Harry Potter Breaking Boundaries

"Look, I know you're mad Hermione but if you'll just listen—"

"I'm hardly mad Harry. Nope, not even the tiniest bit upset. He can do whatever he wants." she stated in what was meant to be an end-of-the-conversation tone. Currently she was marching through the crowded halls of the Ministry, her best friend Harry at her heels and attempting to make her stop her as she walked briskly towards her office. She didn't have time to hear his explanations nor did she frankly have the desire. So what if Ron was getting married? It wasn't as if she was the bride-to-be; she's lost that title a year ago.

"Harry," she said over her shoulder as the turned in the direction of her office, "I'm happy for him, really and I'm not upset over it. Please don't be like everyone else and ask 'Are you alright?' or 'You must be taking it hard. Chin up old girl!' because it's the last thing I need right now."

"Hermione, I didn't come here to tell you that and if you'd let me speak you'd know that." Harry rushed out.

They neared her office and she pushed open the door.

"I don't have the time, I have a meeting in five minutes and I don't want to be late."

"But Hermione—"

"Harry, this can wai—"

"She wants you to be her maid of honor."

* * *

><p>"Well fuck..." Hermione whispered and collapsed in her chair; that was something she wasn't expecting. Swearing was really her thing, but right now there were no other words that could be used. Maid of Honor? Who in the hell thought she would happily agree to be the maid of honor to the woman that was marrying her ex?<p>

"That's one way of putting it." Her dark-haired friend said. "I was shocked as well. Believe me. Ginny too. We knew that she was your friend but picking you over Ginny!" She simply stared at him.

"You cannot be serious Harry? That's what you're shocked about? The fact that I was picked TO BE IN THE WEDDING PARTY of my ex rather than your wife?" she scoffed loudly in disbelief. Leaning back in her chair she ran her fingers through her curls. Surprisingly enough she wasn't that bothered by the fact that Luna had asked. She was one of her close friends and she was happy about it, but that Ron agreed? Last time she saw him it wasn't on the best of terms.

Their break-up wasn't horrible, but it wasn't good either. Things had been bad for a while and as time went on only got worse. They barely talked and when they did it was to argue, not that Ron stayed around long enough for them to get anywhere. Plus, they just didn't...click. They weren't right, and probably never had been.

People assumed that with all the adolescent crushing they did at Hogwarts they should end up together. It was the perfect love story and everyone wanted it. She thought she did too but things changed and she changed; Ron did not. He wasn't childish, but he didn't want things she did. She was still young, only 19, when they finally moved in together and by the time she was 20 they'd settled and it scared her. She wanted to see the world and do things with her life.

Ron on the other hand wanted a family that he already had once before. He wanted lots of children, and a big house, and for her to basically be just like his mother. Not that it was bad, and she wanted a family just as much but she had to face the truth that she wanted to wait, wanted to get away from the title she'd earned during the war and show people who she really was. Not a war hero that people tried to make look perfect and saint-like. She was a girl with flaws and a voice to be heard. She was Hermione Jean Granger, not the Gryffindor Princess or any of the crazy names.

She shook her head softly when she realized that Harry was talking to her and she pulled away from her thoughts.

"What?" she said to him, blinking in his direction.

He sighed heavily in annoyance, "I said you're not going to do it right? It would be insane." Harry stared at his friend and looked all over her face for a sign to confirm this.

"Uhm, no. No. I don't know Harry." she said placing her hand on her forehead. This day is not going so well, she thought. First this and now I'm late for my meeting.

"The meeting!" she gasped and jumped up from her desk searching frantically around the room. Spotting her notes and notebook she pounced on them and ran about the room.

"I've got to go, but we'll talk about this at your place for dinner tonight." she said towards his general direction. "Stay as long as you like!" she called over her shoulder before bolting from the room. She was going to be meeting her new partner and had wanted to make the best impression possible which started with not being late. Never, in her two years in working at the ministry had she been late and it was just not what she did.

Hermione reached the elevators in record time and stood anxiously as she waited. Checking her watch she noted that she was only about five minutes late and hopefully nothing too important would be happening just yet. When the elevator finally got there and opened up she bolted inside and slammed her hand on the button. Hermione practically did the pee-dance as she waited to get to the correct floor.

"Minister of Magic's Office: Conference Room." The voice told her and she barreled out of the tiny space. She ran so quickly towards the room the she ran right into the glass door. "Oomph!" Hermione held a hand to her forehead again and took a second to take a large breath. "Ow!" she muttered. Checking her reflection in the mirror in order to make sure that no red mark was spreading on her face, she smoothed her hair down (a futile attempt) and yanked her clothing back into place.

She pulled the door open and took her seat uncaring that everyone was staring at her and pretended to be very interested in sorting her notes.

"Nice of you to finally join us Miss Granger." the Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt said in his deep, booming voice. "No we will begin once more." He took a moment to pause before continuing. "I was just about to introduce our newest employee, and partner of Miss Granger. We are very lucky to have him in our division and I would like to be the first to welcome him to our little family." He held his hand out and Hermione stretched her neck to see who he was pointing at but he view was blocked.

Only when he stood up did she get a good look at him. If the news from earlier had shocked her then what she was now would certainly kill her.

Draco Malfoy stood at the front of the room. His blonde hair slicked back, a dark suit fitted on his lean body, and his trade-mark smirk that "made all the girls swoon" gracing his face. She was flabbergasted and couldn't help it when he mouth unhinged and hung open.

She tried to look away and begged the blush to go away when his steely-grey eyes locked on her chocolate brown ones and held her gaze.

Draco effing Malfoy was her new partner. Greeeaaattt. The day just kept getting better and better.

* * *

><p>"Seriously?" Ginny Potter practically shouted at her as they set the table. They could use their wands but it seemed much more fun to do it by hand. "He's your 'wonderful, amazing, talented' partner?" she asked in disbelief. Hermione grinned in happiness at her friends' astonishment; at least she had someone on her side.<p>

Harry hadn't been all that surprised nor helpful when it came to her telling him the news. The two former rivals had gotten chummy about a year after the war and were now Quidditch buddies whenever they had the time. She was dying to tell Ron who she was still good friends with but he was busy with his wedding and all that jazz.

"I know. After weeks and weeks of preparing, and organizing my office so he'd be able to find everything it was all...pooped on." Hermione said slamming a fork down on the table.

"Firstly, don't break that, Auntie Muriel gave them to us for our wedding. And second, yes it's not the most ideal situation but it could be so much worse at least you won't have to look at someone ugly all the time. I have to saw, Draco has got a very nice arse I hear." Ginny teased, ducking into the kitchen when Hermione took a playful swipe at her. Hermione chuckled. "YOU are the worst." she joked back and finished with the table.

Harry joined them not soon after, bounding down the steps and plopping down the chair. "Aahh, dinner time. My favorite time of day and I am famished." he said and adjusted his glasses. Hermione smiled at him, he looked the same and sometimes she imagined them all being back at school but every time there wasn't a war. She was a sucker for nostalgia.

Taking a breath Hermione sat next to him and struck up idle chit chat. They rarely talked except when they all had dinner together and she missed her friend. Work which became her life got in the way too much and Harry just had his own worries to think about. He was married, the head Auror and was currently having difficulty reprehending a culprit that had been on a murder spree for months.

He was having no luck and she could tell that it was all starting to take its toll. It hadn't been less than two years ago that the war had ended and while there hadn't been a major uproar in a while, it seemed like their 'peace' would be disturbed just as it was getting settled. Of course they couldn't expect miracles they were always supporters of Voldemort that lurked in the shadows. Contaminating every ounce of happiness they could find and darkening lives once more.

The idea made her uncomfortable and she pushed it the back of her mind. Ginny walked in a few minutes later and announced that Ron and Luna wouldn't be able to join them as planned. Apparently Molly had roped them into staying and helping out with the wedding plans a bit more.

"Oh rats!" she said with a huff of sarcastic indignation. She didn't mind, she had to keep telling herself that. She was out of the situation, an innocent bystander on the whole thing and her attitude was totally blasé. She'd had her chance and chose to let it go. Taking a heavy chug of her wine Hermione once more pushed all the thoughts out and focused on having a lovely evening with her friends.

The roar of a fire echoed through the halls of Malfoy Manor. It was nearing midnight when the tall blonde wizard stepped out of the green flames and into the darkened room. Running a hand through his perfectly combed hair he took a deep breath. It'd been a while since he'd been out on a date that he found to be utterly boring. It'd also been a while since he hadn't stayed the whole night with a woman he'd been out with.

Suppressing a yawn Draco poured himself a large firewhiskey before walking to his room. He'd been staying with him mother while his place was getting redone no thanks to the very witch. He'd been fine with how it had been, but his mother was ever insistent. As he neared his bedroom Draco drained his glass and set it on one of the bookcases in the hall. Draco fell into his bed, no bothering to change out of his clothes.

It'd been a very long and difficult day with him moving departments and lest he forget, learning who he was going to be working from now on. He wasn't vexed by the fact that he had to work with a partner, but he _was _apprehensive about working with Granger. He hadn't been in the same room as her since their days in Hogwarts and he would admit that he was less than…desirable back then.

He wondered if she was just as bossy and annoying as she'd always been. She hadn't looked it though, and he tried thinking back to when she'd actually become attractive. Forget the whole blood purity bullshit; he was comfortable with his life now. Granted it took him a while to shed the ideals he'd been born into but he could sufficiently say that he given his former life up. After the death of his father, Draco had woken up and realized that he possibly never believed in any of it but had wanted to seem important to his father something that he never got regardless of how much he tried.

Draco raked his fingers through his hair again and a few blonde strands fell over his face. He was tired, but couldn't fall asleep. His minding was running and going and he was surprisingly anxious to start that day. Draco like work, he needed it most days because it gave him some sense of normalcy to his life. He worked hard to fix his tarnished reputation after the war and it involved a lot of work and some of his Malfoy charm. Of course there were people that still didn't trust him and made it very well known. He couldn't help but wonder, as he finally drifted to sleep, if Granger still thought of him that way. He wondered if she still hated him too.


End file.
