

I was standing there, basically mute, watching the scene play out in front of me. Both Malfoys were scrutinizing me in turn and, for the life of me, I couldn't understand why. Why did they do this whenever they saw me? I wasn't in Draco's life anymore, so what I looked like or who I was with shouldn't matter to them.

Blaise nodded. "I was called away on a case, and Draco's not living at the Manor, so there isn't much reason for me to come by."

Lucius raised an eyebrow at him. "You didn't really come by to see Draco much while he was recuperating..."

I tuned Lucius' voice out, getting lost in my own thoughts. While I was sure it was rude, I didn't care. I couldn't listen to him. I couldn't focus on the Malfoys when I was here with Blaise.

Draco. Is he here? Did he come tonight? Will I see him and Astoria like I did the first year they were married? Will I feel like I'm going to vomit and run from the ballroom?

"—this isn't the time or place for this discussion. Hermione and I are here as friends, and it's really none of your business anyway," Blaise hissed, drawing me back into the conversation.

"I'm sorry, what's going on?" I said, finally finding my voice.

Blaise pulled me in even closer. "Lucius suddenly seems to be upset we're here together and that I haven't kept up my friendship with Draco over the past year."

Narcissa intervened. "Stop this, Lucius! You know the situation you caused is complicated. Blaise was friends with both of them, and Hermione needed the support more than Draco did. I'm sure that's all it is, right, Blaise?"

I watched Blaise's Adam's apple bob when he swallowed hard. "It is. Draco has you two and Scorpius and his wife. It's not been an easy year for anyone involved in this mess."

Lucius looked at me again, and I could tell he wanted to say something. "For what it's worth, Ms. Granger, I'm… I do apologize for the inconveniences the situation has caused you. Draco and Astoria are living in their house again, and Scorpius is doing very well. He's already shown signs of magic, which is pretty remarkable."

It was worth it. It was all worth it if he's happy. Every hour I spent crying was totally worth it if he's doting on his son and enjoying his new life.

"I'm so glad to hear that," I said quietly. "All I wanted was for him to be happy. It's a relief to know he is."

"Deliriously so since his anniversary," Lucius stated, a smug look on his face. "It was such a quick shift in temperament that I was nearly concerned about it."

An then Harry and Pansy joined us, breaking the tension. But my mind had already started to spiral from Lucius's words.

Deliriously happy since his anniversary. What could've changed so drastically around his anniversary? He and Astoria had gone to Paris, and… sex. They started having sex again. In the hotel that Draco and I had loved in Paris.

I imagined the glazed look in Draco's eyes after an orgasm, and deliriously happy seemed like an apt description.

Feeling a hand grasping my shoulder, I turned and met Harry's eyes. "Hermione, are you okay?"

"Yes," I responded, exhaling the breath I'd been holding. "I'm sorry. I think the champagne just went to my head a little bit. What were you saying?"

"Pansy and I were just greeting you. Nothing serious," he responded. "Are you two off to Italy again after this?"

At those words, the Malfoys appeared to focus on us rather closely. Blaise just nodded. "We're staying on the canal again, same place as last year."

Feeling my face heat at the implication, I didn't look up at Draco's parents. I couldn't. Their odd possessive streak — the way they still seemed to think I was Draco's — was more than I could handle at the moment, especially with thoughts of Draco and Astoria shagging running through my mind.

"That sounds lovely, Blaise. I had no idea you and Hermione spent the holiday together last year," Narcissa said, her voice lilting in a suggestive way.

Blaise looked her in the eyes and replied, "As you know, Hermione's parents live in Australia, and I wanted to take her somewhere that wasn't full of happily married couples. You know, a holiday of sorts. We've been friends for quite some time, and that friendship runs deep."

I was aware of all the eyes on us, of everyone watching as the Potters and Hermione Granger had a somewhat tense conversation with the elder Malfoys. We were drawing attention, and that was honestly the last thing I wanted.

Needing to escape, I turned to Blaise and asked if he wanted to dance. He happily obliged, politely excusing us and guiding me to the floor. Since I'd never been formally trained in ballroom dancing, my movements weren't flawless, but Blaise didn't seem to care. He led me around, one hand on my waist and the other clasped in mine, and we moved further and further away from the Malfoys as the steps progressed.

"Thank you for that. I don't understand them at all. They don't want me with their son, and now it seems like they don't want me with anyone else. It doesn't make a lick of sense," I sighed. "It's like they want me to keep waiting for him, and I can't do that, Blaise. I just can't."

Blaise just looked into my eyes. "Tesoro, I'm sorry that they behave this way. It's typical of them, realising what they've lost far too late. It's almost scary, honestly."

I thought about it that way, about the Malfoys looking at me and finding something worth having. I watched as Lucius doted on Narcissa, making sure she knew he only had eyes for her. He gave her everything I ever wanted from Draco — undivided attention, public displays of his love — and I wondered if he was like this with her before the war or if it was something new — a way to make amends for the past that had nearly torn them apart.

When my eyes moved back to Blaise, he seemed to know what I was thinking. "No, he wasn't always like this with her. Sure, he would've done anything to keep her safe, but he didn't always show his affections so openly. I'm sure you can guess what changed all of that."

"The war. Almost losing each other."

"Right on one count. I've also noticed a change in them, even in our limited interactions, since Scorpius was born. It changed Lucius a lot, actually," Blaise explained. "I think he's more concerned about family in general now than just his pure bloodline. That's when I noticed him getting more… interested in you, in why we were such close friends."

Thinking back, I could see it. Our interaction in Flourish and Blotts in February definitely supported that theory, and Narcissa had written to me not long after.

I actively tried to clear my mind, to banish all things Malfoy. I was here with Blaise, and I should be focused on him, not the family from hell.

"Let's not discuss them tonight," I said, hoping he'd follow my lead. "Let's discuss literally anything else."

With a laugh, Blaise replied, "Quidditch? What team will you be supporting in the upcoming season?"

I slapped at his chest with my free hand and laughed. "Okay, I should've been a little more specific, I suppose."

"I'll talk to you about anything, Tesoro. Just start talking, and my attention is all yours," he whispered. "And we can continue talking long into the night, once we're free of this awful party."

He reassured me like no one else ever had, and I was so very grateful.

Author's Note: The book quote Hermione references was taken from Mercy by Jodi Picoult.

I know there are mixed feelings on Blaise - I was actually terrified and stopped working on the story for quite some time after this chapter because I hadn't intended to take it there. It just sort of happened while I was writing during NaNo.

The chapters are going to start getting closer together time-wise. And here's a hint - in April, we'll start seeing more of a week-to-week, day-to-day. There are two parts to December, two to January, and then two to March... so we're going to start focusing in a lot more instead of getting these snapshots of what's going on in their lives.

As always, thank you so much for reading, and please reach out with questions or comments!