Author Note: Officially 100 followers! I simply love seeing all the activity this story is getting. I do appreciate all the kind words I've been getting with this. Thank you. Heard a new song today that I've completely fallen in love with and it has inspired a few new ideas. Here is the next chapter, let me know what you think.

A special thanks goes to: becca0903, Draco lover 91, SlytherinMind, Gryffindor4eva, Nicolette Darke, CemeteryGirl19, ndavis77, Ray49, zoesheppard, tinkerbelldetention101, EnidBarb and mrsmalfoy0506 for becoming followers to this story.

Another special thanks goes to: LightofEvolution, Legolas' Girl 31 and pgoodrichboggs for the wonderful reviews.

Chapter 7:

December 6th, The Ministry of Magic

The Ministry was bustling with activity. A trial was taking place later on that day, one that Hermione had no place in or even that particularly interested in. Lucius Malfoy's trial wouldn't be until next week and that was the one she had an interest in. Draco seemed to be alright with the publicity when it came to his father's trial; but she had a feeling that was far from the truth. She was certain that he was hiding his true feelings about the situation from her and everyone else for that matter.

Of course, thinking about him brought back the nervous butterflies in the pit of her stomach. She still wasn't sure if he truly had asked her to come to his place for dinner. It all felt like a hazy dream to her. A pleasant one to be sure; but there was something nagging at her that she couldn't figure out.

Turning in her chair, her eyes wandered to the bookcase behind her. There was a spot empty on the middle left shelf. It struck her as odd, because she knew that no one had come in to borrow anything lately. There was only one person that would ask to see informative stuff and that was Janey; but there were little tasks that kept her focus for the time being. Scooting closer to see what it was that was missing, her eyes widened a little when the realization came to her. Her book on Chimaeras was gone.

The confusion was unraveling within as she was trying to figure out where it could have gone, then she remembered that Draco had helped her organize her office a little. She'd have to ask him if he had seen it when they had dinner later on. She didn't want to think that someone had taken it for some other reason other than learning. Chimaeras were not creatures to mess with. They were deadly and could never be tamed by a wizard or a witch.

Hermione stood up from her chair and made her way out of her office. Her legs stretched to accommodate her weight as she made her way to the second level of the building. Several people stopped and talked to her on her way down to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Most were curious as to what she's been up to lately, in which she would respond to as politely as she could while still trying to make haste.

The large wooden door were the only barrier between her and the Department. Pushing them open, dozens of Aurors were busy working in their cubicles. Some she knew and others she didn't. A smile tugged her lips up as each one of them looked up from their work to take a glance in her direction.

"Can I help you, Miss Granger?" A deep male voice asked.

Hermione turned to see a talk man, average height with probably the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen. His face looked like it had been chiseled out of stone and mirrored from a Greek god. "I'm here to Harry." She said simply, holding her ground.

"Of course, right this way." He answered with a nod of his head.

The man lead her through the pathways in between cubicles and when they were passed them all another set of wooden doors were in sight. Her eyes searched every detail looking for a trace of where Draco worked. The large doors were pushed open to reveal a hallway. There were three large doors that formed a triangle. She could see Harry's name plastered to the front of the door at the far back, right where the tip of the triangle would form.

To the right of her, Draco's name was written on the front of the glass while to the left her remained nameless. She wondered if it even had an occupant. "You'll be able to find your way back out, yes?" He asked snapping her out of her thought.

"Yes, I should be just fine."

"Good, I have things to attend to."

Before she could answer him, he turned his back to her. Hermione found him to be rude and didn't like him one bit. Standing in front of Harry's office, her hand formed a fist to connect with the sturdy glass. "Come in!" His voice shouted.

She opened the door to see him buried in work. His head was down, quill in hand and his glasses down the bridge of his nose. "Some things never change." She stated closing the door behind her.

"Hermione..." He answered looking up from his work, obviously surprised to see her.

"Hey..."

"What are you doing down here?"

She contemplated what to say to that. Why did she come there? Was it because she couldn't focus on her own work? Or was it cause she just missed one of her best friends or even the fact that she was nervous about later on. "To be honest...I don't know. I just..."

"Just what? Hermione, is there something wrong?"

Harry was becoming alarmed by her lack of communication. He was beginning to fear the worst; but when he saw the blush on her cheeks, he relaxed a bit. There was something personal at work here. "Remember when you told me that I could tell you anything and you wouldn't judge?" She asked curling her bottom lip inward like he had seen from her the day before in her office.

He raised his head up even further and quickly got out of his chair to join her from the other side of his desk. She fumbled with her hands in front of her. "Yes, I remember telling you that. What's going on?" Harry asked with an increased worry for his friend.

"You see...I kind of have a dinner date...tonight." She answered softly, shying away from his eyes.

"That's wonderful, Hermione! Who is it?"

"He actually works under you."

This puzzled Harry for a moment until he realized whom she spoke of. He had noticed a difference in Draco from the time he asked him to take on the secret mission of the death threat on Hermione and the sighting of a Chimaera. It never dawned on him that Draco would develop an attraction on the subject of protection. "Wow...I never thought you'd be his type." He said softly.

"Would it bother you? I kind of want to see where this goes; but I won't if it's going to bother you."

Harry reached out to place his hands on her shoulders, towering over her just a few inches. Sure, the potential relationship surprised him; but he also knew that Draco was not the same person he once had been all those years ago. War had changed him and he deserved a chance at happiness just like Hermione did. "It will be different; but it won't bother me. Unless he hurts you and then I'll be bothered."

She laughed lightheartedly. It was the first laugh she could feel herself carefree. Harry wrapped his arms around her tightly. He definitely missed their closeness. The way they could tell each other things and neither would judge on what was said. He was always going to cherish their bond, even if it had been strained on several different occasions over the years.

December 6th, Hermione's Apartment

"Oh my god!" Hermione shouted out of frustration.

She tossed everything she had from her closet onto her bed. Not knowing what to wear was annoying her on so many levels. Nothing stood out to her, not to mention she had no idea if this was truly a date or not. It could just be a simple dinner between friends, if that's what they were. Her mind went back to their latest kiss. The feel of her back against the wall and her leg hooked around his waist so she could feel his hard length against her core.

Shivering at the thought of it all, she turned to the back of her closet for the last remaining article of clothing. Still wrapped in a large black towel, she finally decided on a long navy blue skirt with a slit up the side and matching blouse.

Staring into the mirror, she started to put on a little make-up. Nothing extreme, just a little color to her eyes and a gloss to her lips. Her hair was down in large curls across her back. Spraying a little perfume, she was finally ready to go. Hermione shut the lights off and turned to open the front door. A gasp escaped her mouth when she saw what was in front of her. "Oh my god, Janey! What happened?" She asked wrapping an arm around the severely beaten woman.

Her face was puffy and red, already forming bruises around the eye. Blood was dried near her lip and caked onto her hands with the dozens of little scraps. "I don't know..." She said softly.

Hermione eased the trembling woman down onto the sofa in the living room and went for a glass of water. Janey took the glass and sipped the cool clear liquid. "I was hit from behind and then from the front; but I never saw who it was or what it was." She said against snuggling her head into the pillow.

"Where were you when this happened?" Hermione asked trying to get an idea of what to look for.

"The alley near my place..."

She nodded as she reached over to grab the nearby blanket. Covering Janey up in its warmth, she allowed the shaken woman to fall asleep; but not without telling that she'd be back soon. Leaving the small light in the kitchen on, she turned to leave the apartment.

The entire walk to Draco's building, her mind continued to go over all the wounds on Janey's body. She wanted to say that the attack from a human; but couldn't rule anything out when it came to the magical world. She also knew that she was going to need Draco's help in solving this particular thing. She knew creatures, he knew people.

Climbing the several sets of stairs, 16B finally came into view. She nervously knocked on the door and waited patiently for him to answer. Hearing a little shuffling from behind the door, it opened to reveal a causally dressed Draco with an ever so modest smile upon his lips. She wanted to kiss those lips, remembering just how they felt against hers; but she remembered Janey laying on her couch. "You look distressed? What's wrong?" He asked gently placing a hand on her arm.

The smell of delicious food made her stomach grumble as he issued her inside, closing the door behind them. It felt wrong to want to enjoy these moments, especially when someone was injured in her apartment and the person or creature who did it was still out there. "A woman that works under me in the 'Being' Division came to me severely beaten. She's resting on my couch; but I don't know if it was a person or a creature."

"Did she tell you where it happened?" He asked, forgetting about the plans he had made for them.

"The alley near her place."

Draco walked around the counter and turned the oven off. He took the pan that was inside out and quickly wrapped it in foil before placing it in the refrigerator. Hermione watched him curiously, because he then walked back around the counter to grab his coat and slipped on some shoes that were next to the door. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"We are going to that alley. It won't take long for evidence to slip away in this weather." He answered opening the door.

Hermione wasn't going to argue with him. Following after him, they descended the stairs to exit the building. Snow was already starting rain down from the sky, leaving a little window of opportunity at the evidence left behind. "So where does this woman live?" Draco asked flagging down a taxi.

"Like five minutes away from The Ministry."

The taxi stopped, both of them got inside quickly. Hermione told the driver where to go and they rested in the back quietly, neither one knowing what to say. The night was supposed to consist of having dinner and talking; but as the tables turned, they were now working a case that no one knew about yet.

Draco's hand slid over to rest on her thigh. A forbidden shiver of pleasure coursed through her, centering itself at her sensitive womanhood. "I apologize for ruining tonight..." She said lowering her head.

"Hey." He said softly, placing a hand on the side of her face. "You didn't ruin anything. Shit happens and duty calls tonight. There will be other days to have dinner. I don't plan on forgetting about it." He encouraged.

A smile replaced her frown and it made his heart swell. The sight of her smile left him breathless and wanting to be a hopeless romantic, even if he knew that would never be the case. He wanted to see her smile and that would be enough for him. Leaning in slightly, he tucked hair behind her ear with a want to taste her lips again.

The car stopped with a jolt, sending Draco to back away from her. He paid the driver and they got out only to stand in nearly a white haze. The snow was falling a lot quicker than it had been ten minutes prior. It concerned Draco that he wouldn't be able to find anything with the way the weather was behaving and he didn't want to use magic out in the open to stop it from running its course. "This way..." Hermione pointed to the small alley to the left of them.

Draco slipped his fingers through hers, holding onto her hand gently. Turning down the alley, boxes littered the place from every which direction along with trash. Hermione pulled her hand away from his to kneel down next to one of the fallen trashcans. Blood was spotted along the ground that hadn't been covered in snow just yet.

She reached into her bag for an eyedropper and a vial. Sucking up the crimson fluid, she put it into the small container and closed the top before slipping it back into her bag. Her eyes found Draco kneeling down, his face scrunched in what was called 'The Thinking Look'. "Anything?" She asked hoping he had a little more than she did.

"This was definitely done by a person. A creature would have left a piece of fur, feather or even a claw mark behind. There isn't anything here suggests that. That blood you found might either be the attacker or from the woman. The only way to know for sure is to have it tested by one of the lab personnel."

"Why Janey though? She just started a few months ago." Hermione asked.

"Which sub-division did you say she works in?"

"Being."

Draco knew it couldn't just be a coincidence. The said woman works in the same department as Hermione. He thought about the death threat Harry had shown him. He toyed with the thought of Janey being targeted because of Hermione. "I've kind of shown her a lot. I'm probably closest to her out of everyone in the department."

There was his answer. Janey was a target because of her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the alley, ignoring her protests and questions. He flagged down yet another taxi. "What is the problem, Draco?" She asked turning to look at him while the driver took them back to her place of residence.

"I've got a bad feeling. She shouldn't be left alone."

Hermione settled her anger at him for the time being; but when sirens blared passed them, she knew there was something wrong. Her grip on Draco's hand tightened. The car stopped suddenly, caught in the middle of a blocked off section of the road. Several rescue trucks surrounded the building, while others were spraying water on the large blaze.

A sinking feeling of dread consumed her and without hesitation, she bolted from the car. The flames were ripping her home to pieces. All other residents were outside the building, evacuated or rescued. Hermione didn't see Janey anywhere. Fear clawed its way through her whole being. "JANEY!" She screamed running towards the gate.

"Hermione!" Draco shouted from behind her.

An explosion ignited the flames outward, causing everyone to gasp out in horror. Hermione lunged forward only to be held back by strong arms. Draco held onto her, refusing to let go. She fought against him, struggling to get free. "You can't help her." He told her sternly.

"Please, let go..." She cried.

"If you go in there, you will die along with her. I'm not risking that."

Succumbing to the realization that Janey would not survive such a fire, the tears rolled down her cheeks. Feeling her tremble in his arms tore into him, awakening emotions he had forgotten existed. He knew that she would blame herself for what happened and that bothered him quite a bit.

The crowd began to dissipate, the residents found other places to stay. Only Draco and Hermione remained until the fire was put to rest. Police went in to search for evidence of what caused the fire and for anyone left behind.

"Hermione..." Draco called softly.

"I'm not leaving until I know..."

"Okay..."

They didn't have to wait long. A body covered in a blue plastic was being wheeled out of her apartment. No doubt in their minds that it was the remains of Janey. A free police officer approached the couple. Draco felt the need to shield Hermione from the questions; but knew that he couldn't. It was her place of residence that had caught fire. "Are you Hermione Granger?" He asked opening a small notebook.

"Yes..." She replied choking on the small word, because all she wanted to do was cry for being so careless.

"We found a body in the apartment. Do you know who that would be?"

"Janey Nissel, she was a co-worker of mine and a friend. She came to me for shelter..."

Not fully the truth, it was enough to satisfy the police officer to stop the questions. Draco urged her to walk. The helplessness returned, just like it been there the night his aunt Bellatrix tortured her on the foyer floor in the mansion. There was nothing he could to ease her pain of loss. The only thing he could do was take her to his apartment and let her rest.

He mentally cursed Harry for not allowing him to tell Hermione about the threat in the first place. This death may have been avoided had she known about it. It was time to tell her himself regardless of the consequences from Harry and the anger he would no doubt get from Hermione. She deserved to know why her friend died and once she slept, he would tell her.

End Note: I struggled with that chapter, hopefully you enjoyed it. Happy New Year to each and every one of you readers!