A/N: Enjoy!


Blinking one eye open followed by the other, Hermione groaned into the pile of throw pillows on top of which she had slept. "My head …"

With only a vague, disconnected recollection of what had happened the previous night, she could only assume she had inhaled her body weight in beer. Last she remembered, she had pretended to be waiting for her boyfriend in order to avoid some dodgy bloke in boat shoes by the bar.

Only as she forced her eyes open, rubbing the tiredness from them as she reluctantly sat up, did it come back to her in fragments. For a moment she wasn't sure if she had imagined it. The way in which he had arrived hours late, helped her home and promised to spend the night.

Wheeling a look around her flat, she found no trace of him. No shoes at the door, no cloak on the coat rack, only a small slip of parchment on her coffee table.

Had to leave early for a meeting.

There's a Weird Sisters show tomorrow if you're up for it.

Eight o'clock at The Dark Wing.

Also your oat milk seems to have had gone off over a month ago.

How do you live like this?

DM.

She covered her face, relieved that she had at least remembered to put away her vibrator.

One Hour Later

"Fun night?" Harry asked, nodding in thanks to the coffee vendor.

Still a bit drunk, Hermione tipped an unmarked potion vial straight into her coffee cup. Her own personal concoction of Healing ingredients to battle the pounding in her head. "That's one way to put it."

Walking with her through Diagon Alley, he smirked. "Just let me know if I need to invite Malfoy to Ginny's surprise party this weekend."

"Oh, right! I've still not found a gift," she remembered, wheeling a look around the shops. "How do you think she would feel about a new broomstick cleaning kit? Maybe a new display case for her awards?"

"All you've got to do is be there."

"I can't just arrive empty-handed …"

He stopped in thought. "You could place the cake order if you'd like."

"You've been planning this party for weeks and you've still not secured a cake?"

"Er … is that bad?"

She couldn't help but chuckle. "I'll take care of it. There's a bakery near my building that makes the most delicious …" Slowly losing her train of thought, she glanced toward the front steps of Gringotts as two very familiar faces had entered her periphery.

"What happened?" Harry asked, following her line of sight only to spot the man and woman who had caught her attention. "That looks an awful lot like Malfoy and —"

"His ex."

Standing no more than a foot apart, the former couple were absorbed in smiles and laughter right there in front of the bank. Between the warmth of their initial embrace, the small touches and the adoration in their eyes as they chatted, it was as though they had spent no time apart.

With a conscious effort, Hermione looked away and forged onward. "So, about that cake …"

Harry raced to catch up, giving her a knowing look as she fixed her attention straight ahead. "Are we not going to discuss what we just saw?"

"What's there to discuss?"

"Apart from the fact that Malfoy's chatting up his ex after he'd just spent the night with you?"

"He's a single man."

"So, you're not going to send a flock of vicious birds on him?"

Rolling her eyes, she stopped in front of Flourish and Blotts to examine the books in the discount cart outside. "I'd like to think I've got more self-control than I did at sixteen."

"Too bad. You were terrifying when you wanted to be."

She glared at him, playfully. "Maybe I'm just better at picking my battles now."

"See? Terrifying," he joked, laughing with her as they carried on.

One Day Later

"Do you want to know the worst bit?" Teddy asked, tilting his head back in absolute boredom. "I still have a pile of schoolwork to do by the end of the week. You'd think professors would take it easy on those of us who are bedridden."

Smirking, Draco had a look at the progress marked down in the boy's file. "No, that would be too reasonable of them."

"Sometimes it's like they want us to have a nervous breakdown."

"Not until midway through fifth year. You've got time."

Teddy laughed, a little taken aback. "Aren't you meant to tell me that my professors know what's best and that I should respect their authority or something?"

"Healers are meant to be honest with you," Draco furthered, jokingly. "Though in all seriousness it's important you apply yourself and develop a good work ethic for later on."

"That's what Auror Granger always says."

His ears perked up at the sound of that name. "Oh?"

Nodding, Teddy made a grab for one of his school textbooks. "She's helped me a lot. When I was behind in a few of my classes last term, she sat down with me for under an hour and taught me to revise in a way that doesn't make me want to put my head through a desk."

Without a word, Draco smiled to himself as he jotted a few things down.

"Is it true that you and Auror Granger used to hate each other?"

"Sorry?"

"I know it's not my business. I've just … heard stories."

Caught off guard, he had no words apart from, "We had our moments."

"Worst one?"

"Apart from when she slapped me in third year?"

Teddy burst out laughing. "What in Merlin's name did you do to deserve that?"

"Er …" Sparing a second to think, Draco decided it was best not to go into detail. "Let's just say she could have done far worse and I still would have deserved it."

"And here I thought violence was never the answer."

"Oh, it's not. Unless you're the old me, in which case …"

Chuckling, Teddy glanced to the door as one of the nurses came in to deliver his lunch. A bowl of unidentifiable soup, some sort of roll and a glass of water. "Oh, good. More soup," he uttered out loud, nodding to the nurse in thanks despite his tone.

Draco had one look at the meal, smirking. "You miss Hogwarts now, don't you?"

With no more than a lazy glare, Teddy bit off a piece of the roll and chewed.

Later That Night

"You're sure you don't want to wait for her inside?" Blaise asked, hovering by the front entrance to The Dark Wing as the bouncer had let a group of attractive young women through the door.

Fixing a look at the time on his wristwatch, Draco tensed up a bit. "No, go ahead. I'll be right in. She's on her way."

"The show is about to start."

"She'll be here soon. I'm sure of it."

Although Blaise had remained unconvinced, he nodded his head and went back in.

Not a moment later, cheers had erupted from inside as the band took the stage. Their first song of the night echoed out onto the glistening streets of wizarding London as Draco slid his hands into his pockets for warmth.

Part of him wondered whether she was going to stand him up.

He had certainly deserved as much after how long he had made her wait the other night.

Only as he had another look at the time, the cheers growing louder with each passing second, did he feel someone approach.

"You do realize you're missing your favourite song, don't you?" Tracey asked, breaking his train of thought as she stepped outside. "Our favourite song."

Draco glanced to her, making space as she found his side. "No need to miss it for me."

"We can request it again once we're inside."

"I really don't mind waiting alone."

Giving him an obvious look, Tracey pressed her lips into a frown. "You're too smart for this."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you really want me to say it?" she asked. "Your date should have been here an hour ago."

"You think I've been stood up."

"Speaking as a woman, I know you have."

Although Draco had considered that option, he couldn't shake the feeling that Granger was on her way. If she had in fact lost interest, she would have told him by then. Parting his lips to say just that, his efforts were thwarted as Tracey brushed his hair back a little. The way she had used to before Sweden.

"Sorry," she offered, allowing her hand to graze his arm on the way down. "You had something in your hair."

He had no words apart from, "What's this about?"

"Sorry?"

"You're back in London out of nowhere and now you're out here trying to plant all sorts of ideas in my head about my date and whatever else."

She tensed. "Do you really need to ask?"

"I'd rather you make it clear."

"Suit yourself," she decided, sparing no more than a moment before she had grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and planted her lips on his in a swift, sudden and very clear display.

For a moment he was too shocked to move. All he managed to do was close his eyes and listen as the music grew louder in the background. Not a word, not a thought came to mind beyond how different it felt to kiss Tracey again.

Something that had once felt so natural suddenly didn't anymore.

Only as he had pulled away, bringing a look of confusion to his ex's face, did he glance over her shoulder to find Granger hovering just a few feet away.

Within seconds she took off and he followed closely behind.


A/N: Thoughts?