He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the migraine building behind his eyes. His wife had warned him this would be the reaction and deep down he had known she was right but he had hoped that common sense would prevail and she would see that he wouldn't pair her up with someone he didn't trust or someone he thought would hinder the case. There was no denying he was a top Hit Wizard and she was his best researcher. She was equally great in the field but he knew her preference would always be for getting to the bottom of a mystery while sequestered amongst the volumes whether it was in the Ministry or her personal library in her town house overlooking Richmond Park.

She continued her tirade, gesturing wildly at the other side of his desk and he peered over her shoulder catching the eye of the tall blonde man, stood resolutely against the wall, his arms folded across his chest, the amusement clear on his face. He hadn't been happy about the pairing either, but his grievances had been aired in a less…..animated way.

She hadn't actually noticed the blonde as she threw the door to her best friend's office wide open when she arrived to register her response to the departmental memo she had received 10 minutes ago. Her cheeks flushed, her eyes dark and her temper flaring, she hadn't actually given the Head Auror a moment to respond in her now 11 minute long speech.

"Well?" she cried and he was momentarily aware that she had seemingly finished and he hadn't been listening for about the last 9 minutes of her ranting.

"How can you expect me to work with HIM Harry?!" she crossed her arms, waiting for a response.

"It's not exactly going to be a picnic for me either, Granger" the blonde wizard drawled as she spun round with a look of incredulity on her face.

Both glared at the other for a moment before she turned back to Harry with a fierce look, her eyes narrowing.

"And you couldn't even have the decency to tell me Malfoy was standing in your office when I came in?" she growled.

Harry sighed putting his glasses back on his face.

"It's not like you gave me a chance to say much of anything, Hermione" he said, looking at her pointedly.

Hermione flopped down into the seat next to her, a look of defeat on her face.

No one spoke for a minute.

Finally, Malfoy pushed himself away from the wall and took up the file that Harry pushed across the desk towards him.

Determined to be the epitome of cool professionalism, the frustrated witch to his right clearly having a hard time accepting her own sense of defeat, he resolved to have the upper hand at all costs during this assignment.

He looked down at her as a smirk played across his lips.

"This is certainly going to be interesting, Granger".

She glared up at him for a moment before collecting herself. She knew his game and she wasn't going to let him win. They would find out who was killing off muggle-born witches and wizards even if it killed her.

Or, she thought wryly, she killed Him.