Disclaimer for the whole story: J.K Rowling owns the characters and such but I own this story.
Chapter 1- Unexpected
It was of no surprise to anyone that Hermione had graduated from Hogwarts with tops marks and a prestigious Auror Ministry of Magic offer. It was expected. Hermione's intelligence and astuteness was never questioned- from the first moment that she stepped into the Ministry she had already gained their respect. Everyone knew that Hogwarts never had someone so advanced as Hermione (save Tom Riddle); she had the best N.E.W.T marks ever achieved in wizarding history.
The Ministry had put good faith and trust into Hermione- and for good reason too. She was one of the best Aurors that they had ever encountered. With her skills and wit she quickly had an extraordinary record- catching some of the most wanted death-eaters where many others had failed. For two excruciating years Hermione built up her record inch by inch until the point where she no longer had to do lower level missions but was on call for strictly the most arduous missions. She had been allowed to work in partnership with the famous Mad Eye Moody for sometime in her early years but afterwards had preferred to work individually. By being on her own there was none to interfere with her work. Her advanced skills often meant that it was more difficult to complete a mission in partnership than on her own, though she could always work quite efficiently in groups or in partnership. But either way her reputation was unwavering.
Hermione's ideology was that she worked hard and partied hard. She loved being an Auror- it meant the world for her. Her best friends Harry Potter and Ron were also Aurors, both were famed Aurors but their ranks were no where near Hermione's. Though despite their talents being not as advanced as Hermione's they actually had famed reputations similar Hermione's.
What set apart Hermione from her friends was the way she dealt with things; her view was very severe and there was often no changing her. But since she was so completely passionate about her work Hermione often overlooked the risks involved. Near-death experiences were a common thing for her but being one of the best Aurors helped her stay alive. Once she was set on a mission she was dedicated to it- finishing it to the end no matter what. Often staying back to finish a mission that had been aborted because of the overwhelming risks involved- she frightened everyone with her determination. But she always came back alive. She had quick reaction times and handled her weapons with the uttermost expertise.
She loved the way that her life was going. Everything was just absolutely perfect in her life except for two minute problems. The former was that there was this lone death-eater whom always remains unidentified. This was the death-eater had been trying to kill her ever since she became an Auror, which in Hermione's opinion nearly succeeded, so this scared the heck out of her.
This death-eater would taunt her with clues on their identity and location coaxing her to find them. They would call up late at night but always remaining silent- she could always just only hear the eerily quiet breathing on the other side. It really freaked Hermione out, especially if they occurred during important missions. When the phone-calls first started it had thrown Hermione off and unsettled her, but as they became more frequent she became used to it. On some occasions when Hermione was pissed off she would give the death-eater a verbal lashing before slamming the phone receiver down. But as there were no particular pattern to the late-night calls; and the calls were untraceable so there was nothing she could do about it; save the day when Hermione would finally be able to confront this death-eater. There were also the random letters she received; often with only a sentence on them. But there was always the lone chilling message. It was basically a stalker with serious psychological problems.
The latter problem causing Hermione strife was that she had the most astonishing arch-nemsis; who was also known for his intelligence and cunning- this person was of course Draco Malfoy. They had nothing but utter loathing for each other. It was logical that they avoided any contact with each other, as they less they saw of each other the better. But in the rare chances that they did happen to stumble across each other they would only just manage to restrain themselves for their professionalism. Both Aurors had too much pride to lower their self to duelling at every chance, but instead would resort to subtle cutting comments.
- - - - -
Hermione sighed again and impatiently looked at her watch. She was already late by two minutes and it would take her at least another three minutes to get there. Hermione had accidentally slept in because she forgot to set her alarm clock last night. So she ended up freaking out in the morning and rushing like hell to get to the Ministry of magic. The elevator she was in was old and grey, but it was the only way down there for the moment. She'd been glaring at the small window at the top of the elevator door watching the number painfully change number by number. The silence except for the small click of the numbers unnerved Hermione- she would completely crack in a few seconds.
"I swear this elevator could not get any fucking slower if it could" she said in frustration. Hermione wasn't aware at all of the few looks she received from the other people in the lift but like she could care anyway.
The elevator door slowly creaked open and when the gap was wide enough Hermione rushed out causing a few comments on her behaviour. Pfft like they really care. She had the respect of everyone but not every single person agreed with her method of work. She was absolutely unfeeling in her work and took her work way all too seriously. Hermione brushed off the comments, apologised without really meaning it or pausing and then quickly continued her journey.
The Minister's office just happened to be at situated in the longest corridor that was furthest from the ministry's lobby. To her that was a most stupid idea to do that because it actually took a really long time to get down the corridor. Hermione took a sharp turn that nearly caused her crashing into a clerk with a pile of papers that fell to the ground but she didn't really care. The clerk was left on the ground a bit puzzled at what happened but by the time they realised that they had been knocked over Hermione had long disappeared.
What was important to Hermione was that the Ministry had actually received some information on her death-eater stalker. The Minister for Magic summoned her personally to the ministry to reveal to her the contents of this secret information. It had to be a private meeting as there was now an increased risk with having spies from the dark side working within the ministry. Not too recently one of the most trusted Aurors had turned out to be working directly under Lord Voldemort. It had been discovered after this spy mistakenly revealed his identity during a function where he had gotten very drunk. Needless to say he was eliminated without a second thought. Thus extra precaution had to be taken around every aspect of the ministry's working. It was very hard to trust anyone now since the dark side's power had grown immensely. The dark side had been on a winning streak for the past few months and there were growing numbers from the light side that had decided to defect to the dark side to avoid retribution. Hermione couldn't really blame them as the situation was starting to become very uncertain.
Hermione quietly strode up the stairway that lead to the Minister's office passing the old grand paintings of past Ministers of Magic who were not surprisingly all asleep. She paused for only a moment to fix her wavy auburn hair to make it look as though she hadn't been running for the past half hour. Hermione then took a deep breath, pulled on the gold handle and stepped inside swiftly.
"Hey Neville, sorry I'm late"
"Hello Hermione, take a seat" he said as he gestured to the cushioned seat in front of her.
Apparently Neville had accidentally hit himself on the head while shovelling and fell immediately into a coma for several weeks. Then when he woke up he was changed person. His intelligence had sky-rocketed and his memory problems were no more. Ironically he had the best memory out of everyone working in the Ministry. So after no one would accept the precarious job of being Minister as they were being assassinated all too quickly, Neville was offered the position. Since then his term in office as Minister for Magic has been reputed as being one of the best in magical history.
As Hermione gracefully sat herself down on the chair she realised that there was actually someone else in the room besides Neville and herself. And this someone else was sitting right next to her. Hermione blinked rapidly as the realisation finally hit her.
Platinum Blonde hair
Piercing grey eyes
And a aristocratic expression
Fuck
"Malfoy? What do you think you're doing here? And why are you even in this part of the building?
"Shut up Granger its enough torture to even hear your voice and see your face"
"Ha Ha- real funny, at the last ministry function I believe that you wanted me to scream your name…." her voice dripping with scorn. It was the same Function where she had eliminated that Auror for being a spy. Practically everyone was drunk but once that Auror had opened his mouth Hermione had sobered up and took action.
"That was the vodka talking…" he said matter of factly. "Besides you were the eager one; making out with anything you got your dirty hands on …even Potter and Weasley didn't want…."
"O.K, that's enough the both of you" Neville broke up the argument uneasily. Hermione and Draco reluctantly refrained from hurling any more verbal destruction at each other; though both sat there itching to continue the argument.
"Please quieten down and listen" Neville regained his composure and continued. "To get to the point the Ministry of Magic's high board committee has come to an agreement- which includes my opinion; we feel that in order to finally capture that death-eater, the both of you will have to work together."
"What!" two voices exclaimed in revulsion.
"You have just got to be fucking joking; you know how much he gives me the absolute shits!" Hermione cried pointing her finger in Draco's direction.
Neville winced at the rage in Hermione's voice.
"Look Neville, I know you that your accident with the shovel made gave you the skills to become Minister. And I'm giving you credit for being Minister for this long but that shovel hit must have screwed up another part in you head so you can shove this idea up you bloody ass!" Draco's eyes were intently fixated in fury at Neville. He had knocked his chair over by standing up so suddenly and had slammed his hands upon Neville's desk. The hard sound reverberating much louder as the office was so huge.
"Draco, I will not be talked to in that manner but I'm sorry about the way you feel about this but both of you are going to have to live with this, we have already decided on this action. The board will not withdraw their decisions you know that" Neville said carefully.
"Look at her! She's so anal and uptight! How the hell am I supposed to work with that? You're going to have to kill me first"
"That can be arranged," Hermione shot back.
"Pfft, look in the fucking mirror Granger everyone knows your hell to work with; you're like Miss Priss, always got to have everything done in your own way even if it's completely illogical"
"Well look at who is talking Malfoy" Hermione spat. "You're the one who is uptight! From the moment you were even born you've had the attitude of a total asshole, no one is the whole of the Ministry can stand being anywhere near you because you can't not say or do anything that undermines them!"
"You're fucking unbalanced and deranged Granger, from what I've heard your life is so screwed that you purposely go out and do crazy shit to make yourself feel better. What kind of person does that huh? The only reason you work for the Ministry is that you do nothing else in your sad little life and that your apart of the golden threesome"
"Fuck you Malfoy, you need to go to a mental institute you know that? And you're only here because you're an indecisive tool who had information which was like shit anyway, the Ministry would have just killed you but I guess that doesn't matter now because the dark side is after your sorry little ass now"
Draco let out a bitter chuckle. "You really know nothing, you think your so fucking great and important in the light side but did you know that no ones really tells you anything, not even Potter and Weasley tell you half of the things that they really know, they actually trust me more than you. Sad isn't it Granger, and they're your best-friends, wait they're your only friends…"
Hermione took a lunge forward and punched Draco squarely in the raw drawing blood but Neville abruptly stood up and put his arms up to break up the ensuing battle. Draco smirked at her and wiped the blood with his sleeve leaving Hermione livid. He had done that on purpose.
"Stop it! You're both on the same side and I will not tolerate you fighting each other. The both of you are the best the Ministry has, no one denies that and the only way to get that death-eater is for you to work together" Neville explained, hopefully he could appease them both just slightly so that they wouldn't up killing each other. He slowly pulled away from Hermione and Draco only once he was sure that they didn't decide to fight one another. Neville breathed a sigh of relief and then reached to his desk leaving Hermione and Draco giving the other person a cold hard glare.
"Here are the files," Neville said as he handed a copy each them Hermione and Draco.
"I would like the both of you to read the notes, and then on Monday week, I would like the both of you to return here so that you may be given the rest of the information regarding your mission details. If any of you to refuse this mission you will have your Auror tittles taken from you so that you can never work again. Then you can miserably go eat shit for the rest of your lives"
Neville's voice was so quietly unsettling that it shocked both Hermione and Draco as Neville had never said anything remotely close to swearing in his whole entire life so Hermione and Draco simply left the office. But as they were just about to leave Neville spoke.
"I know that you two don't get along at all but please, make an effort to tolerate each other, this assignment is extremely important and might well be the deciding factor in this war"
Hermione and Draco nodded as a gesture to consider his request and quietly left. On the way down the stairs both were fuming inside though both had somewhat calmed down.
"I am so not going to work with that retarded prick." Hermione mumbled quietly once Draco was out of an ear-shot. She silently descended the stairs and walked down the corridor, glaring at Draco's head.
Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'd seriously rather marry Pansy before I work with this mudblood whore." He said to one of the paintings, the old wizard sitting there just raised his eyebrow at Draco's comment.
- - - - -
Hermione pulled her blazer closer around her; the weather in Britain was always cold and dreary. It was how she always loved it; the clouds had that slight shade of bluish-grey, it for certain that it would rain anytime soon. As if the gods had heard her thoughts the rain stated to fall in light droplets. She raised her head up to the sky; the dark grey swirls and the crystal droplets growing larger- falling on her face made it look entirely picturesque. The sound of people quickening their pace ensued. They were all starting to find cover from the rain but Hermione gladly walked through the rain not moving faster but slower and silently smiling.
She was wearing her favourite denims with her riding boots over the top, along with a neat camisole, blazer and scarf. The mud had started to get on her boots, the mix of the rain and the dirt covered the bottom of her boots. Hermione would have to get those cleaned later. She turned slight and then walked into her favourite shop-Flourish and Blotts. She travelled down the third aisle from the left and reached for the book on the top shelf like how she had done many times before. For anyone else passing by the book would be unnoticed but for Hermione it was a different matter. The book had black leather binding and had artistic designs carefully embossed onto the cover.
Hermione opened the book sat down comfortably between the shelves and let the words take her. Her thoughts wandered about her coming mission with her archrival. Monday week was all too soon to contemplate but for now Hermione was content just to sit there and read.