Title: Woman of Action (1/1)
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They all belong to one JKR. She's the brains. And.since this is a challenge fic, some of the blame/credit should go to the challenger.Jasper.
Rating: PG-13 (explicit kissing)
Couple: Draco/Hermione
Spoilers: None
Author's Notes: This story was in response to a challenge on Cauldron Chronicles. The challenge is from Jasper's Life's Little Destruction Book. It's number 379: Neck and pet in public. It's to be 500-5000 words.so watch me cram in the snogging!
Please email me if you want to put this or any of my stories on your website. I never say no, but I like knowing which sites are supporting my writing. Thanks!
*~*~*
Hermione Granger sighed as she picked up another report and scanned through it. Half way through it, she shook her head and threw it across her desk. She stood up quickly and rounded her desk, opening the door with no small amount of anger.
"Mrs. Flaura, could I see you, please?"
Her secretary smiled and nodded, grabbing a notebook and a magical stylus and head into the office, just like she always did.
"Have a seat," Hermione said. It was clear from the sound of her voice that she was quite irritated.
"Yes, Madam Enforcer," Mrs. Flaura said softly and sat down. Hermione winced. She hated that blasted title. She repeatedly asked people to call her Miss Granger instead. But she was angry enough to let it go for now.
"Now, I know we've had this conversation before, Mrs. Flaura, and I was just wondering if there was some way I could make this task simpler for you."
"Which task is that, Madam Enforcer?"
"The task of sorting the reports in order of importance. When you put this," she grabbed the report she had be reading, "in with the urgent reports I have to waste time trying to find out where it should go and then spend more time trying to ask you to do as I have previously instructed. Only the most egregiously horrible crimes go towards the top of the pile and then they need to be sorted through, again, to determine which cases are the most time sensitive. Only then can I properly read the reports and decide act promptly to send Aurors or other enforcement officers to deal with these breeches of law."
"Yes, Madam-"
"And please don't call me that. Miss Granger will do fine."
Mrs. Flaura bobbed her head in compliance but didn't seem to be sure what Hermione wanted now.
"Here," Hermione said after a moment. She grabbed the lower parts of the reports and handed them back to her. "Sort these properly and return them to me quickly. I will go through these other reports myself."
Mrs. Flaura nodded and gratefully took the reports and left. Hermione shook her head and looked down at the report that was still on the top of the pile.
"'Louie the Lounger has done it again. He has broken into the Withering Broomstick and after drinking his fill of ale and mead, left without payment.' And this is before," she shuffled through the papers and grabbed another, "'Muggle child death suspected to be the cause of a Dark Wizard.'" She shook her head in disgust and then frowned at the report. She put down Louie's report and read, in it's entirety, the report about the muggle child.
Being the Enforcer was a dream come true for Hermione. After graduating from Hogwarts, she knew that she wanted a job within the Ministry. She had taken a job as the assistant of the last Enforcer and now she had his job. It was amazing how quickly she was able to move into this position, and she suspected she was one of the youngest to have done so. Her job was very important and time consuming, as she would have it no other way. Her job was simply to decide what crimes different sub-departments under her would be investigating. But her job was far from simple. She decided when an investigation warranted Aurors or when they merely require a written warning. It was a huge undertaking, but Hermione worked very hard, night and day, to see to everything that had come under her responsibility.
A perk of the job, one she regretfully didn't get much of a chance to enjoy, was the fact that both of her best friends, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, were Aurors and therefore in positions under her. It was gratifying to give orders and have them followed, even if Ron did enjoy calling her Madam Enforcer with such a tone as to make the title seem dirty. As usual she would blush and retreat to the relative safety of her office while Harry and Ron cackled behind her. But when she scheduled them for boring work, she knew it was she that was getting the last laugh.
It was a happy existence. For the most part.
An intercom sounded and Mrs. Flaura's voice could be heard. "Miss Granger, your mother is on line 2."
Hermione shook her head. "I'm very busy right now. Tell her I will talk to her later."
It had been a while since she had talked to her mother, but she knew she was not in the mood to listen to talk of her friends' children and how most of them were married and giving grandchildren. Her life had more purpose than that. It wasn't that she didn't want children, eventually, but she was far to busy for such a distraction at this point in time. She had plenty of distractions as it was. Hermione smiled a little secretive smile to herself. She didn't want to tell her mother that she had found a someone. It was far too soon for that.
As if he knew that she was thinking about him, Draco Malfoy apparated into her office, making her eyes widen in shock.
"What are you doing here?" she asked as she got up to hurriedly close the blinds on her door. She turned and saw him standing in the same place he had apparated to, watching her with a small half smile. Maturity had been very kind to Draco Malfoy. He had grown to a comfortable height of nearly 2 meters. He towered over most people, but she was tall for a girl and was about a quarter of a meter shorter than him. His nearly white blond hair was kept short in the back but his bangs hung loose over his forehead, almost hitting his crystalline blue eyes. His chest had acquired a broadness that tapered down to a slim waist and powerful looking legs. He was, as usual, clad in a black suit, contrasting with his pale skin and blond hair in an awing way. She could not help but look, but quickly realized he was staring at her with open amusement.
"Look your fill?" he asked arrogantly. She scowled a little in response and put her head up in the air, making her way to her desk with as much dignity as she could muster. He didn't let her get quite to her desk, though. He reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her to his chest and making her inhale audibly. "Not that I mind," he said with a slow smile. She could feel his arm snake around her waist and press her to him. She could not resist. She placed her head on his chest and exhaled softly.
They embraced in the middle of her office for nearly a whole minute when Hermione finally looked up at him.
"What are you doing here? You could get us both in big trouble. I don't think it's quite professional for me to be having relations with one of my Aurors." Her voice held a tinge of guilt and worry that she did not mean to convey, but Draco just smiled.
"Hermione, relax. I'm not going to do anything to you. Not here anyway," he smiled wolfishly, making her swallow and blink in response.
"How did this happen?" she mused aloud to herself.
"You gave in," he said with a chuckle. He let her go and went to sit in the chair across from her desk, letting her have her moment to collect herself and make this meeting more formal. She sat behind her desk, thinking about all the changes in her life. What he said about her giving in was the truth.
After graduating from Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy attended training to be an Auror, alongside Harry and Ron, to their utter horror, of course. They had assumed Hogwarts would be the end of their association with Draco. The void that Voldemort made when Harry finally destroyed him for good left many people believing that Lucius Malfoy would be the next Dark Lord. In truth, Hermione knew that there were many Dark Wizards competing for that position and Lucius Malfoy was just one of them. It had seemed strange that Draco would train to become an Auror when being one would force him to track down people like his father. But Draco Malfoy was full of surprising changes.
Though many did not know it, Draco was not close to his father anymore. He trained to be an Auror against his father's wishes and strained the relationship greatly. In public, Lucius Malfoy played the part of the proud father, for Draco was already an accomplished Auror, but in private, he despised Draco for the work done against him. Hermione only knew these things because she had many opportunities of late to observe them.
Along with his association to his father, Draco's attitude took a different turn. No longer was he unwilling to work with other people or be lead by someone else. He was quiet and calculating. One look in his deep eyes let you know that he was always contemplating the information that surrounded him. He had a noble appearance and quite a sense of humor, when the opportunity arose for him to show it. The most shocking outward change in Draco, though, was his willingness to bury the hatchet with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. True to form, Harry accepted the truce with grace and wariness, but Ron treated Draco with outright hostility. Aurors were organized singularly or in groups of two or threes. Because many of her Aurors were not as understanding as Harry and were more in line with Ron, Draco worked alone for the most part, but sometimes on large jobs he teamed up with Harry and Ron. She had though he would hate those times, but he admitted to her that he liked the chance to show them he chanced. She wondered if Harry knew how desperately Draco tried to make things right between them. In her eyes it just made Draco that much more alluring.
Hermione had much reason to believe that maturity had also had good effects on her. She was often asked to dinner or coffee dates, which she declined respectfully in most every case. Her hair was still long and curly, but the bushiness had long since tamed. Her body had caught up with her growing height, and she knew some of the men in her department watched her curvaceous body when they thought she couldn't notice. But she was floored when one of the dinner dates had come from Draco Malfoy himself. She had refused him, naturally, but after a time he wore her down and she went with him believing that if she did, she could finally get his image out of her mind and she could concentrate again. Instead, they forged a relationship in secret that had lasted ever since. She couldn't help but be charmed by him and the way he guarded her from his inner pain just made her want to know it more. He had a way of drawing her eyes to him in a crowded room and she was starting to be able to feel when his eyes were on her. So in truth, she did give in. And she was happily his conquest.
"What are you doing here, Draco?"
"I thought you could use a break," he said simply. "Most of the department has gone to lunch. It would not be unheard of for you to do the same." His eyebrows wagged and she smiled. She glanced down at the report on the top of her large pile.
"I don't know. I have things I need to take care of."
"Ok. So take care of them after lunch. It isn't as if your reports are going to walk away."
She shook her head. "Draco, you know we can't go to lunch together. It wouldn't be good to be seen."
He lost his smile and his face darkened a little. She inwardly groaned at the old argument that was imminent.
"My purpose isn't to harm your precious reputation by having you be seen with the likes of me," he said moodily.
"Draco," she said softly, standing to come around the desk. She sat on the edge of her desk, in front of him. He looked up at her with such a beautiful look of hurt. She couldn't help but see all of his looks as beautiful now-a-days. "Please don't be that way. It isn't that at all. It's just, you're and Auror and I'm-"
"Madam Enforcer?" he said with a smirk.
She narrowed her eyes. "Don't call me that," she said with a playful glare.
"I rather like it," he said.
"I know."
He smiled briefly, but his face went back to looking slightly wounded.
"Draco, I just think that maybe we should wait a while. Just until." she trailed off, not able to find an appropriate event to spring upon the world her relationship with Draco Malfoy.
"Go on. When? When shall we tell the wizarding world about us?"
Hermione looked down. "I don't know."
"What are you afraid of, Hermione?" he asked as he took her hand in his.
That was a good question. What was she afraid of? For one, her friends' reaction frightened her a little bit. His father and his father's reaction to his son dating a muggle-born witch scared her a little. But mostly, she was afraid of what the relationship would evolve to if it were allowed to spread past stolen nights and hidden messages.
"Is it me?" he asked softly.
"No," she answered quickly, sliding off the desk to kneel in front of him. "It's not you. Draco, I know so much more about you now. I understand why you were nasty at Hogwarts and I understand the pressures that were put on you as a child.the pressures that are still put upon you. But I am not afraid of you. At all." She looked him in the eye, waiting for him to accept this truth. Finally, he did so with a nod. She smiled a little at him. "In honesty, what frightens me about this whole thing is me."
He looked at her quizzically. "I don't understand."
She smiled a little and blushed, but didn't take her eyes off of his. "Draco, if we let this.what we have.if we let it be known, where will it go from here?"
He appeared to be thinking about that for a moment. "I don't know. But wherever it goes, don't you think it's time?"
Hesitation stayed her answer for a moment. "I just want to have you to myself for now. I don't want to have to share you with my parents and my friends and my life, just yet."
Draco's face hardened a bit. He stood up, dropping her hand and walking away from her. "You're ashamed."
"I'm not!" she said, standing up quickly.
"Then prove it, Hermione," he whirled to face her. "Leave this office with me and leave this building with me to go to lunch." His eyes bore into hers and she knew that if she went with him their relationship would change and if she did not, their relationship would change. He had forced her to a fork in the road and she weighed both choices, while he waited for her answer. If she didn't go with him, their relationship might not survive. Did she want to take that chance?
With shaking hands, Hermione undid the fasteners on her robe. A smile touched Draco's face as she pulled away the wizard robes to reveal a more muggle-like outfit of slacks and a blouse. She slowly walked to the hooks on the side of her office and put the robe upon one and grabbed the jacket that matched her slacks. Draco didn't bother taking off anything he wore. His overly long jacket would seem old fashioned but the cut was gorgeous on him and he could easily pass for muggle wearing what he did.
After Hermione was finished getting ready she looked at Draco with uncertainty. He held his arm out for her and she smiled a little. He really was a beautiful man. She should be proud to be on his arm. She nodded to herself and took his arm. His chest puffed out a little as he opened the door to her office and they walked past her secretaries desk.
Mrs. Flaura was eating her sandwich at her desk but she looked beyond shock to see Hermione walk out with Draco Malfoy.
"I'm going to lunch." She glanced at Draco for a split-second. "A long lunch." Mrs. Flaura nodded clumsily as Hermione and Draco walked down the hallway and then down the flight of stairs that separated her office from the cubicles of the Aurors. This was going to be the hardest part of their trek out of the building.
Few Aurors had not gone for lunch, but those few who were left, stared after the two with wide eyes. No one tried to stop them or say a word to them and Hermione was glad for that. Usually she couldn't walk out of her office without being attacked by her Aurors, all wanting information of some sort or permission for something. Harry and Ron were not among the Aurors left in the building, though, and Hermione was glad for that little bit of luck.
With fewer stares, but with no less shock, Hermione and Draco walked down to the lobby of the building and then finally to an exit. Through the whole trek she kept her head high and tried to conduct herself with the pride she knew she rightfully felt at being the girl on the arm of Draco Malfoy. It wasn't as if many of the girls within the Ministry of Magic hadn't tried diligently to be where she was right now. It was exhilarating and quite nice to finally come out with the truth.
When they were finally outside the Ministry of Magic, Hermione let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. Draco chuckled softly.
"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked with amusement.
"Hush," she said quietly and he chuckled some more. He led her away from the building to a nearby park and then offered her a seat on an empty bench. She sat beside him, unsure of what to say. She looked around nervously for other Aurors or employees of the Ministry.
"Relax," Draco murmured, betraying his lips' position close to her ear. She shivered when his warm sweet breath tickled her lobe.
She turned her head towards him, finding their faces very close together. She almost closed her eyes for the kiss, instinctively, but then she jerked her head back.
"Draco," she hissed. "What are you doing?"
Draco smiled and put one arm across the back of the bench and moved closer to her. She moved away so that they were at an appropriate distance but he came closer again. His face looked predatory and she started to swallow, her throat not working for the lump in it. She moved back again and realized she was against the end of the bench. He grinned evilly as he closed the space between them.
Her eyes danced around his face, and she was unable to say anything as his look of want held her in captivation. His other hand took hers and his thumb caressed her fingers gently. Her eyes closed and he took the opportunity to lean in and kiss her.
Her mind shut down. She didn't even remember that they were in a public place where many of the employees of the Ministry went for lunch or to get from lunch back to the office. Instead, all she could focus on was the lips that softly caressed hers.
"Relax," he breathed between kisses and she tried. Her mind wasn't sure why she was so tense, but something felt foreign. "Just be with me," he said softly before claiming her mouth again. Unable to resist, or to really want to resist, Hermione melted against him, opening her kiss to him. He took the invitation with fervor, delving his tongue into the warmth of her mouth.
Hermione's arms went around Draco and he let go of her hand to pull her closer to him. With one hand wrapped in her hair, he turned her head more to the side and took passion from her mouth. Moans that sounded more like purring came from her throat as she surrendered to him. Her tongue fought to find its way into his mouth and her excitement started to increase as she became more forceful about it. There was no doubt in the people who could see them that she wanted this man as much as he wanted her.
Completely forgetting herself, Hermione slipped one of her hands into his jacket and pulled up the shirt tucked into his pants. She slid her hand onto his burning skin and he groaned in response. She shivered at the sound of his pleasure and gently scratched her nails down his back to hear it again. She was not disappointed.
"What the devil are you doing?" an astonished voice reached into her mind. Before she could respond, Draco was tugged away from her forcefully and she was left in a state of confusion as the warmth they were creating together was doused with a wave of cold. Her eyes could only just barely focus as she squinted against the light of the midday. Finally, she started to realize as she sat there, panting from her earlier exertions, where she was, and who was holding Draco down not far from them. She sprang up and pushed past Harry to Ron, who was forcing Draco's face into the soft grass of the park.
"Ronald Weasley you let him go this instant," she said, drawing her wand. Everyone stopped in their tracks. Draco stopped struggling. Ron stopped fighting him and looked up at her with surprise. That surprise was mirrored on Harry's face. She had never drawn her wand on her friends before. "Let him up," she said with much anger.
Slowly Ron stood up, not offering Draco a hand up, but letting him up nonetheless. Draco quickly stood up and scowled at the redhead. Harry and Ron weren't paying any attention to him just now, though. Instead, they were watching as Hermione hesitantly put her wand away.
"What has gotten into you?" Ron asked with astonishment. "I thought he was attacking you." He looked from one to the other, not seeming able to believe it was anything else. She looked at Harry and understanding seemed to shine in his eyes.
"Come on, Ron," he said, pushing the other wizard along the path the bench was sitting by.
"But Harry," he said with some confusion.
"Let's go."
Ron looked at Hermione and her chin came up. She held her hand out to Draco and after a moment he silently took it and came to stand beside her. Ron just shook his head, still not processing the information his brain was taking in. Harry continued to try to push Ron away, a look of embarrassment on his face.
Draco and Hermione just watched until they were a good distance away. She turned her head to look at him, suddenly feeling very bold. With a wicked smile she shoved him back down onto the bench. He looked pleasantly shocked when she descended beside him and brought her face close to his.
"Where were we?"
"Having lunch," he said, his voice thick with desire.
"Ah, yes," she smiled and kissed him again. The fire spread from her lips to cover them both as they sat, in broad daylight, snogging on the bench in a public park.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They all belong to one JKR. She's the brains. And.since this is a challenge fic, some of the blame/credit should go to the challenger.Jasper.
Rating: PG-13 (explicit kissing)
Couple: Draco/Hermione
Spoilers: None
Author's Notes: This story was in response to a challenge on Cauldron Chronicles. The challenge is from Jasper's Life's Little Destruction Book. It's number 379: Neck and pet in public. It's to be 500-5000 words.so watch me cram in the snogging!
Please email me if you want to put this or any of my stories on your website. I never say no, but I like knowing which sites are supporting my writing. Thanks!
*~*~*
Hermione Granger sighed as she picked up another report and scanned through it. Half way through it, she shook her head and threw it across her desk. She stood up quickly and rounded her desk, opening the door with no small amount of anger.
"Mrs. Flaura, could I see you, please?"
Her secretary smiled and nodded, grabbing a notebook and a magical stylus and head into the office, just like she always did.
"Have a seat," Hermione said. It was clear from the sound of her voice that she was quite irritated.
"Yes, Madam Enforcer," Mrs. Flaura said softly and sat down. Hermione winced. She hated that blasted title. She repeatedly asked people to call her Miss Granger instead. But she was angry enough to let it go for now.
"Now, I know we've had this conversation before, Mrs. Flaura, and I was just wondering if there was some way I could make this task simpler for you."
"Which task is that, Madam Enforcer?"
"The task of sorting the reports in order of importance. When you put this," she grabbed the report she had be reading, "in with the urgent reports I have to waste time trying to find out where it should go and then spend more time trying to ask you to do as I have previously instructed. Only the most egregiously horrible crimes go towards the top of the pile and then they need to be sorted through, again, to determine which cases are the most time sensitive. Only then can I properly read the reports and decide act promptly to send Aurors or other enforcement officers to deal with these breeches of law."
"Yes, Madam-"
"And please don't call me that. Miss Granger will do fine."
Mrs. Flaura bobbed her head in compliance but didn't seem to be sure what Hermione wanted now.
"Here," Hermione said after a moment. She grabbed the lower parts of the reports and handed them back to her. "Sort these properly and return them to me quickly. I will go through these other reports myself."
Mrs. Flaura nodded and gratefully took the reports and left. Hermione shook her head and looked down at the report that was still on the top of the pile.
"'Louie the Lounger has done it again. He has broken into the Withering Broomstick and after drinking his fill of ale and mead, left without payment.' And this is before," she shuffled through the papers and grabbed another, "'Muggle child death suspected to be the cause of a Dark Wizard.'" She shook her head in disgust and then frowned at the report. She put down Louie's report and read, in it's entirety, the report about the muggle child.
Being the Enforcer was a dream come true for Hermione. After graduating from Hogwarts, she knew that she wanted a job within the Ministry. She had taken a job as the assistant of the last Enforcer and now she had his job. It was amazing how quickly she was able to move into this position, and she suspected she was one of the youngest to have done so. Her job was very important and time consuming, as she would have it no other way. Her job was simply to decide what crimes different sub-departments under her would be investigating. But her job was far from simple. She decided when an investigation warranted Aurors or when they merely require a written warning. It was a huge undertaking, but Hermione worked very hard, night and day, to see to everything that had come under her responsibility.
A perk of the job, one she regretfully didn't get much of a chance to enjoy, was the fact that both of her best friends, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, were Aurors and therefore in positions under her. It was gratifying to give orders and have them followed, even if Ron did enjoy calling her Madam Enforcer with such a tone as to make the title seem dirty. As usual she would blush and retreat to the relative safety of her office while Harry and Ron cackled behind her. But when she scheduled them for boring work, she knew it was she that was getting the last laugh.
It was a happy existence. For the most part.
An intercom sounded and Mrs. Flaura's voice could be heard. "Miss Granger, your mother is on line 2."
Hermione shook her head. "I'm very busy right now. Tell her I will talk to her later."
It had been a while since she had talked to her mother, but she knew she was not in the mood to listen to talk of her friends' children and how most of them were married and giving grandchildren. Her life had more purpose than that. It wasn't that she didn't want children, eventually, but she was far to busy for such a distraction at this point in time. She had plenty of distractions as it was. Hermione smiled a little secretive smile to herself. She didn't want to tell her mother that she had found a someone. It was far too soon for that.
As if he knew that she was thinking about him, Draco Malfoy apparated into her office, making her eyes widen in shock.
"What are you doing here?" she asked as she got up to hurriedly close the blinds on her door. She turned and saw him standing in the same place he had apparated to, watching her with a small half smile. Maturity had been very kind to Draco Malfoy. He had grown to a comfortable height of nearly 2 meters. He towered over most people, but she was tall for a girl and was about a quarter of a meter shorter than him. His nearly white blond hair was kept short in the back but his bangs hung loose over his forehead, almost hitting his crystalline blue eyes. His chest had acquired a broadness that tapered down to a slim waist and powerful looking legs. He was, as usual, clad in a black suit, contrasting with his pale skin and blond hair in an awing way. She could not help but look, but quickly realized he was staring at her with open amusement.
"Look your fill?" he asked arrogantly. She scowled a little in response and put her head up in the air, making her way to her desk with as much dignity as she could muster. He didn't let her get quite to her desk, though. He reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her to his chest and making her inhale audibly. "Not that I mind," he said with a slow smile. She could feel his arm snake around her waist and press her to him. She could not resist. She placed her head on his chest and exhaled softly.
They embraced in the middle of her office for nearly a whole minute when Hermione finally looked up at him.
"What are you doing here? You could get us both in big trouble. I don't think it's quite professional for me to be having relations with one of my Aurors." Her voice held a tinge of guilt and worry that she did not mean to convey, but Draco just smiled.
"Hermione, relax. I'm not going to do anything to you. Not here anyway," he smiled wolfishly, making her swallow and blink in response.
"How did this happen?" she mused aloud to herself.
"You gave in," he said with a chuckle. He let her go and went to sit in the chair across from her desk, letting her have her moment to collect herself and make this meeting more formal. She sat behind her desk, thinking about all the changes in her life. What he said about her giving in was the truth.
After graduating from Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy attended training to be an Auror, alongside Harry and Ron, to their utter horror, of course. They had assumed Hogwarts would be the end of their association with Draco. The void that Voldemort made when Harry finally destroyed him for good left many people believing that Lucius Malfoy would be the next Dark Lord. In truth, Hermione knew that there were many Dark Wizards competing for that position and Lucius Malfoy was just one of them. It had seemed strange that Draco would train to become an Auror when being one would force him to track down people like his father. But Draco Malfoy was full of surprising changes.
Though many did not know it, Draco was not close to his father anymore. He trained to be an Auror against his father's wishes and strained the relationship greatly. In public, Lucius Malfoy played the part of the proud father, for Draco was already an accomplished Auror, but in private, he despised Draco for the work done against him. Hermione only knew these things because she had many opportunities of late to observe them.
Along with his association to his father, Draco's attitude took a different turn. No longer was he unwilling to work with other people or be lead by someone else. He was quiet and calculating. One look in his deep eyes let you know that he was always contemplating the information that surrounded him. He had a noble appearance and quite a sense of humor, when the opportunity arose for him to show it. The most shocking outward change in Draco, though, was his willingness to bury the hatchet with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. True to form, Harry accepted the truce with grace and wariness, but Ron treated Draco with outright hostility. Aurors were organized singularly or in groups of two or threes. Because many of her Aurors were not as understanding as Harry and were more in line with Ron, Draco worked alone for the most part, but sometimes on large jobs he teamed up with Harry and Ron. She had though he would hate those times, but he admitted to her that he liked the chance to show them he chanced. She wondered if Harry knew how desperately Draco tried to make things right between them. In her eyes it just made Draco that much more alluring.
Hermione had much reason to believe that maturity had also had good effects on her. She was often asked to dinner or coffee dates, which she declined respectfully in most every case. Her hair was still long and curly, but the bushiness had long since tamed. Her body had caught up with her growing height, and she knew some of the men in her department watched her curvaceous body when they thought she couldn't notice. But she was floored when one of the dinner dates had come from Draco Malfoy himself. She had refused him, naturally, but after a time he wore her down and she went with him believing that if she did, she could finally get his image out of her mind and she could concentrate again. Instead, they forged a relationship in secret that had lasted ever since. She couldn't help but be charmed by him and the way he guarded her from his inner pain just made her want to know it more. He had a way of drawing her eyes to him in a crowded room and she was starting to be able to feel when his eyes were on her. So in truth, she did give in. And she was happily his conquest.
"What are you doing here, Draco?"
"I thought you could use a break," he said simply. "Most of the department has gone to lunch. It would not be unheard of for you to do the same." His eyebrows wagged and she smiled. She glanced down at the report on the top of her large pile.
"I don't know. I have things I need to take care of."
"Ok. So take care of them after lunch. It isn't as if your reports are going to walk away."
She shook her head. "Draco, you know we can't go to lunch together. It wouldn't be good to be seen."
He lost his smile and his face darkened a little. She inwardly groaned at the old argument that was imminent.
"My purpose isn't to harm your precious reputation by having you be seen with the likes of me," he said moodily.
"Draco," she said softly, standing to come around the desk. She sat on the edge of her desk, in front of him. He looked up at her with such a beautiful look of hurt. She couldn't help but see all of his looks as beautiful now-a-days. "Please don't be that way. It isn't that at all. It's just, you're and Auror and I'm-"
"Madam Enforcer?" he said with a smirk.
She narrowed her eyes. "Don't call me that," she said with a playful glare.
"I rather like it," he said.
"I know."
He smiled briefly, but his face went back to looking slightly wounded.
"Draco, I just think that maybe we should wait a while. Just until." she trailed off, not able to find an appropriate event to spring upon the world her relationship with Draco Malfoy.
"Go on. When? When shall we tell the wizarding world about us?"
Hermione looked down. "I don't know."
"What are you afraid of, Hermione?" he asked as he took her hand in his.
That was a good question. What was she afraid of? For one, her friends' reaction frightened her a little bit. His father and his father's reaction to his son dating a muggle-born witch scared her a little. But mostly, she was afraid of what the relationship would evolve to if it were allowed to spread past stolen nights and hidden messages.
"Is it me?" he asked softly.
"No," she answered quickly, sliding off the desk to kneel in front of him. "It's not you. Draco, I know so much more about you now. I understand why you were nasty at Hogwarts and I understand the pressures that were put on you as a child.the pressures that are still put upon you. But I am not afraid of you. At all." She looked him in the eye, waiting for him to accept this truth. Finally, he did so with a nod. She smiled a little at him. "In honesty, what frightens me about this whole thing is me."
He looked at her quizzically. "I don't understand."
She smiled a little and blushed, but didn't take her eyes off of his. "Draco, if we let this.what we have.if we let it be known, where will it go from here?"
He appeared to be thinking about that for a moment. "I don't know. But wherever it goes, don't you think it's time?"
Hesitation stayed her answer for a moment. "I just want to have you to myself for now. I don't want to have to share you with my parents and my friends and my life, just yet."
Draco's face hardened a bit. He stood up, dropping her hand and walking away from her. "You're ashamed."
"I'm not!" she said, standing up quickly.
"Then prove it, Hermione," he whirled to face her. "Leave this office with me and leave this building with me to go to lunch." His eyes bore into hers and she knew that if she went with him their relationship would change and if she did not, their relationship would change. He had forced her to a fork in the road and she weighed both choices, while he waited for her answer. If she didn't go with him, their relationship might not survive. Did she want to take that chance?
With shaking hands, Hermione undid the fasteners on her robe. A smile touched Draco's face as she pulled away the wizard robes to reveal a more muggle-like outfit of slacks and a blouse. She slowly walked to the hooks on the side of her office and put the robe upon one and grabbed the jacket that matched her slacks. Draco didn't bother taking off anything he wore. His overly long jacket would seem old fashioned but the cut was gorgeous on him and he could easily pass for muggle wearing what he did.
After Hermione was finished getting ready she looked at Draco with uncertainty. He held his arm out for her and she smiled a little. He really was a beautiful man. She should be proud to be on his arm. She nodded to herself and took his arm. His chest puffed out a little as he opened the door to her office and they walked past her secretaries desk.
Mrs. Flaura was eating her sandwich at her desk but she looked beyond shock to see Hermione walk out with Draco Malfoy.
"I'm going to lunch." She glanced at Draco for a split-second. "A long lunch." Mrs. Flaura nodded clumsily as Hermione and Draco walked down the hallway and then down the flight of stairs that separated her office from the cubicles of the Aurors. This was going to be the hardest part of their trek out of the building.
Few Aurors had not gone for lunch, but those few who were left, stared after the two with wide eyes. No one tried to stop them or say a word to them and Hermione was glad for that. Usually she couldn't walk out of her office without being attacked by her Aurors, all wanting information of some sort or permission for something. Harry and Ron were not among the Aurors left in the building, though, and Hermione was glad for that little bit of luck.
With fewer stares, but with no less shock, Hermione and Draco walked down to the lobby of the building and then finally to an exit. Through the whole trek she kept her head high and tried to conduct herself with the pride she knew she rightfully felt at being the girl on the arm of Draco Malfoy. It wasn't as if many of the girls within the Ministry of Magic hadn't tried diligently to be where she was right now. It was exhilarating and quite nice to finally come out with the truth.
When they were finally outside the Ministry of Magic, Hermione let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. Draco chuckled softly.
"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" he asked with amusement.
"Hush," she said quietly and he chuckled some more. He led her away from the building to a nearby park and then offered her a seat on an empty bench. She sat beside him, unsure of what to say. She looked around nervously for other Aurors or employees of the Ministry.
"Relax," Draco murmured, betraying his lips' position close to her ear. She shivered when his warm sweet breath tickled her lobe.
She turned her head towards him, finding their faces very close together. She almost closed her eyes for the kiss, instinctively, but then she jerked her head back.
"Draco," she hissed. "What are you doing?"
Draco smiled and put one arm across the back of the bench and moved closer to her. She moved away so that they were at an appropriate distance but he came closer again. His face looked predatory and she started to swallow, her throat not working for the lump in it. She moved back again and realized she was against the end of the bench. He grinned evilly as he closed the space between them.
Her eyes danced around his face, and she was unable to say anything as his look of want held her in captivation. His other hand took hers and his thumb caressed her fingers gently. Her eyes closed and he took the opportunity to lean in and kiss her.
Her mind shut down. She didn't even remember that they were in a public place where many of the employees of the Ministry went for lunch or to get from lunch back to the office. Instead, all she could focus on was the lips that softly caressed hers.
"Relax," he breathed between kisses and she tried. Her mind wasn't sure why she was so tense, but something felt foreign. "Just be with me," he said softly before claiming her mouth again. Unable to resist, or to really want to resist, Hermione melted against him, opening her kiss to him. He took the invitation with fervor, delving his tongue into the warmth of her mouth.
Hermione's arms went around Draco and he let go of her hand to pull her closer to him. With one hand wrapped in her hair, he turned her head more to the side and took passion from her mouth. Moans that sounded more like purring came from her throat as she surrendered to him. Her tongue fought to find its way into his mouth and her excitement started to increase as she became more forceful about it. There was no doubt in the people who could see them that she wanted this man as much as he wanted her.
Completely forgetting herself, Hermione slipped one of her hands into his jacket and pulled up the shirt tucked into his pants. She slid her hand onto his burning skin and he groaned in response. She shivered at the sound of his pleasure and gently scratched her nails down his back to hear it again. She was not disappointed.
"What the devil are you doing?" an astonished voice reached into her mind. Before she could respond, Draco was tugged away from her forcefully and she was left in a state of confusion as the warmth they were creating together was doused with a wave of cold. Her eyes could only just barely focus as she squinted against the light of the midday. Finally, she started to realize as she sat there, panting from her earlier exertions, where she was, and who was holding Draco down not far from them. She sprang up and pushed past Harry to Ron, who was forcing Draco's face into the soft grass of the park.
"Ronald Weasley you let him go this instant," she said, drawing her wand. Everyone stopped in their tracks. Draco stopped struggling. Ron stopped fighting him and looked up at her with surprise. That surprise was mirrored on Harry's face. She had never drawn her wand on her friends before. "Let him up," she said with much anger.
Slowly Ron stood up, not offering Draco a hand up, but letting him up nonetheless. Draco quickly stood up and scowled at the redhead. Harry and Ron weren't paying any attention to him just now, though. Instead, they were watching as Hermione hesitantly put her wand away.
"What has gotten into you?" Ron asked with astonishment. "I thought he was attacking you." He looked from one to the other, not seeming able to believe it was anything else. She looked at Harry and understanding seemed to shine in his eyes.
"Come on, Ron," he said, pushing the other wizard along the path the bench was sitting by.
"But Harry," he said with some confusion.
"Let's go."
Ron looked at Hermione and her chin came up. She held her hand out to Draco and after a moment he silently took it and came to stand beside her. Ron just shook his head, still not processing the information his brain was taking in. Harry continued to try to push Ron away, a look of embarrassment on his face.
Draco and Hermione just watched until they were a good distance away. She turned her head to look at him, suddenly feeling very bold. With a wicked smile she shoved him back down onto the bench. He looked pleasantly shocked when she descended beside him and brought her face close to his.
"Where were we?"
"Having lunch," he said, his voice thick with desire.
"Ah, yes," she smiled and kissed him again. The fire spread from her lips to cover them both as they sat, in broad daylight, snogging on the bench in a public park.