A/N: Edited April 13, 2016

Day 266 Continued

"I can't believe he kissed you," Draco said, his voice lying somewhere between pissed off and completely puzzled. "I thought he loved that flower girl."

"Lavender?"

"Yes, whatever her name is," he huffed, brushing back blond locks. "He's a fool for jeopardizing his marriage so close to the actual date. If I recall she's the exceptionally jealous type. What if she confronts you? What if she's dense enough to believe it's your fault Granger?"

"Then I'll tell her the exact same thing I told Ron," Hermione replied, no hesitation in her voice. "I don't love him anymore. In another life, if circumstances were different, then maybe we would still be together. But he can't pick up all the broken pieces and start again where we left off. It's just over, I know that. I've come to realize that over the past days."

"You don't sound heartbroken. When you first returned from Azkaban and learned that Weasley was set to be married you almost died." He smirked, crossing strong arms over his chest as he stared at her beside him. "Good on you for moving on with your life. You're much more composed than I thought you would be."

They sat together in the living room on the sofa, Hermione's legs pulled up with her feet resting beside Draco's hip. Their tea sat forgotten on the table in front of them, cold now as they continued talking instead of sipping.

"I can't dwell," she replied with a shrug. "Ron will still be a part of my life - all my friends will be - he just won't be a part of my romantic life anymore. In Azkaban I had different hopes, I didn't necessarily care how reality was going to work out, so instead I hoped for the best and dreamed my life would never have to change. It was a fools hope." She shook her head, staring off somewhere past him. "And maybe that's all for the better. Ron isn't the greatest at handling emotional baggage, and right now I have a lot of it. I don't think we would mesh together again after everything. Azkaban made me different, and my absence changed Ron."

"He's just afraid of emotions in general," Draco snapped, stretching out on the sofa. He didn't look as convinced as she did about everything, doubt cloudy his stormy eyes. "You can see it in his face. Lavender even makes him uncomfortable when it comes to confronting too many emotions. I've seen it when I came to visit you, and your friends were already there. She's uncomfortable when his emotions step out of line, and she's completely uncomfortable when it's about you. Insecurity will grow to be that girls greatest weakness."

"Yeah, but Lavender sometimes makes everyone uncomfortable," she countered, resting her head back against the cushions. They sat there like that for a long time, completely comfortable in each other's presence.

"You know," she said after a time, tapping her fingers lightly against her raised knees, testing her boundaries, "I am still very bored spending all of my time here with nothing to do."

"Oh?" he asked, eyes focused away from her. He knew where this topic was going, they approached the topic before but he still didn't like discussing it.

"And you spend all of your time fussing over those papers-"

"Hermione-" he stressed, turning to glare at her.

"So please just let me help you," she sighed. "Draco, come on. Organization was my mastery at Hogwarts. During third year I took a double set of classes using a time turner."

He stalled briefly. "What?"

Shaking her head, she sat straighter. "Never mind. The point is that I'm great at getting things in order, financially, structurally, and just in general. You're obviously in over your head and really I have nothing else to do to occupy my time. Sometimes you go out and I stay here to do absolutely nothing. I tried organizing other things here, but that's all said and done now. I've applied plenty of places but none of them are what I really want. Those positions won't be open for months. I just don't want to handle the reporters out there, and going out for useless jobs won't help me and I refuse to be promoted over others who worked for where they are. But you go out for work sometimes, right? You go and handle things at Gringott's and who knows where else. Those would be great, simple outings. Those are things I can do until the positions I want start to open up."

"You know it's really not as joyful and simple as you think it is," he groaned, watching her carefully. "My life's a mess. You can't just file it back together."

"And I'm ready for a challenge," she exclaimed "Seeing Ron was like a wakeup call. Everyone, even you, is moving on with their lives as I sit here doing literally nothing, hoping something worthwhile comes my way. Just sitting back and waiting for my weight to improve and my mind to fully clear won't do the trick anymore. I need to get back into the swing of things. And just doing something here will help me feel like my old self."

Draco hesitated, having hidden his financial deficits from Hermione since the moment she arrived. His problems with money really weren't anything that she needed to fuss over. Business, organization and financials were all part of the burdens his parents left behind, and they were his alone to shoulder.

But he knew she was right, and although their talks were good for her soul they weren't going to help her spring back into a regular lifestyle, Voldemort free.

Sighing, he stood from the sofa and disappeared back into the halls. She waited expectantly, knowing long before he returned exactly what he was going to grab.

The stack of parchment was larger than she recalled, thicker with crinkled papers hidden in the midst. She glanced up at him as he sat down in the chair nearby, folding his hands neatly.

"You might just drown in a paperwork overload."

"You've been drowning for a long time," she replied, picking up the first paper. It was a letter, a claim for a final notice from Gringotts. Surprised, her eyes flickered up and met his own, which were clouded and troubled.

"I thought your family was rich," she continued, leaning back in her seat. "Draco, what exactly aren't you telling me? The bank typically doesn't send in final notices, tax collectors and-"

"I owe a lot of people money on my family's behalf," he interrupted, "The bank included. The Malfoy trust fund is large, and if I could just get to the fucking money-"

"What do you mean get to? It's yours isn't it, now that your father has passed and you're the next in line?"

"Yeah, you would think wouldn't you?" he grumbled, shaking his head. "My father kept all our money under tight security because of the war, and ancient spells ensured that despite everything we would not lose our standing in with the rich. Unfortunately he never bothered to share with anyone what kinds of spells he was using, and I've had a very difficult time getting into the vaults. During the war Gringotts wasn't very particular about what Death Eater's did to their vaults. I have money, lots of it, but it's impossible to get to and debts are piling up still."

"Can't the goblins just break the wards? It's their bank, they should have absolute jurisdiction and command. Can't they override the spells?"

"Maybe, goblin magic is different than our magic. The problem is I doubt they want to help me. I mean really, why would they feel obligated to?"

"Because it's their job!" she snapped. "Background or not, you're a good person today Draco, and you pay your annual fee to keep your space. They owe you simply for that alone."

"They are just like people," he says with a shrug. "You have to redeem yourself in society's eyes. I just apparently haven't done enough yet."

"You've done plenty," she snapped, hands on her hips. "Now, just stop discouraging yourself, would you?"

"I'm being honest Hermione."

"Then we're going to make people see the real you- the changed you," she emphasized.

"I don't think that's possible," he said sadly.

"That's because you haven't let me help you yet." Standing, she grabbed his hand and dragged him up, looking directly into his eyes. "Take a hot bath or something; give me a bit of time to sort through that mess. We'll get this figured out just fine."

"You're so confident."

"Because every problem has a solution," she responded honestly. "Now go, take a break for a bit. I'll help you get this sorted out."

"You're sure?"

"Positive," Hermione said, smiling widely. "Just trust me Draco; I've trusted you."

Sighing, he knew she was right. Hermione was a knowledgeable person in school, and he knew she had only gotten smarter as the war progressed. Even the traumas of being locked away did nothing to deter her knowledge on a subject. If anyone could help him it was her.

Pulling her closer to him briefly he acted on his own accord, not entirely processing what he was doing until it was too late to back out. He wasn't exactly intending to kiss her, it just happened. At first it seemed like the perfect way to show his unexplainable gratitude.

Thankfully she didn't stiffen, and instead sank into the feeling of Draco's lips. He was so universally different from Ron, and she found herself happy that he was the one kissing her and not her former crush. She just didn't understand what suddenly drove him to do so, but she didn't dare argue.

They parted after only a few seconds, and Hermione watched him disappear down the hallway once again. He was a charmer even when he wasn't exactly trying to be, but in the aftermath of their brief kiss he left her with even more to think about.

"What are you doing?"

"Organizing," Hermione replied dismissively, continuing to stack papers in the correct order. "Your lack of organization with documents rivals Ron's. His schoolwork was particularly hard to decipher."

"Now you're comparing me to Weasel?" he asked, stepping closer to the table. She had thick files everywhere, labeled and set into various sections. "Is that a folder inside a folder?"

"You need that folder. Draco, I found bill collection letters mixed in with balances from the bank mixed in with inquiries about the Manor mixed in with some lawsuits on your family name mixed in with one particularly angry letter from a goblin at Gringotts named Alabaster."

"He wasn't very fond of me," he grumbled, glancing over the stacks a second time. "So this insanity with folders is going to help me?"

"Actually, yes. See amongst all the nonsense and the very angry letter from Alabaster I found something that doesn't seem to fit into the mix at all."

"And what is that?"

She reached forward, pulling out a piece of paper she had hidden from view. Handing it over, he immediately tensed up.

"It's a bill, that's for certain. But it was also paid ages ago. You never told me you went to see a therapist after you got out."

"It was a onetime deal," he said tensely. "It did nothing to help me."

"You still never mentioned you were that troubled. Was that because of the bills, the stress, or me?"

"A little bit of everything," he sighed, burning the paper with a flick of his fingers. "I didn't realize it was still in there."

"Obviously not," she agreed, putting the final bit of paper in place. "There, everything is finally organized. Now keep your wet hair away from the folders. I just got everything set up."

"Yes, a file system. It still looks as cluttered as what I had before."

"Not at all. I put everything in colored folders under importance values. It begins with bills, leading down to the Manor, which is just sitting there right now. You can worry about Malfoy Corporations first."

"Of course, the crumbling family business."

"Which you could save," she interjected. "I glanced at a few things as I was putting papers away. The industry has a lot of influence in plenty of companies. I know investing sounds silly, but as soon as the vaults with your money are opened up you should be fine to pay for just everything. And getting your business in with good industries and donators will help improve your status Draco."

"What exactly are you going on about? My family's business is crumbling as we speak. I've removed so many employees because they were associated with the dark arts that I have hardly anyone else spread throughout Europe, and those remaining employees are eating the last bits of money I have."

"That's just it though. Now that you're removing yourself from the dark arts you'll have so many possibilities to change the face of Malfoy Corporations. Once your vaults are open-"

"Which by the way, how exactly is that going to happen? I already explained this to you, and you're getting ahead of me. I don't even have the money at hand to handle the ideas you're producing."

"You're going to have the money," she said coyly, giving him a grin, "Because I'm going to help you get it."

"How are you going to do that?"

"By getting the money back of course," Hermione replied, as though it was the most obvious thing. "We're going to hire you a spell breaker."

Day 275

Hermione had been hard to work the past nine days. Draco hadn't seen her so alive and motivated since school. She really threw herself into the work, sending him out to talk to people while she got everything in order. He wasn't even entirely sure what she was planning anymore.

This was the Hermione Granger he remembered from his childhood. The eager girl who wanted nothing more than to accomplish her newest task as she worked towards a goal, nose deep in papers and books. Hell, he had contacted a spell breaker just yesterday and today she was going out for the very first time on an honest to god trip.

They were going to Gingotts. He wasn't sure it would work, but Hermione seemed determined. She had gone out yesterday alone, slipping out while he was away handling something else. He was rather annoyed when he discovered her note explaining her absence.

I've gone to Gringotts. Please don't be mad. I won't be long; I just have a few keen questions to ask. I hope to beat you home, but if you happen to find this note know that I'm fine. I'm not going to do anything dangerous and I'm taking the floo system directly there and back. I'll be back before you know it.

Truth be told he'd been angry in that moment. He felt like she was going to get herself all worked up again, as she hadn't really gone out alone since the initial incident in Diagon Alley and he worried what would happen when he wasn't there to comfort her. Sure, she went out every now and then searching for jobs but most of the work was done via the mailing system.

But his fears were quickly dashed when she returned home.

Hermione found out that no matter whether or not the goblins liked him, they were unable to get into the vault that was locked. She insisted that a spell breaker was increasingly important, and also decided to inform him that they would be returning tomorrow to really open his vault.

He had asked how she got answers to a vault that wasn't hers. Apparently she didn't ask for a specific one, and instead just asked general questions. The goblins, nasty as they could be, remembered her from the papers and that she was Harry Potter's friend and were a bit kinder on her.

"You seriously think this is going to work?" he asked as they readied to leave. She sent him an annoyed look, zipping her jumper up.

"Yes Draco, I've been telling you that since last night. I know this is going to work. Now, just imagine how good things will be when you can pay off all those bills? You can restart Malfoy Corporations as something to be proud of, and then we can look at the Manor. Just have some faith that everything will work out."

"Aside from saving you, which took a ton of time, things haven't really been working out for me."

"Well we're going to change you luck," she continued, squeezing his hand. "Trust me, I researched and found the absolute best spell breaker in Britain. Harry and Ron helped me find him."

He raised an eyebrow. "And the duo didn't wonder why you needed a spell breaker?"

"I didn't delve into the details," she said honestly. "They can find out the truth themselves when we redeem your name. For right now it's too complicated a story to try and explain to them. Ron was coming up with all these ridiculous ideas as to why I needed one."

Draco nodded, straightening his tie. "And how is the Weasel? Is he still trying to cheat on his bride?"

"Don't be bitter Draco, it was a onetime deal. He's done nothing of the sort since."

"Is that only because Potter is always around?"

Sighing, Hermione shook her head. "He's not going to do anything Draco, don't be jealous. You're the only person I really want to kiss."

He inhaled sharply when she suddenly planted a brief, unexpected kiss on his lips before heading to the floo. Over the past nine days they had brief romantic moments that spanned outside the realm of reality they were used to. Getting romantic with her was dangerous. He feared pushing her over the edge.

Then again, she always proved to be stronger than he bargained for.

Arriving at the bank seemed surreal to Draco. People glanced their way as he followed Hermione to the front, his key burning in his pocket. It would do no good until after the spells were taken off, but he would still need it. But they were drawing the kind of attention Hermione wanted to avoid, yet she held her head high and ignored the sparse onlookers.

"What was that man's name again?" she asked as they neared the front.

"Lance something. He had a very boring name, but he seems to be the best."

She glanced around, spotting a man who appeared to fit the image Harry and Ron had given her. Unfortunately Draco hadn't met him they didn't actually know what he looked like. "Lance!"

A tall man in his late forty's glanced up before wandering over to meet the pair. He had a kind smile and eyes full of insight. "Hello. You must be Miss Granger. And hello, Mr. Malfoy."

Hermione smiled at his formality. "Please, if I'm calling you Lance then you can certainly address us by first name. It's Hermione and Draco."

"Yes of course," he agreed, nodding to Draco. "So I hear you have a vault that your father enchanted."

"I don't know who else would. The magic is bloody ancient, and I don't know anything about the complicated locking and protection spells he used," Draco spat, annoyed to be questioned by a stranger. Was it just him or did he sound kind of condescending? He wouldn't be able to handle any lip from this idiot.

The man nodded, smiling to the pair, clearly ignoring Draco's snippy tone. "That's what I'm here for. I've never had the opportunity to try my magic at a bank before, let alone Gringotts. It should be fun."

Sending him a second smile Hermione turned and addressed the head goblin at the front of the room. "I would like to see Mr. Malfoy's vault - now."

It always surprised him how efficient Hermione could be. The goblins listened to her better than they ever did him, and getting to his vault was less of a hassle than he expected. He rarely bothered coming to visit anymore now that the vault was untouchable, and a fine layer of dust had collected across the keyhole and door.

"Mr. Malfoy's vault," the goblin explained, looking up at the spell breaker. "If you are smart, you'll break the spell. The money inside could pay for the rest of your life."

To Draco, the process should have taken longer than it did. But just as Hermione had promised, he really was the best in Britain. Maybe the goblins inability to remain humble and quite spurred Lance to open the vault and find the riches inside. And when the lock on his vaults opened for the first time in well over a year he was more than a bit stunned.

Her reaction to the money hidden inside was funny, and Draco felt a weight slowly lift off his chest when he finally realized his financial problems were over. After months of no one being able to enter the vault he finally did, relishing in the pounds and pounds of money sitting about.

After paying Lance handsomely the blond sat down, overcome with relief. His bills would be minuscule now, and he would pay them all - including the bank - right away.

"This is all your money," Hermione said in awe, looking around. She couldn't imagine how long the room of wealth stretched, but it really put a volume to the ungodly amount of wealth Draco possessed.

"Most of it. Some of it lies in the Manor - quite a bit if you judge it against someone's regular earnings, but I haven't ventured there yet. I would rather deal with Gringotts than go there."

"I understand," she said sympathetically. "I'm just glad I could ease some of the stress off your shoulders. You seem so relieved to be able to pay the bills."

"You have no idea."

"And… maybe some time later we can talk about modifications to Malfoy Corporations?"

He chuckled, nodding his head at the amounts around him. "I can reopen my accounts now that the money is accessible. I couldn't withdraw when the spells were in place, but I'll be able to pay everything off almost immediately when we arrive back at the flat. Later we can worry about Malfoy Corporations and redeeming my family name and all that Hermione, but let me spoil you tonight - please. You accomplished in ten days what I haven't been able to do in over six months."

"You're welcome," she replied, slightly arrogantly. For the first time in months she felt like she was really doing something with her life. "See? You should have let me help you from the start."

"Yes, I should've," Draco agreed, leading her from the vault. She was so free-spirited and witty now, so much like her former self. Hiding inside so much was doing her no good. She'd only been venturing outside for less than two weeks, and already he could see the differences.

Hermione was alive - really alive. For the first time since coming out of Azkaban, she was living an actual life. He smiled wider, watching her as she walked slightly ahead of him. It was good to see that shine back in her again.

He would do nothing to deter it. Anything she wanted to do in order to continue improving like this, he would see to it that it happened. Draco just wanted to see her live again.

"That was a very extravagant dinner," she mused as they stepped back into the apartment later. Immediately after arriving home earlier that day Draco threw himself into paying bills, sending off each payment in a letter immediately. He got several responses even before they left to eat that night.

"I have the money to spend now," he replied, grinning ear to ear. "No more living on a blasted budget and hoping ends meet."

"Even your idea of cutting corners is still pretty far-fetched from the average person's," Hermione said with a smile.

Shrugging, he tossed his jacket down on the nearby sofa and fell onto the couch. She followed suit, leaving the cozy outdoor jacket on as she stripped off her gloves and hat. Placing them on the table, she caught sight of a familiar marking across Draco's skin. Grasping his arm before he could react, she traced her fingers over his tattoo. He shivered at the feeling.

"I thought you said you glamoured this?"

"Typically, yes. Since I've been wearing a long shirt all day and we were going out in this chilly weather I didn't see much of a point to. Besides, I woke up late and skipped the charm. It was lighter this morning when yesterday's magic was still intact."

"You should leave it like this all the time."

"Hermione-"

"I'm serious," she emphasized, scooting closer to his warm body. Pulling back the sleeve of her jacket she revealed the carved words on her arm. "Come on, it's not like you are the only one bearing a mark you'd rather not remember. We both survived something terrible. You shouldn't hide who you once were; it's morphed you into who you are. I believe I told you that once before."

"You have," Draco agreed, soothing his fingers over her arm. "I'm still not sure I agree with your idea."

"Well you should get on board with it," she said coyly. Sitting straighter, she met his eyes again. "I had a thought."

"I think you're always having a thought Hermione."

Huffing, she continued as though he hadn't spoken, "We should visit your office - the office at your main building. I noticed a letter from one of your head managers said that you haven't been in for months."

"I've had other things to take care of."

"That namely means money and me," she said, arching an eyebrow. "Both of which are just fine now. You need to go in and straighten things out. Fire the employees who aren't the good sort of people. Hire on new workers - there are plenty of people looking for work right now. Reestablish your company, just like I suggested to you."

"And you want to do all of that when, tomorrow? We just went through a strenuous day! Don't you want to give yourself a rest?"

"Yes, surprisingly I do," she admitted, stretching. "I'm kind of tired from the work I've put in for you, and for the record tomorrow is Friday. I'm going to take a long weekend."

"You aren't even my employee!" he laughed, before sobering up. "But that doesn't mean I won't pay you. I'll make sure you're paid handsomely for helping me out."

"You don't need to pay me," the brunette replied, raising her eyebrows. "I did this to busy myself, though it turned out to be more than that. I'm just happy I helped Draco, you've done so much for me."

"Hermione, you owe me nothing," he reminded, eyes dancing over her face. "I'll pay you for your troubles like I should. I won't take no for an answer."

She sighed, knowing he wouldn't let the topic go. Relenting she settled back against the sofa again, closing her eyes.

"So next week we'll go… say, Tuesday?" she asked sleepily, feeling her eyes grow heavier and heavier.

"Tuesday it is."

Day 276

Hermione found herself awake long after Draco slipped under sleep's heavy blanket, despite how tired her body felt. His rhythmic breathing should ease her soul, only she had too many things on her mind. From Ron's secret cheating self to her own personal nightmares her mind was playing ping pong, wondering which problem to confront first. Some were easier to consider than others.

The past eleven days had been perfect for her. She'd been busy and she had to make her mind work. Draco's paperwork was a perfect starter job to ease her into working again. The idea of having a full work load was elating, and she couldn't wait to get started. Whether or not she stayed on and continued to work with Draco and Malfoy Corporations was not yet decided for her.

Tossing back and forth she fought for sleep. The entire day had been eventful, and she should feel tired and dead. Yet her body wouldn't let her slip into unconsciousness, and Draco had passed out very early that night. It was only two in the morning, and he had been asleep for a few hours.

She gasped slightly when an arm suddenly snaked out and wrapped around her middle, drawing her in close to the warm body behind her. They fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, molding to one another perfectly.

"Sleep Hermione," he muttered, his hand spanning across her middle.

Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply. It was new to sleep like this, but she found it comforting to be so close to him. Sighing, she found sleep a few short minutes later, encased in Draco's comforting hold.

A/n: Reviews and responses are always welcome. Until the next chapter my dears! And for a status update, there are about 3-4 chapters left.