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Chapter one

"Ron! Get back here!" Hermione squealed, her eyes following her dress for work in her husbands' hands. She was standing in the doorway of her bedroom in nothing but her underwear. Hermione had been married to Ron for almost four months now, and nothing could be more perfect.

"My darling wife, you'll have to catch me first" Ron snickered, jumping from couch cushion to couch cushion, waving the pale lilac dress above his head like a flag.

"RONALD! Don't make me use my wand less magic" Hermione warned, her voice stern.

Ronald froze, and turned to look at his wife of four months, he pouted and slowly sulked his way over to hand back his wife's work dress. Hermione snatched it from his hands a little too aggressively and made her way back to their bedroom to get changed for her second day working as a minister for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She had been working there for almost a year now and had finally been promoted to the head witch in charge. She put on her lilac dress and laced up her black boots, high heels were such a pain and she was walking around a lot at her job, so comfortable but stylish shoes were a must. Ron laughed as Hermione came out clutching a hair brush in her hand, her bushy hair all over the place.

"I give up, I'm going to work with my hair in a tangled mess!" Hermione huffed.

"Come here" Ron said, holding his hand out for the hair brush.

Hermione sighed and handed him the hair brush and turned around, waiting for him to untangle the giant mop of bushy hair on her head. Ron hummed a simple lullaby as he worked on her head of hair. After five minutes of wincing from Hermione and soothing words from Ron, the mess was finally looking good enough to go to work.

Hermione picked up her bag and gave Ron a kiss on the cheek with a soothing goodbye and a thank you. She apparated to her office at work and almost screamed seeing a white blonde head of hair sitting at her desk. She took a deep breath.

"and who, may I ask, are you?" Hermione said, hand on her hip, her other hand on her wand.

"please don't kick me out" a quite voice said, a voice she would recognise anywhere. Her body shook with rage. She raised the hand with her wand in it, ready to cast anything that would make him regret saying that.

Who does he think he is, walking into her office, after years of tormenting her, and choosing the dark side and asking her to not kick him out! Absolute rubbish is what it is.

"what do you want Malfoy?" Hermione hissed.

"I need your help, Granger. I wouldn't be asking if it weren't an emergency" he whispered, the confidence he had at Hogwarts replaced with uncertainty and fear.

Hermione's rage softened and she let her wand drop. She shook her head.

"turn around, look me in eye and ask me for whatever favour you're asking from me." Hermione said as calmly as possible.

The chair turned around, and Hermione nearly jumped back in shock. His eyes had dark circles underneath them and a massive cut running from in right temple down to his ear.

"I need a place to stay..."