Hermione Granger sighed deeply as she packed away her paperwork for the day. It had been more than 2 weeks since she had last seen Harry Potter. More than 2 weeks since she'd shared her most protected secret with her boyfriend. Or possibly now her ex-boyfriend as she was yet to hear from him in all that time. Owled letters had returned unopened and her patronus hadn't had any luck either. She smiled briefly as she used the memory of her daughter's first steps and uttered the words of the charm to produce the silvery grey otter once again. As she watched it prance and play in front of her it slowly faded, her concentration lost as her mind wandered back to that night.

Things had started off well. Celeste had come back from visiting the zoo with Harry with such excitement as she explained to her mother all about the conservation and breeding programmes. Hermione had felt a pang of nostalgia remembering all the David Attenborough programmes she had watched with her parents growing up. In a time where she was happy and carefree and they could remember who she was. It was after their meal and Celeste had finally succumbed to sleep that Hermione and Harry had shared a glass of elf wine. Harry had the grace to look sheepish as he explained Celeste's knowledge of his Parseltongue abilities and his defiance of Hermione's wishes on the platform at Kings Cross. It was then that Harry had slain her with his look of betrayal as she'd answered his questions about Celeste's father being a Parselmouth and she'd told him that the child in question was his daughter. Harry had left soon after saying he needed to clear his head and think about what she had told him. Hurt seared through her heart yet again as she remembered the pain of having to tell Celeste time and again that Harry still liked her and hadn't left because of her. Yes, it had been more than 2 weeks since she had last seen or heard from Harry Potter. And to make matters worse, tomorrow was her birthday.

"Can we go home yet mummy?" Celeste Granger asked bringing her mother out of her thoughts.

"Just a minute darling. I just need to finish up here and then we'll be off home." replied Hermione. She was not really looking forward to her birthday this year. No doubt her friends would have bought her special gifts like they did every year and she would see the Weasleys in the evening as they had invited her to a family meal to celebrate, but it was still an ordinary Tuesday to her and she would treat it as such. Hermione finished off piling up her paperwork and took her daughter's hand before locking the door and stepping out into Diagon Alley. Although Hermione would usually floo from work to home with Celeste, today she needs some things from the wizarding shopping hub and on the way home was as good a time as any.

"Going my way?" came a smooth voice from behind Hermione as she and Celeste walked down the street. Hermione smiled her first genuine smile that day as she turned to see Draco Malfoy stood tightly behind them. His brows furrowed in confusion as he searched her eyes briefly for an answer to his silent question. Hermione knew he was worried about her but refused to give him the satisfaction that she was tired and worried. Steeling her gaze and continuing to smile, Hermione responded that she and Celeste were heading to the market for fresh produce before returning home for dinner.

"Care to join us?" Hermione surprised herself with inviting Draco to dinner that evening. She hadn't planned on it and was secretly relieved when he politely declined.

"I'm sorry, I can't. I'm meeting with Daphne for dinner at that Italian you took us to a few weeks ago."

"Ah, liked it that much eh?"

"Yeah, well the manager seems a little less reluctant to take my booking now he knows I'm friends with war heroine Hermione Granger. And Daphne loves the place too. I didn't know she liked Italian food so much. I've learnt so much about her just lately."

"Ah yes," Hermione smirked, "how are things with you a Daphne? Still going out I see."

"We're just friends Hermione. Nothing more. We're both enjoying a little company whilst those around us are preoccupied with other things."

"Yes of course, how silly of me. Of course you are just friends. I mean, you haven't seen her for some sort of meal out or other event every night for the last 2 weeks then? What is is now 23 dates in what, 21 days?"

"Anyone would think you were stalking me Granger."

"Not at all Malfoy" Hermione retorted, "merely an observation due to the fact that you have spent more time at Daphne's than anywhere else. It's been a nice change I must say. Even Stori's noticed a difference in Daph."

"Astoria's noticed a difference? In Daphne? Like what?"

"It's not really my place to say Draco. Let's just say that in the last two weeks, Daph has been a lot more smiley and seems a much more happy. The only thing that's different in her life is the time and attention you have given her. So I can only attribute Daphne's change in demeanour as being down to you."

Hermione suddenly realised that whilst they had been talking Draco, Celeste and herself had walked the considerable distance down Diagon Alley that led to them being at the fresh produce market. Although she knew he wouldn't usually have agreed, Hermione felt Draco's acceptance of her offer to shop with her daughter and herself stemmed from his curiosity over their previous conversation about Daphne Greengrass. Hermione smiled happily to herself feeling the need to congratulate herself on her part on bringing the two Slytherins together. They may both be incredibly intelligent, but Hermione had to admit they were both clueless as to each other's furtive glances and stuttered conversations. It seems the previous two weeks had been weeks of budding romance for them. She was pleased at least someone was enjoying themselves, even if she herself was beginning to slip into a depressing slumber once again.

Hermione silently scolded herself for realising she missed Harry so much. He had simply walked out of her life. How could she expect anything more? Had he not done it once before? A decade previously he had told her he loved her just to disappear without another word for months on end. His communication silence only broken by the occasional owl in his missing years.

"If you squeeze that apple much harder you're going to turn it to mush." Draco's voice brought her out of her revere. She quickly ordered her desired produce from the stall holder and paid before collecting her wares and strolling in the direction of Malfoy House. Hermione ensure Celeste had her stuff before allowing her daughter to walk a few feet in front of them as they walked. "Over thinking again?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Draco had become perhaps more concerned about Hermione than anyone else around her in the last two weeks. Just because he had spent time with his new romantic interest did not stop him from noticing Hermione's sudden withdrawal since Potter had practically run from her flat following dinner one night. It was Draco's shoulder she had cried on that Saturday afternoon after seeing Celeste off to the Weasley's for the rest of the weekend.

"So what if I am?" came Hermione's confident and slightly defiant response.

"If you are, you need to stop," was his simple answer, "we both know it'll do neither you nor Cece any good." Hermione nodded her acceptance of his comments even if she didn't completely agree with them. "Either way, you've said what you need to. Look, it's your birthday tomorrow, what do you plan on doing?"

"You remembered?" Hermione looked at him in shock.

"Of course I remembered," he smirked, "think I would forget?" Draco didn't mention the fact that his mother, Daphne Greengrass, her sister, Astoria Nott and his house elf had all reminded him within the previous 24 hours that the following day was Hermione Granger's birthday. He was beginning to think they all thought he would forget. In all likelihood, he probably would. He had never been one for remembering birthdays unless they were super important. Like his mother's. Or his own. Two very important birthdays that Draco Malfoy never EVER forgot.

"I'm not planning on doing anything to be honest. I've been invited to the Weasley's for dinner with the family. But I'm not sure I can face them all at the moment."

"Still moping over Potter?"

"I'm not moping Draco."

"If you say so." Draco unlocked the door to Malfoy House and held open the door for Hermione and Celeste to pass through.

"Yes, Draco, I do. Anyway, to answer your unspoken question, I'm fine." Draco raised a single eye brow. "Honestly I am. I'm just having to readjust again. Harry hasn't been around for 10 years. Nothing's really changed other than he now knows about Celeste. And ultimately, she's just a child. She'll forget about him soon enough. He was only in her life 10 days. Not enough time for her to bond with him too much."

"Hermione Granger, you do not deserve all life has thrown at you. But you do deserve to be happy. I hope you have a good night tonight. And tomorrow night. You deserve some down time."

"Thank you Draco." With that, Hermione entered her flat and Draco proceeded to his own. As much as Draco was happy with the recent turn of events in his own life, his buddy romance with Daphne Greengrass was never going to overshadow the pain in his heart at seeing Hermione so dejected yet again.

"Give me the potatoes Uncle Ron, don't go hogging them all for yourself." Celeste asked of her adoptive uncle as she sat around the Weasley family table enjoying dinner with her adoptive family to celebrate her mother's birthday. Celeste was a little confused as to why they were celebrating it this year. Her mother wasn't usually one for celebrations with regards to her own birthday, they didn't usually congregate with others to celebrate it and it wasn't a big birthday so to speak.

"Now, young lady, what do you say?" Hermione admonished her daughter.

"Sorry mum, Uncle Ron, please can you pass me the potatoes?" Celeste responded in the sweetest voice she could muster.

"That's much better." Hermione smiled at her daughter before turning to her friends around the table as the subject of Harry's recent disappearance reared its ugly head.

"What I don't understand is that he just disappeared." Started Ron, "I mean, we were supposed to be meeting up to go to a quidditch match and all that. And he hasn't been here since Teddy left. I mean, he hasn't even turned up to Sunday night dinners. It's mum's food after all, why would he want to leave that?" Hermione rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by George.

"I think something must have happened Ronniekins." Hermione looked down as she felt George glance at her. "I mean, what with Teddy going off to Hogwarts. Perhaps he just needed a bit of space you know, to get away from it all. He's on his own now after all." Heads nodded around the table in agreement. Everyone but Hermione that is as she let the conversation continue around her. "So Hermione," George started again, "today's your birthday. Got anyone waiting at home for you after we're finished with you?" He wiggled his eyebrows to convey his thinly veiled probing of her love life. Again, Hermione opened her mouth to respond when a familiar voice answered for her.

"Not at all George, I thought I would come to her instead." Hermione's head whipped round to see Harry Potter stood in the doorway with the largest bunch of white daisies she had ever seen.