AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello, everyone! I am truly overwhelmed at the response I received at the prologue of this story. I honestly didn't expect to intrigue so many of you with the concept. I'm really happy at the support and I hope this story can live up to your expectations. I was going to wait before posting the first chapter but well, I couldn't really stop myself.

Also, I'd like to add that this fic will have a lot of angst. The summary should make that clear. This is AU after the final battle and non-compliant with the epilogue and with the Cursed Child. I for one, hated the latter.

Twenty follows, six reviews and two favourites! Thank you all so much :-)

I was going to wait for at least a week before updating again but I just bowed before the enthusiasm.

I'm sorry I'm unable to reply individually to each review. Really busy at the moment. I hope you guys understand:)

P.S. - Draco and Hermione are not married yet.

xDHx

"A strong woman builds her own world. She is one who is wise enough to know that it will attract the man she will gladly share it with" - Ellen J. Barrier

Chapter 1: Hermione Granger

It wasn't a normal occurence for a twenty-six years old witch to hold an important position at the biggest magical establishment in wizarding Britain. Yet, the impossible had been achieved by a bushy haired, button nosed Muggleborn Hermione Granger.

The brightest witch of her age, the brains and the only female member of the golden trio, had been climbing the success ladder swiftly and was yet to stop. After aiding in the defeat of the darkest wizard of all times at the prime age of seventeen, Miss Hermione Granger had returned to her alma mater to finish her final year of studies.

The highest marks in NEWTS, ever achieved by any student in five decades, helped her secure a position in the department of her dreams - The Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She had worked day in and day out to improve the conditions of all magical creatures. She had devised the laws to help the werewolves have easy access to the Wolfsbane potion at cost rate and to help them gain employment like regular fellow witches and wizards. She had helped freeing the house elves and securing a wage for them all - provided they chose to continue working. She had tightened laws about trading of important ingredients derived from creatures - thereby preventing illegal trade and misuse of the creatures.

Once she had decided that she possibly couldn't do anything further in the said department, she had decided to take a transfer to the place she had once strongly opposed. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Working at the DMLE required a lot of time and energy but that didn't bother Hermione in the slightest. Three years of sweat and sacrificed sleep later, here she was - the Deputy Head of the DMLE. Amidst envy and praise, she had made her way to the position through sheer hard work and nothing could deter her from performing her part in making the wizarding world a better place to live. It did often take a toll on her and she sometimes had to be forced to go home or take a break, yet it had been the best she had felt in the past eight years. Getting equal rights for Muggleborns, helping reinstate Magical Orphans and opening the door to reformation and employment of acquitted Death Eaters or their children - this was all that occupied her time now.

Working at DMLE also had it's perks. With Harry being the Head Auror, they got the chance to have lunch together on most days. Sometimes they were joined by Ginny (whenever she could find time) and sometimes by Ron, who had left the job of an Auror to join George in the joke shop. This meant that she almost never felt lonely.

Ginny and Harry had married after her she had joined the Holyhead Harpies as their reserve player, which was six years ago. They were still very much in love and the proud parents of two boys, James Sirius and Albus Severus. Hermione was the godmother of James along with Ron and till Albus was born, James occupied all of her free time. She doted equally on both the boys who were now of the ages four and three respectively. Having inherited the unkempt black hair of their father, they had alos inherited the mischievous streak from both the Potter and Weasley genes. Harry was absolutely smitten by his lovely family and it made Hermione feel so happy for her best friend whom she considered her brother. He finally had what he'd always craved - a loving family.

Ron too was currently at a happy place. Ron and her had dated for roughly two months after the war, when they decided they were too much like siblings to be dating. They had parted amicably and there had never been any hard feelings between the two. He had basked in the glory of being the second most famous war hero and had dated a string of girls before finally finding love in Emily, a beautiful half blood blonde who worked in the Department of Magical Sports. Her care free spirit and lack of concern about Ron's fame was what had drawn him to her. Her being a closet supporter of the Chudley Cannons did accelerate the process. They finally had gotten married two years ago and were expecting their first child after four months.

Hermione smiled as she looked at the photographs that adorned the mantelpiece of her two bedroom flat. Her feelings turned morose the moment it fell on the single still photograph - her parents. No matter how many times she saw it, she felt a pang of guilt and sadness engulf her. Besides doing her work at the Ministry, she had been trying non stop for the past eight years to find a cure for the Memory Charm she had placed on them, but to no avail. Soon after the war, she had travelled to Australia to find them and she had been successful. They had happily settled in their new lifestyle as Monica and Wendell Wilkins who owned a posh restaurant in Sydney. Though she was yet to discover a counter for the strong Memory Charm she had used on them. Usually memory charms were easy to work on provided they involved a short term memory. Hermione, on the other hand, had erased their entire life and planted a new one. That was tricky magic and there was no way to undo it. She resorted to being relieved that they had remained unharmed and her decision had not gone in vain. Even though they didn't remember their own daughter.

Shaking her head clear of the depressing thoughts, she checked her file for the day's meeting and flooed over to the Atrium of the Ministry. She stepped out of the fireplace, brushed her clothes free of soot particles, smoothened her hair and walked in purposeful steps towards the lift.

She smiled warmly at the various Ministry employees she crossed paths with and stopped to chat with a few of them. Hermione was quite popular at the Ministry. Both due to her War Heroine status and due to her friendly nature. People loved talking to her. She wasn't really close to many of them but they seemed to love her nonetheless. Also, due to her position and hard work, she was considered a role model.

She entered the lift along with a few other witches and wizards. Just as the door was about to close, a pale hand shot in between and the door magically stopped.

Now, being who she was and doing what she did, she also had people who envied and hated her. Especially because some of the laws written by her did not bode well with the general public. Correction. It did not bode well with the so called "normal population". Which meant a fairly good amount of work went into calming the people and helping her make the people understand her opinion. Also, assessing the public response and ways to ensure full acceptance by them. A tough feat indeed. Thus, the DMLE was in constant need of help from the Department of Public Relations. Which, by extension, meant that the members of her Department had to be in regular correspondence with the members of Public Relations Department.

This meant that Hermione, being the Deputy Head, had to interact more often than not with the Deputy Head of the said Department. She scowled as the bearer of the pale hand walked in wearing an expensive hand stitched charcoal black three piece suit, perfectly tousled white blond hair and a smirk that had witches swooning at his sight.

The bane of her existence.

Draco Malfoy.

xDHx

A/N: And that's a wrap. Let me know your views on the description so far and the concept.

Until next time,

MrsGinPotter