Hermione felt the elevator stop on her floor. She really hated these elevators. "Morning, Hermione", her assistant said.
"Thank you, Romilda", said Hermione as she her door. She was surprised to see where some people ended up in life. Romilda Vane was her assistant, while Harry was becoming a better Auror than Mad Eye Moody, Ron was running a joke shop with George, Luna is working at a wizard daycare, and Neville is teaching Herbology at Hogwarts. Looks like the rumor came true.
Hermione was currently working in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She was Harry's partner in the Auror office. Harry didn't think anyone else could've kept him alive this long. She had just sat down at her desk when she was greeted by a stack of papers. "Mr. Potter has given you some work to do. It's quite large since you were visiting your parents over the weekend."
Romilda was correct, the stack was very high. It was thicker then the books she used for 'light reading', and she could barely see Romilda over the top of it. "By any chance did Harry place some of his own work in here?", she asked as she rested her palms on the stack.
"I wouldn't doubt it." Romilda was about to walk out the door when she turned back around to say something else. "Oh there is also something else in there for you." With that, she left and closed the door behind her.
Hermione saw a black line sticking out amongst the many beige parchment ones. She tried to pull it out without knocking the stack over, and to her surprise, she succeeded. The second Hermione saw the article, she frowned. It was a copy of Witch Weekly, and on the cover was the one and only Draco Malfoy, 'the wizarding world's most eligible bachelor', as the article read. "Thank you, Romilda. Thank you very much. That's just what I need to brighten up my day", Hermione said to herself with venom.
"What was that? Miss Granger?", asked Romilda, reopening the door.
"You're a great assistant", said Hermione with a forced smile, and once Romilda left, her smile immediately left her face. "Nosey much?", she said much quieter before returning her attention to the magazine. It felt like just yesterday that they were chasing each other on the border of the Black Lake, but that was before life had hit them. Now they were adults, and making sure that they had a home was more important than making sure they had a date.
Suddenly she heard someone else at her door. "Hermione, are you busy?", asked Ginny.
"Just a minute." She tried to find the best hiding spot for the magazine, and decided her bottom desk drawer was her best bet. "Alright, come in", she said sitting at her desk, and pretending that she started on the papers ten minutes ago like she was suppose to.
Ginny had a large smile on her face, and Hermione was scared to ask why, but knowing Ginny, she wouldn't have to anyway. "Guess what."
"What, did Harry buy you a puppy?", she asked.
"No, I got you a date for this weekend."
"Ginny..", Hermione said groaning. "You didn't." For awhile now, Ginny had been trying to convince her to go on a date to make her life more interesting, but she would rather focus on her job than boys.
"My life is interesting enough."
"You live alone."
"That's not true."
"Oh, please tell Crookshanks I said sorry. Till death do you part." Hermione rolled her eyes, and decided to get started on her paperwork and probably Harry's, but she accidentally hit the bottom edge of her desk with her foot, and the bottom drawer opened. Ginny looked down to see a Copy of Witch Weeky that Hermione had been trying to hide, and apparently not very well. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?", Ginny asked with an evil grin as she pulled the magazine out of the drawer. "Malfoy Heir, wizarding world's most eligible bachelor." Ginny opened the magazine and read the article. After about five minutes, she tossed the magazine back on Hermione's desk. "It's been three years, Hermione. He's moved on. You should too."
"I know."
"Saturday, make sure you're at my house by six or I will drag you there." After Ginny closed the door behind her, Hermione looked at the magazine sitting on her desk, and the otter ring that was still on her finger. Ginny was right, it was time to move on in life.
***
"Draco buddy, how's it going?", Blaise asked as he walked into Draco's apartment. Draco was sitting on the sofa while three copies of the Witch Weeky laid untouched on the coffee table. The only thing Draco had looked at was the Daily Prophet. There was an article about the Ministry's 'Best Aurors Alive', as the article quoted. There was a picture of Hermione and Harry casting spells at the camera. Hopefully the camera man wasn't too badly injured.
"Well, I have good news for you. I got you a date for this weekend. Her name is Astoria, and I think you'll love her." Draco groaned at his statement. "No complaining. Your father helped you become the wizarding world's most eligible bachelor, so it's time for you to live up to the title." Blaise couldn't help but notice that Draco kept looking at the Daily Prophet. "It's time to move on in life. Granger clearly has."
***
Hermione came out of the bathroom with makeup done, her hair in a waterfall braid, and a light pink dress for her choice of clothing. She grabbed her handbag right as Ginny exited the bathroom and the doorbell rang. She saw Harry standing next to Seamus Finnigan. "Hello boys", Hermione said as she tried to hide her uneasy voice. "Will you give me one moment."
Hermione walked back down the corridor to where Ginny was putting on her heels. "You didn't tell me it was a double date", said Hermione as she noticed Ginny's dark blue dress. "..and you set me up with Seamus Finnigan? I thought he was married?"
"Actually his fiancé decided to call off the engagement although. Said she wasn't happy. Be nice, Hermione. He's only human." That reminded her a lot of the situation she had with Malfoy, except she was the happiest she's even been, and she wasn't ready to get married yet. She awoke from her slight daydream and discovered that she was playing with her Otter ring. Hermione immediately smack her palm in hoping that she wouldn't get distracted tonight. 'No thinking about Malfoy', she said to herself.
"Any more surprises you want to tell me?"
"Oh right, it's a triple-date." By the time that the four of them reached the apparation point since the Potters had apparation wards around their house, Hermione found herself curious as to who the third couple were. Maybe it was Neville and Luna, since all four of them were close to them, but as they entered the restaurant the surprises just kept coming. "Harry, Ginny!", Astoria said happily as he saw them.
"Hello, Astoria. Everyone, this is Astoria Greengrass, and her date...", Hermione turned and saw him again. After three years he was still as good looking as ever. Everyone was quiet as Draco and Hermione stared at each other. "Well, our table is right over here."
Hermione and Seamus were in deep conversation from the moment they sat down, but she couldn't help but steal a few glances from Draco, and she could tell that he did not look happy. Astoria kept asking him questions, but he gave yes or no answers. "So, where do you work now a days?", Hermione asked Seamus. She was enjoying an alfredo pasta, and talking in between bites.
"I'm actually a healer at St. Mungo's in the wand mishap and injury department, and I have yet to blow anything up." Seamus took another bite of his steak and finished before speaking again. "I guess I don't have to ask what you've been up to. One of the best aurors alive according to the Daily Prophet." She blushed at his statement, and took another bite of her pasta.
"Well Harry, I hear there's a chocolate fountain. Seamus, Astoria, would you like to join us?" Suddenly the table felt a lot bigger as four people left to enjoy dessert. She realized that she was now alone with Draco.
"So you finally found someone else who wants to date you", Draco commented bitterly. She didn't know how to respond, so she laughed instead. His statement was quite true, she hadn't been on a date in three years. It was silent for a bit, but Hermione broke she silence.
"Umm.. how've you been lately?"
"Good. I got an apartment. Unfortunately, Theo is my roommate like I suspected, but life's been different since Hogwarts."
"Yeah, wizard world's most eligible bachelor." She didn't want to think about girls throwing themselves at Malfoy. It really made her blood boil.
"Granger, you can't possibly believe that I actually wanted that title, do you?"
"I'm not so sure anymore." Draco watched as her eyes fell to her plate. She pushed around her food as silence filled the table. Draco wasn't the one to wear his heart on his sleeve, but he couldn't stop the next few words from leaving his lips.
"I miss you." She looked up at him with a smile. "What went wrong that day?", he asked with a frown.
"We just weren't ready, or I wasn't. You didn't come after me. I waited, Draco, but we drifted apart." She looked down at her right hand and saw the Otter ring on her finger. Hermione placed her fork down with a clank and handed the ring back to him. "I hope life is good to you. After all that you've done for the world, you deserve it." Draco stared at the ring like someone was giving his heart back to him.
Suddenly the other four members of the date returned with chocolate strawberries, and marshmallows on their plates. Draco noticed small tears forming in her eyes. "Excuse me", she said standing up. Hermione couldn't stop the tears anymore. Right as she was about to leave, she felt someone spin her around, pin her against the wall, and kiss her like they haven't in three years, which they haven't.
"I'm not letting you go a second time. I made that mistake before, and this is my second chance to make it right. I'm not losing you again." He kissed every inch of her face, leaving her lips for last, but treating them better than the rest.
"I stopped flying for a moment, didn't I?", asked Hermione.
"Yeah, but I caught you." He placed the ring back on her finger. "You're not allowed to take that off ever again."
"I can't believe you just did all of that."
"Neither can I, I'm sure glad I did."
***
About four months later, Hermione moved into Draco's apartment. "What? You're kicking me out? After everything we've been through? How could you do this to our relationship?"
Draco has his arm wrapped around Hermione's waist as he stared at the upset Theo. "Theo, it's time for you to get your own place. Maybe Daphne will finally take interest." Draco started to close the door.
"Come on, Draco. We can work this out!", Theo barely managed to finish before Draco closed the door on him.
"You're terrible", Hermione said, kissing his cheek.
"Oh, do you want Theo hanging around here while we're trying to spend time together? 'Mione, he's the kind of person to intrude on us watching a movie by sitting between us on the sofa." Hermione had a shocked look on her face.
"Draco Lucius Malfoy has a muggle object, and it's for entertainment? Everyone, the world has ended." Her shocked face was replaced by a huge smirk.
"Yeah well, I wasn't allowed to be around muggle objects very often in all my childhood, so once I moved out I went against every rule my father ever gave me. My closet is full of muggle clothes, and speaking oh which...", Draco said as he walked in the direction of the corridor. Three minutes later, he came out in the black Slytherin hoodie. "Feels good to go against the rules."
"So.. Star Wars or Ghostbusters?", Hermione asked, holding up both movies. They both agreed on Ghostbusters, and fortunately Draco wanted to watch that one because Hermione fell asleep on Draco's chest twenty minutes into the movie. She was really tired from moving boxes and it didn't help that Draco was playing with her hair, something that she really enjoyed. After the movie was over, he carried her to her room before going to sleep in his own, but the next morning Hermione woke up to see Crookshanks cuddled up next to Draco on his bed. She took a picture with Draco's polaroid before telling Zinky what they wanted for breakfast. "I think Draco would love some chocolate chips in his pancakes."
Draco was terrified to ask Hermione to marry him again, but he finally got the courage when he visited Mr. and Mrs. Granger to ask for their permission, which they gladly said yes. They talked for awhile about the stories Hermione told them when she was at Hogwarts and during the war. Draco made sure to tease her about her being excited about saving the world with him the second she got home from the Ministry.
About two years later, while Hermione was feeding baby food to their son, Scorpius. Draco had a smile on his face. "I can't believe you did that", he said in a kind of daze, picturing all the amazing and dangerous adventures they went on together.
"What, take care of our son?", Hermione asked in confusion.
"No, give me a second chance."
"I can."