A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I do enjoy each and every one of them - even the guest reviews! I am so glad that you are still enjoying this story. I know so many of you want to smack Draco upside the head, but just know he will figure things out eventually. We have a bit more hurt to get through first. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions!

Please let me know what you thought of chapter eighteen and be on the lookout for chapter nineteen soon!

1998

After school, Draco had moved in with Harry and Alphard in a flat in a fashionable part of wizarding London. Even though all of their families would have been happy to have them, they are all keen to have their own bachelor pad, even though they had yet to choose a job. Harry was contemplating becoming a professor, so he was helping Narcissa with the muggleborns that summer to see if he enjoyed it. Alphard was having trials for Quidditch squads, though he wouldn't know if he was successful until closer to the start of the season. Draco hadn't made any firm plans, but the last time Hermione had spoken to him, he had been thinking about getting into politics. He was considering an additional career in law, but was dragging his feet on actually making a decision.

Hermione had been offered a position with the Department of Mysteries, something that she was only too happy to accept. The only problem was that they were sending her to complete an advanced degree in Arithmancy, first, as it would be crucial to her future work. Hermione was an excellent student, so she wasn't complaining too much.

She visited the boys often enough, but she always felt a little bit awkward there. She was always left feeling like...one of the guys. There were only too many times you could watch Harry drink orange juice directly from the carton in just his boxers or make awkward eye contact with Alphard's one night stands before she realized that they didn't see her as a woman or a potential romantic interest. It didn't stop her from hanging out there, though.

It was a lazy, summer evening and Hermione had gone to their flat with the intent of going out to the pub with them. She'd worn a very sexy outfit (in her opinion), but when she'd arrived, they were all up to their eyes in firewhiskey, playing drinking games. She was happy enough to join in, grabbing her own glass and taking a swig to get closer to their level, before settling onto the couch next to Alphard.

"Never have I ever fantasized about Daphne's tits," Alphard said with a grin, before taking a drink himself. Hermione blushed when Draco and Harry took small sips of the firewhiskey as well.

"Isn't the point of the game not to take a drink?" she asked with a snort.

"Just wanted to have another drink," Alphard responded cheekily, giving her a wink. "Why don't you go next if you seem to be a master of the game?"

Hermione smirked at him. "Hmm, never have I ever been a Slytherin," she countered, watching as all three boys took a drink.

"In that case," Harry grinned at her. "Never have I ever been a Ravenclaw."

"Touche," she said, raising her glass, before taking a big sip. The firewhiskey was top quality, but it still burned when it went down her throat.

They went around the circle again and again, getting progressively more tipsy. She couldn't entirely remember what question it was that Alphard had asked Harry, but it had him jumping her turn in the circle. "Oh yeah, Alphard? You want to play that game?" he asked. "Never have I ever kissed someone in this room." He stared at the pair on the couch intently.

Hermione coughed, but eventually she and Alphard both took a sip from their cups. It didn't sink in to Draco immediately, but once it did he was furious. "What the hell?" he asked, jumping up from his spot on the couch. "You kissed Hermione? She's off limits!"

"Excuse me?" Hermione countered, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm off limits? What the hell does that mean?" She was fuming, wondering what the hell Draco meant by that, as if Alphard wasn't allowed to kiss her if he wanted to.

Draco knew that he'd made a mistake in his wording immediately, but at the same time, he was still too angry to think properly. "I mean that you are off limits...Alphard has no right to kiss you," he countered. "You are our friend...he shouldn't go around kissing you! When we are friends!"

"You might only think of me as a friend, but that doesn't mean that other people won't!" she shouted back, shoving her hands against his chest. Blinking back tears, she realized that she was just so hurt that he was determined to see her as a friend and nothing more. "I am not some sexless robot, Draco! Alphard and I kissed, yes, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. He isn't obligated to see me as just a friend, like you do."

"Don't you know he doesn't care about you?" he asked. "Alphard is always bringing different witches around!"

"Oh please," Hermione said, throwing her hands up in the air. "At least none of Alphard's girlfriends have ever called me a mudblood." Feeling a little drunk and far too hurt, Hermione needed to leave the flat as quickly as possible. Wiping at the tears on her face, she accioed her handbag, before heading towards the floo.

"Hermione, wait!" Alphard called after her retreating form. "He isn't trying to be mean, he's just being jealous. And he's a little drunk, he just can't get the right words out."

Draco was sputtering behind them, though he couldn't quite get any words out. It was good, Hermione thought. She didn't want him to say anything that he couldn't take back in a moment of anger. Her heart ached at the thought that he might just be jealous that she'd kissed Alphard, but she thought it was more likely that he just couldn't imagine someone like Alphard - who pulled gorgeous witches all the time - would be interested in someone like her.

"With all due respect, Alphard, Draco has made it abundantly clear that he thinks I'm too repulsive for anyone to be interested in," she said, sneering at her blond best friend. She needed to put some distance between them, to let the hurt fade, before she tried to talk to him again. Grabbing some floo powder, in an instant, she was gone.