Author's Note: Thank you to everyone that reviewed the first chapter! I'm so thrilled you're all as excited as I am about this story. It's going to be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, so be prepared! Thank you to starrnobella and k_lynne317 for beta reading for me! Love you! xxDustNight

You can also check out the playlist, which I will update before I post each chapter, here: http* * /u*ser/124640*1351/pla*ylist/6hb4vunuUow*A3PyCrmtGMA (just remove the * for it to work)

Disclaimer: All non-original characters, plot points, and information belongs to J.K. Rowling. The story plot and dialogue belongs to me. I do not write for profit.

Current & Future Trigger Warnings: Infidelity, Character Death, PTSD, Depression, Sexual Tension, Sexual Content, Mildly Dubious Consent

Summary: When her partner gets lost in time, Hermione is forced to seek out the help of her estranged husband. With Draco by her side, she travels through time desperately searching for Theo. Along the way, Hermione finds herself having to accept that sometimes love truly is forever and that maybe you really can love more than one person at a time.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Partners in Time
Pairing: Hermione/Theo and Hermione/Draco
Rated: M
Part I: October 20, 2016
Song Recommendations: "Someday" by Rob Thomas, "You know I'm No Good" by Amy Winehouse

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

October 20, 2016

"I've found something."

Not taking her eyes off of the file she was reading, Hermione sighed heavily and replied to her work partner. "I hope it's that casefile you lost last week, Theodore." When she finally glanced up, she smiled, finding a playful pout on his lips.

"You're seriously no fun, Granger," he complained, striding into her office and plopping himself down in the chair across from her organized desk. "But no, I still haven't been able to locate that file." He scratched absentmindedly at the back of his head, his longer than normal hair flipping back and forth. "I'm starting to think I left it in one of the rooms down here…"

"Never to be found again, I suppose?"

He grinned cheekily, crossing his arms. "The Department of Mysteries claims another victim."

Groaning, Hermione shoved away her paperwork to give Theo her full attention. "Kingsley is going to have both our heads if you keep losing files, Theo. I can't cover for you forever." Tucking her hair behind an ear she finally caved. "Alright, so what did you find?"

Slipping a hand into the inside pocket of his work robes, he slowly withdrew a small object. Dramatically, he placed it on the desk between them, a sly look on his face as he sat back in his chair and waited for her response. Her brow furrowed as she examined the golden object before meeting his stare.

"Is that—"

"A Time-Turner. Yes."

"But they were all destroyed during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries in 1996," Hermione practically whispered, tentatively reaching out to stroke one finger along the Time-Turner's surface. She'd been there—she'd witnessed the way the Time-Turners broke and were stuck in an endless loop, rendering them completely useless. "Where on Earth did you find this?"

"My father's mansion," Theo said with a shrug, as if it was no big deal. "I was doing a bit of cleaning this past weekend and found it in a secret drawer behind his liquor cabinet." A pained expression passed across his features, and he looked away from Hermione's penetrating stare.

"I'm sorry, Theo."

"Don't worry about it, Granger." He waved her off, voice quiet, "It was bound to happen eventually. One can only live for so long in Azkaban before the insanity drives you to death." Pulling a fake smile, he finally looked back at Hermione, choosing to ignore the pity on her round face.

Biting her lip, Hermione added, "If you need to, you can take a few more days off of work…"

"No," he cut her off, then changed his voice to a more soothing tone. "No, I'm alright. Besides, we have this to play with now. I don't want to miss work."

Hermione's face fell at Theo's words, an uncomfortable sense of foreboding settling in her stomach. "Play with it? I don't think so, Theo. Time-Turners are not meant to be played with. It needs to be reported to the Minister, cataloged, and then stored safely away where no one, absolutely no one can ever find it." She dreaded to imagine what the few Death Eater sympathizers in their world would do to get their hands on such an item. Shaking herself, she reached for the Time-Turner, planning on locking it in her secret safe for the time being.

"It takes you back to whenever you want."

Freezing in place, Hermione felt all the air rush out of her lungs. Her eyes went wide with fear and curiosity at Theo's words. "Wha—what?" She stammered, unable to believe what she was hearing.

He shrugged, explaining further. "Or forwards too, I suspect, but I haven't tried that one yet."

"Theodore Nott," Hermione seethed, lifting one hand and using her wandless magic to slam the office door shut. She ignored the way he flinched, not caring about his feelings at the moment. "You can't just go messing about with time! You can change the entire time stream!"

A bit taken aback at her outburst, Theo held up his hands. "Whoa, Granger. Calm down—I didn't do anything. I just hid in the shadows and watched." Even though he was a bit nervous at her reaction, and disappointed, he couldn't help the tiny smirk that slipped onto his face. "It was kind of fun watching our sorting ceremony all over again. You were adorable by the way, all frizzy hair, bucked teeth, and trembling hands."

Placing her hands flat on her desk, Hermione leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. "You irresponsible idiot—" Pulling up suddenly, she asked, "Did you say I was adorable back then?" When his smirk merely grew, she groaned and threw her hands into the air. "You're unbelievable, do you know that?"

"Absolutely," he answered without pause. "Now, don't you want to try it with me?" This time he was the one to lean forward, leveling his gaze with hers, and trying to turn on the charm.

"No. No way, Theo. That goes against all sorts of rules and regulations. I should report you for using this without authorization," she rambled, snatching up the Time-Turner and wrapping her hand securely around it. "We could both lose our jobs for sure, and I'm hoping to get Head of Department within the next year…" She trailed off, worrying her lip again as she held her closed hand against her chest.

"We need to test it, Granger. We have to be certain it works both ways so when we fill out the paperwork, we can accurately write down all the details. You wouldn't want to leave something out of the report, would you?" When her shoulders dropped ever so slightly in defeat, he knew he almost had her. She was stubborn though, and would need a bit more prodding to want to travel through time with him. "We can just pop through time and visit the future for five minutes…it's no big deal."

She blinked at him, relaxing ever so slightly. Despite her trepidation, she couldn't help the tiny bit on curiosity that sparked inside of her. She'd used a Time-Turner before, so surely it would be safe to do so again, as an adult. An adult who worked in the Department of Mysteries and was supposed to be capable of dealing with the unknown. Opening her hand, Hermione examined the Time-Turner she held in her hand. Lifting her gaze to Theo's, she sighed.

"Theo, you do realize this is insane, right? Time isn't supposed to be visited."

"Come on, Granger. When was the last time you did anything crazy? Anything reckless?" Whiskey eyes met chocolate, and he felt the tension build ever so slightly. His gaze dropped to her plump lips, a stirring of longing flashing through him briefly before he met her eyes once more.

She held his gaze steady for another second before glancing away, regret making her insides twist. Memories of the New Year's Eve Ministry Gala three years ago flashed through her mind. Drunken kisses in the broom closet, the ripped skirt of her sapphire dress, Theo's teeth grazing the sensitive skin of her neck, tearful explanations to her husband afterwards… It was a night she yearned to forget, the last time she'd done something reckless and out of character. It'd been the tipping point in her life, and she'd been running ever since.

Until she'd been transferred from the MLE to the Department of Mysteries a year and a half ago. How she and Theo managed to work together without things becoming uncomfortable, she had no idea, but the way he was looking at her right now made her burn with desire. Swallowing roughly, she set the Time-Turner back on the desk and slid it across the surface towards her partner. He was waiting for a response from her, and she had no idea what to say. Messing with time was certainly not something they needed to do.

"I don't know, Theo…let me think about it, alright?"

"Okay," he answered, nodding his head before picking up the Time-Turner and returning it to his pocket. Then, with a bit of a wave, he stood, opened the door, and disappeared out into the corridor.

Hermione waited until he was gone to drop her face into her hands. Sometimes she seriously hated herself, and right now, was one of those times. She knew in her heart she was going to accept his challenge and travel to the future, not only because they needed to properly file the paperwork for the Time-Turner, but also because she had feelings for the wizard. That she couldn't deny no matter how much it hurt and made her regret past decisions.

"This is a horrid idea…" she muttered to her empty office.