Refashioning Affection

Refashioning Affection

Chapter One: Be Careful While Exiting Lifts.


Hermione was tired but happy as she shuffled her paperwork into her briefcase. She glanced around her tiny office, well, tiny was putting it nicely. It was more of a glorified broom closet with a window and a desk, but she loved it anyway. It had been her office since she arrived nearly a year ago. Any free space was littered with trinkets coupled with pictures from her many travels. She smiled at one of her favorites that sat in the corner of her desk; a small replica of Bran Castle from her time in Romania. Next to that was a picture of her and Charlie Weasley in front of the actual castle. Charlie was making a show of biting her neck as she laughed, holding her fingers in a cross shape in a futile attempt to ward off the attack.

Those eight months in Romania for the Research and Development Department had been wonderful. She was able to do some research, not only on vampires, but the werewolf pack that lived in the northern hills of the Transylvania province. She was also able to spend at least one weekend a month with Charlie, exploring the ancient and magical cities all over Eastern Europe, not to mention helping out at the Reserve. Her burn salve had become famous. So much so, that the director of the Reserve had tried to convince her to work for them in their medical division. But, she loved her job, not only for the travel and freedom that came with it, but for the chance to study so many interesting topics as well. Romania, though it was one of the best assignments, was still only second to where she was now. Ireland was beautiful and the druid library that had been found in one of the many caves along the northern isles may hold some vital information on a few of the ancient artifacts found in the rubble of the former Death Eaters’ mansions.

She closed the curtain over her small window and locked up her office, all the while composing letters to friends and family in her head. It had been a few weeks since she had written anyone, being busy with translation and working with the main office in London, which seemed to be in shambles, if the hasty and unorganized responses she received were anything to go by. She would be receiving howlers soon if she did not update everyone on her health and life.

She walked down the small village’s high street; she was renting a small set of rooms above Mrs. McNamara’s Bakery. The 75 year old widow had taken a shine to Hermione and insisted on fussing over her when she wandered in late at night looking half alive. If Hermione so much as dared to skip a meal, Mrs. McNamara would hunt her down, food in hand. Hermione made her way through the back door to find the round, grey-haired grandmother stirring a large boiling pot and humming away to a little tune in her head. When she heard the door click shut she turned, the usual sprite-like smile on her aged face.

"Hello deary, nice to see you home at a decent hour. Why don’t you wash up and I will get dinner on the table."
"Thank you, Mrs. McNamara. I’ll only take a minute."

Hermione made her way up to the third floor and dropped her paperwork in a chair by the fireplace. She was heading to the bathroom when a tapping on the window caught her attention. She looked to see a barn owl perched on her sill, a large missive on his leg. He looked rather put out and tapped even harder once she noticed his presence. Hermione hurried over to let the poor bird in. The large owl swooped in and landed on the back of her favorite chair. The seal of the Ministry was blatantly obvious on the message. She quickly untied the mail and gave the tired messenger a bowl of water and some treats, for which he gratefully nipped her finger.

The letter, or package really, as it seemed that the MOM had sent her the manuscript of a Dickens novel, was addressed from the Minister himself. Confused, Hermione quickly opened the large envelope, read the first page and nearly choked. The owl looked up at her oddly from his bowl of water. She shuffled through the papers hoping to see something along the lines of ‘just kidding,’ but it was all official documents and with briefings attached. She, Hermione Jean Granger, was about to become the head of the Research and Development Department at the age of 25. That meant having to move back to London, sitting at a desk all day, doing paperwork and worst of all, having to leave this little village she now considered home.

Minister Shacklebolt had requested written confirmation of her acceptance, which was pointless because Kingsley had stated very clearly that he would not take no for an answer. She went to her desk and wrote a brief and formal acceptance, hoping her lack of enthusiasm would be felt in the few words she penned down. Signed and sealed, she attached the letter to the owl’s proffered leg and sent him back to London with a sigh.

When she finally made it to the table, Mrs. McNamara gave her a concerned look. "I thought you might have gotten lost. Is everything alright? You seem to have become a bit melancholy since you walked in."

"I just went through some mail and it seems my boss wants me back in London as soon as possible," Hermione explained, unhappiness obvious in her tone. Mrs. McNamara gave her a sad smile in return.

"When do you have to leave, Hermione?" she asked as they started in on the stew and warm bread on the table.

"As soon as I can wrap up all the loose ends on the project here. I am supposed to hand over control to a Mr. Banner when he arrives on Tuesday next, explain everything and then back to London I go."

"Well, I will miss you something awful. I have come to care for you very much, Hermione. You will always be welcome back here."

"Thank you for everything, Mrs. McNamara. I will write and visit as often as I can. I guess I can tell everyone else at the pub tomorrow night."

"Oh, I’d say there’ll be a fair number of sad young men." Mrs. McNamara smiled; she had been determined to see Hermione matched up with one of the local boys. Hermione laughed, she really was going to miss her meddling.

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A week and half later, Hermione was waiting in the lift at the MOM, the last, but rather large box of her personal effects for her office - which she thought was obscenely large- in her arms. She had said her goodbyes to the village, her office, and her rooms and of course to Mrs. McNamara and the rest of her friends she had made over the last year. Now she waited to start her new job, filled with old and new faces and places. After a few more stops, the lift was now empty. Her office was on the top floor with the other department heads, the Minister and his cabinet, and the Governors. When the doors finally opened, she stepped out and promptly hit something rather hard and went falling back. She had dropped the box in a futile attempt to regain her balance and now braced herself for impact with the hardwood floor. After a few seconds, she realized that she was being tugged upward and was staring into black robes adorned with a silver frog closer and a crest she recognized from somewhere...oh, Merlin no, it couldn't be!

"Miss Granger, what a pleasure to see you again," a voice above her drawled. The hand wrapped around her arm loosened slightly, but maintained a firm hold.

Hermione glanced up into the grey eyes of none other than Lucius Malfoy.


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a/n Hiya! So this is my first attempt at one of my fav. pairings. I am working on getting the format to work but I use a mac and safari internet most of the time and it tends to give me a hard time :( Next chapter should follow soon.