For anyone curious, the ring is inspired by Michelle Yeoh's ring irl and in Crazy Rich Asians. It's so beautiful and so luxurious. I though it would be exactly what someone like Narcissa would have.

In which female friendship is the key to life, and Hermione lashes out.

Autumn 2002

Malfoy had started to bring coffee. It was a strange thing, to have your childhood bully know your coffee order without ever having asked. Nevertheless, every morning when Hermione got to her office, she found Malfoy already inside with a to go cup on the coffee table, and another on her desk.

"How did you know how I like my coffee?" She asked one morning. It was bothering her more than it should.

He had started to bring his own reading material, no longer showing up hungover enough to sleep the day away. He looked up from his book, something about charms, she thought.

"You didn't seem like the black coffee type, it's too bitter. But sugar seems too much. So, one cream it had to be." He didn't look at her.

"Hmm." She went back to her book, tapping her finger on the table.

"Does it bother you?" she could hear him smirking.

"Does what bother me?"

"That I figured out your order?" she put her finger on the page to keep her spot and met his gaze.

"I just find it interesting is all."

"How so?"

"That you've noticed."

"I notice a lot of things about you, Granger. Always have." She didn't know what to say to that, so she went back to her book, fiddling once again with her necklace. She could see him grinning at her from the corner of her eyes.

"Oh, do shut up." she muttered, but there was far less bite to it than she would have liked.

The next day when she got to work, there was an envelope on her desk, alongside the coffee. Hermione recognized the expensive parchment and the green M seal on the back immediately.

"What does your mother want?" she asked him. He did not stop reading.

"Not a clue. I'm just the delivery boy." A horrifying thought occurred to her,

"You don't think she's going to stop letting me borrow the books?" she asked, her voice getting a little pitchy. He laughed.

"I don't think she's that cruel. Though why you can't just come to the manor is beyond me."

Ha!

"What about the renovations?" she asked ever so sweetly, watching his reaction. At first there was confusion as he looked at her, and then he realized.

"Shit."

"What a liar." She laughed. She knew it had been an imagined excuse, but it still stung a little, "I'm shocked she's letting me touch them at all to be honest." She said before she'd realized who she was talking to. Though he didn't look upset at the implication that his mother was a raging bigot.

"I could be wrong Granger, but I have a feeling her motives weren't…that. Or at least not just that." He said slowly.

"Oh? What other reason could there be?" He stopped for a moment, looking uncomfortable. It was strange on him.

"The library is next to the drawing room."

Oh. She pulled at her sleeve reflexively.

Not breaking her gaze, he continued, "If she hadn't wanted you there, I think she would have just said the books were in storage or unreachable somehow. That she let you borrow them…I don't think your blood status was the reason Granger, truly." He was speaking more softly than he ever did with her, and their eye contact was so intense it was uncomfortable.

"I see. Thank you, for clarifying." She didn't know what else to say so she sat and opened the letter.

Miss Granger,

I hope that your use of our libraries resources has been helpful in your research. My son tells me there have been some small improvements in your understanding of the Time Turner.

In the interest of continued mutual benefit, I would like to request a favor.

Would you be open to meeting me today for lunch at The Grove, say 12pm?

Regards,

Narcissa Malfoy

"She wants to go for lunch."

"What?"

"Your mother, she wants to meet me for lunch to ask me for a favor. Why couldn't she just ask me in the letter?" She said almost to herself as much as Malfoy.

"She'd think it rude. To her, you're involved in a business arrangement of sorts. It would be disrespectful to ask you for something so casually." The irony of Narcissa Malfoy reluctance to offend Hermione wasn't lost on her. If anything, it made her very curious as to what the woman wanted.

She scribbled a quick reply to confirm she would be at The Grove at 12pm, and settled into her research.

When 11:45 rolled around she started to get nervous. As much as she told herself it was silly, the older Malfoy was intimidating.

"Granger." She could tell by his tone he was annoyed, but there was a hint of concern too that she was very much inclined to ignore.

"Yes, Malfoy?"

"I say this with the utmost respect. Fucking can it with the pen." Her thumb froze mid click on the pen in her hand.

"I'm surprised you even know what a pen is." she muttered. Putting it carefully down and transferring her nervous energy into pushing the charm back and forth on her necklace.

"I'm not a neanderthal Granger. Besides they're far more convenient than quills." She snorted a little at the thought of him going into a Muggle stationary shop and then decided it was time to go. She refused to be late.

Malfoy stood at the same time, and they made their way down the hallway together.

"Where are you going?" She asked him, in what she hoped was a nonchalant, friendly, conversational type of way.

"I have my own lunch plans." She met his gaze. Not for the first time she noticed how much taller he was. How much warmer the grey in his eyes seemed than when they were in school. She looked away quickly and pressed the elevator button, before she started noticing other things like how his figure had filled deliciously under his robes, and how soft his hair looked.

If this was any indication of her current mental state, she really needed to get laid.

"You know," he said casually, as they stepped in, "my lunch plans aren't set in stone. I can come with you." She looked at him from the corner of her eyes. He wasn't looking at her, he was very specifically looking ahead. "If you need a buffer of sorts. I can make the change."

He was offering her an out. A trio for lunch instead of being alone with his mother. It was almost…sweet. Besides that, she was extremely tempted to take him up on it. Narcissa was a force, and Hermione wasn't sure how much she had in her today.

"Thank you. But I'll be alright. Your mother isn't that frightening you know." At that he did look at her, brow raised. He smirked, but it was missing its usual snark. He almost looked impressed. He turned properly to her as they neared the main floor.

"How very Gryffindor of you." His eyes flicked down. Before she, or he for that matter, realized what was happening, he had reached out and hooked his finger under the chain of her necklace. Pushing her charm from where it was sitting on her collarbone to the middle of her chest.

"Perfect." He said, before turning on his heel and walking right out the door.

The Grove was a very fancy, very old Wizarding restaurant in the middle of London. Hermione had never been there, mainly because her bank account wasn't overflowing with galleons, but also because no one had ever asked her.

She was fully prepared to get the tiniest side salad on the menu and call it a day.

When she was shown through the gorgeous lobby into the restaurant, she saw Narcissa already seated at a table. It was only 11:55, so she was on time. But it still made her itch.

Despite that, she had to admit the place was gorgeous. As the server led her to the table, she marveled at the open greenhouse style area of the tearoom they were in.

Narcissa stood to greet her when she got to the table and took her hand briefly.

"Miss Granger." She gestured at the seat across from her. "Please, help yourself" There was tea already poured for her, but without milk or sugar. Those were on the table for her to add at her leisure. There was a stand, magically rotating, filled with delicious looking tiny sandwiches, macarons, and other small nibbles that Hermione didn't recognize. It looked amazing, and expensive. If Narcissa noticed her hesitation she couldn't tell, it seemed like a natural extension when she added.

"Since I asked you here of course this is my treat." Hermione bristled but she was hungry, and the food did look delicious. Deciding that her pride shouldn't get in the way of her trying whatever that chocolate filled thing on the bottom was, she managed to thank her without seeming too put out. They sipped tea in silence for a few minutes and Hermione took the time to properly look at her.

She had the same blonde hair the same as her reluctant not-a-coworker, though not quite as white. There was an iciness to her that was disconcerting, but she couldn't help but admit Malfoy clearly got his looks from her. Despite the mid-September chill, she was wearing a light set of pale green robes. They were gorgeous and obviously expensive, much like the giant emerald ring on her right hand. Perhaps her old engagement ring? Switched hands now that she was no longer married? Though Hermione thought she would have remembered seeing it before now.

An emerald engagement ring for a Slytherin, how cliché.

"How has your research been coming along?" Narcissa snapped her from her thoughts, "Draco has told me a little, but I'd like to hear from you."

"I've isolated the branch of dark magic I believe was used to corrupt the time turner. Unfortunately, that particular area is vast, and not very well documented for obvious reasons. The Malfoy resources have been invaluable, I truly wouldn't have made any progress without them." she wasn't lying but it did taste a little sour coming out, "thank you again for allowing me access." She left the opening for the tit for tat that she knew was coming.

"You are very welcome." She paused. Hermione didn't think Narcissa Malfoy knew how to look uncomfortable. That perfect mask was always in place. But just maybe there might be a crack as she could see her trying to ask the next question.

"I believe you are acquainted with my sister." Hermione sucked in a breath. She was a little more than acquainted with her, she tugged at her sleeve for the second time today. A habit she thought shed outgrown.

Narcissa's mask really did slip then, only for a second, but Hermione saw a glimmer of regret.

"My apologies, I should have phrased that better. I meant Andromeda." She didn't realize she had stopped breathing at the perceived mention of Bellatrix, but she began again.

"Yes, sorry I thought you meant…Yes, I know Andromeda. Quite well actually." They had become close in the years since the war. Both had lost most of their families and were left with the families they chose. They had a standing brunch once a month to catch up. It was hard for her to carve out time, caring for a toddler by herself.

"Please, forgive me. I wasn't thinking." The apology was genuine, as was the tiny glimpse of concern she could see in Narcissa's eyes.

"It's ok. Thank you, though." She took a sip of tea. Narcissa looked down and tapped her fingers on the table a few times, the sound muffled by the thick white cloth.

"I haven't spoken to Andromeda in a long time. Not since," she faltered, just a little" Not since she married her late husband. I have been trying to reach out these last few years. Since the war. But she hasn't responded to my letters. I imagine she's thrown them in the fire before they're even opened" She met Hermione's gaze again. She nodded, giving her the space to go on.

"I understand why she would be reluctant to meet with me. Our last exchange was…unpleasant. Words were said on both sides that were painful, but I'll admit, they were mostly mine. That's not to mention her losses. I can't imagine. The loss of a child."

Tonks.

Hermione's heart clenched uncomfortably at the sincerity on Narcissa's face. So different from the usual cool porcelain. It had vanished while she was talking and Hermione was loath to break the spell, so she waited. Sipping her tea.

"I know she has a grandson now. I would like to meet him. But more than that. I…I would very much like to have my sister back." Neither of them said anything. The words hung heavily in the air as they sipped.

"You said you had a request. What do you need from me exactly." Hermione said finally. Narcissa looked back at her, meeting her gaze again. The mask back in place, though maybe a little less firmly than before. She reached into her handbag, producing a letter in a familiar parchment.

"All I ask is that you deliver this to her, and see that she reads it." She paused, and then seeming to decide something, continued, "Draco tells me that you are an incredible witch, with a great capacity for forgiveness." Hermione's hand drifted to the necklace he'd adjusted earlier.

He said that?

"It's all…it's all in the letter but I would ask that you tell her how deeply sorry I am for my part in what happened to her, to her husband, and to her child. I would give everything I have to take it back." Hermione remembered then that Andromeda and Ted had been tortured during the war by Death Eaters. She imagined that when the snatchers had caught up with Ted in the end, that it hadn't been a quick death. She wouldn't be surprised if indeed all the previous letters had gone in the fire.

"I'll tell her," She said, taking the letter from the table where Narcissa had set it. "I can't promise that I'll be able to convince her to read it, but I'll do my best." The older woman's shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. Though her posture didn't falter from the perfection it had been the entire lunch.

"On that same note, Miss Granger, I owe you an apology as well. For the part I, and my family, played in what happened to you during the war." She paused and Hermione had frozen in shock, tea halfway to her mouth. "I have to confess; we don't actually have any renovations at the Manor."

No shit.

"I could lie and say that I didn't want you to be uncomfortable in our home, due to the history you share with certain rooms there. But in truth, I couldn't quite face the guilt."

Oh. So, Malfoy had been a little bit right, and a little bit wrong.

"Thank you." Hermione managed. A lead weight she didn't realize was on her chest lifting slightly.

"Apology accepted."

It was the day before her birthday, and so she'd planned to meet Ginny in Muggle London to see a new thriller that had just come out, to avoid having to think about it. Hermione hated her birthday. This year it had snuck up on her, between dealing with Malfoy and the excitement of the Time Turner research she had managed to avoid thinking about it but now it was here, and she couldn't avoid it any longer.

At one time in her life, she had loved it. It was right at the beginning of the school year, full of all that new promise of lessons and fresh parchment. But now…

Now it was a reminder of what she had lost. Of the people she should be spending it with but couldn't.

To make matters worse, when she was putting on her scarf that evening her necklace broke. It was a delicate gold chain, with a small outlined cat charm. It was the last gift her parents had given her before the war.

Do not cry.

Swallowing the lump in her throat and setting the necklace down slowly in the bowl on the hallway table, she turned and apparated for the theatre.

The movie was terrible, the villains were defeated by cups of water at the end of all things, but afterwards they went back to her place for a cup of tea and to laugh about the ridiculous plot.

"I don't know why I keep letting you take me to these things Hermione." Ginny laughed "This one was almost as bad as the one last month with the crime solving dog."

"That will be hailed as a classic in years to come Ginerva Weasley, mark my words." Hermione set their teas on the coffee table and sat with relish.

"Work's going better then? How's being stuck with Malfoy all day."

"It is the books are incredible. I've really been making progress. Malfoy is shockingly not terrible, and I even managed to have a civil conversation with his mother."

"Who would have thought. Not terrible is pretty high praise coming from you." She laughed.

They drank their tea and watched the news in companiable silence before Ginny made to leave at almost 9 o'clock, promising to write to Hermione more often when she was gone with the Harpies.

"Good luck with the season Gin. I'll see you soon." She pulled her in for a hug. Ginny squeezed her just a little longer than she normally would.

"You too. With the research. Let me know how you get on." Hermione promised she would, and Ginny turned and apparated as she walked out the door.

Finally ready to fall into bed, she locked up. When she turned to click off the lamp on the hallway table, she caught sight of the broken necklace in the bowl.

Her heart sank and she felt like vomiting all over the floor. An old and familiar paid stabbed her anew and she folded over with the strength of it. The loss of her parents hit her like a wall. Just over five full years since she had obliviated them, it had gotten easier. The grief of it. But it came in waves. On days like birthdays and anniversaries, the waves were particularly strong.

Physically unable to stand any longer she slumped against the door and bawled. There was something terrible about being somewhere between an orphan and not. Her parents were alive, they were safe. But they would never see her or speak to her again. They wouldn't pop by unannounced. They would never come to her wedding or see her grow into a woman. Hermione would have given anything for one last hug from her mum. For one last early morning tea with her dad.

A sharp crack startled her.

"Sorry Hermione I forgot my-" Ginny was already striding towards her when she stopped in her tracks at Hermione's broken figure on the floor. She looked up at her best friend and said nothing but choked out another awful sob, burying her face in her hands.

She heard the scratching of a quill on parchment and the heard sound of two letters being sent through the floo before she felt Ginny's arms around her shoulders.

"Come on Hermione, up you get." She pulled her to her feet and started to steer her back to the couch. Another crack sounded and Luna made right for the kettle and started to make another pot of tea.

Her broken heart filled to the brim with her beautiful friends.

They fed her tea and biscuits and tucked in with her on the couch to watch an old muggle musical. Even when the tears had finally subsided, they didn't leave. Instead, when she finally went to bed just after midnight, Ginny and Luna were with her, tucked in on either side of her. Though she didn't sleep at all they were there.

Making sure she wasn't alone.

She almost started to cry again, but she had to get to work.

She looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were purpled underneath from her lack of sleep, and bloodshot from her tears.

The dull ache of grief always came with thoughts of her parents. But today, it was a sharp knife, twisting with every chipper birthday greeting she received on her way to her office. She just had to make it through the day, and she could go home and crawl back into bed. Resolutely pretending it was not another year since she had sent them away.

Malfoy was back on her couch when she arrived, arm flung indulgently over his eyes, and a slow type of rage filled her. She had gotten no sleep. She was upset, nerves were fried, and suddenly all over again she hated him. He was hungover once again and very clearly not in the mood to be talking to her, which was fine because she very much did not want to talk to him either. She resented him and his alive and remembering parents and she hated him for his lazy ability to hang around her office all day bothering her. Why didn't he have a job. What good was he doing sitting around all day being a rich bigoted prick.

In between bouts of reading and sleep all he seemed to do was floo message someone, or perhaps multiple someone's. Back and forth and back and forth.

The constant swish of his wand and the soft whoomf of letter entering the fire was irritating on a good day.

But today was not a good day.

After the 27th telltale whoosh of a letter coming through to hover in front of the fireplace, waiting to be summoned by him, she intercepted it with a quick -

"Accio." She grabbed the letter in her hand. Her magic was humming with anticipation.

"What the fuck Granger!" she stood, his wand in hand. So that's how it is? Her irritation spiked to anger.

"Malfoy I am trying to concentrate. If you can't find some other way to occupy your time, find somewhere else to be." She snapped. He wasn't paying her any attention. Just looking at the letter in her hand as though it was about to explode.

"What's in here then hmm?" She picked slightly at the seam. It was folded she realized but not sealed. Folded in such a way that it wouldn't come apart on its own, but with one pull it would open.

Clever.

She thought, briefly. But back to the matter at hand. Malfoys face was turning a very amusing shade of red that she hadn't seen on him since school. She was enjoying this. Taking her pain out on Malfoy felt good.

How does it feel to have someone push you around for once Malfoy?

"Give it back Granger." He warned, obviously trying hard to keep his tone even and civil but largely failing.

"Or what? You'll tell Mummy?" She sneered. She didn't sound like herself. She knew that. He started for her then. But she was quicker.

"Protego." The shield charm went up around her. Normally she wasn't a spiteful person. Normally.

"Now, let's see what's so important." She opened the letter.

"Granger, wait-"

D,

I can't believe Mummy Malfoy is making you see that insufferable cow again. Actually, I can believe that. The woman is cold as fuck. I may be in love with her. Chin up though, it's not for long, and then you'll be rid of her for good. Hopefully she'll reign it in and won't be such a bitch. As long as you get what's needed out of her it'll all be worth it.

Just keep your temper and don't do anything stupid. I know she's "the most heinous cunt to ever pollute the wizarding world with her filth" it isn't all bad. At least she's got nice tits.

Come over again tonight, I'll take your mind off it.

xx

T

"How dare you." She lowered her shield charm and threw the letter at him. "How fucking dare you, you absolute bastard." She wasn't sure what was worse. The vulgarity of the letter, or the sting of knowing that just when she was starting to soften towards him, towards Narcissa, he confirmed every foul thing she ever thought about him was true. The rage that had been simmering in her all morning roared to a white hot boil. Her ears were ringing with it.

He bent to retrieve the letter where it had fallen on the floor. He paled as he read it, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose.

"Let me explain."

"No. I don't care what you have to say. I don't believe a single word out of your disgusting Death Eater mouth." He looked up at her, shocked. The ringing was getting sharper, more high pitched.

"Granger, I-"

"No. You've been lying around here for three weeks now, letting me think we were making progress and that's still what you think of me." Her skin was on fire, and she knew it would be splotchy and red. Tears threatened behind her eyes, but she blinked them furiously away. "Same old Granger. Same old filthy mudblood bitch." He started as though she had slapped him. His mouth a thin line. No longer shocked, but angry.

Good.

"And what about these?" She gestured angrily to the piles of books surrounding them. He was confused for an instant, but it was quickly covered with the same cool mask she recognized from his mother. "You had these this whole time?"

"Yes…"

"You do realize that with this information we could have killed him much sooner. Do you even care how many lives could have been saved?" A flicker of recognition.

"Given that I didn't know about his Horcruxes until last week, I fail to see how that's my problem. Or how that's relevant to this letter, which you still have not let me explain." Logically, she knew he wasn't wrong, but she didn't care.

"All this time your family has been hoarding knowledge of Dark Magic for only your family and your Death Eater friends to use. Voldemort probably got some of his ideas from these! God only knows what you still have locked up there. We all know your dad used to piss around with dark objects. What about your Mum? Now that Daddy's back in Azkaban."

"Watch it, Granger." He was really pissed off now. She could hear it in his voice. She could see it in the white knuckles around his wand.

"It's despicable Malfoy. Your family is despicable. You are despicable. These books should never have been allowed to be in his possession. But of course, the precious pureblood family just had to roll out the red carpet for their Dark Lord."

She knew it wasn't his choice. She knew they were just as much victims of Voldemort, of Bellatrix, as anyone but she didn't care. She just wanted him to hurt like she hurt. Her head was starting to feel like it was splitting in half.

"You helped him come to power! You let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts! You are why Dumbledore was killed."

You are why my parents are gone.

"Granger." His grey eyes were flinty and angry but there was a wariness that she loathed. She loathed the fact that she'd known him since she was a child, and he knew her well enough to know this wasn't like her. He knew her well enough to know something was wrong.

"No, Malfoy. Do tell me. What was it like? Were you proud to have a mass murderer in the house? Did it make you happy when he tortured and killed our teacher in front of you." Her throat was tight, and she hated that she sounded on the brink of tears.

"How about me, Draco? You didn't care about my filth when your aunt dragged me into your house and tortured me on the fucking floor!"

BOOM

Hermione woke up in bed. Oh god. I'm in St Mungo's. I blew up the ministry.

No. It can't be St Mungo's. She'd spent time there after the war, when the panic attacks made it impossible to sleep and function.

She didn't remember St Mungo's smelling quite this nice, like lavender. Or the sheets being this soft. She felt groggy. No. Cozy. Like she could lie in this bed for days and days and never get out.

Ok so not St Mungo's. Maybe she'd just drank too much the night before and gone home. Yes. That must be it. She almost opened her eyes, but she wanted to stay in this half asleep dreamy world a little while longer.

Merlin this bed was comfortable. She stretched her legs a little, luxuriating in the feeling.

An arm tightened around her stomach.

Shit.

Did she go home with Ron again? They hadn't done that in a while but inevitably it had happened again. They knew they were bad for one another as partners. But the sex was good, or at least familiar, so they kept falling back into bed once every few months. She'd really thought last time had been the last time though.

She should get up. She really should get up, but Ron curled her back into his body, his arm reaching lazily up under her shirt to grab her breast.

"Ron stop, we agreed not to do this anymore." She said, pulling gently on his arm. The arm froze beneath her. All of a sudden it wrenched away as he said from behind her

"What the fuck!" Not Ron. Not Ron at all.

She spun around and came face to face with a furious Draco Malfoy.

He leapt out of bed, pulling a blanket from the bottom of the bed to cover his, mostly, naked body with. Hermione pulled the sheets towards her, covering her breasts. She was wearing a shirt, but being braless with Malfoy was not something she was ok with.

She could hear him shouting, but she was distracted. As she pulled the sheets to her chest, she noticed a familiar green, emerald ring sitting on the third finger of her left hand. And beneath it, quite unmistakably, was a wedding band.

She felt the sensation of freezing cold water being dumped on her as she looked at his hand clutching the fuzzy pink blanket in front of his waist, and saw on his finger, another gold band.

"What the fuck?!"