Please be noted that slight changes are made in the first chapter.
I have been considering the option of changing T to M, in case I cross the line unknowingly and get complained.
HG's POV
The Auror Office was different from what Hermione had always imagined. In the past, they were responsible for catching dark wizards and witches, now they shifted to solving petty thefts and tracking people upon request. Working in Wizengamot was not as exciting as other expected, most members were in their nineties and it was a running joke that Hermione lowered the average age of member and brought the number back to eighties
"Did you see that fat lady storming into the Ministry yesterday?" asked Ginny. "Penelope said she could hardly cover up her frown as the lady's voice echoed in the Atrium."
"Yeah, she was heading to our place." replied Hermione as the two walked along the corridor. "It was a nightmare."
"Harry and Ron were there?"
"Me and Malfoy too," said Hermione and they got into the elevator. "She sang Her voice shattered the whole office and my head was like split into half."
"Sounds like Fat Lady."
"Even worse than Fat Lady."
They got out the lift as it stopped on Level 1. A few boys came out from the rosewood door and eyed on the two girls for a while as they pass by.
"You are attracting way too many boys, Ginny," whispered Hermione and softly chuckled.
"Come on, everyone knows I am with Harry," said Ginny. "They are looking at you."
"You know I am not interested in those kind of boys..."
"What kind of boys?"
They entered the Marriage Office, the department was larger than she expected, files were stacked up against the wall and workers kept running around, trying to sort out documents. A plump brown woman greeted them.
"Marriage Law, dears?"
"Yes."
"Do you have any boyfriends?"
"Ginny has," replied Hermione and looked at Ginny.
The woman asked her other colleague to help out. While Ginny was busy filling in the Relationship Confirmation Form, the woman asked Hermione,
"Do you have any compatible boyfriend in your mind?"
"No."
"What disposition of partner would you want?"
"Someone who upholds sophistication, responsible, courageous, considerate."
"Preferably working in the Ministry?"
"Preferably."
"Around your age?"
"Preferably, but older is also acceptable."
"What's the limit?"
"Er...10 years older."
"Noted. Do you have any hobbies?"
"Reading, and...no, nothing else."
"Do you wish your partner to be of the same house as yours during your education years?"
"Any house is fine."
"Your answers and superior's opinions will be marked in our date base. We will inform you of the pairing result in six months. We will only do pairing once and if you are not satisfied by the result, you will have to find another partner on your own within a month. Remaining single is not quite an option unless you are willing to pay 60% single tax."
60% single tax! She could buy a hundred and fifty wands with that amount the money. This made marriage even more necessary if she wanted to keep her Galleons. She somehow got jealous of Ginny and Harry, who knew they could marry their truly loved ones. She knew Ron visited the department just this morning, his face was red like a plum when he came back to the office and Melanie said that he did not speak a word since he came back. Hermione wondered what he wrote in the Form, she knew he had been trying to date her but she had little interest in him. Tolerating ignorance and impulse was not her strength and Ron often complained about her beating around the bush when the answer was obviously revealed in front of his very eyes.
Her mind turned to other possibilities, all the Weasley boys were married except for Ron, and certainly other Gryffindors would not be compatible with her, considering that she made a remark of reading as her hobby. So most likely, she would get married to a Ravenclaw. Terry Boot married Mandy Brocklehurst and Anthony Goldstein married Lisa Turpin. Michael Corner was single but she had no interest in him. She did not know any older Ravenclaws and a flaw often existed in Ravenclaws-too workaholic. Though she had to admit that she was one too, but she did not want her husband to be the same. Usually such couples would not divorce but stayed in indifference, like old couples who stayed in the same house for more than forty years.
"Scared?" asked Ginny as they got out of the office.
"Scared what?" asked Hermione.
"Marrying someone that you don't like."
"Well you can reject the offer."
"Do you really think it's possible to get a great husband within a month when all other good ones are married already?"
"I know, I know," said Hermione. "It's a struggle between paying 60% single tax or get married to someone you will never love for the rest of your life and somehow get a child."
"Ironic how Department of Marriage is on the same level as Department of Taxation."
"Reminding you that either you give up your salary or give up your love life."
"I'd pay 60% single tax then."
"But with that amount of money, I can buy a lot more books!"
"Surrendering yourself to any man because of books," said Ginny and sighed as they waited for the list. "Really?"
"The law doesn't say that love is required in the marriage," explained Hermione. "It just says you must have a child within the first two years of marriage. And you can divorce papers after that. It doesn't say you need to stay with the same man for the rest of your life."
"What a law-gical mind you have there," gasped Ginny as the lift arrived.
Hermione wore a triumphant grin on her face but soon it wore off as they stepped into the lift.
"Hi, ladies," greeted Malfoy, with a smirk on his face.
"It's a surprise to see you here, Mr. Malfoy" said Hermione.
"Enjoying yourself much in that department?"
"We sincerely hope that you would find a Muggle-born to help tainting the bloodline," snapped Ginny, reminding him of his usual self in the past.
"Come now, Miss Weasley, mocking my past is just as ignorant as believing that your brother can find his perfect match."
Pink tinges appeared on Ginny's face, she wanted to argue but Hermione pulled her back. As the lift reached level 2, Hermione and Malfoy got out after she bid farewell to Ginny.
"What do you have to agitate Ginny?"
"If I don't find myself some fun, then I am not a Malfoy."
"Whatever," said Hermione, rolling her eyes as they got into Malfoy's office.
Without hesitation, they started researching for the case. Adrian Phelps was sorted in Ravenclaws thirty years ago and he was Third Class of Order of Merlin. Something strange about him was that he was extraordinarily handsome, as if he was part-Veela.
"He is indeed good-looking," said Malfoy. "Must be your type."
"I don't like someone just because they're handsome, get that?" said Hermione. "But he is more than good-looking."
"Humph, not even half of me."
"Yet you are not even half of Harry."
This struck Draco badly, she could tell from his stern stare.
"Do not compare me with Potter," gritted Malfoy through his teeth, slowly annunciating every word.
"I should have known that comparing you with Harry would weaken your fragile male ego."
His hand gripped her head and growled,
"Do not compare me with Potter, is that clear?"
She brushed off his hand and sighed. A male's ego could be so frail that a word or two could shatter it.
"Perhaps I should contact Tania later this evening," said Draco as he went through the files.
"Am I supposed to know your purpose of contacting her?" asked Hermione. "If so, I have no interest in knowing unless you require my presence-"
"I want you to be there, with me."
Hermione dropped her file.
"With you?"
"Not fine for you?" asked Malfoy.
"Strange that you would want me to accompany you."
"Well if Potter grants me the permission to use you-"
"USE ME?!"
"Use you as my personal assistant," said Malfoy. "Seriously, can't you just wait until I finish my sentence?"
"Even when you are mid-way through your sentence, I can already make a fair guess on what you are going to say."
Malfoy rubbed his forehead and continued reading the files.
"The Prince will be holding parties at his palace a few months later."
"Are you telling me that you want to find your true love at the party then?"
"No, I am not," said Hermione. "We should go and see whether we wrong a man."
"Wrong Phelps?" scoffed Malfoy. "So your hypothesis is that he is innocent."
"Innocent proven until guilty," replied Hermione, slightly annoyed by him. "Haven't you learnt that for the past few years?"
Malfoy sniffed and returned to his documents. Hermione perfectly knew that apart from the Princess, he knew nothing about Georgia, and to put it bluntly, he should be grateful to have an assistant who knew more than he did.
Phelps, this name triggered a distant memory. The first time she heard it, she only considered it as a common surname. But the face triggered her memory further. She had seen him somewhere, but where? She was sure it was never Hogwarts, he was eight years older than her, by the time she turned eleven, he had already graduated.
A knock rang on the door and Ron came in, looking worn out.
"Are you two going to stay overnight?" he asked. "Aren't you hungry at all?"
The clock struck nine, reminding them how time had passed. Hermione did not realize that she and Malfoy had been in the office since afternoon. Her stomach growled and echoed in the office. Malfoy sniggered and a broad grin spread across his face.
"Do you need a sandwich or what?" asked Ron, concerned. "I can buy you something at the Leaky Cauldron. You must eat something."
"Oh, Weasley, trying to get Granger using a sandwich?" sneered Malfoy. "I would at least buy her a hearty meal, even when it's Lady Marjorie."
Ron's face turned redder and redder as Malfoy's smirk grew wider and wider. The awkward silence was so uncomfortable that Hermione had to speak.
"Fine. You two leave, I will tidy up the office."
Ron left the office. Malfoy tucked his files back to the drawers and put on his coat. As Hermione stood up and cleaned the table, he whispered to her ear.
"Just don't open my drawers," he muttered in a barely audible voice, and his hot breath made her ears turned red. "You may find something that you won't want to see."
She dazed with confusion while blushes spread across her cheeks. Malfoy laughed and closed the office door, leaving her alone in the office. Finally, she could have a night of silence. She packed away the files and sat down, listening to tranquility of the office.
Adrian Phelps, where had she heard the name? The face reminded her of someone she knew across the street in her childhood but she immediately the idea, that boy was a Muggle, he studied in the prestigious Trent College, her memory about this was strong. But he could lie, could he not?
"Missing me, Granger?" said a voice and Hermione immediately sat up.
"It seemed that you are a qualified cleaner," said Malfoy, smirking. "and a qualified night-dreamer too."
"Shut up!" said Hermione. "I thought you were going home."
"Just to see how long would it take you to clean up, looks like I am over-worrying."
Hermione stood up, took her bag and left the office as soon as possible. As she got into the lift, she heard a voice from behind.
"Hey, hey, hey, wait!" said Malfoy, catching up and was relieved when he squeezed into the lift.
She was annoyed, still she hid it well.
"Oh, nearly forget to tell you," said Malfoy. "I called Tania and she said we could go to their party next month."
She stared at him.
"Are you telling me that you want me to accompany you?" she asked.
"You should be thankful, considering that your partner will be the most handsome there."
She rolled her eyes.