Hey everyone...so I know I am currently in the middle of posting my third installment of my version of HP but I am in the middle of writing the fourth installment and took a case of writers block and so I took to reading a few FF stories and became inspired to write a quick something to free up my mind.I am not sure if I will post this as a One Shot or a small multi chapter story but it will not interfere with my current story I am posting...if you dont know me then feel free to browse my page and read my other stories.Let me know if you want me to continue on with this or not...so on with the story. I hope you like it...even if you dont let me know in the reviews.PLEASE REVIEWPLEASE REVIEWPLEASE REVIEWPLEASE REVIEWHermione

Five years had passed since Harry had won the war, he and Ginny and became a couple and then broke up and eventually got back together again. Ginny was a chaser for the Holyhead Harpies and Harry had went on to become an auror.

Ron joined Harry for two years before going to work with George in the joke shop, our relationship was a different story...we were not meant to be I knew that from the get go but once you spent so much time wanting something and eventually you get the chance to have it you at least have to try.

Ron and I tried for six months and then crashed and burned and he had been dating wait for it Pansy Parkinson for a year now and going strong, Neville and Luna had been together since the battle also and were married last year, he had taken over for Professor Sprout as Head of Herbology and Luna was travelling all over the world documenting Magical Creatures.

After graduating from Hogwarts at the top of my class I ended up getting a job in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and loved it, although I did not have a boyfriend my work feels incredibly rewarding and challenging enough that I don't need a man. It was Five on a Friday and I was more than ready for the weekend even though I knew what was coming and that I couldn't possibly get out of it.

I headed for the lift and apparated home to my wonderfully cozy two bedroom apartment and all I needed was a shower and food, two years ago I became Vegan when I saw how the animals were treated, joined a yoga class and grew my hair out before using a sleakeasy shampoo on my hair which sat straight or in perfect curls down to my waist. I was no longer bushy haired Granger...but actually held the attention of men not that I cared.

After showering and sitting down to my Tofu Stir-fry with Charles Dickens I couldn't help but think of what was to come...the Invitation sat on the coffee table like a plague, the fifth annual Charity ball was happening to celebrate the war and I was being forced to go because I was a ministry employee and it was mandatory but in all honesty I could think of a dozen ways to better spend a Saturday night and dancing with bureaucratic idiots was not one of them.

Crookshanks chose that moment to jump on my knee and gave me the courage I needed to go and that's how I stood the following night in a black strapless dress that just trailed behind me slightly and black shimmering shoes, my hair was worn down with two pieces cropped back in a silver clip with my silver necklace that held blue Lapis Lazuli inside and my black clutch before feeding Crooks and apparating to the Ministry.

Arriving in the atrium felt foreign because it looked nothing like it usually did and all of the tables lined up around the room Were covered in while linen and taffeta. I could already see people I knew and did not particularly want to speak to so I headed straight for the bar finding Harry there.

"Thank God...Ginny is training and I am here alone...please be my date..." Feeling through the crowd I can always spot the Harry Fangirls a mile away and all he could do was nurse his glass of whiskey while I made fun of him.

"Oh Harry you are too soft..." Spending a good ten minutes talking to Harry about his life as we haven't had the chance to catch up recently we were interrupted by the crowd going quiet as Draco Malfoy and Narcissa Black walked into the room looking every bit the royalty they appeared to be.

After the War Narcissa divorced Lucius whom got life in Prison and became a Black. From the rumours she was living in London and Draco had been cleared thanks to Harry and took over the Malfoy Fortune and now runs a Charity for victims of the war.

He became quite the businessman and had made daddy's fortune into a huge business and had made himself millions of galleons in the process. Narcissa was wearing a stunning red dress with black shoes and accessories, much to my surprise Kingsley walked over to them both and greeted them, Draco had the same idea as myself and was heading straight for us.

"Granger...Potter..." The young man looked well, he seemed more at ease with himself, after ordering a glass of Whiskey for himself and a glass of red wine for his mother he turned his attention back to us. "No Weaselette this evening Potter?" Harry just shook his head and the two were surprisingly at ease considering their history.

"Wow a full conversation a no taunts being cried at each other...this must be a new record." Harry then proceeded to explain that Draco and he would meet at least once a month for drinks to which I could only punch him the arm.

"Oww blimey Hermione what the hell?" I just stuck my tongue out to him and told him he deserved it.

"I know we have moved on from the war but you couldn't drop it into conversation that you were having man dates with Malfoy." Harry shook his head and downed his Whiskey in two seconds flat.

"Look I am Sorry but we have barely seen you because you have been working and also it's not a big deal I mean sure he is pompous and arrogant and Malfoy..." The blonde boy looked slightly offended at that but Harry just continued on.

"In the grand scheme of things having a drink with a Malfoy is not a bad thing at least make the effort Hermione Lady Black and Draco are cool..." None of us had heard it until it was too late but a cold aristocratic voice soon made their presence known.

"Thank you Mr Potter...it seems you are always defending us..." Narcissa Malfoy in all her stunning glory had crept up behind us and in that moment I felt like I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me and so without another word I excused myself to go to the restroom.

Was I really working that much that I had become so disconnected from my friends? Had I become that person? I also just insulted the Malfoy and Black family simultaneously.

"Hermione!" Oh bloody hell...Pansy Parkinson was not what I needed right now, she was chipper and too much fakeness. Ever since she began dating Ron I so wished I could slap her upside the head.

"Pansy! Hello." The woman who I really had nothing in common with threw her arms around me and began talking a mile a minute.

"...and don't worry about not having a date I am sure we can find a nice handsome wizard to dance with you for the evening..." Not hearing the beginning of the conversation the latter part was enough to enrage me and yet she kept going.

"I mean I understand that you are an independent woman and all that but you could have at least made the effort to find a date instead of arriving Solo. It's one thing Harry coming solo because everyone knows he is dating Ginny but for a woman it's just sad..." Before I could say anything clicking of heels behind us both caught our attention.

Narcissa Black...I really couldn't bloody escape her tonight, Pansy Parkinson immediately straightened up and greeted her with air kisses and again could not stop her motor mouth, if she didn't stop Hermione was gonna fulfil what she wanted to and backhand the girl.

"I was just saying to Hermione that we can surely set her up with the most handsomest wizard...tell me is Draco dating anyone...I mean now that he has taken over the family business that would be a nice catch..." Before I could say anything and defend myself of sucker punch her Narcissa Malfoy actually laughed at her.

"I am sure Miss Granger can find her own dates especially in that dress without you showing her off like a bull in a meat market...and ever since Draco escaped your hooks and that of your family he has been seeing someone but it is still in the early days and does not wish for it to become public knowledge. I would advise you Miss Parkinson to not forget your place and speak out of turn again...with the amount of political power Miss Granger has not to mention her close personal friendship with Mr Weasley I would be careful what you say to her or you could end up in a very precarious position." Pansy just huffed and stomped on her heels before fleeing the bathroom leaving her with Lady Black.

"Thank you for defending me... especially after I was so rude to you and Draco outside...I apologise..." Again the pureblppded woman laughed and it sounded genuine this time not fake or haughty for Pansy.

"Miss Granger...you do not need to apologise I will admit it came as a shock for me too when I found out Mr Potter and my son were spending time together but it goes to show how much times have changed." All I could do was nod at the woman as she fixed her non-existent flaw in her make-up before pick by up Her clutch again and went to move before stopping right beside me I could smell her and she was Devine. It was as if all of my faculties ceased to work as she leaned into my ear to whisper something.

"That really is a spectacular dress Miss Granger...you wear it well." The older woman walked away from me and I exhaled a breath I wasn't even aware I was holding in. That conversation with Narcissa Black was the most intimate I had been in a long time, longer than I would care to admit but there was no way she was flirting with me...she was just being kind. Right?

I just held my head up high and proceeded to walk back out to the party, I danced with Harry, Neville, Kingsley and even Draco and drank with Minerva, Hagrid, Luna and Daphne Greengrass. All night however I kept feeling as if someone was watching me and sure enough each time I turned my head a pair of icy blue eyes met my own and sent shivers down my spine.

The night was winding down to a close and I said my goodbyes to everyone and walked towards the apparition point to meet none other than the woman that had made me lose my focus all night and stood silently behind her.

"It seems we keep bumping into each other..." I knew I sounded like an idiot but the silence was killing me, the woman knew I was here and plastered on her face all night was a slight smirk.

"It seems we do...and apparently we live close by also...I was talking to Mr Potter and apparently you live in St Paul's Crescent and I live in St Paul's Court. We are practically neighbours..." She smiled at me but there was hints of amusement in her voice, I really felt stifling hot standing next to her and once we got to the front of the cue she went to walk away from me without another word and I grabbed her arm to stop her.

"I'm sorry...would you like to grab a coffee tomorrow? I know this lovely little cafe I think you would just love..." I have never been brave enough to ask a man out before never mind a woman, never mind Draco Malfoy's mother but there was something about her that made me brave.

"I shall meet you at 12..." She turned to me and leant forward which gave me an amazing view of her chest which was something else I haven't done before...admire a woman's chest. "Really, truly extraordinary dress..." She walked away from me and apparated without looking back and with a new sense of confidence I went home looking forward to the following day.

Was it a date? I really don't know but I had to remind myself to thank Ginny for convincing herself to buy the dress, as it hung on its hanger on the back of my bedroom door I remember nearly collapsing at the price but it was worth every single knut.

PLEASE REVIEWPLEASE REVIEWPLEASE REVIEWPLEASE REVIEW