A/N: I should be working, but I needed a break from real life for a bit. I've had this for a while, but I'm only now getting it in shape to post. New chapters every few days. Enjoy!

I'll pretend that I'm kissing
The lips I am missing
And hope that my dreams will come true

It was a relatively slow Wednesday morning, and Draco was sifting through paperwork. He had an interview scheduled for ten, and he was trying to catch up on the last of his written reports before then. He signed his name with a flourish to the last of the parchments and, with a flick of his wand, sent them into the tray labelled 'Outgoing'. He pulled out his pocket watch. Just in time; it read two minutes before ten.

Elena Vargas, the senior administrative assistant to all the mid-level Ministry Curse-Breakers, poked her head in the partially open door. "Miss Weasley to see you, Mr Malfoy."

"Elena, I've told you to call me Draco," he chided. "We're colleagues."

"Yes, Mr—Draco. Shall I send her in?"

"Certainly." He offered Elena what he hoped was a reassuring smile. She was younger than he by a year or two, and since her promotion the previous month, she still seemed wary of all the mid-levels—especially Draco. She was highly competent, but she lacked confidence sometimes. Of course, the fact that he was still generally viewed with wariness might have had something to do with it as well.

Elena disappeared from the doorway. Less than a minute later, a petite, athletic redhead appeared in her place. When Ginevra Weasley pushed the door open further, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Malfoy?" she squeaked.

He frowned. Hadn't anyone told her that he would be conducting her interview? "Please, come in and have a seat."

Hesitantly, she stepped over the threshold and sat delicately balanced on the edge of her seat. "I had no idea you would be interviewing me," she said.

At least she was honest. Draco told her, "I'm the most senior mid-level Curse-Breaker at the moment, which gives me the dubious honour of hiring new staff." He smiled, hoping to assure her that he would remain professional throughout.

She relaxed marginally. "All right, then."

"I was surprised to see your name on my list this morning," Draco admitted. "I thought you were playing Quidditch these days."

She nodded. "I was, but I wanted to be done with all that. It was too much—the travel, the constant training. I was ready for a change."

"I see. How did you decide to go into curse-breaking?"

"My brother. He still works for Gringotts, but I wasn't interested in playing nice with Goblins. He offered to contact someone he knew at the Ministry." She smiled faintly. "Apparently, he meant you."

"Not really," Draco said. "He probably meant one of my superiors. What sort of experience do you have with curse-breaking, Miss Weasley?"

They continued the interview for the next twenty minutes. By the end of it, Draco was thoroughly impressed with Ginevra. "I need to connect with my immediate supervisor, but I would like to tentatively offer you the position." He hesitated. "You would be working directly with me," he informed her. "I trust that won't be a problem."

She tipped her head to the side. "You're different to how I remembered you," she said.

He wanted to laugh. He certainly hoped he was nothing like his adolescent self. "Is that a good thing?"

Ginevra actually did giggle. "Most definitely."

"Provided all of your references and parchments are in order, then, I shall see you next Monday at eight," Draco said. "Good day, Miss Weasley."

She stood and extended her hand. "If we're going to be working together, please call me Ginny."

Draco also stood and accepted the handshake. "Very well, Ginny."

She smiled warmly at him and exited his office. Draco resumed his seat. This would certainly be interesting, he decided.

Ginny turned out to be a highly competent witch and an easy confidante. He knew he could be demanding—his perfectionism was what had taken him through the ranks at the Ministry—but she dished it back. Ginny Weasley was not a pushover. He liked that about her, and he told her so. She was perfectly positioned to rise in her career, though he kept that information to himself for the time being. It was too soon for that.

Over the next month, Draco and Ginny developed an excellent professional relationship which began to extend beyond work into friendship. It was surprising, as Draco had never had a favourable impression of her family. Three more of them were now his respected colleagues, but the older ones almost never collaborated with Draco's department and mostly avoided him. Every now and again, he had to deal with Ron, who was with the Aurors. Ron would never refuse to work with Draco, though he did make it clear it wasn't his preference. On the other hand, he wasn't openly hostile; he limited his remarks to mild jabs, frequently made in a competitive professional spirit. Draco counted the lack of reference to his dubious history as a point in his favour. It was certainly better than the hushed conversations that ended with glares whenever he was in the ministry canteen or the veiled threats to his person that he often still endured when he ventured into public wizarding space. Obviously ten years wasn't enough for some people to forget, on both sides.

One warm morning late in June, Draco heard Ginny tap lightly on his door. He knew her knock, though he was surprised that she was coming round so early in the day. He called for her to enter, and she breezed in with her hand full of what appeared to be tickets.

"Guess what?" She was grinning ear-to-ear, and her enthusiasm was almost exploding out of her. Draco wondered what on earth had her so excited.

"What?" He eyed her warily.

She dropped a copy of the morning Prophet on his desk. He sighed. He had very little patience for this; his desk was piling up with work, and Ginny's interruption was not particularly welcome.

"I don't have time to read the Prophet for clues." He kept his eyes fixed on the file in front of him.

Clearly sensing she shouldn't drag things out, Ginny said, "Harry's back."

Draco dropped the quill he'd been holding. "Er. Repeat that, please?"

"I said, Harry's coming home."

"Harry Potter?"

"Is there some other Harry we both know? There's supposed to be a public affair followed by a smaller welcoming party by ticket only." She paused. "Would you like to go with me?"

Draco wrinkled his nose inelegantly in an attempt not to sneer; he didn't want to offend his most valuable employee. "Why would I want to do that?"

"Oh, come on. You're as curious as I am about what he's been up to since he left."

He wanted to pretend he it wasn't true. Harry Potter had been gone for nearly six years and no one seemed to have any idea what he'd been doing all that time. As far as Draco knew, Potter had completed Auror training and spent a year or so with the corps. After that, he'd disappeared, and the rumour was that he'd gone to America. He'd been lost to the ether after that. The fact that he was returning—and in such a public way; when had Potter ever made his own announcements in the media?—would be the talk of the Wizarding world.

"Since when does Potter—er, what exactly is it he does, anyway?"

"He's an expert in wandlore, and he's taken a teaching position at the University of Magical Arts and Sciences."

Not having anything else in his hand to drop, Draco let his jaw take care of that part. He knew he must look like a fish, gawping at Ginny like that, but he was beyond caring. "Er," Draco managed, trying to reassemble his face and failing miserably.

Ginny snickered. "Put yourself back together, Malfoy."

He closed his mouth. "Wait a minute. If this is such a big deal, why hasn't it been in the Prophet before now?"

"No one knew. He didn't even tell my family—he wanted it to be a surprise." She waved the tickets. "He sent me an extra one with a note that said 'Just in case'."

"Why can't you just go and tell me about it later?"

She gave him a patronising smile. "Because I know you want to go but you won't because you refuse to attend alone and hide behind a Glamour. Besides, if you come with me, you'll be able to attend the private party afterwards. Come on. I'll protect you from any unwanted attention. Please?"

Ginny was well aware that Draco tried to stay away from large public events; it was the price he still paid for his youthful ignorance and cruelty—people generally did not appreciate his presence. This was Potter, however, and he was torn between 'Hell, no' and 'I need to see this for myself'. He chose the latter. "All right. When shall I meet you?"

"There's an Apparition point about three blocks from the University. The public event is at seven, so we should meet at six-thirty."

"Fine. Now, will you leave me alone so I can finish this?" Draco raised an eyebrow at her, daring her to make an attempt to continue the conversation.

Ginny grinned. "Yes, sir." She swept from his office, pulling the door shut on the way out.

When he was sure she was out of earshot, Draco groaned and let his head fall onto his desk. What the hell had he been thinking?