Adjourned

Summary: Hermione Granger, Auror, leaves the most unpleasant court experience of her life.

Hermione stormed from the courtroom, jaw clenched, determinedly striding towards the nearest exit in order to put as much distance as possible between herself and the people behind her.

Ron and Harry gave up trying to catch her as she rounded a corner, and with identical shrugs, slowed to walks.

"Granger!" came an angry voice from behind her. Hermione sped up to a jog at the sound of running footsteps behind her.

She ignored the voice and furiously pressed the button on the elevator to get back up to the top levels, back to the safety of her office. The footsteps got nearer. Nervously, she jammed the "up" button repeatedly. Why was it so slow today? She glanced at the lights recording what level the elevator was on. It slid down slowly…and stopped on a floor three above her.

Hermione swore as the shadow of her pursuer rounded the corner. Why on earth couldn't you Apparate on this level? Why?

"Granger," came the voice again, as its owner spotted her.

The golden elevator doors slid open with a ding. Hermione rushed inside and hurriedly pushed the button for her level. The doors slid together excruciatingly slowly. Just as they were about to close, a hand slid through and stopped them. The doors bounced back open, and Draco Malfoy forced his way into the elevator car.

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips as Malfoy began to speak angrily. "Granger, that was completely uncalled for back there -"

"Completely uncalled for?" she shrieked at him. "You had absolutely no excuse for interrupting like that!"

"You know as well as I do it wasn't supposed mean anything!" he yelled back at her.

"Embarrassing me like that in front of the whole court –" she pressed her hands to her face and groaned. "And then acting like it's just a bloody joke!"

"You could use a joke, Granger! Might stop you from getting your knickers in a twist every time things don't go perfectly -"

"Don't you ever mention those around me again, Draco Malfoy!"

The doors slid open three levels below where Hermione needed to go. A crowd of people waiting for the elevator observed them shouting at each other for a few seconds, and a man at the front said softly, "We'll – er – wait," before the doors slid closed again.

After what seemed like an eternity, the cool female voice announcing the floors said, "Auror Offices," and Hermione flung herself from the car, Malfoy in hot pursuit. She entered her office and was about to slam the door in Malfoy's face, but it was too much to hope for – he forced his way inside and locked it behind them.

Determined to ignore him now, she threw herself into the chair behind her desk and furiously started shuffling papers. He leaned onto her desk. "Granger," he began. "Hermione." He rectified.

She glanced at him and burst into tears. Startled, he crossed behind the desk and gathered her in his arms as she wailed.

"I'm sorry," he murmured into her hair, before pulling back and examining her at arm's length. "I'm sorry I talked about your lingerie in front of the whole courtroom, and I'm sorry I interrupted the Master of Ceremonies. Better?"

She wiped a tear from her cheek and sniffed. "Not fully," she said slowly. "Mostly. But if you ever – Malfoy - " She appeared to be at a loss for words.

"I won't ever. And I'm sorry I called you 'Granger,'" he smirked. Malfoy."

She smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek. "Well, then, Mr. Malfoy," she said snootily, extending her left hand and wiggling it so that the golden ring there caught the light. "Are you going to kiss the bloody bride or what?"

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