-I own nothing-

The Aftermath

Hermione placed her forehead against his and continued laughing.

"Let me get that before Harry breaks down the door"

Hermione got up and opened the door to a very concern looking Harry Potter.

"Blimey Hermione, you haven't even changed out of your dress!"

"Nope, but apparently I had a great time last night!" She told him with a smile.

"Yea, about last night, listen I came over because I wanted to hand this to you personally" Harry said as he handed her the Daily Prophet. Hermione took it, unfolded it and gasped in mortification.

Once a head girl always a head girl

By Rita Skeeter

Hermione Granger, golden girl extraordinaire has come a long way from the innocent, so called smart friend of the Wizarding World's Hero Harry Potter. These pictures taken last night show the former head girl in quite the compromising position. It has us questioning if her partnership with Draco Malfoy is more than just as a simple colleague. Could it be that this partnership and blatant favoritism could be the reason Draco Malfoy was let go scotch free during the death eaters trail. Look at the picture and you be the judge.

The picture showed Hermione with a very sexual smile towards Draco and then bobbing down to his crotch area, at the same time it showed Draco closing his eyes releasing a sigh.

What the picture didn't capture was, this was the moment Hermione was so sloshed she dropped a cherry from her drink in his lap and thought it would be sexy if she removed it with her teeth. Dracos sigh, was a sigh of annoyance because he knew he would have to take care of a very drunk Hermione.

At the worst possible moment, Draco came out of Hermione's room, leaving Harry quite stunned.

"So, i was there and I know what really happened when this picture was taken," said Harry, "But why is Malfoy coming out of your room!"

"Oh we just slept together" said Hermione nonchalantly

"WHAT!" screamed Harry

"Oh Harry, not like that, like the friggin gentleman he is, he literally tucked me in and I demanded he stayed with me until I fell asleep but he ended falling asleep with me!" Hermione told Harry

"Yea, Potter absolutely nothing happened"

"Not for lack of trying" whispered Hermione under her breath. It was official, she had a thing for Malfoy. Deny it as much as she could, she could not deny the way her hormones frenzied out on her whenever she thought of him. Hermione threw the newspaper at him.

He read it and busted out with a laugh.

"Wow Skeeter really has it in for you!"

"You have no idea Malfoy" Harry said.

"Why are you not upset!, this is humiliating" Said Hermione

"Maybe for you, definitely not for me" Draco smirked.

"Ugh i'm going to get ready for work" said Hermione through gritted teeth as she stomped her way to her room.

"You might want to tell her it's Saturday" said Harry.

"Nah, she likes working in an empty lab" smiled Draco.

"So is there really nothing going on between you two" asked Harry

"Honestly, I have no idea, there is a pull you know… but I don't know. Its me and it's her" Draco said

"Yea, I know, which is why it is my duty to inform you, that if you hurt her….well, you know the rest"

"Potter, you should be more concerned for my welfare, she is most likely to hurt me" he replied with a prideful smirk.

"I'll leave you to it then, later Malfoy" said Harry as he exited Hermione's flat.

Draco walked to her room and knocked on her door,

"Hey, Harry left and I'm going to go too, I have to shower and change but I can meet you at the lab in 30 min"

"That's fine, i'll see you in a bit" Hermione said, her back firmly to the door, petrified he may come in and catch her in her knickers.

She heard the pop of apparition and she felt a sigh of relief. Never in their five years of working together has she ever felt so flustered thinking about Draco Malfoy.

She thought back on the first day they worked together.

She had accepted a position as a researcher for the Potions department for a company called M. Innovations. The money was great, not that she needed it, but she wanted to do some independent research which is exactly what she was looking for. She walked into the lab space. There were desks all around her. The desk next to her, had neatly piled books, reports and a open case file with the neatest handwriting she ever saw. This excited her even more! To work with organized colleagues with the same passion as her.

As she sat down in her desk, Draco Malfoy walked in holding two cups of coffee.

"Welcome to the team Granger"

Hermione frozen for a second, shook her head,

"Malfoy! I must say you caught me by surprise!"

"You are surprised to see me work in my own company?"

"I did not know the M stood for Malfoy"

"Is this going to be a problem?"

"No, I let by gones be by gones, I am here to try to make a difference for our future generations"

Malfoy smiles, a big genuine smile.

"This is exactly why you were hired Hermione"

He just called me Hermione, she thought.

"Here, this is for you, I heard you were a fan of coffee"

"Thank you Draco"

"Also, this is your first assignment while you are here, I know you like a good challenge so I figured you would be the perfect fit for this"

Draco handed her an envelope, she took a a seat and opened it. She gasped.

"You're working on improving the wolfbane potion!"

And the rest was history. They worked side by side. She always knew he was smart and it was great bouncing ideas with someone on her level of knowledge.

Harry and Ron were a bit apprehensive in the beginning. Now you could call them friends.

Hermione finished getting ready and rushed to lab. Their next project was waiting for her.

They were currently working on a version of a time turner that held a cap in time. Its being designed for the next generation of Hogwart students to be able to take more classes, like Hermione was able too. However, working with time is very tricky, and not to mention the loads of paperwork and forms they needed to go through for the ministry to approve.

She arrived at their lab to find Draco already revising some of said ministry forms.

She stopped and watched him before she went in. He would close his eyebrows together when he read something he didn't like and made a note. How had she never took in how attractive he was. Like she knew he was attractive, but damn he was attractive. She blushed at the thought. She was being so silly, shes never felt shy around him and now, her palms are sweaty, her face was flushed and all off sudden she just felt way to hot.

Stop being silly she scolded herself. She opened the door and greeted Draco with a huge smile.

"Hey, what are your working on"

"Hey, you know the usual Ministry bureaucracy"

"How fun," she said as she walked to her desk to put her stuff down. As she turned around to head into the lab she found her face staring into Draco Malfoy's crimson shirt. She gasped, as he put his hand around her waist. Her breath hitched.

"I've been waiting all morning to do this" Draco whispered.

He leaned down and kissed her lips gently.

The sparks were incredible. She never felt this excitement, this fulfillment in her body before.

She kissed him back with a determination she didn't know she possessed.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. He groaned in response, only feeding her fire. They both stopped for some air.

"Hermione, that was worth the wait"

She giggled.

"I think we should get some work done, before we get no work done" she replied, as she caressed his chest.

He closed his eyes, "You're right, let me picture McGonagall in some negligee to calm down."

Hermione burst out laughing.

He looked down at her, stared straight into her eyes,

"Hermione Granger, I would love it, if I could take you out to dinner tonight"

"I would love nothing more Mr. Malfoy" she said with a huge smile.

He gently tapped her lips.

"Okay, I will be in the lab" Hermione told him.

He watched her walk in, the picture of professionalism as she inspected her materials.

I am taking Hermione out to dinner, Draco thought. Filled with a feeling of happiness he didn't know was possible.