Chapter One

"I love my job. I love my job. I love my job." Hermione whispered to herself under breath as she ran through the atrium at the Ministry of Magic, trying both to catch the elevator and not spill her coffee at the same time. It was too early if you asked Hermione, too early and too wet outside to be up and at work.

"Granger, what the hell happened to you? You look like something my house elf uses to clean the toilets" an aristocratic baritone voice spoke as Hermione squeezed her way through the closing elevator doors. Of course, she looked like a mess, it was bloody pouring outside, with winds strong enough to knock someone on their arse. Rolling her eyes, she sipped her coffee, savouring the vanilla flavouring on her tongue before turning to look at the man behind her.

"For someone who apparently wouldn't be caught dead doing house work, you sure seem to know a lot about cleaning toilets. What? Daddy's money not enough anymore? Gotta make up that extra cash somehow I guess" she replied, looking straight at him, smirking as she caught his left eye twitch slightly, before she turned around again and continued to sip her coffee.

"Hilarious Hermione, real witty" he replied, "I guess that just means that you'll be paying for lunch today, seeing as I've got to save what little money I have after doing house elf work."

"If I'm buying lunch today, then you have to take the meeting with Potts" she stated, "I've heard she's quite pretty, but a redhead, so really more Harry's type than yours I believe."

"Why would you want me to take it? I thought you were looking forward to the trip to the States? It's the closest thing to a vacation you've had since we started working here." Draco inquired, a slight crinkle in his brow as they exited the elevator.

"I was, until I found out that Potts is insisting on sending one of Stark's jets for me, and you know how I am with flying. I had planned on taking an international portkey, but she just won't take no for an answer. Apparently, we are top priority clients and they want to impress us." Hermione said. "But if you take the meeting for me, I'll handle your case load for a week."

"No Hermione, you know I can't do that," Draco said frowning slightly.

"Two weeks."

"No Hermione."

"A month."

"Hermione, no. You know I can't leave the U.K. for another year, and even if I could you know that I can't leave Astoria alone with the baby for that long, it wouldn't be fair. Go to New York, I'll give you a calming draught for the plane, and you'll be fine," Draco said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Now, I have a meeting with my Parole Auror shortly, he'll be here within the next 30 minutes, so I need to go prepare. I'll see you at lunch," and with that Draco turned and walked towards his office.

She couldn't really be upset that Draco wouldn't take this meeting for her. After all, it was her meeting, she was the one that did the research, made the connections and set it up. She also knew that she shouldn't have asked, even if it wasn't for Astoria and the baby, Hermione knew that Draco was still under parole and wasn't eligible for travel outside the U.K. for another year.

The war had been hard on everyone, many lives had been lost on both sides, and there had been too many close calls to count. Thanks to Harry and herself testifying on behalf of him and his mother, they were both spared from Azkaban, and instead sentenced to 7 years of parole, magical restrictions and community service. She knew that he regretted his actions, and tried to help and make up for what he had done, it was part of the reason he joined the department the same time she did. He, and many others, still needed to heal, from the emotional, mental and physical trauma that seemed to linger from the war, even six years later.

After the war had ended, Hermione herself had a lot of healing to do, and was still doing. She went back to Hogwarts for her seventh year, and had never fully considered accepting a job at the ministry, even though she had several after finishing her schooling with a record number of NEWTs. She wanted to do something good, that would make a difference and help erase prejudice and prevent anything like the ideals of Tom Riddle to rise again, and from her perspective the MoM had done nothing but help to perpetuate that hatred and evil, and she wanted nothing to do with it. That is, she hadn't considered it until the new Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt had mentioned a new department focusing on rebuilding and integrating the muggle world, and by extension muggleborns and their families better into the wizarding world. She had quickly taken the new opportunity, and swiftly rose within the department.

As she continued her walk towards her office her mind drifted towards her latest, and possibly most difficult project yet. She was almost at a breakthrough combing magic and technology together, once she was able to successfully manage that, she was sure that there would be an outpour of support for the mixing of magical and muggle people, and a loosening or at least change to the Statute of Secrecy.

It was the reason she had gone out of her way to set up a meeting between her department and Stark Industries, they were the leaders in self-sustaining energy, not to mention their numerous technological advancements. She was sure that working with them, or at least their technology, would be the key to stabilizing both magic and technology so they could work in sync with out anything short circuiting or accidental explosions. Memories of the last time she tried came to mind, her poor assistant had run into the room, wand in hand ready to fight only to find Hermione sitting at her desk, face black with soot, hair slightly singed and pieces of a muggle radio scattered about the room.

Laughing quietly to herself at the memory Hermione entered her office and began to get herself set up for the day.

With her eyes closed Hermione focused on her magic, feeling it within her and tried, again, to channel it through her hand and into the small television on the desk in front of her. As she concentrated she took note of her arm tingling and hand warming as her magic began to flow through her.

She could only hope that this time the runes she used on the telly, combined with her own charm work would hold long enough for her to at least change channels. The last few times she had only been able to make anything turn on briefly before it became overloaded by the magical energy.

My arithmancy said this would work, or probably work, slight room for error, but I should be okay, all I need is to relax and concentr-

"You know I can't let you stay here late again, right?"

Hermione jumped slightly as her thoughts were interrupted, face whipping towards the blonde man leading against her door as her concentration broke and the television in front of her burst into flames.

"Draco, you complete and utter ass! I almost had it that time!" Hermione nearly shouted at him. "I can't keep buying these things, only for you to come into my office and break them, they're expensive and the department doesn't have the resources for them."

"Hey now, don't go blaming me because you busted another muggle machine. I just came to get you for dinner, you know that Potter said he'd have my head if you stayed late and missed another family dinner. I for one, don't want to be on the bad side of the boy-who-would-not-die." Draco said with his hand up in a false pretense of surrender.

"I will keep blaming you as long as you keep breaking my concentration." Hermione replied shortly. "And Harry can keep his knickers on, I'm not going to miss another dinner, especially after the fit he threw at lunch today." Hermione paused, remember back to early that afternoon as Harry burst into the Café outside of the MoM and demanded that Hermione show up to dinner or be dragged there by himself. He always did have a dramatic flair I supposed, must've picked it up from Dumbledore, or Sirius, or even Snape. Jheez, there are a lot of dramatic men in my life,Hermione thought to herself.

With a quick flick of her wand Hermione sent everything in her office back into order, banishing the slightly smoking television at the same time. Turning back to the door, she noticed that Draco had grabbed her bag and help it in his hand, an eyebrow raised and a small smirk on his face.

"Is Astoria coming this time? I've hardly seen her since Scopius was born." Hermione asked lightly.

"If I'm correct then she's most likely already at Grimuald helping Ginny with dinner," Draco paused for a second, as if in deep thought, "Actually, I hope she's helping Harry with dinner if Ginny's roast last week is a testament to her cooking skills"

Hermione began to laugh, imagining Ginny pulling a blackened roast out of the oven and declaring it time to eat. Her stomach was certainly not upset she didn't miss that dinner, Harry was definitely the better cook between the two of them.

Hermione was still laughing as she went to follow Draco into the elevator when she froze. Her heart started to be wildly in her chest and her visions started to darken. Distantly she could hear someone calling her name, and she saw worried grey eyes searching her face.

"I… I… Dra… some… Draco… something's wrong" she panted, trying to catch her breath and steady herself at the same time. Desperately she reached out in front of her, grabbing at Draco's arms to steady herself, but it was no use. A second later her breathing and heartbeat became even more erratic and she collapsed on the floor.

Unaware to the man calling her name, shaking her shoulders. Unaware of the people running about her, trying to identify a cause. Unaware of the medi-wizards showing up and rushing her to St. Mungo's. The only things that Hermione was aware of in that moment were the images that seemed to flash before her eyes.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, in the desserts Nevada, a remote facility that did not exist except in conspiracy theories. A man, dressed in green and black, carrying a lightly glowing sceptre stepped through a portal created by a glowing blue cube.

A/N: Hey everyone!

Wow, I am absolutely stunned at the interest and support already for this fic. Thank you so much! This is a story that I've had flitting around in my head for a while, and I've finally decided to write it out and share it with you all.

Fair warning, I have a feeling/plan for this to be quite a lot fic, to brace yourselves, as well, I've labelled it with an M rating just in case, don't know exactly where it will go in regards to ratings, but better safe than sorry.

Please leave a review and let ya girl know what you think!