The tangled brown mane was just peeking out from underneath the comforter. To anybody just glancing in, it would've looked like another cat to accompany the one already slipping into the room. But her mother knew better and watched as the red cat sat right on top of her daughter's head.
"Wha - ? Oh, Crookshanks, go back to bed," she heard her mumble. "Mum won't be here until nine."
"Fix your clock, Love, it's nine o' five," the mother smiled as Hermione shot up, Crookshanks flying off a second before it was too late.
"Mum! Wha - ? Nine o' five?" a hand went up to bury itself in her nest of hair.
"Yes," Olivia Granger smiled as she walked towards her only daughter, "Are you ready?"
"No," she lowered herself back into bed, "No I am not. Five more minutes."
"Nope!" Olivia chirped, "Time to get ready for your first day at work!"
"Mum, that only works with school," Hermione muttered before getting up to stretch.
"Got you up, though!" she sang as another girl came in. She had bright red hair and numerous freckles on her face, a suspicious looking black bag in her hand.
"Mione!" she sang, holding the bag up for her to see, "Lookie! I get to help your mum torture you!"
Hermione paled a little before turning to her other, who was going through her closet, "Mum! Ginny? Why?"
Ginny huffed, "Because I am your best friend, Miss Granger."
"I don't remember saying that."
"It was implied," she said with a slight glare, which Hermione grinned back at.
"Hermione Jean Granger," her mother said, "Get dressed right now! You're going to run late!" Her mother had laid out a black knee-length skirt and a white blouse, along with shiny black heels. Hermione smiled as she took the items and went into the bathroom to shower and change. Once she did change, however, she found that the clothes were tighter than they had been in the store. And she'd just bought them the other day.
"Ginny!" she yelled, making the redhead snicker.
Hermione walked into her room only to be pushed to sit down on the bed. The black bag had contained make-up and some magical hair gel. She sighed as she let Ginny and her mother do their work. Ginny was trying to duplicate the hairstyle she had worn to the Yule Ball while Olivia was doing her make-up.
When they were done, Ginny had successfully done Hermione's hair and Olivia had given her daughter a natural appearance.
"Go get 'em, Mione!" Ginny said as she hugged her, being careful not to mess up her appearance.
"Good luck at the Ministry," Olivia smiled before hugging her daughter as well, "I know you'll be great."
"You need to quit scaring secretaries away," Blaise Zabini frowned at his friend, "I mean, seriously mate, you frighten them."
Draco shrugged as he leaned against Blaise's desk, Luna Lovegood dancing in and handing some papers to Blaise.
"I'm afraid I have to agree with Blaise, Draco," Luna frowned at a paper before handing it to him with a shrug, "You're terrifying to some people."
"Why not you?" Draco asked.
"Because I know that you're all hiss and no bite," she smiled dreamily before walking past him to her own desk.
"Weirdo," Draco , muttered before noticing Blaise's glare, "Oh, right, sorry, you fancy her."
"Go to your own office," was all Blaise said before Luna shut the door violently, looking a little shaken. "Luna, what's wrong?"
"Draco, don't go out there," Luna said, blocking the door.
"What? Lovegood, I have to go," Draco told her, "My secretary is coming, or have you forgotten?"
"No, but, I – it's," her silver-blue eyes shifted from him to Blaise, "Oh fine. But I warned you!"
Draco started to the door but faltered, looking at Luna a little nervously, "Err…Luna? Who's out there?"
"You wouldn't believe me."
He looked over at Blaise, who shrugged, and then turned to Luna again, "Try me."
All she did was open the door and motion to leave, looking a little sad. He walked out of Blaise's office, both Luna and a curious Blaise following him.
"Holy crap, no way," Blaise gasped quietly as Draco blinked.
"There is no way…" he started to himself before turning to the others, "That can't be her. She looks too nice."
Luna shot him a nasty look before calling out, "Hermione!" She then shoved her and Blaise back in the office, no doubt locking the door.
"Luna?" the woman asked as she turned around to find Draco Malfoy, standing there and staring at her, "Malfoy?"
"Granger?" he asked as if he still couldn't believe it was her.
"Don't tell me…" she pointed to the office behind her new station, which another wizard and shown her to. He wordlessly nodded and she groaned as she dropped into the seat, lowering her head and staring down at the wood until a hand appeared next to her. She looked up and saw that he was leaning against her desk, smirking down at her.
"Looks like I'm your new boss, Granger," he said before disappearing into his office. There was no way he'd scare this secretary away. Blaise had asked nicely. It was only right that he obey his friend's wishes, even if it was the first time he'd ever done so.
"I don't think he'll have much lucky scaring Hermione away," Blaise whispered behind the closed door.
"Hermione wouldn't run off anyway. They're much more likely to kill each other," she whispered back as she straightened her skirt and turned to the door again.
"Better go prepare his epitaph then," Blaise muttered, "'Draco Malfoy – Killed by a Bookworm. Everybody Rejoiced.'"
