Sometimes, Hermione felt like her entire job was waiting. Waiting for a bill to pass, waiting for the Wizengamot to consider her proposal, waiting for more roadblocks to come up in her path. She hated waiting. It was the worst feeling: knowing that she had done everything she could and had to put her work in someone else's hands and sit around until something happened. The bureaucratic structure of the government was slowly driving her insane.

And so, because she had nothing better to do, Hermione had been working on a side project. It wasn't like anyone even came to check up on her, holed up in a back corner of the Ministry, pushed out of sight and out of mind. She existed simply so that they could say, "Look! We hired a war heroine! And she's working on creature rights, those are important!" and yet they wouldn't listen to her, so she might as well not be there.

Hermione had to be there, so the least she could do with her time was try and fix the problem at hand. The issue was that the Ministry archives were severely lacking on data. She could find the marriage registry for the year the first marriage law was enacted, but nothing about whether or not it actually increased the proportion of magical babies born. She found birth notices, and was able to track a few of the ones of people who became important, and on the whole they seemed to be all right. But that wasn't nearly enough data to prove anything. Hermione even found the record for when the law was repealed, but it was so minimal that it was probably something done with little fanfare. It seemed like only a single generation was really affected, potentially only a few hundred wizards and witches, from what she could tell. But it was infuriating, knowing the information must exist somewhere and yet having no way to access that information.

Once she had reached the point where she was ready to pull her hair out from the sheer frustration of it all, Hermione decided that maybe it would help to have someone to bounce her ideas off of. Before she even clearly thought it all over, she was picking up the research she had gathered and leaving her office. Less than five minutes later, as she stood in front of Draco's door, she finally stopped and wondered if he would be opposed to her imposition and willing to help her. But then again, he'd always been smart and this law affected him just like it affected all of them, so maybe he'd be interested.

Taking a breath, Hermione rapped her knuckles against the door, and she only exhaled when she heard him respond with a gruff "come in."

Hermione pushed the door open and stuck her head in. "Hello." He glanced up at the sound of her voice and Hermione thought she noticed the hint of a smile pulling at his lips.

"Granger," he greeted, and nodded to her as an indication to come in further. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Hermione shut the door behind her and dropped down into the cozy armchair in front of his desk. She wondered, briefly, if he had paid for this armchair himself. The Ministry-standard one she had in her office was nowhere near as nice or as comfortable, and she certainly wouldn't put it past him. "I'm having a bit of a slow day, well, week really. I've been looking further into the marriage law and the last time they put it into place. It's been nearly ten months now and we've made no progress on getting it repealed, and soon they're going to expect us all to start announcing pregnancies." Hermione paused and frowned, dropping her research onto his desk. "But I'm stuck. There's simply not enough information about the last time the law was in place. Some marriage records, and a few birth announcements, and then ten years later the law was very quietly repealed and everyone seemed to just, well, move on."

Draco hummed softly and picked up the parchment she had set on his desk. He lounged back in his chair and began to flick through it, scanning over her meticulous notes. "And you think that learning more about its last implementation would give you a good enough reason to fight for it to be overturned now?"

Hermione nodded. "Of course! If we can figure out why it didn't work last time, we can use that as an argument this time. And hopefully have it done more quickly than ten years."

Draco was still reading and then he paused, squinting down at a line on the parchment. "I might be able to help you."

Sighing, Hermione rolled her eyes. "Obviously, that's why I'm here. I needed someone decently intelligent to brainstorm with."

Draco shot her a look that might have been withering, once, but instead caused her to laugh. "Watch it, Granger."

"Didn't realize that was such a sore spot in your ego." She retorted, raising a brow at him, a challenge evident in her stare.

Draco was mostly ignoring her now, pointing at a name on her list and Hermione leaned over his desk to get a better view of it. "Ophiuchus and Columba Malfoy - my…" he paused and counted back on his fingers. "Great great great great great great great grandparents. And the Malfoys keep far better records about our own families than the Ministry would. I'm sure in our library we'll have at least some information on the two of them; at the very least, information about their marriage and their children and their magical abilities."

Hermione perked up instantly. "Really? And you think it would be alright if I took a look at it?"

Draco nodded, and then stopped, frowning. "Of course. It's just, I'm not sure what books of ours would be useful. I'll have to go and look through, pick out the best, and then I can bring them to you. But it's hard to say without looking at them."

Hermione frowned back at him. "Well, couldn't I come-" she stopped then, realizing where Draco had been going, and pulled her shoulders back, forcing bravery into the curve of her spine. "I can handle it."

Draco winced a little. "Granger, the last time you were in my house you had a panic attack. I'm not going to make you-"

"Will you stop thinking you're making me do things?" Hermione snapped. "I am a grown woman and I know what I can and cannot handle. I can't spend the rest of my life being terrified of a house. I will not let that awful woman ruin every part of my life. I. Can. Handle it."

Draco sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, shaking his head. "I've never met a more stubborn person than you." He murmured, but stood up, collecting his papers. "Right, let's go then."

"Now?" Hermione asked, leaning back a little to look up at him. "Don't you have work to do?"

Draco shrugged, looking down at his desk. "Nothing important, really. Let's go, Granger."

They apparated to the front door of the Manor, and Hermione shoved her hands into her coat pockets, looking up at the house looming above them. She took a deep breath and steeled her shoulders, and then looked over to Draco, who nodded at her. He pulled open the large wood door and led her inside.

When they entered the manor, there was a small pop and all of a sudden a rather short house-elf stood at the front door, twisting her hands together and smiling up at them. "Master Draco!" She said, voice high and trill. "And?"

Hermione blushed slightly, crouching down to be on the level with the elf. "Hermione Granger." She said, offering out her hand. The elf looked up to Draco, who nodded, and then shook Hermione's hand enthusiastically. "What's your name?" Hermione asked, voice gentle.

The elf giggled, just a little. "Bilby. Nice to be meeting you, Ms. Mia-nee."

Hermione sighed but nodded at the elf. "You too, Bilby." She stood up and the elf looked at Draco, who shook his head now, and then she disappeared again. Draco looked at Hermione and smiled, just a little.

"She liked you," he said, and Hermione decided it was better not to question it. She had no measure any more for whether or not a house elf liked her, and at this moment they had better things to do than get into another argument about elf rights.

The library was near the back of the Manor, and Hermione knew they would have to walk past the ballroom to get there. As they neared it, Draco reached out and grabbed one of her hands in his, and she flushed at the gesture, squeezing back to let him know she appreciated it. The ballroom doors were open and as they walked by Hermione had the impulsive decision to look inside, and as she did she gasped and stopped, tugging Draco over to her.

"You…" Hermione swallowed, and shook her head, and looked up to the ceiling. "The chandelier. It's gone?" She glanced over at Draco and he shrugged his shoulders, and she realized he looked just as vulnerable as he did the night she had seen his tattoo.

"It was hideous." Draco said, not making eye contact with her. "Really just didn't fit with the new decor at all. Besides, I certainly have enough money to-"

Hermione cut him off by pressing her lips to his, capturing them in a gentle kiss. She felt him relax against her and she lingered for another moment before she pulled back. Unable to help herself, she kissed his cheek as well. "Thank you, Draco. For doing that for me."

Draco shifted against her and she waited for him to argue, but he didn't. They stood for a minute longer, just leaning against each other, and then Draco stepped back. "Library is this way."

Somehow, without the chandelier the entire house felt more manageable. Hermione really hadn't seen much of the Manor, and when he pushed open the large double doors of the library she gasped audibly. The library was stunning, everything she had ever wanted. It was at least twice the size of Grimmauld Place's library, with rows and rows of books stretching back further than she could see. There was a window out to the grounds at the back, and two incredibly comfortable looking armchairs set up in front of it.

Stepping inside, Hermione couldn't help but run her fingers over the spines of the old books, skimming the titles. She had seen a few of them before. Some in the Hogwarts library, a few she recognized as being from the restricted section. But there were also dozens she had never seen before, books so old they may be the only copies left. Hermione wanted to pull them all off the shelves and disappear, take them somewhere safe and clean and not let anyone touch them without gloves on.

Draco had wandered off down an aisle, and she forgot about him as she gently opened books, fascinated at the contents. Many of them contained ancient spells she was sure no one taught anymore. Spells to be done without wands, in languages that no longer existed.

"Granger," he called, from somewhere in the back of the room. "Come here." Hermione glanced down at the book she was holding, sighed longingly, and slotted it back onto the shelf. She followed the sound of his voice and found him sitting on the ground in front of a bookshelf, holding something in his hands.

"What is it?" She asked, dropping to the ground beside him.

"Columba's diary. I was right. She was matched up to Ophiuchus through the Ministry's program." Draco flipped a page, and then another few after that. "It seems like it was just as vague. But they did get along, at least, from what I can tell. And they had three children, all of whom showed great magical promise. So for them, yes, the spell worked."

Hermione deflated, just a little. It was good, of course, that Columba had found love with her match. But it wasn't really what she needed. "Does it say anything about the matching process?"

Draco hmm-ed and flipped back a few pages, scanning over entries. "It says something about… her mother performing a matchmaking spell. And Ophiuchus being one of the options. This was months before the law came out, though. It sounds like it might have just been a regular…" Draco trailed off, and spun his head around to Hermione. "Of course!"

And before Hermione could ask what 'of course' meant, he was on his feet and gone down another aisle. Shaking her head, Hermione pulled herself up and followed after him. When she caught him, he was holding a small pink book and flipping through it.

"I'm not sure why I didn't think of this. Many of us purebloods, especially from the older families, have marriages arranged for us as children. It hasn't been done in decades, of course, using spells. There are so few of us now and so much potential for inbreeding that usually contracts are worked out wherever possible. But it used to be, before my parents, there were spells you could cast. They'd determine compatibility in a variety of areas. So, Columba and Ophiuchus actually matched in three different ways, but look-" Draco thrust the diary out to Hermione, pointing to a list on the left hand side of the page. "She'd matched in five different ways with one of the Weasley's. Clearly she wasn't that interested in him or they would have been together long before the law came about."

Draco then passed her the pink book. "Here's a few of them. Different families had their own versions, you see, depending on what was important to their belief systems. Because you can match with so many different people, in different ways."

Hermione's eyes were lighting up as she read over the spells. "Draco," she breathed, glancing up at him. "Don't you see? This is exactly what I was looking for. Do you think…" she flipped a page of the book, looking at a few more of the spells. They were each listed under what she assumed they tested for, though most were written in latin and she was not adept at translating on the fly. "Do you think these were the spells the Ministry used?"

Draco shrugged. "Hard to say, really. Like I said, different families had all different qualities they tested for. But it's a start."

"It's more of a start. It's a hundred times more information than I had this morning." Hermione paused, looking up at him. "Would it be alright if I borrowed this book? I can copy it out and then return it to you tomorrow, if you think it would be missed."

Draco held back a laugh. "I can guarantee you, no one's come in here in months. My mother doesn't like the place, too many evil little books. No one will even notice it's gone, it's yours to keep if you'd like it."

Hermione closed the book carefully and tucked it into her bag. "Thank you, Draco, for everything."

The blonde smiled at her, his usual self-assured smile. But his eyes were bright, and his shoulders loose. "Whatever you need, Granger. That's what I'm here for."

For once, Hermione was glad that it was slow at the office. She spent an entire day just copying out all of the spells onto separate sheets of parchment just in case something were to happen to the book. The day after that, she worked on translating the latin titles to figure out what each of them tested for. They ranged between everything from familial values to sexual preferences to core belief systems. The entire thing was fascinating. By day three, she was starting to break down the spells themselves, look for common elements and things that might be problematic to cast on humans - after all, it was an old book from the Malfoy libraries.

Hermione was so absorbed in her work that she barely registered that someone was knocking on the door. "Come in!" She called, without looking up. She figured it was Harry or Ron, stopping by to see if she was alright since she hadn't been down for her usual tea for days. The door opened, she heard the sounds of someone entering, and then the door shut. She only realized something was different when she heard the sound of the lock clicking into place.

As she glanced up, she found a grinning Draco leaning back against the wood, arms crossed. He looked like a perfect picture of leisure with a smooth smirk on his face as he watched her, and she couldn't help but blush under the intensity of it all.

"Oh," she said, quickly. "Hi. Sorry, I was a little caught up in, well, in all of this." Sure she was now blushing furiously, she set down her quill and leaned back a little in her chair. "Can I help you with something?"

Draco shrugged, his smirk morphing into a wolfish grin as he took three large steps and crossed her office until he was in front of her desk. "I'm not sure, Granger. It depends on you feelings about what is and is not appropriate in the workplace."

Hermione frowned, trying to figure out what he meant. She was still thinking this over when he circled around her desk and grabbed her hands, pulling her out of her chair and catching her lips in a searing kiss. Hermione gasped and pulled back, looking at her door. But Draco had locked it, and pulled down the shade on the window that looked out into the hallway. She turned back to look at him and he kissed her again, and she could taste firewhiskey just faintly on his tongue but that taste was such a part of him now it almost didn't bother her.

"Draco," she murmured, pulling back. "Did you just come down here to kiss me?"

Draco laughed at this and picked her up, sitting her down on her desk. "No," he mumbled, kissing along her jaw and then down her neck. "Can't stop thinking about you. Can't stop thinking about how you taste…" He nipped at the soft skin on her neck and Hermione gasped, looking back over her shoulder again at the door.

"Granger," he said, voice low and husky again. "Tell me you want me to stop and I'll leave right now." Hermione swallowed, looking back at him. "Or, don't, and let me make you feel good." His eyes met hers and they looked at each other, and Hermione hesitated. But she only hesitated for a moment. Normally she would be very much against anything like this but… It had been a few days, and there was something about Draco that pressed at the part of her that wanted to follow the rules. Something about him that drove her to do things she otherwise would never consider. Finally, Hermione nodded, and Draco grinned triumphantly, sliding his hands down her sides and undoing her robes quickly. He slid a hand up under her shirt, immediately cupping one of her breasts and she gasped as he pinched her nipple and rolled it in his fingers. His other hand was pushing her skirt up, bunching it around her waist, and trailing his fingers over the front of her knickers.

Hermione was very quickly forgetting that they were in her office and she leaned back on her hands, letting her eyes fall closed. Draco dropped down to sit in her chair and pushed her legs further apart. He hooked his long fingers in her underwear and pulled them off, carefully slipping them into his pocket.

Pulling away from her, Draco licked his lips and wiped his hands off on his robes, standing up out of the chair. Hermione was still trembling a little bit, only half aware that she must look like something else, with her own skin flushed, her skirt bunched up around her waist, and her shirt riding halfway up her stomach. Draco caught her cheeks in his hands and pressed a kiss to her forehead, and then again to her lips. "This was great fun." He mumbled, and she grinned against him.

"Do you want, um…" Hermione gestured a hand at his crotch and Draco glanced at his watch and then shook his head.

"No." He paused, and then smirked a little. "I'll take a rain check on that one."

Draco stepped back from her then and smoothed out his hair, adjusting the deep green tie around his neck. "Have a good rest of your afternoon, Granger."

And then he was gone. It was only when Hermione pulled herself off the desk and rearranged her skirt and robes did she realize that her underwear were gone. Unfortunately, she couldn't quite seem to find it in herself to care.

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed todays chapter! Finally - some plot! I cut out around 400 words there when the scene crosses into "explicit" territory. To find that scene if you're interested, this story is also being posted on archive of our own, under the same name & same username!