A/N: I really can't believe I'm posting another story already. Oh well. This plot bunny was persistent bugger. I could only fight it off for so long.

Disclaimer: All characters recognized in this story belong to J.K. Rowling.

Summary: Draco decides to commit the ultimate rebellion by becoming an auror. But what happens when Ginny Weasley gets assigned as his partner and Harry Potter is his boss? Can they use each other to their advantage? Or will they kill each other? Rated M because I can't control Ginny or Draco's mouths or whatever hormonal infractions that may or may not occur later.

Devious Chapter 1: The Worst Day Ever

***And I feel like I'm living the worst day over and over again.

And everyday is the worst day ever.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*************!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Ginny!" Daphne Greengrass, currently Ginny's best friend and roommate screamed at the closed door in front of her. "Ginny Weasley get your bony ass out here this instant. You can't stay in there forever!" Daphne continued to scream, pounding on the door.

"Watch me!" Came the muffled answer from behind the said door.

Daphne sighed. It had been exactly three hours since Ginny's latest squeeze had broken up with her and the first thing she had done when she got home was lock herself in the bathroom to cry by herself into a migraine. Now normally, Daphne was sensitive to her roommate/best friends emotional needs but Ginny's bathroom break up routine had never lasted this long before. Plus, the neighbors had already complained. Twice.

"Ginny, you've been in there for three hours. Get a hold of yourself. He wasn't even that good looking!" Daphne added in a desperate attempt at being soothing.

"Are you kidding me?!" Came Ginny's high pitched squeal. "He was gorgeous! But that's not even the point. The point is he dumped me, for that stupid blonde wire hanger of a slut, Chastity Carmichael. Who does that?"

Daphne gasped, "He's dating Chastity Carmichael now? You never told me that. She's hot."

The door burst open. Daphne jumped and stared at her best friend. Ginny was a mess. Her hair was in disarray, her eyes were puffy and red as was her nose, there were bags under her eyes and she was pale as sheet.

"What. Did. You. Say?" Ginny's eye was twitching now and Daphne gulped.

"I said, what a worthless slut bag of a human being that girl is. I mean, who wants to date a model anyway? They never eat; what would you do on dates?"

Ginny just glared at her friend for a moment then sighed dejectedly.

"How did I get here Daph?" She asked tossing the tissue that was in her fist in the wastebasket. "This isn't me. When have I ever gotten so riled up about a man before?"

"Uh never," Daphne said quickly. "You didn't even bat an eyelash when Harry Bleeding Potter dumped you your 5th year and here you are, crying your eyes out over some hot shot wannabe Lockhart."

"Ugh. You're right. I need to get out. I guess I wasn't willing to face the press yet either. I can see the Rita Skeeter headline now, 'Hot Shot Auror/Harry Potter's Ex-Squeeze Gets Dumped by aspiring Author/Quidditch Star. Ugh. I could vomit."

"Don't be ridiculous," Daphne scoffed. "Skeeter would never call you a hot shot." She grinned cheekily.

"Witch," Ginny frowned.

"And?" Daphne replied, he wand appearing suddenly in her hand. She twirled it once for dramatic affect which caused red sparks to shoot out the ends, almost igniting the potted plant that was situated next to the door. "Oops."

"Right. My best friend is an idiot. No wonder my life sucks," Ginny groaned.

"Oh shut up, like you've never done that before. C'mon, lets get you all cleaned up." Daphne was suddenly brisk.

Ginny stared at her friend quizzically, "Why?"

"We're going out," Daphne grinned.

"Why?" Ginny asked again, incredulous.

"Because," Daphne started, "There's nothing like crazy hate-sex with a total stranger to take your mind off cheating ex-boyfriends."

"Promise?" Ginny sniffed, looking at her roommate with doleful eyes.

Daphne smirked, "I was a Slytherin wasn't I?"

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Don't remind me. Alright, have your way with me." Ginny spread her arms wide dramatically as Daphne laughed.

"Good, now go shower."

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*************!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Daphne!"

Daphne looked up from her morning messages to be met with a rampaging red head who looked about ready to shoot hot pokers out of her ass and a paper flailing in her grasp. It was the next morning and after bringing home the fantastically stupid but deviously hunky one night stand which brought on an entire night of crazy drunk sex that had kept her up all night, (not to mention the very tidy disappearing act he pulled earlier that morning) Daphne was almost positive that Ginny would be in better spirits today. She watched as her friend drew nearer and spotted the look on her face.

She had been wrong.

As soon as Ginny was close enough to her desk she flopped the Daily Prophet unceremoniously in front her best friend, jabbing at the front headline. It read: Harry Potter's Ex-Squeeze Gets Dumped by Gorgeous, Aspiring Author/Quidditch Star.

"See?!" Ginny was near hysterics. "I told you he was gorgeous…"

"Ginny." Daphne looked her friend straight in the eye, "It's Rita Skeeter. Do we really care who she thinks is gorgeous?"

"That's not the point," Ginny glared, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Oh? And what is?" Daphne prodded, rearranging a stack of parchments on her desk into a neat little pile.

"The point is everyone knowing what is going on in my personal life!" Ginny wailed.

Daphne shot her a significant look, "Ginny, no one is going to know it was you."

Just then, Susan Bones who had just landed a job as the Head Auror's secretary walked in. "Hey Weasley, heard about the break up, that's rough, hope you're okay."

"Cept her," Daphne amended quickly, trying to hide a grin.

"Hey Ginny! Owl just got in for you, left an envelope on your desk," Natalie McDonald called from the front of the department.

"It's not a howler is it?" Ginny called back to her. Natalie shook her head.

"Accio Letter," Ginny said, pointing her wand towards the open door of her office. The letter came zooming towards her and Ginny caught it neatly out of the air. Once she ripped the envelope open and scanned the contents however, the curious look on her face quickly turned into one of annoyance.

"Who's it from?" Daphne prodded, rising out of her chair to peek over the parchment.

"Ron." Ginny deadpanned, handing it to her with a dark scowl on her face.

Daphne glanced down.

Ginny –

Just read in the prophet about what happened. Want me to deck him for you? Or at least plant some of WWW's products in his flat. Fred and George have been dying to try out some of their new prototypes. Let me know. Hope you're doing okay.

Love,

Ron.

"And him…" Daphne trailed off, the smile drooping a bit off her face now. "Well that was sweet of him though." She brightened up slightly.

"This day can't get any worse," Ginny sighed.

Before Daphne had a chance to reply, the door to the office three doors down from Ginny's, which consequently belonged to Kingsley Shacklebolt, who was also her boss opened and the man in question stepped out of it, calling for silence.

"I have a few announcements to make," He called out in his deep rumbling voice. "I would first like to announce to my greatest pleasure that I will be stepping down from my Head Auror position and going into early retirement this year."

There were a few shocks gasps but mostly this news was met with polite applause. Kingsley Shacklebolt had been threatening to retire for years. He was actually offered the Minister position many times and had turned it down every time, claiming he wanted a quiet life after his auror days and didn't want to worry about running the wizarding world while he was trying to relax. The two just didn't go hand in hand you see.

"Which brings me to my next announcement, who will be succeeding me? Well who would be more fit than the one destined by fate to vanquish evil? Harry step out here son."

This time no one was shocked when a red faced Harry Potter emerged behind Kingsley from inside the office. Apparently the Boy Who Continues To Live had just been told of his promotion moments before it was announced. The applause this time however, was considerably more enthusiastic.

A flash bulb went off from a corner of the room. Everyone turned to see Colin Creevey standing in the back with a huge camera in hand and an even bigger smile on his still boyish face. Ginny frowned. Old school friend or not, she was not having the warm fuzzies about anyone from the press right now. She was abruptly shaken out of her homicidal thoughts about the Daily Prophet when she was jostled by the surge of her colleagues eagerly starting forward to ring Harry's hand and congratulate him over and over for his hard earned promotion. Harry had been working in the aurors office for only 5 years now having finished his auror training right out of school, but just like most things that Harry did, it came to him naturally and he had quickly made his way up the ranks.

"I guess today isn't so bad," Ginny relented to Daphne as she watched Harry continue his impression of an overripe tomato while wringing the endless streams of hands that came his way. "At least I have an in with my new boss."

When the hub dub of excitement over Kingsley's last announcement had died down, he cleared this throat again. "And for my last announcement, I'd like to introduce to you all the newest member of our team. He's just transferred here from the Department of Mysteries and to my greater knowledge a schoolmate of Harry's am I correct?" At this he had turned to Harry for confirmation and Ginny saw Harry's eye twitch before he nodded. Warning bells went off in Ginny's head.

"Uh oh. He did the eye twitch. Harry never does the eye twitch unless-"

"Everyone," Kingsley continued in his booming voice. "I'd like you to welcome Draco Malfoy."

Kingsley shuffled forward now, making room for the third person to now emerge from his office. This time, his announcement was met with absolute and utter silence. Malfoy smirked. Daphne blinked.

"Sweet mother of Merlin I spoke too soon," Ginny mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut and pinching the bridge of her nose.

Kingsley turned to Ginny, "What was that Weasley?"

Ginny's eyes snapped open at the exact same time that Draco's head whipped over to stare at the sound of her name.

"Nothing sir," Ginny replied quickly, "Just getting jazzed up about our new colleague." She said through her teeth, forcing a smile that turned out more like a grimace.

Harry tried unsuccessfully to hide his snort of laughter with a cough and Kingsley had to thump him on the back a couple of times before he regained use of his windpipe.

"Well I'm glad to hear it," Kingsley said brightly to Ginny once Harry was breathing on his own again. "Because I do believe you are looking at your new partner."

"Harry?" Ginny asked, incredulously. Because obviously, Kingsley Shacklebolt wouldn't be cruel enough to stick her with—

"No, no, Malfoy of course."

Ginny stared at her now former boss uncomprehending. As if she needed more of a reason to hate this day. This was just the bloody fucking cherry on the shit split Sunday. Kingsley was still smiling, but after a few seconds the smile seemed to falter as he caught the deer in headlights look he was getting from Ginny.

"Weasley?" He asked, starting to sound concerned.

"Uh oh, I think she's in shock, does anyone have anything shiny we can wave at her?" Malfoy said, glancing around as if in search for said shiny object.

The sound of Daphne's poorly concealed chortle brought Ginny down to earth and her fingers itched to find her wand, but she settled for a death glare instead. Daphne merely cleared her throat and beamed at her. The sound of Malfoy's soft chuckle at the exchange brought Ginny's attention back to the tall blonde standing next to her old boss, and new enemy, and her old friend and now new boss.

"Ginny?" It was Harry who spoke up this time. "Are you sure you're alright? Maybe you should step outside for a bit."

"Nonsense, Weasley needs to show Malfoy around his new department and bring him up to speed on the new cases we've been working on." Kingsley said, jovial once again.

Now Harry's wasn't the only eye that was twitching.

"Come now, lots to do, back to work everyone!" Kingsley announced, clapping Harry on the shoulder again and ushering Draco forward to where Ginny stood rooted to the spot in front of Daphne's desk.

"Greengrass, I didn't know you were in the auror office." Draco supplied in way of greeting.

"Well you wouldn't, we didn't exactly keep in touch after school now did we?" Daphne quirked a dark eye brow.

"Fair point," Draco drawled then he turned to Ginny.

"Well, shall we, partner?" He smirked.

Ginny just continued to glare. He raised his eyebrows in question and Ginny marched right passed him without another word.

"Well this is going to be interesting…" Draco said under his breath before taking off after the volatile red head.

Once Ginny reached the hallway leading out of the department she finally ceased her hasty exit and sighed, leaning up against the brick. She wasn't alone for long.

"Listen Weasley I—"

"Don't," Ginny held up a finger, "talk to me."

"Well I don't know how that's going to work seeing as we're going to be working together." Draco said smartly, crossing his arms across his chest in a defiant pose.

Ginny closed her eyes and counted to ten. The man had been her partner for less than five minutes and she already wanted to hex his ferrety face into oblivion.

"Let's get one thing unavoidably clear Malfoy. We only speak when absolutely necessary; you don't call on me or even acknowledge me unless it has to do with a case. And you most certainly will not be following me around like some annoying little sidekick in a cheesy muggle super hero movie. Got it?"

"So, no tour then?" Draco smiled winningly.

"Git."

"Hag."

"Ugh!" Ginny threw up her hands and proceeded to storm off again in a huff, muttering profanities as she went.

Draco stared after her for a moment before sighing and following her once more.

"Weasley!" He called.

Ginny ignored him and quickened her pace. Draco grit his teeth and launched himself into a full sprint to catch up to her. Ginny never slowed down.

"What do you want Malfoy?"

"I'm supposed to go over our first assignment with you."

Ginny halted so abruptly that Draco had to backtrack a few steps to get back at her level.

"We already have an assignment together?" Ginny's hands were quivering.

"Yes." Draco stated.

Ginny didn't respond as she turned on her heel and hastily started a fast paced walk/jog in the opposite direction of where she was previously headed.

"Where are you going now?" Draco asked, exasperated as he once again found himself floundering after his fire headed new partner.

"To kill my new boss," Ginny responded darkly.

"Our new boss," Draco said sourly.

"Whatever."

"I thought you were friends?" Draco asked, his longer legs keeping him level with Ginny as she half jogged back to the auror headquarters.

"Yes. The key word there being were."

They had reached the department by now and Ginny's eyes were fixed on one thing and one thing only, the door that now read:

Harry Potter

Head of Auror Department

Ginny didn't even bother to knock as she barged into her ex boyfriend turned co-worker turned ex-coworker turned new boss, soon to be turned ex-boss and ex- among the living.

The Boy Who Lived glanced up from his paper work as Ginny, for the second time that morning tramped up to a desk in a fury, slamming both palms down on top, splaying her fingers out and moving her face within an inch of Harry's spectacles.

"Hello Harry," Ginny said; her voice eerily calm despite her demeanor.

"It wasn't my idea Ginny I swear. Trust me, I tried to get you a different partner I did, but Kingsley just wasn't having it. After what happened to your last one—"

"What happened to my last one?!" Ginny raged throwing her hands in the air. "She got pregnant! You people make it sound like she died. People have babies all the time, Potter. So you stick me with the incredible bouncing ferret and it's supposed to make me feel all warm and fuzzy and stable?"

"Well he does have a point there Weasley. I sure can't get pregnant."

"Shut up Malfoy," The two former Gryffindors chorused.

"I'm just saying," Draco muttered under his breath.

Harry cocked an ebony brow at him and Draco rolled his eyes, setting himself down in a plush leather arm chair that was situated by the door.

"Look Ginny, you needed a new partner. Nine months is a long time to wait and you know you can't do any of the high profile cases by yourself. We need you and unfortunate as it is, we need Malfoy too." Harry admitted this last part grudgingly and made sure Draco heard the reluctance to voice this fact loud and clear in his tone.

"Fine. Nine months. But as soon as Masterson gets back, Malfoy goes back to the dungeons of the Ministry where he belongs."

"I believe it's called the Department of Mysteries Weasel, but I guess knowing that would be above your pay grade," Draco sneered.

Ginny closed her eyes, "Nine months." She repeated.

"Nine months," Harry sighed.

Draco just smirked.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*************!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Give me the case file." Ginny extended her hand.

"I'm not done looking at it Weasel, wait your turn."

"If you were having trouble with the words Malfoy, I can help sound them out for you," Ginny drawled, her voice laced with sarcasm.

The two were in the Ministry cafeteria having received their next assignment from Harry. Draco had snatched it out of his hands before Ginny even had time to blink and she had reluctantly followed him down here to chance a glance at it for herself.

"Patience Red, it's a virtue."

"I was never one for virtues."

"I bet you weren't."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Yes, what is that supposed to mean?"

The pair looked up to see another mop of red hair, the same shade as Ginny's but significantly shorter, slide into the seat next to Ginny placing his tray in front of him and taking a large bite out of an apple as he sat.

"What is he doing here anyway?" Ron asked gesturing toward the blonde across from them as soon as he swallowed his bite of apple.

"I could ask you the same thing Weasley," Draco said without taking his eyes off the file.

"I work here," Ron supplied, obviously miffed that Draco wasn't aware of this fact. "Department of Magical Games and Sports."

Draco pointed at himself, eyes still glued on his parchement, "Unspeakable."

"Ex Unspeakable," Ginny clarified smugly. "He was demoted, and appointed the newest pain in my ass."

Ron looked from Draco to Ginny and back again. "You mean he's your new partner?" Ron guffawed once then promptly burst into fits of laughter.

"Wow, I'm sorry Gin, but wait till Harry hears about this!" Ron said, wiping stray tears from his face.

"He already knows. He's just been promoted. He's our new boss," Ginny said expressionlessly.

"Well hot damn! That's brilliant!" Ron exclaimed, eyes still shinning like a Christmas tree. "Well, I'm sorry about your uh, predicament though Gin, terrible luck isn't it?" He grinned cheekily, glancing at Draco.

"Yeah. You seem real torn up about it," Ginny dead panned.

Ron immediately went somber at this statement. "Speaking of torn up, how are you doing after the—"

Ron stopped mid sentence staring at his sister strangely. Ginny knew that Ron was about to mention the break up that was so tastefully splashed across the Daily Prophet and it was the last thing she wanted to discuss in front of her new partner. Draco still hadn't looked up from the case file that he was so studiously poring over and Ginny was currently gesturing wildly with her face, eyes darting from Ron to Draco and back again, tilting her head, and using her hands to make 'cut it out' gestures. Thankfully Ron got the hint and clamped his mouth shut.

Draco however seemed to be more perceptive than he let on.

"What are you two on about now?"

"Nothing," The two Weasleys said simultaneously.

Draco finally glanced up from his research to eye the two red heads shrewdly.

"What do you two take me for?" He asked, and then thought the better of it. "Never mind, don't answer that." He amended as Ron shut his mouth again quickly. "Oh and for your information Weaselette. I wasn't demoted. I chose to transfer over to the auror department."

"Why?" Ron asked before he could stop himself.

"Let's just say the circumstances were favorable to my cause," Draco said furtively.

"Well thanks for being so specific Malfoy, it would've been annoying if you were vague," Ginny spat, rolling her eyes.

"And what cause is that?" Ron continued his cross examination.

"Not that cause, if that's what you're getting at," Draco glared at the elder of the two red heads, obviously annoyed. "I haven't supported that cause in a long time Weasley." And with that statement, he deftly rolled up his right shirt sleeve to reveal the creamy white, completely unblemished skin of his forearm.

Ron glanced at his arm in an uninterested manner and shrugged his shoulders, though Draco thought he detected a slight glimmer of respect in the youngest Weasley brother.

"But back to the subject manner at hand," Draco said, rolling his sleeve back down he turned to Ginny. "What is it that you don't want carrot top senior over here to reveal in front of me?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Ginny crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

"Yeah, and plus, don't you read The Prophet?" Ron blurted out.

Ginny wacked him across the back of his head.

"OW!" Ron exclaimed glaring at his youngest sibling, rubbing his head. "What the hell Gin?"

"Hermione is right. You are the most tactless person I have ever met," Ginny grumbled.

"I am not—wait, Hermione said that?" Ron stopped rubbing his head to stare at her.

"Read what in the Prophet?" Draco inquired, ignoring the sibling exchange.

"Ginny got dumped," Ron supplied readily. He was obviously eager to give out information to piss off Ginny for attacking him now.

"By that Seamus git? Wasn't he in our year in school?" Draco addressed Ron.

"Yeah, and now he's dumped Ginny for that tart Chastity Carmichael."

Draco's pale eyebrows shot into his hair. "Did you say Chastity Carmichael?"

"Yeah, you know her?" Ron looked dubious.

"You could say that. We dated recently." Draco's face was dark. It obviously had not ended well.

Ginny stared at her new partner incredulously, "You dated Chastity Carmichael?"

"That's what I just said isn't it?" Draco snapped.

"So let me get this straight," Ron said looking between the two co-workers. "Your ex's are dating each other now?"

"Wait a minute," Ginny said, eyes going shrewd. "You don't think…"

"That bastard," Ginny breathed, coming to the same conclusion that Draco had at the same time he said, "That bitch."

"Ha, wow, what are the chances eh?" Ron said with a nervous chuckle, glancing at the murderous looks on the two aurors faces.

"Shut up," The two snapped at the same time and then looked at each other strangely.

"Oh Merlin, we're already starting to think alike," Ginny groaned.

"I highly doubt it, unless you're the homicidal type."

"No…" Ginny said, then happened to chance a glance down at the case file Draco had set down on the table. Her face split into a grin.

"I'm the vengeful type."