Three years later.
Hermione emerged from the floo at the ministry running late but not that she really cared particularly this time. She hated these functions mostly- not the party so much but the schmooze and the hero worship and the press hounding and photographing her every move. She looked left as she stepped out at the same time as a tall blonde man, who unfurled himself with an elegance she'd always come to expect of him and gave away who it was instantly without her seeing his face. Not that she needed to to recognise Malfoy. Noticing her at the same time, they stood and stared at each other for a minute, too awkward to talk but too awkward to pretend they hadn't seen each other either as the only ones in the floo corridor. It was five years since the war, and three since she'd last seen him, apparating from her room that night. He'd not returned at the start of third year and no one knew where he'd gone. Kingsley had reassured her he was ok when she'd gone to him and asked and she'd dropped it, not really caring any more and revelling in the freedom of the muggle world.
'Guess you got dragged here as well' she said eventually, speaking first and breaking the tense silence between them. He looked older she thought, much more wearied but still as striking as ever. She shook her head to rid herself of that thought.
'Something like that' he sighed as they both turned and walked at the same time down to the atrium, the tension between them crackling in the air but not really having any other choice. Hermione ran back over the last time she'd seen him in her head. He'd run away then, leaving her confused and upset and angry and relieved. Her pride had stopped her contacting him and she'd slowly forgotten, or at least pushed it out her mind. She'd heard he'd started at the Ministry but hadn't bumped into him yet.
They both stopped at the end of the long floo corridor, on the edge of the party that neither wanted to be at. Pushed closer together than either would have liked by onlookers and party revellers, they stood each looking around and taking in the scene in front of them, neither wanting to be the first to take that step inside. The big Ministry atrium was full of witches and Wizards from every department possible in dress robes although Hermione was pleased to see a few dinner jackets spread here and there. Malfoy was wearing his trademark black dress robes, she'd rarely seen him in another colour but they did suit him. He didn't even look as pale as she'd known him, he had a slight colour to him that Hermione noticed when she scrutinised him slyly from a sideways glance. She herself had made an effort tonight too, with tamed hair and a stunning gunmetal grey sequin dress with pale silver jewellery that all glimmered in the twinkling lights.
Reluctantly and still without speaking they entered through an archway put in place for the evening, which upped the effect of the room. It was like they were suddenly transported into the middle of winter. Snow lay on the ground and was falling gently from the sky. There were huge trees with live fairies twinkling round and glistening ice crystals hanging from the ceiling and shooting up from the floor in beautiful displays. Hermione shivered although it wasn't cold, a warming charm took care of that. Enchanted trays floated around the fountain, laden with food of every type imaginable.
He had to admit it was pretty impressive. He wasn't sure why Hermione was there, she shunned as many social functions as he did but everyone in his department had been ordered to attend the annual Ministry Christmas ball in honour of their guests, the MACUSA so he assumed the same for her.
'I'm guessing golden boy is here somewhere too' he started, suddenly verbalising his inner thoughts and kicking himself for it. Hermione looked at him with an undefinable expression. Fuck he thought, looking down at the woman still standing next to him, who he'd had every expectation of running away from him but to his surprise and delight hadn't immediately disappeared. Seemed she was as reluctant as he was to go in, even if that meant standing with him, despite everything he'd done.
'Drink Granger?'.
It had been a long time without proper company and even arguing with Hermione was better than the uncomfortable silence and stares he otherwise faced, and he probably owed her an apology. Not many people had wanted to talk to him when he'd returned from his time in the muggle world, a pretty hard fall for someone so set up to being fawned all over but he'd borne it well, believing it was no more than he deserved.
Ok' she agreed, surprising both him and her and wondering what on Earth possessed her. It couldn't hurt, and besides, it might mean she'd be left alone. The MACUSA wizards had been very keen to fawn all over the golden trio, particularly the very pretty and currently single female witch, all day and she was fed up of being forced to turn on the charm when all she wanted was wine and a good book.
'Firewhisky' Draco snapped at the bar witch as they approached the makeshift bar styled like ski huts,
'Really Malfoy, manners don't kill' She chastised, asking the witch to add in wine for her with a loud 'please' on the end. He smiled in spite of himself. Still as fiery as ever it seemed.
'Who are you? My mother? Actually, don't answer that. Firewhisky Please' He enunciated clearly turning back to the bar witch before commenting 'I didn't think you would actually drink with me again', causing Hermione to shrug.
'There's a lot about me you wouldn't think Malfoy, but anything to help get through a function, even talking to you' she replied wearily.
'So' he started, but felt at a loss of what to say.
'My my, I never thought I'd see the day Malfoy was lost for words. Tongue disappear with your manners?' she smiled at him, laughing nervously.
'My manners are impeccable Granger, must be your influence' he replied.
'Not always, ghost' Hermione muttered.
'Really Granger? Dragging up my past mistakes and chastising current ones?' He raised his eyebrow questioningly.
'And yet you're still here' she replied. He sighed heavily.
'It's not like I have many people to talk to outside of work anymore. Although empty space is less annoying' he muttered dryly.
'No, I can guess that must be hard, so hard you'll even talk to me. Can't promise we won't argue though, we're good at that and I owe you a good slanging match. She paused as he raised an eyebrow at her but she changed subject.
'I on the other hand apparently still have no end of admirers and people wanting to talk or fawn or ask for autographs. Three years away seemed to have increased the fervour not lessened it. It's been 5 years. It's exhausting' she sighed as a wizard bumped into her and made to talk.
Malfoy glared at him and put a possessive hand on her arm. A jolt of electricity flew through her which she tried to shrug off and ignore. The wizard just glared back and walked off without apologising, trying to make eye contact with someone behind her.
'There's no one there is there?' Hermione asked, giggling slightly.
'Not that I can see' Malfoy smirked, taking his arm back as he realised he was almost holding her hand and feeling uncomfortable at how close they'd become. She was pressed into his side gently at the narrow table and he could smell her perfume wafting over. Still the same vanilla smell she'd worn for many years. It hadn't taken three weeks for him to wash the shirt he was wearing the last time he saw her. She seemed to realise and move away slightly.
'Thank you. Honestly, I wish I could just run away some days. I hate these things but Kingsley made us come. Something about magical relations and perceptions and being the bigger person. He doesn't often make us do things but this was a no excuses you're coming request. Something about the MACUSA being awkward pureblood elitist little' she stopped suddenly, going red.
'Mafalda for me' he nodded at his boss across the room who caught his eye, ignoring Hermione's almost slip. He'd been a pureblood elitist little... once.
'Rather be shut up in your Manor?' She asked quietly. So she'd noticed he'd not been around much.
'Of course I know Malfoy. You were in my face all of school and uni, then, well then no hide nor hair of you? If it wasn't reported at first in every magazine going I'm forced to attend enough of these things to notice your absence. You still came to a few the last few years, amazingly the ones I wasn't at. Start work at the Ministry, a shock in itself and you disappear from the world. Sadly can't say the same for some of your old cronies' she said as Pansy Parkinson walked by on the arm of one of the American wizards Hermione had been shut in a boardroom all day with discussing the extradition of a notorious American wizard caught killing on UK soil. It had been complicated. She turned her attention back to Malfoy.
'I hardly think the wizarding world will welcome me back with open arms after what my father did, what I did. Don't see the point making everyone miserable by being here' he said darkly, downing his Firewhisky and motioning for another.
'Still? Times and people have moved on. Perhaps not open arms, no, but you've been pardoned. By golden boy himself as if that seems to sway it. I didn't peg you for hiding, I expected you to come out fighting. You work here for God's sake. There's good deep down Malfoy, and I never told you this but I saw that tripping jinx you sent at Dolohov as he was about to strike me again' she admitted. 'Don't worry, I didn't tell' she added as he glared at her.
'I am not a coward, I'm not hiding! The less said about the war the better. It was a long time ago' He said tersely, again ignoring her but smiling that she'd noticed. Dolohov was evil and he'd seen his curses at work. He might not have liked Hermione particularly but he didn't want to see Dolohov get her.
'I never said coward. That you are not but it's interesting that's where your mind jumped. But agreed. It's over. We should move on but it seems everyone is stuck in the past still with blame. The losses and the tragedy hurts but we shouldn't let it rule us or resentment will still lie and it will cycle again. There will always be another egotistical maniac willing to take it on. I'm not naive enough to think the old prejudices don't still exist or can be forgotten with Voldemort's demise, my work is enough putting those acting on similar ideals in Azkaban. Perhaps those traditions are not always executed or even liked but still influential. I mean, would you be allowed to marry a non-pureblood? Unlikely.' She said wisely.
'Not everywhere Granger, but yes, some is too deep rooted to change entirely. My mother, for example. Pureblood society is still heavily bound with old traditions. Not going to change overnight. Or in a generation' he said draining his drink.
They seemed to both skirt around their past, ignoring it and pretending they were new acquaintances. He noticed Ron heading their way so quickly bid her goodnight and turned and walking away. He'd done his bit and turned up, Mafalda had seen him and talking to someone too, even if conversation was a little too close to home for his liking. He'd actually been amazed they held a civil conversation after what he did to her. He'd come to a couple more functions lately as mostly he was left alone, his notoriety wearing off. He quickly disappeared and apparated back to the Manor, not to the muggle pubs he usually found himself in of an evening. For some reason he didn't fancy it that night.
'What were you doing talking to that git Hermione?' Ron asked, grabbing a handful of canapés from a floating tray.
'Do you ever stop eating?' Hermione asked laughing, taking one off him. He shook his head with his mouthful. Ron now had a new girlfriend, a young Hufflepuff girl who'd been three years behind them. She'd started work in the Magical Law Enforcement office with them that summer although Hermione didn't really know her. After University Hermione had started work as a magical lawyer mostly working on prosecutions but occasionally on magical relations where needed after a few months standard defensive training. Harry had qualified as a fully fledged Auror. Ron had moved to the obliviator squad after his NEWTS. It seemed he excelled at observation and memory charms and being free of the shadow of Harry and Hermione was climbing quickly, already a team leader. They did more than just obliviate, including a lot of the investigative work of crime scenes, extracting memories and erasing them.
'Seriously, what did he want' he asked again.
'We came out of the floo together and got a drink at the same time. Exchanged a couple of words' she said. Only Ginny knew she'd studied with him and nothing else. She knew there was unfinished business there, that he would have said more had Ron not come over. There was a lot unsaid left between them that she pushed aside, plastering in a fake smile.
She resigned herself to another evening of making polite as several of the MACUSA guests headed their way, but really wished she was home in bed. She glanced around for Malfoy but it seemed he had disappeared again, he was good at that.