Chapter 1
"Granger!" Malfoy called, rushing down the hallway.
Hermione spun around, her hair flying wildly out of its normally perfect bun.
"What, Malfoy?" she asked irritably. She really was at the end of her rope. One snide comment from the blond ferret, and she'd be flying off the handle.
"Merlin Granger, are you blind?" he asked, cheeks red from running to catch up with her.
"Blind?" she sputtered. "Blind to what?"
"Merlin, how can you possibly be so dense?" he asked, his eyes wide with astonishment.
"Care to enlighten me, oh wise Malfoy?" Hermione spat sarcastically. "What part, of that blatantly prejudiced, racist, bigoted conversation did I miss?"
"You are such a Gryffindork. Running around, brazenly battling any unjust comment or situation in all your red and gold splendour," Malfoy scoffed.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you're going to resort to childish house rivalry, I have things to do, Malfoy," she hissed, turning to walk away.
His arm shot out to grab her wrist. "You just don't get it, do you?"
"Get what?" she huffed angrily. "Unlike you, I don't just sit around all day picking my nose. I have things to actually work on!"
"You need to learn the art of subtlety, Granger. You made a lot of enemies in that room."
"Subtlety?" she scoffed. "Why don't you tell those prejudiced bastards to subtly shut their blood-prejudiced mouths? Those enemies were formed the moment I was born!"
"Granger, you created more!"
"What?" she spat. "If everyone in that room decided that when I actually stand up for myself when someone blatantly insults me-"
"Merlin, just listen to me for a minute, would you?" Malfoy interrupted, exasperated. "Originally, there were people in that room who were on your side, Granger." She snorted. "There were! But what did you do? You became the antagonist by starting a row with those officials. Now, they are the victims of your rage." The light was slowly dawning in her eyes.
"You acted unprofessionally and proved yourself incapable of negotiating like any qualified lawyer would do. You did not compromise, you did not appear calm or collected, and you have lost your credibility, Granger. Now, when the others have to choose between you and those 'prejudiced, racist bigots,' they will choose the latter. Because you have proven to them that you cannot act appropriately when you are personally attacked. And guess what? That's what politics is, sweetheart."
"Don't you dare call me 'sweetheart'," Hermione snapped.
"Would you rather I call you a mudblood or a nitwit?" Malfoy sneered, finally losing his patience.
"And there he is, the Malfoy I know," Hermione smirked. "I was wondering where all that animosity had gone."
"Who's the prejudiced bigot, now?" he retorted.
"Prejudiced?" Hermione laughed cynically. "No, I'm merely extrapolating on past data points," she scoffed. "If you know so much about politics, why don't you run for Minister of Magic?"
"Malfoys have spent far too much time in the public eye," he replied evenly, dismissing it with the wave of his hand.
"HAH!" she snorted. "I beg to differ. You lot have spent far too little, Merlin-knows-what your family is always up to."
"Simple," Malfoy shrugged. "We want influence in how the wizarding world is run. Don't you want the same?"
She looked up at him suddenly, as if seeing him for the first time. "Yes," Hermione said after a short pause, surprised by her sudden understanding and calmness. "I do."
"And you have to admit that you've stagnated-"
"Stagnated?" Hermione broke in, slightly offended and on her guard. "Stagnated in what way?"
"Your career," Malfoy rolled his eyes. "When's the last time you've been promoted? Two years ago?"
"So? I was being promoted ridiculously quickly before. It only make sense to have a bit of a pause now."
"Merlin, Granger, you're the war heroine darling! If I can be promoted five times in the last five years, you ought to be far, far ahead of me."
"Too bad I can't buy my way up the ladder," she snarked. She was still reeling from the fact that he appeared to be… looking out for her. Hermione didn't know what to do with this new Malfoy, treating her as if she were really a colleague rather than unworthy of even the dirt beneath his shoes.
He glared at her. Finally, a button to push. "Assuming that I even currently have the financial resources to bribe, if I had bribed my way up, I'd be a hell of a lot further than I am right now. Believe it or not, sweetheart, I can get my way without bribing. Or blackmailing. Or bullying," he added arrogantly, just to cover all of his bases.
"Don't. Call. Me. Sweetheart," Hermione bit out frustratedly.
"Admit it," he stated blandly. "You haven't been moving up in your career because you're missing something. You had to transfer over from Care of Magical Creatures to Wizengamot Administration because you realized it yourself, too. You don't seem to understand, for instance, that politics is a game. It's chess."
"I've never been very good at chess," Hermione muttered.
"And I'm the grand master," Malfoy smiled crookedly.
Hermione was tapping her toe impatiently, one of her co-workers smirking knowingly as she listened to her boss drone on and on. Did he not realize that she clearly was leaving with her bag already packed and her coat nearly on? And yet, he continued to drone. Not that this wasn't an interesting case.
"I'm sorry, but I've really got to get going," Hermione sighed frustratedly as her boss continued to pile stacks of manilla folders onto her arms. "Louis, I've never asked to leave work early before, but I have a dinner that I can't miss. Can we pick this up tomorrow?" she asked.
Louis frowned. "I would have thought that you'd be more excited to begin this property dispute case between a vampire clan and the Merionto family. It involves magical creatures, which was the primary reason we took you into this department. Expertise and 'diversity' that hasn't really been needed until now."
"I am excited," Hermione smiled. "And I really do wish I could get started now. But, unfortunately, it's going to have to wait till tomorrow. I promise I'll get started bright and early, as usual!" Hermione called over her shoulder, already depositing the files on her desk and grabbing her coat and bag.
Her heels clicked quickly as she walked down the hall, past the Auror's offices where she bumped into Harry. He noticed her slightly frazzled look, and smiled knowingly.
"Dinner date tonight?" he asked, falling into step with her as they reached the lifts.
"Yes," she smiled. "I'm really running out of time, though to get ready. Ginny would kill me! Speaking of whom, how is she?"
"Great, I think she's got a game again this Sunday. Are you planning on being there?" Harry's smile widened as he thought of his brilliant Holyhead Harpies' chaser.
"I'm definitely going to try. There's been an interesting case that I have to prepare for the Wizengamot's trial in a couple weeks, dealing with vampires, actually," Hermione grinned excitedly. "I'm sure I can spare a few hours, as I'm sure the Harpies will smash their opponents flat before their previous time record."
"You know Ginny's boss too well," Harry chuckled, stepping out of the lift into the Atrium. "Never satisfied until their previous record is broken twice over." He waved as Hermione went towards the apparition spots. "See you Sunday!"
She apparated back to her flat, eyes widening as she looked at the clock. Hermione Granger would never, ever, simply toss her blazer on a chair and her files on the ground. But that was exactly what she did, flying to her bathroom in a flurry of red lipstick, mascara, and innumerous hair products that Ginny had bought for Hermione's birthday.
These were the moments when Ginny's painstaking drilling came in handy - Hermione knew automatically where each product was without having to look while she spelled her hair into shining waves. Gone was the all-business, slightly frizzy bun for her job in the Wizengamot administration.
Half an hour later, her floo chimed, signalling his arrival. She smiled at herself in the mirror. She checked her watch, a smile brilliantly lighting up her face. Right on time.
He was never on time.
They entered the restaurant, his arm wrapped snugly around her waist as she leaned into him. She gasped as she took in her surroundings.
"Oh, this is beautiful!" Hermione smiled, the dancing fairy lights casting vibrant colors across her face. She looked up at her favorite ginger, tip-toeing to peck him on the lips. "This is just gorgeous, Ron."
Not nearly as gorgeous as you, Ron thought as he studied his girlfriend. Her wild curls had been tamed to chocolate waves, shining like the warmth in her eyes. She was wearing a curve hugging red cocktail dress, draped asymmetrically to accentuate her beauty. He really was one lucky bloke.
He grinned back at her, kissing the top of her head. "I'm glad you like it."
"Of course I do! How could I not?" Hermione looked at him earnestly. "Let's just hope the food is as good as the ambiance," she said jokingly.
Ron looked mildly panicked. "I researched this restaurant, actually. Everyone said it was amazing so far so -"
"Relax," Hermione smiled, noting that she had rubbed off on him. Ron, researching? The world must be ending. "I'm sure it will be fabulous."
"Er- I hope so too," Ron said, looked relieved. "I mean, I really did put a lot of time into researching it-"
Hermione laughed. "Merlin, have I rubbed off on you too much?"
Ron was about to respond when the hostess beckoned for them to follow her. He held his breath as they were led to a private alcove, enclosed by a shimmering set of golden drapes. As the entered, he heard Hermione's gasp as she took in the beautiful table in front of them.
A pure white marble slab had been placed above a golden sculpture of vines, intertwining to support the main part of the table. The silverware had been perfectly crafted and shaped to mimic the same vine-like grace of the rest of the set, elegantly laid next to a set of crystal glasses and a cluster of blush-pink roses. Hermione's eyes watered, overwhelmed by the beauty.
"Ron…" Hermione trailed off, at a loss for words. "This is…" she choked a little.
Ron smiled, glad that she seemed to be awestruck. "I'm glad you like it. You do like it, right?" he double checked. He needed everything to be perfect. Hermione barely had the sense to nod, still taking in her surroundings.
"It's beautiful," she whispered. Ron could barely hear her, but glowed with pride once he had digested her whisper.
The food did not disappoint either, a light but satisfying appetizer of fine cheeses and fruits followed by the most juicy and tender duck confit she had ever had.
"Oh this is heavenly," Hermione hummed. "See how researching pays off?" she teased lightly.
Ron shrugged, smiling. "Yeah, I really do."
"So how was work today?" Hermione asked as she cut off another piece of heaven.
"It was normal," Ron stated simply. "Not much to report. The only Death Eaters still out there are Yaxley and Macnair - Lucius Malfoy's tips have doomed the rest."
Hermione shuddered at Macnair's name, remembering the brutal executioner. "So many creatures died at his hands… and humans, too."
Ron's hand twitched. "Yaxley's one of the worst, too. Daddy Malfoy mentioned…" Ron trailed off, shaking his head. "Never mind."
"What, Ron?" Hermione asked, her utensils stilling. "Is there something I should know?"
"No, I just didn't want to bring up the fact that he was supposedly the one in charge of finding you and your parents," Ron sighed.
"Oh," Hermione said simply, tensing up slightly. "Well, they're still in Australia. Alive. But they don't understand why I don't just forsake the wizarding world entirely."
Ron grasped her hand. "You have another family, here, and I don't think we could survive without you."
Hermione smiled thinly. Ron cleared his throat, awkwardly patting her hand before drawing away. "So how's work with, um, Trenglewood, right?"
Hermione looked at him oddly. "Trenglewood hasn't been my boss since I transferred departments, Ron."
"Oh, right, right," Ron frowned. "Err…"
Hermione waved it off. "Louis Hendricks, my current boss, is fair. Not altogether too friendly, and on occasion slightly irritable, but he's a good person with values. It's hard to find, even now that most of the Death Eater influence has been removed from the Ministry."
"Is that important, values, I mean?" Ron asked.
"Of course it is!" Hermione looked across the table, shocked.
"Well, you know what I mean. For the workplace," Ron tried to clarify.
"We're dealing with essential cases, every day," Hermione said tightly. "Imagine if you were on the short end of a corrupt bargain, where your case isn't even heard because someone like Louis was bribed-"
"I get it, Hermione. That was a dumb question," Ron said softly. Hermione frowned. Just because she wasn't part of the every day action that the Aurors faced didn't mean that her job wasn't just as important.
"Anyways, I ran into Malfoy today-" she began.
"Malfoy?" Ron interrupted.
She gave him a pointed look, which kept him silent. "Yes, Draco Malfoy. He was in my meeting today about the St. Mungo's experimental research malpractice suit. It was a nightmare."
"What happened?" Ron asked sympathetically. Hermione was slightly taken aback - it was rare for Ron to ever show an interest in her work.
"Well, the prejudice against muggleborns apparently transfers to ivory-tower magic academia. The researchers at St. Mungo's are brilliant, no doubt, but many are pureblooded and hold the belief that muggleborns are inferior and incapable of understanding high level magical health research. Which is utter bollocks given that many of the Department of Mysteries researchers are muggleborn, but apparently that's not legitimate enough for them," Hermione gritted her teeth. "I snapped at them, and Malfoy later took me aside to point out that I gained no political allies having lost my temper. Irritating for me to hear, but true nonetheless."
"I highly doubt that Malfoy of all people is a person to listen to, advice-wise," Ron commented. "Cowardly ferret is likely trying to save his own skin by manipulating you to think he's trying to help you out. Like father, like son. They're all snakes, the lot of them."
Hermione sighed. "It wouldn't surprise me, but I'm hoping for better. Besides, it doesn't do us well to hold onto past grudges. Ultimately, prejudice is what caused this war, and we won't be any better than the Death Eaters if we hold onto prejudices the same way that they did."
Ron looked at her oddly. "But it's the Malfoys."
Hermione grimaced. "I know… but I'd take hypocritical, manipulative cowards over a psychotic executioner any day."
Another menu and a few glasses of golden champagne later, a waiter and waitress were bringing out mouthwatering molten chocolate cake paired with a heavenly helping of rose-vanilla ice cream. Hermione couldn't help but smile as she recounted her finest memories of dates at Florian Fortescue's when she and Ron were first starting out.
"Do you remember that time when Crookshanks nearly smashed your ice cream cone into your face?" Hermione giggled.
"Bloody beast," Ron grinned lopsidedly, though it seemed a little tense. Hermione shrugged it off, passing it off as Ron's distaste for her half kneazle. Hermione noticed the two waiters hovering awkwardly around the table, having placed the desserts down.
"Thank you, " Hermione said pointedly, hoping to hint that they were dismissed. Ron cleared his throat. "Oh, Hermione, I meant to introduce you to our waiters tonight," Ron smiled nervously. Hermione furrowed her eyebrows.
"Oh! How do you know Ron?" Hermione asked conversationally.
The waitress shot Ron a semi-panicked look. Hermione tensed. Had this waitress and Ron-
"Well, first off, this is Will Yu, and this is Mary, and I'm me," Ron stumbled slightly over his words and then awkwardly fished around his jacket before standing up and beginning to walk towards Hermione.
"Of course I know you're you, Ron," Hermione rolled her eyes, thoroughly confused, until her boyfriend sank down on one knee before her, holding out a little velvet box. The pieces fell into place, and a glance at the name tags of Will You and Marry Me confirmed it.
Hermione gasped as she saw a deep ruby inset into a golden band, clutching her hand to her chest. "Oh Ron," Hermione choked out.
"Did you get it or do I have to say it straight? I guess I didn't realize how confusing it could-" Ron was interrupted with a kiss. When they broke away for air, Ron smiled.
"I take that as a yes?" he grinned.
"Of course you moron," Hermione laughed, allowing her fiance to slide the ring onto her finger. "Honestly though, that was probably the most confusing proposal anyone's ever had the misfortune to encounter."
"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Ron grinned right back, his happiness radiating as she laughed, agreeing.
Engaged: War Hero Ronald Weasley and Heroine Hermione Granger, the Daily Prophet's headline splashed across countless stores and dining tables in private homes.
Including Draco Malfoy's.
He took one look at the photo of Hermione's brilliant smile and the light glinting off her left hand before angrily throwing the entire issue into the flickering tongues of the fireplace. He kicked the chair roughly before stomping off and slamming the door behind him.
AN: Hello, my lovely followers! It's been far, far too long since I've updated anything, and I decided that since I was writing this and am quite a few chapters in, that I'd post it for you all. As you might be able to tell, this is starting off as a Romione, but I wanted to delve a little bit further into why their relationship wouldn't work in my world, rather than just cutting it off (cough I love THNW but it was my first fanfiction...). Be prepared for a long story and long breaks in between updates, as I'm finishing up my first year of college! This is going to be political, as well as plenty of biology (you know me). Please review, you'll be hearing from me soon!