BLACK MAGIC.

She arrived at the ministry half expecting her office to be in complete shambles. However, from the looks of it, they had only destroyed her door and sifted through her filing cabinet. Glancing at the Minister and the other officials that were milling about taking photographs and notes she puckered her lips and headed toward her desk. She immediately let out a slew of curse words and looked at the now emptied lower drawer. The contents were spilling everywhere, yet she had a false sense of hope that the file would still be there. Upon further inspection of the papers thrown across the floor, she realized that was not the case.

"Fuck…" She hissed as she rose from her knelt position and tossed the papers in her hand to the floor with the rest of them. Chewing the inside of her lip in concentration she quickly began to think of a plan.

"Something wrong, Ms. Granger?" She glanced at the Minister and quickly shook her head. She knew exactly who did this and why they were out to get it.

"Not at all." She mused as she began to slowly wade through the mess. She had that knowing spark in her eyes that meant she had a plan. Smirking at the air she shook her head slowly, and realized that she needed some minds that knew exactly what she would want to do. "I think I'll be alright from here Minister. I'll come out tomorrow to clean it up."

"If you need anything at all Herm… Er… Ms. Granger, just send me a memo in the morning." She nodded at Kingsley and watched as he and his lackeys filed out of the room.

Once in the silence, she pulled out some parchment and summoned her tawny owl. Scrawling a note to the twins she sent the brown bird, Tabitha, out into the crisp night air. Hopefully the Weasley twins would receive it at their shop in the morning. In the meantime, she had a fair bit of planning to do to figure out how to get that file back.

An hour and lots of disinfectant and filing later, she had finally gotten her office back to perfect conditions. Currently, she was downing cup after cup of steaming coffee and hoping that her eyelids would continue to stay open. The post-party hangover was beginning to wear on her sleepless body, and the aches and nausea were beginning to get to her. However, she was Hermione Granger and after concocting herself a rather vile potion to deal with the side effects of her late night drinking she was ready to get her nose back to the grindstone.

She was pacing. The carpet in front of her desk had the beginnings of a worn path from her nervous feet. If she sat down, she thought she would fall asleep. It was better to keep her feet moving and her mind awake. Running over the scenario in her head again, she knew that it had to work. Her and the boys had no trouble sneaking around Hogwarts as kids, so what made sneaking into Malfloy-Zabini Industries any different?

"Ms. Granger?" Tylers voice filled the room and she mustered out a 'mmm?' around a gulp of coffee. "Fred and George Weasley are here. Do you want me to send them in?"

"Yes please." She skirted around the edge of her desk and set her cup down on a coaster. Brushing back some flyaways, she motioned for the two Weasley twins to sit down.

"Thanks for coming you guys."

"No problem, Hermione."

"What did you need us for anyways?"

"Your message sounded… well…"

"Urgent…"

The typical back and forth banter was normally not bothersome, but her raging headache had her thinking otherwise.

"Malfloy and Blaise broke in here last night and stole a file that I would desperately like to get back." She started looking between the two. Both had mischief in their eyes and she knew that she had called the right people for the job. "I want to break into their offices and get it back."

The twins looked at each other and then back at her shaking their heads in unison. "That's not going to work…" George started.

"Their offices are impenetrable. We've looked over their floor plans. They have wards and charms and spells covering every inch of that building."

"It's impossible!"

"Not for you guys!" She huffed in exasperation and disbelief.

"We're sorry Hermione." George gave her a sincere look of sorrow and Fred mirrored it, but these weren't the answers she wanted. She pursed her lips to keep from letting out a scream and looked just past them to the wall still trying to concoct a plan. If they wouldn't help her, she would just have to do it herself.

"If you can't break in, why don't you use your womanly wiles to your advantage?" Fred asked with a sinister look in his eyes.

She studied him for a moment her lips becoming tighter at the corners with each passing second. She didn't have any womanly wiles. She was too focused on her job to think about romancing anyone, nonetheless two sneaky and conniving asshats like Malfloy and Zabini.

"You honestly think that I have the capabilities of seducing anyone? Not to mention the two most elegible bachelors in London right now?" She asked with incredulity in her voice. These were two men who were often on the cover of Wizards Weekly talking about how successful and handsome and great they were. It honestly made her want to gag. Co-workers in the office constantly gossiped over Annabell, a girl who managed one date with Draco, and how lucky she was to be with someone so amazing. Hermione suspected it was a fuck and dump, but she didn't care enough about office gossip to give her opinion.

"C'mon, you're hot when you want to be. Maybe a little inexperienced…" She pegged him with narrowed eyes and Fred quickly shut his trap.

"- but hot!" George finished for him. She let out an exasperated sigh and closed her eyes tightly. This was not a conversation that she wanted to have when she felt like her brain was about to explode and spill out of her ears.

"And how do you suppose this should happen?" It was a question she was scared of asking.

Hermione liked to play things safe. Her wardrobe consisted of blazers and pencil skirts. Her hair was often pulled up into a bun to hide the hair that she was so criticized about in school. She dabbled in makeup and wore the occasional dress out on Friday nights, but it was nothing compared to the tall blondes with their stilettos and bright red lipstick.

"Just owl them. Say you want to apologize. Beg them for a business meeting." It was a possibility. A stupid one, but the more she ran it over in her head. It could work. These two were very much obsessed with themselves, and if she showed them some "weakness" and batted some eyelashes they might not be able to resist the temptation. Still, that meant that she would be going home with one of them, and even after getting them drunk on more than just alcohol, who's to say the file wouldn't be at the other one's house?

"You boys have been helpful. Thank you for coming. I have some business to attend to." She began absentmindedly. She pressed her hands to her suit pants and frowned at the sweat marks she left. "I'll see you guys at Harry's Sunday."

The twins said their goodbyes and headed out the door and likely back to the joke shop leaving Hermione to calculate and calculate what she was about to do.

'Dear Mr. Draco Malfloy and Mr. Blaise Zabini,

I am so sorry that we have gotten off on the wrong foot and would like to invite you to dinner on behalf of the ministry. Café Coco, 8:00, Friday? Please send an owl back with your R.S.V.P. I really hope that we can amend this wrong doing, and continue to have a pleasant business relationship with Malfloy-Zabini Inc.

Best Wishes,

Hermione Granger

Head of the Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

Office 62.'

She sent her owl off into the world with a frown. She wasn't exactly sure if that would work, but she was almost certain that they would want to keep on good terms with the ministry. They were going on her departments dime after all. She just hoped that she would be able to handle it.

"Happy Birthday Harry!" She said with a smile as she embraced her friend.

"Thanks 'mione!" She handed her present off to Ron who tossed it on the coffee table with the others. It was a new watch. She knew he liked the muggle ones and figured it would be a good gift.

She leaned into Ron as he turned back to her and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'm still mad at you about bailing on me the other night." He pouted at her as he put an arm around her waist and led her toward the kitchen. He pressed a firewhiskey into her hand and then took his own gulping it down. She rolled her eyes at him taking a small drink and setting it to the side. She still didn't feel good from their Friday night antics.

"I'll make it up to you." She gave him a sly half smile as Ginny approached and tried to get out of his grasp.

"You always say that." Ron's hand pressed into her hip pushing her closer into his side.

"I mean it." She wiggled her way out of his grip and approached her friend with a beaming smile. "Hey Gin!" The younger redhead wrapped her arms around the older girl and giggled, obviously already taken with too much wine.

"Can you believe this house?" She asked as she looked around. The couple had just moved in yesterday and decided that the best way to show it off was to have Harry's birthday party. There were still boxes in several corners and Molly was milling about in the living room fussing over the trinkets that were on their fireplace mantle. Despite that though, it was a gorgeous place. She knew that they would love it the moment that Harry showed her around when they were still just thinking about it. "The bedroom is huge and I just can't believe the yard! Just wait until there are little ones running around! It's going to be so wonderful!"

Of course Ginny was obsessed with children, Harry would be too. They were the picture perfect match that everyone else wanted to be. She was waiting for Harry to pop the question, but she knew that her best friend was waiting for the most perfect moment. It would be magnificent, special, and over the top, just like everything else that the two of them did.

"Yes, it will!" She tried to sound enthusiastic as the fiery girl led her into the dining room where people were already seated and waiting on Molly's delicious food.

She took her seat between Ron and Luna Lovegood. The latter was engaged in a heated conversation with Percy Weasley about whether or not Pixies exsisted and whether they should be left alone or registered with the Magical Creature Index. M.C.I. for short.

"What do you think Hermione?" The blonde looked at her with those ever dreamy blue eyes waiting expectantly for an answer.

"Well… I think that…"

"Dinner's served!" Molly's loud voice saved her from having to answer the awkward question, as she levitated bowls and bowls of food to the table. Harry was seated at the head with Ginny at his right side, followed by the rest of the Weasley clan.

The clinking of metal filled the air as bowls of food was passed back and forth. Conversation began taking over the large room and soon everyone was laughing and enjoying each other's company.

"Hermione dear, when are you going to settle down like Harry and Ginny have?" Molly was always good at asking the awkward questions. Looking at her a minute she could feel eyes on her and flushed red.

"Not anytime soon I'm afraid."

"Ron would make a wonderful husband. You guys would have beautiful babies!" Ron choked on his food beside her and Hermione just went wide-eyed.

"I'm afraid we are better as friends." As the mother figure began to open her mouth again, Ron came to the rescue lifting his glass.

"Don't you think it's time to toast the birthday boy and his wonderful new home! Thanks for having our crazy lot over for dinner!" Hermione was thankful that the pressure was now off of her and people were more focused on chugging beer, firewhiskey, and wine than her romantic endeavors.

"Here, Here!" She lifted her own glass in the air with a smile and downed it in one gulp. So much for taking it easy tonight.

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to get this updated. I had a baby! Surprise! So, it was a long time coming with little time to right. I hope to still update this story periodically if you guys will stick with me! Please review and favorite if you like it!