The Aurors had spent the past few weeks combing through the Marshlands and had found two more lethifolds in hiding. They were quickly taken care of by Terry Boot and Harry to ensure that no mishaps occurred. Draco and Hermione were requested to visit the Cottage once again to check for the charmed jewellery.

Later with the help of some scholars and more research on Hermione's part, it was figured out that just as Draco had predicted, the Malfoy necklace was not charmed. It was simply a key to travel through time since it had been in the family for centuries. The spell was such that it needed something to bind the two time periods, something that existed in both the present and in the era one wished to go to. Silvius had guessed that the Malfoy bridal necklace would never be destroyed for centuries perhaps and had used it as the anchor to the spell. The earrings were never seen or found again. Neither was the box in which they had found them in.

The floorboard under which Draco had found them, remained loose, which meant that they had been hidden there at some point but had now vanished without a trace. They had last seen it while they performed the spell in the past. The investigation team concluded that the earrings were somehow left behind in the past and they were the key to the spell, the portkey of this magic time warping spell.

Everything was almost the same as before. Almost.

Hermione slept with lesser nightmares each night. She did not need any dreamless sleep draught anymore. Her nightmares were fewer, and now were more about time warping and lethifolds attacking a certain blonde male. These were nightmares she could rationalise and ignore because she knew that Draco Malfoy wasn't so stupid or weak to get attacked and trapped like that.

She had seen Draco occasionally when he had dropped by to meet Harry and her at the Ministry. His potions were gaining a lot of popularity and credibility with the Ministry's backing. He even decided to donate a certain amount of stock to St. Mungo's for free each month.

Past two weeks had been tiring for Draco. The purple bags under his eyes were back, but the dead look he had in his eyes was gone. He no more resembled the walking dead. He just looked like an overworked blonde young man, which was acceptable. Narcissa Malfoy had been after his life to speak with Hermione, which had forced him to go meet her at the Ministry during his visits. His Mother had threatened to go meet the young witch herself or else.

Even Blaise had joined in on her complaining brigade that Draco was working too hard. But he wanted to finish what he had started before leaving. He wanted to finish the potion for the mentally affected patients of St. Mungo's. Now that his own Mother was less forgetful and more like her old jovial self again, he wanted the same for Neville and Hermione. He wanted her to be truly happy without a shred of worry in her life before anything else.

He worked through the nights, sometimes sleeping in the office itself. Narcissa had often wondered if talking to Hermione would help, but Blaise had told her not to since Draco was working on something to surprise her or so he had said. So she decided to approach the next best person she knew would be able to get some sense into her son, other than Blaise, who was being completely ignored by Draco on the advice taking front.

At a Monday morning, when all the Ministry workers were mumbling and grumbling about their Monday blues, Narcissa was at the Auror office, sharp at nine to meet Harry. Harry had been planning to take a week long leave but was often reminded of how we would need months off after their kid was born. Ginny's morning sickness and hormones were taking a toll on him too. As he moved towards his office, he was surprised to see an equally poised but much more feminine blonde figure waiting for him near his office. Usually, Draco would stop by, but everyone knew those were excuses to see Hermione and not Harry and Hermione.

"What brings you here Mrs Malfoy?"

"It would be Narcissa to you after all that you have done for me and my son." She gave him a warm smile. She would give very subtle glimpses of warm motherly affection that would remind Harry and even Hermione of Molly Weasley. Hermione had told Harry how Narcissa's first concern was that Draco and she were well fed and taken care of before she had asked them anything once they had returned. Ron had also taken the new blooming friendship well, thankfully, but not before he got an earful from both Ginny and Molly at one of the Weekly Weasley lunches. He had been grumbling about Draco because the two senior most Weasleys had suggested calling him over for lunch next week with the rest of the family. That had been too much for Ron who had instantly started complaining. Luckily for him, Hermione was outside with Teddy and Victoire.

Molly was up to date with all the happening once Hermione had filled them all on the details and Ginny had added in the possible juicy bits. Molly had seen Hermione talk about Draco and his endeavours animatedly and with a passion that nobody had seen in quite a while. Even without him being here if he could inspire her such, then why would Molly hold anything against a poor child who knew nothing better than to save his family when he was forced to take the dark mark.

Harry guided Narcissa inside his Head Auror office and asked her to take a seat. As soon as Harry had gone over the formalities of offering tea and then asked what had brought her here, she said that they all must do something to knock some sense into the two of them.

"Who?"

"Dear, Blaise and Draco, shouldn't they be getting married by now?" she said with a stoic expression. Harry was taken aback and even though he knew blood prejudice no more ruled the Malfoy family, he didn't know that wizards were that cool and open with gay relationships!

"I thought Draco liked girls! But uh...to each their own." he quickly corrected himself to hide his shock.

"Oh, Merlin!" Narcissa chuckled. "I was kidding Harry! By the 'two of them' I meant your proud best friend, Hermione and my obtuse son, Draco. They clearly are onto something with each other but are playing some obscure game of pride. Neither willing to relent to the other or show any affection other than mockery!"

Her sudden outburst made Harry feel like he was back at home with Ginny having one of her random emotional outbursts. In fact, she had had a similar outburst on the very same topic that Draco and Hermione were being absolutely ridiculous in ignoring each other! Harry had not seen anything exceptional like undying love that these women in his life kept claiming about. But he never was a very observant person anyway. Not a Ravenclaw certainly, as Ginny and Luna had often pointed out.

"I am afraid, Mrs Malfoy..uh Narcissa, that I am equally clueless as to how can I help you or the two of them!" Narcissa gave a rather glum look which made him add, "But I am sure Ginny can do something about this! She has been eating off my ears about the same thing. She is at home right now. I can floo call her to let her know you would be joining her for lunch if you want? I am sure she wouldn't mind the company!"

"No dear. I must not be so imposing on her in her delicate condition. I remember how nearly everything irked me when I was with Draco. Although, it would be wonderful if you can ask her if it would be alright with her to see me for lunch tomorrow? In Diagon Alley? We can go to any place of her choice." Harry nodded and after exchanging a few more pleasantries, Narcissa Malfoy left with a lunch plan with Ginny Weasley. Who knew that this day would also come?

Harry sighed as the door closed and went back to the heaps of files waiting on his desk, At least these were things he understood. He just didn't understand women and their 'intuition' about things.

The next day, after a lunch carefully ordered so as to not trigger any nausea for Ginny, the Malfoy matriarch and the youngest Weasley were taking a stroll through Diagon Alley. They had come up with a little plan of their own, now all they needed was the perfect timing and set up. This was probably the most exciting thing that Ginny was going to do ever since she joined the Holyhead harpies apart from expecting their first child. Narcissa, on the other hand, felt like a matchmaking agony aunt all over again, just that this while it was for her own son.

Ginny was pleasantly surprised at her company and the fact that it was rather fun to be with Narcissa. She knew a lot of gossip and definitely knew how to pull special favours just by being the charming Malfoy that she was. Draco had definitely gotten the charm from his Mother, imagining Lucius to be as charming made her cringe inwards. Though they were yet to invite Draco, Ginny extended Molly's invitation to lunch to Narcissa who thought startled at first, accepted it graciously. She swore not to say a word to Draco until Hermione invited him as she was supposed to.

Hermione sat deep in paperwork, now that all her files were being passed and reviewed with much ease. She had been contemplating looking at newer endeavours. She loved helping the creatures with this job, but it did not give her the same drive as she had felt when she had started working on SPEW. She wanted to be able to help all those causes at once, but this job was rather mundane and full of red-tapism. As an activist, she would get more work done than as a Ministry official lugging around files, no matter her celebrity status.

She had been feeling a certain amount of restlessness lately and the adventure back in time with Draco proved to add fuel to her fire. She was to meet Draco in less than half an hour for lunch and she was nowhere near done with the files that she had planned to finish. The thought of meeting him for lunch, alone, felt almost like a date. The thought of being alone with him once again made her nervous and giddy at the same time.

At exactly one, a soft knock came on her door. She said a come in, without even looking up.
"You sure have a lot of work. Want me to just order some food here instead?"

Hermione looked up to see Draco smiling at her and looking at the files next to her rather funnily. "No. I really need to leave this office and see the world outside." She got up, plucked her coat from the coat rack and with a swish of her wand, put everything back in place as they left. It felt strange to walk beside him in Diagon Alley in the present. She imagined they were back in time where half of these shops didn't exist and they would come for weekly errands. Almost as if he read her mind Draco broke the silence. "The old Diagon Alley was nicer. Less annoying peddlers and creeps for sure." Hermione giggled as he guided her to a restaurant in a back alley called The Curry Avenue.

"It has the best Indian curry in the world. I promise." Draco swore as he held the door open for her. It was starting to feel more and more like a date with every passing second. He did not hold her chair for her thankfully, else she would give him a piece of her mind on how she was capable of seating herself, thank you very much.

They ordered after dilly-dallying a bit with some casual chatter. After they were through with their main course, Draco ordered a dessert called Kheer. Hermione had fond memories of having it with her parents as a child at one of the muggle Indian restaurants that they had frequented. She dug into the dessert with those fond memories warming her heart as Draco sat smiling at the brunette enjoying her dessert with her eyes closed and heart possibly filled with joy.

He couldn't tell her his secret of course. He would tell her in time, but not yet. But he was mentally celebrating the fact that when Mrs Granger had told him last week that her little daughter loved Kheer from the Indian restaurant down the block, she had been right. It was a memory, not a hallucination, which meant his potions were working!

"So, I was at the Weasley's the other day and we were talking, generally. So Mrs Weasley was wondering if you would like to join all of us for lunch this Sunday?" She could hear her nervousness and hoped he didn't notice it.

Draco almost spat out the bite he had just taken. "Really?"

"Yes! You could say no, but yes they all want you over! Even Ron!"

"And you are sure it is not a ploy to kill me and hide my body?"

Hermione giggled, "At least not that I know of."

"But seriously, even Ron?" he took another bite.

"Okay, maybe I was exaggerating just a little. But the rest do want to meet you. Harry constantly keeps telling them how nice you are and how you have changed and Teddy misses you."

"Harry keeps talking about me but you don't?"

"I do too!" she quickly exclaimed before she realised he was pulling her leg and she had fallen for the bait.

Draco chuckled and a deep harmonious voice washed over Hermione, making her feel a pool of desire swell within suddenly. "I really haven't seen that kid with all this work. So, I guess I will come. I will owl Mrs Weasley once I get back." he added noticing the tip of her nose and her cheeks suddenly turn a shade of pink that reminded him of English roses in full bloom.

After their pleasant lunch, he dropped her back all the way to her office. Right before he took her leave, he looked at her right before closing the door behind him and said, "And Hermione, I am Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Prince, Bad boy extraordinaire. Tell Potter that if he or anyone else ever calls me nice publically, I will make sure they don't ever repeat it or think of me as a remotely nice person."

He winked at her before he finally shut the door after him. It wouldn't be wrong to say that Hermione's heart was hammering in her chest and that infuriating git had not even touched her, to begin with.

(A/N)

Heyo,

Hope you all like the chapter and would not only favourite the story (which makes me immensely happy!) but also leave reviews! The long and great reviews are the reason why I am posting TWO chapters in less than 24 hours!

So, until next chapter!

XOXO

Mili

P.S. It's almost over, just two or three chapters more and it's a wrap. :')