Chapter 1

Post-Hogwarts, pre-epilogue.

Hermione took a moment to look around her office. Her brand new office. Bigger, better and much more private than her shoddy old desk which was now occupied by Hannie, her old colleague and new assistant. Twenty-five years old and she was already second in command to one of the most powerful wizards at the ministry – Eldrin Manthorpe, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Hermione couldn't help the small, satisfied smile which stretched her lips.

Seven years after the Final Battle had taken place and her life was finally back on the path she'd been dreaming of since first stepping into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. With one exception, she remembered, as a brown-speckled owl landed on her window sill and began to hoot softly. She had never imagined she would end up with – let alone engaged to – Ronald Weasley, the dopey, dirty-nosed redhead whose antics, along with those of Harry James Potter, had got her into all sorts of unwanted trouble all these years.

A nostalgic smile spread on her lips as she untied the parchment, falling slightly as she read the reply from her fiancé in which he congratulated her on her promotion but explained, with deepest regrets, that he wouldn't be able to make the congratulatory dinner she'd had planned for the two of them due to his training.

She sighed slightly, but understood. Ron was working extremely hard to complete his training and join Harry in the Auror Office. Having already failed his tests twice, she knew it was important for him to finally get his qualifications.

Nevertheless, her happy mood from before had diminished slightly. That was until a knock on her (new) door announced the arrival of the aforementioned Auror and Hermione automatically grinned at her best friend of fourteen years.

"Harry," she smiled, moving towards him with wide arms.

"Madame," Harry drawled, bowing comically before accepting her hug. Hermione smiled and batted him on the shoulder.

"None of that," she laughed, "I'm not Minister for Magic quite yet." She joked, her previous buzz returning as Harry observed her with eyes full of pride.

"Give it time 'Mione. Everyone knows it's going to happen one day." Hermione smiled, a faint blush rising on her cheeks as she imagined herself in that prestigious role. Harry began to walk around her new office, whistling in awe at the interior décor.

"Damn 'Mione," he said, stroking the top of her mahogany desk with a longing appreciation, "Manthorpe has really decked you out." Hermione flashed a look through the glass wall which separated her office and Hannie's desk, her grin only growing wider as her co-worker gave her what must have been the millionth thumbs of the day accompanied by an almost maniacal grin of her own.

Hermione chuckled slightly and turned back to Harry, "I think everyone was just pleased to be shot of the last guy to be honest. You know…" Hermione made a groping gesture with her hands and Harry shuddered, reminded of the many conversations he'd had with Hermione about her creepy ex-boss.

"Yeah," Harry responded, watching as Hermione shot another look at her new assistant who this time was completely oblivious to her stare. An over-protective, concerned stare that Harry knew all too well.

"Is she…" He began. "She's fine." Hermione replied quickly, turning back to her friend. "She's strong. A lot like me, if I do say so myself." She continued, attempting a weak smile.

"But still," Harry said, his voice trailing off as he looked at his best friend, his own expression mimicking the one he'd just witnessed on her face.

"Yeah," Hermione sighed, "But still. Enough about that now though, Harry. The bastard's gone and if I have anything to do with it, he'll never show his face around here again. Now, lunch?" She smiled, a genuine one this time as she grabbed her coat off the back of her desk chair and breezed out of her office before giving the other a chance to reply.

Harry smiled and walked out after her, trying to leave his own over-protective concerns behind.

Once they had arrived at Diagon Alley, Harry immediately offered his arm, and Hermione took it without hesitation. A camera flashed to their left but they both ignored it, they were used to the media circus which had surrounded them ever since Voldemort's downfall, and whilst they had initially assumed it would die down after a while, after seven years they had learned to accept that it was just another part of being 'The Golden Trio' that they had to deal with.

"Where to, m'lady?" Harry asked gleefully, his eyes darting around the once-again lively shops and stalls of Diagon Alley as he enjoyed what remained of the late-September sun.

"As if you need to ask," Hermione responded with a roll of her eyes. Harry beamed back at her, knowing she would always let him drag her to his favourite place, and headed towards the doors of the rustic-style French restaurant which had opened in the spot where Ollivander's used to be soon after the end of the war.

Hermione once again inspected the interior as Harry spoke to a hostess and got them a table towards the back. She had always liked this place, but at times it still made her a little sad. The walls were painted an almost golden yellow and were covered with landscapes depicting the French countryside, hundreds of shelves were filled with a variety of wines, and potted plants were left to grow untrimmed giving the place a warm, homely feel. And yet, beneath the redecoration Hermione could still make out the skeleton of the shop where she had purchased her wand, the first physical proof she had that she was a witch, her introduction into a new life. Not to mention the memories this place brought up of the war. She looked at Harry sitting across from her, scanning the menu in front of him with a furrowed brow as if they both did not already know what he was going to order.

She worried about him. Harry. Once the war had ended, he and Ginny had got married right off the bat. They were happy, she knew that. With Voldemort gone, a great weight had been lifted off his chest, she only worried that he hadn't properly dealt with everything that had happened.

He looked up at her at that moment and asked if she was ready to order. She nodded and they called over a waitress who knew their order without even having to ask and walked off to pass it on to the chef.

Harry chuckled and placed his elbows on the table, "Are we that predictable?" He asked. Hermione laughed and they fell into an easy conversation.

Just as their food was arriving, the front door to the small restaurant opened and Hermione couldn't help giving a sharp intake of breath as she saw the new customer walk in.

"What?" Harry asked, his mouth already full of bread and stew as he noticed his friend's reaction.

Hermione sighed and tried to relax her suddenly tense posture. "Don't look now," she said, "but Draco Malfoy just walked in." Harry immediately spun around to see for himself, of course, before returning to face Hermione, his own body now tensing as he swallowed his food.

"Let's go," he said, immediately removing his napkin from his lap and placing it atop the table.

"No," Hermione replied quickly, placing a hand on top of his, her eyes still fixed on the back of Malfoy's head, "he hasn't seen us and he's sitting with his back to us. Besides, it looks like a business meeting. He won't even notice we're here. And why should we leave anyway? We've already ordered our food. Sit down, Harry." She insisted as Harry was still paused in an odd half-standing position.

"Fine," he said, sinking back down into his seat, "bloody git." And he returned to his meal with a foul look on this face. Hermione sighed, 'I guess lunch is ruined, then…'

When they had both finished eating, they paid quickly and left, turning their heads as they walked past the table where Draco Malfoy was still entertaining what appeared to be a business client.

Once they had burst free of the tiny restaurant, Hermione heaved a great sigh of relief and turned to Harry, who still appeared to be sulking.

"Oh, come on Harry," she pleaded, grabbing his arm again and ignoring another camera flash, "don't let Draco-bloody-Malfoy ruin your day, he's a slimy git and…"

"I know, I know," Harry sighed, coming to a stop just outside the entrance to The Leaky Cauldron, "I just wasn't expecting to see him that's all." He ran a hand through his dark hair, his troubled eyes looking over Hermione's head. Hermione smiled humourlessly, giving Harry's shoulder a supportive squeeze.

Despite his hopes and fervent efforts, the Malfoy family had escaped the post-war criminal trials relatively unscathed and Hermione knew that the idea of Draco Malfoy roaming the streets consequence-free troubled Harry greatly. It really was dreadful luck to run into him. Now that she thought about, as far as she knew neither she nor Harry had seen the Malfoy heir for at least five years.

A brief curiosity washed over her as she wondered just what Draco Malfoy was up to these days, but she shrugged it off quickly. Her life was perfect right now, as long as whatever he was doing stayed firmly away from her she really couldn't care less.

"Come on Harry," she pleaded, returning her thoughts to the man in front of her and putting on a bright smile, "today is a happy day, remember? How about you buy me a quick butterbeer and then we can head back to my nice shiny new office." The troubled look on Harry's face faded and he laughed, taking his best friend's arm once more and leading her into The Leaky Cauldron.

"Come on, Clara baby," a sultry voice said as Harry and Hermione rounded the corner to her new office, "it'll be fun. And I'll be there…"

Hermione paused at the end of the corridor, about to give a piece of her mind to the man who was currently leaning over the desk and caressing the cheek of her obviously intimidated and even more obviously uninterested secretary.

"Za-" she began before…

"ZABINI!" Hannie's voice cut her off as she stormed up to their department's greasiest lawyer, grabbing him by the ear as she yanked him away.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" The pint-sized blonde said in her deadliest voice as she squared up to her much taller opponent, clearly not intimidated in the least. Blaise Zabini smirked in the face of his adversary as he tried, and failed, to weasel his way out of her harsh grip.

"I was just inviting pretty little Clara here to a party tonight, I don't suppose you'd want to do me a favour and bring her along, would you?" He smiled, his mahogany eyes glinting devilishly. Hannie scoffed and twisted his ear, causing the briefest flash of pain to cross his face.

"No, Zabini, as it happens I have no interest at all in attending a party at which you or any of your equally slimy friends will be guests. And I'm quite sure that 'pretty little Clara'," she grimaced as she spat out the derogatory nickname, "has absolutely no interest in joining you either, is that right, Clara?" She asked, turning directly to face the secretary who shook her head vigorously.

"There," Hannie said, smiling with satisfaction, "now unless you had some actual business skulking around our office I suggest you fuck off," she said, beginning to lead him towards the exit.

"Ah ah ah," Zabini sang with his signature smirk still gracing his features, "no can do kiddo, I have business to attend to with your new boss, and since she has yet to return from her romantic lunch date with Potter I suppose I'll just have to hang around here until…"

"That won't be necessary," Hermione snapped, stepping forward into the office space, "let's take this into my office, Zabini." She said, looking over her shoulder briefly to wave goodbye to Harry.

"Hermione!" Hannie exclaimed happily, "Should I…?" She asked, indicating her death grip on Zabini's ear.

"No need," Hermione replied, a small smirk of her own springing up, "Why don't you lead him into my office and I'll be there shortly."

Hannie laughed and dragged the unwilling lawyer behind her, continuing to berate him as they walked. Hermione paused to make sure Clara was alright, and once assured that she was fine, followed the two into her office and sat Zabini down before telling Hannie she could return to her desk.

"What can I do for you, Zabini?" Hermione asked, smiling innocently as she observed the disgruntled lawyer.

"We need your approval to dismiss a case. Some sodding fellow got drunk on firewhiskey and handed his entire collection of ancient muggle artefacts over to a stranger, of course now he's sobered up a bit claims the bloke stole them. It's a clear cut case but he's pushing for prosecution which we feel would be a waste of our resources, what do you think boss-lady?" Hermione grimaced at the nickname but took out her quill and made a note.

"Owl me the details. I'll have a look and get back to you by the end of the day." She said seriously. Despite his inappropriate behaviour, Zabini was a very good lawyer and an asset to her department. Were he not such a git she would probably have already spoken to her boss about promoting him.

He stood up, knowing a dismissal when he heard one, but stopped at the door before he left.

"By the way, Granger, about that party tonight," Hermione shot daggers at him but he gave her an exasperated expression before continuing, "calm down and let me finish…" Hermione rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair, but nodded nonetheless.

"I know you probably have celebratory plans with the Weasel," he said, smirking as though he already knew that Ron wouldn't be able to make it, "but if by any chance you're free you should really consider coming along. Not like that," he insisted, slightly offended by her surprised and somewhat disgusted expression, "there are going to be a lot of big names there. I know you hate that sort of thing but you're one of the big guns now, maybe you should consider trying your hand at some networking. It could be good for you, and for your future aspirations," he added, giving her a knowing look.

Hermione sighed but promised she'd think about it. Since Ron wasn't going to be home anyway, she might as well use this chance to try to expand her networking group.

"Oh and by the way," Zabini said, already halfway out the door, "do try and bring that pretty little secretary of yours along…" He shut the door behind him, narrowly missing the hex his boss had thrown his way.

A/N – It has been an extraordinarily long time since I've written anything. If you enjoyed it, please consider writing a review!

Thanks