Um, in this chapter I just wanted to show that it wasn't easy for them to become friends, that it didn't happen per day...

Thank you for all reviews, alerts and favourites! You have no idea how much it means to me, THANK YOU :).

And sorry for this chapter (new semester starts today, I've caught a cold and I'm not in the best conditions to write).

A/N I think you can actually skip this... but give a chance for the rest of the story, okey? :) - 2013-12-10

Hermione hoped she would be able to enjoy the time they spent together as friends, colleagues, she hoped that would be enough. But she found Draco so fascinating! All his moves, looks, the way he spoke – everything about him amused her. It was not easy to hide anymore, though she could not tell. No one knew. Well at least, she hadn't told anyone, even to herself she could hardly admit it yet.

She kept wondering what it that changed her opinion about him was. When did it happen? Ron used to amuse her too, but now it was so different. He was her friend all this time, she loved him and would always love, even though they got quite distant after she chose to attend Hogwarts for a seventh year and he had been training abroad as an auror for a while. When Ron came back they tried to live together, he was good, kind and everything Hermione could ever want, though it seemed it was not enough. It was too easy, too simple to be with him. Whilst with Draco it was oposite, he did not like her romantically and knowing what the reasons might were she still felt annoyed. It wasn't like he was perfect himself and it kind of made her feel as if challenged to get him like her.

First several months working together they were cold, very formal towards each other, talked strictly about job matters, but later that become normal activity and they did not hesitate to discuss things if needed, Hermione felt more comfortable near him and noticed how careful he was. Sometimes she could see guilt breaking through his mask and it might have been those moments when she realised Draco wasn't so bad, that she could care about him as if he was any other person not the enemy.

She remembered clearly their first open talk.

"Is everything alright?" She asked him when he did not make the slightest move for several minutes holding papers she just given to him and looking at them but obviously being somewhere else on his mind.

Draco changed his sitting position to more comfortable but still wasn't looking at her.

"Sure. I'll bring it back to you by the end of the day." She could not recognise any emotion in his voice, but for the first time Hermione decided not to leave him like that. She was not sure if he wanted to discuss what was bothering him with someone else, Hermione guessed she was the least person to whom he would talk, but she was so tired of the guilt she felt for not even trying.

"I want to be honest with you, Malfoy, and you don't look well. Is there anything I could do?"

He raised his eyes to meet hers and now she could see surprise in them.

"You don't have to pretend that you care, you know."

"What makes you think that I'm pretending? You are my colleague, we've been working together for half a year and-"

"I might leave this division."

"Why?"

"Well, it's personal."

"Is it… if that's your final decision, I wish you good luck." She walked to the door thinking that she – the mudblood – was the reason for his leaving. But if it was, she had several more things to say to him before going. "You are wrong, Malfoy. Running won't do you any good, this is the world we are living now, you might not like it, but it's real. I know, it must be hard to accept… some things, but I can assure that it could make you happier."

"Wait."

She turned around, but Draco only stared. She could see easily that there was something he wanted to say.

"Now you really make me worry." She said and came to sit in front of his desk because he still was silent.

"I-I can't move on. I can't do what I know I have to."

"What? Tell me."

"I can't! Even though I know this is the right thing, I can't! Damn coward I am-"

"Draco Malfoy, stop these ramblings, I have no idea what are you talking about."

"I'll write you a letter."

"What? Why? And where are you going?" she asked as he suddenly stood.

"I quit, I can't handle it!"

"WHAT? Oh, for God's sake, just SPIT IT OUT!"

"I'm sorry! I regret so many things… I wanted to apology for everything I and my family did to you the moment I saw you here, but I… I'm sorry. I've never apologised. I've never felt the need to do that before. And those people… I can't get used to how they look at me, I guess I hoped that working at the ministry could make it better, but they just can't forget who was my father, who I was myself… I-I can't either."

He wanted to change, he wanted to be a better man, but Draco was not taught to be the one. He had different opinion about many things, he learnt to think independently, though he still had troubles expressing it, finding courage to admit previous mistakes publically. It was easier to be the old self, not completely, of course. Malfoys were being watched.

It might have been then, when for the first time Hermione thought Draco was handsome and not only from the outside. It was then, when she began to believe in him, because his silver eyes spoke undisguised honesty.

Let me know, if you have any request about other characters who I should include in the story and things like that. If you have a second or two, why not leave a review? :)