Chapter 17

a/n: I really hope these next three words don't make you guys too mad at me.

Chapter 17

3 years later…

Hermione sighed and slid the last of her files across her desk. She had been working on the same case for the past 2 weeks and it was finally coming to an end. It had been one of the most stressful cases in her short career and she was happy to see the end of it. She had had to adapt to a schedule with much less sleep than she usually barely got every night and she was starting to feel the drain of exhaustion take over.

After graduating from Hogwarts, Hermione had accepted a job working for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures like she had always intended. After realizing the job was mostly paperwork and jumping through hoops to please politicians, she left her job for a more challenging and rewarding one; curse breaking. Hermione had started working for Gringotts, as most curse breakers do, but after a year in the position she started working for Bill Weasley in his small curse breaking business.

Although she did like the position she held at Gringotts, the work was usually mundane and the goblins were very unpleasant coworkers. Bill was a fair boss and brought in much more interesting work, so Hermione was pleased when he offered her the job. Along with Bill, Hermione worked with two other curse breakers, both of whom had worked with Bill in the past and were part owners of the business.

As interesting and challenging as the job was, there were some cases that just took a lot longer than others, and Hermione was now feeling to affects of a particularly difficult case. She had been trying for weeks to get a simple teapot to stop poisoning the drinkers anytime they used it. The item was a gift from the owner's grandmother and she simply could not give it up. It sounded like the most simple of curses, but for some reason Hermione was having the most difficult time figuring it out.

Alison, the only other female curse breaker in the office, looked up at Hermione's dramatic sigh. "Alright over there, Hermione?" she called over from her small cramped desk on the other side of the confined room.

"I'm just so ready for this case to be finished. I'll hopefully have it finished tomorrow," Hermione groaned into the table.

"Well that's good news then!" Alison exclaimed. "Now you can go home and relax!"

Hermione groaned again in response. "Gods I wish," she grumbled. "Ginny set me up on a date tonight and I've already canceled twice before. At this point he'd probably think I don't want to go. Although, I'd much rather go home and just pass out, I am knackered."

Alison chuckled at her friend's misfortune. "Well maybe you can act like you're completely bonkers and head home early."

Hermione looked over to the blonde and laughed, "You know that's not a half bad idea. Ginny would absolutely kill me though."

Having known the Weasley family for years, Alison understand Ginny's tendencies and snorted. "She'd probably throw a good Bat- Bogey Hex at you for good measure."

Hermione threw her head back and laughed. "You're probably right." She sighed again before finally standing up from her chair and stretching her arms above her head. "If I'm not back here in the morning, then you know who's to blame." She chuckled along with Alison as she pulled on her cloak and grabbed her wand from her desk.

"I'll keep that in mind. Have a good time," Alison waved in Hermione's departure.

It wasn't as though Hermione had declared that she wasn't interested in dating, she was just incredibly busy with her job and no man usually understood that. They would rather she have an easy job and have her waiting at home for them when they got off work. Hermione was not that type of witch, and no one seemed to understand that.

The worst men were the ones that Ginny set her up with. They were usually friends or relatives of Ginny's teammates of the Holyhead Harpies. Not that they were bad guys, they were just super macho and expected her to wait on them hand and foot. They also felt like she was hiding something when they would ask about her work. As a curse breaker, Hermione was under strict confidential agreements and therefor could not share any details about her job with anyone other than fellow curse breakers; these men did not understand that.

She had had a few relationships after graduating, mostly with guys she met at the Ministry, but they never lasted longer than a few months and she hadn't had much time to date after switching careers.

Ginny, who was happily married to Harry for the past year, could not understand that Hermione didn't need a man or relationship to feel happy in her life. Not that Hermione felt any ill will toward her friend's marriage and happiness, it's just that she could stand tall on her own perfectly well.

After heading home for a quick change and feeding of Crookshanks, Hermione stood waiting for her date outside the newest restaurant in Diagon Alley. A few people nodded at her on their way past, but no one that she truly recognized.

She checked her watch for the third time. She had been early, as usual, but this particular man was running quite late. Just as she was about to turn around and walk home she heard the deep clearing of a throat.

"Are you Hermione?"

She turned around to come face to face with a man in full Quidditch uniform. He stood only a few inches higher than her with dark brown hair and bright green eyes. His jaw had a small hint of facial hair, although, it was hard to tell as his face was smattered in mud, matching the mud covering his uniform.

She gave a small nod in response, not giving anything away. He breathed out a sigh of relief that she hadn't stormed off, his shoulders relaxing.

"Hi I'm Andrew. Terribly sorry I'm late, practice ran a little longer than usual," he drawled in a slight Irish accent, giving her a shy smile.

There was something different about this man that had Hermione intrigued. He wasn't as pompous as the usual men that Ginny set her up with. Those men would have expected her to wait around for them. This man, however, seemed surprised that she was even still waiting. He looked like he had run straight from practice, realizing that he was going to be late for their date, trying desperately to make it on time.

Hermione smiled in return. "That's alright. I'm assuming that this place is a little formal for your current attire though."

Andrew looked down as his outfit as if completely forgetting his current state. "Ah shite," he chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose you're right. Do'ye mind eating at the Leaky?"

"Fine with me," she responded.

After snagging a table in a far corner of the crowded pub, Andrew called a waiter over to order. Hermione, not being prepared to order so soon, mumbled out her usual lunch order.

"Sorry for ordering so quickly, I'm starvin' to death over here," Andrew apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Hermione said waving his response to the side. "I eat here a lot so at least I know some of the meals."

"So what do you do for a living? Ginny said you work quite a lot," he asked, leaning forward, placing his chin in his hands.

"I'm a curse breaker for a small company," Hermione answered quickly, dreading his response. Now was the time that he'd ask too many questions and get too frustrated when she can't share. Hermione grimaced and waited for the flood of questions.

"Very interesting. My best mate back home was a curse breaker, so I know ye can't share many details about it. Do'ye enjoy it?"

Hermione blinked at the man. No other date had been this understanding and interested in her before. They usually just wanted someone with a simpler job that would just fawn all over their amazing Quidditch career.

"Y-yes I do," she stammered out quickly. "It allows me to think more creatively and use a lot more spell work than my ministry job."

Andrew grabbed a roll from the basket at the center of the table and chuckled. "I can imagine."

Following his lead, Hermione grabbed a roll, pulling it open and buttering it. Having skipped lunch that day, she was starving as well. "What about you? Do you enjoy Quidditch? What position do you play?"

"Beater. I've played since I was a boy, so it's a dream to be able to play professionally. I don't plan on doing it for much longer though, it takes quite a toll on the body. I'm planning on coaching within the next four years."

Hermione nodded as she quietly chewed her roll. It was nice to see a man with ambition and set goals for his life.

The next two hours breezed by as the couple laughed and got to know one another over dinner. After dessert, Andrew walked Hermione to the Apparition Point, kissing her cheek before bidding her a good night.

The dark living room echoed in the slight pop of Hermione's arrival. She took off her shoes and plopped down onto her couch. Maybe there was still hope for her to find a man to share her life with, or at least her current life.

Hermione fell asleep that night with Crookshanks at her feet and a smile on her face.

…

The next morning, Hermione practically danced into the building, a few hours later than she initially intended. Most days she arrived hours before everyone else— grateful for the time to herself in the quiet building— the sun peaking above the horizon, soft rays of light hitting her desk perfectly. It was unusual for her to take her time in the morning and come in at her leisure as was typical of her coworkers.

"Oh good you're here," Alison said from beside the fireplace. "I was just about to owl Ginny demanding your release."

Hermione chuckled at her friend, "I was just so knackered and had a late night so I decided have a bit of a lie in."

"Oh so the date went well then?" Alison question, her eyebrows meeting her hairline.

"That it did. And there may even be hopes of a second date." Hermione blushed.

Alison clapped her hands and practically jumped up and down. "Oh I'm so happy to hear that, Hermione! You deserve to have someone great."

"Thanks, Alison," Hermione grinned at her coworker's display. She grabbed a pile of letters from the side table and began flicking through them. "Any news on your case with the Farens?"

Alison frowned and shook her head. "Not yet. I've got an owl from a nurse at St. Mungos, she's been having issues after treating a family with a rotten child and thinks he may have cursed her." She gave a low chuckle. "Could you imagine?"

Hermione grabbed the three letters in the pile addressed to herself and giggled in response. "What a rotten child that must be."

"I'm heading there now, but there was another owl that came in after I accepted this job asking for help on a new case. I know it's Saturday and you were hoping to finish your Wilson case, but I told them that someone would be here, I hope that's alright," Alison said apologetically as she swung her cloak over her shoulders.

Hermione waved her hand dismissing her apology. "It's fine. They're just lucky I was coming in."

"Great," Alison beamed. "If you're still here, I'll be back in a few hours. That client should be here within the hour." She turned and headed out the front door.

"Okay. Good luck!" Hermione called out the open door before the blonde could Disapparate.

Settling into her desk, Hermione was able to put in a good twenty minutes of work into her case before she heard a soft, deliberate knock on her office door.

"Come in!" she hollered, standing up and smoothing down her robes in preparation for her new client.

…..

Draco was tired of living his life as a pompous, pureblood, rich boy (Theo's words, not his). His days consisted of endless amounts of paperwork, letters from people wanting him to invest in their company, and medical bills for his mother. He knew what was in store for his future after leaving Hogwarts, he just didn't realize how much he would actually hate it.

Theo had invited him to another event at another rich pureblood's house in order to 'raise money for charity'. It didn't take him too long in his short life to understand that 'charity' meant someone's pockets.

He hated the thought of dressing up and trying to play the perfect part while women threw themselves at him all night. His mother had tried to push him into marriage quite a few times in the past years. She was especially smitten with Astoria Greengrass, the youngest of the Greengrass sisters. His mother had pressed the fact that he didn't have much longer in his child bearing years and she wanted to see an heir before she passed. As much as his mother had changed since the war, she was still very much set in her pureblood ways.

Her health had fluctuated in the past few years. She had gotten better initially, but then she had taken a nosedive, leaving Draco with no answers. The doctors had said it was the calm before the storm, whatever that meant. He had been desperate for her to get better to the point that he had been kicked out of St. Mungo's on multiple occasions for "harassing the staff". He had brought private care to the home ever since.

She didn't let that sway her though in expressing her feelings toward Draco marrying, however, and told him whenever he visited, the small bit of clarity she always seemed to have. Aggravating as it may be.

He looked in the mirror after pulling on his tie for the evening. He looked the part, black dress robes, shiny shoes, neat as a pin tie, however, his face was the usual cold, blank look that it was nowadays.

The fireplace to his left roared to life, a dark figure dressed in grey emerging through the green flames, already complaining about the evening.

"Let's get this over with, so we can leave as early as possible," Blaise Zabini grumbled.

Blaise hated these parties just as much as Draco. He loathed the useless chat and women trying to present themselves to him. He didn't have as many women flooding his space like Draco,—he wasn't the sole Malfoy heir after all— but the amount of fake, gold digging women was still abundant. He just wanted to live his life as a single man, unbothered.

Draco gave his friend an irritated look before turning and grabbing his cloak from the hook. "I really wish Theo would take a hint and stop inviting us."

Blaise dusted the ashes from his sleeve. "I know what his game is, but Merlin if it's not bloody annoying."

Draco opened the door and headed out of the room, not waiting for his friend to catch up. "Maybe tonight will be the last night," he said over his shoulder.

Blaise rolled his eyes as he caught up with the blond. "I highly doubt it."

Draco snorted in response, coming to a stop as they reached the front gate. The two Slytherins nodded to the other before turning on the spot and Disapparating away.

The grand hall dazzled as the light bounced off the many shiny surfaces. Draco's shoes clicked against the marble floor as he entered the populous room. He averted his eyes from the group of elderly men that glanced up at his entry, knowing full well that they would try to coerce him into conversation.

Spotting the young brown haired Slytherin across the hall, he made his way to the other side of the room, Blaise right on his trail.

"Ah, Draco, Blaise! So nice of you to come," Theo greeted them.

"Theo, you told us if we didn't come that you would personally come and 'behead our manhood'," Blaise commented flatly.

Theo threw his head back and let out a full belly laugh. "Oh, Blaise, you absolute card. If you would excuse us, ladies," he spoke sweetly to the two blonde women on his right. "I have some business to discuss with these two." The two women wiggled their fingers at Theo, flashing a large grin to Draco and Blaise before heading to the bar. Theo watched the two women until they were completely out of his sight before turning and smacking Blaise on the arm. "You wanker! If you say stuff like that you'll scare them away!"

"Oh and what a shame that would be," Draco drawled dully.

"You two are no fun whatsoever," Theo complained. "I have to find a wife soon and I can't do that with the two of you moping around. Why don't the two of you take initiative and do the same?" He glared at his two friends, his hands on his hips.

"I'd rather not," Blaise responded. "All of these women are completely dull. You need a better selection, Nott."

Draco nodded in agreement.

"Fine then! I tried to make it easy on you two, but if that's the way you're going to be, then you can just leave. Party poopers," he added for good measure, turning away from the two before they could retort. "Ladies!" he shouted, spreading his arms to welcome a group of brunettes as they entered the manor.

"This might be the best thing that's happened lately," Blaise practically purred. "Let's get out of here." He grabbed a bottle of Fire Whisky on his way passed a waiter.

Draco followed closely behind, head low, not wanting to get roped into any conversations on his way out the door.

Two hours later the two were laying on Blaise's floor, the bottle of Fire Whisky now sitting empty on the floor between them.

The past year, the two had grown closer together after Theo had started his search for a wife. He said that his home needed a feminine touch and he was getting tired of wooing different women every other night. But Draco knew better; Theo was lonely. Draco didn't criticize his friend for feeling that way. After long days sorting out his father's company, looking after his mother and just wallowing in self-pity, Draco had been feeling a bit lonely himself. The only time he had free lately was spent at Theo's dreadful parties, or with Blaise.

Blaise had no problem spending time at pubs and shops flirting with women, so he didn't fully understand Theo's intentions of finding a bride like Draco did. The problem was that Draco never took a liking to the type of women that Blaise or Theo seemed to attract. Or maybe it was that Draco was only looking for one type of woman.

He had gone on a few dates after Hogwarts, but he never let anything get past the first date. He always found a fault in all the women he dated; too perky, too dreary, too stuck up, too nice, laughed too much, and so on and so on. After the first year of useless dates, he realized he was comparing them all to one girl. The one girl he had stubbornly kicked out of his life with no hope of returning. He had burned that bridge, and now he had to move on.

"Maybe Theo isn't too far off," he mumbled.

Blaise sat up and looked down at him in shock. "Excuse me? Theo is completely mental. He's not going to find someone that wants to put up with him. Besides he is too much of a womanizer to settle down." Blaise slowly laid back onto the floor. "His parties are just an excuse to meet more women to shag."

Draco shrugged in the dark. "Perhaps. Maybe it's time I find someone and get married. Make my mum happy."

Blaise snorted. "That's a load of crap."

Draco sat up slightly and glanced at his friend. "Maybe, but I'm also supposed to get married before my birthday if I want to keep everything. I've only got five months."

Blaise closed his eyes and waved his hand. "Pish posh, there's still time. You know how quickly purebloods get married. You've still got a lot of playtime before you need to actually pick someone."

"I just don't want to wait until the last minute. What if I make the wrong choice? I'll be stuck with the witch forever."

Blaise nodded, his eyes still shut. "True. Although have you talked to a curse breaker yet? There's still a chance you can get out of this all."

Draco grunted ambiguously. "I tried for two years to get out of it. No curse breaker wants to meet with me, I've tried."

Blaise finally opened his eyes, rolling on his side to glare at his friend. "You've tried full time employed curse breakers. Have you ever tried freelancers? They usually deal with more difficult jobs and are a lot smarter than the bozos working for say, Gringotts."

Draco shook his head in thought. He had just assumed all the great curse breakers went to work for big companies, that is where all the money is after all.

"Let me ask Weasley tomorrow at work. I know his brother is a curse breaker."

Draco grunted his response. Maybe he would pay the older Weasley brother a visit and see if he could work out his problem.

….

The next morning Draco made his way through the muggle business district a block from Diagon Alley. Why anyone would want to run a magical business in the muggle world was beyond him.

Blaise had sent an owl over early that morning, stating the address for Bill Weasley's curse breaking business. He said that he had sent a letter there already for him and they were expecting him in an hour. As helpful as Blaise can be, he sure could be pushy when he wanted to be.

Draco glanced at the parchment in his hand and back up at the building he was approaching. The address matched. This must be the place. Hopefully it's not as… muggle-y on the inside.

He pushed open the door, a bell tinkling his arrival. The small entrance hall was crammed full of paperwork. Piles of folders were piled in every open space on the floor. The room was slightly dark, the only real light coming from the large windows flanking the front door. There were two doors along the back of the room, one slightly ajar, the lights inside turned off. The other door was closed, a soft white light emitting from the crack above the floor.

Taking a chance on the closed door, Draco crossed the room, avoiding stepping on a pile of papers that had toppled over. He knocked lightly on the door.

"Come in!" a soft voice called.

He pushed the door open and paused in his tracks.

A head of brown curly hair looked up. Brown eyes locked onto silver eyes. The brunette seemed just as stunned as he.

They both spoke at the same time.

"Granger?"

"Malfoy?"

a/n: I really want to know what you guys are thinking! I was so anxious to post this, because I was nervous about your reactions. Looking forward to seeing your thoughts!