Author's note : Thank you to everyone who showed interest very early in this fanfiction. Your comments and 'favorites' delighted me to no end! Now on to the next chapter my friends.

Last chapter :

Most of the group stood up to give Hermione their greetings but it seemed a reluctant blond was still frozen in shock at her arrival.

"The hell is this? Did you plan this?" Draco asked Harry angrily and he took another big swig of the fire whiskey bottle and sank to his chair disgracefully.

Chapter 2

"Again Ginny, you'll have to excuse my lateness," said Hermione to her red-haired best friend as she hugged her. "After our discovery of the latest Runes, my team decided to celebrate and they dragged me to a bar. I had only a drink before I left. Wouldn't miss this for the world."

Ginny grinned at Hermione and took a step back, looking her up and down. "Egypt has done wonders for your skin my dear, come, have a drink with us."

Hermione smiled back and gave Ginny a tiny box she had been holding. "Couldn't very well forget my present to you, could I," she said as she turned her head a flashed a smile towards Harry as well.

After looking around and eyeing the group, Hermione made her way to the closest available chair. Said chair was conveniently located next to Malfoy. As she sat down, cracked her shoulders and neck, and made herself comfortable in the chair, Malfoy nodded to her.

"Granger," he acquiesced, without so much as a move of his head towards her.

"Malfoy," she replied as she finally turned her head and accepted the blond-haired git that had tormented her group throughout their school years was actually present at their gathering. Has everyone else but me forgotten all those years? Anyways, as long as he's tolerable, I guess I can try and get along, she thought.

Ron was the one who noticed the awkward silence that followed Hermione and Draco's greetings and stood up to put more logs into the dying fire.

"Darn chilly weather we seem to be getting recently, eh. It seems that Fall is finally upon us," he said as he looked towards Blaise and Pansy for help, silently wishing them to rescue their group from Hermione and Draco's cold encounter.

Pansy finally picked up some conversation with Hermione, as she was the other closest to the witch, and the rest of the group followed suit in what seemed to be an amicable gathering.

Three hours later found the group of friends and acquaintances bidding their goodbyes to each other, with unspoken promises to join again sometime in the near future.

"I had so much fun tonight Weasley, thanks again for asking Blaise to invite me," said Pansy as she kissed Ginny on the cheeks. Ginny smiled and hugged her back in response. Hermione saw the exchange and subtly elbowed Ron with a lift of her eyebrows. He rolled his eyes back at her with a promise to explain all of it later.

Harry took his turn thanking everyone, giving a bear hug to Hermione, whispering "You'd better not come back only in six months," to which she grinned and nodded. He moved along to the boys and proceeded to hug Ron with a clap on the back and shake Blaise and Draco's hands. As he had Draco in his proximity, he leaned in closer and whispered in his ear, "Please do remember my earlier proposition, ferret," said Harry with a smirk that only rivaled Draco's , and then chuckled as he retreated to Pansy.

Draco seemed once again fixed on the spot after his brief exchange with Potter, and the lightest of blushes seemed to creep onto his cheeks.

"Blushing Malfoy? Not befitting of a twenty-five year-old man with a reputation as strong as yours," cackled Blaise at his side.

"Piss off," replied Malfoy as he nodded again at the group and promptly disapparated. Blaise roared a laugh as he joined his fiancé and they as well took off into the night.

"Hermione," said Ginny as she approached her best friend. "If you're not too busy this weekend, Merlin knows how tight that schedule of yours is, would you like to join me on a shopping trip to Diagon Alley for the baby?" she asked slyly. If all was going according to plan, Ginny was expected to pop out a baby Potter around the end of the month.

"Of course Gin, don't worry, I can always clear my schedule for you guys."

"Says the witch who's been gone for the last three months," answered Ron as he scooted closer to the two girls. Harry followed soon after.

Hermione scowled at Ron and turned her attention back to Ginny. "I'll be here for a couple of weeks. It seems the team I'm with has decided a much needed break was in order and we're only due back around the end of September. I'll of course be working still, but from home in the meantime."

Ginny nodded and both girls agreed to meet at the The Leaky Cauldron that following Saturday morning to find some trinkets for the new coming child. Ron and Hermione hugged theirs hosts and with a small pop of apparition, both were gone.

"I'm glad we did this," said Harry to Ginny as he kissed her neck from behind.

"Me too, my love. I'm just glad Hermione is back, even for a little while."

Harry nodded in agreement as he helped his wife back indoors and they then proceeded to get ready for bed.

The following morning, Hermione woke up late and cursed the deities above as she rushed around her flat, trying to dress up and do her makeup at the same time as quickly as possible. Today, she was meeting with the Head of the Department of Mysteries to report on her last trip to Egypt. She could not afford to be late again, as seemed to be the trend in all her latest outings. She finished applying one of the makeup charms Ginny had taught her and summoned a croissant from her pantry before rushing out the door to the closest apparition point, just down her street.

No more than half an hour later, she was seated in Jonas Hagpipe's office, Head of the Department of Mysteries, and was currently explaining the latest of her team's breakthroughs.

"Mr. Hagpipe, you cannot begin to understand the extent of the importance of our discovery. I mean, six hundred year-old runes? This sort of stuff has only been seen in Stonehenge and the Mexican peninsula already," puffed Hermione angrily, trying to get her point across.

Mr. Hagpipe looked at her from the other side of his office desk and sighed deeply. He greatly admired the witch in front of him for her passion, but sometimes he had to admit it could blind her to possible dangers.

"Need I remind you, Miss Granger, that we do not seem to be the only team that is interested in such a discovery," he said after taking a sip of his tea.

"That doesn't scare us! We simply cannot afford to wait until the end of September, sir. I could go back to safely recover our artefacts at least, send another advisor with me or two. Or, let us at least secure the location so we are the only ones with the possibility to go in!"

"Hermione," said Hagpipe gravely. At this, the young witch seemed to finally remember who she was talking to and let out a sigh of defeat. "I cannot risk your team's safety and if that means only going back on September 30th, then so be it."

Hermione looked up to the man, who could be considered in a sense her supervisor, and nodded. "I'll have the complete report on your desk tomorrow morning sir," she said and abruptly up and left the office.

As she stood outside Hagpipe's door, she took a few deep breaths and raised her chin up, deciding on visiting the cafeteria for a late coffee break.

She rounded the corner outside of the office and hit something hard and solid, cursing loudly as she started to fall backwards to the floor. She closed her eyes and took in her breath as she anticipated the meeting with the hard floor, however was surprised when it never came.

As Hermione felt strong arms encircling her, she finally turned her head upwards to meet her savior. Surprise was not a strong enough word of choice for what she felt as she gazed into a pair of light grey eyes.

"Granger, so we meet again," said Draco Malfoy as he stood back up slowly and lifted Hermione back into a normal standing position, apparently taking more time than necessary as his hands lightly brushed on either side of her arms. The witch blushed angrily as she raised her chin back in defiance. Damn, those hands were softer than I expected, she thought to herself. Damn these hormones, making me think such things about Malfoy. I think I need to get laid.

"Of course, you would be the one to knock me out Malfoy, it seems only fitting that you're the one around whenever something bad happens."

"Need I remind you Granger, that you're the one who wasn't looking at where you were going," he replied coolly. Hermione huffed and stomped through the corridor and back towards the elevators. He doesn't even deserve my words, she angrily thought as she repeatedly pushed the buttons on the wall.

Malfoy was at her side in no less than three large strides and was looking down at her. He seemed to be at least a foot taller than her, maybe more. At least he finally grew out to be handsome, she thought. As she caught herself and cursed her own thought, she gasped quite audibly and Malfoy smirked at her.

"If you wish to be so immature as to not even respond to my words, so be it Granger. It seems not everyone has renounced to their childish ways."

Hermione turned around quickly and pointed her wand at Malfoy. The wizard arched his eyebrows in surprise but didn't move an inch more.

"And now said childish behavior only seems to be an appropriate term as you seem to think pointing your wand at me inside the Ministry is the only way you'll get your point across," he said to her.

"Malfoy, don't pretend you know about childish ways and grudges. Merlin only knows what you've done to earn your good graces with apparently everyone in Wizarding London," she said as she lowered her wand and stood back upright, willing the elevator to get to their floor quicker. "It seems my friends have forgotten what lies in our pasts, but I have not. I will never forgive your family for all your ungodly behavior during the war, and listen closely for I will say this only once, if you cause me any harm again, Merlin help me I will curse you to the next century and back!"

As the elevator finally dinged its' arrival, Hermione quickly made her way inside, pushing frantically any button on the inside wall, wishing the elevator to close, as she glared towards Malfoy.

A few seconds of silence passed, and finally Malfoy surprised her in more ways the one. He burst out laughing, quite frankly it seemed, and took a step inside her elevator, apparently wanting to torment her some more. As he brushed past her shoulders and settled himself beside her, he poked her left arm with his finger and smirked. Hermione was caught off guard and could only gape at his apparent craziness.

"Merlin, Granger, can't you take a joke?" he laughed some more as he pushed a button. "I think you need to get laid. It would do you some good, you seem to be so tense you can't even recognize sarcasm anymore." Hermione turned her head, appalled at the blond wizard's words. Is he a goddamn mind reader?

"My sex life is none of your concern, ferret," she replied.

"It could be if you want," and he winked at her. What the hell? She thought. Surely, Hell has frozen over by now. Malfoy only proceeded to laugh more as the elevator finally started moving backwards.

"Now Granger, if you're waiting for me to apologize for my ways in Hogwarts, I can already tell you that ship has sailed. Only today, I would think it wise for us to at least be on speaking terms, seeing as each of our own friends have grown to be quite fond of each other."

Hermione pondered his words as she kept staring through the elevator doors. She rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. "What do you want Malfoy?" Surely, his words hid a great scheme and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

Malfoy finally looked at her, and really looked at her. She had aged a great bit since the war it seemed. Her once bright, lit-up face was still as beautiful as during their Hogwarts days, only now, it seemed more tired. Her eyes still held a mischievous sparkle, and Draco admired her for it since it seemed not everyone had fire in them left. This witch surely could raise hell to any of her enemies, him included, but she had indeed changed since the fall of Voldemort.

Surely, the war had changed everyone, and wizards and witches in London has coped with the Second Wizarding War in their own ways, only Draco was curious as to how the infamous Hermione Granger had been doing. By curiosity though, not anything else, he rationalized himself by thought. He had met back up with Potter and Weasley some years ago and they had agreed to an unlikely truce. Malfoy thanked Potter for telling his mother he was still alive, and Potter thanked Malfoy for saving them, that fateful night in Malfoy Manor when Hermione herself had been tortured. The boys then met up a few times in bars or at the Ministry events, though Malfoy always wondered where the third part or their trio was.

Hermione had all but vanished since the end of the war, only popping up every other month and disappeared as quickly as she had arrived back in town. As was tradition regarding any member of the Golden Trio, every time she had been back in Wizarding London, Hermione Granger would pop up in some media article, whether it be the Daily Prophet, or any other wizarding magazine or newspaper. Witch Weekly had even done a special three-page article about her just last year, apparently claiming she was one of the most-eligible bachelorettes in the vicinity of the Greater London Area. Draco had puffed at the absurdity of it all when Pansy had shown him the magazine with a wink. He couldn't deny it any longer, he had always had a small fancy for the Gryffindor witch, but he never seemed to be able to explain where it had come from. Does the fourth-year Yule ball ring a bell, you moron? Rang a voice inside his head. Piss off, he replied to himself angrily.

Bringing his brain back on the subject, Draco wondered what Granger had been doing all these past years. Everytime he had asked her friends at a gathering, they always seemed to change the subject all too quickly, or easily let it slip that she was off somewhere on a new project, never going into any details. Now that the famous witch was back in town, he was not going to let her get away as quickly. He wanted answers, Only to satisfy curiosity, of course, he reasoned with himself.

"Give me a chance," he ushered, so quietly Hermione wasn't sure he had spoken.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Draco coughed and took a deep breath as he whirled around to face the witch. "Give me a chance to show you I've changed. That I'm not that childish anymore. You might finally see what your friends see in me, or at least what they wish to tolerate of me."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Draco, asking herself if this was a wise decision. However, her hormones decided to take charge at that moment over brain-power since it seemed she could not clearly form a sentence of more than five words around the now grown-up Slytherin. As she gazed into Malfoy's intense stare, she noticed his eyes had changed from their earlier encounter, in which he had saved her from an almost nasty encounter with the floor. Light-grey and steely eyes were now darker, somehow softer. Beautiful, she thought. No, I meant, what I meant to say was curious, she corrected herself.

The elevator finally came to an abrupt stop and a tiny voice coming from the ceiling, or was it a corner in the elevator, quickly announced, "Ground floor, Ministry lobby."

Draco took in a deep breath and turned his head around quickly as the doors opened in front of them. "Have it your way Granger," he said as he started to walk towards the Ministry fireplaces.

Hermione shook herself and kept on debating internally as to what she should make of his offer. She cursed her predicament and finally took off after him, in what seemed to be the longest sprint. He sure has long legs. Ridiculous, now you're not only thinking of his eyes, his legs too. Oh shut up, he's still a man after everything, a gorgeous man at that. That's it, you need to call Justin tonight, I'm sure he'll be able to change your thoughts a bit while you do the dirty. "Curse this all," she muffled out loud, thinking to herself she had clearly gone insane as she was talking to herself in her mind. As she was finally getting up to speed with Malfoy's long strides, she screamed out his name.

Next time she was going to scream his name that loudly, it would have to be in a far less public place, for only then, Hermione noticed her scream had caused her to now have more than one pair of eyes around her looking strangely at the scene. You just want to scream his name in a different way darling. Rolling her eyes at her own conscience's proposition, she put a hand on his shoulder and turned him around to face her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Granger, causing a scene in the bloody lobby of all place," he told her quite abruptly. "Don't you ever think before opening that rude mouth of yours?"

Hermione bit back another curse and her hand recoiled at his harsh words. Looking up at his face, she noticed gone were that deeply entrancing dark-grey look and she was now looking into two light steel-colored eyes, narrowed at her in disdain. What a bipolar. She couldn't understand this man, one moment he was all nice and tolerable, the next he was right back at square one with his attitude and arrogance.

"You do not get to be the one to publically humiliate me in the Lobby, Malfoy," she spit out at him while grabbing hold of his left arm. The man tried to struggle but in vain, Hermione was stronger than he thought for a woman of her height, and he was finally curious as to what she would answer to his proposition. "Come on, you owe me coffee for that insult back there," threw Hermione at him, as she dragged him towards what Malfoy guessed what the cafeteria.

As soon as the couple burst through the cafeteria doors, they earned more than one pair of eyes on them, as no one could understand what Hermione Granger was doing dragging Draco Malfoy by the arm, quite forcibly also. When Hermione noticed the whole room had turned silent, she ushered a loud, "Don't you have food to eat!" annoyingly and finally let go of Malfoy's arm. "Come on Malfoy, coffee's this way."

As Draco begrudgingly followed Hermione a few paces behind her, he couldn't help but wonder what had gotten her in such a foul mood. No time to despair though, he finally had a chance to talk to her alone and he would make the most of it.

A few minutes later, both were seated at a far end of the cafeteria, and after Hermione had whispered a Muffliato spell so that curious ears wouldn't listen in, she looked at Malfoy with curious eyes. Malfoy looked back at her, not one to back down from a challenge of stare-down and waited to see if she would say the first word. Knowing she was too curious for her own good, he smiled at her when she sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes at him.

"Well, what Malfoy? You're the one who wanted to talk remember? I have a report to finish and I would enjoy if our little conversation didn't take up all day."

Another smile, true genuine smile, graced his features as he leaned back in his chair. He was calculating his words, choosing carefully what he would say to the fiery witch in front of him, lest he blow up his only chance at a pardon for all the wrongs he had committed.

"Granger," he finally said gravely. "You have to admit you noticed the change in everyone since the war. Lucius, well, he might be in Azkaban still, and with good reason. But my mother and I, we've righted our errors, we've donated more than any family ever has to causes in need of it, I've apologized to almost everyone since school, and hell, even your friends tolerate me when we meet up, can't you-"

"That's just it Malfoy," she interrupted. "I don't understand what they see in you. You must've manipulated them, as you seem to be particularly good in that field. But I refuse to admit this isn't part of some greater scheme of yours. What. Do. You. Want." She asked his forcefully, putting emphasis on her last words.

Draco sighed again and waited for her to calm down. Hermione though, had to admit, he seemed to have grown in patience. As it was, the old Draco Malfoy from school would had already burst out and wands would've been confronting each other, even though they were in public. No hot temper anymore? What the hell.

"Granger, if you could at least open your damned ears and listen a minute, you would see that I'm trying to make you understand. Our friends are closer than I'd like to admit, Merlin knows how annoying Weasley can get after a few minutes, but apparently, Blaise has found a way to get past all that, and if Blaise can do it, I sure as hell can. And apparently, you're the one who's still holding onto stupid school-rivalries."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him for what seemed to be the twentieth time that day.

"I would think it smart that we let go of our past and at least try and tolerate each other's presence while with our friends."

"Are you crazy Malfoy! Never in a million years would I willingly spend time with you, nevertheless with all my friends also. You're still an arrogant, stuck-up brat who listens to every of his maniacal father's commands!" Hermione screamed back at him.

"Don't pretend to know me Granger. And if I were you, I wouldn't be so quick as to assume anything about me. I thought you were the smartest, you always seemed to be the one to give others second and third chances. I guess I was wrong, I guess we were all wrong about you then. Sorry to have wasted your oh so precious time," he sneered at her.

Draco put back his coffee on the table and without so much as another breath, he got up and quickly strode out of the cafeteria. Hermione was left there, sitting at the table, lost in her own thoughts. Surely, if she took the time to think about all that had happened, she could agree that Malfoy had changed, but for the better? That was a whole other story.

The weeks following that war had been the hardest. Witches and wizards from all over Wizarding London had been called upon many places, many funerals of course, meetings concerning what would be the outcome of the Ministry now that Voldemort had been brought down, more Wizengamot trials then Hermione even cared to count. In fact, she remembered every detail about the Malfoy family trials. The three blonds had been judged one after the other, Draco being the last, and she couldn't help but shiver as she remembered some of the words he had said.

'Give me a chance,' he pleaded to the jury. He then looked around the room, many Hogwarts student and professors had been present at that trial also. Hermione, Ron and Harry had been seated closest to the floor, and sat only a few meters away from Malfoy. 'Let me live a free life. I've already changed since my adolescence, I think I proved that over the course of the last days leading up to the war.' He gazed around the room, seeming to be looking for a certain pair of eyes. Hermione recoiled of surprise when his eyes finally landed on hers. 'Let me prove to you that I have changed. Only one chance is all I ask of you. And if I screw up, Merlin knows those chances are great, than put me in Azkaban and let me rot there for the rest of my life.'

Hermione remembered at that time, she couldn't help but think he was speaking directly to her. She must've been mistaken, obviously he was just making his case in front of the Wizengamot. But she would never forget the look in his eyes as he looked at her, and ushered those pleading words. As she guiltily thought back to all the times she had met with him since that fateful day, usually at Ministry events and charity balls, sometimes with her friends out at night, she couldn't help but feel bad for all the times she had addressed him so coldly and spat back words at him. He only ever replied with sarcasm anyways, and seemed to have lost his arrogant ways. He had never snapped back at her, he had not used the word Mudblood since their 5th year, and she had to admit, his insults were becoming lighter, filled now with a tint of humor instead of pure hate.

Damn him and his apologetic ways. I didn't even know it was possible for a Malfoy to feel anything remotely close to guilt.

With a shake of her head and a swoosh of her wand to clear the now cold coffee in front of her, Hermione stood up determinately. She resigned herself to the fact she would have to apologize in the near future at Malfoy, but she didn't need to do that today. No, today, she was going to finish that damn report and have it on Hagpipe's desk by the end of the day. And then, she would treat herself to a long hot bath at her flat, and then maybe she would indulge in some ice cream and her favorite soap operas to change her mind.

Definitely. Strawberry ice cream and some good old muggle television shows. Perfect, quiet evening.

End chapter!

Let me know your thoughts