-I own nothing J.K. Rowling is Queen.

He found himself always drifting off into his thoughts at these functions. He hated them. He'd been around the stuffy formal affairs his whole life. He grew up on them. He didn't know there were functions that didn't require a tie. He caught a glimpse of someone sitting at the bar. They knew each other, a little too well, and yet not really at all. Out of boredom, and a tad but of Dutch courage he decided he would approach her.

"You always look terribly bored at these things." He spoke as smoothly as ever as he leaned in, and took the seat at the bar next to her.

She took a sip of her drink looking over the glass at him while doing so. She set it back down on the bar and licked her pink lips.

"They are boring are they not?" she asked him with a nod of her head and a smirk.

He smirked back at her, and signaled the bar tender.

"Another for me, and whatever she's having as well, put it on my tab thanks." His piercing blue eyes landed back on her warm brown ones.

"Ah how nice of you Malfoy, my how far we've come from our childhood. The dark prince is buying me a drink." She had a teasing tone as she smirked in his direction once again.

"Yes we've all come a long way haven't we Granger, it sometimes seems further away than it actually is doesn't it?" he asked her with a kink in his furrowed brow.

"Being in a war most of your adolescence has that effect I guess; we are only twenty-five Malfoy." She took another sip of her drink.

"I guess you're right." He followed suit with his drink.

"Why are you over here Malfoy?" She turned to face him fully.

He was hoping she wouldn't ask that.

"I thought you looked bored." He said defensively.

"So?" she retorted.

Damn she was never easy.

"So… I thought we could have a chat over a drink." He said quickly as if he was under intense interrogation.

"What exactly are you up to cause I am really not in the mood for your bullshit Malfoy." She had always thought about him. In different ways throughout her life. He mixed up so many different emotions. He made her feel unsteady. The opposite of how she feels around anyone else. She was always steady, always sure. She found it difficult to drop her defenses. She stared daggers at his eyes.

"Woah retract the claws kitten." He said as he feigned being hurt.

"That's not an answer to my question, and don't call me kitten unless you want me to hex your balls off." She said with bite.

"So much aggression and in one so petite." He chuckled to himself, took another sip of his drink and continued "Listen Granger we're not kids anymore, I have no ill will towards you, I was honestly just bored at yet another ministry function that we all feel obliged to attend." He held his hand over his heart and looked at her for a response.

Hermione was looking at him up and down sizing him up. He always was rather handsome. The bad boy image didn't hurt at all, not that she would ever admit that. His hair had grown out to a nice length, and he had filled out quite nicely… especially his chest and arms. She decided she could give him the benefit of the doubt. Besides she was tipsy and didn't want to ruin her slight buzz.

"Ok Malfoy, I don't know how much I can do for your boredom, but I'll retract the claws…. A little." She said with what he thought was a small smile.

"How come you're always by yourself at these things?" he asked.

She could hear the honesty in his voice.

"I don't quite enjoy the retelling of war stories over… and over like so many seem to." She didn't want to lie, or tell a joke. She didn't know why…but her usual responses to such questions didn't seem adequate or necessary.

He took a deep breath.

"Merlin I thought I was the only one that felt that way. It's so incredibly suffocating."

"Yes! Why on earth would I want to relive that constantly?!" she reached out and touched his knee as she finished her thought.

There was an immediate spark. The ever so slight stomach flip. They both felt it.

Just like that she retracted her arm.

"Oh I'm sorry." She said as she looked down.

His eyes stayed on her. She was something. Long cinnamon curls fell in front her lightly freckled face.

"It's really fine… Hermione." He finished saying her actual name to her for the first time.

As soon as she heard it she looked up. She let out a real smile for the first time in what felt like ages.

"So why are you always alone… Draco?" She asked him playfully?

"Not too many people want to be friends with a former Death Eater. Traitor to one side, and never trusted on the other." He said as he looked down at his drink I his hands.

"That's ridiculous." She said as if to brush it off without a thought to its veracity.

"Is it?" he asked genuinely with a quirk of his eyebrow.

She frowned a little.

"Well yes in my mind." She answered truthfully.

He looked at her, and her began to worry himself. He couldn't let himself feel this way. He had to keep up his walls. They were there for his protection he tried to remind himself.

"Well not everyone is as clever as you are." He smirked in her direction once again.

"We were children…at war. You made the right choice in the end. It's hard to combat what we're taught at a young age. Bloody hell, look at everyone in this room. Go on look, same cliques they were in at Hogwarts. We regress one another. It can be a good thing, fun, innocent. but it can certainly go the opposite direction. Same old prejudices, as if we didn't fight to end that. I know I did. Sometime it seems we've just flipped it. It hurts me to hear you feel that way."

He was touched by her words. She was always well beyond most people when it came to thinking. He shouldn't have been surprised. Here she was, someone who had more reasons than anyone to not trust him. Hate him even, going out of her way to make a point that he shouldn't be shunned away like he was carrying the plague or something.

"You might need to add kindness to that whole brightest witch of her age thing you know." He said looking into her warm eyes."

She scrunched up her face slightly hearing that old moniker.

"I never really liked that, too pompous."

"Not untrue though, is it?" He questioned.

She rolled her eyes in return.

"You know this is one of the most stimulating conversation I've had at one of these things in ages. I've liked talking to you, Draco." She said in a soft tone.

He decided to take a chance. He jumped.

"Perhaps we should do it again sometime… get together…and talk I mean."

TBC