Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

A/N: So this is written for QLFC (Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition).

I was asked to write a work-based friendship and here it is…

Words: 2433

Characters: Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger.

"Malfoy."

Draco looked up to see Mandi, one of his co-workers, looking down at him disinterestedly.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes?"

He was quite surprised that she was talking to him. Everyone mostly kept clear of him, ignoring how hard he'd worked to earn this respectable status of an Auror, because no one forgets the past. No one was ever going to overlook what he'd done in the Second Wizarding War –whose side he'd been on.

He rarely got to be at the scene of the crime or at arrests, especially if it was Death Eater related. People were scared that he would betray them and go join the criminals and leak all secrets of the Auror Department. They weren't wrong to doubt him but it still irked him to no end. He had, after all, worked twice as hard to obtain his position and all he got was drab paperwork. It wasn't fair.

"Chief Prewett wants to see you," Mandi said and walked away.

Draco felt something like a cold hand clench his heart. He had always been afraid of this.

Was he going to get fired? Was a there a new law passed that no one was to hire ex-Death Eaters?

Draco took a deep breath to calm his rapidly beating heart. He stood up and slowly made his way to the Chief's office, his hands clammy.

He reached the office in twice the time he usually would take but it still felt way too soon.

Draco knocked on the door and when he heard a grunt that sounded a little like "Come in", he stepped inside, carefully closing the door behind him.

"You wanted to see me, Chief?" he asked, trying his best to sound normal.

Draco saw he wasn't the only one in the room, besides Prewett. He saw the back of a familiar shaggy black head sitting on one of the two chairs.

"Yes," said Chief Prewett, a short and stout man who was balding at an alarming rate. "Please take a seat."

Draco grabbed the other chair and sat on it, seeing who the man was sitting beside him, out of the corner of his eyes. He nearly cringed when he recognized him.

Potter.

This could not possibly be anything good.

Harry and Draco both looked expectantly at Prewett, as he cleared his throat and joined his hands on the desk.

"Well, you two must be wondering why I summoned you here," he began, then looked at Draco, "Malfoy, did you know Potter's partner, Ronald Weasley, resigned recently?"

Draco had noticed Weasley's absence but didn't know he had resigned. "No, sir."

Prewett nodded. "Right. So naturally, Potter's in need of a partner."

Draco's heart sank. This was not going in the preferred direction. He could see the colour drain out of Potter's face, on his left.

Prewett continued, "So as you don't have a partner either –"

"I think I made it quite clear in the beginning that I will work alone, Chief, and you were only too happy to oblige," said Draco coldly.

Prewett narrowed his eyes dangerously and stared long and hard at Draco.

"Tell me, Malfoy," he hissed, "would you rather work alone or have a job?"

Draco's eyes widened. Did this git just threaten to fire me?

But he kept his cool. "A job, sir."

Prewett smirked. "I thought so," then he turned to Harry, "Any problems, Potter?"

"None, sir," said Harry through gritted teeth.

Prewett smiled nastily. "Excellent. Shake hands, boys. The two of you are now officially partners."

And that was the day Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, mortal enemies, rivals and co-workers became partners.

A week later…

"Are you deranged, Potter?" Draco asked angrily.

Needless to say, Draco and Harry's relationship wasn't getting any better.

"I'm not, Malfoy. You are," said Harry hotly.

"Really? Because I don't seem to remember using Avis on Faulkner," Draco said.

"I didn't mean to say it! I wanted to use the Body-Bind curse. Avis just came out, I don't know how!" Harry said loudly.

Draco scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"I don't care what you think. Besides, I recovered pretty quickly compared to you," Harry said, smirking.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

" 'Oh no, I've been Stupefied! What to do!' " Harry said in a very bad, high-pitched imitation of Draco.

Draco scowled and crossed his hands over his chest. "That wasn't how it was and you know it."

"You're a burden, Malfoy. A liability," Harry said.

In half a second, Draco had his wand out and was pointing it at Harry's chest. "Take that back right now or I swear I will –"

"What, Crucio me? Go ahead! You do know why they never let you –"

"Oh, not again," said an exasperated voice.

Harry and Draco both turned to look at who had spoken. Hermione –yes, Granger –stood there with her hands on her hips, glaring at them stonily.

Draco immediately lowered his wand, flushing slightly.

"This entire week, you two have been bickering like mad. Honestly, you're worse than Ron and me," Hermione said, sitting on top of a table. Her skirt had lifted a bit exposing a little of her thighs. Draco tried very hard not to stare.

Harry, however, was looking at her face. "We don't bicker. Bickering is friendly."

"No, it's not," said Hermione, "And to be perfectly truthful, I'm a little surprised that you two haven't killed each other yet."

"Not as much as I am about how you and Ron tolerated each other for five whole years. It's really no wonder you broke up," Harry said, grinning a little.

Hermione looked thoughtful. "Am I so bad that he had to leave the country after I broke it off?"

"I think you are," Draco said, finally being able to resist the temptation of ogling her fine legs, "because I would've left the continent."

Hermione glowered at him but it was friendly. "Assuming that I actually agree to date you."

Draco looked confused. "Isn't that why you broke up with Weasley in the first place?"

Hermione laughed. "You wish, Malfoy."

"I hate to break this up but we should go, Hermione," Harry said as he grabbed her hand a little too tightly and led her out of the office.

Harry checked the corner and whispered "Clear."

Draco nodded, his wand firm in his hand.

Harry said, pointing to the alleyway on the right, "You go that way."

"Don't give me orders, Potter. You're not my boss," Draco retorted, "Besides, both of us know there is nothing that way. I know what you're trying to do."

"And what is that?"

"You're trying to lead me in the wrong direction so you can catch Johnson all by yourself and bask in glory," Draco said.

"Merlin Malfoy, stop acting like a bloody five-year old!" Harry exclaimed.

"I don't care what you say. I'm coming with you," Draco announced.

"Whatever. I'm not taking the blame if Johnson manages to escape," Harry said.

"Fine."

With that, they turned the corner and found a locked door.

Harry tried Alohomora but it didn't work. Draco waved his wand and it clicked open.

Harry gaped at him. "How did you do that?"

Draco smirked smugly. "Like I'm going to tell you."

"You're an arse, Malfoy," Harry said, under his breath as he pushed open the door.

Before either of them knew what was happening, they were both unconscious.

Harry's head was pounding terribly. He touched his forehead and found it was bleeding. He groaned and tried to move but was unable to.

He opened his eyes and met darkness. His hands were tied at the back with a magical rope that was poisoning him slowly.

"Finally woken up, have you?" he heard the hollow voice of Draco Malfoy say beside him.

"Malfoy," Harry said with difficulty as his throat was parched, "Where are we? Do you have your wand on you?"

Draco wasn't even in the mood for a sassy comeback. "No. I have no idea where we are nor do I have my wand with me."

Harry nodded as fear started setting in. "Johnson?"

"Yeah. He knew we were coming. He was ready for us," Draco confirmed.

Harry swore under his breath.

"You do know what this means, right?" asked Draco.

"What?"

"We're going to die here."

"What! No, we won't! Are you giving up so easily?"

"Yes because there's no way out, Potter. We are tied with a rope that's slowly poisoning us, we don't have our wands, we don't know how to do wandless magic, this place is pitch-black and no one knows where we are!" Draco said loudly, "Exactly how do you think we're going to survive?"

Harry knew what he was saying made sense. Everything was against them. But…it was so soon. He was just twenty-two years old, for Merlin's sake! He had his whole life ahead of him.

Harry muttered. "You're right. We're dying."

They stayed silent for the next half an hour.

"Potter."

"Yeah, Malfoy?"

"How long do you think we have now?"

"Not more than a couple more hours."

"Darn, this is probably the worst way to die, all slow and painful."

"Can't argue there."

Silence prevailed again and this time, it lasted for an hour.

Time was ticking extra slowly. Harry and Draco could feel the burning sensation of the poison spreading throughout their body. After a while, they were so used to it, it felt like they had been living with it forever.

Their breathing was getting laboured. Neither could believe they were spending their last minutes on Earth with each other but both were grateful that at least they weren't alone.

It wasn't awkward, the silence; just numb. They were going to pass away without uttering a word…Harry knew they were. He thought about Ron and Hermione and Ginny. God…Ginny. He loved her so much. She would be devastated…but on the bright side, he would finally be meeting his parents and Sirius and Lupin and Dumbledore and Fred and Tonks and all the people he'd lost.

How ironic it was that he had lived seven years of his life constantly in danger and survived. Now that all was well, he was going to die by being tied up with a stupid venomous rope by a stupid, petty criminal. He had defeated the Lord Voldemort! The whole situation was ridiculous.

Harry heard it. He thought he had imagined it. If the voice had been quieter, he wouldn't have been able to hear it at all.

"I'm sorry."

It took a lot of effort for Harry to speak. "What?"

"I'm sorry. For everything," said Draco's dry voice.

Harry remained silent.

Draco continued. "I wouldn't dream of ever saying this to you under other circumstances but I…need to get it out. I'm sorry. I really am. For everything I've ever done."

Harry didn't know what to say, except, "It's okay."

Draco laughed mirthlessly. "Is it?"

"Not really. But you're not your father. You're a better person, Draco," Harry said earnestly.

"Sometimes I think I am but then I realize I'm a coward, just like my father. That's not being a better person. I've tried so hard to redeem myself these past five years but I guess what I did was not redeemable," Draco said depressed.

"I've forgiven you. I forgave you a long time ago," Harry confessed, very glad they couldn't see each other. It was easier to talk in the dark.

"You are such a big Gryffindor, Potter," Draco said.

Then Harry suddenly remembered something. "Hey Malfoy?"

"Yeah?"

"You have feelings for Hermione, don't you?" Harry asked, grinning.

Draco choked on air and sputtered, "What? Are you out of your mind?"

"It's true. I've seen how you look at her," Harry said.

Draco felt his face get hot. "Well, you're wrong."

Harry snorted. "You're going to die in half an hour, Malfoy. Lying to yourself isn't going to benefit you in any way."

"Fine. I do like her…a little," Draco said, as Hermione's thoughts plagued his mind.

"How about we make a deal?" Harry suggested.

"What kind of deal?" asked Draco suspiciously.

"Well…if we get out of here, you will ask Hermione out," Harry said.

Draco laughed at the absurdity of it all but played along. "What about you? What will you do?"

Harry thought hard. It didn't matter what he would say…he wasn't getting out of there anyway. "Er –I'll call Prewett an ugly arsehole to his face."

"Deal."

"Brilliant."

"Are you okay with me asking Granger out? Wouldn't you rather have Weasley end up with her?" Draco asked, curious.

Harry shrugged. "They're my best friends and they're each other's best friends as well but they aren't the best couple. They're too different. Whereas you and Hermione…well, you could work. Besides, you're not that bad."

"Thanks, Potter. 'Not that bad' definitely cuts it."

"You're not getting any more than that. You know, I'm okay with you being my partner." Harry tried to sound as casual as possible.

"Same. You're not that bad either, Pott –" Draco was cut off as they suddenly heard a crash and the room flooded with blinding light.

"You know the deal, Draco," Harry said, biting into a Chocolate Frog.

Draco groaned. "I can't believe I agreed to that."

Harry shrugged, smirking wickedly. Oh, this was going to be fun to watch.

"Well, it's your fault. Anyway, Hermione will be coming any second so be ready," Harry said.

Immediately following Harry's words, Hermione burst into the office.

"Hey Harry! Hi Draco!" she said cheerily.

"Hey Hermione," said Harry, "Ready for lunch?"

"Yes. Let me just catch my breath. It's been crazy in the office today –" she broke off, noticing Draco, "Draco…why are you looking at me like that?"

Draco gulped nervously and blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, "WouldyouliketogotodinnerwithmethisSunday?"

Hermione goggled at him. "Pardon?"

Draco took a deep breath. "Would you…like to go to dinner with me…on Sunday?"

"Oh!" she said, blushing slightly. Draco's heart sank. She wasn't going to agree to it…she didn't like him. He was just making a big fool of himself (Damn Potter) and –

"Sure," Hermione said, smiling.

Draco's heart swooped and he widened his eyes at her. "What did you just say?"

"Yes. Yes, I'll come to dinner with you on Sunday, Draco" she said, grinning.

"Are you serious?"

"For the last time, yes."

Suddenly, they heard footsteps and saw Chief Prewett exiting his office.

Draco grinned at Harry. "Ready?"

Harry winked. "As I'm ever going to be…Hey Chief!"

Prewett looked at Harry. "What is it, Potter?" he asked irritably.

"You're an ugly arsehole!"

A/N: Yeah, not very happy with it but I had a deadline. This is actually pretty terrible. I admit.

Review!