My first week in Barcelona flew by in a blur of new names and faces, magical tests and attempted traces. The item in question certainly felt like a Horcrux, though the maker felt less malevolent than Voldemort had been, which made me wonder why they were willing to split their soul in the first place. I was even more intrigued now than I'd been previously and was in no hurry to return to England, especially since my coworkers had been so welcoming and grateful for my input.

It was a big change from the way I'd been treated in the DMLE by the Aurors other than Harry, Draco, Blaise, and Mel.

Draco and I had been owling back and forth regularly, keeping the lines of communication open while maintaining our physical distance. I knew getting away from him had been the right choice, especially since I was still desperate to feel his touch again.

If I'd stayed in England, we would have fallen into bed again. Hell, I probably would have dragged him there; I was craving the physical and emotional intimacy, the words of affirmation that had fallen from his lips whenever we were together. Somehow, I now understood that those moments were the ones when he was truly open and honest with me. I wasn't sure if it was because the physical contact strengthened the connection between us or if his guard dropped in those moments.

But I needed him to be that way all the time if our relationship was going to succeed.

The little glimpses I'd gotten this week through his letters, filled with the minutiae of his day and gentle teasing, told me that we were on the right track. And the book he'd sent — it brought back memories of a much simpler time.

Trying to untangle our past was an arduous task that could honestly take years. The affair, especially before Astoria had gotten pregnant, had been so much less complicated. What we'd done to her had been wrong, but we'd fallen in love so quickly, fuelled by the passion between us, and it hadn't really felt like he was married. There were long periods of time when he'd barely left my house and, as wrapped up as we were in each other, we hadn't thought about anyone else or the consequences of our actions.

As Monday grew nearer and nearer, I found myself getting anxious at the prospect of returning to England, even for a few hours.

In addition to the joint session with Draco on Tuesdays, l'd kept my standing Monday appointment with Penelope, grateful that her outpatient sessions now took place away from St Mungo's. While I didn't wish harm on Astoria, I certainly didn't want to run into her on my own. I knew that she and I would have to find a way to get along for Scorpius' sake if Draco and I were together, but I wasn't quite ready for that yet.

Upon waking, I got ready for the day, knowing it would be a long one. Fortunately, the time difference was only an hour and rather negligible. A contact at the Ministry had connected my Floo in Barcelona to the one in Grimmauld Place so I could quickly travel back and forth without worrying about Portkey departure times. While my own house would've been preferable, Grimmauld Place had been set up for international travel for centuries.

As soon as I stepped out, I held a hand to my abdomen, feeling a bit nauseated and scolding myself for not eating anything before the journey — I knew better. I closed my eyes and held my breath, hoping it would pass quickly. Since it was barely eight in the morning, I wasn't surprised to find myself alone in the kitchen. I could hear footsteps above as Harry and Pansy walked around, likely getting dressed and rousing the boys.

Putting on the kettle, I bustled from cabinet to cabinet, gathering everything I needed to make tea as a thanks for use of their Floo.

Pansy was the first to join me, looking exhausted.

"Newborns are the fucking worst," she said, skipping the kettle and heading straight for the coffeemaker. "Thank Morgana this is my last go of it."

I chuckled, though a flash of envy ran through me. "Sit down. I'll make the coffee."

She didn't argue. "Thanks, Granger. Harry's currently fighting with your godsons, but I think they'll make it down before you have to leave."

I nodded. "If not, I'll spend a few minutes with them before I head back. I told the team I'd arrive around noon and my temporary flat is only a short walk from the Ministry."

Pansy sat in silence, her eyelids drooping. When her coffee was ready, I set it down in front of her. Reaching out, she grabbed the mug, took a sip, and sighed.

"How was your weekend?" she asked, slowly waking up.

I shrugged. "It was fine. Some of my colleagues took me sightseeing and to dinner on Saturday. I went out on my own for a little while on Sunday. What about yours?"

She looked at me sceptically. "You don't already know about my Saturday?"

I felt the warmth rising into my cheeks. "I might have heard vague details about one part of it."

"So you are in contact with Draco," she said excitedly. "He wouldn't tell me if you guys were communicating during the week or not."

"Just little owls," I admitted, preparing my own tea in the biggest mug I could find. "We're not talking about the deep stuff."

"And? How does it feel to be away from him again?"

I huffed, angry with myself for not anticipating these kinds of questions. Of course she'd be nosy, especially if she was getting both sides of the story now. She'd always been a gossip at Hogwarts and it seemed she hadn't quite beaten the habit.

"It's been a little more challenging than I expected it to be." Running my finger around the rim of my mug, I tried to hide the lie that I was sure was written clear across my face. "I mean, I didn't see him for well over a year, and I didn't think..."

"Didn't think you'd get used to having him there with you every single day?"

I didn't look up, only nodded in response.

"Yeah, these bonds are inconvenient like that," she commented, rolling her eyes. "Just wait to see how you feel when you see him tomorrow morning. After I saw Harry for the first time in weeks, I wanted nothing more than for him to shag the living daylights out of me, and not because I wanted the physical need met."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She sighed. "I craved the... emotional intimacy. And if you ever tell him I said that I'll deny it. But yes, being with him was more about the emotional bond. You can get an orgasm just about anywhere—"

I scoffed. "Maybe you can. I sure couldn't."

"Blaise didn't—"

"No, no. Blaise did. Draco did. I meant before that."

She smiled. "Well, good on my boys, then." After taking another sip of her coffee, she said, "He's been missing you, too. No need to worry."

"I asked him to watch the memories of my interactions with Lucius and Narcissa."

"He watched them. We talked about it a bit while the kids were playing. Did he tell you that he went over to the Manor and confronted Lucius?"

I felt the shocked expression on my face. "No, but that's not really the kind of thing that you'd mention in an owl when you're trying to keep things lighthearted."

"I suppose that's true. I'm pretty sure I gave him a lot to think about, anyway."

Raising an eyebrow, I looked at her. "What did you say?"

"I'm certain you'll hear all about it tomorrow," she replied. "I wouldn't want to spoil it for you."

Before I could press her further, Harry came into the kitchen, shepherding the two boys.

"Good morning, Hermione," he said, immediately heading for the coffee pot. "Merlin, I hope she starts sleeping through the night soon."

They were just as in sync as I remembered being with Draco. James and Sev greeted me warmly, the same way they always did.

"I'll bring takeaway breakfast tomorrow," I told them, taking a sip of my tea. "That way, you can have a bit of a lie in."

I sat down and set my mug on the tabletop, lifting the boys onto the bench seat one by one.

"That's not necessary," Harry said, smirking. "We've got plenty of pre-made things here. Daphne's elves have been sending things over since Lily's arrival."

Biting my tongue, I watched as Harry summoned pastries and plates from the cabinets. He offered me one and I shook my head. My stomach was still roiling with nerves and the aftereffects of international travel.

The boys happily tucked into the sweets, and I tried to imagine eating something like that when I was a child. My parents wouldn't have allowed it.

The pang I felt in my chest wasn't unexpected, but I pushed it down, the same way I had for the past ten years. It felt a little worse today, knowing that I'd be discussing Lucius' threats with Penelope in preparation for the same conversation with Draco.

But I took a deep breath and enjoyed the morning, trying to soak up the happiness that Harry and Pansy's little family always seemed to radiate.

As soon as I walked into Penelope's office, my mood rapidly flipped and I started wishing that it was Tuesday and that Draco was here with me. The nerves were gone and I wanted to see him, especially after a week of being apart.

"Good morning," I said, settling myself into my usual seat.

She smiled at me. "Good morning, Hermione. How has..." She paused, thinking. "You know, you never told me where you were working."

"I'm not going to," I answered. "I don't want you to slip up in front of Draco or feel like you have to lie to him. And I'm really not sure if I'm supposed to disclose it, anyway."

Penelope nodded. "That's fine. Location isn't the important part. How has the new job been so far?"

Knowing that she probably wanted details, I started to ramble about some of my new coworkers and how much I was enjoying magical research. As I talked, her quill made notes and her smile stayed in place.

"It's clear that you're doing well," she began, twirling the quill between her fingers. "You seem genuinely happy."

"I think I'm getting there. It's felt good to be on my own in a new place, and it would've been hard for me before." I pursed my lips. "But I'm still in contact with Draco every day."

"And you think that's a bad thing?"

Twisting my hands in my lap, I averted my eyes. "I'm not sure. Sometimes, it feels like I'm still dependent on him. I wanted to put distance between us, but I'm still owling back and forth with him every night."

"There's nothing wrong with keeping the lines of communication open, Hermione. If you and Draco are going to reconcile, then you should be talking your issues through."

"We've been keeping it light mostly," I admitted. "Though I did ask him to watch the memories I gave him of his parents."

She nodded. "And what were those about specifically?"

I detailed my run-ins with Lucius and Narcissa over the past two years. Between Lucius' threats and Narcissa's letters and visits to my office, I knew she'd have plenty to say on the matter.

"And I'm assuming you're going to want to talk about these things tomorrow?"

"Yes. I think it would be helpful to have someone to help us work through that particular minefield." I stood up and walked over to the window. "I don't want to be involved with them at all, especially not right away, but I don't want Draco to feel like he has to choose between us."

"And how do you plan to balance a relationship with Draco without seeing his parents?"

"I honestly don't know. That's one of the things we'll need help figuring out."

I turned to face her again and she was eyeing me sceptically.

"What?" I asked.

She took another moment to think. "A family like Draco's — they're going to be hard to escape."

"I can be polite to them in public. I just won't be taking any trips to the Manor, and they're not welcome in my home."

"So you're willing to keep up appearances?"

"For lack of a better term, yes. I don't want anyone speculating about a rift in his family because he's seeing me now. I've had enough press in my life."

We went back and forth, talking about possible scenarios and what a relationship between Draco and me would look like and how I would potentially handle any run-ins with Lucius and Narcissa.

But one question floored me.

"And if you and Draco have children? Would you be comfortable with them seeing Lucius and Narcissa?"

My parents wouldn't be around. Draco and I were both only children. I worried my bottom lip as I thought it through. I'd always imagined a big, happy family, that any children I had would also have loving grandparents on their father's side, if not mine. But I couldn't imagine the Malfoys doting on their half-blood grandchildren the same way they supposedly did on Scorpius, and I wouldn't want my child or children to wonder why they were treated differently.

While people could change, I hadn't seen any evidence of it from Lucius specifically.

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "Probably not on their own. I'd want to control it if I let it happen at all."

She made notes, likely talking points for tomorrow's conversation.

"Okay. I think I know how to begin talking this through with Draco," she said, nodding her head. "But enough of that today. I want to hear about you and how you're coping with everything."

And, little by little, she drew my feelings out of me, the same way she always had.

Since I hadn't arrived at the Ministry in Barcelona until nearly noon, I stayed on far later than I should have.

Most of my colleagues had left around five, their normal time, but a younger witch — Martina — had stayed on with me, eager to learn more about my experience with Horcruxes. I'd given the whole team a rather potted version when I'd first arrived, but something about Martina reminded me of my younger self, eager to take in everything she possibly could.

I'd spent the evening with her, talking about the magical force of some of Tom Riddle's Horcruxes, the way they allowed the little bit of soul to affect a person's mental and emotional well-being. She was in agreement that the Horcrux we'd been looking at felt less evil overall, but I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. The journal eleven-year-old Ginny had interacted with had seemed fairly innocuous at first, after all.

When I finally got home and stepped through the door of my flat, the lights automatically illuminated and I saw Draco's owl sitting on the perch in the corner of the room, cleaning her feathers. I made a mental note to ask him what her name was.

I walked over and she extended her leg, offering me the small parchment scroll.

Hermione,

Hope your day went well.

I'm just settling in for the evening. I'll be watching the rest of the memories you gave me pertaining to my parents. I hope that they're not as frustrating as the first one was for me.

Is it wrong for me to be excited for the appointment tomorrow? I've missed you for the past week, and I'm eager to see you. Any chance we'd be able to have coffee or something afterwards?

Let me know.

- Draco

It was after 9pm here, and I contemplated replying. I didn't know if I'd be able to handle going somewhere with him after our appointment.

As much as I wanted to, I'd put physical distance between us for a reason. Coffee — somewhere in public — seemed safe enough, but I wasn't sure where exactly to take him. Anywhere we went in the wizarding world, we'd be photographed and likely end up in a newspaper or magazine, especially since Draco's divorce had been made public knowledge this week.

The indecision I was feeling made me uneasy.

Was I ready for everyone to know there was something between us? Or was it best to wait a bit longer?

Could I take him to the Muggle cafe we'd frequented in the village near my home?

I thought about it while I took a shower, brushed my teeth, plaited my wet hair, and I still couldn't decide.

When I looked at the clock, I shook my head and sighed; it was already late and I didn't have an answer for him. Deciding that Draco could wait until tomorrow, I gestured for the owl to fly off without a response.

She hooted indignantly and flew out the window, leaving me on my own, my stomach churning with anxiety, questions floating through my mind.

I knew I wouldn't be getting much sleep.

As soon as I stepped into Penelope's office and saw Draco already seated on the couch, my nerves started to calm. I'd half-expected that he wouldn't turn up to the appointment, even though he'd mentioned it in more than one letter over the past week.

He glanced up at me and started to smile.

"Good morning, Hermione," Penelope greeted, drawing my attention. "Did you stay here overnight? Or are you travelling back and forth?"

"I travelled back and forth," I answered. "It's just a Floo journey, luckily."

"How are you?" Draco blurted. "I was worried when I didn't hear from you last night."

"Sorry. I worked late, but I'm fine. I'm just keeping different hours on Mondays and Tuesdays since I'm here in the mornings."

I sat beside him, even though I knew I'd be getting up and moving around sooner rather than later.

Penelope looked at the full couch cushion between us and I wondered if I should move closer, if the distance meant something significant to her. But I knew I needed to keep some distance.

"Let's get started," Penelope prompted. "Was there anything specific you wanted to talk about, Hermione?"

Looking over at Draco, I took a deep breath. "How are you feeling? About everything you've been reading and watching?"

He blinked three times before he started to speak. "It's been difficult. I'm angry, but mostly at myself."

"And why is that?" Penelope asked, her quill poised above the parchment.

"I never did the right thing. I should've left Astoria from the very beginning. I shouldn't have married her."

Penelope didn't respond and I didn't either; he and I had already discussed this ad nauseam.

"And my parents — I'm angry with them again, too. I can't understand why they'd let you go through with all of this and then still seek you out in public or give you an attitude about your relationship with Blaise," he continued, filling the silence. "It doesn't make any sense."

"It didn't make sense to me at the time, either."

Penelope scribbled something down, and for some reason, I was more curious about what she was writing now than when I had my individual sessions.

After waiting a few seconds, she asked, "Do you think they felt remorse?"

Draco shrugged. "Possibly."

"I do think your father was genuinely surprised at how... ill I became after. And I know Harry saw him at St Mungo's when Scorpius and Severus were born." I took a deep breath. "But, regardless of what I think he felt, I don't really — I don't think I can be around him. You understand that, right?"

He looked me in the eyes, treating me as if Penelope wasn't even in the room. His eyes were darker than usual, more intense, and I could feel his anxiety radiating off him. "Of course I understand, Hermione. Especially after seeing the way he threatened you, I wouldn't ever ask that of you. I went to the Manor after I watched that memory. I was so angry."

Penelope cleared her throat and we both turned to face her directly again. "And what specifically made you angry?"

Much to my surprise, Draco stood and started to pace, mirroring my usual movements.

"All of it. I had to watch the absolute worst version of my father in action. Again," he said, his voice growing louder. "Fuck, I thought that part of my life ended with the war, and then he reverted to it with the woman I love."

"That must have been difficult for you," she replied, her eyes following him as he walked back and forth.

Draco nodded. "And then I remembered the way he'd acted with me after I was Obliviated. He acted like nothing had changed, and now I understand why, but how could it be so easy for him to just lie to me like that? To just disregard everything I'd ever felt or wanted?"

I listened carefully, trying to read how Draco was feeling towards Lucius and Narcissa, aside from angry.

Knowing it was a rhetorical question, Penelope stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue speaking.

"And my mother — I can't even believe she wrote you that letter, Granger," he said, turning to face me. "I am so sorry. It can't have helped, especially right after seeing my father in Diagon Alley."

I smiled weakly. "I was happy that she sent a photo with it. I got to see you and Scorpius together. It was just incredibly insensitive."

Penelope looked between us again. "Draco, what does your current relationship with your parents look like?"

He scoffed. "Well, after watching the memory where my father threatened Hermione, I went to the Manor to confront him. I couldn't take it anymore. I hadn't really put much of the blame on him."

"And why is that?"

"Honestly? I suppose it's because things like that didn't shock me coming from my father. My initial anger was directed at Hermione because she was what I'd always wanted. Finding out that I'd had her and lost her and couldn't remember any of the details..." Draco sighed. "It messed me up."

Closing my eyes, I listened to Penelope drawing Draco out. It was surprising to me that he was so open with her without much prompting.

"You expected more of her than you did of your father," she stated, and he answered with a nod. "So how would you describe the relationship between you and your father?"

"Strained at best."

"And with your mother?"

I held my breath.

"Better than with my father. Up until I read the letter she wrote Hermione and saw the way she behaved, I wasn't angry with her anymore. She just sort of kept up the charade. She wasn't actively involved in the Obliviation, just in the cover up."

And this was accurate; I'd never spoken to Narcissa, save for the times in public and the one instance where she came to my office.

"If you and Hermione decide to have a relationship, what would you expect of her?" Penelope asked.

Draco met my eyes. "I told my parents that I would never force you to have a relationship with them and..." He trailed off, trying to figure out how to phrase whatever was on his mind. "Well, I hope it's not too presumptuous, but I told them that if we had children, it would be up to you if they were allowed to see them or not."

I felt my lips part in surprise.

He shook his head. "Don't say anything. Not yet." He came closer, sitting down beside me on the couch and reaching for my hand. I let him take it, and the feeling of his skin on mine comforted me. His eyes closed for just a second and then refocused on me. "When it comes to my parents, I'm going to follow your lead. I'll see them every so often for my mother's sake, but I'll never expect you to be involved in it. If time passes and you want to give it a shot, I'll leave that entirely up to you."

"So you're not expecting that we'll all be one big happy family?"

"Of course not," he replied, squeezing my hand. "Even if we forget about recent history, I know I have no right to ask that of you."

I nodded, unsure of what to say.

"You mentioned children," Penelope prompted, trying to redirect the conversation. "You have a son, yes?"

"I do," he replied.

"And, given the history, how does your ex-wife feel about this relationship?" Penelope asked, surprising me. This question wasn't something she and I had discussed ahead of time.

"She's... Well, I'm not sure exactly. She does know that Hermione and I may get back together, and she hasn't expressed any concerns over it."

"I'm asking because, while we're on the topic of family, I wanted to discuss your son. Is Astoria okay with Hermione being in his life?"

My stomach flipped.

"She is," he answered, squeezing my hand again. "She encouraged me to bring him over to Hermione's house one night. As things progress, she and I will need to discuss the best way to handle custody and things of that nature."

Penelope nodded. "Of course. That's sensible." She scribbled down a note. "And what about your parents? Are they going to be actively involved in Scorpius' life?"

Frowning, he said, "Yes, though I've made it clear that my father isn't to be alone with him."

"Let me speak in hypotheticals for a moment. Say it's ten years from now, you and Hermione are married and have had children." She paused, allowing us to take in what she'd said. "And maybe those children are old enough to realise that Scorpius sees his grandparents and they don't. Or vice versa. How will you explain that?"

My heart started to speed up.

How would we explain that?

"I see your point," Draco replied, frowning. "I really don't know. Hermione?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, either."

"This is not something you need to be able to answer today or even tomorrow, but you should think about it," Penelope replied. "If you go down this path, it might not be easy."

"Nothing about our relationship has been," Draco said, stroking the back of my hand with his thumb. "But I'm here, and I'm willing to talk anything through if it means that we can finally make things work."

I hadn't expected him to be so honest and eager since neither of us was great at communicating, but he was obviously trying.

With a deep breath, I echoed his sentiments. "I am too."

By the end of the appointment, I felt like we'd discussed every member of Draco's family and the situation as a whole nearly to death.

It had been years since I'd talked about blood prejudice and it was mentally exhausting. While I was sure that Draco had worked through his, I sometimes couldn't help wondering if the way his parents would've reacted kept him from ending things with Astoria much sooner.

If they would've accepted me, would he have approached me earlier? Stopped the wedding?

How much influence did they still have on his life, especially now that his memories of our relationship were still spotty?

When I asked these questions, he couldn't answer me; because I'd removed his memories, he didn't have a clear picture of his thought processes at that point in time. It was possible he would never really remember exactly what he'd been thinking.

But he did promise me that they had no influence over him now.

"The worst they could do is disinherit me," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "I've accumulated my own money. I don't spend much of anything, and I can live somewhere less expensive if necessary. I'd rather be middle class and happy than rich and miserable."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "What about poor?"

"Granger, I'm fairly certain that we'd never be poor. We both earn decent wages."

Penelope laughed. "That's all the time we have for today. Is there anything specific the two of you would like to discuss next week?"

"Well," I began, swallowing hard, "I think that depends on how many memories Draco gets through. He might have things he has questions about."

"I've been mainly focusing on your journals. Should I switch over and see more of our relationship?" he asked.

"I think either way is fine," I answered. "Just... Don't hesitate to reach out to me in the evenings if you need to talk."

"Okay. Hermione, I'll see you on Monday. Draco, I'll see you a week from today."

"Healer Clearwater," Draco said, addressing her formally. "Can I speak to you for a moment on my own?"

She nodded and I started to walk towards the door.

"Hermione, do you have a few minutes?" he asked.

"I do."

"Can you wait for me?"

"Sure."

When I closed the door behind me, Penelope's receptionist smiled. Her next patient, who I'd seen numerous times, was already in the waiting area. I stood by the exit and tried to keep calm. I hadn't planned on talking outside the office.

"Do you need anything, Ms Granger?" the receptionist asked, curious why I was waiting.

I shook my head. "Not today. I'm just waiting for—"

Before I could get his name out, Draco came through the door and stepped up to her desk, speaking to her quietly and then accepting an appointment card. He flashed her a smile and then met me at the exit.

"Thank you for waiting," he said, reaching for the doorknob. "I just wanted to see if she had time to fit me into her schedule."

"You're going to come on your own?"

"You do."

"Well, yes. I've been seeing her for quite some time," I replied.

"I'm hoping that she can help me process things a little bit better," he admitted. "After I watched the memory with my father, I went into a rage and went to the Manor. I can't just shout at everyone in my life if I see something I don't like. Especially you."

Guilt flooded through me.

"I'm sure you will be angry with me at one point or another while you're going through the past."

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I stopped walking, turning to face him. The lift was mere steps away.

Draco met my eyes. "I'm sure that I'll be angrier with myself than I am with you if it's anything like what I've seen so far."

I shook my head. "I didn't always handle things well either, Draco."

"I can't imagine you did. Not with the way things were between us."

His hand dragged from my shoulder up along the side of my neck and his thumb stroked over my pulsepoint, trying to comfort me, but it only set my blood on fire, burning through me and making me want him. I could only focus on the point of contact, forgetting how to breathe as I looked into his eyes.

"So is there time to get coffee?" he asked hopefully, snapping me out of my fog.

Hesitating, I looked down at my watch. "I'm not sure."

And it was a lie; I had plenty of time. The longer I was in his presence, the more I wanted to jump into his arms and kiss him. Like Pansy had said, seeing him after a week's absence made me never want to let him go again.

He reached out and settled his other hand on my waist. "Please, Hermione. You can choose the place. I just—I want a few more minutes with you."

My already weak resolve wavered and I imagined the little cafe in the village by my house. I could see us there, the same way we had been a hundred times before, and the surprised looks on the barista's face when she saw him again.

Looking up at him, I nodded and said, "Okay. I have a little time to spare if we Apparate."

His hand travelled from my neck to my jaw, the pad of his thumb brushing over my lip before he said, "Lead the way."

I turned to face the lift, but Draco didn't completely break contact; the hand that had been on my waist was still there and his arm encircled me, holding me close to his side.

Pressing the call button, I tried to focus on breathing slowly and trying to calm myself, but I felt the same pull Pansy had described. I wanted nothing more than to Apparate us to my house and strip him bare. My feelings of attraction were only deepened by the way he wanted to see Penelope to sort through his emotions; he was clearly willing to put in the work.

He wanted this as badly as I did.

As we took the short ride down to the ground floor, my breathing synced with his and I closed my eyes. I could feel him watching me, and I knew he could probably sense the air thickening between us too. I counted breaths, heartbeats, seconds while I waited for the doors to open. And when they did, I moved quickly and his hand fell away.

I ducked into the alleyway beside Penelope's office building and Draco followed closely. Once we were out of sight, I took his hand, feeling the tingles when his skin brushed mine.

"Ready?" I asked, steadying myself. With a squeeze of my hand, he signalled he was, and I spun on my heel, taking us away from London.

As soon as we landed, he turned to take in his surroundings. When he saw my house nestled along the outskirts of the woods, he looked at me sceptically.

Leaning down, I transfigured my heels into flats and gestured to the path.

"There's a Muggle cafe we used to frequent on the other side of this little... forest doesn't seem like the right word," I explained nervously. "I thought it might be nice to walk while we talk."

"Okay," he replied, taking my hand in his again. "I'm fine with that. It'll give us a little more time together."

Draco started to walk and I fell into step beside him, our hands keeping us linked and close together.

I could feel how anxious he was, so I waited him out.

"How has your assignment been?" he asked, breaking the silence. "Are you enjoying... wherever you are?"

Smiling, I said, "I am, so far. The scenery is beautiful — it's a place I've never been before — and I'm really enjoying the work. It's one of the only times I've felt challenged in the past few years."

"I'm glad it suits you. Do you know how long the assignment will be? Or not yet?"

"Not quite yet," I answered. "Most of our initial testing is complete, but there's still more to do."

He squeezed my hand. "Well, the first week went by relatively quickly. I think I could probably survive a couple more."

"That was definitely my main concern," I teased, laughing. "I think I told you before I left that I needed to focus on me."

"I need to talk to you about your journals, and we didn't really have the opportunity during the appointment," he began, abruptly changing the subject. "I know you've said that I've apologised enough, but I don't think it will ever be enough. I hurt you so much, and I need you to know that I think I understand why you did what you did."

My teeth sank into my lower lip, stifling what I wanted to say.

"My selfishness — it almost cost you your life, and I'm so, so sorry."

I squeezed his hand, signalling that I was listening, and he continued.

"And I know there's nothing I can do to make it up to you, especially not now, but I want to try to." He paused, halting my steps too. I turned to face him, and his free hand tucked my hair behind my ear. "I want to be everything you needed me to be the first time around."

Somehow, I was still speechless. I hadn't expected him to be this open with me so soon.

"Are you going to say anything?" Draco asked, looking a bit anxious.

"I don't know what to say. Not really," I answered honestly. "There's still a lot for you to go through—"

His hand moved from my jaw and his index finger pressed against my lips. "I know, but that's not going to change anything for me. I can say that with certainty."

Two years ago, I would've wrapped my lips around his finger and tried to distract him from this conversation. I would've done anything I could to divert attention from the heaviness, the seriousness of our circumstances. I might've done the same even two weeks ago. Today, however, I grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away from my mouth.

"Draco, this is where we get ourselves into trouble," I said, looking up at him. "We need to actually talk about all of it."

His Adam's apple bobbed. "I understand, but there's something you need to realise."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"After everything we've been through, I'm not going to lose you now."

I desperately tried to suck in a breath, but my throat was constricted. It finally eased up after Draco's thumb stroked against the back of my hand.

"Hermione, we can't get the time we've missed out on back, but we're here together now," he said, his voice sounding more choked than I'd expected. "I know we still have a lot to discuss and that you want me to know everything before we make any decisions, but I'm telling you that I don't need to. Even if I could remember every single second we were together, it wouldn't make a difference."

"You don't know that."

He shook his head. "You told me that you showed me moments with heightened emotions — the defining moments — rather than the normal, everyday ones. Did you think that the defining moments would be the ones to push me away?"

I felt myself worrying my lip.

"You also said that the way we were in New York was a better picture of how things usually were between us."

Without warning, he turned and started walking again, tugging me along and leaving the statement hanging in the air between us.

"If that's really how things were, it makes me want to fix this even more. I might be a little hurt that you were willing to give it up, but my actions were inexcusable. Time after time, I just left, even though I'm certain I didn't want to. I made you feel like you weren't good enough for me because I was too much of a coward to truly own up to my feelings and speak to Astoria or my father about getting a divorce."

As much as I wanted to interject and tell him it wasn't only his fault, I didn't. I let him keep speaking.

"From the memories I've already seen, I know that you sent me more than enough signals. Both verbal and nonverbal, and we never properly discussed anything. I'm done with the miscommunication now. I want you to know that this"—he gestured between us—"is it for me. It always has been, and it always will be." Hastily, he added, "If you'll have me, that is."

In my head, I heard the lyrics to what I'd always thought of as our song.

You're all I want

You're all I need

You're everything, everything

I wanted to cry and tell him that he'd always be it for me, too. That I'd tried to move on and hadn't really been able to. As soon as I saw Draco again, it had all fallen away and I'd nearly forgotten about Blaise in my hysterics. I thought of the photos I'd seen in the Prophet , of bumping into him in Diagon Alley, of the one Ministry event I'd seen him at. Each sighting, whether in person or simply in the paper, had brought me right back.

And now we were here, Draco offering himself to me again. The past few months had turned my life on its head in a way I never would've believed possible.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I am. I'm just thinking back, and it all feels a little surreal."

Draco snorted a laugh. "You're telling me."

As we reached the edge of the village, he looked at it, his eyes blinking slowly.

"I recognise it," he stated, his surprise evident. "Why do I recognise it?"

Thinking back, I couldn't remember showing him any memories of the village. However, there were times where he'd arrived at my house early in the morning, takeaway coffee cups in hand.

"I'm not sure," I answered. "I think you might have come here without me sometimes."

He nodded. "I guess that would explain it."

As we moved closer to the cafe, I could tell that he was remembering, seeing things that I had no knowledge of. His long legs were covering about half the distance that they usually did, and he pressed his fingers into his eyes. He shook his head, trying to keep something at bay.

"Are you alright?" I asked, stepping to the side of the little patio with him. "You can sit out here and I can go in without you."

"You know what I want?"

That was a loaded statement. I smiled at him.

"I do. We've been here together many times," I answered. "Black coffee and something sweet to eat. Unless your tastes have changed?"

"That'll be fine. Thank you."

Opening the door, I stepped through and ordered us each a breakfast pastry and coffee. The barista glanced out the window and her eyes lit up.

"Is that—"

I stopped her from speaking. "It is. We're just having coffee."

As she rang up our purchases, she smiled. "Well, I hope this won't be the last time I see you together."

Handing her my credit card, I felt my cheeks flushing. "Me too."

The admission had slipped from my lips so quickly I hadn't been able to stop it. After signing the receipt, I collected the bag of pastries and the takeaway coffee cups, thanking her.

Draco was sitting at one of the small tables, his head in his hands, and guilt crashed over me like a wave. I set his coffee down, making him look up, and then sat down across from him.

"I used to come here and get coffee for us sometimes. When I didn't stay overnight, I'd always bring you coffee in the morning," he said, his eyes boring into mine, silvery grey. "As if that could make up for leaving you on your own all the time."

Taking his hand, I squeezed it, trying to reassure him. "It's in the past. And it really was a sweet gesture — I love the cinnamon lattes they serve here." He didn't respond so I opened the bag, taking out a chocolate chip muffin and setting it in front of him. "Eat something and drink your coffee. Stop beating yourself up."

I sipped my own latte, trying to lead by example. He released my hand and reached for his cup. Silence stretched between us, and I wondered if he was still remembering new things or just replaying memories in a loop.

Running my foot along his calf, I pulled his attention back to the present, his lips parting in surprise.

My face flushed a bit; I hadn't thought about the nature of what I was doing at all. I was falling back into touching him freely, reverting to old habits.

And I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"Have you remembered anything else this week? While you've read the journals or watched the memories?" I asked, trying to get him to focus on anything else.

Sullenly, he shrugged his shoulders. "Not really, but I mostly looked over the things with my parents and a few early memories. It's just been a lot of... Well, you know what it was like between us that first summer."

I did, and this was the perfect opportunity to lighten the mood.

"Lots of cold showers?"

Draco barked a laugh and everything between us changed instantly, his mood shifting from the dark into the light, breaking the tension that had formed between us.

Without the strain, we were able to talk freely and it felt like it had years ago, like we were back at the beginning before everything got so complicated.

After we finished our coffee, we walked back into the woods, our hands linked the same way they had been earlier. Once we were truly hidden from view, I said, "We can probably Apparate from here."

He stopped and seemed to be unwilling to release my hand.

Sighing, he said, "When will you be back in England?"

I thought of the weekend, of how nice it would be to spend time with him again, but I didn't know if it was a good idea or not. I'd been the one who wanted to put physical distance between us.

"Probably not until next Monday morning," I answered, unable to make the decision right now.

His face fell. "Are you working the weekend?"

I shook my head. "No, but I really think we need this time, Draco."

"Hermione—"

"How many times did you think about kissing me this morning?"

"What?" he sputtered. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Imagine a weekend day where neither of us is in a rush. What do you think would happen?"

Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. "I know what you're trying to say, but I just..." He trailed off, but I waited for him to continue. "Fuck, we could arrange a whole day out in public. I wouldn't care. I just want to spend time with you."

My resolve wavered as I considered a day in the city. London, together, out in the open. Any witch or wizard who saw us together would likely stop and stare and, by the end of the day, someone would alert Witch Weekly or the Prophet.

We'd feel like we had to shut ourselves away, and I imagined a tour of his new townhouse. Ending in his bedroom.

Shaking my head, I said, "Not yet. I'm not ready for that."

Even though my body was entirely ready for that, my mind and my heart weren't. All of the emotions I'd repressed were coming back so quickly and I wasn't sure I could handle a whole day together.

Not yet.

Resigned, his eyes roamed over me again. "Can I kiss you goodbye at least?"

The very thought made my heart speed up and my breath catch. I was sure I was sending up signals that screamed yes, even if I was torn. But Draco didn't move, waiting for me to bridge the distance between us.

Rather than denying myself, I nodded and rose up on my tiptoes, pressing my lips to his gently. His reaction was delayed, but when his shock dissipated, his arms went around me, pulling me flush against his body and kissing me harder than I'd anticipated he would.

I didn't pull away.

This didn't feel like a sweet goodbye. It felt like fire racing through my veins, like a dam breaking inside of me as everything he'd said today coalesced with the physicality of this kiss.

It didn't matter what was in the memories. He wasn't going to let me slip through his fingers this time around.

His tongue stroked against mine and I let out a hum of pleasure, my fingers tangling in his hair. His hands tentatively moved down to my arse, as if he were waiting for me to push him away.

But I couldn't.

Not right now. Not yet.

Instead, I trailed my hand from the back of his head to his jaw to cup it, desperate to touch more of him.

"I didn't mean for it to be like that," he panted, breaking the kiss. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. It was my fault."

"I think it's fair to say we both got carried away," he stated, carding a hand through his fringe, his breaths still coming in sharp pants.

When I'd collected myself, I said, "I have something for you in my bag." Reaching in, I grabbed it and held it out to him. "I feel bad, you know, making owls fly back and forth so many times."

Draco cracked the spine of the small book I'd handed him, his eyes roaming over the blank pages in confusion.

"I have the twin. Whatever you write will appear in mine and vice versa," I explained. "I figured this would be easier than introducing you to a mobile phone while I'm away. Obviously you don't need to use this more frequently than we were owling if you don't want to—"

He cut my ramble off with a gentle kiss. "You're going to regret giving this to me, Granger."

I laughed. "I'm certain I won't. I always wanted to, but it was too risky before."

"Well, I plan on thoroughly abusing the privilege of getting to contact you whenever I want to," he teased.

Glancing down at my watch, I cursed under my breath. "I really need to go. The team I'm working with is expecting me in ten minutes or so."

"Where are you Flooing from?" Draco asked.

"Either Grimmauld Place or the Ministry."

He took my hand. "I'll Side-Along you to the Ministry. I have to go there anyway."

I nodded and he turned, landing us at the Apparition point. Instinctively, we unclasped our hands and walked towards the Ministry entrance in silence.

"I have to use the Department of Mysteries Floo connection," I told him as we made our way down. "So... I'll see you next week."

He stepped closer and grabbed my hand again, squeezing it. "Definitely, and you'll be hearing from me every day."

Slowly, I pulled away and took the lift ride on my own, feeling the distance between us growing, stretching the bond to its limits again. For just a moment, I stood in front of the Floo, wanting to stay here in England but knowing I had to go back. Before anyone could speak to me, I took a deep breath and stepped into the emerald green flames that were perpetually burning in this room.

When I reached my temporary desk in Barcelona, I unpacked my bag and found the two-way journal already glowing.

I opened the cover, reading the words he'd written on the page.

While you're away, don't forget... I love you, Granger

And, just like that, he made my heart beat so hard it felt like it was trying to escape my chest.

Author's Note: Hi, hello everyone. I'm so sorry for disappearing for three months with no warning. Life has been really rough since about August, and it all finally caught up to me.

Thank you to everyone who reached out to check in with me - it was so sweet and appreciated during a hard time.

Tentative posting schedule:

- Chapter 67: 1/8/22

- Chapter 68: 1/22/22

- Chapter 69: 2/5/22

As always, feel free to follow me on Tumblr ( potionchemist) or Facebook (K.N. PotionChemist) for any changes to the schedule!