Authors note

The premise of this story is that the events described could have happened between the lines of J.K Rowling's work. Story ignores J.K.R's epilogue.

Thank you all so very much for your lovely reviews and encouragement to write a sequel- have an idea for the sequel so watch this space.

Chapter 1: Prologue

Diagon Alley 2008

Flourish & Blotts was crowded with VIP guests for the launch of Harry Potter's biography. For years Harry had resisted all attempts to tell his story but finally, after a number of unofficial biographies got the story badly wrong, he agreed to an official biography but only if he could choose the biographer. Of course he had turned to his longtime friend Hermione Granger to write about his life. She had been reluctant at first but in the end she conceded that it was an opportunity to set the record straight and she agreed to the challenge of writing Harry's official account of the events that lead to the defeat of Voldemort.

Now here Hermione was, 12 months later, anxiously awaiting for Flourish & Blotts to open their doors to the wizarding public. The books were plied high Harry's charming and charismatic face stared from the cover. Hermione marvelled at her name embossed across the dust cover. A book signing seemed all too pretentious, it reminded her of the book signing she had attended when she was at Hogwarts. She was still a little embarrassed by the crush she had developed on Lockhart. As she reminisced she drifted through the book shelves meeting and greeting the patrons a glass of fire-whiskey in hand. She turned the corner into the magical creatures section to find the back of a very distinctive platinum blond head. She had not seen him in almost a decade he had become something of a recluse after his wife died. She wondered what had brought him here today after all those years of solitude?

Hermione was suddenly hit by a wave of anxiety, all that had gone between them suddenly flooding back. He was the boy who had been her childhood bully, the boy she shouldn't ever have loved. Her mouth became dry, she was about to turn and flee when he suddenly sensed her presence.

Turning he leaned against the shelves blocking her only route of escape.

"Hermione" he began in greeting. Somehow she had not expected him to call her by her given name.

"Draco" she acknowledged "it's been a long time. What has brought you out of hiding?"

"I wanted to thank you." He said earnestly.

"What for?" she asked genuinely puzzled.

" So many things" he sighed "but specifically this." He held up his advance copy of Harry's biography.

Hermione still looked on puzzled so he sought to explain;

"I wasn't expecting such a sympathetic portrayal of my family or myself."

"I only told the truth." She stated as a matter of fact.

"Did you?" he questioned "I detect much that is missing between the lines."

"I told the public what they needed to know."

"And what was it they needed to know that they didn't know already?" he enquired "the story is after all well known."

"Is it?" she questioned.

"Well certainly there have been many attempts to tell it."

"I wanted them to know that you are a better man than they think." She blurted out before she could stop herself.

Draco looked stunned. Whatever it had been that he expected her to say it was not that.

"Why?" was his simple one-line response.

Draco never got his reply as at that moment Harry Potter came looking for Hermione.

"Hermione, we are ready to start." He said urgently "Malfoy" he acknowledged the tall blond man.

"Potter" was the polite reply.

Hermione began to walk away but as an afterthought she turned around to her erstwhile enemy.

"It's lovely to see you again Draco, don't be a stranger."

"Don't be a stranger?" Harry questioned as they walked away "what was that all about?" Harry asked his eyebrows in his hairline.

"I was just being polite." Hermione stated somewhat defensively. If you only knew Harry. She said to herself but I never dared to tell you.

By the time she reached the front of the store, the queue for the authors signing was out the door. It seemed that Harry's fame and her reputation had caused something of sensation not to mention the media storm. A scrummage of reporters fought with patrons to be near the front.

"Hermione are you concerned about how your account of events will be received?" asked a reporter from the 'Quibbler'.

Everyone stilled in anticipation of her response. As she paused to select her words carefully she caught sight of him standing near the back of the store. Draco was watching her carefully his mercurial grey eyes alive with emotion.

"No I am not concerned. I was there, what I describe is quite simply the truth as I saw it."

"Miss Granger" another reporter screamed "do you think your portrayal of the Malfoys is a little too generous?"

"No." she stated very simply.

"Did Mr. Malfoy pay you to write this more sympathetic account? Why have you waited so long to tell your side of the story Miss Granger?" It was Rita Skeeter, of course only she would have to come up with something that made Hermione look like a villain.

Before she could answer and to everyone's surprise Draco spoke up.

"I can assure you Ms. Seeker that Miss Granger has never owed me anything."

At that point the impromptu press conference was broken up.

"Ladies and Gentleman of the press that will be all thank you. If you could make way for our wonderful customers." The General Manager of the store requested.

And so the book signing began. After an hour and 45 minutes of polite conversation and with an aching wrist Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as it looked as if the crowd was finally thinning out.

"I think you missed something Miss Granger." She heard a characteristic drawl say as he held out a book for her to sign.

"Really and what was that?" She enquired.

He leaned forward so that no one else could hear. "That you were the girl I wanted and could never have."

She could feel herself blushing at the same time biting her lip to try and hold back tears that had suddenly welled behind her lashes.

"Don't" she whispered.

He remained silent, regret hung heavily between them.

"Huh, hum" the sound came from the witch impatiently waiting behind him.

"Who would you like the dedication to Mr Malfoy?"

"The book is for me" he stated simply.

What should she write? she wondered, she wanted him to know that she had not forgotten the unspoken tale that lay between the lines. Things that he would infer because he knew where to look.

With a quick flourish she wrote before she could over think it.

To the boy I should never have dared to love,

'Never' is a very long time.

With love

Hermione.

She slammed the book closed and returned it to him before the ink was properly dry and before he could read it. His fingers brushed her hand as he took the tome from her. Inside Hermione wanted to scream 'don't go, don't leave me, not this time.'

With a slight bow of his head "Miss Granger" he bid her goodbye.

Hermione's eyes lingered on him as he walked away willing him to look back. He didn't. She knew he hadn't intended to but he had opened old wounds that later she would relive. With all the regret and longing that she still felt even years later.