Draco stared as his reflection in the mirror. Was all black too much? He knew that it suited his pale skin and light blonde hair but was it too intimidating for his first encounter with her after so long? The left corner of his mouth lifted slightly. Hermione Granger wasn't one to be intimated easily, let alone by a suit.

Blaise lounged behind him in a chaise, he caught Draco's eye as he casually sipped a beer.

"You ready?" He asked and Draco could only nod.

They made their way downstairs to the sleek black limousine waiting outside and Draco slid in with ease. He reached for the bar, grabbing two beers out of the ice. He passed one to Blaise as he settled in beside him.

"What is this thing anyway?" Draco asked, fiddling with the beer bottle label. They had sat in silence for the last twenty minutes.

"It's Luke Storm's latest book launch, Hermione was the head editor. She took the project on in the late stages because of the company takeover but it's meant to be another best seller. There will easily be two hundred people there and we will be fashionably late. Hopefully we can find her before our presence becomes too well known." Blaise replied pulling at his suit jacket sleeves. The car had come to a stop and Draco nodded as the driver opened the door.

The party was in full swing when they arrived. The rooftop was large and small clusters of people could mill about without feeling like sardines. Lights were strung up creating a starlight look and as they stepped off the elevator there was a huge poster of the latest Luke Storm book cover. A DJ was providing some soft background music and there was a stage setup with the Gem Publishing logo behind it. The hum of voices did nothing to ease Draco's nerves and he tried not to crane his neck to look into the crowd.

Blaise greeted a few people, made introductions but Draco remained quiet for most of their interactions. He was already thought to be an enigma and Blaise was the real face of his company. He was here for one reason and that wasn't to mingle. He was here to see her.

"Jenny, I would like to introduce you to Draco Malfoy," Blaise remarked, bring Draco out of his reverie. His eyes had been scanning for Hermione. Draco shot his hand forward, bringing a smile to his face.

"It is so wonderful to meet you Mr Malfoy. Are you enjoying the book launch? It is one of firsts after Gem Publishing went beneath the Malfoy Industries banner." Jenny smiled pleasantly, her blonde hair was coiffed nicely at the back of her neck. Her black dress highlighted her thin frame and her perfect posture led Draco to believe she had been a dancer when she was younger.

"Yes, Ms Matthews it seems to be quite an affair. How is your new editor working out?" Draco asked. Jenny nodded briefly looking between the two men.

"Why yes, Hermione Granger was an excellent choice. I'll see if I can find her. I'm sure she would be pleased to meet you both." Jenny said with a smile and began to weave through the crowd. Draco heard Blaise snort quietly and they proceeded to follow her. Jenny called Hermione's name and Draco could see she was standing with a group of people, chatting easily.

Draco felt his breath catch. There she was, after so long, back from the dead. She was dressed in a tight fitting deep purple dress that clung to all her curves. Her hair was the same, dark brown and falling in soft curls over her shoulders. Draco eyes skimmed her body before reaching her face. He could always read Hermione best by her face, by her eyes. Jenny had been making introductions and he could see that Hermione was staring at them wildly, she had turned as white as a sheet. Jenny was then saying his name, introducing him.

"Miss Granger and I are acquainted." Draco remarked, staring at Hermione. He heard Blaise scoff and Jenny apologising, confusion in her tone. Then Hermione's eyes rolled back and she was falling, collapsing right before him. Draco reached for her but he was too slow and her body smacked the hard concrete, her head making a small 'thunk' as it hit the floor.

"Holy hell! Did she just faint?" Blaise asked as he watched Draco and Jenny kneel next to Hermione's unconscious body.

"Call an ambulance Blaise." Draco growled, watching Jenny carefully touch Hermione's shoulder, nudging her slightly. He wanted to reach out and touch her himself but he held back. He didn't want to remember how smooth her skin was. He could already smell the perfume she was wearing, mixing nicely with her natural scent. It was feminine and softly floral.

"Hermione can you hear us?" She asked, her hand once again nudging Hermione's shoulder. Hermione's eyes opened slowly, her eyelashes fluttering delicately against her cheek as she blinked a few times. She tried to sit up but she reached for her head quickly.

"Just lay down Hermione, you fainted. I think you hit your head pretty bad." Jenny said soothingly, rubbing Hermione's arm. Hermione's eyes flicked to him at the word fainted, he watched as a small crinkle formed between her eyes. Draco noticed as her mouth opened and then abruptly closed. She tried to sit up again, helped by Jenny's reassuring hand on her back. Hermione winced and reached for the back of her head, when she pulled her fingers away they were red with blood.

"The ambulance is on its way," Blaise interjected, causing Draco to look up. He noticed the large crowd that had gathered around them and stood, dusting off his pants.

"Ms Matthews are you able to escort Miss Granger to the elevator? That is if Miss Granger is able to walk?" Draco down at Hermione and she gave a small nod as Jenny helped her to her feet.

Draco faced Blaise and whispered, "Deal with crowd." Blaise nodded and turned on his showman face, his voice boomed as he asked the crowd to disperse and continue their pleasant evenings. Draco watched as Jenny led Hermione towards the exit, he could see blood had matted her hair at back of her head. Then there was man appearing at her side, putting his arm around her waist in support, Hermione looked up at him and smiled. Draco's gut twisted something vicious. The man was tall with a lean muscular frame, dressed nicely in a dark blue suit. He had dark brown hair and olive skin, even the black glasses that sat on the bridge of his nose suited him. Blaise hand came down on Draco's shoulder and pushed him forward.

"Whatever I thought was going to happen tonight that wasn't it," Blaise remarked as they followed Jenny, Hermione and the mysterious man. "I'm not surprised to see Luke already at Hermione's side."

"That man is Luke Storm?" Draco asked. Blaise nodded and continued.

"Didn't want to say anything but pretty sure he's got a thing for Hermione."

"And how would you know this?" Draco asked, pausing slightly as they had neared the elevator, trying to keep their conversation private.

"Rumours, rumours. You'd be surprised what you can learn from secretaires." Blaise said with a wink.

"Blaise do I need to stress…"

"Calm down old chap, I'm just talking to them. People can give up all sorts of information when they think they might get something out of it." Blaise said, gesturing a hand forward for them to continue.

The ambulance officers had arrived now and were looking Hermione over. Draco kept his eyes on Hermione as he and Blaise made their way over.

"Are you okay Hermione?" Luke asked, he was touching her shoulder now as he knelt in front of her. "What happened?"

"I just felt a little dizzy Luke, too much champagne I think." She forced a laugh from her lips and Draco could see Luke physically relax. Hermione touched his arm softly and he removed his hand from her shoulder.

"I hope you are alright. That bump looks nasty." He smiled at her and stepped back so the ambulance officers could get to the back of head. Hermione looked briefly at Luke before her eyes shifted and she stared at Draco. He watched as her eyes looked over his body, making him straighten his shoulders. Her eyes returned his face and he saw for the first time what she was truly feeling. Draco's heart wrenched. He hadn't wanted things to go like this. But if he was honest with himself, he didn't really know how he wanted things to go in the first place. He needed to leave. This was a mistake. Without a word or a look back, he strode away.

Draco decided that a week was enough. A week to process, to recover, and to plan because if Draco knew anything, Hermione always had a plan. She was also the queen of overthinking and some part of him wanted to be spiteful, to let her wallow in the 'what if' scenarios she would be creating in her head.

Her home was a small, narrow, two storey flat. The white paint was cracked and some parts were flaking but the door looked freshly painted. It had a path that led to the front door and that was about it. No garden, not even a potted plant. His sleek sedan sat on the street, looking out of place with the old hatchbacks and Fiats. It however looked less conspicuous than a man appearing out of thin air. While the neighbourhood wasn't fancy, it was well maintained, clean. A brass knocker was attached to the door and Draco tapped twice before stepping back and waiting. He pulled at the sleeves of his suit jacket, despite being the weekend Draco wasn't sure he really knew how to wear anything but a suit these days. He could hear commotion behind the door and then the door flung open revealing a middle aged woman. She was dressed simply in white pants and a blue blouse, her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She squinted at Draco and placed a hand on her hip.

"Can I help you?' she asked. Draco frowned and looked at the house number next to the door.

"I was looking for Hermione Granger." Before either of them could respond a small blonde head popped out under the ladies arm. Draco eyes moved to the child and his eyes rounded.

"Who's this Aunt Audrey?" The little girl asked and Draco could hear the faintest tinge of a French accent. Aunt Audrey looked expectantly at Draco.

"I'm Draco Malfoy," He could see the recognition flash through Audrey's eyes. She knew who he was. Interesting, at some point he had been mentioned to this woman. Draco crouched down to the child's height, admiring how her long hair was practically platinum and her nose a tiny bit sharp compared to her soft round cheeks. He wanted to ignore the colour of his eyes, they were the same colour that looked back at him in the mirror every day. The little girl was wearing a pair of denim short and a purple t-shirt with a rainbow unicorn on it.

"And what's your name?" Draco smiled at the girl and she smiled back, dimples appearing in her cheeks.

"I'm Isla Granger." She thrust her small hand out and Draco chuckled as her shook it delicately. His eyes looked up at Audrey and she had a slight look of shock on her face. She shook her head quickly.

"Is Miss Granger home?' he repeated.

"You better come in," Audrey replied, opening the door wider. Draco stood and stepped into the house. Audrey let him into the flat, the carpet was closer to yellow than the original cream Draco thought it to be. It was also worn down the middle, marking the path of a thousand footsteps.

"Isla why don't you continue drawing in the living room? I'm going to make Mr Malfoy a cup of tea."

Isla glanced quickly at Draco before ducking into the small living room to the left. Draco could see the scattering of paper over the coffee table, a large box of crayons sat in the middle. There was a royal blue settee and matching armchair, both faced an unlit fireplace. Draco could see several photos sitting on top of the mantle. He turned towards Audrey and moved along the hallway to pass through a swinging door into the kitchen. The kitchen was modest with a stove and white kitchen cupboards, a round four seater table sat off to the side. There was a window that looked out onto a small garden. Audrey gestured to a chair as she put the kettle onto the stove. Draco sat, quickly realising he had picked a chair facing into the living room. Isla sat cross legged at the coffee table scribbling frantically away.

"Hermione should be home shortly. She asked me to watch Isla for a few hours." She walked over with a teapot and cups on a tray, placing them on the middle of the table. "Milk?"

"Please," Draco replied. Audrey sat and took a tentative sip of her tea, looking Draco over. He hadn't taken his eyes off Isla.

"She's mine isn't she?" he asked quietly, looking over at the older woman.

"Yes," Audrey paused watching Draco relax and then continued, "I always thought she looked like Hermione but just with blonde hair and then you crouched next her and I couldn't stop staring."

"Does she know?" Draco said reaching out for the tea cup, he eyes moved over to the girl again as he took a sip. His brain wasn't quite comprehending this information, his suspicions being confirmed.

"Isla? No. Hermione has kind of being ignoring the subject when she asks. I'm not sure she knows what to tell her," Draco looked over at Audrey and nodded, he wasn't sure what to say. "Can I ask why you are here Mr Malfoy?"

"Please call me Draco," He paused and then sighed, placing the tea cup onto the wooden table. "I came to speak to Hermione, try understand things better. Talk about our next step."

"Your next step?" Audrey raised her eyebrows at him. "What if she doesn't want to see you?"

"I'm not going to be dissuaded easily." Draco replied as they both heard a key turn in the lock of the front door.

"Hello I'm home. Audrey are you in the kitchen? How was everything?" Hermione shouted as she walked down the hallway towards them. Draco stood as the door swung open and she entered the room. Her had sunglasses pushed up onto the top of her head and her cheeks were tinged with freckles from the afternoon sun. She wore a pair of dark denim jeans, ballet flats and a black t-shirt that read "Bookmarks are for Quitters" in a white cursive font. Her hair was up in a messy bun, held by a bright red scrunchie. Draco soaked her in, she was still perfection.

Hermione paused when she saw him standing there and then her attention went to Isla as the little girl barrelled into her.

"Mum!" Isla squealed, wrapping her arms around Hermione's legs, "There is a man here to see you." She turned and pointed at Draco. Hermione's eyes raised to his again and he could see her mind ticking over.

"How about we go to the park Isla? We can go on the swings," Audrey reached out her hand towards the girl and Isla took it. Hermione and Draco stood in silence just looking at each other as Audrey walked with Isla towards the front door. "We will be back in an hour," Audrey hollered as she closed the door. Hermione walked over to the cabinet, pulled out a glass and then filled it at the sink. She took a large gulp and turned to face Draco, leaning back against the kitchen counter. She took off her sunglasses and placed them on the counter behind her.

Draco Malfoy was sitting in her kitchen. His blonde was short on the sides and longer on the top, he had gelled it to sit perfectly. He was wearing a black suit and tie and his dress shoes were polished to perfection. There was a pair of black Ray Bans and a set of keys sitting on the table next to a cup of tea. He looked relaxed in her kitchen, like he belonged there. It made Hermione want to grind her teeth.

"Are you here for Isla?" she asked. Draco sat down at the table again, stretching his long legs out in front of him, trying to at least appear relaxed.

"I'm here for an explanation. I want you to explain where you have been for the last five years."

"I was in France but I'm sure you already know that. Just like you knew I needed a job. Like how you knew I was going be at the book launch. How long have you been playing puppet master with my life Draco?" Hermione demanded, crossing her arms.

"I saw you at the funeral three months ago. Before that I still thought you were dead." A look of guilt flash across Hermione's face.

"I'm sorry about your mother." She said softly, Draco forced a quick smile across his lips.

"Thank you but we aren't here to talk about her. You owe me an explanation Hermione." Draco said softly. Her eyes darted to the floor and then to the ceiling, the door and then finally back to his face. She closed her eyes briefly and then moved to sit in the chair opposite Draco.

"When I left Hogwarts, I came to stay with Audrey and Sam. I planned to move to America or maybe Australia, I hadn't decided. But then I found out I was pregnant and leaving didn't seem like the best idea. So I stayed with them till Isla was 3 months old. The war was reaching its peak and I didn't feel safe in England anymore, especially with Isla. Audrey begged me to stay close, somewhere they could visit, I found a job in France and left. 4 months ago I lost my job, the wizarding world was repairing itself and I thought I could return and slip into a muggle life without no one noticing." She finished with a shrug and leant forward onto the table. Draco leant forward on the table too, their hands mere centimetres apart.

"You didn't know about the baby when you left?" He asked. Hermione looked at him and shook her head. "Why did you leave then?"

"Everything was ruined Draco, it was messy and chaotic. I had betrayed you, my friends, and myself just trying to prove something. I just couldn't do it anymore." Hermione put her head in her hands and a small sigh escaped her lips. Draco reached for her but pulled his hand away.

"You should have told me about Isla. You had no right Hermione to keep my daughter from me." Draco said. Hermione lifted her head, unshed tears sat in her eyes.

"What you do want from me Draco? You turned up at the party to surprise me, now you're in my house. You're manipulating my job and my life. You're up to your usual tricks again. So tell me what do you want?" A coolness had slipped into Hermione's voice

"I want you and Isla to come live with me." Draco leaned back and crossed his arms, watching the small changes in Hermione's face. Hermione abruptly stood up and went to the sink. Her knuckles turning white as she gripped it. She turned back to face him and her eyes were icy.

"Live with you? And why would I agree to that? Are you going to blackmail me?"

"I don't want to do that," Draco replied

"But you would, wouldn't you? To get what you want," Hermione said seething, "This isn't a game like in school anymore Draco. You're talking about a child, my child."

"I think you mean our child Hermione," Draco said standing, Hermione lowered her eyes. "This house is hardly fit for a Malfoy." He gestured to the large crack in the linoleum floor at their feet.

"And what am I meant to say, 'Hey baby, this man is your Dad and we are going to go live with him?'"

"Sounds good to me," Draco said with a slight chuckle. Hermione glared at him. This wasn't going as well as Draco had thought.

"You're joking right? I can't drop something like that on a four year old."

"Okay well let's compromise, come live with me and we can decide to tell Isla when the time feels right." Draco moved across the kitchen to stand before her.

The soft glow of the sun was shining through the window behind her, highlighting the natural brown tones of her hair. She had lost some of the softness from her teenage years but her beauty had only deepened with age, her cheekbones more pronounced, making her brown eyes seem larger. Draco thought she looked a little on the skinny side, he missed the soft swell of the hips she used to have. His hands twitched remember the last time he had felt them beneath his fingers. He could see Hermione's eyes turn cautious as he stopped in front of her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Maybe if she couldn't see him then he would go away.

"How is your head? Did it need stitches?" Draco reached forward and touched her elbow.

"Better, thanks for asking. Luckily no stitches." She looked up at him and then at her elbow. The heat remained despite Draco moving his hand away. She wanted to deny the electricity between them, deny that even after all this time, it felt right between them.

"And what about us?" Hermione croaked out, trying to ignore that delicious manly smell that was filling her nostril. Merlin she had forgotten how good he smelt. He was so tall and broad now, she felt like he had could barely fit in her kitchen. She looked up into his grey eyes, waiting hesitantly for his answer.

"What about us?" Draco said taking a step back, wariness filling his gaze. "I'm here for my daughter and I know you won't let her live with me alone. You'll have your own wing, you can have your own life, date who you want." That last bit ripped at Draco's heart but he ignored it. He wasn't ready to forgive her just yet, he wanted to pretend that this was just about Isla.

"Why did you come to the book launch then? If this was just about Isla? You could have just turned up here like today," Hermione asked.

"I needed you to know and I also wanted to give you some time to stew." Draco paused and then a crease formed between his eyebrows as he continued, "Do you want this to be about us? I thought you made it pretty clear what you had chosen five years ago."

"Yes you are right. Nothing has changed." Hermione said, straightening her spine. Two could play the denial game. Draco looked at her, searching her eyes for something. He tried to hide to droop in his shoulders at his disappointment. Maybe she had truly moved on. He moved across the room to pick up his sunglasses and keys.

"Did you drive here?" Hermione asked surprisingly.

"Yes I can drive. I own several muggle businesses, it would be weird if I didn't know how to drive. In saying that I do have a driver but I thought it would be less conspicuous if I drove myself today," Draco remarked with a shrug of his shoulders. "If I send a truck in a week, will be enough time to organise things? I also want to talk about Isla's schooling." He moved towards the swinging door that lead to the hallway. Hermione quickly followed him.

"Wait! What? I haven't made a decision." Hermione said grabbing his elbow to turn him around. Draco stared down at her hand and she let go. This was the second time they had touched in a space of an hour and Hermione wished it didn't feel so familiar still.

"I thought we had established this was more of a courtesy on my behalf to ask," Draco smirked and Hermione could have slapped him. That arrogance hadn't changed in the last five years.

"We aren't going," Hermione stated, crossing her arms.

"The truck will be here in a week. Isla will be coming to live with me. You choose if you decide to join her. Please don't make this hard." Draco said, rubbing his forehead. Hermione glared at him acting like she was the headache in this situation. "We both know I have the means and resources to make this happen regardless of your cooperation."

"Are you threatening me?" Hermione asked, her cheeks turning pink with angry.

"No, I'm just telling you how it is." Draco slipped on his sunglasses and opened the front door. Hermione wanted to grab the handle and slam it shut again, he couldn't leave like this. Who was he to boss her around?

"And what if Isla doesn't want to go?" Hermione asked, causing Draco to pause on her threshold. He turned towards her and Hermione tried not to shiver. She couldn't see his eyes and she found it disconcerting.

"I know you are very good at convincing people something is a good idea." And with that he turned and was down her path and on the street before she could think of a response. She slammed the door so hard it rattled in its frame. Jerk!

Draco slipped into his sedan and just sat there. He examined his hands as they clutched the steering wheel. He was annoyed with himself. He should have handled that better. But as soon as she started questioning their relationship he had seen red. Why would she do that? She made her decision, she even stated again that it was over between them. Couldn't she just see that this was about Isla, their daughter? Their daughter. His daughter. It still felt weird saying those words, even in his head. She was so amazing too. He hadn't been able to picture her but today seeing her little face pop out beneath Audrey's arm he was already besotted. How could Hermione keep her from him? He had missed four years of her life, he wasn't missing any more.