Author's Note: Still working on it. This version of Hermione is so different from my norm, and also so different from me. It makes her story, especially from her perspective, so much harder to tell. But I think it's still worth telling, even with the extra effort involved, so here I am. =) You're welcome?

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 suppose, if I were to consider it, the boundary issue started more within the conversation than within the physical realm, though it honestly wasn't far behind.

I remember one incident, about three months after my newfound coworker's arrival, wherein Ronald and I had had a particularly bad row about my hours spent at work.

There was a party of some sort that night, some sort of family event he'd wanted me to attend. Possibly it was George's birthday?

No matter, the point is that I simply couldn't attend.

The Gringott's goblins had been threatening a strike again, and I simply couldn't leave without attending to the problem.

I felt surely he'd understand, but he hadn't a clue.

Instead, he'd gone on and on about priorities and how I never did anything for him, always expecting him to be the one to cave.

It was ludicrous, honestly.

It had nothing to do with me. Wizarding Britain wanted to maintain its banking services, didn't it?

I expect I'd acted a bit different from my norm that evening, even as I'd resolved to do my work as normal.

"Well, what is it, then?" came the voice from across the room.

I glanced up, startled, blinking quickly to focus. I hadn't even seen Malfoy enter, but he clearly had, as he was now seated at the desk across the room, work splayed in front of him as though he had been there quite a while.

"Excuse me?" was my, admittedly delayed, response.

"I said," he emphasized slowly, pinning me with a look, "what. is. it?"

"What," I repeated, just as slowly, squaring his eyes with my own, "is. what?"

"Honestly, Granger," he breathed out, throwing his hands into the air, "how do you expect me to concentrate with all that sighing you're doing?"

"All the… what sighing?" I hadn't realized I was sighing. Had I been sighing?

"Clearly something's the matter, so you can either talk about it or, for Merlin's sake, keep your heavy breathing to yourself." His lips pursed slightly, his face and eyes turning back to his work in what appeared to be an effort to feign indifference. The secondary glance up toward me betrayed him at the last.

"I… oh." Had I actually made any noise? I suppose I had, then.

Hesitantly, I began to speak.

I likely spoke for longer than I'd intended to speak, but ultimately managed to relay the full story to him. He listened without a word, the occasional nod or hand gesture the only signal he'd even heard what I'd said as I said it.

After, he looked at me for a beat, one eyebrow perfectly arched.

Then, with a shrug: "He's a dolt."

I couldn't help it. Honestly, I couldn't help it.

I laughed. And he laughed. And there was mutual laughter in our otherwise quiet department.

It was the first of many similar conversations.

Talking about Ronald with him became a… thing, I suppose. I couldn't exactly talk with Harry or Ginny about him, so it just sort of happened that way.

Any time we had a row, Malfoy would somehow sense (though I swear to you I wasn't being obvious about it) that something was wrong, and we'd talk it out.

Just as two somewhat friendly acquaintances might, nothing more.

We'd end up laughing about something or another, sometimes at Ronald's expense, but that never bothered me because, well, in those moments he was well deserving of being laughed at.

He did some of the most ridiculous things.

And I know some would say it's not wise.

I know some would say it's even precisely unwise, as it were.

I'd just never considered it.

What you have to consider is that you know the ending of this story. You know that certain… indiscretions may or may not have occurred. You now have the full hindsight; the clear picture, as it were.

I did not.

And I'm not sure I'd have believed you if you'd even tried to warn me.

Ludicrous, is what I'd have thought. Ludicrous to even consider.

Just plain ludicrous.

I still don't know how it happened.

If I've given you the wrong impression about Ronald and I, honestly, that wasn't the point.

We were great.

We were excellent, in fact, and still are.

Are… were… have been?

No matter, good things have happened with Ronald and myself.

Good things like last Christmas.

Before the aforementioned table dancing, as it were.

That morning was truly one of our sweetest moments.

I'd just awoken, feeling his breath on my shoulder just before he placed a sweet kiss on the exposed skin he found there.

"Morning, beautiful."

I'd shivered in response, my whole body responding in the way it only could with him.

As I turned to meet him, his lips met mine, almost of their own accord, and I was lost in him all over again.

Our morning kisses have always been the best, all still sensitive and new, regardless of how many times we've accomplished the act.

This particular morning was special, though.

It was our first Christmas living together.

That morning, everything was amazing.

We could pretend, as we wrapped ourselves in our bubble of one another, that we were well and truly together. We could imagine the future, or at least I could.

That morning, nothing could stop us from achieving the impossible, overcoming all the odds, and eventually starting the family we were saving for our marriage. We could imagine the next Christmas, and the one after that, and the one after that, too.

He must have repeated that he loved me over thirty times that morning, and I must have responded just as much.

It all came together in one cadence, just the two of us together.

And it was beautiful.

It really was.

I'd have given anything for him.

I still would.

Moments like that beautiful one with Ronald weren't the ones that Malfoy and I discussed, however.

I didn't feel it was quite appropriate to the work environment, as it were.

So, if I were to be well and truly honest, I'm not sure how he thought things were truly going with Ronald.

I'm not sure he got the full picture, as it truly was.

It just hadn't occurred to me to give him the good along with the bad.

And perhaps that was my first mistake.

A/N: As always, let me know what you think. Thanks!