A/N: Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts! I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

Draco walked over to his flat, all the way across the hall, and sat on his counter, liking the feeling of the cool granite top against his bottom. Thinking about what Hermione said about Samantha, he levitated his black bookshelf in front of his door for good measure. Sure, everyone had wards, but no one could be too careful- a paranoid idea drilled into his head since the war. The war was three years ago, but for Draco, it felt like a whole decade. Never in his life did he see himself buddy-buddy with Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood. He still remembered the day that changed everything.

Two years ago…

Hermione gently pushed her parents into the red telephone booth, "For the hundredth time mum, it's safe."

"Yes, but why can't you go first with your father or something?" Mrs. Granger demanded more so than asked.

"Because then you wouldn't even get in." Hermione glanced at her watch, "It's almost 1:30, we're going to be late."

"Honey, let's just get this over with," said Mr. Granger looking nervously around the tiny booth.

"Thank you dad, the code is 62442," Hermione said as she glanced at her watch again, "Just pick up the phone and put in the number dad. And mum, Kingsley will be there when you guys arrive, so just follow him. I'll be right behind you!" Hermione smiled as best she could as her parents descended.

Today was the day her parents had to tell, Kingsley about their time in Australia during the war. Hermione just wanted to make sure her parents' memories were unharmed, and make sure they encountered no one suspicious. Even after Voldemort's death, one couldn't be too sure. Hermione bounced nervously on her heels as she waited for the next empty payphone. Despite Kingsley repeatedly telling her that she did what had to be done, it still didn't appease her guilt, even if the assurance came from the minister himself. With a quiet ding, the telephone booth was ready, and Hermione got in. Just as she was going to shut the door, she heard someone shouting,

"Wait, wait! Please! I can't be late!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. She was almost late as well, and she would be damned if someone actually made her late. She was about to finally close the door, a mass of white blonde hair got in the way. "Are you out of your mind?" she scolded, "Get in then."

"Thank you very much, I do appre-" the stranger stopped talking all of the sudden, and Hermione looked up.

She let out a little yelp when she saw who it was. There he was, Draco Malfoy, slightly panting and looking just as shocked as she was. Gaping at him, she squeaked out, "You're… welcome?"

Draco blinked hard a couple of times, trying to gather his thoughts. He stuttered, "Um, th-the code? Entrance code?" as he reached for the phone behind her.

"Y-Yes. The code." Hermione went stiff as if someone hit her with a body-bind curse as she became aware of just how small the booth was. Regaining her wits, she started to cast a wandless extension charm on the telephone booth. She was almost finished when she heard him,

"Shit." Draco started to frantically push all the buttons, until he slammed the phone died, and muttered, "It broke."

"It WHAT?" Hermione abruptly turned around and tried it for herself. "I can't believe it. I'm late, and my parents are going to freak out if I don't show up, and it's Kingsley for heaven's sake! I can't be late! I'm always punct-"

"Did you try casting a wandless spell in here Granger?" Draco incredulously asked.

Hermione stared at the phone and tugged at the ends of her beige scarf, "Why, yes I did."

"Fuck. You broke it."

"I broke it? Excuse me, but I did not do such a thing Malfoy!"

"Yes you did. Try to use one of your fancy wandless spells in one of these, it's going to break Granger."

"WELL, don't blame-"

"I'm surprised the so-called, brightest witch of our age, didn't know that little fact," he mocked.

"How DARE you mock me, you little pasty white ferr-"

"Don't. you. Dare."

Both of them were livid. Stuck in a tiny telephone booth, with the tension thick as smoke, she glared up at him; with anger ablaze in her eyes just to be faced with the most severe pair of grey eyes she has ever seen. However, the silent battle was halted when a voice pierced through the air,

"Hermione, Draco, what an odd coincidence. Why are you two in the booth together?"

"Luna?" both Hermione and Draco exclaimed simultaneously.

Luna took in the scene before her and smiled gently, "Yes?"

With a huff, Hermione asked, "Luna, could you please let someone in the Ministry know that the guest entrance is stuck?" She glanced at Draco and added, "Also, could you inform them that Malfoy and I are trapped in here as well?"

"Of course, good to see you again Draco," and with that, Luna skipped away.

Hermione let out a deep breath and rested her forehead against the cool glass. She was brainstorming different insults to hurl at the git next to her when his voice broke her thoughts,

"Look Granger, I'm sorry, it's just that I was late for something really important and –"

"It's alright Malfoy," she sighed, "Guess we're stuck." With that, she turned around and actually looked at him this time. Surprisingly, he wasn't a lanky boy anymore. He still was oddly pale, but it wasn't a ghostly pale. Wearing a crisp, long sleeve button down with a slim, black tie, with a pair of black trousers, Draco Malfoy looked quite, normal.

"Yeah, I guess we are," he replied while running his fingers through his hair. He looked down at Hermione. He was wearing a thick white cardigan, beige scarf, and black jeans, to Draco, she looked exactly the same; except for the fact that her hair was in a long, straight ponytail. For some reason, he felt compelled to strike a conversation with her, whether from how he treated her at school or which side he stood on during the war, he didn't care. So, he took in a deep breath, extended his right hand out, and tried speak in a steady voice,

"Hello, I'm Draco Malfoy,"

Bewildered, Hermione slowly uncrossed her arms and extended her right hand. "Hello, I'm Hermione Granger," and for some reason, she couldn't help but smile the faintest of smiles, at this very strange encounter.

Draco was nestled in the corner of the telephone booth facing Hermione. "Office of Misinformation, I always thought you would do something with magical creatures or something like that."

Hermione shrugged, "Yeah, I was for about a year, but it just didn't feel like a good match for me." She shifted around trying to get more comfortable, and her black flats accidentally scraped against his sleek Italian loafers.

"Merlin! My shoes! Are you daft woman?" His eyes were wide with disgust; Hermione would've laughed if it weren't for his booming voice reverberating off of the glass.

Jumping at his outburst, she couldn't believe it, "Are you serious? I barely touched your bloody shoes! You're still such a-" She stopped talking when she saw Draco grinning. Fed up, she crossed her arms in front of her, "Why are you grinning?"

Draco just kept looking at her for a couple of seconds and chuckled, "I was only kidding Granger. Still think I'm a spoiled albino prat." He saw her opening her mouth again, and kept going, "I thought you were supposed to be the forgiving one," pointing in her direction.

She huffed. "I don't appreciate how you're insinuating that you are more forgiving than me. What the hell did I do that is in dire need of your forgiveness?"

"Well, for starters," he said crossing his arms, "You did your fair share of bullying too." He straightened up a bit to his full height and looked down at her, "I believe it was you who embarrassed me saying that I bought myself onto the quidditch team. I'm actually a decent flyer if you must know. So I, Draco Malfoy, forgive the almighty, Hermione Granger."

"And I, Hermione Granger, will put your ludicrous forgiveness on hold." She looked at her watch and groaned, "It's been fifteen minutes; I hope Luna did get some help."

"I'm sure she did. So, what do you do in the Office of Misinformation?"

"Well, I make sure that every dubious events caused by magic in the muggle world are explained, my liaison being the prime minister of England."

He let out a long whistle, "Wow. Sounds like quite the important job. Since the war is still fresh and all. You're perfect for it."

"Um, thanks Malfoy. So, you still haven't told me what you do."

"I did Granger, I fix magical items."

"I know, but what kind of items? Who employs you?"

"Merlin, I've stepped into the Spanish Inquisition."

"Y-You know about muggle-"

He glanced at her surprised face. "Don't ask, I'm not as ignorant as people make me out to be."

Hermione nodded and he went on,

"Kingsley hired me a couple months after the war, seeing that I, umm, had fixed something that was rather hard to fix. He owls me whenever there's something that needs to be fixed. I insisted on his discretion." He finished nervously, hoping that she wouldn't catch on. But of course, she did.

"The Vanishing Cabinet… Kingsley actually trusts you?" Hermione pursed her lips and frowned.

Frustrated, Draco threw his hands in the air, "Do I actually look evil to you Granger? You and I have been stuck in this bloody booth for thirty minutes. If you haven't noticed, I haven't used the M word or hurt a single hair on your pretty little head."

"You were a Death Eater Malfoy." retorted Hermione, clearly enunciating every word. "What am I supposed to think? Whether it was your choice or not, you were affiliated with the very people that abhorred people like me, so forgive me if I seem to be wary of your actions."

"What was I supposed to do! Run away from the Death Eaters' headquarters and knock on the Orders' door with cookies and tea? They WOULDN'T have taken me in! "

"You could've TRIED. You could've TRIED Malfoy!"

"No. Not when lives are on the line Granger."

Hermione stopped talking and actually looked at him. His pale face was flushed and she could see his chest rising and falling rapidly. Looking into his eyes, she could've sworn they were slightly watery, but she knew for a fact that the old Malfoy wasn't there. He was different. He sounded sincere.

"Look, I shouldn't have judged you like that. It all seems surreal right now. Being stuck in a telephone booth with you and having an actual conversation," she chuckled, "it is sort of crazy."

He gave her a tired laugh, "Believe me, this is definitely the strangest day ever."

After a long silence, Draco cleared his throat, "Let me show you Granger. I'll prove to you somehow that I AM different and that I have changed."

Hermione slightly grinned, "I'll show you Malfoy, that I'm different too. You and Harry were neck to neck for that snitch if I recall."

With a clunk, the telephone booth began to descend again. Losing his balance, Draco lurched forward into Hermione.

"Hermione! I didn't crush you did I?" He pushed off of the glass and looked her over.

Flustered, she shook her head, "No, no I'm fine." She smoothed down her cardigan and rearranged her scarf. "You know, you said my name, for the first time."

The booth descended to the floor of the Ministry and opened with a ding. "I did?" He asked while they stepped out together to the marble floor. However, they came to a halt and tensed when they saw their parents. They both exclaimed,

"Mum, dad!"

"Mother, father."

Mrs. Granger spoke first, "Hermione dear! We just finished with Kingsley. Don't worry, Luna told us everything."

"Oh, that's a relief then," said Hermione as she glanced over to Draco. Lucius looked stiff and uncomfortable in his black robes while Narcissa, adorned in her finest pearls in an emerald cloak, had her hand gently, but firmly around his arm. Hermione stood there awkwardly, as did Draco. With a sliver of a smile, Narcissa spoke evenly,

"Draco dear, aren't you going to introduce us to your new… friend?"

Draco most ineloquently sputtered, "O-Of course mother. Uh, Granger, this is my mother and father, Mrs. and Mr. Malfoy."

Hermione politely shook hands with Narcissa, but gave Lucius a defiant glare as she shook his. "Well, Malfoy, this is my mum and dad, Mrs. And Mr. Granger."

The Grangers gave a warm hello and a smile, while the Malfoys simply nodded in acknowledgment.

Determined to get out of the awkward situation, Hermione began to usher her parents back in the telephone booth. "We can't be late for our dinner tonight! We should go now." As her parents began their ascent back to muggle London, Hermione turned around and was surprised to see Mrs. Malfoy and Draco right behind her.

"Please Miss Granger, call me Narcissa," with a wink towards Draco, Narcissa gracefully walked back to her husband.

"Sorry about that Granger, that was awkward."

"Yeah, don't worry about it Malfoy."

"Right. So, see you around?" asked Draco while he glanced back at his parents.

Hermione nodded, "Yup, I'll see you around."

With an awkward wave and a genuine smile, Draco Malfoy turned and walked towards his family while Hermione looked on. She muttered to herself, "Who knew that Malfoy could smile?" and stepped in the telephone booth, with her mood, strangely a little lighter.