The annual Ministry Christmas party was in full swing by the time Hermione decided it was time to leave. After consuming a few too many of those silly white and red striped drinks that were being floated around the ballroom on silver trays she had decided it was time to make her way to her office and safely floo home. The room was covered in fake snow, red and gold tinsel and everywhere you looked there was a tall tree covered in gaudy ornaments magically held in place so no one could tip them over in a drunken stumble. Everyone seemed to have drunk their fill and were slowly disappearing with either their partners or whoever they were going to shack up with for the night. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy of the thought of everyone else going home with someone while she would be in for yet another night alone.
Ron had come home two years prior on this very night, drunk as can be crying to her about how he messed up and had gotten someone else pregnant. They had been married for four years and she had always assumed that he was unfaithful but honestly it hadn't bothered her that much she was only with him since that's what everyone always expected of her. Things had turned truly sour in their second year of marriage after she found out that the trauma she took during her seventh year fighting against Voldemort was too extensive and she could not bear children. He had blamed her of course, he always blamed her for everything after all. He had left for a week after finding out but had been all apologies when he finally came home, she never asked where he had gone or what he had done and he had never felt the need to tell her. She had calmly told him that it was fine and he needed to stand by the woman he had knocked up and that she would pack her things and leave. She had left before he had even woken up the next morning with what she hoped had been a vicious hangover.
Fast forward two years and she had been secretly watching Ron with his family all night slightly jealous that it should have been her. Lavender had been keeping a tight grip on him all night, probably because she knew he had a wandering eye. Their little girl had been taken home by Molly and Arthur earlier on in the evening had looked adorable in her red velvet Christmas dress, long blonde hair pulled up into two matching pigtails on each side of her head. She had turned one back in October but was already tall for her age, no doubt due to her father's genetic make-up. She had inherited blonde hair from her mother but everything else was all Weasley, from the freckles that lightly dusted her whole body to her mischievous tendencies. It wasn't that Hermione was jealous that Lavender had Ron it was actually that she was able to give him the one thing she could not, a child.
She had grown tired of the festivities so she wished a handful of nearby coworkers good night before finding her way to the lifts and pressing the correct button to take her to the fourth floor where her office was located. She had started at the ministry right after completing her NEWTS the summer after they defeated Voldemort and had accepted a position in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. In the six years that had followed she had steadily risen through the department before finally taking over the head position last spring. Stepping out of the lifts she slowly made her way to the end of the hallway towards her office.
Opening the door she was greeted with the familiar smell of parchment and the peppermint essential oil she kept in a diffuser in the corner. It was a modestly sized office but it suited her just fine. The left side of the room held two floor to ceiling bookshelves full of books along with a coat hanger where she kept her cloaks, the right side of room held a black leather couch and a brick hearth used primarily for floo calls, the back of the room was dominated by her large oak desk and behind that a wall of glass charmed to show a scene from nearby downtown London.
The whole office was a decorated with either black or deep mahogany finishing's. Unlike most other offices in the Ministry hers held no personal belongings such as pictures or artwork, other than the cloak hung up on the coat rack, the occasional novel left haphazardly on the edge of her desk or the nameplate clearly stating this was, in fact, the office of the one and only Hermione Granger there was no clear indication of who took up residence here.
Hermione sat down on her couch with a sigh, this really wasn't how she had pictured her life at twenty-four years old. That should have been her child happily waving to every stranger she met, it should have been her cautiously following the happy little cherub around as she took her first steps but instead here she was approaching her second Christmas at home by herself. Molly had after all decided once Lavender had the baby that it was just too awkward having both Lavender and Hermione over for the holidays so Hermione had been the one to politely say that she could manage all on her own and hadn't been back to the Burrow for over a year. The loneliness seemed to bear down on her and in the confines of her office, she let loose the tears she had held back for so long. A harsh sob wracked her body when she heard a timid knock on the door.
"Just a second!" She hollered in a watery voice. A quick swipe of her hands across her face and she rose to go answer the door prepared to tell whoever it was that they had to wait until after the Holidays because she was heading home.
Draco paced in front of her office door for what seemed like forever before bringing himself to knock on her door. It was just Granger, after all, how terrifying could she be? Oh but she could be completely terrifying couldn't she, she had been the only person brave enough to physically harm him back in Hogwarts and he had worked closely alongside her department as a freelance lawyer to know that she still had a fiery temper underneath her calm businesslike exterior. He had always watched her closely whenever he was in her department, she seemed just as lonely as he felt. It had been four years since Astoria left, she had only stayed after all due to the stupid marriage contract that was written up after she was born.
They had been married right after she graduated Hogwarts and she stuck around long enough to give Draco an heir before having her lawyer draw up a divorce contract that he willingly signed. She had left for the continent soon after with all her belongings and he had not heard from her since. Draco wasn't looking for a replacement mother for Scorpius he just wanted an adult companion that didn't spend all their time partying and could match or exceed his level of intelligence. Hermione Granger had definitely fit the bill. She was perfect, though he would never admit it, smart, caring, ambitious and most importantly she was alone just like he was.
Hermione swung the door open rather abruptly and almost fell over with the momentum of the door pulling her backward. Maybe I had a little too much to drink, she thought to herself as an arm whipped out to steady her. Looking up into concerned eyes she noticed that they were quite a beautiful shade of grey. It was then that she realized who it was exactly standing outside her door and had so gallantly caught her from almost falling on her rump in her drunken state. Draco Malfoy stood in front of her smirking that stupid smirk that was almost permanently affixed to his face.
"I am leaving for the Holidays so if it could wait until after I return that would be lovely." She winced as she stumbled through her statement barely able to speak with how heavy her tongue felt in that moment. His smirk turned into a genuine smile and then a deep throated laugh at her words. She frowned at him before hastily pulling her arm away from him and returning to the safety of her chair. He followed her into the room, quietly shut the door, took a seat in one of the two matching black leather chair located across from her desk, waved his wand to place what she hoped were silencing wards around the room then looked at her expectantly waiting for her to have the first word.
"What is it Malfoy like I have already told you I was about to leave and whatever it really needs to wait." She told him in a puff of anger, why couldn't he just be out with it already? He leaned forward in his seat resting his elbows on his knees before looking her right in the eyes and saying "I have a proposition for you Granger, and before you ask no it doesn't have anything to do with work it is actually a proposition of a more personal nature."
Hearing this she immediately bristled, "How dare you! To come into my office, during what should be a time of celebration and ask me something so vulgar! I knew you were always a terrible wretch back in school but I had thought you had changed! Obviously not if you are..." A that he raised his hand and cut her off.
"Please just hear me out Granger, I would never dare ask of you what you assume I am asking. Let me explain to you, I want a friendship with you, nothing more." He said calmly as if her outburst had not bothered him in the slightest. She nodded slowly waiting for him to continue, feeling her face flush in embarrassment.
Draco told her the specifics of how Astoria left, how she never was interested in becoming a mom and had fled in the days after bringing Scorpius home. How his father had perished in Azkaban following the war and his mother had retreated to a property located in Northern Wales. He had distanced himself from his friends from Hogwarts once he started going to Muggle University full time to become a lawyer. They had not agreed with his new lifestyle and had basically told him he could party and live off his inheritance like they were or they couldn't be friends with him. He had obviously chosen his career and taking care of his son. He explained to her that he meant no disrespect but he had noticed in the past year since he started working in her department that she seemed as extremely lonely as he felt and he thought that if they could find some middle ground a friendship between them could be mutually beneficial.
She listened patiently as he spoke his case, nodding every once in a while to show that she was still listening and or that she agreed to one of his statements. When he was done with his rant she took a minute to think of all the information he had given to her. It had been public knowledge when Lucius had passed, and an even bigger news story when Astoria had filed for divorce the day after she gave birth to his son, what she hadn't known was how obvious it was that she was miserable or that he had left all his lifelong friends behind to pursue Muggle university and raise his son on his own. She admired him for those things and felt sorry for him that he was as alone as she was.
"I would also like to apologize for how I treated you back at Hogwarts, I know I have said this before but I am truly sorry and very much appreciative that we have been able to accomplish so much this past year working for the rights of house elves and other magical creatures. Please if you can find it in you I would truly like to be your friend." The look of desperation in his eyes as he apologized made up her mind for her.
"Of course I will be your friend Malfoy. Thank you for asking me." She said politely in return just to hear him laugh that deep throaty laugh again. It was at that moment that she realized she hadn't really noticed what the man had been wearing. Instead of the expensive suits, he wore to work every day he was wearing a pair of dark blue trousers and an emerald green jumper with a white tee-shirt underneath. His hair was cropped short to his head but he had what looked like two days' worth of stubble growing along the jawline that made him look so manly.
He had just stopped laughing when he said, "Well I think we should probably start with dropping the surnames and calling each other by our given names. Don't you think so, Hermione?" A shiver ran down her spine as he spoke her name. She had never heard it said that way before, so sensual and affectionate like he already cared for her.
"I think we can work something out." She replied before tentatively saying, "Draco." The smile she received in return for saying his name was blinding and quite attractive if she were being truthful but their tentative friendship had just begun so she would certainly not be letting herself things.
"It's a deal then, we will be each other friend and try to help combat one another's loneliness. We didn't fight in a war at such a young age to become friendless hermits after all." His statement was accompanied by his signature smirk as he rose from the chair he had been sitting in.
"Let me floo you home, Hermione, it is getting late and I suspect you drank just a tad bit more than you intended to with how easily you agreed to my suggestion." She chuckled at that, stood out of her chair, waved her wand to release whatever spell it was Draco had placed when this strange meeting had first begun and locked her office from the inside from anyone but herself. She grabbed her cloak from the coat rack and wrapped it around her shoulders before accepting Draco's offered hand and telling him her address as they both stepped into her hearth. He threw the floo powder down, shouted out her address and they were whisked away in a rush of green flames.