Hom Chapter 2: 2, a 1984 fanfic

Eyes still closed and feeling sick to the bones, Hermione remembered why she hated side-along apparition. Balancing herself, she gripped the next available object with both hands - Malfoy's shirt. She breathed in and out a few times and opened her eyes. That git smirked at her, again! "It's been too long, hasn't it?" he asked. "Not long enough. Be happy when I don't throw up on you." The voluntary step back from her made Hermione smile a little. She saw enough bodily fluids every day to make fun of vomiting- with nobody scourgifying afterwards. She took in her environment and realised that Malfoy hadn't apparated them to the hospital, but straight into the heart of wizarding England: The Ministry of Magic; precisely, the dimly lit atrium. Normally bustling with activity, it was eerily empty at this late hour. The wizard turned around to walk into the direction of the lifts, indicating her to follow him. "Come on, Granger. No time for a tour. Kingsley's waiting for us." Reluctantly, Hermione stepped into the lift beside him. "He's waiting for us? How could you be so sure that I'd show up here?" The following words were much too Slytherin for her liking. "Let's put it this way: If you hadn't followed so nicely, I would have used other… measures to convince you, probably some involving a piece of hard-wood ." Hermione raised her brows disbelievingly. "Ouch, Malfoy, just because I live in the muggle world doesn't mean I have no male contact. That was by far the worst pick-up-line that reached my poor ears in a looong time!" The confused expression on his face was worth indicating he wanted to flirt with her- which she was confident he didn't. "Granger, I was referring to my wand !" "Oh, yeah, I know!" She underlined her words with a glance at his crotch-oh, she loved riling him up, the years hadn't changed that. "No, really- it's hawthorn, see?" he already had his wand in his hand, wanting to show it to her as a proof, when the lift's doors opened and Hermione left it. Draco huffed, annoyed, contemplating whether the woman had, indeed, the audacity to mess with him, or if the one beer he had waiting in the club for Granger to show up had been too muggle for his pureblood brain. Granger didn't need to know the Ministry had observed her communication for some days. He overtook her in the hallway, not foregoing the chance to enter the Minister's office first. He had a reputation to uphold, after all. Draco had worked hard to redeem himself, and his family's name, in the eyes of the ministry, graduating from Auror training second only to Potter, even topping him in some classes. He still was no goody-two-shoes in private, collecting notches in his broomstick like no other, and, thanks to his close connection to the Malfoy family business his mother ruled (the Quidditch sponsoring being his favourite branch), he was still richer than the Bank of England. Not that the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, gave a damn about his money or relationships. The tall dark-skinned man solely payed his attention to the woman he hadn't seen for years, one whom he had fought with side by side. "Hermione! So nice to see you! You're looking good!" He embraced her tenderly, stirring a smile on her face. Quickly scanning Granger's outfit again, Draco was positive that the older man was more than right. He had to admit-only (to himself, of course) that she was downright delicious in this outfit. Perhaps, when this was all over, he could… "You haven't aged a bit, Kingsley, I must say!" Hermione smiled at the enthusiastic greeting, but returned to business immediately. "You know why you're here, Hermione?" "Yes. Malfoy filled me in a bit, although the information was a bit sparse, considering I need to develop a decent treatment for the patient." Draco realised she had fallen into a professional case-analysing pattern. He knew that such a behaviour indicated avoiding more sensible topics (no surprise there). What had caused the rift between the Golden Trio ten years ago? ' Must be something epic-or scandalous.' "This was necessary. You have been gone for so long, and we have to assure where your loyalties lie- I'm sure you understand." Kingsley's voice held no apology. Hermione nodded her head. "Of course, I guess you want me to sign some kind of confidentiality agreement?" "Exactly. That's a standard procedure for employees in the Ministry and St. Mungo's, as you will be considered as both for the time being- which means double pay, of course." "No need to bribe me, but a nice gesture nonetheless. How to explain my absence at work? I have duties, you know." Draco rolled his eyes-ignoring the payment and focusing on duties, she still was a bloody teacher's pet. "We've already covered that. Your hospital's management will get an official letter tomorrow, explaining that you have a confidential assignment for the government-what isn't even a lie, just a stretched truth. Anything else?" "Sounds believable, even happens sometimes. Two conditions, Kingsley: I want my own lab, top equipment- magical and muggle," the Minister nodded his approval, "And though I know it's unavoidable, I want the least amount of contact to the old bunch and the public as possible." Hermione's emphasised her point by tapping her index on the Minister's desk.

Spotting Malfoy in his purple Auror robes, she acknowledged how natural he had appeared in muggle clothing the day before. ' He could probably wear a sack, and still women would throw themselves at him. You should try it sometime-Oh, shush, grow out of it!' she chastised her ' inner slut' -as Juliet had named this side she declared every woman possessed and needed to be channeled from time to time. Without further greeting, Malfoy addressed her, "Your lab is prepared as you required it, we put it in the forensics part of the Auror division. If you don't mind, though, the equipment is certainly different from the other labs." He had no idea what Granger wanted to do with machines like a DNA-sequencer or a spectrophotometer, but she was an expert, and she would know. "Good morning, sunshine! And thank you very much." Hermione said overly cheerful, even if she wasn't feeling it. "Sorry. Good morning, sweetheart!" He answered in the same way and that evoked an honest little smile in her face. Both knew they needed to soften the fall that presumably was about to come. He led her to a room on the second floor, and asked her, his hands on the handle, "Are you ready? She-Potter is probably there, too. I can go in first." He registered that she kept her wand in a lose grip, an old habit that many veterans showed and wasn't easy to get rid of. He did that, too. "Thanks, but I won't hide behind you." She breathed in deeply. After a nod from her, Draco opened the door. Hermione stepped in and caught a glimpse at the black haired form on the bed, when she saw someone move in the corner of her right eye. Reflexively, she pulled her wand and directed it at the person. Ginny, she identified now. The other witch in turn poised her wand at her, and was in full rage in split seconds. "You! How dare you to poison us with your presence, wand-polishing harlot!"

Malfoy analysed the display of emotions in front of him: Ginny Potter, clearly irate, about to fire a hex at Hermione Granger, who had taken up a duelling stance. As much as the private Draco wanted to order a drink and observe the cat-fight unravelling, his Auror-self wasn't keen on writing a mission report that explained the destruction of a hospital room and the injury of Potter's wife (because he was convinced Granger would have the upper hand). He stepped between them, arms raised, but his own wand twirling between his fingers, his posture indicating that he would use his force if necessary. "Ladies, please. Lower your wands and we'll solve your little problems with words, not violence." No matter how often he used a line like this, it always sounded cliché- but, strangely, it worked in most cases. The women directed their wands to the floor, still eying each other. But that didn't stop Ginny from being harsh. "How dare you to come here, Hermione? Bathing in our misery? Haven't you betrayed everyone enough?" she spit, her blue eyes blazing. Hermione pocketed her wand, concentrating, and gripped her stethoscope with her hands to ground herself- and to remember the reason why she came there in the first place. When her eyes fluttered open again, her voice was calm, but tense. "Believe me, Ginny, I understand all the resentment you hold against me." The redhead snorted at that. "But I'm here to help." "You've helped Harry years ago, and look where that got us! What are you going to do this time?" Draco explained, "Dr. Granger here is one of the best in her field in the muggle world, she is specialised in toxics and neurological damage. She may be the one to wake Potter." Hermione was thankful for his support, though she'd declared herself crazy three days ago if someone had told her she'd be Draco Malfoy thankful for anything . Trusting Malfoy to have her back, Hermione turned to the bed, taking in her former best friend for the first time in nine years. He looked good, despite having his eyes firmly closed and his face pale. His black hair was as unruly as ever, though he had cut it shorter. Like Malfoy, he had filled out- that came with the work as an Auror. Reading the chart at Harry's bed, she noticed that it magically measured blood pressure, oxygen saturation, heart rate and other parameters. Hermione thought that this way was much easier than sticking all kinds of cables on and in a person. Wizarding medicine definitely had its perks. She used her wand to summon some empty vials, turning to Ginny again. The witch's face still showed anger, but also signs of worry. Hermione strictly followed the bedside manner she had learned- tell the patients relatives what you're doing to take away some fears and makes cooperation easier. "I'm going to collect some samples -hair, blood, urine, skin- using my wand now." She didn't ask for permission, simply informed. Some wand-movements later, Hermione stopped the vials and labelled the samples. "I'm going to test them in my lab today and see if I can identify any substances that could be responsible for his state. I read the medical file and my guess is that there really is a poison at work, judging from the facts. It's important to cross-check some circumstances, though." ' Easy, Hermione, you did this kind of interrogation thousands of times already, this one is no different.' "Tell me about the day Harry fell into coma, please." Draco was impressed; Granger was the epitome of professionalism now. Seeing her work was, truly, impressing. Hesitating, Ginny took some moments to begin to explain, "We all visited a Quidditch game- we, that is: Harry, Ron, Lavender, me and the children, our three and their two." Hermione flinched, three children in nine years. She could tell from Ginny's slightly changed figure that she had given birth, but three times? What had she accomplished in those years? Hermione went through her fair share of boyfriends, trysts, and affairs, but it had never been serious enough to settle down or even discuss children. The only man she had imagined having a family with was the brother of the witch standing across from her. "Thanks to Draco here, Harry and Ron were given access to the men's lockers rooms after the game, and they got all excited about that. The new captain, Viktor Krum, had debuted and the Cannons served Puddlemere with 230 to 70." Hermione glanced at Draco for confirmation. "The Chudley Cannons are heavily sponsored by Malfoy Inc., and I could organise a meeting with the team and the new captain for Potter and Weasley." He shrugged his shoulders as if it was perfectly normal that a Malfoy did something friendly for the former Gryffindors. "Viktor's playing seeker in England?" Hermione asked, taken aback. Her last meeting with Viktor had been very intense and served as her last hooray in the wizarding world. Memories of vodka and highly pleasurable sins crossed her mind for a moment. Ginny nodded automatically, not bothering it was Hermione's question she answered. "When the both of them came back, Harry mentioned a slight stiffness in his neck, explaining that he carried Lily on his shoulder's through the game.

Otherwise, he was very relaxed, almost childish. He persuaded Ron to take our children with them overnight, and we apparated home. When we arrived, Harry became quite… aroused, and we went upstairs…" Ginny paused, clearly embarrassed what she had to say next. "Sorry, Ginny, but it is important to hear your subjective retelling of the events. Every single detail could be relevant. I'm a doctor, and, as such, I know the processes of sex. I'm not interested in the private parts for entertainment." "Believe me, I'm aware that you once were interested in them," Harry's wife countered. Draco's subconscious stored the sentence for a later conversation with Granger. "Please, Ginny…" he urged gently. "Yes, Draco! We had sex, Hermione, okay? Dirty, wild, inhibited sex, several times. We tried things we never did before. Harry was insatiable and it was the best we had in years, probably ever! Satisfied?" Hermione mentally noted this information. It really was no problem for her to listen to that, and it was potentially relevant. And, contrary to common belief, she was no prude. "What happened afterwards?" she asked. "We showered, went for it again in the shower- twice - and tucked in afterwards. Minutes later, he had some kind of seizure. First I thought it was another nightmare-he still has them on occasions. But it was much, much worse. He cramped and shook, it was horrible! I called the Healers immediately, but before they could arrive, he stopped convulsing and fell into the state he is still in today." Silent tears fell down her cheeks, and Draco felt obligated to pat her back reassuringly. "Thank you, that's all. You did very well. I'll need some time testing and will come back when I have the first results." Ginny nodded solemnly, stepped to Harry's side, and took his hand in hers. That was Hermione's sign of dismissal, and she promptly left the room, Draco directly behind her. For a minute, she didn't say a word. The blond Auror simply followed her. Then she suddenly stopped and hit the wall next to her with her right palm, her lips releasing a short and anguished cry. "For fuck's sake! The unforgiving… ! Argh!" She counted to ten, forwards and backwards. Draco leaned at the wall next to her, smirking. "Better?" He wanted to know, amused by the bookworm's outburst, glad that it wasn't directed at him. "Much. Though punching someone's nose would be better!" She regained her footing and could even laugh upon Malfoy's exaggerated shiver . 'Fantastic, now he has humour to add to his looks. Couldn't he stay the prat he was at school?' "Now show me this lab you arranged for my purposes." -DHDHDHDHDH- "Malfoy, this is bloody brilliant!" Hermione's face lit up like a child's on Christmas when she entered her new lab. He was a bit proud at the compliment and observed, with a smile, how the witch touched every shiny surface, opened everything there was to open, and nearly caressed the machines. "You're welcome. Though I have no idea what some of those things are good for." She giggled, a sound that caused Draco's stomach to churn in funny ways. He had never make her giggle before-cry, hex, even openly violent, but never giggle. And right now, he regretted that. "Same goes for me. I didn't have enough time to dig deeper into the forensics of the wizarding world." "I prepared for that." He left the lab, only to come back some seconds later, a gorgeous blonde in tow. "Granger, this is Jackie Stevens. She has proven herself so helpful to me, and I'm convinced she can help you as well." ' Oh, I can guess how she helped you, and that didn't involve many clothes.' Hermione pondered, eyeing the way Jackie had her hand on Malfoy's left forearm-the one with the Dark Mark she remembered suddenly. "Draco, don't flatter me! I feel honored to assist you, Dr. Granger." That sounded honest, Hermione decided. And she really needed the help. "Thank you, Jackie." Okay, maybe she wanted to establish a hierarchy here with addressing her by her first name. "When can we start?" "I have some owls to send, and then I'll come back, okay?" Not waiting for Hermione's answer, Jackie turned to Draco. "Our arrangement still stands? Six o'clock p.m.?" "Of course, I'm very much looking forward to it." With that, the other witch left the room, not without swaying her hips invitingly. Distracted for a second, Draco wanted to resume talking to Granger-just to realise that she had taken place at the desk, and started scribbling notes on a college block (she had insisted on that, parchment was too loud). He knew better than approach her now, sharing a library for several years with her taught him that. He could dance around naked now, she probably wouldn't notice. ' Wonder how she'd react to that?' he chuckled. Grabbing one of the muggle post-its and a pen, he left her a note on the still empty board. ' Granger, meet me to discuss the drug smuggler-case at Malfoy Manor tonight, 8:30 p.m. Don't worry, it has been renovated from top to bottom. I'll open the firewhiskey and give you access to the wards. Don't argue and give in.

When Hermione apparated next to the gates of Malfoy Manor at 8:27 PM, she could tell immediately that there had been changes on the ancient building. The former gloomy and dark stone walls now held a light grey. The path that led to the massive entrance doors was plastered with white cobblestone and framed of flower beds. Without hesitation, Hermione knocked on the door, using the old-fashioned iron knocker - an emerald eyed snake. An unmistaken tribute to the Syltherin connection. ' The Slytherin-connection-sounds like a good book title.' Of course, a house-elf opened to her, blinking at her expectant. "Good evening, Miss Granger. You are here to visit Master Malfoy?" Noticing the elf was fully clothed, Hermione answered, "Yes, I've been invited. Can you tell me where he is?" ' Master Malfoy it is now? That means either Lucius is dead or locked away- in any case, he has stepped back as head of family.' The elf made an excusing gesture with its tiny hands. "Master left explicit orders not to be disturbed." Knowing the question to lead her there would trouble the elf because of his Master's orders, she simply asked, "Then describe the way, I'm sure he is waiting for me." Memorising the elf's complicated explanation, Hermione walked along the long corridors and staircases of the Manor. ' Look at that! It really isn't the same. So bright and inviting, almost cozy.' When her fingertips touched the tapestry and some wooden furniture, she noticed the high quality of the interior. ' Didn't expect anything else of Malfoy.' Finally reaching the room the elf had directed her to, Hermione became aware of rustling sounds through the half-closed door. She thought nothing of it - she had been invited at a specific time, after all. She decided to enter and looked into the room. What she saw in, what was apparently, Malfoy's bedroom made her hot and cold at the same moment. With his backside to her, Draco Malfoy proudly kneeled on his bed. Shagging a blonde witch, doggy-style. Hermione's first impulse was to turn away, but she simply couldn't. And perhaps didn't want to. She could see Draco in all his naked glory- and what a sight that was! She was right before; he had muscles everywhere, but not too much to appear bulky. He had the perfect pert arse, made to hold onto, and a deliciously toned back and thighs. The smooth and controlled movements his hips made tantalized Hermione: she was truly captivated at the erotic sight. And to her shame, she noticed that observing him aroused her, judging from the wetness pooling in her panties. Draco gripped the witch's hips hard with one hand, pulling her closer. The other was further down from what Hermione could see, probably playing with the woman's breasts. That idea made her own peaks hard, rubbing against the insides of her bra and causing a delightful friction there. She loved the displayed position for this option - and the deep penetration it provided. Not to forget, depending on her state of satisfaction, the possibility to help things along by playing at her clit on her own. And the sounds they made. The witch gave soft keening noises, clearly enjoying the pureblood's ministrations. Hermione could see that she held her bum high up in the air, her upper body resting on the mattress. Aside from the bright hair, Hermione spotted the lucky woman's hand which gripped the sheets tightly, bracing her for the powerful thrusts from behind. Draco's sounds made Hermione rub her thighs against each other, begging for relief. The low moans and growls resonating from him were dark and dangerous-and sounded like sinful seduction in her ears, flashing her back to the evening in the club when he had whispered to her. For a second, Hermione wanted to turn away; she was no voyeur. She firmly believed sex was a private thing that happened between two (or more) people. She nearly willed her feet to move, until- ' Oh God, a mirror!' And indeed, a huge antique mirror hang on the wall, facing Malfoy. And now she saw these irresistible grey orbs staring directly at her in the reflection! The intense and unwavering gaze fixated her, bore through her, left her exposed and raw. But she couldn't lower her eyes. Feeling heat rising everywhere in her body, she kept the eye-contact. ' He's pure sex… I can't help it. And it shouldn't, but watching him really turns me on… and him, apparently, too.' Draco's movements sped up now, thrusting deeper, causing the witch around his cock to moan louder. An especially hard thrust made Hermione suppress a moan of her own, her eyes never leaving his. She bit on her lower lip instead, the tip of her tongue carefully wetting the point afterwards. Draco seemed to like that, for he spoke for the first time, his voice husky. "Keep doing that, little witch, and I'm losing it." ' Was he talking to me? He can't-can he?' Her breath came fast now and she could hear the blood rush in her ears; the forbidden fruits were always the most delicious. ' There's only one way to find out.' This time, her tongue slid slowly over the entire length of her lip, leaving a wet trail. A nearly desperate "Fuck!" and his jerking moves told her what she wanted to know. ' He was talking to me-oh!' Three forceful thrusts later, he fell apart, with an almost relieved tremble and a long moan, the grey irises finally closing in bliss. Shouting out the wizard's name, the woman expressed her release seconds later. Hermione noticed now that her own hands hand found their way to the apex of her thighs, inches apart from her, now dripping, centre.

"Draco, this was the best fuck we've ever had! Shit, that was fantastic!" Categorizing the voice - 'Jackie! Of course.' - Hermione woke from her stupor. Turning around, she silently fled the Manor, not daring to look back, and apparated home. Feeling shame and guilt slowly rising, she decided that before she could face Malfoy again, she desperately needed to think of something to say and calm down-after some minutes with her familiar vibrator. -DHDHDHDHDH- Half an hour later, Draco stepped through Hermione's recently built fireplace, a relaxed smile on his face and a bottle of amber liquid in his hand. She blushed immediately at the sight of him. That reminded him, in turn, how beautifully flushed she was not even an hour ago, standing in his bedroom-door. ' And she knew exactly how to make me lose control. Damn, that was too good to be true. Does she suppress her pleasure, when she's actually having it? When she writhes in passion? How would that tongue of hers around-uhm, that will get us nowhere, boy!' He cleared his throat. "Come on, Granger. We had a meeting, and you left prematurely. I told you I'd open a firewhiskey. Do you really want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance to have one with me?" "Draco, do you seriously-" she started, but was interrupted. "It's Draco now?" She lifted her chin confidently. "Here, I thought watching you emptying yourself in Jackie Stevens would earn me that right. Silly muggleborn me." Her words dripped of sarcasm to conceal her insecurity. They had called each other by their last names since the age of eleven, but the intimate moment they now shared made Hermione want to change that. ' And the fact that it was his face, voice and body you fantasised twenty minutes ago while shoving the vibrator into your sopping pussy.' Hermione willed her ' inner slut' to be quiet. "Actually I don't mind at all. You want a fresh start here, and that is one of the ways I can help… Hermione." Though the evening made Draco think of at least 69 other options to do so. Relieved that they both ignored the elephant in the room for the moment and somewhat calmed down, Hermione began to talk again. "Before we get to the whiskey-part, we should discuss some things concerning this drug and Harry." She waited, until Draco sat down on the smaller sofa across from her. "It's too early to confirm, because the analyses are still running-" "Still?" Hermione rolled her eyes upon this typical question. "This is not ' CSI' or ' Bones', this is real life and we have to wait for reliable data. Even magic doesn't speed things up here." "Bones? I thought you just worked with samples like blood and hair…" "Forget it. Anyway, I went through the reports of the consummates of Morgana's Touch, and they show a pattern: They apply the drug to the bloodstream. Some minutes afterwards, phase one starts with giddiness, slight euphoria, and a bit drowsiness. Phase two follows after approximately thirty minutes: Increased agitation, effusive enthusiasm, sometimes hallucinations, and an overwhelming sex-drive." Draco snorted at that. "What?" she asked. "I wonder that people are so depraved that they take drugs to improve their sex-life. That surely is no option for me." "Confident, much? I would have guessed that even before the performance today, given the rumors at Hogwarts!" Oh, she really needed to control her inner slut-or let her come out and play, especially after she saw the barely visible blush on his cheeks. "Believe it or not, sex on drugs is an entirely different experience: More intense and daring," Hermione resumed. "Speaking from experience here?" His question alone made Draco's thoughts running wild. "Well, there was this accident while we were on a field trip with the university in South America's rainforests… but let's concentrate on the task at hand, yes?" She had absolutely no idea from where she took the boldness to bait him like that. Draco shifted uncomfortably and resisted the urge to arrange his trousers. ' Crime is the topic. Crime! Not the naughty bits!' he chastised himself. "Phase two lasts for about an hour, and then the most dangerous phase completes the trip; heightened magical abilities combined with the feeling of absolute power and lacking control for up to two hours. Am I right?" "Yes. This is the behaviour that causes the Ministry problems. They feel like the incarnation of Voldemort or Merlin and treat themselves as such; firing curses and spells they never mastered before for lack of talent, and being destructive doing so. We usually operate in teams of four to restrain and arrest them." Draco explained. "The sobering up sends them into a low, and the vicious circle of dependence starts anew, spiralling them deeper and deeper. Are there any numbers known?" She concluded. "Taking into consideration that we mostly are called when they cause ruckus in public or are found in their deranged state, the dark digits are hard to estimate, but we have accounted three hundred cases of abuse with twenty victims dead so far." "That is not as much as I'd expect with this dangerous substance. Interesting." She paused, showing him her notes. "My guess is that we're confronted with a mix of different drugs, one for every phase. I have no idea yet how the dealers make that possible, but that is the only logical explanation. One or all ingredients make it highly addictive and hard to control." "That makes sense. Have you made progress with Potter's case?" She frowned slightly, because she hadn't liked what she found. "I presume that he was attacked with a variation of Morgana's Touch."

"He was drugged? How?" Draco's eyes widened in surprise. "No idea. But the reports and Ginny's narration of the day indicate that. His behaviour followed the pattern; giddy, followed by horny with the exception of phase three: Magical high. The attackers must have used an altered substance to achieve a knock-out instead. I don't think he's in an actual danger at the moment, given his coma, but that can change fast. I need a sample of Morgana's Touch to work with. The reports says all tries to analyse it were unusable because of its instability?" "Correct. Jackie had a hard time with it so far." Hermione gulped down the line, ' This is not the only hard thing she handled.' And said instead, "That doesn't change the fact that I need a sample. Could you take me with you when you're investigating next time? That'd increase my chances considerably." "I'll make you acquainted with my team tomorrow, and you can accompany us, okay?" He finished the work-related part of their conversation. "Are there no whiskey-glasses in this household?" Hermione smiled and started to get up, but sat down again. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned two simple glasses from the kitchen. "You remembered fast, didn't you?" Draco commented her wandless Accio. "Magic is part of me, that never changed. But I grew up doing things without it, and somehow, as the years went by, I simply left my wand in the safe. Guess that was either naïve or arrogant of me, considering how easy it was for you to corner me. Wandless spells wouldn't have sufficed had you been a threat." The blond snickered. "The know-it-all extraordinaire admits she might have made a mistake? Let's toast to that." He opened the bottle and poured them both a generous shot. Looking each other in the eyes (because superstitious as it was, they both didn't want to risk seven years of bad sex,) they clicked the glasses and drank. "Boy, this is sooo good! I missed firewhiskey, honestly!" Hermione admired the liquor. "I like it when a woman appreciates a good drink. You really aren't the innocent virgin you were dubbed as back then." Draco desperately wanted to satisfy his curiosity. "Never was. Looking back I broke more school rules than I kept, not even mentioning all the laws I stretched generously. You want to know what happened between the Golden Trio and how Ginny fits in the mix?" He nodded to that. "I suppose you should know my side of things before you get the media version one day, or one of the others tell you. And after bottling all of it up for so long, I really need to explain myself to someone. That this someone is Draco Malfoy comes as a surprise, though." She breathed in and out deeply before she started, and he knew that she needed the moment to prepare. "After the war, Ron and I were a couple. Partially because it was the natural development, with Harry and Ginny rekindled, and partially because we had feelings for each other. For some time, it went smoothly, and we had a stable relationship. When the world around us began to normalise, and it was time to ponder whether to go back to school or start a job, the problems started to appear. We wanted different things from life: Ron wanted an easy lifestyle and a family as soon as possible. I wanted to explore the academic way before settling down and having children. We still loved each other, no questions, but we argued more and more, and when Kingsley's team discovered my parents in Australia… it became apparent that they needed me to care for them, and acclimate them back into their own life. We decided to end it. It was a fairly normal and mutual break-up, no matter what the media said." She braced herself with a gulp of firewhiskey before she came to the nasty parts. "Not much drama so far, as you can see. I moved back to my childhood room and guided my parents through the long process of restoring their memories, which was very draining, emotionally and magically. Before a year was nearly gone, we had restored our relationship back up again, so that they were still not happy to see me returning to the wizarding world, but made their peace with my decision. I sent a letter to Ron and Harry, announcing my coming back. Arriving at the Burrow, I expected a friendly welcome, only to find out that in the time between Harry had a chat with Ron and Ginny one evening. There was much alcohol involved and even more emotions, for it was the first anniversary of the final battle, when he boasted that he knew me better, more ' intimately' than even Ron, revealing circumstances that we had decided to keep between us two alone for a reason ." Hermione had felt utterly betrayed by Harry then. "What circumstances?" Draco wanted to know, totally immersed in her story. "That I had sex with Harry. More than once." He knocked the whole drink back.