Name: Joy
Author: nnora
Rating: K-11 (T in English)
Length: at this moment ~1320 words
Genre: romance
Pairing: Draco/Hermione
Summary: Ministry of Magic is arranging the annual Yule Ball and playing a matchmaker...
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot!
Challenges: Yksilön elämänkaari hahmolla Draco Malfoy, "And Bob's Your Uncle!", One True Something 20 fandomilla Potter, Sana/kuva/lause10 sanalla ilo.
Author's note: Mun ensimmäinen ficci englanniksi ja laatu on varmaan sen mukainen, mutta harjoittelullahan sitä kehitytään! Tää tulee olemaan kolmiosainen ja toisessa osassa nähdään the Yule Ball, kolmannen osan sisältöä en paljasta. ;) Koitan hankkia jostain betan lukemaan tämän läpi, mutta katsotaan. Kielioppivirheistä ilmoittelu on kyllä toivottua. :) Lukekaa ja kommentoikaa!
My first fic in English as you may see! But practise makes the master. Joy will be three-part. The next part will be about the Yule Ball and third part is secret. I'm trying to get someone to beta this, but we'll see.. Please say about grammatical errors! Read and review if you please!
Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were friends nowadays. Working together made miracles! Harry was, of course, the Head of the Auror Office. Like Kingsley Shacklebolt would ever choose anyone else on that job if there was Harry Potter, the Savior of the Wizarding World, the Chosen One, the Boy-who-lived. Merlin's beard, Shacklebolt would give his own job as a Minister for Magic to Harry if he asked! Draco Malfoy had got his reputation purified and studied to an Auror even if many people still wanted Draco to Azkaban.
Each Auror had a working pair and Draco was Harry's pair. They were working in the same office room as all other pairs were; despite the fact Harry was the Head Auror.
Today they were working in peace reading documents and writing their own reports, until Hermione Granger came in. She was currently working as a Head of International Magical Office of Law.
"Hey, Harry, I have something for you. Oh, hey, Draco. The minister wants a report from every department of Ministry of Magic to sort out how different departments work and what efficiency percent each department has. I already finished mine", Hermione said when she was placing bunch of papers on Harry's already full table.
"More work, then", Harry sighed. "Why can't he do some excursions on each department? I don't have time to do some indifferent reports. I'm already drowning in these. How many feet did you scribble?" Harry asked massaging his temple with his left hand.
"Just fifteen and half, but I could have written more but-"
"Oh, then Percy made at least ten and other Heads are seeking five so I can write five also." Percy had taken his father's post as the Head of the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects and his personality hasn't changed at all during years.
"Harry! You should do it properly, it's important! Imagine if Ministry gets corrupted again because Heads of Departments don't care about Ministry!"
"I do care Ministry, Herms, I just don't have time for this, I have more important works to do…"
"Harry…" Hermione demanded.
"Oh, fine. I'll do it properly and you'll be happy."
"Thanks, Harry! But I have to go, I think my secretary has an appointment for me and I really have to be prepared for it… See you!" Hermione said eagerly and gave a peck on Harry's cheek leaving the office.
"You know she's available?" Harry asked Draco after he had made sure Hermione was out.
"What?" Draco was now facing Harry.
"She's single."
"And I care because…?"
"I saw you staring her. Her and her body."
"I did not stare, I just… checked her out."
"Oh, so you checked her out?"
"Not that way! Oh fine, believe what you want. But she really has a nice ass."
"Like you would think that ass is only good thing in her", Harry muttered before he stood up and left the office for getting coffee.
I didn't stare her, but she has a nice body and face and voice… Malfoy thought after Harry had left.
***
Next week Draco noticed that Hermione had really nice working clothes - she was using normal muggle clothes instead of plain Ministry robes and many people wore normal clothes instead of Ministry robes after she did. Pumps, black skirt and white blouse with black trimmings that made Hermione look like a business woman. Not that she wasn't already like a business woman. Especially he liked Hermione's heels and skirt which showed off her legs and bum well. He had been visiting his friend, Blaise, in Hermione's department at least four times at this week, hoping to get a sight from Hermione. He had got the sight but he also made a note that many other Ministry wizards had also. He had heard Oliver Wood and some of his colleagues from Quidditch department talking of Hermione in the elevator.
"Have you seen Hermione Granger lately?"
"That Hermione-with-the-bum? Of course I have! She's gorgeous!"
"I wonder if she would accept a date with me…"
"Believe me, you don't have a chance. I know she wants a man with brains and you certainly don't have them. The accident with Bludgers, remember..?"
"Oh, shut up, you."
And they weren't alone. Harry kept insisting that Draco fancied Hermione and Draco insisted otherwise. Somehow Harry and Blaise had made a team and now they both wanted Draco and Hermione together and Blaise was hinting about Hermione endlessly and trying to make him jealous.
"Oh, you don't want her? Well, I assume I can ask her on a date then…" he had said and before Draco had time to think he had already made a mistake and said…
"No!"
"No?"
"Errr… I think that Asian, Chang, has a thing for you."
"Right", Blaise had said, clearly not believing him. And he was smirking every fucking time he saw Draco. Which was often.
***
Ministry of Magic was arranging annual Yule Ball for its employees. It was within two and half weeks, so Draco should get someone as a date before it was too late. He regretted that he had said anything to Blaise about a date because he was insisting he should ask Hermione who still was dateless. Draco wondered why, since many of male-employees of Ministry seemed have a thing or two for her. Maybe any of them haven't had enough balls to ask or something. He still was thinking Hermione every day and every hour. He actually considered doing how Blaise had said.
Finally he had enough guts for it. He walked to Hermione's office feeling a big bunch of butterflies in his stomach.
"Oh, hi, Draco!" she greeted smiling.
"Hello, Hermione", he smiled. "What's up?"
"Just work things… And half of the Ministry seems wander in this department."
"What?"
"Yeah. Oh, sorry, half of the male employees. When I asked why they just mumbled something about delivering papers or getting coffee", Hermione said and brushed hair behind the ear. "Blaise keeps saying they are here because of me but he also says constantly that I'm the most beautiful woman in the Ministry and everyone knows that's not true." Clean your mirror, woman, you definitely are.
"Well, that's weird to have people wandering around like that", Draco said even though he knew pretty well why they were wandering there. "Oh, yeah! I was just asking… Err… Wouldyougotheyuleballwithme?"
"Excuse me?" Hermione asked frowning. Draco cleared his throat.
"Would you... go the Yule Ball with me?"
"Is this some stupid bet with someone?"
"Of course not! I really would like to go with you, but if you don't want, I'll go then…" Draco started to back off.
"No! Draco, wait!"
Draco's face had lightened as he walked few steps forward to Hermione's desk.
"I'll go with you, Draco", Hermione said and smiled. "Do you know where I live that you could pick me up?"
"Yeah, I assume I know, Harry has told me. At seven o'clock?"
"That's fine", Hermione said and before Draco had time to do anything, Hermione had stood up, headed towards Draco, hugged him and given him a peck on the cheek. Draco left quickly after he had said goodbye to Hermione, his cheek still tingling. He felt like sixteen-year-old having a school crush again!
Blaise and Harry knew about his move by lunch time and they managed to tease Draco the rest of the day.
"You're touching your cheek about all the time, you know? Did Hermione give a kiss for you, didn't she?"
"Well, maybe the second date will be in this century when you finally asked her on a first date."
Draco had answered him that she must have much better guys asking her out constantly, he was just an ex-Death Eater. But he couldn't wait Yule Ball at all. Just seventeen nights… But it felt like forever. He was feeling joy about the Yule Ball already.
