Hermione woke up the next morning with a terrible headache. She checked her clock– which showed that she was already five minutes late to work.
"Shit." She groaned and jumped out of bed. She quickly undressed while looking for different clothes to wear. Once she got dressed in her grey pencil skirt and black button up shirt, she threw her hair into a low ponytail. She ran to the door, slipping her feet into her inch heels and grabbing her coat. She opened the door while still struggling to put on the coat.
She heard a soothing voice.
"Rough morning, I'm guessing?"
Hermione looked up to find Draco Malfoy in a brown leather jacket, sipping what looked to be a steaming coffee. He stood at his door, one leg crossed over the other, leaning against the closed door to his apartment. She groaned internally and decided to nod.
"I'm late, so I don't have time to– er, catch up." Hermione said, starting to walk down the stairs.
"That's fine. Did you remember your wand?" Draco asked smoothly. Hermione froze on the fifth step and turned around. She cursed herself and started running toward her apartment. She unlocked the door and ran inside, running through the kitchen and living area. She entered her room and grabbed the wand that sat on her nightstand.
She walked out of the apartment, locking the door once again. She stopped to look at Malfoy.
"How—?"
"Now you can just apparate there, Granger." He said before taking a sip of his coffee, his eyes turned to the carpet. Hermione gaped at him. How could she have been such an idiot!
She nodded awkwardly and tried to get her breathing in control. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. What was she doing? When she heard a plop! her eyes flew open to Draco. He sipped his own coffee, but held out another in his left hand. Hermione eyed the cup, and then Draco.
"Yes, it's for you– and no it's not poisoned." He said calmly. Hermione stared at him as she grasped her fingers around the cup.
"T-Thank you." She mumbled and took a sip. She almost melted on the spot. "This is absolutely amazing!" She exclaimed. "Merlin, where's this from?"
"My kitchen." He smirked. Hermione automatically regretted praising the coffee. He made it; now his ego was even larger. Great.
"Oh. Well, it's good. " she said. "Well I better get going." She said before apparating to the Ministry's doors. She pushed through and walked to her office. She unlocked the door after finding it. She gasped and dropped her coffee when she spotted Pansy sitting, legs crossed, on top of her desk.
"Dammit." Hermione murmured as she looked down at the coffee on the floor. "That was really good coffee." She said so Pansy could hear.
"I've had it. Draco's right?" She asked. Hermione nodded and then froze.
"Wait– how–?"
"I thought you'd want an old friend."
Hermione scoffed. "Friend?"
"He made you coffee, didn't he?" Pansy smirked. Hermione's eyebrows met and she swallowed hard.
"That doesn't mean anything."
"Just give him a chance, Hermione. He really is a good guy." Pansy said, hopping off of the desk while Hermione bent down to pick up her emptied cup.
"You did it in purpose, didn't you?" Hermione asked after throwing the cup into the small trash bin. "You knew he lived there!"
Pansy looked anywhere other than at Hermione. "He's been lonely and I just thought–"
"That the filthy mudblood could cheer him up?" Hermione asked quizzically. She zoomed around the office, throwing her hands in the air. "Yes, great idea. I think we'll have sleepovers and do each other's hair." Hermione exclaimed in an extremely sarcastic voice.
"That sounds ideal. Thank you for your acceptance." Pansy said, walking out of the office before Hermione could protest. Hermione groaned and shook her head. Suddenly Pansy's head peeked back into the room.
"Also, your first assignment is.. er— Lucius–"
"You must think I'm mental! Absolutely not!" Hermione screeched. Pansy's face got red and she stepped further into the office.
"You'll do what I say, or else you will lose this job." She growled and slammed the door after her. Hermione slumped into her chair and kicked off her heels. An owl soared through the window with a letter. Once Hermione untied it, she read the address on the card. The address of Lucius Malfoy.
What another great idea from Pansy's twisted mind: Send the mudblood to be murdered by one of the most cruel men she'd ever known. Yes, it was rather exciting.
Hermione rolled her eyes and slipped her heels on again.
She walked out of the Ministry doors and stepped into the world outside. Suddenly with a pop she was back at the entrance of the apartments. She took off her heels and ran up the stairs rather quickly. She made it to her floor and walked to her and walked forward down the hall. She stopped between her and Draco's door.
Before she could realize what she was doing, her knuckles collapsed against the cool door. After a few moments, the door flew open to reveal a sweaty, red faced Draco Malfoy. Hermione's cheeks burned with embarrassment
"I'm sorry to interrupt, really. I–"
"I was jogging. Muggle device: treadmill. A horrible device if you ask me." He breathed out. Hermione couldn't suppress her chuckle. She could've sworn that she saw a genuine smile appear on his face, but when she went to look it wasn't there. He leaned against the doorframe and stared at Hermione expectantly. She was brought out of her daze.
"Sorry– erm, may I come in?" She asked awkwardly. She slightly hoped he would protest.
"Of course. My home is welcome to you anytime." He said. "Shit, no. I mean– like–"
Hermione, again, couldn't control her laugh. "I know." She said before he led her into his apartment. She suddenly wondered why he didn't live at the Manor, but decided it was a conversation for another time.
"It's very nice." She commented. It really was; it was much bigger than Hermione's.
"Yes. What is it that you needed, Granger?" He asked.
"Hermione." She corrected and then decided it was too early for that; she shook her head. Can't take it back now.
"I'm a caseworker, if you didn't know." She paused and waited for something– anything. When she still stayed quiet, Draco seemed to have gotten the hint.
"Congratulations." He said. He led her to his grey couch, where he sat opposite of her in the arm chair. Hermione nodded and muttered a "thank you".
"Well, my first case, which is odd that it is my first, is–" Hermione stopped and stared at his eyes. They were mesmerizing; the twinkle that would occasionally appear in them made her heart leap.
"Granger." His voice sent chills down her spine. The chills woke her up.
"Sorry. Erm– your father–"
"Lucius." He said without emotion.
"Yes. He is my first case." Hermione said. "And I was wondering if you could possibly– erm– tell me what to expect? Or–" Hermione stopped and stared at him again. Though this time it was not because of his eyes, but because of his attitude toward the situation. He seemed suddenly distant, although Hermione really never considered him close.
"Are you alright, Malfoy?"
"I haven't seen my father since the war." Draco broke out. His eyes concentrated on the floor. He must've been upset. Hermione felt a rush of remorse. Both of the adults were quiet for a while.
"Malfoy?"
His eyes looked up to hers; they were completely empty. He was drained of emotion. He was a brick wall.
"I–" she bit her lip and watched as Malfoy's eyes twinkled at that sight. "Maybe you could accompany me in the meetings with your– with Lucius." Hermione suggested. Draco stared at her in awe.
"Very sweet. Really, Granger, you've got a pure golden heart, but I'd rather scratch my eyes out with a piece of broken glass than see my lousy excuse of a father."
Hermione but both of her lips. "Maybe you could just come for me?" She asked, closing her eyes due to embarrassment. It was too quiet.
"Why? Are you scared of that coward?"
"Malfoy–"
"No. He is a coward and I will not see him. Not if I have a choice."
"How am I supposed to do it? He'll just hate me; refuse to speak to me!"she slightly raised her voice and stood from the chair. Malfoy's eyes immediately snapped up at her; she thought she saw anger, but she saw it flicker away back to emptiness.
"How tragic." He said, his pink lips pressed into a thin line before he stood with her. "So what if he refuses you? You shouldn't be affected by it." He said, staring into her eyes as if daring a staring contest. Hermione played along with the game, locking her brown eyes in his silver ones. Suddenly she stopped and her face softened.
"Is that what happened?" She asked gently. Draco's eyebrows faltered and he stared at her with a more confused look. She continued, "Did he reject you?"
Hermione watched as his face become twisted and she backed away from her as though she were an alien.
"What happened?" She whispered. His eyes flickered in anger and began toward her violently. He threw her against the wall, making Hermione's head and shoulders hurt.
"You don't deserve to know shit, Granger; you never will." He breathed on her nose, keeping his stormy eyes locked on hers. "So, you're going to go home and we'll pretend this," he paused and gestured toward her body being pressed against the wall. "never happened. We can pretend to be friendly neighbors and live happily without each other. Deal?"
Hermione's big, brown eyes looked up into his innocently, yet she was horrified. She nodded and his hands let go of the death grip on her arms.
"Get out." He said sternly. Hermione tore her eyes away from him and scurried out of the apartment. Once the door was closed, she put her back against it and put her face in her hands.
She internally groaned. How was she supposed to do this?
Well, she was just going to have to muster up the Gryffindor bravery she'd been gifted with, that's how.
Time to go seek a visit to the Malfoy Manor.