A Mysterious Attraction

Disclaimer: characters belong to J.K. Rowling!!


"Well, well, well. Who do we have here? Hermione Granger," Draco said with a cocky smirk. Hermione groaned loudly. Please don't let it be who I think it is! she begged herself. She turned around to see her new boss and forced a smile. Even if he was going to insult her, she was going to stand strong. One, because he was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and could easily fire her if she riled him up even though she was the best worker in the Ministry, and two, because she was 25 years old, for Merlin's sake. Her childish hatred for him had been dormant for seven years now. She wasn't about to allow the old hatred for him resurface, and she was definitely not about to hex her new boss. She just hoped that he wouldn't make it too difficult.

"Now I know what you're thinking," Draco said in a crisp and smooth voice. Huh, the usual drawl is gone, Hermione thought to herself. But then again, the last time I heard him speak was seven years ago… Draco was still talking, ignorant of what was going on in her head.

"It's been seven years since we've seen each other even though we've been working in the same place. And now that I am your boss, I don't want us to live in the past. So now, I'm proposing a truce. We can't have correlations at work, and no insults and only civil conversation, alright?" Hermione raised a brow at this, and Draco rolled his eyes. He knew she was questioning his sincerity and trustworthiness.

"If we do exchange insults," he added, "let's make sure it's outside of work and the Ministry." He looked into her auburn eyes and held out his hand. Hermione looked at it warily and felt a sudden squeeze of her heart. He was actually going to be civil to her? He really must be dedicated to work. How else would he have ended up as her boss and not the other way around?

Hermione looked back up at his stoic face, a well-masked business man through and through. She took his hand, and to her surprise, it was warm. Funny, I always thought he was just generally a cold person, she thought. She mentally kicked herself. I've got to move on from the past! Hermione smiled up at Draco as they shook hands.

"Let's start anew," she said. Draco chuckled.

"I finally got a word out of you. And I don't know if we can, but I certainly can live without the insults here at work." Draco still kept a tight hold on her hand although they had stop moving their arms up and down. Hermione smiled at him.

"I'll agree to your terms, but I do want to know one thing." Draco cocked a brow.

Hermione yanked her hand out of his and slapped his arm lightly with the papers she held in her other hand. "How the hell did you become my boss?!" Draco laughed, a nice sound and so different from his cruel laughter back at school.

"Hard work, Granger. Hard work. Now get to it." He turned on his heel and walked out of her office, closing the door behind him. Hermione rolled her eyes. That meeting had gone much better than she had expected.


Several knocks sounded on Hermione's office door the next morning, but she didn't look up. "Come in," she said as she continued to write. She heard the door open, then close and footsteps approached her desk.

"Granger, I've got your first case for you," a crisp business voice said from above her. She looked up to see the familiar grey eyes and short white-blonde hair of Malfoy.

"Really?" she asked in anticipation, and Malfoy cocked a brow at her excited tone. Hermione truly was excited. For the last few months, she had done nothing but paperwork, writing Howlers and warnings, deliver tea to the Minister and Senior Undersecretary, and file papers. Now, she was finally going to be a part of something big and exciting.

"Yes, really. It's on the recent murder." Hermione gasped. That was indeed large, crucial, and a very important case.

"You're trusting me with this?" she asked flabbergasted. Draco cocked a brow again.

"You certainly are the best worker in this Department, aren't you? And didn't you find the counter-potion that was used to reveal the tunnel where the abused and half-dead werewolf was hidden only two months ago? It is a pity you weren't given the case."

"You weren't even working here then! How did you know?" Hermione asked, looking down at her papers while blushing at the compliment.

"Word travels fast. And I have been working in this Department a tad longer than you, so I do have my sources." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Okay, fine then. I'll take this case." Draco nodded and dropped the large folder onto her neatly organized desk.

"Good. So far, we know that the murder had taken place in Venice, Italy, in a secluded alley. That was where the body was found and, after some spells done in the area, it is concluded that the murderer killed with magic and covered his tracks up well." Hermione nodded and looked at the folder. "And I expect you to have a suspect in at least a month," he added, then turned and began walking to the door. Hermione gaped at his backside, flabbergasted.

"Malfoy! There is no way anyone can find one suspect in only a month!" she said desperately. Draco continued walking, and when he reached the door, he opened it, then turned to look at her.

"You are the best worker in this Department, aren't you? And weren't you the smartest witch back in school?" he asked. Hermione scowled as he shut the door soundly.

"It doesn't mean I can work at a super speed!" she yelled at the door.

Three weeks had passed since the meeting with Malfoy, and Hermione hadn't spoken to him since then, besides sending him memos of the current information she found, which he never replied to. She saw him sometimes in the halls and they would acknowledge each other usually with a nod, but other than that, nothing. She spent time with her new boyfriend, Ron, and Malfoy always eyed them whenever they walked through the corridors together, and she began to wonder why. When she met his steel grey eyes, he only raised a brow and continued walking; but that was only usually when she was with Ron.

Lately, that certain murder had been taking over her life. Working in the Department of Law Enforcement only as a paper pusher wasn't so exciting, but it sure was important; without her, many cases probably wouldn't have even taken off as far as it had. Was that why Malfoy had given her the murder case? If that was right, he was smarter than she expected. Well, he was in fact her boss.

Currently, she had found three men free of any previous crimes that were heavily suspected to be the murderer of the late Senior Undersecretary of the Minister of Magic based on trustworthy evidence. The murder had caused an uproar within the Wizarding community and more Aurors had been assigned to protect the Minister and his undersecretaries. Not only that, but Dolores Umbridge had been next in line for the title of Minister. Now, exactly how were they going to get close to these three men without causing any real disturbance…?

"Granger!" a voice suddenly said. Hermione looked up from the papers she had been staring aimlessly at, her thoughts scattered.

"Hmm? Malfoy?" she said with a raised brow. Draco entered her office for the first time in three weeks. He sauntered in and stood to the side of her desk and crossed his arms while looking down at her.

"How are you doing on the case?"

"It's going well. I narrowed it down to three suspects and-"

"Yes, yes, I know that," Draco said, cutting her off with an impatient wave of his hand. "But what else did you find? Do you know where their homes are?" Hermione clenched her teeth and restrained herself from drawing her wand out and hexing him.

"Well, no," Hermione said bitterly. "I'll try harder." Draco put his hands on the desk and leaned down so he was at her eye level.

"I know you can do it faster. After all, you're Hermione Granger, the best worker in this Department. That's why I gave you this mind-boggling case." Hermione cast her eyes down at the paper, her lips forming a smile at the compliment. It was silent for another moment before Draco stood up straight again.

"Do you need anything else?" she asked, looking up and placing her elbow on the desk and resting her chin on her hand.

"Yes, actually," he said in that same smooth business-like voice he had attained over the years, "An important ball is coming up and I need you to come with me." Hermione's eyebrows raised high on her forehead. Is he asking me on a date?! she thought to herself, feeling her pulse begin to raise a little.

"Excuse me? What makes you think I'd want to go with you?" she asked him out loud. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Don't get your bloody knickers in a twist. It's not what you think. The man hosting this ball is the same man that is one of the three suspected of murdering Umbridge." Hermione gaped.

"How did you-" she spluttered. Malfoy smirked and pulled a crisp, white envelope out of his pocket and threw it on her desk.

"I've got connections. Now, it's tomorrow night and it's a formal ball. So wear fancy robes. I'll pick you up at eight from your office." Draco stood up and began to walk towards the door.

"But Malfoy! I don't have the money to buy a really fancy gown!" He rolled his eyes at her.

"Granger. I never said you have to buy anything. Just go and find something suitably fancy from your wardrobe." He turned once again.

"Malfoy! I don't have anything fancy in my wardrobe!" She heard him sigh heavily and he turned back to her. He walked towards her with his hand inside the pocket in his robes.

"Here," he said after standing for a second in front of her desk. He placed down a purple hefty bag. "If that's not enough, owl me for more." He turned around yet again and this time walked out, ignoring Hermione's protests. After the door closed, Hermione crossed her arms, staring at the velvet bag, obviously full of coins.

"Bloody wanker, that Malfoy is," she muttered. "Always having to flaunt his wealth to everyone." Hermione shrugged. "I'll just say it's a bonus for me working so hard. And anyway, I do need a pretty dress." She smiled at the beautiful possibilities and grabbed the bag and envelope, stuffing both into her pocket.