A/N: Thank you to all the people who read and reviewed for the first chapter of this story. It is very much appreciated. So I wrote out an outline and an ending of how this story is for my use to go but if you guys have any ideas I am sure I can incorporate them into the outline seeing that I haven't gotten very far. So thank you for reading, here is chapter two!!

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Looking for a way to start again

What I wouldn't give for a friend

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Hermione woke up the next morning completely relaxed and ready to go back to work. Snuffley was by her side which made her smile because she hadn't had the fluffy cat by her side for awhile. She got up and showered quickly and got dressed. She wore a pretty little light pink cotton dress with thin straps. She just adored the weather that spring brought.

She decided to be a little early to work today seeing that she hadn't been there for the last few weeks. Draco was not there yet as she entered through the old fireplace. She went over to her desk which had been neglected for the past few weeks. That was the thing that surprised Hermione. If she ever went on a trip she always felt she had been gone forever when she got home even if the trip had been two days long. It was just another one of those things she couldn't explain.

She didn't have much to do just yet so she straightened up her desk to her specific specifications. A few minutes later Draco popped in through the fireplace.

"I assumed you would get here early," he smirked.

"Well, you do know me well," she said going over to kiss him. He returned the kiss friendlily.

"Hi," he said as they broke.

"Hi," she smiled back. She kissed him again and then pulled his arms off of her. "We have work to do," she said sensibly.

"I don't care, honestly. Let's just get out of here," he said kissing her again.

"OH SWEET MERLIN!!" screamed Padma who had burst through the door without knocking like she always did. Hermione instinctively pushed Draco off of her with all the force she could muster. "Are you two—TOGETHER?"

"Yeah," said Hermione blushing and staring at the floor.

"Oh my goodness. Girl, why didn't you tell me?" said Padma angrily.

"It's all happening so fast," said Hermione truthfully.

"Okay. Details at lunch, right? You are so lucky—he is so hott," Padma whispered with a wink. Hermione nodded still embarrassed. Draco laughed as Padma left the room.

"Maybe we should start telling people here so that they don't have to find out like that," he said reasonably.

"Trust me, we won't have to. Now that Padma knows everyone will know. Good thing we weren't hiding it. That reminds me. Are you going to tell your mother about me?" said Hermione looking over at him from her desk.

"My mum??! Ummm…yeah…sure…look I have a lot of work to do here. We can talk later," he said looking down at his papers.

"Okay," said Hermione not knowing how she should feel about his tone. "Do you want to get together for dinner later?" she asked hopefully.

"I'll pick you up at seven-thirty," he said not looking up.

She nodded. The rest of the day just felt awkward for Hermione. It felt strange working in the same office with Draco. Granted she had worked with him in that office for years, but things were obviously different now. Padma, as Hermione had expected, had spread around the news to everyone working on that floor. Later after lunch when Hermione and Draco were in the break room Padma came in without seeing them at first. Then she screamed, "Oh, God! Were you too making out? I'm sorry," she said and rushed out immediately. Hermione sighed in frustration. She and Draco were only in there getting a cup of water from the water cooler. And then when they were in the office Hermione would notice him looking at her practically every other minute. And she couldn't control it when her glance went to him, either.

Now Hermione understood why everyone said that office relationships were not the greatest idea.

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When Hermione got home from work she thought it would be fun to catch up on all the TV shows she had missed while she had been away. Thank goodness for Tivo! She got in a comfy robe and curled up with Snuffley on the couch. She drifted off slowly to sleep because frankly she was exhausted and the couch was just so comfortable. She hadn't really planned on going to sleep, so she was surprised when she saw Draco standing over her.

"That's a nice look you have there. I simply love the robe. Trying to show me that this is what I will come home to every night?" he joked.

"What time is it?" she panicked.

"Seven thirty-five. Are we still going to dinner?"

"Oh, yes, I'm so sorry! Just let me—you just sit here and make yourself at home. I will go get changed. I'm so sorry!" she said running into the other room.

"It's okay, take your time," he sighed in annoyance as he stroked Snuffley. Snuffley absolutely adored Draco. It drove Hermione crazy.

She ran into the other room and whipped open the door to the closet to find something to wear. She settled on a simple skirt and blouse seeing that she didn't have time to pull together anything else. "Tick tock, tick tock," Draco yelled at her from the other room. She sighed. Her hair was pulled into a sloppy bun at the moment so she quickly pulled it down and ran a brush through it. It frizzed out and reminded her of the bush of hair she sported when she was at Hogwarts. Not having any time to deal with that at the moment, she grabbed a purse and shoes and ran out the door. He laughed at her as she tried to pull on her heels while she ran.

"Wow. Your hair looks just lovely," he said sarcastically.

"Shut up," she glared. "Is it that bad?" she said feeling self conscious.

"I'm only kidding. You always look lovely."

"Nice save," she said. "But I am going to go back to my room and fix it so you won't be laughing at me all night, you stupid ferret!"

"Yeah, whatever, beaver," he smirked.

"Oh shut up," she said grabbing Snuffley.

"Hey!! Leave the cat! He loves me more than he loves you," he scowled.

"That is such a lie! I take care of him. I feed him. I provide him with love," she said dramatically.

"I suppose you are right," he sighed. She left Snuffley with him as she went back to her room. She grabbed her wand and cast a few spells to make her hair fall in smooth silky curls. "Do I look up to your standards now?" she scowled as she came back out.

"You look lovely," he said as he took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles. "Let's get out of here."

The happy couple joint apparated to a high-end restaurant from the wizarding world. Draco and Hermione greeted a few old friends from Hogwarts as they walked in including Cormac McLaggen and Marietta Edgecomb. "This place looks fancy, Draco," Hermione commented.

"Well, I am loaded," he smirked as they were led to their table.

"Did I almost make us late for our reservation?" Hermione said feeling stupid.

"Are you kidding me? We don't need reservations. Have you forgotten who I am? I just walk into places and people practically grovel at my feet. I wouldn't be surprised if there were pictures of us together in the Daily Prophet tomorrow," he smirked.

"And what is that going to do to your image?" asked Hermione as her finger rubbed against the rim of her wine glass.

"What do you mean?"

"You, Draco Malfoy, rich pureblood "high status" wizard taking muggleborn Hermione Granger out to dinner. What will that do to your image?" she asked curious about what he might say to that.

"Nobody believes the Daily Prophet anymore anyway," he said quickly before changing the subject.

The dinner consisted of six scrumptious courses which Hermione enjoyed immensely. She hated comparing current boyfriends to old boyfriends, but she couldn't help but think about how Roger would never take her out to places like this. She knew that she was going to be spoiled helplessly by Draco. The dinner was great except for the numerous times where old Slytherins from school would come up to the table to talk to Draco and ignore her. This was why she loved going to muggle places with Draco. No one paid any attention to them out in muggle land. Being out with Draco was like being out with a celebrity. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.

She sat at the table tapping her fingers on the table impatiently as Draco talked Quidditch with Blaise Zabini, who hadn't even acknowledged Hermione with even a simple hello. She cleared her throat loudly a couple times to get Draco's attention but to no avail. Five minutes later Blaise went back to his date.

"Finally," said Hermione rolling her eyes.

"You have a problem?" he said narrowing his eyes in curiosity.

"No. I would just like to be able to talk to you and spend time with you when we go out," she said folding her arms.

"You are overreacting, babe," he laughed.

"Maybe so. And don't call me babe. I hate pet names," she scowled.

"You're cute. Let's get out of here," he said leaving galleons on the table. "My place?" he said. She nodded and he linked arms with her to apparate.

Upon returning he led her to the couch and started to kiss her. She promptly pushed him off. "What?" he asked. "Are you still mad because I was talking to former friends for a few minutes? You are so dramatic, woman," he said kissing her neck.

"I guess I'm not mad. I just like going to muggle places better. All your friends hate me."

"No they don't. They all think you are hott, if that makes you feel better," he smirked.

"So what am I to them? The hott mudblood?" she scowled.

"Oh don't be like that. None of my friends hate you, okay?"

"They didn't acknowledge me when they came to talk to you. What does that say, hmm?"

"It says that you are shy and didn't bother to make a move either," he pointed out.

"I don't even know who half of them are! You didn't do a swell job introducing me to people," she pointed out.

"Good point. Well, sometime we will all get together and I will introduce you to all of them," he offered.

"Are you kidding me? That would be so awkward. Me and a bunch of Slytherins," she said making a disgusted face.

"Yeah, kind of as awkward as a Slytherin in a crowd of Gryffindors."

"Oh. I guess it wouldn't be fair if I didn't meet your friends after I made you sit through that disastrous dinner. I'm sorry," she said sincerely.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," he smiled as he kissed her cheek.

"I love you," she said kissing him back.

"I love you, too," he smiled.

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The next three months passed smoothly and happily for Hermione and Draco. Draco convinced Hermione to meet his friends after a month or so and it didn't go as terribly as she thought it would have. She was just thankful that Rachel and Mrs. Malfoy weren't there, who both still didn't know that Hermione and Draco were together. Ron and Harry had kept there distance from Hermione when she was with Draco which drove her crazy. She was patiently waiting for the day that they could all get along. Like that would ever happen?

Ron and Lavender's wedding was approaching quickly. The actual wedding was next Saturday. Hermione was not looking forward to the hideous bridesmaid dress that she was obligated to wear. She wanted to invite Draco to tag along but he changed the subject the second she brought it up. And she also assumed that Ron wouldn't want Draco to be there. She hated the distance she had to have between Draco and Ron and Harry.

It took a few weeks for things at work to become less awkward. Padma still assumed that she was interrupting them from making out or something whenever she walked into a room that they were in. Hermione frankly got sick of it. Other employees either got used to it or didn't care. Hermione also found it to be a little less awkward working in the same office as Draco. They had to keep their work lives separate from their personal lives.

Other than the problems at work and with Harry and Ron, Hermione had never been happier. Draco still did things that drove her crazy with annoyance, but that just made things fun sometimes. The couple spent about three nights a week together after work and at least one day each weekend. Although they spent so much time together, neither of them got sick of each other. The one thing Hermione could do without, though, was his arrogance when they went to public high end places. But it was something that she got used to over time.

Cho and Harry were anxiously waiting. They had four months left until the baby was to be born. Every time Hermione saw them they were busy talking of names and setting up the nursery in their home. The more Hermione spent with Cho the more she wanted to be pregnant.

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Hermione and Draco sat at the regal dinning room table in Draco's home. It was a peaceful Sunday evening. "See, isn't it nice to just stay home every once in awhile?" said Hermione as she ate with her chop sticks.

"Sure, but I like taking you out," he said while he tried to eat with his chopsticks to no avail. "I hate these chopsticks. Can I just use a freaking fork, woman?" he whined.

"It's not fun if you don't eat with the chopsticks. You just suck at using them. I, however, am a natural," she smirked. He stabbed a piece of chicken with his chopstick. "You do know that stabbing your chicken with a chopstick means to a Chinese person that you wish them death."

"I don't know how you make that kind of stuff up. I am just going to give up on these stupid chopsticks," he said childishly.

"I didn't make it up! It is 100 true. Pick up your chopsticks! You are such a baby, Draco," she said. "Here…" she twirled some noodles around her chopsticks and fed it to him cutely.

"You are so sweet," he said sarcastically.

"I know. So, I was wondering something," she said.

"I am not going with you to the Weasel's wedding," he said immediately. "I doubt he would even want me there considering that warm welcome he gave me at that dinner you forced me to go to."

"It's not that. I already knew you would say no to that. I was wondering if you were ever going to tell your mother about us," she said looking down at her plate.

"Why would I do that?" he scoffed.

"We have been together for three months now and I thought things were going well," she said with a blush. "I thought that maybe—just maybe I would be important enough to be introduced to your mother!"

"Things have been going well, 'Mione, but trust me you do not want to meet my mother and I don't really want to introduce you two," he said honestly.

"But why not? Just give me a reason and then I will let it go," she said.

"Can we just talk about this at another time?"

"No, you always put it off. I just want to know why you are so ashamed of me or whatever!" she said raising her voice.

"I'm not!!" he yelled.

"Then give me a real reason."

"It's just…I can't introduce you to her because, well, you're a mudblood."

"Excuse me?" she snapped.

"I…" he put his hands over his mouth realizing his mistake.

"I've got to go," she said mundanely as she stood up.

"Come on, 'Mione don't be like that," he said rolling his eyes.

"Don't you "'Mione" me, okay? I thought that the blood thing wasn't an issue," she said nearly starting to cry.

"For me it's not an issue! My mother is just crazy, okay! Come back, Hermione…" he said getting up to follow her.

"Have a nice life!!" she screamed as she slammed the door. She walked outside to her crappy little car and jammed the keys in. She couldn't get it to start.

"Hermione, I'm sorry. Just stay a little while longer," he said as he ran outside. He leaned against the car as she tried to start the engine. "I told you that car was a piece of crap," he gloated in her face.

"Go to hell, Malfoy," she said and she apparated away.

"Dammit," he said to himself.

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Hermione apparated home in a furry. Rather than crying and breaking down, she went around the house and threw everything of his into a cardboard box. His toothbrush, sweatshirt, and a number of other things. He would be finding these things on his desk the following morning, most likely. After throwing everything in the box and putting it by the door, she finally started to cry. She walked back to her room and collapsed on the bed and proceeded to cry herself to sleep.

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A/N: Oh no! Do we have trouble in paradise already? Uh-oh. So please review and tell me what you think. Things will get better, most likely. Wahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaa. And now I am done. Review please!!! And the box thing—I kind of took that from Gilmore Girls too. Whenever one of the girls had a brake-up they would but all of the stuff in a box. So there was the Dean box and the Max box. So Hermione has a Draco box. I just love Gilmore Girls!! Haha. Review review review!