Day by Day

DAY BY DAY

By Lady Jane

Chapter Four: "The Really Busy One About Everyone's Monday"

Monday Morning

Monday morning saw everyone feeling themselves again.

Ginny's Interesting Monday Morning

Ginny would undoubtedly think she had the most interesting morning. After her meeting with the Weekly's Editor-in-Chief, Ida Wordsmith, she went straight to her boss' office to fill him in, her excitement spilling over and making him smile at her enthusiasm.

Their Editor ('Call me Ida,' she told Ginny) had received even more information over the weekend (from whom she wouldn't say) confirming what Ginny had been told by Hermione: Draco Malfoy had indeed been released. Ginny knew she was on to something. She felt fear, dread and above all else excitement, grip her, along with a tremendous determination to do her best and make the most of this opportunity. Oh, the things she would write about that unspeakably horrible ferret!

Ron's Interesting Monday Morning

Ron probably would have disagreed that Ginny had the most interesting morning as his Department was currently working on the upcoming Quidditch World Cup and he would have argued hotly (as he does) that his morning was the more interesting, by far, as it was all about Quidditch!

He smiled to himself as he thought of the previous evening - giving Harry "love" advice for crying out loud! Between himself and Dean he thought they'd come up with some pretty impressive ideas and then shook his head - it still seemed a little weird that Harry wanted Hermione - although for a little while many years ago he thought he'd wanted her. He laughed out loud at the thought of him and Hermione - they'd drive each other up the wall and then hex each other to hell! Just the thought of Hermione bossing him around and organising him was enough to make him shudder. Now, Luna... Ron leaned back in his chair, the Quidditch World Cup momentarily forgotten. Luna. He closed his eyes, smiling, remembering...

Luna's Lovely Monday Morning

When Luna woke that morning she simply lay there for some time, smiling as she thought her thoughts. She was happy for Hermione and hoped it worked out for her with Harry - she knew what it was like to be in love and filled with joy and wanted everyone to feel the same way.

She didn't actually work as such, but she did help her father out frequently at The Quibbler. However, today she was a free agent and she knew just what she'd do...

Dean's Dreamy Monday Morning

Dean had been dreaming of Ginny and woke wishing she was there beside him. He smiled as he put his arms behind his head, planning what he'd do for - and to - Ginny that night...

Harry & Hermione's Horny Monday Morning

Harry and Hermione woke almost at the same time. Hermione got up and walking past the bathroom, stopped at the next door - Harry's room - and tapped lightly.

'Harry?' she called softly.

'Morning,' came his voice, a little hoarse from sleep. 'Take the first shower, Hermione - I'm not properly awake yet.'

'Gladly!' she told him as she turned to go back to the bathroom, trying not to take any notice of her wretched imagination which was putting her in bed with Harry, waking up to his voice, rough from sleep, murmuring her name, running her hand over the coarse growth on his face, loving the feel of it...

She had a radio in the shower and turned it up quite loud to drown out her own, disturbing - be honest with yourself Hermione! - horny thoughts! It was after all a work day and she couldn't possibly be thinking such things while she was supposed to be concentrating on her latest assignment. Well, of course she would, but she shouldn't!

Harry lay in bed, listening to the faint sound of the radio in the shower, very aware that just the other side of that wall was a naked, wet, glistening Hermione, making for a rather uncomfortable start to his day...

Monday Lunchtime

Love at Lunchtime for Randy Ron and Lustful Luna

Lunchtime found Ron still sitting as his desk, going over spectator arrival schedules for the World Cup, absentmindedly eating a sandwich he's quickly made that morning. He looked up as he heard his office door close, wondering why someone would be coming to see him during lunch and close the door, looking up to see, 'Luna!' he exclaimed, a smile splitting his face. He put down both his sandwich and the parchment he'd been looking at and rose, walking around his desk to greet her. Luna turned and drawing her wand put a locking charm on the door before turning back to Ron, who swept her up in a huge hug.

'What a wonderful surprise!' he told her, just before he dropped his head to kiss her.

As they drew apart, Luna smiled wickedly at him. 'I have another surprise for you,' she told him softly.

He gave her a questioning look as she stepped back slowly and opened her robes. Ron's mouth dropped open - he couldn't believe his eyes! Luna didn't have a stitch on under her dark blue robes. Needless to say, Ron finished neither his sandwich nor read anymore of the schedule that lunch hour...

Harry Takes Hermione To Lunch

Harry decided it was high time he went and saw Hermione at work and took her out to lunch. He wasn't sure what time she went to lunch, but he was pretty confident it wouldn't be before midday so to be safe, he arrived at the Ministry ten minutes before noon. After being waved through by security ('What d'you mean, "who's that"? It's 'arry Potter you twerp! S'if we'd need to put 'im through security! Blimey!'), he caught one of the lifts up to Level Seven ('Department of Magical Games and Sports, incorporating the British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters, Official Gobstones Club, Ludicrous Patents Office and the General Research into Everything Department') and by asking as he went, found his way along an untidy corridor lined with posters of various Quidditch teams until he reach a rather regal looking, dark wooden door with an impressive lion's head knocker. He lifted his hand and despite trying to bring the lion's head down as gently as possible, a loud booming noise reverberated around the corridor making Harry wish he'd just knocked with his hand.

The door swung open noiselessly and he walked forward into a quiet dimness. It actually reminded him of the library at Hogwarts - it was full of ancient, towering bookshelves stuffed with tomes and was permeated with that smell which is peculiar to libraries. He continued past a desk, behind which sat a wizened old man and behind whom was a large, dark fireplace. Occasional inter-departmental memos shot out of the fireplace behind the old man to be caught by a much younger man who had a small, unimportant looking desk placed beside the fireplace.

Harry wondered at Hermione working in such a sombre place, despite the fact that she loved books and reading them. The old man finally looked up at him and simply nodded his head towards the other end of the room. Harry noticed there was another, smaller door straight ahead that he thought might lead to some offices and he headed for that. When he reached it, he noticed there was a piece of parchment tacked to the door on which were written the words, "Welcome to the Fred & George". The only Fred and George Harry knew of were Ron's twin brothers and he wondered if this sign in some way referred to them. He tried the handle and the door opened easily, a sudden flood of light causing him to squint and bring his hand up over his eyes to shade them. He closed the door behind him and realised he could hear voices - and occasional laughter. Harry's eyes became accustomed to the light and he dropped his hand, looking around. It was a huge room with a massively arched ceiling - all painted white. There were large wooden desks placed randomly throughout the room and stacks of books everywhere. On desks, on the floor - on just about every available flat surface. They were stacked very haphazardly, no doubt held in place by the absentminded flick of a wand. He could see many faces turn towards him and then a shriek split the air from someone just to his right.

'It's Harry Potter!' screamed the shrieker.

After that, it was pandemonium. Harry stood helpless in a sea of excited people, all talking at once until he noticed that someone was elbowing their way through the crowd. The two witches directly in front of him suddenly moved apart and Hermione stood there, looking dishevelled and exasperated. And bloody gorgeous, thought Harry.

She grabbed his arm, shaking her head and smiling at him, then pulling him behind her, through the crowd. He could feel myriad hands touching him as they went and finally, Hermione pulled him through a door that had a small plaque on it reading, "Hermione Granger, Assistant Researcher". She closed the door behind them and immediately silence descended.

Harry looked quickly around - there was a fireplace on his left, surrounded by bookshelves and there were bookshelves on every other wall, except one which was actually a large window overlooking a beautiful garden, bathed in sunshine and Harry wondered how Hermione had convinced Magical Maintenance to give her such a breathtaking view. A large wooden desk sat in front of the window and Hermione walked over and sat on the front edge of it, crossing her arms, still smiling at him and shaking her head. Scattered on the surface of the desk were many pieces of parchment and open books. Harry walked over and sat in one of the comfortable armchairs that faced the desk, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

'Phew! Never experienced anything like that before!' he exclaimed.

"Harry, for heaven's sake! How can you not remember who you are? How can you forget that you're known to every witch and wizard on the planet? You shouldn't just walk in unannounced like that - it's guaranteed to create total pandemonium!'

Harry grinned at her. 'All right, next time I'll let them know I'm coming so it'll be organised pandemonium, how's that?'

Hermione laughed. 'I concede - it wouldn't matter what you did, you'd still cause pandemonium!'

'I guess taking you out for lunch isn't a good idea then? Unless we go to a Muggle restaurant.'

'And that's exactly what we'll do!' Hermione told him. 'I know an excellent Muggle café not far from here.'

'What time's your normal lunch hour?' asked Harry after they'd made a dash back through the Department amidst more shrieks, gasps and pointing fingers and headed out.

'Well, really, I take it when it fits in, but I usually go to lunch sometime between midday and half past one,' Hermione told him.

After a short walk, they settled at a table for two in the rear courtyard of a popular Muggle eatery called "The Blue Duck".

'The Blue Duck?' pondered Harry, scanning the menu. 'Sounds like something Hagrid would be interested in.'

Hermione smiled across the table at Harry, feeling as though she was floating on air. She wouldn't have imagined that Harry seeking her out to take her to lunch would make her feel so special! She reached across the table and put her hand over his.

'Harry, thanks for coming to see me today - and taking me to lunch. I'm really enjoying this!'

He looked up from the menu, his green gaze serious as their eyes met. 'Then I'll be doing this at least once a week from now on.'

Hermione felt flustered. She quickly pulled her hand back. 'Oh, Harry! You don't have to do that - I just meant - well, that -' Oh, shit, Hermione! What the hell are you babbling about? If the man wants to take you to lunch once a week for Merlin's sake let him! She took a deep breath. 'You know what? I'd love that!'

Harry smiled as he said, 'Done. By the way, what's with the parchment on the door that says, "Welcome to the Fred & George"?'

Hermione chuckled. 'That was me! I noticed when I first worked here that the initials of my department - the General Research into Everything Department - form the acronym "GRED". Now, that reminded me of Fred and George sometimes referring to themselves as Gred and Forge and I told this to my boss one day. She thought it was quite amusing and started calling our department the Gred & Forge. It spread from there and when everyone found out the name came from Fred and George Weasley - who are pretty well-known in their own right - it got changed back to Fred and George. So the Fred & George it is!'

'Do Fred and George know?' inquired Harry.

'Yes, actually, they do. After the first time they came to see me and noticed the parchment, they said since the Department was sort of named after them they'd have to make regular visits. I'm not sure who enjoys their visits more - the twins or the girls in the Department!'

After a very enjoyable lunch, Harry went straight home while Hermione went back to work. She felt as though she was floating on air as she made her way back, only to be inundated on her return by the witches she worked with who couldn't get over how gorgeous Harry was in person and wanted to know everything about him and what he was really like.

Priscilla, one of her best friends at work, helped Hermione escape into her office, conjuring two cups of coffee, one for each of them. Hermione had told Priscilla that Harry was temporarily living with her, although she'd never given her a hint of her true feelings about Harry, nor would she to Priscilla who, although a wonderful friend, was an inveterate gossip. If you wanted everyone in the Department to know something within a day, tell Priscilla!

As Hermione dropped into her chair behind her desk, a smile plastered on her face, Priscilla plonked herself down in one of the armchairs in front of Hermione's desk, flicking her long, dark hair back over her shoulder, her blue eyes fixed on Hermione as she demanded, 'Okay, Hermione, spill it! Out with it! I know you've been friends with Harry Potter since forever - so, have you shagged him yet?'

Hermione squealed. 'Priscilla! Really! Hell's bells!'

Priscilla remained unmoved and simply looked at Hermione, her head cocked, sipping her coffee.

Hermione blushed. 'No, of course not,' she answered finally, reaching for her coffee, 'he's my friend for goodness sake!'

Priscilla nodded wisely, simply saying, 'Uh-huh. So you haven't. Yet. '

Hermione groaned. 'Priscilla,' she repeated patiently, 'he's my friend!'

Priscilla's look was pure scepticism. 'Only until you shag him.'

Hermione frowned at her friend, 'Listen -'

'No,' interrupted Priscilla, 'you listen Hermione! Aside from the fact that the man positively oozes über sex appeal-' she shivered involuntarily at the memory of being close to Harry in the crush outside earlier, 'you live with him! There's no way you won't end up shagging him. You want to, don't you?'

Hermione sighed. At least it didn't make her feel bad lying to Priscilla. 'Priscilla, you are just projecting! You and every other witch out there on the other side of my door would give their wands to have a go at Harry and because I've known him so long and I'm a close friend and he's temporarily staying in my spare room, you can't imagine me not taking advantage of a situation that anyone of you would in a second!'

Priscilla frowned thoughtfully. 'Maybe you're right,' she conceded. She glanced at Hermione, a speculative gleam in her eye. 'I'm sure I couldn't live with him only a hop, skip and a jump down the hallway from my bedroom and not try and take advantage of the situation,' she finished.

Hermione shook her head, smiling at her friend. 'I know you would do your damndest to take advantage of the situation, Priscilla, but that's you, not me.' Perhaps you're an idiot, Hermione, she told herself. Maybe I should try Priscilla's approach sometime and see what happens. It's very similar in a vulgar sort of way to what Ginny and Luna said to me. Yeah, right! As if I'd find the courage and even if I did, Harry would run a mile, I'm sure!

Priscilla shrugged lightly, picking up the two empty coffee cups but saying to Hermione before she left, 'So, if you're not interested, could you ask me over for dinner sometime so I can meet him?'

Rising from her chair, Hermione groaned, 'Priscilla!' causing her friend to back away, laughing, 'All right! It was just a suggestion!'

She shuddered to think what the main topic of conversation would be in the Department tomorrow morning. That Priscilla was really something!

Monday Afternoon

Ginny & Dean's Afternoon Meeting

That afternoon, Dean booked a table at "their" restaurant - the one where he and Ginny had their first dinner together - and bought a huge bunch of red roses for Ginny on the way to her office, planning on surprising her by taking her out to dinner. He'd had to sit in her office for nearly twenty minutes before she arrived back from another meeting with Ida Wordsmith. Ginny's face lit up when she saw him as she entered her office, giving a little gasp of surprise when she saw the roses lying on her desk behind him.

'Dean, they're gorgeous! What's the occasion?'

He smiled down at her, loving the feel of her arms entwined around his neck, her body pressed against his. 'Just that I love you,' he told her before he kissed her deeply.

She sighed happily when they came up for air. 'And I've booked a table at the Dragon's Lair for dinner tonight, my beautiful lady,' he told her.

Ginny dropped her head to rest it on his chest so that he wouldn't see the look of dismay on her face. Her meeting with Ida had been to finalise arrangements to meet Malfoy in the Leaky Cauldron at eleven thirty that night. She bit her lip, trying to think what she should do. There was no way she could tell Dean she was meeting Draco Malfoy, he'd insist on coming with her and that would be the end of her great opportunity.

'Oh, sweetheart, I just promised Ida I'd work on this latest assignment she's given me tonight', her voice sounding anguished - which was how she felt at having to lie to Dean, although technically what she'd just said was true. 'Can we make it another night?'

He kissed the tip of her nose as she looked up at him, her eyes full of concern.

'Of course!' he told her, smiling. 'How about Friday?'

'Perfect!' she said, smiling once more, bringing his head down so she could kiss him again.

Hermione's Late Afternoon Inter-Departmental Memo

An hour before she was due to leave work, Hermione received a memo from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement up on Level Two. Inter-departmental memos to the "Fred & George" had been so numerous and so distracting to the staff that they were now Flooed to the fireplace behind the young assistant's desk out near the main entrance and delivered by hand from there every hour or so by that young man, Gaylord Pince, who was the elderly librarian's grandson.

Hermione smiled her thanks at the young man as he handed her the memo before hurrying out of her office, clutching the handful of memos he had yet to deliver. She opened it straight away and after reading it, immediately Flooed Ginny at her office.

Monday Night

Ginny's Late Monday Night Interview

Late that night, Ginny sat at the back of the Leaky Cauldron. There were only two other people left in the pub and since they were a couple, they were far more interested in each other and didn't take any notice of a lone young woman. Ginny was writing notes to herself, her quill moving quickly across the parchment when she heard the door open. Thinking it was probably just the couple leaving, she glanced up casually, then froze. A man had walked in, his dark robes still moving from the wind outside, his hood shadowing his face. She could sense the man was looking around - for her. She knew he'd seen her, because he was striding towards her, his robes billowing softly around him.

He stopped beside the table at which she sat. He didn't sit, just stood there, looking down at her. She could barely discern his features beneath his hood, yet she knew who it was and wondered how he looked now. How would anyone look after spending years in Azkaban? It wasn't as long as Sirius had been imprisoned, then again, Sirius had been innocent and she was certain this man was not.

Abruptly, he sat down opposite her, leaning forward, his arms on the table. The old barman, Tom, came up silently with two Butterbeers, putting them down on the table without a word. Ginny smiled her thanks at him then turned back to the hooded man.

'Malfoy?' she asked, her voice low.

'Weasley?' he replied in kind, his voice sounded a little hoarse, perhaps, she thought, from lack of use. Ginny frowned, feeling the old, familiar anger from her schooldays rising within her. She leaned forward a little, her voice tense.

'Listen, Malfoy, I don't know whether you really want to do this or perhaps you just need the money?' Ginny hated the sneer in her voice - so similar to that condescension she'd heard in his voice almost daily during their years at Hogwarts. Despite all that, she couldn't help adding, 'Father and son in Azkaban can't be good for the family's reputation and no doubt a lot of that famous Malfoy fortune went down the drain trying to buy you both out.'

She could feel, although not see, those pale, cold eyes staring out at her from beneath the hood.

'It's none of your business why I'm doing this, just do your job and shut up and listen.' His voice was bitingly cold.

'No, you shut up and listen Malfoy! If you agree to this interview you become my business for the duration. And for my own sake only, you can count on me doing my best on this job.'

A harsh, low laugh escaped him.

'I suppose I should be grateful for small mercies,' he said, sounding as though he couldn't care less.

Malfoy raised his glass and sipped slowly, obviously thinking over what she said. She found it very disconcerting that while he could plainly see her, she couldn't see his face which was still hidden in the shadow of his hood; she was sure he'd put some sort of charm on it to prevent being seen properly. She felt vulnerable, exposed somehow. She hated him for making her feel that way.

Finally, he put his glass down.

'All right, this is how it will be done. I will agree to this interview taking place. You will meet me at eight o'clock next Friday night at the Dragon's Lair for dinner, having made the booking in your name. To all intents and purposes, we will just be another couple having dinner. I will not pay for dinner. The interview will last as long as dinner, and no longer. And one last thing. On the night, Ginevra, to complete the illusion, you will call me Draco.'

He rose and walked away, leaving Ginny feeling cold, a little afraid and oddly excited.

Must be all this "cloak and dagger" stuff, she thought, shivering as she prepared to leave. She froze in the act of putting on her coat as she remembered that Dean had told her he'd book a table at the Dragon's Lair for that Friday. Shit! she thought. I'll have to see him tomorrow and see if we can't make our dinner date for Saturday night. She felt a little concerned at having to put him off twice, but it couldn't be helped - this interview could be the launch pad she'd been hoping for.

TO BE CONTINUED...