A/N: Hey guys! Hope you all liked the last chapter. I think you all would have understood what happened in that flashback, but if you didn't, then Draco was beaten up by students after the article about his upcoming trial came out. The reason behind that: He wasn't found guilty at his first trial, and the students blamed him and thought he belonged in Azkaban. And he was chosen as Head Boy, and that made them even more angry, so they beat him up. Read the A/N at the end to find out when the next chapter will be out. On with the chapter! 

"There's no way I am doing this, Harry!" Hermione shook her head. 

It had been a week and a half since Hermione met and talked with Draco in his office. A week and a half since she became his partner. A week and a half since she got to know he was married. 

Married. To Astoria Greengrass. 

Who would have thought, right? 

Hermione knew he loved her. She had seen the way he looked at her in Hogwarts. 

Draco had asked Hermione to help him plan a perfect date for him and Astoria in their eighth year. And she had agreed to help him. He was her best friend after all. 

Right? 

Hermione didn't know whether she was happy or sad that she didn't attend his wedding. She should definitely be sad. Hermione had promised to tease him when he would cry on his wedding, and he promised her that he would be looking forward to that. So obviously she should be sad because she missed the most important day in her best friend's life. 

Right? 

She felt guilty for even being confused about being feeling happy that she didn't attend his wedding. It wasn't possible that she still had- 

No. She wouldn't think about that. There's no way she still... It isn't possible. 

Right? 

Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, it was wrong. She knew it was wrong. It had been five years, and she was the one who left. She had to convince herself that it was wrong, and she had to stay away from him. 

But of course, Harry James Potter had to ruin her plan of staying away from him, didn't he? 

"Hermione, I am not asking you to do this. Head Auror Robards had told me to do this, and I am just doing my job. You can't say no. I am sorry, Hermione, but you will have to go with him." Harry told her. 

"Harry..." She sighed. 

"No, Hermione. Robards and Kingsley made me the leader of this programme, so I am technically your boss here. I am giving you this assignment, and you will have to do this." 

Hermione glared at him. "Fine, Auror Potter." 

Harry sighed. If only he knew she would listen to him when he would be her boss, and not her best friend. 

"But what about Draco? I don't think he will agree." She said. 

"I will ask him later. You will have to sign here, Hermione, "He pointed to a paper, "It's nothing important. I have just listed the Aurors and their cases. Everyone has to sign it, and I'll give to Robards." 

"Do I really have to do this? Isn't there anyone else who can go with him?" Hermione asked him. 

Harry sighed again. Why did she have to be so stubborn? 

"You don't even have a valid excuse to not go with him, Hermione. Tell me why you don't want to go." He looked at her. 

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "You know why I left, Harry. You know everything. I even told you about him! What if Draco found out about him?" 

"He won't, Hermione." Harry told her. "Nobody will tell him. I have known about him for five years, and yet I never told Draco. I didn't even tell Ginny." 

"He will hate me, Harry. Once he finds out about him..." She sighed. 

Harry placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. "He won't hate you. I am sure he will understand, and if he doesn't, then I'll hex him and won't stop until he agrees with me. But you have to go, Hermione. It's important." 

"I can't, Harry. You don't understand, I-I just... You know everything and still..." She looked away from him. 

"Yes, Hermione! I know everything. I know why you left, where you went, every single thing! And I didn't tell anyone. I know that you still lo-" 

Harry froze as soon as he saw the blonde wizard standing near the door. 

"Potter." Draco glared at him. 

--------

"Good morning, darling." Blaise greeted her as she entered the room. 

"Morning, Blaise." Pansy smiled at him and looked at the table. "Pancakes? You made these for me? This is why you are my favorite." She quickly kissed him and sat down on the chair. 

He chuckled and stood up from his chair. "I am your boyfriend, Pansy. Of course I made them for you. I know you love them." Having heard the tap tap on the window, he walked towards it, and opened it. The owl landed on the desk, and Blaise gave him a few treats. 

"Anything interesting in the Daily Prophet?" Pansy asked him.

"Well, Hermione's back. That is certainly interesting." He handed her the paper and sat down on the chair next to hers.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "She came back a week and a half ago, Blaise. Do keep up. Anyways, I think we should go and meet her."

"We can't go today, or even tomorrow."

"And why is that?" She asked him.

"She has to do her assignments, Pansy. And if I have heard correctly, Hermione and Draco have to go to Australia today, and would probably come back day after tomorrow." He told her.

"How do you know that? You are not an Auror."

"But I do work in the Ministry, darling. Do keep up." Blaise smirked at her. "Besides, I love gossip, remember? And so, I have my ways and sources for getting information."

She shook her head. Blaise will be Blaise. "Do you think Hermione will really go to Australia with him? After everything that's happened."

"For the record, Pansy, I don't know what had happened. You know, and you haven't told me. So, I have no idea whether she will go or not." Blaise told her. 

"Hey, are you going to bring up that topic again?" Pansy raised her eyebrows. "You know why Draco did that, and you never told me. I am his friend as well, Blaise!" 

He sighed. "It's not my place to tell you. Draco wouldn't have told me either if I hadn't confronted him. I understand you cannot tell me, and I cannot tell you as well. But at least, you know a few tidbits of what had happened. I don't have a single clue about whatever Hermione's reasons were." 

She nodded. "Do you think everything would have been different today if we had stopped Draco that day?" 

"I don't know, Pansy." He shrugged. "But what I do know is that Draco regrets what he did that day so much. He literally regrets it more than he regrets what he did before that day, and that is saying something." 

She looked at the window as she thought about that day. 

Flashback

Draco was just hanging out with his friends in the Heads' common room when the portrait suddenly opened. 

"Who the hell- Granger?" Draco stood up as soon as he saw her. 

Pansy, Theo and Blaise followed him, as Hermione continued standing, not looking at even one of them. 

Theo was about to walk towards her, when Blaise grabbed his arm and stopped him. He shook his head and pointed at Draco, who was walking towards Hermione. 

Pansy understood what Blaise wanted to say, and she gestured him and Theo to follow her. They entered the kitchenette, and looked at each other. 

"This is it." Blaise whispered. 

The other two nodded and looked at the two people standing in the common room. "I just... I just hope everything will be alright afterwards." Theo said. 

Pansy was about to say something when they heard Draco shouting at Hermione. "I don't understand what your problem is!" 

Hermione said nothing and looked away from him, quickly wiping away her tears with her left hand. She whimpered as she moved her hand, the wound was still fresh. 

"Look, I am not a patient person, and you perfectly know that. And I will stand here and do nothing." Draco told her.

Still, she didn't say anything. He sighed. "Look, either you tell me what has happened or I'll call McGonagall." 

"You will do no such thing." Hermione looked at him. 

"I will, Granger, do not underestimate me." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Can you please tell me why are you acting like this?" 

"You don't understand, Draco." She shook her head. 

"Then make me understand. I am your best friend, Hermione!" Pansy gasped as he said her name, but thankfully, Draco didn't hear her. "I am worried." 

"I am fine, Draco, I promise. I-I just...it's nothing. Everything is fine. Really." Hermione said. 

"Wow. You are telling me that my best friend, who has a bandage wrapped around her left hand and I have no idea why, suddenly enters the room, crying and says everything is fine. It is obviously not fine, Granger!" Draco snapped at her. 

"Draco-" 

"No! I want you to tell me the truth, Granger. What really happened?" Draco asked her. 

Hermione shook her head and looked away from him. 

Draco sighed. "If I am your best friend, Granger, then you will tell me the truth right now." Before she could shake her head again, he added, "Whatever it is, it is clearly hurting you. And I care for you, Hermione, please tell me what happened." 

"Please, Draco... I can't tell you." She looked down at her feet. 

"Do you trust me?" When she nodded, he continued, "You have been acting strange for the past few days, and you are worrying me now. It doesn't matter I threatened you that I will go to McGonagall, because I obviously won't. I know you will not like that. So please tell me." 

"If I could, I would have told you, Draco. I just can't do that right now. But I promise-" She took a step towards him, and he took a step backwards. 

"No. You know I don't believe in promises, even if I make and keep them. If you wanted, you would have told me right now. Maybe you don't trust me, after all I tormented you for seven years. I was your enemy. I was a death eater. And I still don't understand how can you forgive me for everything I did. But I am glad you did, you are my best friend now." He told her. 

Not giving her a chance to reply, he continued, "You have no idea how much I care for you, how much I trust you, and... How important you are to me... And now, you can't even tell me what's bothering you. I just want to help you! Please understand that." 

"I do, Draco! I do understand. And of course, I trust you. And please know that you are important to me as well. But I can't tell you right now. Maybe I'll tell you tomorrow, or the day after that-" 

"You said the same thing a week ago." He interjected. 

"I know." She sighed. "And believe me I wanted to tell you-" 

"Oh please. If you wanted, you would have. Stop lying to me, Granger. It doesn't suit you. Where's that Gryffindor courage, or are you a coward-" 

"You know what? Maybe you are right, I am a coward." She glared at him. "But then so are you. And what if I just don't want to tell you? After all, you are just one of my best friends. And yes, you were a Death Eater, so maybe I just trust you sometimes, and the other times, I don't. And guess what? I don't even know why I forgave you because you don't deserve my forgiveness. You don't deserve anything!" 

As soon as those words left her mouth, Hermione gasped. Draco glared at her and clenched his jaw. "D-Draco, I-I am sorry. I was just angry and-" 

"You are right, as always. I am a coward. And you shouldn't trust me, or forgive me." He walked towards his room, and slammed the door shut. 

"This wasn't supposed to happen!" Theo exclaimed. "Draco was supposed to-"

"I know, Theo. But we have to deal with this now. You and Blaise go to Draco. I'll talk with Hermione." Pansy told them and went towards and brunette Gryffindor.

Hermione had collapsed on the couch, and had started crying by the time Pansy sat down next to her. The latter immediately hugged her and Hermione cried on her shoulder. "I-I didn't want to say those things, P-Pansy. I-I was angry a-and... I don't mean t-them, p-please don't hate me." 

"I know, Hermione, I know." She rubbed her back. "It was neither of your faults. You both were angry and hurt and just..." Pansy sighed. "Don't blame yourself. I know Draco will come and talk to you tomorrow. And if he doesn't, you will go and talk to him." 

Hermione was about to protest, but Pansy continued, "I am not saying to go and tell him the thing that's bothering you. Just go and apologise to him. Give him time to cool down now, and tomorrow, you both will apologise to each other, and everything will be fine." 

Hermione nodded, and slowly stopped crying. She will apologise to him tomorrow. 

But it would be in a letter. 

She had to go away. 

Flashback over

"Draco was a complete mess after that." Pansy was brought back from her thoughts when Blaise said that. 

She nodded. "Ginny told me that Harry told her that Draco told him the first day was good. She still hadn't told him everything, but she did apologise to him afterwards. And well, he apologised to her as well." 

"I just hope they will tell each other everything now. And also, I hope that Hermione won't hate or be angry with him after he tells her what he did." Blaise sighed. 

--------

"Look, Draco, I should have-" Harry started but Draco cut him off. 

"You have no idea how angry I am right now, Potter. And it is your fault." 

"Hey, Draco," Hermione placed a hand on his arm, "It's not his fault. I told him to do that and I am sorry I did, but please understand-" 

"Why would you do that?" Draco stared at her in confusion. 

"Because I didn't know what else to do. I wasn't thinking straight and well, I told him to do that." Hermione said. 

"Why will you tell him to send an owl to my house at seven o'clock to wake me up?" Draco asked her. 

"What?" Hermione and Harry looked at each other. 

"You know I am not a morning person, Potter, and you still sent that owl." Draco grumbled. "But wait, did you tell him to do that, Granger?" 

Hermione sighed in relief. Thank Merlin he hadn't heard their conversation. "Oh well, I just helped him write the letter, nothing more." 

Draco nodded. "Anyways, I just wanted to tell you that I won't go to Australia, yes I know where we have to go, Potter, don't look so shocked. My wife is pregnant, and I will stay here with her." 

Harry was about to say something, when suddenly Draco's phone rang. "Bloody thing. I have no idea how you managed to convince Astoria to make me buy this felly tone." 

"Hey, Tori, yeah yeah... I won't yell at Potter for waking me up early..." 

Harry scowled as he said that. "Oh he was very happy. He even gave me a few chocolates for that." 

Draco glared at him. "Oh, right. Yes, Australia... How did you- nevermind... Are you crazy? Of course not, Astoria. No, I won't go. Tori, please... Oh Daphne? She's coming? Yeah well, you should go- no, but- okay... Yeah... Fine, fine. I love you, bye." 

"What?" Harry asked him. 

"Astoria threatened to make me sleep on the garden outside our house for a week if I didn't go to Australia. Also, she would paint our room yellow, because she knows I don't like that colour." Draco rolled his eyes. 

"I am proud of her, you know?" Harry smirked at him. "She's a true Slytherin." 

"She should stay away from you and Potterette. You both are bad influence." He scowled at him. "Anyways, Daphne is coming here for a few days, and Astoria wants to stay with her. She said she will be fine, and I shouldn't worry about her." 

"So you will go?" Hermione asked him. 

"Well I don't have a choice, do I?" He raised his eyebrows at her. "She's exactly like you and my mother, always threatening me." 

"Okay, okay, that's enough. You both need to sign here. And well, ignore the next page. It's just for writing reasons why you can't go, and then nobody will force you to go. But since you both are going, just sign here." Harry gave him the paper. 

"We could write our reasons and then refuse to go? You didn't tell me, Harry." Hermione whispered to him. 

"Well, did you really want to tell everyone why you don't want to do? And, I know you won't lie." He whispered back. She glared at him. "Figured as much." 

"We can even visit your parents, Granger." Draco grinned at her, and she nodded. After they both had signed the paper, Harry gave them the files and contacted the Australian Ministry.

"Alright, you both can go to Australia in an hour." 

---------

Later that day...

Draco couldn't trust her. She had lied to him.

Well, she had lied to him before as well, but this time it was different. 

He couldn't believe she lied to him about this. 

And she might have never told him if he hadn't gone to her office in the Australian Ministry of Magic to get a quill. 

She knew how important it was to him, and yet... 

Draco didn't know whether or not to trust her now. 

Three hours earlier...

"Hey, Draco, do you have a quill?" Steven, the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation in the Australian Ministry of Magic, asked him. 

"I am afraid I don't have one, Steven. Is Granger's office nearby? I am sure she won't mind if I borrow hers. She is currently talking to the Minister, so I can't go and ask her. I'll just have to take a quill from her office." Draco said. 

"Oh, her office is there." He pointed in front of them. "Too bad we can't use Accio since we have placed some spells on each and every office here. Standard procedures." 

Draco nodded and walked towards her office. He unlocked the door, and entered. Her office here wasn't much different than the one in England. 

He walked towards the desk, and started searching for a quill. Unfortunately, he knew she didn't like keeping the quills and parchments lying on the desk. 

She has probably kept some quills in one of these drawers, Draco thought. He opened the first one, and it was empty. 

The second one was the same. He looked at the last one. It had something written on the front, but he didn't pay much attention to it. 

He opened the drawer, and saw that it was filled with some parchments and letters. He would have closed it immediately if he hadn't noticed the crest on one of the papers.

The Malfoy crest. 

He picked up the paper, and gasped. It was a wedding invitation. 

His wedding invitation. 

"Granger said that she didn't receive any invitation." He muttered. "Why did you lie to me? You obviously received it because it's here."

"Why didn't you come to my wedding, Granger?" He looked at her picture on the wall. 

Was it possible that she still- 

No, he shook his head. There must be a reason. She won't lie to me. I trust her. 

But he didn't know what to think when he saw that file. 

Hermione's file in the Criminal Record of Ministry Employees' room. 

A/N: That's it for this chapter. It was 3300+ words. Hope you guys liked it. I know it was a bit boring, but that's because I had a writer's block. And despite having ideas for this chapter, it was a bit difficult to write. Random question: Favorite line of McGonagall? Answer in the comments below. Vote, comment and please share my story. Reviews are always appreciated. Thank you!

Next chapter on 16/8/20(Sunday). 

Until next time. 

Oh and, one more thing. This is not related to the story in any way, but I recently drew something and I wanted to post it here. The character I drew is Kim Shin from the story Butterflies and Pins by @CristinaMiru1. I absolutely love the story! It's amazing. And my favourite character is Kim Shin. I also liked his picture in chapter 4 of that story, so I tried to draw it. Well, I don't like the drawing much, and it doesn't even look like Shin, but I just wanted to post it.

Here it is: 

Also, ignore the grey colour on the left side of the picture. And, yes, I know I drew it on a ruled page, but I hadn't thought about it that time. And ignore the scribbling at the top as well *looks sheepishly*