Hermione had also never been to Greece and while they were essentially next door, Draco insisted on spending the next day hopping around the Greek isles.

It was stunning, all of it. In some ways it was similar to the Amalfi coast - the brightness of the building facades, the colour and vibrance of everything her eyes fell on. The landscape was different, less green, less shade. It was hotter and she took the opportunity - to Draco's delight - to pick up another dress on Santorini.

Her 'sensible shoes' were a pretty pair of flat sandals that laced delicately around her feet and didn't need to be replaced. Draco liked these, anyway, and didn't argue much when she insisted they were fine.

Before Santorini had been Skopelos. Mykonos was next on Draco's list, but Hermione didn't think any of them could best Santorini for beauty. She knew there were many more islands in the Mediterranean, but she was entirely taken with this one and was reluctant to leave for the next. Draco only laughed and promised to bring her back. She felt a harshly smothered idea to look for a place to buy on Santorini but wanted to keep it a surprise.

She'd let him. It was the only real downside to the golden thread, the lack of secrecy. She'd give him what she could.

They'd done lunch on Santorini at another gorgeous outdoor cafe. Hermione couldn't get enough of the Greek weather. Walking on the volcanic beaches was perfect, sandals in her hand and their toes in the water.

She thought back to the beach at the base of Shell Cottage's cliff and walking in the water all those months ago. That was lovely but this was better. She inhaled deeply, relishing the taste of the air.

"Mykonos is all about the nightlife, Granger," Draco leaned down to tell her over the sounds of the sea. "How do you feel about nightlife?"

She almost snorted. Nightlife? "I've never been to a nightclub in my life. I can't say I'm overly tempted to do it."

"Oh, it's a little different on Mykonos. The outdoor air, the lights, the music. The crowds. It's the spot to be."

"Is it?" She's amused. "When was the last time you were there, exactly?"

"Too young to have been there," he smirked.

"So more fun now, is what you're saying." Hermione couldn't help teasing him and he nodded mischievously. "So we do dinner there and then… whatever we like?"

"Whatever we like."

This did sound tempting. It sounded entertaining, at the very least, another thing Hermione had never seen.

"Will this dress work?"

He shook his head fervently. "Absolutely not. You'll need something new."

ooo

Dinner on their third island was fantastic, too. Hermione was getting spoiled, she reflected, and she found she didn't mind. The past year at the Manor seemed very far away from here, from this perfect dish of scallops and the live music from the cafe next to them.

Sunset was late this time of year and the night air cooled pleasurably. It wasn't chilly by any stretch - more a relief of the blazing Greek sun during the afternoon.

Dinner complete, Draco and Hermione walked hand-in-hand through the streets. She watched the growing crowd and activity with amazement. It seemed like the whole of the island's population was right here.

Lights were coming on, illuminating cafes, shops, patios with musicians. Women were in dresses not unlike her own, flowy and fine. Expensive, shimmering silks. The men were dashing, with shining cufflinks and pocket squares. Hermione saw jewellery like her ring, wealth that could have seemed ostentatious in a different setting.

This was a different world. She was captivated.

The average volume of the streets kept increasing with the crowd. Everyone had a drink in their hand but this was no seventh-year dormitory party with smuggled-in wine and firewhisky. A restaurant proprietor pushed a glass of Ouzo her way and Hermione demurred, but Draco gladly took it and tossed it back.

Hermione winced. She couldn't do it. It was the only thing about Greece she wasn't a fan of. The Ouzo burned.

Draco didn't care if it burned. He didn't mind. He was enjoying himself, her hand clasped tightly in his. He got her a white wine instead and they continued to stroll.

The opulence was enthralling. No, these weren't uni kids cutting loose. Well, maybe they were, but they were wealthy ones. These were the Malfoys of the Muggle world. They'd arrived on private jets and personal helicopters. They had drivers. Hermione could spot more than one suspiciously bulky man in a dark suit, standing rigidly against a wall. Some people here had bodyguards - or at least basic security staff. 'Basic.' Ha.

Sweet Merlin. Where were they? She felt Draco's amusement at her wide-eyed astonishment every time she looked around.

This was an adult playground, but not the debaucherous kind. Or maybe behind closed doors or later in the night, it was, but out here right now, it was a giant cocktail party for the egregiously wealthy.

The sun was beginning to dip behind the horizon at long last. Hermione turned a slow circle, looking around, and the rays of the sun glinted across the crowd for what could be the final time of the night. A flash of red caught her eye.

A young woman in a lovely dress, hugging her body decadently. High heels beneath her pedicured feet, even on the uneven path. She never stumbled. Pink lips as she leaned in to receive a kiss on the cheek from someone who greeted her.

Reddish brown hair under a pretty hat to keep the sun off her face - but there was no need for one here. No hat tonight.

Draco, caught by her sudden attention, followed her line of sight.

"Katy? Draco, is that Katy Haymitch, from Ireland?"

ooo

They stared at each other, then back at the woman. Suddenly, Draco yanked her hand and pulled Hermione under a shade of a cafe awning nearby. "Don't tip her off."

Hermione was too stunned to process. Katy could be here, certainly she could, they had no idea of where the woman lived. But she felt the flash of alarm deep within Draco. His heart rate was increasing and he leaned out from around the corner of the cafe.

"That's her, Granger, it has to be."

He didn't mean Katy. He thought…

The wealth, the socialites here. The celebrities who must be, even if Hermione didn't recognise them. The ever-present party. And what had they learned of Raquel O'Leary? If she couldn't be magical, she'd have wanted to be here.

Draco peered out again. "She's sitting down at the cafe now. Might be getting dinner. Let's sit here and think this through." He waved to the host and motioned for a table outdoors.

"Did she know who we were in Ireland?" she whispered. "Or did she really hear us say the name 'O'Leary'?"

"No way to know. But whether she knew us before or not, she does now."

"Why did she approach us at all?"

Draco shrugged with one shoulder, keeping his eyes on the redhead. He scooted Hermione's chair over to his own and wrapped his arm around the back of it, as if they were just two lovers on a close date. This way they could both watch.

"Maybe like using the Aurors, she just wanted information. Wanted to feel close to things, in the loop. Or maybe it was just an opportunity for a game to her. See what we know and have some fun with it."

No matter the motivation, Hermione realised they couldn't trust a single thing the woman had said. With a pang, she recalled how she'd felt enthralled by the woman's genuine interest in her job, their schooling, her ring. Hermione had felt… special. In a small way, but an unusual feeling from someone she'd just met. She'd been so engaging and easy to talk to. Hermione had thought the woman's conversation was sincere.

Draco sensed her dismay at this. "She's fooled a lot of people, Granger."

"There's still a chance that's Katy," Hermione insisted stubbornly.

"Big coincidence."

"It's a big coincidence either way!" she snapped. Katy's face and tone when she sympathised about Hermione losing her hypothetical father. She'd just lost her mother, too, she'd said. She understood.

Draco let her be for a few minutes, ordering them a round of drinks to justify keeping the table.

"We need to tell someone," he said at last. "If that is her -"

And Hermione could feel how sure he was.

"- we can't risk her getting away. Moving on somewhere else. She may already be growing bored here. We have no way of knowing."

Hermione put her head in her hands. "How do you suggest we do that? We're in Greece."

Draco didn't answer for a while. He scanned the crowd closely. "This is a Muggle area, but there have to be wizards around somewhere. Even if it's just a pub with a Floo."

"We'd Floo home from here?"

"We could, or we could just tell someone she's here. Potter or Kingsley. Whoever. Then stay and see what happens."

Draco knew this avenue would be more appealing to her and she narrowed her eyes at him. She still didn't want to think that it wasn't Katy over there. But the more she watched, the more she saw.

The man she was sitting with was completely captivated. Katy's head threw back with a musical laugh, and her hand flicked out to briefly touch the man's forearm. His face lit up before he tried to hide it. She leaned forward over the table to say something and his eyes never left her, not once. Katy sat back, crossing her ankles under her chair, and delicately brushed her hair off her face as her companion eagerly responded.

Her light blue eyes were bright, her smile genuine.

Hermione felt a little sick.

She had guessed Katy was in her late twenties, but the woman could easily be a few years older. She was so put together, so styled and polished. Confident.

Draco tilted his head towards the other cafe, listening with his acute hearing. "They're ordering dinner. She'll be here at least a little while."

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm going to make a quick dash up a couple of streets to find a magical pub or inn. There has to be something somewhere. You keep watching them. Let me know what you think when I get back."

He gave her a quick kiss and motioned for the waiter to bring her another glass of wine.

With a stab of guilt, Hermione realised he was only leaving her alone right now because he wanted this wrapped up so badly. He was convinced that it was Raquel O'Leary over there and she needed to be captured. Hermione would leave the Manor once everything was resolved.

The requested glass of wine arrived. Hermione swirled it absently, focussing on the way the liquid moved in the circle.

What had Katy said? Raquel was a squib and the family was embarrassed. There was no truth to the rumours that they had been afraid of Raquel. She'd been impatient with her little sister but it all seemed rather normal.

Another presumed lie: she'd been educated at Ilvermorny. She'd probably had to say Ilvermorny to try and excuse her distinctive lack of Irish accent. Katy had said she hadn't wanted to go but hadn't given a reason why being educated in America had been so important. Katy had claimed Raquel had been sent to France. They knew Raquel had been sent to the States, but they still had a huge gap of time they couldn't account for. It definitely hadn't involved Ilvermorny, though.

She'd done loads of travelling. That was probably true.

They'd been unable to find any trace of a Raquel O'Leary, but she bet if they set to tracking Katy Haymitch specifically, they'd find something. Maybe not all of it, maybe not even half of it, but -

In a snap decision, Hermione stood. Keeping her attention on her glass of wine and how delicious it was, she exited the little patio and crossed the street after dropping some money on the table.

With a confidence she didn't feel, she swept beneath the awning of the other cafe, holding her wine glass aloft.

"Katy? Katy, is that you?" Hermione thought her face might split from the smile she had plastered on it. "Oh my goodness, I am so sorry to interrupt. Hi, I'm Hermione."

She held out a hand to the flummoxed dinner companion, wishing he wasn't here even though she needed him to be.

Meanwhile, Katy Haymitch had stood and flung her arms around her. "What are you doing here?!" she exclaimed in delight, her blue eyes dancing. She gripped Hermione's free hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

Hermione felt chills. So she was going by Katy here - at least to this man.

She felt Draco's hot fury, barrelling down the thread. What the fresh fuck was she doing? Shit; well, that hadn't taken long. Her shocked dismay at Katy's - Raquel's - reaction to her had overwhelmed her desire to keep things hidden.

She committed to the act. She was here now, even though she was never this impulsive. Here she was, grin wide. "On holiday! What about you?"

Hermione was still standing next to their little table, the incredibly rude dinner-interruptee, but there was a certain poetic symmetry to it. After kissing her on both cheeks, Raquel had sat back down and motioned to a third chair at their table.

"Can you sit with us? Where's that delicious man of yours?"

The crestfallen look on her own companion's face was almost funny. He'd introduced himself but Hermione hadn't caught it.

Hermione thought fast. Gods, this had been a rush job. "Draco? He's - off buying me a present. Told me he'd spotted something earlier and I wasn't to know what it was."

Raquel gave her a conspiratorial wink and a dimple showed on the left side of her mouth when she smiled.

"'Draco?'" repeated the man doubtfully. "That's an odd name."

Hermione gave him a beatific smile. "It's Latin. And mine comes from Shakespeare. Unique, I suppose."

"Don't be rude, Ray," Raquel admonished sternly and the man's face fell anew. "Hermione, I'd love if you could join us, you and Draco. Ray doesn't mind, do you, sugar?"

Ray clearly did but wasn't going to say so. Hermione broadcasted as best she could, buy me a surprise. Show up with a bag. She hoped Draco understood.

He understood well enough to flash more anger her way. This was a delay.

She was fine. Everything was fine. They were in public with an outside dinner companion. He could join them.

Oh, he would, he promised hotly.

"I'd love to, but we couldn't stay long," Hermione said in her sweetest voice. "Draco and I ate already. I saw Katy here and just had to stop by."

"And I'm so glad you did!" Raquel squeezed her hand again and Ray took it in his own as soon as it released Hermione's.

Hermione took the proffered seat and sat down with as much grace as she could manage. Even knowing what she did about Raquel O'Leary, she felt hopelessly outclassed here. "So what brings you to Greece, Katy?"

She nearly stumbled over the name and caught herself. Better not to use a name at all, if that was the risk. She'd already established that the man - Ray - knew her as Katy.

"On vacation, just like you! I met Ray here the other day and we've been having the most delightful time, haven't we, darlin'?"

She gave the man a beaming smile just for him, and Ray's eyes lit back with hope.

"But you can stay long enough for a drink or two, can't you, Hermione? Isn't it just lovely out here tonight?"

Raquel often spoke like this, Hermione was noticing. The statement, then the inclusion of the companion so they didn't feel left out. So they voiced an opinion. She wondered what Ray had to offer Raquel. Maybe just the dinner tab. Maybe more.

"How long are you and Draco here for?"

"This is our last night, I think," Hermione hedged. "Unless I can convince Draco to stay, of course. I've never been before, and I must say, it's stunning here."

Raquel gave a hushed squeal. "Oh, we must convince him! We'll have the best time!" Her excitement twisted Hermione's insides again. It was so easy to believe that she truly wanted Hermione here. That they would have the best time, that they could eat brunch in the morning with mimosas on the water, and go shopping arm-in-arm. Raquel's tone promised everything.

Ray's face fell again precipitously. He was not included in this sentiment. Hermione almost felt bad for the man. Then again, he was better off without this woman charming his pants off on expensive island holidays.

A bottle of wine appeared on the arm of a handsome server who Raquel gave a flirtatious wink. The young man's face flushed and he cleared his throat, presenting the bottle for her approval. Raquel considered it, raising a manicured finger to her mouth.

"Now, I know I said I wanted red. But I really think now that Hermione and Draco are here, too, we should make it champagne. You don't mind, do you, sugar?"

She eyed Ray hopefully, her face questioning. She bit her pink lower lip and he quickly rushed, "No, not at all. You go right ahead. Order what you like."

She beamed at him again and looked back up at the cute server. "Well, he says I can get what I like." She gave a coquettish giggle and glanced back at Ray for hesitant confirmation. "Are you sure, darlin'?"

He nodded eagerly and Hermione marvelled.

"We'll take a bottle of Cristal, and please make sure it's extra chilled."

Ray, to his credit, took this on the chin. Hermione didn't know much about champagne, but she knew Cristal was expensive.

The myriad lights from the sidewalk shops and cafes were bright and colourful. They distorted the regular lighting now that the sun had set, and Hermione caught a sudden glimpse of blue hair on a tall head. Not blue; an odd shade reflecting from Draco's white-blonde. He was standing across the street.

She caught his eye and reached out. He was furious and had been trying to hide it. He wanted to calm down before he came over and until then, he wanted to watch and listen. Make sure of how things were going.

What she'd done was rash and she knew it. But she didn't feel in danger here. No more than she had at the pub in Ireland, for Merlin's sake.

She'd let him come by when he was ready. She turned her attention back to Raquel and Ray, who was busy ordering a glass of 25-year scotch.

"Sugar, don't you want the champagne?" Raquel said, concern plain in her eyes. Worried. "I wouldn't have gotten it if -"

Ray waved this away. "No, no, you get what you like. I'll get what I like. Anything for you."

He leaned in for a kiss and Hermione was intensely curious. Raquel didn't hesitate, giving him a soft one on the mouth that didn't linger ostentatiously, but certainly meant more than 'hello.'

She lifted the glass of Cristal to her lips and it was delicious. More than delicious; Hermione didn't think she'd ever tasted any alcohol so good. She caught Raquel watching with a mischievous smile and a wink.

"Isn't it incredible? It's just my favourite."

And Hermione just knew that if any sort of burgeoning 'friendship' were to come from that night, Raquel would have the champagne be their special thing. Something the two of them shared. A memory of the Cristal.

Her insides twisted again and Draco chose that moment to make his entrance.

Raquel did squeal now, properly loud. "Draco! I just couldn't believe it when I saw Hermione. Please, please, sit!"

She turned her cheek towards him for the expected kiss, which Draco delivered smoothly. Ray looked put out, either because of Raquel's effusive embrace of Draco or that Draco kissed her.

The waiter, seeing their fourth party had arrived, returned to the table. Draco, too, ordered a scotch. The server noted this and gave a little bow towards Raquel.

"Your meals will be out shortly. Will you need more menus?"

"Oh, no," Draco declined with a gracious smile. "We ate already, thank you."

The server retreated, eyes still flickering towards Raquel, who tinkled her fingers at him.

Draco took a demure sip of scotch and said, "We'll just stay for the one drink. You have entrees coming. We won't be rude." Hermione had to admire how comfortable he was here. He didn't feel outclassed at all; it was obvious.

Raquel gasped, her pink lips opening. "Absolutely not! I won't hear of it. Besides, we just ordered this delicious bottle of champagne, and I can't drink it all by myself! I couldn't bear for it to go to waste."

Ray seemed quite torn, Hermione noticed with amusement. He clearly wanted them gone. On the other hand, he didn't want to waste the bottle of Cristal he was paying for, either.

Hermione wondered suddenly how much of a financial stretch this little holiday was for Ray. He certainly wasn't going to show any hardships in front of Raquel.

She'd gotten quite solid on the fact that this was Raquel. With a start, she realised she needed to go back to thinking of her as Katy - at least for a minute. 'Katy' was a witch, educated at Ilvermorny. Ray here was clearly a Muggle. Why would Katy be with a Muggle? It was possible but unlikely. Very uncommon. So best to ignore it and let 'Katy' think she didn't care if she was dating a Muggle. Best not to ask questions about Ray.

Draco took the opposite tact. "What is it you do, mate?"

Ray straightened in his seat and cleared his throat. "I'm a doctor. A dermatologist."

Draco fired a quizzical poke at Hermione. Skin. A doctor for skin. That… didn't make sense to Draco, but he could roll with it.

Ray returned the question and Draco said modestly, "I have family money." He lifted his scotch to his mouth with one ankle crossed over his knee. He looked like the very picture of Mykonos clientele.

Ray looked put out all over again as Raquel's light blue eyes lit with interest. Hermione tried to head this off at the pass. "How did you two meet?"

Raquel looked at Ray adoringly and he brightened. "I use a special kind of skin care in the sun and I needed some more. I was here in Greece and I made an appointment. Ray here was the doctor who saw me."

"I decided to make sure she was using it properly," Ray tried to joke and Hermione almost winced. She might feel outclassed here, but she thought Ray was a fish out of water.

Raquel only smiled at him and touched his arm again flirtatiously. "My hero."

The man's chest puffed out and he took another drink.

Their meals arrived and Raquel made sure they stayed put by having the server refill Hermione's glass. Allowing the two of them to eat, Hermione and Draco had a quiet conversation filled with subtext.

"Where to next?"

"Harry and Ginny are going to meet us up the road."

Hermione knew it wouldn't be Ginny, but she was sure he did mean Harry. "Where?"

"A little shop Ginny wants to show you a dress in. She wants your opinion." Draco rolled his eyes in showmanship.

Okay. So they needed to get Raquel - and Ray, she presumed, who surely wouldn't leave her side - a couple of streets over, somewhere quiet. Private. Somewhere Harry's team could apprehend her without impacting a crowdful of intoxicated Muggles.

Raquel had caught the end of that. "Ooh! Somebody's going dress shopping?"

Hermione gave her a wide smile. "Well, I don't know. Sounds like it. Would you be interested? Are the shops even open this late?"

She gave a worried glance at Draco, but Raquel chimed in, "Oh, yes. Many of them are. They know the crowds are out."

"I think it's the same shop you bought that in," Draco gestured towards her and that was a blatant lie. She bought this earlier in the day in Santorini. But it provided Raquel another opening.

"And that is lovely on you, I have to say. Doesn't she look dazzling, Ray?"

Ray looked trapped. His eyes were wide and darted between the two women. Raquel gave a beautiful lilting laugh and said, "Don't worry, sugar. It's not a trick question. It won't hurt my feelings if you say she is. I know she is!"

Hermione marvelled again at the woman. She was able to make every person at the table feel comfortable and wanted. She also used pet names a lot. 'Sugar,' 'darlin.' She was beginning to catch a stronger accent from Raquel than she'd had from 'Katy' at the Irish pub. 'Katy's' accent had seemed an odd blend of things, a curious mix of nothing in particular. Or several things at once, perhaps.

Raquel's was developing, as she drank more champagne, as southern United States, Hermione thought. She knew there were plenty of regional dictions in America, most sounding nothing alike, but she was growing more confident in her guess. Her last sentence had come out nearly like "Ah know she is!"

One of her homes had been on the southern Gulf coast, Hermione recalled. It had looked long abandoned, but Hermione thought that missing ten years of Raquel's life could probably be filled in somewhere in that region.

Did the woman know who they were? Truly? Hermione had no earthly idea. It seemed like they were just the couple she'd met in Ireland, an opportunity over lunch to have a little fun. To maybe see what they knew of the O'Leary family, spread some misinformation. They had mentioned the name, after all.

Or maybe she knew they were related to the lab projects. Draco's face had been part of a very public profile interview as the male Veela. He was distinctive and so was his name. They knew her as 'Katy,' and were they fooling her that they still thought she was?

Hermione could not tell. The woman was a master at this. She was so confident she had Hermione second-guessing everything.

The worst possibility was that she knew full well who they were, and they weren't fooling her in the slightest that they didn't know she was Raquel O'Leary. Then it was going to come down to whether they could get her into that shop in reasonable isolation before tipping their hand that they'd given her up.

Hermione took another swallow of champagne. Gods, it was delicious. Unfair. Raquel gave her another secretive wink and mouthed from her pink lips, 'isn't it amazing?'

"What's Ginny looking for?" she asked Draco inquisitively, deciding to strengthen the story.

He shrugged. "Beats me. Don't she and Harry have some big party next month?"

Mm. That was probably too close to Raquel's area of interest. She saw the woman's blue eyes brighten and she deflected. "Yes, they do, but she won't find a dress for that there. They sell things like this, not fancier things." She gestured at her summer dress.

"Well, I'll leave it to you, then. Whatever it's for, she's got something she wants to show you," he said smoothly. "Harry and I can grab a pint while you two shop away."

"You are the perfect man," Raquel gushed. "Isn't he, Hermione? I keep telling Hermione, she is such a lucky girl."

'Her-mah-own-y.' She could hear it more and more. But this was the opening Hermione was hoping for. She saw the hurt look on Ray's face, the one he tried to hide behind a sip of scotch.

"I'm sure Ray would do the same! Wouldn't you, Ray?"

Gods, even she was slipping into it now, that confirming question at the end. She saw Draco give her an odd look. Everything about the woman seemed intoxicating, infectious. She'd unconsciously mimicked it, to have that kind of sway over people. That charm. Hermione swallowed hard.

"I'm sure Ray will be happy to let you come shopping with us! Come along. I'd love you to meet Ginny, she's one of my oldest friends. She's got brilliant red hair - not as pretty as yours, of course, but -"

This was doing the trick. Ray was nodding along, eager to prove his worth alongside Draco's presumed perfection, and Raquel seemed properly flattered by the praise.

"Oh, I'd love to! Sugar, can we? Do you mind?"

"And I'm sure your taste in dresses is much better than mine. Ginny will do better, anyway, with you along. I just got lucky with this one, I think," Hermione glanced down with a shy modesty as two thirds of the rest of the table protested.

The bill came and Draco agreeably threw in for their drinks. Ray looked relieved when Raquel's back was to him.

"Which way?" Hermione asked Draco, who pointed down a side street, somewhat quieter than the busy one they were on.

"Then take a left and it'll be down the next crossroad. 'Mykonos Valtodoros?'" Draco shrugged.

Raquel leaned in to whisper as they began to walk. "That just means 'Mykonos boutique.' We'll find it, I'm sure. Maybe we'll have to check a few! I wouldn't mind that problem, would you?"

She giggled and Hermione agreed it wouldn't be the worst thing. The men fell behind a few paces on purpose, Hermione guessed. She didn't know what Draco had to talk to Ray about, but he definitely wanted to keep a wider eye on things. The crowd of revellers was thick and growing more intoxicated.

The music was loud, very loud, and it was probably bothering Draco. If it was, he wasn't showing it.

Raquel reapplied her lipstick and then looped arms with Hermione, who hoped Draco did know where they needed to go.

"Let me see your ring again," Raquel asked and reached for her hand. Hermione held it out and Raquel sighed enviously. "Gorgeous. How did he propose?"

This was a story Hermione would feel comfortable telling no one but this woman. How odd. She tried not to dwell on that truth and whispered with a furtive glance at Ray, "You wouldn't believe it. He went to the family vault, and -"

Raquel gasped and put a hand to her breast. "He said he had family money."

"He came back with a whole display and told me to pick one, whichever I wanted."

Raquel actually squealed and her hand went dramatically to her forehead instead. "He didn't! I would faint!"

Hermione felt Draco's amusement and then his innate concern as Raquel's hand came down to clutch Hermione's arm again. She squeezed it as she said, "How did you get so lucky?"

Hermione really didn't know. She turned it back to Raquel. "Have you ever been married?"

'Katy' shook her head, "No, but I'm hoping." She cast a wink over her shoulder at Ray. Hermione turned to look and saw sheer glee on the man's face. Hadn't they only met a few days ago? Didn't seem to matter.