Chapter 1: "Announcements and co-workers"
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Hermione sighed as she walked into the flat. It had been another long day at the ministry. 10 talking toilets and 3 refrigerators that spat food out on people who opened them. She now worked in The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. They had been after Hermione to join their department when they realized she was muggleborn and knew a thing or two about Muggle contraptions. She had spent the day reasoning with 7 out of the 10 toilets to stop trying to have conversations with the muggles while they were trying to use the loo. The other 3 simply spat water out at her. And the refrigerators were a different story completely. She had conjured up some pretty powerful anti-possession spells that day.
The flat living room was completely dark.
"Luna!" she called out. No answer.
If you were to have asked Hermione 2 years before if she would have even considered sharing a room with Luna let alone a whole flat, she would have laughed in your face. But after the war and fighting side by side Hermione had learned Luna was actually a pretty tolerable girl. So along with Ginny and herself, the three of them decided to share the flat in order to make the cost of living a lot cheaper.
'My goodness it's so dark in here.' She thought.
"Lumos." She said. The tip of her wand lit up and she found her way to the light switch on the far side of the wall. She flicked it up and turned around. She screamed.
There was Luna. On the floor lying face first in front of the couch. Her long dirty blonde hair sprawled out all over her. Hermione rushed to her. She got down on her knees and touched Luna's shoulder.
"Luna." She said frantically.
Then all of a sudden Luna looked up and smiled at Hermione.
"Oh, hello." She said brightly.
Hermione stared wide eyed at her.
"Oh hello! Is that all you have to say!" Hermione said standing up angrily.
"Oh I'm so rude! How was your day." Luna said obliviously. "I've been about an hour trying to find Finnish Corkscrewed JangleHoppers. They like to hide under couches when it's dark."
Hermione opened her mouth to say something but closed it when she realized it wasn't going to get anywhere.
"You scared me to death! I thought something had happened to you!" Hermione said.
"Oh no. I walked in here about an hour ago and noticed the darkness and thought it would be perfect condition for Jangle Hopper sightings." Luna said sighing as she stood up.
Hermione rolled her eyes. She started to make her way to the kitchen. "Well I'm absolutely exhausted. I'm just going to conjure up some tea and relax. It's nearly 10:00." She said taking a mug out of the cupboard.
"Oh my! Really! I better go shower. I got so excited about the Finnish Corkscrewed Jangle Hoppers I completely forgot once I came home after being with Ron. I'm absolutely filthy." Luna said and sauntered off toward the hallway.
Hermione looked after her wondering how someone could be so oblivious to the fact that perhaps no one really wants to know about her sexcapdes with Ron. Especially since he is one of her best friends.
She shook her head and summoned the tea kettle and performed a spell to have it fill with warm water up. It whistled and she poured herself a cup and dunked the tea bag in. She put some sugar in as Ginny walked into the kitchen.
"Hey Hermione." She said opening a cupboard. "Did you just get in?"
"Yea, work was horrible. 10 charmed toilets and 3 charmed refrigerators. And it didn't help much that I just found Luna sprawled out on the floor looking like she was dead in the dark." Hermione said taking the tea bag out and throwing it in the garbage.
"Oh yea I saw her like that to. I asked if she was still breathing she responded with a yes so I went upstairs, no questions asked." Ginny said taking out a cookie from the jar and munching on it.
Hermione chuckled and took a sip of her tea. "How did your day go?"
"Ugh, probably ten times worse than yours. I just met my new coworker today. Guess who it is." Ginny said bitterly. "Draco Malfoy." She said stuffing the rest of her cookie in her mouth.
Hermione choked on her tea. "No way!" she said crossing an arm around her stomach and leaning against the counter.
"Yea. Great huh? My boss comes in my office and says I'd like you to meet our new employee he motioned behind him…and I instantly put on a smile and stood up from my desk and then Draco stepped out from behind him as he announced his name. I swear to you my heart stopped and all I could think of at the moment was to cast Avada Kedavra on myself because I knew it would be less painful than working with him." Ginny said looking disgusted.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Gin. What's his position?" Hermione asked going back to sipping her tea.
"He's the new healer at St. Mungo's. Since Jacob Smigler was diagnosed as a lunatic we were short of staff. Malfoy was offered the job but wouldn't take it unless they raised his salary. Ugh, what ponce! Just because he worked at some French hospital he thinks he's better than St. Mungo's. God, he's so full of himself." Ginny said raving. Her eyes burning with rage.
" Yes, well what else would you expect from Malfoy. Even though he did fight with us on the good side he still maintains his egotistical charm." Hermione said putting her mug into the sink.
"Charm my arse." Ginny said rolling her eyes.
"Well I'm going upstairs to soak in a nice hot bath and relax. And then look over some papers for work." Hermione said sighing.
"Of course you would come home from work to do, what else, more work." Ginny said teasing Hermione as they walked down the hall.
"Well the work isn't going to do itself." Hermione said.
"Right, I'll see you tomorrow morning Hermione. Night." Ginny said walking into her room.
"Goodnight." Hermione said.
She sighed and walked into her room. She kicked off her shoes and took off her cardigan. She walked into her bathroom in her bra and skirt still on and started her bath. She flicked her wand and it filled up quickly with a fragrance of lavender. She walked to her closet taking off her skirt on the way there.
She grabbed a towel and headed back to the bathroom. Then all of a sudden she screamed as a head appeared in her fireplace. The face jumped and then blushed bright red as he saw Hermione in her underwear. He covered his face.
"Harry!" Hermione said covering her body with the towel.
"Sorry, Mione! I didn't know! I…I…just needed to ask a favor." He said still shielding his eyes.
"It's ok, you couldn't have possibly known. What…what is it that you need?" Hermione said urging her face to stop blushing.
"Uh.. oh right, um, I need to know if Saturday you can come with me to Diagon Alley to help me find a present for Jacklyn." Harry said still avoiding looking at Hermione.
Hermione's heart fell as he mentioned her name. Jacklyn O' Brien, Harry's girlfriend. She was an Irish Quidditch star and the apple of Harry's eyes. She was tall, blonde, blue eyed and had probably the biggest mouth possible when she smiled. She made Hermione sick.
"Oh, Saturday… um…not sure… Harry …I….. I have a lot of work to do. I'm mobbed at the ministry." Hermione lied avoiding his eyes.
"Oh , I was really hoping you could come, I have no idea what to get her." Harry said his face showing his disappointment.
'No Hermione, don't you dare say yes. Don't give in to temptation.' Hermione urged herself.
"Well I'm sure I can do my work later in the week…." Hermione said giving in to Harry's cute disappointed face.
'Dammit! Why does he have to have this effect on me! All you had to do was put your foot down Hermione! But he did look so cute…..' Hermione's thoughts argued with themselves.
"Really!" Harry said excitedly looking at her then quickly looked away when he remembered the situation they were in. "I'll apparate here at 10 Saturday morning."
"Right then. See you Saturday." Hermione said trying to make her voice sound pleasant.
He then disappeared and Hermione sighed. She walked back to the bathroom where the water had stopped.
"Why me? Why cant Harry be with me. Why does he have to choose some air headed Quidditch star who's blonde, blue eyed and leggy? Great I just answered my own bloody question. Well I think I look all right." Hermione said examining her body in its bra and underwear in the mirror.
"That's the attitude dear." The mirror responded.
"Right! I mean my breasts are perky and they're not exactly too big but they're not too small. My bum is all right as well. It's slightly big but not too big you know what I mean Charlotte." Hermione said to her mirror.
"Right, Dear." The mirror replied.
"I'm not extremely skinny like Jacklyn, I do have some meat to me. I mean I'm a size 5 thank you very much." Hermione said her confidence boosting up.
"Exactly, dear." Charlotte said.
"But then again maybe Harry likes blonde skinny girls and when I'm compared to them I have I no chance." Hermione said sadly. She groaned and took off the remaining clothes she had on and sunk into the warm bath.
"That's right dear." Charlotte said.
Hermione looked at the mirror, rolled her eyes, and submerged herself underwater.
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"Good morning Ms. Weasley!" Mr. Harrison, a healer at St. Mungo's, said cheerfully as Ginny made her way to her office.
"Good morning Mr. Harrison." She said smiling. She continued down the hallway her boots clicking against the floor. She adjusted her green sweater and black mid thigh skirt.
"Hi Ms. Ginny!" a little voice said. Ginny turned to see Sam, a little boy staying at the hospital.
"Hello there Sam! How are you feeling?" Ginny said smiling. She squatted down to be eye level with him.
"I'm feeling better, though I cant always remember where I am, I remember you!" Sam said smiling at her. She smiled back.
"You're a cutie Sam. I need to get to work but how about I stop by during lunch and eat with you." Ginny said ruffling his hair.
"That would be great! My healer said he would stop by during lunch to! We could all eat together!" Sam said excitedly, his blue eyes shining brightly.
"Who's your healer, dear?" Ginny asked.
"Me, Ms. Weasley." A drawling voice said behind her, sending shivers down her spine. Ginny didn't want to turn around because she didn't want to face…him. but slowly she stood up and turned around, a hard expression on her face.
"Hello….Mal…..Mr. Malfoy." Ginny forced herself to say.
Then he did it. The notorious smirk. At that point Ginny found herself getting the urge to smack it off his face.
"Good morning. I see you know my patient Sam." He said looking past Ginny and down at Sam who was smiling brightly.
"Yes actually. I've known Sam since he first arrived at St. Mungo's two months ago. I believe you've only known him for what? A day?" Ginny said sardonically.
Malfoy's smirk did not leave his face after Ginny's comment. "Well that may be so however in that short period of time, me and Sam have gotten to know quite a few things about each other. And hopefully we'll find out a lot more during lunch today, which will be joined by you." Draco said putting his hands in his coat pockets and smiling at Sam.
"Yup! Ms. Ginny is really nice! Do you know each other!" Sam asked his brown hair falling in his eyes.
"Yes, we used to go to Hogwarts together." Ginny said smiling at Sam and then turned to Draco. "Unfortunately." She murmured so only Draco could hear.
He raised an eyebrow at her. "Sam it's time for your breakfast." An assistant said walking to Sam's room with a tray in her hand.
"I have to go! I'll see you guys at lunch!" Sam said and hugged both Ginny and Draco.
They both smiled after him. He skipped all the way to his room as the assistant entered it.
"He's a cute kid." Draco said.
"Yeah he's such a sweetheart." She said still smiling and looked at Draco then it quickly fell.
"I cannot believe you're his healer." Ginny said continuing to walk toward her office.
"Why is it so hard to believe that a well educated, professional, handsome, probably one of the best out there is Sam's healer?" Draco asked walking beside her to his office.
"Well for one that cocky comment you made." Ginny said opening her door.
"It's not cocky if it's the truth." Draco said simply.
She looked at him giving him the most disgusted look of all time.
"God your so disgustingly egotistical." She said looking over the papers her assistant had given her.
"Well we seem to have two very different opinions on myself." He said leaning against the wall smirking.
"Clearly." She said looking up and seeing him. She caught him looking at her differently.
'She does look pretty cute now. Slim, nice arse, nice other assets for that matter. A little petite but that doesn't matter.' He thought.
"What?" Ginny asked putting her hand on her hip and giving him a stern look.
"You know you don't look half bad now Weasley." He said staring at her his eyes glowing mischievously.
"GET OUT." Ginny said her voice rising and her finger pointing toward the door.
"Why so soon?" he asked grinning.
"Because I have work to do and your acting like a little kid by referring back to the days we were at Hogwarts and calling me Weasley and frankly it's agitating me." Ginny said opening the door and waiting for him to walk out.
"Wait, I do believe you started this whole Hogwarts name calling when you referred to me as Malfoy." He said looking at her with his head to the side.
'Dammit, he got me! Do I really look good? No, that's not important. Him! Out! Now!' she thought.
"GET OUT!" she said her voice raising even more.
"Fine, I do have patients to see. I'll see you at lunch." He said giving her a smile that said I know I got to you.
"Sadly! Bye!" she said and closed her door in his face.
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"Luna, love. I don't think that the team is going to appreciate you watching me as I shower." Ron said kissing Luna outside the men's locker room.
"Oh but Ronald! I do think it would be very pleasant to watch." Luna said kissing his neck. "I do it all the time at your place."
"Yes Luna but there are not 4 Quidditch members in the same room as us when you do it." He said urging her with his arms to stop kissing him.
She frowned. "Fine, I guess we'll shag later." She said.
This was very difficult for Ron. He did indeed want to be shagging Luna in the shower but then he would never hear the end of it from Harry and the others.
"Believe me we will. You need to be getting to work now don't you." He said holding her face in his hands.
"Yes, I guess I do. But I'll be thinking about you all day!" she said.
"And I you, love." He said kissing her on the lips. "I'll see you later. Now off you go."
She gave him one last kiss and with a pop she apparated. Ron entered the locker room of the Chudley Cannons. Harry, Luis Flatger, Walter Summers and Nigel Copenhager the male side of the team were in there. The two females Henrietta Smithsburg and Cynthia Trust were in the female locker room.
"Luna keep you?" Harry asked on his practice gear.
"Yeah, she wanted to erm…come in." Ron said blushing the color of his hair.
"Hey I say let her in! We'll have some fun." Walter said laughing.
Ron gave him a death look. "Not funny." He said.
"She just cares about you is all Ron. You know she's asked for weirder things before." Harry said tying his boots on.
"Yeah true…remember when she was interviewing us for The Quibbler and she asked us which vegetarian octopus was our favorite." Luis said. It was followed by a murmur of yes around the locker room.
"She really does mean well." Ron said putting on his gear.
"So how are things with you and Jacklyn?" Nigel asked grabbing his broom.
"Great. I'm getting ready for our anniversary this Sunday. I was thinking about getting her a ring." Harry said tossing his bag into the locker.
"No way, mate! Your going to pop the question!" Walter cried out, his face showing his amazement.
Harry grinned. "Yeah. I asked Hermione to help me look for a ring." He said.
Ron looked up. "Hermione agreed to help you find a ring!" Ron said a little taken aback.
"Well I asked her if she'd mind coming with me to Diagon Alley to help me pick out a present for her but I don't think she'll make such a big deal about it when I tell her I had a ring in mind." Harry said.
Ron raised his eyebrow. "Right." He said.
"All right, we better get onto the field before coach starts bitching again." Nigel said. They all agreed and walked out the locker room