A/N sorry to take a while posting, I'm hoping to start posting regularly from here on out. I am shooting for 2 chapters a week.

THANK YOU to all who have followed and/or liked this story, you guys keep me going!

"Narcissa tells me you stopped going out on Saturdays," Blaise says over lunch the next day. Draco was still focused on the night before and all that had been revealed. After Granger finished her scotch they sat in silence, lost in thought. Finally at 1030 she got up as usual and went to say goodbye. Concerned for her especially since she had had the scotch along with her normal 2 glasses of wine he walked her out to the apparition point.

"Are you ok to get home?" He asked as he held her arm walking out the door. This was the second time tonight they had touched and while both were innocent touches he still had to admit how soft her skin was. They had been meeting up for a month now but both still held a certain stiffness towards each other. Something told him tonight was going to change everything. In school he remembered her brushing up against him accidentally in the hall and he made a big deal of how filthy she was and his need to scrub his skin and burn his robes. Thinking back to his school years made him mad at just how awful he had been but he knew he couldn't get wrapped up in those thoughts just then. He needed to make sure she was okay and that these Tuesday nights were going to keep happening.

"I'll be fine, thank you Malfoy. " she replied and turned on the spot disaparting away.

"Malfoy!" Blaise says snapping his figures in front of his friends face. After his release from Azkaban Blaise was the only one of Draco's friends to seek him out. They were now business partners as well as friends, thus they usually had lunch together most days. Blaise had been there for him throughout Astorias illness and death but having never been through anything similar he was at a loss as to what his friend needed.

"What?" Malfoy snapped back at him.

"Whats up with you man? You seemed like you were coming out of your funk and now over night its like you back to being stuck in your head."

Malfoy scoffed as he shook his head to clear it, " I don't know what your talking about."

"Oh really? Why have asked you 6 times to pass me the salt?" Blaise said pointing to the salt shaker in Malfoys hand.

Malfoy shoved the salt shaker towards Blaise with a scowl. Blaise decided not to push it more (for now)+ and changed the subject, "Hows my godson doing?"

"He's doing ok." Malfoy pauses, signs then continues, "Last week he stopped asking for Astoria to tuck him into bed. He misses her, we both do. But I think he's finally accepting she's not coming back. We still talk about her almost everyday. Its with less pain and more acceptance though."

"Thats a good sign then. Hes a tough kid, its never going to be easy but he'll be ok. So are you going to tell me whats going on? Narcissa tells me you aren't going out on Saturday night but you are on Tuesdays, whats up with that? Meet someone?" Blaise raises his eyebrow suggestively.

"Of course I haven't met anyone, my wife has only been gone 6 months!" Malfoy says in annoyance.

"But somethings changed, what is it?" Blaise was like a dog with a bone. Malfoy knew he wouldn't let it go until he knew what was going on.

"I've been talking to someone," Blaise starts smiling smugly, "not like that you prat. I've been talking to her about Astoria. She listens and I don't know. Its like she knows what I need to hear." Malfoy sighs. He really hoped he didn't mess it up last night.

"So what changed then?"

"Last night I snapped at her. And she revealed that she lost her lover in the war. Thats how she knows what to say, she's been here herself. I think I blew it."

"In the war? She's a witch? And you think you blew your chance of getting with her?"

"She's a witch. And she's married, so no chance of getting with her. Not that she'd have me either way. I... ah, talking to her, it just helps." For a rare moment Malfoy let's his wall drop and the pain flashes across his face, "I can't lose this."

-‐-

"Your awfully quiet today." Ron remarks after dinner. They were sitting in the living room after putting Bryony to bed. Hermione had been attempting to read but hadn't turned a page in over 10 minutes. He had been working, looking over contracts for a possible new investor in W3 but had quickly noticed Hermione's pensive attitude. She had been quiet at dinner as well, she would reply when spoken to but didn't try to openly participate in the conversation.

"I'm sorry I guess I haven't been the best company tonight." She replied shaking her head and looking up at Ron as she put her book aside.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Remember I told you I've been talking to someone?" She pauses to see his reaction. He keeps his face guarded but nods, "I kind of got upset with him and told him about Fred."

"And what was his reaction? "

"Shock actually. He's a recent widower himself and he was talking about his wife and I guess I said something to set him off and he snapped at me, told me I knew nothing about losing a loved one. I quickly put him straight, actually I kinda snapped at him. I think I might have scared him off."

"Why would learning about Fred scare him off?" Ron asks confused.

"I don't know. I think I'm just upset I let myself snap and tell him. I haven't really talked about Fred like that to anyone outside the family. I certainly hadn't planned on telling him anything really."

"Why not? I would assume that at some point it would come up given our situation? I never asked, is this person a muggle or...?" Ron asked leaving the question hanging. He was very curious but this was uncharted territory for them and he knew if he pushed to hard she would close up and tell him nothing.

"He's a wizard. Like I said, he's the last person I expected to meet in a muggle bar. He obviously knows I'm married. I promise its not what your thinking. We are just friends as odd as it sounds. Even if I was ready to move on nothing would ever come of it." Hermione admits almost sadly.

"Well I would say you just have to wait and see. Go back next Tuesday and see if he shows up. If he doesn't he's not worth your time."