When she arrived home after two more cups of coffee, and some brainstorming of proposal ideas with Harry, Hermione found the flat still empty. She headed straight back to the kitchen and picked up where she had left off with her paperwork, determined to have it finished before Ron arrived home.
Fortunately for Hermione, he was later than usual in coming home. Not only had she finished her work, she had also made his favourite dinner of beef stew and roasted vegetables, and had it on the table with an open bottle of wine by the time he appeared in the fireplace.
His stony expression softened when he followed Hermione into the kitchen and saw the candlelit table.
"Let's not stay angry at each other Ron, I hate to waste our time together fighting," she said handing him a glass of goblin made white wine.
"Me too. Dinner looks amazing, thank you."
He kissed her softly on the cheek and pulled a chair out for her to sit down. Hermione smiled at him, happy that he was no longer angry, but was very careful not to mention her work as they ate.
The morning of her big meeting with Corrigan Riggs, Hermione woke earlier than usual. The sun was only just rising when she looked out of her bedroom window, being careful to only open the curtains marginally so as not to wake a still sleeping Ron.
She flicked through the notes she had compiled for the meeting one last time over her breakfast of cereal, a banana, and a strong cup of black coffee before showering and dressing for work.
When she arrived at the ministry, it was exceptionally quiet; just the way she liked it. She was the first of her department to arrive though it wasn't long before her boss joined her.
Loretta Fleets was a tiny woman with wildly frizzy hair that she changed the colour of on a regular basis, thinking it made her look younger than she actually was but more often than not, it looked ridiculous. She also had the temper of a Hungarian Horntail if anyone got on her bad side. Fortunately for Hermione, Loretta liked her, and was always enthusiastic about the work Hermione had done, and was doing for the department. In light of the impending meeting, her hair was a respectable shade of brown but Hermione suspected it wouldn't remain that way for long.
"All set for this morning Hermione?" Loretta asked.
"I think so, I went over all the notes you left me on Friday and I've summed them up to use as pointers in the meeting. I've made a copy for you, Melina and Lance, they're on each of your desks."
"Excellent, excellent. If this meeting goes well we could change a law that's-"
"As old as magic itself," Hermione finished with a smile.
"Exactly! I'll head to my office now and check those notes over, though if I know you they'll be perfect and then some. Make sure Melina and Lance do the same when they get here and then I'll meet you back here at quarter to, the meeting doesn't start 'til nine but I'd rather be early."
Hermione nodded in agreement as Loretta left the office and headed to her own next door. The time between then and the meeting went far too quickly for her liking. Lance and Melina arrived shortly after Loretta had gone and Hermione briefed them by going over her notes with them. There was time for one more cup of coffee, and then Loretta was back at the office. They left immediately and went to the fifth floor where they found Corrigan Riggs waiting for them in his office.
Hermione had seen him around the Ministry and knew who he was, but this was the first time she would be formally introduced to him. He was a formidable looking man with a heavy-set brow and jet black hair that was perfectly combed. He wore a pinstripe muggle suit as opposed to wizarding robes and sat very straight and still in his chair.
"Mr. Riggs, I'm Loretta Fleets. This is Lance and Melina, they're juniors in my department and this is my right hand woman-"
"Hermione Granger. I know who you are, everyone in the wizarding world does," Corrigan said, eyeing Hermione for a moment before breaking into a huge smile. "It's an honor to meet you Miss Granger."
He shook her hand and then greeted Hermione's colleagues before offering them a seat and refreshments, which were brought by a very nervous looking young wizard Hermione had not noticed standing by the door they had just entered.
It turned out that Corrigan was the perfect example of the muggle phrase 'never judge a book by its cover'. He was delightful, his enthusiasm was infectious, and he was eager to hear their plans for the change in the laws regarding house elves. He, like Hermione, was a muggle-born and did not understand the concept of a house elf working so much for no pay at all, and never having a day off. He and Hermione had a lively discussion about the injustice suffered by the magical creatures, and her well thought out notes lay forgotten on the desk until Loretta brought them to Corrigans's attention.
By the end of the meeting Hermione was confident that Dobby's Law would be active by the end of the month. She and her colleagues left Corrigan's office feeling elated and Loretta, in an extremely rare gesture, gave them the rest of the day off.
Hermione flooed straight back to the flat, intent on spending the rest of the day cleaning the flat by hand rather than magic, it was so rare for her to have the time to do it. She decided to have a quick cup of tea and read that morning's Daily Prophet before starting, and so headed into the small kitchen. She sighed as she entered, seeing Ron's breakfast dishes still on the dining table. Even though it would only take him seconds to clean them with his wand, he rarely did. She moved them on to the bench, boiled the kettle and sat down with her tea. The paper was still on the table, Ron having already read it, and covered it with toast crumbs. She picked it up and shook it out before setting it down again and starting to read. The picture on the front showed a face Hermione recognised all too well though not one she particularly wanted to see. Draco Malfoy. He was smiling and waving as he sat next to a beautiful woman whom Hermione also recognised as Astoria Greengrass, a dark haired beauty who had been one year below Hermione and Draco at Hogwarts. Astoria's face bore a dazzling smile that almost outshone the huge diamond ring she was very deliberately showing off by touching her face in an attempt at a shy gesture. Hermione read the headline and then the article that followed on the second page.
DRACO MALFOY AND ASTORIA GREENGRASS ANNOUNCE ENGAGEMENT (full story page two)
Draco Malfoy, 22, and Astoria Greengrass, 21, are pleased to announce their engagement. The pair met when they were children and spent much of their childhood together at high society wizarding events. After the second wizarding war, Draco and his family were faced with a difficult time. He and his parents were summoned to the Ministry to face trial for their involvement in the war. While Draco and his mother were both released without imprisonment after Harry Potter gave evidence of their assisting him in the defeat of Voldemort, Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy, was sentenced to a minimum of ten years in Azkaban. Narcissa and Draco both donated a large sum of galleons to help restore Hogwarts after the damage caused by the battle.
After this, both Draco and Astoria returned to Hogwarts to earn their NEWT's where they began dating. Since leaving school, Astoria moved into Malfoy Manor and Draco began working at the Ministry of Magic in the Auror department alongside Harry Potter.
Astoria Greengrass gave this statement regarding the engagement: "Draco and I are thrilled, we're childhood sweethearts and cannot wait to be married. We're already planning the wedding and hope to have it in spring next year."
Hermione was not surprised by the over-the-top announcement; the Malfoy's had desperately tried to regain favour with the wizarding world since the end of the war. After Lucius went to Azkaban, barely a week had passed before Narcissa and Draco were pictured in the paper at Hogwarts accompanied by the story of her generous donation. Hermione remembered reading it and being thankful that it was unlikely she would ever have to see Draco in person again. That was until she returned to Hogwarts.
She hadn't seen him on the train or the thestral-drawn carriages, not that she had expected to. So when she walked into the Great Hall for the welcome feast, and saw him sitting alone at the Slytherin table she almost passed out from the shock. Never in a million years had she expected him to return, and to this day she still couldn't understand why he did. He spent the full school year barely talking to anyone, with the exception of Astoria. Much to Hermione's annoyance, he spent most of his time in the library doing homework or preparing for the NEWTs, as she did.
She also remembered, as though it was just yesterday, Ron coming home from work in a fit of fury when Draco had been introduced as the newest member of the Auror Department. Hermione had never known a person's face and ears could go such a deep shade of red and they seemed to get darker with each word he shouted about Malfoy. Again, Hermione could not understand Malfoy's actions, an ex-Death Eater accepting a job as a dark wizard catcher was unfathomable. That was three years ago and he was still there. Fortunately, though they were not on speaking terms by any standard, both Ron and Harry had been forced to be civil and arguments between the three (though admittedly, it was usually Ron and Malfoy), were now in single figures per month.
Realising she had spent the last few minutes staring at Malfoy and Astoria's moving photograph, Hermione shook her head and turned the page of the newspaper and continued to read, though there were no stories of any particular interest to her. Ron's Quidditch team had lost again at the weekend meaning he would be complaining to her over dinner later, and the decision had been made that the next Quidditch world cup would be taking place in France.
Having finished reading the paper, Hermione set to cleaning the flat. It didn't take as long as she had anticipated, the flat only had two small bedrooms, an even smaller bathroom, kitchen and living room. She was done long before Ron arrived home even with a break to have a sandwich and banana for lunch, leaving her plenty of time to catch up on reading she had been unable to do with her recent workload.
When he finally stepped out of the fire an hour later than he usually arrived home, Hermione could tell immediately that Ron was in a bad mood. His mouth was set in a hard line and his brow furrowed, he ignored Hermione when she said hello to him and stomped into their bedroom, reappearing ten minutes later in his pyjama bottoms and a holey white t-shirt. Hermione knew him well enough to wait until he decided to talk rather than attempt to strike up a conversation with him.
Sure enough, he threw himself down on the sofa next to her and sulked for a few minutes before speaking.
"Rubbish day," he mumbled.
"I guessed as much," Hermione replied, putting her book down on the oak coffee table in front of them. "What happened?"
"Read the paper this morning to see the Cannons lost, again. Got to work to find a ton of paperwork on my desk that should have been done last week but hadn't been, and because Harry and Malfoy had a case to investigate, it fell on muggins here to do it. Then Harry got to go home early after they finished and he didn't even offer to help me so I ended up finishing late."
"That doesn't sound like Harry."
"And? Doesn't mean he didn't do it," Ron snapped.
"I know, I was just saying it's unusual that's all," Hermione defended.
"Well he's been bloody useless since he decided to propose to Gin anyway, his mind isn't on the job at the minute. I wish he'd hurry up and do it so I had some help at the office again."
"Couldn't Malfoy-" Hermione began.
"Don't talk to me about him," Ron interrupted. "He didn't offer either. The stupid git was too busy lapping up all the attention today because of his stupid engagement."
"Yes, I read about that."
"You and the whole world. Everyone is getting engaged, first Malfoy then it'll be Harry and Ginny. Draco bloody Malfoy will be getting married before us."
Hermione's head snapped up; she was alarmed at the turn the conversation had taken.
"I'd better put dinner on," she said in a feeble attempt to change the conversation. "What do you fancy tonight?"
"That's right, avoid the talk about our non-existent wedding again. What is the point in us being engaged Hermione?" He glared at her.
"Ron, I-We've talked about this. I thought you were happy to have along engagement. That was always the plan. I want to wait until things aren't so busy at work before we start planning, I just haven't got the time right now."
"You never have the time for anything but work, dinner at Mum and Dad's last week proved that."
"Oh, not that again," Hermione sighed, beginning to get annoyed. "I thought we'd forgotten about that."
"You mean like the wedding?"
"The wedding has not been forgotten about, Ronald. You're being ridiculous. I'm going to make dinner." She stood and turned away from him to go into the kitchen.
"Don't walk away from me, we're not done here," Ron said, standing too.
"What more is there to talk about Ron?" Hermione threw her hands up in exasperation. "You asked me to marry you and I said yes. That means I have every intention of marrying you. I barely have any spare time at the moment as you're always reminding me, meaning I cannot possibly plan an entire wedding. Unless you would like to marry me in our living room with no guests whilst I'm dressed in my pyjamas? As soon as work has calmed down, which I suspect will be very soon-my meeting went brilliantly today by the way, thanks for asking-then I will start planning."
"Your work will never calm down Hermione, we both know that. You get far too involved in whatever you're doing there and never seem to be able to leave it at the Ministry. You need to learn to separate your work life with our life, and soon."
"Or what, Ron? Or what?"
"Or-"
But Hermione didn't get to hear the end of the sentence, for at that moment green flames burst into the fireplace and a figure appeared, shortly followed by another. Harry and Ginny dusted themselves down before looking at Ron and Hermione with huge grins on their faces.
"We're engaged!" they exclaimed in unison.
edited 9/11/14