SUMMARY: Five years following the battle of Hogwarts, Hermione finds that her job at the Ministry is not quite what she had hoped. She wants more from life, wants to put her knowledge of wizarding law to good use. And it hasn't gone unnoticed that out of all of her friends, she's the only one who is still single. A figure from her past reappears, with an interesting proposition that she finds hard to refuse, for more reasons than one. What could Draco Malfoy possibly want with her?

RATING: M/NC-17 for graphic sexual depictions (in later chapters)

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I originally published this story in 2010, but for various reasons, found myself unable to complete it. I have put off continuing it as my life got busy with school, but now that I have found a bit of time to myself, and a renewed passion for writing, I thought I might take another stab at it. This new revision is heavily edited, the chapters longer and more thought out. I hope to truly do this story justice, and I'm quite excited to see where it takes me. Reviews are, of course, more than welcome!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters, nor am I affiliated with J.K. Rowling in anyways. I'm just a girl who loves Harry Potter and wanted to have a little fun with it.


Chapter 3: A Business Proposition

I can't believe I'm doing this, Hermione thought to herself.

If you had told her that in a matter of minutes, she would be meeting with Draco sodding Malfoy for some vague proposition, she would have laughed in your face. Better yet, if you'd have told her she would go looking like some glamorous Hollywood movie star, thanks to Ginny and her innate ability to put together a decent looking outfit out of almost anything, she would have hexed you across the room and stalked away, mildly annoyed.

Yet here she was, sitting at a small table that was dressed with a fine tablecloth, two shiny, crystal wine glasses, the required implements for eating, and a napkin folded into a complex design that Hermione could never mimic, no matter how many times she'd pulled it apart and tried to put it back together, looking every bit like she had just walked off the red carpet or left some extravagant gala. Waiting for none other than her former enemy, no less.

She simply couldn't believe it.

The elegant French name of the restaurant certainly suited the small, lavish, and apparently highly popular gathering area. Despite the fact that it was a Muggle-run establishment, Hermione felt more out of place than ever. Surely even Draco would be better suited for a place like this, a place that screamed refinement and luxury, a place that was so uncharacteristically Hermione.

Though her parents had always sat on a comfortable enough fortune, being successful dentists with their individual offices and clients, they had never overindulged in ludicrously expensive or luxurious things. Instead, they preferred to save their money for their yearly holiday trips instead of small, unnecessary trinkets or outings to restaurants where a bottle of wine cost more than her daily pay at the Ministry. Hermione had very much taken after them in this respect.

Glancing at the delicate Muggle wristwatch upon her arm, Hermione noted that Draco had three minutes until he was late. It would be just like him to come up with some ruse to get her out of her comfort zone, and then leave her hanging to humiliate her.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. What if this was payback for that time in third year when she'd punched him in the nose?

Don't be ridiculous, Hermione. That was ages ago and there's no way Draco would get his revenge on you by asking you out to dinner, even if he was planning on standing you up.

Before Hermione's imagination could run too wild and she managed to convince herself to abandon the whole thing, she looked up and spotted the familiar white-blonde head of hair walking through the door. The man it belonged to looked outrageously handsome in a fine suit of a deep emerald, so much so that his mere presence made the five star restaurant look like a shabby, rundown hole in the wall eatery in comparison.

He really was ridiculously unfair.

Draco paused just inside the door, talking to the maître d', presumably asking if his dinner companion had arrived yet. Hermione's suspicions about the nature of his conversation were proved correct when the maître d' turned and pointed in her general direction.

It suddenly felt as if she had swallowed a tank of eels.

Unwilling to appear nervous before Draco, Hermione stood, smoothing the silk fabric of her dress' bodice, her stomach still churning. However, a pleased smile worked its way across her face when she noticed Draco falter just a little as he approached her table, his carefully cool and neutral expression broken with a look of surprise before he realized his mask had cracked and he remedied the situation.

"You were nearly late," she gently reproached him, not wanting to comment on how handsome he looked. Despite his uncertain terms for what the evening had in store for them, Hermione would have bet her year's salary that this was not a date despite what she had told Ginny.

He grinned, rather than scowled as he might have done during their school years, and Hermione was pleased to note that he couldn't keep his eyes off her. Even had she not fancied Draco, his apparent inability to look elsewhere would have been an extreme confidence booster.

"Nearly being the key word. I wouldn't have been late for anything." He said this so assuredly that it made Hermione wonder, not for the first time, what his intentions were for the evening.

Like the perfect gentlemen who had been schooled in proper dining etiquette, Draco moved behind Hermione to guide her chair towards the table once she had sat down again, then made his way to his own seat, directly across from her. The table wasn't all that big in circumference, so they were closer than she was expecting, their knees almost brushing underneath.

Draco easily made himself at home, signaling for a bottle of wine before turning his full attention back to Hermione. He blinked for a moment, eyes still searching her. "I have to say, you surprise me, Granger. I wasn't aware you owned anything like that."

Leave it to Draco to give her a backhanded compliment so that it wasn't obvious he was all but drooling over her. "It's not something I wear very often. Only for…" she stopped there, having nearly said 'special occasions,' but she didn't want to give Draco the wrong impression, or have it go to his head.

The way he grinned at her told Hermione he had understood the unspoken half of her sentence anyways.

The maître d' came immediately to their table with a bottle of Château Mouton Rothschild, which Hermione knew cost a hefty sum, and to which Draco nodded enthusiastically, clearly not bothered by the price point. Hermione had never understood how even the wealthy could be so careless about spending.

"I'm sure you're undoubtedly wondering why I've asked you to dinner this evening," he said as soon as they were alone again. Asked was a polite word for it. More like demanded. But her lips still remained shut. She had been dying of curiosity, but was determined not to show it. She didn't want Draco to know just how hung up on this evening she had been.

"I'll admit that I've thought up several scenarios, each of which seems just as unlikely as the next. So instead of indulging in childishness and wasting my breath and your time by guessing, I'll allow you to get on with it and tell me exactly why you've asked me for my company tonight."

He smirked at her, taking his crystal wine glass in hand, gently swirling its contents about and taking a deep inhalation like a regular connoisseur of wine.

Hermione couldn't help but note just how different he was acting from the other day in the graveyard. She knew that it had been an emotional moment they'd stumbled upon, but the fact that he seemed so careless, almost as if they were lifelong friends rather than enemies, unnerved Hermione.

She would just have to be cautious.

"As I'm sure you know, my business deals with obtaining prized plants from various locations around the world for their healing properties," he began, and Hermione wondered if he thought she knew about his business because he was that successful or because he still thought of her as a know-it-all. She decided not to dwell on it. "Potions was always my strong suit at Hogwarts, and when I joined M.E.E.P., I interned with the Chemical and Herbological Division at St. Mungo's."

This surprised Hermione. She knew that there were some in the M.E.E.P. that had opted out of the internship with the Ministry for such reasons as working with healers at St. Mungo's, but she would never have guessed Draco would have been one of them. She supposed she had always just assumed that he would follow in his father's footsteps and become involved in Ministry affairs.

If Draco noticed her surprised, he said nothing and carried on.

"After graduating from the internship, I decided that I wanted to venture out on my own and put what I learned to good use. It was either this or teaching Potions, and frankly I'm much too independent and impatient to be a professor. I'd probably be harsher on students than Snape ever was, so that's why I opted for my own business."

Hermione snorted indelicately into her wine glass, which provoked a raised eyebrow on Draco's part.

"I hardly think so," she said, once she'd set her glass down upon the smooth, white tabletop. "Despite how much of a prat you were as a child, you handle any social situation with a grace that's almost unnerving. I think you could handle children just fine, but I rather agree that you wouldn't do well in a teaching post. It doesn't suit you."

It amazed Hermione that this was the path Draco had chosen for himself. To heal instead of hurt, the way the former Slytherin once had. Perhaps this was his penance, his way of making up for the things he'd done, the things he had allowed, during the Second War.

Draco raised his glass to her at this confession, though whether it was in a mocking fashion or not, she couldn't be sure.

After taking a sip, he continued on. "I quite agree. And seeing how successful my business has become in the last few years, I quite think I made the right decision. Now I'm looking to expand, so to speak. There are some rare finds that would greatly aid my business that I haven't been able to get my hands on, no matter how hard I've tried. This is where you come in."

The waiter asking for their orders interrupted them. They'd both ordered something that was expensive and incredibly difficult to say in French, but both of which sounded delicious.

Hermione waited patiently for the waiter to leave, although she had been hanging on Draco's every word, rapt with attention. "How can I help you, exactly? My work is in helping house-elves with legal matters, not plants." She failed to see where she fit into this plan.

He nodded. "Yes, but your legal knowledge surpasses that of anyone I've ever met, including your seniors. I've asked around about you, and everyone agrees that you are the best. Knowing you, you studied every Wizarding law, statute, and code ever written, and you know all the loopholes around them. You're the youngest person to have been hired for a high-ranking position at the Ministry's legal offices in over a decade, and as much as it pains me to admit this, you're the smartest person I've ever met. You always have been."

Hermione wasn't sure whether it was the wine or his compliment, but she felt her cheeks heat and paint themselves red. He had asked around about her? She shook off her surprise before speaking again.

"I'm still not sure what you're getting at. You want me to find some loophole to get you access to some plants?"

Draco shook his head, his wine glass raised in his hand. "The Orient is very… protective over their plants. They rather enjoy being world leaders in Healing Potions, and as the plants that make the best Healing Potions are those that can only be found within the lands that fall under their jurisdiction, there's no way to get access to them. I want you, Granger, to aid myself and my company as our legal spokeswitch and attorney so that we might be able to obtain these plants. If anyone can convince someone to see things our way, it's you."

Hermione felt overwhelmed with the compliments and propositions that he was laying at her feet. He was offering her a rare gem of an opportunity that fulfilled some of her greatest wishes and desires. The need to work within the legal system of the Ministry was the only thing keeping her interested in her job and she had to admit that house-elves were very reluctant to take her up on any of her offers. If she accepted Draco's offer, her legal knowledge would actually be put to use and perhaps make her feel like a viable part of society once more.

But something was bugging her about his words. "That sounds an awful lot like you want me to help you steal the secrets of their potions."

Draco gave her a knowing smile. "Ah, but you would think so, I suppose, when the proposition is coming from me."

He looked out the window briefly towards the street before returning his gaze to her, his grey eyes striking her as those of a man much older and wiser than the boy he'd been during their school days. "I don't like those who think they can capitalize on something that would benefit everyone. The Orient have no real need to monopolize these plants, other than pride and monetary investments. With their sole ownership of these plants, they continue to make Galleons hand over fist while lording it over the rest of the wizarding world. It's a business move I despise. I saw enough of that mentality living under the same roof as my father, and being a member of Slytherin, where we believed in serving yourself first and everyone else last."

This surprised Hermione. She hadn't thought that Draco would be the type to find it appalling that others would use their power over someone or a certain situation for personal gain. After all, as he'd said, many of those in Slytherin had adopted that very mentality, and even his father, whom she had been surprised to hear him mention at all, surely had tried to instill these same values in Draco. Clearly, growing up had done Draco some good.

She had to admit, the idea of traveling across the continent was a thrilling prospect that had Hermione's eyes glazing over in desire. She could daydream endlessly about different places to visit, different Wizards with whom she could discuss Wizarding politics with, and any number of things that her heart desired. And, she admitted, the idea of doing this all alongside Draco Malfoy certainly added appeal and made her greatly consider his words.

She knew that his offer was sincere. If a strong legal backing was what he was looking for, offering the Ministry's youngest and wisest worker a job alongside him was the smartest move he could make as a businessman. However, Hermione was no naïve schoolgirl. She refused to agree to anything so readily without talk of other crucial points, especially when half of her was wanting to agree for a reason so foolish as his looks.

"I admire that line of thinking and I happen to agree whole-heartedly. What you're offering me, it sounds like a wonderful opportunity I would be stupid to refuse," Hermione finally said.

"But…" Draco prodded.

Hermione couldn't help the smile that stretched across her face. "But there are other matters to consider. I have a home here in London. I can't just give that up. And what of my pay? Is it to be matched to what the Ministry is offering me? Not that money matters entirely, but it is of some concern. Then there's the matter of finding someone to take care of my caseloads. Even if the house-elves are reluctant, I can't give up on them. The fight for their rights has always been important to me."

Draco's relief was nearly palpable. "Granger, if that's the biggest of your worries, you might as well just accept the deal and leave the rest to me. Your pay will be far greater than anything the Ministry can or will offer you and your housing situation will be dictated by wherever we find ourselves in any given moment. Your house here in London will be maintained while we're away, extra enchantments put upon it in your absence. As for your caseloads, there's no catch that says you can't do both. Perhaps international travel will connect you with bigger networks that can help you spread the demand for house elf rights worldwide."

It shocked Hermione to the core that he hadn't scoffed at her mention of house-elves, and that he suggested using the opportunity he was offering her to expand her quest in securing them their long-denied rights. Who was he, and just what had he done with the Draco Malfoy she once knew?

Just then their food arrived, breaking Hermione out of her surprised reverie. They began to eat, Hermione chewing over both the French delicacy and his words.

"How long do I have to consider it?" she asked between bites.

There might be other points she'd want to consider further, other questions she might have, but nothing was coming to mind at the moment and she didn't want to be swept off her feet by his good looks and thrilling words so easily. She needed to seriously think about this, as it was a huge life change for her if she accepted.

Draco looked up from his plate at her, his eyes narrowed slightly. "How long will you need?"

Well, at least he seemed willing to be accommodating.

"No more than a day. I'd like to talk it over with some… trusted advisors, that's all."

He snorted, taking another sip of his wine. "Potter and Weasel-bee, you mean."

She shrugged, cutting her meat with her fork the proper way she'd been taught by her parents. Draco's eyes watched her with something akin to approval in them.

"Perhaps. They're my best friends and I'd like their opinions on this."

He raised an eyebrow. "You do know that as soon as you tell them who's offering you this deal, they'll tell you to decline."

She shook her head. "I won't tell them who's offering me. I want them to consider what's actually being offered."

"They're going to find out sooner or later," he pointed out.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I'll tell them once they've given me their answers. Just give me a day and you'll have yours."

He considered her for a moment, watching her just as warily as she watched him over the rims of their wine glasses. After a few moments, he apparently found what he was looking for in her eyes, murmured his agreement, and returned to eating.

They spent the rest of their meal chatting about various topics, everything from Wizarding politics to, most surprisingly, Muggle movies (Hermione would have to make a mental note to remind Ginny later that she'd been right about the Godfather) and Hermione was surprised to learn that Draco was extremely well-cultured and learned on various topics, some of which she'd never even heard of. She discovered that he spoke several different languages, had homes in at least five different countries, and had bed as many women as the rumors had said back in their school days at Hogwarts.

That particular rumor had always intrigued Hermione more than she'd cared to admit. Not because she was jealous but because she wondered how it was possible to sleep with so many different girls and never once get roped in to a relationship with them. Granted, all the girls knew Draco's stance on relationships. The closest thing he'd ever had to one at Hogwarts had been the ever-persistent Pansy Parkinson, who constantly felt the need to attach herself to Draco's arm whenever in his presence.

And yet, most of the girls Hermione knew were fantasy driven and foolish at heart and surely dreamed of being the one to finally get a man like Draco to settle down. How had he managed to avoid such a thing and the disaster that should have ensued following his rejection of their proposals?

Well, he was Draco Malfoy after all. It seemed he did everything with an indecent amount of perfection that seemed impossible for any wizard to be capable of.

Draco seemed to notice the curiosity in her eyes as they spoke on this topic. "What is it, Granger? I know those wheels are spinning in there. Go on, ask."

It unnerved her how well he apparently knew her, despite how little time they'd actually spent in each other's company. "Well, I was just wondering how you managed to avoid being ensnared in a relationship, that's all," she said with a laugh, trying to keep her words casual so that he wouldn't read too much into them.

A laugh more carefree than she'd ever heard from him before left his lips as he raised his wine glass again. "Offering, are we, Granger?"

Hermione glared. "Not at all. I merely found it curious how someone could sleep with so many people and never once be tempted to settle down."

Although he was still smiling, Draco shrugged. "There was no one who appealed to me in that way. At least, not in Slytherin," he added.

Hermione's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline. "And what does that mean? Surely you didn't venture outside of your own house?"

The signature Malfoy smirk was back. "Come on, Granger, surely you don't think that I would say no to a good shag, wherever it came from."

"But there was someone you fancied," Hermione prompted.

"Yes, alright, but I never shagged her, so I suppose that's why I never had the chance to get tangled in a relationship. We… kept our distance."

Hermione was more curious than she should be, and she was afraid that it was showing on her face. "But she wasn't Slytherin, you say?"

Draco leaned forward so suddenly that Hermione nearly jumped and pushed her seat back, their faces closer than she'd expected. "If you keep asking me these questions, Hermione, I'm going to start getting the idea that you're jealous. And that will lead us both down a very dangerous road."

Hermione had no idea what he meant by that, and her heart was too busy hammering away inside her chest at the way he'd said her name for her to begin to figure it out. Licking her lips, her cheeks pink, she leaned as far back as she could in her chair without seeming impolite, laughing at his words, trying to play the moment off. "I simply find it hard to believe that the Slytherin Prince would have had eyes for someone other than a fellow Slytherin. I had always been under the impression that you hated everyone else."

Draco smirked and sipped his wine, leaning back in his chair, for which Hermione was extremely grateful. "Well, now you know."

By the time they had finished eating, Hermione's head was spinning with wine, Draco's proposition, and all the new things she had learned about him tonight. She couldn't help but feel curious over who he'd fancied at Hogwarts.

They left the restaurant together and sauntered down the street like an ordinary couple taking a stroll until they happened upon a designated Apparition point marked by a single yellow star carved into the cobblestone ground. Draco offered Hermione his arm, which she took with a small amount of caution and a rather large amount of surprise, before Apparating to her doorstep at her flat in London.

"I do hope you seriously consider my offer, Hermione," Draco said, extracting his arm from hers. "You would be a great asset to my team, and despite what you may believe, I greatly look forward to working with you."

She had to be drunk. This Draco was so… unusual. Never in a million years had she ever imagined him ever being this polite to her, when before he'd have told her off simply for being in the same vicinity as him.

"I will give it my most serious consideration. Thank you for dinner tonight. I will Owl you with my decision once it has been decided. You'll be staying at The Leaky Cauldron again, I presume?"

He said nothing for a long moment, only stared down at her, and only now did Hermione seem to be aware of just how much taller than her he was. He looked like he wished to move closer or say something but then he suddenly stepped back. "Yes, I'll be there. Get your Owl to me as soon as possible, Granger." With his infamous smile and a loud crack! he was gone.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione retreated inside her home, shutting the door behind her and leaning against it, a hand over her chest. She could feel her heart beating madly just underneath, unable to believe that not only had Draco been pleasantly polite through the whole encounter, but also that she had thoroughly enjoyed herself.

Working with Draco proved to be a highly intoxicating offer that Hermione struggled with finding reasons not to accept. She was afraid that she was thinking more with her heart than her head, but she had to admit that had it been someone other than Draco offering, she still would have wanted to jump at the chance.

That alone told her that it was the right choice for her, but she still needed to talk to Ron and Harry about it. Even after all these years, they were the ones she went to when she wanted to talk about life changing decisions.

And Ginny would be there as well, no doubt. She would have to pull her girlfriend aside some time after to confide in her the details of the night. She was sure that Ginny would hardly be able to believe it anymore than she could.

Once Hermione had changed out of her lavish clothes into some more comfortable Muggle ones, she sent an owl to both Harry and Ron, asking for them to meet her at the Burrow. Her stomach coiled in knots at the thought of their reaction when they found out it was Draco Malfoy who was offering her this chance, but she reminded herself that her life was not to be dictated by who her best friends did or did not agree with.

After receiving confirmation that both Ron and Harry, along with Ginny, would be waiting for her, Hermione glanced at her reflection in the mirror before stepping into her fireplace, grabbing a handful of glittering sand, and asking her fireplace to take her to the Burrow.

It was better to get this over with now rather than wait and risk angering Draco if her decision came too late in the day tomorrow. Besides, there would be no way she could sleep with all of this on her mind, knowing that she hadn't spoken to Ron or Harry about it. But most of all, she knew she needed to tell Ginny what had happened. Ginny would be the only one who could make her feel better about the riot of emotions currently warring inside of her.

Sure enough, true to their word, Ron, Harry, and Ginny were all sitting on the couch, waiting for her once she'd stepped out of the fireplace in the Burrow's all too familiar kitchen. Ron and Harry appeared to be anxious, unsure of what this was about. Ginny, on the other hand, could barely contain her grin.

She hoped her girlfriend wouldn't give anything away. She did not want Ron or Harry to be suspicious about her motivations.

She tried her best to appear bright and lively, wanting Harry and Ron to know that her news was not of the bad kind. She wanted to be able to convey how excited she was so that they would understand how much this opportunity meant to her.

"Hello," she greeted them, plopping in a comfy armchair that sat directly across from the couch in the cozy sitting room, a fire crackling warmly just behind her. "There's no need to look as if you've just swallowed Polyjuice Potion. This is good news!"

Harry visibly relaxed, but Ron still appeared to be on edge and was glancing over at his sister occasionally as if he could read her mind that there was something more Hermione wasn't telling them.

"So I've asked you here tonight because you're my best friends, obviously, and I got some rather wonderful news that I wanted to share with you. A business proposition, actually." She looked back and forth from Harry to Ron. "See, you know how much I love working in the magical law office, even though lately I've felt like there really hasn't been much for me to do."

Ron nodded. "I've always said it would be a right pain to get the house-elves to change their mind, Hermione. You're wasting your talents on them."

Hermione didn't bristle at his words as she might once have. She could see the compliment he'd intended in them. "I don't think of it as a waste, but I do have to admit that I feel as if I'm destined for more. I want to broaden my reach. I want to play an active role in really making a difference."

"You do make a difference, 'Mione," Harry said with a reassuring smile.

"You're sweet, Harry, you are, but I just know there's more out there for me. And tonight, I was offered more. I met with the owner of a business that specializes in procuring precious plants for their medicinal properties. But he's having a bit of trouble in gaining access to a very secure area in The Orient where they have some of the best plants for healing potions in the world, and he's invited me to become their spokeswitch and legal attorney so that I can work with The Orient and get him the access he needs."

Harry and Ron looked at each other. Ginny smiled interestedly, but she knew the juiciest parts of the story were coming later, and so held her tongue.

"So he wants you to do his dirty work, you mean?" Ron asked.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I thought the same thing at first, but he explained to me that The Orient are trying to maintain a monopoly over these plants because they're more interested in making money than they are sharing their fortunes with the world, even though these plants could save millions of lives. And we both agree that that sort of behavior is despicable."

"Well, that's alright then," said Harry.

"I just wanted to know what you thought about it. It might seem silly, but I value your opinion a lot. Do you think it would be a mistake to leave my job at the Ministry and everything I know for this?" Hermione asked, nervously biting her bottom lip.

She knew that if she'd told them who was offering her the job before she explained all of this, it would have fallen on deaf ears. She wasn't keen on telling them at all, but the question was bound to come up sooner or later.

"I think it's brilliant, Hermione," Harry said, and Ron nodded his agreement, adding, "It sounds like a job that was made for you."

Hermione could barely contain the grin on her face. "You really think so? I feel like it's what I should do, like it's what I'm meant to do, but of course I told him that I would have to think about it and consult my best friends before rushing into anything. I guess I just needed to know that I wasn't making a huge mistake. You really think I should do it?"

"Go for it, Hermione," Ginny said. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and it's clear just by the look on your face that it's what you want. I don't think any of us disagree that you would be perfect for the job."

Hermione pushed herself off the chair and leaned down to hug both Ron and Harry, then Ginny, before standing back and beaming down at all three of them. "Well, that settles it then. I'm going to The Orient!"

Her bubble of happiness nearly burst when Ron asked, "So who is this mysterious businessman?"

Ginny gave her a significant look. Hermione knew she couldn't lie to her friends, but she was dreading telling them the truth. They were going to be so angry.

"Well, you see, it's complicated…" Hermione chewed on her bottom lip, lowering herself back down on the chair. "I mean, really, I can hardly believe it myself, and I know that it's going to be quite a shock for you to hear and I would be totally confused if it was someone other than me-"

"Hermione, just tell us," Harry cut her off.

"Draco Malfoy."

It was like a bomb went off. Both Harry and Ron started yelling at top volume so that Hermione could barely understand what either of them were saying, only catching snippets of their tirades here and there.

Hermione raised her hands, standing up again. "Stop! Stop! Stop it, both of you!"

They settled down instantly, although the glares on their faces didn't subside.

"You don't understand alright, he's different."

"Oh, I knew you'd say that Hermione!" Ron snarled.

"It's true. He isn't like the way he was at Hogwarts. He's changed."

"Didn't seem all that different to me when he was calling you an insufferable know-it-all the other day," Harry spat.

"That's not fair, Harry. We obviously caught him at a very personal time and he was clearly thrown off guard by it."

"Don't go making excuses for him, Hermione, it's pathetic."

Hermione's eyes cooled as she looked at Ron. "No, what's pathetic is how a grown man such as yourself can't find it in his heart to accept that people change. What's pathetic is how you have accused Draco of being narrow-minded and bigoted all his life, while you have sat right there and done the same. We all have. Did we ever bother to get to know any of the Slytherins' before judging them?"

"Didn't need to. The whole lot of them were rotten."

"That's exactly what I mean, Ronald. You want to sit on your high horse and think you're better than everyone because you were sorted into Gryffindor and you never looked down at half-bloods or Muggleborns, but you're still prejudiced."

Hermione sighed, feeling suddenly tired now. She should have known it would have gone this bad. She sunk back into her chair, feeling slightly defeated. "I'm not saying that Draco wasn't in the wrong for the way he behaved when we were at Hogwarts. I'm not even saying you have to forgive him for what he's done. Whether his sincerity now is real or not, I don't know. But he's offering me a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm willing to take a risk if it means doing something that makes me happy, truly happy, for once in my life."

Ron seemed to have nothing left to say. Harry, on the other hand, looked apprehensive. "Look, 'Mione, I don't trust the guy. But… I trust you, and I know that you're smart enough to make the right choices for yourself. So even if I don't agree with you working for Malfoy, I'll respect whatever decision you make."

She smiled brightly at him, thankful that at least one of her best friends seemed to be on her side. "Thank you, Harry. It means a lot to me."

Ron still remained quiet, unwilling to be as accepting of it as Harry, as he was so intent on holding schoolboy grudges. Hermione simply didn't have the patience for it, nor the will to care. Let Ron be childish then. He'd been all for it before he found out it was Draco offering, and although she hadn't expected him to be overwhelmed with joy at the news, she had still hoped that maybe he was mature enough to hide his obvious displeasure, for her sake.

Hermione turned to Ginny. "I think we should let the boys simmer down after that shock. Shall we go for a walk?"

She could see that Ginny had practically been dying to get out of there so they could talk in private about the other half of Hermione's conversation with Draco, but she was thankful that Ginny contained her excitement until they were outside and a good few hundred yards from the house. The last thing she needed right now was for Ron or Harry to suspect that there might be more than a business proposition that had occurred tonight.

"Okay, spill."

Hermione talked for so long that she was certain she had to be repeating herself by now. She hadn't realized she was practically gushing over how charming Draco had been; recounting the offer he'd given her and the sly compliments in between. When Hermione told Ginny about what Draco had said about her being jealous and it being dangerous for them, Ginny's eyebrows waggled.

"Good Merlin, Hermione, and you didn't invite him home with you and shag him right there on the floor?"

Hermione was so thoroughly appalled at the idea that she burst out laughing. "Ginny!"

It took a few moments for their peals of laughter to slowly quiet and a few moments more before either of them regained their ability to speak again.

"But seriously, Hermione. If I were you, and a man said that to me, I'd have melted into a puddle right there."

"I nearly did," Hermione admitted. "But then I'm so torn because it's Draco."

"What do you mean?"

A sigh left her lips as she sat down on a bench in the Burrow's gardens, watching a gnome sprint across the field in the darkness. "He's never exactly been shy about his dislike for me, you know. I'm pretty sure he called me Mudblood more than he ever used my actual name when we were in school together, and it's hard for me to just forget how cruel he was. I can't reconcile that with the man I met tonight. He's so… different."

"Maybe he really has changed," Ginny said.

"I want to believe he has, but I'm cautious. I can't go letting my guard down around him only to find out that he's using me."

Ginny threw her arm around Hermione's shoulder with a smile. "I think you know yourself and Draco well enough that you can get through this. If you really think Draco has changed, then he's worth giving a chance, right?"

Hermione nodded, chewing on her lip thoughtfully, her mind lost in the stars above her. "I want this job for myself, first and foremost. But there's also the part of me that wants this job because it means being closer to him, and that's the part that scares me. I don't want to be the kind of woman who does something for the sake of a man."

"Think about it like he's a bonus, an added perk, to a really great job. You said it yourself, Hermione, you would want this job whether it was Malfoy offering it to you or not. I see no reason why you can't have your cake and eat it too."

Hermione laughed at the Muggle saying. "You've really been hanging out with Harry too much."

"Yeah, he's a pretty cool guy, I guess," Ginny teased, throwing back her red hair and laughing.

"Thanks, Ginny. Really. I knew that if I talked to you and told you everything I was feeling, you'd be able to help me sort it out. I know Ron's probably angry that Draco's the one offering me this job, and Harry's not all that thrilled either, but… I want to do this."

Her girlfriend nodded encouragingly. "Then do it. Write him back, say you accept, and get ready for the best adventure of your life."

Hermione turned to face her friend and brought her into a deep hug. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Well, you'd probably go mental for one. Imagine trying to get advice about Malfoy from my brother," Ginny said with a laugh, letting Hermione go and laughing again at the horrified look on her face.

"I'm doubly thankful for you, then. By the way, you were right."

"I usually am, but what about in particular this time?"

Hermione laughed. "Draco and Muggle movies. He's seen the Godfather, he told me so himself."

When Hermione returned home that night, it was with a clear conscience, a light heart, and an untroubled mind.

Yes, she was cautious of Draco Malfoy and this new persona she'd seen tonight. No, she didn't fully trust him and believe that this new side to him was 100% sincere. She'd yet to determine whether he'd meant the compliments he'd thrown at her tonight or if he'd said them to warm her up to get her to accept the job.

But either way, she knew she was doing the right thing for herself and that's all that mattered.

Watching the owl fly out her window for the second time that evening towards the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione knew that everything was about to change.