"I don't need to know any details about the information you have been passing to the Ministry," Hermione was in full professional mode. She found it the best way to deal with this awkward situation. "But I do need full details of the transaction that may lead to your exposure."

Draco looked her up and down as if he was dying to make some sarcastic comment but he refrained. "It was a shipment of items that I was going to tempt them with."

"Tempt them with?"

"Most of the items wouldn't be Ministry approved," Draco explained, "and therefore tempting to some of my acquaintances."

"Can you give me a couple of examples of the items?" Hermione asked. She was writing furiously as they spoke, making detailed notes as she always did.

"Why? Are you interested in purchasing a few illegal potion ingredients, Granger?"

Hermione ignored him. "I will need a complete list of the items actually but just so I have an idea of what I'm dealing with..."

"Illegal potion ingredients, unapproved wands, magical surveillance items, some illegal explosive accelerators..."

Hermione held up her hand. "Okay, I get it - and why had you bought these items?"

"I'm not under suspicion, Granger."

"I'm doing my job," Hermione said, her eyes piercing. "I am fully aware that you are not under suspicion." She put her pen down. "You bought them with the specific purpose to sell them on. That way the wizards buying them from you would be incriminating themselves and at the same time letting you further into their circle. They may even have told you what they were intending to use them for."

"If you know all that already why are you asking me?"

Hermione paused. "If you want me to help you properly, I need all the information and I need it from you. Sometimes the smallest detail can make all the difference."

"Do you want to know what I ate for lunch that day?" Draco said, sarcastically. She glared at him before picking up her pen again.

"Have you sold any of the items on yet?"

"Yes, they snapped them up," Draco answered. "But I didn't clear the purchase with Potter so the transaction set alarm bells off at some other ridiculous Ministry department."

"The Department of Magical Equipment Control," Hermione informed him. "You've gone to the top of their list."

"Great."

"I can get you off their list," Hermione said. "But not without telling them why you were buying the items."

"You can't do that. No-one else at the Ministry can know what I've been doing," Draco said. "And the wizards I've sold them to were told that all the goods had already got past the Ministry. If they find out I'm about to be under investigation..."

"How much longer before the Ministry might have enough information from you on your associates?" Hermione asked.

"I have no idea! That's Potter's department, ask him." Draco's answer was abrupt and Hermione looked up at him again.

"If it wasn't too long then I can get this put to the bottom of the pile," Hermione was speaking her ideas out loud.

"I thought Potter was top dog, why can't he get it removed from the pile?" Draco asked.

"It doesn't work like that. This transaction will have been logged and processed, Harry can't just make it disappear."

"Typical Ministry bureaucracy," Draco's voice hardened and he stood up and started to stretch.

"These procedures are in place to protect us all," Hermione answered, almost automatically. She'd dealt with hundreds of people who moaned about the Ministry and she had a set of answers prepared.

"Have you heard yourself, Granger?" Draco asked. He looked down at her with disdain. "Don't you ever wish you could fight for things in a different way than quoting from a bloody legal reference book?" He bent over. "Don't you want to get from behind your perfectly organised desk, in your perfectly neat office and actually do something to make a real difference?"

Hermione put her book and pen down slowly and then she also stood up and faced him. "I'm sure it suits your ego to be making a show of being such a hero but I don't need my ego boosting, thanks very much. There are other ways to be heroic without having to resort to playing double agent and I think you'll find that it's my perfectly, boring procedures that might just keep you alive." She leant closer to him, her eyes like ice. "So let's get this straight before we go any further. I won't accept you belittling me. This little arrangement is totally off the records and if I want to, I can go back to my desk tomorrow and never bother with you again." She straightened her shoulders. "So, if you want my help I expect some civility in return."

"I've been perfectly civil."

"Barely."

"Were you expecting a fanfare on arrival or me grovelling because I'm so grateful for your help?" Draco shrugged. "Maybe I made a mistake asking Potter for your help. I should have known you'd judge me."

Hermione shook her head in disbelief, her control slipping as he drove her to the point of fury. "Of course I'm going to judge you! You run your business, which is obviously doing very well," she waved her arms around the room, "by dealing with the worst kind of people. Don't tell me that it's all about informing the Ministry because I won't believe you. I bet there has been plenty of deals the Ministry haven't been informed about. Deals that rebuilt this house and bought those expensive clothes you're wearing. So don't stand there acting like a saint because, along with all the other things you are, that also makes you a hypocrite."

"There's only one person in this room that thinks she's a bloody saint!" Draco nodded his handsome head at her. "If I wasn't dealing with these people, the Ministry wouldn't know about them or what they're planning to do but you can't see that can you? Go back to your files and paperwork. I'll find another way out of this." He picked up her bag and shoved one of the large books into it.

Hermione took a deep breath and watched as Draco took a second book and began putting that back as well. She was sorely tempted to take him up on his offer and leave right now. She didn't need this aggravation and she could quite honestly tell Harry that Draco had said he didn't want her help. The problem was, she had a conscience and if she didn't help his life was at risk. Also, she'd never given up on a case yet and she didn't intend to start now. She had to rise above it and refuse to be dragged into a screaming match with this obnoxious, egotistical man and she would do it because this was part of her job.

Draco was ramming her notes roughly into her bag so she stepped forward and took her bag from him with one hand and the crumpled parchment with the other.

"You know you have to let me help you," she said, quietly. "More importantly you need to stop crumpling my paperwork, it will look a mess on my perfectly neat desk." She looked at him, waiting for his reaction to her self-depreciating remark that also played on his derogatory comments about her.

Those stunning, grey eyes met with hers and for a moment she expected him to snatch her bag back before throwing her out of his house. His expression was icy, his lips set in a hard line. She wasn't even sure that Draco Malfoy had a sense of irony and she couldn't imagine him ever mocking himself. Maybe her olive branch would fail miserably?

He took a step backwards and lowered his gaze. When he looked up again, several moments later the icy expression had changed, the lips parted a little and he blinked rapidly, several times.

"I'll send for you in a few days when I've met with them again. I'll have some more information for Potter and it will give you time to look into what you can do." Draco's voice was emotionless but his face held no hostility. Hermione nodded and within 30 seconds she was back at her office, her head spinning. It looked like the arrangement was still on.

I know this wasn't the most exciting chapter ever - I needed to establish the storyline whilst the point of Hermione's visit was to get information from Draco so they had to have this conversation. I also know that they are being really unpleasant to each other but I need this so that the story can progress later on. I've added just the tiniest little connection between them as well - a tiny taster of what is to come.

Finally, sorry it is a short chapter - it was a good place to break it. Let me know what you think - thanks for all the great reviews so far! I've missed you all! x