A/N: This started as a niggling little thought that just wouldn't go away one sleepless night. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

A huge thank you to LadyKenz347 for her awesome alpha/beta work. You, my friend, are amazing!

CHAPTER 1

The light filtering through the curtained window slowly crept across the cozy room, the morning sun rising and encouraging the sole occupant to greet the day.

From the bed on the wall across from the window, a low groan could be heard. Nestled under a quilt of azure and jade, only a glimpse of a nest of brown curls visible, Hermione Granger slowly opened her eyes. She blinked a few times, rolling onto her back, and stretched. Glancing left to the clock on her nightstand, she saw that it was just after seven in the morning.

She sighed and closed her eyes again. Thank Merlin for Saturdays. It had been a long week and she was ready for a day to relax, hopefully do some reading, maybe even take a walk through the park close by her flat.

A soft meow drew her attention. Looking towards the open door, she saw a flash of ginger fur before she let out a gust of breath as her half- Kneazle jumped onto her chest.

"Morning, Crooks." she greeted before nuzzling her face into his soft fur. "Time for breakfast?"

Crookshanks answered with a plaintive meow. Hermione chuckled and gave a final gentle squeeze before releasing him. "Let's get you fed then."

Crawling out of bed, she padded towards her modest kitchen.

Her London flat may be small, but it was welcoming and felt like home. She had moved in a year after graduating from Hogwarts, initially living with Harry at Grimmauld Place. When Harry and Ginny announced their engagement, Hermione felt it was time to find her own place.

After looking at a number of awful flats with Ginny, (they still giggle when they remember the one with the matching avocado green toilet, sink, and tub that the realtor had insisted was 'vintage'), she was lucky to find this place. She fell in love with it as soon as she walked into the open living area, with it's natural wood floors and large windows. She had immediately signed the lease. Now five years later, it was home.

Once Crookshanks was fed, she set about fixing her own breakfast. She hummed a little when she took her first sip of coffee, enjoying the warmth of the cup in her hands.

After getting ready for the day, she curled up in her favorite spot on the sage green sofa that sat in the middle of the room. She smiled in contentment as she opened the pages of her favorite book, Sense and Sensibility.

A few hours later, just as Elinor was telling Edward of Colonel Brandon's offer, Hermione was pulled back to reality when she heard the distinctive sound of the floo. Lifting her eyes from the page, she saw the smiling face of Ginny Potter floating in the fireplace.

"Hello, Ginny!" Hermione said, grinning at her friend.

"Hey, Hermione! I thought I might come visit for a bit. Are you busy?" Ginny asked.

"No, just reading. Come on through."

Moments later, the redhead emerged from the fireplace. She quickly dusted herself off and shot Hermione a grin. "So, are you coming tonight?"

Hermione briefly closed her eyes and sighed. "It's been a long week and I honestly was just planning to have a quiet night. I'll be there next time."

"Oh, come on Hermione! Having some laughs with your friends is just what you need. I know work has been stressful lately, but a night out will help. You know you always have fun." Ginny sat down beside Hermione on the sofa and shot her a mischievous grin. "Besides, a certain Auror will be there."

"I'm pretty sure there will be a few Aurors there, Gin."

Ginny shot her a 'not amused' look and replied flatly, "A certain blond Auror, Hermione."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I know. He told me. It's not like I don't see him everyday at work, Gin. Not to mention,every time at our monthly get together... and every other time we hang out. He is one of my best friends, after all," she shrugged. "I can skip tonight."

"Please come, Hermione. I'm going to be out of town the next couple of weeks. You know you'll miss me," Ginny pouted. Hermione chuckled at her friend and rolled her eyes.

Ginny was a Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies and often had to leave town for training or games. So they made a point to get together often when she was in town. When Hermione didn't reply, Ginny continued to pout and then batted her eyes.

"Okay, fine." Hermione huffed, resigned. "I'll be there, but don't complain if I leave early!" Ginny let out a little squeal and hugged Hermione so tightly she feared for her ribs.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you have fun!" Ginny beamed at Hermione. "So, any developments with your favorite co-worker?" She asked while wiggling her eyebrows.

Hermione groaned. "Of course not, Ginny. You know I'd tell you if anything happened. Besides, I don't think anything will. We're friends and that's all he sees me as. I told you before, I don't want to ruin what we have."

"And I told you, Hermione. I think he could see you as more than a friend. You would be so good together. Even Harry thinks so."

Hermione scoffed. "Yeah, well Harry also thinks those red boots he bought in New York look good." She looked at Ginny from the corner of her eye and they both started laughing.

"Those boots are horrible!" Ginny managed through her giggles. "He does not pull them off, no matter what he says. Thank Merlin I didn't marry him for his fashion sense."

When they calmed, Ginny let out a quiet sigh and turned towards Hermione. "Nice try at distracting me, but I'm not done." Hermione huffed at this. "I still think you should tell him. I can see how much this has been bothering you. I know he used to be a prat, but Malfoy has changed. He's a decent bloke now, and he deserves to know that such an amazing women is in love with him. And you deserve to be happy."

"I am happy, Gin!" Ginny raised her eyebrow at her. "Ugh, why did I ever tell you about this?" Hermione moaned, with her face in her hands.

Ginny grinned and replied, "Because I confronted you about how often you made googly eyes at him when you thought no one was looking. And because I'm your best friend and you adore me too much to tell me no."

Tell him, Hermione thought. She closed her eyes and ran her hands down her face. "I'll think about it, Gin."

Standing in front of the mirror, Draco Malfoy studied his reflection with a critical eye. He scrutinized his appearance, ensuring his hair was perfectly styled and his clothes impeccably pressed. He wanted to look flawless tonight.

He was excited at the possibilities the night held and was hoping to encounter a certain brunette. Once he was satisfied with his appearance, he left the en-suite and headed to the floo. Grabbing a handful of floo powder, he called out his destination, "Leaky Cauldron!"

Gracefully, he stepped out of the fireplace and looked around the pub. He spotted his friends at a large table at the back and headed in that direction. Friends, he thought with a shake of his head. Some days he still can't quite believe he is now friends with the Golden Trio. That was something he never in his wildest dreams (or nightmares) thought would ever happen. But here he was, friends with Potter, Weasley, and Granger.

He had Granger to blame for that, really. The two had become close friends over the past few years. In fact, she was one the best friends he had now. They still sniped at one another but the banter was now playful and teasing instead of hurtful and stinging. He sometimes went so far as to call her Hermione, instead of Granger. Of course, it was usually when he was trying to get her to do something for him, but still.

It started small.

Draco's sentencing after the war was much lighter due to his age and the testimony of war heroes Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. He was acquitted after it was ruled that most of his actions were done under duress, with the 'understanding' that he was to attend Hogwarts for his final year. He was to also pay restitution, some of which went to the rebuilding of the school, which he had planned to anonymously donate to anyway.

The Draco Malfoy that returned to Hogwarts was a very different person than the one who used to strut through the halls as though he owned them. He was quieter and kept to himself as much as possible, as one of only a handful of students in his year to return. The war had tempered and changed everyone who went through it. Draco came out with much less pride and the realization that blood and birth did not define a person's worth. Actions and intentions did. He returned to the school where he had made so many wrong decisions, with the determination to do better, be better. He had so much to make up for.

A few months into first term, he got up the courage to approach Hermione and apologized to her. They had not spoken up to that point and had barely acknowledged each other beyond what was necessary. When he approached her in the library one afternoon, she had looked both shocked and wary. Eyes wide and face pale, she watched his every move. He didn't blame her. He asked to sit and she was kind enough to oblige with stiff nod.

With more stuttering than he would like to admit, Draco apologized. He apologized for how he had treated her during their first six years at Hogwarts, for all the names he called her, all the pranks he pulled, all the hurt he had caused her. And he apologized for what happened at Malfoy Manor that horrible day. He never told her, but he had nightmares about it for months and occasionally, they haunt him still.

He thanked her for speaking at his hearing, telling her he knew he didn't deserve her forgiveness, but asked if they could at least have a truce. Through his messy apology, she had remained quiet. She looked at him, searching his eyes, his face, his soul for something.

Finally, she gave him a soft smile, thanked him for the apology, and agreed that a truce would be a good thing. He thanked her and left feeling somewhat lighter than he had in years.

After that day, they would nod to each other when they passed in the hallway. Sometimes they would help each other in class. Once, he even helped her carry some books when he found her struggling with a huge stack in the library, and he didn't even tease her for not using magic to levitate them to the desk she was studying at. By graduation, while they were not friends, he liked to think of them as amiable acquaintances. They even shared a friendly smile at the graduation ceremony before boarding the Hogwarts Express one last time.

He did not see her again for almost a year. Not until he joined the Department of Magical Law Enforcement as an Auror. It took him months to get the Ministry to agree to allow him to attend Auror training, despite his high N.E.W.T. scores. After passing his training, he was assigned as Potter's partner.

His stomach dropped when he found out. He signed up to be an Auror as a way to help rebuild the Malfoy name, to distance himself from the darkness, to finally do something worthwhile. He was worried being paired with Potter would keep him from doing that.

Potter had spoken at both his and his mother's hearings, but that didn't erase the years of animosity. They fought on opposite sides of the war, had never gotten along and Draco had no idea how they would be able to work together. Draco was convinced he would be fired for not getting along with the Savior of the Wizarding World. But, he wanted this, needed this.

So, on his first day, Draco dug deep and scraped around to gather all the courage he had while shoving his remaining pride out the door, and he walked into the Auror office with his head held high. The first thing he did when he was alone with his new partner was to thank him again for speaking at the hearings, as well as say that he was willing to work amicably if Potter was because this job was important to him. The messy, black haired Auror smirked at him, held out his hand, and said, "Deal, ferret."

And that was that.

They quickly found ways to work together, focusing on the job instead of their past, and within a year had become one of the top Auror teams. Turns out they worked surprisingly well together once they stopped actively trying to kill each other. Who knew.

Now, four years on as partners, they were friends.

It was three weeks into his new position as Auror before he met Granger again by chance. They had entered the lift at the same time, both heading out for lunch. It had been a polite meeting, both passing the time with small talk. He learned that she was an analyst for the Auror department and did research. Perfect job for her really, Draco thought.

Before long, Draco found himself often sharing a lift with her. Their stilted conversations soon gave way to friendly banter, and before he realized what was happening, they were friends. They began sharing lunches together, Potter joining them often. Even Weasley begrudgingly began to frequent their meals. Eventually, he was invited to a monthly get together the three had with their friends. He had been hesitant when he first approached the table full of former Hogwarts alums, as he was the only Slytherin. But he was greeted with smiles and an excited Granger. He had a surprisingly good time.

Soon, Draco found himself a regular attendee of the monthly get togethers. After a few months, he invited his friends Blaise Zabini and Theo Nott, and both former Slytherins were quickly absorbed into the group. Friendships that would never have happened while they were in school, soon blossomed and grew. Draco could now count many of the group as friends.

However, his friendship with Granger had become the strongest. She was a surprising but welcome fixture in his life. Over the years since they reconnected in the lift, they had begun to spend more and more time in each other's company. They were often seen together and were frequently at each other's flat.

Draco smiled as he arrived at the table where the group of friends were currently laughing at some tale Weasley was weaving about a recent customer at the joke shop. He sat next to Theo, giving him a nod in greeting, as well as a quick smile to Theo's girlfriend Tracey Davis. Tracey sat next to Susan Bones, who had been dating Weasley the past two years. "Hey, mate!" Weasley greeted.

"Evening, all." Draco drawled in response.

Draco looked across the table where Potter, his wife Ginny, and Longbottom were sitting. "Where are Granger and Blaise? Last I heard they were both coming tonight."

Ginny Potter looked at him with a sly grin. "I spoke with Hermione this morning and she promised she'd be here. She shrugged, "And Zabini's at the bar." She gestured over her shoulder to the bar behind her.

Draco searched the bar. He quickly spotted his tall, dark skinned friend who looked to be currently chatting up Daphne Greengrass. His mouth twisted into a devious smirk. Next to the blonde Blaise was charming, was the beautiful woman he hoped would be here tonight. Oh, yes. Tonight was going to be good indeed. "I think I'll grab a drink at the bar," he said before leaving the table.

Draco sauntered over towards the brunette, who was now facing the bar with her back to him. He leaned against the bar beside her, and putting on his most devastating smirk, purred "Hello, Alexa."