AN: Hello! I am bringing up this new Dramione story, which I´ve somehow finished after long months of no inspiration for the ending. I hope you will like it. Let me know what do you think! I know that this motive was used many times before, but I kind of like it. Review!
"Oi! This is fucking ridiculous!" exclaimed Hermione Granger and threw her cup of tea at the wall of her cubicle. She should be happy, solving her favourite riddles for living and having great fun afterwards with her boyfriend. Simply, that was not an option anymore. Yesterday her life was as it was supposed to look in everybody´s mind- picture perfect. She was Ministry employee, recently graduated from Hogwarts with flying marks, in relationship with Ronald Weasley and supposedly happy. Voldemort gone, Harry finally without life-threatening burden on his shoulders, everybody moving on a year after the Final Battle. Well, that was till yesterday.
This morning she woke up as usual, in strangely empty apartment, but she continued her newfound routine as every morning. Bathroom, breakfast, getting ready and go to work. She found it strange that people were looking at her more than usual, but she labelled it as nothing. The Daily Prophet, waiting on her desk in Unspeakable office, probably held another hero-story about the Golden Trio. Well, she was not so far from the truth.
As soon as she spotted her picture on the front page, as she sat down in her cubicle, she knew it will be bad. She spread the newspapers in front of her, with a cup of tea, as usual. Then the photo changed to photo of her supposed boyfriend, snogging some bimbo in the corner of The Three Broomsticks, and the second one laughing her heads off, with the title: Ronald Weasley off the hook! Hermione couldn´t believe her eyes.
"...Surprising guests showed up last night in the well-known establishment in Hogsmead. Mr. Ronald Weasley, our valiant war hero, was found having conversation with two beautiful young ladies. Our reporter Lavender Brown immediately hopped onto investigation. Mr. Weasley answered her questions about his latest relationship: ´Yeah, we broke up today. Well, you see, she was no fun at all. Hermione is the type of girl who would speak only about her books and work, always complaining,´ he stated. Miss Hermione Granger, another war heroin was in relationship with Mr. Weasley for over a year after the Final Battle. Apparently she couldn´t keep up with future Auror..."
She skimmed through the article about how prudish she was and how bored Ron became in their relationship, so he broke up with her and here he was, available and having fun. Hermione found a new definition of anger. So she threw her cup at the wall.
"I see you saw the article," drawled a voice from behind her. Hermione turned around, even though she had already known who it was. The bane of her existence during the first six years at Hogwarts, co-Head during their final year and now her co-worker, the one and only Draco Malfoy.
"Yes," Hermione curtly replied. Draco smirked. How he loved to rile her up, she was so cute with her red cheeks and death glares.
"So you two broke up last night?" he asked innocently.
"Apparently," Hermione drawled dangerously. Draco held his hands up, surrendering. He knew when to stop now. Hermione´s punch in third years was still a painful memory for him. Draco studied her for a minute, while Hermione fought with her temper.
"Oh, come on! It pains me to admit, but you deserves much better! He is an arse; I´ve never liked him and never will. Weasel doesn´t even know how properly break up with you, so he have done the worst thing imaginable- went to press. Now, breathe and think! What are you going to do with him?" Draco perched at the end of her table nonchalantly.
Hermione knew he was right. She even knew that her relationship with Ron was disaster. They fought from the beginning, they had nothing in common; he was needy and wanted to go further than she was comfortable with. She had chosen the easiest path after their spontaneous kiss during the Battle- she just went with it. Her feeling for Ron had changed, overcoming the teenage crush almost instantly, and even more during their last year at Hogwarts. He was possessive, showing her off like some trophy. He wanted to be with her all the time, Hermione had to hide herself in her Head Dorms more than once, just to have a few moments for herself.
Despite everything, she wanted it to work. She went to see his Quidditch practices during term, she learned with him when he struggled, she listened to his bragging about unimportant stuff, she even endured few horrible dinners at the Burrow where Molly was planning a double wedding for her and Ron and Harry with Ginny. Hell, she even slept with him! But apparently it was not enough for Ronald Weasley. He obviously didn´t want them to work and didn´t love her like he said just yesterday morning. Hermione´s little happy bubble broke. And she was angry. No, scratch that- she was beyond furious. She had done everything and he went out with some bimbo, gets caught by Lavender Brown and proceed to tell the whole Magical community that they are over, without her knowing! He made a prudish fool of her! Oh, he is going to pay!
"That´s the spirit Granger! I know that look! Oh, how I am going to enjoy this! I am coming with you," Draco exclaimed overly happy, almost clapping his hands like a five-year -old. He could see the wheels in her brain turning and he clearly saw her decision. He knew her, she was all nice and goody-two-shoes when you were in her good grades. But only few people knew she had a vindictive side. And he loved it!
"I don´t care what you do, Draco, I am about to made him squirm. But on the other hand, I think it might be good if you could come with me. You are one of the people Ronald really cannot stand. Seeing you cooperating with me during our Heads business in school riled him up so much. Besides, you are probably the only one around here capable of stopping me from murdering him outright," she smiled deviously. Hermione stood up, straightened the wrinkles in her perfectly fitting black skirt and went straight to the Auror office. She was now, along with Draco, full-fledged Unspeakable, Harry an Auror and Ronald still in training, since he failed his entry tests on the first try two weeks ago. Ron didn´t know she worked with Draco yet, since he never asked her about her work, only bragged about how unfair everybody was to him during the training, even Harry.
"Oh, you flattered me! Mia, you can be very evil when you want," Draco smiled at her softly. She just rolled her eyes. Ever since they were paired as Head Girl and Boy last September, they left their past in behind and formed a friendship. Only Harry and Blaise knew actually about it, but they had many things in common and grew kind of close during the past year.
As Hermione, with smirking Draco at her heels, strolled through the halls of the Ministry, many people jumped away. She was a war hero with murderous look on her face after-all. She proceeded to burst into the middle of the Aurors office, down to the training room, wands first. Blaise Zabini and few other recruits (that were not given a chance to pass the tests right after the school like the Golden Trio were) in training raised an eyebrow and moved aside swiftly.
"Errr... Mione... hi?" shuddered Ron as she saw her. Her pose screamed that he was in trouble. Draco stepped besides Blaise and they smirked at each-other. Harry came to them right after.
"Hi? Hi? Is that all you can say, Ronald?" she responded sarcastically and aimed her wand at him. When she was mad, she screamed. Bud when she was in rage, her posture was deadly calm, like right now. Ron gulped.
"Mione, it was not like that! Lavender made it all up!" he pleaded, but Hermione was not convinced. She knew that Lavender Brown was not so daft to publish something like this without further evidence. Hermione not only knew her secret, an unregistered werewolf, since the new legislations haven´t passed yet, but also as an Unspeakable with unlimited resources and countless books with all hexes and curses imaginable at disposal, she could be dangerous. Lavender Brown may be attention seeking wench, but she knew better.
"Oh, so you weren´t snogging in completely public place yesterday? With two bimbos at once? Saying I am prude and we broke up to them?" Hermione asked calmly.
"Well you see, we were kind of growing apart for a while and I thought..." Ron started and Draco snickered from behind. This was so amusing!
"You thought? Did it hurt?" she mocked him. "I have done everything to make it work, but it was obviously not enough for the mister all-perfect, was it?" she screeched.
"It is not like that Mione!" He started to sound whiny. She cringed at the thought. He was being cowardly little boy, wanting to hide behind his mother. She could picture it in her mind vividly.
"So tell me how it is?" Hermione asked with all the seriousness. Ron looked around. He knew he had no chance to escape. From the looks he received he knew he was lucky not to have broken nose already, or even worse.
"I... well... I need to have fun! And you are so bloody bossy when we are together, you don´t let me live with you and... I´ve got needs!" he shouted at last.
"You are pathetic and dumber than I thought Weasel, if it is even possible," drawled Draco and came to Hermione´s side. Her wand-hand was trembling and he knew that she was seconds from hexing Weasley into oblivion. Draco put a hand on her shoulder. "Mia, calm down," he added just for her to hear. She silently nodded.
"Sod off ferret, you should be rotting in Azkaban! Harry, do something!" Ron was losing it. When nobody came to his side he turned once again to Hermione. Harry was looking disappointed in him.
"Mione, what is he doing in here? I don´t like how close to you he is! Why is he touching you?!" he exclaimed in high-pitched voice.
"You´ve lost the right to like or dislike anything about me the moment you went behind my back, only hours after you told me you love me! Draco is my co-worker and friend!" only Draco´s hand on her shoulder was restraining her from attacking. His right to be a free man was a touchy subject. Many people held a grudge for his father´s decisions, even when he helped the Order in the end.
"Now listen to me and listen carefully, because I am not about to repeat myself! WE ARE OVER. Once and for good, not because you told the press so, but because I am over you. I´ve tolerated you far too long. When I get home, I want you to have all your things packed from my apartment and every piece of your presence in my life gone. I will be removing you from my wards and you are no longer welcomed anywhere near me, are we clear?" She asked and left, leaving astounded Aurors and on-lookers behind.
"Granger, fancy a drink?" said Draco, when he caught up with her. Hermione nodded and let him apparate them away, trusting his intentions. Being able to apparate from and to any place at Ministry was one of the perks of being Unspeakables.
"Is this your place?" she asked astonished, when she recovered a little. Taking in her surrounding in loft apartment with modern furniture and the best muggle technology, she was clearly surprised.
"Yeah, got it right after the war, just to learn more about muggle lifestyle. My mother has similar place, near aunt Andromeda," he replied casually and proceeded to make them coffee. He knew she preferred coffee to tea, with one sugar, just like he.
"It's amazing," Hermione said dreamily as she scanned the vast collection of books in the living room. Draco loved all kind of books.
"I see that you´ve found my library. I have more in my study, and the rest of the Manor´s library is at my mother´s and in our Gringrotts vaults. We took the place down, there was too many bad memories, but these books had real value," he put a cup in her hands and she smiled gratefully.
"You never cease to surprise me, Draco," she shook her head. When she boarded the Hogwarts Express and found him in the Head compartments, she was less than enthusiastic about him. But they´ve found their routine and came to an agreement never to let their past to cloud the present.
"Hermione? Draco? You here?" shouted Blaise.
"Yeah, living room, you nosy wanker," replied Draco and laughed. From the hall emerged the tall figure of Blaise Zabini, closely followed by no other than Harry.
"Malfoy, do you happen to have some ice?" he asked innocently with the whole sheepish expression on his face and all.
"Ice? Harry, why do you need ice?" Hermione asked surprised. She looked him up and down with disapproving stare, when she noticed his appearance was kind of ruffled.
"Our hero here punched your ex in the face when you left, fucking amazing right hook, I must say," Blaise snickered. Draco chuckled at the mental image of Potter and Waesley in the fight.
"Harry, you didn´t have to!" Hermione shouted and inspected his right arm.
"Yes, I did. You are my best friend and he never deserved you in the first place. Now I finally see how he really is, he deserted us so fucking many times... Mia, you are my baby sister, even though I am younger, I won´t let anyone to hurt you, not even my supposed best friend. He had it coming," Harry defended his actions seriously and received a big hug in return.
"Catch, Potter!" Draco threw him a bag with ice-cubes.
"Thanks. Nice place, by the way," he smirked. Draco merely nodded his head and sat back on the sofa. With legs perched on the table he motioned them to sit as well.
"So, Firewhiskey?" Hermione asked innocently, with desperate undertone in her voice. She needed to numb her brain a little. Three pair of eyebrows went high. Hermione stared at them for a second.
"As lady wishes," Draco waved his wand and four full glasses appeared.
"To single life!" "To no commitments!" "To new friends!" "Screw our ex-s!" they shouted cheers in unison and drowned their first shot. Harry explained them that Kingsley saw the whole accident and excused them from work for a day. Draco provided unlimited stock of alcohol, Blaise his double-meaning jokes and Hermione was finally having a great fun. She didn´t truly remember how the evening ended, how Harry fell asleep on the floor or how she found herself tangled in Draco´s bed, fully clothed with Blaise´s and Draco´s arms around her waist. Not that it really mattered.