Here's the next chapter! On a side note, I may be altering the release schedule in November due to Nanowrimo, so that's a thing.


A Vague Misery

The busy weekend had gone by without a hitch, but Hermione was still trying to recover from her spill that had happened at the end of the last day. She groaned.

She had gotten into work early in hopes of catching some time to herself to get ready for the day, but those hopes were quickly dashed.

"Your paper's on the reception desk," Ron said while passing her desk, "I think the cover is from this past weekend."

"Did Malcolm Fredon write it?" Hermione asked quickly.

"Yes your favorite writer's name there at the bottom of the article," he waved a hand in the air as he went into his own office, "Just try not to let it him get to you like Lockhart, Hermione. We all know how that ended up."

"Ron, just because some writers know how to weave crap does not mean all of them do," She said getting up and following him clearly not wanting to end their brief conversation.

"Well I have a feeling you are going to be put out when you meet the author," Ron said taking a seat behind his desk. "I heard it's a pen name he's using."

"Why would you say that?" She asked while attempting to lean casually against the door frame with her one ankle crossed over the other.

"Well he's going to cover the engagement," Ron said lightly shuffling a few papers on his desk not paying Hermione any mind. A light blush graced his cheeks.

"Engagement?" Hermione's mouth dropped open and her shoulder slipped from her leaning position, head smacking into the door frame. "When did that happen?"

She righted herself, one hand massaging the side of her face, the other smoothed her skirt. Sill clearly trying to process the new information, but was out of sorts with the slight bomb Ron had been dropped.

Ron blushed deep red at Hermione's current question, "I asked her this past weekend after Padma and Parvati's reception."

"And she said yes?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"Of course she said yes." A big smile took over his face. "Went to the press the that day. They want to run a special on the whole thing and follow it from beginning to end."

"Really? And Fredon said he would be writing it?"

"Well we don't know who will be writing it," Ron said slowly, "but it will be in the section at least."

"But didn't you just say he would be writing it," Hermione cut in with a rush.

"They haven't told us who yet. Now I have work that needs to get done," Ron said focusing on the work before him clearly uninterested in her worried state.

Hermione cleared her throat trying to dislodge the frog that was stuck there. She looked on with heavy eyes. The finality of it all catching up with her. "Well I offer my congratulations, Ron."

A bright smile graced his face and he looked up from his paperwork. "Thanks Hermione, that means a lot."

She turned, pushing off the door frame and slowly made her way back to her desk. Her feet felt heavy and her heart hurt. Rubbing her face with her hands, she sat down and pulled out her planner for the week.

Her eyes glazed over not focusing on the words before her. Her brain whirled with thoughts of Ron and Lavender. Resting her head in her hands, she let out a sigh. Her hands dropped to the desk and her head soon followed.

She couldn't focus, not after everything Ron had said. Letting out a frustrated groan, she pushed herself up from her desk grabbed her planner and stuffed it into her purse before heading out. She swept past the reception desk and towards the just opening lift. Picking up her pace, feet now lightly moving across the floor, she raced for the closing doors.

"Hold the door, please!" She cried out, waving a hand frantically. "Wait!"

A thin pale hand shot out blocking the doors from closing, and Hermione slipped through only to be greeted by the uninterested and blank face of Draco Malfoy. A smirk quickly spread across his features when his eyes caught hers.

"Well, Granger, nice to see you," he commented dryly. "What's the rush this morning?"

"Nothing that concerns you, Malfoy," Hermione said taking her place along the back wall of the elevator. She leaned her back against the hand railing. Her foot tapped the ground with slight impatience. "Lobby floor please."

"As the Lady wishes." He pressed the required button and the lift shuttered into action. They then stood in silence waiting for their destinations. The lift slowed to a stop several floors shy of their destination and opened its doors letting on a few chattering female workers. They crowded the front of the lift, forcing the two prior enemies closer.

"Did you hear?" One of the females chatted loudly, "It's all the gossip this morning."

"What?" Another with long painted nails asked.

"The Great Won-Won is off the market," a rather giggly stick of a woman commented, "The gossip is he asked her last night at the Patils' gala."

The women all gasped and giggled while continuing their gossip about the news.

Draco watched the women tittle tattle with a slight frown and glanced over at Hermione. She had taken her planner out of her purse and lifted it in front of her face effectively blocking the women from view. She looked rather uncomfortable with the energetic women and had decided looking occupied with her planner was the way to escape.

"I hear they're going to get Fredon to do the article," the woman with the painted nails continued, "She was going on about meeting with The Prophet later. Isn't that just romantic?"

"Oh he writes the best wedding articles. I hope he never changes columns," the giggling stick lady replied.

The lift dinged alerting its occupants of its arrival. They all clambered out leaving the lift to Hermione and Draco alone.

"I'd say you need a drink after all that," Draco said nonchalantly as if talking to the wall and not the only other individual left in the lift.

Hermione did a double take not knowing what to say. Her planner slipped slightly from her hand and thudded to the floor of the lift.

"A drink, Granger. Haven't you had one before?" Draco said bending to pick up her planner, "I thought I saw that article about you getting hammered at Longbottom's ceremony reception?"

He held it out to her and she took it from him before saying, "Well the Prophet does like to exaggerate."

"Oh course," he replied clearly not knowing what to say.

"What are you doing here again, Malfoy?" She questioned, not sure of his presence at the Ministry.

"Just picking up my next assignment," he answered.

"And that would be for what?" She asked further, slightly put out from his lack of a clear answer.

"I write," Draco replied plainly.

"Oh. I didn't know," she lamely replied not knowing what to say.

"Most people don't. I write under a pen name. Helps keep the readers and all. Not too many would be willing to read an Ex-Death Eater's thoughts on things. At least I wouldn't think so."

"Sorry to hear that," she said with a tight grimace.

"Oh don't be sorry. I've got a big enough readership. Just because a few people sneer at me here doesn't mean they do that to me at home," he commented dryly.

They stood in silence for a moment. Hermione open mouthed, took in a deep breath and spoke up, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Who do you write for?"

"The Prophet." Draco clasped his hands behind his back.

Hermione smacked her forehead with her planner, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean- I mean I don't mean to bad mouth the Prophet or anything. They just tend to write rubbish about me."

"No offense taken. They can get greedy with viewership and take gossip for a ride," he said leaning against the hand rail next to her.

"What column do you write, if you've got so many readers?"

Draco didn't have time to respond for lift dinged, the doors sprung open, and revealed the bustling lobby floor. A few dozen people were crowded around the lift entrance waiting to get in, so Hermione and Draco had to struggle against the crowd to get out.

Her question got lost in the chaos, and once they made it through the sea of people, she was out of breath and slightly frazzled to remember her thoughts. Forgetting her conversation with Draco, she made her way to the Apparition point. She tripped through the crowd only to feel a strong hand grip her elbow keeping her from falling forward. She looked over her shoulder and saw Draco's blank face starting down at her.

"Careful there, Granger," Draco commented, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you've already had a few drinks."

"Malfoy don't start. I'm not in the mood," Hermione grumbled yanking her arm away from his grasp and continued towards the exit.

"That's understandable, how about an actual drink?" His arrogant stately tone questioned just as casually as if he would ask anyone else as he followed her.

Hermione stopped short and Draco slammed into her back knocking her off her feet. He reached his arm around her waist holding her fast to him keeping her off the floor again.

"No need to look so shocked, Granger. Haven't I been asking you on them for several weeks now?" His posh utterance directly penetrated her ear sending a shiver down her spine.

"Yes but I didn't think you were serious," she paused. Her brows were etched with confusion.

"You can't be serious?" She reiterated pulling at his arms that were wrapped around her and tried to remove them.

"Why can't I be serious about asking you for a drink?" He asked slightly relaxing his grip letting her pull away slightly. "Asking is what one generally does when fishing for a date."

"A date?!" Her hands stopped their pulling and rested over his.

He looked down his nose at her before saying slowly, "Yes, a date."

"Why a date?" she said struggling against his hold.

"Why not?"

"You know why not. It wouldn't work," She said still trying to squirm out of his hold. "Now let me go."

He released her without second thought, and she pushed off, turned, and made her way to the Apparition point. He watched her spin and disappear before heading to the Apparition point himself.


Have a great weekend!