A/N: A really, really long one! Yay!

So some news! The first couple chapters of the Spanish translation of 'Cruel and Beautiful World' have been posted! You can find the link on my page! Thanks to Sunset82 for translating! You're awesome!

So enjoy!

Draco was sitting with his cheek against his desk, gazing off into nothingness as his mind filled with images of her face. Her smile. Her laugh. How she puckered her eyebrows when she was deep in thought and the annoying way she rolled her eyes whenever she disapproved of something he said or did. He got that look a lot.

Draco could not remember a time, other than the war, when he had ever felt so miserable. How could his loss for Hermione even compare with the mental torture of doing the Dark Lord's bidding? It shouldn't, but it did.

The sphere on his desk buzzed and he blinked his eyes back into focus.

" Mr. Malfoy, your ten o'clock is waiting for you in the conference room ," said the voice of Victoire.

Draco weakly reached out and pressed the button to respond. "Send Colby to the meeting. He knows what to do."

There was a slight pause as he knew Victoire searched her mind for how to respond. Finally, the orb buzzed again and she said, " Again? "

Draco put his finger back down on the button and said, "Yes, again , Mrs. Lupin. Please do not question my authority."

Another moment of silence.

A buzz. "Mr. Rees is on his way. I'm bringing you your tea."

Draco grunted. He knew it was not a question, but he still pressed the button and said, "I don't want any -"

It was too late. The doors to his office burst open and Victoire walked in, levitating a tray since her stomach was too large for her to just carry it.

He sat up and stared at her baby bump. "When are you due again?" he asked.

"Three weeks," she answered, putting the tray down and pouring him a cup of tea from the pot.

"Shouldn't you be going on leave soon?"

Victoire scoffed. "You're not getting rid of me that easily. And you are in no place to take on another incompetent secretary. She slammed the tea down in front of him.

Draco looked up at her and blinked.

"What are you doing?" she exclaimed. "You have a multi-million Galleon company to run. You can't be bloody lovesick!"

"You do realize you are yelling at your boss right now, don't you?"

"I don't care!" she snapped. "I'm pregnant, every part of me aches and I want some bloody curry! I can yell at who I want!"

Draco stared at her for a moment and sighed. Then he opened one of his desk drawers and out with a menu for a curry house. He handed it to her. "This place has the best curry around." Hermione had told him about it.

Victoire looked at the menu skeptically before snatching it. "I will look at this later," she said. She shifted from foot to foot as they began to ache, eventually just giving in and sitting down. "You were fine when you came in this morning. What happened now?"

Draco looked at his computer monitor and sighed again before turning it to face her. Victoire scanned an email he had up from the Minister explaining that, as of today, Hermione Weasley would no longer be working with his company due to scheduling conflicts, and all future inquiries needed to be forwarded to Cormac McLaggen.

Victoire glanced at her miserable-looking boss and sighed with him this time. "She told you she was going to do it," she said, hoping that it would somehow make it better.

"But I didn't really believe she actually would until I got this. If I never even get to see her then how the hell am I supposed to bloody change her mind?"

"I don't know."

"Your advice was awful," he said, his face tense as he continued to stare at that email. "I left her alone all weekend, I didn't push her when I saw her yesterday, and she does fucking this!"

"Pushing her wouldn't have gotten any better results," said Victoire. "And, as much as I hate to say it, maybe this is better. For both of you. You were going to end it anyway, why torture yourselves by falling even deeper over time?"

Draco's eyes shot towards hers, staring fiercely. "I didn't want the bloody deadline anymore. I was going to talk to her about it during our weekend away together."

"Oh," said Victoire, suddenly feeling like an arse. Comforting someone as stubborn as him was hard. "Did you need me to cancel -?"

"Don't you dare!" he snapped, rising from his chair. Then he was headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" she called after him.

"To get another woman's opinion!" he called back.

Victoire pursed her brow. She was completely insulted. But he was heartbroken, so, just this once, she would let it slide. For now.

Draco marched out of his office and straight towards the lift. He pressed the button and it opened instantly. It always did for him. Then he took it down to Alexandra's floor. She and Victoire were complete opposites, aside from being blondes, and he could only assume that meant she would give him completely opposite advice.

The lift opened and he walked right past her assistant's desk, which was empty, but he would've done it anyway. He removed the Locking Charm he knew she always had on her door and opened it. Of course, he wasn't especially shocked to see Alexandra on top of a man on her desk, even less-so when he saw the man was Blaise. They were still fully-clothed, thank Merlin, but another thirty seconds and he probably would have walked in on a different scene entirely.

"I need to speak with you about something," he said to Alexandra as she hurried to get off of Blaise and straighten herself up. Then he looked at Blaise. "Privately."

Blaise tensed. "Damn you, Malfoy!"

Draco smirked as he sat in a chair facing Alexandra's desk. "First time to get her to see you since the ball?"

"You know it is!" Blaise spat.

"Right. Well, get out. We have more important matters to discuss."

Blaise grunted as he climbed off of the desk, purposely stepping right in front of Draco so he could see just how much pain he was causing him. Draco winced then laughed.

"Good luck getting rid of that on your own, mate."

"I assume your office is empty?" Blaise questioned with a smile.

"Dare try it and I will make sure security knows you are no longer allowed on the premises."

Blaise grunted again and headed for the door. "Bloody fucking prick," he mumbled, along with a few other obscenities as he exited the office.

"You can do better," Draco said as soon as he was gone.

"If I was looking for commitment, sure, but I don't exactly have time for anything like that," said Alexandra. "My boss keeps me incredibly busy."

"If you can't handle the workload -"

"Of course I can!" she said quickly.

Draco smiled. "I was just going to say we can hire someone new. You and Colby have been my top dogs for years now, and our business has only escalated, especially recently. We have the means to find a third."

"You want to hire someone on the same level as us ?" she asked, sounding positively offended.

"Maybe just below you."

Alexandra sat down in her chair and swiveled around a little. "You shouldn't hire someone with as much power as Colby and I have. What you should do is offer your little secretary a promotion. She could be your assistant and help us all out when necessary."

"I don't even know if she's staying once that baby pops out," said Draco.

"If you spent two minutes talking to her about something other than business or yourself, then you would already know that she doesn't want to be a stay at home mum. She wants a career. It's her husband that just assumes ."

"He seems like a decent bloke. I doubt he'd mind."

"He will if she doesn't say anything," said Alex. "But they've been fighting a lot lately. She doesn't want to stir the pot."

Suddenly, Draco felt pretty horrible that he didn't know any of this. If Victoire was having problems at home then shouldn't he have noticed a decline in her cheery demeanor? Even when she was scolding him, there was always the hint of a smile there.

"But we can discuss that at a later time," said Alex, leaning forward on her elbows. "I assume these important matters we need to discuss have a great deal to do with this email we all just received from the Minister."

Draco stared down at the desk. "It might."

"Personally, I find it to be a real bitch move."

"Watch it," said Draco, his eyes shooting up and staring sternly into hers. "I knew she was going to do it, she told me yesterday. I just don't know if I truly believed it until I saw that bloody email."

"When did you talk to her yesterday?" asked Alex, more accusatory than inquisitive. "After the press conference when you claimed you had urgent business to take care of back at the office?"

"That would be when, yes."

Alex grunted.

"What?" he asked.

"Draco, let me be frank with you," she said, using very sharp hand movements. "Granted, I have only known Hermione for a short time, but she's not exactly a difficult book to read. I assume you came down here because you disliked the advice of the only other woman you ever speak to platonically. You are not going to like this, but I am going to be very clear. Hermione is stubborn, not unlike you. When she has her mind set on something, she damn well is going to do it and, right now, she wants to avoid you, to keep this breakup going. And there isn't anything you or anyone else can do to sway her otherwise. Going to her office, being so bloody accessible only made her push harder and, if you do it again, you can bet your arse that she'll find some other way to make sure you absolutely never see her. You want her back, right?"

She paused, letting Draco know she expected an answer. He nodded.

"Then you do nothing ."

Draco blinked. "What?"

"You do nothing, Draco. Stay out of her way, but not out of her sight. Keep going to the Ministry and make sure she sees you, but don't talk to her unless necessary. Carry on with your life. Date women like you used to." She paused again. "But don't take any of them home. Dating only . I'm sure that McLaggen prick will keep her informed of your romantic life since it is always made so public. Make her miss you. Like really miss you and, eventually, she will come to you."

"That won't work," said Draco, groaning as he leaned back in his chair. Bloody women and their terrible advice.

"Then, by all means, try it your way. Bombard her in her office, at her home. Shower her with expensive gifts and see what happens," said Alex with a small but smug smile. "All you'll accomplish with that is making her uncomfortable. Maybe even scaring her off for good."

Draco sighed and stared out of the window behind Alex's head. "I don't think I can do that. Not see her every day."

"Well, if you want to see her next to you in your bed every day then I suggest you follow my advice and tough it out for a few weeks. She'll come back. There's only one reason she wouldn't."

"And what's that?" he asked.

Alex shrugged. "Well, this nomination couldn't have come at a worse time. You and her dating right now may be frowned upon, but throw a bloody election into the mix and it suddenly becomes a scandal. You, sir, are bad for business."

"I don't know," said Draco. "I think I'd look pretty good as the man behind the woman."

"Only because you're good to look at."

"And who wouldn't want to vote for a powerful woman with such delicious arm candy?" he said smugly.

"Many people," said Alex, always the realist. "But don't even think about that right now. Present issues only, and the main one you need to focus on is getting Hermione off of your brain." She leaned back in her chair. "What are you doing tonight? Perhaps Colby and I can take you out for a non-business related dinner and drinks."

"I believe I have something scheduled," said Draco, thinking about it.

Alex took out her phone and put it on speaker. She dialed a number and it rang only once before a sweet voice answered. " Are you having trouble creating your spreadsheets on your computer again ?" asked Victoire.

"No, dear, I was actually hoping you could tell me what Draco has scheduled in his appointment book for tonight."

" Give me one second ." There was a bit of a grunting noise as she obviously stood with some struggle.

Alex made a face. "Maybe I should have just sent you up there."

They heard the sound of a door opening. Then Victoire gasped. " Mr. Zabini, what are you -"

"Do not tell Draco I was here!" Blaise's voice instructed before vanishing with a swish.

Draco's fists clenched. "That bloody -"

" Let Mr. Malfoy know about that, will you ?"

"Oh, he already knows," said Alex with a laugh.

" I got the book ," said Victoire. " Let's see … " Some pages turned. " There is something written here. Drink with -"

She stopped dead, obviously not wanting Draco to hear. But it was too late. It had already come back to him.

"Drink with Harry," finished Draco, his eyes suddenly lighting up. "That's right. We're supposed to bloody bond or something."

"Thank you, Victoire," said Alex, hanging up the phone. "Well, obviously it's canceled."

"Says who?" he asked. "This is the perfect way to let Hermione know that I'm serious about this. By befriending bloody Potter."

"That was not my advice."

"Yes it was. You said to stay out of her way, but not out of sight. What better way to do that than by using the bloody golden boy!"

Alex groaned. "Draco … no."

"Too late," he said. "It's already in the book."

She groaned again. "Please don't."

"I'll bring bloody Theo. He was supposed to come anyway. Will that make you happy?"

"No," she answered. "But it's slightly better." She looked at him and frowned. He truly was torn up about this. It was a bit unsettling to see someone like this who had always been so powerful and put-together. Someone incapable of breaking. But, for the first time in his life, Draco Malfoy truly was broken. "Just don't be stupid about this. Make sure Mr. Potter knows that this is not about getting her back. Understand?"

"Yes, fine," he said.

"I mean it, Draco. Give Hermione her space."

Draco looked at her with his sad, silver eyes and said, "I know. I heard your advice and I'm taking it. I'm getting her back."

While he may have seemed less powerful, he certainly hadn't lost any of his confidence. And that was exactly why Alex admired him so much. He knew what he wanted and he got it, by whatever means necessary. This was no different.

Draco stepped out of the lift at the Ministry, barely taking two steps before he realized he was alone. He turned around and saw that Theo hadn't moved.

"Waiting for something?" he asked.

Theo looked at him, his face tense. "You know we're about to make complete arses of ourselves, don't you?"

"And why would you think that?"

"Because it's bloody obvious why we're here, Draco. Couldn't you have just sent him an owl or something, reminding him that we were coming?"

"What's the fun in that?" said Draco with a chuckle. "Now, come along, mate. We don't want to miss him."

Theo took a deep breath and stepped out of the lift. Draco led the way towards the Auror Office, glancing in the direction of Hermione's office as they passed it. Her door was open and she could be seen sitting at her desk, surrounded by work and with no clear intention of leaving anytime soon. She glanced up, as if she sensed the pair of eyes on her, turning sickly white as she saw Draco. It had been less than a week since they had been in each other's arms but, still, it felt like a lifetime.

But then he kept walking, turning away and continuing on. Leaving her behind.

Draco smiled to himself as he continued towards the Auror Office. Giving Hermione her space but still staying in sight. Check.

A few Aurors still lingered around the office for the night shift, but the majority had already gone. Ron's new office door was closed, thank Merlin, but Harry's was open. Draco walked right in with Theo trailing sluggishly behind him.

"Evening, Potter," said Draco, giving the wizard a bright smile as he looked up from his phone.

"Malfoy," said Harry, locking his phone and putting it in his pocket. "You're late."

Draco's smile faded. "You knew I was coming?"

"Your secretary, my niece, was kind enough to call and remind me, out of fear I'd forgotten about this little arrangement." He paused and smiled.

Draco did not smile back. He really needed to stop forgetting that Victoire was a bloody Weasley.

"I didn't, of course," continued Harry. "Yours isn't the only appointment book someone made sure to write this down in." He lifted his and showed that it said 'Drink with Draco' on today's date in Hermione's perfect handwriting. "But I am a little surprised you still wanted to do this after everything."

"Everything?" Draco repeated.

Harry nodded. "I don't know what your plan is, Malfoy, but I am not going to help you -"

"I didn't ask for your bloody help," Draco spat. He looked behind him really quickly to make sure no one but Harry and Theo were in earshot. "But when that certain someone and I make amends, which we will, I suspect they will still want me to be in your good graces. I even brought Theo." He motioned to Theo, who grunted and waved uncomfortably. "I have punched you both recently, so we can all bond over that."

Harry tried to stare Draco down, but he cracked and chuckled slightly. "Could you shut the door please, Nott?"

Theo grabbed it and shut it behind him. Harry waved his wand and put up a Silencing Charm.

"I don't believe for one second that you have no plan," he said. "But you are on my schedule, and I told my wife last week that I would be home late tonight. So if you would like me to humor you I will. But I will not be helping you where Hermione is concerned. Her name is taboo tonight. Not a topic for discussion. Understand?"

Draco smirked and nodded. That was his plan anyway. To seem completely unaffected by her.

"And then she - she just bloody ends it! Cuz o' that fucking prick, McLagg-whatever. MCLAGG-ARSE!" Draco shouted as he sat in the Leaky Cauldron a couple of hours later with his head poorly held up by his hand. It kept falling and smacking into the table.

"Down a few notches, mate," said Theo, taking a sip of the ale he had been nursing and looking around for something more interesting than the conversation he had been listening to over and over again for the last five days.

Harry grunted and looked down at his drink. "This is fun," he said.

" So fun," said Theo, his eyes stopping on a dark-haired man in the corner who would not stop staring at him.

"Tha' bloody man keeps eye-fucking you," Draco muttered, his eyes only half-open. "Go for it, mate!" he added, laughing like this was the most hysterical thing in the world.

Now Theo grunted.

"I just don't like - I don't bloody get it, mate," said Draco, not making it clear whether he was talking to Theo, Harry or his glass. "You know, this is the same firewhiskey we were both pissed on the first night we shagged."

Harry cringed a little.

Draco suddenly sat up very straight and looked at him sharply. "You're her best mate, Potter. Why would she -?"

"I thought we decided we weren't going to discuss her," said Harry, looking around and making sure no one was listening. "Look where we are, Malfoy. Wasn't your lack of discretion part of the problem?"

Draco stared blankly at him for a moment before sinking back down onto the table. "Ugh, you're right! This is my fault! But nothing is ever my fault. Right, mate?" This time he clearly looked at Theo.

Theo shrugged. "Not if you pay off the right people, which you normally do."

Harry had to bite his tongue for that one.

"Do any of you lads need another drink?"

They all looked up to see Hannah standing there.

Draco shot up and raised his nearly empty glass in the air. "I'll have anoth -"

"No!" Harry and Theo both shouted, grabbing his hand and slowly lowering it back towards the table.

Harry looked at Hannah. "I think we're just about finished -"

"Well, hello! Look what we have here!"

Everyone's gazes moved slightly and Hannah looked over her shoulder to see a man and a woman standing there. He was smiling but she did not look pleased.

"Th'fuck you doin' here, Zabini?" asked Draco, sloppily finishing the last of his drink.

Blaise grimaced. "Why in the name of bloody Salazar am I Zabini again?"

Alex, who was standing a step behind him, rolled her eyes and muttered, "Who bloody gives a shit?"

"Go in my office again while I'm not there and see wha' happens, prick."

"You're sweet," said Blaise with a smile. "But it does seem you forgot to invite me tonight."

"No I din't -"

"Never mind! I'll let it slide!" He turned to Hannah. "A round for the table, barmaid!"

She raised her eyebrows.

"Five glasses of your finest firewhiskey!"

While Blaise was busy grabbing two chairs from another table, Alex grabbed Hannah's arm, held up all but her thumb on her free hand and silently mouthed, "Four."

Hannah looked over at Draco slumped on the table, nodded in understanding and walked off.

Blaise grabbed a spare chair from another table for Alex first before putting his chair next to hers. "Sorry for our intrusion," she said. "I accidentally let it slip where you all were tonight and, it seems, someone got a little jealous he wasn't invited."

Blaise furrowed his brow and said, "I am not."

"Then why are we here?" she asked coldly. Obviously, she had been expecting a very different evening.

Draco suddenly popped up again. "The thing I don't get about her is -"

"Ah!" shouted Theo, putting a finger to his lips. "We're not talking about her , remember? You are here to simply follow through on your promise to be friendly with Potter."

"A promise I made to herrrr ," said Draco, his head falling to the table again as he gazed sadly into the distance.

"Well, isn't he just a bright ray of sunshine," said Blaise, giving Draco's white-blond head a pat. "So, Potter, word on the street is everyone was expecting the Minister to pick you to take over his position. Bitter?"

"No," Harry said modestly. "I never once thought it would be me. Not with Hermione around. She already has her hands in everything at the Ministry. She deserves this."

Hannah suddenly appeared with their drinks. Draco sat up, looking a bit offended when she didn't hand him anything. Then she did, giving him a glass filled with a clear liquid, which contrasted with everyone else's amber drinks. The same color as her eyes …

Draco shook the image of her out of his mind. He needed to stop thinking about her. And he knew the best way how, so he closed his eyes and began to chug, stopping only a few gulps in to spit it out. Everyone moved away from line of fire.

"It's bloody water!" he shouted.

"Right," said Theo. "But why the hell did you spit it all out?"

"It took me by fucking surprise, alright?" Draco tried to grab Theo's firewhiskey but his friend held it out of reach. Then he looked at Hannah.

"Sorry," she said. "You're cut off. You'll thank me in the morning when you're not hung-over at work." She smiled and walked off.

Draco grunted in her direction, then took a slow sip of his water. His back was to the door, so he did not notice when it opened and someone stepped in. But then everyone around him began shifting. It was almost as if they were trying to hide their faces. When they caught him staring peculiarly at them, they tried to play it off as nonchalant, but even when drunk off his arse Draco Malfoy was no fool.

He turned, his heart racing as he saw her face, Hermione, looking around but not noticing their table in the back corner. She seemed to be searching for someone, and then she must have found them because she was hurrying off in the opposite direction, not stopping until she intercepted Hannah on her way back to the bar. They shared a hug before Hannah guided her over to a barstool. She did not sit down right away, leaning over the bar and examining the bottles before pointing to one in particular. Draco knew that bottle anywhere. It was the same firewhiskey the two of them always shared. It was very pricey, especially for someone without his privileges, but she was splurging for some reason.

"Why does her arse always look so bloody fantastic in those fucking tight skirts," said Draco, turning back around and stealing Alex's glass of firewhiskey before she could protest.

"It does look good," Blaise agreed.

Draco whipped his head towards him and scowled.

"Hey, you said it first," said Blaise, snatching Alex's drink back and handing it to her.

It was then that Draco noticed Blaise had his arm draped around the back of Alex's chair, clearly claiming her as his own. Blaise never did this. In fact, it was going against one of his rules. Never show any sort of affection in public. Granted, it was minimal but, still, it was there.

"What are you bloody staring at?"

Draco blinked back to consciousness and looked Blaise in the eye. He shrugged. "Nothing."

As soon as Hermione had her drink, she settled into her seat at the bar.

"I'll be right back," said Hannah, hurrying off with a tray full of drinks.

Hermione nodded. She did not know why she was here, bothering her friend at work on a bloody Tuesday, but she had been in her office working late, per usual, until her hands were suddenly too exhausted to work any longer. She needed a break, but she couldn't go home. It was so quiet there. So lonely. So … empty. And not just because she was alone there but because literally three-quarters of her stuff was at Draco's. Clothes, shoes, makeup … Part of her just wanted to call it a loss and purchase new things, but then she remembered she didn't have the money for that. Her funds weren't unlimited, like some people …

"Sorry about that," said Hannah, returning and taking the stool next to her. "So what brings you by?"

"Nothing," said Hermione, trying to give her friend a smile. "I just needed to see a friendly face."

Hannah glanced over Hermione's shoulder at something. Hermione began to turn and look, but Hannah put a hand on her arm and asked, "Is everything alright?"

Hermione gulped. "Yes. Why?"

Hannah gave a little sigh and said, "You just … don't seem as happy as the last few times I've seen you."

Hermione gulped again. "I don't?"

"No," said Hannah. She bit her lip and stared off to the side pensively for a moment. "You know, if there's something you perhaps want to talk to me about, anything at all, whether it be about Ron or … or someone else, you know I'm here for you."

Hermione's face sunk. "Who told you?" she asked.

"No one told me anything," Hannah answered. "But …" She leaned in and whispered, "The last time he was here, that one photographer started harassing him. He wanted to know who he had called 'baby' on his Muggle thing and I realized that there was really only one person. Someone who seemed extra cheerful recently."

Hermione sighed. "I was cheerful. But it was a mistake. All of it."

Hannah was taken aback. "Why would you say that?"

"Because it was. We knew it couldn't last but we started something anyway. What would Rose think if she -"

"She would think 'Oh, look! My mum is smiling again! That's fantastic! Let's keep around whatever did that!'"

Hermione smiled halfheartedly. "You know she wouldn't say that."

"All right, maybe she wouldn't say exactly that, but you're really not giving your daughter enough credit. If you like him then date him. Because, right now, you look miserable."

Hermione frowned. "I do?"

"Yes, and he's even worse," said Hannah with a roll of her eyes.

Hermione blinked. "When did you see him?"

Hannah pursed her brow in what appeared to be thought. "Ummm …"

Just then, Hermione heard a crash. She turned to see someone had fallen out of his chair. Several familiar faces scrambled to get their fallen comrade back on his feet. Then he was standing upright, a little wobbly as he stared across the room at her. Hermione turned away quickly.

"Hannah, why didn't you tell me he was here?" she asked under her breath.

"I didn't think you wanted to know," she answered. "He's pissed off his arse."

Hermione could not help but chuckle at the foul language coming out of Hannah's pure mouth. But then, just as quickly, she was serious again. As Hermione sat there and thought about it, she realized there was something funny about that sight. She very discretely turned again, Harry's cheeks going bright-red when she laid her eyes on him. And then she remembered. It was Tuesday.

"Give me a moment," she said to Hannah, taking out her phone and messaging Harry, asking what the hell he was doing here.

Harry simply replied by saying, " It was on my schedule ."

"Stop taking my drink, Draco!" the voice of Alex shouted.

"Maybe I should go," said Hermione, about to stand.

Hannah grabbed her arm and held her in place. "No! Stay! I feel like we haven't talked in ages. Tell me about your nomination! Are you thrilled?"

Hermione settled back down and smiled. "I haven't made any decisions yet but it is definitely an honor."

"Why haven't you decided?

She bit her lip and said, "It's complicated."

"What makes it so complicated?"

Hermione sighed. She wanted to say it was because of Cormac, but she knew that wasn't true. Sure, she felt bad that he was hurting over this but she had worked just as hard as he had and deserved it just as much. But a part of her was still holding out for Draco, hoping there might be some miracle, or at least a sign that showed they were supposed to be together. If she chose to become Minister then being with him would be an impossibility, and that miracle would never come.

So she just looked at Hannah, shrugged and said, "Everything."

Hermione looked over her shoulder again and watched as Alex stuffed a piece of bread she had acquired from somewhere into Draco's mouth.

"How much has he had to drink?" she asked.

"Well, he's ordered four of his own," answered Hannah, "but I've seen him steal sips from just about everyone else's glasses when they weren't looking, sometimes when they were, and I'm pretty certain he has a flask hidden in his inside coat pocket. So who knows, really?"

Hermione nodded and sighed. She looked at Hannah again. "I'm sorry, Hannah, but I really do need to go. I was hoping to come here and forget about him tonight."

Hannah smiled softly and said, "I understand. I'll owl you tomorrow and we'll make a plan to have dinner soon."

Hermione smiled back. "I'd like that."

Just as she stood, someone hurried by her and stopped in front of Hannah. "We'd like to close our tab."

She tried to smile at Theo but, other than a small sideways glance, there was no acknowledgment.

"Yes, right away," said Hannah, going behind the counter.

Theo waited.

Hermione stared towards the floor, cleared her throat and said, "Hi, Theo."

"Hi," he said without looking at her. Then something dinged in his pocket. He reached into it and came out with a mobile phone.

"When did you get that?" she asked.

"I took Edie over the weekend," he answered, still not looking at her as he responded to someone. When he put his phone away, he gave a small glance in his table's direction. "It was the least I could do after publicly belittling her like that."

"And I suppose Zabini went with you," she guessed.

Theo still did not look at her, but he did crack a small smile. "You know he did. Has to be included in everything. Which is why he is here enjoying this lovely night with us, even though it wasn't written on his schedule."

Hermione chuckled softly. And then, almost instantly, Theo became icy cold again, his smile fading as he cleared his throat and turned more away from her.

She took a deep breath. "Right," she muttered to herself. "Goodnight, Theo." She turned and headed for the exit.

"Bloody hell, Draco!" shouted the voice of Blaise.

Hermione looked over to see Draco trying to stand. His eyes, while he was swaying, seemed to be focused on her.

"Sit down!" ordered Alex, standing herself before shoving him into his seat. "I'm going to get him more water." She wandered off towards the bar.

Just then, Draco began to change color. First a puce, then an ashy color and, finally, a dead-white. Blaise was turned the other way watching Alex and Harry was rubbing at his temples. Hermione began to hurry in his direction, grabbing an empty glass off of a table on her way and transfiguring it into a bucket. She dropped it on his lap a mere second before the vomit came pouring out.

"Bloody hell!" Blaise shouted again, once he noticed what was going on.

Hermione rubbed Draco's back while his head was buried in the bucket. At one point, she heard him apologize, but she just told him it was all right and kept rubbing.

When he had calmed enough, Hermione reached into the inside of his coat pocket and located the flask Hannah had mentioned. She tossed it to Blaise.

"Do me a favor and keep that out of his reach, will you?"

"Where did he get that?" asked Harry.

"He always has one," she answered. Though he had been drinking from it a lot less in recent days. She supposed she was to blame for this. And she hated that.

Apparently finished with the bucket, Draco put it on the table and propped his head up with one hand. Hermione tried to walk away but he grabbed her hand and held on tight. She sighed and crouched down in front of him, looking up at his eyes that were glancing down. And then they drifted a little further, staring at her neck for a moment before looking back at her eyes.

"Draco, what are you doing?" she asked, unable to mask the sadness she felt.

"Trying to forget about you," he answered. "It's really hard."

Hermione fought back the tears as she tore her eyes out of his gaze.

"Here's the water," said Alex, slamming the glass down on the table. "I'm going outside for a smoke."

Hermione watched as she headed towards the exit. Then her eyes shot towards Blaise.

"I didn't give you advice just so you could be a bloody prick to her, Zabini."

Blaise furrowed his brow and asked, "What did I do?"

" Why are you two here together? Was it planned?"

"No," he said. "We were at dinner and she mentioned -"

"You dragged her here from dinner?" she spat. "She's not one of your common slags, Zabini! You cannot just stick her in a corner while you go about your business! Now go outside and take her somewhere else before she decides to go by herself!"

Blaise did not move.

"Go!" she ordered.

"Fuck, you're bossy," said Blaise, rising to his feet.

Even in his drunken state, Draco still managed to turn enough to give Blaise a threatening look.

"Fine, I'll go. Later, mate," he said, patting Draco's back. "Potter." He walked off in the same direction as Alex.

Theo suddenly reappeared. "Tabs taken care of," he said, looking at Harry.

"Thanks," said Harry, standing.

Then they both looked at Draco, half-asleep as he hunched over in his chair, one hand still clinging desperately to Hermione's. They were lucky the place was practically empty. It didn't look romantic, at least, just a friend helping another friend, but it could with the right headline.

"I don't suppose he can Floo?" asked Theo.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "I don't think so."

"Well, I don't have access to his bloody gate, so if we can't get him home that way -"

"I have access," she said suddenly, not exactly thinking this entirely through.

Theo pursed his brow. " You want to take him home?"

"No," she answered. "I want you to take him home. I will just open the gate."

"And the door."

"Yes, and the door."

Theo nodded, though he still looked unsure. He went over to Draco and draped his free arm around his shoulders. "A little help, Potter."

"Oh … right," said Harry. He hurried over and helped Hermione pry her hand free from Draco's before mimicking Theo.

"I'll meet you at the gate," she said before Disapparating.

When she arrived outside of Malfoy Manor, it was pouring down rain. Of course .

She heard a faint pop as the others appeared behind her.

"Bloody hell!" shouted Theo, attempting to use his free arm to shield himself.

Draco pushed away from Theo and Harry, and fell to the ground, tearing at his coat while they tried to get him back up. He let them lift him, but then attempted to hold the coat over Hermione's head.

She took it and said, "Thank you," before focusing on the gate. She held her wand and used it to recite the password. The gate opened and she ran ahead, trying hard not to trip on the cobblestone this time. When she reached the front door, she unlocked it with another charm Draco had taught her and opened it for the others, casting a spell on the floor to keep it from getting wet.

Once they were all inside. Theo and Harry began carrying Draco towards the drawing room. She did not follow. Theo looked over his shoulder at her.

"I'll be right there," she said, motioning for them to go forward before Disapparating.

Once in the drawing room, Harry and Theo dropped Draco onto the sofa. It was funny how even though he was barely conscious, he had still managed to be chivalrous outside.

"Fun night," said Harry with a faint chuckle. "Definitely memorable."

"One for the books," said Theo, looking around the room. "I'll be right back."

On instinct, he Apparated into Draco's bedroom. And, of course, there she was, crying as she stuffed several pairs of shoes into her bag, which seemed to have no bottom.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Theo took Hermione by surprise and she jumped before looking at him. "Just grabbing some of my things," she said with a sniffle.

"Why?"

"Because I had to change my entire outfit this morning when I realized I didn't have my staple black heels." She sniffled again. And hiccupped.

"That's not what I mean."

Hermione sighed. "I know."

"Then why -?"

"I don't expect you to understand," she said. "But it's what I had to do."

"Because of that prick -?"

" No ," she said sternly. "This has nothing to do with Cormac. I know the timing wasn't perfect, but I've been thinking about this for a while and I really think it's for the best."

"Yeah, because Draco is really at his best right now."

Hermione wiped some tears away as she opened her drawer and began clearing it out. "I told you I don't expect you to understand."

Once the drawer was empty, she headed for the washroom. Theo followed and stood in the doorway.

"I love him, all right? You know I do," she said without looking at him. "But my family comes first."

"And why can't you just tell your bloody daughter about him?"

Hermione sighed. "It's not that Rose couldn't handle such news, we raised her to be strong, but I just don't think she can handle it right now. My marriage is ending and my children are trying to keep it together, but I'm their mother. I see their sadness even when they don't, and I won't put them through more pain and confusion if I don't have to. Maybe down the road after they've adjusted to Ron and I not being together they will accept this, but not now. They're not ready, and I don't think I am either. Not for something serious."

"So this is because you're not ready for a relationship, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the man in question being Draco?" he asked, already fully aware of the answer.

"He's my daughter's future father-in-law, Theo. Could you even imagine having that conversation with Edie? Not only am I divorcing your mother, but I am already seeing someone else and you are marrying her son."

Theo said nothing.

"That's what I thought," she said, wiping away a few more tears before heading back into the bedroom. She looked around. It appeared she had grabbed everything. She let out a heavy sigh, tears pouring out of her eyes as she stared at Draco's bedroom for what might be the last time. She turned to Theo. "I need to go. Tell Harry I'll talk to him tomorrow."

"And Draco?" he asked

"He's probably passed out by now," she said. "He won't notice."

"Yes he will."

She gulped. "If he does then just tell him I said goodbye." She prepared herself to Disapparate, but stopped at the last moment and looked Theo in the eye. "Theo … are we all right?" she asked.

Theo shrugged. "Guess we'll see."

She looked at him sadly but still nodded. And then she was gone.

Theo Apparated back down to the drawing room. Draco was lying on the sofa with his eyes closed while Harry was nowhere to be seen. His clothes appeared to have been dried.

As Theo approached him, he suddenly heard Draco ask, "Where is she?"

"She left," said Theo, drying himself with his wand before taking a seat in one of the armchairs.

Draco did not move but, even in the half-lit room, Theo swore he saw a tear fall down the side of his face.

"Where's Potter?" he asked.

"In the kitchen. Says he knows some hangover remedy or something."

"Nice of him to stick around."

"He feels sorry for me," said Draco. "Bloody Harry Potter feels sorry for me. I believe I have officially hit bottom."

"If this is your bottom then I'd say you still have it pretty good," said Theo. "It's just one girl, mate. There'll be more. For you there always are."

Draco stared up at the dark ceiling and slowly began to shake his head. "No. That was the girl. There will be no others."

"Draco, she took all of her things. That's where we were. She was packing up."

"Did she leave anything?"

Theo blinked. "What?"

"Did she leave anything?" Draco repeated.

Shaking his head, Theo said, "No."

"Then she still has it," said Draco with a small smile.

"Has what?"

"The necklace I gave her for her birthday. She was wearing it tonight, I saw it on her. And she didn't leave it behind." He paused. "And where is my coat?"

Theo thought about this. "She had it over her shoulders when she left."

Draco's smile grew. "I thought so."

Meanwhile, in her own bedroom, Hermione was lying on her bed, her clothes still damp as she draped Draco's coat over her like a blanket. It smelled like him. Spicy with a hint of pipe tobacco. Damn him and that perfect scent …

Hermione sat alone in her office, twirling a quill between her fingers as she stared mindlessly in front of her. It was Thursday, well past working hours, and she was still here, doing nothing as she sulked over the fact that, not only had she lost Draco, but it seemed she had lost Theo, as well. For a couple of months now Thursdays had always been their lunch date, but today he hadn't showed. She debated going up to his office, but after their conversation the other night she was pretty certain he hadn't just forgotten.

Blinking back into consciousness, Hermione looked at her watch to see that it was almost eight o'clock. She sighed and put down her quill. Having to go home alone each night was the worst part of her day.

Hermione grabbed her purse out of her drawer, put the strap over her shoulder and stood. Just as she was about to Disapparate, she thought of Theo again. It had been a long time since she had connected with someone like that, forming what she thought was a genuine friendship. As pathetic as it was, she couldn't let it end like this. So, instead of Apparating home, she Apparated down to the employee records room. When there, it did not take her long to locate Theo's information, including his address. She looked it up on her phone, located a nearby Floo network and Apparated to the atrium.

Once she arrived by Floo only a few blocks away from his house, she walked out to the street and began walking there, her heels clanking with determination on the pavement.

It did not take her long to get there, her body still fueled by adrenaline as she marched up his stoop knocked on the door and waited.

It was less than a minute before the door was opening. Theo stood on the other side, clad in black trousers and a gray shirt, looking positively perplexed to see her there.

"Hermione?" he said. "What are you doing here?"

On her way there, Hermione had come up with entire speech in her head, talking about how their friendship did not have to suffer because of this, but she understood where his loyalty was and, if he said the word, she would gladly stand off and let him be. But now that she was here, standing in front of him, none of that came out. Looking into his eyes, she immediately thought of Draco, and that made her burst into tears. It had only been a week since she broke it off but it felt like a lifetime. And each day was more excruciating than the last.

"Bloody hell, Hermione!" said Theo, quickly wrapping his arms around her. "What's wrong?"

"Where …" Hiccup … "were …" Sniffle … "you today?" she asked as best she could.

"Where was I?" Theo thought. " Oh . Thursday." He sighed. "Sorry."

"S'alright," she mumbled. "I'm not …" Hiccup … "bothered."

Theo raised his eyebrows.

"Maybe a little," she admitted with a small shrug.

"Well … come inside then," he said, keeping one arm around her as he guided her through the door. "How did you even know where I lived?"

Hermione sat down on the sofa he led her to and said, "I illegally went through your employee records." She looked around. His house was much smaller than she expected, and quaintly decorated. She supposed she had always assumed he lived in a mansion like Draco and Blaise.

Noticing her eyes, Theo sat down next to her and said, "I know it's small, but after the divorce I didn't see much reason to stay in my father's old house anymore. I never liked it anyway. This place does the trick, and I have space for Edie and David to come when they want. It's definitely much cozier than a stone mansion."

Hermione nodded. "I'm thinking of selling once my divorce is finalized. Not because of the size, that was never an issue, but …" She paused and sighed. "The memories, you know? It was our home for so many years. It just doesn't seem right if it's just my home, you know?"

"Yeah, I do," said Theo, his voice sounding a little sad. "Why are you here, Hermione?"

Hermione chuckled briefly before throwing her hands over her eyes, her cheeks already flushed with embarrassment. "I have no idea. It seemed like a good idea for a quick moment, then the next thing I knew I was standing on your bloody doorstep."

"Do you want Draco back?" he asked.

"No!" she said far too quickly to be convincing. She put her hands down and sighed again. "Yes. But no."

"Hmm …" Theo leaned back against the sofa's arm and draped his arm across the top of it. "I don't know what you expect me to do here. He's my oldest mate."

"Yes, I understand. And I know your loyalty is with -"

"It's not about bloody loyalty," he said. "If we're both being honest, we know perfectly well that he wants me to stay your friend, talk him up, slowly push you back in his direction, but I can't not be biased here. You're making a mistake."

Hermione wiped at her wet cheeks and nodded.

"And, as your friend, I have every right to tell you that."

Hermione looked at him. He was smiling. She blinked, letting the words sink in for a moment before smiling in return. "You're not just messing with me as a form of revenge?"

"I may be a Slytherin but I'm not quite so vindictive, despite who my two best mates are. It's simply not my style."

"Which is why I like you," said Hermione. "You're the rare, sweet snake."

"Yet you fell for the troublesome one."

"Yes, and look where that got me."

"On my doorstep one evening without even the slightest intention to proposition me?"

Now Hermione laughed, and it felt good.

"Well, since you're here, firewhiskey?"

"Gods, yes !" she said.

Theo smiled and stood. "Coming right up." He headed towards the open kitchen that was connected to the room they were sitting in.

As Hermione watched him going through the cabinets, she suddenly heard a knock on the door.

Theo looked towards it as he pulled a bottle out of a cabinet. "It seems I'm popular tonight. Who just bloody shows up anymore?"

"People like me," said Hermione.

The knock came again, more frantic sounding this time.

Hermione stood as Theo headed for the door, for some reason feeling a little nervous.

Theo opened the door. "Jackie?"

"Thank Merlin you're here!" Hermione heard the woman cry. "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be here but I just -"

"What the bloody hell happened to you?" Theo shouted, moving his hands up as he seemed to cup her face.

"Nothing, it's nothing!" Jackie insisted.

Theo moved her inside and slammed the door behind her. "It doesn't look like fucking nothing!"

Jackie walked towards the living room, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw Hermione standing there. Hermione tried hard not to react as she stared right at Jaclyn's very black eye. And then her gaze drifted down, stopping at her arm where there were very prominent bruises in the shape of fingerprints. She was not wearing a coat even though it was freezing out. In fact, she had nothing, not even proper shoes on. It was like she had left somewhere in a hurry.

Looking his ex-wife over, Theo finally noticed the marks on her arm. He touched them, noticing the fingers would have to have been a little larger than his own. His whole body began to shake.

"Who the fuck -?"

"Please don't make me say it," said Jaclyn, suddenly bursting into tears. "You were right, all right? He's a bloody prick! Gods, I don't know what I was thinking!"

Theo lowered his hand and looked at her eye again. It was clearly fresh and getting worse by the second. His fists clenched, and then he was marching for the door.

"Where are you going?" she cried, grabbing his arm and holding him back.

"Where do you fucking think?" he shouted in return. "I'm going to kill that fucking -"

"Theo, no! Please! This was my mistake! I'm the one who -"

"Fucking hell, Jackie!" Theo screamed as he pulled away from her. "Do you fucking hear yourself? The girl I married twenty years ago never would have said that shit! I mean, who the fuck are you?"

Hermione tried to find something else in the room to focus on as they argued. She knew she should duck out of here but they were blocking the exit, and simply Disapparating seemed rude somehow.

"Hermione!"

She snapped back into focus and looked at Theo.

"Do you know any Healing Charms for this?"

Hermione followed his finger to Jaclyn's bruised eye. She nodded.

"Would you mind?" he asked. "I'll be right back."

He marched towards the back of the house, where she assumed his bedroom was.

When left alone with Jaclyn, Hermione took a moment before motioning her over and asking her to take a seat on the sofa. Once the other witch was down, she took out her phone and opened the camera.

"What are you doing?" asked Jaclyn.

"Documenting the damage before I heal it. For when you press charges."

Suddenly, Jaclyn's good eye got very wide. "No! I'm not going to -"

Snap .

"Better to have the option than to not," said Hermione. She snapped another one. Then one of her arm. Jaclyn did not protest again.

Once that was done, Hermione sat beside her, healing her arm first. On closer inspection, the damage was actually much worse. She had a few random scratches, and a purple mark rivaling the color of that eye could be seen poking out of the back of her top. Hermione pulled it back and looked. She sighed.

"Would you mind taking this off for me?"

"Yes!" Jaclyn shouted.

"I promise, I am trained to do this. I took classes after the war and have always kept up with it."

"I'm not taking my top off in front of my ex-husband's bloody new girlfriend! This is humiliating enough!"

"I'm not his girlfriend," said Hermione.

"Then the woman he's casually dating! I don't know but I'm still not doing it!"

"We're just friends," said Hermione, calmly pulling back and waiting.

"Then why are you here in the middle of the night?" Jaclyn demanded.

"Because I needed someone to talk to and he's kind enough to humor me." Hermione smiled. "None of my other friends really understand what I'm going through. He's helping me."

"Yes, that's in his nature," said Jaclyn. She stared at Hermione, giving her a onceover before finally caving and taking off her top.

Hermione bit her lip to keep from gasping. There were several large marks along her back, some that seemed to already be healing, like they had been there for days, if not longer. She grabbed her phone and took a few more photos.

"Want to tell me what happened while it's fresh in your memory?" she asked. "I work for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement so, if you do decide to press charges, I am able to file a report."

Jaclyn was silent for a moment, breathing deeply while Hermione began to heal her. "It hasn't been going on for that long," she finally said. "Only the past couple of weeks. But tonight I just kind of realized that I don't want to be one of those women who accidentally falls down the stairs for the rest of my life, you know?"

"I do," said Hermione, even though she had never actually experienced such a thing.

"When I told him it was over, he went ballistic. He grabbed me when I tried to leave and hit me in the face, but then he tried to take it all back, begging for forgiveness and swearing he didn't mean it. What a joke," she said with a sniffle. "I don't know when I became a bloody doormat but I didn't want to be his anymore, so I threw the bloody ring at him and Apparated here."

Hermione spun her wand, watching as the biggest mark on Jaclyn's back began to fade.

"I don't know why I came here, I just figured that Theo would know what to do. He always does."

Hermione stopped for a moment and looked at Jaclyn's face, half-turned towards hers and full of sadness. But not just because she had been abused by her fiancé. No, there was definitely more to it.

"You still love him," she said without thinking.

Jaclyn did not answer.

Just then, Theo walked in holding a small phial. He handed it to his ex-wife. "It's not a Healing Potion, it just numbs you," he said. "Sorry. I thought I had something better."

"It's fine," said Jaclyn, taking the phial and drinking it down.

It took Theo a moment, but he eventually noticed that she had more bruises on her. His entire body turned red with rage.

"I'm going to kill that fucking bastard."

"Theo, no," said Hermione. "If she decides to press charges then you killing him won't do her case any favors."

" If ?" he repeated. "You better fucking believe you are!"

"It's not your choice!" Jaclyn spat.

Just then, they all heard a ' swoosh ' come from the fireplace and turned towards it. Astoria stepped out, her eyes landing on Jaclyn's and widening when she saw the mark on her face.

"That fucking bastard!" she shouted. It seemed the language that evening was limited.

Astoria ran forward and sat down next to Jaclyn, taking her head in her hands so she could get a closer look.

"Bloody hell, Theo!" Jaclyn shouted. "You owled her?"

"Damn right I did! All of this 'it was my fault' bullshit. If I can't snap some fucking sense into you then someone has to!"

"I'm going to kill him!" Astoria screamed, her face turning just as red as Theo's. And then she noticed the other witch in the room. The red only deepened. "What's she doing here?"

"Healing," Hermione answered simply.

"Well, you might want to do something about her bloody eye!" And then Astoria moved so she could get a better look at Jaclyn's back. Her brow furrowed. "Are you fucking kidding me?" She jumped up. "Get your wand, Theo! We have business to take care of!"

Theo pulled his out of his pocket.

"You can't do that!" Jaclyn cried.

"Yes we fucking can!" Theo shouted.

"I count eight bruises on you," said Astoria. "So I plan to give him that same amount!"

"No!" screamed Jaclyn. "Please, don't! I left, all right? I'm not going back! I just want to get everything out and have it be over! I -" She froze, suddenly turning ashen. "Edie."

Theo's eyes widened. "What about her?"

"She's been staying at her boyfriend's a lot lately and Alastair was angry. He demanded that she sleep at home tonight. Oh Merlin, I completely …" Jaclyn burst into tears and jumped up from the sofa. "I have to go back there and -"

"Jackie, no !" Hermione said sternly as she rose to her feet. She hoped the woman didn't mind the familiarity but she had never actually called her by name before. " All of you, take a breath and calm down ."

"But my daughter -"

"Theo and I will go and get her," said Hermione.

Astoria scowled. "But what about me -?"

" You will stay here with your friend and heal her eye." Hermione gently pushed Jaclyn back onto the sofa. Then she moved behind Astoria, grabbing the hand that was already holding her wand. "It's a simple wave of the arm." She led her through the movement. "And you say, Sano Marca . Then just hold steady as it fades. It won't heal it completely but it will help."

" Sano Marca ?" Astoria repeated.

"Yes," said Hermione. She walked over to Theo. "I am going to need you to stay calm over there, Theo."

"He hit my fucking wife," he said through a clenched jaw. No one corrected him.

"Yes, I understand. But you can't kill him."

Theo looked at Jaclyn, who was too embarrassed to meet his gaze. "One hit," he said, quiet enough so only Hermione could hear.

Hermione gave a shallow nod and said. "Just make it good."

He grabbed her hand and Apparated them so they were standing on a street corner. Really nice houses, definitely a ritzy neighborhood.

Theo led the way across the street, stopping in front of a tall, stone mansion. It was very cold-looking, with minimal plant life aside from the grass.

"How do you know where he lives?" Hermione asked.

"I came to check it out when Jackie told me she was moving her and our daughter in with a man she had only been seeing for a couple of months. I knew, I fucking knew there was something off about that prick!" he shouted, glaring intently at the front door. "But I just thought he was controlling, I didn't know he would fucking hit her like that."

"How could you?"

Theo did not move.

"Do you need me to knock?" she asked.

He nodded slowly.

Hermione walked up to the door, taking a deep breath before raising her fist and knocking. When she heard no movement she was a bit relieved. Really, they were going about this all wrong, but it wasn't her place to take charge of this situation any more than she already had. If it were her, the Patrol Office would already be involved. Or even Harry. It wasn't such a terrible idea to call him right now …

But then the door clicked and opened, and calling Harry was no longer an option. Alastair looked at her, his eyes blinking a few times before recognition kicked in.

"What the fuck are you doing -?"

He did not get the chance to finish before Theo was pushing her aside and slamming his fist into Alastair's nose. Something cracked. The impact was so strong that the other wizard fell back, slamming into a wall before falling to his knees.

"You think you're so tough hitting a bloody woman?" Theo shouted. "You. Fucking . Prick!" He looked off towards the stairs. "EDIE!"

No one answered.

Hermione took out her phone and called James. She did not know why she hadn't thought of it before. This whole night really just felt like a blur. He picked up after two rings.

" Hey, hey, if it isn't my favorite auntie! What's going - ?"

"James, is Edie with you?" she asked.

" Nah, she just Apparated home a minute ago ."

"Hermione?"

Hermione turned to see Edie standing behind her. "Thanks, James," she said, hanging up the phone.

"What are you -?"

"Edie, come in and get your things," said Theo, shoving Alastair back down as he stood.

"Huh?" She looked nervously at her dad. "What is -?"

"Go get them, Edie! Everything," he said, much calmer than Hermione would have thought. "I'll explain later."

Edie nodded. She ran inside, Theo blocking Alastair so he never had a chance to reach for her.

"Hermione, go find Jackie's room and grab some things for her."

"Like hell you will!" shouted Alastair.

He pushed Theo off of him and took a swing. Luckily, Theo dodged in time. "Go, will you?" he shouted.

Hermione hurried into the house and ran up the stairs. She passed the first room to see Edie scrambling around in there. Then she opened a couple more doors before finding the master bedroom. She went into the closet, into the drawers, into the washroom, into every nook and cranny and just began stuffing things into her purse. The Undetectable Extension Charm was really coming in handy as of late.

Hearing a commotion downstairs, Hermione packed faster. Then there was a scream. Followed by a thud. Her head shot up and she ran from the room. Edie was already in her doorway but she motioned for her to stay back.

Hermione walked down the stairs slowly. When about halfway she could finally see Theo, standing there and breathing heavily while he gazed down at an unconscious Alastair.

"What did you do?" she asked, running the rest of the way down.

"You can relax, I only stunned him. He was trying to go up and stop you."

"Dad."

They both looked to see Edie standing on the staircase.

"Is your stuff packed?" he asked.

She nodded.

"I'll help you carry it. Hermione, do you have Jackie's things?"

"Some of it, yes," she said, giving her purse a shake so they could hear the large rattle. "It should do for now."

"Apparate back to my place. We'll follow shortly."

"All right."

Hermione watched as Theo met Edie on the stairs, putting an arm around her shoulders and guiding her back up to her room. She turned and looked at Alastair lying flat on the floor, trying hard to fight back the urge to kick him.

When he began to stir, she quickly took out her wand and stunned him again. Then she Disapparated, reappearing on Theo's front stoop and letting herself in.

"Where's Theo?" asked Jaclyn, immediately rising to her feet.

"He's coming. He's just helping Edie carry a few things. I have some of yours." She lifted her purse. "Does Theo have a guest room I can put it in?"

"You're staying here?" asked Astoria.

Jaclyn shrugged in response.

"Well, that's not terribly awkward," said Astoria. " Does he have a guest room?"

"He has a room for David," said Jaclyn. "I'll show you."

She led the way down the hall and into one of the closed doors. It was just a simple room with white walls and blue sheets. Barely lived in, if lived in at all.

Hermione went over to the dresser and began emptying the contents of her purse on top of it. Jaclyn watched as more and more kept coming out. "How do you do that?" she asked.

"An Undetectable Extension Charm," she answered. "I have it on all of my purses. It really makes the task of lugging your entire life around less tedious."

Jaclyn gave a small smile. "Thanks for going with him. Merlin knows I couldn't have handled going back there right now."

"It's not a problem," said Hermione. "But if you go again I insist you take a patrol officer with you."

"You are very 'by the book', aren't you?"

"Yes, I am."

Hermione began lining up the shoes she had grabbed on the floor while Jaclyn arranged everything she had taken out already.

Burying her head deep in the bag, Hermione said, "I think that's it. I'll let you know if I find anything else floating around."

Together, they walked back out to the living room. Theo and Edie were there now, Theo giving Astoria a play-by-play of what had happened while his daughter stood dazed beside him. But then her eyes blinked and she saw her mother. The black eye was better but it was nowhere near healed. Edie immediately burst into tears, running forward until she was in her mother's arms.

"Mom, I'm sorry!" she cried. "I didn't know! I …"

"Shh … Edie, it's fine. This isn't your fault."

"But -"

"I don't want you to worry about this, all right?" said Jaclyn, crying right along with her daughter. "Alastair is gone from our lives. I promise."

Not wanting to invade their moment, Hermione went over and stood between Theo and Astoria.

"Not a bad job on the eye, especially for a first timer."

"It wasn't my first time," Astoria admitted. "It had just been a while."

Hermione looked at her curiously.

"Not that it's any of your business, but before I got married I was training to become a Healer. At least, up until the day my father told me it was time to give up on such childish fantasies and find a proper husband. I'm glad it all worked out so lovely in the end."

Hermione noticed Theo glance sideways at Astoria, giving a slight eye roll.

"First time, or a long time, either way you did a nice job."

Astoria crossed her arms as she continued to watch her friend's tearful embrace with her daughter. "Thank you," she said quietly, almost as if she did not know how to use such words. "Jackie says you offered to file a report for her."

"I did," said Hermione.

"Do it."

"I need her to say the word first."

"I'll get her to say the word," said Astoria. "You just get it done."

Hermione nodded. "Fine. I'll write a report but I won't be able file it until she comes to me."

"She will," Astoria said confidently. "And if, for some reason, she doesn't then I'll kill the bastard myself."

"Not f I get there first," said Theo from Hermione's other side.

Hermione smiled as she stared at the looks of determination on both of their faces. "Remind me never to piss either of you off."

It was a long while before everyone had calmed down. Jaclyn had finally fallen asleep in Edie's bed with her and Astoria had fallen asleep on the sofa. Theo just put a blanket over her and let her be.

As Theo walked Hermione to the door, he said, "Sorry we never got the chance to talk about your problems."

"It's fine," said Hermione. "This was much more important."

He opened the door for her. She stepped into the entryway before turning around. "We really are okay, right, Theo?"

"Yeah."

"I would completely understand if you wanted nothing to do with me."

"I'm not a bloody woman, Hermione. I can be friends with both of you."

"Right." Hermione looked over his shoulder to make sure Astoria was still sleeping. She was.

"But I really think you should reconsider," said Theo, speaking quietly. "He's better with you than he ever was on his own."

Hermione nodded, continuing to watch Astoria, convinced that she was almost too still. "We'll talk about it another time," she said.

Theo reached out and fondled the necklace she was wearing. A locket. "Why are you wearing this?" he asked.

Hermione snatched it back. "You know why," she said, wiping away a tear. "Goodnight, Theo." She reached out and hugged him, holding him extra tight as she realized she still did not want to go home and be alone. She wanted to go see Draco. After everything that had happened that night, it would have felt nice to be held in his arms. But when she left there, she didn't go. She couldn't. It had only been a week since she left him, and that first one was always the hardest. It would get better from here on out. She was sure of it.