A hot breath danced across his neck, slowly pulling Draco from the sweet depths of slumber. He felt extremely disoriented when he felt a warm body pressed into his side. He knew he had come back to the manor after the Ministry, but who in the world was besides him? He might've had a glass of bourbon or two upon returning as his mind attempted to piece together the events that happened. He also needed a distraction from the invasion that was Hermione Granger.

Their day had gone better than he anticipated. He didn't want to push her but Merlin she was becoming irresistible. When they snogged on the couch, Draco thought he'd fucking lose it. But he was a gentleman. And Potter managed to interrupt at a most opportunistic time.

A large wet tongue brushed against his cheek, and when Draco opened an eye, two brown orbs stared back at him. Duke. The puppy, now proud to have woken him, threw himself on top in excitement.

"Bloody hell," he groaned loudly. It was true; they hadn't had a proper day bonding. Draco felt slightly guilty as he realized how neglectful he had been. Gathering whatever energy he could muster, he sat up and greeted his four legged companion enthusiastically. His fur was thickening, signaling the ever-nearing winter. Duke threw himself down to his side, enjoying the attention and free belly rub.

"You are such a lush," Draco cooed, though his voice was gruff from sleep. "Shelley?"

The house elf appeared and smiled as she saw the two of them lying around. "Good afternoon Master Draco," she grinned. "Did Master have a good yesterday?"

"I did," he replied evenly. She smiled, too similarly to his mother, and gathered some of his laundry in the nearby hamper. "Did you enjoy your day?"

She nodded but waved him off. "Did Minister Hermione have a good yesterday?"

"Are you trying to gossip, Shelley?" he gasped dramatically.

"Of course not sir," she laughed. Draco rolled his eyes as she picked up.

"She might stop by later today," he mumbled quickly. Shelley's ears shot towards the sky and she stomped over to the bed.

"Little Master must not be in the bed then!" she exclaimed, rushing Duke out. "What if Minister Hermione comes in!" Draco felt his face heat and promptly dropped it into his hands.

Duke whined at being moved but one look from Shelley sent him out of the bedroom. Draco rose out of bed and Shelley began grabbing all of his linens. "Shelley?"

"I must clean! I must prep! What does she like to eat?"

"Uhhh," he stuttered ungracefully.

"A little bit of everything," she whispered frantically to herself. She began herding him towards the shower. "It's already noon sir! You must clean up! Go!"

Forgetting he was a grown adult and not a ten-year-old boy, Draco rushed into the bathroom to avoid her wrath. He showered quickly, focused on getting clean and not on his inappropriate thoughts before dressing for the day. As he passed through the kitchen he grabbed a sandwich Shelley left out for him. Bless her.

The library was the size of Hogwarts', although the collection was a bit more questionable. He was forbidden to study here as a young boy until Voldemort had returned, where he was expected to play librarian for the psychopath. That gave him the opportunity to inadvertently explore both topics that interested the Dark Lord while learning to navigate some of the more questionable reads.

Draco pulled the heavy ornate doors open and was immediately engulfed in the delicious smell of books. Even he could appreciate the intoxicating aroma of leather bound knowledge. Large glass windows lined the opposite wall, allowing the natural light to bathe the scattered chaises throughout. Once his father was kissed, Draco led Potter and a team of Aurors through to clean out any highly dangerous books. Those that bordered indecent were carted off to his very own Restricted Section.

He found his favorite desk and chair, one just hidden in the corner of the library and set up. He opened his suitcase, still grateful for his wards, and laid out his paperwork efficiently. Draco hadn't heard from her yet, though she never confirmed she'd actually visit. Not wanting to procrastinate, he began working on TONKS.

First, they needed to begin hiring the lab team. He figured Potions and Healer apprentices would be interested in learning more about the physiology and chemistry behind analyzing samples. They had received interest from only three Potions students because their Masters were muggleborns and half bloods who appreciated the hybrid research approach. St. Mungos sent requests from ten Healer apprentices, who were more agreeable and willing to train. There had even been mention of eventually incorporating their skill set after Mastery to patient care. Draco wondered if perhaps the Head Healer would be interested in setting up his own lab at the magical hospital. He was sure Elena could persuade him.

Once the lab was taken care of, they'd have to visit Hogwarts. He wanted a walk through of what the students would experience from start to finish, so the Board had no reason to shut the project down. Hermione had set up a research consent process, something muggles took very seriously, so that both magical and non-magical parents were well informed. When she explained her reasoning, he paled slightly at the thought of his children participating in anything without his knowledge.

They had agreed that the Memorial Ball was of course, a tribute to the fallen, but also an opportunity to press palms with international guests. Crawford had asked him to attend as Malfoy pureblood heir instead of Unspeakable 25 so he could mingle and perhaps acquire donations. Not something he was overtly pleased about, but being the new guy put him in a tough spot. Unspeakables were known to the public, but their work was never discussed. It would be tricky trying to secure funds on the unknown for sure.

He wondered what Hermione thought of that last bit. Each department was encouraged to raise funds, so long as it was done ethically. Per Crawford, their Unspeakable department had thrived in the last three years since Hermione seemed to always become personally invested. She always wanted to know what new information was discovered, her thirst for knowledge beneficial to the once struggling department. Many Ministers before her had focused on the Auror department, both due to back-to-back wars with dark wizards and personal preference. Now that Harry Potter, savior of the wizarding world, led the department, donations increased by fifty percent. The Ministry had been able to reallocate funds to the other departments, such as Mysteries and St. Mungos.

Draco wanted to ask her to be his date for the ball, but something told him she was unable to bring someone. He tried to think back to the past years, where he remembered seeing Krum but never together with her. They had always kept a respectful distance. Potter had mentioned last year she always went away with Elena and Mattius afterwards because of how stressed she was throughout the ball.

"What's got you so lost in thought?" a voice called out from his left. Smiling, he turned and laid eyes on the witch in question. She was biting her lip as she surveyed him, her brown eyes wild as they met his. Her hair was secured on top of her head, although it looked as it may spring from whatever poor contraption held it together. Even in leggings and a long wool sweater, she was a vision.

"A little bit of this, a little bit of that," he replied noncommittally. He waved her over and cleared some space on his desk for her to join. She dropped into the adjacent chair; her bag of Merlin knows what striking the floor forcefully. "What in the bloody hell is in there?" he asked jumping.

"Too much fucking work," she grumbled. She reached her arm into the extended bag and pulled out a booklet that appeared to have a calendar, something similar to the one he saw in her office. He watched her amusedly as she pulled out a stack of books a meter high and a pile of muggle pens. After methodically setting up her workstation, she turned to him and smiled brightly. "Hi," she said breathlessly.

"Hello to you too," he chuckled and reached over to press a soft kiss to her lips. She sighed and pulled him close, a bit aggressively although he hardly minded, and drove her tongue into his mouth. He had no idea how she always tasted so damn good, today like honey and cinnamon. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed gently, turning her closer to him. Draco felt the familiar thrum of magical energy rush through him as her breasts pressed against his chest. He had to focus on not tossing her onto the bloody desk. She pulled away, though her lips lingered over his for a moment, and he instantly missed her. "Still electric," he murmured. She nodded against his forehead before scooting away and drawing a deep breath.

"I need your help in figuring this out," she said. "I spoke to Elena last night and she sort of invited herself over to check us both out. She wants to ensure we are not cursed."

Draco nodded and withdrew the paper from last night outlining their problem. "What does she think?"

Hermione shrugged and said, "no idea without an exam, although she does find it curious that whatever this is has presented itself only in your presence."

"I agree," he replied. He eyed her and said, "Although I am slightly disappointed it is not my excellent snogging skills that have caused such magical energies to erupt from you."

Hermione blushed bright red and swatted his arm. He laughed and tried to land another kiss, which she dodged expertly. "Malfoy…"

"Yes sweetheart?" he said innocently. She sighed and gripped her pen tightly.

"What if we are bound somehow?" she asked quietly. He stilled and digested her words. A magical binding of some sort never really crossed his mind. He knew he wasn't a veela, as that gene activated once a witch or wizard reached seventeen. Neither of them were werewolves, so no mates. They had both been with other people in the years since and had never experienced adverse reactions. He voiced these thoughts and she nodded, scribbling it down on their growing list. "I wasn't sure if you were half veela," she said blushing again.

"Really!" he teased. She groaned and threw her head in her hands. "If I was a Veela, Granger, I would've marked you on my first day as an Unspeakable. It would have been my first and last day of employment, I'm sure."

That got her attention. She peered at him through her folded arms and rolled her eyes. "So confident," she mocked.

"Always," he replied smoothly. "So we've ruled out being magical creatures, yes?"

She nodded and tapped the pen against the tabletop. "I wonder if the Unspeakable bind altered this other...thing. I know I performed the spell perfectly, so maybe it is reacting with whatever else this is?"

"That's a much better theory than Veela," he smiled. "I do believe I have a book on magical cores somewhere in here. How about you get started on your work while I search? Also, what time is Elena stopping by? I need to tell Shelley there will be more guests."

"Shelley is lovely," Hermione said happily. "She did, however, try to feed me three separate times on our walk over here."

"She can't help herself," he smirked. "She thinks you are equally as lovely."

"Hmmm," she said eyeing him warily. "Elena should be over in two hours. I can get plenty done in that time." He nodded and started walking away before she grabbed his arm.

"Yes?" He didn't get another word out because she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him down for a heavy kiss. He cupped her jaw and ran a hand purposefully down her neck before releasing. She looked as she did coming in from her run at the Potters: breathless, flushed, and beautiful. "Happy working," he sang and headed towards the far right of the library.

The wandless magic section was where he spent many days sitting in after the war. Having lost his wand to Potter made him feel more vulnerable than he cared to admit. His first year post Hogwarts was spent living in this part of the library, as he attempted to heal and sort his fucked up mind. He had been horrified of what he had taken part in and hid like a coward. Though that was not a time he was proud of, he had studied wandless magic almost to an obsession, and became a Master. Once his wand hand was freed, the other subjects became fairly easy and he began attempting more complex spells. It had helped him greatly when brewing Potions. Hermione had also mastered this skill, something he was extremely attracted to.

He began his hunt for books on Core Magic. The magical core was a heavily studied subject, largely because it was believed to be the wizard's soul. The core was the magical battery that generated energy to perform spells and interact with their world. Those who did dabble in genetics believed that core magic was hereditary, as many families had similar affinities for certain subjects. The Potters were known to dominate defense and transfiguration. The Blacks were known for dark magic. The Malfoys had predominantly focused on Potions and dark artifacts, mostly because it provided the most financial and political support. Muggleborns were curious because their genetic inheritance of magic was not well known.

He found the book entitled Core Magic: How to Find Your True Self by Henrik Landstrom and sat down in the aisle. Shifting to a comfortable spot, he propped the book on his bent knees and began flipping for the chapter dedicated to the stabilization of one's core.

Chapter 3: Core Stabilization

A wizard's core magic is his most prized possession, if he knows how to seek and manipulate it. It is both present and evasive, and remains dynamic with time. It is, however, fragile in that it is susceptible to become destabilized. We see manifestations of core magic in young wizards when they produce bouts of accidental magic, often during times of stress of trauma. Many adult wizards prop their young children on brooms to inspire accidental magic, although this is strictly forbidden by the Ministry of Magic. During accidental magic, the core magic is not fully developed and has not been appropriately channeled through proper training or schooling. We see, on the rare occasion, that the core magic when not properly channeled and suppressed by the wizard can mutate and develop an Obscurus (please reference Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Scamander). This is catastrophic and irreversible for both the affected and their surroundings. It is also worthy to note that many magical creatures (veelas, werewolves, vampires etc.) can often train their core magic more easily as they are affected by their respective afflictions. A small gift from a curse.

Core magic can be changed through magical bonds. In unbreakable vows, the core magic of each wizard is connected through some energy link unknown at this time of publication. When a vow is broken, the link rips the core magic from the offending party, causing immediate death. When a vow is fulfilled, the core magics essentially retire the link thus releasing the bond. There is also a hypothesis that life debts are automated unbreakable vows that, when violated, rip the core magic from the offender. More research is of course needed on this theory.

When a magical being falls in love, it is believed their core magic is compatible to that of the other. They are so compatible, it is theorized the cores recognize the other before either party is cognizant of the attraction. This can manifest when one attempts to cast a Patronus, and is greeted with a new guardian that is often symbolic of their beloved. A core magic that belongs to one suffering the misfortune of unrequited love deteriorates and causes the wizard to miscast. When a man and women are bound through marriage, regardless of intention, their core magic unites. This is why divorce is extremely difficult, unless one of the individuals has been severely violated emotionally, physically, or sexually by the other. Only this trauma has been known to break the core magic binding, creating an easy reversal of the marital union.

Core magic can be tapped by a wizard caught in dire situations. Also known as Battle Magic, a wizard may manifest increased strength and casting capabilities when drawing from the core. Although this produces acute magical output, the core can drain to devastating levels, causing the wizard to become weakened for long periods of time. Conversely, core magic may build over time and cause a wizard to release magic through various mechanisms such as over casting. It has been rumored that overcharged core magic may manifest through Sex Magic, although that theory has not been researched thoroughly enough to warrant further comment.

Draco's eyes bulged out of his head. Sex magic bordered dark magic, and there was no way in hell Hermione would even want to journey down that road. He didn't think they were in love, especially after only two and a half dates. He liked her very much, but love? He also didn't feel any pull from his core magic towards hers, although he wasn't sure if he was as in touch with it as he probably should be. He often had trouble centering himself long enough to both produce sufficient Occlumency shields and tap his magical source. He sacrificed his core magic for shields against the Dark Lord, which thank Merlin, held. Hermione had mentioned she had felt fatigued after the battle, probably after tapping into her core magic unknowingly. She had spent much time in the infirmary recovering. Jotting down some notes, he flipped the next page and continued to read on.

Core magic may become destabilized when a contract is made against a magical bond, without the individual's knowledge. Pureblood families have been known to make various contracts both for business and betrothals, regardless of preexisting magical bonds. When one individual meets Death, regardless of the means in which they pass on, a contract may be broken. If left unfulfilled, the contract may destabilize the two individuals it pertains too. If another wizard is maintaining this contract immorally, their core magic may contribute to the destabilization of the two bound cores. This was seen in a rare case study regarding Elsa Gomes of Porto, Portugal of 1890 who was betrothed to one William Nottingham of Essex by her father Ricardo Gomes. Mrs. Marie Nottingham, mother to Wilhelm, did not approve of the betrothal for her son and subsequently used a combination of core and dark magic (unknown) to break the betrothal without her husband's approval. Both Elsa and Wilhelm experienced severe magical flares and subsequently died from a core magic eruption (see Chapter 12 for more).

Well that didn't sound bloody good. Fuck, he thought. He couldn't imagine any way he and Hermione would be bound. They were certainly not betrothed. His mother would have divulged that to him; she was not one to lie. Yes, they were bound for work. But she had many people bound to her and the overall Ministry in some form, strictly for work purposes. Was there another bond they did not know of? He did save them from Bellatrix by lying, but then she saved him during the Battle. They had no remaining life debts between them. He was no longer bound to the Dark Lord, but that was years ago and should not affect his relationship to her.

"Find anything Draco?" a quiet voice interrupted. She was standing over him, her now escaped curls giving her a halo of sorts. Her hands were covered in ink and her wand hung limply to her side.

He patted the floor next to her and she slid down against the bookshelves, her knees brushing his. She took the notes from him and scanned quickly, her finger tracing over his words in one quick sweep. He continued to flip through the book in hope of any additional information while she caught up.

"Fuck," she whispered.

"So it would seem," he replied wryly. "It has to be bond of some sort. As you can see I've ruled out the obvious ones. I'm not sure who would contract this bond though. That's bloody dangerous for everyone."

"Sex magic," she sighed shaking her head. "I'm a bit rusty on that business-"

"You know about sex magic?" he blurted out. She looked at him evenly, as if to say really.

"It can be extremely restorative," she lectured. "And I went through a curious phase."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Thinking about her and sex magic was starting to do things to him. "That is a conversation for another day, Granger."

"Hmm," she sighed. "I think Elena can confirm if there is a bond between us. She won't be able to categorize it, but it will confirm our suspicion. If it isn't then it has to be solely me causing problem. I'm not sure which I prefer."

"I know," he replied kindly. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "I think regardless, we need to start working on stabilizing our core magic. Maybe try the methods outlined in this book first? If all else fails, we'll maybe consider your other advanced knowledge?"

She blushed but nodded gratefully. He rose from the floor and stuck out a hand to pull her up. She straightened out gracefully and planted a small kiss on his cheek. "Nothing is ever peaceful for too long," she murmured.

"Of course not," he agreed. "If it were, we would be bored."

She snorted and grabbed the book from his hand, tucking the notes in between the index pages. "Elena should be here any minute."

"I heard my name," a haughty voice called out from across the room. "Jesus Granger, you have such a loud mouth."

They walked from the aisles and were greeted by the great Elena Nisimov. She rushed over to Hermione and enveloped her in hug that bordered inappropriate, and suddenly he felt as if he shouldn't be there. In his own bloody house. After much of the groping ceased, Elena rushed over and grabbed him in a tight hug, followed by an exaggerated kiss on the cheek.

"Hello Malfoy," she said cheekily. "It has been too long old friend."

"It sure has Lena," he replied. "Where is Mattius?"

"Still on business," she pouted. "But he sends his love to you both, and said he will definitely be at dinner this week."

"Fair enough."

"How are you two doing," she teased. "Shacking up in the library eh?"

"Elena!" Hermione squealed and batted her friend. Draco rolled his eyes and summoned all of their belongings.

"What? You can feel the tension, Mia. It's suffocating," she sighed dramatically.

"Well that is partially why you're here, Lena. We have a bit of a problem," he said awkwardly.

"So I've been told," she said sobering. "Shelley was kind enough to bring me here but I have no idea where the fuck here is. I need either an examination table or a bed to run my diagnostics. An area where there is the least amount of magical interference."

Draco thought the guest rooms in his wing would probably be best. Away from essentially everything in the manor. "There are guest rooms in my wing we can use. Side along okay?"

"Sure," Hermione said quickly grabbing each of their hands. He turned hard and disapparated them to his corridor.

"Haven't been here in a while Malfoy!' Elena shouted.

"Haven't been here ever," Hermione grumbled. He held onto her hand and winked at her, trying to ease her tension.

"First time for everything."

"If you two are done making eyes?" Elena said laughing. She turned to the corridor with the spare bedrooms and picked the first on the right. Hermione and Draco watched silently as she transfigured the bedroom into a fully functional exam unit. Hermione squeeze his hand tighter and he couldn't be certain if it was her core lashing out or her nerves. When Elena finished setting up, she smiled brightly at the pair and tapped the exam table kindly. "You first Mia."

Hermione squared her shoulders and hopped up onto the table gracefully. Draco, unsure of where he should sit, grabbed a spare chair nearest the door.

"Comfy?" Elena asked in full doctor mode. When Hermione nodded she said whipped her wand out. "Excellent. This is going to take a few minutes. Just try to be still and relax. You may feel some tingling here and there, but no pain."

Hermione nodded and stared at Draco blankly. What he would give to know what she was thinking. He watched as Elena began casting spells over Hermione's body, her mouth moving silently. With each diagnostic cast, ruins floated from her body up into the air and onto a parchment at her side. He had no idea what they meant, but they looked impressive. He smiled encouragingly at Hermione and she returned a nervous one back. After ten minutes, the ruins disappeared and Elena took a deep breath. She rubbed her temples and adjusted her glasses before reviewing the results. Seeing her this focused reminded Draco of why she was considered one of the best Healers in their age.

"Alright darling," she said softly. "He's up. I need to run him to confirm my suspicion."

"Okay," Hermione said nervously. Elena helped her sit up and pressed a sweet kiss to her cheek. Draco helped her off of the table and took her place.

"Blood hell you're tall," Elena commented. She took her wand out and lengthened the table so he could rest comfortable. "Can't imagine how big your bed is. I'll have to ask Mia," she joke and Draco snorted. Hermione stared at them suspiciously. "Okay, here we go."

He felt the spells roam his body, although they were not uncomfortable. A few pins and needles, specifically in his back, but nothing he couldn't handle. He watched her green eyes concentrate on his form, her lips casting Merlin knows. The ruins appeared out of nowhere and transported onto the same page as Hermione's. Finally, she took a deep breath and ended her assessment. She patted his hand kindly and turned to the paper.

They sat in silence for what seemed like forever before she finally spoke. "Well, the good news is you aren't cursed. Hermione, Harry owes you more life debts than I have ever seen. Thank Merlin you two are friends."

Hermione snorted and said, "we figured that out one night at happy hour."

"He's lucky to have you," she said smiling carefully. "But we have a different issue. You two," she said pointing to he and Hermione, "are bound. And have been for a very long time from what I can tell. The problem is I cannot figure out how. It is not an unbreakable vow, a life debt, or a betrothal. It is something I haven't seen before and my ruins cannot ascertain."

"Oh," Hermione said weakly. "Do you think our core magic has been destabilized?"

Elena nodded and said, "definitely yours Mia. I think he being so bloody big has been preserving him somewhat. You have a smaller frame and are extremely powerful, less room for your core to work with. Something must have happened within the last year or two to initiate the process. These things are not perfect, timing is different for everyone. Whatever the event was, it started the destabilization process. You both are extremely physically and mentally active, so it has probably been kept at bay for some time now. Most of the wizarding race avoids cardio," she laughed. "I think there was an event that bound you, an event that caused this destabilization some time in the past, and then an event that has triggered your cores to begin flaring. I believe the flares are because the Unspeakable bond somehow stimulated this other bond, essentially waking it up. Many theories, but that seems to be the best I've got with what knowledge I know."

"That sounds brilliant Lena," he murmured. "We had just been reading up on core magic prior to your arrival." She nodded and watched them both cautiously.

"As a physician and healer, I'm afraid we have to have the sex talk," she joked. Hermione groaned and looked at him helplessly. "We are all adults! I'm not sure what this is or what will happen if you two have sex. The bond does not seem malicious, but still, take it slow. And document everything that happens! I want to do a case report on this."

Draco cleared his throat and nodded. "Whatever you need." Elena jumped out of her seat and helped him off the table. He walked over to Hermione and kissed her forehead. "It'll be alright," he whispered. She nodded but did not reply.

They watched as Elena transfigured everything back seamlessly. She turned to them and smirked, her green eyes twinkling mischievously. "I'm going to head back home, I have a long day tomorrow. Call or owl me if anything changes, okay?" Hermione nodded and embraced her tightly. "It'll be okay Mia, we'll figure it out."

Elena moved to hug him. "Thank you," he said into her hair.

"Be good to her," she whispered back before pulling away. He nodded and watched as she headed from the wing to floo home.

Hermione was watching him with an odd look on her face. She looked fearful and determined all at once. Finally, she drew a deep breath and said, "I want the full tour of the house."

I love this chapter, so much, that I am actually writing Core Magic: How to Find Your True Self by Henrik Landstrom as a separate story! It will be a few chapters long and will expand on my theory of Core Magic. Keep an eye out for it in the next month or so.

As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited! I hope you all are enjoying the story thus far.

Have a great weekend!

MistAccio613