This is my first ever fic. I'm just writing it for fun at the moment, if enough people like it I'll try to write it faster.
Everyone hates Mondays. I on the other hand hate Fridays. Mr. Collins, My boss, would personally seek me out and send me home at exactly 5:30pm. Why would he do this you might ask? Well, I had a slight tendency to stay late, but to be fair I have more important things to do at St. Mungos than at home.
"I am aware that it is 5:30 Mr. Collins, however Ara still needs to be checked over! I promised her I would come visit her today, whatever potion she drank really took a toll on her!" I was trying to rush out the door before he could scold me anymore. What right did he have to send me home early? I didn't want or need compensation for my overtime! I just wanted to attend to all my patients properly. The children in this spell and potion damage ward have my heart, and that's the reason I don't have a boyfriend. OK, maybe that's stretching the truth... the truth is, I'm still getting over my last one. "Just this one last check and I promise I'll leave! Deal?" I was trying to bargain, and it seemed to be working.
"Just one last patient Dr. Granger. Then you need to get home and eat! When was the last time you ate?"
I chose to ignore this question and smiled, "Thank you so much! I'll see you Monday!" I shouted as I ran down the hall and out of my bosses sight. He wouldn't have to know if I checked on an extra 2 maybe 3 patients would he? Besides, I love these kids! This is where I belong. And It didn't help that I really didn't want to go to dinner tonight. Harry and Ron had asked me to join them a week ago, and I had said yes just so I wouldn't start worrying them about me again. After Ron and I broke up I kinda just lost touch with them. I threw myself into work. I took on twice the patients any other doctor has in this hospital and because of this I probably hadn't met half the kids parents. I had my nurses fill them in if they weren't there while I was.
I slowed my run and turned a corner. Ara really was one of my favourite patients. She was very polite and had the cutest dimples in her cheeks. I opened the door to her room with the largest smile on my face, "Where's my favourite girl?" And then I stopped dead. Pansy Parkinson, or rather, Pansy Malfoy was standing in front of me. "What are you doing here?" I asked rather rudely. Technically I wasn't on duty, I could be a little snappy.
"Is that any way to speak to a patients Mother?" Parkinson sneered. "And where's the doctor. I'd like to finally meet her. What kind of doctor doesn't meet parents?"
Hermione squinted her eyes, "I am the doctor." Parkinson didn't seem to pleased about that either. "Alright Ara, how are we feeling today?" I was trying really hard to just focus on my work.
"I am doing well thank you. I think I should go home now." Ara seemed a little distressed and I raised my eyebrows. She was still in no fit state to leave.
"Mrs. Malfoy..." I started to say, but I was cut short.
"Miss Parkinson actually." She spat back.
"Miss Parkinson then, would you mind stepping out for a moment? I think the cafeteria is serving ice cream, chocolate. Ara's favourite." I tried to say this as sweetly as I could, hiding the fact that I wanted to speak to Ara alone. Parkinson left without so much as another word. I closed the door behind her and turned around to face Ara. She had long brown hair from Pansy, but she had he piercing blue eyes of her father. She wasn't very old either, only about 5. "Ara, are you OK? You had been enjoying your stay here with me. And I don't think you're really feeling 100% do you?" I spoke to her in my sweetest voice ever. This child was obviously going through some stuff.
"My mommy says I have to go home with her. Before my dad takes me." Ara had gotten very quiet.
"Ara, do you want to go with your mom?" I asked.
"I love my mommy. I just want to live with my dad. He's much nicer to me." She had turned away from me. This absolutely broke my heart.
"Would you like me to floo your dad for you? Have him come visit?" Not that calling Malfoy would be on the top of my list for fun activities, but Ara was too cute to leave upset.
"Could you?" Ara's face lit up. I smiled at her and told her to just stay put for a second while I went to speak to her dad. Walking down to the floo network i instantly regretted my choice. Without Ara's cute face to give me purpose I felt a little queezy. I didn't much feel like having insults thrown at my face.
"Cassie?" I called to our receptionist. "Could you get me Draco Malfoys place of work?" She nodded quickly and handed me a file. "Thanks." I walked over to the floo connection and stepped in. "Malfoy Incorporated!" And just like that I was sucked away.
Stepping into Malfoy incorporated I instantly felt like I had made a bad decision. Where was my Gryffindor Courage?
"Dr. Granger! Is everything alright?" Malfoy's receptionist had spotted me.
"Ah, yes. Ara is still stable. Is Mr. Malfoy in by any chance?" She nodded and motioned for me to follow her.
"He's right through here Miss Granger." I muttered a quick thanks and started moving one foot in front of the other into my greatest enemies office.
"Granger? What are you doing here?" His voice brought back terrible memories, but I suppressed them. This was for a cute little girl laying in a hospital bed right now. Oh where a cute kid would take me. Malfoy was sitting at a large black desk with a large green M engraved on it. I'm not going to lie, the years after Hogwarts had definitely done him well. Malfoy's blonde hair was cut shorter and looked kind of tousled, and his suit definitely didn't hide his body beneath. What, was his job to be a personal trainer or something? I wrapped my sweater around me a little tighter.
"Your daughter, Ara." I started.
"Yes?"
"She lives with her mother?" I asked.
At this Malfoy seemed confused. He stood up from behind his desk and walked around it to me. I had to force myself to keep eye contact. The last thing I wanted was Malfoy knowing I was checking him out. "Her mother? No. She lives with me. She's always wanted to live with me. I filed for full custody when she drank that potion on her mothers watch. It was just granted today. Why do you ask?" Malfoy seemed a little disturbed now by my visit.
"So Ara lives with you? But Pansy... Excuse me, Miss Parkinson, just showed up trying to take her home?" At my words Malfoy's eyes bulged and he ran out the door shouting for his receptionist to cancel his last appointment. I sensed his urgency and picked up on what was going on really quick. Pansy was trying to steal her own daughter.
It was a race between Malfoy and I to the floo. I had left my patient with her crazy mother. Oh god. What if something happened to her? Coming through the floo to St. Mungos I noticed something was wrong. It was silent. No one was in sight. Malfoy followed closely behind me as i peered over the receptionists desk and saw Cassie huddled in a corner with her wand out. "Cassie, what's going on?" I whispered.
"They have us on lock down. Apparently someone was trying to steal a child. Can you imagine?" Cassie looked absolutely terrified.
"Cassie, do you know if they were successful?" But it was too late Malfoy was dashing down the hallway towards his daughter's room. I looked back to Cassie and she was shaking her head that she didn't know if they had been able to steal the child. I ran after Malfoy down the hallways and found him in Ara's room. She was gone. I went to check behind the door for her when Malfoy turned around and was about to speak. That's when we heard it. Pansy.
"You think getting full custody will help you Drakie? You're wrong. She's my daughter and I'll take her if I want to." Pansy had come in from the hallway with Ara close behind. My body immediately went into fight mode and I cast a disillusionment charm on myself. Malfoy was trying not to draw attention to me by only staring at Pansy. She was about to start on another tangent when I shouted "Stupify!" Pansy fell directly on her face. At the sight of this Malfoy ran directly at his daughter picking her up and kissing her face.
"I. Am. Going. To. Take. You. Home. No. More. Hospitals." Malfoy said between kisses. I took the charm off myself and smiled. It was good to see a loving father.
"Malfoy, if I could.. She still needs to stay here for observation purposes. We can't have her having a relapse." I said these words carefully. I knew neither party receiving the news would be happy.
"Then you'll just have to check up on her at home. There is no way I'm keeping her here." He said this like it was the last word.
"Now see here Malfoy, I'm the doctor and..." I was interrupted.
"And I'm the father. She's coming home. I'll speak with your supervisor about some time off to take care of her at my home. I'll owl you the details tonight. Goodbye Granger." And at that he left me with a stupified person and empty hallways.
After cleaning up all that mess and having Pansy taken away all I wanted to do was sit on the couch and do nothing. So, after I apparated home I put on my most comfy PJ's and made come popcorn. The popcorn didn't make it to the couch though.
POP. POP.
In my living room were two very angry men. "Harry? Ron? What's... Oh My God. I am so sorry! I had such a hectic day at the hospital I forgot all about dinner!" This didn't seem to make them any happier.
"Hermione. How many times are you going to shut yourself in? You need to get out! Have a social life! Meet someone new!" Harry genuinely seem concerned about me. Ron on the other hand looked a little sheepish.
"I do meet new people! I work in a hospital for gods sake!" I may have been a little defensive but they were attacking me!
"No. You need to find yourself a boyfriend. Even Ron has..." Harry trailed off looking towards Ron.
I felt my heart sink. Ron had moved on? How long ago? Was she pretty? Was she better than me? "Ron?" I managed to get out.
"I'm sorry Hermione, but it just happened. Harry here wasn't supposed to say anything yet. I didn't want to upset you.. But, yes..I found someone." Ron kept his eyes on the floor.
"Well..." I said thinking quickly. "I've met someone too. So that's great!" My mind was racing, why had I just said that? I didn't have anyone!
"Really? That's great Hermione! Who is it? We'll have to do a double date sometime." A double date? With my ex-boyfriend? How much worse could this day get.
"Draco Malfoy." I panicked. It was the first name that came into my head. What was I thinking?!
"Malfoy?" Both the boys said in unison.
"Yes. Dr...Drac..o." It was hard to say his name. "And neither of you can say anything about it. You were so worried about me, and now you don't have to be. So there. Both the boys seemed to be working this out. How could a third of the golden trio be dating an ex-death eater? This was terrible. But I was in too deep. Ron spoke first.
"Well, if you're dating him he must have changed. I'd like to meet him again. Try to get off on the right foot this time." Harry spoke first. I smiled. It was just like him to be so understanding. Whatever made me happy.
"Yeah. And we should go for that date.. This.. Sat...Saturday maybe?" Ron seemed to be having a bit more trouble with this.
"Uhh.. Yeah. Sure." I shouldn't have agreed. This was a terrible idea.
"That settles it then... Uh.. See ya Hermione." Harry smiled awkwardly and apparated away. Ron half smiled and did the same. I however, smacked myself on the head. That was a very bad idea.
Immediately I though of his favour. He wanted me to do in home care for his daughter. Maybe we could swap. Me in home care, him my pretend boyfriend. God this was awful. I'd normally have spent the night thinking about my options, but Saturday was tomorrow. My choices were looking grim.
Malfoy-
I need a favour from you, you need one from me. Meet me at my home at 5:30pm tomorrow in a suit and we can try and figure this out.
Hermione.
That was about as good as it was going to get. And I decided to get some sleep. Maybe this will all turn out to be some.. very bad dream.
Waking up in the morning told me that it had all actually happened. Oh the joy. Malfoy's Eagle was waiting in my window sill. I gave him a couple treats and untied the response. It was less than a sentence.
I'll see you at 5:30.
-Malfoy.