Author's Notes:

First of all, thanks to all those people who help me keep this story on track:

a) to MusicLover19 for proofreading it! Your comments made me laugh, and you're a great person to discuss the story with! :-*

b) to JhanaMay for helping me with the therapy scene, especially tackling the issue of confidentality and consent of the participating parties. Your great insight helped me turn it into a great scene! :-)

c) to my usual bunch of lovely ladies who aren't tired yet of my ramblings and doubts, and the poking when I feel the need to discuss an idea or feel insecure about something. Debbie, Linda, Katie, Amy, and Evora, I love you all!

Second of all, thanks to all those people who keep commenting on my story every time I update! You make it worth it, and you lighten up my day!

See the end for my response to a couple of comments...

Now, enjoy! :-)

Chapter 23 - Tea And Therapy

"Hermione! I didn't expect you to come over..."

Hermione waved at Ginny who was sitting at the kitchen table, where she was working on her latest column. "I hope I'm not disturbing you. I mean I know you have a deadline to meet."

"I only have a couple of lines left. Just a commentary of the Wasps against Harpies game, especially that scandalous goal given to the Wasps." Ginny got up from her seat on the bench to greet her friend with open arms. "I can use the break."

"And I could use someone to talk with," Hermione replied with a tired smile before she sat down at the table, placing her head in her hand.

"Have you seen the memories then?" With an empathetic smile, Ginny went over to the counter to fill the kettle and place it on the stove before igniting the fire with her wand.

Hermione nodded. "The children are out?"

"Lily is having a slight fever and is currently asleep upstairs; James went over to George's to play with his cousins." Ginny came back to the table and then leaned down to Hermione. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes. I'm fine." Hermione sighed when she saw Ginny's raised eyebrow. "Honestly. As good as I can be, at least. But I can't get stop thinking about those memories ever since I saw them yesterday."

The kettle whistled, and Ginny went over to prepare the tea. "Was it that bad?"

"Worse," Hermione said, her voice surprisingly quiet. She gladly accepted the mug from Ginny to have something to keep her hands from fidgeting. "It was hard to see him break down like that, just giving up on everything."

Ginny sat down to her left, leaning forward. "Yeah, he was in the mental ward for a while."

Hermione studied her friend for a moment, until the pang in heart loosened a bit. "You never said a word..."

"I know. But Harry and I agreed that it wasn't ours to tell. The press was relentless enough about it. I mean we asked them to respect our requests for privacy, but they still wanted more answers..."

Hermione curled her lips into a sad smile. The press had always been relentless while she was with Draco, hunting them for pictures and whatnot. At least they left her in peace right now, mostly because she kept out of the streets anyway, but she hoped that they also understood that she was still recovering.

"I really was an idiot back then, was I?"

After a deep breath, Ginny nodded. "Yeah, you were. You should just have told us. I mean, I try to teach my children that they could come to me and Harry with everything, that we won't judge them for it."

"I know. And I'm really sorry that I made Harry swear the Oath of Secrecy."

"I get it now, so don't worry about me." Ginny reached for Hermione's hand to squeeze it affirmingly. "Draco is more important right now."

A small wave of relief went through Hermione, but it wasn't enough to elevate that guilt off her heart completely. "I don't even know what to do next with Draco. He hasn't contacted me ever since the talk... And I'm scared to send him anything."

"It will be okay, just give him time."

"Mummy?" a small voice called from the living room. "Mummy?"

Ginny looked at the door, and then got up. "I'm in the kitchen, my darling."

"Mummy..." Lily showed up at the door, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, her hair a mess. "There's a bird hooting loudly outside. It woke me up."

"It's okay, Sweetie. Look who's here..."

"Auntie!" Lily stretched her arms towards Hermione, her face lightening up with a bright smile.

As much as Hermione hesitated hugging others, she still welcomed the girl's affections. So, she gladly gave her a quick hug, smiling as the girl gave her peck on her cheek, as careful as she could.

"I'll check for the bird," Ginny said with a nod towards the garden. "And you, Sweetie, you don't over-exert yourself, okay? You still have a bit of a fever..."

"We can draw something," Hermione offered, searching for her wand to Summon the necessary items while Ginny left for the gardens. She was glad that Lily accepted the idea easily, immediately grabbing the black crayon. Whatever it was going to be, she would hang it up in her own kitchen.

However, they didn't have to wait long for Ginny to return, who was carrying a small note in her hand. "It's for you, Hermione. From Draco."

It was indeed a note from Draco to Hermione's surprise, asking her to come to Dr Pendry's office early the next morning. The note was kept short and direct, but she still appreciated his effort to reach out. Her heart started to beat faster, and her mind was already going through all the possibilities what the note could mean, while she was still admiring his elegant handwriting, memorising the words.

"What is it?" Lily asked curiously, looking up from her drawing.

"Just keep drawing, my dear," Ginny said softly and came up to Hermione to have a look herself. "So, will you go?"

Hermione nodded, vigorously so. As much as it scared her, this might be the only chance she'd get to explain herself properly. So, yes, she would make sure to be there, for both her and Draco's sakes.

..

"Dr Pendry? She's here now."

The next morning, Hermione had found her way to the therapist's office and was now waiting nervously to be let into the room by the assistant, fiddling with Draco's note in her hands.

Smiling softly, the assistant turned around and opened the door enough to let Hermione pass. "Just go in..."

With unsure steps, Hermione entered the room, aiming for the visitor's seat in front of the therapist's desk, opening her coat. However, she froze mid-step as she saw Draco sit on the couch reserved for the patients, her heart beating hard in her throat.

"Ms Granger, do sit down. We were waiting for you." Dr Pendry briefly got up from her seat at her desk. "Mr Malfoy arrived a little earlier..."

Reluctantly, Hermione sat down. After stuffing the note into her coat pocket, she didn't know what to do with her hands, so she just shoved them under her thighs. Another quick glance over to Draco showed that he was feeling uncomfortable—his expression was cold, yet collected. "I am not late, right?"

Dr Pendry shook her head with a soft professional smile. "No. Not at all. Punctual as always... It's been a while since I last saw you here, but I'm very glad you made it out alive. However, we're not here to discuss your capt–your case."

"Thanks." Her hands still underneath her thighs, Hermione leaned back.

"I asked Dr Pendry for help with our situation," Draco said quietly. "I fixed the session to appease my mother, but... but I thought we should use it instead."

With a timid smile, she looked at him, noticing his tightly crossed arms and the surprisingly tousled hair. She didn't want to say unkempt, but it showed how much it must have thrown him off, only to still have the strength to reach out.

"I think you did the right thing, Draco." Hermione was surprised how quiet her voice came out, probably from all the emotions bubbling up—in both of them, given his state and reactions. "We really need to talk about things, and we do need help."

He only stared at her with a guarded expression—his voice might have sounded quiet, but he hid everything else behind a mask; however, she knew he was only hiding that their previous talk and its disastrous end was clearly still on his mind. After another second of eyeing her intently, he nodded in agreement.

Dr Pendry scribbled something in her little notebook before she looked up again, displaying once more a professional empathetic smile. "Now, I've been informed about the basics of your, let's say, rekindled relationship."

"Relationship is putting it nicely," Draco uttered with a huff then turned back to Hermione. "It was anything but in the last eight years. Just you constantly running away."

She sighed, but she could see that he wanted to say more, but instead, he turned his gaze away after a deep breath. "If it helps you, I'm not going to run away this time. I don't have anything to hide anymore..."

"I see. We have a lot to work through, then." Dr Pendry looked at both of them in turns, playing with the pen in her hand while she was considering her options. After a few more seconds spent in silence, she added a few more lines to her notes. "This might take more than a single session, I'm afraid, if you're willing to seriously work through your issues."

Even though she trembled at the sheer thought of baring everything, Hermione was willing to go all the way. Unsure, she gazed over to Draco on the sofa who was rubbing his hands on his trousers while apparently checking the contents of the shelves opposite him. "I am."

Those two simple words brought his attention back to her, and he stared her straight in the eye as if he was studying her motives. He let out a resigned sigh when he finally nodded in agreement.

"Good." Dr Pendry leaned back into a more comfortable but still attentive position, her pen and notebook in front of her for any notes she might need to take. "Ms Granger, based on what I know and what had just occurred, I suggest you begin. I beg you both to let the other person finish, as painful as it might get."

"I... I..." Hermione sighed. She didn't know where to begin, or how much she could tell the therapist after all. The last time she had been here was the final session of her regular treatment after the War. "I made a mistake, and now I don't know how to make amends."

"With mistake you mean...?"

"The break-up." Despite it being almost unbearable, she kept looking at Draco, whose knuckles were now white from the grip on his legs. She had barely ever seen him so tense and worked up. "I was a fool for not talking to you, Draco. And I'm sorry, from my heart, for every single moment of pain I caused. I truly am."

He nodded, and she could see him trying to swallow.

Hermione glanced over to the therapist who was taking notes before she returned her attention to him. "You were the best person that I could have hoped to share my life with. Love of my life, or whatever those happy fools call it. I felt safe and cherished, you know? But after the accident, I thought that you deserve better than someone like me, someone who isn't broken or tainted."

"You're not broken." His words were only a hoarse whisper, his previous spite replaced by a hint of comfort.

"It was in my head." Hermione tapped on her temple to emphasise her words. "Still is."

Dr Pendry coughed discreetly to gain their attention. "It seems that this accident plays an important part in the whole story. Would you be able to elaborate on it, so that I understand it better?"

For a moment, Hermione's eyes widened in fear, and she felt her throat choke while her heart started racing. To her slightest relief, she saw Draco point at himself and then Dr Pendry, and she nodded, vigorously so.

"I only figured out the importance a few weeks ago," Draco started, sounding surprisingly calm now. "But as far as I understand, that was the day Ms Granger was attacked by a creature, hence being turned into one as well."

"Like a werewolf?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. Not a werewolf..."

"And you never told him?" Dr Pendry asked, her voice completely professional and without any judgment to Hermione's relief.

"No."

"Why?"

Hermione breathed in deeply before answering, as her mind was racing with so many thoughts it was making her dizzy. "Fear, maybe?"

Draco snorted.

"I tried to tell you that!" Hermione retorted, feeling insulted by his reaction. "The whole situation scared me, okay? Part of me is now a scary, hideous creature, and I freaked out. Do you have any idea how much I panicked that you might find out by accident and then decide that I wasn't worth it any longer?" She didn't care how angry or hurt she sounded, she had carried it around long enough; however, she couldn't stop her eyes from tearing up. "I was so goddamn scared that you'd look at me and consider me filthy–"

"Hermione!" Draco cried out in shock; his darkened. stormy eyes lost their hurting glare, even softened into something more comforting. "Never!"

She wiped those stubborn tears from her cheeks. "I am tainted. Broken. And... And I thought, maybe that was more than you would be willing to accept in me. So, maybe, I was scared you wouldn't love me anymore if you knew?"

There was silence in the room, only interrupted by the sound of a pen scribbling on paper.

"It hurts to hear you ever thought that," Draco whispered, unable to speak louder. He had moved closer while she focused momentarily on keeping her emotions under control. As she startled in response to his gentle touch on her knee, he tried to pull away again, but she stopped him before he could do so. "I was one of those happy fools when I was with you... With you, I felt like I could conquer the world because... because you were my safe place, my home. I lost all that when you left me, Hermione. I-I broke down–"

"I know." She took a deep breath, holding on to his hand on her knee. The picture from Blaise's memory of him sitting in the midst of the aftermath of his outburst, so utterly lost, still haunted her.

"But... But I think I understand now."

Hermione's heart made a jump at those words, and for a few seconds, she could only stare at him blankly, trying to comprehend. "But I... You do?"

He nodded, his gaze fixed on their hands on her knee. "I had enough time to think over the weekend... And going through it again, I realised that I wasn't fair to you. You're not the only to blame because, in some way, it was my fault too."

He took a deep breath before he tried to swallow. "I'm sorry for what I've said back then. I should have been a better partner to you and notice that something wasn't alright, despite everything else going on. And I'm really sorry that I made you feel like you couldn't share your... your situation with me, that I would value you less for it. Maybe that's why I reacted so harshly last time we talked."

"You shouted at me," she said with a quiet voice, trying to keep any accusatory tone out of it. "And-And you had an outburst."

He finally looked up, nodding reluctantly. "I'm not proud of it. I just wanted to tell you for so long that I couldn't control myself at that moment..."

"It's-It's okay." She squeezed his hand tightly in response to his words, feeling a small knot forming in her throat, and her vision briefly started to blur. "I really want to do whatever it takes to solve this, because I don't want to miss you in my life ever again—even just as a... friend."

"Promise to be honest?"

She nodded; the knot in her throat refusing to go away despite her trying to swallow hard several times. "We both need to be honest this time."

There was the smallest of smiles on Draco's lips before he nodded. "I can do that."

Dr Pendry cleared her throat to regain their attention. "I'm afraid the time is almost up."

..

"Does Mistress need more of her potion?"

Hermione sighed at Tibby's question; she had just taken some of her prescribed Calming Draught after waking up from a nightmare, only the effects usually took a moment to set in. If only she would stop trembling already! At least her legs didn't give out on her way downstairs into the kitchen where the house-elf was now fussing around while she sat at the table.

"Tibby could make a tea for the nerves..."

"Yes, tea sounds nice," Hermione replied, watching her elf go through the cupboard to find the valerian they had in store for those kinds of moments.

The elf fussing around in the kitchen was a great distraction from the nightmare that still lingered in her memory. It hadn't been the first time she had dreamed about one of her fights, but tonight it was a very vivid one—the fight against the eagle, making her relive the moment she had driven her talons into his chest. She would never forget the gasp, that last breath he let out, nor would she ever forget that last look he gave her, that relief flickering over his face.

She rubbed her eyes, barely containing a tired growl because she couldn't stop those images from circling through her mind whenever she relaxed. And the emotional upheaval during the session with Dr Pendry might have had a further impact on her, lowering her mental control. She had barely felt so vulnerable than in the moment of finally admitting her reasons for her decision.

She and Draco had parted on much better terms after the session with Dr Pendry, both with the intention to work on their relationship, wherever it would lead them. She had even invited him to a cup of tea at her place, partly to keep the good momentum going; however, he had declined with a soft smile, saying that he already had plans with Blaise and Astoria.

"Mistress should drink her tea," Tibby said as she placed the mug in front of her with an empathetic smile, though her eyes still had a worried look.

"Thanks."

This was one of the moments Hermione was glad to have the company of a house-elf. To her surprise, she barely remembered their first argument about his family still employing house-elves. But then, Draco had made sure that they were employed according to the new Ministry regulations, and with proper dignity. Over time, she had come to know those helpful creatures more closely, who were willing to serve Draco as their master. He had always been respectful whenever he had to deal with them, and sometimes, it had been downright adorable.

Taking sip after sip of her tea, she had a look around the kitchen. It was her favourite room in the whole house, always warm and with a comfortable sofa in the corner. However, her eyes lingered on the stove for a moment, as a thought ran through her sleep-deprived and still shaken mind.

Cooking.

That's what they could do as a bonding activity, something Dr Pendry had suggested. "Tibby, could you bring me a pen and some paper, please? I need to write a note."

"Yes."

Hermione watched the elf leave the kitchen, taking another gulp of her tea. Both her Calming Draught as well as the valerian in the tea finally started to work, and she felt calmer; at least her hands stopped shaking and she could take deeper breaths.

Gods, how could she forget that they used to cook dinner together, whenever time allowed for it? Her smile widened as she remembered all the evenings they had cooked together—bumping into each other more often than not, and occasionally burning things because they had forgotten time while kissing. They had used those evenings to discuss couple things, focused on each other and their goals. Those evenings had usually been the most intimate both in terms of feeling connected as well as lovemaking.

This time, they didn't have to go this far, yet cooking seemed the best idea for them to start over, giving them both a good frame to focus on the good stuff of their past relationship...

"Pen and paper for the Mistress." Tibby's return pulled Hermione from her memories as she placed the requested items on the kitchen table; of course, she had brought the best pen she could find.

With a tired smile, Hermione accepted the pen Tibby held up for her. She might be too tired to write anything comprehensible, but she felt good enough now to try and word an invitation to Draco for their cooking date—she figured that he might appreciate a formal invite as a sign of her reaching out.

Gods, she was looking forward to the evening! Thinking about spending time with Draco made her feel nervous, but also a tiny bit hopeful. It was just a first step, but it felt like the right one.

After sipping some more of her tea, she finally started writing her invite, even though she would probably change it again before finally sending it.

Dear Draco,

As I already told you after the session, I'm indeed grateful for your willingness to work on our... well... relationship, even though I have to agree, the word just doesn't fit right now.

As Dr Pendry suggested, we should enjoy an activity together, and I thought long and hard about it. Do you remember the fun we had while cooking dinner together?

Would tomorrow evening be fine with you? 6 pm? Please let me know if another date is better suited.

Thank you
Hermione

..

Later that afternoon, Hermione found herself visiting her parents, following an urge to see them—people who weren't connected to anything in the wizarding world. She instantly felt like home when she walked through the familiar front yard of their small house. It wasn't the same place she had grown up in, but coming to her parents' house still made her feel like coming home.

She knocked, looking around for any signs of someone following her. It wasn't really a problem being alone in her place, the house Draco had given her, with all its security measures and Tibby never too far; but out on the streets on her own, without Draco playing her bodyguard, she felt surprisingly uncomfortable, kept looking back over her shoulder.

After a second knock, Hermione finally heard steps behind the door. Seconds later, her mother appeared with an astonished look on her face that turned into a big happy smile as soon as she recognised her daughter.

"Will, she is here!" Her mother opened her arms for a hug, which Hermione accepted reluctantly. "It's so good to see you again, my dear! We were worried when we didn't hear from you in weeks, you know?"

"I'm fine," Hermione whispered, taking in the discreet flowery scent of her mother, a memory from her childhood and happy times. "Harry and Draco rescued me."

Her mother let go again after a last stroke over her back. "Draco? I mean, Harry told us that they were able to get you out and that you were doing reasonably fine, adding that you'd come visit us once you feel better. Though, he didn't mention details... But do come in!"

Hermione followed her mother through to the living room that looked out over their garden in the back. "Dad is in his study?"

"Yes, I think so. You know how he is with his new computer... I think he was checking out options for our next vacation. Tea?"

Hermione nodded, only to follow her mother into the kitchen to sit down at the table there. "Where do you plan to go for the vacation?"

"We have a few options, actually. I think Spain was on the list, or Australia. Like, rent a van and just travel through the continent, maybe even visit some old friends. We haven't seen that much during the time we lived there, you know?"

"Australia, hmm?" Hermione had to smile at the travel plans; she had been so glad when she could restore their memories, and even more so when they decided to come back to the UK—and now they were simply living out their retirement by travelling the world and engaging in several social clubs.

"Yes, Australia." With an amused shake of her head, her mother ignited the stove with the filled kettle on it before she turned around to face her. "You said something about Draco? I'm surprised because you haven't mentioned him in years..."

"Jean, what did you say?" Her father came into the kitchen, only to stop mid-step when he saw Hermione sit at the table. "My little girl is back!"

She got up, bracing herself for the inevitable bear hug from her father. "Hi..."

"We're so glad to have you back, you know?" he said as he eventually broke off again with a relieved smile. "But you look a bit tired..."

"I'm fine. Just a few nightmares, that's all."

"You sure? I'm sure Rupert could free some time for you and prescribe you something if you need it–"

"Dad, I'm fine. I have enough people fussing about me, and I already take something; I don't think it would mix well..." Hermione sat down in her previous spot, glad for the table to provide a hold.

Will took a seat opposite her while Jean kept leaning against the counter, waiting for the kettle to whistle. "Wizarding medicine?"

"Guess who rescued her?" Jean threw in with a teasing tone before Hermione could answer her father's question.

"I thought Harry and his team did."

"Draco was there too."

Hermione would have preferred to change the subject, because she knew that her parents were going to ask her about everything and she barely felt like answering all the details, not wanting to end up a mess again.

She just nodded in response to her father's inquiring look.

"Now I do need some details, because you two haven't spoken in years, not since... you know."

Hermione sighed and leaned her head on her hand, switching from her father to her mother and back. "It's a bit complicated, and I'm not really in the mood to talk about it, okay? He helped Harry, and now we're kind of talking again."

"I see." The kettle whistled, and Jean turned around to prepare the tea. "I guess you two have a lot to talk about."

"Oh yes... Right now, I'm just glad that we talk at all, though we have some help from Dr Pendry. The therapist I had after the War, you remember?"

"Pendry? Oh yes, she's a good one, and she really helped you." Jean placed the cups on the table, in front of everyone. "Didn't know she also counsels... well... couples."

Hermione shrugged and took her cup between her hands, relishing in the warmth it emitted and the scent of black tea with just a drop of milk. They were anything but a couple, and hoping to get back to that stage would be presumptuous on her part. "She told us to do something together, like some bonding activity."

"You sound like you are still trying to find something." Jean sat down to her right. "I think we still have a list of activities that your father found online somewhere."

"I can print it for you if you want."

Hermione had to chuckle at her parents' eagerness to help and drank some of her tea before answering. "I thought we could cook dinner together. I mean, we used to do that when we were... you know... together."

"Oh yes, that's a good idea indeed! I remember the gratin you made once–"

"Don't forget the pie for dessert that evening!" Jean exclaimed with a laugh. "He was basically blushing in deep red when I complimented it, remember?"

Hermione found it relaxing to dig into those buried memories of good times together, so she joined her mother's ongoing chuckle. "Yes, he was the better baker between the two of us. Always claimed that it was because he was better at Potions too. Chemistry I mean."

"It certainly was delicious. And I hope you have a good evening, regardless of what you're planning to do this time," Will said with an encouraging wink.

Hermione nodded, feeling her cheeks blush slightly. "So, anything I missed while I was gone?"

"Well... Have you heard that the librarian in your old library has finally retired?" Jean said, leaning back, studying her daughter with one of those relieved and happy looks. "I'm pretty sure you've read every single book he could find in that library..."

"He has? Isn't he like over seventy now?"

"He is. But they threw a big farewell party for him," Will added with a grin. "Everyone showed up; it was great."

"Pity that I missed it." Relaxing now, Hermione leaned back, happy to just listen to her parents telling her about everything that went on in their neighbourhood.

Author's Notes (part 2):

In response to the mentioned Gryffindor-Slytherin "hate thing": The last posted chapter is a flashback that took place about eight years prior to the current events in the story.

Yes, Blaise's opinion of her, and Gryffindors, wasn't exactly the best at that time, but given that he was a first-hand witness of the breakdown of his best friend, I think his thoughts are understandable. Hell, I'd be the same if I ever had to watch a close friend breakdown like this... It's not an excuse, but an explanation.

I might add that they have a deal with the Auror Department which is headed by Harry (the most famous Gryffindor I think), and Pansy is in a serious relationship with Ron. If Blaise still had a problem with Gryffindors eight years later, this wouldn't be possible, so his dislike has mellowed or rather dissolved over the years, with his rational and pragmatic side taking over. And we'll see what happens if Hermione gets to properly apologise to him and Astoria... ;-)

In addition, in response to Eternity511: I will get to the point. I have the story planned out, actually, adapting and changing when needed. However, thing is, after building up the backstory of Draco's and Hermione's previous relationship, I can't just floss over it—they have to deal with it first before I can move on to the next step of the story. And yes, there are problems coming, all relating to the rescue.

I did send you a PM in response to your comment, in case you wanted to discuss the points in private... ;-)