Chapter 4

Hermione gave a frustrated sigh and closed the file on the table with a bang. Currently she was working on a report about giants which was incredibly tiresome. She couldn't get much sleep last night hence she wasn't being able to concentrate on anything.

After her significant role in the second wizarding war Hermione had very easily secured a job in the ministry and with the passage of time she had become the head of the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She usually did enjoy her job but today she just couldn't focus. Her mind wandered to several other places or rather people.

Without a backwards glance she got up and headed out of the room. What she needed right now was a strong dose of caffeine, only that could calm her nerves. The cafeteria was surprisingly empty at this point of time during the day. She walked over to the coffee machine and was busy pouring herself a steaming hot latte when she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder.

She turned around too quickly, dreading that it was someone else but it was only Harry.

"Woah, easy there, Hermione! Are you alright?" he asked.

She heaved a sigh of relief. "Harry it's you! Gosh you scared me" she gasped. "Scared you? In broad daylight and in the middle of a café?" He scoffed.

"Well, you just appeared out of nowhere" she said defensively.

"You're loosing your touch" he joked.

She grabbed her cup of coffee and they sat on a table nearby. "So what new case are you working on?" she asked after taking a huge sip.

"Well just the usual. There's some trouble in Wiltshire that needs to be dealt with. It's quite exhausting to say the least"

"Atleast your job is not as monotonous as mine Harry"

"You chose this for yourself, remember? I had told you to join Auror training but-" Harry immediately stopped but it was too late. The mistake was already made. Hermione visibly flinched and instantly looked away from him. This topic was one that they always avoided because everyone knew it had taken an emotional toll on Hermione but in the flow of the conversation he had forgotten it.

Hermione looked uncomfortable and she bit her lip nervously avoiding eye contact with him. Harry cleared his throat and broke the silence before it could get anymore awkward. "Anyways what about you? What have you been up to lately?"

After a few seconds hesitation she answered, "nothing much, just work and home" glad due to the change in the topic.

"Sounds pretty monotonous to me" he said feigning a sad look. She smiled.

"Are you today? We could grab lunch?"

"Well I'm really busy today but maybe some other time" she said with an apologetic look on her face.

"Typical Hermione Granger!" he chimed. "Well then I'll see you later cause I have to meet someone in" he glanced at his watch, "five minutes!".

"Sure" she smiled as he walked out of the room taking huge strides.

…

After her little coffee break she had geared up and had got some actual work done. She had gotten so carried away that she had even skipped lunch. Finally all the paper work about Giants and their future was only half finished by nine in the night. She rarely worked until this late and today was one of those rare days because she needed some distraction. After wrapping up her stuff she left her cabin.

She walked through the deserted and dimly lit corridors of the ministry. At this point of time everyone had already left, even the cleaning staff and the darkness made her a tad bit uncomfortable. Hermione was waiting for the elevator to arrive when she heard someone call her name. At first she ignored it, thinking it was only her imagination but then she could hear footsteps.

She glanced around uneasily. She clutched her wand in her right hand, ready to use if need be and turned abruptly. Her entire demeanor changed when she saw the person standing in front of her.

"Granger" Draco Malfoy greeted her as if they were old school buddies.

Hermione didn't know how to react. "Oh..Malfoy" she said trying to think of something good enough to say.

"You can lower your wand now"

Hermione slowly lowered her wand. "What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk"

"There's nothing to talk about" she said, avoiding eye contact.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" she sounded frustrated.

"This! Avoiding me all the fucking time!" He exclaimed. "You refuse to talk to me for more than a minute as if I would bite you or something" he said angrily which only infuriated her.

"I don't owe you anything. I don't need to give you an explanation as to why I don't want to talk to you" she said bitterly and turned to leave but he blocked her easily by placing his arm on the wall beside her.

Hermione knew that if she didn't do something she was going to get into some serious trouble again. "What do you want?"

"You know exactly what I want" he said in a low voice, face inches from hers.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh yes, you just want to fuck me don't you?" she snarled.

"Tsk tsk tsk…if that's what you really think then you don't know me at all"

She felt a pinch of disappointment after hearing him but obviously didn't show it. "And I don't see what the problem in that is"

"Hermione you can't hide it any longer" he began in a determined voice, "I know you liked what happened between us last night. I know you want more, don't deny it"

"Stop! Who gave you the right to decide what I like and I don't?" she lashed out at him.

"Then just fucking listen to me!" His voice as loud as hers. The anger vanished instantly and his expression softened again. "Hermione please…" he whispered near her face. "Just give this another chance" he said finally, voice as pleading as a Malfoy's could be.

"Give what another chance?"

"Us" he looked at her earnestly.

Hermione felt an ache in her heart. She didn't know why but she wanted to say yes. She would have almost said it if a little voice in the back if her mind hadn't interrupted her. 'You can't Hermione. It isn't right'

"I already told you that I have-"

"Dump him." He said giving her a dead serious look. Hermione looked at him with widened eyes.

How could he even suggest something like that was beyond her. The possibility of her doing that made her shudder and she quickly dismissed the thought.

"I don't care who the fuck that guy is, just tell him to leave" he said in a needy voice.

"I can't" she replied sadly. She placed both her hands on his chest and pushed him away. Draco looked at her with an expression somewhere between anger and sorrow.

Hermione grabbed the opportunity and slipped away from him before he could block her again. She almost ran through the corridor, afraid to look back. Hermione just wanted to get away in that moment. She ran down the stairs and then apparated to her building as fast as she could.

She was having a terrible headache which made her feel like her brain could burst at any second. With trembling hands she inserted the key in the keyhole and entered in her flat. An immediate sense of comfort overtook her as soon as she did it. She thought she could finally relax after a long, hectic and emotionally tiring day but her hopes were crushed when she heard another deep voice.

"Missed me, Hermione?"