Disclaimer: I don't own anything

A/N: Another kind of short chapter for you all but it was a great stopping point and the next chapter is almost done. I'm shamelessly going to say when this chapter gets 15 reviews I'll post it. ;) I'm an expert at two things, bribery and cliff hangers. ha.

Chapter 17

HERMIONE
present

Their lips were moving in sync before she had even realized she was kissing him, her fingers knotted in the wet strands of hair that hung down the nape of his neck, dripping down the pebbled skin there. His own hands were splayed across her back, underneath her shirt, and she could feel the heat from his dewy palms that seemed to be anchoring her.

He breathed her name against her lips and she deepened the kiss at that, her tongue pushing past his plump bottom lip until she could taste him and then she didn't think anymore as she twisted so that she was sitting on the edge of his desk, her legs wrapping around his hips and drawing him in and closer until she could feel his want for her against her own heated center. Her fingers, fumbling only slightly, made quick work of the buttons on his shirt, her hands working the material down his toned arms until it fluttered to the floor behind him. He pulled back then and she let go of him only long enough to pull her now damp shirt over her head.

Draco stared at her for a moment, his gaze appreciative, before she reached out, pulling him in once more and it was as though her body was remembering what her mind couldn't as they moved in perfect accord. Her hips moved to meet his, aching for the friction they would provide as her belly flamed with desire. His mouth moved to her neck and she blushed as a moan escaped her as she felt his tongue lap at the hollow of her throat. Her palms ran down the smooth planes of his stomach, the toned and defined muscles that rested there gleaming in the light that was emanating from somewhere in the room and she tightened her legs tighter still around him, her mind a muddled mess.

Finally, her fingers found the button of his trousers and she reached out, deftly unbuttoning it as though she had been doing it her entire life, her hands moving along the top hem of his pants, feeling the dip of his pelvis as she began to push the fabric down his hips and suddenly, he stopped.

"Hermione-" he started, pulling his self away from her grasp only just and moving to rest his forehead against hers, "We… can't. As much as I want that- want you, I don't want it like this…"

She sucked her bottom lip in, nodding mutely as she thought about melting into the desk and she wondered if her magic was stable enough to perform an obliviate on herself as she felt the blush rush up her cheeks and, despite her best efforts, the hot prick of tears against her lashes.

"Hey," his voice was soft as he reached out, his finger tipping her chin back so that her eyes met his. "I want this. I want you. I will always want you just not like this… Not again."

She nodded at first, though her embarrassment was only partially deflected as his words began to settle over her and something clicked, "What do you mean again?"

He chuckled then, shaking his head, "That is definitely a story for another day. Come on, we'll make some tea."

"Jamie's birthday is this weekend," Harry started as they walked, his cup balanced on a stack of parchment that looked like it had been charmed at least a dozen times over to stay upright. "He wants to have it at the burrow because, well Molly likes to go overboard but he also wanted Leo and you to come and well…"

"Of course I'll come," she said as they rounded the corner towards her office and she saw Sadie talking to someone at her desk.

"Well, that's the thing, Ron is staying at the burrow right now and-"

"Harry, it's fine," she promised the man, "I wouldn't miss Jamie's birthday."

Harry smiled at her, that same warm grin she had always loved and nodded, "You know, Draco gave him the nickname. You hated it forever because you couldn't stand nicknames but one day you were there and-"

"Draco was helping and I told him I was pregnant…"

Harry's eyes widened at the same time as Hermione's, "do you-"

"No," she sighed, "it comes and goes. Little things. Not enough to piece together but sometimes when I'm least expecting it-"

Harry nodded as they finally reached Hermione's office, "You know, your mom's birthday is coming up too…"

Hermione looked down, studying the file in her hand as she tried to ignore the flood of guilt that creeped up within her and the urge to cry nearly overwhelmed her. She hadn't been back to St. Mungo's since she had left months earlier and though she wished she could say she did, she wasn't sure she wanted to return.

"I know-" she finally said quietly and she felt Harry's hand reach out, grasping hers and she laughed lightly as the papers swayed in his other arm.

"You're not alone 'Mione."

She reached up, planting a kiss on her best friend's cheek before finally letting him get on with his day as she tucked herself behind her desk to start in on her own. She had finally got a system down, her muscle memory kicking in more often than not as she worked on the cases that crossed her desk and though she was sure her work wasn't up to the quality it had been previously at least she was no longer drowning in it. It wasn't until later as she sucked on the end of a quill, her brow furrowed as she read the file in her hand that she heard a throat clear.

"Oh, Draco!" she said as she looked up to meet him, "What's wrong, is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine," her husband laughed, holding up a bag with one finger, "I just thought I would bring you some lunch."

"Oh, I just ate at-" her eyes trailed to the clock and she gulped as she realized that she had already been at work for six hours.

"You have a tendency-" Draco started as he strode into the room and set the bag down, "To forget things. Like where you put the post or eating lunch or-"

"Checking the clock."

"That too," he laughed as he pushed a takeout container in front of her and she picked it up, inhaling the sweet and spicy scent of thai food as her stomach gave a mighty rumble and a memory assaulted her.

"Is this Patara?"

"It is, you're favorite."

"We ate there, a lot."

"When you were pregnant with Lyra, yes," he laughed. "I thought she might come out eating curry."

Hermione smiled warmly as she sat down behind her desk and Draco took up the other chair, pulling silverware form the depths of the takeout bag. They talked as they ate, Draco telling her about a merger he was working on and how his mother had insisted he get out of the house for the afternoon though he was sure that it had more to do with his aunt Andromeda coming over than anything else.

"What are you doing after this?" she asked around a bite of pad thai.

"I told George I would swing by the shop today he had something he wanted me to look at," Hermione shot him a look and he smirked as he amended, "business wise. I learned my lesson long ago."

"Oh no, do I even want to know?" she laughed and Draco shook his head as he closed up his takeout container.

"Probably not, old wounds and such."

"Excuse me?" Hermione and Draco both paused mid laugh to see Sadie standing in the doorway, biting her lip, "I'm so sorry to interrupt but the minister asked to see you Mrs. Mal- Miss Granger."

Hermione saw the look that flashed across Draco's face at her secretaries address and she sighed as she nodded, "Thank you Sadie, I'm just finishing up here and then I'll head up to see him. Also, I was wondering if you could look over the Blishen file for me?"

"Of course," Sadie said eagerly, stepping in to the room and accepting the proffered file from her boss. "I'll get right on it. Thank you Miss Granger and it was wonderful to see you again Mr. Malfoy."

Hermione bit back a smile as she watched her secretary slink away, her face red and her hands shaking.

"Bless her," Hermione smiled as she turned to her husband, "I think she has a crush on nearly every man in the wizarding world. I've yet to see how she reacts to Harry."

Draco chuckled but the smile on his face didn't quite reach his eyes and Hermione felt a tug of something in her gut as they both stood and he grabbed his cloak from the nearby hook and opened her office door.

Out of instinct she pulled herself up on her tiptoes, her hand caressing the side of his face as she pulled his lips down to hers.

DRACO
PAST

Hermione was a woman on fire as they marched through the doors of the ministry. It had taken everything he had to get her to wait until the ministry opened for the day and now he wasn't so sure of his decision. There were a lot of witnesses milling around and the weight of his wand in his pocket was beginning to make him nervous. Despite his status as a reformed death eater, he was fairly certain that those around him would not take kindly to him pulling his wand on Hermione Granger- war hero. No matter how angry she might have looked.

Instead he quickened his steps and fell in line beside her, his elbow touching hers as they moved through the atrium and Hermione flashed the guard a glare as he stopped them to check their wands and he almost asked the man to keep hers before she was off again, her wand gripped tightly in her hand and Draco hurried along after her once his own wand had been returned, nearly galloping to catch up.

"Hermione-" he started as she jammed her thumb on the button for the lift, watching the numbers above it light up. "Maybe you should-"

"No," she growled, "I'm getting to the bottom of this Draco, once and for all."

Her tone left no room for arguments and despite his upbringing if there was one thing Draco had learned in living with his mother it was that it was best not to argue with an angry woman. So instead he stood beside her, watching those around them throw them wary glances as they passed by and he tried not to shift on his feet too much as they waited for the lift and stepped inside together once it had arrived.

The ride was quiet and Draco eyed the witch beside him, feeling the angry spark of magic radiating from her in waves as they descended into the bowels of the ministry. He knew, as he watched her gnaw on her bottom lip with her arms crossed rigidly before her that there was no turning back. Not now, not ever.

Bugger it all, he was in love with Hermione Granger.

A/N: See? Level: Expert. Also, just for kicks, where are all my readers from? You don't have to be specific just seeing some fun countries on my log and would love to know!