How to Play Nice by WeasleyForMe

Bill finds out that his new work assignment has him paired with Hermione. Can he learn how to play nice with her? Bill/Hermione

Thanks to Clover Bay for helping out with this chapter!

Of all the curse breakers available, Hermione had been given a very cranky Bill Weasley. So much for a peaceful work environment.

She immediately bristled in response to Bill's sarcastic tone and the look on his face. Why were his arms crossed defiantly across his chest? Perhaps a better question was, when had his arms begun to look so fit? Bill filled out his plaid shirt and jeans extremely well, and his scars made him look rugged, not that Hermione noticed.

She wrenched her gaze up to his face and met his sneer with one of her own. "Bill Weasley, it has been awhile. How's your family? And Fleur?"

Bill snorted and shoved his hands into his pockets. "You talk to Ginny and Ron enough to know everyone is doing fine. And I'm sure you'll recall that Fleur and I split up last year." He looked at the woman before him in her proper suit and sleek bun; she was nothing like Fleur had been. Fleur was tall, blonde and cold. Hermione was short, brunette and usually looked a lot more inviting then she did right now.

Hermione had honestly forgotten about their break-up and was about to apologize when Bill added, "You have some work for me, I take it? Why don't you just tell me what it is I have to do and boss me around until it's done?"

Still unable to pinpoint exactly why he was acting so miserable, she gestured for him to have a seat. "Yes, I have several assignments I need to complete with the help of a senior level curse breaker."

Bill dropped into the plush chair and leaned toward Hermione's desk. "Right, I'm sure you need a highly trained professional to guide you through the process of how to remove dark spells placed on Muggle toaster ovens. I can already tell these assignments are going to be mundane at best," he informed her, enthralled by the way her cheeks turned a shade of raspberry and her lips puckered into a perfect pout.

"These assignments are of the utmost importance to the alliance between Muggle and magic! We cannot allow them to be taken advantage of! I can assure you there are more dangerous things to contend with than toaster ovens," she raged back at him. Her fists were clenched tightly atop the blotter on her desk, and Bill immediately thought she looked magnificent. Fleur never showed such emotion!

"And, furthermore, I happen to take my job very seriously, Bill!" she nearly hissed at him.

"As do I!" he added, her anger clearly fueling him as well. "Which is why I'm not exactly enthusiastic about working under a Ministry head." He refrained from calling her a puppet, afraid he would compel her anger further; that could only result in Bill being punched in the face, or worse, he might give in to the desire he suddenly felt to kiss her.

What was wrong with him? Hermione Granger was not the type of woman he wanted to think about in that way. Although her hair was much improved since she was in school, and she did look slightly tempting at the moment.

She cleared her throat and immediately embodied cool collection. "Tomorrow we will meet here, have some tea and then travel to Crawley. If you don't show up, I will assume you've found an assignment which better suits your idea of adventure," she said coolly. "But I know how the Ministry has been focusing on the efficiency of Gringotts, and I find it hard to believe that you would be assigned to work with me unless it was in the best interest of your department." She eyed him across her desk, fully aware she would not be in for the easy working experience she had hoped for.

Bill eased back in his chair, noting that the pink colour was receding from Hermione's cheeks. Although she still didn't look exactly happy, the magnificent rage had all but vanished, leaving a polished Ministry employee on the opposite side of the desk. And, she knew what she was talking about; it was the lack of work at Gringotts that brought him, their top curse breaker, to her.

"Why are we travelling to Crawley?" he asked, trying to be more agreeable.

Before Hermione could respond, Dennis knocked on the door and entered. "Hermione, the Minister is ready to meet with you in Chamber Six," he informed her and then vanished without another word.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to cut this short," Hermione told Bill as she stood. "Kingsley gets cranky when I keep him waiting," she said, referring to the Minster of Magic. She earned a small smile from Bill, the first one of their entire meeting.

"I can only imagine," he replied, standing as well. "I'll be here in the morning, and you can tell me all about Crawley then."

"Yes, see you in the morning," she agreed and led the way out of her office. "Wear something comfortable," she added as she turned down the hallway just past Dennis' desk. But Bill had already started down the corridor in the opposite direction, barely listening to her words.

"Should be a fun month or two," she muttered darkly as she headed toward Chamber Six, not looking forward to seeing Bill the following morning.

Before seven in the morning, just as the sun was rising over the London skyline, Bill walked through the visitors' entrance of the Ministry, ready to start his first assignment. It was intention to arrive well before most of the other employees, including his new supervisor, and prove that he was much more capable than she. Never mind that it took him three cups of coffee before he was functioning enough to shower. He yawned and ran his rough hands over his scarred face as he entered Hermione's outer office and walked past Creevey's still vacant desk.

He came to an abrupt stop in the doorway to Hermione's small office. There she was wearing old, torn jeans and a blue tee shirt that stopped just at the top of her belt. There was music coming from the wireless in the corner shelf, and she was singing along, quite badly, to 'Chase My Snitch' by the Weird Sisters. She sat down at her desk and started drumming on the stack of parchments in front of her with her wand and a quill. A half empty pot of coffee sat on the edge of her desk.

Not only had she clearly been here for a few hours, most likely working hard, but she also looked fantastically sexy. Bill watched her pull her curls into a low ponytail, and decided this might not be so bad.

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