Dear Readers,

I decided to be good and actually start the next chapter before I post the last one. My computer kicked the bucket a week ago so I had to re-write it. Anyways, I hope you enjoy. :)

I want to also thank:

Missmanequinx

Mytondeftiger

For both reviewing my first chapter and all of those who read the story! I really like to have reviews so I can see where I'm going or if I've lost anyone. Don't hesitate to review the stories you read because that's the only way we writers can make our stuff a better experience for you! Thanks again!

Disclaimer: I like chocolate milk.

Unfortunately that won't help me win in a lawsuit against Rowling or Time Warner or BCBG Max Azria.

But chocolate milk is good.

Heads up!

Really awkward sex scene ahead, don't read if it offends! Love you dearly:)

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Lull

Capítulo Três

"Really?"

"Please don't give me an option to change my mind."

"Hermione, I'm so glad that you'll accept the mission. You know, I was just talking to Ginny the other day, she said the two of you went shopping."

"Yes, Minister," Hermione muttered as she sluggishly turned from him and dragged her way out of the office. It was terribly rude of her, but she's doing him a MAJOR favor right now and she really, really didn't want to.

When Hermione made her way back to her office, the object of her desire to hang herself was sitting in her chair, feet up on her desk, smiling at her. And it wasn't a pleasant smile at all-- no, not even a smile from the devil could be more frightening than the one on the little bugger's face.

"I heard you accepted the mission."

"Did you, now?"

"Word travels fast in these offices." He took his feet off of her desk and stood. "You know, Hermione, you're in a position many women would kill to be in."

"Funny. Seeing as how one killed herself to get out of it."

"If we're lucky, maybe I could drive you to do the same." It was that particular moment when the bile rose up in her throat. "If we're going to be seen together, it's mandatory that you straighten yourself up. I've got standards."

"I refuse. You'll see as I am."

"Oh, no I won't. You look a dreadful mess. We want the purebloods to throw roses, not rocks. Tame that mane and iron your robes for once."

"Kiss my ass, Malfoy." He sidled up close, and before she could grab her wand, he fastened his grip around her wrist and pulled her up close. Hermione had never been more repulsed in her life.

"Now, that's an interesting proposition, don't you think? You know, I prefer to have your kind begging for death or a good fuck, but never have any of you the gall to ask me to do something so degrading. Thanks, but I'd rather not contaminate myself by touching these lips to any part of a mudblood like you."

"I guess it's okay for you to contaminate your dick then? I suppose after all the venereals you've had it doesn't matter as long as it doesn't mar you pretty-boy face."

"How dare you insinuate that I'm weak enough to get one of your muggle diseases." Hermione scrunched up her nose.

"Ugh, someone had an onion bagel for breakfast." Draco narrowed his eyes and the grip on her wrists tightened.

"Don't forget who's in charge here, muggle-born. I'd sooner see you dead than put up with any of your shit."

"Well we can't always get what want so deal with it." The word 'deal' was punctuated by a head butt. Malfoy released her and stumbled over to the table, clutching his forehead.

"You stupid little bint," he grumbled.

"And make sure to keep your dirty little paws off of me until we're in public, got it, asshole?"

"Sure thing, Granger. Or, should I give my mudblood pet a name? How about Binky? No? Or, maybe fuzzy-- or fluffy?"

"Shut the fuck up, Malfoy, or I just might reconsider."

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"G-G-G-Ginny! I-I-Is so pretty! She can have ANY b-b-boy panties!"

"Boy panties?"

"That's what I said."

"Hermione, you're pissed."

"Pissed? I think that's a bit much. Maybe a little tipsy. Oh, dear, do you have any more of that whatchacallits?"

"Apple Martinis?"

"Yes, that's it, hon. The one with the little doodle thingy inside. Don't get too skimpy on the vodka either."

"You'll be lucky if I add any at all."

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're getting rather portly around the waist." Ginny blushed.

"Now, don't take it like that, I mean in a good way. You're not so skinny and frail-looking anymore." Ginny narrowed her eyes at Hermione and mixed the drink with 1 half vodka and a quarter juice and martini mix. It would serve the witch right to get a nice, walloping headache in the morning.

"I'm sure Harry would love to see you with a bit more flesh on you. You look so much cuter."

On second thought, Ginny switched the glass she was about to hand Hermione with her own. "So might I ask what brought about this little celebration tonight?"

"It is," Hermione held the glass up to the light, "a celebration of my impending doom." Ginny blinked once. Twice.

"Are you mad?"

"Maybe I am. Can't believe I actually agreed to this half-baked idea."

"You agreed to my father's plan?"

"And regretting it with every beat of my heart."

"Hermione…that's wonderful. This'll definitely pick up the ministry's ratings."

"Ratings?"

"For my dad-- your office's ratings will improve, too. This is good publicity for the Ministry."

"Yeah, well, let's just hope it doesn't earn one Hermione Granger a nice, comfortable cot at St. Mungo's." Ginny had to laugh at that. Malfoy certainly was going to drive her insane.

"So what's the plan?"

"No idea. I just want to get the damned thing over with."

"Have you talked to Malfoy about it, yet?"

"I'd sooner stuff the coat-rack up his arse than have a conversation with that snake about 'coming out'."
"Hmm…sounds like a fairytale, you dating an arrogant lord. I wonder if the two of you will fall in love."

"Yes, you're right. It does sound like a fairytale, one of the old Russian fairytales. I'm just waiting for the monsters and ghoulies to come and pluck my eyeballs out and fill the void with chocolate. At least the chocolate'll make me feel better."

"Oh, it's can't possibly be all that bad."

"Ginny…"

"Okay, it's bad. But maybe the two of you might-- dare I say it-- learn to be…cordial with one another."

"Yes, there's always the chance of that just as there's a chance that Snape might actually dress up in Neville's grandmother's hat and dress."

"Hermione…"

"Ginny…"

"Well, I guess you're right. There's no use in lying to you. This'll end in disaster, but for as long as it works, you'll improve the conditions of the reform programs. And you won't have to worry about money for a while. This can work to your advantage as long as you think of a way."

"Tweet, tweet said the caged bird."

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"Where the hell are my binders, Eloise?" Draco paced the length of his ridiculously large study as he glanced around the bookshelves in search of his missing property. A beautiful blonde woman dressed in blue robes, he always made her wear blue, was trembling at his desk, watching him.

Even though the Minister's plan was designed to save him from Azkaban, he was still in a sour mood that he had to even pretend to be even remotely enamored with fur-ball Granger. He nearly threw up in his mouth at the thought of even kissing her, let alone kissing her in front of his friends. So when his ditz of a secretary didn't do shit all day (he really only hired the mudblood for a good fuck) he decided to take it out on her, seeing as how she was just like that stupid bitch he would soon call his.

"Oh, Lord Malfoy, they were just…"

"I didn't hire you just to sit there and look pretty. Do some fucking work every once in a while!" She shrank back at his roar and looked down at the rich carpeting. Draco ran a hand through his hair and walked over to her. The last thing he wanted was the mud blood bitch afraid of him.

"Eloise, I would like for you to start paying much more attention to what you are doing. I can't be successful at my job if you continue to be negligent. If you continue to be negligent, then I would be forced to hire a secretary that isn't s pretty as you." she looked up, her face brightening with a smile.

"Now take off your robes, I want to show you how disappointed I am." He brought her hand down to his crotch and closed her fingers over his balls.

"Let's see how fast you can make me forget that I ever was." He placed his hand on top of her head and pushed her down until she was on her knees before him. She looked up at him expectantly-- did she want him to undress himself?

"Do it yourself, hon." She smiled faintly and opened his robes. As she stroked his length with her hands in an attempt to get him ready, Draco rubbed the top of her head. Even though he was still a bit soft, he pushed her head in a little bit closer and she enveloped him within her mouth. Draco tilted his head back and with a contented sigh, he began to massage her head, cheek, and ear.

"Do you like this, Lord Malfoy?" He grumbled in displeasure at the sound of her voice. She needed to shut up and keep sucking. Merlin, when would a woman ever learn that she's never supposed to stop once she starts?

"My Lord," irritated, he didn't answer, he just grabbed her hair and began slamming his pelvis forward, fucking her mouth gently at first, but more and more violently until she began to protest. When her struggling started to sap the excitement he got out of fucking her brains out, he pulled himself out of her mouth, hoisted her up and slammed her against the table, arse up.

Before she could say or do anything, he hiked up her robes-- of course the little slut wasn't wearing any underwear-- and he slammed into her from behind. From that point, it was purely animalistic. As her moans and groans grew longer and louder, he picked up the pace, slamming into her with a thump, thump, thump, as the desk moved under the sheer force of his strokes. Eloise began to cry out, but he simply quieted her by grabbing her hair and pulling her head back so he could shut her up with a kiss. She began to enjoy it then--he could tell by the way he pussy began to spasm and clench around his cock until he soon pulled out and came all over her bare ass.

After a moment of cooling down, he retrieved his wand off the desk and muttered a cleaning charm. He wouldn't want a bastard anytime soon.

"My Lord, that was…"

"Amazing, I know." Draco began to clasp his robes shut. "Go clean yourself up and then come back to pick up this mess."

"But… what about me, My Lord?" Draco chuckled.

"What about you? You've got two fingers and a vibrator. Use them." And with that, he walked out.

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"Oh, God, Hermione, how many times do we have to go over this? You go to the Gala tonight, you sit at the table across from Malfoy, you order a salad. Malfoy interrupts you and orders you the duck. During dinner, you will continue to act enamored with Malfoy until you excuse yourself from the table. Concerned, Malfoy follows you out. You meet Malfoy in a secluded area at the ball, you kiss. It's simple."

"Go through that dinner part again," Annoyed, Ginny yanked on the corset streams of Hermione's gown.

"And why," Hermione panted, "didn't I know about this stupid get-together until the last minute?"

"You were too sloshed for the past week for me to tell you anything more important than hello and good-bye."

"Oh," Hermione wheezed once Ginny was finished.

"Hmm…this Max Azria dress is pretty cute. They usually don't do corsets like this." It had a band of lamé covered in taffeta florets with pleats and ruffles sprouting from the band at the waist.

"It's their new line exclusively for witches." Hermione smoothed the contour of her hair and turned to find Ginny staring at her, open-mouthed.

"Hermione knows a fashion fact that I don't? What is the world coming to when nerds become fashion-conscious enough to discuss the product launch of a designer?"

"Well…I thought everyone knew about it."

"You've been hanging around me too much-- not that I'm complaining." Ginny finished by placing pearl accents around Hermione's fishtail and told her to spin around so she could have a look.

"Hermione, I think we should've gone with that blue. It went much better with your tan."

"Oh, shut it Ginny. I look better in crème, and you know it."

"Eh…not really. But whatever, you still look pretty good. I don't think even Malfoy could insult you."

"I don't think it's in his best interest to insult me anymore, anyways." Hermione grabbed her small black and crème clutch and waited for Ginny to finish tying the back of her favorite Miu Miu shoes.

"Done?"

"Done…"

"Alright, then, let's move it."

"You don't need any help with anything?" Ginny laughed and motioned to herself. She was wearing a muted forest green BCBG Max Azria lace-hemmed taffetta dress with a self-tie on the waist and a tulle petticoat. She was, as usual, hot. Hermione smiled and shrugged. She was used to being the less beautiful of the two.

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"Welcome all to the Ministry's annual Beltane Festivities. Tonight, the commencement of the celebration is opened with the Dusk Gala. And here we have Shirish and Rocky Patel, Ahmad Abd-Al- Hamid and his lovely wife, Zaina… and would you look at that, Hermione Granger escorted by… wait…is that? Yes it is! Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley. Those two gorgeous girls haven't been seen publicly without each other since they helped Harry James Potter, may he rest in peace, from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-Even-In-Death." Hermione cut the announcer a hard look at his mention of the Dark Lord.

"Ah, and that, of course, is Albus Dumbledore's daughter, Naima, from America escorted by none other than Italy's most notorious playboy, Blaise Zabini. … looking lovely this evening she is. Let's hope he keeps his hands above the table this evening."

"I really wish I could shoot that announcer."

"Hermione, don't act out, okay, but there's your new lover." Hermione looked up and, sure enough, there was Malfoy, already flirting with one of the waitresses. She swallowed her repulsion and walked over to the Minister.

"Hermione, Ginny! You two look lovely!"

"I should hope so, it's hard to breathe in this thing."

"So, are all the preparations complete for that new program?"

"What new program?" Hermione almost cringed when she heard the awful voice of that awful, awful woman named Rita Skeeter. Hermione thought she would have been exiled by now."

"Just something we've been fudging around in the office with. Hermione, dear, let's not talk business tonight. You look lovely and you're catching the attention of several young men. Why don't you go mingle a little." Rita interjected.

"But wait, what about--"

"I have something of much more interest to show you. How much do you know about atoms?" Arthur pulled Rita away and started droning on and on about nuclear fission. Hermione was shocked that he even knew the words, let alone anything about the subject. She guessed he would never tire of muggle things no matter how boring.

Hermione and Ginny walked over to the dining tables and found their seats. As promised, Draco Malfoy was seated right across from her. She also noted that Blaise Zabini, who was seated next to a pretty, light-skinned, black woman, was seated next to Ginny.

"Hello, how are you?" The woman reached across the table to give her a handshake. She had an American accent.

"I'm fine…"

"I'm Naima Dumbledore, new Headmistress at Hogwarts." Ginny, who was drinking out of her glass of water, choked and sputtered. Um…wasn't she black?

"My grandfather really would go on and on about you and your friends. It's such a pleasure to meet you."

"Er…thanks." Grandfather. I guess that gave Albus' blood time to…er…dilute.

"I didn't know that Prof-- I mean, Albus had any children."

"He had a son, but he died before I was born."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Hello ladies…" If there ever was a time Hermione felt thankful for his presence, it was during that extremely awkward moment.

"Malfoy!" Hermione exclaimed. People from the other tables looked over to her in curiosity. What the hell were they all staring at?

"Hermione," Draco smirked, and it took all the physical strength and will power in her to not shiver in disgust at the sound of her given name on his tongue.

Malfoy's tongue. Ick.

His use of her name did not go unnoticed by those around the table, and Hermione almost wanted to smack them for even believing for a second that she was taken with the rat-bastard.

"So, Hermione, I hear you've got a new project underway." Pansy Parkinson, escorted by her older brother, Ecclesius, was just coming to sit down right next to her.

"Ah, hello, er, Pansy." Pansy was a part of her first batch of reform students. It was the most horrendous experience of both girls' lives until Pansy finally snapped. She was sent to a private hospital in France where she received extra support and treatment from doctors. It isn't always very easy to rip someone from something they've believed all their lives. Things between the two were distant, but cordial, and Hermione hoped that perhaps someday Pansy would become one of her friends.

"So, Draco, dear, I hear you've come here alone."

"Is that so, Pansy, dear?" as always, Draco was a right bastard to her. But after years of being around the two, she learned it was just their relationship and Draco may actually have-- dare she say it-- an emotional attachment to the woman. He was by no means in love, the poor git probably didn't even know what love is, but he worried about her when she went away on her little sabbatical.

"Well, you should've called. I'm sure Millicent would have been available."

"Yes, well, isn't she always."

"Weasley."

"Corner."

"How's your brother?"

"Which one?"

"Whichever one's still alive." Hermione winced with that familiar pang of hurt whenever Ron was mentioned. Michael Corner and Ginny ended their relationship on extremely bad terms when she wouldn't put out after her brother's death. What an ass.

"If you don't know how to treat those above your level with due respect, I'm going to have to ask that you take your dinner in the kitchen with those more on your level." Hermione blushed. The Ministry was certainly using the house-elves to cater the event. Corner blushed from the lapels of his jacket all the way to the first strands of his receding hairline.

"So, now that we're all settled, Hermione--" Pansy turned to her and smiled. "I hear you have a new project underway."

"Oh, er, yes. Yes, I do. It's a, er, program for underaged wizards. It'll be a tolerance class that will permanently remain on the schedule of every institution in England so we can catch them while they're still young and teach them moral values."

"You don't think that's terribly like brainwashing, do you?" Ecclesius chimed in. Hermione was a little confused by his hesitance. It isn't brainwashing-- it's education.

"It isn't brainwashing-- it's education. We're not taking away their free will, we're just teaching them the similarities and differences between the two cultures and how both contribute to the world we live in."

"Brainwashing." Hermione cut her eyes to Pansy, but when she saw the playful smile on her face, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She would not have wanted to report him to the Reform Department.

"So what's for dinner, hmmm….there's a salad—Merlin, they're not feeding rabbits-- and mmmm…duck." Ginny turned to Hermione. "Which are you having?"

"Oh, I'm not that hungry." And this was true: thinking about kissing Malfoy sent shivers down her spine in the worst kind of way.

"Hello ladies, gentlemen," the server was a cute little redhead bedecked in a simple black robe with funny little designs on the bosom that made Hermione's eyes dance dizzyingly.

"I'll have the chicken," Pansy smiled and she was the one to begin the order. Everyone went around and picked whatever they wanted of the menu and when it was Hermione's turn, she nearly choked up.

"I'll have a s-salad." She looked away, almost not meeting the woman's eye.

"Oh? Alright," she nodded and was about to move on to the men when Malfoy spoke up.

"Actually, she'd like the duck." Hermione sank a little in her chair. Everyone at the table looked between the two and Hermione sank in her chair a little more.

After the men finished ordering, the waitress was on her way and Hermione was locking lips with the flute on the table.

"We haven't toasted yet."

"Hopefully I will be before the night ends." Ginny not-so-clandestinely pushed her cup over to her.

Within minutes, the food was on the table, the minister was toasting, and Hermione was toasted. As the smell of the duck hit her, the acids in her stomach began to churn. She turned to Ginny, who lifted her brows as she watched Hermione strike her fork into the mound of flesh and open her mouth to deposit it. She quickly grabbed the glass in front of her, took a few sips, ordered some more and then took her first bite.

After that, her accomplishment went unnoticed by anyone other than Ginny and Malfoy, whose jaw was set with determination. Throughout all of dinner, Hermione drank and drank, and she ignored the pressure building up in her lower abdomen, trying to prolong what she knew to be inevitable. Finally, when she thought she could take no more (and her bladder was literally about to burst), she excused herself and made her way to the women's room.

After using the facilities, she stood at the sink, looking at herself in the mirror. Her lipstick was a little smudged-- probably from locking lips with the glasses—and her hair need one or two pats for her to be satisfied with the way she looked. Hermione checked herself from front to back until she realized what she was doing—she was actually trying to look good for the bastard. Hermione splashed water onto the mirror and stormed out, and right into a soft body.

"Hermione! How are you?" It was Rita Skeeter.

"Oh, I'm alright—and yourself?" She was looking around for any sign of the bugger.

"I'm alright—listen! I would love to have lunch with you and Lord Malfoy about your new program! It would be an absolute delight!"

"I'm sorry, I'm not—"

"I'm sure you can take time out of your busy schedule every once and a while Ms. Granger. How have your days been since the passing of your two best friends? May I have a quote?" Hermione was starting to get very annoyed. And an annoyed drunk is never good. She always hated it when people would mention the death of Ron, assume that Harry was dead, or call Voldemort by that ridiculously long name. She glared at Rita until she felt a hand at the small of her back.

"Of course you can, but on Thursday at lunch. Be sure to bring your boss. We have an interesting story to tell. Don't we, H-er-Granger?"

"Sure." Hermione agreed, not daring to look up at him.

"Great! I'll send over a confirmation on Wednesday!" And she was gone. If she had known that all it took to get rid of her was to lie to her, she would have done it much sooner. She turned to face him.

"That meeting will certainly help inflame the rumors." Malfoy leaned down to whisper in her ear, and she couldn't help but flinch. He placed his hand on the small of her back and said, "She's still watching, and you can bet she has a camera." Hermione nervously smoothed her hair and watched helplessly as Malfoy pulled back, looked her in the eye to be sure that she was ready, and leaned back down to kiss her.

When he finally pulled away Hermione stared blankly at a spot over his left shoulder. That was it?

The world didn't fall apart?

The sky didn't fall?

The earth didn't shake as the mouth of Hell itself open up to swallow her whole?

It was all a little too anticlimactic for Hermione. She shook her head to clear her thoughts when Malfoy leaned in again, but this time, pushed a little more heat into the kiss.

He held her tight and moved her back until she hit the wall and then his hands and mouth were all over her. Hermione liked the feelings his tongue was evoking, but was a little disappointed that he had been the first guy she'd kissed in almost two years. She allowed herself to give in once he was back at her mouth, and when she placed her hands on the back of his head to nudge him a little more, random flashes of light forced her to pull away.

Hermione and Malfoy broke apart and she had to cover her eyes as flash after flash went off and the reporters encircled them, asking thousands of questions and shouting at them for another kiss. Embarrassed (and a little tipsy), Hermione leaned towards Malfoy for support. He calmly stated that there would be no comments and then he ran, with her right with him.

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Ginny Weasley nearly jumped out of her chair when she saw Hermione and Malfoy run through the ballroom hand and hand, looking over their shoulders. The people at the tables muttered in outrage until there was a loud boom and countless reporters were tailing right behind them, shouting and pushing and climbing over each other. Ginny Weasley stood and looked over to her father who merely sighed and turned back to one of his companions to excuse himself.

This was either going to make or break the Ministry.

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Well,

Thanks all for reading, I certainly hope you enjoyed it. A bit anticlimactic with the kiss eh? I didn't want it to be anything special. I wanted to avoid the cliché passion before love thing that always seems to bloom between them. Hermione and Draco have become very interesting characters, to me, and I want to respect them and the relationship that they have at the moment especially since Draco is such a damned bigot and Hermione is so stubborn. Anyways, the things to come are oh, so much better and I need to stay motivated to write!

Oh yeah, and sorry about the dry sex scene. The focus isn't on Draco and some secretary so I didn't want to juice it all up. And I still wanted to show that Draco is and always will be the biggest asshole in the world. Will he change? I don't know…keep reading 

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Touch that little purple button… the one that says 'review'…

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Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review!

Ja ne,

Jaiasa :)