A/N I don't own Harry Potter

Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry (Challenges & Assignment) Astronomy (Assignment 6)

Prompt: Write about someone falling from favour

"Oh and Hermione the new assistant from the French ministry arrives this afternoon. Make sure he's welcome in your department will you?"

"Of course."

"And Hermione?"

"Yes Minister?"

"Give him a chance will you?"

"Of course."

She left the minister's office puzzling over his words. She felt she was very fair in running her department, so why would the minister act like she wouldn't give whoever the new assistant was a chance?"

It didn't take long for her to figure it out. The temporary assistant arrived after lunch and she realised exactly why Kingsley had been so reluctant to tell her who he had employed.

"Hermione."

"Mr Malfoy." What was he doing here? He couldn't work here! He had a criminal record for Merlin's sake. The ministry didn't employ people with criminal records!

"Please, call me Draco."

Hermione waved her secretary over. "Jonathan take Mr Malfoy to the Minister's office please."

As soon as Jonathan and Draco had left her office she sat down and put her head in her hands. Why him? More importantly, how was she supposed to stay professional around him? Scribbling a quick note for Jonathan she apparated to her best friend's house.

"Hermione! What are you doing here? Is everything alright?"

"Oh Ginny I'm sorry, I just had to come over. I needed to talk to someone."

"Did something happen at work?" Ginny came over to Hermione and pushed her down onto the sofa. "I'll get you a cup of tea and then you can tell me what happened. Ginny went into the kitchen Hermione composed herself. When Ginny came back she sipped at her tea calmly.

"It's the new assistant Kingsley employed. He arrived today. It's Draco. Draco Malfoy. Working in my department."

Ginny looked a little puzzled. "What's the problem? I know Malfoy used to be a jerk but I thought you two became quite friendly in your last year at school?"

Hermione buried her head in her hands.

"After the the first war, when we went back to Hogwarts to retake our last year Draco was treated like an outcast. People held him accountable for his father's acts. His family was being dragged through the papers. He shunned everyone in Slytherin, hating what they represented. Harry and Ron never understood it, why I forgave him, but it was impossible to hold a grudge against someone so vulnerable. No one else saw it, but I could. I could see him sinking through self loathing and depression and I couldn't let anyone, not even Malfoy drown in those feelings.

At first I thought he would reject my offer of friendship, and he did. But eventually I got through to him. He had been drinking steadily throughout the year, and skipping classes but none of the teachers really cared. You know how that year was, everyone was recovering from the war, everyone had lost someone. I took all of his drink and threw it out. I tutored him, made sure he passed each and every one of those exams and he let me. I guess I was so broken, so lost, that it was easier to try and help someone else than think about my own problems.

So we struck up an uneasy friendship. But, I started to fall for him. The war changed him Ginny, he wasn't ferret face Malfoy afterwards, he was Draco. My Draco. I never got a chance to tell him how I felt though. After Hogwarts I got the job with the Ministry and we started to drift apart. He wanted to train to be a healer, and he had just qualified when the Ministry called him in for a retrial. Someone decided they didn't want a Death Eater treating them, and St Mungo's refused to accept him.

I took his case. It was probably stupid of me, but I took it and I failed him. I didn't let them take him away to Azkaban but I couldn't convince them to let him do the job he loved. Afterwards, he would hardly talk to me. Made me feel like it was all my fault. That was around about when he lost Malfoy Manor. The Malfoy family were as out of favour with the wizarding world as they had ever been, Draco had fallen so far from grace he was practically in exile, and he was ignoring me, the only person who would fight for him. He said he didn't need me to fight for him, he could do it himself, but I could see it, see that he was drowning again.

He became unreliable, missing our lunch dates, always ready with an excuse. I suspect he started drinking again, but there was nothing I could do to stop him. Do you know what it's like to watch someone you love slip away from you? He started drifting. He couldn't find a job, didn't have aafter they took away the Manor. He had nowhere to stay so he started staying at mine. He would get home early in the morning, sometimes I wouldn't see him for days. Then he started turning back into the old Malfoy, the one who believed in blood supremacy and power. He never insulted me, never hurt me, but he took great pleasure in complaining about Harry and Ron. Eventually I went to his mother. Narcissa was completely unaware of his situation. He hadn't talked to her for months after they had a massive argument. Draco had fallen from grace in everyone's eyes, the ministry's, the school's, his friends, his parents, and even mine.

I tried to make it alright, go back to how we used to be. I tried to tell him how I felt, that I loved him but I ended up humiliating myself. He'd had too much to drink, and he hardly took in what little sense I managed to stammer out before he was hooking up with the nearest girl in sight. After that he left England. I hadn't spoken to him since, not until about half an hour ago."

Ginny looked at her thoughtfully. "You still like him don't you?"

"What?! No! Draco lost my favour a long time ago."

"And yet you still call him Draco. And you wouldn't be this upset about working with him if you didn't still feel something for him."

"Ginny no. He's an insufferable little git."

"A very attractive git"

"Ginny you're married! I'm sure Harry wouldn't appreciate your appreciating Draco's at

"I can't help noticing. He certainly was attractive at Hogwarts, has age improved him?"

Hermione blushed and Ginny smiled. "You do still like him!"

Adopting a more serious expression she asked "Have you talked to him about why he ditched you?"

"No. And I don't particularly care. I'm sorry Ginny, to have taken up so much of your time but I must go. I'll see you and Harry at the weekend?"

"Of course Hermione. Bye."

Ginny watched sadly as her friend apparated back to work. She knew how stubborn her friend was, but also how difficult she would find working with the ferret if she didn't talk to ." home r to help ou can tell me what's wrong."