Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: This was getting a bit long, so I am breaking it into two parts. Though, the second part I've just started on. In any case, I hope you enjoy!

Leftovers:

Chapter 4A

Draco stared at the closed office door and groaned.

What had he been thinking, agreeing to such a stupid scheme?! All Granger's fine talk about loving her family must have temporarily induced him into stupidity. Let her swear up and down she would help; he knew the truth. She hated him and his family. How could she not when his very own aunt tortured her in his very own house under the eyes of his very own parents?

The Daily Prophet and every other two-knut wizarding rag seemed hell-bent on portraying her as a living saint, but he knew the real Hermione Granger. The one who struck his face with violent hands, burned his tongue with scalding coffee, and ruined his shoes by peeing on his floor, and that only covered the last two weeks of their acquaintance. His list of grievances was unending.

Besides, there was only one person he trusted to protect his family: Draco Malfoy.

What choice did he have, really? The file was with Granger, and so to Granger's he would go. Only he didn't know where she lived.

Completely unbidden, the idea of asking Potter sprang to mind, but he dismissed it immediately. However, thoughts of Potter led to thoughts of Weasley, which led to thoughts of Pansy. His lip curled in response, but he distanced himself from the visceral reaction. Gods, he hated her, but he had vowed not to waste any more time lamenting that gold-digging shrew. She was not worthy of the emotional expenditure.

Turning to Granger's desk, he started opening her drawers. It didn't make much sense, but where else would she store her floo address? The more he opened, however, the more his hope of finding that information diminished. Nothing but office supplies and more office supplies. Lastly, he rolled away her chair and reached for the metal handle on the thin drawer in the middle of the desk. Expecting to find quills and ink pots, he got the shock of his life instead. Literally.

Without thinking, Draco stuck his singed fingers in his mouth like a common Muggle. Coming to his senses, he cast a healing charm on his blistered skin, silently cursing the frizzy-haired witch who occupied his office space.

Who would keep anything of value in a shared workspace? And what kind of barmy bint would put a stunning spell on it? It didn't matter that she'd modified it so he wouldn't go unconscious. She was asking for trouble.

There was only one option left, that Floo Network Regulator Girl-slack-mawed what's her name with the perpetual stare that always seemed to be directed at him. Draco shuddered. Manipulating people for gain was nothing new to him, but he did not like dangling himself as bait, especially when the fish was so unappetizing.

Stealing a glance at his time piece, he scrambled to gather his things. 5:19 PM. He'd wasted too much time searching her desk, and now Floo Network Regulator Girl had probably already left.

Yanking open the door, he nearly jumped when he saw Blaise Zabini standing there, hand raised as if to knock.

'Shit!' He'd forgotten they'd arranged to go out for drinks.

'Hello to you too, Draco,' Blaise drawled.

'No time to explain. Just follow me, and let me do the talking.'

Skipping the lift, he ran to the stairs with Blaise complaining at his heels. They burst onto the sixth floor to find The Floo Network Regulator Girl locking the office behind her.

'Wait, please! Hold the door!' Draco cried. 'It's an emergency!'

When the witch saw who was addressing her, she fumbled her wand to the ground.

'Let me get that for you,' Draco said gallantly, swiping it from the floor and holding the stick of wood out to her.

She blinked at him and just stood there with her mouth agape, much like a fish out of water. Draco brushed his blond fringe from his eyes, looking beseechingly at her in the practiced way that, as a child, had always earned him candy from his mother. The girl was a short witch. Brown hair, blue eyes. A couple years older than him. Not unattractive per se, but seemingly unable to keep her mouth closed. Worse, she was a mouth breather.

He waited a moment for her to respond, but she wasn't even meeting his eyes. Not that this should have surprised him. The few uncomfortable times he'd shared a lift with her, she hadn't said anything either, only stared at him all moony-eyed when she thought he wasn't paying attention.

'I'm sorry to trouble you…er.' Her name escaped him, but it was a minor obstacle. Practiced as he was in the finer arts of manipulation, he easily settled into the shameless flirtation for which this situation called.

'It's no trouble at all, Malfoy,' the girl mumbled, having difficulty meeting his smoldering gaze.

'Please, call me Draco.' Straight, even teeth flashed brilliantly in his most winsome smile.

A sense of satisfaction swept over him as the girl actually giggled. It was almost too easy. 'OK, Draco.'

Blaise cleared his throat loudly behind him and thrust his hand toward the Floo Network Regulator Girl. 'Forgive my friend's manners. Malfoy, when were you going to introduce me to this charming lady? Or were you trying to keep her all to yourself?'

Hardly. Only, he didn't know her name to introduce her, which Blaise damn well knew.

Floo Network Regulator Girl placed her fingers in Blaise's hand and blushed brighter.

'Must have slipped my mind, what with the emergency,' Draco said, trying not to clench his jaw. 'This is an old school mate of mine, Blaise Zabini.'

'I know! And you both were in Slytherin and are best friends.' Apparently, Floo Network Regulator Girl kept current with Rita Skeeter's gossip column.

'Yes, well, this is rather embarrassing. Is there any way we could discuss this..,' Draco lowered his voice conspiratorially and gestured toward her office.

That seemed to move the girl into action. She smacked her forehead, and Draco nearly winced at the loud sound. 'Of course. Silly me,' she laughed loudly, then opened the door.

It was a nondescript space with standard-issue furniture. Off to the left was the a floo, and in the middle of the room was a large desk. Why he had to share his office with someone while she didn't, he couldn't say.

'Come in, come in!' the witch beckoned as she scurried to the other side of her desk.

There! A name plate. Draco casually traced his finger over her name as he leaned against the desk. 'What did I tell you, Blaise? Maureen is a life saver.'

'Yes, I see.'

'I'm just glad I can help you in any way,' Mauren replied. 'I know it's been a difficult month for you. I don't mean to be foward, but I am so sorry about what Pansy did to you. She never deserved you.'

Of course Pansy didn't deserve him, but she wasn't exactly a topic he wanted to discuss. It was bad enough hearing it from his parents, but to see it in the papers (where Maureen obviously read about it) and have strangers comment on it, in front of Blaise? He didn't want their pity. Or in Blaise's case, the relentless mocking.

True to form, Blaise slapped him hard on the back. 'Then again, who could ever deserve our friend Draco?'

'There are plenty of other fish in the sea,' Maureen said quietly.

And apparently he was staring at a hopeful candidate.

Ignoring her perpetually gawping mouth, he focused on why he was here. 'Thank you, Maureen. I know my request is highly unusual-'

'Probably illegal too,' Blaise interrupted.

'Ignore him. He just wants the attention of a pretty girl,' Draco said with a wink.

Maureen looked over at Blaise with hopeful eyes. If he was lucky, Floo Network Regulator Girl would soon have a new unhealthy fixation.

'As I was saying, I've been working on a very important case with Hermione Granger, and she accidentally took home a file that I need. Desperately. I was going to floo over and get it, but I seem to have misplaced her address.'

'I'm surprised she even gave her address to you to begin with,' Blaise said.

Draco scowled at his friend, but the wizard was willfully ignoring his furtive command to shut the hell up.

'I'm sure someone as well-read as you, Maureen, can understand the complex nature of my relationship with Ms. Granger.'

'They hate each other,' Blaise clarified.

Maureen nodded her head eagerly. 'That makes perfect sense given what happened with Pansy and Ron. Though I think you two are much better off without them.'

Blaise leaned across the desk, keeping his profile visible so Draco could see his smirk. 'On that we are in agreement. Who knows, maybe they will take a cue from their exes and hook up with each other.'

Maureen huffed. 'Draco can certainly do better than her.'

Blaise laughed airily. 'Better than the brightest witch of the age? Gryffindor's Princess and one-third of the Golden Trio? Defender and savior of house elves? I challenge you to find a more perfect match for our lonely bachelor.'

Draco not-so-gently kicked his friend. He needed Maureen to be disposed to help him, not so jealous of Granger that she would bar him from her home.

'Frankly, I find her reputation a bit overblown, but you see my dilemma. I need this for work, and she is intentionally putting obstacles in my way.' He reached out and grabbed her hand, almost dropping it when he felt how clammy her skin was. 'Is there anything you can do to help me?'

Maureen blushed and with some difficulty stammered out her answer. 'Normally, we aren't allowed to give out that kind of information.'

From beneath his lashes, he looked pleadingly at the Floo Network Regulator Girl. 'I wouldn't ask if the circumstances weren't so dire. Please, Maureen, would you be the defender and savior of Draco Malfoy?'

His mother could not deny him anything when he gave her that look, and Maureen was no different.

'I think I can come up with a workaround.'

'I could tell you were a smart one,' Draco said, giving her hand a pat with his free one before extricating his other hand from her sweaty grip.

She pulled out an enormous tome and rifled through the yellowed pages, quill in hand. Finally stopping on a page, her finger moved down the column of print, presumably stopping at the name of Hermione Granger. 'Yes, I'll just temporarily rename her floo, but mind you I'm only giving you access for ten minutes. Can you get what you need in that time?'

'Could we make it twenty?' Who knew what kind of situation he'd be walking into?

'Better yet. Just pop back when you're done and let me know so I can close it. And maybe, we could all go for drinks afterward,' she added shyly.

'What a great idea, Maureen! You're a life saver.'

'Anything for you, Draco.'

As Maureen scribbled in the book, Draco felt a sharp pain in his leg courtesy of Blaise's boot. From the glower on his face, Draco assumed Blaise was not looking forward to having drinks with their new friend, but it couldn't be helped. He was sure he'd find some way to get out of it anyway.

When she'd finished writing in the book, she scribbled something on a sheet of paper, which she handed to Draco. 'Here's the new address.'

Draco turned to Blaise, 'I'll go in first, make sure the coast is clear. Don't come unless I send for you.'

Sure that Blaise would object, Draco wasted no time. He grabbed a dash of floo powder from the jar atop the mantel. Standing in the fire place, he made sure his free hand rested on his wand before he threw the soot down, loudly announced 'Lion's Den,' then disappeared in bright green flames.

It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Granger out on a Friday night? What was the world coming to?

Giving the space a cursory glance and seeing no one, he pulled his wand out from his pocket to check for ards. When he'd assured himself there weren't any, he walked out of the floo, wiping off his robes.

'Lumos,' he whispered, holding up his wand and surveying the space. From the looks of it, he had arrived in some kind of kitchen/breakfast nook area.

He had never wasted any time contemplating what Granger's living space would look like, but he supposed what he saw fit. It was clean, but cluttered—a place designed for comfort rather than style. She must have moved in recently, as there were still some unpacked boxes. Stacks of books were piled on the kitchen counter and floor. Because of the darkness, he couldn't identify the color of the room, but each of the walls seemed to be painted a different shade.

To his right was another dark room. Through the arched frame he could just make out a lump on the couch. Now this was typical Granger behavior, though being asleep before 6:00 on a Friday night seemed pathetic, even for her. He walked a little closer until he could see that she was tucked under a blanket and sleeping soundly. Her lit wand dangled precariously from her fingers, and the book she must have been reading when she fell asleep lay facedown and open across her chest.

Turning around, he inspected the pictures on her mantel. There were quite a few of her with Potter and the girl Weasley, though surprisingly none of the red-headed wanker. Granger was such a martyr, he half expected her to have kept the mementos of her old relationship up for the 'sake of friendship.' Maybe she'd burned them as he'd done with all of Pansy's pictures. Not that there were many to begin with. Theirs hadn't exactly been a relationship one commemorated with the taking of pictures.

In the middle of the mantel was a silver oval frame. From her dress, Draco could tell he was looking at a picture from her Hogwarts graduation. The two older people on either side of her must have been her parents, though neither had curly hair. In fact, he was having difficulty discerning how she could be the child of these two rather plain looking Muggles.

The room suddenly flashed green, and Draco hastily set the frame down.

'You owe me—'

Draco made a slashing motion toward his friend. 'Quiet,' he mouthed. He stabbed his wand toward the next room. 'She's sleeping. And I thought I told you to wait for my signal,' he hissed.

Casting a Muffliato, Blaise said, 'The Floo Girl started breathing heavily, and I feared she was having a heart attack. When I realized it was my presence exciting her so much, I beat a hasty retreat. Didn't want to be accused of stealing your girl.'

'How thoughtful of you,' Draco said, voice flat.

'Right,' Blaise said, rubbing his hands together. 'I told Maureen we would take a rain check on the drinks, which you can thank me for later. Also, we need to make this quick. I arranged for two witches to meet us at 1OAKWand, and I don't think they are the patient type.'

A small sneer curled Draco's lip. He knew Blaise's type. They would be pretty, good for a snog, perhaps more, but always, always self-absorbed and grasping. He'd already suffered through one relationship like that. He didn't want another.

'Thanks, I'll pass.'

Blaise smiled widely. 'I assure you, Maureen has nothing on these girls.'

'Not interested.'

'Still not over Pansy, I see. Well, that leaves more for me.'

'This has nothing to do with Pansy,' Draco lied.

'Liar.' Blaise cleared his throat. 'You've known her for years. How could you not be affected by her betrayal?'

Draco was not ready for a heart to heart with anyone on this topic, least of all Blaise. The situation was too complicated to explain, but he needed to say something to get his nosy friend to leave him alone. Pretending to search through a stack of books, he said, 'You know how these Pure-blood arrangements work. I mean, I did consider Pansy my friend…once, but I wasn't actually in love with her.' And praise Salazar for that. He would have had to AK himself if he'd turned into a sad sack like Granger. Still, no one liked being dumped, especially when it was for a freckle-faced knobhead like the Weasel.

'So what exactly are we looking for?' Blaise asked, walking around her kitchen table.

'A file.'

'About what?'

'Never mind that.'

'Since you're not going to be any help, here's an idea. Let's wake up Granger and just ask her.'

'So she can hex my balls off? No thank you.'

'If the Malfoy finances have sunk so low that you've resorted to breaking and entering, I could loan you some money.'

Draco nearly snorted. 'My family and I are as rich as we ever were. Besides, do you see anything of value in this hovel?'

Blaise picked up a figurine of a unicorn from the middle of her table. Instantly, his nose scrunched up as if a dungbomb had exploded at his feet. 'I'm sure everything is of great sentimental value.'

Once their laughter had died down, Blaise put the unicorn back. 'I still find it odd you continue to work at the Ministry when you don't need the money.'

'That's because you don't live with your parents.' He got along well with his family, but his mother could be a bit…smothering at times, especially post-Voldemort. Besides, he enjoyed having some kind of employment. His current job had been given to him based on the few remaining connections Lucius had, but Draco had decided to use this as a jumping off point for himself. He didn't always wish to be in his father's shadow.

'Still, it can't be worse than the cramped work quarters you're always complaining about,' Blaise said. 'It's a shame really. All that close contact with Granger, and you've done nothing about it. If I were in your position-'

'You'd do absolutely nothing. Remember sixth year when you wouldn't even admit Ginny Weasley was attractive because she was a blood-traitor? And now you expect me to believe you want Granger?'

Blaise's toothy smile flashed in the semi-darkness. 'I'm a changed man.'

It was difficult not to point out Blaise's delusions. His school chum was still a vain and idle dandy who fancied himself a ladies' man and had a tendency to run at the mouth. But Draco found him too amusing to actually want him to change.

'The file's not here. Let's go to the next room,' Draco suggested.

'Why can't this wait until after we meet those girls?' Blaise whined as he followed Draco to the living room.

'As I've already said, it's an emergency. I have to present on Monday to Hobbes, and I refuse to be shown up by her.'

'I would have thought you'd be used to it by now.'

Did he just consider Blaise amusing? 'Why is it I hang out with you again? Certainly not for the stimulating conversation.'

'Because I'm the only one who will put up with you.'

'I'm sure there are plenty of women who would gladly put up with me.'

'One mouth-breathing Floo Network Regulator Girl hardly qualifies as plenty.'

'She prefers to be called Maureen,' Draco replied, trying to keep things light. 'And I could have more admirers if I so chose.'

'Face it, Draco, your parents and I are the only ones who actually like you for reasons besides your inheritance. No offense. The same could be said of me. It's the price we pay for being rich and ridiculously good looking.'

Draco pursed his lips together. It wasn't that he regretted having money. He loved it. But the part where he had to figure out whether people actually liked him or his wealth, that he could have done without.

'Just owl her and have her send it. I'm sure if you explained to her-'

'No. I don't trust her. She's been acting strange lately. She kept insisting she wants to be friends, that she'd doing this as a favor to me.'

'I fail to see why that would be a problem.'

Of course Blaise wouldn't. He was a lazy git who'd survived the war without any stigma attached. No one questioned his motives or his abilities. Draco knew he'd be paying for his mistakes—his parents' mistakes, really—for the rest of his life. His family name was inescapable, but that didn't mean he was powerless. He was perfectly capable of doing this on his own, without any interference from Granger.

Draco had just moved to the end table at the foot of the couch to search through a stack of files when Granger made a small huff and turned on her side. Draco flinched as her wand fell to the rug with a muffled thud. The book she had been reading was quick to follow, but he arrested its tumble to the floor with a quick levitation spell. Summoning her wand, he pocketed it in his robes so there wouldn't be any surprise attacks as they continued rummaging through her flat.

He looked up to see that the blanket (predictably red and gold) that had been covering her had shifted, revealing her calves.

And he wasn't the only one to notice.

'It's like she's teasing us in her sleep. Who knew the bookworm could be sexy?' Blaise said, chuckling.

Stupid, hormonal Blaise. "Just shut up and help me find the file.'

'Think she's wearing any clothes underneath there?'

Draco nearly choked. 'What the hell is wrong with you?'

But Blaise had no shame. "This isn't Hogwarts anymore. Please don't tell me that your prejudice has blinded you to the fact that Granger is rather decent looking.' Blaise tilted his head to the side, examining her further. 'More than decent actually.'

'It has nothing to do with her being a Mudblood,' Draco paused, irritated that he had let that word slip. Honestly, he didn't care about that blood stuff anymore, not after his father's fearless leader had turned out to be a creepy half-blood with an unhealthy obsession for a young boy. But it was the height of stupidity to say that word in this new climate of 'tolerance and kindness.'

'I'm sure if you pulled that blanket off, there'd be nothing but scales underneath.'

Blaise rolled his eyes. 'Don't be an ass.'

'Save your breath, Zabini. I'm too good of a friend to allow you to pursue her.'

'No, you're just the kind of friend to try to keep her for yourself.'

'Really, Blaise, how could you possibly think I want anything to do with that harpy?!' Draco spluttered. Clearly, his friend had gone insane.

'She may sound like a harpy, but she looks like a Veela.'

Draco stopped looking for the file and gave his sleeping coworker a studied glance.

Granger wasn't the type of girl to flash much flesh. Come to think of it, he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen this much of her skin, and only her lower legs and head peaked out. The work robes that frequently covered her from neck to ankle were dumpy and shapeless affairs, leaving everything to the imagination. She probably ascribed to the belief that she should be judged solely on her work performance rather than her appearance, naïve and foolish as she was. He'd allow that the two tanned calves peeking out from the blanket were nicely shaped, and he supposed with legs like that he could infer that the rest of her body was in decent condition as well, though with the blanket covering everything else, it was hard to tell. In the repose of sleep, her face was actually very pretty, wreathed as it was with her ridiculous brown curls. When she wasn't scowling or yelling (which was never), she could even be described as beautiful, but a Veela she was not.

"Don't be stupid. I look more like a Veela than she does. And I spend enough time with her as it is. If you started dating her, not that she'd ever agree, I'd be forced to interact with her even more and that's the last thing I want.'

'Why wouldn't Granger date me?'

'Weren't you listening to a word I said. You do not want to date Granger.'

'You can't tell me you've never thought about crossing over to the Dark Side.'

'No.'

'Not once?'

'Never.'

'Not even in all those years of merciless teasing and obsessing about how she looked and every little thing she did?'

'I have no idea what you're talking about.'

'Sure you don't,' Blaise muttered under his breath. 'Anyway, it's not like I would date her properly. Just until my Slytherin met her Gryffindor if you know what I mean,' Blaise said, waggling his eyebrows.

Draco rubbed his forehead and exhaled slowly through his nose. So much for leaving Hogwarts. Blaise's sense of humor seemed to be permanently stuck in 4th year. 'Yes, I think even Goyle could have deciphered your meaning. We'll, good luck with that. Granger isn't one of those girls.'

'How do you know?'

How did he know? Draco shrugged. 'I can just tell.'

'Is it often that you think of Granger's sex life, or only since you were placed in the same office as her?'

Truth be told, while he had recognized on more than one occasion that she was pretty, he had never thought of Granger in that way. What would the little swot be like? Probably bring a book on the subject (Sexual Sorcery, or some other nonsense) to bed, and then correct him on everything he did wrong, while they were doing it. Of course, some other, confused part of his mind interjected, she always received high marks for whatever she put her mind to, and could he honestly imagine her wanting to be anything less than the best? Further, wouldn't the emotion and passion he so often found grating translate well into the bedroom? Not to mention, her attention to detail was second to none.

It was a slippery slope and Draco found himself in the precarious position of picturing her lying, not on her lumpy couch, but across the silken sheets of his four-poster bed. Her chaotic hair formed a halo around her beautiful face while her shapely calves wrapped around him.

Malfoy loosened the tie around his throat. Her flat had suddenly become stifling.

'I can see you're deep in thought. I'll leave you to it,' Blaise said as he walked over to one of the two closed doors connected to the room.

Draco ran his hand through his hair, trying to dislodge his wayward thoughts as he walked over to Blaise. 'Do you really want Weasley's leftovers?' he asked, more to himself than his friend.

'When you put it that way, no. But then again I've never had that discriminating of a palette.'

'Obviously, otherwise you'd never have snogged Bulstrode.'

Blaise slowly opened the door and peered inside, 'Oi, what's this?'

A medium-sized ball of black and brown fur bounded past Blaise and headed straight towards Draco. The puppy skid to a halt in front of him and raised his paw, almost like he was saluting him. Surprised by the gesture, Draco patted its furry head without thinking.

'Is that Granger's guard dog?' Blaise asked, suddenly overcome with a fit of laughter.

'Don't laugh. He's a hound of hell.' Draco tried to shoo the puppy away with his wand, but stopped when it tried to bite the length of hawthorn.

'How cute,' Blaise said drolly. 'He thinks you want to play fetch.'

'That mangy mongrel urinated all over my new boots.'

'He's marked you as his territory.'

Draco groaned as the horrid beast started jumping up on his legs, getting hair all over his robes. 'He pretends to be innocent and adorable, just like Granger, but really he's a bitch.'

'You think Granger is innocent and adorable?'

Draco blushed. After picturing her in his bed, innocent and adorable were the last two adjectives he'd use, but Blaise didn't need to know that. 'I said "pretends to be." Keep up.'

'He seems to like you. A lot.'

To Draco's infinite horror, he felt the dog moving against his leg in a rhythmic motion. 'What the hell is he doing?!' he asked. But he already knew.

At first, Draco was paralyzed. And Blaise wasn't any help either. He just kept laughing and laughing.

'Don't just stand there, you idiot. Get him off! Get him off!'

'I don't wish to state the obvious, but I think we've already passed that point.'

Draco whipped out his wand and yelled, 'Petrificus Totalus!' The dog's four legs snapped together, and it fell over, crashing loudly into the coffee table.

Draco cursed, and his eyes darted over to Hermione. His stomach dropped to his feet as she began to stir and, adjusting his grip on his wand, he braced himself for the worst.

Hermione sat up on the couch, squinting her eyes up at him. 'Malfoy?' she asked, confused. She quickly scrambled to her feet. 'What are you doing here?' Her voice was groggy from sleep.

Draco blinked. Blaise and he had been wrong. Granger was neither naked nor covered in scales. The red and gold blanket had fallen away to reveal a shapely pair of thighs to match her calves. As his eyes continued up her body, he finally encountered some clothing, though her hot pants and camisole didn't cover much.

Decent was not the word he would use to describe the rest of what he saw.

Blaise, who had been standing behind Granger, walked over to him. This seemed to wake her up fully. Picking the blanket up from the floor, she wrapped it around herself and asked, 'Why are you here? Is something wrong?'

Besides his sudden urge to run his fingers all over her bare skin, which meant everything was wrong, no.

When he still didn't answer her, her eyes narrowed and searched the room. He could tell the exact instant she discovered her dog by the way her eyes nearly bugged out of her skull.

She rushed toward her dumb dog, blanket forgotten as she knelt by its side. In attempt not to stare down her top, Draco looked away only to find Blaise smirking at him.

'Puppy!' Granger shrieked. Her fingers ran all over its body and she slumped in relief when she realized it wasn't dead. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for her to deduce what had really happened to her dog.

'Where's my wand?' she demanded, rising to her feet with her fists clenched at her side.

Now was not the time to give the angry witch her wand back. Instead, he pulled out his own. 'Finite.' The dog jumped up to his feet and would have run back to him had Granger not snatched him back.

Instead, she rushed at Draco as if she meant to strike him, but he had practice with this and didn't flinch. 'I can't believe you! How petty and vindictive must you be to break into my flat to exact your revenge on a puppy?'

Draco sniffed disdainfully, and instantly regretted it as he inhaled the sweet scent of apricots and vanilla that clung to the air around her. 'If you care so much for your little mongrel, why haven't you given it a proper name and keep it locked up in your laundry room?'

'I told Draco it was just a tiny little puppy, but-'

Blaise's attempt to enter the conversation was quickly aborted as Draco and Hermione yelled, 'Shut up!' at him in unison.

Granger gathered the dog into her arms and held it protectively against her chest. The sight of it licking her face and neck distracted Draco, and he forgot what he wanted to say.

'What did he ever do to you?' Hermione said with a slight sniffle.

Suddenly feeling defensive, Draco snapped, 'As if urinating all over my office wasn't enough?! Your incontinent mongrel was dry humping my leg!' Draco pressed his lips tightly together, trying to regain control. 'I didn't come here to exact revenge on your dog. I need the file.'

'The file?' she asked, brows drawing together in confusion.

'The Leach file,' he said exasperated. Honestly, what other file would drive him to breaking in to her apartment?

'But, but I was,' Granger stuttered, 'I thought we were going to start over.' Her large brown eyes glistened with tears, and Draco felt an uncharacteristic stab of guilt. This was why he should have nipped her attempts at friendship with him in the bud when he had the chance.

And now, he realized, was the perfect opportunity to deliver the killing blow, but looking at her in all her scantily-clothed fragility, Draco found he didn't have the heart to do it.

Without a word, Granger turned around and stalked to the other closed door, and she and her dog disappeared behind it.

Trying to pretend as if Blaise weren't intently watching what was transpiring between them, Draco walked to the door and rapped on it with his knuckles. 'Granger,' he said, more gently than he intended, 'don't be such a baby. It was an accident. The dog started attacking me, and I couldn't think what else to do. I was only defending myself,' he said with as much dignity as he could muster.

Granger's answer came through the door, and it sounded like she was just on the other side. 'We discussed this already. I would be doing it.'

He thought she was angry about the dog, so why was she still going on about the file?

'I changed my mind.'

'But I told you I could do this. And I already explained why I think it's important that you let me.'

'I don't care what you bloody think. It's my family, so my file. Now open the door. I refuse to speak with you unless it's face to face.'

There was a sound of shuffling, and Draco took a step back, relieved that she was finally listening to reason. The door swung open with a creak, and something flew straight at his head, smacking him right in the face.

Malfoy cursed, clutching his nose as he glared through her doorway. She glared back, one arm outstretched.

'There's your file. Now give me my wand.'

'You're lucky that didn't break my nose,' he snarled, hurling the wand at her feet. Picking it up, Hermione walked towards him, stopping just inside the door. He expected to see her face red with rage, but she still had the slightly weepy look to her.

'Why are you still here?' Her voice wobbled, and Draco's insides twisted alarmingly.

She gestured towards the papers scattered all over the floor. 'You have your precious file. Now leave.' Apparently unable to stand the sight of him any longer, she shut the door.

Draco stared at the closed door, feeling ill. What was wrong with him? It was just Granger—swotty, loud-mouthed, nagging Granger. Who cared what she thought of him? He was just thrown by seeing her out of work clothes, and thinking of her…The sudden heat stole over his face, embarrassing him even further. It was just Granger, he repeated, and he was being ridiculous.

'That went well.'

Blaise's words startled him from his stupor, and Draco summoned the pages to himself. 'Come on, let's go.' Desperate to get out of her flat, Draco nearly ran to the floo.

'Why the glum face? You got your file, and got to see Granger in her—'

'I won't be able to make it for drinks. Please send my apologies to your lady friends,' Draco said curtly. Throwing the floo powder down, he announced his destination, and soon found himself back in the Ministry, facing Maureen.

'There you are,' she chirped, before gasping at the sight of his face. 'You're bleeding.'

Draco bit back a rude retort. Who knew when he'd need Maureen's help again? Still, he was impatient to leave before Blaise arrived. If he had to listen to any more of his inane commentary, Draco didn't think he could keep himself from casting an unforgivable.

'I ran into something. It's nothing.'

'Are you sure? Not to brag, but I can cast a really good healing spell.'

'Thank you, but no. Can I just use this to go home?' Draco said, indicating the floo.

He didn't wait for her to say yes, before he threw some more powder down, said 'Malfoy Manor,' and went home.

To Be Continued