Hermione slammed the alarm clock, and got up blurrily. She felt like all her bones were breaking.

She immediately got in the hot shower and started to feel somewhat humanlike. She lathered the shampoo gently on her hair, trying to bring her thoughts together.

So she was promoted last Friday. The ministry had finally approved of her new elf laws and passed it on to the magical creatures department. She was already ecstatically happy before she got notified of her promotion.

She would now have her own office, okay yes she was sharing it with her partner but it still beat her cubicle. She and her partner were now in charge of the welfare and rights of wizards in London area.

But her so called friends didn't bother to celebrate with her. Harry at one point did offer to buy her a drink but Ginny was immediately there dragging him away with a feeble excuse of being invited at Molly's for dinner.

Of course, she stopped being invited at Molly's. Molly Weasley, who never really liked her, sent a howler to her, screaming at her for wasting her son's life.

Ron of course didn't even look at her. They hadn't talked since that disastrous evening two weeks ago at the pub. He bragged about his relationship with Lavender to anyone who would listen.

The tears were starting to pour again but she quickly rubbed them away.

Today was the first away as her new position. She was one of the most intelligent witches in the whole ministry and she would get the man she deserved!

"Not that men look at brains…" she thought wryly. She got out of the shower and looked at herself critically. A bushy haired woman looked back.

She was about to put on her usual no nonsense black pants suit (she had three of them for work), when she stopped. She walked slowly to the closet and took from all the way in the back her "special outfit".

She never had a chance to wear them, always ashamed of the extra pounds she put on since her parents died. But since she stopped eating since she fought with Ron, that wasn't an issue anymore.

It was a soft pink silk blouse with a black figure-hugging skirt. Her curves stood out and she had to admit she looked good. She spent the next twenty minutes fixing her hair into soft curls. She added lip gloss and she had to admit she looked good, really good.

An hour later she was rushing through the crowd in the ministry, feeling very self-conscious.

"Hermione, hey!" it was Susan Bones calling her. She gaped at her. "Wow, you look great! Are you on a date today?"

"Thanks Susan, no just felt like having a change, you know what with my promotion I have more time for dressing up."

"Oh yes I heard about your promotion, congratulations! You definitely deserve it."

"Thanks Susan." She noticed Ginny was standing nearby, openly staring at her.

"Well, you look gorgeous and I'm sure you'll do great in your new job. Kingsley wouldn't stop praising you. It seems like you got it all!"

"Life is good." Hermione said smiling sweetly. She couldn't help smirking a little in the direction of Ginny, who was still staring at her dumbstruck.

She almost skipped the rest of her way to her new office. When she finally reached it she slammed the door open, exuberantly. There was a tall, well-built man already in her office.

"Oh, sorry!" she stuttered. "I didn't know anyone was in here…Draco?!"