Four months.

In four months Hermione had managed to not only start working on herself with the help of her friends, but also caused a mess in her friendship with Ron. Of course it was natural for him to want answers but unfortunately Hermione just couldn't give him answers with absolute certainty. She knew it hurt his feelings that she was being wishy-washy... She knew she was being that way herself. She knew...

And she desperately wished she wasn't but she had some small hope in her mind that somehow in someway, Severus would find her way back to her. However that didn't happen. Instead... Something else happened.

"Granger." Came a loud and obnoxious voice as a pile of paperwork hit her desk Monday morning. "You'll be needed in the minister's office. Come along now and bring those with you."

Draco. Malfoy.

As if her life wasn't already a complicated mess now she was going to have to deal with him?! Was this her punishment for kissing Ron? Malfoy!

Inwardly she groaned as she took the paperwork he had dropped on her desk and started after Malfoy who was already heading into the hallway next to her department. What could the minister be wanting from her? Had she over looked something? Had she... done something wrong due to her absentmindedness? Oh Merlin! If this break up had costed her her job she would never be able to forgive herself!

If only she had time to look at the paperwork in her hands...

"Granger." Draco hummed impatiently and sighed as he held the door open for her to the elevator.

She promptly followed and they rode in silence.

Occasionally as the elevator made turns and drops, Hermione had caught Draco looking down at her. She wasn't sure why she didn't think it was a condescending look but there was something soft about his look. Weird...

"Ah hello! Yes come in. Come in!" Said the excited minister Amadeus Radcliffe. He had been newly appointed after a short term served by Rufus Scrimgeour. This minster had a knack for being very involved with all of the departments and was being perceived as one of the greatest Ministers in a short time frame. He was just eccentric and very much against the grain of politics. He was also a wonderful musician.

The man ran a hand through his wild hair before turning to look at the two people in his office. Then bluntly said "I need you two to get married!"

"EXCUSE ME?" Shrieked both Hermione and Draco at the same time only making the Minister laugh.

"Loosen up. You both look way to serious... It's a joke. Well... sort of." Amadeus chuckled.

"What do you mean sort of?" Draco asked looking to Hermione and then back at the minister as if he was trying to size them both up.

"Come now, oh come now. Where is the fun in just coming right out with it! Sit. Sit!" Amadeus encouraged and waved his hand to a teapot that was in the corner of the room. "Tea?"

Draco said nothing.

Hermione sensing the tension shook her head. "No thank you, Sir."

"All is fair! I never liked tea to begin with. I just like how it makes my office seem smart." Amadeus smirked and snapped his fingers making the teapot settle back down in the corner.

"Now where were we..." Amadeus said looking at the haphazardly skewed paperwork on his desk. "AH. YES!"

"Draco I heard you were upset with me from holding you back from the Auror's assignment. But that was done because I have a special assignment for you and Miss. Granger."

"Please do tell." Draco said abruptly, his impatience seeping with each word.

"I need you and Miss. Granger to go to Hogwarts and finish the year out there."

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked surprised.

"Well... I have done my best to keep this quiet but there is something afoot in our world. Something that I cannot explain. But last night, Miss Glockenspiel, the transfiguration professor, mysteriously vanished. People have been going missing. With no trace left behind and we are working to figure out what is happening."

"Where does that leave us exactly?" Draco asked.

"Well I was proposing you, Draco- You don't mind if I address you by name?" Amadeus asked and then quickly said "Mr. Malfoy, I would like you to pick up where Miss Glockenspiel lefts off in her class and Miss Granger as you have already been introduced as a guest in the Potion's classes at Hogwarts I would like you to resume an apprenticeship with Severus Snape so that I have two sure agents on the inside minding what is happening. And because of how close I need you two to be, I would prefer a rumor of you two being love birds to exist over you two being spies-"

"No."

Hermione found herself saying the word abruptly without a second thought. Draco looked at her wondering just what she was objecting to. The rumor or her post. And much to her surprise the minister seemed to have the same look. "I would much rather take over Miss Glockenspiel's class. Nr. Malfoy was and is a wonderful potion's maker and also a subject to Severus' house. I was introduced as a guest. I would prefer to stay as that." She said clearly and Amadeus frowned.

However one look at Draco told him that Draco didn't mind that as much as he did as becoming a Transfiguration's teacher. "Fine." Amadeus said with a pout as he leaned onto his desk.

"I need weekly reports of anything suspicious. And absolutely none of the staff or students must know of your assignment. As far as the staff and students are concerned, Miss Glockenspiel has been called away of urgent family matters." Amadeus explained and the two looked at one another.

This was serious.

More serious than either of them could imagine.

How did she miss missing people?

Because she was in charge of underage magic...

"Please pack your belonging. You will be returning to Hogwarts tonight. You are dismissed from your duties immediately."

Draco's chair scrapped across the floor as he stood up to leave, Hermione following after him. The two were just out of the office when Draco lost his cool.

"That miserable oaf! And you! You were no help what so ever!"

"Excuse me? I made it so you didn't have to teach!"

"Yeah but you didn't try harder than that to prevent the additional rumor of a relationship. Have you ever even been in one to know what that intells?" Draco snapped. "In order for a rumor to occur of that nature in a school we have to been seen with one another... often. And occasionally be purposely caught being intimate."

"Intimate?"

"Yes. Like burshing against one another. Fixing each others hair that sort of nonsense!" Draco hissed and pulled out a pocket watch. "My house is further than yours I presume so I will be leaving." He stated cutting her off.

"See you at school."

If there was one thing that had changed it was that Draco Malfoy had grown into his own version of a dominant male. He was demanding, bossy, and insanely snippy. But there was another person causing Hermione to freak out.

Severus.

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A/N: Short and sweet but we gotta keep moving forward!