Time for our favourite wizard to drop by. Hoping you guys are liking the lighter tone of this one. Don't worry - our Prince and Princess will relieve the tension soon enough - but there is all time in the world for that.

M for language of course.

Please Please Please do continue to review. Its encouraging to know people are enjoying it and it's great to hear how people perceive my versions of the characters and where they are headed.

Property of J.K. Rowling of course.

Malfoy smirked triumphantly.

He had almost messed things up on the walk home but had successfully made it back to Granger's apartment. She offered to get him a fire whiskey, he obliged and so she had gone to the kitchen to fetch him one. He used this opportunity to have a poke around her apartment.

One wall was completely covered in books to the point where he thought the shelves might topple at any second. Typical Granger, he thought.

Another wall had a multitude of framed photographs on it, which interested him a bit more than the books. He went over it and began to observe each image individually. Some were not moving so he assumed they were muggle photographs.

There were photos of many faces he recognised from Hogwarts. Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom - but they didn't interest him much. His gaze landed on a photo of Hermione with Ron Weasley. They were clearly older than they had been at the Battle of Hogwarts but significantly younger than they were now. He remembered they had a brief relationship after the war – much to the delight of the wizarding community. Two heroes in love and all that, gag.

Weasel had his arm snaked around her trim waist as they stood in bathing suits by the ocean somewhere. They were leaning into each other and smiling. He leant down to place a kiss on her forehead. Gross.

He also noticed a muggle photograph of her and the boy from outside of the club. This looked more recent. They were sitting on the front step of what he recognised to be the building her flat was in. He had his arm draped lazily around her shoulders as they beamed up around the camera, wine bottles in hand. Very classy Granger, he thought sarcastically.

She appeared behind him and as if reading his thoughts let out a snort. She placed herself next to him and eyed the picture. "I suppose being a Malfoy, the epitome of culture and elegance, you would have us drink from crystal glasses," she said in a haughty accent.

"That is not what I sound like," he snapped back. Okay maybe a bit.

She simply raised her eyebrow at him and walked towards the sofa. He stole one last look at the muggle photograph and hoped that their parents weren't right about their destiny. Though he wasn't sure why. It's not like it was his destiny to be with her. He just wanted to shag a witch that presented a worthwhile challenge.

She leaned over the back of the sofa to put a lamp on and the view of her behind made him groan internally. Still, he did not want to rush this. He wanted to savour it. He had to take his time with this witch.

Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to savour much at all when her floo lit up and someone rolled into the living room in a cloud of smoke.

Of course it was Harry fucking Potter. It just haaad to be Potter. He almost threw his hands in the air with frustration. Would the boy who fucking lived just fuck. Right. Off? He thought to himself. Brooding.

Potter straightened up and then staggered towards a wide eyed Hermione on the sofa. Draco's jealous streak lit up again for the umpteenth time that night. This witch was literally surrounded by men.

Potter sat down and looked at Hermione, then Draco, then Hermione…back to Draco.

Draco swirled around the ice in his fire whiskey awkwardly.

"Hermione," said Harry quizzically.

"Yes Harry," she replied evenly.

"Is that Draco Malfoy or am I drunker than I thought?" he asked.

She smirked. God she looked good with a smirk. A Malfoy always appreciated a good smirk.

"Yes Harry, that is Draco Malfoy," she replied.

"In your apartment?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Yes we are in my apartment Harry… very observant of you," she chucked.

Draco smirked. Hermione smirked.

"You're not trying to poison him or something Hermione?" he asked in a tone so genuine it made Malfoy laugh.

Harry's gaze moved from Hermione to him. He thought he was going to get a smarmy comment or insult but instead Potter cracked a grin.

"Draco, if she is holding you against your will blink twice for assistance," he chuckled.

Malfoy was not sure whether to be insulted that anyone would think the petite witch might be a danger to him (though she could be) or flattered that he didn't think Malfoy was a danger to Hermione (which he wasn't). It was a testament from how far he had come. Even Potter didn't see him as a Death Eater anymore. Thank Merlin.

"I am quite alright Potter – but if I need a hero I'll give you a call," he said lightheartedly.

"Are we bonding?" asked Hermione through a wicked smile.

"Malfoy's don't bond," snapped Draco.

Everyone laughed.

He didn't necessarily want to admit it to himself but he was actually enjoying a moment with Granger and Potter. It had been a while since he felt the sensation of… fun. He loved Theo and Blaise, but their friendship was forged in a very dark time. A time where Granger and Potter had well and truly been on the right side of things. There was always a dark cloud around the Slytherins. Not that he would ever, ever, give them up.

This was not to say he wasn't pissed at Potter – he wanted to have Hermione naked bent over that sofa by now. In the soft lamplight of the apartment she looked even more appealing. Fucking Potter, always getting in the way, he thought without malice.

He took a look at Potter making himself at home and realized there was no chance he was getting Granger naked anytime soon.

"Should I go?" asked Malfoy.

After all, Harry had appeared uninvited (meaning he had free access to her floo… very intimate) to her house in the middle of the night. Perhaps this was not the place for him to be. He knew better than to compete with the boy-who-lived for the affection of a Gryffindor. He did his best to bury his raging jealousy and the distant images conjured of Granger and Potter making frenzied love together over a horcrux in the English countryside forcing themselves into his mind. A little dramatic Draco but... okay, he said to himself.

"No, you should stay," said Hermione, sounding flustered. He was a little surprised about this but definitely pleased. He figured nothing was going on between her and Potter, otherwise she would have been trying to get him out of there.

"Yeah stay," said Potter as he started helping himself to the fire whiskey Granger had left on the table. "We'll tell you about the time we kidnapped Crabbe and Goyle, knocked them unconscious, polyjuiced them and then came to Slytherin to trick you into revealing your dark secrets to us," laughed Potter.

Draco's eyes narrowed. "I never read about that in any of the literature…"

"Oh fuck the literature Malfoy, the public has no idea the shenanigans we got up to," giggled Hermione.

"Fuck the literature – three words I never expected to hear from the mouth of Hermione Granger," joked Malfoy. He couldn't help but look at those beautiful plump lips when he said it.

"You and me both mate," nodded Harry in agreement.

"We're definitely bonding," beamed Hermione.

"MALFOY'S DON'T BOND!" exclaimed Harry and Draco at the same time.

Okay maybe they were bonding.