AN: once again I find myself with a song stuck in my head and the only way out of it is to write a story for it. Lyrics by Jim Steinman.

Hermione Granger had a secret ritual. Well, to her it was a ritual, to others it would probably be just a strange habit. An embarrassing, mortifying, please Merlin don't let anyone find out about this kind of behavior. Whenever she was feeling stressed and overwhelmed, she would lock and silence her office, then play 80's muggle music really loud and she would close her eyes, sing and dance to the music. She had learned this behavior from her mother, who loved to listen to the music while making dinner, and they would dance in the kitchen, oblivious to the outside world. And now, whenever she felt that the weight of the world was on her shoulders, she would go back to her happy place, jumping, twirling and headbanging with abandon. Usually, after ten minutes of that, she would feel calm and centered again, ready to take on whatever the task at hand was.

Lately though, the need for the ritual had increased exponentially. Not because there was a lot of extra work or any new projects that needed her attention. The problem, these days, was her increased security level. Not that she was scared or there were any unusual threats, but because a year ago she had been made the youngest Ministry Undersecretary in history at age 27. For a moment it felt like the workaholic ways that had pretty much turned her into a spinster finally paid off. She was a top of her career and the choice of becoming Minister in a few years was completely up to her if the polls were correct. There was only one thing she was having a hard time handling: her security detail. Harry Potter, the head of Magical Law Enforcement had handpicked the wizard for the job, and she was not sure what her best friend had been thinking when he decided that Draco Malfoy was the best choice.

From a rational point of view, it did make sense: Malfoy was the best Auror the Ministry had, surpassed only (barely) by the Chosen One himself. He was brilliant, powerful and knew more than everyone about the workings of dark wizards. He could smell a threat from miles away and literally sensed changes in the magic around him, making him the most coveted agent in Europe. So Minister Hestia Jones had insisted for him to be Hermione's detail because she was a more likely target than the Minister herself, being both a legendary war heroine and the future Minister. Dark wizards would kill to put an Imperious curse on her. Malfoy was indeed the best wizard for the job. The problem was her. She was the one that could not keep her head straight anymore when the blonde man was around. It had started slowly long ago when he applied to be an auror and after months of training and working together he had become quite close with Harry. They were a perfect team, Yin and Yang, and it had been a surprise when Harry was named Head Auror and Draco was offered the position of Deputy Chief but he declined the promotion because he preferred to be a field agent. He had been Kingsley Shaklebolt's bodyguard for years until the man retired and Hestia Jones became Minister. He escorted her until it became clear that the latest political moves had made Hermione the most liable target of the government ranks.

It had all gone downhill for Hermione the day he took over the post of her security detail. As Undersecretary, she was the interim Minister in Jones' absence, so her assigned detail needed to be sworn in with an unbreakable vow, same as the Minister's one was. The swearing ceremony had been a secret and very intimate affair. Harry had taken the oath and bond them with a green light ribbon, and when Draco said that he would never lie to her and that he would die protecting her if necessary, she knew that he needed not to take a vow: he had meant it, every word. So now, every time he requested a meeting to go over the minutiae of the security whatever upcoming events she had to attend, it felt like he was laying himself bare for her to command, and lately, it had been worst because she was required to travel internationally with only him as an escort. Today, he had explained the specifics of their upcoming trip to Nepal, a region known for dark magic activity; how close he would have to remain to her at every time, and how much care he would have to put in checking her hotel rooms, all the way to the sheets on her bed. It felt so intimate that she called the meeting to an end and ran out before he could give her the last set of requests he had for her. She darted down the Ministry corridors, then walked into her office and without looking back said to her assistant

"Dennis, I need ten minutes."

Dennis Creevey, her faithful assistant and self-proclaimed gay BFF, smirked. He knew exactly what was about to happen. Hermione had forgotten to silence her office a couple of times before, so he had a good idea of what went on during those ten-minute breaks. But he was fiercely loyal, so whenever that happened he would simply silence it for her and amused himself imagining her solo headbanging sessions. Lately, though, he had noticed that the ten-minute breaks were happening exclusively every time she came back from a security detail meeting. And he had a strong suspicion that the cause of her distress had platinum blonde hair and grey eyes. Hermione locked the door but forgot the silencing charm, which meant she was highly distressed. She was rattled because she was head over heels in love with Draco Malfoy and she couldn't bring herself to admit it. Only one song would cut it today. The music started playing.

And I would do anything for love,

I'd run right into hell and back,

I would do anything for love,

I'd never lie to you and that's a fact.

"Oh, oh," Dennis thought. "Meatloaf. Bringing up the big guns. This calls for an intervention. "

As if summoned, the blonde Auror materialized in the hallway.

"Good morning, Dennis. Is the Undersecretary available?" he asked before making a face. "What is going on in there?" he asked pointing to the office where the music was coming from.

Dennis decided it was time to take things into his own hands.

"You know what, Auror Malfoy, I think is time for my break. So I was not here to stop you. Oops!" he said with a wink and walked away.

Draco stood by the door, taking slow breaths, trying to listen in to what was going on in there

Some days it don't come easy.

Some days it don't come hard.

Some days it don't come at all, and these are the days that never end.

He opened the door slowly, and froze at the marvelous view: it was Granger unleashed, unrestricted, uncensored. Singing, swaying, sliding, hopping, head banging, following the crazy ups and downs of the song.

Some nights you're breathing fire.

Some nights you're carved in ice.

Some nights you're like nothing I've ever seen before or will again.

Maybe I'm crazy, but it's crazy and it's true.

I know you can save me, no-one else can save me now but you.

It was as if something cracked inside of him. He had admitted to himself that he was in love with this witch months ago, but her demeanor, always so professional, threw him for a loop. He was still a Slytherin and self-protection was part of his upbringing and of his Auror training. So he wore his armor well. Until now. He carefully walked in and closed the door, locking and silencing it. He was great at stealth movement, so she did not hear him come in.

As long as the planets are turning,

As long as the stars are burning,

As long dreams are coming true,

You'd better believe it, that I would do

Anything for love,

Oh I would do anything for love,

Oh I would do anything for love, but I won't do that

No, I won't do that

The tempo of the music went up and she started jumping and fist-pumping, curls flowing like a crazy halo around her head.

I would do anything for love

Anything you've been dreaming of, but I just won't do that

I would do anything for love

Anything you've been dreaming of, but I just won't do

At that moment she twirled and opened her eyes. She felt a split second of panic when the silver eyes of Draco Malfoy stare into hers. Before the second was over though, he closed his eyes and started singing, face full of concentration

Some days I pray for silence,

Some days I pray for soul,

Some days I just pray to the god of

sex and drums and rock 'n' roll

The tempo slowed down again and he opened his eyes and offered his hand, a silent invitation to dance. She took it automatically and he pulled her close by the waist, and without breaking eye contact sang to her

Maybe I'm lonely, that's all I'm qualified to be,

That's just one and only, the one and only promise I can keep,

As long as the wheels are turning,

As long as the fires are burning,

As long as your prayers are coming true,

You'd better believe it, that I would do,

Anything for love,

And you know it's true and that's a fact,

And without giving her time to think he pressed his lips on hers. She had to grab his robes to stay vertical because her knees felt like jello. They kissed for what felt like an eternity but also not long enough. When she pulled slightly apart he leaned his forehead on hers.

"How do you even know this song?" was all she could come up with.

Draco shrugged. "My mother."

"What?" her eyes went wide open. Narcissa Malfoy, pureblood aristocrat, would listen to -of all things- a muggle singer called Meatloaf? This was way too unbelievable.

"It used to be a secret habit of hers. When I was little I found her listening to muggle rock music on a wireless and she panic, told me it would be our little secret. We would wait for Father to leave the house and run to the library, silence it and play the music on the wireless. And we would dance. After the war, when she made peace with Andromeda she told both of us that she started listening to it in secret after Andy had run away to marry Ted Tonks. She had once seen them listening to it in the Hog's Head Inn and she knew then and there that there was no coming back for Andromeda. She looked so happy dancing to that crazy music that after her elopement Mother would try to find the muggle music station on the wireless just to feel closer to her lost sister.

She nodded, then said, "I used to dance with my mom too."

He pulled her in for another deep kiss, his reply playing only in his mind

"And someday we will dance with our children too."

AN: I Would do Anything for Love performed by Meatloaf