Chapter 16:

If anyone actually still follows this story- bet you never thought I would update :)

At precisely 6:55 pm on Wednesday Hermione apparated outside of he designated room for their required meeting for the Preservation office. Draco appeared sulkily behind her seconds later.

"This is a complete waste of time," he mumbled, straightening his robes.

"I completely agree, " Hermione said. "Unfortunately it's a requirement so let's get this over with."

They walked into the room together and Hermione surveyed it quickly. It looked like it was someone's office but the furniture had all been moved to the sides for this occasion. Hermione could see the unfortunate wizard's desk on the far wall- his family smiling and waving out of a gilded frame in the center.

The middle of the room housed chairs in a circle- some were already occupied with nervous looking couples. There was a tea station set up in the corner as well, and Hermione gravitated over to it.

As she was getting a mug of tea, a voice came from beside her. "Hermione, how are you?"

Hermione smiled and turned to face Neville as she stirred honey into her tea. "Neville! I should have assumed you would be here- I'm good-how are you?"

"I'm well," Neville replied, glancing over his shoulder. Hermione saw Millicent Bulstrode talking to Draco a few feet away.

"It's funny the hat picked Slytherins for us both" Hermione remarked.

"Funny isn't the word I would use," Neville said dryly as Millicent looked over at him.

"So how's it really going?" Hermione asked softly , keeping one eye on Millicent as she asked.

"Shockingly well to be honest," Neville chuckled. "I'll admit, I was terrified when I first read my letter. Thought about fleeing to America. But I've been pleasantly surprised, truly. Millie is great fun, very strong minded of course, but I like that. How about you?" he asked, also lowering his voice. "I mean, Malfoy?"

Hermione laughed. "It definitely hasn't been easy," she admitted. "But it's getting better."

"Good evening!" A trilling voice called across the room. Hermione turned to see a witch standing in the doorway with long, flowing purple robes trimmed with pink. She pulled her long blonde hair back as she spoke in a sing song voice. "Thank you all for coming! I am Melodia Lloywellan, your counselor. Please, please, everyone take a seat." Her smile faltered as everyone began to sit. "Um, with your spouses please." There were some grumblings as people rearranged. Hermione, who has sat by Malfoy, didn't move.

"SO," Melodia accioed a seat and sat down facing everyone.

"Notice she has a comfortable seat," Draco whispered to her as he shifted in his hard wooden seat.

Melodia glanced at him from her plush chair almost the same color as her robes. "This meeting is to see how everything is going, discuss and issues that have come up and resolve differences," She unclasped her hands to gesture around the circle. "This is a safe space" Both Hermione and Draco choaked back a laugh that earned them a look of reproach from Melodia, but she ignored them for the most part. "Does anyone want to start?"

"I do!" Dennis Creevy spoke up from the opposite side of the circle. He was smiling as he clasped Moira's hand. Hermione hadn't seen them there. "I want to say, I think this idea was brilliant. I am so in love with my Moira." Moira smiled at him and squeezed his hand.

"I think Creevy is mistaking finally having sex for love," Draco muttered to Hermione, who gave a snort of laughter. She stopped abruptly as Melodia looked at her.

"Go on," Melodia urged Dennis on. "Tell us more."

"Well, we just get along so well!" He continued. "It's so nice to have someone to share everything with. Plus not having to go through the hassle of dating or all the unknowns."

Hermione snorted again and this time Melodia addressed her. "Is that funny Mrs. Malfoy?"

Hermione cringed inwardly at the name. "It's unrealistic." She said. "The whole point of dating is to try each other out, see if you fit together. Skipping that step, you have just as much of a chance to be miserable as to be happy." She looked at Dennis and Moira. "I am sorry Dennis, but you've only known Moira for a few weeks. You have no idea how you will get on long term. Whether you are truly compatible."

"The sorting hat knows!" Dennis said peevishly. "I know everything about Moira."

"Really?" Malfoy drawled. Moira's face turned red as he spoke. "Somehow I doubt that, Creevy."

"Moving on," Melodia rushed , as Dennis looked at Moira, frowning. "Let's move to our next couple. Mrs. Smart, how is your marriage coming along?"

A miserable looking woman frowned at Melodia as her husband make a noise beside her. "Just call me Sally, please. Don't remind me of that name."

"Sally, then. How is it going?"

"Horrible." Her husband answered for her. "I was happy before this, you know. Was dating someone. We weren't engaged of course but we were happy."

"Maybe you should have proposed then," a voice across from him piped up. " This is all your fault."

"My fault?" Mr. Smart yelped.

"Yes, your fault!" The man across from him, who Hermione recognized as Thomas Poe from Human Resources,raged "You have my Sally and I'm stuck with this."

"Hey!" a woman Hermione assumed was his wife spoke up.

"Now, now." Melodia said in a soothing voice. "Let's calm down."

"She must be part Veela," Hermione whispered to Malfoy, as the men began to relax. "That's cheating."

Melodia turned to Millicent. "How about you, Mrs. Longbottom?"

Millicent was quiet for a minute. "It's good," she said finally. "We are trying, getting to know each other."

"My Gran likes her," Neville spoke up. "That's a very good sign."

Millicent smiled at Neville and Hermione realized she'd never seen Millicent smile before. "It's a process," she said.

Melodia beamed at them. "Yes, it is but you are trying and that is all we ask." She turned warily to Hermione. "Any thoughts on your own marriage, Mrs. Malfoy?"

"No." Hermione answered simply, staring at her. She felt Draco suppress a laugh beside her.

"See hear now!" Thomas Poe shouted. "I want a redo- Sally belongs with me."

"Come and get her then!" Mr. Smart shouted as chairs flew in chaos.

Hermione backed away as Melodia ran to the venter of the circle between the two wizards who were now holding their wands at each other. "That escalated quickly"

Malfoy laughed beside her. "Ready to leave?" he asked as the woman named Sally ran across the circle and started pulling Mrs. Poe's hair.

"Oh definitely,"