Disclaimer: Characters and settings are property of J.K. Rowling. What you don't recognize is mine. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Hermione Granger had always been the brightest of the bright; the best of the best. A previous Head Girl at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Hermione had aspirations to become a Healer – the best there ever was. But things didn't turn out the way she wanted them to. Hermione becomes the "odd one out" of the magical world, solely because of her non-magical heritage. Now, Hermione, aged 22, is poor and desperate. After being kicked out of her job at the Goblin Liaison Office and getting thoroughly pissed, Hermione searches the classified section of the Daily Prophet for a new job. She finds one, but it isn't quite what she expected… Particularly when she finds out that her boss is her old school tormentor, Draco Malfoy. Now, Hermione has to work on projects that become increasingly difficult, deal with how her friends finally seem interested in her life again, and, most importantly, deal with the Draco Malfoy, her new boss… Does Hermione have what it takesto make it in a wizarding world where she's the odd one out?
X-X-X-X-X
After Hermione had taken a shower (three, actually) and dressed, she felt much better. She reorganized her new purse and attempted to fix her coffee table. (It didn't work very well, and she resolved to get a new one on her next pay day). She placed the remaining money from the day before into her cookie jar (a grand total of eight Sickles) and immediately resolved to open a bank account at Gringotts when she had the money.
She glanced at her new, fire-engine-red clock. 9:07.
Ah, hell.
Grabbing her new purse, she apparated to the office.
Upon reaching there, Malfoy strode out of the lift, and stared at her. "Didn't I give you the rest of the week off?"
"Er… yes, but I-"
"Then get out."
Hermione frowned. "All right, for heaven's sake – I was joking when I called you stingy. There. Are you happy now? I was bloody joking. So can I work now? I'm really quite bored at home. So can I go back to work?"
Malfoy set his jaw stubbornly. "No. I don't go back on my gifts."
"It's not a gift, Malfoy, it's more like a bloody curse! I'm bored! What do you not understand about that?" Hermione stamped her foot. "You don't even have to pay me until next week; how's that?"
"No."
She flung her arms up. "Why not?"
Malfoy stormed closer and his hand crossed around her upper arm. Leaning closer, he hissed, "Because after last night, I really have no idea what to do about you! It was entirely inappropriate, and-" He pulled back, a bright pink flush on his cheeks.
Oh, dear. Pink isn't his color at all.
"I – oh." Hermione bit her lip. This was awkward. Malfoy released her arm. "Okay," she said finally, her voice a bit higher than normal. "I'll – er – I'll just go now, shall I?"
Malfoy looked tired and irritable. "That'd be best, yeah."
"Okay then. Er – see you." Or not.
"Whatever."
She practically ran out the door.
X-X-X-X-X
Hermione sat in the Leaky Cauldron, staring at her sandwich but not eating it. I'm going to have to accept this. I slept with my boss – who just happens to be the very person who tormented me all through my school years – and now I don't know how to act around him. And I need a new coffee table.
But at least I'm alone and can have a big introverted think, now. No one to bother me.
"Hermione?" Hermione looked up into a pair of shining, very green eyes. "Hermione!" Harry shouted, giving her a tight hug as he dragged her out of her booth seat. "It's been bloody ages!"
The pub was mercifully fairly empty, but the few people who were there were staring. One of them had a camera. Oh, God. No, no don't- Flash. –Holy crap, that's not a good thing.
"Er – hi, Harry," Hermione replied, awkwardly patting him on the back. He finally set her down, and quickly sat down across from her. Feeling like she had no other choice, she slid back into her seat. Harry was firing questions at her rapidly, talking a mile a minute.
"Gosh, I can't believe it! It's just – we never see you anymore!"
Hermione didn't answer. That's because you're all so busy with your own lives that you've forgotten about me.
"I heard you quit your job at the Ministry and are working at some Medical corporation, right? Ginny told me! Do you like it there? Is it a good job?"
"It's fine," Hermione finally said. "I mean, the pay's nothing special, but it's better than what I was getting."
"Well, that's good. Man, I feel awful. We haven't talked in so long, and we're supposed to be best friends! We always said we'd stay friends, and look at us now! You can barely look at me. I'm really sorry, Hermione. Hey, isn't your birthday coming up soon?"
Hermione blinked. Had Harry always talked that fast? "Er, yeah. Twenty-third birthday and all, you know. Nothing huge."
"You know what? We should celebrate it together. You, me, and Ron. Like old times. Hell, we could even invite our class from Hogwarts! And all the Weasleys – oh, the Quidditch team too – you know what? I've got a great idea. I'll talk to Ginny; she's amazing at planning these things. Your birthday's Friday, right? Keep it open – Ginny and I will plan everything. Speaking of Ginny-" He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I'm supposed to meet her in an hour. At the Whirling Dervish, you know – it's her new favorite. Ever been there?"
"Yes," Hermione replied absently, staring at the wooden design of the tabletop. She was still trying to process everything Harry had said so far.
"Right, we'll I've got something really important to tell her. I can't put if off anymore. It's been on my mind for a long time, and I've finally decided to act on it. It was inevitable – it was coming. I shouldn't have even tried to bottle it up for so long, but… well… it was hard. It was a tough decision. But I really do think it's inevitable. It was bound to happen. You see…" Harry's voice faltered, and he seemed nervous. Hermione glanced up, startled to see how anxious he appeared.
This was Harry, for crying out loud. Harry! Harry, who'd been her best friend for years, who'd always stuck up for her, everything. He was like a brother she'd never had. Sure, he'd been busy. But she could forgive him for that, couldn't she? It wasn't like she'd ever made the move to contact him, either. Wasn't she at fault as much as he was?
She leaned forward, an earnest look on her face. "Harry, you can tell me anything. What's wrong? Are things going badly with Ginny?"
"Er… here." Harry took a small dark blue box out of his pocket and mutely opened it, revealing a mammoth diamond ring. Hermione sucked in a breath and stared at Harry, who was looking so uncomfortable. She thought she heard a click behind her, but she ignored it. "What do you think?" he finally asked desperately. "Say something, Hermione. Please."
Hermione bit back a grin. "Er, sorry, Harry, but I really don't think you're my type."
He looked astonished. "What? Wait, that's not what I meant! I was just-"
"I'm kidding. Relax. And Ginny will be thrilled, I'm sure. How long have you been thinking about proposing?"
"Ages," he admitted, looking a bit more relieved now. "I just wasn't sure when the right time was. And I was thinking – you know, we're so young, what do we want to be getting married for? I really want to do right by her. And then I thought about my parents – they got married right out of Hogwarts, didn't they? And I really do love Ginny. More than anything. I knew it was going to happen eventually, but I just didn't know when. But now… I think it's time. But I wasn't sure." He tried to smile. "Am I doing the right thing?"
"Are you kidding? Definitely! Can I be Maid of Honor?" Hermione was suddenly reminded of a previous conversation with Malfoy – "Ooh, can I be a bridesmaid?" She smiled a little.
"Ginny will probably want you to be. You're best friends, aren't you?" Best friends is a little strong, I think, mused Hermione, but she nodded. "Well, you'll be a bridesmaid at the very least." He smiled. "You were a big part of my life before Hermione, and you're still one of my best friends now, despite everything that's happened. I want you to be part of my wedding."
"Speaking of which, have you set a date?"
"Er, no. See, there's that whole thing about having not proposed yet."
"Oh. Yeah. Good point." Hermione crossed her legs beneath the table. "So you're going to do it today?"
"That's the plan." He shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, God, I hope she says yes."
Hermione laughed lightly. "She will, Harry. I'm positive." She leaned forward eagerly. "You know, Harry, it has been ages since we talked. So come on, then. Tell me everything!"
X-X-X-X-X
Hermione awoke the next morning, feeling better than she'd felt since even getting her new job. She'd made friends with Harry again, in a way. Now all she had to do was call up Ron…
Ron! Good God, she'd forgotten about him. What would she say when he found out that she'd slept with Malfoy? Not that she was going to tell him, but these sorts of things had a nasty habit of finding their way to unwelcome ears. Then again, if she was careful… well, she hadn't even told Harry that she was working for Malfoy.
She'd have to eventually, she supposed, but that could wait.
Hermione stumbled to the bathroom and found the Daily Prophet waiting for her in there – she wondered how on Earth it had gotten inside, and didn't those owls usually need to be paid? Oh well. As she brushed her teeth, she glanced at the front page.
And promptly spit out her toothpaste, choking.
An Unexpected Proposal - Hero Harry Potter Bins Chic Girlfriend in Favor of Unkempt Childhood Friend -By Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent
Yesterday afternoon, hero of the Wizarding World, the Boy-Who-Lived-To-Become-An-Amazing-Quidditch-Player, Harry Potter was seen in the Leaky Cauldron, pushing forth the little box that all women dream of to a startled but thrilled woman.
Surprisingly enough, that woman was not the stylish Ginevra Weasley we have all become accustomed to seeing with Harry Potter on the cover of Witch Weekly.
"It's true," said a bystander, who had taken many of the pictures that are bound to appear all over the Wizarding World now. "I saw him – pushing it towards her, and her staring in complete surprise." Our anonymous photographer sighed dreamily. "What a lucky girl."
A bedraggled, scruffy-looking woman that the lucky girl is, though. Hermione Granger, one-time Head Girl of the "Golden Generation," was the last woman anyone had suspected to become Mr. Potter's fiancé. Ms. Granger, according to expert beauticians, is "not the loveliest specimen of witchkind," and "Mr. Potter can do better than her."
Despite her less-than-perfect appearance, however, Ms. Granger seems to be collecting men as some of us collect Chocolate Frog cards. At the tender age of fourteen, Ms. Granger had a very intimate relationship with the world-renowned Viktor Krum, but left him for – surprisingly enough – the famous Harry Potter. She was also known to date Harry Potter's best friend, Ronald Weasley, another war hero, who is now allegedly affianced to the lovely Cho Chang of the Tutshill Tornados.
But that is not all. Just last week, Ms. Granger was seen with the heir to the Malfoy fortune – Mr. Draco Malfoy himself. "Hmph," sniffed Mr. Malfoy's fiancé, Pansy Parkinson – who, indeed, is wearing the recognizable ring that once graced the hand of Narcissa Black Malfoy herself. "If you ask me, she's being thoroughly wanton, with all those men – besides, what would Draco be doing with a Muggleborn witch? He's got more caliber than that."
So it would seem. But then, why was Mr. Malfoy seen leaving Ms. Granger's apartment – at six in the morning just yesterday? Mrs. Jones, the hawkish caretaker, has refused to comment on Ms. Granger's "afterwork activities." And afterwork they are indeed – an anonymous benefactor has kindly sent us the tip that Ms. Granger is now employed by Mr. Malfoy. How interesting that she has a relationship with her boss. Certainly, Ms. Parkinson and many employees of Medical Charms Corporation will want to investigate this claim.
Hermione scanned the rest of the article. It was long – and much of the rest of it was about Harry, how devastated Ginny was sure to be, and how she had refused to comment – "Presumably the dear girl does not want to face her crowd of well-wishers in the midst of heartbreak" – and other nonsense.
"Holy-"
"So am I allowed to be best man at the wedding, then?"
Hermione nearly screamed – but she managed to hold it inside, although she did drop her toothbrush. She scowled at Malfoy. "You know, your being in my apartment is only adding to the rumors."
"I apparated in this time," he replied smoothly. His dark gray eyes were angry. "Look, Granger, if you want to screw around with your best friend's man, that's your business, but-" Slap. "Ow! Holy Fuck, Granger, you don't have to do that!"
"I am not screwing around with Harry! As if I would! He's – he's not even my type! And there is no such thing as a holy fuck! You do realize that, don't you?" The fact that Hermione had focused on such an insignificant detail was probably testimony to her near-hysteria.
He seized upon her first comment. "Oh, and what is your type, then?"
"None of your damn business!" Hermione raged in response. She snatched her tatty robe from the hook on the back of the door and wrapped it around herself, shaking with suppressed anger. "Look, Malfoy, I know you're obviously upset about what this is doing to your – your reputation, if you want to call it that, but that is not my problem." She scowled. "My problem is that horrific Skeeter cow is spreading lies about me – ooh, I'm going to get her so badly for this – and Harry was most certainly not proposing to me, and you'd think someone might have noticed that he was on his way to propose to Ginny when he met me! Honestly!"
"Er… what?" Malfoy was holding his cheek and looked very upset now.
"He hadn't come to propose to me, idiot! We weren't even meeting for lunch – we just ran into each other while he was running around anxiously waiting for his date with Ginny, and then he asked me what I thought of his proposal for Ginny! Honestly!"
"I… oh." Malfoy actually managed to look slightly abashed. "Well… that explains it."
Hermione wasn't sure whether she ought to scream at him or burst into tears. Both options had their appeal.
He was looking at her carefully now. "Er…" He looked distinctly uncomfortable. Although he'd never tell her so, Hermione's hands were shaking as she bent to pick up her toothbrush. He looked very close to tears, and angry red blotches had appeared in her cheeks. "Sorry?" he tried.
She dropped her toothbrush again. "Goodness," she said in amazement, "I do believe that's the first time I've ever heard you apologize. To anyone." Then she smiled mockingly. "Would you like a medal for that?"
Within moments, Malfoy was furious again. "Merlin, Granger, you really make a man want to kill you, you know that!"
"Yes, I have been told that before," she said irritably. "Now listen here, Malfoy – you go tell your vicious girlfriend to leave me the bloody hell alone, and I'll deal with Rita Skeeter if I need to." She marched to the door and placed her hand on the knob to shove him out. "And anyway, I'm sure it will all blow over by tomorrow."
Malfoy scowled. "Oh, whatever." He stormed up to her. "I'm heading out now."
"Be my guest," she shot at him, and wrenched the door open.
Oh, shit.
X-X-X-X-X
"Miss Granger, what's it like being engaged to Mr. Potter-"
"Miss Granger, a moment of your time, that's all it takes-"
"-How long have you and Mr. Malfoy been sleeping together-"
"-Is Mr. Potter aware of your affair yet, Miss Granger?"
"Will the wedding still continue, Miss Granger?"
"Miss Granger, what do your parents have to say about all the love affairs you've been having?"
Fortunately, Malfoy reached out and slammed the door shut in the reporters' faces, before turning to glower at Hermione. "Nice going, Granger. Really nice."
"Oh, screw yourself, Malfoy," she snapped. "You're the one who showed up in my flat first thing in the morning! Now I'm going to have to explain to all those idiots that-"
"No."
"-I beg your pardon?"
"No," he repeated sternly. "You'll only make it worse. You're going to have to stay inside for the rest of the day, and-" Hermione's phone began to ring. "God, how did you get a fellytone to work in Diagon Alley, surrounded by all that magic?"
"First off, it's a telephone, and… Hello?" She blinked as she picked up the phone. "Malfoy, it's for you."
He looked green. "Who is it?"
She briefly considered telling him it was his mother, just to see how she'd react, but she didn't. Instead she told him the truth. "It's Anne. Your secretary, and not the slutty French one."
He scowled at that and took the phone. "Anne?" he asked slowly. Hermione heard some noise, and nodded several times. "Right. Well, thanks." He hung up and looked at Hermione. "Guess I'm stuck here."
"WHAT?"
Malfoy winced and backed away. "Mother's at home, and she's already raising holy hell about the article – she's called the office several times and is apparently having a horrible time of it, trying to get all the reporters out of Wiltshire. And the office is being mobbed, too. I've got nowhere to go."
"I don't care where you go, Malfoy, so long as you don't stay here!" He plopped onto her couch. "Malfoy!" she snapped. "Are you listening?"
"Yes, actually, but like it or not, Granger, I'm staying here until it's safe to go home. Say, do you have something to eat?"
"I have cat food, if you want that," she told him coldly. He grimaced. "Or cereal," she added halfheartedly, "although I never got around to getting milk, so you'll have to have it dry."
He wrinkled his nose. "Cereal and cat food? Granger, what do you eat?"
"Cereal," she responded. "And Soup-From-A-Can, too. Ooh, and frozen waffles. You want one of those?"
"How do you eat a frozen waffle?" he asked curiously. "Isn't it – you know, icy?"
"Malfoy, don't be an idiot – well, more than you are." She rolled her eyes. "You put it in the toaster oven, first."
"Oh. I've never had frozen waffles," he admitted finally, "so can I have those?"
"I'm out of syrup," she informed him. "And honey and butter, too, so you'll have to eat them plain."
"Do plain frozen waffles taste good?"
Hermione looked thoughtful, and then said, "No."
"Ick. Never mind, then. What else do you have?"
"Well, that's it. Cat food, cereal, soup which is really soupy water no matter what the can says, and frozen waffles. Take your pick."
Malfoy took a deep breath. "I think I'll starve, thanks."
"Suit yourself." Hermione went to her freezer and began to take waffles from it, preparing two for herself. She placed them in the toaster and kept one eye on them as she commented, "You can turn the Wireless on, if you like."
Malfoy did so, and blanched as a screechy feminine voice came blaring through. "AND IN OTHER NEWS TODAY, HARRY POTTER HAS JUST PROPOSED TO THE LUCKY MISS HERMIONE GRANGER-"
"Change the channel," Hermione said. "Please." He did so, and this time, they both blanched.
"ENGAGED NOT TO MISS WEASLEY, BUT TO MISS GRANGER, A CHILDHOOD FRIEND BUT OTHERWISE UNKNOWN ENTITY TO THE PUBLIC-"
"Malfoy, change the-"
"NOT ONLY HAS MISS GRANGER BECOME ENGAGED TO THE WEALTHY MR. POTTER, IT APPEARS THAT SHE ALSO KEEPS A SECRET PARAMOUR, NONE OTHER THAN PLAYBOY DRACO MALFOY-"
"Playboy?" Hermione asked in amusement as he changed the channel once more.
"-AND THIS JUST IN, BESIDES HER RECENT TRYSTS WITH MR. MALFOY, IT APPEARS THAT MR. MALFOY WAS WITNESSED AS BEING IN HER APARTMENT BY NO FEWER THAN ELEVEN WITNESSES JUST THIS MORNING-"
Malfoy switched the Wireless off. "What happened to good, old-fashioned music?" He scowled at her as she sat down next to him now, munching on a waffle. "And you said it would blow over."
"So I was wrong; sue me."
"Not that it'd do any good. I don't think you have any money." He leaned back in her Papa Sun chair. "This is a great chair. I want one."
"I bought it at a secondhand shop."
"Oh, forget it, then." Hermione rolled her eyes. "I thought you said those tasted bad."
"They do. But it's better than starving." She watched him carefully, but nevertheless yelped in surprise when his hand shot out and snagged her waffle. "Hey!" Then she grinned. "Leggo my eggo!"
He was so startled that he let go in surprise. "What does that mean?"
"Forget it. Muggle humor."
He cast her a strange look. "Right." Then he scowled as she bit into the plain waffle and made loud mm-ing noises. "Can you make me one?" he finally asked.
"No. Make it yourself."
"Except I don't know how."
"Well," Hermione responded sweetly, "you could always go home and ask Mummy dear to make you something."
He winched, and then said, "You're a witch, you know? Literally and figuratively. Besides," he added with an evil grin, "I don't get my mother do make me food. That's what elves are for, you silly Muggleborn." Hermione's expression turned murderous, and he continued wickedly, "Although I suppose you could call them slaves, couldn't you?"
Hermione sputtered for a bit, unable to think of a reasonable comeback, until she finally spat, "You're a pig!" and so venomously stuffed her waffle into her mouth that she choked. Malfoy watched in bemusement until she swallowed and began to inhale large gulps of air. Scowling at him, she said, "If I'd died, you wouldn't have anyone to finish your blessed research, Malfoy."
"True. I'll keep that it mind next time you're choking on frozen waffles in front of me."
With another deep scowl, she mumbled, "I'm going for a shower. Stay here and don't peek."
"Believe me, Granger, there's nothing to peek at." He grinned viciously. "Besides, it's nothing I haven't seen be-" She could practically hear him smirking on the other side of the bathroom door as he bellowed, "Just because you slammed the door doesn't mean you can't hear me!"
X-X-X-X-X
When Hermione emerged from her bathroom, freshly dressed, her eyes immediately flew to Malfoy, who was examining the portably disc-player that her father had given her two years ago. "How does this work?" he asked in amazement. "It runs on – ecklectricity, does it?"
Hermione stifled the urge to tell him that he sounded like Arthur Weasley and rolled her eyes, saying, "It's electricity, and yes, it does. And I've charmed it; how else d'you suppose it works?"
Malfoy gave her a strange look. "There are no spells to make Muggle things like this run in a magical place like Diagon Alley."
"Well, of course there aren't! Which is terrible, let me tell you, because I have so many things in here that are so much more convenient than using house-elves or having to cook yourself, but of course, God forbid that the Ministry ever agree to use anything remotely Muggle-"
"Granger, you've missed my point. These things shouldn't work. There is no such spell." Hermione stared at him wordlessly; he stared back. "Holy – you invented a spell?"
"Invent is a bit strong," Hermione replied coolly. "There are plenty of spells that will charm Muggle things like cars and stuff to give them extra capabilities, as long as you know where to look for them." Like in Mr. Weasley's shed, she thought, but kept that to herself. "I just expanded on a few of them, that's all."
"That's not possible!" he sputtered.
"What nonsense; of course it is. I've done it, haven't I? There is very little that's impossible, Malfoy, surely you've realized that. Look at the potion. I went from knowing nothing to recreating an ancient recipe, and now I'm going to change it around so that it isn't nearly so expensive, and so that people can buy it and use it. Or take flying, for example – once upon a time, people believe that there was no way to fly except for the conventional ways – you know, aeroplanes, magic carpets, broomsticks, that sort of thing – but obviously somebody made a spell so that you could enchant other things to fly, didn't they? And it all started with a simple levitation spell, too."
"Hell, Granger, you know entirely too much. Shut up now, would you?"
Hermione shook her head. "You're so close-minded. There are too many people like you; that's why the world never changes. Nobody cares enough to try, and those who do are shunted aside and their potential is wasted."
Malfoy gave her an odd look. "Your potential isn't wasted, Granger. What you're doing is helping the Wizarding World, you do realize that, don't you?"
"I'm not helping the way I wanted to." Hermione took a deep breath. "Your job offer said that I could train to be a Healer. You know I'm capable. What are you waiting for? Train me, and I'm out of your life for good."
"You wanted to be a Healer. How much more do you think that will help?"
"That's not exactly what I – why am I discussing this with you? It isn't any of your business. Would you please apparate to some hellhole that's away from her? Don't go back to the office; don't go back to your house, I don't care where you go, just… go away."
Malfoy frowned at her. "Where am I supposed to go?"
"I don't know! I don't care, either, but I want you to leave!" Hermione was starting to feel slightly hysterical again. "I can't be around you; it's drive me insane!"
A cat-like grin came across his face, and she immediately regretted it. "I'm driving you insane, am I?"
"I did not mean it like that," Hermione said sharply, and stepped back as he advanced forward. She put out her hand in a puny attempt to keep him away from her, only to have it come into contact with his chest. She jerked her hand back, as though she'd been burned. "Malfoy, I swear, if you come any closer, I'll-"
"You'll what?" Stepping closer, he placed his arms on either side of her and pressed his mouth fiercely to her.
Hermione jerked her wand out of her pocket and yelped a muffled, "Tarantallegra!" against his lips.
Malfoy flew away from her as his legs began moving of their own accord, dancing madly to some unheard tune. "That's mature," he snapped at her. "Take this bloody thing off of me!"
Pressing a hand to her mouth, mostly to ward off giggles, she shook her head, but stiffened as the telltale green flames began to sweep through her fireplace. Gasping, Hermione shoved Malfoy into her bedroom and locked the door securely just in time for a pretty redheaded witch to emerge from the fireplace, brushing Floo powder and suit from her powder blue robes.
"Bloody hell, I've ruined my robes," Ginny murmured irritably. "And they cost so much, too – hello, Hermione, I hope you don't mind my stopping in?"
"Not at all," Hermione gasped, cheeks flaming. She accepted Ginny's warm hug quickly. "It's – er, it's lovely to see you, Ginny, but it's awfully early for social visits, isn't it?" Realizing that it sounded too much like she wanted to get rid of Ginny (which she desperately did, due to the muffle thumps coming from her bedroom, but she certainly didn't want to seem like she did), she added quickly, "Not that I'm not thrilled to have you here, because it's been forever, hasn't it?"
"Mm, it has," Ginny agreed, sitting into her Papa Sun chair. She smiled. "D'you know, this is the best chair I've ever sat in? You have to tell me where you got one; I'm getting one for Harry and myself. Which is what I came to talk to you about, actually." She crossed her arms over her chest and smirked; Hermione could see the diamond ring glittering on her finger. "How is that we're both engaged to the same man?"
"No idea," Hermione offered with a somewhat fake grin. "I wondered that myself, actually – how did that manage to happen? Bit odd, really." Her smile faded. "Goodness, everyone in the world must think I'm some sort of-"
"-Scarlet woman?"
Hermione laughed. "Yes, that. Thank goodness my parents don't get the Daily Prophet. I'm going to have to do some emergency damage repair, now, aren't I? I'll also have to find someone to print the truth about that awful Skeeter woman; enough is enough."
"Yes, I agree, and do tell me when you do, won't you? I'll have all my friends read the article, and not to worry, they'll spread the story fast enough so that whoever hasn't read the article will at least hear about it. So there's nothing between you and Harry, I presume?"
"Nothing at all. I've seen him for the first time in nearly a year and a half just yesterday."
"He told me all about his plans for your birthday – and oh, Hermione, it sounds like such a wonderful idea! You will come this weekend, won't you?"
"I suppose so," Hermione said uncomfortably. "Although I don't know who I'll know there; I haven't spoken to most of my Hogwarts friends in ages…"
"Well, this will be wonderful, then, just like a reunion, won't it?" Now she was gazing over Hermione's shoulder, and frowned. "Hermione, have you kept Crookshanks – or that new cat, that what's-its-name, Hecate – locked up in your bedroom? Because whichever one it is, it's making an awful lots of noise."
Hermione's flush came back, full-force, and a wicked grin spread across Ginny's face. "Unless, of course, it's not a cat that's in there."
"No, no, it's Crookshanks," Hermione tried to assure her, but then they heard the loudest thump of them all and a bellowed, "FUCK!" Hermione pressed her face into her palms.
Ginny giggled, and then quickly sobered. "Hermione… I was listening to the Wireless today, and… well… you and Malfoy… don't really have a thing going on, do you? And you're not working for him, surely. Those are just lies, right?"
"Er…" Hermione sighed, and said, "Wait here a moment, would you?" Getting up, she opened her bedroom door, and glowered at Malfoy. "Ginny's here, and we're going to be having a long talk, so you really do need to get out, now." She glanced at him, and added, "How'd you get the hex off?"
"It wore off," Malfoy told her, and then added, "which mean you really weren't trying to push me away, if there was no real force behind the spell-"
"Malfoy, get out!" Hermione snapped at him, and he grinned and apparated. Hermione turned back to Ginny, to see her open-mouthed stare. "Hang on, I'll go make some tea. We're going to be here for a very long time, I already know it."
X-X-X-X-X
A/N: Okay, I know it's been forever, and I'm sorry, but this story is harder to update than the other, and I don't have a lot of time. I've lost a lot of steam for this story and it's just getting harder and harder to spit out these chapters, and although I certainly won't abandon it, I just have very little time for Fanfiction in general right now, and I'm going to CONTINUE to have very little time. All I can say is I'm trying, and to keep checking back for an update, because I'm doing my best, and I'm sorry for the long waits.
Okay, on to questions, because there are a few raised. First…
1. Yes, it is weird that Hermione's friends (like Harry, Ron, and Ginny) are so removed from her life, but I figure that it's been about four years or so since they graduated, and people change a lot, and things have changed, sometimes people just go their own separate ways. Now, assuming all of them survive JKR's books, I don't believe that they'd drift apart (in the canon universe, that is, in the actual BOOKS) but for the purpose of the story, they had to, else things wouldn't fit in the way they do. I view it in several ways: first, that, like I said, people DO change; second, that all of them are very busy with their own lives; and third, that yes, they have drifted apart, because friendships take work, and if you are too busy to spend time working on it, it is inevitable that friendships will fall apart. That does not mean that they can't be repaired, all it means is that for the TIME BEING, they're… pushed into the background. You may have noticed, but Hermione and Harry are getting along decently well in the beginning of this chapter, and next chapter will certainly have more of Ginny in it, and they'll get along too. They're catching up on old times and reminding one another that friendships are too important to be let go, and it's unlikely that any of them will forget about Hermione in the future.
2. Draco in charge of the MCC. It's imperative that you understand that he's not in it to HELP THE WIZARDING WORLD. I doubt he would give a shit about the general health of the wizarding world, unless it directly involved him. He's not making the potions; he's just the boss. He owns the company, which makes a lot of money. I always picture him as never holding an actual JOB down – more as just owning companies, buying more, and then selling them off in separate parts like Richard Gere in Pretty Woman. He doesn't work, per say. He just owns the company. And whatever makes more money…
3. About Hermione's not groaning a lot about Malfoy being her boss – I speeded up this story a lot. At the beginning, she was supposed to be upset, and she was for a while, but Hermione's not stupid, and she realizes that she's in a very bad situation at that point in time, and there isn't much choice in the job range for something that she wouldn't mind doing. Working for Malfoy sucks, but being unemployed and having no money and having to pay bills sucks even more. My mom always told me you have to find a way to work with people you may not like, possibly even hate, and she's right, and that's what Hermione's doing; learning to work with and get along with someone she doesn't like. Besides, she did want to be a Healer, and this is going to get her going in that general direction.
4. Draco's first meeting with Hermione: yes, that was short, and not very much was written. I'm thinking I may have to rewrite that part, because I'm not very happy with it, but I couldn't think of much to write at the time, and I really wanted to get going on that. Sorry.
5. Draco and Hermione's background: I said this I think in #2, but I feel the need to reiterate it: it has been four years since Hogwarts, and people change. From what JKR has given us, we only know something of what Malfoy's like at fifteen. What Hermione is like at fifteen-sixteen. We have no idea what they'll be like at twenty-two, going on twenty-three. Granted, JKR did say that Malfoy would never hook up with the good guys, but I take that as artistic license for me. In any case, the point I'm trying to make is it's been a LONG time, people change, and this story is written from Hermione's POV and not Draco's, which means we known little to nothing about him and his personality beyond what Hermione sees. As far as I am concerned, Draco is a rather flat character thus far in this story, and though that will change, we still know next-to-nothing about him, and he could be a saint for all we know (although he's not, don't worry, I don't take THAT much artistic license).
6. Draco being OOC: Yeah, he is, but in most of the stories where he hooks up/falls in love with one of the Golden Trio or Ginny, he IS OOC. Deal with it.
7. I understand that the premise for this is wrong, what with most of the world being made up of Muggleborns. (Somebody pointed that out to me, and I do have to agree with that person, although I can't remember who it is). I see it that Dumbledore was one of the biggest advocates for Muggleborn rights, and he's definitely not afraid to speak out about it, but (and I'm sure I mentioned this, but I can't remember), HE'S DEAD IN THIS STORY. The war is over, and the Wizarding World is corrupt, with the people in money (pureblood bigots, most of them) being the people in power. There are a few here and there, but nobody is making a major attempt to try and change society, even the people who know it SHOULD be changed. Some people think, "It's not happening to me, so I don't care", some people think, "Good riddance, those damn Mudbloods," and other people think, "It's never going to change anyway, so what's the point?" Hermione is none of those people, and that issue WILL be addressed in this story.
I think that's it, but if it isn't, please let me know in your review. I realize some of these answers may not be adequate or explanatory enough, and I realize that a lot of what goes on in this story is a little far-fetched or whatever, but the truth is, any story that has Draco as a good guy and hooking up with a good guy for non-sinister purposes is going to be far-fetched. In the canon universe, JKR more or less said that he won't hook up with Harry, Ron, Hermione, or Ginny, and that he's not going to become important or anything, that he's just a nasty bully who likes to make Harry's life generally miserable, because that his job as his rival, and as a kid who's on the opposite side of the war. I think, that as little as we know about canon Draco, he certainly has the POTENTIAL to become good, but it's unlikely.
Now that I'm done ranting – I'll leave you to it. I apologize for this story's lateness, and I appreciate any reviews you guys can leave, because without you all, there wouldn't BE a story. So thank you for sticking with me this far, and be on the lookout for the next update, whenever that may be.