Author's Note: Hey lovelies! The Muse has been kind and gifted you all with this extra-long Dramione-centric chapter! I do hope you love it. Thanks for all the love for the last chapter! In addition, this fic has been nominated for the *Time Lord Award: Best Time-Travel fic* over at the Enchanted Awards, hosted by GES! I'd love it if you would take a few minutes to go and vote. There are some other great categories to vote for as well. Actually, I was lucky enough to be nominated for a few categories! Thank you in advance if you take the time to vote!

*When Worlds Collide: Best Crossover*

-Nights in Diagon Alley

-Wolves without Teeth

*Time Lord Award: Best Time-Travel*

-Partners in Time

*All the Feels: Best Angst*

-Teardrops & Teacups

VOTE HERE: ht*tps:/*/dr* *gle.c*om/*ope*n?id=0B*3wiw*GvGfgYMR*V94REhV*Tmp5bn*M (remove the * to access the link)

Finally, a HUGE HUGE HUGE thank you to my lovely beta starrnobella for helping me as always! xxDustNight

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.

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Partners in Time
Pairing: Hermione/Theo and Hermione/Draco
Rated: M
Part IV: October 27, 2016
Song Recommendations: "Hello" by Adele and "I Wanna Be (500 Miles)" by Sleeping at Last

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Part IV: October 27, 2016

The lift rattled as it ascended, almost as if it too was uncertain about her destination. Truth be told, Hermione hadn't stepped foot on the MLE and Auror floor since being transferred to the Department of Mysteries after her divorce. Biting her lip nervously, Hermione held her breath the closer she got to her old department. She wouldn't be doing this unless absolutely necessary, but she was desperate. Who else could she turn to in a situation like this? There was Harry, of course, but he would want to go straight to the Minister. That was strictly out of the question at this point.

Jerking to a stop, Hermione braced herself before the lift doors opened, revealing a familiar sight. Interdepartmental memos flew through the air while workers wandered through the rows of cubicles. It smelled the same—ink, burnt parchment, and coffee. Inhaling deeply, Hermione tried to calm herself with the scents permeating the air as she stepped out of the lift and squared her shoulders. Ignoring the people around her, she made straight for the end of the hall where she knew the Head of MLE office was located.

As she passed by the coffee and tea cart, she noticed Harry sipping on a mug of his favorite brew. His forehead creased in confusion when he saw her, the mouthful of coffee he held dribbling down his chin in shock. When he made to move toward her, Hermione shook her head once to indicate she wanted to be left alone. If he spoke to her, even a single syllable, she would lose her resolve and retreat. She had no choice, though—it was time to either face her skeletons or risk losing Theo forever.

Stopping in front of the closed door, Hermione inhaled deeply and counted to ten before raising her fist. She stood there stupidly for a moment before exhaling and forcing herself to rap her knuckles against the worn oak door. The sound echoed in her ears, the entire hall having gone quiet upon realizing what was happening. Heart beating rapidly, she waited for a response from within. In the end, the Ministry didn't explode… There was simply a call of 'It's open' from inside the office. Now she had to make a choice: Go inside and ask the wizard she'd actively avoided for two years to help her find Theo or turn and leave without a second glance.

Much to her surprise, she found herself choosing the former and opening the door. Sliding into the office quickly, she shut the door and used a wandless spell to place a silencing charm. She knew everyone on the damn floor was currently crowding outside in an attempt to overhear what was bound to be the conversation of the year. Leaning against the door for support, Hermione could only imagine the inane office gossip that would be whispered after her for weeks to come. It was a small price to pay for a shot at finding Theo, wherever he may be.

Oddly enough, the occupant of the office hadn't noticed who was standing before him just yet. His wand was tucked behind his ear and he held a quill between his teeth as he rifled through a filing cabinet to the left of his cluttered desk. Hermione bit back a small smile as his blond hair tumbled into his face and he angrily raked a hand through the tresses to push it back into place. Even after all this time, he still appeared mostly the same. Maybe there were a few more wrinkles around his eyes, and just a tinge of grey at the temples, Merlin forbid.

Hermione smiled wistfully at her ex-husband, placing a hand over her frantically beating heart. She couldn't believe she was here, in his office. Sure, she'd spotted him at Ministry meetings and functions, as well as the occasional holiday party hosted by their friends. However, she'd never once approached him since signing the final divorce papers. This was the closest she'd been to him since saying goodbye. Pushing away from the door, she tried to make herself presentable, suddenly feeling the silly notion that she wanted to look nice for their first encounter in nearly two years.

Grumbling, Draco Malfoy finally straightened having found the file he was searching for only to spot her standing there. His mouth went slack in shock, the quill dropping into his lap as he stared at her in disbelief. A thousand emotions erupted behind his grey eyes before he finally settled on indifference, but she knew him better than that. He was holding back how he was really feeling; she could tell by the slight twitch of his jaw as he clenched his teeth. It was her turn to be quietly observed now, and she allowed it to happen, knowing he needed a moment to collect his thoughts with her sudden reappearance in his life.

Ignoring his lost quill, Draco plopped the file onto his desk, his gaze never wavering as he continued to scrutinize her. She felt exposed standing so awkwardly by the door so she moved closer, hand reaching out to grip the top of the chair across from his desk. When he continued to do nothing but stare at her, Hermione let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and broke the strained silence.

"Hello, Draco."

His eyes raked over her as if looking for changes, or for an indication that maybe she was just some sort of mirage induced by overwork. She allowed the scrutiny, trying to come to terms with the fact this was really happening. She really was here in her ex-husband's office, fully prepared to ask him to help her find the man she had an affair with. It was insanity. It was necessary. After some time, it seemed Draco found his voice as he cleared his throat loudly and met her nervous stare with one full of trepidation.

"Granger. What are you doing here?" He quirked a pale blond eyebrow, his face betraying nothing of the inner turmoil he was obviously masking. He removed his wand from behind his ear and tucked it back inside his robes, but it was too late. She'd seen a flash of the old, easy-going Draco, the one she'd fallen in love with all those years ago.

"I've come to ask you to help me…on a case." She bit her lip as his brow furrowed, clearly already dismissing the idea. "It's top-secret. I shouldn't even be here, really, but you're the only one I could think of that would understand and might be willing to help." She paused, wanting to see what he would say. In all honesty, she knew she sounded desperate, even without going into the details just yet.

"What sort of case? I've got about a million of my own cases to worry about here in the MLE Department, not the mention the three or so others that Potter has been hounding me to take a look at." Draco tapped the tips of his fingers against the desktop, the sound making her anxious. "Besides, isn't it frowned upon to share information from the Department of Mysteries with the rest of us?"

"I'm not an Unspeakable, Draco. I—I can share this case because it was a creation of my own." She knew she looked guilty and when his eyes widened the tiniest fraction, she knew he knew exactly how she was feeling.

"We haven't spoken in years, Granger. What makes you think I'm just going to drop what I'm doing and help you, of all people, with a case?" Reclining in his chair, he waited for her response with his usual arrogance and she was suddenly brought back to their old days of working as partners in the MLE.

With a sigh, Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose before meeting his gaze again. "I have no right to be here right now, asking you for help. I get that; I really do, but I messed up and I need your expertise." When she realized what she'd said, she grimaced. She hadn't meant to reveal her mistake in the situation—not yet, at least.

"You? You made a mistake?" He seemed flabbergasted, more so suddenly interested in what she had to say. Chuckling, probably a bit more than he ought to in this situation, he leaned forward and gave her his full attention. "Alright, Granger. I'll bite. What did you do?"

"I lost Theo."

It's all she could manage, and by the look of amusement on Draco's face, it sounded just as ridiculous to him as it did to her. Obviously, she'd left out the specifics, but she needed to gauge his reaction before revealing the entirety of the situation. Wrapping her arms around her midsection, Hermione prepared herself for what was bound to become an increasingly uncomfortable conversation.

"You lost Theo?" Full out laughing now, Draco shook his head as he questioned her further. "You lost Theo... Where? In Diagon Alley? Have you lost your mind?" He was making fun of her, she knew that, but she pursed her lips and shook her head wiping the smirk from his face.

"No, it's not like that." She tried to explain, "He's gone and I am not sure where—"

"Alright, Granger. Enough with the games," he ground out, standing from his chair. He placed his palms flat on the surface of the desk and leaned forward, leveling his eyes with her own. "You come to me, your ex-husband, wanting help with some insipid case to locate the man you had an affair with but don't give me any information to go off of? You really have lost your mind." Hanging his head, Draco sighed heavily before lifting it once again to smirk at her, eyes narrowed. "Now, I will ask you once more: Where have you lost Theo?"

"In time."

Silence filled the small office, the heaviness of it creeping into Hermione's chest and making her feel like she would crumble under the weight of it all. Draco wasn't saying anything, he merely blinked at her as he processed the words she'd just spoken aloud. Words she hadn't even wanted to think, let alone say to another person. They were true, though. She hadn't found Theo back at the graveyard…and she was too afraid to search anywhere else on her own lest she stumble upon some treacherous Pureblood household of the past where she could be killed.

"When you say 'in time' you mean to say that Theo," Draco paused as if he didn't quite believe what he was asking, but he carried on anyway. "Are you telling me that Theo is lost in time, that you have no idea where he's gone?"

"Yes," she answered honestly, holding herself tighter as Draco began to look angry. She knew what he would ask next, and she was fully prepared to tell the truth, no matter how incriminating it was. Releasing the grip she had on her frame, she tucked a hand into her pocket, fingers brushing against the cool metal of the trinket that started this entire ordeal.

"How, Granger? How the bloody hell did Theo get lost in time?" He'd come around to the front of the desk, as if being closer to her would make the situation easier to understand. "I want the truth."

Pulling the repaired Time-Turner from her pocket, she held it up so he could see clearly. "With this. Theo found it in with his father's old belongings… He—he talked me into testing it out, but the chain broke on the return journey and now I can't find him. I thought you might be able to help."

A myriad of emotions flickered across Draco's face before he returned to stony indifference, closing himself off to her once more. "Me? Help? How can I help you find Theo?" He scoffed, backing away from her as she returned the Time-Turner to her pocket and out of sight. "He and I haven't spoken since… We haven't spoken in years either, as you well know."

"I'm aware," Hermione mumbled quietly, briefly looking away as guilt of an entirely different kind nagging at her now. "But the two of you used to be friends. You would know where to look, where he could be hiding." She sighed reaching out to place a hand on his forearm as she would have done in the past, but she caught herself at the last second. Letting her arm drop, she asked again, "Please, will you help me find him?

He seemed to think on it for a moment, and she was almost certain he was going to agree but a flash of anger went across his features. Striding towards the door, he spoke without looking her in the eye. "I have no idea what you and Theo have managed to get mixed up in down there in the Department of Mysteries, but I have no desire to be a part of it." Draco reached for the handle and tugged the door open, gesturing for Hermione to leave. "Have a good afternoon, Granger."

Panicking, Hermione had no idea how to change Draco's mind. She'd fucked up, literally, by having an affair with Theo, but this was bigger than that. This was someone's life. Theo's life. She couldn't risk losing him—he had friends, a job, a life. Granted, he had no family left now that his father was gone, but Blaise was like family…and Draco used to be too. Somewhere deep down in his heart, he had to still feel that way.

"Draco, wait—"

"Granger, I really don't want to hear anything further from you. You had your chance to make amends and you chose to leave." Dropping his hold on the door handle, Draco crossed his arms and glared down into Hermione's wide, brown eyes. "I wanted to fight for you, but you gave up. If Theo truly has disappeared, and you are the reason behind it, maybe this time you'll be able to fix it on your own."

Hurt radiated through Hermione, her emotions finally getting the best of her. His words were like a slap to the face, but he had a point. She hadn't fought for him like he fought for her. She'd been unable to look him in the face day after day and not think about what she'd done so she'd left. She had left Draco, filed divorce papers, and asked for a transfer to a new department. If only she'd been specific about which one. In a cruel twist of fate, somehow she'd landed in the one other department she'd hoped to avoid. The situation was far from ideal. In fact, it was downright fucked up, in her opinion. This was more than that though, and so she tried one last time to plead for her case.

"I wouldn't be here if there was anyone else to turn to," she whispered, eyes damp with unshed tears. "You know that, but—" She faltered, Draco's intense, stone-grey eyes nearly breaking through her resolve. She persisted, though, her heart aching knowing she was hurting the wizard she used to love so resolutely. She felt the first tear break free, sliding hatefully down her cheek as she stepped towards him, hands held out in a silent plea. "I need you, Draco. I can't find Theo without your help. You're the only one who knows him well enough to find where he could have disappeared to."

Frowning, Draco said nothing as he stewed over her plea. It felt like an eternity before she saw the first sign that he may be cracking. Hermione refused to get her hopes up, however, as she knew how flippant he could be when provoked or irritated. In the end, Draco let out a long, self-suffering sigh before scrubbing his face with both hands. She bit back a grin, knowing he was about to admit he wanted to help, that even though they had a lot of issues between the three of them, he still wanted to find his friend and bring him home safely.

"Listen," he began, pointing a finger at her with narrowed eyes. "I need to sleep on this because we both know this is a fucked up situation. I'm not saying now, but I will say that I may be able to help you with this. Can you give me until tomorrow afternoon to think things over?" Opening the door wider, he raised both eyebrows when she made to move to leave or comment. "Well?"

It was hard to speak, as choked up with tears as she was, but Hermione managed a small shake of her head. "Of course," she responded, wiping frantically at her eyes as Draco watched on. "Just send me a memo when you've decided either way."

"Sure, Granger."

She left then, not wanting to test her luck. Without looking back, Hermione rushed down the hall towards the lift. When she was safely sealed inside, she sank to the floor, not caring that someone else might get on board. Letting the tears flow freely, Hermione allowed her emotions free reign. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought that first meeting would go the way it did. She and Draco's past was riddled with so much pain and anger it was a miracle he hadn't thrown her out of the office to begin with.

As the lift slowed, nearing her floor, Hermione wiped at her face and pulled herself to stand. She had plans to make now because she knew Draco was far kinder than he let on. He would help her, she just knew he would. Exiting the lift, Hermione headed towards her office, stomach in knots and her cheeks raw from crying, but she felt better than she had for days since she lost Theo in time. Now, she just had to wait for a message from her ex-husband.

Before she could sit down behind her desk, there was a commotion in the doorway that drew her attention. Glancing at the entrance she was surprised to find Draco standing there, chest heaving as if he'd run down ten flights of stairs. With a start Hermione realized he probably had since she'd been on the lift.

"I want to help," he said in a rush as he moved fully into her office. "When," he huffed, "When can we go?"

Smiling brightly, she pulled the Time-Turner out of her robes and clutched it tightly. Hope erupted in her chest at the thought of Draco willingly wanting to help her. Maybe things were different… Maybe he could forgive her for what she'd done. "Now," she breathed, "We can go right now." When Draco nodded, she threw the chain around her neck and stepped closer to him. Indicating she had to put it around him too, she tipped her head in question. He nodded his approval, allowing her to do so.

"This doesn't change anything between us," he warned as she made to twist the hourglass. "I'll help you find Theo and then you leave me alone again. Forever."

"I understand," she answered, eyes shutting as her heart clenched. She should have known better than to have hope for a future as friends. Not letting it get to her right now, Hermione twisted the hourglass and sent them hurtling into the future, a future where she hoped to find Theo and repair the fissure that still plagued her and Draco. There was no reason to worry now, Draco was by her side and he would help her fix this disaster before it got any worse.