Here's chapter 3! I first would like to say thank you very much for all the interest, follows, favorites and everything! I can't believe this story got 1200+ views and 760+ visitors, that's amazing and I can't thank you enough :). If you enjoy the story please review and give me your critiques or support! I am writing on fan fiction to better myself as a writer but I need input to get better. If you'd rather PM me to do so I'd sincerely appreciate that as well :)

To the people who did review, you are the best and I have taken everything you've said into consideration even if I didn't have time to reply! Hopefully you will see a difference in the pacing/transitions in this chapter. Please let me know if they've improved!

Just to put it into perspective, I'm a full time Biomedical Engineering graduate student with a 9 hour course load this semester, working in a lab where I have to help write grants for my PI and research articles on top of my research and papers due for classes. So a small review can make a huge difference on whether I decide to ignore the more imminent deadlines in my life to post for you. Did I mention they're free? XD I'm also telling you guys this in case my updates ever become sporadic lol.

Chapter release times also depend on reviews because I am extrinsically motivated XD Let's shoot for…8-10? That's not too hard! At least tell me if Hermione is OOC or not because I had trouble writing from her 'angle' so to speak.

Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I claim to own Harry Potter or any other characters/ideas from the books. This fan fiction is written purely for pleasure.

Chapter 3: Cheese in the Trap

Hermione had done everything she could to get her mind off that slippery snake Draco Malfoy.

The scroll he practically threw at her sat oh-so-innocently on her coffee table, taunting her like a juicy steak hanging before a lion. She couldn't put a finger on what possessed her to take it home with her when she left work for the day. She'd picked it up and thrown it into her bag as if it were on fire and hadn't touched it since.

'Since' was the span of three days. Three unproductive, frustrating, unfulfilled days of distraction from her real work.

Hermione was an extremely confident woman, she knew she was intelligent and she was an inherently good person, but the one thing she wished she could curb was her propensity to empathize with people who didn't deserve a moment of her time. Case in point: Draco Malfoy.

Malfoy, the man she testified for during the Death Eater trials at the ire of friends and the general wizarding population looking for any martyr they could find. Malfoy, the man who took her kindness without recompense. Malfoy, the man who as a boy, had instilled much of her teenage hormone-driven angst and depression through his bullying and name calling. Malfoy, the man who had taken everything she had done for him –greedy little bastard that he was- and sowed it into a position in the Wizengamot, a position leagues away from hers even as a prized heroine from the war.

And that's not enough for him, he wants more!

That's what kept her from giving into her curiosity and reading the scroll sitting on her coffee table; spite. Maybe even envy. Best someone put their foot down and not let him have his way!

And yet that curiosity to learn all there was to know in the world, the curiosity that forced her to join Harry and Ron on their stupid adventures, kept clawing in the back of her mind. It plagued her thoughts incessantly and even began to manifest in her dreams.

Just what exactly was in that scroll to make the blonde haired man actually thank her? And what exactly did he thank her for? Why was it so important he get her approval and not some of the many political allies he seemed to have based on his relation to Elphias Doge?

Hermione clawed at her hair and threw herself on her bed with a huff. The inability to turn her brain off had always been a cause for insomnia. She usually worked late nights anyways but this was just getting out of hand.

Just one little peek, just to see what it's about…

Hermione stalled when she found herself standing in front of the scroll, hand extended to grab it. She didn't even realize she had moved! She shouldn't give in, it could be a trick to hex her and she had better impulse control than this! Retracting her hand, Hermione stalked into her kitchenette to put on a pot of calming tea. Everything had been so much easier six months ago.

Six months ago everything was as it always had been, the media wasn't out to get her, she could just go to work and do her job, meet up with her friends and live a fairly quiet life for one of the Golden Trio. It was tiring now to keep up a façade of normalcy when things weren't the same anymore.

It was awkward to interact with her friends who felt like they had to choose sides now, at work she had to endure the glances and the whispers of if the rumors were true. At home she had to plaster a smile on her face in front of her parents and pretend none of those things bothered her. She hadn't read the magazine articles headlined with scathing remarks about her but she was sure everything that had happened between her and Ron had been misconstrued.

Her little apartment was the only place she could withdraw from the overload of stress permeating her life at the moment. She could leave all the expectations, whispers, and awkward pleasantries at the door and be herself. She'd never been a shut-in before but she was seriously considering becoming one – life as it was currently was much easier to handle that way.

But Malfoy couldn't let her have her peace. Now he was encroaching in her private space of solitude (well she had brought the offending scroll in herself) and she was again the one left suffering at the hands of that git.

The tea pot whistled, breaking Hermione from her musings. Grabbing the first mug her hand touched, she methodically went about making her tea, with a bit more sugar than most people liked to take it. Her parents were dentists and did not condone such things in their home but she had always had a bit of a sweet tooth.

Hermione padded back over to the sofa, her resolve crumbling. Looking at the scroll wouldn't make Malfoy any better than her and besides, she needed a good laugh and the contents within may help provide fodder to ridicule the little ferret.

Sighing, Hermione took a sip of her tea and got comfortable, levitating the scroll before her and running diagnostic spells over it quickly. She had already done so before she placed it in her bag but better to be safe than sorry, any latent spells could catch her unawares. When all came up clear, Hermione waved her hand and let the scroll unfurl all of six inches. There, that was a good starting point. Just enough to give her a taste of his desperation and a good laugh.

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise as she read the title of the scroll, printed in elegant and even script.

Bid for the Position of Minister of Magic

Hermione unfurled the scroll a bit further and a small slip of paper fell out onto her lap. Picking it up, she read in the same evenly spaced handwriting, though the lines were thicker and the ink bled through at certain parts as if it were written while in a rage.

The following scroll contains the laws and regulations I, Draco Malfoy, plan to implement should I win the position Minister of Magic. Included are changes to current policies and amendments as well as a guideline for the election process. It is my sincere wish that the contents of this scroll be taken as the seriousness with which I am running for this position. If you find the contents unsuitable I would be open to discussion regarding any of the topics presented.

History aside, please consider an endorsement on my behalf. I am sure we can reach an arrangement of some sort. Owling would be the best mode of contact.

Regards,

Draco Malfoy

Hermione scoffed at his parting words. Of course he was still a pompous, arrogant man at his core. Who was he to expect her to contact him? She'd been right about this being something to entertain her for the next day or two. If she really wanted to be vindictive she'd pick apart all of his idiotic pro-pureblood ideals and send it back to him with Crookshanks in a bad mood.

Rolling her eyes and tossing the slip of paper on the coffee table, Hermione turned her eyes to the scroll and skimmed the first few paragraphs…which turned into foot after foot of detailed perusal, a red-inked quill striking and correcting as she continued to read with morbid interest.

One cup of tea turned into a pot of coffee. Then two.

Hermione had been under the assumption she would get what she'd always expected from Draco Malfoy, spawn of and former Death Eater….but what she had received was a thoughtful and concise bid for Minister with a solid platform and one she was intrigued to find she would wholeheartedly support if it had been anyone else proposing it. She had looked for glaring errors and regulations that would limit the rights of any one race or minority group, place government funding in the wrong hands or misuse the power of the position to help allies just so she could tear it apart with a demoralizing redaction that would make Professor Snape proud.

She found nothing. Even twelve hours later and a second run through.

Instead the best she could do was write her thoughts, laws already in place that would make his efforts redundant, things that hadn't worked in the past with proper references and a different approach. By the time she'd finished her fine-tooth combing she had a pile of books around her, a third pot of coffee cooling by the second on her side table and that damned scroll that had taken another night of precious sleep from her.

His budget plans were spot on for the most part, she assumed it was due to his business acumen bred from the Malfoy name, something sorely lacking under Kingsley's regime and desperately needed even almost seven years after the war. Emphasis on paying off current debts from rebuilding was dire if they didn't want to default, something Hermione had been pushing to anyone who would listen but whose words mostly fell on deaf ears.

Malfoy also had specific clauses set for officially acknowledging magical creatures' individual governing bodies and implementing them into the Wizarding system, something Hermione had been championing for years. With a few tweaks here and there his ideas actually had merit.

A part of Hermione was upset that she couldn't find fault with Malfoy's ideas. It was their norm, for him to be the bad guy and her the good. But if she was honest with herself, she would legitimately regret letting go of a candidate that held ideals as close to hers as him. It came as a shock to her since he was the last person she would expect to have such progressive ideas.

Maybe Malfoy had changed.

It would be very close-minded of her to write Malfoy off just because it was Malfoy. The current official candidate, Percy, was just another Cornelius Fudge, the Minister he had previously worked under and who had been affiliated with pureblood lobbying groups before his demise. She couldn't in good faith support the man when everything he stood for was so stark black and white and in total opposition to hers.

So Malfoy had actually built a case for garnering her support. But would he really follow through with the rules and regulations he so detailedly enclosed in the scroll? The only way for her to find out would be to contact him.

Still slightly vexed at the man who had been her antithesis for the majority of her life, Hermione decided to make him sweat a little. It was his fault she lost sleep anyways so let him worry a day longer. Besides, she had work in less than an hour and it was about time she got some work done.

After nodding off twice in her weekly MLE meeting, Hermione decided to wait another day before sending Malfoy her reply. She was tired enough to fall asleep the moment she hit the bed, a first for her in a while and she planned to use it to sleep the rest of the day away.

She had woken the following morning still groggy and in a bit of a mood but stopped by the Owlery at work and sent off a letter with a Hedwig lookalike that gave her a bittersweet feeling of nostalgia. It had been a hard decision to make but she knew she couldn't let their past cloud her judgement. If Draco Malfoy was serious about this run for Minister of Magic, he could do good by the citizens of Wizarding Britain. It would largely be an uphill battle but if she put in a good word for him, it might just swing votes in his favor.

She hadn't decided if she would support his bid. At least that's what she told herself.

No, this was a trial run. She would talk to him face to face and if he was honest with his bid…it was a possibility. She was not so quick to trust these days.

A reply was swift, as if he had been waiting for her, she noted with a smirk. Not more than an hour after she had sent her letter, she found the owl she used from the Owlery on her cramped window sill.

Feeding the owl a treat and removing the letter from its leg, Hermione held her breath as she opened the slip of paper and read her original words and his reply.

Malfoy,

I will admit you have piqued my interest. At your earliest convenience I would like to ask some questions before I give you my final answer. I assume you know my schedule inside and out by now. I'll leave you to make a meeting time that works for both you and I.

Hermione Granger

And below that in a rushed scribble,

6:30 pm tonight, Leaky Cauldron. Room 10.

DM

Waiting had been harder than Hermione had thought. Now that the idea of a run for Minister she could support was potentially valid, she couldn't help but think of all the possibilities. She had always believed in the good of people and giving second chances. It was what had driven her to defend Malfoy during the death eater trials. Draco Malfoy had extended an olive branch to her, albeit in an alarmingly creepy way, but she would be willing to accept that branch if it was in the best interest of the greater good. Her pride might be trampled a bit in the process, but when had being prideful ever helped her?

If Hermione Granger had to be the better person and let bygones be bygones, she was willing to do it.

Hermione left the office at 6:15pm and flooed to the Leaky Cauldron through one of the many public floo networks open in the Ministry. Her patience had been growing thin with each hour. She had pretended to do work up until the very last second but if she were to recall what she did she couldn't remember anything significant. If anything, she wanted to meet with Malfoy if only to get the answers she needed and let her mind rest on the topic so she could finally work at her usual pace. She refused to think of Malfoy any longer than she needed to.

With a quick disillusionment charm placed while in transit to the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione tiptoed her way up the winding stairs to the upper floor where the rooms were located. Room 10 was easy enough to find and with a whisper of alohomora Hermione made sure the hallway was empty before slipping through the door.

Sighing in relief, Hermione dropped the charm keeping her camouflaged only to come face to face with Draco Malfoy. For a few moments all they could do was stare at each other in a mute stalemate.

Hermione recovered first and cleared her throat, unsure of how to proceed but willing to try. She was the one who asked to meet him, she should act as confident as she had felt the moment she made the arrangement; he couldn't see her as a pushover. "So, Malfoy." She nodded her head towards his direction in greeting. Last time they'd met she hadn't been the easiest person to deal with. Draco stood next to a heavily flowered sofa that looked about 300 years too old, hands in his pockets and a nonchalant look of indifference on his face.

"Granger." He returned, his voice firm but stiff, much like how he carried himself. It reassured her that he didn't know how to react in this situation as well. After a few seconds, he gestured to the sofa, as if remembering his manners. "Would you like to take a seat…?" His words died and withered in the tense air between them.

Hermione settled with a curt nod and mechanically moved to the sofa, sitting closest to the arm-rest while Malfoy moved to sit at the chair across from her. Again they were at an impasse. Let's just get on with it, shall we?

"T-thank you for meeting me on such short notice." Hermione mentally kicked herself at the fumbled start. Malfoy nodded and used his wand to set up tea for the two of them. "I'd like to start by stating that I'm not guaranteeing my support in your running for Minister, I'm just here to get some questions answered."

"Fair enough." Malfoy replied, his mouth set in a grim line as he levitated a cup within arm's reach. Hermione took the cup but did not drink. She noticed Malfoy's eye narrow as he pointedly took a sip of his tea. Clearing his throat, the blond pinned her with his storm grey eyes. "Ask away then."

"Why do you want to run for Minister of Magic, what will you gain from doing so?" Hermione probed, deciding to forego cordiality in favor of getting straight to the point.

Draco thought for a few moments before opening his mouth, leaving Hermione anxious for the answer. A part of her wanted him to mess up and show his true colors. It was safe, it was what she knew to be true between the two of them. But at what expense would that win be gained?

"I…I don't think there is one right answer to that question." Malfoy seemed to be weighing his words carefully. "On one hand, would I like the power that comes with the position? Yes." He gave her an accusing look as if he knew that was the answer she was expecting and she had the decency to at least feel some shame at that. "I will admit when I initially toyed with the idea, that had been a major draw. But the more I thought of it, the more I realized I had something to offer if I gained the seat. I may or may not be the right person for the job, but at least I could try to inflict some," He paused. "change."

Hermione mulled over his words for a moment. What he said wasn't wrong, even a person with the best intentions could be the wrong person for the position. Just because he wasn't her first pick based on their past and his personality, didn't mean he couldn't run a major populous. Personality wouldn't be what he used to run it, it would be skill. "Okay, next question," Hermione noticed Malfoy stiffen. He was expecting her to give him something, anything on whether she heard what she wanted to hear. She would not give him that luxury. "Why did you follow me and ask for my help the way you did? It wasn't exactly…tactful."

Malfoy's face screwed up in discomfort. Hermione did feel bad for the guy, it was a weird situation to be placed on the spot in front of your grade school enemy. "That…" He stopped and tried again. "I would like to keep that private, if I may."

Hermione tsked and placed her cup of untouched tea on the saucer before her. "I'm sorry but to be frank, you may not. If you want me to consider putting my name in with yours you should be willing to divulge information as I request it." She noted Malfoy grit his teeth as he moved to stretch out his neck. Apparently his patience was wearing thin as well and she was becoming a pain. She couldn't care less. "Now I will ask again, what possessed you to follow me and ask for my help in that sort of manner? I expected more out of a man from Slytherin. Is that how you plan to run your entire election? Bumbling around?"

Malfoy's lip twitched and Hermione gave him a sardonic smile. It seemed controlling his expressions was becoming increasingly hard. "I believe we can have a pleasant conversation without throwing digs around, don't you think Granger?"

Hermione nodded, eyes crinkling in mirth at his expense. "Of course Malfoy, my apologies."

Sighing, Malfoy collected himself. "The way in which I reached out to you wasn't…well thought out," he fixed her with a barely concealed glare. "Since the election is less than six months away now, I did not have much time to approach you…and due to our past I couldn't be sure of your reaction. It was not the best method to request an endorsement but I can't say I regret it since you're having tea with me now." He glanced at her untouched cup steaming away.

Hermione gave him an inquiring look. "Six months is plenty of time to plan a meeting arrangement with me regardless of our…history. And a thoughtful letter would be plenty to get my interest." Although he wouldn't have known that. Another thought crossed her mind and she continued, "And besides you haven't even been nominated to be in the running in the first place." They fell into silence as Hermione waited for some sort of explanation.

Malfoy licked his lips and fidgeted, running his hand through his swept back hair. "Like I said," He sounded exasperated. "it wasn't the best plan." He glanced at her, gauging her approval of the answer. He's not telling me something. The time line just doesn't add up.

Rolling her eyes, Hermione huffed in annoyance. "Fine, let's just say it was a miscalculation on your part then," Malfoy snorted under his breath at that. Hermione narrowed her eyes, deciding to ask the one question she knew he was hoping she wouldn't. She leaned forward to relish the moment. "What I can't seem to fathom is, why does it have to be me?"

She settled back in her chair, a smirk that could rival one of his on a good day -or bad in her case- pulling at her lips. If he wanted to play this game and think he had pulled the wool over her eyes, she would play just as hard. She had come for answers and honesty was the one thing Malfoy had going for him in her eyes. He had already lost any chance of making a good first impression. He needed her, and he should act as such.

It was quite amusing to watch him flounder after that question, though he seemed to be working himself into a fit. "I knew this was going to happen, I shouldn't have even tried this…" Malfoy murmured angrily under his breath and Hermione had to raise a brow at his dramatics. He moved to get up and Hermione held her hands up in a placating manner.

"Now, now, Malfoy, there's no need for you to get upse-"

He rounded on her then, eyes sparking with rage. "Really Granger? You've been baiting me from the start!"

Hermione, startled at the accusation, began to backtrack. "I wasn't baiting you or anything of the sort! I was just asking questions because I needed to know if you were serious about th-"

"Of course I'm serious about this, I came to you!" Draco raged, throwing his hands up in the air.

Hermione tried to not let that hurt her, but she knew it was apparent on her face and in her words. "Well, if that's the case…" She fished the red scored scroll out of her purse and slammed it on the table. "Here you go, take it. I actually read the entire thing and thought it was pretty damn brilliant." She opened it and spread it across the table so he could see her corrections scribbled in red. "I even took the time to cross reference and note some additions."

It was Malfoy's turn to stare at her in shocked silence for once.

Hermione turned away, her chest feeling quite heavy and her cheeks hot. He didn't get to insult her like that when she was willing to put everything aside to help him. If she didn't stand up for herself now she would regret it for the rest of her life. There was more at stake than her pride. She turned back around and glared at him. "You know, despite the obvious muck ups on your part I was actually considering helping you. Because I thought you had some great ideas." She marched up to him and staccato-ed her next point with a finger in the face. "I wanted to come here and apologize for the way I treated you before but if this is the way you always react when asking for help from others I don't think I can help you."

Moving her purse to her shoulder, she continued, cutting Malfoy off before he could get anything in. "Thank you for the tea, the unproductive evening, and for insulting me. Have a good night."

Just as she was about to spin on her heel to leave the room with her worthless pride intact, Malfoy let out an unintelligible shout of frustration and called out to her. "Wait Granger!" With an afterthought, "Please!"

Hermione had never heard him sound so desperate before and it made her hesitate long enough for the blond to grab onto her purse strap; anywhere she decided to go, he would go too. Hermione noted his refusal to touch her specifically.

"What Malfoy? What can you possibly say that will make me change my mind now when I'm still considered untouchable to you?" He followed her gaze to where he had grabbed hold of her, shame forcing him to let go.

"That's not why I-"

"Look Malfoy, I get it, I really do. It was a huge blow to your ego having to grovel to me, the mudblood Gryffindor who was the bane of your existence all through school. To be honest I don't particularly like you either." She stared him directly in the eyes, hoping to get through to him. "But when have I ever discredited you regardless of how you've treated me?" Draco's eyes faltered and shifted to the floor. "I know there is something you're not telling me, a reason why you had to stoop so low as to ask me of all people for help. And I'm willing to help, okay? You just need to tell me the truth."

The silence between them stretched for longer than socially acceptable. Hermione sighed, surprised at how disappointed she really felt. She would give him one final chance. "Based on the rudimentary timeline you've hinted at in your proposal and just now, you should have had plenty of time to gain my trust and get me on your side. I hate to admit it but you are quite smart, you'd have to be to get a spot in the Wizengamot with your background." She studied the man before her for any sign of acknowledgment but found little to none. "There's no way you would have made such simple mistakes unless something had made you slip." Her eyes lit up as her previous words came back to her. Mudblood…

"I can see what an endorsement from me would give you: credibility that your lineage and past have lost you. Also since I'm part of the Golden Trio, I'm a good ally to have around…I've been called the brightest witch of my age," Hermione rolled her eyes as she said that, "which would tell potential voters that voting for you would be a wise choice but why are you so rushed when nominations aren't going to be announced for another two months yet?"

The silence dragged again and Hermione shook her head sadly. "I guess I was expecting too much…" She mumbled and turned away again.

"You said you were willing to help me right?" Hermione had barely heard the voice, he spoke so quietly.

Looking over her shoulder she nodded. "Yes, I was." Draco nodded at her words, threw his head back and sighed.

"I did come to you for all of the reasons you stated but after weighing the options, the best one I found goes further than just an endorsement." Hermione's questioning gaze forced him to continue. "If I were to get your endorsement alone, rumors would float around that I bought you off with money or power seeing as you're a valuable ally to have after all." Malfoy looked sheepish at those words and began to stall.

"You have a point there, but what could go further than an endorsement? That's what you came to me for in the first place isn't it?" Malfoy shook his head in answer. "No? Then what was the goal of getting my approval if not for my public approval?"

"Marriage." The moment Hermione heard the word, everything clicked into place.

Now she understood why he had been so quick to defensive anger. Why he continually stalled as they fought but refused to let her go. Why he had been so sloppy with his plans to bring her to his side.

Her mind was running in overdrive but she could only stand there and stare at the man before her in stunned silence. It didn't make sense…but it did.

If Draco Malfoy married her, Hermione Granger, all of the perks of her endorsement would be solidified and no one could accuse him of buying her off. Based on the way he spoke of it, it seemed he wanted to keep her on as an advisor of sorts which being a married couple would allow him to do while keeping her endorsement unsoiled. Also, what better way to show he was no longer prejudiced or in touch with his Death Eater roots than to marry a mudblood from Gryffindor house?

Hermione had been wrong, Draco Malfoy was just as sly and smart as ever, it was only his execution that had been lacking. She couldn't even blame him for that, she'd make a mess of things too if she had to ask her childhood enemy to marry her. He had rushed because in order to build a realistic relationship that would lead into marriage before the elections began without alerting the general public to the lie, they would probably need a time frame more on the scale of two years. Less than six months of media play, from mutual hatred to marriage until 'death do us part' was pushing it.

It was a crazy idea but one that would most likely clinch the Minister of Magic Position. But would she do it? Marriage was not something to take lightly, especially one based on lies that would then be put out on full display to the public…and the media…

"Granger…?" Malfoy called to her but she couldn't respond.

It would go against everything she stood for, lying before the public like that. And she believed in the sanctity of marriage, one that was as old as magic itself and something she did not feel comfortable trampling over. If she thought about who her groom would be…

Her eyes landed on him and she felt anxiety grip at her chest. Marriage to Malfoy, a man she couldn't talk to for more than five minutes without arguing with? A man who had insulted her for the majority of her life? A man whose family had tortured her within an inch of her life as he watched in silence and did nothing? A man who still, to this day, considered her inferior to him and couldn't even touch her?

How were they supposed to play a realistic husband and wife if he still hated muggleborns? Why would she support or even endorse a man like that when everything her endorsement would portray of him to the public would be lies?

Because he could do well. And I could be there in the front lines.

She wanted to make a difference for the better, that's all she had ever wanted and he was giving her an opportunity to do so. Hermione was an idealist but she was also logical and knew that for the positive change she wanted to see, sacrifices needed to be made. Is it all worth it though?

"Granger!" Hermione snapped out of her thoughts.

"Y-Yes?" she was surprised to find a vaguely concerned look on Malfoy's face.

"I asked if you're alright." Hermione nodded noncommittally.

"Just fine…" she murmured.

Malfoy gave her a dejected look. They had already fought enough that propriety in front of enemies no longer applied. "Based on your reaction, I think I've got the answer I nee-"

"I'll do it!" The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could think but she knew them to be true.

"What?" Malfoy looked like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Are you deaf? I said I'd do it!" A smirk broke out on her face at the blonde's reaction. She seemed to grow in strength when he began to falter.

"Do what exactly…?" Hermione knew it wasn't that he was playing dumb. He wasn't expecting a yes and he was protecting himself from rejection by not making any assumptions on what her words could possibly mean.

"I said, I will play a willing pawn in your crazy scheme." She finished with an ultimatum, "But if I do, you'd better win."

PLEASE READ: I feel that I need to say this since I have been receiving PMs and Reviews saying that this story has typical common story themes like Hermione is a prude, dresses badly, Ron cheats on her, she is alone, Draco is her savior (I've already addressed this from the start!) etc. My writing style is that where the readers will slowly learn more about the characters as I decide to let it known; I find that keeping that suspense makes a good read. Just because a magazine article you read through Draco says one thing, doesn't mean it's true! How many times have tabloids been totally wrong in real life? Good character development takes time so please don't jump the gun and think just because characters POVs you are reading through think something a certain way means its the reality in the universe. Everyone has a specific perception based on what their past, personality, etc. But real life is always different than what we view it and make assumptions as. For example, Hermione and Ron are the only two people who knows what happened between them which you will find out only when Hermione's POV brings it up. There are clues in this chapter that show that not everything is as it seems to the public and you've only seen so far what the public is saying through Draco because of what he read. This is on purpose. The premise of my writing this story is to revisit common tropes in a different way so of course the story will APPEAR like those tropes are continuing through this story but it's my job to surprise you! Okay rant over lol. Please PM me if you still have qualms about it and I would love to go more indepth but I don't want to spoil things for other readers XD

Again a sincere thank you to each and every one of you for showing interest in this story. Please leave a review or PM with anything I can change, fix, do better, etc. Words of support are always welcome too!

Until next time,

SnakesandLions