Black, Two Sugars, and a Dash of Milk

Title: Black, Two Sugars, and a Dash of Milk

Author: craaazyaboutMalfoy

Language: English

Genre: Friendship/Romance

Disclaimer: I own nothing, cover art is my own design.

Characters (Alphabetically, by last name): Andrew Burke (OC), Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Mr. Urquart (OC, no first name mentioned)

Summary: The Department of Mysteries has employed it's first Muggleborn, under pressure from the Minister. In a sea of mysogynists and blood-supremacists, Hermione Granger finds an unexpected ally in Draco Malfoy. Post-war AU, Dramione. Need I say any more?

A/N: Hello to all the lovely people who gave this fic a chance! I really hope you enjoy it :)

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Conference Hall-A

Department of Mysteries

British Ministry of Magic

Kinglsey's POV

3 months after the Battle of Hogwarts...

The Minister of Magic tried in vain to mask his yawn. Kingsley Shacklebolt had only been in office for two months – three, if you counted his temporary appointment in the aftermath of the War – and he was already sick of the many duties his post entailed.

Like today, for example, he was stuck in a front-row seat pretending to understand what the old man before him was droning on about, with a room full of Magical researchers around him.

The Department of Mysteries was full of old, bigoted and misogynistic Pureblood men, and the only reason he suffered their presence was because he did not have the authority to knock them from their posts.

Not yet, at least, he thought smugly.

The DoM, as the department was lovingly called, functioned independent of the Ministry, researching revolutionary new spells, potions and many other things, all under the command of the Department Head, an unpleasant and sour-looking wizard by the name of Andrew Burke. Well in his late 60's, Burke was an elitist snob, and only employed Pureblood Wizards – no Witches, of course – with seniority based on the reputations of their family names rather than their personal merit or competence.

Kingsley would have been more than happy to stay out of the other Wizard's way, but as Minister of Magic, monthly presentations on the progress made by the DoM was a torture he had no choice but to endure.

Sighing, he leaned back in his seat as the old Researcher before him dissolved into a lecture about the positive aspects of the new 'Fertility' Potion he was developing and how it would solve the raging issues of infertility among Pureblood couples.

'...and the addition of a pinch of powdered Dragon claws renders the potion virtually tasteless and inert, thus effective when being administered in a subtle manner. It also has a mild sedative eff–'

'Excuse me, Sir.' Kingsley knew who the speaker was even before he turned to look at her. Yes, the youngest new recruit at the DoM was a woman. A Muggleborn, in fact.

He smiled softly as he remembered how much weight he had thrown around to get her the position. While the Minister had no power over the functioning of the DoM, he still had the power to cut their funds. That threat had been enough to force Mr Burke to make one little exception.