Hey there is Chapter two I hope you like this story. Thanks to those who reviewed I would love more reviews!
Here it is Chapter Two
Again I own nothing!
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Chapter Two: Flirtation at the Ministry
Draco awoke on Monday morning bright and early ready and eager to start his new job at the Ministry of Magic. He got dressed in the usual fine and expensive robes that he was accustomed too. He brushed his hair but left out the usual amounts of gel he used to apply during his school years. Instead his brilliant blonde hair hung loosely around his face falling casually into his stunning silver and blue eyes.
At 8.30 he finished his coffee and left his house ready to apparate to the Ministry. He arrived outside the old decrepit looking building and walked into the phone box and picked up the phone.
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. How many I help you?" The voice on the phone began.
"This is Draco Malfoy – I'm here to start work in the Auror Department."
"Oh yes – Welcome Mr Malfoy please take the name tag and proceed to the wand weighing table in the main lobby – Mr Potter will be informed of your arrival."
"Thanks" Draco said hanging up the phone and picking up his name tag. As he walked out of the phone box he entered the grand lobby of the Ministry. He saw a table with a tall young wizard standing behind the table.
"Hello Mr Malfoy can I please see your wand? Mr Potter will be down to greet you soon." Draco smiled at the man as he handed him his wand. After a few minutes of the tall man making notes about his wand Harry walked behind Draco.
"Hello Draco I'm glad you could make it." Harry said extending his hand.
Draco took his hand and shook it - and smiled vaguely. Harry beckoned Draco to follow him up winding corridors and up numerous elevators.
"The Auror Department is this whole floor, your desk is over there – there's a hand book which I suggest you read. Also on your desk will be the name of your partner he will help you learn the ropes. Then you'll start you duties, we still investigate previous dark wizards who we believe could pose potential threats to the wizarding world. Do you have any questions Draco?"
Draco looked around the room and felt quite content being there, he was happy to start work finally this was his chance to get back into the world.
"No – I think I'm ok."
"Well if you need anything just let me know my office if just there" Harry said pointing to a spacious office through large glass windows. "You partner should be with you soon and you can start your duties."
"Ok Thanks." Draco said half smiling and turning to walk to his desk.
"Hey Malfoy." Harry started "It's good to have you here. I know we had a hard time of it at school but I just want you to know that what happened, well, when it happened I'm glad you came around. Look no hard feelings lets just start a fresh, ok?"
Draco looked stunned for a second he wasn't expecting this at all. But he turned to face Harry,
"Yeah no hard feelings and for the record I'm glad I came round too" With that Draco went to his desk and began to read is manual. Harry returned to his work in office.
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It was 1pm and Hermione had been researching solidly since 9am – her current research involved finding the properties of the benefits of unicorn tears. Her head was swimming with all this new found information but she loved it. When lunch time came around she decided to go and see what Harry was up too and also to get a sneak peak at Draco too. Whilst walking up to the Auror department, Hermione kept thinking about her coffee fuelled rendezvous with Draco the previous Draco. She had fun – she liked being around him, he was different. Her new found feeling were really unexpected and Hermione found it hard to rationalise them but she definitely knew there was something different about Draco and she liked it.
"Hey 'Mione, how's things?" Harry started pulling Hermione out of her deep thoughts, she didn't realise that she had already reached her destination.
"Hi Harry, they're ok how about you? Anything new and interesting in here?"
Harry laughed "Thankfully no. So what can I do for you?"
"Well I was wondering how Draco was doing on his first day?"
"How did you know I hired Draco?" Harry said looking at Hermione
"Erm, well someone down stairs told him they had seen him with you and that he worked with you." Hermione was unsure as to why she lied to Harry but she didn't think he would approve of her drinking coffee with him.
"Oh, yeah he is doing ok, seems to be really into it. I think he'll do well."
"That's good."
"Hermione I'm sorry but I said I'd meet Ginny this lunch to go to the doctors with her so I can't have lunch and I think Ron left for Denmark on business. I'm sorry for leaving you alone."
"Oh that's not a problem, you should go with Ginny. Say hi to her for me and good luck." With that Harry smiled and kissed his friend on the check and left the room.
Hermione turned to leave and caught a glimpse of that brilliant blonde hair. She stopped and looked at him and stared for a while at this amazingly good looking man sat at his desk working. She didn't know how long she had been watching him but she was snapped back to reality when he looked up and caught her square in the eye. And to her amazement he smiled at her – Hermione turned head and resolved to head straight for the door. For reasons unbeknown to him Draco got up and followed her to the elevator and caught it just in time to stand in the empty compartment with Hermione.
"Hi" Draco said quietly "How are you?"
"I'm good and you?" Hermione replied staring at the floor.
"Good." There was a long pause in which each party stole side ward glances at each other.
"So are you heading to lunch?" Draco said breaking the silence.
"Oh, erm, yes, yes I am" it was Hermione's turn to pause. "Would you like to join me?" She said cautiously finally looking into Draco's beautiful eyes. He returned her glance
"Yeah I would." He responded as the elevator doors opened. The two walked into the food level in silence and found a table. As they sat and picked up the menu Hermione stole glances over the top at Draco. They sat in silence which was only broken when they spoke – almost to the menu itself – conveying their order.
"So how is your first day doing?" Hermione started nervously
"Yeah it's going good. My partner, his name is John, seems nice and we seem to get along."
"Well that's good that you get on." Both parties were nervous and unsure how to go about their dinner.
"So…" Hermione started but trailing off, Draco looked at her the silence continued
"Listen Hermione, I know this is weird but I just want to tell you that I had a good time yesterday, I mean it had been a long time since I'd seen a familiar face after what happened and well, I had a good time."
This statement caught Hermione off guard yet it made her blush – she was extremely happy that Draco had had a good time; she did herself and had thought about it since it happened.
"I had fun too, it was nice, and I thought it would have been awkward and uncomfortable but it wasn't at all."
Draco smiled, he was pleased too. From then on the conversation flowed freely over lunch, it wasn't a serious conversation or on of work but it was a conversation that allowed both Draco and Hermione get to know each other a little better, school days, what they had been up to since the final battle and how work was. To some the conversation seemed mundane but it encouraged Hermione to see something in Draco that she had not seen before. Something that she liked, something that she wanted to see more of.
Draco also was encouraged by his lunch with Hermione, he felt comfortable and at ease with her, he didn't feel his memories of the past flood his mind, Hermione took his mind off everything that he had dwelled on for 8 months and he was glad of that. After lunch the conversation trailed off,
"So back to the grindstone" Hermione said placing her napkin on the table. Draco smiled,
"Yeah I'd better not be late on my first day. As they walked back to the elevator chatting about the new changes in the Ministry Draco turned the conversation,
"Would you like to go out for dinner with me – one night this week if you're free?"
Hermione wasn't expecting this and to a certain extent Draco wasn't either,
"Erm, I don't know what my week is like this week …" Draco cut in,
"That's ok if you're busy it doesn't matter was just a thought…"
"No I mean I'm not sure what night I have free off the top of my head, can I check and owl you later?" Hermione said catching site of a smile that crept over Draco's face.
"Yeah that's ok" Hermione smiled back – the elevator stopped, it was Hermione's floor and her time to leave.
"Well this is my floor… … … … I'll owl you later today. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day" Hermione said stepping out onto her floor.
"Goodbye Hermione" Draco smiled as the doors closed again.
"Bye Draco"
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Hermione got back to her desk and smiled widely, her lunch with Draco excited her, it was completely unexpected and she really didn't understand why it affected her in the way it did but she was happy about it. She pulled her black diary out of the draw and flicked through the pages. To her dismay she saw her week was filled with work arrangements her only night that she could possibly rearrange was her Friday night meeting with Ginny. She didn't know – she knew Ginny wouldn't mind and they could reschedule - she really wanted to go out for dinner with Draco. Her resolve was to go … she owed it to herself – what harm could it do? None was what Hermione thought, so she picked a piece of parchment of her desk and wrote:
Draco,
I would be pleased to go out for dinner with you, I am free on Friday night, I hope this works for you too.
Hermione.
Hermione folded this and addressed it to Draco, and picked up her wand and with a swift flick the letter shot up and zoomed its way to Draco's office.
It landed right on the pages that Draco was reading, he picked it up and read it smiling, he wasn't really sure what was going on, what the dinner meant or why he was so happy that Hermione was free this week but he picked up another piece of parchment and replied:
Hermione,
Friday would be great, I can pick you up at 8pm – if that is ok!
Draco
Draco wasn't really sure if he should pick her up or meet her at the restaurant - would she even want him at her house? For the first time he wasn't sure how to handle a date, he'd never had any problems before but obviously Hermione was different and he had to play this one cool and unlike he would have done during his school days.
Hermione received the letter and without realising it replied,
Great, my address is 1645 Clearwater Crescent, London
Hermione
Smiling again – thinking about how school like and innocent this form of communication was Hermione sent her final letter. It's up to him now She thought. With that she continued her work; suddenly the properties of unicorn tears seemed a lot more interesting. The afternoon flew by before she knew it the clock on her deck chimed 5pm. It was time to leave, gathering her things Hermione made her way to the lobby,
"Hermione!" Hermione spun round and caught site of Harry walking towards her
"Hey Harry, did everything go ok at the doctors?"
"Yeah fine - Ginny's great – things are good!" he replied smiling.
"Oh I'm so pleased – hey can you do me a favour – tell Ginny I can't make this Friday but I'll come round on Saturday and we can go for coffee or something."
"Yeah I will do – so I'll see you tomorrow Hermione have a good night." With that Hermione and Harry went their separate ways.
"Hermione" again someone made Hermione dart around, it was Clare Hermione's friend in the Auror department – she was pretty much Harry's secretary – she was a pretty tall red head and Hermione liked her a lot though they never really hung out much outside of work hours.
"Hi Clare – what's up?"
"Oh my goodness – I have some great news – do you want to go to the leaky cauldron and have a drink and I can tell you all about it - you won't believe it." Clare was almost giddy with excitement.
"Ok sure, what's so exciting?"
As they walked to the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione was still none the wiser as to why her friend was so happy and school girl like. They sat down and Tom brought their drinks over and Clare started talking …
"So what's this thing you have to tell me?"
"Oh my goodness Hermione – at work something amazing happened" Clare took a sip of her drink and Hermione raised her eyebrow. "The most beautiful guy started work today – I mean he could stop traffic, he's tall, a little on the pale side, blonde hair, and the most amazing eyes you'll ever see. Do you know who I mean have you seen him?"
"Erm, no I don't think so" Hermione said trailing off, she knew exactly who Clare was talking about and for some reason she felt uncomfortable around her and almost jealous and upset that she was talking about him that way.
"Well you should come up and take a look – I didn't get a name but I found out that he went to Hogwarts in yours and Harry's year so I thought you might know him. I wish we had guys like that at Beaux batons – I wish we just had guys really." Clare paused again for another drink, "Do you think it'd be highly unprofessional if I asked him to go for a drink with me?"
Hermione was completely taken aback by this, Clare was very forward normally and Hermione knew that regardless of what she said Clare would ask him anyway. She wasn't really overly enthusiastic about this,
"You don't need my answer you've already made your mind up Clare." Hermione said rather bitterly, Clare noticed the obvious change in her tone and the broad smile across her face dampened slightly. "You'll have to excuse me Clare; I have to go I have things to do. See you round."
With that Hermione left the Leaky Cauldron and apparated home. Something inside her was almost angry. Would he say yes if she asked him? Would he? He has no ties to me, but I thought………I don't know – maybe he hasn't changed since school maybe he's still the ladies man he always was. Clare's a pretty girl and from what I've heard just his type. Stop it Hermione, get over it. Well it was fun while it lasted.
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By now all Hermione's excitement about Friday had faded away the rest of the week went by in a hurried blur with little or no contact occurring with Draco. Until Friday morning arrived.
Hermione awoke and got ready for work – still unsure as to whether her dinner with Draco would go ahead. She also hadn't managed to find out whether or not Clare had asked Draco to go for a drink or if in fact he'd accepted. She hadn't really since either of them much except at lunch but in reality she had been avoiding both of them. Hermione arrived at work to find two notes on her desk. She picked up the first - it was from Clare.
Hermione,
Well two things, Harry is out today - he told me to tell you – he'll call round tomorrow.
And second I did it I asked Draco for a drink and we went on Wednesday night – he's really quiet – I ended up doing most of the talking but he's so good looking I can deal with the quietness.
Have a good day.
Clare.xxx
Hermione threw the letter down onto her desk, why was she upset by this it's not like Draco and herself were dating. Get a grip – stop being such a girl. She kept telling herself, snapping back to reality and picking up the second letter – it was from Draco.
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There's chapter two I hope you guys like the story. Please please please review - I would love a lot more reviews. Thanks for those who have reviewed keep it up!