Hey, guys! I guess my summary has intrigued you :) A World Made Out Of Sugar does happen to be the first fanfic that I've ever posted here, so I apologise if I've made any mistakes Thanks for checking AWMOOFS out.

~ Annemarie

this world is made out of sugar: it can crumble so easily, but don't be afraid to stick your tongue out and taste it.

Hermione sighed, rubbing her aching temple as she wished, not for the first time, to be back at home cuddling Crookshanks deep under the covers of her warm bed. While she loved her job of working as an Investigative Auror, their current case had every member of her team surviving on little sleep and a copious supply of coffee. Hermione's team was usually one of the most efficient, closing cases in extraordinarily quick amounts of time, the shortest being exactly 12 minutes. Their present case? Two months in and yet to be solved.

Across from her, Harry scrambled to open and read through yet another nearly empty file, his green eyes glazed over with exhaustion. Usually, it would be odd to have Harry working on a case with her, with him being the head of the Auror office, but the deadline before they had to give the case up to the larger French Ministry Of Magic was in just minutes and Harry was never one to give up a case he believed could be solved by them.

Hermione let the file she was holding fall from her fingers, causing a large bang to resound through the meeting room. Every single person just seconds away from dozing off, flinched in surprise, Hannah Abbot completely falling off her chair. Harry just looked up tiredly.

"A new lead?" Harry asked hopefully. Hermione stood up and stretched her stiff legs and arms.

"Nope."

Hermione grabbed her bag before making her way out of the room.

Harry called after her confusedly. "Then where are you going? You aren't giving up, are you?"

Hermione snorted. Like hell she was going to hand over her case.

"I'm going to go beg Shacklebolt to let us extend our deadline," Hermione said, her voice fading away as she moved down the long hallway connecting the meeting room to the main Auror office. "You guys can rest for a while."

Hermione couldn't help but give a little smile at the heavy sighs of relief that came from behind her.

Hermione's heels clicked as she made her way down to Kingsley Shacklebolt's office, revising her mini speech once more in her head before knocking tentatively.

Shacklebolt's deep voice practically resonated through the thick, wooden door. "Come in."

Hermione gave herself a little shake before she burst into the room with confidence she didn't really feel. Shacklebolt stopped her before she could have even opened her mouth.

He regarded her coolly, his dark eyes taking in her only somewhat tamed hair and the dark circles under her eyes. Suddenly self-conscious of her tired appearance, Hermione patted down her hair a little in a valiant attempt to make it behave.

"The case isn't closed, is it?" he asked wryly.

Something close to shame welled up in Hermione. "No," she said softly, "but if we have more time mayb-"

Hermione was cut off by Shacklebolt, who raised a hand, instantly silencing her. Shacklebolt started to organise the papers strewn over his desk.

"Don't bother, Miss. Granger."

Hermione stared at him with a lump in her throat. Maybe others would have handed off the case without a second thought, but she was different. This would be the first case she had failed to solve. The first case that she, the supposed "smartest witch of the year" would have failed to close.

Shacklebolt's face seemed to soften as he looked at her worried face, and after a few seconds let out a huff of air before leaning back in his chair.

"Miss. Granger, do you really want to finish this case off?"

Hermione nodded her head slowly, hope spreading through her body like wildfire. "Yes. Very much so." she said quietly.

Shacklebolt stared at her for a minute, before finally giving in to whatever he was thinking. "The French Ministry Of Magic has said that it will come to a compromise with us. We can continue to try and solve the case. In France."

Hermione frowned, confused. Working with them in France? That would require the entire team traveling to France, and while that might not be the hardest thing to do with magic, the act of having to work with their rivals, would most definitely not be the easiest. Ever since the British Ministry Of Magic had started to beat France's record of solved cases, the infamous competition between the two just grew stronger. To have to give up a major case to them would be extremely disappointing.

Quickly realising Hermione's confusion, Shacklebolt elaborated.

"Miss. Granger, they have requested that you, and only you, go work with one of their best Investigative Aurors, while the rest of your team tries to find leads here in Britain. Would you be prepared to do that?" he asked, thrumming his fingers against the wooden desk as he watched the tired brunette in front of him battle herself to come to a conclusion.

Hermione stared at Kingsley for a moment before giving him her answer. If she didn't take up the offer, she would be left with easier cases, and could stay as far away as she wished from her French rivals and an unfamiliar partner. But if she didn't... A defiant flame rose up in her. Hermione Granger didn't quit. Not now, not ever.

"Yes."

Sorry that this chapter was so short. I promise that the next one will be longer and have everybody's favourite ferret too.

all my love, Annemarie