"Granger nice of you to join us" snarled Draco Malfoy "first day on the job and you are…" he looked down to his watch "five minutes late" she rolled her eyes unconsciously

"Sorry Malfoy" she took a place beside Ron in the conference room. He smiled brightly at her then returned his attention back to Malfoy.

Hermoine Granger had transferred from the auror station in America back to the one in London, in which Malfoy just so happened to share the title head of the auror department with Harry. After the war he switched sides, hunting down remaining death eaters and such.

At first Ron and Harry had been reluctant accept him, but they had all grown fond of him after working with him for a few months. But that didn't make Hermoine hate him any less.

The meeting ended quickly, they were devising up a plan to find more death eater hideouts and each auror was set the task to brainstorm and research any irregular activities that had been occurring around London recently. It wasn't that much out of the normal but all activities must be monitored just incase.

Hermoine waited until everyone cleared out of the room before she approached Malfoy. He sat down comfortably at the head of table placing his feet up in front of him and folded his hands behind his head.

"Take a seat Granger" he pointed to the first seat to his left. "so… how was America?" Hermoine ignored the question and immediately began with her own.

"What would you like me to start work on Malfoy?" no reply, "as you know im very well known for my tracking skills" he just continued to stare at her oblivious to anything she was saying.

Truth was he was mesmerized by her beauty it was so subtle and natural. It was not a tainted beauty a plastered glamour spell it was just plain her. She had deep chocolate eyes, big swollen red lips … swollen? Or just natural he guessed natural, high cheekbones with a natural pink blushing, sculpted eyebrows and a deep brown shade of hair that was cut to shape her face. She wore it out and it dangled carelessly around her shoulders. No longer a frizzy mess but sleek and inviting, it looked so soft that you just wanted to tangle your hands in it.

His eyes began to explore her body, beginning with her long gorgeous revealed leg. She was wearing a high waisted plain black skirt with a slit that went halfway up her thigh, it made his mind run wild. Her waist was circled with a plain belt and she wore a cream singlet with a matching cropped jacket. The belt pushed her large cleavage up even higher and defined her waist.

Hermoine coughed to draw back his attention, it worked immediately and his eyes darted up to meet hers.

"What are you staring at Malfoy? You have been silent for over a minute now" he tried to hide the guilt in his eyes and sank back further into his chair, almost caught. He sighed loudly, which made Hermoine even more nervous than his already off putting attitude.

"I was just thinking that maybe you should change into some more…er… comfortable clothes incase we get called to an emergency job" although his conversation missed any emotion it was also dominated by confidence that made her want to tear her hair out.

"Sorry, I was at a book launch"

"Ok, just don't be late again" he smirked at her, obviously enjoying his authority as boss. Hermoine just nodded and tried again.

"What would you like me to start working on?" finally he was listening, he sat there scratching his chin, suddenly it looked like a light bulb went of in his head and he placed his feet back on the floor, clasped his hands together and leaned forward towards her.

"I want you to be my assistant auror" she could see a malicious glint in his eyes, a small grin spread across his face. He watched as Hermoine contemplated the offer, she really had no choice. The reason why she was here in the first place was because she had gone of at several aurors and began hexing them. Apparently it was because they thought they were better than she was at her job. At first he hadn't believe it Granger would never be so un-professional, but then he realized one word could have set her of, with that rising temper of hers. So she was sent of with a warning straight here, back to London.

"I'm still waiting" he was growing annoyed, he hated people making him wait.

"I'm just trying to figure a way I can get out of this" she stated bluntly, he looked shocked for a moment but then his face returned to a smirk.

"Granger there is no way you are going to get out of this, the sooner you accept that the sooner we can get my work done"

Hermoine groaned inwardly and nodded her head in agreement "ok Malfoy" he reached out to shake her hand "just promise me one thing Granger" she latched onto his hand with hers,

"What's that Malfoy?" she was beginning to get tired of these games.

"promise me, you won't hex the crap out of me like you did to the guys back in America" he looked up into her eyes once again, something involuntarily flooded through them that he could see she had been trying to hold back, he didn't know what, but he didn't think it was good.

She snatched her hand up quickly and awkwardly moved from her seat, she smoothed her skirt and hair. "I'm going to go get changed, and then I should…"

"Meet me in my office" she nodded her head and excited the room.

She looked around and found the office labeled Hermoine Granger. She entered the room quickly and crumpled into a heap behind her desk. She finally allowed hot tears to flow down her cheeks and she sobbed quietly.

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Draco had been waiting twenty minutes now for Hermoine, so he decided to go find her, he knocked on her office door but there was no reply. He was just about to turn away when he heard a sob. He leant his ear against the door to make sure, and sure enough he could hear someone crying.

He entered the door without knocking again and looked around the room for the culprit of the sound. He looked down behind the desk where the sound had been coming from and found Hermoine bundled in a heap on the floor.

He rushed to her side and scooped her up into his arms, he didn't know what was wrong, but something to make Hermoine Granger become a reckless mess must be serious… he hoped it hadn't been anything he said, even though come to think of it he hadn't said anything that serious.

She cried into his chest and balled his shirt into her fists, crying harder than before. He rubbed circles on her back and whispered comforting words such as 'its ok' or 'shhh everything will be alright'.

He looked at the petit figure in his arms, not only did he feel like he was comforting her but he felt like she was comforting him, it wasn't very often that people opened up to him this much even though it was in her moment of weakness, but she wasn't running away or hiding she was allowing herself to be vulnerable to him.

Draco was always the one left out. Everyone was on speaking terms with him, yes, invited him over to a formal dinner or two but it wasn't true friendship, more like acquaintances. No one ever asked him over to watch the weekend quidditch cup match like Potter and Weasley did, or invited him to the three broomsticks after work. It all made him feel a little left out, no, extremely left out, there wasn't much attention an ex deatheater could receive .

Hermoine's sobs began coming less and less and her breathing was slowing down from its irrational pace. Draco took it as his cue to make sure she was ok.

"Hermoine" he murmured against the top of her head. Upon hearing her name slipping from his lips she quickly turned her head up to look at him.

"Yes?"

"Are you ok?"

"I… think so…" she turned from his gaze again and began to find the floor interesting, this was all very embarrassing. Her long time enemy, her new boss and the only person she thought she could never like… but now she wasn't sure, was holding her in his arms. There was something completely different about the way he was comforting her, like he knew just what to do. She didn't believe it was a quality that belonged in the Malfoy gene pool.

He pulled her closer and bent his neck forward slightly to whisper in her ear. "if you ever want to talk about it… I'm uhh… here".

This wasn't how he thought today would go. He thought he would be able to tease Hermoine and have some fun and now here he was whispering in her ear about how he would be here for her. Oh well… maybe when she felt a little better it could go back to that.

Hermoine tried to sit up but Malfoy's firm grasp kept her snug against his body. She tried to wiggle a little hoping he would release her from his grip but nothing.

"Umm… Malfoy?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I get up now?" it took him a few seconds to register then he let go of her and jumped back to his feet holding his hand out for Hermoine. She took it and he pulled her up.

"I'll let you get changed… please make sure you're in my office in 15 minutes" he at least gave her some time to compose herself "and please hurry, there is a lot to do" he flashed her a small smile and then retreated the way her entered.

Hermoine smiled to herself slightly, she had never seen Malfoy smile before even if it was a small one it meant a lot to her. But she wasn't about to admit that, right now.

She quicly changed into her uniform midnight blue robes and made way to Draco's office.

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I hope you are enjoying my new story, please review it would mean a lot to me, just to know if the story is ok

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