Author's Note: I hope to update this semi-regularly. Please encourage me if you're interested in this story and haven't seen an update in a while. I tend to get busy…
Also, in this version of events, Lavender Brown is attacked by Greyback but does survive, as a werewolf.
Disclaimer: As always, I don't own the characters or many of the locations, or any of the back story. Those are properties of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers, I believe. I'm only responsible for the plot and any random characters I might add.
I've managed to make it through the rest of the weekend unscathed.
Well, physically, as it were.
And relationship-wise, I suppose.
The fact of it is, I haven't told him. I won't tell him.
I've made my mind, and that's that.
It was a one-time error. A serious lapse in judgment brought upon by a stressful workload and far too much firewhiskey.
And anyway, it's not as though it's a reoccurring possibility. It's not as though I work with Malfoy or anything.
"Granger," mutters a voice behind me, just as I think the thought. Bugger the cold chill it brings.
I shrug it off.
It's only due to his close proximity to my ear.
I turn to face him.
"Malfoy."
Eyes lock. Tongue darts out to lick my lips. Eyes dart down to catch the motion.
Shite.
I look away, clear my throat. Try again.
"Something the matter?" I inquire, the pure façade of calm.
His eyebrows knit, face shutters closed, eyes grow cold, all in an instant.
"Nothing to mention, I suppose," he responds, the perfect touch of disdain.
Turning on his heel, he disappears into his office.
I sigh, retreat to my own.
Shut the door.
Lean hard against it.
Curse the day this whole thing started.
A Little Over a Year Ago
"Draco Malfoy? You're serious?" My eyebrows have joined forces with my hairline and aren't coming down any time soon.
Ananias raises his arms in what he must suppose is a disarming way, fingers splayed as if to say, "not my idea; don't blame me."
"They say he's changed," he states, in that calm voice he always uses when he thinks I'm being irrational. I hate that voice.
The sound that emits from my throat is something between a scoff and a laugh. "Sure. I'll believe it when I see it."
"When you see what, exactly?"
The voice is the same. The snark is the same. My fingers ball themselves against my palms almost reflexively. My nostrils flare.
Throwing a glare at Ananias and firmly not looking in the direction of the voice, I spin on my heel, retreat to my office, and slam the door for good measure.
Once safely inside, I will my fingers to uncurl themselves. I've left half-moon imprints in each of my palms. Lovely.
My mind wanders through every available expletive with no new solutions for my trouble.
For some reason, some unfathomable reason, my dear, sweet supervisor has found it necessary to hire Draco. Bloody. Malfoy to be the new Head of the Beast Division of the department. Does he know about the incident with Buckbeak? And he supposes he'll just, what? Figure it all out?
The wit required to liaison with the centaurs alone is insurmountable for most, let alone someone of his… caliber.
And straight into the job? It took me years to convince Ananias I had the grit to handle Head of the Being Division. Years!
I refuse to work with him.
I absolutely, resolutely, refuse.
Back to Present
I am told, of course, that I have no choice but to work with him. It's that or the door, Ananias says, when he's finally had enough of my whining.
So I do.
He doesn't turn out to be such a terrible employee, as it happens, and throughout the year we come to know one another. In a way.
Much to my surprise, he has developed a keen eye for how to handle beasts in distress, and he's even able to keep some of the more dangerous ones from being put down. He does indeed have the wit required to banter with the centaurs, and the dragon tamers seem to like him well enough. He's a capable enough supervisor, and the individual heads of each sub-division seem to follow him easily enough.
I suppose those leadership skills he demonstrated in Hogwarts weren't all for money and show.
We've developed a begrudging sort of friendship, in a way, and he has been a listening ear on more than one occasion in which Ronald has done something daft throughout the nights we've happened to spend in the department. In the nights we both happen to stay late, we'll often bring our work to the common space and work alongside one another. It's still quiet, most nights, but it's peaceful.
I'm not sure how it will be now. Now that we've…
I take a shallow but purposeful breath. Let it out. Blink hard.
Thinking on it now, of course, leaning against my door in much the same fashion as I did that first day, I realize it might have been proper to put some boundaries in place.
It just hadn't occurred to me, to be honest. It hadn't occurred to me that that might be a possibility.
I hadn't seen Malfoy as anything but a casual work acquaintance who happened to be surprisingly decent at his job and far more intelligent than I'd given him credit for.
I just hadn't seen it.
It's time for lunch, and I'm torn.
I'm torn because typically, Malfoy and I would do a working lunch, provided we had any business to discuss.
With the werewolves petitioning again for a department transfer, there's plenty of business, so there's plenty of reason to meet.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. Pluck up that Gryffindor courage and steel myself.
Find myself at his office door.
Knock.
"Come in."
I enter. Close the door; no, open the door. No, close the door most of the way.
Pause.
Look at the door.
Yes, close the door.
Surely we can be grown-ups about this.
Nod resolutely.
Turn to him.
He is standing. One eyebrow is perfectly arched, his mouth twitching as if to smile. He says nothing.
I ignore the red that floods to my cheeks. Clear my throat. Seat myself across from him. Open my notes. Take on my best business tone.
"So, according to my records from our last meeting, Lavender Brown has requested a meeting with us this Wednesday at 1:00pm to discuss the petition."
He sits. Chuckles slightly to himself; shakes his head.
"Yes," he replies, matching my tone with his and opening his notes as well. "Have you spoken with Ananias?"
A/N: Please let me know what you think. Reviews are the best, and I know regular updates will be so much easier if I know people are invested. Also, I like to know what you think of what I'm writing, where the story is going, all that. Thanks!