Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: 45. 45 reviews on that last chapter. I was going to wait and post tomorrow but when the emails just kept rolling in I knew I had to give you guys something. You are all brilliant and I love you and I hope this lives up to your expectations.
Also, I really am sorry about that last cliff hanger.
Chapter 7
"Did you have a good time?" he asked as soon as she had landed on their floor, his eyes hard even in the distance between them.
"I did," she said shortly, crossing the room to put the food in the fridge. "Did you finally finish your work on time?" she regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth but she refused to take them back. Instead she watched as his back stiffened and he took another long pull from the liquid in his glass.
He grimaced as he set down the half empty glass, running his finger along the rim as he avoided making eye contact, "Obviously not as quick as you," his words were quiet but venomous and she felt the sting of them as they reached her ears.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she yelled and she watched as he merely shook his head and picked up his drink to finish it off. "You're drinking again? Draco-"
"Stop," he said as he stood up, "If I wanted a lecture I would go to my mother's- or Molly."
She sighed as he passed by, grabbing his coat off the back of the couch and shrugging it on.
"I'm meeting up with Blaise, don't wait up."
"Draco," she started to protest but stopped when she realized it was falling on deaf ears as he trudged into the fireplace and promptly disappeared.
The loud banging woke her.
Even almost a decade later and her first instinct was still to grab her wand. Instead, she stilled her heart, placing her palm over her chest as she listened to the sounds of the night.
She had just relaxed, though only just, when the pounding sounded again. She did grab her wand this time as she stood up and grabbed her dressing gown, using it to hide the slim piece of wood.
"I'm coming-" she called to no one in particular as she hurried down the steps as the pounding sounded again. She flung open the door mid-knock, her mouth falling open, "Blaise?"
"Granger," the man smirked, giving her a mighty wink, "Think I found something that belongs to you."
She sighed as she saw the state Draco was in, his shirt unbuttoned at the top and his hair a tousled mess.
"Here, come in," she said, moving out of the way as the man half carried- half dragged her drunken boyfriend to the sofa.
"You're a good mate-" Draco slurred, reaching out to clap Blaise on the shoulder before he gave a mighty hiccup and then groaned as he rolled face first into the cushion.
Blaise tutted and reached down to put the man's legs up on the couch with him despite the nearly unconscious man's arguments then headed back towards the door.
"Is- is everything alright Hermione?" Blaise asked, turning to lean against the frame, using his forearm for support.
"Everything is fine Blaise-" she said, her eyes darting to the side to look at her inebriated boyfriend.
"Right, right, it's just, I haven't seen him this bad since…" he trailed off and she knew he was thinking about before.
"Thank you," she said softly as she tried to reassure the man before her, "But he really is fine."
Blaise nodded and looked back to her, the worry replaced with a cheeky gleam in his eye, "Well, if you ever get tired of his arse, you know where I am-"
Hermione yelped as a burst of yellow-green light pushed the man away from her and she looked over to see Draco pointing his wand lazily in their direction, "Sod off Zabini. Next time I won't miss."
Blaise rolled his eyes but winked at Hermione none the less as he bid them good-bye and then disappeared down the walk.
"Draco-" Hermione breathed as she moved towards the man. She could smell the liquor on him, as though it was emanating from his core and she grimaced as she remembered the last time he had been like this. She knew something was bothering him but it was beyond her to find out what. She scowled as she stepped forward and kneeled to take off his shoes and then his pants, ignoring his weak- and drunken- protests. "I'm going to get your potion Draco, we're talking about this tomorrow."
She didn't leave room for any arguments as she walked up the steps and into the small washroom, grabbing the vial they kept on hand for situations like this before she made her way back down to where Draco lay.
He was snoring slightly when she returned and she watched him for a moment before she shook her head. Setting the potion down on the table she reached across to grab the blanket they kept on the back for chilly nights in front of the fire, before she draped it over his still form. She paused as she pulled away, watching the crease between the man's brows as he snored on, she finally leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the skin just between his brow.
She pulled away then, making to turn around and head back to their room, when his hand reached out, snaking around her wrist and she froze against the feeling of his skin on hers. She turned, noting the steady and even breaths still coming from him as he rolled towards her on the couch, taking her arm with him. She kneeled then, coming close to Draco's face as he murmured softly, still sleeping, "I'm sorry 'Mione. I'm so so sorry."
The couch was empty when she woke next and she frowned deeply as she took in the sight of the blanket, folded and replaced on the back of the couch as though he had never been there. The only clue that he had been, that it hadn't all been some twisted dream of hers, was the stopper that he had left on the table.
She picked it up, running the cork between her fingers before she finally tossed it into the rubbish bin and picked up her briefcase before floo-ing to the ministry.
She was in no mood for coffee. She only hoped Ginny would understand.
The office was empty when she arrived and she used it to her advantage as she quickly and efficiently dropped off the stack of paperwork that had accumulated. It was easier, she told herself, to do it now; when no one would question her weary eyes and expression.
Hours passed and she stayed in her office, listening to the sounds of the ministry bustling outside the heavy door as she hid away. . Shrouding herself amongst the large piles of paperwork that had been unceremoniously dropped on her desk.
She really had no inclination to do anything but she pushed on, immersing herself in her work until she was pulled away by the three quick raps on her office door.
"Come in," she called, pushing a wayward piece of hair out of her eyes as she looked up to see her boss, Herbert Jennings, smiling down at her, "Oh, hello Mr. Jennings."
"Miss Granger, how are you today?" Jennings asked lightly.
"I'm well," she answered quickly, looking down at her hands splayed on her desk before the man cleared his throat.
"Good, good," he finally said, "I know we had talked before, about the department and its future endeavors but I never was able to catch you before. Anyway, the ministry has agreed upon a budget to be used to expand our department. In doing so, you've been assigned a partner to head up the being division. I know you'll do wonderfully as you lead your fellow employees toward a new generation of tolerance."
"That's great!"
"Yes, yes," he said distractedly just as the man appeared behind him, a box held carefully in his large hands, "And as such, we were able to hire on a few new people. I believe you've been acquainted with Mr. Krum in the past."
"I- yes." Hermione stammered as Viktor beamed at her over her boss' shoulder.
"Very well, I'll leave you to it then," he smiled as he turned to Viktor behind him, "Mr. Krum it is our pleasure to have you on the team."
"Thank you," Krum supplied as he shook the man's hand and Jennings quickly left, citing his 'other duties' as he hurried away. "He is a strange man, no?"
"No, I mean, yes. Yes he is but he's good at what he does." Hermione answered as she stood up, "It's good to see you again Viktor, I had no idea-"
"Yes, I figured when you didn't mention it last evening but I didn't want to spoil anything," he smiled, "So is this your office?"
Hermione shrugged as she looked around the small space, "Our office I guess."
The two worked together then, moving Hermione's rather large desk in order to place another desk beside it. It was tight but she had had worse working conditions before.
"You're stepping on my foot-" she hissed and the man beside her smirked and stepped closer, his heel digging into the top of her shoe. She reached out, elbowing him sharply in the side and smiling herself as he doubled over on the table as she whispered, "Wanker."
He was still trying to catch his breath when she poured in the last ingredient. It should have produced a wonderfully pleasant smell like Christmas pudding. Instead it created a plume of black smoke that choked them both.
She supposed she was at an advantage then, him having only just caught his breath again before they were both nearly suffocated and she blindly searched for her wand on the table, quickly siphoning off the cloud of smog from the air in the small cupboard until she could see again. The smell of rotting meat lingered in the air and she waved her hand in front of her scrunched up nose.
"This is hopeless," Malfoy growled, reaching out to clink his finger against the beaker in front of him.
Hermione turned then, looking into his desolate expression which only worked to strengthen her resolve, "No, no it's not. We'll figure it out. There's got to be a step we missed and-"
"Why?" he asked, his voice small.
"Because I knew that purple shade looked off, it's supposed to be amethyst and that looked more lilac-"
"That's not what I meant… why are you helping me? You could be spending time with the SheWeasel or taking a trip to Hogsmeade and instead you're here, in a broom cupboard, helping me figure this out."
She bit her lip then, looking around at the tiny room before she reached out with her wand to vanish the ruined potion before them.
"Because you helped me-" she said softly, avoiding his gaze. They hadn't talked about that night and it hadn't happened again but she couldn't ignore the pull she felt to him. Not anymore.
"Granger," his voice was firm but not at all harsh and she looked up to see him leaning closer to her, his face serious, "Why are you helping me?"
His lips were close to hers. So close.
She breathed as she inched forward, her hand reaching out to find his and she felt his breath on her lips, could almost taste the firewhisky on her tongue.
"Hermione?" the door opened, the light blinding them both and she quickly pulled away from him, turning to see Ginny in the doorway, a smile lighting up her features, "The boys are here!"
She smiled herself as she packed up her things quickly before she turned to Malfoy. His face was passive but his posture was stiff and she felt her stomach churn at the expression in his eyes.
"We'll get it Malfoy…" she said before she glanced to their brewing tools, "I'll- I'll see you later?"
He nodded once, his jaw clenched and she hurried after Ginny, excited to see her best friends once more.
She thought of Draco, as they finished rearranging the office and sat at their respective desks. She longed to owl him, to tell him of the strides the ministry was making in her department. He had been after her for years to move on, to accept a position that offered more for her. She wanted to work, to make a difference and she had felt stuck.
Her hand hovered over the stack of parchment, debating with herself as she thought of his words to her last night.
"Hermione? Are you alright?" she looked up to see Viktor looking at her worriedly and she nodded, "I'm fine, sorry, just thinking. So tell me, how did you get into the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures?"
Krum smiled then, one of his large grins, "I've been working in Bulgaria for years to improve the conditions of magical creatures there. I used my name, and my standing, to help as much as I could. I guess you could say I was inspired in my earlier years." He gave her a pointed look then and she felt her cheeks heat up at his implication as he continued, "It was never official though and when I retired I thought it was a good time to try."
"Well, I'm glad," she said honestly. "We need more people to look out for those who can't."
He smiled at that as he started to unpack the box he had brought with him and Hermione turned back to her paperwork as they worked quietly side by side.
A/N: Again. 45 reviews at the time of posting this. You rock! Review?