Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

The Uneventful Story	By : SnowflakeImp Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 39223 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
The Uneventful Story

By: Snowflake Imp

Rated: R

Chapter: 04

Disclaimer:
Continued from last time � I OWN HARRY POTTER! NOW PAY ME ROYALTIES!!
FOR I AM THE CREATOR OF THE KNOWN UNIVERSE AND THEN SOME!! (�.or not. You know, whichever is convenient for you). Dammit, not mine!!

******************************************************************************

Hermione watched everyone like a hawk, waiting for the
tiniest change in behavior. The only
person she wouldn�t look at was Draco, lest she lose her self-control and begin
yelling at him for just being alive.
She hated how Malfoy was the only who could make her lose her
self-composure at a drop of a hat. Just
one word, one look, and she was seeing red.
So by ignoring him, she might be able to keep the peace. She thought it was quite noble of her,
actually.

There was rustling of papers coming from Draco�s
direction. A cough. A muffled cough. A �hmmmm.� A small
chuckle.

Oh for crying out loud�.

�What is so amusing?� she asked scathingly, wanting him to
know full well she wasn�t asking out of friendliness.

�I was reading some past employee reports,� Malfoy said with
a slight grin on his face, not at all affected by Hermione�s bad attitude. He began reading one of them, � ��and
frankly, this department doesn�t need to have another person with such a nice
looking bum. It is distracting and not
efficient. Please remedy.� � He turned to look at her with a raised
eyebrow, resting his chin on his hand.

As the Ministry was essentially a bureaucratic organization,
it was only natural to have monthly/yearly employee evaluations and
reports. However, in this department�s
case, the documents were much more unorthodox than the rest. Hermione flushed. Her staff really, REALLY needed to take those evaluations more
seriously. Damned if she let him know
it though.

�Well, you�re a man, aren�t you? Isn�t it distracting?� she asked haughtily, sticking her
nose in the air a bit.

And then he did something she would rather die than describe
later.

He smiled at her.

Predatorily.

His eyes darkened as he lowered his head a little and
glanced up at her. His voice
deepened. �I find it very
distracting,� he drawled, his eyes never leaving hers. Hermione felt like she had a cooler of ice
water dumped into her body. She had
never felt so uncomfortable. To have
someone THAT good looking, to look at someone like HER like that�..

She snapped back to reality. That�s right! As if he
would even look at her like that! He
just did it to make her uncomfortable: Oh, look at that frumpy prude Granger
blush at my sinful gaze. Ha Ha Ha! She
scowled at him.

�Pig,� she muttered as she turned back to watching the
lab. Draco chuckled and went back to
reading the reports.

******************************************************************************

Hermione decided she could no longer stand being in the same
room as Draco, and opted for a nice lunch out in one of the cafes nearby. After a treat of ice cream, she dubbed
herself satisfied enough to tackle the rest of the day.

Upon arriving at the Dungeon, she didn�t find him at his
seat, which made her a tad nervous. She
quickly walked up and down the sectors, trying to find him and keep him from
mischief. She spotted him speaking with
Franco Monteleone, an Italian who was too giddy about fire for his own good.

Franco appeared thoughtful, speaking earnestly with
Malfoy. Hermione�s thoughts immediately
turned to suspicion. Was he spilling
about that time she smacked him across the face? Because it really wasn�t her fault if one looked at it from an
unbiased, third-person perspective. She
softly crept towards them, dreading the Hermione-bashing that she would surely
come upon.

To her surprise, Franco was having�.well, a serious
discussion with Malfoy. It was already
hard to see Fire-Fly-Franco holding a decent conversation, but Draco
Malfoy? The one who believed himself
above all other humans and thus needn�t waste his time caring about others? The haughty, arrogant, picky, selfish prick
who would sooner rip off his own foot rather
than lend a helping hand?
Hermione was intrigued.

�I�m sorry, Mr. Malfoy, I just can�t seem to concentrate
when things are like this,� he said softly, his Italian accent lilting his
voice amorously.

As their conversation went on, Hermione pieced together that
apparently, Franco�s family was in danger of being deported, so his
productivity and concentration was beginning to be affected. Malfoy evidently picked up on this. Hermione was taken aback at how human Draco
was acting. He listened to Franco voice
his fears for as long as he liked, with patience she never knew he had. It�s like�he was actually interested. And she hated to admit it, but when he sat
like that, leaning forward, his eyes intense, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration�
he looked�well�handso �

�He looks decent,� she thought firmly.

Malfoy throughout the rest of the day, focused on Franco�s
problem � calling leads, informants, people he knew that owed him favors �
anybody and everybody he could pull strings with to solve it. He tackled the challenge level-headedly,
with a large amount of charm and threats.
Hermione then remembered that she had seen this side of Draco before. His
behavior brought her back to the days in the war camps. Efficient yet detached.

That was what he was doing now; searching for the enemy,
strategizing, organizing enforcements, executing meticulously thought out
tactics. It was all very military and
looked slightly out of place in an office setting. In fact, not only was he part of the soldiers division that
fought in the forefront, he was also a member of the Strategos team that
devised and planned attacks against the Dark Side. When the cause benefited him, Malfoy could work harder and better
at winning than any other.

Hermione had no illusions that Malfoy, then and now, was
helping anybody out of things like compassion and friendship. In the past, Draco realized, for reasons
known only to him, he couldn�t fight alongside Voldemort; he found this out the
hard way, by not being able to follow orders and ultimately fleeing and
betraying the Dark Lord. If the Light
didn�t win the battle, torture and death awaited him.

That was why Hermione was the first to believe that he would
be no traitor to the Light and fought to have him join the Order. Behind his back, of course. If he knew that she practically begged the
counsel to not lock Malfoy up, she would kill herself rather than see that look
on his face. She knew he would one of
the key members that would overturn the tide.
And she had been right.

Watching him now, she knew things would turn out okay in the
end. He hadn�t changed. He loved his job � he loved the power, he
loved the leadership, he loved the perks.
His job now included taking care of her department. Put two and two together, and we have a
Malfoy who would fight tooth and nail to make sure things would run
smoothly. A father�s love protecting
his own child probably pales in comparison to Malfoy�s urge to survive.

Still, it pained her that he was the one Franco turned
to. Didn�t she have a more intimate
relationship with Franco? Didn�t they
work together longer, get along better?
They had gone out for drinks with the rest of the department, been to
office parties together, laughed and cried together. But in a manner of two days, he went to Draco and spilled his
heart out.

�Always,� she thought bitterly, emotions she thought
long dead rising to the surface. �It
was always him.�

Hermione glared at him, her temples throbbing with
suppressed emotions. Her heart thudded
painfully in her chest; her face flushed due to erratic breathing. Why must it always be him?

She suddenly snapped out of it, shuddering. The world once again came into focus, the
sounds of the office rose back to normal levels. Hermione had to get out of there. Walk briskly down the corridors, she ducked her head low, not
wanting to make eye contact with anyone.

She shivered.
She�she was supposed to be over this.
It was past.

Hermione thought those emotions had faded after the Great Purge. Why were they resurfacing? She felt ashamed. She was better than this.
She absent-mindedly slumped into a nearby chair and rubbed her
temples. She didn�t want to reacquaint
herself with her past self. She took a
few deep breaths.

She glanced at her watch.
15:45. Her hand was shaking.

******************************************************************************

Diary Entry No. 50, Vol. V

I thought myself better than this. I am filled with petty emotions.
Petty, immature, disgusting emotions.
I truly��I�.

�I don�t know. I
don�t know what to make of it all.
Could I really be that despicable?
That low?

Why can�t I be like everyone else?

*****************************************************************************

Draco was having a far better day. A fantastic day, in fact.
He got to annoy Granger, his position as manager went unquestioned, and
he had just solved Franco�s home situation.
Productivity in the fire bugger should rise as a result. It was a good day.

He was used to people always giving him what he wanted. Doing what he wanted. It came with being a Malfoy. The images of his father, his ancestors, and
the tower of wealth he possessed behind him were enough to make anyone cower
before him.

After awhile, it began to feel empty. Despite what Potter and Weasely thought,
Draco was clear-minded and knew how to look at himself honestly when the
occasion arose. He knew what was on
people�s minds. And he didn�t like
it. He knew at a young age that if one
were to strip him of his family name, of his wealth, was there really so much
to respect and fear?

The answer was no.
He was petty, uncompromising, short-sighted. Once he saw himself bare, he worked hard to change. He educated himself; he was already ahead of
most of his peers due to his wealthy upbringing, and his drive to broaden his
horizon was enormous. At Hogwarts, he
and Hermione were often point-for-point for the top of the class. He sharpened his wit, his charm to create
allies and sources, connections he could rely on based on his own ability to
build a relationship.

Now, people came to him for his abilities and talent
alone. He was just as revered � no,
even more so � now than ever.
Everything he had was forged by his own two hands. And he knew it irked his old nemesis Granger
to no end. One of her favorite insults
in the past was taunting him about daddy buying everything for him, how he�d be
nothing without him. Now she can�t do
anything but steam in her own frustrated soup.
Served her right for thinking she was the only one who worked hard for
anything.

Malfoy looked around.
Where was the little she-devil anyhow?
He was certain she was trailing his every breath, but now she just
seemed to have disappeared.
Interesting.

He casually strolled down the corridors, nodding at people
greeting him, stopping to chat with a few people about work related
issues. A few secretaries had some
non-work related topics they wished to discuss. With a charming smile, he assured them perhaps later, in a more
cozy, private setting.

He found Hermione sitting in a hallway, a hand covering her
eyes as she breathed shakily. She
looked like hell. He felt a need to
share this information with her accordingly.

�What�s the matter Granger?
Miss me that much?� he drawled with a bored expression on his face,
leaning against the wall next to her.

She jumped up with a start, and whipped her head around to
face him. Draco was surprised at the
wide range of emotions that passed through her large chocolate eyes: surprise,
anger, panic, finally resignation.

�Malfoy,� she greeted him hesitantly. He noticed she took no notice of his jib.

�What are you doing?
You don�t seem very productive,� he said, his condescending tone a bit
more forced than usual.

�Wha � I � I�ll have you know � how dare you � � she
sputtered, her body tensing. �This
could have been another vacation day for me, Malfoy, instead I
stayed to ensure you don�t turn this department into your next house elves
cleaning crew!�

He waved his hand out at her dismissively, although a bit
relieved she was back to normal. If she
went all�emotional on him, he wouldn�t know what to do. It would be like a man faced with a cow on
his doorstep, pleading him not to eat her son there on his plate. Too surreal.

�Yes well, I don�t recall asking for your unnecessary
return, and if you were paying attention, I was doing very good deeds. Santa would be quite proud of me,� he
responded with a smirk.

It irritated her when he dropped muggle tidbits into his
everyday speech. It was just so
hypocritical. AND he had to be correct
in his usage. No fellytone business
that allowed her a gap in which to mock him.

�I wasn�t aware Santa Claus considered amoebas sentient
enough to be added to the �coal� list,� Hermione snapped.

�Ouch, Granger, it sounds as though you have some bitterness
in you. Surprising,� Draco chuckled
back. If for nothing else, arguing with
Granger really stretches one�s mind.

�Har har har.
Original.�

�Well, considering your poor memory abilities, I find it
unnecessary to create new insults and waste energy.�

�Poor memory abilities?!
Since when!�

�Ahem�.�

They both turned to see Alex Grace, with one eyebrow
raised. Hermione had the grace to cough
embarrassedly, while Draco was unabashed.

�Grace,� he said with a nod, turning to him. �A bit too loud, I gather?�

�Slightly,� he said not unkindly. He turned to Hermione, who flushed.

�Sorry Alex, I�m a bit�.out of sorts lately,� she mumbled
feebly. Malfoy noticed her new meek
demeanor, and didn�t like this gentle, wilting Granger one bit.

�It�s quite all right, I just wanted to make sure everything
was running smoothly,� Alex responded.

�Er, well, it is, I think�. that is, it is, to my
knowledge,� her words tumbled out of her mouth awkwardly. She fidgeted with her blazer lapel. The frumpy, used, non-tailored state of her
clothes was suddenly all too clear to her.

Alex looked over at her.
�Overseeing the transition is my job, Hermione. You really shouldn�t be here.�

Her eyes grew wide and she bit her lip nervously. Draco�s eyes narrowed. She only did that when faced with
disapproval from someone she held in high regard. He knew her.
He knew.

�I..I just�,� she stammered.

For God�s sake�..
Draco rolled his eyes. Was there
no end to this?

�We won�t keep you Grace,� Draco cut in. Enough was enough. This was sickening. He
firmly grasped Hermione�s shoulder.
�Come on Granger, there�s some funds I want you to go over with me.�

With a quick jerk, he pushed Hermione along to the end of
the corridor, marching her straight into his office. He didn�t fail to notice her silent submissiveness. He slammed the door shut, which jolted her
out of her reverie. She looked around
and awkwardly patted her hair.

�Done making doe eyes, Granger?� Malfoy sneered. �Don�t bother denying anything. I know the signs.�

She opened and closed her mouth like an indignant fish. Of all people to know her secret
feelings. OF ALL PEOPLE!! Did she curse cruel fate yet? Because now would be a good time.

Denying it was a waste of breath. Malfoy was uncannily good at reading people, and more so when it
came to women�s behavior around men.
Her mind raced. She decided to
play it cool. And so she shrugged. Which surprised him a bit.

�So what if I do? I
don�t recall it being a crime,� was her nonchalant question.

It wasn�t the response he was expecting. Leave it to Granger to constantly surprise
him. He was expecting full on denial,
which he would gleefully chip away, and then lots of blushing and stammering
and promises to keep things a secret.
He wasn�t expecting such a mature, experienced take on her part.

Well, she was blushing, if it was any consolation to
him. It wasn�t really, surprisingly.

�I suppose it shocked me, to see the androgynous bookworm
falling for such a uninteresting man.
But then again, who else would be attractive to you?�

That stung. A
lot. But she refused to let him see how
much it hurt her. It was a matter of
pride.

�Certainly not some disease ridden, over-glorified
nymphomaniac man whore,� she viciously shot back. Alex was plenty interesting!

He raised his eyebrows.
He could almost see her claws. He casually sat in his new swivel chair. Almost civilly, he started, �You know, word
has it that he�s � �

�Taken? I�m aware of
that,� she said coldly. �Thank you for
bringing that up as well, Malfoy. Now
if you�ll excuse me, I will not waste my time talking to you about this subject
anymore. Or ever.�

Damn, her eyes were tearing up. She had to get out of there, now.

As she turned to grab the knob to the door, Draco quietly
stated, �You know what I meant.�

Her shoulders sagged and she looked over her shoulder at
him, an emotion passing through her eyes that seemed to age her
considerably. They continued to look at
each other for a few moments.

�Yeah.�

With that, she silently closed the door behind her.

*************************************************************************

As Hermione prepared to leave work for the day, she heard
heavy, confident footsteps behind her.
She sighed, really not too happy to put up a fierce front.

What does he want now?

After her little exchange with him, she was considering just
forgetting about Alex and just go back to being an unfeeling creature, true to
her reputation. Why fight it? She was too tired to try to turn her life
around. Her life had been turned around
enough times.

The footsteps stopped behind her, but he didn�t seem to be
in a hurry to speak. Impatiently � she
wanted to go home dammit � she turned around, ready to start this inevitable
scathing conversation when �

�Oh, Alex!�

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
- 3
- 4
- 5
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

The Uneventful Story