Hermione sighed as she flopped down onto her squishy, comfortable, red couch. It had been another long day working at the Auror Department at the Ministry. You would think that being a part of the famous trio who saved the world, would give you some advantages. Yes, you would think that.
Hermione worked alongside her two best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, and the department often put all three of them on cases, as the trio worked well together, and had a good time at it. They were currently working on a case, that involved the two Greengrass sisters from Hogwarts. Hermione, Harry and Ron were supposed to find, and catch the Greengrass sisters for being death eaters.
There were still Death Eaters roaming around, using dark magic and seeking vengeance for Voldemort's death by making attacks on innocent muggles, muggle-born wizards and witches, and former death eaters- for betraying them. Years had passed since Voldemort's death and Hermione still hadn't understood why Death Eaters hadn't all been rounded up and caught.
But thanks to the Auror Department, the numbers were slowly going down, but there were still quite a few out there. The trio was close to catching Astoria and Daphne Greengrass, they believe that the two sisters will be at Justin Finch-Fletchley's apartment tomorrow night, so thankfully Harry had told Justin to evacuate the premises and stay at the Leaky Cauldron until the two sisters were brought into the Ministry.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were supposed to go to Finch-Fletchley's apartment at exactly 7 pm tomorrow night and get into their positions, ready and waiting for when the sisters would hopefully show up. Hermione was slightly nervous about the trap but relaxed at the same time as she thought about the small vacation she was going to take after they had closed the case. She was a downright hard worker and Merlin knew she deserved it.
Hermione stretched out on her couch, the latest Witch Weekly in her left-hand and a cup of tea in her other. All she wanted to do was relax after a difficult day's work.
Then her phone rang.
Sighing disbelievingly, Hermione got up from her oh-so-comfortable position and went to fetch the phone she pictured lying face down on the kitchen table. She walked out of the lounge room, across the hallway, into the kitchen, around her dining table, just to answer the damn call.
"Hello?" She questioned.
"Hermione?!" the speaker practically screamed out at her.
"Fred? What do you need?" Hermione asked, wearily and half-deaf.
"George and I need some assistance down in the shop again; do you think you could help us out?!" Fred screamed again, his tone pleading and desperate.
Damn Fred, he knew she could never say no to helping a friend in need.
"LOWER YOUR TONE." She unhelpfully yelled back, before pausing. "…okay, just for a little bit Fred, I've had a hard day at work," Hermione said, slightly frowning, wondering if it really was a good idea to teach the twins how to use a muggle phone.
"You're the best, see you soon," Fred answered in a satisfied voice.
"Yeah, bye," Hermione muttered lamely, hanging up. She put the phone back on the bench and stood there with her hands on her hips.
Hermione helped out every now and then at the Weasleys Wizard Wheezers joke shop because she felt the need to somehow pay back the Weasley family for caring for her all those times she had stayed at The Burrow during holidays from school. She still went over there for Sunday lunch every week, to catch up with everyone, and see the large family. Hermione had already tried helping Mrs Weasley, but she just wouldn't have it, so she helped Fred and George out instead. Besides, Hermione liked the atmosphere in that shop, and the twins always made her laugh. Maybe it would help lighten her mood a bit after a boring day at the Ministry.
Hermione went upstairs to her bedroom and changed out of her work robes, throwing on a pair of black jeans, and a simple maroon tank. She tried to tame her bushy hair but gave up on the effort as she realised that it was going to get bushy in the humid shop anyways. After running a quick brush through it, she pulled it back into a messy bun at the nape of her neck.
Ginny had bought her a whole lot of hair and beauty potions for Christmas, but Hermione only really used it for special occasions. And not meaning to offend the joke shop, but it was hardly worth getting dressed up for. Hermione then turned on the spot and apparated straight into the shop.
"Hermione! How lovely to see you!" George yelled, making his way from behind the counter and towards her.
"Hermione! How superb of you to stop by!" Fred exclaimed, following his brother's lead and coming towards her.
They each gave her a peck on the cheek, grabbed her arms, and lead her back behind the counter before Hermione could even register what was going on.
"I simply couldn't resist coming to visit," Hermione said sarcastically, rolling her eyes, and sitting on the stool behind the shop counter.
"Is that sarcasm I detect, Fred?"
"I think it is, George."
"I have no idea what you are talking about. Now you two boys run along and go do whatever you need to do, I can't stay for long." Hermione smiled.
"Yes, Ma'am!" They both said at once and marched towards the storeroom.
Fred and George really hadn't changed much physically since the war, emotionally, she wasn't so sure- but then again George had lost an ear, Fred had a few scratches, and they BOTH had gotten taller and lankier, but their red hair and personalities still hadn't changed. That was a good thing though, Hermione thought. They all loved to laugh, and who better to help cheer you up than Fred and George themselves?
Without them, the joke shop wouldn't exist. The wonderful shop where things would go bang and emit smoke. There were things that made you sick, things that made you laugh. Magic tricks, lollies, love potions, toys, muggle 'magic' tricks- the twins had put a lot of effort into this shop, and it had done them well.
Hermione handled any customers that came in, while Fred and George were in the storeroom, either updating their money books or making more products. After about an hour, Hermione decided it was about time she headed home to get some sleep before her 'stake out' tomorrow.
She was just about to enter the storeroom to bid the twins goodbye when she heard the familiar tinkle of the bell above the shop door. Someone had entered the shop. Hermione couldn't see who it was but decided to remain at the register until the person was gone. She stayed behind the counter patiently and a good five minutes went past. She fiddled with a strand of her hair, longingly thinking of her bed until she convinced herself to hurry the process up and see if the customer needed any help.
Hermione finally located the customer, he was towards the right of the store, so she made her way towards him. His back was facing her.
"Excuse me, Sir, would you like any assistance?" Hermione asked politely, as she would with any customer.
The male visibly tensed but did not turn around. Hermione thought it was rather odd, so she peered at him, curious. He had quite a muscular back, and arms, from what she could see. He had slightly messy platinum blond hair and wore expensive black dress robes. This couldn't be...
"Malfoy?" She questioned loudly, with a look of disbelief on visible on her face.
Draco's shoulders tensed even more when that all too familiar voice said his name so loudly- he was positive the whole world could hear. He wondered if it would be wise if he were to simply walk out, but decided that the bossy witch, probably wouldn't let him take two steps out of there. He slowly turned around to face her, plastering a smirk on his face, just to annoy her.
"Why, Granger, I didn't think you would end up working in this dump...unless your dating one of those buffoons," Draco said scathingly, holding himself tall to intimidate her.
He scanned her figure once and came to the conclusion that her hair was still a dung beetles nest, and her face and physique was still as plain as ever.
"Those 'buffoons' created the 'dump' you're standing in." Hermione defended angrily.
"Which is precisely why I would like to get out of here as quickly as possible, so if you stopped badgering me, I would be able to buy the product I actually want," Draco replied coolly, turning back around to face the puking pasties.
"And what exactly is the product you wish to buy?" Hermione's voice wavered as she struggled against her automatic polite retail response and
frustration at his rudeness.
Draco almost laughed at how worked up she was getting, but stopped himself just before he showed her any humour.
"These." Draco picked up the packet of puking pasties and waved it in front of her face. He fished for a couple of loose galleons in his pocket and thrust them at her.
"Sorry, no death eaters allowed in this shop." Hermione voiced bravely, eyes blazing with hatred, and her stance defensive. She knew she was using her hatred for the man to be biased, but her Auror defence was kicking in.
Although Draco wasn't really a death eater, his father was in jail and he was still biased against. Draco had been spared because of his age. Even though he didn't go around acting like a common death eater and killing innocents, he still disliked muggles, blood traitors, and mudbloods. But he had changed his ways and wasn't so verbal about hating them. He spoke to them as best he could and left it at that. Granger, Potter and the Weasleys were an exception, of course. But when she called him a death eater, it stung- because that was so far from the man he was now.
"Just take the damn money, Granger, before this gets ugly." Draco barked, with his arm still outstretched with the money.
"And what would a death eater need with puking pasties?" Hermione demanded, hand twitching to her wand in her back jean pocket.
Her slight action was not lost in Draco's eyes.
"And what would a mudbl- bitch like you," Draco corrected himself, "Need with a wand?"
He had given her a chance to avoid this, but he guessed that she was still just as stubborn as she was at Hogwarts.
Hermione's eyes flashed dangerously, and her fingers curled around the wand in her pocket. Draco seriously didn't want to waste time in this dump, talking to Granger, out of all people, so he acted quickly and decided to get this over and done with.
"If you must know, I would like to take a day off of work on Monday, and this is efficient enough for that job. You have overstepped into my 'death eater' business, and as much as I would like to spend more time standing here talking to you, I have other business to attend to." Draco drawled, acting as indifferent as he could muster.
He shook the galleons slightly in her face, and she finally took them reluctantly. He put the puking pasties into his pocket and started making his way to the door.
"You're a galleon over the price!" came Hermione's shrill voice.
"Consider it a tip for excellent customer service!" He barked back, glancing over his shoulder, only to see her still standing in the same position, staring at him.
Excellent customer service? What a... what a... a... death eater! Hermione should have arrested him on the spot! Although she did know that he wasn't exactly a death eater... he was still...still... mean! She turned around and marched back to the counter, slipping the two coins into the register, then marching into the storeroom.
"Hey guys, mind if I leave? I'm feeling mighty tired." Hermione said, standing in the doorway, stretching her arms, careful to avoid all the clatter.
"Gosh Hermione, you look beat! Go home, get some rest!" Fred fussed over her, standing up from his chair at the desk him and George were working at.
"Yes, I think I will, thanks," Hermione replied rather grumpily.
Well she wasn't exactly going to go flying hippogriffs, was she? She didn't need Fred to tell her the obvious, but she had successfully bitten her tongue to keep those remarks down. Malfoy should not be affecting her mood so easily.
"Thanks for the help, Hermione, we really appreciate it," George said gratefully, smiling at her.
"No worries, goodnight," Hermione mumbled. She turned on the spot and apparated straight back into her kitchen.
She walked like a zombie towards the kitchen cupboard, got out some muggle cat food, and shook some of it in a bowl on the floor for Crookshanks to eat whenever he was hungry. She put out a saucer of milk and then dragged herself up the stairs, pulling off her clothes as she went, flinging them on the floor of her bedroom, to join the other piles of dirty clothes strewn everywhere. Then she landed quite ungracefully across her double four poster bed. She snuggled into the warmth under her covers, and slowly drifted off to sleep.
Hermione saw big red numbers on her alarm clock, telling her it was eight pm. She leapt out of bed, only to find herself leaping off of a couch, instead of her comfortable four poster. She glanced around and found herself in Justin's apartment already. She noticed a shadow of someone standing in front of her.
"Harry? Ron?" Hermione asked the shadow.
"No, Granger." Came a quiet voice she slightly recognised.
She saw Harry and Ron lying on the floor in front of this man, with their eyes closed, and blood trickling from somewhere. She fumbled to find her wand, only to find she was still in her Pj's, with her wand nowhere to be seen.
"Lumos." whispered the voice again, and the area fully lit up, and the shadow turned around to face her.
"Malfoy?" Hermione gasped, backing up, the back of her knees hitting the couch, as she saw all the blood dripping down the front of his robes.
He reached out a hand for her, desperately grasping for hers, but before he could touch her, Hermione woke with a start, sitting up in bed, looking wide-eyed around.
She saw Crookshanks lying at the end of her bed, her clothes strewn everywhere on the floor, and she relaxed. It was only a dream. A terrible nightmare, conjured by the days events. With any luck, she will forget it by morning.