Hermione Granger did not know when it all happened. Her once perfectly planned life was now up in flames, or maybe it never even started. It seemed like after the war, nothing was ever the same.

After dating for a whole year, she and Ron broke up; well it was more like he did the breaking while she tried to make it all better. They were both unhappy, but she was still willing to make it work, he—well he just didn't want to try. It resulted in a terrible fight where she called him a selfish pig and he called her an annoying, overbearing, controlling ass, prudish bitch. Mind said feelings were hurt (hers) and they haven't talk like they used to in over three years. That fight strained their friendship and even more after Ron and Lavender got back together and then gotten married.

Rumor was he was seeing her while they were dating. She never confronted anyone of it, but her pride was indefinitely damaged. If it was one thing she treasured more than her intelligence, it was her pride.

Oh, she went to the wedding, out of courtesy and because Ginny begged and pleaded for her to come, but she quickly left after the couple said their 'I do's'. She always thought it would be Ron and her saying their vows in front of their friends and family, but it seemed all her good luck was used up during the war. Maybe her happily ever after was to come out of the war alive and that was it.

Soon afterwards, Harry and Ginny decided to tie the knot. She was happy for them, she was, but at the same time it made her a little sad. She was on her own now and even though she visited them, it was still awkward to be in the room with the lovey-dovey couple. Truth be told, it almost always made her feel sick at the whole love scene.

So here she was once again staying late at work, anything to make her not go home anymore. All she did was check file after file of medicines being made, tested, and bought at St. Mungo's. Her job wasn't as thrilling as she first thought it would be, but it kept her rent paid and, most importantly, away from going home.

It was just unbearable. Her once quaint and comfortable home now made her feel lonely and when she felt lonely, she felt like drinking and when she felt like drinking she felt like crying and she clearly didn't want to spend another day with a hangover.

A bitter laugh almost escaped her small lips. Who would have known that Hermione Granger, Miss-Know-It-All, the perfect little mudblood would be reduced to this.

The friendships she used to hold close was almost gone—barely hanging by a thread. Her bright future was now a dull and lightless present and her past was just filled with darkness.

A loud stack of files being thrown on her desk forced her to pull herself from her thoughts. She looked up and let out a small scowl at the high stack.

"Are you kidding me?" She asked annoyed. "Blaise, how the hell am I going to finish all of this?"

"You shouldn't swear so much," he said then grinned impishly. "And Boss Man wants these done by the end of the day."

"I can swear all I bloody like to," she growled. "And can you please tell, Malfoy, I can't always be on his beck and call."

"Please," he rolled his eyes. He turned to walk out of her office while still talking to her over his shoulders. "Quit while you're ahead. We all know you have no where else to go."

She stared at the empty spot. She was always being insulted one way or another. She should be used to it by now. If it wasn't by strangers than it was by her friends, no matter how hard they try to be discreet. Please, she was Hermione Granger, she knew all. She told herself constantly that words should not bother her so much. They were nothing, but that…words. That's right; they did not bother her at all.

Hermione let out a snort. Right, she should have been a Slytherin instead of a Gryffindor with all the lying she did. At least then there would have been a reason for all of her cowardliness.

Letting out a deep sigh she grabbed a file and went through it, her pen signing her name over the approved papers.

"Right. I have no where else to go to."

Hermione ran a frustrated hand through her hair. There was no way what she was reading was correct. The file she currently held in her hands told her they ordered three times as much of Reconstruction Growth Bone potions than what was needed.

She let out a sigh as she reread the file. There was no denying it. The mistake had been made and now she had to deal with Malfoy. Great, and this was her last one for the day.

Walking down the empty hall, she headed straight to the elevator and pressed the button. Her eyes met her reflection through the stainless steel doors as she waited or the well-known ding. A frown formed on her face. She was twenty-two and her face looked like she was prematurely aging. Her hair was pulled back with frizzy strands framing her face and she looked worn out. She was a mess and it wasn't getting any better. Maybe this is the reason why no man wanted to be with her.

The elevator doors opened, obscuring her view of her hideous face and Hermione stepped in pressing for the top floor. Moments passed and the doors opened once again. She stepped out and walked down the aisles of many cubicle offices. She always wondered why she was on her own on the first floor. It probably had to do something about keeping the mudblood away. She didn't know, she learned (after so many years) to keep her mouth shut. It never brought her any good anyways.

As her feet brought her closer to Malfoy's closed office she heard a soft growl and a few moans. She paused and wondered if she really wanted to bother him for this silly little mistake. A small smile formed on her lips. Hell yeah she wanted to. The little bastard deserved it.

She knocked loudly and giggled softly as she heard a muffled curse and a squeal.

"What?"

"Mr. Malfoy I have something here you might want to see." She grimaced at the polite introductions.

"Granger?! What are you still doing here? Never mind…" She heard some shuffling. "Just get the hell away."

"But you might really want to see this," she said and she wasn't kidding. Ever since he bought the company he was really hell bent on mistakes.

"Do as you're told, Granger. Someone as yourself should be competent to at least know what that means." Hermione frowned at the giggle she heard through the door.

"I thought you wanted to know that your HIV test results finally came in." She let out a satisfied smile as she heard a scream followed by a loud thud.

"You're what?!" The door swung open and out came a pretty redhead struggling to put on her shirt back on. Her face was flushed with anger. Who knew Malfoy would date a redhead when he gave Ron so much grief.

"Wait…she's ly—." Hermione flinched at the loud smack that resonated throughout the floor. She almost felt sorry for the lad, especially when she saw the red mark forming on his cheek.

His angry gaze came in contact with Hermione as the red head left the floor and she forced herself to not step back. They were alone and any moment he could finally kill her. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to act on her revenge. Oh, Hermione, when will you ever learn?

"You think this is funny?" His eyes narrowed down.

"Look, I had to get you out of there somehow. You wouldn't listen to me," she started protesting.

"So that's your excuse? Just because you can't get laid doesn't mean you can bloody well take it out on me."

"What does that have to do with anything?! I asked you twice to come out and you kept shooing me away. How else was I supposed to get you to come out?" Hermione felt her body tense as she heard his comment.

"Knock!"

"I did!" She nearly shouted. "And all you told me was to go away. Look if you can just check this file out I'll be out of your way."

"No wonder the Weasel didn't want you. It must have been a relief to leave your sorry ass," he sneered, his eyes glinting with evil malice. "Is that why not even Potter likes to spend time with you either? Because you'll just nag his ears off to death?"

His words finally got under her skin. She hasn't felt like this since her first year at Hogwarts. She thought she was immune to his cruel words already. It shouldn't bother her anymore. She shouldn't feel like her stomach would just keep twisting and twisting until it would finally snap.

Hermione pressed her lips together in a tight line and mentally counted to ten as she felt pressure build in her eyes. She was not going to look weak in front of Malfoy. She was not going to start crying, she was not.

God she needed a drink. Just one drink to make it better. Just one.

"Granger?" Malfoy looked at her uncertainly. He saw the rapid exchange of emotions in her face and it worried him (just a little) that he may have gone too far. He inwardly cursed at himself for his foolishness. He was a grown man; he shouldn't be acting this way towards her. She has done nothing except her job ever since he took over.

At first he was thrilled to find out that he was going to be her boss, but once he saw her for the first time in over five years he noticed that she changed.

She was always working late (big surprise) and he couldn't remember the last time she ever taken a vacation. He was actually surprised to hear that the Golden Trio was no more and that she has become an alcoholic. No one told him, but he was Draco Malfoy after all. He knew people and they were bound to bring him the latest update. Not to mention the dozens of bottles he found in her bottom desk drawer when he was snooping around one day.

"I need to go." Draco focused back to the person in front of him and saw her face blank. He didn't know what she was thinking and he didn't know how to fix this mistake. So instead he watched her leave his presence and his floor. A hand went through his hair and he sighed. He clearly fucked up. So much for changing for the greater good.

Hermione swallowed another mouthful of Vodka. Her feet were resting on her desk, on top of the completed paperwork. She didn't care that it was nearly 3 in the morning. She didn't care that she had work in a few hours. What she did care though was that she wasn't drunk. She was buzzed alright, but she could still think. She didn't want to think.

She was just so sick of everything; of her ungrateful job, of her lonely life. She was tired of fighting, tired of getting up everyday only to come here to end up being insulted over and over again. She was Hermione Granger damn it! She was smart (was she?) there were places she deserved to go (was there?). She was going to be somebody besides Harry Potter's friend. Did it happen? No. The only other titled she ever earned was Ron Weasley's ex.

Why do you fight it so hard, Granger? She lifted the vodka bottle to her lips. The water look a like fluid burned down her throat. Her vision became blurry and finally, no longer able to fight, let the tears fall. Mudbloods don't deserve to be remembered.

"Shit, man," Blaise said as he walked in. He saw a figure resting against the far corner of the desk and frowned as he noticed that it was Granger on the floor, with (many) bottles of alcohol surrounding her.

"Granger?" he asked softly.

"What time is it, Blaise?"

"It's 9 o' clock. Were you here the whole night, Granger?"

"You know I'm the only one that's always being called by my last name." Blaise frowned at the change of subject. He walked closer until he had a perfect view of her. Granger had her arms wrapped around her knees with her chin resting on them. Her eyes were unfocused, staring straight ahead towards the wall. "I wonder if they even know my first name. Probably not."

Blaise shifted uncomfortable at the scene in front of him. He never had seen this side of the girl. She always looked so strong, so untouchable. Now she looked like a sad woman with so much weight on her shoulders.

"Mudbloods don't deserve to be remembered," she whispered. Blaise realized she wasn't talking to him but to herself. Probably has the moment he said the time. What caused this dramatic change? He saw her grab a random bottle and lift it to her lips. He didn't tell her that it was empty, just like all the rest surrounding her. She pulled the bottle away and frowned. "Damn, I'm out."

Thinking back to her question, he realized she was right. Of course she was. This was Granger. She was always right. Nobody in this building took notice of the witch. Everybody always called her by her last name, as if her first name wasn't meant to be said out loud. It was (dare he say it?) disappointing to see the once star pupil of her class be reduced to this.

"Better hurry and get sober before Boss Man comes down to check on you."

"It's fine. He never does. Besides I am sober. These are nothing compared to what I have at home."

"You still look like shit, though. And you never know, today could be the day he does, Hermione." Her head snapped up to the sound of her first name. She saw a shy smile form on his lips.

Blaise turned around and headed out of her office. She could only watch him in amazement. A few seconds later a frown formed onto her lips. It was nothing she should get her panties in a twist for. So what he called her by her first name, big whoop. Let's not call for a parade, shall we?

The thirst for more alcohol burned on her throat and she searched for a bottle with at least a drop of liquor.

"Hey." Draco looked up after furiously scribbling down a note on his notepad.

"What do you need, Blaise?" He said, his focus going back to reading a report on his desk; the same one Granger left the night before when he lashed out on her. "I'm kind of busy right now."

"It's about Hermione."

Draco forced himself to not flinch at the sound of her name; his eyes were locked on the report. It had taken him forever to go to sleep after what he did to her. Contrary to everyone's beliefs, he did feel guilty whenever he acted vile to someone. He was just good at hiding it. It wouldn't look good for the son of Lucius Malfoy to be seen being kind to others outside their house. "Since when have you called her by her first name?"

"Not important," he said shrugging slightly.

"What is it then?" Draco put down his pen and leaned back on his chair. His whole attention was on him now.

"Look, long story short I don't think she's okay."

"Why do you say that?" Guilt began to set in, but he managed to keep his face from showing it.

"She spent the whole night here drinking," he saw Draco raise an eyebrow in surprise. "I'm not trying to get her in trouble; I'm just saying there's something wrong. She's not okay. I just think if she had someone to be with she wouldn't be so sad."

"She has friends." He tried to reason.

"What friends? The only ones she hangs out with are Potter and that Weasly girl and she still doesn't hang with them like in the past."

"What do you want me to do, Blaise?" Draco rubbed a hand down his face.

"Just, I don't know, take her out or something. I'm pretty sure she hasn't had one night of freedom and fun since the war…hell since before Hogwarts. It was always for her about helping Potter or becoming the best at school." Blaise shrugged and stared down at Draco. "Just make sure she has fun."

Draco watched as his friend walked out of his office. A frown formed on his lips as he recalled what Blaise told him. Why must everything in his life be so complicated? He almost wished he were like one of those muggle boys. They clearly didn't have to go through with this.

He looked down at the report he was working on. This piece of paper is what started this mess in the first place. Then again, if he had answered Granger when she first called for him instead of fooling around with his assistant, then he wouldn't be worrying about her as well. Couldn't blame the useless paper for everything.

It was time to pay for his actions, anyways. Through all the years he acted like a jerk, it was bound karma would come back and knock him down a few steps.