Hermione could safely say that her life had fallen into a routine. A good one. After an anonymous tip had led Harry to the person who had destroyed her apartment, things had certainly begun looking up. For the past three weeks her days had followed as such: she'd wake up with Draco's arms wrapped around her, his breath tickling her as he nuzzled his nose in her neck while he slept. Sometimes she'd wake up on her own, but most times it was due to Draco's gentle strokes of his fingers along her skin or the kisses he planted along her shoulders.

Once she was up Hermione would make breakfast with her chef hands at the beck and call of a certain blond man. Said man found it necessary to call for any and everything to eat because he simply loved to watch her cook. That and he loved everything she made.

After that she'd go to work while he went to Auror training. She'd have lunch with either Ron or Ginny, sometimes Harry if training didn't run over into their eating time. Draco would generally head home to have lunch with his mother or Blaise. Hermione's work day would end roughly the same time as Draco's training, and they'd both either head back to her apartment or some restaurant for dinner.

Dinner was always where everything varied. Hermione's day was generally the same, but her Draco always had something to grumble about –particularly about one trainee named Travers who he "wouldn't mind binding to a pole and practicing his training on." But people aside, he was doing well in training, so Harry said. And the black-haired man had to admit that he was well on his way to becoming a pretty good Auror. Something of which Hermione had been sworn to secrecy never to tell Draco.

After dinner dessert would always be each other, culminating in sensual sounds and hands exploring their bodies as though they weren't already familiar with them. They'd fall asleep wrapped up in each other, an "I love you," whispered in her ear.

Draco would say it every night. He said it every morning. Those three little words would fall from his lips randomly when it was morning or night and Hermione would always know when he was getting ready to say it. First off he'd be staring at her. He always seemed to be lost in thought when he was, maybe also in disbelief that this was his life. And then he'd smile. A true, wide smile before he told her. She'd yet to say it back, however, much to Ginny's chagrin and complete badgering. It wasn't for a lack of feeling, because at this point there was no doubt in her mind that she didn't know what she'd do without him. But those words… Those words were perhaps the most precious in any language that someone could ever say. She didn't want to waste the moment. She wanted to be sure. She wanted it to be perfect.

"Ow!"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Hermione apologized. She had been walking and thinking at the same time and apparently had been failing at the first task. Perhaps doing so in Diagon Alley was a poor decision. "I really am sorry. I wasn't looking where I was –Parvati?"

"Hi Hermione," Parvati said as she rubbed her forehead. "And no worries. This isn't the first time you've run into me before." She chuckled. "Although last time you had a book in your hand."

"Right,"

An awkward silence slipped in. As for Hermione she did not want to be around her. This was the same woman who had written that atrocious article about her and Draco. Yes, Parvati had still been a friend, but what friend would really cross that line? It appeared that if she was a gossip columnist it would trump friendship every time.

Even now.

"So, Hermione," Parvati said slowly. "Now that I've got you here, do you mind if I asked you some questions about-?"

"No." Hermione cut her off immediately. "My relationship with Malfoy is completely off limits as it should have been in the first place."

"Malfoy? You still call him 'Malfoy' after all this time? That's so interesting!"

"Parvati!"

"I'm sorry, but this is big news." The woman continued excitedly. "You've been dating him for months and you're still on a last name basis! Would you mind telling me why?"

Hermione crossed her arms angrily. "Yes, I mind. How on earth could you think that I'd give you some sort of 'exclusive?' What you wrote in that article was completely Malfoy-centered and it was horrible."

Parvati shrugged. "It was the truth."

"An exaggerated truth,"

"But the truth nonetheless," she finished smugly. "There were dozens of reporters there, Hermione. They were all going to write the same thing."

Hermione frowned. That they did. Some painted her as crazy. Others painted Draco as manipulative. Few were just trying to figure out how this sin had manifested. But, of course, she knew why the Daily Prophet article had hurt the most.

"Then you should've let them write it." Hermione told her. "You were supposed to be my friend."

Parvati had the decency to look guilty then. With a strand of her hair playing between her fingers she sighed. "Part of my job is separating what's business and what's personal. That's what I did. I can't be sorry for doing my job, but I am sorry for any trouble that it might have caused you."

"Well, there was certainly trouble." The brunette grimly agreed. She couldn't help but think about her previously vandalized apartment. "But whether your article or not, Malfoy and I… We're controversial at best. We'll always have trouble."

"Off the record?" Parvati said hesitantly. "I know that you must've gotten asked this before, but why are you with him then? All of this trouble and for what? It doesn't make sense."

"Love doesn't have to make sense."

The words had flown from Hermione's mouth so seamlessly. It made her smile on the inside as well as out and Parvati, reluctantly, nodded.

"It seems so." She frowned. "See you soon, I suppose."

Hermione bid her farewells to Parvati and watched the woman walk off. With a sigh, Hermione was off as well and finally made it to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes where George was busy showing how a certain product worked to a customer and Ron had just finished ringing someone up.

"There you are." Ron said with a smile. "I was beginning to think you'd gotten stuck at the Ministry or something."

"No, no." Hermione replied as she approached the register. "I just had a run-in with Parvati on the way here."

"Parvati, huh? How did that one go?"

"It went… It was interesting, to say the least. I'm already over it, honestly. I just want to go and get something to eat and put it out of my head-"

"Ron," a feminine voice Hermione hadn't heard in ages interrupted them. "Are we still on for dinner tomorrow? –Oh, Hermione! Sorry, I didn't see you there!"

"Lavender," the brunette uttered. "Wow, it's…it's been a while."

"I'll say!" The woman exclaimed with a bright smile. "It's good to see you, though. So, Ron," she turned back to him. "Tomorrow?"

"Yes," Ron nodded. "Tomorrow,"

"Great!" Lavender squealed, said her goodbyes to him with a peck on the cheek and a wave to Hermione before heading out of the shoppe. Hermione stared with her mouth slightly open as she walked away.

"Lavender?" She said in disbelief. "You're seeing Lavender?"

Ron smiled. "Don't give me that look, Hermione."

The brunette placed her hands on her hips. "What look?"

"That look," Ron gestured with a point of his finger. "Your whole posture, actually."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Ron-"

"Don't. Let's not forget who you're cuddling up to these days."

She bit her lip. "Yes, yes, that's true." She continued to chew on it as her eyes caught sight of Lavender through the window as she crossed the crowded street and entered another shoppe. "Oh, but she's so…Lavender."

Ron laughed. "And he's so Malfoy. How about we just agree that we're both dating someone that makes each other gag. Deal?"

It was Hermione's turn to laugh. "Alright, deal. But seriously though, Ron. If she calls you Won-Won' in front of me I'll vomit."

"And if Malfoy tries and-or actually kisses you in front me I'll vomit. Just so we're clear."

Hermione nodded. "Fair enough,"

Author's note: Well, that Parvati-Hermione conversation was long overdue I'd say! Also, I had to put Lavender in there lol. Who's more nonsensical than her?

And now! A bit of both good and bad news. Bad first: this story shall be updated to just once a week instead of twice (I'll keep it on Sundays). It'll give me a bit of time to write more :).

But as for the good news, in its place on Wednesdays I shall be putting out a new story inspired by Giminia Wow's Cassie Zabini (If you're not reading it already, you really should! Just a suggestion :)!). It'll be called Happily Divorced with our favorite pair. It's genre…well, a bit of everything I think. Mostly fluff, humor, some romance… I'm really looking forward to it and I hope that you'll follow me there!

-WP