Chapter 3

Draco poured a 1950 bottle Odgen's Old Firewhisky into three crystal cups, and handed one to both Blaise and Theo, while keeping one for himself.

The three men were currently in the sitting room at Malfoy Manor, having gathered to discuss the events of the last 24 hours, and all that had happened. The room, and the rest of the house, had been redecorated completely after the end of the war. It had too many bad memories to be left the way it was.

He had had a long day after leaving Granger's office, and all he wanted to do was be able to unwind with something to drink. Immediately after he left he had received owls from both Blaise and Theo about what had happened. He still had a ten hour shift that day, and had got home to have once again missed dinner, so he had to get one of his house elves to heat it up for him.

"To Adrian Pucey," Draco said, as he lifted his glass into the air. Blaise and Theo followed suit before they proceeded to down the drink.

Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott had been acquaintances with Draco for years. In the Slytherin House, allies were everything, and the stronger yours was, the better. All three families were considered to be good, strong, old pureblood families, therefore making an alliance imminent between the three.

They had grown into real friends during the war, however. All three were forced into a life they didn't want, and had to do things they never would have done. They understood each other, understood the pain and loss of the others, and understood their struggles.

After the war had ended, Theo and Blaise didn't have the luxury of Potter or Granger stand up for them personally, but Granger had insisted that a law be made where any Death Eater who joined the Dark Lord before they were of age must have their circumstances taken into account during their trials, as they could have been coerced into joining, as most of them had been.

It had saved a good deal of Death Eaters in the end from Azkaban. In spite of this, they had constant monitoring from the Ministry for two years to make sure that they did not pursue in any illegal activities, but other than that, they were free.

Blaise had taken up a job at Gringotts, where he taken up a job in curse breaking, something which had always fascinated him from a young age. It had taken him a lot of training to get to where he was, but in the short time he had been at his job, he had proved his worth and had been promoted to a close to high position.

Theo on the other hand had chosen simply to invest his money in stocks that were sure to pay well, and profited heavily off of it.

"I just can't believe he's gone," Blaise said, as he poured himself another full glass. "It seems just like yesterday he was encouraging me to join the Quidditch team."

"I know what you mean," Theo said in agreement, as he followed suit with the drink. "I remember him tutoring me in potions when I was sure I was going to fail the final. His exact words were 'Slytherins don't fail. We thrive, and while we may not share our success with those around us, we help others to succeed, especially if it means Gryffindor falls behind in points.'"

Draco laughed at that. "That's the great thing about Slytherins. They care for themselves and their gains, but also care to make sure that others strive when it comes to things like House Unity."

"Merlin, I remember how into he used to get about so into Quidditch games, even though he wasn't the captain!"

It was fair to say that the three men had all looked up to Adrian Pucey at one point or another. He had been the Slytherin they were all compared to, but the one they strived to be like. He had helped them when they had first became Death Eaters, as he had already gone through, h it himself, and like them, he was there out of obligation. He was the older brother they all looked up to, and the one they all wanted to be like.

He had made them better people; taught them that they should strive for their ambitions, but not to let yourself be taken over by emotions.

Adrian Pucey was in no way a saint either; he had his many faults. He was greedy, and he was ambitious enough to take what he wanted. He cut others down if necessary, and he didn't try to help them back up.

But despite of that, he had been their friend, and their mentor.

Draco took another gulp of the alcohol in his glass, downing it in one shot.

"It was definitely weird being in the Ministry," Blaise said, as he broke the silence.

"There was one Auror who I definitely would have liked to punch in the face. I think it was that Hufflepuff Smith from school, or whatever, but he certainly rubbed me the wrong way," Theo said.

Draco sat up. He hadn't seen anyone he had known from his Hogwarts days other than Granger. "What did he say?"

"He made an indication that he thought I was behind the murder," Theo said, anger blazing in his eyes. "I told him to stuff it, and that if he had proof then I would already be in Azkaban, so instead of making stupid accusations, he should be doing his job."

Draco have him a look of approval, "Good going, Nott," he said. "I hope you complained to someone."

Theo smirked, "Of course. I might have told Potter that he better get control of his employees and stop them from making false accusations."

"Nice," Blaise said with a grin. "Speaking of, did you guys see Granger today?" he asked them.

Draco looked up at the mention of her name.

"Yeah, she was the one who I talked to. Funny how much she's changed," Theo remarked.

"She's gotten a lot hotter," Blaise said. "Like she was hot in school, but she seems to have really grown well into her body."

"I'm surprised that Weasley would end things with her. Have you seen the trash he parades around with these days? They all look like such tramps compared to her," Theo said in response.

After the war the two of them had been in several magazines articles, and in one it had been mentioned that they were seeing each other. The only way he was able to remember this was because of her picture by the article. Her face had a smile in it, but her eyes had been so very sad. It was as if she was putting up some sort of mask that the rest of the world seemed to believe.

"She probably realised she was too good for him; you remember him in class right? He was a bloody idiot! Someone as smart as her probably realised that she could do so much better," Blaise said with a devious smirk.

"Don't even think about it, Blaise," Draco warned. "She probably has enough to worry about without needing you to flippantly ask her out and adding more stress in her life."

Blaise rolled his eyes at him, but not before he and Theo shared a knowing look.

"What?" Draco asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"You like her," Blaise said flat out. "You liked her when we were in school, and I don't know if you ever stopped."

"What do you mean?" he asked them with shock.

"You were always staring at her in school. Don't think we don't know that the only reason you singled her out so much was to get her attention. And don't feed us any shite about it being because she was Potter's friend; we all know that it's not true," Theo said.

"Remember that time at the Yule Ball?" Blaise asked him. "You couldn't take your eyes off her. Pansy got so angry that you weren't paying her the proper attention she deserved."

Draco protested, "I did not like her! Besides, I haven't seen her in years. Wouldn't I have made time to see her if I had feelings for her."

"I don't know, would you have?" Theo asked him.

Draco was about to protest again when he heard a sound from the stairs.

"Daddy?" a young voice called out. Draco looked up to see a younger carbon copy of himself on the stairs, holding a blanked in one hand, and using the other to rub his right eye.

Draco rushed to the stairs to check on his son, "What's wrong, Scorpius?"

"Nothing, Daddy," the young boy said. "I just heard voices and I wanted to see who was here."

Draco gave his boy a kiss on the top of his head, "Why don't you head back to bed, Scor. If you're still up by time Uncle Theo and Blaise leave, then I'll read you your favourite story. How does that sound?"

His son gave him a smile, "Night daddy! Night Uncle Theo! Night Uncle Blaise!" He then turned around and headed back up the stairs after receiving a good night from the three men.

Draco made his way back to his friends. "I don't like Hermione Granger. And even if I did, I wouldn't exactly be able to date her, all things aside, because it's not only about me anymore. I also need to look out for Scorpius and what would be best for him."

It had been a long day. After interviewing Malfoy, she had gone on to talk to several of Adrian Pucey's acquaintances. She couldn't even label them as friends, because none of them seemed close enough to be such. He had no living relatives other than a father who was currently in Azkaban. She had gotten Harry to get an Auror to make a trip down to the island to tell his father, but he had been tortured too much for it to have affected him.

There was absolutely nothing. No fingerprints, no hairs, no signs of struggle, if you didn't count the body. There was no sign of breaking and entering, or anything that would be of any help. The murderer had used the floo network, that much was clear. But when they traced it, they found that it had been accessed from the Leaky Cauldron, something which at least a hundred witches and wizards used each day.

Hermione collapsed on her couch, and rubbed her temples. She could feel a headache coming on, but she didn't have time to deal with that. Not when someone had been killed, and no motive could be found.

Those were the most dangerous crimes of all. When you didn't know who killed someone, then you don't know who could have done it, or whether they planned to have a repeat of the crime. And that was the last thing she needed right now.

She heard her floo come to life, and instantly stood up. She relaxed her tense shoulders when she saw that it was Molly Weasley.

"Hello, Molly," she said politely. She hadn't seen much of the Matriarch of the Weasleys since her break up with Ron. Well, she hadn't seen any Weasley since then. She figured they probably didn't want much to do with her after their break up, so she stayed away.

Molly seemed to ignore her, as she rushed over to where Hermione was standing and enveloped her into a tight hug. "How are you doing, dear?" she asked after she pulled away. "You seem thinner," she frowned. "Have you been eating alright?"

Hermione smiled slightly, knowing that she hadn't changed one bit. "I'm doing well, all things considered. And you always say that"

"Because it's true!" Molly stated. "I haven't seen you in months. I hope you haven't been avoiding me because of what happened between you and Ron."

Hermione shook her head, trying to deny it, "No, it wasn't. I just had a lot of work these last few months and haven't really done much of anything else."

"Don't lie to me, sweetheart," she said softly. "I know hard these last few months must have been. Merlin knows I hate seeing all those tramps he brings home. They're all so superficial and don't have two brain cells to rub together. But I want you to know, Hermione, you always have a place in our home, even if you aren't with Ron. I know how hard it must be to not have your parents around, and we are your family."

Hermione's eyes watered slightly. She had felt so alone for so long, and it meant a lot to know she still had the Weasleys. Ever since she was younger, they had become a second family to her, and when she lost Ron, she was devastated when she thought it meant losing them as well. That had killed her the most.

"Thank you, Molly. I'll remember that from now on."

"Come to the Burrow tonight. I know everyone will be dying to see you," she said suddenly. When she saw that Hermione was about to decline, she added, "Ron won't be there. He has a game in Bulgaria tomorrow, so is staying there for the night."

Hermione placed the shadow of a smile she once had on her face, "Okay. I'll come for the night."

Molly beamed at her, "I'm glad. I've always thought of you as a daughter. And this will give me an opportunity to fatten you up a bit."

Hermione smiled, more real this time, "I shall be there for 6:30, will that work for you?"

Molly nodded, "Sounds perfect."

Hermione stood awkwardly by the floo at exactly 6:29. She knew it shouldn't be that big of a deal to floo over to The Burrow, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She didn't know why she was so nervous; it wasn't like Ron was going to be there. She closed her eyes. It was going to be strange to see everyone again after spending so long avoiding them all.

She took a deep breath and stepped into the floo, then dropped the powder. "The Burrow."

Hermione coughed slightly as she stepped out, and wiped the excess powder off her robes.

Before she could even look up, she saw herself being tackled by a heavily pregnant woman.

"Merlin, Hermione!" Ginny basically screamed. "I thought Mum was pulling one over on us when she said you were coming tonight. It's been so long since I've seen you."

Hermione hugged her best female friend back, "Good to see you too, Gin," she said with a smile.

As Ginny pulled away, she hit Hermione lightly, "That's for avoiding me. Don't do it ever do it again. I might be pregnant, but I will track down your sorry ass and kick it. And don't think Harry will protect you."

She heard a lower laugh from behind her, "That's my wife's subtle way of saying she missed you."

Hermione turned slightly, even though she already recognized Harry as the owner of the voice.

"I missed you too, Ginny," Hermione said softly. "I hope you know it wasn't about you-"

"No, it was about our ass of a brother," George said as he came up to them. "Good to see you, Mione."

"Nice to see you too, George," Hermione said with a smile. After the war, she and George had bonded together about their losses, and in turn had become closer.

"Let's go sit at the table, shall we?" Molly said as she entered the room to usher them all into the kitchen.

The evening progressed uphill from there. Every so often, one of the siblings, and even a few times Molly and Arthur, would make a backhanded comment about how ashamed of Ron they were, or how stupid a thing he did was. But for the most part, they talked about other things, as if to get her mind off the topic and on to other matters. And it worked, because as the night went on, she found herself thinking less and less about him.

That is, until the floo lit up.

"Sorry, Mum, I know I said I wouldn't be able to make it this week, but I just couldn't resist your cooking. Hope you don't mind that I stopped in and brought a guest with me," a voice called out from the hall.

Hermione froze up. It had been a while since she heard that voice, but the mere sound brought the memories rushing back in.

"it isn't about you, Hermione. Can't you see that I have an image to maintain? I'm a rising player, and I need my life to reflect that. What does it say about me if I'm will a woman who cares nothing about her appearance? It shows messiness, and it reflects badly on my life."

She closed her eyes shut. No, no, no, there had to be some mistake. He couldn't be here. Not now. She wasn't ready for this; she wasn't ready to see him again. Not after everything they had gone through.

Ron entered the room, and on his arm was a tall, blonde, model looking girl.

"I want you all to meet Ava," he said to the room. "I met her recently, and thought it would be appropriate introduce her to you consideri-"

His eyes landed on her, and he froze, "Hermione," he said simply, a bit stunned. "I didn't expect you to be here today."

"I was just leaving," Hermione muttered, as she pushed out her chair and stood up. "Thank you for the meal, Molly, it was lovely. And thank you for everything else."

She walked out of the room, being careful to avoid any eye contact with him.

"Hermione wait!" she heard Ron say loudly.

She didn't stop though. She continued straight to the fireplace, and flooed out, without once looking back.