Hermione threaded the single drop pearl earning through her lobe. Two years had passed since the final battle of Hogwarts. Harry had defeated Voldemort, light had won. A frown crossed her face as she remembered the five days she had spent searching the rubble for Draco's body. He had fought, but in the whirl of battle she had lost sight of him. On the fifth morning Luna had found her and told her that she had seen Narcissa and Draco crossing the bridge away from the battle. Hermione let herself weep only one hour before turning her emotions to another endeavor.

She visited her parents in Australia, restoring their memories. She urged them to stay in Australia, which they finally agreed to do. They loved their new home and the friendships they had made; though they did not agree until extracting a promise from Hermione to visit often. Hermione returned to England, heart heavy. She spent the summer with the Weasley's. They repaired the Burrow and she prepared to return to Hogwarts for her final year.

She had thrown herself into her studies, and when she had returned to Hogwarts. She finally learned to stop searching for Draco among the students after Christmas break. She winced slightly as her mind wandered over that awful Christmas. She had apparted as close as she could to the Manor as she could. The freezing temperatures worked well to keep her mind from wandering too far. She nearly passed it when something drew her gaze up.

Instead of the large, grand manor she expected she found only a burnt-out shell. That was the last time she had let herself cry of Draco Malfoy. She resigned herself to the fact he was never coming back in those months after Christmas. She threw herself deeper into her studies, with the boys having already entered the work force as aurors, she only saw Ginny when she searched hard enough through the library to remind her to eat. Hermione graduated with honors, with her parents flying in for the experience. Following graduation, she had accepted a job at the Ministry of Magic, accepting only a position she could justify by her scores. Finding a small, but cozy flat above George's store she had created a home for herself.

Hermione looked herself over once in the mirror, no long did the wild haired child who had boarded the train to Hogwarts stare back at her. Well-nourished curls sat coiled on the back of her head, leaving her neck bare for the matching pearl necklace she had received from her parents at graduation. The slim deep forest green dress sat well across her frame. Hermione enjoyed that you could not tell the color of the dress was anything but black when she stood still. One last look over and she knew she was ready for the Ministry Banquet.

Scooping up her clutch she neared the door as a knock sounded from it. Blinking she moved forward to open it, she was meeting the boys at the banquet; pulling the door open wide time stopped. Hermione felt nauseous and could feel a cold sweat breaking out across her back. Standing neatly in her heels she stood eye to eye with a startling pair of grey orbs.

Blinking quickly, she slammed the door closed, walked to the kitchen and calmly poured herself a glass of water. When the knock came again, she gently placed the glass on the counter before moving back to the door. When she opened it this time he was still there, eyes a little more concerned than before.

One side of his mouth quirked up as if he was trying to smile, "Hi princess."

His voice was deeper than she remembered.

"I told you not to call me that." She searched his face a moment more and then stepped away to allow him entry to her home.

She studied him as he entered her space. He had always been thin, but now his frame spoke of strength as well. He had lost the pretensions hair slicking that she remembered messing with when she was sick. He spun slowly, gaze trailing over the room until his eyes met hers again. She didn't look away, only stared hard at him. Hermione could feel a sob rising in her throat and battled it down. She knew it was him, no one else knew he called her princess.

The memory floated through her head, 'Why shouldn't I call you a princess? Everyone treats you like one.' Her quick-witted response followed, 'Everyone but you.' 'I have never been one to follow a crowd.'

Hermione shook her head once, forcing her mind to the present. She refused to have the first word in this awkward conversation.

Draco shoved his hands in his pockets, shoulders hunching forward.

"You have a nice place here."

"Thank you, I enjoy it."

The exchange was short, tension oozing.

"I wanted..."

"I thought..."

They both started and stuttered to a stop at the sound of the other speaking. Hermione waved an arm forward, signaling him to continue. She tucked her arms tight against her chest, trying to hold herself together.

Draco swallowed hard, a look of worry passing over his face before he calmed it.

"My father was killed, during the final battle. My mother found me, and together we fled. I set her up in the south of France, in a small village with other refuges. She likes it there."

A seed of anger sprouted. "So, for the past two years you have been hiding in France and you couldn't so much send me a single owl to tell me you were alive?"

Draco stepped closer, gaze heated, "It wasn't like that..."

"How was it then?" Hermione cut in.
"I was the enemy. Despite finally choosing a side I knew that most would happy rip me apart while the others watched and placed bets on how long it would take me to bleed out. It took months for word to reach us in France, longer still to verify that Voldemort was dead. I couldn't come back if he lived, and I couldn't leave my mother to come and find you if any doubt remained."

Hermione searched his face, "You were both cleared of all blame, and pardoned on all accounts. You could have come back then."

Draco's expression froze, and then cracked as he stumbled backwards into the couch. He folded, head in his hands.

"What?" His question whispered to her ears.

Her chest ached from the force she had used to keep her distance, seeing this news throw him she let herself move closer, but stopped at the opposite arm of the couch. She sat on it as she explained.

"I got you both exonerated of all wrong doing. It wasn't hard honestly, between your actions of caring for me and your declaration during the final battle you were easy to clear. Your mother is the reason Harry was able to defeat Voldemort and Harry's testimony freed her of all charges. But I take it you didn't know that."

Draco had yet to move as the news rained down on him. He had agonized over the decision to come to her, knowing that if he were caught he would be thrown into prison and the key thrown into the Thames. He looked up at Hermione. Concern marked her face.

He leaned back, a weak laugh escaping. He covered his mouth with a hand for a moment before replying. "It is one of the reason's I stayed away for so long."

Hermione pushed herself off the couch, grabbing a glass of water from the counter. She downed it in one drink.

"I visited the manor."

Draco flinched, "I sold the manor, about three months after we arrived in France."

She nodded. "Seeing the manor burned to the ground is what confirmed to me that you were never coming back. I searched for you, after the battle. I searched for five days before Luna realized what I was doing and told me that she had seen you crossing the bridge with your mother."

Draco's fingers twitched and his breathing sped up. She had searched for him? Was it possible...?

A harsh laugh left her lips. "I hoped that you were alive and would contact me, but after a year passed I gave up hope and started to put your memory to rest. I even went too far as to get a date to the banquet! And now you show up, unbelievable."

She placed the cup on the counter with a slam. A knock sounded at the door. Hermione snatched up her clutch from the counter where she had dropped it earlier and strode towards the door, the anger clear in her beautifully bare shoulders. Draco jumped up as her hand neared the doorknob.

"I almost kissed you that day, on the bluffs."

The words fell out of his mouth without his consent.

She stilled, shoulders drooping slightly as the anger seeped from them.

"I didn't, because I was scared, but I have regretted it ever since. I don't... all I am asking for is a chance to explain. If you never want to speak to me again after that I will disappear and you will never hear from me again."

Hermione took a deep breath, before turning slightly. "I wish you would have kissed me Draco. If you are still here when I get back we can talk. If not," she shrugged.

He nodded, throat tight. He stepped out of line of vision of the doorway, listening as Hermione greeted and left with her date.

The next few hours of his life can only be described as torturous. He had always been good at waiting, it was necessary to survive in his home, but never had he had so much at stake before. He ran through calming techniques he had learned, slowly shuffling his way through the common areas of her flat. Small pictures dotted the wall, some moving, some not. He started when he found a small portrait of himself amidst the Weasleys, golden trio, and people he could only guess where her parents. The photo was of him; it looked like she had snapped it at Shell cottage. Draco sat reading in the photo, light streaming through the window artfully fell across the book in his lap. He looked happy.

Draco jumped when Hermione spoke from behind him.

"It is the only photo I have of you."

Draco scrambled off the couch, looking her over. She fiddled with her earrings, slowly removing them while she watched him. He had not heard her come in.

"I look happy there." He felt like a child caught sneaking sweets after bedtime.

"I like to think that you were, on my bad days that is how I remembered you." She reached down and slowly released the strap of her towering heels. Her gaze slipped from his as she focused on the tiny clasp. "You said you wanted to explain, you might as well start explaining."

Draco took a deep breath and got distracted when Hermione sighed as her feet landed on the floor. This was going to be a hard explanation if she kept doing things like that.

Hermione stared at Draco; he looked like he had swallowed a frog. She raised a single eyebrow at him. He blinked hard, tightened his fists and began.

"I've been seeing someone."

Hermione felt her other eyebrow creep up to reside with the first.

He stuttered once he realized what he had said, a blush crept through his cheeks. "He is therapist."

Draco ran a hand through his hair before continuing, the blush in his cheeks mellowing. "Remus once told me that I deserved a chance to be happy. While I was getting Mother set up in her new home I found an ad for therapy group for children who were abused. It took me weeks to work up the courage to go. When I finally went I found people who could talk about their issues, some of them were worse than mine. I ended up setting up personal appointments and saw him for about a year before he decided that I had come as far as I could with him. He actually reminded me of Remus a lot. Therapy is another reason I stayed away as long as I did. I wanted to learn how to be happy," Draco sat on the arm of the couch. "I wanted to see if it was even possible."

Hermione felt her fingers fidgeting; she put them to work pulling out the pins in her hair.

"And, can you be happy?" She watched him from the corner of her eye.

A small appeared on his face, and Hermione felt the anger that had lived in her chest all night crack open and fade away.

"Yeah, I can. And once I realized that I knew I needed to find you."

"Why is that?"

He looked up at her now, a bright warm smile that sent needles through her chest.

"I told myself that if I could ever be happy on my own that I could be happier with you."

Hermione ran from the room, slamming the door of her bedroom as tears streamed down her face. She heard her name quietly being spoken from beyond the door. She called out for ten minutes, she just needed ten minutes. When she could only hear silence beyond the door she let her tears out. After a good five minutes of sobbing she rose, hung her dress and washed her face free of makeup. She spent the next few minutes sorting out her feelings while she dressed, before finally she opened the door.

Hermione stepped out of her room, and into the living room. Her fluffy socks muffled the sound and she slowly worked her way around the couch to Draco, elbow on knees, hands clasped, and eyes shut tight. She kneeled in front of him; he looked like he was in agony. She placed a gentle hand on his arm.

His eyes shot open. He looked down at her, silver eyes full of questions.

She smiled up at him, "Would you like to share a cup of tea with me? I think we have a lot to talk about."

He smiled in return, "Absolutely."

A/N: And that's all she wrote folks! I truly love reading your comments, feel free to leave them. They make it easier to keep writing on those days where it gets hard. Thank you for all of your support and reading of this fanfiction, keep it up! You guys are great!