Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me. I own nothing from the Harry Potter universe.

Chapter 2

Hermione Granger walked out of her bedroom to find her kitchenette in a mess. To put it mildly, it looked as though a tornado had swept through it. Sending the panic to the back of her mind, she surveyed the damage and calmly moved to greet the red-headed tornado who was now lounging on her living room couch taking a swig off a bottle of Butterbeer. The sloppy grin she received in lieu of a greeting prompted her to jab her wand at him, causing him to jump off the couch with a loud "Ouch!"

"Hello to you to Ronald. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

As her ex-boyfriend rubbed his behind with a look of pain and reproach on his face, Hermione thanked her luck that their break-up had occurred early in the relationship thus being free of any bitterness. The behavioral traits that had mildly irritated them when they were friends had become unbearable in a relationship resulting in a separation. 7 years post break-up they were back to being close friends. She sent him an apologetic grin and was rewarded with a glare followed by a bear hug.

"I haven't seen you in ages Mione! You work too hard. I just came to remind you to be there at the Burrow at 6 today. Don't make excuses; you know Mum's been looking forward to seeing you since forever! Gotta run now, I left Verity alone in the shop."

"I'll be there Ron. " She called after him as he disapparated with a distinct pop. She cleaned up the mess he had left behind with a wave of her wand and sank into the couch craving a few moments of peace and quiet. Being a healer was hard, and weeks like the one she had just had left one rueing the day they had picked the noble profession. The past month had drained her and she had collapsed in her cabin at St,Mungo's last week after which her boss had ordered her to take two months off and recuperate. Glad as she was for the break, she had drawn a blank when wondering what she was going to do in these two months. At least the next few days were busy, Neville and Luna's wedding on Tuesday followed immediately by Adrian and Daphne's on Thursday.

An incessant tapping broke her reverie. Hermione traced the tapping to the window and let in the brown barn owl. The owl flew right out as soon as she had detached its burden. The writing was unfamiliar as was the owl. After scanning it with the appropriate charms, she examined it cautiously. The nasty letters that she had received in her fourth year thanks to that cow Rita were still fresh in her mind. The official St. Mungo's emblem caused her to abandon the caution and open it to read its contents.

A few minutes later, she was pacing the apartment to relieve her of the frustration she felt. She had been petitioning the board of the prestigious wizarding hospital for the last 3 years asking for their approval for her project. The project involved setting up a department for studying the effects of muggle diseases on the magical population and training healers in muggle diseases as well as magical ones. The board had rejected her petition yet again stating the same excuse – lack of funds.

"They could at least think of a better excuse! Lack of funds!? They had plenty of funds for that gold statue of Mungo Bonham they unveiled just last week!"

Each sentence was punctuated a fierce jab with her wand at the hapless scratching post at the corner of her apartment that she preserved as a remainder for Crookshanks. With a final jab that turned the post a bright canary yellow, she let out a frustrated growl. Hermione knew those prejudiced old bats on the board would have rejected her petition the moment the word muggle had been spotted. Even being part of the golden trio and the chosen one's best friend hadn't budged them. She had even tried having Harry sign prominently on the last one. That hadn't worked either, though the sheet with Harry's signature on it had gone suspiciously missing till it turned up at a local auction house.

After having exhausted all of her more 'colorful' adjectives in her vocabulary to describe them she filed the note away neatly with her other work correspondence. A shrill ring startled her out of her grim mood. Her cellphone continued to ring with 'Mum' flashing on its screen. Happy for the distraction she picked up her phone.

"Hello Mum! How's the convention going? How's Dad?"

She listened to her mother with 'Oh really?' and 'That's nice' at appropriate intervals. As mind-numbingly boring she found the conversation, she could not bring herself to interrupt her mother. It had taken her 8 months to find her parents in Australia and restore their memories. Getting them to forgive her had taken another 3. All this while dealing with healer training as well as a strained relationship with Ron had often caused her to burst into tears. She had collapsed into her mother's arms in grateful tears the day they had told her that everything had been forgiven and forgotten. The conversation veered into the region of her romantic life – or lack thereof – at which Hermione quickly ended the call avoiding that topic altogether.

The familiar whoosh of the floo preceded the arrival of a grinning Ginerva Potter. She dumped her numerous shopping bags on the couch and gave her a hug tight enough to rival the one her sibling had bestowed on Hermione not very long ago. Ginny being Ginny immediately sensed her obvious annoyance that she tried uselessly to hide behind a wide smile. Pushing the bags unceremoniously to the ground, her best friend dragged her along and sat both of them on the couch.

"What is it Mione?" she asked, her worried eyes searching her features for any hint of what was troubling her friend.

Unable to control her temper anymore she let out a scream that caused Ginny to cringe and shoved the rejection under her nose. Ginny sighed and handed her the note back.

"You're being stubborn Mione."

That had her jumping off the couch. "I'm being stubborn?! So are you suggesting I stop petitioning them just because they are too prejudiced to see just how profitable this project is going to be? I know I am right Ginerva, even you know enough not to suggest otherwise. I will not get disheartened because of a bunch of old coots."

Ginny calmly watched her wear a hole in the living room carpet, her arms crossed over her chest. Once the angry tirade ended she cleared her throat. The murderous glare she received did nothing to faze her; she had known Hermione far too long.

"That's not what I meant. You know exactly how to solve this problem yet you are too stubborn to actually do it"

The anger turned to confusion that promptly turned right back to anger as Hermione caught on to what Ginny was suggesting. The murderous glare returned.

"I. will. not. ask. HIM. for. help."

"This is exactly what I meant when I called you stubborn. You know he can and will help. Everybody agrees with me! Come on Mione, he can get them to look beyond their prejudices and actually consider your project for funding."

"I won't do it!"

"Don't be ridiculous. Talk him today at the Burrow. You need help; he can help. It's a no brainer, even Ron gets it."

Hermione answered her with a gruff 'I'll think about it'.

Knowing that was the best she could expect for now, Ginny dropped the topic. They discussed the upcoming nuptials and other news of their friends over lunch. Hermione waved goodbye as Ginny left yelling at her to think about what she said.

Asking him for help was not something she was looking forward to but she knew it had to be done. She shook her fist in frustration causing the photos on her mantelpiece to fall on impact with her fist. She set them right stopping at the picture taken at last month's Ministry ball. The miniature version of the blonde in question smirked at the picture her. She frowned as the thought of owing him a favor occupied her mind. Her muggle cuckoo clock struck 3. She hoped stupidly 6 o'clock would never come and scowled at the picture of the blonde in question - Draco Malfoy.