When Dotty left Draco wasted no time raking his eyes over her body.

"Draco Lucious Malfoy, you had her bring me here before I was ready!"

"I'll say," he wiggled an eyebrow, "I must admit I regret not sending her sooner."

"You wish," she scowled and pulled her robe closer to her. "Was this what you were hoping for?" she motioned to her current state of undress.

Draco stood and shrugged off his cloak, "No, I only wanted to startle you with an abrupt enterance. This," he passed her his cloak," was just a plus."

She growled at him but accepted the cloak and conjured a dark privacy screen. "You're a right prat sometimes Drake." Before she could disappear behind it his hand wrapped around her forearm and she hissed in pain. "Fuck," she pulled her arm away and curled it protectively to her stomach looking up at Draco.

"I thought it healed.."

His voice was small and she gave him a small smile. Turning her arm over she looked at the red, inflamed letters branding her arm, "It is. But it still flares up in certain environments, like a hot shower." She shrugged, "I didn't have enough time to soothe and glamour it. Just ignore it."

Patting his arm she slipped behind the privacy screen she conjured and transfigured Draco's cloak into a floor length dress, much like the one she'd been wearing the last time she'd ended up in Severus's rooms but black. The room was a bit chilly despite the fire so she transfigured her robe into a light grey cardigan. She made to leave the confines of the screen but paused to cast a cushioning charm to the cups of her transfigured dress to hide her hardened nipples. Severus looked uncomfortable enough seeing her in her robe, she didn't wish to prolong it.

Vanishing the privacy screen she charmed her wet hair into a braid and glamoured her arm under her cardigan before padding over to the rug.

Draco smirked, "Nicely done Professor." Hermione did a small curtsy before walking over to Severus, seeing her Scorpius extended his arms and squealed, "Mi!"

"Hello my serpent," she scooped him up avoiding Severus's gaze and twirled him around. He giggled as she sat on the rug, tucking her bare feet under her and conjured paper birds to fly around his head for him to try and grab. She'd noticed Severus distracting him with a ball of light when she'd arrived and decided to follow his lead. It worked. "You're back early. It's only been a week."

"I can only listen to Scorp beg for you so much before giving in," Draco shrugged. "Your arm still causes you pain?"

She scoffed, "Liar." Scorpius began to cling to her skirt so she pulled her attention from his father back to him. "Demanding little thing aren't you?" she laughed as he reached for her again but she wasted no time picking him back up. He grabbed her braid and started pulling the curls from the intricate twist. A blush creeped into her cheeks as she looked up at Severus, "Thank you for inviting me."

"My pleasure," he replied looking her over with a curious look in his eye.

Draco piped up again, "Mia, answer me."

She huffed, rubbing her forearm absently, "Sometimes. Usually only when it flares up and something touches it before it has had the time to settle down."

"May I see it?" Severus asked pulling her attention back to him. Hermione bit her lip and her brow furrowed. Normally she kept it glamoured when her arm was exposed since she knew the word made many people uncomfortable. Only a handful of people besides the Weasley's actually knew of its existence. Severus saw her hesitation and internally berated himself for overstepping. "You don't have to, of course."

"No, its fine," she nodded to him and he came to crouch in front of her and Scorpius. She lifted her left forearm but pulled it away when he reached for it, "It's...unpleasant."

He frowned but inclined his head and she offered her arm back to him. She watched as he slowly pulled up the sleeve to her cardigan and winced when the grip on her arm stiffened. He sucked in a sharp breath after she released her glamour. His fingers grazed over the red letters before she felt an odd heat and the redness and inflammation dissipated.

"When?" he asked in a husky voice.

"When we got taken to the Manor." Severus stilled and looked over his shoulder at Draco who nodded, his face ashen. Severus pressed his lips into a hard line and pulled the sleeve of her cardigan back down before retreating to his chair. "Thank you," Hermione whispered as she tried to steady her breathing. While he'd barely touched her, it had ignited her skin.

Dotty appeared at that moment with a tea tray interrupting Severus's reply, when she set it down on the coffee table she turned to face Hermione and Scorpius. "Mistress, is there anything you require?"

Hermione's eyes bulged but shook her head, "No thank you Dotty."

Severus's frown deepened, "Dotty?"

"Yes Master Severus?" Hermione grinned at her usage of his given name and the fact that Severus didn't seem to mind.

"Dotty, Miss Granger is not my Madam."

The elf's ears began to droop. "B-but Master Malfoy...You've never invited a woman to your chambers and this is the second time!" She shrieked.

Severus's frown fell and a grin surfaced, "She is here for Scorpius, Dotty, not me. I invited her so she would feel comfortable."

"She was comfortable last time," Dotty put her hands on her hips and Hermione eyebrows shot up. She'd never heard a house elf speak in such a manner to anyone, least of all their master or mistress, but she found herself smiling despite herself. The fact that Severus was grinning down at Dotty and wasn't seething only added to the joy she felt. "Mistress fits here very nicely."

Hermione blushed and looked down at Scorpius only to find him still occupied with her tattered braid.

"Even so, Miss Granger does not wish to have a house elf, Dotty."

There was a tiny sob and Hermione looked back to the elf who was now facing her, tears welling up in her large eyes, "Mistress is unhappy?"

"No Dotty, I'm not unhappy."

"Then why don't you want Dotty to serve you."

Hermione's mouth opened but she closed it seeing Dotty's ears fall completely. She looked first to Draco then Severus who pursed his lips together to hide a grin and shrugged.

"Dotty, I would love for you to help me. But you don't need to and you are Severus's elf."

Dotty suddenly wiped her eyes and her ears snapped up, "Dotty wants to! Master Severus won't mind at all!"

"Okay," Hermione said weakly pulling on a smile.

Dotty turned to look at Severus and put her hands back on her hips, "Mistress agrees."

"I heard," he smirked at the elf. She was gone moments later and he leaned back in his chair with a sigh. Meeting Hermione's flustered gaze he laughed. It surprised her, the softness of it mixed with the richness of it. It matched his voice and once more she felt her heart flutter, it made her frown slightly. "Dotty has been with me for close to fourteen years. She learned how to hold her own years ago and I daresay she enjoys it."

"She's cheeky," Hermione grinned, "I like her."

"That's good because you're her Mistress now Mia."

She rolled her eyes an shifted a now sleeping Scorpius into her arms so she could stand and sit on the brown chaise across from Severus. As she sank into it she let out a small moan, "Oh this is heavenly." Propping herself against the back, she stretched her legs out, her bare feet poking out of her transfigured dress. Scorpius curled across her chest, his fist moving from her braid to one the edge of her cardigan and the neckline of her dress pulling it down slightly.

"That's my boy," Draco encouraged causing Hermione to roll her eyes again. She sent a wandless stinging hex at him before uncurling Scorpius's fingers and fixing her dress.

"I seem to remember you having more tact than this Drake," Hermione mused as she relaxed into the lounge chair, her hand under Scorpius's bum.

"Mia, you are a beautiful woman. Anyone can see it." She scoffed and stared absently at her covered forearm, "You've come a long way from the buck tooth, bushy haired swot I met in first year. And now you are once again single. Any man would be a fool not to see that."

Hermione groaned again let her head fall back. "I have not changed that much. My hair is still bushy and I am still very studious. I am also still married Drake, granted I am about to be a divorcee but nothing more has changed."

"I know a number of men who won't bat an eye at you being a divorcee."

"Oh? And how do you think they will fair when they learn the rest?" She rolled her head to the side and looked at him. His eyes widened a fraction but he only leaned forward to refill his tea. She glanced at Severus and saw the puzzled look on his face. "When I was taken to the Manor I was subjected to the cruciatus in several intervals over the course of an hour." His eyebrows furrowed, "In between is when Bellatrix cut me. But I still suffer from the effects of the cruciatus from time to time, tremors and such." Hermione let her eyes fall from his obsidian gaze and looked at the teacup he held. "It's how I lost Rose." She turned back to Draco, "No man wants a woman who can't carry his child."

"Mia, that is not true."

She scoffed, "It is in the wizarding world. Prejudice against blood status may be gone but most any wizard needs an heir to carry his family name, prominent or otherwise. Name is the most important thing now without blood status. We both know that Drake."

"I don't care about it," he challenged.

"You have Scorpius," she countered.

"Severus doesn't care about it."

Hermione arched an eyebrow and fought the urge to look at the man in question. "Severus is one man."

"Severus is right here," he said, his words laced with sarcasm. "I am hardly a good example. I don't care because I gave up on the idea of having children years ago."

She winced and felt her heart fall into her stomach. "See," she told Draco, "even Severus would care if he actually wanted children."

"That's not what I meant," he bit out.

"But it's what you said."

Severus narrowed his gaze at her and she met it without hesitation. "I would not care even if I wanted children. A mans love for a woman should not be defined by her ability to bare him a child."

Hermione laughed suddenly her head falling back once more, "True enough. If only love were enough for everyone."

Draco continued as if they hadn't spoken. "Mia you're a war heroine," she scoffed. "You are! Men will be lining up to try and court you, most of them will understand that you suffer from the war still."

"I am Hermione Granger, best friend and sister of the 'savior'. Even now that is all people see. I can't even go to Florish and Blotts without someone asking if I really broke into Gringotts and stole their dragon or if I was really on the run for months with Harry and Ron. Which is usually followed by indecent questions about my virtue at the time." She shook her head and curled her feet under her, wrapping herself around Scorpius as he repositioned himself on her chest. "You should see the amount of letters I still get from 'admirers'. They're infatuated with what I've done, not who I really am. Not much different from the propositions you get for being a Malfoy."

He laughed, "Because it can't just be my charm."

"What charm?" she quipped back. "Being with a war heroine seems glamorous to them but they don't know what it would truly entail. The scars, the nightmares, the flashbacks." Both men nodded. "Anyway the point it moot for now as I am still married. Please let it go."

Draco nodded but she watched his grin stretch across his lips, "You look positively cozy."

Hermione grinned in return and pulled her legs closer to her, "I am. I must say Severus your chaise is divine and Drake, your son is an amazing cuddler."

"I will admit I am surprised you haven't accosted my book shelves again." Hermione grinned, a small blush creeping into her cheeks.

"It's still early."

"You are welcome back anytime." Severus's shocked himself with his offer but kept his face blank, even as she tilted her head to the side and attempted to read him. Draco was equally amused with his slip but hid his smirk behind his cup. "Dotty can bring you anything you like as well."

"Well thank you," she replied hesitantly. Slowly a small smile pulled at her lips, "I am dying to see what you have. I noticed a few in Greek."

He nodded, the corners of his lips perking up. "You only caught a quick glimpse."

She smiled, "It was enough."

Severus opened his mouth to reply but a silver dog ran into the room, coming to a stop beside Hermione it shoved its head into her neck and nuzzled her. She swatted it away with a grin.

"Kitten, I have just been informed by Remus and Teddy exactly who they plan to set you up with and although I dislike said person personally, I am inclined to agree with their assessment. I thought you ought to know. That is all. Hermione laughed and the silver patronus leapt at her once more, bouncing around her seat, "Oh and I won't tell you either."

Then he disappeared.

"That mutt.." she muttered.

"Oi! Black and Lupin are allowed to plot but I'm not?"

Hermione threw her head back in laughter. When she righted herself she took a deep breath and shared an amused look with Severus before turning to Draco who still looked flustered. "Teddy wanted to know if he was getting a new uncle. I told him there was a chance in the future but when I suggested it may not happen he got a little frantic."

"Yes, he started naming possible suitors for Hermione throughout breakfast Monday morning," Severus said as his lips quirked up again.

"I see," Draco relaxed back into his seat. "Who did they narrow out."

Hermione rolled her eyes and Severus spoke for her, amusement in his eyes, "First I believe it was Charlie Weasley," Hermione laughed, "then Lupin himself."

"Why on earth would he choose them?"

"Apparently he overheard Sirius and Remus talking about what I deserve and came to the conclusion I need someone who will treat me right and is smart."

Draco grinned, "My thoughts exactly. So why turn down Lupin? I understand Weasley," he visibly cringed, "You don't need another Weasley man, even one as ruggedly handsome as Charlie. Lupin however.." He let his words hang in the air.

"Remus is a good man and I love him but, like I told Teddy, I don't see him that way."

"Why not?" Draco probed, "Is it the scars? The lycanthropy? His age?"

Hermione looked offended, "Of course not. I don't care about any of those things. Despite who my current husband is, I," Hermione coughed discretely, her blush resurfacing, "prefer older men. Strides in wolfsbane would make his lycanthropy no issue. Plus Moony already sees me as pack and so it wouldn't be a big change, although it would still be awkward to switch from friends to lovers. Moony is possessive enough though, seeing as I am the only female he's recognized as pack-"

"Not even Potters wife?" Draco cut in.

"Nope," Hermione shook her head, "Not after Dora died. He already recognized me so it wasn't a huge leap for him to make me pack. I think he only did it to fill the void Dora's death left. But it never went further than that. As for his scars, we all have scars, Drake." She rubbed her forearm absently.

He leaned forward in his seat, "So if none of that matters than why is he not a suitable match?"

"I don't know," she huffed, "I just don't see Remus that way."

"And Black?"

She burst into laughter again and he arched a brow. "Seriously? I would murder him. Even Teddy knows that." She looked over at Severus and saw his smirk but his eyes left her flummoxed. They were their usual fathomless black and there was a hint of amusement that showed on his mouth but there was still something else. She frowned slightly and tried to decipher it but Draco spoke again pulling her attention once more.

"You have no idea who they picked?"

"Not even the slightest. But obviously they're excited about it." Hermione shook her head and readjusted Scorpius in her arms.

Draco watched her readjust his son on her chest and noticed how Severus watched her closely as well, his eyes dark. Suppressing a grin he stood up and crouched beside her to touched Scorpius' face, "And me?"

Hermione slowly brought her gaze up to his, her eyes wide. She noticed Severus still in his chair over Draco's shoulder. "Drake.." Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her chair and started shaking her head, "I'm sorry but no." He feigned hurt for a moment before breaking out into a bright grin. "You prat," she slapped his arm. "I thought you were serious!"

"And you turned me down?"

"Well...yes. You are like Harry, a brother. I couldn't imagine even kissing you without cringing."

Draco laughed and stood back up, gracelessly falling back onto the couch, stretching his legs out on the cushions. "We would have beautiful children though," Hermione winced and his smirk fell slightly, "Hermione Malfoy. It has a nice ring to it."

"Ugh no thank you. I would keep Granger."

"Hermione Granger-Malfoy," he tested but shook his head. "No that won't work."

"Alas our marriage wouldn't either," Hermione laughed.

Lounging back comfortably Draco put his hands behind his head, "What do you want in a wizard Mia? Has anyone asked you that?"

She answered as she stood, careful not to jostle Scorpius, "No."

Conjuring a body wrap she secured Scorpius to her front and moved to Severus's bookshelves. Her mind began to ponder Draco's question but as her finger tips brushed the spines of the books she found herself responding.

"Someone selfless and gentle but who knows when to stand his ground and protect what and who he loves. Not everyone would get to see that side of him, making it a privilege to get to witness it and be the subject of his affections. Someone faithful who won't mind the scars marring my body, who won't ask me to glamour them or make me feel ashamed of how I earned them."

Hermione paused and took out a book, opening to the first page she scanned it before placing it back on the shelf and continuing on.

"Someone who wouldn't care about my past anymore than I would his. He'd ideally be brilliant. I want to be able to sit and read beside him but also talk to him about subjects without feeling like I am emasculating him with my own knowledge."

She took a deep breath and realized she was swaying lightly back and forth with an arm cradled under Scorpius, a book open in her free hand. Only then did she realize exactly what she said and her blush flushed over her cheeks. Replacing the book she continued across the stacks waiting for one of the men behind her to speak.

Eventually Draco did and she released the breath she'd been holding.

"You've considered this before?"

Hermione couldn't help the light laugh that escaped her. "Not really no. But...that's what I've always wanted. The part about scars was added post war. I think that is part of why I settled for Ronald. He knew my scars, hell he saw when I got them," she paused and quirked her head to the side, still facing the shelf then she shrugged, "Or at least the aftermath and healing process from them. With him I didn't have to explain what happened and only had to deal with his discomfort at seeing them." She shivered and summoned a step stool from across the room. Before stepping up she wandlessly tied the skirt of her transfigured dress in a knot mid-calf so she wouldn't trip. She stepped up on bare feet, "Deep down, we all know what we want. Very few of us are lucky enough to actually find it."

"Your scars can't be that bad," he remarked disbelieving.

Grabbing the shelf for extra balance she looked over her shoulder at the pair and quirked an eyebrow. "Drake you witnessed at least two of them, my forearm and my neck. I normally glamour my forearm because it makes people uncomfortable to see 'mudblood' written on my arm." Turning back to the shelf she levitated a book down to the chaise and continued searching. "My torso is littered," she frowned down at the boy attached to her chest. "Dolohov caught me in the Department of Ministries in our 5th year with his severing curse. Alecto Carrow sliced me pretty good at the beginning of the battle before I dropped a wall on her. Then there was Greyback, he got a few swipes in before Ronald and Neville killed him."

Stepping off the stool she faced the men still in their seats and froze seeing their disbelieving looks.

"You killed Alecto Carrow?" Severus asked, his eyebrow quirking up.

Hermione nodded with a shrug of her shoulder, "She escaped Minerva's binds and left the tower. We ran into her on the way to the Room of Requirement."

"Do you suffer any effects from the marks Greyback left on you?"

"No," she gave him a smile.

"Bloody hell Mia, I had no idea." Draco had sat up.

She shook her head, "Nor should you, I don't even know why I just told you two that much." Unwrapping Scorpius she carefully sat back down and pulled him to her chest once more, untying the knot she made in her dress she curled her feet under her again and opening the book she'd selected.

"I think your wants in a wizard are attainable," Draco changed gears.

Hermione snorted not looking up from her book, "If such a wizard exists and can bare my company I would love to meet him."

"He may be closer than you think Mia."

"I'm sure," she snickered, "He's been right under my nose this entire time while I wasted three years of my life married to Ronald bloody Weasley. You have become quite the optimist Drake. Let me get divorced first, I'll hex you if you bring it up before then."

"What about Lupin and Black?"

Hermione snorted, "Remus is easy, I'll let Teddy keep on since he's, you know, four. But Sirius...Sirius is hopeless. If you think I can get him to stop you're mistaken. The mutt will do anything to pull my hair. It brings him the most joy." Her eyes still trained on the book she inhaled deeply.

"You have until your divorce is final," Draco bowed his head, "but then you are fair game."