Gets Better and Better

Draco was listening to Ron, Harry, and Hermione, but was also focusing on the paperwork. He was glad he had an office to work in at his new place because he had not finished what he needed to. It was the end of the day, and he desperately wanted to leave, so he gathered up his papers and shoved them in his briefcase.

Hermione stood up and pulled her wand out. With a wave of the wand, her papers vanished.

"There. Zabini will be pleased to have them early. I expect I'll be the first." She looked over at the rest of the Ministry Aurors who were still in their seats, scribbling away.

Draco froze at the sound of his former friend's name. This was the very Blaise who went to Hogwarts with him. The same one who contributed to his disastrous marriage. Of course, the marriage was already a disaster from the start but Blaise made the whole thing much worse.

"Ignoring him might be harder than I thought if he is the one this paperwork is going to."

Although Zabini was not an Auror and worked on the floor below them, he was also involved in the Nottingham cases.

"I was hoping the paperwork would be going to Westerson on our floor, but I guess the world hates me right now. I should have worked faster on this so I could have sent them now, without talking to Zabini. I'll have to see him tomorrow morning, then. Great."

Standing up with his briefcase in hand, Draco pushed out of his chair.

"Well," he started as he turned to the other three, "I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night, Potter, Weasley, Granger." He nodded at each of them in turn and then walked to the lift.

Hermione moved out of the way so Draco could pass her.

"I should go as well," Hermione concluded. "Right now. I can get on and talk to him.

She quickly turned back to Harry and Ron who were watching her.

"I'm going to go, alright? I'll see you tomorrow. Tell Teddy I said hello, Harry!" And off she went, booking it to the lift, trying not to run flat out.

"Oh, who cares if I run. Ron and Harry probably think I'm crazy, anyway."

She arrived at the lift right as Draco walked in, slightly out of breath from running.

"Hello!" She greeted him. "Thanks for holding it. I've just remembered..." She tried to make something up. "...I have something tonight. I'm glad I finished all that up so I could leave."

"Well, that was a ridiculous excuse. He probably overheard me telling Harry I was going to be alone tonight. Idiot, Hermione."

Draco seemed taken aback at her swift arrival. "Oh, yeah. No problem...didn't I hear you say you weren't going to Potter's tonight, though?"

"Okay, he heard. What are you going to say now?"

"Oh, yeah. You're right. I'm not going. I guess I forgot." She stared at the floor, embarrassed.

The lift was descending.