Something Different (A Completed Dramione Fanfic)

c h a p t e r 3

So sorry for the spelling errors!  We all make mistakes :) Enjoy!

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Hermione was at the library, browsing for books, when she got an owl. Urgently and a bit confused, she took the letter attached to the brown owls leg.

To: Miss Granger

From: Ministry of Magic, Urgent Message

Intrigued, she tore it open, to which it said:

Miss Hermione Granger,

We need you at the Ministry as soon as possible for investigation of the disappearance of three wizards. Please come as soon as you can, for it is your day off, and thank you.

She quickly went to the apparating zone, and apparated to the Ministry. She ran to the carriers to bring her up to the third floor, then to her office, to which was wide open.

"Granger" she heard behind her and turned around right before she entered her open office door.

"Oh Malfoy." Was all she said as she decided to ignore him and went into her office to see none other than the Minister of Magic himself.

"Miss Granger, we take at you have gotten our urgent owl concerning the disappearance of three wizards. This may seem like a regular case, but the wizards taken were all current or former teachers at the Hogwarts school.

"As the most current graduate, along with Mr. Malfoy, the Ministry would like the two of you to lead this project, and find leads for our investigators. Thank you, that is all, for I need to go to a meeting. The file is on your desk already, and Mr. Malfoy is waiting outside if you haven't seen him already." He left as abruptly as he had appeared, and Hermione started flipping through the thin folder of information when she heard a knock at the door.

She said a quick "come in" and turned back to her work. Malfoy sauntered in, with his head held high in that arrogant way of his, and Hermione did her best not to scoff since now they are expected to work with one another.

She took a second, though, to look at him. He had his hair slicked back like he always had during all of their years at Hogwarts. He looked a bit more sullen, yet just the same amount of cocky, wearing a button down white shirt and dark grey colored pants, which really offset his eyes.

She tried not to stare, but she hadn't seen him in a while.

"So I was thinking, Granger, that you can work your magic on the case and I'll go back to my office area. It's not like you need nor want my help." Malfoy said as he started to turn around, not waiting for a response, ready to leave this conversation behind him.

Well, Hermione thought, that was not at all what she had expected. "Wait, Malfoy. There must a reason why you were paired with me on this case. First, let's look at the info, then we can go our separate ways and divide the information so we don't have to work together."

That, at least, was the nicest she could be to a person who she had always hated since she had met him on the train to Hogwarts her very first year. It's not like she wants to work with him, but she has to for the sake of her highly respectable job.

"I know you don't want me here," he said blatantly as they both flinched, "and since we have to work together on this, I would like to apologize for my actions at Hogwarts."

Malfoy is apologizing? Those words didn't even belong in the same sentence together. Hermione was speechless, given that there was no way that the arrogant priss was actually going to apologize to her.

"Well, apology not accepted," she said in her bewildered state, trying her best to be firm.

"Blimey, Granger, I was just apologizing to you so we can put our differences aside for the sake of this case. I have no interest being your friend, but we do need to work with each other, as you had heard the Minister say." He gave her a look of disgust, as if the word "mudblood" was written on her forehead, and Hermione shivered, remembering all those years at Hogwarts.

"True," Hermione said, then got defensive again, "but there is no way that that half-hearted apology will suffice after the years upon years of torture you have given me. All those comments and times you put me down, no way will we be friends any time soon."

That will have to do, as Hermione turned back to the file on her desk. "Have you looked at this yet, Malfoy?" She growled, ending their previous discussion. She looked up at him.

He stared at her, a look of despair on his face as her previous words sunk into him. That dark despaired look in his eyes then gave away to a look of pity. "Granger," he started but was cut off by Hermione.

"No, Malfoy. Listen. I don't want to be your friend as much as you want to be mine. Let's put the past behind us at the moment and actually do our job."

He completely ignored her and said instead, "I didn't know you felt tortured. The only reason I did all that was because...." He wavered off at the end. He didn't quite want to tell her that he had fallen for her in that first year, because who would believe such a thing? The pure blood prince and the mudblood witch of the age. She would laugh at his feelings, call him a liar. So instead he kept it hidden.

"But anyway, I realize I was wrong and that wasn't the way I should have behaved." He said at last, and Hermione glared at him, obviously done with his attitude. He smiled a lazy grin, thinking that all was going to be well now.

"As I was saying before you chose to ignore me, we need to look through this case after you finish your confession," she said simply, confused with the guy before her, and not answering what his hidden question was. She folded her hands in front of her, giving him a mocking look as if she was a teacher  waiting for a class to settle down.

"Yes, right," he answered after a moment of a staring into each others eyes. He didn't mean to, but once he made eye contact, he didn't want to be the first to backdown. But of course, who could Hermione? "Well I looked through it before you got here, of course. I would be stupid not to, especially working with you of all people." Oh his arrogance. Hermione was in no state to put up with it.

She answers with, "Well I'll look through it, and I'll send you a message of what you can do. I have no use for you here." She looked up as she finished, and saw him look like he had been slapped. She hadn't meant to sound all that harsh. It honestly just came out. And when she looked into his eyes, she guiltily accepted the fact that she had just been completely rude, and was about to apologize when he interrupted her thoughts.

"Well, Granger, I'm sorry to have offended you. I just wanted us to be able to work together rather than be like this!" He gestured to her with his hands. "I'll be in my office area if you need me."

He turned away and yanked the door open as soon as he finished his statement, not waiting for one in return. He walked out and the door shut with a bang. Again, his arrogance! He always has to end the conversation. He wouldn't even wait for her apology.

What a weird day, Hermione was thinking, as she flipped through the case file before her.